2010 Wichita Wingnuts Jeff Christy

Who is this? Wichita Wingnuts catcher Jeff Christy
What is this? An autographed card from the 2010 Wichita Wingnuts team set
Where'd I get it? From Zach of Autographed Cards


Why is this so special? No offense to Mr. Christy, but this is a terrible card. It's a boring photo and you can't even see what he looks like. I don't think I've ever seen another card set using a photo like this, so it does deserve some points for uniqueness. :)

Christy was a 6th round draft pick who played exclusively in the Twins organization until last year. Though he made it as far as AAA, Christy was pretty much a backup player after his second season. It seems odd that a relatively high draft pick would not get a longer look, but he just didn't hit.

Christy batted .289 with 1 home run and 39 RBI in 84 games with the Wingnuts last year. That raised his career average to .215.

He's got a fairly legible autograph, but for some reason he made his last name pretty small.

2010 Wichita Wingnuts Gabe Medina

Who is this? Wichita Wingnuts pitcher Gabe Medina
What is this? An autographed card from the 2010 Wichita Wingnuts team set
Where'd I get it? From Zach at Autographed Cards


Why is this so special? This is another signed card from the Wichita Wingnuts team set that Zach sent me a few weeks ago. I really like the classic vest style uniform that Medina is wearing, but I'm glad I don't have to decipher his autograph. I'd be thinking it was signed y someone whose last name began with the letter "C."

Medina, a native of Venezuela, had a 5-7 record in 20 starts for the Wingnuts this year, his second season with Wichita. Medina also pitched very briefly for the Camden Riversharks in 2010, though I didn't realize this until now.

The New York Yankees selected Medina in the 15th round of the 2006 draft, but in three seasons he never advanced past the South Atlantic League. Here's another card that shows him in his Yankees garb, also courtesy of Zach.

2010 Wichita Wingnuts Brian Rose

Who is this? Wichita Wingnuts bench coach Brian Rose
What is this? An autographed card from the 2010 Wichita Wingnuts team set
Where'd I get it? from Zach at Autographed Cards

Why is this so special? Here's another card from the Wichita Wingnuts 2010 team set, one of the few night photos that was used. I don't recall too many instances where the bench coach got into an on-field argument with an umpire, so I'm guessing that Rose was handling base coaching duties or filling in for the manager when this shot was taken.

There are three Brian Roses that played professional baseball: a pitcher who spent time with the Boston Red Sox in the 1990s, another pitcher who played in the Colorado and Cincinnati systems in the mid-90s (thanks Night Owl) and a catcher drafted by the Arizona Diamonbacks in 2003. The Wichita coach never played professional baseball, though he does have extensive experience in baseball instruction. Rose is also a U.S. Marine Corps veteran, according to his bio on the Wingnuts' website.

It looks as though Rose added the number 6 to his autograph, which is puzzling -- he wore number 2 with Wichita.

2010 Wichita Wingnuts Brandon Mathes

Who is this? Wichita Wingnuts pitcher Brandon Mathes
What is this? An autographed card from the 2010 Wichita Wingnuts team set
Where'd I get it? From Zach  


Why is this so special? Last week, I received an unexpected package from Zach at Autographed Cards. It contained a 2010 Wichita Wingnuts team set, with about half of the cards signed. This was a great surprise, and I want to thank Zach for sending it.

The Wingnuts team set is one of the more unique ones I've seen. I'd have to go back to the early 80s to find cards printed on thinner stock, but the photography is generally better than I've seen in some of the Atlantic League sets that I buy. There are some really odd shots, but I'll leave that for when we come to them. (Whenever that is - I'm working through my folder of card scans, but there are still 100 more left to post.)

Mathes made his professional debut with the Joliet Jackhammers in the Northern League last year. He made one start, but it didn't go well. This year, he pitched for Wichita in the American Association. He was 2-2 with a 4.35 ERA in 33 games, mostly out of the bullpen.

Mathes signature is a bit unusual, with the letters very close together and overlapping to some extent.