1999 Capital City Bombers Nick Maness

 
Who is this? Lancaster Barnstormers pitcher Nick Maness
 
What is this? An autographed card from the 1999 Capital City Bombers team set
 
Where'd I get it? I got it signed before last night's game between the Lancaster Barnstormers and Newark Bears in Newark
 
How much did it cost? I don't remember
 
Why is this so special? Maness was a one-time Mets prospect, selected in the 10th round of the 1997 draft. He made it as far as AAA Norfolk in 2002, and appears in several major league card sets from 2001 on serial numbered "rookie" cards.

I found and bought this minor league team set card back in 2005, when Maness played for the Newark Bears in the Atlantic League. I'm not sure if I got it out of a bargain bin or if I found it online while searching for Atlantic League players' cards, but I've had it for a long time. I never managed to get it signed that year, or in 2006 when Maness again played for the Bears.

I can't find any records for Maness after the 2006 season, and I assumed that he retired. But this year, he showed up on the Lancaster Barnstormers' roster -- after their first trip to Newark this season. Last night, I was finally able to get the card signed - and Maness has a nice looking autograph. Of course, I now have the sinking feeling that there's an unsigned Nick Maness card in my 2006 Bears team set that will continue to haunt me. ;)

While talking to Maness last night, we learned that his brother Dwight -- also a former Mets farmhand and Atlantic League alumni -- has retired from baseball and is playing competitive softball instead.

2009 Brooklyn Cyclones Juan Centeno

Who is this? Binghamton Mets catcher Juan Centeno  

What is this? An autograph card from the 2009 Brooklyn Cyclones set
 
Where'd I get it? I got it signed before Sunday's game between the Binghamton Mets and Trenton Thunder in Trenton
 
How much did it cost? The team set was $10.
 
Why is this so special? This is the first card I got signed from the 2009 Brooklyn Cyclones team set. Although I went to a couple of Cyclones games last year, the card set wasn't out. I didn't get one until well after the season was over.

Centeno was selected in the 32nd round of the 2007 draft, and it does not seem likely that the Mets consider him a prospect. This is Centeno's 4th professional season, and so far he has appeared in 80 career games. His lifetime line of .176 / .246 / .196 is not going to make a strong argument for more playing time, either.

Still, Centeno seemed like a good kid, so I hope that he does well. He doesn't have the best looking autograph, but you can read actual letters. With a roster, you'd probably have no problem figuring it out.

1987 Pawtucket Ed Nottle

Who is this? Brockton Rox pitching coach Ed Nottle
 
What is this? An autographed card from the 1987 Pawtucket Red Sox team set
 
Where'd I get it? It was a gift from Jeff before Sunday's Trenton Thunder game.
 
Why is this so special? Ed Nottle was a minor league pitcher in the 1960s. In 1972, he entered coaching and eventually became a minor league manager. He was named the International League Manager of the Year in 1987 and the first manager of the Sioux City Explorers in the Northern League in 1993.

Nottle's claim to fame is music. "Singing Ed" recorded an album, "To Baseball with Love" back in the 1980s. (If I had a working turntable, I would definitely be ordering this for the novelty value.)

My memory is playing tricks on me, because I clearly remember Nottle having a 1986 Topps card - and he doesn't. I must be thinking of one of the Red Sox minor leagues sets from the late 80s -- I did collect minor league cards even back then, but none of them really have a similar design.

I don't know what my fourth grade teacher would have said about Nottle's penmanship, but compared to the rest of the autographs I got on Sunday it's a thing of beauty. Unlike most of the minor league players, Nottle's signature is easy to read.

Thanks again, Jeff!

2001 Bowman Heritage John-Ford Griffin

Who is this? Newark Bears outfielder John-Ford Griffin
 
What is this? An autographed card from the 2001 Bowman Heritage set
 
Where'd I get it? I got it signed before a Newark Bears game earlier this year.
 
How much did it cost? Not sure - I probably spent about 50 cents for the card.
 
Why is this so special? John-Ford Griffin was the first round draft pick of the New York Yankees in 2001. The next year, he was included in a complicated three-team deal that sent Jeremy Bonderman to Detroit and brought Jeff Weaver to the Yankees. Griffin spent less that a year in Oakland's system before being traded to Toronto for Jason Perry.

Griffin finally reached the majors for a cup of coffee in 2005, and got another brief shot in 2007. Since then, he's played in the minors for the Dodgers and the Cubs. This year, he's a Newark Bear. In 44 games, he's hit .260 with 4 home runs and 20 RBI.

Griffin's signature is a bit of a muddle, but if you try I think you can at least pick out his initials.

2007 Topps 52 Rookies Fernando Cortez

Who is this? Birmingham Barons infielder Fernando Cortez
 
What is this? An autograph card from the 2007 Topps 52 Rookies set
 
Where'd I get it? I got it signed before a Newark Bears game earlier this year.
 
How much did it cost? Not sure -- maybe a quarter?
 
Why is this so special? Fernando Cortez was a ninth round draft pick of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in 2001. He worked his way up through the farm system and earned a cup of coffee in 2005. He was traded to Kansas City in 2006 as part of the deal for J.P. Howell.

Cortez earned another brief shot in the majors with the 2007 Royals, and that was it. Since then, he's played for a number of minor league teams and even found himself in independent ball this year. In 35 games for the Newark Bears, he hit .313 with 3 home runs and 14 RBI.

Earlier this month, the Chicago White Sox signed Cortez and assigned him to AA Birmingham.

Cortez has an illegible autograph, but maybe it looks better if he has more time to sign. He was quickly signing for me and a few other people before he had to get ready for the game.

2008 TriStar Projections Barry Enright

Who is this? Mobile Bay Bears pitcher Barry Enright
 
What is this? An autograph card from the 2008 TriStar Projections set
 
Where'd I get it? I pulled it out of a discount blaster box
 
How much did it cost? I bought a box of 2008 Projects and 2008 Prospects Plus that were shrink wrapped together on closeout in the Newark Bears gift shop for $10.
 
Why is this so special? Barry Enright was the second round pick of the Arizona Diamondbacks in the 2007 draft. A starting pitcher, he's shown some promise at every level.

In his second year with Mobile, Enright is 4-1 with a 3.07 ERA in 11 games so far. The Diamondbacks honored him as their top minor league pitcher for the month of May.


I'm not a big fan of Enright's "autograph", which is just "B y E _ t." I'm betting his signature is very nice, when he signs his full name instead of just a few letters.

1986 Topps John Tudor

Who is this? 1980s St. Louis Cardinals pitcher John Tudor
 
What is this? An autographed card from the 1986 Topps set
 
Where'd I get it? I wrote to Tudor in February and asked him to sign it; I got it back on Monday.
 
How much did it cost? Not much. I think 1980s Topps cards breed in my storage boxes.
 
Why is this so special? John Tudor spent five seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals and went to the World Series twice. He didn't get a ring until his third trip, but that one came with the L.A. Dodgers.

Tudor's best season was 1985 - he went 21-8 with a 1.93 ERA. He led the league with 10 shutouts. If not for a young pitcher named Dwight Gooden putting together one of the best seasons in the history of the game, Tudor would have won the National League Cy Young Award.

For a lefty, I think Tudor has pretty good handwriting.