2008 Long Island Ducks Ray Navarrete

Who is this? Ray Navarette, a minor league baseball player

What is this? An autographed card from the 2008 Long Island Ducks team set

Where'd I get it? I got it signed before a Newark Bears game last year

How much did it cost? The team set cost about $8

Why is this so special? I'm finishing out the year with an autograph from a ballplayer most of you won't recognize.

Navarrete is a New Jersey native, and I first met him when he signed with the Somerset Patriots during their 2005 championship season. He contributed when called upon, but the team really didn't have a set role for him. He didn't seem to get along with everybody on the coaching staff, either.

He signed a minor league contract with the Mets' organization and started the 2006 season in AAA. I went to see the Scranton Wilkes-Barre Red Barons' final opening day that year, and got to see Navarrete suited up with the Norfolk Tides. He saw me in my Somerset jacket and said hello, which was kinda neat.

When things didn't work out with the Mets, Navarrete signed with the Long Island Ducks. There, he became an Atlantic League star - a .300 hitter with home run power, speed and the versatility to play any position on the field except catcher.

Navarrete is also the co-founder of a clothing company.

This is another of the cards I had gotten signed in green before I lost that Sharpie.

2008 Long Island Duck Dave LaPoint

Who is this? Dave LaPoint, a former pitcher with the Milwaukee Brewers, St. Louis Cardinals, San Francisco Giants, Detroit Tigers, San Diego Padres, Chicago White Sox, Pittsburgh Pirates, New York Yankees and Philadelphia Phillies

What is this? An autographed card from the 2008 Long Island Ducks set

Where'd I get it? I got it signed before a Newark Bears game last year.

How much did it cost? The team set was about $8

Why is this so special? Dave LaPoint won 80 games in his 12-year major league career. I remember him mainly as a late-season acquisition by the Pirates in 1989, and as a Yankee - I didn't really realize how many other teams he played for.

LaPoint has been a pitching coach or manager for the Long Island Ducks or the Bridgeport Bluefish ever year that I've followed the Atlantic League. He's usually pretty good about signing autographs, but there is one oddball card that he just doesn't want to sign. He said he's waiting for a rich collector to come along who needs it to complete the set.

LaPoint's got a pretty nice autograph for a lefty.

2008 Long Island Ducks Jay Gibbons

Who is this? Jay Gibbons, a former outfielder with the Baltimore Orioles

What is this? An autographed card from the 2008 Long Island Ducks team set

Where'd I get it? I got it signed before a Newark Bears game this year

How much did it cost? The teams set was around $8

Why is this so special? Jay Gibbons had a solid major league career, with over 100 home runs and more than 700 hits in seven seasons as an Oriole. Gibbons was named in the Mitchell Report, and hasn't played a game in the majors since.

Last year, he spent a month with the Long Island Ducks in the Atlantic League before getting picked up by the Brewers. He did well in AAA for Milwaukee, but he didn't earn a call-up. This year, he was back in the Atlantic League playing for the Newark Bears. He struggled and went home before the All-Star break. Gibbons played winter ball in Venezuela and earned the attention of the Dodgers.

Gibbons seemed like a fairly humble guy. I would like to see him get another shot in the big leagues, but I don't really expect it to happen.

Jay Gibbons does not have the neatest autograph in the world -- I can't really read anything past the letter "J" -- but I give him credit for being a willing signer. Many of his 2009 Newark Bears teammates with less major league service time were not nearly as accommodating.

2008 Long Island Ducks Carl Everett

Who is this? Carl Everett, a former outfielder with the Florida Marlins, New York Mets, Houston Astros, Boston Red Sox, Texas Rangers, Chicago White Sox, Montreal Expos and Seattle Mariners

What is this? An autographed card from the 2008 Long Island Ducks team set

Where'd I get it? I got the card signed during a Newark Bears game in 2008

How much did it cost? Let's say the team set cost about $8

Why is this so special? Most baseball fans are familiar with Carl Everett's major league resume: a two-time All-Star, Everett finished with over 200 home runs and more than 1,300 hits. Most baseball fans are also familiar with the distractions Everett could cause off the field.

Considering the reputation Everett earned in the majors, I was actually afraid to ask him for an autograph the first time I saw him at an Atlantic League game in 2007. But he turned out to be one of the most fan-friendly players in the league.

At least once per series, he'd stick around for 10 or 15 minutes to sign autographs for kids and adults. There were even some occasions where Everett would go down past third base and sign autographs at the railing for a half-inning or so during the game. (His manager and the umpires made sure not to notice.)

I've never quite figured out how to read Carl Everett's autograph, but he signs it the same way every time.

2008 Long Island Ducks Kevin Baez

Who is this? Kevin Baez, a former infielder for the New York Mets

What is this? An autographed card from the 2008 Long Island Ducks team set

Where'd I get it? I got it signed before a Newark Bears game in 2008

How much did it cost? I think the team set cost around $8, but I don't really remember

Why is this so special? I remember Kevin Baez's brief major league career in the early 1990s. He had brief cups of coffee in 1990 and 1992, and a longer shot in 1993. He never really stuck, but you couldn't fault him for lack of effort.

Baez continued his career in the minor leagues and eventually independent baseball. If I recall correctly, he retired after the 2004 season with the Long Island Ducks and joined the team as a coach. He played a few games in 2005, but I think he was filling in because they were short-handed. He's great about interacting with fans before the game.

Baez doesn't have a bad autograph, but it's not as pretty as some of the older coaches and managers. I started to get this set signed in green to match the Ducks' team colors, but I lost my green Sharpie before I finished.

2008 Newark Bears Al Levine

Who is this? Al Levine, a former pitcher for the Chicago White Sox, Texas Rangers, Anaheim Angels, Tampa Bay Devil Rays, Kansas City Royals, Detroit Tigers and San Francisco Giants

What is this? An autographed card from the 2008 Newark Bears team set

Where'd I get it? I wrote to Al Levine and asked him to sign it back in October; I got it back as an early present on Christmas Eve.

How much did it cost? The card was a gift and the autograph was free.

Why is this so special? Al Levine started the 2008 season as the Newark Bears' closer, but he retired just before the card sets came out last year.

I mailed him the card from my team set, hoping that he would sign it. But I guess no one from the team bothered to send him any copies of his card; he kept it and swapped me a signed regular issue card from earlier in his career. I mentioned this to an acquaintance at a Bears game this year. The next time I saw him, he brought me a copy of the card to try again.

Thanks to that kind gesture, I have one more signed card for my Newark Bears team set. Levine has a tiny signature with a lot of loops, but it looks kinda cool.

I don't remember seeing Levine pitch, except for the Bears last year. But over ten seasons, he appeared in 416 games. He has a lifetime record of 24-33, with an ERA of 3.96

2009 Bowman Andre Ethier

Who is this? Andre Ethier, an outfielder for the Los Angeles Dodgers

What is this? An autographed card from the 2009 Bowman set

Where'd I get it? I got it in the mail with the other Andre Ethier autograph I posted last week.

How much did it cost? Absolutely nothing.

Why is this so special? This card was a gift from Ethier, and it's personalized to me. I think that's pretty neat.

You'll notice that Either's signature has changed significantly from the one Topps is using for the facsimile autograph on his card. The older one was much more legible, but I imagine that the newer one is quicker to sign.

Merry Christmas!

2009 Trenton Thunder James Cooper

Who is this? James Cooper, a minor league outfielder

What is this? The last autographed card from the 2009 Trenton Thunder team set I will be showing you this year.

Where'd I get it? I got it signed at a Trenton Thunder game this summer

How much did it cost? The team set cost $10

Why is this so special? I had to scan this one because Cooper has the best autograph of any of the Trenton Thunder players who signed cards for me this year. How often do you see an active player who gives you a letter-perfect autograph?

Unfortunately, Cooper is more likely to be headed to independent ball in 2010 than the majors. In a part-time role, Cooper hit .240 with one home run and 31 RBI for the Thunder in 2009.

2009 Trenton Thunder Wilkins Arias

Who is this? Wilkins Arias, a minor league pitcher

What is this? Another autographed card from the 2009 Trenton Thunder team set

Where'd I get it? I got the card signed at a Trenton Thunder game this summer

How much did it cost? The team set cost $10

Why is this so special? I scanned this one because I confused Wilkins Arias with Wilkins De La Rosa, who is actually on the Yankees 40-man roster. (What are the odds of having two left-handed pitchers named Wilkins on the same team?)

Arias had a 5-4 record with a 3.65 ERA in relief for Trenton this year, but at age 29 he's unlikely to reach the majors. He walked 3.2 batters per nine innings, so that won't exactly help his cause. He did strike out 9.6 batters per nine innings.

Arias has a neat looking autograph, but he's left out a few letters to save space or time.

2009 Trenton Thunder Kanekoa Texeira

Who is this? Kanekoa Texeira, a minor league pitcher

What is this? Another autographed card from from the 2009 Trenton Thunder team set

Where'd I get it? I got the card signed at a Trenton Thunder game this summer

How much did it cost? The team set was $10.

Why is this so special? Kanekoa Texeira came to the Yankees organization last season as part of the the Nick Swisher trade; earlier this month, he was chosen by the Seattle Mariners in the Rule V draft. He'll either become a major leaguer next season or be headed back to the Yankees.

Texeira had a 9-6 record with a 2.84 ERA as a swingman for the Trenton Thunder this year. The 23-year-old righthander appeared in 41 games, six as a starter.

Texeira has an interesting autograph... it looks like "Ka_Ko_ Te" to me.

I'm not sure what the Thunder were thinking with this card design. On some of the cards, the player photo silhouetted in front of the Thunder logo makes for a cool-looking card. On others, it just looks downright goofy. Texeira's card falls somewhere in between, I think.

2009 Trenton Thunder Reegie Corona

Who is this? Reegie Corona, a minor league infielder

What is this? An autographed card from the 2009 Trenton Thunder team set

Where'd I get it? I got the autograph at a Trenton Thunder game this summer

How much did it cost? The team set cost $10 at the Thunder gift shop

Why is this so special? I picked this card to scan because of Mr. Corona's unusual first name, but it turns out that he's the only one in the set (of the cards I was able to get signed, anyway) that is actually on the Yankees' 40-man roster.

Corona, 23, is a middle infielder who split the 2009 season between Trenton (AA) and Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (AAA). His combined stats are .257-6-40, with 16 stolen bases. (I guess somebody has to be waiting in the minors to back up Derek Jeter.)

Corona was nice enough to sign his card for me at a Trenton Thunder game this summer, but I'm glad I don't have to try to decipher his autograph. I like the nice action photo that was chosen for his baseball card.

2009 Trenton Thunder Zach McAllister

Who is this? Zach McAllister, a minor league pitching prospect

What is this? An autographed card from the 2009 Trenton Thunder team set

Where'd I get it? I got it signed after a Trenton Thunder game this summer

How much did it cost? The team set cost $10 in the Thunder gift shop

Why is this so special? Baseball America has ranked McAllister as one of the Yankees' top 10 prospects for the two years. A 22-year-old left-hander, McAllister went 7-5 with a 2.23 ERA for Trenton this year. His ERA was more than a full run better than the next qualifying Eastern League pitcher.

McAllister should start the season in AAA in 2010, and most scouts seem to project him as a solid mid-rotation starter in the majors. I wish I had gotten to see him pitch this year, but I suppose I'll have the chance to watch him on TV in a year or two if the scouts are right.

There were two well-known prospects on the Trenton Thunder this season: McAllister and catcher Jesus Montero. While Montero ducked the autograph seekers after the game I went to, McAllister graciously signed for the dozen or so people who approached him after the game. He's got a pretty legible signature for a lefty. ;-)

2009 Trenton Thunder Tony Franklin

Who is this? Tony Franklin, manager of the Trenton Thunder

What is this? An autographed card from the 2009 Trenton Thunder team set

Where'd I get it? I got the card signed before a Trenton Thunder game this summer

How much did it cost? The card came from the 2009 Trenton Thunder team set, which was $10 in the team gift shop.

Why is this so special? Tony Franklin played for eight seasons in the minor leagues, but he never reached the majors. Since the 1980s, he's been a minor league manager in the Cubs, White Sox, Padres and Yankees systems.

In 2007, he got the job managing the Trenton Thunder, and he won back-to-back Eastern League titles in 2007 and 2008. Even though his team had a losing record in 2009, the Yankees announced this week that Franklin will be back for the 2010 season.

From everything I've heard from other autograph collectors at Trenton Thunder games, Tony Franklin does not particularly like to sign autographs. I would never have guessed that from my experience.

On a hot Sunday afternoon in late July, not very many players wanted to spend a minute more on the field than absolutely necessary. There was some sort of kids-only giveaway item, so there were even more autograph seekers than usual. So not too many players came anywhere near the stands, just a couple of relief pitchers and guys who weren't playing.

Franklin went out to check on his players during warmups, and then he went over to the rightfield corner stands. He started signing autographs, and he kept going as he made his way back to the dugout. It must have taken a good 10 or 15 minutes, but he signed for everybody who asked. Considering how many autographs he signed before he got to me, his signature looks pretty good, too.

2009 Topps Andre Ethier

Who is this? Andre Ethier, an outfielder for the Los Angeles Dodgers

What is this? An autograph card from the 2009 Topps set

Where'd I get it? I wrote to Andre Ethier back during spring training and asked him to sign it; I got it back yesterday.

How much did it cost? The card came out of a pack; the autograph was free

Why is this so special? Andre Ethier is a talented young hitter. This season, he won a Silver Slugger award and finished sixth in the NL MVP voting. Ethier hit a career high 31 home runs and had a career high 106 RBI. There's no reason to think he won't continue to improve.

I'm hoping that Andre Ethier is the one who signed my card, but I'm a little less certain than I am about most of the autographs I've obtained through the mail. There was some thought that a friend or relative was helping him to sign some fanmail that was returned earlier this fall.

At a quick glance, the signature on my card looks like some recent examples of his autograph that collectors have obtained in-person... but it's such a simple signature that it wouldn't be very hard to copy.

2000 Bowman Mike Lockwood

Who is this? Mike Lockwood, a former minor league outfielder

What is this? An autograph card from the 2000 Bowman set.

Where'd I get it? I got the card signed at a Somerset Patriots game in 2007

How much did it cost? I acquired the card in a trade; the autograph was free

Why is this so special? To most of you, this card isn't very special. Lockwood never played in the majors -- he didn't even play in the Olympics. But he was absolutely amazing for the Somerset Patriots in 2007. We got a look at what he could do to Atlantic League pitching in 2006, but he only stayed for a little over a month before signing with a team in Taiwan.

In 2007, he hit 23 home runs and stole 22 bases while striking out just 42 times in 464 at bats. He also played great defense for a team that nearly won the Atlantic League championship. Lockwood started the 2008 season in Italy, but came back for the end of the Atlantic League season. As far as I know, he's retired from baseball.

Lockwood has a few versions of his autograph; this is the average one. You can see the nice one on this certified Bowman auto card. The sloppy one is little more than a squiggle.

2004 Topps Reggie Taylor

Who is this? Reggie Taylor, a former outfielder for the Philadelphia Phillies, Cincinnati Reds and Tampa Bay Devil Rays

What is this? An autograph card from the 2004 Topps set

Where'd I get it? I got the card signed at a Somerset Patriots game in 2006

How much did it cost? I got the card in a trade; the autograph was free.

Why is this so special? Reggie Taylor was the Philadelphia Phillies' first round draft pick in 1995. Baseball America ranked him as one of the Phillies top 10 prospects from 1996 through 2001. He made his major league debut with the Phillies in 2000, but he never really got a chance to play for them.

The Phillies traded Taylor to the Reds during spring training in 2002. The Reds used him as a part time outfielder in 2002 and 2003, but a low batting average and high strikeout rate didn't really help him to hold a big league job. Taylor played a few games with Tampa Bay in 2005, but after that his career took him to Mexico and the independent leagues.

I saw Taylor play with the Lancaster Barnstormers in 2006. He had a good year at the plate, hitting .302 with 23 home runs. But I remember him more because he went out of his way to be nice to kids at the ballpark.

One time, there was a small group of kids who were talking to him during warmups. They wanted autographs, but none of them had a pen. Taylor remembered me asking him for an autograph earlier in the day, after batting practice. He came over to where I was sitting and asked to borrow a pen. He signed for all the kids and returned it before heading to the dugout. How many players are going to do something like that?

Taylor has a few different versions of his autograph; this is the really quick and not very neat one.

2000 Just Gold Shane Heams

Who is this? Shane Heams, a former minor league pitcher and U.S. Olympic Gold Medal winner

What is this? An autograph card from the gold parallel of the 2000 Just minor league prospect set

Where'd I get it? I got the card signed at a Somerset Patriots game in 2005

How much did it cost? I got the card in a trade; the autograph was free

Why is this so special? Shane Heams was drafted as an outfielder by the Seattle Mariners in 1994, but he didn't hit. So the Mariners tried making him a pitcher, and it worked out fairly well. For most of his career, he averaged better than a strikeout per inning.

In 2000, Heams pitched for the U.S. Olympic Gold Medal-winning baseball team. He was not able to translate Olympic success into a major league career, though. He finished his professional career with the independent Somerset Patriots in 2005, retiring at age 30

Shane Heams was very good about signing autographs, but he was efficient. He simplified his signature to just "Sh H."

2002 Fleer Tom Goodwin

Who is this? Tom Goodwin, a former outfielder with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Kansas City Royals, Texas Rangers, Colorado Rockies, San Francisco Giants and Chicago Cubs

What is this? An autograph card from the 2002 Fleer set

Where'd I get it? I got the card signed at a Somerset Patriots game in 2005

How much did it cost? The card came from one of many, many packs I opened in 2002 to complete the Fleer set. The autograph was free.

Why is this so special? Tom Goodwin spent 14 seasons in the big leagues, and was an every day player for seven of them. He never really hit for average or power, but Goodwin was fast. He still had the speed to steal 23 bases at age 36 when I saw him play with the Atlantic City Surf.

In the majors, Goodwin once stole 66 bases in a season for the Kansas City Royals. (He also lead the league with 22 times caught stealing that year.)

Goodwin doesn't have the best autograph but you can clearly read his initials, at least.

1981 Topps Butch Hobson

Who is this? Butch Hobson, a former third baseman for the Boston Red Sox, California Angels and New York Yankees and former manager for the Boston Red Sox

What is this? An autograph card from the 1981 Topps set

Where'd I get it? I got it signed at a Somerset Patriots game in 2008

How much did it cost? The card was probably a quarter; the autograph was free

Why is this so special? Butch Hobson played in the major leagues from 1975-1982, finishing his career with a .248 lifetime average, 98 home runs and 347 RBI. He managed the Red Sox from 1992-1994, winning 207 games and losing 232.

Hobson managed the Nashua Pride in the Atlantic League and Can-Am League from 2000-2007, with a record of 508-456. He won a championship in his first season, and he won a division title in the Pride's final year in the Atlantic League in 2005.

In 2008, Hobson became the first manager for the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs and was recognized as the Atlantic League's Manager of the Year. This year, he took his team to the Atlantic League Championship Series, though they lost to the Somerset Patriots.

Hobson remains one of the most accessible and fan-friendly managers in the Atlantic League, even after all his years in independent baseball. I've never seen him turn down an autograph seeker, and he usually tries to make sure that polite children who ask for baseballs get them, at least on the road.

Hobson has a pretty nice autograph, though this looks like it was a somewhat rushed version.

2002 Topps Traded Demetrius Heath

Who is this? Demetrius Heath, a former minor league second baseman and outfielder

What is this? An autograph card from the 2002 Topps Traded set

Where'd I get it? At a Somerset Patriots game in 2006

How much did it cost? The card was about a dime; the autograph was free.

Why is this so special? Demetrius Heath had the nickname "Meatball" during his days as a player with the now-defunct Atlantic City Surf, which is pretty cool. He stole 71 bases for the Surf in 2006, which was probably a team record and may even be the league mark -- unfortunately, there's no Atlantic League record book for me to check.

I'm not quite sure how Heath landed in the 2002 Topps Traded set, though. He was not a high-round draft pick and he never made it past A-ball. Nevertheless, he was a fun player to watch and he has a cool autograph.

1997 Bowman Sam Marsonek

Who is this? Sam Marsonek, a former pitcher for the New York Yankees

What is this? An autograph card from the 1997 Bowman set

Where'd I get it? I got the card signed at a Somerset Patriots game in 2007

How much did it cost? The card was probably a quarter or so; the autograph was free

Why is this so special? Sam Marsonek was the Texas Rangers' first round draft pick in 1996. He was traded to the Yankees in exchange for Chad Curtis in 1999.

Marsonek's major league career began on a Sunday afternoon in July 2004. He came in to finish a blowout victory over the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. Four outs later, Marsonek's major league career was over.

In 2007, Marsonek pitched for the Somerset Patriots in a final bid to get back to the majors. He got a contract from the Washington Nationals organization for the 2008 season, but he was apparently cut during spring training.

I'm not sure how I'd handle it if I spent all those years trying to get to the majors and my chance was over after facing just six batters. On the one hand, he can say that he got to pitch off the mound at Yankee Stadium -- not many people can. On the other hand, it would be awfully hard not to think about what might have been.

Marsonek's autograph is a simplified S_M_k, which he could sign quite quickly.

1995 Signature Rookies Preview Ryan Luzinski

Who is this? Ryan Luzinski, a former minor league catcher

What is this? An autograph card from the 1995 Signature Rookies Preview set

Where'd I get it? I don't really remember. I have a ton of 1995 Signature Rookies cards, so I think I bought a lot of them somewhere along the way.

How much did it cost? No idea, but it couldn't have been much.

Why is this so special? Ryan is the son of former Phillies slugger Greg Luzinski. The New Jersey native was the first round draft pick of the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1992. He played professionally for eight seasons, but never reached the majors.

I've always wondered if Signature Rookies made the players number the cards as they signed them.

2004 Topps Total Brian Reith

Who is this? Brian Reith, a former pitcher for the Cincinnati Reds

What is this? An autograph card from the 2004 Topps Total set

Where'd I get it? I got the card signed in person at a Somerset Patriots game in 2007

How much did it cost? The card came out of a pack and the autograph was free.

Why is this so special? Brian Reith was originally drafted by the New York Yankees, but he came to the Reds in the Denny Neagle trade in 2000. Reith reached the majors in 2001, starting 8 games for the Reds. He was 0-7. He returned to the big leagues in 2003 as a reliever for the Reds.


In 2007, Reith found himself in independent baseball, pitching for the Somerset Patriots. He pitched well in seven starts, earning the chance for a bigger paycheck in Taiwan. He came back in 2008, beginning the season in the rotation but moving to the bullpen to become the closer later in the year.

Reith did well enough to earn a minor league contract from the Brewers, but he apparently was cut during spring training. The only stats listed for 2009 are from six games with Quintana Roo in the Mexican League.

Reith has a nice autograph, very legible for a quick at-the-ballpark signature.

2004 Donruss Playoff Honors Edwin Almonte

Who is this? Edwin Almonte, a pitcher and former New York Met

What is this? An autograph card from the Donruss Playoff Honors set, #35

Where'd I get it? I got the autograph at a Newark Bears game in 2008.

How much did it cost? The card was probably a quarter or so; the autograph was free.

Why is this so special? Almonte started his career in the White Sox system, but was traded to the Mets in 2003 for Roberto Alomar. So in a few more weeks, he might be able to say that he was once traded for a future Hall of Famer.

Almonte struggled in his brief trial with the Mets, allowing 21 hits -- including 3 home runs -- in just 11.1 innings. When New York removed him from the 40-man roster that winter, he was claimed by the Boston Red Sox. While Almonte appears as a Red Sox player on some cards, he never appeared in a game for them.

Edwin Almonte pitches in a pre-season exhibition game for the Newark Bears in 2008.

By 2007, Almonte was out of affiliated baseball. He played for the Newark Bears in 2007 & 2008. In 2009, he returned to the starting rotation for the first time in 8 years with Schaumburg in the Northern League.

I never quite figured out how to read Edwin Almonte's autograph. His last name has been simplified to "Al_t_", but I can't quite figure out how to read the loops that make up his first name.

2003 Topps Total Luke Allen

Who is this? Luke Allen, a former outfielder for the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Colorado Rockies

What is this? An autographed card from the 2003 Topps Total set

Where'd I get it? I got it signed in person at a Somerset Patriots game in 2007.

How much did it cost? The card most likely came from a pack; the autograph was free.

Why is this so special? Luke Allen beat the odds. He was not a high-round draft pick. He wasn't drafted at all. He was just an amateur free agent with nothing invested in him.
Allen worked his way up through the Dodgers farm system and finally made his major league debut in 2002. His Dodger career included just six games, but he did get one hit -- a double.

That off-season, the Dodgers traded Allen to the Colorado Rockies for his future teammate on the Somerset Patriots, Jason Romano. Allen would get another two major league at-bats with the Rockies in 2003, but he'd never play in the majors again.

The Rockies released him at the end of the season. He played five different minor league organizations, two American independent leagues and Mexican baseball before ending his career after the 2008 season.


In 30 games with the Somerset Patriots in 2007, Allen hit .260 with five home runs and 9 RBI. He also managed to talk Sparky Lyle into letting him pitch in one of the last home games of the season.

If I recall correctly, he came into the game with a decent, but not huge lead. I think he retired the first two batters to face him. I know he got one strikeout. But once the hitters had seen his stuff, they began to hit him. He walked a batter and gave up a pair of hits, so Lyle had to take him out of the game before the inning was over. Allen was charged with two runs, although only one was earned.

Luke Allen has a unique autograph. The only letter that I recognize is the "A" in his last name, but his autograph is instantly recognizable if you are familiar with it.

2008 Topps Heritage Jair Jurrjens

Who is this? Jair Jurrjens, a pitcher for the Atlanta Braves

What is this? An autographed card from the 2008 Topps Heritage set, #511

Where'd I get it? I wrote to Jurrjens in April and asked him to sign it. He's catching up on his fanmail; I got it back yesterday.

How much did it cost? The card came from a pack; the postage was 84 cents

Why is this so special? Jair Jurrjens is a 23-year-old pitcher, and he already has 30 major league victories. He finished third in the Rookie of the Year voting in 2008, trailing Geovany Soto and Joey Votto. He started a National League-high 34 games this year, pitching 215 innings en route to a 14-10 record.

I like Jurrjens' autograph. It is not particularly legible, but it is distinctive.

2009 Topps Manny Delcarmen

Who is this? Manny Delcarmen, a pitcher for the Boston Red Sox

What is this? An autographed card from the 2009 Topps set, #173

Where'd I get it? I wrote to Delcarmen during spring training this year and asked him to sign it. He must be catching up on his fan mail, because I got it back today.

How much did it cost? The card came out of a pack, and postage was 84 cents.

Why is this so special? Manny Delcarmen is a bit of a rarity - a Boston native who was drafted by the Red Sox.

He made his major league debut in 2005, but he didn't become a significant part of the Red Sox bullpen until 2006. His best season was 2007, when he held opposing batters to a .183 average in 44 innings. He pitched in two World Series games that year, winning a ring.

Delcarmen is a rarity in another respect - he's a member of the Boston Red Sox who signs autographs through the mail. His autograph may not be the neatest, but I appreciate it when players take the time to sign for fans.

2009 Topps Joe Blanton

Who is this? Joe Blanton, a pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies

What is this? An autograph card from the Target-exclusive throwback variation of the 2009 Topps set, #207

Where'd I get it? I wrote to Blanton back in April and asked him to sign it. Now that the season is over, he's catching up on his fan mail... I got it back today.

How much did it cost? The card came out of a pack from a retail blaster; postage was 84 cents.

Why is this so special? Joe Blanton is a workhorse. Since 2005, Blanton has thrown at least 190 innings every season.

He was the first round draft pick of the Oakland Athletics in 2002, and he spent the first three and a half seasons of his career there. In 2008, the Phillies traded Josh Outman and two other minor leaguers to Oakland for him so they could bolster their starting rotation.

Blanton went 4-0 down the stretch in Philadelphia, and pitched well in two of his three post-season starts. He started and won Game Four of the World Series, and he became the first pitcher to hit a World Series home run in my lifetime.

Blanton finished the 2009 season with a solid 12-8 record. His post-season starts were not very impressive, but he wasn't charged with a loss in any of them.

Blanton has a surprisingly legible signature for an active Major Leaguer.

2004 Upper Deck Yankees Classics Bobby Richardson

Who is this? Bobby Richardson, a former New York Yankees infielder

What is this? An autograph card from the 2004 Upper Deck Yankees Classics set

Where'd I get it? I wrote to Bobby Richardson earlier this summer and asked him to sign it.

How much did it cost? 33 cents for the card; 88 cents for postage

Why is this so special? Richardson was a key part of the late 1950s-early 1960s Yankees dynasty. He was an 8-time All-Star, 5-time Gold Glove winner and the MVP of the 1960 World Series. He played in the majors for 12 seasons, amassing 1,400+ hits.

And even with all of those accomplishments, Richardson still signs autographs through the mail. He's got a nice, clear signature that really stands out on the black & white card.

1994 Upper Deck Derek Wallace

Who is this? Derek Wallace, a former relief pitcher for the Kansas City Royals and New York Mets

What is this? An autograph card from the 1994 Upper Deck MInor League set, #201

Where'd I get it? From Nick of Baseball Happenings

How much did it cost? $1
Why is this so special? Derek Wallace was the first-round draft pick of the Chicago Cubs in 1992; he was the 11th player chosen overall. He struggled, and soon found himself in a new organization.

The Cubs included Wallace in the 1996 trade that brought Brian McRae from Kansas City to Chicago. Later that year, the Royals traded him to the Mets in a deal for pitcher Jason Jacome.

In New York, Wallace made his Major League debut. He wasn't particularly impressive in 19 relief appearances, but he was only 25 and showed some promise. There was even some thought that he could eventually assume the closer's role held by John Franco.

The next spring, Wallace was diagnosed with an aneurysm that caused him to miss much of the 1997 season. He worked his way back after surgery, but he didn't appear in another Major League game for the Mets.

Late in the 1999 season, the Mets sent Wallace back to Kansas City in a minor league deal. He appeared in eight games for the Royals in what turned out to be his final season as a professional baseball player.

You've got to admire Wallace's persistence. It's just too bad that his baseball career didn't work out quite the way he probably would have hoped.

His signature is a little bit sloppy on this card, but I've seen a lot worse.

1978 Topps Ron Cey

Who is this? Ron Cey, a former third baseman for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago Cubs and Oakland Athletics

What is this? An autographed card from the 1978 Topps set, #630

Where'd I get it? My father gave me a small stack of cards that he picked up at a yard sale that one of his friends was holding this summer. This was one of the cards. I mailed it to Ron Cey last month and asked him to sign it, and I got it back about a week later.

How much did it cost? I'm not sure what the cards cost, but it couldn't have been much. Postage was 88 cents.

Why is this so special? Ron Cey was a very good ballplayer for the Dodgers in the 1970s. He made the All-Star team for six straight years from 1974-1979. He was the World Series MVP in 1981. He had over 1800 hits and more than 300 home runs in his career. And he was nicknamed "The Penguin" for his running style. I love nicknames.

You have to love that card, too. Check out the goofy smile, the dinged edges (and corners) and the terrible centering. It actually looks like a 30-year-old card. Cey's loopy signature adds to the appeal. It is thoughtfully signed in blue, matching the Dodger blue of Cey's uniform.