2008 TriStar Projections Richie Robnett

Who is this? Camden Riversharks outfielder Richie Robnett

What is this? An autographed card the 2008 TriStar Projections set

Where'd I get it? Robnett signed it for me before a game in Newark earlier this year.


How much did it cost? The card came out of a clearance blaster.

Why is this so special? Robnett was a first round draft pick by the Oakland Athletics in 2004, and was once regarded as a top prospect in Oakland's farm system. Through 2008, Robnett remained with Oakland, but last year he spent time in the Chicago Cubs and New York Yankees organizations.

In 2010, he's playing independent baseball for the Camden Riversharks, where he's hitting .273 with 6 home runs and 38 RBI through 87 games.

Robnett has an interesting, stylized autograph.

2009 Binghamton Mets Rodrick Merritt

Who is this? Binghamton Mets pitcher Roydrick Merritt

What is this? An autographed card from the 2009 Binghamton Mets team set

Where'd I get it? Merritt signed it after a game in Trenton earlier this year.

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

Why is this so special? Roydrick Merritt does not seem to enjoy signing autographs. I suspect the only reason that I was able to get this card signed is because he was in a good mood because he had just learned that he was being promoted to AAA. The other times I've seen him, he ignored everybody who asked.

My other memory of Merritt is watching him surrender a walk-off homer to light-hitting backup catcher Jose Gil on Mother's Day last year.

I can make out an "R" and an "M," but I'm not sure what the other squiggles in Merritt's autograph represent.

2007 Bowman Heritage Joe Gaetti

Who is this? Lancaster Barnstormers outfielder Joe Gaetti


What is this? An autographed card from the 2007 Bowman Heritage set

Where'd I get it? Gaetti signed it for me at a game in Newark earlier this year

How much did it cost? 50 cents

Why is this so special? Joe Gaetti, son of former Minnesota Twins star Gary Gaetti, was the 12th round draft pick of the Colorado Rockies in 2003. He spent five years in their farm system, making it as far as AAA.  In 2008 and 2009, Gaetti played in five different major league affiliated organizations, as well as for Joliet in the Northern League.

This year, Gaetti is hitting .219 with 10 home runs and 33 RBI in 79 games for the Lancaster Barnstormers. Compared to many modern ballplayers, Gaetti has a pretty nice signature.

2009 Eastern League All-Stars D.J. Wabick

Who is this? Binghamton Mets outfielder D.J. Wabick

What is this? An autographed card from the 2009 Eastern League Northern Division All-Stars set.

Where'd I get it? Wabick signed it for me after a game in Trenton earlier this year.

Now much did it cost? I got the set on clearance for $3.

Why is this so special? D.J. Wabick was the 25th round selection of the New York Mets in the 2005 draft. He advanced through the system and was selected as an Eastern League All-Star in his first season for the Binghamton Mets at age 25.

Last year, Trenton hosted the game and went all out. Most of the time, the All-Star set will include approximately 30 cards. That doesn't allow every player chosen to have a card, but it does keep the set to a more manageable size. Trenton went a different route - separate sets for the Northern and Southern Division teams. I know some fans thought it was a money grab, but since I picked up the sets on clearance this year I just thought it was a nice gesture.

The actual card design isn't very autograph-friendly, though. They have a gloss finish (of course) and they are too dark to showcase the autograph well. Wabick tried to find a light area to sign, but his autograph still gets lost.

2008 Donruss Elite Extra Edition Kirk Nieuwenhuis

Who is this? Binghamton Mets outfielder Kirk Nieuwenhuis

What is this? the 2008 Donurss Elite Extra Edition set

Where'd I get it? Nieuwenhuis signed it for me after a game in Trenton earlier this year.


How much did it cost? Fifty cents?

Why is this so special? Nieuwenhuis was the Mets third round pick in the 2008 draft and he's having a decent season in Binghamton so far. Through 86 games, he's hitting .298 with 16 home runs and 58 RBI. Nieuwenhuis sat out both games I went to this year, so I never got to see him play in person.

His autograph looks a bit like a seismograph, doesn't it?

1989 Fleer John Tudor

Who is this? Former Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher John Tudor
 
What is this? An autographed card from the 1989 Fleer set
 
Where'd I get it? I wrote to Tudor and asked him to sign it earlier this year.
 
How much did it cost? Less than a dollar, including postage, since I sent it out with the 1986 Topps card I posted last month.
 
Why is this so special? John Tudor spent 12 seasons in the majors, retiring with a 117-72 record. In August 1988, the Dodgers sent Pedro Guerrero to the St. Louis Cardinals in exchange for Tudor as they prepared their roster for the playoffs.

That year, the Mets swept the regular season series from Los Angeles, so the Dodgers went looking for lefty pitching to counter Darryl Strawberry and Keith Hernandez.

Tudor started game four in the NLCS, but didn't factor into the decision. Los Angeles took an early lead in the game, but the Mets battled back and took a 4-2 lead in the ninth inning. Dwight Gooden pitched into the ninth inning for New York, but he allowed a game-tying home run to Mike Scioscia. Kirk Gibson hit another home run in the 12th off Roger McDowell to win the game, even up the series and swing momentum back to Los Angeles.

Tudor missed most of the 1989 season with an injury. He returned in 1990 to pitch one final year with the Cardinals before retiring.

Tudor's signature is mostly illegible, but you can read the letters "T" and "u" clearly. "J" "o" and "d" are visible with effort.

2005 Topps Total Scott Spiezio

Who is this? Former Seattle Mariners infielder Scott Spiezio
 
What is this? An autographed card from the 2005 Topps Total set
 
Where'd I get it? Spiezio signed it for me after warmups at a Newark Bears game earlier this year.
 
How much did it cost? The card came out of a pack.
 
Why is this so special? Scott Spiezio, son of former major leaguer Ed Spiezio, spent parts of 12 seasons in the big leagues. He has 996 hits, 119 home runs, 549 RBI and two World Series rings.

In 2005, Spiezio's second with the Mariners, he appeared in just 29 games. He was 3-for-47, though one of those hits was a solo home run.

Spiezio began the 2010 season with the Newark Bears, but is no longer listed on the roster. It's possible that he has decided to retire from baseball.

Of the four cards Spiezio signed for me this year, this is the most rushed signature.

2009 Southern Maryland Blue Crabs Eric Crozier

Who is this? Southern Maryland Blue Crabs first baseman Eric Crozier
 
What is this? An autographed card from the 2009 Southern Maryland Blue Crabs team set
 
Where'd I get it? Crozier signed it for me at a game in Newark earlier this year.
 
How much did it cost? I believe the team set was around $6.

Why is this so special? Crozier appeared in 14 games for the Toronto Blue Jays in 2004, despite being a 41st round draft pick in 2000. (Though I'm not sure if the low draft standing was because of a talent evaluation or signability concerns...)

He was once traded for another Atlantic League first baseman, Josh Phelps, back when both still had prospect status.

I never saw Crozier play in the majors, but he has been a gentleman during his time in the Atlantic League -- he spent two seasons with the Lancaster Barnstormers before joining the Blue Crabs in 2008.

Like Jim Ed Warden, Crozier had been signed by an affiliated team by the time the Blue Crabs card set came out last year. The team chose to recognize that on the front of the card, which was a nice touch.

Crozier has an interesting, stylized signature. I can't quite figure out what the loop at the bottom represents, though.

2009 Southern Maryland Blue Crabs Jim Ed Warden

Who is this? Southern Maryland Blue Crabs pitcher Jim Ed Warden
 
What is this? An autographed card from the 2009 Southern Maryland Blue Crabs team set
 
Where'd I get it? Warden signed it for me at a game in Newark earlier this year.
 
How much did it cost? I think the team set was around $6.
 
Why is this so special? Jim Ed Warden was a sixth round draft choice of the the Cleveland Indians in 2001. He progressed through the Cleveland system, making it to AAA Buffalo in 2007. He played in the Washington Nationals system in 2008, but was looking for a job in 2009.

Warden found himself closing games for Butch Hobson's Southern Maryland Blue Crabs at the start of the year, but he did well enough that the Mets signed him during the summer. He pitched for Binghamton and Buffalo, and put up some nice numbers. The Mets didn't offer him a job this year, so Warden is back with the Blue Crabs and hoping for another shot.

Now 31, Warden will have a harder time convincing a major league organization to give him that chance... but it would be nice if he gets it.

Warden has one of the more unusual autographs I've seen. "Jim Ed" is written carefully, but his last name is rushed and a bit of a challenge to decipher.

2005 BBM 1st Version Luis Lopez

Who is this? Bridgeport Bluefish third baseman Luis Lopez

What is this? An autographed card from the 2005 BBM 1st Version set

Where'd I get it? Lopez signed it for me before a game between the Bluefish and Bears in Newark earlier this year.

How much did it cost? Around $3.

Why is this so special? Luis Lopez had a brief major league career, playing 41 games for the Toronto Blue Jays in 2001 and 11 games for the Montreal Expos in 2004. For the past three seasons, he's played for the Bridgeport Bluefish, which is where I've seen him play.

Lopez also played in Mexico and spent the 2005 season playing for the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles in the Japanese Pacific League. The Golden Eagles joined the league to fill the void left when the Orix Blue Wave and Kintetsu Buffaloes merged after the 2004 season.

I'd love to tell you how Lopez did for the Golden Eagles in 2005, but Baseball Reference doesn't have them and the stats pages at JapaneseBaseball.com have been undergoing renovation forever.

Yesterday, I posted my 2nd Version Luis Lopez card. I'm not quite sure why I'm posting them backwards, but then again I'm a bit confused by the whole 1st and 2nd version concept. I'm used to players only getting a second card in a later series if they were traded early during the year (or late during the offseason).

Lopez's autograph didn't come out quite as nicely on this card, but it's still better looking than some I've gotten this year.

2005 BBM 2nd Version Luis Lopez

Who is this? Bridgeport Bluefish third baseman Luis Lopez

What is this? An autographed card from the 2005 BBM 2nd Version set

Where'd I get it? Lopez signed it for me before a game between the Bluefish and Bears in Newark earlier this year.

How much did it cost? Around $3.

Why is this so special? Luis Lopez had a brief major league career, playing 41 games for the Toronto Blue Jays in 2001 and 11 games for the Montreal Expos in 2004. For the past three seasons, he's played for the Bridgeport Bluefish, which is where I've seen him play.

Lopez also played in Mexico and spent the 2005 season playing for the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles in the Japanese Pacific League. The Golden Eagles joined the league to fill the void left when the Orix Blue Wave and Kintetsu Buffaloes merged after the 2004 season.

This spring, I spent a little time looking for interesting items for some of the Atlantic League veterans to add to my collection, so I bought a pair of Lopez's Japanese baseball cards with the idea that I could get them autographed. Lopez, ever the gentleman, signed both of them for me earlier this year.

A few minutes later, he came back over and asked where I had gotten them. He never received copies of his cards - I'm not sure if he'd even gotten to see those particular cards before. I promised that I'd try locate them for him -- if he'd said something before signing the cards, I would have given him the ones I had.

Fortunately, the eBay seller I had purchased them from had a couple more. I bought them, and gave them to Lopez last week when the Bluefish were back in Newark. In appreciation, he gave me an autographed bat.

Lopez has a fairly stylized autograph, but it's one of the nicer ones I've gotten recently.

2006 Topps John Rodriguez

Who is this? Long Island Ducks outfielder John Rodriguez
 
What is this? An autograph card from the 2006 Topps set
 
Where'd I get it? Rodriguez signed it for me at a game between the Ducks and Bears in Newark earlier this year.
 
How much did it cost? I must have gotten it out of a pack.
 
Why is this so special? John Rodriguez began his career with the New York Yankees organization in 1996, when he signed as a free agent. He eventually reached the majors with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2005, serving as a reserve outfielder. He was there in 2006, too, and was on the post-season roster.

So he was there when Yadier Molina homered off of Aaron Heilman in the top of the ninth inning of NLCS Game 7, and when Carlos Beltran looked at a curve ball from Adam Wainwright in the bottom of the ninth inning for called strike three to end the game. He was there for the celebration, and he was there for the World Series victory over Detroit too. But unless he makes his way back, Rodriguez's one World Series at-bat will prove to be his final appearance in a major league game.

Rodriguez's autograph appears to be his initials and a cross.

2001 Fleer Futures Fernando Seguignol

Who is this? Orix Buffaloes first baseman Fernando Seguignol
 
What is this? An autographed card from the 2001 Fleer Futures set... I'm not sure if this was an insert, subset or part of a regular set.
 
Where'd I get it? Seguignol signed it for me before a Newark Bears game earlier this year.
 
How much did it cost? Around a quarter?
 
Why is this so special? Fernando Seguignol began his professional career with the New York Yankees organization in 1993, when I was still a junior in high school. He was later traded to the Montreal Expos for John Wetteland.

Seguignol made his major league debut in 1998, at the age of 23. In parts of four seasons with the Expos, he batted .251 with 17 home runs and 40 RBI in 173 games. Seguignol went to Japan in 2002 and played for the Orix Blue Wave.

In 2003, he returned to the States and signed with the Yankees again. This time, he actually got to play in the Bronx - he appeared in five games as a September callup. But in 2004, he went back to Japan to play for the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters.

There, he became a star, hitting .306 with 44 home runs and 108 RBI and winning the Best Nine Award at designated hitter. Seguignol stayed with the Fighters until 2008, and he still holds NPB switch-hitting records.

Earlier this season, Seguignol played for the Newark Bears before getting signed by the Buffaloes.

Seguignol's autograph is artistic, but it's not very legible. It's not very noticeable in the scan, but there is a glittery effect in the silver border of the card - I can't remember ever seeing that in another set.

2009 Binghamton Mets Mike Antonini

Who is this? Binghamton Mets pitcher Mike Antonini
 
What is this? An autographed card from the 2009 Binghamton Mets team set
 
Where'd I get it? Antonini signed it before a game in Trenton earlier this year.
 
How much did it cost? The team set cost less than $10
 
Why is this so special? An 18th round draft pick in 2007, Antonini probably does not factor into the Mets' long-term plans. He had a chance to impress during major league spring training in 2009, thanks to a large number of Mets players being away from camp at the World Baseball Classic.

Antonini did perform well enough for the Mets to decide to bring him to New York for the exhibition series against the Boston Red Sox that opened CitiField, but he wasn't brought back to major league camp in 2010.

Antonini is spending his second full season in AA Binghamton, where he is 6-7 with a 3.70 ERA in 19 starts. I would guess that if he has any shot to make it to the major leagues, it would be out of the bullpen.

Antonini appears to have greatly abbreviated his name, reducing it to just "M_k A_t__ 23" for his autograph.

2009 Bowman Patrick Ryan

Who is this? Salem Red Sox pitcher Patrick Ryan
 
What is this? An autographed card from the 2009 Bowman set
 
Where'd I get it? I got it signed before a game between the Bridgeport Bluefish and Newark Bears in Newark earlier this year.
 
How much did it cost? A quarter?  

Why is this so special? Patrick Ryan was a 19th round pick of the Milwaukee Brewers in 2005, and was a good enough prospect for somebody at Topps to decide to put him in last year's Bowman set.


Of course, Ryan wasn't in the Brewers organization by the time the card came out. He started the season with the West Tennesee Diamond Jaxx in the Seattle Mariners' organization, and he struggled. He eventually got released and joined the Bridgeport Bluefish last summer.

This season, Ryan returned to the Bluefish and had a 5-1 record with 2 saves and a 1.39 ERA, working out of the bullpen and in the starting rotation. He was signed by the Red Sox and assigned to Salem in the Class A Carolina League, though he's only pitched once so far.

Ryan's autograph looks very different than the facsimile signature on the card, which was probably lifted from the contract he signed with Topps.

2009 Binghamton Mets Jonathan Malo

Who is this? Binghamton Mets utility player Jonathan Malo
 
What is this? An autographed card from the 2009 Binghamton Mets team set
 
Where'd I get it? Malo signed it for me at a game in Trenton earlier this year.
 
How much did it cost? The team set was under $10.
 
Why is this so special? Two years ago, I'd never heard of Jonathan Malo before. Last year, Malo found himself spending a lot of time in the Mets' major league spring training camp because half the team was away for the World Baseball Classic.

Jerry Manuel played him a lot and talked up his potential. Malo even got to play in the exhibition games against the Boston Red Sox that opened CitiField. It was easy enough to imagine that Malo might develop as a Joe McEwing-type role player.

It's a bit telling that Malo was never really considered for a call-up in 2009, even when the Mets were literally falling apart last summer. He spent this spring over in minor league camp, and opened the year in Bighamton... again. While Malo has been called up to AAA on a few occasions, it doesn't seem like anybody in the organization really views him as a prospect any more... if they ever really did. I'd love to see him make it anyway.

Malo's got an interesting signature... it almost looks like he's using a line in the letter "J" to form part of the letter "M."

2007 Topps 52 Rookies Luis Hernandez

Who is this? Binghamton Mets infielder Luis Hernandez  

What is this? An autographed card from the 2007 Topps 52 Rookies set.

Where'd I get it? Hernandez signed it for me after a game in Trenton earlier this year.

How much did it cost? Maybe a quarter, or maybe it came out of a pack.

Why is this so special? After spending time in the major leagues in each of the past three seasons, Hernandez is now providing minor league depth for the New York Mets organization. He played for Baltimore in 2007 and 2008, and was a Kansas City Royal for a time last year.


I can make our Luis' first name, but I'm not sure what's going on with his last name. It's an interesting-looking autograph.

2009 Binghamton Mets Lucas Duda

Who is this? Buffalo Bisons outfielder/first baseman Lucas Duda
 
What is this? An autographed card from the 2009 Binghamton Mets team set
 
Where'd I get it? Duda signed it for me at a game in Trenton earlier this year.
 
How much did it cost? I got the team set for $10 or less
 
Why is this so special? Duda, a 7th round draft pick in 2007, is having a breakout season. The 24-year-old Mets prospect is hitting .303 with a .404 on base percentage and a .582 slugging average combining his time with Binghamton and Buffalo. He was 15 home runs and 61 RBI in 69 games.

Duda does not have a pretty autograph, but if you try you can make out his initials.

2009 Topps Scott Baker

Who is this? Minnesota Twins pitcher Scott Baker
 
What is this? An autographed card from the 2009 Topps set

Where'd I get it? I wrote to Baker during spring training and asked him to sign it. I got it back three months later.
 
How much did it cost? The card came out of the pack.
 
Why is this so special? Baker was Minnesota's Opening Day starter. Now in his sixth major league season, he already has 50 victories.

Baker is one of the few pitchers in major league history to strike out four batters in an inning, and the only Twin to accomplish this feat. Perhaps more remarkable, his autograph is somewhat legible. :)

2009 Upper Deck Sweet Spot Jordan Zimmermann

Who is this? Washington Nationals pitcher Jordan Zimmerman
 
What is this? An autograph card from the 2009 Upper Deck Sweet Spot set
 
Where'd I get it? It was a card show purchase
 
How much did it cost? Around $5
 
Why is this so special? Jordan Zimmerman was a well-regarded prospect for the Washington Nationals. Last year, he won his first two major league starts -- the only pitcher in Washington Nationals history to that point to accomplish that feat. His second win came in a game against the New York Mets that I attended.

Zimmerman is currently recovering from Tommy John surgery.

Zimmerman has a reasonably legible signature, though he's eliminated a number of the letters from his name to make it easier to sign autographs.

2006 Topps '52 Rookies Joe Winkelsas

Who is this? former Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Joe Winkelsas

What is this? An autographed card from the 2006 Topps '52 Rookies set.

Where'd I get it? Winkelsas signed it for me before a Newark Bears game earlier this year.

How much did it cost? About a quarter

Why is this so special? After Winkelsas made his major league debut in 1999, he quickly went back to the minors. There he stayed until 2004, when he suddenly found himself in independent baseball. Winkelsas persevered and earned another shot at the bigs with the Milwaukee Brewers in 2006, appearing in 7 games.

Winkelsas briefly retired, but came back in 2007. He spent two more years in the minors before apparently hanging it up again. This year, he tried to make one more comeback by pitching for the Newark Bears. As far as I know, Winkelsas has now retired from baseball.

Again, his autograph isn't much to look at. Instead of a Bible verse, Winkelsas added the phrase, "Read God's Word and live it out loud."

1999 Fleer Tradition Joe Winkelsas

Who is this? Former Atlanta Braves pitcher Joe Winkelsas
 
What is this? An autographed card from the 1999 Fleer Tradition set
 
Where'd I get it? Winkelsas signed the card for me before a Newark Bears game earlier this year.
 
How much did it cost? About a quarter.
 
Why is this so special? Joe Winkelsas signed with the Atlanta Braves organization as an undrafted amateur free agent in 1996. He moved through the minor league system and earned a major league call-up in 1999. Winkelsas pitched in one game, and recorded one out.

That was enough for Fleer to make him a baseball card. Winkelsas doesn't have a great autograph, but he does take the time to neatly inscribe a Bible verse.

John 14: 1-6 reads:

Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.
In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.
Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?
Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

2004 Upper Deck Team USA Scott Spiezio

Who is this? Newark Bears infielder Scott Spiezio
 
What is this? An autographed card from Upper Deck's 2004 Team USA 25th Anniversary set
 
Where'd I get it? Spiezio signed it for me before a Newark Bears game earlier this year.
 
How much did it cost? I traded a duplicate card with another autograph collector at the ballpark
 
Why is this so special? Scott Spiezio spent 12 seasons in the major leagues and won two World Series rings, with the 2002 Angels and the 2006 Cardinals. He is the son of former major leaguer Ed Spiezio.

I've never seen another picture of Spiezio without his silly beard, so this card amuses me. Although it smeared a little, Spiezio's signature here looks a lot nicer than the one on the card I posted yesterday.

2003 Fleer Tradition Scott Speizio

Who is this? Newark Bears infielder Scott Spiezio

What is this? An autographed card from the 2003 Fleer Tradition set

Where'd I get it? Spiezio signed it for me before a Bears game earlier this year.

How much did it cost? I got the card out of a pack.

Why is this so special? Scott Spiezio spent 12 seasons in the major leagues and won two World Series rings, with the 2002 Angels and the 2006 Cardinals. He is the son of former major leaguer Ed Spiezio.

If I could bring back one discontinued baseball card set, I'd revive Topps Total. It was perfect for autograph collectors because of the number of different players included and the lack of glossy coating on the cards. But if I could bring back a second discontinued set, Fleer Tradition would be the one I'd choose. It appealed to me more than the Topps Heritage sets, maybe because the cards weren't direct copies of a previous design (except in 2003). Or maybe it was because the pack prices were more affordable. I'm not really sure.

Spiezio's autograph looks like a scribble on this card, unfortunately.

2000 BBM Willie Banks

Who is this? Newark Bears pitcher Willie Banks
 
What is this? An autographed card from the 2000 BBM set
 
Where'd I get it? Banks signed it for me at a Newark Bears game earlier this year.
 
How much did it cost? $2.75 from an eBay seller
 
Why is this so special? Jersey City native Willie Banks was the third overall pick in the 1987 draft. He spent nine seasons in the major leagues, both as a starter and a reliever.

Banks spent a short time with the Orix BlueWave in the Japanese Pacific League. The BlueWave is best known to American fans as Ichiro Suzuki's former team. They no longer exist; after the 2004 season, they merged with the Kintetsu Buffalos and the resulting team is now known as the Orix Buffaloes.

Now 41, Banks is still pitching professionally for the Newark Bears. He also serves as the team's unofficial pitching coach.

His autograph is a bit tough to make out, but I think I can spot the "W" and the "B"

2008 Donruss Threads Lucas Duda

Who is this? Buffalo Bisons outfielder/first baseman Lucas Duda
 
What is this? An autographed card from the 2008 Donruss Threads set

Where'd I get it? I got it signed at a game between the Binghamton Mets and Trenton Thunder earlier this year.

How much did it cost? The card probably cost a quarter.
 
Why is this so special? Lucas Duda was just named the International League Player of the Week for the week of June 28-July 4. During the week, he had five home runs, 11 RBI, and a 1.000 slugging percentage and made headlines by homering in five consecutive games.

Duda was selected in the seventh round of the 2007 draft by the New York Mets. He's moved up through the Mets' system and is having his best season to date. In 45 games for Binghamton, he hit .286 with 6 home runs and 34 RBI. Since moving up to Buffalo, he is hitting .292 with 5 home runs and 17 RBI. If he continues at anywhere near that pace, he could be in line for a September call-up unless he is part of a trade package before then.

Duda's autograph is a fairly quick scribble, but at least his initials are easily readable.

I posted today's card early because I'm not sure I'll have a chance later. In case you didn't see it already, I posted an autographed card of the pitcher who threw an Eastern League no-hitter on the 4th of July last night.

2010 New Hampshire Fisher Cats Kyle Drabek

Who is this? New Hampshire Fisher Cats pitcher Kyle Drabek

What is this? An autographed card from the 2010 New Hampshire Fisher Cats team set

Where'd I get it? Drabek signed it for me after a game between the Fisher Cats and Thunder in Trenton last month.

How much did it cost? The team set was $6, plus another $7 for shipping.

Why is this so special? I'm posting this one tonight because Kyle Drabek celebrated the 4th of July by pitching a no-hitter against New Britain. It's the first nine-inning no-hitter in franchise history, but I'm not sure if that just goes back to 2004 when the team moved to Manchester or if it dates back to 1992 and their days as the New Haven Ravens.

Drabek, son of former major league pitcher Doug Drabek, was the 18th overall selection in the 2006 draft. He was recognized as the top pitcher in the Phillies minor league system last year, but was traded this off-season in the deal that brought Roy Halladay to Philadelphia.

Drabek is 7-8 with a 3.49 ERA in 16 starts for New Hampshire this year. While he is not likely to win any penmanship awards for his autograph, it is one of the better looking signatures on the cards in my Fisher Cats team set.

2009 Long Island Ducks B.J. LaMura

Who is this? New Hampshire Fisher Cats pitcher B.J. LaMura
 
What is this? An autographed card from the 2009 Long Island Ducks team set
 
Where'd I get it? LaMura signed it for me after a game between the Fisher Cats and Thunder in Trenton last month
 
How much did it cost? I spent less than $10 to buy the team set
 
Why is this so special? B.J. LaMura was regarded as one of the best high school baseball players in New York in 1999. He was selected in the 5th round of the 2002 draft by the Chicago White Sox. LaMura was once traded for Sandy Alomar Jr. and was a member of the Italian team during the 2009 World Baseball Classic.

LaMura returned to affiliated baseball in the Toronto Blue Jays organization this year after spending last season with the independent Long Island Ducks. He's 1-3 with a 3.86 ERA in 13 appearances for the Fisher Cats this year.

LaMura's autograph is fairly condensed, but somewhat readable. He signed his current uniform number, 16, rather than the one he wore with the Ducks. This is one of the few times I've been able to get an Atlantic League card signed at an affiliated minor league game.

2009 Eastern League All-Stars Brian Jeroloman

Who is this? New Hampshire Fisher Cats catcher Brian Jeroloman

What is this? An autographed card from from last year's Eastern League All-Star set

Where'd I get it? Jeroloman signed it for me after a game between the Fisher Cats and Thunder in Trenton last month

How much did it cost? I got the set on closeout for $3 earlier this season

Why is this so special? Jeroloman was a sixth round selection of the Toronto Blue Jays in 2006. He's progressed through the Blue Jays system and is at AA New Hampshire for the second year in a row. Last year, he was an Eastern League All-Star. This season, he's hitting .290 / .450 / .466 with 6 home runs and 27 RBI in 59 games.

His brother, Chuck, is the shortstop for the York Revolution in the Atlantic League.

Jeroloman's signature looks a bit rushed... it's little more than his initials. Here's his card from the 2010 New Hampshire Fisher Cats team set:

2010 New Hampshire Fisher Cats Adrian Martin

Who is this? New Hampshire Fisher Cats pitcher Adrian Martin
 
What is this? An autographed card from the 2010 New Hampshire Fisher Cats team set
 
Where'd I get it? After a game between the Fisher Cats and Thunder in Trenton
 
How much did it cost? The team set cost $6, plus another $7 in shipping
 
Why is this so special? Adrian Martin was a 19th-round selection of the Toronto Blue Jays in the 2003 draft. At age 25, he's in his second season with New Hampshire, working primarily as a reliever. He started the game I went to, striking out four and walking two in two innings pitched.

Martin is one of the few Fisher Cats who has a readable autograph.

2010 New Hampshire Fisher Cats Adam Loewen

Who is this? New Hampshire Fisher Cats outfielder Adam Loewen

What is this? An autographed card from the 2010 New Hampshire Fisher Cats team set
 
Where'd I get it? Loewen signed it for me before a game between the Fisher Cats and Thunder in Trenton
 
How much did it cost? The team set was $6, plus another $7 to ship.  :(
 
Why is this so special? Loewen was once the Orioles top pitching prospect. He reached the majors and had some success in that role. Injuries forced him to give up pitching in 2008, but he hasn't given up baseball yet. He signed a minor league deal with the Toronto Blue Jays and is now trying to work his way back to the majors as an outfielder.

Through 71 games this season, he is hitting .265 / .359 / .466 with nine home runs, 45 RBI and eight stolen bases.

Loewen's autograph isn't pretty, but as you will see, some of his teammates have uglier ones.