Tuesday, December 14, 2010

2003 Playoff Piece of the Game Autographs Casey Fossum



Who is this? former Boston Red Sox prospect Casey Fossum
What is this? An autograph card from the 2003 Playoff Piece of the Game set
Where'd I get it? Purchased from CheckOutMyCards.com
How much did it cost? $3

Why is this so special? I don't have too many cards that have an autograph and a relic - in this case, a scrap of fabric from a game-worn jersey.

Casey Fossum, a New Jersey native, was once a top prospect in the Boston Red Sox system. He made his major league debut in 2001, just his third season of professional baseball. Fossum enjoyed modest success with the Red Sox, but left the team in the winter of 2003 as a key component of the trade that brought Curt Schilling to Boston from Arizona.

After one season with the Diamonbacks, when Fossum lost a career-high 15 games, Arizona traded him to Tampa Bay. He lasted two seasons with the Devil Rays, then it was on to Detroit in 2008. Fossum appeared in three games with the New York Mets in 2009 - I was there for what may turn out to be his final big league appearance.

This season, Fossum pitched for the Hanshin Tigers in Japan, where he finished the season with a 2-5 record and a 5.72 ERA. Fossum was more effective at the minor league level, but he will not be back with the Tigers next year.

Fossum's autograph leaves a lot to be desired, especially since it was signed as part of a paid session.

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