2009 Somerset Patriots Teuris Olivares

Who is this? former Somerset Patriots infielder Teuris Olivares
What is this? An autographed card from the Somerset Patriots 2009 team set.
Where'd I get it? Oilvares signed it for me last September before the final Newark Bears home "game" of the season. (It got rained out after an inning or two were played.)

Why is this so special? Since the 2011 baseball season will officially begin in a few hours, I wanted to make sure I posted the final autograph I got at the ballpark in 2010.

Teuris Olivares signed with the New York Yankees as an undrafted free agent in 1995. He spent 9 seasons in their farm system. Since 2005, he's played in the Atlantic League, primarily with the Somerset Patriots.

When I went to Patriots games, I usually took the train - there's a NJ Transit station just beyond the outfield wall. Occasionally, I'd run into Olivares there before or after the games.

He's got an interesting autograph - it leaves out a bunch of letters, but you can read the ones that are there.

1994 Signature Rookies Hiram Bocachica

Who is this? Former Montreal Expos prospect Hiram Bocachica
What is this? An autographed Signature Rookies insert card
Where'd I get it? I purchased it from a dealer at the local card show this month
How much did it cost? 50 cents

Why is this so special? This is the second Hiram Bochachica card I've posted this year. The first one, from the 2003 Topps Total set, is one that I got signed in person last season. His autograph has changed a lot since 1994.

Bocachica has been playing professional baseball since 1994. He spent parts of 8 seasons in the major leagues and two more in Japan. In 2008, Bocachica hit 20 home runs for the Saitama Seibu Lions and helped them to win the Japan Series.

Last year, he split the season between Bridgeport in the Atlantic League and the Broncos de Reynosa in Mexico. For the Bluefish, he batted .282 with 8 home runs and 32 RBI in 69 games.

2001 Fleer Triple Crown Talmadge Nunnari

Who is this? Former Montreal Expos infielder Talmadge Nunnari 
What is this? An autographed 2001 Fleer Triple Crown card
Where'd I get it? I received it from Zach of Autographed Cards, who likely got it signed at some point last year at an American Association game.

 Why is this so special? I'm not completely sure, but given my inability to identify the set without searching online, I'd say this is the only 2001 Fleer Triple Crown card in my collection.

Nunnari was a first baseman who did a better job getting on base than hitting for power. In 8 minor league seasons, he hit a total of 30 home runs. Nunnari did earn a major league call up from the Montreal Expos in 2000. He had one hit in 12 at-bats, a single off of Florida Marlins pitcher A.J. Burnett.

Nunnari last played in 2004, according to Baseball-Reference. Last season, he managed the Pensacola Pelicans in the American Association.

Almost a year ago, Nunnari shared some thoughts about baseball cards with Bo of Baseball Cards Come To Life.

I would never manage to decipher Nunnari's autograph.

2009 Topps Fredi Gonzalez

Who is this? Atlanta Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez
What is this? An autographed 2009 Topps Throwback logo parallel card from a Target blaster.
Where'd I get it? I wrote to Gonzalez at Braves spring training camp and asked him to sign it
How much did it cost? The unsigned card came out of a $19.99 blaster box from Target.

Why is this so special? I had been doing pretty well with my spring training autograph requests for awhile, but when I got Gonzalez's card on Friday, it was my first success in nearly two weeks. Unless I get a big run of late returns, I'm going to cut back on the number of letters I send out next year - my success rate is currently around 35 percent.

Gonzalez has the unenviable task of taking over for future Hall of Fame manager Bobby Cox in Atlanta this season. The Cuban native spent three and a half seasons managing the Florida Marlins before getting fired last year. He was named the 2008 Sporting News Manager of the Year.

Gonzalez doesn't have a very pretty autograph, but I imagine it's quick to sign.

2002 Fleer Tradition Josh Phelps

Who is this? Former Toronto Blue Jay Josh Phelps
What is this? An autographed 2002 Fleer Tradition card
Where'd I get it? Phelps signed it for me before a Newark Bears game last season.
How much did it cost? I got the unsigned card out of a pack.


Why is this so special? Josh Phelps was once a highly-regarded prospect. Over the course of 8 seasons, he appeared in 465 major league games for six different teams, though the majority were played for the Toronto Blue Jays. Phelps has 64 career home runs, which is the most by anybody born in Alaska.

Phelps spent most of last season with the Bridgeport Bluefish in the Atlantic League, where he hit .310 with 10 home runs and 67 RBI in 100 games. This season, he will be playing in Italy.

Phelps really did not seem to enjoy signing autographs in Newark - I had to ask him at two or three different games before he reluctantly signed a card for me. As you might expect under those circumstances, his autograph isn't very pretty.

1994 Signature Rookies Paul Spoljaric

Who is this? Former Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Paul Spoljaric
What is this? An autographed insert card from the 1994 Signature Rookies set
Where'd I get it? Purchased from a dealer at the local card show
How much did it cost? 50 cents.

Why is this so special? I admit I purchased Spoljaric's card mostly because we share the same first name.

If I was paying more attention to baseball in the late 1990s, I might remember Spoljaric - he was a middle reliever for the Toronto Blue Jays and Seattle Mariners, and made a few appearances for the Kansas City Royals and Philadelphia Phillies. In total, he appeared in 195 major league games between 1994 and 2000.

Spoljaric represented Canada in the 2004 Olympics.

I think it's interesting that "Paul" is written so clearly, but Spoljaric's last name sort of devolves into a condensed scribble. Again, I cannot imagine signing 8000+ cards.

2005 Bazooka Wily Mo Pena

Who is this? Arizona Diamondbacks non-roster invitee Wily Mo Pena
What is this? An autographed 2005 Topps Bazooka card
Where'd I get it? Pena signed it last year during a Newark Bears game.
How much did it cost? The unsigned card came out of a pack.

Why is this so special? Wily Mo Pena was once a highly-regarded prospect. He played in two All Star Futures Games, and represented the Dominican Republic in the 2006 World Baseball Classic. He has playing in over 500 major league games.

Last season, Pena spent part of the season with the Bridgeport Bluefish in the Atlantic League. If I recall correctly, he wasn't in the lineup on the day that I went. He was one of the last players out of the clubhouse, coming out after the national anthem, so I didn't think he would sign autographs. He surprised me, though; he kept signing even after the game started. Of course, his autograph isn't very pretty (I do think he signed the card longways.)

Here's my other one, a 2003 Fleer Tradition card.

1994 Signature Rookies Brook Fordyce

Who is this? former major league catcher Brook Fordyce
What is this? An autographed insert card from the 1994 Signature Rookies set
Where'd I get it? Purchased from a dealer at this month's local card show
How much did it cost? 50 cents

Why is this so special? Brook Fordyce was a Mets prospect in the early 1990s, and at one point I hope that he would be the successor to Gary Carter. Fordyce did play in 4 games for the 1995 Mets, but he didn't stick. Fordyce did have a nice career as a major league backup catcher, retiring after the 2004 season.

I have a few other Brook Fordyce autographs obtained later in his career - in those instances, he signed his full name. On every Signature Rookies card I've seen, he signed "Brook 4-Dyce." I guess if I had to sign 8000+ cards, I would have been looking for ways to make the process faster or more interesting, too. :-)

Announcement: Looking for contributors

I've enjoyed sharing part of my autograph collection with you over the past two years, but I'd like to broaden the focus of Auto-Matic for the People.

I post mainly baseball autographs because that's what I collect. But there's no reason Auto-Matic for the People couldn't feature football, basketball, hockey, celebrity or other types of autographs.

If you are interested in writing for the site and can commit to at least two posts per month, email me at PaulsRandomStuff@verizon.net.

2010 Topps National Chicle Tobi Stoner

Who is this? Buffalo Bisons pitcher Tobi Stoner
What is this? An autographed insert card from the 2010 Topps National Chicle set
Where'd I get it? Purchased from a dealer at the local card show last year
How much did it cost? Don't remember... around $5, probably


Why is this so special? I can only imagine what it was like going through school with the name "Stoner."

There's not a lot to say about Stoner's major league career to this point. Though he is American, Stoner was born in West Germany (his father served in the military and was stationed there.)

During the past two seasons, Stoner has pitched in a total of five games for the New York Mets, all in relief. It's telling that though the Mets invited him to camp again this spring, Stoner was never really talked about for any of the open bullpen roles.

He does have a nice, legible autograph.

1995 Signature Rookies Old Judge Jimmy Hurst

Who is this? Former Detroit Tigers outfielder Jimmy Hurst
What is this? An autographed insert card from the 1995 Signature Rookies Old Judge set
Where'd I get it? The discount box of a card dealer at the local card show
How much did it cost? 50 cents

Why is this so special? Jimmy Hurst spent 17 seasons as a pro baseball player. A 12th round draft choice in 1990, Hurst eventually made it to the major leagues for 13 games with the Detroit Tigers in 1997. He got three hits, including a home run off New York Yankees All-Star David Wells.

Hurst played home games in at least four countries during his career - the United States, Canada, Mexico and Japan. He was a star in the Atlantic League in the later stages of his playing career. He suited up for the Newark Bears, Nashua Pride and Atlantic City Surf. For the 2002 Atlantic League Champion Bears, he hit .341 with 35 home runs and 100 RBI.

Hurst's autograph is a little sloppy, but that could be forgiven considering the relatively small size of the card and the number he had to sign.

2010 New Hampshire Fisher Cats Luis Sanchez

Who is this? minor league infielder Luis Sanchez
What is this? An autographed 2010 New Hampshire Fisher Cats card
Where'd I get it? Sanchez signed it for me at a Trenton Thunder game last year.
How much did it cost? I spent around $10 for the team set.

Why is this so special? I believe this is the last 2010 New Hampshire Fisher Cats team set card I have to post. (Though who knows? Maybe I'll be able to get one or two more signed this season.)

Sanchez was a late round draft pick of the Atlanta Braves in 2004 and 2005, but he didn't sign. Instead, he ended up with the Toronto Blue Jays organization. Last year, he split time between AA New Hampshire and A Dunedin, but he didn't play much at either stop.

Sanchez batted .184 with 10 RBI in 98 at bats for the Fisher Cats. He also pitched in one game.

Sanchez has an interesting autograph, but I don't think I can read any part of it.

2009 Topps Chris Young

Who is this? Mets pitcher Chris Young
What is this? An autographed 2009 Topps card
Where'd I get it? I wrote to Young during spring training and asked him to sign it.
How much did it cost? I got the unsigned card out of a pack.


Why is this so special? Young began his major league career with the Texas Rangers in 2004. In January 2006, the Rangers made a fairly one-sided trade with the Padres that sent Young, Adrian Gonzalez and Termell Sledge to San Diego for Adam Eaton, Akinori Otsuka and minor leaguer Billy Killian.

In San Diego, Young was an All-Star in 2007 and twice finished in the top 10 in National League ERA. Beginning in 2008, Young's career was hampered by a number of injuries. The Mets are hoping that he'll be able to return to All-Star form in 2011.

Young has a surprisingly neat, clear autograph.

2009 Binghamton Mets Shawn Bowman

Who is this? Atlanta Braves minor league third baseman Shawn Bowman
What is this? An autographed 2009 Binghamton Mets team set card
Where'd I get it? Bowman signed it for me last season after a game between the New Hampshire Fisher Cats and Trenton Thunder
How much did it cost? The unsigned team set was around $10

Why is this so special? Shawn Bowman was the Mets 12th round selection in the 2002 draft. He advanced slowly through the farm system, hampered by back problems that caused him to miss a lot of playing time between 2006-2008.

In 2009, Bowman represented Canada in the World Baseball Classic.

Last year, Bowman was exposed to waivers in April when the Mets needed to open a 40-man roster spot, and Bowman was claimed by the Toronto Blue Jays. He played in 106 games for the New Hampshire Fisher Cats, batting .263 with 22 home runs and 69 RBI. After the season, he signed with the Atlanta Braves organization as a free agent and got an invitation to major league spring training camp.

Bowman's autograph resembles a seismograph line. Here's his 2010 New Hampshire Fisher Cats card.

2009 Upper Deck Sean Burnett

Who is this? Washington Nationals reliever Sean Burnett
What is this? An autographed 2009 Upper Deck card
Where'd I get it? I wrote to him this spring and asked him to sign it.
How much did it cost? I got the unsigned card out of a $1.99 pack.

Why is this so special? Sean Burnett was selected by the Pittsburgh Pirates with the 19th overall pick in the 2000 draft. He made his major league debut with Pittsburgh in 2004 and finished the season with a 5-5 record in 13 starts.

Burnett missed the entire 2005 season due to injury and spent the next two years trying to get back to the majors. In 2008, Burnett appeared in 58 games out of the Pirates' bullpen. In 2009, Pittsburgh traded Burnett and Nyjer Morgan to the Washington Nationals for Joel Hanrahan and Lastings Milledge.

In Washington, Burnett has enjoyed a measure of success as a lefty specialist. He was unlucky enough to finish last season with a 1-7 record despite having a 2.14 ERA, a 189 enhanced ERA+ and averaging a strikeout per inning.

Burnett's autograph isn't pretty - it looks like a bunch of overlapping ovals.

2010 New Hampshire Fisher Cats Tom Signore

Who is this? Las Vegas 51s pitching coach Tom Signore
What is this? An autographed 2010 New Hampshire Fisher Cats team set card
Where'd I get it? Signore signed it for me before a game in Trenton last year
How much did it cost? The team set was around $10


Why is this so special? Tom Signore is evidently a well-regarded coach in the Blue Jays season. He was promoted from AA to AAA after last season. Signore only played professionally for one season, going 4-4 with a 7.02 ERA for the Helena Gold Sox in the Pioneer League in 1985.

Signore signed in silver, so you can see his autograph, but there's not much to read.

2010 Topps Pro Debut Dustin Ackley

Who is this? Seattle Mariners prospect Dustin Ackley
What is this? An autographed 2010 Topps Pro Debut card
Where'd I get it? I wrote to Ackley at the Mariners' spring training camp and asked him to sign it for me. I got it back earlier this week
How much did it cost? I got the unsigned card out of a pack


Why is this so special? Ackley is the Seattle Mariners best position player prospect. The 23-year-old has been having a strong spring, though I'm not sure if he'll be able to crack the Mariners' Opening Day roster. (Perhaps someone more familiar with the Mariners can let us know how soon Mr. Ackley's Major League Debut might be?)

Ackley was the second overall pick in the 2009 draft. He made his pro debut in AA last year and was promoted to AAA Tacoma before the year was out. He went to the Arizona Fall League and earned MVP honors there.

There's every reason to believe Ackley will be a good player for many years, so I'm happy he's signing autographs. He even personalized my card.

2010 New Hampshire Fisher Cats Trystan Magnuson

Who is this? Oakland Athletics prospect Trystan Magnuson
What is this? An autographed 2010 New Hampshire Fisher Cats card from
Where'd I get it? Magnuson signed it for me at a Trenton Thunder game last season
How much did it cost? The unsigned team set was around $10

Why is this so special? Trystan Stewart Gwyn Magnuson was a Toronto Blue Jays prospect when I saw him last summer. The Vancouver native was a supplemental first round draft pick in 2007, and he's put up some good numbers out of the bullpen in the minor leagues.

During the off-season, the Blue Jays traded Magnuson to the Oakland Athletics along with his fellow 2010 Fisher Cats teammate Daniel Farquhar for Rajai Davis.

Magnuson had a hard time fitting his name on the card, but he did inscribe a Bible reference to Hebrews Chapter 11, Verse 1:

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

1994 Signature Rookies Draft Picks Ramon Castro

Who is this? Chicago White Sox catcher Ramon Castro
What is this? An autographed insert card from the 1994 Signature Rookies Draft Picks set
Where'd I get it? card show purchase
How much did it cost? 50 cents

Why is this so special? Ramon Castro, who is two days younger than me, was drafted out of high school by the Houston Astros in 1994. He was the 17th overall pick in the nation.

I almost passed up the card because I didn't realize that the guy who played for the Marlins and Mets began his career in the Astros' organization that long ago. Castro spent five years in the Houston system, but he didn't really distinguish himself and only rose to the AA level in 1998. That year, he was traded to the Florida Marlins. In 1999, Castro made his major league debut.

Castro developed into a solid backup catcher who provides a bit of power. He never became the star that the Astros were hoping for when they drafted him, but Castro has played in 544 more major league games than most people - and he'll still be adding to that total in 2011.

Castro's autograph was neater and more complete in 1994 than it is now - you can see a card I got signed through the mail in 2008 at RandomBaseballStuff.com.

2010 New Hampshire Fisher Cats Tim Collins

Who is this? Kansas City Royals prospect Tim Collins
What is this? An autographed 2010 New Hampshire Fisher Cats team set card
Where'd I get it? Collins signed it for me at a game in Trenton last season
How much did it cost? The team set was around $10.

Why is this so special? When I got this card signed, Collins was a Toronto Blue Jays prospect. Since then, he's been traded twice. Last July, the Blue Jays included him in the deal that sent shortstop Alex Gonzalez to the Atlanta Braves in exchange for shortstop Yunel Escobar. Two weeks later, the Braves sent Collins to Kansas City as part of the deal that brought outfielder Rick Ankiel to Atlanta.

Collins averages better than a strikeout per inning and seems to have a real chance to win a spot in the Royals bullpen this spring. It would be nice to see him reach the major leagues this year.

For a ballpark signature, Collins' autograph looks pretty sharp.

2003 Fleer Platinum Elmer Dessens

Who is this? former New York Mets relief pitcher Elmer Dessens
What is this? An autographed 2003 Fleer Platinum card
Where'd I get it? I purchased it from Dave Berman
How much did it cost? $4

Why is this so special? Dessens has pitched in 441 major league games during a 14-year career that saw him play for 9 different teams. He has 52 major league wins to his credit, and a post-season appearance with the 2004 Los Angeles Dodgers.

Dessens had some good seasons as a starter with the Cincinnati Reds at the beginning of the last decade. In 2000, he went 11-5 with a 4.28 ERA. In 2002, he was 7-8 with a 3.03 ERA and a 143 enhanced ERA+.

For the past two seasons, Dessens worked out of the Mets' bullpen. He was 4-2 with a 2.30 ERA in 2010. Dessens had agreed to terms on a minor league deal with the San Francisco Giants for 2011, but it fell through at the last minute. It's not clear if the 40-year-old right-hander will pitch this season.

Dessens' autograph isn't pretty, but it is fairly clear and readable.

2010 New Hampshire Fisher Cats Ralph Dickenson

Who is this? Ralph Dickenson, former New Hampshire Fisher Cats hitting coach
What is this? An autographed 2010 New Hampshire Fisher Cats team set card
Where'd I get it? Dickenson signed it before a game in Trenton last year.
How much did it cost? The team set was around $10.

Why is this so special? In another week or so, I should be wrapping up the Fisher Cats cards I got signed last year. That team was really nice about signing autographs.

Dickenson played minor league baseball in the Minnesota Twins organization for six years before joining the college coaching ranks. He has also been a minor league manager and hitting coach for a number organizations. Dickenson will be a member of the Dunedin Blue Jays coaching staff in 2011 (thanks for the tip, Sumosid!)

He runs Torque-It-Up Hitting, which offers hitting lessons in Gilbert, Arizona.

The Fisher Cats cards are not the best for autographs because a large number of them feature players wearing dark jerseys. I tried getting some signed in silver, but it wasn't really much of an improvement.

2010 Allen & Ginter Tommy Manzella

Who is this? Houston Astros shortstop Tommy Manzella
What is this? An autographed 2010 Allen & Ginter card
Where'd I get it? I wrote to Manzella and asked him to sign it this spring
How much did it cost? The unsigned card cost 10 cents.


Why is this so special? Tommy Manzella seemed to show up in every other random pack of cards I bought last year. I was going to send him one of those cards to see if he'd sign it, but I saw his Allen & Ginter card in a dealer's dime box and decided that I liked it better. Ginter cards look great signed.

Manzella hit .225 in 258 at-bats last year and his OPS was .531. The much-maligned Mets second baseman Luis Castillo  hit .235 with a .604 OPS in a similar number of at-bats.

It's not really a surprise that Houston brought in Clint Barmes to play shortstop this year. Manzella is trying to win a job as a bench player.Since he's nice enough to sign autographs, I wish him good luck.

2010 New Hampshire Fisher Cats Zach Stewart

Who is this? Toronto Blue Jays prospect Zach Stewart
What is this? A signed card from the 2010 New Hampshire Fisher Cats team set
Where'd I get it? Stewart signed it after a game in Trenton last year.
How much did it cost? I think the unsigned team set was around $10

Why is this so special? Zach Stewart was the number one ranked prospect in the Blue Jays system last year, though he slipped to the number five spot on this year's list.

In 26 starts at AA, the 24-year-old righthander was 8-3 with a 3.63 ERA last season. I was not familiar with Stewart when I saw the Fisher Cats last year - I knew about Kyle Drabek and some of the minor league veterans who were helping to fill out the roster.

The other autograph collectors waiting after the game seemed more excited about getting Stewart's autograph than anybody else. I'm not sure if it was because he was a tougher signer or that big of a prospect. I appreciate him taking the time to sign for everybody, but I'm glad I don't have to decipher his signature.

2010 Upper Deck Luke Gregerson

Who is this? San Diego Padres reliever Luke Gregerson
What is this? A signed 2010 Upper Deck baseball card
Where'd I get it? I wrote to Gregerson this spring and asked him to sign it.
How much did it cost? I got the card out of a pack last year.

Why is this so special? Gregerson is a hard-throwing right-hander who averages 10.7 strikeouts per nine innings during his major league career. He was selected in the 28th round of the 2006 draft by the St. Louis Cardinals, but was traded to San Diego in 2009 in exchange for Khalil Greene. He made his major league debut later that year for the Padres.

Gregerson has a great looking autograph, especially for a modern player.

2010 New Hampshire Fisher Cats Vince Bongiovanni

Who is this? minor league pitcher Vince Bongiovanni
What is this? A signed 2010 New Hampshire Fisher Cats team set card
Where'd I get it? Bongiovanni signed it at a game in Trenton last year.
How much did it cost? The team set was around $10, if I recall correctly

Why is this so special? Bongiovanni was selected in the 24th round of the 2005 amateur draft by the Arizona Diamondbacks. He spent the first five seasons of his pro career in the Arizona organization, advancing as far as the AA level.

In 2009, Bongiovanni went to the Blue Jays organization during the season. For New Hampshire last year, he appeared in 35 games out of the bullpen and finished with a 6-7 record and 5.13 ERA. I'm not sure where (or if) Bongiovanni will be playing ball in 2011.

It's not easy to make out on a the dark card, but Bongiovanni has a fairly stylized autograph.

signed 8x10 photo of Amber Benson as Tara Maclay

Who is this? Actress and author Amber Benson
What is this? A signed 8x10 photo of Benson as Tara from the television series "Buffy the Vampire Slayer"
Where'd I get it? The unsigned photo was purchased from an eBay seller last month. Benson signed it for me yesterday at a book signing at Midtown Comics in New York.
How much did it cost? The photo was around $8 shipped, but the autograph was free.


Why is this so special? "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" remains one of my favorite television series even though it's been almost 8 years since the series finale aired. Despite the silly premise, the stories were (generally) well-written and the actors made the characters seem very real.

Since Buffy wrapped up, Benson has produced, directed and appeared in several independent films and has guest-starred in other television shows. She's also written several novels and some comic book stories. The Midtown Comics appearance was to promote "Serpent's Storm," the latest Calliope Reaper-Jones novel. The urban fantasy series is about Death's daughter, who would prefer to be a regular girl but finds herself drawn into all sorts of supernatural stuff.

Given the number of autographs she's signed over the years, it's hardly a surprise that Benson's signature is little more than a smiley face and the letter "A". What is a pleasant surprise is that she still takes the time to talk to her fans and personalize the autographs.

2011 Topps Neil Walker

Who is this? Pittsburgh Pirates second baseman Neil Walker
What is this? An autograph 2011 Topps card
Where'd I get it? I got the unsigned card out of a pack from Target & I mailed to to Walker at Pirates spring training camp to see if he'd sign it. I got it back earlier this week.
How much did it cost? Around $1, counting postage.

Why is this so special? I do believe that this is the first 2011 card I've gotten signed.

The Pittsburgh Pirates made Walker the 11th overall pick in the 2004 draft. A highly-regarded prospect, Walker rose through the Pittsburgh farm system and made his major league debut in September 2009. Last season, manager John Russell gave him a chance to play second base after Akinori Iwamura struggled.

Walker responded with a strong rookie season, batting .296 with 12 home runs and 66 RBI in 426 at-bats. That was good enough to finish fifth in the NL Rookie of the Year balloting.

Though it is difficult to see because he signing in black on a partly-dark background, Walker's signature is somewhat legible.

Signed 8x10 Brandon Laird photo

Who is this? New York Yankees prospect Brandon Laird
What is this? An autographed 8x10 photo
Where'd I get it? I took the photo last summer at a Trenton Thunder game. I  mailed a copy to Laird at Yankees camp this spring and asked him to sign it. I got it back yesterday.
How much did it cost? About $5 for the print and postage

Why is this so special? Brandon Laird, the younger brother of St. Louis Cardinals catcher Gerald Laird, was a 27th round draft pick of out junior college in 2007.

He played in Trenton for most of last season, though he moved up to Scranton for the last month or so. Despite missing that time, Laird was named the 2010 Eastern League MVP. He hit .291 with 23 home runs and 90 RBI in 409 at-bats for the Thunder.

Laird has primarily played third base in the minors, with few games at first for good measure. He is playing some outfield this spring and has an outside chance of making the Yankees as a bench player. I suspect he will be a trade chip to help the Yankees improve their rotation sometime this summer.

Laird's got a neat-looking autograph. I like the way he interlocks his initials.

2010 New Hampshire Fisher Cats Luis Rivera

Who is this? former New Hampshire Fisher Cats manager Luis Rivera
What is this? An autographed team set card
Where'd I get it? Rivera signed it for me after a game in Trenton last year.
How much did it cost? The team set was around $10.

Why is this so special? Rivera spent 11 seasons in the major leagues, primarily with the Red Sox and Expos. He played in 32 games for the 1994 New York Mets, backing up Jose Vizcaino and Jeff Kent.

Rivera was replaced as the Fisher Cats manager by Sal Fasano for 2011. The Kingsport Mets hired Luis Rivera to be their hitting coach this year.

Luis Rivera's autograph is very neat and precise, but I have a hard time making out his name.

2004 Topps Total Scott Spiezio

Who is this? former Seattle Mariners infielder Scott Spiezio
What is this? An autographed 2004 Topps Total card
Where'd I get it? Spiezio signed it before a Newark Bears game last year.
How much did it cost? I got it out of a pack.


Why is this so special? Spiezio had a 12 year major league career, earning World Series rings with the Anaheim Angels in 2002 and St. Louis Cardinals in 2006.

Last season, he appeared in 52 games for the Newark Bears in the independent Atlantic League, batting .279 with 3 home runs and 35 RBIs.

Spiezio has an ... interesting ... ballpark autograph.

2010 Topps Update Carlos Santana

Who is this? Cleveland Indians catcher Carlos Santana
What is this? An autographed 2010 Topps Update card
Where'd I get it? I wrote to Santana this spring and asked him to sign it. I got it back in yesterday's mail.
How much did it cost? Postage.


Why is this so special? I was pretty lucky to get my card back - it traveled from Arizona to New Jersey in an unsealed envelope.

Santana made his major league debut last season after being ranked as one of the Indians' top prospects for several years. In 46 games, he hit .260 with 6 home runs and 22 RBI. An injury brought Santana's season to an early conclusion, but he should be ready to play again in 2011.

Though his autograph is a bit sloppy, it's more legible than some current ballplayers.