1991 Leaf Jimmy Key

Who is this? former Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Jimmy Key
What is this? An autographed card from the 1991 Leaf set
Where'd I get it? I wrote to Key late last year and asked him to sign it
How much did it cost? Not much... I bought a wax box of 1991 Leaf cards for less than $10 a few years ago.  


Why is this so special? Key won 186 games in his 15-year big league career. He spent 9 seasons in Toronto, but around here people remember him as a Yankee. Key has two World Series rings - one with each team - and four All-Star appearances.

Doesn't he have a great looking autograph?

1991 Donruss Darrin Fletcher

Who is this? former Philadelphia Phillies catcher Darrin Fletcher
What is this? An autographed card from the 1991 Donruss set
Where'd I get it? Earlier this month, I wrote to Fletcher and asked him to sign it. I got it back about two weeks later.
How much did it cost? I got the unsigned card for a dime.


Why is this so special? It's funny how memory works. Fletcher played for four teams during the course of a 14-year major league career. I remember him almost exclusively as a Philadelphia Phillie - a team he played 55 games for between 1990 and 1991.

To be fair, Fletcher did have the best single day of his baseball career as a Phillie - he caught Tommy Greene's no-hitter in 1991.

Fletcher was an All-Star for the 1994 Montreal Expos - and he wasn't chosen just because the National League needed an Expo - three other Montreal players went to the All-Star Game that year. (There's every reason to believe that the Expos would have won the NL East pennant if the season hadn't been ended in August.)

He hit 20 home runs for the 2000 Toronto Blue Jays in somewhat limited playing time. But for whatever reason, I just remember Fletcher as a Phillie.

He's got a pretty nice autograph that's easy to read.

1991 Topps Stadium Club Chuck McElroy

Who is this? former Chicago Cubs pitcher Chuck McElroy
What is this? An autographed card from the 1991 Topps Stadium Club set
Where'd I get it? It came in a care package from Ryan of the Great Orioles Autograph Project last week.  


Why is this so special? I wrote about Chuck McElroy before Christmas, when I posted a Leaf Signature Series card.

I love any cards from the 1991 Stadium Club set, possibly because they were all but impossible to find that year. It was a set with no autographs, no relics (they didn't exist yet), no parallels and no inserts of any particular note. Yet pack prices soared to the $5 mark (or higher) and the cards still sold out on the strength of the design and the photography.

I don't have many personalized baseball card autographs in my collection, and this is the only one made out "For Bill" (Coincidentally, my middle name is William.)

Thanks Ryan!

1991 Leaf Bobby Witt

Who is this? former Texas Rangers pitcher Bobby Witt
What is this? An autographed card from the 1991 Leaf set
Where'd I get it? I wrote to Witt last month and asked him to sign it; I got it back yesterday.
How much did it cost? Postage, basically


Why is this so special? Unless the mailman has something for me today, Bobby Witt's autograph will be the last one I add to my collection in 2010. I didn't keep a detailed count of the ones I got in person, through trades or purchases. However, my stats on SportsCollectors.Net tell me that I sent out 98 letters this year and got 62 responses, good for a 63% response rate. I'll probably see a few more trickle in after New Years, if history is any indication.

Witt has my vote as the most frustrating pitcher of all time. He had great stuff - especially early in his career. In his first five seasons, Witt struck out between 148 and 221 batters per season. The problem: he led the American League in walks in three of those five seasons and had the most wild pitches in two of them. Needless to say, he didn't pitch many fast games... but it was still fun to watch him rack up the strikeouts.

Though Witt spent the majority of his career with the Texas Rangers, he also pitched for six other teams during his 16 years in the big leagues. He won a World Series ring with the Diamondbacks in 2001, his final year in baseball. Witt retired with a 142-157 lifetime record, as well as 1955 strikeouts and 1375 walks.

His autograph is legible, which is more than I can say for many players today. Here's an Oakland card that he signed for me as well:

Happy New Year everyone! May you add lots of signatures to your collections in 2011.

1991 Bowman Ever Magallanes

Who is this? Birmingham Barons manager Ever Magallanes
What is this? An autographed card from the 1991 Bowman set
Where'd I get it? From Zach of Autographed Cards, who probably got it signed at the Rickwood Classic this summer.


Why is this so special? Magallanes' major league career was of the "blink and you missed it" variety. He appeared in two games as a defensive replacement for the 1991 Cleveland Indians and one more as a pinch hitter. He did not get a hit in either of his major league at-bats, but he did reach base on a walk in his major league debut.

Magallanes' playing career lasted much longer - 19 years - with the majority of that time spent in his native Mexico. After retiring, Magallanes started a new career as a minor league manager with the Arizona League Angels in 2006. He is currently managing the Birmingham Barons, the White Sox' AA affiliate that briefly gained national attention when Michael Jordan tried to start a professional baseball career there in the mid-90s.

For a former player with a long name, Magallanes has a surprisingly neat autograph. Thanks for the card, Zach!

Since everyone will be busy with Thanksgiving, football and holiday shopping plans this weekend, this is going to be my last post on Auto-Matic for the People until Monday. Have a great holiday weekend everybody & be sure to take a moment to remember the things that you are thankful for.

1991 ProCards Tidewater Tides Rich Sauveur

Who is this? Pawtucket Red Sox pitching coach Rich Sauveur
What is this? An autographed card from the 1991 ProCards Tidewater Tides team set
Where'd I get it? I wrote to Sauveur and asked him to sign it last Monday. I got it back today, 10 days later.
How much did it cost? The card probably cost me a buck or two, but I don't really remember.

Why is this so special? I'm having a really good week adding to my all-time Mets autograph collection. Monday, I got cards from Bob L. Gibson that I'd given up any hope of ever seeing again. Today, I got an autograph from another obscure former Mets reliever.

I bought this card two or three winters ago, with the intention of mailing it to Sauveur. I always managed to forget about actually sending it until after the season was over. SNY broadcasted a game between the Pawtucket Red Sox and Buffalo Bisons on the Mets last off-day, and that made me think about this card again. (I never really cared for the yellow notepad design when ProCards used it in 1991, but it has a certain nostalgic charm now. It's still ugly, though.)

Sauveur pitched in 34 major league games over a career that spanned 15 years. He made his major league debut for the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1986, and he made his final appearance for the Oakland As in 2000. In 1991, he pitched 3 1/3 innings for the New York Mets.

Sauveur finished his career as a knuckleball pitcher - quite possibly the only left-handed one in major league history. He is now the pitching coach for the Pawtucket Red Sox.

He has a pretty legible autograph, especially for a left-hander.

1991 Leaf Lonnie Smith

Who is this? Lonnie Smith, a former major league outfielder

What is this? An autographed card from the 1991 Leaf set

Where'd I get it? I wrote to Smith earlier this month and asked him to it

How much did it cost? Just postage, really. The card came out of a cheap wax box I bought a few years ago.

Why is this so special? I wrote about Smith's early career yesterday, when I showed you the 1982 Fleer card Smith signed. After wearing out his welcome in Kansas City, Smith signed a contract with the Atlanta Braves for the 1988 season.

Smith continued to struggle in his first year in Atlanta, but he rebounded in 1989 to win the National League Comeback Player of the Year award. He hit .315 with 21 home runs and 79 RBI and led the National League with a .415 on base percentage. Smith continued to be a starter for the Braves in 1990 and 1991, when they began their string of playoff appearances.

Smith settled back into a part-time role in his final year in Atlanta in 1992. He moved to Pittsburgh in 1993 and finished his career with Baltimore in 1994.

The 1991 Leaf set isn't one of the most exciting designs of the 90s, but this card looks great signed.

1991 Classic Draft Picks Aaron Sele

Who is this? Aaron Sele, a retired major league pitcher

What is this? An autographed card from the 1991 Classic Draft Picks set

Where'd I get it? From a blog reader

How much did it cost? About $2

Why is this so special? Aaron Sele had a nice major league career, winning 148 games over 15 years. He made his big league debut with the Red Sox in 1993, winning 7 games an earning some consideration for the Rookie of the Year award despite appearing in only 18 games.

Sele was an All-Star for the Texas Rangers in 1998 and the Seattle Mariners in 2000. He finished his career as a long reliever for the New York Mets in 2007.

Sele's autograph is not very legible, but I suppose I can understand considering how many he's probably signed over the years.

1991 Wiz Mets Gary Rajsich

Who is this? Gary Rajsich, a former outfielder for the New York Mets, St. Louis Cardinals and San Francisco Giants

What is this? An autographed card from the 1991 Wiz Mets stadium giveaway set

Where'd I get it? Back in 2008, I wrote to Rajsich and asked him to sign it. I got it back this week.

How much did it cost? The card came to me in a trade, so just postage.

Why is this so special? Gary Rajsich played in the majors for four seasons in the 1980s. He also spent three seasons in Japan, playing for the Chunichi Dragons. He finished his playing career with the St. Petersburg Pelicans of the short-lived Senior Professional Baseball League in 1989. His major league career totals: .236, 3 home runs and 36 RBI.

Baseball ran in the Rajsich family. His brother Dave was a major league pitcher. Another brother, Tim, was a minor league shortstop.

Rajsich's signature is recognizable, but he seems to have left out some letters. I wonder how it compares to his brothers'.

In 1991, the Mets celebrated the franchise's 30th anniversary by producing a set of 450 cards that included every player who had appeared in a Mets game.

Well, almost every player. In 1987, a journeyman pitcher named Bob Gibson pitched in one game for the Mets. His card features a photo of Hall of Fame pitcher Bob Gibson, who was briefly a Mets coach. A few other cards have photo mixups -- I believe Hobie Landrith appears on Joe Ginsburg's and Joe Pignatano's cards, while Pignatano is on Landrith's, but it's still a neat set.

The cards were originally printed on perforated sheets. Their size and card stock have more in common with business cards than baseball cards. They were given away in series at three or four Mets games, but a decent number of sets found their way into the hobby. Singles generally sell for around $1, with stars going for more, but you can frequently find lots of them on eBay for a better price.

It would be nice if the Mets revisited the concept next year for the team's 50th anniversary, but I suspect that licensing costs would be prohibitive.

1991 Leaf Mike Macfarlane

Who is this? Mike Macfarlane, a former catcher for the Kansas City Royals, Boston Red Sox and Oakland Athletics

What is this? An autograph card from the 1991 Leaf set

Where'd I get it? Zach from Autographed Cards got it signed for me at the Kansas City Royals fanfest earlier this month

How much did it cost? I bought a wax box of 1991 Leaf cards for $8 a few years ago. I still have a ton of them.

Why is this so special? Mike Macfarlane had a solid major league career. He played for 13 seasons, and has caught the most games in Royals history. He retired with a .252 lifetime average, 129 home runs and 514 RBI.

Mike Macfarlane does not have the neatest autograph in the world, but with my penmanship I shouldn't really complain. :)

1991 Leaf Joe Boever

Who is this? Joe Boever, a former relief pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals, Atlanta Braves, Philadelphia Phillies, Houston Astros, Oakland Athletics, Detroit Tigers and Pittsburgh Pirates

What is this? An autographed card from the 1991 Leaf set

Where'd I get it? I wrote to Joe Boever after Christmas last year and asked him to sign it. I got it back Monday along with the one I had previously posted.

How much did it cost? The card came out of a $10 wax box a few years ago, so really just postage.

Why is this so special? Out of the multitude of teams Boever played for, I really only have memories of him as a Brave and a Phillie... and he was better as a Brave.

I like the 1991 Leaf cards; even though they are junk wax, I couldn't really afford them when they were new. So I never had the chance to get sick of them like most of the other cards from that year. And Boever's card has a nice photo. It looks great signed.

1991 Fleer Danny Darwin

Who is this? Danny Darwin, a former Major League pitcher who played for a bunch of teams from 1978-1998.

What is this? An autographed card from the ever-popular (and very yellow) 1991 Fleer set

Where'd I get it? I got this card signed through the mail earlier this year.

How much did it cost? Less than a dollar, counting the value of the postage stamps used for the autograph request.

Why is this so special? Danny Darwin may not have been the best pitcher in baseball, but he spent 21 years in the big leagues and has 171 more Major League wins than me (and most of the people reading this blog.)  He led the National League with a 2.21 ERA in 1990, and he's got a pretty nice autograph. :)

What the heck is this

This is the first post of my new blog Auto-Matic for the People. It is a 1991 Classic Draft Picks card of Mike Kelly, the second overall pick in the 1991 draft by the Atlanta Braves, graciously signed by Chris Harris of Stale Gum.

I received this card directly from Chris in a trade. It is an official 1/1 card, there is no other like it in the world, unless Chris traded with a huge Mike Kelly fan recently. This is the first of many autographs that will be posted one per day, to so I can get organized and you can enjoy my autographs. Stay tuned, I'll explain this further (or you could click here) and there will be many autographs to come.

Auto-Matic... For the People.