1996 Leaf Signature Dave Magadan

Who is this? Boston Red Sox hitting coach Dave Magadan
What is this? An autographed card from the 1996 Leaf Signature set
Where'd I get it? A dealer at the local card show on Sunday
How much did it cost? I got it as part of a group of cards for $5


Why is this so special? Here's the second of three autographs I picked up at the card show on Sunday. (I was going to try to keep up as I acquired new ones in 2011, but the mailman brought 13 more Monday - I think I'm just going to get back to posting cards in the order they come up in my scans folder.)

Dave Magadan spent most of his career with the Mets. He was a pretty good player, but he was unlucky in a few respects. He followed Keith Hernandez, one of the most popular players in Mets history. Worse, he was a first baseman who didn't hit home runs.

Magadan did a couple of things very well, though. He got on base and he hit for average. In 701 games for the Mets, Magadan had a .391 on base percentage - that's the second best career mark in team history. His .292 batting average with the Mets is fifth best in the franchise's career lists.

After leaving the Mets, Magadan became a role player, moving around a lot. He spent one season in Chicago, where he hit .254 with a .360 on-base percentage in 78 games.

Magadan batted lefty but threw with his right arm, so I'm not sure if he's right- or left-handed. His autograph looks like it belongs to a stereotypical left-hander, though.

1996 Leaf Signature Extended Graeme Lloyd

Who is this? former major league relief pitcher Graeme Lloyd
What is this? An autographed card from the 1996 Leaf Signature Extended set
Where'd I get it? CheckOutMyCards.com
How much did it cost? $3


Why is this so special? Graeme Lloyd is one of a small handful of people from Australia to play Major League Baseball. In a 10-year career, Lloyd played for 7 different teams, including the New York Yankees, New York Mets and Milwaukee Brewers. He won two World Series rings with the Yankees.

His first name is difficult to make out, but his last name is clearly readable in the autograph on my card.

1996 Leaf Signature Damon Buford

Who is this? former Texas Rangers outfielder Damon Buford
What is this? An autographed card from the 1996 Leaf Signature set
Where'd I get it? Purchased from CheckOutMyCards.com
How much did it cost? 99 cents

Why is this so special? Damon Buford is the son of 1960s White Sox & Orioles outfielder Don Buford.

Damon was a journeyman outfielder who played for the Orioles, Mets, Rangers, Red Sox and Cubs during a 9 season career. He was a full-time starter in only two of those seasons - 1997 with Texas and 2000 with the Cubs.

Buford was one of two players the Mets received in 1995 when they traded away Bobby Bonilla, though I always forget that he was involved in the deal. I usually just remember Alex Ochoa.

Buford's autograph is fairly reminiscent of his father's, even though Damon left out some letters when he was signing for Leaf.

1996 Leaf Signature Extended Autographs Chuck McElroy

Who is this? former major league relief pitcher Chuck McElroy
What is this? An autograph card from the 1996 Leaf Signature set
Where'd I get it? Purchased from CheckOutMyCards.com
How much did it cost? 75 cents.

Why is this so special? McElroy spent 13 seasons in the major leagues from 1989-2001. He pitched for 9 different teams, including the New York Mets.

During the 1996 season, McElroy was traded from the Reds to the Angels for Lee Smith. Somehow Donruss managed to have these cards printed and autographed in time to include them with their releases later that year. It seems like a decent argument against sticker autographs, but I think that cost concerns keep them around more so than logistical ones.

McElroy was selected in the 1997 expansion draft by the Arizona Diamondbacks, but he was traded to Colorado the same day for outfielder Harvey Pulliam. If any Diamondbacks fans are reading this, do you consider McElroy to be one of the original members of your team?

McElroy's autograph isn't necessarily pretty, but I give him points for making it legible.

I'm not sure what might show up in the mail, but right now it looks like I'll finish up posting the cards of players whose first names begin with "D," "E" or "F" next week. That will clear the way to finally start with "G" after Christmas.

1996 Leaf Signature Extended Autographs Chip Hale

Who is this? Mets third base coach Chip Hale
What is this? An autographed card from the 1996 Leaf Signature Series set
Where'd I get it? Purchased from CheckOutMyCards.com
How much did it cost? 99 cents

Why is this so special? Chip Hale is the Mets third base coach and was a finalist to become their manager after Jerry Manuel was let go at the end of the season.

Between 1989-1997, Hale played in the major leagues for 7 seasons with the Minnesota Twins and Los Angeles Dodgers. He was never a regular, but he served a useful utility role. He retired with a .277 career average, 7 home runs and 76 RBI.

Hale's autograph is fairly legible, but I'd read it as "Chip Dale" if I didn't know better.

1996 Topps Bill Swift

Who is this? former major league pitcher Bill Swift
What is this? An autographed card from the 1996 Topps set
Where'd I get it? I wrote to Swift and asked him to sign it; I got it back a couple of weeks later.
How much did it cost? Postage, basically

Why is this so special? Bill Swift was never an All-Star, but he did have a good major league career. In 13 seasons from 1985 through 1998, he won 94 games while losing only 74 and his career ERA was 3.95. He pitched for the Seattle Mariners, San Francisco Giants and Colorado Rockies.

In his best season, Swift won 21 games while losing 8 for the 1993 San Francisco Giants. The year before, he led the National League with a 2.08 ERA.

Swift's autograph is quick, but hie initials are easy to decipher. Here is a 1987 Topps card:

1996 Leaf Signature Series Scott Stahoviak

Who is this? Scott Stahoviak, a former Minnesota Twins first baseman

What is this? An autographed card from the 1996 Leaf Signature Series

Where'd I get it? This is the final 1996 Leaf Signature Series card I bought at this month's baseball card show.

How much did it cost? $1

Why is this so special? Stahoviak was the Minnesota Twins' first-round draft pick in 1991. He reached the majors in 1993 for a cup of coffee, but he didn't see extended playing time until 1995. He's something of an oddity - a first baseman who hit lefty but threw righty.

Stahoviak appeared in 344 games over five seasons, hitting .256 with 27 home runs and 119 RBI.

He is a member of the Hall of Fame ... the Carmel Catholic High School Sports Hall of Fame, that is.

Stahoviak has a fairly average autograph... it's not terrible, but it's not easy to read, either. (Not that my signature would look so great after signing a few thousand cards.)

1996 Leaf Signature Series Mike Potts

Who is this? Mike Potts, a former pitcher for the Milwaukee Brewers

What is this? An autographed card from the 1996 Leaf Signature Series

Where'd I get it? This is another purchase from last weekend's baseball card show.

How much did it cost? $1

Why is this so special? Mike Potts was a relief pitcher for the Milwaukee Brewers in 1996. His Major League career lasted just 24 games; he finished with a lifetime 1-2 record and 7.15 ERA.

According to his Wikipedia entry, Potts went into law enforcement after his baseball career ended.

Interestingly, Potts appears to have signed the card "Mich__l P_tts"

1996 Leaf Signature Series Chris Haney

Who is this? Chris Haney, a former pitcher with the Montreal Expos, Kansas City Royals, Cleveland Indians and Boston Red Sox

What is this? An autographed card from the 1996 Leaf Signature Series

Where'd I get it? This is another purchase from last weekend's card show

How much did it cost? $1

Why is this so special? Chris Haney is the son of former catcher Larry Haney and cousin of former infielder (and Mets coach) Mike Cubbage. He spent parts of 8 seasons in the majors, compiling a 38-52 lifetime record with a 5.07 ERA.

His most notable "accomplishment" is being the pitcher who gave up Wade Boggs' 3000th hit.

The grey KC hat really made the card stand out. I'm not sure how long it lasted, but I hope it wasn't much longer than the white "ice cream man" cap that the Mets experimented with in the 1990s. The letters "MIK" are a tribute to owner Muriel Irene Kauffman, who died during the 1995 season.

Chris Haney has a fairly simplified autograph, but I guess I can't blame him since he had to sign a few thousand of these cards.

1996 Leaf Signature Series Sandy Martinez

Who is this? Sandy Martinez, a former catcher with the Toronto Blue Jays, Chicago Cubs, Florida Marlins, Montreal Expos, Cleveland Indians and Boston Red Sox

What is this? An autographed card from the 1996 Leaf Signature Series

Where'd I get it? I bought it at a baseball card show last weekend

How much did it cost? $1

Why is this so special? Sandy Martinez played in the majors for parts of 8 seasons, but he only got into 218 games. Still, that's 218 games more than most everybody else.

In 2006, he was invited to spring training by the New York Mets, but he never got the call. He spent the season in AAA with Norfolk, where I got to see him play in a couple of games.

Martinez has a neat autograph, but there is no way I'd ever connect it with the name "Sandy Martinez." I think I'd have an easier time reading it as "Ariel Prieto."

1996 Leaf Signature Series Ariel Prieto

Who is this? Ariel Prieto, a former Oakland Athletics and Tampa Bay Devil Rays pitcher

What is this? An autograph card from the 1996 Leaf Signature Series

Where'd I get it? I bought it at a baseball card show last weekend

How much did it cost? $1

Why is this so special? Ariel Prieto earned his fame with the Cuban National Team. He was widely expected to be the first overall pick in the 1995 amateur draft, but he lasted until the Oakland Athletics took him with the number five pick. He made his Major League debut later that year.

In six seasons, Prieto compiled a 15-24 record with a 4.85 lifetime ERA. This season, he was a coach for the A's Arizona League team.

The card comes from the 1996 Leaf Signature Series, the first major release to guarantee an autograph in every pack.

Prieto has a neat, careful signature, but I think I'd have a hard time deciphering his handwriting.

1996 Fleer Pat Listach

Who is this? Pat Listach, a utility player for the Milwaukee Brewers and Houston Astros in the 1990s

What is this? A signed 1996 Fleer card

Where'd I get it? One of my trading partners got it signed for me at the ballpark this season when Listach was managing the Iowa Cubs

How much did it cost? I'm not quite sure what I traded for it.

Why is this so special? Pat Listach was the 1992 American League Rookie of the Year for the Milwaukee Brewers. He had the best season of his career as the Brewers' full-time shortstop, batting .290 with 1 home run, 47 RBIs and 54 stolen bases.

After managing the Iowa Cubs for the past two seasons, Listach will become the Washington Nationals' third base coach in 2009.

The autograph is reasonably clear for a modern player's, but I don't think Listach will be winning any penmanship awards.

1996 Leaf Signature Extended Series Chuck McElroy

Who is this? Angels pitcher Chuck McElroy.

What is this? An autograph card from 1996 Leaf Signature Extended Series.

Where'd I get it? A big pile 'o autos I won.

How much did it cost? More than the nickel or so it's worth.

Why is this so special? Chuck was a serviceable lefty relief pitcher who played 13 years in the league for 8 different teams. He had 38 wins and 17 saves in 654 appearances. His lifetime ERA is almost a half run lower than the league average, and he got just under a strikeout per inning in his career. He was once traded for Lee Smith. He retired in 2001 and that was probably the last time any of you out there thought of him, if you've ever thought of him at all. None of that matters because I LIKE CHUCK MCELROY. I like his name. Say it out loud. Chuck McElroy. I like his big ol' Urkel glasses. I don't even mind that he was a Cub. Chuck was a lefty setup guy in the '90s and he went out and did his job, usually well. You need reliable bullpen guys, just ask any fan of a team without them. He never pitched for the Braves (which may be why I have good memories of Chuck) but this card is still one of my more prized sigs.

1996 Old Judge T-96 Frank Catalanotto

Who is this? Tigers second baseman Frank Catalanotto.

What is this? An autograph card from 1995 Old Judge T-96 Series, card number 7. The card is serial numbered 5533/6000.

Where'd I get it? I really don't have any clue. I've gotten these cards out of packs, in a large autograph lot and at a clearance sale for a quarter each.

How much did it cost? Anywhere from 25 cents to 5 dollars.

Why is this so special? This is proof that the Retro craze didn't start with Topps Heritage. This minor league set from the mid 90's featured a smaller card size (but not quite the same size as the original Old Judge cards), cardboard stock (also different from original Old Judge cards), a series designation of T-96 (which is actually a series of Prize Winning Dogs) and of most importantly, an autograph per pack. If I remember correctly, the set was filled with minor league prospects most of which didn't pan out very well and Vlad Guerrero. There were also a bunch of insert sets also with autograph parallels including Griffey Jr, A-Rod and Todd Helton. Frank is one of the players in the set who actually made a major league career for himself and is a good fourth outfielder and bench player. Frank started his career with the Tigers and has also played for the Blue Jays and Rangers. He also played for the Italian national team in the 2006 World Baseball classic. He is currently in the mix for a job in the Rangers' outfield. Frank has a nice looking signature considering his hand must have been about to fall off by the time he signed for the 5,533rd time.