2000 SAGE Autograph Jamal Lewis

Who is this? Former Baltimore Ravens and Cleveland Browns Running Back Jamal Lewis.
What is this? An autograph card from 2000 Sage.
Where'd I get it? I got it at the Mansfield Holiday Inn Card Show on January 29, 2012.
How much did it cost? $1.50 (That's right, One-dollar and fifty-cents!)

Why is this so special? Jamal Lewis was drafted in the first-round (5th overall) by the Baltimore Ravens in the 2000 NFL Draft out of the University of Tennessee and played nine seasons (he missed the entire 2001 season) in the NFL and when he retired he was ranked #21 All-Time in career rushing yards with 10,607.

As a rookie, Lewis was the Ravens starting running back on their Super Bowl XXXV winning team. In the Ravens victory over the Giants, Lewis became only the second rookie to rush for over one-hundred yards and the youngest player to ever score a touchdown in a Super Bowl.

Lewis' best season was in 2003, when he rushed for 2,066 yards and 14 touchdowns. At the time, Lewis was one of only five running backs to ever rush for more than 2,000 yards in a season. The highlight of the season was when Lewis set a new NFL record for rushing yards in a single game when he ran for 295 yards against the Cleveland Browns on September 14, 2003. At the end of the season, Lewis was named the AP NFL Offensive Player of the Year, AFC Player of the Year, and was named to the All-Pro and Pro Bowl teams. (Suprisingly, 2003 was his only Pro Bowl season.)

Before the 2010 NFL Pro Bowl, it was announced that Jamal Lewis was named to the NFL's 2000s All-Decade Second-Team.

To be honest, I was shocked to see this Jamal Lewis 2000 Sage Autograph rookie card in a $1.50 bargain box. I have found lots of great deals in bargain boxes over the years, but a rookie autograph of one of the best running backs of the 2000s for less than a pack of cards might be one of the best deals around.

2000 Team Best Rookies Autographs B.J. Ryan

Who is this? former Baltimore Orioles reliever B.J. Ryan
What is this? An autographed card from the 2000 Team Best set
Where'd I get it? Card show purchase
How much did it cost? This is one of 7 autographed cards I bought for $5 over the weekend.


Why is this so special? B.J. Ryan appeared in 560 major league games over 11 seasons and he was a two-time All-Star. Ryan's best season was 2006, when he saved 38 games for the Blue Jays and finished the year with a 1.37 ERA.

Ryan had a really tiny autograph when he signed this card. I like how he has the tail on the "y" in his last name underline the rest of his signature.

2000 Skybox Autographics Aaron McNeal

Who is this? former minor league first baseman Aaron McNeal
What is this? An autographed card from 2000 Skybox Autographics
Where'd I get it? I traded dayf a handful of shiny 2011 Topps cards and he sent me some obscure minor league autographs
How much did it cost? I'm not sure how to evaluate that, but if you want your own copy several dealers in the Beckett Marketplace are selling them between $5-$10. (I can only imagine what shiny Topps cards will list for once they start going into the Marketplace shops.)

Why is this so special? McNeal was the 753rd pick in the 1995 amateur draft and had a few unexciting seasons in the low minors. In 1999, McNeal made everybody take notice when he hit 38 home runs and drove in 131 with a .946 OPS for the Michigan Battle Cats in the Class A Midwest League.

That season is probably what landed him on the SkyBox checklist. Unfortunately, he never achieved that level of success again. I don't know anything about the Midwest League, but I'm wondering if the Battle Cats played in an extremely hitter-friendly ballpark.

McNeal later spent parts of two seasons in the Mets' farm system, making this a keeper card for me even though I don't think I ever saw him play. It appears that he retired from baseball after the 2005 season.

McNeal's not going to win any points for penmanship, but I've seen worse autographs. I can read his first name as "Aaron" with a little imagination, but I can't make out anything but the "l" at the end of his last name.

2000 Fleer Tradition Chris Stynes

Who is this? Former major leaguer Chris Stynes
What is this? An autographed card from the 2000 Fleer Tradition set
Where'd I get it? I wrote to Stynes and asked him to sign it.
How much did it cost? postage, basically

Why is this so special? Chris Stynes may not be a household name, but he did have a good major league career. In ten seasons from 1995-2004, he played for the Royals, Reds, Red Sox, Cubs, Rockies and Pirates. He retired with a .275 career average, 51 home runs and 265 RBI.

Stynes also has one neat record - in 1996, he stole second, third and home in the same inning during a game between the Royals and Mariners.

Stynes has a clear, easy-to-read autograph. Here are a few other cards:

2000 Upper Deck SP Top Prospects Chirography: Pablo Ozuna

Who is this? Former Portland Sea Dogs shortstop Pablo Ozuna
What is this? An autograph card from 2000 Upper Deck SP Top Prospects Chirography
Where'd I get it? eBay
How much did it cost? $1.

Why is this so special? When the Newark Bears signed Pablo Ozuna this season, I looked to see if I had any of his cards. When I found that I did not, I check online and found this one for less than it would have cost to acquire any to get signed myself. Ozuna only stayed around long enough to get into 28 games, so it's probably for the best - I may not have had a chance to get him to sign anything.

I've got a couple of these Chirography cards in my collection, but I still haven't decided if I like the design. It does place the focus on the autograph, but it's not especially attractive and it doesn't leave much room for a player photo. I find it interesting that Ozuna signed "P. Ozuna" even with all that space to fill.

Ozuna played in the majors for parts of seven seasons. He earned a World Series ring with the Chicago White Sox in 2005. Ozuna also played for the Florida Marlins, Colorado Rockies and Los Angeles Dodgers. In 309 games, Ozuna had 191 hits, 3 home runs, 45 RBI and 29 stolen bases.

2000 Upper Deck Pros and Prospects Future Forces Matt Riley

Who is this? former Baltimore Orioles pitcher Matt Riley

What is this? An autographed insert card from 2000 Upper Deck Pros and Prospects

Where'd I get it? Riley signed it for me after a game between the York Revolution and Newark Bears earlier this year.

 How much did it cost? About 50 cents.

Why is this so special? Riley was a third-round selection by the Baltimore Orioles in 1997. He dominated the minor leagues and made his major league debut in 1999. For two years, he was ranked as the best prospect in the Orioles' farm system.

Then came Tommy John surgery, and Riley had to battle back. He returned to the majors in 2003 for a while, long enough to earn his first major league victory. He had a longer opportunity in 2004, but struggled. In 2005, Baltimore traded Riley to the Texas Rangers for another future Atlantic Leaguer, infielder Ramon Nivar. Later that year, Riley had a second Tommy John operation. During his comeback, he required a third surgery.

This season, Riley pitched for the York Revolution in the independent Atlantic League. He was working out of the bullpen during the series when I got this card signed. He came in to the game in the seventh inning, with his team down 7-5 and runners on first and third with nobody out. Riley got two ground outs before surrendering a game-tying single to Daryle Ward. He struck out Carl Everett to end the inning, and he was done for the evening. The Revolution came back to win the game 8-7 in the ninth inning.

What surprised me was that Riley stayed in the dugout until the end of the game - pitchers generally head for the locker room once they come out of the game, and they rarely return to the field. It surprised me more that he was willing to stop and sign my card after the game. I wouldn't want to decipher his autograph, but his handwriting doesn't seem bad for a left-hander.

Riley was placed on the inactive list at the end of July. It's possible that his baseball career is coming to an end.

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"

2000 Upper Deck Victory Toshihisa Nishi

Who is this? Former Yomiuri Giants second baseman Toshihisa Nishi
 
What is this? An autograph card from the Japanese 2000 Upper Deck Victory set

Where'd I get it? I got it signed before a game between the Lancaster Barnstormers and Newark Bears last week.
 
How much did it cost? The card cost $2.50.

Why is this so special? Nishi was the Central League Rookie of the Year for the Yomiuri Giants in 1996. He is a three-time all-star and four-time gold glove winner in Japan.

At age 38, Nishi came to America with the hopes of playing for a major league team. When he couldn't find a job, he signed with the Lancaster Barnstormers with the hope that he'd get picked up during the season.

I got to see Nishi hit his first Atlantic League home run the day he signed this card for me.
I was a little disappointed that he already has a (mostly illegible) American autograph, but it's still a neat acquisition for my collection.

2000 Bowman Mike Lockwood

Who is this? Mike Lockwood, a former minor league outfielder

What is this? An autograph card from the 2000 Bowman set.

Where'd I get it? I got the card signed at a Somerset Patriots game in 2007

How much did it cost? I acquired the card in a trade; the autograph was free

Why is this so special? To most of you, this card isn't very special. Lockwood never played in the majors -- he didn't even play in the Olympics. But he was absolutely amazing for the Somerset Patriots in 2007. We got a look at what he could do to Atlantic League pitching in 2006, but he only stayed for a little over a month before signing with a team in Taiwan.

In 2007, he hit 23 home runs and stole 22 bases while striking out just 42 times in 464 at bats. He also played great defense for a team that nearly won the Atlantic League championship. Lockwood started the 2008 season in Italy, but came back for the end of the Atlantic League season. As far as I know, he's retired from baseball.

Lockwood has a few versions of his autograph; this is the average one. You can see the nice one on this certified Bowman auto card. The sloppy one is little more than a squiggle.

2000 Just Gold Shane Heams

Who is this? Shane Heams, a former minor league pitcher and U.S. Olympic Gold Medal winner

What is this? An autograph card from the gold parallel of the 2000 Just minor league prospect set

Where'd I get it? I got the card signed at a Somerset Patriots game in 2005

How much did it cost? I got the card in a trade; the autograph was free

Why is this so special? Shane Heams was drafted as an outfielder by the Seattle Mariners in 1994, but he didn't hit. So the Mariners tried making him a pitcher, and it worked out fairly well. For most of his career, he averaged better than a strikeout per inning.

In 2000, Heams pitched for the U.S. Olympic Gold Medal-winning baseball team. He was not able to translate Olympic success into a major league career, though. He finished his professional career with the independent Somerset Patriots in 2005, retiring at age 30

Shane Heams was very good about signing autographs, but he was efficient. He simplified his signature to just "Sh H."

2000 Topps Traded Autographs Tony Pena Jr.

Who is this? Tony Pena Jr., a former shortstop for the Atlanta Braves and Kansas City Royals

What is this? An autographed card from the 2000 Topps Traded Autographs insert set

Where'd I get it? This is yet another baseball card show purchase

How much did it cost? $1

Why is this so special? Tony Pena Jr. is the son of former catcher and former Kansas City Royals manager Tony Pena. He reached the majors in 2006 with the Atlanta Braves, but he was traded to Kansas City before the 2007 season.

He was the Royals starting shortstop in 2007, batting .267 with 2 home runs and 47 RBI. Those numbers probably would have been good enough in the 1970s, but not now. And the next year, he did worse - just .169 in 95 games. Pena's struggles at the plate continued this year; he hit .098 in 40 games in 2009, primarily as a defensive replacement.

But he's still trying. He went back to the minors and is trying to make it as a pitcher now.

Tony Pena Jr.'s autograph looks like it was definitely influenced by his father's.

2000 Topps Traded Autographs Elvin Nina

Who is this? Elvin Nina, a former pitcher who enjoyed a 10-year professional career

What is this? An autographed card from the 2000 Topps Traded Autographs insert set

Where'd I get it? I bought at a local baseball card show this weekend.

How much did it cost? $1

Why is this so special? Though Elvin Nina played professionally for 10 years, he never reached the major leagues. But he did go to high school a couple of towns over from where I grew up, and I got to see him play professionally in his final season with the Atlantic League's Road Warriors.

He has a nice, clear autograph. I wish more players took the same pride in their signature.

2000 Upper Deck Ruben Mateo

Who is this? Ruben Mateo, an outfielder who played for the Texas Rangers, Cincinnati Reds, Pittsburgh Pirates and Kansas City Royals from 1999-2004

What is this? A 2000 Upper Deck card that has been signed by Ruben Mateo

Where'd I get it? I got this card signed during the pre-game autograph session before the last Newark Bears game of the season this year.

How much did it cost? I think the card cost a dime. The autograph was free.

Why is this so special? Ruben Mateo didn't have a particularly impressive big league career. On the other hand, the independent Atlantic League where the Bears play isn't exactly the majors. Mateo hit 16 home runs in 50 games this year, and always seemed willing to interact with the fans and sign autographs.

The autograph is really more of a stylized mark than a true signature. I can interpret that first part as an "R" if I stretch my imagination a little, but the only part that's truly legible is the number 19.

2000 Topps Traded Tony Pena Jr.

Who is this? Braves shortstop Tony Pena Jr.

What is this? An autograph card from 2000 Topps Traded, card number TTA39.

Where'd I get it? Same eBay seller as the Klesko.

How much did it cost? $1.29

Why is this so special? This card kind of illustrates the danger in interweb shopping sprees. Ok, it's a Brave, he did actually have a cup of coffee with the team in 2006, I like his pop as a player, but good lord, it's Tony Pena Jr. Mario Mendoza is worried about losing his relevance with Tony starting in KC. To wit: Chipper Jones would have to go 0 for 331 in order to drop to Tony's batting average. Great Googely Moogely. Still, you have to be a pretty damn good player to keep your job while hitting about .150. Or maybe he has photos of David Glass shopping at Target, who knows. It was cheap, I like this autograph set, it's an on-card autograph, and most importantly, it's a Brave. Plus Tony can't his any worse this season, can he?

2000 Fleer Autographics Joe Crede

Who is this? White Sox third baseman Joe Crede.

What is this? An autograph card from 2000 Fleer something or other. I can't find it in my price guide.

Where'd I get it? Could be from anywhere, really.

How much did it cost? I have no earthly idea. I might have shoplifted the thing for all I know.

Why is this so special? This is one of those 'mystery' cards where I have no idea where it came from. I've had it forever though. Might have been out of a pack, might have been from a shop, might have been an auction. It's a pretty kick ass card though wherever it came from. Autograph cards from the late 90's and early '00s just seem to have been designed better than a lot of them today. This card is a perfect example. There's a good action shot of Joe, a little color in the background to keep it from getting boring, and a nice large clear space for a signature where the name and logo don't get in the way. Joe's signature, by the way is fantastic. A nice big J and C with flair, and even better every letter is completely legible. You can paste that sig to the bottom of the Declaration of Independence it looks so nice. Joe is having a pretty fantastic year himself, having hit 14 homers already. It looks like prospect Josh Fields pushing for Crede's job has gotten Joe back on track after an injury riddled '07 season.

2000 Topps Traded Brett Myers

Who is this? Phillies pitcher Brett Myers.

What is this? An autograph card from 2000 Topps Traded, card number TTA25.

Where'd I get it? The same dealer in Pennsylvania as the Rico Washington card.

How much did it cost? Whatever the opening bid on the auction was. I want to say a buck, but it was 8 years ago and I don't really remember.

Why is this so special? This is that bum pitcher I only bought because no one else had bid on him and it was worth it for a cheap set and autograph. Hey, if I was any judge of talent, I'd be a scout. For a "last pickle in the barrel" type of purchase it was a good one. Back when Brett first broke with the Phillies, this card was booking for $50 and I think may have even been on Beckett's Hot List for a month or two. It's certainly cooled off since then, between legal trouble and the Phils bouncing him back and forth between the rotation and the bullpen like he's John Smoltz or something. Plus the only autographs anyone wants anymore are of prospects. Dude's like 27 years old! That's ancient for a prospect. Nevermind he's been pitching since 2002 and is the best pitcher on the Phillies' staff, he's not a prospect anymore so you can probably find this card for a buck somewhere if you look hard enough. I know it was worth 50 smackers at one point though and I bought it before it got hot. That means it's worth a big ol' bucket of pride to me. Like the Rico card, this is pretty sweet looking. I especially like how you can see Brett's grip on the ball right before he delivers to the plate. The signature is more like initials than an actual autograph, but it's distinctive and you can make out the B~ M clearly at least. There's even a little smear on the M to add authenticity. Also - no stickers! How the heck did Topps manage to do on card autos for all these cards back in 2000? It's a mystery.........

2000 Topps Traded Rico Washington

Who is this? Pirates second baseman Rico Washington.

What is this? An autograph card from 2000 Topps Traded, card number TTA47.

Where'd I get it? Some dealer in Pennsylvania off of Yahoo! Auctions.

How much did it cost? More in shipping than for the card.

Why is this so special? I specifically remember a dealer on Yahoo! auctions back before the auction site went belly up. They were located in Pennsylvania and you could get good deals if you were willing to get jacked on shipping charges. And I mean GOOD deals. I think I got this card and the entire Topps Traded set from that year for something like a 2 dollar bid. '00 Traded is the one with Zito, and I think it's retained its $2.00 value even opened without the one-per-box autograph. The seller had a ton of these sets all up for bit at the same time and each one had been opened to see what autograph was in the box. I'm not sure who was the huge pull at the time, but they certainly searched for it and dumped the rest of the sets on their auction site. I looked through all the possibilities and chose Rico. How could a guy named Rico Washington not hit the big time? Well he did hit the big time this year as he was on the Cardinals' opening day roster after 11 years in the minors. He was back in Triple-A before April was out, but he made it! His MLB "Rookie" card just hit in Topps Series 2. Thank goodness we can finally have a card of Rico to collect. I'm proud of Rico though, I knew he would make it some day. I also bought another set from the dealer at the same time as this one. I didn't really care for the autograph, it was some pitcher for the Phillies I didn't think would do anything at all. It cost only the minimum bid because no one else wanted it either so I got it anyway. I'll post that card tomorrow.

2000 Press Pass Brian Urlacher

Who is this? Chicago Bears assassin Brian Urlacher.

What is this? An autograph card from 2000 Press Pass.

Where'd I get it? Out of a pack of 2000 Press Pass.

How much did it cost? 3 bucks for the pack I think.

Why is this so special? It's Brian Freaking Urlacher from his draft year. I was stoked to pull this out of a pack, I thought he would be one of the best players to come out of the draft. I was right! I was really into NFL draft picks sets in the late 90's and bought up a bunch of them at the time. Cards with the players in their college uniforms are pretty cool in my opinion. The past few years though I've given up on them. Three bucks for four cards just isn't a good deal and I have better ways to spend my cash. This sig from Urlacher is pretty sweet, it looks like he started signing when saw some guy carrying a football out of the corner of his eye. He hurried the last name and jumped up to pummel the guy. That'll teach you to carry a football around Urlacher!

2000 SA*GE Giovanni Carmazzi

Who is this? 49ers quarterback Giovanni Carmazzi.

What is this? An autograph card from 2000 SA*GE, card number A7. The card is serial numbered 554/999.

Where'd I get it? Bargain bin.

How much did it cost? A buck or so.

Why is this so special? Giovanni was a third round pick of the 49ers who spent a year on the bench without getting into a game. He bounced around NFL Europe and the CFL before retiring in 2005. Carmazzi is considered one of the busts of the 2000 draft, and was taken 134 players before Tom Brady. Giovanni is still a legend at Hofstra at least. SA*GE put their autos on these huge foil stickers that look pretty good on the card, but doesn't scan worth crap. Carmazzi has a simple, readable autograph with no nonsense junking it up. He also shortened his first name to Gio, a wise choice considering he had 999 of these to sign.