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.

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.

2003 Topps Fan Favorites Bob Watson

Who is this? Former Houston Astros outfielder Bob Watson
What is this? An autographed card from the 2003 Topps Fan Favorites set
Where'd I get it? I wrote to Watson at the Major League Baseball office in New York in December and asked him to sign it; I got it back on Friday.
How much did it cost? The unsigned card cost a dime.


Why is this so special? I'm not positive, but I think this is the first Topps Fan Favorites card that I've ever gotten signed.

Last month, Bob Watson marked the end of a 45-year career in baseball when he retired as Major League Baseball's Vice President of Rules and On-Field Operations. He had also been the general manager of the New York Yankees, helping to assemble the 1996 World Series winning team. The Houston Astros made Watson the first African-American general manager in Major League Baseball in 1993.

As a player, Watson is most famous for scoring the one millionth run in baseball history. (However, later examinations of baseball's records indicate that Watson's run really wasn't the millionth and it's impossible to tell who did score the milestone run -- see this interesting article by Joe Posnanski about the One Millionth Run)

A two-time All-Star, Watson is the first player in Major League Baseball history to hit for the cycle in both leagues.

Watson had been a great through-the-mail autograph signer when he worked out of the Commissioner's Office. Hopefully he will continue to sign for collectors now that he's retired.

2003 Topps Total Hiram Bocachica

Who is this? Bridgeport Bluefish utility player Hiram Bocachica
What is this? An autographed card from the 2003 Topps Total set
Where'd I get it? Bocachica signed it for me at a Newark Bears game last year.
How much did it cost? I got the card out of a pack in 2003


Why is this so special? This was one of the last baseball cards I got signed in person in 2010.

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.

Bocachica appears to have just signed his last name on my card, though I can't read his writing well enough to be sure. In 2008, dayf posted a card that Bocachica signed during his first year as a pro... you can tell that his signature changed a lot since then.

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.

2003 Donruss Franklin Perez

Who is this? Kansas City T-Bones pitcher Franklin Perez
What is this? An autographed card from the 2003 Donruss set... I think. Was "The Rookies" a designation on regular cards, or is this a separate set?
Where'd I get it? From Zach at Autographed Cards, who probably got it signed at a T-Bones game.


Why is this so special? Perez spent 7 seasons in affiliated minor league ball, primarily in the Phillies organization. He never made it to the majors, but did get as far as AAA. In 2008, he had a fairly unimpressive season for the Bridgeport Bluefish in the Atlantic League, earning a 6-3 record with a 5.25 ERA as a starter and a reliever.

In 2009, Perez played for half of the teams in the Atlantic League - the Bluefish again, the Camden Riversharks, the Long Island Ducks and the Newark Bears. He was somewhat effective for the Riversharks, earning 6 saves in 27 appearances. The less said about his time with the other teams, the better.

This year, Perez had 6 saves and a sparkling 0.87 ERA in 11 games for the T-Bones.

Perez has an interesting autograph that would likely cause confusion for anyone trying to identify it on a generic item.

2003 Bowman Derell McCall

Who is this? Camden Riversharks pitcher Derell McCall
What is this? An autographed card from the 2003 Bowman set
Where'd I get it? McCall signed it for me at a Newark Bears game this year.
How much did it cost? Around a quarter
Why is this so special? The Oakland Athletics made Derell McCall the 300th pick in the 2000 draft. He remained in their farm system until 2004, never making it above A-ball.

After spending parts of three seasons playing in independent leagues, McCall got another chance in the Marlins system. He stayed there until this season, pitching as high as AA.

This year, McCall split the season between the Camden Riversharks and the York Revolution. I'm not sure which team he was playing for when I got him to sign this card.

McCall has a fairly unique signature, but it's still pretty similar to the facsimile one on the card. It appears that he included a cross next to his name.

2003 Bowman Chrome Chris Colton

Who is this? Wichita Wingnuts & Joliet Jackhammers outfielder Chris Colton
What is this? An autographed card from the 2003 Bowman Chrome set
Where'd I get it? From Zach, who probably got it signed at a Northern League or American Association game this year.


Why is this so special? Chris Colton was selected by the Seattle Mariners in the 15th round of the 2001 draft. He made his pro debut with the Everett Aqua Sox in 2002. Colton remained in the Mariners' organization into the 2007 season, but he never advanced past A-ball. Since then, he's played independent baseball. It's a bit surprising that he was included in a Bowman set.

Like yesterday's featured player, Colton's autograph is basically his initials... at least he added his uniform number.

2003 Fleer Tradition Scott Speizio

Who is this? Newark Bears infielder Scott Spiezio

What is this? An autographed card from the 2003 Fleer Tradition set

Where'd I get it? Spiezio signed it for me before a Bears game earlier this year.

How much did it cost? I got the card out of a pack.

Why is this so special? Scott Spiezio spent 12 seasons in the major leagues and won two World Series rings, with the 2002 Angels and the 2006 Cardinals. He is the son of former major leaguer Ed Spiezio.

If I could bring back one discontinued baseball card set, I'd revive Topps Total. It was perfect for autograph collectors because of the number of different players included and the lack of glossy coating on the cards. But if I could bring back a second discontinued set, Fleer Tradition would be the one I'd choose. It appealed to me more than the Topps Heritage sets, maybe because the cards weren't direct copies of a previous design (except in 2003). Or maybe it was because the pack prices were more affordable. I'm not really sure.

Spiezio's autograph looks like a scribble on this card, unfortunately.

2003 Topps Heritage Wayne Lydon

Who is this? Somerset Patriots outfielder Wayne Lydon.

What is this? An autograph card from the 2003 Topps Heritage set.

Where'd I get it? I got the card signed at last year's Atlantic League All-Star Game in Newark.

How much did it cost? The card probably cost around 50 cents.

Why is this so special? Lydon played his first seven seasons of professional baseball in the Mets organization starting in 1999, and then was traded to the Blue Jays, where he then played 4 years in their farm system. In 2002, Wayne stole 87 bases for Columbia in the SAL.

Lydon was selected to the Atlantic League All-Star Game last year as a Camden Rivershark. He hit .273 with 5 homers and 54 RBIs last season, in addition to 72 stolen bases. He is currently playing for the Somerset Patriots.

Lydon has a short "at the ballpark" autograph. You can make out "Wy L" although the W looks more like an N or a V.

2003 SP Chirography Jim Edmonds

Who is this? Milwaukee Brewers centerfielder Jim Edmonds.

What is this? An autograph card from the 2003 SP Chirography set.

Where'd I get it? I bought it off eBay a few months ago.

How much did it cost? I don't remember exactly how much it cost, but I remember it being fairly cheap, maybe around $3 plus shipping.

Why is this so special? Jim Edmonds has always been one of my favorite players, simply because he is such an amazing outfielder. So far he has won 8 Gold Gloves in his 16 year career, and he has been know for making some of the most amazing catches in baseball history. The one that most people remember was the one he made while playing for Anaheim against the Royals on June 10, 1997 to rob a sure double.

Edmonds is hitting .280 with 3 homers in 27 games this season for the Brewers, which isn't bad for a guy who didn't even know if he'd be playing this season.

Edmonds has a very nice and distinctive auto. He has an interesting way of making the d's in his last name, but I really like his signature.

2003 Upper Deck Vintage Daryle Ward

Who is this? Former Houston Astros outfielder Daryle Ward
 
What is this? An autographed card from the 2003 Upper Deck Vintage set (I'm still trying to figure out how Topps' lawyers let this set go, but flipped over last year's O-Pee-Chee set)
 
Where'd I get it? Ward signed it for me before Sunday's game between the Newark Bears and York Revolution
 
How much did it cost? I got the card out of a pack back in 2003
 
Why is this so special? Ward spent parts of 11 season in the majors and currently has 90 big league home runs. From 1998-2002, he played for the Houston Astros. His best season with Houston was 2000, when he hit 20 home runs in a part-time role.

After the 2002 season, Houston traded Ward to the Los Angeles Dodgers for pitcher Ruddy Lugo. He would also play for Pittsburgh, Atlanta, Washington and the Chicago Cubs.

Through 16 games, Ward is hitting .323 with six home runs and 24 RBI for the Newark Bears. (That's one less home run and two more RBI than David Wright has in twice as many games, though Wright does not have the advantage of hitting against Atlantic League pitching.)

Ward has one of the nicest-looking signatures I've gotten since baseball season started this year.

2003 Donruss The Rookies Luis Ayala

Who is this? Albuquerque Isotopes' pitcher Luis Ayala

What is this? An autograph insert card from the 2003 Donruss The Rookies set

Where'd I get it? CheckOutMyCards.com

How much did it cost? $3

Why is this so special? For a few seasons, Luis Ayala formed half of an imposing tandem in the Montreal Expos/Washington Nationals' bullpen. Then he injured his arm during the 2006 World Baseball Classic and missed the whole season after having Tommy John surgery. He was never quite the same afterwards.

The Mets acquired Ayala with the hopes that he could fill in for injured closer Billy Wagner late in the 2008 season. He did his best, but he wasn't up to the job. Ayala gave up the last run ever at Shea Stadium, an eighth inning home run to Dan Uggla on Sept. 28, 2008.

Ayala has a pretty nice looking autograph, but I've never seen anyone else make an "A" quite like that.

2003 Upper Deck Ultimate Collection Bobby Hill

Who is this? Bobby Hill, a former infielder for the Chicago Cubs and Pittsburgh Pirates

What is this? An autograph card from the 2003 Upper Deck Ultimate Collection set

Where'd I get it? eBay

How much did it cost? 99 cents, plus $2.75 shipping.

Why is this so special? I'm guessing this was from a really expensive pack in 2003, since I don't think I've ever seen another card from this set and it is an actual on-card autograph. No stickers here.

Hill had three decent years as a utility infielder -- or at least they would have been considered decent years if he played in the 1970s. He never became the star that the Cubs believed he would be when they paid a $1.4 million signing bonus in 2000.

Before Hill signed with the Cubs, he played for the Newark Bears in the independent Atlantic League. In 132 games, he stole 81 bases. I wish I had gotten to see him play then.

Hill made his major league debut with the Cubs in 2002, hitting .253 in 190 at-bats. He spent most of 2003 in the minors and got traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates in the Aramis Ramirez deal.

Hill spent two m0re seasons with the Pirates. His lifetime major league stats: .262 with 6 home runs and 58 RBI in 249 games.

In 2008, Hill returned to the Newark Bears. He wasn't the base stealing threat that he was in his first go-round, but my friends who were following the Bears in 2000 said he was still the same guy. If he was bitter about what might have been, it didn't show. He was one of the friendliest and most outgoing guys on the team.

That's pretty special.

Hill's autograph is just "B_y Hi_ ", which is a little interesting. I would have thought it would go to "B_y H_" or B_y H_l" if he wanted to shorten it.

2003 Topps Total Todd Jones

Who is this? Todd Jones, a retired relief pitcher

What is this? An autographed card from the 2003 Topps Total set

Where'd I get it? I wrote to Jones around New Year's and asked him to sign it; I got it back in the mail today.

How much did it cost? Less than $1

Why is this so special? Even though Todd Jones was rarely thought of as one of the best closers in baseball, he managed to record over 300 saves during his 16-year career. He was an All-Star in 2000 for the Detroit Tigers, when he led the American League with 42 saves.

Jones also has the distinction of being the last player to throw a pitch at Tiger Stadium, according to his Wikipedia article. Since 2002, Jones has been a columnist for The Sporting News.

Todd Jones has a quick autograph, but if you use your imagination you can almost make out his initials.

2003 Topps Bazooka James Loney

Who is this? Los Angeles Dodgers' first baseman James Loney

What is this? An autographed card from the 2003 Topps Bazooka set

Where'd I get it? I wrote to Loney at the Dodgers' spring training camp in 2005 and asked him to sign it. He sent it back before Opening Day that year.

How much did it cost? The card came out of a pack, and I don't remember what Bazooka packs sold for in 2003 or the cost of first class postage in 2005.

Why is this so special? Loney is a talented young first baseman who's been the Dodgers' starter for the past two seasons. He's got a lifetime .295 batting average, 45 home runs and 295 RBI after four seasons in the big leagues.

It may be a little difficult to tell because Loney signed in ballpoint, but he's got a very nice autograph.

2003 Upper Deck Vintage Darin Erstad

Who is this? Darin Erstad, an outfielder/first baseman for the Anaheim Angels, Chicago White Sox and Houston Astros

What is this? An autographed card from the 2003 Upper Deck Vintage set

Where'd I get it? I wrote to Erstad and asked him to sign it during the summer of 2003. I got it back in January of 2005.

How much did it cost? Just postage and the cost of the card.

Why is this so special? If you've ever gotten involved with the hobby of collecting autographs through the mail, you probably understand the appeal of getting a card back that you'd forgotten that you even mailed out.

Erstad was the California Angels' first round draft pick in 1995, and he reached the majors the next year. (He's the first Angels' player I've found who played for the California Angels, Anaheim Angels, and Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.)

Erstad won three Gold Gloves, a Silver Slugger and was a two-time All-Star. His best season came in 2000, when he hit .355 with 25 home runs and 100 RBI. He led the league with 240 hits in 676 at-bats and 747 plate appearances.

Since 2006, Erstad has been a part-time player. He is currently a free agent.

Darin Erstad has a quick, squiggly signature. You can make out most of the letters in his last name if you know what you're looking for.

2003 Topps Total Luke Allen

Who is this? Luke Allen, a former outfielder for the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Colorado Rockies

What is this? An autographed card from the 2003 Topps Total set

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

How much did it cost? The card most likely came from a pack; the autograph was free.

Why is this so special? Luke Allen beat the odds. He was not a high-round draft pick. He wasn't drafted at all. He was just an amateur free agent with nothing invested in him.
Allen worked his way up through the Dodgers farm system and finally made his major league debut in 2002. His Dodger career included just six games, but he did get one hit -- a double.

That off-season, the Dodgers traded Allen to the Colorado Rockies for his future teammate on the Somerset Patriots, Jason Romano. Allen would get another two major league at-bats with the Rockies in 2003, but he'd never play in the majors again.

The Rockies released him at the end of the season. He played five different minor league organizations, two American independent leagues and Mexican baseball before ending his career after the 2008 season.


In 30 games with the Somerset Patriots in 2007, Allen hit .260 with five home runs and 9 RBI. He also managed to talk Sparky Lyle into letting him pitch in one of the last home games of the season.

If I recall correctly, he came into the game with a decent, but not huge lead. I think he retired the first two batters to face him. I know he got one strikeout. But once the hitters had seen his stuff, they began to hit him. He walked a batter and gave up a pair of hits, so Lyle had to take him out of the game before the inning was over. Allen was charged with two runs, although only one was earned.

Luke Allen has a unique autograph. The only letter that I recognize is the "A" in his last name, but his autograph is instantly recognizable if you are familiar with it.

2003 Topps Luis Aparicio

Who is this? Hall of Fame shortstop Luis Aparicio.

What is this? An autograph card from 2003 Topps, card number ???.

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

How much did it cost? Two bucks.

Why is this so special? Little Louie. Hall of Famer. 1956 Rookie of the Year. World Series Champ in 1966. Has a truckload of Gold Gloves. A mess of All Star appearances too. You can take your pick of of a number of certified autographs of Luis for under twenty bucks. Why would anyone collect prospect autos?

2003 Team Topps Legends Bert Campaneris

Who is this? A's shortstop Bert Campaneris.

What is this? An autograph card from Topps, card number TT-BC.

Where'd I get it? A pack of something or other. Probably Heritage or Archives.

How much did it cost? Four bucks or so for the pack.

Why is this so special? Campy was the long time shortstop for the Oakland A's through their Championship years. Bert was not known for his power but he hit two homers in his debut for the A's, one off of pitcher Jim Kaat off the very first pitch he saw. Other than a fluke year in 1970 when he hit 22 homers out of nowhere, Campaneris never hit more than 8 homers in any season and ended his career with 79. Bert was a speed merchant who wreaked havoc on the basepaths as he bunted his way on base and stole bases right and left once he got there. He led the league in steals six times and retired with 649 total steals, good for 14th all time. Campy was a very popular player for the A's and as a publicity stunt, he played all nine positions in a game in 1965. The other stunt Bert is known for is chucking a bat at Lerrin LaGrow's head in a playoff game against the Tigers in 1972 after getting plunked by the pitcher. Tiger manager Billy Martin charged the field and was a major combatant in the brawl that ensued. Billy later managed Campy in 1983 as he brought back the speedster for one last season in New York.

I know I pulled this card from a pack, but which pack it was from is stumping me. I think Team Topps Legend was a cross-brand insert set anyway. I'm going to say it was from Archives or Fan Favorites or whatever they called it that year. I had some good luck with pulling autos from that set in '03. Bert is another one of those greats from the 60's and 70's that aren't remembered as much as they should be simply because they didn't make the Hall of Fame. It's still a nice autograph from an A's legend. I'm getting spoiled by all these great looking on-card autographs. The streak ends tomorrow, sadly.