2004 Topps Total Pete Laforest

Who is this? Quebec Capitales catcher/infielder Pete Laforest
What is this? An autographed card from the 2004 Topps Total set
Where'd I get it? Laforest signed it for me before last night's game between the Capitales and the Newark Bears
How much did it cost? I got it out of a pack in 2004.

Why is this so special? If I didn't lose track of anything, this is the sixth item I've gotten signed for my own collection at a Can-Am League game this year. Most of the guys playing in the league just do not have cards.

Technically, this is not a Pete Laforest card. Sure, it's got his name on the front and his stats on the back - but the guy in the picture is current Camden Riversharks catcher Toby Hall. Not being a big Devil Rays fan, I didn't notice. Fortunately, Laforest was a good sport about it - I imagine he's been asked to sign the card hundreds of times since it came out. Still, it felt a bit awkward.

Laforest played in a handful of games for the Devil Rays in 2003 and 2005, as well as brief stints with Philadelphia and San Diego in 2007. He has 29 major league hits - including 2 home runs - in 68 games.

Laforest was a 2004 Olympian, representing Canada. He also played for his home country in the 2006 World Baseball Classic.

There are a lot of overlapping loops in Laforest's autograph. I wonder if it would be less compressed on a larger item.

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.

2004 Topps Retired Signature Autographs #EW Earl Weaver

Who is this? Baltimore Orioles Hall of Fame manager Earl Weaver
What is this? A 2004 Topps Retired Signature Autographs card
Where'd I get it? I won it in a contest run by Ryan of the Great Orioles Autograph Project
How much did it cost? It was free

Why is this so special? This is the nicest sports card prize I've ever won, and one of a relatively small number of cards signed by Hall of Famers in my collection.

Weaver spent his entire 17-year managerial career with the Orioles. His Baltimore teams won four pennants and one World Series title. His overall record was 1480-1060, a .583 winning percentage.

Despite his success, Weaver is best remembered for his 97 career ejections and legendary arguments with umpires. One argument even led to the forfeit of a game in 1977.

Earl Weaver has a great autograph - you can make out every letter.

2004 Fleer Greats of the Game: Boog Powell

Who is this? former Baltimore Orioles first baseman Boog Powell
What is this? An autographed card from the 2004 Fleer Greats of the Game set
Where'd I get it? Ryan of the Great Orioles Autograph Project got it signed for me at this year's Orioles fanfest
How much did it cost? The unsigned card was a dime.

Why is this so special? Powell was the first baseman for five pennant-winning Orioles teams in the 1960s and 70s. He earned 2 World Series rings, was a 4-time All-Star and was the American League MVP in 1970.

You could make a case that 1970 was not Powell's best season. During his MVP year, Powell hit .297 / .412 / .549 with 35 home runs and 114 RBI. In 1964, Powell finished 11th in MVP voting. He hit .290 / .399 / .606 with 39 home runs and 99 RBI. His .606 slugging percentage led the American League, the only time in his 17 year career that he was a league leader in a major offensive category.

Powell retired with over 300 career homers and more than 1000 RBIs. He now owns Boog's Barbecue, which has two Maryland locations including one at Camden Yards.

Thanks for getting my card signed, Ryan.

2004 Fleer Greats of the Game: Bobby Doerr

Who is this? Hall of Famer Bobby Doerr
What is this? An autographed card from the 2004 Fleer Greats of the Game set
Where'd I get it? I wrote to Doerr earlier this month and asked him to sign it; I got it back about a week and a half later.
How much did it cost? I got the unsigned card for a dime.

Why is this so special? I believe that Bobby Doerr is the last Hall of Fame player who regularly signs through the mail without requiring a donation or fee. He is currently the oldest living Hall of Fame player.

Doerr was a 9-time All-Star and was a star defensive player at second base. He had over 2000 hits, over 1000 RBI and over 200 home runs in a 14-year career. Doerr ranks 187th in baseball history among position players for career Wins Above Replacement, as calculated by Baseball Reference. Doerr also served in the military in 1945.

For a 92-year-old, Doerr still has nice handwriting. He included his Hall of Fame induction year without being asked.

2004 Topps Cracker Jack Jack McKeon

Who is this? former Florida Marlins manager Jack McKeon
What is this? An autographed card from the 2004 Topps Cracker Jack set
Where'd I get it? I purchased it from a SportsGraphing.com forum member late last year.
How much did it cost? $2-$3


Why is this so special? I don't actively collect them, but when I have a chance I like to pick up autographs of players who are from my home state. McKeon is one of six baseball players to reach the major leagues who went to school at St. Mary's, a Catholic school in the tiny New Jersey city of South Amboy.

McKeon never reached the big leagues as a player. Instead, he made his mark as a manager. A two-time Manager of the Year, McKeon guided the Florida Marlins to a World Series title in 2003.

Though his autograph seems a little cramped, you can read it without much difficulty. I wish more current ballplayers had better signatures.

2004 Topps Total Brian Boehringer

Who is this? Former Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Brian Boehringer
What is this? An autographed card from the 2004 Topps Total set
Where'd I get it? I wrote to Boehringer earlier this month and asked him to sign it. I got it back on Monday.
How much did it cost? Postage, basically.


Why is this so special? Brian Boehringer spent time in the Atlantic League in 2006 and 2007, winding down his professional career as a member of the Bridgeport Bluefish. I never had any luck getting anything signed. In 2006, he got picked up by an affiliated team before I ever saw the Bluefish. If I recall correctly, he spent most of 2007 on the DL - he only appeared in 5 games. And in independent baseball, teams rarely pay hotel bills for players on the DL to travel.

Boehringer made his major league debut with the Yankees in 1995. A year later, he was pitching in the World Series. In 1997, Boehringer was selected in the expansion draft by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, but he never played for them - he was traded to San Diego that same day.

In 1998, Boehringer got to pitch in another World Series... but this time he ended up on the wrong side. He would go back to the Yankees briefly in 2001, but they traded him to the Giants midway through the year. Boehringer finished his major league career with the Pirates.

In a 10-year career that spanned from 1995-2004, Boehringer appeared in 356 regular season major league games. He was never a star, but he was a useful contributor out of the bullpen.

For a player with a long name, Boehringer has a decent autograph. Here's a 2004 Fleer Tradition card that he signed and personalized for me.

2004 Upper Deck Vintage Denny Stark

Who is this? Bridgeport Bluefish pitcher Denny Stark
What is this? An autographed card from the 2004 Upper Deck Vintage set
Where'd I get it? Stark signed it for me at a Newark Bears game this year.
How much did it cost? I probably got it out of a pack; I used to buy at least one blaster of any non-glossy finish set.

Why is this so special? Denny Stark was selected by the Seattle Mariners in the 4th round of the 1996 draft. He pitched in the major leagues for both the Mariners and the Colorado Rockies. As recently as 2009, he appeared in a game with the Mariners.

In 73 major league appearances, including 42 starts, Stark has a 15-14 record and a 5.81 ERA. This year for Bridgeport, Stark had an 8-4 record with a 4.68 ERA in 37 games (17 starts).

For a modern player, he has a fairly decent autograph.

2004 Bowman Chrome Josh Wahpepah

Who is this? Kansas City T-Bones pitcher Josh Wahpepah
What is this? An autographed card from the 2004 Bowman Chrome set
Where'd I get it? From Zach, who probably got it signed at a T-Bones game


Why is this so special? Josh Wahpepah is a fun name. The Milwaukee Brewers selected him in the third round of the 2004 draft, but he never got past AA ball. His record in Minor League Baseball was 28-28 with a 4.23 ERA.

This year, Wahpepah ended up in independent baseball, pitching for the Kansas City T-Bones. I'd like to tell you how he did, but the T-Bones website didn't want to show me any stats when I was writing this.

Wahpepah signed his initials... I'm not sure if that was because of the available space on the card or if it's a normal time-saving move.

2004 Upper Deck Team USA Scott Spiezio

Who is this? Newark Bears infielder Scott Spiezio
 
What is this? An autographed card from Upper Deck's 2004 Team USA 25th Anniversary set
 
Where'd I get it? Spiezio signed it for me before a Newark Bears game earlier this year.
 
How much did it cost? I traded a duplicate card with another autograph collector at the ballpark
 
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.

I've never seen another picture of Spiezio without his silly beard, so this card amuses me. Although it smeared a little, Spiezio's signature here looks a lot nicer than the one on the card I posted yesterday.

2004 Donruss Timelines Recollection Collection Julio Franco

Who is this? Former Texas Rangers second baseman Julio Franco

What is this? An autographed buyback card from the 2004 Donruss Timelines set

Where'd I get it? Found it at the local card shop

How much did it cost? $10

Why is this so special? I went to the card shop today hoping to find a card of Richmond Flying Squirrels pitching coach Ross Grimsley. I struck out, but I found something better - this autographed buyback card of Julio Franco.

To me, it seemed like Franco played forever. He "only" played in the majors for 23 seasons, though. During that time, he accumulated 2,586 hits and was a three-time All-Star. He finally retired from the game in 2008, months short of his 50th birthday.

Franco spent parts of two seasons as a pinch hitter for the New York Mets, which added to my interest in acquiring the card. He now manages the Mets Gulf Coast League team.

The Sharpie that Franco used to sign the cards was starting to dry out, but it still looks great signed.

2004 Topps Total Daryle Ward

Who is this? Former Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Daryle Ward
 
What is this? An autographed card from the 2004 Topps Total set
 
Where'd I get it? I got it signed before a game between the Newark Bears and York Revolution on Sunday
 
How much did it cost? The card came out of a pack of Topps Total, purchased in 2004. I really don't remember how much they went for.
 
Why is this so special? Ward spent parts of 11 seasons in the majors and currently has 90 big league home runs. He spent two seasons in Pittsburgh, 2004 and 2005. During that time, he hit for the cycle -- becoming part of the only father-son tandem to accomplish the feat.

He also was the first player to hit a home run completely out of PNC Park in Pittsburgh and into the Allegheny River, though he was not playing for the Pirates at the time.

Ward has an amazing autograph, especially for a current player.

2004 Topps Total Jorge Julio

 Who is this? Former Baltimore Orioles closer Jorge Julio

What is this? An autographed card from the 2004 Topps Total set

Where'd I get it? I got it signed before Sunday's exhibition game between the Newark Bears and Bridgeport Bluefish

How much did it cost? The card came out of a Topps Total pack purchased in 2004.

Why is this so special? For three years, Jorge Julio was the closer for the Baltimore Orioles. In 2003, he saved a career high 36 games and he has a total of 99 saves to his credit over a nine year major league career.

Julio has pitched for 8 different major league teams, most recently the Milwaukee Brewers in 2009. This season, he'll start the year pitching out of the bullpen for the Bridgeport Bluefish in the independent Atlantic League of Professional Baseball.

I've never managed to figure out Julio's signature, but he does take time to sign it carefully.

2004 Bowman Signs of the Future Chad Cordero

Who is this? Chad Cordero, a relief pitcher in the Seattle Mariners organization

What is this? An autographed card from 2004 Bowman Signs of the Future insert set

Where'd I get it? I bought it at the baseball card show this weekend

How much did it cost? $2

Why is this so special? Chad Cordero led the National League with 47 saves in 2005, earning a spot on the All-Star team. He was part of the U.S. team in the first World Baseball Classic in 2006, and saved the Washington Nationals' final game at RFK Stadium in 2007.

Cordero has not pitched in the major leagues since 2008, and his last full season was 2007. Hopefully he can recover from the arm problems that have derailed his career and recapture some of his earlier promise -- on Opening Day, Cordero will only be 28.

Cordero's autograph is a bit small, but it seems somewhat legible.

2004 Topps Total Bobby Brownlie

Who is this? Bobby Brownlie, the Chicago Cubs first-round draft pick in 2002

What is this? An autographed card from the 2004 Topps Total set

Where'd I get it? I'm not sure, but I think I got this signed through the mail when Brownlie played for the Iowa Cubs in 2005.

How much did it cost? The card came out of a pack, so just the postage.

Why is this so special? Chicago Cubs fans -- if they remember Brownlie at all -- will just think he was a draft pick that didn't pan out (7 future major leaguers, including Matt Cain, Joe Blanton, Jeff Francoeur and Mark Teahen were selected after Brownlie.)

In central New Jersey, it's a different story. In Brownlie was a star for Edison High School, and he went on to Rutgers where he continued to dominate. He was the MVP of the 2000 Big East Tournament and earned the cover of Baseball America's 2002 college preview issue.

Twice he's played for the Newark Bears, and both times he was able to use the opportunity to get signed by a AAA team. Maybe he'll still get a chance to pitch in the majors.

Brownlie's autograph is distinct, with two strong B's, though a few of the other letters are missing.

Brownlie's autograph may be the last one I post to the blog for a little while. For the past three months, I've shown an autograph nearly every day. I think I'm out of cards that I haven't posted somewhere, and a few of the ones I've used in January have already been seen on my personal blog.

When I get new autographs, I will continue to post them here if they're not Mets cards. There shouldn't be a multi-month gap between posts again, but I can't keep the post-a-day schedule any longer.

2004 Topps Reggie Taylor

Who is this? Reggie Taylor, a former outfielder for the Philadelphia Phillies, Cincinnati Reds and Tampa Bay Devil Rays

What is this? An autograph card from the 2004 Topps set

Where'd I get it? I got the card signed at a Somerset Patriots game in 2006

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

Why is this so special? Reggie Taylor was the Philadelphia Phillies' first round draft pick in 1995. Baseball America ranked him as one of the Phillies top 10 prospects from 1996 through 2001. He made his major league debut with the Phillies in 2000, but he never really got a chance to play for them.

The Phillies traded Taylor to the Reds during spring training in 2002. The Reds used him as a part time outfielder in 2002 and 2003, but a low batting average and high strikeout rate didn't really help him to hold a big league job. Taylor played a few games with Tampa Bay in 2005, but after that his career took him to Mexico and the independent leagues.

I saw Taylor play with the Lancaster Barnstormers in 2006. He had a good year at the plate, hitting .302 with 23 home runs. But I remember him more because he went out of his way to be nice to kids at the ballpark.

One time, there was a small group of kids who were talking to him during warmups. They wanted autographs, but none of them had a pen. Taylor remembered me asking him for an autograph earlier in the day, after batting practice. He came over to where I was sitting and asked to borrow a pen. He signed for all the kids and returned it before heading to the dugout. How many players are going to do something like that?

Taylor has a few different versions of his autograph; this is the really quick and not very neat one.

2004 Topps Total Brian Reith

Who is this? Brian Reith, a former pitcher for the Cincinnati Reds

What is this? An autograph card from the 2004 Topps Total set

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

How much did it cost? The card came out of a pack and the autograph was free.

Why is this so special? Brian Reith was originally drafted by the New York Yankees, but he came to the Reds in the Denny Neagle trade in 2000. Reith reached the majors in 2001, starting 8 games for the Reds. He was 0-7. He returned to the big leagues in 2003 as a reliever for the Reds.


In 2007, Reith found himself in independent baseball, pitching for the Somerset Patriots. He pitched well in seven starts, earning the chance for a bigger paycheck in Taiwan. He came back in 2008, beginning the season in the rotation but moving to the bullpen to become the closer later in the year.

Reith did well enough to earn a minor league contract from the Brewers, but he apparently was cut during spring training. The only stats listed for 2009 are from six games with Quintana Roo in the Mexican League.

Reith has a nice autograph, very legible for a quick at-the-ballpark signature.

2004 Donruss Playoff Honors Edwin Almonte

Who is this? Edwin Almonte, a pitcher and former New York Met

What is this? An autograph card from the Donruss Playoff Honors set, #35

Where'd I get it? I got the autograph at a Newark Bears game in 2008.

How much did it cost? The card was probably a quarter or so; the autograph was free.

Why is this so special? Almonte started his career in the White Sox system, but was traded to the Mets in 2003 for Roberto Alomar. So in a few more weeks, he might be able to say that he was once traded for a future Hall of Famer.

Almonte struggled in his brief trial with the Mets, allowing 21 hits -- including 3 home runs -- in just 11.1 innings. When New York removed him from the 40-man roster that winter, he was claimed by the Boston Red Sox. While Almonte appears as a Red Sox player on some cards, he never appeared in a game for them.

Edwin Almonte pitches in a pre-season exhibition game for the Newark Bears in 2008.

By 2007, Almonte was out of affiliated baseball. He played for the Newark Bears in 2007 & 2008. In 2009, he returned to the starting rotation for the first time in 8 years with Schaumburg in the Northern League.

I never quite figured out how to read Edwin Almonte's autograph. His last name has been simplified to "Al_t_", but I can't quite figure out how to read the loops that make up his first name.

2004 Upper Deck Yankees Classics Bobby Richardson

Who is this? Bobby Richardson, a former New York Yankees infielder

What is this? An autograph card from the 2004 Upper Deck Yankees Classics set

Where'd I get it? I wrote to Bobby Richardson earlier this summer and asked him to sign it.

How much did it cost? 33 cents for the card; 88 cents for postage

Why is this so special? Richardson was a key part of the late 1950s-early 1960s Yankees dynasty. He was an 8-time All-Star, 5-time Gold Glove winner and the MVP of the 1960 World Series. He played in the majors for 12 seasons, amassing 1,400+ hits.

And even with all of those accomplishments, Richardson still signs autographs through the mail. He's got a nice, clear signature that really stands out on the black & white card.

2004 Topps All-Time Fan Favorites Don Zimmer

Who is this? Don Zimmer, former infielder for the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago Cubs, New York Mets, Cincinnati Reds and Washington Senators; former manager for the San Diego Padres, Boston Red Sox, Texas Rangers and Chicago Cubs; current advisor to the Tampa Bay Rays

What is this? An autographed card from the 2004 Topps All-Time Fan Favorites set

Where'd I get it? eBay

How much did it cost? $12.99 shipped

Why is this so special? Don Zimmer is a baseball lifer. He signed with the Brooklyn Dodgers at the age of 18, and he's been involved with baseball as a player, coach, manager or executive ever since.

Zimmer was an original member of the New York Mets. He was the third baseman in the first game they ever played.

As with many old-time baseball players, Zimmer has a neat, clear autograph.