2006 Bazooka Chris Capuano

I don't have time to continue posting an autograph every day. For the short-term future, I'm going to change the format a little bit - on Sunday night or Monday morning, I'll share the best autograph I added to my collection during the previous week.


For the longer-term future, I'd like to add a few more contributors. Email PaulsRandomStuff@verizon.net if you're interested and would like more details.

Who is this? New York Mets pitcher Chris Capuano
What is this? An autographed 2006 Topps Bazooka card
Where'd I get it? I wrote to Capuano at the Mets spring training camp and asked him to sign it. I got it back the day before the season started.
How much did it cost? I got the card out of a pack in 2006.

Why is this so special? Capuano was originally drafted by the Arizona Diamondbacks. Shortly after making his big league debut in 2003, Capuano was included in a 9-player deal that brought Lyle Overbay to the Milwaukee Brewers for Richie Sexson.

In 2005, Capuano won 18 games for the Brewers and in 2006, he was an All-Star. Then came the injuries. Capuano missed all of 2008 and only pitched 9 innings in the minor leagues in 2009 as he recovered from Tommy John surgery.

Capuano returned to the majors last season with Milwaukee. Though he was effective in limited duty, the Brewers did not re-sign the 32-year-old lefty at the end of the season. Instead, he signed with the Mets and won the fifth starter's job out of spring training.

Capuano's autograph is a little bit sloppy, but definitely recognizable.

In addition to Capuano's autograph, I also received a signed Pedro A. Martinez card last week. (I already wrote about it on my other blog, RandomBaseballStuff.com.)

2006 Topps 52 Rookies Tim Hamulack

Who is this? Lancaster Barnstormers relief pitcher Tim Hamulack
What is this? An autographed card from one of the Topps 52 Rookies sets... I think it's from the 2006 one.  Where'd I get it? Hamulack signed it for me before a Newark Bears game last year.
How much did it cost? If it's a 2006 card, I probably spent a quarter for it. If it's from 2007, I probably got it out of a pack.


Why is this so special? Hamulack, a 32nd round draft pick, spent nine seasons in the minor leagues with 5 different organizations before finally making his major league debut with the Mets in 2005. During that off-season, he was included in a trade to the Los Angeles Dodgers that brought Duaner Sanchez to New York.

Hamulack got most of his major league experience with the Dodgers in 2006, appearing in 33 games. Since then, Hamulack has pitched for minor league or independent league teams. Last season, he was 6-5 with 11 saves and a 2.35 ERA for the Lancaster Barnstormers in the Atlantic League. I'm not sure where (or if) Hamulack will be playing in 2011.

Hamulack's ballpark autograph doesn't differ much from the facsimile signature on the card.

2006 Inkworks Firefly Jonathan M. Woodward as Tracey

Who is this? Actor Jonathan M. Woodward
What is this? An autographed card from the Inkworks Firefly set
Where'd I get it? eBay
How much did it cost? $2.25


Why is this so special? Woodward is one of a handful of actors to appear in Joss Whedon's three most popular television series: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel and Firefly.

I met him at New York Comic Con a few years ago, and he seemed like a very funny guy. His autograph looks like it could just as easily be a scribble or his name.

I got this card back in June, but I'm just getting to post it now. I believe it is the last non-sports autograph I have in my scans folder, so we should be sticking with baseball for the foreseeable future.

2006 Topps Rookie Debut Dan Uggla

Who is this? Atlanta Braves second baseman Dan Uggla
What is this? An autographed card from the 2006 Topps Update Rookie Debut insert set
Where'd I get it? I purchased it from a Sportsgraphing.com forum member late last year.
How much did it cost? $4 or $5

Why is this so special? Dan Uggla began his career in the Arizona Diamondbacks organization, but he couldn't crack the 40-man roster and was therefore available in the Rule V draft. The Florida Marlins selected him and gave him a chance to start at second base. He rewarded them with an All-Star season in his rookie year.

Uggla gets criticized for his defense, which is mediocre at  best, and his high strikeout totals. Nevertheless, he is one of the best offensive second basemen in baseball. For that reason, he reminds me a little of Jeff Kent.

Uggla doesn't have the prettiest signature, but it's easier to decipher than many other active players.

2006 Fleer Greats of the Game Don Newcombe

Who is this? former Brooklyn Dodgers pitcher Don Newcombe
What is this? An autographed insert card from the 2006 Fleer Greats of the Game set
Where'd I get it? I purchased it from a dealer at a local card show.
How much did it cost? Not sure... between $10 & $15.

Why is this so special? Newcombe grew up in Elizabeth, New Jersey and went to school not far from where I work. He still lives in the Garden State.

Newcombe pitched for the Negro League's Newark Eagles before signing with the Brooklyn Dodgers. He made his major league debut in 1949, winning the National League Rookie of the Year award and getting selected to the All-Star team. He would go to three more All-Star Games and win the National League MVP and Cy Young Awards in 1956 when he went 27-7.

Newcombe spent two seasons in the military during the Korean War. He left Major League Baseball with a 149-90 career record, a lifetime 3.56 ERA, 1129 strikeouts. He also had a .271 career batting average and 15 home runs. Newcombe pitched one season in Japan with the Chunichi Dragons before retiring in 1962.

Newcombe has a beautiful autograph, and Fleer designed a great card to showcase it.

2006 Inkworks Firefly Ron Glass as Shepherd Meria Book

Who is this? Actor Ron Glass
What is this? An autographed card from Inkworks Firefly set
Where'd I get it? eBay
How much did it cost? $10


Why is this so special? Firefly was one of the best sci-fi shows prematurely cancelled by FOX, and Shepherd Book was one of the more interesting characters from the show.

For those who aren't into sci-fi, Glass is also well-known for playing Detective Ron Harris on the 1970s sitcom Barney Miller.

Unlike many of the baseball players I feature, Glass has nice penmanship. You can easily read every letter in his name.

2006 Choice New Hampshire Fisher Cats Manny Mayorson

Who is this? New Hampshire Fisher Cats infielder Manny Mayorson
What is this? An autographed card from the 2006 New Hampshire Fisher Cats team set
Where'd I get it? Mayorson "signed" it for me before a game in Trenton earlier this year.
How much did it cost? I got the team set for a buck or two, plus shipping.

Why is this so special? This is easily the worst looking "autograph" I've gotten this season, and one of the worst in my collection.

Then again, I can understand why Mayorson might not be that into signing autographs any more. This season was his 11th in pro baseball, and the fourth that he's spent time with the Fisher Cats. He began the 2010 season already in the top five for most hits & most games played in franchise history.

It's nice to hold records, but those are not the ones you aspire to if you're a pro ball player.In 54 games this year, Mayorson hit .316 with no home runs and 23 RBI. He also played in 43 games for Las Vegas, hitting .333 with one home run and 19 RBI.

Here's his 2010 Fisher Cats card.

2006 Topps 52 Reggie Abercrombie

Who is this? Sioux Falls Pheasants outfielder Reggie Abercrombie

What is this? An autographed card from the 2006 Topps 52 set

Where'd I get it? Zach sent it to me; I believe he got it signed at a game between the Pheasants and the Wichita Wingnuts earlier this year.


Why is this so special? Well, it's always cool when people decide to send you cards. :)

Abercrombie was selected in the 23rd round of the 1999 draft by the Los Angeles Dodgers, but he didn't make it to the major leagues until 2006 with the Florida Marlins. The Mets and Marlins play each other quite a bit during spring training, so I saw Abercrombie a lot. He had a nice spring that year, and I thought he'd be a star.

The Marlins seemed to think enough of Abercrombie to give him a shot. Unfortunately, Abercrombie hadn't quite mastered the art of hitting even though he did show occasional flashes of skill. (This is perhaps why I'm not really a prospector.) He played one more year with the Marlins, and spent part of 2008 with the Astros.

Abercrombie is now playing in the independent American Association, where he is hitting .338 with 20 home runs, 82 RBI and 34 stolen bases.

For a guy with a long name, Abercrombie has a pretty decent autograph.

2006 Topps John Rodriguez

Who is this? Long Island Ducks outfielder John Rodriguez
 
What is this? An autograph card from the 2006 Topps set
 
Where'd I get it? Rodriguez signed it for me at a game between the Ducks and Bears in Newark earlier this year.
 
How much did it cost? I must have gotten it out of a pack.
 
Why is this so special? John Rodriguez began his career with the New York Yankees organization in 1996, when he signed as a free agent. He eventually reached the majors with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2005, serving as a reserve outfielder. He was there in 2006, too, and was on the post-season roster.

So he was there when Yadier Molina homered off of Aaron Heilman in the top of the ninth inning of NLCS Game 7, and when Carlos Beltran looked at a curve ball from Adam Wainwright in the bottom of the ninth inning for called strike three to end the game. He was there for the celebration, and he was there for the World Series victory over Detroit too. But unless he makes his way back, Rodriguez's one World Series at-bat will prove to be his final appearance in a major league game.

Rodriguez's autograph appears to be his initials and a cross.

2006 Topps Heritage Nook Logan

Who is this? Newark Bears outfielder Nook Logan
 
What is this? An autographed card from the 2006 Topps Heritage set
 
Where'd I get it? I got it signed before a Newark Bears game earlier this month
 
How much did it cost? I'm not sure, but I'd guess around a quarter for the card.
 
Why is this so special? Nook Logan spent parts of four seasons in the major leagues with the Detroit Tigers and the Washington Nationals. Speed, not power, was Logan's biggest asset. Unfortunately, Logan didn't get on base often enough to take full advantage of it.

Logan was named in the Mitchell report in December 2007, and hasn't played a game in the majors since. He spent time with the Long Island Ducks in 2008 before playing for the Bears this season.

Logan's autograph is just a quick "initials" version, since he signed my card while reaching over a rail & trying to hang onto his bats at the same time.

2006 BBM "Cool & Tough" Fernando Seguignol

Who is this? Newark Bears DH Fernando Seguignol

What is this? An autographed card from the "Cool &Tough" sub-series of the 2006 BBM Japanese baseball card set

Where'd I get it? I got the card signed before a game between the Newark Bears and Long Island Ducks last weekend

How much did it cost? The card cost around $5 (including shipping) on eBay

Why is this so special? After a brief and somewhat successful major league career, Fernando Seguignol went overseas to play in Japan. From 2004-2007, he played for the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters.

Seguignol was twice given the Best Nine Award, and still holds the NPB single season home run record for a switch-hitter (44) and for homering from both sides of the plate in the same game (8 times.)

Seguignol is hitting .337 with 3 home runs and 16 RBI through 28 games with the Newark Bears this year and is reportedly being considered by the Orix Buffaloes as a replacement for injured players Alex Cabrera and Greg LaRocca.

I can't read Seguignol's autograph, though it does seem elaborate. I wonder if it would be any clearer on a larger item.

2006 Topps Jason Botts

 
Who is this? Former Texas Rangers outfielder/first baseman Jason Botts 


What is this? An autographed card from the 2006 Topps set


Where'd I get it? I got it signed before Thursday night's game between the Newark Bears and the Camden Riversharks

How much did it cost? I'm pretty sure the card came out of a pack.

Why is this so special? Although Jason Botts wasn't selected until the 46th round of the 1999 amateur draft, he developed into one of the Texas Rangers' top prospects.

Botts made his major league debut on Sept. 14, 2005. He went 0-for-3 with a walk as the DH in a Texas victory over Baltimore. Botts appeared in 9 more games that September, and had short stints in the big leagues in each of the next three years.

While he never really lived up to expectations, Botts appeared in 93 major league games and has a lifetime .230 batting average, a .669 OPS, 5 home runs and 28 RBI.

In 2008 and 2009, Botts played in Japan. This year, he went to spring training with the Chicago White Sox but was cut. He is currently the starting first baseman for the Camden Riversharks in the Atlantic League.

Botts has an interesting signature, but please don't ask me to read it.

2006 Norfolk Tides Brian Bannister

Who is this? Brian Bannister, a pitcher for the Kansas City Royals

What is this? An autographed card from the 2006 Norfolk Tides team set

Where'd I get it? Zach of Autographed Cards was nice enough to get it signed for me at the Kansas City Royals Fan Fest earlier this month

How much did it cost? I think I spent around $12 for the team set

Why is this so special? The Norfolk Tides ended their long-time affiliation with the New York Mets after the 2006 season. I got to see them play a couple games against Scranton Wilkes-Barre during Easter weekend that year.

At the time, Brian Bannister was in the major leagues impressing Mets fans. He'd appear in six games for the Tides while working back from a hamstring injury. During the off-season, Omar Minaya made one of the worst trades of his Mets' tenure. He shipped Bannister to Kansas City for future criminal Ambiorix Burgos, who never contributed to the Mets.

While the Mets struggled to find a fifth starter in 2007, Bannister had a great rookie season for the Royals. He went 12-9 with a 3.87 ERA and was named the AL Rookie of the Month twice. He has not been able to duplicate that level of success since then, but maybe 2010 will be his year.

Bannister's signature remains very legible and has not changed much since his days with the Mets.

2006 Topps 1952 Rookies Anibal Sanchez

Who is this? Anibal Sanchez, a pitcher for the Florida Marlins

What is this? A certified autograph card from the 2006 Topps 1952 Rookies set

Where'd I get it? eBay

How much did it cost? It cost $2.04 in 2007

Why is this so special? Anibal Sanchez had a magical year in 2006. He began the season in AA, but earned a major league call-up in June. He won his major league debut at Yankee Stadium, then followed it up by beating Roger Clemens a couple of weeks later.

The best was yet to come. Sanchez threw a no-hitter against the Arizona Diamondbacks in September, becoming only the 19th rookie to accomplish that feat since 1900. He'd finish the year with a 10-3 record and a 2.83 ERA.

The next spring, Sanchez experienced shoulder issues and he's never been able to achieve the same level of success since.

This is one of my favorite modern sets. I like the old-time look of the cards; the design is classic, and most of the photos don't look too out-of-place in a vintage-style set. The autographed inserts are a little tough to spot when you're opening packs because the actual autograph takes the place of the facsimile signature found on the regular cards. Anibal Sanchez has a surprisingly nice autograph.

2006 Somerset Patriots Andy Van Hekken

Who is this? Andy Van Hekken, a former pitcher for the Detroit Tigers

What is this? An autographed card from the 2006 Somerset Patriots team set

Where'd I get it? I got it signed before a Somerset Patriots game in 2007

How much did it cost? The team set was around $5.

Why is this so special? For the sheer number of Andy Van Hekken cards that I own, I thought he had a longer major league career... he only appeared in five games for the 2002 Detroit Tigers.

Although they don't really look much alike, for some reason Van Hekken always reminded me of actor James Van Der Beek. (Pointless trivia note: Van Der Beek attended Drew University for a short time. I was actually in the same modern American literature survey class with him. He dropped out to pursue acting; I completed my degree. I'm sure you can guess which one of us makes more money today.)

Van Hekken pitched well for the Somerset Patriots, winning 15 and losing 11 over parts of three seasons. He spent 2009 in the Houston Astros system.

I would not want to have to decipher Van Hekken's autograph, though I suppose I should make allowances for him as a lefty with a long name. :)

2006 Somerset Patriots Nick Bierbrodt

Who is this? Nick Bierbrodt, a former major league pitcher for the Arizona Diamondbacks, Tampa Bay Devil Rays, Cleveland Indians and Texas Rangers

What is this? An autographed card from the 2006 Somerset Patriots team set

Where'd I get it? I got it signed before a Somerset Patriots game in 2006

How much did it cost? The team set cost about $5

Why is this so special? Nick Bierbrodt was the first player in franchise history selected by the Arizona Diamondbacks. He was their first round selection in the 1996 amateur draft.

Bierbrodt made his major league debut with Arizona in 2001, but appeared in only five games before being traded to Tampa Bay. Bierbrodt missed much of the 2002 season after being shot, but he returned to Tampa Bay in 2003.

Bierbrodt never developed the control needed to become a successful major league pitcher and has played various independent baseball teams in the United States and for the Brother Elephants of the Chinese Professional Baseball League since 2005.

Bierbrodt's signature is recognizable, but I think you'd have trouble reading it if you didn't know what to look for.

2006 Somerset Patriots Hector Almonte

Who is this? Hector Almonte, a former pitcher for the Florida Marlins, Boston Red Sox and Montreal Expos

What is this? An autographed card from the 2006 Somerset Patriots team set

Where'd I get it? I got it signed before a Somerset Patriots game in 2007

How much did it cost? The card set cost around $5

Why is this so special? Hector Almonte, brother of one-time Derek Jeter fill-in Erick Almonte, had a brief major league career. His lifetime record was 1-4 with a 6.27 ERA in 50 games pitched in the majors. Almonte has played professional baseball in Mexico, Canada and Japan as well as America.

I remember Almonte from his stint with the Somerset Patriots. Off the mound, he was a surprisingly friendly guy who always had a smile on his face. On the mound, he was a 6' 2" fireballer who showed no mercy. Off the mound and on it, you'd always see him with a piece of grass in his mouth.

Hector Almonte always took time to carefully sign his autograph, but I've never really figured out how to read it. It's a lot prettier than his brother Erick's -- he just signed his initials "E A" in block letters.

2006 Somerset Patriots Sparky Lyle

Who is this? Albert Walter "Sparky" Lyle, a former relief pitcher for the Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, Texas Rangers, Philadelphia Phillies and Chicago White Sox

What is this? An autographed card from the 2006 Somerset Patriots team set

Where'd I get it? I got the card signed at a team autograph session before a Somerset Patriots game in 2006.

How much did it cost? The card set was around $5; the autograph was free

Why is this so special? Sparky Lyle was one of the most dominant relievers of the 1970s. He was a three-time All-Star and won the 1977 Cy Young Award.

Lyle pitched in an era when relievers were expected to pitch for more than one inning if needed, so six times in his career he pitched more than 100 innings in a season. He earned 238 saves in his career, and helped the Yankees earn a World Series trophy in 1977.

Since 1998, Lyle has managed the independent league Somerset Patriots in Bridgewater, N.J. He has won five Atlantic League titles.

Lyle has a very clear and distinct autograph.

2006 Bowman Originals Beau Jones

Who is this? Braves pitching prospect Beau Jones.

What is this? An autographed buyback card from 2006 Bowman Originals, card BDP33. The card is hand serial numbered 155/576.

Where'd I get it? Atlanta Sports Cards.

How much did it cost? A buck.

Why is this so special? I'm still wondering how I got this card for a buck. There must be an ancent Indian curse on it or something. It's another buyback card from Bowman Originals, which had two of these encased autos in every very expensive pack. And I just picked this one up for a buck, lucky me. Beau is another in my increasingly large lefty reliever autograph collection. He was the #41 overall pick in the 2005 draft, was once in Baseball America's top 10 Braves prospects list and was sent to the Rangers in the Mark Teixeira trade. Ah, now I know how I got it for only a buck. He's only 21 years old though so in a few years this might be a hot card. Or not. I mean, he's a lefty reliever for Texas, even if he makes the bigs Arlington will wear him out no matter how good he is. Of particular note is how closely the autograph squiggle matches the squiggle printed on the original Bowman card. That's consistency!

2006 '52 Topps Rookie Card Yurendell De Caster

Who is this? Pirates third baseman Yurendell De Caster.

What is this? An autograph card from 2006 '52 Topps Rookie Card, card number 52S-YD

Where'd I get it? That same eBay guy with all the penny cards.

How much did it cost? One one thousandth of a ten dollar bill.

Why is this so special? Ok, so I probably overpaid for this one. Yurendell's entire major league career to date consists of two at bats in three games for two strikeouts. The Curacao native has played for the Dutch national team (including the 2007 European Championship gold medal winners) so we might see him again in the 2009 WBC. We won't see him with Pittsburgh because he's with the Nationals organization now, stuck in Triple-A Columbus. His realative anonymity still didn't keep some goober from videoing him looking over the DVD rack in Wal-Mart. Yurendell has an elegant minimalist signature on this card. I don't mind someone signing their name as Y d Ct when their name is 17 letters long and he's given a space smaller than the cap on a Sharpie to sign.