2007 Topps DPP Senior Standouts Brandon Meriweather

Who is this? Chicago Bears Safety Brandon Meriweather.
What is this? An autograph card from 2007 Topps Draft Picks and Prospects Senior Standouts Senior Bowl Jersey Card.
Where'd I get it? I got this card signed by Brandon at Patriots' Training Camp in 2008.
How much did it cost? I got two copies of this card for like $5 a few years ago.

Why is this so special? If you wanted to make the case that the Pro Bowl is a farse and a fraud in the modern NFL, your first piece of evidence might be the that Brandon Meriweather is a two-time Pro Bowl selection (2009 and 2010) despite the fact that most people consider him a "bust."

Meriweather was drafted by the New England Patriots in the first-round (24th overall) in the 2007 NFL Draft out of the University of Miami (FL). In four-seasons with the New England Patriots, Meriweather never misssed a game, intercepted twelve passes, and force five fumbles. However, despite solid statistics and two Pro Bowls, Meriweather never really fit into the Patriots' defensive scheme and was cut by New England at the end of the Pre-Season in 2011.

While cutting Meriweather after a Pro Bowl season may seem odd, it came as no surprise to those following the Patriots. Meriweather quickly signed with the Chicago Bears, but did little to prove that the Patriots were wrong to part-ways with him. In fact, Meriweather only played in 11 games (4 starts) for the Bears in 2011, with no interceptions, sacks, or forced fumbles.

Nonetheless, Meriweather seemed like a cool enough guy the few times that I met him. He was very interested in the 2007 DPP Senior Bowl Game-Used Jersey card when I gave it to him to sign it, and actually asked if I had made the card myself.

Here are two other cards that Meriweather signed for me:

2007 Topps Allen and Ginter's Mini Rich Hill

Who is this? Boston Red Sox pitcher Rich Hill.
What is this? An autograph mini card from 2007 Topps Allen and Ginter's.
Where'd I get it? I got this card signed by Rich earlier this season when he was a member of the Triple-A Pawtucket Red Sox.
How much did it cost? Not much. I found this card in a nickel or dime box at my local card show in Mansfield, MA.

Why is this so special? Rich Hill is one of the nicest players that I have had the pleasure to meet since I began collecting baseball autographs three years ago. Born in Boston, MA, Hill attended Milton High School before attending the University of Michigan. He was drafted by the Chicago Cubs in the second round of the 2002 draft and made his Major League debut with the Cubs in 2005.

Now 31 years old, Hill has played parts of seven seasons in the Major Leagues with the Cubs, Orioles, and Red Sox. His best seasons came in 2007 as a member of the Cubs when he finished eighth in the NL with 8.446 strikeouts per 9 innings and a WHIP of 1.195. Unfortunately, Hill struggled in 2009, forcing his return to the Minors.

Hill appeared to have turned things around with the Red Sox out of the bullpen in 2010 and 2011, not allowing a single run in 12 innings pitched while striking out 15 batters. However, just as things appeared to be getting better, Hill was found to have an elbow injury that required season-ending Tommy John Surgery early in the 2011season.

Hopefully Hill will recover quickly and be back to the Boston bullpen in 2012.

2007 Topps Co-Signers Andrew Miller

Who is this? Red Sox pitcher Andrew Miller.
What is this? An autograph rookie card from 2007 Topps Co-Signers, card #100 in the set.
Where'd I get it? I got it before a Pawtucket Red Sox game at McCoy Stadium in May.
How much did it cost? I got it from a 10 cent box at my local card show at the Mansfield Holiday Inn in March.

Why is this so special? Andrew Miller played for the AAA Pawtucket Red Sox from April to mid-June of this season after being acquired from the Florida Marlins in a trade for LHP Dustin Richardson in the offseason. Miller was selected six overall in the 2006 draft by the Detroit Tiger's out of the University of North Carolina, where he won Baseball America's College Player of the Year Award as a Junior and became the first player drafted in 2006 to make it to the Majors when he made his debut on 8/30/2006 against the New York Yankees. Unfortunately, so far in his career, Miller has been unable to find the form that made him such a dominant pitcher in college and has posted mediocre numbers.

To most fans, Miller is best remembered for being traded to the Marlins as part of the Dontrelle Willis and Miguel Cabrera deal in December of 2007. However, since being traded to the Red Sox, Miller has had better control of his pitches and has recently been added to the Red Sox rotation and won his first game as a member of the Red Sox today, June 26, 2011.

This autographed card is so special because Andrew Miller is a true Major Leaguer, even when he was in the Minors. While many players with his skills and background avoid fans at Minor League ballparks, Miller was always very kind: signing autographs, taking pictures, and talking to fans. I hope that he remains in Boston and finds the success that has eluded him for too long, and will have his autographed cards as a reminder of what a nice guy he was in Pawtucket.

2007 Topps Total, Dwayne Bowe

Who is this? Kansas City Chiefs All Pro wide receiver, Dwayne Bowe
What is this? An autograph card from the 2007 Topps Total set
Where'd I get it? At the Menards grand opening in Salina, Kansas yesterday
How much did it cost?The autograph was free, the card was a dollar.

Why is this so special? After a failed drug test and a bunch of dropped passes, Dwayne finally had a breakout year last season for the Chiefs. He set the Chiefs single season record for consecutive games with a touchdown with seven straight and for most touchdowns in a season with fifteen.

I am not a huge football fans by any means and I normally wouldn't have gone out of my way for this autograph. But, I just happened to be at the local card shop last week looking for some Gypsy Queen when the shop owner asked me if I was going to see Saberhagen this week. I had no idea what he was talking about, so he told me about the big Menards grand opening week schedule that includes autograph appearances from Bowe, Bret Saberhagen, and Christian Okoye. I didn't find any Gypsy Queen at the shop that day, but I did pick up two cards of Dwayne Bowe. I figured I would head over for the event just to get an idea of what it was going to be like for Saberhagen.

And, I am glad that I went since there was a much larger turnout than I anticipated. I got to the store about forty minutes before the signing began and I was amazed to see 200-300 people already there. Dwayne arrived promptly at the 6:00 scheduled start and I did not make it through the line until right before 7:30. Who know what it will be like for Saberhagen. For all I know, there could be fewer people there since the Royals aren't nearly as popular as the Chiefs are around here. But, I guess I will find out tomorrow.

I was watching a Chiefs game last year when they showed a clip of Dwayne. He said that he always wanted a bumper sticker that read "somewhere over the Dwayne Bowe". I couldn't help but laugh at that. I almost asked him to inscribe that on the card, but it looks like there wouldn't have been much room for that.

As for Bowe's signature, I have no idea what is going on with it. I can make out a "D" and his number and that is it.

Here is the other card that I got signed yesterday.

2007 Topps 52 Hunter Pence

Who is this? Houston Astros outfielder Hunter Pence
What is this? An autographed card from the 2007 Topps 52 set
Where'd I get it? I purchased it from Anthony of Mike Pelfrey Collectibles when he decided to sell his collection last year.


Why is this so special? In 2008, I decided that I would try to collect a signed baseball card set. I chose the 2007 Topps 52 set because it had a classic design, was relatively small and only included players who were entering their second year of major league service. Even that proved to be too difficult... I haven't worked on the project actively since 2008, but I still pick up cards from it when I get the chance.

Pence made his major league debut in 2007 and finished third in the National League Rookie of the Year balloting to Ryan Braun and Troy Tulowitzki. He's been a regular in the Astros lineup ever since and was named to the All-Star team in 2009.

Pence has a surprisingly legible autograph for a modern player.

2007 Charleston River Dogs Chris Malec

Who is this? Camden Riversharks infielder Chris Malec

What is this? An autographed card from the 2007 Charleston River Dogs team set

Where'd I get it? Malec signed it at a Newark Bears game this summer

How much did it cost? $1


Why is this so special? The New York Yankees selected Malec out of UC-Santa Barbara in the 16th round of the 2005 draft. He played in their farm system for five seasons, making it all the way to AAA.

I met Malec when he played for the Trenton Thunder in 2009, and he seemed like a nice guy who appreciated the fans. That carried over when he joined the Camden Riversharks in the independent Atlantic League this season.

In 135 games for Camden, Malec hit .270 / .375 / .396, with seven home runs and six stolen bases. He was hit by pitches a remarkable 18 times.

I am impressed by Malec’s careful, tiny signature. I also like the cute logo on the River Dogs card.

2007 Bowman Heritage Jim Fasano

Who is this? Kansas City T-Bones outfielder Jim Fasano
What is this? An autographed card from the 2007 Bowman Heritage set
Where'd I get it? This is another one of the cards Zach sent me earlier this summer. I imagine that he got it signed at a Northern League game.

Why is this so special? I wasn't familiar with Fasano until I looked him up on the internet. I was a little disappointed to learn that he is not related to former major league backup catcher Sal Fasano. On the plus side, Jim Fasano is a New Jersey native, though he now resides in Pennsylvania during the off-season.

Fasano was drafted by the Texas Rangers in the 9th round of the 2004 draft. He spent four seasons in their farm system, reaching AA in his final season of affiliated baseball.

In 2008, Fasano joined the Kansas City T-Bones in the Northern League. He was named the Most Outstanding Player in the playoffs that year. He has played there for the past three seasons. He hit .319 with 20 home runs and 78 RBI this year.

I'm glad I don't have to play "Spot the Signature" with this one - I see a "G," an "l," and an "f" -- none which would help me identify it.

2007 Bowman Heritage Gregory Porter

Who is this? Southern Maryland Blue Crabs outfielder Gregory Porter
What is this? An autographed card from the 2007 Bowman Heritage set
Where'd I get it? Zach sent it to me. I'd guess that he got it signed at an American Association game.


Why is this so special? When Zach sent me this card, I'd never heard of Porter or seen him play. That changed earlier this month. The Southern Maryland Blue Crabs picked up Porter for the Atlantic League playoffs, and I got to see him make his Atlantic League debut. Porter went 2-for-4 and drove in the winning run.

Porter was a 45th round draft pick in 2001, so it's a little surprising that Porter made it onto nationally-released baseball cards. He did have a good year in 2006 for the Arkansas Travelers: .298 with 20 home runs and 71 RBI. In addition to the Angels, Porter played in the farm systems of the New York Yankees and Washington Nationals.

For the past two season, Porter has played independent baseball. In 2009, he was a Wichita Wingnut. This year, he was a Grand Prairie AirHog. (I love minor league team nicknames.) He hit .383 with 19 home runs and 83 RBI before coming over to the Blue Crabs.

Porter has a completely illegible autograph.

2007 Topps 52 J.A. Happ

Who is this? Houston Astros pitcher James Anthony Happ
What is this? An autographed card from the 2007 Topps 52 set.
Where'd I get it? Happ signed it for me before today's game between the Astros and the Mets at CitiField.
How much did it cost? I think the card came out of a pack.

Why is this so special? I actually managed to get a card signed at CitiField - it's something of an accomplishment, since there aren't all that many places in the park where you can reach a player to hand him a card.

Happ was selected in the third round of the 2004 draft by the Philadelphia Phillies. He made his major league debut in 2007 and was part of the 2008 and 2009 playoff teams. Happ was chosen as the Sporting News Rookie of the Year in 2009 after finishing with a 12-4 record and 2.93 ERA.

This year, he was traded to Houston for Roy Oswalt. He is 4-2 with a 3.45 ERA in 9 starts.

Happ has an interesting autograph. The letters J.A. are clearly written, but I don't know what's going on with his last name.

2007 Las Vegas 51s Octavio Martinez

Who is this? Lancaster Barnstormers catcher Octavio Martinez
What is this? An autographed card from the 2007 Las Vegas Stars team set
Where'd I get it? Martinez signed it for me before last nights game between the Barnstormers and the Bears in Newark.
How much did it cost? $1 from an eBay dealer I found while seeking the missing cards in my 2010 New Britain Rock Cats team set (I still need one more, and I don't know who it is.)


Why is this so special? Martinez was selected by the Baltimore Orioles in the 10th round of the 1999 draft after being named the Western State Conference Player of the Year. He was the 2000 Appalachian League Player of the Year, hitting .387 for the Bluefield Orioles.

Martinez's hitting success did not continue when he moved on to full-season leagues, and he quickly settled into a backup role. During a nine-year minor league career, Martinez spent time in the Orioles, Pirates and Dodgers organizations.

For the past three years, he has played independent ball. In 2008, he played for Long Beach in the Golden League. Last year, he played for the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs in the Atlantic League. This season, he's a member of the Lancaster Barnstormers.


Martinez had a little fun with me last night. When I called him over, I showed him the card and his initial reaction was "I don't sign that photo." I've run across enough players and coaches that really do refuse to sign certain cards for various reasons, so I took him at his word.

Fortunately, he was just joking and signed the card for me. I can't really make out the signature, but it looks like he included his Las Vegas uniform number at the end.

The Las Vegas 51s have my favorites team name and logo. Years ago, I ordered a bobblehead of the mascot, Cosmo and a keychain with the team's alien head logo even though I've never seen them play a game.

2007 Upper Deck First Edition Travis Chick

Who is this? former Seattle Mariners pitcher Travis Chick

What is this? An autographed card from the 2007 Upper Deck First Edition set


Where'd I get it? Chick signed it for met at a game between the Camden Riversharks and Newark Bears earlier this year.


How much did it cost? I'm not sure; I have no idea where I got the card.

Why is this so special? Travis Chick was selected by the Florida Marlins in the 14th round of the 2002 draft. He was traded three times before he reached the majors - once for Joe Randa and later for Eddy Guardado.

Chick appeared in three games for the 2006 Seattle Mariners as a September call-up, but I doubt they have many fond memories of him out there. Chick allowed seven runs on seven hits and 10 walks in just five innings.

Since then, Chick has played in the minors for three different organizations. He found his way into independent league baseball in 2010, when he was the Camden Riversharks' opening day starter. On April 22, he pitched five innings and allowed three runs on four hits and three walks in five innings. He surrendered Paddy Matera's first (and, to date, only) professional home run in his final inning of work that night.

Chick has a 5-4 record with a 4.40 ERA in 14 games with Camden. He was placed on the inactive list last month.

Chick does not have a pretty autograph, but you can read it.

2007 Bowman Heritage Joe Gaetti

Who is this? Lancaster Barnstormers outfielder Joe Gaetti


What is this? An autographed card from the 2007 Bowman Heritage set

Where'd I get it? Gaetti signed it for me at a game in Newark earlier this year

How much did it cost? 50 cents

Why is this so special? Joe Gaetti, son of former Minnesota Twins star Gary Gaetti, was the 12th round draft pick of the Colorado Rockies in 2003. He spent five years in their farm system, making it as far as AAA.  In 2008 and 2009, Gaetti played in five different major league affiliated organizations, as well as for Joliet in the Northern League.

This year, Gaetti is hitting .219 with 10 home runs and 33 RBI in 79 games for the Lancaster Barnstormers. Compared to many modern ballplayers, Gaetti has a pretty nice signature.

2007 Topps 52 Rookies Luis Hernandez

Who is this? Binghamton Mets infielder Luis Hernandez  

What is this? An autographed card from the 2007 Topps 52 Rookies set.

Where'd I get it? Hernandez signed it for me after a game in Trenton earlier this year.

How much did it cost? Maybe a quarter, or maybe it came out of a pack.

Why is this so special? After spending time in the major leagues in each of the past three seasons, Hernandez is now providing minor league depth for the New York Mets organization. He played for Baltimore in 2007 and 2008, and was a Kansas City Royal for a time last year.


I can make our Luis' first name, but I'm not sure what's going on with his last name. It's an interesting-looking autograph.

2007 Topps 52 Rookies Danny Putnam

Who is this? Bridgeport Bluefish outfielder Danny Putnam
 
What is this? An autographed card from the 2007 Topps 1952 Rookies set
 
Where'd I get it? I got it signed after a game between the Bluefish and the Bears in Newark earlier this year.
 
How much did it cost? 25-50 cents
 
Why is this so special? Putnam, a former California high school player of the year, was a first-round pick of the Oakland Athletics in 2004. He appeared in 11 major league games for them in 2007.

He currently plays for the Bridgeport Bluefish. In 43 games, Putnam is batting .200 with 2 home runs and 15 RBI. His autograph is remarkably legible for a current player. It hasn't changed much from the one Topps used when creating his card, though Putnam signed "Danny" instead of "Daniel."

2007 Topps 52 Rookies Fernando Cortez

Who is this? Birmingham Barons infielder Fernando Cortez
 
What is this? An autograph card from the 2007 Topps 52 Rookies set
 
Where'd I get it? I got it signed before a Newark Bears game earlier this year.
 
How much did it cost? Not sure -- maybe a quarter?
 
Why is this so special? Fernando Cortez was a ninth round draft pick of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in 2001. He worked his way up through the farm system and earned a cup of coffee in 2005. He was traded to Kansas City in 2006 as part of the deal for J.P. Howell.

Cortez earned another brief shot in the majors with the 2007 Royals, and that was it. Since then, he's played for a number of minor league teams and even found himself in independent ball this year. In 35 games for the Newark Bears, he hit .313 with 3 home runs and 14 RBI.

Earlier this month, the Chicago White Sox signed Cortez and assigned him to AA Birmingham.

Cortez has an illegible autograph, but maybe it looks better if he has more time to sign. He was quickly signing for me and a few other people before he had to get ready for the game.

2007 Newark Bears Jeriome Robertson

Who is this? Former Houston Astros pitcher Jeriome Robertson
 
What is this? An autographed card from the 2007 Newark Bears team set
 
Where'd I get it? I got it signed during a Newark Bears game in August 2007
 
How much did it cost? The team set cost around $5.
 
Why is this so special? Robertson won 15 games for the Houston Astros in his rookie season in 2003.

He died in a motorcycle accident over the weekend. He was only 33, much too young.

Robertson signed the card on an angle, so he didn't have to squish his signature too much to make it fit. It's not really the easiest signature to read, but you can tell that it is an autograph and not just a bunch of squiggles.

2007 Bowman Danny Putnam

Who is this? Bridgeport Bluefish outfielder Danny Putnam
 
What is this? An autographed card from the 2007 Bowman set
 
Where'd I get it? Danny Putnam signed it for me after a doubleheader between the Newark Bears and Bridgeport Bluefish last week.
 
How much did it cost? The card came out of a random pack of Bowman cards purchased in 2007
 
Why is this so special? Putnam had a cup of coffee with the Oakland Athletics in 2007, but now he's playing for the Bridgeport Bluefish. And he's not having a particularly good time of it -- through 25 games, he's hitting .173 with 1 home run and 9 RBI.

I saw him hit that home run -- it was a solo shot in a blowout. He almost had another one. In the second game of the doubleheader, the Bluefish trailed the Bears 3-2 in the final inning. Armando Benitez came in to finish the game and struck out the first two Bluefish batters. Putnam came up and hit a fly ball down the left field line, where the fence is only about 300 feet from home plate. I thought it was gone and we had a tie game, but John-Ford Griffin was able to make the catch for the final out.

After the game, as he was heading back to the locker room, I took a chance and asked Putnam to sign my cards. He couldn't have been nicer, though he did joke that he'd only gotten 11 percent of that last pitch -- if he'd gotten 13 percent, it would have gone out.

Putnam has a nice signature that's fairly close to the facsimile signature on the card, though he signs "Danny" instead of "Daniel." The green Bowman cards work really well for the Athletics, but aren't so great for other teams.

2007 Topps Heritage Joselo Diaz

Who is this? Long Island Ducks pitcher Joselo Diaz
 
What is this? An autographed card from the 2007 Topps Heritage set

Where'd I get it? I got it signed before a game between the Long Island Ducks and Newark Bears last week.
 
How much did it cost? The card cost 50 cents.
 
Why is this so special? Diaz signed with the Dodgers as an undrafted free agent in 1996 as a catcher. After a few years in the minors, he was converted to pitching. He has played for seven different organizations in the minors and even spent a season as a Yokohama Bay Star in Japan.

Diaz has pitched in five major league games: four for the 2006 Kansas City Royals and one for the 2008 Texas Rangers.

Diaz has a neat autograph, which manages to be both distinctive and somewhat legible at the same time.

2007 Upper Deck Spectrum Rookie Signatures Pat Misch

Who is this? Buffalo Bisons' pitcher Pat Misch

What is this? An autograph card from the 2007 Upper Deck Spectrum Rookie Signatures insert set

Where'd I get it? CheckOutMyCards.com

How much did it cost? $2.89

Why is this so special? After spending parts of three season in the bullpen for the San Francisco Giants, lefthander Pat Misch came to the Mets midway through the 2009 season. He appeared in 22 games for New York, including seven starts. Misch generally kept the Mets in games. I would not be surprised if he sees time in New York again this season.

I'm not quite sure what's going on with Misch's last name in the signature on this card, but it looks interesting. For those who might be wondering, the autograph is signed on a clear label that is attached to the card. It looks nicer than most, but it's still a sticker autograph.

2007 Upper Deck Elements Johan Santana

Who is this? Johan Santana, a pitcher for the New York Mets

What is this? An autograph card from the 2007 Upper Deck Elements set

Where'd I get it? I bought it at yesterday's card show

How much did it cost? $25

Why is this so special? Johan Santana is my favorite currently active pitcher. He is a two-time Cy Young Award winner and a four-time All-Star. In ten seasons, he has a 122-60 record, 1733 strikeouts and a career 3.12 ERA.

Santana did his best to keep a fading Mets team in the race in September 2008. For the month, he was 4-0 and he didn't allow more than 2 earned runs in any start. On the second-to-last day of the season, Santana pitched a 3-hit shutout on three days' rest to keep the Mets dwindling hopes alive. After the season was over, we found out that he was pitching with a knee injury.

I've seen Santana pitch in person three times; he won two of the games and gave the Mets a chance to win the third.

I like Santana's autograph. He's one of the rare modern players who actually has a legible signature.