2009 TriSTAR Obak Junichi Tazawa

Who is this? Boston Red Sox Pitcher Junichi Tazawa.
What is this? An autograph card from 2009 TriSTAR Obak.
Where'd I get it? I got this card signed by Junichi Tazawa at the 2010 Pawtucket Red Sox Hot Stove Party.
How much did it cost? I paid about a dollar for the card in 2009.

Why is this so special? Junichi Tazawa was a bit of a sensation in the Red Sox Minor League system in 2009. Before coming to America, Tazawa had only played in Japanese Industrial League, pitching for Nippon Oil, and made unprecedented request, at the age of 23, that he not be drafted in Japan, but instead become an international free agent. According to multiple sources, Tazawa turned down bigger contracts to have the opportunity to play for the Boston Red Sox.

Debuting with Double-A Portland, Tazawa exceeded all expectations, winning 9 of his 18 starts, striking out 88 batters to only 26 walks, and posting a 2.57 ERA. Those numbers were so impressive that he earned a spot on both the 2009 Eastern League All-Star Team and the 2009 Futures Game World Team. In fact, Tazawa was scheduled to start the Futures game, but ended-up being scratched after a rain-delay. Soon after, Tazawa earned a promotion to Triple-A Pawtucket and then made his Major League Debut with Boston on August 7, 2009.

Unfortunately, Tazawa was forced to miss all of 2010 and the start of the 2011 season after undergoing Tommy John Surgery. Luckily, after struggling to recover his form early in 2011, Tazawa climbed the organizational ladder again, rising from High-A Salem, to Double-A Portland, to Triple-A Pawtucket, and back to Boston, appearing in three big-league games late in the season.

Junichi has been a good signer since coming to the United States and is unique in his willingness to sign both his Japanese and American signatures. I really like that I have his 2009 TriSTAR Obak card signed in both American and Japanese.

2009 Bowman Chrome WBC Ray Chang

Who is this? Minor League journeyman Ray Chang, most recently of the Rochester Red Wings.

What is this? An autograph card from 2009 Bowman Chrome.
Where'd I get it? I got this card signed by Ray after a Rochester Red Wings v. Pawtucket Red Sox game at McCoy Stadium in September 2011.
How much did it cost? I got this card for about five cents at a local card show last year, when Ray was playing for Boston's Double-A affiliate, the Portland Sea Dogs.

Why is this so special? Ray was one of the few bright spots on an otherwise forgetable 1-and-2 Chinese WBC team in 2009. In China's three games, Ray went 5-for-11 at the plate, including a homerun. That performance brought two critical facts to light: Chang was the only member of China's WBC team to have professional baseball experience in the United States, and that he was an American citizen, born in Kansas City, Missouri.

Now twenty-eight years-old, Raymond Bo-Shue Chang has played seven seasons of Minor League baseball with affiliates of the San Diego Padres, Pittsburgh Pirates, Boston Red Sox, and Minnesota Twins. In 2010, playing for Boston's Double-A affiliate, Chang was a member of the Eastern League All-Star team and was named the Best Defensive Third Baseman in the Eastern League by Baseball America.

Whether or not Change ever makes it to the Major Leagues is unclear, but he will always have a tiny spot in baseball history as the lone American that helped the Chinese WBC team scratch out some level of dignity in 2009.

Chang was nice enough to sign his 2009 Topps Chrome WBC card for me, too.

2009 Upper Deck Signature Stars Garin Cecchini

Who is this? Red Sox Third Base Prospect Garin Cecchini.
What is this? An autograph card from 2009 Upper Deck Signature Stars.
Where'd I get it? I got this card signed by Garin before the New York-Penn League Short-Season A-League All-Star Game in Lowell, MA on Tuesday.
How much did it cost? I bought this card for about ten cents a year ago.

Why is this so special? Garin was the Red Sox fourth-round pick in 2010 and he received a $1.31 million signing bonus to lure him away from attending LSU. A former member of the Team USA 18U squad, Cecchini lead the team in doubles and slugging percentage during the Pan Am Junior Championships, besting teammates Bryce Harper and Manny Machado.

Garin made his professional debut this season for the Red Sox Short-Season Affiliate Lowell Spinners. In 32 games, Cecchini batted .298 with 3 HR, 12 2B, 23 RBI, 12 SB, and an .898 OPS, impressive enough to earn a spot on the NYPL American League All-Star Team. Unfortunately, Garin injured his forearm on July 23 and is likely to miss the rest of the season. Nonetheless, even in his limited time, Cecchini demonstrated the above-average tools that made him a Top 10 Prospect for the Red Sox before the 2011 season and he should begin next season with the Low-A Greenville Drive.

Garin signed a total of six cards for me. Knowing that he is religious and that he used religious themes for his 2009 Upper Deck Team USA Inscriptions cards, I asked him to include a bible verse on some of the cards. He signed my 2011 Bowman card with Psalm 83:18 (That men may know that thou, whose name alone is JEHOVAH, art the most high over all the earth.), telling me that he has that verse on his glove.

I had heard rumors that Garin was a tough sign, but he was very friendly and talkative with fans.

2009 Topps Allen & Ginter Justin Masterson

Who is this? Cleveland Indians starting Pitcher Justin Masterson.
What is this? An autograph card from 2009 Topps Allen & Ginter.
Where'd I get it? I got this card signed through the mail by Justin in August of 2009, right after he was traded from the Red Sox to the Indians.
How much did it cost? I paid 50 cents for the card, plus postage.

Why is this so special? This is the first card that I ever got signed through the mail and kicked-off my Justin Masterson super-collection. Justin is/was (I havn't sent him anything since Sping Training and he has had a monster year in 2011) a great signer through the mail and seems like a very decent and down-to-earth king of person.

The A&G cards look fantastic signed and this autograph helped start my hobby of getting cards signed through the mail.

2009 Topps David Robertson

Who is this? New York Yankees relief pitcher David Robertson
What is this? An autographed 2009 Topps card
Where'd I get it? I wrote to Robertson and asked him to sign it during spring training.
How much did it cost? I got the card out of a pack in 2009, and I spent 88 cents for postage.

Why is this so special? Robertson is having a career year for the Yankees, leading some to believe he should have been selected for the All-Star team. I think he was a victim of his teammates' success - there are only so many spots on the team, and they can't all go to Yankees.

That takes nothing away from Robertson's success. In 33.1 innings, he struck out 53 batters while allowing 23 hits and 20 walks. His record is 1-0 with a minuscule 1.08 ERA through Saturday's games.

Robertson is in his fourth year with the Yankees. He pitched in Trenton briefly in 2007 and 2008, but I don't think I ever saw him as a member of the Thunder. He is the brother of former Athletics and Diamonbacks pitcher Connor Robertson.

I'm impressed with Robertson's autograph. It is legible, which is not the case with many current ballplayers. I'm more impressed that he's still taking time to answer fan mail during this fantastic run of success.

2009 Somerset Patriots Teuris Olivares

Who is this? former Somerset Patriots infielder Teuris Olivares
What is this? An autographed card from the Somerset Patriots 2009 team set.
Where'd I get it? Oilvares signed it for me last September before the final Newark Bears home "game" of the season. (It got rained out after an inning or two were played.)

Why is this so special? Since the 2011 baseball season will officially begin in a few hours, I wanted to make sure I posted the final autograph I got at the ballpark in 2010.

Teuris Olivares signed with the New York Yankees as an undrafted free agent in 1995. He spent 9 seasons in their farm system. Since 2005, he's played in the Atlantic League, primarily with the Somerset Patriots.

When I went to Patriots games, I usually took the train - there's a NJ Transit station just beyond the outfield wall. Occasionally, I'd run into Olivares there before or after the games.

He's got an interesting autograph - it leaves out a bunch of letters, but you can read the ones that are there.

2009 Topps Fredi Gonzalez

Who is this? Atlanta Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez
What is this? An autographed 2009 Topps Throwback logo parallel card from a Target blaster.
Where'd I get it? I wrote to Gonzalez at Braves spring training camp and asked him to sign it
How much did it cost? The unsigned card came out of a $19.99 blaster box from Target.

Why is this so special? I had been doing pretty well with my spring training autograph requests for awhile, but when I got Gonzalez's card on Friday, it was my first success in nearly two weeks. Unless I get a big run of late returns, I'm going to cut back on the number of letters I send out next year - my success rate is currently around 35 percent.

Gonzalez has the unenviable task of taking over for future Hall of Fame manager Bobby Cox in Atlanta this season. The Cuban native spent three and a half seasons managing the Florida Marlins before getting fired last year. He was named the 2008 Sporting News Manager of the Year.

Gonzalez doesn't have a very pretty autograph, but I imagine it's quick to sign.

2009 Topps Chris Young

Who is this? Mets pitcher Chris Young
What is this? An autographed 2009 Topps card
Where'd I get it? I wrote to Young during spring training and asked him to sign it.
How much did it cost? I got the unsigned card out of a pack.


Why is this so special? Young began his major league career with the Texas Rangers in 2004. In January 2006, the Rangers made a fairly one-sided trade with the Padres that sent Young, Adrian Gonzalez and Termell Sledge to San Diego for Adam Eaton, Akinori Otsuka and minor leaguer Billy Killian.

In San Diego, Young was an All-Star in 2007 and twice finished in the top 10 in National League ERA. Beginning in 2008, Young's career was hampered by a number of injuries. The Mets are hoping that he'll be able to return to All-Star form in 2011.

Young has a surprisingly neat, clear autograph.

2009 Binghamton Mets Shawn Bowman

Who is this? Atlanta Braves minor league third baseman Shawn Bowman
What is this? An autographed 2009 Binghamton Mets team set card
Where'd I get it? Bowman signed it for me last season after a game between the New Hampshire Fisher Cats and Trenton Thunder
How much did it cost? The unsigned team set was around $10

Why is this so special? Shawn Bowman was the Mets 12th round selection in the 2002 draft. He advanced slowly through the farm system, hampered by back problems that caused him to miss a lot of playing time between 2006-2008.

In 2009, Bowman represented Canada in the World Baseball Classic.

Last year, Bowman was exposed to waivers in April when the Mets needed to open a 40-man roster spot, and Bowman was claimed by the Toronto Blue Jays. He played in 106 games for the New Hampshire Fisher Cats, batting .263 with 22 home runs and 69 RBI. After the season, he signed with the Atlanta Braves organization as a free agent and got an invitation to major league spring training camp.

Bowman's autograph resembles a seismograph line. Here's his 2010 New Hampshire Fisher Cats card.

2009 Upper Deck Sean Burnett

Who is this? Washington Nationals reliever Sean Burnett
What is this? An autographed 2009 Upper Deck card
Where'd I get it? I wrote to him this spring and asked him to sign it.
How much did it cost? I got the unsigned card out of a $1.99 pack.

Why is this so special? Sean Burnett was selected by the Pittsburgh Pirates with the 19th overall pick in the 2000 draft. He made his major league debut with Pittsburgh in 2004 and finished the season with a 5-5 record in 13 starts.

Burnett missed the entire 2005 season due to injury and spent the next two years trying to get back to the majors. In 2008, Burnett appeared in 58 games out of the Pirates' bullpen. In 2009, Pittsburgh traded Burnett and Nyjer Morgan to the Washington Nationals for Joel Hanrahan and Lastings Milledge.

In Washington, Burnett has enjoyed a measure of success as a lefty specialist. He was unlucky enough to finish last season with a 1-7 record despite having a 2.14 ERA, a 189 enhanced ERA+ and averaging a strikeout per inning.

Burnett's autograph isn't pretty - it looks like a bunch of overlapping ovals.

2009 Binghamton Mets Jose Sanchez

Who is this? Lancaster Barnstormers pitcher Jose Sanchez
What is this? An autographed card from the 2009 Binghamton Mets team set
Where'd I get it? Sanchez signed it for me at a Newark Bears game
How much did it cost? The team set cost around $10

Why is this so special? Jose J. Sanchez has pitched professionally for seven seasons. He began his career in the New York Mets organization in 2004. He briefly made it to AAA Buffalo in 2009, his final season of affiliated baseball.

Last year, Sanchez started 27 games for the Lancaster Barnstormers in the independent Atlantic League. He was 7-11 with a 5.45 ERA.

Sanchez has a neat autograph - he signed the card on an angle so he wouldn't have to compress it.

2009 Camden Riversharks Kyle Haines

Who is this? Camden Riversharks infielder Kyle Haines
What is this? An autographed card from the 2009 Camden Riversharks team set
Where'd I get it? Haines signed it for me at a Newark Bears game last year
How much did it cost? I think the team set cost $5 or $6, but I really don't remember.


Why is this so special? This scan has been sitting on my computer since last June, so it's time to post it.

Haines was selected by the San Francisco Giants in the 31st round of the 2004 draft. He played in their farm system for five seasons, advancing as far as AA ball. In 2009, Haines spent time in the Indians organization and with the Camden Riversharks in the independent Atlantic League.

Haines spent the full season in Camden in 2010, hitting .254 with 1 home rune and 23 RBI in 358 at-bats. I'm not sure where (or if) Haines will be playing in 2011.

He's got a very nice autograph, particularly for a signature obtained at the ballpark.

2009 Tacoma Rainiers Doug Fister

Who is this? Seattle Mariners pitcher Doug Fister
What is this? An autographed card from the 2009 Tacoma Rainiers team set
Where'd I get it? I wrote to Fister this spring and asked him to sign it. I got it back a week & a half later.
How much did it cost? Just postage.

Why is this so special? After a 3-4 rookie season, Fister spent most of the 2010 season in Seattle's starting rotation. He finished the year with a 6-14 record, but he didn't really pitch that badly - he had an ERA of 4.11 and walked just 32 in 171 innings. He should be part of Seattle's rotation again in 2011.

Fister has a unique signature - I've never seen a capital "F" quite like that.

2009 Greenville Drive Casey Kelly

Who is this? San Diego Padres prospect Casey Kelly
What is this? An autographed card from the 2009 Greenville Drive team set
Where'd I get it? I wrote to Kelly at the Padres' spring training camp and asked him to sign it.
How much did it cost? Postage.


Why is this so special? Out of about 45 spring training autograph requests I've sent out so far this year, Kelly is one of the first players to send my cards back. (I also got autographs from Jason Vargas and Doug Fister of the Seattle Mariners today.)

Baseball America ranked Kelly as the Red Sox top prospect in November before Boston traded him to San Diego as part of the package for Adrian Gonzalez. He also ranked at the top of the San Diego prospect list last month.

Kelly struggled for the AA Portland Sea Dogs in 2010 - in 21 starts, he was 3-5 with a 5.31 ERA. Hopefully the 21-year-old right-hander will fare better in the Padres farm system this year.

Kelly also signed his 2010 Topps Pro Debut Series 1 card for me. I'm glad I don't have to decipher his signature.

2009 Bowman Johnny Giavotella

Who is this? Kansas City Royals prospect Johnny Giavotella
What is this? An autographed card from one of the 2009 Bowman sets
Where'd I get it? Zach of Autographed Cards fame sent it to me last year.

Why is this so special? Gavotella was a second round draft pick in 2008. The 22-year-old Louisiana native played for the Northwest Arkansas Naturals in the AA Texas League last year, where he hit .322 / .395 /.460. He had nine home runs and 13 stolen bases in 20 attempts.

I'm not quite sure where Giavotella ranks in the Royals' long-term plans. He didn't make Baseball America's Top 10 Royals' prospects list, but he is the second baseman in their projected 2014 lineup.

After I got this card from Zach, I pulled another Giavotella autograph from my box of Topps Pro Debut Series II.

There's quite a bit of difference between what I presume is Giavotella's ballpark signature vs. his paid "sit down" one, but I'm glad I don't have to read either one.

2009 Long Island Ducks Jason Norderum

Who is this? Long Island Ducks pitcher Jason Norderum
What is this? An autographed card from the 2009 Long Island Ducks team set
Where'd I get it? Norderum signed it for me at a Newark Bears game last year.


Why is this so special? Jason Norderum began his pro career in the Montreal Expos system in 1999. He advanced as far as AAA in 2006 before being cut loose. Since then, he's played in a variety of independent leagues. I've seen him pitch for both the Lancaster Barnstormers and the Ducks.

Last year, Norderum was 1-1 with a 5.16 ERA in 31 relief appearances for Long Island. His autograph looks a bit like a seismograph reading, don't you think?

2009 Long Island Ducks Bud Harrelson

Who is this? Long Island Ducks co-owner & part-time coach Bud Harrelson
What is this? An autographed card from the 2009 Long Island Ducks team set
Where'd I get it? Nick from Baseball Happenings got it signed for me last month


Why is this so special? Bud Harrelson spent most of his 16-year major league career with the New York Mets. He won a Gold Glove and a World Series ring with the Mets. He would later go on to coach and manage the team.

Harrelson is a co-owner and served as the original manager of the Long Island Ducks team in the independent Atlantic League. He still coaches first base for the team on a limited basis, but you'll probably never see him unless you make the trip to Central Islip, N.Y. In six years of following Atlantic League baseball, the only time I saw Harrelson make a road trip was for a playoff game in Camden in 2008.

I've always found Harrelson to be a gracious signer, in person and via the mail. His signature looks a little shakier now than when he was younger, but it is still very neat and legible.

Here is his card from the 2008 Long Island team set:

2009 MultiAd Sports Greenville Drive Bob Kipper

Who is this? Portland Sea Dogs pitching coach Bob Kipper
What is this? An autographed card from the 2009 Greenville Drive team set
Where'd I get it? I wrote to Kipper and asked him to sign a few cards earlier this month. A little over a week later, I got them back.
How much did it cost? Nothing, except postage.


Why is this so special? Bob Kipper was a major league pitcher for 8 seasons between 1985 and 1992 with the California Angels, Pittsburgh Pirates and Minnesota Twins. He began his career as a starter, but moved to the bullpen in 1988.

Kipper had a lifetime 27-37 record with a 4.34 ERA in 271 major league games. He finished his career in 1994 in the Mets' farm system. After retiring as a player, Kipper became a coach in the Red Sox system.

Kipper's autograph is quick and difficult to read, but you can make out more than just his initials. This is the first 2009 Greenville Drive card I've posted, and the first one that I've gotten signed. The set seems perfect for autographs, with a light background and nice portrait shots for most of the players and coaches.

Here are two other cards that he signed for me:

Last week's most-viewed posts were:

1. Star Driver Autograph Board signed by Masahiko Minami
2. 1991 Bowman Ever Magallanes
3. Autographed photo of James Marsters as Spike and Juliet Landau as Drusilla
4. 2010 Trenton Thunder Edwar Gonzalez
5. Autographed photo of Camden Toy and Doug Jones as The Gentlemen

2009 Tacoma Rainiers Erick Monzon

Who is this? Long Island Ducks infielder Erick Monzon
What is this? An autographed card from the 2009 Tacoma Rainiers team set
Where'd I get it? I got the card signed before a Newark Bears game this summer
How much did it cost? The card was a gift from a friend who visited the Tacoma Rainiers ballpark in 2009.


Why is this so special? Erick Monzon was drafted out of high school by the Texas Rangers in 1999, but he  did not sign. Instead, he went to the University of Tampa and signed with the Seattle Mariners as an undrafted free agent.

Monzon played at every level in the Mariners' system from 2004-2009, but it seems as though he was regarded more as a utility infielder who could provide roster depth than a real prospect. This season, spent with the Long Island Ducks, was the first time he played in 100 games for one team and only the second time he played that many in one season.

For the Ducks, Monzon hit .267 with a .731 OPS.He hit 11 home runs ans stole 17 bases.

Monzon's autograph is interesting... while it is pretty complicated, it is not very legible.

2009 York Revolution Daryl Harang

Who is this? former York Revolution pitcher Daryl Harang
What is this? An autographed card from the 2009 York Revolution team set
Where'd I get it? He signed it for me before a Newark Bears game this year.
How much did it cost? The team set was under $10.

Why is this so special? Daryl Harang, younger brother of Cincinnati Reds starter Aaron Harang, was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 23rd round of the 2004 draft. He worked primarily as a reliever and made it as far as AA New Hampshire in 2008.

Harang joined the York Revolution in 2009 and became a starting pitcher for the first time since college. He finished the season with a 10-12 record and a 4.08 ERA on a team with a 53-87 record.

In 2010, Harang split the season between the Long Island Ducks and two affiliated teams in the Reds' organization: the Lynchburg Hillcats and the Carolina Mudcats. He didn't post particularly good numbers in any of those stops.

Harang's autograph looks completely different from his brother's.