2010 Topps Pro Debut Collin Cowgill

Who is this? Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Collin Cowgill
What is this? A signed 2010 Topps Pro Debut card
Where'd I get it? I wrote to Cowgill at the beginning of July and asked him to sign it; I got it back on Monday.
How much did it cost? I got the card out of a box that cost approximately $30 last winter

Why is this so special? Cowgill came to my attention for his somewhat unusual name. When I looked him up online, I saw that he was having a great year for Reno in the Pacific Coast League. He hit for the cycle in June, and was batting .354 with 13 home runs and 70 RBI in 98 Triple A games when the Diamondbacks called him up.

Last night, he made his big league debut and went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts. Hopefully he has better days ahead of him.

Cowgill has a loopy signature, and not much is readable beyond his initials. The silver pen was an interesting choice. Still, I'm happy to have this autograph in my collection.

2010 Topps Pro Debut Miles Head

Who is this? Red Sox minor league First Baseman Miles Head.
What is this? An autograph card from 2010 Topps Pro Debut.
Where'd I get it? I got this card signed by Miles before the 2010 Futures at Fenway Game between the New York-Penn League Lowell Spinners (Boston) and the Jamestown Jammers (Florida).
How much did it cost? About 25 cents.

Why is this so special? If Miles never made it to the pros, he would still be noteworthy for being one of the best Little League baseball players of his generation. In fact, as a 12 year-old, Miles hit 75 homeruns and later won the Triple Crown at the Continental Amateur Baseball Association World Series as a 14 year-old.

Unfortunately, Miles dominance did not continue in High School and he slipped to the Boston Red Sox in the 26th round of the 2009 draft. After a moderately successful 2010 season, Miles has shattered all expectations in 2011. Playing for the Single-A Greenville Drive and Salem Red Sox, Miles has hit 17 homeruns with a .954 OPS in his first 85 games and was elected to the South Atlantic League All-Star Game.

Now, things are looking up for Miles as he continues to slug his way through the minors. If he keeps up his performance for the rest of the year, it will be difficult for scouts and prospectors to ignore this 20 year-old as he charts his path towards Fenway Park.

2010 Somerset Patriots Tim Raines Jr.

Who is this? Newark Bears outfielder Tim Raines Jr.
What is this? An autographed  2010 Someset Patriots team set card
Where'd I get it? Raines signed it for me before Monday's Newark Bears game.
How much did it cost? The autograph was free, and my Dad picked up the team set when he went to see a Patriots game earlier this month. It really didn't cost me anything.


Why is this so special? Tim Raines Jr. is the son of former Montreal Expos star Tim Raines. They got to play together in four games for the Baltimore Orioles at the end of the 2001 season, and for the second year in a row Raines Jr. is playing for his father's team.

Though the younger Raines is not the player that his father was, he did appear in 75 major league games. At age 31, he still has the speed to steal bases and he's one of the best players on the Newark Bears team. However, it's unlikely that he'll have another chance to play affiliated baseball at this point in his career.

Below is a Bowman Heritage card showing Raines Jr. as an Oriole that he signed for me last year.

2010 Topps National Chicle Tobi Stoner

Who is this? Buffalo Bisons pitcher Tobi Stoner
What is this? An autographed insert card from the 2010 Topps National Chicle set
Where'd I get it? Purchased from a dealer at the local card show last year
How much did it cost? Don't remember... around $5, probably


Why is this so special? I can only imagine what it was like going through school with the name "Stoner."

There's not a lot to say about Stoner's major league career to this point. Though he is American, Stoner was born in West Germany (his father served in the military and was stationed there.)

During the past two seasons, Stoner has pitched in a total of five games for the New York Mets, all in relief. It's telling that though the Mets invited him to camp again this spring, Stoner was never really talked about for any of the open bullpen roles.

He does have a nice, legible autograph.

2010 New Hampshire Fisher Cats Luis Sanchez

Who is this? minor league infielder Luis Sanchez
What is this? An autographed 2010 New Hampshire Fisher Cats card
Where'd I get it? Sanchez signed it for me at a Trenton Thunder game last year.
How much did it cost? I spent around $10 for the team set.

Why is this so special? I believe this is the last 2010 New Hampshire Fisher Cats team set card I have to post. (Though who knows? Maybe I'll be able to get one or two more signed this season.)

Sanchez was a late round draft pick of the Atlanta Braves in 2004 and 2005, but he didn't sign. Instead, he ended up with the Toronto Blue Jays organization. Last year, he split time between AA New Hampshire and A Dunedin, but he didn't play much at either stop.

Sanchez batted .184 with 10 RBI in 98 at bats for the Fisher Cats. He also pitched in one game.

Sanchez has an interesting autograph, but I don't think I can read any part of it.

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.

2010 New Hampshire Fisher Cats Tom Signore

Who is this? Las Vegas 51s pitching coach Tom Signore
What is this? An autographed 2010 New Hampshire Fisher Cats team set card
Where'd I get it? Signore signed it for me before a game in Trenton last year
How much did it cost? The team set was around $10


Why is this so special? Tom Signore is evidently a well-regarded coach in the Blue Jays season. He was promoted from AA to AAA after last season. Signore only played professionally for one season, going 4-4 with a 7.02 ERA for the Helena Gold Sox in the Pioneer League in 1985.

Signore signed in silver, so you can see his autograph, but there's not much to read.

2010 Topps Pro Debut Dustin Ackley

Who is this? Seattle Mariners prospect Dustin Ackley
What is this? An autographed 2010 Topps Pro Debut card
Where'd I get it? I wrote to Ackley at the Mariners' spring training camp and asked him to sign it for me. I got it back earlier this week
How much did it cost? I got the unsigned card out of a pack


Why is this so special? Ackley is the Seattle Mariners best position player prospect. The 23-year-old has been having a strong spring, though I'm not sure if he'll be able to crack the Mariners' Opening Day roster. (Perhaps someone more familiar with the Mariners can let us know how soon Mr. Ackley's Major League Debut might be?)

Ackley was the second overall pick in the 2009 draft. He made his pro debut in AA last year and was promoted to AAA Tacoma before the year was out. He went to the Arizona Fall League and earned MVP honors there.

There's every reason to believe Ackley will be a good player for many years, so I'm happy he's signing autographs. He even personalized my card.

2010 New Hampshire Fisher Cats Trystan Magnuson

Who is this? Oakland Athletics prospect Trystan Magnuson
What is this? An autographed 2010 New Hampshire Fisher Cats card from
Where'd I get it? Magnuson signed it for me at a Trenton Thunder game last season
How much did it cost? The unsigned team set was around $10

Why is this so special? Trystan Stewart Gwyn Magnuson was a Toronto Blue Jays prospect when I saw him last summer. The Vancouver native was a supplemental first round draft pick in 2007, and he's put up some good numbers out of the bullpen in the minor leagues.

During the off-season, the Blue Jays traded Magnuson to the Oakland Athletics along with his fellow 2010 Fisher Cats teammate Daniel Farquhar for Rajai Davis.

Magnuson had a hard time fitting his name on the card, but he did inscribe a Bible reference to Hebrews Chapter 11, Verse 1:

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

2010 New Hampshire Fisher Cats Tim Collins

Who is this? Kansas City Royals prospect Tim Collins
What is this? An autographed 2010 New Hampshire Fisher Cats team set card
Where'd I get it? Collins signed it for me at a game in Trenton last season
How much did it cost? The team set was around $10.

Why is this so special? When I got this card signed, Collins was a Toronto Blue Jays prospect. Since then, he's been traded twice. Last July, the Blue Jays included him in the deal that sent shortstop Alex Gonzalez to the Atlanta Braves in exchange for shortstop Yunel Escobar. Two weeks later, the Braves sent Collins to Kansas City as part of the deal that brought outfielder Rick Ankiel to Atlanta.

Collins averages better than a strikeout per inning and seems to have a real chance to win a spot in the Royals bullpen this spring. It would be nice to see him reach the major leagues this year.

For a ballpark signature, Collins' autograph looks pretty sharp.

2010 New Hampshire Fisher Cats Ralph Dickenson

Who is this? Ralph Dickenson, former New Hampshire Fisher Cats hitting coach
What is this? An autographed 2010 New Hampshire Fisher Cats team set card
Where'd I get it? Dickenson signed it before a game in Trenton last year.
How much did it cost? The team set was around $10.

Why is this so special? In another week or so, I should be wrapping up the Fisher Cats cards I got signed last year. That team was really nice about signing autographs.

Dickenson played minor league baseball in the Minnesota Twins organization for six years before joining the college coaching ranks. He has also been a minor league manager and hitting coach for a number organizations. Dickenson will be a member of the Dunedin Blue Jays coaching staff in 2011 (thanks for the tip, Sumosid!)

He runs Torque-It-Up Hitting, which offers hitting lessons in Gilbert, Arizona.

The Fisher Cats cards are not the best for autographs because a large number of them feature players wearing dark jerseys. I tried getting some signed in silver, but it wasn't really much of an improvement.

2010 Allen & Ginter Tommy Manzella

Who is this? Houston Astros shortstop Tommy Manzella
What is this? An autographed 2010 Allen & Ginter card
Where'd I get it? I wrote to Manzella and asked him to sign it this spring
How much did it cost? The unsigned card cost 10 cents.


Why is this so special? Tommy Manzella seemed to show up in every other random pack of cards I bought last year. I was going to send him one of those cards to see if he'd sign it, but I saw his Allen & Ginter card in a dealer's dime box and decided that I liked it better. Ginter cards look great signed.

Manzella hit .225 in 258 at-bats last year and his OPS was .531. The much-maligned Mets second baseman Luis Castillo  hit .235 with a .604 OPS in a similar number of at-bats.

It's not really a surprise that Houston brought in Clint Barmes to play shortstop this year. Manzella is trying to win a job as a bench player.Since he's nice enough to sign autographs, I wish him good luck.

2010 New Hampshire Fisher Cats Zach Stewart

Who is this? Toronto Blue Jays prospect Zach Stewart
What is this? A signed card from the 2010 New Hampshire Fisher Cats team set
Where'd I get it? Stewart signed it after a game in Trenton last year.
How much did it cost? I think the unsigned team set was around $10

Why is this so special? Zach Stewart was the number one ranked prospect in the Blue Jays system last year, though he slipped to the number five spot on this year's list.

In 26 starts at AA, the 24-year-old righthander was 8-3 with a 3.63 ERA last season. I was not familiar with Stewart when I saw the Fisher Cats last year - I knew about Kyle Drabek and some of the minor league veterans who were helping to fill out the roster.

The other autograph collectors waiting after the game seemed more excited about getting Stewart's autograph than anybody else. I'm not sure if it was because he was a tougher signer or that big of a prospect. I appreciate him taking the time to sign for everybody, but I'm glad I don't have to decipher his signature.

2010 Upper Deck Luke Gregerson

Who is this? San Diego Padres reliever Luke Gregerson
What is this? A signed 2010 Upper Deck baseball card
Where'd I get it? I wrote to Gregerson this spring and asked him to sign it.
How much did it cost? I got the card out of a pack last year.

Why is this so special? Gregerson is a hard-throwing right-hander who averages 10.7 strikeouts per nine innings during his major league career. He was selected in the 28th round of the 2006 draft by the St. Louis Cardinals, but was traded to San Diego in 2009 in exchange for Khalil Greene. He made his major league debut later that year for the Padres.

Gregerson has a great looking autograph, especially for a modern player.

2010 New Hampshire Fisher Cats Vince Bongiovanni

Who is this? minor league pitcher Vince Bongiovanni
What is this? A signed 2010 New Hampshire Fisher Cats team set card
Where'd I get it? Bongiovanni signed it at a game in Trenton last year.
How much did it cost? The team set was around $10, if I recall correctly

Why is this so special? Bongiovanni was selected in the 24th round of the 2005 amateur draft by the Arizona Diamondbacks. He spent the first five seasons of his pro career in the Arizona organization, advancing as far as the AA level.

In 2009, Bongiovanni went to the Blue Jays organization during the season. For New Hampshire last year, he appeared in 35 games out of the bullpen and finished with a 6-7 record and 5.13 ERA. I'm not sure where (or if) Bongiovanni will be playing ball in 2011.

It's not easy to make out on a the dark card, but Bongiovanni has a fairly stylized autograph.

Signed 8x10 Brandon Laird photo

Who is this? New York Yankees prospect Brandon Laird
What is this? An autographed 8x10 photo
Where'd I get it? I took the photo last summer at a Trenton Thunder game. I  mailed a copy to Laird at Yankees camp this spring and asked him to sign it. I got it back yesterday.
How much did it cost? About $5 for the print and postage

Why is this so special? Brandon Laird, the younger brother of St. Louis Cardinals catcher Gerald Laird, was a 27th round draft pick of out junior college in 2007.

He played in Trenton for most of last season, though he moved up to Scranton for the last month or so. Despite missing that time, Laird was named the 2010 Eastern League MVP. He hit .291 with 23 home runs and 90 RBI in 409 at-bats for the Thunder.

Laird has primarily played third base in the minors, with few games at first for good measure. He is playing some outfield this spring and has an outside chance of making the Yankees as a bench player. I suspect he will be a trade chip to help the Yankees improve their rotation sometime this summer.

Laird's got a neat-looking autograph. I like the way he interlocks his initials.

2010 New Hampshire Fisher Cats Luis Rivera

Who is this? former New Hampshire Fisher Cats manager Luis Rivera
What is this? An autographed team set card
Where'd I get it? Rivera signed it for me after a game in Trenton last year.
How much did it cost? The team set was around $10.

Why is this so special? Rivera spent 11 seasons in the major leagues, primarily with the Red Sox and Expos. He played in 32 games for the 1994 New York Mets, backing up Jose Vizcaino and Jeff Kent.

Rivera was replaced as the Fisher Cats manager by Sal Fasano for 2011. The Kingsport Mets hired Luis Rivera to be their hitting coach this year.

Luis Rivera's autograph is very neat and precise, but I have a hard time making out his name.

2010 Topps Update Carlos Santana

Who is this? Cleveland Indians catcher Carlos Santana
What is this? An autographed 2010 Topps Update card
Where'd I get it? I wrote to Santana this spring and asked him to sign it. I got it back in yesterday's mail.
How much did it cost? Postage.


Why is this so special? I was pretty lucky to get my card back - it traveled from Arizona to New Jersey in an unsealed envelope.

Santana made his major league debut last season after being ranked as one of the Indians' top prospects for several years. In 46 games, he hit .260 with 6 home runs and 22 RBI. An injury brought Santana's season to an early conclusion, but he should be ready to play again in 2011.

Though his autograph is a bit sloppy, it's more legible than some current ballplayers.

2010 Bowman Sterling Prospect Autographs #DD Delino DeShields

Who is this? Houston Astros prospect Delino Diaab DeShields
What is this? An autographed card from the 2010 Bowman Sterling set
Where'd I get it? A card show dealer
How much did it cost? $5

Why is this so special? Any time you can get an autographed card that you're interested in for a fraction of the cost of the pack that it came out of, it's a good deal.

DeShields is the son of 1990s Expos & Dodgers second baseman Delino Lamont DeShields. The younger DeShields was the 8th overall pick in the draft last year. He spent his first pro season in the Appalachian League with the Greenville Astros. In 16 games, he went 21-for-67 with a triple, six doubles and five stolen bases.

Last month, DeShields was arrested on a DUI charge. Hopefully he will exercise better judgment in the future.

It's interesting to see how different DeShields' autograph is from his father's.

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.