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.

2010 Topps Turkey Red Ryne Sandberg

Who is this? Baseball Hall of Famer and current Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs Manager Ryne Sandberg.
What is this? An autograph card from 2010 Topps Series 1 Turkey Red.
Where'd I get it? I got the card from a nickel box at a local card show and got it autographed by Ryne Sandberg as he was entering McCoy Stadium for a Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs game vs. the Pawtucket Red Sox.
How much did it cost? A nickel.

Why is this so special? Ryne Sandberg is a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame who is best known for his career with the Chicago Cubs. Sanberg now manages the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs, the AAA-Affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies, and is often mentioned as a possible Major League manager in the near future.

This autograph is special because it is the first autograph that I have ever gotten from a Baseball Hall of Famer in person and Mr. Sandberg was very nice about signing for the twenty-or-so fans that were waiting for him outside of McCoy Stadium before the game.

I was lucky enough to get four other cards signed by Sandberg the next day inside of the stadium and hope to get a couple more cards signed by him next time that he comes to town.

1974 Topps Dave LaRoche

Who is this? former New York Mets bullpen coach Dave LaRoche
What is this? An autographed card from the 1974 Topps set
Where'd I get it? I wrote to LaRoche and asked him to sign it
How much did it cost? I don't remember.

Why is this so special? Once upon a time, I kept a small binder with a baseball card for each player, coach and the manager of the New York Mets' active roster -- back in the days before the widespread availability of the internet, it was a way to keep stats handy and remember some trivia.

I'd put the manager first, then the coaches, the pitchers, catchers, infielders, outfielders and finally the guys on the disabled list and in the minor leagues. I lost interest in keeping up this project sometime in 1992 or 1993 when LaRoche was the Mets' bullpen coach - this was his card in the binder. When I re-discovered it recently, I decided I'd mail it to him and see if he'd sign it.

Before he entered the coaching ranks, LaRoche was a relief pitcher for the Angels, Twins, Cubs, Indians, and Yankees during the 1970s and early 80s. He was a two-time All-Star and frequently finished among the league leaders in games finished.

LaRoche was best known for throwing a big, slow blooper pitch he called "La Lob" which would arc up to 20 feet in the air before dropping back in the strike zone. LaRoche's sons, Adam and Andy, are current professional ballplayers. Adam will play for the Nationals this season, while Andy just signed a minor league deal with the Oakland organization.

Dave LaRoche has the handwriting everyone expects of a left-hander, but you can make out a few letters in his autograph. Here's another card he signed for me.

1991 Topps Stadium Club Chuck McElroy

Who is this? former Chicago Cubs pitcher Chuck McElroy
What is this? An autographed card from the 1991 Topps Stadium Club set
Where'd I get it? It came in a care package from Ryan of the Great Orioles Autograph Project last week.  


Why is this so special? I wrote about Chuck McElroy before Christmas, when I posted a Leaf Signature Series card.

I love any cards from the 1991 Stadium Club set, possibly because they were all but impossible to find that year. It was a set with no autographs, no relics (they didn't exist yet), no parallels and no inserts of any particular note. Yet pack prices soared to the $5 mark (or higher) and the cards still sold out on the strength of the design and the photography.

I don't have many personalized baseball card autographs in my collection, and this is the only one made out "For Bill" (Coincidentally, my middle name is William.)

Thanks Ryan!

1996 Leaf Signature Dave Magadan

Who is this? Boston Red Sox hitting coach Dave Magadan
What is this? An autographed card from the 1996 Leaf Signature set
Where'd I get it? A dealer at the local card show on Sunday
How much did it cost? I got it as part of a group of cards for $5


Why is this so special? Here's the second of three autographs I picked up at the card show on Sunday. (I was going to try to keep up as I acquired new ones in 2011, but the mailman brought 13 more Monday - I think I'm just going to get back to posting cards in the order they come up in my scans folder.)

Dave Magadan spent most of his career with the Mets. He was a pretty good player, but he was unlucky in a few respects. He followed Keith Hernandez, one of the most popular players in Mets history. Worse, he was a first baseman who didn't hit home runs.

Magadan did a couple of things very well, though. He got on base and he hit for average. In 701 games for the Mets, Magadan had a .391 on base percentage - that's the second best career mark in team history. His .292 batting average with the Mets is fifth best in the franchise's career lists.

After leaving the Mets, Magadan became a role player, moving around a lot. He spent one season in Chicago, where he hit .254 with a .360 on-base percentage in 78 games.

Magadan batted lefty but threw with his right arm, so I'm not sure if he's right- or left-handed. His autograph looks like it belongs to a stereotypical left-hander, though.

2008 Topps Allen & Ginter Geovany Soto

Who is this? Cubs catcher Geovany Soto
What is this? An autographed card from the 2008 Topps Allen & Ginter set
Where'd I get it? I purchased it from Anthony of Mike Pelfrey Collectibles when he decided to sell off his collection.


Why is this so special? Soto was the National League Rookie of the Year and an All-Star in 2008, hitting .285 with 23 home runs and 86 RBI. After a disappointing sophomore season, he rebounded to hit .280 with 17 home runs and 53 RBI this year.

Soto does not have a pretty autograph, and I'm glad I don't have to decipher it on a baseball or other generic item.

2005 Topps Brandon Sing

Who is this? Sioux Falls Pheasants outfielder Brandon Sing
What is this? An autographed card from the 2005 Topps set
Where'd I get it? From Zach, who likely got it signed at an American Association game this summer.


Why is this so special? Brandon Sing was selected by the Chicago Cubs in the 20th round of the 1999 draft. He advanced through the minor leagues, and hit enough home runs in 2004 to convince Topps to include him in their 2005 set. But he never made it past AAA and was out of affiliated baseball by 2008.

Last year, Sing played for the Bridgeport Bluefish. I saw them play more than a dozen times, including three trips to Bridgeport, but I don't think I ever got him to sign a card for my collection. He hit .305 with 23 home runs and 94 RBI last year.

Sing did not return to Bridgeport this year, instead opting to play for the Sioux Falls Pheasants in 2010. His autograph is about as legible as most modern ballplayers.

2003 Upper Deck Ultimate Collection Bobby Hill

Who is this? Bobby Hill, a former infielder for the Chicago Cubs and Pittsburgh Pirates

What is this? An autograph card from the 2003 Upper Deck Ultimate Collection set

Where'd I get it? eBay

How much did it cost? 99 cents, plus $2.75 shipping.

Why is this so special? I'm guessing this was from a really expensive pack in 2003, since I don't think I've ever seen another card from this set and it is an actual on-card autograph. No stickers here.

Hill had three decent years as a utility infielder -- or at least they would have been considered decent years if he played in the 1970s. He never became the star that the Cubs believed he would be when they paid a $1.4 million signing bonus in 2000.

Before Hill signed with the Cubs, he played for the Newark Bears in the independent Atlantic League. In 132 games, he stole 81 bases. I wish I had gotten to see him play then.

Hill made his major league debut with the Cubs in 2002, hitting .253 in 190 at-bats. He spent most of 2003 in the minors and got traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates in the Aramis Ramirez deal.

Hill spent two m0re seasons with the Pirates. His lifetime major league stats: .262 with 6 home runs and 58 RBI in 249 games.

In 2008, Hill returned to the Newark Bears. He wasn't the base stealing threat that he was in his first go-round, but my friends who were following the Bears in 2000 said he was still the same guy. If he was bitter about what might have been, it didn't show. He was one of the friendliest and most outgoing guys on the team.

That's pretty special.

Hill's autograph is just "B_y Hi_ ", which is a little interesting. I would have thought it would go to "B_y H_" or B_y H_l" if he wanted to shorten it.

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.

1961 Topps Ed Bouchee

Who is this? Ed Bouchee, a first baseman for the Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs and New York Mets

What is this? An autographed card from the 1961 Topps set

Where'd I get it? I wrote to Ed Bouchee and asked him to sign it last month. I got it back about a week later.

How much did it cost? Maybe 50 cents for the card, and another 88 cents for postage.

Why is this so special? This is one of the oldest cards I've ever gotten signed.

Bouchee was the runner up for the NL Rookie of the Year award in 1957, losing to his teammate Jack Sanford.

Bouchee was also an original New York Met, selected in the expansion draft following the 1961 season.

Like many older players, Bouchee clearly takes pride in his signature. You can read every letter.

2008 UD Baseball Heroes Ryan Theriot

Who is this? Chicago Cubs shortstop/second baseman Ryan Theriot.

What is this? An autograph card from 2008 Upper Deck Baseball Heroes numbered 025/150.

Where'd I get it? Out of a pack of UD Heroes I purchased a few months ago.

How much did it cost? Maybe $4.50 or $5 for the pack.

Why is this so special? Ryan "The Riot" has been a pretty solid middle infielder for the Cubs these last few years. I've always seen him as a throwback kind of middle infielder with good contact and very little pop in his bat. He doesn't fit in with today's shortstops and second basemen - guys like Utley, Uggla, Kinsler, and Hanley Ramirez, each of whom has at least as many as Theriot's 14 career home runs just this year. Despite the lack of pop, you can't argue with Theriot's .307 BA and .387 OBP last year. The Riot should be a pretty solid player for a long time.

Upper Deck tells me that Ryan Theriot signed the sticker that they have conveniently placed upon my Heroes card, but I could swear that it was signed by somebody named B Uit 2. I'm pretty sure that the 2 is for his jersey number, but that's the only thing that makes sense out of this auto. The signature could be much better, or even recognizable as Theriot's.

2007 Topps 1952 Rookies Felix Pie

Who is this? Outfielder Felix Pie, who was traded from the Cubs to the Orioles today.

What is this? An autograph card from the 2007 Topps 1952-style rookies set.

Where'd I get it? One of my trading partners got it signed for me at a minor league game last season.

How much did it cost? Not much. The cards came out of a retail pack.

Why is this so special? Pie was once considered the Cubs' top prospect, and he may still live up to the potential that they saw in him. I'm just amused by his name. :)

The 1952 Topps card design is a classic, and I love the image on this card -- awkward smile and all. Pie's penmanship is not the greatest, but the presumably rushed ballpark signature is a pretty good match for the facscimilie signature on the card.