1982 Topps Jeff Reardon

Who is this? Expos pitcher Jeff Reardon.

What is this? An autographed 1982 Topps card, card number 667.

Where'd I get it? I think a card show, but I'm not entirely sure.

How much did it cost? A couple bucks maybe.

Why is this so special? I don't want to get into Jeff's history because it's sad. Let's just say that even if you're a dominant closer that doesn't mean you won't have problems. Jeff actually had a short stint with the Braves in the playoff run of '92. I'm not going to get into that either because it's more sadness, at least for Braves fans. I'm still glad to remember him in a Braves uni, because he is still one of the great closers from the 80's. If the Hall of Fame ever gets generous and decides to let a flood of closers in, Jeff would probably go in wearing this Expos hat. He won the Rolaids Relief award with the 'Spos in 1985 as the best 'fireman' but his '82 and '88 seasons were statistically his best. Other than one pitch, Jeff was pretty damn dominating in his brief stint with the Braves as well. Reardon won a championship as the Twins' closer in '87. I think I got this card from a show at the Cobb Civic center a long time ago but I can't remember to tell the truth. It's a nice sig though, and you have the facsimile signature to compare it with right underneath.

1994 Signature Rookies Hiram Bocachica

Who is this? Expos prospect Hiram Bocachica.

What is this? An autograph card from 1994 Signature Rookies, card #21.

Where'd I get it? In a pack bought from Atlanta Sports Cards.

How much did it cost? Two bucks for the pack.

Why is this so special? This is the first autograph card I pulled from a pack. It wasn't a surprise, as every pack of these cards had an auto inside. The shop I bought it from had some packs for two bucks each and I bought one. In retrospect I should have bought more at two bucks a pack but I was in college, didn't have a whole lot of cash and wasn't terribly impressed by my pull. I tried following Hiram for a couple of years but he didn't make the show and I lost interest. To my surprise, he finally debuted in 2000 with the Dodgers and he put together an 8 year career in the bigs. He was the fringiest of fringe players to be sure, but he made it and was able to hang around at least. Good for you, Hiram. He will be playing in Japan for the Seibu Lions in 2008.