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.

2011 Topps Gaby Sanchez

Who is this? Florida Marlins first baseman Gaby Sanchez
What is this? An autographed 2011 Topps card
Where'd I get it? I wrote to Sanchez at the Marlins spring training camp 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? Sanchez hit .273 with 19 home runs and 85 RBI as a rookie for the Florida Marlins last season. He finished fourth in the National League Rookie of the Year voting, behind Buster Posey, Jason Heyward and Jaime Garcia, but ahead of Starlin Castro and Ike Davis.

His autograph is a bit tough to make out since he signed in black on a mostly dark background, but he did personalize the card to me.

2008 Topps Josh Johnson

Who is this? Florida Marlins pitcher Josh Johnson
What is this? An autographed 2008 Topps card
Where'd I get it? I bought it from former Mike Pelfrey collector Anthony when he decided to get out of the baseball card hobby last fall.


Why is this so special? Josh Johnson is a two-time All-Star and the best pitcher in the Florida Marlins rotation. I watched him hold the Mets hitless for six innings earlier tonight en route to a 6-2 Opening Day victory. Johnson has a lifetime 8-1 record against the Mets in 13 games.

Though Johnson only had an 11-6 record last year, he led the National League in ERA (2.30) and adjusted ERA+ (182) last season. It's scary how good Johnson could be with better defense behind him.

Johnson's autograph isn't particularly pretty, but it's easy to make out his initials.

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.

2004 Topps Cracker Jack Jack McKeon

Who is this? former Florida Marlins manager Jack McKeon
What is this? An autographed card from the 2004 Topps Cracker Jack set
Where'd I get it? I purchased it from a SportsGraphing.com forum member late last year.
How much did it cost? $2-$3


Why is this so special? I don't actively collect them, but when I have a chance I like to pick up autographs of players who are from my home state. McKeon is one of six baseball players to reach the major leagues who went to school at St. Mary's, a Catholic school in the tiny New Jersey city of South Amboy.

McKeon never reached the big leagues as a player. Instead, he made his mark as a manager. A two-time Manager of the Year, McKeon guided the Florida Marlins to a World Series title in 2003.

Though his autograph seems a little cramped, you can read it without much difficulty. I wish more current ballplayers had better signatures.

2006 Topps Rookie Debut Dan Uggla

Who is this? Atlanta Braves second baseman Dan Uggla
What is this? An autographed card from the 2006 Topps Update Rookie Debut insert set
Where'd I get it? I purchased it from a Sportsgraphing.com forum member late last year.
How much did it cost? $4 or $5

Why is this so special? Dan Uggla began his career in the Arizona Diamondbacks organization, but he couldn't crack the 40-man roster and was therefore available in the Rule V draft. The Florida Marlins selected him and gave him a chance to start at second base. He rewarded them with an All-Star season in his rookie year.

Uggla gets criticized for his defense, which is mediocre at  best, and his high strikeout totals. Nevertheless, he is one of the best offensive second basemen in baseball. For that reason, he reminds me a little of Jeff Kent.

Uggla doesn't have the prettiest signature, but it's easier to decipher than many other active players.

2008 Topps Cameron Maybin

Who is this? Florida Marlins outfielder Cameron Maybin

What is this? An autographed card from the 2008 Topps set

Where'd I get it? I purchased it from Anthony when he was clearing out his card collection this summer

How much did it cost? Around $2

Why is this so special? Cameron Maybin was one of the best-regarded prospects heading into the 2005 draft. The Detroit Tigers selected him with the 10th overall pick, and eventually signed him to a contract with a $2.65 million bonus.

He made his major league debut in 2007, after two seasons in the minor leagues. He hit his first major league home run off Roger Clemens on Aug. 18.

That winter, Maybin was traded to the Florida Marlins as a key component in an 8-player deal that brought Miguel Cabrera to Detroit.

Maybin spent most of the 2008 season in the minor leagues, but made a splash in his September callup. He set a Marlins record by reaching base in ten consecutive at-bats over his first three games.

After being giving the Opening Day center field start in 2009, Maybin handed it right back by not hitting enough to stay in the lineup. He returned in September, but it was still a disappointing season.

In 2010, Maybin was the Opening Day center fielder again, but he lost his starting job by early June and was sent to the minors before the month was out. He missed some time with injuries, but returned to the major league starting lineup before the end of the season.

Maybin may never live up to the star potential that scouts saw when he was in high school, but it’s far too soon to give up on a 23-year-old.

Maybin’s signature on this card is interesting… his first name is written neatly, but it seems like he ran out of room for his last name.

2006 Topps 52 Reggie Abercrombie

Who is this? Sioux Falls Pheasants outfielder Reggie Abercrombie

What is this? An autographed card from the 2006 Topps 52 set

Where'd I get it? Zach sent it to me; I believe he got it signed at a game between the Pheasants and the Wichita Wingnuts earlier this year.


Why is this so special? Well, it's always cool when people decide to send you cards. :)

Abercrombie was selected in the 23rd round of the 1999 draft by the Los Angeles Dodgers, but he didn't make it to the major leagues until 2006 with the Florida Marlins. The Mets and Marlins play each other quite a bit during spring training, so I saw Abercrombie a lot. He had a nice spring that year, and I thought he'd be a star.

The Marlins seemed to think enough of Abercrombie to give him a shot. Unfortunately, Abercrombie hadn't quite mastered the art of hitting even though he did show occasional flashes of skill. (This is perhaps why I'm not really a prospector.) He played one more year with the Marlins, and spent part of 2008 with the Astros.

Abercrombie is now playing in the independent American Association, where he is hitting .338 with 20 home runs, 82 RBI and 34 stolen bases.

For a guy with a long name, Abercrombie has a pretty decent autograph.

2001 Bowman Heritage Antonio Alfonseca

Who is this? Bridgeport Bluefish pitcher Antonio Alfonseca
 
What is this? An autographed card from the 2001 Bowman Heritage set
 
Where'd I get it? I got it signed before a game between the Bridgeport Bluefish and Newark Bears earlier this year.
 
How much did it cost? I probably spent about 50 cents for the card.

Why is this so special? Antonio Alfonseca spent 11 seasons in the major leagues. He won a World Series ring with the 1997 Florida Marlins, and he led the National League in saves in 2000. He also pitched in the post-season for the Chicago Cubs, Atlanta Braves and Philadelphia Phillies.

Alfonseca may be best known for having six fingers on each hand. He's also quite a character; if he's not getting ready to come into the game, you're quite likely to see him dancing around in the dugout to the music being played in between innings.

Alfonseca may not have the prettiest handwriting, but he takes care signing his name.

2009 Topps Attax Jorge Cantu

Who is this? Jorge Cantu, first baseman for the Florida Marlins

What is this? An autographed card from the 2009 Topps Attax set

Where'd I get it? I ended up with way too many Topps Attax cards last year, so I mailed some out to players for autographs. This one went out last April to Dolphin Stadium and came back today.

How much did it cost? About a dollar for the card and postage.

Why is this so special? Jorge Cantu is one of the Marlins' better hitters. He hit .289 with 16 home runs and 100 RBI last season.

Cantu was a nice story the year before. The Tampa Bay Devil Rays and Cincinnati Reds had both given up on him, but the Marlins gave Cantu a shot to be a full-time player. He hit .277 with 29 home runs and 95 RBI.

Cantu has an unusual signature. It seems to hint at "J Cantu," but the letter "C" is the only unambiguous one.

This autograph looks a bit different from ones signed for Topps used in 2007 and 2008 baseball sets, but I'm still hopeful that it's authentic. The 2007 and 2008 Topps autographs distinctly different from ones Cantu signed for the 2000 Bowman set, so it's not as if Cantu has had a single autograph style for his whole career.

2006 Topps 1952 Rookies Anibal Sanchez

Who is this? Anibal Sanchez, a pitcher for the Florida Marlins

What is this? A certified autograph card from the 2006 Topps 1952 Rookies set

Where'd I get it? eBay

How much did it cost? It cost $2.04 in 2007

Why is this so special? Anibal Sanchez had a magical year in 2006. He began the season in AA, but earned a major league call-up in June. He won his major league debut at Yankee Stadium, then followed it up by beating Roger Clemens a couple of weeks later.

The best was yet to come. Sanchez threw a no-hitter against the Arizona Diamondbacks in September, becoming only the 19th rookie to accomplish that feat since 1900. He'd finish the year with a 10-3 record and a 2.83 ERA.

The next spring, Sanchez experienced shoulder issues and he's never been able to achieve the same level of success since.

This is one of my favorite modern sets. I like the old-time look of the cards; the design is classic, and most of the photos don't look too out-of-place in a vintage-style set. The autographed inserts are a little tough to spot when you're opening packs because the actual autograph takes the place of the facsimile signature found on the regular cards. Anibal Sanchez has a surprisingly nice autograph.

1997 Leaf Signature Series Alex Arias

Who is this? Alex Arias, a former infielder for the Chicago Cubs, Florida Marlins, Philadelphia Phillies, San Diego Padres and New York Yankees

What is this? An autographed card from the 1997 Leaf Signature Series

Where'd I get it? This month's baseball card show

How much did it cost? $1

Why is this so special? Alex Arias was an original Florida Marlin, acquired in an expansion draft-day trade with the Cubs, along with Gary Scott, for Greg Hibbard. He is one of just two original Marlins who were still in Florida when the Marlins won the 1997 World Series. That's not bad for a utility infielder who never had more than 390 at-bats in a season.

Arias clearly took the time to write all of the letters in his name, but he doesn't have a particularly neat signature. Then again, neither would I if I had to sign a few thousand baseball cards. :)

Happy Thanksgiving!