2008 Topps Heritage High Numbers Frank Robinson

Who is this? Reds and Orioles legend Frank Robinson

What is this? An autograph card from 2008 Topps Baseball Updates & Highlights Presents 2008 Topps Heritage High Number Series, card number ROA-FR

Where'd I get it? I stopped into my local card shop to pick up a new super jumbo card box that I will be using in the course of my collection reorganization. I picked up three loose packs of Heritage High Numbers and this was in my second pack. And that kiddies is why I buy hobby.

How much did it cost? $3 for the pack

Why is this so special? It's Frank Robinson! Robinson retired with 586 home runs, behind only Mays, Ruth and Aaron at the time. He is the only person to win the MVP in both leagues and he won the Triple Crown and the World Series MVP in 1966. He also won the NL ROY in 1956. He was the first black manager in the majors and won the AL Manager of the Year Award in 1989. He was a first ballot Hall of Famer, being selected in 1982.

Here's the original 1959 Topps card, swiped from eBay:

Topps made a few changes to the card for the Heritage version. Gone is the McCarthy era "Redlegs" replaced with the proper Reds. Topps replaced Robinson's position with the words Topps Certified Autograph Issue and added the Heritage logo in the top right corner. Topps also removed the facsimile auto to make room for the real deal. Finally, the Heritage version is a much tighter version of the same photo, which has made the photo a little blurry, particularly on Robinson's face.

This is just a tremendous card and far and away the best autograph on the Heritage High Numbers checklist. Robinson is one of the greatest players of all time and this is certainly the best autograph I've ever pulled out of a loose pack. It also probably nudges out the Ernie Banks I pulled out of a box back in 2001. This pull also makes up for the two hitless boxes of 2006 Heritage I recently opened.

The auto itself is great - legible, noticeable on the card. The signature is also on-card, which is always a plus. Robinson's auto reminds me of a lot of the autographs of players from that era. It looks like handwriting as opposed to the illegible scrawls of many of today's players. Here's to you, Mr. Robinson.

2008 Topps Heritage Freddy Sanchez

Who is this? Pirates second baseman Freddy Sanchez.

What is this? An autograph card from 2008 Topps Heritage, card number ROA-FS.

Where'd I get it? It was a crummy redemption from Topps Heritage.

How much did it cost? 1/24th of a box of Heritage.

Why is this so special? I figured this was a good auto to post on the day I turned on Topps for being a bunch of set-ruining finks. Normally, any autograph from Topps Heritage would be a good one, but this left a bad taste in my mouth. It was a redemption card, it wasn't a vintage autograph, and it was of a player I didn't care much about. Freddy is a decent player and all, it's just that I think "Heritage Autograph" and visions of vintageness dance in my head. Freddy ain't vintage. The signature is pretty weak too, it looks more like someone scribbled Fuji Salz on the card. Blue sharpie on black jersey is also sub-optimal. Oh well, there's some dude in Pittsburgh who'd kick their dog for this card so I should really quit my bellyaching. Hey, random denizen of the Alleghenys, when you're done punting Fido, dig up some Braves cards and make me an offer.

2006 Bowman Heritage Jarrod Saltalamacchia

Who is this? Braves catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia.

What is this? An autograph card from 2006 Bowman Heritage, card SG-JS.

Where'd I get it? Same eBay seller as the Chuck James.

How much did it cost? $4.10.

Why is this so special? When I was ripping piles of Bowman Heritage in the winter of '06-'07 (and spring... and summer... and fall... this stuff didn't move off the shelves too fast) this was the autograph card I most wanted to pull. Once the MLB Draft started being updated live online, I had gotten into the habit of obsessively hitting refresh on the page at work to see the Braves' picks. I remember the pick of Salty in the 1st round in 2003. That was a pretty good draft, 4 years later and over half the first rounders are in The Show. Jarrod stuck with me as a player to watch (and with that name it's hard to forget it) and when Javy bolted to the Orioles, he seemed like he could one day be the catcher of the future. In 2005 Johnny Estrada got hurt, Brian McCann got called up and played like he was a veteran. At that moment, Jarrod got hopelessly blocked in the Braves organization and the trade rumors started swirling.

Stuck behind McCann, Cuban prospect Brayan Pena and a multitude of veterans brought in year to year as a permanent backup, Jarrod was stuck but kept hitting in the minors. Last year he got his chance when both McCann and Brayan Pena got hurt and the Braves needed someone who could play behind the plate every day. He played well, and the Braves tried him out at first base since the Scott Thorman experiment bombed so badly. When the trading deadline came up, the Braves made a move and sent Salty and a truckload of other prospects to Texas for Mark Teixeira. Mark has hit like a beast ever since he put on a Braves uniform, but giving up Salty still hurts. the Braves have the early advantage on the trade, as Jarrod lost the starting job in Texas to Gerald Laird and got sent to triple-A. Next year things could swing the other way though as Mark is going to want a rather huge contract and Texas can't keep Saltalamacchia's bat out of the lineup forever.

It's a big reflection on the state of the hobby where two autograph cards can be picked up for less than the price of the packs they came in. Chuck James and Saltalamacchia aren't really household names or anything, but they are young players who have actually played in the bigs and have a bright future if they stay healthy. Stuff like this is really making me rething the wisdom of mindlessly ripping the latest product looking for hits when the ones I really want are usually in the bargain bin. I'm not really a prospector, but I'll bet this card is worth more than four bucks in a few years. The actual signature is interesting though. Jarrod opts for the minimalist kanji style of autographs. It's like a miniature Zen Garden in blue ink. I envisioned Jarrod having a huge bold John Hancock like signature, but now that I think about it with twenty letters in your name simple is best.

I also just learned that Jarrod's daughter's name is Bunter. Whatever you do dude, please don't name your next child Homer.

2008 Topps Heritage ?????

Who is this? This is Mr. D. Layed Gratification.

What is this? A redemption card from 2008 Topps Heritage.

Where'd I get it? Out of a box.

How much did it cost? Never you mind.

Why is this so special? In the immortal words of Q*Bert:

@!#?@!

2007 Bowman Heritage Sean Kazmar

Who is this? Padres shortstop Sean Kazmar.

What is this? An autograph card from 2007 Bowman Heritage, card number SG-SK.

Where'd I get it? Out of a blaster.

How much did it cost? Twenty bucks for the box , or $2.50 for the pack if you want to get technical about it.

Why is this so special? I pulled this auto out of a blaster of Bowman Heritage. It took me a while to decide on the Bowman or another box of TriStar, and the Bowman won out. I was rewarded with another hit. I was originally planning to buy another hobby box of Bowman Heritage, but it was so easy to pull a hit out of the blasters I ended up getting them instead. I still have my eye on a hobby box once I get my fill of 2008 products. I don't know much about Sean and it took me a while to stop thinking "Scott Kazmir" when I look at the card. Now I think of a Clash song, which isn't so bad I suppose. I still don't know much about Scott, I mean Sean, other than he's a AA middle infielder. The autograph is nice though, and I really dig the bat on his bat. I'm going to miss Bowman Heritage.

2002 Topps Heritage Tom Brady

Who is this? Patriots quarterback Tom Brady.

What is this? An autograph card from 2002 Topps Heritage, card HR-TB.

Where'd I get it? In a pack of '02 Heritage.

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

Why is this so special? It's a friggin' Tom Brady Autograph! So he lost, big deal. He is responsible for at least one championship this year. This came out of a pack of '02 Heritage that copied the 1957 Topps design. Brady managed to find a little bit of blank space in between the photos for his signature. This is one of the cards that inspired this blog. I have since found another autographed card that I'm even more embarrassed that I forgot I had. I'm saving it for a special occasion though. I've also decided that from now on I'm posting non-baseball autographs on weekends. I have a bunch of those too and I don't want to run out of baseball autos and post nothing but hockey cards I got out of a two dollar bin for a month.

2005 Bowman Heritage Matt Bush

Who is this? Padres shortstop prospect Matt Bush.

What is this? An autograph card from 2005 Bowman Heritage, card SG-MB.

Where'd I get it? This was the auto hit from a box of Bowman Heritage.

How much did it cost? Threeish dollars.

Why is this so special? Matt was the number one overall pick in the 2004 MLB draft. Matt was taken by the Padres over such players as Justin Verlander, Stephen Drew, Jared Weaver, Huston Street, Yovani Gallardo and Dustin Pedroia. Matt went to Mission Bay High School in San Diego, and was chosen for his local ties and for the fact he would not demand as high a signing bonus as other picks. Right after signing, Matt was suspended by the Padres for fighting outside a nightclub. Matt never developed offensively, but was converted into a pitcher in 2007 and hit 95 on the radar gun. Before the year was out he had an appointment for Tommy John surgery. Bush is not the first number one overall pick to have major problems early in his career. Matt is still young and will likely be back in the minors pitching by 2009. The 2005 Bowman Heritage autograph design is one of my favorites, and Matt's signature is pretty good looking even if the Bush goes sort of weird toward the end. I am also a fan of the huge Charlie Brown hat Matt chose to wear for the picture.

2004 Bowman Heritage Mike Reilly

Who is this? MLB Umpire Mike Reilly.

What is this? An autograph card from 2004 Bowman Heritage, card SA-MR.

Where'd I get it? It was the auto hit from a box of 2004 Bowman Heritage.

How much did it cost? 1/24ths of a hobby box, about 3 bucks.

Why is this so special? Well if nothing else it's unique. In 1955, Bowman added cards of umpires to their high series cards. Kids despised them and threw them out, burned them, tore them to shreds and generally desecrated them in droves. As a result, they are quite scarce and expensive, even if people still don't want them. Oddly enough, Bowman was out of business the next year after getting bought out by Topps. In The Bowman Heritage set that used the 1955 design, Topps once again inserted umpires into the checklist. They also went one step further and had the umpires autograph cards as well. While interesting, it is still kind of a downer to have your one a box auto hit end up being a dirty ump. Boooooo! Kill da ump! Actually, Mike looks like quite a jolly and friendly fellow from the picture on his card. His signature is also a rare combination of being distinctive yet readable. The angle of Mike's auto indicates that he could be a lefty. Why isn't there a throws L/R stat on his card? Umps throw the ball to the mound, it's important to know these things. He's also active with the Big Brothers/Big Sisters charity. Well dang, I can't hate a nice fellow with such a great autograph even if he is a rotten blind umpire! Thank goodness there are three other umps on the field to hate. BOOOOOO!

2002 Bowman Heritage Hank Blalock

Who is this? Rangers third basemen Hank Blalock.

What is this? An autograph card from 2002 Bowman Heritage, card BHA-HB

Where'd I get it? Out of a pack.

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

Why is this so special? This is the first auto I pulled from a Heritage product. It's a nice feeling to open a pack and see that blue ink. Blalock was still a prospect when this card came out. The following year he hit the game winning home run off Eric Gagne in the All Star game. Costing Andruw Jones the MVP and John Smoltz a save opportunity. Grrrr. Blalock has had a couple of rough years recently, but could have a comeback season after an injury-filled 2007. The auto is nice, but doesn't look much like Hank Blalock. The H looks like the astronomical symbol for Jupiter and the last name is clearly Bee. Jupiter Bee sounds like a bad 60's cartoon. I don't know where I'm going with this.

2005 Topps Heritage Johnny Podres

Who is this? Brooklyn Dodgers pitcher Johnny Podres.

What is this? An autograph card from the 2005 Topps Heritage Team Topps insert set, card TT-JP

Where'd I get it? Out of a pack of 2005 Topps Heritage pulled from Champion Sports Cards in Kennesaw, GA.

How much did it cost? The price of a pack of Heritage, about $3.50 or so.

Why is this so special? I normally don't like pulling shiny cards out of Heritage products, but in this case I'll make an exception. Johnny was a long time pitcher for the Dodgers who will always be best known for defeating the Yankees in the 7th game of the 1955 World Series, bringing Brooklyn their only championship. Podres had a fantastic changeup and went on to teach it as a successful pitching coach after his playing days were over. Sadly, Podres passed away yesterday at the age of 75. Unfortunately in our hobby this is often seen as an opportunity to change the price tag on the card. The $6.00 price tag on this card was stuck on an old top loader I recycled to protect my great pull. It will not be changed. So long, ya bum.