1997 Leaf Signature John Cangelosi

Who is this? former Houston Astros outfielder John Cangelosi
What is this? An autographed card from the 1997 Leaf Signature set
Where'd I get it? I bought it on CheckOutMyCards.com last year
How much did it cost? I don't remember, but it was probably between $1-$3


Why is this so special? Cangelosi, a Brooklyn native, is one of the shortest players I ever saw in major league baseball at 5'8" When 6'10" future Hall of Famer Randy Johnson made his debut in 1988 with the Montreal Expos, Cangelosi was the first batter he faced -- it must have been quite a sight.

Cangelosi played for 7 different teams during a 13-year major league career. He appeared in the most games for the Pittsburgh Pirates, but I wanted his autograph because he was a New York Met in 1994. Centerfield Maz recaps a mound-charging moment that has to be the most memorable event from Cangelosi's brief time in New York. (Fortunately, my own memories of the 1994 season have grown hazy over time.)

Cangelosi included almost all of the letters of his last name in his autograph, but just went with his first initial. I would have been more tempted to sign "John C"

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.

1996 Leaf Signature Extended Graeme Lloyd

Who is this? former major league relief pitcher Graeme Lloyd
What is this? An autographed card from the 1996 Leaf Signature Extended set
Where'd I get it? CheckOutMyCards.com
How much did it cost? $3


Why is this so special? Graeme Lloyd is one of a small handful of people from Australia to play Major League Baseball. In a 10-year career, Lloyd played for 7 different teams, including the New York Yankees, New York Mets and Milwaukee Brewers. He won two World Series rings with the Yankees.

His first name is difficult to make out, but his last name is clearly readable in the autograph on my card.

1996 Leaf Signature Damon Buford

Who is this? former Texas Rangers outfielder Damon Buford
What is this? An autographed card from the 1996 Leaf Signature set
Where'd I get it? Purchased from CheckOutMyCards.com
How much did it cost? 99 cents

Why is this so special? Damon Buford is the son of 1960s White Sox & Orioles outfielder Don Buford.

Damon was a journeyman outfielder who played for the Orioles, Mets, Rangers, Red Sox and Cubs during a 9 season career. He was a full-time starter in only two of those seasons - 1997 with Texas and 2000 with the Cubs.

Buford was one of two players the Mets received in 1995 when they traded away Bobby Bonilla, though I always forget that he was involved in the deal. I usually just remember Alex Ochoa.

Buford's autograph is fairly reminiscent of his father's, even though Damon left out some letters when he was signing for Leaf.

1996 Leaf Signature Extended Autographs Chuck McElroy

Who is this? former major league relief pitcher Chuck McElroy
What is this? An autograph card from the 1996 Leaf Signature set
Where'd I get it? Purchased from CheckOutMyCards.com
How much did it cost? 75 cents.

Why is this so special? McElroy spent 13 seasons in the major leagues from 1989-2001. He pitched for 9 different teams, including the New York Mets.

During the 1996 season, McElroy was traded from the Reds to the Angels for Lee Smith. Somehow Donruss managed to have these cards printed and autographed in time to include them with their releases later that year. It seems like a decent argument against sticker autographs, but I think that cost concerns keep them around more so than logistical ones.

McElroy was selected in the 1997 expansion draft by the Arizona Diamondbacks, but he was traded to Colorado the same day for outfielder Harvey Pulliam. If any Diamondbacks fans are reading this, do you consider McElroy to be one of the original members of your team?

McElroy's autograph isn't necessarily pretty, but I give him points for making it legible.

I'm not sure what might show up in the mail, but right now it looks like I'll finish up posting the cards of players whose first names begin with "D," "E" or "F" next week. That will clear the way to finally start with "G" after Christmas.

1996 Leaf Signature Extended Autographs Chip Hale

Who is this? Mets third base coach Chip Hale
What is this? An autographed card from the 1996 Leaf Signature Series set
Where'd I get it? Purchased from CheckOutMyCards.com
How much did it cost? 99 cents

Why is this so special? Chip Hale is the Mets third base coach and was a finalist to become their manager after Jerry Manuel was let go at the end of the season.

Between 1989-1997, Hale played in the major leagues for 7 seasons with the Minnesota Twins and Los Angeles Dodgers. He was never a regular, but he served a useful utility role. He retired with a .277 career average, 7 home runs and 76 RBI.

Hale's autograph is fairly legible, but I'd read it as "Chip Dale" if I didn't know better.

1997 Leaf Signature Series Mike Stanton

Who is this? Mike Stanton, a former relief pitcher

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

Where'd I get it? At the card show last weekend.

How much did it cost? $2. The guy I bought this from had some more Leaf Signature Series cards, but you'll be spared another run of obscure 1990s ballplayers like I had in November. After buying the Johan Santana card I posted Monday, I didn't have a lot of cash left.

Why is this so special? Mike Stanton spent 19 years in the majors, and he appeared in 1,178 games. At various points in his career, he was a setup man, a closer and a lefty specialist. He even started one game for the Yankees in 1999.

Stanton appeared in six World Series and won three rings. He made the All-Star team once, in 2001. Most will remember Stanton as a Yankee or a Brave, since those were the two teams where he enjoyed the most success. He also pitched for the Red Sox, the Rangers, the Mets, the Nationals, the Giants and the Reds.

Stanton's autograph is a little sloppy on this card, but it's pretty cool. You can almost make out all the letters in his name, and he's got a neat way of connecting the "S" and "t" in his last name.

1997 Leaf Signature Series Mike Maddux

Who is this? Mike Maddux, former pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies, Los Angeles Dodgers, San Diego Padres, New York Mets, Pittsburgh Pirates, Boston Red Sox, Seattle Mariners, Montreal Expos and Houston Astros

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? This is the last of the Leaf Signature Series cards I picked up at this month's card show. So I won't have any more to post unless I find another group of them next month. :)

Mike Maddux is the elder brother of future Hall-of-Famer Greg Maddux. He spent parts of 15 seasons in the big leagues, finishing with a 39-37 lifetime record and a 4.05 ERA. After he retired as a player, Maddux went into coaching. He is now the pitching coach for the Texas Rangers.

As I noted yesterday, the Leaf Signature Series cards are well-designed to showcase the players' autographs.

1997 Leaf Signature Series Mike Magnante

Who is this? Mike Magnante, a former reliever for the Kansas City Royals, Houston Astros, Anaheim Angels and Oakland Athletics

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? Mike Magnante spent parts of 12 seasons in the Major Leagues, primarily as a middle reliever. According to his Wikipedia entry, Magnante once struck out the side on nine pitches.

Donruss undoubtedly overestimated the value that collectors would place on autographed cards of players like Magnante, but they designed some nice cards that really showcase the autograph. And the players -- for the most part -- made sure to sign them with nice, clear autographs. Magnante is no exception.

1997 Leaf Signature Series Jorge Brito

Who is this? Jorge Brito, a former catcher for the Colorado Rockies

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? There's not much to say about Jorge Brito. He was a backup catcher for the 1995 & 1996 Colorado Rockies teams, but he only appeared in 26 Major League games. His lifetime numbers are a .185 batting average, no home runs and seven RBI.

Brito spent 14 seasons as a pro, beginning in 1986 with the Medford A's and finishing with the Louisville RiverBats in 1999. He had over 2,200 minor league at-bats, finishing with a .240 lifetime average, 51 home runs and 276 RBI. That's a lot of baseball for what turned out to be a pretty brief shot.

Brito's signature is legible, but it's an interesting mix of cursive and printed characters.

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!

1997 Leaf Signature Series Alex Diaz

Who is this? Alex Diaz, a former journeyman outfielder for the Milwaukee Brewers, Seattle Mariners, Texas Rangers, San Francisco Giants and Houston Astros

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

Where'd I get it? It was another purchase from this month's baseball card show

How much did it cost? $1

Why is this so special? Alex Diaz started his career in the Mets minor league system in 1987. He was traded to the Expos in 1991 in a minor deal, and they flipped him to the Brewers later that year in another minor move. Milwaukee finally gave him the chance to play in the majors in 1992.

In 1995, Diaz appeared in 103 regular season games for the Seattle Mariners and six playoff games. He hit .247 with three home runs and 27 RBI. He also stole 18 bases. It was his best season in the big leagues.

Diaz briefly returned to the Mets system in 1997, but he never appeared in a major league game for New York. In parts of 8 seasons in the majors, Diaz appeared in a total of 366 games, hitting .239 with 8 home runs and 75 RBI.

Diaz has an interesting autograph -- it almost looks like he tried to draw a face in the "D"

1996 Leaf Signature Series Scott Stahoviak

Who is this? Scott Stahoviak, a former Minnesota Twins first baseman

What is this? An autographed card from the 1996 Leaf Signature Series

Where'd I get it? This is the final 1996 Leaf Signature Series card I bought at this month's baseball card show.

How much did it cost? $1

Why is this so special? Stahoviak was the Minnesota Twins' first-round draft pick in 1991. He reached the majors in 1993 for a cup of coffee, but he didn't see extended playing time until 1995. He's something of an oddity - a first baseman who hit lefty but threw righty.

Stahoviak appeared in 344 games over five seasons, hitting .256 with 27 home runs and 119 RBI.

He is a member of the Hall of Fame ... the Carmel Catholic High School Sports Hall of Fame, that is.

Stahoviak has a fairly average autograph... it's not terrible, but it's not easy to read, either. (Not that my signature would look so great after signing a few thousand cards.)

1996 Leaf Signature Series Mike Potts

Who is this? Mike Potts, a former pitcher for the Milwaukee Brewers

What is this? An autographed card from the 1996 Leaf Signature Series

Where'd I get it? This is another purchase from last weekend's baseball card show.

How much did it cost? $1

Why is this so special? Mike Potts was a relief pitcher for the Milwaukee Brewers in 1996. His Major League career lasted just 24 games; he finished with a lifetime 1-2 record and 7.15 ERA.

According to his Wikipedia entry, Potts went into law enforcement after his baseball career ended.

Interestingly, Potts appears to have signed the card "Mich__l P_tts"

1996 Leaf Signature Series Chris Haney

Who is this? Chris Haney, a former pitcher with the Montreal Expos, Kansas City Royals, Cleveland Indians and Boston Red Sox

What is this? An autographed card from the 1996 Leaf Signature Series

Where'd I get it? This is another purchase from last weekend's card show

How much did it cost? $1

Why is this so special? Chris Haney is the son of former catcher Larry Haney and cousin of former infielder (and Mets coach) Mike Cubbage. He spent parts of 8 seasons in the majors, compiling a 38-52 lifetime record with a 5.07 ERA.

His most notable "accomplishment" is being the pitcher who gave up Wade Boggs' 3000th hit.

The grey KC hat really made the card stand out. I'm not sure how long it lasted, but I hope it wasn't much longer than the white "ice cream man" cap that the Mets experimented with in the 1990s. The letters "MIK" are a tribute to owner Muriel Irene Kauffman, who died during the 1995 season.

Chris Haney has a fairly simplified autograph, but I guess I can't blame him since he had to sign a few thousand of these cards.

1996 Leaf Signature Series Sandy Martinez

Who is this? Sandy Martinez, a former catcher with the Toronto Blue Jays, Chicago Cubs, Florida Marlins, Montreal Expos, Cleveland Indians and Boston Red Sox

What is this? An autographed card from the 1996 Leaf Signature Series

Where'd I get it? I bought it at a baseball card show last weekend

How much did it cost? $1

Why is this so special? Sandy Martinez played in the majors for parts of 8 seasons, but he only got into 218 games. Still, that's 218 games more than most everybody else.

In 2006, he was invited to spring training by the New York Mets, but he never got the call. He spent the season in AAA with Norfolk, where I got to see him play in a couple of games.

Martinez has a neat autograph, but there is no way I'd ever connect it with the name "Sandy Martinez." I think I'd have an easier time reading it as "Ariel Prieto."

1996 Leaf Signature Series Ariel Prieto

Who is this? Ariel Prieto, a former Oakland Athletics and Tampa Bay Devil Rays pitcher

What is this? An autograph card from the 1996 Leaf Signature Series

Where'd I get it? I bought it at a baseball card show last weekend

How much did it cost? $1

Why is this so special? Ariel Prieto earned his fame with the Cuban National Team. He was widely expected to be the first overall pick in the 1995 amateur draft, but he lasted until the Oakland Athletics took him with the number five pick. He made his Major League debut later that year.

In six seasons, Prieto compiled a 15-24 record with a 4.85 lifetime ERA. This season, he was a coach for the A's Arizona League team.

The card comes from the 1996 Leaf Signature Series, the first major release to guarantee an autograph in every pack.

Prieto has a neat, careful signature, but I think I'd have a hard time deciphering his handwriting.

1996 Leaf Signature Extended Series Chuck McElroy

Who is this? Angels pitcher Chuck McElroy.

What is this? An autograph card from 1996 Leaf Signature Extended Series.

Where'd I get it? A big pile 'o autos I won.

How much did it cost? More than the nickel or so it's worth.

Why is this so special? Chuck was a serviceable lefty relief pitcher who played 13 years in the league for 8 different teams. He had 38 wins and 17 saves in 654 appearances. His lifetime ERA is almost a half run lower than the league average, and he got just under a strikeout per inning in his career. He was once traded for Lee Smith. He retired in 2001 and that was probably the last time any of you out there thought of him, if you've ever thought of him at all. None of that matters because I LIKE CHUCK MCELROY. I like his name. Say it out loud. Chuck McElroy. I like his big ol' Urkel glasses. I don't even mind that he was a Cub. Chuck was a lefty setup guy in the '90s and he went out and did his job, usually well. You need reliable bullpen guys, just ask any fan of a team without them. He never pitched for the Braves (which may be why I have good memories of Chuck) but this card is still one of my more prized sigs.