1991 Leaf Lonnie Smith

Who is this? Lonnie Smith, a former major league outfielder

What is this? An autographed card from the 1991 Leaf set

Where'd I get it? I wrote to Smith earlier this month and asked him to it

How much did it cost? Just postage, really. The card came out of a cheap wax box I bought a few years ago.

Why is this so special? I wrote about Smith's early career yesterday, when I showed you the 1982 Fleer card Smith signed. After wearing out his welcome in Kansas City, Smith signed a contract with the Atlanta Braves for the 1988 season.

Smith continued to struggle in his first year in Atlanta, but he rebounded in 1989 to win the National League Comeback Player of the Year award. He hit .315 with 21 home runs and 79 RBI and led the National League with a .415 on base percentage. Smith continued to be a starter for the Braves in 1990 and 1991, when they began their string of playoff appearances.

Smith settled back into a part-time role in his final year in Atlanta in 1992. He moved to Pittsburgh in 1993 and finished his career with Baltimore in 1994.

The 1991 Leaf set isn't one of the most exciting designs of the 90s, but this card looks great signed.

1982 Fleer Lonnie Smith

Who is this? Lonnie Smith, a former outfielder for the Philadelphia Phillies, St. Louis Cardinals, Kansas City Royals and Atlanta Braves

What is this? An autographed card from the 1982 Fleer set

Where'd I get it? I wrote to Smith a couple of weeks ago and asked him to sign it.

How much did it cost? Just postage.

Why is this so special? Lonnie Smith was a member of the 1980 World Series Champion Phillies. Though he was only a part time player, he had a good enough season to finish third in the Rookie of the Year balloting. Smith hit .339 with 3 home runs, 20 RBI and 33 stolen bases in 100 games.

Smith was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals before the 1982 season. He had an All-Star year for his new team, hitting .309 with 8 home runs, 69 RBI and 68 stolen bases. He led the league with 120 runs scored.

Smith had another good season in 1983, but his star was beginning to fade by 1984. He soon found himself on a new team, the Kansas City Royals.

Lonnie Smith has a surprisingly neat autograph, though this one is a little bit smudged. You don't see that too often on 1982 Fleer cards.