2009 TriSTAR Prospects Plus Seth Schwindenhammer

Who is this? Red Sox Minor League Outfielder Seth Schwindenhammer
What is this? An autograph card from 2009 TriSTAR Prospects Plus
Where'd I get it? I got this card signed by Seth at the 2011 New York-Penn League All-State Game in Lowell, MA in August.
How much did it cost? I got it when I bought a set of 2009 TriSTAR Prospects Plus.

Why is this so special? If he ever reaches the Major Leagues, Seth Schwindenhammer (15 letters) will break Jarrod Saltalamacchia's (14 letters) record for the longest last-name in the history of Major League Baseball. Fortunately for Salty, that record seems safe for at least a few years.

Seth Schwindenhammer was drafted in the Fifth-round of the 2009 MLB Draft out of Limestone Community High School (IL) and given a $140,000 signing bonus. Since then, he has spent his first three professional seasons playing in the rookie Gulf Coast and New York-Penn Leagues.

Seth's best season came in 2011, when he hit .213 with 9 homeruns for the Lowell Spinners, the Red Sox Short-Season affiliate. For that, he earned a spot on the New York-Penn League's American League All-Star team.

And while his statistics may not stand out, his last name has made quite a "name" for itself. In fact, Seth Schwindenhammer was a candidate in Milb.com's 2010 and 2011 Minors Moniker Maddness, a competition that allowed fans to choose their favorite player name in Minor League Baseball.

2009 Upper Deck Signature Stars Garin Cecchini

Who is this? Red Sox Third Base Prospect Garin Cecchini.
What is this? An autograph card from 2009 Upper Deck Signature Stars.
Where'd I get it? I got this card signed by Garin before the New York-Penn League Short-Season A-League All-Star Game in Lowell, MA on Tuesday.
How much did it cost? I bought this card for about ten cents a year ago.

Why is this so special? Garin was the Red Sox fourth-round pick in 2010 and he received a $1.31 million signing bonus to lure him away from attending LSU. A former member of the Team USA 18U squad, Cecchini lead the team in doubles and slugging percentage during the Pan Am Junior Championships, besting teammates Bryce Harper and Manny Machado.

Garin made his professional debut this season for the Red Sox Short-Season Affiliate Lowell Spinners. In 32 games, Cecchini batted .298 with 3 HR, 12 2B, 23 RBI, 12 SB, and an .898 OPS, impressive enough to earn a spot on the NYPL American League All-Star Team. Unfortunately, Garin injured his forearm on July 23 and is likely to miss the rest of the season. Nonetheless, even in his limited time, Cecchini demonstrated the above-average tools that made him a Top 10 Prospect for the Red Sox before the 2011 season and he should begin next season with the Low-A Greenville Drive.

Garin signed a total of six cards for me. Knowing that he is religious and that he used religious themes for his 2009 Upper Deck Team USA Inscriptions cards, I asked him to include a bible verse on some of the cards. He signed my 2011 Bowman card with Psalm 83:18 (That men may know that thou, whose name alone is JEHOVAH, art the most high over all the earth.), telling me that he has that verse on his glove.

I had heard rumors that Garin was a tough sign, but he was very friendly and talkative with fans.

2010 Topps Pro Debut Miles Head

Who is this? Red Sox minor league First Baseman Miles Head.
What is this? An autograph card from 2010 Topps Pro Debut.
Where'd I get it? I got this card signed by Miles before the 2010 Futures at Fenway Game between the New York-Penn League Lowell Spinners (Boston) and the Jamestown Jammers (Florida).
How much did it cost? About 25 cents.

Why is this so special? If Miles never made it to the pros, he would still be noteworthy for being one of the best Little League baseball players of his generation. In fact, as a 12 year-old, Miles hit 75 homeruns and later won the Triple Crown at the Continental Amateur Baseball Association World Series as a 14 year-old.

Unfortunately, Miles dominance did not continue in High School and he slipped to the Boston Red Sox in the 26th round of the 2009 draft. After a moderately successful 2010 season, Miles has shattered all expectations in 2011. Playing for the Single-A Greenville Drive and Salem Red Sox, Miles has hit 17 homeruns with a .954 OPS in his first 85 games and was elected to the South Atlantic League All-Star Game.

Now, things are looking up for Miles as he continues to slug his way through the minors. If he keeps up his performance for the rest of the year, it will be difficult for scouts and prospectors to ignore this 20 year-old as he charts his path towards Fenway Park.

2008 TriStar Prospects Plus Bryan Price

Who is this? Akron Aeros pitcher Bryan Price
 
What is this? An autographed Farm Hands insert card from the 2008 TriStar Prospects Plus set  

Where'd I get it? This was my guaranteed autograph in a clearance blaster box
 
How much did it cost? Two TriStar blasters, shrink-wrapped together, sold for $10.
 
Why is this so special? Bryan Price was a first round selection of the Boston Red Sox in the 2008 draft (45th overall). He struggled in Boston's farm system, and somehow moved over to the Cleveland Indians organization.

This year, he's pitching out of the bullpen for the Akron Aeros in the AA Eastern League. He's 1-2 with a 4.76 ERA in 17 games, and it looks like a longshot for Price to ever reach the major leagues.

Still, stranger things have happened. Even if he never moves past AA, Price has been more successful than most people who have set foot on a pitcher's mound.

If anybody reading this is a teacher or has school-age children, I'd love to know how much time they spend on penmanship now. It didn't seem especially important when I was in school, and that was before computers became so dominant.

Of course, it's also likely that Price's signature looks like that because he knew he was going to have to sign hundreds of stickers for TriStar, and mine could have come from near the end of the batch. You never know.