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.

2010 Bowman Sterling Team USA Game-Used Tony Wolters

Who is this? Cleveland Indians Prospect Tony Wolters.
What is this? An autograph card from 2010 Bowman Sterling Team USA Game-Used.
Where'd I get it? I got this card and several others signed by Tony during batting practice at the 2011 New York-Penn League All-Star game in Lowell, MA last August.
How much did it cost? I paid $2 for this card at a card show last summer.

Why is this so special? Tony Wolters was a member of the Team USA 18 & Under squad in 2009 and 2010 before being drafted and signed by the Cleveland Indians in the third-round of the 2010 MLB Draft. In order to secure Wolters, the Indians had to offer him a $1.35 million signing bonus, over three-time MLB's recommendation for a third-round pick.

Wolters, who currently plays shortstop, but is expected to move to second base after the Indians drafted SS Francisco Lindor in the first-round of the 2011 MLB Draft, was recently ranked as the Indians #3 prospect by John Sickels and played well in his first season of professional baseball, hitting .292 with 10 doubles, 3 triples, and 19 steals in 69 games for Mahoning Valley in 2011.

Wolters has a loopy and kind of sloppy signature that seems to be made of a T and W with some loops. He was nice enough to sign six cards for me when the American League All-Star Team was taking batting practice. Although he was only playing in Short-Season A ball, he seemed to have the swagger of a Major Leaguer and looked good at the plate and in the field.

2010 Donruss Elite Extra Edition Mike Nesseth

Who is this? Phillies Minor League Pitcher Mike Nesseth.
What is this? An autograph card from 2010 Donruss Elite Extra Edition.
Where'd I get it? I got this card signed by Mike at the 2011 New York-Penn League All-Star game in Lowell, MA.
How much did it cost? I got this card when I bought two sets of 2010 Donruss Elite Extra Edition last year.

Why is this so special? Mike Nesseth was the Philadelphia Phillies Seventeenth-Round pick in the 2010 MLB Draft out of Nebraska. After undergoing Tommy John Surgery in 2010, Nesseth made his professional debut with the Williamsport Crosscutters of the New York-Penn League, a Short-Season A-League, where he pitched well, posting a 3.21 ERA.

So, why is Nesseth notable? Perhaps it is because he has an excellent signature. But it could also be because of the way that he reminds some people of another Phillies pitcher.

As Paul Hagen wrote in the Philadelphia Inquirer in May 2011:

"(Phillies Catcher Carlos) Ruiz grinned. "He surprised me. He has great stuff," he said. "And his body reminds me of Roy."

That would be Roy Halladay, one of the best pitchers in baseball. And while the comparison is grossly unfair, it's also one that's heard repeatedly around the Carpenter Complex these days. Little Doc, they call him.

The physical resemblance is unmistakable. Halladay is listed at 6-6, 230; Nesseth at 6-5, 210. They both have short, sandy colored hair. Their deliveries have much in common.

They're even both represented by the same agents at CAA Sports.

And then there's this: Like Halladay, Little Doc has also become known as a workout fiend. "He's outstanding, one of the best workers and competitors we have in our system," assistant general manager, player development and scouting Chuck LaMar said."

It might be quite awhile before Nesseth joins Doc in the Phillies rotations, but if it does happen, remember: you (probably) read it here first.

1988 Topps Rich Gedman

Who is this? Former Boston Red Sox Catcher Rich Gedman.
What is this? An autograph card from 1988 Topps.
Where'd I get it? I got this card signed by Rich at the 2011 New York-Penn League All-Star game where Rich was the American League Batting Coach.
How much did it cost? I found this card and two other Gedman's in a shoebox a few minutes before I left to go to the All-Star game. I assume that I basically paid nothing for the cards.

Why is this so special? Rich Gedman played for the Boston Red Sox from 1980 until 1990 before ending his career with the Houston Astros (1990-1991) and St. Louis Cardinals (1991-1992).

A two-time American League All-Star (1985, 1986), Gedman caught two of the most historic games in the history of the Boston Red Sox organization. First, Gedman caught the first nine-innings of the Longest Game in the History Professional Baseball, the 33 inning battle between the Triple-A Pawtucket Red Sox and Rochester Red Wings that began April 18, continued into April 19, and was completed on June 23, 1981 at McCoy Stadium in Pawtucket, RI. Other participants in the Longest Game included Cal Ripken, Jr. and Wade Boggs.

In addition, Gedman was the Red Sox Catcher in Game Six of the 1986 World Series, where a "Wild Pitch" by Bob Stanley (that many considered an error by Gedman) and a ball hit through Bill Buckner's legs were the difference that allowed the Mets to win the game and go on to win the World Series.

Gedman's career included an additional bizarre twist in 1987, when he, along with ten other free agents (including Tim Raines and Andre Dawson), failed to reach an agreement with their teams by a January 8th deadline and were thus not allowed to re-sign until May 1.

After retiring from baseball at the age of 34, Gedman has spent some time coaching and managing. Gedman made his return to organized baseball in 2011 when he took over as the Lowell (MA) Spinners (Red Sox Short Season NYPL A-Ball Affiliate) batting coach.

Gedman was very nice about signing the three cards that I had and his signature looks very nice.