1995 Signature Rookies Old Judge Jimmy Hurst

Who is this? Former Detroit Tigers outfielder Jimmy Hurst
What is this? An autographed insert card from the 1995 Signature Rookies Old Judge set
Where'd I get it? The discount box of a card dealer at the local card show
How much did it cost? 50 cents

Why is this so special? Jimmy Hurst spent 17 seasons as a pro baseball player. A 12th round draft choice in 1990, Hurst eventually made it to the major leagues for 13 games with the Detroit Tigers in 1997. He got three hits, including a home run off New York Yankees All-Star David Wells.

Hurst played home games in at least four countries during his career - the United States, Canada, Mexico and Japan. He was a star in the Atlantic League in the later stages of his playing career. He suited up for the Newark Bears, Nashua Pride and Atlantic City Surf. For the 2002 Atlantic League Champion Bears, he hit .341 with 35 home runs and 100 RBI.

Hurst's autograph is a little sloppy, but that could be forgiven considering the relatively small size of the card and the number he had to sign.

1996 Old Judge T-96 Frank Catalanotto

Who is this? Tigers second baseman Frank Catalanotto.

What is this? An autograph card from 1995 Old Judge T-96 Series, card number 7. The card is serial numbered 5533/6000.

Where'd I get it? I really don't have any clue. I've gotten these cards out of packs, in a large autograph lot and at a clearance sale for a quarter each.

How much did it cost? Anywhere from 25 cents to 5 dollars.

Why is this so special? This is proof that the Retro craze didn't start with Topps Heritage. This minor league set from the mid 90's featured a smaller card size (but not quite the same size as the original Old Judge cards), cardboard stock (also different from original Old Judge cards), a series designation of T-96 (which is actually a series of Prize Winning Dogs) and of most importantly, an autograph per pack. If I remember correctly, the set was filled with minor league prospects most of which didn't pan out very well and Vlad Guerrero. There were also a bunch of insert sets also with autograph parallels including Griffey Jr, A-Rod and Todd Helton. Frank is one of the players in the set who actually made a major league career for himself and is a good fourth outfielder and bench player. Frank started his career with the Tigers and has also played for the Blue Jays and Rangers. He also played for the Italian national team in the 2006 World Baseball classic. He is currently in the mix for a job in the Rangers' outfield. Frank has a nice looking signature considering his hand must have been about to fall off by the time he signed for the 5,533rd time.