2007 Topps Allen and Ginter's Mini Rich Hill

Who is this? Boston Red Sox pitcher Rich Hill.
What is this? An autograph mini card from 2007 Topps Allen and Ginter's.
Where'd I get it? I got this card signed by Rich earlier this season when he was a member of the Triple-A Pawtucket Red Sox.
How much did it cost? Not much. I found this card in a nickel or dime box at my local card show in Mansfield, MA.

Why is this so special? Rich Hill is one of the nicest players that I have had the pleasure to meet since I began collecting baseball autographs three years ago. Born in Boston, MA, Hill attended Milton High School before attending the University of Michigan. He was drafted by the Chicago Cubs in the second round of the 2002 draft and made his Major League debut with the Cubs in 2005.

Now 31 years old, Hill has played parts of seven seasons in the Major Leagues with the Cubs, Orioles, and Red Sox. His best seasons came in 2007 as a member of the Cubs when he finished eighth in the NL with 8.446 strikeouts per 9 innings and a WHIP of 1.195. Unfortunately, Hill struggled in 2009, forcing his return to the Minors.

Hill appeared to have turned things around with the Red Sox out of the bullpen in 2010 and 2011, not allowing a single run in 12 innings pitched while striking out 15 batters. However, just as things appeared to be getting better, Hill was found to have an elbow injury that required season-ending Tommy John Surgery early in the 2011season.

Hopefully Hill will recover quickly and be back to the Boston bullpen in 2012.

1991 ProCards Tidewater Tides Rich Sauveur

Who is this? Pawtucket Red Sox pitching coach Rich Sauveur
What is this? An autographed card from the 1991 ProCards Tidewater Tides team set
Where'd I get it? I wrote to Sauveur and asked him to sign it last Monday. I got it back today, 10 days later.
How much did it cost? The card probably cost me a buck or two, but I don't really remember.

Why is this so special? I'm having a really good week adding to my all-time Mets autograph collection. Monday, I got cards from Bob L. Gibson that I'd given up any hope of ever seeing again. Today, I got an autograph from another obscure former Mets reliever.

I bought this card two or three winters ago, with the intention of mailing it to Sauveur. I always managed to forget about actually sending it until after the season was over. SNY broadcasted a game between the Pawtucket Red Sox and Buffalo Bisons on the Mets last off-day, and that made me think about this card again. (I never really cared for the yellow notepad design when ProCards used it in 1991, but it has a certain nostalgic charm now. It's still ugly, though.)

Sauveur pitched in 34 major league games over a career that spanned 15 years. He made his major league debut for the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1986, and he made his final appearance for the Oakland As in 2000. In 1991, he pitched 3 1/3 innings for the New York Mets.

Sauveur finished his career as a knuckleball pitcher - quite possibly the only left-handed one in major league history. He is now the pitching coach for the Pawtucket Red Sox.

He has a pretty legible autograph, especially for a left-hander.