2010 Lancaster Barnstormers Tom Herr

Who is this? Lancaster Barnstormers manager Tom Herr
What is this? An autographed card from this year's Barnstormers team set
Where'd I get it? Herr signed it for me before a game in Newark earlier this year.
How much did it cost? The team set was around $6 shipped.


Why is this so special? Tom Herr spent 13 seasons in the majors, playing for the St. Louis Cardinals, Minnesota Twins, Philadelphia Phillies, New York Mets and San Francisco Giants. He was an All-Star and won a World Series ring.

The Lancaster, Pa. native was picked as the first manager of the Lancaster Barnstormers prior to the 2005 Atlantic League season. In 2006, He led them to their only Atlantic League championship. Herr's success drew the attention of the Washington Nationals, who hired him to manage their South Atlantic League affiliate in Hagerstown in 2007.

Herr left the Washington organization after just one season and returned to the Barnstormers as a coach under new manager Von Hayes.When Hayes left Lancaster to manage the Camden Riversharks in 2010, Herr regained the lineup card in Lancaster.

Herr has always been a willing autograph signer during his time in the Atlantic League, and he has a very neat signature. As Zach pointed out, Herr's son Aaron has an autograph that is very similar to his father's. I find that absolutely fascinating -- my handwriting is nothing like my Dad's.

Lancaster neglected to include Herr and Hayes in their original 2009 team set. They issued a 10-card update set including both late last season. I also got Herr's card from that set signed earlier this summer.

1987 Fleer Tom Herr

Who is this? Former St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Tom Herr
 
What is this? An autographed card from the 1987 Fleer set

Where'd I get it? Herr signed it for me before a doubleheader between the Lancaster Barnstormers and Newark Bears last month.
 
How much did it cost? Not much.  

Why is this so special? I wrote a little bit about Tom Herr when I posted the first card he signed for me this year.

I remember collecting the 1987 Fleer set quite heavily when I was younger. The funny thing is, I was doing it in 1988. I had put together a few Topps sticker albums in the early 1980s, but I just remember them as "stickers." I didn't start collecting baseball cards seriously until 1988.

The local comic shop had a ton of 1987 Topps cello packs and 1987 Fleer rack packs in 1988 - I guess baseball cards were not a big seller for them. So after I got tired of the current year sets, I started picking these up for the novelty. I think I had about 3/4 of the Fleer set by the time the shop sold the last of their cards, including all of the "big" rookies of the day.

Because of those memories, I like to get 1987 Fleer cards signed when I can. It's not the most exciting design of the 1980s, but I think it holds up better than any of the 1988 cards. They do look great signed in blue Sharpie -- especially when the player has a readable signature like Tom Herr.

1982 Fleer Tom Herr

Who is this? 1980s St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Tom Herr
 
What is this? An autographed card from the 1982 Fleer set
 
Where'd I get it? I got it signed before Wednesday's doubleheader between the Lancaster Barnstormers and Newark Bears

How much did it cost? I'm not sure where I picked up this card
 
Why is this so special? You've got to love those old 1982 Fleer cards. Tommy Herr was lucky because the photo on his card is actually in focus, even though it's not a great shot.

Herr was a Cardinal for 10 seasons. He went to three World Series with them, earning a ring in 1982. He represented the National League in the 1985 All-Star Game, and he was the last National League player to drive in 100 runs while finishing the season with fewer than 10 home runs.

After he retired from baseball, Herr became the first manager of the Lancaster Barnstormers.  He led them to their only Atlantic League championship in 2006. Herr then left the team to manage the Hagerstown Suns in 2007. Last season, he returned to the Barnstormers as the team's bench coach. This season, Herr is filling out the Lancaster lineup card again.

Tom Herr comes from the era when players still had legible autographs.