2010 Topps Ross Detwiler

Who is this? Washington Nationals' Pitcher Ross Detwiler.
What is this? An autograph card from 2010 Topps.
Where'd I get it? I got this card signed by Ross before a Pawtucket Red Sox v. Syracuse Chiefs game in Spring 2010.
How much did it cost? I got the card when I bought the 2010 Topps set.

Why is this so special? Here's a fun fact: Ross Detwiler was the first 2007 MLB Draft pick to make it to the bigs when he made his Major League debut for the Washington Nationals when he pitched in relief against the Atlanta Braves. That put him ahead of fellow 2007 draftees David Price and Matt Wieters.

Unfortunately for Detwiler, his meteoric rise to the Majors was not exactly a sign of things to come. Although he saw time in the Majors in 2009 and 2010, he spent the majority of the next three years in the Minors, pitching for Double-A Harrisburg and Triple-A Syracuse.

The good news is that Detwiler had his most productive Major League season in 2011 when he went 4-5 with a 3.00 ERA in 15 games (10 starts) for the Nationals. He will be 26 on Opening Day in 2012, and still has plenty of time to prove that his early rise was no fluke.

Ross also was nice enough to sign these two 2008 rookie cards for me.

2008 Donruss Elite Extra Edition Wilson Ramos

Who is this? Washington Nationals Catcher Wilson Ramos.
What is this? An autograph card from 2008 Donruss Elite Extra Edition.
Where'd I get it? I got this card signed by Wilson when he was a member of the Minnesota Twins Triple-A affiliate, the Rochester Red Wings, before a game against the Pawtucket Red Sox.
How much did it cost? I got this card when I bought two sets of 2008 Donruss Elite Extra Edition for about $12.00 around Christmas-time in 2009.

Why is this so special? Wilson Ramos is one of the best young catchers in baseball. He was acquired by the Washington Nations from the Minnesota Twins at the trade deadline in 2010 in exchange for closer Matt Capps. In his first full-season in the Majors in 2011, Ramos batted .267 with 15 homeruns in 113 games.

Unfortunately, on November 9, 2011, Ramos was kidnapped by four armed men in Venezuela, his homeland, where he was playing in the Venezuelan Winter Baseball League. Ramos is just the most recent target of gangs who target athletes and their families in what has become a lucrative kidnapping and ransom business.

Wilson seemed like a very nice young man when I met him, and I hope that he is quickly and safely returned to his family. Until then, he will be in my prayers.

2010 Topps National Chicle Ian Desmond

Who is this? Washington Nationals shortstop Ian Desmond
What is this? An autograph insert card from Topps National Chicle
Where'd I get it? I bought it at the local card show
How much did it cost? Around $5, I think.

Why is this so special? You've probably heard of Ian Desmond, unlike the Brooklyn Cyclones guys I've been posting for the last week.

Desmond was a third-round pick by the Montreal Expos in 2004. He made his major league debut with the Washington Nationals last year, and this year he beat out Cristian Guzman for the starting shortstop job.

While Desmond has not had a good year in the field, he has shown promise at the plate. For a rookie shortstop, .281-9-58 isn't bad.

Desmond's autograph is just "Ian D." I wouldn't mind if I got this signature at the ballpark, but it's a bit disappointing for something from a paid signing.

2009 Upper Deck Sweet Spot Jordan Zimmermann

Who is this? Washington Nationals pitcher Jordan Zimmerman
 
What is this? An autograph card from the 2009 Upper Deck Sweet Spot set
 
Where'd I get it? It was a card show purchase
 
How much did it cost? Around $5
 
Why is this so special? Jordan Zimmerman was a well-regarded prospect for the Washington Nationals. Last year, he won his first two major league starts -- the only pitcher in Washington Nationals history to that point to accomplish that feat. His second win came in a game against the New York Mets that I attended.

Zimmerman is currently recovering from Tommy John surgery.

Zimmerman has a reasonably legible signature, though he's eliminated a number of the letters from his name to make it easier to sign autographs.

2008 Bowman Luke Montz

Who is this? Binghamton Mets catcher Luke Montz

What is this? An autographed card from the 2008 Bowman set

Where'd I get it? I got it signed after a game between the Binghamton Mets and Trenton Thunder earlier this month

How much did it cost? I think the card cost a quarter.

Why is this so special? Luke Montz had a cup of coffee with the Washington Nationals in 2008, but he signed a minor league contract with the Mets organization at the beginning of this season. Montz was assigned to AA Binghamton, where he played in 17 games before getting hurt.

After the game, Montz stopped to sign autographs for the fans who asked him. I thanked him for signing my card, and he thanked me for asking him. That's something that happens maybe once every two or three years, if that often.

Montz has a legible signature, but it really doesn't look much like the facsimile autograph on his Bowman card.

2010 Topps Heritage Craig Stammen

Who is this? Washington Nationals pitcher Craig Stammen 


What is this? An autograph card from the 2010 Topps Heritage set
 
Where'd I get it? I wrote to Stammen a couple of weeks ago and asked him to sign it. I got it back on Monday.
 
How much did it cost? About $1 for the card plus postage
 
Why is this so special? Craig Stammen is a talented young starting pitcher for the Washington Nationals. He didn't have a great rookie season in 2009, but he showed flashes of potential.

After getting knocked out in the second inning against the Philadelphia Phillies on April 14, Stammen rebounded with a pair of strong starts against the Colorado Rockies and Los Angeles Dodgers. He'll face Ricky Nolasco and the Florida Marlins on Friday.

The way Stammen signed his first name, it almost looks like he wants to go by "CJ." His last name is pretty legible, though.