1993 Scranton Wilkes-Barre Red Barons Greg Legg

Who is this? Lakewood BlueClaws hitting coach Greg Legg
What is this? A signed 1993 Scranton Wilkes Barre Red Barons team set card
Where'd I get it? I wrote to the Legg c/o the BlueClaws at the beginning of July and asked him to sign it. I got it back about a week later.
How much did it cost? I found it in a dealer's dime box at a card show earlier this year.

Why is this so special? Greg Legg played 14 games for the Philadelphia Phillies between 1986 and 1987, but that's not why I remember him.

Legg played for the Scranton Wilkes-Barre Red Barons in each of their first six years of existence, though he only reached the 100 game plateau in two of those seasons. My family had relatives in the Scranton area, and every summer we'd go out to visit. Going to a Red Barons game or two was usually the highlight of the trip. While Legg was never a superstar, you have to admit he's got a memorable name.

Legg retired as a player in 1994, but he remained in the game as a manager and a coach.

Although its a bit small, Legg has a clear and legible autograph.

2010 Somerset Patriots Tim Raines Jr.

Who is this? Newark Bears outfielder Tim Raines Jr.
What is this? An autographed  2010 Someset Patriots team set card
Where'd I get it? Raines signed it for me before Monday's Newark Bears game.
How much did it cost? The autograph was free, and my Dad picked up the team set when he went to see a Patriots game earlier this month. It really didn't cost me anything.


Why is this so special? Tim Raines Jr. is the son of former Montreal Expos star Tim Raines. They got to play together in four games for the Baltimore Orioles at the end of the 2001 season, and for the second year in a row Raines Jr. is playing for his father's team.

Though the younger Raines is not the player that his father was, he did appear in 75 major league games. At age 31, he still has the speed to steal bases and he's one of the best players on the Newark Bears team. However, it's unlikely that he'll have another chance to play affiliated baseball at this point in his career.

Below is a Bowman Heritage card showing Raines Jr. as an Oriole that he signed for me last year.

1988 TCMA Albuquerque Dukes Terry Collins

Who is this? Mets manager Terry Collins
What is this? An autographed card from the 1988 TCMA Dukes team set
Where'd I get it? I wrote to Collins and asked him to sign it
How much did it cost? The unsigned card was a couple of bucks. Collins does not have many cards available at the moment.


Why is this so special? Terry Collins was the first person I wrote to for an autograph at spring training this year. The new Mets manager signed and returned my card in just over two weeks, and he's got a legible autograph.

Collins does not have any nationally-issued cards at this point - just minor league sets, team issues and other regional stuff like Mother's Cookies cards. Hopefully Topps will correct that soon, but it doesn't seem like this is a year that they want to make manager cards.

2010 New Hampshire Fisher Cats Jonathan Jaspe

Who is this? minor league catcher Jonathan Jaspe
What is this? An autographed card from the 2010 New Hampshire Fisher Cards set
Where'd I get it? Jaspe signed it for me before a Trenton Thunder game last year.
How much did it cost? I believe the team set cost around $10

Why is this so special? Jaspe, a Venezuelan native, has played in the Blue Jays system since 2005. Last season, at the age of 25, he hit .238 /.285 / .354 with 1 home run in 61 games for the AA Fisher Cats. It would be a surprise if Jaspe improved enough to get a shot in the major leagues, but he's already accomplished more as a pro baseball player than 99.9 percent of the population.

I got the card signed with a silver Sharpie that was on its way out, but it came out better than it probably would have if Jaspe had signed in blue.

2010 New Hampshire Fisher Cats Jonathan Diaz

Who is this? Toronto Blue Jays minor league infielder Jonathan Diaz
What is this? An autographed card from the 2010 New Hampshire Fisher Cats team set
Where'd I get it? Diaz signed it for me at a Trenton Thunder game last year
How much did it cost? The team set cost around $10, if I remember correctly.

Why is this so special? Diaz is wearing a pink jersey, which was undoubtedly from a Mother's Day/breast cancer awareness game. He's probably not thrilled at the choice of photos used for his baseball card, but at least it's a cool action shot.

Diaz was selected in the 12th round of the 2006 draft. He split last season between AA New Hampshire and AAA Las Vegas, hitting a combined .239 / .348 / .315 with two home runs and five stolen bases in seven attempts. Diaz turns 26 this April, so time is running out for him to show that he deserves a chance in the majors.

Diaz has an interesting signature, though I'm glad I don't have to decipher it.

2010 Lancaster Barnstormers Joe Gaetti

Who is this? Lancaster Barnstormers outfielder Joe Gaetti
What is this? An autographed card from the 2010 Lancaster Barnstormers team set
Where'd I get it? Gaetti signed it for me at a Newark Bears game last year.
How much did it cost? I got the team set for around $5, if I remember correctly.

Why is this so special? I haven't posted too many cards I got signed myself lately (other than the ones I paid to get signed at an autograph show last month.)

Gaetti is the son of former Minnesota Twins third baseman Gary Gaetti. At this point, it doesn't look like Joe will be anywhere near as successful as his father as a baseball player. Joe was selected in the 12th round of the 2003 draft by the Colorado Rockies. He remained in that organization through 2007 and made it as far as AAA.

Since then, he's played affiliated ball for the Oakland, Minnesota, Tampa Bay and Texas organizations, as well as independent league ball in the Northern and Atlantic Leagues. Last year, Gaetti hit .218 with 14 home runs and 46 RBI in 118 games for the Lancaster Barnstormers. I'm not sure where (or if) Joe will be playing ball in 2011.

Gaetti took his time with his autograph, but his "J" and "G" look remarkably similar to me.

2010 Wichita Wingnuts Jeff Christy

Who is this? Wichita Wingnuts catcher Jeff Christy
What is this? An autographed card from the 2010 Wichita Wingnuts team set
Where'd I get it? From Zach of Autographed Cards


Why is this so special? No offense to Mr. Christy, but this is a terrible card. It's a boring photo and you can't even see what he looks like. I don't think I've ever seen another card set using a photo like this, so it does deserve some points for uniqueness. :)

Christy was a 6th round draft pick who played exclusively in the Twins organization until last year. Though he made it as far as AAA, Christy was pretty much a backup player after his second season. It seems odd that a relatively high draft pick would not get a longer look, but he just didn't hit.

Christy batted .289 with 1 home run and 39 RBI in 84 games with the Wingnuts last year. That raised his career average to .215.

He's got a fairly legible autograph, but for some reason he made his last name pretty small.

2010 Lancaster Barnstormers Jason Simontacchi

Who is this? Lancaster Barnstormers pitcher Jason Simontacchi
What is this? An autographed card from the 2010 Lancaster Barnstormers team set
Where'd I get it? Simontacchi signed it for me at a Newark Bears game last year.


Why is this so special? Jason Simontacchi has had a very interesting career in baseball. He was drafted by the Kansas City Royals in the 21st round in 1996, but he only spent two seasons in their minor league system.

In 1998, Simontacchi was 10-2 with a 2.95 ERA for the Springfield Capitals, champions of the independent Frontier League. That got him another shot in affiliated ball, but it didn't work out in the Pittsburgh organization either.

In 2000, Simontacchi pitched in Italy. He also played in the Olympics for the Italian team. In 2001, he returned to America and had a lackluster season in the Minnesota Twins organization.

In 2002, Simontacchi finally had success in affiliated ball. He spent most of the season in the major leagues with the St. Louis Cardinals, winning 11 and losing 5 as a 28-year-old rookie. Simontacchi remained with the Cardinals through 2004, but missed the 2005 season because of a shoulder injury.

In 2006 Simontacchi made his first appearance in the Atlantic League, pitching for the Bridgeport Bluefish. That got him another shot at affiliated ball for 2007. In an injury-plagued season, Simontacchi went 6-7 for the Washington Nationals.

In 2008, Simontacchi returned to the Atlantic League as a member of the Long Island Ducks. I'm not sure if he sat out the 2009 season or if he played in Italy again, but I can't find any stats. Last year, Simontacchi pitched for the Lancaster Barnstormers. He was 5-7 with a 5.78 ERA.

Simontacchi's career 26-17 record may not seem that impressive, but it really is remarkable when you think about his baseball journey.

For a guy with a long name who's signed thousands of autographs over the years, he still has a pretty nice signature too.

2009 Long Island Ducks Jason Norderum

Who is this? Long Island Ducks pitcher Jason Norderum
What is this? An autographed card from the 2009 Long Island Ducks team set
Where'd I get it? Norderum signed it for me at a Newark Bears game last year.


Why is this so special? Jason Norderum began his pro career in the Montreal Expos system in 1999. He advanced as far as AAA in 2006 before being cut loose. Since then, he's played in a variety of independent leagues. I've seen him pitch for both the Lancaster Barnstormers and the Ducks.

Last year, Norderum was 1-1 with a 5.16 ERA in 31 relief appearances for Long Island. His autograph looks a bit like a seismograph reading, don't you think?

2008 Long Island Ducks Jamie Quinn

Who is this? Long Island Ducks bullpen catcher Jamie Quinn
What is this? An autographed card from the 2008 Long Island Ducks team set
Where'd I get it? Quinn signed it for me before a Newark Bears game last year.


Why is this so special? Not many teams produce a baseball card for their bullpen catcher. Not every minor league or independent league team even has a bullpen catcher - in those cases, the duty of warming up relief pitchers falls to the backup catcher or a coach.

Quinn did not spend the whole season in the bullpen last year, though. When the Ducks were short a catcher, they added Quinn to the active roster. He appeared in 5 games where he was hitless in 9 at-bats. He did drive in a run.

For a current player, his signature isn't too bad.

2010 Wichita Wingnuts Gabe Medina

Who is this? Wichita Wingnuts pitcher Gabe Medina
What is this? An autographed card from the 2010 Wichita Wingnuts team set
Where'd I get it? From Zach at Autographed Cards


Why is this so special? This is another signed card from the Wichita Wingnuts team set that Zach sent me a few weeks ago. I really like the classic vest style uniform that Medina is wearing, but I'm glad I don't have to decipher his autograph. I'd be thinking it was signed y someone whose last name began with the letter "C."

Medina, a native of Venezuela, had a 5-7 record in 20 starts for the Wingnuts this year, his second season with Wichita. Medina also pitched very briefly for the Camden Riversharks in 2010, though I didn't realize this until now.

The New York Yankees selected Medina in the 15th round of the 2006 draft, but in three seasons he never advanced past the South Atlantic League. Here's another card that shows him in his Yankees garb, also courtesy of Zach.

2009 Long Island Ducks Bud Harrelson

Who is this? Long Island Ducks co-owner & part-time coach Bud Harrelson
What is this? An autographed card from the 2009 Long Island Ducks team set
Where'd I get it? Nick from Baseball Happenings got it signed for me last month


Why is this so special? Bud Harrelson spent most of his 16-year major league career with the New York Mets. He won a Gold Glove and a World Series ring with the Mets. He would later go on to coach and manage the team.

Harrelson is a co-owner and served as the original manager of the Long Island Ducks team in the independent Atlantic League. He still coaches first base for the team on a limited basis, but you'll probably never see him unless you make the trip to Central Islip, N.Y. In six years of following Atlantic League baseball, the only time I saw Harrelson make a road trip was for a playoff game in Camden in 2008.

I've always found Harrelson to be a gracious signer, in person and via the mail. His signature looks a little shakier now than when he was younger, but it is still very neat and legible.

Here is his card from the 2008 Long Island team set:

1993 Topps Bob MacDonald

Who is this? Former Toronto Blue Jays reliever Bob MacDonald
What is this? An autographed card from the 1993 Topps set
Where'd I get it? I wrote to MacDonald at the beginning of November and asked him to sign a few cards for me. I got them back the day after Thanksgiving.
How much did it cost? Not much, beyond the postage.

Why is this so special? MacDonald was born in New Jersey and attended Rutgers University. He spent parts of six seasons in the majors in the 1990s. Though he pitched primarily for the Blue Jays, MacDonald also played for the Mets, Yankees and Tigers. According to his Wikipedia page, MacDonald now manages a semi-pro slow pitch softball team.

MacDonald has a decent signature that would likely be quite nice on a larger item... it seems a bit cramped on the baseball cards he signed for me. Here are the other two:

2009 MultiAd Sports Greenville Drive Bob Kipper

Who is this? Portland Sea Dogs pitching coach Bob Kipper
What is this? An autographed card from the 2009 Greenville Drive team set
Where'd I get it? I wrote to Kipper and asked him to sign a few cards earlier this month. A little over a week later, I got them back.
How much did it cost? Nothing, except postage.


Why is this so special? Bob Kipper was a major league pitcher for 8 seasons between 1985 and 1992 with the California Angels, Pittsburgh Pirates and Minnesota Twins. He began his career as a starter, but moved to the bullpen in 1988.

Kipper had a lifetime 27-37 record with a 4.34 ERA in 271 major league games. He finished his career in 1994 in the Mets' farm system. After retiring as a player, Kipper became a coach in the Red Sox system.

Kipper's autograph is quick and difficult to read, but you can make out more than just his initials. This is the first 2009 Greenville Drive card I've posted, and the first one that I've gotten signed. The set seems perfect for autographs, with a light background and nice portrait shots for most of the players and coaches.

Here are two other cards that he signed for me:

Last week's most-viewed posts were:

1. Star Driver Autograph Board signed by Masahiko Minami
2. 1991 Bowman Ever Magallanes
3. Autographed photo of James Marsters as Spike and Juliet Landau as Drusilla
4. 2010 Trenton Thunder Edwar Gonzalez
5. Autographed photo of Camden Toy and Doug Jones as The Gentlemen

2009 Tacoma Rainiers Erick Monzon

Who is this? Long Island Ducks infielder Erick Monzon
What is this? An autographed card from the 2009 Tacoma Rainiers team set
Where'd I get it? I got the card signed before a Newark Bears game this summer
How much did it cost? The card was a gift from a friend who visited the Tacoma Rainiers ballpark in 2009.


Why is this so special? Erick Monzon was drafted out of high school by the Texas Rangers in 1999, but he  did not sign. Instead, he went to the University of Tampa and signed with the Seattle Mariners as an undrafted free agent.

Monzon played at every level in the Mariners' system from 2004-2009, but it seems as though he was regarded more as a utility infielder who could provide roster depth than a real prospect. This season, spent with the Long Island Ducks, was the first time he played in 100 games for one team and only the second time he played that many in one season.

For the Ducks, Monzon hit .267 with a .731 OPS.He hit 11 home runs ans stole 17 bases.

Monzon's autograph is interesting... while it is pretty complicated, it is not very legible.

2010 Trenton Thunder Edwar Gonzalez

Who is this? Trenton Thunder outfielder Edwar Gonzalez  
What is this? An autographed card from the 2010 Trenton Thunder team set
Where'd I get it? Gonzalez signed it for me at a Trenton Thunder game this summer
How much did it cost? The team set was $10.

Why is this so special? Edwar Gonzalez is a nine-year minor league veteran. He began his pro career in 2002 with the Gulf Coast League Yankees at the age of 19. He advanced through the farm system, first arriving at Trenton in 2008.

In a part-time role in 2010, Gonzalez hit .235 with a .707 OPS in 74 games. He had 6 home runs and 35 RBI. For the first time in his career, Gonzalez played at the AAA level ... four games with the Scranton Wilkes-Barre Yankees.

He is currently a minor league free agent, so his time in the Yankees' system has likely reached an end. He could catch on with another organization, but I think independent ball is in his future if Gonzalez wants to play in 2011.

Gonzalez has an autograph that would drive collectors nuts if they were trying to identify it on a team-signed baseball - I would swear that it belongs to somebody with the initials "L.L."

Site Stats Fun
Our most-viewed posts last week were:

1. 2010 Wichita Wingnuts Brandon Mathes
2. 2010 Wichita Wingnuts Brian Rose
3. 1972 Topps Dock Ellis "In Action"
4. Star Driver Autograph Board signed by Masahiko Minami
5. 2006 Fleer Greats of the Game Don Newcombe

GCRL's post from February 2009, john wooden - through the mail success, is still the all-time most popular since Blogger started keeping track of stats, but the Star Driver autograph board is rapidly closing in.

2010 Wichita Wingnuts Brian Rose

Who is this? Wichita Wingnuts bench coach Brian Rose
What is this? An autographed card from the 2010 Wichita Wingnuts team set
Where'd I get it? from Zach at Autographed Cards

Why is this so special? Here's another card from the Wichita Wingnuts 2010 team set, one of the few night photos that was used. I don't recall too many instances where the bench coach got into an on-field argument with an umpire, so I'm guessing that Rose was handling base coaching duties or filling in for the manager when this shot was taken.

There are three Brian Roses that played professional baseball: a pitcher who spent time with the Boston Red Sox in the 1990s, another pitcher who played in the Colorado and Cincinnati systems in the mid-90s (thanks Night Owl) and a catcher drafted by the Arizona Diamonbacks in 2003. The Wichita coach never played professional baseball, though he does have extensive experience in baseball instruction. Rose is also a U.S. Marine Corps veteran, according to his bio on the Wingnuts' website.

It looks as though Rose added the number 6 to his autograph, which is puzzling -- he wore number 2 with Wichita.

2010 Wichita Wingnuts Brandon Mathes

Who is this? Wichita Wingnuts pitcher Brandon Mathes
What is this? An autographed card from the 2010 Wichita Wingnuts team set
Where'd I get it? From Zach  


Why is this so special? Last week, I received an unexpected package from Zach at Autographed Cards. It contained a 2010 Wichita Wingnuts team set, with about half of the cards signed. This was a great surprise, and I want to thank Zach for sending it.

The Wingnuts team set is one of the more unique ones I've seen. I'd have to go back to the early 80s to find cards printed on thinner stock, but the photography is generally better than I've seen in some of the Atlantic League sets that I buy. There are some really odd shots, but I'll leave that for when we come to them. (Whenever that is - I'm working through my folder of card scans, but there are still 100 more left to post.)

Mathes made his professional debut with the Joliet Jackhammers in the Northern League last year. He made one start, but it didn't go well. This year, he pitched for Wichita in the American Association. He was 2-2 with a 4.35 ERA in 33 games, mostly out of the bullpen.

Mathes signature is a bit unusual, with the letters very close together and overlapping to some extent.

2010 Trenton Thunder D.J. Mitchell

Who is this? Trenton Thunder pitcher D.J. Mitchell
What is this? An autographed card from the 2010 Trenton Thunder team set
Where'd I get it? Mitchell signed it for me after a Trenton Thunder game this summer
How much did it cost? The team set was $10.


Why is this so special? Mitchell, a 10th round draft pick in 2008, was one of the better-regarded prospects on the Trenton Thunder team this year. He had an 11-4 record with a 4.06 ERA in 23 games before earning a promotion to AA.

I'm not sure if this was a quick version because he was rushed, or if this is Mitchell's normal autograph. It's not especially pretty, either way.

2010 New Hampshire Fisher Cats Darin Mastroianni

Who is this? New Hampshire Fisher Cats outfielder Darin Mastroianni
What is this? An autographed card from the 2010 New Hampshire Fisher Cats team set
Where'd I get it? Mastroianni signed it for me at a Trenton Thunder game this year.
How much did it cost? The team set was around $10.


Why is this so special? The Blue Jays selected Mastroianni in the 17th round of the 2007 draft. He spent his second season in New Hampshire in 2010, batting .301 / .390 / .398 in 132 games. Mastroianni has limited power, but good speed - he stole 46 bases in 56 attempts.

Mastroianni doesn't have the prettiest autograph, but to be fair I'd probably look for ways to shorten my signature too if my name was that long.