2003 Donruss Franklin Perez

Who is this? Kansas City T-Bones pitcher Franklin Perez
What is this? An autographed card from the 2003 Donruss set... I think. Was "The Rookies" a designation on regular cards, or is this a separate set?
Where'd I get it? From Zach at Autographed Cards, who probably got it signed at a T-Bones game.


Why is this so special? Perez spent 7 seasons in affiliated minor league ball, primarily in the Phillies organization. He never made it to the majors, but did get as far as AAA. In 2008, he had a fairly unimpressive season for the Bridgeport Bluefish in the Atlantic League, earning a 6-3 record with a 5.25 ERA as a starter and a reliever.

In 2009, Perez played for half of the teams in the Atlantic League - the Bluefish again, the Camden Riversharks, the Long Island Ducks and the Newark Bears. He was somewhat effective for the Riversharks, earning 6 saves in 27 appearances. The less said about his time with the other teams, the better.

This year, Perez had 6 saves and a sparkling 0.87 ERA in 11 games for the T-Bones.

Perez has an interesting autograph that would likely cause confusion for anyone trying to identify it on a generic item.

1976 Topps Don DeMola

Who is this? former Montreal Expos pitcher Don DeMola
What is this? An autographed card from the 1976 Topps set
Where'd I get it? Nick from Baseball Happenings got it signed for me last month


Why is this so special? DeMola, a Long Island native, was drafted by the New York Yankees in 1970. While still in the minors, they released him and DeMola eventually signed with the Expos.

DeMola reached the majors in 1974 and pitched effectively in limited duty out of the bullpen. He returned in 1975, but did not fare as well. DeMola finished his major league career with a 5-7 record and 3.77 ERA in 87 games.

DeMola continued to pitch in the minor leagues through 1978. He currently offers baseball instruction, fur buying tips and FIOS installation in the Long Island area via his website, DonDeMola.com.

DeMola has a pretty good looking autograph that is easy to read.

1972 Topps Chris Chambliss

Who is this? former Cleveland Indians first baseman Chris Chambliss
What is this? An autographed card from the 1972 Topps set
Where'd I get it? Nick from Baseball Happenings got it signed for me last month


Why is this so special? Chris Chambliss played in the major leagues for 17 seasons and retired with over 2,100 hits. He was the American League Rookie of the Year in 1971, an All-Star in 1976 and a Gold Glove winner in 1978.

Yankee fans remember him best for hitting a walk-off home run in the 1976 ALCS to send the Yankees to their first World Series since 1964. He won World Series rings with the Yankees in 1977 and 1978.

After he retired, Chambliss joined the coaching ranks. He has worked for the Tigers, Yankees, Mets and Mariners organizations as a minor league manager or major league hitting coach.

Chambliss has a unique autograph that would be difficult to decipher on a generic item. I don't think I've ever seen closed "C"'s like that before.

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:

1999 Topps Stadium Club Brian McRae

Who is this? Former Mets outfielder Brian McRae
What is this? An autographed card from the 1999 Topps Stadium Club set
Where'd I get it? Nick from Baseball Happenings got it signed for me last month.

Why is this so special? Brian McRae, son of former Kansas City Royals All-Star Hal McRae, played for the New York Mets from 1997-99. During that time, he was one of the team's better players. In 1998, he set career highs with 21 home runs and 79 RBI while leading the Mets in doubles, triples and stolen bases.

McRae is best remembered as a Kansas City Royal, where he played for the first five seasons of his major league career. McRae retired with 1336 career hits, 103 home runs, 532 RBI and 196 stolen bases.

McRae doesn't have the prettiest autograph, but I love the Stadium Club card that he signed. It's got a simple, classy design with a great photo taken at Shea Stadium. I wish Topps hadn't killed the brand with their attempt at resurrecting it in 2008.

1985 Topps Brad Lesley

Who is this? Former Cincinnati Reds pitcher Brad Lesley
What is this? An autographed card from the 1985 Topps set
Where'd I get it? Nick from Baseball Happenings got it signed for me last month.

Why is this so special? Brad Lesley's career statistics don't really stand out - in four seasons, he appeared in 54 major league games with a 1-3 record, 6 saves and a 3.86 ERA. He finished his baseball career in Japan with the Hankyu Braves, where he had a 7-5 record with 24 saves in 60 games over 2 years.

Yet his stats don't really tell the story. Lesley was one of baseball's characters, earning the nickname "The Animal" (later "Animal-san" in Japan.) There are multiple stories explaining the origin of the nickname - the most plausible credits Johnny Bench, who supposedly said that Lesley "looked like a crazed animal" when he ran over to cover first base on a play.

In Japan, Lesley's unique style stood out even more... and the Hankyu Braves played it up. They had had Animal yelling contests, Lesley look-alike competitions, and other events to capitalize on their closer's cult status for marketing purposes.

Lesley had a role on the 1980s Japanese game show, Takeshi's Castle, which was eventually shown in the U.S. on Spike TV as MXC. He also appeared in several films, including Little Big League, Mr. Baseball and Space Jam.

Lesley's autograph is an ornate, if illegible, scribble.

1982 Topps Bob Tufts

Who is this? Former San Francisco Giants pitcher Bob Tufts
What is this? An autographed card from the 1982 Topps set
Where'd I get it? Nick from Baseball Happenings got it signed for me last month.

Why is this so special? Bob Tufts is the least famous of the three players pictured on the San Francisco Giants Future Stars card in the 1982 Topps set.

He appeared in 11 games out of the bullpen for the Giants in 1981, but by the time this card came out he had been traded to the Kansas City Royals in a 6-player deal. With the Royals, Tufts appeared in 10 games and earned his only two major league decisions in 1982 - both victories. He appeared in 6 more games in 1983, but never threw another major league pitch after that.

Tufts has a New Jersey connection - he is an alumni of Princeton.

While he does have a legible (if tiny) signature, Tufts chose the worst place to sign this card. I guess he didn't like the photo.