2006 Topps Rookie Debut Dan Uggla

Who is this? Atlanta Braves second baseman Dan Uggla
What is this? An autographed card from the 2006 Topps Update Rookie Debut insert set
Where'd I get it? I purchased it from a Sportsgraphing.com forum member late last year.
How much did it cost? $4 or $5

Why is this so special? Dan Uggla began his career in the Arizona Diamondbacks organization, but he couldn't crack the 40-man roster and was therefore available in the Rule V draft. The Florida Marlins selected him and gave him a chance to start at second base. He rewarded them with an All-Star season in his rookie year.

Uggla gets criticized for his defense, which is mediocre at  best, and his high strikeout totals. Nevertheless, he is one of the best offensive second basemen in baseball. For that reason, he reminds me a little of Jeff Kent.

Uggla doesn't have the prettiest signature, but it's easier to decipher than many other active players.

1991 Topps Stadium Club Chuck McElroy

Who is this? former Chicago Cubs pitcher Chuck McElroy
What is this? An autographed card from the 1991 Topps Stadium Club set
Where'd I get it? It came in a care package from Ryan of the Great Orioles Autograph Project last week.  


Why is this so special? I wrote about Chuck McElroy before Christmas, when I posted a Leaf Signature Series card.

I love any cards from the 1991 Stadium Club set, possibly because they were all but impossible to find that year. It was a set with no autographs, no relics (they didn't exist yet), no parallels and no inserts of any particular note. Yet pack prices soared to the $5 mark (or higher) and the cards still sold out on the strength of the design and the photography.

I don't have many personalized baseball card autographs in my collection, and this is the only one made out "For Bill" (Coincidentally, my middle name is William.)

Thanks Ryan!

2007 Topps 52 Andrew Miller

Who is this? Boston Red Sox reliever Andrew Miller
What is this? An autographed card from the 2007 Topps 52 set
Where'd I get it? I bought it from a SportsGraphing.com forum member
How much did it cost? $2


Why is this so special? This is another card from the 2007 Topps 52 set that I am kinda (but not really) working on trying to get signed.

At one point, Miller was a really big prospect. The Tigers made him the 6th overall pick in the 2006 draft. In 2007, Miller went to the Marlins as a key part of the Miguel Cabrera trade. This off-season, the Marlins traded Miller to Boston,

Unfortunately, he's never enjoyed a lot of success in the majors. Last year, in 9 appearances Miller was 1-5 with an 8.54 ERA for Florida.  He's running out of chances to prove that he belongs in the major leagues - if he gets a chance with the Red Sox, it will be in the bullpen. And Miller's not really suited to being a situational lefty - for his career, lefty batters hit .267 with a .404 on-base percentage and a .415 slugging average against him.

Miller's autograph is unusual, but it's fairly consistent with the facsimile one on the card.

1969 Topps Jim Hannan

Who is this? former Washington Senators pitcher Jim Hannan
What is this? An autographed card from the 1969 Topps set
Where'd I get it? Nick from Baseball Happenings got it signed for me last year

Why is this so special? Jim Hannan is a Jersey City, NJ native who pitched in the major leagues for ten seasons between 1962 and 1971. He spent most of his career with the Senators, but also pitched for the Brewers and Tigers before retiring.

In 273 appearances - mostly out of the bullpen - Hannan had a 41-48 record with a 3.88 lifetime ERA.

Though Hannan's handwriting is not especially neat, you can clearly read his name.

1994 Leaf Jim Eisenreich

Who is this? former Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Jim Eisenreich
What is this? An autographed card from the 1994 Leaf set
Where'd I get it? Nick from Baseball Happenings got it signed for me last year.


Why is this so special? Eisenreich broke into Major League Baseball in 1982 with the Minnesota Twins. He played a handful of games over three seasons in Minnesota, but retired from baseball for two seasons while undergoing treatment for Tourette Syndrome.

In 1987, Eisenreich returned to baseball with the Kansas City Royals. He became a solid contributor during his six seasons in Kansas City. After the 1992 season, he became a free agent and signed with the Phillies.
He hit .318 with an Adjusted OPS+ of 117 for the National League pennant winners that year.

Eisenreich would later win a World Series ring with the Florida Marlins near the end of his career in 1997. The next year, he was traded to Los Angeles in the deal that brought Mike Piazza to the Florida Marlins for a week. He retired for good at the end of the 1998 season.

I don't exactly blame him due to the length of his name, but Eisenreich leaves out a lot of letters when signing autographs.

2008 Topps Allen & Ginter Jered Weaver

Who is this? Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim pitcher Jered Weaver
What is this? An autographed card from the 2008 Topps Allen & Ginter set
Where'd I get it? I purchased it from Anthony, formerly of Mike Pelfrey Collectibles, when he decided to sell his collection last year.


Why is this so special? Few people realize it, but Jered Weaver signed his first professional contract with the Camden Riversharks of the Atlantic League in 2005. The Angels made Weaver the 12th overall pick in the 2004 draft, but he and his agent Scott Boras decided to hold out until the last possible moment to secure their best deal. Part of their strategy was having Weaver join the independent league team.

Weaver quickly made it to the majors in 2006 after just a couple dozen minor league appearances. He finished his rookie year with an 11-2 record and a 2.56 ERA. He has continued to enjoy success.

Last year, Weaver made the All-Star team for the first time. He had a 13-12 record, but pitched much better than that mark indicates. His had a 3.01 ERA, an Adjusted ERA+ of 135 and led the American League with 233 strikeouts.

Weaver's autograph is little more than a sloppy "J" and some loops.

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.