1991 Leaf Jimmy Key

Who is this? former Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Jimmy Key
What is this? An autographed card from the 1991 Leaf set
Where'd I get it? I wrote to Key late last year and asked him to sign it
How much did it cost? Not much... I bought a wax box of 1991 Leaf cards for less than $10 a few years ago.  


Why is this so special? Key won 186 games in his 15-year big league career. He spent 9 seasons in Toronto, but around here people remember him as a Yankee. Key has two World Series rings - one with each team - and four All-Star appearances.

Doesn't he have a great looking autograph?

1974 Topps Dave LaRoche

Who is this? former New York Mets bullpen coach Dave LaRoche
What is this? An autographed card from the 1974 Topps set
Where'd I get it? I wrote to LaRoche and asked him to sign it
How much did it cost? I don't remember.

Why is this so special? Once upon a time, I kept a small binder with a baseball card for each player, coach and the manager of the New York Mets' active roster -- back in the days before the widespread availability of the internet, it was a way to keep stats handy and remember some trivia.

I'd put the manager first, then the coaches, the pitchers, catchers, infielders, outfielders and finally the guys on the disabled list and in the minor leagues. I lost interest in keeping up this project sometime in 1992 or 1993 when LaRoche was the Mets' bullpen coach - this was his card in the binder. When I re-discovered it recently, I decided I'd mail it to him and see if he'd sign it.

Before he entered the coaching ranks, LaRoche was a relief pitcher for the Angels, Twins, Cubs, Indians, and Yankees during the 1970s and early 80s. He was a two-time All-Star and frequently finished among the league leaders in games finished.

LaRoche was best known for throwing a big, slow blooper pitch he called "La Lob" which would arc up to 20 feet in the air before dropping back in the strike zone. LaRoche's sons, Adam and Andy, are current professional ballplayers. Adam will play for the Nationals this season, while Andy just signed a minor league deal with the Oakland organization.

Dave LaRoche has the handwriting everyone expects of a left-hander, but you can make out a few letters in his autograph. Here's another card he signed for me.

1988 Fleer Jim Dwyer

Who is this? former Baltimore Orioles outfielder Jim Dwyer
What is this? An autographed card from the1988 Fleer set
Where'd I get it? I purchased it from a SportsGraphing.com forum member late last year.
How much did it cost? $1-$2


Why is this so special? Dwyer spent 18 seasons in the major leagues as a part time outfielder, defensive replacement and pinch hitter. In 1976, he played 11 games for the New York Mets, so I needed his autograph for my collection. (This card will probably be a permanent resident of my binder unless I manage to track down another copy of his 1991 Wiz Mets card and get it signed.)

However, Dwyer spent most of his career in Baltimore. He won a World Series ring with the 1983 Orioles. In the series, he went 3-for-8 with a home run.

Dwyer also played in the short-lived Senior Professional Baseball League after his major league career was over. He is currently a hitting coach in the Minnesota Twins farm system.

Dwyer's autograph is a bit tiny, and seems to be missing some letters from his last name.

1991 Donruss Darrin Fletcher

Who is this? former Philadelphia Phillies catcher Darrin Fletcher
What is this? An autographed card from the 1991 Donruss set
Where'd I get it? Earlier this month, I wrote to Fletcher and asked him to sign it. I got it back about two weeks later.
How much did it cost? I got the unsigned card for a dime.


Why is this so special? It's funny how memory works. Fletcher played for four teams during the course of a 14-year major league career. I remember him almost exclusively as a Philadelphia Phillie - a team he played 55 games for between 1990 and 1991.

To be fair, Fletcher did have the best single day of his baseball career as a Phillie - he caught Tommy Greene's no-hitter in 1991.

Fletcher was an All-Star for the 1994 Montreal Expos - and he wasn't chosen just because the National League needed an Expo - three other Montreal players went to the All-Star Game that year. (There's every reason to believe that the Expos would have won the NL East pennant if the season hadn't been ended in August.)

He hit 20 home runs for the 2000 Toronto Blue Jays in somewhat limited playing time. But for whatever reason, I just remember Fletcher as a Phillie.

He's got a pretty nice autograph that's easy to read.

2004 Fleer Greats of the Game: Bobby Doerr

Who is this? Hall of Famer Bobby Doerr
What is this? An autographed card from the 2004 Fleer Greats of the Game set
Where'd I get it? I wrote to Doerr earlier this month and asked him to sign it; I got it back about a week and a half later.
How much did it cost? I got the unsigned card for a dime.

Why is this so special? I believe that Bobby Doerr is the last Hall of Fame player who regularly signs through the mail without requiring a donation or fee. He is currently the oldest living Hall of Fame player.

Doerr was a 9-time All-Star and was a star defensive player at second base. He had over 2000 hits, over 1000 RBI and over 200 home runs in a 14-year career. Doerr ranks 187th in baseball history among position players for career Wins Above Replacement, as calculated by Baseball Reference. Doerr also served in the military in 1945.

For a 92-year-old, Doerr still has nice handwriting. He included his Hall of Fame induction year without being asked.

2004 Topps Cracker Jack Jack McKeon

Who is this? former Florida Marlins manager Jack McKeon
What is this? An autographed card from the 2004 Topps Cracker Jack set
Where'd I get it? I purchased it from a SportsGraphing.com forum member late last year.
How much did it cost? $2-$3


Why is this so special? I don't actively collect them, but when I have a chance I like to pick up autographs of players who are from my home state. McKeon is one of six baseball players to reach the major leagues who went to school at St. Mary's, a Catholic school in the tiny New Jersey city of South Amboy.

McKeon never reached the big leagues as a player. Instead, he made his mark as a manager. A two-time Manager of the Year, McKeon guided the Florida Marlins to a World Series title in 2003.

Though his autograph seems a little cramped, you can read it without much difficulty. I wish more current ballplayers had better signatures.

1992 Score No-Hit Club Dennis Martinez

Who is this? former Montreal Expos pitcher Dennis Martinez
What is this? An autographed card from the 1992 Score set
Where'd I get it? I purchased it from a Sportsgraphing.com forum member late last year.
How much did it cost? around $3


Why is this so special? "El Presidente" was the first player from Nicaragua to reach the major leagues. During his 23-year career, Martinez won 245 games - with more than 100 victories in each league. He struck out over 2,000 batters and he was a 4-time All-Star. This card commemorates Martinez's perfect game against the Dodgers in 1991 -- one of 7 no-hitters thrown in major league baseball that year.

Martinez has worked as a spring training instructor for the Baltimore Orioles and a minor league coach in the Cardinals organization since retiring. He has an interesting autograph - I've never seen another person write the letter "M" like that.