1993 Topps Dana Stubblefield

Who is this? Former 49er, Dana Stubblefield.

What is this? An autograph card from the 1993 Topps set, number 64.

Where'd I get it? At a free autograph signing around 1994.

How much did it cost? Whatever a pack of '93 Topps cards cost.

Why is this so special? This card is special because it is featured on Auto-Matic for the People. All of us (including me) have been slacking of late (we are probably too busy buying up all of the new '09 baseball cards). So, I figured that I should post something.

As for this card, I got it signed at one of the local car dealerships in 1994. Luckily, one of my neighborhood friends heard about it on the radio and we were able to snag a ride over there to get some signatures. I got this card signed (it was the only one I had of him) and I got a 1994 University of Kansas schedule-poster signed. The signing was free.

Stubblefield had a great rookie season in 1993. He notched 10.5 sacks that year and was the Defensive Rookie of the Year. His sacks steadily dropped for the next three seasons. Then, in 1997, he had a 15 sack season. He was awarded the Defensive Player of the Year Award. He then went to Washington via free agency. In his three years there, he never had more than 3 sacks. He played three more seasons in San Francisco and Oakland but could not rekindle his old glory.

His name came up in the BALCO investigations and he is currently serving a two-year probation. He also appeared in the movie "Reindeer Games".

I hate the photo on this card. He was a first round draft pick and I would have preferred a photo of him playing in college. Instead we get a training camp photo of him warming up in shorts, without shoulder pads on, and with his last name on the front of his helmet so all of the coaches will know who he is.

john wooden - through the mail success

Who is this? the wizard of westwood, former ucla basketball coach john wooden

What is this? an autographed photo from coach wooden

Where'd I get it? through the mail

How much did it cost? 4 stamps

Why is this so special? my son's school is using coach wooden's book "inch and miles, the journey to success" as the basis for their character education theme this year. coach wooden developed a 'pyramid of success' that is built with 15 different character traits that the students will try to emulate.

i thought it would be cool if coach wooden were to send my son a photo for him to share with his class as they go through the school year. i procrastinated, waiting until february to send the letter requesting the photo. it took only one week for me to receive the personalized, signed photo which was accompanied by another signed item - a 'pyramid of success' graphic.

coach wooden, of course, won 10 national titles in 12 years while coaching the ucla bruins from 1948 to 1975. he also won a national title as a player at purdue in 1932. he is widely regarded as the greatest coach in the history of sport, and he has continued to be a teacher into his 99th year.

my son and i both appreciate the photo and the chart, as well as the attention coach wooden has given to character development. thank you coach!

2009 upper deck adam (andy) laroche

Who is this? good question. the card and auto sticker say adam laroche, 1st baseman for the pittsburgh pirates. the picture tells a different story

What is this? an autograph card from 2009 upper deck baseball

Where'd I get it? in 1 of 4 hobby packs i picked up a couple of days ago

How much did it cost? packs were $5.99 each. 20 cards per.

Why is this so special? i suppose i could call it an error card. the picture is of adam's little brother andy, who was involved in the manny ramirez trade last july. seriously, upper deck. where is the quality control? it's reminiscent of the 95 topps juan lebron/carlos beltran bait and switch.

it's a sticker auto, by the way.

actually i would rather have a card of andy than adam, but that's just me.

2008 Bowman Chrome Jason Heyward

Who is this? Braves prospect Jason Heyward.

What is this? An autograph card from 2008 Bowman Chrome, card number BCP121. The card is serial numbered 306/500.

Where'd I get it? Trade with Heartbreaking Cards of Staggering Genius.

How much did it cost? Got it in trade.

Why is this so special? Man, I haven't posted in a long time. I need to get on the ball. I've got all my 2009 pet projects more or less up and running so expect more posts in February.

Simply put, Jason Heyward is a Freaking Beast. He's the #3 overall prospect on Keith Law's top 100 prospects list and after the year he had in Rome last year, I'm not surprised. He's been compared to Cliff Floyd and Fred McGriff and some even say that Golden Boy Jeff Francoeur is just keeping his right feild spot warm for when he arrives in Atlanta. Yeah, he's that well thought of. He's also another local prospect, from Henry County, GA. Do not be surprised if he is in Atlanta very soon. I had been hunting for an affordable autograph of him since his cards started coming out in the fall of 2007 and Heartbreaking floored me when he sent this card in a trade. I've got a big surprise waiting to sent to him, but as anyone knows who's traded with me before, I'm kind of slow. I'll get to it soon though. I have to say of all the cards I got in 2008, other than the Florida Agriculture Mark Lemke card, this is my favorite.

Topps Finest: Hong-Chih Kuo.

Who is this? Hong-Chih Kuo (Pinyin: Guō Hóngzhì).

What is this? A Topps Finest autograph card.

Where'd I get it? Our favorite card shop in Albuquerque.

How much did it cost? A few dollars, can't recall the exact amount.

Why is this so special? A ding in the toploader makes it seem as though one of the robots from The Terminator is grabbing Hong-Chih's right leg. Also, the card is shiny. Also, red is a good luck color. Also, we forgive him for pitching 3 and 2/3 scoreless innings in one game against the Mets last May (without giving up a hit) and striking out 8 of the 12 batters he faced.

2007 Topps 1952 Rookies Felix Pie

Who is this? Outfielder Felix Pie, who was traded from the Cubs to the Orioles today.

What is this? An autograph card from the 2007 Topps 1952-style rookies set.

Where'd I get it? One of my trading partners got it signed for me at a minor league game last season.

How much did it cost? Not much. The cards came out of a retail pack.

Why is this so special? Pie was once considered the Cubs' top prospect, and he may still live up to the potential that they saw in him. I'm just amused by his name. :)

The 1952 Topps card design is a classic, and I love the image on this card -- awkward smile and all. Pie's penmanship is not the greatest, but the presumably rushed ballpark signature is a pretty good match for the facscimilie signature on the card.

1990 Topps Troy Aikmen

Who is this? Hall of Fame quarterback, Troy Aikman

What is this? An autograph card from the 1990 Topps set, card number 482.

Where'd I get it? I got it signed through the mail in the early '90s.

How much did it cost? The price of a pack and two stamps.

Why is this so special? I got this card signed in either 1990 or '91 when the Cowboys were still building up to their dynasty status. I had no idea at the time that I got an autograph from a future Hall of Famer. Not only is this card signed by the legendary Cowboy, but it is also personalized to me. I think that this was the second card that was personalized to me through the mail.

Aikman was a six time Pro Bowler, was Super Bowl XXVII MVP, and he lead the 'Boys to three straight Super Bowl victories. In 2006, he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. These days, he does commentating for games on Fox