Jeremy Guthrie

Who: Pitcher Jeremy Guthrie

Team: Baltimore Orioles

Card: 2008 Goudey

Acquired: TTM 2/2 3/10/2010 (14 days)

Comments: Dude, Goudey. Keep it rockin'! This one comes from Orioles pitcher Jeremy Guthrie. Jeremy kicked out 10 wins last year, but tied for the league lead in losses with 17. Well, he pitches for the Orioles, who are pretty miserable, so it's okay. 10 wins on that team are pretty damn good.

Nice little personalization on this one. Good stuff. I like Jeremy's autograph - it's got a nice little curvy kick to it. Too bad his black glove is hiding a bit of the signature.

The card took a bit of a beating in the mail. There's a decent little crease across the top of the card.

Jeff Francis

Who: Pitcher Jeff Francis

Team: Colorado Rockies

Card: 2008 Goudey

Acquired: TTM 1/1 3/5/2010 (9 days)

Comments: I took this spring training as an excuse to send out a truckload of Goudey cards to get signed. I just love the look of an autographed Goudey card. Just to clarify "truckload" I think I send out maybe 23? It's a lot for me, that's for sure.

So yeah, Jeff! Pretty cool he got back with me on the autograph. Looks good. I think some of the marker rubbed off in the envelop during transit, but no biggie. Jeff has put together a nice little career so far with the Rockies. Hope he keeps it up.

Ross Ohlendorf

Who: Pitcher Ross Ohlendorf

Team: New York Yankees

Card: 2008 Topps Heritage

Acquired: TTM 1/1 ()

Comments: Not only is Ross a heck of a ballplayer - he was the only Pirate pitcher with a winning record in 2009 - he's also a damn smart guy. He pitched for the Princenton Tigers and graduated school while competing in the Diamondbacks farms system. Plus, he studied Operations Research and Financial Engineering and in his senior thesis, used sabermetrics to demonstrate the return on investment from the MLB Draft. Crazy stuff.

As for Ross being a Yankee, he was traded by the D-Backs to the Yankees in 2006 as a key piece in the Randy Johnson deal. I made his major league debut in 2007 against the Blue Jays. After the 2008 season, he was acquired by the Pittsburgh Pirates.

These Rookie Stars of 2008 cards are great to get signed. Glad I pulled out this Ohlendorf card - I would have never known about his off-field success if it weren't for it.

Kevin Hickey

Who: Pitcher Kevin Hickey

Team: Baltimore Orioles

Card: 1990 Donruss

Acquired: In Person, Soxfest 2010

Comments: Actually, this is the last card I am posting from Soxfest. Nothing like ending a crescendo on a '90 Donruss note.

Chris Heisey

Who: Outfielder Chris Heisey

Team: Dayton Dragons (Reds Single A)

Card: 2007 Dayton Dragons

Acquired: TTM 1/1 3/8/2010 (10 Days)

Comments: Chris is really turning some heads in Reds camp this spring. I wouldn't be surprised to see him up with the club sometime in 2010.

Yeah, and great stirrups - love the stripe.

These Dayton Dragon cards have come in handy. I bought them a few years ago at Redsfest so I could get a few of the younger guys on cards. As guys come through the system, I'm slowly adding to the Dayton collection.

Micah Owings

Who: Pitcher Micah Owings

Team: Cincinnati Reds

Card: 2009 Topps 206

Acquired: TTM 1/1 3/4/2010 (19 days)

Comments: Micah was another one of my first returns from spring training mailings. He always goes out of his way to add a little extra personalization to the request and this time even had a little hand-written note suggesting I check out his performance pledge on his website. Pretty cool he takes a little time to do those things for fans.

Aaron Harang

Who: Pitcher Aaron Harang

Team: Cincinnati Reds

Card: 2009 Topps Heritage

Acquired: TTM 1/1 2/25/2010 (12 days)

Comments: Aaron has one of the best signatures in the game. Always great to get a TTM return from him. He signed one for me last year, and I sent to him again this year and he was one of the first returns I got from spring training.

I'm hoping Aaron has a great season in 2010. He's had a pair of rough years and comes into this season looking to bust out again. He's already been named the Opening Day stater for the Reds, so management thinks he's still got it. I do too.

I sent out ~50 requests this spring training. Doing pretty well so far on returns. I sent to a lot of guys that sign regularly and only took a few chances here and there. Always fun to get stuff back in the mail. More TTM posts coming soon.

Darrin Jackson

Who: Outfielder Darrin Jackson

Team: San Diego Padres

Card: 1990 Topps

Acquired: In Person, Soxfest 2010

Comments: Alright, this is the LAST card I am posting from a pretty loaded Soxfest haul. Darrin Jackson is currently works on White Sox radio along-side Ed Farmer. Before his radio days, Darrin was the color-man on White Sox broadcasts.

Johnny Bench

Who: Hall of Fame Catcher Johnny Bench

Team: Cincinnati Reds

Card: 1972 Topps

Acquired: TTM

Comments: It's nice to add the autograph of the greatest catcher to ever play the game to the collection. One of two cards that Johnny Bench has in the 1972 set, this card keeps my '72 Topps Reds project going.

While I do prefer autographs of the free variety, reaching a little deeper to get the autograph of a Hall of Famer from my favorite team is worth it. It also helped that the autograph was a gift from my wife for my birthday. Pretty nerdy, eh? Haha... Works for me.

Regardless of you personal opinions of Bench, everyone has to agree that he has a beautiful signature.

John Danks

Who: Pitcher John Danks

Team: Chicago White Sox

Card: 2009 Topps

Acquired: In Person, Soxfest 2010

Comments: Coming...

Zack Cozart

Who: Infielder Zack Cozart

Team: Cincinnati Reds (xx on card)

Card: 2007 Just Rookies

Acquired: In Person, Reds Caravan 2010

Comments: Coming...

Greg Walker

Who: First Baseman Greg Walker

Team: Chicago White Sox

Card: 1987 Topps

Acquired: In Person, Soxfest 2010

Comments: Greg Walker is currently the batting coach for the Chicago White Sox. I got lucky with this autograph. My buddy spotted Greg walking through one of the hallways outside the ballroom at Soxfest. He stopped and signed a few autographs, and I managed to snag one.

How about that late-80s White Sox uniform. Those jerseys are now becoming classics - so many folks at Soxfest were rockin' that style.

Kevin Hickey

Who: Pitcher Kevin Hickey

Team: Baltimore Orioles

Card: 1990 Fleer

Acquired: In Person, Soxfest 2010

Comments: Shoot! I didn't know this before Soxfest: Kevin played an Indians pitcher in the film Major League II. Awesome!

Juan Nieves

Who: Pitcher Juan Nieves

Team: Milwaukee Brewers

Card: 1987 Topps

Acquired: In Person, Soxfest 2010

Comments: The best part of getting this autograph was what happened before it. At the Comcast autograph booth, Juan and someone else (Kevin Hickey, maybe?) was scheduled to sign and I was there right on time. There was one guy in line and as I snaked through, I saw this guy (pretty tall dude, too) jokingly giving the other former Sox player some grief from the front of the line. As I walk up, he's says "there's someone in line! great!" or something like that, which was kinda odd. So, I smile and walk up behind the first guy in line and he turns around rally fast, sticks out his right hand and says, "Hi! I'm Juan Nieves" with this huge smile. I was like "OHHHHHH!" Haha. Since I'm not the biggest White Sox fan, I didn't recognize him. It was pretty funny. After that, Juan sat down and signed my '87 Topps for me. Couldn't have been any nicer.

Juan's major league career was cut pretty short by an arm injury, but in that time he managed to toss a no-hitter on April 15, 1987. He's currently the bullen coach for the White Sox.

Bob Miller

Who: Reds Assistant General Manager Bob Miller

Team: Cincinnati Reds

Card: 2009 Topps Heritage Reds Team Card

Acquired: In Person, Reds Caravan 2010

Comments: Ha, this is great. Amongst the fellas signing at a Reds Caravan was the Reds VP of Baseball Operations and Assistant General Manager Bob Miller. What better card to have him sign than the Reds team card. I already have Reds General Manager Walt Jocketty on one, so might as well get the whole staff. Ha! Awesome.

I love how he stayed away from the team and signed up in the corner. He had a good laugh about it when he signed it. I wonder if he has ever signed any of these? ZOMG - it's a 1/1!!!! haha

J J. Putz

Who: Pitcher J J. Putz

Team: Seattle Mariners

Card: 2008 Goudey

Acquired: In Person, Soxfest 2010

Comments: Ah yes, another Goudey to add to the collection. New White Sox member J.J. Putz signed this bad-boy for me at Soxfest 2010. While signing, he joked with me and one of the White Sox staffers about how odd the illustration of him looked on the card. It made him "look like a real ginger." Ha, pretty good stuff.

This is the first card featuring a Mariner that I've had signed. Nice! Wonder how many other baseball teams I don't have at least one card from? Probably quite a few.

Ozzie Guillen

Who: Shortstop Ozzie Guillen

Team: Chicago White Sox

Card: 1987 Topps

Acquired: In Person, Soxfest 2010

Comments: Going into Soxfest, Ozzie's autograph was the one I was most excited to get. Not only is he the charismatic manager of the White Sox, but I remember him playing when I was a kid, and even saw him play once at Comiskey park during the last season it was standing. Plus, tack on the fact that he has an '87 Topps, and we're cookin'!

Gary Peters

Who: Pitcher Gary Peters

Team: Chicago White Sox

Card: 1969 Topps

Acquired: In Person, Soxfest 2010

Comments: Yep, still rollin' on the Soxfest autographs. Still have a few more to post. Hang tight.

Gary Peters was a pretty darn good pitcher for the White Sox, winning the 1963 AL Rookie of the Year award. During that season, he had a string of 11 straight wins - impressive. Equally as impressive, during the 1967 All-Star game, retired 9 consecutive batters over three innings, including striking out three future Hall of Famers - Willie Mays, Roberto Clemente, and Ferguson Jenkins. Wow.

Pretty nicely signed card, eh? Gary laid down a nice signature on this '69 Topps - the second from that set that I had signed at Soxfest. The other was from Joe Horlen.

Ron Kittle

Who: Designated Hitter Ron Kittle

Team: Chicago White Sox

Card: 1990 Topps

Acquired: In Person, Soxfest 2010

Comments: Coming...

Ed Farmer

Who: Pitcher Ed Farmer

Team: Chicago White Sox

Card: 1981 Donruss

Acquired: In Person, Soxfest 2010

Comments: This post goes out to Zach over at Autographed Cards - he loves these dang '81 Donruss cards. I gotta say, I like this one too. The card comes with a decent story too.

At Soxfest, one of the last autograph sessions I got to was for Ed Farmer and Darrin Jackson. I was set with cards for Darrin, but didn't have anything for Ed to sign. Even after seeing the one card dealer at the Soxfest dealer area, I still had nothing. I figured I would get in line and ask around to see if someone would be willing to trade. Luckily, there were three guys in front of me who had tons of cards and one offered a few up to me. Of the three he had, I choose this the '81 D-Russ and the rest is history. Just goes to show there are plenty of nice folks out there.

Check out the uni Ed's sportin' on this card. Those collars were insane. Too bad he's not rockin' the shorts.