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.

Eddie Milner

Who: Outfielder Eddie Milner

Team: Cincinnati Reds

Card: 1985 Topps

Acquired: In Person

Comments: Eddie Milner was the third and final autograph I got at the fall Moeller Card show. I had recently received a TTM return from Milner, so I figured I would throw down and couple of bucks and support him since he was kind enough to return a signed card for me. He was more than nice and really chatty at the show. A dapper dresser as well.

Orlando Cepeda

Who: Hall of Fame First Baseman Orlando Cepeda

Team: San Francisco Giants

Card: 2008 Goudey

Acquired: In Person

Comments: Nice to get another Baseball Hall of Famer on a 2008 Goudey card. They usually come out pretty well, but this one isn't the best. It's partly my fault, when Mr. Cepeda asked how I would like it signed I said along the shoulder/sleeve area on the card. It just wasn't enough room for him. Oh well. I really like this card, but it's too bad that there is that black jacked sleeve right in the sweet-spot of the card. The signature probably would have looked just fine across it though. Oh well... still happy.

Juan Marichal

Who: Hall of Fame Pitcher Juan Marichal

Team: San Francisco Giants

Card: 2008 Goudey

Acquired: In Person

Comments: I was able to meet Juan Marichal at the Cincinnati Moeller Sports Cards and Memorabilia show this fall. He was nice as ever and signed my '08 Goudey beautifully! They always come out so well. I thought about bringing a vintage card, but didn't have Marichals that were in great shape and didn't want to spend an arm and a leg getting a nice one. Since I do liked getting the Goudeys signed, it worked out well... especially considering another Hall of Famer that was signing at the show has a card in that set as well.

I paid $20 for Juan's autograph - seemed reasonable for a Hall of Fame pitcher.

Chad Johnson (Ochocinco)

Who: Wide Receiver Chad Johnson

Team: Cincinnati Bengals

Card: 2008 Topps Mayo

Acquired: Card Show Purchase

Comments: I'm usually not in the market for autographed cards when at a card show unless it's a set I need. Most are overpriced and the cards are generally pretty ugly. That said, I did pick this Chad Johnson (now Chad Ochocinco) for what I thought was a reasonable price - $10. I really like the 2008 Topps Mayo design and have a soft spot for framed mini-cards. I didn't have a Johnson or Ochocinco in my collection, so this one seemed like the right pick-up at the right time.

Bobby Tolan

Who: Outfielder Bobby Tolan

Team: Cincinnati Reds

Card: 1972 Topps

Acquired: TTM 1/1 10/20/2009 (7 days)

Comments: Bobby Tolan adds another autographed '72 Topps to the project. Coming to the Reds in 1969, Bobby added speed to a pretty decent lineup of sluggers. He played a pretty big role in the Reds reaching the World Series in both '70 and '72. But, with the emergence of George Foster and Ken Griffey Sr., Bobby was likely expendable going into the '74 season.

I included $10 with this request, as that has traditional been Mr. Tolan's fee for signing through the mail.

Recently, Bobby's family has been though the ringer. His son, Robbie Tolan, an outfielder in the Nationals' system, was shot by police outside his family's home outside Houston. He's had a long road to recovery, but seems to be doing better now. Here's more on the story and the racial profiling issues involved. It's a pretty sad story, and I hope Robbie and the Tolan family are doing better now.

John Denny

Who: Pitcher John Denny

Team: Cincinnati Reds

Card: 1987 Topps

Acquired: Private Signing

Comments: When I started the '87 Topps Reds Project, I really didn't think John Denny would be one of the toughest cards to get autographed. Actually, I didn't even think about it at all. As things progressed and I learned the signing habits of players in this set, John kept coming up as a real toughie. Luckily, I was able to jump on a private signing done recently - one of the few appearances he has made the past few years, apparently.

Considering this autograph was not free, the former Cy Young Award winner put down a great signature. Nice and crisp - looks fantastic.

Though John has an '87 Topps card, 1986 proved to be his last season in the majors.

So yeah, we keep rockin' on this set. I still have 12 more cards to go with some more tough 'graphs in that list: Bill Gullickson, Rob Murphy, John Franco and Terry Francona. I should be able to knock out Eddie Milner and Eric Davis by the end of the year with some upcoming signings. Finding a Frank Williams signed '87 Topps will be a challenge as well, since he passed earlier this year.

Jerry Rice

Who: Receiver Jerry Rice

Team: San Francisco 49ers

Card: 1992 Topps

Acquired: Private Signing

Comments: As a Bengals fan, I have every reason to loathe Jerry Rice... but I just can't. He's one of the greatest football players of all time and soon to be enshrined in Canton.

A football teammate of mine in college was a gigantic Jerry Rice fan. His dorm room was plastered with Jerry Rice stuff. It was insane. I wish I had a photo of it to show you. I can't help but think of that guy every time I look at this card. He would be pretty proud of me for coming around to be a fan of Jerry's.

I really like this card. I actually got it out of a pack of football cards that a friend gave me as a small birthday gift. There were a couple of other hall of famers in the pack too... It was fun to open. While it's a great card of Jerry, it wasn't the perfect card to get autographed with the dark spots in the background and all. No matter though, it still looks great to me.

Al Kaline

Who: Outfielder Al Kaline

Team: Detroit Tigers

Card: 2008 Goudey

Acquired: TTM 1/1 7/8/2009 (7 days)

Comments: What can I say, another Hall of Famer to add to the collection. The page of Goudey cards in my binder is looking pretty good with the addition of the Tiger's Al Kaline. What an awesome career.

While Mr. Kaline is a great signer, he does require a small fee of $5 for baseball cards. That's about at my threshold, so it was worth it.

I really like the Goudey cards - I've said it a lot. But, this one is really nice. The illustration work done on Mr. Kaline on this card really looks good. The signature came out pretty well except for a little distortion when the black marker ran over the dark lettering on the jersey. Blue would have looked fantastic, but no complaints here.

Joey Votto

Who: First Baseman Joey Votto

Team: Cincinnati Reds

Card: 2007 Bowman Sterling

Acquired: eBay

Comments: I'm pretty stoked that Joey is back. Not only for the Reds sake, but his own as well. Sounds like the past few months have been hell for him. Hopefully he is truly on the road to recovery now.

So, this is one of my favorite cards. Design-wise, it does break away from the traditional baseball card mold - using a small photo and placing the main emphasis on the autograph. Nothing wrong with that every now and then. The main point of this card is captured right at the top of the card - "PROSPECT". Dudes bust cases of this like there's no tomorrow, stash the cards and wait until players blow up to flip the cards to nerds like me. The nice thing about picking this card up was I acquired it during the off season, and got a pretty good price on it.

Rollie Fingers

Who: Hall of Fame Pitcher Rollie Fingers

Team: Oakland Athletics

Card: 2008 Goudey

Acquired: TTM 1/1 6/13/2009 (8 days)

Comments: Sweet, another 2008 Goudey signed by a hall of famer - this time the one and only Rollie Fingers. He's in the mustache hall of fame as well, right? Well, I couldn't exactly find a Mustache Hall of Fame to check, but here's a great 'stache-related interview with him to fill the void.

I will say that Rollie's autograph is as nice has his mustache. It has a certain elegance to it, doesn't it?

Joey Votto

Who: First Baseman Joey Votto

Team: Cincinnati Reds

Card: 2008 Upper Deck Premier (Silver Edition)

Acquired: eBay

Comments: Getting cards signed in-person and thru the mail is great. But, a few certified autographs here and there are pretty nice as well.

Hopefully Joey is coming off the DL soon. From they way Dusty has been talking lately, he's getting better. I really do hope he is. Baseball is just a game, and I hope Joey is getting the break he needs for his own sake. All the rest will fall into place after that.

Joey Votto

Who: First Baseman Joey Votto

Team: Cincinnati Reds

Card: 2008 Upper Deck SP

Acquired: eBay

Comments: I won this card in an auction late last year for some ridiculously low price - just a few dollars. Good thing I was shopping then, since prices have shot up quite a bit now that the 2009 season is in full swing. Even Joey being on the DL isn't hampering things. Collectors know that he's going to be a stud for a long time to come. While there are a few flaws with the card - most noteabley the cut-off signature - I really like it. It has a nice, modern design, an auto and a jersey swatch, plus, it's horizontal. I just dig the horizontal cards.

Glenn Gibson

Who: Pitcher Glenn Gibson

Team: Washington Nationals

Card: 2007 Bowman Heritage

Acquired: 2007 Bowman Heritage pack

Comments: I pulled this card from a pack of 2007 Bowman just the other day. There are a ton of blasters on sale at my local Meijer, so I figured I would give it a run. I really like the cards, so it was a fun break. Getting an autograph is fun too, but I have no clue who Glenn Gibson is. While looking him up, I've noticed no 2009 stats for him. Is out of baseball right now? Or... injured? Here's a little more on him from February, 2008.

The really nice thing about 2007 Bowman Heritage autographs is that they're actually on-card. Very nice.

Merv Rettenmund

Who: Outfielder Merv Rettenmund

Team: Cincinnati Reds

Card: 1976 Topps

Acquired: In Person

Comments: Merv had a nice 13 year career with the Orioles, Reds, Padres and Angels, earning two World Series rings in three appearances. One of those rings was with the '75 Reds, one of the greatest teams in baseball history. Judging by his numbers, Merv probably would have been better known in Cincinnati history if it weren't for be over-shadowed by The Big Red Machine, aka, the Great Eight.

I was able to meet Merv and get his autograph at the Moeller Card show, the same one that I met Don Pavletich at. Though there were a few other retired players there signing, these were the only two I got that day. While I was talking to Merv, he mentioned something about pens that Upper Deck had sent him to sign some cards (or stickers?) with. I should have asked what set he may be in. I would guess that he would appear as an Oriole on whatever cards feature him, as he best years where with them in the early '70s. I'll keep my eyes pealed for those.

Don Pavletich

Who: Catcher Don Pavletich

Team: Cincinnati Reds

Card: 1959 Topps

Acquired: In Person

Comments: I was able to meet Don at a card show here in Cincinnati. The signature cost me a few bucks, but it was nice to get meet Don and shake his hand. It's not the best signature, but that's okay. Getting an autograph in person and having that personal connection with someone is really what makes the whole thing special.

This is Don's rookie card, but I did have another card that I almost had him sign instead - a 1969 Topps. It would have been a perfect card for an autograph, too. The rookie card won out for two reasons: 1) It's his rookie card 2) It's a great design from a classic set. Though the card is a little on the dark side, and it has the facsimile signature on it, it still came out well.

I believe this is the oldest baseball card of a Red that I've had signed. Pretty neat. This is also the second card that Don has signed for me - the other was sent through the mail.

Phil Niekro

Who: Hall of Fame Pitcher Phil Niekro

Team: Atlanta Braves

Card: 2008 Goudey

Acquired: TTM 1/1 3/9/2009 (6 days)

Comments: Somewhat ironically, the day I got this card back in the mail I had read an article about him in an in-flight magazine on my way back from the World Baseball Classic in Toronto. The story was not too in-depth, but I did tell the story of his humble beginnings as a son of a coal miner and how he was cut from a minor league team and ended up getting a second chance somewhere else after balling his eyes out in from of the coach. Great stuff.

Mr. Niekro wasted no time hooking me up with this autograph. I included a $5 fee with the card, so that helped... but 6 days is a great turnaround. Another Hall of Famer in the collection!

Pete Rose

Who: Hustler Pete Rose

Team: Cincinnati Reds

Card: 1987 Topps

Acquired: eBay

Comments: I figured I would be more stoked about my first Rose autograph than I am now, but I guess that's how it is with getting something like this off of eBay. Now, the autograph is pretty crumby in some ways - kinda small, in red ink, with a ballpoint pen, a little smeared, etc. But, Pete was signing a few cards like this TTM in December of 2008, red pen and all, so I have a pretty good feeling it's legit. Since Rose has three cards in the '87 Topps set, I figured I could drop $10 on this one for the sake of the project. If I ever have the chance to upgrade this card, I will, but hopefully not at great expense.

So, even though Peter Edward Rose isn't the greatest human being of all time, I still have a small spot in my heart for him. I was taught to hustle in all that I did when I was a kid - just like Pete Rose did it. I can't quite shake that... and I certainly don't want to. Thanks for the inspiration, Pete.

Bo Diaz

Who: Catcher Bo Diaz

Team: Cincinnati Reds

Card: 1987 Topps

Acquired: eBay

Comments: This is a big acquisition for the '87 Topps Reds set. Bo's life was cut short in an accident at home in Venezuela in 1990 - he was just 37 years old. He's one of two Reds from this set that have passed away, the other being Frank Williams, who just passed recently.

I suppose there is really no way of telling it the autograph is 100% authentic, but there are a few clues that lead me to be reasonably sure.

1) The blue ink on the card has really soaked in and has bled a little bit - making it appear that the card was signed quite a while ago - likely before 1990.

2) The seller on eBay had a ton of autographs up for sale all at once - a lot that I recognize and feel are pretty authentic. Many were from folks that are regular signers, so it's not too hard to get a lot of the autos he had up for sale.

3) The card is from 1987 - three years before Bo's death. So, there is obviously a time-frame that he was available to sign it. If his autograph was on a 1991 card or something - that would have obviously been fishy.

4) It looks like close enough to other autos I've seen of his on the internets.

So, I guess none of that is solid proof... but it's enough for me. It's going into the binder with all his other teammates on the 1987 Reds.

BTW, Bo was a damn good catcher... so rare or not... it's a great autograph to have! Also, he was another player in the '80s to fall prey to the Reds club rule that no player rock a 'satche.

Don Larson

Who: Pitcher Don Larson

Team: New York Yankees

Card: 2008 Goudey (#132)

Acquired: TTM 2/2 2/18/2009 (7 days)

Comments: Yankee great Don Larson took care of me pretty quickly - signing two 2008 Goudeys and getting them back to me in seven days. Mr. Larson charges a small fee to sign cards, but it was worth it to add another great player to the stable here at OMGautos.

Joey Votto

Who: First Baseman Joey Votto

Team: Cincinnati Reds

Card: 2008 Topps Updates & Highlights Autograph (HA-JV)

Acquired: eBay

Comments: This is a killer card. Though the scan doesn't really show it, it's a nice design. The autograph itself isn't the greatest, but that's what you get with sticker autographs, right? If this autograph was on-card it would be something really special.

Joey's the man.

Bob Feller

Who: Hall of Fame Pitcher Bob Feller

Team: Cleveland Indians

Card: 2008 Goudey

Acquired: TTM 1/1 10/27/2008 (6 days)

Comments: Sent this card and $5 to Bob Feller. He returned it signed. Victory.

Dave Concepcion

Who: Shortstop Dave Concepcion

Team: Cincinnati Reds

Card: 1987 Topps

Acquired: eBay

Comments: I hated to have to get this card off of eBay, but Davey is a pretty tough autograph. He was in Cincinnati recently and signing at the Big Red Machine Reunion, but you had to throw down $50 for his auto. Just a bit too steep for me. He is not in town too often, and he doesn't sign via the mail. I do love Davey though... and he should be in the Baseball Hall of Fame. He was the best shortstop of his era and a huge part of the Big Red Machine.

I love it that future Red Herm Winningham is also in the photo.

Jon Warden

Who: Pitcher Jon Warden

Team: Kansas City Royals

Card: 1969 Topps

Acquired: In Person, Moeller Card Show, 2008

Comments: Coming Soon...

Francisco Cordero

Who: Closer Francisco Cordero

Team: Cincinnati Reds

Card: 2008 Allen & Ginter Certified Autograph

Acquired: eBay

Comments: I got this card for a steal off of eBay. I think it was less that $3 shipped. Cordero had a mostly solid year for the Reds last year. He had 34 saves for a team that really do all that well. But, he was tagged for 4 losses and I know he got a few wins because he blew a save and the Reds came back to win the next inning. Oh well... I'll take him over most closers around the league. Lets hope for a great '09 for the Reds and Mr. Cordero. In the meantime, I'll enjoy this nice auto of his.

Kal Daniels

Who: Outfielder Kal Daniels

Team: Cincinnati Reds

Card: 1987 Topps

Acquired: In Person, Moeller Card Show, 2008

Comments: I sent Kal a card to get autographed through the mail about two months ago but have yet to receive it - so I figured I should get him in person while I could. I didn't chat with Kal for too long, but he did ask me about my iPhone - he thought it was a Blackberry. I said that he should get one and he replied with "I'll let my wife get one and she can work out the bugs." Kinda funny... wonder if he's a little technology challenged?

Another 1987 Topps Reds card. The project rolls on...

Dave Parker

Who: Outfielder Dave Parker

Team: Cincinnati Reds

Card: 1987 Topps All Star

Acquired: In Person, Moeller Card Show

Comments: The Cobra! This is the first in-person autograph I have gotten in a while. It was nice to meet Dave a chat for a sec. Seemed like a pretty nice guy. I guess I would be too if a bunch of people were paying for my autograph. But, no matter. This is a nice addition to my '87 Reds Topps Project, which still includes another Dave Parker card. I'll have to get that signed through the mail sometime soon. Just didn't want to throw the cash down for two autographs that day.

Brandon Phillips

Who: Second Baseman Brandon Phillips

Team: Cincinnati Reds

Card: 2008 Goudey Graphs

Acquired: 'Bay

Comments: Awesome.

Edwin Encarnacion

Who: Third Baseman Edwin Encarnacion

Team: Cincinnati Reds

Card: 2008 Goudey

Acquired: 'Bay

Comments: Let me say this: Edwin Encarnacion is a clutch player. Well, sometimes, at least. Sweet card, huh? I really like the 2008 Goudey design. I picked this card up REALLY cheap. Always nice to have a Reds autograph. Not much of a sig from Edwin, but that's okay.

Let's hope EE has a breakout season in 2009. He's certainly due.

Aaron Harang

Who: Pitcher Aaron Harang

Team: Cincinnati Reds

Card: 2007 Goudey

Acquired: The 'bay

Comments: Aaron didn't have the great 2008, but he's still a stud. Hopefully 2009 will be better to him. This was a pretty inexpensive auto to pick up, plus I love the 2007 Goudey design. Even better that the autograph is on the card, and not a sticker.

Brandon Phillips

Who: Second Baseman Brandon Phillips

Team: Cincinnati Reds

Card: 2007 Reds SGA when BP hit his 30th home run to become a 30/30 2nd Baseman

Acquired: In person at Sports Depot at Newport on the Levee

Comments: My wife and I were at the game that BP hit his 30th homer of 2007 to become a 30/30 player. Not many other fans where there that night, but it was fun to see it. These cards were passed out the next inning by ushers to all in attendance. I thought that was a nice gesture.

So, the autograph was cool to get, though I was a little bummed after getting it. First of all, I found out about this signing the night before, so I made a rushed decision to go to it. Second of all, the signing was $30! Geez. I really like BP. BP is great... but not sure that he's $30 great.

So, I get there and there are like 4 people in line in front of me. I had no problem buying a ticket the day of even though they were "limited". I had a few things to get signed and I was hoping for just two, really - this card and a baseball card. I tried to find out how many things he would sign before hand, but saw nothing. It wasn't until I was in line and asked that I found out it is one per person. Not a huge deal, but for $30 you would think you could get a couple of things. It's not like he's in the Hall of Fame or something. Anyways, BP was really nice and signed my card. The kids that were there got great treatment (as it should be) and all was good. As soon as he signed my card I was ushered out the back door and on my way home. I certainly got what I paid for, but it felt so empty and like a waste of money.

Anyways, I'm over it now and happy I have the auto on this card. But, that's the last time I am paying that kind of money for a current player's autograph. $30 was just way too much for BP.

If you need any proof that BP is a pretty cool dude, check out this photo of him with my friend Dave's kids. Awesome.