Ryan Church

Who: Outfielder Ryan Church

Team: New York Mets

Card: 2008 Topps Heritage

Acquired: TTM 2/2 9/21/2009 (205 days)

Comments: Ryan's facsimile autograph on this '08 Topps Heritage card is a bit rough. Ryan, did you really sign your rookie contract with that handwriting? Your mother would be ashamed. Anyways, the real autograph makes up for it a little bit, though I've never been a big fan of getting these cards all auto'd up. A 2009 Topps Heritage would have been a great card to get signed. Maybe next time...

Ryan Church

Who: Outfielder Ryan Church

Team: New York Mets

Card: 2008 Goudey

Acquired: TTM 2/2 9/21/2009 (205 days)

Comments: Really nice to see this one back! I sent a pair of cards to Ryan during spring training this year and even with the trade to the Braves, he kept up with his mail and I got them both back signed. Ryan hasn't had quite the year that offensively that most expected, but he's still a pretty solid player. He's a great non-Red to add to the collection. I always dig getting these Goudey's signed too. They look great with ink on them.

Bud Harrelson

Who: Shortstop Bud Harrelson

Team: New York Mets

Card: 1972 Topps

Acquired: TTM 1/1 4/11/2009 (11 days)

Comments: This card is absolutely beat to hell. Sorry, Bud. It's no disrespect at all. Thanks for signing my card. You have brought new life to it.

Of course, if you are a Reds fan, you would remember Mr. Harrelson as being the Mets second baseman that Pete Rose got into a scrape with during the '73 NCLS. Relive the memories with a Mets fan right here.

Cliff Floyd

Who: Outfielder Cliff Floyd

Team: New York Mets

Card: 2004 Topps Series One

Acquired: Christmas, 2005

Comments: My wife gave me a couple of packs of baseball cards one Christmas and I pulled this badboy out. I think she found packs of Topps and Upper Deck on sale a Meijer or something. Pretty cool to pull an autograph out of a sale pack.

So, I was so far removed from "The Hobby" that I:

a) didn't know autographs were even in baseball card packs

b) didn't know who the hell Cliff Floyd was

It didn't matter though, it was a fun pull and a nice gift from my wife :)