Milsurp After Hours

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-2005 Topps Braden Looper, signed. Drafted in the first round of the 1996 draft with the third overall pick by the St. Louis Cardinals out of Wichita State University, Braden Looper holds the record for most games pitched before multiple games started. Braden was drafted as a starter and indeed pitched in the Minors as such. Making the Majors in 1998 as a September call-up, he pitched in three games in relief, going 0-1 with a 5.40 ERA. However, his raw stuff impressed the Cardinals and they were planning on moving him to the rotation in 1999. But then, fate intervened. The pitching-deep Cardinals saw a golden opportunity when the Florida Marlins announced they were trading star shortstop Edgar Renteria. Short was a weak position for the Cardinals and while they were hesitant to give up on Braden, the Marlins wanted no less. After some hesitation, Braden, Minor League closer Armando Almanza, and infield prospect Pablo Ozuna were dealt to Florida for Renteria. With the exception of ace closer Antonio Alfonseca, the Marlins had a very weak bullpen, though they did possess a strong starting rotation. So they made Braden their set-up man. Braden performed extremely well, going 3-3 in 72 games, all in relief, and posted an excellent 3.80 ERA. In 2000, Braden reprised his role as set-up man to Alfonseca, going 5-1 in 73 games, all in relief, and posted a league average 4.41 ERA; the result of a dead arm period. Braden rebounded in 2001, going 3-3 in 71 games, all in relief, and posting a 3.55 ERA. In 2002, Braden split the closer role with Vladimir Nunez. He went 2-5 with 13 saves in 78 games, all in relief, posting a 3.14 ERA. 2003 saw Braden get the closer role for the Florida Marlins full-time. He went 6-4 with 28 saves in 74 games, all in relief, and posted a 3.68 ERA. Braden struggled badly in the postseason, however, including registering a disastrous 9.82 ERA in the World Series against the Yankees. The Marlins opted not to re-sign Looper, instead letting him hit free agency. Naturally, this meant that dreadful New York Mets General Manager Jim Duquette signed him to a two-year contract to be the Mets closer. Braden was well-liked during his first year with the Mets in 2004. He went 2-5 with 29 saves in 71 games, posting an excellent 2.71 ERA. And then came 2005. Braden hurt his arm in Spring Training and refused to tell anyone (shades of Doug Sisk) until the end of the season. The result was just about what you'd expect; he defined the term "erratic." When he was on, which wasn't often, he was incredibly good. When he was off, he was so bad that he was literally unwatchable. By the end of the season, the fans despised him. He'd somehow gone 4-7 with 28 saves in 60 games with a 3.94 ERA. In 2006, Braden signed with the St. Louis Cardinals. The Cardinals intended to use Braden as the set-up man for closer Jason Isringhausen. Instead, he worked as a middle reliever with the emergence of dominating set-up man Adam Wainwright. Braden had an impressive win/loss record, going 9-3 in 69 games, all in relief, and posted a solid 3.56 ERA. However, he was still quite erratic and choked badly in the postseason. Mets fans cheered as he imploded against his former team twice in the NLCS. It was after 2006 that famous Cardinals pitching coach Dave Duncan realized that Braden had a very poor mentality for a relief pitcher and would likely make a far better starting pitcher. In a controversial move, he told Braden to report to Spring Training as a starter. He'd pitched 572 games in relief before making a single start. Braden was horrible at first, but eventually settled into his new role to the point of outright dominance. He finished the season 12-12 in 31 games, including 30 starts (on the last day of the season, he made a relief appearance as Cardinals manager Tony La Russa amusingly put in every single one of his pitchers in a game that the Cardinals won), posting a 4.94 ERA. However, the success that Braden experienced late in the season gave him confidence for the 2008 season. Sure enough, Braden went 12-14 (a result of bad luck) in 33 games, all starts, and posted a solid 4.02 ERA. He threw his first Major League shutout on June 11 pitching against the Cincinnati Reds. He also gained confidence after Dave Duncan told him it was okay to throw inside and occassionally hit batters; something he'd been very nervous about prior to '08. He more than doubled his career high of 5 hit batsmen by drilling 11 opposing hitters (tied for 4th place in the National League). Braden appears to have finally found himself and as one of the Mets fans who more or less felt sorry for Braden rather than actually despising the guy, I do wish him well as a St. Louis Cardinals starter.

-2004 Just Rookies Argenis Reyes, signed. Originally a Cleveland Indians prospect, second baseman Argenis Reyes has no power, good speed, an incredible glove, a good arm, and decent plate discipline. However, he pretty much doesn't take enough walks to be a Major League leadoff hitter. The Indians, who had signed Reyes in 2001, realized this and released him after Spring Training, 2008. His story may well have ended there had it not been for a childhood friend on a Major League club: the unrelated Jose Reyes, superstar shortstop of the New York Mets. When the two were young, they formed a double play combo in the Dominican Republic playing pick-up games. Jose recommended signing Argenis as a Minor League free agent once the Indians had cut him. Seeing as he was low risk and the Mets were stockpiling middle infielders for their Minor League system, they did indeed follow Jose's advice. Argenis played well with the AAA New Orleans Zephyrs, batting .283 with a .347 on-base percentage, no homeruns, 22 RBI's, 41 runs scored, and 13 stolen bases in 81 games played. However, since the Mets were being decimated by injuries at second base, he was a surprise call-up to the Major Leagues. Despite posting pathetic offensive numbers (he batted .218 with a .259 on-base percentage, 1 homerun, 3 RBI's, 13 runs scored, and 2 stolen bases in 49 games), he became a fan favorite for his superb fielding and positive effect on clubhouse chemistry. Normally, a player has to hit at least somewhat well to gain the admiration of your average Mets fan, but Argenis dodged this completely. He was in fact extended and given a Major League contract, meaning he'll probably be the go-to utility infielder for the Mets in 2009. I look forward to seeing more of his exciting play in the field and wish him well. As an aside, on this baseball card, he's being hit by a pitch. I can't find any other baseball card showing a guy getting hit by a pitch.

-2002 Topps Traded Signature Moves Victor Diaz rookie autograph. Victor Diaz is pretty much the perfect example of what happens when the media gets its hands on a player's semi-complete scouting report without knowing anything else about him. Though Victor was born in the Dominican Republic, he was oddly subject to the US Amateur Draft, being drafted in 37th round of the 2000 draft by the Los Angeles Dodgers. Though no one expected Victor to sign with Los Angeles, he did indeed do so over eleven months after he was drafted. At the age of 20 in 2002, Victor made his Minor League debut and impressed everyone by batting .307 with a .351 on-base percentage, 14 homeruns, 82 RBI's, 86 runs scored, and 27 stolen bases between the Class A South Georgia Waves and the Class AA Jacksonville Suns. In 2003, he started the season with Jacksonville once again, batting .291 with a .347 on-base percentage, 10 homeruns, 55 RBI's, 42 runs scored, and 8 stolen bases in 85 games. This impressed New York Mets GM Steve Phillips enough to trade aging outfielder Jeromy Burnitz for him as well as Minor League relief pitchers Joselo Diaz (of no relation to Victor) and Kole Strayhorn. However, Phillips wasn't just content with Diaz being considered a top prospect, instead, he released a somewhat-complete scouting report the media basically tabbing him as the next Manny Ramirez. Well, perhaps they got it right about his dreadful attitude, but certainly nothing else. Victor finished the 2003 season with the Class AA Binghamton Mets, batting .354 with a .383 on-base percentage, 6 homeruns, 23 RBI's, 29 runs scored, and 7 stolen bases. However, he also almost completely stopped taking walks. In 2004, Victor split the season with the Class AAA Norfolk Tides and the Major Leagues with the Mets. With the Tides, Victor batted .292 with a .331 on-base percentage, 24 homeruns, 94 RBI's, 81 runs scored, and only 6 stolen bases. It's probably that Victor started taking steroids around this period considering a huge power boost in a pitcher-friendly league and a drastic reduction in stolen bases. But new Mets GM Jim Duquette kept perpetuating the perception that Victor Diaz would be the next Manny Ramirez. In the Majors in 2004, he batted .294 with a .321 on-base percentage, 3 homeruns, 8 RBI's, and 8 runs scored. However, he did so in only 15 games. His on-base percentage is deceptively high; he walked only 1 time and struck out 15 times. This should've set off a few alarm bells, but Duquette failed to trade Diaz while his value was high. Incoming GM Omar Minaya sent him down and called him up to and from AAA ball repeatedly in 2005 in a vain effort to boost his value. His surly attitude was a negative and he disappointed most fans. In the Majors that year, Victor batted .257 with a flukishly high .329 on-base percentage (only 30 walks), 12 homeruns, 38 RBI's, 41 runs scored, and 6 stolen bases in 89 games played. His stats were similar in AAA ball: he batted .300 with a .353 on-base percentage, 10 homeruns, 34 RBI's, 30 runs scored, and 6 stolen bases. In 2006, Victor opened the season with the Mets, but was quickly sent down to the Minors after going 2 for 11 in 6 games and complaining incessantly about his playing time. On August 30, the Mets finally found a taker for Victor in the Texas Rangers, getting then-catching prospect Mike Nickeas out of him. All this time, the media kept saying what an awful return it was since the previous two Mets GM's had compared Victor to Manny Ramirez. Victor played in 37 games for Texas the next year in 2007, batting .240 with a .259 on-base percentage, 9 homeruns, 25 RBI's, 13 runs scored, and no stolen bases. He also walked exactly once and struck out 33 times. In 2008, he was released and split the season between the AAA affiliates of the Astros and Mariners. I think it's safe to call him a busted prospect wiuth little chance of playing in the Majors again.

More later!

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-1999 Fleer/Sports Illustrated Greats of the Game Autograph Collection Ed Kranepool autograph. The last active member of the 1962 New York Mets, if anyone was the face of the franchise for its first 18 years, it was Ed. Signed as an amateur free agent at the age of 17 in 1962, Ed tore up the Minors, but was far from fully developed. As such, the Mets rushed him to the Majors that same year, destroying his chances of becoming the power-hitting first baseman he likely would have been had any other Major League franchise signed him. He also never really hit left-handed pitchers well (he batted left-handed), and this was also almost certainly a result of being rushed. In three games (he mostly sat on the bench), he went one for six and hit a double (hit off Chicago Cubs relief ace Don Elston). It appeared at first as though the Mets would send Ed down to develop in the Minors in the 1963 season, but they didn't. The 18-year old played in 86 Major League games, batting .209 with a .256 on-base percentage, 2 homeruns, 14 RBI's, and 22 runs scored. He also played some left field and right field that year. His first homerun came off well-traveled number two starter (and future Mets teammate) Bob Shaw. In 1964, Ed started playing with more regularity at first base, his natural position. He was an excellent fielder and probably the third-best fielding first baseman in franchise history after Keith Hernandez (arguably the best fielding first baseman in Major League history) and John Olerud. That season, Ed batted .257 with a .310 on-base percentage, 10 homeruns, 45 RBI's, and 47 runs scored. In 1965, Ed batted .253 with a .303 on-base percentage, 10 homeruns, 53 RBI's, 44 runs scored, and was named to his first and only NL All-Star Team, almost completely due to his fielding prowess. 1966 saw Ed set a season record for himself. His 16 homeruns that year were a career-high. He also batted .254 with a .316 on-base percentage, 57 RBI's, and 51 runs scored. 1967 saw Ed bat .269 with a .321 on-base percentage, 10 homeruns, 54 RBI's, and 37 runs scored. Statistically, Ed had his worst season by far in 1968. He batted only .231 with a poor .271 on-base percentage, 3 homeruns, 20 RBI's, and 29 runs scored. In 1969, the Mets acquired right-handed hitting first baseman Donn Clendenon from the Montreal Expos to help with their stretch run. Clendenon and natural right fielder Art Shamsky saw almost as much time as Ed at first base since he still wasn't hitting. For the Miracle Mets, Ed batted .238 with a solid .307 on-base percentage, 11 homeruns, 49 RBI's, and 36 runs scored. He got into three games against Atlanta in the 1969 NLCS and didn't do too badly, but only played one game in the 1969 World Series. He hit a homerun off Baltimore Orioles reliever Dave Leonhard for his only hit in the '69 World Series (or any World Series...he went hitless in the 1973 World Series, which was the only other World Series he appeared in). In 1970, Ed was injured and Donn Clendenon got most of the playing time at first base. Even when he was healthy for 43 games, Ed only batted .170 with a .250 on-base percentage, no homeruns, 3 RBI's, and 2 runs scored. In 1971, however, Ed rebounded and platooned with the aging Donn Clendenon. He batted .280 with a .340 on-base percentage, 14 homeruns, 58 RBI's (a career-high), and 61 runs scored (also a career-high). In 1972, Ed batted .269 with a .336 on-base percentage, 8 homeruns, 34 RBI's, and 28 runs scored. Ed did poorly in 1973 and was relegated to a bench role in favor of power-hitting John Milner. That season, Ed batted .239 with a .310 on-base percentage, 1 homerun, 35 RBI's, and 28 runs scored. Although the franchise fell apart in spectacular fashion in 1974, Ed rebounded while platooning with John Milner, batting .300 with a .350 on-base percentage, 4 homeruns, 24 RBI's, and 20 runs scored. 1975 saw Ed set career marks in both batting average and on-base percentage as he batted .323 with a .370 on-base percentage, 4 homeruns, 43 RBI's, and 42 runs scored. 1976 was also a good year for Ed as he batted .292 with a .344 on-base percentage, 10 homeruns, 49 RBI's, and 47 runs scored. 1977 was Ed's last good year. He batted .281 with a .330 on-base percentage, 10 homeruns, 40 RBI's, and 28 runs scored. In 1978, Ed batted only .210 with a .280 on-base percentage, 3 homeruns, 19 RBI's, and 7 runs scored in 66 games played. He's lost his starting first base job to the awful Willie Montanez. He platooned with Montanez and center fielder Lee Mazzilli in 1979, his last season both in baseball and in a Mets uniform. He batted .232 with a .287 on-base percentage, 2 homeruns, 17 RBI's, and 7 runs scored. He hit his final homerun off Pittsburgh Pirates ace Bert Blyleven and his final hit, a double, off Cardinals ace Bob Forsch. He had played every single one of his 1,853 career games in a New York Mets uniform, which is a team record. He batted .261 with a .316 on-base percentage, 118 homeruns, 614 RBI's, 536 runs scored, and 1,418 career hits (a record for most hits in a Mets uniform). Ed also holds the team records for most at-bats, most plate appearances, most total bases, most doubles, most singles, most times on base, most sacrifice flies, most double plays grounded into, and most outs. As for the picture of Ed eating a corned beef sandwich in a Mets uniform at Shea Stadium...I'll be darned if I know what it means, though it's certainly one of the more humorous pictures I've seen on a baseball card.

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-2007 TriStar Prospects Plus Farm Hands David Kopp autograph. Drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in the second round of the 2007 draft out of Clemson University, David Kopp is a right-handed pitcher with a good, low 90's fastball, an excellent circle changeup with a screwball break, and a developing slider. He has among the best pitching mechanics of anyone in the 2007 draft, similar to those of Danny Haren and Greg Maddux. Though mechanics alone don't produce results, I think it's safe to say that we won't see David injured in the near future. His command needs some work, but he has looked good in his past two seasons, despite pitching in limited action in 2008 due to a frayed labrum that he had in college and thought he could pitch through (he couldn't) combined with a sprained ankle he suffered in 2007 while running the bases. In 2007, he went 0-0 in 2 games, both starts, pitched 4 innings, gave up 3 hits, walked 3, and struck out 3. This year, he went 1-3 between the Rookie League Gulf Coast League Cardinals and Palm Beach Cardinals of the Class A Advanced Florida State League, appearing in 12 games, including 8 starts, and posting a 3.86 ERA. In 42 innings pitched, he gave up only 40 hits, walked 15, and struck out 32. Once he manages to overcome to the two freak injuries he suffered, he should be fine.

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-2007 Bowman Signs of the Future Jair Jurrjens autograph. The first ever Major League pitcher from Curacao (following six position players, including Andruw Jones), Jair Jurrjens looked like he was going to be the future ace for the Detroit Tigers. And then, in a trade reminiscent of one of the Randy Smith Specials of the late 1990's, they dumped him on the Atlanta Braves for aging shortstop Edgar Renteria, who played all of one season with Detroit. Jair was heavily used in the Minors and probably overused. Despite good pitching mechanics, he experienced both dead arm and an inflamed rotator cuff. However, the extremely heavy innings-load got him ready for what he'd face in Detroit in 2007. That year, he went 3-1 in 7 games, all starts, and posted a solid 4.70 ERA. Possessing an excellent low 90's fastball, plus curve, good changeup, and developing slider, everyone expected the Tigers to keep him. Well, we were wrong, as mentioned. With the 2008 Atlanta Braves, Jair was the rubber-armed, not-at-all-injury-prone workhorse of the staff, going 13-10 in 31 games, all starts, posting a 3.68 ERA. In 188 1/3rd innings, he gave up 188 hits, 70 walks, struck out 139, and gave up just 11 homeruns. Amusingly, his first career extra-base hit was a triple off the Cincinnati Reds' Josh Fogg. Jair finished the 2008 season third in the NL Rookie of the Year voting to Geovany Soto and Joey Votto, in that order. He has a bright future with the Atlanta Braves; I just wish he'd posted those numbers with the pitching-starved Tigers.

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-2006 Bowman Draft Adrian Cardenas autograph. Drafted in the supplemental round of the 2006 draft (that's the round between the First and Second rounds for free agent compensation guys) out of high school by the Philadelphia Phillies, Adrian Cardenas was a rarity in that he was a left-handed-hittting shortstop. He exhibited excellent plate discipline in his first year of pro ball with the Gulf Coast League Phillies by batting .318 with a .384 on-base percentage, 2 homeruns, 21 RBI's, 22 runs scored, and 13 stolen bases. Then the Phillies started encouraging him to take a more aggressive plate approach in 2007. With the Class A Lakewood BlueClaws, he batted .295 with a .354 on-base percentage, 9 homeruns, 79 RBI's, 70 runs scored, and 19 stolen bases. Strangely, however, hee was converted into a second baseman. Considering the Phillies already had Chase Utley at second (another left-handed hitting second baseman), the move perplexed basically everyone. He was however selected to the 2007 All-Star Futures Game and played for the US Team. Adrian started out the 2008 season with the Class A Advanced Clearwater Threshers, but started struggling in the middle of the season. The Phillies threw him in with Josh Outman and sent him to the Oakland A's for pitcher Joe Blanton. The A's knew that Cardenas was capable of putting up good walk totals, but that he had to have his whole 2007 "new plate approach" worked out of him. After a poor showing at Class A Advanced Stockton, the A's promoted him to Midland of the Class AA Texas League. He immediately started taking walks and his plate discipline improved exponentially. With all three teams he played for in 2008, Adrian batted .296 with a .364 on-base percentage, 5 homeruns, 40 RBI's, 67 runs scored, and 17 stolen bases. Playing this year in the Arizona Fall League to work on his plate discipline, Adrian has only hit .239, albeit in only 24 games. But he's also posted a very good .329 on-base percentage. I think he'll make it to the Majors and do okay, at the very least.

-2008 Upper Deck Team USA Baseball Japanese Collegiate All-Stars Game Jersey Yuki Saitoh pre-rookie card. When you follow enough prospects, you'd be surprised at the ones that seem like they're really going to be a superstar in the near future. Take Yuki Saitoh. The Japanese collegiate pitcher throws an 88 mph four-seam fastball, a screwball variant known as the shootball, a changeup, and a curve. He also throws these pitches with such incredible movement that I think that if you put him in the Majors right here and now, he'd succeed. He also has terrific pitching mechanics and a nearly flawless arm action. It's a testament to his durability that he's started games on back-to-back days without showing any signs of tiring out. Although it could be as long as eight or nine years before he comes to the Major Leagues, have absolutely no doubt that he will, barring horrendous injury or snubbing the Majors like the arrogant Yu Darvish. This guy reminds me of Greg Maddux in a lot of ways; he could thread a needle with his fastball, he uses very few pitches to get through a game, his arm action is effortless; believe me, even if it takes a few years, you'll be hearing about this guy.

More later!

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-2008 Upper Deck USA Baseball National Team Autograph & Jersey Tyson Ross autograph. Possessing a 95 mph four-seam fastball, a plus slider, a solid changeup, and a below average curve, Tyson Ross was drafted in the second round of the 2008 draft by the Oakland A's out of UC Berkeley. Though he possesses a world of talent and if he somehow stays healthy, he profiles as an ace, he also has arguably the worst pitching mechanics of any pitcher to sign a contract in the entire draft. Like Mark Prior and Anthony Reyes, he's basically an example of what not to do when throwing a baseball. His arm action grades as terrible, as he violently employs scapular loading in an awful, "M-style" and hyperabducts his elbow to the point where I've only seen Anthony Reyes do it more severely. His followthrough is equally poor, as he decelerates his arm FAR, FAR too quickly, and locks the knee of his landing leg. Admittedly, I'm getting really technical, but consider that I believe him to be at severe risk for injuries of his labrum, rotator cuff, ulnar collateral ligament (this is what they replace during Tommy John surgery), and also be at risk for various and sundry impingement problems. Tyson made his pro debut in 2008 with the Class A Kane County Cougars. He went 0-1 in 6 games, including 4 starts, and posted a 4.66 ERA. In 19 1/3 innings, he gave up 16 hits, 5 walks, and struck out 16. Despite his great raw stuff, with his delivery, I'd be shocked if he made it for more than a few injury-plagued seasons in the Majors.

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-Brad Ziegler signed 8x10. A right-handed pitcher drafted in the 20th round of the 2003 draft by the Philadelphia Phillies, Brad Ziegler started out as a soft-tossing, high-sidearm pitcher. Ineffective during his incredibly brief tenure in the Phillies system, Brad was released and then signed by the Oakland A's in 2004. The A's converted Brad to a straight-across sidearm delivery, using him as a starter in the Minors. In 2007, Brad adopted a submarine delivery. Unlike most submarine pitchers who generally throw to one side of the plate (i.e. become lefty specialists or righty specialists), Brad can pitch to both lefties and righties. In addition to a moving two-seam fastball and good slurve, Brad also throws a changeup that breaks like a screwball. Brought to the Majors in 2008, his debut was rather odd. Against the Texas Rangers, he allowed a groundball single to Texas second baseman Ian Kinsler that scored a run. But just moments later, he picked off Kinsler for what would be the last Texas out of the game. However, as the season progressed, he wasn't allowing any runs, earned or unearned. "Ziggy" blew past the rookie record set by George McQuillan in 1907 on July 27, 2008, over 101 years after it had been set. He kept on pitching scoreless ball for 39 consecutive innings, which tied the record for a relief pitcher with 1940's relief ace Al Benton. He would allow a few runs over the course of the season (8, 7 of which were earned), but over a span of 59 2/3rd innings pitched, Ziggy posted a 1.06 ERA. He also went 3-0 and saved 11 games as Oakland's closer down the stretch. He allowed only 47 hits and 22 walks, while striking out 30. At the very best, Ziggy is Oakland's next closer. At the very worst, he's their ace righty specialist. I think that he's probably going to wind up better than Chad Bradford, though not quite reaching the level of a guy like Ted Abernathy or Kent Tekulve.

More later!

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-Robinson Cancel signed CIC. What's a CIC, you ask? Well, it stands for "custom index card" and is used to describe what are for all intents and purposes, home-made baseball cards. Quality ranges from very crude (such as an index card with a photo pasted on...which is my preferred method) to excellent. The latter is the case with this card of Robinson Cancel. Well, right now, you may be asking "who is Robinson Cancel?" Drafted in the 16th round of the 1994 draft by the Milwaukee Brewers out of high school, Puerto Rican catcher Robinson Cancel (pronounced "can-SELL") received high marks for good bat control and superb defense behind home plate. He reached the Majors in 1999 at age 23 with the Milwaukee Brewers, playing in 15 games behind the plate with them. However, he couldn't hit, batting .182 with a .234 on-base percentage, no homeruns, 5 RBI's, and 5 runs scored. Milwaukee already had three catchers on their roster with Henry Blanco, Tyler Houston, and Raul Casanova and didn't call Robinson back up in 2000 or 2001. In fact, after the 2001 season, they released him altogether. Picked up by the Oakland A's in 2002, he failed to make the team and while he hit well in AA ball, he was released at the end of the season. Robinson played independent league baseball in 2003 (Pennsylvania and Somerset of the Atlantic League) and the beginning of 2004 (Somerset), he signed on with the hapless Tampa Bay Devil Rays, who had nothing to lose by signing an independent league player. Robinson hit well in AA ball, but a poor showing in AAA ball prevented him from reaching the Majors. Signed in 2005 by the St. Louis Cardinals, he finally made his way back onto a 40-man roster. Despite posting solid numbers in AA and AAA ball, he wasn't called up with St. Louis' surplus of catching talent. Robinson went back to playing indy league ball in 2006, spending the entire season with the Edinburg Coyotes of the United League. In 2007, the New York Mets signed Robinson as roster filler, assigning him to AA Binghamton. But he played too well with them to stay and was promoted to AAA New Orleans, where he also surprised most scouts with his solid play. In 2008, Robinson proved such an excellent game-caller in Spring Training that he was put on the 40-man roster and was informed that he had a chance to make the team as their third-string catcher. Unfortunately, in a Spring Training exhibition game against the Cleveland Indians, Robinson cracked a rib in a collission with the Indians first baseman. He nevertheless rehabbed for four games with the St. Lucie Mets, played a few games in New Orleans, and was then promoted to the Major Leagues for the first time in nine years. He went hitless in his first at-bat on June 6, but then, in an interleague game against the Texas Rangers, he pinch-hit for Mets starter Pedro Martinez. He lined a clean single to center field off Rangers starter Kason Gabbard with the bases loaded, scoring center fielder Carlos Beltran and left fielder Damion Easley. On July 20, against the Cincinnati Reds, he hit a double off left-handed specialist Bill Bray, which was his first extra-base hit since his brief callup with Milwaukee. He later scored on an error. On August 11 against the Pittsburgh Pirates, he drilled his Major League homerun, a solo shot off Pirates starter Zach Duke. Over the season, Robinson batted .245 with a .288 on-base percentage, 1 homerun, 5 RBI's, 5 runs scored, and 1 stolen base. Over his Minor League career, Robinson has thus far batted .264 with a .329 on-base percentage, 72 homeruns, 483 RBI's, 442 runs scored, 115 stolen bases, and 916 hits. Keeping him around as the third-string catcher wouldn't be a bad idea.

-2008 TriStar Prospects Plus National Convention Header Card. The National Sportscard Convention is held annually as the trade show for various card companies. Usually, if you're a dealer, you can get a couple free sets there. I got this one off eBay sans the two redemption cards of Tim Beckham (whom I've already profiled) and Ryan Flaherty (who I'll get around to with a different card), both of whom are pictured on the front of this card. The other cards contained in the set are David Cooper, Ike Davis (whom I've already done), Reese Havens, Lonnie Chisenhall (whom I've also already done), and Shooter Hunt.

-2008 TriStar Prospects Plus National Convention David Cooper. A left-handed hitting first baseman, David Cooper was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in the first round of the 2008 draft out of UC Berkeley. A contact hitter and an excellent fielder, David lacks power and will have to continue to hit for average to reach the Major Leagues. In 69 professional games so far (split between Class A Short Season Auburn, Class A Lansing, and Class A Advanced Dunedin), David has batted .333 with a .399 on-base percentage, 5 homeruns, 51 RBI's, and 35 runs scored.

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-2008 TriStar Prospects Plus National Convention Ike Davis. Mets first base prospect and son of former Twins closer Ron Davis. I discussed him earlier.

-2008 TriStar Prospects Plus National Convention Reese Havens. The second pick made by the New York Mets in the first round of the 2008 draft (Ike Davis was the first), shortstop/second baseman Reese Havens was signed out of the University of South Carolina. Despite Havens being picked after Davis, most scouts believe that Havens is the superior talent. It's likely that because Havens was primarily a shortstop in college (a position currently occcupied by superstar shortstop Jose Reyes), the Mets figured he'd need a bit of work before being switched to second base (he didn't). His swing is outstanding. Most scouts put him among the top ten raw hitters for his excellent plate approach. In his first professional experience with the Class A Short Season Brooklyn Cyclones, Reese batted .247 with a superb .340 on-base percentage, 3 homeruns, 11 RBI's, 13 runs scored, and 3 stolen bases. He played only 23 games. With his excellent plate discipline, his batting average should catch up and and I'd not be surprised if he was a Major League regular within three years. I also have his autograph on a baseball, but that proved a little tough to scan.

-2008 TriStar Prospects Plus National Convention Lonnie Chisenhall. Described him. First round pick of the 2008 draft by the Cleveland Indians out of Pitt Community College.

-2008 TriStar Prospects Plus National Convention Shooter Hunt. The second pick of the first round by the Minnesota Twins in the 2008 draft (they had three), Tulane product Shooter Hunt is a right-handed pitcher. Possessing a four-seam fastball that can touch 96 mph, a two-seam fastball that clocks in at about 93 mph, a 12-to-6 curve, and a straight changeup, I haven't a clue as to how Shooter got his nickname, other than it came from a movie. He has a very good arm action, not putting himself at any kind of injury risk. However, due to his somewhat complex overall delivery, his pitch command can be inconsistent. When he's on, he's unhittable. When he's off, he walks the ballpark. Splitting the season between the rookie ball Elizabethton Twins and the Class A Beloit Snappers, Shooter went 1-4 in 11 games, all starts, posting a 3.58 ERA. In 50.1 innings pitched, he gave up just 30 hits and struck out 68, but also walked 33. If he can locate his pitches a bit better, then he's bound for long-term success at the Major League level with Minnesota.

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-2007 Bowman Sterling German Duran autograph/game-used jersey swatch. Drafted by the Texas Rangers in the 6th round of the 2005 draft out of Weatherford College (the first ever Major Leaguer to come out of Weatherford), German Duran is a power-hittting infielder that needs to learn a bit better plate discipline. Though he never walked particularly much to begin with, he did have at least solid plate discipline in the Minors, batting .284 with a .335 on-base percentage, 40 homeruns, 195 RBI's, and 210 runs scored as well as 32 stolen bases in 327 games there (through 2008). He also played for the World Team in the 2007 All-Star Futures Game (he was born in Mexico). In the Majors (60 games) in 2008, German batted .231 with a weak .275 on-base percentage, 3 homeruns, 16 RBI's, and 22 runs scored. However, a spot for him is likely to open up in the starting lineup with the departure of designated hitter Milton Bradley and the likely conversion of third baseman Ramon Vazquez back to the bench. But with an extremely talent-rich organization, Texas can likely afford to trade German elsewhere, as well. Though I don't doubt he has a future as a Major Leaguer, he doesn't seem to be a good fit for the Rangers except as the primary guy off the bench.

-2006 Bowman Chrome Draft Andrew Carpenter autograph. The second round pick of the Philadelphia Phillies in the 2006 draft, Long Beach State product right-hander Andrew Carpenter projects pretty well as a starter in the Majors. He throws a good four-seam fastball in the low 90's, an excellent splitter that he throws as a change of pace, and a plus slider. He also threw a traditional changeup and curveball in college, but has since scrapped the latter pitch completely and only very rarely throws his changeup. His arm action is a little risky, but so far hasn't caused him any problems. He was a bulldog in 2007, winning 17 games in the Class A Advanced Florida State League. He also pitched well in 2008, though the Phillies reduced his workload significantly after he had a bit of dead arm early in the season. He struggled in AA ball at first, but after being sent down to Class A Advanced and pitching well, he was promoted to AA once again, pitched well, promoted to AAA, where he pitched one very good game (but still lost...he only gave up 2 runs in 7 innings, but I think he was on the losing end of a shutout), and finally promoted to the Majors. Because he'd pitched 163 innings in 2007, the Phillies initially shut him and were going to have him ride the bench until the end of the season. However, on August 27, he pitched his first and so far only Major League inning. With Philadelphia losing to the Mets 6-3 (and the Mets bullpen actually held that one down...the Mets won, 6-3), manager Charlie Manuel brought Andrew in to face the top of the batting order. His career started a tad uneasily, as he gave up a screaming line drive to Jose Reyes that wound up a single. Luis Castillo bunted Reyes over to second for Carpenter's first out. He then got his first Major League strikeout in rather spectacular fashion as he struck out a red-hot David Wright on three pitches, though Reyes stole third. After intentionally walking Carlos Delgado, he induced Carlos Beltran to fly out to deep center field (I saw it on TV...he JUST missed a homerun). Although I obviously root against the Phillies with every fiber of my being, it would be nice to see Carpenter succeed as a Major League pitcher and watching his first ever MLB game on TV was pretty neat. He should be in the mix for their rotation in 2009.

-1996 Leaf Signature Series Bill Swift autograph. Drafted in the first round (second overall) of the 1984 draft out of the University of Maine by the Seattle Mariners, Bill Swift was considered an odd choice to be drafted so high. A righty sinkerball pitcher, Swift also threw a good curve and changeup. However, almost everyone agreed that he would be Major League-ready very quickly, which is almost certainly why the pitching-starved Mariners took him. He made the Majors in 1985, going 6-10 in 23 games, including 21 starts, posting a 4.77 ERA. His struggles got worse in 1986 as he went 2-9 in 29 games, including 17 starts, posting a 5.46 ERA. Still, the Mariners stuck with him. But they sent him to the Minors for a full season to polish him up a bit. In 1988, back in the Majors, he went 8-12 in 38 games, including 24 starts, posting a 4.59 ERA. Arm problems in 1989 limited him to a record of 7-3 in 37 games, including 16 starts, while posting a 4.43 ERA. The Mariners began using Bill more and more as a short reliever in 1990, when he went 6-4 in 55 games, including 8 starts, and posted a 2.39 ERA. In 1991, Bill was made the team's closer, going 1-2 in 71 games, all in relief, with 17 saves and an ERA of 1.99. In late 1991, after the season had ended, the San Francisco Giants traded troubled slugger Kevin Mitchell and prospect reliever Mike Remlinger to the Mariners for Bill, prospect starter Dave Burba, and prospect closer Mike Jackson. The Giants had no interest in using Bill as a closer, however, converting him back into a starting role. He went 10-4 in 1992 in 30 games, including 22 starts, posting a terrific 2.08 ERA. In 1993, he had the best year of his career. He went 21-8 in 34 games, all starts, posted a 2.82 ERA, and finished second in NL Cy Young Award voting. Bill was 8-7 in 17 games, all starts, with a 3.38 ERA the next season before the Strike hit. When play resumed in 1995, he finally hit free agency and signed with the Colorado Rockies. He went 9-3 in 19 games, all starts, posting a very-good-considering-the-ballpark 4.94 ERA. However, he had the first of what was to become many arm problems that year. In 1996, Bill went 1-1 in 7 games, including 3 starts, posting a 5.40 ERA while grappling with shoulder problems. In 1997, he was 4-6 in 14 games, including 13 starts, and posted a horrid 6.34 ERA before he was released. Though he signed a Minor League contract with Baltimore, he never pitched with the Major League team. In 1998, he signed with Seattle. However, by this time he was really only throwing his sinker and changeup, not really mixing in a breaking pitch of any kind. He went 11-9 in 29 games, including 26 starts, but posted a dreadful 5.85 ERA. Though he also pitched in the Minors in 1999, that was effectively the end for Bill. Though primarily remembered as a one-year wonder who also threw an incredibly low number of pitches per game, Bill was a solid pitcher who lasted about six good seasons.

More later!

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-Brandon Knight signed 8x10. Right-handed pitcher Brandon Knight was drafted in the 14th round of the 1995 draft out of high school by the Texas Rangers. Throwing a good low 90's four-seam fastball, a solid changeup, a slider, and a curve, none of his pitches really jumped out at hitters, but he threw four serviceable pitches and they thought his velocity would go up. Well, it didn't, and his command never really got to the point where they thought it would be. Though he was a solid pitcher in AAA, the Rangers traded Brandon along with fellow Minor Leaguer Sam Marsonek to the New York Yankees after the 1999 season had concluded for Yankees outfielder Chad Curtis. Marsonek never made the Major Leagues. After one solid season in the Yankees organization, the Minnesota Twins drafted Brandon in the Rule V Draft. Under the Rules of the time, any player with at least 5 years of professional play under his belt could be drafted if he wasn't on the team's 40-man roster. However, if he didn't make the team out of Spring Training, didn't stay the whole season with the Major League team, and wasn't traded for, then he'd have to be returned to his team of origin. As such, while Brandon came close to making the Twins, he didn't make the team and was returned to the New York Yankees. Because he had a good Spring Training, the Yankees put him on their own 40-man roster. He finally debuted in the Majors, pitching 4 games, all in relief, and getting pounded to the tune of a 10.13 ERA in 10 2/3rd innings pitched. Brandon struggled to locate his breaking pitches and was forced to rely on his so-so fastball. He also wasn't really any good coming out of the bullpen. Regardless, he got another shot as a reliever in 2002, though performed even worse. In 7 games (all in relief), he pitched just 8 2/3rd innings, and posted an ERA of 11.42. His command was still pretty badly off. Cut by the Yankees after the season, he pitched in independent league ball until 2006, when he tried a comeback to organized baseball with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Though he was on the team's 40-man roster, he never pitched in the Majors with Pittsburgh and spent 2007 with the independent Somerset Patriots of the Atlantic League. He was all set to retire until his wife convinced him to stay in baseball until he at least had one Major League start under his belt. In 2008, he was signed to a Minor League contract by the New York Mets. The Mets changed Knight's pitch repertoire, having him discard his four-seam fastball in favor of a two-seam sinking fastball and altering his release point slightly. After showing improved pitch command with the AAA New Orleans Zephyrs, the Mets promoted him to the Majors. When first choice starter Adam Bostick shattered his knee, Knight was called upon to make his first Major League start against the St. Louis Cardinals. Brandon was battered for five runs in his first inning, but since the Mets had no long reliever, they had to send him out again. He immediately settled down, eventually striking out feared Cardinals hitter Albert Pujols in the fourth inning and throwing four shutout innings. Of course, Mets reliever Carlos Muniz wasted no time blowing the lead and depriving Knight of what would have been his first Major League win (Mets reliever Aaron Heilman eventually blew the game in extra innings). Just a few days later, Brandon suited up for Team USA in the Olympics (we sent a hodge-podge of prospects, has-beens, never-wases, and one amateur superstar to represent us). He would pitch two games, both in relief. He won a game against Taiwan, though was also knocked around against South Korea. However, he decided to return to the Mets after the Olympics were over. Called back up to the Majors in September, he made two appearances in relief before making a second start, which was his final game of the season. Against the Washington Nationals, Brandon turned in five solid innings and won the game for his first ever Major League win and in fact, his first ever Major League decision. Once extremely close to retiring, he plans on attending 2009 Spring Training at the very least with the Mets and is a member of the team's 40-man roster. He'll be vying for the role of long reliever this upcoming season and I do wish him luck.

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-Jim McAndrew signed 8x10. Taken in the 11th round of the 1965 Draft out of the University of Iowa, right-hander Jim McAndrew was a member of the 1968-1973 powerhouse New York Mets starting rotation. McAndrew relied heavily on a sinker that acted a bit like a modern cut fastball as well as a changeup, also throwing a slurvy breaking pitch. He was a soft-tosser, but had excellent control of all of his pitches. He broke into the Majors in 1968, going 4-7 in 12 games, all starts, despite a 2.28 ERA. In 1969, he went 6-7 in 27 games, including 21 starts, posting a 3.47 ERA. Because he was so horribly ineffective in relief and because the Mets had a surplus of starting pitching (Nolan Ryan was coming out of the bullpen...), McAndrew failed to make the postseason roster (it came down to him and Don Cardwell, who was at least solid as a reliever). 1970 saw Jim improve to 10-14 in 32 games, including 27 starts, posting a very good 3.56 ERA (in a high-offense year). Unfortunately, he had arm problems in 1971. He went 2-5 in 24 games, including 10 starts that year, posting an ERA of 4.38. However, because Jim relied on location instead of velocity, he rebounded well during the 1972 season. He went 11-8 that year in 28 games, including 23 starts, posting a 2.80 ERA. Unfortunately, he likely pitched through some kind of injury, as he REALLY went downhilll in 1973. As a swingman, he went 3-8 in 23 games, including 12 starts, posting a 5.38 ERA. That was awful enough to justify leaving him off the post-season roster once again, although I kinda feel for a guy who has a good career, his team makes the World Series twice, and he's the odd man out. His value gone, the Mets traded him to the San Diego Padres for Steve Simpson, a reliever who never pitched in the Majors for the Mets. However, McAndrew pitched so badly for the 1974 Padres that unfortunately, his loss was actually a gain for the Mets. With San Diego, Jim went 1-4 in 15 games, including 5 starts, posting a dreadful 5.62 ERA. Released on June 1, he never again pitched in the Major Leagues. His son Jamie would later pitch in the Major Leagues with the Seattle Mariners.

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-Sherman Jones signed 8x10. Signed as an amateur free agent by the New York Giants in 1953, Sherman "Roadblock" Jones was a right-hander who suffered recurring arm problems. At the time he was signed by the Giants, he was throwing around 99-100 mph. By the time he reached the Majors in 1960 with the San Francisco Giants, also by now throwing a good slider, his velocity had dropped to around 92-93 mph. He was also converted from being a starter into a long reliever. Sherman pitched in 16 games, all in relief, going 1-1 with a solid 3.09 ERA. however, Sherman struggled with his control and was dealt to the Cincinnati Reds in 1961. Once again, he posted a 1-1 record, though he appeared in 24 games, including 2 starts, and posted an ERA of 4.42. Regardless, he still made the Reds post-season roster and pitched a scoreless two thirds of an inning against the mighty 1961 New York Yankees, getting slick-fielding third baseman Clete Boyer to pop up and retiring Yankees pitcher Bud Daley on a ground ball. From there, however, Jones' career spun out of control. Being a known injury problem, the Reds left Jones exposed to the expansion draft being conducted by the New York Mets. Naturally, they selected him and plugged him into their original starting rotation. Sort of. They had paired off Jones with fellow power arm Bob Botz in 1962 Spring Training. Despite the fact that Botz out-pitched Jones in nearly every aspect, the Mets released him. As the go-to middle reliever for the 1962 Los Angeles Angels, releasing Botz became the first really brainless of many transaction for the fledgling Mets. Jones would have his place in Mets lore, though, despite going 0-4 in 8 games, including 3 starts, and posting an eyesore 7.71 ERA. Despite these awful numbers, he wound up starting the first ever Mets home game. True to form, he also lost it. Sherman Jones never pitched in the Majors after that awful 1962 season. He later became a Democratic legislator in the state of Kansas, serving in the State House from 1988-1992 and the State Senate from 1992-2000. I have no clue about his voting record.

More later!

...accidentally. Here are the pics. I'll come back and edit them to add in better descriptions later on...

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-Jack Fisher signed 8x10. Good starting pitcher for the Orioles, Giants, Mets, and White Sox (also pitched with the Reds) during the 1960's. Threw right-handed. Threw a two-seam fastball, curve, changeup, and slider. Gave up three famous homeruns (Ted Williams' last ever, Roger Maris' 60th in 1961, and the first ever homerun in shea Stadium history to Willie Stargell in 1964).

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-Brian Shouse signed 8x10. Left-handed specialist that didn't become a really good pitcher until age 35, when he started throwing sidearm. Played with about half a dozen organizations before joining the Texas Rangers and pitching really well and then the Milwaukee Brewers, also pitching very well there. Currently a free agent.

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-2002 Upper Deck Ultimate Collection Ultimate Rookie Signatures Oliver Perez autograph rookie card. Jekyll & Hyde type left-handed pitcher; million dollar arm, ten cent head. Has a 93-95 mph four-seam fastball, a vicious slider, a slow curve, and a split-fingered fastball he uses as a change of pace. Radically inconsistent. Pitches like Sandy Koufax when he's on and like post-mental block Steve Blass when he's off. Has pitched for the San Diego Padres, Pittsburgh Pirates, and New York Mets. Currently a free agent.

-2005 Donruss Signature Series Octavio Dotel autograph. Originally groomed as a starter by the New York Mets when he came up in 1999, then was converted to a reliever the next year by the Houston Astros, where he dominated. Also pitched very wekll for Oakland before blowing his arm out. Came back to New York for a few games with the Yankees and was awful. Split the next season (2007) with the Royals and Braves, and did well with the Royals and then hurt his arm again with the Braves. Pitched well last season for the White Sox as (oddly) a righty specialist. Throws a 94-95 mph four-seam fastball and a great slider, plus an inconsistent changeup. I was at his second ever start at Shea Stadium in 1999 and he struck out Sammy Sosa swinging twice (pitched a terrific game).

-2007 Upper Deck Future Stars Clear Path to Greatness Gustavo Molina autograph rookie card. Played briefly with the 2008 Mets; I remember his only hit as a Met because he got it while I was doing genealogical research for my family at the New York Public Library and had the game on my radio (was wearing earphones). Don't think they'll bring him back; kind of a career Minor Leaguer type, but he's part of my thus-far successful effort to have every New York Mets player who played in 2008 or later.

-2002 Bowman Signs of the Future Bobby Keppel autograph. Tremendously hyped draft pick by the New York Mets who went bust. He played in the Majors in 2006 and 2007 with the Kansas City Royals and Colorado Rockies, but that was it. He threw a two-seam fastball, a curve, and a changeup. Barely struck out anybody.

-1963 Topps Choo Choo Coleman, signed. "The Chooch" was one of the symbols of epic failure for the New York Mets in their birth year of 1962. He played the most games at catcher, despite not being at any one time the primary catcher (those three guys wound up getting traded). He was horrible as a hitter, even worse as a defensive player (he forgot the signs for pitches so often that the Mets resorted to painting his fingers different colors to signal for individual pitches; this had the interesting result of him inadvertently flipping the pitcher the bird every time he called for a curveball). He was also famous for going on Kiner's Korner (hosted by well-liked [at least by the players after his playing days] Mets broadcaster and Hall of Famer Ralph Kiner) a month or two after he got married. That went like this...

Kiner: "So, what's your wife's name and what's she like?"

Choo Choo: "Her name is Mrs. Coleman and she likes me, bub!"

Needless to say, he never appeared on Kiner's Korner again. His autograph is actually extremely rare; he only signed during his playing days and he was hard to get even then. 1965-1969 was when he signed most, when he was the primary catcher for the Mets' AAA affiliates in Jacksonville and then in Tidewater. I'm pretty sure this one was signed at a Jacksonville Suns game.

More later!

I've really gotten behind on my posting here, so what I'll do is this: I'll make a picture dump...eight pictures...with a quick caption for the players involved as well as a description of the item itself. These are intended as placeholders for when I get the time to put in full stories.

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-Stephen Strasburg signed 5x7. The top amateur player in the United States, right-handed pitcher Stephen Strasburg is the ace of the San Diego State University Aztecs. He throws a 100 mph four-seam fastball, a vicious slider, a good curve, and a good circle changeup. Pitching for Team USA in the 2008 Olympics, Stephen became the last ever amateur American ballplayer to play in the Olympics. He figures to go number one overall in the 2009 draft.

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-2005 BBM Rookie Edition Weekly Rookies Promotion Yu Darvish rookie card. Yu Darvish is a top Japanese right-handed pitcher with the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters. Often called the best pitcher in Japanese baseball, Darvish can throw a mid-90's four-seam fastball, a hard-breaking slider, a good curve, and a solid changeup. His only problems are maturity, or rather a lack thereof. He once stated that he wouldn't play in the Major Leagues until he'd won 200 games in Japan. Although 200 isn't much of a milestone in the United States, consider the Nippon Professional Baseball employs six-man pitching rotations and only plays 145 games. There have only been twenty 200-game winners in NPB history. He also has a rather suspect arm action and with no pitch counts in Japan, I can't see him winning even 150 before his arm goes. With that said, I'm sure someone will throw enough money at him to come over here. If you've been wondering about his last name, by the way, he has an Iranian father.

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-Tracy Stallard signed 8x10. Although best-remembered as the guy who gave up Roger Maris' record-setting 61st homerun, Tracy Stallard was a fine pitcher merely had the bad luck of pitching on awful teams. A former New York Mets pitcher, Stallard worked incredibly slowly. When he'd face the Philadelphia Phillies' Chris Short in a game, my Dad would say that the vendors would the most beer because the game was so prolonged by the two ridiculously-slow-working pitchers. Arm problems put an end to Tracy's promising career in 1966. Here are his statistics...

http://www.baseball-reference.com/s/stalltr01.shtml

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-1991 Line Drive Pre-Rookies Eric Hillman, signed. Billed by the New York Mets as a superb control pitcher, the 6'10" left-handed pitcher was a tremendous disappointment. A finesse pitcher, Eric threw a two-seam sinking fastball, a curve, and a changeup. Although he did have a solid second year despite a 2-9 won/loss record, arm problems did him in after the 1994 season. However, he then went to Japan. Because he threw straight over the top, the much shorter Japanese hitters struggled to pick up his two-seam fastball. He pitched extremely well there until his career was ended by a rotator cuff tear in 1997 (he attempted a comeback in 2000 in the Houston Astros organization, but by then, he really had nothing). Here are his stats...

http://www.baseball-reference.com/h/hillmer01.shtml

-1992 Upper Deck Minors Jamie McAndrew, signed. The son of former New York Mets pitcher Jim McAndrew, Jamie was a first round pick in the 1989 draft by the Los Angeles Dodgers. A right-hander, he threw a four-seam fastball, slider, and changeup. Unfortunately, like virtually every Dodgers pitching prospect drafted during that decade, he was overused badly and injured his arm. He was initially claimed in the 1993 expansion draft by the Florida Marlins but was traded to the Milwaukee Brewers before he could appear in a Major League game with the Marlins. In 1994, Jamie volunteered to be a Strike replacement player. That got him banned from the Major League Baseball Players' Association (the players' union). Regardless, he started the year out pretty well for the 1995 Brewers. However, he started having arm problems once more. Though he appeared in the Majors briefly in 1997 (again with the Brewers), that was really the end of him. Here are his stats...

http://www.baseball-reference.com/m/mcandja01.shtml

-1994-95 Fleer Excel Al Reyes, signed. Signed in 1988 by the Montreal Expos, Al Reyes wouldn't debut in the Majors until 1995. However, he pitched 13 years after that (it's likely he'll retire after the 2008 season), almost exclusively as a relief pitcher. He throws a four-seam fastball, slider, and curve. Although he never pitched in a game, he appeared on the 2008 New York Mets roster in September. Here are his stats...

http://www.baseball-reference.com/r/reyesal01.shtml

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-2000 Bowman Draft Certified Autographs J.D. Drew autograph. J.D., the brother of Tim and Stephen, was drafted and signed in 1998 (first round) by the St. Louis Cardinals. Since then, while injury-prone, he's been a star slugger who has also proven a fine fielder and good hitter for average. After playing with the Cardinals, he played with the Braves, Dodgers, and Red Sox (with whom he made his first All-Star Game in 2008). Here are his stats...

http://www.baseball-reference.com/d/drewj.01.shtml

-2004 Upper Deck USA Baseball 25th Anniversary Team USA Signature Tim Drew autograph. The brother of J.D. and Stephen, Tim was the least accomplished Drew brother and also the only Drew to pitch. He threw a pretty good fastball, but not much else. He went 2-4 in 35 games, including 11 starts, with an ERA of 7.02 in parts of five seasons with the Cleveland Indians, Montreal Expos, and Atlanta Braves. Here are his stats...

http://www.baseball-reference.com/d/drewti01.shtml

2003 Upper Deck Prospect Premieres Jeff Allison rookie autograph. A top pitching prospect with the Florida Marlins, Jeff Allison nearly derailed his own career via drug use and alcohol abuse. Suspended three times by the Marlins organization, Jeff finally found God and pulled himself together in 2008. Although he finally seems full together as a man, his pitching talent isn't fully there. Although he still throws his four-seam fastball in the upper 90's and has good movement on his slider and changeup, he's had significant control problems since his return. However, with him fully committed now to both life and baseball, he might be able to salvage a career as a relief pitcher. Here are his Minor League stats (he's not yet appeared in the Majors)...

http://minors.baseball-reference.com/pl ... ?pid=16324

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-Joshua Fields signed 5x7. Right-handed pitcher Joshua Fields has so far been drafted twice and signed neither time, both times holding out for more money. The first time was with the 2007 Atlanta Braves and this most recent time was with the 2008 Seattle Mariners. What's strange about this is that both clubs thought it would be easy to sign him. Although he's represented by Scott Boras, that's not a guarantee of the guy holding out. He seems somewhat unpredictable; not even Boras would recommend a guy refuse to sign over half a million dollars in his signing bonus (which is what he's currently holding out for from the Seattle Mariners). Right now, he throws a four-seam fastball in the high 90's with a devastating slider to complement it. One wonders how many more times he'll get drafted before the teams just give up on him (although some guys have been drafted four or five times, so who knows).

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-1964 Topps Moe Drabowsky, signed. A star relief pitcher and star prankster, Moe holds the record for strikeouts by a relief pitcher in a World Series game with 11 (set in 1966 with the Baltimore Orioles). Moe pitched from 1956-1972 with a whole bunch of teams. He had problems with endurance when he was used as a starting pitcher, so he was converted into a reliever mid-career. He compiled a record of 88-105 in 589 games, including 154 starts, posting an ERA of 3.71. Here are his stats...

http://www.baseball-reference.com/d/drabomo01.shtml

Note the sponsorship. "Hot foot on Bowie Kuhn, Chinese take-out to the bullpen, snakes in the lockers." Yes, he did indeed give baseball commissioner Bowie Kuhn a hotfoot once.

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-1982 Topps Bob Ojeda, signed. Bob was a solid left-handed pitcher with the 1980's Boston Red Sox and New York Mets. He threw a four-seam fastball, a curve, a slider, and a forkball. Here are his career stats...

http://www.baseball-reference.com/o/ojedabo01.shtml

-2004 Upper Deck USA Baseball 25th Anniversary Team USA Signature Matt Anderson autograph. Right-hander Matt Anderson was the first overall pick of the 1997 draft, taken by the Detroit Tigers. He threw his four-seam fastball at 100 mph, twice hitting 102 mph and once hitting 103 mph. He also had an excellent slider and looked like he was going to be a great closer. Unfortunately, he proved to be a million dollar arm/ten cent head type who had an extremely erratic Major League career. Here are his stats...

http://www.baseball-reference.com/a/anderma01.shtml

-2004 Upper Deck USA Baseball 25th Anniversary Team USA Signature Lenny DiNardo autograph. Lenny was a lefty finesse pitcher drafted by the New York Mets in the third round of the 2001 draft. However, he never pitched with the Mets and was instead left exposed in the 2003 Rule V Draft to the Boston Red Sox. He pitched a few seasons there as a mediocre reliever, had one really good season with the Oakland A's, and then one bad season with the A's. He recently signed a contract with the Kansas City Royals. Here are his stats...

http://www.baseball-reference.com/d/dinarle01.shtml

-2008 Bowman Chrome Ludovicus "Loek" Van Mil autograph. Dutch-born right-hander Loek Van Mil is the tallest professional baseball player since the 1800's. A towering 7'2", he threw around 100 mph with his four-seam fastball before arm problems hit him. He could also throw a slider and changeup. Currently recovering from his injury, whether he can hit such a great speed again or not is a big question mark. Here are his Minor League stats...

http://minors.baseball-reference.com/pl ... ?pid=32139

-2008 Bowman Chrome Mark Melancon autograph. The heir apparent to New York Yankees closer Mariano Rivera, Mark Melancon likely would have made his Major League debut this past season had 2007 not been skipped due to injuries. The right-hander throws a 95 mph four-seam fastball, a plus slider, and a serviceable changeup. He can throw all of these pitches for strikes and has terrific control. He may debut in the Majors and pitch with regularity as early as the beginning of the 2009 season. Here are his Minor League stats...

http://minors.baseball-reference.com/pl ... ?pid=31158

-2008 Bowman Chrome Cole Rohrbough autograph. A left-hander in the Braves organization, Cole Rohrbough relies heavily on his excellent control to rack up strikeouts. He's a groundball/strikeout type pitcher, so his numbers in the Minors (where fielding isn't exactly great quality) look a bit worse than they actually are. Cole throws a two-seam fastball, slider, curve, and changeup. In 151 and 1/3rd professional innings pitched, he's only given up 5 homeruns. Here are his Minor League stats...

http://minors.baseball-reference.com/pl ... ?pid=34641

More later!

I've just been busy. And, after spending two and a half hours typing up player bios, this thing logged me out. Instead, I'll just post pictures and statistical links. If you have any questions, feel free to ask away!

http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t96/ ... ay-229.jpg[/pic]

-Wayne Simpson signed 3x5.

Stats: http://www.baseball-reference.com/s/simpswa01.shtml

-Chris Cannizzaro signed 3x5.

Stats: http://www.baseball-reference.com/c/cannich01.shtml

http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t96/ ... ay-230.jpg[/pic]

-1971 Topps Bob Aspromonte, signed. Note that Bob was the last active Brooklyn Dodger.

Stats: http://www.baseball-reference.com/a/asprobo01.shtml

http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t96/ ... ay-232.jpg[/pic]

-2008 Bowman Chrome Fautino de los Santos autograph (Yes, it's spelled Fautino. Topps goofed.)

Stats: http://minors.baseball-reference.com/pl ... ?pid=34571

-2008 Bowman Chrome Chris Valaika autograph.

Stats: http://minors.baseball-reference.com/pl ... ?pid=31756

-2008 Just Minors Neftali Feliz autograph.

Stats: http://minors.baseball-reference.com/pl ... ?pid=32043

http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t96/ ... ay-237.jpg[/pic]

-2004 Topps Retired Signature Ron Swoboda autograph

Stats: http://www.baseball-reference.com/s/swoboro01.shtml

-2004 Topps Retired Signature Roy Face autograph

Stats: http://www.baseball-reference.com/f/facero01.shtml

I'll come back at some point and give these real descriptions. But like I said, if you're curious as to anyone's career, just ask.

Sorry, I've been indescribably busy. But here are some more...



-2004 Topps Finest Finest Moments Autographs Lenny Dykstra Autograph. Lenny Dykstra was the epitome of a ballplayer who was both a bit of a flake and a gamer. He was a little crazy, but he'd do anything to win. It was this devotion, unfortunately, that likely helped introduce steroids into baseball. Dykstra was a 13th round draft pick in 1981 out of high school, taken by the New York Mets. An extremely hard worker, he reached the Majors in 1985, being touted along with starting pitchers Dwight Gooden and Ron Darling, infielder Kevin Mitchell, and fellow outfielders Darryl Strawberry and Billy Beane (yes, THAT Billy Beane...of Moneyball fame) as one of the young Mets ballplayers that would eventually propel the team into a dynasty purely through building the team's farm system. Dykstra had a below average year in '85, but showed flashes of the talent that would soon endear him to the New York fans. In one case, the story goes that after a prolonged slump, manager Davey Johnson came to Lenny to tell him he'd been demoted to AAA Tidewater. Lenny's response was a completely serious "But what about my fans, dude?" One thing everyone noticed in the beginning in 1985 was Lenny's skill on the basepaths, as he stole 15 bases in only 83 games, being caught just twice. In 1986, Lenny's hustle and grit got him billed with fellow scrappy ballplayer Wally Backman (the team's second baseman) as one half of the team's "Wild Boys" top of the order combination. Because of his speed and improved batting eye in 1986, Dykstra usually batted leadoff while Backman usually batted second due to his superb bat control. That year, which is of course the year the Mets won the World Series, Lenny batted .295 with a .377 on-base percentage, 8 homeruns, 45 RBI's, 77 runs scored, and 31 stolen bases against just 7 times caught stealing. Lenny wasn't particularly fast, but he was deceptively quick and never minded plowing over the opposing second baseman if it meant he could steal a base. And he looked the part of a hustling ballplayer, too. His uniform was consistently dirty and he probably chewed more tobacco than any player since the 1920's. Lenny had very good followup seasons in 1987 and 1988, as well. However, in 1989, New York Mets GM Frank Cashen likely traded Lenny Dykstra after he found out that Dykstra was doing steroids. At the time, while drugs were common, steroids were most certainly not and Cashen probably (and understandably) didn't want it spreading all over the team. Suddenly desperate to get rid of Dykstra, Cashen traded him and fan favorite relief pitcher Roger McDowell to the Philadelphia Phillies for Juan Samuel, a second baseman/outfielder who appeared to be heading on his way to glory. Samuel fell apart in no time while Dykstra and McDowell flourished on the early 1990's Phillies. Dykstra did however likely introduce steroids to the ballclub. After 1990, he became extremely injury-prone and eventually had to retire after 1996, playing only one full season with the Phillies minus injuries. In the time he did see, however, he was a consistent five-tool player. It's been said that Lenny Dykstra's career was probably the first casualty of steroid use. While no one knows if that's true or not, he would certainly be an early case of it. Over his 12 year career, Lenny batted .285 with a .375 on-base percentage, 81 homeruns, 404 RBI's, 802 runs scored, and 1,298 hits.

-2008 TriStar Projections Gold Autographs Angel Villalona Autograph. Sometimes you just know an uber-prospect is overrated by looking at his numbers. Perhaps the best case of this in baseball today is Angel Villalona, a first baseman/third baseman in the San Francisco Giants organization. He's extremely highly touted, but I doubt he's going to even become a full-time player. Why? Well, it's a simple matter of looking at walk ratios and strikeout ratios. Angel turns 18 years old this season and hit 17 homeruns in 464 at-bats in Class A ball last season. However, in 464 at-bats, he walked 18 times and struck out 118 times. Some scouts like to say, "well, he's only 17, let the plate discipline come in." Well, I disagree with that. I believe you either have plate discipline or you don't. Find me one player...any player...who even at age 16 or 17 or 18 struck out that many times, walked that few times, and had a successful career. I'll bet that he couldn't find anyone. Although strikeouts are no different and no worse than any other out in Major League Baseball, AAA, and AA, strikeouts are very different in the low Minors. If a player has an excess of K's, it means he's struggling with pitch recognition, especially if he's walking that little. He may be impressing with his batting average and homeruns right now, but if he doesn't cut down on the strikeouts, he's never going to make the Majors at all.

More later!