3 On Card Autos: Baseball Outside of Anaheim

It started over at Dinged Corners and has since spread like wildfire through the card blogging world. The question they posed, "What are your 3 favorite on card autographs?". I was intrigued immediately, but realized right away, I'd never be able to narrow to just 3. So, being the rule breaker that I am, I decided to break mine into categories. My 4 categories: Angels autos, Baseball outside of Anaheim, Football and non-sports.

Today: Baseball Outside of Anaheim

I know it's hard to believe, but they do play baseball outside of Anaheim and over the years I've liked and respected a number of players who never donned the Halo.

1. Kirby Puckett

This card is one of my favorites for a number of reasons. The 1985 Topps Puckett was one of the first big rookie cards I ever got my hands on in my early days of collecting. It's almost impossible for a young kid to not be won over by a chubby guy named Kirby and when he ends up being an extremely exciting player at bat and in the field, you've got a perfect combination. This actual card is of course a reprint from the 2001 Topps Archives release and features a huge autograph from Kirby. This autograph couldn't be a better match to the man. Large, bold and rounded.

2. Bip Roberts

Readers of this gutty, little blog are well aware of my infatuation with Leon "Bip" Roberts. This card was sent to me by Rob of Padrographs and instantly became one of my favorites. Before Rod, I was Bipless in the autograph department, but thanks to his generosity I now have 2. Bold signature - Check. Hat placed lazily atop head - Check. The grin of a young man who knows he's destined for greatness - Check. What's not to love?

3. Ken Griffey Jr.

This card will get a more proper treatment in the near future, but I couldn't just ignore this card when it comes to favorite on card autographs. As you might be able to tell by the monolithic encasement, this card is my holy grail. At the age of 12 my father took me to my first baseball card show in Anaheim and the headliners doing the signing were Ken Griffey Jr. and his father. I had no interest in Sr., sorry to the old-timers, but he wasn't even on my radar. For me it was all about The Kid. This card went from Ken's hand, to mine and within minutes into this monstrosity of a case. Ever since that moment I've been paralyzed by fear every time I've even considered removing it. Because of the case, the scan is horrible, but trust me, this card is as good as it gets.


And so ends my on card autograph journey. Thanks to the ladies of Dinged Corners for making this all a reality with their fabulous idea.

Go Halos!