I'm pretty sure I got this card signed in-person during the mid 2000's - Byrnes has been all over MLB Network lately as he visits MLB teams in the Cactus League for the network's 30/30 team previews for the upcoming season.
As a player Byrnes had that 'fake hustle' fans of the Oakland Athletics and Arizona Diamondbacks [the two teams he spent the most time with] ate up - even though he was a terrible MLB player at times and by virtue of his reputation as a supposed grinder, turned two somewhat decent seasons into a big contract with the Diamondbacks that he failed to live up to.
Maybe I wasn't too fond of the guy when he played because he really gave bad looking autographs - not that it particularly matters, but there was something that rubbed me the wrong way about this guy.
I can't think of another player I have disliked more than Eric Byrnes. You nailed it on the false hustle.
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