Featured autograph - Robert Stock

I was pulling inserts out of a binder and found this certified autograph of San Padres relief pitcher Robert Stock - I remember Baseball America naming Stock the best player in the nation [2005 Youth Player of the Year] and I thought this guy could be special like Joe Mauer or something.

Stock went to college before entering professional baseball - it looks like he'd made the transition from a catcher into a pitcher in 2012, but after being released by the St. Louis Cardinals in 2014, he was pretty much a 'never has been.'

Stock bounced around a bit, but a stint in the independent leagues in 2016 helped revive his career - he pitched in affiliated minor league ball with the Cincinnati Reds in 2017 and was signed by the San Diego Padres for this season.