Featured autograph - Gary Carter

I don't have recollections of Gary Carter as an active player except from highlights of the 1986 World Series replayed from time to time and maybe through random baseball cards I've had through the last 20 years - I was fortunate to get his autograph in-person several times through golf tournaments, when he managed an independent league team in his hometown of Fullerton, California and the last time at the 2010 All-Star Fan Fest.

Pictured is an 8x10 sheet of paper with the 2010 All-Star Game logo - he wouldn't sign anything else at the 2010 All-Star Fan Fest and this was sore topic for one obnoxious dude with a video camera and a YouTube account.

However to Carter's credit, he also signed a tract card with his personal testimony as well as taking a picture with me - after his signing session ended, he held an impromptu signing session for those willing to pay him $25 'under the table.'

A story I'll probably always remember is trying to get autographs at a particular golf tournament down in Rancho Santa Fe California one year - it was raining and wasn't ideal weather for scoring autographs.

However, since my friend was driving and we were not local to the area, we kind of hung out for a while - we were barely able to stop Carter and his driver in a golf cart; he signed a baseball for me, but smirked and tossed the ball nonchalantly up in the air.

I had to grab the ball real fast and do a little balancing act with my feet - so the ball wouldn't fall into the wet ground.

R.I.P. Mr. Carter 1954-2012

Featured autograph - Bryce Harper

Bryce Harper, most hyped up amateur ballplayer since Stephen Strasburg has been finally inked up to play ball professionally by Strasburg's Washington Nationals - even though there is a lag time as far as the impact a player [even the No. 1 overall pick like Harper] can make in pro baseball, Harper is supposed to bust through that reality and get to the Major Leagues much sooner than later.

Let's just all hope any growing pains and any possible immaturity issues coming from an 18-year old kid who is suddenly rich, rich, rich doesn't cause him to go Josh Hamilton on us - getting random tattoos and 'losing himself' for five or six years before he is mostly on track again. As the next great hope, the least Harper could do is stay clean cut and be in position to fulfill his immense promise as a baseball immortal.

Featured autograph - Shawn Green

Former Major Leaguer Shawn Green was another guy whose autographs I got at the 2010 All-Star Fan Fest in Anaheim - he made two appearances at the Fox sports West booth, but while I'm sure I brought particular set cards the first day he made an appearance, my visit to the All-Star Fan Fest was 'cut short' and must have put the cards somewhere to be forgotten.

On the second day Green was signing - I was rummaging through my stuff to see if I had the various setters I had brought the other day, but the cards were nowhere to be found.

I decided I wanted to get Green's autograph on something anyway - just so I could say I got him and add to my totals for the day, even though it wasn't on the setters I had intended on getting signed.

Collectors and autograph hounds are very particular on the things they want autograph - maybe the worst are the guys [like myself I guess] who need to get particular cards signed, because the process over getting a little piece of cardboard signed becomes an obsession.

I need a card or two from the Allen and Ginter's sets signed or from the 2004 Upper Deck USA 25th Anniversary set -as I try to get as many base cards from a particular set signed, I can't just have any old card signed.

There is also a premium to getting set cards signed by retired players - since a number of them disappear from the spotlight after their playing careers are over.

I hurriedly ran to the baseball card dealer booth [where I got the Frank Thomas cards from the previous post] and was bent on looking for Green's cards - one of the guys at the booth was like, "hey what are you looking for? You look like [you are on a mission to find something] - ah, Shawn Green."

I ended up buying a couple of cards that were really glossy for $3 - I took a risk, but the cards were nice looking and I was hoping they would come out clean after much prepping 'on the fly.'

2004 Leaf Certified Cuts Stars #S-32 / serial #'d 278/599 - I actually had to pay $2 for this, since it was marked as such on the penny sleeve.

2006 Topps Heritage Chrome #34 / serial #'d 1333/1957

Green 2/2 - after giving my name to be put on a list and waiting in line, I finally had a chance to approach him and he scribbled on both of my cards. It looks like they turned out fine with no streaking, no bubbling, etc.

Unlike the Thomas signing, this was an organized signing and there was a MLB authenticator to put a sticker on the back of my cards after they were signed - after the sticker is placed, the authenticator marks on a sheet, what type of item signed the stickers went on.

Featured autograph - Frank Thomas

1990 Topps rookie card

Frank Thomas 1/2 - walking around at the 2010 MLB All-Star Fan Fest in Anaheim, I saw the two-time AL MVP winner at the MLB.com booth / taping area and watched intently as he did an interview on stage.

I have various things [particular set cards I want signed, about eight or nine poster-sized 'cards' I bought six or seven years ago on eBay] at home, but wasn't aware he was making an appearance at the fan fest - I ran to a baseball card dealer booth and tried to squeeze in-between a man and woman leafing through monster boxes of cards to grab a handful of Thomas cards.

I was looking for 'setters,' but couldn't find any - I ended up picking up a couple of Thomas' rookie cards [paid $2 for the 1990 Topps and $1 for the 1990 Score], hoping to get him after his interview time was up.

An acquaintance asked Thomas about his 1990 Topps 'No Name on Front' error card - Thomas wasn't really aware of of the controversy of the 'NNOF' error card and was straining to answer the question other than to guess that was his rookie card.

Afterwards, it was a madhouse to get Thomas with 40-50 people following after him, just to try and get an autograph - he was signing, but it was difficult trying to get his attention, while watching weary security guards trying to shield him [in vain] from everyone who wanted an autograph and guide him out of the hall of the Anaheim Convention Center.

I tried to find an opening and one barely opened up - where Thomas grabbed my clipboard and signed the Topps card.