Featured autograph - Alex Torres

He has put up great numbers as a reliever in 2013 though it remains to be seen where his future will be - I'm guessing the Rays will probably look to use him as trade bait in the off-season since the organization is always loaded with pitching.

If Torres does stick around next season, maybe the Tampa Bay Rays will try and stretch him out as a starting pitcher - especially when the former Angels farmhand has been a starter for much of his professional career in the minors.

As far as the autograph, I made my mind up to have to Torres sign it on the material part since it looks cool like that - unfortunately the material is dark and all I had to get the card inked up with, was an ancient silver Sharpie from 2010.

Obviously the results were not good - I was out of luck as far as getting a nice, bold autograph.

I got Torres to sign the card a second time [originally where he was going to sign it] - he did a double take, saying it was already signed.

I got two autographs on one card, which is sort of unique but silly at the same time - even though it's just a fish story, I'll just say the faint autograph on the material piece was on there when Topps cut up the swatch for the card.

Featured autograph - Julio Teheran

Atlanta Braves top prospect Julio Teheran signed this card for me at the Futures Game hotel in 2010 - for a young prospect, he has got a very legible autograph, though I wonder how if it hasn't shorted up already.

Teheran looks to make his Major League debut Saturday against the Philadelphia Phillies - despite not quite having the same buzz and fanfare like Stephen Strasburg's MLB debut in 2010, there should still be a lot of interest, particularly from the 'prospectors' who are hoping someone like the 20-year old Teheran becomes an impact player for years to come.

A fun fact is a memorabilia company already has Teheran on lock down and he doesn't typically sign the sweet spots on baseballs - unless at an organized event where fans are paying for his autographs.

Featured autograph - Eric Hosmer

I got this Eric Hosmer autograph card scribbled on in-person at the 2010 All-Star Futures Game - the autograph placement was not great but there was a lot of people at the game and the Kansas City Royals uber prospect was trying to do his duty for sign for a number of fans.

Hosmer made his Major League debut Friday night and while he hasn't had a chance to do something in the Major Leagues yet - he was his hitting .439 in the minors with a .525 on-base percentage and .582 slugging percentage at the time of his call-up.

Featured autograph - Erin Andrews

At the 2010 Futures Game in Anaheim - she scrawled out her autograph quickly on one of those white, thick filler decoy cards. I saw her again signing along the railing before the Futures Game and got her to sign a random International League baseball that I got during BP at an Angels game.

Recently I was leafing through Athlon Sports Baseball 2011, one of the baseball fantasy/preview/guides - there was a blurb about one-time independent league and current Boston Red Sox outfielder Daniel Nava always leaving tickets for Andrews in the minor leagues.

It isn't a new story, just adds to Nava's feel-good rookie year in 2010 - I'm not going to say it is disturbing at all, Andrews has been all over the place [good and bad] in the last couple of years and she's a fantastic gal to look at.

The blurb was pretty straightforward, but image used in the magazine blurb just struck a certain cord - I may have no life, but I was compelled to pick up the magazine for $8 and clip the blurb out with Andrews all glammed up and wearing an outfit highlighting her best assets.

Instead I saved my $8 and found full-size images online, making me very happy - I cropped one of the images I thought was probably the most similar to the one I saw in the magazine.

Edit: Added the first image, which definitely was the one used in the magazine. 4/2/11