Featured autograph - Jairo Beras

Despite receiving a $4.5 million signing bonus in 2012 - Beras is probably still figuring out the nuances of playing the game, so his hitting numbers are underwhelming, particularly in the hitter friendly California League.

I've gotten him to sign just a few times and as a general greeting, he asks how you are doing - maybe the greeting isn't so unique or personal, though I don't usually expect it from foreign born players who might not have a good grasp of the English language.

I do want to say Beras is a Sharpie killer with the way he holds the pen with his knuckles and signs autographs - his 'form' is kind of unique and makes me cringe at the same time.

Featured autograph - Andrew Lorraine

I waited out the current High Desert Mavericks [Seattle Mariners Cal League affiliate] pitching coach after a minor league game and got him to sign my card - Lorraine fits the description of the obscure former Angels player who may have only played in five games or less [four games for Lorraine] with the Halos before moving on.

He was a fourth round Angels draft pick in 1993, who made his MLB debut the next year - it maybe obvious, but maybe Lorraine didn't have the top flight stuff as pitcher to stick around at the highest level, so he ended up a vagabond journeyman who pitched for a bunch of teams.

Maybe in alternate universe, Lorraine turns out to have a much more significant MLB career - maybe another Mark Buehrle or Barry Zito [the good, early version of Zito I suppose] if things had worked out a little better for the lefty.