1982 TCMA, Steve Shirley

#343 Steve Shirley

Here is a card that I got signed at a Wichita Wingnuts game last week. Steve was the visiting manager for the Sioux Falls Pheasants. I got this card signed between games of a doubleheader. The clubhouses in Wichita are in left field and I was hanging out by the Pheasants dugout. Steve walked up with his hands full of rosters and whatnot, but I asked him to sign anyway. He told me to give him a minute and a minute later, he popped back out to sign the card. I was hoping I would get some kind of response from him for having an oddball card like this, but I didn't.

I found this card on ebay earlier this month. The seller was trying to get $7 for it with $1.95 shipping and handling. I offered him $5 for it with $2 shipping and he accepted. It's still more than I wanted to spend on it, but I'm glad I did. This is now my oldest signed minor league card.

Speaking of this card, I know nothing about it. It has a copyright date of 1982 and it shows his '81 stats. But, the card isn't listed on Beckett.com. I'm not even a hundred percent sure that 343 is the card number.

Steve pitched in the minors for thirteen seasons while getting a brief cup of coffee with the Dodgers in 1982. He pitched in 7 games in relief and posted a 1-1 record with a 4.14 ERA. He pitched in Japan in '83 and '84 before coming back to the States in '85 and pitching for four more years at AAA. 1988 was the last season he played.

Steve is pictured as an Albuquerque Duke in this photo. The Dukes moved to Portland in 2001 and Albuquerque is now the home of the Isotopes. But, they are again affiliated with the Dodgers after a six year break.

1992 Skybox AAA, Henry Rodriguez

#19 Henry Rodriguez

I'm not one hundred percent sure how I ended up with two of these. I know that I got them through the mail while Henry was probably still with the Dodgers. But I think I sent him one card, he kept it, and returned these two instead. It's a little strange, but it's not the only time that has happened to me (although it's the only time I got two back).

Henry had four really good seasons from 1996-1999. His best season came in '96 when he had 36 homers and 103 RBI. I'm not sure what happened to him after the '99 season, but I assume it was injury problems.

Check out the pose on this card. It has an outfielder playing super-shallow in the infield. Henry must have thought that that was pretty funny, too, based on that grin.

Since I have two of these, I will give one of them away. If you would like it, all you have to do is be the first one to claim it in the comment section.