2007 Topps, Travis Metcalf

#UH183 Travis Metcalf

This is a card that I got signed by the former Ranger, and fellow Kansan, Travis Metcalf. I got the card signed at a Wingnuts game in 2011 while Travis was a member of the Ft. Worth Cats. I could only find one card of Travis before the game, so this was the lone card he signed for me. I, of course, found another card of him in my collection later on that I totally missed. I really need to get my cards more organized.

Travis played for the Rangers for parts of two seasons in 2007-08. He only got into 80 games and he hit .249 with 11 home runs and 35 RBI. He played in 57 games in 2007 and hit .255 with 12 doubles, 5 home runs, and 21 RBI. He played in fewer games in 2008 and most of his numbers decreased from 2007 from the 105 less at-bats that he had. But, one number did rise and that was his home run total. Though he did have ten less doubles in '08, he managed to squeak out one more home run than he had the previous season. He even had one more home run that year in the Majors than he did at AAA, even though he had over 220 more at-bats at the minor league level. He must have just been swinging for the fences when he was called up by the Rangers in '08.

After 2008, Travis played two more seasons of AAA ball before heading to the American Association in 2011. He hit .275 with 4 home runs and 20 RBI before calling it a career that season.

For those of you keeping score at home, this card is a red back.

2007 Topps, Joakim Soria

#UH180 Joakim Soria

I can't believe that this is the first card of Joakim Soria that I have posted on here. Joakim was a mainstay at the Royals closer position for four and a half years before requiring a second Tommy John surgery early in 2012. Rather than pay him $8 million to finish his recovery and pitch in the second half of 2013, the Royals declined his option and Soria became a free agent. He moved on and has played with three other teams before rejoining the Royals last month. And it took him coming around full circle before I would finally post a card of him.

The Royals selected Soria in the Rule V draft from the Padres prior to the 2007 season. It seemed like a long shot for him to make the club out of Spring Training, considering that he had only pitched in 16.2 innings of affiliated minor league ball. Plus, those innings were over two seasons that were separated by four years and his initial Tommy John surgery.

But, Soria overcame the odds and made the club and lasted with the team all season. He pitched 69 innings that season and went 2-3 with 17 saves, a 2.48 ERA, and 75 strikeouts. Add in the fact that he went on to save 160 games for the Royals in his initial go-around and I think it is safe to say that he is the club's best Rule V pick ever. He might just be the best reliever ever selected in that draft.

I got this card signed at Royals Fanfest in 2011. I think I have nine cards signed by Soria, but this is the best looking signature in the bunch. All of the signatures I have from him are an "S" followed by a straight line. This is the only one that has some actual squiggles after the "S".

2007 Topps, Tony Abreu

#UH151 Tony Abreu

Here is a card that my now wife got signed for me at an Oklahoma Redhawks game in 2012. We went down there on a Sunday just for something to do and to see the Royals AAA team play. My wife had never helped me 'graph up to that point, but that all changed that day. Like it or not, she was going to help me out that afternoon.

She had no idea what she was doing, but I was with her to help her along. We settled in next to the Storm Chasers dugout and waited for them to exit the clubhouse. I called a couple of guys over to show her how it was done. Then the starting catcher, Adam Moore, made his way to the dugout. She hollered for him was he was gearing up. He said he would sign in a bit and she felt completely rejected. Next, Tony Abreu appeared and she yelled for him. He, too, said he would sign later. At that point, she was zero for two and had had enough. She threw a little tantrum and told me how dumb this was and that she didn't ever want to do this again. I just laughed at her and told her to chill out because this is how it is. Once guys started coming out of the dugout to warm up, they started to sign a bunch and she eventually got back in on the action.

It was a rough start for her, but she still continues to help me out whenever she can to add autographs for my collection. It must be hard to be married to a person with such an eccentric hobby, but she puts up with it and does what she can to contribute. I am so lucky to have her and I love her so much!

2007 Topps, Victor Diaz

#UH133 Victor Diaz

Here is a card that I got signed at a Wichita Wingnuts game in 2014. Victor had just joined the Nuts late in the season after the Mexican League had finished. He was brought on to add a bat down the stretch. While he did not do too well in Wichita, the team still managed to win their first American Association title while he was there.

Victor saw time in the Major Leagues for parts of four seasons with the Mets and Rangers. Three of those seasons were in New York and he hit .260 for them with 15 home runs and 48 RBI. He then spent one season with Texas and he hit .240 with 9 home runs and 25 RBI. His best season was with the Mets in 2005 when he batted .257 with 12 dingers and 38 RBI.

2007 was the last time Victor played in the Majors. After that, he bounced around to about every league imaginable, including stints in Japan and Korea. He played last year with the Grand Prairie AirHogs of the Am-Ass and had a subpar season, hitting just .236. Being only 33 last year, I would not be surprised to see him back in the league next season.

Victor does have some cards out from his days with the Mets. But, this was the only one that I had laying around when he joined the Nuts that year. I usually get pretty excited when a former Major Leaguer comes to Wichita and I try to find at least three cards of that player. Since Victor was only here for twelve games, I was stuck with this lone card.

2007 Topps, Jason Phillips

#UH120 Jason Phillips

If it was not for a brief baby post, this would have been back-to-back Blue Jays and back-to-back-to-back cards of guys named Jason. It is unlikely that the back-to-back-to-back names will ever happen again. There will probably be some back-to-back Jays coming whenever I roll back to '81 Donruss, though.

This is the fourth and final card of Jason Phillips that I have to post. I got this card signed at a Royals game in 2012 while Jason was the bullpen catcher for the Mariners. He was heading back to the dugout after working a bullpen session with Jason Vargas. I just yelled out "Jason!" hoping to get either's attention. Phillips was the one that acknowledged and he came over and sign my two cards for me. The other one he signed was a Dodgers card that I posted last year. The first two cards were Mets cards that he signed for me the year before. Here is one of those cards.

Jason spent his final two Major League seasons with Toronto. He only saw limited action and spent some time playing AAA in the Jays organization as well. He played in 80 games with the Blue Jays and he hit .219 with 1 home run and 18 RBI.

For his career, Jason played seven seasons with the Mets, Dodgers, and Jays and he hit .249 with 30 home runs and 168 RBI. His best season was with the Mets in 2003. That season, he hit .298 with 11 dingers and 58 runs driven in.

With the new manager in Seattle, it appears that Jason's tenure as their bullpen catcher may be over. He is currently not listed on the M's website as a member of the coaching staff. Mike Hampton, though, is listed as their new bullpen coach. I did not know that.

No Card Today, Just A Baby

Our baby wasn't scheduled to enter the world for another ten days, but he had other plans. As my first kid, it was such a joyous day for me. I could not have asked for anything better. Rather than bore you with the usual baby pics, here is the nameplate I made to hang above his crib.

2007 Topps, Jason Frasor

#UH116 Jason Frasor

I know I gave this Update and Highlights sets a lot of grief over the last two posts, but the cards really do come out looking fine if they are prepped. I have about ten more cards from this set to show off and only three of them look like crap. The rest look as good, or better, than this one. The only reason why this one does not look so hot is because it was misting the day that Jason signed for me. It was at a Royals game in 2011 while he was with the White Sox. The signature started out fine, but he then hit a bit of moisture towards the end of the sig and the Sharpie looks like it started to die. That is what can happen when you try to 'graph in the rain.

Jason pitched for the Blue Jays for parts of nine seasons. He pitched entirely out of the bullpen and, over that time, he was 25-29 with 36 saves and a 3.73 ERA. He had a strikeout per inning in four of those nine seasons and recorded a career high 17 saves in his 2004 rookie season. 2009 might have been his best season in Toronto when he went 7-3 with 11 saves and a 2.50 ERA.

In 2011, he was traded to the Sox just prior to the trade deadline. Over the last two months of the season, he went 1-3 with a 5.09 ERA. After the season, the Sox traded him back to Toronto.