1997 Cal/Car All Stars, Mark DeRosa

#30 Mark DeRosa

I got this card signed this past April at the first Major League game I attended this year. Mark was with the Indians then and he signed all three of my cards during batting practice. I have four cards from this set signed, and this is by far the best one.

I find it hard to believe that Mark has been in the Majors since 1998. When I think of him, I don't think of a ten-year vet. He is a free agent this year and it will be interesting to see what king of deal he gets. He is a versatile player that can play anywhere in the infield and the corner outfield positions. He's good for 20 home runs and 75 RBI, but he will be turning 35 in February. I really don't see him getting more than a three year deal, but you never know.

I didn't notice it on the first two cards from this set I posted, but it is pretty obvious on this card. Whoever made this set decided to tilt all of the pictures so the they are aligned with the reddish-orange border. I thought that they were trying to outdo some of the '70s Topps shots, but that doesn't appear to be the case.

As for the Durham Bulls, they are still around. But, they moved from high-A all the way up to AAA. You don't see that very often. I hear that it might have something to do with some movie.