1995 Signature Rookies, Ivan Arteaga

#3 Ivan Arteaga

Here is another non-Padre card that Rod, of Padrographs, was nice enough to send my way. So far, I now have three cards from '95 Signature Rookies that were given to me by three different people, and none of the three cards look the same. I did not buy any Signature Rookies in 1995, so I have no idea which is what.

Ivan's professional career lasted six seasons with three organizations, an independent team, and a Mexican League team. He was originally signed by the Expos and he played in their system for only a year before being sent to the Rockies. In their system, he played another two years, both at the AA level. After that, he missed two seasons with an injury. Then the Mets gave him a shot and he spent one season with them split between high-A and AA. After that, he played a year and a half in the independent Norther League East (a league I had not heard of) and part of a season in Mexico. 2000 was his final season playing.

When I first saw this card, I thought that the NH on his hat might have been New Hampshire. It turns out that it is the old New Haven Ravens.

This is the first autograph that I have posted on here of someone whose first name starts with an "I".