2006 Topps, Tony Graffanino

#76 Tony Graffanino

Here is a card that I got signed by Tony Graffanino at a Royals game in early 2009. Tony was playing for the Indians at the time and he signed this card for me during batting practice.

He signed two or three cards for me and I posted the first one about two years ago. While both cards were prepped, the signature on this one still bubbled up a bit. It sucks when I prep fifty cards before a game and get none of them signed. But, it sucks even more when I prep a card and the signature still bubbles. Tony signed the card at about the lowest part possible, so I don't know if I didn't spread the baby powder low enough or what. I guess that is just part of the game.

It appears that Tony retired after the 2009 season. In his thirteen year Major League career, Tony played in 981 games for seven teams and he it .265 with 58 home runs and 302 RBI. It is hard to pick out the best offensive season for a utility infielder, but I would have to go with his 2005 campaign. He began the year with the Royals and he hit .298 with 3 homers and 18 RBI. The Royals traded him to the Red Sox in July and he hit .319 with 4 home runs and 20 RBI.

I'm pretty sure that the photo on this card was taken at Kauffman Stadium while Tony was still with the Royals.