1999 Team Best, Vernon Wells

NN Vernon Wells

Here is the last of my checkoutmycards purchase. I was able to acquire this one for $1.25. I felt like that was a very good price for an autograph of a two-time All Star and three-time gold glover. I'm sure Vernon has some autographs in some newer sets that would cost at least five dollars, so I am very happy with my pick up. Plus, unlike most newer autographs, this one is on-card.

Vernon was an All Star in 2003 and 2006. 2003 was his best year and he had career highs in all of the major offensive categories, including average (.317), home runs (33), doubles (49), and RBI (117). After his All Star season of 2006, the Jays rewarded Vernon with a seven year, $126 million contract. I think that the contract is back-loaded, but it averages out to $18 million a year.

Since signing that contract, Vernon hasn't had more than 20 home runs or 80 RBI in a season. The one season that he hit better than his career average was 2008 and he missed a third of the season to injuries. Last year, he put up respectable numbers (.260, 15, 66), but nothing close to the numbers you would expect from someone making $18 million dollars a year.

According to Baseball Almanac, Vernon made just under $5 million in 2009. Maybe he is basing his stats on how much he is getting paid at the time. If that is the case, then he better have 50 homers and 140 RBI in 2014 while he is probably making close to $25 million.

1993-94 Fleer Excel, Jose Herrera

#145 Jose Herrera

This is another card that Paul was able to get signed for me at an Atlantic League game. Paul got this card signed for me while Jose was playing with the Long Island Ducks.

Jose's professional career closely resembles that of Kevin Baez. Both made it to the Major Leagues fairly early in the careers in the '90s. But, with less than two years of Major League service time, they would never appear in another Major League game. Yet, their dream of one day getting back would last for some time.

For Jose, he had a slow start in the pros and had to repeat Rookie ball. But, in his fifth season, he got called up from AA and made it into 33 games with the A's. He started the next season in AA, but was quickly called up to the A's. This time around, he appeared in 108 games and hit .269. That was his last stint in the Majors as he started out the next season playing for Oakland's AAA team. That was his first tour for a AAA team in his career.

He spent the next three seasons in AAA. He sat out for two seasons before appearing in the Mexican League. He sat out the next season before becoming a Newark Bear in 2005 (plus fives games with Bowie of the Eastern League). He stayed with Newark until at least the 2008 season. I can't find any stats of him from this year and he is not on Long Island's current roster, so I am not sure how much time he spent with them. But, he has done a good job of keeping his dream alive. I hope that he can get into coaching at some point.

As for this card, the back of it lists Jose as an Athletic. But, he is obviously wearing a uniform of a Toronto affiliate. Apperantly, Jose was part of an August waiver trade that sent him and Steve Karsay to the Oakland organization for Rickey Henderson. As a result of that, he only played in four games that season as a A's minor leaguer.

As for the Hagerstown Suns, they are still in the South Atlantic League. They are currently affiliated with the Nationals.