I added 14 autographs to my collection in October, some of which I’ve already showcased. But since I didn’t get to them all, here’s a roundup:
Billy Wagner spent 16 years in the major leagues, recording 422 saves while pitching for the Houston Astros, Philadelphia Phillies, New York Mets and Atlanta Braves.
Continue reading “October autograph collection acquisitions”
I wasn’t paying that much attention to Major League Baseball or the Mets in 1999, so I don’t remember how much prospect hype Jorge Luis Toca was getting in his first year of U.S. professional baseball.
Looking at Toca’s minor league numbers, I imagine that at the very least Binghamton Mets fans were very happy to have him on their team. In 75 games, Toca hit 20 home runs and posted a .308 batting average, .384 on base percentage and .584 slugging percentage. At the Triple-A level in Norfolk, Toca improved his batting average to .335 but saw his power numbers dip – just five home runs in 49 games, with a .500 slugging percentage.
I wouldn’t have been in any rush to run John Olerud out of town to open up a spot at first base, but I know I would have been interested in finding out what Toca could do at the major league level, particularly with 40-year-old Rickey Henderson serving as the Mets’ primary left fielder.
Continue reading “Baseball card of the day: 1999 Just Minors Jorge Toca autograph”
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