Signature Saturday - Pro Debut Edition

Yesterday, I posted the results of my 2012 Pro Debut box break. Afterwards, I got a couple of emails asking about the set. I am no expert but I thought I would step away from my Cubs collection once again and showcase some previous incarnations of the set because I didn't see a single other post this week regarding the new release. Maybe I'm just not following enough blogs so if you saw one, send me a link because I'd be curious to see what others pulled.

I had already been making my own custom cards for my local minor league team when I discovered the Pro Debut cards at a card show last summer. I never saw them in your mainstream stores like Wal-Mart or Target so I was intrigued. I sifted through two monster boxes and while they weren't quite the dime variety, I picked a couple dollars worth for guys I knew were in the Carolina League. I thought the idea behind the set was to feature players making their "Pro Debut" but there are several players in multiple years of the set. As a matter of fact, one of the newest Atlanta Braves, Andrelton Simmons, has been in all three:

I got the first two signed last season but now that he's in the Major's, it might be more difficult to knock out that third one. Here are a couple more who have been moving up the ladder and are featured more than once.

Apparently in the two year span between the 2010 and 2012 releases (no 2011), Mr. Rosenbaum is over Danny and goes by just Dan. 

  

Nothing clever to say about Christian Bethancourt although he has climbed another rung and is currently in Double A with the Mississippi Braves.

A lot of people don't like the prospecting aspect of Bowman. If that's the case, then this isn't the set for you either. Maybe it's the hard knock life of a Cubs fan and I'm conditioned to look towards the future, but I'm always partial to home grown players. This set is a great way to get a sneak peak at some of those types of players for your favorite team.

 

Jared Mitchell was a very gracious signer while with the Winston-Salem Dash last season. 

There are numbered parallels like the blue Jared Mitchell on the far right above but no short prints in the base set so its good for set builders. Plus these cards don't count as official rookie cards so they're not too expensive. Along with the Simmons cards, I have at least one more care signed by a player already at the Major League level. And I'm sure there are more that I'm missing.

Nationals Infielder Steve Lombardozzi

And of course, it always makes me feel old when some of the players grew up watching now have offspring playing in the minors. There are many more but these are just two of the ones I have autographs from.

Bo Greenwell, son of Mike

Cutter Dykstra, son of Lenny

Check out this set. And if you haven't been to a minor league game lately, check one of those out too. Taking my kids got me excited about the game again and finding this set helped bring me back into the hobby.