Side By Side: Adam Wainwright

Bringing Side By Side back to keep things going until the season starts. Might as well start with Isaac’s favorite autograph from the 2011 Winter Warm Up. Here’s what we’ve got:
In person, on card:

2006 Topps Chrome Rookie Auto Sticker

2006 Topps Co-Signers Auto Sticker

2006 Upper Deck Special Something Or Other Auto Sticker

So what do you think? Wainwright definitely uses more room on the Relic card and the #50 inscription is nice too. The sticker autos, even though there is more room on them, seem rushed by comparison. They’re also eerily perfectly centered though!

Side By Side: Jason Motte

Motte is the enigma in the Cardinals bullpen. A former catcher converted to flame thrower out of the pen, Motte can throw some heat. Unfortunately, that's about it. He was supposed to have a 2nd pitch this year but we really haven't seen it. On top of all that, his heat doesn't really show up until late May / early June. We'll need him to get it going sooner rather than later this year to relieve, no pun intended, Franklin and give him some days off throughout the year to avoide the late season meltdown he had last year. If Motte doesn's perform, I'm guessing the Cardinals will trade for a setup man midseason.

All that said, Motte was great with Isaac when he signed this card in 2009 and also was the life of the elevator at the 2010 Winter Warm Up when he hitched a ride upstairs with us.

Side By Side: Mitch Boggs

Mitch Boggs had been a starter in the minors and in his limited appearances in St. Louis. Sometime late last year, however, he made a relief appearance and, amazingly, had more control and more oomph on his fastball. Despite a glaring need for a fifth starter, Boggs has been gearing up for a relief role this year. Tony and Dunc are talking him up as a setup man or even more this year. Maybe the closer if Franklin or Motte falter?


Isaac got these two autographs at the Winter Warm Up this year. The signature isn't really clear in the red Sharpie while the Bowman chrome auto isn't exactly legible. Maybe I need to hit ebay... otherwise this series has about run its course.

Side By Side Auto's: Jaime Garcia

We were at Garcia's first Major League start two summers ago. Unfortunately, we haven't see him since. He apparently pitched with pain in 2008 without telling the coaching staff and ended up needing Tommy John surgery that fall. Brilliant. He rehabbed last spring and started for Memphis down the stretch, helping the AAA affiliate to a league crown. He's a long shot for the Cardinals 5th starter, even though he brings a much needed lefty to the rotation. I suspect that he'll be in Memphis at the start of the season to strengthen his arm and have spot start duties through mid-year. If he's as good as he was last fall for Memphis, he'll join the Cards for the stretch run.

As far as the auto's go, the top two Winter Warm Up signatures seem a bit lazy... J - squiggle G - squiggle. He more than makes up for it with his Big League uniform inscription of 64 though! That was his number in 2008. The current roster lists him as number 54 now.

Side By Side Auto's: Josh Kinney

Isaac was looking through is "special" box and discovered he had twin auto's. The first was from last month's Winter Warm Up. The second is a certified auto insert of the (nearly) same card. Not a bad match. Kinney's in person auto includes a #52 inscription... his uniform number and coincidently the set the card was from.

This could be a fun, albeit short lived given the paucity of auto pulls we have, set of posts!