Tim Byrdak's 1994 Signature Rookies autograph card
Tim Byrdak, one of two current New York Mets players older than me, has had an odd pro career.
A fifth round draft pick of the Kansas City Royals in 1994, Byrdak made his pro debut for the Eugene Emeralds that summer. In 1998, he made his major league debut with Kansas City, but after three seasons with the Royals he didn’t return to the big leagues again until 2005.
Beginning in his 30s, Byrdak found steady work as a lefty specialist. In 2011, he pitched just 37.2 innings for the Mets despite appearing in 72 games.
As you might expect, Byrdak has not been a regular in major league baseball card sets. His rookie card can be found in the 1999 Fleer Tradition Update set (#U58 ) and Upper Deck included him in its 2009 set (#659). That’s been it, though Byrdak does have some minor league cards.
But thanks to Signature Rookies, a company that pioneered the idea of including an autograph in every pack, Byrdak does have a certified autograph issue from 1994. I found a copy in a dealer’s dollar box at a card show last spring, and it will remain in my Mets autograph binder unless Topps decides to give me a Mets card to try to get signed.
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