Signature Sundays - Jonathan Papelbon

Since it's been hockey for at least the past couple months straight, we're switching back to baseball for this week's Signature Sundays post.

This week's card is a bright and colorful 2009 Allen & Ginter auto of former Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon.  Jonathan certainly enjoyed some ups and downs while in Boston.  He came out blazing as a rookie (we're talking Mariano Rivera type numbers) in 2006, and in 2007 was again lights out.  In fact, he was the guy on the mound when the team won their second championship of this era in '07.

By the end of his time in Boston just a few years later he'd lost his dependability, blown some crucial late-season and post-season games, and irritated the hell out of a good majority of the team's fan base.  He signed with Philadelphia in the 2011 off-season, and has continued racking up saves with them over the past two years.  Given what the Phillies are paying him ($13M/yr), and what Boston got out of Koji Uehara last season for one third that price, I'd say this worked out for the team in the end.

Even though his autograph is not much more than a scribble, I like the overall look of this card.  You can't go wrong with an A & G framed auto for the most part.  This card is a great addition to my Red Sox collection in particular, just because he was an integral part of the '07 team, and because he's still the leader in career saves for the franchise.  The best part is this one set me back just $8 and change.