Riccaboni's Autographs

Obtained: Purchased from eBay; received October, 2006.

Mantei was a 25th round pick of the Seattle Mariners in the 1991 draft, but quickly made a name for himself in the minor leagues. This hard-throwing, right-handed closer won two World Series rings; ironically, however, he won both as a member of the injured reserve. Mantei stayed healthy long enough, however, to wrap up a $25 million deal over five years with the Arizona Diamondbacks. His statline during those five years? 8-10 record with 52 saves with a 4.29 ERA over that stretch. Matt latched on to the Red Sox last season, and saw action in 34 games. When healthy, Mantei showed supreme flashes of dominance and he has remained healthy for about two seasons. Unfortunately, the hourglass may be running low; Mantei was released earlier this May by the Detroit Tigers. Good luck Matt!