Making Us Look Bad (or Me, At Least)

You don't have to click on my links in my sidebar, or links on sidebars of links on mine, to run into a trade post or two involving Smed's Baseball Card Blog. You've heard about him. You probably have found an obstruction or two in your mailbox as a result of his trading. And before I could get my severely delayed box of cards out the door and on the way to his residence, I found another box of cards in my own mailbox with his name on the return address.

I really need to catch up on this trading/mailing thing. Eight out of nine floating heads agree with this statement. (Albert Pujols is the lone dissenter. He's still looking for his $$$.)

This is my first Fernando Salas card, who was a very effective reliever in relatively low leverage relief situations last season. With few veteran bullpen acquisitions this season and some departures, I think Salas should have a pretty good shot at a regular spot this season. Man, it feels good to say "this season" and talk about 2011, since pitchers and catchers should be reporting in just a little over two weeks from now.

I have to admit that I don't know who Samuel Freeman is, but I have a number of his cards. This is the first colored parallel I've picked up of his. Any blue bordered card is good in my book.

Where did the purple refractors come from all of a sudden? These aren't serial-numbered, so I have to assume that they're fairly common. If you say Zack Cox outloud, it kind of sounds like something is stuck in your through.

Strangely enough, this garden variety base Topps Chrome card proved to be very elusive to me. It finally finishes off the base team set for me. I have a bunch of the refractor version of this card, but this is my first non-rainbowy shiny Glaus.

More blue goodness. I hope Bryan Anderson gets a fair shot at making the 25-man this year, but something tells me "Gerald Laird" + "Tony La Russa" = No Dice.

I love this set. You don't see a ton of Roger Maris Cardinals cards as he was well past his prime at that stage of his career.

Smed's has been extremely helpful in the Allen & Ginter department, and this box proved to be no exception. Here's the obligatory Jason Heyward card. Would anyone hate me if I thought that Jason Heyward was a prime target for the dreaded sophomore slump? Yes, I'm sure they would. Just don't come crying to me if he ends up with a .210 average next season.

As the back of the mini card explains, the Stegosaurus was basically the brussels sprout of the dinosaur kingdom.

I first read this as HOT DESSERT. I guess if you squint, that could be a pie crust...