Super Serial

The player and team collections get a huge boost with all kinds of serial-numbered goodies.

Last week, we took a look at some of the Blazers cards sent to me from Jon of Community Gum, including a Clyde Drexler rookie card (aka Christmas coming early.) The larger portion of the package contained baseball cards, and I've saved those for last because this is ostensibly a baseball blog. Suffice it to say, my shoeboxes containing my fancy cards (i.e. serial-numbered, memorabilia-laden or otherwise "valuable") became overstuffed really quickly thanks to this.

This is a great looking card, even though the subjects are stuck in small arrow-shaped windows. This would have been so great if it was Brad Lidge instead of the stupid Rocket, but I guess Donruss couldn't predict the future. We just passed the 10th Anniversary of Pujols/Lidge, which is well worth a revisit if you like seeing objects (and egos) destroyed.

I'm not at all familiar with this 2002 Topps Ten set, but I found the bat card intriguing as they actually put the familiar UV coating onto the bat piece (in the back at least) rather than just leaving a spot cut open for it. I would probably really enjoy watching How It's Made about fancy baseball card construction.

Donruss isn't clear about what sort of torch is being passed (or to/from whom) but all I know it's that this card is shiny and serial numbered and I didn't own it. And now I do. Nice!

Here's one of the few unnumbered cards in the lot. It's from a 2003 Leaf set that is a throwback to the 1960 Leaf design. I don't think I have any 1960 Leaf in my collection. I should probably change that.

The Co-Signers set was kind of a weird mess, with players sharing cards and someone always lurking in the background like a ghost. This one is numbered 05/15, which likely makes it both the rarest Co-Signers card I own and the rarest one I have of Edmonds.

I've expressed my love from the short-lived Moments and Milestones set here before, but it's time to mention it again. It's a confusing set with a dizzying array of numbers that are largely meaningless, but it's left a pretty impressive stable of affordable fairly low numbered cards of great players in its wake. The common ones are numbered to 150, but I got several of the /25 variety.

I feel like everything in this post is just "hey, look what I got!" Well, hey, look what I got!

They barely... barely squeezed Albert's large head into the frame on this card. That said, it's great to get a card of two of the best from the championship 2006 team.

Anthony Reyes ultimately had a short career, but he'll always be remembered fondly for shutting down the Tigers in Game 1 of the 2006 World Series. I was really happy to get this card because I actually recently bought a copy of it for Erin (she has collected Reyes since he broke into the league) and really wanted one of my own.

Speaking of guys that Erin collects, here's a blue Yadi refractor from 2012 Bowman Chrome. It's possible I have another one of these kicking around that I should give to Erin, but I need to get some sorting done before knowing for sure. I desperately need to get to sorting, especially after receiving this heap of shiny Cardinals!

Two Trades, Passing in the Night

Two trade posts are better than one, right? I guess if you do the math on that, trying to cram two trade packages into one post means you're only getting half of the word out, but I'm honestly near the breaking point as far as being able to keep up with the number of trade packages I've received while trying to acknowledge them all publicly. I always try to give every trade its due on the blog, but I am going to be forced to double or triple them up on occasion. I promise that I won't feel so bad about this when they involve people I've traded with in the past.

I pulled off one such swap with the venerable Thorzul Will Rule. If sports card blogging was an artistic movement, or at the very least something akin to music history, Thorzul's blog would definitely be First Wave Ska or something. His blog was one of the few that was around when I first dipped my toe in the pond, and I am always curious about what he's up to.

He sent over a few goldies, including this fine Anthony Reyes card that will fit nicely into someone else's collection, ahem, ahem.

I have to admit to being mildly confused when confronted with a card that is sealed shut. What am I supposed to do? Who exactly am I letting down if I pop the top? Are the tiny little dudes playing baseball beneath Gibson's mug going to kick my face in if I break the seal?

In other trade news, fellow Portland-area resident Guy from the Basketball Card Blog expressed a common interest in the 2012 Heritage set and recently sent me some goodies that he couldn't find a place for. While he likes the original 1964 Topps set a ton, he couldn't find a place for the buyback cards and I completely understand. On the other hand, I have a weird time not turning my back on these cards and have happily accepted them into my collection.

I can't envision a situation where I would actually spend money on one of the Heritage buyback cards (unless it was a Cardinal, of course!), but I still like these just the same.

Guy is also a Blazers fan, and more importantly, one of the biggest Nicolas Batum fans around. Batum is a player I get really dorkily excited about as well, and it came to me as a surprise when I found out that some of his rookie stash were going up for purchase.

These two serial-numbered Batum rookie cards pretty much immediately launched themselves to the upper echelon of my Blazers collection because, let's face it, I have a ton of Blazers cards yet 99.5% of them aren't really worth a whole lot. I will probably try to change that someday and pursue some nicer cards, but I've been jaded since I was an early teenager about the price of Blazers cards in my hometown.

Airbrushed Fridays: 2009 Topps #537

This week's post is brought to you by the lovely and talented Erin, who weighs in about a misstep featuring one of her favorite subjects. Enjoy!

To those that know me, it is no surprise I would be writing about an Anthony Reyes card. This is a player I have had to defend to my family of die hard Cardinals fans time and time again. Great Cardinals fans as they are, my family never gave Anthony Reyes a fair shake. (Of course, the same could be - and should be - said about the Cardinals organization.) I could go on about that, but you're reading this to check out the card and not read about how Anthony Reyes was completely mishandled and perhaps had his baseball career derailed to the point of no return. I surely hope the latter is not true.

Anthony Reyes is THE 2006 World Series Game 1 Winner. (And, of course, a member of the World Series Champions, St. Louis Cardinals.) In his lone start, he went 8 innings, defeating Justin Verlander and the Tigers in Detroit. It was rather tough feat, in a game the Cardinals entered without high expectations from their young pitcher.

Why did Topps airbrush Anthony's photo? There really isn't any (good) reason why this picture is airbrushed. Reyes was with Cleveland the year before this card debuted, albeit late in the year, after a trade with the St. Louis Cardinals in late July 2008. He clocked in 6 starts in 2008, giving the Topps team ample photo opportunities. (Especially considering this card is not from series one, it is from series TWO.) That's flat out lazy, Topps. Pathetic. Shameful. And so on.

What's wrong with this picture, anyway? If one merely glances at this card, they could easily overlook the photoshopped elements. However, I noticed right away something was off. It is more than possible that my keen eye decided to present itself because this is an Anthony Reyes card. It seems people that photoshop baseball cards are unaware of how fabric should MOVE. Check out the end of the name "Cleveland." Not only does the "land" look compeltely straight and stiff, the "nd" is riding on Anthony's shoulder. If Anthony stood up straight, that uniform would look mighty ridiculous, as the letters would be completely off kilter.

If you are interested in obtaining a card featured here, please send me an e-mail. If you have a card you would like to nominate for Airbrushed Fridays, please get in touch as well. I will require that I am able to see the card in person, either on loan or as a donation, so that I can examine the card and experience it in all its cruddiness.

No More Mr. Reyes

Anthony Reyes was dealt to the Cleveland Indians over the weekend, marking an unceremonious end to his once-promising Cardinals career. Most people would agree that it was best for him to move on, but I can't help but feel disappointed. Some, like this blogger-commenter (can that be a word?) over at the very excellent Viva El Birdos have described this as a win-win situation for all involved, but I don't see the Cardinals ending up as winners here.

Reyes still seems like a talent to me. He has a unique delivery. He throws hard. He has style (obviously- see the high socks, the super-serious flat bill...) He threw one hell of a World Series game in 2006, one that helped set the tone for the series. Do the Cardinals win that series without him? It's tough to say.

I could also say I was a victim of falling for "the hype." For the 1-hitter against the defending champion White Sox. For the World Series Game 1. For my girlfriend's favorite player. I think Reyes will end up alright in the end. I think Cleveland got a good deal. I have my doubts as to whether we'll ever see the 24-year old AA reliever that the Cards got in return. Hopefully Reyes makes it back soon.

What kind of socks do the Indians have to wear?