Wicked Ortega Delivers A Killer Package

Around a month ago I purchased a card from Wicked Ortega and I was only expecting to get a small bubble mailer with one card in it.  To my surprise, he included several cards that will fit nicely into my collection.  I have read some other blogs on how generous Wicked Ortega is and now I have experienced his kindness first hand.

This was the card that I purchased from him.  I collect cards of baseball legends.  I consider a player a legend if, he was a beast and I have never seen him play.  Harmon "Killer" Killebrew fits that criteria.  He is enshrined in Cooperstown and mashed 573 home runs.  Also, according to Baseball Reference, Killebrew was listed at 6 feet and 195 pounds.  That seems small by today's power hitters.  I have seen pictures of him as well as a replay of the 1965 World Series Game 7.  He looked a lot bigger than that.  He had arms like Popeye.  Oh yeah, that Game 7 ended with a Dodgers victory behind a Sandy Koufax shut out.

This card is a game used bat piece #ed/250.  Killebrew hit so many bombs, that I would like to think this piece of wood came from a home run bat.

I believe this was a box topper from 2007 Allen and Ginter.  This box topper features players from Japan such as Ichiro, Kei Igawa, Dice-K and Hideki Matsui.  Wicked Ortega was kind enough to put this card in a giant top loader.  This is the first box topper that I really like.  It will probably be given to my mother so she can display her Japanese pride in the living room.

I also got some shiny Andre Ethier cards!  I love chrome cards that aren't warped like the 2010 Topps Chrome set.  Chrome cards look a lot better than the base sets that they derive from.  I mean they look a lot better when they are flat just like the Bowman or Topps base set. 

Ethier is eligible for free agency after next season.  I have been preparing myself with the news that he will be a Red Sock when that time comes.  That comment may anger some Dodger fans and they may call me a pessimist.  But, the Dodger ownership situation is a complete mess thanks to the McCourts.  Frank McCourt is going to continue to fight for sole ownership of the team.  McCourt doesn't care if his actions affect the players, the fans or even Vin Scully.  I won't be mad at Ethier for leaving when that day comes.  I will be even angrier that Frank McCourt owns the team and is so selfish that he will be hurting everyone in the Dodger world.

As I was digging through the cards that Wicked Ortega sent me, I was so happy to see a 2005 Topps Chrome Black Refractor Jeff Weaver card.  This card is #ed/225!  It has been awhile since I got a super cool card of Weaver.  Thanks!!!

Matt Kemp along with Ethier is another player that is a free agent after next season.  It is going to be sad to see him go east to the Yankees.  Kemp will go to New York and become a national superstar and be shown on ESPN all the time.  Once he becomes a Yankee most of the country will forget that he was ever a Doyer.  This may seem like a doom and gloom scenario but, anyone that has been following the McCourt saga knows that this day is coming.  Please be prepared, Dodger fans.  I am bracing myself for the heartbreak now so, the pain won't be as bad.

I am going to enjoy watching Kemp and Ethier as much as I can before they leave.  Once they leave, I will ignore them because the sight of them in another uniform will be too painful.  I didn't watch Mike Piazza play too often after he was traded and I will give the same treatment to Kemp and Ethier.  I won't be mad at the players, I will just be mad at the hand the Dodgers were dealt by Bud Selig allowing Frank McCourt to get his greasy hands on my beloved team.

Thanks for the cards, Wicked Ortega.  I am excited to get in on your current group break.     

Trade Bait Draft Recap:Trade Bait Edition

There was a second Trade Bait Draft held at the blog, Great Sports Name Hall Of Fame which was hosted by Tim aka the Spastik Moose.  The first Trade Bait Draft was a lot of fun but, also had some technical difficulties.  This time around Tim worked out the kinks and had an even better selection of cards to choose from.  The "hits" that were available to be picked was extensive and of great variety.

This post is about the cards that I drafted that are available for trade.  I was able to get mostly cards that fit into my personal collection.  That post will be shown in the near future. 

Let's start off with a 2008 Topps Mike Hampton GU.  This card has a nice piece of red jersey.  I always like game used cards with some color besides gray or white.  I picked this card in the draft because I know that there are a lot of Braves collectors out there. 

Here are a couple sweet cards of Yovani Gallardo and Gary Sheffield.  The Gallardo is a piece of jersey from the Futures Game.  I am a big fan of game used jersey cards from specific games.  I am also not sure why Gallardo was on the World's team as opposed to the USA team.  The back of the card says he was born in Fort Worth,Texas.  Texas is still one of the 50 states,right?  Maybe a Brewers fan can fill me in on his background.  Either way, Gallardo is a stud pitcher on one of the better teams in the National League.

The Sheffield card is an auto from the 2007 Bowman's Best set.  It is a really shiny card.  Sheffield was a masher during his playing career.  I am willing to part with this card due to his bad attitude while he played as a Dodger so, come strong with an offer and the card is yours.

Now for a couple autos of players that I never heard of.  I just took a flier on these cards without doing any pre-draft homework.  Neil Medchill is a player that is currently struggling in the Yankees farm system.  He was a stud hitter in college at Oklahoma State but, has fallen on hard times as a pro.  The other card is an autograph of a former Pirates farm hand named Albert Laboy.  According to baseball reference, he is no longer a pro ballplayer.  His stats end in 2008.  Maybe a die hard Pirates collector may want this card.  Oh wait, there aren't any Pirates collectors.  I should've done my homework.

Now for a player that every baseball fan has heard of.  This is a 2003 Upper Deck Team USA card of Dustin Pedroia.  I haven't seen a card from this set before.  There are many Red Sox collectors out in the blog world that may enjoy this card more than me.  This card could be used as part of a bigger trade.

BA Benny Delivers The Goods

Mike from the blog BA Benny's Baseball Card Buffet and I worked out another trade.  He has a ton of player collections going on as well as some team collections.  I sometimes wonder if I need to come up with more player collections in order to attract more trade partners.  There may be a post in the future that reveals a new player PC.  We'll see if that happens.  I have a couple guys in mind who I may begin to put in a separate binder.

Anyways, lets check out the goods that BA Benny sent my way!

We will start off with a 1981 Topps Bill Russell autographed card.  The penny sleeve was marked TTM.  So, it may be safe to assume that this was acquired through the mail.  1981 Topps is one of my favorite sets.  I am still searching for some cards from that set so, please check out my want list up top and send some to the Platter.

This Russell Martin was the centerpiece of our trade.  I was just watching the Dodger game on Fox and they showed that Martin is the leading vote getter among AL catchers.  How is that possible?  The Yankee factor must be in play.  Also the fact that ESPN is the Yankee National Network and shoves all Yankee players down the country's throats.  Derek Jeter is also the leading vote getter out of all AL short stops.  I didn't even know he played baseball anymore.  I guess since I stopped watching ESPN, I must have missed out on that piece of information.  Derek Jeter is still playing baseball.

BA Benny sent me this awesome Pedro Guerrero card.  It is a reprint of the 1981 Topps design that I love.  It is from a set called 2005 Topps All Time Fan Favorites.  Does anyone have any info on this set?  Are boxes fairly priced?  Please let me know because I am interested in purchasing one.  The card next to Guerrero is of former Dodger speedster Dave Roberts.  I love the expression on the face of Roberts.  He is gritting is teeth going all out in what appears to be a spring training game.  I say that because it looks completely green in the background with no seating.  Way to hustle in an exhibition, Roberts!

Next up is a super shiny 2000 Pacific Prism Chan Ho Park.  Shiny cards that fit into my PC are always welcome at the Platter.  I also don't show as much Hideo Nomo cards as I should.  I mean, I did name my blog after him.  I also named it after my love of sushi.  But, I still never showed a piece of sushi on here yet.  Not even a California Roll from the Von's deli section.  Regardless, here is a sweet serial numbered Nomo card.  I don't have many serial numbered Nomo cards.  Most of my Nomo collection comes from the 90s when he used to have tons of cards in every set.  I miss the days when a Dodger was a popular choice among collectors.

Thank you,Mike!  Please go and check out his blog as he is a great guy to trade with.  Also be on the look out for the new addition to my player collection.

Trades Are Funner With Julie And Fuji

I have made several trades with Julie over at the blog Things are Funner here.  But, the package that she sent me may have topped all the other ones that she has sent me.  Julie was nice enough to include some of the things that she got from the Dodger Fan Pack she received.  I was surprised that the Dodgers sent out such nice things such as player photos, key chains, stickers, pocket schedules and a magnet schedule.  I just assumed that since the team has been in the hands of Frank McCourt, that every part of the team was run with cheapness on the mind. 

One of the two photos that were included was of Clayton Kershaw.  The other photo was of James Loney.  Kershaw may have surpassed Andre Ethier, in my mind, as my favorite current Dodger.  If I get lucky and have tickets to a game that Kershaw is starting, I have an extra excitement in me on my way to the ballpark.  When Kershaw pitches, you have a chance to see greatness.  I have had the honor to be at his two complete shutout games.  His second one being a complete game two hit shutout of the Detroit Tigers just a few days ago.  I hope the next owner of the Dodgers gives Kershaw a huge contract.  Keep him in LA for several years to come.

Julie also sent me some cards.  She sent me this Shawn Green GU for a Roy Oswalt GU that I sent her way.  My Green collection is growing pretty well.  Card companies seemed to have made a lot of game used cards of him.  Oh yeah, this one is numbered out of 100.  Sweet!

I love the paper parallels for 2011 Gypsy Queen.  It makes the design a lot better and more regal than the regular base card version.  I also like how Sprint kind of gets a free advertisement on this card.  I guess that is one of the perks of being a stadium sponsor.  You know your ad will pop up on TV or even baseball cards.

I am really glad that Sandy Koufax is popping up in Topps products this year.  It was awesome for Julie to send this one to me.  Koufax is a Dodger icon, a baseball icon and a cultural icon.  He is above everyone.  At least in the world of Spiegel.  Koufax can walk on water and fly like Superman.  Koufax has an open invite to have dinner at the Spiegel household.  He has yet to except but, I hope he will someday.

Thanks for the trade, Julie!  We'll get another one going next month as usual.

I also received a card from Fuji who runs the blog called the Chronicles of Fuji.  This trade was a lot smaller.  He told me he was running out of space to keep all his cards so, he was just going after certain players.  This was a simple one GU for one GU trade.

I sent Fuji a Walt Weiss bat relic for his Oakland A's PC and he sent me this Shawn Green GU.  I love the blueness of this card.  Shawn Green has been on a book tour all over LA recently.  I have yet to attend one yet.  My collection is lacking a Shawn Green autograph.  Thanks for the card Fuji.  You should get yours in the mail by Saturday or Monday.

My First OBAK Autos

I went on an ebay search a couple weeks ago searching for some cheap Dodger autographs.  The Dodgers have been struck by injuries so, they called up Josh Lindblom about 2-3 weeks ago.  He has since been sent back down to the minors.  Anyways, I have been reading about him for a few years since the Dodgers drafted him out of Purdue.  I enjoy collecting autos of failed Dodger prospects or Dodger prospects that aren't in the top 100 according to Baseball America.  Lindblom fits into the Dodger prospect category that I collect. 

I was able to find a pairing of a couple OBAK autos of Lindblom and White Sox prospect Jordan Danks.  With these two being sold as a lot for 2 bucks each, I was in!  The Danks is available for trade but, the Lindblom is a keeper.  Lindblom pitched well for the Dodgers in his short stint this year.  I enjoyed watching him pitch.

I didn't have any OBAK cards before this purchase.  They lack a MLB licence so, Lindblom is shown in a Chattanooga Lookouts uniform.  The quality of the card is below the standards of the big boys such as Topps and Upper Deck.

After getting this in the mail, I began to think how much it would cost to start a card company.  Because I have heard of OBAK before and I'm sure some collectors have purchased boxes or packs of this product.  The quality of the card made me think that I could do it myself.  How much could it cost to get some minor leaguers to sign some cardboard?  Just wondering.  I may not have the means or business acumen to start my own trading card company but, a boy could dream,right?

Just for good measure, here is a picture of the Danks autograph.  If anyone is interested, please let me know.

I think that I will search out ebay for more OBAK products.  They have a wide ranging autograph checklist.  The background design is similar to the Goodwin set.

Tony Gwynn Jr. Autograph Signing

There was another free Dodger autograph signing over the weekend.  Tony Gwynn Jr. made an apearance at a Metro PCS in East LA on Saturday.  The crowd was super thin when I arrived.  I got a later start that morning than I would have liked but, I still got a good spot in line. 

Gywnn Jr. doesn't have any Dodger cards that I know of.  But, I had this awesome card from 2010 Upper Deck when he played as a Padre.  I am glad that he is making diving catches like this for Los Doyers now.  He has already saved a couple games for the team by playing stellar defense. 

Gywnn Jr. seemed like a nice dude and he showed up on time.  Luckily, he showed up on time because the heat was getting hotter and hotter as the morning became the afternoon.  I also was on about 3 hours of sleep.

This photo is a little blurry.  But, trust me, this photo shows Tony Gwynn Jr. and I.  This picture was taken by super-photog Josh from Dodgerbobble which sadly blurred out my face because I am a good looking guy.  I'm just teasing.  No worries, Josh.  Your still my boy!

This was another well run event by Metro PCS.  The line was organized and they gave out wrist bands so, crowd control wasn't an issue.

Thanks for hanging out Josh and thanks to Metro PCS for being a good host.

Pimping A Contest For My Boy!

I just wanted to let some people know about a blog out there.  It is called Jaybarkerfan's Junk.  I have completed one trade with him before.  This blog gets the Platter's seal of approval.  There is a contest going on there also.  Please check it out and maybe you'll win something sweet.

The Diamond King Sends Some Cards To The Platter

The Diamond King is a fairly new card blog that is run by a cool dude named Kevin.  But, I enjoy referring to him as The Diamond King.  That is such a cool name of a blog.  I am surprised that there aren't a dozen blogs named Diamond King.  Please go and check out his blog.  The Diamond King even has the time to post about everyday, which is awesome.

The Diamond King posted about this card a few days ago.  I commented on how sweet it is and then we worked out a deal for it.  Of course, I like this card, it is of 1988 World Series Game 1 hero, Kirk Gibson.  This is my first relic of Gibson.  He is now coaching up the Arizona Diamondbacks who are surprising a lot of people by playing fairly well. 

As part of the trade, the Diamond King also sent me some nice PC cards.  He sent me a retro looking Kirk Gibson from the 2003 Topps set.  It is weird seeing Gibson so clean cut.  I thought he was born with a mustache.  He also sent me this shiny Shawn Green.

The Diamond King must have done a ton of collecting in the 90s.  He sent me a lot of Hideo Nomo and Mike Piazza cards from the greatest decade.  I love the 90s!  The inserts were so much more creative.  This is an awesome Piazza card.  It kind of reminds me of the cards that Denny's used to give out when you ordered a grand slam breakfast.

The Diamond King also held a contest when he first started in order to get some buzz for his blog.  I feel like I should hold a contest at the Platter.  I have an excess amount of cards that I could easily give away.  I'll try to think of a sweet idea and get a contest going.  Anyways, I won this O.J. Mayo relic from his blog.  I am not a USC Trojan fan.  I am a UCLA supporter.  I do like a Trojan that gets the school into hot water though.  Mayo got paid well for his one season as a Trojan and the NCAA wasn't happy about that.  I was happy about that though.  It gives me some verbal ammunition when chatting with Trojan fans.

Thanks for the trade.  Long live the Diamond King!!!

Random Hits From Random Places

I have been able to pick up some nice autos and GUs recently.  My hits PC is growing rapidly.  I have almost enough to fill a shoebox.  That is very impressive considering that when I got back into collecting during the Fall of 2010, I had zero to speak of.  Now, I am even building a nice Brooklyn Dodger collection to go along with my LA Dodger PC.

I went to my local weekly card show over the weekend.  I usually try to pick up a box plus some random singles.  This time around the box selection was kind of weak and nothing caught my eye.  Even the guy that sells fitted New Era hats didn't have much to offer.  But, the day wasn't a complete bust because I was able to snag this Johnny Podres auto.  Podres may be my favorite Brooklyn Dodger.  I keep on making this point every time I post about a card that I get of his.  Thank you, Mr.Podres, for the 1955 World Series title.

I am not a hockey collector but, I am a fan of the sport.  The team that I follow is the Philadelphia Flyers.  I picked up on the game when I was going to high school in suburban Philly.  Daniel Carcillo is a player on the Flyers.  He is a little guy with a mean temper and that is why I like his game.  I also like finding a deal.  The same dealer that sold me the Podres auto, had this auto of Carcillo for only a buck.  So, that is why I added this card to my PC.  You can't pass up a deal like that.

A card collecting buddy of mine named Mike C. gave me this card as part of a trade.  We usually swap a stack of cards every time we get together.  I probably owe him a lot more since he has thrown a lot of nice ones my way over the months.  I know Dice-K may be at the end of the road as far as having a successful big league career but, I still am willing to collect his cards.  I hope Dice-K can get healthy and bounce back next year.  He may have to leave the stuffiness of Boston and just relax.  Boston seems like a tough place for people to feel comfortable as a player.  Maybe a change of scenery will help him. 

I was able to pick these two Kurt Suzuki autos up in a trade with Greg from Plaschke Thy Sweater is Argyle and I would like to thank him for that.  I had pulled a Chase Utley auto from a box break that I was dangling in front of him.  Greg is a UCLA collector as well as a Doyer fan.  Utley went to UCLA as you may know.  This trade had been discussed between us for weeks and it has finally been completed.  I'll get you package out this week, Greg.

Also, I have no idea why the name Plaschke is so hard for me to spell.  I see the name Bill Plaschke in the LA Times on a near daily basis and I still can't spell it.  I also avoid Bill Plaschke's articles on a near daily basis. 

I went to Wal-Mart the other day and bought one of those Topps Value boxes.  I pulled this 2011 Topps 60 Matt Harrison auto.  I saw other bloggers have luck pulling hits from this product and now the good luck as came my way.  Now, I can dangle this card as trade bait.  If anyone is interested in this card, please email me or leave a comment. 

Some Catching Up To Do At The Platter

I have only been away from Blogger for a few days but, it seems that I have missed a lot.  Some group breaks have been going on and even some contests that I need to sign up for.  It also seems that I have won a contest that I entered a week or so ago.  My trading ways have slowed down a little but they seem to be picking up again.  So, I have to get back at it and show off some goods.

First off is some cards that I got from Jeff, who runs the blog called My Sports and Sports Cards and he is a White Sox collector.  This is the first time that we have traded.  Jeff's blog is fairly new so, I made sure to send him an extra thick bubble mailer.  Some bloggers sent me some extra cards when I joined the blogging ranks so, I wanted to continue the tradition.

Jeff was cool enough to send me some 1976 Topps League Leader cards.  Davey Lopes out stole Joe Morgan and Lou Brock in 1975.  Awesome!  Also, Andy Messersmith had an ERA better than Tom Seaver in 1975.  I like seeing Dodger players out performing some hall of fame players.

Jeff also sent along some modern sweetness.  I love the Gypsy Queen set.  I needed the Rafael Furcal and the Ryan Braun from this set.  The detail on the Furcal card is impeccable.  The wrinkles on his jersey and his muscle tone really stand out.  I think I have seen more Furcal baseball cards this season than actual games that he has played in.  He has done some good things in a Dodger uniform but, I am kind of glad that he is a free agent at the end of the year.  He is just to brittle to be a full time player anymore.

As a player collector, sometimes I forget that I need to pick up a parallel of a base card that I have.  I have had the 2009 Topps 206 Ryan Braun base card for awhile.  I think I got it from a box that I bought months ago.  It took me this long to finally obtain the bronze parallel.  Thanks,Jeff!!!

I also bought some awesome autographs off of ebay recently.  My collection is severely lacking in autos of Brooklyn Dodgers.  Those guys are a huge part of Dodger history.  I have been searching for a nicely priced autograph of Johnny Podres and I finally got one.

Bam!  Here is a killer auto of Mr.Podres.  The 1955 World Series hero and Brooklyn legend.  After 1955, Mr.Podres probably never paid for anything in Brooklyn.  Anything he wanted should have been comped.  Whether it was drinks, food, clothes, cars etc.  He shut down the Yankees in a game 7 to bring Brooklyn its only title.  I feel like I was there in Brooklyn living and dying with Dem Bums.  I have a GU and now an autograph of Mr.Podres.  Next up, is to find a throwback jersey of his.  I'll check with Mitchell and Ness. 

I have also been looking for a Don Newcombe auto on ebay.  I finally found one to my liking.  How did people purchase cards before the internet?  How did people know what fair market value was for there cards?  Anyways, this card is great!  Newcombe is another Brooklyn legend.  He still works for the Dodgers in there community relations department.  He make the rounds in LA signing autographs and doing charity work.

Ok, that was a little bit of catching up.  I am not dead, my blog lives on.  Thanks for the trade, Jeff!  Also, thank you to the ebay sellers for having some autographs of Brooklyn Dodgers for me to purchase.

Group Break Sweetness From Heaven

It seemed that for a little while there, that group breaks were popping off all over the blog universe.  I joined as many as I could.  Especially group breaks that I felt would yield a stack of Dodgers.  So, I signed up for a group break over at Cardboard Heaven and I wasn't disappointed.  Cam was the host and he was opening up some Gypsy Queen along with some other products. 

I still haven't actually opened a pack of Gypsy Queen myself.  At this point, I may never open any.  I have gotten a lot of Dodgers through trades from that set.  Cam's group break was very kind to me.  He sent me a lot of Dodgers from that set.

He pulled some Matt Kemp cards for me.  The paper parallel is numbered to 999.  Kemp is on a tear.  He just dominated the Reds over the weekend.  Kemp is on his way to the All-Star game and I hope he gets enough votes to be a starter.  He has earned it this year.  The next owner of the Dodgers should lock Kemp up long term.  That will go a long way to restoring some faith between ownership and the Dodger fan base.

The Gypsy Queen set also has cards of Dodger legends from the glory days.  Duke Snider pops up a lot in modern card sets but Sandy Koufax does not.  Getting any card with Koufax on it is great.  New or old it doesn't matter.  Koufax is a God in the Spiegel household.  Now, if I could only pull an autograph of his.

The insert sets in Gypsy Queen are very cool.  These two cards are from an insert set called "The Great Ones."  Jackie Robinson and Pee Wee Reese belong in a set stating there greatness.  I may have most of the Dodger insert cards from Gypsy Queen already.  I will have to double check.

Cam also opened up a blaster of 2009 Upper Deck.  The 2009 Upper Deck blaster guaranteed one GU per box.  Luckily, the box that Cam opened contained a jersey card of ex-Dodger Chin-Lung Huuuuuu.  I have no idea how Huuuuuuu is doing as a Met.  Maybe I should've done some research before I started writing this.  I wish Huuuuuu the best of luck.  I am also sure that he is a better utility infielder than 58 year old current Dodger Juan Castro.  But, Castro must have some tricks up his sleeve has he is a 4 time Dodger.  No idea how that is possible.  Castro will probably end up managing the Dodgers someday so, I won't be too harsh towards him because he will be in Dodger blue for the next several decades.  I'll give that last statement the Spiegel Guarantee.

I will give a big Thank You to Cardboard Heaven for hosting an awesome group break. 

I'm A Fan Of JayBarkerFan And Napkin Doon

The other day I received a couple of surprise packages from a couple bloggers.  The first one that I got was from the man with the greatest name in the blog business, The Adventures of Napkin Doon.  Mr.Doon and I completed a trade weeks ago.  I thought it was finished so, I wasn't expecting anything from him.  He may have mentioned that he was sending me another card lot a little bit ago.  I have a faint memory of that.  Either way, I am always happy to get some new cards.

Mr.Doon sent me this card a couple days late.  I had met Darren Dreifort not too long ago before a Dodger game.  Retro cards look great signed.  Some collectors don't like retro cards but, even the detractors can admit that a Heritage or Ginter card looks great autographed..  I am going to hold onto this card and wait for the next time that Dreifort is signing autographs.  This card shall get signed!

I liked Diamond King cards when I was a kid.  I like the Diamond King sets that came out in the 2000s and now there is a blog I like called The Diamond King.  I should make a want list of all the older Diamond King cards that I need.  There are probably some nice Dodger ones that are missing from my collection.

Mr.Doon also sent a nice Rauuul Mondesi card from the 90s.  I remember these Bowman parallels from back in the day.  I always thought that it looked like some one spilled a bottle of bubbles on the border.  This is a cool card because it deviates from the standard gold or silver parallels that were popular at the time.  I have no idea where Rauuul is now.  Anyone out there have any idea?  Coaching?  Does he own a night club in LA?  I am curious because the Dodgers need a left fielder and maybe Rauuul needs a job.

Thanks for the package, Mr.Doon!

 The second package that showed up at the Platter was from JayBarkerFan's Junk.  He is currently having a Summer of Giving.  He sent me a package of Doyers because he a great dude.  The writer for the blog named Wes also included a nice typed letter stating his reasons for the giveaway and that it will continue to send out packages of cards that do not fit into his collection.  Don't worry Wes, I will be sending you a nice stack of Braves and Expos.  How could I not?  He sent me this awesome Pee Wee Reese with a design from 1984 Donruss.

Wes also sent me some great looking Shawn Green cards.  The photo chosen for this card is top notch.  Upper Deck probably won't be back on the baseball card scene for awhile.  The photography of baseball cards is lacking without them.  May Topps please bring back Stadium Club?  I asked politely.

This is another great photo but it is not from Upper Deck or Topps Stadium Club.  This card is from the 2004 Donruss set.  I believe this photo was taken as Shawn Green was sprinting for a double at Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia.  The only thing that throws me off is that I don't remember that many people even watching the Phils play at the old Vet. 

Thank you for the cards, Wes.  I will get a nice return package ready for you by the end of the week. 

Getting The Goods From Ebay And Topps

I have gotten a couple bubble mailers recently that contained some really good cards.  I am sure that I am not the only collector that loves opening a bubble mailer that you may not know what is inside.  Then you open up the package and it contains some goodness that you ordered online.  I get so many cards through the mail that I sometimes forget what I purchased or traded for. 

My Diamond Die-Cuts have arrived!!!!  Yessssssss!!!  I knew when I saw the Topps address label that these two were going to be inside.  I just for got what the other two cards that I ordered from the Topps diamond giveaway.  We'll get to the other cards from this package in a bit.  Let us focus on the shine of a red diamond.

I started out redeeming a code for a Nolan Ryan Red Diamond Die-Cut.  I saw how much the Nolan Ryan was going for on ebay and I knew that I should try and trade it for a die-cut that I wanted.  There was no way that I was going to pay a decent sum for the Clayton Kershaw or Ryan Braun version of this card.  After receiving some bullshit trade offers for the Nolan Ryan Die-Cut, I finally got a good one.  Someone must have read my mind.  A very nice person offered me the Kershaw and Braun Red Diamond Die-Cut for my one Nolan Ryan.  Awesome!  As you can see I jumped on that offer as quickly as possible.  Thank you mystery person in Topps Land!

These were the other two cards that showed up in my Topps package.  This is a 1974 Topps Manny Mota and a 1980 Topps Charlie Hough.  This will add to my growing collection of old school goodness.  The condition of the Mota is ok.  The Mota has a slight ding on one of the bottom corners.  The Hough is in really good shape.  It looks almost pack fresh. 

I picked up this auto of Scott Elbert off of ebay.  The auto is on-card which is always a plus.  Elbert is currently in the Dodgers bullpen as there one and only lefty.  He has pitched better this year than the past couple.  I think this dude has some talent, it just maybe taking him a little longer to come around than some have hoped.

I may be the only guy still collecting Andy LaRoche cards.  He has lost the luster of stud prospect years ago.  It looks like he won't even be as good as his brother Adam LaRoche.  Nonetheless, I am still a fan of his and I wish him the best in Oakland.  My LaRoche collection is growing since his autos and GUs are pretty cheap now.