Zippy Zapped Back Into the Blogosphere!

In my blogging return last week, I cited the fact that school was underway and having less on my plate as the main reasons I've been able to come back. But I still lacked that final burst of energy to push me back into the blogosphere, until I met the Zippy-Zapper himself. 

Kenny has been "Cervin' Up Cards" for quite some time now, but I hadn't really gotten to know him until we started talking Yankee baseball on Twitter. In my time away from Blogger, I've been a part of collecting communities on Twitter and Instagram, and have gotten to know some great people in the process. Before leaving to go to the East Coast National (which you will hear about in due time), we made plans to meet up at some point throughout the day. 

The storm had settled in Westchester's County Center as dealers began to start packing up, but we were able to meet and spend some time observing the tables and talking about all things baseball. I was fascinated by his wealth of knowledge towards the Yankees farm system and towards prospects in general. But what blew me away over anything else was the kindness and generosity in his heart. He unloaded his backpack filled with goodies for me, and I couldn't believe it. It was hard for me to accept it all at once, but he insisted upon it. I felt better knowing that I was prepared to get him back for his madness, and took a look at what was now mine.

The two Staten Island booklets feature team sets of the 2000 Low-A Champion Staten Island Yankees. I can't say I'm all that familiar with most of the players on the team, outside of Chien-Ming Wang. These cards have perforated edges so they can easily be separated, reminiscent to the days I was subscribed to Sports Illustrated Kids way back in the day. 

Kenny also gave me 3 SI Yankees 'PlayBall Magazine' souvenir programs from 2014, 2015, and 2016! I have seen the Staten Island team play plenty in the past, but never actually at their home stadium. I am more familiar with Dutchess Stadium, where the Hudson Valley Renegades play; and have seen them play there in the past. We discussed having a future summer night spent at each stadium graphing, and I hope we can work that out next year.

These two Choice 2014 team sets were really neat toss-ins too. The set to the left features some of the best players from the New York-Penn League in 2014, which included Amed Rosario (Mets), A.J. Reed (Astros), Bradley Zimmer (Indians), and the god himself, Luis Torrens (Yankees). After speaking to Kenny, I can now say I believe Torrens will be a combination of Ted Williams and Johnny Bench! Speaking of which, Torrens was also featured in the SI Yankees set. That set had some surprisingly intriguing names such as Jordan Montgomery, Jonathan Holder, Ty Hensley, and Thairo Estrada to go along with the heir apparent to Babe Ruth (first time readers must be really confused).

He also threw in a bunch of cards of scrub Yankees (in comparison to the future first ballot Hall of Famer) Betances, Refsnyder, and numerous others. I'm starting to wonder how much longer Refsnyder will be a part of the team. It wouldn't shock me if he is an added piece in an offseason trade, because no matter what he does, it's never enough to earn a full time spot on the team.

You can never go wrong with Luis Severino, unless of course you're Joe Girardi naming him as an upcoming starter. I have slowed down collecting Sevy ever since his downward spiral, even though his card prices have tanked. I've invested far too much money already to keep buying his stuff in good conscience. However, I didn't have any of the 3 cards above, and really love the autograph in particular! 

I think it's sort of funny seeing Sano and Severino on the same card considering how mis-managed I believe they both have been thus far into their careers. Sano, to me, should not be in the field even though today's American League game tends not to employ full time DH's anymore. He can be an exception to that rule because he appears to have legit 40-50 home run pop in his bat. Meanwhile, Severino's poor performances in the starting rotation (while dominating in the late innings) have bounced him back and forth faster than you can say "Joba Chamberlain". Keep him in the bullpen for a prolonged period of time until he builds up enough confidence to be the starting pitcher we Yankee fans expected him to be. Rant over.

One of my favorite cards Kenny bestowed upon me is this 2014 Bowman Asia Exclusive Aaron Judge parallel. Judge hasn't quite followed up his explosive start to his career, and is striking out in over half of his at bats. We knew from the day he was drafted that plate discipline was going to be an issue, so this should be expected. He doesn't see fastballs often because he is known to crush them, so adjusting to major league caliber offspeed pitches will take time. Don't give up on this Baby Bomber though, because the future is still bright.

When it comes to Yankees prospects, Kenny knows more than most. I have seen these autographed cards before, but I don't know much about the players on them. Encinas is the only active player in 2016, pitching in High A for the Yankees. He has struggled mightily, but the former 6th rounder could get it together. Both Lewis and Stevenson were taken in the later rounds in the 2010 Draft, while Bautista appears to have been an International signing.

I never had much of Austin Romine, so this card is now my favorite of his. The Yankees have been able to churn out quality catchers for some time now, and he's just another example of a big league backstop. He handles his own, and probably will serve as a backup for years to come; whether he's with the Yankees still or not.

Dellin has really stepped into the closer role well ever since the deadline deals of Aroldis Chapman and Andrew Miller. I can't say I'm all that surprised by this news, though. He has been so dominant for now three years, and his stuff would translate well in any bullpen role. I'm not an enormous fan of the Panini designs, but I'll take a spare autograph of his to pair with my Bowman Chrome auto any day.

Kenny, thank you so much for the much needed zippy-zappying. It was a pleasure meeting you, and here's to hoping my revenge package will come close to matching all of this.

If you haven't already, please go check out Kenny's blog, Torren' Up Cards. If you have any cards of baseball jesus (Luis Torrens, duh), be sure to hit him up!

Hard Work Pays Off

Hey everyone, Drew back here. I can't remember the last time I've been this involved with the hobby while also being as uninvolved in the blogosphere. I really just haven't had the motivation to blog, despite having picked up some of the best cards in my collection. I'm currently watching the youth movement take over New York tonight in Game 3 of the Subway Series, so I feel as though it's a good time I show off my own personal card farm system. 

I don't think there's ever really been a time I haven't liked Brian Cashman. Sure, I know I've questioned some of his high end signings in the past, but you really have to wonder how much the Steinbrenner's influenced those moves. Especially now, after a week where Cashman turned over a new leaf and brought the Yankees organization into the modern baseball world and temporarily gave up hopes of buying a championship. 

Fans of the team are accustomed to winning, so it is awfully risky to sell off your best assets in an effort to rebuild at the trade deadline. Cashman is not a hero because he chose to sell, since he's one of the last current GM's to do so. He's a hero because he finally held his own and did what has needed to be done since 2013. He showed his rebellious side, took some risks, and from all accounts it just might pay off. All I can say is: I have never been more excited for the future of this team.

The Yankees may boast a top notch farm system after last week's moves, but Aaron Judge still excites me over any of them. He could be an All Star, reminiscent of Dave Winfield in size and stature. He could be a bust. The risk is there, but it's worth taking. I cannot wait to see this guy don the pinstripes in a few weeks. I bought his Bowman Chrome refractor autograph (get used to reading that) for my birthday, and I may be preparing to send it in to BGS and see how it grades. But for now, it becomes one of the highlights of my card collection.

In order to make a youth movement work, you need to have someone who can grind out games at whatever position needs to be filled. Rob Refsnyder appears to be the obvious pick for that utility-man role. He doesn't do anything fantastically, but he more than holds his own. I've been impressed with what I've seen from him in the majors this year, and I hope the team continues to reward him with proper playing time.

Everyone enjoys a comeback story, let's be real. Two years ago, Tyler Austin was considered a Top 100 prospect, but injuries halted his road to the show before he got the chance to make his MLB debut. In 2016, he's batting .311 with 13 home runs and 45 RBI in AAA Scranton-Wilkes Barre, and rumor has it that he and Judge could see a call up by the beginning of September at the very latest.

Speaking of comebacks, we'll be hoping to see much more out of Greg Bird in 2017 than we've gotten this year. One of the biggest blows to this season came in February when out of nowhere it was announced that he would be undergoing surgery to repair a torn labrum in his right shoulder and would be out for the season. After catching a glimpse of what he is capable of doing at the Major League level, it was tough news to swallow. Mark Teixeira appears to be dragging himself out of New York after what has so far been a horrendous final season of his 8 year deal, so the job could be Bird's to take as early as next spring.

While it's good to have powerful bats in your lineup and guys capable of filling voids throughout the diamond, no team is complete without a sparkplug at the top of the lineup. Enter Jorge Mateo, who could be just that in 2-3 years when the Yankees are ready to bring him up (because if he had a say apparently, he would be well past High-A by now). Last year, he led all professional players with 82 stolen bases, and has continued to display raw speed this season. Some say he may be the fastest player in the game. It's too early to think about positional logjams, but I'm interested to see how their middle infield plays out over the next few years. For now, the job has been earned by Didi Gregorius, our best current all around player.

We close things out for now with the man who will have the final say in a large part of the team's future wins and losses. Dellin Betances has been one of the most exciting relievers in the game over the past three seasons, and I feel like some Yankee fans take his talent for granted. He's been dominant, but fans keeping asking for another Andrew Miller or Aroldis Chapman caliber player to pair him with. Now, after two big trades; Betances has the closer job and I couldn't be happier for him. He was notably disappointed seeing his friends depart to Chicago and Cleveland, but now he has the opportunity to become the 9th inning man once and for all.

Brian Cashman and I have both been working hard this summer. He's been able to bring Yankee fans hope for the future, while I have been slowly working my way back from being totally broke post-Europe. Budgeting portions of my paychecks towards the hobby have given me something to look forward to despite consecutive days (or weeks) of work. And now, I'm almost ready for the future to take off and kick into gear.

Five Ways the Yankees Can Claim Back New York

Image Source

This year, the New York Mets temporarily captivated “The Big Apple” throughout their Pennant winning run. Meanwhile, the Yankees suffered an early playoff exit to an up and coming Houston Astros squad that has the foundation to compete for the foreseeable future. Here is a checklist of five priorities General Manager Brian Cashman should consider to bring the “Bronx Bombers” back into the Fall Classic.

1. Avoid the Surplus of Elite Aces

This winter, pitching is the subject of conversation among baseball writers and fans alike. Several of baseball’s best pitchers, including 2015 Cy Young Award candidates David Price and Zack Greinke, enter free agency with the hopes of earning a contract comparable to the Washington Nationals’ Max Scherzer. Scherzer was awarded a seven year, $210 million dollar deal to be at the forefront of what (on paper) looked to be the best rotation in the game. 

While Price, Greinke, and the World Series Champion Kansas City Royals’ Johnny Cueto may appear tempting for any club to take the next step, age needs to be of concern. All three pitchers are already over 30 years old and have thrown over 1400 innings. This should be a red flag especially to a Yankees team enduring the final, ugly years of its C.C. Sabathia contract. Sabathia helped New York win in his first year, but Scherzer was meant to do the same in Washington and the Nationals didn’t even make the playoffs. One pitcher can help a team contend, but it is no guarantee. With the amount of time and money dedicated taken into consideration, Cashman should steer clear.

This, however, does not mean they should go without at least considering some of the more affordable assets they could potentially obtain. Their current rotation for 2016 already features at least seven different arms within their organization, but it’s often said that “you can never have enough pitching.” They have been linked to free agent right hander Jeff Samardzija, who, after the worst year of his career; could be had for cheap. Mike Leake could be a possible match as well, and could serve in the lower half of the rotation. An extra pitcher could wind up being a smart investment considering the injury potential of Michael Pineda, Masahiro Tanaka, and Ivan Nova, and the off field issues surrounding Sabathia.

2. Sign Ben Zobrist

The Yankees have burdened themselves with an overwhelming number of unwanted long term contracts ever since George Steinbrenner revolutionized the free agent market in the 1970’s. They have never seemed to learn their lesson and only reward players who are capable of performing well throughout a majority of the deal, beyond just the first few years. Prior to 2014, they spent about a half billion dollars allocated between Tanaka, catcher Brian McCann, and outfielders Jacoby Ellsbury and Carlos Beltran. All four players have been productive in their time, but it can be argued that none of them were really worth their contract.

The only player of that quartet whose salary was a fair estimate of his projected value was Beltran, who was only signed for a three year contract. The goal of his deal was to provide a switch hitting savvy veteran who could bridge the gap for prospect outfielder Aaron Judge. With Beltran coming off the books following the 2016 season, it may be smart to reach out to Ben Zobrist for a similar offer.

Zobrist will turn 35 next year, and his offensive production has declined. However, he is relatively durable and quite possibly the best utility player of this generation. He can play every position but pitcher and catcher, with his strengths coming at second base and in the outfield. Acquiring him will give the Yankees flexibility, which is desperately needed with as many aging, injury prone position players as they have. For much of 2015, they had the third worst offensive production at second base (according to River Ave. Blues). Stephen Drew was released this past week, and they are left with Dustin Ackley and unproven prospect Rob Refsnyder to fill the void. Having the option of starting Zobrist over either of those two, or in order to give others needed days off, would be welcoming.

3. Relieve the Bullpen

One of the biggest positives the Yankees benefitted from in 2015 was the strength of their bullpen. Closer Andrew Miller joined the fold after receiving a 4 year, $36 million dollar deal, and he went on to win the AL Reliever of the Year. Dellin Betances continued his recent stretch of dominance, finishing the year with a 6-4 record, a 1.50 ERA, and 131 strikeouts. He has thrown more innings than any other reliever over the past two years, and the end of last year showed that he was human after all. Fatigue may have been a factor in Betances’ late season regression, and it was certainly warranted. 

Manager Joe Girardi has always placed an emphasis on his bullpens. He is typically pleased with his starters exiting the game in the 5th or 6th inning, which has often been a topic of debate among Yankees fans. His expectations make it so the bullpen is counted on to hold the game for at least three innings on most nights, and often this means some combination of Betances and/or Miller are needed to keep the score in tact.

It would be smart for Cashman to look to add one or two more established right handed bullpen options, either by trade or through free agency. Ryan Madson and Darren O’Day are free agents and it appears as though a majority of the game's top closers are on the trade market. More relievers will allow for Betances, Miller, breakout left hander Justin Wilson, and Adam Warren to breathe between appearances and potentially make them even more effective.

4. Flip an Outfielder to Sign Jason Heyward

It may not appear so concerning at the moment, but the Yankees are set up for some serious decline at the top of their lineup. Brett Gardner and Ellsbury showed their capabilities and chemistry batting leadoff and second in the order in April and May, but injuries hampered their hot starts. 

Ellsbury was placed on the disabled list in May after spraining his knee, and batted .220 following the All Star break. Newly hired hitting coach Alan Cockrell revealed that Gardner also played through a wrist injury during most of the second half, ultimately causing him to bat just .206 in that same timeframe. Their lingering pain affected the lineup’s explosiveness, and Girardi wound up having to bench Ellsbury for Chris Young in the Wild Card Game.

Gardner is currently signed through 2018 with a team option for 2019, and is owed $37.5 million guaranteed. Meanwhile, Ellsbury is owed $105.7 million through 2020 with a team option in 2021. Both players offer similar value, despite the enormous difference in their average annual value. Gardner was drafted by the Yankees in 2005 and has played his entire career in New York, whereas Ellsbury came up through the Red Sox system and played his best years there. 

Because Gardner’s contract is considerably more affordable than Ellsbury’s, he is widely regarded as their best trade chip. Yankee fans may prefer to see Ellsbury moved than the fan favorite, but Brian Cashman may not have a choice. Moving one of the contracts would help not only add additional value elsewhere on the team (perhaps in the bullpen, such as elite closer Craig Kimbrel of the Padres), but would open up another spot in the outfield.

Much has been made about the 2016 Free Agent pool containing the most value until 2019, when Bryce Harper is projected to become a free agent. The Yankees have been linked to Harper since he was a prospect, but there are no guarantees that he will wind up in New York. Rather than waiting, it may be wise to use some of the approximate $62 million that will come off the books soon from Beltran, Sabathia, and Mark Teixeira’s expiring contracts towards a long term outfield mainstay. That player is Jason Heyward.

Heyward was a mega prospect when he arrived in Atlanta in 2010. In his first game for the Braves, after Hank Aaron tossed out the ceremonial first pitch and passed the baton, Heyward hit a home run in his first career at bat. He drew comparisons to Willie Mays, and was even nicknamed “The J-Hey Kid” in his honor. He placed second in NL Rookie of the Year voting that year and made the All Star team after batting .277 with 18 home runs.

Since then, he hasn’t quite tapped into the power potential he once offered. He only hit over 20 long balls once, in 2012. He does offer value in other facets of the game, collecting a career Wins Above Replacement (WAR) value of 31.1. He has been touted as the best defensive right fielder in the game, and was given the 2014 Wilson MLB Defensive Player of the Year award in recognition. 

After being dealt to the St. Louis Cardinals last offseason for pitcher Shelby Miller, Heyward enjoyed his best year to date, batting .293 and helping the Cardinals to the best regular season record in baseball. He batted .357 in 14 at bats against the Chicago Cubs in the NLDS as well.

Oh yeah: and he’s still only 26 years old.

Signing Heyward will not be easy, as he makes for the most interesting free agent storyline of the offseason due to his relative youth compared to other outfielders Yoenis Cespedes and Justin Upton. Technically, a player doesn’t typically begin their “prime” seasons until around the age of 27, so there is a chance he could still increase his home run output. Even if he doesn’t, he is a fantastic athlete with no history of off field issues and would be a key component  of the lineup for years to come.

St. Louis grew attached to Heyward in their lone year together, and is likely to offer him a significant contract to stick around. But if Cashman were wise, and is able to move either Gardner or Ellsbury; he is worth a second look. Harper may be available eventually, but if the Yankees plan on winning now, Heyward would increase their chances.

5. Keep Core Prospects Together

In spite of all the free agent speculation I have discussed thus far, I do love what the management has done in recent years to improve their farm system and youth as a collective. Didi Gregorius stepped into Derek Jeter’s shoes and evolved into one of the better shortstops in the American League by the end of 2015. Nathan Eovaldi performed well in the rotation, using his high velocity to collect 14 wins. And Yankee fans were entertained with the debuts of top prospects Luis Severino and Greg Bird; who were all able to contribute significantly when called upon.

When the Yankees won four World Series titles in five years during the late 1990’s dynasty, their roster was composed of a mix of excellent young players such as Derek Jeter, Bernie Williams, and Mariano Rivera, and veteran leaders like Paul O’Neill and David Cone. Youthful teams today such as the Cubs and Mets were able to use a similar formula to make deep postseason runs. 

This Yankees team can do the same with the few maneuvers suggested above and a continuation of the good things they managed to do in 2015. But the core needs to stay together, which means Brian Cashman needs to find ways to improve the team without trading Severino, Bird, Gregorius, or Judge. The team needs to establish chemistry in order to win (see: Royals), and years of experience playing together will do just that. 

There may be bumps and bruises along the way, but this strategy gives them the best chance of hoisting the World Series trophy by the end of next October. That, everyone; is Yankees baseball at its finest.

Check Out My Phenom Fireballers!

Hey guys, Drew back here! The final week of my summer is just about to hit the midway point, and I'm doing everything I can to not only enjoy it but get a lot accomplished before heading back to school. I slacked early on in the summer due to a big change in my life personally, but now as this fall semester is getting underway I'm feeling more motivated to take care of some things. 

I've been selling cards on Check Out My Collectibles for a few years now, and although I don't quite sell as much as I used to, I still do pretty well. With the store credit I accumulate, I've been purchasing cards I'd prefer to own in my collection; whether they be direct PC or not. I added two cards this summer with my store credit, both being of particularly special young hurlers in the AL East.

Chris Archer has been building off a successful first few years in the big leagues consistently, but has truly broken out in 2015. Though at times inconsistent, there are few pitchers who can dominate a start better than the Rays 26 year old ace. This year, he is 11-9 with a 2.77 ERA and is 4th in all of baseball with 205 strikeouts! His record doesn't speak for the success he's had, and the advanced stats indicate that his ERA could even be high for what he has compiled throughout the year. With a little bit of help down the stretch he could lead Tampa Bay to the final Wild Card spot.

I bought this "Future Phenoms" autographed relic out of 2013 Topps Triple Threads for a little over $10, and I have a feeling I won't be regretting it.

Yankee fans waited a long time for this giant of a kid. After waiting for years, hearing about the "Killer B's" (Betances & Banuelos), and just about giving up all hope on the former top prospect, Dellin Betances is finally here to stay. And if you haven't seen him dominate the late innings for the Bronx Bombers yet, you're missing out. Relievers are supposed to be filled with adrenaline and pump the stadium up, and Betances does just that; throwing fastballs that have the potential of hitting 100 mph with a filthy slurve. He made up for what we had lost when Mariano Rivera retired, and then some. I don't expect him to maintain this dominance for as long as Rivera did, but I'm going to enjoy this run while I can.

For about $20, I picked up his 2012 Bowman Chrome rookie autograph refractor numbered 120 of 500! I had a TriStar sticker autograph of his already, but I needed something flashy of our flashy arm.

All in all, I'm more than happy with my recent additions. See Ya!

Mail from my buddy Andrew!

Hey guys, Drew back here! It's been a very busy month for me, maybe not so much on this website but in all other aspects of my life, time is flying. Sophomore year is coming down the home stretch, and before I know it I'm going to be awaiting junior year while soaking up the sun on a cruise over summer vacation! All is going well here, and I'd like to once again thank each and every one of you readers for taking out the time to check what I've got to say. I just received surpassed 100,000 page views (not including my own), and it is something that really does mean a lot to me, not because of the number, but because I'm proud of how I've made somewhat of an impact towards other collectors. The goal all along was not only to show off what I've been able to add to my personal collection, but to share my love of the hobby in hopes to spread the love of the game of baseball.

One thing I've always enjoyed doing in this hobby is trading, and although I haven't been on top of my trades very well of late, my new good friend Andrew has certainly tried to bounce me back into my flow. We worked out our second trade a few weeks ago, and this was what I got in exchange for a Cardinals autograph:

Here are a few of my favorites of the Yankees cards he sent. I love the 2012 Dellin Betances Topps rookie, and I'm definitely going to have to pick up a few more to stockpile up on him. He's not doing very well in the minors from what I've heard, but he has a heck of a lot of potential. I didn't have the A-Rod starquest surprisingly enough, but I'm glad Andrew sent it my way. Also, that Eric Chavez gold parallel is pretty nice as well. 

Next are a few well known Yankee prospects, in Gary Sanchez and Ben Gamel! Sanchez has perhaps the most potential in their entire farm system right now, and because of that, they thought dealing Jesus Montero would be a smart move. I understand that thought process, but I really think we could've done better than Michael Pineda with what we have to offer. I'm very disappointed in Pineda thus far, but he's extremely young with a lot of potential so I'm just going to give him some time first before making final decisions. Gamel, on the other hand, has bounced around quite a bit in his few years in the Yankee system. He had a very good 2011 season in the Staten Island, so hopefully he can carry that into his 2012 campaign.

Finally, some Kimball Champions topped off the deal! I've made this very clear on here before, but I'll say it again: I LOVE these inserts. Why? I really don't know, they're just appealing to me. I probably have these same three minis somewhere in my basement, but I'll take every single one you guys have! Maybe one day I'll go after the whole set. For now, here are the Ruth, Berra, and Sabathia minis.

So, thank you so much for the trade Andrew, I really appreciate all the attention you've given towards my collection the past few weeks. Everyone please go out and give his site a look, because believe me, everyone loves a new blog to read, right?

See Ya!

Mail from the Pirates Treasure Room!

Hey guys, Drew back here. Man, do I have a lot of stuff to post. This is about as good of a time to be a baseball card blogger right now, when you literally can hardly see your desk because it's so cluttered with stuff! One of such endless stacks of cardboard happened to come from a blog that is filled with Pittsburgh Pirates treasure! My good buddy Brian from "Pirates Treasure Room" and I hooked up for a pretty solid trade all around! Take a look at some of what I got in my side of the deal:

He kicked off the trade with some really awesome 2012 Topps cards! I haven't bought one single pack of the new Topps. Yeah, I feel like I'm breaking one of the card collecting commandments with that. But I'll get my hands on some eventually. I'll probably have most of the Yankees inserts by then, thanks to all the awesome bloggers sending me them, but that'll be perfectly fine with me! I have to say I love the Walk-offs Concept but the design sucks; I like the Gold Standards for the most part; and the Golden Greats are alright I guess. 

The inserts that shouldn't have ever happened were definitely the Golden Moments cards. For relics, I can see it. But for plain old boring inserts? Nah. Nonetheless I needed a good majority of the 2012 Topps cards he sent over so that was certainly appreciated an awful lot. 

Brian also recognized my Jets collection, and sent over quite a few of them to me! As of what I've seen, 2011 was the year of Bilal Powell overload in football cards. While I like him, I can't see many others liking him all that much. After all, he is a 4th round pick, so it isn't all that intriguing to pull his autograph in practically every other pack. On a second note, I always love some Curtis Martin and Wayne Chrebet stuff, because they were two of the guys that got me into football in the first place!

I absolutely love the heck out of this card! I mean, the diamond/gold subject does tend to get a little old after a while, but nonetheless I still find this to be an awesome looking card of an awesome up and comer in Betances! He showed a few signs at the end of last year when he was called up, so hopefully he has the potential to make the Yankees rotation one day. 

I've been wanting to get a hold of one of these Topps Lineage relics for a while now, and when I saw his Prince Fielder relic in his for trade bin, I had to ask. I'm definitely a big fan of Prince, and although I prefer him in that Brewers uniform, I'll continue to like him even if he steals all Teixeira's All Star votes! These are really cool looking cards though without a doubt. Certainly something new and inventive, which is nice to see in the hobby. 

My favorite card of the trade, however, was this 2009 Panini Certified Darrelle Revis relic numbered out of 99. For a while I thought the future face of the Jets franchise would definitely be Mark Sanchez, but it seems like I guessed wrong! Considering there have been rumors flowing around about whether the Jets should go after Peyton Manning clearly shows the Jets don't believe all that much in the "Sanchise" either. Revis is one of the most talented athletes in the sport without question, and he sure is a talent to watch. Well, you don't see him often because he's never thrown towards by any quarterbacks. I don't blame them, because their completion percentage almost always only goes down when he's on the job. Anyways, the card is numbered out of 99 and I absolutely love the Jet-green relic. That color right there has always been my favorite color.

So, this was certainly an awesome trade. Thanks so much Brian for the all of the great stuff! Everyone please go give his blog a look, he's got some great stuff to show off!

See Ya!

October 1st White Plains Card Show Recap! Part 2!

Hey guys, Drew back here. Luckily enough, the last few days' workloads were not heavy at all, so I've got a little extra time on my hands to catch up. Following my card show review there may be a contest, so stay on the lookout for that! We'll now move on to part 2 of the show review, which will contain all of the other big "hits" I picked up there! Let's get it started...

PART 2:

MY PICKUPS!

We'll start with these two chrome prospects out of 2011 Bowman! I spent quite a bit of time searching through this one vendor's boxes of cards, because he had all sorts of newer inserts/prospect cards/parallels in there for a dollar a card. I took five of them off of his hands, one being the Bowman's Best Cano insert in the previous post. Next I got these 2 rookies, of Giants top prospect Brandon Belt, and Yankees pitching prospect Manny Banuelos. I got the Belt just for the heck of it, and the Banuelos because I didn't have much of him in my Yankees collection. I have a feeling he's going to be a good one!

The other two were out of Topps' newest high end products, Marquee and Triple Threads. Marquee is new to the hobby this year, and reminds me a lot of Stadium Club with the crisp and colorful photography taking up majority of the card. This one was of Reggie Jackson, and is the blue parallel numbered out of 299. As for Triple Threads, well, it's been Topps' most popular high end product for years now, and this year is no different. The cards don't tend to change much in design every year but with the new checklist additions and combinations it's always a risky but fun break. I got the Mark Teixeira gold parallel numbered out of 625, and it's a pretty nice card for sure. 

Next, I broke one pack the entire show, of the new Goodwin Champions product. Why? I have no idea, but I was hoping for something different, and I definitely got just that. First though, I did pull two sweet football rookies, of Cam Newton and Julio Jones! Those ones are going to stay in my collection for a while. Also, a very uncommon player I pulled was Addie Joss, a Hall of Fame pitcher whose 1.89 career ERA is the second greatest of all time! 

Then, Goodwin got weird on me. Here is a memorabilia card of female golfer Natalie Gulbis. See, this card is one of many reasons why I don't pull a whole lot of packs anymore. Then again, the pack did state that it was mixed sports. Well, if anyone is interested in the card, send me an email. 

Moving along to the better stuff, here is a 2008 Donruss Threads autograph of Yankees catching prospect Austin Romine! Romine got a cup of coffee this September, playing in 9 games total. He had 3 hits in 19 at bats, but it was nice to see him up in the big leagues, because I'm sure he'll have a spot within the next couple of years. I bought this card along with the next card for $25 in all, and I think it might be a pretty good gamble.

The other card in that group was this 2006 TriStar Prospects Plus "Farm Hands" autograph of Yankee rookie Dellin Betances! Betances, along with Romine and a few others, got to play this September with the big boys. He pitched in two games, one in which he struggled to the extreme in two thirds of an inning, and the other in which he started and threw 2 scoreless innings. Of course, I have no idea what the future will tell for Betances, but he definitely has the stuff to be a possible fourth or fifth starter very soon. This card isn't overly exciting but it was the best I could do in terms of his already fairly expensive autographs. 

The next four cards were all part of a five card purchase Dad made from my favorite vendor Hunter at the show. He always has a bin sitting around with relics/autographs/vintage all half price, which makes the deals even better. In the past Mike and I have bought some beautiful patches and autographs off of him, and I always like to see him at the shows. The first of the four cards Dad got was this 2003 Upper Deck Yankees Signature Series Dave Righetti autograph! The first thing that caught my eye when I saw this was that Righetti has a beautiful autograph! I never watched much of Rags but he was a solid player throughout the 80's, and it'll go well with the other autographs I already have in the set (Winfield, Mazzilli, Cone, Sieburn). One day I might try to get this entire set. 

Card number 2 was this 2001 Upper Deck Sweet Spot bat card of Alex Rodriguez. A-Rods been nothing but a disappoint this season, and to be honest; with the injuries he's faced in the past couple of years; for the price we paid for him he just hasn't been worth it. I've never been a big fan of his, simply because I've heard many annoying stories about him blowing people off for autographs and charging ridiculous prices for autographs just to add even more money to his insanely huge wallet. So far he's 0 for 10 in this insanely disappointing ALDS, and I really hope he can regain his form tonight to help us stay alive. Nonetheless, it's definitely a cool looking card.

Talk about a card that jumps right out at you! This card looks awesome! Numbered only 1/25 from 2009 Sweet Spot, it's a Vernon Wells 3 color patch with a whole lot of stitching. I just love cards like that. Sure, I'd rather have an entire jersey but when the card companies do patches right, they look outstanding and have an incredible appeal to collectors! This card is tradeable but I'd be looking for something nice for sure.

The last card Dad bought from Hunter was this 2001 Upper Deck Legends Willie Mays bat card! This card is so awesome! It's really cool to own any piece of memorabilia from a player of Mays' caliber, even though this one is awfully small. I love how the bat chip has the baseball seams etched into it, although many people may think it's hurting the pieces even more. Personally, I think it's cool enough that I get to own a piece of Willie Mays' bat, and I want to thank Dad for giving me that opportunity to, as well as for the other cards you bought for me! 

These last two cards were two of my more expensive pickups, the first being a 2009 Upper Deck Icons David Price rookie autograph. While James Shields dominated the Rays pitching categories this season, with an overwhelming 11 complete games, Price is definitely one of the more established pitchers in baseball. To say 2011 was an off year for him definitely makes sense, and was shown last night when he gave up 4 runs and struggled in the Rays loss to the Rangers. Regardless, I'm hoping for a bounce back year out of David next season, and wanted to get this one at a lower price while I had an opportunity to. It's a sweet looking card for sure, although the autograph is on a sticker. 

Finally, I saved this one for last because this guy is good at closing it out! Nothing better than a 2011 Topps Marquee quad relic of Mariano Rivera! I had a choice to make towards the end of the show, either to buy this card of Rivera, without patches, or an A-Rod card with patches. While the A-Rod may carry more overall value over time, I went with the Rivera simply because I'm happier to own it than I would be with the A-Rod. Sometimes its hard to remember that even though we all invest a ton of money into this hobby, you need to find ways to keep yourself happy, and there is nothing better than a beautiful looking card of one of my favorite pitchers in baseball history.

So, that'll do it for today's part of the show review. I sure hope I get to see more of Mariano tonight, perhaps closing out the game for AJ Burnett, bringing the Yankees back in the series? I know, it's unlikely, but it's always good to dream!

See Ya!

Mail from William... Yet Again!

Hey everyone, Drew back here. So, I'm sure a lot of you are wondering where I've been the last week. Well, I've been here, but have been getting used to the enormous 10th grade workload and have had trouble finding time for the hobby of late. I'm going to try to be here a little more often, but I really can't promise too much, because, as always, school comes first. 

Getting to the point of this post, once again, the basically monthly package from William this time around was a great one. Well, they always are, but this one was extremely unexpected and he went way out of the way to make me happy! Take a look and you can see why:

First off was this card of Joe DiMaggio that I've never seen before. It looks like an oddball card, as it doesn't say anything about the company on the back. Still pretty cool for sure. 

Next was this 2006 Flair Showcase "Wave of the Future" card of Curtis Granderson. Again, I didn't have this one, and he certainly has been a huge wave into baseball, especially this season!

After that were a few rookie cards of Yankees pitching prospect Dellin Betances! Betances is now in my opinion the top prospect in the Yankees organization who hasn't been called up yet. I'm really excited for when he gets the call, because I think he has pure talent and is going to be great.

The highlight from this package is without a doubt these 22 cards from 1961 Topps he sent me, all of which I needed! While a majority of the cards are of semistars and commons, every bit really makes a difference and I can't express how much I appreciate this help! These cards push my set total up to 165 out of 587, which is about 28 percent of the set. Some of these may be a little too rough for the set pursuit, but for now a few of them will be great filler cards until I can replace them. 

So thanks so much again William, you're the best. You really didn't have to do all this, and I'm gonna have to try and get you back soon! 

See Ya!