Christmas Gifts in February: Andrew's Edition

Hey everyone, Drew back here. Alright, so maybe the comeback was a little bit of a tease. What more could you have expected from perhaps the most consistently inconsistent blogger in the community? 

Anyway, I'm going to at least shoot for one post a week, and this week I'm going to start catching up on some of the mail I've received from some of my friends. We begin with a Christmas gift I received from Andrew, of the now pretty much extinct Everyday Holliday blog. Andrew is finishing up high school now and; while he's still involved heavily through his Instagram (@everyday_holliday7), he's seemed to move away from the blogs. If he ever does make his way back here like I did, he would most certainly be welcomed back.

His package contained a bunch of various odds and ends I really didn't expect. To begin, here were a couple really nice parallels of some of the Yankees high end pitching prospects. 

Domingo Acevedo put together a strong 2016 season and fits the mold of "tall Yankees right hander who throws gas" (a la Dellin Betances). It will be interesting to see if he can string together another excellent year; because if it weren't for the year Chance Adams had (not to mention all the new young acquisitions), he would be all the talk. 

Speaking of which, Justus Sheffield was acquired from the Indians last July in the Andrew Miller deal. The lefty found success in his brief stint for the Yankees following the trade, and projects as our second best pitching prospect behind James Kaprielian.

Tyler Wade is going to have to work really hard if he wants to play for the Yankees going forward. Wade does a lot of things well, but nothing exceptionally. He currently ranks as our tenth best prospect according to River Ave Blues, but with Didi Gregorius, Gleyber Torres, and Jorge Mateo also listed under shortstop on the organizational depth chart, he may need to find a new position. Last fall, he tried playing outfield in the Arizona Fall League, which could open up an opportunity for him to supplant Ronald Torreyes or Rob Refsnyder as the utility man in the long run.

Wade was certainly one of the top Yankees prospects I needed a refractor autograph of for my collection, and Andrew was able to knock him off my list as my main gift. However, he went overboard and spoiled me with some other stuff...

Ah, arguably the Yankees two best pitchers, Masahiro Tanaka and Aroldis Chapman. You can definitely add Dellin Betances in this upper tier, but after that there are endless questions about the rest of the pitching staff. Can Michael Pineda be a little consistent? Can CC Sabathia repeat his bounceback year? And most importantly, is Luis Severino more of the 2015 or 2016 version? These questions are paramount to the team's success this year and to the future teams.

I absolutely love the Gypsy Queen relic of Tanaka. The card design just works for me. Also, the Chapman relic is an instance where a gray relic actually looks good aesthetically!

Wait, wait, wait. Hold up. Why are there Matt Holliday cards in a package from "Everyday Holliday"? Well, Andrew is a Cardinals fan and had two PC's: Matt Holliday and Aroldis Chapman. And as of now, both of those players are now on the Yankees roster, which is not exactly something he was envisioning. So, he's decided to cut bait with some of the lower end cards of those collections (hence the Chapman above, as well as the next few Holliday's).

2008 Upper Deck A Piece of History was one of the first products I really got into when I took the next step in my early collecting years. Holliday was a heck of a player in his Rockies days.

In a deal Andrew and I made early last summer, I sent him a parallel of this autograph from 2007 Bowman's Best. Now, I've got the base version of that card back in my collection. In 2007, Holliday batted .340 with 36 home runs and 137 RBI's. If he can do half of that pinstripes, I'd be satisfied.

I actually knew I was getting this card, because I bought it off of him before he mailed out my Christmas gift. I really am not a fan of sticker autographs at this point, but most of Holliday's affordable autographs are on sticker. He really doesn't sign much, actually. I love this card from 2008 Topps Triple Threads, one of the first high end products I remember watching box breaks for. This one is numbered 5/18.

Lastly, Andrew threw in an autograph of the aforementioned Severino and a really nice Joe Panik out of Topps High Tek numbered to 99. I probably am of the minority when it comes to Topps High Tek: I'm not really much of a fan in most cases. I think the clear acetate style cards are sort of a gimmick, and my opinion varies from a card to card basis. I won't even try to figure out what version the Panik is, but it is a good looking card and I appreciate the kind gesture!

Andrew is a heck of a good dude, and I think more people need to know that. If you have an Instagram, be sure to check out his if you haven't already. Thanks for the awesome stuff!

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!

Didn't Ya Know I Still Love Cano?

While I was gallivanting throughout Europe, I really didn't put in the time or effort to keep up with the hobby. The best part about collecting is that you're not on a set schedule; you can come back to it whenever you feel like it! I think a majority of us collectors are too passionate to ever quit this hobby altogether as long as we are financially stable enough to carry on. 

Sure enough, when I landed home I quickly rushed back to my collection and have been more active with trading and selling than I have been in several years. And the first deal I made was with my good friend Andrew, of Everyday Holliday fame. Andrew ended up with something I really wanted, but couldn't commit to trading for until I got home. And now, after a little wheeling and dealing, it is in my possession.

But first, no trade with Andrew seems to come without some extras. The Stars & Stripes Peter O'Brien feels really appropriate with the Fourth of July right around the corner. The Bowman green parallel of Dermis Garcia is numbered to 99, which was a pleasant surprise too.

Here are two of the Yankees most heralded young stars, both of whom you know I am big fans of. Both Severino and Bird have been anointed as potential saviors of the team's youth movement, though if this is true, fans will likely have to wait until the end of the 2016 season at the earliest to see them become factors in their quest for a 28th World Series title.

I really didn't expect this as a bonus card. Legendary Cuts used to provide collectors with some of the best relics in the business, and this is no exception. Jorge Posada never quite was up to par with the Red Sox great Fisk, but he more than held his own. 

Behold, the card(s) at the center of the deal; a 2015 Topps Supreme Scope tri-fold patch autograph of Robinson Cano numbered 6 of 10! Andrew got a really good deal on this card, and we were able to negotiate something fair for both sides that I have zero regrets over. Cano has returned to MVP caliber form in 2016 for the first time in a Mariners uniform, leading the team in all three major offensive categories. Despite leaving New York, I am still collecting the future Hall of Famer, though to a lesser extent than I did when he wore pinstripes.

This is my first tri-fold style card, and I have to say it's an interesting way to design a card. Topps seems to really enjoy its new laser engraving technology, but I think this is a case where the experimentation pays off. I have no idea how I'm going to display the card, because I believe it would need some sort of custom framing job. One of these days, I'll find a way to make it happen.

Andrew, thank you so much as always. You're a heck of a good guy, and I look forward to our next deal! If you don't know of Everyday Holliday, please go give it a look. I promise you won't be disappointed if you're as passionate a collector as Andrew or myself!

Luis Severino PC Additions: Spring 2016

Hey everyone, Drew back here. I've been back in the US for almost a month now, and unless you keep tabs with my Twitter or Instagram accounts; you haven't seen any of my new Luis Severino PC additions. So with that, let's get you all up to date, shall we?

- 2014 Bowman Scout's Breakouts Insert

- 2014 Bowman Scout's Breakouts Die-Cut Insert

- 2014 Bowman Scout's Breakouts Die-Cut X-Fractor 61/99
- 2015 Bowman Chrome Prospects Black Refractor 

I purchased these four cards off of Check Out My Collectibles just before I fly off to Italy, and arrived home to find them waiting on my desk for me. I'm going to try to fill as many holes in his early Topps/Bowman rainbow checklists as I can without breaking the bank, and I believe these all came to me for less than $10 shipped.

- 2016 Topps #265 Rookie Card (x17)

Not one, not two, but seventeen. It's safe to say I won't be needing any more copies of Severino's official Topps rookie card. They really put together a solid debut card of his, more than likely thanks in part to him being represented by them.

- 2016 Bowman Chrome Rookie Autograph Refractor 177/499

When I initially started collecting Severino, I told myself I would only focus on his prospect years and his rookie year, and only went after his Topps/Bowman releases. I didn't think it would be much. I was wrong. His autograph is featured multiple times in every single Topps release this year, which I can only imagine is part of why they hardly sell for over $10 a pop (though, in fairness to Topps; his performance in 2016 has left much to be desired). I want to at least have one autograph from each set he's been included in, but as for completing the rookie year rainbows.... we'll see.

- 2016 Topps Museum Collection Signature Series Triple Relic Auto 95/99

Museum Collection has produced some of Topps' finest quality since its birth in 2012. This year, I feel like it may have taken a bit of a step back. Don't get me wrong, I'll take a card like this any day; but it does feel a little busy. Regardless, there are a few other Severino inclusions in this year's release that I'll be trying to add sooner or later.

- 2016 Topps Archives 1969 Super Auto 70/75

When I first saw these cards appearing out of this year's Topps Archives, I was so pumped. I quickly made an offer on a Severino autographed version on eBay and it was accepted. The card came in yesterday, and it is undoubtedly one of my favorites in my growing collection of the future Yankees ace.

And yes, I said ace. Because I still believe in the kid, and so should you.

Severino (+ Sabathia) Sunday: January Edition

What a wild weekend for the NFL. All three road teams have won thus far into Wild Card Weekend, and we have witnessed the strengths and weaknesses of the league as a whole. The Bengals organization was a complete embarrassment last night against a gritty Steelers team that barely held on to win. Earlier today, Vikings kicker Blair Walsh missed a game winning field goal opportunity to allow the Seahawks to advance. Seattle will take on the Carolina Panthers next week.

In hobby related news, I added some more cards of Luis Severino to my collection. It may be Football Sunday, but it is also Severino Sunday!

2014 Bowman Chrome Green Refractor 74/75

2015 Topps Pro Debut Orange Parallel 6/25

2015 Bowman's Best High-Def Heritage Orange Parallel 5/25

I'm beginning to compile a very orange Severino collection. However, in recent years most Bowman and Topps products limit orange refractors and parallels to just 25 copies. The only lower parallels commonly outside of 1/1's are red parallels, which are normally numbered out of just 5. The Pro Debut and Bowman's Best cards are the 4th and 5th orange parallels in my PC, and will hopefully not be the last. I'd rather buy the lowest numbered cards when I can find them for cheap costs over just about anything else. But once in a while, I have to splurge.

2015 Bowman Inception Jumbo Patch Autograph 41/50

I bought this card several months ago, and somehow never showed it off. This is my current favorite Severino card that I own and probably will be for quite a while. The patch is bright, differing from the common base colors of blue and white you see on most Yankees relics. The relic should be from the 2014 Future's Game, but who really knows anymore. It still looks pretty cool if you ask me. I really like the way the Yankees have worked this kid into their rotation. Everyone knows how good he can be, but until the team becomes a World Series contender again he will likely be overlooked. This should give him the chance to work his way into becoming the potential ace the Yankees need.

I don't believe this season's team has a true "ace" caliber pitcher. Masahiro Tanaka is a good pitcher but doesn't appear to be any better than a #2 or #3 in the rotation. Their former ace is towards the end of his deal, and shocked us all when he left the team late last season to treat his alcoholism in rehab.

2015 Topps Triple Threads Triple Relic Autograph Gold Parallel 8/9

CC Sabathia has given the Yankees an awful lot over his seven year stint in the Bronx. His overall record with the team is 97-56 with a 3.73 ERA. He's made three All Star teams and has finished in the top five in Cy Young voting three times. If he were to retire today, he would be viewed as a Yankee great and a borderline Hall of Fame pitcher. I'm not going to let his alcoholism affect my admiration for the man and player he has been for much of years as a fan. In fact, I think he did the right thing by treating his issue and I really hope rehab has gotten him back on track. Who knows, perhaps he'll get back to his winning ways next year if all goes well.

I was able to find this card at the White Plains Thanksgiving show for $30, and I worked the seller down to $20. I'll do that any day for an autograph this nice of a Yankee great such as C.C. I love the three different relic colors, and that it is only numbered to 9 copies.

Luis Severino and C.C. Sabathia may be on different career paths at this point, but I would be so happy if Severino became the workhorse C.C. has been. I felt like it was only right to include the big lefty in this edition of 'Severino Sunday'.

Enjoy the rest of Wild Card Weekend!

Severino Sunday: Thanksgiving Show Haul

Hey everyone, Drew back here! I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday and got yourself some steals on Black Friday. I had the honor and privilege of dealing with crazy customers all throughout Thanksgiving night and all of Black Friday, so I guess you can say I've had better years. However, I was able to make it out to the JP's Sports Thanksgiving Show yesterday, and I spent some money on myself to make things a little more even.

This show was held in the basement of the Westchester County Center thanks in part to a coin show that occurred on the main floor. There were 175 tables as opposed to the typical 300, but being in the basement made autograph lines tight and there was a general lack of space. Luckily, they only do the show this way every Thanksgiving, so we can all be thankful for the rest of the shows they hold that allow for breathing room.

The weirdest part of this show for me was that it was the first one I've been to without my Dad. Dad is in the midst of deer season, and the lineup for this show really wasn't anything worth missing one of his vacation days for, so he sat this one out. I can't really blame him, but it did feel much different without him by my side.

I did my best to allocate my budget towards exactly what I wanted, and I'm really proud of the haul I returned home with. Since today is Severino Sunday, I figured I'd begin with sharing my latest additions of the Yankees young flamethrower.

- 2015 Bowman Inception Autograph Relic

A few weeks ago, I bought the patch autograph version of this card, and now I own the base auto as well. Bowman Inception is chock full of Severino autographs, and I was able to knock a solid dent into that piece of my wantlist yesterday.

- 2015 Bowman Inception Autograph Relic Green Parallel 80/99

See what I mean?

- 2015 Bowman Inception Autograph Relic Orange Parallel 24/25

I bought all three of these cards from the same seller, and got a fantastic package deal on the trio. They had the orange parallel marked as $60 initially, and I got all three of these for $70. The oranges are difficult to come by, and this one caught my eye from across the room. I made sure it came home with me, and with that, the only relic autographs I'm missing from Inception are the gold and red parallels. Not too bad, if you ask me.

- 2014 Bowman Draft Picks & Prospects Orange Refractor 16/25

Orange doesn't make for the most aesthetically pleasing Yankees cards, but it is awfully hard not to like this card. While talking to one of my favorite vendors, I spotted that he had this card, and I was able to land it for a reasonable price. I'm chipping away at this particular rainbow, but still have plenty of work to do. 

I'm beginning to think that on top of only collecting his Topps & Bowman cards, I may also limit the collection to his pre-rookie and rookie years. Obviously, this can be decided down the road, but I think by narrowing the range of cards to collect I'll be able to afford a more impressive collection of his earliest licensed cards.

I was able to make significant progress yesterday adding my 33-36th unique Luis Severino cards. Three autographs put me at 7 total as well. I had to fight the urge to buy a gorgeous framed signed 11x14 of his, but I think I made the right call by staying on track and attacking my want lists.

I'll hopefully be back tomorrow to share the experience I had with another one of the Yankees young stars. 

See Ya!

Severino Sunday: November 1st (PLUS Contest Results)

Hey everyone, Drew back here. I hope everyone had a safe and Happy Halloween! Mine was relaxing, as I got to sit back and watch game 4 of the World Series after powering my way through a never ending week. I've been rooting for the Mets because I honestly don't have any emotional attachment to the Royals at all, and because I'm a big fan of David Wright's. It doesn't look ideal for the Mets, but crazier things have happened.

I have been able to add 13 new Luis Severino cards to my collection since my first edition of Severino Sunday, and the quality hasn't decreased as far as I can tell.

 

- 2014 Bowman Draft Picks & Prospects Blue Paper Parallel 279/399

- 2014 Bowman Draft Picks & Prospects Green Paper Parallel 6/75

- 2014 Bowman Draft Picks & Prospects Red Ice Parallel 49/150

- 2014 Bowman Draft Picks & Prospects Purple Ice Parallel 58/99

- 2014 Bowman Draft Picks & Prospects Black Wave Refractor

- 2014 Bowman Draft Picks & Prospects Black Refractor 60/75

- 2014 Bowman Draft Picks & Prospects Blue Refractor 217/399

- 2015 Bowman Prospects Silver Paper Parallel 54/499

- 2015 Bowman Prospects Purple Paper Parallel 226/250

- 2015 Bowman Prospects Blue Paper Parallel 106/150

- 2015 Bowman Chrome Prospect Profiles

- 2015 Bowman Chrome Prospect Profiles Green Parallel 66/99

- 2015 Bowman Autograph

Many of these additions came together via Check Out My Collectibles, but the autograph, ice parallels, and black refractor arrived through separate eBay purchases. I now have his regular and refractor Bowman rookie autographs, and hopefully won't be my last Bowman autograph parallel of his. I completed the mini 2015 Bowman Chrome Prospect Profiles rainbow with the regular and green parallels (the gold and orange cards were featured in the last post). It's quite difficult working on four separate set rainbows at once of a highly touted prospect, but its refreshing to get the newest set out of the way before the cards become more rare and expensive.

To see my current Luis Severino collection all together, click here.

Before I let you all go and enjoy the rest of your football and World Series Sundays, I would like to announce the winner of my Victory Fine Art contest I ran this week. I was a little disappointed by the total number of entries, but those who did get involved were fantastic and it really seems like I'm not the only one to see the potential of this company.

I placed all of your names on random.org and after five randomizations, the winner of any Victory Fine Art print of their choice is...

Congrats Rich B.! I'm going to send Victory Fine Art an email announcing that you have won, and if at possible, please send them an email also (marie@americanpopdigital.com) with your mailing address and the Ali print you are interested in winning so they can ship it out to you!

Thank you to everyone who participated in the contest, and I just hope this helped bring more awareness to a great up and coming company. Once again, if you haven't seen their work yet, click here.

See Ya!