Mail from It's Like Having My Own Card Shop!

Hey everyone, so much for a grand start to the year. With all of this constant planning for my European adventure about to set sail in less than 2 weeks, I haven't had much time to blog. Thankfully, my buddy Daniel of It's Like Having My Own Card Shop randomly asked for my address and sent along a whole lot of Yankees cards I've never seen. Daniel is one of the mainstays our blogosphere has enjoyed the company of for several years, and has fantastic Diamondbacks collections.

I absolutely love the occasional care package, especially when I get to pick through dime box quality inserts and parallels. Daniel gave me that chance, but I didn't even have to choose between cards or get my wallet out!

There appears to be a difference between the material released today versus ten years ago. It seems like there are a never ending influx of insert cards that came out in the early to mid 2000's that I've never seen. I wasn't much of a collector until 2005, when I first got into baseball. So being able to add various inserts of the Yankees I grew up watching as a kid that I've never seen is always enjoyable.

Many of the cards Daniel sent over were short printed. My favorite obscure parallels were the 2003 Donruss Black and White Exhibit cards of Mike Mussina and Jason Giambi. The Mussina is numbered 30/63 copies, whereas the Giambi is 14 of only 46 in existence. They're unique cards of two players I got to know really well over the years. Here's to hoping Moose makes it into the Hall of Fame one day.

The final card I wished to highlight from Daniel's care package was this awesome Eric Chavez 2013 Topps camo parallel numbered 61 of 99. 2013 was the first year Topps brought camo parallels to their flagship baseball sets. In 2014, they did something very similar, and in 2015 went with the "Snow Camo" look. This is my first of any of the three, and I really like it! Granted, Chavez won't be known for his Yankee years, but he did have a few noteworthy moments in pinstripes.

Thank you so much Daniel for a really fun package! I'm going to do my best to return the favor before I leave!

My Hypothetical 2016 Hall of Fame Ballot

There are so many sacrifices I would make in order to have a Hall of Fame vote. In fact, I would go as far as to say that it would be my lifelong dream. Tomorrow, we will learn of the 2016 Hall of Fame class, and as usual I'm glued to any videos/articles I can find about who has the best chances of being immortalized in Cooperstown. It doesn't appear that there will be a mega-class comparable to the past two years. We will at least see one or two players inducted, with potential for more.

Here is what my ballot would like if the Hall of Fame was kind enough to lend me a vote:

*Bold = Predicted Induction

1. Ken Griffey Jr.

Image Source

The Kid will be a Hall of Famer by tomorrow. If there's one thing that can be assured, it's that. The more interesting question is whether he will obtain 100% of the vote. The Hall of Fame did knock out about 150 voters in a new rule that states the writers can only be eligible to vote if they covered the game within the previous decade. This most likely eliminated many of the pompous purist voters who have been stuck in the past. The most popular Hall of Fame inductee since Cal Ripken Jr. in 2007 should have a chance at the highest voting percentage ever recorded, but there's always "that guy" that finds a way to rain on the parade. Nobody revolutionized pop culture inside and outside of baseball like Griffey, and let's not forget how incredible of a talent he was. Just imagine what he would have done without his injury history.

2. Barry Bonds

3. Roger Clemens

If you've read my blog in the past, you know that I am among the growing voting population who believes that PED users should be recognized in the Hall. I don't condone use of steroids or any form of Performance Enhancing Drugs. I don't like Barry Bonds or Roger Clemens very much, and you can use the honor system against my case if you would like (I completely understand the opposing viewpoint). Major League Baseball turned their backs on the steroid debacle in the late 1990's and early 2000's to make money off of their famed sluggers. It helped them reestablish their value among the sports industry after an embarrassing strike cut short what would have been a memorable season in 1994. Eventually, they had no choice but to put an end to the fiasco; incriminating the players they applauded for the sake of the law.

There are too many different stories and controversies involving the Steroid Era that will never be told. Players may be inducted who have cheated but were never caught. The truth will most likely not be revealed any time in the near future, and I honestly feel like this museum should incorporate all of its history: the good and the bad. I can understand Pete Rose being held out for breaking the cardinal sin of baseball and not quite seeming to have ever understood what he did wrong. But I'm not on board with the wishy-washy decision making and denouncing of players who simply did what everyone else was doing.

Look at it from this perspective: if someone is running a daycare, and one child begins to misbehave; most of the others will more than likely join in the fun. If the person in charge of keeping the children in line doesn't make a valiant effort to try and stop it, the blame should be placed on them. It is their responsibility to control the situation. Baseball players are adults, but many have been raised differently than the average person. Before you take your next jab at players from this generation for cheating the game, just remember that they weren't enforced against it, and they weren't kept in line until drug testing was rampant throughout the sport.

So, can Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens make the Hall of Fame? Without question. Will they? Eventually, yes, but not for some time.

4. Mike Piazza

5. Jeff Bagwell

These two will forever be paired in infamy for being held out of the Hall of Fame based on suspicion alone. Bagwell was one of the most consistent all around hitters of the Steroid Era, while Piazza may just be the greatest offensive catcher there ever was. I do believe Piazza will get his due this year and barely make it in, while Bagwell remains on the brink for another year. Lest we forget, innocent until proven guilty. I don't see why either of these guys should have to wait any longer; cheaters or not.

6. Tim Raines

Supposedly, Rock Raines is off to a hot start with this year's election. He will be off the ballot after next year, and is the first borderline Hall of Famer whose totals will be affected by the Hall's eligibility year decrease from 15 years to 10. He may have overstayed his welcome a bit too long, but he was productive for a very long time. He's been held out because he isn't Rickey Henderson, if we're being honest. Even Rickey would see past his own reflection and realize how unfair that is.

I hope he makes it, but I suspect that he will fall just short and will look to make a final stand next year. Bert Blyleven made it in his second to last attempt, proving that a voter's opinion can (and should) change about given players over time. The common mantra "You don't know what you've got until it's gone" applies here. We may never see a leadoff hitter as explosive as Henderson or Raines. That is all the qualification a player needs to be inducted, to me.

7. Curt Schilling

8. Mike Mussina

Two pitchers who faced off against the largest players in recorded history their entire careers should be viewed as underdogs. In fact, most of them are. But players like Schilling and Mussina were able to overpower dominant hitters with dominant stuff for a lengthy period of time. Mussina notably pitched his entire career in the AL East, what was probably the most competitive division of that time. The Hall of Fame shouldn't judge a player by what would have happened if. These two pitchers were able to put up numbers comparable to many already enshrined during such a difficult period to pitch. I fully support both of their campaigns, though I'd much rather root for Moose over the often controversial Schilling.

9. Trevor Hoffman

Hoffman is to Mariano Rivera what Raines is to Rickey Henderson. Considering several other comparable closers are already enshrined, it should make sense to induct him as well. Give me one more year to decide on Billy Wagner though. I don't think Hoffman will make it this year but he should relatively early in his balloting years. The save statistic may be outdated in today's game, but 601 saves is quite the feat.

I only decided to place 9 players on my ballot this year, but could've chosen from either Alan Trammell, Edgar Martinez, or Fred McGriff for the 10th spot. My expectation is to see Griffey and Piazza make it, but I wouldn't be surprised if Raines and/or Bagwell do too. Either way, I'm looking forward to seeing what results.

Who is on your hypothetical ballot for this year, and how do you feel about PED's in the Hall of Fame? Leave your thoughts and comments below!

Ten Years of Baseball - My Pitching Staff!

Hey guys, Drew back here. I really appreciate all the feedback I've been getting on yesterday's post about my "All Time" Yankees team constructed with players I've gotten the opportunity to watch growing up. It may not be applicable to many of you out there, but I know there are some people who can relate as Yankees fans especially that we've gotten to see some special baseball over the course of the last decade. If you haven't read yesterday's post yet, I highly recommend you do before coming back to this article.

Today, we'll take a look at the other 12 men who cracked my roster. I've created a 5 man pitching rotation and a bullpen, making sure to give each role to a season and player that fulfills it. For example, there is one pitcher on this list who built up his career as a set up man, but because the set up man position was already filled, I used one of his earlier middle relief positions instead. 

Starting Rotation

1 - C.C. Sabathia

Season: 2011

Statistics: 237.1 IP, 19-8 W-L, 3.00 ERA, 230 SO

Today, it may feel like we threw a lot of money away with the Sabathia contract. How could it not? He's starting to break down considerably, and he still has 3 full seasons left on his contract making at least $23 million per year. But before we give him the A-Rod treatment, let's just remember that this is the same man who helped the Yankees win the World Series in 2009 and finished in the top 5 of Cy Young Award voting in his first three years in New York. We could almost build an entire rotation based off of his Yankees tenure alone, but I ultimately chose his 2011 season as his best in the Bronx. Between his Yankee best 3.00 ERA and 230 strikeouts, C.C. was in dominant form during his age 30 season.

2 - Mike Mussina

Season: 2008

Statistics: 200.1 IP, 20-9 W-L, 3.37 ERA, 150 SO

Jeter and Mariano may have had a going away tour filled with gifts and recognition, but Mike Mussina ended his career with his best season since the start of his Yankee tenure in the early 2000's. "Moose" won 20 games for the first time of his 18 year career at the age of 39, and was the most dependable pitcher on the team that season. He is the only player from the 2008 season that made my list, and it was well deserved.

3 - Chien-Ming Wang

Season: 2006

Statistics: 218 IP, 19-6 W-L, 3.63 ERA, 76 SO

I remember when Wang was first called up, and by watching him pitch it was hard to believe he would amount to what he did in that short time span. But he was dominant as a ground ball pitcher early on in his career, until a freak baserunning injury in Houston took him out of the zone he had been growing accustomed to. He was arguably the best pitcher in the league during that two year stretch alongside Johan Santana, but the longevity wasn't there. It's pretty sad, actually. On this list, however, we acknowledge the best seasons around, and there isn't a doubt in my mind that Wang belonged right in the thick of this staff.

4 - Hiroki Kuroda

Season: 2012

Statistics: 219.2 IP, 16-11 W-L, 3.32 ERA, 167 SO

I was skeptical of Kuroda when the Yankees first signed him the offseason going into the 2012 season. He was always falling a bit short of being regarded as an All Star caliber pitcher thanks to little to no run support with the Dodgers. Eventually, I warmed up to him, and he earned every bit of my appreciation. In case his first season under the bright lights of New York wasn't good enough, he topped it off with a few great postseason starts. Kuroda pitched pretty well in each of his three seasons here, and is now headed back home to Japan to pitch for the Hiroshima Toyo Carp, his former team. Good luck, Hiroki.

5 - Andy Pettitte

Season: 2007

Statistics: 215.1 IP, 15-9 W-L, 4.05 ERA, 141 SO

Believe it or not, I originally did not have a spot on this list for my all time favorite starting pitcher. I had to move him ahead of Randy Johnson's 2005 season to put him on the list, and I don't think it was too far fetched to do so. Johnson had a better ERA, 2 more wins, and a considerable amount of strikeouts more than Andy in his first year with the Yankees. But Pettitte, unlike Johnson's Yankees playoff performances, was known as one of the most clutch Yankee playoff pitchers in history. I would take him over any of the previous men on the list in a Game 7, must-win situation, because he came to compete every chance he had. Also, Johnson gave up 32 home runs in 2005, and at 41 years old, he couldn't be counted on nearly as much as his contract suggested. So, in the end I went with Pettitte, because I could not fathom a Yankee team in my lifetime without him in it.

Bullpen

Long Relief - Alfredo Aceves

Season: 2009

Statistics: 84 IP, 10-1 W-L, 3.54 ERA, 69 SO

Aceves was the guy to call in 2009 when the starter didn't perform up to par. He came in any situation at any given time and could even work multiple innings when necessary. The 84 innings he threw in 2009 were over the course of 43 games, meaning that a majority of his appearances were not small roles in the outcome of the games. No wonder why he won 10 games that year.

Middle Relief - 

Luis Ayala

Season: 2011

Statistics: 56 IP, 2-2 W-L, 2.09 ERA, 39 SO

He had been a consistently good reliever since 2003, and the Yankees gave him a call in 2011, signing him to a Minor League deal. Ayala made the Opening Day roster and was one of Joe Girardi's go to options in the bullpen that year.

David Robertson

Season: 2009

Statistics: 43.2 IP, 2-1 W-L, 3.30 ERA, 63 SO

It was so difficult to go against some of Robertson's better years in New York and place him in this position. He had simply been outplayed over the ten year span by other even better seasons, thus we see his rookie year appear on this list rather than when he was a set up man or closer. He had electric stuff from the very beginning, punching out batters left and right. I'm sure he will only continue his successful career with the White Sox in 2015.

Adam Warren

Season: 2014

Statistics: 78.2 IP, 3-6 W-L, 2.97 ERA, 76 SO

I had no idea how good this guy was until I saw his statistics from last year. 2014 was the busiest year of my life, and I didn't get the chance to watch nearly as much baseball as usual. Besides, I wasn't particularly impressed with the Yankees team thanks in part to constant injuries and chemistry issues. But Warren was one of the lone bright spots, and will only continue to develop as years go by. He has the potential to replace himself on this list as a middle reliever, because it appears that the set up and closer position will be filled for the foreseeable future. I look forward to seeing more of him this year, and hopefully seeing why I made sure to put him on this roster.

Lefty Specialist - Boone Logan

Season: 2013

Statistics: 39 IP, 5-2 W-L, 3.23 ERA, 50 SO

Logan may not have been the force he had been for New York in his first year with the Colorado Rockies in 2014, but we as Yankee fans don't forget his contributions to several seasons. He was Girardi's left handed wizard, coming in to over power left handed batters and leave shortly after. Due to all of the appearances he made over his four years in the Bronx, he may have cut his career a bit short. He has had two elbow procedures removing bone spurs since the end of the 2013 season, and may never be the same pitcher again. 

Set Up Man - Dellin Betances

Season: 2014

Statistics: 90 IP, 5-0 W-L, 1.40 ERA, 135 SO

One of the two "no-doubters" in this bullpen; Betances brought every bit of his stuff and more to the table last year. Although I didn't get to watch too much of the season, I made sure to tune in to see him blow smoke past even the best hitters in baseball. He averaged 13.5 strikeouts per 9 innings, one of the best ratios in the league, and no statistic could speak for Betances like watching him does. If you wish to see why he was included, go to YouTube. I can't wait to see this 6'8 beast of a man close off games next season!

Closer - Mariano Rivera

Season: 2005

Statistics: 78.1 IP, 7-4 W-L, 1.38 ERA, 80 SO, 43 SV

What more is there to say about this man that hasn't already been said? Mo was one of the first names to come to mind when this idea came about, and sure enough I couldn't let David Robertson or Rafael Soriano take his place. Similarly to Pettitte, there is no other reliever I'd want in a pivotal moment other than him. I know Luis Gonzalez got the best of him, but if he faced him another 9 times, you could bet that he would've shut him down every other time. His cutter was transcendent to baseball, and nobody has thrown it with as much confidence as he did. There is no better way to close off this list.

Total Salary (Starting Pitchers): $77,853,093

Average Salary (Starting Pitchers): $6,487,757.75

Notable Omissions: Rafael Soriano, Phil Hughes, Joba Chamberlain, Randy Johnson, Ivan Nova, Masahiro Tanaka, Clay Rapada

Total Team Salary: $215,579,189

Average Salary: $8,623,167.56

This team chock full of superstar seasons was about $20 million less than the Dodgers' 2014 payroll. Obviously, this is a "perfect world" sort of team, and it's near impossible to predict for an entire team to be this successful, but this really goes to show that sometimes, things really can pay off. I had a tough time choosing my team manager, because I liked Joe Torre more than Joe Girardi. But in the end, I went with 2009's Joe Girardi to lead the club, since he did take them to a World Series and all. It may be a little while before that happens again in New York.

I had so much fun making this list for you all, and I hope you all enjoyed that brief intermission from my 2014 season preview! I will have the NL West, playoff, and award predictions coming soon; so stay tuned for more here on drewscards!

See Ya!

Trade with Michael from Six-4-Three DP!

Hey guys, Drew back here! Continuing on my occasional attempts of catching up, here is a little mail I got from my new trade buddy Michael, who writes the blog "Six-4-Three DP"! He runs a very nice blog, which hasn't quite been noticed by a whole lot of you guys yet. Without a doubt I suggest you give his site a look in the future, because I'm sure he'd appreciate more readers! Anyways, Michael and I were able to work out a nice little deal, and here is my share of it:

Michael was able to successfully attack all of my team/player collections with some new cards I didn't have yet! One big card he included was the black bordered card of Swisher from last year's Heritage. I haven't even seen that card before, so I'm glad somebody was able to notice it and send it my way. The A-Rod "Stadium Lights" card is awesome, but didn't somebody say they were glow in the dark? I don't remember, but I swore I heard somebody say that. Well, I tested it and no light showed. Still a sweet card. 

Never noticed this either. Both of these cards are out of the 2011 Heritage set, and have the same card number. However, the pictures are different. Can anybody inform me if they know what kind of variation this is?

Under the "Drew is Collecting" piece of the sidebar, I stated some current MLB players I enjoy receiving cards of. One of them is without a doubt, the bearded man from San Fran, Brian Wilson. I don't have a whole lot of his cards, but I love getting a new one or two here and there. That's exactly what Michael did, so I really appreciate that!

I'm not gonna lie, I love the heck out of these 2011 Kimball Champions minis. I don't even remember which ones I had or not, but it doesn't even matter, I'll take all of them! One day it would be awesome to do this set. The only part I don't really care for is that the backs are really simplistic and boring. But who looks at the backs these days anyway?

Do you want to know just how convenient this trade was for me? I already had the regular Gardner rookie card, and Michael sent me the gold parallel. As for the Pineda, I already had the gold parallel and he sent me the regular. What a guy this Michael is! Also, I've done some research on Cito Culver, and I hope that he carries his potential into the majors one day. This Bowman Platinum really is a beautiful card.

Last but surely not least was this 2004 Upper Deck "Matinee Idols" relic of Mike Mussina! I mentioned in my previous post how my favorite pitcher of all time is the Sandman, Mariano Rivera, followed by Andy Pettitte. But without a doubt, a close third is Mr. Mussina himself. Not only was he one of the most consistent pitchers in baseball history, but he also had the honor of being the first baseball TTM success I've ever received! Since then, I've created his trifecta, and this just adds to it. Gotta love the Moose.

Thanks so much Michael for the trade, and sorry for the enormous delay of getting the cards out. I'm going to go work on getting that together now!

See Ya!

3 Awesome Autos from Anthony!

Hey everyone, Drew back here, starting up school for the week, but I should have some stuff up while I can. Anthony, as you know by now, has done a lot for me, and he's a heck of a guy, and I just wanted to share my latest loot from him. I'd rather help guys I know out selling things than just buying things, if that makes sense. Well, here are the 3 autos I took off his hands this time:

Al Oliver

First, you all know, I'm a fan of Al Oliver's, not only because he was the first player I was able to meet for free in my life, and he was a great guy, but because he was a great player who was very underrated and still is. Anthony obtained this auto the same day I got some autos of him myself, August 16th, 2009. What a great day. The last awesome thing about this is that it's his rookie card, a card I've wanted for a while. I was eventually going to drop $4 or so on one, but now $1 more and it's signed!

Mike Mussina

One of my favorite Yankees pitchers must've signed for the former Met fan in the past, which is cool. I love this Bowman Heritage card, I even wondered if I should send again to Mike to get it signed. But apparently he hasn't been signing much lately. Which is a shame, since he was a great signer. I hope he makes the Hall of Fame, I really do, he was an incredible pitcher in his prime for sure, and even in his final season, winning 20 games for the first and last time!

Jim Thome

Okay, I don't know how the heck Anthony got Thome back TTM, because as far as I know, I thought he never signed! Well, his auto sure is sloppy, but for the price I paid, a near 600 home run guy, totally worth it.

Thanks again Anthony, you're an awesome dude! Please everybody help him clear out his TTM auto collection, I guarantee it's all authentic, from TTM's, and there's some great stuff left to take, for a very low price! I paid $10 for this lot! See Ya!

Trifecta Collections

Hey guys, Drew back here. If you read one of my posts a while back you know about the trifecta of a player. I think it is the easiest way to start off a PC, or the easiest way to know that you are the owner of 3 big parts of a player's card inventory, the rookie card, the game used, and the autograph. Whether the game used is bat, jersey, helmet, ball, batting glove, it is considered a game used. Whether it is through the mail, in person, certified on card, or certified sticker (:p), it is still an autograph.

A new task in my card collecting life is to pursuit all 3 parts of the trifecta for as many players as possible. I've always loved rookie cards, and most definitely the autograph. Game used can be fun to own, but I do get bored of the boring white jersey. There are a few rules in my book for the trifecta though:

1. It can be an entire baseball, bat, or anything else that is signed, or maybe even a full game used jersey or bat, they all count because they fit under the category.
2. They need to be 3 seperate cards, you can't have a rookie jersey autograph of Evan Longoria and say you have the trifecta, although technically you do, "tri" means three and is short for triple, so it needs to be 3 cards.
3. The jersey can not be from an event outside of All Star Games and Pro Bowls (no Rookie Premiere jerseys here!)

This is where I'm going to track who I have it of and picture evidence, I will write if any is for trade but most likely I'm keeping them all for PC. So, here is the ones I have the trifecta for now:

COMPLETED TRIFECTAS

Robinson Cano

2003 Bowman Heritage Rookie Card- Picked this up at a card show at a local Holiday Inn a few years ago, I want to upgrade to the regular Bowman RC though.

2009 Topps Allen & Ginter Short Printed Bat Relic- Although I have many more Cano relics from all you generous guys here, this is the one that is the most rare, it's one of the short printed ones and is a beautiful card. Picked it up on eBay recently for $15 shipped.

2007 Topps Co-Signers Solo Sigs Autograph- This card is now mine thanks to a old trade with William, from foul bunt. Although it's a sticker auto, I went against using Triple Threads for this picture because I just wanted the single autograph.

Nick Swisher

2004 Upper Deck Star Rookies- I do need an upgrade on this one, especially since it's one of my PC's, and this isn't a true RC, but it will do for now. I pulled it out of a pack long before Swisher became a Yankee, out of one of those boxes of mixed packs from Toys R Us. I was addicted to those things!

2007 Fleer Ultra Hitting Machine Relic- There are a few reasons I chose this one for my relic. First of all, my good buddy Mr. Scott practically gave the thing to me (but is getting something very soon), second of all the design is awesome, and third of all the relic is green! Awesome! No white or gray swatches in this house!

2009 Topps Ticket to Stardom Jersey Auto- Again, from a fellow blogmate, Derek from "Hey, That's Mine!". We made a trade for this a little while ago, and even though I have the Goudey on card auto I decided to choose one that was not obtained through buying, instead from a blogging buddy! The relic on this card is from an undershirt I believe too.

Melky Cabrera

2006 Topps Turkey Red RC- I have the Topps rookie card from 2005 too, so that may be a better one to show off, but I like this card better. I got it in a trade at some point, forgot who it was but it sure is nice! I really like the look of the card!

2007 Bowman Sterling Bat Relic- I just recently got this in a trade with someone on the Blowout Cards Forum, and it sure is nice. Unfortunately Melky is a Brave now, but I really like the bat relic.

2007 Topps Co-Signers Dual Autograph Nick Markakis/Melky Cabrera- I could soon get the Markakis trifecta but I'm not sure when. This card was nice, and I got it off eBay for I think $15 a while back. It has a simple design, and it looks nice, other than the dreaded stickers!

Troy Tulowitzki

2007 Topps Rookie Card- The most original you can get, the Topps RC. I have a few other Tulo RC's, but decided to choose the basic one. I'm assuming I pulled it out of a pack at some point.

2008 Topps Allen & Ginter Jersey Relic- Again, not a white or gray jersey swatch! I pulled this out of a blaster sometime last year, and I really didn't want to trade it. He's turned out to be a good player, and he was on my fantasy team last year!

2009 Topps Allen & Ginter Autograph- Yay! On Card, yet encapsulated inside some plastic that I don't think tobacco companies used back then! I got this sweet card from again, William, foul bunt. He has a nice auto and I sure have a heck of a card! Thanks again dude!

Chipper Jones

1992 Topps Top Prospects Rookie Card- I might look for the 1991 Topps one at the card show. I have like 4 of these cards, thanks to my dad because he got me a couple big lots of old (80's and 90's) cards from Craigslist. Pretty cool card though.

2008 UD Goudey Jersey Card- Darnit, the streak of non white/gray jersey cards has ended at 3. I have 2 different Chipper jersey cards, one is from 2008 Piece of History too. Pulled this in a pack from Target.

2008 UD Baseball Heroes Patch Autograph #ed/15- I remember pulling this card like it was just yesterday. It is possibly my most valuable card in my collection so you never could go wrong with something this sweet! He should be a first ballot hall of famer and is probably the second greatest Brave of all time, to Hank Aaron. I love having this trifecta complete, definitely one I'm gonna keep.

Don Mattingly

1984 Topps Rookie Card- Look at Donnie Baseball! Such a cool card and I'm glad to own it. My dad got this one for me a little while back, along with a 63 Topps Maris Postseason Highlights and a Strawberry RC. Dad loves giving me cards and I am happy to have a great dad like him.

2007 UD Sweet Spot Classic Jersey- Gray jersey but what are you gonna do? I have 3 game used cards of Mattingly and I certainly have some awesome ones. I bought this one at the card show in August in White Plains. These relics are really nicely designed.

2008 Donruss Threads Baseball Americana Autograph /25- Well, I gave it away. You guys I'm hoping were dying to see my big pull out of Threads, and this is it! I sorta wanted to wait for the review but I couldn't, it's not possible to keep a card this awesome from you guys. My dad opened the pack and he said to me, "Drew, I think you might like this one". We have this on video too actually, just on the PC. When I looked at the card my jaw dropped. Well, I'm still gonna spend the 70 bucks at the show to meet him, unfortunately it's a sticker auto. I wanna get an 8 x 10 signed so that's why, maybe I can get him to sign a card too, you never know.

Dave Parker

1974 Topps Rookie Card- I got this card and a few other copies of it from Pop Popps, my grandpa. He gives me so many nice cards that my collection is intensely growing every day. I have another version of this card autographed when I met Dave at one of those White Plains shows. I really like the card and I like Dave too.

2007 SP Legendary Cuts Jersey Card /199- I got this in a Blowout Cards Forum trade, and it's nice. I'm not a fan of the 3 blank relic spots on the card though, but it's ok. I'm thinking about looking for a Sweet Spot Classic relic of him. Kinda boring with the gray jersey, but still, he wore it and that's all that matters.

1978 Topps In Person Autograph- I didn't say much to Dave when we met him, but he was cool. I got 2 cards signed, and 1 was his rookie card. I didn't want to choose the same card twice for the trifecta so I decided on including the other one he signed. It's a pretty nice old school card and it looks great with a signature on it!

Kevin Kouzmanoff

2007 Topps Rookie Card- Again, very original, but it's all I have of the guy. I don't open products before 2007 but if I opened a box of Bowman when he was in the set I'd probably pull a super fractor 1/1 autograph. The guy stalks me! He's an ok player at least.

2008 UD Baseball Heroes Relic /200- Well, the boring things about this card are hmmm.... the fact that Heroes has way better players in the checklist... that this is the highest numbered out of any relic parallel in the set, oh yeah, and it's a white jersey!!! Pulled this in a box and I have no clue how they can count this as a hit. Again, I don't want this guys cards but they all just come to me!!!

2007 Bowman's Best Rookie Autograph- This card is lucky because it's in Bowman's Best. Since there are very few good rookie autos in the set, he is considered one of the better autos. But he is not good enough to get game used cards yet, so Upper Deck, just stop it. But Bowman did a good job with this set (it'd be better on card). I pulled this in a box of it that I opened, the most high end I've ever been.

Mike Mussina

1991 Upper Deck Rookie Card- A very cool rookie card of the Moose, I do have his more popular rookie card and it's signed, but for display I'd rather have 3 different cards. Very cool card with the minor league uniform, awesome!

2003 Playoff Piece of the Game Jersey Relic- We got a pinstripe on this one! I love getting pinstriped cards, not when they aren't Yankees though. No other team should be wearing pinstripes. None. Anyway, I bought this one on eBay right after he retired, I love how on the back it shows a picture of the jersey it was cut from.

2006 Topps TTM Autograph- I sent out to Mike in the past year and he signed a few cards for me, and I was psyched to get them! I won another one in a 30 Year Old Cardboard contest, along with a John Kruk auto and a Bobby Bonilla auto. He has a sweet signature, and although I have 3 of his autos already I may send out more, and I'd sure love to meet him. He seems like a great guy!

ALMOST COMPLETED TRIFECTAS- NEEDS

Here are a few cards I need of seperate players to complete their trifectas:

- 1976 Topps Ron Guidry RC
- 1997 David Ortiz RC (would love if it had the Arias last name on it, any set though is fine)
- 1969 Topps Al Oliver RC (it has two players, him and Rich Hebner)
- Any Ramiro Pena Game Used
- Any Shonn Greene Autograph

I'll try to find a few more soon. Thanks for looking, and I'll see you all later!

Have you completed the Trifecta?

Hey guys, have you completed the player collection trifecta? The Rookie Card, Game Used, and an Autograph? Please leave in the comments box who you have in the trifecta, all of them!

I've gotten the trifecta of:

Robinson Cano
Nick Swisher
Ross Ohlendorf (I know... mini barf)

And if you count through the mails, Mike Mussina too!

*Update, thanks for the input guys, just noticed I have it of Kevin Kouzmanoff for some reason too!

There's probably more, but I don't know any off the top of my head

TTM #2

My second through the mail was sick! Many of you through the mail people here have this guy's autograph. He just retired recently after his 1st career 20 win season, he almost threw a no-hitter against the Sox in 03, he pitched for my favorite team, and is right on the borderline for being in the Hall of Fame. This is....

Mike Mussina!

and some more...


Mike Mussina!

He took 44 days to successfully return the cards signed, and these weren't the only ones I sent him. He has been known to keep cards, and he did in my case. I sent him a 2009 Topps card to sign, but he kept it. He also sent my index card back un-signed. So overall he was 2/4, an even 50% signing rate. Tip: If you are going to send stuff to Moose to get signed, send cards that aren't rare of really new, he will keep them. I was lucky to get an autograph on his rookie card which is awesome, and he took my new 09 card, I'm thinking because he doesn't have it yet. So thanks a lot Mike if you're viewing, and see you guys later!