Off-Centered Trade

As I stated in yesterday's card show post, I also received a trade package in the mail.

A while back, I decided to try and put together the 1974/75 Loblaws hockey stamp collection I worked on as a kid. I've purchased several large lots of the stickers and had/have a fair amount of duplicates. Justin, over at Off-Centred expressed interest and we worked out a trade where I got four of the T212 mini short prints I needed for my 2009 Obak set.

 Joe Bauman holds the minor league single season home record, with 72 taters for the Roswell Rockets in 1954 (He also hit an even .400 that season.)  Bauman,  a native Oklahoman, never made the majors.

 Jose can you seeeee........

 Bo knows Chicks. Memphis Chicks to be exact.

Bing Crosby never played pro ball, but was part owner of the Hollywood Stars of the Pacific Coast League for a time.

Making progress on Obak is always cool. Not many people collected Obak, so there isn't a lot of ready made trade partners out there.  So, it was pretty thrilling to find out Justin was able to help me tackle my want list.  But, he wasn't done. No sir, he was not.

He set a couple of these Upper Deck Champs cards. I haven't followed hockey in a number of years, but have considered getting back into it. I suppose it seems odd that I would be collecting vintage hockey stickers when I don't follow the sport. But, I have to admit, collecting the Loblaws hockey stickers had more to do with reconnecting with a pleasant part of my childhood rather than the sport itself.  I don't know how to express it, but when I sort through those stickers and paste them in the album, there is a very visceral and emotional connection to my youth. It is almost as if I am there again. It is hard to explain, but I expect that most of the card blogging community, who are approximately the same age as I am, understand.  But, I digress.

I do want to get back into following hockey, butwith the Oklahoma City Thunder being one of the best NBA teams, I have also considered getting back into following basketball.  The problem is that I don't get basketball like I do baseball or, to a lesser extent, hockey.  I mean, I understand the broad rules and play of basketball, but that knowledge really hasn't advanced any since I was a child.  So, I may just have to keep basketball in my peripherals and zero back in on hockey.

If I do, it would be fun to put together the two sets that the two cards above are from. They are pretty sharp cards. I particularly like the bottom card, from the 2008-2009 set.

Finally, Justin sent along, with an apology, the following relic card:

While it is no secret that AJ Burnett never really panned out as a Yankee, I do not share most Yankee fans loathing of the man.  He was always a solid teammate, always took the ball when it was his turn, and never blamed his woes on anyone but himself.  I think he mainly struggled with the hyper media market in New York and let it affect his confidence. When he was pitching well, he was unhittable. But, when things went bad he had a hard time pulling himself back out of the rut.  I really think a loss of confidence coupled with bearing down way too hard was the main issue.

I was very pleased to see the solid season he had last year with Pittsburgh. It started out as a typical AJ season.  He threw 7 innings of 3 hit, shutout ball in his first start of the season, and then gave up 6 hits and 2 earned runs in a 6 inning loss in his second start.  His third start was a clanker though.  He gave up 12 (twelve!) earned runs in 2.2 innings.  I was afraid his season was going down the tubes already.  But, he got back on track right quick and was the legitimate ace of the Buc's staff the rest of the season.  With Russell Martin now joining Burnett on the Pirates, I think I am going to adopt them as my NL team this season.

So, this card will take a place of honor in a binder on the same sheet as my Robinson Cano and CC Sabathia A&G relics.  No need to apologize, Justin, I love this card! A most excellent trade. Thank you!

What I am listening to: Green Onions by Booker T and the MGs.

Favorite Cards of 2012 #11 - Trade Loot

Okay, so this is four cards, not one.  But, with regards to subject matter and how I acquired them, they are all quite similar. So, rather than trying to pick between them, I am going to just show all four.

The theme here is relic cards of current Yankees that I acquired through trades.  Yes, I do recall that I have officially forsaken modern cards for vintage.  And, yes, I am familiar with the scandal surrounding relic cards.   But, neither of those facts matter, since what put them over the top is the part where I traded for them.  I will have more to say about the card blogging community later in the countdown, but suffice it to say it is meaningful to me to be a member of this community (virtual though it is.)

This Lineage '75 CC mini (MIIIIINNNNNNIIIIIIIII!!!!) came from Night Owl.

The above two A&G minis came from Scott over at the aptly titled Sports Cards Ate My Brain.

Lastly, this Mo relic came from Ryan at O No! Another Orioles Blog

I SCAMBed Him

Scott over at Sports Cards Ate My Brain (SCAMB) had expressed an interest in trading for some of the large stack of duplicate 1969 Deckle Edge cards I had acquired at a mini show last month.  I scanned his extensive trade bait list and founds some things that interested me.

Not one, but two Heritage short prints!  One each from 2001 and 2002. It has been a coon's age since I last made any progress on those two sets. I am getting very close to completing 2011 and have continued to make slow progress on 2012 (until yesterday when Heritage Minor League came out and set me back, so to speak).  But, progress on those first two has basically halted for about a year now.  My main priority on Heritage at the moment is to complete 2011 (9 more cards to complete MLB and 19 to complete MiLB).  After that, I am not sure what I am going to do. But, I probably should make an effort to complete those first two sets.  So, I am grateful to get these two cards. Not only because I need them, but because they are a well needed kick in the keister to start thinking about those two sets again.

I had never seen this card, or heard of the set it came from, until I saw it at Scott's.  It is a 2010 Topps Legends Platinum Chrome Wal Mart Cereal card.  

A&G isn't a set that I get excited about, but I just have to love relic cards of two of my teams stars.

CC hasn't been CC-like this season. Two stints on the DL and even when pitching he has only been intermittently dominating.  In past seasons, he usually goes through a multiple start stretch where he is unhittable. Not this year. He is still very good, but not like he was in the past. I just hope that we don't come to regret the big contract he got last off season, much like we do now with Alex Rodriguez's.

Robbie has been solid again this year. Started off slow, but is batting over .300 again. And, best of all, he hasn't spent any time on the DL.  Which makes him a rare player on the Yankees this year.

So, overall, a great trade for me. I hope Scott likes those Deckles (Sorry about the Staub!)

Trade with PATP

I recently completed my first trade with Brian over at Play at the Plate. I sent him a couple vintage Senators and a handful of other cards from his Rangers want list and I got some nice cards in return. The centerpiece of the trade, for me anyways was this:


Alas, within days of closing our deal, the Yankees traded Hector, along with Jesus Montero, to the Mariners for Michael Pineda and a pitching prospect. I still like this kid, though, so I am going to hang on to this card and give it an honored place in my vintage/relic/auto binder.

But, wait! That's not all!


A 2011 Heritage short print. This is way cool, since I am only needing short prints (and some inserts) to complete this set. Any day I can knock one off is a good day, ahtellyawha!

I would have been happy with just that, but Brian sent along a couple of packs of Allen and Ginter. A&G is a quirky set. I am on the fence whether I like it or not. I like that it is different than anything else, and well designed, but the inclusion of non-baseball subjects is off putting. Although, as an aside, I like the Ascent of Man inserts. But there were some great cards in those packs.




A couple Yankees and a great looking landscape Brandon Phillips.


Clunk! Diana Taurasi! *shakes fist*

My big memory of Diana Taurasi was her leading the Connecticut Huskies to a decisive victory in the 2002 NCAAs over the Oklahoma Sooners. Man, that bummed me out. Still does, even 10 years later. *grumble*