Christmas Comes Early: Upper Deck's Unexpected Generosity (Jerseys! Jerseys! Jerseys!)

As some of you may recall, Upper Deck and the Beckett Blog recently put on a contest to find the face of 2010 SPX Baseball. I entered the promotion and didn't give it a second thought before later discovering that I was one of five finalists for the prize. Unfortunately, I didn't end up winning (a face only a mother could love probably did me in) but Upper Deck was kind enough to send me some cards as consolation prizes (they also sent a retail box of Icons which I will break later). I was really impressed by there generosity and would like to thank Chris Carlin in particular for his excellent communication throughout the process. Without further ado, here's what UD send my way:

2008 Upper Deck Kenji Johjima Game Jersey: I love these throwback jersey cards, this particular one featuring the 2000 Upper Deck design. While Kenji is long gone, he won't soon be forgotten (oh wait, he already has).

2008 Sweetspot Felix Hernandez/Justin Verlander Jerseys: A dual jersey of two of the best young right-handers in baseball, this card has a simple, elegant design that I find quite appealing.

2008 Upper Deck Felix Hernandez Game Jersey: Another cool throwback, this one modeled off the 1998 Upper Deck design. My Felix jersey cupboard was nearly bare before UD sent all these my way; he's probably my second favorite Mariner behind Junior.

2007 Ultimate Collection Felix Hernandez Jersey #75/75: The gem of all the Felix jerseys that UD sent, this beauty has an excellent design, and even though it doesn't mean anything to most collectors, the fact that it is the last serially numbered copy is cool in my book.

2008 Sweet Spot Bobby Richardson Auto #158/250: Admittedly this card seems out of place amidst all the Mariners but I mentioned to Chris how much I like Sweet Spot autos and he was thoughtful enough to include this card in the package. I'm not a Yankees fan, but Richardson was from a different era of the Bronx Bombers, and despite being a poor hitter had a successful career that included 5 Gold Gloves, a World Series MVP award and a place in history as the man who snagged Willy McCovey's screaming line drive to end the 1962 Fall Classic against the Giants.

2005 Ultimate Collection Ken Griffey Jr/Miguel Cabrera Dual Jersey #14/15: SHAMWOW! I was utterly flabbergasted when I saw this card, a dual jersey featuring my favorite player, a skinny Cabrera, and numbered to only 15! This is easily one of the best Griffeys in my collection and a wonderful surprise.

Thanks again Upper Deck. These cards certainly helped ease the sting of a bitter defeat. I will highlight what I pulled from the Icons box in the next few days. Merry Christmas!