Trade with Baseball Dad from All Tribe Baseball

I recently completed a trade with Baseball Dad from All Tribe Baseball and let me tell you, I got some serious Mariners loot. As his blog's title would dictate, Baseball Dad is a Cleveland Indians collector and I was able to scrounge up a couple hundred of Chief Wahoo's finest to send his way. It didn't take long for him to return in kind, with about 10 pounds of Mariners' cards in a priority mail box! I had a blast sorting through all the cards (including a sweet Bret Boone bat card from 2004 Topps CrackerJack), relieving some great memories of the M's glory days and laughing aloud at some of the former Mariners I had forgotten about (or simply blocked out from my consciousness) like Jose Mesa, Aaron Sele and Brian L. Hunter. I have twin younger brothers who also collect Mariners, one's favorite player is John Olerud and the other's is Edgar Martinez, and there were plenty of those two to go around. All in all, it was a great experience for me and my brothers and I truly appreciate the generosity of the fellow collectors that I have meet through the blogosphere. Thanks again Baseball Dad, I'm sure it won't be our last trade.

My Favorite Card from the Trade: 2006 Topps Turkey Red Ken Griffey Jr. Red Border SP (What a Beauty!!)

Card of the Week: 2008 Topps Heritage Ben Zobrist Chrome Refractor #49/559

I'll admit it. I'm a sucker for a good story, and Tampa Bay's Ben Zobrist is just that. A relatively unknown player coming into the season, Zobrist shocked the baseball world by making the All-Star team in his first season as a full-time player. The one-time utility player took over at second base when Akinori Iwamura went down with an injury and hasn't looked back since. The sweet swinging switch hitter is currently sitting on a line of .289-19 HR-60 RBI-14 SB-.405 OBP and is a major reason why my fantasy baseball team is still in contention after the loss of Jose Reyes (may he and the Mets rest in peace). Still only 28, Zobrist should have many productive seasons ahead of him and will likely be one of my biggest collecting targets moving forward. He's fun to watch, can play anywhere on the field and seems like a genuinely nice guy. What's not to like?

The card itself is a real beauty. I have been a fan of Topps Heritage since its inception in 2001 and the set continues to please set-collectors and old-school fans alike. This particular Zobrist comes from the Topps Heritage Update set and is based on the classic design of 1959 Topps. I love the retro design of these cards, but I also like that Topps incorporates elements of current cards. Most people would think that adding modern technology to a timeless treasure like '59 Topps would screw it up, but au contraire mon frere! This chrome-refractory piece of Zobrist goodness would attract crows from miles away, but otherwise doesn't deviate away from the look and feel of a 50-year-old set. It's the best of today combined with a piece of baseball card history...and it just so happens to be my new favorite Ben Zobrist.

Comments? Concerns? Questions? What do you think of Topps Heritage Chrome and Chrome Refractors? Love 'em of hate 'em? Is Zobrist the greatest thing since chocolate oranges?

Card of the Week: 2000 SPX Ken Griffey Jr. Winning Materials Jersey/Ball

Got this beauty off eBay the other day for $15 and I couldn't be more thrilled. As a lifelong Mariner's fan Griffey is the alpha and omega of my all-time favorite players and there was no way I could pass up this sweet card featuring the Kid during his first go round with the M's. This particular card comes from 2000 SPX and features a blue swatch of Griffey's jersey and a well scuffed game-used baseball (with real dirt!) This is my first relic of Junior that was a cut from a Mariners' uniform, and it comes from a time when game-used cards weren't dime-a-dozen (oh how I miss those days). Don't even bother to ask about trading for this one, as it's going into my permanent Griffey collection/shrine (alongside two Griffey Jr. candy bars from 1989). Feel free to admire though! Stay tuned for the next edition of Card of the Week, coming soon!

Pack Attack: 2009 Topps Allen & Ginter Retail (x2)

Topps Allen & Ginter has been one of my favorite products over the past few years and 2009 marks the first time I attempt to put the entire set together. After three hobby boxes I am still about 50 cards short so I have been picking up blasters and loose packs at Target and Shopko. Probably not the best idea, because retail packs only contain 4 base cards (+1 mini and 1 National Pride), but who can say no to A & G? Here are the results of my latest excursion to Shopko:

Pack 1:

Andrew Miller-63
Carlos Pena-264
John Danks-261

Brett Gardner mini-295

Rich Harden Game Used Pants Relic! Not a bad pull at all from a retail pack, as this relic even came from the relatively scarce Group A (1:250 packs). Harden possesses electric stuff but has been inconsistent for the Cubs this season despite staying healthy, making many wish for his injury prone days when Rich was nearly unhittable. He did have a solid start against the Reds today, pitching 6 innings, allowing 1 run and striking out 8 to pick up the win, and his fantasy owners hope this means Harden is turning the corner. I'm not a Cubs or Harden fan so if you are interested, let me know and we can work out a trade.

Pack 2:

Delmon Young SP-318

Michael Cuddyer-86

Jair Jurjenns-271

Mark Buehrle (of perfect game fame)-42

Skandenberg National Heroes Mini-NH33 (1:12 packs)

Yadier Molina National Pride-NP74

Overall, not too shabby for a couple of retail packs. A few cards to add to my set and a game-used Rich Harden makes this a worthwhile trip to Shopko. More packs to come soon!