Back in the Game: A Trade with Night Owl

It had been a very long-time since I had received a trade package in the mail so I was thrilled to find one last week from the dean of baseball card blogs, Nightowl. As always, he came through with a great mix of Mariners both old and new. Here are some of my favorites:

2001 Bowman Chrome Edgar Martinez: Edgar didn't make any headway on his journey towards Cooperstown this year but I remain optimistic that one day he will receive the credit he deserves for a tremendous career. 2001 Bowman Chrome is one of my favorite Bowman designs and my little brother will be thrilled to add another great Edgar to his binder of one of the M's most beloved players of all-time.

2001 Topps Chrome Rafael Soriano: This card is another stinging reminder of how incompetent the Mariners' front office used to be (I think they're better now, but I would like to see some results on the field). Rafael Soriano was a stellar reliever for Seattle before Bill Bavasi decided to send him to Atlanta for Horacio Ramirez (slaps forehead). Long story short, Soriano has been even better since and Ramirez posted an ERA north of sevent (7!) while in Seattle. Yeah, we came out ahead on that one.


2010 Topps Attax Ken Griffey Jr.: Ken Griffey Jr. didn't attack much of anything besides the team buffet last season, but I'm always happy to add another new card of the Kid to my collection. I saw Griffey in a Nike commercial the other day and forgot for a second that he's retired. It still hurts.

2010 Topps Chrome Franklin Gutierrez X-Fractor: Franklin "Death to Flying Objects" Gutierrez was one of the lone bright spots for Seattle in 2010 and I'm hoping he takes a step forward at the plate in 2011. Speaking of bright spots, there all over this card! AHHHHHHHHHH!

Thanks for the great cards Night Owl!

Another Great Pacific Northwest Trade

If you haven't made a trade with Kerry from Cards on Cards yet--what are you waiting for? My neighbor to the south has provided me with many of my favorite Mariners and Griffey cards, and this trade package was no exception. This is what he sent in the latest installment:

2009 UD Spectrum Rick Ankiel: Yes I know there aren't that many UD Spectrum fans out there, but I'm a sucker for anything shiny. It's nice to see Ankiel get the chance to play for a contender in Atlanta--if he could top off his amazing transition with a World Series it would truly be story book quality.

1992 Arena Holograms Ken Griffey Jr.: Kerry sent me two of these, one opened and another unopened in the original pack. I'm not quite sure what ever happened to Arena Holograms, but anyone who makes Griffey cards is okay in my book.

2010 Topps Chicle Stan Musial: For the most part, Topps Chicle was an utter abomination--an affront to the beautiful world God created. But, a few cards did turn out well. This is one of them.

1997 Fleer Ultra Ken Griffey Jr.: The baseball card world is a lesser place without Fleer Ultra just as baseball is a lesser sport without Ken Griffey Jr. This card may make me cry.

2002 Upper Deck Game Swatches Edgar Martinez: It seems like Kerry is a magnet to Edgar jersey cards, because I think this is around the 3rd or 4th he's sent me (not that there's anything wrong with that). I wish I was a magnet to Albert Pujols or Matt Holliday cards so I could return the favor.


Thanks for the great cards Kerry! Good luck Ducks!

My Brother Is a Great Artist: Exhibit A

I pulled some "You Sketch" cards from a couple of packs of Topps Series II and gave them to my much more talented brother to play around with. He sketched a Mantle and Strasburg which sold fairly well on eBay, and then he truly blew me away with this Edgar Martinez portait he painted with acrylics. Check it out!

Out of the Blue Generosity from Wicked Ortega

I was happily surprised to find a package from Wicked Ortega in the mail the other day. I guess I shouldn't be surprised, he is one of the most generous people in the blogosphere, but it was still unexpected because I haven't sent any cards out in a long time (please read note at bottom of post if you've traded with me before). Here's a look at the great cards he sent me:

1997 Topps Gallery Edgar Martinez: I loved Edgar Martinez and Topps Gallery. Everyone loved Topps Gallery. Not everyone loves Topps Chicle. Your move Topps.

1995 Sportflix Ken Griffey Jr. Detonators: My Griffey collection has grown a bit stagnant so it was nice to get some new cards of the Kid. This was my favorite of the bunch; you can never go wrong with Sportflix and missiles on one card.

1989 Topps Traded Ken Griffey Jr. PSA 9 RC: WOW! I was shocked to see a rookie of Griffey in the package, and a graded rookie just made it that much sweeter. This card is definitely going on my Ken Griffey Jr. mantle above the fire.

2007 Sweetspot Ryan Rowland-Smith Rookie Auto: Despite his early season struggles (then again, who on the Mariners isn't struggling) I'm still a big fan of Aussie Ryan Rowland-Smith. He's a very down to earth guy and he even tweeted at me once, for what it's worth. This rookie auto is a nice addition to my M's collection, even if it is thick as a cinder block (I'm not even joking).

Thanks for the sweet cards Wicked! I'll have some Marlins headed your way soon!

EDITOR'S NOTE: IF I'VE TRADED WITH YOU BEFORE PLEASE EMAIL ME YOUR MAILING ADDRESS SO I CAN START TRADING AGAIN! THANKS AND GODSPEED!

This One's For (From) the Birds: A Trade with Kerry from Cards on Cards

My Pacific Northwest trading partner, Kerry from Cards on Cards, sent a great package of Griffeys, Mariners, Rick Ankiels and Stan Musials my way recently. The weather has been fantastic here lately after a few weeks of grey skies and these cards made my good mood even better. Spring Training just has a way of making things right in the world. Here are a sampling of the cards I received:

1991 Fleer Ken Griffey Jr/Barry Bonds: This card has it all; garish yellow borders, a small-headed Barry Bonds, a stadium I don't recognize (Wrigley Field?) and of course, Ken Griffey Jr. It sure is strange how differently their careers turned out.

1990 Topps Toys "R" Us Ken Griffey Jr: Believe it or not I never once visited a Toys "R" Us during my childhood. This card helps ease the pain, at least a little.

2000 Fleer Tradition Rick Ankiel Who To Watch: Since the time he was a young pitcher Rick Ankiel has always been one of my favorite players. I believed he was too talented to be out of baseball after acquiring Steve Blass Disease (or Chuck Knoblauch Syndrome) and sure enough he fought his way back to the majors as a hitter. A truly incredible player...I hope he has a strong season with the Royals.

2007-08 Fleer Kevin Durant RC: This card is a bittersweet reminder of the one year that Kevin Durant spent in Seattle as a Supersonic. I had the privilege of watching him play in the NCAA Tournament as a freshman at Texas, and though I could tell he was talented, I didn't think he would be ticketed for NBA stardom so quickly. He also owns the best current nickname in sports---"The Durantula". Please come back to Seattle, please!

2004 Topps Edgar Martinez All-Star Jersey: I like All-Star jerseys because they are at least somewhat limited (600-700 swatches?) and are tied to a specific event. I always give the Edgars I get in trades to one of my twin brothers and he is really starting to accumulate a nice collection of Gars. Martinez looks like he just smelled a fart in the photo.

Thanks Kerry! As always, any Cardinals I pull are headed your way. Good luck to the Blazers!

A Bountiful Trade with Field of Cards

I've seen Gary from Field of Cards fame open a number of boxes on his blog and reasoned, ipso facto, that he must have a bunch of sweet cards of my favorites players and the Mariners. Sure enough, he sent me some great M's and Griffeys in return for some Orioles. I was really overwhelmed by wait he sent my way and felt bad I didn't have more cards to trade him, but as karma would have it Gary just won the 2010 Topps Givewaway Contest, so his generosity was rewarded. Here are my favorites from the swap:

2004 Donruss Elite Ichiro Career Best #373/1000: A great looking card of the masterful Ichiro, the serial number for this card is only one off from his .372 average in 2004, making this a true eBay one of two (alongside 374).

2003 Donruss Diamond Kings Ken Griffey Jr: Not all painted cards of Griffey have turned out great but this one certainly captures the essence of Junior. If National Chicle looked a little more like this there might not be such an uproar over the set.

2001 SP Game-Used Bat Edgar Martinez Bound for the Hall: Hopefully this card didn't jinx Edgar as he only received about half of the votes necessary for induction in his first try on the HOF ballot. First Edgar bat card though, so it's more than welcome.

2006 UD Future Stars Josh Johnson RC Auto: A cool looking rookie autograph of one of my favorite players, Josh Johnson was the stud of my fantasy teams staff last season. I was hoping he might wind up with the Mariners, but I was happy he re-signed with the Marlins instead of heading to the Yankees or Sox (for now at least). The portait of Johnson on this card is see-through, using what leading baseball card scientists call "acetate technology".

Thanks for the great cards Gary! I will get your contest winnings in the mail soon.