Triple Rainbow: 2009 BDPP Michael Saunders

Alright there's only one rainbow to show off today but this is my third in the past few months so deal with it. I've been working on this particular rainbow for about six months and had managed to track down everything except for the x-fractor, which with 199 copies, should not have been that difficult to find. I was worried that it might not even exist (a conspiracy no doubt!) Thankfully, someone on Blowout Cards pulled one from a box recently and was kind enough to sell it to me. The rainbow looks great in person and I am expecting big things from Michael Saunders in 2011. Thanks for looking!

They're always after me lucky charms!

Another Color of the Saunders Rainbow Acquired

2009 Bowman Draft Michael Saunders Red Refractor #5/5: Considering the fact that Saunders' jersey number is 55 is this card (#5/5) a one-of-one? Well, I'm sure it would have been if I had got it off eBay, and lord knows I would have paid a hefty premium for it too. Thankfully I got a fair deal on it (from the equally adorded and hated Blowout Cards Forums) and brought it home for less than the price of a blaster. To me, that's a success. With the addition of the Red Refractor (and the imminent arrival of the Purple Refractor) I just need the Gold Refractor and X-Fractor to complete the rainbow (acquiring the Superfractor would be nice, but I'm sure not counting on it). Can't wait to see it finished.


Thanks for looking! I'll keep you updated as more cards arrive.

Prospect Maildays: 2009 Bowman Draft Edition

After getting skunked on a couple of boxes of Draft about a month ago I decided I was better off spending my money on singles from the set. I got the following cards for the less than the price of a box, so I'd call this break a success:

Michael Saunders Orange Refractor #21/25: I'm getting close to my first rainbow (red refractor incoming) with this card, and will show it off in it's entirety once it's completed. Now I just have to hope Saunders turns into a passable big leaguer.

Tyler Matzek X-Fractor Auto #/225: Tyler Matzek is a hard-throwing lefty in the Rockies' system who posted a 4-1 record with a 2.92 ERA and 88 K's in 89 innings. The stigma around Colorado pitching prospects has disappeared with the emergence of Ubaldo Jimenez and Jhoulys Chacin, and hopefully Matzek will be adding to that mix in a few years (he's only 19).

Bobby Borchering X-Fractor Auto #/225: Bobby Borchering was one of a multitude of Diamondbacks first round picks last year, and looked every bit the part in 2009, hitting .270 with 15 HR's and 74 RBI's at age 19. This is one of the best designed Bowman autograph sets ever, with the white box providing a nice background for signatures.

Zach Wheeler Aflac Auto #215/244: Zach Wheeler joined a talented group of Giants' pitching prospects after being drafted 6th overall in 2009. He struggled with consistency during his first year in the minors, but still posted a 3.99 ERA and 70 K's in 58 innings. The Aflac autos were inserted one per case and feature signatures from the country's top highschool prospects--and their on-card, as all autographs should be.

Thanks for looking!

eBay Grab Bag: Mariners and More

2007 Bowman Draft Michael Saunders Future Game Jersey: When Ken Griffey Jr. retired, Michael Saunders became my favorite Mariner. He's shown signs of improvement at the plate this season and I hope that he can grab the left field role full-time next season. It's always nice to see a home-grown guy succeed.

2009 SP Authentic Michael Saunders Silver RC #33/59: See above.

2008 UD Heroes Felix Hernandez Jersey #56/125: A jersey card of King Felix for $3 with shipping? Sign me up! He's got a shot at the Cy Young this year, but baseball voters are idiots so they'll probably choose A.J. Burnett.

2009 Bowman Draft Luca Panerati Red Refractor #2/5: Though I normally can't stand WBC cards, I got this red refractor for only 5 bucks, so I figured why the heck not? Panerati is a native of Italy currently in the Cincinnati Reds system. He's only 20-years-old so you just never know what might happen. For five bucks, I was willing to gamble.

2007 Just Stars Michael Saunders Auto #/100: It's Sunday and I'm trying to watch football. I've got nothing interesting to add. Sorry.

2009 UD Signature Stars Michael Saunders RC Auto: Though it's a sticker auto, you can barely tell as it fits nicely into the design of the card. I haven't seen too many of these on eBay, and with Upper Deck's demise in baseball, it's crazy too assume that this card is relatively short printed. Now if Saunders would only start hitting...

Recent eBay Acquistions: Mariners and Prospects.

I won this handful of cards on eBay over the last month or so. After a couple of shaky starts Brad Hand has begun to pitch at a high level again and I have big expectations for the 20-year-old left hander. Michael Saunders is finally getting a shot at playing everyday for the Mariners and is showing an exciting blend of power and speed. The Ken Griffey Jr. is just plain beautiful. Here's the stuff you've been waiting so patiently for:

2008 BDPP Brad Hand X-Fractor Auto #222/225

2008 Donruss Elite Brad Hand Aspirations Auto #32/50

2009 BDPP Michael Saunders Blue Refractor #47/99

2007 Bowman's Best Michael Saunders Blue Parallel #22/99

2009 Bowman Sterling Michael Saunders Gold Refractor #33/50

2009 Bowman Chrome Ken Griffey Jr. Blue Refractor #30/150

My First Check Out My Cards Purchase

Alright, judging by the response to my last post nobody here cares about football cards, so I'll go back to something that everyone loves: purchases from Check out My Cards! I was really impressed with the selection of the site as well as the prices, and was happy to nab some Griffeys, Felixs and other Mariners for a song. The shipping charges seem to be a little high, but in most cases it is still a better deal than buying this cards separately on eBay. Here's the goods:

2007 Finest Ken Griffey Jr. Refractor: I think I've run out of adjectives to describe how much I love refractors, especially of Junior, so I'll let you insert your own for this beauty.

2001 Topps Stars Stan Musial: Stan the Man is one of my favorite "old-time" players and 2001 Topps Stars is a guilty pleasure set of mine so this card was a match made in heaven. Not surprisingly, the back of the card gave Musial five stars for hitting ability.

2009 Bowman Draft Picks Michael Saunders Blue #/399: Although "the Condor" is currently toiling away in Triple-A I think he is still a big part of the Mariners future, and will probably get a call-up sooner rather than later with the way the M's offense is performing. The Bowman blue parallels look nice when paired with the Seattle unis.

2008 Bowman Chrome Felix Hernandez Refractor: A refractor for 50 cents? Only a crazy person could say no, and I am no crazy person (debateable). I couldn't be more excited to have this guy around for five more years.

2009 Topps Allen & Ginter Doc Holliday SP: This might be the most plain but important card from the whole purchase. With this Doc Holliday short print I have finally completed the 2009 Allen & Ginter set that I started so long ago. It's a good feeling.