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!

A Nice Swap With My Favorite Nocturnal Bird

It was just over a year ago that I made my first trade with the aforementioned Night Owl, which eventually got me plugged into this crazy and wonderful thing called the baseball card blogosphere. I've completed a handful of trades with Night Owl and each one is as thoughtful as the last. Here's the latest bunch:

1996 Denny's Hologram Jay Buhner: Since going retro is cool again (see every Indie person ever), isn't about time that Topps brought back the hologram? I'm sure the technology exists to make them even better looking than in 1996, and it sure would be a pleasant escape from yet another vintage themed insert set. Also, I miss Jay Buhner.

1995 Score Select Alex Rodriguez "RC": Yeah, I said it. I'm an Alex Rodriguez fan. Well, at least when he was with the Seattle Mariners I was, although I wasn't totally disgusted to see him win a World Series last year. I wonder if he will come back to Seattle for a reunion tour a la Ken Griffey Jr?

2010 Bowman Chrome Dustin Ackley RC: Dustin Ackley was the player drafted directly after Stephen Strasburg (yes, I know how dumb the M's were to not lose one more game) in last year's draft, so while it's easy for him to be overshadowed, he's been putting together a solid minor league season after a slow start. He looks like he might be right to start at second base in 2011, which would allow Chone Figgins to move back to third and maybe remember how to hit.

2010 A & G Tony Hawk Black Border Mini: Although I was a BMX'er growing up, I still idolized Tony Hawk and spent countless hours of my life playing his very fun video game. This is a great looking card from one of my favorite sets and the impetus for this whole trade.

Thanks for the great cards Night Owl. I've got a feeling there will be a few more trades between us in the future.

A Post-Vacation Trade with Teddy D.

I just got back from Hawaii and was happy to find a couple of trade packages waiting for me. The islands were as beautiful as described and I hope to get back there again someday. I actually found a card shop in Honolulu (the first time I had been in a hobby shop in abotu 5 years) and bought a few packs but didn't pull anything worth mentioning (a die-cut /100 from Donruss Elite was the lone highlight). Thankfully, blog reader Teddy Dzuiba, made up for my back luck with a package full of Mariners and M's prospects. Here's the loot:

2000 Bowman Chrome Rick Ankiel: Looking at Ankiel's stats on the back it's pretty evident that he was destined to be one of the best pitchers in all of baseball before the inexplicable wildness took over. His story never seizes to amaze me...who is going to play the role of Rick Ankiel when the movie gets made? Paul Walker? Matt Damon? Kevin Costner? I think we all know it's going to be Robert Redford.

2009 UD Sweet Spot Ken Griffey Jr: A sharp looking card of my favorite player but another unfortunate reminder that UD is done in baseball for the foreseeable future. I don't know about you, but I was pretty crushed by the news of the settlement.

2009 Choice Teddy Dziuba: Easily my favorite card of the trade, Teddy was a former Mets farmhand and was kind enough to personalize this card for me. Very, very cool. You can never go wrong with flattery in my book. A really unique addition to my collection.

Thanks for the great cards Teddy; they made the sting of leaving Hawaii a little less painful. I'll keep my eyes open for more Mets prospects and NY Giants in the future.

Last night on the beach.

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!

Baseball Card Bonanza: Trades with Brian (Play at the Plate), Collective Troll and Wicked Ortega

Wow! Just got a bunch of trades in the mail and they couldn't come at a better time; it's wet and miserable here with about two inches of snow on the ground. Nothing better to cheer me up than some well-timed baseball cards from Brian, Troll and Wicked Ortega. Let's go to the cards!

First, the cards from Brian (Play at the Plate). I sent some Rangers Brian's way and he was very generous with what he sent me, including a bunch of new Griffey's:

2000 Fleer Focus Pocus Ken Griffey Jr: I had actually been lusting (in a healthy manner) after this card for a while so I was thrilled to get it in a trade and not have to buy it off the Bay. This is a great insert of Griffey, and the photo doesn't do justice to how shiny it really is. I miss cards like this, you can never go wrong with shiny.

1995 Classic Ken Griffey Jr. Phone Card: No Ken Griffey Jr. collection is complete without a phone card! Now I can finally catch up with Junior and not have to worry about those nasty roaming charges or dropped calls. Thanks Classic!

2001 Upper Deck Vintage Koren Robinson Rookie Jersey: I almost fell off the couch laughing when I saw this card. Koren Robinson had a short and troubled career with the Seahawks after battling alcoholism. I think he came back with the Green Bay Packers a few years ago, but I haven't heard from him lately. While alchoholism is no laughing matter, relics of draft picks busts always are (and always appreciated, thanks Brian).

Next, the cards from my first trade with the Collective Troll. He sent some great M's my way, lots of different players, years and brands. Even though Troll said he was out of Mariners, I think I will still send some more Rays his way, because he is the hardest working man in Blogbusiness. Here are some highlights from the cards:

2009 Topps Don Wakamatsu: This year's Topps set is really growing on me, as is the Mariner's first year manager, Don Wakamatsu. He guided a underwhelming M's squad to an 85-77 record, not bad after going 61-101 the year before. I love the photo, think he's calling for a cup of coffee.

1992 Classic Best Ken Griffey Jr.: This is my first card featuring Ken Griffey Jr. as a minor leaguer, even though it was released three years after his major league debut. Junior looks like he is about to sneeze in this photo.

2007 Topps Trading Places Jeff Weaver: If you look closely at the photo of Weaver in the M's uniform it looks like is giving someone the stink-eye, although almost every Mariners' fan was giving him that look by the end of his time in Seattle. It was not a pretty sight.

Last but not least, some cards from my first trade with Wicked Ortega of My Past Time...I Love It! Alfredo is a great guy to trade with, and I am sure this won't be our last deal. Here's what he sent:

2009 Upper Deck X Ken Griffey Jr. X-Ponential-5: I've got to be honest, I love these inserts in Upper Deck X. It's shiny, it's Griffey...and that's all she wrote.

2009 SP Authentic Ichiro: This is my first encounter with 2009 SP Authentic and I have to say, they are really nice base cards. Crisp photography, a nice cardstock and a metallic sheen that makes the players jump out of the picture all add up to a great set.

2009 Upper Deck X Ken Griffey Jr. X-Potential-3: Another UD X Griffey. Now if anyone has the X-1, X-2, X-4, X-6, and didn't have a home for them, you know where to send 'em.

Thanks again to Brian, Troll and Wicked Ortega for some super cards! I will have some trade packages headed your way soon!