Saturday, July 4, 2009

Stale Gum Dot Com Trade, Part II in a Potentially Infinite Series

Okay, it is now time to jump into phase two of the trade I received from Chris at Stale Gum dot com.
Super Swatches…
Despite the fact that I sent him a total of ZERO game used memorabilia cards, Chris sent me two of them. It was awesomely generous of him and my collection just got that much more awesome.
First, from the 2008 Topps Heritage Updates and Highlights high numbers series, we have card number CC-DJ featuring stretch-run-pinch-hitting-superstar and occasional first baseman, Dan Johnson. It is the same Dan Johnson who hit 15 homers as rookie for Oakland in 2005 in just 109 games. It is the same Dan Johnson who hit homers in 5 straight games for Oakland in 2005. The same Dan Johnson who hit 17 homers for Oakland in 2007. The same Dan Johnson who hit one of the biggest home runs in Tampa Bay’s short history.
It was September 9, 2008. The Rays and The Red Sox were battling it out for the lead in the AL East. Dan Johnson had been called up from AAA that day. He drove to Boston to meet his new team, got suited up and sat in the dugout for the game until Joe Maddon called his number in the top of the 9th inning. The Rays were losing and Jonathan Papplebon was on the mound for the Sox, sealing the victory. Johnson hit a pinch hit home run to tie the game and the Rays went on to win that game and the division. Johnson stayed with the Rays in September and started the next game of that series at first base. He did hit a second home run that year, but it was far less dramatic. He finished 2008 with 5 hits in 25 at bats (.250). He didn’t make the Rays postseason roster and didn’t attempt to re-sign with the Rays for ’09. He is currently playing in Japan with the Yokohama Bay Stars. In all honesty, when I first saw this card, I said "who?", hence the history lesson on Dan Johnson. It only took a second for my memory to jog and then I was reliving that awesome day watching the Rays at Fenway Park (via the TV in my bedroom with my lovely wife) proving that they were better than the Red Sox. It does make me wonder who will be our Dan Johnson this year? Who is going to step up down the stretch and make things happen, reach beyond their potential and become part of history?
The other awesome jersey card he sent is from a player most of you are more familiar with, the AL’s leading base stealer, ALL STAR Carl Crawford. It’s a 2006 Upper Deck Amazing Greats card #AG-CC with a nice bright white jersey swatch centered at the card’s bottom. I had never sought out to be a Carl Crawford collector, I figured his cards would be out of my price range, but thanks to my fellow bloggers and readers, this is jersey card #7 of CC for me.
Thanks again Chris, another 10 or 20 posts and I will have everything ya sent me covered. Go Rays! Troll out

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