3 Things to LOVE About 2009 SP Authentic, A 3 From 2 Post

I have not ripped a single pack of ’09 SP Authentic, but I finished off the Rays team set a while back which was my main concern. It’s a good looking design. If I had a few bucks to spend and I saw a pack, I probably would have gone for it, I just NEVER SAW A PACK. NOW, I don’t even want to rip a pack. I have the best of a box right here. This would have been a 3 from 3 post, but it’s actually 3 from 2. The first card is part of my winning from the contest on Cobb and Halladay and the other two were part of the monster deal that I worked out with Wax Pack Relapse. I actually have a 4th card on its way to me from this subset. It has Nolan Ryan and Scott Kazmir on it. For now, this is what I have in my greedy little hands. The subset is called Generations Memorabilia and each card is a duel relic featuring a current player and one from a decade prior. Up first is card #GM-GP of Bob Gibson (representing the 1960’s) and Jake Peavy (representing the 2000s). I can’t think of a better pitcher to represent an entire decade than Bob Gibson of the St. Louis Cards. During the sixties Gibby struck out 200 or more batters 7 times and he topped 20 victories four times. He was an All Star 6 times in the decade and he won 2 Gold Gloves, a Cy Young Award and 2 World Series rings. He owned the decade. It’s hard for anyone to compare to Gibson and Jake Peavy is the other dude on the card with Gibby. Peavy is representing the 2000s. Let’s see how he stacks up. JP struck out 200 or more guys 3 times. He didn’t top 20 wins, didn’t win any rings or Gold Gloves. He was an All Star twice and he did win a Cy Young Award in 2007. We will still just call him the other dude. The back of the card says the memorabilia was certified to be used in a MLB game. It doesn’t say by whom though. I am sure that Hoot has never been anywhere near that little gray swatch, but it does look old and that is enough to make me love it. Thanks Joe for a great contest and a great card!
The next two came from Wax Pack Relapse. The first one is number GM-SL and features a pair of third basemen, Mike Schmidt and Evan Longoria. Schmidt represents the 1980s and once again they picked the number one third baseman in the National League to represent that decade. In the 80’s Schmidt was an All Star 8 times, he won 7 Gold Gloves and 6 Silver Slugger Awards. He led the league in long balls 5 times and took home 3 MVP trophies. He also won a pair of National League Pennants and a World Championship in 1980. Paired with him on the other side, representing the 2000’s is Evan Longoria. Longo is off to a great start, he has a ton of potential, but he is a long way from Mike Schmidt. That’s okay though. Having a card of the greatest third baseman of the 80’s (the decade I grew up watching baseball) and the current star third baseman from my favorite team is pretty awesome. I don’t know if it gets better, but the next card is pretty close. This one is number (letter) GM-BL and features Wade Boggs (90’s) and Evan Longoria once again for the 2000s. If I had to choose I would pick Schmidt over Boggs, but there is something awesome about the pairing of Boggs and Longo. The card shows both of them in (Devil) Rays gear, hell the swatches are probably cut from the same rag. Boggs doesn’t rep his decade as well as Gibby or MJS, but he does okay. In the 1990’s Boggs was an All Star 7 times, a Silver Slugger 3 times and twice a Gold Glove. He also added a World Series victory and a ride on a horse in ’96 and he was an original Tampa Bay Devil Ray, PLUS he is the only one of the 6 guys shown here who can say he got 3000 hits. I like the pairing of the current star with the legend, but I think it works MUCH better when they are from the same team. I mentioned at the top that I am waiting on the Nolan Ryan and Scott Kazmir pairing from this set. I don’t mind that pairing because Kazmir IS the Rays original ACE. I would like a card of JP Howell and Esteban Yan, but I would probably be the only one. I should probably just look up the checklist, but I would rather just make up some more pairings that I think would be awesome. Ben Grieve and Carl Crawford, Fred McGriff and Carlos Pena, Quinton McCracken and BJ Upton, Wilson Alvarez and David Price, Rolando Arrojo and Matt Garza, Larry Doby and Grady Sizemore, Roberto Clemente and Andrew McCutchen, Danny Tartabull and Billy Butler, Tony Oliva and Delmon Young, Bobby Grich and Brian Roberts and the last one-Bert Blyleven and Pat Neshek, BRING IT!!! A huge thank you to both Cobb and Halladay and Wax Pack Relapse for the AMAZING cards!!! These are not only my first relics of Schmidt and Gibson; they are my first of Longo and Boggs, too. Thanks guys! Go Rays! troll out.