Willy batted .253 with 10 homers and 33 RBI in his first season in Tampa Bay. In the playoffs he caught fire, particularly in the ALCS, but overall he batted .353 with 2 homers and 7 RBI in the postseason. Aybar battled some injuries early this season, but after the release of Pat Burrell he found himself an everyday player. He can still fill in anywhere in the infield, but he is now the team’s main designated hitter. Over the last 7 games Aybar is batting .333 with a homer and 7 RBI. He produced a game winning homer last week and on Thursday he provided a walk-off RBI single in the 10th inning against the Twins. I have yet to find a certified autograph of Willy Aybar, but I am happy with this on-card, in person signed 2010 Upper Deck card. Go Rays! Troll out.
Showing posts with label 2010 Upper Deck. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 2010 Upper Deck. Show all posts
Sunday, July 4, 2010
2008 American League Champions Autograph Chase-Part 9
Happy 4th of July to all and welcome to part 9 in an ongoing series showcasing on-card autographs of all of the members of the 2008 American League Pennant winning Tampa Bay Rays. Willy Aybar came to the Rays right before spring training in 2008 via a trade with the Atlanta Braves. Willy made an immediate impact playing in 95 games and filling the role of super utility infielder. He logged time at all 4 infield positions as well as designated hitter. He was the replacement for both Evan Longoria and Carlos Pena when they missed time with injuries. Willy batted .253 with 10 homers and 33 RBI in his first season in Tampa Bay. In the playoffs he caught fire, particularly in the ALCS, but overall he batted .353 with 2 homers and 7 RBI in the postseason. Aybar battled some injuries early this season, but after the release of Pat Burrell he found himself an everyday player. He can still fill in anywhere in the infield, but he is now the team’s main designated hitter. Over the last 7 games Aybar is batting .333 with a homer and 7 RBI. He produced a game winning homer last week and on Thursday he provided a walk-off RBI single in the 10th inning against the Twins. I have yet to find a certified autograph of Willy Aybar, but I am happy with this on-card, in person signed 2010 Upper Deck card. Go Rays! Troll out.
Willy batted .253 with 10 homers and 33 RBI in his first season in Tampa Bay. In the playoffs he caught fire, particularly in the ALCS, but overall he batted .353 with 2 homers and 7 RBI in the postseason. Aybar battled some injuries early this season, but after the release of Pat Burrell he found himself an everyday player. He can still fill in anywhere in the infield, but he is now the team’s main designated hitter. Over the last 7 games Aybar is batting .333 with a homer and 7 RBI. He produced a game winning homer last week and on Thursday he provided a walk-off RBI single in the 10th inning against the Twins. I have yet to find a certified autograph of Willy Aybar, but I am happy with this on-card, in person signed 2010 Upper Deck card. Go Rays! Troll out.
Monday, May 17, 2010
Out of the Nest and Under the Bridge…
I haven’t posted a trade here in quite a while. I have so many great ones to post, but I thought I would start with a package I received from the Night Owl. The last time I got mail from my favorite bird he Nomo-ed me. I wasn’t pleased, so naturally I was a little apprehensive as I opened the package. Not only was this not a repeat Nomo attack, he attacked all facets of my want lists and odd personal collections. Any other fans of the All American Girls Professional Baseball League out there? I would love to hear from you if you are cuz I am. 
The Night Owl is apparently aware of my fandom for the AAGPBL cuz he sent me two sweet sample cards from the ’95 Frisch set. I really need to bite the bullet and send away for the whole 234 card set, (and now I have a coupon) but it is so much more fun hoping and occasionally one or two of these gems. The sample cards feature starting pitcher and 20-game winner Dorothy Wiltse who is #1 in the set and card # 61 of Dorothy Ferguson. 
One of the reasons I want the entire set is that I would really like to know how high the percentage of players named Dorothy is. They can’t all be Dorothy’s, can they?
From the Ladies of Baseball he went on to attack other facets of my collecting preferences. He knows I like Heritage Chromes and sent a few of them. 
What I like better than chromes is refractors and he hooked it up with this refractor of Rays new closer Rafael Soriano. 
On the refractor tip, here is a 2009 Topps Chrome refractor of former Rays lefty Scotty Kazmir AND an X Fractor of the Rays Gold Glove first baseman Carlos Pena from the same set. 
I like these a lot. I think these came from the dusty packs of chrome that the Owl acquired in late March. I am on a mission to collect the 8 card set of 2009 Chrome refractors and X Fractors. I am more than halfway there with each. A list will come soon...
From the super shiny Topps refractors right to the Upper Deck… Beginning with the FINAL Tampa Bay Rays card I needed to finish up the 2009 O-Pee-Chee set. I have been chasing this one for nearly a year and it feels great to cross the last name off of my want list. It is card #317 of Akinori Iwamura and is a rare action shot.
Nice! The Owl didn’t stop there. Oh no, there is plenty more to see here people… He hit up 2010 Upper Deck too. I think that his stance on this year’s Upper Deck is officially ANTI, but the two packs he bought were very Rays rich apparently. I was pleasantly surprised to see that these two were included in the set at all and I was thrilled to own them. 
Card #476 of Fernando Perez sliding in safely and card #483 of Saturday night’s hero Walk-off Willy Aybar. 
Moving right along onto 2008 Upper Deck X, here is an XPonential (X2) card of Rays All Star left fielder Carl Crawford. 
I have not ripped a single pack of X myself and I don’t intend to, but I think I would like to chase down all of the Crawford XPonential cards I can. I think this is the last square card I need, but I don’t have a cube root from any year… Moving back to Topps, 2006 Topps, of the GOLD variety, here is #519 of shortstop Julio Lugo. 
In 2005 Lugo batted .295 with 182 hits, 36 doubles, 6 triples and 6 homers, too. He also stole 39 bases, good enough for 4th in the AL. Sweet. The last couple of Topps cards I will post come from the 2010 set that I am so aggressively working on. First off is a Tales of the Game insert, card #TOG1 of Ty Cobb sliding in spikes up. 
A card I am happy with from an awful set I would never buy is this one from 2010 Topps Attax. Being a player collector you need to get some funky product every now and then. That said I am glad that I can scratch this off the list so I don’t need to yearn for a card from Attax. 
Okay, here is the final card I am going to show off. Normally I end my trade posts with a relic or autograph card, but this package went far beyond just mojo hits… I prefer refractors to relics anyway and I posted them first, so this card from History of the Game, #HOTG8 gets finale status. 
This card celebrates baseball being broadcast for the first time in August of 1921 by Harold Arlin. The photo is a close-up of an old style microphone. I really don’t think it is Arlin’s original mic and I also doubt it is from the 20’s. It looks more like a late 30’s style to me. The card rocks for a few reasons. One I need it for the set, but more importantly as a fellow broadcaster I collect cards of players holding microphones and broadcast equipment in general. In the last year this is the first microphone card I have got in the mail. I like it. 
I want to extend a GIGANTIC thank you to my friend the Night Owl. This is quite possibly the most thoughtful package I have ever received. I collect a lot of strange things and he somehow touched on almost all of them. Had he included Danny Tartabull, Buck O’Neil, Roberto Clemente and a sombrero card it would have truly been the most thoughtful pick me up EVER. Anyway, after the gift of no more Pat the Bat that Andrew Friedman gave me, the bar is pretty freaking high, but I will give this one 9 out of 10 Billy goats. Thanks so much Senor Owl, redemption is yours! I am officially relinquishing my grudge from the “oh no Nomo” attack. Go Rays! Troll out.
The Night Owl is apparently aware of my fandom for the AAGPBL cuz he sent me two sweet sample cards from the ’95 Frisch set. I really need to bite the bullet and send away for the whole 234 card set, (and now I have a coupon) but it is so much more fun hoping and occasionally one or two of these gems. The sample cards feature starting pitcher and 20-game winner Dorothy Wiltse who is #1 in the set and card # 61 of Dorothy Ferguson. One of the reasons I want the entire set is that I would really like to know how high the percentage of players named Dorothy is. They can’t all be Dorothy’s, can they?From the Ladies of Baseball he went on to attack other facets of my collecting preferences. He knows I like Heritage Chromes and sent a few of them. What I like better than chromes is refractors and he hooked it up with this refractor of Rays new closer Rafael Soriano. On the refractor tip, here is a 2009 Topps Chrome refractor of former Rays lefty Scotty Kazmir AND an X Fractor of the Rays Gold Glove first baseman Carlos Pena from the same set. I like these a lot. I think these came from the dusty packs of chrome that the Owl acquired in late March. I am on a mission to collect the 8 card set of 2009 Chrome refractors and X Fractors. I am more than halfway there with each. A list will come soon...From the super shiny Topps refractors right to the Upper Deck… Beginning with the FINAL Tampa Bay Rays card I needed to finish up the 2009 O-Pee-Chee set. I have been chasing this one for nearly a year and it feels great to cross the last name off of my want list. It is card #317 of Akinori Iwamura and is a rare action shot.
Nice! The Owl didn’t stop there. Oh no, there is plenty more to see here people… He hit up 2010 Upper Deck too. I think that his stance on this year’s Upper Deck is officially ANTI, but the two packs he bought were very Rays rich apparently. I was pleasantly surprised to see that these two were included in the set at all and I was thrilled to own them. Card #476 of Fernando Perez sliding in safely and card #483 of Saturday night’s hero Walk-off Willy Aybar. Moving right along onto 2008 Upper Deck X, here is an XPonential (X2) card of Rays All Star left fielder Carl Crawford. I have not ripped a single pack of X myself and I don’t intend to, but I think I would like to chase down all of the Crawford XPonential cards I can. I think this is the last square card I need, but I don’t have a cube root from any year… Moving back to Topps, 2006 Topps, of the GOLD variety, here is #519 of shortstop Julio Lugo. In 2005 Lugo batted .295 with 182 hits, 36 doubles, 6 triples and 6 homers, too. He also stole 39 bases, good enough for 4th in the AL. Sweet. The last couple of Topps cards I will post come from the 2010 set that I am so aggressively working on. First off is a Tales of the Game insert, card #TOG1 of Ty Cobb sliding in spikes up. A card I am happy with from an awful set I would never buy is this one from 2010 Topps Attax. Being a player collector you need to get some funky product every now and then. That said I am glad that I can scratch this off the list so I don’t need to yearn for a card from Attax. Okay, here is the final card I am going to show off. Normally I end my trade posts with a relic or autograph card, but this package went far beyond just mojo hits… I prefer refractors to relics anyway and I posted them first, so this card from History of the Game, #HOTG8 gets finale status. This card celebrates baseball being broadcast for the first time in August of 1921 by Harold Arlin. The photo is a close-up of an old style microphone. I really don’t think it is Arlin’s original mic and I also doubt it is from the 20’s. It looks more like a late 30’s style to me. The card rocks for a few reasons. One I need it for the set, but more importantly as a fellow broadcaster I collect cards of players holding microphones and broadcast equipment in general. In the last year this is the first microphone card I have got in the mail. I like it. I want to extend a GIGANTIC thank you to my friend the Night Owl. This is quite possibly the most thoughtful package I have ever received. I collect a lot of strange things and he somehow touched on almost all of them. Had he included Danny Tartabull, Buck O’Neil, Roberto Clemente and a sombrero card it would have truly been the most thoughtful pick me up EVER. Anyway, after the gift of no more Pat the Bat that Andrew Friedman gave me, the bar is pretty freaking high, but I will give this one 9 out of 10 Billy goats. Thanks so much Senor Owl, redemption is yours! I am officially relinquishing my grudge from the “oh no Nomo” attack. Go Rays! Troll out.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
My 255th Carl Crawford Card is a 2010!!!
(WARNING-This post is NOT licensed by Major League Baseball)
I read on several different blogs today that trading has slowed down. I personally would disagree with that statement. I am happily buried in cardboard… Payment packages for the next rip, the Spring Break Packs Gone Wild! Rip have started rolling in and I am still getting more from the last one. Anyway, I am loving the full mail box life and I am loving life with players rolling into sunny Florida. Last night I ran into one of the newest members of the Minnesota Twins and one of my personal favorite sluggers of all time. That was awesome! This post is gonna focus on something else that is awesome. For those of you who religiously check my Carl Crawford Collection page, you know that I have not gotten my hands on any Carl Crawford 2010 cards yet. Well, that changed yesterday with an awesome package from Steve of the White Sox Cards blog. Steve hooked me up huge, but this post is going to focus on one card in particular, the 255th different Carl Crawford card in my collection. 
When I opened the envelope and saw this I flipped out a little bit. I don’t have a ton of CC relic cards, but I have searched and found 100s online, so I recognize most cards even if I don’t actually own them. This one stumped me; it didn’t look like anything I had ever seen before. That was because it is from 2010 Upper Deck!!! I was psyched. I had bought my single pack of this product out of curiosity and even though I thought it looked somewhat decent considering it is license free, I didn’t like it enough to pay 3 bucks a pack for it. Especially with the 2010 Topps right beside it with a license, a better design and a lower price tag. Seriously Upper Deck. I work for you and I know you aren’t paying us nearly what Topps photographers make, I know it doesn’t cost 30 cents to print a card and I know you aren’t paying for licensing. Where does all the cash go? I guess this isn’t the appropriate time for this as this is a happy time and I am jumping out of my skin in excitement over this one! It has a catchy design to it, a nice swatch of fabric and a small photo of CC batting with a close-up pic (with his hat obscured like the neighbor on Home Improvement). The top reads: outfield, Carl Crawford, UD Game Jersey and it says Tampa Bay in small red letters on the side. 
The congratulation portion on the back is signed by Richard P. McWilliam of the Upper Deck Company as it has for a while, but the wording is a bit different now. Now it says: “You have received a trading card with Carl Crawford Game-Used baseball memorabilia. The memorabilia has been certified to us as having been used in a baseball game. We hope you enjoy this piece of baseball history as we continue to keep you as close as you can get!”
The part that gets me is “having been used in a baseball game.” There are a lot of things used in a baseball game and there are a lot of things that qualify as a baseball game. Obviously we have always had our doubts about what player wore what swatches, but at least they were from a MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL GAME! I don’t know Upper Deck… If this were a brand new company trying to break into the market, I would say great job and A for effort, but they aren’t… Either way, I am THRILLED with the card. Thanks so much Steve! Even though I am NOT a fan of the Chicago White Sox anymore-there are a few players like Billy Pierce, Minnie Minoso, Larry Doby, Danny Tartabull, Ray Durham, Nellie Fox and Chico Carrasquel who I am a big fan of. I have always enjoyed reading your blog and learning from your vast knowledge of the team and its history. Seriously, you are the blog where I have EVER read about my buddy Rich Saveur. White Sox Cards is one of the elite-it is among the BEST baseball blogs out there. Keep up the great work. Thanks so much for this awesome card and everything else you sent. I can’t wait to show off the other goodies you sent my way! If anyone else out there has CC cards to spare, you can read my complete list HERE. Go Rays! Troll out.
When I opened the envelope and saw this I flipped out a little bit. I don’t have a ton of CC relic cards, but I have searched and found 100s online, so I recognize most cards even if I don’t actually own them. This one stumped me; it didn’t look like anything I had ever seen before. That was because it is from 2010 Upper Deck!!! I was psyched. I had bought my single pack of this product out of curiosity and even though I thought it looked somewhat decent considering it is license free, I didn’t like it enough to pay 3 bucks a pack for it. Especially with the 2010 Topps right beside it with a license, a better design and a lower price tag. Seriously Upper Deck. I work for you and I know you aren’t paying us nearly what Topps photographers make, I know it doesn’t cost 30 cents to print a card and I know you aren’t paying for licensing. Where does all the cash go? I guess this isn’t the appropriate time for this as this is a happy time and I am jumping out of my skin in excitement over this one! It has a catchy design to it, a nice swatch of fabric and a small photo of CC batting with a close-up pic (with his hat obscured like the neighbor on Home Improvement). The top reads: outfield, Carl Crawford, UD Game Jersey and it says Tampa Bay in small red letters on the side. The congratulation portion on the back is signed by Richard P. McWilliam of the Upper Deck Company as it has for a while, but the wording is a bit different now. Now it says: “You have received a trading card with Carl Crawford Game-Used baseball memorabilia. The memorabilia has been certified to us as having been used in a baseball game. We hope you enjoy this piece of baseball history as we continue to keep you as close as you can get!”The part that gets me is “having been used in a baseball game.” There are a lot of things used in a baseball game and there are a lot of things that qualify as a baseball game. Obviously we have always had our doubts about what player wore what swatches, but at least they were from a MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL GAME! I don’t know Upper Deck… If this were a brand new company trying to break into the market, I would say great job and A for effort, but they aren’t… Either way, I am THRILLED with the card. Thanks so much Steve! Even though I am NOT a fan of the Chicago White Sox anymore-there are a few players like Billy Pierce, Minnie Minoso, Larry Doby, Danny Tartabull, Ray Durham, Nellie Fox and Chico Carrasquel who I am a big fan of. I have always enjoyed reading your blog and learning from your vast knowledge of the team and its history. Seriously, you are the blog where I have EVER read about my buddy Rich Saveur. White Sox Cards is one of the elite-it is among the BEST baseball blogs out there. Keep up the great work. Thanks so much for this awesome card and everything else you sent. I can’t wait to show off the other goodies you sent my way! If anyone else out there has CC cards to spare, you can read my complete list HERE. Go Rays! Troll out.
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