More Goodies From Roll out the Barrel and Democratic Roadkill aka Aki and Goodwin's Mania!!!!!

The last two posts I have made have been Brian Roberts cards courtesy of Roll out the Barrel and a plethora of Ginter minis from Democratic Roadkill. I am gonna kill two birds with one stone and post up a few of the other cards they sent my way… First off a fun-sized Goodwin’s Champions card of former Rays Ace, Scott Kazmir. The blog-o-sphere has been very, very kind in sharing their Goodwin’s Rays cards with me. Beardy, Cobb and Halladay, Democratic Roadkill, My Past Time, JDs Wild Cardz, Padrographs and Roll out the Barrel have all hooked me up with Goodwin’s a plenty… In fact, other than funky variations that I don’t really know about, I think I have every card except Evan Longoria and Carl Crawford. I have every regular mini except for CC, Pena and James Shields, but, thanks to CaH, I have sweet foil cards of them. Not too bad considering that I haven’t ripped ANY Goodwin’s at all… Anyway, here is the cloudy Kazmir and if anyone has Carl Crawford or Evan Longoria to spare, send em my way! These two Aki minis came from Democratic Roadkill. He knows how much I love the Rays speedy second baseman. I think I have shown these minis before, so how about a shot of the back of the card? He didn’t stop with the minis though, he added along a Goodwin’s full sized card for good measure. I do like the look of these cards. It is weird to me because that is a really old picture of Aki used in the rendering and the background, although cool and old timey, just doesn’t make sense for a player who plays in a dome. Anyway, Aki Rules and these are fancy and cool looking cards. Speaking of fancy-Duane added in a 4th Goodwin’s Aki card in the package! This one is from the memorabilia series and has a sweet gray swatch in the shape of an M on the front. I guess that the M stands for memorabilia? It obviously doesn’t stand for Aki or Rays, maybe TaMpa Bay? I don’t know, but I like it! I am terribly nervous that the Rays are not going to resign Iwamura, which would be tragic. He was a huge part of their rebuilding effort and their success in 2008. He is unmatched defensively at both 2nd and 3rd base, he’s just too valuable an asset to let slip away and I know the Dodgers, Marlins and Mariners are all seriously interested and so are their fans. I can’t go a whole post without including a Carl Crawford card and I do LOVE these Carolina blue Bowman’s! This is a 2009, card #149 and is serial numbered 437/500. Okay, I am going to show one last card from Duane for now. I still haven’t unveiled the surprise he sent in the last package and no one has guessed what it was, here is the hint again. With all these awesome cards I am showing, you would think these are it, but it actually gets even better! I had horrible luck with 2009 Allen Ginter. I had fun putting together the set, but I bought way too many blasters and didn’t pull many relics at all. I didn’t even realize that BJ had a relic in there, but here it is! I really liked his base card this year with the yellow background, but it is very cool that they had a totally new pose for this relic. Thanks so much Duane, your kindness is mind-blowing!
Now, back to Ed… This last trade we did he sent me stuff that I was just getting to pass along to someone else. I asked him for Grady Sizemore cards to use as trade bait and he delivered! Having so many cool and different Grady cards I almost thought of keeping them and starting a new collection, but I did the right thing and moved them on to a proper fan… He did include something awesome for me, though, so this greedy card hoarding Troll was happy. It was actually my first ever Matt Garza relic, from Upper Deck X. It is one of those cards where it says he is on the Tampa Bay Rays, but shows him in a Twins uniform. I really don’t care much for those, but I was still excited to add a Garza relic to the old collection. I know have relics of three of their current starting five (Shields, Niemann and now Garza) which means I will be on the lookout for David Price, Wade Davis and/or Andy Sonnanstine. Anyway, Garza isn’t my favorite Ray on the team. I think it’s because of all of the spitting. I don’t care for that. He had a rough year this season in the win loss department, but actually pitched really well. His ERA was 3.95 (16th in AL) and his 189 strikeouts were good for 9th in the League, but his 8-12 just didn’t look too good. He did much better on turf this year (7-5) than he did on grass (1-7) and after the All Star break he didn’t have too many decisions, but was 2-5 when he did. He’s like BJ Upton though, you know he’s capable, you just wait for it. Last year Garza was the ALCS MVP and was untouchable against Boston. He was 2-0 with a 1.38 ERA in that Series and he Ked 25 Sox in 25 innings. I hope come Opening Day that the 2008 version of Matt Garza shows up to play. If that Garza is out there, I could almost excuse the spitting… Okay, that is all for now. I still have a number of things from DR that I still need to post and I probably have more from RotB, too. As often as I trade with both of these guys, I could conceivably have something in my mailbox tomorrow from either one of them. I will end this post with a little begging… If anyone has Aki cards from this year’s Goodwin’s Champions that I didn’t list here, I want them! I want to be an Aki completist for that set cuz I am so close. Also, my Carl Crawford list is up and is up to date. I seriously thought I was at 200 different cards of him, but unless I have card gnomes stealing them while I sleep, I only ever actually had 129. Much of what I am missing is base cards, so help a Troll out! The list is here: http://collectivetroll.webs.com/crawford.htm Speaking of links... I have started posting regularly on my ’78 Topps blog so please check that out and add it to your blog rolls if you would - http://1978topps.blogspot.com/ I promise to catch up on new acquisitions one of these days. I still have some really awesome stuff to post from JDs Wild, My Past Time and Cobb and Halladay, plus more from Democratic Roadkill, plus my take on the World Series and a profile of young Wade Davis, so stay tuned! Thanks again ED and DUANE, you guys ROCK!!! Oh, and if you wondering about the card on the top of the post, that falls into the category of a wishlist card...Go Rays! Troll out.

Another Long Overdue Trade Post-B-Robs From Roll out the Barrel!!!

Yesterday I posted the Brian Roberts cards that Beardy had sent me, so today I will post the ones that Ed from Roll out the Barrel sent to me. I received both on the very same day (last month) but a coin flip decided which package would get posted first and Beardy won. Ed and I have swapped cards more than any other person in the world. I think we have done about 15 trades in less than 6 months. Every time I tell him that I am out of Brewers and I can’t trade anymore, more Brewers cards find me, they have a way of doing that. I actually have more un-posted cards from Ed, so getting these out of the way is a good thing, plus now that Roberts has his own spot in a new binder, I can’t wait to get these in there. This puts me over 27 cards and stretches the collection out onto a 4th page. When I posted the other B-Robs yesterday, I gushed about some of his stats, well, with the season over, they haven’t changed so I won’t repost his statistics, but I will say that this season, at 31 years old, he posted career highs in games, doubles, RBI and runs scored. Not too shabby. Anyway, for the sake of making this post quick so I can go to bed, here are my four favorite new B-Rob cards that traveled all the way from Wisconsin… I showed the 2009 version last night, here is the 2008-Upper Deck X card # 9. I really liked the Fleer Traditions card series. I like the little hat in the corner ala 1981 Topps and i like the action batting shot on this 2006 card, #116. Chrome makes every card look cooler including this 2008 Topps Chrome, card #89. Even though I have never bought a pack of this brand in my life, I do miss Flair. Those were some fancy and shiny cards. This one is from 2006, card #20. The last one is often the best and this is no exception. I posted my first B-Rob bat card yesterday; well this is my first B-Rob game worn jersey. It is from the 2009 A Piece of History set, it is card #FH-BR. It is actually the first Piece of History card that I have gotten that has a piece of anything on it, so that counts for something. The FH in the number stands for Franchise History and to celebrate that, the back of the card lists the team’s record the previous season. The Orioles didn’t have a great year this season, or in 2008. Something about seeing their 68-93 record all big and bold on the back of the card is both sad and funny to me. Thanks again Ed! You have come through again and again and again and I truly appreciate it! I am tracking down Brewers for you at this very moment. These cards are only half of what came in this particular trade, if you guessed that the other half was Rays cards, you would be correct and if you guessed that I will post them soon, you are once again correct! Thanks again for the trade, as always you rock! Go Rays! Go Roberts! Troll out.

Another Awesome Trade With Roll out the Barrel!

In keeping with the theme of catching up on trades, here is a big one from my FAVORITE trading partner, Ed from Roll out the Barrel. He is a Wisconsinite and a die-hard fan of the Brew Crew. I have a knack for yanking cards of Mr. Braun and the Prince so things seem to work out for us. I don't know exactly, but I believe this is like our 5th or 50th trade, and I have been really happy with all of them. Basically, any Brewers cards that I pull go right to Ed, you should do the same! Well, both of our teams have been complete disappointments this year, but we still back ‘em, so it is all good! Anyway, I got this package today, he had sent me some cards a few weeks back, but they were mixed up a while back. These came with a note that said “I needed to even up after the last trade”. Okay, I will take his word for it, I guess. I don’t recall being unhappy, but I let out a school girl like (ask my wife) scream when I opened up the cards…I will start with the good and leave the best for last. He sent along two 2007 Bowman Heritage foil cards. I will say for the record that I think this is a really awesome set. Do they make these anymore? I had collected the set and had gotten pretty close, but I decided to break it to make some trades and earn some trading partners. I never owned these shiny specimens. He sent card #160 of Carl Crawford and card #198 of his neighbor in the outfield, BJ Upton. He also sent a 2008 (I think) RED Turkey Red card of CC. I have never seen a red Turkey Red so I know I don’t have this. It looks cool, I think I would like some more! Speaking of more, he sent another CC card. This one is a 2007 SPX Gold Winning Materials card with a serial number and all. The number is 113 of 199. I already had a BJ Upton card from this series, so they make a nice pair. The Upton card has a white swatch and the CC has a grey one. I don’t know how many CC relics I have now, but I know when I started this blog I had one. I think this card may put me up to 15. I almost feel guilty for the all of the generosity you fellow bloggers have shown me. Thanks to everyone! Speaking of generous…The last card in the package was very generous! Not many people are willing to give up Jason Bartlett cards these days, but sent me the coolest one possible. It’s from the 2007 Upper Deck Elements set, card #AU (gold!)-BT with a sweet signature in the bottom corner. Any Bartlett cards are welcome here, but autographed cards are AWESOME!!! Thanks again to Ed for going above and beyond the call of blog-duty. Thanks to him and all of the awesome traders, my Rays case is looking like this. Happy 9-Nine-9 to all! Go Rays! Let’s win one for a change! Troll out.

Best Mailday EVER!!! A Quick Post Before Skool...

So today was the best mail day ever in the Troll Post Office box… Four amazing trade packages from Greg of “No One’s Gonna Read This Blog”, Wicked Ortega’s “My Pastime, I Love It!”, a surprise package from my buddy Ed of “Roll Out The Barrel” fame and a long awaited package from Captain Canuck which took nearly a month to get here, but arrived unscathed. There were also a few TTM envelopes, 3 to be exact. Two of them were responses from my "Tampa Bay Rays’ Autograph Project" and came from outfielder Matt Joyce and left-handed pitcher Chris Seddon (who belongs in the Big Leagues-more in-depth post to come!). The 3rd came from former Negro League outfielder and first baseman Art “Superman” Pennington. It didn’t include an autograph (which is fine) but did include this note. If you can’t read it, it says “Thanks for your very Long letter. It will cost you $25.00 to answer all you want. Thanks for your letter, Art “Superman” Pennington”
It was a long letter. I write my letters like I write my posts and the poor guy had to read 5 pages handwritten and I did ask a ton of questions… It’s funny (to me) that this is the first post I’ve written since the Bronson Arroyo one. This is quite different. Unlike Mr. Arroyo, this guy is 86 years-old, never came close to making a living (never mind a fortune) playing ball and he DID reply. I fully intend on sending him the requested money (the wife has already approved it!) and I will probably send a fifty just because... I can share his address and autograph rates with anyone who would like it. This guy is a living legend. I have to go to school-more to come, I promise!

Another Trade With Roll Out The Barrel

I had sent Ed from Roll Out The Barrel a handful of Brew Crew cards a few weeks back, he sent a starter lot of 2008 Heritage High numbers in return. I thought the trade was complete, but mega-awesome guy that he is; he sent me another package, over flowing with cool Rays cards. Here’s a sample of what he sent…
I love the photography on the regular 2008 Upper Decks. I never get tired of getting these. I received a bunch of 2008 Upper Deck Rays cards, including reliever Scott Dohmann, who is playing in Japan right now for the Hiroshima Toyo Carp.
He sent along a stack (looks like the entire team set) of 2006 Topps cards. This was just 3 years ago, but Carl Crawford is the only guy included in the set who is still on the team. I can’t believe all 3 of these guys are playing for our enemies in the American League East.
Another x-Ray who is doing well is Jonny Gomes. He was signed to a minor league contract by the Reds this offseason. He started the year in AAA, but got the call up last month and has been on a tear, keeping his average north of .300 since joining the Reds.
He included the first card I’ve seen from the 2009 Goudey set, card #186 of lefty, Scott Kazmir. He included another team set from ’08 Goudey, too. The coolest (read shiniest) card in the bunch is this 2008 Topps Heritage high-number card of

Andy Sonnanstine. It’s a chrome refractor and is chrome-a-riffic! It is serial numbered 292/559. I love the serial numbered card; it makes me feel like I am part of an exclusive club.
A 2007 Carlos Pena GOLD card. I’ve been getting a lot of Topps goldies in trade lately, but this is my first Pena, and they are serial numbered, too. This one is 0201/2007. Gold club, baby!
To go with the stack of 2006 Topps, there was a bunch of 2007 Topps and some cool 2008 Topps, too. Since I didn’t rip any of this, it was a great treat.
There were a couple of 2007 Fleer Ultras, including card #176 of the speedy Carl Crawford. He included a handful of 2008 Upper Deck “A Piece of History” cards including ex-Ray Jeff Ridgway (traded to Braves for Willy Aybar), Jeff Nieman, Justin Ruggiano and Carl Crawford. The cards look cool with the gray border and the carnival font listing their position, but the name of the card indicates that it should have some type of a piece of history included. There isn’t, good looking cards though. Its kind of like getting “Co-Signers” cards that don’t have autographs on them, it’s confusing.
I really like the 2008 Turkey Red cards. Although BJ looks like a golfer in this shot, I enjoy that the back of the card lists everyone as a “Prominent Baseball Player”, very classy.

He threw in a 2007 Red, too. This one has a portrait of Carl Crawford making a diving catch. Suitable for framing.

He rounded out the package with a couple of Longo cards, including a 2009 Topps that actually has stats on the back! Thanks again Ed! You rock out loud! I was planning having you and Thorzul duke it out next time I pull a shiny Brewers card, but I think you just earned the edge.