Floating Heads and License Plates: Cards from Royals and Randoms!

Josh over at Royals and Randoms recently had some 2013 Topps trade bait up for grabs, and along with the couple of cards I requested, he sent a boatload of PC needs my way. Check them out!

What a way to start. A Matt Moore floating head for my Moore PC? Fantastic!

I'm learning quickly that the 2012 Triple Play puzzle piece cards, like the Halladay on the bottom here, are going to be the hardest finds. I'd really rather not buy a box if I don't have to, so if you have any of these off my wantlist, let me know! Maybe I can finish this set before the next presidential election.

Some Dale Murphy additions, including a neat oddball Rite Aid card. Any grammar police out there, please tell me: is the apostrophe in MVP's used correctly?

 I've had a couple of people ask me about whether I like Dale Murphy Phillies stuff. I have mixed feelings on them: I don't necessarily "like" them, but that doesn't mean that I won't take them.

Some Chili! Davis is still working as the Oakland A's hitting coach, and is trying to help Cuban OF Yoenis Cespedes this spring training.

I thought this Pinnacle write-up on Davis was pretty interesting...who know Chili Davis was the X-factor for Minnesota? I'll consider it catharsis that I, a Braves fan, collect the supposed player that propelled the Twins to beat my team back in 1991.

Josh also sent me some David Eckstein PC needs - these from his time with the Anaheim Angels.

And another floating head!

This Chipper Jones card reminds me of license plates that I've seen for bicycles - it's about the same size.

These were the two cards that I actually requested from Josh - everything else you've seen was what he generously threw in!

Here's a Chipper floating head...and shoulders.

Finally, a Chipper Jones painting on a modern-day Diamond King. Unlike earlier DK cards illustrated by Dick Perez, this was done by artist David Kramer, who still actively paints today. I wonder how much these baseball cards helped his portfolio...

Thanks so much to Josh for the cards!

Cards from Baseball Dad!

 

Awhile back I claimed a card in Jack of All Tribe Baseball's card giveaway. In addition to my claimed card (an Astros Toy's-R-Us parallel) Jack generously threw in a bunch of set needs. And here they be:

 First, a bunch of cards off my 2012 Panini Triple Play set. I'm still working on this-find my wantlist here.

Also some cards for my 2003 Topps set. Here's an Aaron Boone Reds card. Do any bloggers collect autograph signing cards like these?

Nice submarine delivery, Chad. Nice turtleneck too, by the way.

Here we get into some overlap with my David Eckstein PC. If anyone has a copy of this card, I'd take one for the PC and keep this one in the set.

You don't see this pose very often on a card...if this shot was taken at Coors field though, It couldn't have been a rare occurrence.

 Jerry looks too young to be a manager-kids these days...

 

And a trio of Braves to finish it off. I don't know how I could not like that throwback uniform Smoltzie is wearing. Interestingly, it doesn't look like Bobby Cox has had any cards since 2010, according to the venerable Trading Card Database. Just wait till Bobby's eligible for the Hall of Fame next year; Panini will be churning out unlicensed cards of him like there's no tomorrow.

So there you have it. Thanks so much to Jack, and I look forward to sending you many Indian cards in the future!

Trade With Fantastic Catch, Part 2

Back in the summer, I posted up the first part of some trades I've made with Wes of Fantastic Catch. I've been alternately too lazy or too busy (mostly the latter) to post these up, mostly because, alas, I have joined the online site Listia. As better writers have chronicled, Listia allows you to take other people's stuff (with computer money) for free (in real-life money). I haven't listed many cards yet, but if you're interested in some Miami Dolphins swag, find my auctions here.

I didn't scan them, but Wes also sent several Sports Illustrated clippings of the MLB season preview issue. The Braves surprised a lot of folks by beating out the Nats for the NL East this year, including SI.

Cards now, here we go:

Obverse and reverse of a Warren Spahn reprint card. Classic uniforms plus cartoons of a guy swinging at a pitch over his shoulder? Too good to resist.

Braves beards, past and present. Fun fact, courtesy of Wikipedia: Bob Wickman was good at throwing sinker pitches, which he credited a childhood farming accident (involving a fan?) with helping him to do.

This was a 1988 Topps Coin of half-smiling Dale Murphy from my and Weston's meetup last spring (first blogger-to-blogger one for me). You think he looks bored now, just be glad he's not on a cheap non-metal Topps Chip(z?).

Some nice photos for these cards. I really like the shot of Heyward sliding. J-Hey hasn't had near as many steals as last year, sitting at 2 with a handful of games to go, compared to last year when he had 21.

 Bo, Chip, and Murphy! Let's see the back of the Chipper card:

When you're a non-MLB licensed card manufacturer, you gotta do what it takes to fill up card backs. Apparently, that includes cutting and pasting from players' websites.

Now, this ought to be a good sign! (This particular bunch of cards was for my birthday back in, oh, February. I'm playing catchup.)

 Some 2013 parallels of fellow Alabama boy Hank Aaron. So far so great!

I really wish all blue parallels could be numbered cards, like these Opening Day parallels.

Up Close and Personal with David Justice? Sounds like something that would be on VH1. The Heritage insert below it is, in contrast, a neat idea (design-wise).

 A fantastic mess of Chipper Jones cards!

I feel like I have almost as many black OPC parallels as I do white base ones from that 2009 set. Most of these have in fact come from Wes.

Some more Hank Aaron goodness...

 And PC needs as well!

Eric O'Flaherty is about to be able to stop signing autographs in the clubhouse and get back on the field-according to the AJC he's recently started rehab from Tommy John surgery. Nevertheless, this is a pretty sig from what I believe was a through-the-mail autograph request.

 Why Allen and Ginter is not really that lame.

2010 Topps Pro Debut Freddie Freeman Blue parallel, numbered 148/369

It's so weird how pictures of athletes such as Freddie on cards can make them seem so young. Wearing #30 just yesterday, now he's getting ejected in games against the Brewers. That said, Carlos Gomez was rather a jerk.

Target red parallel of Jair Jurjenns! I almost never get these, so receiving this one was fantastic (pun completely intended)!

Salcedo and Simmons and (another) Freeman, oh my! Even a Matt Moore in there for my PC! A great way to round out the package, and a big thank you to Weston over at Fantastic Catch for the trades. Till next post, see you on Listia!

Trade With Weston of Fantastic Catch, Part One!

I'm back. Undaunted by summer allergies and a weekend trip to Montgomery (post upcoming about that), I'm here to recount a fantastic series of trades with Weston of blog Fantastic Catch. Since he and I have swapped a lot of cards, I'm going to break this up into a few posts. I have to say it's been odd not blogging for a couple of weeks. Last night, I think I dreamed of trying to hold another contest. Anyway...

Included along with the following cards were some Sports Illustrated Braves baseball preview article clippings. A while back, SI famously did a baseball preview on Sidd Finch for April Fool's day. As I prepare to fly to Boston this weekend for the Harvard journalism camp, I thought it was cool that Sidd also reputedly attended Harvard.

What would improve Topps Opening Day? As has been chronicled by other blogs, it's basically a mimicry of the base set, only with different inserts and photos of Tim Hudson (hoping he gets well soon, by the way). If Opening Day is going to be released after S1, I'd agree that the two products need to be merged. What do you think?

Some goofy cards I found. Aside from the blank stares of Harper and Smith, something seems odd about Cliff Speck's photo. And apparently, Chris Seelbach lives on the baseball field.

These were some nice cards of Christian Bethancourt, now toiling in the minor leagues for the Mississippi Braves. If the Braves ever change their minor league team names to not reflect the parent club's, I vote for changing Mississippi's to the Queens. If you know what I mean...

Some long-lost 2010 set needs! Still looking for J-Hey's rookie card and the Dale Murphy SP...if you have these available for trade, let me know!

Last, some Eckstein PC needs! Eck recently surfaced as an assistant coach for the USA U18 team for the World Cup in late August. It'll be interesting to see whether Eckstein becomes a coach in the major leagues down the road. I wonder, Can he or anyone inculate hustle? What about grit?

Thanks to Weston for the cards, and look for another post sooner than in two weeks!