2008 Upper Deck Pickups

I bought 2 2008 Upper Deck cards on eBay of two of the worst pitchers in New York: Daisuke Matsuzaka and Phil Hughes.  Both pitchers have gone from the penthouse to the outhouse.  The Red Sox paid over $100 million for Dice-K.  He spent most of the year in the minors for the Indians and Mets.  Hughes has been terrible this year.  He has been relegated to the bullpen.  I doubt that the Yankees will re-sign him this winter.  So I figured that both cards couldn’t be worth less than they are right now. 

eBay Mailbag: Adam Wainwright

I bought this 2006 Bowman rookie card on eBay for just 6 cents shipped.  That’s a bargain for a pitcher of this caliber.  It always seems like Wainwright is injured.  But when he’s healthy, he is a stud.  I already had a Fleer Tradition rookie card from 2006 and this card is a nice addition. 

Teixeira Times Five

I don’t have many cards of Mark Teixeira wearing a Yankee uniform.  I now own 5 more and they are all identical.  I won 5 copies of Teixeira’s 2012 Bowman Platinum card for just 45 credits on Listia.  The card is quite a beauty.  And it was a good deal for a recent Yankee card.  Maybe I will put one of the cards up for bids on Listia to get some of my credits back. 

Exit Sandman

The Yankees held an outstanding ceremony before today’s game to honor Mariano Rivera.  I was surprised to see so many of Rivera’s past teammates in attendance.  I was even more surprised to see that Metallica was in attendance to perform Enter Sandman.  Rivera was showered with tons of gifts and love.  Fellow retiree Andy Pettitte started and was excellent.  Rivera pitched 1 2/3 innings.  However, the Yankees lost a tough game.  Hopes of a playoff berth look bleak. 

I've Struck Gold

I won 2 2013 Bowman Gold cards on eBay recently.  The cards of Yonder Alonso and Cody Ross cost me a dime each.  I don’t buy many Bowman products in any given year.  I probably own about 5 cards from this year’s base set.  But I like Gold parallels cards no matter who the player is on the card.  I am probably finished with my Bowman shopping for this year. 

Play at the Plate (Not the Blog)

I picked up this 2012 Topps card of Jacoby Ellsbury on Listia for just 12 credits.  It has such a great photo on it.  It shows a play at the plate against the Mariners.  The catcher’s helmet has already been knocked into the air.  The dirt is still flying.  It looks even cooler in landscape format.  I think the catcher is Miguel Olivo.  This card was certainly worth the credits. 

Upper Deck Icons Lot

I picked two cards on Listia from the 2009 Upper Deck Icons set.  These are just base cards of Nate McLouth and John Lackey.  I never bought any packs or boxes of these cards.  I only own a few base singles as a result of minor trades and purchases.  I have nothing against the set.  In fact, I rather enjoy the design and photos.  I think it was more of a value issue.  I could spend that money on other products. 

X Marks the Spot

I won a Listia auction for this 2008 Upper Deck X card of Cole Hamels for only 12 credits.  Not bad for a three time All-Star.  Hamels is quite the rich man.  He is in the middle of a 6 year, $144 million contract.  I never thought of Hamels as an elite pitcher deserving of that kind of money, but I don’t sign the checks.  He certainly isn’t deserving this year with such a terrible record.  In fairness, the team is terrible and Hamels has otherwise maintained decent numbers.  The Upper Deck X set consists of the player photo in front of a wacky “X” background.  It’s OK, but nothing great.  I can tolerate a few of these cards, but I am glad I didn’t purchase tons of this stuff back in the day.

Penthouse to the Outhouse

A few years ago, Alex Rodriguez was the first pick in my fantasy league.  I didn’t get him though.  This year, he was selected in the late rounds due to injury.  Today, something that would have been unthinkable just a few years ago happened.  I acquired A-Rod as a free agent after nobody made a claim for him on waivers.  How the mighty have fallen.  I love the Yankees, but I wish they could just dump A-Rod. 

Where is Cristian Guzman?

I bought a 2009 Topps Game Used bat card of Cristian Guzman on Listia for just 499 credits.  I would prefer the jersey over the bat, but the price was right.  Guzman has not seen Major League action since 2010.  I don’t think he is retired.  He just doesn’t play baseball anymore.