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. 

Shiny Chrome Cards

I picked up a pair of Topps Chrome cards on Listia recently.  I don’t invest much money in Topps Chrome and even less in Bowman Chrome.  The first card is a 2009 Jeff Samardzija.  The second card is a 2012 Jon Lester.  I like shiny cards but Chrome can be condition sensitive.  Also, they don't scan well.  Anyway, these two cards set me back a total of 24 credits, so I still haven’t invested much into my Topps Chrome collection. 

Unlicensed Goodies

I picked up a game used jersey card of Brett Anderson on Listia recently.  This card has a couple of things working against it.  First, it is an unlicensed card with no mention of team names which I find to be quite cheesy.  Second, it has a crease between the jersey swatches.  Third, Anderson is on the DL with foot problems.  In fairness, this is a pretty good looking card and I got a good deal on it. 

Remember Dice-K?

I picked up this Starquest insert of Daisuke Matsuzaka on eBay for 10 cents.  It’s not much of an insert since these came one to each pack.  This is a common rather than an uncommon or rare.  Matsuzaka’s contract was certain rare when he came to the states.  However, he has gone from the $51 million man to a AAA pitcher for the Indians.  By the way, he is 2-6 so far this year.  In short, he stinks.