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. 

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.

I Think I Bought Some Rookie Cards

I picked up 2 2008 Bowman Chrome Rookie Cards on eBay for 12 cents shipped.  The first card is David Purcey of the Blue Jays.  Actually, Purcey’s true rookie cards were made in 2004 and include several autographs.  The second card is Greg Smith of the Oakland Athletics.  Smith had a few cards in 2007 though.  Figuring out what was a rookie card was a heck of a lot easier before these logos came about.  Can anyone dispute that 1989 was Ken Griffey’s rookie year?  I don’t even need a logo to tell me that. 

Brandon Webb, We Hardly Knew Ye

I purchased a UD Masterpieces card of Brandon Webb on eBay for 3 cents shipped.  I have a liking for the bumpy texture on these cards.  Also, there is no gloss on these cards.  The cards just feel right in your hand.  I didn’t realize this, but Webb actually retired earlier this year.  That’s a shame because he had tons of talent.  Injuries betrayed Webb throughout his career. 

More Stadium Club Love

I purchased this 2008 Stadium Club card of David Purcey for only 6 cents on eBay.  I have a thing for 2008 Stadium Club.  The photography is excellent and the lack of borders is a refreshing change.  Purcey was a prospect for the Blue Jays for a few years.  He last appeared in the big leagues in 2011.  Since then he has been around the minors.  He is currently playing for the AAA Charlotte Knights in the White Sox organization. 

Clay Buchholz's "Rookie" Card

I picked up a 2008 UD First Edition “rookie” card of Clay Buchholz on eBay for 6 cents shipped.  First Edition is the cheaper cousin of the regular Upper Deck set.  So far this season, Buchholz has been a stud.  He has a tiny ERA and 4 wins to show for his efforts.  This will change if history tells us anything. 

Who is German Duran, You Ask?

I paid 6 cents for this 2008 Stadium Club card of German Duran on eBay recently.  I really liked the design of 2008 Stadium Club.  The photographs are second to none.  Also, the set contained several autographs that can be purchased on the cheap.  Bring back Stadium Club Topps!  Duran had a brief major league stint in 2008.  Since then, he has floated around the minors.  I think I only bought this card because I like Stadium Club. 

Bowman Gold for a Dime

I recently purchased a 2008 Bowman Gold card of Hunter Pence on eBay for 10 cents.  The card was listed as a regular Bowman card rather than as a Gold card.  That might explain the price.  Pence has become a bit of a journeyman over the past couple of years.  He signed a new deal with the Giants, so maybe he has found a new home. 

A Robinson Cano Addition

I bought this 2008 UD First Edition card of Robinson Cano on eBay.  The price was 6 cents shipped.  I am a Yankee fan so that was a pretty good deal.  I was surprised that I won this card for so cheap.  First Edition is the equivalent of Topps Opening Day.  It is non-glossy and no frills.  But that’s OK with me. 

More Garrett Atkins Goodness

I picked up this 2008 Upper Deck First Edition card of Garrett Atkins for only 5 credits on Listia.  That’s about one cent and change.  I posted recently about a Garrett Atkins autograph that I also purchased on Listia.  To my surprise, Atkins had virtually disappeared from baseball.  That may explain why his cards seem to be on sale. 

Listia Mailbag: Jorge Posada & Andy Pettitte

My latest Listia purchase was a pair of Yankees cards from 2008 Upper Deck.  I received a Jorge Posada card and an Andy Pettitte card for only 12 credits.  Both photos were taken at Yankee home games.  You might notice the #10 patch on Posada sleeve for Phil Rizzuto.  As an added piece of unrelated trivia, I have exactly 16,000 page views.  Thank you blog-goers. 

TTM Mailbag: Adam Kennedy

My latest TTM autograph return comes from Adam Kennedy c/o his home address. He returned a 2008 Topps Heritage card in only 7 days. The signature is in blue Sharpie without any smudges. Unfortunately, the card got a small ding on the bottom left corner while traveling through the mail. The card still looks great though. Topps Heritage cards are excellent for autographs. Kennedy will go to Spring Training with the Mariners this year.

Pack Break: 2008 Upper Deck

I picked up a pack of 2008 Upper Deck Series One cards for 51 cents from an eBay seller. There are 8 cards per pack. So what did I get? Here is the loot.

Joe Mauer
Damion Easley
Jeff Keppinger
Jim Leyritz YSL
Carlos Lee Starquest Common

So where are the other three cards you ask? Well, here is the rest of the pack.
Derek Lowe Game Used Jersey

How cool is that? I pulled a game-used jersey card out of a 51 cent pack that is two years old. I know its only Derek Lowe but still? I think I got my money’s worth.

2008 Topps - Erick Aybar

My latest eBay purchase is a 2008 Topps base card of Erick Aybar. The card was only a nickel shipped so it wasn't a big investment. Aybar is featured in an Angels uniform on the card. You might notice the AT&T logo in the background. I can't make out the other ad. Aybar is still playing shortstop for the Angels. He hasn't had a great season. But how can you go wrong on a 5 cent investment?

Trip to the Bargain Bin

I purchased 5 common cards for a grand total of 20 cents. They is something addictive about hunting through nickel boxes. Anyway, in chronological order they are:

2007 Upper Deck First Edition Curt Schilling – As a Yankee fan, I naturally hate this card but I had a lapse in judgment. Is his sock still bloody?

2008 Topps Stephen Drew – I’m starting to get sick of 2008 Topps. Drew is only having a so-so season.

2010 Topps Francisco Cordero – I like the design of 2010 Topps. I also like closers.

2010 Upper Deck George Kotteras and Jeremy Hermida – Both players are actually with different teams. Hermida is with Boston and Kottaras is with Milwaukee. But don’t say the actual team names or Upper Deck will get in trouble.

TTM Mailbag: Chad Billingsley

My latest TTM Autograph return comes from Chad Billingsley of the Los Angeles Dodgers. He signed my 2008 Goudey card in blue Sharpie in only 14 days. Goudey cards don’t have gloss so it’s the perfect card to get autographed. The ink didn’t smudge. The signature looks great. Billingsley is having a decent year so far. He was actually an All-Star last year. I am thrilled to have this card back with a beautiful signature on it.

Pack Break: 2008 Topps

I purchased a pack of 2008 Topps on a recent trip to Dollar Tree. It was kind of an impulse purchase but the price was right. This was the only brand of baseball cards in stock so I took it. Anyway, here are the results.

- Ryan Howard
- Victor Martinez
- Alfredo Amezaga
- Marcus Giles
- Adrian Beltre

- Jimmy Rollins
- Josh Beckett
- Checklist (UGH!)
- Richie Sexson
- Mike Fontenot
- Ryan Dempster

I think I did pretty well for a buck. Ryan Howard was the best card in the pack. It was the first one I pulled out. By the way, why do checklists still exist? I hate them. They serve no purpose. Does anyone actually collect checklists? If so, let me know. I have a bunch of checklists that I would like to trade for anything. I actually hope this is the last pack of 2008 Topps I ever buy. I have yet to purchase a pack of 2010 Topps. I may just skip it altogether. Topps is starting to lose me when it comes to the base brand. I think I did OK for my one dollar investment though.

2008 Bowman Gold: Ben Sheets

I purchased this 2008 Bowman Gold card of Ben Sheets from an eBay seller for all of six cents. I don’t own many 2008 Bowman cards, but I really like the design. And I like Gold cards also. The Gold border really makes the card pop. It looks like Sheets is warming up in the photo. Notice the fielder (possibly Prince Fielder) playing catch in the background. 2008 was the last year that Sheets was a Brewer. Sheets is now an Oakland Athletic. Injuries robbed him of his best days. He has struggled so far this year. But at least he is back in the big leagues with the potential to return to his glory.

2008 Sweet Spot: Alex Gordon

I purchased the card above from an eBay seller for six cents recently. It's a 2008 Sweet Spot card of Alex Gordon. I like Sweet Spot but I would never buy a pack or box due to its price. This card is quite appealing. The photography is pretty cool. I also like the raised bumps on the card that resemble the stitching of a baseball. Does anybody remember how Alex Gordon cards were all the rage around 2006? He hasn't exactly lived up to the expectations. He has a career batting average of .249. He was actually sent down to AAA in the beginning of May. He has had some injuries though. In fairness, Gordon has been pretty hot down at AAA. Even if Gordon does not develop into a superstar, I think I got my money's worth.

Pack Break: 2008 SP Authentic

I picked up 3 packs of 2008 SP Authentic as an impulse buy. They cost 5 bucks and change which isn’t a fortune, but I immediately regretted the purchase. The contents of the packs were pretty decent. The main drawback is that you only get 5 cards in a pack. Anyway, here’s what I picked up.

Pack 1:
Jake Peavy
Matt Cain
Grady Sizemore
Nick Markakis
Smoltz/Ramirez – Marquee Matchups

Pack 2:
Carlos Pena
Magglio Ordonez
Rick Ankiel
Vernon Wells
Ichiro Suzuki – Authentic Achievement

Pack 3:
Hunter Pence
Phil Hughes
Chris Young
Hideki Matsui – Yankee Stadium Legacy
Pujols/Lidge – Marquee Matchups

Someone’s going to have to explain these Marquee Matchup cards to me. I don’t like cards that feature more than one player to start with. But why is John Smoltz on the same card as Hanley Ramirez? Why is Albert Pujols on the same card as Brad Lidge? These players have no relation to one another except that they have faced each other a couple of times. But anyway, I could have done worse. I picked up a couple of Yankees, a Pujols, and a Hanley Ramirez.