Random Diamondbacks Lot

I picked up a lot of 7 Diamondbacks cards on Listia for a mere 76 credits.  There's nothing too special here.  It's mostly mid-2000s base cards.  It was a cheap lot, and I didn't have any of these cards.  However, the shipping lesson here is to utilize the penny sleeve.  It will prevent many dinged corners.  I'm complaining about some damage to a few of the cards caused by a lack of protection.  I don't think it's visible in the scan.  But, it's a pet peeve of mine. 

Arizona Diamondback Autographs

I purchased the six autographs pictured from an eBay seller for a grand total of $4.52 including shipping. I think I scored a pretty good deal. These are all Arizona Diamondback players. I got one autograph of Conor Jackson from 2004 Topps Pristine. I got two autographs of Miguel Montero – one from 2007 Moments & Milestones and one from 2007 Co-Signers. I got two cards of Ed Easley from 2008 Bowman Chrome. He is currently playing in the Diamondbacks system at Double-A. I also got a 2005 Bowman’s Best Auto of Edgar Varela. I don’t know who this is either. According to baseball-reference.com, he last played professionally in 2006 in the Marlins organization. Not a bad deal for the money. I have three certified autographs of bonafide Major Leaguers and three no name autos that can be sold on eBay at some point to recover some of the cost.

2005 Playoff Game Used Jersey Cards

I picked up two Game Used Jersey Cards from eBay for a total of $1.55 shipped. That’s a pretty good deal no matter who is on the card. These cards happen to be from the 2005 Playoff set. I’m not really too familiar with this brand. In fact, I don’t think I own a single card from this set. Back in 2005, my focus was on Bowman for some reason. Anyway, the first card is that of Steve Finley, whose long career is now over. Finley played for 8 teams over 19 seasons. The jersey swatch is just plain white, but that’s OK. Although, Finley is featured as a Diamondback on the card, he actually spent 2005 with the Angels. To make matters worse, he spent the second half of 2004 with the Dodgers after the D-Backs traded him. The second card features Mike Sweeney who spent most of his career as a Royal. Recently, he has been a DH for the A’s and Mariners. Sweeney’s career is almost over thanks to age and injury. He is a 5 time All Star though and had some great years in Kansas City. The first thing that I notice is that the jersey swatch is a beautiful shade of blue. That’s a lot better than plain white. I think I like the Sweeney card better than the Finley card. I’m happy with my purchase. I got two great cards for less than two bucks.

eBay Mailbag: Conor Jackson

I recently won an eBay auction for 4 Conor Jackson game-used jersey cards. I only paid two bucks and change shipped. I'm not really a big fan of those USA jersey cards but I suppose they can be sold or traded. I like the 2005 Bowman card because 05 Bowman was the first box I ever bought. But the 04 Bowman is my favorite just because of the design of the card and color of the jersey swatch. I would call it a ruby red. Notice how Conor's "signature" is squeezed next to the swatch. Right now, Jackson is working his way back to the majors after yet another DL stint. At least he didn't have valley fever this time. It was only a hamstring.

Happy Trails Randy Johnson

After a 22 year career, Randy Johnson called it quits today at the age of 45. I think most people would agree that he is a hall of famer. I will remember Johnson for his 2 years spent as a Yankee. He wasn't exactly the most popular guy in New York, but he was a decent pitcher during his time in pinstripes. I always found it interesting that Johnson was traded from Arizona to New York and then back to Arizona. The Yankees originally sent Brad Halsey, Dioner Navarro, and Javier Vazquez to Arizona for Johnson. Halsey didn't work out. Navarro became a servicable catcher. Some thought Navarro would one day replace Jorge Posada. Vazquez is back in New York to eat up innings. (Ugh.) On the flip side, the Yankees received Alberto Gonzalez, Steven Jackson, Luis Vizcaino, and Ross Ohlendorf when they traded Johnson back to Arizona. Gonzalez and Jackson made little contribution. Vizcaino was a decent reliever for a while. Ohlendorf was a middle reliever before being traded to Pittsburgh in the Damaso Marte-Xavier Nady deal. So the Yankees got 2 years out of Johnson and received some salvage value at the end. Overall, it wasn't a bad deal for the Yankees.