From the Sandlot: Delmon makes Good

The card here comes courtesy of the recent giveaway over at The Sandlot.

I collect Delmon Young's cards. I haven't catalogued what I have and put it on the blog, but I am an fan going back to when I saw him in Charleston and Durham. I cringed with everyone else when he did this and, sadly enough, agreed with the decision to trade him and give him a fresh start elsewhere (as a side note, the ENTIRE D-Bulls coaching staff was replaced after that season). Immense talent, talent that is really coming through this year in a big way to the tune of a 140 OPS+. Like with Upton it's hard to forget Delmon isn't yet 25 because he's been around so long. Last year a lot of Twins fans were calling the trade a bust but this year folks are singing a different tune. Glad to see he's starting to cash in!

True story: the only ball I ever got at a game fell to me one afternoon in Durham when Delmon was in right. It was the day game of a day/night double header to make up for a previous rainout, so next to no one was there. My friend Fer and I were in the OF, drinking beers, watching the game, and waiting for our wives to show up for the second game (and drive us home afterward), when former mega-prospect Gookie Dawkins hit a ground rule double that Delmon barely missed and that, coincidentally, popped into the stands right in front of us. Taking the ball was very weird, almost like doing something sacrilegious. I almost expected someone to come take it from me. Anyway, that was the one and only ball and how it's connected to Delmon. I might have him sign it at the next Twinsfest, which would be pretty cool.

Anyway, have a good one and goodnight Pumpsie Green, wherever you are!

Trading Post: Many Thanks to Wax Pack Relapse

I came across Wax Pack Relapse while surfing Troll's Blog one day. Dude's pretty organized with what he has to trade, and I had my eye on some cards in his extensive spreadsheets when he mentioned he had a few David Prices he could send my way. In fact, 8 total. I'm planning a post on my Price cards in the near future, but if there's one thing that's certain it's that Prices on the 'bay command value based more on hype than performance. I know, he's a big prospect, but still...it means folks that just want to collect his cards get priced out of the market pretty quick.

Long story short, it was AWESOME to get these in the mail:

I'm really digging these. I like the photo in general (BIG comeback year for Topps in that category) and will also cop to preferring the old school paper stock of the Target Exclusive on the left. Just something for the old schooler in me.

Then: Price as a collectible postage stamp:

Nice card, captures his intimidating mound presence. It's also pretty weird, given the United Peoples of Baseball-type feel to it. Almost like I could use it in lieu of international postage or something.

And these:

The card on the left is just plain goofy. He's waiting on a throw back to the mound, I get it, but it's the only card I can think of that depicts the pitcher waiting on a throw. Wild stuff.

But that's not all he sent. I also scored this Delmon Young:

That's another really great shot. You have the OF wall, the foul line, lots of color, the drama of the pick-off move...just a really well-put together picture. Moreover the design of the 2008 Stadium Club gives the photography plenty of room to just be itself. Nice card.

And then, this gem of The Legend, Jonny Gomes:

Being a Gomes fan, this card represents a lot of what I really dig about him. Dude is listed at 6'1'', 225 lbs., but he's one of those guys who, when you see him in person, has a looming presence. He's massive. That's only increased by the fact he seems to prefer outsizes jerseys, as seen in this photo. The crop makes him seem even bigger and again, the design stays out of the ways and cedes ground to the great photo. And he plays all-out, all the time. Jonny Gomes: Elmer Valo for the new millennium.

Finally, Kevin Slowey.

Slowey was the winning pitcher in the game the compa and I went to for our anniversary this year, he laid a great sig (with anniversary wishes!) on a card for us at the Twins auto day, and he went to the same school as my Moms, Winthrop College in Rock Hill, SC. He's also a heck of a pitcher whose year this year was sidelined by injury. Next year with Slowey back healthy the Twins should be that much better!

Thanks for the cards Wax Pack Relapse!

Have a great one everybody, and good night Pumpsie Green, wherever you are!

Trading Post: Priceless Gems from the Priceless Pursuit

So, a while back I caught this post over at the Priceless Pursuit. He had pulled this CC in a pack, and I left a comment asking if he's be willing to part with it.

He was game, and we got the deal done! Now, I really appreciate his willingness to part with a #'d card without asking for a king's ransom in return. I don't have too many #'d CC, and my collecting budget just can't hang with the guys who will throw down for #'d cards on the 'bay. Long story short, I don't actively seek them out or feel compelled to, but I'm INCREDIBLY stoked when a fellow blogger passes one along.

BUT that's not all sent sent. He also sent along a two more Peñas for someone else's collection:

For all the HRs one tends to forget that Peña is also a Gold Glove 1st Baseman, so the Fleer Platinum is a +1 in the compa's book.

Next, three Delmons, all of which actually sport pictures of the man in question, without any mystery men popping up.

That's my first Delmon #'ed card, and was an incredible bonus to get. Don't forget to check out the bottom of this post and help me figure out with this person NOT named Delmon Young could be.

Finally, he included a RC of the man, the legend, the off-again, on-again pro-wrestler and CCC fave, Jonny Gomes. Nice shot of Jonny running the bases in what looks to be a Spring Training Game.

Thanks for the Trade, Priceless! Hope you enjoyed the cards I sent as much as I enjoyed these.

Have a great one, everybody and goodnight Pumpsie Green, wherever you are!

Trading Post: Many Thanks to the Troll and a Delmon Mystery!!!

Daddy D cleared out at about 5:30 this morning, so things are settling back down. The dogs no longer have a ready source of table food and multiple walks per day, and compa no longer has someone to keep me in line.

So, I can turn to some of the awesome packages I've gotten in the past week, starting with Msr. Troll. He sent a 13-inch stack of cards, so these will only be selections from the amazing number of Rays he hooked me up with.

First, he included several Peñas. These, of course, are for the compa's growing collection, and which she has promised will be organized...any...day...now. According to her, this one stands out because a) it give him a cardboard showcase for his great smile and b) it does not have Capt'n intangibles on the front screwing the whole thing up.

Next, he included some Jeff Niemann. I've posted about Jeff a couple of times, and can honestly say I'm real happy that he had a lot of success in the Bigs this year. Having haunted the Durham Bulls Athletic Park from 2003-2008, I've seen a lot of guys come through, and a lot of Jeff Niemann in particular. Moreover, he's a player I'll always associate with this epic trip the compa and I took up to Baltimore for a Rays/O's double header last September. Great guy, and a lot of great Durham memories.

Then, we have a couple of cards of Justin Ruggiano. Since I try to keep things focused on the Big club I haven't written about Ruggi before, Troll had no way of knowing the Ruggi is one of my favorite Bulls. Moreover, since I don't rip wax, I had exactly ONE Ruggiano card that I scores of ebay in my collection before this package. He's a player the Rays STOLE from the Dodgers a while back, and an unfortunate victim of the insane depth of the Rays farm system. His 2007 and 2008 numbers are solid and to be honest, he's never gotten a full shot to be an everyday player at the Big League level. His production in '09 dropped off, but his wife gave birth to their first kid in-season, so I'm sure that had something to do with it.

None of this is to say that he hasn't had some great moments in a Rays uni, because he has. It's just that with a starting OF of CC and BJ, then the pressure to play Pat Burrell (contract) and Matt Joyce (justify horrible, terrible, no good Edwin Jackson trade), as well as other minor leaguers like Fernando Perez and Desmond Jennings, things are pretty crowded in Tampa. Dude deserves a shot, but it probably won't come with the Rays.

And finally, Troll included a couple of Delmon Youngs. These are nice cards, but then I turned over the 2004 UD and became a little confused.

I keep taking a closer look, but can't for the life of me figure out who that is. It's NOT Delmon Young, which I find pretty hard to believe insofar as around 2004 D Young was the hottest Minor League player on the planet and everybody knew he he was. Can anybody help me out with this? Who is this man not named Delmon Young?

Delmon Makes Good

Having watched Delmon Young be an other-worldly minor leaguer, it's been pretty tough to watch him languish as a Minnesota Twin. I loved watching him, but truth be told he was one of a handful of guys that caused major changes in Durham and most of whom played their way out of the organization. Exhibit A. Exhibit B: You Say You Want a Revolution (half way down the page). CC was pretty straight forward about his feelings on the matter.

There's even been plenty of negativity around Delmon since he was traded to Minn from the Rays, and this article lays it out nicely. I mean, after the success of Bartlett and Garza in Tampa, Delmon would have to be all-world to even up the deal, and he hasn't even been an AS. Yet. However, as the article also pints out, dude just turned 24, so he's younger than a lot of the high-profile prospects currently on everyone's radar. Seems like he's a lot older because he;s been around forever. And he's been on FIRE the last few weeks, when the Twins have needed him most. Hopefully that's a sign he's got his head on straight, and that he's coming into his own. Congrats, Delmon, and good luck Tuesday!

Crawford Cards Anniversary Autofest

That's right, I asked Kevin Slowey to sign the card "Happy Anniversary" and he did just that. Kevin Slowey, the winner of the anniversary game the night before, 6/19. Very, very cool guy, the request gave him a good chuckle. I'm definitely a Slowey fan from here on out.

So, there are too many cards for one post, and the story is long, so I'll break this one up. 

I'm leading with Slowey because he was the winning pitcher in the game my companiera and I went to Friday night. He had a solid line: 6 innings, 3 hits, 1 earned run, 6 Ks, 4 walks. Hopefully the walks will come down and he can go deeper into games, but for a young guy you can't get much better.

A major highlight was Delmon Young's performance. He went 2/4 with a R, 2 RBI, and finally started showing a little of the power the Twins were hoping for when they got him from Tampa. 

The best part, though, was a spectacular HR he robbed from Lance Berkman that helped preserve Slowey's win. With Nathan on the mound in the 9th Berkman hit a laser over the left/centerfield wall that both Delmon and Carlos Gomez had a bead on. Both went up for it, and they had a little collision, but Delmon was able to maintain his concentration and come down with the ball. The Metrodome doesn't allow fans to sit in the first row of OF seats, and that definitely made a difference. (Delmon, they robbed you on Baseball Tonight and Sports Center, reminding me why I only occasionally tune into the WWL)

And finally, as you can see, Delmon personalized the card "To Melissa." My wife and I had watched him play for the Durham Bulls over a couple of years, and we were really stoked to see him in the Majors and see him do well. In the auto line she said "Get him to sign it to me," and he did. Very, very cool.

More autos later, including smooth vintage!