Sampler Album Week: 2002 Topps

I'm not a big fan of this set.  This looks like it is more of a parallel set than the base flagship set.  I don't get the orange border.  The banners and logos are fine I guess. 

I'm happy with the players on this page though fer sure.  Jeter and Pujols carry the weight, but I've got some of my other favorites as well as some other notable players.

But I don't get the set.  I guess it's the orange.

Breaking Jaybarker Fan's Junk Jinx Part 3:

So far, I've had mixed results with my jinx breaking posts.  Matt Harrison through a masterful shutout on the day of my first jinx breaking post, but yesterday, the Rangers were back to pitiful baseball with inopportune errors and ice cold bats.  Scott Feldman actually pitched ok for a spot starter, so I'm not going to be too critical of him or the pitching.   The Rangers need offensive and defensive mojo right now, so what better aura to call upon to fix these aspects of the game than that of someone who excelled in both areas as a Ranger: Pudge Rodriguez. 

Here are some of Pudge cards that Wes sent:

You can't see it, but I'm wiggling my fingers at the screen as I type, "jinx break" style.

Another Trade With Plaschke...

Thy Sweater Is Argyle.  And another sweet Tony Gwynn relic.  And another sweet Pudge Rodriguez relic.  How many more of these guys do you have dude?  The Gwynn is a very sharp Finest relic, and the Pudge has both Jersey and bat pieces.  I also got something else I am very excited about:

That's right, a 1987 Fleer Mitch Williams!

Actually, it was the autograph of Logan Forsythe that sealed this deal.  Forsythe is a former Razorback, and I don't yet have any cards of him.    I will say he needs some work on that signature.  I don't even remotely see "Logan Forsythe" in that scribble.

Thanks for another nice trade Greg!

A Trade With Plaschke, Thy Sweater Is Argyle

Man, I got nothing tonight as far as clever post titles are concerned.  But I did just complete a sweet trade with Greg of the high end, sophisticated, professional looking Plaschke, Thy Sweater Is Argyle, and I am excited to show you the loot he sent.  The only thing I didn't like about Greg is that looking at his blog reminds me how amateurish mine is.  Geez, what a nice blog he has...  It must be nice to have brains and talent.

I recently picked up a really nice auto/relic of Clayton Kershaw at one of Cleve's auctions.  Greg must have really wanted it because he offered up a huge lot of nice cards for it.  It was a tough card to lose, but his package offer was too hard to turn down.   If you can get over me ending that sentence with a preposition, allow me show you what he sent.  First, we have a couple of Tony Gwynn relics:

I don't have either of these, and they are both really cool.  Love the pinstripe on the one on the left.  Next, we have some Pudge:

Ivan Rodriguez is one of those guys I've always followed and liked but haven't aggressively sought to collect. But when I come across his cards, I wonder why I don't collect him and intend to make it a point to beef up my collection.  He is one of the greatest catchers of all time, and should be a first ballot Hall of Famer.  These are a great boost to my small I-Rod collection.  The SPX card is a beaut!

Finally, Greg added in some nice cards of star players I collect, and an interesting low numbered card of former Hog, Ryan Mallett.  The back of the Mallett card describes it as a "make ready" card:  "A make ready is one of the first printed sheets.  It is used to adjust colors and registration.  4-color cards are a combination of Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black.  Once all of those colors are combined, you have the color combination seen on printed cards."    My first "Make Ready" card!

Thank you for a great blog and a great trade, Greg.  Look forward to another one down the road!