Another quickie card show pit stop #2

I stumbled upon a real high brow monster box of cards and went to work for about the 10 minutes I had left at a card show - I was kind of on the clock where I had to wrap things up sooner than never, so I was trying to make the most out of my rummage.

I've ended up with two or three of these Bowman Jordan Walker prospect cards over the past few years, but was in a hurry to pile up cards - so I just threw one new copy found into my pile.

I made keepers out of mini collection material such as - Greg Maddux hitting on the back of one of his cards, an awesome outfield action card picturing Kevin Pillar, a Tampa Bay Rays mascot card, a Benito Santiago catcher card and a random Dave Righetti oddball, I made a keeper because of the bald guy in sunglasses making a cameo.

Team USA cards - I tried to look for the guys that were kind of familiar now [even though they were either on college or even on U-18 teams when depicted on the cards].

I was able to find a couple of cards of Reid Detmers - I think I sent similar copies and got them back signed TTM during the pandemic season.

Even though I ended up grabbing at least a few guys who might not be in the big leagues yet or may not get there - I found cards of Anthony Volpe, Bryson Stott, Riley Greene and Corbin Carroll.

Finally some random cheap-o Hall of Famer cards - even though they didn't start their careers in the junk wax era, I might be content to ignore cards of guys Tim Raines, Andre Dawson, Gary Carter and Alan Trammell because they had their glut of cards printed during those 1986-92 years.

Depending on what I may find at the bulk level, I might be compelled to pick up two or three cards of the HOFers whose cards from the junk wax era I'll usually skip over - if the cards end up being a little different like oddballs or cards with a unique image used that stand out.

TTM autographs received: Reggie Smith

After putting together a paid request with $30 to Smith’s promoter, who has handful of former LA Dodgers players signing for TTM for a fee - I got my pair of cards signed in about a month.

Though he is an old-school / vintage era guy, Smith has a couple of coaching cards in sets [2004 Upper Deck USA 25th Anniversary and 2013 Panini USA Baseball Champions] - I'm still trying to get as many signed to this day.

While I wasn't familiar with Smith's MLB playing career, he was a fantastic player from the mid 1960s through the early 1980s - finishing with over 2,000 hits, slugging 314 home runs with a lifetime OPS+ of 137.

1993 Topps Traded Todd Helton RC #19T

As a non-geographic fan of the player, I liked the idea of Helton being a pure hitter, even if he played half of his home games at Coors Field and his power numbers actually dipped mid-career - maybe it got boring searching eBay listings of his first card, so to finally scratch the itch, I grabbed a copy.

I don't see Helton as an outright Hall of Famer, but with the idea of the nerds rejiggering the advanced stats of retired players - there are more ways to view Helton's playing numbers, where he at least has a case to be a borderline HOF guy.

Helton's one or two DUI issues doesn't make the one-team, face of a franchise fan favorite for the Colorado Rockies look good - but for the right players, their off-the-field missteps may not be enough for any particular writers not to give them a Hall of Fame vote.

2018 Panini Stars & Stripes rack pack set

Through Instagram, I found out about a 66-card rack pack set of USA cards offered through Team USA Baseball - I clicked onto their IG stories [as directed] which took me to a link to buy the cards.

I haven’t seriously messed with any Team USA stuff but for $12 plus $5 s/h [through June] - when Bowman Draft comes out in the middle of winter, I might as well see if I can add some new card depth, particularly for the players picked in this year’s amateur draft.

I thought there was always a separate boxed set of USA cards and then in recent years, the Stars & Stripes product was made as a product to bust through cases, boxes and packs - I’m not sure if the Stars & Stripes product is now the only set with cards for the collegiate, 18U and 15U national teams from the previous summer.

I received my ‘pack’ of cards in a couple of days in a box with some USA Baseball promotional info, an invoice, a random foil pack of cards [2017 Panini Stars & Stripes] - as well as a magnet with a free ground shipping code for orders through the Team USA shop through 2018.

The hits in these packs are three autographs, which apparently replaces the team cards for each of the national teams - it appears the autographs were leftover from 2017 product and are each serial #'d to 100.

2017 Playoff Contenders USA Seth Beer #USAT-SB serial #’d 27/100 - he’s still a first round pick [#28 by the Houston Astros] but I thought he had the potential be a Top 10 guy, when he won the national player of the year in college in 2016.

From the tidbits I’ve read, he’s a bat first player who has to really hit to distinguish himself - from being just another guy.

2017 Playoff Contenders USA J.T. Ginn #USAT-JT serial #’d 086/100 - another first round pick [#30 by the Los Angeles Dodgers].

2017 Playoff Contenders USA Rawley Hector #USAT-RH serial #’d 075/100 - he’s a Texas A&M commit.

The random foil pack contained five cards - at first I thought it would be my autographs, though I would have thought they would be inserted in the rack pack.

#26 Evan White
#17 Alex Lange
#42 Ryan Vilade
#35 Logan Allen
#27 Kyle Wright

Featured autograph - Blake Rutherford

Rutherford is the centerpiece player among a trio of prospects [Ian Clarkin and Tito Polo are the other two] - sent to the Chicago White Sox by the New York Yankees in exchange for Todd Frazier, David Robertson and Tommy Kahnle.

I was able to get Rutherford to sign a couple of cards c/o the Yankees training complex last fall when he was in the instructional league - I assume he must have taken his mail home to California, where he's probably gotten help from his mom answering fan mail.

Rutherford's mom probably added the extra signed card [pictured] - while writing a small note acknowledging my requests.

TTM autographs received: Don August

August signed my cards in about three weeks - he was the 17th overall pick in the 1984 MLB draft and spent four years in the Major Leagues as mostly a starting pitcher who finished with a W-L record of 34-30.

2017 Panini Stars & Stripes USA Baseball Longevity box

From what I roughly assume, these were the retail version of the 2017 Panini USA Stars & Stripe product - I picked up a box online for about half of what the hobby versions are going for.

I think these boxes still go for about $50 at Targets, though that doesn't really say much if the boxes haven't flown off the shelves - however, I might as well try one to see if I could pull some USA autographs and/or relics.

Pack one
#55 Cade Doughty - apparently all the base cards have the foil board, 'Longevity' finish.
#57 Nick Gorby

#13 Zach Martinez - certified autograph serial #'d 008/199 ; there is some ink smudging on the back, someone must have stacked these cards quickly after applying the clear hologram sticker.
#32 Quentin Holmes - Ruby parallel serial #'d 176/249
#84 Chris Okey

Pack two

#100 Roger Clemens
#92 Zach Jackson
#68 Bobby Dalbec - Ruby parallel serial #'d 202/249

#56 Ethan Long - quad jersey serial #'d 094/199
#93 Mark McGwire

Pack three
#12 Devin Hairston
#54 Josiah Dickson - Ruby parallel serial #'d 071/249

#15 Isaiah Thomas - certified autograph serial #'d 244/399
#85 Logan Shore

#5 Seth Beer

Pack four
#58 Tony Jacobs
#21 Mike Rivera

#99 Barry Larkin - Emerald parallel serial #'d 4/5

#5 Shane Baz / Brendan McKay / Alex Lange / David Peterson - quad jersey serial #'d 079/199; it's nice having four guys who ended up being first round picks on one card.

#14 Keston Hiura

Pack five
60 Ethan Long

#11 Dalton Guthrie - Ruby parallel serial #'d 135/249

#16 Logan Ott - certified autograph serial #'d 061/399

#31 Hunter Greene

#23 Ricky Tyler Thomas

TTM autograph received: Will Clark

Clark signed my card in about a month c/o the San Francisco Giants - he might have been actually one of my first TTM attempts, though it was probably in the off-season after the Giants got to the World Series in 1989.

Since I just had no clue, I may have sent a superstar at the height of his popularity a request consisting of a couple of random cards with no self-addressed stamped envelope - needless to say, I don't really know what happened to that ancient attempt at a TTM.

Up through last year, I don't think I've actually ever gotten an autograph from Clark either in-person or TTM - but he's been pretty consistent about answering requests sent to him in recent years, so I finally got in the action.

Assorted Angels prospects pick ups

The Major League team is mostly down with the exception of Mike Trout and the farm system is barren - perhaps there aren't a handful of 'future Angels' to latch onto before they reach the Major Leagues.

After the Angels drafted Matt Thaiss 16th overall in this year's amateur draft, I searched for some early cards of him and it looked like he had some USA baseball cards - I picked up what I assumed to be a patch card sight unseen and while I didn't know what I was getting, in-hand, this card looks pretty sweet with the noticeable patch piece and also the camo jersey material.

Jahmai Jones is an 18-year old outfielder who was the Angels' second round pick in 2015 - he was drafted out of high school, so while an 'athlete' perhaps, it may take him time to gradually climb through the minors as opposed to a guy who ends up on the fast track.

Featured autograph - Carlos Rodon

While established Major League Baseball stars are a proven commodity, there is always hype for the next great players to come up - in the less than a week, there has been three 'stud' prospects called up in Kris Bryant, Addison Russell and then Rodon.

The No. 3 overall pick in last year's amateur draft, it took Rodon only 34.1 random innings in the minors before getting to the Major Leagues - it doesn't mean he won't be back down in the minors at some point, but maybe it just shows how top amateur talents [particularly college players] are expected to contribute sooner than never.

2004 Upper Deck SP Prospects box recap #2

#NH-CR Cesar Ramos - National Honors USA jersey

#DT Derek Tharpe - autograph serial #'d 067/400

#318 Jay Rainville - autograph serial #'d 087/485

#362 Grant Hansen - autograph serial #'d 420/600

#DD-LA Raymond Liotta / Brandon Allen - dual autograph serial #'d 160/175

#KK Koley Kolberg - autograph serial #'d 211/400

#NH-BH Brett Hayes - National Honors USA jersey

2004 Upper Deck SP Prospects box recap #1

#MR Mark Roberts - autograph serial #'d 06/10

I picked up a couple of boxes for $29.95 each, hoping to pull a hidden gem [like a Dustin Pedroia autograph rookie or maybe a dual / triple autograph featuring a draft pick and an established MLB player and/or Hall of Famer] - however, I get what I pay for and these breaks turned out be dead junk wax breaks from the oughts.

#328 Brian Bixler - autograph serial #'d 463/600

#359 Garrett Mock - autograph serial #'d 452/600

#GB Gary Bakker - autograph serial #'d 078/400

Dud autographs - I was hoping to get someone relatively decent but the deep autograph checklist obviously made it so the fillers are the most common pulls.

#DD-EM Eric Hurley / Michael Nickeas - dual autograph serial #'d 022/175

#NH-JL Jed Lowrie - National Honors USA jersey

#NH-DB Daniel Bard - National Honors USA jersey

Each box contained two Team USA jersey cards, both featuring one-time Boston Red Sox players - Lowrie has been a decent MLB player when healthy and Bard was great out of the Red Sox bullpen until the Steve Blass disease derailed his promising career.

For what it's worth, when it came to busting the 11-year old packs, there were condition issues with the rainbow foil board cards - the glossy cards were stuck to each other at times and when separated, bits of pieces of one card end up on the other.

It's almost a good thing, it was mostly base cards of guys who didn't have much or any MLB impact - if I'd pulled better cards and they ended up messed up, then I'd be really kicking myself for wanting to bust these boxes.