I think I’ve gotten to a point with both of these guys where
we just kind of send each other cards back and forth and know that it’ll all
even out in the end, although I always feel like what I send pales in
comparison to what they send.
First up, here are a few goodies from Robert. Him and I have
both gone through the difficult process of moving card collections over the
last few months. It’s not easy! While mine are moved, they are still very boxed
up and unorganized. I don’t love the feeling. Moving also makes you realizes
how many damn pieces of cardboard you have. And let me tell ya, cards are
heavy!
Robert happened to stumble upon this Michael Pineda 2016
Opening Day Blue Foil and asked if I needed it. Indeed, I did! I did not have
this Pineda yet. It is #147 in my Big Mike PC. Pineda had a tough 2016,
although he did become the first Yankees right hander to record 200 Ks in a
season since Roger Clemens and Mike Mussina both did it in 2001. That was hard
to believe.
Man, last year Luis Severino cards were H-O-T. This year,
not so much. He had a pretty miserable year amidst some lofty expectations. I
still think he’s too young to give up on and move to the ‘pen, although his
stuff did play up well there. Hopefully he comes to spring training and wins a
starting job. I’d also like to note that these blue-framed 2016 Gypsy Queen
parallels were some of the nicest of the year.
I gotta say, I forgot how nice these were. I really came back into
collecting in 2011, so these Diamond Anniversary parallels were pretty popular.
But after not really thinking of them too much over the last few years, it’s
nice to be reminded how striking they are.
The last card Robert sent was a Ty Hensley. I always
appreciate you guys keeping an eye out for Hensleys for me!
Moving onto the man with a cardboard habit (don’t we all
have one?!), Judson reached out about wanting to send me a few Dillon Tate autos
after the Yankees acquired him in the Carlos Beltran trade. I thought that was
super nice of him. Take a look at these beauties from Inception!
Other than the serial numbers and some purplish/blue hues, I’m
not positive what the difference is. However, I like them and was thrilled to
add some Tate autos. Inception cards always look a bit trippy (as was the movie), but I always end up liking them. I love the surface of the card, which is great for autographs. Overall, I think it's just a cool set, and the auto checklist is usually quite strong.
I love the gamble the Yankees took on Tate, the 4th
overall pick in the 2015 Draft. Although the Yankees had him work exclusively
out of the bullpen after the trade, he seemed to pitch better than he did prior
to the trade. I look forward to seeing if he can bounce back to being a top
prospect.
Another Severino! This time a nice Topps Chrome Refractor. I
think 2016 Topps Chrome looked a lot better than the flagship (which I liked,
for the record), and the Refractor and Refractor parallels looked terrific.
I love this Heritage Chrome Refractor of Masahiro Tanaka.
That Topps All-Star Rookie Trophy is pretty rad. Tanaka is the undisputed ace of
the Yankees, and still finds himself a bit underrated. He’s probably going to
just miss out on the ERA title this year, unless he ends up pitching on
Saturday, which I doubt he will. With the Yankees out of it, there’s really no
reason to bring him back from injury. He had a Cy Young-caliber year, and although
he won’t win, he sure was a rock for the Yankees. Plus, look at this smile!
This is definitely my first 65th Anniversary
buyback. And you know what, I can honestly say I don’t think I’ve ever even seen
this Reggie Jackson 1982 Topps card – buyback or not. I just do not recognize
it. It wouldn’t be that surprising, although it’s not like Jackson has a ton of
Topps cards from the ‘70s and ‘80s either. Hmmm. Well, I’m happy to have it, foil
stamp or not!
Thanks again, guys! I really appreciate you thinking of me,
as always.