2016 Durham Bulls Team Set

I cannot tell you how long these cards have been out, and I bought them the first week they were for sale, but for some reason they did not get posted at any point during the season.  I actually found them a few days back while I was putting away a few other cards in a box I have with different minor league team sets and minor league single cards.  For those who have seen my card room in person, you'd be hard pressed to believe this, but I actually put the cards right away when I got home from the game.

Not sure what was happening that week that would make me do such a thing.  Usually they sit on a shelf or my desk for a week or two before they are put into some sort of stack and shuffled away to a box.  Found the International League All-Star set too, that will be later in the week.  Like tomorrow.

Here are the cards with a little commentary......

There are a lot of solid names in the first batch of cards:

• Blake Snell is one of the Rays top pitching prospects and will spend the entire 2017 season in Tampa after beginning last season with the Bulls.  
• Motter was traded from the Rays this offseason to the Mariners along with Richie Shaffer in the second row.  The M's have Motter on their roster at the moment, it would be nice to see him get some playing time.  Shaffer went to the Mariners, was released and signed by the Phillies, and was released again and signed by the Reds.  
• Mahtook, Franklin, and Maile have all spent time in the Majors.  Not sure what their roles will be next year, but each of them would seem to have a decent shot of being in Tampa.  At the same time, it won't shock me if all three are back in Durham.  
• Schultz is sort of the hidden gem out of this group.  He attended college at a small school in North Carolina (High Point) and was drafted by the Rays in the 14th Round of the 2013 Draft.  Since he has struck out more than 11 batters per 9 in almost 80 starts through four different levels of Minor League ball.  His last two seasons he struck out more than 160 in 130 innings.  He's one to watch.  

There are some older players in this grouping of cards along with some fringy prospects.  Decker, Arencibia, Sappington have all seen a decent amount of playing time in the Majors.  Varona is a Cuban defector who seems like he will likely be a AAAA player, Floro has a little potential for the next level as a ground ball specialist out of the bullpen, and Belletti would also be a bullpen arm.  That really leaves two players to chat about.....

• Robertson was a highly regarded prospect in the A's system before he was traded for Ben Zobrist.  He's just 22 and played his first season in Triple A last year.  He had a decent .259/.358/.356 line.  Obviously the OBP makes up for the average, but that slugging percentage is too low.  The Rays have another hot shortstop prospect, Willy Adames, who should be in Durham in 2017.  Curious to see what happens to Robertson.
• Field was apart of Arizona's College World Series winner a few seasons back and has made his was through the Rays system in the past three seasons.  He has some pop in his bat for a little a guy, more than 50 extra base hits last year and a slugging percentage over .450, but his OBP has dropped significantly since getting past A Ball.  In two A ball stops Field was at .367 and .396, since he has gone .329, .301, and 338.  You can't steal first.  

This grouping of cards is all older guys with limited potential in the Majors.  The whole group is over 25, while some Rays fans consider Seitzer somewhat of a prospect, he is not.  Nope.  

Last three.  The mascot, but not the one from the movie, Wool E. Bull is one of the better sports mascots around in any sport.  Really good.  Snyder has been the pitching coach the last few seasons.  He went to UNC, so there is a local connection, and he seems to give my son a ball (we often sit near the bullpen) almost every time we are at the game.  Ozzie Timmons is Ozzie Timmons, pretty awesome.  

The Acetate Backstop

The last few years I have cut way back on the different parallel cards that I pick up in trades and purchase.  There are just so many of them and they run across almost every set.  It's numbs the mind somedays.  Instead I have tried to focus in on some specific parallel cards and try to limit them to Cardinals and former Durham Bulls players.  Sometimes current Durham Bulls players.

The main focus of my parallel purchases and trades have revolved around the acetate cards that Topps has put in their base sets the past three years.  The cards are serial numbered out of 10, so they can be expensive and difficult to track down, but they are worth it most of the time.

A few days back I found a former Durham Bulls player on an acetate parallel for the less than $5.  That's hard to beat.  It's also my first acetate card of the year.

Maile has actually spent a part of this year in Durham, but is currently up with the Rays.  He is a good defensive catcher and has done a lot to improve his hitting over the past two season with the Bulls.  This year he has already equaled his extra base hit total in Triple A from 2015, but has about 130 less plate appearances.  Given where the Rays are in the standings I am glad to see Maile get a chance to play at the Major League level during the second half of the season.  

It's an acetate, so we have to check out the back of the card.  One of the best parts of an acetate card.....

I am going to have to find a few of these before the end of the year.  Especially a Cardinals card.

#MyCardMonday

The playoffs in the minor leagues can often mean a new group of players.  The Durham Bulls made this year's International League playoffs after they won their division.  Throughout the year the team used a combination of Ali Solis and Curt Casali as catchers.  However, towards the end of the season Casali was called up to Tampa leaving an opening in Durham.  Enter Montgomery Biscuits catcher Luke Maile.

Maile is a former Kentucky Wilcat and was drafted by the Rays by the Rays in the 8th round of the 2012 MLB Draft.  Maile seems like he could be a decent catcher, but should be back in Durham again next year for a little bit more seasoning.  That said, today's #MyCardMonday is a little bit of a head start on picking up next year's Durham Bulls cards.

This is Luke Maile's only certified autograph and comes from the 2012 Donruss Elite set.  While this set has some really cool patch cards featuring the logos of the college players who signed for the set, Maile only has this basic autograph.  The card features a sticker autograph and a picture of Maile in his Kentucky baseball uniform.  There are colored parallels of this card, but they a little outrageous for a guy who hits .270 in the minors.