Expos Extra: Stadium Club Ultra and Gold

EXPOS EXTRA: Stadium Club Ultra and Some Gold

Alrighty then lets get this show on the road. This month I am cheating a little by making an Expos post. Hey my blog my rules. Actually one of the cards I'm showing is of one of the transition Expos to Nationals players but I'm only showing his Expos card. You have to read the post and/or view the images to find out who. HA.

I started the idea for this post with the thought of showing a couple of base cards with their gold variant and then decided to toss in a few cards that were in the same trade package that the variants were in. All 8 of these Expos cards are from 1999 Fleer Ultra and 2002 Topps Stadium Club 4 cards from each set.  

First I'll show a trio of bonus cards just the fronts:

A Montreal Trio Vlad plus 1

We have: 

1999 Fleer Ultra Baseball:

174 Dustin Hermanson

20 Vladimir Guerrero

2002 Topps Stadium Club Baseball:

27 Vladimir Guerrero

Next I'll show the meat and potatoes of this post the gold variants with their base counterparts.

Orlando Cabrera: 2002 Topps Stadium Club Baseball 40

Base and Gold Variant

2002 Topps Stadium Club Baseball: 40 Orlando Cabrera Base

2002 Topps Stadium Club Baseball: 40 Orlando Cabrera Gold

This card is a THICK one. 

Not as thick as some relic cards but at least double thickness compared to the base

RONDELL WHITE: 1999 Fleer Ultra Baseball 117 & 117G

Base and Gold Medallion Variant 

1999 Fleer Ultra Baseball: 117 Rondell White Base

1999 Fleer Ultra Baseball: 117G Rondell White Gold Medallion

Now the transition Expos to Nationals Player Jose Vidro

2002 Topps Stadium Club Baseball: 39 Jose Vidro

2002 Topps Stadium Club Baseball: 39 Jose Vidro

I hope you enjoyed these blasts from the past from the Great White North.

Senators Singles: Ryan Zimmerman 2009 Oddball

RYAN ZIMMERMAN 2009 Enterplay MLB Fan Pak Baseball

Here is a quick Senators Singles post. I am not sure when or how I acquired this card whether it was from a trade or a purchase. I think it was from a purchase from someone on a trading forum and I think it was one of 3 or 4 cards/items. If it was a purchase I paid somewhere between $5 to $10 for it maybe shipping added. Then again it could have been from a trade.

It is an Oddball card meaning it is from a manufacturer that is not your regular trading card maker it is also an oddball size 3 and 3/8 inches by 3 and 3/8 inches, plus this particular card is also one of those standee cards that has perforations that allow you to fold and bend the card so that it stands up (and thus reducing the value and more so the condition of the card)  It is from the 2009 EnterPlay MLB Fan Pak set The Trading Card Database (TCDB) has the checklist. I noticed there are some cards from the set I will need to get sometime.as there are one or two of my PC guys and a few guys who were future Nationals. The only "National", that is the only player who was on the Nats at the time the set was released, is Ryan Zimmerman which is the card I have and am featuring in this post. In the photo Ryan is wearing a throwback cap that is sort of an homage to the Original Senators team circa the 1920s except it is more modernized with a red bill that makes it a weird combination era hat.

Anyway I don't have a story to yarn about so here is the card:

2009 EnterPlay MLB Fan Pak Baseball: 60 Ryan Zimmerman Washington Nationals

Some Guy Named Harper. NO some other guy named Harper

Guess what? It's the end of the month you know what that means? Not so fast. OK so I was going to do another quick and dirty Senators Singles post but while looking for potential candidates found an interesting card and then another of the same guy so long story longer. I vaguely remember having one or two of these cards of this guy named Brandon Harper who is no relation to Bryce Harper, even though this guy has a little brother named Bryce. Bryce's older brother is Bryan Harper. Brandon played only 18 games for the Nationals in the bigs in 2006.

OK according to TCDB Brandon has 15 cards with 8 of them being minor league cards. I might have his 2006 Upper Deck (update?) card from some team trade or sales package but I'm not sure about that. Any how the cards of his that I am sure I have I'm showing here. I have at least two of his first card I'm showing (the regular 1952 Edition). A few weeks back I had to do a quick apartment cleaning/hoarding sweep for the annual insurance inspection. I gathered my unorganized piles of card packages and boxes condensed them and stacked them differently than they had been so now the unorganized groupings are even more unorganized. Hey now I have some of my dining room floor space back.

The Cards:

2006 Topps 1952 Edition 209

 

2006 Topps 1952 Edition Chrome TCRC53

#d 0877/1952

2007 Topps Heritage 403 (1958 Design)

Opening Day Like Its 2008 Or Something

Eek it is the end of the month. Lets see, Spring Training 2017 has started and right now with 3 games under their belt the Nats are 1-2 .333 as are the Braves and Marlins, the Mets and Phillies are both at 2-2 .500 so nobody in the division is doing that poorly or that great with the Spring Training only about 4 days old.

OK so Nats Opening Day 2017 this year is 03 April home vs. The Marlins. If I had planed things out I should have shown a Josh Willingham, Nick Johnson or Ivan Rodriguez card. But I didn't so I won't I will show a couple of Opening Day Cards I scanned a while back but haven't posted yet ...til now.

Opening Day 2008 (Oh Wow I didn't even think about this) was on 30 March vs. The Atlanta Braves and was the first regular season game at Nationals Park in SE DC.The Nats won 3-2 with a Walk-Off homer by Ryan Zimmerman. The Opening Day Roster was:

1. Cristian Guzman SS
2. Lastings Milledge CF
3. Ryan Zimmerman 3B
4. Nick Johnson 1B
5. Austin Kearns RF
6. Elijah Dukes LF
7. Ronnie Belliard 2B
8. Paul Lo Duka C
9. Odalis Perez P (LH)

The Nats came in last place in the NL East that year, their usual spot for several frustrating years, with a 59-102  .366 record. Fortunately the Nationals have been doing much better in recent years.

OK so the two cards I'm a-gonna-show are of two players who have been long gone from the Nats. For one of the two players 2008 would mark his last MLB appearance and for the other 2008 was spent in the minors having made his Major League Debut in Sept of 2007.

DMITRI YOUNG

 2008 Topps Opening Day 117 Dmitri Young Nationals

ROSS DETWILER

 2008 Topps Opening Day 200 Ross Detwiler RC Nationals

Welcome to CoopersTown Pudge (and Rock)

With the announcement of the 2017 Hall of Fame Class The Natxpos Franchise has two count them TWO players accepted to Cooperstown. Expos Tim "Rock" Raines (Non-DC Years) and Nats Ivan "Pudge" Rodriguez (going as a Ranger aka: Senators 2.0). Raines got in on his 10th and final ballot and Ivan got in on his first ballot. Oh and there was also some guy named Bagwell but since he has no DC connection I won't mention him or show a card of his, sorry fans he doesn't fit the scope of this blog. There was another Expo who was under consideration but didn't make it this year Vladimir Guerrero missed out on the first timer train. Maybe Vlad will get in next year.

IVAN "Pudge" RODRIGUEZ:

2000 Upper Deck Baseball: Most Wanted: MW3 Ivan Rodriguez Rangers

For this next card I played with the adjustments on the scan for the front of the card to try to make Pudge's name easier to read. I wasn't satisfied with the result it looks too grainy. This is actually the second scan of the card as the first one had a hair or thread across the lower left of the card and I couldn't have that.

 2002 Fleer Ultra Baseball: 7 Ivan Rodriguez Rangers

TIM "Rock" RAINES:

1983 O-Pee-Chee Baseball:  227 Tim Raines Expos

 1988 Topps Baseball: 403 Tim Raines All-Star Expos

Hey Nook Its An Allen And Ginter Autograph

2007 Topps Heritage Baseball 442 Nook Logan Nationals

No that 2007 Topps Heritage card at the top is not the card I'm talking about in this post. I thought about making this one of my Senator's Singles posts but I didn't want this logo - 

- sitting at the top of the post. Besides the card I'm showing this post is technically not a Senators card. OK yes I believe there has been a time or two that I have used that logo for an Expos card or two which technically was Never a Senators card and for many of those guys never a Curly W or DC card. I think from now on I will limit this "Senators Singles" logo to only those cards that show the guys that played DC ball from before 1972.

The card I am spotlighting this post is from 2007 Topps Allen & Ginter's Baseball set. It is one of the certified autograph cards. The framed mini cards with an on card signature. I wish these types of cards were serial numbered, but autograph cards have gotten so mainstream now they often don't warrant a serial number. Yet a parallel something stamped with blue foil lettering is?

The player featured is Nook Logan who played outfield for The Nats in 2006-07. At the time I thought he was a super guy and a much needed slugger for the team. Well he was mostly just a spectacular outfielder and a speedster on the bases. He was with the Nats when they were mostly just trading around for speedsters that made occasional spectacular plays to impress the scouts, when they really needed power bats. His bat upon reflection, wasn't so hot as I thought it was. Do bats reflect? Aluminum ones for kids and the minor leagues Yes, Louisville Sluggers and Official MLB bats NO. I forgot that he injured his foot against an outfield wall on opening day 2007, spent over a month out on the DL and never really got his hitting back up. He was slumping near seasons end. I had forgotten that he had been in the Mitchell Report on players who had used performance enhancing substances. He had used HGH to recover from injuries he had in the minor leagues when was with in the Detroit Tigers system (2004-06). Enough of the sad contributions to ending a promising career you want to see a ding-dang card.

2007 Topps Allen & Ginter's Baseball AGA-NL certified autograph

On Card auto blue sharpie

Nook Logan Nationals

(Front and Back)

The main purpose for making this a one card post was simply to fill my monthly posting quota minimum of one post. 

A Couple of Infield Autos

A few weeks back I got a couple of auto cards from a seller on Sportlots from two auctions both for the opening .25¢ bid. I forget what the final postage was. Some of those dealers don't give much of a break on shipping. Anyway it wasn't until I logged them onto my Zistle and TradingCardDataBase lists (or attempted to) that I noticed one of the was not an "officially certified autograph". What the heck it looks close enough to real sigs I've seen of the player that I believe it to be a real in-person or through the mail auto.

First the "Unofficial Autograph" card. It is a 2007 Topps Turkey Red Baseball Chrome Gold Variant serial numbered to 1999 with an autograph signed on-card with a black sharpie. Card #127 Ryan Zimmerman.

 2007 Topps Turkey Red Baseball Gold 127 Ryan Zimmerman Nationals

#d 0347/1999 w/black sharpie autograph "uncertified"

(Front and Back)

Next is a "Certified Autograph" 2011 Topps Chrome Baseball Certified Autograph Issue signed on-card in blue sharpie. Card #33 Danny Espinosa RC.

 2011 Topps Chrome Baseball Certified Autograph Issue

33 Danny Espinosa RC Nationals on-card autograph in blue sharpie

(Front and Back)

All the dust looking specks on the front of the cards is from the scanner glass. I didn't wipe it down before scanning.

For the Zimmerman front image I had to adjust the brightness/contrast some so I could see the auto on my computer. The chromeness of the gold foil doesn't scan well. Maybe I should have brightened up the Espinosa also.

Frankly Friday: Brightening A Rainbow

Brightening A Rainbow: 2008 Donruss Threads Edition

Huh? I thought I only needed the Auto for this rainbow since I wasn't going for any of the relics, well maybe if there is a bat relic...any who I found this for a real good price on da Bay and couldn't resist for the obvious reasons: It's Hondo, I've got a taste of the Rainbow, Its a cool card and its serial numbered. So there you have it. I got it from Ebay along with another Curly W Card. Shipping was $4.50 for the pair this was the cheaper card for only $1.99. The other a card was a bit steeper at $7.99. I won't bother you with the other card just yet, that is for another non-Frankly post.

So yeah for Two Bucks I picked up a variation of the 2008 Donruss Threads Frank Howard Rainbow. The Century Proof Gold serial numbered to 50. I think there is only the auto to get, and maybe one of the relics. I'm not big into relics but I'd rather have a bat sliver than a jersey swatch so I might look out for that.

2008 Donruss Threads Century Proof Gold - 50 Frank Howard Senators #d 12/50

(Front and Back)

Here is what I have so far with this rainbow:

 2008 Donruss Threads 50 Frank Howard Rainbow: Base, Green Century Proof (#d/250), Silver Century Proof (#d/100), Gold Century Proof (#d/50)

For my rainbow I'm going to skip the jerseys but there is still the Platinum Century Proof #d/25, and if they made them for Frank Signatures Gold #d/999 or less, Signatures Platinum #d/25 or less, Bat Relic #d/500 or less. So I need anywhere from just one more to four more cards for this rainbow out of a possible 6 more cards.