Sunday fun: 2003 UD Prospect Premieres complete set

Since it's Sunday and I've got nothing new, let's do that thing where I show off some of my completed sets.

Today's subject is 2003 UD Prospect Premieres baseball.  I acquired this set a few years back, I believe in a trade, because I like small prospect sets.  I decided to pull it out today to see how this particular group of prospects turned out.  Here's all 90 cards in their divisible-by-nine and therefore easy-to-scan glory:

Bryan Opdyke, Gabriel Sosa, Tila Reynolds, Aaron Hill, Aaron Marsden, Abe Alvarez, Adam Jones, Adam Miller, Andre Ethier

Hill's had a decent career, but Ethier's the clear star here.  Jones was also a nice get for the Orioles in the Bedard "deal" (nice job, idiots).

Anthony Gwynn Jr., Brad Snyder, Brad Sullivan, Brian Anderson, Brian Buscher, Brian Snyder, Carlos Quentin, Chad Billingsley, Fraser Dizard

Here's an interesting group:  Tony's son. a few flameouts, and then a great pair in Quentin and Billingsley.  

Chris Durbin, Chris Ray, Conor Jackson, Kory Casto, Craig Whitaker, Daniel Moore, Daric Barton, Darin Downs, David Murphy

Jackson is another prospect I'm sure Arizona wouldn't mind having back.  Casto actually signed with Detroit last year before heading to Arizona and then retiring, so so much for "prospect" when it comes to him.  Barton was thought to be a key piece in the Mulder-to-the-Cardinals deal, but sadly that hasn't worked out yet.  Murphy's had some success since heading to Texas (for Eric Gagne--how'd that work out for you, Boston?  Pretty well, apparently, you won the Series that year.).

Dustin Majewski, Edgardo Baez, Jake Fox, Jake Stevens, James D'antona, James Houser, Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Jason Hirsh, Javi Herrera

And here we have the #1 reason I like this set:  Jake Fox.  I'm really, really hoping I can grab his autograph (and maybe jersey) from this set, but they're obscenely expensive for a guy nobody wants to play despite his prodigious power and inherent Wolverine awesomeness.  Bedsides Rich Hill, Fox is a guy the Cubs dumped, and I therefore place a curse on them that they won't win a World Series until--oh wait, that's been done before.  Anyway, Salty's also still got some prospectness left in the tank if he can get over emulating the catcher from Major League II.

Jeff Allison, John Hudgins, Jo Jo Reyes, Justin James, Kurt Isenburg, Kyle Boyer, Lastings Milledge, Luis Atilano, Matt Murton

Here we have Jeff Allison, Lastings Milledge and seven other guys that DIDN'T engage in criminal behavior/drugs to waste a huge amount of talent and a shot at the big leagues.  Murton was highly thought of at the time as a first rounder that year, then got sent to Chicago with Nomar in the deal that netted the BoSox Orlando Cabrera and therefore allowed them to break some sort of curse that year.  Murton's done diddly since.

Matt Moses, Matt Harrison, Michael Bourn, Miguel Vega, Mitch Maier, Omar Quintanilla, Ryan Sweeney, Scott Baker, Sean Rodriguez

Let's see, here:  Harrison came to Texas from Atlanta in the Teixiera deal that also gave the Rangers Salty, Neftali Feliz and Elvis Andrus, so that worked out.  Maier hasn't done much but he's cool because he's from Petoskey, Michigan (which is known for these if you're not from the area).  Rodriguez went to Tampa in the Scott Kazmir deal that DIDN'T involve the Mets looking like dumbasses.

Steve Lerud, Thomas Pauly, Tom Gorzelanny, Tim Moss, Robbie Wooley, Trey Webb, Wes Littleton, Beau Vaughan, Willy Joe Ronda

Sheesh, I guess Gorzelanny's the best of the bunch here.  Oddly enough, Littleton and Vaughan were traded for each other in 2008.

Chris Lubanski, Ian Stewart, John Danks, Kyle Sleeth, Michael Aubrey, Kevin Kouzmanoff, Ryan Harvey, Tim Stauffer, Tony Richie

Sleeth is one of the Tigers' recent draft picks that hasn't worked out (due to injury, really), which has been more and more rare, fortunately.  To be fair, the first round of the '03 draft wasn't all that great, but we could have at least had a Markakis or Billingsley, if nothing else.  This group includes a couple sorta-OKs and not much else.

Brandon Wood, David Aardsma, David Shinskie, Dennis Dove, Eric Sultemeier, Jay Sborz, Jimmy Barthmaier, Josh Whitesell, Josh Anderson

I wish Sborz would have worked out for the Tigers, mainly because he was a Detroit prospect, but also because I had a Bowman Chrome auto/RC of him (priorities, man).  Wood hasn't lived up to his hype, but you never know.  Aardsma is another one of those castoffs that's become a closer.

Kenny Lewis, Mateo Miramontes, Nick Markakis, Paul Bacot, Peter Stonard, Reggie Willits, Shane Costa, Billy Sadler, Delmon Young

Not a bad group to tie things up.  Markakis is the kind of guy I'm glad the Orioles have, Willits at least made an impact with his speed for the Angels and Young, well, maybe he shouldn't have gone #1 but he's done some stuff (trite summary of complicated career FTW).

So there's another complete set in the books.  I had toyed with the idea of nabbing a couple boxes from Blowout recently when they had them for $29, but I already have a base set and I'd be better served putting that money toward the Jake Fox hits that I really want--the odds would be against me and the rest of the autographs in the set aren't awe-inspiring.  Regardless, if for nothing else than the Jake Fox and other quality prospects, this is a fun set to have.

As usual, I'll keep looking for interesting complete sets from my collection to post.