2017 trade package #5: Wrigley Roster Jenga

I'm back today with a couple new trade posts (one here and the other over on TMM this evening) after slacking and/or being without power due to a crazy windstorm (but mostly the former).  While this is the last package I received in January (I think), I'm happy to reveal that I have three more that arrived since then.  Trading season is open!

That final January envelope came from Tony over at Wrigley Roster Jenga.  Tony is another first time trader for me via my tradeapalooza/giveaway from late last year, though I'll also give him credit for leaving comments here pretty regularly too.  A Cubs collector by trade, naturally, Tony sent me a huge stack of my team, the Tigers:

The Killer C's!  We start with a five-spot of Miggy Topps stuff of multiple sizes, including his Holiday Wal-Mart card from last year.  Next is Cabrera's teammate across the diamond, Nick Castellanos, in the form of a 2016 Gold parallel (#0492/2016).  Former Tiger and current MLBPA president Tony Clark appears on his '99 Metal base card.  And legend Ty Cobb rounds out the group an appearance from 1987 Hygrade and what appears to be a reprint of his 1910-11 Turkey Red T3 card.  Very cool!

We get through letters "E" to "S" with nine cards of nine players:

• Former 2B Damion Easley: MLB Showdown
• Cecil Fielder:  a '93 Upper Deck hologram
• Michael Fulmer, the reigning AL ROY:  another snowflake Holiday Wal-Mart card
• Curtis Granderson:  2009 UD Starquest (no such thing as too many cards of this guy!)
• "Hammerin'" Hank Greenberg:  a 1985 reprint of Hank's '34 Goudy card
• J.D. Martinez:  another snowflake card
• Victor Martinez:  an insert from 2012 Opening Day
• Max Scherzer:  a 2014 insert that somewhat brings to mind early 2000s-era Topps chase cards
• Christin Stewart:  a Topps Debut card of Detroit's top 2015 draft pick

Still with me?  Great!  Scan #3 starts off strong thanks to an appearance by one of my favorite 90s Tigers, Mickey Tettleton.  Next to him is OF Justin Upton, who hopefully puts up some numbers reminiscent of Tettleton's Silver Slugger campaigns while in Detroit.  This here blog's namesake made the cut this time as Tony flipped three Verlanders my way, two of which were brand new to me--the "60 Years of Topps" reprint plus the final snowflake card of the package.

Also along for the ride are a few more interesting cards, starting with a '75 Topps of former SS Ed Brinkman, who'd moved on to St. Louis (by way of San Diego) when this card was made.  He's joined by a couple 1979 examples from the esteemed TCMA, catcher Frank House, who was with the Tigers for seven seasons in the 50s and early 60s, and IF Jerry Priddy, who played his final four MLB seasons (1950-53) in Detroit.  I don't believe I had anything of either player so these are great.  Finally, Hughie "Ee-yah" Jennings makes his triumphant return to this blog with a trademark photo of the excitable manager courtesy of 2011 Goodwin Champions.

This group has two themes going for it:  it includes players I don't tend to collect on their own, but will stash in my Tigers inserts collection.  It includes five Topps-branded parallels (Alvarez, Castro (#026/500), Moya, Pena, and Raburn), Gypsy Queen and Heritage inserts of Prince Fielder, and a '96 Fleer Tiffany parallel of former OF Bobby Higginson.  The latter is one of those cases where both the base card and parallel are fantastic.

This final scan includes a bit of oddball and un-categorized stuff.  '92 Bicycle playing cards of pitchers John Doherty and David Haas don't give me a pair of aces but I do get a decent shot at a straight.  Next is a '92 Front Row draft pick card of pitcher David Mysel, a '92 5th-rounder that I can't believe Tony dug up!  I think I included the Pacific card of Curtis here because he's a convicted sex offender who's just a disgusting human being.  The last Tigers offering is a Wacky Packages sticker poking fun at the team's mascot.  And lastly, Tony proved himself to be an observant trader by including a Michigan Football card of former LB (in his Michigan uni, no less!) Shawn Crable.

Tony, thanks again for the fantastic envelope stuffed with Tigers treasures.  I'm looking forward to sending some more Cubs your way in the future!