Friday, January 6, 2017

2016 trade package #25: Fuji wishes me a Magglio Christmas and a happy Zoom-Zoom year

My final trade package of 2016 arrived courtesy of Mark/Fuji of the Chronicles of Fuji, and what a package it was!  I'm talking 100% hits from the legendary blogger/trader/teacher/flea-marketer (you've got quite the diverse résumé, there, Fuji!).  Check out one of them over on TMM this evening, especially if you like a certain "super" player.

Most of the loot was of the Motown baseball club persuasion, so here's some Tigers to help me ring in the new year:
I may be getting to the point that I need to consider another name change for this blog:  Too Many Magglios!  Besides a ton of base and inserts, I now own 14 different hits of Ordóñez thanks to this excellent pair.  As usual, the "too many" would be tongue-in-cheek because I love collecting the offensive outfielder who put together seven very nice seasons for my Tigers.  Keep sending him my way, folks, and I'll take them off your hands.

Here Fuji sent me a nice pair of jersey relics.  The first is an attractive gray swatch from 2005 Sweet Spot, a Gold parallel of the Majestic Materials set.  I really like the design and colors here, and it doesn't hurt that it's numbered to 75.  The other also hails from a UD product from about the same time, 2007 Masterpieces.  The Captured on Canvas relic set retains Masterpieces' beautiful artistic look with the canvas theme and border.  Well done on both, Upper Deck.
Joining Magglio is my seventh hit of a young pitcher who was fun to watch in Detroit, Rick Porcello.  You may recall that he was sent to Boston in the deal that temporarily brought Yoenis Cespedes to Motown, and though he no longer calls Detroit home, I'm very happy to see him succeed, especially this year when he posted career numbers and won the AL Cy Young in a close race with former teammate Justin Verlander.  This 2010 Topps Peak Performance jersey hinted at his potential (his 2009 season was quite good) but I don't think anybody saw this year's 22-4 record coming!
The 2005 Topps Cracker Jack card housing this Pudge relic (my sixth) may be mini, but the bat chip is anything but, just like Rodriguez's larger-than-life career.  The legendary catcher is known more for his decade-plus with the Rangers, but he did put in four-plus years with the Tigers, helping to bring them back to relevance in the mid-aughts.  I'll be happy to see him elected to the Hall, which should happen this year, and that would make him the first former Tiger to earn that honor since Al Kaline in 1980!  Pudge goes with the Hall like baseball goes with "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" and Cracker Jack.
Joel Zumaya.
It's a shame the former fireballer's career was derailed by injuries as he was fun to watch out of the bullpen, a place where the Tigers could certainly use his electric arm right about now.  Here he is on what's surprisingly my seventh hit, a jersey from 2009 Upper Deck Icons.  The action photo is classic Zoom-Zoom about to blow yet another pitch by a hitter.

Fuji, thanks again for ending my 2016 trading year in style with some fun stuff--I look forward to sending more cards flying back and forth across the country in 2017!

2 comments:

  1. I love love LOVE the look of the Cracker Jack relics. They may be some of the finest designed hit cards ever produced.

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    1. They sure are nice. Any I should look out for in terms of your guys?

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