2013 BA Benny Bonanza part 5: Tigertown part 2

Previously:  Part 1 (complete sets), Part 2 (Cal Ripken Jr.), Part 3 (Detroit Lions), Part 4 (Tigers base/inserts)

The other day you got to see a very tiny portion of the great Detroit base and hits Mike sent me.  Today I'm showing off a stunning array of hits that would be sure to boggle the mind of any Tigers collector, and that goes double for yours truly:

Wheatland was the Tigers' #1 pick in 2000, a prototypical wasted high draft pick after another prototypical wasted season.  Think Detroit could have done something with those who were drafted a bit later, such as Chase Utley or Adam Wainwright?
The Triple Threads Cabrera is a nice addition for a single-color swatch, and as an added bonus it's #d 01/36, making it a big win for me.
The Bonderman, along with the one below, gives me four hits of the former Tiger looking to reboot his career with the M's.  We here at TMV (i.e., me) wish him a happy and successful comeback!
Mike included two Zumayas in this package, but the one below is a double; this new one gives me six hits (including an autograph) of the former fireballing phenom.
The Pudge is somehow my first hit of any kind of him.  It's possible I had one in the past but sold or traded it, but that doesn't matter because this one, picturing him as a Tiger, is a total keeper!
The Maybin is a nice shot of him in a USA Futures Game jersey, something I know Mike was big into among his various collecting pursuits (the USA theme, not the Futures Game).
The Avila GQ jersey is a double but will make for excellent trade bait.
I had a Nate Robertson Beam Team auto just like the Jones, but like the Gum Time man himself, I don't know if I can stand to keep anything of Jones, one of my least favorite closers ever.  It's a gorgeous card, though, and will also make for quality trade bait.
Magglio is a guy I seem to attract hits of for some reason, and when they're high-quality like the above dual-jersey and patch below, I'm happy to get more!

The highlight of this scan is the Tram bat front and center.  The design isn't showy but it highlights the two most important aspects effectively:  the player photo and the relic.  Make it three relics and five hits overall for the Tiger SS legend.
Sheffield wasn't a favorite of mine before, during, or after his brief Tiger career, but at least this is a fairly cool relic which could make for a good trade item for a fellow Detroit collector maybe?
Originally a Mets draft pick, Cedeno spent a forgettable 2001 in Detroit, with a nice number of steals against a league-leading number of times caught stealing.  Any other Tigers fans interested?
The Torres is one of the more unique manu-"relics" you'll find, in the vein of actual and manufactured ticket stubs, really.  This Baseball Weekly box score celebrates his first career MLB hit (a triple) and RBI, the lone run in a loss to the Indians on April 7, 2002.  The Detroit lineup is so devastatingly bad it makes me want to cry--so bad, in fact, that I want fellow Tigers and baseball fans to share in my misery:

• LF Bobby Higginson (Detroit had to suffer three more years of his reign of terror)
• SS Shane Halter (Made Tigers fans want to hang themselves.  Get it?)
• C Mitch Meluskey (Played eight games for the Tigers in between seasons with Houston after being traded to Detroit)
• 3B Dmitri Young (A fat, belligerant diabetic who collects cards.  So what's his Beckett ID?)
• DH Dean Palmer (The only quality player here, though he played only four games in '02, and 26 the following year before hanging 'em up)
• 1B Randall Simon (Led the team in HR with 19 FERCRYINOUTLOUD)
• 2B Jose Macias (One of the suckier sucks that ever sucked, so of course I pulled a rare autograph of him years ago)
• RF Wendell Magee ('02 was mercifully his last MLB season.  HIS NAME IS WENDELL, of course he was gonna suck!)
• CF Andres Torres (Didn't show much during rookie year audition, but did win a ring with the 2010 Giants and scored himself a FA deal with them again late last year after a stop with the Mets)

Hold me, guys, I'm starting to have flashbacks...

Finally we have a Bowman auto of former pitching prospect Andy Van Hekken, a Michigan native drafted by the M's in the third round in '98, two picks before the Bombers landed fellow Michigander Drew Henson.    He came to Detroit in a deal for one of my all-time favorite Tigers, Brian Hunter, then pitched in five 2002 contests in his only career MLB action.  He at least has a win to his name, so he's got that going for him.

This staggering pile of hits was completely unexpected and easily one of the highlights of the whole package. I'll sort through what'll stay and what'll go and get things scanned accordingly soon.  I also have one last post related to this package so I can tie up some loose ends, and I'll get on that very soon--likely tomorrow.

Once again, thanks for all this ridiculousness, Mike!  There's no trade package like a BA Benny trade package!

2013 trade package #3: the Dimwit restores the roar to my mailbox

Today's trade package comes straight from the dirty South thanks to Sam of the Daily Dimwit.  Sam's blog is one you'll want to read if you ever worry you're acquiring too many cards because the dude shows off simply a MASSIVE quantity of high-quality pickups.  And that's not even easy to do when you're a fan of the Astros!

Sam also happens to be an excellent trader, which is why this is my fifth trade with him on this blog alone.  He held onto a few cards for me while I put together a package for him, then sent them anyway before I'd even be able to respond.  How great is that?  Anyway, here's the sweet quartet of Tigers he sent my way:

Joel Zumaya 2006 Upper Deck Special FX Special Endorsements auto

Joel Zumaya 2007 Artifacts Antiquity Artifacts jersey (#138/199)

Joel Zumaya 2007 Artifacts Awesome Artifacts quad jersey (#44/50)

Before this deal, I had a pair of decent Zumaya relics in my Tigers PC.  Now I have a third single relic, a great quad relic, and best of all, a purdy, shiny autograph.  "Zoom-Zoom" is a Tiger I still like to collect even though he hasn't been with the team for a while (or in the Majors, for that matter) because of arm injuries.  I guess it goes back to good memories of that amazing 2006 season that culminated in the AL pennant.  The kid threw gas and was simply a blast to watch whenever he entered the game.  That's one reason I really like the Antiquity relic--the photo really captures the two sides of Joel, gregarious youngster and fireballing pitcher.  There's definitely many other reasons to be excited about this new trio.

Drew Smyly 2012 Topps Chrome Rookie Autographs auto

I don't know when Smyly will become a permanent part of the Detroit rotation, but I do believe it'll happen, whether it takes an injury, a trade, or someone else with enough of a brain to give him the chance he deserves.  That's why I'm thrilled to pick up an autograph of him NOW.  Topps Chrome autos are maybe second only to Bowman Chrome versions when it comes to players' best rookies, and I wanted to be in on the ground floor.  Fortunately for me, Sam was generous enough to include this beaut in this very trade package.  What Tigers fan wouldn't be excited about an on-card signature of this quality on an up-and-coming player on his team?

I want to extend another very big thanks to Sam for being one of my favorite and most-generous trade partners.  I promise you'll like what I send you way whenever I have it ready, although I'll crush your hopes of another J.J. Watt auto right now.  Everybody should finish reading this post, then check out Sam's fantastic posts about the Astros, his group breaks, and the inspiring amount of cards he adds to his collection daily!