2018 trade package #25: Sport Card Collectors

It's been raining PWEs in my area lately, a fun development that I hope doesn't cease in 2019.  One of those is featured in this evening's TMM post while the other is my third such envelope from Matt of Sport Card Collectors in as many months.  The expert PWE-partier has flipped some fun stuff my way this year and I was happy to see his note in this envelope that promised to continue the trend next year.

Here's what he sent my way this time:

It's a Tigers insert party!  Cobb is a Vintage Legend from 2010 Topps.  Recent former 2B Ian Kinsler looks great in a Detroit throwback uni on a themed insert from 2015.  Ace closer K-Rod looks a bit smaller than usual on a 2016 A&G Mini.  J-Up is looking good on a Black parallel of the Tigers version of his base card from 2016 Heritage.  And the newly-retired V-Mart gets in on the act with a 2014 Chrome Purple Refractor.

And then completely out of the blue, there's this guy.  Joining my IP/TTM auto collection is this signed copy of pitcher Doug Bair's '85 Topps base!  Originally a Pirates draft pick, Bair came to Detroit in a trade with the Cardinals in 1983 (after winning a ring with them the previous year) and hung around until late in the '85 season, meaning he was an '84 champ.  He pitched sparingly during the playoffs, with a lone appearance in the Series, but was a decent option out of the 'pen that year. 
It was definitely a nice surprise to pull out a new autograph for my collection, especially an '84 Tiger, and that's the kind of fun stuff Matt comes up with.

Thanks again for yet another fun trade package, Matt, and I'm looking forward to hitting you back with a very nice Christmas envelope of your own as soon as I have everything in hand.  After that I'm looking forward to more great trades in 2019!

2017 trade package #18: Sport Card Collectors

While it would appear that the Yankees and Tigers had some difficulty getting along today,

fans of both of those teams have no such issues.  Take, for example, Sport Card Collectors, who sent me cards for the second time this year (previously:  back in January).  The collector of the Bombers, as well as the football Giants, Rodney Hampton, Ken Griffey Jr., and much more, was kind enough to grace my mailbox with more cardboard representing my hometown team:

Let's start with a six-pack of Miggy, one of the main attractions in today's free-for-all.  The future HOFer having a very down year is represented on 2017 cardboard from Archives (Retro Original), flagship ('87 Topps), Heritage, Opening Day, Stadium Club, and flagship again (Major League Milestones).  The Heritage is a very nice throwback, but I'll give the win to another well done iteration of Stadium Club.  Now that Topps knows I like it, let's see how they f&$k it up.

Speaking of Stadium Club, player #2 in the scan is second-year star pitcher Michael Fulmer out of that very product.  It's an intense shot of a very talented pitcher I'm looking forward to watching for years in Motown.

Our third player is a recent former Tiger, OF J.D. Martinez, who went off to Arizona for a song.  Simply a fun guy to watch at the plate, I'll miss his bat in Detroit, but I've still put together a decent pile of his Tigers cardboard, and SCC chipped in this pair from 2017 Finest and Gypsy Queen ("Get Gypped by Topps year after year!™").

One Tiger who deserves some nice cardboard for his turnaround since the first half of last season is Justin Upton.  The RF's put up some nice numbers this year, furthering my hope that he'll opt out of his expensive contract so the Tigers can get on with rebuilding.  He's seen here on this post's second-to-last '17 Stadium Club piece as well as a Chrome Refractor parallel (#413/568) from this year's Heritage.

On the complete opposite of the spectrum we have Jordan Zimmermann, once again from Stadium Club.  While Upton eventually improved, the pitcher has been a tire fire from the start, with a 16-18 record (that seems like it's been worse) and 5.58 ERA to-date.

Joining J.D. from this year's Finest is JV, a.k.a. this here blog's namesake!  Verlander has been all over the place this year, but he still fits in well in a product called "Finest."  Not only did SCC toss me a base Verlander, the Refractor is there as well!  Yes, the greatest of all Topps inserts.

And to go 16/16 on 2017 cards, here's a pair of Diamond Collection jersey relics of another Tiger from this year, OF JaCoby Jones, plus an encore of J.D. Martinez.  These simple but solid swatches from one of my favorite brands are a nice way to tie a bow on this well-rounded package!

Thanks for a fun bunch of Tigers, SCC--I hope I can return the favor soon!

The Royal "We"

When I went to a pair of Tigers games back in mid-September I thought I was done for the year, but then my work source came up with one last pair of tickets for a Friday night tilt against one of our biggest division rivals, the Royals.  With Detroit still in the thick of the Wild Card race at the time, plus wunderkind Michael Fulmer once again taking the hill, I was thrilled to be heading back to the park one more time this season.

Here's a look at my ticket, which is of the season variety and hence features Tigers players.  My two others this year were Jose Iglesias and Miguel Cabrera (both of which I kept), but needless to say I was thrilled to get Verlander on this one, which I took as a very good sign (even though he wouldn't pitch that day).

Here's a gander at my scorecard for what ended up being an 8-3 home team win:

A few notes:

• Fulmer once again lived up to his excellent reputation by retiring the first eight batters he saw, four of them by strikeout, including striking out the side in the second.  He'd finish the game with nine, and struck out eight of the Royals' starters in seven spectacular frames
• I get very angry when my favorite teams' pitchers walk guys.  Why?  Observe KC's Danny Duffy's first inning.  He walked three of the first four hitters, then allowed a run on a wild pitch/catcher's throwing error.  That might have been the worst of it but then Justin Upton actually came up big with a double to knock in another run.  The Tigers scored a pair on just one hit.  Throw strikes!
• Upton was surprisingly effective in this game, and for the first time that I got to see in-person.  His two-out double in the first inning was big, and then he absolutely smoked a no-doubter into the left field seats in his next at-bat
• Cameron Maybin and Victor Martinez joined in the homer fun as well, with the latter starting off the festivities with a solo shot in the third, and the former following up his teammates with a two-run shot the next inning
• Mark Lowe continued to show why he was such an awful free agent signing, coming into the ninth with an 8-1 lead and allowing a pair of runs on a single, walk, and two-out, two-run triple.  The walk was the only allowed by a Tigers pitcher this game, and (B)Lowe simply wasn't throwing strikes when he needed to.  Shane Greene came on to record the final out, and by strikeout no less
• This victory allowed me to end the year with a three-game winning streak I can take into next season!