COMC Black Friday: The Autos

Am I behind in sharing my Black Friday haul from COMC? Probably. I was going through a few envelopes, and realized that I had never posted on my last delivery, which were a bunch of Yanks purchased on Black Friday. Combine that with my lack of new cards to show off and topics to write about, and now I've got a little fodder while I wait for some darn TTMs to trickle in.

There's nothing too fancy here, as it was more bargain bin shopping, but still, a couple of neat cards that I got for super cheap prices.

Stuck in 2011, this was a card I wanted but never got. Obviously Jesus Montero is a failed prospect - and failed Big Leaguer at this point - but for awhile, he was the #3 prospect in the game behind two guys - Trout and Harper. Pretty good. I always liked the way this card looked, and it was a tough pull. In November of 2016, I bought this for a little over $1. Prospects - they'll break your heart!

Gosuke Katoh looked like he was on his way to becoming a top Yankee prospect, but he's had a tough go of it the last few seasons. He's still just 22, so perhaps he can still make some strides this season. However, it's fair to say he's quite behind a bunch of middle infield prospects right now. I've always liked him though, and am pulling for him to put it all together this year.

Drew Finley is a guy that's easy to forget about, but he's a Top 20 Yankees prospect according to MLB.com. He should get his first taste of full-season ball this year, and I wouldn't be shocked to see him become one of the Yankees better pitching prospects as the year goes on.

Lastly, a cool signed card of Angel Aguilar. I like his signature a lot. I don't know anything about this set, but it's a decent looking card.

Zippy Zapped and it feels so good

I'm seriously contemplating not giving Zippy Zappy my new address.

It's not that I don't appreciate his packages. It's that they are too good! When I moved, I had to basically use one whole truck just to bring cards ZZ has sent me.

I'm kidding, of course. I would never say no to one of the epic Zappings. He definitely puts a lot of thought into his package, and the layer of personalization is a large part of what make these great.

He always throws in some from Staten Island Yankee goodies, which is cool. Even though I live close, I never make it out to the SI games, but ZZ always has me covered:

But the best part was this cool anniversary set from SI's 2000 Championship.

Great looking set! The cards all fold out and are perforated, but I haven't separated them.

Speaking of great looking sets, there was also a complete 2015 SI Yankees team set. I know I commented several times to ZZ how much I like the look of this set. I intend to use a few of them for TTM purposes.

A Jeter Lego guy! I'm definitely going to let my little guy play with this. No sense keeping it in a box.

Zippy makes some cool customs that he uses for in-person and TTM autographs. He was nice enough to give me a SIGNED one of Yankees stud pitching prospect James Kaprielian. Just fantastic! Except I read "Jimmy Key" when I look at his signature.

Here are a couple of unsigned customs. I love the '85-themed Kaprielian. Nice touch with the Draft logo too!

As if that wasn't a lot, he sent along a re-pack hobby box, as he's done in the past. It's always such a fun break. Imagine, packs upon packs containing cards of your team/guys you collect.

There's a bit of everything in there too. Hits after hits! I'm not sure what the odds were of this re-pack box, but I'm pretty sure I obliterated them:

ZZ, do you want this Tyler Austin back when he comes up in a couple days and wins AL Player of the Week right away?

Boomer? Sheffield? F yeah. Great cards!

Man, I miss you Ty Hensley. Come back.

Were there autos, you ask? There. Were. Autos. Feast your eyes upon signature after signature:

Man, I forgot all about the Battle Creek Yankees!

There were Tinos too! This Bowman's Best background looks like the wallpaper in my new foyer. (I used the word 'foyer' on a card blog. Is that allowed?)

If you like shiny, there was plenty of that too:

 

 

Prospects? Of course. ZZ's knowledge of the Yankee system dwarfs mine, but I know enough to get excited when I get a Thairo Estrada.

Or a Luis Severino.

Or a Jorge Mateo.

Or a Kyle Holder.

Hey Topps, make inserts that look as sweet as this. I dare you.

Honestly, Zippy Zappy, your generosity always astounds me, and this re-pack hobby box was no exception. From the big hits to the minor league issues, they all have a place in my collection. Thank you!

TTM Success: Drew Finley

Yankees prospect Drew Finley signed all five cards I sent him in care of Staten Island. I will say that I actually did not expect (nor want) all five cards back. I had purchased a bulk lot of Finley cards, and I included a post-it note on the cards for him to keep a few for his friends and family.

Regardless, he chose to sign all five and return them, which I'll make sure to share with a few fellow collectors.

I'm a pretty firm believer in sending no more than three cards to a player, and usually not the same card. I know other collectors have different opinions, and that's fine, I just think it's a bad look when a large quantity is sent. When I send more than one, I always offer for the player to keep another. If there is one I really want signed, I only send that so there isn't a chance it will be selected over the other card(s).

Anyhow, Finley is a solid pitching prospect for the Yanks. He was their 3rd round pick in the 2015 Draft, and has had a pretty good start of the season for Staten Island, allowing no more than 2 ERs in any of his four starts. The Yanks gave him a well-above slot bonus to join them, as he looks to have a very bright future. He comes from a baseball family (I like bloodlines!), and his dad is a long-time scout now in a management position with the Dodgers.

I wonder if Finley might get an opportunity in Charleston later in the season. Regardless, innings are the most important thing for his development right now, so as long as he's healthy and throwing the ball, I'm happy.

Snagging some draft picks

One of my favorite activities during the MLB Draft is waiting to see who the Yanks pick early on, then checking eBay to see if that player has a card. Usually I can still snag it cheap before prices go up the next day. It’s a good way to stay interested in the MLB Draft, which is crazy boring compared to NFL and NBA because pretty much no one has seen these guys play, much less heard of them.

Sure, there is a risk the Yanks don’t sign these guys, but it’s still fun.

The Yanks first pick was James Kaprielian from UCLA. He was one of the most polished arms in the draft, and while not the sexiest pick in terms of upside, it was a solid and safe pick. He should be a mid-rotation big league pitcher. That’s valuable. He’ll move pretty quickly after playing at a huge program in UCLA. This Crusade card of Kappy (future Girardi nickname?) ran me less than a buck. I also have a Kaprielian Team USA jersey card on its way.

The Yanks then had a really nice pick in Drew Finley in the 3^rd round at 92^nd overall. If he signs, he’ll definitely be someone to keep an eye on. He has a commitment to USC, but hopefully the Yanks can pay him enough to change that decision. He is the son of David Finley, who is the VP of Amateur and International Scouting for the Dodgers. He’s got some good bloodlines there. I snagged this auto for a couple of bucks, and it’s numbered 5/5. Would be sweet to see him become a bonafide prospect and then have a really good card on my hands.