SuperTraders #7: Play at the Plate

Sometimes, Twitter helps you get to know some people a little better, or overall, just be a bit friendlier with them than through typical blog comments. Brian from Play at the Plate is a guy I chat with on Twitter a good amount, especially when it comes to TTMs. I always enjoy getting a notification that Brian tagged me in a post, meaning there is likely a new TTM to go check out.

Luckily for me, he is also a SuperTrader. and sent a bunch of sweet cards my way from my heyday - the 90s and early 00s.

But first, he did a generous box break a few weeks ago, and lucky pulled this guy for me. It's a great shot of Pettitte before he delivers a pitch.

Yep, that's a pretty sweet relic #'d to 75.

I gotta say, I don't have any cards from this Topps Tek set. I did have some Tinos from 1998 and 1999, but I don't think I've ever even seen this set from 2000. Man, I love clearcuts.

This card is shiny overload, and I love it. It just reeks of the '90s, right?

I've never seen either of these Jeters either. I am currently putting all my Jeter cards in a pile to see how many I have. I'm going to guess around 500, but I literally have no clue. I can say with certainty that I did not have either of these, as I've never seen them. The Topps Gallery Masters is especially cool.

Fleer also put out a set every week in the late '90s. These are some of the nicer and less forgettable ones, called Fleer Brilliants. The blue is...um, brilliant.

Here's a John Wetteland from a year when Topps Finest decided to confuse everyone.

And a Reggie and Donnie Baseball I enjoyed. I have no clue what the Mattingly is from. Donnie must have more oddballs than any other player.

Brian, thanks my friend. I owe you some sweet Rangers in return.

Late at the Plate

I'm still working through a folder of scanned cards from the spring and summer. Where has time gone??

Anyhow, Brian from Play At The Plate sent me pretty much all the 2015 Bowman Yanks he pulled, including a sweet Rob Segedin auto. It's a few years too late for Segedin, once a very promising player in the Yanks system. However, I could never get him TTM for some reason, so I'm very happy with a certified auto.

When I got these two cards, I never figured each would make his MLB debut this year! The Yellow Sanchez is sharp.

 

Finally, a sweet Refractor of Bernie! I liked these RC Flashbacks. Nice job there, Topps.

Thanks again, Brian!

A plate of Bowman

Brian from Play at the Plate sent me a bunch of Bowman Yanks recently. I'm one of the few who likes Bowman every year since I'm a big Minor League Baseball fan. Here is what Brian sent:

Parallels woop woop! I actually have the Swisher Silver Ice, so I have a mini rainbow type thing going of sorts.

Chrome prospects. That's what I'm talking about. Tyler Austin is on his way to becoming a Top 30 prospect. Jose Campos was awesome before his arm injury. Greg Bird has a funny name. Rookie Davis...what happens if he is a 10 year MLB pitcher? Will his name change to Veteran? Vet? Now pitching, Vet Davis. That could work.

Dellin! You walk too many guys. You're like Ubaldo, and it's annoying because you have a chance to be so, so, so good.

Brian, thanks for the cards. Rangers heading your way soon.

Trade at the Plate

I just completed my second trade with Brian from Play at thePlate. He saw a Joe Mauer card he liked on my blog, and a trade was born. He had a bunch of 2011 Topps Chrome Yankees that I needed. He also had two Refractors – Jorge Posada and Lance Pendleton (aka Pants Lendleton). I swear I have more Posada Refractors than I do of anyone else.

Brian, thanks for the trade!

Trade Review: Play at the Plate

After returning home from an Easter spent at my parents' house, I had a nice little bubble mailer waiting for me from Brian at Play at the Plate. I sent Brian some 2011 Heritage, as well as a stack of random Texas Rangers cards. Brian sent me an incredibly generous lot of Yankees.

The were two big highlights for me. The first is a 1993 Topps Derek Jeter rookie! I actually did not own this card...I have some older Jeters from Classic, but this is my first Topps RC. I love it and couldn't believe he sent it! Brian included a post it that it was an original, and not a re-print. To me, it's so weird that there even would be a reprint of this card already, although I believe it was part of the 60 Years of Topps insert set this year. Bizarre that he'd even have to say a 1993 is authentic, but this is the hobby as we now know it.

The next equally awesome card was this Andy Pettitte 2010 National Chicle Refractor numbered 003/199. Whoa! What a beautiful and shiny card this is! It's dazzling. I like this set more and more, partly because I really appreciate the artwork behind it. It's not easy to paint baseball players. This is by far the nicest Pettitte card I now own.

Next up is some shiny goodness - 2010 Topps Chrome X-Fractors of Jeter and Kevin Russo. Awesome.

Another Jeter insert. What a classy looking card this is.

And finally, a nice lot of Yanks. You bet your a$$ that's a Kei Igawa shiny.

Brian, thanks again! These cards were great and very unexpected. The Jeter rookie is something I'll hang onto for a very, very long time.