A Trade With The Sandlot That Goes For-ev-er

**Quick update for all the Community Break participants:  Your packages went out the door today!  Sorry it took a little longer than I wanted.  The product breakdowns, along with showing off some of the goods still up for trade, will be starting any day now.  But first, I have to properly honor at least one of the trades I received before last week’s craziness took me away.  I promise I’ll get to the others soon, as well.**

I got a lot of responses to my 2005 Leaf Break.  Who would have thought that five year old inserts would be so popular?  Most of the stuff was put up for trade immediately, (in fact most of it still is on the waiver wire if anyone wants to claim something), and (…Joe) from The Sandlot took me up on that offer.  I sent him a couple Piazzas and, to help complete some team sets, some of the old junk wax Mets cards I accumulated from when I was collecting that team.

Here’s just a small fraction of what I got in return.

More from this set later

The Canadian was entering into his second season as closer for the Cubs.  It would prove to be much less successful than his 33 for 35 chance effort in 2005 (which was the best save percentage in the NL that year).

I think there's a card hidden somewhere in this darkness

This is the first Unique card I’ve held in my hands.  Even though it’s extremely dark, and they should have done something other than black gloss on black matte, it is a nice design.  The problem is that it’s drastically overpriced in box form.  It astounds me how little light is escaping this card.  Even Dempster’s face is lost in the void.  Only 4 more parallels to go for this set.

On to a fraction of the Maddux

Non-Opening Day Version

The regular Topps flagship scans a little better than the blue foil counterpart found in my last trade post.  I can’t say I’m too wild about this 2006 design overall.  Too many layers of borders.  An obnoxious ribbon at the bottom.  Some weird shaped piece at the top jutting into the picture frame for some reason.  It’s distracting.

Dual purpose card!

Rock!  Not only is it G-Mad, but it’s a pitcher batting! Two collections for the price of one.  Oh, and it’s an Opening Day card.  That doesn’t hold any collecting significance, but I will try to show those off when given the opportunity since hardly anyone else does.  Even if the gray border does give me nightmarish flashbacks of 1993 Fleer.

I swear it's a refractor

You can’t tell from looking at the picture, but this little Chrome beauty is a shiny, rainbowy guy.  What better way to celebrate 16 Gold Gloves in 17 years (and an errorless season) than with a surface that reflects the light spectrum back up to your eyeballs?  Glorious

I think Indiana Jones is running from that giant baseball boulder somewhere off frame

The scan makes the card look slightly better and more refractor-ish than it actually is.  My machine evidently makes it look like Maddux is either pitching against a barrage of laser cat fire, is about to go to ludicrous speed, or is summoning Charizard to help him strike out Craig Biggio and Squirtle.

I told you there'd be more of this set

Not only did I get the Maddux and Dempster 2006 Fleer card, but I’m pretty sure he included the entire team set, which was a very nice surprise.

An even nicer surprise was seeing 6 team bags full of assorted Cubs flavors!  I can’t go over them all, but I do want to showcase some, because variety is the spice of life, and with my heartburn issues, this is the only way I can enjoy such things.

Imagine the cards busting through this like some cheesy super bowl opening

Here’s a little something I can put on my locker or dresser or fridge or other stickers.  The possibilities, while not unlimited, do vary.

Pre-Kirk Gibson WS HR

One of many Cubs we let get away to fuel the curse gods.  He hadn’t saved a game to that point and he was a slightly better than mediocre starter in his 3 years with us.

H(awk)OFer!

I don’t know why I liked this design, but I did.  It’s pretty dudical, if you ask me.

Whoopsy Gracy

The guy wearing Mike Fontenot’s number was pretty good for us, as you can clearly see (I meant by looking at the stat box)

Well, at least the card will shine, even if his star did not.

So much promise.  So much ego (your brother wasn’t any better).  So long.

Must be a pop-fly since he's not celebrating already

Can’t neglect Sosa’s place in Cubs history, as much as some would like to, especially after his recent comments.  We got a few of these Fleer Showcase cards and they look really nice.  They’re sort of Topps Tribute-y, but I currently like this more.

Who will be the next Cubs manager?

My current thinking is that maybe neither of them will be getting the job, but you never know.  Of course, I’m hoping for Girardi.

Oh, that’s not the only Rookie Cup card (…Joe) included.  There were several more, including current radio color commentator Ron Santo

I could make a distasteful comment right now, but I won't

This, I believe would be my first Santo card, which is something I’m very excited about.

I am not a fan of him in the WGN booth.  Aside from the random grunts and one-word interjections, this exchange from a week or two ago sums up why.  “I don’t think that was a fastball.”  Pat Hughes:  “I think it was, Ron.” RS: “Yeah, I think it was, too.”  But, I am in the camp that believes the guy should be in the Hall.  I understand why he’s marginal, but I think the positives win out.

I really could go on and on, but I won’t.  This trade was of mammoth proportions.  Thank you very much!  Hopefully I’ll bust a few boxes that will have something you want and we can do it again sometime.  Be sure to check out The Sandlot and trade the guy some Mets, will ya?

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