The Pittsburgh Pirates and the 2008 Topps Set

with the Pirates acquiring Brandon wood I have noticed that they have acquired a lot of young players since 2008, who appeared for different teams in the 2008 Topps baseball set. I have listed the players, card no, team, and if they had the rookie card logo.

2008 Topps Set
 74 Garrett Atkins - Rockies **
102 Ross Olendorf - Yankees (rookie card logo)
126 Brandon Jones - Braves (rookie card logo)
129 Kevin Hart - Cubs (rookie card logo)
162 Andy Laroche - Dodgers
186 Lasting Milledge - Mets
243 Akinori Ikwamura - Rays
286 Jeff Clement - Mariners (rookie card logo)
351 Bobby Crosby - A's
437 Brandon wood - Angels
457 Josh Fields - white Sox
608 Brian Burres -Twins


*Pirates with the rookie card logo(Steve Pearce, Nyjer Morgan, Evan Meek)

**Ok not so young.

I counted 55 players with the rookie card logos and 7 would play for the Pirates

For Good Measure
2008 Bowman Draft*

12 Chris Carter - Red Sox (rookie card logo)
38 Jonathan Van Every - Red Sox (rookie card logo)
51 Charlie Morton - Braves (rookie card logo)

*note there was not one Pirate in the set

2008 Topps Update

UH309 John Bowker

(1 Pirate with rookie card logo Brian Bixler)

That is 12 different players with rookie card logos from the 2008 sets who would be property of the Pittsburgh Pirates.

The Pirates also just acquired Xaiver Paul who had a rookie card in the 2009 Topps update set to go along with former Dodger James McDonald who had a rookie card in the 2009 Topps set. 

Jamie Easterly #623

This is a nice action shot of Easterly about to pitch. The Brewers uniform looks great in this card design. If you look closely he is wearing some big wire rimmed glassses. Is the background, Oakland - there is a lot of empty seats there. Back Facts: Struck out 231 batters in 111 innings his senior year in H.S. 

2011 SCORE FOOTBALL LIVES!

I have been worried that one year eventually Score football would be cancelled. But this is not the year. It is not the big hit set that every one clamors for and it does not get big publicity.  It is truly the last 99 cent, non gloss card set left in the world. It has a large checklist and is just big time fun to collect. See a sneak peek over at the Official Blog of Panini America

The Anti-Hausman, Guidry played on only one team (the 1982 Yankees) that failed to win 80 games in a non strike season.  The 82 Yankees won 79 games. The 1981 team went 59-48. This shot of Ron looks like a warm up toss prior to the game or in between frames.
Back Facts: Was the only home grown Yankee on the World Series Roster last year. He is listed at 5'11 and 160 lbs.

Tom Hausman

Not John Houseman the old actor who did the Smith Barney commericials but the good old pitcher who pitched for some crummy Met teams in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Hausman is a medicore middle reliever who did not pitch a full season with a team that won more than 70 games in his career from 1975 to 1982. In 1982, in September, Hausman was traded to (America's Team) the Atlanta Braves and pitched 3 games for the Braves who would make the playoffs. The Braves went 10-11 after acquiring him.  I don't think he was included on their playoff roster. He never pitched in the majors again.

Photo Front: This is a classic shot of him in his windup with a high leg kick.

Baseball Card Price Guide History - 2001 Bowman Chrome Albert Pujols #340

OK, this is recent baseball card price guide history. Probably the most iconic rookie baseball card since the 1950s. Maybe only 2nd to Mickey Mantle. Off the top of my head, I can't think of a rookie card that can get you these prices (below for) besides maybe Willie Mays and Hank Aaron rookie cards from the early 1950s.
2/2005 Beckett Baseball                   $1000.00-1400.00
2/2006 Beckett Baseball                   $2000.00-2500.00
2/2009 Beckett Baseball                   $1500.00-2500.00
11/2009 Beckett SCM                     $3000.00-4000.00
10/2010 Beckett SCM                     $3000.00-4000.00
Last week on Ebay                           $3700.00(2 sales)

Wow. There is not much more to say. They are some very powerful figures. Even after a slow start Albert's card still commands a hefty price that very few cards in existence can match. And it has been going up since early 2009.

Willie UpshaW #652

No that is not Willie Upshaw but I find it cool how simliar how his card is to 2011 Freddie Freeman. Yes, they have the gloves on the different hands but they are in the same crouched position (ok Freddies is a little lower) and the photo is cropped about the same tightness (though Freedies maybe a little more tightly cropped). What sticks out for me is the same color uniforms (ok Freddies is a little lighter).

Back Stats: Drafted out of the Yankees' farm system 12/5/77.