A Gintery Zistle Trade

For the most part, I don't like Allen & Ginter's, but I won't get into that here, because my most recent trade is heavy on the Ginter. Sometimes I question what I collect, usually when looking for Trenidad Hubbard or Jayhawk Owens cards, but these guys were at least Rockies, members of the 1995 playoff team, and players that have some nostalgia factor from my youth. But Chef cards, that's just weird. Two new additions to that collection with Anthony Bourdain and Daniel Boulud, you probably either know who they are, or don't care, so I will move on.

Goalies From Sportlots

Scratching a small hockey itch with a package from Sportlots, two throwback style cards using the beautiful 1954-55 Topps design, adding to my growing Irbe collection. The Whitmore was the card the started the order, somehow he got a card after spending 5 mostly forgettable games with the Bruins in 2000.

Reg Leach - 1 Card Mailday

A card that has been sitting as a BIN in my watchlist for about 6 months, finally, in either a moment of weakness or strength, became mine. After picking up the Bobby Orr a few months ago, this became my next target for the 1971-72 Bruins team set. This is was from what I could tell, the best non-graded card I could find, reasonably well centered, and actually very good for OPC, and with fairly sharp corners. Now that the card is in hand I am very happy with it, one small surface flaw under the 'S', but a really good looking card all in all.

Leach is much better know for being a member of the Cup winning Flyers team, playing on a line with Bobby Clarke and Bill Barber and leading the NHL with 61 goals in 1975-76, and adding a NHL record 19 more in the playoffs, being named the Playoff MVP despite losing in the finals.

Zistle Trade #43

Two more red hot foil Rockies for the collection, Eddie Butler who was born in 1991, and LaTroy Hawkins who was drafted in 1991.

Emptying the Need to Scan Box

I can't remember who had it first, but it was love at first sight. David Paveloff, cult hero.

Zistle Trade #42

A trade I have been meaning to post for a while, featuring what might by one of my favorite non-Rockies cards, a Tim Wakefield rookie. I still remember the 1992 postseason when he was a rookie coming off an 8-1 regular season (ok, I didn't remember his exact record), watching that knuckleball dance around. Sid Bream was out by the way.

Bowman "Black" Collection - Kyle Freeland

The Bowman Black Collection autos are one of my favorite things that Topps does, and that is pretty  obvious by the amount of cash I have shelled out for them over the years. So there was a serious "WTF" moment when I saw this card. For one thing, it's not black, and it's signed with a blue pen and not the usual silver marker. Sometime I think it not so bad, but then I see it next the ether Black Collection auto and release this is a terrible card. It looks like most if not all of these inserted in 2014 Bowman Sterling are like this, but all of the 2015s that I have seen have gone back to the regular black.

Kyle Freeland was the Rockies top pick last year, 8th overall, and went 3-0 with a 1.15 ERA over 10 games between two levels. He has yet to pitch in 2015 because of shoulder fatigue.