Bowman Black Collection NFL - Jordan Reed

Might as well post a Redskins card on the Sunday of Dallas week. I seems like the Bowman Black Collection auto's have been retired in Baseball, but I managed to find one to add to the collection. This one comes from 2013 Bowman football and is numbered to 10. Jordan Reed is one of the better tight ends in league when healthy with 11 TD's and 952 yards in only 14 games last year.

Mike Nikorak - Bowman Black Collection

Card number 15 in this collection and up to date until something new comes out. Mike Nikorak was the 27th overall pick in the 2015 draft and struggled in his pro debut, going 0-4 with a 11.72 ERA over 8 starts, but as a 18 year old high school kid, you never know what you will get.

Brendan Rodgers - Bowman Black Collection

I don't keep track of such things, but this might be the new "most-expensive-single-card" in my collection. This, along with the previously posted Bobby Orr auto, is from some custom graphic design funds. As with all Bowman Black Collection cards (with the exception of the not-at-all-black Kyle Freeland), this is a beauty to have in hand. To be honest, I feel kind of silly spending money on a card of a 19 year old kid with 37 games of pro experience, at least he is a hitter in the Rockies system and not a pitcher.

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.

Bowman Black Collection - Forrest Wall

Bowman Black Collection card #12 in the collection, Forrest Wall, the 35th overall draft choice of the Rockies in the 2014 draft. Starting 2015 as a 19 year old in A-Ball with the Asheville Tourists. All the scouting reports rave about his hitting and after hitting .318/.416/.490 in his pro debut last year, he look like an exciting prospect to follow.

Bowman Black Collection - Daniel Winkler

Kind of a bitter-sweet card in Daniel Winkler, who started 2014 with Double-A Tulsa, and proceeded to go 5-2 with a 1.41 ERA over 12 starts, with a 9.1 SO/9 and 2.2 BB/9. The previous season Winkler was just as good with a 13-7 record, 2.98 ERA and 10 so/9 across two levels. Pretty exciting to a pitching starved franchise like the Rockies. Then he hurt his elbow, resulting in Tommy John surgery in June, and then in December was selected by the Braves in the Rule V draft. There is a chance he will be back with the Rockies if the Rule V thing doesn't work out, or maybe he will be a star with the Braves, hopefully he recovers and can continue his career no matter which organization it is with.

Bowman Black Collection - Ryan Casteel

Another Bowman Black Collection auto, this time we have Ryan Casteel from 2014 Bowman Chrome. A power hitting prospect who just finished a full season in Double-A, Casteel had been a full time catcher until 2014 when he started to split time at first and at DH. After playing mostly first in the Arizona Fall League this past season, it looks like he might be moving away from catching full-time, but he might not have the bat to stick at first base. 2015 will be a big year for Casteel to either earn a full time catching job or prove he can hit well enough to land a job manning first base.

Rosell Herrera Bowman Black Collection Autograph

The ninth Bowman Black Collection autograph to find it's way into my PC, Rosell Herrera who was listed as the Rockies 8th best prospect by Purple Row, and 6th by MLB.com. Coming off a breakout season in 2013 in which he was named the South Atlantic League MVP with a .343 average, 16 home runs and 76 RBI, Herrera struggled in 2014 with a .244 average and is now being converted from a shortstop to an outfielder for the 2015 season.

Ramiel Tapia Bowman Black Collection Auto

Another Bowman Black Collection autograph to add to the collection. This was the one player I was hoping would get one of these cards this season. Tapia is a prospect that a lot of guys are really high on and some are not, seems like a really high ceiling low floor player, but with the way the Rockies seem to develop hitters this kid has a chance to be good, although as a 20 year old who just finished his second season in the States, he is still a ways away from Coors Field.

Jonathan Gray - Bowman Black Collection 2.0

A while back, my top collecting goal was to get all the Rockies from the multi-year, multi-brand Bowman Black Collection Autograph series. This past winter I managed to track them all down, but a new year means new cards, although always new players. In March of this year, my redemption for the Jonathan Gray Bowman Black Collection from 2013 Bowman Draft came arrived, then in June I noticed Jon Gray was again listed in Bowman Inception as a part of the BBC checklist. My first reaction was annoyance at re-using a player from last year instead of another prospect, but after receiving the card, the photo selection on this one is way better, and the prospect I really wanted Topps to use, Raimel Tapia, got a Black Collection card in Bowman flagship this year.

Joy of a Completed Set* (kind of) Bowman Black Collection

I have shown all these card individually but I just wanted to show them off all together. All the Rockies cards from the Bowman Black Collection Autographs spanning several Bowman releases from 2012 and 2013 (not counting the Tyler Anderson redemption which I don't think was ever made). Pictures and scans do no do these justice, they look amazing in a nice, new clean one touch.

David Dahl Bowman Black Collection Auto

My first Bowman Black Collection from 2012. The 2012 versions are not as glossy as the 2013, making the player photo stand out a little more. David Dahl was drafted 10th over by the Rockies in 2012, and had a great season at Rookie level Grand Junction in 2012, but missed all but 10 games of 2013 with injury. Listed in most places as the Rockies top non-pitching prospect, Dahl is starting 2014 in Single-A with the the Asheville Tourists.

Ryan McMahon Bowman Black Collection Auto

Another addition to the Rockies Bowman Black Collection McMahon. I picked this up during the winter and am pretty happy I did, because his prices have been going up pretty fast. Starting 2014 as a 19 year old in the South Atlantic League, McMahon has hit 8 home runs in his first 19 games with a 1.129 OPS.

Eddie Butler Bowman Black Collection Auto

Another addition in the quest for the Rockies Bowman Black Collection team set, this one comes from the Bowman Inception line and just like the rest this is on-card and numbered to 25. Eddie Butler along with Jon Gray are the Rockies top pitching prospects, Butler started this year in Double-A Tulsa, so his MLB debut might only be a few months away. He entered 2014 as the 26th ranked prospect in baseball according to Baseball Prospectus.

Topps Redemption Success - Jonathan Gray

A card that instantly moves to the top of favorite cards in my collection, a redemption from Bowman Draft that arrived today. Hand signed, numbered to 25 and black bordered. This is also the new record holder for most I have ever paid for a single card, but I really want to finish the Rockies team set of these Black Collection auto's and I think I actually got a decent deal considering what Jonathan Gray cards have been going for.

Tom Murphy Bowman Black Collection

A recent pick-up to go along with the Will Swanner Bowman Black Collection auto from a few months back. The Rockies top catching prospect and listed around 5th overall a Colorado prospect, Murphy is coming off a 22 home run season split between Asheville and Tulsa (AA). These are absolutely beautiful cards and this will be prominently displaying in my collection.

Check Out My Rockies (Oct 2013)

After a recent COMC package arrived, I thought a few cards deserved to be highlighted here. First off this Will Swanner Bowman Black Collection from ebay via the COMC Mailbox service. Just a beautiful card on thick stock, numbered to 25, featuring a Rockies catcher. I may have overpaid for this, but for such a nice looking card, it doesn't hurt that much.