Have You Got a Kenny Powers Rookie Card?

If you sneezed you probably missed the first season of HBO's Eastbound & Down, which charted the return to reality of a John Rocker-esque Big League pitcher named Kenny Powers. Broke and broken, Powers returns to his hometown in North Carolina to teach middle school P.E. He's one cocky S.O.B. who thinks that he's still the king of the world even though his fastball clocks in at less than 80 miles/hour.

Powers is played by Danny McBride, or the drug dealing chubby buddy from Pineapple Express or the special effects guy that likes to blow stuff up in Tropic Thunder. The show was great, although the first season only went six episodes - by choice, not by cancelation.

When the show launched I saw a few places posting pictures on downloadable online cards that looked strikingly familiar. Well, look what I found:

Foil be damned, this here is a pack of real Eastbound & Down cards. Let's tear in and see what glories are within:

As a huge fan of the show, absolutely fricking brilliant! Riffing off of recent Topps designs, these cards truly tell the career of Powers. Notice that each year he's with a different team. Also note the declining numbers after starting out on fire. The card-back biographies are equally hilarious and showcase many memorable moments and tidbits.

There are some inconsistencies though. Check the facsimile autographs. Yup, they're completely different. And if you look at a close-up of the 2004 card front, you'll see the ball has another take on his "signature."

Still, the final card of Powers kicking his glove is an instant entry into my own personal Cardboard Hall of Fame.

Promo packs can be found somewhat easily on eBay, although prices seem to be all over the place with packs/sets selling anywhere from $0.99 all the way up to almost $20.00. Oddly, more recent sets seem to be creeping higher.