The Many Faces of Moises Alou

This post was inspired by some cards sent to me recently by John from The Pursuit of 80's(ness). Another awesome batch of cards came across from the UK and whilst going through them I was reminded of the solid but rarely flashy career of Moises Alou.

Drafted second overall in the 1986 draft by the Pirates, Alou was the "player to be named later" in a 1990 trade that saw Zane Smith pack for Pittsburgh. It wasn't long before he became one of Montreal's outfield cornerstones dependable for above-average stats in both average and power. He might not have been as flashy as Larry Walker or as speedy as Marquis Grissom but he got the job done. With his father Felipe managing him, Alou finished second behind Eric Karros in NL Rookie of the Year voting in 1992 and was an All-Star two years later.

As good as the Expos got, the team suffered from a lack of commitment from ownership and the team was soon dismantled following the strike that ended the 1994 season. He stuck around for a couple more years but signed on as a free agent with the Marlins for the 1997 season and made an immediate impact hitting .292, knocking in 115 runs and smacking 23 home runs. Oh yeah, he was also the winner of the Babe Ruth Award, which is similar to World Series MVP, in that it's given for the best World Series performance as voted by the New York chapter of the Baseball Writers Association of America, leading an unlikely team to their first World Championship.

Alou's stay with the Marlins wasn't meant to last. Florida owner Wayne Huizenga promptly dismantled his championship squad in a firesale that looked a lot like the ongoing deals that Alou would have become accustomed to seeing in Montreal. Off to Houston.

Different team, same plucky player. In his four years playing with Houston (he missed all of 1999 due to a psychopathic treadmill so I'm not counting it), Alou was an All Star twice and finished third in NL MVP voting in 1998 where he set a career high for RBIs, driving in 124 runs for a dangerous team that included Jeff Bagwell and Craig Biggio.

As Alou approached and surpassed 40 years of age, he continued to put play a solid game yet never managed to find a place to really call his baseball home. After leaving the Astros via free agency following the 2001 season, Alou got a ripe three-year deal with the Cubs. In 2004, at the age of 37, he set a career high in home runs with 39. But that would be all for his days in the Windy City.

Although his power numbers were starting to taper off, Alou continued to hit for average in his final four seasons (spending two each with the Giants and Mets). Between 2005 and 2008 the Atlanta-born outfielder never hit below .300.

Last year marked the end of Alou's playing career. He'll likely never get any Hall of Fame career, nor does he necessarily deserve it. He was, however, one of the more overlooked players of a generation, quietly playing contently in the shadows of some of the game's bigger stars. Superstars might make those around them look better than they actually are but it's guys like Moises Alou that enable superstars to rise to the top of their game.

Thanks again, John for the awesome cards and for reminding me of an Expos great.

CONTEST TIME: Win What's in This Pack/Box of Razor Sports Icons Cut Signature Edition

It's time for a pretty major contest. Razor graciously sent over this pack/box of 2009 Sports Icons: Cut Signature Edition for me to bust and review. Inside is one cut signature card. Here's the checklist of possibilities. I'm going to do just that and pass along the spoils. The card that's inside will be given away on Monday morning.

You can enter three different ways:
1. Leave a comment below this post.
2. "Follow" the blog (look on the right side of the screen).
3. Mention/link to this contest on your webpage, blog, message board, Facebook account or Twitter and email me a link at ryan@tradercracks.com.

You can complete each of the above once for a maximum of three entries (for example: comment = 1 entry; comment and follow = 2 entries; comment, follow, link = 3 entries). Contest entries must be received by Sunday, August 2 at 11:59 PM Pacific. The winner will be announced Monday morning after my box break and review are posted.

Happy entering and thanks for reading Trader Crack's Card Blog! Also, thanks to Razor for the prize.

One of These Things is Doing It's Own Thing, One of These Things Desn't Belong

The day before I disappeared from my home computer a surprise package from Jim at GCRL arrived on my doorstep. I didn't have time to go through them until I came back, despite my pain and suspense.

Jim sent an awesome bunch of cards, mostly Expos but a couple John Jaha inserts and even a Canadian or two thrown in for good measure. I've got a few highlights and observations but first, a game. Play the video here and follow the instructions (just alter "cookie" for "baseball player" and ignore quantity). There's something strange about one of these below. Can you guess? They're arranged in numerical order, so as not to give any hints.

These cool little pieces aren't cards but rather mini-posters from 1981 O-Pee-Chee. Jim included seven of the 24 cards in the set, which I'm guessing are divided between 12 Expos and 12 Blue Jays. I looove fun little oddball finds, especially when they're Canadian in origin.

Moving on to some more goodies Jim sent, were these four cards. Have you ever stopped to notice how cool Rondell White is? The guy just oozes with it - at least he did for the era. I'm not sure if the lines in his fair are quite back yet. Jim included four different Ronell's and in each one he just has this aura of cool about him. Take a peak:

So if you need tips on cool and you can't find Rico Suave, I'm sure Rondell can be tracked down and offer some pointers.

While there were oodles of neat cards from Jim, this is my favorite:

That would be Ron Hunt making an awkward "action" pose for the camera. It's not a traditional baseball card but rather a postcard. I'd imagine it's from the early 1970s as Hunt was an Expos for less than four seasons between 1971 and 1974. From the shadowy bright lights, to the simple background, to the awkward look on Hunt's face to the facsimile autograph, this postcard just reeks of good simplicity.

Over the years I've amassed a few similar postcards but the Hunt is one I know I have not seen until now.

Thanks again, Jim, for the awesome bunch of cards!

A Favor Please (Need Someone From the US to Bid on a US-Only Auction)

I have a HUGE favor to ask of someone who lives in the US. There's an item on eBay right now that I'd really like to bid on but it's strictly US only. Living in Canada, I'm not allowed. It's not the kind of thing that pops up often so I'm eager to get in on it.

If you can help, please email me at ryan@tradercracks.com and I'll forward you the details and make arrangements.

Thanks!

Here's Johnny! 2008 Stadium Club Baseball 158. Johnny Cueto is Here

The day was February 22. The temperature was dancing somewhere around -20 decgrees Celcius outside my window. Keeping me warm was my obsession with wrangling up a set of 2008 Stadium Club Baseball, autographs and all. Of course, then I was young into the set. Had I figured out all the confusing concoctions of cards divisible by three and rookie variants, I'd have steered clear. But here I was, ignorant to the silliness and going hard at piecing the $25-per-pack set together piece by piece, without buying a single pack.

That frigid February day I entered three redemption codes in to the Topps site. They'd all arrived earlier in the day from an eBay purchase. I felt kind of bad for the seller for shelling out more than $20 for a pack whose "hit" got a return of no more than $6. The six- to eight-week (or was it eight- to 12-week?) wait turned into several months, over which time my obsession gave way to frustration and relative disinterest for a set I so wanted to champion.

But low and behold, what should be shipped from the gatekeepers at Topps on July 15, some 144 days later:

Why it's Johnny Cueto, or Just Johnny as I think I'll call him based on his one-name penmanship. Jeff Clement and Chris Perez are avoiding Sharpies, I guess. Now I'm a third of the way there with my redemptions. At this rate, it'll be well into the 2010 season before I get my 2008 "rookie cards."

Cueto was the talk of the town when the initial mock-ups for 2008 Stadium Club Baseball were released. It's easy to see why when you look at the image Topps released:

Yes, that would be chicken scratch trying to pass off as an autograph. So either Just Johnny did some practising or Topps was playing a funny on us. Laughter is always the thing that comes to mind for me when I think of six-month old redemptions. Maybe because a nervous laugh is all I get from redemption limbo.

High Fives From ARod - 2008 Upper Deck is Done.

Don't you just love it when sellers promise to mail things within a set amount of time and don't even come close to reaching that mark? Back on June 12 I placed an order through the Beckett Marketplace to polish off a couple of sets I thought I was already done, get me within inches of knocking off my 2003 Topps Baseball set and completing the monster 799-card 2008 Upper Deck Baseball set. I get excited finishing one set. Four in one go, well that just plain ole' rules.

So here's Alex Rodriguez doing a Victory March of Completion and High Fives for the effort.

I didn't plan on building the Upper Deck set last year but the photography was so gorgeous and Topps sucked in almost every respect so I went for it. One day I'll probably binder it so that I can look and marvel at its beauty but I don't have a run of Upper Deck sets like I do Topps so it might be a while before ARod comes out of his dark, long 1,000 count box. Sorry, buddy. Nothing personal. Better still would be the storage box Upper Deck promised with the factory Update set complete with Griffey in a White Sox uniform but that never materialized.

Back to the seller, who will remain nameless at this time (but that might change if I get a run around on an item below). First off, the promising to ship and not follow through was annoying. I paid June 12, the postmark was June 29. Needless to say, the cards arrived while I was away on vacation. Next up is the 1985 Topps Eric Davis rookie. It's been a good couple of decades since it was a hot item, but when it's the last card you need to complete a set you already thought was complete, it goes from a solid card to a must-have. I got the card but there's a massive crease going almost top to bottom. I'm not bummed about the money, just that my 1985 Topps binder is going to have a lone empty slot where Eric the Red and his faux deep-thinking stare ought to be. It's more about leg work and having to take care of things myself that I thought I'd paid to get. Enough ranting. 2008 Upper Deck is done. I'm happy.

And the Oscar Goes to...Lebron James?

Okay, maybe not but Shaq's new teammate is the subject of a documentary More Than a Game, which is set to be released in theatres by Lions Gate on October 2. The film focuses on James as he's getting ready to become the king of the post-MJ basketball world and his roots.

Last week I received an email that contained five "trading cards" of the five primary subjects of the film. As of right now, I think they're just images. However, I wouldn't be surprised if actual promos start showing up before the film's release date.

In case you're curious about the movie, here's the scoop from the studio's promotional materials:

Five talented young basketball players from Akron, Ohio star in this remarkable true-life coming of age story about friendship and loyalty in the face of great adversity.  Coached by a charismatic but inexperienced player’s father, and led by future NBA superstar LeBron James, the “Fab Five’s” improbable seven-year journey leads them from a decrepit inner-city gym to the doorstep of a national high school championship.  Along the way, the close-knit team is repeatedly tested—both on and off the court—as James’ exploding worldwide celebrity threatens to destroy everything they’ve set out to achieve together.  More Than A Game combines a series of unforgettable one-on-one interviews with rare news footage, never-before-seen home videos, and personal family photographs to bring this heart-wrenching and wholly American story to life.

 

  

  

  

  

And the trailer:

I'm Baaaack!

Although there's been sporatic posts here and there, I've officially returned home to the middle of nowhere. I'll be spending the next week or so sifting through emails, catching up on posts, looking at some other stuff and the like. Oh, yeah...there'll be a contest too for a bonafide cut signature card. Stay tuned for details.

Razor Hosts Lisa Gleave at the National

The Razor booth will be hosting an autograph signing with Let's Make a Deal's Lisa Gleave at this year's National in Cleveland. She'll be signing four different Bench Warmer redemption cards including one that Razor says will be "the CRAZIEST Bench Warmer redemption card ever!!"

The autographs will be via redemption and available all day Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Collectors will get one of three redemptions at the Razor booth by opening up either a box of pre-2008 Bench Warmer product or 10-plus packs of Bench Warmer cards from 2008 or 2009. Once you've got all three redemptions you get the fourth, an in-person autographed Kiss card where Gleave will sign and plant a smacker on the card right before your very eyes. Talk about creating cardboard jealousy.

For more information on the National, click here.

San Diego Comic Con Card Swag List

I'm going to do my best to keep a tally of the cards handed out at this year's Halloween costume mecca better known as Comic Con. The list will get to the point and that's about all, meant purely for reference purposes. If you know of anything that's missing (cards only, please), please email me so it can be added.

Artbox:

Harry Potter
Artbox is once again selling goodie bags that contain an assortment of previously released products and some new exclusives:

Prop/Costume Cards
SDCC09-CP1 Just Like That & Boxing Telescope Boxes
SDCC09-CP2 Slughorn's Office Cushions and Armchair
SDCC09-CP3 Slughorn's Christmas Party Guest Costume and Lantern Prop
SDCC09-CP4 Death Eater & Dumbledore Dual Costume

Prop Cards
Three different prop cards featuring pieces from Quidditch stand material. The cards are numbered /550 and showcase Gryffindor, Slythrin and one for all schools.

Harry Potter Stinks button. This will likely be one of the more popular exclusives from the show as it's limited to 33 copies and will only be given out through a raffle - five per day with three left over for the Artbox and licensor vaults.

Oversized Autograph
SDCC09. Evanna Lynch as Luna Lovegood

Breygent:

Dexter
Breygent will be offering special Dexter sets at SDCC. According to the Canadian company you get a 72-card base set, two costume cards and seven foil cards.


Ghost Whisperer
The first Ghost Whisperer cards will arrive at Comic Con with Breygent selling a box with a 72-card base set, two costume cards, two autographs and nine foil cards. The two autographs I've seen on eBay have the SDCC logo.

Rittenhouse Archives:
Althout RA won't be set up at the show themselves, they are making promos available at several card dealers' booths.
 

Lost 
P1 (Wednesday)
P2 (Thursday)
P3 (Friday)
P4 (Saturday)
P5 (Sunday)

 

  

  

Spider-Man Archives

SD09 available only at the Marvel booth. 

Stargate Heroes

SD09

 

Star Trek: The Original Series 2009

P4

 

  

Summit Entertainment:

New Moon
Two different promo packs for the upcoming Twilight sequel. The first is a set of five that focuses on Team Jacob. The second set of promos has four cards: Bella, Edward, Jacob and a header.

Unknown Manufacturers:

Spartacus
Promo pack of eight cards promoting the new series or mini-series that debuts in the winter.