Archive for the Random Rookie Recap Category

Rookie Card Showcase: 2004 Bowman Heritage Huston Street

Posted in Random Rookie Recap with tags , , , , , , , on October 13, 2009 by Cardboard Icons
You can hate me now ...

You can hate me now ...

This freakin’ guy. For his first couple of seasons in Oakland, Huston Street was awesome. Then he hit a bump in the road, was ousted from his role as closer and was included in the deal with Colorado for Matt Holliday. Then in recent days we saw exactly why Oakland had ZERO qualms about trading this guy. Dude failed to nail down saves in back to back games in the NLDS. Had he completed his job, the Rockies would be facing the Dodgers on Thursday. Instead we’ve got Ryan Howard looking like a beast and the Phillies one step closer to defending their title.

Being a San Francisco Bay Area resident, I had to chance to see Street pitch a lot in person and on television. Each time he came into the game he had this Nas song playing. Kind of appropriate that the words say “You can hate me now.” I think Huston needs to clear his friggin’ head and ditch the music. I’m sure Rockies fans really do hate you right now.

This is the part seven of an ongoing series. To see other parts in this series, click here.

Random Rookie Recap: 1960 Topps Carl Yastrzemski

Posted in Random Rookie Recap with tags , , , , , , , on March 15, 2009 by Cardboard Icons

1960toppscarlyastrzemskirookieI’m almost ashamed to randomrookierecapcall myself a Red Sox fan sometimes. All these years I’ve been collecting cards I’ve gone above and beyond to obtain certain cards for my collection, yet when it comes down to it, they rarely feature players from Boston. Why? Because aside from Ted Williams, most of these players are over looked in this hobby, so I feel like I can always find a good deal. Carl Yastrzemski’s rookie card is a prime example. Continue reading

Random Rookie Recap: 1983 Fleer Ron Kittle

Posted in Random Rookie Recap with tags , , , , , , , , on March 6, 2009 by Cardboard Icons

1983fleerronkittlerandomrookierecapEvery once in a while a card comes along and makes me think. Sometimes the card is new and shiny and showing me how far baseball cards have come. Other times the card is old and dingy, reminding me of what used to be, both in the hobby and sport. The latter was the case Thursday when I uncovered this Ron Kittle rookie card in a box purchased at a thrift store. Truth be told, I’ve got a new Thrift Treasures post in the works regarding two boxes of cards (about 1,500 total) I got for a mere $9. But perhaps one of the most intriguing cards in the boxes was this 1983 Fleer Kittle rookie. Continue reading

Random Rookie Recap: 1955 Topps Roberto Clemente

Posted in Random Rookie Recap with tags , , , , , on February 19, 2009 by Cardboard Icons

1955toppsrobertoclementeA few days back I came across a blog post that asked the hypothetical question: What card(s) do you think will retain their value in the future.

Well, folks, you’re looking at one of them right here. Today I honor the 1955 Topps Roberto Clemente rookie card. It took me several years to get my hands on one of these, but earlier this week my copy finally arrived.

Frandomrookierecapor the last three years — the time in which I really started to add serious vintage rookie cards to my collection — I’ve been waiting and waiting for the right time to pounce on a Clemente rookie. And honestly, there never has been a right time because these things are getting harder to find, thus becoming more expensive. Consider this: This copy probably cost me about 50 percent more than what it would have cost me had I just bit the bullet and bought it in 2005 or 2006. What other rookie card do you know of that has increased in value — and maintained that level for some time — like that? Continue reading

Random Rookie Recap: 1968 Topps Nolan Ryan / Jerry Koosman

Posted in Random Rookie Recap with tags , , , , , , , , , on February 18, 2009 by Cardboard Icons

randomrookierecapI know what you’re thinking: “Why on earth did he actually put Jerry Koosman’s name in the title. No one calls that card the Ryan/Koosman rookie.” Well, fact is Koosman wasn’t exactly John Hilton. Got me?

Whether you call this card the Ryan rookie or something 1968toppsnolanryanelse, the undeniable fact is that this is one of the greatest cards of the last two decades. No other card during the early 1990s grabbed hobby headlines like the Ryan/Koosman; at its height in popularity, this card held a $1,500 book value. At present, price guides list it at $500.

Upper Deck made splashes with the 1989 Ken Griffey Jr. release, Kevin Maas and his rookies had their 15 seconds of fame. But pound for pound, the Ryan (and Koosman) rookie is an iconic card, one that still captivates men who stopped collecting many years ago. Continue reading