50-50s From Dilan

Now that I am officially caught up on my TTM successes (for now), I now have the opportunity to try to catch up on some other packages that have come in over the last few months.  I got two batches of cards from my friend, Dilan, after he and I worked together to get some IP autos. Dilan messaged me a few times to tell me what teams he was planning on seeing, and I did my best to accommodate him.

One of the cards that he got signed for me that I liked the most was the above 2013 Bowman Sterling Henry Urrutia.  The card is numbered 9/25 and turned out great when signed.  Dilan really did a good job getting that one for me.

Other than the numbered Urrutia, I tried to let Dilan have the better versions of the cards that he got signed, such as parallels and inserts.  I was more than happy to take base cards, especially Topps.  He helped me knock out 2015 and 2016 from my Topps Autograph Project.

I know Dilan's main objective in getting the IP autos is to get up and coming prospects.  I was able to, however, help Dilan get some older cards of some of the coaches.  You figure that those guys are there signing, too, so why not try to get one of their cards signed?  I used my older Topps boxes from Mom to help with that part of the project.

Dilan got a few more recent players as well.  The above 2012 Steve Delabar is a nice horizontal card that turned out great.

These JP Arencibia cards also turned out nice.  I was more than happy to send along several of his cards, since I had so many.  The Heritage cards really turn out great when signed.

The biggest surprise of all, though was that Dilan was able to get Byron Buxton on a 2016 Bowman for me.  He had texted me saying that Buxton was only signing one per, so I told him that he was doing all of the work getting signatures, so he should keep Buxton.  Dilan texted me a few hours later saying he waiting after the game and got another Buxton signature, this one for me.  It was a really nice thing that Dilan did.  He went out of his way to try to get me the marquee guy, and came through.

Thank you so much for the work that you put in, Dilan!  I really appreciate all of the autos.

Care Package From Caleb

Back before I left for the National, I got a care package in the mail from my buddy, Caleb.  I sent him a bunch of Braves stuff and a relic from a Braves minor league team.  In return, he sent me this Bowman Sterling Chance Sisco auto and the below 2014 Bowman Chrome refractor auto of Jonathan Schoop.

With Matt Wieters leaving via free agency this off season, the Orioles will have to make do with Caleb Joseph and most likely Steve Clevenger until Sisco is ready for the majors.  Sisco is probably the best prospect that the O's have now, since Kevin Gausman is in the majors and Dylan Bundy has been hurt so much.

I really want to get to a minor league game to see Sisco play next season.  I missed out this year.

This Schoop auto is numbered 250/500.  It is a really nice-looking card.  I have quite a bit of Schoop autos and relics now, and it looks like he might just become one of my main PC targets once Chris Davis leaves Baltimore behind.  Schoop is a really good player.  I just wish he would stop attending the Adam Jones school of hitting.  He swings at so many down and away pitches, it looks like a carbon copy of a Jones at bat.

Anyway, thanks for the cards, Caleb!!

Trade With Noah - Orioles Autographs

I completed a trade recently with my good friend, Noah.  He landed a ton of Tigers cards and I got some cash, and a couple Orioles autos.  One of the autos is the above Josh Hart and the other is not pictured, but was my third 2011 Bowman Sterling Mychal Givens auto.

Hart and Givens have both done well for the Orioles this year, especially Givens.  A former shortstop, Givens was converted to a reliever.  With his unorthodox sidearm delivery, he has been tough to his this year.  He even got a tast of the majors this month.

Hart is currently batting .290 for low A Delmarva and should see some time at high A Frederick this season.  He was a first round pick by the Orioles in the 2013 draft (#37), their second pick of that round behind Hunter Harvey.

Christmas Gifts From Noah

I got a sweet Christmas package from my friend, Noah.  He really hooked me up in the package, and I wanted to show some of it here.

Noah gave me the above Hunter Harvey auto from Bowman Sterling as part of a deal, and included it with the Christmas package.  The Christmas stuff was mostly Orioles for my PC, many of them being Cal Ripken cards.  Noah is a really awesome guy, and really came through.

I sent him a really nice 2014 Museum Collection triple relic auto of Wilin Rosario for his PC.  Is it just me or was Museum Collection one of the best products of 2014?  Either that or Bowman Chrome.

Noah had busted a box of 1991 Score and ended up with quite a few Cals from there and I was the lucky recipient of them.  Thanks so much for the 1991 Score Cal Ripkens, Noah.  I mean, I already had like 20 of them, but 5 more couldn't hurt, right?  Haha.

Really, though, thanks for the Christmas package, Noah!  I really appreciate it!

COMC Pickup - 2013 Bowman Sterling Chance Sisco Auto

Here is another of the cards that I picked up off of COMC recently.  I got this 2013 Bowman Sterling green parallel auto of Chance Sisco for $6.75 worth of store credit.  Not too bad, since I saw Sterling base autos of Sisco going for $5.00 at the last card show I went to.  I remembered lamenting the fact that I passed on grabbing one of them, but luckily, I got this one,  This card looks so much better than the base ones anyway.

Sisco is having some kind of season this year.  Tonight, he went 3 for 4 with a homer for Delmarva.  On the season, he is batting .338 with 143 hits (113 games) and 5 home runs.  Wow.  That is really good.  I would love it if the Orioles had a few high average hitters on the team.  You know, guys you could count on to hit .320 or .330 perennially.  I guess, in these days, that is really hard to come by.  Well, Sisco is doing well in the lower levels of the minors.  He should be headed to Frederick, next season.  Let's hope he can sustain this success, but I have to keep reminding myself that he is only 19.

Instagram Trade With Dodger Fan Steve

I was able to get an awesome return for my Julio Arias Bowman Sterling auto that I won in a Box Break over Instagram a few weeks ago.  Another "instagrammer" messaged me and asked if I would take the above Chris Davis 2013 Topps Five Star jumbo relic and the below Bowman Sterling Dylan Bundy auto for the Arias.  I couldn't resist that.

Steve, the guy I traded with, even sent first and requested that I hold off on the trade until I got my card in.  You couldn't ask for a better trade.  I wish they could all be this way.

Both cards are great, but the Davis was the gem of the deal, in my opinion.  I do have a fellow Orioles fan that I just met who is asking about the Bundy.  I normally wouldn't be inclined to trade it, but I definitely want to hear his offer.  It would be really cool to be able to take a couple bucks spent on a box break and turn it into quite a few PC needs.  We'll see, but so far, I have had a tremendous return.

Hits From An Instagram Box Break

I joined a box break on Instagram last week and pickup up 3 slots.  The teams were randomized but, luckily, I still got the Orioles.  I also got the Dodgers and Marlins.  I didn't get any Orioles or Marlins, but I did get two Dodger autographs from the break.  The above Chris Anderson and below Julio Urias.

From what Austin, the Urias was the hit of the break.  I looked the card up, and yeah, they are selling on Ebay for around $40.

So, that being said, these cards are up for sale or trade.  Something comparable of the Orioles would be nice.  If anyone is interested, please let me know!

COMC Pickup - 2013 Bowman Sterling Hunter Harvey Autograph

For a whopping price of $4.25, I was able to pick up this 2013 Bowman Sterling Hunter Harvey autograph off of COMC.  Not bad, if you ask me.  Harvey will likely start the season at Single A Frederick this year, so it is a possibility that I will be able to see him play.  I definitely hope to catch plenty of MiLB games this year, like most years.

The Orioles farm system is much better than it has been in recent memory, so any of their minor league games should be entertaining.  Harvey has a long road to the majors, but the O's can now take their time with him since they signed Ubaldo Jimenez to a long term deal and they have Gausman and Bundy waiting in the wings.  I hope they don't rush Harvey at all, because we all know what happened to Arrieta, Britton, Loewen and others who were rushed.