Trade Bait; 2011 Topps, Opening Day and Heritage

I have opened a bunch of Topps, Opening Day and Heritage from the LCS and the local Target.  Here are the inserts and such.  I am interested in trading for Padres variations and inserts.  I am especially interested in any Heath Bell variations and such.  If you see something you are interested in let me know.













The Jackie Robinson is a parallel to the Babe Ruth series.

Bucholz and Weeks are from the three packs at Target.

That's all for tonight.  Time to go to bed.  I will try and get the other 10 images tomorrow.  Good night and remember the Padres are undefeated.  Good Night, Artie Wilson.

Dan Spillner

Dan Spillner was drafted by the Padres in 1970 and made his major league debut in 1974 and then was traded to the Indians during the 1978 season.  While he was in San Diego he pitched in 192 games for the Padres.  I got this card signed through the mail.

Ed Spiezio

Ed Spiezio is the first player to get a hit, to hit a home run and score a run in the history of the San Diego Padres.  He also won two World Series, unfortunately they were both prior to his arrival in San Diego in 1969.  He won World Series in 1964 and 1967 with the legendary St. Louis Cardinals.  He was traded to the Padres prior to the 1969 season and was traded to the White Sox during the 1972 season and was released after the 1972 season.  I got this signed 1969 card off of ebay, it was either signed with a fountain pen or is stamped. 

A Giant and Old TTM

10 days was all the time it took to get this card back from the O-Dog.  I sent it to him care of the Padres.  I also sent him the card below with Jason Bartlett, hopefully now I can send it back to Jason and have him sign it also.  I would like to have both signatures on it. I had sent Orlando two copies of each card and told him he could keep a copy of each and keep the pen I sent him.  He signed all four cards and sent the pen back also. 

I haven't seen a card of my all time favorite Padre in awhile, so I decided to make my first Padrograph card of a non Padre.  Tim also took only ten days to sign the card and return it to me.  Tim signed both of the cards that I sent him. 

Last night I got the last ever call on our land line.  It was a friend saying that they had gotten some returned mail for me.  When I sent out letters asking for signatures I usually put a return address of one of our friends who has lived in the same place for many, many years.  We had moved since I sent this request out so it went to them.  It is a return address that I haven't used for about six years so this card took a long time coming back to me.  It is the second card I have gotten back in the mail. 

Stan Spencer

Stan Spencer was drafted by the Expos and then taken by the Marlins in the Rule 5 draft in 1992.  In 1997 he signed as a free agent with the Padres and made his major league debut with the Padres in 1998.  He pitched in 23 games over 3 seasons with the Padres.  He pitched through 2002 in the minors mainly for the Padres, spending his last season with AAA Las Vegas for the Dodgers.  I got this signed through the mail. 

Elias Sosa

Elias Sosa finished his career in 1983 with the Padres after 12 years in the major leagues.  He pitched in 601 games over those 12 years and only started 3 games.  I got this signed at a show that my boss from the LCS went to in the Midwest.

More TTM Success

Topps has a monopoly and has chosen not to make cards of some of the Padres.  Over the last two weeks I have sent out cards to 19 different current and former Padres, many of the current Padres don't have cards I have made cards for several of them.  I mailed these three out last Monday and when I got home today.  Casey Kelly who was part of the trade that sent Adrian Gonzalez to Boston. 

Cameron Maybin came over from the Marlins in a trade last offseason for a couple of the Padres relievers.  Colt Hynes was drafted by the Padres in 2007 and has worked his way the ladder, and is in camp this spirng as a non roster invitee.


Thank  you Mr. Kelly, Mr. Maybin and Mr. Hynes for your quick responses. 

Eric Sogard

Eric Sogard was drafted by the Padres in 2007 and traded to the A's in he was traded to Oakland with Kevin Kouzmanoff as part of a trade bringing Scott Hairston and Aaron Cunningham.  He played so well for AAA Sacramento that he got a September call up for the A's and played in 4 games.  I got this signed through the mail when Eric was still in the Padres organization. 

Jim Snyder

Jim Snyder was a backup second basemen for the Twins from 1961-1964.  After he retired he became a coach and in 1988 he was named interim manager of the Mariners when Dick Williams was fired part way through the season.  I got this signed through the mail.

Roger Smithberg

Roger Smithberg signed this Bowman card under duress.  In 1989 when Las Vegas came to town to play the Beavers I went to every game and got a ball signed by every one on the team and got all my cards signed that I wanted, except for Mr. Smithberg.  Most of the other guys would laugh when I told them, they said that he was afraid that I would sell it for big bucks.  When I told Manager Steve Smith about it, he took the card and the ball and told Smithberg to sign them.  This is the only card that I knowingly have where the player was told to sign the card by his manager.  He was drafted by the Padres in 1987 and signed by the A's as a free agent.  He pitched in 15 games for the A's in 1993 and 1994.  By the way there are currently 6 Smithberg items for sale on eBay, none of them signed. 

Pete Smith

Pete Smith was drafted by the Phillies and then traded to the Braves, who hoped he could become another Smoltz or Glavine.  He made his major league debut with the Braves in 1987 and then pitched through 1993 for Atlanta.  He then played for the Mets and Reds before signing as a free agent with the Padres.  He spent 1996 at AAA Las Vegas before pitching for the Padres in 1997 and 1998 before being traded to the Orioles.  He finished his career in 1998 with Baltimore.  I got this signed through the mail a few years ago.

Bip and Bell

Tim over at The Great Sports Hall of Fame alerted be to a couple of Bip Roberts cards I didn't have.  Also on eBay I found a couple of Bips in a 1993 deck of cards.  The card in the middle is from the 1997 Upper Deck set showing Bip and Reggie Sanders who had played together with the Reds. 

 

Yesterday I came home to find my first returned TTM success.  It only took a week to get to Arizona and back.  Closer Heath Bell signed his 2010 Update and 2011 Topps cards for me, the 2011 card will be the latest edition to my one signed card per year since 1969.

With A Little Help from My Friends

The library system that I work for will be hosting an exhibit this December, sponsored by the National Baseball Hall of Fame and the Smithsonian.  We would like to add a little local flavor to the exhibit.  In 1946 Jesse Owens owned a team in the West Coast Baseball Association named the Portland Rosebuds.  The league only lasted about two months due to various things, only two of the teams in the league were financially successful.  Dr. Layton Revel of the Center for Negro League Baseball Research has provided us with a roster of the team.  We are having difficulty finding information on the players and I was hoping some of you out there could help us out.  Below is the roster.  Any information you would provide would be extremely helpful.

Portland Rosebuds
Wesley Barrows, MGR
Bob Bissant, Utility
William "Bill" Blair, P/OF
Ed Brown, LF
Eddie Ducy, SS
Alphonse "Blue" Dunn, 1B
Ted Gabe, C
Eugene Hardin, C
Joe "Goose" Hayden, P
Louis Hutchinson, P
General Jackson, P
? Johnson, 2B
Al Jones, P
Collins Jones, SS
Clarence McMullin, OF
Alphonse Overton, P
Leo Rivers, OF, Utility
? Thomas, OF
Sam Wheeler, CF
Bruce Wright, 3B