Olliver Perez Collection Update

Since Ollie has been doing his best Victor Zambrano impression so far this year, I have had the opportunity to pick up a bunch of additions to my collection on the relative cheap! Actually REAL cheap. It will either bring down the average cost per card I have and help me dollar cost average the investment for maximum profit, or it will just be a few more dollars I have thrown into worthless cardboard.

Lets hope the renewed confidence and wind-up help as much as I think it will!

Here are some cards I have added recently:

2002 Leaf Rookies and Stars AU (NNO/175)
2002 Donruss Fan Club Credits (036/100)
2002 Bowman Chrome Draft Picks BGS 9
2002 Bowman Chrome Draft Picks Refractor (X2) (163/300 and 286/300)
2002 Bowman Chrome Draft Picks XFractor (046/150)
2002 Bowman Chrome Draft Picks Gold Refractor BGS 8.5 (29/50)
2002 SPX AU (690/825)
2002 Donruss Elite Extra Edition Turn of the Century (X2)(XX/75)(0027/1000 and PSA9 0078/1000)

I have also purchased a 2002 UD Victory card which I haven't yet received and was paid for almost 3 weeks ago, another 2002 Upper Deck Ultimate Collection that was paid for about 4-5 days ago but have not yet received, and the ones that has upset me the most:

another 2002 Bowman Chrome Gold Refractor. The seller claims his son bent the card and I should decide what I want to do. I got the card for cheap enough where I might still want it, but still it is upsetting. I may just ask for a refund. That has to bode well for his other gold refractors though. If one was destroyed - then only 49 reamin in good condition.

I have a pretty high percentage of the total of all of Olivers Rookie cards. This brings me back to thr though of what would happen to the percieved value of his cards if my house burned down. I mean if I own about 5% of all of his cards in existance and they all suddenly were destroyed wouldn't that be similar to say the Honus wagner card that is worth so much because of the recall?

Great Outing Against the Yankees and Collection Update

Yes, I am still the worst blogger of all-time.

Great outing against the Yanks with the new windup. A little crazy still from the stretch.

A bunh more cards including another gold refractor. I will post scans soon ...

Collection Update

Just picked these 2 up for stupidly cheap. Hopefully Ollie will continue his 0 earned run trends for a few more outings. If he can do that it might be time to try and flip some of his cards to recoup some of my investment. If I can do that and get to even or close to it with just a few cards - I could have the rest free and clear and root by being a fan instead of just with my wallet!

2002 Upper Deck SPX, Card# 235 Auto

#690/825 (bringing my total of this card to 16 out of the 825)

2002 Bowman Chrome Draft, Card #BDP113, Refractor

#163/300 (bringing my total to 9 of the 300)

Sorry for the bad image. Something is wrong with the camera in my phone when used with the office lighting.

Phillies Sluggers

I have said many times before, I am not a Met fan at all. I bleed the Pinstripes - however fantasy baseball has turned me on to rooting for players more than teams, and by following Oliver Perez so closely - I obviously have started to enjoy watching the Mets every fifth day. That said - I am really starting to hate the Phillies. I shouldn't rub it in too hard though - I mean they are the losingest franchise in all of pro-sports of all-time!

That said - they have 3 players on their team that can all win an MVP in Chase Utley, Ryan Howard, and Jimmy Rollins.

2002 Bowman Chase Utley
2004 Leaf Ceritified Materials Ryan Howard
2002 Bowman Chrome Jimmy Rollins
Chase Utley is the only one of the 3 not to have won a MVP - but this could be his year if he stays healthy. He has had a few injuries the last few years, so that would have him fall to the end of the first round or the start of the second round.

Jimmy Rollins is a monster and should be drafted back to back with Hansley Ramirez and Jose Reyes in the middle of the first round. You can't go wrong with his power, speed, average, and all at a weak position. I know there are 3 - but after that you have what Jeter? Then who? What will they give your fantasy team! There are 3 first round shortstops, one that should go in round 3, then no one for the next 5-6 rounds. If you dont get one of the big guys you might as well punt the position!

Ryan Howard is an enigma. He can win the MVP award as he did 2 years ago or he can strike out 200 times. Possibly both in the same season. I don't know about you but I will take a pass until round 3. He will most likely be taken before that in most drafts, but I wont be buying!

David Wright and Jose Reyes

David Wright and Jose Reyes are the real key to the Mets in 2008. They both need to play strong defense - especially when Ollie is on the mound so he doesn't get all the unearned runs he had last year. They need to hit. They need to steal. They are both legitimate MVP Candidates!

Also, my boss's daughter used to date David in High School - so although I have never met the girl, or David - I still feel a strange bond! ROFL.

David Wright - 2002 Bowman and 2002 Bowman's Best Blue
Jose Reyes - 2001 Bowman and 2001 Topps Update Chrome
David Wright and Jose Reyes
I plan on posting my fantasy reviews of players seperately when I do a multiple player post like this one - but in this case they 2 are so similar in fantasy baseball ...

Both are first rounders (giving the Mets and astounding 3 players in the first round of my 14 team league) David Wright is the 2nd most valuable Third Basemen and Reyes is tied for the best SS in all of fantasy baseball. It is hard to choose between Rollins and Hansley Ramirez. Unless you have one of the top 3 picks in your draft one of these 2 should warrant consideration as your pick!

Baseball Cards and my Fantasy Take on the Players

One of my goals of starting this site was to display some of my cards, and to see if anyone has any interest in trading or purchasing any of them. If there is any interest I will put them up on eBay. For the next few posts I will be displaying some cards of some players, and giving my fantasy take on the players displayed.

2004 Upper Deck Etchings - Etched in time Auto's
Joe Mauer
Carlos Zambrano



Joe Mauer, Catcher for the Twins
Joe will be THE elite catcher in baseball if he can stay healthy. One has to wonder when he will be moved from being a catcher to either DH or to 1B. He can flat out rake - and his injuries have been with his knees. Seems to me like he should stop catching ... DUH! I love that he can play catcher on my fantasy team and I would hate for him to lose the position eligibility - but it has to be done soon. Take him in round 3 if he is still available!

Carlos Zambrano, Pitcher for the Cubs
Is it just me, or has he sucked every April for the last few years, yet he always ends up with some of the best fantasy numbers a manager can ask for. I say don't pick him in the first few rounds. Someone will take him in rounds 2-3. When he has his bad April like he always does you can grab him cheap for trade. I have done it many times and it always works like a charm!

Joba Rules

Speaking of young powerfull arms ... I am really torn on what to think on Joba Chamberlain.

The Yankees still don't know what they will do with him in 2008. Will he be the set-up man for Rivera and be groomed for the closer role - just like they did with Rivera when John Wetland was the Yankee Closer? Joba has been a starter for his college and minor league career, and the Yankees have said that since he has so many plus pitches - they feel he will be a front line starter.

By looking at his stats though college and the minors, I have to think his incredible start was an abberation. Yes he can blow people away ... but ... I don't see how you can have average minor league numbers, and blow major league hitters away the way he did. The AL will figure him out this season, and his numbers should regress to the mean. That mean might be real good, but definately not what he did in 2007.

Here is my prediction for 2008:

He is a starter for the entire year, but the Yankees monitor his IP and Starts very closely.

He ends 15-6 with a 3.65 ERA, racks up 182 K's in 161.2 IP and has a WHIP of 1.14

Thats a great line for a youngster in the AL, but definately not as good as most Yankee fans think he will have. I always hear people predicting an ERA in the low 1's and like 5 K's per IP, and 2 Cy Young awards in the same year. It just wont happen!

Lost in the Johan Santana Rumors

Every day on hundreds of blogs across the country, Johan Santana is the main focus of fans due to his impending trade demands. No one knows if he will in fact be traded, or if it is all just a dream that we all have. I would love to see him go to the Yankees or the Mets - for the same reason I want Oliver Perez on either the Yankees or the Mets. It will give me the opportunity to watch him pitch more. Any opportunity you have to see one of the greatest pitchers of a generation - you should count your blessings. I got to see Roger Clemens regulary - I was at opening day when he broke Walter Johnsons AL strikeout record. I got to see Randy Johnson - albeit at the downside of his career. I got to watch Dwight Gooden as a flamethrowin youngster and at the end of his career. I could go on about perfect games and no hitters, Jim Abbott and his one hand. If these guys never played for the Mets or Yankees I would have almost never seen them. That is why I need Johan in NY.

The thing most people are not talking about in the Johan trade rumors is the fact the Twins have someone coming back from an injury that has the ability to make the fans forget Johan pitched there. Francisco Liriano will be returning with Spring training, and from what I have seen - he has the ability to be much better than Johan. He proved it in 2006 before he got hurt. If he is back to 80% of where he was - he will have a shot at the AL Cy Young in 2008.

2002 Bowman Draft Picks
Card# BDP147

Chrome Version - (1)

2005 Leaf Limited

Another Non Rookie that I will post, and this one even deserves a separate post from the other non-rookies posted in the last entry. I do not have any of the standard version of the card, but I am interested in obtaining any other versions of this card that exist.

2005 Leaf Limited

Card #41

I currently have 3:

Spotlight Silver - 28/50

Spotlight Gold - 16/25

Spotlight Platinum - 1/1

Some Later Cards

As I have said in my introductions, After posting my current collection, this site will be mostly about everything. Although I mostly collect only Oliver's rookie cards - every now and then something catches my eye and I purchase it. I am sure I have a ton of his cards throughout my collection - but again I will only be posting about the ones I like.

Here are a bunch of other cards that I consider postable:

2006 Topps Update

Card #UH67

Someone threw this card into one of my eBay purchases, and I like it for 2 reasons. First - it is the first card showing Ollie in a Mets uniform. Second - it has one of the best quotes about Oliver on the back, and it comes from one of the Mets most hated players:

"He's the closest thing to Randy Johnson you'll see," Chipper Jones once said of Perez.

it also says:

"If he's close to the pitcher of 2004, when he logged the third most strikeouts in Pirates history, they'll have made the deal of the century"

I think he came pretty close to 2004 in 2007, and I deel he will be more in 2008!

2003 Playoff Absolute Memorabilia

Card #147

I have the spectrum version of this card. It is serial numbered 036/100.

2003 Donruss

Card #36

I have 1 of these cards as well. Gotta love the Rated Rookie Subsets!

2003 Upper Deck

Card #23

I have 2 of these cards - one from the First Pitch version, and one standard.

2003 Upper Deck SP Authentic

Card #OP

This card is from the SP Chirography Young Stars Auto Subset. Serial numbered 17/50

Minor League Cards

I am not a huge fan of collecting Minor League cards. They always seemed so low quality and so easy to forge. I have a few of Olivers - mostly cards that were thrown in to trades or eBay purchases. I am lumping them toether for this post:

2001 Fort Wayne Wizards - (1)

2001 Multi-Ad Sports - (7)

2002 Fleer Tradition

This is the last of the 2002 rookies I own. I will be posting some of the other cards of his I have - but I mainly only collect the 2002 rookies. If anyone has anything else good - I always want to see it, and possibly buy it - but I really only collect the rookies.

This card is real plain. It reminds me of the set that Fleer put out in the early 60's. 1961 if I remember correctly. Anyway it is just plain, no serial numbers - but apparently it was pretty hard to find this card and set.

2002 Fleer Tradition Update

Card #U58

Standard Version - (2)

2002 Upper Deck Ball Park Idols

As I mentioned in an earlier post - this is by far the worst issue of 2002. WAY WAY WAY TOOOOOOO Much border. It is serial numbered - but that is about it.

2002 Upper Deck Ballpark Idols

Card #241

Standard Version - (3) each serial numbered to 1750. I currently have #'s 0519, 0587, and 1657

2002 Donruss Originals

Another throwback set. They take the stars and rookies of today, and use their old designs to make new cards. People must be way out of ideas! This phenomenon has been going on toooooooooooooooooooooo long now. In 2002 Donruss decided to remake their 1982 and 1984 sets (the original 1984 Donruss sets is one of the rarest of the 80's)

Oliver had 2 cards in this set.

2002 Donruss Originals

Cards #9 and 122

Card # 9 - 1982 Version - (2) 1 of which is BGS graded 9.5 (9.5, 9.5, 9.5, 9.5)

Card #122 - 1984 Version - (2)

2002 Upper Deck Ovation

Not too much to say about this card. Another upper deck issue, another ugly card! At least it isnt as bad as the ballpark idols card I will post about later! The cards are serial numbered so they got that going for them ... which is nice! The back says almost nothing except that he had 94K's in 90 innings in 2002. This set must have been released after the season was complete.

2002 Upper Deck Ovation

Card #171

Standard Version: (4) Each serial numbered XXXX/2002. I currently have #'s 0652, 0752, 0957, 1586

2002 Donruss Diamond Kings

Ahhh remember the good old days? You know they days when you could buy a pack of Donruss for $0.45 each and each pack contained 15 player cards? Compare that today when you get 5 cards for $2.99! Think back to those 1980's packs. The diamond kings were a great set, and normalled occupied the first 26 spots in the set - followed by the Rated Rookies. To be a diamond king you had to be the best player on your team, and not voted a diamond king in any of the previous 5 years. When the subset had been around long enough - they wrote on the back the years the player had been chosen. The cards were great artist renditions of the players. Sometimes the artwork was great - sometimes it wasn't. That all added to the fun.

Well those days are gone. Donruss took the great idea and ruined it. In the early 2000's they put out a set of all Diamond kings. Doesn't that remove some of the honor? They included rookies like Oliver Perez - who had never played a game in the majors!

2002 Donruss Diamond Kings

Card number 153

Standard Version: (7)

Bronze Version: (1)

Silver Version: (3) serial numbered to 250. I currently have #'s 101, 150, and 170

Gold Version: (1) serial numbered 042/100

2002 Upper Deck Sweet Spot

My last post was talking about all the crap cards that were produced and the redundancy of sets in the market. Well this is a set that I kind of like and I cant explain why. The foil hologram on the front and the design of the card just gives it a great feel.

2002 Upper Deck Sweet Spot

Card #116

Standard Version: (5) serial numbered to 1300. I currently have #'s 0059 (his jersey number at the time), 0466, 0668, 0730, 1261

2002 Upper Deck Diamond Connection

Is it just me or is it right around this time that companies started putting out WAY too many sets. I love the variety - don't get me wrong - but some of these sets are just redundant. They don't even look nice or have great photography. They are really just the byproduct of the license to print money that Upper Deck and Topps have! This is another pointless issue - but it had another serial numbers Ollie card - so I have some. The Oliver Perez card was part of the same release as the SPx Auto card. It came in the rookies and updates boxes.


2002 Upper Deck Diamon Connection
Card# 153


Standard Version: (8) Serial numbered XXXX/1500. I currently have #'s 0035, 0091, 0327, 0446, 0563, 1064, 1308, 1320

2002 Upper Deck SP Authentic

I don't know why, but for some stange reason I really don't like this card. There is too much white border, and the card just doesn't look good to me. Anywho I have a few of these....

2002 SP Authentic

Card #120

Standard Version: (6) Serial numbered XXXX/1999 - I currently have #'s 0250, 0528, 0611, 0782, 1467, 1976

Limited Version: (3) Serial numbered XXX/125 - I currently have #'s 013, 038, 096

Gold Limited Version (2) Serial numbers XX/50 - I currently have #'s 39 and 50

2002 Donruss Studio

Donruss Studio is another stupidly redundant set. It was cool in the early 90's when the first set came out - you know the one - purple border with black and white portraits of each player. For some reason the Kirby Pucket card from that set is the one that sticks out in my mind. Maybe he was on the box or something - who knows!

2002 Donruss Studio

Card #270

Standard Version: (3) - each serial numbered XXXX/1500. I currently own #'s 0139, 0157, and 0747

Studio Proof Version: (2) - each serial numbered XXX/100. I currently have #'s 012 and 100

Private Signings Version: (1) - serial numbers 23/25