Mail Bag

Recent additions to my card collection.

This first card is a 2007 Bowman Draft Futures Game Prospect Game Worn Patch, serial numbered 34/99.  While the card doesn't have the "Refractor" tag on the back of the card, it is shiny (hence the blue color in the scanned picture), which is odd.  This card is my first "patch" card, and the part that caught my attention is that the patch has part of the "KC" in the KC Royals logo.  Nice addition to my set.

Card number two is a 2010 Topps Heritage Stamps card, serial numbered 11/50.  The "stamps" are actual stamps that are held in place and protected by a thin piece of plastic.  The other player featured is Jeff Francouer of the NY Mets.  I like odd cards like this one (as well as my "silk" card and the mini cards).  They add a bit of variety to my collection.

Speaking of mini cards, my third addition is a 2010 Allen and Ginter Mini Black Boarder card.  I'm a big fan of the Allen and Ginter set and this card is a nice parallel card.  I like the little details on the boarder, which add to the old timey feel of the set.

I'm piecing together the master set of Hochevar cards and as I add cards, it's getting tougher and tougher to track down the ones I'm missing.  So, I think I'm going to enter the box breaking aspect of the hobby.  I'm watching a few eBay auctions for boxes filled with packs of cards.  If I can get a box cheaply, I'm going to crack open some packs of 2010 Topps T206 cards.  There are a handful of Hochevar cards from this set popping up on eBay, and I'm going to see if I can pull any from a pack of cards, which I have yet to do.

Also, after a couple of months on the disabled list, Luke made his first start since June and, as luck would have it, he made the start in Omaha, so my friend Andy and I went and watched.  It was great seeing him on the bump (even though he was only allowed to throw two innings).  Luke's making his second of three rehab starts with Omaha on Thursday, which gives me a good reason to go to the final baseball game at Rosenblatt Stadium.  Hopefully Luke's arm continues to heal and he'll be able to join the KC Royals soon and finish the season pitching in the big league.

While at Saturday's Omaha Royals game, I got to see the Royal's latest prospect, Mike Moustakas, in person.  And the guy is legit.  He hit a homer in Saturday's game and followed that fine performance up with a 11 RBI and 3 home run game in the Royal's 23-5 victory over the Round Rock Express.  I'm excited to see what he can do in the majors next year, as the Royals will not be calling him up to the majors this season.  Kansas City has a lot of young talent (Hochevar, Gordon, Greinke, Butler, Moustakas, Ka'aihue, Getz, Wood, etc.) and they've been able to get rid of some aging veterans who were holding the team back, so I'll be interested to see if they can be successful in the coming years.