The Trading Post #33: Off Hiatus Baseball Cards

I was following the Rockies pretty closely in 2007, the year of their World Series appearance, but I do not recall Steve Finley starting that season as a Rockie.

2007 Topps Hit Parade #HP24 Steve Finley

That's why this card that came via trade from Tony at Off Hiatus Baseball Cards was so surprising. At the time of Finley's retirement following his release from the Rockies, he was among the active hits leaders, which led Topps to produce this shiny insert card. Not counting printing plates and such, this is one of only two cards of Finley as a Rockie. Interestingly, that short stint in the Mile High City means that Finley put himself on a very short list: players that have played for every team in a division.

Kelly Johnson has played for all the AL East teams, but I'm not aware of any others. Let me know in the comments if any other players have achieved this journeyman feat.

I told Tony that I liked shiny cards and those with serial numbers, and he filled this trade package to that order.

2013 Topps Gold #604 Rafael Betancourt /2013

2014 Topps Mini Gold #282 Rex Brothers /63

Two of the Gold cards he included were of the perennially weak Rockies bullpen. They have a decent closer from time to time, like Huston Street or Brian Fuentes, but the Rockies relief staff has always left a bit to be desired.

Regardless, I received both full-sized and mini gold cards. The mini cards are much more scarce, numbered to only 63 for the Gold parallels. Even the mini base cards only have a few thousand copies, though they aren't serial numbered.

There was plenty of shiny goodness to go along with the gold parallels, including this retro card of Troy Tulowitzki.

2014 Bowman '89 Bowman Is Back Silver Diamond Refractors #89BIB-TT Troy Tulowitzki

It's really sparkly, but perhaps its most redeeming quality is that it's the size of a standard baseball card! Anyone who collected 1989 Bowman, which this card is based on, remembers that the original 1989 cards were just a tiny bit oversized, rendering most of the storage products fairly useless. It's still kind of a lame design, featuring only the Bowman logo and facsimile signature, but at least I don't need to break out an 8-pocket page to store it.

Here's a set that does the facsimile signature a bit better: 1993 Studio.

1993 Studio #212 Vinny Castilla

Rather than just a plain black, this Leaf brand used a nice, shiny rainbow foil. And Castilla's might have the thickest brush stroke in the whole set. To poke a little fun at the longtime Rockie favorite, it almost looks like he drew a little heart above the "I" in his name, as anyone who went through fourth grade is sure to recognize.

2014 Topps Museum Collection Green #11 Wilin Rosario /199

Speaking of thick, anyone that's run across a card from Topps Museum Collection knows that they're sturdy and solid cards. And they darn well better be, given what Topps charges for a box.

Rosario appears here on a /199 Green parallel in full catcher's gear. Since the Rockies' acquisition of Nick Hundley from Baltimore, Rosario has been spending a bit of time at first base, so cards like this of Baby Bull going forward might be few and far between.

And if you thought that one was thick, you'll just have to trust me that this relic card is even thicker.

2002 Leaf Certified Mirror Blue #36 Jason Jennings (MEM) /75

It's starting to astonish me how many relics and autographs I seem to be getting of Jason Jennings. When you think about the coincidental timing of Jennings' Rookie of the Year award and the appearance of relics in our hobby, it isn't quite as surprising.

A solid purple swatch is even rarer than one with a pinstripe, and this happens to have a serial number on the back, which matches the overall blue theme of this card.

That's as thick as cards got in this trade package, but thanks to Tony for a trade package chock-full of cards right up my alley!