Whole Lotta Vlad

It was a mere three weeks ago when I decided to add baseball cards from the career of one Vladimir Guerrero to my want list, and blocked out several pages in a binder in anticipation of my burgeoning Vlad collection. Man, I really enjoyed watching this guy play when he was around - particularly those early years with the Expos. He seemed to me to be a great non-Giant to start accumulating.

First card I grabbed was this 2002 Leaf Certified "Mirror Red" card with a little game-worn jersey encased in it. Number 029 of 150, it says on the back. Nice start, even if it doesn't scan all that well (trust me, it looks better in person. There are "Mirror Blue" versions available through the years as well).

Next, I was delighted to accept in trade from Tom of The Angels, In Order a set of hand-picked Vlad-on-the-Angels cards. I mean, he just plucked a bunch of doubles from his collection and increased my Vlad card count elevenfold. Thanks, Tom! Here are a few gems from that PWE:

 

You want to know what "Derek Jeter says..." in that 2008 Upper Deck card in the upper right there? Nothing! I turned it over. Jeter had nothing to say about Vlad. I'm sure there's a good reason he made it onto the front of this card, though, and I'm guessing some of you can tell me about it.

But wait! That's not all. Then I got a trade package from Gavin over at Baseball Card Breakdown, packed with more Vlad. This trading thing is something I'm a big fan of. I wish I'd gotten involved earlier. Gavin dropped in a couple prospect cards, plus Vlad of all eras - even on that Orioles team I'd forgotten he was a part of (dude still hit .290 in his final year). Here are a few that arrived in that package:

 

Superb stuff. Thank you, gentlemen. Those blogs again are The Angels, In Order and Baseball Card Breakdown. Like Vlad, they're good 'uns, and they have a damn sight more to teach me about the craft of baseball card accumulation than I've been able to glean on my own thus far.