RTP #18 - Special Guest Eric from Manupatches and Chrome Scratches

Welcome to a landmark edition of The Rockie Trading Post.  Tonight's special guest is Eric from Manupatches and Chrome Scratches.  If you haven't met Eric yet, he is a collector of both the Royals and Rockies and has an impressive player collection of Luke Hochevar.  I would plug your Fowler collection too Eric, but I want those coming here first (hehe).  This episode contains the very first trade in which Rockies left my hands.  I had accumulated many dupes through the first 17 episodes of TRTP, so I passed them along to Eric along with a stack of Royals I got from a group break.  Here is what he sent me back.

Who would work better in the leadoff spot in this trade than Juan Pierre.  This 2002 Finest Xfractor is numbered 109/299 and is very nice.  It still amazes me that Pierre is one year younger (well 10 months) than me, it seems like he has been around for a lot longer than 10 years.  This 2005 Donruss Champions Blue Impressions parallel is numbered 40/100.  Donruss Champions is a notable set because it is one of the last sets produced under MLB license by Donruss.

Up next we have a Jhoulys Chacin rookie from 2009 UD Ultimate Collection /599.  I do not understand the fascination with "high-end" products.  Well, of course it's the hits, but if you took the set name and serial number off this base card; it doesn't look that much different from any other less expensive Upper Deck side sets.  This sweet blue refractor of Matt Holliday from one of the best insert sets ever, 2008 Topps 50th Anniversary All Star Rookie Team.  I love this set.

A 2008 Topps Triple Threads of former Colorado closer Brian Fuentes #'d 1326/1350 leads off this segment.  Fuentes is one of those rare pitchers, like Jason Jennings, that had worse pitching numbers after leaving Denver.  Hoepfully he can get his act together as the new closer for the A's.  As many of you have probably figured out by now...I love gold parallels and the 2008 Topps Golds are among my favorites.  This Willy Taveras bring me to a total of six for that team set including U&H.

Here we have "joy of a completed (team) set" with my final 2010 A&G Rockie needed with this short-print Huston Street.  I already had the mini of Street.  The odd thing is that was the only mini I had, so he was my only mini and only needed regular size...just a little irony.  Up next is a fun picture with former Rockie reliever Taylor Buchholz and the Pirate Parrot.  I wish the Rockies had a cool mascot, but we are stuck with Dinger, the purple dinosaur.  I will have a minor rant post on Dinger, eventually.

Here are another couple of now former Rockies.  Jeff Baker was the Cubs third baseman that, in a very scary moment, went temporarily blind when a ball was hit toward him in a game last year.  Luckily for him, it seems to have been a one-time incident.  Ethan Hollingsworth was a middling prospect that was dealt to the A's this offseason for Clayton Mortensen, who was dealt by the Cardinals to Oakland in the Matt Holliday deal.

After 18 episodes of TRTP, I thought I was finally stumped on a Rockie card with these two, and I was until earlier today.  They are from the Colorado Rockies Police sets, Castilla the 1997 and Walker the 1998.  That was actually my first thought when they arrived, but the card numbering threw me off.  My master checklist had the cards alphabetically numbered when they are in fact numbered by player uniform number.  I like that the back of the Larry Walker card seems to be a mug shot warning about litterbugs.  "Take Pride in Your Community" or you could end up like this guy.

Rounding out this deal are two cool looking pieces of "shiny goodness."  The 2007 Finest Refractor Matt Holliday is my first of any card from this set.  The 2007 Finest design is a tad underwhelming compared to other years.  Speaking of underwhelming designs, here is a 2004 Topps Chrome Refractor of Vinny Castilla in his 2nd of 3 stints with Colorado.  I am probably not alone in saying that the 2004 set is one of my least favorite Topps flagship designs of the 2000s.


Thanks again Eric for the trade and you will be the regular next home for any needed Rockie dupes.  Plus you can have first claim on the Royals as well.  Make sure you check out his blog right here.  Well that just about wraps up this edition of The Rockie Trading Post.  Tune in next time for a Hal'O a trade (wow, put me in bad pun prison).  Until then, we are officially signed off.