RBI (73) A graded slugger's hit...

This week I've gotten 0 replies in the mail and to be honest with the start of the season coming around it's kind of bummed me out. Lucky for me I needed to pick up a few things and strolled through the card aisle of a chain store that will remain secret seeing as all my awesome retail hits are from there and I'm going to protect my spot like a fisherman hiding his favorite fishing hole.

I picked up a blaster of Gems of the Game and cracked it open when I got home. What could be inside this box filled with repackaged packs? Well just an interesting little gem that goes along with the Hank Aaron relic I opened up the day before. This Barry Bonds 1988 Score and Game Used Jersey graded 10.

Oh Barry. I'm not sure how I feel about you. As a Southern California native and him quite literally being a home town guy I suppose I support him being one of the top sluggers of the game. But there's the asterisk. Once again, literally the asterisk that goes along with his name in the record books, in Cooperstown...and the court documents.

I'm not sure how the Baseball Writers Association of America will respond to his first year of eligibility in the 2013 vote. On one hand he is a 14-time All-Star with 7 NL MVP's earned by 756 home runs. On the other...yeah. There are relics from his career in Cooperstown, but I'm not really sure if this has a permanent place in my collection. Offers will be listened to if anyone is interested.

RBI (72) Another Cooperstown hit....

Well today I decided to prepare for the coming season with a quick trip to my local collectibles' show to stock up on a few supplies. I didn't do anything too crazy, just a few specialty balls that I've got specific players in mind for and some card protectors. But while I was wandering around browsing for a few singles, I unexpectedly saw one of my friends at one of the card dealers. While we chatted I couldn't resist breaking open a box of 2011 Topps Lineage that was just calling my name as the lone box not neatly stacked with the others.

What was in it? Well there was a redemption for a Ian Kinsler autograph, which is pretty cool seeing as I'm never able to get him to sign at the stadium and he's not a reliable TTM'er. What else was in it? Oh just 2011 World Series Champion closer Jason Motte, which I'll probably do a separate post for later.

Those of you who have cracked open a box of Lineage know there are 2 autographs and 1 relic inside. The relic was a Game Used Jersey swatch from Cooperstown resident Hank Aaron. Yup, that's right. Hank Aaron.

The card is currently residing next to my Jason Heyward pull, which will hopefully help him bounce back from last season and fulfill his potential this season. I'm not really sure if I need to do a full player bio for one of the greatest baseball players of all time, so here are a few highlights. He is a 25-time All Star with 755 Home Runs and 3,771 hits. He won a World Series in 1957 with the Braves and was inducted into Cooperstown in 1982 with 97% of the vote.

Awesome. Best impulse box buy ever.

RBI (14) Bringing the wood...

And I don't mean figuratively. The other day I converted some credit card bonus points into gift card credit for a store that won't receive free publicity unless I become sponsored by them (Target) and turned the gift card into a Topps 2011 blaster. The cards were all pretty generic but I was able to get a few needed cards from the base set and I think two inserts I needed.

Buried within the box though was a pack that felt a little funny. Of course within that pack there was a wonderful little goodie. An Aramis Ramirez  2011 Topps wooden bat relic! This was my first relic from the 2011 Topps Series 1 so I was pretty excited. I'm not a fan of the Cubs, but I'm a fan hits and the Topps 60 insert set. Looking at the relic and grain on the wood I feel like it's from the base of the bat, but could be wrong.

Ramirez started his career with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1998 but since 2003 has been a fixture in the Cubs clubhouse. A two time All-Star he has been a fairly consistent 3rd baseman capable of putting up pretty impressive numbers. He has a .282 career average and in 6 out of 8 seasons has hit at least 25 home runs with plenty of RBI to go around. 

With 1,046 career RBI 1,029 have been knocked in as a member of the NL Central Division ranking him 5th all time in division history. I'm not sure if the product of Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic will ever catch the men ranked 3rd and 4th seeing as that is Albert Pujols and Lance Berkman, both of whom are still in the division and having a strong season. 

This season Ramirez has continued to be passably consistent with a .290 average in 44 games but with only a lone homer to go with his 17 RBI, if he wants to catch Pujols and Berkman to be top man over Sammy Sosa's 1,296 he will need to pick up the pace. With the Cubs sitting 6 1/2 games back in the division with a 22-26 record I'm sure they would appreciate him bringing some more wood, maybe I'll have to send him back part of his bat.

RBI (6) I better keep the blog from going wayward...

And get back to talking about a cards with one from Heyward. That's right folks today as I was getting ready to leave for work I heard a few rings on my doorbell. I went to the door to see who it was, and it was my friendly neighborhood spider...I mean mailman. I was a bit surprised to see him as I hadn't ordered anything that I could think of when he handed me a small bubble package to sign for. I signed, went to the counter and popped it open it by pleasantly surprised.

If you've been keeping up and remember my very first pack ever was a Bowman Platinum that contained a wonderful Mike Trout autographed refractor. Well the second pack was pretty nifty too, you see it contained this weird little card inside.

I logged onto the Topps site and filled out the redemption information and proceeded to mainly forget about it since the site informed me it expected delivery in mid-June. Well here we are in the first week of May and the mailman delivered this!

Yup that would be an Jason Heyward autographed refractor with a game worn Jersey relic numbered 53/740. I'm not very well versed in Braves gear so I'd appreciate anyone who could help me identify what it came off of. Jason Heyward's autograph is definitely a crown jewel within my collection. To say I got lucky with my first blaster of Bowman Platinum is an understatement.

Heyward is a talent very similar to the other outfielder I pulled in the blaster, by that I mean a future franchise cornerstone. Named the 2009 Minor League Player of the Year by Baseball America and USA Today, and was the consensus number one prospect in all of baseball coming into the 2010 season.

Heyward was known for strong plate discipline and delivering towering home runs and demonstrated both when he joined the major league club.  During the Braves 2010 Spring Training a Heyward homer broke the sun roof of Braves Assistant GM Bruce Manno and David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported Manager Bobby Cox said the Braves would most likely install nets to protect the cars from $3,400 dollar damage estimates like Manno's.

When he began the season as the starting right fielder for the Braves he was assumed to be a lock for National League Rookie of the Year honors. He further fanned the flames of hype when he homered in his first Major League at bat off Carlos Zombrano. For his efforts he was elected a starter for the 2010 All-Star game, but due to a thumb injury that began to hamper his season did not play. He finished the season with only a .277 avg but a staggering .393 OBP in 142 games. His power numbers flashed with his 18 Home Runs, 5 Triples, and 29 Doubles with his 11 steals. Despite his strong numbers he was out shined for NL Rookie of the Year honors by fellow Georgian Buster Posey who ran away in the second half leading a resurgent Giants club to steal the NL West from the Padres in the final game of the season and eventually win the 2010 World Series.

In 2011 Heyward started the season the same way as 2010 and went deep off Livian Hernandez in his first at bat of the season and is helping the Braves stay in the hunt for the NL East title. In 32 games he is batting only .241 but again with a high on base percentage reaching at strong .346 clip. When he is connecting he's muscling the ball very well and has 7 Home Runs, a triple, and 4 Doubles.  While he isn't hitting for average so long as he keeps being a constant long ball threat and taking walks, it's highly unlikely many in the Braves organization will complain about having a Gold Glove All Star in the organization.

You can follow Jason Heyward @JasonHeyward on twitter at http://twitter.com/jasonheyward