2009 Upper Deck: An Outfielder's Dream

The oh so tempting siren song of he care aisle caught hold of me once again this afternoon and I couldn't resist picking up a blaster of 2009 Upper Deck Series 2. While I find that I prefer the Topps set this year by a decent margin, I still like the UD offering and I'm pretty sure I'll pick up a box of series 2 soon.

As I ripped through the packs I had one eye on the cards and one eye on Hailey as she seemed determined to topple a pile of unsorted Halos off my desk. Even with only one eye trained on the action, a few things stood out.
1. The StarQuest cards are pointless. Hooray, I got a Nick Markakis Emerald Super Rare! Now what the hell does super rare even mean? Consider me a confused collector.
2. I don't really get the reason for the Goodwin Champions preview cards. Losing a baseball card from my pack for your advertisement doesn't inspire me to want to buy this future set. Especially when the subject on the card looks like the old guy who walks around my neighbor every evening.
3. The last thing I noticed, this set is an outfielder's dream. As evidenced below, there were a number of cards featuring outfielders making great diving catches. Don't believe me? Keep scrollin'.


I really appreciate that UD actually featured pictures of defensive plays on their Gold Glove Award Winner cards, at least the 2 I received. I get easily annoyed by cards like these that show the player hitting or high fiving a teammate.


Not as dramatic as teammate McLouth's leaping grab, but pretty decent nonetheless.


I'm thinking it may be time for the Pirates to invest in some ground ball pitchers. These outfielders are having to work way too hard.


Just a base card, but I much prefer this to my Emerald Super Rare StarQuestpalooza card I also pulled.


Perfect mid-action shot. The look on his face is one that is only seen right after the look of "I can do this" and right before the look of "Holy crap I better not blow this".


Probably my favorite of all the outfield play cards. If you're Trevor Crowe, you've gotta pretty stoked to have this as your rookie card. Beats the hell out of posing in front of the batting cage.

So is 2009 Upper Deck superior to Topps? After ripping through some retail I'd have to give that one a big nuh-uhh. But it's a worthy effort, especially if you're a fan of outfield defense.

Go Halos!

Fave 4: Baltimore Orioles

It's that time again and today's recepient of the Fave 4 treatment is a team I have never rooted for. For some reason, the Orioles and I just don't mix.

I'm sure the fine people of Baltimore are a good lot and have reasons for rooting for this team, but they've just never captured me. What I think most angers me about the Orioles is the logo switch they made in 1989. The swinging Oriole was awesome. I hate the Orioles, yet to this day I want to get one of those hats. My other problem with the Orioles, well maybe all Baltimore fans should just turn away now.

Ok, I think they're gone., and if they're not, they will be after this. I don't like Cal Ripken Jr. I know, it's sacrilegious. How could any decent, self-respecting baseball fan not worship at the feet of the Iron Man. In my younger days I was definitely drawn towards flash and there was something about Cal that just left me cold.

So despite the misgivings of Oriole fans everywhere, I will go on with this Ripken-less edition of Fave 4s.

1. Melvin Mora

With the retirement and subsequent fading away of Ripken, I've found myself at least somewhat more interested in the Orioles and this guy is one of the main reasons why. I love utility players that do it all. Not just a guy who's a back-up middle infielder, but a guy who can play and excel anywhere on the diamond. This guy is impressive as a player and a person. His father was murdered when he was very young in Venezuela and his wife gave birth to quintuplets a few years back.

2. Mike Mussina

Although Mussina has gone on to wear the Pinstripes of Evil, I always think of him as an Oriole and easily my favorite. During the couple of years in the mid-90s when Baltimore would make it into the playoffs, he was the one player that consistently impressed me and made the three hours of Cal Jr. gushing bearable. Maybe one of the greatest pitchers to never win a Cy Young award, although I'll admit to doing absolutely no research on the topic.

3. Nick Markakis

While it seems like year after year the Orioles continue to make dumb moves, the drafting of Nick Markakis might be the best move they've made all decade. This guy is a stud and one of the few young players in the league that I look forward to watching against my team. His tools are amazing and his future looks extremely bright. However, if you're a Reds fan you have to hate this guy, as he twice turned down the Reds after being drafted by him.

4. Mike Devereaux

I can't really explain why Mike Devereaux made it into my Fave 4. He was never spectacular or even really stood out for the Orioles, but as soon as I made my list this week, he was the first name that popped into my mind. When I went searching for a card to scan in my box of commons, I found none. Instead, after 15 frustrating minutes, I found him in a binder of "Stars". Yup, you read that right, STARS. I can't explain it, but if he was good enough for me at 12 to be a star, he's good enough for the number 4 slot today.

Honorable Mentions:
Mickey Tettleton

His time with the O's was short, but I remember being fascinated by his swing and the way he hacked at the ball.

Chito Martinez

He had all of 111 hits in 3 seasons, but his play had nothing to do with his near inclusion. His name is Chito. My favorite snack food is Cheetos. At age 12 that's all it takes for someone to get stuck in your brain for the next 18 years.

So there they are, my Fave 4 Orioles of all-time. While I've spent years rooting against them, all it would take is a change in logos and a couple of more Moras and Markakises to make them palatable once again.

This weekend I'm hoping to churn out a few more of these and I'm even considering tackling the Brewers for Dubbs at Cheese and Beer. Then again, he may be the only person following this, so I need to keep him in suspense and coming back for more.

Go Halos!