Grand Cards: Tigers Checklist: 2009 Sweet Spot

Friday, November 20, 2009

Tigers Checklist: 2009 Sweet Spot

Master Checklist Here

I find that I'm always mixed about Sweet Spot. Yes, the "sweet spot" autographs on the baseballs are really nice, but I'm still sour on them after the 2007 fading signature fiasco. Ultimately, I guess I'd rather have a signed ball. Still, this year's edition of sweet spot signatures are particularly nice, with larger player photographs and fewer inane parallels (via different stitch/ink color combinations), at least for the Tigers. The base cards are predictably nice looking and underrated--I always like how these end up, but since they are essentially "throw-ins" on the set, they don't get much play. The relic cards...well, you'll see.

Your 2009 UD Sweet Spot Detroit Tigers look like this:

Base Set

#24 Curtis Granderson
#66 Justin Verlander
#78 Miguel Cabrera


Rookie Signatures (these are numbered as though they are part of the base set, but are autographed and serial numbered. They also have silver parallels that I've chosen to show for the fun of it)

#125 Rick Porcello (#/550)
#126 Ryan Perry (#/199)
#125 Rick Porcello Silver (#/65)
#126 Ryan Perry Silver (#/65)

Relics

#SS-CG Curtis Granderson
#SS-RP Rick Porcello
#DS-PV Verlander/Peavy
#QS-VEN Ordonez/Santana/ Cabrera/Hernandez


I'm not sure that I can describe how terrible I think these relic cards are. They have no redeeming qualities that I can find.

Sweet Spot Signatures

#S-EJ Edwin Jackson (#/350)
#SC-AK Al Kaline (#/99)
#SC-AK Al Kaline Green Ink /100
Ty Cobb Cut Signature (1/1)


Ooh, boy I love me some Ty Cobb cut signatures. I hope that this surfaces at some point so that I can snag the picture and add it here. These signatures are nice looking as always, but seem to have trouble scanning. The signature is almost always out of register relative to the rest of the card. Perhaps because they are inset?

In all, this is one of those sets where there are some nice things, but a bunch of less desirable filler disguised as "hits". All of the Tigers autographs appear to have many copies available (high serial numbers), making them easy to pick up for a relative pittance, if you're so inclined. I find both the Jackson and the Kaline to be particularly nice cards.