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.

Panic In Detroit

Yes, I'm listening to David Bowie, but that's not what's making me all panicky, the Tigers are doing a good enough job of that on their own. The Tigers only have to play one more game in the Metrodome EVER. Thank the good lord. However, does any Tigers fan feel anything but impending doom? I'm holding the faith, but it is ever so tenuous. Suffice to say, we need these guys to take matters into their own hands, end of story.

2008 Sweet Spot #QS-OCVG Ordonez/Cabrera/Verlander/Granderson

Actually, Verlander has been doing everything that he can (his line yesterday is not indicative of his otherwise solid performance). So he's off the hook (although if he wants to throw like, three no hitters in his next three starts, that would be cool). Guillen, you can take his spot.

2009 A Piece Of History #FM-OCGG Ordonez/Cabrera/Guillen/Granderson

Do it. Do it now.

These are some new multi-player cards that are pretty snazzy (especially the "Franchise Members" card) but I couldn't be more disgusted with the Tigers' offense over the past week, so I'm throwing these up here as a motivational tool. Hey, it's worked in the past.

Of Group Breaks, Present, Past and One of a Kind.

The Topps Retail Group Break that I am hosting for Walmart (Black) and Target (Throwback) cards. WE ARE STILL ONE TEAM SHORT OF A GREEN LIGHT ON THIS BREAK. You can check out all of the specifics over here, then sign up for a remaining team and we are good to go. Let's do it!

Trimming down my backlog of cards even further, the results of I Am Joe Collector's Sweet Spot Group Break are shown here in all of their full-color glory.

Here's the backstory. For $18.50 you get a random team slot. I was assigned the Marlins. I wanted the Tigers for one reason, and one reason only. Any number of Verlander/Granderson dual signed options. Trading was allowed but I was going to be on the road for the majority of the day leading up to the trading deadline. I contacted the man with the Tigers but couldn't get anything worked out before I left. Now, somebody contacted me about getting the Marlins. That's fine with me, whatever makes you happy. He had the Giants and the Nationals. Bailey (of the Nennth Inning) wanted the Giants. He had the Royals. I'd rather have the Royals than the Nationals so a three-way trade was born. Marlins fan gets Marlins, Giants fan gets Giants and I end up with the Royals. Everybody is happy and I figure that, at the very least, I know a Royals fan that I could trade with.

Here's what I got in the group break:



Padres? For those of you confused, this card was sent to me because it was an unclaimed card and the generous host of our group break decided to send it my way. I've always liked Brian Giles, especially when he was a Pirate, and it has been sad to watch him decline in the last few years. I suppose playing at Petco doesn't help at all.

I only got one other card in the break, one solitary Royal:


Hmm... A redemption for an Alex Gordon/Billy Butler Black Ink/Black Stitch Dual Autograph. Wowza, I thought, that is a great card. Then I looked at the product specs again. That is a GREAT CARD. A One-of-One as it were.

Thrilled with my windfall, I have submitted my redemption and trust me, you will all know when it gets here. Then I'll need to decide exactly what I want to do with it.

Ultimate Checklist: 2008 Sweet Spot

It's been a little while since I've gotten an Ultimate Checklist post up here, and there are only a few left. So, for those of you who still have any interest in 2008 cards (and why wouldn't you?) I give you Sweet Spot:

2008 Sweet Spot #QS-OCGV Quad Patch (#/25)

You may recognize this card as my first card of 2009, and wrote a little blurb about it then. I still feel the same way now--this is a very nice card, I don't often get the pleasure of multi-colored patches. The patches are in unique configurations, and while I'm marginally annoyed that it doesn't show Cabrera in a Tigers uniform (he did play there for ALL of 2008) I like that he has an obvious Marlins patch to go with his Marlins picture. Since I bought this card for the Granderson, the pre-Tiger Cabrera just serves as a unique element and additional splash of color.

The only other Granderson card in Sweet Spot is the regular jersey variation of the card shown here. I'd imagine that the quad swatch looks how you'd expect--with four colorless swatches instead of the patches. Suffice to say that I envision that card as being lackluster compared to its patch equivalent.

All in all, Sweet Spot produced another sharp Granderson card, featuring another non-running picture (yay!) and put him with three of his all-star caliber teammates. Not much to complain about there.

First Card(s) of 2009*

Well, I got my first card of 2009 the other day, and my second arrived yesterday afternoon before I could post about the first. (* I actually had a large order before the new year that came right after my 2008 wrap up post, but I haven't had a chance to catalog and go through it yet, so, the cards in this post will now be considered my first of 2009).

The first, and more impressive of these is from 2008 Sweet Spot (#16/25).

From Curtis Granderson Collection

That is a fine looking card. As soon as I saw the multi-color patch, I knew that it was for me. I also like the little bit of Marlin Patch on Miguel Cabrera, as well as his Marlins picture. I hate it when they obviously mix and match pictures and jerseys, like showing him in a Tigers jersey and a Marlins patch--this works much better.

The other card is just an incremental addition to SPx, this time a dual jersey numbered to 35.

From Curtis Granderson Collection

I'd say that's a pretty good start to the year.

A running tally will be in the sidebar shortly.