Trade Post with the Sandlot

I saw that Joe from The Sandlot had a 2012 McCutchen card that I needed and arranged to make a big trade sending out a bunch of Mets in exchange for a bunch of Pirates.

First the only agreed upon card in the trade, a 2012 Topps Opening Day Elite Skills Andrew McCutchen.  This card shows Andrew showing off his elite skill of bunting.

The two hits of the package included a Matt Capps Clear Path to Greatness AUTO and a 2011 Lineage Jason Bay jersey.

Some numbered parallels were also included.  I recently got my Andrew Lambo Topps 100 signed by Lambo prior to a game, so now I can add an unsigned back into my numbered binder.

Joe sent me the entire team set of 2006 Fleer in the package.  If the Billy Ripken F-ck Face card taught us anything, it's that Fleer doesn't like to airbrush their cards.  This Sean Casey shows how Fleer deals with offseason trades and free agent signings.  Slap a Pirates logo on the card and leave the player in last year's uniform.  Print and package.

Some Hall of Famers and one of the most electrifying outfielders in the 70s and 80s was also included.

I'm not sure if Joe included this card because of my featured post on Bobby Bradley and the slide that some top prospects take, but I am very glad he included it in the package.  Bobby could have been one of the game's elite pitchers if he hadn't gotten injured.

Joe also hit some of my player collections by adding 4 new Andy Van Slyke, 3 Jason Bay base cards, and 3 Jason Kendalls.

Francisco Cordova and Ricardo Rincon combined to throw the most recent no-hitter in Pirates history in 1997 (something his Mets have never accomplished through over 7000 games).  Cordova pitched 9 innings of no hit ball before Rincon came in to throw a scoreless tenth.  Mark Smith hit a walk off homerun in the 10th to give Rincon the win.  That's the last time a relief pitcher won a game while being part of a no hitter.

Earlier in the year I did a post regarding the movie Moneyball and how the Pirates had "moneyballed" their way from a relief pitcher (Ricardo Rincon) to a Rookie of the Year, K/9 leader, 4 All-Star appearances, and very useful players for years to come.  If you haven't read that post, please go check it out.  It was probably one of my most thought out posts I ever did.  The Ricardo Rincon Pacific Online card pictured above was included in the trade that Joe sent me and made me rethink about the concept of moneyball.

I also got some of my favorite Bucs from the 90s in the trade.  I really miss all those designs from the 90s.  They were sooooo 90s.  LOL!

To close it out here's some more of my more recent favorite Pirates that were included in the trade.
Casey McGhee looks so bad ass in a Pirates uniform this year.