Traded!!!!????

 There was a lot of discussion about Johnny Cueto being on the trade block before the season and shortly after the season started.  One of my collecting goals for 2015 was to add a certified autograph of every Pirate who appeared in the 2013 Wild Card Blackout Game.  It would have been an unjustice to us the fans not to go after the guy who got PNC Park so amped for Buctober by chanting "Cue-To Cue-to Cue-to".  That game was the most memorable game in my life.  Pure awesomeness!

The above auto ran me $15 for the new Royals ace.

Another guy who was on the trade block was Pedro Alvarez. Pedro shows signs of absolute domination being able to crush the ball into the Alleghany River at will. He also shows month long levels of frustration of excess strikeouts and weak groundballs to the 2B. The Pirates are clearly willing to upgrade their 1B, but the obvious options available aren't all that inspiring. Maybe a huge salary risk like Prince Fielder could lead the Bucs to a Championship.

The above Pedro Alvarez 2014 Power Gold Foil ran me less than $5  delivered for the /75 card. These were prizes for unlocked codes from last year's Power Players cards.

Throwback Thursday: former All-Star Danny Jackson

In looking through some of the 20th century cards (that makes it sound more Throwback than 19 year old cardboard) I came across this 1993 Fleer Danny Jackson card.  Jackson was a 2 time All-Star (1988 and 1994) who never really got a lot of credit despite being one of the game's top 20 pitchers every year for nearly a decade.

Fleer unlike Topps didn't photoshop their cards.  If a player got traded they showed him in his old uniform then put a little blurb on the card about being traded.  Danny Jackson was traded by the Cubs to the Pirates for the great 1992 pennant run the Pirates went on and eventually lost in the NLDS to the Braves.  During the offseason he was the first Pittsburgh Pirate to play for the new Florida Marlins franchise being selected by the Fish with the 54th overall pick after the Rockies selected Brad Ausmus with the 53rd pick.  Jackson would never suit up for the Marlins though.  Instead he was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies in 1993 and became a part of the NL Pennant winners.  He would finish his career with 112 victories (4 of which were for Pittsburgh).  The card above pictures Jackson in his Pittsburgh uniform with a statement that he was traded to the Phillies from the Marlins.  It is one of only 2 cards that feature Jackson in a Pirates uniform, the other being 1993 Donruss.

The Pirates are finishing up hosting their 3 game series against the Marlins tonight and I'm hoping for another Buccos Win as they face off the 36 year old Brad Penny.  Let's Go Bucs!!!