Let's Trade! (Recent Topps & Topps Heritage)

I've been working a lot on my set needs list lately and I would love to knock some of these sets completely off of the list. I have many doubles (and triples and some quadruples, if that's a word) of various cards in the listed sets, so if you are trying to finish them up too, chances are that we can help each other out.

If the link above isn't working, you can also access my list on the left hand sidebar. It mostly consists of Topps & Topps Heritage sets from 2005 to the present, as well as a few random insert sets that I determined to collect for various reasons.

This 2005 Topps card of former Orioles pitcher Jorge Julio (Oriole #687, if you like knowing that sort of thing) is actually one of the cards I need for my '05 set. My general feeling about cards is the a signed card > an unsigned card and that is almost universally true for me. I will gladly break up a set for a chance to get a card signed, which makes my want list a constantly changing thing. Any time the Orioles sign a new player, I check to see if they have cards in the sets I've collected, so that way I don't have to purchase any additional cards for a chance at an autograph for my O's autograph collection, which is priority one for me. So sometimes, I re-need a card. But I digress.

Is there anyone out there who still has needs to fill for these sets? I have some other random cards for trade from various recent releases that I haven't tried to complete, so let's work something out!

Since the O's Need a New Closer

Joe Borowski 1995

Here is a former Oriole who was at times one of the best closers of his day. But, I am not actually suggesting the O's pursue him this offseason for three reasons. One, because his ERA towards the end of his career was quite high. Two, because his career numbers show him as a very similar pitcher to Jorge Julio. And three, because he retired before the 2009 season. What's that? You think reason three should've been reason one? Eh, whatever.

I have a '94 or '95 Baysox card of his that I would love to get signed since he doesn't have any Orioles cards but this Cubs card I got in a SCN trade works for now.

Joe B. got his first taste of the Majors for the '95 Orioles. He appeared in 6 games and had a 1.23 ERA while striking out three in 7.1 innings. He also walked four, showing an early lack of command. The Birds traded him with Rachaad Stewart (?never heard of this minor league guy?) to the Braves for Kent Mercker on 12-17-95 closing the book on his time with the O's.

Overall, Joe pitched for seven different teams over his 12 seasons in the Majors and led the AL with 45 saves in 2007 while pitching for the Indians. He was the first pitcher to lead his league in saves while having an ERA over 5.00 so it's not that things went smoothly, but they worked out in the end!