Up-and-Comers

This past weekend I hinted at some nice minor league cards that were nearing the top of the "to be posted" stack on the card desk here at Shoebox Legends World Headquarters.  Today I've got them ready to go; seven cards in total that I grabbed from the same seller on Sportlots.

From 2014 Topps Pro Debut, we'll start off with the current Red Sox catcher, Blake Swihart.  Blake's with the Salem Red Sox here, which is the current Advanced A Ball affiliate for Boston.  Swihart made his much-anticipated debut with Boston earlier this year, and has put together a respectable season behind the plate, batting close to .300 in 69 games played to date.

Here's one from this year's Pro Debut set, featuring the current #3 prospect in the Red Sox system, Manuel Margot.  At just 20 years old Margot has already reached AA ball.  He could have a bright future with Boston, or end up on the trading block given that they've already got three talented young outfielders playing on the Major League squad.

Here's the 11th ranked prospect in Boston's system, shortstop Michael Chavis.  He was selected in the first round of the 2014 draft.  He's actually been playing more third base than shortstop this year, and is currently with the Greenville Drive club (A ball).

There are two players that I actually picked up a pair of cards of.  The first is pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez, who the Sox flat out stole in a trade with the Orioles for Andrew Miller last summer.  Here he is in the 2014 Pro Debut set with Baltimore's AA club, the Bowie Baysox...

...and here's the 2015 edition featuring Eduardo with the Red Sox AA franchise, the Portland Sea Dogs.  Rodriguez has had a couple of shaky starts with Boston this summer, but some very good ones as well.  He's got electric stuff, and new President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski seems to think he has the potential to be a #1 starter someday.

The other player I picked up two cards of is one of the most exciting young talents to emerge in recent years, Carlos Correa of the Houston Astros.  I grabbed both the 2014 Pro Debut card, where he's depicted with the Quad City River Bandits, the single A affiliate of the 'Stros...

...and the 2015 edition, where Carlos is featured with the class A Advanced Lancaster Jethawks.  I'm rooting for either the Astros or Mets in the NL this year.  Correa sure has been entertaining to watch since he was called up, and has displayed tremendous power for a shortstop.

I was seven cards deep with the seller at this point, but he shipped up to ten cards for the same rate, so I picked out three cheap throw-ins to round out my purchase...

To a confessed lover of parallels, this Bowman Orange Mike Lowell (serial numbered to /250) was too good a deal to pass up for $.40.  The other two cards are much nicer than this one though...

My first look at the 2004 Topps Tribute HOF set, and I am definitely a fan.  The cardstock is thick and sturdy, the cards extremely shiny, and they feature some really great photos of the game's all-time best players.  As much as I like this Yaz though, I like this one even better...

This is just my fifth Satchel Paige card, and it's the first on that uses this particular photograph.  This set is very well done, and I'll certainly be looking to pick up more of these in future purchases.  A nice little lot there, especially since it only set me back $6 including shipping.