But what I can bring myself to do is pick off certain cards.
And here's my first one. An on-card auto of the most promising -- and most likable -- young player on the Toronto Blue Jays. Stroman's a great story. Listed at 5-9 (but actually even shorter), scouts have been skeptical about Stroman all his life, even though he's got great stuff and a wide arsenal of pitches -- including a sinker that he developed on the fly last year and apparently already compares favorably with some of the greats. Even though he was an advanced college pitcher, he fell all the way to the 22nd pick of the 2013 when the Jays (who had already passed on him once) finally chose him.
Because of his size, a lot of scouts predicted Stroman wouldn't have the stamina to be a starting pitcher and would end up as a reliever. But he made 20 starts for the Jays last year after being a midseason callup, going 11-6 with a 3.65 ERA and an even better FIP (2.84). Some of the projection systems think he'll be one of the best starters in the majors this year.
Stroman's is really the only auto I wanted out of this set, although I may try and snag a few more if the price is right. I paid $3.50 on eBay, plus a couple bucks shipping. I've since seen a few sell for a bit cheaper, but the difference only amounts to a dollar or two. And adding this to my collection now helps stiffen my resolve to not cave in and buy a full box.
What I'm really after now are the base cards. I'm doing my best to be patient, trying to work out a few Zistle trades and waiting for some to start showing up in the dime and quarter boxes at the card show. But it probably won't be long before I give up and log into Sportlots or something.
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