Deal with the Devil

 I made a deal with the devil recently. No, it's not what you think. I didn't receive fame and fortune; nor did I receive Elizabeth Hurley as my mistress. It was a ten-for-five deal made not with Beelzebub, but with the Prince of the TCDB, Dukey Devil.

Now, I don't know if he has the most feedback recorded on the popular website, but Craig has an astonishing 3199 comments left as trade feedback (100% positive, for those keeping track). And being that there were certainly trades made in which the other party didn't leave feedback puts him well above 3200. *Bows down and cries "We're not worthy. We're Not Worthy!!" *

So what kind of riches did I receive from the devil himself? Less than you would expect. But isn't that how the real devil works? Makes you think you're getting a bargain, an offer that's too good to refuse. In my case, I approached Dukey and knew exactly what I was getting, so there was no let down. Especially considering how nice the cards looked and that I was able to send off five cards I had no use for. 

For those who collect minor league cards, you know how it can be a "devil of a time" (pun intended) putting together a team set. Thankfully Topps has been creating these things for over a decade, so the distribution is much wider today than back in the day when minor league issues were more regional. 

Ian Anderson has experienced the sweet taste of Major League success. Of all major league pitchers who've made at least 8 postseason starts, Anderson's 1.26 is the lowest. In a season in which he finished fifth in National League Rookie of the Year balloting, Anderson pitched five no-hit innings in Game 3 of the World Series. He would come down off the mountain shortly thereafter, pitching in just 22 games in 2022 before being demoted after struggling on the mound. Tommy John surgery kept him out of the '23 season and his return in 2024 was spend in AAA Gwinnett. Now he's struggling with command (what else is new?) in spring as he fights for one of two open spots in the Braves rotation. Sounds like a deal gone bad and the bill came due.

Some collectors probably look at minor league cards and ask what's the use in collecting them if the player never makes it to the Show. To that, I say, "get behind me, Satan!" I can give you a few reasons: as a team set collector, it provides a history of who's playing/played down on the farm. Which cities were affiliated with a team in any given year. What the team nicknames were during a given year. What the uniforms looked like. Those crazy team nicknames and logos!! And regarding players who never make the Bigs... well, these things are like having a visual family tree for an organization. 

RIP Florida Fire Frogs (2017-2020). They might have survived if not for Rob Manfred, the devil incarnate, gutting reorganizing the minor leagues following the 2020 season. At least we'll always have the cards.

Also included in the trade was the When They Were Young card of Clint Sammons. This insert set was kind of a stupid idea, using childhood photos like that. I've never cared for such themes and probably never will. And it makes me wonder if whoever green-lighted this set now looks back and wonder what they were thinking. Just a remind that all that glitters is not gold. The same can be said for regular old cards that aren't glittery at all. 

Thanks again, Craig, for the trade. Hopefully we can enter into another deal one day soon.