4.08.2013

Say goodbye to Grady

My player collections, as anyone who has seen this blog will know, mostly center on Cleveland Indians from their powerful teams of the 1990's. Thome, Vizquel, Lofton, Belle, Alomar and Alomar. For a while, in the 2000's, when the Indians were once again a contender, I started collecting the cards of Victor Martinez, Fausto Carmona (or Roberto Hernandez), and CC Sabathia. But there was one who was especially significant. He could have been one of the all-time greats, not only on the Indians, but in baseball history. 

Grady Sizemore.

It is a shame that he couldn't stay healthy, because he was so exciting to watch, both at bat and in the field. He was young, good looking, soft-spoken, and amazingly talented. He was mixed-race, which endeared him to both African-American and Caucasian fans. The women all wanted to marry him, and the men all wanted to play ball like him. He was The Natural. 

He is no longer the superstar he was. Injuries robbed him of major portions of his last four or five seasons, and he was unceremoniously released this past winter by the only team he ever played for. His cards have come down in value, including his famous 2000 Bowman Draft autograph card which used to fetch $200 or more on the open market. Beckett book value on his card is now $15, so it can probably be had for only $5 or $10. 

So, now it is time to liquidate my Grady Sizemore card collection to free up the binder and 9-pocket card sheets. I had several hundred cards, including several certified and in-person autographs each, a dozen game-used cards, and 30 or so numbered cards. I recently traded two of the 2009 Finest numbered refractors away, so the purge has started. If you are interested in buying or trading for any of his cards, please email me, or find me on The Bench (userid: dkrill). 

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