Posted by Jeremy on January 26, 2009 under Your Daily Value | 
1997 Bowman Chrome JASON WERTH RC
Current eBay Price—$2.00-3.00
This late bloomer’s stock began to rise during the second half of last season in which he hit .279 with 13 HR 35 RBI and 12 SB, and his stellar performance in the World Series (8-18 HR 3 RBI 4 SB) could mean that Werth’s cards could experience a significant bump in market value in 2009.
Jayson began his career as a catcher in the Orioles organization before injuries and mediocre minor league performances bounced him to the Blue Jays, Dodgers, and finally, the Phillies. Prior to 2008, Werth was strictly a platoon player whose right handed bat absolutely decimated LHP’s. Last year was no exception, as Werth batted .303/.368/.652 with 16 HR in just 155 AB’s against southpaws. Manager Charlie Manuel decided to give Werth more at bats against righthanders and, while his splits are less impressive, (.255/.360/. BA), there has been considerable improvement which may lead him to feel more confident in taking a more power condusive approach against RHP’s. In addition to his power numbers, Werth has demonstrated that he is a highly aggressive and intelligent baserunner (20 of 21 SB attempts) and an athletically gifted defensive OF as well.
I think that we can expect even more from Werth this season IF he can stay healthy. This has been a problem in the past and he has yet to prove that he can handle the rigors or a 162 game schedule. If he does, it seems quite possible that Werth could bump his numbers up into the 30 HR/30 SB range while scoring 100+ runs at the top part of Philly’s high-octane offense.
Werth’s best 1st year card is the 1997 Bowman Chrome card and, while it is not a rare card, it is one that is difficult to find in bulk quantities. Autographed cards for Werth are not that plentiful either. He has a 2005 SPX auto #/350 that seems like a good bargain at $6-8 and his 2007 UD Elements Autos can be had in the $7.50-10.00 range.
Tags: 2008 world series, autographed cards, baseball cards, bowman chrome draft, ebay, jayson werth, jayson werth auto, jayson werth autograph, jayson werth rc, jayson werth rookie cards, philadelphia phillies, philadelphia phillies world champs, rookie cards, sportscards
Posted by Jeremy on January 14, 2009 under Your Daily Value |
2008 Bowman Sterling JASON DONALD Jersey Auto
Current eBay Price—$6.00-8.00
With perennial All-Star Chase Utley scheduled to be on the DL until as late as June and 3B Pedro Feliz rehabbing after having back surgery, the young University of Arizona grad and Team USA star will get plenty of opportunities to make the Phils’ opening day roster. Donald did his part to earn an opportunity, batting .307 with 14 HR 57 RBI 11 SB and 57 runs scored for AA Reading. Even more impressive, Donald was one of the leading hitters in the Arizona Fall League batting .407 with 5 HR 17 RBI and a stellar .747 SLG% for the Mesa Solar Sox. In addition to that fine performance, Donald was this year’s recipient of the 5th annual Dernell Stenson award. The award is given out to the AFL player who best exemplifies leadership, sportsmanship, work ethic, and unselfishness.
Donald has played SS for his entire career before making the switch over to 3B this spring. The fact that the middle infield for the Phillies are manned by All-Stars Jimmy Rollins and Chase Utley, it becomes easy to understand why Philadelphia wanted him to make the transition to 3B. He should handle this fine from a defensive standpoint. He has decent arm strength, soft hands and his limited range is actually better suited for the hot corner. However, the power numbers, at this point, are a touch below average.
Ahh, but this is Philly, the team that won a World Series title with a 3B who hit a whopping .249 with 14 HR and 58 RBI. Donald could well exceed those numbers in a full rookie season. He has better plate discipline than Feliz and more speed as well. Granted Feliz’s defense is top notch, but Donald is far from a liability at the position. The Phillies lineup has enough other power in it (Howard, Utley, Ibanez, Werth) to worry much about Donald’s contributions.
That said, one caveat is the fact that Greg Dobbs is in the mix and he has done nothing but play well in a part time role. The Phils also went out and signed Marcus Giles in the off season to fill in at 2B in Utley’s absence. Spring training will tell us a great deal about Donald’s immediate future with the ball club. If he continues his great rate of success, his future in Philly may just make my previous pontifications about him being future trade bait a misnomer.
Jason has 1st year cards in the 2006 Bowman Chrome Draft set that sell for $0.75-1.25 each but his only certified autographs are in the 2008 Bowman Sterling set. With any amount of success, this card will easily jump into the $10-15 range by opening day. Donald has too many good things, both physically and intangibly going for him to be an MLB bust. The market for his cards is heating up considerably, though, so get them while they are cheap!
Tags: 2008 beijing olympics, 2008 world series, arizona fall league 2008 afl, baseball cards, Bowman Chrome, bowman chrome draft, bowman sterling, chase utley, chase utley injury, ebay, jason donald, jason donald auto, jason donald autograph, jason donald rc, jason donald rookie card, jason donald scouting report, jimmy rollins, minor league prospects, mlb prospects, pedro feliz, philadelphia phillies, philadelphia phillies prospects, raul ibanez, rookie cards, ryan howard, sportscards, team usa baseball
Posted by Jeremy on January 6, 2009 under Uncategorized |
33 HR and 86 RBI in '08
Despite his horrid 1-14 World Series performance, Pat Burrell’s power bat has found a new home in the friendly confines of Tropicana Field. At two years and $16 million, Burrell comes as a bargain compared to the flotsam of cash that the Yankees invested in Mark Teixeira.
Contrary to the conventional wisdom of many other baseball pundits that insist that the Yankees have spent their way to divisional supremacy, I think that the acquisitions of Burrell and the trade for Tigers OF Matt Joyce will prove to be incredibly savvy maneuvers that will give the Rays the additional punch that they lacked against an offensively superior Philadelphia Phillies lineup.
From an initial glance, it looks as if Burrell will replace Cliff Floyd as the team’s DH while Joyce will be the team’s opening day RF. While this move will assuredly improve the Rays’ lineup, it assures that my Daily Value prediction concerning the projected value of Ben Zobrist’s 2004 RC Autos will take a bearish economic turn. Zobrist’s late season power surge has proven insufficient of garnering more AB’s and his role as he will likely resume his role of being a highly valued bench player.
The switch to the AL may not be an easy one for Burrell, though, escaping the pressure cooker that is Philly may prove to be the fresh breath of air that Pat the Bat needs to help him address the challenges of adjusting to a new league.
