They're Not In Kansas Anymore

Matt, well known from Heartbreaking Cards of Staggering Genius, was kind enough to offer some cards from the 2000 Upper Deck HoloGrFX set some time ago. I claimed the Diamondbacks as a team, since I knew that my dad would soon be collecting them.

Earlier this month, Matt sent three cards. Shiny beyond shiny. I looked at them, tried to figure out how my scanner wouldn't short circuit while doing its job. I set the cards aside in my special stack of cards to be scanned and uploaded to Zistle and very possibly this blog. Reading over the manual for the scanner and a few calls into NORAD confirmed that I could actually scan them.

Turning back to that special stack I realized that my stacks looked like the Chiricahua National Monument. There were stacks of books, cards, wax packs, bills paid, bills to be paid and socks.

It took me the better part of this month to actually find the cards. They were in the bills paid stack.

I scanned them and I'll share one.

2000 Upper Deck HoloGrFX, Erubiel Durazo (card #30)

Matt also sent me cards of Matt Williams and Randy Johnson. So, why did I choose to show Erubiel's card? Well, Johnson gets his fair share of press. Williams, a bit less. Durazo? My guess is that this is the first time that one of his cards has been featured in a blog.

Erubiel Durazo's contract got purchased from Monterey (Mexican League) by the Diamondbacks in 1998. He was then part of a four team trade (which made my head hurt trying to figure it out). He ended up with Oakland in December of 2002. He was granted Free Agency, signed by Rangers then released. Re-signed with the Rangers. Signed by the Yankees. Then with the Twins. Back to the Athletics and then back to the Yankees. It was only fourteen months from the time he signed with the Rangers (the first time) until he signed with the Yankees (the second time) in 2007.

He only played for the Diamondbacks (1B) and the Athletics (DH). He ended up his seven seasons with a .281 Batting Average and a World Series ring (with Arizona). Currently he's playing for the Sultanes de Monterrey.

Matt (from Lawrence, Kansas), thanks for the shiny. My dad will appreciate it, I'm sure.