Collection: Do You Remember Andrew Brown?

I have no recollection of this kid at all. He came to the Dodgers as a part of the trade that sent Gary Sheffield to the Braves for Brown, Odalis Perez and Brian Jordan. Not a bad haul, really. I remember liking Odalis before he fizzled out, and Brian Jordan was serviceable but hardly the kind of slugger he was with the Braves.

Andrew Brown's numbers suggest, at best, that he could develop into a end of the rotation starting pitcher, but that would not be. After a couple of years in the minors he would be shipped to Cleveland to land the troubled Milton Bradley for us. In a few more years, Brown would get a taste of the big show in 2006 as a reliever for the Indians, then the A's over the next couple of seasons. After that, he kind of disappeared. He was not on a professional roster in 2011 and appears to have left the game.

Anyway, I mentioned that the trade that sent away the gifted Sheffield worked out for the best because it eventually lead to Andre Ethier joining the Dodgers. You see, after 2 seasons of Bradley he was sent to Oakland, with Dodgers prospect Antonio Perez, for Ethier in a trade that seemed more like a player dump than an acquisition for someone good. I did not expect Ethier to become the kind of star he has become. So, at the end of the day we got Ethier, Odalis Perez, and Brian Jordan for Andrew Brown, Gary Sheffield, Franklin Gutierrez and Antonio Perez. Only Gutierrez and Ethier remain in the Majors.

Here are 3 autographed cards of Andrew Brown in my collection. From left to right (above): 2003 Topps Pristine Auto, 2003 Bowman Best Certified Auto, and a 2003 Donruss The Rookies Auto.

Topps 2012, Series 2 Previews: Some Dodgers Cards

2012 couldn't come any sooner. With the New Year upon us and the upcoming season fast approaching I find myself clawing for any news regarding next seasons Baseball cards. I can't wait to open up my first box. The Topps Baseball set, Series 1, is set to be officially released on February 1, 2012 so be sure to put that on your calendar. A preliminary checklist can be found here. If thoughts that set to chase after doesn't quite do it for you, then take a gander at some preview images from the Topps Baseball set, Series 2.

Man-O-Live! The 2012 collecting season hasn't even started yet and they are already baiting us with Series 2 pics. See them all here on Facebook.

These all appear to be insert cards from the set.

Jackie Robinson

Matt Kemp

Sandy Koufax

Looking to Add a Koufax Gamer to your Collection?

So who hasn't ever wanted a Sandy Koufax game-used Dodgers jersey to hang on your wall? I know I'd love to have one. Heck, any Baseball fan in the country would want it. Right?

Well, if you got the dough it can be yours. On top of that, you don't have to wait out an auction. All it takes is a quick phone call to hammer out a deal. Right now, Legendary Auctions has been consigned with the job of selling items from the Dreier Collection. So far, only 8 items have been put up for sale with 2 already gone; including a T206 Honus Wagner. The Koufax uniform is a home jersey and is from the 1960 season. It has a current price tag of $200,000.00 on it, and I imagine a little bit of negotiation might be possible.

(Item Link)

Of special note is a story in the description of this item that I had never heard before. I'll let it speak for itself.

At first, the eventual “Left Arm of God” was still widely viewed as a hot-tempered bonus baby who couldn’t harness his immense talents and seemed destined to languish in mound mate Don Drysdale’s shadow. Koufax blamed his limited appearances; Dodger General Manager Buzzie Bavasi blamed Koufax’s erratic performances. The situation finally came to a head in May when Koufax confronted Bavasi inside one of the L.A. Coliseum’s tunnels during pre-game warm-ups. Depending on the story version, Koufax either begged to be traded or threatened to quit baseball altogether, and Bavasi either denied the trade request or offered to buy Koufax’s bus ticket. “Trade him to us,” Giants superstar Willie Mays, who happened to overhear the spat, told the Los Angeles Herald Examiner. “He’s got a fastball you can’t see.”

Left Arm of God, indeed.