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Trade Review: Twitter's @BoRosny

Two boxes came in the mail on Friday. The second box was from Bo Rosny (@borosny on Twitter). This deal was 500 Yankees for Cubs, specifically oddball issues and cards from 1997 to present.

This was a great trade because it filled many of my Cubs needs from the early 2000's. Over the years, I have taken a few breaks from collecting. The biggest hole in my collecting came from around 2001 to 2012.

Bowman has always been one of my targets in my Cubs collecting because it's home to the prospects and rookies. Many players that are featured never make it to the big leagues, or have short careers at the highest level. David Kelton and Sergio Mitre were featured in 2003 Bowman. I actually interviewed Kelton when he was playing Low-A ball with the Lansing Lugnuts. It was my first year in radio, and I would interview minor league baseball players to gain some experience for my career.

More cards from that era were some 2002 Topps rookies of Angel Guzman, Keto Anderson, Jason DuBois, and Brad Bouras. I've always loved this Bronze-bordered set. It's also the set that features a Cubs Dontrelle Willis rookie card.

Speaking of early 2000's rookies, here are some 2001 Upper Deck Andy Sisco and Adam Greenberg. Sisco was an imposing 6-foot-8 pitcher, and Greenberg was most famous for getting beaned in his Major League debut, never to return again (unless you count a one-game publicity stunt by the Marlins years later).

The rookie train rolls on with a familiar name this time. Jeff Samardzija is here pictured in his Notre Dame uniform on this 2007 Donruss Elite Extra Edition.

Going back a few years who can forget the can't miss prospects that were Corey Patterson and Hee Seop Choi. Patterson missed, but Choi was a lottery ticket that paid off in the return of Derek Lee from the Marlins.

One of my bigger Cubs collecting times was 1998 and 1999. The home run chase of 1998 and the Cubs actually winning brought me back after the strike of 1994. This was also the year I turned 16 and had the freedom of my own car. Driving 30 minutes to Colona, Illinois became a weekly pilgrimage on Sunday afternoons to the card shop. I'd pick through their 25-cent box and pull cards for a quarter like these 1999 Fleer cards of Micah Bowie, Roosevelt Brown, Richard Barker, Chad Meyers, Ray King, and Jose Nieves.

And just as I was about to buy some Cubs missing from my collection, Bo came through with a few cards I had sitting in my Sportlots cart. My first D.J. LeMahieu Cubs card (that I know of) from 2010 Bowman Draft. Also here are Hak-Ju Lee and Jae-Hoon Ha. Would love to add the Chris Archer if any future traders are so inclined.

Finally, my favorite card of the box. Lou Brock. In my younger years, the Lou Brock rookie card was my white whale. By the time I reached high school and had a part time job at the local grocery store, I had the money to expand my collection and that white whale Brock rookie was caught.

This is a 2008 Upper Deck Masterpieces Lou Brock. This is a beautiful set, and Brock in a Cubs uniform had always looked great, despite his Hall of Fame career having been played out in St. Louis.

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