Cecil was on the 18U team in 2008, he had cards featured in 2008 SP Authentic, and the 2008 Team USA Box set that included Stephen Strasburg and Bryce Harper’s first cards. Cecil was a former Braves Draft pick in the 36th round in 2008. He was ranked 27th among prep prospects in 2008 by Baseball America.

He has one of the most live arms that I have seen in person, although much like Rick Vaughn, sometimes he didn’t know where it was going to go. I’ve always believed in his arm, and that he could be a dominant pitcher down the road. He just needs to calm down on the mound and have fun.

He had two great performances in the Cape League in 2010. He was the Falmouth Commodores Opening Day Starter and dominated the defending Champion Bourne Braves. He also was the pitcher on Falmouth who squared off with Anthony Renaudo in Brewster, he took the loss that day, but was solid through out.

But you can see the card posted above that was signed by Cecil. Well at least one of them was. The card on the left was signed by Cecil, the card on the right however was not. What I can gather is that the players all sat around and did their signing duty for their time with Team USA. You put a group of 18 and under year olds in a room for hours and players are going to end up goofing off over time. Well, it looks like a player on the team may have grabbed at least one of Cecil’s cards, faked Cecil’s name and Upper Deck missed this before inserting it in to the box sets.

I bought it on eBay for 1.30 plus shipping. I won’t be looking to sell it or anything. I have a nice collection of Cecil’s cards, and whether he is a hit at the pro level or not, I consider him a good friend and enjoy having this card that is a little bit off.

Arlington, Texas (August 18, 2010) – Panini America (www.paniniamerica.net) , a subsidiary of The Panini Group, the leading global publisher of sports and entertainment collectibles, has entered into an exclusive relationship with John Wall, the first overall pick in this year’s NBA Draft. The partnership with Panini America, the exclusive trading card and sticker licensee of the NBA, marks Wall’s first in the collectibles category.

As part of the relationship, Panini will hold exclusive rights to Wall’s signature for both trading cards and memorabilia. In addition, Panini will include Wall’s image on Panini packaging and will utilize Wall in promotional appearances.

Wall, a player at the University of Kentucky, decided to forgo his final three seasons of collegiate eligibility after being named both the 2010 SEC Tournament MVP and SEC Player of the Year. In addition, the NBA named Wall 2010 Las Vegas Summer League Most Outstanding Player. His first NBA cards will be included in Panini’s 2010 NBA Prestige product, set to arrive in stores at the end of September. The collection will include cards from other top rookies including the 76ers number two draft pick, Evan Turner; New Jersey Nets, Derrick Favors; Minnesota Timberwolves, Wesley Johnson and Sacramento Kings, DeMarcus Cousins.

“We are excited to be adding John Wall to the Panini team as one of our exclusive athletes,” said Mark Warsop, CEO Panini America, Inc. “We identified John as someone we thought fit well with the Panini brand and his success during the NBA’s Las Vegas Summer League has us excited for the start of the season. We feel that John, Evan (Turner) and Wesley (Johnson) will help bring excitement to trading card collectors worldwide.”

Panini recently made news by announcing exclusive agreements with 76ers rookie Evan Turner and Minnesota Timberwolves rookie Wesley Johnson. In advance of Panini’s first season as the exclusive trading card for the NBA in 2009-10, Panini signed Sacramento Kings Guard and NBA Rookie of the Year, Tyreke Evans; Milwaukee Bucks Guard Brandon Jennings and the Los Angeles Clippers Forward and first pick of the 2009 NBA Draft, Blake Griffin. Panini also has an exclusive relationship with five-time NBA Champion Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers.

“I’m excited to be joining the Panini team,” said Washington Wizards rookie John Wall. “We’ve got a great group of rookies representing Panini with Evan Turner and Wesley Johnson joining me. With last year’s rookies Tyreke Evans and Brandon Jennings having great seasons we look forward to making our own noise and helping to grow the trading card category and getting kids excited about collecting again.”

As the leading global publisher of sports and entertainment collectibles, Panini has license agreements with three of the major U.S. sports, including the NFL/NFLPA, NHL/NHLPA and an Exclusive Trading Card and Sticker Partnership with the National Basketball Association (NBA). Panini’s other partnerships include an exclusive license with FIFA for the 2010 and 2014 World Cup, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Panini also has a successful collectibles business with consumer brands including DreamWorks’ How to Train Your Dragon, Disney’s Toy Story 3, Hannah Montana and High School Musical, and Warner Brothers’ Harry Potter.

According to Upper Deck, Woods signed cards with brown-, purple-, blue- and black-ink backs. The cards were inserted as redemptions. This already was one of the highest anticipated cards in the product already and there being different variations will raise the demand even more.

Upper Deck is the Exclusive Home of ‘King James’

LeBron supplies rare autograph cards with inscriptions to the leader in sports trading cards

North Las Vegas, NV (March 23, 2009) – Last August he helped lead the U.S.A. Olympic “Redeem Team” to gold in Beijing. Currently he’s leading his Cavaliers team to the best record in the NBA. LeBron “King” James has lived up to the hype and then some. Upper Deck is pleased to help bring collectors even closer to the “Chosen One” with new autograph trading cards of LeBron that include some unique inscriptions.

Fans of LeBron can find autograph cards of the NBA superstar exclusively in Upper Deck’s new 2008-09 NBA UD Black (releasing April 14), 2008-09 NBA Radiance (releasing April 29) and 2008-09 NBA Ultimate Collection (releasing May 12) trading card lines. Some versions of these cards will have rare inscriptions from LeBron like “08 USA Gold,” “08 Redeem Team,” and “King James.”

“To pull an autograph card of LeBron James from a pack is pretty awesome, but to find one with a special inscription is a much bigger deal,” said Chris Carlin, Upper Deck’s hobby marketing manager. “These types of cards definitely carry a premium in the secondary card market. Inscriptions are a great way to help personalize the trading card experience and help to bring collectors closer to their heroes. Upper Deck is proud to be the exclusive home for autograph cards of LeBron and many other stars of the hardwood including Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan.”

You can see the images above of what we pulled. I hit one of the big autographs in Georges St. Pierre. I also beat the odds and hit a 1 of 1 of the Top Fights of 2008 Subset. This has been a pretty popular set so far with boxes on Blowoutcards.com going for 129.99. The sales of the St Pierre or Gracie autographs has been close to $100.00 each.

The Look – Topps had some obstacles with this being the first set and having to rely on some photography from UFC’s early events that may not have been up to todays card standards. The Gracie card from UFC 1 is a perfect example of the lackluster older pictures. The Georges St. Pierre autograph however is a fantastic photograph, and the pictures from recent events are fantastic. The full bleed design slightly reminds me of the older non-sports images from Topps, but work in the context of the UFC. I give the look a solid B.

The Value – If you are buying this you are a UFC fan, with only a 100 card base set, you do well with that. You also get six nice hits per box, and with the clear stickers even the autographs do not look bad. The relics are pretty nice looking, and I know my UFC fan friends were pretty impressed seeing pieces of the Octagon on cards. If you are dropping the 130 on this box you love UFC, and you can not do much better value wise than in this set. I give it a solid A.

The Total Package – This is a set that a lot of hardcore sports collectors may scoff at, but think back to when people first heard that Basketball cards were coming out from Fleer and laughed at that value. This is a set that as UFC’s popularity builds could be an enormous success. You get a design that is what UFC fans want, you get a good deal of hits from a box, and the sale values on the cards are doing well. I give this set a solid B+ overall. There is room for growth with the product, but for a first release from Topps this is a very nice looking set that should hold, if not increase in value over the years.

I will be adding to this review later with the ammount I got for the base set and the number of hits for the parallels.

Trading card company and Griffey have accomplished a lot during the past two decades

North Las Vegas, NV (January 12, 2009) – Since bursting upon the scene in 1989, Ken Griffey Jr. has actually changed the way a lot of people think about baseball players. His boyish grin, backwards cap and moon-shot home runs helped make his MLB entrance a memorable one. In 20 major league seasons, “Junior” has earned 10 “Gold Glove” awards, been selected to the American League All-Star team 13 times and currently ranks fifth in career home runs (611).

By the same token, Upper Deck – which also debuted in 1989 – changed the way people thought about baseball cards. It also featured Griffey as card No. 1 in its inaugural set. Through innovative concepts and cutting-edge technology, Upper Deck has continued to revolutionize the trading card industry. In twenty years, Upper Deck has introduced anti-counterfeit holograms on trading cards, randomly inserted autograph and game-used memorabilia cards into packs, debuted concepts like cut autograph cards that feature signatures of deceased personalities and much, much more.

So, to honor the card that started it all, Upper Deck had Ken Griffey Jr. sign 89 of his 1989 rookie cards and include the inscription “20 years.” These cards will be randomly inserted into 2009 Upper Deck Series One Baseball which releases in early February. To add heightened rarity with these signed cards, Junior signed the first 13 cards in black ink and the remaining 76 cards in blue ink.

“We have enjoyed a fantastic relationship with Ken Griffey Jr. since our company’s inception,” said Gabriel Garcia, Upper Deck’s associate brand manager for baseball. “This is the perfect way to help celebrate our 20th anniversary and the enduring partnership that Upper Deck has enjoyed with one of baseball’s greatest stars. Griffey’s 1989 Upper Deck rookie card is beloved by sports card collectors and those who find these signed versions will truly have a special collectible to add to their collections.”

This holiday season, Sports Memorabilia Company unveils autographed artwork that will no doubt top any collector’s wish list!

North Las Vegas, NV (December 15, 2008) – For the first time ever, three of history’s most legendary sports figures are showcased on the same piece of autographed memorabilia. Utilizing high-end archival paper and the most stunning images available, Upper Deck has created its first-ever “Legends of Sport” triple-signed montage featuring Muhammad Ali, Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods.

Ali, the former heavyweight champion of the world, won 56 professional bouts during his stellar career in the ring, while Jordan secured six NBA championship rings and six NBA Finals MVP awards during his stellar career. Woods, meanwhile, has earned 14 of golf’s majors – all before turning 33 years old.

“We knew we had something special in the making as we planned this rare piece,” said Tim Muret, vice president of Upper Deck Authenticated (UDA), Upper Deck’s memorabilia division. “Not only have Ali, Jordan and Tiger never appeared together on signed artwork before, which makes this piece extraordinary, but the wow factor when you see the item up close just takes your breath away. It’s an investment piece that is sure to appreciate.”

The beautifully designed montage is highlighted in gold and shows each of the talented athletes in action, flanked by ghosted-back images of their faces. Ali is shown stalking an opponent circa 1975; Jordan is caught in mid-flight on his way to the basket in the 1990s; and Woods is captured launching yet another beautiful drive. Each member of the talented threesome has signed the thick-stock, archival P-velvet paper in black paint pen just beneath his action photo and their signatures have been deemed genuine via UDA’s patented five-step authentication process.

“We are very excited to have Muhammad contribute to such a landmark piece,” added Muret, who noted that both Jordan and Woods have been exclusive signers for UDA since 1994 and 2001, respectively.

“I’m excited to be involved in this, especially with these two amazing men, who have transcended their sport to become cultural icons,” said Ali.

“I am thrilled to be included in this historic piece with Muhammad Ali and Tiger Woods,” Jordan added. “I admire them both for their achievements in their sports and as people.”

Exquisitely framed, the precious keepsake measures 57” wide by 34” high. The edition size, written in sharp pencil on the lower-right corner, is capped at 500, making this a truly rare piece of sports memorabilia. Collectors interested in obtaining this limited piece of coveted memorabilia can shop online at www.upperdeckstore.com, or call 1-800-551-8220, ext. 2292 for more information.

Twenty-Three Reasons to Pre-Order 2008-09 Fleer Basketball Today

One-of-one autograph buy-back cards of Michael Jordan will be randomly inserted into 2008-09 Fleer Basketball!

North Las Vegas, NV (December 12, 2008) – Throughout Michael Jordan’s career, the Upper Deck exclusive spokesmen had never signed a Fleer card. It wasn’t until Upper Deck acquired Fleer a few years back that MJ-signed cards began appearing in Fleer products much to the delight of collectors.

This year, to create excitement around the release of 2008-09 Fleer Basketball, Upper Deck bought back 23 unique Fleer cards of Michael Jordan. Recently Jordan added his signature to each of these cards and now they’ll be randomly inserted into the upcoming release which is scheduled to launch on January 6, 2009.

Each of the hard-signed autograph cards will be numbered as 1-of-1’s and all will pack out live in the product. Jordan signed some of the cards in blue ink and some in silver, based on the cards’ varying backgrounds.

“He was the type of player who never let you down,” said Brandon Miller, Upper Deck brand manager for Basketball. “If he was playing, you had to watch. To be able to procure such a unique variety of Fleer cards of MJ from throughout his career and then have them signed is just awesome. We know collectors love promotions like this so it’s highly likely that they will all be chasing these cards when 2008-09 Fleer Basketball lands in stores.”

To view the entire card gallery, visit Upper Deck Basketball’s Facebook page. Go to www.facebook.com and search for Upper Deck Basketball. Go ahead and become a fan today

The dollar amount represents what I think the card will be selling for half-way through the 2009 season.

BDP111 SS Wilmer Flores (b. 8/6/1991, 6’3, 175, R/R) — New York Mets

Flores has just about the highest ceiling of anyone in this set, and is definitely one of the front-runners for bringing in the most cash from the 08 autos. The thing is, at the age of 16, Wilmer didn’t just fare well in Rookie ball, he slugged .490. He put up respectable BB/K for his age (12/28), also. I don’t expect Flores to stay at shortstop — he’ll probably outgrow the position as he gets older and stronger. While Flores hit with much more power than shortstop Carlos Triunfel did during the 2007 campaign (when he was 17), Flores is still almost entirely projection. Nonetheless, not many players hit the ground running at the age of 16, and he’s going to draw a lot of comparisons to Miguel Cabrera this season. The big drawback to the card is the fact that it’s a redemption. $45

BDP112 SS/3B Lonnie Chisenhall (b. 10/4/1988, 6’0, 200, L/R) — Cleveland Indians

Pretty average in all respects. I’m predicting a Chad Huffman like year from him in terms of production. He has a chance to be a relatively decent baseball player, with no exceptionally astounding skills or hideous flaws. He has a short, line-drive oriented swing that should be good for a home run total in the 10-15 range next year. was The big concern that I had was with his makeup — he was kicked off the USC baseball team for attempting to steal computers at his school — one has to wonder how serious the player is when they commit something that heinous.
$10

BDP113 RP Carlos Gutierrez (b. 9/22/1986, 6’3, 205, R/R) — Minnesota Twins

Ouch! Gutierrez was not a strong pick for the Twins, and you really don’t want him as your box hit. Reliever coming off Tommy John surgery, combined with the fact that he only has one legitimate pitch. There’s just not a lot here.
$7

BDP114 SP Derek Holland (b. 10/9/1986, 6’2, 185, B/L) — Texas Rangers

Here’s a dominant pitcher. He wasn’t drafted this year, but he’s put up a 4/1 K/BB ratio with over 10 K’s per inning over the last 2 years between low-A and AA. He’s improved with every step, posting a sub 0.80 WHIP to end the 2008 campaign with AA Frisco. He really has a chance to set himself apart as the best pitcher in the set.
$40

BDP115 OF Michael Stanton (b. 11/9/1989, 6’5, 205 R/R) — Florida Marlins

First of all, 39 home runs in A ball at the age of 18 is extraordinary. People are going crazy over his tools, 6’5 frame, and 1.000 OPS, but I’m calling a drop in production next year. Prospectors will quickly remember Brandon Wood and Brian Dopirak, both of whom had incredible seasons at the age of 20 in A/A+ ball. Both of these players put up very similar numbers to Stanton, and while Stanton is way ahead of both Wood and Dopirak age-wise, I don’t think he can put up his power next year in AA. He strikes out 1 out of every 3 at-bats, which sends up a big red flag. He has light tower power, but I want to see him play in A+ or AA before I believe that he can get by with that many strikeouts.
$43

BDP116 1B Ike Davis (b. 3/22/1987, 6’4, 205, L/L) — New York Mets

Simply put, Ike LOOKS like a baseball player. He’s projectable and athletic, and can play 1B or the corner outfield. He has modest BB/K ratios throughout his career, but I do not think that he will ever hit more than 15 or 20 home runs in a season. He doesn’t have a clean weight transfer in his swing, and has (to a lesser degree) a Matt Antonelli approach of poking the bat forward to hit line drives. I think aluminum bats and general athleticism allowed him to clobber 16 home runs at Arizona St. in 2008, but 0 home runs in 215 at-bats in low-A is no fluke — I do not think he’s going to generate the 30 home run power that some are predicting
$14

BDP117 SS Anthony Hewitt (b. 4/27/1989, 6’1, 190, R/R) — Philadelphia Phillies

Ugh. Very unimpressive swing that’s just miserably handsy. His hands and body disconnect, resulting in a complete loss of power. He fits the Greg Golson/Michael Bourne mold of recent Phillies draft picks — all projection and limited baseball skills. He’s going to draw B.J. Upton comparisons from believers, as he’s exceptionally athletic, but Hewitt has an extremely long way to go before he turns athleticism into home runs. He struck out 55 times in 117 at-bats in his pro debut. I’m predicting a C.J. Henry like season.
$5

BDP118 SS Gordon Beckham (b. 9/16/1986, 6’0, 185, R/R) — Chicago White Sox

It’s all about sticking at shortstop. Some people don’t think he has the arm or range to stay at short, and will have to move to second. I’m not terribly high on him, as I think he opens up his hips a little bit early in his swing. I think he has the tools to be a well above-average major league shortstop, but nothing screams superstar. I think he could easily hit .290-20 in the major leagues, and could easily settle into a Stephen Drew like mold.
$35

BDP119 RP Daniel Schlereth (b. 5/9/1986, 6’1, 210, L/L) — Arizona Diamondbacks

He’s a powerful college closer that could move very quickly through the system. In terms of baseball card collectibility, though, there’s not a whole lot of room for growth. He won’t be moving to the rotation, so the highest I see his card selling for is
$8

BDPP120 CF Zach Collier (b. 9/8/1990, 6’2, 185, L/L) — Philadelphia Phillies

I really like this selection, and Collier is a good buy at under $10 per chrome. He’s very young, but unlike Hewitt, he has a very advanced swing for his age. Collier has a good chance to develop plus power and contact ability, with speed to spare. Collier has an excellent, short plane to the ball in his swing. I’m mostly nitpicking when it comes to pointing out flaws in his swing (his elbows have little bend, sapping some of his power at the point of contact), but Collier is close to Aaron Hicks in terms of the best high school outfielders in the draft.
$22

LHP BDPP121 Evan Frederickson (b. 9/23/1986, 6’6, 240, L/L) — Milwaukee Brewers

Ouch! Not a good pick by the Brewers. 26 walks in 20 IP in his low-A ball debut was no fluke — Frederickson really has poor mechanics. He spins off the mound when he throws, and his glove and his throwing arm spiral across his body after the release point. Not much to say here, Frederickson will walk his way out of baseball before he sniffs the majors.
$5

LHP BDPP122 Mike Montgomery (b. 7/1/1989, 6’4, 190 L/L) — Kansas City Royals

He’s a long ways away, but Montgomery doesn’t have too many mechanical flaws. Right now, his main problem is developing better off-speed offerings. There aren’t any heinous flaws in his mechanics, and I’d imagine that he’ll experience some success against low-A competition, as he won’t have to rely on his off-speed pitches very much. Montgomery is a 4+ years away, but his ability to move forward depends on how quickly and easily he masters the curveball, which is the pitch he really lacks. Pretty safe bet to not implode or spike.
$7

BDPP123 RHP Cody Adams (b. 11/26/1986, 6’2, 180, R/R) — Milwaukee Brewers

Not a bad pick here. Adams has aggressive mechanics, and, similar to Montgomery, doesn’t have any major flaws. His main problem is that he doesn’t really firm up his glove hand during the delivery, but he has good momentum and rhythm in his delivery. Nothing really jumps out at me, but he’s potentially a sleeper.
$8

BDPP124 LHP Brad Hand (b. 3/20/1990, 6’3, 220, L/L) — Florida Marlins

Nothing to see here. The MLB draft report touted Hand as “more of a thrower than a pitcher right now.” Frankly, Hand’s delivery is disastrous. He practically falls off the mound due to so much lateral effort. His entire arm drags behind in the delivery. Just poor, poor mechanics. Expect Hand to suffer some kind of serious elbow injury this year. His maximum effort, unrefined mechanics are a sure sign of disaster.
$4

OF BDPP125 Josh Reddick (b. 2/19/1987, 6’2, 180, L/R) — Boston Red Sox

The player that Jason Place wishes he was. Reddick will be drawing a lot of Jeff Francoeur comparisons this year — aggressive swing, athleticism, excellent arm strength, and lack of walks. His strike out rate is a little bit concerning — 36 in 95 AFL at-bats this fall, but it’s never been a terrible problem in the past. I think his 17 home runs in 312 at-bats were inflated by the CAL league parks, but Reddick has a decent power potential. I think we can expect a .260-.265/20 home run season out of Reddick this year in AA. Not a bad player by any means.
$23

BDPP126 Michel Inoa (b. 9/24/1991, 6’7, 210, R/R) — Oakland Athletics

There’s not a lot to be said for Inoa. He’s considered one of the best Dominican Republic imports in the last 10 years, and he signed a 5 mil. deal with the A’s at the age of 16. Without statistics or a video, though, there isn’t much to judge. Similar to Delmon Young in 2003, some of Inoa’s cards are redemptions, and some are already signed for BCDP. Without more information, I can’t make a prediction on future prices.

BDPP127 C Jesus Montero (b. 10/28/1989, 6’4, 225 R/R) — New York Yankees

Jesus had a lot of things going for him this season — first of all, he slugged .491 at the age of 18 in low-A ball, and he put up fairly modest BB/K numbers. One thing that really impresses me is that he had 34 doubles to go along with 17 home runs. That kind of power potential out of a big-bodied catcher is hard to come by. The cards are redemptions, but I think he’s a very good gamble right now. The hype machine is sure to start running on Montero, and he put up a lot more power than Fernando Martinez at the same age. This card definitely has room to grow.
$48

BDPP128 C Buster Posey (b. 3/27/1987, 6’2, 200, R/R) — San Francisco Giants

The fabled Buster Posey! No one was prepared for Posey’s giant spike from 3 home runs in 2007 to 26 in 2008 at FSU. I think Posey is a very good catcher, but right now, I’m not a fan of the $55+ price tag for chrome autographs. In my mind, Posey has a chance to hit over .300 with 15-20 home runs a year, along with excellent defense. Posey is not going to be a 30-35 home run a year guy — his swing is suited for line drives. Good player, but not at the current price.
$43