This our first look at the 2009 Bowman Chrome product. Always a fan favorite, this years product looks to be another success for the product. The product will feature a 220-card base set, 40 card World Baseball Classic, and of course, the prospects inserted 2 in every pack. Each of the cards will also be produced in Bowman Chrome familiar parallel sets of Refractors, XFractors, Blue Refractors, Gold Refractors, Orange Refractors, Red Refractors, Superfractors, and Printing Plates, ranging in production numbers of 500 to 1 of 1’s. These parallel’s are inserted 7 per box.

The prospect checklist contains 110 players that have previously not had a card in the Bowman Chrome series. Still missing from the set is last years top-pick, Tim Beckham. The preliminary Prospect Autograph set, inserted 1 per box, looks to be very promising. One of the more attractive perks about the Bowman Chrome Prospect sets is that each of the prospects are always featured in their MLB uniforms. The checklist contains autographs from some of the top prospects in the game. Some of highlights include: Tommy Hanson, Freddie Freeman, Carlos Santana, and Dayan Viciedo. Here is a small run down of the autograph checklist from the 2009 Bowman Chrome Baseball Hobby Sellsheet:

• BCP91 Rinku Singh
• BCP92 Dinesh Kumar Patel
• BCP93 Randall Delgado
• BCP94 Pat Venditte
• BCP95 Zack Putnam
• BCP96 Robbie Grossman
• BCP97 Tommy Hanson
• BCP98 Gift Negope
• BCP99 Dylan Lindsay
• BCP100 Chris Marrero
• BCP101 Freddie Freeman
• BCP102 Chris Johnson
• BCP103 Jefry Marte
• BCP104 Ernie Banks
• BCP105 Brett Anderson
• BCP106 Juancarlos Sulbaran
• BCP107 Ryan Perry
• BCP108 Carlos Santana
• BCP109 Brad Emaus
• BCP110 Dayan Viciedo
• BCP111 Tim Federowicz
• BCP112 Allen Craig

I can guarantee that at least two of those prospect auto’s will be cut prior to production as BCP111 and BCP112 already belong to Beemer Weams and Logan Morrison from the 2009 Bowman inserts. With the numerous parallels, great prospect checklist, and riding on the heels of the lackluster prospect autograph checklist from the base Bowman, you can count on this being a very hot product.

63 hits, 17 HR, 50 RBIs, .423 BA in 40 games. That stat line sounds like it came from a video game rather than the actual statistics of the Triple-A Iowa Cubs, of the Pacific Coast League, Jake Fox. Fox, who is in his 6th season for the Cubs organization out of the University of Michigan, seems to be in an zone unmatched by most, already racking up two Pacific Coast League Player of the Week honors this season. A converted infielder/outfielder from his natural position as a catcher, could have an immediate impact on the Chicago Cubs, who are in major need of a catalyst to get their season turned around. Also, the Chicago Cubs could consider using Fox as a DH as they enter inter-league play next month.

Fox’s numbers have not gone unnoticed by collectors and prospectors alike. His 2003 Upper Deck Prospect Premieres Jake Fox RC Auto has climbed from a tossed aside common to gradable keepsake. He has even found himself on our recent hot list for the month of June. Not a bad investment for anyone who is looking for the potential to flip a few cards. The large market Cubs fanbase might pay top dollar for this card if Fox gets the nod and is called up. Fox also has a handful of other cards produced over the past few years, but his 2003 Upper Deck Prospect Premieres will easily be the most sough after.

Be sure to keep your eyes on Fox as he could make a push towards winning a Triple Crown in the PCL. It’s hard to imagine sustaining his numbers for an entire season, but if he can, and I hope he can, it will be very fun to watch and witness.

Without a doubt, each year the most highly anticipated release belongs to the Bowman Chrome series. Not only for their brilliant designs, unmatched prospect checklist, multiple refractor parallels, but for the prospect autograph set. These cards allow collectors to get a little bit closer to some of their favorite prospects by providing them a Topps-certified, on card, autograph of the prospect. Some of these prospect autographs have proved to pay off very large dividends to the collectors. Here is a small glance at our favorite Bowman Chrome Prospect Auto’s of all-time who are now in the big’s, paying off their collectors those big dividends.

1. 2001 Bowman Chrome Albert Pujols RC Auto
2. 2002 Bowman Chrome David Wright RC Auto
3. 2002 Bowman Chrome Joe Mauer RC Auto
4. 2005 Bowman Chrome Ryan Braun RC Auto
5. 2006 Bowman Chrome Evan Longoria RC Auto
6. 2003 Bowman Chrome Hanley Ramirez RC Auto
7. 2005 Bowman Chrome Jacoby Ellsbury RC Auto
8. 2004 Bowman Chrome Felix Hernandez RC Auto
9. 2005 Bowman Chrome Ryan Zimmerman RC Auto
10. 2003 Bowman Chrome Kevin Youkilis RC Auto
11. 2007 Bowman Chrome Tim Lincecum RC Auto
12. 2006 Bowman Chrome Justin Upton RC Auto
13. 2003 Bowman Chrome Brian McCann RC Auto
14. 2006 Bowman Chrome Clayton Kershaw RC Auto
15. 2006 Bowman Chrome Jon Lester RC Auto
16. 2005 Bowman Chrome Justin Verlander RC Auto
17. 2003 Bowman Chrome Nick Markakis RC Auto
18. 2007 Bowman Chrome Joba Chamberlain RC Auto
19. 2006 Bowman Chrome Alex Gordon RC Auto
20. 2008 Bowman Chrome Matt LaPorta RC Auto

The Holy Grail of sports card has turned up in Gem Mint fashion on eBay. A [ebay-item: 270366061067,BGS 9.5/10 2001 Bowman Chrome Albert Pujols Auto] is currently up for auction on the site. I have seen a number of BGS 9 for sale, but this 9.5 is a rarity. The seller claims a previous PSA 10 went for $15,100, and this seller has a slighltly lower BIN on the card.

Our monthly hot-list is back, and there is no doubt that the hottest card on the list belongs to one of the hottest and brightest young stars in the game. Evan Longoria has been on an absolute terror this year, posting Herculean-esque numbers (.333/11/49). There is about as much upside to his 2006 Bowman Chrome Draft Pick Evan Longoria RC AU as there is with his potential for a great career. This card is great investment and with under 150 of them being graded Gem-Mint or better to date, finding one that is great condition could be a collectors dream.

1. 2006 Bowman Chrome Draft Pick Evan Longoria RC AU
2. 2008 Bowman Sterling Evan Longoria RC Auto
3. 2006 Bowman Chrome Justin Upton RC AU
4. 2002 Upper Deck Prospect Premieres Zack Greinke Auto XRC
5. 2002 Bowman Chrome Zack Greinke RC
6. 2001 Bowman Chrome Albert Pujols RC Auto
7. 2009 SPx Mystery Rookie Redemption Exchange
8. 2005 Bowman Chrome Roy Halladay RC
9. 2008 Sweet Spot USA Signatures Black Stitch Red Auto Stephen Strasburg
10. 2009 Team USA Stephen Strasburg
11. 2008 Donruss EEE Rick Porcello Auto
12. 2008 SP Authentic Evan Longoria RC Auto
13. 2007 Bowman Chrome Tim Lincecum RC Auto
14. 2007 Donruss EEE Matt Weiters Auto
15. 2008 Bowman Chrome Prospects David Price Auto
16. 2005 Bowman Chrome Ian Kinsler RC
17. 2006 SPx Ian Kinsler Auto
18. 2008 Bowman Chrome Draft Prospects Buster Posey RC Auto
19. 2009 Bowman Chrome Yu Davrish WBC
20. 2003 Upper Deck Prospects Premiere Jake Fox RC Auto
21. 2008 Bowman Chrome Draft Rick Porcello RC
22. 2007 Bowman Chrome Prospects Tommy Hanson RC
23. 2008 Razor Tim Beckham RC Auto
24. 2008 Bowman Chrome Prospects Jordan Schafer RC Auto
25. 2009 Bowman Chrome Prospects Neftali Feliz RC

Happy collecting!

The 2008 Playoff Prime Cuts IV is sure to be one of 2009’s most talked about products. Each box contains 6 cards, one of which is encased from Playoff. There is a lot of autographed, cut autos, and relic memorabilia scattered across this product.

Satchel Paige Cut Auto 1/1

Kenesaw Landis Cut Auto 1/1

1. 2006 Bowman Chrome Draft Pick Evan Longoria RC AU
2. 2001 Bowman Draft Picks Chase Utley RC
3. 2007 Bowman Chrome Tim Lincecum RC AU
4. 1999 Topps Traded Josh Hamilton RC AU
5. 2008 Bowman Chrome Prospects David Price AU
6. 2007 Bowman Sterling Tim Lincecum RC AU
7. 1999 Bowman Chrome Josh Hamilton RC
8. 2008 Topps Chrome Evan Longoria RC
9. 2003 Bowman Chrome Hanley Ramirez RC AU
10. 2005 Bowman Chrome Draft Jay Bruce RC
11. 2006 Bowman Sterling Evan Longoria AU
12. 2007 Donruss Elite Extra Edition Matt Wieters AU
13. 2007 Donruss Elite Extra Edition David Price RC
14. 2007 Bowman’s Best Tim Lincecum RC AU
15. 2003 Upper Deck Prospect Premiers Autographs Carlos Quentin

After a lost 2007 season due to injury, Julio Borbon has been back to full stride in 2008. After a mid-summer call up to the Firsco RoughRiders of the Double-A Texas League, Borbons numbers have been scorching hot. Prior to the hop to Double-A, he played 66 games for Cal League’s Bakers field, Borbon batting .306 with 36 SB and 20 2B. 52 games at Frisco, Borbon has batted .326 with 14 SB and 10 2B, including going 17 for his last 44, while helping Frisco push to the Texas South Conference title.

In the 2007 draft, he was taken in the supplemental round by the Texas Rangers as the 35th overall pick. Borbon has all of the amenities of big-league lead-off hitter. Amazing speed, minimal strikeouts, and great fielding make him an ideal threat next year for the Rangers. He may never poses the power that some of today’s great lead-off guys have, however, his great plate discipline will win him far more battles than the long ball can.

It’s been a mere 20 game since Kila Ka’aihue has been called up to AAA Omaha Royals, but he has made every game and at bat worth it. He is hitting .357 with 8 HR, 14 RBI, and a 1.179 OPS since his call-up.

His recent power surge has also affected the sale price of his cards. His 2005 Bowman Chrome RC has been on fire lately. If you are in the market for a new prospect to watch, Kaaihue is a great one to bank on.

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It’s that time of year again. No, not the pennant races, but, the release of Bowman Chrome’s baseball product. Each year this product becomes more and more anticipated, and pack busters are constantly looking for their next pot-of-gold prospect.

This year product follows on the footsteps of the 2008 Bowman releases that was packed with an all-star line-up of future talent. The Chrome release features the rookie card of Kosuke Fukudome, as well as autographs of some great prospects. Engel Beltre, Austin Jackson, Andrew Lambo, Lars Anderson, Angel Villalona, and Ryan Kalish (just to mention a few) each are featured on Prospect Autograph cards that come in base, refractor, xfractor, blue refractor, gold refractor, orange refractor, red refractor, superfractor, and printing plat variations. Each of the refractor versions are number stamped on the rear of the card. I have seen some preliminary pricing for the autographs on eBay, and the Beltre and Jackson are selling for around $50 each.

A disappointing find from the autographs is that Angel Villalona is a redemption card. From what I hear, he is nearly impossible to obtain an autograph from, and has been called the Barry Bond of the minor leagues, because of his stingy habits. On the bright side, if you do get one, you can be on of the first to try out Topps’ new online redemption program.

The base set carries some of the same characteristics as the prospect set, offering a variety of refractors, but without the autographs. Each hobby pack contains 4 cards, 2 of which are prospect cards.

As always, Bowman Chrome does not disappoint this year. Plenty of people will stock piling up on the prospect autographs hoping to land their needle-in-the-haystack.

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Checklist coming soon.
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