2009 Elite Extra Edition Austin Kirk Autograph /599

Every Wednesday home game, the Fargo-Moorhead Redhawks of the American Association of Independent Baseball have a post-game autograph party where the entire team signs for the fans. Of course, I am always up for this, and I try and pick up some cards of the few players who have had one issued. In some cases, like this Austin Kirk card, the player also had a certified autograph card, as well.

This one is from 2009 Elite Extra Edition, and has Kirk listed as a member of the Chicago Cubs organization.He was drafted by the team in 2009 and spent the last few years bouncing between the Cubs' A and AA affiliates. Kirk was released by the Cubs this past April, and soon after, signed with the Redhawks. So far this season, he is going 1-4 with an 8.36 ERA and 19 strikeouts in 6 games started.

Three Packs of 2015 Diamond Kings

So, yeah, I just looked at my post history and realized I haven't put anything up in about 3 months. Yikes! I would say I haven't bought a whole lot in a while, which is kind of true, but I could always come up with something to write. Maybe I've just gotten lazy. Who knows.

Anyway, here I am, and while I haven't been buying a whole lot as of late, I did make a stop by my LCS last week and picked up a few packs of a product that kind of intrigued me: 2015 Panini Diamond Kings. 

I've always liked the Diamond Kings cards, back from when they were simply card #s 1-26 in each year's Donruss set, so strictly for nostalgia's sake, I had to at leas get myself a sample. Here's the accumulation of my three packs.

Veterans: Miguel Cabrera, Adrian Beltre, Adam Jones, Adrian Gonzalez, David Ortiz, Garrett Richards, Jose Fernandez

Rookies: Jorge Soler, Matt Barnes, Buck Farmer, Gary Brown, Steven Moya, Dalton Pompey, Anthony Ranaudo

Retired: Roger Maris, Lefty Gomez, Lloyd Waner, Sam Crawford, Nellie Fox, Elston Howard, Paul Waner

Parallel: Framed Bobby Murcer

Insert: Jimmie Foxx HOF Sluggers

Hit: Hunter Harvey Mini Jersey 10/99

Not bad for just three packs. The cards all look great, even for an unlicensed product. I do think that the painted pictures for each player somehow make the logo-less uniforms much less awkward. Really, this is the first 2015 baseball product I have purchased apart from buying into a case break of Heritage, but I think I may just have to test out the waters on this one a bit more.