Off the Field Appreciation - Todd Helton, Matt Holliday & Micah Owings

If you've followed my blog for awhile then you probably know that several of the players I collect cards of are Christians.  Yes - it helps that most of them are (or at one time were) great players of their respective games, but my reasoning for collecting their cards goes beyond their talent displayed on the field or court.  A lot of times we hear the negative news stories of professional athletes off the field getting into trouble.  I just heard this morning that Lawrence Taylor is now labeled a sex offender and has 6 years of some sort of probation.  In this crazy world we live in it's easy for anyone to fall prey to sin.  After all we all are human and fall short of the glory of God.  I don't mean this post to be preachy at all.  I respect everyone's opinion and whatever faith you decide to practice (if at all).  I just have always had a natural inclination to gravitate towards Christian athletes.

While visiting various sports sites over the last few months it's come to my attention of several players share my faith that I originally didn't know - Todd Helton & Matt Holliday specifically.  Now the last thing I can afford to do is start another player collection for someone else, but if I set parameters when it comes to collecting a new player(s) then it may work.  That said I've decided to passively pursue game-used cards of these two players.  Now I know that both are somewhat big names in the hobby and a quick scan of eBay shows a lot of different cards for these players.  What I don't want to do is just buy or trade for your run of the mill jersey card.  If I'm going to do this I want cards that either sport an awesome card design or features a swatch of jersey that just isn't white.

Take this card for example.  I pulled it from a box earlier this year I got for Christmas.  I was originally going to trade it, but the purple jersey swatch is really nice.  This isn't nearly as boring as some jersey cards of his that I've seen.  This is what I'm looking for going forward.  I like bat cards so I won't be as picky there.  Game used base cards are always worth buying IMO.

Sadly I don't have any game used cards of Holliday yet, but I think the first card I'm going after is his 2007 Upper Deck Elements game used jersey auto card.

Another player that I've read some great stuff about currently pitches for the Reds, Micah Owings.  I found his website via a Google search and I noticed her referenced the following verse as one of his favorites.  " Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you. " (Hebrews 13:5)

Now for Micah I can probably make an exception and pick up whatever cards of his I can find.  I'll have to go back through my stuff and see if I have anything.  If anyone out there has anything of his that you don't want then please drop me a line.


I know there are other collector's and bloggers that collect these guys so I'm not looking to step on any toes.  I just wanted to share my latest collecting endeavor with the masses in hopes that someone out there may be able to help me out going forward.