And it’s already a big news day for basketball collectors. Two very popular players switched teams earlier today, with Shaquille O’Neal heading to Cleveland to join LeBron James and Vince Carter going south to Orlando to provide some scoring help for Dwight Howard. Of course Shaq and VC are already such big names that it won’t move the needle on their rookie cards much, but there’s always some increased interest when superstars move to new markets.

Here we go with the picks. No drama expected at the top, but just about anything could happen after that!

1. L.A. Clippers - Blake Griffin, PF, Oklahoma: Even the Clips couldn’t mess this one up. Griffin’s cards should be in serious demand right out of the gate after he was all-everything in college. Yes, some collectors will be a bit wary that he’s headed to L.A.’s second class team, but that shouldn’t hurt him too much in the short term. In the long term, we’ll have to hope he doesn’t suffer the same fate as so many Clips before him.

2. Memphis Grizzlies - Hasheem Thabeet, C, Connecticut: As the analysts on ESPN said, Memphis needed help everywhere. Thabeet was pretty much the consensus pick as the best center in the draft, but I’m not sold on him as a hobby superstar. His offensive game will need work, and the Grizzlies aren’t exactly pumping out players for whom collectors are clamoring. He’ll be the ultimate wait and see guy in this year’s draft.

3. Oklahoma City Thunder - James Harden, SG, Arizona State: The first surprise of the night falls at pick number three, where most pundits were zeroing in on Ricky Rubio. OKC is one of the smaller NBA markets but the fans there are pretty rabid, and Harden will be joining one of the hobby’s brightest young stars in Kevin Durant. I don’t think Harden will be atop many collectors’ want lists right away, but he’ll have a chance to grow alongside his young teammates.

4. Sacramento Kings - Tyreke Evans, PG, Memphis: In a draft heavy with point guards, Evans gets the first call. He’s got NBA size for sure and is somewhat of a known quantity having played for a powerful Memphis team in college. It will be interesting to see if he scores enough to capture the imagination of collectors, but he certainly should get plenty of early playing time.

5. Minnesota Timberwolves - Ricky Rubio, PG, Spain - It’s said that Rubio’s people really didn’t want him to go to Minnesota, but the Wolves have to be happy he fell to them. He’s certainly not going to the greatest NBA collecting market - at least since Kevin Garnett left town - but I don’t think it will affect him too much. I expect Rubio has been hyped up enough to be the second most popular rookie once 2009-10 cards start going live.

6. Minnesota Timberwolves - Jonny Flynn, PG, Syracuse: Two point guards in a row for the Wolves? You have to wonder if they have a trade in the works. Otherwise it’s hard to figure this pick out. I like Flynn better as a player than as an object of desire for collectors. If he and Rubio both stay in Minnesota, I think he’ll be overshadowed by his foreign teammate.

7. Golden State Warriors - Stephen Curry, PG, Davidson: The fans at MSG didn’t like this pick, as Knicks fans had their hearts set on having Curry come to New York. He would have been better off from a hobby standpoint if he had ended up in the Big Apple as well, but even casual fans know this guy after his scoring exploits the last couple of college seasons. Curry will be right up there in terms of demand early in the basketball card season.

8. New York Knicks - Jordan Hill, PF, Arizona: This wasn’t the splashy pick the Knicks faithful wanted, but Hill was probably the second best power forward in this draft. He can do a little bit of everything and should be comfortable playing New York’s up-tempo style. Hill doesn’t feel like he’ll be a huge name among collectors immediately, but he’ll enjoy a higher profile automatically just by joining the Knicks.

9. Toronto Raptors - DeMar DeRozan, SG, USC - DeRozan has potential, but the feeling is that he’ll be a bit of a work in progress. That plus heading north of the border means he probably won’t be burning up hot lists during his rookie season in the NBA.

10. Milwaukee Bucks - Brandon Jennings, PG, Italy - Someone was going to roll the dice on Jennings, and surprisingly, it was the normally conservative Bucks. The publicity that he received from his European adventure may be balanced out by fans who don’t know him because he did not play college ball. Add that to going to Milwaukee and you have the player who’s hardest to figure in terms of basketball cards.

11. New Jersey Nets - Terrence Williams, SG, Louisville: This pick was no surprise since the Nets shipped Carter to the Magic. He’s a senior with a lot of talent, but he’ll be joining a rebuilding project in New Jersey. He’s also a bit of a mercurial personality, and that could help him or hurt him with collectors.

12. Charlotte Bobcats - Gerald Henderson, SG, Duke: Being a lottery pick from Duke is always a good thing for your collectible future. Still, the Bobcats haven’t had much success since they’ve been in the NBA, and collectors could still be feeling burnt by some of their past draft mishaps (Adam Morrison, anyone?). Be a little cautious with Henderson.

13. Indiana Pacers - Tyler Hansbrough, PF, UNC: Though there are plenty of differing opinions on how effective Hansbrough will be as a pro, everyone knows who he is. His college resume is as impressive as anyone’s, and he’ll be absorbing wisdom from Larry Bird as well. His rookie cards should be very popular until such time, if any, that he proves he can’t play at the NBA level.

14. Phoenix Suns - Earl Clark, SF, Louisville: With Shaq already gone and Amar’e Stoudemire rumored to be following him out of town, the Suns are in rebuilding mode. Clark is very versatile and may get more playing time than expected if Phoenix commits to going young. Keep an eye on him as a potential sleeper.

15. Detroit Pistons - Austin Daye, PF, Gonzaga - Daye is a tall guy who can shoot, but the ESPN crew thinks he may need to be brought along slowly. He’s going to a team in transition in the Pistons, though they may still be a playoff squad if they don’t blow the whole thing up. If you pull any Daye cards, save them for a few years and see what happens.

16. Chicago Bulls -James Johnson, PF, Wake Forest - This is an interesting pick for a Bulls team that already has plenty of bodies in the frontcourt. There has been talk that Tyrus Thomas may be traded, so that may give Johnson a chance to get on the court. Johnson will benefit from going to Chicago but don’t expect him to make a huge splash as a rookie.

17. Philadelphia 76ers - Jrue Holiday, PG, UCLA - Plenty of mock drafts had Holiday going in the top 10 picks, so this is a nice pick for a team looking for its point guard of the future. Going from UCLA to Philly sounds like a formula for future hobby success, though as with several others in this area of the first round, you may need to wait a few seasons to reap the benefits.

18. Minnesota Timberwolves - Ty Lawson, PG, UNC: Now there almost HAS to be something going on in terms of trade discussions in Minnesota, because there’s no way they can field three rookie point guards, right? I like Lawson more than Flynn in terms of immediate collectibility, but we’ll have to wait until we see how this situation all shakes out.

19. Atlanta Hawks - Jeff Teague, PG, Wake Forest: And the hits just keep coming at point guard. The Hawks are rumored to be parting ways with Mike Bibby, so this could end up being a need pick. Collectors may need to be convinced about Teague because Atlanta’s recent draft history has been spotty, to be kind.

20. Utah Jazz - Eric Maynor, PG, Virginia Commonwealth: Maynor seems like a good fit for the Jazz from a mentality standpoint. Of course Utah already has one of the best young points in the NBA, so don’t look for Maynor to be anything but a reserve.

21. New Orleans Hornets - Darren Collison, PG, UCLA - Here’s a player who may be fast enough to keep pace with Chris Paul, though his role is probably going to be backing up CP3. His upside isn’t as high as Holiday’s, so don’t get overly excited about his rookie cards.

22. Portland Trail Blazers - Victor Claver, F, Spain: Claver won’t be coming to the NBA for at least another year or two, so his rookie cards will be non-factors in 2009-10. Down the road? We’ll see.

23. Sacramento Kings - Omri Casspi, SF, Israel: If Casspi makes it to the NBA, he’d be the first Israeli ever to do so. He has all-around talent, but like most foreign players, you shouldn’t expect him to burst onto the hobby scene as a rookie.

24. Dallas Mavericks -B.J. Mullens, C, Ohio State: Though there were whispers of Mullens going earlier, this seems like a more reasonable spot for him. He’s good huge boom or bust potential, but I’m leaning toward thinking his rookie cards will be in the commons bin in a few seasons.

25. Oklahoma City Thunder - Rodrigue Beaubois, G, Guadeloupe: Amazingly, this guy was actually at MSG to hear his name called. Beaubois played in France last year, and scouts like his game. He’ll be a non-factor in the hobby though.

26. Chicago Bulls - Taj Gibson, F, USC: Not too many mock drafts had Gibson going in the first round. As noted before, going to Chicago is always a good thing from a collectibility standpoint, but it would be an upset if Gibson made a major contribution as a rookie.

27. Memphis Grizzlies - DeMarre Carroll, F, Missouri: Like others in this part of the draft, he was seen by many as a second rounder. Carroll strikes me as an energy/intangibles guy, and they rarely get collectors too hot and bothered.

28. Minnesota Timberwolves - Wayne Ellington, SG, UNC: It seems like the Wolves are constantly on the clock tonight!  No point guard this time, but a guy who can do a bit of everything and unlike some of the other two-guards picked earlier, he can knock down outside shots. Since he played for UNC, he’ll attract much more interest from the hobby world than most players picked this low in the first round.

29. L.A. Lakers - Toney Douglas, G, Florida State: The announce team is saying the Lakers have sold this pick to the Knicks, so the folks on hand at MSG are watching this one. Douglas is kind of an unknown quantity, but he’s a very talented combo guard. He’ll get some love whether he ends up in L.A. or New York just because of the size of those markets.

30. Cleveland Cavaliers - Christian Eyenga, G/F, Congo: I guess every foreign player just shows up at MSG because it’s such a big deal to get drafted. Again, don’t expect much in the way of hobby interest for this guy.

That’s it for the live portion of this blog. I’ll update it a bit later with any notable second round picks that have a chance to make some noise in the world of basketball cards.

Though the early season football releases by the various card manufacturers have some nice cards, the real attraction is just seeing a new batch of NFL players for the first time. It’s not until later in the year when the companies usually roll out the high end stuff.

When it comes to the Topps lineup, the Bowman Sterling brand might not be its most expensive premium set, but it’s up there with a suggested retail price of $50 a pack. That means it won’t fit everyone’s collecting budget, but to this writer, it’s always felt like it delivered the goods at that price.

This year’s specs look similar to the last few, with every pack promising one autograph, two relic (or memorabilia) cards and two rookie cards. Every box should contain two autographed relic cards, and every case should yield one dual autographed gold refractor numbered to 10.

Bowman Sterling always has a classy, usually silver look, and as you can see from the Matthew Stafford autographed relic card pictured here, that same style is evident in the 2009 set.

Look for 2009 Bowman Sterling Football at your favorite hobby store or internet site around late August.

Image courtesy of and copyright Topps.

As a group, all four players racked up points, individual awards and Stanley Cup rings. But it’s the connections between them that makes this class even more special.

Yzerman captained the 2002 Stanley Cup winners that included Hull and Robitaille. And Amercian-born Hull and Leetch skated together on the team that took the gold medal in the 1996 World Cup - a team, incidentally, that was assembled by Lamoriello.

Though all four players came into the NHL at different times, they all hail from the time when there were only a few hockey card sets released each season. Each of them has just two rookie cards apiece, and while they won’t come cheap in good condition, it wouldn’t be too hard to obtain copies of all of them.

To aid in that pursuit, I’ve put together a checklist of rookie cards for the new members of the Hall that you can check out by following the link below.

• 2009 Hockey Hall of Fame Rookie Card Checklist - Yzerman, Hull, Leetch and Robitaille

The 2009 Finest redemptions are coming fast and furious now.

Less than a week after Topps revealed that Finest Redemption No. 2 was Braves pitcher Tommy Hanson , the company revealed another rookie hurler for No. 3. That would be Andrew Bailey, relief pitcher for the Oakland A’s.

Like Hanson, Bailey wasn’t hyped as a draft pick, lasting until the sixth round of the 2006 MLB entry draft. But it didn’t take him long to cruise through the minors and make it to the bigs, and the A’s have had enough faith in the young rightie that he’s closed out games during his rookie season.

There are still seven Finest Redemption subjects left to be announced for this season. The exchange cards can be found one per box in 2009 Finest Baseball.

Image courtesy of and copyright Topps.

The man called up when the venerable Tom Glavine was cut is the subject of 2009 Finest Redemption #2.

Topps revealed Friday that the No. 2 exchange card will be redeemed for a card of Atlanta Braves pitcher Tommy Hanson, sporting a red alternate jersey as pictured here.

The right-hander was greeted rudely by Milwaukee’s Ryan Braun (who touched him up for two homers) in his MLB debut on June 7. But Hanson bounced back with a win against Baltimore on June 12, showing why he was considered Atlanta’s top prospect before the 2009 season began.

Matt LaPorta was revealed earlier as Finest Redemption No. 1, and Topps will continue to unveil the remaining eight subjects over the next few months.

Image courtesy of and copyright Topps.

According to a report in the St. Petersburg Times cited by ESPN’s NFL rumors page (which you can read here, but only if you’re an ESPN Insider),  Josh Freeman could be the starter for the Buccaneers at the beginning of the 2009 NFL season. There’s still a long way to go until September, of course, but that’s news that should make football collectors take note.

It’s especially intriguing because Freeman was looked at as a bit of a project by many scouts, and definitely less of a finished product than Stafford or Sanchez. It just goes to show that happening upon the right situation is almost as important as how talented you are when it comes to getting playing time as a rookie.

For anyone wanting to speculate that Freeman will indeed come out on top in the QB battle in Tampa, I’ve started a rookie card checklist for him that you can view at the link below. Only a few of his 2009 cards are on the market so far, but I’ll be adding to the checklist weekly as the year goes on so you won’t miss out on any of them.

• Josh Freeman Rookie Card Checklist

Topps has announced that Chicago White Sox infielder Gordon Beckham is the subject of 2009 Red Hot Rookie Redemption No. 2. But there’s a catch that should have holders of the proper redemption cards very interested.

One out of ten redemptions will be exchanged for an autographed version like the one pictured here. Even collectors who redeemed their cards before the announcement could get one of the autographs, and they can find out if they’ve received one by checking out their accounts at Topps.com.

Topps has used its Finest redemption program to dish out some autographs over the past few seasons, so this wrinkle for the Red Hot cards should be very well received. Beckham has gotten off to a slow start since making his MLB debut on June 4, but he’s a super prospect who already has a fan following.

Image courtesy of and copyright Topps.

Baseball card collectors enjoy the hobby at least in part because of the connection it gives them to the game itself. Topps is hoping to take advantage of that link by using real MLB ticket stubs as one of the draws for its new 2009 Topps Ticket to Stardom Baseball.

Each box will contain multiple cards that combine pieces of game-used jerseys or equipment with ticket stubs. Topps is promising stubs from 2009 MLB Opening Day games and the World Baseball Classic, but perhaps most interesting are older stubs included on special 1/1 cards.

As you might expect, the set will have other game-used and autographed cards as well, like the dual game-used/autographed card pictured above that features superstars Albert Pujols and David Wright.

It will be interesting to see how collectors react to Ticket to Stardom, because ticket stubs have been used as the hook for products before, and those sets haven’t enjoyed much longevity. Topps will be hoping to come up with the right mix to change that trend this time around, beginning on the expected release date of August 17.

Image courtesy of and copyright Topps.

It’s hard to imagine Upper Deck without Ken Griffey Jr. Since The Kid made his debut the same year UD shook up the industry with its first baseball card set, the two names are linked together in many collectors’ minds - and rightfully so.

While Griffey has been the subject of many different promotions and special cards from Upper Deck over the years, this year’s Upper Deck Baseball set contains another one that’s pretty cool. This season, Griffey is base card #855… but there’s more to it than first meets the eye.

There are actually 20 different versions of the Griffey card, one for each year of his career. The stats and write-ups on each version correspond to a specific season, and as you can see from the 1989 and 2008 versions pictured above, so do the photos.

Upper Deck’s press release confirming the variations stated that while no version is more common than any other, overall the cards are limited and should be considered short prints. You can find the many faces of Junior in packs of 2009 Upper Deck Series Two Baseball, which is on sale now.

Images courtesy of and copyright Upper Deck.

Chrome collectors are a different breed. When I used to work at a sports card store in Central Pennsylvania a few years back, there were some regular customers who would bust Topps and Bowman Chrome products more enthusiastically than anything else we sold.

To its credit, Topps keeps the Chrome brands pretty consistent from year to year, so their fans know most of what they can expect. That looks to be true for the 2009 edition of Topps Chrome Football, which is tentatively scheduled for late August.

As in seasons past, every box will contain an autographed rookie variation card (like the Mark Sanchez example pictured here), which can also be found in low-numbered parallel versions. Topps is also returning popular refractor patch parallels of 30 NFL rookies, numbered to 25 copies each.

Other highlights include rookie cards 1:2 packs and nine parallel cards per box. Suggested retail price will be $3 for a four-card pack, and you can visit this page to see the entire specs.

Image courtesy of and copyright Topps.