Player’s Name: Ryan Garko
Player’s Position: 1B
Player’s Current Team: Cleveland Indians
Price I Paid for the Card: I got this in a pack and the pack was $5.00.
Set it’s from: 2007 Moments and Milestones
What it’s Worth: Beckett has it listed for $10.00.
Why I like this card: I was just getting back into the collecting game when Topps Moments and Milestones came out. I was very excited about the set, simply because you had a whole set that was completely serial numbered and I thought that was pretty cool. To think that you could get a 1 of 1 card and basically own someone’s white whale, is pretty cool. I bought my first pack and not only did I find this card, but also a Dice-K rookie card! Since then, I’ve bought several more packs and I would love to build a set of these, it just might be cost prohibitive though. Anyhoo, after Ryan’s rookie season, in 2006, he put up a very respectable 0.289/21/61 in 1987, I really thought that he would continue to improve on those numbers, but that just hasn’t happened this year. Through 44 games, he is hitting an anemic 0.236/4/19, which really surprises me since he is only 27 and should be hitting his prime right now.
Why it’s a Cheap Hit: Hey autos are great, they are even better when you pull it out of a pack. There are lots of bad autographs to get in this set and of all the lesser known guys, I think Garko is among the better ones to get. I think he can hit his potential 0.290/30/100 numbers, but it’s crucial that he starts know. With the season almost a third of the way over, he has to start hitting with authority if he wants to establish himself as an elite hitting third baseman.
Will if ever be worth more? Maybe, I am going to say no for right now, but if he goes on a tear to finish the season, look out.
Would you trade this? I used to love watching Gark at Stanford. He even signed my T-Ball hat at one game!