Name: Zach Duke
Position: SP
Team: Pittsburgh Pirates
Age: 25 years old
Best Season: 2005 he went 8-2/1.81/1.21 and was 5th in ROY voting.
Set it’s from: 2007 Topps Alan & Ginter
How obtained: eBay auction
Why this Card?: His numbers suck but I’m still a fan. This card is actually not a certified autograph, instead it was obtained in person. I generally don’t go for cards like that on eBay but I got it for $0.75, and the signature looks legit. Anyways, who would fake a Zach Duke signature. I watched him work his way through the Pirates farm system after being drafted in the 20th round in 2001. His minor league numbers were astounding (44-18/2.37/1.10), so I figured he would do well in the majors. Besides his rookie year in 2005 he has missed the mark, with this past season being one of his worst. The truth is that he is a number 3 or even 4 pitcher, pitching out of the 2 slot. If he would face pitchers of his caliber, he would be OK but he is always going up against an ace or a number 2. The Pirates would do him a favor if they traded him. He has so much talent and such a great arm. To see it wasted in Pittsburgh is a travesty. They just don’t know how to nurture young pitchers there. Just look at what happened with Ian Snell.
But What About the Set?: 2007 A&G is a sweet set, I am a sucker for vintage looking sets, so this is one of those sets that I just enjoy to get. The boxes run about $100 on eBay and they guarantee at least one autograph. It’s not worth it in my mind, but if you like the vintage look it’s a cool set to go after.
Beckett’s Value: N/A
eBay Value: A quick search says $0.75
This is actually 2006 Allen & Ginter. The 2006 version has Allen & Ginter’s and Topps in blue, while in 2007 it’s in red and shows the 2007 date.
Nice pickup, I still think Zach can break through one of these days.