White Whale Captured: Matt Kemp's 2005 Bowman Chrome RC Auto Refractor /500!

Just look at that confident gaze on a young Matthew Ryan Kemp as he nonchalantly leans on the railing of a batting cage in a Spring Training game from yesteryear. I bet he's thinking, "One day I shall reside in the confines of the collection of one Greg Zakwin." Greg thought that as well, although he did not think it would take years for that to occur. It did, however, but thankfully the day has come when I can call this phenomenal 2005 Bowman Chrome RC Auto of my favorite player, The Bison, my own! Welcome home, Mattycakes. Welcome home.

This bad boy is not nearly as poorly centered or short as it probably appears; I just scan and crop cardboard horribly sometimes. The autograph is gorgeous, it really pops when scanned, and it's numbered 094/500 to boot! It's almost numbered to his long-ago Spring Training number. Oh, what fun that would have wrought.

Though the card was not on my Most Wanted List, it was essentially my most sought after piece of cardboard. Patience really paid off and although I still regret not buying dozens of these when they were basically dirt cheap, the day when I am able to do just that could theoretically still arise. And if it does, you best believe I'll have a stable full of these. The blue parallel is one I will definitely one day own.