Collecting Game-used: A lineup card with a little more

A new MLB season is here and that means more brand-new game-used memorabilia pieces to come -- or, really, already piling up -- as games from the spring and beyond happen.

One of those items that can be especially messy and colorful this time of year? The lineup card -- an item where you can find names early in their careers or perhaps late tries at one last go before a season where a veteran may not even play. Sometimes they can be hand-written, sometimes they can be printed and then heavily modified. And, like I said, they can get messy in the spring with plenty of guys in and out of games. These items often aren't super-impressive, but they can get pretty cheap -- I've seen them as low as $10 in the past. But, they can also can be pricey with player autographs and authentication attached. (Manager autos can sometimes arrive sort of "free" as part of the cost.)

Lineup cards can be a simple pick-up -- any card for any game for your player or your team -- or you could make it a challenge and try to find only cards where your player hit a homer, got a win, or a hit and so on. This time? It was one of those ... but it also was a card with a little more -- a detail that I didn't think about when checking a player game log.

You can keep reading to see the details.

THE BASICS ...
Game-used lineup card (MLB Authenticated): Cleveland Indians at Minnesota Twins -- Sept. 29, 2013
Watch it in action: Not a photo-match, but the final result is above (or click here)
The result: Indians 5, Twins 1 -- Indians clinch the American League Wild Card

What's Buzz-worthy: I picked this one up as a milestone card -- one where a player I collect did something -- but didn't realize that it was the final game of the year ... so it's a little more as a clincher. The cost on this one? Less than a couple of blasters and it arrived in an 11x17 top-loader with MLB Authentication (ultimately the norm here most of times). Lineup cards can have plenty of modifications -- depending how detailed or sloppy the handling manager or coach was -- and there can be as many as four of them on the field for a game. (Both dugouts and both bullpens for sure. Maybe more?) I'd love to see a photo-match of a dugout card, but that could be pretty tough as photographers and camera-operators aren't focusing on dugouts often during action or broadcasts -- but the video linked above came close as it shows the manager and coaches celebrating the clincher. What I can see on the wall there is not a match for this one this time. Since I found this card via the Twins over on MLB Auctions, I'd bet that it was from their dugout. Fun fact: Lineup cards are easy to find and Topps is trying something with them soon -- it has lineup card cut auto cards coming in 2020 Topps Gypsy Queen.

>> See all past Collecting Game-used stories from Buzz here

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