Mailbox Joys: Tracey's Auto

In the mail today, I received an eBay purchase of a 2005 Donruss Classics card. By the picture, you can tell that it's a card of Sean Tracey. The card is numbered 1089/1200. Besides the obvious reason of being a White Sox card, why would I feature this card as a mailbox joy? There are three reasons.

The first has to deal with time. I've waited patiently for this card to come to auction on eBay. There is a seller offering this card in their store for $5 plus shipping. I wouldn't bite. There were a few times where I was tempted, but I held my ground. I waited until I saw it up for auction at 99 cents. That turned out to be the final price, plus $2.50 shipping, because who really wants an autographed card of Sean Tracey besides me? There aren't that many.

The second reason has to do with the psyche. Sean Tracey is best known, so far, as being the pitcher that Ozzie Guillen made cry. That's a harsh, probably inaccurate assumption. Ozzie's words were probably the last straw that made Sean break down, but I highly doubt it was the main reason.

My guess would be that the pressure of the major leagues was too tough for Sean Tracey to handle as a rookie. Some players have the proper mentality to handle the adjustment of being a rookie in the majors, a few can't handle it their first few times up. The pressure of being a rookie after the White Sox ended an 88 year World Series drought has to be just a little tough. There are new expectations that come with being on the team now.

My third reason is probably the closest to my heart. Sean Tracey has the same last name as my fiancee's first name. Normally, that wouldn't mean that much, but his last name is spelled the exact same way as my fiancee spells her first name. Call it sentimentality, but that makes me want to seek out his cards. It's hard to find things with Tracey's name spelled correctly. When an item comes along that's also attached to another passion of mine, it's a no-brainer.