If Only Kendry Morales Didn’t Break His Ankle

This is another story from the summer of 2010 file. While working at a sports card shop in north Orange County, CA, one customer frequented the store somewhat regularly. He was a local and a big Anaheim Angels fan. He was a nice guy; I always enjoyed his visits and the stories he’d share. He displayed strong favorable enthusiasm toward a Kendry Morales. I didn’t know who the player was at the time but quickly got to researching and discovered that he was a young hopeful that put up some impressive numbers in 2009, which included a .306 AVG, 173 Hits and MVP Award consideration. It wasn’t shortly after I learned about Morales that he was injured during an epic high-five with his teammates at home plate after hitting a walk-off grand slam home run against the Seattle Mariners on May 29, 2010. He runs to home plate, jumps up to high-five his teammates, lands and breaks his ankle. A devastating blow to such developing talent; one that would put him out for the remainder of 2010 and all of 2011.

It’s taken Morales some years to jump back but he’s certainly proven himself to be a feared hitter. In 2015, he garnered a .290 AVG, 165 Hits, and received a Silver Slugger Award.¹ His collectibility has gone nearly unnoticed since his injury in 2010. Minimal attention is paid to his cards, especially those after 2006. He can be found in some 2005 products, with the majority of the interest that does exist being loosely placed on his 2006 Bowman Chrome cards, of which there are several parallels. I really like this 2006 Bowman Chrome Prospects card. It’s signed and I think Bowman selected an excellent design that year. There’s something about the way that beautiful ocean blue nameplate complements the bold and vibrant tone of the border no matter the color. Here, it’s gold, which is a nice touch. I just love this card. I’ve been after this Gold Refractor for a while. After several months of declined offers from various auctions, and expired and sold listings, this one finally surfaced with a price that made sense. I’m glad to add it to the collection. It’s a beautiful card and serves as another welcomed reminder of the summer of 2010.

Who do you remember being popular in the 2006 Bowman Chrome set?

To see what’s currently on eBay from 2006 Bowman Chrome, click here.

References:

1. Kendrys Morales. www.baseball-reference.com ↩︎