Back to where you once belonged

Well, the 2012 MLB trading deadline has come and gone.

As I mentioned in this afternoon's post, July 31st is easily one of my favorite parts of the baseball season. It's the time where each club can evaluate where they're at, and plays a large role in separating the contenders from the pretenders.

Not to mention that it means future baseball cards of guys in brand new uniforms! I'm already looking forward to the first cards of Kevin Youkilis as a member of the White Sox or Ichiro as a Yankee.

Or Ryan Dempster as a Texas Ranger.

Oh, wait. He already had one of those.

While I would much rather see the Cubs be buyers at the deadline sometime down the road, it was still fun to see who would and wouldn't survive the "fire sale".

Matt Garza did. Dempster, Geovany Soto, Reed Johnson, and Paul Maholm didn't.

The Dempster deal was easily the most intriguing of all.

He's going back to Texas, the team that originally drafted him all the way back in '95. While I still want it, the trade means that I have one less "zero-year" card to chase.

Once he makes his first post-deadine pitch with the Rangers, he will instantly lose his "zero-year" status with the franchise.

A part of me is happy that one of my favorite (former) Cubbies is going to a contender, but I can't help but think of the impact it has on my collection during times like these.

No more "zero-year" cards of Ryan Dempster.

The case of Ryan Dempster wasn't the only one of the sort, though.

Just minutes after I woke up this morning, I tuned into the MLB Network for their coverage of all the deadline's happenings.

The first thing I saw across the screen was "Victorino to Dodgers".

I'd heard that the Dodgers were in serious contention to land the "Flyin' Hawaiian", but the affect it would have on my collection didn't dawn on me until that very moment.

Once again, it meant the loss of a "zero-year" card.

This '03 Bownan Heritage rookie of Victorino is one of two cards that I own of him in the Dodger blue. I could never quite think of enough to fill a post on this card, but it'll get its moment in the sunshine here.

Victorino was already a well-traveled player before making a name for himself with the Phillies. He was a sixth round pick of the Dodgers back in '99, although he'd be selected in the Rule 5 draft by the Padres three years later.

After getting his first taste of the big leagues with the Padres in '03 (36 games), he'd be returned to the Dodgers. The Phillies made him their own Rule 5 pick the next year.

Two Gold Gloves and two All-Star games later, his career has run full circle back to Los Angeles.

Like Dempster, he'll likely lose his "zero-year" status in the near future.

I think both of these were fantastic trades, as each player should be a huge help to their new (or old) franchises.

Still, it's going to be sad to see a few "zero-year" cards lose their title. I'll still enjoy the fact that the Victorino was once a member of the club, as will be the same with the Dempster should I acquire it down the road.

I can't wait to see the first new releases of Demspter and Victorino in their new duds later this year, hopefully in Topps Update. It'll have been nine years since Victorino made a cardboard appearance as a Dodger, and 16 seasons for Dempster as a Ranger.

Until then, I'll just have to wait.

So long, Mr. Victorino and Mr. Dempster.

I hope you enjoyed your time in the "zero-year" club.