Oscar Salazar, 2009 Upper Deck O-Pee-Chee #462

We're almost halfway through April, and I've held to my promise to not buy 2011 Topps products. But when I had to leave my house on a lazy Sunday just to drive to Walmart and pick up one dinky prescription, I couldn't help but wander over to the trading cards. What to my wondering eyes should appear but a 40% blaster box of 2009 Upper Deck O-Pee-Chee. I've been buying packs of this quirky, no-frills set for two years now, and I still hadn't completed even half of the 600-card base set, so I indulged a little.

I was pretty satisfied with the results. I got 44 base cards that I needed (finally pushing me over 300), as well as a few nifty inserts. I even got three Orioles that I didn't have yet: Felix Pie, a Melvin Mora Highlights and Milestones insert, and of course this sublime Oscar Salazar card. That's just a brazen assault of orange, threatening to engulf the queasy-looking journeyman. I'm reasonably sure that this photo was taken on Photo Day during spring training in 2008, back when Oscar was lowly roster filler with an offensive lineman's uniform number. I'm just delighted that he has a card in this set, since the only other card he had while with the O's was likely this one.

If you're curious, Salazar is not currently in the majors after hitting .237 in 85 games as a reserve for the Padres in 2010.