The Jason Varitek Quest for 1,000: #949

Is it weird when the "silver" parallel is rarer than the "gold" parallel?  Well that is what we have here with the 2009 SP Authentic Silver parallel.  This card is serial-numbered to 59 and may be the first one I have seen of Varitek.  Maybe.  As I have said before, from late 2008 onward is when my Varitek collection was not as much of a focus.  I was still getting them, but not with the same fervor.  A couple of things happened around that time that caused that:

1.  Varitek was no longer an effective player.  Despite appearing in the All Star Game in 2008, Varitek hit just .220/.313/.359, with 13 home runs and 43 RBIs. 

2.  Varitek would not be an everyday player much longer.  In 2009 the Red Sox would trade for Victor Martinez to take over behind the plate.  Varitek would be a backup for the rest of his career to Martinez and then Jarrod Saltalamacchia in 2011.

3.  The card well was running dry as a result of Varitek not being an elite player at his position.  Most sets were small around that time and focused on the big stars.  2009 was still okay, but a far cry from previous years and by 2010, he was in just two sets. 

4.  On a personal note, I started dating the woman who I would eventually marry in late 2008, so I was not as likely to spend money on cards at this time.  And finding trade partners with the Varitek cards I needed was difficult.

I am making up for that lost time now though.