Ryan Thompson on baseball cards

Ryan Thompson pitched for five years in the Astros organization. His best season was 2006, when he went 2-0 with 10 saves and a 2.93 ERA at Salem. Now a scout for the Brewers, he kindly answered my questions about baseball cards.
"A kind of funny story was my 2005 Lexington Legends Card. I was sitting on a John Deere mower. The thought process behind the idea was as a Non Drafted Free Agent, I had to "mow" down the opposition or I would be making money riding one. I've been collecting cards since I was very young. I love the cards with players in a uniform that catches you off guard; i.e. Johnson in Houston, Piazza in Miami, Berkman in Yankees. I also have a Nolan Ryan rookie card which is my favorite. Every time I go to the grocery store in Arizona, they have a vending machine of 1990-2009 cards for between .50 and 1.50. I always use spare change to buy a pack or 4."

Thanks!