Stats on the Back

Coolest Card Ever

2012-01-01T20:15:00.000-05:00

I was hoping that Wes Swackhamer would make it big in St.Louis. Not because I know him personally, I don't. Not because he went to the same college as me, he didn't. Not because I have a rare, shiny, autographed rookie card of his, I do not.

It's because his 2005 Topps Turkey Red Card is AWESOME.

He is on the top step, old school striped socks with his pant legs high, waiting to run out on the green grass of ball field. And what will he do once he gets there?

He'll SWACK homeruns with his

mighty hammer, of course!

He doesn't even need a nickname, he's "THE SWACKHAMER". He was almost a legend.

I like this card so much, I bought each of the variations that are readily available. (Must not have the RED!)

Need the red. Would like the suede too.

Happy 2012 from Mark at Stats-on-the-Back!

Any Mini:1-350

2011-11-13T14:10:00.006-05:00

I am building a mini set, numbered 1-350. The mini card can be from any set that offers a full set (or mostly full set) of mini cards (Allen & Ginter, Goodwin Champions, Obak, 206, Gypsy Queen, etc)

I don't have many because until recently, I traded away most minis. Hopefully this list will help people find stuff to trade me.

I need the following #'s:
2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 13, 14, 15, 16, 19, 23, 24,
30, 32, 37, 38, 39, 41, 42, 43, 45,
51, 52, 53, 54, 56, 57, 61, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71,
78, 79, 81, 83, 84, 85, 86, 88, 93, 96, 97,
101, 104, 107, 108, 110, 112, 113, 115, 116, 118, 119, 120, 121,
127, 130, 131, 133, 134, 140, 146, 147, 148, 150,
151, 156, 157, 158, 159, 165, 168, 169, 171, 173, 175,
177, 178, 179, 182, 183, 186, 187, 189, 190, 191, 192, 193, 194, 195, 197, 199,
202, 203, 207, 208, 209, 210, 211, 212, 213, 214, 215, 216, 217, 219, 220, 221, 224,
226, 228, 230, 232, 238, 244, 245, 246. 247, 248,
252, 254, 255, 255, 256, 257, 258, 261, 262, 263, 264, 267, 268, 269, 270, 271, 272, 273, 274,
280, 281, 285, 287, 288, 292, 293, 295,
300, 302, 303, 306, 307, 308, 309, 310, 311, 314, 315, 320, 321, 322, 324, 325,
330, 332, 333, 334, 336. 337, 338. 339, 343, 344

NC State Basketball Want List

2011-11-13T13:41:00.000-05:00

Name (Years in NBA)
JJ Hickson (09-11)
Cedric Simmons (07-09)
Josh Powell (06-11)
Anthony Grundy (2006)
Todd Fuller (97-01)
Kevin Thompson (1994)
Chris Corchiani (92-94)
Brian Howard (92-93)
Rodney Monroe (1992)
Chucky Brown (90-02)
Charles Shackleford (89-99)
Chris Washburn
Cozell McQueen (1987)
Lorenzo Charles (1986)
Chuck Nevitt (83-94)
Hawkeye Whitney (81-82)
Kenny Carr (78-87)
Monte Towe (76-77)
Tom Burleson (75-81)
Vann Williford (1971)
Ed Biedenbach (1969)
Ken Rohloff (1964)
Whitney Bell (60-61)
John Richter (1960)
Ron Shavlik (57-58)
Sam Ranzino (1952)
Dick Dickey (1952)
Ed Bartels (50-51)
Robert Hahn (1950)
Leo Katkaveck (49-50)

NC State Baseball Want List

2011-11-13T13:32:00.001-05:00

Name (Years in MLB)
Aaron Bates (2009)
Colt Morton (07-09)
Joey Devine (05-11)
Chad Orvella (05-07)
Jeff Pierce (1995)
Brian Bark (1995)
Jim McNamara (1992)
Doug Davis (88-92)
Tommy Smith (73-77)
Roger Craig (52-66)
Jimmy Brown (37-46)
Johnny Lanning (36-47)
Jake Wade (36-46)
Kemp Wicker (36-41)
Stu Flythe (1936)
Chink Outen (1933)
Dutch Holland (32-34)
Buck Redfern (28-29)
Fred Johnston (1924)
George Murray (22-33)
Joe DeBerry (20-21)
Dick Burruss (19-28)
Bill Evans (16-19)
Dave Robertson (12-22)

Dave Robertson (

My Collection III: One of Every Met

2011-09-05T20:59:00.001-04:00

Here's part three of the increasingly unpopular and slow to be posted survey of my collection. Here is a few pages from my 1-of-Every-Met collection.

Page 1:

Several thoughts on the first page:

1. Yes, Richie Ashburn played for the Mets

2. 40-120, yet lovable.

3. Two Autographs, neither obtained by me.

4. Bottom middle = 1991 Mets Wiz card. A great set for us Met completionist types.

Here is the 1969 Met newbies (cards are sorted by first year of Met servitude).

1969 Mets thoughts:

1. Only 9 new face in 1969. Consistency means better results. Same held true in 1986.
2. 3 of 9 new Mets not in Mets uniforms. I would rather have all my Mets look like Mets but I take what I can get.
3. Rick Folkers (from the 1970 section) is missing. I started (and haven't gotten back to in months) creating stat backs for each players Mets years. Stats included are basic and include how the player came to be a Met. (Yes, I need a Rick Folkers card.)

One last page:

1. I have yet to really go after these early team cards. This page is missing 1963, 1964, 1965, 1971, and 1972. (No team cards in 1962 or 1969)
2. This part of the collection has random other Met cards like playoff, mascots, stickers, etc.

My Met want list is updated except for this and last year's new crop of Metropolitans.

My Collection II: All-Time Teams

2011-08-20T13:47:00.000-04:00

Here is post #2 about my current collection. Only a week later, not too bad!

The next two binders in my collection are my All-Time Team binders. I researched each Major League franchise. I chose the 27 best players for each team. I chose a starting nine, then 18 extra players. I didn't try to put together a complete bench but I usually chose 2 relief pitchers to fill out the roster. I only used stats for that team. (For example, Reggie Jackson had a great career and shows up for several teams, but not the Orioles. Same for Randy Johnson, he's no all-time Yankee) In most cases, my best card of a player goes here, unless they are a hall of famer. Also, I am a stickler for players wearing the uniform for the team they are representing.

Once again, sweet, tiny baseball labels for these two.

I thought I would highlight the opposite ends of the All-Time team spectrum: The Yankees and the Diamondbacks. Yankees first:

Starters

SP: Whitey Ford
C: Yogi Berra
1B: Lou Gehrig
2B: Tony Lazzeri (Cano might take this spot one day)
3B: Alex Rodriguez ( I'm sure people will hate that choice)
SS: Derek Jeter
LF: Charlie Keller
CF: Mickey Mantle
RF: Babe Ruth

6 HOFers, 1 certian 1st Ballot guy, 1 hated HGHer, and a lowly 5-time All-Star Left Fielder

Bench Bats

Joe Dimaggio (probably the best non-starter on any team)
Joe Gordon
Reggie Jackson
Bill Dickey
Don Mattingly (he was very good for a short time)
Thurmon Munson
Earle Combs
Bernie Williams (he was very good for a long time)
Jorge Posada (he is not good anymore)

No Dave Winfield? He didn't make the cut. It's no wonder the Yanks have won all those titles.

Bench Arms

Mel Stottlemyre
Lefty Gomez
Ron Guidry
Andy Pettitte
Red Ruffing
Bob Shawkey
Mariano Rivera (Best ever?)
Goose Gossage
Ed Lopat

And now for the not so equally star-studded Diamondbacks:

Starters

SP: Randy Johnson (good start, matches up well with Whitey Ford)
C: Damion Miller (ouch)
1B: Connor Jackson (ouch again)
2B: Jay Bell (tri-ouch)
3B: Mark Reynolds
SS:Stephen Drew
LF: Luis Gonzalez (nice Championship RBI single)
CF: Steve Finley
RF: Justin Upton (getting better every day)

Bench Bats

Matt Williams (past his time but still better than most D-Backs)
Orlando Hudson (O-DOG!)
Eric Byrnes
Chris Young
Chris Snyder
Kelly Johnson
Erubiel Durazo
Craig Counsell
JUNIOR "MIA" SPIVEY (I either need a Junior Spivey in a Arizona Uni OR I need a current D-Back to man up and be better than Junior Spivey!!!!)

Bench Arms

Curt Schilling
Brandon Webb (Is he done?)
Miguel Batista
Doug Davis
Brian Anderson
Omar Daal
Dan Haren (essentially given to the Angels)
Byung-Hyun Kim
Jose Valverde

There you have it. I update these binders every 2 years or so. The expansion teams have the most changes, as their history is the shortest. At some point, I will share all the teams and ask for your feedback. Would you make any changes to these two teams?

I have an all-time teams want list here. It also includes players who have won a Cy Young or MVP and are not on an all-time team.

My Collection I: One of Every Hall of Famer

2011-08-14T21:37:00.000-04:00

Here is the beginning of a few posts about my collection today, partly so that others can see what and how I collect and partly to see it for myself in some organized way:

One thing that I have discovered recently is that I love baseball cards only because I love baseball. So the majority of my collection should probably celebrate the game and the dudes who play it rather than the cardboard itself (just typing this makes me want to downsize more.)

Nothing says Baseball like the Hall of Fame and it's enshrined members. Here is my One of Every Hall of Famer binder:

That tiny sticker with HOF written on it sure does make this most special binder stand out, doesn't it. I have organized it by induction year and then alphabetically within each year. Here is page 1, which includes the Hall's first class of the Georgia Peach, Big Train, Big Six, Sultan of Swat, and Flying Dutchman. A nice class with some great nicknames:

I usually put my best or favorite card of each player in this binder since the Hall of Fame only takes the best. I would rather have a card from each member's playing days, but that just isn't possible for many of these early inductees. Page 1 does include my T206 Christy Mathewson card as well a 2009 Topps Turkey Red Insert of Babe Ruth.

Here is a newer page, honoring the 2003-2005 inductees:

Boggs and Sandberg highlight the page. That powder blue pin-stripped uni on Sandberg is SWEET. And not 1, but 2 Hostess cards make the Hall of Fame cut. I do have 1976 Topps cards of Eck and Kid, but they live in the 1976 Topps binder. As you can see, my Eddie Murray and Paul Molitor card selection is not the best, although I do love the 2008 Goudey set!

I am currently missing 42 of the 295 Hall of Famers. Therefore this collection is 86% complete! I am missing some random early players, some Negro League greats, and many executives and umpires.

Current HOF needs list can be found here.

Next Up: Part 2 - All-Time Team Binders

My Collecting History

2011-08-13T20:28:00.000-04:00

So now that my blog has withered in the blazing heat, along with my grass, I thought I would throw a post out there and see if it sticks. Here is a short history of me as a baseball card collector:

1984

I was given a big box of cards from a family friend. Mostly 1973 and 1974 Topps. My brother and I shared the cards. We sorted cards by team. Each team had two stacks, players whom we had heard of and those we had not. Rubber bands aplenty!

1885

We diligently collected the 1985 Donruss set, mostly through rack packs. I remember buying a whole pack because Bill Madlock was on the outside and was needed for the set. Also remember getting Razor Shines from a card shop to complete the set (Sad story - I sent the Shines card ttm a few years ago to the Mets spring training facility. Gone forever. It was my first and last ttm request.)

1986

Collection split with my brother. Began my years as a hoarder of cards. I wanted every card ever produced. I bought every base set, update set, drug store Fleer set, blister packed classic set, etc that I could find.

1991

Fleer Ultra and OPC Premiere arrived, ending my 6 year struggle for EVERYTHING that pictured a baseball player on it.

1992-1994

I bought a set or two, a pack here, a pack there.

1995-1998

The dark years or maybe the light years, depending on your perspective. I didn't think too much about cards, as I finished high school and started college.

1999

My brother reentered the baseball card world, buying up cheap sets and Jeff Bagwell singles. I set out to collect my birth year set, 1976 Topps.

2000 - 2004

Other than my 1976 Topps set, very little hobby activity.

2005

The pack ripping bug bites, retail style. I would buy a few packs a week at the local target. The thrill of the unopened pack was exciting again. I discovered shiny inserts, gamed-used bits, SP's, and parallels.

2006 - 2007

As my collection grew, a few packs at a time, I felt the need to organize. Most of my cards were in their respective set boxes and the others were in binders, toploaders, or boxes, in alpabetical order by last name, of course. The collection was overwhelming. I took up an entire bookshelf. There were probably 90,000 - 100,000 cards and I rarely looked at them. Something had to be done.

early 2007

The year I threw away baseball cards. I have admitted it more than once on this blog. I knew that I did not want every common card from the over-produced era of my childhood and I was sure, at the time, that no one else did either. I threw away roughly 20,000 cards.

mid 2007

I discovered A Pack a Day, and then discovered Cardboard Junkie, Thorzul Will Rule, White Sox Cards, and a few others. Maybe there were people who still wanted 1989 Donruss Lloyd Moseby

cards.

January 1, 2008

Stats on the Back was born.

2008

I created custom cards, gave away 30,000 cards, honored (or made fun) 1985 donruss, 1976 Topps, and 1981 Fleer, made lots of trades

2009

I shared my thoughts on the top three at each position.(I don't think I got around to RF. Hank Aaron and Roberto Clemente are in the top three off the top of my head), had some contests, ridded my collection of "Lame Hits", and didn't post as much

2010

Lots more reducing of the collection. traded away stacks of stars and excess vintage, even less posting.

Today

I continue to reduce my collection every time I look at it. I am down to less than 10,000 cards, not counting the ones I will be trading/giving away this year. and almost no posting. Mostly I work and take care of my little boy (19 months).

Next Up: My collection now and the next great Trade/Giveaway from Stats-on-the-Back!!

Roberto Alomar is a Ninja

2011-02-21T20:02:00.000-05:00

Newly elected Hall-of-Famer, Roberto Alomar shows off his rarely talked about ninja skills by balancing a baseball on 1 finger. (Pay no attention to that index finger!)The headband and the shades complete his mysterious ninja look. While Topps made Alomar look beyond cool on the front, they were not so flattering on the back.
Right after pointing out that the Alomar family loves baseball, the Topps writers let us know that Roberto and his dad, Sandy, book-ended Nolan's career of no-hitting everyone. Not cool, Topps.

More info on Ninjas can be found here.
If you would like to compare Ninjas and Pirates, go here.
Or maybe you just want to find out How Many Justin Biebers you could take in a fight. I can take 21!

Jim Abbott, Hitter

2011-01-17T11:55:00.000-05:00

Jim Abbott, who only had one hand, pitched for 1o seasons in the big leagues, including one in the pitcher-hitting National League. Abbott's 1991 Upper Deck card features him buntingAnd the back of the card shows him on base, different at-bat (check the batting gloves):In Abbott's last season, he pitched for the Milwaukee Brewers and got to the plate 24 times. He collected two hits (both singles), three sacrifice bunts, and three rbi.

Pretty cool!

Utility Dude

2010-10-29T08:53:00.000-04:00

I just can't let the month go by without a post.

Cool card, lots-o-gloves, fun facts:
Interesting Scott Bradley Factoids:

1. He is currently the head coach of Princeton University's baseball team.

2. Bradley was the catcher for Randy Johnson's no-hitter on June 2, 1990.

3. Bradley also coached major league baseball pitcher Ross Ohlendorf while he was at Princeton, giving him the unique distinction of catching Johnson's no hitter, and later coaching a player Johnson would be traded for.

4. He is the brother of Bob Bradley, head coach of the American national soccer team and the uncle of professional soccer player Michael Bradley.

5. When this picture was taken, Bradley had only played 2 positions at the major league level, catcher and left field.

6. In his sparse 9 year career, he did manage to play C, 1B, 3B, LF, RF, and DH.

Something About Pirates Day?

2010-09-19T15:23:00.003-04:00

August was the first month in 2 and a half years that there was no post here at Stats-on-the-Back. I blame the Pirate!

Dale Murphy: Mariner

2010-07-28T20:14:00.001-04:00

Did you know that Dale Murphy was a Seattle Mariner in 1980? Neither did I until I found this card.
Bochte was a one time All-Star while the Murph won 2 MVPs and was an early 80's baseball god.

Bochte is an agnostic while Murphy is a Morman.

Bochte sat out the 1983 season in protest of rising salaries ruining the game while Murphy made 1.3 million in 1983.

Neither is in the Hall of Fame.

Jay Bell: EGOMANIAC

2010-07-26T19:05:00.000-04:00

It's been a while since I did any actual blogging. Trade posts have littered Stats on the Back since my son was born.

I thought I would get back to blogging about the simple things: cards I like. They are generally worthless and don't really fit into my collecting goals. But I like them so they are allowed to take their place with Aaron, Pujols, Yogi, etc.

1993 Upper Deck #103 Jay BellBell is taking infield, wearing a t-shirt that reads "WE NEED ME". The "WE" must refer to the Pittsburgh Pirates. The 1992 Pirates won 96 games and eventually lost to the Atlanta Braves in the postseason. Jay Bell was arguably the 3rd best position player for the Pirates that year, behind Bonds and Van Slyke. In 1993, Bell was the best position player and the Pirates finished 5th in the NL East, winning only 75 games. So while the Pirates "needed" Jay Bell, they didn't need him nearly as much as they needed BARRY BONDS!

Trade Me: What's Going Where and When

2010-07-25T14:17:00.001-04:00

The Vintage Card Trade Me Posts have been a success. Most everything has been claimed aside from 1974 Topps. Here is a list of what is going where. If I am sending something to the wrong place, let me know. All addresses have been changed so you don't get extra junk mail.

Packages will be shipped Monday morning. I look forward to the want list cards and/or the "1 card" you will be trading me in return.

Dan - 19 cards (Best: 1970 ERA Marichal/Carlton/Gibson - 3 HOFers)
sending to Apt C back to Cali
Don - 264 cards (Best: 183 1974 Topps cards - should get you closer to the set)
sending to 22 in the dry heat
bfrye3 - 95 cards (Best: 1974 Steve Garvey)
sending to 132 in "the OH"
stewart65 - 46 cards (Best: 1970 Blue/Tenace RC - nice RC of 2 good players)
sending to 7253 in LegalizedMarijuanaVille
gcrl - 93 cards (Maybe not the best but coolest: 1971 Cookie Rojas - midair goodness!)
sending to 3535 in MauerLand
wickedortega - 84 cards (Best: 2 different 1970 AL ldr cards featuring Killebrew and a young Reggie Jackson)
sending to 260 in NoIncomeTaxboro
mariner1 - 2 Pilots + a few wantlist Mariners (Best: Pilots cards are cool!)
sending to 3206 in Starbucks
MattF - 2 cards (Best: 2 1971 High #'s)
sending to 5111 in Oz
Colin(Daniel) - 80 cards (Best: 1960 J.Ginsberg in nice condition)
sending to 96 in MountainMama
BABenny - 15 cards (Best: 1971 Red Sox Team Card)
sending to 88-21 in the Apple
carlcrawford - 1 card (Best: the only one - 1971 Maury Wills)
sending to 1001 in Fargo
nightowl - 9 cards (Best: 1959 Fred Kipp)
sending to 169 in MetsLand
MAttR - 3 cards (Best: 1971 Reds Team)
sending to 141 in GoodLookingPeopleUSA

Stufflestreet and foulbunt - I need an address!

Trade Me: 1974 Edition Part 2

2010-07-23T17:00:00.005-04:00

Here is the second installment of 1974. Lots of commons but some stars too. The numbers in parentheses is how many I have of that card. This is the last batch of cards before I ship out cards. Email me your address even if you think I already have it. I will post what I am sending each person and review "the RULES" of trading one more time.

401 (2), 404, 409 (3), 412, 413, 414 Checklist (marked), 417 (3), 418 (2), 423, 425 (2), 429, 430 M.Alou, 432 (4), 443 (4), 447 (3)

452, 453 (2), 455 (4), 462 (2), 463, 467, 468 (2), 469 (2), 480, 482, 493 (3)

501, 502 (2), 509, 511 Harrah, 515 (3), 517, 518 (2), 525 (4), 527, 528 (5), 529 (2), 531 (2) Mauch, 539 (2), 544, 546 (3), 548

553 (3), 555 (2) W.Fryman, 557 (2), 560 Cuellar, 562 (3), 564 (3), 567 Red Sox Team, 572 (3), 573 (2), 576 (2), 577 (4), 583, 585

601 Downing/McBride, 603, 605 Tanana, 606 (2), 607, 608, 615 (2), 627, 629 Staub, 630 Agee, 640 (5) Pappas, 644, 651 (2), 655 (2)

Traded Set
23T, 42T Osteen, 43T Wynn, 51T (2), 59T (2), 62T, 63T (2), 123T Briles, 139T (3) 151T (2) Segui, 165T (2), 175T (3), 182T, 186T (3), 249T (3), 313T (3), 319T (2), 330T (2) Marichal, 348T, 373 (2), 390T Piniella, 428T (3), 454T (5) Bevacqua, 458T (4), 485T (3) F.Alou, 486T, 496T, 516T (2), 534T (2), 538T, 544T, 579T, 585T, 612T (6), 618T (3), 648T (2), Checklist (3) (marked), Checklist (7) (UNmarked)

Team Checklists
Astros, Brewers (3), Cardinals (3), Cubs (3), Dodgers (2), Expos (3), Giants, Orioles (6), Padres (6), Phillies (2), Pirates, Rangers (8), Red Sox, Tigers (7), Twins (3), White Sox (4), Yankees (2)

Trade Me: 1974 Edition Part 1

2010-07-22T16:52:00.005-04:00

I have a lot of 1974 Topps. Lots of commons but some stars too. The numbers in parentheses is how many I have of that card. This is the next-to-last post before I ship out cards. Email me your address even if you think I already have it.

11 (3), 14, 16 (2) Orioles Team, 17, 21 (2), 23(2), 38 (3), 41 (3), 44 (4) M.Stottlemyre

53 (5), 58, 67 (2), 68 (2), 71 (3), 72 (3), 94 (3) Tigers Team

107, 121 (2), 122 (2), 124 (2), 136 Reuschel, 137 (3) Bumbry, 139, 142 (3), 143 (2), 149

152 (2) Gamble, 155 (2) Campaneris, 157 (3), 159 (3), 161 (3), 163, 166 McKeon, 168 (3), 186 (3), 191 (3), 194 (2) Porter, 196 (2) Fregosi, 198, 199 (2)

208 (4) Leading Firemen Hiller/Marshall, 209 T.Sizemore, 211 (3) Cubs Team, 214, 218 (2), 233, 239 B.Russell, 240, 244 (2), 245

255 L.Bowa, 256 (2), 257 B.Bell, 259, 261 (2), 266 (2), 270 R.Santo, 271, 289, 292, 294, 296 (3)

304, 306 E.Weaver, 309 (2), 316 J.Perry, 318, 319, 321, 322, 323, 324, 327, 329 (3) Belanger, 339 (2) AS Pitchers Hunter/Wise, 345, 349

352 (2), 354, 359, 364 (4) C.Gaston, 371, 372 (2), 374, 375, 376 Orta, 381, 384 Chambliss, 386 G.Matthews, 387 (2), 389, 391 (2), 393 (2), 394, 396 T.Davis, 399

Trade Me: '59 - '69 Edition

2010-07-20T17:15:00.008-04:00

Yada, Yada, Yada...Claim away!

CLAIMED!

Trade Me: Late 70's Edition

2010-07-19T19:34:00.007-04:00

1974 Topps was going be next but Paul over at Carl Crawford Cards put a squash to all of you getting first dibs. Here is a very small sampling of late 70's cards. I have so few of these in my collection. After this, I'll put up some cards from the '60's.

For the rules, see any of the last three posts!

1979 Topps
76 Cromartie, 104 Oates, 403, 655 Koosman

1978 Topps
334, 468 Cromartie

1977 Topps
531

Trade Me: 1970 Edition

2010-07-17T14:46:00.010-04:00

Next up is 1970 Topps, the grey ones. Most, but not all, are commons that need a better home. I am going to attempt to give the rules of trading again. You guys follow direction worse than my 8th graders at school!!! (I have enjoyed all the cards sent to me!) My goal is to slowly make my collection smaller and better.

1. Send as many cards off my want list as you want. Check out my new All-Time team want list.
2. If you don't have any off my want lists, send ONE card. (It doesn't have to be a Met but it could be. I am always looking to upgrade cards in my various binders. Shiny, autographed, and swatched cards are always welcome. I also enjoy the random card that I may one day blog about (like the old days).) NOT ONE CARD PER CARD, but ONE CARD FOR ALL THAT YOU CLAIM.

Fill your set list needs, start a team set, Claim away! 1970 Topps
CLAIMED!!!

Stake your claims in the comments section. First come, first get the cards. This is the second in a series of posts. I will hold all cards until the end and ship them together. Don't forget to reread the trading rules.

Get your 1974 Topps want lists ready!

Trade Me: 1971 Edition

2010-07-16T12:20:00.006-04:00

More cards to trade! This time I am trading random older cards. Next up is 1971 Topps. Most, but not all, are commons that need a better home. I am going to attempt to give the rules of trading again. You guys follow direction worse than my 8th graders at school!!! (I have enjoyed all the cards sent to me!) My goal is to slowly make my collection smaller and better.

1. Send as many cards off my want list as you want. Check out my new All-Time team want list.
2. If you don't have any off my want lists, send ONE card. (It doesn't have to be a Met but it could be. I am always looking to upgrade cards in my various binders. Shiny, autographed, and swatched cards are always welcome. I also enjoy the random card that I may one day blog about (like the old days).)

Fill your set list needs, start a team set, Claim away!

CLAIMED!

Stake your claims in the comments section. First come, first get the cards. This is the second in a series of posts. I will hold all cards until the end and ship them together. Don't forget to reread the trading rules.

Trade Me: 1972 & 1973 Edition

2010-07-15T21:18:00.006-04:00

More cards to trade! This time I am trading random older cards. First up is 1972 & 1973 Topps. Most are commons that need a better home. I am going to attempt to give the rules of trading again. You guys follow directions worse than my 8th graders at school!!! (I have enjoyed all the cards sent to me!) My goal is to slowly make my collection smaller and better.

1. Send as many cards off my want list as you want. Check out my new All-Time team want list.
2. If you don't have any off my want lists, send ONE card. (It doesn't have to be a Met but it could be. I am always looking to upgrade cards in my various binders. Shiny, autographed, and swatched cards are always welcome. I also enjoy the random card that I may one day blog about (like the old days). he Mets are my favorite team but Eric Davis is my favorite player, I am a self-proclaimed Tito Fuentes super-collector, and I don't shy away from Pujols, Ichiro, etc either.)

Fill your set list needs, start a team set, Claim away!

CLAIMED!!!

Stake your claims in the comments section. First come, first get the cards. This is the first in a series of posts. I will hold all cards until the end and ship them together. Don't forget to reread the trading rules.

New Want List: All-Time Teams

2010-07-14T22:00:00.016-04:00

Before my son was born in January, I started a series of post presenting All-Time teams for each franchise. I only got around to 2 (Giants and Braves). I will get back to it one of these days. I am collecting one card of each player on each all-time team. The player MUST be in that team's uniform. Here is a list of the players I need. Any help would be appreciated.

Atlanta Braves (Milwaukee Braves)
Kid Nichols
Vic Willis

Baltimore Orioles (St.Louis Browns)
Ken Williams

Harlan Clift
Urban Shocker

Vern Stephens

Boston Red Sox

Dom Dimaggio
Chicago Cubs
Pete Alexander
Chicago White Sox
Doc White

Fielder Jones

Thornton Lee
Cincinnati Reds
Noodles Hahn
Jim Maloney

Vada Pinson
Cleveland Indians
Elmer Flick
Mike Garcia

Colorado Rockies

Bruce Ruffin

Detroit Tigers
Bobby Veach
Bill Donovan
Hooks Dauss
Dizzy Trout

Los Angeles Dodgers

Dixie Walker

Willie Davis

Jim Brewer

Minnesota Twins (Washington Senators)
Sam Rice

Joe Judge

Camilo Pascual
Oakland A's (Philadelphia Athletics)
Bob Johnson
Philadelphia Phillies
Ed Delahanty
Billy Hamilton
Sam Thompson
Chris Short

Roy Thomas

Johhny Callison
Pittsburgh Pirates
Wilbur Cooper
Vern Law

San Diego Padres

Dave Roberts
San Francisco Giants (NY Giants)
Roger Bresnahan
Roger Connor
George Davis
Amos Rusie

Frankie Frisch

Johnny Antonelli

Joe McGinnity

Tampa Bay Rays

Jim Mecir
Texas Rangers (Washington Senators)
Ken McMullen

Francisco Cordero

MVP & CY

Jim Konstanty - Philly

Bob O'Farrell - Stl

Johnny Evers - Bos(NL)

Jake Daubert -

Frank Schulte - Chi(NL)

Roger Peckinpaugh - Wash

George Burns - Cle

All-Star Contest Results

2010-07-14T08:41:00.003-04:00

The NL won, the NL won! I fell asleep in the recliner before any runs scored but the NL won! I believe that my willingness to cheer for Braves on this one day helped the Senior Circuit prevail.

There were 6 six entries that met the criteria of not having made an All-Star team:
SpastikMooss said...the best active player to never play in an all star game is Eric Chavez
k said...I'd say the best player never to make the all-star game is Don Larsen.
Don said...I will nominate Mickey Stanley.
TheBrooklynMet said...I am going to go with Kurt Gibson.
Dusto said...I'm going to throw a vote in for Tim Salmon.gcrl said...clearly it is eric karros.

Here are some stats of our candidates:
Chavez, Eric - o.1 MVP shares, 115 OPS+, 35.8 WAR
Larson, Don - 99 ERA+, 10.9 WAR
Stanley, Mickey - 0.01 MVP shares, 90 OPS+, 11.9 WAR
Gibson, Kirk - 1 MVP, 1.17 MVP shares, 123 OPS+, 37.1 WAR
Salmon, Tim - 1 ROY, 0.51 MVP shares, 128 OPS+, 37.6 WAR
Karros, Eric - 1 ROY, 0.37 MVP shares, 107 OPS+, 9 WAR
The stats don't tell us about the perfect game or the pinch hit HR but they do narrow the field to 2 clear standouts, Kirk Gibson and Tim Salmon. Salmon has slightly better stats BUT Gibson beats out Salmon 2-1 in World Series wins, including an ALCS MVP in 1984 and a memorable WS MVP in 1988.

The best player to never be an All-Star (at least from these candidates) is Kirk Gibson. I'll dig up something to send to TheBrooklynMet.

All-Star Contest: A bit of research required

2010-07-07T21:03:00.000-04:00

The All-Star game is next week. Could this be the year the NL rises above the AL dominance?
In honor of the big game, I will have a little contest. Winner gets cards of their favorite team, blah-blah, etc. I don't know what, but its FREE!

Answer the following question:
Who is the best player to never be an MLB All-Star?

Remember:
1. The All-Star game started in 1933. Don't choose someone who played before then or who had there best years before then.
2. Do your research and give me some rationale. Your strong opinion may sway my decision.
3. I will choose the "correct" answer from all entries. (I don't know the answer but I do know that it is not Rick Dempsey.)
4. First person to name each player has dibs on that player.
5. Entry deadline is the first pitch of the 2010 All-Star game.

Go NL!!!

Trade Post: Volume S-Z+

2010-06-18T15:00:00.007-04:00

At the end of the alphabet! Stake your claims.1998 Pacific Invincible BLUE #34 Justin Thompson -CLAIMED
- a must have for any self-respecting Justin Thompson super-collector.

2005 Topps Turkey Red BLACK #7 Shannon Stewart
- LOVE Turkey Red. Send me some 2005/2006 base cards off of my list.

1987 Sportflics #158 Hot Rookie Prospects asadoor/candaele/SEItzer/PALMEIRO/pyznarski/cochrane - 1.5 hot prospects ain't bad.

2008 UD Baseball Heroes CHARCOAL? #199 Griffey Jr/Clemente/V.Guerrero/ DiMaggio CLAIMED
- the card back says "A Quartet of Dazzling Outfield Defenders." I agree.

2008 UD Baseball Heroes CHARCOAL? #179 Reyes/Jeter CLAIMED
- not sure if Jose belongs on the Cap'n's card just yet.

2005 Fleer Tradition #313 Astros Prospects T.Buchholz/Gimenez/W.Tavaras CLAIMED
- Hector's 0-2 MLB career makes him the wash of the group.

2005 Fleer Tradition #305 Red Sox Prospects DiNardo/A.Martinez/J.Gamble
- Gamble is now in Gwinnett, trying to be a Brave

1971 Topps #722 Astros Team Card SP CLAIMED
- yet another high number from the early 70's.

1971 Topps #462 Senators Team Card CLAIMED
- Frank Howard was the only thing good about this version of the Senators.

The stacks:Smith, Ozzie - (31 cards) WIZARD! CLAIMED
Smoltz, John - (23 cards) NOT in the 2010 US Open
Sosa, Sammy - (37 cards) slammin' HR, roids, and skin issues?
Strawberry, Darryl - (19 cards) not as good as Homer Simpson CLAIMED
Sutter, Bruce - (10 cards) bearded fireman
Sutton, Don - (25 cards) stat compiling HOFer CLAIMED
Thomas, Frank - (50 cards) BIG HURT! CLAIMED
Thome, Jim - (15 cards) still playin'
Trammell, Alan - (15 cards) 1 of Magnum PI's faves
Valenzuela, Fernando - (10 cards) the MANIA began in 1980
Van Slyke, Andy - (13 cards) very good player
Vizquel, Omar - (12 cards) possible HOFer?
Walker, Larry - (43 cards) did Coors Field make him great?
Williams, Bernie - (17 cards) classical guitarist & Yankee legend CLAIMED
Williams, Matt - (32 cards) remember his HRs in the strike year?
Winfield, Dave - (31 cards) his bat always looked like a twig CLAIMED
Wood, Kerry - (13 cards) what could have been
Yount, Robin - (19 cards) classy Brewer great

Trade Post: Volume P - S

2010-06-06T20:00:00.007-04:00

Yet another trade post. Cards from last post are packaged and will be mailed this week. There are a few nice cards here:
1980 Topps #206 Strikeout Leaders Richard/Ryan-JR Richard was bad man!
2006 Topps Rookie of the Week #17 Mike Schmidt
-not sure what I think of these multiplayer Rookies blown up CLAIMED
2006 Topps 52 #285 Danny Sandoval SP
-eh!
2005 Topps Rookie Cup Blue #99 Joe Randa #39/50
-eh again CLAIMED
1985 Fleer #286 Kirby Puckett-this one is a bit tattered CLAIMED
1985 Donruss #438 Kirby Puckett
-this one is tattered too but not as tattered as the Fleer. CLAIMED
2008 Topps Chrome Blue Refractor #72 Brandon Phillips
-super shiny!
1987 Donruss #43 Rafael Palmeiro
- my favorite junk wax set.
2010 Topps Heritage #446 Freddy Sanchez SP-didn't play his first full season until he was 27. Won a batting title at 29. CLAIMED

On to the STACKS!Rafael Palmeiro (19 cards) - he DID NOT take steroids...except he did.
Andy Pettitte (13 cards) - he DID take steroids. CLAIMED
Kirby Puckett (76 cards) - cool new Kirby statue at Target Field. CLAIMED
Tim Raines (24 cards) - should be a HOFer.
Aramis Ramirez (17 cards) - with that name, he should be a Musketeer.
Manny Ramirez (35 cards) - 14th all-time on HR list. steroids? CLAIMED
Jose Reyes (13 cards) - once called the most exciting player in baseball CLAIMED
Cal Ripken (60 cards) - the original Iron Man 2. CLAIMED
Alex Rodriguez (17 cards) - i'm getting tired of typing "steroids". CLAIMED
Ivan Rodriguez (28 cards) - Pudge 2.
Scott Rolen (16 cards) - good player, getting old. CLAIMED
Pete Rose (19 cards) - the gambler 2, after kenny rogers.
Nolan Ryan (29 cards) - no hit king. CLAIMED
Tim Salmon (18 cards) - often the best player on bad angels teams.
Ryne Sandberg (45 cards) - Ryno. CLAIMED
Johan Santana (13 cards) - i need him to win the CY as a Met.
Curt Schilling (16 cards) - bloody sock.
Mike Schmidt (23 cards) - isn't in trouble when his middle name, Jack, is used. CLAIMED
Tom Seaver (14 cards) - best Met. CLAIMED
Richie Sexson (15 cards) - ???
Gary Sheffield (25 cards) - the cream.
Alfonso Soriano (17 cards) - not a lead-off hitter

You guys are forgetting to follow my rules of trading, so I won't even bother posting them.

Trade Post: Volume M-O

2010-05-24T20:55:00.003-04:00

Packages are out on previous posts and there are still cards available: A-B, C-F, G-L. I'll get around to actually writing something for this blog this summer. If you are wondering what I am up to, look here.

Here is volume M-O of my trade-a-thon:1985 Topps #234 Jerry Narron Autographed
-journeyman catcher and twice a manager.

2007 Topps UPdate #UH210 Daisuke Matsuzaka
-Dice-K hit the big league scene with a bang and injuries have caused him to fizzle a bit

2008 Goudey #213 Paul Molitor SP -claimed by ROY
- I love 2008 goudey. I am fairly close to having all the baseball cards from the set. Somehow I ended up with 2 of this card.

The Stacks:Paul Molitor (37 cards) - one reason the DH is a good thing. - claimed by Roy
Don Mattingly (40 cards) - Donnie Baseball is not a HOFer but when he was good, he was great. -claimed by BABenny
Mark McGwire (60 cards) - roided up, disgraced, now Cards hitting coach. That's the american dream. -claimed by roofgod
Dale Murphy (18 cards) - nice guy, couple mvp's, no hof -claimed by the Canuck
Tino Martinez (10 cards) - solid player on some really good yankee teams -claimed by BABenny
Pedro Martinez (21 cards) - his Red Sox years were crazy good, 1999 & 2000, WOW. claimed by AdamE
Fred McGriff (15 cards) - crime dog!
Mike Mussina (23 cards) - finaly won 20, in his FINAL year. Nice.
Edgar Martinez (30 cards) - should be a HOFer. -claimed by jonathan
Greg Maddux (40 cards) - great fielder. he could pitch a little too. - claimed by TheBrooklynMet
Eddie Murray (29 cards) - switch hitter with a sweet stache. -claimed by night owl
Paul O'Neill (15 cards) - also played on some good yankee teams. -claimed by BABenny
Roy Oswalt (23 cards) - still pitching, wants to be traded to a contender.
John Olerud (15 cards) - Rickey Henderson does not know him. -- claimed by TheBrooklynMet

The Rules:
1. feel free to send as many cards off of my want list as you would like
or
2. send 1 card. That's right, 1 card only! It doesn't have to be a super refracting auto bit, but it could be. Send 1 card that you think I might enjoy. It doesn't have to be a Met, but it could be. 1 card! It doesn't have to be a 1988 Donruss Tim Teufel, but it could be. (On second thought, don't send me a 1988 Donruss Tim Teufel)

Claim your cards in the comments section. Send me an email address if it is not easily obtainable from your profile or website.

Let me know what I can send you. I will be happy to add cards of your favorite team to your package. No need to tell me what you will send. You are welcome to wait until you receive the cards. Happy trading.

Trade Post: Volume G - L

2010-05-16T20:59:00.008-04:00

Here is part 3 of my slow series of trade posts: G - L (see C-F and A-B for more)Not much in the "decent" card section: a bad auto, a 1968 random dude, and another 1970 SP
2008 UD Timeline Auto - Hernan Iribarren
- pretty good Minor Leaguer, not so hot in 2 short big league stints. Now in AAA in the Rangers organization
1968 Topps #469 - Len Gabrielson -claimed by GCRL
- average journeyman, played from 1960 to 1970
1970 Topps #686 - Jackie Hernandez SP
- its a high number! Jackie was a career .208 hitter. 1969 was hi only FULL season. SP!
The stacks:
Gallaraga, Andres - the Big Cat (18 cards) - claimed by Wicked Ortega
Garvey, Steve - overrated? (14 cards) -claimed by GCRL
Giambi, Jason - underrated? (10 cards)
Glavine, Tom - disliked him as a brave, hated him as a Met (68 cards)
Gonzalez, Juan - really good for a short time (21 cards) CLAIMED
Gonzalez, Luis - long, good career (15 cards)
Gooden, Dwight - the main reason I am a Mets fan (29 cards) -claimed by jacobmrley
Gossage, Rich - GOOSE! (23 cards) -claimed by BABenny
Grace, Mark - solid cubbie (19 cards)
Griffey Jr, Ken - the kid is old (52 cards) -claimed by jacobmrley
Guillen, Ozzie - quote machine (15 cards)
Gwynn, Tony - professional hitter, now coaching at Arizona St (76 cards) -claimed by BABenny
Henderson, Rickey - speaks in third person, steals bases (68 cards) -claimed by the BrooklynMet
Hernandez, Keith - defensively great (16 cards) - claimed by Night Owl
Hershiser, Orel - bulldog! (19 cards) - claimed by Mark's Paper Stuff
Hunter, Torii - not an egomaniac, despite the 2 "i"s in Torii (21 cards) -claimed by GCRL
Jackson, Bo - broke bats over his knee, knows diddley (19 cards) -claimed by BABenny
Johnson, Randy - UNIT! (36 cards) -claimed by BABenny
Jones, Andruw - comeback with the chiSox (12 cards)
Jones, Chipper - never heard of him (121 cards) - claimed by the Cap'n, Aye
Justice, David - dated Halle Berry! (19 cards)
Kruk, John - traded his uni # for beer (13 cards)
Larkin, Barry - future HOFer (22 cards) -claimed by BIG NACHO
Lofton, Kenny - played basketball in college (43 cards) -claimed by dfwbuck2
Lopez, Javy - caught some really good braves' pitchers (15 cards)

Don't forget the rules for trading!
1. feel free to send as many cards off of my want list as you would like
or
2. send 1 card. That's right, 1 card only! It doesn't have to be a super refracting auto bit, but it could be. Send 1 card that you think I might enjoy. It doesn't have to be a Met, but it could be. 1 card! It doesn't have to be a 1988 Donruss Tim Teufel, but it could be. (On second thought, don't send me a 1988 Donruss Tim Teufel)

Claim your cards in the comments section. Send me an email address if it is not easily obtainable from your profile or website.

Let me know what I can send you. I will be happy to add cards of your favorite team to your package. No need to tell me what you will send. You are welcome to wait until you receive the cards. Happy trading.

Remember the Maine!

2010-04-29T19:02:00.002-04:00

I went to Maine on my honeymoon almost 10 years ago. Loved it.
John Maine struck out 9 in YET ANOTHER Mets win. It could all be a mirage for the Metropolitans but I sure am enjoying seeing them do well. I like the way they are doing it: SCRAPPY at the plate, timely pitching!

It's fun to be a Mets fan. (for now!)

Trade Post: Volume C-F

2010-04-10T20:14:00.008-04:00

Only 4 cards left to finish up Series 1 for my son Parker: 110, 111, 211, ans 330.

Here is Volume C-F of my current trade post series. Volume A&B went fairly well with 3 collectors staking claim to a little less than half of the goods. (there are still cards left!) Again, there are a few better cards first, then stacks of stars, nothing great but maybe a few you need.

1985 Donruss Roger Clemens RC -claimed by BABenny
- this one is in good shape. '85 Donruss was tough to keep looking good as a kid. It's tough to make Roger look good these days.

2002 Topps Traded Tools of the Trade Bat Tony Clark
- not a lot to say about Tony.

2007 Topps Heritage Bernie Castro SP #356
- somebody's probably still trying to complete this set. right?

2007 Topps Turkey Red Refractor JD Drew 308/999
- not a JD Drew fan. He didn't sign with the Phils. played Independent league ball for a year. LAME!

1974 Topps Bucky Dent RC
-this one looks like a Red Sox fan got a hold of it. Three nice creases for Bucky "freaking" Dent!

1985 Donruss Roger Clemens -claimed by somebody
-this one looks more like Roger today. beat up around the edges!

2008 Upper Deck Ray Jersey Ray Durham - claimed by my brother
- Durham played a lot of years. That's all I got.

2007 Topps Heritage Rafael Furcal SP #77 - claimed by GCRL
- I think there is a yellow team name version of this card. 2 SP versions of the same card? Come on. No really, come on and claim it.

Each stack contains no duplicates and no hidden gold mines but there should be something you might enjoy.

Will Clark - (the thrill) 38 different cards -claimed by Play at the Plate
Roger Clemens - (great but roidy) 29 -red sox only claimed by AdamE
Steve Finley - (good for a long time) 15
Joe Carter - (ditto) 22 -claimed by the troll
Rollie Fingers - (mustache) 11 -claimed by wickedortega
Jose Canseco - (sad) -64 -claimed by wickedortega
Andre Dawson - (new to the hall) 32 -claimed by BA Benny
Cecil Fielder - (anti-father-of-the-year) -18
Lenny Dykstra - (nails) 15
Carlos Delgado - (currently jobless) 10
Julio Franco - (he could probably still play) 70 - claimed by the troll
Gary Carter - (Mets glory days) 18
Carlton Fisk - (original pudge) 28 -claimed by BA Benny
Dennis Eckersley - (original Mariano?) 12 -claimed by BA Benny
Steve Carlton - (lefty) 12 -claimed by dan

Don't forget the rules for trading!
1. feel free to send as many cards off of my want list as you would like
or
2. send 1 card. That's right, 1 card only! It doesn't have to be a super refracting auto bit, but it could be. Send 1 card that you think I might enjoy. It doesn't have to be a Met, but it could be. 1 card! It doesn't have to be a 1988 donruss Tim Teufel, but it could be. (On second thought, don't send me a 1988 Donruss Tim Teufel)

Claim your cards in the comments section. Send me an email address if it is not easily obtainable from your profile or website.

Let me know what I can send you. I will be happy to add cards of your favorite team to your package. No need to tell me what you will send. You are welcome to wait until you receive the cards. Happy trading.

Cardboard Junkie's Lazy Fantasy League Entry

2010-04-04T15:35:00.001-04:00

The Blaster Breaking Video

Team Name: Louisburg Lolligaggers

The Roster
C Russell Martin
1B Albert Pujols (My 1 Subset card - it's a good one!)
2B Ian Kinsler
3B Alex Rodriguez
SS Alexei Ramirez
OF Carl Crawford
OF Curtis Granderson
OF Jayson Werth

C Bengie Molina
Mid Yunel Escobar
Corner Lance Berkman
OF Shane Victorino
Utility Michael Bourn

P AJ Burnett
P Yovani Gallardo
P Ryan Dempster
P Bronson Arroyo
P Homer Bailey
P JA Happ
P Joba Chamberlain

Team Card: Boston Red Sox

My pitching staff is a little suspect but my speedy bats should do well. Time will tell.

Trade Post: Volume A & B

2010-03-29T18:09:00.005-04:00

Baseball cards and caring for an infant DO NOT go hand in hand. Thanks to all who helped with Parker's birth year set. Only 11 cards away from series 1. Due to the daddying. I may just buy series 2 & 3. For shame!!!

Here's the first of a series of trade posts. I will be trading a few decent cards and small lots of specific players, a few letters at a time. I shall start at the beginning: A & B

Rules of trading:
1. feel free to send as many cards off of my want list as you would like
or
2. send 1 card. That's right, 1 card only! It doesn't have to be a super refracting auto bit, but it could be. Send 1 card that you think I might enjoy. It doesn't have to be a Met, but it could be. 1 card! It doesn't have to be a 1988 donruss Tim Teufel, but it could be. (On second thought, don't send me a 1988 Donruss Tim Teufel)

Claim your cards in the comments section. Send me an email address if it is not easily obtainable from your profile or website.

2007 Topps Chrome Blue Refractor Travis Buck
- Travis is a happy dude as he is smiling in all his 2007 cards. This one is not numbered but sure is blue and shiny!

1987 Donruss Barry Bonds - claimed by The Diamond King
- Yea, he did steroids, but he was great even before. I'm just sayin'.

1971 Topps Matty Alou - claimed by jacobmrley
- One of three brothers to play in the MLB. Moises' uncle is #720, making it a little harder to come by than most.

These lots have no duplicates and no hidden gems. There are some cool oddballs in most lots.Roberto Alomar - 14 cards
Jeff Bagwell - 49 claimed by jacobmrley
Harold Baines - 19
Albert Belle - 43 - claimed by the Moose
Carlos Beltran - 11 claimed by jacobmrley
Lance Berkman - 11
Craig Biggio - 31 - claimed by The Brooklyn Met
Bert Blyleven - 40
Wade Boggs - 24 -claimed by BA Benny
Barry Bonds - 44 - claimed by The Diamond King
George Brett - 34 - claimed by The Diamond King
Jay Buhner - 11

Let me know what I can send you. I will be happy to add cards of your favorite team to your package. No need to tell me what you will send. You are welcome to wait until you receive the cards. Happy trading.

Parker's Birth Year Set Quest: 2010 Topps!

2010-02-01T19:45:00.019-05:00

As I take my first steps into fatherhood, I see less time for collecting. Which is fine because of diminished extra funds and my desire to further refine my collecting goals.

I completed my birth year set (1976 Topps) a few years ago. It is one of my favorite things in my collection. I want Parker to have a birth year set too. I guess it will have to be flagship Topps since its the only kid on the block. (I am excited about the artsy Chicle but that's for Daddy!)

I bought 16 packs of Series 1 for him and Uncle Chris chipped in for 8 more. I briefly considered going for the whole shebang but decided that Parker needs to learn that less is more sooner than later. It's base set only. (But he is not opposed to those cool SPs or those mini target reds)

COMPLETE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

SPs: Have 94 Fisk
Mini Target Redbacks: Have 3, 7, 9, 15

Here's the 2010 Topps trade list.
Base:
5, 20, 32, 42, 56, 56, 66, 70, 80, 82, 94,
121, 122, 124, 149, 153, 158, 161, 187,
200, 203, 207, 215, 219, 242, 249, 253, 255, 260, 264, 270, 271, 278, , 286, 299,
323, 324, 325
Turkey Red:
20 Sabathia
History of the Game:
11 Ruth, 22 Ryan
Peak Performance:
7 Sizemore, 13 Stargell
Legendary Lineage:
3 Ruth/ARod, 4 Gehrig/Teixeira, 11 Scmidt/Longoria, 12 Ozzie/Reyes
When They Were Young:
CR C.Ross, RN R.Nolasco
ToppsTown:
1 Mauer, 6 Ichiro, 7 Hamilton, 10 Lincecum, 13 Howard, 15 M.Cabrera
Gold:
265 Angels, 306 Bradley

Leave trade proposals in the comments. First come, first trade.

Thanks from Daddy now, Thanks from Parker in about 10-12 years!

How early is too early to start collecting baseball cards?

2010-01-24T19:25:00.002-05:00

My son Parker was born on January 15. He isn't into baseball or baseball cards just yet but that didn't stop me from buying his first pack: 2010 Topps!

I know that I am already a baseball geek and now I'm super-geek daddy too. Oh well.

His interest is minimal but he makes one excellent video background. I'll blog when I come up for air.

All-Time Teams: Braves - As if there was such a thing!

2010-01-09T15:08:00.000-05:00

I am from North Carolina and because of Michael Jordan and the "Superstation," I grew up surrounded by Tarheels and Braves fans. Being an NC State and Mets fan, it kinda stinks sometimes. UNC fans are everywhere. Braves fans are usually found in the southeast, like Dayf. EXCEPT for the Waxaholic. He lives in Canada, enjoys hockey and the Braves. Sad but true.

Here are the All-Time Atlanta/Milwaukee/Boston Braves:
The Starting Lineup:
C - Javy Lopez - Watch out, Javy! McCann is gunning for your spot.
1B - Joe Adcock
2B - Glenn Hubbard - Really?
SS - Jeff Blauser - Blauser was a good hitting shortstop even before ARod/Jeter/Nomar
3B - Chipper Jones - Mets killer.
LF - Rico Carty
CF - Dale Murphy - not worthy of the Hall, but close. Classy player.
RF - Hank Aaron - so good for so longChipper and Javy made a lot of playoff runs together. Anybody have a quantifiable reason they failed to win at least 1 more World Series?

Starting Pitcher: Greg Maddux - one of the best ever.
The Maddux card above is from 2000 and is numbered 53/67. The foil might be electric blue!

The Bench:
Bob Horner - 4 HRs in a game
Andruw Jones - he was so good when he was so young. Interested to see if he can make it all the way back as an older player
David Justice - didn't he date Halle Berry?
Eddie Mathews - nice back up 3rd baseman
Terry Pendleton - did not deserve his MVP
Bob Elliot (HELP - I NEED HIS CARD!)
Wally Berger (HELP - I NEED HIS CARD!)
Joe Torre (HELP - I NEED HIS CARD!) - i have a few but none in a Braves uniHelp me fill this page! I really like the 2007 Bowman Heritage relics and 2008 Goudey is my favorite set of this decade.

The Pitching Staff:
Tom Glavine - Great #2 to Maddux
Kevin Millwood
Phil Niekro
John Smoltz - great starter, great reliver, still pitching!
Warren Spahn
Gene Garber - RP
Mark Wohlers - RP
Kid Nichols - Bill James' Win Shares love him (HELP - I NEED HIS CARD!)
John Clarkson (HELP - I NEED HIS CARD!)
Vic Willis (HELP - I NEED HIS CARD!)I could definitely use a Warren Spahn upgrade!

Best Batter: Hank Aaron - not even close!

Worst in the Starting Lineup: Glenn Hubbard - 85 OPS+ = Best Ever!

I'm surprised he made the cut: Mark Wohlers - 9 years as a Brave with solid numbers.

Favorite Card: My 1974 Topps Hank Aaron Home Run King card is my favorite Braves card (in my HOF binder) but the 1984 Fleer Hubbard with the snake and the Phanatic in the background is awesome. The beard and the crayola box seats don't hurt either.Hey Junkie and Aholic! Who did I miss? Who is here that shouldn't be? Convince me I am wrong and you get free cards!

Who's next? Don't make me show Beardy the Sox and the Yanks.

All-Time GIANTS: Responses to Responses

2010-01-06T19:50:00.000-05:00

I received a few responses about my first All-Time Giants team.

Matt R, the requester of Giants, offered up a few honorable mention pitchers:

"Joe McGinnity -- he was a great #2 for Mathewson." - True. He didn't quite dominate his era enough (ERA+ = 118)

"John Antonelli -- good seasons in the mid-late 1950s." and "Sal Maglie -- didn't stay with the Giants long enough." - I could be persuaded to replace Schmidt with one of these 2 guys, but I like having current players on these lists.

"Gary Lavelle -- if you need a lefty in the pen he's a good one to put in there." - Good reliever. I didn't worry about righty/lefty stuff on my rosters. Nen and Beck were better, yet right-handed.

Everyone's favorite Troll, other than Shrek, had a few ideas as well:

"Even though he only spent 5 years as a Giant, Johnny Mize would get my vote. He did have a 51 homer season there... That is hard to ignore." - Kevin Mitchell, who won an MVP in 1989, probably took his spot. If Mize had not lost 3 years to WW1, he would be on the Giants list. But don't worry, Mize will show up on a list before this thing is over.

"Wes Westrum would be a nice back up catcher too." - Like the LHP/RHP, I just picked the best players on each team after the starting 9. Very few teams have a 2nd catcher.

"Monte Irvin!!!! Can't forget him!" - Monte Irvin didn't get to play in the bigs until he was 30. He missed a lot of good baseball due to ignorance. Larry Doyle, the last Giant bench player, won a Chalmers Award (MVP) in 1912 but they don't count in my book. MONTE IRVIN IS ON THE TEAM!!!
Troll, I owe you some free cards. Not sure if I can help with the want list, but I will see what I can do. Red Sox are next since nobody asked for their team!

All-Time Teams: GIANTS

2010-01-03T21:39:00.001-05:00

I chose 27 players from each Major League Franchise. Why 27? 9-pocket pages, of course. I only considered stats for that franchise therefore some elite players appear on multiple teams. I always included MVPs and CY award winners (mainly because I also made a goal to collect a card of every winner). Most teams consist of 16 batters and 11 pitchers (9 starters, 2 relievers). I usually put my best card of each player unless a better one is already in my HOF binder.

First up is the San Francisco/New York Giants:The Starting Lineup:
C - Roger Bresnahan (HELP - I NEED HIS CARD!)
1B - Willie McCovey
2B - Jeff Kent (Best 2B of the past decade)
SS - Travis Jackson
3B - Matt Williams (lots of HRs in the strike season)
LF - Barry Bonds (Great w/ and w/o medical help)
CF - Willie Mays
RF - Mel Ott (Tiniest dude to hit 500+ HRs)

Nice lineup. Teams with long histories obviously have stronger all-time rosters. Kent, Williams, and Bonds are solidly in my wheelhouse of collecting.

Starting Pitcher: Christy Mathewson (original HOFer)

The Bench:
Will Clark (one of the more underrated players in history)
Orlando Cepeda
Kevin Mitchell
Roger Connor (HELP - I NEED HIS CARD!)
Bill Terry (HELP - I NEED HIS CARD!)
George Davis (HELP - I NEED HIS CARD!)
Ross Youngs (HELP - I NEED HIS CARD!)
Larry Doyle (HELP - I NEED HIS CARD!)

Help me fill this page! Vernon Wells' dad did a great job with the UD checklists!

The Pitching Staff:
Carl Hubbell (Great #2)
Tim Lincecum (2 CY Youngs already!)
Juan Marichal (Leg Kick)
Mike McCormick (Who? He won what?)
Gaylord Perry (Better than I ever gave him credit for. But he cheated.)
Jason Schmidt
Rod Beck - RP
Robb Nen - RP
Tim Keefe (HELP - I NEED HIS CARD!)
Amos Rusie (HELP - I NEED HIS CARD!)Carl Hubbell could wear that hat today, as long as he doesn't take the sticker off the bill.

Best Batter: Barry Bonds over Willie Mays. (Mays is one of the best ever. Bonds was Ruthian.)

Worst in the Starting Lineup: Travis Jackson (slightly above average for his era, not deserving of the Hall)

I'm surprised he made the cut: Jason Schmidt (Nice career with the Giants. Didn't know it was that good)

Favorite Card: My Original T206 Christy Mathewson is my favorite Giant card but of the ones here: Those 1970 All-Star cards are nice. McCovey is exploding out of that Sporting News. The back is nice too.
Who did I miss? Who is here that shouldn't be? Convince me I am wrong and you get free cards!

Who's next? Don't make me show Beardy the Sox and the Yanks.

2 Years?

2010-01-02T19:58:00.002-05:00

I almost let my 2 year blogiversary come and go without mention. On January 2, 2008, I entered the small world of A Pack a Day, Junkie, Thorzul, and a handful of other cardy-type WEB LOGS out there. In year one, I set out to post once a week, I averaged 2 per week. In year two, I was down to 1.5 per week. Its not that I don't enjoy it, but I give it the time I choose to. A flooded house calmed my post rate earlier in the year and preparing for our upcoming little one has slowed me down even more.

Do not fear, I have plans for 30 posts already in the coming year. I have spent a few months creating 27-man All-Time teams for each franchise. I then gathered all the cards I could from my collection. I will be presenting them from time to time this year.

I NEED YOUR HELP! Tell me when you disagree with my choices. Convince me and I will make the change. Also, if I am missing a card of a player in a certain uniform, trade me.

Stay tuned. Anybody want to see their team first? (Mets will be unceremoniously last!)

1981 Fleer Steve Renko: A Cardboard Mystery

2009-12-05T07:41:00.000-05:00

I present to you the mysterious Steve Renko player card from 1981, Fleer edition:

You may be asking yourself, What is that "thing" behind Steve? Here are a few possibilities:

1. What's left of the bomb that has just toppled Steve Renko. (He's falling and falling fast.)

2. That freaky smoke cloud from LOST. (Could Ben have been a Yankee fan in 1980?)

3. Evidence that Jim Rice spontaneously combusted during a game. (Then came back from the dead?)

4. Maybe it was Yastrzemski practicing for his now defunct Vegas magic act.

5. The shadow of the tree that was planted as a memorial to the Bucky "freakin" Dent baseball. (Like goal posts and Yankee monuments, trees should not be in the field of play. Neither should weird sloping hills. I'm looking at you, Houston Astros!)

6. God, in an updated burning bush, letting the Sox fans know that there time will come.

7. Rick Burleson was a shape-shifter.

8. Manny was being Manny even back in 1980.

9. Fleer was being metaphorical: When Renko pitched, Fenway became a war zone. (Steve was 9-9, average at best, but not terrible.)

10. This was the precursor to the 1989 Billy Ripken card. The rare original has Glenn Hoffman flipping the double bird right at the camera. This more common version shown here is referred to as the black smoke version. I have heard there is a version where Hoffman is behind a big black box. Other versions include a scribble and Hoffman's birds replaced by "thumbs up".

Best Trade Ever...for me!

2009-12-02T07:44:00.000-05:00

Mets fan, graphic artist, and general nice guy, Sean, of Condition Poor AND scary relic fame sent me a 2nd package to complete an earlier trade. Sean collects EVERY Mets card so filling holes in his collection is like shooting something in a barrel (as I am told that is easy to do, although I think the Mythbusters said the shockwave is what kills the unsuspecting fishes).

The second package was unnecessary but possibly the coolest trade item I have ever received.

Behold:
Three important facts about these three gems:

1. All three come from my 1-of-every-Met wantlist. (The Pre-2008 list is pretty tough to find outside of 1991 Mets Wiz.)

2. They are SlangKo originals. (Quickly becoming my brand of choice!)

AND

3. They are all autographed!!!! (They were sent out to these dudes and they all sent them back. And then they were sent to me!)

Unbelievable. I can't wait to fill another box to send Sean. Thanks.

Mr.Clutch?

2009-11-28T22:36:00.000-05:00

I was recently decided against keeping ALL of my 1986 Donruss set. Many are in my "to be traded" boxes but I couldn't rid the collection of this Pat Tabler card. Donruss immortalized Mr. Tabler with his nickname, Mr.Clutch.
Tabler didn't come by his impressive moniker by chance. He hit a more than respectable .488 (43 for 88) with the bases jammed. Some might call him the Jerry West of baseball. I am just not one of them (West was also known as Mr.Clutch). Tabler currently works as a color commentator for the Toronto Blue Jays.

I can't think of any other examples of random base card additions in the 80's but I am sure there are some. (Maybe Pete Rose had one?)

Beardy-riffic

2009-11-26T21:18:00.000-05:00

Getting packages is awesome. The bulk of the mail I get is bills, advertisements, and more bills.
Beardy sent me a sweet package of cardboard delight to complete a trade. Here are the highlights:

A foursome of old school Goodwins:

Carlton Fisk: Best all-time catcher for both types of SOX. Also, he was the original Pudge.

Mike Schmidt: Best third baseman EVER. Thinks Pete should be in the Hall and that his autograph is worth a fortune.

Grady Sizemore: Hey, he's not an old-timer! But he does look like one in that new, non-racist, classic Indians uni.

Ken Griffey: The elder Griffey, in action on a perfect spring day. Just look at those clouds.

An Obak mini:

Jacksonville Suns standout, Tom Seaver. I think he will do well for the Mets. Johann could use some help in the rotation in 2010. Maybe if we gave Tom a cool nickname like "Terrific."

But wait, there's more to this tiny Terrific:

Numbered 13/25. I don't have too many numbered cards, so this gets me excited. I'm not sure why! It turns out that since Tom won the ROY award in 1967, he probably won't be a factor in the 2010 Mets rotation, OR WILL HE?????

Thanks Beardy!

Night Owlish

2009-11-18T16:56:00.007-05:00

Night Owl is one of my favorite trading partners. Like Condition Poor and White Sox Cards, Greg has a pretty good want list over at Night Owl Inc. (I'd love to know about any other completist team collectors with exhaustive wants lists.) Here is a choice selection of cards I recieved:

New York Mets Upgrades:

Much like the real Mets of 2009, my 1-of-every-Met collection could use some upgrading. While not the best all-time Mets, these 2 dudes deserve the shiny/fancy treatment just like all the big stars.

Sweet Goodwins Portrait:

From the stack of Goodwin needs, I pulled out this nice close-up of Justin Verlander. Nice looking card of a quality pitcher. Great card!

Mets Frenchy:

That still doesn't sound right. Here's hoping the Mets have a player that is better than Jeff that stays healthy in 2010. This is my first Frenchy in Mets duds. (Did anyone notice how little I blogged about the Mets this year? It was a tough season!)

As usual, thanks for the trade, Greg.

Roll Out the Democratic Roadkill Barrel

2009-11-16T20:34:00.000-05:00

I recently posted some non-baseball baseball cards for trade. The request s poured in, the cards shipped out, and then the cards rolled in. Here are a few I particularly liked:

From Ed at Roll Out the Barrel: Carlos Beltran - Showcase StitchesCarlos was injured for much of the 2009 campaign, as were most of the Mets. If you didn't notice that gigantic "O" in showcase, you may not have seen that bit of game-used fabric. I still like getting jersey cards of Mets and other guys I like. This one will replace some other Beltran card in my 1-of-every-Met collection.

From Duane at Democratic Roadkill: A&G Done Right and 08 Goudey SPsI love the A&G cards of the retired players. Both of these make the cut in my 1-350 A&G set. Why did Topps stop including these type players in the regular set?

My 2008 Goudey Baseball Only Want List is getting small thanks to Duane, ebay, and Check Out My Cards. These B&W are especially nice when compared to all the over-the-top designs of the 90's and 00's. Two cards closer!

Thanks Ed and Duane.

Dinged Corners Assignment: Favorite "On Card" Autographs

2009-11-11T20:16:00.000-05:00

When Patricia, of Dinged Corners, assigns us bloggers some homework, we best get to it without complaining. So here are my favorite on-card autographs (of which I have very few).

#3 - 1996 Signature Rookies Torii Hunter
My mom has been on the yard/garage salecircuit for a few months now and happened upon a big box of baseball cards. She paid $10 for the lot. The cards were super fun to go through. I kept a few, my brother kept a few, and the rest will find their way to the blog world in due time. One of the gems of the box was this Torii Hunter autograph, numbered to 5000. Torii has turned out to be a pretty good player as well as an excellent Topps card poser. Thanks Mom!

#2 - 1991 Score Brian Barnes

I got this one in person at a Jimmy V fund event. Brian is from North Carolina, not too far from my hometown of Tarboro. My brother asked him if he remembered playing our high school team. He did and even remembered who the opposing pitcher was. I got cards signed by Marquis Grissom, Lee Smith, Kenny Lofton, and others that day but the interaction with Barnes was the best.

#1 - 2004 Topps Cracker Jack Lucy (Silver Ink) This remains my one and only TTM autograph. Unlike many stars who scribble their names without regard to what it looks like, I have heard that Lucy practices first so that each fan gets her best. That is how it should be.

There you have it. My 2006 Turkey Red Roy Oswalt on-card auto may be my most collectable card of this type but the previous three are my favorites. The thing they all have in common is some personal connection.

Cards from Slangon

2009-11-02T12:29:00.000-05:00

I got an email from relatively new blogger Sean of the graphically elite, Condition Poor, about our mutual love for the Mets. He thought it would be beneficial to us both to aid each other in our quests for Mets cards. It took me a while to send my part of the trade, as I was once again pairing down the old collection, but I finally filled a small box and sent it on its way. Here's a sample of what I got in return:

A Mets team logo card to commemorate our shared disappointment of the 2009 season:A digitized Obak of sure-thing prospect Greg Jefferies (not Jeffries!) The info on the back of these cards is better than any product that I can remember. I have only bought 2 packs so this former Met is much appreciated.A few Goodwin Champions from the want list. I wrote a controversial, albeit late post on Goodwins being better than Allen & Ginter. I guess everyone agrees since I got little opposition! These 3 look outstanding.My 1-350 A&G set is a little more complete. Sean sent a few, including this horrific card of future HOFer Pudge Rodriguez. Wouldn't this card look better if Ivan had a catchers mask on with his head in the clouds. (See Godwins comment in above paragraph.)Sean did his homework and noticed that I read comics. I really like the fantastic four so this was my favorite of a stack of marvel comic cards. Johnny Storm is too cool.And last but far from least is this slightly mis-scanned Slangko original of Mark Sanchez:
I am no huge football fan but this card gets a spot in one of my albums. It looks fantastic! Sean makes custom cards as good as they come. The only thing I liked better than the front was the back. (I am partial to Stats on the Back.)
Gridiron Stars No. 6 is awesome. Thanks for sharing your talent with me.

Sean sent a note saying he owed me a little more in this trade. I think his quality trumped my quantity but I wouldn't say no to another Slangko original!

Tito Fuentes (1975)

2009-10-29T20:25:00.000-04:00

It's time for another Tito Fuentes card. If you haven't visited the newly sponsored Tito Fuentes reference page, GO THERE NOW! We are up to 1975 in our review of Fuentes' cardboard legacy. 1975 Topps is a beloved set, with it's two-tone fronts and it's miniature counterparts.What says San Francisco Giants more than PINK, YELLOW, and BLUE? Tito is a star and he knows it. He now dots his "i" with a star and he still doesn't feel the need to separate his first and last name or capitalize the "f" in Fuentes. Us regular folk can't get away with such tomfoolery. As usual, Tito appears to be cool: nice stirrups, and an ever so slightly dented cap. Did you notice that miniature Tito is every bit as cool as the regular sized Tito!

Check the Stats-on-the-Back:Here is what we learn:
1. Runners are out when they go outside the baseline. Seems to be a weak trivia tidbit. Tito would never run outside the baseline. I wonder if Donavon McNabb knew that? (Yes, I know about football, I just don't love it like baseball.)
2. Tito had a down year. He hit .249 with 0 Hrs. His 97 hits and 390 ABs were his lowest totals since 1969.
3. Tito set an National League record with only 6 errors in 1973. Jose Oquendo only had 3 errors in 1990. (Do you remember when he played every position in 1 game?)
4. Tito's .249 average seemed even smaller on the mini version of the card.

In related news, while it won't be his name when he is born, my wife and I are affectionately referring to our baby boy in the oven as Rigoberto!

Trade Me: Me Like Baseball

2009-10-26T21:49:00.006-04:00

I thought I would put a few cards on ebay just to get them into the hands of people who want them, but I thought I would offer them for trade first. They are baseball cards of non-baseball players. Cards in Yellow mean they have been claimed.

They can be yours in 4 easy steps:
1. Tell me which ones you want in the comments
2. Email me your address
3. Wait patiently until your card or cards arrive
4. Send me "something"

Group 1 - 2009 Goodwin ChampionsA pass-catching skier, a b-baller with 2 foods in his name, a cowboy played by Kurt Russell, a Russian mystic, a Loony Tune character, and a surfer dude
*My brother pulled the first 2 out of his Goodwin box. He was not a happy camper.

Group 2 - A&G Mix and MatchCanonballer Autograph, a short emperor, a horse + rider, 2 A&G backs of US Olympic medalist, a gimpy golden girl, a British Landmark, a codebreaker, and 2 national heroes
*I actually sent the Wong card back to Topps because it was damaged. The replacement came in just a few days. I was also missing a relic from my box. They sent a CC!!!

Group 3 - 2008 GoudeyA dude who was fast before Bolt was faster, Mr.Hockey!, a volleyballer, a Celtic God, a lady baller, and Kobe
*I love 2008 Goudey but decided only to collect the baseball cards in the set. I have a want list!

Group 4 - UD Why-trospective?The 2008 Republican ticket, Mrs.Thatcher, a trio of non-baseball stars, and 2 god-awful excuses for cardboard.
*These 20th Anniversary cards are the only reason Goodwins wasn't great.

Group 5 - Random Randomness
2009 Tiger, a comedian and his dog, Sasquatch, a submarine, and the Kitchen Debate
*the Tiger is the best of this bunch, since Woods is an athlete, but Bigfoot comes in a close second because he would be a great NBA center if David Stern didn't have such harsh restrictions.

That is all!

Goodwin Champions > Allen & Ginter

2009-10-25T07:03:00.000-04:00

This one's a little late but...

The baseball card blogger's love for 2009 A&G cannot be questioned. Gint-A-Cuffs swept through the cardosphere faster than H1N1. I enjoy the Allen & Ginter. I bought a box back in 2006. I bought multiple blasters in 2007. I split a box with my big bro in 2008 and 2009. I have dedicated 1 album to a "Best Of," 1-350 multi-year set of the Ginter. I even made my mother a set of 4 custom 2008 A&G cards.

All that being said, I believe that 2009 Goodwin Champions is superior to 2009 Allen & Ginter.

Quite simply, the images used on the cards are better. This is NOT up for debate. A&G images took an upturn in 2008 with a few action shots but the Goodwin images are great. The "artsy" effect on the photos adds to the image rather than detracting from it. The backgrounds are varied and interesting. And the added insignia such as the trophies and old school logos are super fun.

A&G looks roughly the same as it did 3 years ago. We shall see if Upper Deck can improve on the 2009 edition with no logos or team unis. (Goudey was outstanding in year 2, not so much in year 3.) Yes, the Topps cardstock is better and they did it first but I'll take a mustached Ryne Sandberg at Wrigley any day.

Any unwanted Goodwins can be shipped to me. Check out my base card want list.

Collecting 101: 1997 Collector's Choice

2009-10-22T19:42:00.004-04:00

The 1997 Upper Deck Collector's Choice set contained a small subset of checklist cards called "Collecting 101," which featured Ken Griffey Jr. on the front and collecting tips on the back. Let's see how Upper Deck's tips hold up to 12 years of cardboard evolution:

The Junior-themed fronts:Two of the six are posed, studio shots. One shows Griffey happily autographing a card with a batting glove on and the other has Griffey cheesing it up while holding a 1997 Collector's Choice card. (I am too lazy to research which card he is holding.)

The Tips:
1. Sorting Your Cards - Sorting out your cards and putting them in numerical order can be a tedious and time-consuming task. Fortunately, all Upper Deck sets are sorted by team, so just divide the cards by team, and subsets, and put each stack into the right order, using the checklists as a guide.

*There are few sets still sorted this way. But how hard is sorting cards by 100's, then 10's, then by number. I collected many sets back in my younger days. I remember being excited when I would get long runs of numbers that I had all of, making lists of numbers that I needed, etc. Set collecting is alive and well out there in blog land.

2. Subset vs. Insert - A subset is a group of related cards included in the regular set. Inserts are themed cards not included in the regular set, but inserted into packs by pre-determined odds. One way to tell the difference: a subset card just has a number; an insert card has a letter or abbreviation with the number.

*It all seemed pretty simple back in 1997. Now there are parallels and relics out the wazoo. 1991 Fleer Provisions was the first insert set I really wanted. Diamond Kings are still my favorite subset. After all my purging over the last two years, I have never gotten rid of a diamond king!

3. Completing a Set - The regular cards of a baseball set serve as a "Time Capsule" for the sport and the backbone of the hobby. Chances are you won't get the whole set by just buying packs, so keep a network of friends and dealers with which to trade so you can complete the set.

*Middle relievers and pinch hitters struggle to be memorialized in the yearly set offerings. I am all for complete sets even though they are now way down on my collecting priority list. Remember when you could go to a card shop and finish your set for $0.05 per card? Good times!

4. Caring for Your Cards - It is very important to keep your cards in the best shape possible. So to display them, put them in clear plastic sheets and a binder. Put them in nine to a sheet, so that you can easily view both the fronts and backs without damaging them.

*I protect my cards but I am not sure why. Whatever you do, make sure you can LOOK at your collection. I still enjoy studying stats, reading bios, and trivia on the back of baseball cards.

5. Using your "Doubles" - If you've completed a set by getting packs a few at a time, you're probably left with a few duplicates. Don't just discard them. Sort them out to see if you're close to completing a second set, or trade them with friends or at a local card store to get extras of your favorite cards.

*I used to never trade a non-double. Now I give away or trade all doubles plus many cards I have one of but do not want or need. The land of blogs seems to sometimes be just a great way to traffic baseball cards to those who need a daily cardboard fix.

6. Collecting on your Own - For a great way to keep your collection interesting and more personal, try collecting for your own personal subsets. You can make sets of players with a common theme, such as former MVPs, sons of former Major Leaguers, players from your hometown, etc.

*This is the best tip and the one I abide by most as of late. I collect 1 of every Met, Tito Fuentes, 1 of every HOFer, 1 of every player on my simulation league team, a few sets, and random other things I like. Good fun!

The Checklist + Tip-filled backs:
Upper Deck did a pretty good job with their tips back in 1997. In 2009, there may be a few more tainted tips like:
1. Make sure Pujols spelled his name with a "j" or it might be a fake.
2. Try collecting cards of all players listed in the Mitchell report. For added fun, collect a before and after card for each slugger.
3. For Mets fans only: Pay way too much for a Mo Vaughn card and feel the regret of a big league team.
4. Beware of the SuperFractor, you might burn your eyes out!

Please share any tips that Upper Deck or I have missed.

Tito Fuentes Baseball-Reference Sponsor!

2009-10-19T12:46:00.000-04:00

I finally took the plunge and did the only thing a self-proclaimed Tito Fuentes Super-Collector could do:

I am now the sponsor of the Tito Fuentes page at baseball-reference.com. I use the site several times a week (Yes, I am a stats junkie!). I figured I should do my duty and pay for my use of the web's best free sabermetric wonderland. I guess that makes it not free for me!

To commemorate this great day for Stats on the Back, I present one of the few autographed collectibles I own:
Tito inscribed it, "Safe at 3rd base 8-29-66." According to retrosheet, Tito did not reach third that day. I think this game against the Phillies happened earlier that year. That's Dick Allen just missing Fuentes. Go check out baseball-reference and retrosheet if you haven't already.

I have plenty more Tito posts to come. TITO 23!!!

BEST: Center Field

2009-10-13T21:19:00.000-04:00

Maybe the toughest of all the positions! Positions one through three are a toss up.

1. Willie Mays - ROY, 2 MVP, 12 top-tens, 20 All-Star games, 12 Gold Gloves, 3283 hits, 660 HR, 2000+ runs, 1900+ rbi, .302 avg, 156 OPS+. His greatness over so many years gives him the edge in my book. He was great EVERY year from age 20 to 41.
2. Mickey Mantle - 3 MVP, 9 top-tens, 16 All-Star games, 172 OPS+, 536 HR, 7 World Series rings. He and Mays were so similar. Two great players. Mantle was great from age 19 to 36. Wow!3. Ty Cobb - 1 MVP, 4189 hits, .366 avg (best all-time), .433 obp, 2246 runs, 1937 rbi, 892 SB, 167 OPS+. I can't really give a good reason Cobb isn't number 1. He definitely loses some credit for not having to play all the best ballplayers.I'd start a team with any of these three guys.

Others Considered:
Ken Griffey Jr - His 30's took a toll on his body and his career numbers. He was fun to watch and collect when I was a kid. An impressive top three keep him out of consideration.

Joe Dimaggio - Not the MVP in 1947! (Did you know that Ted Williams won the triple crown twice and finished 2nd in MVP voting BOTH years!!!) That hitting streak sure is impressive. No player has come within 10 games of topping it.

Eric Davis - In 1987, Davis hit 37 HR and stole 50 bases...in only 129 games. Jose stole his thunder one year later! Eric Davis never played more than 135 games in a season. He was great when he wasn't hurt. Oh yea, he's my favorite player ever!

Current Players Who Might Make the List:
Grady Sizemore - I keep waiting for him to explode. He's 26 and coming off of 2 surgeries. He better explode quick to get in the conversation.

The Babe and the Hammer are next up in BEST: Right Field

Overdue New Stuff Part 3, Still Need a New Couch

2009-09-27T20:58:00.000-04:00

The insurance paid to have the couch cleaned, but my wife has issues with things that have been wet. Could there be mold INSIDE the sofa? Maybe! She never liked it that much anyway. Here are the last of the new additions during the great Toilet flood of 2009:

Thanks to Brock or my first Zistle trade. I sent him a load of Mets and he sent 11 cards, all of which I needed for my 1-of-Every-Met collection.
Fun variety of cards! Brock's favorite is the Siebert. I have to believe it is because his jersey says JUICE! The Figueroa was most interesting because he was drafted by the Mets in 1995, was traded around the league, and then finally made his Met debut in 2008.

The final card he sent was this:
I am no LoDuca fan, but I LOVE Turkey Red. This Refractor Auto looks great. It replaces an A&G base card in my Mets collection. Truly GREAT trade for ME!

Thanks to Chris of 1980 Topps Cards for filing some HOF needs:

The HOFers that I am missing are tough to find, so 11 in one shot is awesome. The Rube Foster is my favorite. Plenty more 1998 Donruss for Chris and anyone else who needs some.

Thanks to Bo for the Stack-o-Mets. They are filed away already. Sorry! I know that you sent a Roy Lee Jackson and a John Pacella in Mets attire that replaced two cards sans Mets gear.

Thanks to Kevin of Orioles Card of the Day for this Mickey Weston card:
When I purged cards about 2 years ago, I had this card. I wasn't collecting 1 of every Met and honestly don't remember Mickey ever playing for the Metropolitans.

Since the house is back in order, regular posting should return. We'll see!

Overdue New Stuff Part 2, New Floors & New Paint

2009-09-20T12:23:00.008-04:00

The house is almost back to normal after 4 weeks of toilet flooding craziness. Here are a few new additions to the collection:

Thanks to Pack Addict for a few A&G upgrades and this Don Drysdale:Two fun facts about Drysdale:
1. Played High School baseball with Robert Redford
2. Herbie, the love bug, was given the number 53 because of Drysdale.

Check out my A&G want list and my HOF want list.

Thanks to Ian aka Ernest of Canada for some O-Pee-Chee coolness and 1/24 of an A&G box. After 23 years, this gum has grown attached to Mr.October, LITERALLY! (dayf, I have a special one of these coming your way soon!)Thanks to the Tim of Great Sports Name Hall of Fame for this shiny memory of some brighter Mets days:
I haven't blooged once about the Mets this season. It has been too painful. Here is a To-Do list for the Mets for next year:
1. Get Healthy.
2. Stay Healty.
3. Help Santana with AT LEAST one pitcher.
4. Insure that Frenchy is NOT the best player on the active roster.
5. Fire everybody, including the Wilpons.
6. Change the dimensions of Citifield.
7. Play better.

More to come!

Overdue New Stuff Part 1, Drywall is Up

2009-09-08T20:50:00.000-04:00

Thanks to all the well-wishers. The drywall is up and the new molding is in place. Paint is next! My wife and I have spent TOO much time in the one room of our house not affected by the toilet flood waters.

Thanks to Brian of the still, yet to be posted on, Play at the Plate blog. I sent him some junk and he sent me some 2008 Goudey set needs and a few Mets. These 2 were especially interesting:

2002 Fleer Authentix, with the accent on TIX Mark Corey
2002 Topps Finest Refractor Edgardo AlfonzoThe Alfonzo Finest card is gaudy and great. The Corey card seems to contain a tiny fake ticket. Game torn tickets would be cool. I'm sure this card will replace whatever pedestrian card now sits in my 1-of-every-Met binders.

Thanks to Canuck for also taking my junk and sending me Mets. There was a shiny Phil Humber:
This card forces me to ask: What happened to Humber? Since getting dealt to Minnesota in the Johan deal, Phil continues to underwhelm in AAA. The shininess of this BASE card is overwhelming, thus making this card completely "whelming"??????

Carl Crawford Cards sent 2 Mike Hampton autos from 1996 Leaf. ON CARD! And I won a card in Virgil Trucks-Fest.
I now have an extra Hampton auto for trade. And the Trucks card will join a few 1955 Bowman in my collection of slightly too large cards.

Kerry, aka Madding, sent my first game-used David Wright card for a few Cards Cards. And another thing: IT'S PANTS!!!
More to come. I miss my sofa, and my kitchen, and multiple bathrooms.

1981 Fleer Team by Team Tribute: Expos

2009-08-26T20:45:00.000-04:00

Since I am in a hotel, NOT being paid for by my insurance company, I decided to check out my draft folder from quite a while ago (Oct 2008). I never finished my 1981 Fleer Team by Team tribute. Apparently, it's Expos time!

Rowland Office!
Rowland has a few things going for him.

1. Sweet Name: Rowland Johnie Office. Even his middle name is cool.
There is a Brave-centric blog, Rowland's Office. Clever use of a good name, but much too Brave-ish for my delicate Met sensibilities. book

2. Afrotasticness: I am pretty sure that is a word.
His Expo hat may be hiding a giant bald spot between two Afro-Puffs.
OR
Rowland has a full-size Afro, part of which fits neatly under said Expo hat.
Either way, any Afro is alright in my .

3. Style: XL wrist bands & jacket
His nylon jacket could mean he just finished the day shift at Leon's Barber Shop or he is about to bowl a few frames at the Montreal Bowl-A-Rama. The wrist bands say he is a sweaty man's man!

The Expos finished 1 lousy game behind the World Champion Phillies in the NL East. Oh well, the Expos are now the Nats and until they put a decent team on the field, no one will care.

If you like this one, more 1981 Fleer posts can be found here.

Tiny Good News & HUGE Bad News

2009-08-22T23:57:00.000-04:00

Good News
I will be in DC watching the Brewers play the Nationals on Sunday! Its our Annual baseball trip. Last year was a 2-day, 3-game NY baseball extravaganza. This year is a day trip to the brand new Nationals park and my first Brew Crew game.

Bad News
Water poured from one of my upstairs toilets for 8+ hours on Thursday. Most of my house needs replacing. The drying machinery is working overtime right now. If only the insurance adjuster would call me. The baseball game will keep my mind off it for a day. Oh yea, my new 8th grade students show up on Tuesday whether I'm ready or not!

Since this is a baseball card site, I will tell you that no cards were flooded. I wish that made me feel better about it all. Needless to say, trades are on hold and posting will be uninspired at best.

Thanks Night Owl, 25 Years, and Play at the Plate

2009-08-19T19:21:00.000-04:00

Lame trades are rolling in:

Thanks to Night Owl for these 2 Jose Reyes cards. 2005 Turkey Red is great and a little hard to come by. I requested these in hopes that Reyes would get well soon. Can you remember when a club has had more stars get injured in the same season?Thanks to 25 Years of Baseball for this fancy Nick Evans card. I didn't have an Evans card in my 1-of-every Met collection. This is my first redemption card. I have an Andrew Bailey coming to me this year. This was 25 year's first blog trade. Go trade with him.
Thanks to Play at the Plate (Brian hasn't jumped head first into blogging yet, but he will!) for this haul of cool Mets. The Tom Seaver is awesome. Mo Vaughn's jersey is questionably Metty. And that Timo Rated Rookie is UGLY! Brian and I have another trade in the works. Cards will be mailed on Friday.
The lame hits for lame hits trading party is coming to a close. Still plenty of cards to be had. I might write about something interesting soon. Maybe BEST CENTER FIELDER EVER?

Lamest Hits

2009-08-18T20:48:00.001-04:00

I almost forgot about these 2 forgettable cards that you know you want.

Ryne Sandberg - 1988 Topps Beckett Graded 9
This card came with a Beckett Baseball Almanac. It is one of those GIANT books that lists every card ever. This gem of a card is off-center and might have a corner that is not too crisp. But it says 9 and I'm stickin' to it.

Mark Wilson - 2009 Bowman Scout Autograph
From a retail pack. Wilson helped the Twins sign Joe Mauer. It is a must have for all Mark Wilson collectors and a sorta have for Joe Mauer fans.

Plenty of cards left in the last 7 posts.

True Confessions of a Collector

2009-08-17T09:00:00.001-04:00

I thought I would share a few shameful tidbits about myself as a collector:

1. I am a Mets fan. (NO, THAT"S NOT THE SHAMEFUL PART!) As a Mets fan, I hate the Atlanta Braves. And I am beginning to hate the Phillies just as much. Here is where it gets shameful. Mets fan, Braves hater, thus I must also hate Chipper Jones, who ruled Shea more than any hitter. I have 52 different Chipper Jones cards.
WHY? I have always been a "general collector". I love baseball and have always used my card collection to chronicle the MLB. Chipper is a great playerand I like having great player's cards. Now, I don't go out of my way to get more Chippers but I have only recently considered trading some of them for cards of players I like more. Larry isn't the only player I could have used as an example. The same is true for any superstar for the past 20 years.

2. I have thrown away thousands of cards. I admitted this long ago and was quickly told to send them to collectors across the nation. Since the initial tossing, I have sent around 20 thousand cards to new and loving homes. I think I have made up for my transgressions for this one.WHY? I had too many cards. I had every set from 1986 to 1991. EVERY SET! I never looked at them. There were boxes and boxes of cards I didn't need or like. My card collection gets better and better as it gets smaller and smaller. I still have too many cards. Now I usually make myself get rid of a card before I allow a new card into my collection. No, I am not throwing the excess away. They will be sent out to collectors when I recover from the shipping cost of my last giveaway.

3. Here is the big one that may get me shunned from the blogging community. I sort my cards based on Beckett book value. Some cards are in individual, hard, plastics holders, others are in binders, some in penny sleeves, and others in the raw. I have never made a trade based on it, nor do I believe that it means anything but its a way to interact with my collection like I did when I was a kid.WHY? As I said before, I have always been a general collector. I have always had my favorites but I used to want to collect EVERY card. You have to sort them in some way. Now that my collection is getting more refined, I may stop this practice. But I might not. Why should you care that the B-WORD gets a little of my money every once in while?

There you have it. True confessions. Come get some Lame Hits. The last 7 posts are filled with them.

Lame Hits: Other

2009-08-16T11:05:00.002-04:00

Plenty of Lame Hits in the previous 6 posts are available. Please come and get 'em. Here are a few that can not be categorixed to one team:Ramirez/Nathan/Lidge/Pujols - 2009 Goudey 4-in-1 BLUE
Blaster. Not sure what the connection between these 4 players could be. The Blue versions look quite nice. Manny & Puols are the obvious headliners.

Gibson/Peavy/Beckett/Lincecum - 2009 Goudey 4-in-1 BLUE
Blaster. 1 HOFer and 3 could-be HOFers. Beckett and Peavy have surprisingly similar careers.

Longoria/Ramirez/Bruce/Soto - 2009 Goudey 4-in-1
Blaster. Nice card of 4 rookies from last year. Shouldn't Votto have been here instead of Bruce? Longoria is for real. Soto has not come anywhere close to repeating his breakout 08 year.

Frenchy/Ankiel/Markakis/Ichiro - 2009 Goudey 4-in-1
Blaster. Rightfielders. Frenchy is now in NY, Ankiel used to pitch wildly, Markakis is underrated and stuck in Baltimore, and Ichiro is a singles-hitting machine.

Michael Aubrey - 2002 Upper Deck SP Authentic Future USA Watch (0957/1999)
Group Break. Another Aubrey. You could be well on your way to being a Michael super-collector!

No offers have yet to be refused. I have more Goudey 4-in-1 cards if you need them.

Lame Hits: AL East Edition

2009-08-15T13:36:00.002-04:00

Almost done. NL West, Central, and East & AL West and Central are still wanting better homes.

Here are some AL East:
Dinardo/Martinez/Gamble Red Sox Trio Prospects - 2005 Fleer Tradition
Repack pack. Dinardo is in AAA w/ Royals, Martinez is out of baseball, and Gamble is in AAA w/ Braves

Kevin Millar - 2005 Topps Cracker Jack Bat
Repack pack. Cool looking card. Millar works the MLB network during the offseason. He is 37 and will probably be an analyst full time next year.

Josh Phelps - 2003 Playoff Absolute Memorabilia Hat (115/125)
???. That's right, Game-used HAT! Pretty good player for parts of about six years. Played in 2 rookie league games this year at age 30.

Tony Clark - 2003 Topps Tools of the Trade Bat
???. Wax Heaven highlighted the ups and downs of Clark's career not too long ago. 250 career HR. Six really good seasons out of 15 total.

JD Drew - 2007 Topps Turkey Red Refractor (308/999)
Hobby Box. Love Turkey Red, do not love JD Drew. Ever since he refused to sign and sat out a year, he has been in my doghouse. I am not a fan despite its shiny Turkey Redness.

Lame "Other" cards NEXT!

Lame Hits: AL Central Edition

2009-08-14T21:20:00.003-04:00

NL West, Central, and East still available.
Also AL West.

Here are a few AL Middlemen:Joe Randa - 2005 Topps Rookie Cup BLUE (39/50)
Cheap pack from Target. Underrated set from 2005. Randa was a decent player for 12 seasons.

Juan Gonzalez - 2002 Donruss Originals Gamers Jersey (442/500)
Repack box from long ago. Juan Gone was really good. He won 2 MVP awards. .295 avg with 434 HR. Maybe I should keep this one!

Justin Thompson - 1998 Pacific Invincible Platinum Blue
From ???. Interesting design from Pacific. The portrait is on thin plastic and light can show through it. Traded in a deal involving Juan Gonzalez. Pitched 4 good years then was stuck in the minors for the next 6. Made a brief appearance in Texas in 2005.

Andrew Miller - 2007 Topps Turkey Red Jersey
Hobby Box. Have I mentioned that I love Turkey Red. Mario has got this one so I'm looking for another Miller fan. He's only 24 but he is a UNC grad so that drops him a few notches on my collectibilty list.

TWO MORE LAME HITS POSTS LEFT!

Lame Hits: AL West Edition

2009-08-13T18:57:00.001-04:00

NL Lame hits can be found here: West, Central, East.

Here are some AL Westerners:Ben Grieve - 1998 Pinnacle Plus Artist Proof
From a repack pack long ago. It's super shiny! Grieve was above-average for most of his 9-yr career. 1998 was his best year. He was an all-star and ROY.

Chuck Finley - 2000 MLB Showdown Foil
From a repack pack long ago. 200 wins and 2610 Ks. Good pitcher! OK card game.

Send those lame offers by comment or email. More to come!

My Lame Hits, etc for Your Lame Hits, etc: NL East Edition

2009-08-13T16:42:00.002-04:00

There are still NL West and NL Central lame hits available! I have yet to turn down an offer!

The NL East is the divisional home of my NY Mets. I can only offer up these non-Met cards, as Mets cards cannot be lame.Bernie Castro - 2007 Topps Heritage SP
From a retail pack. Castro may be out of baseball. He was released by the Yankees lasy year. Anybody still working on this set?

Danny Sandoval - 2006 Topps 52 SP
From a retail pack. Hitting .238 at AA Tulsa.

Tim Hudson - 2005 Upper Deck Game Jersey
From a retail pack. This is maybe the best of the bunch. Hudson has been a good pitcher for 10 years. 146-77 career record! Oakland traded him for 3 prospects who netted the A's nothing, but he is making about 12 million more than they could have paid him this year.

Mike Lansing - 1993 Topps Stadium Club 1st Day Issue
From a repack box. Be in awe of the fancy, shiny box in the upper left-hand corner. AND its a Mike Lansing RC. What more do you want?

Send in your offers, no matter how lame. I haven't forgotten about all you AL fans out there. There are plenty of lame cards for all of you!

My Lame Hits, etc for Your Lame Hits, etc: NL Central Edition

2009-08-12T21:01:00.002-04:00

In case you missed it, NL West Lame Hits can be found here. They are going fast!

More lame hits, etc. This time from the middle NL!Brandon Philips - 2008 Topps Chrome Blue Refractor
From a Blaster. These look great. The bright blue pops in chromatic refractorology! Phillips is a solid MLBer who had an outstanding 2007.

Hernan Iribarren - 2008 Upper Deck Timelines RC Auto
From a Hobby Box. Timelines is a lot of fun to open. Lots of Longoria RCs and different UD flavors. Iribarren is currently 2 for 6 with the big league club.

Jose Guillen - 1999 Paramount Platinum Blue
From a pack. The Platinum Blue makes this one a must have for all Jose Guillen Super Collectors.

Send offers by way of email or comment. Any offer will be considered.

NL East is next!

My Lame Hits, etc for Your Lame Hits, etc: NL West Edition

2009-08-12T16:21:00.002-04:00

Patricia offered up some "clunkers" over at Dinged Corners. The thing about her clunkers is that I wanted many of them. They weren't that clunky. I have a few lame cards that might make others as happy as Rey Ordonez pants make me. (That last sentence could be taken out of context!)

Here are some NL Westerners you may want. I'll trade my junk for your junk.
Clayton Tanner - 2008 Bowman Signs of the Futures Auto
From a retail pack from Target. Tanner is 21, currently in A-ball. I have seen him on a Giants top-ten prospects list. The Giants seem to know how to grow arms as of late.

Ray Durham - 2008 Upper Deck Jersey
From blaster - Guaranteed Relic. Nice long career for this journeyman.

Adrian Beltre - 2008 Spectrum Retrospectrum Swatches
From blaster - Guaranteed Relic. Commemorates his awesome 2004 season - 48 HR, .344 avg. It netted him a sweet contract from the M's.

Jason Jennings - 2002 Donruss Originals Gamers Jersey (072/500)
From a repack pack probably 5 yrs ago. This may have been the first jersey card I ever saw. After wining the ROY in 2002. he struggled as a starter. Good year so far in 2009 as a middle reliever.

Mets are the obvious choice for trades but I am open to anything. Use comments or email for offers.

More to Come!

Tito Fuentes (1974)

2009-08-11T16:05:00.000-04:00

HEADBAND!!!!!!!!!

It's the card I (and possibly the Dean Family) have been waiting for. I'll save my commentary until after you are awed by the first, but not the last, headband of Tito Fuentes!After 8 years in the league, Tito is finally coming into his own. He is willing to step out from the pack and show some of his personal style.

Possible reasons for the headband:
1. Tito's hat often pops off due to his blinding speed and large afro hairstyle.
2. Men just don't have enough accessories. The ladies have purses, jewelry, shoes, etc and no team would allow cuff links on uniforms, except maybe the Chicago White Sox. (They will wear anything!)
3. Fuentes sweats a LOT, through a headband, his hat, and then his hat's headband.
4. He is cool and isn't interested in explaining it to losers like you and me.

Stats on the Back!New stuff we learn from the flip side of Tito 1974:

1. Midwest League All-Star and Decatur's MVP in 1963. (This tidbit is only 10 years late.)
2. Dominican records for hits (5) and doubles (3) in a game in 1967. (Slightly less late.)
3. Yet another solid effort at the plate in 1973.
4. High School letter in Boxing. (Another sign of his toughness.)
5. This isn't new but I keep forgetting to add it. Tito Fuentes signs his name Titofuentes. One word, no space, no capital F. How's that for style?

With the 1974 Topps card, I hope you can begin to see why I am a Tito Fuentes Super Fan!

Thanks to Collective Troll and Fuji

2009-08-10T12:05:00.002-04:00

More packages for me!

I share a name with Collective Troll, sorta. I'm Mark and he's Marck. (Blogger is currently telling me that he spells his name wrong but I can't hold that against him.) I sent him a handful of Rays cards and he sent me this:
AWESOME! Tommy Agee signed 8x10, personalized to me (or at least to someone with my name and NOT Marck's)! Agee is looking especially tough. I appreciate that he writes AG on his spikes so that you know they are Agee's.

I also got a package from Fuji, with whom I also happen to share a name. (Blogger is OK with his spelling!) He claims his return package was less than the one I sent. Ridiculous! I sent a big box of A's mediocrity and he sent me cool Mets including these particularly shiny/autography ones:I think my Mets autograph collection just doubled! These 4 all go into my One-of-Every-Met binders as serious upgrades.

Collecting is fun. Thanks guys!

Thanks to Tribe Cards, Dinged Corners, & Night Owl

2009-08-09T08:59:00.000-04:00

After sending out about 60 packages in my Giveaway #2, it was nice to have my mailbox filled with a few of my own.

Tribe Cards, master of the giveaway, sent me some Mets cards. the highlights included a Jeremy Burnitz game-used and a Mark Dewey card featuring him in a Mets uni. Both found their way into my One-of-Every-Met collection. (Burnitz was a great upgrade and Dewey is now out of his Pirate uniform)
Dinged Corners was trading clunkers. (I have a similar post planned that will out-clunk her star cards any day) She sent me a sweet Strawberry and a stack of other Mets. PLUS a James Shields Jersey. (Shields has been a member of my Diamond Mind simlation league team for several years. - And yes, I have a binder for that.)
Night Owl also sent me a stack of Mets, many of them shiny! This David Wright has one of those fancy numbers on the back (192/250) This Niece card looks really Nice (Upper Deck has not gotten enough credit for this set).
More thank yous to come!

Tito Fuentes (1973)

2009-08-08T09:52:00.000-04:00

In 1973, Tito Fuentes cards begin to get EPIC. '73 is famous for it's fake poses and super-wide angle action shots that feature 3 to 5 players, anyone of whom could be the player whose name appears on the card. Here is the front of card #236:

That's Tito, number 23, with his knee in in that poor guy's chest. He stole a career-high 16 bases in 1972. With this kind of intimidation, he probably could have stolen a lot more.

And now: STATS ON THE BACK!!!

Here's the new stuff we learned about Tito Fuentes:
1. Fans holler "Go-Go" when Tito reaches base. (I didn't think anybody hollered in San Francisco. I thought it was just a southern thing.)
2. Another solid season for the 2nd baseman: .264 avg, 7 HR, 53 rbi
3. The full name is back after a 2 year hiatus, Rigoberto (Peat) Fuentes!

1974 is not too far away and it's a killer!

BEST: Left Field

2009-08-06T10:33:00.000-04:00

Left Field is a strong position in the best ever debate. The top 3 are baseball immortals as are many who didn't make the cut. Here's my list:

3. Stan Musial "The Man", 3 MVPs, 14 top-tens, 20 straight All-Star teams, 159 OPS+, 3630 hits, 7 batting titles, 3 World Series rings (missed 1945 season becuase of WWII) These next 2 guys must be pretty great to pass Musial.

2. Barry Bonds 7 MVPs, 13 top-teams, 8 Gold Gloves, 182 OPS+, 762 HRs - Best All-Time, 2558 BB - Best All-Time, even has 514 SBs, had a .609 OBP in 1999. (missed most of 2005, but he's no war hero!) Not sure if he'll ever be an HOFer, but he earned it even before his hat size grew.

1. Ted Williams "The Splendid Splinter", 2 MVPs, 12 top-tens, 17 All-Star teams, 191 OPS+, 521 HRs, 6 batting titles, .482 career OBP - Best All-Time. 2 Triple Crowns (missed 1943, 1944, AND 1945 seasons) I thought Bonds would go here, but the three years Williams missed in his PRIME push him over the top.

Others who were considered:

Yaz - 1 MVP, 129 OPS+, 6 Gold Gloves, 18 All-Star Games, Triple Crown

Willie Stargell - 1 MVP, 147 OPS+

Joe Jackson - .356 Avg, .423 OBP, 170 OPS+

Rickey Henderson - 3055 hits, 2295 Runs (Best All-Time), 1406 SB (Best All-Time), 127 OPS+, Best Lead-Off Hitter ever!

Monte Irvin - Hard to say, didn't get his shot in MLB until he was 30

Tim Raines - underrated because of playing with Rickey

Manny Ramirez - 8 straight top-tens in MVP voting, 500+ HR, will get to 3000 hits, 155 OPS+

Current players who have a chance to make the list:

Ryan Braun - now that he has a position (his tenure at 3rd base was awful), Braun has had an excellent first three years of a career, will hit 30+ HR in his first 3 years, 142 OPS+, ROY, 2 All-Star teams, some MVP-voting love. Time will tell.

Those of you jonesing for some Tito. TOMORROW!!!

I Stole an Idea from Dayf

2009-08-03T09:21:00.000-04:00

Dayf is collecting a 2006-Present Allen & Ginter Master minis set. Not every mini from every year, just one of each number 1-350. As yet another way to reduce the number of cards I keep, I decided to do something similar. The only difference I will collect a set, 1-350, of any type of card: mostly base, throw in a few minis, maybe a black border, A&G back, or even a few of those 09 code cards.

I gathered every A& G card I still own and started filling up pages. Some cards made the cut because they are of young stars who could be great, despite how bad the card looks:Others because they look AWESOME. This Ian Snell rivals the 2008 Russell Martin card in pure cardboard goodness:Still others make the set because I do not have a better card for that particular number. Suez Canal beat out Ubaldo, Klesko, 2 Cantu, and that Horse and Rider for my set's worst card:
So you probably want to know how you can help? Check out my newest want list!
I'll work on getting an A&G for trade list soon.

The cool thing about this set is that it could change next year when A&G Part 5 comes out. Maybe David Wright gets a really lame numbered card and can replace Phil Coke.

Let me know if anyone is interested in 9-page views with commentary on my choices.
Yea, probably not!!!

Score Magic Motion: Anyone?

2009-08-01T11:10:00.005-04:00

Score debuted 1988 with a set with 100% action shots. What a great idea! They also inserted into packs and factory sets these Magic Motion cards:
The magic motion part on the front is pretty much useless but the back contains trivia, highlights, and baseball history.

1988: Do You Remember? (Canuck beat ya to it, aye?)
1989: A Year to Remember (sold to wickedortega for $0)
1990: The MVPs (Chris D'Orso now owns these)
1991: World Series Trivia

If anyone is interested, I will send you one of these sets.

UPDATE: 1991 is still available

BEST: 3rd Base

2009-07-31T09:19:00.000-04:00

The hot corner stirs some debate. Brooks Robinson is the best defensive 3rd baseman of all time, but does that get him in the top 3? No one mentioned Bill Mazeroski when debating 2nd Base! Here's my list:

3. Chipper JonesIt was either Chipper or Mathews. You can't have 2 braves in the top 3. 1 MVP, 6 Top-Tens, led the Braves to the playoffs from '95 to '05, lifetime .310/.407/.545, 421 HR, 145 OPS+, hit so well in Shea that he named his kid after the stadium. Larry has had a great career.

2. George Brett13 straight All-Star teams, 1 MVP, 3000+ hits, .309 lifetime average, 135 OPS+, hitting .390 in 1980, Only 1 Ring but he hit .337 in the postseason, and he used a healthy amount of pine tar.

1. Mike Schmidt3 MVPs, 9 top tens, 10 Gold Gloves, 548 HR, 1500+ RBI, 1 Ring. He's Brooks Robinson Lite in the field AND Mickey Mantle with the bat. Choosing Schmidt at number 1 was possibly the easiest choice so far.

Others considered:
Wade Boggs: 12 straight All-Star teams, 3000+ hits, lifetime .328 avg and .418 obp, 130 OPS+, batted over .350 five times, 1 Ring (oddly enough, it was as a Yankee)

Eddie Mathews: 143 OPS+, 512 HR

Brooks Robinson: 15 straight All-Star teams, 16 straight Gold Gloves, 1 MVP & 7 top-10 MVPs, 2 Rings. With the bat, he was essentially Rusty Staub (who was better than you might think) You can't hit .267/.322/.401 and be the best ever! Bill James rates Ron Santo ahead of Brooks Robinson.

Current players who could be in the conversation:
David Wright: He's 26, has 4 All-Star games, 3 top-tens in MVP, 2 questionable Gold Gloves. He's the face of the Mets. Too bad Citi Field has sucked all his power away.

Evan Longoria: He's 23, ROY, 2 All-Star teams, the sky is the limit

Alex Rodriguez: When he has played more games at the hot corner than at short, he'll go up in the ranks for sure.

It's on the the outfield next. But not before a little more Tito love!

I need addresses!

2009-07-28T16:31:00.003-04:00

Hey blog world. I need some assistance completimg my Giveaway #2. I can't find contact info for the following people:

Need an email and/or address
Zpop (Nationals)
Alex (Reds & Yankees)
Groo the Wanderer (NY Clankees!)
Mr.Derek (a few Football cards)
Travis (Ortiz, Ellsbury, etc)
Jeff Pedersen (Cubs, Sandberg, Grace)
Steve Maitlin (motivation to collect)

More packages are on their way! Thanks for your help.

BEST: Shortstop

2009-07-23T07:38:00.001-04:00

Shortstop is an interesting position. In little league, its where all the best players play (while they are not pitching or occasionally roaming center field). And for a while, it was where weak bats with outstanding gloves played. And then there was ARod/Jeter/Garciaparra. With a few exceptions, SS has once again become a light hitting position in the big leagues. Here are my picks for the best Shortstops in history:

3. Cal RipkenRipken broke the light-hitting shortstop mold of the 70's. He could hit. And was underrated as a fielder. He threw the ball so effortlessly to first. He went to 19 straight All-Star games, won 2 MVPs, and ROY. He hit 431 HRs and had over 3000 hits. And there was the games played streak. Not bad for a the number three spot.

2. Alex RodriguezYou might call foul on this one for a variety of reasons. He has played more games at SS than at 3rd base. He also won 2 Gold Gloves for the two seasons prior to coming to the Yankees. He should be playing shortsop right now instead of that Jeter guy. He has won 3 MVPs, 9 top 10's in MVP voting, and 12 All-Star selections. He has a career OPS+ of 147 and 570 HR and counting. I hate that he did steroids but I can't leave him off my list because of it. I may have sub-consciously dropped him from the top spot because of them (or it may have been all those games at 3rd base). I figure he will be the most controversial pick.

1. Honus Wagner
To many collectors, Wagner is simply the face on the most famous sports card ever. He was a great player. He batted .327, with a .391 OBP, and an OPS+ of 150 for his career. He did play in the teens, but he ranks in the top 10 in career hits, doubles, triples, and stolen bases. Rodriguez is hot on his heels for the top spot but maybe not as a shortstop. Wagner was too good to be ignored.

Others in the conversation:

Cap'n Jeter - Jeter is a fantastic player. He will certainly reach 3000 hits, all in pinstripes. His 4 rings and .304 postseason average will take him straight to Cooperstown. But he is not the best shortstop on his own team. Sorry Yankee fans.

Arky Vaughn - Second best shortstop of his era behind Honus Wagner.

Today:

Hanley Ramirez - He's the only current SS that can even be considered. He is 25 and has won a ROY and followed it with 2 outstanding seasons. He is playing even better this year. His average is up, strikeouts are down, and his power numbers are holding steady. Too bad he is stuck in Florida. Ramirez doesn't get the credit he deserves. I don't think he'll be top-three all-time but you never know. He certainly has the potential.

As usual, what do you think?

Oh yea, SEND ME YOUR ADDRESS FOR THE GIVEAWAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Tito Fuentes (1972) x2

2009-07-21T21:08:00.001-04:00

Send your address if you requested cards in the giveaway!!!

I know that ALL of you have been anxiously awaiting the next Tito Fuentes post and here it is. This time you are lucky enough to get double the Tito, thanks to the In Action cards featured in 1972 Topps. We'll start with the regular card #427:1972 Topps is as 7o's a design as you can get. GIANTS explodes from the top of the card, along with a few stars. The colored borders are almost psychodelic. Tito is wearing a collared, warm-up jacket under his uniform. Wonder why no one wears these anymore? I think I could probably come up with a few reasons. He is posing as a lefthanded batter. (He is a switch-hitting right-hander. Solid fake posing from Mr.Fuentes.

Tito was featured on card #428 as well:
This card deserves the a Dinged Corners' special rating. Tito is mid-air. He has just jumped over or fell over an opposing runner. There is a whole section of relaxed fans in the stands.

And now: STATS ON THE BACK!!!
Here's what we learn:
1.Fuentes had an excellent 1971 season in San Francisco. 172 hits, a 273 avg, and 28 doubles.
2. Minor league stats back to 1962. He started playing pro ball at age 18. I'm still impresses by his epic 1965 season in Tacoma.
3. A "duster" is a pitch thrown at a batter's head. This fun factoid is accompanied by a cartoon of a ballplayer actually dusting with a feather duster. How clever!

More fun Tito facts on the back of the In Action card?What? This is OUTRAGEOUS! Rick Wise info polluting the sacred card back of hero Tito Fuentes. We do learn that Wise threw a no-no while blasting not one, but two homeruns to help himself. The odd thing is that Wise has his own IA card in 1972 Topps. The IA backs contained season highlights, league leaders, and puzzle pieces. As possibly the only Tito Fuentes collector, the lack of new Titonean knowledge is more than a little disappointing. Kudos to Rick for his impressive 1971 highlight. Boo Topps for the slight to Mr.Fuentes.

Stay tuned for more Tito Fuentes! AND SEND ME YOUR ADDRESS. 19 packages shipped today!

Not Immune to the A & G Frenzy: Retail Edition

2009-07-18T17:26:00.001-04:00

My brother has recently agreed to split a box of 09 Topps Allen & Ginter. You may have heard from other bloggers that this set is now available. In fact, you may have heard it from ALL bloggers. My brother and I split a box last year and had loads of fun busting it, laughing about the strange mix of cards, and trading for our favorites. We even made our money back by selling the Serena Williams autographed card we pulled.

I decided to jump the gun a little when I saw retail packs available at Target. I was pleased with the results. Here are the 3-pack highlights:
Pack 1
100 Ichiro (Yea, he's like Prince, Madonna, and McLovin. He only needs 1 name.)112 Millito Navarro - Negro League Star (I love these. I might have to collect 'em.)
312 AJ Burnett SP (He was on my simulation league team for many years.)
Mini 196 Joey Votto A&G Back (Votto deserves the Jay Bruce love)

Pack 2
7 John Smoltz (Shouldn't he be playing at Turnberry this week?)
228 Simpson/Bunker (I like some of the oddities, but this ain't one of the ones I like. I need that Pi card)
310 Old Faithful SP (Good trade bait)
NP7 Larry Jones (He won't be calling his next child Citi. HAH!)

Pack 3
89 Elvis Andrus (RC) (A kid named Elvis. Sweet!)
Mini 75 David Wright Black Border (Don't you love it when you get a special mini of a player you really like. And those black borders look especially cool this year.)

3 packs - 2 SPs, 2 A&G backs, 1 black border, and an Ichiro. Not too bad.

DON'T FORGET TO SEND ME YOUR ADDRESS FOR GIVEAWAY #2.
First packages go out next week.

Don't Call It a Comeback

2009-07-16T13:13:00.000-04:00

I been here for days
Readin' the blog page
Still in a Europe haze
Hope this is only a phase

Thanks to LL for that. I am back from Europe, working on putting together packages for the overwhelming number of responses to my giveaway offer. IF YOU REQUESTED CARDS, PLEASE EMAIL ME YOUR ADDRESS. My email address can be found on my profile page. This would help me out tremendously.

Meanwhile, there was a package in my stack of mail when I returned. It was from Ed over at Roll Out the Barrel. I had a Dave Bush Gold card that only he wanted so I sent it to him with a few Brewers from his want list. He sent me these WAY better cards:

2008 Upper Deck Masterpieces Dave WinfieldThat leaves only 1 card left to complete the set. I still need #101 Cal Ripken SP.

1985 Topps Dwight GoodenDoc was so good in the 80's. He is definitely one of the reasons I am a Mets fan. It certainly isn't because of their stellar play on the field or GM decisions off the field as of late. Here's hoping Frenchy will put a hurtin' on the Braves this week.

2008 Goudey SPs I simply love this 2008 Goudey set. Fellow collectors have been more than generous helping me collect it little by little. These Yankee SPs are much appreciated. You can help me more by checking my 08 Goudey want list. (Note: that white thing on ARod's face is a printing mistake.)

2009 O-Pee-Chee NY, NY Daniel MurphyPretty nice looking view of old Shea Stadium. I would be happy to give any of these a home. Last year was the final seasons in both Shea & Yankee Stadiums. I have heard many radio personalities speak of how the Mets badly needed a new home but the Yankees did not. I went to both stadiums last year and let me tell you, both were dumps. Yankee stadium was simply the site of old Yankee Stadium. In the 1970's, they turned it into just another stadium of the time like Veterans, Three Rivers, and Shea.

Thanks Ed, for these and the other cards you sent my way. I will get all the packages out over the next few weeks as long as I get everyone's address. Thanks and it's good to be home.

Giveaway #2

2009-07-03T08:00:00.001-04:00

I'm off to Europe with my better half for 10 days. We will be spending time in London, Paris, and Rome. We have been saving nickels and dimes for quite a few years to make this trip. When I return, I'll be doing a follow-up to my giveaway from late last year. I'm trying to reduce the ol' collection some more so I am ready to send out more cards.

Just leave a comment with what team you are looking for. You can also leave some brief preferences such as:

1. I have all flagship Topps cards since the dawn of man, so don't send me any.
2. The sight of 1988 Donruss makes me hurl.
3. Cap'n Crunch is a cereal, not a card brand.
4. Anything but Canseco and that Miller kid. Who collects those guys?
5. Please burn all Braves cards so as to not pollute collections across the country.
6. I only collect Astros with pinstripes and mustaches.
etc, etc, etc

You get the point. I will be sending out 50-300 cards per request. If you choose a team that was not chosen last time, you might end up with 800 cards (ex. Giants, Angels, A's, etc) This is a great chance for you to start or build upon your team collection. If you would like to send cards in return, there are 3 options:

1. Send as many cards off of my want list as you care to ship.
2. Send one card of your choice.
3. Send nothing and enjoy!

Tell your friends and neighbors. I'll do my best to accommodate.

BEST: 2nd Base

2009-06-25T17:13:00.000-04:00

Continuing my series of posts on the best of all time...

2nd Base is tough. It's so tough to compare across eras, but that is the fun of it. Here's my list:

#3 - Rogers Hornsby - many may argue that he should be number 1 and maybe he should. He played 23 seasons, 10 of which were freakishly good. But he played in the teens. 175 UPS+. Bring on the arguments!
#2 - Joe Morgan - 2 MVPs, 5 straight top 1os. He did everything well, he hit for power, stole over 40 bases 9 times, .392 lifetime OBP. Don't hold his color commentary or his EGO against him when judging his playing career.
#1 - Jackie Robinson - didn't play in the Bigs until he was 28, ROY his first year, top 15 in MVP voting from ages 28 to 34. He was outstanding despite the crap he had to endure. His early and mid 20s would have produced some pretty special career numbers.
Others I considered:
Naploean Lojoie - played in the 1800's.
Craig Biggio - great and versatile player, played outfield and catcher, too many average years trying to get to 3000 hits.
Roberto Alomar - like Biggio, played a little too long, was never great after the spitting incident.
Eddie Collins - played too early but was really good for a lot of years.

Today's players who may one day make the list:
Chase Utley - he got a late start to his career. He is already 30 and would need 8-10 more years of what he has done the past few.
Dustin Pedroia - he'll never rack up crazy numbers but he plays the game tough. The hardware is piling up already: World Series Ring, ROY, MVP, All-Star, Gold Glove, Silver Slugger. Quite impressive for a pint-sized runt.

What do you think?

Bad Wax Group Break - Pack 5

2009-06-23T17:11:00.000-04:00

2002 SPx4 cards per pack. It's got to have a superstar.

63 Kevin Brown - star-ish
37 Bernie Williams - star in NY only
9 Greg Vaughn - star in 1990 only
72 Josh Beckett - as close as I am gonna get.

That's all for my 5 packs from the Bad Wax group break. That was some Bad Wax indeed.

But would I do it again? Of course I would!

Bad Wax Group Break - Pack 4

2009-06-23T10:42:00.000-04:00

2002 Upper Deck VintageIt's the set everybody wanted 2009 O-Pee-Chee to be!

75 Manny Ramirez - the backs of these cards look great. Better than the dark green backs of 1971. Manny is pictured sans dreads.

39 CC Sabathia
2 Mo Vaughn - ugh! Steve Phillips, I shake my fist at you!!!
259 Adam Dunn
227 D'Angelo Jimenez - Nice action shot. Jimenez could be any of the three guys in the photo. Classic 70's action photography. Too bad the UD photographer used a zoom lens to make it less authentic.
192 Jose Vidro
33 Brent Abernathy
277 AL ERA Leaders - Garcia, Mussina, and Mays (Joe, not Willie)
188 Dodgers Rookies - Ricardo Rodriguez and Carlos Garcia
NG12 Randy Johnson - Night-Gamers - I assume Night Owl has this insert set. If not, this one's yours.I really like this set but the pack was so-so. One more pack to go. It's got to be better than the first 4, right?
dsdscsc

Bad Wax Group Break - Pack 3

2009-06-22T19:07:00.000-04:00

2006 Fleer TraditionThe logos on the hats remind of the Fleer Stickers that came in packs in the 1980's.

66 Jeff Kent - Unlikable, but excellent. I think he is in the HOF.
24 Brad Lidge - So good this year, So bad this year.
92 Taylor Buchholz (RC) - Currently recovering from being Tommy Johned.
93 Miguel Cabrera - Best card of the pack. Underrated but not underweight.51 Chris Carpenter
9 Luis Gonzalez - Is he still playing?
151 Josh Beckett
109 Jose Vidro
107 Lastings Milledge (RC) - This would have been the card of the pack but I already have it.
197 Gary Sheffield - HOF? Did steroids but, like Giambi is forgiven.

Another un-inspiring pack. Two more to go.

Bad Wax Group Break - Pack 2

2009-06-22T17:44:00.000-04:00

2004 Fleer PlatinumI really like the look of this set. 1984 FLEER is great. White borders, team inspired stripes, logos on the front of the card. Nice design. Let 'er rip:

52 Sammy Sosa - Roider 1
30 Alex Rodriguez - Roider 285 Richard Hidalgo
12 Marlon Anderson
68 Kerry Wood
109 Milton Bradley - Great name. Having a tough go of it for the Cubbies this year.
185 Craig Brazell & Danny Garcia - Mets Prospects - Brazell appeared in 24 games for the Mets in 2004. Garcia appeared in 77 games for the Mets in 2003 & 2004. Don't think either are plaing ball anymore.

Not any better than pack 1. Sosa and Rodriquez were the highlights AND the lowlights of this one.

Bad Wax Group Break - Pack 1

2009-06-20T14:12:00.001-04:00

1999 SP Top Prospects

I chose to open this first to get it out of the way. J.D. Drew on the wrapper put a bad taste in my mouth. Needless to say, I am not a fan. I like the shiny goldness of these cards. Here's what I got:

43 Mario Encarnacion - played a few games for Cincy and Colorado. Suspended for taking steroids while in Japan. Died in 2005.

19 Ryan Brannan
93 Drew Henson - cool photo of him juggling a football and 2 baseballs. Too bad he didn't do either well at the professional level.

54 Jason Grilli - journeyman RP currently with the Rangers
7 Lance Berkman CL - Favorite card of the pack. I love me some "Fat Elvis"!

100 Danny Peoples
110 Fernando Seguignol - Expo and Yankee.
126 Mike Zywica

Good fun! The Berkman is a keeper. Are there Drew Henson fans out there?

WANDY!

2009-06-19T17:37:00.001-04:00

Wandy is COOLER than you for many reasons. Here are a few:

1. His name is Wandy. It's his real first name, not a nickname.
2. He is not bounded by the playing field. He'll even pitch in the stands.
3. Even though his first name is as sweet as they come, he doesn't feel the need to sign it.
4. Nor does he care to include the RIG in his last name.
5. Chuck Norris calls him "Mr. Rodguez".

I traded my Palmer SP

2009-06-06T12:11:00.000-04:00

...to JayBee! He goes after every flagship card Topps produces and they ain't making it easy on him as of late. I jumped at the chance to help out on his quest to collect 'em all.

I got a plethora of Mets in return. Here are a few:

Two One-of-Every Met upgrades: I collect Mets, not every Mets card ever produced, I just want to be sure to have at least one of every player to don the blue and orange. I have binders, with the years labeled and a handy spreadsheet to tell me where each new Met should go. I never mind upgrading cards of players I already have with a more shiny, relicy, or autography card. Church and Cancel each get a GOLD upgrade!My first Daniel Murphy card: Murphy struggles in the field but his bat has been a plus this season for the Mets. With injuries to Delgado, Reyes, etc, just the ability to hold a bat is a plus for the Mets.
Mets Ring of Honor!!!! I like these so much, I am adding a new want list. I have to get them all now. I guess it's nice to think back to 1986 these days. Go Mets!
Thanks JayBee, and happy hunting for Obama and the rest.

Ultimate Night Card???

2009-05-24T00:12:00.000-04:00

Hey Night Owl, is this the ultimate night card?It looks like they put the card number on the MOON.

I am pretty sure Buice was part owner of Upper Deck back when they started. I vaguely remember seeing Upper Deck samples of Buice and other Angels at a card show in 1989. I assume this shot came from a promotional photo shoot before the initial Upper Deck release.

Buice pitched for 3 seasons. His best was easily his rookie year when he saved 17 games.
The design of 1989 Upper Deck holds up well even today. The same cannot be said for Buice's polyester uni or his crazy stache.

2 Oddball Junior Griffeys

2009-05-22T22:20:00.001-04:00

Check out these two Ken Griffey Jr Cards:

FRONTS

The one on the left: Looks like a 1988 Topps Card. It's not! Its on white card stock and is perfectly cut. I thought it was a Broder card but most of them are borderless.

The one on he right: Looks like 1975 Topps. It's not! Junior would have been 6 years old. This card came out of Baseball Cards Magazine in 1991. I cut it out of its panel with a very sharp knife and a straight edge.

BACKS

Left: Cleverly numbered to 793 as if it was in the actual set. Fun factoid includes pointy hands just like the original 1988's.

Right: Includes cartoon trivia with upside down answer. Too bad the answer is also right side up in the cartoon itself. And the answer appears again in the info below his name. Baseball Cards magazine's research department must have been weak. Never know Junior and Senior's first name was George.

Any info on the card on the left would be swell!

Update: Found this ebay listing. Seller has 7 available for $49.99 each. Anybody have any info on American Sports cards?

Tito Fuentes (1971)

2009-05-20T16:52:00.000-04:00

While my newsworthy early break of 2009 Topps Series brought in the readers, I can't resist blogging about Tito. Here is the 1971 installment of Fuentes on cardboard:

Still bunted AND still unhappy about it. His position is listed as INFIELD. Tito played 2B, SS and 3B in 1970 with at least 24 games at each position.

STATS-ON-THE-BACK!!!!!!!!
1. 1971 Topps has lame backs. No cartoon,a dark B%W photo, weak player info, and only 2 lines of stats. TWO LINES OF STATS. It almost makes me cry, but Tito would not like that.
2. Switch Hitter. Should have found that info in 1970 but the there was so much ststy goodness on that card. FYI - His 1967 card listed him as a right-handed batter only. Not sure when he started hitting from both sides.
3. I got nothing else for you.

1972 promises to be a step up for one reason, Double the Tito!

Tito Fuentes (1970)

2009-05-16T15:55:00.000-04:00

Tito's 1967 line of.209/.266/.294 did not impress the Giants or Topps. Fuentes did not appear in a big league game in 1968, thus no card in 1969 either. He found his way back to the Giants in 1969. Here's his 1970 Topps card #42:
He's bunting but he's not that into it. Maybe it's payback on Topps for leaving him out in 1968. Also notice that he has moved from the middle of the infield to the HOT corner.

And now flip to the STATS-ON-THE-BACK:Here is the new info we now know:
1. Second last name: Peat?
2. Lettered in baseball, basketball, and Boxing. What high school has varsity boxing?
3. Anoher Hobby: Ping Pong. While not coaching little league, Tito plays table tennis. Multi-talented! Don't you think it's unfair that Athletes are so often gifted in multiple sports. Yes, Ping Pong is a sport.
4. Tito earned his roster spot back with some nice stats in Phoenix. He didn't play much so maybe he was actually injured.

1971 Topps comin' at you, NEXT!

3 Packs-O-Series 2

2009-05-14T19:41:00.000-04:00

... from my friendly neighborhood Target. Look for the green wrappers featuring Ron Howard.

Here's a sampling of contents of aforementioned 3 packs:

A trio new Metropolitans. Cora is hitting .333, K-Rod has a 411 ERA+ w/9 saves, and Putz is pitching way better than Heilmann. Nice springy photos of these guys in their new duds.

A Rookie.Porcello is 3-3 and pitching well. He's only 20 years old. This was the only RC logo-ed card in the three packs.

A bevy of fun photography.
Mauer always looks cool in that old-school Twins helmet. Ian Snell is signing for a few Dairy Queen fans. Hernandez looks fierce because of the close-up catcher shot. Frandsen is flying over the bag to avoid an incoming slider. Jason Bay looks positively Mannyrific next to that monstrosity of green. Cool pics Topps!

And Jim Palmer?
SP! It's my first one. Definitely my best card from the few '09 packs I've bought. I would like to have the Christy Mathewson from Series 1.

I got the usual ToppsTown, Turkey Red, and Combo cards too. More Tito SOON!

Tito Fuentes (1967)

2009-05-13T20:43:00.000-04:00

More Tito so soon? Si!!!

Here is Tito's 1967 Topps card commemorating his first full season in the majors:
Fuentes finished third in the ROY voting behind Tommy Helms and Sonny Jackson in 1966.
Since lame catcher Bob Barton is not cluttering up the card, maybe we can find out some nuggets from the STATS-ON-THE-BACK:1. Born in 1944. That would make him 65, qualifying him for discount coffee everywhere!
2. Led the Giants in SB. Since Tito only had 6, it means San Fran was frightfully slow on the base paths. One might choose the term Boog-esque.
3. Kid friendly. He managed a little league team. The cartoon depicts Tito yelling at a scared child. Other cartoon pictures Tito holding a firearm. Topps cartoonists seem unfond of young Fuentes.
4. May have juiced in 1965. Over a 200% increase in HR from the previous year? Kidding!
5. Good Power ... for a man of his size? 5'11'' 175 9 HRs. Sounds about right.

Don't get your hopes up for 1968 and 1969 Topps cards. We'll catch up with Tito in the groovy 70's!

Tito Fuentes (1966)

2009-05-12T19:54:00.000-04:00

At long last, I thought I would share some TITO!

I am now a true Tito Fuentes super-collector. I check ebay at least twice a week to see if any cool Tito paraphernalia is for sale. I got the RC quite a while back.
Tito is featured with catcher Bob Barton. Fuentes is still very young and isn't ready to show off the flair that later characterizes his cardboardian images.
Here's what we find out about the mysterious young Tito Fuentes from his STATS-ON-THE-BACK!
1. Middle-Infielder. SS-2B
2. Considerable Pop. 20 homers in Tacoma last year (1965).
3. Future Legend. It does say Rookie Star. 302 average last year? Ok, maybe decent prospect.

Come back for some '67 vintage Tito!

While not blogging...

2009-05-10T20:32:00.000-04:00

I have been doing a few other things.

1. Baseball Boss-ing. It's oddly addictive and it's free. I am the SE Durham Stat Backs in the Walter Alston Division if you want to challenge me. I'm willing to put my sub-500 record on the line against anyone. If you didn't know, the game is very baseball-card-centric.2. Planning for our Europe trip this summer. Passports, plane tickets, etc. London to Paris to Rome!!! Mt wife did most of the planning but I did have to pose for my passport photo.
3. Getting closer to my Master's degree in Middle School Math Education. I just started my very last class. I'll be done on June 18! Paper due today AND I have to finish reading a book by tomorrow.
4. Zistle-ing. I am working on uploading the collection. Lots of scanning the fronts and backs of cards. Not sure what my goal is but I am enjoying it in small doses.
5. Saw Star Trek. It was awesome!!! I hate all other Star Trek which gives me at least a little regular guy cred.

There you have it. All perfectly acceptable reasons to not blog. My mother was actually worried about me because of my lack of posts. All is well. Who knows, maybe I'll post again tomorrow!

"Utley Steals Second" Evokes "Luis Swipes Base"

2009-03-29T17:59:00.000-04:00

I have bought a few packs of 2009 Heritage. I like them more than previous year's Heritage sets because they decided not to distort the images quite so much. This one in particular caught my eye:I instantly thought of my one and only 1960 Topps card, elegantly creased through the middle:
Maybe Utley should have swiped his rather than simply stealing it, but I won't be too picky. The odd, overlapping League logos adds to the authentic flavor of this card. Despite my increasing distaste for the Phils (not yet to Bravian proportions), Topps did a great job with this one.

Even the backs are spot on:

I'll have some 2009 MLB predictions up soon. There is no way I am picking my Mets. I am more than a little superstitious about such things!

Blog Bat Around V: My First Card Show

2009-03-21T21:27:00.000-04:00

As a former set buyer/collector, I don't have lots of memories of obtaining individual cards. That is changing as I am becoming a more selective collector.

I can tell you exactly how I obtained many of the new cars to my collection: I traded a Kobe for a Chipper Sports Royalty (that one hurt my Met-feelings). I won a Duke Snider auto in a All-Star contest (the Duke was a bonus to the main prize). I recently bought a super-shiny Tito Fuentes on Ebay for my super collection (I really will show off the Titos at some point on this blog).

But I wanted to share the treasures I found at my very first card show in 1985!!!!

1983 Topps Leaders Dave KingmanI got this Kingman out of a box of singles for probably a quarter, maybe less. Until I looked it up today, 24 years after I bought it, I wasn't sure what it was. It has a blank back and indicates that Dave hit 37 dingers in the upper left corner of the front. It is slightly miscut. It was my first oddball card. Apparently, Topps issued a sheet of league leaders with no numbers and no backs in 1983. Now I know.

Kingman was a free swinger who would fit right in with today's sluggers Howard, Fielder, and Dunn.

1977 Topps Joaquin Andujar RCThat's right, a Andujar ROOKIE CARD! Before relics, parallels, and autos, the RC was the one and only king of the hobby. I picked up Joaquin for somewhere between a quarter and a half dollar. At the the time, I didn't have an older RC of any player, much less a 20 game winner like Andujar.

He won 20 in 1984 and 1985 and finished in the top 5 in CY voting both years.

1985 Topps USA Team SetI have mentioned this purchase before. I bought the US team set, wrapped in cellophane wrap, for a quarter. Back when McGwires were selling for serious coin, it was the single greatest card purchase of my life. It probably still is.

When I bought it, Oddibe McDowell was the stud of the group. He played over 100 games in 1985. Cory Snyder played over 100 in 1986. It wasn't until 1987 that Mark McGwire busted out with 49 Home runs. Great team set, better memory!

There you have it, my favorite card acquisitions. All combined for under $1!