Mint Condition

Really, Topps?

2012-01-30T21:25:00.002-05:00

You know, after five years I kinda thought the Poley Walnuts onslaught was over.

I often inquire as to why the hell Topps keeps doing this. Is it to make people open numerous packs to search for the gimmicks? Is it to drive away veteran collectors, and instead lead them to lives as Pony Enthusiasts (this is the third reference I made. I hope he gets it or I'll keep making them less subtle)? Or maybe there is no reason. Maybe they just have a board meeting, and one guy says "You know what...this tradition stuff is boring. Let's just take the collectors that have stood by our side for so many years, and just f--k with them."

I'd like to punch that guy in the face.

This gimmick infuriates me the most because, as we're being led to believe, this card is actually being placed in the base set. There will be no normal Skip Schumaker card, only a card OF A FREAKING SQUIRREL. Of course, if you're a Cardinals hater (like me, thanks to an overly snooty Cardinal fan "friend"), then you might just throw the card out, even if it was a legit Schumaker. Can you imagine versions of this card being produced for factory sets, for gold variations, etc? What if Schumaker gets an All Star nod, and they make a team set? Do they put the frigging squirrel in the set, beside Jose Reyes and Ryan Howard?

Oh, it makes me MAD!

Because I have to end this blog post somehow, I'll say this: There's a possibility that this squirrel card is the only bit of poo Topps will fling at us. That after this, they'll give us a decent set and a gimmickless season.

A very slim possibility, though. About the size of an acorn, being nibbled on by that damn rally squirrel.

Card Show: A Load of Swag

2012-01-28T15:58:00.002-05:00

It's been a while since I ventured out to a local card show, being that last year I didn't go to too many. But I figured, since my weekend looked pretty clear, and there was one at a local mall, I kinda had to. So I went, and returned with 2 bags full of cards (baseball and football), mainly picked from 10 cent bins.

Baseball:

The Vintage:
1972 Topps Luis Aparicio, Jim Hunter
1973 Harmon Killebrew (for a dollar!)
1974 Rollie Fingers, Tony Perez
1980 Dennis Eckersley

The 2011 Update: Lance Berkman Booze-fractor, Rafael Furcal, Eduardo Nunez rookie, Russell Martin, Jason Giambi, Adrian Beltre, Charlie Furbush rookie, Michael Pineda RD, Adam Dunn, David DeJesus, Miguel Tejada, Matt Holliday AS, Kerry Wood, Edgar Renteria, Carlos Quentin AS, David Ortiz AS

The Rookies:
2001 Topps Rafael Soriano, Adrian Gonzalez.
2007 Masterpieces Billy Butler
2007 Topps Factory Set Billy Butler
2010 Topps Update Jonny Venters
2008 Timeline Alexei Ramirez

The 2007 SP Authentic (I swear, one dealer had a lot of these): Frank Thomas, Justin Verlander, Todd Helton, Greg Maddux, Josh Hamilton, Vladimir Guerrero, Lance Berkman, Ivan Rodriguez, Tom Glavine, Mark Teixiera and Jim Thome
The 2001 Topps: Edgar Martinez, Alfonso Soriano, Mike Piazza, Craig Biggio, Kerry Wood Golden.
The 1999 Topps: Mariano Rivera,
The 2000 Topps: Hideo Nomo
The 2005 Donruss Champions: Craig Biggio, Willie McCovey (Padres), Roberto Alomar (Indians), Rickey Henderson (Mariners), Tom Seaver (Reds).
The 2007 SP Legendary: Harmon Killebrew
The 2005 SP Legendary: Bob Lemon
The 2005 Diamond King: Roy Oswalt
The 90's Baseball Heroes: Hank Aaron, Nolan Ryan
The 2007 A&G Sketch: Mark Teixiera
The Turkey Red: 2009 Curtis Granderson
The 2006 WalMart: Bobby Abreu, Adam Dunn, Andruw Jones. Must be a theme.
The 2009 Propaganda: Andrew McCutchen
The Masterpiece: 2008 Dave Winfield
The Needed Chicle: Reggie Jackson
The Gypsy Queen: Ivan Rodriguez

Football:

The 2009 Topps: And there is a lot:
Terrell Owens, Derrick Brooks, Jerod Mayo ROY, James Harrison ROY, Greg Jennings, Reggie Bush, Matt Schaub, Darelle Revis, Frank Gore, Steve Smith, Matt Hasselbeck, Fred Taylor, Jamaal Charles, Carson Palmer, Joey Galloway, Osi Umenyiora, Ed Reed, Vince Young, Jordy Nelson, DeAngelo Williams, Dwayne Bowe, Anquan Boldin, Bernard Berrian, Ryan Grant, Tashard Choice, Justin Tuck, Vernon Davis, London Fletcher, Devin Hester, Steven Jackson, Donald Driver, Patrick Willis, Torry Holt, Larry Fitzgerald, Larry Johnson, Nnamdi Asomugha, LaMarr Woodley, Vincent Jackson, Edgerrin James, Jay Cutler, Ray Lewis, Trent Cole, LaDainian Tomlinson, Heath Miller, Jeremy Shockey and Jared Allen
I know.

The 90's to 2000's Topps:
1993- Joe Montana, Emmitt Smith,
1995- Emmitt Smith
1998- Jerome Bettis, Deion Sanders, Jerry Rice, Reggie White, John Elway
1999- Deion Sanders, Emmitt Smith,
2001- Donovan McNabb, Randall Cunningham
2004- Emmitt Smith, Drew Brees, Tedi Bruschi, Jerome Bettis
2006- Kurt Warner, Anquan Boldin, Edgerrin James, Issac Bruce
2007- Jay Cutler
2010- Brian Dawkins

The Topps Archives: Ken Stabler, Ozzie Newsome, Jackie Slater, Fred Biletnikoff, Lester Hayes, Jack Youngblood, Bob Griese, James Lofton, Jim Kelly, Boomer Esiason, Charlie Joiner

The Rookies:
1999 Bowman Hines Ward
2001 Topps Santana Moss
2004 Chris Cooley, Jonathan Vilma
2005 Jason Campbell, Roddy White
2006 Mario Williams, DeAngelo Williams
2009 Ray Maualugalugagagaga

The 2008 RP: Marshawn Lynch, Jared Allen
The 2005 Topps Heritage: Jerome Bettis
The Masterpiece: 2008 Eddie Royal
The Chicle: Donovan McNabb, Braylon Edwards, Brian Dawkins,
The 2004 Fleer Showcase: Donovan McNabb
The Turkey Red: Steve Smith
The 2008 60's Topps Inserts: Eric Dickerson, Matt Ryan, Eli Manning
The 2010 Draft Inserts: Gale Sayers, Eric Dickerson

All in all, it was a good show. I'll probably be going to the Philly show in a few months, so stay tuned for that.

Juan More Outfielder for Philly

2012-01-27T21:32:00.004-05:00

Back when Juan Pierre was on the Marlins, three teams ago, the man was incredibly speedy and would always get on base and bite the Phillies in the ass. Hell, the 2003 series was painful to watch, knowing that Pierre, one of the guys that base-stole Philly into submission, was walking off with the ring.

(Of course, the 2003 series was also painful because THE YANKEES BLEW IT, but that's another story for another rant.)

So after Pierre humiliates us numerous times as a Marlin from 2003-2005, he leaves the NL East. Thankfully that is. He settles on teams that are good, but can't be taken seriously, and after a while I actually begin to respect him as a player. This is mainly because I knew full well that he was the best base-stealer in baseball (check the wall at Cooperstown, it says so.) Last season the man recieved his 2000th hit. I really don't think he'll hit 3000, or even grace a wall in Cooperstown (one in the main hall), but you can agree that when he's not tormenting Philadelphia, he's fun to watch.

Today, Juan Pierre signed with the Phillies, on a minor league deal that could lead to a potential outfielder spot if one of the three get hurt (and if Raul Ibanez does the right thing and retires). This means that as awesome as a Mayberry/Victorino/Pence outfield is, now there's an extra hand to fill the board whenever one of the gets hurt. And that's great. One thing this Philly team needs is speed and hits, and Pierre can supply both of those. Mainly speed.

However, the one thing that fatigues me is that while I said Pierre was an extra hand, I didn't mention how many other extra hands there are in the Philly outfield. Because waiting in the wings with Juan are two older, slower hands that could be pissed of if they don't get their time. Their names are Laynce Nix and Scott Posednik.

I know what your thinking: Yes, Scott Posednik is not only still alive, but he's still playing.

Nix and Posednik can hit, and that's why they were signed in the first place. However, Posednik, approaching his tenth Major League season, is getting quite old, and is becoming a journeyman outfielder whose sole purpose is to at least get some playing time. Nix has a similar deal. Imagine Nix and Posednik are like the two old financers in the movie Trading Places. Their motive is for our heroes to fail. And if they win, then the people in the crowd will boo.

In summary, I personally think Juan Pierre would be a decent fit for the Philly outfield. True, he is 34. But he can still hit, can still field, and can still steal bases.

Scott Posednik and Laynce Nix can only do one of those three things.

Who would you rather sign?

Bye Jorge

2012-01-25T17:38:00.002-05:00

You had an excellent career, marred by age and obcelescence at the very end. Hopefully non-Bronx fans will respect you as much as I did. Especially in about six years. That would really help.

Still, nice job. You're among the greatest Yankee catchers, next to Dickey, Berra, Howard and Munson. You deserve a rest.

A letter to Topps

2012-01-25T00:00:00.000-05:00

Dear Topps,

I have attempted many times to write to you in the past, through my blog. Though I never have really gotten your attention, and have never actually heard back from you (wasn't there a Beverly Cleary book like this?), I figured I'd at least pretend to get your attention. Because, once again, I'm not happy with a decision you've made.

Ever since the Alex Gordon debacle in 2006 Topps, we, the proud collectors of the internet, have begged on our geeky, blogging knees for you to give us a no-frills, no-gimmicks flagship set. Also, ever since the 2011 set did exactly what the 2010 set did in terms of inserts, we've been asking for original insert ideas. In other words, we wanted every subsequent Topps design to be different than the last.

At the National, you introduced the 2012 set as a Game Changer. My question, as the hour of the set's release grows nearer and nearer, is simply this: What game did you intend to change? Because as far as my perfect vision can see, I see only subtle differences between the 2012 flagship and the 2011 flagship, and even the flagship before that.

The inserts still echo the tired Peak Performance, Legendary Lineage and Reprints types of repitition. There are still inserts commemerating the player's achievements, putting two players together, and just looking cool, and not distinguishing themselves from last year's. And the gimmicks we have so desperately asked you to get rid of? You've managed to take what would be a simple update set addition for two great players, and turn it into a short printed bonanza that won't give great players like Albert Pujols and Jose Reyes a proper base card in their new uniform. It's infuriating.

And believe me, I am not the only one who is pissed at you. I am simply the messenger. Bloggers such as BDJ610, and Chris Harris have spoken against the new gimmicks and inserts. The latter has even threatened a second Topps boycott. And that's what a lot of traditional collectors might do- just give up collecting the flagship set if it's gonna contain the usual shenanigans.

In closing, I will say this: If you really want 2012 Topps to be a game changer, you should have listened to the collectors, and taken the criticism to make a better set altogether. This changes no game. It simply slides another space nearer to Jail. And I don't think you'll be holding a Get out of Jail Free card this time.

Hoping there's something awesome planned for later in the year/2013,

Jordan
the Mint Condition kid.

P.S.- Notice how I didn't ask to bring back Topps Total. Maybe that's cause IT WAS IMPLIED!

Giving up the crown

2012-01-24T18:01:00.004-05:00

(I was going to title this "Clown Price of Crime", but I didn't want any Detroit residents to come and kill me.)
So there we go. After a strange and eventful offseason, one of the big guns finally signs a contract, signalling the turning point in the herald of cannonballs. And while everyone thought this bomb would go in one direction, it ended up sailing into Detroit.
The Tigers do not need a first baseman. What they need is a hitter. After Victor Martinez left in a stretcher, they needed to fill a hole. Unfortunately, in filling one hole, they left several others open. For instance, the Tigers already have a first baseman. Miguel, Prince. Prince, Miguel. Perhaps you've heard of him. He's been an excellent player for Detroit ever since he was snatched from Florida.
However, the Tigers saw that there was a star free, and snatched him. Why? Why not?
Fielder is going to end up booting a fine star from his position. Either he will play first and Cabrera will play third, or he will play third. Either way, this does not bode well for the Tigers' current third baseman, who happens to be a long tenured Tiger.
His name is Inge. And he is probably quite pissed off right now.
Which is why I am so dismayed by this deal. The Tigers DO NOT NEED Prince Fielder. Yet the moment they saw no one else had him, they snatched him up in seconds. This infuriates me. Not that any team I give a damn about would want him. And instead of letting someone who actually needed a good first baseman get him, the Tigers swoop in. Now, what do they do if they trade Brandon Inge, and Cabrera gets hurt. Whose fault will that be?
Again, I could be wrong. Prince could be a hit, or he could be Mo Vaughn 2.0. You really never know.

Oh the InhuManny-ty

2012-01-21T12:30:00.002-05:00

There was a brief moment last year where I thought the wrath of Manny Ramirez had finally subsided, that he finally had crawled back into his hole, and retired from baseball.

Then I remembered how many times they killed off Jason Voorhees. And subsequently, how many times he came back. And how this situation was no different.

Sure enough, last year there were musings about how Manny Ramirez wanted to come back, despite the fact that the original plan was him staying home and not playing baseball anymore. I at first compared this to the desire for Terrell Owens to get back into football, and the fact that nobody showed up to his workout. I thought Manny 2.0 would crash and burn, sort of like how the returns of Hideo Nomo, Satchell Paige, and Jim Palmer were rightfully short lived. Of course, this being Manny Ramirez we're talking about, that obviously wouldn't be the case.

Right now there are rumors that the Oakland A's, of all people, want Manny to be their DH. And I understand their modivation. In Oakland, it's basically 2002 all over again. Bailey, Gonzalez and DeJesus have flown the coop, leaving only a few stars (Suzuki's still there, right), and a few question marks left unsigned. Right now the A's are practically poo-poo. And if they had Manny Ramirez, then they'd be a little less sucky.

But my infuriation lies not with Oakland. I think the A's are a fun team to watch. My infuriation lies with the DH in question. Becuase if there is one major league player, current or former, whose demise I wish for nightly, it is Manny Ramirez. And the demise usually involves him being hit by a truck. Filled with matches and gasoline in that matter.

When Manny retired I said good riddance. Hell, I even made that the title of the damn blog post. I was so happy I didn't have to deal with Manny anymore. The AL East was finally clean of its horrors, much like the end of Ghostbusters. And then, a year or so later, he comes back, even after everyone knows he took steroids. After the press took a gigantic dump on his legacy, Manny still wants to play. I can't understand that.

If the A's eventually sign Manny, then I hope he crashes and burns quicker than Charlie Sheen's limo. If not, and if Manny sinks back into obscurity until 2017, when his name comes up for HOF election, I will cherish all six years where I don't have to hear his name.

And even if he comes back, it's basically another chapter in Manny Being Manny. Hopefully Manny himself will be the one to close the book this time.

My God...what have we done???

2012-01-13T23:16:00.000-05:00

I first heard of the monumental, catastrophic trade on Facebook. My two Yankee fans who I am friends with were saying something about Michael Pineda.

Hang on...what? Michael Pineda, a Yankee? THAT'S AWESOME! The man came close to a Rookie of the Year season last year, and the Yankees need pitching.

So I check ESPN to see who they traded him for. And I wasn't happy.

You see the Mariners gave up their future for us. Unfortunately, we had to give up ours. Jesus Montero is now a Seattle Mariner.

The smile faded instantly.

(It should be mentioned that Hector Noesi was also involved in the trade, but nobody cares about him.)

You see, I was looking forward to Jesus Montero sporting pinstripes on a daily basis after the impending departure of Russell Martin. I saw him as our catcher, the same way I saw Austin Jackson as our centerfielder and Ian Kennedy as our fifth starter. But nothing ever goes the way it planned. So right now, we have Russell Martin, we have Austin Romine, and that's about it.

That's the downside. That's a pretty big downside.

There's also a really big upside. Because Seattle gave up their future too.

Michael Pineda, if it weren't for King Felix, would have been the best Mariner on the team last year. He had a tremendous, ROY worthy season, even to the point of voting him in 30Year's contest as the most worthy contender.

Fortunately, we needed pitching. After CC, we have two pitchers that are semi reliable, two pitchers that were reliable last year (one of which we resigned), and the Killer B's waiting in the wings. Now, we have insurance so that when Hughes and Burnett are not their best, there will be someone in the rotation after CC, and before Garcia, Betances and the rest.

Also, Pineda's a really good pitcher. We needed really good pitching. End of story.

In summary, Jesus Montero was meant to be the Yankee catcher. Now, he will reside as the Seattle catcher, and whenever he has a great game, instead of my dad reporting the news it will be my Mariner loving uncle. On the upside, we have Michael Pineda. And that's pretty good.

Of course, this trade may not work. It could be a steal for Seattle. I could be writing ten years from now, and saying "remember when I said trading Pineda for Jesus would be a good idea? Disavow that."

But you never know. It is baseball.

Absorbed Collection: The Results

2012-01-13T19:50:00.004-05:00

I hinted earlier in the week that I had obtained a bin containing a bunch of cards trusted with my ownership. After several hours I leafed through everything in there. And believe me, there are some pretty awesome things in there.

Basketball pulls:
A heaping mess of Michael Jordan cards. And I mean a heaping mess.
Two different Alonso Mourning rookie cards- 1993 Upper Deck and 1992 Fleer. Both are awesome.
Michael Jordan 1989 Fleer. Not his rookie, but still a semi-vintage card of the Airman.
Two different Shaquille O'Neal rookies. This got me excited. I got a 1992 Classic and 1992 Fleer version. I also obtained a rookie of Shaq from my grandfather 5 years ago, so this makes 3.
A mess of 1994 Upper Deck. Most of the binder was made up of this set. Lots of David Robinsons and Muggsy Bogues'.

Football Pulls:
Too many Reggie White cards. Seriously. I believe I had approximately 0 Reggie cards before. Now I have an estimated zillion. This guy really, really liked Reggie White. I don't blame him. In the 80's and 90's he WAS Philadelphia football.
Subsequent bevies of the other Philadelphia stars, such as Randall Cunningham, and yes, the late Jerome Brown, who could have been a Hall of Famer. Great haul for an Eagles fan, like myself.
Rookies of Lito Sheppard, David Akers, Sheldon Brown, and yes, Brian Dawkins. Tons of Dawkins rookies. Even..
A Brian Dawkins game used card. I gasped.
Game used cards of Larry Johnson, Fred Taylor, and numbered cards of Frank Gore and a numbered rookie for Rashard Mendenhall.
A lot of 80's stuff.
THE Brian Dawkins rookie: 1996 Stadium Club. Oh yes.
1982 Ronnie Lott. Yes my friends, this is his rookie card. It's in a screwdown.
1987 Topps Charles Haley rookie.
1988 Topps Bo Jackson. Rookie. If he hadn't gotten that injury, this would be a hundred dollar card. Cause it's in a screwdown in good condition.
Cards of Joe Montana, Deion Sanders, Dan Marino, Barry Sanders and...Christian Okoye?

Baseball Pulls: (This is where it gets kinda awesome)
A lot of 1991 Topps. Which is great, cause now I can try chasing the set.
Rookies I already had, such as Tom Glavine, Barry Bonds, Barry Larkin.
Rookies of Jeff Bagwell and Luis Gonzalez.
The 1986 Donruss Fred McGriff rookie. Sweet.
1978 Tom Seaver. Had this one.
A set of Tastykake Phillies legends. Carlton, Schmidt, McGraw...and oddballs like Kruk, Abreu and Dykstra.
Way too many David Justice cards. You know, if he turned out the way everyone thought he would, I'd be a rich man. I already own a mint, cased Minor League card of the man, and now I have tons of his other cards. It's too bad he didn't pan out.
1980 Topps Reggie Jackson. Nice.
A few 2002 Topps Post cards, featuring a design similar to 2010 Topps.
And now, the three big ones.
1964 Topps Willie Mays. In a thick protected toploader. In decent condition. In my hands. Oh my gosh. You should have heard the wail when I found this one. It was monumental. But that ain't all.
1992 Topps Baseball's Best Dale Murphy...autographed!!! SERIOUSLY! AND HE'S IN A PHILLIES UNIFORM AND EVERYTHING! IT'S AWESOME! I actually found this while flipping through a few cards in this set, and at first I didn't notice it was auto'd. It's awesome. But it's not the most awesome autographed card in the lot.
1991 Don Mattingly Upper Deck...autographed. Oh yes. He may not be a hall of famer, but he defined the Yankees in the 1980's, and now I have his autograph. Booyah.

So that's basically it. I will definitely be enjoying these cards. I also might theoretically be filing the basketball cards.

New Collection Absorbed

2012-01-10T06:46:00.002-05:00

It all started innocently enough. A friend of my dad's was giving up his collection for free, and didn't know any collectors reliable enough to pass the cards to. Then, my dad mentioned my collection, and from there it was history. Last night my dad brought home a box with loads of 80's and 90's cards inside. Football, Baseball and even Basketball cards lay inside.

I spent all of last night leafing through the boxes, and there were a few surefire hits. I'll share the bigger pulls over the next few days. And as far as football is concerned, there was a lot of good stuff.

My Hall of Fame Ballot, if I were on the committee

2012-01-08T13:38:00.003-05:00

It's funny how Hall of Fame induction day always creeps in on you. You never know when it is, so when it's coming, you're never prepared. Which is why today, the day before a few lucky individuals get the call from Cooperstown, I'm telling the blogging world who I want to see enshrined in the Hall of Fame. I'm not a sportswriter, and I realize this doesn't count for nothing, but my point of view should be known. I'll run down my picks, and the odds of each actually getting in. I'll also show a few of the people I left out.

Barry Larkin. People have called this man one of the most underrated shortstops of all time. To which I agree. When Larkin played, the likes of Smith, Ripken, and later Jeter, Rodriguez and others overshadowed him numerous times. Yet, while many people got more acclaim, Larkin got the numbers. He was an all star 12 times, and still held his own during the years where a bigger star entered Cincinatti and gobbled up the star power. He got 62% of the vote last year, which proves people have been watching. What's working against him is the fact that he wasn't necessarily a household name. But that's about it in terms of downsides. If Barry Larkin doesn't make it this year, he will soon. Odds of making it this year: 3:2

Jeff Bagwell. The one piece of information that will come up about Bagwell is that he held his own during the steroid era. He was a hard hitting first baseman who certainly mashed the ball in the clutch, and was a huge star in Houston for his years. And while steroid accusations piled up around Houston, not one was pointed at Jeff. So that's another plus. However, there is the case of his injuries. Bagwell spent a large amount of time on the bench, and ended his career a bit early due to that. What could have been a 20 year career ended up being a 15 year. But aside from that, Bagwell has the credentials for Cooperstown. It's just a matter of when. Odds: 3:1.

Jack Morris. People will begin to make comparisons to Bert Blyleven with Jack. Bert was a decent pitcher for many years, had a big moment in the World Series, and after years of waiting is finally inducted. Morris fits a few of those. He was a decent pitcher for a long time. He was on two World Series teams (or three, I forget). In the 1991 World Series, he has his famous two games in which he rocked the Braves. And, he's been waiting a little while for induction. Will he get in this year? You really never know. The youngsters could take it again. But there is a chance. Odds: 5:1.

Edgar Martinez. My uncle will agree with me on this one, since Edgar is his favorite player- this guy is the Greated Designated Hitter of all time. There's an award for DH's, and IT'S FREAKING NAMED AFTER HIM! Also, a fact my father will back up, he killed the Yankees everytime he was in town. The naysayer will say that his career wasn't long enough, or that he was a DH, and they should be HOFers, or that he never won a World Series. You know who else never won a world series? Jim Thome. He's been making a name for himself as a DH, and he's a surefire Hall of Famer. So if the 4th or 5th best DH will be going in, why can't THE best get in? Odds: 6:1.

Fred McGriff. Defense will be poweing this guy to the conversation. He was a quick outfielder, who played on several teams, and ended up with a few rings along the way. He was also a usual base stealer, and a favorite of many, including a Braves blogger or two. Maybe his numbers weren't as great as other contenders, but I think he was fun to watch. Odds: 7:1.

Tim Raines. Because Rickey Henderson and Lou Brock are in. Odds: 8:1.

Lee Smith. I really don't know why I think this guy should be in the Hall of Fame. It's just that he's been all around the league, he's been waiting for a while, and he's on the list of the most saves. I think he's one of the best closers of all time. I don't think other people share that logic, but I thought he was pretty good. Odds: 9:1.

Don Mattingly. A lot of you will think I'm pushing it, but I'm not. In the 1980's, he was one of the best players in baseball. He was pretty damn close to bringing the Yankees back to relevancy. And then, somehow, once the 90's hit he started getting hurt. A lot. So his career was pretty short, and aside from those years in the 80's he didn't have much. I just think he's one of the greatest Yankees of all time. And he should be a Hall of Famer. Odds: 10:1.

Dale Murphy. Maybe I'm slightly biased because he played for my team toward the end of his career. But before that, he was one of the better players of the 70's and 80's. Hell, his rookie card is a pretty hot item to this day. Sportwriters might not do him the justice he desevres. Odds: 15:1.

I left out Mark McGwire and Rafael Palmiero, as well as Juan Gonzalez, for obvious reasons. They took steroids, and while they racked up some huge numbers, Hall of Famers they ain't.

I also left off Alan Trammell. Why? Cause he's a member of the Hall of Very Good. Larry Walker is in there too.

Bernie Williams, while I would have loved to have added him due to my status as a Yankee fan, is also off the list. People are giving him acclaim all around, like saying he was a power hitter and good outfielder. Yes, he was those things, but in the 90's. In all the World Series winning teams, he was not the most important piece. Then, once 2006 came around he was a tired, aging outfielder who had nothing left. He wasn't very big for very long. So he wasn't a HoFer.

Anybody else I did not mention has approximately no chance whatsoever. Sorry Jeromy, Javy and Ruben.

Usually the bears eat the fish

2012-01-06T21:56:00.004-05:00

I apologize for my absense on the blog for the previous five calendar days. In any case, Happy 2012. Now back to work.

I have already written about the imminent rise of the Miami Marlins. However, said article was written before the acquisitions of the likes of Bell, Reyes, Buehrle, and now Zambrano. The team seems to be getting stronger by the day, and it's no wonder- under new manager/Darth Ozzie Guillen, the team is taking a different approach- now, they plan on winning games. So now, along with the stars they already have, such as Hanley Ramirez, Mike Stanton and Emilio Bonifacio, the Marlins are packing more stars into their team than a large galaxy. And, with the exception of Zambrano, all of these new players can still play the game well.

In the opposite corner, there is a sad tale going on in the North side of Chicago. Despite not being very good last year, the Cubs team is losing what little star power it had. Its star third baseman? Gone to Milwaukee. Its mostly-reliable starter? Signed with Miami. Its up and coming pitching prospect? Traded to San Diego. Granted, the Cubs still have their shortstop, Starlin Castro, as well as a declining outfielder, a slumping catcher, a would-be-closer turned starter, and, thanks to Cashner leaving the nest, a popular first base prospect. That, unfortunately, is about it. Aside from small deals with David DeJesus, Carlos Pena and someone else I'm forgetting, the team is coming down to its last few stars.

It's a funny story, really. Not necessarily funny in a "ha-ha" sort of way, but more in a bit of a sad sort of humor. It's almost like a Twilight Zoney version of a Robin Hood tale. One team is stealing from the rich- another is giving to the poor. Both are becoming what they have done business with.

And the madness doesn't look like it's over for either team. The Cubs now have two first basemen. Something must be done about one of them. Also, Alfonso Soriano is getting older, and it's definitely showing in the amount of home runs he's logged lately, as well as playing time. Soriano is, sadly, becoming the average outfielder. He starts out strong, he hits well, he leads his team to a playoff run, and then slowly slides downhill. So the Cubs might need to get rid of him. Meanwhile, if the Marlins can hook (ha!) any other free agents, preferrably pitchers, they will take them, no contest. The strong will continue to strengthen, the poor will continue to weaken. Unfortunately, that's how baseball works.

Stepping off topic for just a second, but still keeping the theme, as the Cubs, a once playoff contending team, are losing players, the Padres, a recurring last place team, are gaining them. Carlos Quentin, Edinson Volquez, Yonder Alonso and now Andrew Cashner have joined an already building ballclub. I know, it sounds absolutely crazy, but it could happen. That divison's determined by a frigging coin toss anyway. But still, a strong Padres team does not bode well for the Cubs.

I realize that most Marlins fans want me to keep going, but coincidentally most Cubs fans want me stop before I find the head of a grizzly in my bed, so I'll end on this: Eleven years ago the Cubs and the Marlins met in the playoffs. The Cubs were the favorite. The Cubs lost. Most Cubs fans I know will do the obvious (Blame Steve Bartman), but some will note that it was the beginning, not of one team's downfall, but another's rise. Now, if the Cubs meet the Marlins for the game, we all know who will be the favorite.

Unless the Marlins begin their downfall. Because you really never know at this point.

And that's where I end, before I end up with my foot strategically placed in my mouth.

2011- The Year in Review

2011-12-31T12:09:00.003-05:00

Life is very strange. I can remember specific details about this exact date last year, and how we rang in 2011. Here I am kissing it goodbye. Told you life was strange.

Being that the year will be over in about 12 hours, I figure I'll do what I usually do on the blog this time of year: recap the huge baseball related events, usually beginning with "this was the year that...". Because, if nothing else, at least I'm consistent.

This was the year that I attended the Super Bowl. Got that out of the way quickly, so that the rest of the post won't be fueling your hatred of me.

This was the year that my blog readership was higher than last, which is nice. My only question is why a post titled "The Calm Before the Storm", which is a couple sentences about Topps Series 1, is getting so many reads.

This was the year that a once loved blogger shocked his fans by instead choosing to draw cartoon miniature horses.

This was the year that I visited three baseball stadiums, in Washington, Pittsburgh and Cleveland. All three games were good, with all but the Pirates winning theirs. Fitting.

This was the year that I sent out a few trade/general card packages. I realize there is one I need to get out approximately yesterday, so I'll do my best to send that one out this week.

This was the year that pretty much every Marvel movie teased next year's Avengers movie. Meanwhile, the Green Lantern movie teased the fact that there would never be a sequel.

This was the year that I held my first blog contest. I think it went rather well. Another, smaller, less complicated one should be on the way in 2012.

This was the year that I kept my interest in football cards. I eventually recieved the full factory set of Football. Unfortunately, rather than recieving the Cam Newton patch card that everyone's getting, I got the Jake Locker one. Yay.

This was the year that a team signed so many stars, and was destined to make the playoffs...then failed miserably and spent time losing to terrible teams. I'm talking about the Cowboys. Kidding, it's my frigging Birds. This year was not the best year to be an Eagles fan. Or a fan of anyone in the NFC East in that matter.

This was the year that I went to my first Eagles game. They actually won.

This was the year that after unfairly defeating my Phils in the NLDS, the Cardinals took the World Series. The first time since 2007 where I haven't been satisfied with the Series winners. And I don't wanna talk about the 2007 World Series.

This was the year that, on television, Coach lost for no reason, the bald chick lost for no reason, the guy with the really deep voice won, Deb walked in at the exact wrong time, Amy was presented with a Girlfriend Agreement, and the producers decided to just give Boston Rob the money.

This was the year that a baseball player saw one of my customs, liked it, and posted it as his Twitter profile picture. Thanks again Brent.

So it was a pretty good year for me. I guess that only means one thing: Next year's going to be even better.

My 30 Favorite Customs of the Year (Part 2)

2011-12-30T07:20:00.006-05:00

I got a few comments on the first 15 cards in the countdown, saying that a select few stood above the rest. If I got kudos for the first 15, the final 15 entries will get a lot of praise, I hope.

#15. Nick Markakis, 1981. Always a fan of the 81 design, and of Markakis. Besides, the guy just cranks out excellent fielding shots. This card was a match made in heaven.

#14. Ryan Braun, 1973. This was one of the first customs of the season, which means the season began with a bang. No one knew the season Braun would have, or the changes that would befall him by year's end. Still, the card symbolizes the year- beautiful, and a tad over the rest.

#13. Hunter Pence, 1975. I made a Pence custom after he was traded, but the photos were rather scarce from his first game. So once he got settled in Phillies garb, I made another one, focusing more on detail than color. And it worked.

#12. Dee Gordon, 1980. This card captures the quick on his feet shortstop in all his glory. Of course, according to some bloggers, his regular Topps card is muuuuuch better.

#11. CJ Wilson, 1982. The pitcher's pose is nothing new, but I made the card rely on mostly the red and white of the uniform. And it worked. The card still flows, despite the fact that Wilson will be donning another shade of red next year.

#10. Cliff Lee. I love how everything in the background fades to one color, like it's not as important. The image of Cliff in mid-pitch waiting for the ball to hit is another amusing one. On top of that, it's a beautiful card of the city's 2nd huge ace.

#9. Justin Verlander, 1968. Well, even the Cy Young winner has to have a good custom. Denny McLain comparisons aside, it's a simple, unique card, that captures the season Verlander had.

#8. Billy Butler. Another one of the first few I made. I actually made this one with a few relatives of mine in the room, to show them the process. They were amazed with the final result. I personally love the detail on Billy, and the foreground, and the simplicity of the background.

#7. Carlos Beltran, 1971. Within a day of posting this one, I was told by my dad that this is one of my best.I couldn't agree more. The way it captures the back of the uniform is pretty awesome.

#6. Chase Utley, 1978. Whenever I post new customs, I always assume that the new ones are the ones that stand out to me the most. This thought backfires on me, since this card always stands out, and pops to me. And Utley almost has an outline against the StateFarm logo behind him.

#5. Jose Reyes, 1975. I felt like I was blessed with this shot, and figured there was only one design it could fit with. I got a comment after posting it that asked if my influence was 2009 OPC. It never really crossed my mind, but looking back on it now it could have fit in with that set easily. I didn't need to do much filtering for this one.

#4. Brent Lillibridge, 1972. This card is on the list not only because it's an awesome card, but because of how the man on it responded. The Fan, who I have mentioned before, knows Brent, and showed this to him after I made it. The card has been Brent's Twitter photo since August. Glad you liked the card, Brent.

#3. Andrew McCutchen, 1993. It's a shame that there are so few sideways Topps designs, so I will eventually run out of ways to capture the moving awesomeness of Andrew McCutchen. Last year's was just as awesome as this year's. I figured I had to top it somehow, and I did. Look for an even better one next year, if I can.

#2. Brian Wilson. This may be #30 for a certain Dodger blogger, but even though he may strike fear into the hearts of Dodger fans and barbers everywhere, there's no doubt that underneath all 2 tons of facial hair, there's a good guy. The way I washed out this one, it's almost like there's a bit of grey in the beard.

#1. Ryan Howard, 1966. Of course, the number one spot was not going to cuteness. It was going to a card that contained all of the badassness of the man pictured. I made the background desaturated, and heavily saturated the red of Ryan's Phils uniform. Also, I picked a photo that could easily scare some children. He looks so big, and it looks like the bat is coming toward the camera...which would explain what happened to the photographer. Still, with the elegance and awesomeness of the shot, combined with the contrast of colors, this is easily the best custom of the year.

Unfortunately, you won't be seeing another custom until mid-February, which means it will be a rather quiet blog for a little while. But who cares. There's still the thought of more customs coming to keep the anticipation going.

My 30 Favorite Customs of the Year (Part 1)

2011-12-29T09:38:00.005-05:00

One thing that's always constant at the end of a year, besides Dick Clark waving to the crowd while Ryan Seacrest upstages him from outside, is an array of lists. This blog does not wish to puncture the long-practiced tradition, as I'm making one of my own. This morning I went through the dozens of customs I've made this year, and picked out 30 of my favorites. But, like most lists, you're going to have to wait until the next installment for the really good stuff.

#30. Rafael Furcal, 1966. I've always thought double plays make great cards, and here is no exception. The yellow really makes things brighter.

#29. Jason Motte, 1976. 2nd finalist in the Excited Men With Beards competition. The look on Motte's face as he leaves the mound says it all. The card does this face justice.

#28. Yuniesky Betancourt, 1976. I've always liked this one. Not really a reason why, but maybe it's how the double play shot contrasts with the long name squeezing into the namebox.

#27. Nyjer Morgan, 1975. People have considered Mr. Morgan to be a bit of a wild card, considering that the man has cursed on live broadcasts to children watching everywhere. This card doesn't play against this fact- he's wild, he's bombastic and you never know what he'll do next.

#26. Chris Young, 1981. This was the year I began shopping new teams into old designs, successfully. This card is no exception. I love how the wall has its own gradient, and Chris has a bit of an outline.

#25. Tim Wakefield, 1977. If and when Mr. Wakefield retires, this card will be the ultimate tribute.

#24. Curtis Granderson, 1981.Two things I love about this one. 1. The way the navy blue almost looks black, and how the shine off Grandy's helmet defines the photo. 2. I made this card a few months before All Star Season, and the All Star marker at the top of the card came true. How do you like that?

#23. Matt Kemp, 1984. This card was a commission by The Fan, a guy that has been sending me requests for customs all year, requests I usually make possible. This Kemp really shines, and really reminds me of the actual set. One could mistake this for an actual 1984 card.

#22. John Axford, 1972. I held this card for two months after the Brewers lost. One must wonder why. This card is quite an achievement.

#21. Joe Mauer, 1971. I love this card. While Joe did not have the year we all thought, this card still captures the essence of Minnesota's Poster Boy.

#20. Joey Votto, 1976. Why didn't this card get the reaction I hoped for when I posted it? It's a photo that might have been used in the 1976 set.

#19. Miguel Tejada, 1964. Tejada did not have a great season, but this card makes you forget all that. It looks like he's flying off the card.

#18. Vladimir Guerrero, 1978. I've been a moderate Vladdie fan for a little while, because he seems like such a good player, and he can hit well too. This card is truly awesome. Not only does it look like a 1978 card, but it's a really cool night card that makes Vladdie look awesome.

#17. Alfonso Soriano, 1980. This card didn't get much response. It's quite beautiful, and it looks like it was colorized. At least that's what I was going for.

#16. Yadier Molina, 1976. Possibly one of the most badass cards of the year. Would you want to mess with that guy? Also, the reds and blues really mix well here. I thought this was awesome when I made it.

Tomorrow: 15 all the way to #1. Who will it be?

Whoa.

2011-12-28T20:09:00.003-05:00

So...does this mean Bobby Jenks is looking for a job?

Still, this was a huge move. Boston is only getting richer, and Oakland is only getting oaklandier.

Year by Year Customs: 1991

2011-12-28T11:13:00.004-05:00

This design is pretty tough to customize, but I pulled it off anyway. These ones are pretty good.

I made this one in October. Then the Brewers lost.

Coming Tomorrow- For 5 players who have changed teams, featured in Year by Year, I'll give them the old 70's Topps treatment. Airbrushing.

Year by Year Customs: 1989

2011-12-27T10:48:00.003-05:00

The penultimate day of year customs. These ones are actually pretty awesome.

Coming Tomorrow- A set I've only attempted customizing once- the dreaded 1991 set. Wish me luck.

Year by Year Customs: 1987

2011-12-26T10:39:00.003-05:00

I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas. I'll post my Christmas results a bit later. First, a few customs I made a few days ago.

Now a member of the Nationals.

What an unfortunate name.

Coming tomorrow- Cards from 1989.

Christmas Eve Packs: 2011 Topps Chrome and Update

2011-12-24T11:10:00.003-05:00

Last night I spent Christmas Eve Eve with my extended family. A few of them managed to sneak in some card related gifts (including my Uncle, but we'll get to him in another post). I ended up recieving a rack pack of Topps Chrome and a blaster of Update.

First the Chrome:
94- Shane Victorino. Awesome, starting with a Phillie.
39- Travis Wood PURPLE BORDER #'D TO 499. Nice. The man was just traded to the Cubbies for Sean Marshall.
122- Adam Lind. Bleh, Blue Jay.
128- Matt Joyce. Bleh, Ray.

Pack 2-
97- Ubaldo Jiminez.
66- NEFTALI FELIZ REFRACTOR
210- Pedro Strop
218- Hector Noesi

Pack 3-
74- Nelson CRUUUUZ!
78- Sean Rodriguez
87- TODD HELTON SUPERFRACTOR
220- Aaron Crow

Oranges-
15- Tim Lincecum
133- Drew Storen, who I saw close a game.
125- ROY OSWALT, Phormer Phillie.

And now the Update-

Pack 1-
253- Scott Linebrink.
165- Al Alburquerque.
153- Matt Guerrier
142- Alex White. Weird card.
Duos of Hank Aaron and Jose Bautista. Oh, no...
174- Jacob Turner
62- Jason Marquis.
316- Justin Upton AS

Pack 2-
266- Jason Isringhausen
285- David Purcey
300- Carl Crawford. A shame he didn't do a damn thing as a Red Sock
218- Matt Kemp
26- Jered Weaver cl
CODE CARD! LET'S SEE WHO I GET!
Bill Caudill 1980. Alright. Better than the 90's crap I've been getting.
Willie McCovey mini
20- AAADDRIIAAAANNNN AS

Pack 3-
28- Adam Kennedy
87- Clayton Mortensen
270- Todd Frazier
36- Josh Judy
133- Fernando Salas
46- Angel Sanchez SHINY CARD!!
18- Robinson Cano AS
259- Andre Ethier CL

Pack 4-
214- Matt Daley
243- Chris Denorfia
7- Nate Schierholtz. Had such high hopes for him.
291- Andrew McCutchen AS COGNAC SHINY!!!
Michael Pineda Topps 60
147- CJ Wilson AS.
144- Aw, come on. YOOOOOOOOOOOUK AS
170- Brad Zielger

Pack 5-
77- Freddy Garcia, somehow one of our top aces.
29- Mike Macdougal
184- Tyler Chatwood rookie
210- Jayson Werth. He sucked for Washington cause he shaved his beard.
63- Doug Fister BLUE SHINY #'D TO 60! WOOOOOOOOOO!
Holliday mini
75- Gio Gonzalez AS. Now on the Nats.
154- Cliff Lee AS. Yeah, that's right.

Pack 6-
226- Steve Pearce
265- Willie Harris
83- Brandon Belt
312- Danny Duffy rookie
246- Alcides Escobar, snagged in the Greinke trade
Ricky Romero Topps Town
231- Mark Buehrle BOOZE SHINY!!!
3- Blake Beavan RD

Pack 7-
212- Pat Neshek
284- Laynce Nix.
169- Ezequiel Cabrera. Another Cabrera?
127- Rickie Weeks HRD
315- Carlos Pena
Miguel Cabrera mini. Wait, what's he doing in a Marlins uni?
52- Lance Berkman AS
53- Koji Uehara

Pack 8-
103- Josh Collmenter rookie
233- John McDonald
330- Lance Berkman. His team hopes for him to have another monster season.
148- Alex Presley rookie.
229- Asdrubal Cabrera GOLD #'D TO 2011
Reed Johnson SHINY CARD!
109- Jair Jurrjens
38- Josh Hamilton AS

Pack 9-
318- Brayan Pena
41- Lou Marson, traded away in the Cliff Lee deal. No, the first one.
200- VLADIMIR GUERRERO!
199- Micah Ownings
CODE CARD! LET'S SEE WHO I GET:
Tom Hausman 1980. Okay.
George Sisler Topps 60
193- Lonnie Chisenhall RD
305- Carlos Beltran.

Pack 10-
65- Mitchell Boggs
95- Lyle Overbay.
237- Ryan Roberts
282- Brad Hand. Possibly a relative to Randy Foote?
206- JP Howell
Posey and McCann Duo
23- Chance Ruffin. May I guess...Bruce's son?
299- Robbie Cano Home Run Derby. He's doing his best Jack Nicholson impression on the card.

Patch Card: Brandon Belt of the Giants. He better be good.

Good packs. As for the digging, I got a Diamondbacks ring, and a Chicago White Stocking ring. Cool.

Year by Year Customs: 1986

2011-12-23T14:29:00.004-05:00

Finally got these up. After today's smattering of customs, there are four days in Year by Year left, including a brief update set. Enjoy these.

Got his autograph personally.

Coming Monday: The first set I ever completed from scratch.

No Customs Today

2011-12-22T16:57:00.002-05:00

Being that I had the mother of all busy days today, the customs scheduled for this afternoon have been postponed to sometime tomorrow. Besides, after tomorrow, there's a Christmas Eve post, and then there's Christmas. Anywhere within the next few days there could be cards. Just saying.

But regardless, there will be customs tomorrow. Just a matter of when.

Year by Year Customs: 1984

2011-12-21T06:51:00.003-05:00

Not the easiest design to customize, but it still works. These four are pretty cool. Unfortunately, that means I only have a few designs left to do for Year by Year, and that includes a brief Update set at the end. One of the sets is 1991 Topps...scary stuff.

Coming Tomorrow- A decent design with a few stars.

Year by Year Customs: 1982

2011-12-20T06:48:00.002-05:00

With the exception of the guy at the bottom, all the players today had breakout seasons this year. Kennedy ran a Cy Young campaign throughout, terrorizing the NL West that Clay Kershaw and Tim Lincecum hadn't already terrorized. Plus, some other guys.

Yes, that's Rickie's brother. How'd you guess?

Coming Tomorrow- Skipping the hard-to-customize 1983 design, we skip into a really cool design, which isn't the easiest to customize either.

Year by Year Customs: 1981

2011-12-19T16:52:00.004-05:00

Sorry these took so long. I had a busy weekend. Yesterday was spent watching my Eagles tackle the Jets from the Linc (yes I was there), and getting home in time to watch the finale of Survivor (which none of you care about). But these customs are up now, and I got a head start on tomorrow's.

If I do an Update segment, this guy will be airbrushed into a Philly uniform.

Still not the most polarizing person named Howie out there.

Coming Tomorrow- A cool design, and a card I've been saving since October of a Cy Young contender.

Wait just one second here Topps...

2011-12-17T21:02:00.005-05:00

Dear Topps,

It has come to my attention that you are bringing back Topps Archives for next year. Archives was a favorite set of mine, and I applaud your courage for bringing back an old favorite. This letter, however, is not one of commendation.

This set, according to Beckett, is to include current players in a choice of four vintage designs (54, 71, 80 and 84). This fact enrages me for two reasons. One: Topps Archives was a full retired product, and now current players are taking it over? It's a bit misleading by calling it Topps Archives. Why don't you just call it Topps Lineage. That's basically what it is. Don't disgrace the name of a fine product by correlating it to something it is not.

Two: This idea of taking current players and photoshopping them into older Topps designs is not a new one. As a matter of fact, I HAVE BEEN USING IT ON THIS BLOG FOR THREE YEARS NOW!

That's right: Topps Archives 2012 is, in itself, a parody of my Custom Cards which I have been making since the blog's inception in 2009. While the idea was not necessarily original (you yourself had those magazine cutouts back in the 80's), it was still a cool idea, one that I went with for three years. When I started them, I got quite the acclaim. I still get the same acclaim, because they look cool. Not only do the cards look old, but my versions are almost like works of art. I use different photoshop filters to make it look nice.

So my question to you is this: If you wanted to put out a product based solely on a creation of mine and mine alone, why didn't you just ask me to do it for you? People occasionally comment on my blog, and say "Hey, these are great, Topps should hire you". One person pitched a 50 card insert set and everything. And now you have this, which is basically a 200 card custom set. Only instead of doing dozens of designs of the 60's, 70's and 80's, you include four. I'm sure my 50 card insert set would be better than that.

I know that none of you have ever seen my blog, let alone even heard of it, so I won't be hiring a lawyer. I'll still be making these custom cards, and I'll feel enraged when novice bloggers compare them to "that awesome Archives set Topps put out." And sure, I'll buy the product. But if it's not good, I won't buy much of it. That's the same treatment I gave Lineage; it tried to hook me in with a decent set idea, but it just was disappointing.

On a final note, if you ever decide to do a second edition of Archives, my email is on the sidebar. If not, or even better, if you decide to keep doing this set and neglect the fact that I reached out to you through a post, then I'll make mine better than ever, and more than ever. And I'll keep making them until you stop.

That's the option: Either admit to being influenced by my customs, or be defeated by them.

Sincerely,

Jordan, of Mint Condition

P.S.- I'll respect you all even more if you stop it with Opening Day and Topps Attax. And maybe if you listen to all of us and bring back Topps Total. That is all.

Welcome Back, Jimmy

2011-12-17T13:35:00.002-05:00

We all were hoping you'd stay around, and besides...you wouldn't really be as good anywhere else. Enjoy the next 3 years in Philly. Maybe we'll win again.

Year by Year Customs: 1980

2011-12-16T06:53:00.003-05:00

A lot of star power to this one. 2 former Yankees, 1 current Yankee, 1 once-rumored Yankee (that deal never went through). They're all good cards too.

One of my favorite customs of the year.

The Artist Formerly Known as the Mexicutioner. I know a blogger who'll enjoy this one.

Coming Tomorrow- My personal favorite design, and a few pretty good players.

Year by Year Customs: 1979

2011-12-15T09:23:00.004-05:00

Sick Day #3. Whipped most of these up in the last 20 minutes.

Made this one back during the postseason. Still looks awesome.

Coming Tomorrow- A cool design, with some decent star power.

Year by Year Customs: 1978

2011-12-14T10:27:00.003-05:00

Sick Day #2. The custom above is currently hanging above my wall, if my blurry logo can't show you (have no idea what the deal is with that). I made this one a while ago, for the postseason. Look how that turned out. Still, him and 3 others make up the customs today.

Now taking Casey McGeehee's spot on the Brewers.

Coming Tomorrow- A decent set, with some cards I need to churn out today.

Year by Year Customs: 1977

2011-12-13T09:49:00.003-05:00

I'm home sick today with a low-grade fever, amongst other things. Figured I'd get this out here now. Today I need to make more customs, and I have a lot of time for that. For now, enjoy these ones. They're not exactly headliners, but the man up top has become a Philly star, nicknamed "The Vanimal".

If this set had a traded set, I'd airbrush him into a Cubs uni. Unfortunately, I was a year too late.

Saw this man play. He's shaping up to be a great player, as well as a pretty big character on the field.

Coming Tomorrow- A cool looking set, three cards of which I still need to make.

Year by Year Customs: 1976

2011-12-12T15:15:00.004-05:00

Not much to say about these ones. Some pretty good customs from a classic set.

Yes, I am incorperating new team colors into the new customs. Deal with me.

Coming Tomorrow- Another classic design.

Year by Year Customs: 1975

2011-12-09T06:48:00.003-05:00

Since my last Pence was rushed faster than a decision by Andy Reid, I figured I needed to make another one, being that he's huge in Philly these days. Him and 3 other guys make up today's 75s.

Take note of the position marker. I don't think he'll be playing first anymore.

Since Topps doesn't bother to make Wieters cards, I figure I should keep doing so.

Coming Tomorrow- A personal favorite design of mine, with some decent players.

So Albert's an Angel

2011-12-08T15:09:00.002-05:00

In case you haven't heard (all one of you), the biggest star in baseball right now is moving to LA. Clam down, it ain't Jeter. Albert Pujols, who has won numerous MVPs, a ROY, and a few gold gloves to boot, is now an Angel. Raise your hand if you saw that coming. No seriously, raise your hands. Gimme something.

When I first heard Albert was a free agent, my first thought was "He'll sign with the Cubs". Why? Cause he'd be going the route of every Yankee or Red Sock that had signed with the enemy: by pissing off the fanbase, and turning into an enemy. Also, because someone I knew kept bugging me when the Cardinals won the Series, and I sorta wanted him to pay for it.

Of course, being that I live near Philly, all my friends wanted him to come here. While I kept trying to be the voice of reason, by saying "How the hell could we afford him?", they were hell-bent. And when Philly was rumored to reenter the race today, after Miami dropped out (and instead recieved Mark Buerhle. I'm sensing a Doyle Alexander-esqueness), I thought "Jeez, we might get this guy."

That was early in the day. And now you know exactly where I'm going with this. I think it's essential that you all know how I found out about this huge baseball event.

Around 1:30, I'm sitting in History class as it's all winding down, quietly listening to my iPod (Hey, the man gave us a free period). I overhear a conversation between my history teacher and a few students, about statistics, involing Albert Pujols getting 400,000 dollars per at bat.

My first instinct: Oh brother. Somebody signed the poor guy.

So, being that I wanted to know what the hell happened, I walked on in, and asked "What, did somebody sign the guy?" A fellow classmate informed me of the amount of money and years he had been given. That wasn't what I asked for. I asked again "But who signed him?" To which my History teacher replied "The Angels."

My response: "WWWHHHAT???"

This had come asbolutely out of left field to me. First of all, don't the Angels already have a first baseman or two? Mark Trumbo? Doesn't he ring a bell? He had a hell of a season, and now he's being benched for the biggest star in baseball? How must the guy feel? Secondly, there was the fact that Anaheim just entered the race last night, and never in a million years would I guess them the victors. So I was flat out surprised.

Then another classmate threw in the sweetner: "Him and Wilson are both going to the Angels." My first guess: "What, Brian Wilson?" I admit that I might have overshot a bit, but the classmate corrected my guess to CJ Wilson, who was the best pitcher in the AL as of...this year. It's Greinke all over again. What if Wilson ends up pulling a Kazmir and sucking his ass off for the Angels? Hadn't they put that into the equation? This is the man who has choked TWICE NOW in the World Series. And now he's joining Weaver, Haren and Santana, quite possibly the AL's answer to Halladay-Lee-Hamels, in order to round out the jab-straight-hook-uppercut of the LA rotation.

Either the Angels have the strongest rotation in the AL, or they have three good pitchers and an Oswalt. But back to Prince Albert. Not Prince, he'll get signed sooner or later, just Prince Albert.

Already, the Angels are a strong team. You have Torii Hunter and Bobby Abreu, who can hit for power, and you have Howie Kendrick, a remarkable infielder. Then you have the newbies: Trumbo, Trout, Bourjos, Conger: All four are pretty powerful, and are good, young stars. Add Pujols into the mix, and that awesome pitching rotation, and the Rangers have absolutely no chance to clinch next year. Which is perfect for me, since I hate the Rangers.

So this deal may be the most powerful deal in recent history. Not since the Yankees getting Teixiera and Sabathia, or the Phillies adding Cliff Lee to the rotation (the 2nd time) has there been a greater power shift in the game.

I'll end on this: The Angels are going to be good next year. What the Yankees need to do is be better than the Angels.

Year by Year Customs: 1974

2011-12-08T06:43:00.005-05:00

Well, this one totally makes up for the lack of stars over the last few days. It was quite hard to give someone the 4th spot. As well as star power, these four are also pretty awesome.

A nod to the 1974 "Washington" Padres.

Coming Tomorrow- An awesome design, and a few awesome players.

My Logo Broke

2011-12-07T18:12:00.003-05:00

As of today, my blog logo is all messed up. It's blurry, pixelated, and looks like I'm seeing it while drunk. I have no idea how this happened, and tried fixing it by making a new blog logo, but that's blurry too (as you can see).

Until I find a solution, I'll just be posting under a blurry logo. Does anyone have any tips on how to fix this? Everything was perfectly fine until this afternoon, and I did nothing to prompt this.

Year by Year Customs: 1973

2011-12-07T06:54:00.004-05:00

A very simple design, and a very easy design to customize at that. In this batch there's a hot rookie and a pitcher that made it to the playoffs. Also, Matt Cain.

Coming Tomorrow- A solid design, and a few pretty big players.

Year by Year Customs: 1972

2011-12-06T06:43:00.004-05:00

Not the greatest amount of star power today, but some pretty nice customs. (Fun Fact: This is the first custom for all four of these players, meaning I haven't made one of them in the last 2 years. Of course, 2 were injured and the other 2 were still in the minors, so it all works out).

I think I've been holding this one ever since the Brewers lost in the NLCS. Which means, yes, I made this one in October, and I'm posting it 2 months later. Don't worry, I've done worse.

Coming Tomorrow- A solid design and a few good players.

The Right Choice

2011-12-05T19:14:00.003-05:00

(To experience the full impact of this post, read it in Morgan Freeman's voice)

There are very few situations these days where the right choice, the absolute right choice is made. In life, there are way too many choices, but the only constant is that there's one right choice, hiding in plain sight, that if chosen will make everything better, and everyone happy.

One such choice was Derek Jeter's decision to resign with the Yankees last year. It may not have been the most fiscally pleasing choice, but who could see Derek Jeter in any other uniform? This way, if and when he retires, he will do so with his own team, without moving to several, and therefore squandering his legacy, similar to a certain former Green Bay Quarterback. This was believed by many to be the right choice. And it was. This season, Jeter connected for the 3000th time, and, despite not making it to the last half of October, still made an impact on the game.

Another such decision was Topps' to bring back Gypsy Queen for another run next season. The product was undeniably the surprise product of the year, and will certainly rack up many personal blogger awards (as well as a Gummie or two). It was a well designed set, with well thought out inserts, and interesting parallels and hits. And, rightfully so, Topps is bringing it back for next year, something unfortunately not expirienced with another surprise, National Chicle. Next year will be a cooler design, more inserts, and a totally different product, unlike that of the flagship set. It's nice to know that Topps can still make the right choice.

One could go on and on about the Right Choice, and people making it, and the effects. But there is one such carefully thought out decision that occurred earlier today. Not only was it the right choice, but I am almost certain that it satisfied many people, not including supporters of the parties involved. It just seems right, like there could be no other outcome, and due to recent circumstances, any other outcome would simply be disrespectful.

Most of you know of the event of which I speak: Ron Santo will be inducted into the Hall of Fame next year. The Veterans Commitee could not have made a better choice even if they had tried. No other candidate deserved enshrinement any more than Santo. The man was one of the most iconic ballplayers of the 1960's, and no arugment of any kind could prevent his induction.

I give this account not as a fan of Santo, or Chicago, but of baseball itself. Some of you may be wondering why I devoted such a delicate posting to a player on a team I do not root for, or a player I do not worship. The answer is simple: I may not worship the team, or the man, but I, and any baseball fan in that matter, should simply know when the right choice is made. And it was made today.

Congratulations to the Santo family, and to Ron, wherever you are. No one else deserves this more.

Something Diabolical is Going on in Miami

2011-12-05T06:37:00.003-05:00

Today, we will hear a story about two teams, and these two teams round out the middle of their division standings every year. One of them is known for being bad: their debut season is a punchline, and they haven't won a World Series since before most of their players were born. The second one is a young expansion team, who have somehow won just as many rings as the other team. The first team has two real stars: The second has many young stars, and are moving to Miami.

Looks like the first team is in need of a new shortstop now- he just defected to the second team.

To put it complexly- Jose Reyes has just signed with the Miami Marlins. With the signing of him, and most recently Heath Bell, the Marlins are shaping up to be a huge, colossal force that may, just may, put the Braves in 3rd place. It's a shocking outcome, I know, but it could happen. If the Marlins keep gobbling up big players, such as Buehrle, Pujols and/or Fielder, it may become something close to the 2001 Diamondbacks, or the 2003 Marlins: A large amount of star power + a fairly new expansion team = a possible World Series run.

But again, we're all just dreaming here- didn't we say most of the same things about the 2008 Tigers? Look what happened to them. There's a chance that the Marlins would still be the Marlins with their new players and manager. There's a chance that even Washington and the Mets could kick their ass in the standings. But there's just as much a chance that the Marlins could be big in the coming season.

Besides...we all thought the Marlins would go downhill after they lost all their stars in both 2006 and 2008. And we all thought the Mets would flourish after recieving Beltran and Delgado, and calling up Reyes and Wright.

It just goes to show that nothing can be correctly predicted in baseball.

Year by Year Customs: 1971

2011-12-04T13:51:00.002-05:00

I realize that the headliner barely got any playing time, and the one guy here who made the playoffs stunk the joint. In all fairness, they're all still good customs.

Coming Tomorrow- Psychadelic Tombstones, and a few decent stars.

Year by Year Customs: 1968

2011-12-03T09:56:00.004-05:00

No real headliners here, but some pretty good customs.

Coming Tomorrow- into the 70's, and featuring some pretty big stars.

Year by Year Customs: 1966

2011-12-02T06:40:00.003-05:00

This card is hanging above my wall, and I think it captures the sheer power of Ryan Howard. One of my all time favorites.

Another one of my all time favorites. No way you can look at this and not smile...okay, except if you're a Dodgers fan.

You're probably wondering why this guy isn't first. 2 Reasons: 1: He plays against one of my favorite teams many times, and 2: Unless he were on said team, I would not root for him, because there's no way you can get that much power in 1 year just by working out. I'm onto you, Bautista...

Comeback player of the year. And by comeback, I mean "Come back to Seattle/Queens. We needed you this hot"

Tomorrow- A decent enough design, and a few good choices.

Year by Year Customs is BACK!

2011-12-01T06:45:00.004-05:00

Every day in December, I release four customs from the same year. It's been a tradition ever since 2009, and I love to keep it going. These ones don't have the amount of star power as later days will, but one of these guys might end up wearing an orange uniform next year.

Anyway, enjoy these, and more will come.

Coming Tomorrow- An oft trashed design, featuring two of my favorite customs of the year.

Topps Football and Update $10 Boxes

2011-11-27T14:40:00.003-05:00

Yesterday was my 16th birthday, as I told you yesterday. Today, being that I had some money burning a hole, I stopped by target and picked up some packs. I got a pack of Topps Prime, one of my fave football sets from last year, and a box of Football and Topps Update.

Prime:
94- Ed Reed
81- Jahvid Best. I still have an auto of him. Holding onto it.
135- Wes Welker
77- Beanie Wells
66- Peyton Hillis. Way to steal the Madden cover from Aaron Rodgers, Peyton.
53- Da'Rel Scott. How about Darrel? Is that okay?
93- Taiwan Jones.

Football:
118- Felix Jones
88- David Garrard
136- Brandon Marshall
394- Jeremy Maclin
159- Donovan McNabb. Sucking now. Just saying...
417- Tony Gonzalez
32- Brett Celek
100- Drew Brees.
275- James Carpenter
430- Jake Locker. Not getting any playing time thanks to Matt "I'm a character, not a good QB" Hasselbeck.
387- Da'Quan Bowers.
15- Brandon Harris.
424- Mikel Leshoure
386- Dwayne Harris
395- Ryan Williams
251- Justin Houston
319- CHAD OCHOCINCO! Still has him as a Bengal.
327- Browns
137- Seahwaks
309- Danario Alexander
8- Blair White
334- Patrick Willis. Good player.
152- Julius Peppers. The only guy left on the Bears left worth giving a damn about.
49- DeMeco Ryans
320- Santonio Holmes
120- Al- wait, no. Frank Gore.
68- Beanie Wells
328- Jerome Simpson
105- Brandon Pettigrew
221- Jacob Tamme
154- Vince Wilfork
176- Osi Umenyiora. Forgot he was still playing
109- Jermichael Finley
433- Jimmy Clausen. Haw, haw.
17- Denver Broncos
285- Joe Thomas.
416- Darnell Dockett
140- Jay Cutler. Injured now. Besides, somebody had to be 3rd place.
246- Donald Driver. Borderline hall of famer.
376- Jared Allen. His team's doing so poorly.
373- Greg Salas.
325- Jordan Todman
235- Jerrel Jernigan
259- Lee Smith. Not the guy from the Bills. Or the guy from MouseHunt in that matter.
429- Christian Ballard
412- Ronald Johnson
382- Jaime Harper
437- Stephen Paea.
278- Ben Obomanu GOLD #D TO 2011
Dwayne Bowe ToppsTown
Chuck Howley Super Bowl Legends
Cam Newton Bowman mini. That's a nice pull.
Manning/Wayne Faces
Ben Roethlisbegrer Game Day
CODE CARD! LET'S SEE WHAT I GET:
a Pittsburgh Steelers coin. WHY CAN'T I EVER GET A CARD???
AJ Green Bowman
doubles
431- Vincent Jackson
131- Hines Ward
50- Josh Freeman
201- Brandon Gibson
341- Braylon Edwards
67- David Gettis
18- Texans
115- Malcolm Floyd
287- Santana Moss
272- (sigh). Terrell Owens on the Bengals.

Update:
(the box starts out with 5 doubles. Dammit)
48- Scott Hairston
213- Louis Coleman
96- Ryan Hanigan
241- Brandon Wood
156- Humberto Quintero
76- Nolan Reimold. Will he ever rebound?
296- Bobby Jenks
239- JJ Hardy
280- Kyle Farnsworth
327- Blake Beavan
8- David Robertson
102- Sean Burnett
123- Brad Penny
17- Craig Gentry
197- Brandon League
251- Justin Turner
245- Kevin Correia
142- Alex White. The card that can't decide what team it is.
133- Fernando Salas
304- Hunter Pence AS
321- Gaby Sanchez AS
68- Tyler Clippard AS
244- Francisco Rodriguez on the Brewers.
63- Doug Fister. Heh...
132- Jose Altuve
14- Alex Avila AS
173- Charlie Furbush RC
141- Mike Cameron on the Marlins
37- Rick Ankiel
40- Brian Fuentes
44- Matt Treanor
116- Shawn Camp
272- Jorge Cantu
182- Ronny Paulino
183- Carlos Peguero
11- Jason Pridie
217- Elliott Johnson
286- Rich Thompson
307- Casey Coleman
270- Todd Fraiser. He's from Pt. Pleasant NJ, which isn't that far from me.
36- Josh Judy
83- Brandon Belt Rookie Debut
312- Danny Duffy RC
7- Nate Schierholz
246- Alcides Escobar
Carlos Pena
CODE CARD! LET'S SEE WHO I GET:
Stolen Bases Leaders Card 1984. WHY CAN'T I GET ANYTHING GOOD?!?!?
75- Gio Gonzalez AS GOLD #D TO 2011
Grant Balfour Shiny
King Felix and Pineda Duo
RAAAAUUUUUULLLL LIQUORFRACTOR
Casey McGeehee LiquorFractor
Joe DiMaggio Topps 60
HOLY CRAP! IT'S A TOM SEAVER SHORT PRINTED SHINY CARD! EEEEEE!
That is awesome. It's so cool. It'll go great with the Schmidt liquorfractor
278- Jacoby Ellisbury AS
273- Miguel Montero AS
105- Joel Hanharan AS
254- Dustin Ackley Rookie Debut
186- JD Martinez
106- Ryan Ludwick
143- Craig Kimbrel AS
204- Brian Wilson AS
247- Zack Cozart Rookie
166- Ortiz cl
84- Pablo Sandoval AS

Awesome packs. Nothing much else to say.

Wax Boxes from my Uncle

2011-11-26T16:01:00.003-05:00

I apologize for the lack of posting recently. The holidays can be a bit busy. Nevertheless, I'm posting, on my birthday. Today is my 16th birthday, and I already recieved a LeSean McCoy jersey, amongst other things. But at Thanksgiving, my uncle offered up a huge gift- 4 late 80's/early 90's wax boxes. Among them:

2 boxes of 1989 Score
1 box of 1989 Donruss
1 box of 1990 Donruss
A bunch of extra sleeved cards

These were originally from my late grandfather, who has since passed on. My grandfather split his collection before he died, giving a majority to my father, and some to my uncle. The 4 boxes I recieved were from my grandfather, and my uncle felt I needed them more, which is nice.

In the sleeved extras, I'm sorry to say that there weren't many highlights. There were mutliple copies of Barry Bonds' 1987 Topps rookie, along with other stars (even Charlie Hough). But the three highlights:
1987 Donruss Barry Bonds rookie
1985 Topps Mark McGwire Team USA rookie (If I had acquired this 15 years ago, I'd be exstatic)
1993 Upper Deck Alonzo Mourning Rookie (I'm not into basketball, but this is pretty nice. He also gave both collectors a Shaquille O'Neal rookie a few years ago.

Now, for the results of the boxes. In these, I was looking mostly for rookies

1989 Score:
Gary Sheffield (book price: 1.50)
Edgar Martinez
Roberto Alomar
Randy Johnson (book price: 2.50)
Craig Biggio (!) (book price: 4)

1989 Donruss:
Mark Grace
Gary Sheffield (book price: 1.50)
Edgar Martinez
Robetro Alomar
John Smoltz (book price: 1.50)
Randy Johnson (book price: 2)
Craig Biggio (book price: 3)
Curt Schilling (Book price: 4)

1990 Donruss:
Larry Walker
Jim Abbott
Juan Gonzalez (not much, rookie-wise)

nice boxes, overall. close to a complete set with 1989 Score.

2011 Achievements: Taste of the NFL

2011-11-20T15:43:00.007-05:00

I am many things: a bragger is not among them. Despite the fact that blogging is meant for showing off your acquisitions to the general public, which is generally bragging, I rarely get to show off things that I am priveleged to have. This year, because it was a pretty big year for me, I'm proudly displaying some of the baseball/football related achievements I pulled over the course of the year. With pictures, too.

I have told you many times of my trip to Dallas in January to watch Green Bay defeat Pittsburgh, and I have campaigned for its legitimacy even more. Therefore, here is proof: The night before the Super Bowl, my father got tickets to a high-end NFL Event: Taste of the NFL. And when I say high-end, it was classy to the point that I wondered how the hell we got tickets in the first place. Around the convention center, there are stations with every NFL city, and a classy food dish from each. The food's appeal to me, a normal human being who only dresses in a suit every once in a while, varied. But knowing me, and knowing the event that would take place the next night, you can already guess that it was about more than food.

At each station was a former (or current) NFL player. Also at each station: a sharpie. That's right- you had the option of getting an autograph of a bunch of NFL stars. Some people went for grandeur, in getting the players to sign a ball, which itself cost about $100, no joke. But I, being a simple human being who takes what he's got, wanted to up the importance of the program given to me at the door, with pictures of every NFL player in attendance- perfect for signing.

To make a long story short, I got quite a few autographs that night. I'll go through all the ones I got, and didn't get.

THE MISSED OPPORTUNITIES:

Bob Lurtsema, also known as Lurtzy to his friends, was the famed leftover defensive lineman for the Vikings of the 70's, always overshadowed by his teammates at the same position. My dad met Benchwarmer Bob while on a shoot with members of the 70's Vikings team, who were working in a gold mine. The reason for not getting Bob's auto was simple: He was in a hurry, and had to leave his station before I got there. My dad and I talked with him later, and while I didn't get a signature, I got a nice conversation, which is still pretty cool.

Jan Stenerud was another one signing, but the line for him was quite long. Apparently, when you're from another country and you're the only kicker in the Hall of Fame, a lot of people respect you.

Others I missed because I couldn't find their booths. Gino Cappelletti was one of them. A New England legend, Gino would have been a decent addition to the book, had I found him.

Another one of the lost players: Dick Anderson, who had been with the event from the start.

Jack Youngblood was going to be one of the next auto's I'd get, but I was interrupted in order to find the Philly station, to try the out-of-this-world brisket. Sadly, I never got back to Jack.

And sometimes, the sheer realization of who is about to vy for a championship made it difficult. Because of the large scale amount of Packer and Steeler fans, I couldn't get to either of the players. Danny Anderson would have been a nice one.

THE AUTOS:

Upon my dad's request, I achieved the autograph of Karl Mecklenburg, a former Denver Bronco. Karl was very polite in signing, and seems like a nice guy.

I don't remember too much about Bobby Bell, but from what I can recall, he seemed like a nice guy. One of my goals was to snag all the Hall of Famers, so Bobby was a plus.

Joe DeLamielleure, a former first round pick and Hall of Famer, was another nice acquisition.

Bobby Mitchell, one of the first African Americans to play for the Redskins, was a guaranteed auto, as soon as I realized who he was. He wasn't very happy, for some reason, as I remember.

Tommy Nobis was another interesting find. Nobis, Lurtzema, Stenerud, Mitchell and Floyd Little were among the founding members of Taste, which is why they had their own special section. Nobis was a nice guy.

Out of everyone, I'd say that Randall McDaniel was the funniest. When I gave him the program page to sign (which has a picture of the chef on it as well as the player), he pointed to the chef, and said "This ain't me!" I chuckled, as I pointed to the picture of him, which he gladly signed. One of the few Hall of Famers that were actually recent.

My dad, having been a Raider fan, was looking forward to Pete Banaszak. As he signed the page, I said to him "by the way, that touchdown you had in the Super Bowl....made my dad's LIFE!"

Before I get to the Philly player, I have to go over the chef, whose restaurant I had actually heard of. Jack's Firehouse is in Philly, and the brisket they had at Taste was very very good.

Also very very good? Jerry Sizemore, the Eagle that signed below him. Good guy.

Floyd Little, out of all of them, may have been the nicest. He was the newest Hall of Famer at the event, and he seemed quite happy.

The biggest star at the event was Steve Largent. A Seahawk legend, and my uncle's favorite player. After a long line, I got to the front, and explained Steve that my uncle adored him. I eventually got a picture with him, which we sent to my uncle. But the autograph from Mr. Largent may have been my favorite out of all of them.

Well...that's enough bragging for one post. I'll do another one of these later on, only cards will be involved. Actual cards!

New Logo

2011-11-18T18:21:00.003-05:00

The ten customs above my bed have been sitting there since last November, and I figured a few of them would be coming and going. So last week, I decided I would make a whole new roster of customs, now having 14 on my wall. Only 4 customs stayed from last time, the rest are newbies. And if anyone on the wall leaves before the season, they'll be replaced, and the logo will be updated.

Among the players up there: ( top) Rodriguez, Teixiera, Cano, Granderson, Rivera, Sabathia, Jeter, (bottom), Rollins, Utley, Pence, Hamels, Lee, Howard, Halladay.

Also, this is my 700th post, after 3 years. I figure it's taken me long enough anyway.

So, I hope everyone enjoys the new look, because I'll be keeping that header for a while.

Where's the Unpredictability here?

2011-11-17T15:09:00.001-05:00

With the exception of Jeremy Hellickson, every award has gone according to plan so far. I'm happy for Kershaw and all the Dodger bloggers (all 5 million of them). I also hope that at least one Yankee/Phillie gets something tomorrow. Preferrably Curtis Granderson. He's awesome.

We all saw this coming

2011-11-15T15:19:00.003-05:00

But even if we all knew Verlander would take the Cy, at least most of us are happy for the man. Me, I'm just happy they didn't go with the one that has few wins and a buncha strikeouts like last year.

Still...bring on the NL one.

Rookies of the Year

2011-11-14T18:30:00.001-05:00

Called it. Had a spectacular season.

Would have chose Michael Pineda or Mark Trumbo instead, but he'll do.

When Jonathan Papelbon came to Philly

2011-11-11T17:43:00.003-05:00

(Note: The original title of this post was Papelbon Smear, but the mental image it would give people would be unworthy of my 15th best blogger status)

Understandably, Jonathan Papelbon was never my favorite closer. The lasting image of him going nuts after getting the final out against Colorado sealed it for me. He was cocky, he was hated, and he was a member of the Boston Red Sox. I thought I would never cheer for this guy, no matter what. Unfortunately, according to Bill Cosby, "God...has a sense of humor".

Today, Papelbon signed a 4-year deal with my Phillies, despite warnings from the angel on his right shoulder. For four years (or less), I'm gonna have to root for this guy. He'll be closing out games for us, in place of the dearly dejected Ryan Madson, which I resent. Madson was already an excellent pitcher, and he closed games for us. And now we're giving him up on account of a shady closer who's been struggling for the last few years? It's insane.

You can say I'm a little mad at the Papelbon deal, but if he starts throwing fire again, it could work to our advantage. Papelbon in a good year would strengthen the bullpen, and give us a guaranteed arm to close out games, something we didn't have with Brad Lidge.

So the deal could go either way for Philly...maybe he'll close out the last inning of the world series again...only I won't be infuriated this time.

Nice Bloggers Finish Fifteenth

2011-11-11T14:07:00.005-05:00

I was already having a productive day. I'd already had a musing about what could happen in Miami next season (other than uniforms that remind me to never take acid), and was planning on rehauling my wall of customs in my room. I checked JayBee's blog (cause that's how I roll), and was perplexed by his post about John Bateman of Donruss 1982's countdown. This was the first I had heard of the countdown, and I had a thought that JayBee was placed too damn low, at #16. So I checked the site, to see why he was placed so low.

John already had #15 up. That I could understand. Of course, this blogger happened to be #15. (And if you require proof, it is proof you shall recieve). Naturally, I was quite enthusiastic about my placing on the countdown.

First of all, it's a bit of an honor for me. I started with literally no other readers, other than my collector friend Dan (who has since left the blogosphere), and I posted for fun. And after I started doing customs, people started to applaud my work.

Secondly, I find it odd that I was placed one numbering higher than one of the pioneering bloggers in the sphere. Bdj610's blog was one of the first blogs I ventured onto, and his blog is a minor influence of mine. It's a weird feeling, to be ranked higher than one of your heroes. It's almost like winning an Oscar over Jack Nicholson, Leonardo Dicaprio, Matt Damon and Jim Carrey...it's just weird.

Still, I look forward to the rest of the countdown. I don't want to discourage the other bloggers by sharing my opinions on who'll take #1 (though it will probably be Dayf or NightOwl).

Besides...15th is better than nothing.

What is going on in Miami?

2011-11-11T10:37:00.003-05:00

Let's flash back exactly one offseason ago. The Marlins had practically no chance. Two of its biggest stars were headed to Atlanta (including Fredi Gonzalez), its star pitcher was hurt, nobody was going to their home games, and the young stars weren't developing at the rate they wanted. So it looked like another 4th place season for Florida. And it was. Han-Ram slumped, Lo-Mo slumped, and it was a down year.

Flash forward to right now. One of baseball's most iconic current managers is presiding in the front office, there is talks of moving to a new stadium, and three of baseball's biggest stars are thinking of spending a few months there. Is this a Twilight Zone episode, or are the Marlins looking like a huge team for 2012?

I realize at this point that some of this may not happen, but lets assume for a post here. Because if Ozzie Guillen does eventually lure Albert Pujols, Jose Reyes and Mark Buerhle to Miami, it'll be one of the best power shifts in the game's history.

But that's only if this gets off the ground. Because Pujols and Reyes have a lot of options. Pujols has the option of angering his former team by signing with Chicago. Reyes has a similar option, due to a certain Philadelphia shortstop being low on a contract. Buerhle could stay loyal, but under the circumstances (Francona could take over, and the man still smells like Boston) he'll likely side with his former manager.

And if the new stadium idea works, this could be a renaissiance in Miami. People in the area could flock to Miami to see the huge stars, along with the ones they already have, swat homers and make plays. Hell, the Marlins could even be a challenge for Atlanta and Philadelphia for the throne (the Mets are kinda out of it). Hell, the only thing working against the Marlins are those terrible new uniform concepts floating around the web. A marlin does not look like that. To this, I would prefer the teal.

But back to the point- like I said before, this musing is not cemented just yet. Pujols and Reyes could sign with other, stronger teams. Buehrle could go back to Chicago, to be managed by Terry Stinking Francona (or someone else, like I care). And people may not even go to Marlins games next year even if they were playing in the Colliseum. But it's still fine to dream.

So the Marlins may not have a huge power shift next year. But wouldn't it be cool is they did?

Some more Topps Update

2011-11-08T13:50:00.003-05:00

Thanks to yet another Election Day that doesn't matter, I was given a day off to roam in my own teeanged world. Of course, being that I felt a hankering for cards, I got a Formerly Cereal Box and a single pack of Topps Update. I'll open the pack first...due to weight differences.

Pack:
311- Drew Butera. Last year, when this guy was a rookie, I joked that he'd have no playing time, due to Minnesota's catching mainstay. Said mainstay didn't play very often this season. Hi Drew. No hard feelings, right?
93- Matt Downs
283- LaTroy Hawkins. When you have about as many saves has you have losses, it's time to rethink your strategy a bit.
17- Craig Gentry
218- Matt Kemp HRD
16- Wellington Castillo.
Drew Stubbs ToppsTown
120- Mat Latos BOOZE PARALLEL.
109- Jair Jurrjens
38- Josh Hamilton AS
193- Lonnie Chisenhall Rookie Debut. Saw this guy play, decent prospect.
108- Ubaldo Jiminez. Nice to see this guy out of a Rockies uniform.

Box:
324- Melvin Mora. Whatever happened to this guy?
35- Eduardo Nunez. When A-rod and Jeter retire, this guy will fit well into the equation.
32- Matt Stairs. It is funny when you are named after the one thing you cannot get up. I kid, of course. What a career for a pinch hitter.
67- Miguel Olivo. The Catcher That Couldn't Stop Moving
101- Scott Downs
120- Bobby Parnell. Not to be confused with the other guy from Lazy Sunday
33- Jayson Nix
5- Josh Willingham. How can a team with so many sluggers and decent pitching end up in 3rd?
176- Xavier Nady. So how's playing time? You're giving some to D-Backs? We couldn't we have any?
54- Jerry Sands. Outfielder of the Future for LA.
187- Bobby Wilson
168- Bruce Chen. Another Journeyman pitcher
171- Matt Lindstrom
231- Charlie Blackmon.
288- Eric Thames. This is what happens when an under-the-radar team's prospects finally come up
328- Kevin Gregg
39- Eduardo Sanchez
264- Alex White Rookie Debut. That would imply he's good
185- Orlando Hudson. After Alomar left, there had to be a new Awesome Defensive 2nd Baseman. O-Hud is that man.
71- Jeff Francis. Doubles already?
(2 more cards I already had)\
59- Matt Kemp AS
163- Adrian Beltre AS
293- Howie Kendrick AS
323- Jhonny Peralta. I'll say it...did they MEAN to spell it like that?
249- Starlin Castro
310- Scott Rolen AS
252- Derek Jeter cl
248- Octavio Dotel
134- Michael Bourn. Well...great.
37- Rick Ankiel. Crazy story...
311- Drew Butera...oh, you again.
(2 more doubles)
281- Mark Melancon
61- Nick Masset
70- Michael Wuertz
124- Xavier Paul
289- Eric Chavez. Didn't play very often, but still good.
313- Tyson Ross
256- Mark Kotsay. He's still playing? Jeez...
126- Adrian Gonzalez AS. Way to rub it in our faces, dude...
209- Rubby DeLa Rosa
240- Blake Tekotte
279- Trevor Plouffe
80- Jose Bautista AS...just great. Now one of my least favorite players.
100- Cliff Lee. One of my favorite players
2- Ty Wiggington. Overatedness.
57- Tony Campana. Bloggers- STOP SHOWING THIS PHOTO! I CAN'T DRINK, AND I DON'T WANT A DAMN BUD!
CODE CARD! LET'S SEE WHO I GET!
1990 Todd Zeile Future Star. WHY CAN'T I GET ANYTHING GOOD?!?!
Hey, at least I dug up a Nolan Ryan ring!
58- Tim Lincecum AS GOLD #'D TO 2011. Nice star to get a numbered card of
326- Trevor Bell Regular Shiny
Reggie Jackson mini. Bent edge. Grrr
Buster Posey/ Brian McCann Duo
395- Tyler Flowers LiquorFractor
329- Drew Stubbs Liquor Fractor. Nice...two straight young stars in Shiny
Frank Robinson Topps 60. Good star
50 MIKE SCHMIDT LIQUORFRACTOR! YYYYESSS!!!!
That was awesome!
130- David Robertson AS
91- Brandon League AS
287- Matt Joyce
292- Mike Adams
50- Jered Weaver AS
230- Miguel Cabrera AS
85- Roy Halladay AS
140- Clay Kershaw AS
192- MIKE MOUSTAKAS ROOKIE!
247- Zack Cozart
166- David Ortiz Cl
84- Kung Fu Panda AS

Those were some nice packs. The Schmidt liquor fractor is nice.

On a related note, I just traded a 1974 card I had in Diamond Giveaway for a 1974 Manny Mota. If anyone wants it...have at it. I'm really hoping to get something out of this site.

Melk- it does nobody good, or Save HIM San Francisco?

2011-11-07T16:13:00.002-05:00

(Before I rant endlessly about Melky Cabrera, I should point out that I am not a fan of the Giants or Royals. I just know a dumb baseball move when I see one.)

Back in 2008, before anyone had ever heard of Brett Gardner, the Yankee outfield consisted of Bobby Abreu, Johnny Damon, and a young, aspiring centerfielder with a funny name. Melky Cabrera may not have sounded like the ideal outfielder, but back in 2008, he did the trick. Of course, toward the end of the season, Melky was powering down, and we figured that he was going the way of most outfielders- getting fatter, slower and more tired. So we traded him to Atlanta for a few pitching prospects (unfortunately, NOT THE RIGHT ONES!)

I bring this up because today, a sad, slow, underperforming centerfielder was traded to San Francisco. His name was Melky Cabrera. This is already angering enough, how a strong, rebuilding team has to rely on a youthful but unreliable bat to help the already fine outfield. The more angering detail is who they traded him for.

Jonathan Sanchez, the strong 4th/5th starter, and the man who threw a no-hitter for San Francisco, is now a Kansas City Royal. Why? Because the Giants apparently want to take a gamble on an outfielder whose last good numbers where while as a member of the 2008 Yankees, which are a punchline on their own. And I can't believe this.

First of all, it's almost definite that the Royals got the better half of the trade. Jonathan Sanchez may not be as reliable as the four other men in the rotation, but he's still a solid pitcher, with decent credentials and good pitches. Melky Cabrera was terrible for Atlanta, and was terrible for Kansas City. Therefore the Giants can only benefit from Melky if he is traded to another team for a better player, which would be the MLB version of a common rabbit trap.

I know you may think I am ganging up on Cabrera for no reason, but would a Braves blogger say anything different? Would a Royals blogger say anything different? Would a (nonexistent) Giants blogger say anything different, other than the fact that they are horrified that this will occur? Nope. They would say most of the same things this proud Yankee blogger is saying. Because they're close to the truth- Melky Cabrera is not the right fit for a San Francisco team hoping to rejoin the playoff race. With mistakes like this, and gambles on apparent traps like Orlando Cabrera, Carlos Beltran and Miguel Tejada, the Giants front office is going under a lot of fire lately.

My final musing is this: Who would you rather have in your arsenal? A fourth or fifth starter with a couple All Star appearances, a no hitter, and a decent amount of playing time left? Or an oft traded, slobby outfielder whose best days are behind him, even in his early thirties. The answer is obvious- the Royals are very lucky right now.

As for the Giants... here's hoping they can trade Melky for someone better. Only time will tell.

A Returning Hero

2011-11-05T20:36:00.004-04:00

For two years of my life, Jim Thome was my favorite player.

During my youth, I knew next to nothing about baseball. Due to my father's "root for the Yankees or sleep on the roof" policy, I had no choice but to root for Jeter. For a year or so, he was my favorite player. Of course, a year later I went to my first Phillies game at Citizens Bank Park. Myself, my friend Nick, and my folks sat in our seats, anxiously awaiting the team.

Jimmy Rollins was the leadoff hitter back then. Keep in mind that these were the days that J-Rol was quick enough to lead off. After him were Polanco and Abreu. Batting fourth was the star of the show. The crowd cheered as he stepped to the plate. The stadium bore his number, and the kids were carrying mini bobbleheads of his likeness (I still carry one in my room). Jim Thome was at the plate, and in 2004 Philadelphia, nobody else was bigger than him, in both senses of the word.

I forget if he hit a home run or not that night, but I remember thinking that he was an awesome hitter, and a great player. I thought that no other human being could replace the man at 1st base. And from 2004 until the day he was signed by Chicago, Jim Thome was my favorite player.

After that, my attention switched back to the Bronx, as Jeter and A-Rod ruled the throne. I still rooted for the Phils, but since Thome had left, my attention had waned. Ryan Howard had taken the irreplaceable position, and while he was excellent, he just wasn't Thome. Of course, when the Phils took it all in 2008, I cheered for them. I cheered every year for them, but it was a shame Thome couldn't celebrate with them.

Yesterday, I was sitting on the waiting seats in a Mexican restaurant far from home. I was tired, hungry, and after a long night, was hankering for a Sprite. As I was relaxing on the seats, my dad nudged me, and pointed to the TV Screens. I squinted to make out what was going on at ESPN, though Jim Thome's face graced the screen.

I slowly read the words aloud: "Thome to sign one year deal with Phillies." And at that moment, despite the fact that I was in Yankee country, I let out a cheer. I was so happy that my hero was back in town, and that he could hit for us again. Howard might be hurt for some of the season, so Thome will get his throne back.

Jim Thome will most likely retire in Philly pinstripes. And that's an idea I can get around.

Another Year, Another Young Frankenstein Reference

2011-10-31T18:33:00.002-04:00

(Dr. Fronkensteen rings a bell. Two doctors roll in a gurney, carrying AJ Burnett. He does not look like he's pleased to be part of this demonstration)

Fronkensteen: Mr. Burnett here, who has never pitched for my ballclub, nor have I given any instructions to him, has graciously offered his services for this afternoon's demonstation. Mr. Burnett, will you hop up on your feet and stand beside this table.

(AJ does so, though it takes him a few tries)

Fronkensteen: Nice...hopping.

(He motions for AJ to turn around).

Fronkensteen: Mr. Burnett, will you raise your left knee...please.

(AJ Does so).

Fronkensteen: You have just witnessed one of the few things Mr. Burnett still knows how to do. He has sent a nerve impluse to his brain, which then sends it back to the spinal cord to the leg, obviously passing the defunct right arm. Mr. Burnett you may lower your knee.

(AJ Shrugs and lowers the knee)

Fronkensteen: Reflex movements are those that are made independently at will. This subject's best relexes used to lie within his right arm and left leg. You filthy yellow son of a BITCH!

(He knees AJ in the right arm. AJ is shocked).

Fronkensteen: We are not aware of thse impulses. Neither is Mr. Burnett, due to the fact that apparently his right arm can barely move anymore, according to him. But what if we block the impulse, or in this case, incoming baseball, by reducing pressure, which can be done with any ordinary ice pack just at the posterior of the nerve roots.

(He straps the icepack around AJ's neck. AJ has no idea what the hell is going on).

Fronkensteen: Let's give this a few seconds.....why you mother grabbing BASTARD!

(He knees him in the right arm again. No movement or reaction this time)

Fronkensteen: As you can see, no injury is seen. AJ is perfectly fine

(AJ's eyes wander around, as he can't control anything)

Fronkensteen: In spite of our mechanical magnificence, if it were not for this continuous stream of ice and wellness flowing into a normal, healing 2nd starter, HE WOULD COLLAPSE...like a PITCHER...IN...HOUSTON!

(He removes the icepack from AJ's neck. AJ falls back onto the table in agony, helped by the doctors and lone lawyer)

(There is applause. Fronkensteen turns to the lawyer)

Fronkensteen: Give 'im an option for 2012.

Happy Halloween. May your obscure references be funnier than mine.

Another Season bites the dust

2011-10-29T10:55:00.002-04:00

Figures that I have the closer to close the 2011 season out. Fitting too- I'm not too happy that the Cards won, but I'll deal. As long as it doesn't create a whole 70's A's kinda thing. But it was a great series, and I'm glad they won.

So what does this mean for me in November? Well, a few things. For one thing, I'll be posting about numerous trades that occur during the offseason. I'll be busting packs, mostly Topps Update, and some of the new football stuff. I'll be making some more longer posts whenever a controversial topic comes along (like the Buckner one from a few days ago). And, best of all, I'll be working on Year By Year Customs for December, and a new layout for customs in my room, which'll be next year's Blog Photo. And, in the midst of all this, I'll be turning 16 in November. So, busy month for me.

Another thing I'll be doing, from now until the start of the season? Checking this

There will be Seven

2011-10-28T06:50:00.003-04:00

Is it just me, or will this series never end? David Freese's home run last night made sure this series would stretch even longer. Still, at least it's developing into one of the better Series' of the past few decades. It's been stretched to a game seven, it's had heroes and villains, with decent pitching and hitting. All we need now is that miracle play to end it.

Game 6, bottom of the ninth, Stanley on the mound, Wilson at bat

2011-10-25T21:12:00.004-04:00

A couple of the other bloggers are sharing words on Bill Buckner, and I figured I'd share my insight, despite the fact that it happened 9 years before I was born.

I first read about the Buckner play in some baseball stats novel about baseball bloopers. I forget the name, but the name doesn't matter. I thought it was funny, how that guy let the ball loose and ruined his own name. Then I looked at the date and team. And three towns over you could hear me laughing uncontrollably.

Now, many people have told me their stories of how they saw the play, and their reactions to it. A friend of my dad's began his major collection (ticket stubs) due to this game, as well as finding a newfound affection for the man that hit the single. My dad recalls the event with a smirk and a good attitude- my dad the Yankee fan loves to talk about the day he saw the Red Sox pay.

But even if I am a Yankee fan, inclined to point and laugh at Buckner like Nelson Muntz, I still feel kinda sorry for the guy. He was already a Dodger hero, a Cub hero, and was slowly becoming a Boston hero. And then, with one play, it vanished. If that play hadn't have happened, Buckner would have been the series hero, he would have been hailed as a Red Sox Hall of Famer, and he would have allowed Dennis Leary to emit something close to a smile. But the Mookie play ruined his career, much like the 1993 Series ruined Mitch Williams' career, or the 2001 Series slightly ruined Byung Hyun Kim's career (and yet he kept on going!). To this extent, I feel like Buckner doesn't deserve all the death threats he's getting.

And yet today, there are still many Buckner haters in the Boston/New England area. Absolutely nothing will change this. Not even an appearance on Curb Your Enthusiasm, or Buckner apologizing, or the damn team winning the series twice in a decade. The fans will still hate Buckner, from this day 25 years ago until the day he dies (or the day an enraged Boston fan strangles him, whichever comes first). And that's the even sadder part. Hell, New Yorkers must love him. I imagine he's a nice guy, and that he and Mookie Wilson go out for Milkshakes every month or something. But in Boston, he's worse than the Devil.

Still, when it comes to the Bill Buckner play, either you hate Buckner, or you love the Mets. And while it's hard to find a clear side in that argument for a Phillies/Yankees fan, I have to side with neither. I don't hate Buckner, but I loathe the Mets (Not that I hate Mets fans...hell, my extended family's loaded with 'em).

I just hope that if there ever comes a time that the Phillies play the Red Sox in the World Series, and the Sox are in position to win, and they put Bobby Jenks on the mound, and leave an aging Kevin Youklis at first...I hope something even worse happens to him. Then, maybe Buckner will get some respect, and people will go back to hating Youk like they should.

Or not...you just can't call 'em anymore...just ask Wilson, Stanley and Buckner.

Could the Rangers win it?

2011-10-25T06:53:00.002-04:00

Thanks to Mike Napoli's homer last night, the Rangers are in position to win the World Series. But can they do it? As long as St. Louis unravels a bit more, and the Rangers keep fighting, they will. I still think they're the better team to win, because they've never won, and also because they didn't defeat my Phillies.

Tied Yet Again

2011-10-24T06:50:00.002-04:00

And once again, with the help of Derek Holland, the Rangers have a legitimate shot at winning the World Series. Which is nice. Cause I'm running out of Cardinals customs.

Oh, right...there's still a World Series going on.

2011-10-23T11:07:00.001-04:00

Please don't hit like that when the Phillies are in town. Ever.

Sorry I fell behind on posting customs, the series kinda got a little boring. No offense to the Cards/Rangers diehards. There are more interesting Series matchups out there.

It's On!

2011-10-19T19:35:00.003-04:00

While it may not be the most exciting World Series matchup, this is sure to be a fun one. Still, my money is on Texas, because they haven't killed any of my teams this year. Which means I've kind of forgiven them. But you all know how long that'll last...

Well, Crap

2011-10-17T06:42:00.003-04:00

Wasn't really looking forward to a Cards-Rangers Series. Oh Well.

Go Rangers! And yes, this may be the only time you ever hear that phrase out of me.

2 $10 Boxes of Topps Update Series!

2011-10-16T15:17:00.002-04:00

Noticeably, I've been having a surprisingly shallow card-buying year. High School has gotten in the way a bit, as well as a bit of work. But at least I'll be able to enjoy Update Series by buying multiple packs this year. Let's see the product in all its awesome glory:

Box 1:
286- Rich Thompson. He's from Australia.
307- Casey Coleman
317- Craig Counsell. What a career he's had. Hope he gains his second World Series ring.
253- Scott Linebrink? He was on the Braves?
165- Al Albequerque. What a redundant name.
153- Matt Guerrier. Didn't help the Dodgers any
266- Jason Isringhausen. One of the best closers of the early 00's. Glad he's back home.
285- David Purcey.
300- Carl Freaking Crawford. He didn't have the greatest season, but hopefully he'll rebound...just not for Boston.
28- Adam Kennedy
136- Brandon Crawford Rookie Debut
164- Hector Noesi.
205- DJ LeMahieu
239- JJ Hardy, an obvious Comeback Player nominee
280- Kyle Farnsworth. Great Baseball Glasses. 327- Blake Beavan
185- Orlando Hudson. One of the better defensive 2nd basemen of the last decade.
71- Jeff Francis.
276- Yuniesky Betancourt. What a season he had.
94- Ryan Vogelsong. What a story.
2- Ty Wiggington. Bluh
Ethier and Kemp Diamond Duos
204- Brian Wilson All Star RED
112- Lonnie Chisenhall RED. Saw him play.
302- Alex Torres
146- Jordan Walden AS.
31- Curtis Granderson AS
242- Matt Holliday HRD
128- Mariano Rivera Checklist
60- Heath Bell AS
306- Brandon Phillips AS
238- Carlos Beltran AS
88- Orlando Cabrera
87- Clayton Mortensen
214- Matt Daley
243- Chris Denorfia. Nice throwback
226- Steve Pearce
265- Willie Harris.
212- Pat Neshek.
284- Laynce Nix
103- Josh Collmenter Rookie
233- John McDonald
330- Lance Berkman. What an amazing season for this guy.
318- Brayan Pena
8- David Robertson.
102- Sean Burnett. Has a few blown saves, according to a fellow spectator at the Nats game I attended.
123- Brad Penny. Washed up now
17- Craig Gentry
218- Matt Kemp HRD
26- Jered Weaver cl
57- Tony Campana.
CODE CARD! LET'S SEE WHAT I GET:
Luis Gonzalez 1993. Dammit, why can't I ever get Die-Cuts?
318- Brayan Pena GOLD #'D TO 2011.
318- Brayan Pena SHINY CARD! IT'S A BRAYAN PENA HOT BOX!
Joe Morgan Mini
419- Kelly Johnson VOMIT SHINY CARD!
345- Austin Jackson VOMIT SHINY CARD!
Danny Duffy Topps 60.
Holy Crap, it's a relic. More specifically, it's a James Shields AS Workout Jersey. Nice. Could have done better, but still nice. If any Rays fan pines for it, it's up for grabs.
175- Mike Trout Rookie
131- Jeff Keppinger
319- Corey Patterson
58- Tim Lincecum AS
229- Asdrubal Cabrera
4- Brian McCann AS
82- Mark Ellis
304- Hunter Pence AS. Sadly, he's still wearing an Astros uni in this.
321- Gaby Sanchez AS
268- Yadier Molina AS.
162- Troy Tulowitski AS

Box 2-
298- Yorvit Torrealba.
139- Rafael Soriano!
90-James Russell
15- Aaron Heilman
269- Sergio Santos
99- Carlos Villanueva
221- Jamey Carroll
293- Wilson Ramos.
135- Grant Balfour
69- Gerald Laird
25- Tim Stauffer. A buncha no-names. Where's the good stuff?
262- Javy Guerra
277- Sam LeCure
6- Prince Fielder AS
81- Aaron Harang
160- Victor Martinez.180- Daniel Moskos
261- John Buck
250- ZACK GREINKE! THERE WE GO!
159- Alex Cobb
137- Willie Bloomquist
Hosmer and Freeman Duo
116- Shawn Camp Red
272- Jorge Cantu Red
113- Chris Perez AS
98- Alexi Ogando AS
202- Derrek Lee. Borderline HOF.
59- Matt Kemp AS
163- Adrian Beltre AS
293- Howie Kendrick AS
323- Jhonny Peralta
310- Scott Rolen AS
84- Kung Fu Panda AS
190- Alexi Ogando
48- Scott Hairston
213- Louis Coleman
96- Ryan Hanigan
241- Brandon Wood
156- Humberto Quintero
76- Nolan Reimold
296- Bobby Jenks. Sorry Boston, no tradebacks
40- Brian Fuentes
44- Matt Treanor
116- Shawn Camp
236- Jose Morales
314- Armando Gallaraga
56- Ryan Adams
155- ERIC HOSMER ROOKIE!
117- Michael Stutes
152- Julio Teheran
215- Michael Dunn
235- Jason Giambi
51- ANDRUW JONES!
Heath Bell TT
CODE CARD! LET'S SEE WHO I GET!
1978 Dan Meyer. Not a die-cut, but still not bad.
289- ERIC CHAVEZ GOLD #'D TO 2011.
77- FREDDY GARCIA SHINY CARD! A YANKEE HOT BOX!
Cole Hamels Mini
620- Luke Hochevar Vomit Shiny
411- Josh Bell Vomit Shiny
Joe Morgan Topps 60
349- Starlin Castro AS
252- Derek Jeter cl
134- Michael Bourn
130- David Robertson AS
91- Brandon League as
287- Matt Joyce AS
292- Mike Adams
329- DEE GORDON ROOKIE!
49- Rickie Weeks AS
294- Edwin Jackson

Nice packs. As a Diamond Giveaway postscript, I redeemed a Brookyln Dodgers ring and a Babe Ruth ring. Still, a great product that I'll be getting more of.

Repeat Offenders

2011-10-16T11:32:00.002-04:00

After besting the Tigers in 6 games, Nelson Cruz and the Rangers are headed back to the World Series. With the Giants well out of the running, maybe this time it'll be a little easier for them to take the throne. But with the Brewers or Cardinals in the way, you never know what'll happen.

I'd also like to pay my respects to a fallen team.

You may have bested my Yankees, and your star pitcher may be winning the Cy Young this year, but the Detroit Tigers have had an amazing season, one even I can respect.

I'm personally hoping for a Brewers-Rangers series, because it would be even more painful if the Cards got in after beating my Phillies. So...go Milwaukee.

Fighting Back

2011-10-14T06:43:00.002-04:00

These guys have lengthened the series to 6.

While these guys have tied their series at 2.

Coming down to the wire. Personally hoping for a Rangers-Brewers WS, so one of them can stop complaining that they've never won one.

Things are getting insane

2011-10-13T07:03:00.003-04:00

3-1, in position to advance. Honestly, I think they'll win.

First of all, isn't that card awesome?

Second of all, this guy has a 2-1 lead over Milwaukee. No offense toward any Cards fans, but last week's loss still stings. I kinda want the Brewers to win, cause I hate them the least.

But forget about bias- look at that card!

In come the Cardinals

2011-10-11T06:52:00.003-04:00

Or, more aptly, here comes Albert Pujols. The guy went crazy at the plate last night, decking homers left and right, and shattering the Brewers' offense.

I do realize the Rangers won too, but I didn't make a Nelson Cruz card.

And the Brewers raged on

2011-10-10T06:39:00.003-04:00

This guy, along with his teammates, swatted down the Cards for a Game 1 victory. Also, who else thought I could squeeze that many letters into that design?

Meanwhile, back at the playoffs

2011-10-09T11:35:00.002-04:00

The Rangers, as well as the rain, conquer the Tigers for game one of the ALCS.

It seems pretty weird watching this postseason from the stands, instead of ACTUALLY ROOTING FOR SOMEONE!

One Weird Postseason

2011-10-08T11:19:00.003-04:00

The ball cracked off the back toward lower right field. Howard ran to first and hurts himself 1/4 of the way there. Punto recieved the ball, and tossed it to Pujols. Howard collapsed in a heap on the first baseline. Pujols, Punto and Carpenter collided for a bearhug, and the rest of the team followed.

I sighed, sadly, as I looked for a rule calling that would render the ball foul, of that Howard's injury would incite a do-over. But as the Cardinals began dousing each other with champagne, and as the angry members of the crowd sauntered out of the stadium, depressed that they had come this far only to lose, I realized that wouldn't happen. I flipped off the TV, and, because as a teenager this is my first instinct, ran to Facebook. Everybody I knew was saying the exact same thing "It was Howard's fault, and he should be traded". Okay, maybe people didn't say it in all Caps, and with the right spellings and punctuation, but they all spoke loud enough to irk this proud baseball fan. I had no choice but to post something true: "There's always next season". Despite the fact that it was the truth, it got less likes than the guy saying "Howard did this because he wanted to stay true to his hometown".

Still, as I sighed heavily, I realized for the first time since the terrible postseason of 2007, both of my teams had been knocked out in the first round of the playoffs. We all remember 2007, where the Phillies fell victim to the Rockies, who would later lose the series, and the Yankees fell victim to the Indians, as well as the Flies. And the sad thing is that nobody expected the other teams to win then either. The Yanks and Phils should have kept going on, but they were defeated.

This also incites something I hadn't even thought about until last night: Who do I root for? The four teams still remaining in the playoffs are all not favorites of mine. Three of them have defeated my teams in the playoffs. The Brewers...they're just the Brewers.

Still, it's gonna be hard to watch this postseason, now that both my teams are gone, and there's no one good to root for. Bring on the offseason...let's get the Yankees some more pitching.

Defeat Again

2011-10-07T06:51:00.002-04:00

It sucks to be a Yankee fan when everybody wants you to lose. Last night, Alex Rodriguez was the goat for us, and couldn't seem to even hit the damn ball. I'm a little mad at the team right now, because we HAD IT. We were very close, and now we've been knocked out first round. By the Tigers, of all teams. It feels embarassing.

It's not to say that the team won't overcome. Hell, we might sign some free agent pitchers, trade for some new pitchers, and make sure our aging stars are backed up. We should have gone farther than this. And it pisses me off.

For the next month, my hope rests on Philadelphia.

A night of ties

2011-10-06T07:00:00.003-04:00

Ties the series with Philly on a sliding catch no one could believe.

Helps tie the series with Milwaukee.

So if nobody else is counting, there are three tied series' waiting to be settled tonight. I hope both my teams advance.

Meanwhile, the postseason rages on...

2011-10-05T06:53:00.004-04:00

It was almost like something out of a fantasy movie when this guy pitched a stellar game, keeping the Yankees alive and tying the series. AJ should be proud.

With assistance from Ben Francisco, gains a lead over St. Louis, and puts them in elimination danger.

Decks three home runs, and blasts Tampa Bay out of the Postseason.

Even down two games, shatters the Brewers' defense to stay alive.

Tonight: Things get interesting.

It could happen

2011-10-04T16:08:00.002-04:00

For the second year in a row, the Yankees have found themselves a few games into a series, without a lead. It happened last year in Texas, and it's happening now with Detroit. While I will not agree that Detroit is the better team, I will say that to go out in the first round would be pretty terrible. And yet it could happen. Last year, we were hoping to get to the World Series, but for some reason Texas was better than us.

This also might be the second year in a row that I'll have to live with the Yankees not making the World Series. Because it could happen. The Tigers could advance, with the help of Justin Verlander and 4 other pitchers that aren't very good. But we have the hitting, and we have the bullpen. In all theory, the Yankees should be leading this series, but the Tigers have just simply been getting ahead.

The Tigers are leading the series because of luck alone. Sure, they have a great #1 pitcher, and they have good hitters like Miguel Cabrera and Alex Avila. But with all due respect to any Detroit fans, they shouldn't be getting this far. They're not a sound team like the Yankees are, and I hope this fact eventually dooms them.

The bottom line is that I'd personally like the 2011 Yankees to start playing like the 2009 Yankees. In the same vein, I'd personally like the 2011 Tigers to play like the 1997 Tigers. Which ultimately gives away the outcome I'm hoping for.

After a good day comes a bad one

2011-10-03T06:46:00.003-04:00

Somehow, ties the series at 1.

Also somehow ties the series at 1.

Rockets the Brewers by their second win.

Today better be a good baseball day. Please.

This is why I love October

2011-10-02T10:10:00.002-04:00

Grand Slams the Tigers to finally win Game 1.

Two Run Homers to help save the Phils against the Cards.

Batters down James Shields to tie the series.

Holds off Arizona with the help from a firey offense.

The best part is that it's only just begun.

And so it begins...

2011-09-29T09:17:00.003-04:00

Last night at 11 PM, The Yankees were winning and the Sox were in position to clinch. Then I went to bed. I woke up 15 minutes ago. Irony set in.

The Rays had clinched the Wild Card, and the Yanks had lost the last game of the season. I was also overjoyed that the Red Sox had lost, because any team that has a big lead during a rainstorm...might wanna kiss it goodbye.

But it was a strange feeling. Tonight, for the first time since July, no games will be played. Sunday, the shenanigans will begin. I'll recall each team still in the running, and their odds to make the World Series.

AL:

New York Yankees:
Pros- The team has some of the best hitters in baseball. With Granderson, Teixiera and Cano alone, they would have gotten to this point. Also, the bullpen is a nice solid one, with one surefire Hall of Famer, and two former All Stars. Of course, CC Sabathia is the huge pitcher for other teams to worry about.
Cons- CC's pretty much all they've got in terms of pitching. They have CC, Nova, and that's basically it. Burnett'll stink up the place, Colon and Garcia will be loose cannons, and the Killer B's might not be ready yet.
Odds to make the world series: 1:3.

Detroit Tigers:
Pros: Justin. Freaking. Verlander. It always helps to have the best pitcher in baseball on your team, and with 24 wins and an obvious CY Young on the way, the incoming batters best not look afraid of the ace. Aside from that, they have some good hitters in Cabrera, Jackson, Avila and Martinez. And of course, they have Jose "How the hell do I have more saves than Rivera" Valverde to sweep the floors.
Cons: Similar to the Yankees, Verlander is the only real pitcher they have, unless you count Rick Porcello. Other than that, the staff is kinda a mixed bag, with Phil Coke, Brad Penny and Max Scherzer rounding it out. And while the hitters are awesome, most of them tend to strike out a lot. And with people this good at hitting, is defense a liability?
Odds of making it: 1:5.

Texas Rangers:
Pros: Like last year, they have some of the best hitters in the game. Also like last year, they have Hamilton, Kinsler, Young and Andrus. Adrian Beltre has become the team's secret weapon this year, changing his status from "overrated" to simply "rated". CJ Wilson has surprised me a lot, becoming the team's top ace.
Cons: The same thing that killed them last year- not a reliable enough defense. You got big strong guys roaming around, and they may not be speedy. Kinsler and Andrus maybe, but Beltre's probably slow. Also, CJ Wilson may be their only reliable pitcher. Maybe because the guy they signed to be a reliable pitcher (Brandon Webb) is still hurt.
Odds of making it: 1:8

Tampa Bay Rays:
Pros: The hitting. Evan Longoria, Johnny Damon and BJ Upton are all rocking the plate. Upton's been a fixture at center, and David Price is one of the best pitchers in the game. Meanwhile, James Shields, Desmond Jennings and Jeremy Hellickson are taking notes.
Cons: Not enough hitting, not enough pitching, unreliable defense, the fact that they only squeezed past the Yanks to get through last night. Also, there's a huge chance that one of the other teams will kick their ass in the ALDS. Just saying. No offense toward anybody.
Odds of making it: 1:15

NL:

Philadelphia Phillies:
Pros: Uhhh...well, they have the best pitching staff in baseball. And with the absense of Roy Oswalt, they have somehow maintained the Philly Phour with Vance Worley. Lee, Halladay and Hamels are throwing smoke, and Madson is also throwing fire in the ninth. Also, the offense isn't bad either. Howard, Pence, Mayberry and Ruiz are all hitting well. It's a very solid team overall.
Cons: Defense. A lot of these players are getting old, and don't get joy in running for a ball. Also, this aging factors into offense too. Ibanez and Rollins are indeed getting old, and they're still hitting, but they might not be Phillies by next season.
Odds of making it: 1:2.

Milwaukee Brewers:
Pros: A wild offense. Fielder, Braun, Hart, Weeks and Morgan are all mashing the ball at the plate, and all five of them will do serious damage in the postseason. Pitching is also solid. Zack Greinke may not have had the greatest season, but he still did damage, and he will do damage. He'll be backed up by Marcum, Gallardo and Wolf just in case.
Cons: The fact that despite their dominance, they might not be as good as the Phillies. And their pitching may be depended on at the last minute. Also, the bullpen isn't as strong as the team hopes. Axford and K-Rod can't do everything for you.
Odds of making it: 1:5

St. Louis Cardinals:
Pros: Pujols, Berkman, Holliday. Those three hitters have been providing some major damage at the plate this season. Carpenter, Garcia, Jackson, Westbrook. Those four have been a stellar pitching rotation this season.
Cons: Well, they only got into the playoffs because Atlanta lost. I was heavily expecting the Braves in the playoffs, but we got the Cards. Oh well.
Odds of making it: 1:8.

Arizona Diamondbacks:
Pros: If the Dodgers don't sweep the NL MVP and Cy Young awards, then the D-Backs will. Ian Kennedy, who I feel stupid now that the Yanks gave him away, is throwing some great games, and Justin Upton's having a monster season too. Chris Young and Daniel Hudson provide backups.
Cons: Aside from those guys, it's a lackluster team. There aren't too many huge names in the lineup, and in the bullpen. It's hard for this team to succeed with this.
Odds of making it: 1:20

Greatest Baseball Movie: The Debate has Resurfaced

2011-09-26T06:43:00.002-04:00

Up until very recently, if you asked a casual sportsfan what his favorite baseball movie was, he would give you a choice from four or five answers. 1- He would take the easy way out, and say Bull Durham. 2- He would tell you that he's passionate about the game, and say Field of Dreams (Which used to be my answer). 3- He would come out of left field and say Major League. 4- He'd be a film-lover, and add The Natural. 5- She'd have no choice but A League of their own. And those five movies, with the exception of one obvious choice, are very good.

But what happens when a new movie comes into the mix? And yes, blogosphere, you know which one I'm talking about.

I saw Moneyball the first time this past Saturday night, with my parents. Not only did I think that it was an excellent baseball movie, it was also an excellent film period. The attention to detail, the dialogue by Aaron Sorkin, the performances of Brad Pitt, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, hell even Jonah Hill- and that says something.

After that first time, I thought it was one of the greatest baseball movies ever. Was it as good as Field of Dreams? Possibly. Was it as good as Bull Durham? Definitely. Was it as good as Major League? No, it was a billion times better than Major League. Major League's like the Police Academy of Sports Movies.

Of course, the next day was one of relaxation for me...until my friend called me up, and said he and another friend were seeing Moneyball, and asked if I wanted to join them.

I then searched my mind for a reason to refuse. After not finding one, I accepted.

So now I've seen Moneyball twice. And yes, I agree with what I said about it the first time. Because some people might say it's better than Bull Durham, and better than A League of their Own. And I would agree with them, with no disrespect toward Kevin Costner and Tom Hanks. Come on guys. There's no crying in baseball movies.

But the debate still rages on for other casual sportsfans, most of which have recently seen the movie. I swear, if the rest of the went to see The Lion King this weekend, they shouldn't be a sports fan. But anyway, these other fans have different levels of judgement in terms of baseball films than I do. They could still think Bull Durham's better, they could say Moneyball's the best, because it's really an Oscar movie about Baseball. Hell, they could even still say Major League's the best...to that, I would respond "Mr. Sheen, what the hell are you still doing here?"

But if they can't all agree that Moneyball isn't the greatest baseball movie of all time, they'll still think it's a great movie. Which is really all that counts.

The Playoff Clinches so far

2011-09-23T06:58:00.002-04:00

So the playoff races are coming down to the wire in most divisions, while three have already been conquered. And as Rafael Soriano above proves, the Yankees clinched the AL East for the umpteenth time. And that's a good thing. But I'll go over, division by division, who I wanna see in the playoffs, or I'll dish on who's already there.

AL East: Yankees. They had an up and down season, but at the end of the day my team was ahead of Boston. I'll be seeing them in the World Series, hopefully.

AL Central: Tigers. I'm slightly worried about these guys. True, they have one amazing pitcher, and third stringers like Doug Fister, Brad Penny and Phil Coke. But they have hitting. People like Victor Martinez, Miguel Cabrera, Austin Jackson and Alex Avila all can hit. They might hit their way into the World Series for all we know.

AL West: Not yet clinched. It's probably going to end up being the Rangers. The Rangers do not seem like a very big deal this year. True, the hitting's still there, and they have most of the guys from last year, but not much has changed. I don't think they'll get past the first ring of the playoffs.

AL Wild Card: Not yet clinched. Hoping it's Tampa. I really don't wanna go against the Red Sox in the playoffs. Sure, they had a downfall, but they're still the Red Sox. Tampa isn't much better, but we can hopefully beat Tampa.

NL East: Phillies. They have pitching, they have hitting, they have defense. They should have a chance at a ring.

NL Central: Not yet clinched. I would be happy if the Brewers won it, because of the season they're having. Also, Zack Grienke has never been to the postseason, and I feel it's about time.

NL West: Not yet clinched. The Giants are probably going to take it. I don't think they'll get as far as they did last year. They have offense, but it's like a Celebrity Apprentice offense. And the pitching's great, but can pitching speed a team ahead.

NL Wild Card: Not yet clinched. Might be Arizona. Crap.

Custom Card of the Day: Price Edition

2011-09-21T06:44:00.003-04:00

I'm beginning to slow down my custom making, due to lack of good photos, and free time. Also, because of the looming postseason. Around when the playoff teams are announced, I'll just make a bunch of customs from those teams, and posts them at random points if they win or lose. Of course, it was very recently when I realize that I hadn't made a David Price card all year. He's one of the most dominant pitchers in the league, and I had to wait until September to make one of him. That's cold.

Price is one of the Best pitchers in the AL, and on a team whose pitching isn't exactly their strength, he's still racking up wins for Tampa. The only problem is that the Yankees have to play either the Rays or the Red Sox, if they defeat Texas/Detroit. And Price's Rays are looking pretty okay this time of year. Still...better them than Boston.

Coming Tomorrow- Gotta make some more. Of the teams I think will make the playoffs, there'll be a few people.

602

2011-09-19T16:39:00.002-04:00

Thanks Mo. Now that you're the top saves leader- and you will be for a while- the rest of the country can finally accept you as the greatest closer of all time.

Take a bow, Sandman. You deserve it.

Custom Card of the Day: Wakefield Edition

2011-09-17T08:26:00.002-04:00

Knuckleballers, like Rodney Dangerfield, never get any respect. Sure, Phil Niekro and Hoyt Wilhelm get all the attention, for being a long lasting knuckler playing into old age. And even names like Charlie Hough come up, and while he's no Hall of Famer, he was one of Florida's first big stars back in the 90's. But nowadays, when knucklers are mentioned, Tim Wakefield is obviously the first man that comes to mind. Because he's been pitching consistently since 1993, and he's been doing things well.

Now granted, he's been on the Red Sox since 1994, and he's been through a lot. From the crappy days of the mid-90's, to the even crappier days of the late-90's, to both World Series wins. He's 44, he's still pitching, and his name does not rhyme with Shamie Shoyer. Also, he just achieved his 200th career win. While that comes nowhere near 300, or any of the great pitchers, it's all well and good for Boston fans. Because even if Wakefield comes nowhere near Cooperstown, they'll still remember him for his 2 decades with the team.

Coming Tomorrow- Once again, I have to make some more. Any requests?

Custom Card of the Day: Helton Edition

2011-09-16T06:52:00.002-04:00

Is Todd Helton one of the most underrated players in baseball today? Possibly. Sure, it's a known fact that the early 2000's are over for him, but his power hitting days are not. He can still hit pretty well, mixed with the occasional injury. Still, the Rockies aren't doing the greatest this season, but players like Helton are helping them rise above mediocrity (read: The Padres), and stay out of last. And while Todd isn't having the greatest season, he's still a borderline Hall of Famer.

Also, I'm beginning to like these "New teams on Old Designs" customs more and more.

Coming Tomorrow- One of today's best knuckleballers (And before you all ask, I am NOT making an RA Dickey custom), who just achieved a huge milestone.

Custom Card of the Day: Pierre Edition

2011-09-15T06:50:00.003-04:00

A lot of you may not have heard, but the guy above just notched his 2000th hit. And I'd say that's pretty cool. But the fact that not too many people heard proves what kind of star this guy is. True, Juan Pierre's a speedy outfielder, and he can bunt and steal bases, but he's not one of the greatest ballplayers ever. And yes, I also realize the man has a World Series ring (Wait...does he? 2003 Marlins, right?) but he never made a huge impact with the teams he was on. I still think he's a great player, but he won't be a Hall of Famer.

Coming Tomorrow- I have to make more. Any requests?

Custom Card of the Day: Aroldis Edition

2011-09-14T06:44:00.002-04:00

There not many people who can throw faster than Aroldis Chapman. Sure, they can claim to have a 105 mph pitch, but no one can live up to it, other than Chapman. I've seen the man pitch, and he does so flawlessly. He fans batters every night. He throws hard and strikes people out. These facts offer up two questions. One- Why is this guy only a middle reliever, and Two- How come the Rookie of the Year talks are scarce?

The first question can be answered easily, mainly because the other spots are filled, and they rely on an aging slob to close games. But the second? If he's the fastest pitcher in the league, and this is his first season, how is this guy not even being talked about by ROY enthusiasts. Sure, Danny Espinosa this, and Craig Kimbrel that- what about the elephant in the room, here? And before you all ask, yes this is his rookie season. Is it maybe just the fact that he hasn't gotten many innings- is he just not pitching well? The world may never know.

Coming Tomorrow- A speedy outfielder in his early 30's, recently reaching a milestone in Chicaaaaago.

Custom Card of the Day: RAAAUUUUULLL Edition

2011-09-13T06:49:00.003-04:00

Ever had one of those situations where you just can't make a good card of somebody? That's been the last three years with me and Raul here. Back in 2009, when I started customs, I started off just making my favorite players. Of course, all I did to the customs back then was just use an unrelated font, and not do anything to the picture. So it was kinda shoddy. Then last year, I did one, but it was during the week where I felt like I had to texture every single card. So this year, Raul's getting older, on and off the DL, and I need to make a custom of him before he retired. Luckily, I found a good shot. So here you go. This'll probably be hanging on my wall, soon.

Coming Tomorrow- One of the fastest pitchers in the league, narrowly avioiding losses, batters, and NL Rookie of the Year talks.

Custom Card of the Day: Lee Edition (Yes, again)

2011-09-12T06:48:00.002-04:00

When people who were traded during the offseason get traded again during the regular season, it's a bit tedious. For one thing, just as you're getting used to someone in one uniform, he winds up going somewhere else. This must be especially hard for Topps. Last year when Miguel Tejada was traded to San Diego, they were probably smacking their heads with blocks of wood, because they had a card of him in Baltimore prepared.

But then, there's Derrek Lee. Derrek Lee hasn't been gotten right on a base card since 2009. In 2010, Topps made a Cubs card of him, but then toward the end of the season, he was traded to the Braves, via a waiver deal. And Topps had no Braves card of him. If I'm right, they made up the Derrek Lee Braves card earlier, in the 2011 set. By this point, Lee was already in Baltimore. So now that Topps was already working on an Orioles card, Derrek Lee was traded yet again to Pittsburgh. I know. So now, Topps might finally put out a Pirates card of him. Keyword- might.

Coming Tomorrow- His career's on the decline, his hitting has diminished and he can't run like he used to, but he's still RAAAAUUUUUUULLLL.

Custom Card of the Day: Montero Edition

2011-09-10T11:26:00.002-04:00

He's one of the biggest catching prospects in the Bronx since Posada- how could I NOT make a custom of him? I was watching the game he had against Baltimore, where he decked two homers over the wall, giving him his first two career home runs. I was thinking "Man, he's going to be huge". Hopefully I'm right. No offense to Russell Martin, All Star and solid defensive catcher, but Jesus Montero can hit. And you cannot.

I hope this guy ends up being huge for the Yanks...and that he lives up to his potential.

Coming Tomorrow- Here's where I'm stumped. Should I even post a custom tomorrow, being that it's the 10th anniversary of 9/11? Would it be breaking the moment if I did?

Custom Card of the Day: Strasburg Edition

2011-09-09T06:48:00.002-04:00

Is there much to say about Stephen Strasburg that hasn't been said already? Methinks not. The guy is only in his second year, and Topps has beaten collectors over the head with him. And look, he's a good pitcher. He throws strikes, he's dominant, and he gets wins. But it really isn't looking like he's going to be...Stephen Strasburg. The comparisons to Todd Van Poppel are endless, whereas everyone thought that he'd be huge...then he wasn't. Still, Strasburg has potential, but if he keeps getting hurt, this potential will cease.

Also, if Topps does to Bryce Harper next year what they did to Strasburg last year, I'm swearing off Topps cards. Because it isn't fair, it isn't cool, and it's not the way Topps was 30 years ago.

Coming Tomorrow- Speaking of rookies with potential, this guy hit two home runs in one of his first games for his team. Naturally, he's playing for the Yankees.

Custom Card of the Day: Morgan Edition

2011-09-08T06:59:00.003-04:00

How do I follow up one of the most inspirational posts I've ever written? Sheer insanity, that's how. The guy above has been bringing the crazy for Milwaukee for the year. It's pretty nice too, being that the last two teams he's played for were the worst in the NL. Now, his team's heading the division, and this guy might be headed to the playoffs. Am I the only one getting the Cody Ross vibe? The guy adds comic relief for a serious team, yet he still scores runs. Sounds like Cody Ross to me. Only Nyjer's a little more likable than Cody Ross. At least I hope so.

Coming Tomorrow: Yeah yeah, he made his return to the majors, had a buncha strikeouts, blablablablablaahh...yeah, he's getting a custom.

Custom Card of the Day: Lillibridge Edition

2011-09-07T06:52:00.004-04:00

Alright, folks. This is a story I'll never forget, because of many huge points that I'm about to get to. Part of it eminated from this post. So I'll just share the original post, before I get into the mind-blowing stuff.

I have already mentioned the fan of mine, who occasionally sends me suggestions for customs, which I gladly create. Before this one, he was requesting a lot of Dodgers, mainly because he's a Dodger fan. But he came to me, about a week before I left for New Hampshire, and he said he wanted to see a card of Brent Lillibridge. And the reason behind this, is not only the fact that he's been getting a bunch of plate appearances this year, but because of the fact that Mr. Lillibridge knows this fan- they spend some time together during the offseason. And he has also helped the world, helping the Dominican Republic and South Africa. The first thing that popped into my head was "Isn't this the greatest idea?"

Then another thought popped into my head. And this one was more important. You see, if the fan knew Brent so well, he could show Brent the card. And if he likes it, and he shows it to his team, I could have an entire ballclub asking me for customs. And it's be equal parts rewarding and chaotic. I'd have to fend off weekly offers from players I've never heard of, like Dayan Vicedio, and I'd get swarmed by requests from everyone else. I'd have to explain to some people that they're on the DL and I can't make it, or I can't find any photos of them, or "Ozzie, I'm not making any manager cards."

It was just a thought. But I still thought it'd be awesome for a MLB player to see one of my customs of him. And I got an email back later from the fan, asking permission to show Brent. And I agreed. I haven't heard back from him, but I'm guessing things went well.

Before you ask, no I did not make this up. This story is just too good to make up. And I hope that encourages people, that I do not deny custom requests. If anyone has any players they wanna see on a card (Nyjer Morgan and Derrek Lee are on the way), just ask in the comments. And I hope that Brent likes this card as much as this blogosphere does.

I posted that at 10 to 7 this morning, because I had to leave for school 30 minutes later. Actually, I was a bit nervous sharing a lot of this, but I figured it's be fine. So I post the custom, and the anecdote, I go to school, get bored out of my mind for most of the day, and come home.

Already sitting in my email inbox are two emails. One is from Captain Canuck, about the contest he just won. The other is from, you guessed it, the fan. And he brings good news. I will recount the awesome parts of his email word for word. Seriously, for a guy who makes custom cards on his spare time, this is epic:

"Jordan,

So sorry I never followed up with Brent's reaction to your custom card of him! He really liked it. In fact, quoting him, he emailed me and said, "Wow, he's got some mad skills.""

So that's awesome on its own. Brent Lillibridge loved the card I made of him. And at first, I didn't know what to think. I thought it was crazy that someone I made a card of loves my work. Then of course, he said this:

"He liked it enough he put it as the picture on his Twitter account."

Now my jaw was on the floor. Because Brent Lillibridge loved my card, and now it's his Twitter Picture, and now other people around the world can see my work. And the whole "White Sox badgering me for customs" thing I joked about? That might actually happen.

So let me reinforce this once again. Requests are golden. If I never accepted that request from the fan, I would have never had a guy who I made a card of post it as the picture on his Twitter account.

So, uh...thanks Brent, if you're reading this. And I hope the White Sox do MUCH better next season. Seriously, I'm not just saying that. I hope their 2012 season outdoes everyone's expectations. And again...thanks for liking the custom.

Coming Tomorrow- There's the power hitting outfielder, the power hitting first basemen, and then there's this guy, a man in Milwaukee with a speedy pace and a need for sanity.

Stadium Club Contest: LAST THREE PACKS!

2011-09-06T21:36:00.004-04:00

Well folks, we've reached the end. There are three packs left out of the 1996 box. I know a lot of people haven't been mentioned, but the Braves did most of the card hogging in this contest. So I apologize to all who chose the Angels, Astros, A's, Cardinals, Dodgers, Expos, Giants, Indians, Mariners, Mets, Orioles, Padres, Phillies, Pirates, Reds, Red Sox, Tigers, Twins and White Sox. As for everyone else, the game is still winnable.

Marquis Grissom of the Braves. A decent running shot. 3 points.

Ryan Thompson of the Mets. A nice swing. 3 points

Don Wengert of the A's. Got it. 1 point

Frank Thomas of the White Sox. Any doubt in anyone's mind that this guy's the greatest White Sock ever? Didn't think so. 5 points.

Shawn Green of the Blue Jays Team TSC. One of the Greatest Jewish Ballplayers, only fourthed to Koufax, Greenberg and someone else that's better than Shawn Green. 4 points. Mazel Tov!

Tony Gwynn of the Padres. The regular version. So...I say it's a double. 1 point.

WOW! A Raul Mondesi BASH AND BURN Insert for the Dodgers. That works. He certainly bashed, and afterwards, his career burned. I keed, I keed. This is a 5 pointer, definitely.

Albert Belle of the Indians. Double, 1 point

Alex Fernandez of the Yankees. Forgot he played for the Yanks. DH most likely. 4 points cause it's a cool shot.
Terry Steinbach of the A's, Great shot. Nice way to capture a catcher. 4 points.

Kurt Abbott of the Marlins. Nice stance. 3 points

Bobby Thigpen (?) of the White Sox. A decent pithcer shot. 3 points

Joey Lawrence Team TSC of the Padres. Never made it. 3 points

Roger Bailey of the Rockies. Nice horizontal. 3 points

Paul O'Niell of the Yankees. The Warrior. 4 points

Fernando Vina of the Brewers. Have it, 1 point

Last Pack:

Guy from the Astros whose name I can't make out. Awesome vertical shot. Great play. 5 points.

Jason Isringhausen of the Mets. Would later become a star for St. Louis. Good closer. 4 points

Jose Viscaino, Dave Martinez- doubles

Mike Henneman of the Astros. Double, 1

Randy Johnson of the Mariners Team TSC, Double, 1.

Mo Vaughn of the Red Sox. Double. 1 point

Will Clark of the Rangers, 1 point.

Alright. The ripping is over. After 48 packs of cards, the winner of all his team's loot, plus some extras from me...is...

CAPTAIN CANUCK!!!

The Braves ended up with 96 points. Before any of you ask, no I was not bribed by the Captain. It just turned out that way. The Braves had a lot of stars in the 90's. The closest team to the Braves was Ryan LaMonica's Yankees, who has 77. (It's hysterical, how both teams ended up in a score that was a year they were in the world series. Heh).

Alright. Captain, send me an email with your info, and I'll get your prizes sent out this week. As for everyone else, thanks for playing. Who knows, I might pull another contest sometime soon. And hopefully, it'll be shorter, and less complicated.

Custom Card of the Day: Stanton Edition

2011-09-06T06:43:00.003-04:00

I must say I'm liking the whole "New Teams in Old Designs" shops I've been doing a lot lately. They're very fun to make, and I always like exploring new possibilities. For example, this 87 one was a tad bit harder, being that I needed a team logo, but thanks to Google Images, that problem was solved almost instantly. Of course, the man on the card has been doing his best to solve things as well. I think that if Hanley Ramirez gets traded next season, Mike Stanton will lead the team. The guy can definitely hit, and if he's healthy all 162 games, he'll possibly lead the team far. Unfortunately, that's hard to do when the Phillies and Braves are in your division.

Coming Tomorrow- Another custom that was requested by a fan...only there's more of a story to this one.

Stadium Club Contest: 1996 Packs 17-20

2011-09-05T20:55:00.003-04:00

It's coming down to the wire in this epic contest. Questions are swirling around. Can anyone stop Captain Canuck's Braves, leading with 86? Will the Brewers, being led by no one, catch up to the Braves, having 65 points at the moment? Will the Yankees, the undisputed dark horse of the contest, speed ahead, having 63 points right now? Who can explain playattheplate's Rangers' fight for the lead, with 61? And will the defunct Marlins, with 57, Spiegel83's Royals, with 56, and hiflew's Rockies with 52, ever catch up to the herd? All will be answered tonight and tomorrow night. But for now, the penultimate four packs (And unlike Topps, I acutally mean penultimate as in "the next-to-last").

Rafael Palmiero of the Orioles. Would be a Hall of Famer if he didn't take steroids. 4 points.
John Wasdin of the A's. Failed prospect, but decent shot. 3 points
Ed Sprague of the Blue Jays. Got it. 1 point
Cal Ripken of the Orioles. Got it. 1 point
Scott Servais of the Cubs. Hi. Got it, 1 point
Frank Castillo Team TSC of the Cubs. Got it. 1 point
Wil Cordero of the Expos. That's a nice way to capture a double play. 4 points
Mark Portugal of the Reds. Got it. 1 point

Jeff Fassero of the Expos. Pretty nice horizontal shot. 4 points
Jeff Fassero of the Expos. Unnnnghhh. 1 point
Frank Rodriguez of the Twins. Got it. 1 point
Juan Guzman of the Blue Jays. A good pitcher shot. 3 points
Jim Eisenrich of the Phillies. A nice swing for Eisenrich. 4 points
Roger Pavlik of the Rangers. Nicely shot card, with a good pitcher shot. 3 points
Derek Jeter of the Yankees Team TSC. Pretty close to a rookie for this guy, which is awesome. 5 points. Cause he's Jeter.
Brian Barber of the Cardinals. got it. 1 point

Fred McGriff of the Braves. CRIME DOG! 4 points.
Fred McGriff of the Braves. That's not funny. 1 point
Troy Percival of the Angels. Decent shot for a decent closer. 3 points.
Randy Johnson of the Mariners Team TSC. The Big Unit, in all his glory. 5 points.
Chris Hoiles of the Orioles. Got it. 1 point
Pitcher guy for the Pirates whose name I can't make out. Okay shot. 2 points.
Pat Kelly of the Yankees. Got it, 1 point.
Ivan Rodriguez of the Rangers. Got it, 1 point.

Mark Lemke of the Braves. Double. 1 point

Scott Leius of the Twins. Double. 1 point

Jeff Frye of the Rangers. Watching it sail...3 points

Alex Fernandez of the White Sox. Double, 1 point

Jason Jacome of the Royals. Double, 1 point.

Tom Glavine of the Braves Team TSC. Double. 1 point

Steve Finley of the Padres. A NICE SWING. 4 points

Some guy I can't make out for the Brewers. Nice swing, 3 points.

With four packs left to go, the Braves still have a lead with 93, the Yankees have 69, the Brewers and Rangers have 68, and everyone else is trying to catch up. Tomorrow night, the winner will be decided, and they will recieve all the cards for their team, plus a few extra cards for their team. It all ends tomorrow night.

Custom Card of the Day: Delmon Edition

2011-09-05T11:11:00.003-04:00

Let's face it, we've been doing terribly with out #1 Draft Picks as of late. With the exception of David Price and possibly Bryce Haper, none of them have been the stars that we expected. Strasburg was injured all season, Hochevar never became the huge starter, Beckham never made the majors. And then there's this guy, who's hitting pretty well despite not meeting everyone's expectations. People were comparing Delmon Young to Ryan Howard when he was a rookie, although I think now a more apt comparison would be Chili Davis. The guy gets traded around a lot, is supposed to be big, and might wind up on a World Series winning team sometime in the near future.

Coming Tomorrow- The Marlins have been tanking this season, but this guy might be their future.

Stadium Club Contest: 1996 Packs 13-16

2011-09-04T21:05:00.002-04:00

At the end of last night's pack ripping, Captain Canuck's Braves still held the lead with 80, while Ryan LaMonica's Yankees have caught up with 63, and Play at the Plate's Rangers and the defunct Brewers have 61. Also, Spiegel83's Royals have made a comeback with 56. With 12 packs to go, anyone can win it, and everyone will try.

Mike Stanton of the Red Sox. Have it. 1 point

Jose Viscaino of the Mets. A decent swing. 3 points

Shane Andrews of the Expos. A potential steal. Of course, after that his weight made stealing difficult. 3 points

Steve Avery of the Braves. And the Braves make a return, albiet in double form. 1 point

Raul Mondesi of the Dodgers. RAAAUUULLL was a huge star back in the 90's. 4 points.

Mark Carreon of the Giants. A decent play shot. 3 points

Mark Portugal of the Reds. That's a good way to get a pitcher shot done. 4 points

Frank Castillo of the Cubs. Never made it. 3 points

Scott Leuis of the Twins. Got it. 1 point

Joe Oliver of the Brewers. Nice shot. 4 points

Alan Trammell of the Tigers. A Detroit Legend, shown in his final season. How could that NOT get 5 points?

Mark Langston of the Angels. The hard-throwing pitcher in action. 4 points

Jose Rijo of the Reds. Got it

Brian Hunter Team TSC of the Astros. Got it.

Curtis Leskanic of the Rockies. A decent shot. 3 points

Ron Karkovice of the White Sox. A brilliant catcher shot. 5 points

Karim Garcia of the Dodgers. Never made it. 3 points

Alex Fernandez of the White Sox. A good pitcher shot. 3 points

Kenny Lofton of the Indians. What a basestealer. Borderline Hall of Famer. 4 points

Albert Belle of the Indians. Boy, did this guy have power. 4 points

Mark Smith of the Orioles. Decent Horizontal. 4 points

Norm Charlton of the Mariners. That is a nice shot. 5 points

Jeff Bagwell of the Astros. Hall of Famer definitely. 4 points

Dave Martinez of the White Sox. A nice swing shot. 3 points

Tommy Greene of the Phillis. How a pitcher shot should be done. 4 points

Esteban Loiaza. Got it. 1 point

Jeff Conine of the Marlins. That's a funny one. The little James Woods grin ecquipped with a tennis racquet. 5 points

James Mouton of the Astros. A decent running shot. 3 points

Kevin Foster of the Cubs. Pitcher shot, blah. 2 points

Jody Reed of the Padres. A good swing. 3 points

Tom Glavine Team TSC of the Braves. He was for Atlanta what Cliff Lee is now for Philly- a very good pitcher, dwarfed only by the guy who starts the day before him. 5 points

Luis Aliciea of the Red Sox. Running, bleah. 2 points

Ed Sprague of the Blue Jays. A nice shot of the guy warming up. 4 points

Mike Lansing of the Expos. Got it. 1 points

With 8 packs left to go in the contest, the Braves lead with 86, while the Brewers have 65, the Yankees still have 63, the Rangers still have 61, the Marlins have 57 and the Royals still have 56. It was a slow round, but hopefully a lot more will happen when the contest continues tomorrow night.