Opening Day: 2011 Bronx Hopes

I usually do one of these when Pitchers and Catchers leave for Spring Training, but I forgot about that back in February, and am doing it now. Today is the official Opening Day for MLB, even though Philly plays their first game tomorrow. That's when I'm wearing my Halladay jersey, because if I wear the Yankee one, I'll probably get booed, being that I'm 20 minutes from Philly. But usually, at the beginning of the year, I list the players added and subtracted to the New York roster. Like so...

• Gained Rafael Soriano in Free Agent deal


• Gained Russell Martin in Free Agent deal


• Gained Eric Chavez in Minor League deal (was later promoted, yay)


• Gained Bartolo Colon in Minor League deal


• Gained Freddy Garcia in Free Agent deal


• Gained Mark Prior in Minor League deal


• Resigned Mariano Rivera


• Resigned Derek Jeter


• Signed Andruw Jones to a Free Agent deal

But there were also losses.

• Andy Pettite retired.


• ...yeah, that's it.

Still, it looks like an interesting season ahead of us. The insiders are saying we won't get very far, but hopefully, 2011 will prove them wrong.

Custom Card of the Day: Experiment Edition

Remember how I used to just have expansionists in post 1993 designs, just so I could customize them. Well, now, if the design's easy enough to customize, I can literally make expansionist customs, just by changing the teams. This is great for Marlins, D-Backs, Rays, Rockies, maybe even Nationals fans, if they want vintage customs of their players. Nationals fans...I could just make the cards Expos or Senators cards, and it would still be good. But with this pretty cool Josh Johnson, the expansionist cards are officially on.

Tomorrow- Gotta customize some more. Probably not another expansionist, but maybe a Yankee favorite.

Custom Card of the Day: Wells Edition

I don't know why I reserved this guy for the first few weeks of customs. Maybe it has to do with his star status in Toronto for ten years. Maybe it's because of the fact that something about guys in new uniforms excites me. Maybe it's because I needed an excuse to try to make a 1970 custom. But still...I think it's pretty nice.

Tomorrow- Experimenting with a post-vintage expansionist, in an old design.

Custom Card of the Day: Dodger Edition

This is probably one of my all time favorite customs, because it's so...artistically beautiful. The colors around Matt Kemp glow and shine, like they're the subject of the photo. And every detail seems to be crystal clear, anywhere from Kemp's uniform to right there on his face. It's a remarkable custom, and I think I should use this as a standard for all my customs in the future. It even looks kinda like a 1966 card...just a bit more actiony.

Tomorrow- A Toronto star in Anaheim

Custom Card of the Day: Cliff Edition

When this guy was playing for us in 2009, we thought we had hit a gold mine. The playoffs seemed easy to get through thanks to him, and with Pedro, Cole and Blanton, that made for a pretty damn good rotation going into the World Series. Then, Cliff Lee was traded to the Mariners, and the Rangers soonafter, where he made the World Series for the second time in a row. Now, he's rightfully back with the Phils, and hoping to actually take home a ring this time. And with that epic rotation, this seems like a plausible quest.

Tomorrow- A Dodger Favorite in all his glory

Custom Card of the Day- O-Hud Edition

I love that shot of him making that play on Matt LaPorta. That's really all I have time for this morning. I need to make some more customs tonight.

Tomorrow: Most likely a member of the toughest pitching staff in the NL.

Custom Card of the Day: Matsui Edition

This is an extremely cool card, especially for fans of Hideki in his Yankee years. There are some players that play for my favorite teams, that even if they're traded or resigned somewhere else, I'll still never root against them. Chien-Ming Wang is like that, although he hasn't really played since the Yankees released him. Abreu counts as another one, I guess. But Matsui was always a fun player to watch, and will always be fun no matter what uniform he's in. He's just a great player. I don't care if he's a hall of famer or not- he's a great player.

Coming Tomorrow- A prominent basestealing king, now stuck in San Diego.

Custom Card of the Day: Filthy Red Sock Edition

They say that Boston will contend with the biggies to try to take another title this year. To that I say this: What are you gonna do, trade for a World Championship? TAKE THAT!

Tomorrow- An ex-Yankee in greener pastures- literally.

Custom Card of the Day: ChiSox Edition

Adam Dunn really jumpstarted his career in 2009 with Washington. From there, he became quite successful, with a few great years. Unfortunately, Washington never has any chance of making a World Series, let alone winning one. So he moved to Chicago, where he found himself in better hands. Buehrle, Quentin, Konerko, Peavy, Ramirez and many others will back him up on the Sox (or he may back them up. Depends on how often they DH Vizquel). Still, 2011 looks to be a pretty good season for Dunn.

Tomorrow- the first Filthy Red Sock of the year

Finally A custom card of the Day

I did get lazy, and forgot to post this one, but it's a good one. This guy really has a future with the Cubs, and may lead them to that World Series they've been chasing. Maybe.

Tomorrow- Another Chicago Star, but on the other side

Custom Card of the Day: Braun Edition

I'd say this guy is probably gonna have the biggest season out of all the Brewers. Prince Fielder will try, and if Greinke rebounds, he'll be a contender too, but right not Braun will be the star of the show. For three seasons he's been excellent at hitting and running and fielding, and I think 2011 might be pretty big for Braun.

Tomorrow- Someone asked for it, so I made it. The one guy who might somehow help break a 102 year curse.

Custom Card of the Day

Being that I had already done Josh Hamilton, I figured that Joey Votto needed a custom. I think he's going to have a decent season this year, backed up with a good pitching staff and some good players like Scott Rolen, Jay Bruce and Brandon Phillips. I think the Reds will do fine, but once they get to the playoffs, Philly will have them beat again.

Tomorrow- Another national league star, only this one in the Land of the Cheese.

Custom Card of the Day

Yes, this is how obscure I can get. Instead of posting a Joey Votto custom, or a Felix Hernandez custom, or even 1 of the Big Phillie Four, I post Lance Effing Berkman, the man whose career doesn't have much left, and whose future Hall of Fame membership is dwindling daily. He was also with the Yankees last year, and that was okay, for about 30 seconds, until the stupid Yes Anchors kept babbling about what to call him.

Good luck in Pujolsville, Fat Elvis.

Tomorow- I gotta make some more. Any requests?

Custom Card of the Day- Zim edition

Being that last night's custom was a thing of beauty, I figured I'd crank out another one. These aren't very hard at all anymore, now that the process has been memorized after 3 years of doing this. I know the top says Expos, but I shoulda done Senators. That makes more sense with the whole Nationals thing nowadays.

Coming Tomorrow- I did Hamilton, Lincecum, Grienke and Heyward. Now...someone you wouldn't expect on the first week of customs.

Custom Card of the Night

Here is a card of Josh Hamilton. There is nothing else to say.

Tomorrow- The man named after a nickelodeon show.

Custom Card of the Day- J-Hey Edition

This marks my third Jason Heyward custom, and I think it's the current best. This means that I have now made more J-Hey customs than I have of Derek Jeter or Alex Rodriguez, but that can change by the end of the year. Still, the eyes of America, or at least Atlanta, will be on Heyward this season, to see if he can wow audiences and rocket his team to the playoffs again, only to be seconded by Philadelphia. One can only hope.

Tomorrow- another player who everyone's looking forward to watching, except Yankee fans who remember last season's ALCS.

Philly Show: Smaller show, more swag

I hadn't been to the Philly Show since last September. I missed the last one due to other things in its way. So, being that we had a free weekend, we ventured over to Valley Forge. On the top floor was the Fly Fishing Show, aka "The "You're Old" Festival", and we got the bottom level yet again. The show was noticably smaller, but I got a lot more cheap stuff.

2011 Base:
Jon Lester, Neftali Feliz, Billy Wagner, Aramis Ramirez, Hanley Ramirez, Rick Ankiel, Justin Upton, Ryan Dempster, Edgar Renteria, Andrew McCutchen, Jonathan Papelbon, David Price, Jered Weaver, Yadier Molina, Zach Grienke, Jorge Cantu, Pablo Sandoval, Kerry Wood, Carl Crawford (on the Rays), Chipper Jones and Johan Santana.

Vintage:
1972 Lou Brock
1975 Gary Carter Rookie, Harmon Killebrew, Joe Morgan, Willie Stargell
1977 Willie Stargell, Andre Dawson Rookie
1981 Phil Niekro

Numbered (A dealer had a bunch of numbered Topps)
2002 Edgar Renteria, Paul Konerko
2003 Ramon Hernandez
2004 Jake Peavy
2005 Nick Swisher
2006 Bobby Abreu, Jason Bay
2007 Jered Weaver, Hank Blalock, Chris Carpenter
2004 Fleer Classic Clippings Edwin Jackson Rookie(!) Numbered to 150 (!!!)

Football-
2010 Magic Donovan McNabb
2009 National Chicle Jason Witten, Terrell Owens, Wes Welker, Ladanian Tomlinson, Drew Brees, Vince Young, Steve Smith, Tony Gonzalez, Larry Fitgerald, Thomas Jones, Anquan Boldin, Clinton Portis, Steven Jackson, Reggie Bush, DeAngelo Williams

Inserts:
2001 Own the Game Jim Thome, Roberto Alomar
2007 Trading Places Frank Thomas, Aubrey Huff
2006 UD Hot Stove Headlines Derrek Lee, Curt Schilling, Randy Johnson

Diamond Kings:
2005- Andruw Jones, Rich Harden, Carlos Beltran
2003- Paul Konerko, Raul Ibanez, Mike Sweeney, Miguel Tejada, Ichiro, Ivan Rodriguez, Vernon Wells, Miguel Tejada, Curt Schilling, Andruw Jones, Gary Sheffield, John Smoltz, Fred McGriff, Adam Dunn, Barry Larkin, Todd Helton, Lance Berkman, Craig Biggio, AJ Burnett, Adrian Beltre, Hideo Nomo, Ben Sheets, Aramis Ramirez, Jim Edmonds

Very good show. Hope to be at the next one in September.

Custom Card of the Day- It's Back!

After months of inactivity due to lack of playing, Custom Cards have made their return. The player today- The Freak. Tim Lincecum has been one to watch in the past few years. The World Series last year was just the cherry on top. If Lincecum keeps this up, he'll go on to Greatness, or maybe Cooperstown. He's a fun player that has crazy antics on and off the field. Hopefully, the comparisons to Bill Lee will end there.

Coming Tomorrow- The Sophomore Season everyone will be watching...and it ain't Strasburg.