After the Deadline: Reviewing the trades

I was prepared to write about the next Yankees acquisition. I was hoping for some new pitching, maybe some more power for the lineup, and that would make my day right there. Here's what I got: Absolutely nothing. Nobody went to the Bronx...nobody left the Bronx. Brian Cashman ultimately had a slow Sunday, for the first July 31st in quite awhile. And I was hoping we'd get something...I would deal with Wandy Rodriguez. But we got nothing. Oh well...here's a look at some other deals made with luckier teams.

Top Ten Trade Deadline Deals:

10. Mike Adams to Texas. The Victor- Texas. How it helps Texas- Strengthens their bullpen, making it even stronger. How it helps San Diego: Just what the doctor ordered, EVEN MORE PROSPECTS!

9. Koji Uehara to Texas; Tommy Hunter and Chris Davis to Baltimore. The Victor: A Draw. How it helps Texas: Sending Uehara strengthens the bullpen further, and maybe the Arlington pitching staff can help Uehara regain his 2009 mojo. How it helps Baltimore: Tommy Hunter finally adds some good pitching to a club that needs some, and Chris Davis replaces the recently departed Derrek Lee at first.

8. Erik Bedard and Josh Fields to Boston. The Victor- Boston. How it helps Boston: A nice outfielder to add to the dozen they already have. Plus, the array of injured pitchers leaves a few holes in the rotation, one of them being filled by Bedard, who ironically has been injured for a year. How it helps Seattle: Gives them a few prospects, who they seriously need if they want to rebuild their team.

7. Derrek Lee to Pittsburgh. The Victor: Pittsburgh, for once. How it helps Pittsburgh: The one thing I noticed about the club when I went to a game this month was that it relied mostly on speedy young players, and not on bats like Lyle Overbay. This deal gives them the bat they need. And Derrek will be a good fit in a rebuilding team. How it helps Baltimore: Pittsburgh was willing to give up a few of its prospects to help the team, which is nice.

6. Kosuke Fukudome to Cleveland. The Victor: Cleveland. How it helps Cleveland: The Indians are also in need of a bat, now that Grady's on the DL again. Fuku will gladly give some plate assistance, as well as some outfield help to fill the Sizemore-sized hole. How it helps Chicago: Once Soriano, Dempster and Zambrano leave, the prospects they recieved may aid them somehow.

5. Colby Rasmus to Toronto; Edwin Jackson, Mark Rzepcinski, Corey Patterson to St. Louis. The Victor: A Draw. How it helps Toronto: Rasmus has been a young prospect for the Cards for a while now, and this trade will hopefully help his performance a little bit. Also, they needed a good fielder that was also good at hitting. How it helps St. Louis: All three players fill gaping holes in the Cardinals' roster. Rzepcinski gives them a good reliever, Jackson gives them another decent strater, and Patterson loans more plate assistance.

4. Ubaldo Jiminez to Cleveland.The Victor: Cleveland. How it helps Cleveland: Between Carmona and Masterson, the Indians have a lot of "good" at the mound, but nothing spectacular. Jiminez gives some assurance to scare away batters and help the surprising Indians finally get back to October. How it helps Colorado: Helps a rebuilding, aging team rebuild.

3. Michael Bourn to Atlanta: Jordan Schafer to Houston. The Victor: Atlanta. How it helps Atlanta: The Braves always go for a speedy young outfielder around the trade deadline, and this year was no exception. Bourn will bolster the team not only in speed but in power at the plate. The Braves needed a guy like Bourn. How it helps Houston: Gives them some pitching help, and another batch of prospects.

2. Carlos Beltran to San Francisco. The Victor: San Francisco. How it helps San Francisco: Gives a needed bat to an already strong lineup. Even though the pitching rotation is good on its own, the batting needed improvements, and this certainly helps. With Beltran's power at the plate, there's no wonder why the Giants snapped him up so quickly. How it helps New York: Gives them a few new prospects, so they can rebuild a little more.

1. (Admit it, you saw this coming) Hunter Pence to Philadelphia. The Victor: Philadelphia. How it helps Philadelphia: Adds to the already growing list of outfielders. With Ibanez getting old, Victorino on and off the DL, and the others circling between the club and the minors, it's nice to know that now there'll be a constant, hitting well and playing the outfield consistantly too. It only buttresses one of the strongest teams in the league. How it helps Houston: Well...a few more prospects couldn't hurt.

So there you go. Pretty much every team besides the Yankees made some good deals, got some new blood on their 40-man. And hey...we're still going to do well. We're the Yankees.

Custom Card of the Day: Jennings Edition

I've been getting more and more comfortable putting new teams into old customs, and completely redesigning the card to fit the team. It was at first kinda hard, but now I've been having a lot of fun with the idea. For example, a few days ago Desmond Jennings, a huge prospect for Tampa whose name is not, nor ever was Tim Beckham, made his ML Debut. They're hyping this guy up to be a big hitter, future of the team and all that. So naturally, I decided to make a custom of him. Truth be told, it looks pretty damn good. The way I tooled with the design makes it look like a modern rendition, sorta like what Topps did with the 1977 design in Trading Card History for Chris Young.

So hopefully, you'll be seeing a lot more expansionist customs in the near future. And they'll be just as awesome.

Coming Tomorrow- I already made a card of this guy a month ago...but he was just traded to San Francisco. Tomorrow, he gets his 2nd card.

Custom Card of the Day: Ellsbury Edition

I may have gotten a lot of Red Sox fans against me for a few reasons this year. Mainly because of the Derek Jeter jersey hanging from my logo, and the fact that I'm a fan of their sworn enemy. But also, because Jacoby over here is only the second Red Sock I have posted all year. Now granted, a made an Adrian Gonzalez earlier this year, just because he was doing great at the plate.

But now that the Sox are in first, I need to start making cards of them again. I can't be biased in my card-making, because fans of the teams I don't make cards of will be mad at me. I realize I don't make too many cards of the Diamondbacks, or the Rockies, or the Marlins, but that's because it takes a lot more work to put them into an older design. I realize now that the Red Sox are a good team, and there are a few fans wondering where all the Boston customs are. So naturally, they're back in the mix. And with this Ellsbury up top, I think more is the only answer for Baaston fans.

Coming Tomorrow- A well-hyped rookie for Tampa who recently made his debut.

2011 Topps Football- First Packs of the Season!

Apparently 2011 Topps Football is live, and I haven't heard anything at all about it. I was hoping one of the Hobby News bloggers would have said something, but apparently I'm not subscribed to that many of them that cover football. So I was strolling around the local Archery Enthusiast Superstore (Apparently, now they're calling it Target, oddly), and I happened to come across some packs of 2011 Football. I checked my eyes, to see if it was a mirage or not, or if it was just 2011 Panini Football pretending to be Topps, like it always does. It was indeed real, and I picked up eight packs of the stuff. Let's see what the first football packs of the season hold:

Pack 1-
203- AJ Hawk. Wow, my first football card of 2011 is a card of the guy I saw at the Super Bowl. And for those naysayers who think I lied and didn't go, I thought the Black Eyed Peas sounded wonderful...BECAUSE WE COULD HEAR THEM!
157- Rashad Jennings.
255- Chad Henne. Poster Child for Wimpiness Everywhere
251- Justin Houston rookie
373- Greg Salas rookie
325- Jordan Todman rookie. Points for sharing my name.
Faces of the Franchise of Ndumukong Suh and Nick Fairley. Interesting Insert Set.
304- Eddie Royal
283- Mario Williams
147- Michael Bush
257- Eric Berry.
278- Ben Obomanu

Pack 2-
20- Eli Manning. True Story, I actually shared an elevator with Eli once. I was staying at a hotel across from their training camp or something, and I saw him running into our hotel, and going in the elevator with me. It wasn't until after I got out that I realized who he was.
391- John Carlson
337- Anthony Castonzo, the Colts 1st Round draft pick
238- Christian Ponder rookie, now sadly Donovan McNabb's backup. A shame too, because he's a great QB
143- Billal Powell rookie.
Jim Plunkett Super Bowl Legends Card. I saw an America's Game on this guy...miraculous story, how he went from obscurity to Super Bowl QB.
Faces of the Franchise of Rodgers and Favre. Possibly the greatest example of a satisfying replacement of a legend ever.
377- Brian Orakpo
393- Newest Philadelphia Eagle Jason Babin.
431- Vincent Jackson
374- Kellen Winslow.
250- Andre Johnson

Pack 3-
433- Jimmy Clausen, who is probably asking two questions right now. One- How the hell did I screw up last season? And Two- Welcome to McDonalds, may I take your order?
17- Broncos team card
413- Colin Kaepernick rookie
418- Aldrick Robinson
256- Marcell Dareus Rookie. The good news- Drafted 3rd in the draft. The bad news- By Buffalo.
Larry Fitzgerald mini
Bowman Marcell Darius Rookie. That's nice- I've got the Bowman version and the Topps version.
50- Josh Freeman
201- Brandon Gibson
341- Braylon Edwards
309- Danario Alexander
266- Dustin Keller

Pack 4-
203- AJ Hawk again.
157- Rashad Jennings again
255- Chad Henne again
395- Ryan Williams rookie
251- Justin Houston rookie again
Game Day insert of Dan Marino. Nice idea for a insert series.
283- Mario Williams again
398- Joe Webb, who will probably be cut any day now.
284- Antrel Rolle
90- Ben Roethliesberger. He needs to teach Michael Vick, Brett Favre and Plaxico Burress tips on rebounding after a scandal.
147- Bush again
278- Obamanu again

Pack 5-
318- Matt Cassel, who was extremely pathetic to watch for the Pats, but has become okay with Kansas City
343- London Fletcher
236- Mohamed Massaquoi
424- Mikel Leshoure
386- Dwayne Harris
Rookie Premiere Team Shot
Legends Giveaway card.
220- Michael Turner
121- Bernard Scott
304- Eddie Royal again
52- Raiders
150- Mark Sanchez

Pack 6-
329- Nick Mangold All Pro
42- Eagles tc
43- Danny Watkins, the Eagles 1st Round Draft Pick
326- Allen Bradford
Chris Johnson ToppsTown
Ben Roethlisberger Game Day
511- Willis McGahee
204- Tom Brady Record Breaker cl
36- Devin Hester All Pro
252- Takeo Spikes. A few years ago, I met Takeo, when I was working on a Flag Football project down in Miami. Nice guy, but terrible on a prompter. Shame he's going to San Diego.
423-Richard Seymour
361- James Laurinits

Pack 7-
23- Brandon Merriweather
336- Marshawn Lynch
402- Shane Vereen. I don't wanna hear any jokes regarding this guy's last name. Not even a "Magic to do" reference.
313- Taiwan Jones. Warning: Not actually from Taiwan.
165- Edmond Gates
Jon Baldwin mini
Bowman Rookie...Of Jon Baldwin!
244- Arrellious Benn, last year's hype-maker
110- Sam Bradford, the definition of 2010 Hype.
312- Jacoby Ford.
89- Chris Long
173- Jacoby Jones

Pack 8 (I wanna say that I bought this pack as an afterthought, before anyone accuses me of pack searching due to what is in this last pack. I had 7, and I wanted 8. That's the reason. On with the pack)-
406- Jabar Gaffney
26- Robert Mathis
214- Curtis Brown
51- Rob Housler
Jahvis Best Game Day insert
And the motherload. I'm being absolutely serious, and I'm not making this up. I actually pulled this from a pack of Topps Football, just lying around at Target:
A Super Bowl Legends Relic of Peyton Manning. That's right. A Game Used Peyton Manning Jersey card. And it's numbered to 45, and I pulled it out of Target's first packs of Football.
I can't believe it either. That is freaking awesome.
3- Benjamin Watson.
403- Jordy Nelson. 133- Ryan Fitzpatrick
98- Zach Miller

So how's that for a few packs of Football? Pretty awesome, right? A Peyton Manning game used, and a load of base cards and inserts totals up to a set I wouldn't mind going for my next Target run. And I realize I'm probably the first blogger ripping these packs, so I wanna say this isn't fake, they are 100% real, and in my hands right now. My lack of scanner is making it very ominous, but these are quite real. Anyone who doesn't believe me can see for themselves, because they're probably all over eBay by now. So...more to come from Football in the next few months.

Custom Card of the Day: Holliday Edition

In any other season, the Cardinals would by vying for first right now. But since the Pirates have sprung up from the Abyss like 0 people thought they would, St. Louis has been pushed to third. In a way, the Cardinals and Brewers seem like Danny Ocean and his gang, from the Ocean's 11 movies. Whenever the Pirates lose, they win, it's all orchestrated in some convoluted scheme. And Matt Holliday would be Matt Damon. Why? Because he knows he's not the head of the operation, but he still plays a huge part in securing team victories.

Okay, maybe it is just a crappy analogy...but the Cardinals don't go for subtlety.

Coming Tomorrow- An outfielder for Boston who's actually been doing pretty well this season. Unfortunately, there's the Boston part.

Custom Card of the Day: Cutch Edition

It's a shame there aren't enough vintage Topps designs that went sideways. Because of that, the fury of Andrew McCutchen can be expressed horizontally only a few times. Last year I gave him a 1974 sideways, and now I'm giving him a 1993 sideways. And there weren't that many players still playing in 1993 who were playing in 1974, other than Nolan Ryan. One person. That's the same amount of people who predicted that the Pirates would be where they are this season. Because it's one of the most surprising comebacks in MLB History.

Andrew McCutchen is the heart and soul of this team. Sure, there's Neil Walker, and that pitcher kid, and Jose Tabata. But none of them can play their position like Cutch. He runs at full speed in the outfield, and rarely fails. And he hits pretty well also. I'm not saying that one guy is powering an entire 30-man roster, but he's trying.

So if the Pirates don't end up making the playoffs, at least McCutchen will get another go at it...unless they shamelessly trade him away.

Coming Tomorrow- A teammate of one of Baseball's biggest stars is thriving the season the star is injured. Sounds a hell of a lot like a Damon/Affleck movie, but it's happening in St. Louis.

Custom Card of the Day: Berkman Edition

Have you ever made a prediction, only for it to go the exact opposite way you think? For me, that was Lance Berkman this year. When I posted a custom of him back in March, I had no freaking clue that he would have the season he's having this year. And yet...somehow, he did. He hit home runs by the ton, he made it to the All Star Game...and it made me a fool. Because when I posted that custom in March, I said something along the lines of "This is an odd choice for the first week of customs, but he's still going to have an okay season". And I was wrong then. It wasn't an odd choice for the first week of customs, because he'd be one of the best players of the season.

Which is why a few days ago, I figured that Mr. Berkman deserved a do-over. I thought that since the first custom was so nondescript, and bland, and that was before the season he's having, then I could do a better custom in the same design, that's actually eye-catching. And I think it worked.

Coming Tomorrow- His team is having the comeback of the century this year, and he's leading the pack.

Custom Card of the Day: Kemp Edition

I already made a Matt Kemp back in the early days of the season, and it was pretty awesome. However, a few days ago I got another request from a fan. And yeah, this was the same one that sparked this post, and this fact made me even happier. This guy was a Dodger fan, and he said he would love a Matt Kemp card on a 1984 Topps design (He loved my Heath Bell I did last week). So naturally, I did what anyone with a fan would do- within 24 hours of his request, I made the custom and sent it to him via email. And I heard back that he loved it.

But this email wasn't the only reason Matt Kemp deserved another card. The man is having a monster season, and one custom couldn't hold his greatness this season. He was on the All Star team (deservingly), and he is really the only person on the Dodgers (with the exception of maybe Andre Ethier) that is doing well this season. And LA needs it.

Coming Tomorrow- I did a custom of this guy in the first week of customs this year, and I feel that after the season he's had at the plate, the man deserves a do-over.

Custom Card of the Day: Jurrjens Edition

I know I've been giving a lot of attention to the Braves this year, and it's no wonder. Put them in any other division besides the NL East and they're in 1st place. They just happen to be perpetually blocked by those Phightin' Phils. Now, Jair over here is having a Cy Young contending season, and is constantly powering Atlanta to victory (just not against the Phillies most of the time). Matter of fact, most of that rotation has been doing well this season, with Hanson and Lowe being pretty good too. But right now, Jair Jurrjens is rocking Atlanta, and the offense owes it to him.

Coming Tomorrow- A guy I already did earlier this year, that needed another custom. And it's mainly because he's been giving the Dodgers its only spark this season.

Custom Card of the Day- Wright Edition

It's fitting that I resume from the shortest custom break I've ever had by showing a card of a guy who had a pretty decent break from baseball this year. Two days ago, David Wright returned to the Mets (Also returning to the Mets: viewers), he apparently rocked the place. While he may have been injured for two months, he still did pretty well at the plate, and made a return to third base, finally. So I guess that now that Wright's back, the Mets will return to the form they had in the beginning of the year? Yeah, except that form led them to 4th place in the division. Hell, even Washington's doing better than the Mets this year. So while David Wright isn't rocketing the Mets to first, at least the town named after a toilet's only function can gain its hero back.

Coming Tomorrow- Atlanta is having a decent season this year, and this guy on the mound is helping a whole lot.

Custom Card of the Day- Lee Edition

Okay, I kinda generalized this post by titling it "Lee edition" so for that I apologize. I realize there are a few other Lees in baseball, besides Derrek over here. Like, for example, there's Carlos Lee, one of the most overrated players in baseball. There's also...uh...I think that might have been it.

But onto Derrek Lee. It's been a fact that ever since Lee left the Cubs, his career has declined. Last year with the Braves, and this year with the O's, he's been limited to few appearances and not too many hits. There are three clear reasons why this decline may occur. One- because he's getting injured a lot, which is depleting his playing ability. Two- because he's getting old, and he's not the same guy who helped win the 97 and 03 World Series' (At least I think he was on the Marlins in 97. I hope so). And three, and this is the most far fetched of the three- because of the fact that he actually did well with the Cubs, he's cursed in a way to suck everywhere else he goes in baseball.

Or, you know...probably just the first two. But I do hope Derrek Lee returns to form, somehow.

Coming Tomorrow- And just like that, I'm out of customs! It's been a good month or so, but I'm out- I need to make some more. I guess tomorrow's (?) custom'll be a mystery.

Custom Card of the Day: Heath Edition

Let's face it- no matter what happens in the next nine days, it is almost certain that Heath Bell will end up on another uniform. And Topps is already readying its Heath Bell Traded set card, just not laying in the team until August. And I'm pretty sure that even Heath Bell knows his days with San Diego are coming to an end. The reason- The Padres can't afford his array of quirkiness anymore.

Heath Bell is a great closer that doesn't get as much stardom as he should (Why? Because Jose Valverde's getting it all). And, back in 2009 when the Padres were "okay", when they had some stardom with Adrian Gonzalez, and an aging Brian Giles, Heath Bell was still not a star, but people still knew he existed. Now, the Padres are like a ghost town, with only prospects, a few familiar faces, Heath Bell, and David friggin Eckstien. No wonder they're circling last.

But when the Padres do eventually get rid of Heath Bell (normally, it'd be "if and when", but we're long past if), the team that recieves him for prospects and a young outfielder nobody cares about will think they've hit gold. Heath Bell is not only a dominant closer, but from what I've heard he's a nice guy, and a great baseball personality. I saw at the All-Star game that he was talking to a couple kids that wanted an autograph, and he struck up a full conversation. After said conversation, he pulled out pre-signed baseball cards and balls. He seems like he's nice to his fans.

So whatever team is rewarded with Heath Bell...I hope they use him well.

Coming Tomorrow- A once touted prospect from (of all places) San Diego, this guy now occasionally occupies the DH spot in Baltimore.

Custom Card of the Day: Thome Edition

There aren't that many players who leave Philadelphia after a few great years, and get a huge round of applause whenever they return to play against them. Jim Thome is one of those people. During my days as a Philly fan in the mid 2000's, when the Phillies' mediocrity held no bounds, I went to a lot of Phillies games during Thome's tenure, and I thought he was a great player. Decking home runs over the wall, and he also seemed like a nice guy.

In 2007, my 5th grade class trip was to a Phillies game, and they were playing, of all teams, the White Sox. Jim Thome was indeed on the roster, and it felt pretty weird seeing him out of a Phillies uniform. Still, when he got up, the Phillies fans around us gave him a round of applause. And you could see that he enjoyed it. Not many players are still loved by the team he leaves.

Now last year, I got tickets to another Phillies game, against the Twins (Don't worry, these weren't my only Phillies games). Jim Thome didn't start against the Phils, but I had a feeling he's be playing eventually. Sure enough, around the 5th inning, Thome bounded out of the dugout, toward the batters box, and even before the announcer could finish his name, the crowd rose and gave the man a standing ovation. And boy, what I'd give to see the look on his face. The team he was with for only 3 seasons, still loves him. I'd be smiling, and I'd tip my helmet to those fans.

The point I'm trying to get at here is that there are very few people in this world that hate Jim Thome. And I'm not one to think that Hall of Fame voters are among those people.

Coming Tomorrow- Quite possibly the most underrated closer in all of baseball, on quite possibly the worst team in all of baseball, searching for a new home.

Custom Card of the Day: Haren Edition

I realize that the Angels are not the best team in the AL West. I also realize that the only way the Angels can clinch the AL West is to defeat Texas thirteen times. But until that happens, there's always liking them, before they eventually succumb to their defeat, whether it be at the hands of Texas, or as usual, the hands of the Yankees in the ALDS.

I'm still wondering why Dan Haren isn't as big a star as we said he'd be five years ago. Granted, back then he was throwing smoke for Oakland, alongside Barry Zito, Rich Harden, and the most unlikely ROY winner in recent history (and that's saying something), Huston Street. But the hype wasn't even that big for Haren then. Did it take being traded to Arizona back in 2008? No, because the stardom kinda stayed the same. Now that he's with the Angels, and he and Jered Weaver are going to town on the plate, why isn't he that big of a star? He has a good amount of wins (Who according to Cy Young voters, don't mean anything anymore), and he's pretty intimidating on the mound. But Jered Weaver's always there to overshadow him (and Ervin Santana in that matter).

I guess Dan'll have to wait another 11 days, because hopefully something will happen to the Angels at the trade deadline.

Coming Tomorrow- He's been compared to Harmon Killebrew, Babe Ruth, and Mike Schmidt. As he nears the end of his Cooperstown-worthy career, hopefully he can keep those comparisons high.

4 Packs of Allen and Ginter (Finally)

Being that I'm young, and dead broke at the moment, I'm not doing any Gint-A-Cuffs this year (or possibly any year until I'm done with school). But, that doesn't mean I won't partake in Allen and Ginter at all. The local Target had some packs, and while I didn't have much cash, I spent what I could on four packs. I know a bunch of you are trying to complete the set, so I've divided my pulls into categories for trade.

ABSOLUTELY NOT GIVING UP:
Hometown Heroes CC Sabathia
Hometown Heroes Roy Oswalt
Placido Polanco base
Russell Martin base

WILL GIVE UP IF PESTERED SEVERELY:
Juan Pierre base
Jayson Werth base
Adam Jones base
Ichiro base

BASE CARDS UP FOR GRABS:
Stephen Drew
Francisco Cordero
Mike Minor
Corey Hart
Neil Walker
Billy Butler
Colby Lewis

OTHER CARDS UP FOR GRABS:
Matt Hoffman base
Wee Man base
Hominidae Ascent of Man
Minds that Made the Future Dmitri Mendeleev
Lave Floating Fortresses
Spurred Snapdragon Flora of the World mini
The Strongman Step Right Up Mini
The Lemp Mansion Uninvited Guests mini
Delmon Young mini.

If you want the cards in any specific area (other than the Yankees and Phillies), shoot me a comment/email or whatever, and I'll see what I can do.

Custom Card of the Day: Weeks Edition

What can I say, when an opportunity comes along to use a throwback, you better believe I take it. Especially considering that Mr. Weeks up here is finally having a good season. I knew he was gonna be good eventually, I just didn't know when. Now, here he is having a great season at the plate, and getting an All Star nomination to show for it. And the Brewers are doing pretty well this season, with their big stars (Fielder, Braun, Weeks) doing great at the plate, and the pitching doing decently as well. Of course, they may have to live with the embarassment that they finished 2nd to the Pittsburgh Pirates. But aside from that, the Brewers are fine.

Coming Tomorrow- He used to be a huge star for Oakland. Now he's a huge star for Anaheim, in a very strong pitching rotation.

Custom Card of the Day: Pronk Edition

Let me paint the scene for you: It's the bottom of the ninth, your team is down 3-0, the bases are loaded, a run for your team's just scored. That's the situation that Travis Hafner faced the night I went to an Indians game. Now granted, I was still pissed at Toronto for the 1993 World Series, so I was basically rooting for the home team. No more Toronto victories, let the Indians come back. And as I was already disappointed by Matt LaPorta not signing my ball (Maybe it was because I'm 6 foot 5, and he thought I was older than 15) I needed a moment to get me going. Eventually, Hafner gets up, and on the very first pitch he sees, he cracks one into the right field seats- Game over, Grand Slam achieved.

Now...to say the fans went completely apecrap...is an understatement. The minute the ball was hit, the fans yelled for it to go over. The minute it went over, we all got up, and started cheering. And this is why Cleveland fans are so nice. There were fives all around, hugs all around and no trashing of the saddened Toronto fans three rows in front of us. And as I tried very carefully to hear the theme from the Drew Carey Show playing over the loudspeakers, I realized that I couldn't, because the fans were so overjoyed that Pronk had won the game for them.

The point here is that while the two teams I root for have the most in your face, loud mouthed and possibly worst fans in the country, Cleveland fans are very nice people, that are still crazy about the team, but don't completely lose control.

Coming Tomorrow- A surprising second baseman that's finally having a good year.

Custom Card of the Day: Pineda Edition

This is another one of those customs where I redid most of the design to correspond with the expansion team. In this case, I do realize that the Mariners came a year later, but I felt like I needed to revamp the 76 design, being that it's one of my favorites. It's a shame that Topps can't do a great set like they used to. And speaking of the good old days, we turn to the Mariners, or the Wile E. Coyote of the AL West. Sure, they try extremely hard, but due to the Angels and Rangers, and even the A's, at the end of the day the Mariners end up catapulted off a cliff.

And if the Mariners are like Wile E. Coyote, Michael Pineda's the ACME Company. Whereas whatever help they need, either trivial or necessary, Pindea will always try his hardest to serve up a win. I do realize he's a rookie, and he doesn't necessarily have the most wins out there (Which automatically makes him a Cy Young candidate, apparently), but he's still throwing smoke out there. That alone got him into the All Star game, which he definitely deserved (Granted, it was to replace someone who pitched that Sunday, but who gives a crap?).

So maybe the Mariners will get far sooner or later. Maybe Michael Pineda, with help from Felix, Ichiro and company will lead them there. That is unless the A's finally relent, the Angels fall apart and the other divisions are too lazy to have a Wild Card.

Coming Tomorrow- I saw this guy play last week, and he hit a grand slam to win the game at home. Of course he must have a custom.

Custom Card of the Day: Valverde Edition (!?!)

I know what you're thinking. How the HELL is this guy the top closer in the American League. Sure, he's decent and all, but he's no Mariano Rivera. His team's not the greatest in the league, but he's still racking up a bunch of saves. Just look at the guy! He's slightly overweight, rocking a chin bush and weird specs. Hell, he looks like your office supervisor, not the AL's best closer. I mean...come on AL Closers! YOU CAN DO BETTER THAN THIS! You can't just give into defeat by a guy whose previous best numbers came from Arizona (And we all know where they've gone in the last nine years).

Of course, I'm joking here. But still...closers can do better than Jose Valverde.

Coming Tomorrow- Meanwhile, in the far depths of the AL West, a rookie pitcher yearns for glory, and a Rookie of the Year title. It's a shame that his team's terrible.

Custom Card of the Day: Chippah Edition

I woke up at noon today. That wasn't really sleeping in, because I'd just had a nine hour sleep, after getting home late from the Harry Potter premiere. But you people don't care about that. Matter of fact, you're probably wondering why I don't have any Allen and Ginter with me? I haven't gotten a chance to go to Target yet. I'll get some soon, if you can wait a little bit.

Now, onto the person on the card. Chipper Jones' rookie card premiered 20 years ago in Topps products, which is another way of saying "Chipper Jones will be retiring soon". He's quite an interesting player, despite the fact that he's bowed out the last two seasons with an injury. He's a surefire Hall of Famer, and he's destined to get his number on the Turner Field wall. So basically, we're all just waiting for him to retire in order to really respect him. Or something like that. Still...CHIPPAH!

Coming Tomorrow- This post might come a little late in the day, since I'll be going to a Paul McCartney concert tonight, and lord knows when I'll get home. But nevertheless...there will still be a custom of a guy who's somehow the AL's top closer.

Custom Card of the Day: CC Edition

I've returned home from a brief vacation at the beach, but that doesn't mean I can relax. Tonight at midnight I'm seeing the premiere of the last Harry Potter movie (What do you want, I'm fifteen!), and tomorrow I'm going to Yankee Stadium for a Paul McCartney concert (Another blogger already said that he's going). So today and tomorrow for me will be extremely busy. Speaking of being busy, CC Sabathia has a similar problem. He was too busy on the Sunday before the All Star game that he couldn't go. But he's still one of the best pitchers in the league, and could be in the running to win the Cy Young award again. So I guess busy equals good.

Coming Tomorrow- His career's nearing an end, and he's on the DL, but he's still Cooperstown bound and an Atlanta superstar.

Custom Card of the Day: Weaver Edition

This was supposed to be in honor of the All Star Game winning American League, but that didn't happen yesterday. The NL killed us. Matter of fact, our only hit was from a filthy Red Sock, Adrian Gonzalez. And while Mr. Weaver over here didn't disappoint, David Robertson ended up giving up a a homer to Prince Fielder. And it always seems to happen to the poor Yankees. But the AL lost, 5 to 1. And in a way, I'm not too surprised. Because the NL was barely altered due to the Sunday rule. We lost a few strong pitchers in Sabathia, Hernandez, Verlander, Rivera and Pirce (only he was actually injured), and of course, Jeter, A-rod, Ichiro and Lester. So we were shorthanded, and the NL took advantage of that. But if this turns into a Boston-esque "Beat us every year" kinda thing, I'll give up the All Star game for good.

Tomorrow- In lieu of my two extremely busy days, I post a card of a Yankee who's also been busy lately on the mound.

Five ways to fix the All Star game

I know, the All Star game has only just begun, but I wanna post this before we're fully enveloped in Fox's All Star crap. I'm not very impressed with how this has panned out, for a number of reasons. With the exception of some pitching, and a few batters, there are none of the game's top stars. And I'm kinda disappointed in a bunch of other things. Let me list the five ways this annual event can rebound next year.

1. Have it on ESPN. I'm tired of the ASG always being on Fox, and constantly being interrupted with the standard 5 minutes of pointless ads. With ESPN, there would be better broadcasters, less commercials and maybe a lot more ratings from casual sportsfans. Also, there would be a lot less Joe Buck. Matter of fact, no Joe Buck. Which would be awesome.

2. Have an entire week before the All Star game. I realize that this would puncture the whole "162 games" thing, but we can push the postseason back a little bit. Besides, there would be a whole lot less pitchers dropping out due to pitching the Sunday before. I asbolutely hate that rule, and with this addition, it could be diminished. Also, there could be one more day of festivities, maybe giving the Celebrity Softball Game its own day.

3. Have it in the same place every year. This sounds "un-All Star" in a way, but bear with me hear. What's so great about the Pro Bowl each year is that it's relaxation for the players because it's in Hawaii. Say you put the All Star game somewhere nice. And I know, you're gonna say everywhere's nice because it's summer. Well, people aren't begging to go to St. Louis, or Cleveland for an All Star game. So keep it in the same place, like build a stadium in Florida for it, so that it'd be a priveledge to go to the All Star game every year.

4. Let the fans vote on the pitchers. I know this sounds ridiculous, since there are so many pitchers, but what I feel is missing from the AS Ballots are the chance to pick the pitchers. And I'm always disappointed every year when there are pitchers that I've never heard of (Joel Hanharan? Tyler Clippard? Brandon League?) on the ballot, that the managers chose. Maybe there could be a seperate ballot for the pitchers, so you could choose ten starters and two closers from each league. This could limit the spontanaety in the pitching choices that managers have.

5. Remove the final man vote for the fans: Let the sportswriters decide. A la the Hall of Fame vote, give the sportswriters five names from each league, and let them decide who is most worthy. Because when we do it, the more deserving choices are left out (Konerko over Adam Jones), so the sportswriters can choose for us. Or just, you know, remove the final man vote altogether, but that's apparently too easy for you people.

I know, I may be criticized by some people for these suggestions, but even the naysayers will admit I have a point. The All Star game is not what it used to be, and with no star power (Jeter, A-Rod, Ichiro, Sabathia, Pujols are all sitting out), something has to be done. I just hope that something is done by next year.

Custom Card of the Day: Smoak Edition

There's really no reason for me to post this card, other than the awesome throwback uniform Justin has. Yeah, Mariners traded Cliff Lee to get him, pretty decent prospect, blablabla. Throwback. That's why I made the damn thing.

I know, that's a terrible way to make a post the day of the All Star game, but there'll be more on this later. And I know I should be posting a Cano, because of the hom run derby, but I just did about a week ago. I'm kinda lazy this week.

Coming Tomorrow- Most likely the AL starter.

Custom Card of the Day: Felix Edition

If this year's All Star game is remembered at all, it'll be remembered for the year that there were no stars on the All Star team. Felix up here, along with several other overqualified AL pitchers, was taken off the roster, mainly because he pitched in a game yesterday. Verlander, Sabathia, Hernandez are all off the roster. This infuriates me, because all three of those people deserve to be on the roster. The same thing goes for Cole Hamels. I mean...if they're in the All Star game, WHY IN THE WORLD DO YOU START THEM TWO DAYS BEFORE??? It's just infuriating, because now this has cost Felix Hernandez, the man that I still think should not have won the CY Young last year, an All Star game. This is why there should be an extra week of rest before the game, so that no pitchers are tired. Just a little mad at this.

Also, I'm going on another vacation, but I'm taking the laptop to this one. Customs will continue, cause I've made a million of them.

Tomorrow- a young Mariners prospect acquired in the Cliff Lee deal...no that that Cliff Lee deal, the other one.

Custom Card of the Day: Werth Edition

I saw Jayson play last week at the Nationals game, and frankly I was shocked. He struck out four times, and disappointed all his fans. I was devastated that the bearded, legitimately insane outfielder from Philadelphia had become this striking out fool in Washington. And I know Werth isn't having the best season, but sooner or later he will have to get better. He's being paid for seven years with Washington. If he doesn't perform for what he's worth (no pun intended), then he won't be around Washington for much longer. And I really hope he starts hitting again.

Coming Tomorrow- Just made a heap of customs, so possibly last year's undeserving Cy Young winner.

Thanks Derek

You may not be an All Star (Waddaya mean you wanna rest? You've been resting for a month!), but you still can make your fans happy. Congrats on your 3000th hit, Derek. Cooperstown Awaits.

Road Trip Pack Breaks- The Highlights

I mentioned in my writeups of all three ballparks that I had purchased some cards, and that I'd post the results later. Well folks, now is later. Here are the highlights of the Topps Series 2 packs I purchased in Pittsburgh and Cleveland

510- Jason Heyward
514- Kelly Shoppach SHINY CARD
593- Francisco Cordero
367- Hiroki Kuroda
451- Livan Hernandez.
Roberto Alomar Topp 60. Pictures him with Cleveland, which is questionable.
613- Dexter Fowler
522- Asdrubal Cabrera, who had a few hits that night in Cleveland.
Uggla and Heyward Duo
1998 Mariano Rivera NotYoMamma
492- AJ Burnett, who's having a minor comeback
355- Justin Verlander
375- All Star Matt Kemp
518- Michael Morse
393- Jake Arietta
586- Carlos Lee
656- RAAAUUUUUL Ibanez
Albert Pujols Diamond Stars
520- Jorge Posada
351- Jacoby Ellisbury
472- Jason Kendall
596- Michael Pindea ROOKIE
490- Matt Holliday
538- Jason Motte SHINY CARD
2001 David Ortiz NotYoMamma
530- Felix Hernandez
370- Matt Garza
645- Adam Wainwright in an awesome throwback uni
423- Hideki Okajima
473- Chad Billingsley
466- JOHNNY DAMON!
417- Miguel Cairo SHINY CARD. Ughhhh.
1975 Reggie Jackson NotYoMamma
590- Tim Lincecum.
507- Former Terrible choice for a ROY, Huston Street
532- Erik Bedard
Topps 60 Johnny Bench
415- Brian McCann
597- Rick Porcello
528- Bobby Abreu
Pujols and Holliday Duos
435- Elvis Andrus
Guaranteed Patch of Jose Bautista.
Shane Victorino Topps 60
Aroldis Chapman and Chris Sale duos
1983 Cal Ripken NotYoMamma
524- Michael Martinez SHINY CARD
600- Neftali Feliz
540- Joakim Soria
505- Tommy Hanson
380- Jose Reyes
1955 Eddie Mathews NotYoMamma
Ryan Zimmerman Topps 60
405- Ian Kinsler
466- Johnny Damon SHINY CARD!!!
Zimmerman and Werth Duo
363- Aaron Rowand
366- Joe Nathan
547- Pujols cl
562- Gordon Beckham
485- Delmon Young

On a sidenote, if anyone is collecting Kimball Champion minis from series 1 or 2 of this year's Topps, I'm not collecting them, and am more than happy to give them up. If anyone needs these, email me, or comment on this post, and make me a trade offer for them.

Series 1: Sabathia, Ichiro, Stanton, Jeter, Ortiz, Upton, Lester, J. Johnson.
Series 2: Gehrig, Palmer, Marichal, Molitor, Aaron, Ott, McCovey, F. Thomas, B. Robinson.

Still, great packs. Toppers on awesome games.

Custom Card of the Day: Verlander Edition

I have returned to Jersey after a weeklong roadtrip, and overall it was awesome. Yesterday I stopped in Canton to see the Pro Football Hall of Fame- that was nice. Not the greatest card selection, but still nice. I should let you guys know that I'll be posting a bunch of All Stars this week, because most of these I made the day after the rosters were announced. I realize that since then, two players have dropped out, but they weren't on there. I figured I'd start with Verlander, since he's been pitching beautifully this year.

Tomorrow- The one guy who isn't an all star, but still used to be a Phillie.

Indians Game vs. Blue Jays- Grumpy until the very end.

After two sufficient games in Washington and Pittsburgh, my parents and I completed our Baseball vacation in Cleveland, for an Indians game. Out of all three of the games, this one was the one I was most looking forward to. It's a surprising team that may make the playoffs, led by a lot of young stars and big hitters.

We got there as batting practice was winding down, so we skipped that aspect. We eventually wandered over to the autograph line against the third baseline wall. A lot of people were down here, and we were told that the Indians love to sign. Of course, for about 40 minutes, nothing happened. It was just me and my father waiting for players to come for a while. Then, as the game was ready to start, the starters came by to stretch out. Matt LaPorta came by the wall, and was immediately mobbed with autographers. I had no choice but to stick my ball and sharpie in the huddled mass. Unfortunately, just as my hand was next in line, the cheesy announcer asked us to remove our caps for the National Anthem, and LaPorta leapt into the dugout. And I felt cheated. My dad and I slumped back to the first baseline seats, unlucky in getting an auto.

The game started afterwards, and our hopes were higher than the outfield wall. Soon, reality came back to us, as Jose Bautista and friends continued to beat down rookie pitcher Zach McCallister. By the 5th inning, he was pulled out, but the Blue Jays continued to beat down the pitchers. Bautista hit a huge home run late in the game. Sad to say, but the Indians weren't playing like the Indians.

I eventually went out for cards, because that's how I roll. I'll post the results later, but my guaranteed patch was a Jose Bautista patch- a sign of how the game had turned out to that point.

It all came down to that last inning. The pitcher for Toronto had given up a few walks, leaving 3 men on 3 bags. Soon, a run scored, but the bases were still loaded. The score was 4-1 Blue Jays, and Travis Hafner was up. It was at this point that my dad turned to me and said "If he hits one over, it'll be absolutely huge". We watched, and we waited.

The pitch- Perez throws down the center, Hafner takes a huge crack at it, and the ball goes pounding into the air, toward the right field fence. BOOM! Hafner runs around the bases as the Cleveland crowd goes positively Apecrap. Everyone was yelling and screaming, and hugging each other. A bunch of Toronto fans were throwing their hats down in anger. The Indians had won, and Pronk was the hero. His grand slam saved the game.

Out of all three parts, I'd say Cleveland was the best game, and had the best food. Pittsburgh had the best stadium and scoreboard graphics. Washington had the best team, and the best autographs. I say I enjoyed this trip, and am happy we went.

The Final Score- Indians 5, Blue Jays 4.

Tomorrow, after a possible trip to the Football Hall of Fame, I go home.

Pirates game vs. Astros- Expect the Expected

After a great triumph in Washington, my parents and I were confident when we reached Pittsburgh. After all, the team had leapt to 2nd in the division (!!!), and were playing the last place Astros. The game was practically over before it started. However, our expectations did not equal the result, unfortunately. In hoping for the 2011 Pirates, we recieved the 1993-2010 Pirates.

Being that we arrived relatively later, we missed most of batting practice. Also, I lacked enough charisma to sign when the team's only signed was the relatively unknown catcher McKenry. So already, I was getting no practice balls, no sigs. I even made the mistake of passing Manny Sanguillen and not getting his autograph- after all, he was sitting in on his own Barbeque Joint!

Soon, the game began. After the first inning, the Pirates had scored a run. After the sixth inning, the Astros had scored six of them. The main reason is because the Pirates were playing terribly, and they were playing in when they should have been back.

The stadium was still beautiful, the graphics were cool, our seats were relatively close to home plate, but the food was inadequate. I eventually wandered over and purchased some cards (1 rack pack was 10 bucks. Eeesh), and I'll post that later. But the team played pitifully, and now they're tied for second with Milwaukee.

Final Score- Astros 7, Pirates 2 (I think. I left after the top of the ninth).

Tonight, we venture out to Cleveland for an Indians game. That's the one I've been looking forward to.

National game vs. Cubs- unexpected triumphs.

Last night was the first of three road games in a row, and I had pretty high hopes. I had brought along a bunch of signable cards for each city, hoping for the best there. I ventured out to National Park with my parents, and a friend of my dad's. With my dad's friend's son, and his friends, I had a pretty good time overall, and enjoyed the experience.

Before the game though, there was batting practice. Myself and the boys ran up to a spot above the Cubs' bullpen to see if we could flag down some balls. For the first 15 minutes, it seemed that we wouldn't succeed. But soon, a ball was hit into the outfield, and Koyie Hill went to get it. He tossed the ball up toward our section, and it flew into an empty seat. My first instinct was to run to go get it, an instinct I matched with an older fan of the opposing team. So now it was a battle of who got their hand on it first. Ultimately I won, after much scratching and clawing from the Cubs fan.

Soon after getting the practice ball, we walked back to our first baseline seats, hoping to score some autographs from the Nats, or at least the ones who tolerated fan signage. When we first got there, there was nobody. But as the heat rose, the night fell, and the water disappeared (r at least from my bottle), a crowd of people formed around the first baseline. So naturally, I wondered who was signing. Well, first it was Brian Bixler, someone I had never heard of. Then, in came Ian Desmond. And there's were I got excited. A big rookie for the Nats in 2010, having a decent sophomore season. I gotta get his auto, I thought.

I was happy, because I had a card of him to sign, a 2010 Topps Turkey Red insert to be exact. So I ran over there, to hop in the back of the line. The problem here was that the security guard didn't know I was fifteen, which I am. Being that i'm 6 foot 4, he thought I might as well be 25, let alone 15. But I reasoned with him, that I was a teenaged fan, and while the angry security guard didn't believe I was fifteen (not a lot of people do), he still let me go.

The line got smaller and smaller, and soon I was up at the front, smiling, and handing the card to Ian Desmond, the young infielder who had been already supplied hype...and a sharpie. As he was signing, I asked why he wasn't wearing hi #6 on the card ( in which he wore #76). He smiled, and said that it was a Spring Training uniform. I thanked him, got my card back, and smiled. If he's good, I will need to keep that autograph.

Soonafter, the game started. Tonight, arugably the team's biggest star ( Michael Morse), sat out due to an injury, although he pinch hit late in the game. In the first inning, the Cubs made two errors, and lousy pitching by Ramon Ortiz garnered us 3 runs right off the bat. We held this lead for another few innings. This lead was later near blown by Sean Burnett, who according to the fan behind us, blew a game for us earlier in the year. Still, it was fun to see the array of middle relievers and closers Washington had, that included Todd Coffey (he runs onto the field at full speed every time he'd called into the game), the aforementioned Burnett, All star Tyler Clippard and Drew Storen as a closer.

Still, we won thanks to good defense and decent hitting. Roger Bernadina, Danny Espinosa and Tyler Clippard are all decent young stars. Werth didn't have the greatest game, but he seemed cool from afar. I said aloud as he struck out a third time "Poor Jayson...this is why you shouldn't have shaved your beard." And one fan agreed with me.

The Final Score: Nationals 3, Cubs 2.

Tomorrow I head to Pittsburgh, a place still haunted by angry Steelers fans, to see Andrew McCutchen and the Pirates play the Astros (Two of the best teams in the division, not).

Custom Card of the Day: Pudge Edition

I'm posting this card of Ivan Rodriguez for two reasons. One, because he's awesome. Two, because today marks the beginning of my baseball road trip. Over the next three days I will be going to baseball games in Washington, Pittsburgh and Cleveland. They were all reasonable, and they will all be awesome games. We start tonight in Washington, and a recap will come soon. I do have customs prepared for the next few days though. And I will be back on Friday, late.

Coming Tomorrow- I'll finally get the Verlander up.

Custom Card of the Day: Cano Edition

This custom may look familiar. That's because I already did a Cano in the 81 design last year, I just updated the picture. And I know that some of you may yell at me for posting a Yankee on the 4th of July, but the Yankees are the team that's most like America. We have a lot of money, we have too many of the good guys on our side, everybody else hates us, and we celebrate a thrilling November every couple years. So there. If America's like the Yankees, then Cano is the Secretary of State.

Coming Tomorrow- I'm leaving on vacation for the rest of the week (details later), but customs will continue. Tomorrow, possibly the best pitcher in the AL.

All Star Rosters are out: Let the gripe-fest begin!

Well, the annual event of looking on the internet, being somewhat happy and wondering "who" has come upon us. The All Star rosters are live, and as a baseball card blogger and critic, I have no choice but to do what I do best- criticize them!

AL:
C- Alex Avila, Detroit. Don't know him that well, but I've heard he's been doing well.
1B- Adrian Gonzalez, Boston. Rightfully so, despite being a Red Soc
2B- Robinson Cano, New York. Definitely.
SS- Derek Jeter, New York. Of course. Maybe questionable, but screw the haters.
3B- Alex Rodriguez, New York. Again, obviously.
OF- Jose Bautista, Toronto. With the season he's having, why not.
OF- Curtis Granderson, New York. Again- monster season, deserving of it.
OF- Josh Hamilton, Texas. I'd say he deserves it.
DH- David Ortiz, Boston. Ehhhh...maybe
Pitchers:
Josh Beckett, Boston. Alright, fine.
Aaron Crow, Kansas City. Don't know him, but I hear good things.
Gio Gonzalez, Oakland. Alright, I'll give ya that one.
Felix Hernandez, Seattle. Understandable.
Brandon Leauge, Seattle. Who?
Chris Perez, Cleveland. Interesting player.
David Price, Tampa. Deserving of it.
Mariano Rivera, New York. Yeah, you better bow.
James Shields, Tampa. Okay, I'll take your word for it.
Jose Valverde, Detroit. Decent closer.
Justin Verlander, Detroit. Of course he makes it. Well done.
Jered Weaver, Anaheim. Oh, definitely.
CJ Wilson, Texas. I really don't know if we had to sacrifice CC Sabathia for him, but alright.
Reserves:
C: Russell Martin, New York. Of course he gets in. Great season.
C: Matt Wieters, Baltimore. Just get this guy a Topps card and we have a deal
1B: Miguel Cabrera, Detroit. No question needed.
2B: Howie Kendrick, Anahiem. Okay, we could use him.
SS- Asdrubal Cabrera, Cleveland. Good choice.
3B- Adrian Beltre, Texas. The overratedness continues!
OF- Michael Cuddyer, Minnesota. Fine
OF- Jacoby Ellisbury, Boston. Why so many Bostons?
OF- Matt Joyce, Tampa. Who?
OF- Carlos Quentin, Chicago. If they needed a nod, then fine. I'll take it.
DH- Michael Young, Texas. Why so many Texans

NL:
C: Brian McCann, Atlanta. I'm happy for Dayf.
1B- Prince Fielder, Milwaukee. Deservingly.
2B- Rickie Weeks, Milwaukee. Alright, I'll take it.
SS- Jose Reyes, New York. Alright, let the Met in.
3B- Placido Polanco, Philadelphia. THERE WE GOOO! I VOTED FOR HIM!
OF- Ryan Braun, Milwaukee. Of course
OF- Lance Berkman, St. Louis. Having a great season.
OF- Matt Kemp, Los Angeles. I'm extremely happy he gets in, for Night Owl.
Pitchers:
Heath Bell, San Diego. If they needed a rep, then alright.
Matt Cain, San Francisco. Having a good season.
Tyler Clippard, Washington. East that Strasburg,
Roy Halladay, Philadelphia. OF COURSE
Cole Hamels, Philadelphia, OF COURSE
Joel Hanharan, Pittsburgh. Hey, he's better than Evan Meek from last year.
Jair Jurrjens, Atlanta. Right
Clayton Kershaw, Los Angeles. Finally, giving the right guy a All Star game.
Cliff Lee, Philadelphia. So every Philly in the 4 except for Oswalt. Alright, I'll take that.
Tim Lincecum, San Francisco. Damn Freak
Johnny Venters, Atlanta. Good rookie.
Ryan Vogelsong, San Francisco. Who?
Brian Wilson, San Francisco. Shave the beard and we have a deal.
Reserves:
C- Yadier Molina, St. Louis. Good choice.
1B- Gaby Sanchez, Florida, Alright, fine
1B- Joey Votto, Cincinatti. That I can do
2B- Brandon Phillips, Cincinatti. I'll take that too.
3B- CHIPPAH Jones, Atlanta. Of course, he needs one more before he retires.
SS- Starlin Castro, Chicago. Why not. He's having a good season.
SS- Troy Tulowitski, Colorado. Again, great season
OF- Jay Bruce, Cincinatti. BRUUUUCE.
OF- Carlos Beltran, New York. Of course, the only two healthy stars on the team get in.
OF- Matt Holliday, St. Louis. Sure
OF- Justin Upton, Arizona. Sounds good.
OF- Hunter Pence, Houston. Fine.

No real problems with this year's roster. Maybe just the lack of RYAN HOWARD, and maybe the lack of MARK TEIXIERA. But hey, that's what Final Man vote is for.

5 Packs of 2011 Topps Series 2

Managed to snag some more packs of Series 2 at Target. Good set, with good inserts, but not as good as last year. Liking the Diamond Stars though

Pack 1-
440- Grady Sizemore. Hoping for a good comeback. A good friend of mine's a Cleveland fan.
609- Juan Francisco
641- Travis Wood, the man that almost threw a no-hitter against my Phils.
344- Michael Kohn.
501- Tsuyoshi Nishioka. Gotta remember that.
589- Seattle tc
Grienke, Gallardo Duos
Diamond Duos of Felix Hernandez. Still peeved about him winning the Cy over CC last year.
572- Brad Hawpe
429- Skip "not Joel" Schumaker
483- Justin Where There's Smoak
546- Pat the Bat Burrell

Pack 2-
484- Gerardo Parra
504- Jhonny "You are spelling it wrong" Peralta
640- Dan Uggla.
623- Leo Nunez
461- Eric Sogard
375- Matt "The most deserving All Star in recent History" Kemp.
478- Mike Minor
350- Francisco Liriano GOLD #'D TO 2011
Before there was bluuhhh
Joe Mauer Topps 60. More like Topps 60 Day. Ohhhh Snap
352- Colby Lewis
486- Francisco Rodriguez, or "Que?"-Rod

Pack 3-
592- Dayan Vicideo
408- Denard Span
582- Kosuke Fukudome
359- Halladay cl.
374- Nats tc
496- Gavin Floyd
604- Joe Patterson GOLD #'D TO 2011
Matt Holliday Red Gold
Juan Marichal mini
Tony Gwynn 1997 NotYoMamma card
607- Daniel Murphy
463- Will Venable
364- Tim Wakefield.

Pack 4-
423- Hideki Okajima. Who'd I piss off to get all the Red Sox?
473- Chad Billingsley
544- Justin Masterson
602- Ivan DeJesus Jr. Kid, ya may be good, but your dad made a lot of Phillie fans mad when he was traded here for a 2nd Baseman named Sandberg. So be careful.
521- Joaquin Benoit
375- Matt Kemp
478- Mike Minor again
Duos of Jason Heyward and...Hank Aaron? Maybe a little too soon to call, Topps.
Carlos Gonzalez Diamond Stars
383- Ryan Ludwick
357- Mike Cameron.
469- Joe "Who's Pitching? Awww crud" Blanton.

Pack 5-
472- Jason Kendall.
393- Jake Arietta
586- Carlos "Unexpected Star" Lee
535- Rich Harden
386- Barry Enright
516- Mike Leake
Halladay and Oswalt Duos. Very clever Topps.
CODE CARD! LETS SEE WHO I GET:
1993 Mo Vaughn. Sighhh....it's a Red Sock, and it's also Mo Stinking Vaughn. Gosh...hey, at least I dug up an Ozzie Smith ring. There's the bright side.
587- JP Arencibia
616- Ross Ohlendorf
559- Reggie Willits
335- Buster Posey. Proof that blocking the plate is wrong

All in all, good packs. Terrible Diamond Givewaya pull though. If anyone wants it...just ask.