The Other World

Lineage Linking

2012-02-03T00:02:00.000-08:00

Topps Lineage was not a favorite among collectors in 2011 (though they sure did seem to buy a lot of it). There's already a lot of talk out there of its deficiencies and general malaise with the pack-opening process for this product. A Spanish language card? Experimental ideas from the '60s? More detail was found months ago here about questioning ideas and motives behind a certain number of the presentations.

There is one great thing about this set: the opportunity to expand my 1950 Phillies auto collection by one. Here we have Bob Miller, signing straight onto a 1952 Topps reprint.

Bob Miller played for the Phillies (and his entire career) from 1949-1958. He had a career best year in the pennant winning season of 1950, going 11-6 with a 3.57 ERA (113 ERA+), finishing 2nd in the ROY behind Sam Jethroe. He was a low K pitcher, even for the era, with a career 2.9 K/9. It looks like injuries struck him in 1951-1952, but he managed to come back up to the Phillies as a starter 1953-1954, then converting to a relief pitcher for the rest of his career.

This is actually one of the few times where I had not known anything at all about this long-time Phillie before receiving this card. I think that there should be similar autos in sets like this of fan favorites (wait....that is happening this year) or even those who played at least 5 consecutive years on the same team who may have been overlooked. I mean, when's the last time you saw a card of Harry Walker as a Cardinal or Ferris Fain as an Athletic? (Note: These may have existed recently without my knowledge)

As the 2012 introduction to cardmania commences....

Stand up...

Try to be seen....

Dress fashionably in the latest fabric....

And try not to follow the crowd.....

Because you can shine (with some direct light)...

And be focused on your goals...

even when just beginning the collecting journey...

just don't get cut out of what you love to do....

Today's uplifting message was brought to you by the 2011 Topps Lineage Phillies inserts and an uncanny optimism now that the groundhog has seen its shadow. Knowing that there is less than 20 days to spring training is what keeps hope alive and the scattering of foil wrappers around my living room gives me a veritable hobby pool to jump in. The cycle doesn't end....

One Hobby Aspect I Miss: Hot Packs (not the ones for my lower back)

2012-01-31T17:10:00.000-08:00

As an aside, I would just like to say that I would probably deface the rally squirrel card as a Phillies fan if I were to acquire it in a pack, but I would have to settle for scanning it and defacing the scan since it's selling for so much right now...

The mid-'90s was a crazy time for collecting. It was an utter explosion of inserts and foily designs and the beginnings of the chrome-volution. Before there were "hits" and variation gimmicks inserted into packs, there had to be other carrots to get collectors to bite. In 1994 and 1995, saw the rise of the hot pack.

There's a similar concept today en vogue with the inclusion of hot boxes of certain products. Have you noticed, though, that these have typically been unlicensed products such as Donruss/Panini Elite Extra Edition and Tristar Obak? I don't believe Topps subscribes to the deliberately inserted hot box theory, though there definitely is some variation out there in terms of box to box content.

The hot pack harkens back to the days when it was easier to find individual packs and easier to locate hobby shops (or as I called them baseball card stores). You bought a pack and hoped to find the insert of the moment or the rookie of the year. How many 1993 Mike Piazzas did I pull without caring that it wasn't his "official" rookie? How many Ken Griffey and Cal Ripken, Juniors were pulled at the height of their popularity at that time? Is that a 1:36 pack insert?

In my memory, there were two types of hot packs: 1) the entire insert set hot pack and 2) the random assortment of inserts hot pack. The first type was best represented by 1994-1995 Leaf Hockey. The second type was best represented by 1995 Fleer Baseball.

1994-95 Leaf hockey put in their hot packs insert sets like "Crease Control", a fairly common set. The thing that struck me is that somehow is that there was a hobby shop near me that sold nothing but hot packs of Leaf that year. I don't know how they knew! But it never failed; they even advertised them as such (I remember them being $9.99 each).

The 1995 Fleer I have fond memories of because I actually pulled one in a random pack one time. It was 12 cards of insert goodness. The best part was that 6 of the inserts were from the rarest of the hobby insert, Team Leaders, normally inserted one in 24 packs. For a long time, the Griffey/Johnson was my highest "booking" card. It was a thrill because it was completely out of the ordinary and made sure that it would be a memorable experience. (I'm still looking to complete this insert set, by the way...then my mastery of 1995 Fleer will be complete, but that's a different story).

I would love to see a mini hot pack or a relic hot box or something similar at some point. How does a pack of nothing but refractors sound? Is this what Topps has been doing with these crazy short prints? Trying to create a memorable pack-opening experience or are there other motives? At least it will give a boost to that collector's bottom line this week....

2012 Topps: Preview of the "Continuity Program Insert"

2012-01-25T23:34:00.000-08:00

Note: Just set up a Twitter account for those who do that type of thing...follow me at @drauer...it basically will be links to what I write here.

You know what that sound is? It's the sound of the 2012 baseball card season crashing down upon your ears. Remember the rushing around of December and the doldrums of January? Well, those are now over to be replaced by the deluge of 2012 cards, highlighting the achievements of the 2011 season. Then, we can also chase a new crop of rookies that doesn't include Bryce Harper...until his major league debut, when we can get cards with his rookie card logo on them...and then we can get non-prospect Bryce Harper rookies all over again.

I am excited, I am giddy, hey, look is that a wrapper tornado? I am not one to get all righteous about gimmickry and strange ideas, for the introduction of Topps series 1 is a rite of spring...it is the fledgling series, the gateway into the immersion of card piles, the step-up to the challenge matrix...(though I will say that the Pujols and Reyes cards are about the same level of annoying as those "Abe Lincoln variations" from 2010 Topps or any variation from Heritage lately, what will distinguish them besides the photo and will the wrong one end up in a quarter bin some day?)

One of the interesting pieces to the "flagship" Topps brand has been the insert that goes on forever or the continuity insert through all 3 series, which tend to be in a style different than the rest of the inserts. 2009 and 2010 had Turkey Red and 2011 had Kimball Champion Minis. This year there are 1987 Topps minis, which are a whole other different size mini than the mini we're used to. In other words, I'm not sure about these fitting into the 15 pocket pages, but we'll see. Shown below is what they would look like if they cribbed all the features of the original.

Notice the simplicity of the front: wood border, cloud inner border,player superimposed over ghosted background, player name in capital letters, Topps logo. Easy enough to duplicate, right? The Phillies will not be sporting these uniforms in this year's version though.

On the back, there's the team logo, the previous year's stat line, a lifetime stat line, and a huge amount of space to state Major League Leaders in a whirling dervish of a font.

There will be 150 cards like this scattered throughout the flagship series. I have mixed feelings, depending on the size, checklist, and overall feel of the cards once I get them in hand. Let's hope it's not on foilboard.

Mini rant: 50 hobby wrappers or 14 jumbo wrappers for the Gold Rush program?! I'm going to need to purchase wrappers now if I want a 5 card pack. I ordered a jumbo box this year (which has 10), who buys 4 individual jumbo packs? So if you do, I will trade for the wrappers. Gah (end mini rant)

One week to go, then the rites of spring begin....Topps series 1 is the harbinger....ready the heraldry.

2012: Finally Coming Back for More

2012-01-22T22:35:00.000-08:00

Did you miss me from my year-long mini-hiatus? It sure felt like I was away, but I wasn't....I was just buried under the avalanche of cards I never organize or scan.   Also, the cereal mountain in my living room didn't help. Here are the resolutions for the 2012, both collecting and blogging-style.

Collection Goals
I'm going to go against the grain and say that I don't want to focus anymore. I want to eclecticize....if that's a word. What does this mean? Well, there's really two aspects to my current collection: the team collection aspect (represented by the many, many Phillies cards) and the set collection aspect (represented by all those sets that I've been collecting since I first began this semi-obsession). I do want to continue those.

Phillies goals: Finish 1970-1986, 2011, 1961, and 1962 teams sets
Set Goals: Finish 2011 A&G, 2011 Gypsy Queen, one or more of the Bowmans, and pick up any others
New Set Goals: 2012 Topps and A&G will be the focus
Eclecticization: Start going after the interesting products that are in the price range, but don't give many cards or any at all such as the stuff like Pete Rose Legacy, Onyx signed ball stuff, maybe a cut signature product. Find singles that pop in the hand and will be an awe-inspiring centerpiece for a display collection. Begin the process of collecting Phillies stars from the '50s.

This could serve until I find what satisfies the overwhelming urge to browse through cards and purchase them at the latest enticing special.

Blogging Goals: This one is simple...do more. Three times a week should be a minimum just to get this blog on the roll again...I need to stop starting posts and not finishing them...maybe if I finished the posts before I start them, then I'd understand where I was going with them.   Then, there's other stuff....answer all e-mails within a week...this is tough for me since I'm a compulsive non-answerer, but I will do better. I will also send out trade packages much sooner than I have been...they tend to sit on my bookshelf all ready to go for months...I must get over this fear of the post office. Lastly, and most importantly, I will never use cards as an excuse to not go snorkeling...this one is resolute.

Anybody have anything else they'd like to see me finish that I've started over the almost 3 years I've been doing this? I will continue periodically with the Junior High Countdown for sure, also the 20 game loser list, I may be HOFed out at this point.   I'm willing to take suggestions for expanding content or bringing back content I may have forgotten I used to write.   Happy 2012....a month late...isn't that just typical of me?

Winter Pack Breaks: 3 packs of 2011-12 Upper Deck.....Hockey?

2012-01-21T12:16:00.000-08:00

Has there ever been a time when you need to rip apart some foil wrappers and all there is sets you don't want to see anymore. Enter Upper Deck hockey.....hockey card enthusiasts swear by it because of the Young Gun cards and there were quite a few Flyers in the checklist. I am a huge hockey fan, and would collect hockey cards, if I weren't so wrapped up in the baseball world...it's hard enough to keep up as it is. This set looked a lot like 2008 Upper Deck, which was a pretty classic design, so I folded like a paper airplane. Here are the 3 packs I ended up with.....the search for Young Guns is on.

Pack 1
2-Patrice Cormier-Jets
51-Matt Cooke-Penguins
151-RJ Umberger-Blue Jackets
13-Henrik Sedin-Canucks-The 2010 MVP in a moment of celebration.

199-Checklist with Canucks
28-Martin St. Louis-Lightning: The 2004 MVP and reigning Lady Byng award winner still surprisingly going strong. I had no idea he'd been averaging over a point per game these past five seasons.

178-Mark Giordano-Flames
53-Shane Doan-Coyotes-The last remaining original Winnipeg Jet recently scored his 300th goal with the franchise.

Pack 2
110-Guillaume Latendresse-Wild
177-Anton Babchuk-Flames: He looks angry. The card design really expresses emotions of the player's face well.

89-Travis Zajac-Devils
141-Kari Lehtonen-Stars
31-Steve Downie-Lightning: See what I mean? He looks pretty stoked...doing the classic fist pump after scoring, though not as classic as leaping into the boards...

76-Ryan Callahan-Rangers
200-Checklist with Bruins
174-Miikka Kiprusoff-Flames: Check out the outside venue...this wasn't the Winter Classic...any idea what else this could be?

Pack 3
93-Patric Hornqvist-Predators
15-Roberto Luongo-Canucks
29-Dwayne Roloson-Lightning
186-Jason Pominville-Sabres: Flyer sighting in the background! Still an awesome card though the result is not what I had in mind

32-Jaroslav Halak-Blues-Goalie cards are the best....this guy led one of the 8 over 1 upsets in the playoffs recently as the Canadiens goalie.

136-Niklas Kronwall-Red Wings
94-Ryan Suter-Predators
C120-Young Guns Checklist Canvas Parallel: Ryan Nugent-Hopkins/Sean Coutourier/Brett Connolly: Young Gun! Three on one card even....These canvas parallels are like the recent Masterpiece sets in texture. The parallel of a Young Gun as a canvas falls 1:48 packs. For those not in the know, Nugent-Hopkins was the first pick in the draft. Also, Coutourier is playing well for the Flyers. This card is a winner.

Doesn't it seem like there's more action on hockey cards when done right? I'm still not converted, but it sure was a fun winter diversion.

The Quest for the 1961 Topps Phillies Team Set: High Numbered Glory

2011-12-28T00:38:00.000-08:00

There must have been something wrong with kids growing up in the 1960s. Why did no one ever seem to buy the last series of cards in a given year? Is the need to complete a set a relatively new phenomenon? Did kids just get burnt out from buying cards all year and getting tired of seeing the same packs? Were all their favorite players and teams in the lower series so they already got them and now these later series?

Is it actually possible to lose interest from baseball during points in the year? This is something I just can't fathom. Baseball (and its various iterations) was the sport of youth. Wasn't there the MLB network and 24 hour ESPNews and the internet to keep interest in the hot stove during the offseason? Wait, you say there wasn't? You had to get The Sporting News weekly to know what was happening? Now, I see the problem.

Those poor packs of cards sat neglected during the early offseason months as kids and collectors were sidetracked by other pursuits such as football, snowball fighting, and raking leaves. I would still want them all though if I were alive back then. Grocery stores should always have cards and carry all those series.

Now, these high numbers are absolutely difficult and expensive to track down now because of this lack of sense of completeness and diversion from the real purpose in life: to indulge in baseball and baseball-related ideas all the year through. This can't be a solitary idea among the voices in my head....at least they tell me it isn't.

Way back in 2010, I decided to pursue Phillies Topps team sets that corresponded with the Heritage set for that year. For 1961, all that's left is the high numbers of that 7th series. It has been frustrating to track down examples that cost less than $15. Here is the first example of Bobby Malkmus. He has no logo on his cap even though it's not his first card as a Phillie (1960 Topps). Strange.

Here are the relevant stats:

Years on Phillies: 1960-1962
Best Year as a Phillie: 1961, .231/.276/.327 (61 OPS+), 7 HR, 31 RBI, finished 22nd in MVP voting (the only Phillie with a vote, considering the team was 47-107)
Card Number: 531 (HI number!)

Bring on the rest or build me a time machine to take me back to November 1961....all I would have to do is pack nickels with dates before that one.

Blog Bat Around: 2011 Retrospective

2011-12-19T00:57:00.000-08:00

The blog bat around returns with the question bugging all of us.
The 2011 baseball card collecting season is finally over -- other than Bowman Sterling. What set or release stands out as your favorite from the year? What set or release brings your lunch back up in your throat?

My favorite set this year was 2011 Topps. I might not have liked all the concepts, I definitely did not like the configuration, I did not like the investment potential (even if I don't do that)...wait, this is supposed to be the positive paragraph. There were a few great things about 2011 Topps that made me coming back for more (so much so that I'm slowly approaching the non-parallels master set.)

1. The Diamond Giveaway: I never thought I would trade virtual cards so much. Even with all the hiccups....hic...of the .....hic....site itself. The concept this year was spot on. There was an actual prize to strive for in the factory set, and the exclusive diamond diecuts kept my trade offers full with ridiculous offers and let offer ridiculous things of my own.
2. The Diamond Anniversary Parallels: I don't think a parallel for a Topps set has ever been so aesthetically pleasing. Really, it wasn't something where I went, oh, what a waste of a card. I actually actively collected a good number of them...not that I would try to complete the set or anything...that's just crazy. If I never need a reminder of the beauty lacking in the world, I can grab the pages with these parallels and partake in the glimmering paradise.
3. Kimball Champion Minis: I wanted them all, I got them all. They look awesome in pages, exactly 10 pages. It doesn;t matter about the backs. The only negative for me is the repeat subjects across some of the series.

My 2nd favorite set this year has been Gypsy Queen. It was almost perfect. Design was great, I have an unhealthy obsession with mini cards, the insert sets fit the theme, the framed border parallels were upstanding examples of how to do a great parallel set, and the mini framed relics are always welcome. The auto checklist could have been better, but for someone who bought only retail, it didn;t matter to me.

There are some sets that I find not so appealing. For me, Bowman Platinum is something that I don't need to see anymore. With Topps Chrome, Finest, and the other Bowmans dealing with prospect and rookie autographs, it was redundant and superfluous. If there were no Finest or Bowman Chrome, it might work as a concept. Otherwise, it's just hanging out there like an unattached incandescent bulb with no collecting niche.

The one disappointment I had was Allen & Ginter, and it's not for the reasons that are often commonly cited. I like the non-sport elements, I like the whimsy, I like the disregard for number symbols on the back. It is its own brand. This year, it went a bit too far in the number of insert sets that are dedicated to the sublime and unnatural. All I want is more base set minis than insert set minis in a box. Is that too much to ask?

2011 was a heavy collecting year for me. Seriously, it;s pounds and pounds of cards. They're not easy to transport.

The Wonders of Coffee

2011-12-14T00:32:00.000-08:00

At this point, late nights are a common occurrence in life. I don't actually drink coffee, but I heard it does wonders for the late night seeker or the not-yet-morning person. Caffeine is something that baseball players really must have drank a lot of in the 1950s. Performance enhancing drugs at that time was booze and cigarettes, so any energy boost at that time would have been welcomed. Right now, I'm running on one of those adrenaline highs you get after something exciting happens to you, you know? The problem is nothing actually happened, so my brain has convinced my mind (these are not the same) that I should be amped....

So here I am, absolutely hyper for no reason. I've spent hours rifling through cards ("everybody shufflin'") and realizing that 2011 was the year of collection overload. It looked like my cabinet decided to swallow all the coffee I don't drink and dedicate itself to running around and filling itself with cards that I haven't seen before. Have I ever mentioned how much I dislike autonomous furniture? First, they surreptitiously undermine your authority and then they convince the other furniture to join their cause. As I write this, my dining room table has decided to fill itself up with cards without my knowledge as well....

Here's to some of the 1956 Topps cards I have, the first of which is definitely coffee stained (or it at least better be coffee). This card is of my second favorite catcher from before I was born, Andy Seminick.

It was a calling to old glory for Andy, as he returned to the scene of his power hitting younger days after a 3+ year exile in Cincinnati. On second thought, that could have been a Skyline chili stain....

Jim Owen was too young to appreciate the drinks of the older gentlemen of the club, having only just turned 21 during the 1955 season. But there must have been some sort of "giddyup juice" in his water bottle because the ball jumped out of his hand in any which direction. He issued over 130 BB between the minors and majors.

He finally settled down to a less than 6.0 BB/9 in 1959 when he could rent a car on his own. I wonder if drive-through coffee places were invented yet?

So to all nighttime coffee drinkers out there, I have two pleas (of semi-ignorance), stop allowing your furniture to take sips when you're not looking and only drink it when you're in need of vintage cards because they will appear in all their stained glory.

An offseason break or remember when new sets released were anticipated?

2011-11-30T23:18:00.000-08:00

November is dull in baseball world. It has the dullest week of the dullest month baseball-wise of the year (November 6-13). Let's review the news of the past couple weeks.

1. Topps Tier One hit the stores. There's only one pack per box. High-end Topps has led to dissatisfaction among the breaking community.

2. The Red Sox have a new manager....some players didn't want him....scandal!

3. The Royals made a trade....it doesn't matter for who.

4. Topps Triple Threads teaches us that Canadiens "Say 'Eh" and also about American legendary history like Pecos Bill and John Henry. It gives more information than a history textbook for only double the price.

But we're not about dwelling on unpleasantness or distasteful ideas or boredom here. We're about looking forward. And in order to look forward we have to look back and remember what lay in front of us at one point in the past. Because the excitement from the future of the past while we're looking back could only whet our little pack-ripping appetites for the future from the present. Because presently many have forgotten the past which can not bode well for the future. Of course, we don't that is true until the future when the present is behind us and is the past. So let's look forward to 2012 by reminding ourselves about the anticipation of 2011.

Remember Topps? No, not the company. The base set, the kick-off for the year, it's almost time for that again. The anticipation of a new design, the slick foil, surprising gimmicks (maybe), and an online giveaway for the new season. Here's some 2011 Topps cards from a series 1 box break to remind us all that it's not all bad. Even if you aren't particularly drawn to Triple Tier 1 Prospect Threads of Draft Picks....

Hey, it's a gold card! We have seen these since 2001. 2012 will provide more gold than ever before throughout all the themed inserts. Of course, this old style gold parallel #d to the year seems to not be found.

instead.....

there will be......

a different type.....

of gold parallel....similar to 2011's diamond parallel. These diamond parallels were a great addition to the parallel lineup and really fit into the theme of the 60th anniversary of Topps. They were vibrant and cool to see and felt like a collectible extension of the set. Maybe there'll be a themed parallel every year like wood, cotton, leather, or cashmere in the future.

Topps 60 showcases great players with non-specific moments...

This has been true of most insert sets throughout their 20+ year history. All-stars! Legends! Rookies! Just create an idea to mix them together in a whirlwind of wonderment. MVPs may also apply.

I am not a fan of dual player insert cards except for all-stars for the same position of the same year or maybe something like 1996 Zenith Mosaics. But this card is fantastic....Reggie Jackson as an Oriole!

Hit me! I need to get closer to 21. I lucked out and got an auto. This is why we open the packs to fill the thrill of victory and the agony of pulling a jersey card of someone you don't necessarily want. But the hit's guaranteed! Net positive all around.

But the best thing a new card set can hope for....

is have a card that becomes iconic or memorable...

or the rookie card of a hall of famer (assuming that a rookie card is a rookie card and not an unrookie card). Some sets get left behind, but that's impossible....

as long as there are minis. Farewell to the set that probably left the biggest impact among the most collectors in 2011. You will return in a different form next year to lift us out of the November doldrums once again.

please, please, please...no political cards in an election year

Phillies 2011 Diamond Anniversary Checklist/Wantlist

2011-11-26T09:15:00.000-08:00

Do you know how long it takes me to put together a typical wantlist? Months....years, even....For posterity's sake, here's what remains from the totally sparksome parallel of the diamond anniversary year of the Topps. It looks like there are many Roy Halladay cards to track down....

11. NL Wins Leaders
146. Roy Halladay
219. Carlos Ruiz
267. Jose Contreras
325. Jayson Werth
420. Ryan Howard
469. Joe Blanton
511. Phillies Team Card
524. Michael Martinez
638. Ryan Madson
656. Raul Ibanez
US85. Roy Halladay
US91. Hunter Pence
US100. Cliff Lee
US117. Michael Stutes
US154. Cliff Lee
US189. Wilson Valdez

Cards from the Phungo

2011-11-17T19:13:00.000-08:00

It's always fun to trade with the Phungo, though this was my first time. Just check out the mix of vintage Phillies and PHUNGO CARDS that were sent there. The arrival of a Phungo card set is a phun time for everyone. Just wanted to say thanks, it was fun....

1959 Topps Don Cardwell: vintage and elegant in its presentation

1975 Topps Phillie Mini: My first 1975 Topps mini!

Phungo Card 1/Black Border: The best mascot of them all.

Phungo Card 2/Harry Kalas Commemorative: The voice of two generations of Phillies fans.

Phungo Card 3/Harry Kalas Memorial: The outpouring of emotion at the centerpiece of the Philly baseball scene.

1959 Topps Bob Bowman: Vintage and determined to please

Phungo Card 4/Greg Luzinski: The Bull is back and BBQin'

Phungo Card 5/Dickie Noles: A member of the 1980 bullpen and a Phillie twice in his career.

Phungo Card 6/Tommy Greene: Caught lightning in 1993 with a great season, pitched a no-hitter in 1991. Succumbed to the young pitcher Fregosi malady.

My Favorite $2 Card.....or How Does Always Remember What They Paid for Every Card in Their Collection?

2011-11-11T19:41:00.000-08:00

I am naturally drawn to the 1962 Topps set; it's in my blood, it may even be one of those strange genetic traits that get passed down from generation to generation. And I know what you're thinking....no, I did not go all Abraham Lincoln on this world, being born in a log cabin. I was born in a hospital with hospital-colored walls of which I saw every single one as I was run down the hallway for some inexplicable reason (I guess that would be one of those long stories).

This was the set of my father. He always talked nostalgically of the wood-bordered set from 1962. It was the first year that the Mets made appearance on the cardboard. It was the year that led off with two-time MVP Roger Maris. It was the year that, in a 8 year old's head, trading Yogi Berra straight up for Art Mahaffey was a great idea.

Of course, there have been other moments where the 1962 brand made its mark. It was the first pre-1970 card brand in my collection when I was 12 (Orlando Cepeda), it was a gift to the father who had moved on from the hobby after the baseball strike of '94 (Tom Tresh), it was the perusing the unmarked vintage stack at card shows until something was found that was awesome (see pictured).

Luis Aparicio is an interesting Hall of Famer. He was not ever a great hitter, but he was a great base stealer and great fielder for many years. The first time I remember reading about the Go-Go Sox of 1959 was on the back of a Nellie Fox TCMA card.

I rescued this card from the stack for a mere $2. It is a 1962 Topps card; there's a classic cap, and it is of Luis Aparicio, shortstop extraordinaire. The capper to all this is that I met him at the 2007 Fanfest before this, and was happy to have a card display next to the signed baseball. $2? Nothing, for a true card connection.

Phillies Project Update: Steve Carlton was a Cardinal First?? You don't say....

2011-11-06T00:29:00.000-07:00

Steve "Lefty" Carlton, the Phillies pitcher in its history who has had the most success over the longest period of time.   One can look to Grover Cleveland Alexander as having the most dominant stretch ever for a pitcher in a Phillies uniform or one can look to Robin Roberts with a 5 year run as impressive as any. However, Carlton was the only one to sustain varying degrees of excellence in a Phillies uniform for 15 years (1972-1985). This is a long career even in the most judicious of circumstances, and yet it has always been jarring for me to see his early cards as a member of the (now immensely disliked through the end of 2011) Cards.

Steve Carlton as a Card was nearly 6 years in the making as a potentially premiere pitcher of the spheroid.   Summary of the performance is presented below. There was life before 1972, you know (though I didn't experience it. And if I did, I would be older than I am, in which case, I would be someone else). Images of the Steve Carlton as a Card consistently proves this.

His career began as a precocious youth at the age of 19 in 1965, making his first two career starts while mostly being a reliever: 21 Ks in 25 IP showed the promise.   1966 came and went with him spending most of the year at AAA Tulsa, making only 9 major league starts and struggling a bit with a 1.42 WHIP and only 25 K in 52 innings. 1967 was a breakout year for Carlton with a 14-9 record, 2.98 ERA, and 11 complete games (CG) in 28 starts. His strikeout rate of 7.8 K/9 was one of the highest of his career.

1968 had a similar performance (13-11, 2.99 ERA, and 162 K in 232 innings), but his ERA+ decreased from 110-97 because of the crazy low run-scoring environment of 1968. 1969 was the first time in his career he placed in the top 10 in the leage in K with 210 in 236 innings, his walk rate spiked a bit from the previous two years, but he still managed a 2.17 ERA, 2nd in the league. 1970 was a regression of sorts since his walk rate climbed even higherto 3.9 BB/9, finishing 3rd in the league with 109 BB, so he finished 10-19 with a 3.73 ERA. 1971 decreased both the walk and K rate from the previous year, but he reversed his fortunes and had his first 20 win season of his career finishing 20-9 with a 3.56 ERA even though the K rate was the lowest of his career until he was 42 years old.

It was at this point, that the challenge trade occurred for a talented Rick Wise coming off his career year in 1971. Carlton had a much stronger profile, though they seemed similar on the surface. The foundation to have a higher peak was already established. (though no one predicted a season quite like 1972).

So, here ends the quest for every mainstream affordable issue Phillies card from the 1980 Phillies World Series team (I am excepting the Carlton and Schmidt rookies for now). This offseason, I intend to scan the binder. I hope it happens; it's quite the trip down memory lane.

1950 Phillies Auto Collection: Curt Simmons

2011-11-02T00:14:00.000-07:00

The nomenclature isn't exactly true. My collection for this admittedly extremely difficult pursuit now numbers.....three. This is the first in chronological order. This card is of the famed 1999 Sports Illustrated Greats of the Game on card auto set of all retired players. The 1950 team is one of the greatest Phillies team that had one of the most thrilling endings to a season ever seen. Throwing a runner out at the plate to send the game to extra innings in the last game of the season? Are you kidding me?

Curt Simmons was a large part of that team, playing as a veteran 21 year old, solidifying the #2 spot in the rotation. He was 17-8 that season with 11 CG in 27 starts with a 3.40 ERA and 1.23 WHIP. He also tied Robin Roberts for the team lead in K with 148.

I love this card because of the photo used. I first saw the blue hats for day games in 1994; they were soon discarded from use after two disastrous games and forever cursed as anti-karmic. They made their return with a twist a in 2008. Instead of keeping with the general pinstripe theme of the current Phillies uniform, a solid cream colored uniform was used with the same cap from this card. This cap was in use during the 1948-1949 seasons, so Simmons was merely a teenager when this photo was taken. He already had a starting pitcher's intensity and was ready to sink his teeth into his major league career.

He lasted 20 seasons in the majors, playing for the Phillies, Cardinals, Cubs, and finishing with the Angels in 1967. He was a 3 time all-star and finished in the top 10 in the NL in ERA 9 times. A long-time successful Phillies pitcher with a great script, what else is needed of a former Whiz Kid?

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T20:32:00.000-07:00

Do not look directly at its eyes! You will be tricked into not getting a treat!

The 100 Most Significant Cards......in 1993: #s 41-60

2011-10-26T23:57:00.000-07:00

For the previous entries in this series, see Part 1 here and Part 2 here

It's been awhile since I've remembered to continue this series. It's still an interesting exercise because the top cards of this year have almost no relation to top cards of the year past. Today, autos, refractors, colored foil changes, and patch pieces make a card a desirable from the moment it leaves the pack. What would allow a card from 2011 to maintain its significance over the next generation of card production. Just as from 1993 to now, conceptions will change over what makes a memorable, value-sustaining, eminently collectible feature card. But there's one idea that has not changed over the last 18+ years, rookie cards rule. Rookies of up and comers, rookies of hall of famers, rookies of established stars, rookies of flashes through the baseball stratosphere. There's something special about the first card, and for a long time, it was easy to define. This is evident from the next portion of this list.

There's also a couple quirky choices among the denizens of the list; the cult of the error card continued apace during this era, as did the genesis of the insert revolution, expanding beyond the basic parameters of the base set, something we almost take for granted now and expect as the natural adaptation of the collector moves beyond any boundaries.....on the list....

60. 1985 Donruss Corrected Tom Seaver: The regular issue Tom Seaver was pictured as a left-hander named Floyd Bannister. This version was only available in factory sets. Now, it's common to find cards you can only get in factory sets like red parallels of 2010 Topps, special team issued factory sets (2008-2010 Topps), draft pick cards (2005 Topps), and rookies (2001 Fleer Tradition). Great unintentional innovation.

59. 1962 Topps Managers' Dream: Mickey Mantle and Willie Mays on the same card. These guys led the vintage card value increase in the '80s. It's also a rare photo of players from the opposite league in the '60s. More also, it's a much better concept than Diamond Duos.

58. 1972 Topps Carlton Fisk/Cecil Cooper/Mike Garman: He was still playing when this issue came out, having joined the 4 decade players club. Invest in the card now before he makes the Hall of Fame! He already has? Great, it won't rise in value anymore.

57. 1985 Topps Mark McGwire: This card was a heavy player for many years, selling at a peak of around $200 in the late '90s. Little did the writers of this issue know that this card and its inhabitant would spur a realization and backlash against steroid use in baseball. And with that, the card would fall off the list.

56. 1984 Fleer Update Dwight Gooden: A great card in the '80s, but it soon became surpassed in popularity for awhile by two other cards in the set, the Puckett and Clemens.

55. 1957 Topps Brooks Robinson
54. 1960 Topps Carl Yastrzemski: I have to put these together because the view on these players is very similar. Two franchise icons, two hall of famers, each had a defining MVP season (Yaz: 1967, Robinson: 1964), each sometimes overshadowed by other franchise icons (Williams for Yaz and Ripken for Robinson), yet still two amazin card to own.

53. 1956 Topps Mickey Mantle: A card from the set with arguably the best design of all in his return to Topps after a two year Bowman hiatus. Plus, there's a smile.

52. 1957 Frank Robinson: It's not everyday that a 586 HR hitting, Triple Crown winning, two-time MVP winning, groundbreaking Hall of Famer has an undervalued card. I would argue that his greatness has been consistently underrated. He is one of the top 20 players ever.

51. 1983 Topps Traded Daryl Strawberry: They sure did love the Mets in '93. Strawberry flashed across the hobby scene before his career dropped off quickly at the age of 29.

50. 1962 Topps Roger Maris: The card with the first 60+ HR season line on it that led off the set. Picturesque and perfect.

49. 1974 Topps Dave Winfield: The only notable rookie in this set. This ranking was before his 3000th hit.
48. 1955 Topps Harmon Killebrew: Kind of the cult hero of the 500 HR club. Everyone was a fan of the Killer, even if you weren;t a Senators/Twins fan. Unscrupulously powerful, and the card shows a great depiction of the original Washington Senators logo.

47. 1979 Topps Ozzie Smith: The first card of the Wizard showing him pensive as a Padre. Did you know he was at my graduation in St Louis? He earned an honorary degree the same day I received my degree.

46. 1965 Topps Steve Carlton: This card is #1a on my personal wantlist. His quantity of strikeouts, Cy Young awards, and terse press statements defined his career.

45. 1989 Fleer Bill Ripken: Still the most celebrated (or entertaining) error card. There are at least 10 documented variations of the obscene and obscured bat knob.

44. 1954 Topps Ted Williams: The year of the Williams bookends for the Topps set. Do you prefer the first or last card in the set?

43. 1992 Fleer Rookie Sensations Frank Thomas: Insertmania! $4 jumbo packs of 1992 Fleer!? The Big Hurt in blue foil! This card booked for $45 in July 1993. Any other normal, non-numbered, non-rookie inserts out there now that have inspired such craziness?

42. 1948-49 Leaf Satchel Paige: It actually says Leroy Paige on the front of the card. It's also a shortprint of one of the top 5 pitchers to play this game. A true collection cornerstone.

41. 1959 Topps Bob Gibson: A rookie card of the pitcher with maybe the greatest modern post-deadball era season (1.12 ERA in 1968). This card is also from the artistic 1959 Topps set and comes from the high series.

Some stats for this list

# of cards in my collection: 0
# of rookies: 14
# of errors: 2
# of Mantles: 2
# of pitchers: 5
# of cards that I can afford to get this week: 8
# of cards that I will buy this week: 0, unless I find a 1992 Fleer jumbo box for cheap/

Welcome addition to the Collection: Cole Hamels Rookie, 2002 Bowman Draft

2011-10-25T01:06:00.000-07:00

Sometimes the simplest acquisitions are the first ones of your favorite player. After the negativity of the postseason (for me), sometimes it's best to reflect upon the joys of collecting and the rigorous and rewarding searches of the hobby.

Here is the only true (as in first year of production before the rookie card rules) Hamels rookie card. Ah, you may say, what about the 2002 Bowman Chrome Draft card? And I would respond with a comment about your astuteness and how you could surely read the list of available rookie cards for said player. And then you would say, do you not read the same lists that I do? And I would say, I do indeed, however, I do not agree with the assertion that you have just posited.

After all, in yet another strange twist from 2002, Bowman decided to package the Draft product as two separate sets with chrome cards being inserted at a rate of two per pack. Why build one 165 card set when you can build two at the same time and never get close to either? I'm not sure if this has been apparent before, but I would like to express disdain for all parallels. As a standalone set, Bowman Chrome is fine, but I will now be disdainful of the Bowman paralell mania that apparently began as an innocent gesture to have autographed base cards that were not parallels of any other card in the main set.....yes, making sense yet again. This has only become worse through the years as the Bowman proliferation of the multi-set beast has expanded and devoured the prospecting collecting set into a neverending chase for the virtual parallel (chrome), the cast aside parallel (gold), the cool kid's parallel (refractor), and the ultimate going to stay up all night jumping because I finally got one parallel (superfractor). Stamp it, number it, and call it a day.

Back to Mr. Hamels. He was a risky first round pick because he had had a broken humerus in high school, I believe. What a happy, clean shaven face expectant of the career ahead. I do like this card, it was so nice to rip open the envelope where it was stored. This is the beginning of phase III.

Can it Be? Is This a Trade Post from an Order of Angels? Survey Says....

2011-10-20T23:50:00.000-07:00

10 out of 10 people agree that trade posts display cards in them. However, only 5 out of 10 people believe that trade posts actually cause people to turn into traders. Can the pernicious influence of the trade post be stopped? Will it infiltrate our precious and fragile human psyche and cause us to want to barter anything and everything for pieces of foil and cardboard? I will listen to any offer that includes my car at this time for a low numbered Bryce Harper auto refractor....

Thankfully, the gent from The Angels, In Order needed no such provocation to have a trade with me. When there's a trade with me, it occurs....slowly. So, first I thank him for his patience and then gamely slogging through the jungle wasteland of magnetic cardboard that plagues our planet's surface to discover hidden gems to deposit into the kingdom of the wantlist. What did he discover?

1998 Bowman Bobby Higginson: There was a time when I thought Bobby Higginson was a great player. He was pretty good for awhile and he went to Temple, so that bumps him up a couple levels in my book.

2010 Topps Update Rob Johnson: Remember when Jason Kendall played? Did anyone buy 2010 Topps update? Who is Rob Johnson?

1998 Bowman Ralph Milliard: This was before Bowman proudly proclaimed first cards on every prospect card even if it isn't their first card and they had a prospect card in a a previous year's set, but it's not recognized as a rookie card because it doesn't have that strange logo, even though it's an MLB licensed card. Does anyone understand the rookie card rule?

1999 Bowman Kenny Lofton: 1999 Bowman is the cooler cousin of 1998 Bowman....there I said it. It had marbleization and Then & Now backs for the veteran cards and it was right-signed instead of left-signed and had much better international parallels.

2010 Topps Update Alex Gonzalez: "Take that Yunel Escobar! You are no match for me! You say we were traded for each other? To be challenged? Fine, I challenge you to a leaping duel.....to the pain!"

2010 Topps Update Lance Zawarski: You know what I miss? The old Padres uniforms with the brown and yellow. These are so generic and don't remind me of the beach at all. Plus, the stadium may look over the water, but it's really hard to see past structure to the water....I call a rebuild.

2010 Topps Update Mike Gonzalez: He's in the World Series! He escaped the Orioles! He's left handed! I hate that he's in the World Series and I'm not. I want to be left handed. Did you know I used to practice throwing with both hands when I threw tennis balls against the wall so that I could learn to throw with either hand? All that got me was learning how to play pool poorly with my left hand and make me left footed....the world works in mysterious ways.

Thanks for the trade Tom! It's great to get these elusive cards.....

Junior High Countdown: 52. 1993 Studio

2011-10-12T17:50:00.000-07:00

The Stats

A 220 card set in one series with 12 cards per pack and 36 packs per box. The SRP at the time was probably $1.49 per pack.

The Design

Studio always had a focus on the face of the player, and this edition was no different. This set had the player's portrait superimposed over a background of the team's uniform. The player's signature was emblazoned in foil across the bottom third of the card. The back was an expose on the player's interests, thoughts, and inspirations....there were definitely new facts to discover.

The Rookies
The most recognizable rookie name was JT Snow.

The Inserts
There were four insert sets in 1993 Studio.
1. Studio Heritage (1 in 12 packs). This was probably the most visually striking of the sets. It dressed players in throwback uniforms with a sepia flavor.
2. Frank Thomas: A 5 card set showing the lighter side of the "Big Hurt", showcasing the spokesman for 1993 Donruss/Leaf products.
3. Silhouettes (inserted only in jumbo packs): A weird concept with the action shot of the player being a shadow on top a ghosted portrait image.
4. Superstars on Canvas: Player portraits with an artistic flair, think of a precursor to Topps Gallery.

The Impact

Seriously minimal impact, the sepia tones and throwback jerseys of the Heritage insert influenced some other insert sets through the years (I'm thinking of 1994 Score Dream Team first). The portrait style really created its own niche until the end of its 15 year run.

Summary

1993 Studio was an upgrade over the previous editions in 1991 and 1992, embellishing the photographic aspects while at the same time staying true to the brand's core of player portraits and player profiles (no stats were necessary). The insert sets were appropriate and gave the overall release a little extra to round out the presentation. It was an enjoyable set to buy individual packs of, but there was nothing inherently extravagant or innovative about it. The backgrounds of the cards were great and really enabled it to surpass similar offerings during this time period. This is why is sits in the middle of the countdown as an enjoyable, but not unforgettable set.

What a Waste of an Effort and Season

2011-10-07T20:30:00.000-07:00

102 wins? Means nothing. Great players with gutty performances? Means nothing. 2011 season? Means nothing. It will go down as the year the lineup choked and the rotation barely kept its head above water in the playoffs.

How many regulars hit .200 or below for the series? Four. Small sample size, one can claim. Well, small sample size is not the malady that leads to a playoff series loss. Poor approaches, poor situational hitting, swinging at any pitch outside the zone, going meekly with hardly any hustle.

Don't get me wrong...it was hustle, but of desperation, trying to make something happen when it wasn't possible to be there. Running into outs on the basepaths in this game just doesn't cut it.

For one word of praise for the opposition....Carpenter's curveball was practically unhittable.

Game 2 was the real killer of the series. 4-0 lead, knocked out the ace, and then it was frittered away by Ryan Theriot and Jon Jay at the expense of Cliff Lee. A 2-1 lead in the series, and then David Freese gets inside Oswalt's head and has 2 large extra-base hits.

The bullpen pitched admirably, only 3 runs allowed total after the mop-up time in game 1. Ryan Madson will make a lot of money in the free agent market. The starting pitching was gutsy, but not spectacular. Halladay could not get off the first inning schneid and it cost him in this game. He sure pitched incredibly after that though. Hamels struggled and still ended up giving up nothing.

Everything up to this point was a waste...great season....to only be remembered for the 102 wins....when someone else asks what happened to this team? The only answer is they lost in the first round of the playoffs....not the championship series or World Series, but the first round. There is no sense of accomplishment for the 2011 season,just a pile of happy memories shadowed by this overarching fact.

Jonesin' for the Whiz Kids

2011-09-30T16:49:00.000-07:00

A vintage card collector, I am not. Instead I would characterize myself as a fortuitous accumulator of well-cared cards of a bygone era. As a self-proclaimed Phillies collector, you would think that I have wide array of cards from all eras, but that is not actually the case.

I only started my Phillies collection when I started this blog because that's all I thought I'd ever blog about...how little the me of the past can understand the me of the present. Of course, if the me of the present decided to consult with the me of past to influence the me of the future, then the me of the future would feel like he was being teamed up on and try and change the future before he became the present and was moved into the past before his time.

That is to say, it's always refreshing to discover players who had played for the Phillies for a long time before my living memory. Enter the discovery of Willie Jones. He played for the Phillies from 1947-1959, right in the sweet spot of the rise of the Whiz Kids and the development of the golden age of baseball cards. A two-time all-star and probably the best fielding 3rd baseman of the 1950s in the NL who somehow picked up the charming moniker of Puddin' head.

I guess after acquiring the three cards below I will attempt to be a Willie Jones master collector.

1951 Bowman Willie Jones: His facsimile autograph reveals the nickname in all its glory as his portrait is stationed under a light tower of that era. The uniform is a classic, pin-striped and blue-starred, and is the uniform on which the current Phillies one is based. This was a commemoration of the Whiz Kid season of 1950 where the Phillies won their 2nd all-time pennant. Jones chipped in with 100 runs, 25 HR, 88 RBI, and .267/.337/.456 line (108 OPS+) along with league-leading putouts and assists totals at third base.

This card is in the best condition by my eyes; the corners are almost sharp. There is no paper loss anywhere on the card and it remains frozen in time.

1952 Bowman Willie Jones: The 1952 version of this card is not as memorable looking as the 1951 version. There is no Puddin' Head mention, and the cap logo barely is visible. The road uniform is on display here and the stars are red. Jones did have a letdown from the 1950 season and had probably his best hitting season in 1951. He had 79 runs, 22 HR, 81 RBI and had a .285/.358/.470 line (122 OPS+). He also led the league in sacrifice hits and it was the only season he didn't finish first in putouts from 1949-1956.

1954 Topps Willie Jones: The 1954 Topps card showcases Phillies pedestrian team logo of the era. The two images of Puddin Head are also shown. It's interesting that the baby blue color that Topps chose would be a prominent part of the Phillies uniform 25 years later. The 1953 season was his worst to date in his career, hitting .225/.342/.385 (90 OPS+) with 61 Runs, 19 HR, and 70 RBI. His plate discipline was stellar though, with 82 BB vs 42 K. As always, he was among the leaders in all the fielding categories for 3rd baseman.

Jones continued playing from the Phillies until 1959 when he took a Piazza like journey to Cincinnati thru Cleveland and then retired early in the 1961 season after his release from the Redlegs.

I guess it's time for me as a present Phillies fan to appreciate a past Phillies' career and start collecting his cards to know their place in team history.

100!

2011-09-27T00:51:00.000-07:00

2008 Topps Ryan Howard #100

For the first time in my lifetime, the Phillies have reached 100 wins. This is a great cap to the 2011 regular season. It's unfortunate that they had that mini-tailspin last week, it would have been really memorable to have seen a team with less than 60 losses in a season.Halladay, Lee, Hamels, and company lived up to the preseason expectations and then some. Let's hope that everyone's ready and wired for the postseason. I'm definitely wired and that's not necessarily the three glasses of Pepsi I had earlier.....it could be anything really.

Speaking of 100, here's some interesting stats about Topps card #100 through the years.

Players who have appeared more than once as #100 (9)
Albert Pujols (10,11)
Alex Rodriguez (04,00)
Barry Bonds (06, 95)
Mike Schmidt (89, 82)
George Brett (85, 78)
Willie Stargell (75, 74)
Hank Aaron (73, 69)
Bob Gibson (68, 62)
Frank Robinson (72, 67)
Pete Rose (83, 71)

Players who have appeared the year after their MVP season (8)
2010-Pujols
2004-Rodriguez
1982-Schmidt
1977-Joe Morgan
1967-Robinson
1965-Ken Boyer
1964-Elston Howard
1960-Nellie Fox

Players who have had 300 wins in their career (3)
1958-Early Wynn
1979-Tom Seaver
1986-Nolan Ryan

Players who have had 3000 hits in their career (3)
1971/1983-Pete Rose

1978/1985-George Brett
1981-Rod Carew

Players who have had 500 home runs in their career (9)
1967/1972-Frank Robinson
1969/1973-Hank Aaron
1982/1989-Mike Schmidt
1984-Reggie Jackson
1993-Mark McGwire
1995/2006-Barry Bonds
1996-Frank Thomas
1999-Ken Griffey Jr.
2000/2004-Alex Rodriguez

Player who had lowest amount of wins-1953 Bill Miller-6 wins

The non-player card-1957-League Presidents (Giles and Harridge)

Players who were on teams that moved (3)
1955-Monte Irvin (New York Giants)
1959-Bob Cerv (Kansas City Athletics)
2002-Vladimir Guerrero (Montreal Expos)

Subset Cards (2)
1956-Orioles Team Checklist
1997-Dwight Gooden Season Highlight

What can I say? The number 100 has a certain synergy. Any other interesting things you can find?

Trades From the Past: Off the Wall and O No Another Orioles Blog

2011-09-22T00:55:00.000-07:00

I am finally posting trades that have accumulated from the dark winter months. By the way, happy autumnal equinox tomorrow. So this means that I'm only three seasons behind now. I think I should catch up shortly. You see the pictures from the previous post? All that is cleaned up and cataloged (more or less). It's nice not to sift through hundreds of cards to find the couple I knew I possibly had. Unfortunately, this means trade stacks weren't as separated as they should be. Welcome to a double dosing of probably two of the best packages I have ever received. So thank you Ryan from O No!!! Another Orioles Blog and Shane from Off the Wall. The awesomeness of these cards is now officially acknowledged in the cyberspace realm.

Jim Thome 2004 Leaf Jersey card: Remember when Jim Thome was a great home run hitter for the Phillies? Remember when he hit his 600th home run? Still, a great home run hitter. Also, I really like the size of the jersey piece on this card.

Ryan Howard 2011 Topps Wrapper Redemption: Here is the heir apparent to Jim Thome, who is now 2nd all-time on the Phillies home run list (with 286) barely half of the total of the leader.

Mike Schmidt 1985 Opeechee: which is this guy with 548 HRs. It's always a nice surprise to see a familiar card with the Canadian logo.

Roy Halladay 2011 Topps Wrapper Redemption: The intimidating visage of the ace of aces overshadowing the black diamond effects.

Roy Halladay 2010 Finest: Finest is a brand I can never find nor find it in my wallet to purchase a box of. Is there a red refractor in 2010 Finest because it would look luminescent.

Chase Utley 2007 Turkey Red: This card commerorates the 35 game hitting streak from 2006. This has been the last streak of 35 or more games in baseball.

Roy Oswalt 2011 Topps Wrapper Redemption: These cards are excellent, too bad they can only be found in the mail. Oswalt needs to be the pitcher of last year and overcome his back problems.

Steve Carlton 1984 Opeechee: "Lefty"'s transcendant 1972 season is being mentioned again in connection with Justin Verlander's top-notch season.

Chase Utley 2005 Bowman Heritage: This line didn't quite take off like Topps Heritage did. I guess it didn't help that there were two non-color sets (1948, 1953) and a really ugly set (1949). 1992 is retro now, as evidenced by the inserts in 2010 Bowman, so maybe it would be best to skip the 1989-1991 designs as templates in the future.

Pat Burrell 2000 Fleer Tradition Fresh Ink: Pat the Bat....he signed it on the card!

Randy Wolf TTM Signature: Bring back the wolfpack! Except if the Phillies meet the Brewers in the playoffs.

Barry Bonds 1992 Bowman foil: I have only opened one pack of 1992 Bowman in my life. These foils fell one per pack. This now makes me 684 cards from the complete set.

Bob Abreu 1995 Bowman: A Bobby Abreu rookie is very exciting. I always thought I had this card, but it turned out it was actually a Bartolo Colon from the same set. 1996 me did not have a very good image:name remembrance ratio.

Lance Berkman 1997 Bowman, Magglio Ordonez 1998 Bowman, Aaron Rowand 2000 Bowman: Here are more rookies of memorable players from the Aughts....Berkman is posing with the Astrodome in the background, which is pretty cool. Magglio was my favorite fantasy player to draft in 2002-2005, no matter how he did...and Rowand had one great catch (against the Mets in 2006) and one great Phillies season (2007).

Jim Eisenreich 1996 Leaf Signature Auto: He was always a favorite when he was on the Phillies. It helped that he hit .300 in every season while there. But seriously, he was an upstanding individual in the community. Also, check out his slash line for his 1996 season (.361/.413/.476)...impresionante.

Ryan Howard 2008 Topps Jersey: And we end the gallery with a Ryan Howard card because he is the linchpin of the Phillies. Though he is not the most valuable statistically, they need him to provide the presence in the middle of the lineup to advance through the playoffs.

There were many more cards....but I can only scan so many.

Thanks for the trades gentlemen, it was a brilliant set of cards you sent me.

The Sorting....It Has Begun

2011-09-13T22:28:00.000-07:00

Let's just say it'll be a busy time over the next few days. I'm going to have to amuse myself by learning how to count to 10 in at least 4 more languages while putting sets in order. And this is why I have trouble getting trade packages out over the past few months.....I haven't been able to find anything. That will now change...

Incidentally, anyone need any inserts from 2011 Topps Series 2? I'm looking to unload a number of duplicates. I'm also looking to find a sitting position that doesn't make my left leg fall asleep.

Behold the carnage....

Those are the Breaks of the Past: Mid-Year Buck a Box TribeCards Break

2011-09-10T01:33:00.000-07:00

A while back, Tribe Cards held a nice little group break involving some not so common as well as recent products. The Phillies weren't represented in all of them (Topps Coins), but I joined in anticipation of some new cards for the collection. It did not disappoint.

1987 Sportsflics Juan Samuel: He was a great talent (though flawed) in his day. One of the first exciting players I remember watching as a kid. Sportsflics was also a brand for which I had never seen a pack. For a long time, they were grouped in my collection boxes as "special" cards, which meant anything I didn't find in the annual Beckett guide.

2011 Topps 60 Ryan Howard: Led the league in HRs with team trailing from 2006-2010. He's done more than that for sure.

2011 Bowman Prospect Jarred Cosart: He's already been sent away in the Hunter Pence deal. I at least got to see him pitch once live at the Futures game. He has an amazing curveball, though based on his stats hasn't yet harnessed the command. We'll see in three years how he turns out.

2011 Bowman Gold Shane Victorino: He has been the best position player on the Phillies this year and has turned into a real force. I wish these gold parallels would be forced out of the Bowman production run....they were tired by 2002.

1987 Sportsflics Mike Schmidt: Awesome card, that is all....as he approaches his 500th HR that year.

2011 Bowman Finest Futures Domonic Brown: I already touched on him in the last post, but I will say it's almost reassuring that he can brought along so slowly. When was the last time you heard a prospect was held back too long for the Phillies? (in 2011, there was Desmond Jennings of the Rays for a suitable comparison)

2011 Bowman's Best Roy Halladay: Dare to dream? Back to Back CYs? It's debateable. Anyone else notice that these are nice cards? They're not spectacularly superpremium like their forebears, but sometimes nice is good enough.

1987 Sportsflics Steve Bedrosian (and others): One of the few relievers to win the Cy Young award. My guess (without reading it) is that this is a record breaker card. Anyone care to guess what the records were? I definitely know two of them, for the Mattingly, it can also be a record-tying card if that's the one they chose to highlight.

Peanuts!: Lucy, you are the foil to everyone's Charlie Brown (though I still wouldn't pay you a nickel for Psychiatric advice). Also, would you stop stealing Linus's blanket? And why do you never just let Charlie Brown kick the football or at least throw it around? Why don't you try managing the team for once and get a new pitcher?

Glad that's off my conscience....

Where is Domonic Brown?

2011-09-06T04:55:00.000-07:00

Here's Domonic Brown as a Red Hot Rookie Redemption from 2010 Topps. I'm glad that these aren't a part of the Topps brand anymore. Filling out redemption cards which are redeemed months later just makes them untimely and at best, disappointing.. Are they even considered rookie cards by the general collecting public?

I've heard he;s had trouble in the minors since being sent down after the Hunter Pence trade (.760 OPS), which is actually comparable to his major league OPS (.728). Of course, this is significantly better than the production of both Raul Ibanez (.703) and Ben Francisco (.701).

Assuming his confidence isn't broken this year, his production from the left side and overall non-statuesque fielding would be an upgrade over the current left field occupants. It would be better at the age of 24 to be broken in during the time of September call-ups since a playoff spot is all but assured at this point (seriously...17 games up with 24 to play).

The questions is whether he would be able to make the playoff roster. I would rather have Brown on the bench over Ross Gload and John Bowker. He would make a more compatible platoon with John Mayberry (who has been a pleasant surprise this year) in terms of overall production. Plus, it would behoove the Phillies to further develop their only major league ready prospect they have for this season.

In a season with so many positives, the fact that I'm semi-griping about this shows there's not much to complain about. I'm just happy to be a fan of a team with a real shot in October.

Gintacuffs III, Part IV, The Epic Finale

2011-08-31T18:15:00.000-07:00

All twisted ideas must come to an end.

Pack 19
298 Peter Gammons
178 Ben Revere
285 Alex Rios
235 Cole Hamels +4, my favorite player
117 Jonathan Sanchez
304 Madison Bumgarner SP +2
Mini SP 340 Ryan Zimmerman +3
Hometown Heroes Jon Jay +1

Pack 19 Total: 10 points
Box Total: 161 points

Pack 20
343 Drew Stubbs SP +2
211 Francisco Rodriguez
47 Phil Hughes -1, my Yankee nemesis
154 Todd Helton
176 Brian Bogusevic
273 Brent Morel
Mini A&G Back 198 Freddie Freeman +2
Floating Fortresses FF9 USS Merrimack +2

Pack 20 Total: 5 points
Box Total: 166 points

Pack 21
16 Gordon Beckham
132 Colby Rasmus
195 Tommy Hanson
120 Adrian Gonzalez +2
277 Hank Conger
Ascent of Man AOM3 Choanoflagellates +1
Potraits of Penultimacy PP3 Dr. Watson +3
Hometown Heroes Jake Peayv +1

Pack 21 Total: 7 points
Box Total: 173 points

Pack 22
316 Manny Ramirez SP +2
55 Dustin Pedroia
68 Max Scherzer
245 Brian McCann
86 Greg Halman
206 Tsuyoshi Nishioka
Mini 11 Marc Forgione
Hometown Heroes Delmon Young +1

Pack 22 Total: 3 points
Box Total: 176 points

Pack 23
38 Angel Pagan
282 Reid Brignac
121 JD Drew
AUTO AGA-BW Brett Wallace +10
Mini A&G Back 242 Ike Davis +2
Hometown Heroes Manny Ramirez +1

Pack 23 Total: 13 points
Box Total: 189 points

Pack 24
67 Delmon Young
268 Dallas Braden
119 Nancy Lopez
303 Jamie Garcia SP +2
Uninvited Guests UG3 Waverly Hills Sanatorium +3
Baseball Highlight Sketches BHS-14 Mariano Rivera +3, -1
200 Josh Hamilton +2
Mind That Made the Future MMF28 Guglieilmo Marconi +2

Pack 24 Total: 11 points
Box Total: 200 points

Goal achieved. Point and Match.

Gintacuffs III, Part III: Cuffed by the Gint

2011-08-30T19:21:00.000-07:00

Doesn't every thirdquel have a strange tagline?

Pack 13
204 Jim Thome
218 Bobby Abreu
58 Alcides Escobar
98 Jason Bay
177 Aaron Crow
Black Bordered Mini 108 Roy Oswalt +3, +1: a Phillie!
81 Yonder Alonso
Hometown Heroes Justin Upton +1,

Pack 13 Total: 5 points
Box Total: 112 points

Pack 14
308 Jhonny Peralta SP +2
179 Shane Victorino +1
Mini A&G Back Jack LaLanne +2
281 Adam Lind
49 Javier Vazquez
228 Brandon Snyder
36 Eric Sogard
Hometown Heroes Matt Kemp +1, +2

Pack 14 Totals: 8 points
Box Total: 120 points

Pack 15
192 Carl Pavano
90 Roy Halladay +1
44 Ozzie Martinez
Ascent of Man AOM10 SarcopteryGII +1
Mini 159 Shawn Michaels
Relic AGR-TW Tim Wakefield +10
Hometown Heroes Brian McCann +1

Pack 15 Total: 13 points
Box Total: 133 points

Pack 16
289 Paul Konerko
20 Jeremy Hellickson
54 Austin Jackson
175 Jose Bautista
169 Dan Haren
326 Jason Castro SP +2
Animals in Peril AP13 African Wild Dog +3
Minds That Made the Future MMF38 George Eastman +2

Pack 16 Total: 7 points
Box Total: 140 points

Pack 17
238 Rudy Ruettiger
14 Adrian Beltre
248 Ervin Santana
131 Chris Iannetta
258 Howie Kendrick
142 Michael Young
Step Right Up SRU4 The Flea Circus +3
Hometown Heroes Chase Utley +1, +1

Pack 17 Total: 5 points
Box Total: 145 points

Pack 18
165 Jo Frost
147 George Bush
123 Rajai Davis
217 Shawn Marcum
295 Chris Carpenter
317 Brian Matusz SP +2
Step Right Up SRU9 Knife Throwing +3
Hometown Heroes Clay Buchholz +1

Pack 18 Total: 6 points
Box Total: 151 points

GintaCuffs III, Part II-The Revenge

2011-08-29T19:16:00.000-07:00

Pack 7
158 Billy Butler
319 Jon Niese SP +2
63 Neil Walker
163 Ian Kennedy
Mini A&G Back Josh Hamilton +2, +2
3 Lou Holtz -1
242 Cheryl Burke
Minds That Made the Future: Johannes Gutenberg +2

Pack 7 Total: 7 points
Box Total: 60 points

Pack 8
157 Corey Hart
233 Ben Zobrist
Portraits of Penultimacy PP6 Tonto +3
Ascent of Man AOM26 Homo Sapiens Sapiens +1
127 James Loney
19 Daniel Bard
34 Pedro Ciriaco
Hometown Heroes Roy Halladay-first Phillie in the 8th pack! +1, +1

Pack 8 Total: 6 points
Box Total: 66 points

Pack 9
12 Hope Solo +1
66 Starlin Castro +2
199 Jake Peavy
257 Andrew Bailey
146 John Danks
336 Kevin Kouzmanoff +3 (Code Card) +2(SP)
Mini Black Border 111 Pablo Sandoval +3
Hometown Heroes Scott Rolen +1

Pack 9 Total: 12 points
Box Total: 78 points

Pack 10
144 Jorge Posada -1
262 Manny Pacquiao
Mini SP 328 Chris Johnson +3
340 Ryan Zimmerman SP +2
Baseball Highlight Sketches BHS-22 Ubaldo Jimenez +3
271 Chris Young
122 Ryan Dempster
Hometown Heroes Adam Dunn +1

Pack 10 Total: 8 points
Box Total: 86 points

Pack 11
274 Stan Lee
53 Chipper Jones
300 Ryan Braun
264 Adam Jones +2
39 Stephen Drew
Code Card 44 Ozzie Martinez +3
Worlds Mysterious Figures WMF4 Fulcanelli +3
Hometown Heroes David Wright +1, +2

Pack 11 Total: 11 points
Box Total: 97 points

Pack 12
24 Kristi Yamaguchi
269 Derrek Lee
229 Juan Pierre
250 Ichiro
Baseball Highlight Sketches CHS-5 Albert Pujols +3
311 Ian Stewart SP +2
Uninvited Guests Mini Bachelor's Grove Cemetery +3
Floating Fortresses FF18 HMS Devastation +2

Pack 12 Total: 10 points
Box Total at the Halfway Point: 107 points

The good: A NNO mini, one relic (of a Yankee)
The bad: One Phillie in 12 packs, not enough minds that make the future, where would we be without minds?
The strange: Kristi Yamaguchi sitting, did you know she's now a children's book author?

I don't think I've broken 200 points before in two years, it might actually be possible...though I doubt it, knowing my luck.

Gintacuffs III: The Box Reveal, Part I

2011-08-28T10:47:00.000-07:00

The journey for the 3rd year begins...I have no access to a scanner for the next few weeks, so hastily thrown together photos will serve as the images. Ummm...when does the kraken come?

Box Topper
CB9: Yellowstone National Park +8

Pack 1
215 Andrew McCutchen
22 Michael Bourn
265 Buster Posey
Mini A&G Back 79 Aimee Mullins +1, +2
1 Carlos Gonzalez
59 Jeremy Jeffress
40 John McEnroe-he took away the goodwill of the pack -1
Hometown Heroes Brandon Phillips +1

Pack 1 Total: 3 points
Box Total: 11 points

Pack 2
69 Naftali Feliz
251 Ian Desmond
Mini 40 John McEnroe (the McEnroe to end all McEnroes?) -1
95 Dan Uggla
21 Logan Morrison
196 Jered Weaver
45 Annika Sorenstam
Hometown Heroes Ian Kinsler +1

Pack 2 Total: 0 points
Box Total: 11 points

Pack 3
91 Joel Pineiro
116 Josh Beckett
166 Geovany Soto
Code Card 68 Max Scherzer +3
NNO Mini Jay Bruce: +15, +3
Ascent of Man: Prokaryotes +1
41 Carlos Santana
Hometown Heroes CC Sabathia +1, -1

Pack 3 Total: 22 points
Box Total: 33 points

Pack 4
124 Chad Billingsley
338 Lance Berkman SP +2, +2
Animals in Peril Mini AP6 Vaquita +3
183 Mike Napoli
156 Marlon Byrd
201 Andrew Romine
263 Mark Trumbo
Floating Fortresses FF7 Mahmudiye +2

Pack 4 Total: 9 points
Box Total: 42 points

Pack 5
173 Mariano Rivera -1
87 Colby Lewis
137 Carlos Beltran
159 Shawn Michaels
Mini 243 Mike Nickeas: I've actually never seen him play, weird
305 Justin Morneau SP +2
Baseball Highlight Sketches San Francisco Giants +3
Hometown Heroes Zack Greinke +1

Pack 5 Total: 5 points
Box Total: 47 points

Pack 6
252 Omar Infante
219 Johan Santana
Mini 62 Alfonso Soriano
234 Chrissie Wellington
Relic AGR-PH Phil Hughes +10/2
11 Marc Forgione
Hometown Heroes Ike Davis +1

Pack 6 Total: 6 points
Box Total: 53 points

2012 Topps Preview: A Sideways Viewpoint

2011-08-24T14:01:00.000-07:00

There's quite the pot-stirring going on with the images and previews of next year's Topps base set. For my part, I'm still waiting for Update to drop from the release calendar stork to see if there are more cards from players standing around during all-star weekend.

I think that there are two points of view on the initial information available. One, is that collectors want innovation....what that innovation is, only the collectors who want it really know. Surprisingly, I think the Topps base set has excelled in the past three years in terms of innovation.

2009: Introduction of legend SPs as variations of base cards. I think this was a great idea, and the fact that they were not extremely easy pulls, though plentiful, made them collectible.

2010: Introduction of the online card giveaway. Though it had its many glitches, the Million Card Giveaway got people excited about opening a pack of cards. Has a run of the mill insert like this sold for $3 a pop in recent history? 2010 Topps Series 1 boxes are all but unaffordable now because the primary supply dried up long ago.

2011: Introduction of the diamond parallel. The numbered gold parallel has run its course and to coincide with the diamond anniversary, these parallels had a great look, easy to obtain, and actually didn't feel like a wasted card in the pack for a set collector (speaking as a set collector)

There were also ideas that didn't work or should have been abandoned after one year like the "pie in the face" cards, "uniform change" shortprint variations, ToppsTown cards (just have codes inserted or something, don't count them as real cards), and Target and Walmart base card variations (after 2009 Topps series 1, the configuration change rendered them as afterthoughts).

2012 Topps is not a gamechanger because 2011 Topps was a success from what I can gather. Businesses will go to the well until it dries up. This is why we're seeing rehashes of the diamond parallel and a similar giveaway (with a possible bidding twist) and similarly themed insert sets and set size and pack out configurations. The base brand Topps set has gone through many epochs, so to speak, of sets that it put out.

1986-1991: 792 card base sets, rack pack inserts, grey card stock, varying designs in which the team name was prominent most years.

1992: a true transition year, white card stock, still 792 card base set, introduction of Topps Gold parallels.

1993-1995: Topps Gold parallels and golden foil were king and defined the product. 1995 Topps had its own twist with Cyberstats parallels. Few insert sets if at all. 1995 Topps League Leaders was the first non-gold themed insert set. The beginning of the 2 series offerings. Set size varied with the smallest being 660 cards and the largest being 825 cards.

1996-2000: Smaller base sets than 792 (as small as 492), many insert sets with the main attraction being star player card reprints through their career with corresponding Finest or Chrome versions ('96=Mantle, '97=Mays, '98=Clemente, '99=Ryan, '00=Aaron)

2001-2005: This is the era that introduced autos and relics as a chase element in the Topps base set. 2001 was the real game changer here, introducing the numbered gold parallel and celebrating the anniversary with reprints and insertions of vintage cards. All two series offerings with distinct border and design elements, 2005 began the "mirror insert" trade with the Barry Bonds home run cards. It would expand.

2006-2008: 660 card sets, continued expansion of "mirror inserts" with Mantle, Bonds, Dimaggio, Generation Now. interesting or wacky gimmicks (Alex Gordon in 2006, Jeter, no sig cards, and Poley Walnuts in 2007, Kazuo Usuki, Sarah Palin Beauty Queen, upside down rookies in 2008), transition to reprints (2006 and 2007 inserts in Walmart rack packs, 2008 Topps Trading Card History insert set)

2009-present: continued practice of 660 card sets distributed in two series, many legends in insert sets, blasters have manufactured patches, three versions of the base set, expansion of parallels and reprint type insert sets, legend shortprint variations are prevalent, the online component grows (toppstown, 3D images, giveaways).

I think that if history holds, Topps will change the focus of the set once the popularity of the elements fades. Over the last 15 years, reprints and re-imagining of current players on past designs (and past players on current designs) have really taken center stage as what's driving the insert set elements. Interactivity also seems to be building. What's the next online element that can be offered to further the collection and collation of the Topps base set?

All in all, it's not an entirely bad thing that 2012 Topps has a similar structure than the previous 2-3 offerings. As semi-serious, constantly informed collectors, bloggers and such can be easily jaded by elements offered in a base set. For me, the base set must offer two major aspects: (1) collectability: is the set easily achievable through the purchase of one hobby box and some auxiliary pack purchases and trades? and (2) enjoyment: will I see the contents and like them? Elements that go into enjoyment are front design, information on the card back, reasonable insertion of insert sets (2-3 per pack is too much), the potential for a surprise,etc.

In terms of Topps sets over the years and where 2012 Topps fits in, it looks like there could be some transitional elements that could portend a positive direction for future Topps offerings. It's difficult to have a game-changer every year. I would submit that the only ones in the last 25 years were 1992 Topps, 1996 Topps, 2001 Topps, and 2009 Topps. They each significantly altered how the sets were collected and what to look for in a Topps base set.

Hopefully, the next gamechanger is soon because the time cycle is almost at hand. Plus, I would like to rip at least three packs before saying all the concepts are not worth it. Let's just say the mind will be open.

Pack Break: 2011 Heritage Blister Pack or is this enough wood for a ski lodge?

2011-08-20T12:42:00.000-07:00

Here's another blister pack that allows the card accumulation to continue. No, seriously, there needs to be some type of group which begins with "cards" and ends with "anonymous". You know that last scene from the Transformers cartoon pilot episode in which Megatron is sinking into the lava? I am like that right now except I'm not really burning from the lava, and my lava would be considered pieces of cardboard, foil, chrome of various luminescence properties. My hand is straining, reaching for some salvation from the piling around me. I've come up with one solution so far.....800 count boxes as far as the eye can see.

23 Carlos Lee
373 Carlos Gonzalez
74 Hanley Ramirez
257 Scott Kazmir
271 Jeremy Jeffress
458 Ian Kennedy SP-did you know he was 15-4 this year?

334 Tampa Bay Rays-a team card with over half the team being gone from 2010 to 2011. Spot the incumbent and win a prize.

10 Andrew McCutchen
11 Joe Nathan

109 Ted Lilly
141 Babe's Twilight Years-The Babe has been left to don the uniform of the cellar dwelling Boston Braves of 1935. He was promised a chance to manage, and it never materialized. He had one moment of glory with the Braves, a 3 HR game in the Pirates' Forbes Field. The 1935 Braves were a bad team. They only had one above average hitter (the former rookie year HR record holder, Wally Berger). In only 28 games played, Ruth was 2nd on the team in HR. The pitchers were not good...last in ERA and strikeouts. One immerorable season was represented by Ben Cantwell, 4-25 with 4.61 ERA with 44 BB vs. 34 K, and he probably was the 2nd best pitcher on the team. Not a team that a legend is generally associated with. An interesting depiction on cardboard nonetheless.

188 Freddy Sanchez
331 Mike Leake
New Age Performers Jim Thome-it's an insert.....that's not chrome....of a 600 HR club member

65 Robinson Cano
79 Jordan Zimmermann
396 Carlos Gonzalez AS
288 Mike Stanton-a giant image for a giant rookie trophy

177 JA Happ
180 Jim Thome
49 Jordan Brown
355 Brian Matusz
89 Jake Peavy
105 Max Scherzer
146 Placido Polanco
344 Fernando Salas-I just wanted to show how weird the concept is to have two rookie card designations.

71 Jonathan Sanchez

And the reason to buy Heritage in this form, the black-bordered parallels, with the recounting of the sale of a legend.
C37 Corey Hart
C4 Miguel Cabrera
C28 Babe Joins Yanks

1952 Topps and 2011 Topps Lineage: Why the Disconnect?

2011-08-11T13:54:00.000-07:00

This is the only 1952 Topps card I own. I was a closet Cleveland supporter in the 1980s and 1990s (mostly because of the Major League movies) and so I was able to find a card of the 1953 AL MVP for $5.00 at a card show when I was 12. I think that was one of the first major goals I accomplished as a collector.

All collectors and aficionados have seen this design. It's a 1952 Topps design. This is the original, slightly bigger than 2.5"x3.5" card that defined what a modern trading card should have. It was the first modern (post-1947) trading card to have a team logo on the front of the card. It tied with 1952 Bowman for presenting the often-used facsimile autograph. It also was the most comprehensive set to date, being the first to surpass 400 cards in number. There was also one other first, showing a line of past year and lifetime stats on the rear of the card.

That's why the choices for 2011 Topps Lineage are curious. The tagline of the set is to celebrate (to paraphrase) 60 years of the Topps lineage of products. The base card of the set does not reflect that at all. It is curious that there are no stats on the back because that was what helped to up the ante in the mid-1950s trading card battles. The lineage should easily be reflected in design elements of the base card. Include the team logo, facsimile autograph, a pennant of some kind ( like 1965, 1974, 1977, 1980). Include subset cards that harken back to the ideas that made the Topps base sets of the past memorable. Instead of doing it Heritage-style with exact copies; use all-star designations, rookie cups (already used and appreciated), record breakers, past MVP cards, team cards, team USA cards, draft pick cards, and multi-player prospect cards in a "lineage type" manner.

For example, there have been a lot of changes in MLB since 1952 with team names and team locations. Cards highlighting the changes in an homage to past team set designs could be cool-looking. Imagine a Philadelphia/Kansas City/Oakland Athletics team card or a Browns/Orioles team card.

Another idea could have been a highlighting of the all-time lineups of teams during the Topps era, or better yet all-star team by decades of the Topps "star designation" cards (1 and divisible by 100) throughout the years.

Another idea could have been a repeat of the past #1 draft picks subset from 1985 Topps, except this time expand the concept beyond #1 picks to value picks or best picks or surprising picks.

The highlighting of past gimmicks is interesting, and seeing a 1975 Topps design never fails to illicit a positive response from me. Besides reprints (in 2011 Topps) and rehashes, insert sets could be of the subsets mentioned above or even of altogether new ideas that harken to the looking back theme. They've covered a lot of this material in 2010 and 2011 Topps sets; however, there is more to glean. Have a Stadium Club quality insert or 1993 Finest designed insert or Topps Gallery redeemable prints inserted one every couple cases. The autos' concept I wouldn't change; I just like it.

The possibilities are endless, and they do have to be limited to fit in a hobby box without an inundation of concepts. So why not just pick the ones that look the best and give homage to the Topps brand? For a set called Topps Lineage, it just would have been nice to have a facsimile autograph on the front and two lines of stats on the back.

These Were the Breaks of Winter: Community Gum and Fleer

2011-08-08T16:32:00.000-07:00

There are only two truisms that are relevant for all walks of life:

1. Don't walk in the same rhythm as the music you're listening to.
2. A scanner and a blogger have an estranged, conflicted relationship.

Everything else is just details.

This was a group break from long ago from the gentleman at Community Gum when they decided to venture into what many collectors have dubbed "The Dead Zone". For many, this was the period after high school, before nostalgia, and after too much money being spent on late night billiards and road trips through unexplored towns. My "Dead Zone" was intermittent from 1999-2007 with some much needed breaths in 2001. Luckily, one of the sets I had pursued was in the group break, 2001 Fleer Platinum RC. So I joined the plunge into the foray of Fleer and feasted upon the decidedly unformidably filling filet of Phillies (the Phillies were a bad team then; the most exciting player was Bobby Abreu for awhile. What does that say? He never ever smiled.)

And here he is, the most exciting player until Jim Thome came along. These guys definitely disagree about the Thome thing. This Abreu card was from a set named after Ted Williams's nickname.

This is an interesting card. It's a photocopy of the boxscore from Mike Schmidt's first game in 1972. Some surprising names from this "classic clipping"

Unfortunately, Eric Junge's ticket was not "Authentix" enough and expired by 2003. He was a part of the very unfruitful Curt Schilling tree of trades, coming over to the organization for Omar Daal in 2001.

Jim Thome led the league in home runs in 2003. I'm not sure why the card had a price of 50 cents. A clipping of recent vintage, it is.

Kevin Millwood was the embodiment of the hopes for the 2003 team to break out of the shackles of the Vet. Instead, he was a decent pitcher with an ace's expectations. His release from the majors happened on August 6, 2011. Every Avant base card had a "congratulations" message on the back like all the relic cards.

Pat Burrell was the most enigmatic of those early 2000s Phillies, great one year (2002), awful the next (2003). He bent over more inside pitches over the plate that I can remember, but he was always ready to hit a home run off Armando Benitez. This was the base card of Classic Clippings.

Jimmy Rollins at this time was a young speedster who struck out a lot. I remember he trained with Tony Gwynn in a couple offseasons and cut his strikeouts to a more acceptable level. here;s the Fleer Platinum RC. Remind you of anything? Heritage...Fleer-style.

Here's a Fleer Mystique card of Scott Rolen. Cards with coverings on them confused me for a long time. My first exposure to that was 1996 Topps Mystery Finest insert. I just thought it was a blank front card for years.

This is Chase Utley in a very nice 2003 Showcase card. The mark of the Flair/Showcase line was always the dual image front.

It was a fun group break to watch the contents be revealed. Until next time, having different playlists for walking and running around is my advice.

Topps Chrome Refractors Reveal the Trade Deadline

2011-07-28T16:54:00.000-07:00

Hunter Pence is a desirable commodity. He's on the last year of a relatively affordable contract, and he's having a potentially career year (OPS+=130) at the age of 28. What would you give up for his services? A high-impact prospect or three prospects of varying potential has been the asking price. This is Houston's strength player. They would need many pieces in return. Plus, he already looks good in orange, that shouldn't be disrupted. The orange refractor says he will not be traded.

Ryan Dempster needs to leave Chicago. He's a high-salaried player ($12 million+) on a team that is going nowhere in 2011. Unfortunately, he has a player option of $12 million for 2012, which would make any contending team wanting his services to balk. He is a durable pitcher with decent peripheral stats (8.6 K/9 vs. 3.1 BB/9) who has been struggling this year. As his X-fractor suggests, the trade market is cloudy for Dempster.

Edwin Jackson outlook for a trade has already been realized three times (twice this week) since the production of this card. The purple refractor often portends change in a player's career. The Diamondbacks were using his spectacular inconsistency to land that which they coveted, Daniel Hudson. The White Sox went for an old standby with the tantalizing purple bait, relief pitching. The deal was questionable; his price was low ($6 million) for an established MLB starter, and their replacement is a fragile pitcher (Jake Peavy or Phil Humber). The purple adorned shall do well in the gateway to the west (also changing to the National League).

Gypsy Queens wouldn't be able to do this as accurately as Topps Chrome refractors.

2010 Heritage National Set: a mini-gallery

2011-07-22T17:51:00.000-07:00

This is the set that Topps distributed at the 2010 National. It was given to collectors in two different 4 card packs. The only difference in the 4 card packs seemed to be that the Mantle card had a variation (which I haven't seen). Anyone know what this variation looks like? For some reason, the cards were done in the style of 1960 Topps ala the 2009 Heritage set. Has anyone seen this year's version? Is it in the style of 1961 Topps? This particular set was very New York centric in character, even though the convention was held in Baltimore. I bet the Ripken was the most popular card on the block there. Happy weekend to all!

Junior High Countdown: 90. 1994 Topps Traded

2011-07-19T16:51:00.000-07:00

1994 Topps Traded signaled something new for Traded sets from this era. Something so significant that it influenced sets for years to come. That's right, there were card images on the side of the factory set. That never happened before for a traded set. In all seriousness, this set did not have much going for it. It had the extremely cursive 1994 Topps design for the base cards. There were the nice-looking draft picks and prospect cards that carried over from the regular 1994 Topps set.

Essentially, there's only one consideration in grading a Topps Traded set from the 132 card era....checklist.

Significant rookies: Paul Konerko (pictured), Ben Grieve, Rusty Greer

Significant veterans: Eddie Murray, Rickey Henderson, Bo Jackson, Omar Vizquel

Cool Cards: 42. Anatomy of a Trade: Pedro Martinez/Delino Deshields-this would be a fascinating read. Does anyone have this card?
130 & 131: Ryne Sandberg commemorative cards. The Sandberg cards are interesting because this was for his first retirement abruptly in the middle of the 1994 season. He did come back for the 1996-1997 seasons. There were no traded sets for those years, so there wasn't a new commemorative Sandberg card.

Interesting inserted cards: There was an 8 card set with the now-in-its-sophomore-year Finest technology highlighting 6 "MVPs" and 2 "ROY" from the 1994 season.

This set was actually difficult to find for awhile since it was released right around the time of the strike. However, its lack of impact rookies and impact cards in general have relegated it for collectors who need every single Topps Traded set ever (those do exist, right?) and Paul Konerko fans, of which there are many in the south of Chicago, though seeing him in a Dodgers uniform is weird to the untrained eye.

Second Half Season Predictions: National League

2011-07-14T17:29:00.000-07:00

Here are my predictions for each team:

Phillies: Halladay and Lee conspire to make ambidextrious clone of themselves to take 5th starter's slot. Opponents can't handle the extreme platooning they have to employ. Clone only can smile with right side of mouth.

Braves: Chipper Jones and Freddie Freeman start co-hosting Thursday night icebreakers. Jurrjens gets upset when he finds out pitchers have to sing to get in.

Mets: Jose Reyes signs new contract that gives him operating control of the team for 2012-2013. His first orders of business are to have the knuckleball taught by RA Dickey to all the pitchers and to institute a long hair only policy.

Nationals: Jordan Zimmermann and Ryan Zimmerman reveal they are cousins. No one is fooled.

Marlins: Jack McKeon is not fired. He gives cigars to players for each great defensive play.

Brewers: Zack Greinke counsels Rickie Weeks about the booing at the Home Run Derby. His advice...be happy you were noticed.

Cardinals: It is revealed Albert Pujols used the little known remedy known as Skele-Gro to heal his wrist. This remedy was first used by Madam Pomfrey.

Pirates: Kevin Correia/20 wins/pandemonium.

Reds: Joey Votto becomes a starting pitcher because he decides that he can throw harder than the present pitching staff. He goes 5-1 in September.

Cubs: Wrigley Field entire playing surface becomes soaked with beer when all the fans fill a giant bowl in the right field bleachers and express their dissatisfaction with the season.

Astros: Michael Bourn becomes bored with stealing bases one at a time and attempts to go from 1st to home on one play.

Giants: Tim Lincecum grows a beard, dyes it blond, and goes on tour with Green Day. Brian Wilson is jealous.

Diamondbacks: Mark Grace wins one race of the giant 2001 racing Diamondbacks. It could happen!

Rockies: Troy Tulowitzki encourages Ubaldo Jimenez to grow a mullet. Ubaldo balks and cuts off Tulowitzki's.

Dodgers: Frank McCourt in the news....that is all, the rest is gravy.

Padres: Fences are moved in 10 feet in the alleys when the Padres come to bat. This can happen when secret controls are installed in owner's box. No one notices because hologram is used for previous wall location.

How well do you think these predictions will hold up?

Phillies vs. Braves or How Pivotal are Midseason Series?

2011-07-08T17:05:00.000-07:00

It may seem strange that I'm not leading off a post with a Phillies card for a post about the Phillies considering my blogging history. However, this is the only 2001 Heritage card I have ever had, so it gets top billing for this subject.

In 2001, the Braves were the kings of the NL East, having won every division title since the new alignment began in earnest for the 1995 season. The Phillies were struggling upstarts coming off yet another last place season. The Braves pitching staff was anchored by the outside corner painting trinity of Glavine, Maddux, and Smoltz, while the Phillies pitching staff was anchored by Omar Daal and Robert Person. It seemed that there would be no contest as in past years. But the Phillies, under the fiery leadership of Larry Bowa, the emergence of Jimmy Rollins, and the lineup anchoring by Bobby Abreu and Scott Rolen gave the Braves a run for their money with their young (only one position player over 30) core. They eventually finished two games out, giving hope for future years.

Ten years on, the Braves are the upstart in the division, with the Phillies having won the last four divisional titles. This time the old-guard aces of the defending champs have names like Halladay, Hamels, and Lee. And this time, the Braves have a young core of Freeman, Heyward, McCann, Kimbrel, Hanson, and Jurrjens.

These are clearly the two best teams in the NL up to this juncture of the year. The Phillies have set a blistering pace in the first half of the season, but the Braves have been the most resilient, creating an MLB best record since June 1 and also engendering a league-best road record.

The season series is currently in the favor of the Braves 5-4 and the teams are only separated by 2.5 games in the NL East. They have, by a large margin, the two best pitching staffs in the NL, allowing 3.27 R/G for the Phillies and 3.30 R/G for the Braves. Their offenses also hover around the league average of 4.11 R/G with the Phillies one slot above this number (4.16) and the Braves two slots below (4.02).

In league history, has dominance of your closest rival been a springboard to titletown? Let's examine the last three years in the NL.

(listed as 1st place/2nd place/1st place wins-2nd place wins)

2010 NL East: Phillies/Braves/10-8
2010 NL Central: Reds/Cardinals/6-12
2010 NL West: Giants/Padres/6-12

2009 NL East:Phillies/Marlins/9-9
2009 NL Central: Cardinals/Cubs/10-6
2009 NL West: Dodgers/Rockies/14-4

2008 NL East: Phillies/Mets/7-11
2008 NL Central: Cubs/Brewers/9-7
2008 NL West: Dodgers/Diamondbacks/10-8

So, based on this extremely limited sample, one doesn't always have to be better than the nearest competition in head-to-head matchups. It would definitely improve your situation if you do, but the key to success during a baseball season seems simple. Get your wins wherever you can and don't take any team for granted and don't get ramped up and burnt out from another matchup because they all count the same in the standings. Human nature doesn't always let us shield us from that. It will make for an exciting and tense series in July in any case.

Bowman Binge Blowout

2011-07-06T16:38:00.000-07:00

I think I've opened more packs of Bowman in the last three months than I have in a long time. Of course, knowing me with such an obvious lead-in, it's not the 2011 Bowman variety. The images of bygone prospects to be and could have beens lie littered across the landscape of my coffee table in all the many varieties of black or gold bordered cardboard creations.

But I digress...

Like many collectors in this hobby, I am susceptible to hype. With the Bryce Harper chrome rookie well in hand the week of release by virtue of purchasing a complete hand collated set, I had no need to heed the chitterings of the newly minted chromey prospect minions. Alas, my willpower did not hold out.

I blame the Topps Diamond Giveaway with its virtual prize bonanza. A $10 Topps store certificate? Sign me up, line me up, and knock me out from sheer anticipation. I browsed the wares of the Topps store, and the Bowman logo caught my eye. For the second year in a row, it has been flanked by a Washington Nationals #1 pick; this time obscured by the bottomless roundness of an oversized batting helmet.

My willpower urged me to press on and tried to distract me with thoughts of my present collection possessions. "Look at that drawer over there, you haven;t organized the contents yet. Stacks and stacks of cards remain unscanned, unsorted, and unshared. Give these cards some consideration before you flood them with more Bowman."

"But I am a Bowman collector!", I replied with a fury fueled by the gift certificate.

My willpower was nonplussed by my enthusiasm. "You are an ex-Bowman collector from before the days of the "Rookie" logo. You even halfway started a series about it in this very space. In any case, you already have the 2011 Bowman set."

"B-u-bu-bu-but HARPER! AUTO! Pineda! Freeman! Refractor!", I blurted like someone coming out of shock.

My willpower just sighed and turned away. "I see I have some more work to do on you."

I hungrily clicked the buttons to purchase the items in question and I received more than I bargained for....

Two 24 pack retail boxes of 2011 Bowman.....

The question to those who have read this far is this.....what should I do with them? I have the base, prospect, and prospect chrome set, so any of those cards would just be duplicates, and we all know how duplicates make set collectors feel.

The choice is yours: Rip 'em, sell 'em, group break 'em, or keep 'em until Harper makes the majors in 2012. Find the poll located on the sidebar for easy answering. Also, comments are cool.

BOW-MAN!!

2011 Topps Wrapper Redemption Black Diamond Pack

2011-07-02T08:24:00.000-07:00

I did save my wrappers and sent them on for processing. Not bad results...one ex-all star, three once and future all-stars (including the 2010 AL MVP), and one guy challenging the record for lowest batting average in a season. Presented without comment.

Something's Coming....

2011-06-30T16:58:00.000-07:00

Jack Hamilton has a secret and it's hidden behind one winked eye. He knows what's coming. Why would he know and other people may not? Well, it's probably because someone told him.

Ok, it's not that secret at all. It's now the midway point of the season....and that can only mean one thing....copious amounts of BBQ and fireworks!

At least in the baseball seasonal rhythm, there's one other tradition that has been around since 1933. That would be the Midsummer Classic. 'This time it counts!"

Before, it was the ultimate expression of league pride and symbol of superiority (and it still symbolizes that to a degree). The National League won last year for the first time since 1996. There was a time when the NL won every year but two from 1963-1985. Now, the winner determines home field advantage for their league's representative in the World Series.

The official baseball people say it was to drum up interest. But everyone was still interested when there was an outcry with the tie in the 2002 version of the game. Interest in voting with access to internet voting has never been higher. Millions and millions of votes are cast. The only election with more is American Idol.

Here was my ballot, my criteria are not entirely related to who's performing the best this year, but who I want to see play:

American League
Catcher: Alex Avila
1st: Adrian Gonzalez
2nd: Robinson Cano
SS: Asdrubal Cabrera
3B:Evan Longoria
OF: Jose Bautista
OF: Curtis Granderson
OF: Josh Hamilton
DH: David Ortiz

National League
Catcher: Brian McCann
1st: Prince Fielder
2nd: Chase Utley
SS: Jose Reyes
3rd: Placido Polanco
OF: Andrew McCutchen
OF: Matt Holliday
OF: Ryan Braun

And the reason why this criteria exists for me and my ballot is simple.....I am going to the All-Star game festivities this year! I have the tickets for all the events. I will take as many pictures as I can so that the full experience is captured. It will be excellent.

If anyone else is going to be in the Phoenix area, I have many extra Fanfest tickets for Monday, July 11. The Fanfest is a cool experience....kind of like a mobile baseball mecca. Not quite as reverence-inducing as Cooperstown, but more interactive on a personal level.

And if you see someone running out on the field during introduction of the lineups....it won't be me.

Pack Break: 2011 Heritage Blister Pack

2011-06-25T10:19:00.000-07:00

I have a sickness....and the only cure is wood-grain textures. Seriously, what is the allure of the card aisle at Target? It's always a mess, there's packs at full price. I don't how many Pokemon I can name from the wrappers, but it's definitely more than three.

I got this for the promise of black parallels and to observe the awesomeness of the 1962 Topps card back and the realistic cartoons.

282 Aaron Harang
93 Nick Swisher
298 Jason Kubel-Behold the motion lines and the look of satisfacation.

112 Luke Scott
151 Arthur Rhodes
3 David Ortiz

293 Jonathon Niese
Then & Now Bob Gibson/Jered Weaver-This card highlighted K leaders from the two years in question. Jered Weaver, who knew?

17 Jayson Werth

135 Babe as a Boy
385 Mark Buehrle
62 Brandon Inge
361 Randy Wolf

C22 Chrome Brad Lidge 0974/1962-If this doesn't say '60s to you, I don't know what does. Lidge seems to have fallen into a sea of bottom ocean plankton. I kid, I love Heritage chrome cards.

391 Martin Prado AS-I really like how there's some all-star cards that aren't shortprints in this year's edition. The Sporting News did rule the discourse (and provide some of the only out of town boxscores)

103 Brandon Phillips
217 Don Mattingly
256 Ruben Tejada

92 Armando Galarraga
327 Jose Lopez
384 Oakland Athletics
138 The Famous Slugger-This card is interesting because the text on the back talks about his 1925 season, his worst year as a regular Yankee. This may be the year of the stomachache heard 'round the world (or it may be 1922)

449 Elvis Andrus SP-1 down, 74 to go...that I will never attempt. Elvis looks happy to be a defending AL champion.

251 Texas Rangers
139 Babe Hits 60
210 Evan Meek
227 Cliff Lee

Black Parallels-the raison d'etre for the purchase. Jennings should be making an appearance in Tampa soon. I mean, will Justin Ruggiano hold back this prospect wunderkind? I haven't heard from Pelfrey lately; I think he's hurt. And the always popular (for Phillies fans) Clifton Phifer has pitched two straight complete game shutouts, which he needs to the way the offense has performed....not that I'm complaining.

C96 Desmond Jennings
C32 Mike Pelfrey
C46 Cliff Lee

Back in the Saddle Again

2011-06-20T16:51:00.000-07:00

With June comes the summer swoon.....

News and Notes from Around the Collection

I've nearly completed the first phase of my Phillies Project. I'm down to one card to have every rookie and card in a Phillies uniform from the 1980 World Series team...the 1965 Topps Tug McGraw. Of course, I'm never getting that 1963 Topps Pete Rose...follow-up efforts were fruitless. So, I'll just use the redemption card for awhile. The second and third phase are also coming along nicely....anyone have 1972 Topps HI #s of Phillies?

2011 Bowman pricing trends have been pretty wild since its release. It's funny because the Bryce Harper train is on the same track. Two days before release hobby boxes were at $68, they then reached a peak of $92, and have now settled back into the $75-80 range. Chasing autos and refractors of prospects is so hypnotizing, the initial hype always blinds the voice of the conscience to not jump on the train when prices are rising.

Re: the previous item....I am very guilty of it. I have my Bryce Harper chrome rookie and base rookie with perfect corners and they will pay for....... a dinner at a restaurant someday.

Sometimes I feel like a magpie when collecting cards. The Diamond Stars inserts from Topps series 2 are over the top shiny, but I covet every one of them and want to hoard them in my sock drawer so that no one else can take them. And then I will get spoons....

I have opened more boxes in this last month than in the last 6 months combined. I finally decided having unopened boxes sitting in my collection cabinet was a burden of anticipation that I couldn't handle anymore. All are now freed from their foil and mylar prisons and will now revel in the darkness of the cabinet!

Conversely, I haven;t scanned anything in months and months. Part of that is my scanner is wireless and so I have to be in a different room from the computer to scan stuff. The other is that laziness wins. Also, I want a scanner bed that can do more than 9 cards at a time. Tedium at its finest.

I am really excited for the Ginter this year. Why? Because I can continue my streak of eventually completing all the Ginter sets. I have 2006-2009 and still working on 2010. Wantlists.....are still not updated. I think I need 30 cards or something. Curse you hand collation!

Speaking of....I'm going to go a different way here and have decided I really dislike collecting Topps Heritage. This may not make sense, but I really, really like this year's set, but I want nothing more to do with it. It's so tantalizingly pseudo-vintage with dreams of retired players' jerseys, stamps, and a mint collection coin. But I will never complete the set in a million years, not even with a 30 shortprint headstart (ok, I actually only have 4 in real life). Without completion, there is no meaning. Therefore, Topps Heritage has no meaning....kind of like this post.

I'm thinking of starting a set of the month club. I don't know what we'd do except trade cards from that set and pontificate on how excited we were to find doubles in the same pack of 1994 Upper Deck. On second thought, I wouldn't join any club that would have me as a member.

A Box of Generosity from Crinkly Wrappers

2011-06-01T18:46:00.000-07:00

Sometimes the generosity of people who inhabit this virtual card collecting world astounds me. One such case a few months ago was the plea heard from the gentleman at Crinkly Wrappers. "Take these cards...and speak no more of it." I volunteered for a box of a "random assortment" of cards. They were wonderfully random.

2004 National Trading Card Day Nomar: The first question is "What is National Trading Card Day?" and "If it doesn't exist anymore, can we start one?"

1996 Fleer Mike Timlin: I have an unhealthy card crush on 1996 Fleer. It's just so....tactile.

1990 Donruss Baseball Best John Farrell: Different colors do not improve the state of 1990 Donruss. Witness this set or the green of the Donruss Rookies set from that year.....they're bright.

2000 MLB Showdown Juan Guzman: I never played showdown; is it fun?

1990 Leaf Chet Lemon: This is one set that I've never seen a pack of. It was always just out of my reach. The Frank Thomas rookie has always been a personal favorite of mine.

1982 Donruss Kent Hrbek rookie: Early era Donruss and the sheer strangeness of it always has fascinated me.

2004 Diamond Kings Orlando Hudson: The real issue with sets like this is that everyone can become a diamond king. It lost its initial luster to compared to the originals like Gerald Perry, Pete Vuckovich, and Ron Darling....on second thought, the arcane rules for Diamond King inclusion from 1982-1991 created some strange choices.

2007 Ultra Faces of the Game Mariano Rivera: Do you see the big "C" with the Yankees symbol? That is for a jersey piece, what clever design.

1985 Leaf Carlton Fisk: I love the Canadian Donruss from the '80s.

2003 Diamond Kings Shannon Stewart: This might be the only Diamond Kings set with an image beyond a body portrait.

Hygrade Baseball Greats: I used to have all of these as a kid, but I lost them. This set is why I know the names of Ross Youngs and Addie Joss.

Kellogg's Jim Rice: Who else loved to scratch their fingernails over the surface of these lenticular cards?

2007 Ultra Ryan Zimmerman: Full bleed horizontal shots and the Fleer Ultra brand went together like fries and frosties.

1988 Sportsflics Will Clark: "The Thrill" up close and personal, shadowed by the majestic arc of the left handed swing.

1994 Donruss Triple Play Ken Griffey Jr. : This used to be a set geared towards kids. Look how nice it was....and simple...with an independent design. I'm not sure what I'm trying to say here....

1992 Score P&G Barry Bonds All-Star: This set spotlighted all-star starters and reminds us of a time when the Pirates had an MVP on their squad.

This was just a small sampling of what was given in the random box. It was really a great time to sort through and continue to sort through really. Thanks Crinkly Wrappers guy!

2010 Topps Update Box Break: Rapid Review

2011-05-27T17:13:00.000-07:00

Does anyone remember Topps Update? Does anyone care? Did anyone want to? The deliberately tacked on finale to the Topps flagship set has a checklist strewn with photos from the all-star games, rookie debuts, and players potentially pictured in a different uniform than in previous editions.

Prices on this particular product bottomed out relatively quickly. You can now find full hobby boxes for less than $30 at some online retailers. This seems to happen with Topps update every year in the modern rookie card designation era (2006-present).

I purchased this box for two purposes, to get Roy Oswalt's first card as a Phillie and to get my hands on some tangible Strasburg hype. Well, at least my intentions were noble and pure....

The Box Breakdown

253/330 base cards-77% of the set +Strasburg (#d 661 instead of USxxx on the back)
Inserts continued from other series:
Cards Your Mother Threw Out: 12 of these+ 1 original back
Turkey Red: 9 of these
More Tales of the Game: 6 of these
Topps Attax Town: 36 of these
Topps Vintage Legends Collection: 9 of these
Peak Performance: 5 of these
Legendary Lineage: 5 of these

There were no new insert concepts in Topps Update...bummer. Overall, I was into the Topps Vintage Legends Collection the most and ended up completing both halves of the 50 card set from the Series 2 and the Update Series. I hate when they split up insert card sets like that....it feels so incomplete when you have the 25 card set from the second series, but it starts with #26. How does one live with such a numerical anomaly? Can the first really be the 26th? At which point is the beginning of a circle? Can a seagull really be caught with my bare hands? The questions just race...

Here are the other highlights...such as they were

This is the boxloader. It's a chrome refractor rookie of Andy Oliver. It does not bend. I am happy.

This is one of the short-print variations that have populated the Topps set since 2009. The picture is of Denton Young and is a variation of the Red Sox team card. It's interesting that they listed the team as the Americans because for years, books wrote that they were called the Boston Pilgrims. The back is the most interesting part; it has team stats from the 1903 season. I neglected to scan it. This was the card that made the box for me.

This was my event-used relic card from an all-star work-out jersey. It's actually a marginally good-looking card for all its concept faults.

Long live the Strasburg.....I joined the bandwagon after the surgery.

Is Topps Update a relevant part of the baseball card landscape? It's hard to say. Everything about it feels like it has been done before....and this is true of every other year as well. There are so many alternate issues covering uniform changes and rookies that it has become almost redundant. What would make it special? It needs some kind of draw that's not "you haven't received this guy yet on a Topps base set design".

For me, though, since I did not partake in series 1 or 2 of 2010, it was a welcome and easygoing break. There was no pressure and sometimes too much tension leads to loss of bits of the incisors. In other words, I liked opening a box of this....it's best on a summer's day by the beach with a cool glass of lemonade dripping over every card, while they're eyed for imperfections that are most assuredly there. Plus, it's less than $1 per pack at this moment.

Chase Utley Day was Yesterday

2011-05-24T16:23:00.000-07:00

On that one time date
The 23rd of May
Was duly proclaimed
Chase Utley Day

With the team offense
Boggled and dismayed
With junkball lefties
Putting them away

For 46 games
The pivots sway
Did not produce runs
Or brighten the day

Valdez had no range
Orr had no sparkling play
Martinez was glad
To be in the majors to stay

Utley's knee languished
By Clearwater bay
Preventing his debut
To be continually delayed

The fanbase rejoiced
Just as passionates may
On the news of his coming
He was heard to say

"3 runs or less?
That is absurd! I say.
This will not occur
On my return day."

Polanco joined in
Cole's outing was not gray
As a ten run barrage
Signaled the new way.

Hail the return! Hail!
The Phillies proclaimed
Good feelings all around
For it was Chase Utley Day

What can I say? I'm a hopeful fan these days....

2007 SP Legendary Cuts Mike Schmidt Jersey Card

2011-05-19T16:37:00.000-07:00

It was a game for a Mike Schmidt in legendary times when powder blue uniforms ruled the landscape. It was an idyllic period when there was no labor strife between the players and owners, no fear of being booed by your hometeam, and no maple bats.

It was only a game where waiting for a ball while in the infield meant prattling to the pitcher about his stuff. "Throw it by him baby! Way to show them the nasty slider! Make 'im dive for it! 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, you got this!" That was some lively chatter.

Nostalgia rules in the baseball scene. This is not to say that this is a negative aspect of the game. Links to the historical past help drive interest in the modern game. How do players connect to similar counterparts from different eras? Did you know that this season so far has seen the lowest run-scoring environment since 1993? Willie Mays's birthday: great moment or greatest moment?

There's always been a sense of comparison in baseball history through the eras. The game is not the same as it once was. There are no more (legal) spitballs and emoryballs. The ballparks are both bigger and smaller. Baseballs are replaced during the game with increasing frequency. Gloves don't look like big brown leather hands. Catcher masks are more goalie hockey helmets with every passing year.

But for those who play, no matter the year...it is a game, it is a livelihood, it is a passthrough to the alternate universe. For without baseball, players are not immortalized with cardboard, foil, and cut up pieces of cloth.

When it was a game is a phrase that will never go out of style because it was only a game before you remember being grown-up. For all of us, we're still in the process of figuring out what that's going to be like.

Card Spotlight: 1954 Topps Mike Sandlock

2011-05-16T20:53:00.000-07:00

It may look upside down now, you just have to turn your head a bit.

Backup catchers are one of the most overlooked and yet, highly regarded positions on a baseball roster. They're overlooked in the sense that the position is usually filled by someone who's lacking in one of the major skills (hitting for average/hitting for power). They're highly regarded because their most important skills are knowing how to handle a pitching staff and fill in when called upon to don the tools of ignorance.

It can be a veteran reaching the end of the line such as Brian Schneider or Ivan Rodriguez or a guy who has been a backup catcher for most of his career such as Matt Treanor or Ramon Castro. They're described as grizzled, beaten up, inexperienced, slow-footed, strong-armed, resourceful, conqueror of pitchers' souls, and controller of games. Generally, they don't make pinch-hitting appearances unless there's an injury to the first catcher during that game. So, they're always waiting with the pitching charts in hand until the time when the chest protector is needed.

They can also be called daytime catchers. Whenever it's a day game after a night game or a split doubleheader, they make an appearance. Mike Sandlock seemed to have filled a similar role with the Pirates in 1953. He played in 64 games with 202 AB and was not a strong hitter that year (42 OPS+). He had spent the previous 6 years in the minor leagues, perfecting his art. It was amazing that he reappeared in the majors at the age of 37 playing a position he had only played for 64 previous games in his career. He had a similar number of games in the infield (SS and 3B).

Ironically, though he appears with the Phillies on his 1954 Topps cards, he only appeared with one game within the organization in AAA. He finished the season with San Diego of the Pacific Coast League, finishing his career, trying to capture the backup catching role one last time.

The Colors of Obak

2011-05-07T23:25:00.000-07:00

Tristar Obak has been an always interesting set to collect. As an avid student of baseball history, it's interesting to connect images to faces of stories read such as Monty Stratton or Louis Sockalexis. There are also prospect cards within the set.

The card images themselves aren't always colorful and harken back to an era of non-colorized newspaper photos. How can one inject a bit of color into a predominantly gray toned set....? With the font ink, of course.

Gary Sanchez Auto, Standard Blue/125

Jason Kipnis Auto, Brown/75

Eddie Cicotte Black Parallel/50

Ken Laundreaux Auto, Green/25

Don Baylor Red Parallel/5

All I'm missing is a 1/1 Purple, but there are scant odds of receiving that.

Also, here are the remaining autos I received from the box I opened.

Scott Sizemore Auto: Had a putout and assist in the 9th inning on Justin Verlander's no-hitter tonight

John Paciorek Auto: The gentleman with the greatest one game career in MLB history.

Looking forward to the variations and stories for this year's Obak edition.

All-Time Phillies Centerfielders List: 1957 Topps Ashburn Representing

2011-05-04T23:20:00.000-07:00

This is my only card of Richie Ashburn I own from his playing days. I remember paying $5 for this back in 1993. There's an understated simplicity to this card that I love. It's so muted, it slips by the consciousness as it is sifted from the front to the rear of the card pile. Richie Ashburn was many a fan's favorite during his playing and announcing days in Philadelphia. A superlative fielder and hitter for average with a great batting eye, he manned centerfield in Connie Mack Stadium/Shibe Park from 1948-1959. Who else can compare with the Whiz Kid?

All-Time Phillies Centerfielders With No Prior Research (years as primary CF)

1. Richie Ashburn (1948-1959)
2. Cy Williams (1918-1924)
3. Billy Hamilton (1893-1895)
4. Garry Maddox (1975-1983)
5. Roy Thomas (1899-1907)
6. Shane Victorino (2008-present)
7. Tony Gonzalez (1961-1964, 1968)
8. Lenny Dykstra (1989-1994)
9. Dode Paskert (1911-1917)
10. Hersh Martin (1937-1939)
200. Ricky Otero (1996)

Dual Pack Break: 2008 BDPP and 2009 SP Authentic

2011-04-26T17:15:00.000-07:00

First, I'd like to thank everyone who read and/or responded to the previous entry here. I will try and do something proactive and see if anything can come from the wretched redemption card experience.

To get back in the swing of things collecting-wise, I snagged a couple retail packs from the bargain bin of brands I really don't collect or necessarily have any experience with.

The first pack is 2008 Bowman Draft Picks and Prospects (or as better named "how to include a third series of chrome prospects in a set with similar numbering so that it becomes impossible to sort the cards without consulting the original checklists". However, that would be a mouthful and very difficult to market.)

I've noticed that hobby boxes for this product have increased to $145 apiece. Is that worth it to have a 1:38 chance at a Buster Posey auto chrome rookie? There are some other decent to great auto pulls in the checklist though; Longoria, Kershaw, Stanton, Davis, and Drabek to name a few. Even so, there seems to be a disconnect between the sudden price rise and hype. If there is a such thing as underground hype, this product three years later has managed to have it in spades.

Here are the scanned card images ready to pop through the computer monitor.

BDP52 Brandon Boggs, designated as base card prospect, current status: back-up on Brewers

BDPP87 Jamie D'Antona, designated as Futures Game Prospect, current status: Japan

BDPP103 Gerardo Parra, designated as Futures Game Prospect, current status:Arizona roster

BDP3 Mike Aviles, designated as base card prospect, current status: Royals 3B

BDP32 Brooks Conrad chrome, designated as base card propect, current status: backup on Atlanta

BDPP58 Anthony Bass chrome: designated as draft pick, current status: with the AA affiliate of San Diego

BDPP56 Anthony Capra gold, designated as draft pick, current status: AA affiliate of Oakland

2009 SP Authentic was the last incarnation of a brand that began with a Derek Jeter foil rookie in 1993. Its biggest contribution in 2009 was the Faces of the Game subset and autographed manufactured patch rookies. I did not get any of these, but I did get two retired players, an injured player, a Japanese player, and a the reigning 2010 NL ERA champ. Behold the images....

As always, you can't get too much wrong for $1 per pack.

Redemption Blues

2011-04-20T10:27:00.000-07:00

"We do not honor expired redemptions" intones the Topps customer service rep in a cheerfully, ominous voice.

"But it's such a rare pull, can't I at least tell you the story and see what can be done?", I say.

"Sure, but we don't honor expired redemptions"

No two words that grace a card engender such distress....expiration date. This is expired, it is no more, it has ceased to exist....it is a dead card.

"I was opening a box of 2001 Topps Series 1 this week and the redemption said congratulations, you have just won a 1963 Topps 537 featuring Pete Rose. Can I give you the authentication number and see if anything can be done?"

"We probably don't have this card in stock or probably gave it out in one of our giveaways. Anyway, we don't honor expired redemptions."

"Is it possible to verify if it's in stock?"

"I'm sorry, we don't honor expired redemptions."

Yes, this redemption expired 4/25/2002. It does state explicitly on the back of the card about being received no later than the expiration date.

The redemption card is false hope, whether in 2001 or 2011. The redemption card says you can get something, but you better have had the foresight to know to get it before the arbitrary date we set.

Hindsight is 20/20, but foresight is 200/200, or in this case a 1963 Topps Pete Rose.

I am discouraged by the reams of expired redemption cards littering the tapestry of the hobby. Tantalizing enticing and dreams of a received mail package burst. Visions of the value of the pack lottery wither.

The redemption is expired; you may not return to former glory.

Group Break Finale: Randomization Videos

2011-04-11T23:33:00.000-07:00

Here are the videos for all the multi-player cards from 2008 Upper Deck Heroes. The first video is the base cards and the second video is the parallel and jersey cards.

I was at the whim of random.org for this, though it would have been fun to have a trivia contest for all the cards. Maybe next time.

So with these videos, this concludes this break. I hope it was enjoyable for this group, and I hope the cards find their way to you safely once they're mailed.

Best case (assuming I have all addresses) is that they're mailed out Saturday.

I can now resume my normal, immemorable blogging patterns yet again. Also, for all those who sent interest for trades (especially for the 2011 Kimball Champions), I can finally get that together too.

And as always, may a happy break light your darkest hour (almost like your favorite star of the ancient realm).

Group Break Box 5: 2003 Topps Gallery

2011-04-09T00:13:00.000-07:00

By this time, I actually had pack ripping fatigue and my comments drop off dramatically. I think I was a little off-put that I didn't get what I expected when opening the box. The cards themselves are nice and have a really gritty texture, almost like you can scrape the paint off the surface. Maybe I'm a maximalist, but 20 packs with only 5 cards per pack just seems miniscule in the face of the collecting dragon.

These videos mark the end of the break. What's left is to do the randomization for the 2008 Heroes box break and to show some scans for posterity's sake. Otherwise, the cards are sorted and I'll be packing them up within the week. Hope it was fun for everyone to watch. I think for next time, I'm going to go with a music theme of some kind.

Group Break Box 4: 2008 Upper Heroes

2011-04-07T08:25:00.000-07:00

This box was probably the best of the break. Watch the videos to see why. In any case, there were a very large number of multi-team cards (approximately 20) and these will need to be randomed off. So stay tuned for a thrilling edition of random.org and the clicks that launched destinies.

In all honesty though, there's a lot of action in this box; I could see why it continues to be a popular set on many levels. It features a healthy mix of retired and modern players. It's also a simple construction, the only inserts are essentially parallels (colors,jerseys, autos) of the base set. The design lends itself well to that format.

Group Break Box 3: 2005 Upper Deck Classics

2011-04-03T12:21:00.000-07:00

Actually, my comments in the videos were incorrect (what a surprise, Beckett was incorrect). After examining the pack wrapper, there should have been two numbered inserts/parallels per box, the two game-used cards (which we got), and autos were inserted 1:224 packs, so there was no shorting of guaranteed cards. Sorry for the confusion. I think I trust the pack wrapper more than the Beckett from 3 years ago for checklisting.

This was a fun box to open; there were not all the typical retired players, not much extra content though; it feels like an incomplete brand, you'll see what I mean in the videos.

Team Totals (totals include duplicates) For the Break (base/inserts, shortprints, and parallels/game-used and autos)

Braves 30/6/0
Marlins11/3/0
Expos 18/1/0
Mets 30/4/1
Phillies 28/2/0
Cubs 27/5/0
Reds 28/3/0
Astros 11/1/1
Brewers 25/0/0
Pirates 16/1/0
Cardinals 18/5/0
Dbacks 17/3/0
Rockies 8/5/0
Dodgers 41/5/0
Padres 14/2/0
Giants 32/4/1
Orioles 26/3/1
Red Sox 28/4/1
Yankees 43/8/0
Rays 20/1/0
Blue Jays 19/3/0
White Sox 27/2/0
Indians 32/1/0
Tigers 37/2/0
Royals 16/4/0
Twins 25/1/0
Angels 6/5/0
Athletics 23/1/0
Mariners 20/4/0
Rangers 13/6/0

Group Break Box 2: 2009 Topps T206

2011-04-02T11:19:00.000-07:00

Check it out. I'll let the videos do the explaining this time. Scans will be up sometime during the weekend.

Team Totals For the Break (base/insert/hit)

Overall, I'm counting base set shortprints as inserts also.

Braves 22/6/0
Marlins11/3/0
Expos 18/1/0
Mets 21/2/1
Phillies 22/1/0
Cubs 19/5/0
Reds 14/3/0
Astros 11/1/1
Brewers 23/0/0
Pirates 10/1/0
Cardinals 6/5/0
Dbacks 17/3/0
Rockies 8/5/0
Dodgers 20/4/0
Padres 14/1/0
Giants 9/3/1
Orioles 13/2/0
Red Sox 21/3/0
Yankees 27/7/0
Rays 20/1/0
Blue Jays 13/3/0
White Sox 16/2/0
Indians 14/1/0
Tigers 21/2/0
Royals 16/3/0
Twins 16/1/0
Angels 6/5/0
Athletics 18/1/0
Mariners 20/4/0
Rangers 13/6/0

Group Break Box 1: 2002 Topps Total

2011-03-31T21:38:00.000-07:00

I broke this box first to work out any technical kinks. There are no hits to speak of and it's really a who's who of who was that in the set. It's a 990 card set after all.

The first video is terrible and fuzzy, though the sound is ok, and I'm having trouble uploading it. At this time, it's missing. Luckily, it was the first video with a box that doesn't really have high value cards. I'll try to fix it, but I wouldn't want to deprive you of a paucity of witty commentary and interesting decor with the other three videos. I'll upload it when I figure out the corruption in the file.

I think I finally figured out the recording style by the 3rd video. Each video is 1/4 of the box (9 packs apiece).

Team Totals For the Break (base/insert)

For this box, I counted the checklists as inserts since they weren't part of the base set (though they look like base cards)

Braves 15/2
Marlins 8/2
Expos 13/1
Mets 14/1
Phillies 16/0
Cubs 11/3
Reds 11/1
Astros 7/1
Brewers 15/0
Pirates 10/1
Cardinals 4/2
Dbacks 13/2
Rockies 4/2
Dodgers 13/1
Padres 14/1
Giants 7/1
Orioles 6/1
Red Sox 10/2
Yankees 17/3
Rays 17/1
Blue Jays 11/1
White Sox 11/1
Indians 5/1
Tigers 15/1
Royals 15/0
Twins 13/0
Angels 4/2
Athletics 12/1
Mariners 17/3
Rangers 11/4

Final Group Break Update and Test Video

2011-03-29T23:40:00.000-07:00

Here's the list of teams for the upcoming group break. Everyone is paid, the boxes are ready to go, and it's almost my favorite day of the year....April Fool's Day.

If there are any disagreements about the teams, leave a comment here.

I've also uploaded a short video here to see if I'm able to do so with my nearly incapable technological hands. I definitely have to work on the lighting to do this right. Any suggestions on where I should be positioned with respect to the light?

1. cubsfan731-1st choice=Cubs/Angels (paid)

2. dawgbones-1st choice=Phillies/DBacks (paid)

3. Spiegel83-1st choice=Dodgers/Brewers (paid)

4. Ryan G-1st choice=Giants/Mariners (paid)

5. hiflew-1st choice=Rockies/Braves (paid)

6. BA Benny-1st choice=Mets/Marlins (paid)

7. Madding-1st choice=Cardinals/Padres (paid)

8. John-1st choice=Yankees/Blue Jays (paid)

9. Ryan H.-1st choice=Orioles/Astros (paid)

10. Brad-1st choice=Twins/Rangers (paid)

11. Michael R.-1st choice=Red Sox/Pirates (paid)

12. Todd Uncommon-1st choice=Athletics/Tigers (paid)

13. Jason-1st choice=Indians/Royals (paid)

14. Arfmax-1st choice=White Sox/Rays (paid)

15. Dan (me)- Reds/Nationals (paid)

Pull of the Year So Far and Group Break Update

2011-03-27T11:03:00.000-07:00

I recently opened a box of 2001 Topps Series 2 Jumbo. Incredibly, you can purchase three of these boxes for the same price as a 2011 Topps Series 1 Jumbo. Of course, there was no guarantee of relics or autos back in that era. It was, however, the golden anniversary of Topps and promised something of interest.

The box itself was somewhat disappointing as a whole. I haven;t counted yet, but I think I received approximately 200 duplicates or more. The only good part was that one of my duplicates was the Ichiro rookie (though the second one was damaged due to the following reason). It was also very difficult to sort through the cards as each pack was opened since the cards were stuck together in bunches of 15-20 and each card had to be individually peeled off to view. This caused a lot of edge and corner damage, which is not the most desirable outcome.

The cards themselves were fun to see and the inserts had some surprising results. I especially liked the "Before There Was Topps" insert. It wasn't a reproduction set, but just representations of the player subjects.

The most surprising moment of the box was when this card literally fell into my hands from the middle of an unwieldy stack of base cards.

It's a Rookie Reprint of Willie Mays with something that I had not encountered before, a piece of game-worn jacket. Me gusta mucho. This was a 1:227 pack pull (with 10 packs per box) and it's not often that I beat the odds like this. Maybe my luck has turned for the upcoming group break and all the willing participants?

Speaking of, here's the latest update. I still need payment from two participants (bolded below). There was one team choice conflict. Both John and Ryan H claimed the Blue Jays and Ryan H also expressed interest in the Pirates (which was also claimed by Michael R).

Anyone have any absolute preferences? Here's the other teams that have no claimants.

Nationals/Expos, Astros, Angels

Please e-mail me if you really, really, really want the 2nd team you asked for and can't accept any other. It happens. The videoing will begin Wednesday, March 30.

1. cubsfan731-1st choice=Cubs/TBD (paid)

2. dawgbones-1st choice=Phillies/DBacks (paid)

3. Spiegel83-1st choice=Dodgers/Brewers (paid)

4. Ryan G-1st choice=Giants/Mariners (paid)

5. hiflew-1st choice=Rockies/Braves

6. BA Benny-1st choice=Mets/Marlins (paid)

7. Madding-1st choice=Cardinals/Padres (paid)

8. John-1st choice=Yankees/Blue Jays? (paid)

9. Ryan H.-1st choice=Orioles/Blue Jays??/Pirates?? (payment confirmed as being sent)

10. Brad-1st choice=Twins/Rangers (paid)

11. Michael R.-1st choice=Red Sox/Pirates? (paid)

12. Todd Uncommon-1st choice=Athletics/Tigers or Reds

13. Jason-1st choice=Indians/Royals (paid)

14. Arfmax-1st choice=White Sox/Rays (paid)

15. Dan (me)-Tigers or Reds/TBD

Note to Group Break Participants: 2nd Team Choice Time and Payment Info

2011-03-24T16:36:00.000-07:00

Hello worthy participants in the upcoming group break. As the boxes have arrived and the break is now scheduled from less than a week from now, there are two orders of business to take care of.

One, is to get a second team. As a reminder, here's a list of the participants and what their first team choice was.

Group A: Yankees, Red Sox, Mets, Phillies, Braves, Dodgers, Cardinals, Cubs, Tigers, Twins/pre-1961 Senators, Reds, Giants, Orioles, White Sox, Indians

Group B: Royals, Nationals/Expos, Pirates, Padres, Blue Jays, Rays, Athletics, Mariners, Marlins, Astros, Brewers/Pilots, Diamondbacks, Rockies, Angels, Rangers/post-1961 Senators

1. cubsfan731-1st choice=Cubs

2. dawgbones-1st choice=Phillies

3. Spiegel83-1st choice=Dodgers

4. Ryan G-1st choice=Giants

5. hiflew-1st choice=Rockies

6. BA Benny-1st choice=Mets

7. Madding-1st choice=Cardinals

8. John-1st choice=Yankees

9. Ryan H.-1st choice=Orioles

10. Brad-1st choice=Twins

11. Michael R.-1st choice=Red Sox

12. Todd Uncommon-1st choice=Athletics

13. Jason-1st choice=Indians

14. Arfmax-1st choice=White Sox

15. Dan (me)-1st choice=whatever's left (if anyone new claims this spot, I'll give it up)

Please comment by the end of the day on Sunday, March 27 for your 2nd team.

Preliminary second teams from previous comments are

dawgbones-Diamondbacks
BA Benny-Marlins
Brad-Rangers
Jason-Royals

They're not closed yet, but if anyone else wants these, speak now, so that I can distribute them fairly.

Todd Uncommon and hiflew, you can choose either the Braves, Tigers, or Reds as your 2nd team.

For payment, please use Paypal and send a "gift" for $19 to drauer at wustl dot edu.

If you need to send me a check, please e-mail me saying that you will do so. I would also like payment (or confirmation of payment sent) by the end of the day, Sunday March 27.

First box break will be March 29 or March 30, depending on which day I figure out my webcam. Good luck everyone! Any questions? Don't hesitate to drop me a line. Thanks.

The 100 Most Significant Cards in July 1993 Part 2: 61-80

2011-03-23T09:00:00.000-07:00

Rookies hold a special place in the hobbyist's hearts. There's just something about the first time a player's image graces cardboard or foil in a major league uniform that makes many of us want to figuratively swoon. But sometimes, it's not always the rookie card which is the gem of a player's career collection. This is especially true of pre-80's players. Sometimes scarcity plays a role, sometimes there's novelty, and sometimes there's an image that will be imprinted upon the collectors' consciousness.

The next 20 cards on the list provide some more insight into the mind of the investor/collector during the tail end of the baseball card boom.

Multi-Player Rookie Cards
A rookie is a rookie because it´s the first card in which a player is featured. One practice by Topps has been to group rookies together by team or position or even randomly. One would think intuitively that the first solo card of a popular player may be more sought after, but that is hardly ever the case. These are the multi-player rookies in this grouping.

77. 1981 Topps Fernando Valenzuela Dodgers Future Stars-Fernandomania was a fun, but shortlived phenomena that didn´t extend much past his first few excellent years.

74. 1978 Topps Paul Molitor/Alan Trammell Rookie Shortstops-Still a great card with two impact players (including one Hall of Famer).

73. 1970 Topps Thurman Munson Yankees Rookie Stars-The 1971 Topps card of Munson is a good example of the first solo star outshining the true rookie.

68. 1965 Topps Joe Morgan Rookie Stars-The best part of the card for me...The .45s logo on the caps.

66. 1967 Topps Rod Carew American League Rookie Stars-He is paired with a completely random player. This was actually a double printed issue.

63. 1977 Topps Dale Murphy-The significance has faded as the memory of Murphy´s run atop the National League has been noted as a not quite Hall of Fame career.

Single Player Rookie Cards
79. 1959 Topps Sparky Anderson-interesting in that not many manager´s rookie cards are considered chase-worthy (who weren´t great players).

76. 1966 Topps Jim Palmer-It´s a great portrait of the Orioles star

72. 1988 Score Rookie/Traded Roberto Alomar-It´s hard to see where this card rates now. This set is still not the easiest to locate for a reasonable price and it has held most of its value over the years.

70. 1976 Topps Dennis Eckersley-People always seem to forget he was a pretty good starter for 10 years or so before becoming ¨The Eck¨

65. 1949 Bowman Roy Campanella-If only the card were larger in size, it would be easier to store.

62. 1949 Bowman Duke Snider-If only this set were aesthetically pleasing, it would make for more memorable cards.

61. 1952 Topps Eddie Mathews-Can you name the players that had more home runs than him in the ´50s? Neither can I.

First Topps Cards
As you can see this listing is very Topps-centric, so here are some more.

78. 1953 Topps Satchel Paige-The Browns logo on the card is priceless.

73. 1958 Topps Stan Musial-His first card since 1953 Bowman. One of the premier players ever just didn´t have enough collectible cards to chase from his career.

Scarce and Interesting Cards
Sometimes circumstances make the card significant.

80. 1973 Topps Roberto Clemente-The legend´s last issued card with the practically perfect 3000 hit stat in the career line. It should have been a proper tribute card since it was released after his death (though printed beforehand)

71. 1970 Topps Nolan Ryan-The one time Ryan was shown as a World Series champion. This card is a high number and part of that 1970-1972 high number period, where most of the cards have been seen only on the tail of Halley´s comet.

69. 1959 Fleer Ted Williams #68-How is so much revealed about which cards are pulled from the production process? This card may be a reason why this is done, to drive demand.

67. 1969 Topps Mickey Mantle white letter variation-A printing error across a series leads to a frenzy for Mantle´s last issued card. Would you rather have the corrected version or the error?

64. 1953 Topps Willie Mays- The first pose of Mays as the splendid fielder he was.

There´s less controversy in this grouping regarding the choices. Most can be argued in some way...i.e. significant for their time. What do you think of the selections so far?

Group Break Results of Futures Past and One Final Group Break Reminder

2011-03-21T19:43:00.000-07:00

The artist formerly known as I Am Joe Collector used to hold monthly group breaks in the recent past. I did fairly well for myself during that time (usually with the Mets as a team of choice). When the monopolizing licensure of Topps took ahold in 2010, the variety of product slackened and so did the group breaks. Occasionally, he will hold single product case breaks and I was able to participate in a couple of them in the recent (well, recent in the sense of these cards were just scanned) past.

First, there was a 2010 Topps Chrome Case Break. I claimed two random teams and ended up with White Sox and Rockies.

Gordon Beckham T206 Chrome: Honestly, if this entire set were in Chrome, it would have been so much less authentic and so much cooler

Gordon Beckham Refractor: Anyone else have him pegged for a bounceback season this year. There's not a Junior Jinx now, is there?

Jake Peavy National Chicle Chrome: The hand-paintedness of this card really stands out in the chrome form. This was a great idea for an insert set,

Eric Young Jr. Auto: EY Jr. has the speed, but does he have the playing time?

Esmil Rogers Auto: It's nice that the autos are on-card, but as always wish there were more than rookie autos.

I also paricipated in a 2006 Ultimate case break. Basically, the breakdown was one hit and a handful of base cards per slot.

Josh Willingham, Russell Martin, Rony Paulino Triple Auto: These were all catchers at one time; I guess that's the connection.

And here were my base cards (#d/799)....

High end base cards always have interesting, unexpected, geometric designs.

My first group break only has three slots left. I will start asking for payment soon. First scheduled box break will be March 29.

2011 Kimball Champions for Trade

2011-03-18T19:54:00.000-07:00

I know someone has to be trying to complete this set. I have many, many doubles. Drop me a line if you want to trade. How about a trade for other 2011 Topps inserts? Or something else? I'm fine with whatever. Here's the list.

2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 9, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 21, 22, 24, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 33, 34, 35, 36, 40, 41, 43, 44, 45, 47, 48, 50

Also, here's yet another group break reminder. There are still five slots left with a lot of good teams, including the Red Sox, Tigers, White Sox, Indians, Braves, etc. All the boxes are in hand and the videos should commence in a week (I'll be testing the video system during the week).

Floating Rookies' Heads, 2011 Topps Heritage, and a Group Break Reminder

2011-03-17T21:31:00.000-07:00

There are six slots in the group break presented here , there are some great teams left like the Red Sox, Twins (there's a Mauer rookie to possibly be pulled), White Sox, Reds, Rays, etc! Come and claim a team and get a 2nd team from the opposite group. I think it will be a fun break. The last boxes arrived in the mail yesterday, so I'll start asking for payment next week. It's time to rip some packs!

Above is not a 1962 Topps design (such is all the rage this week), but the more technologically advanced 1963 Topps design. In 1962, they figured how to remove the heads from rookies' bodies and place them in squared off prisons; each rookie unable to use even the most rudimentary of tools to break through and rejoin his body. In 1963, they made it so the heads would not want to rejoin the necks of their patrons.

They preserved the heads in a vitality halo, sustaining the minds and thought processes during the offseason. This way, when spring training began, the teaching of pitches had already been accomplished and the rookie could progress to the point of being a useful contributor for the ballclub. It worked for Ray Culp (110 ERA+ in 1963), John Boozer (112 ERA+ in 1963), and Jesse Gonder (124 OPS+). Only Sammy Ellis was resistant to the vitality halo, skeptical of its workings. He looked worried at this moment in time because he knew with the rejection of this time spent here, he would spend the entire 1963 season in the minors, and have to return for a much unloved experience. Luckily for him, cooler heads prevailed and he was captured in the spring training portait box of 1964, which had a better compatibility with his body chemistry.

Now, a slightly more timely topic
I love the idea of Topps Heritage. I love the execution of Topps Heritage. I was especially excited to get a chance to collect the version with the 1962 Topps design. I have such fond memories of that year's card set. My first vintage card was from that set. It was in the stories in the family as having been thrown out. It was a card set that commerorated the chase for 60 between Maris and Mantle, had a Babe Ruth story subset, saw Frank Robinsons MVP season, and celebrated the futility of the Phillies and their 23 game losing streak the previous season. Plus, it had very realistic cartoons on the back.

And yet, I am unable to collect it as I like (that is to say, with everything). It's always an expensive proposition. One needs at least two hobby boxes to make a significant dent in the base set, and I couldn't invest that type of capital at this time. This became true quickly when hobby boxes rose from a presell price of $70.95 one month ago to the now standard $91.95 price for one hobby box. For that price, I would rather go after more pressing collecting needs.

I found a good price for the Phillies team set, so that will soon be in my possession. As for the rest of the base (1-425) set, I will acquire it eventually. The quest for all the shortprints without going to shows is a hardy fool's proposition. Each shortprint average cost is usually around $3-5.

Then, there are the secret variations that are such a part of the Heritage fabric that they are expected. The green tinted cards are true to 1962. What is with this retail inserted black bordered parallel? I am thoroughly confused by its purpose.

What I'm trying to say is that I would love to collect Heritage this year, but it's almost like it's worth less than I have to pay. Maybe I need to get a 1962 Ford Galaxie 500 to get in the right frame of mind? Wouldn't that be prudent?

Redemption! and a Group Break Reminder

2011-03-15T17:42:00.000-07:00

NOTE: There's still time to sign up for the Group Break. Check it out. There are plenty of teams left, and I think, an interesting variety of boxes. I would like at least six more people to get it going.

Sometimes good things do come to those who wait. When I opened my box of 2010 Allen & Ginter, I was initially disappointed that the first auto I had pulled from a pack of that product was a redemption. When I entered the number on the Topps website, it gave an estimated date of shipment and arrived within two weeks of that date. I would say that it was a well-handled redemption this time around (though I know others aren't so lucky). Best of all, I can add a spectacular on-card auto to my collection.

Did everyone enjoy National Napping Day yesterday? I was not aware of it until it was too late.

First Group Break Announcement

2011-03-11T14:48:00.000-08:00

I know there's a lot of group breaks going around these days, but I have secured a set of boxes that I think would be fun to break and distribute.

They are (in chronological order):

2002 Topps Total-David Wright and Joe Mauer rookies
2003 Topps Gallery Museum Edition-2 relics per box and one coin collection boxtopper
2005 Upper Deck Classics (all retired player checklist)-2 relics and one auto per box
2008 Upper Deck Heroes-3 relics and one auto per box
2009 Topps T206-one auto and one relic per box

I was thinking that each slot would be two teams (for a total of 15 slots). You The cost will be $19 per slot (includes shipping and everything else) for one team from group A and one team from group B. There should be 11 "hits" in the break, so there's a good chance that you will get one.

Group A: Yankees, Red Sox, Mets, Phillies, Braves, Dodgers, Cardinals, Cubs, Tigers, Twins/pre-1961 Senators, Reds, Giants, Orioles, White Sox, Indians

Group B: Royals, Nationals/Expos, Pirates, Padres, Blue Jays, Rays, Athletics, Mariners, Marlins, Astros, Brewers/Pilots, Diamondbacks, Rockies, Angels, Rangers/post-1961 Senators

The two winners of the "Card Love" contest have their slots accounted and paid for.

Please claim a spot in the comments below. Indicate your first choice team (doesn't matter which group, each slot is for one team from each group). I'll ask for payment when the slots are filled. I'm thinking of doing the break between March 26-March 31 (assuming the last boxes arrive on time, everything has been ordered). Also, please spread the word if you can.

1. cubsfan731-1st choice=Cubs
2. dawgbones-1st choice=Phillies
3. Spiegel83-1st choice=Dodgers
4. Ryan G-1st choice=Giants
5. hiflew-1st choice=Rockies
6. BA Benny-1st choice=Mets
7. Madding-1st choice=Cardinals
8. John-1st choice=Yankees
9. Ryan H.-1st choice=Orioles
10. Brad-1st choice=Twins
11. Michael R.-1st choice=Red Sox
12. Todd Uncommon-1st choice=Athletics
13. Jason-1st choice=Indians
14. Arfmax-1st choice=White Sox
15.

Swapping Cards: A Phillies Trade with Reader John

2011-03-09T22:48:00.000-08:00

I was luckily contacted by the collector with quite possibly extensive Phillies collection that I have encountered. His wantlist consists of almost entirely rare inserts and oddball issues. I was able to procure a few cards for him from his wantlist seen here and in return, here are some highlights from the much appreciated and frankly, amazing assortment of cards he sent to me.

2001 Finest Scott Rolen: This is a brand that I have no representative cards of. 2001 was a difficult year to get many cards of affordably because of those players who won the Rookie of the Year that year...whoever they were...some one year wonders. Anyway, here's Scott Rolen, and he looks lost in a dreamscape.

1962 Post Cereal Clay Dalrymple: I am a major cereal connoisseur, yet I was not aware that Post released such an extensive set for this year. Do you know what the most interesting part of this card was (for people who have not seen them before)? It has a blank back. It's definitely an interesting way to go.

1960 Topps Jim Owens: I love the 1960 design, and I never understood why the Phillies logo was a spinning hat during this era.

1997 Bowman Chrome Adam Eaton: The rookie card of one of the least favorite pitchers from the 2008 team. Of course, who doesn't appreciate 1997 Bowman Chrome?

Next, is a trio of 1962 Topps from the high number series, which, for me, were the most incredible part of the package (taking into account my present collecting goals). High # cards from the '60s are not easy to find for a reasonable price and these cut my Phillies wantlist for 1962 Topps down to two.

The representatives are

Mel Roach

Billy Klaus

Art Mahaffey

Then, there was one card I could not identify without some research.

1968 Playing Card Antonio "Tony" Gonzalez: The best part is that I only need the Dick Allen to complete the team set for this.

Thanks John and good luck with your quest.

2000s Fleer Group Break at Community Gum

2011-03-08T08:03:00.000-08:00

Sign up for 7 boxes of 2000s Fleer goodness at Community Gum. These are boxes that almost none of us have opened and have some really great sets, like the first Fleer Platinum, 2003 Fleer Avant, and the peel back enigma of 2000 Fleer Mystique. Good luck!

A Couple of Essays

2011-03-07T22:24:00.000-08:00

Hello readers:

I would like your feedback on what I submitted to the MLB Dream Job application. I wish I had found out about it sooner than today, but this was what I could come up with on short notice. Please let me know what you think.

I had to come up with two short essays (no more than 500 words) about "Why I Love Baseball" and "Potential MVP Candidates for 2011". I also had to submit a video. I completely improvved the video, so I hope it wasn't too terrible.

This was also a good test of the my camera and check out the sound quality for the soon to come group break. (announcement at the end of this week). Thanks for reading and watching.

Why I Love Baseball

I love baseball because it is a multi-faceted experience. On the playing field, it's an idealization of physical skill and mental concentration to bring about a larger goal on a competitive level. Each game is a story and each discrete event in the game has been predicated by previous thoughts and actions. It is a graceful tug of will and ability.
It’s a fan experience in which ideas and discussions can be generated from the events and hotly contested debates can be had about who deserves recognition more, the overrated underdog or the underrated favorite. The vicarious thrill and defeat and experiencing your team’s day-to-day journey during a season can be both heart-wrenching and exhilarating in turns. One can be so disappointed in July and so excited in August with the turn of one road trip.
It’s a life experience in which any piece of baseball can be incorporated into life. Enjoyment and games (simulation games and fantasy baseball), work and anxiety (furtive glances at the computer screen in the office), and family life (playing catch and planning trips together to stadiums) are all aspects where baseball can take a fairly central role.
I love baseball because it brings people together with a common bond. My friends are Mets fans, White Sox fans, Giants fans, A’s fans, Red Sox fans, and Phillies fans. We all can get together and talk about the days happenings during the season and complain about how are respective team’s chances are doomed or so assured. Baseball creates an eternal pessimist and optimist in all of us.
Most of all, baseball, for me, is a legacy that stretches back through the annals of American history and provides a perspective that all of us can relate to. It may be a sport, but it gives us a reflection of ourselves. I see myself in every young player coming up for their first appearance and every player seeing their careers fade away. Beginnings and endings are a part of the human experience and a part of me as well.

MVP Candidates in 2011

The voters for MVP award have seemingly changed their perspectives and their standards from year to year for MVP voting. However, over the last 10 years, there have been three truisms that increase the likelihood of garnering a winning MVP vote.
1) Be on a winning team: Since 2000, there have been only three MVP winners that have been on teams that had less than 90 wins in a season and not made the playoffs (Alex Rodriguez in 2003, Ryan Howard in 2006, and Albert Pujols in 2008).
2) Be a young, experienced, possibly great player: In the non-Barry Bonds division of the past 10 years, only one MVP has been younger than 25 (Dustin Pedroia in 2008) and two MVPs have been older than 30 (Jeff Kent in 2000 and Alex Rodriguez in 2007)
3) Be an OPS leader: The only NL MVPS not in the top 3 of the OPS leaderboard during this decade were Jimmy Rollins in 2007 and Jeff Kent in 2000. The similar AL counterparts were Ichiro in 2001, Miguel Tejada in 2002, Justin Morneau in 2006, and Dustin Pedroia in 2008.
With that recent history established, players between 25-31 in age with combined abilities of getting on base and having power (with a propensity towards those with moderate to high batting averages) on teams with will probably make the playoffs this year will be examined. Based on this criteria, the following general list can be created that will encompass the probable possibilities.
In the National League East, the potential MVP candidates are Ryan Howard, Brian McCann, Dan Uggla, Martin Prado, and Hanley Ramirez.
In the National League Central, the potential MVP candidates are Albert Pujols, Matt Holliday, Joey Votto, Brandon Phillips, Prince Fielder, Ryan Braun, Rickie Weeks, and Corey Hart.
In the National League West, the potential MVP candidates are Troy Tulowitzki, Carlos Gonzalez, Andre Ethier, and Matt Kemp.
I choose the playoff participants to be Phillies, Braves, Brewers, and Rockies. Therefore, my choice for MVP is Troy Tulowitzki with Ryan Braun (and Albert Pujols) close behind.
In the American League East, the potential MVP candidates are Adrian Gonzalez, Dustin Pedroia, Kevin Youkilis, Robinson Cano, Mark Teixeira, and Evan Longoria.
In the American League Central, the potential MVP candidates are Joe Mauer, Alex Rios, and Miguel Cabrera.
In the American League West, the potential MVP candidates are Josh Hamilton, Ian Kinsler, Nelson Cruz, Daric Barton, and Kendry Morales.

I choose the playoff participants to be Red Sox, Rays, Twins, and Rangers. Therefore, my choice for MVP is Adrian Gonzalez (with Josh Hamilton and Miguel Cabrera close behind).

Junior High Countdown: 98. 1995 Fleer Ultra

2011-03-04T17:58:00.000-08:00

Programming NOTE: Dawgbones and cubsfan731 won the poll of 'Card Love' and will receive their prizes momentarily.   Thanks for voting! I still need the addresses of Greg Z. and milwaukee southpaw to send on a consolation package.

I did not have much experience collecting this set because I found it so annoying to open packs.
The Stats

Issued in two series with 250 cards in series 1 and 200 cards in series 2 for a 450 card base set, coming in a 36 pack box with 12 cards per pack. I believe the suggested retail price at the time was $1.99 per pack. Each pack contained one insert card per pack.

The Design

As was the case with previous Ultra offerings, 1995's version featured a full-bleed photo on the front with team-specific colors on the bottom with reverse foiling for the first and last names of the player. The team logo was also monochromatically foiled on the front.

The back is colored in the same color as the foil on the front of the card with a 2nd large photo of the player. A 3rd smaller photo of the player is in full color and inset on the upper left.   There are two lines of stats, one for the 1994 season and one for the career stat line.

The Rookies
There are no rookies in the set.
The Inserts
There are a lot of inserts, keeping up with the Fleer/Ultra tradition of inserting one per pack across the product. There were 13 insert sets in total across both series. Most inserts were inserted in all pack types and were fairly easy to find.

The exceptions were: All-Rookies-only in 12 card packs
Golden Prospects: Hobby only
Hitting Machines: Retail only
Home Run Kings: Retail only
RBI Kings: Jumbo Packs only

The rarest inserts were Power Plus in series 1 and Rising Stars in series 2 (1:37 packs).

My favorite insert set was Strikeout Kings, which showed how to grip all the pitches (not a new concept, but a fun one)

Then, there was the gold medallion parallel, which was also one per pack, unless it was two per pack. It was available for all inserts.

The Impact

This can be summed up in one phrase, paralleling of insert sets. Not only did all the base cards have a parallel with a little annoying gold medallion in the upper left corner, but approximately 10% of the inserts did too.   I think this was the first set to institute this and for this point, it is docked significantly on the countdown. I am a completist and don't like pointless parallels clouding the set (insert or otherwise) goal.
Summary

For its time, 1995 Ultra was a pretty standard Ultra offering. It had a clean design (though the foil chipped a lot) and many insert sets (though none were really that memorable or had an original name that carried over through the years of the brand). The pack opening experience was lacking because of the inclusion of those gold parallels; they were one pack and constantly staring at you, gloating that there was one less card that you could use for those hard to reach insert sets. Plus, the parallel inserts were not distinguishable. More value? I'd call it irritation.

The 100 Most Significant Cards......in 1993: #s 100-81

2011-03-02T21:30:00.000-08:00

After the Topps 60th anniversary announcements of the 60 greatest Topps cards ever, I thought it would be instructive to look at a similar list put together by the denizens of old-school Beckett for their 100th issue in July 1993. This was the heyday of the Weather Report and Readers Write. And back then, most shockingly of all, the price guide only had five columns per page with a readable font.

As you can see, I have quite a fixation on the mid-90s. Think about what collecting was like during the time period just before the strike of 1994. Internet was in its infancy; I knew two people who had an internet connection at that time. There were shows galore to attend. In Pennsylvania alone, there were approximately 80 listed shows in the July 1993 Beckett. There were hobby shops of all shapes and sizes. I regularly went to 3, which were within a 15 minute drive of where I lived.

One constancy was Beckett, it was in the mailbox about the 12th of the month, ready to be consulted for all the the pricing needs. 4 cents for a 1988 Donruss common? I'm down with that. 1992 Bowman is the hottest set on the block? Sign me up. Frank Thomas is both hot and cold? The weather was kind of strange in 1993.

Here's the last entries from the 1-100 significant cards list from Beckett #100.

For each entry, there will be a small comment and a consensus (of one) about whether it should be considered for a similar list today.

100. 1992 Frank Thomas Bowman foil: Thomas was the king and 1992 Bowman was the court for top cards at this time. Even 2nd and 3rd year cards were highly coveted for awhile there. Consensus: not considered

99. 1989 Upper Deck Dale Murphy Reverse Negative: There's now a sordid story behind this card; I think it was revealed in the book "Card Sharks." Consensus: not considered

98. 1989 Upper Deck Jerome Walton: It was included as an infamous card and the perils of prospecting. There are better ones to represent significant drops in value. Consensus: not considered

97. 1983 Topps Tony Gwynn: The best card of the best Topps set of the '80s. Consensus: considered

96. 1974 Topps Willie McCovey Washington Variation: This is an interesting card of a period when teams were threatening to move for one reason or another (remember San Francisco wanting to move to Florida for awhile?). This was a significant error, and crystallized the chase for errors for a few years there. Consensus: considered

95. 1987 Fleer Will Clark: The sheen is off the baby blue glare of 1987 Fleer. Clark was a hot commodity, but not past 1996 or so. Consensus: not considered

94. 1985 Fleer Roger Clemens: The Rocket has landed....in a crater. Consensus: not considered

93. 1987 Donruss Opening Day Barry Bonds error (Johnny Ray image): It was a strange choice then, I think. I'm not sure if enough people knew about it to make it significant. Consensus: not considered

92. 1983 Topps Wade Boggs: A rookie card of a Hall of Famer. Did he burn his base with his foray into the Yankee zone? Consensus: considered

91. 1982 John Littlefield error: I'm not sure what to think of this one. He's left handed in the photo!...but he's really right handed. Not a star player, so therefore....Consensus: not considered

90. 1991 Topps Stadium Club Frank Thomas: Everyone coveted this set at this time. I could only find packs of series 2 for years. You wanted Series 1 cards? Look in the case of cards in toploaders. Today this card has lost its Kodak based gloss. Consensus: not considered

89. 1985 Donruss Kirby Puckett: This is not a hard card to find anymore, though the black borders of the brand do discourage the mint condition. Plus, everyone loved playing with Kirby Puckett. Consensus: considered

88. 1978 Topps Eddie Murray: I love this card, pure and simple. It is an iconic card of the late '70s. Consensus: considered

87. 1990 Upper Deck Reggie Jackson Auto: I can't believe it was ranked this low. The first auto card inserted in packs, it sparked a chase for autos that collectors wanted for 20 years and counting. Consensus: considered

86. 1977 Topps Andre Dawson: With his induction to the Hall of Fame, and a tireless collecting fan base, it retains some significance. Consensus: considered

85. 1987 Fleer Barry Bonds: Until 2006, this card was coveted. If only he didn't set the all-time HR record? Consensus: not considered

84. 1983 Fleer Ron Kittle: Um....I don't really see the connection. Rookie of the Year in 1983 to left behind by collectors by 1986. Consensus: not considered

83. 1981 Fleer Graig (Craig) Nettles Error: Fleer's debut was not marked by great editing. Consensus: not considered

82. 1981 Topps Joe Charboneau: The blurb in the issue calls this card "a living cliche" Consensus: not considered

81. 1962 Topps Lou Brock: The stolen base crown prince has a rookie that resonates from a set that is remembered well by many. Consensus: considered

So do you agree? Disagree? Think that significance is highly overrated? Of course, questions remain about what drives significance in the card world. It's easy to see what Beckett thought was significant in 1993: rookies, errors, and Frank Thomas.

Some stats for this group:

# of cards I own from this group: 0
# of cards I wished I owned from this group: 8
# of pre-1970 cards: 1
# of 1970s cards: 3
# of rookies: 12
# of considered cards: 8 (not sure if these match with the cards I wish I owned).

The next group coming soon....

The Last Packs I've Seen: 2010 Bowman Hobby Two Pack Break

2011-02-28T16:36:00.000-08:00

I was a huge fan of Bowman products. The 2010 base version stoked the old prospecting engine, but I'm typically in it for set completion and having a rookie of everyone...ever. I do like that the fronts had the team logo on the card, I like the inclusion of the insert sets, and if this were the only incarnation of Bowman that were released during the season, the numbering would almost make sense.

I bought a lot of Bowman Chrome Prospects from ebay once and thought it was the chrome prospects from "Bowman" that I was purchasing, but it actually ended up being the Bowman Chrome Prospects from "Bowman Chrome". I did not get the players I thought I was getting, though it was what I purchased. It's more than confusing, it makes collecting and keeping track a chore rather than a joy. All these prospect sets have the same design and numbering and there's no rhyme or reason or logic or cohesiveness.

In any case, it was exciting to receive these Bowman packs as a gift a few months ago because they were and are extremely difficult to find. What did the inside of the wrappers reveal?
211 Michael Dunn RC
172 Ichiro

26 Jeff Niemann
181 Naftali Feliz
BT77 Hanley Ramirez

BCP79 Eric Farris: #4 Brewers 2007
BCP 97 Blue Refractor Patrick Schuster:DBacks #13 2009 175/250 1:121 packs

BP27 Craig Clark Giants #14 2007
BP32 Eric Niesen Mets #3 2007

40 Ken Griffey Jr Gold

85 Dan Haren
121 Nate McLouth
BT13 Joe Mauer

BCP57 John Lamb Royals #5 2008

BCP49 Brian Baisley Yankees #24 2006
BP30 Ryan Dent Red Sox #1 2007

BP60 Neil Medchill Yankees #11 2009
Auto: Dusty Coleman

191 John Raynor Gold

Actually, these were probably the best two packs pulled from the box. A hard to pull refractor and an autograph were great finds (if they were of better prospects, they would be amazing finds).

There is just one question. Who is Dusty Coleman and what happened to him? There are no statistics for him for the 2010 season. Did he retire or get injured and no one report it? Anyone know?

Happiness is a Shiny Phillies Card on a Friday Night

2011-02-25T21:05:00.000-08:00

Happy weekend and spring training everyone!

Stat Anomaly: 20 Losses in a Season: Clyde Wright

2011-02-22T22:47:00.000-08:00

Clyde Wright was a pitcher for the Angels from 1966-1973. They may have seen the writing on the wall for the end of his career since in 1973, at the age of 32 he was 11-19, though still with a respectable 3.68 ERA. The portent for what was to come came in the figures of his WHIP rising from 1.23 to 1.36. His K:BB ratio falling below 1 at 0.87 and his K/9 falling to an incredibly low 2.3 K/9 (65 K in 257 innings). He seemed to succeed because he didn't allow many HRs, suggesting he was a sinkerball type pitcher (I have never seem him pitch).

In 1974, he left for greener pastures in Milwaukee to be a part of the cult of the yellow "M" under the young Bud Selig and suffered a fate that all pitchers strive to avoid, a 20 loss season.

In retrospect, 1974 was a better season than 1973 with an improved K/9 and BB/9. However, he did allow 264 hits in 232 innings, keeping his WHIP at an unsustainable 1.37. Let's examine which games pushed him through the veil of 19.

On closer examination, he was a hard-luck loser in terms of which games he earned losses. There were 7 starts in which he pitched 8 or more innings and allowed 3 runs or less and received a loss. He had 15 complete games, 4 of which ended with his offense being shut out.

On the other hand, there were also 4 losses in which he did not make it out of the third inning without being chased from the mound. Like many pitchers of the time period, unless he had been stung unusually hard at the onset of a start, he pitched as many innings as he could until his tendons were screaming for ice. Clyde Wright was a gamer and some days he had his stuff and some days he didn't. But, his record for the days in question didn't always match how well he pitched.

The Bounty of the Troll Revealed......Finally

2011-02-21T21:02:00.000-08:00

Presented in scanned form is just a small part of the cards sent by the hale and hearty Collective Troll of cyberspace fame. He held a group break many moons ago, and this has been the first lot that has been scanned with my newly fixed scanner.

Behold! There will be cards and there will be superfluous commentary!

For the vintage lover, here's a 1965 Topps John Boozer. I think he was asked to pose like that, don't you.

Here's a 1971 Topps Oscar Gamble. This is before he was famous for the hair style of the century. And yes, there are sideburns in the '70s!

Coming up next is the Opeechee contingent...in no particular order.

1987 Opeechee Steve Bedrosian: "Bedrock" (really that's what they called him) in the light blue duds in anticipation of his Cy Young season.

1985 Opeechee Michael Jack Schmidt: Mike Schmidt was so strong he used to swing a redwood tree as a bat.

1984 Opeechee Steve Carlton: He was an etoile many times in his career. According to Google Translate, toile in French means canvas or cloth. I have no idea if that's right.

Then we have cards from the representatives of the most burlyingest pennant winners ever (ok, it's possible), the 1993 Phillies.

1992 Opeechee Premier Lenny Dykstra (the catalyst of many various things, some good like runs and other bad like car accidents with long-haired catchers) and Ruben Amaro (the current GM, trying to get that right aggressive approach even during his playing days)

1994 Collector's Choice Kevin Stocker: showing the hustle that endeared him to hundreds of thousands. No, seriously I actually hoarded Kevin Stocker rookies and placed them in a safety deposit box at one point (there was nothing else in there, I was 12)

1993 Upper Deck Darren Daulton: I guess he should have tagged out the runner before throwing the ball away.

Next, we have modernesque Phillies in various uniforms.

1994 Collector's Choice Pete Incaviglia: showcasing the stylings and profilings of the 1933 Chuck Klein-led, Baker Bowl contingent.

1992 Topps Tyler Green: highlighting the pitching motion and knuckle curve grip that made him an all-star as a Wichita State Shocker.

1992 Topps Charlie Hayes giving homage to the Whiz Kids.

Then, there were some cards from unique brands from the deluge-era of the hobby (1996-2005)

1998 Pinnacle Mint Scott Rolen: This was a precursor to the floating swatches of the modern relic card era. This was a floating coin die-cut.

2003 Fleer Authentix Mini Pat Burrell: I hope whoever had that ticket did not take it. Row 70 does not exist in any section of any stadium that I know of.

Lastly, there are recent cards, including the shiny and not so shiny.

Behold the stoic countenance of the unflappable Brad Lidge in a 2009 Opeechee black border. If his eyes could stare right into a hitter's soul, what would they say to him?

2010 Topps Heritage Chrome Jimmy Rollins: This time he's not speaking. I think he's due for a bounceback year. It's the power of the diamond background.

2009 Topps Heritage Update Chrome JA Happ: He became Roy Oswalt, which just means he aged really quickly.

2007 Topps Heritage Clubhouse Collection Jimmy Rollins jersey: This is a great card, let's just leave it at that.

And so it comes to pass that the Troll distributeth (through a huge group break) and the contents be displayed for visual consumption. There are many more treasures to be stowed away as the Phillies red floods my credenza. So all hail the bounty of the Collective Troll!

Pyramid Contest Tier 3: Card Love, The Conclusion

2011-02-18T17:14:00.000-08:00

Thanks to all that expressed their love for a card (or cards) by posting. Here is a quick rundown of the entrants so that you can vote in the poll on the left sidebar.

(in order of appearance)
night owl
Night Owl writes about Chris Speier cards in the '70s and how it was the best run for a player during that time period.

cubsfan731
Cubsfan731 writes about a surprise from Pat Neshek....and it wasn't the TTM auto.

Milwaukee Southpaw
Milwaukee Southpaw writes about a '90s hunt for Griffey, a Griffey that ended being a tough pull.

dawgbones
Dawgbones wrote two entries. One about
the many different cards and card types that qualify for card love and the other about the card which sparked the collecting bug (though it was a painful moment depicted for Phillies fans).

Greg Z.
Greg writes about a vintage purchase of a favorite player that had eluded him for some time.

So please show the entrants your love and vote in the poll!

The top two votegetters receive the Stratomatic computer game and a free spot in the March group break (plus a few other things I can find). All entrants will receive something regardless, so everyone should e-mail me your address.

Blog Bat Around: Fixing 2011 Topps

2011-02-17T16:11:00.000-08:00

Up to the plate, I step.
The question is posed as follows:

Michael Eisner has just fired the entire Topps Product Development staff and chose to hire you to take their place. Mr. Eisner has given you carte blanche to do whatever you want with Topps Baseball -- as long as you keep it under $2/pack.

If you were in charge of Topps, and based upon what you've seen of 2011 Topps Baseball Series One, what (if anything) would you have done differently?

Design

I like the design and look of 2011 Topps. It may not reflect the majesty of the 60th anniversary edition that they're trying to project, and that's really the only problem. It is not memorable in its own right. Of course, being memorable for its own sake is not the only requirement of a good card design (see 2002 or 2008 Topps). Howver, it does feel a little 1997 Stadium Club-ish on the front to me. The back I wouldn't change too much, though the second photo is superfluous because it's a repeat of the front.

Base Set Layout

Two series plus a traded series are fine. 330 cards per series is also fine. What I would change is the content of the set. Was it really necessary to have a rookie cup card and regular base card for the all-star rookie team? I like the team cards and league leader cards as is (group the league leader cards together again). I would like to see postseason highlight cards again (at least one per postseason series). I think series 1 should be a recap of the previous year's season, so it's ok to not highlight team changes from the offseason. Series 2 should complement series 1 and make everything feel more complete and not leave any loose ends. Offseason team changes should be introduced here. The update series should be a standalone set (including inserts) and highlight in-season feats and personnel moves along with rookie call-ups.

Insert Sets

As a whole, I like insert sets. I also like having many insert sets, but not so many that there are up to three per pack. I would have used the Diamond Anniversary cards to replace the gold parallel cards for this year only. Inserts I would eliminate are Diamond Duos, History of Topps, and the retro card reprints. I would keep Topps 60 as an insert theme, but have the focus changed to not being about random statistical lists. I like the Kimball minis a lot, but I'm not sure if this is the right set to introduce them. This is a "wait 'till next year" call". The 60 years of Topps, if they weren;t on the heels of last year, are exactly the right type of idea. It shouldn't be in all 3 series though. The Lost Cards should stay and be expanded upon to include other modern subjects (A-Rod, Varitek, Bonds, etc). I would add one more insert set that would be inserted with obscenely high odds (one or two per case) and just be awesome looking.

Other Considerations

Hobby packs would be $1.99 for 11 cards (include the ToppsTown, but give an extra card). Jumbo packs with the same configuration.

I would eliminate the Target and Walmart exclusive parallel sets. They were cool in 2009 when they had specific blasters for them, but are now a nuisance.

I would eliminate autos from the base set except for a select few. All autos would be on-card and would be inserted three per jumbo case and one per hobby case. It would follow the 60 years of Topps theme with each member of the checklist having a different base design.

Relics can stay as is because it seems they're easy to pack out and create.

The wrapper redemption is an interesting idea, but it would be executed much better online. Each box would have a boxtopper with a scratch off code that you enter (it sounds so familiar). And each code would correspond to a pack number. If the code is invalid, then you can send the wrappers. The only downside is that it discourages not opening individual packs and collect the 36 at some point.

Also, I would redesign the Topps website, start a blog, Facebook page, and Twitter account all dedicated to the hype, promotions, pulls, and experiences associated with 2011 Topps, the anchor and driver of the last licensed manufacturer.