Merry Christmas To All!

Hey all!  Just wanted to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas!

(I've said it before and I'll say it again - why didn't anyone ever tell me that these ornament cards existed?!?  :-D )

Diamond Sparkle SPs - Finally An Answer!

Ever since I first saw one of these "Diamond Sparkle" short prints I've been wondering if the sparkle is something shiny or just part of the image.  I could never get an answer at my local card shop, so when I saw my current favorite Brewer had one of these cards I decided to go out and get the answer for myself.  The latest addition to my Brewer binder:

It only took me all year, but now I know that the sparkle doesn't actually sparkle.  This means I might have easily missed one while busting packs.  Great, now I'm going to have to go through all my Topps base cards from this year...

Previous Trivia Question:

 

What franchise became the first team to lose 10,000 games in 2007?

 

A: The Philadelphia Phillies recorded their 10,000th loss with a 10-2 drubbing by the Cardinals.  To be fair, the franchise has been around since 1883, so it shouldn't be surprising that they have lost that many games.

 

Today's Trivia Question:

 

Who delivered the famous "The Giants win the pennant!" radio call for Bobby Thomson's "Shot Heard 'Round the World"?

A Platinum Diamond Griffey!....Sort of....

One of my biggest disappointments in 2011 was the fact that Topps introduced a card design that immediately became one of my all-time favorites - the Platinum Diamonds along with the various parallel colors - and they did it the frickin' year after Griffey retires, so there isn't a single Griffey to be found in the entire damn set....

(As an aside, what is the rule on when a retired player can start appearing in sets again?  This year's Topps set had SP cards of players like Frank Thomas and Paul O'Neill, but not a single Griffey, not even in insert sets.  I miss that feeling of excitement from seeing my boy in a freshly opened pack!!)

However, I was able to score a small victory with the acquisition of a Griffey that is kind of like a Platinum Diamond.  I recently discovered the 1993 Topps Mini Prism cards, and they almost look like a precursor to the Platinum Diamond design. The Mini Prisms were found in the 1993 Topps Mini factory sets; there were 12 Prisms per box.  Luckily I was able to locate the Griffey from that set on eBay.

These cards are really very cool, and not just because they are sparkly.  You might have noticed that the quality of the image isn't that great - well, there's a reason for that.  Back in 1993, when they said "mini" card, dammit, they meant MINI!:

Yep, that is the 1993 Griffey Prism resting on top of the Hank Aaron from this year's Kimball Champions mini set.  The small Aaron card still manages to dwarf the Griffey Prism by comparison!  Quite a neat (and tiny) addition to my Griffey Collection.

Previous Trivia Question:

 

Through the 2011 season there have been 107 World Series - how many were won by the National League?

 

A:  The National League has won 45 out of 107 World Series titles

 

Today's Trivia Question:

 

What franchise became the first team to lose 10,000 games in 2007?

The Great Big Cat Safari - Ocelot Captured~!

About a month ago I announced the start of The Great Big Cat Safari - my quest to collect all of the cats in the 2011 UD Goodwin Animal Kingdom set.  I've added a page to track the collection (see the right side of the page), and today we are announcing the second addition to the set, the Ocelot!:

The Ocelot is found in South and Central America.  As you can see, they resemble a smaller version of the Jaguar, weighing between 18 and 40 pounds.  They are nocturnal and fiercely territorial, sometimes fighting to the death.  They frequently spend their days up in trees, that is of course until it is time to deliver death from above.  They dine on various small mammals, reptiles, birds and fish.  In captivity they can live as long as 20 years.

In addition to capturing the Ocelot, there was a recent Sabre-Toothed Cat sighting on eBay.  This is of course the rarest of all the cats, and I assumed it might be a bit pricey.  The list price on the auction? - $3,000 or best offer.  I'll let Geoff Peterson sum up my reaction.  Geoff?....

Thank you, Geoff.

Now I know that just because it is listed for $3000 doesn't mean that it's really worth that, but still, not a good sign for my chances of adding that one to the collection.

Trade with Play at the Plate

This morning I finally got to do some long overdue card scanning, several posts worth in fact.  For starters, the cards I got from Brian at Play at the Plate.  I sent him an assortment of Texas Rangers a while back, and a couple weeks later I received a nice package in return - a group of Platinum Diamonds!

This lot pushes my total Platinum Diamond collection over 400!  Thanks a lot Brian!

Previous  Trivia Question:

What is the record for most home wins in a single season by one team?

 

A: The 1961 New York Yankees won 65 out of 81 home games.  The 1975 Cincinnati Reds own the National League record with 64 home wins.

 

Today's Trivia Question:

 

Through the 2011 season there have been 107 World Series - how many were won by the National League?

Say it ain't so, Braunie.

This just blows on so many levels.....
After so many years out in the baseball desert my team had finally struck gold - we drafted a superstar player that produced big time from day one, seemed to actually like Milwaukee, and took less money to remain a lifetime Brewer.  Not only that, after getting his super long-term deal the guy actually goes out and has his best season yet and wins the NL MVP award.

And now, no matter the outcome, Ryan Braun is going to have questions following him for the rest of his career.

Like I said, this SUCKS.

For now I'm holding on to the slim hope that there is an actual, legitimate excuse for the positive test.  They are reporting that Braun immediately requested a retest when he learned he tested positive and that result came up negative, which is a good sign.  Plus it seems weird that his people would immediately come out so strongly saying that there are "highly unusual circumstances surrounding this case."  Granted, you wouldn't expect them to be like "Yeah, he did it," but the choice of words seems odd.

On the downside, it is hard to ignore that Braun's people used that famous qualifier word in their defense, that Braun "didn't KNOWINGLY" take any banned substance.  And as Michael Hunt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel noted - "There is also this sobering statistic about those who appeal positive tests - no player has overturned a positive drug test through arbitration."  The deck is already stacked against players in terms of proving no negligence of any kind (and I agree it should be that way), but in Braun's case the hurdle may be impossible to beat because you know the Commissioner is going to want to avoid any apparent conflict of interest and accusations of favoring his old team.

It's times like these that I'm glad my childhood hero's career took a normal path.  As painful as it was to watch the frequent injuries and rapid decline in Griffey's skills at the end, at least I knew that was how your body is supposed to act after 20 years of playing pro ball.  To me it confirmed that he did things the right way.

(sigh)....Go Pack Go....

Any Other Sticker Collectors Out There??

Hey everybody - I went a little overboard on the sticker nostalgia this year and started collecting both the Topps MLB Stickers and the Panini NFL Stickers.  I've accumulated a nice stack of doubles and am looking for trading partners to help finish the books.  Anyone that is interested just comment below and let's help each other out!

Cool New Griffey - 1995 Studio Gold Credit Card

My fiance recently gave me a surprise gift of cards - the entire 50-card set of 1995 Studio Gold Credit Cards!  I had never even heard of these before, but they are very cool.

As you can see, the card is designed to look just like a real credit card, complete with plastic card stock, embossed lettering, a hologram of the team logo, and a "signature" on the back.  The American and National League logos in the background are a nice touch.

Here are a couple more examples:

Apparently the first 25 cards of the set have Platinum versions as well - I'll most definitely be picking up the Griffey!  If you collect any of the players on the checklist below, I would highly recommend picking up their card.  It will make a unique addition to your player collection!

1 Frank Thomas
2 Jeff Bagwell
3 Don Mattingly
4 Mike Piazza
5 Ken Griffey Jr.
6 Greg Maddux
7 Barry Bonds
8 Cal Ripken
9 Jose Canseco
10 Paul Molitor
11 Kenny Lofton
12 Will Clark
13 Tim Salmon
14 Joe Carter
15 Albert Belle
16 Roger Clemens
17 Roberto Alomar
18 Alex Rodriguez
19 Raul Mondesi
20 Deion Sanders
21 Juan Gonzalez
22 Kirby Puckett
23 Fred McGriff
24 Matt Williams
25 Tony Gwynn
26 Cliff Floyd
27 Travis Fryman
28 Shawn Green
29 Mike Mussina
30 Bob Hamelin
31 David Justice
32 Manny Ramirez
33 David Cone
34 Marquis Grissom
35 Moises Alou
36 Carlos Baerga
37 Barry Larkin
38 Robin Ventura
39 Mo Vaughn
40 Jeffrey Hammonds
41 Ozzie Smith
42 Andres Galarraga
43 Carlos Delgado
44 Lenny Dykstra
45 Cecil Fielder
46 Wade Boggs
47 Gregg Jefferies
48 Randy Johnson
49 Rafael Palmeiro
50 Craig Biggio

Previous  Trivia Question:

In 2010 the Colorado Rockies set a record for hits by consecutive batters while playing against the Chicago Cubs. How many batters in a row notched a hit?

 

Answer: The Rockies racked up 11 consecutive hits versus the Cubs.

 

Today's Trivia Question:

 

What is the record for most home wins in a single season by one team?

Common Cards, Uncommon Photography II

It's back!! A while ago I did a post highlighting the great photography on the run of the mill cards that often get overlooked in our search for big hits.  I intended to make it a regular feature of the blog, and I have been setting aside a nice stack of cards that fit the bill.  Today I finally got around to scanning some of them.  I figure I'll do these in groups of nine - that way I can fill up a page and put them in a binder, so I'll know not to use those cards again in a future post.  Now on to the cards!

1989 Upper Deck Kent Tekulve #207:

When I saw the this card all I could I think of was Professor Farnsworth from Futurama.  The awkward body contortion, the look on his face, the glasses - it's too perfect.  "Good news, everyone!!"




1992 Donruss Triple Play Marquis Grissom #47:

A shot straight out of the movie Major League.  You can just see Marquis thinking "Shit, that's 20 pushups...."

1998 Topps Stadium Club Jay Buhner #20:

Buhner shows some decent hops on this attempt at saving a home run.  As a fan and collector it would be so cool to get immortalized on a baseball card the way that fan trying to catch the ball is on this card.  I'll take anything I can get when it comes to getting my face on cardboard!

1999 Fleer Tradition Mike Cameron #409:

 Mike Cameron clearly outdoes Buhner in the wall climbing department.  Awesome timing by the photographer to capture him at full extension.

1999 Fleer Ultra Andruw Jones #25:

The last two were good, but Jones takes the cake with this effort.  Is he man or Spider-man?!?!?

1997 Topps Troy O'Leary #54:

Looks like the pitcher gave ol' Troy a little chin music!

1998 UD Collector's Choice Eduardo Perez #72:

Eduardo showed up in my first "Uncommon Photography" post too.  I love cards like this that show multiple images in one shot.  Looks like he made a great catch!

1999 Fleer Tradition Jason Kendall #169:

A beautiful photo here.  The dirt kicking up and Kendall's helmet flying off look great.

1989 Upper Deck Jerry Reed #529:

We started the day with 1989 Upper Deck and now we come full circle.  "This next pitch is going to be delicious!!"

Previous Trivia Question:

What is the record for most triples in a single season?

 

Answer:  John "Chief" Wilson led the league with 36 triples as a member of the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1912.  That same season he set another record by tripling in 5 consecutive games from June 17-20!

 

Today's Trivia Question:

 

In 2010 the Colorado Rockies set a record for hits by consecutive batters while playing against the Chicago Cubs.  How many batters in a row notched a hit?

 

The Great Big Cat Safari Begins~!

I recently posted about how I stumbled across the Animal Kingdom patches from this year's UD Goodwin set and immediately fell in love with the cards.  What got me most excited as I went down the list was how many cats there were, as the big cats have always been my absolute favorite animals at the Zoo because they're just so badass.  I immediately decided that collecting all of the cats from the Animal Kingdom set would have to be the newest quest here on the blog.

A quick perusal of the list revealed that 10 of the 100 cards in the set were cats.  Unless of course one of those more obscure animals turned out to be of the feline persuasion, but what are the chances of that?....

Oh....so THAT'S what a Margay is.....

OK, make that ELEVEN cats on the list.

For those of you unfamiliar with the set, the rarity of the cards is determined by the endangeredness of the animal.  Here are the cats:

"Least Concern" Category:
AK-6 - Cougar
AK-11 - Ocelot
AK-24 - Jaguarundi

"Not Threatened" Category:
AK-62 - Sand Cat
AK-63 - Margay

"Vulnerable" Category:
AK-68 - Cheetah
AK-75 - African Lion

"Endangered" Category:
AK-81 - Snow Leopard
AK-82 - Bengal Tiger

"Extinct" Category:
AK-98 - Sabre-Toothed Cat

What's that you say?  That's only 10?  Well that's because today I am also revealing the first capture of the Big Cat Safari.  From the "Least Concern" Category, #AK-54 - the Eurasian Lynx~!









These tough mothas are native to the forests of Europe and Siberia, and also parts of South and East Asia.  They typically weigh 40-65 pounds, but the Siberian variety can get up to nearly 100 pounds.  They have a reddish-brown coat in the summer that grows thicker and turns silver-gray or silver-brown in the winter months.  They have webbed and furred paws that act like snowshoes, so you're totally screwed if you're trying to run through snow to get away from one.

So mark one off the list!  I'm not sure I'll ever be able to get all 11, as I don't know how many Sabre-Toothed Cats they even printed but I'm sure it is very few, but I hope to add as many as I can slowly over time as they show up on eBay at good prices.  Of course any of you reading this who might have one of the cats (or any of the Animal Kingdom cards, for that matter) can always hit me up for a trade!

Topps Diamond Giveaway Trapped In Time

Just a quickie post to vent some frustration - I got a jumbo box of Topps Update as a birthday gift, plus I had recently bought a few packs myself, so I was sitting on about 14 code cards while waiting for the Topps Diamond Giveaway site to finally start working again.  Once the site was back up I entered 3-4 codes, and every single one of my cards was from the 1973 Topps set. I waited a few hours and entered two more - 1973 Topps again!  I waited several more hours and entered another code - STILL 1973 Topps!! I've been watching the "Recently Redeemed Cards" list on the right side of the page ever since, and every single card that pops up is 1973 Topps.  WTF?!?!?

Trade with Juust a Bit Outside

Kyle from Juust a Bit Outside contacted me out of the blue about a possible trade a few weeks back.  I just realized today that I never finalized my post about our trade, so here it is!  He sent over a handful of cards I needed off of my want lists.

First, some assorted 2011 Topps Series 2:

Second, he included a few Heritage cards, including a Babe Ruth Special:

I'm nearly done with the non-SP base set for Heritage.  I'd still like to get all the SPs as well, but that's going to take a while longer.

Thanks Kyle!

Three New Additions to the Griffey Collection

First off, a quick plug for Kyle over at Juust a Bit Outside - he's having an 8-box break spanning 30 years of baseball cards.  Check it out, lots of teams still available!

I recently gave the Griffey list an overdue update - I'm up to 658 total cards!  Here are a few very cool cards I've added in the past couple weeks.

1996 Studio Stained Glass Stars

This is a very neat looking card - the Mariners logo and colored "stained glass" sections are translucent.  I couldn't believe that I had never heard of this insert set before - Jo actually got this for me off of eBay as a gift. If I had known this card was out there I would have tracked it down years ago!

2002 Upper Deck Bat Around Quad Game-Used Bat Card

Another gift from Jo.  She got it at a very good price too!  I believe this is just the fourth game-used memorabilia card added to my Griffey collection.  The problem with collecting a sure-fire HoFer is that his relic cards are a bit more pricey, or at least they certainly were back in the day before jersey swatches and bat pieces flooded the market.

1994 UD Collector's Choice Home Run All-Stars Hologram

I'm a sucker for holograms.  Anytime I see one for Griffey that is an automatic purchase for me.  This one is especially cool because the hologram shows Griffey right in the middle of that sweet swing!

Previous Trivia Question:

 

What team was the first to feature 3 players that hit 40 home runs? (Hint: it was in 1973.)

 

A: The Atlanta Braves got over 40 homers each from Davey Johnson (43), Darrell Evans (41) and Hank Aaron (40).  This feat has been matched only two other times  - by the 1996 and 1997 Colorado Rockies.

 

Today's Trivia Question:

 

What is the record for most triples in a single season?

Contest Winner Announcement

Time to announce the first ever contest winner at the blog.  But first we'll reveal the player on the card:

He's a Hall of Fame inductee.....



















He holds the record for most career 3-Home Run games with 6.....



















He played for the St. Louis Cardinals, New York Giants and New York Yankees, winning 5 World Series titles while with the Yankees from 1949-1953.......
































He's Johnny Mize!

No one guessed Mr. Mize, so I had to randomize the winner:

Congrats to The Lost Collector!  I will contact you shortly sbout sending out your prize.  Thanks to all who entered the contest, and thanks again for reading!  I look forward to another fun year here at the blog.  :)

Blog Anniversary and CONTEST~!

Today marks the 1-Year Anniversary of my first blog post!  Definitely one of my better decisions, as it has been a lot of fun being part of the blogosphere.

I decided to mark the occasion by doing my first ever contest.  I'm taking a cue from Play at the Plate and keeping things nice and simple:  I recently pulled one of the Black Glove Leather parallels (#ed to 99) from a jumbo pack of Topps Update.  All you have to do is guess the player I pulled and you win the card, plus some cards from your favorite team/player, whatever I can pull together.

Pictured:  NOT the correct guess.

The contest will remain open to guesses until Noon on Saturday, with the winner announced Saturday afternoon.  If no one guesses correctly I'll pick a winner at random.  No, I haven't talked about this card in a previous post, so don't bother looking.  Cheaters. :)

If you post the contest on your blog you can have a second guess, just include the link to your post in your comment.

Here is the checklist for the Update series:
MGL-JD Joe DiMaggio
MGL-RJ Reggie Jackson
MGL-MC Miguel Cabrera
MGL-JW Jayson Werth
MGL-RH Rogers Hornsby
MGL-MS Max Scherzer
MGL-KY Kevin Youkilis
MGL-JM Johnny Mize
MGL-BW Brian Wilson
MGL-RHE Rickey Henderson
MGL-MP Michael Pineda
MGL-BB Brandon Belt
MGL-TN Tsuyoshi Nishioka
MGL-DD Danny Duffy
MGL-JMO Joe Morgan
MGL-NR Nolan Ryan
MGL-CF Carlton Fisk
MGL-AD Andre Dawson
MGL-TS Tom Seaver
MGL-BR Babe Ruth
MGL-TH Travis Hafner
MGL-EH Eric Hosmer
MGL-JS James Shields
MGL-ZB Zach Britton
MGL-PWR Pee Wee Reese
MGL-OS Ozzie Smith
MGL-NRY Nolan Ryan
MGL-ADU Adam Dunn
MGL-HA Hank Aaron
MGL-JWE Jered Weaver
MGL-JF Jimmie Foxx
MGL-FT Frank Thomas
MGL-RJA Reggie Jackson
MGL-JB Jose Bautista
MGL-NOR Nolan Ryan
MGL-WM Willie McCovey
MGL-BZ Ben Zobrist
MGL-LA Luis Aparicio
MGL-CH Cole Hamels
MGL-FJ Fergie Jenkins
MGL-FR Frank Robinson
MGL-AR Alex Rodriguez
MGL-PM Paul Molitor
MGL-JSA Jerry Sands
MGL-MK Matt Kemp
MGL-ARO Alex Rodriguez
MGL-JT Julio Teheran
MGL-DS Duke Snider
MGL-LB Lance Berkman
MGL-RA Roberto Alomar

Good luck, and thanks for reading!!

Catching Up on Pack Wars Part 2 - Hits Galore~!

My last post detailed some of the many autos and patches I pulled at the last couple Pack Wars events I attended, but there's still a lot more to show!  Without further ado....

2011 Topps Update Willie McCovey Leather Nameplate

I'm still not a big fan of these leather nameplate cards, but it is always nice to pull a hit of a HoFer!

2011 Topps Finest Kyle Rudolph Patch Auto

This is a sweet looking card.  Very shiny and refractor-y, and numbered to just 75.  That patch is one of the best ones I've ever pulled.  Too bad it is for one of those dirty, dirty Vikings!  :)

2011 Topps Prime Kendall Hunter Quad Patch Auto

This is another very sharp looking card.  It's nice to know there are actually 4 jersey swatches in there.

1970 Topps NY Mets World Champions card

I won this card in a price challenge.  The Amazin' Mets make a very cool addition to my collection!

2011 Topps Prime Mark Ingram/Marcell Dareus Dual Patch

Another very attractive card, and some good rookies to boot!  The Ingram patch looks like it must have comes off a jersey sleeve - always nice to get something a little different.

2011 Topps Rising Rookies Cecil Shorts Auto Patch

I love the NFL Draft patch embedded in this card.  A nice looking signature too.  Shorts was drafted in the 4th round by the Jaguars and was considered one of the better WR prospects in the draft.  Thus far he has worked mainly as a return specialist.

2011 Panini Threads Nick Fairley Jersey Letter

This is my first ever jersey letter card.  Oddly enough, this was the only card in the pack - as soon as the store owner handed it to me I knew I had something good!  Fairley was the 13th overall pick in the draft, though unfortunately he has played sparingly thus far thanks to injuries.

2011 Topps Update Placido Polanco All Star Jersey patch

It's pretty cool that Topps is able to get patches from this year's all-star game into the Update series.  The one thing I don't like is that the picture is kind of blurry.  I think Polanco is one of the more underrated players of the past decade.

2011 Topps Heritage Minor League Bryce Harper Patch

And finally, my last card is this nice pull of the hottest prospect going!

Whew!  That was a lot of scans!  I can only hope my next trip to Pack Wars is anywhere near as successful as the last two.

Previous Trivia Question:

 

Staying on the topic of Gold Gloves, Rafael Palmiero won the award at first base in 1999 in a controversial selection. How many games did he play at first base that season?

 

A: Palmiero appeared at first base in just 28 games that season.

 

Today's Trivia Question:

 

What team was the first to feature 3 players that hit 40 home runs? (Hint: it was in 1973.)

Catching Up on Pack Wars Part 1 - Hits Galore~!

I've been to two Pack Wars events at my local card store in the past few months, but never got the chance to post all the goodies I pulled.  There aren't too many big names, but lots of cool cards nonetheless. 

As an aside, I must say I'm very lucky that my other half is also into card collecting, because she has luck like I've never seen when it comes to pulling the hits.  I'm lucky to get one or two when I'm cracking packs, but when she's the one choosing the packs we seem to get stuff left and right!  We seem to have developed a good system for Pack Wars - she picks the packs, and I pay.  ;)

Anyway, on to the pics!

2011 Topps Lineage Michael Morse Auto

Morse is coming off a breakout season with the Nationals.  The 1952 Topps-style box is nice.

2011 TNA Signature Impact Sting/Rob Van Dam Dual Auto

This TNA product is one of the best around for hits - they promise something like 7 hits per box, and they're not stingy with the autos!  If you're a wrestling fan, it's a lot of fun to crack packs of this set.  This was a particularly nice pull, with 2 bigger stars.  I love RVD's autograph!

2011 TNA Signature Impact Samoa Joe Auto

It's really a shame that TNA has booked Joe so horribly.  He could be such a fun guy to watch if they used him right...

2011 TNA Signature Impact Orlando Jordan Auto

Well, they can't all be good....

2011 Topps Marquee Andre Ethier Auto/Patch

For the first time ever I decided to splurge on an expensive pack.  The Marquee packs were going for $40, and this was my hit.  Not a bad pull, though not one that got me terribly excited either.  I wish the jersey swatches weren't so plain, but then I suppose the Dodger uniforms are pretty basic.

I did pull a couple other interesting cards from my Marquee pack - a Brewer base card (Grienke) and also this serial numbered Babe Ruth:

2011 Topps Heritage Minor League Blake Tekotte Auto

Tekotte was drafted in the 3rd round by the Padres in the 2008 draft.  He spent the year at AA San Antonio and had a pretty solid season, batting .285 with 19 HRs, 67 RBIs, 77 runs and 36 stolen bases.

Robert Parish Rookie Card

I got this card by winning a price challenge.  It figures - I miss so many chances at baseball cards that I would love to have, but of course I get this one since I have no interest in basketball cards.  Definitely available for trade!

2011 UD Goodwin Brittany Lincicome Auto

I was just thinking about how I didn't have enough female golfers in my collection.

2011 Topps 60 Robinson Cano Patch

The last one for today is this nice jersey patch of Cano.  I like the Topps 60 patch cards a lot more than the Peak Performance cards from last year.

There's still a lot more to come, so tune in for the next post!

Previous Trivia Question:

Who owns the record for most Gold Glove awards?

A: Greg Maddux holds the all-time Gold Glove record with 18.

Today's Trivia Question:

Staying on the topic of Gold Gloves, Rafael Palmiero won the award at first base in 1999 in a controversial selection. How many games did he play at first base that season?