$30 a Week spent $15 on me -- and Packages Hit the Post Office

Okay, maybe it was more.  $30 a Week Habit is one of my favorite blogs to read, and Robert is one of the genuinely good people that populates the blogosphere.  I was very surprised when I received a package from him recently, and I was even more surprised with what the package contained:

Straight out of the box came a 2011 Topps Chrome insert called "Vintage Chrome" of Prince Fielder. It is a nice, shiny card that I did not have -- and those are the best kind!  Then, there is the relic from the 2008 Upper Deck Baseball Heroes set.

And these were the cards about which I was least excited.

Why?  Because the other cards in the envelope hit my "Primary Players."

For instance, that is a gen-u-wine Ryan Braun Rookie Card from Fleer Ultra in 2007 along with a gold parallel Bowman Braunie from 2011.

But, my favorite card from Robert was not even a card:

I find myself liking the old Braves players' cards and items more and more as I get more of the current or more modern cards. I think it's just the awe of having an item of Warren Spahn that is just cool to me.  Spahn was a legend before I even was born. I think that's the lure of the retired players showing up in sets -- the legends' cards just feel more special.

As long as we don't get so many of them that they become commonplace.

Robert, thank you very much for these cards and the Collect-A-Book.  I really appreciate these.

Finally, I promised that packages have gone to the Post Office.  The following Postal Codes should have cards showing up soon:

97213
26505
75227
35750
76126
16101
48910
...and a package for which I had to fill out a Customs Form.  In triplicate.

Have a great weekend and stay warm!

Walk (the Plank)

Last week, I received an unexpected package in the mail from Morgantown, West Virginia. Not being sure what I would be getting, I was kind of hoping for a t-shirt:

West Virginia University is known throughout the land for being the only Big-12 program (in a conference of 10 schools, mind you...) in the Eastern Time Zone.  It is also known for its rather incendiary sports celebrations. In particular, a big sports win inevitably means couches are burned.

For instance, back in the Big East, WVU won the championship in 2010.  Result?

Then, in 2012, WVU's first major Big 12 win came against the University of Texas Longhorns.  Result?

You get the picture.  

I feel for Matt at Bob Walk the Plank. He is an intelligent, anti-couch-burning sort who loves his university but hates the rioting that seems to follow every major WVU victory.  Not to mention the fact that it must be hard to collect paper items in a town where a burning couch could be around the next corner.

Perhaps that concern is the reason that Matt is so prolific in sending out top-quality cards to bloggers and other collectors alike.

I received three fantastic cards from him last week:

First off, there is a fancy 2014 Topps Chrome autograph from Jimmy Nelson, the man who is seen as ready to replace Yovani Gallardo in the rotation. This card is serial numbered 34 of 199 on the back.

Next, it's my first autograph -- certified or otherwise -- from Carlos Gomez. It's a Panini gray swatch and Yankee-esque uniform look serial numbered to 199.  Carlos apparently couldn't be bothered to write much more than two squiggles on his Panini sticker that generously might be identified as a C and a G.  But, from all impressions, that's his normal autograph.

Then, finally, there was a 2014 Stadium Club Jean Segura, serial numbered 5 of 50. The cool thing about this autograph -- in addition to it being on the card and not on a sticker and, also, in addition to it being one that Matt told me he pulled himself from a pack -- is the fact that you can actually see and feel the slight indentation of Segura's signature on the card. It's a little thing, but it certainly feels a bit closer to being "real" to me.  

I've mentioned somewhere along the line that I tend to find these pack-inserted autographs a bit cold at times because I didn't do anything to get them but buy the right pack -- or, here, know the generous Bob Walk the Plank proprietor.  That's just me, I think, but I enjoyed chasing autographs in person and without paying for them. 

Matt, thank you very much for the cards. And here's a little friendly advice:

Buy one of these.

JBF Generosity III: The Team Collection Cards

This is the third and final post about the cards that Jaybarkerfan sent to me in a Priority Mail box a week or so ago.  I would have posted this earlier, but I've been focusing on putting packages together for people to whom I've owed some cards for quite some time and for others who read my previous JBF post and made a request that I try to send them some cards.

Now, rather than riff on and on about all these cards, I'm going to do a word association game of sorts. I was inspired by Night Owl's ELO post -- taking songs from an album and putting cards with the songs -- but I'm doing it in reverse.  I'm going to post a card and then provide a link to a song that the card brings to mind and why.  I'm only going to post 5 cards though -- I want to get back to packaging up cards to send out!

1.  Chuck Carr, 1996 E-Motion XL

The Song: The Distance, Cake

Since the songs about race and my fantasy league opponents in the early 1990s pounded the stupid "Chuckie Race Carr" nickname into my head, the first song I thought of was "The Distance." Coincidentally, the song was released in 1996 as well.

2.  Rollie Fingers, 1985 Donruss Action All-Star

The Song: Instant Club Hit (You'll Dance to Anything), The Dead Milkmen.

Something about the border on this card reminded me of Max Headroom, synthesizers, and synthpop. But, Rollie is too upbeat for some dire song from the Miami Vice soundtrack or some Herbie Hancock mix-up. So, I went with a song from 1987 off the album "Bucky Fellini" that made me laugh on so many levels back in the 1980s and even today still makes me laugh. "You wear black clothes and you're poetic. The sad truth is you're just pathetic."

Classic.

3.  1990 Topps Traded Dave Parker

The Song: I'm Only Joking, KONGOS

The big smile on Parker's face makes it look to me that either he's checking out a woman in the stands, or else he just make a joke. My brain went with the second to pick out this song.  I'm convinced that this song by KONGOS would be a great song for a drumline from a big marching band to get their director to arrange and start wailing away on their bass drums, quad/quint toms, and snares.

4.  1995 Fleer Matt Mieske

The Song: Awful, Hole

There were a few things that popped into my head when looking at this card. I mean, it's a terrible angle for a card photo -- basically, Matt Mieske's ass takes up about half the card. But every song about butts that came to mind are essentially paeans to the glories of large female butts or about females shaking their butts in strip clubs (you know, E-40's "U and Dat" or the obvious Sir Mix-A-Lot "I Like Big Butts" or the crunk-a-licious Three Six Mafia "Shake My Ass").  But, this card photo is just awful. So, the Hole song of the same name works here.

5.  1982 Topps Ben Oglivie

The Song: On Top of the World, Imagine Dragons.

Because, after all, Brewers fans got as close to being on top of the world in 1982 as we have ever been.  Yes, a bit cliched to think this way, but that's where my head went.

JBF definitely filled my mailbox up -- and my Brewers binders up -- with the box he sent me. For that, I thank you.  And, I am putting a package together for you -- I know, surprise!

Jaybarkerfan's Generosity, Part II: The Rest of the Player Collections

This is part 2 of the package of cards and toys that I got from Jaybarkerfan. Today's post will breeze through the remainder of the player collection cards. 

A quick programming note -- I realized yesterday that, on Sunday, it was my blog's 1-year anniversary. I should do a big prize giveaway of sorts.  Instead, what I'm doing is trying to atone for my last several months where I was stuck in neutral mentally and didn't really do anything to pay back all the folks who sent me packages and didn't send out cards I was supposed to send out months ago.

I'm working on that. 

What I will say is this: if you want me to send you some cards, I will be glad to do it. Just comment below with whatever team you collect (or, better yet, send me an email with a wantlist), and I'll do my best to put a package together for you. I can't promise that I will send you cards you need, but I will definitely send you cards. If you can give me an idea of what you need, all the better.

Now, back to the regularly scheduled posting...

I know, when I first posted cards on Monday, I said there would be at least 4 posts. I realize now that I made a rookie -- not rookie of the year -- mistake: I sorted the cards I got from JBF into my Brewers collection before I scanned them all.  So, I have the player collection cards -- which get put away into their binders -- followed by the portion of the cards that go into my Brewers collection binders that exist (which is currently through 1995).

So, today is PC day here.

Charlie Moore

It's been a while since I added a card to the Charlie Moore collection. That's probably because there just are not that many Charlie Moore items available generally, and I have the vast majority of his cards covered already. In fact, I probably have this one in triplicate somewhere, but it was not in my Moore collection -- and, after all, he's number 22 above. It's also appropriate to lead off this post with another Southerner. Ben Sheets is a Louisianan, and Charlie is a Birmingham boy.

Speaking of Sheets and Southerners, here is a card that JBF sent to me that I needed for the Sheets collection:

Also speaking of people from states that many consider Southern -- or, at least, have a school in the Southeastern Conference (SEC! SEC!), here's Corey Hart:

Then, a guy who grew up in one sort-of Southern state (Florida) and attended college in another (Louisiana) -- Rickie Weeks:

Now the ties to the South get more tenuous.  Greg Vaughn played for the Devil Rays and spent some of his time in college at the University of Miami. He was, to be fair, a California guy.  

Okay, the rest of these guys really don't have any Southern ties, so let's just post the cards.

Iowa boy Cal Eldred, who apparently (according to the BR Bullpen) was nicknamed Corn Field for his Iowa roots:

Ted Higuera and Yovani Gallardo, both of whom grew up south of the border. That's not really Southern, though Southern states such as Texas, Georgia, and Florida have tons of immigrants from Mexico.

Paul Molitor, another Midwestern guy like Eldred:

Just as with Mexico, Puerto Rico is a bit too far south to be Southern.  But I like Jose Valentin all the same, thank you.

Prince Fielder, who has spent more time on the disabled list in the South than any of the other guys on this list:

Southern California is nearly the antithesis of the South when it comes to politics, even if Atlanta is stealing the TV and movie industry right out from under Los Angeles's nose as some sort of zombie apocalypse.  But it produced both Geoff Jenkins...

...and the top Brewer of them all, Robin Yount.

JBF's mega-box was my first opportunity to see in person the Topps High Tek cards in the form of this Robin Yount card and one other card:

Not that you can tell it is different from the normal NL pattern for Topps High Tek, but this is an "ice diffractor" and, accordingly, is serial numbered to 75. It's a weird card in a lot of respects -- it looks like a giant snowball is about to engulf Segura.

The final PC card was another Segura, and it is a much more attractive card:

I'll take high quality photos from Stadium Club -- even with the lazy repetition of the head shots from the Topps Heritage set on the back -- over that weird acetate thing any day.  

Yes, all you children. Get your collective selves off the greenery in front of my home.

One final JBF Generosity post -- this time of the cards for the team collection that I didn't file already -- to come.  Thanks again, JBF!

Jaybarkerfan's Generosity

It's dangerous to stereotype, but in my life I have found that Southerners tend to be generous people. Some are more generous than others, and some of the worst behavior on the planet is exhibited in certain reality shows based in Georgia (yes, Honey Boo Boo and Real Housewives of Atlanta....I mean you). But, when you get down to it, true Southerners will give you the shirt off their back and off their kids' backs if you were truly in need.

In the blogging world, there are plenty of us who live in the Southeast. I know of at least three bloggers who live in the Atlanta area alone. It is not a stretch, though, to say that the man who is truest to the sense of generosity about which I am speaking is Jaybarkerfan -- the man from Hazel Green.  Indeed, JBF was named the blogosphere's most generous blogger at A Cardboard Problem in the Bip Awards, so it's not just my opinion.

I was surprised last week when I saw my ZIP Code on the massive list of packages that JBF sent out after he used his own vacation time to send out cards. I was thankful, but surprised.

This post contains some of the highlights from the package.  Like this highlight:

That was a weird little addition to my collection. It is a 1-inch tall figurine of Ben Sheets from a game called MLB SportsClix from WizKids Games. Made in conjunction with Topps, this game company is no longer around and can be found only by going through the Wayback Machine on Archive.Org. I found a decent amount of information at Board Game Geek as well about the game.  

To give you a feel for the number of cards that JBF set me along with that little Ben, here's another photo:

It was a typical JBF package, I suppose -- a priority mail box filled with about 6 or 8 team bags.  

The box featured a ton of cards that I needed for my Brewers team collection. I'll may show some of those here, but I'm going to focus on that right stack above -- because that stack are all the cards I needed for my player collections!

Let's start with the player who had the most cards and the biggest hit in the box: Ryan Braun.

Yes, it was an unlicensed hit, but any card that is serial numbered to 25 and has a big swatch like that on it is a hit I will take every day. 

The first one of these celebration cards from 2011 I got went into the Carlos Gomez collection because he's featured most prominently. This one goes in Braun, the next one goes in the Hart collection, and one last one goes in the team set.  

I get a bit obsessive at times with my collection's organization. When I organize my player collections, I sort them between the "major releases" and "oddballs & parallels".  Yes, it can take away from that rainbow effect you get with 12 different parallels, but it works for me. One thing I hate doing, though, is moving cards more than once in a binder. So, I put little blue squares of paper with the set year, name, and card number written on it as a placeholder. 

This 2008 season documentary set nearly killed me when writing those little squares out.

Unlicensed cartoon madness.  All it needs is a visual sound effect a la the Adam West Batman series from the 1960s.

That's better.

These two cards reminded me how good a pure, full-bleed, top quality photo can look on a baseball card. Even if they were probably taken on the same day, these two cards are just excellent.

More tomorrow, because this package has so much in it that I can't put all of it in just one, or two, or even three posts!

The Cat Expresses His Views on Cards

A very short post today, as I try to put together the posts to do justice to a massive box that arrived earlier this week.

My cat Gus loves jumping on things and getting off the floor. He loves to climb on the vanities in the bathroom, on our cedar chest, on the chair next to my desk, on my desk -- you name it, he will climb up on it.

Here he is, for example, staring at me from the corner of my desk:

Recently, he's taken to jumping on my card sorting table in my office. Most of the time, he does a circuit past my cards that are sorted there and jumps right back down to the floor.  Other times, though, he just stays there for a while.

A couple of days ago, he jumped up on the table and took a seat.  As he did it, he started staring at some of the stacks of cards there.

No more than 10 seconds later, he took a swing at some cards and knocked a stack of them over.

The odd thing is that he only ever goes after one year's cards when he wants to knock cards over. It doesn't matter where the cards are on the table -- I've moved the stack around a few times.

He just (apparently) HATES 2014 cards.

It's like he's read the blogs and our complaints about them!

The Other Half of the Cracked Bat

After yesterday's celebratory post, it's time to get back to the nitty gritty for me as a baseball card blogger -- talking about and posting cards that another person was generous enough to send my way.  As I mentioned Sunday, Julie from A Cracked Bat showed her true colors and giving spirit in sending me a 100-card box through the mail packed with Brewers. 

Today's cards are the ones that don't fall into one of my player collections. Julie does a great job of sending cards I need, so now I just have to make sure I've kept my spreadsheets up to date!

Let's see what's here and if there is any inspiration that comes to me for these cards.

And it begins.  This one deserves its own song, I think. I mean, doesn't a plain blue swatch of an event-worn workout jersey deserve that? 

Well, according to the Popsugar website, the second best workout song for 2014 is a song that I really do enjoy a great deal:

In fact, I've probably posted it here before. It's that catchy to me.  Maybe it's because I've actually been to Pompeii...

Back on task now.  

Two minis and a shiny Chrome Nyjer Morgan.  I'm not sure really what led Michael Baumann on Grantland to write this tall tale called "The Legend of Tony Plush", but it's enough to get Morgan featured here.  

Carlos Lee was a strange addition in many ways for the Brewers. They sent Scott Podsednik to the White Sox for Lee and hoped to sign Lee to a longer term contract in the 2006 season. Now, getting rid of Podsednik was a great move -- scrap heap waiver fodder traded for Carlos Lee? Yes please.  But, then the Brewers couldn't sign Lee to an extension. So, they traded Lee to the Rangers for Francisco Cordero, Kevin Mench, and Laynce Nix. And, for the right to get two outfielders who sucked but whom Doug Melvin knew, the Brewers not only sent Lee away, but also some minor leaguer named Nelson Cruz. 

Yes, the guy who led the AL in homers last year.

Okay, I understand that not every trade works out, but even then I thought that was a bad trade.  

Time to move on.

Finally, Julie sent me the Brewers future.  The 2014 draft in its early returns appears to be a good one for the Brewers. Medeiros is a high school pitcher out of Hawaii who was the first-round pick because he could be signed below slot and other slot money could go to others. In fairness, he was a legitimate first round pick -- a mid-90s fastball and his slider was called by one website as having the potential to be the best breaking ball in the 2014 draft.

Keeping his slot number low allowed the Brewers to take a shot in the second round with the 50th pick on a guy that is just a pure athlete -- Monte Harrison. He gave up a scholarship to play football at Nebraska to sign with Milwaukee. I hope Harrison can keep up his batting eye that he showed off in rookie ball in Arizona last summer -- a .402 OBP (.261 AVG) along with 32 steals in 34 attempts is really impressive for a guy who may appear at first to be really toolsy and not necessarily the equivalent of a gym rat in baseball. I'd love to see Harrison move up reasonably quickly and keep up the OBP. He has time, certainly, but he could be a star.
  
Jacob Gatewood actually was a higher draft pick than Monte Harrison -- he was 41st overall, technically still a first rounder. Where Harrison shone in Arizona, Gatewood struggled -- 13 BB and 71 Ks in 222 plate appearances, .206/.249/.279 slash line. Gatewood is a huge guy to be playing shortstop -- 6'5" tall at short? really? -- so I have to think he needs to hit more and will shift to third or first to move up. We'll see.

Troy Stokes was another high schooler drafted by the Brewers in 2014 -- in the fourth round of the draft. He was more of a poor man's Harrison in many respects -- good OBP (.363), 19 steals in 22 attempts, not a lot of pop in Arizona. Here's hoping he keeps that up and keeps developing.

Finally, Dustin DeMuth was the Brewers 5th round pick out of Indiana University. Chalk this pick up somewhat to saving some slot money again, because DeMuth was a college senior and out of eligibility. He hit very well in the Pioneer League in Helena -- as a college player should -- but then struggled in a short cameo in the Midwest League. He's 23 years old already, so I would expect him to be promoted reasonably aggressively if he shows that he can handle the Midwest League in the first half of the year.

All of these cards came from the Bowman Draft Picks and Prospects set that came out in the fall. While I'm not a prospector along the lines of Zippy Zappy, I do like to keep up with the Brewers farm system. Considering how bereft the team's minor league system is of talent at this point -- literally the only guy in the Brewers system to make any of the prospect lists as of late was Orlando Arcia with Tyrone Taylor a close second -- there is a lot of hope that the 2014 Draft helped restock the cupboards a bit (along with the Gallardo trade).

Julie sent me a bunch of other cards as well that I needed, but these were the highlights. Many thanks to you, Julie, for the great package.