Ginter madness!!!

Ah, Allen & Ginter. Every year it causes baseball card collectors to froth from the mouth. Or at least it used to. I've been away for awhile. Does it still have that effect?

Anyway. I recently have started to go back through my binders and update my want lists. Seriously, it's been years since I've done so. Neglect, malaise, and of course, laziness have all contributed. So I started with Ginter. I figured that would be a nice easy transition than Topps' base stes with their bajillion inserts, parallels and variations. And short print variations with coloured borders and different backs. With serial numbers.

Ugh.

I purchased a few new cards online to fill in some holes in my binder. Still a ways to go. I thought I'd share a few here.

2006 Mike Kelly. Looking at my lists all these years, I thought it was this Mike Kelly. Imagine my surprise.

 2017 - Mr. Aaron. An outstanding looking card.

 2012 - Mr. Aaron again. You may be asking why, if I'm only showing a few cards, would I show Hank Aaron twice? Because he's the Hammer. Silly question.

 2017 Bartolo Colon. Great googily moogily. Look at the gloriousness of that card! Who doesn't want to see that bust in Cooperstown? (Yeah, I know, busts are in Canton for the NFL. But Bartolo here gets special dispensation.)

 2014 Crimedog!!!! One of my all time underrated players. The man needs some respect.

 2007 Big Bad Bob Wickman.

When he was acquired by the Braves in the late summer of '06, Bobby Cox nearly pitched his arm off. (Wickman was 37 at the time) Bobby went to him and apologized and told Wickman he could have the day off. Wickman told Bobby, I'm 37 years old and don't have a lot of time left. I'll rest when I'm dead.
That's my kind of ball player.

Should any of you have any Ginter lying around that I might need, throw me a line. I probably won't have much to swap back... but you never know.

Allen & Ginter want lists

Who's in for Ginter this year???????????? July is coming fast!

The benefit of an experienced rotation..

So for the past two seasons, the Braves have, and have publically admitted to, shall we say, not tried to hard to win a lot of ballgames.

Yeah.

They tanked.

Anybody young with promise? Traded away.

Anybody hitting really well? Traded.

Able to pitch a ball over the plate? Gone.

All gone, except Freddie. He's the face. Gotta keep him. And god love him for staying positive and having a damn good year despite management's best Major League efforts.

It's been a lean two years. TV doesn't show them anymore. As a result, I have no idea who most of the lineup is.

Why would anyone do this?

Money.

What? Get rich by losing? Huh?

It's all a big master plan to start to win in 2017. The year they move out of antiquated Turner Field (what?) and move into their brand new shiny digs, SunTrust Park in Cobb County.

All I can say is, this better be worth it. These last two years have been hell.

Now in preparation of winning it all, the Barves have started to assemble their new Cy Young winning rotation.

On Thursday, they announced the first signing.

42 year old R.A. Dickey. Atlanta will be R.A.'s sixth team in fifteen years.

On Friday they announced the signing of 43 year old Bartolo Colon. Atlanta is Bartolo's ninth team in twenty one years.

 and yes, Colon did pitch for the Expos. Remember them? Not as a rookie.... but in his sixth season.
Yeah.............................


Today, the final piece was added with the surprise re-signing of former Brave, 77 year old Phil Niekro.

General Manager John Coppolella was heard saying about Niekro that they needed to add some veteran leadership for the youngsters. It will be nice for Phil to mentor young Dickey. Help him develop and perfect his curveball that he has spent the last fifteen years using.


Looking forward to a great year! (maybe it should be Cialis Park?)