The Next One on his way....

I was going to write a post about Wayne Gretzky. One of the top 5 hockey players of all time. But i have a hockey blog, and this ain't it, so why not talk about Wayne's son, Trevor?
Trevor, the son of a hockey player was a great high school quarterback who chose to.... play baseball. Okay. Why not?
Anyways, the Cubs drafted him in the 7th round of the 2011 draft. He made his pro debut last week with the Arizona Cubs. The 6'4" 190lb first baseman had a hit in his first game.

The Cubs list him as a lefty/lefty.... but every picture on Google shows him throwing righty. Typical Cubs I guess. I mean, look what Trevor has to look forward to when he gets to Chicago!

Good luck Trevor... you're going to need it.

That's gold, Jerry! Gold!

Fairly odd headline coming from a guy who has never seen a complete episode of Seinfeld. But with all of the Seinfeld/chicken references going around baseball this past week, I figured why not join the crowd? Be one of the 'in' people for once. Assert my individuality by being like everyone else. It's like being a teenager again.

Where was I? Oh, yes, cards. Of course. That is why most of you come here, isn't it? (those few not withstanding who are still checking out the hot soccer chicks. I'm over here.... hello?)

Moving on, they'll catch up later....

I bought a few baseball cards at the last card show. I'll show you these four now.... maybe the rest later if I ever find where I put them down.....

Four, count them, four outstanding Braves cards for the low, low price of $8.

You know any Braves post HAS to contain Chipper, right? Well here's mine...
2012 Heritage New Age Performers....

He also had a stack of these Gold Rush cards. Apparently you had to send in wrappers to Topps in exchange for these. Who knew? Not this boy. Yeah, I haven't been paying attention much.

I now own, Dan Uggla

recent number retired honouree and future Hall of Famer John Smoltz

and Warren Spahn.

Now these are pretty cool. I'm not going after the set or anything crazy like that... but I do want all the Braves. A quick check at Topp's website for a checklist....
BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Looking at Topp's website for a checklist! That's gold, Jerry! Gold!
Anyways, if any of you know of, or have any Braves that I ain't got listed here (ther's only three to keep track of, it's easy) Please let me know and we'll get a deal done.

It was nice to be able to find time to write... thankfully Euro 2012 is almost over. I may get my life back again. Wait. What do you mean the Olympics are starting? When? Uh oh...........

Who Loves Stickers?!?!

I had this big post planned, but the gods have conspired against me. First, I've spent most of my time watching all of my DVR'd soccer matches from the 2012 EURO's. Secondly, this godforsaken all in one scanner/copier/fax monstrosity has decided to be a none-in-one.

While I find my hammer, don't be a dummy, and stay away from All In Ones!!!!

So you're going to get an abridged version of my Panini 2012 Euro stickers box break.

I paid $44 for the 50 packet box of stickers, but you can readily find them for $40. Albums are the usual $2.

Here is the cover for the album. Very pretty.

Here is the part where I'd show you some of the cool pages inside the album. Stoopid HP printer thingie.

The packets! 7 stickers per packet, 350 for the box.

one thing about this year's offering compared to other Panini Soccer sticker sets is the horrible collation. Apparently the North American Panini offices have infiltrated the European offices. Out of 350 stickers I pulled 115 duplicates including 24 triples.
Not cool.

I managed to wrestle 2 scans out of the craptastic all in one before it pouted and went home.

ROONEY!!!!

SHINY!!!

and that's it.... all of the other types of stickers are forever lost in the ether world. But know that they are spectacular dammit!

(I wonder what's in my draft folder?)

Something needs to be done.... soon...

before I get back to real posting tomorrow.......

on the on-screen guide for my TV channels it showed that there was a ballgame on. Who was playing you ask?

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim at Los Angeles Dodgers of Chavez Ravine.

Really? As a fan of the Atlanta Braves of Fulton County, I protest! Especially since they just lost to the New York Yankees of the Bronx Zoo.

Everybody gets an asinine name! What's yours???

It Must Be That Time of Year...

Contests are everywhere....

go HERE for Fuji's latest convaluted offering.

Up next, a real post... I mean it... Really. No. I'm not kidding.




By the way... anyone see Ukraine beat Sweden 2-1 today? Brilliant game.

I have no shame....

No new cards to talk about. (well, that I have scanned anyways.... I'm working on it.) So I'll just pimp a contest.

But be warned, he's a Yankee fan. Go there at your own risk, just be sure to wash afterwards.

Bass On Balls.

I warned you.

New Blog Alert

Go HERE to read a new blog....

Go HERE to enter a contest about that very same new blog.

My work is done here..... someone give me a Hell Yeah.

Booty.

as in trade night booty. Reminds me of ZZ Top. So why don't you listen to some great music while reading some posts? at the last trade night, I scored some baseball cards out of a largely hockey world. Lucky you gets to see them. Fabulous Freddie Freeman on some sort of Bowman parallel. The flag looks pretty good on black. Maybe it's time to make an amendment and add black to the red, white and blue. Change is good.

Speaking of change, Braves draft pick Matt Lipka has been switched from SS to CF and is currently learning his new position at high 'A' Lynchburg. While his defence has been outstanding, his hitting has suffered. Here's hoping he relocates his bat.

and why not finish off with a super shiny jersey card of Mike Minor? I could use this thing as a mirror.

All in all some pretty cool additions to my Braves collection. Now if the song has finished, go ahead and hit 'repeat.' It's okay. You know you want to.

It's time to break a few eggs....

at the last trade night, the shop owner, who knows I'm one of the rare set collectors, handed me a goodie bag. In it were partial sets of Humpty Dumpty cards.
You heard me. Humpty Dumpty.
These were small cards, individually wrapped, and placed in bags of Humpty Dumpty potato chips during the 1992 and 1993 seasons.
All of these cards are still wrapped in their little cellophane envelopes, but my scanner wishes that to remain a secret.
Most of the bigger names were missing from these partial sets, but a few were left for the showing.

A Nolan Ryan I didn't have before.... and an awesome Brave, Steve Avery.

It can't be the '90's without Ken Griffey Jr.

A George Brett sighting...

The backs are fairly simple. Three years of stats. Did you know Dave frapped and lanced droite style?

to see the size, I'll show you a Mark Scheiffle card next to an uber rare inverted version of Pudge Rodriguez. I believe these rare inverted versions came about 1:876075782 bags.

Why show Pudge next to a hockey card? Because there were some of the hockey version as well...
This, Bruin fans, is the Little Ball of Hate. Not that sham punk 4th line imposter on your team.

The backs are simlar to their baseball counterparts, except they are not numbered. The checklist lists them by team alphabetical team name.

Luuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuucccccccccccccccccccccccc!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Brett Hull, before the "C".

According to research, there are no Montreal Canadiens in the set. Shayne Corson, a former Hab, is listed as an Oiler since he was traded their the season before.

Uhhh....... what? No mention of this card anywhere online. So either there were unannounced variations (besides inverted) or someone screwed up. The checklist also lists players from the Minnesota North Stars, but the pictures depict Dallas Stars sweaters....

All told I received 15 of the 26 hockey players in Series 2, and 22 of the 50 baseball players, with duplicates of Mark Grace, Robin Ventura, and Benito Santiago.

Who knows if I'll ever finish these ones....

Cardboard swapping - Vintage style.

The other day I mentioned this post would be Dodger style, now I say it's vintage style. Which is it? Glad you asked. It's vintage style, featuring cards from two different Dodger bloggers. I know there's like 47 different Dodger bloggers out there now... but today we'll focus on just two.
First we have cards from g.c.r.l. He sent me a large stack of cards off of my Topps Braves wantlists from 1994-99, as well as a smattering of current faves. As a nice surprise, he also included two cards from long ago. I won't subject you to scans of 1995 Terrell Wade rookies. But I will show you these:
1975 colourful goodness

and look! Not a mark on it. How does a card like this ever survive? Someone must  have just pack pulled it a week ago or something.....

gcrl also included this beauty.

From 1957. This is technically a Team Card, not a Team Checklist as there is no checklist on the back.
Thanks for hitting up the wantlists Jim! I'll have a return volley your way soon....

Those of you who read night owl's blog, may have seen a post he did upon the completion of his 1971 Topps set. I was able to help him out and send him the last card he needed, #630 Roberto Clemente.

In return, owl sent me some random Braves, including a perfectly round Chipper Jones, as well as some older cardboard.

1962 Mack Jones.

Mack was coming off his rookie year, so I guess that's why he got the painted/airbrush/photoshop treatment. But Mack was damn happy to be there!
Then a few '71's to cap things off.
#306 Jim Nash

#359 Ron Reed, rocking the warm up jacket under the jersey look as he casually winds up to pitch while surrounded by chain link fence on all sides.

#374 Clete Boyer. Clete looks like he's batting while standing on the backstretch at Talledega in front of the catch fence.

#494 Braves rookies Garr and Kester. Ralph Garr played 13 seasons in the bigs including 8 with Atlanta. Rick Kester pitched 40 2/3 innings over parts of 3 seasons with a 0-0 record and a 5.98 ERA.

#587 Sonny Jackson. Sonny rocks the eyewear on the front, but plays it cool and casual on the back. You'll have to take my word for it.

#605 Orlando Cepeda. Orlando is winding down his career here. Next year he begins a four team, four year road to retirement. The Braves trade him to Oakland for Denny McLain.

#668 Gary Neibauer. I think this is a High Number!!! (not needed capital letters, but I don't care) Gary pitched in 75 games with a 4-8 record and a 4.78 ERA over his 5 year career. Nowadays, that line is of your least used pitcher during the season.

Thank you gentlemen! These are much appreciated and wanted.

Cardboard Ketchup

Like everything else, I'm waaay behind in posting some trade/gift packages. Some have evn been put away already. Whoops. But, I'll rectify some of that today, and hit some more up tomorrow. I'm not the one who scans every card.... it would take forever, and you would fall asleep at the keyboard. So I'll hit the highlights and move on. A huge thank you to all who have sent me cards over the last month or so.... During my last contest, participants had the opportunity to send over some cards in an attempt to bribe me, win bonus points.
dawgbones sent over a small stack of baseball flavoured cards... topped with Mr Teheran and his cherry border. Is this one of those Target things I keep hearing about but have never seen until now?

Also included were a couple of cards off of my wantlists.... Chippah!

and a card of my Dirty Dozen most wanted list located off to the right. I'm glad someone reads that thing.... it's slowly diminishing. Time to replenish.

Casey from Drop the Gloves sent me a surprise hockey package, but tucked in the middle was this amazing card.

Chipper is so damn good, he can hit homeruns early in the morning, while facing the wrong way and standing in Section 17, Row 21 behind the dugout.
Yeah. He's that good.
The Angels in Order also sent over a 'potential start to a trade' package that had a card in it I've been passively chasing for over 20 years.

the no-numbered Joe Montana Heroes header card from the inaugural UD Football offering. I loved this set when it came out and bought a tonne of it. Now it's finally complete.

Of course very, very late in the year they came out with a high number series that had Joe Namath heroes cards......... Now I can begin to collect those. Anyone have any to spare?

all of the rest from Angels was hockey related, save for this odd shaped card. 1993 UD 600 Home Run Club.

How would you like to have those as your 3-4-5 hitters????? Of course, the Bambino would be peeved at not making his contract bonuses, having hit 60 home runs and only collecting 64 RBI's.

The last package I'll feature today from P.A.T.P. had a lot of fun items in it. Like stickers!

Everyone knows how I like stickers.
It also had blue bordered cards in it.
Active NL RBI leaders? Yeah, it's Chipper.

Active NL Home Run leaders? Yeah, it's Chipper. (The least Topps could do was put Andruw in a Bravos uni)

Speaking of home runs.... one of the most discussed photos from the 2012 Topps set, Huddy in his trot.....

and J-Hey in his, rounding third....

Craig has had enough of this home run talk. Strike three... game over.

Again, are these from Wally world? I know Topps does blue borders in it's Opening Day set... does the regular set do this, or do I have my first WalMart cards?

Let's end up with more fun.... mini's! Or as Owl says..... MINI'S!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I think it's a new Topps rule that all Heyward cards must feauture that damn red jersey.

to end off, I go to my closer.

As Bill Paxton says..."Game over man! Game Over!

up tomorrow, a special Dodger edition.