So much stuff to cover.

Well, the season is over.  Congrats to the SF Giants once again.  Every even year they win it, it seems.  So next year...well, they'll probably suck.

Here's a little run-down of the happenings in the MLB just recently.  Not like I am ESPN here but at least I can give you my thoughts (as if you care).

1.  Giants are champs.  This is not the big story here.  Madison Bumgarner is the story for this post-season.  Remember at the beginning of the season?  MadBum was not even the ace of the Giants staff.  That honor went to Matt Cain...who was sidelined with injury.  Bumgarner stepped up and was fucking golden.  Nice work.

2.  Royals shock the world.  These guys were not supposed to be that good.  Seriously.  But, they played like a cohesive unit and got the job done in all the right spots.  So, kudos to James Shields (a personal favorite) and the rest of them youngsters (except Billy Butler).  Great season but just couldn't pull it out.

3.  The ship in Tampa (rather, St. Pete) is sinking.  First, GM Andrew Friedman resigned to take a sweet position in the Dodgers front office.  Can't really blame the guy.  Going from a measly payroll to an organization flush with cash was a no-brainer.  Then...well, then it was Joe Maddon who declined the option on his contract so he could shop his wares to the rest of the league.  Maddon, while not the perfect genius some anoint him, was a perfect personality for this Rays team.  The young guys fed off of his energy and enthusiasm and his positivity.  Now, he gone.  What's next moving the team to Montreal?

4.  A-Rod is back.  Love him or hate him, the Yankees activated Alex Rodriguez from the restricted list today.  The team stated "If he can play, he'll be in the line-up".  Prediction:  A-Rod will solely DH next year.  Or, if he plays in the field he will do so only at first.  You heard it here first, bitches.

5.  RIP Oscar.  Sadly, Cardinals phenom Oscar Tavares passed away over the weekend while driving in his home country.  Just a really sad situation and my heart hurts for the Cards Nation.

That's all I got for now.  Until next time!  Sayonara!

Topps...Don't Ignore Us

I've had two low-level redemption cards sitting in redemption limbo for over two years now with the Topps company.  Seriously low level.  Matt Purkey, I believe.  Same player for both cards.  Ridiculous.

So, I wrote an email to Topps a couple of days ago and asked for anything just to get these redemption cards cleared.  I really, honestly do not care what they send back.  I'd take one of those sweet throwback Topps t-shirts they are hawking on the website (those are sick).  Anyway, have I heard anything back from Topps?  Nope.

Crickets, people.  I hear crickets.

But, I shall not give up.  Topps is a good company (albeit a lot slow with redeeming these blasted redemption cards) and I feel that they will do the right thing and replace them cards with something.

I believe!

Happy Saturday, peeps.

What To Do When Your Favorite Player Gets Traded

Now that the trade deadline has passed, I think things have settled enough to talk about it.  Yes, I am a Tampa Rays fan.  I am not afraid to express my allegiances and never have been...even during the (s)Hit Show years and the failed experiments with aging sluggers (Canseco, Castilla, etc...).  Anyway, the trade deadline happens every year, yes.  Players get traded from team to team, yes.  Sometimes...like this friggin' year...your favorite player gets traded.

So, if you have a personal collection (or PC) of a certain player, what do you do with that personal collection if that player is traded?

I raise this point because David Price is my favorite player in baseball.  He was the best pitcher the Rays have ever had on the mound.  Ever.  David is a solid dude and treats the fans, teammates, and coaching staff with respect.  Plus, he's  a friggin' warrior.


But, now he's in Detroit.

I have just about every common card ever made by every company for Mr. Price.  Do I keep them?  Do I sell them?  What to do?

Let's get real here.  If David Price had not come up through the Tampa system I'm pretty sure I would not be a huge fan.  If Price had come up through the Padres system, I'm sure I would still respect his game but I would hold him in the same regard that I hold...Adam Wainright.  Great pitcher, but not a fan of the team.

With that one paragraph I answered my own question.  I am a David Price fan.  I will be no matter what team he plays for because he came up with US.  We watched him grow and become an ace and win the Cy Young.  So, my cards and my sweetspot ball I got in Spring Training from David (he really is a cool dude)...all of that will be staying in my house.

But...I am not one to tell others what to do.  If Pujols fans out there feel that they were betrayed when Albert took the money and moved to Bev-er-leeeeee (Hills, that is)...I feel it's perfectly reasonable for you to sell all your Pujols memorabilia.  If you support your team over individual players then I think you have the right to ditch the players memorabilia, burn the jersey...whatever.

But, me?  Naw, I'm gonna keep it all.

Hell, right now he's the only Cy Young winner in Tampa Bay Rays history.  I collect history.

2014 Topps Pro Debut

Even with the minimalist design and the logos that I can't quite always put my finger on,  I like Topps Pro Debut.  Since the first release (in 2009, I want to say and am too lazy to look it up), I liked the idea of hitting prospects early and starting to collect their cards from the minors.  Plus, Debut has never been too expensive.  That's key for a frugal collector.  But, I've snagged some nice stuff out of Pro Debut in the past...a Mike Trout jersey, a Cardinals prospect signed printing plate, patches, etc...

The minor league card concept his hardly a new one.  Teams have been coming out with their own sets of player cards since seemingly the beginning of time.  Yes, in the past they were mostly regional and were hard to get if you never got to that particular ball park.  Then came the internets!  Then came Pro Debut!  The minor league card had gone nation wide!

Anyway, this year's installment of Topps Pro Debut just carries on the tradition of the past.  A clean, white border with solid photos and a tiny team logo in the corner.  That's it.  Simple and nice.  Perfect for having players sign.

The set has 222 base cards and a bunch of SP's a parallels and colors (oh my!).  But, the basic set collector...this is easily do-able.  Of course there are autographs and patches there, too for us 'hit' chasers out there.

A few autographs in the checklist:   Clint Frazier, Kyle Hunter, Nick Ahmed, Trevor Gretzky...you're getting the drift here aren't you?  These are the kids.  These are FUTURE players.  One thing most people like is that for a box of Pro Debut to show if it paid off or not is that one must wait.  Not just months, either.  Oftentimes, years.  In our culture of immediacy this sort of thinking and waiting is just intolerable.

But, to me, that's what makes Topps Pro Debut so fucking great...

*Cardboard Connection once again "loaned" me some info.

Oh yeah, I bought two packs.  You know, because research... Anyway, I didn't get shit.  Except for a base Carlos Correa and base Bubba Starling.  Come to think of it...I'm not actually sure what I got.  I'll just have to wait and see!

2014 Goodwin Champions

While the newest version of Allen & Ginter is completely awesome.  The newest version on Goodwin Champions is just...shit.

The cards themselves are hideous.  Gold (maybe brown-ish) card stock.  The ever present 'hand painted' images are just sort of...blah.  In fact, the whole set just seems kind of lackluster.  It really makes me feel like we may be witnessing the death spiral of the whole GC series.  Upper Deck will have to do something pretty soon in order to revive this dud.

One redeeming quality is the collation of autographs.  Supposedly, there are 3 per box.  This is higher than just about every other product out there.  So, that's a plus.  But, you just might pull an Ickey Woods, Joel Rosario, or a Will McGirt auto.  However, knowing that this is an Upper Deck product the company is likely smart enough (and they ARE on the checklist) to sprinkle in a Michael Jordan, Peyton Manning, Joe Montana, or Wayne Gretzky auto in here and there.  This alone should keep people buying.  Maybe.

Of course there are subsets galore.  Monsters, WWI cards, blah blah blah.  For my tastes, and I'm sure for the tastes of the readers (both of you!) of this blog...there just ain't enough baseball in there.

So, for that fact alone I give this set a solid D+.

For research purposes, I bought a single pack.  I like Paul Coffey but a base card AND a mini of Paul in the same pack?  Sigh.  I did pull a Theo Fleury Goudey card so that was kind of cool.  But, I did not get ONE baseball player.  What the fuck, UD?

Verdict:  Skip it.  Buy something else and pick up singles of Goodwin Champions as you see fit.

*As always, Cardboard Connection is rad for the info hookup.

RIP Tony!

2014 Allen & Ginter

I know, it's been forever since I have posted about the hobby.  Maybe it's because I am feeling disenchanted with the prices and the products that are hitting the shelves in recent years.  Yes, they look awesome.  But...normal folks can't afford fifty bucks a pack (Five star, Museum, etc...I'm looking at you!).

Then comes the new edition of Allen and Ginter.  Once again, Topps does this one right.  The 2014 set of A&G is absolutely amazing in it's simplicity and class.  As always, it's a high quality product, pleasing to the eye, and not to heavy a hit on the checkbook.  Kudos, Topps!

The set itself looks like a do-able situation for those set collectors out there with a reasonable 350 card base.  Of course there are the inserts, the minis, etc...which are a separate animal on their own.  But, I am one of those rare creatures that just loves the mini cards.  Don't know why.  Maybe it's just because I have an affinity for small things!  Topps has thrown in a 'metal' mini card set too.  I may have to check that subset out.

The autograph selection looks nice, as well.  They've got Biggio, Glavine, Trout, Myers and a whole host of other signers in the series.  The variety of the baseball autos looks solid.  Then there are the non-baseball autos.  Here they've got Anthony Bourdain, Snoop (Dogg) Lion, Kevin Smith and others.  To me, it's a very weird set of non-sport autographs.  Other than a few, I would probably be disappointed if I pulled one.

Topps has also thrown in a booklet card subset, which is a nice touch.  I don't remember if they had these last year (don't think they did).  But, the subjects of the booklets looks REAL strong.  Josh Hamilton, David Wright, Evan Longoria, Tulowitzki, and Darvish are all represented.  These may take some luck to pull or some coin to procure, but may be worth the cost/risk.

Just chock full of subsets and inserts, the 2014 version of Topps' Allen and Ginter will guarantee that with each pack you open...you'll likely be surprised.  Which is a good thing.  Me?  I bought one pack (trying to pay of debt, here) for research purposes.  What'd I get?  Not much.  A McCutchen base mini and a Kershaw base that will likely go out TTM for an auto.

The verdict:  Buy it.  But lots of A&G.  As Snoop Lion would say, "It's the shizzle".

*Once again, much love to the folks at Cardboard Connection for their info and images.

2014 Bowman Inception

Bowman Inception is a product that I am completely torn about.  On one had, I love the look and feel of the card.  They really are cool looking.  On the other hand, there is one pack per $100 box.  One pack!  Five cards for a hundred bucks.  Hmmm...it's got me a little turned around because I avoid those one pack boxes like the plague.  But, Inception...it's just cool.

Ok.  So, here's the run-down.  2014 Bowman Inception is pretty friggin' sweek, looks-wise.  Here's a shot of one of the cards:

That's an on-card autograph of soon-to-be-slugger for the lowly Cubs, Kris Bryant.  Anyway, you just had to take a look at the card to get an idea.  Bowman keeps getting better and better with the look of their Inception line.

Each box is around a hundred bucks.  DA Card World had them for $95, I think.  Within each said box is a pack of five (5) cards.  So, around twenty bucks a card.  At least they are all autographed.  Yup, every single one.

So, there is no base set.  There are no SP's and SSP's to chase after.  If you are a set-collector...well, keep fidgeting with your ball sack because Inception ain't the product for you.  Go after regular old Bowman...a set collector's wet-dream.

Here's a copy of the checklist from the Sportscardradio.com folks.  You can see that Bowman Inception for this year is heavy on rookie auto's and minor-league prospects.  This here is a prospector's product.  However, the Autographed LetterBooks sub-set looks pretty friggin' stout with Trout, Harper, B. Hamilton, and Bryant all representin'.

If you have the scratch and wherewithal to shell out a hundred bucks for five autographed cards that may or may not be worth a cent in future years, 2014 Bowman Inception is for you.  However, if you are like me and wish not to piss your money away on a product (that really looks awesome) that may tank in value in coming years...buy some other stuff.  Or...as a wise man told me when looking at box of this stuff at the LCS:

"Dude.  Just wait and buy singles from that shit.  You'll get what you want, at least."

Very sage advice.  

Could It Be A Curse?

Am I jinxing former ballplayers when I write to them TTM asking for a little bit of their time?  Am I, without knowing it, punching their eternal clock?  For a while, it really felt like this was what happened.  Let me explain.  Also know that when I talk about these people, I am not making fun of the deceased.  I actually respected every one of these people as players and people...so, this is just an instance of Can't Hit The Curve pointing out a weird coincidence.

Exhibit A:  Mark Fidrych.  Mark "The Bird" Fidrych was a phenomenon back in the day.  Weird guy, weird delivery, wacky antics on the mound...and he was a fucking monster his rookie year.  Nobody could hit him and he ended up winning like 20 games or something.  Then...well, then he kind of faded away into obscurity but remained a favorite because of just how strange he was.  So, I write to The Bird and he sends back a beautifully signed Topps All Time Fan Favorite and index card made out to me.  I was really happy because I had been out of the TTM game for a looooong time.  Well, Mr. Fidrych has an accident on his property four days after I receive my mail from him.  Obviously, I'm bummed.

Exhibit B:  John Wooden.  Former UCLA men's basketball coaching legend, John Wooden, was kind enough to sign a small piece of hardwood floor (and an index card) and inscribe "UCLA" underneath.  Very cool return and made me extremely pleased.  Now, considering his age, it was not a complete surprise that Mr. Wooden passed away.  But, he died THE DAY I received his package.  This freaked me out a little.

Exhibit C:  Jim Fregosi.  Dies the same year that I get a return back from him.  He signed and returned three cards from his Florida home.  At least I think he lived in FL. Anyway, the same year may not seem a big deal but with the other two...maybe more than mere coincidence.  Mr. Fregosi was far too young to pass away.

Exhibit D:  Greg Halman.  Minor leaguer, yes.  But, the kid might have been a big star if I hadn't have decided to write him a letter and ask for a signature.  I did and now he's gone.  The CHTC curse struck Mr. Halman and he was stabbed to death by his own brother in the Netherlands.  This is actually a very sad story and hearing about it really struck me kind of hard even though I never know Greg Halman personally.

Exhibit E:  Duke Snider.  Hall of Fame Dodger, The Duke was always generous with his time and signed tons of fan mail over the years.  He was a class act.  But, Mr. Snider passed away just two months after I sent him a card (a Topps reprint, I believe) to sign...which he did, sending it back within a week.  Duke Snider's passing was huge for collectors.  I feel bad for jinxing him.

Exhibit F:  Virgil "Fire" Trucks.  Mr. Trucks was likely the best ever TTM signer...given a strong run for his title by Mr. Pat Neshek.  Anyway, Mr. Trucks was famous for going above and beyond when someone asked him for a signature.  Plus, he was an amazing pitcher back in the day AND he is the uncle of uber-guitarist Derek Trucks (one hell of a talented family).  So, I send Virgil a card (one card, mind you) and ask politely if he will sign for me.  In the mail, I receive a package...of SEVEN cards...I sent the dude ONE.  Virgil Trucks was that kind of guy and he passed away a mere month after I had received his letter back.

So, I'm starting to think I may be cursing those who are so kind to sign their autographs through the mail.  Maybe it's dumb luck or coincidence.  But, I'll tell you...it felt really strange to have all these folks pass fairly soon after signing for me.  Just weird.

Happy collecting!  Get your TTM's out, folks.  This seems like a long-forgotten area of our hobby!

Pat Neshek: Article From St. Louis Post Dispatch.

Hey all.  Normally, I like to write my own stuff.  But, my excursions around the interwebs have led me to St. Louis (in a virtual sense), where reliever Pat Neshek has created a little collector's revolution with the Cardinals.  Or, he's trying.  Either way, it's a pretty good article and Pat is the king of the hobby when it comes to professional athletes.  He's the real deal.  Check out his web site at https://www.eteamz.com/PatNeshek/.

And here's the article.  Enjoy your Sunday, folks.

http://www.stltoday.com/sports/baseball/professional/redbirds-neshek-is-a-real-card-collector-that-is/article_fa2d86da-38da-5a9b-a476-8e27ef1ae4b1.html

Me and Jim Leyland

For the hundredth post on Can't Hit The Curve, I will recount the day I spent with former Tigers skipper, Jim Leyland. Truth be told, I didn't spend all that much time with Jim, but we had a couple of encounters that I should share.

Having to go to Orlando for a work-related conference, I realized that after the conference was over I could squeeze in a few spring training games.  So, I hit the Braves stadium at Disney for a game against the Nationals.  The Nats brought exactly two regular players and a whole host of minor leaguers.  Disappointing, to say the least.  But, I did get to see Heyward and J. Upton and Freeman play...so, at least the Braves put a starting lineup in that didn't disappoint.  It was freakin' cold that night, too.  Well, at least the wind made it seem cold in the outfield where I sat in the grass.  It was a good night.

A couple of days later, the conference was over and I could catch a day game.  So, off to my hometown of Lakeland to catch the Tigers play the Mets on a beautifully sunny day at Joker Marchant Stadium.  Now, I grew up going to this stadium.  To say that it's changed in the past twenty years would be a severe understatement.  Before, it was a little, shitty stadium that had charm and character.  Now, it's just as corporate as the rest of the stadiums.  So sad.  But, it's my hometown stadium so I still gots love for you!

Buying my ticket, I had the option of getting in early to catch Tigers batting practice.  For the few extra bucks, it was completely worth it.  I get to the stadiums wicked early and waiting inside was way more preferable to standing in the parking lot for an hour.  So, ticket in hand, I waited to get in to watch Detroit's BP.

Then, this old man tells us BP is cancelled.  But...but...Jim Leyland would meet and greet everyone that got themselves a batting practice option on their ticket.

Cool.  I get to meet Jim Leyland.  The line starting moving and I prepared the ball that I always bring to the stadiums (cuz you never know!) and the blue bic pen I wanted Jim to sign my ball with.  Well, that was a fruitless endeavor because Mr. Leyland was only signing with a black Sharpie.  I was bummed about that but, hey, a cheap Leyland autograph is nothing to complain about, I suppose.  Here's the ball he signed for me.  I hope it holds up over time.

That's when the fun started.  Here's my exchange with Jim:

Me:  Hey, Mr. Leyland, can I get a picture?

Jim:  Sure.  Come around.

Me:  No, not with you.  I want a picture of the World Series ring.

Jim:  Oh.  Ok.

Me:  Thanks, man.

Jim:  That's an easy one. You can take a picture with whatever you want.  Except my wallet.  That's off limits. (chuckles at his own wit).

Me:  Thanks, dude.  Take care.

Jim:  You too.

I moved along and let others get their opportunity with the skipper.  I put the ball in my pocket and looked at my camera.  Here's the ring...it's cool.

Nice, huh?

Anyway, I grabbed an adult beverage from the concession stand and headed to the berm to watch the Mets take BP.  It was uneventful.  However, watching Matt DenDekker was quite an eye-opener.  That dude can field the ball like a motherfucker.  Too bad, at this point, he can't really hit.  Eric Young Jr. came over to a bunch of fans and I passed on his autograph but had a chance to say hello.  

Game time.  Watched the game in the sun.  Truth be told, this has been a brutally winter and that glowing orange orb in the sky has been missing from my life for many months.  It took exactly three innings for me to be burnt to a crisp.  I made the executive decision to watch the rest of the game in the shade of the concourse.  Yes, I would have to stand but, man, I was friggin' roasted.  

Bottom of the fourth, I was watching intently as Mets phenom Noah Syndegaard was just dealing!  The kid is amazing.  He's gonna be a star, for sure.  It'll just take some time.  Anyway, I looked over as an older gentleman sidled up beside me to watch, too.  Hey!  It was Jim Leyland and nobody freakin' noticed.  But, I did.  At this time, I had a couple of early morning beers mixed with a heavy dose of sunshine, so I was feeling frisky.  

Leaning over, I whispered..."Hey Jim.  I don't want to call any attention to you, but will you sign my program?".  Jim Leyland, the class act, took my Sharpie and program on the sly, signed his name next to Max Scherzer's picture, and handed both back to me.  "Thanks, man", I whispered and continued watching the game.  "No sweat", he replied and then turned on his heel and beelined it back to the comfort of the clubhouse where no idiots like me would bother him.

All in all, it was a good day.  Two Leyland signatures (sorry, no pic of the program), a heady buzz in the morning, and a wicked nice sunburn to take home.

Good times, friends.  Good times.

2014 Donruss

I have to admit, I was a little bit excited to see that Donruss was making a comeback.  Back in the day, Donruss was a major player in the baseball card field.  Of course, they eventually folded under or disappeared or did whatever the did.  But, they were gone.  That's all that mattered.

Donruss is back, now.  So, I went down to the LCS with my limited pennies and bought myself a couple of packs for the sake of research.  For the price, which isn't too bad, I wasn't disappointed.  The cards are nice looking and there's a chance at some hits.  Donruss has what all price-conscious collectors are looking for.

Of course, the Diamond Kings (which I have always liked) and Rated Rookies have returned.  Which is a nice touch.  Each box promises two autographs and a game used relic card along with numerous short prints.  So, it looks like it could be a promising product.

The autograph checklists look pretty good.  The Donruss line will have cards signed by Trout, Glavine,   David Wright, Ken Griffey Jr., and a pretty well stocked stable of other Hall of Famers and star players.  The checklists didn't look like Donruss was skimping when signing up athletes to sign their cards.  This is very nice.

Check out the full checklist over at our friend's site, Cardboard Connection.

The two packs I bought didn't yield anything spectacular.  Just a Longoria for the old personal collection and a Hall-Worthy Ichiro insert.  But, it was fun to crack into a couple of packs of an old friend.

2014 Topps Heritage

So, my better half and I are seriously attempting to chip away at a huge mound of debt.  Therefore, copious packs of Heritage are not really in the cards right now.  But, out of the four people that actually read this blog, I needed to do something.

I rolled change.  Yes, I did.  Just for you dear reader.  Got just enough to buy two measly packs of Heritage so I could at least tell you what we think of the product around here.

Here's the verdict...

This little guy (who is a cricket) would be playing his little song right now, if someone asked me about Topps Heritage.  It's boring.  There, I said it.  Now, all the people in the collecting world that freakin' LOVE Heritage can crawl out of the woodwork to verbally kick my ass about how awesome their favorite product actually is.  But, it's not.  It's boring.

Sure, the Real One autographed cards are back.  I kind of like those.  But, everything else just kind of falls flat.  For seventy five bucks a box I want more than one autograph and a couple (maybe) of serial numbered cards.  That is no way to get the collective panties of collectors out there moist (is that too graphic?).  It really just seems to me that Topps really didn't give a shit when they put this product out.

Remember:  These are the opinions of Can't Hit The Curve.  This is for entertainment purposes only!  Don't be persuaded by things you read on the interwebs.  Just because you read it online does not mean it's true.  Any asshole can throw up a blog or website...I'm living proof of that!

In a nutshell.  Buy 2014 Topps Heritage.  Or don't.  If you do, hopefully you will not be as apathetic towards this set that I am.

In my two packs:  Nothing!  Twenty commons.  The biggest star was Giancarlo Stanton.  Nothing to write home about, at all.  In fact, there is a commons box right next to me that now has two packs of 2014 Topps Heritage in it.

Mt.Rushmore - AL East

Well, it's time to wrap up our Rushmores.  This last installment is the venerable American League East. So, let me tell you who made it and then we can get back to our regular installments dealing mainly with the hobby.

New York Yankees:  Babe Ruth, Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle, and Yogi Berra.

Defense:  I will not defend this, at all.  I can say that only the Yanks would have a Rushmore that did NOT include Jeter, Mo Rivera, Reggie Jackson, Thurman Munson, Don Mattingly, Phil Rizzuto, blah, blah, blah.  It seems that the greats always spend a good chunk of time in the Bronx.

Boston Red Sox:  Carl Yastrzemski, Ted Williams, Pedro Martinez, and David Ortiz.

Defense:  Two old timers, two not-so-old timers.  Yaz and the Splinter could hit the cover off of the ball.  Williams was probably a far better player but I believe that Yaz was far more beloved by the Sox faithful.  No one, and I mean no one, the size of Pedro could pitch as hard as he could.  Remember the years when he was the most dominant pitcher in baseball?  You should.  There were like ten of those seasons.  Just an amazing pitcher.  He punches old men, too.  Big Papi is the face of the franchise these days.  Hands down.  Talent, power, and charisma...he's got it all.

Toronto Blue Jays:  Joe Carter, Roberto Alomar, Roy Halladay, and Tony Fernandez.

Defense:  Carter was the lynchpin to some great teams back in the early 90's.  Joe could hit for average and power and play a pretty good defense.  Nice player.  Robbie Alomar, all spitting aside, is one of the top second baggers to ever play the game.  Period.  No discussion.  Roy Halladay was easily the best pitcher to ever play in Canada.  That's an easy one.  Just a dominant player and he had so few losing seasons (I think 2 total) in his career.  Tony Fernandez is the all time hits leader in Toronto.  Can you believe that?  I couldn't when I found out.  But, Tony was awesome.  Some of you whippersnappers are too young to remember.  But, I do...because I'm old.

Baltimore Orioles:  Cal Ripken Jr., Brooks Robinson, Jim Palmer, and Frank Robinson.

Defense:  Every single one of these guys is in the Hall of Fame. What is there to defend?  I can say that I think that Cal is one of the greatest players I have ever watched play in person.  There was no weakness to his game, I say.  The rest of the guys were pretty good, too.

Tampa Bay Rays:  Fred McGriff, Wade Boggs, David Price, and Evan Longoria.

Defense:  Another young franchise makes it hard to come up with a Rushmore.  But, McGriff, who should already be in the Hall, was an incredible player before he got to Tampa/St. Pete was one of the best.  A great hitter who was also an awesome guy.  Just loved in Tampa.  Boggs, who spent his last two seasons with the Rays (Devil Rays, back then), was one of the best contact hitters of his generation.  He could really just about hit anything.  Let us remember he hit his 3 thousandth hit in Tropicana Field (a homer).  I met him once and found him a little surly...I still like him, though. Price, a youngun, has the franchise's only Cy Young award.  He's a damned fine pitcher and I, for one, would love to see him spend his career in Tampa (ain't gonna happen).  David is a VERY nice dude, too.  Who could argue with Longo being on this list?  Fans love him.  Teammates love him. He's well respected around the league.  He plays great defense and hits well, too.  He stays on the Rushmore.

Well, that's it.  All of our Rushmore's are out into the internets world for posterity.  Argue amongst yourselves about who your Mt. Rushmore's are.  I am moving on to bigger and better things.

Mt. Rushmore - NL East

Picking up where we left off.  The NL East Mt. Rushmores.

NY Mets:  Tom Seaver, Mike Piazza, Gary Carter, and John Franco.

Defense:  I could have easily picked another slew of players for the Mets.  Could've gone with Captain America David Wright or Gooden or Straw or HoJo...but, nope, these guys are the Mets for me.  Seaver is a legend and Piazza will eventually end up in the Hall.  It'll only be a matter of time.  Carter was an awesome player and a great dude.  RIP, Gary.  But, to me the man that typifies the Mets the absolute most is John Franco.  The venerable pitcher was everything the Mets were about.  To me, he IS the Mets.  No offense to Keith Hernandez or Mookie or...

Washington Nationals/Montreal Expos:  Vlad Guerrero, Tim Raines, Dennis Martinez, and Ryan Zimmerman.

Defense:  For the Nats I had to dig into their old Expo days.  Vlad could hit anything.  He could hit the nutsack off a gnat with a chopstick.  Seriously.  I saw it.  Actually, I didn't but he sure was a great hitter.  Tim Raines, at that time, was the fastest man alive.  It's a shame he isn't in the Hall yet.  Maybe with time we will realize just how awesome he was.  El Presidente pitched for-freaking-ever.  I think he was 56 when he pitched his last game.  Finally, I had to give some love to the current Nationals and tip my proverbial cap to Zim.  Good player.  Good glove.  Good bat.

Atlanta Braves:  Hank Aaron, Chipper Jones, Greg Maddux, and Tom Glavine.

Defense:  No defense needed here.  The greatest home run hitter of all time...that one's easy to defend.  The face of the franchise for a billion years (Larry Chipper Jones) and one hell of a third bagger.  And possibly two of the greatest pitchers of any generation.  Seriously, this Mt. Rushmore was ridiculously easy to compile.

Philadelphia Phillies:  Steve Carlton, Mike Schmidt, Robin Roberts, and Chase Utley.

Defense:  For a team so entrenched in history, coming up with a Mt. Rushmore for the Phils was a bit difficult.  Sure, Carlton was an easy pick.  Just amazing stats in an amazing career.  One of the best pitchers of all time.  Schmidt, if you had to pick one player, just oozes Philly crimson.  Easily the all-time face of the franchise.  One dynamite player, too.  No other Phillie is more loved, for sure.  Roberts is another HOF'er that deserves to be up there.  Utley, while this may be a little controversial, has played at a high level for a very long time in Philly.  Except the last few years which have been riddled with injury.

Miami/FL Marlins:  Kevin Brown, Mike Lowell, Derek Lee, and Hanley Ramirez.

Defense:  I can't totally defend any of these.  With such a young franchise, it's kind of hard to pick who should be on their Rushmore.  But, Kevin Brown was the first really good pitcher that played in South Florida.  He was surly and kind of rough but he was a good pitcher.  Lowell might be the best loved Marlin.  Not flashy, not overly talented...Lowell just got the job done.  He was gritty and I like that.  Lee made his name in FL with his bat.  He was the pure hitter, for sure.  A good guy, too.  I had the pleasure of meeting him once and he was super nice.  Hanley has made his money in LA but he cut his teeth with the Marlins.  He's a hell of a ballplayer and deserves a spot up here.  Honorable mention goes to Giancarlo, who, in a few years, might become the best player to ever done the teal pinstripes.

ON DECK:  AL East

Mt. Rushmore - AL Central

It'll be hard to top the talent in the NL Central but, the good old American League Central will surely give it a shot.

Chicago White Sox:  Joe Jackson, Frank Thomas, Carlton Fisk, and Ozzie Guillen.

Defense:  I could have easily included Bo Jackson, Paul Konerko, or even Jack McDowell on this Rushmore.  The vote was pretty close.  Shoeless Joe gets on because he...well, because he was rad.  Fuckin' railroaded, that guy.  It's a shame.  The Big Hurt, newly elected to the Hall, gets on because he was a beast.  Literally and figuratively.  I met the dude when I was in college and he's friggin' huge.  Could've easily been a Defensive End for the Bears.  Fisk, well he was a great catcher.  He was gritty and dirty and a players-player.  Finally, a little controversy...Guillen.  Ozzie, no matter what you say about the guy, was the face of the Sox from the early 90's until he left in the late aughts.  He was quirky and controversial and, frankly, kind of an asshole.  It was real close between him  and Konerko.

Cleveland Indians:  Bob Feller,  Albert "Joey" Belle,  Jim Thome, and Omar Vizquel.

Defense:  The Heater From Van Meter, Bob Feller, needs no defense at all.  Big game pitcher, high heat, war hero...fuck, the guy was the perfect American.  Albert Belle.  You can't say "Cleveland Indians" and NOT think of Joey.  For all his quirks and attitude, Belle was a pure hitter.  The guy could just flat out kill the ball.  And the people in Cleveland loved him, too.  It wasn't too long ago that those Cleveland teams were pretty good...Belle was in that mix.  Jim Thome, while he has played with multiple teams, is synonymous with the city and the Indians.  So many home runs...so many RBI's.  Thome is a great player and a class act.  If, and that's a capital IF, he gets into the Hall he should go in as an Indian.  Finally, there's Vizquel.  The slick fielding SS that just about exemplifies everything about the Indians.  I just loved watching him play...a real joy.

Minnesota Twins:  Harmon Killebrew, Joe Mauer, Kirby Puckett, and Bert Blyleven.

Defense:  Killer-brew brought the hammer every night.  Just killed the ball.  No one, I will bet money on this, is more beloved by Twins fans than Harmon (even Kirby).  Joe Mauer.  Yes, he's a modern player.  But, he's also a hometown boy and a bonafied superstar.  Offense, defense, leadership...Joe does it all and has been paid handsomely to do so.  For christ-sakes the guy and his wife actually had TWINS...that's how much he loves this team.  Kirby Puckett.  A little round guy that could hit anything and play stellar defense?  What's not to love about that?  Kirby was so awesome to watch, just kind of an enigma.  He was taken from this world way too soon, for sure.  Bert is a butthole.  But, Bert was a great pitcher. Therefore, he makes the list...barely.

Detroit Tigers:  Ty Cobb, Al Kaline, Miguel Cabrera, and Sparky Anderson.

Defense:  Ty Cobb was a feared hitter, a killer on the base-paths, had fire in his eyes, and hate for
everyone (especially non-whites) in his little, shriveled heart.  But, that little fuckin Georgia redneck was one of the best pure hitters baseball has ever seen.  Al Kaline killed the baseball.  Period.  He hit the baseball like he just hated that thing.  He...as I learned as I got older...was kind of an asshole, too.  I have a story about Al and his surliness.  If you want to hear it, send me an email.  Miggy won the triple crown.  In the modern era, that's damned near impossible.  No one hits better in the game today than Cabrera. The Angels CF is close...but he's still miles apart from Cabrera.   I have put only players on the Rushmore's up to this point.  But, I make exception for Sparky.  I believe that no other person personifies a team more than Sparky did for the Tigers.  He was such an unbelievably nice man, too.  When I was a kid, the Tigers trained in our little FL town (still do, actually).  Every year we would get soooo excited.  Not to see the team, but because Sparky was coming back to town.  Love that guy.

Kansas City Royals:  George Brett, Brett Saberhagen, Bo Jackson, and David Cone

Defense:  I really can't defend any of these.  Brett was great.  He could hit but he was also a super-douche back in the day.  I don't say this off hearsay...I saw it first hand.  Their Spring Training was just up the road in FL.  I liked Saberhagen and he was totally the most valuable pitcher they have ever had. To this day, I think Royals fans are waiting for the next Saberhagen.  He just oozed intensity.  Bo Jackson was the best athlete I have ever seen.  Period.  The guy could do it all...hit, defense, fast...Bo was the fucking Mack Daddy.  Sadly, he was the only spark of offensive greatness on otherwise shitty KC teams.  Cone was a great pitcher but he made his name and fortune in other locales.  He just was getting started in KC.  But, I couldn't have a blank face on this Rushmore, could I?  Boy...the Royals have an awful history.

On Deck: NL East

Machado's

I just thought I would take a break from the Rushmore's and throw up a couple of Manny Machado's that I dug out.  I'm considering throwing them both up on the bay and seeing what would happen.

They are:  2010 Elite Extra Edition Status #d 7/25 (Die Cut)
                 2012 Topps Heritage Minor League SSP (Reversed Color)

Not sure what they are worth but, hey, it's Manny so they gotta be worth something.

Just wanted to share.

Mt. Rushmore - National League Central

I read back over my last two Rushmore entries and noticed that I don't really go way back in terms of selecting great players.  They existed back then and many old-old-timers will get onto Rusmores of their respective teams.  But, I often choose, during these times, on emotion and memory.  Plus, I have my friggin' favorites and normally those are guys I have seen play before.  So, deal with it people.

Here's the National League Central.  A classic division with some great all-time teams.

Cincinnati Reds:  Pete Rose, Joe Morgan, Johnny Bench, and Barry Larkin.

Defense:  Does this Rushmore need defending?  Each and every one of those guys defined that team during their era.  Rose was possibly the best hitter to ever pick up a bat.  Just TONS of hits.  I mean, it's Charlie-fuckin-Hustle, dude!  Morgan, even though I don't really care for him on TV, was a great hitter and a Hall of Famer.  Johnny Bench, well he pretty much revolutionized the catching position.  He could hit and play defense...back in the day you got one or the other.  Barry Larkin may be the biggest star of them all.  A classy, great player on both sides of the ball.

Pittsburgh Pirates:  Honus Wagner, Roberto Clemente, Willie Stargell, and Ralph Kiner.

Defense:  I could have easily put Barry Lamar Bonds on the Pirates Rushmore.  He deserved to be in SF.  Honus Wagner...never saw him play.  But, if that cat has a baseball card worth more than I will ever make in a lifetime.  Hell, you get on the list sir.  Clemente was just a true talent that got stripped from this world far too early.  A true humanitarian and great person.  Stargell, who was quite possibly the ringleader for the "We are Family"-Pirates could flat out smash the ball.  Pure power.  The same with Kiner.  Ralph isn't as beloved around the country as he is in the Steel City, but he was an all-time great.

St. Louis Cardinals:  Stan Musial, Bob Gibson, Albert Pujols, and Ozzie Smith.

Defense:  Seriously?  I need to defend this list.  Really?  I can do it super-quick.  A pure hitter with power.  A power pitcher that could wilt you with a stare.  The best hitter on the modern era.  And the best fielding shortstop ever.  That was easy.  The hardest part about picking the Cardinals Rushmore was narrowing down the field.

Chicago Cubs:  Ernie Banks, Ryne Sandberg, Fergie Jenkins, and Ron Santo.

Defense:  Let me start with the last guy on the list.  Ron Santo was just so awesome.  He waited for so long to be inducted into the Hall of Fame but when that time came, he had already passed away.  That is just too fucking tragic and I hate that for a great guy and fantastic player.  Banks is THE face of the Cubs.  He defines the Cubs and is beloved.  Hell of a player, too.  Sandberg was one of my favorites growing up.  He hit for average, power, and played defense.  On top of it all, Ryno was a leader.  Finally, Fergie Jenkins, the first Canadian to be inducted into the Hall, managed to be one of the greatest pitchers ever.

Milwaukee Brewers:  Robin Yount, Paul Molitor, Ryan Braun, and Prince Fielder.

Defense:  This was...hard.  The former Seattle Pilots have not had what we would normally call an "illustrious history".  Their teams have often sucked, to be frank.  But, Robin Yount was a beast.  Just a great hitter with a wicked-awesome mustache.  Paul Molitor, Yount's teammate for a while, was a pure hitter...just one of the greats.  You can pick a Molitor autograph pretty cheaply, too.  For some reason, he doesn't get a ton of respect.  Braun and Fielder are on this list because...well, there's no one else.  They are both awesome players even though Braun's integrity is now in question and Fielder bounced
at his first chance to make some real dough.  The Brewer's history is just sad, man.

ON DECK:  AL CENTRAL

Rushmore...AL West

Now, let's explore the Mt. Rushmore's for the teams in the American League West.  There are some good one's out on the west coast.  I will be including the Houston Astros in the AL West...that's their home now, after all.

Los Angeles Angels:  Rod Carew, Darin Erstad, Mike Scioscia, and Reggie Jackson.

Defense:  Carew needs no defense, at all.  A flat-out masher.  Darin Erstad might have been one of the most popular players ever to play for the Angels.  Just beloved.  Maybe that's because he was all hustle, all the time.  So, don't give me no shit for Erstad.  Scioscia is unconventional because he's on this Rushmore as a manager.  The Angels have had their greatest successes under his leadership.  Finally, Reggie makes the list for the Angels.  Yes, he had greater successes on other teams but...he wouldn't make those teams' Rushmore's.  Reggie deserves to be on one.  With another year under his belt, Trout would make this list for sure.

Oakland Athletics:  Rollie Fingers, Dennis Eckersley, Mark McGwire, and Jason Giambi.

Defense:  Two great closers.  Two great mustaches.  Two Hall of Famers.  Rollie and Dennis were awesome.  McGwire, along with all his controversy, was a fantastic hitter that pretty much (along with PEDs and Sammy Sosa) brought baseball back from misery.  The strike almost killed baseball and Mark and Sammy saved it's ass.  Plus,  all those bombs.  Geez.  Finally, no one embodied what it is like to be an Oakland A more than Jason Giambi.  He could hit like a beast, yes.  But, he also looked like a biker (long hair, tattoos, scruffy beard).  If someone wanted to see what it was like to be an A, look at late 90's Giambi.

Seattle Mariners:  Randy Johnson, Ken Griffey, Jr., Edgar Martinez, and Ichiro Suzuki

Defense:  This Rushmore was easy. If you tell me Jay Buhner should be up there instead of any of those guys, then I will just have to slap you...or cry.  Or both.  Randy is the best left handed pitcher ever.  He had power and control and a billion strikeouts.  And a wicked mustache.  The Kid might have the sweetest swing ever.  Great power, great average, great attitude...he always seemed to be having fun (at least in Seattle).  Edgar was the consummate professional and was a great hitter.  Ichiro...well, he was awesome.  Imagine his numbers if he had played his entire career in the states.  They'd be staggering. In my opinion, every one of these guys should be in the Hall of Fame.

Houston Astros:  Jeff Bagwell, Nolan Ryan, Craig Biggio, and Lance Berkman.

Defense:  Other than Ryan, this line-up has more questions about PEDs than any other.  No matter...these four are THE faces of the Astros.  Bagwell and Biggio are the best hitters Houston has ever had.  Easily.  Nolan Ryan is one of the five best pitchers of all time.  Some may argue that he is the best of all time...but, I disagree with that one.  The Big Puma, Berkman, was great during his time with the Astros.  Big power, good average, good defense, fan favorite.  That's what you look for in a Rushmore guy.

Texas Rangers:  Juan Gonzalez, Rafael Palmeiro, Charlie Hough, and Ivan Rodriguez.

Defense:  Oh boy, I almost put Alex Rodriguez on this Rushmore.  I debated long and hard about it.  But, in the end logic won out.  Therefore, Juan Gonzalez leads the pack in the face of the Rangers franchise.  I don't know if many of you remember just how good and how powerful Juan was in that lineup.  There were years where he WAS the lineup.  Palmeiro made the list and A-Rod didn't?  I know, I know.  But, that A-Rod shit is fresh and still stings.  Raffi is old news.  But, the dude was a masher...on PEDs!  Charlie Hough...old man river.  Charlie played for ever but that knuckleballer did it right.  He's a very good dude, too.  Yes, Kenny Rogers may have been up here but I like Charlie better.  Kenny always seemed like a douche.  Finally, Pudge...in my opinion there has been no better catcher.  A defensive machine with a good bat.  Just the best.

Argue away.  There's some controversy here...

On Deck:  NL Central

Mount Rushmore...NL West

I've always loved the "Mt. Rushmore" discussions.  Don't know what that is?  It's thinking  hard on who would be the four faces on each team's Mt. Rushmore, or better explained, the four biggest icons from each team.  I think I will do this for the next week or so.  There will be one rule with my Mt. Rushmore's for each team:  A player can only be on one Rushmore.  For example:  I could easily put Nolan Ryan on the Rangers, Astros, or Mets...but, he will only be able to go on one.

So, let's get crackin'.  We're going to start with the National League East.


Los Angeles/Brooklyn Dodgers:  Sandy Koufax, Jackie Robinson, Fernando Valenzuela, and Duke Snider.

Defense:  Koufax and Robinson need no defense.  Each of those two defined their position during their time period.  Both were easily selected to the Hall of Fame.  Duke Snider was a masher and was widely considered one of the best ball players of his era.  Therefore, I feel that I don't need to justify having the Duke on here.  Now, Fernando.  Yes, some of you may be able to skewer me for adding Fernando but the man was awesome.  Many of you don't remember how good he was...YouTube him.  You'll see.

Arizona Diamondbacks:  Luis Gonzalez, Mark Grace, Curt Schilling, Jose Valverde

Defense: It's hard to put up a Rushmore Four for a fairly new team.  1998 really wasn't all that long ago.  So, it's kind of hard to give four faces of the franchise.  Luis was the Diamondbacs.  He just defined what that team was and is.  A class act that will never sniff the Hall of Fame.  Grace was a gamer and people loved him.  Schilling, even though he made his legacy in Boston, was a force in the World Series vs. the Yankees.  He was great on this team and he would never make the Boston Rushmore.  Valverde...I was having trouble of thinking of anyone better.  Thoughts?

San Francisco/New York Giants:  Barry Bonds, Willie Mays, Willie McCovey, and Orlando Cepeda.

Defense:  This list needs absolutely no defending.  If you disagree with any of these then you need to read some history.  OR stop following baseball...the NBA is calllllliiiiiinnnnngggg.

Colorado Rockies:  Todd Helton, Larry Walker, Troy Tulowitzki, Dante Bichette

Defense:  Another new-ish team.  However, the Rocks weren't that hard to find four guys who defined what the team is.  Helton should be a HO'Fer...Rookie of the Year, Silver Sluggers, blah blah blah.  Todd is the MAN (capital MAN) in Colorado.  Walker and Bichette were also great players during their times on the Rockies.  Lots of RBI's and lots of HR's....were they both clean during this time?  Well, that's another debate for another time.  Finally, Tulo...it's quite strange to put a current player on a Mt. Rushmore list but Troy is the real deal.  He is destined for greatness.

San Diego Padres: Tony Gwynn, Dave Winfield, Trevor Hoffman, Gary Sheffield.

Defense:  Gwynn is the face of the franchise in San Diego and probably the most consistent hitter that I have ever seen play.  Winfield played on a number of other teams but his chances for making a Rushmore were the best in San Diego.  So, here he is.  Same with Sheffield.  Sheff was a friggin' phenomenal hitter.  Just awesome.  Right behind Mariano Rivera, when it comes to closers, is Trevor Hoffman.  He was that good.

Well, that's the NL West Mt. Rushmore's.  There are some really good players on that list.  Mays, Bonds, Schilling, Helton...etc.  The NL West has seen some great players but...the good news is that the other divisions have seen far greater.  Stay tuned for the rest of the list.

Don't agree?  Email or respond and we can debate...defend your team!  Defend your favorite player!

ON DECK:  AL WEST

Getting With The Times...I Guess

Hey people.  Just thought I would throw it out there that Can't Hit The Curve has joined the Twitter-universe.  We figured it was just time to get with it, get hip, and all that bullshit.  Actually, it seemed like an effective (cost-effective, mostly) way to get the word out there about the ol' homestead...or site.  So, give us a follow.  I'm still learning how to get shit done on the Twitter site so give me a few days and we'll be jammin'.

Follow us:  @Canthitthecurve

Cheers!

2014 Topps

Hey!  Topps is always first.  They're the grandaddy of this here trading card biz so they reserve the right to go first with their releases.  Actually, I'm awful sure that it doesn't have much to do with respect.  More like:  Topps is friggin' smart to release their newest flagship set every year BEFORE spring training.  I think they are the only company that releases something new before the start of the season but I could be wrong wrong wrong.

Anyway, since the regular old Topps set is fairly affordable, I bought five packs at the LCS.  So, I left with fifty cards and didn't feel dirty or have serious buyers remorse about this purchase.  Topps prices their flagship set appropriately so the whole process of buying and collecting is...gasp!...Fun!  Amazing, I know.

There's a little more gloss to this year's card.  This could be problematic for those collectors who like to hit the streets or the mail to get their cards signed.  But, to me, this is a minor drawback.  The cards themselves look good...they went with the white border again (good!).

Here's a short run-down of some of the stuff you'll find in the 2014 version...actually, there is no short version.  Go to this here link to see it all.

I can at least tell what I got in my five packs.  I got 50 cards.  A number of regular old base cards, a number of rookies, and a handful of "future stars" (is this a new subset...it seems to be vaguely reminiscent of Upper Deck), 1 Tampa Bay player (Cobb), 2 of the red hot foil inserts, a Bo Jackson die-cut mini, Gary Carter and Cal Ripken Jr "Upper Class", and a Paul Goldschmidt Power Player card.  Overall, it was fun.  This is what collecting is supposed to be like.

Burning A-Rod (or Free Alex Rodriguez Cards)

Hey.  I have a stack of Alex Rodriguez cards I am getting ready to burn.  Actually...I'm not.  But, in honor of his recent suspension I am willing to dole out small packs of 7-10 A-Rod cards to whoever wants them.  I just ask for a couple stamps to send them...

Just send me a message to let me know.

Also, a waaaayyysss back I promised an autographed card to a reader.  But, due to some computer glitches I never got to send that card and now I can't remember who it is.  So, who are you stranger?  Send me an email reminder.  I didn't totally forget about you...just forgot for a while.  I'm super sorry and will make it up to you, I swear.

Thanks for reading and if you want freebies, give me a shout!

2103 Panini Prizm Perennial Draft Picks

It seems like the only things I review around here are Panini and Topps.  I guess that can be attributed to the fact that both still have product lines that are somewhat affordable.  This is something that cardmakers have forgotten...or willingly ignored.  People, especially in times of economic turmoil, have less money.  However, in recent years card companies have put out more and more hundred-dollar-a-box (or pack!) high end bullshit that I cannot justify spending.  I guess I'm not a true collector.

Anyway, went to the LCS to talk with the guy about scaling my collection back to just Hall of Famers and present/former Tampa Bay Rays players.  Gotta make room, you know.  So, I walk out with a couple of Rays autographed singles (Alex Cobb, Jake Odorizzi, Heath Bell) and two packs of 2013 Panini Prizm Perennial Draft Picks.  Opened 'em up:  no autos, one blue, and a whole stack of guys I haven't heard of yet.  That's the thing with draft pick cards...you don't always know what you got!

Here's a little breakdown about the set:   The boxes retail for 79 bucks a box, 20 packs in a box, six cards in a pack.  That, in itself, is not too bad.  Each box also guarantees Four autographs, Six parallels, and Three inserts.  Very not bad, at all.

The cards themselves are run-of-the-mill Prizm.  Nothing spectacular but really not too off-putting, either.

For the price, I would definitely recommend the Panini Prizm Perennial Draft Picks line.  It's economical AND you may actually get a little bit of a value from your purchase.  Now, who knows...in six or seven years are these cards going to hold up value-wise?  That really cannot be determined by a low-level goofball like myself.  We will just have to wait and see!

Head on over to Cardboard Connection for a checklist of the Panini.


Oh yeah...my two packs had twelve cards.  They were (in no particular order):  Vincent Vasquez, Adalberto Mondesi, Ryan Boldt (Prizm), Eugenio Suarez, Brian Navarreto, Luis Torrens, Chance Sisco, Orlando Castro, Jonathan Denney (Blue #'d to 75), Carter Hope, Garin Cecchini, Ryan Boldt.

Pretty Interesting: Topps Contracts

Now, here's something that I think is fairly unique and pretty cool in the world of baseball memorabilia.  Topps, the venerable granddaddy of baseball cards, puts expired and signed contracts up for sale in it's web store.  These are true 1/1's (for those of you that are into that sort of thing).

When a player signs a contract with Topps it gives the company the rights to use the players name and image in promotion of the company.  In turn, Topps shoots over cash.  It's really not a bad deal for both parties but I assume that Topps come out on top in the end.  Anyway, these contracts do have expiration dates and when these dates hit the contracts are null and void.  That's when Topps them up for sale for collector nerds like you and me.

Anyway, I just thought I would share.  Here's a link to those contracts at Topps.  Even if you don't buy one head over to take a look, they are all pretty interesting.