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.

Brand-spanking-new Hall of Famers

It seems like they've been talking about this Hall of Fame vote forever now.  By "they", I mean sportscasters on the radio.  By "forever", I mean...forever.  But, there is now a new class getting ready to into the Hall at Cooperstown.  This time there will actually BE a class.  Remember that time there was no one to induct?  Yeah, that sucked.

Greg Maddux could not be more deserving.  Simply one of the best pitchers ever.  He looked so damned inoffensive that I'm sure batters were like "Yo dork, throw me the dang ball" or whatever.  But, he made them all pay.  Maddux was a beast.  A little beast...but, a beast nonetheless.

For a Braves-centric Hall of Fame Class, we had to have Tom Glavine go into the hall with Maddux and long time manager Bobby Cox.  Glavine was a good one, too.  He deserves to be in.  I even think his "lost years" as a New York Met didn't hurt his chances too badly.  It may have cost him a percentage point or two, but that's ok.  It hurt to see Tom Glavine in another uniform.

Speaking of Hurt.  The Big Hurt, Frank Thomas, will join these other two as the lone hitter in the group.  I saw Frank when I was in college and he was in Spring Training.  He was a behemoth, like seriously, I think that he was a giant.  Anyway, a buddy of mine leaned against Frank's car and this dark look came over his face and I thought my pal was going to get seriously Big Hurt. Frank was one of may favorite hitters and could really kill the ball.  The fact he got in on the first ballot even with all of the injuries he had during his career is truly amazing.

So, congrats to Thomas, Glavine, and the Mad-Dog.  A great Hall of Fame Class this year.

Oh...and next year Craig Biggio will finally make it.  He missed by 2 votes!  That...well, that just sucks.