Community Gum | A Sports Card Blog. With Jokes. http://communitygum.com Sportscards. Oh, and sarcasm. Thu, 17 May 2012 16:02:27 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 Tier One Imports http://communitygum.com/2012/05/tier-one-imports/ http://communitygum.com/2012/05/tier-one-imports/#comments Thu, 17 May 2012 16:02:27 +0000 Andy http://communitygum.com/?p=3512 Okay, that’s a super obvious title but, in my defense, I did think of it before eBay started trying to autocorrect all my “Tier One lot” searches to “Pier One lot” so it’s not like I stole it from anywhere exactly. Point is, I’m three posts into documenting my Tier One Autograph Collection and I’m [...]]]> Okay, that’s a super obvious title but, in my defense, I did think of it before eBay started trying to autocorrect all my “Tier One lot” searches to “Pier One lot” so it’s not like I stole it from anywhere exactly. Point is, I’m three posts into documenting my Tier One Autograph Collection and I’m already out of clever titles. Be afraid. Be very Tierfraid. One. Tier Onefraid. Ugh.

Sometimes you get a good picture on your fancy new baseball card, sometimes...

There are very few top notch rookies in the On the Rise set numbered to 999. Nunez may not be a stud like a Dustin Ackley or anything, but he’s played a bunch of games in the infield for the Yankees. And with an infield that includes 3 of the best players of our time (yes, I’m including Cano… the time has come), that’s not a statement to be taken lightly. A kinda-speedy, not-much-power type of batter. A little like Darwin Barney or The Riot when he was good, stats-wise. This is his third year in the Majors and he looks to be playing the role he’ll have for the rest of his career unless something clicks- extra infielder.

Some names are just too easy...

Dillon Gee is another borderline average player in this set. He’s in the Mets’ starting rotation, but he’s got to be on the bubble with the stats he’s putting up. He gives up a lot of hits and I haven’t heard much buzz about him. I’m guessing 4th or 5th guy in the rotation, if not eventually swingman. Any Mets fans have a more informed opinion?

I hear this guy's pretty good.

Okay, now we’re getting into the good stuff. Daniel Hudson is numbered to “only” 699 and had an excellent 2011 in the Diamondbacks’ rotation. Currently out with some shoulder injury, you can follow him on Twitter! If he can stay healthy, he looks to be a solid rotation guy for the long run.

I hope he ends up being a closer so we can listen to announcers try to combine the silly "fireman" nickname for closers with "Sale" into some weird version of Fire Sale that doesn't make any sense. Don't know why I even thought of it.

Speaking of rotation, here’s Chris Sale, numbered to “just” 599! He’s been bouncing between starter and closer for the White Sox this year and my White Sox fan friends say he doesn’t have the stamina to stick in the rotation. I normally don’t like the scribbly autographs, but I’m diggin’ on his!

In 8th grade, the first word I looked up in the Spanish dictionary ended up being "pegar." Which translated directly meant, "to whack." I think Peguero is some conjugaton of pegar which in general use really just means "to hit" or "to fight" but that's less funny than "to whack."

Carlos Peguero looks to be a AAAA power hitter. He killed A+ a few years back with 31 homers and did pretty well in the upper leagues as well (currently has an OPS of over 1.000 at AAA Tacoma) but couldn’t put it together in a brief stint in the Majors last year. If he can put it together, the Mariners might have a solid 3-4 punch in Ackley and Peguero.

Former Cub farmhand in the majors. Love/hate seeing that.

Brandon Guyer was sent to the Rays in the Matt Garza trade. Lots of Cubs fans were bummed because he was projected to be a Major League player at the time. He made his debut with the Rays last year and, like Peguero, just couldn’t continue his success at the AAA level. He’s with the AAA Durham Bulls again this year and doing well, so hopefully he can put it together too. There are so many factors in that success that I can’t even imagine (other than the obvious increase in pitching talent)- it’s a wonder anyone survives those transitions.

My Tier One Collection is coming along slowly- most of these are $2-$3 cards so I haven’t hit the major hurdles yet (I’m looking at you, Roy Halladay autograph) but I’m enjoying the hunt. Many of these cheaper On the Rise autos can be had in lots, which is where most of these came from. I’ve ended up with some doubles and some stuff I don’t need in those lots so I’m sure a trade bait post is coming!


]]> http://communitygum.com/2012/05/tier-one-imports/feed/ 0 If I Were To Collect: Milwaukee Brewers Edition http://communitygum.com/2012/05/if-i-were-to-collect-milwaukee-brewers-edition/ http://communitygum.com/2012/05/if-i-were-to-collect-milwaukee-brewers-edition/#comments Tue, 15 May 2012 16:55:19 +0000 Jon http://communitygum.com/?p=3996 (The second in a series:  I’m picking one player that I associate with a team (whether they spent the majority of their career there or not) that I would strongly consider adding to my official want lists.  They may not always be superstars, or the most popular, and honestly they may not always be my favorite player [...]]]> (The second in a series:  I’m picking one player that I associate with a team (whether they spent the majority of their career there or not) that I would strongly consider adding to my official want lists.  They may not always be superstars, or the most popular, and honestly they may not always be my favorite player from the team, but that’s what will make this fun, no?)

This past Sunday we closed out a series with the Milwaukee Brewers.  It started out with a game that we should have won, then should have lost, should have won and lost a couple more times then eventually did lose.  The second game was a blowout in their favor and the last game was all about us taking advantage of errors to avoid the sweep.

It was actually kind of painful.  This whole season is likely to be painful.  I’m pretty sure the closest we’ll get to .500 all season was game #2.

It reminds me of the Cleveland Indians in Major League and no matter how good the Cubs might get, I’ll be like the Asian groundskeepers spouting “They’re still shitty.”

I like Len & Bob as announcers, but sometimes when things are going badly, you wish you had crazy announcers like in that movie.  Which leads me to my hypothetical pick for the Milwaukee Brewers:  Bob Eucker.

Why?  Here’s why.

He met Brocktoon!  Do you really need another reason? Don’t know Brocktoon?  Lemme educate!

Yes, I know he never played for the Brewers, but he did play in Milwaukee with the Braves, and how can you not think of the broadcasting legend up in Wrigley North?

I don’t have any Eucker cards to show and I don’t feel like stealing images, so videos are all you get.  If you don’t like it, into the jar!

He puts his glove over his face. So he can. So he can think of other parody lyrics to that soooong.

Current player runner-up: Corey Hart

Look, even he’s hiding from his own cards.

Before I had the epiphany to name Eucker, Hart was going to be the guy.  He gets under my skin sometimes, like on Friday, but in general he’s a good, solid slugging type that wouldn’t be too hard to collect.  He’s not everywhere on cardboard like a lot of guys with his stats thanks to playing in a smaller market.  I pulled the first one I could find to scan.  That took about 15-20 minutes.  Something about that lack of abundance is appealing to me.

It's like we're getting a glimpse inside his mind!

Retired player runner-up:  Paul Molitor

Sure, I could have gone with Robin Yount, but that seems too damned expensive.  This exercise isn’t about the only player I would collect, it’s about the player from each team I would theoretically add.  That means I have to make sure to balance some massive names with other quality guys that are easier on the wallet.  In fact most of them will be of that type.  Molitor feels like he’d be an easy HOFer to acquire.  Still, I’m going with Euck over all.

The Series So Far
Angels
Astros
Athletics
Blue Jays
Braves
Brewers – Bob Eucker
Cardinals
Cubs
Diamondbacks
Dodgers
Giants
Indians
Mariners
Marlins
Mets
Nationals/Expos
Orioles
Padres
Phillies
Pirates
Rangers
Rays/Devil Rays
Red Sox
Reds
Rockies
Royals
Tigers
Twins
White Sox – Paul Konerko
Yankees

]]> http://communitygum.com/2012/05/if-i-were-to-collect-milwaukee-brewers-edition/feed/ 2 The Only Time I Root For The White Sox http://communitygum.com/2012/05/the-only-time-i-root-for-the-white-sox/ http://communitygum.com/2012/05/the-only-time-i-root-for-the-white-sox/#comments Tue, 15 May 2012 02:21:48 +0000 Jon http://communitygum.com/?p=4000 Is when I’m participating in a group break and I’ve claimed them.

Okay, I guess I also cheered along in 2005.  I may be anti-South Side, but if anyone’s going to win the World Series, I was happy that it could have been a team in Chicago.  Even if it does mean people on my [...]]]> Is when I’m participating in a group break and I’ve claimed them.

Okay, I guess I also cheered along in 2005.  I may be anti-South Side, but if anyone’s going to win the World Series, I was happy that it could have been a team in Chicago.  Even if it does mean people on my wife’s side of the family can give me crap about it.

And maybe I was pulling for them when Michael Jordan was in their minor league system, but really that’s just because of Michael.  So I wasn’t really rooting for the Sox, but rather for His Airness to do well and not become His Pop-Flyness or His Whiffness.

Executive decision: Doesn’t count as team encouragement. Stricken from the record.

What the heck are these? Read on and find out

That leaves group breaks, like the one held by Affordable break master Colbey from Cardboard Collections.  I’ve participated in a (personal) record six of them, and it’s not uncommon for me to grab the White Sox to further my Frank Thomas collection.  It usually works out well, since I rarely find out about any group break until it’s way too late, and the White Sox tend to go unpicked.  So, if the boxes match my needs and the price is close enough to right, I’m in.

I didn't remember that John Kruk played for the White Sox either

This time around there were three products opened. One of them was this Finest Update.  1995, I want to say.  Finest was the least of my worries, it was just bonus (as were the Fisk and cool Kittle).  I was lucky enough to land one of the refractors with Joltin’ John Kruk as well as doubles of just about everyone you see there.  All for trade.

Twin set of Twin sets of Twins

Let’s just say it was a big box for a small set.  The gold cards on the right were extras thrown in because that’s the kind of cool guy Colbey is.  I don’t need any of my Twins, including the Molitor tin up there so let me know if you do.

I was in it for the Franks

This is known as the Standing version

As you can see the second of three products was 1999 Pacific Invincible.  It’s a confusing, convoluted set if you ask me.  It seemed like every pack had a couple insert cards and only 1 (maybe 2) from the regular set.

Running version

The inserts have variations, which aren’t labeled anywhere, you’re just supposed to figure it out.  I guess you will figure it out when you get 45 inserts in a box and only 20 set cards.  I didn’t know this layout when I joined. I was hoping to get a couple of these.

Bzzzz! Smile!

Instead I got both version of both main insert sets.  Not as impressive as it sounds.  What I didn’t walk away with was the set card.  Neither of my teams had a single one, but the scans on his blog looked cool with the little acetate window thing going on.

Bzzzzz! Ground out!

The two horizontal inserts are called Sandlot Heroes. These are Seismic Force.  Can’t you tell from the earthquake font?  That’s about the only good thing going for these.  I’m not a fan of yellow, so there’s one strike. The zoomed-in comic book look doesn’t do the card any favors either.  And the variations are annoying.

Reminds me of a wall in my dentist's office

This was the big prize in the box.  The Thunder Alley inserts fell in something like 1:2 boxes, maybe more, and not only was there one in there, but it went to me!  If my checklist is correct, there’s no variation so I win again.  A little bit of shine or selective gloss in the right spots would have gone a long way on this card, but it’s still nice.

Metal containers for cards were big in the 90s

The last, and most exciting for me personally was the 1997 Screenplays box.  Frank Thomas has 2 tins/cards in the set.  Each tin holds one card and each box of 21 tins has a complete set (presumably) and one of 5 bonus tins.  Frank is one of those 5, but in this break I believe it ended up being Cal Ripken Jr.  Can’t win them all.  Above is the front and paper insert of the tin.

Probably scanned as good as you're going to get

The cards themselves are very thick as to hold all the different frames of lenticular action.  This ain’t your typical 3 image sportflics card.  This is just about an entire play in one go.  In mine, FT is chasing after a foul ball and reaches into the stands to make the catch.  How cool is that?  It’s even better that they feature some defense instead of the safe slugger standby home run swing.

Thanks again to Colbey from Cardboard Collections.  I may not always participate in the group breaks, but I’m always glad I did.  Even when you don’t get your home team, they’re fun to root for.

]]> http://communitygum.com/2012/05/the-only-time-i-root-for-the-white-sox/feed/ 0 All For Naught #2 http://communitygum.com/2012/05/all-for-naught-2/ http://communitygum.com/2012/05/all-for-naught-2/#comments Sat, 12 May 2012 23:15:43 +0000 Jon http://communitygum.com/?p=3965 Our blog was down for who knows how long for who knows why after I posted the first of these. Here’s hoping the same fate doesn’t befall round two.

If you missed the first part, and don’t feel like going back, just know that I’m very grateful for the thoughtfulness and generosity of bloggers and [...]]]> Our blog was down for who knows how long for who knows why after I posted the first of these. Here’s hoping the same fate doesn’t befall round two.

If you missed the first part, and don’t feel like going back, just know that I’m very grateful for the thoughtfulness and generosity of bloggers and readers alike.

Alec, who I don’t believe has a blog (Please forgive me if you do and I’m just blanking.  It’s pretty late at the time I’m writing this.), but is a regular commenter and break participant, also recently sent along some cards completely unannounced.  I’m usually not one for entertaining guests, but I just had to make an exception for these fellows.

Maybe his nickname should have been Big Smile

The best part about 1992 Upper Deck is the photo selection.  Even a standard portrait shot like this looks cool in comparison to those other card companies.  Then, when you add a different photo on the back (which I rarely, if ever, scan) that’s equally good, you can’t help but love it.  I’ll show the back once I land the gold hologram version.

I think he's searching for an end to the foil

Alec included a couple of these Elite cards.  Even before I get to the second one in the post, I’ve run out of things to say about it.  It’s tough when it looks like every other Elite set ever made.

Expect to see a couple more of these, too

That big gray box looks like a snowy TV reception.  I fully realize that there are already some people out there who may not know what that is.

Preparing for the hidden ball trick. Step 1) show the ball

What are the chances Topps brings back Gallery next year?  I mean Archives is back this year (join our case break!), so who knows.  Everyone loves Gallery, don’t they?

See, I told you

My relief pitchers haven’t been doing so hot lately.  Marmol lost his job as closer and can’t find the strike zone.  Wood also seems to walk everybody, but also has an astronomical ERA.  At least he threw his “I suck” glove and hat into the stands.  Now he should get better.  I don’t even know why he wore that glove to begin with.

You've seen this before, too

Those that pay extra close attention will notice that I’ve posted this card once before.  Alec sent over what turned out to be a replacement for a dinged up card.  Now, I will say that upgrading my collection is not my top priority.  I’d rather get one of everything and then go back and upgrade as needed, but I’ll never turn down upgrades and I do feel the need to mark which ones are eligible for a revisit (at least in my warped, ever-changing mind) in my spreadsheets.

Wood returns!

This card is from last year’s Update set and it’s awesome for a couple reasons.  One, it marks Kerry Wood’s reintroduction to fans upon resigning with Chicago.  Two, Reed Johnson is sporting the Ron Santo tribute hat in the background.  I have a couple other versions of this card that I found in blasters, which I’ve shown on APTBNL, but not here…yet.

Is it elitist to say I don't like Elite?

Yup. I got nothing.  It’s very silvery. It has blue on the top and bottom. Fingerprints love it.

One more of these

I think with this card in my possession, I no longer need to buy a box of Fleer Genuine.  Not that I would buy a box just for three cards.  Okay, maybe I would, but I’d most likely use the rest for a group break or trade situations.  I’ll just pick something else now instead.

Also in need of an upgrade - it's beat all to hell

It’s been over a year since I’ve posted a Maddux Moments & Milestones card, which is crazy considering I have a ton from a lot and other boxes I’ve opened (small obsession).  Let me refresh your memory as to how this works.  For the 2008 set, I’m going to give a recap of each win.  For 2007, I guess I’ll tell you the situation for each of these strikeouts.  It’s featuring the 199 K’s from his 1992 NL Cy Young season.

Strikeout #93
June 30, 1992 – Chicago Cubs vs New York Mets

On his way to a complete game win (score 3-1), Maddux recorded his 9th of 10Ks against a swinging Dave Madagan for the first out in the top of the 9th inning.

Always with the batting cage background

I like to save the best cards for last.  In this case I’m considering the Dempster the best for a couple reasons.  This marks my first Gypsy Queen card of his (So many minis….) and it’s another new Ryan Dempster card.  I’m finding they show up in trades much less frequently anymore.  That’s understandable, but it makes me appreciate them more when I do get one.

Alec, thanks a lot again for all your continued support of our blog and for being so kind and thoughtful to send these my way.  I can’t thank you enough.

]]> http://communitygum.com/2012/05/all-for-naught-2/feed/ 2 2012 Topps Archives Case Group Break Reminder – Teams as low as $20! http://communitygum.com/2012/05/2012-topps-archives-case-group-break-reminder-teams-as-low-as-20/ http://communitygum.com/2012/05/2012-topps-archives-case-group-break-reminder-teams-as-low-as-20/#comments Sat, 12 May 2012 01:08:35 +0000 Jon http://communitygum.com/?p=3969 Hey everybody!

Considering the massive amount of new announcements Topps made on twitter today regarding Topps Archives, we figured now would be a good time to remind you that teams are still available in our case group break.  The lowest tier is $20, which will get you the entire case worth of your team.  It [...]]]> Hey everybody!

Considering the massive amount of new announcements Topps made on twitter today regarding Topps Archives, we figured now would be a good time to remind you that teams are still available in our case group break.  The lowest tier is $20, which will get you the entire case worth of your team.  It looks like the full autograph checklist has been released as well, so if that’s been a sticking point in your decision wait no more!

Topps announced a bunch of crazy new additions, most of which we won’t see, but take a look below.  You’ll see there’s now some non-sport entries and I describe in all caps how we’re handling those.  I’ve updated the main post with all of this information as well.

Well, what are you waiting for?  Claim your team on our original post HERE

PRODUCT UPDATE:

There’s a whole lot of new information that was just announced on May 11th.  Here’s the rundown including the full autograph list:

Fan Favorites Autographs
Hank Aaron Atlanta Braves
Sandy Koufax Los Angeles Dodgers
Willie Mays San Francisco Giants
Ken Griffey Jr. Seattle Mariners
Jose Oquendo St. Louis Cardinals P (one for each of the 9 positions he’s played)
Jose Oquendo St. Louis Cardinals 1B
Jose Oquendo St. Louis Cardinals 2B
Jose Oquendo St. Louis Cardinals SS
Jose Oquendo St. Louis Cardinals 3B
Jose Oquendo St. Louis Cardinals  C
Jose Oquendo St. Louis Cardinals RF
Jose Oquendo St. Louis Cardinals LF
Jose Oquendo St. Louis Cardinals CF
Don Mattingly New York Yankees
Jim Abbott California Angels
Vida Blue Oakland Athletics
Bill Buckner Chicago Cubs
Jay Buhner Seattle Mariners
Will Clark San Francisco Giants
Chili Davis California Angels
Cecil Fielder Detroit Tigers
George Foster Cincinnati Reds
Ron Gant Atlanta Braves
Ken  Griffey Cincinnati Reds
Tom Herr St. Louis Cardinals
John Kruk Philadelphia Phillies
Ray Lankford St. Louis Cardinals
Jack McDowell Chicago White Sox
Roger McDowell New York Mets
John Olerud Toronto Blue Jays
Terry Pendleton Atlanta Braves
Boog Powell Baltimore Orioles
Luis Tiant Boston Red Sox
Robin Ventura New York Mets
Mitch Williams Philadelphia Phillies
Buddy Bell Texas Rangers
Bob  Boone Philadelphia Phillies
Brett Butler Los Angeles Dodgers
Doug DeCinces Baltimore Orioles
Doug Drabek Pittsburgh Pirates
Oscar  Gamble New York Yankees
Bobby Grich California Angels
Von Hayes Philadelphia Phillies
Frank Howard Washington Senators (this would go to the Rangers)
Carney Lansford Oakland Athletics
Bud Harrelson New York Mets
Dennis Martinez Montreal Expos
Ben Oglivie Milwaukee Brewers
Lance Parrish Detroit Tigers
Bobby  Richardson New York Yankees
Dave Righetti New York Yankees
Bobby Thigpen Chicago White Sox
Andy  Van Slyke Pittsburgh Pirates
Maury Wills Los Angeles Dodgers
Willie Wilson Kansas City Royals
Wally  Backman New York Mets
Steve Balboni Kansas City Royals
George Bell Toronto Blue Jays
Sid Bream Atlanta Braves
Joe Charboneau Cleveland Indians
Jack Clark St. Louis Cardinals
Cecil  Cooper Milwaukee Brewers
Shawon Dunston Chicago Cubs
Dick Groat Pittsburgh Pirates
Cleon Jones New York Mets
Wally Joyner California Angels
Jimmy Key New York Yankees
Dave Kingman New York Mets
Ron Kittle Chicago White Sox
Ed Kranepool New York Mets
Bill  Lee Boston Red Sox
Mickey Lolich Detroit Tigers
Greg Luzinski Philadelphia Phillies
Bill Madlock Pittsburgh Pirates
Bake McBride Philadelphia Phillies
Al Oliver Pittsburgh Pirates
Amos Otis Kansas City Royals
Steve Rogers Montreal Expos
Mike Scott Houston Astros
Ken  Singleton Baltimore Orioles
Jim Wynn Houston Astros

Framed 1983 Minis
Ryne Sandberg Chicago Cubs
Reggie Jackson California Angels
Mike Schmidt Philadelphia Phillies
Jim Rice Boston Red Sox
Dennis Eckersley Boston Red Sox
Carlton Fisk Chicago White Sox
Paul Molitor Milwaukee Brewers
Fergie  Jenkins Chicago Cubs
Nolan Ryan Houston Astros
Bert Blyleven Cleveland Indians
Albert Pujols Angels
Justin Verlander Detroit Tigers
Clayton Kershaw Los Angeles Dodgers
Matt Kemp Los Angeles Dodgers
Chipper Jones Atlanta Braves
Adrian Gonzalez Boston Red Sox
Robinson Cano New York Yankees
David Ortiz Boston Red Sox
Jose Bautista Toronto Blue Jays
Nelson Cruz Texas Rangers
Felix Hernandez Seattle Mariners
Eric Hosmer Kansas City Royals
Starlin Castro Chicago Cubs
Tony Gwynn San Diego Padres
Ryan Zimmerman Washington Nationals

Other autographs
1986 Yu Darvish
1975 Gary Carter (the only sticker auto – for obvious reasons)
1984 Bryce Harper

OTHER NEW ANNOUNCMENTS

–There will be 100 Touched by Greatness Cal Ripken Jr oversized boxtopper cards which include an auto and a handprint of the Iron Man
–boxtopper autos of 2 stars from “The Karate Kid” – Martin Kove and Billy Zabak as well as other 80s movies star autos
–10 different 1/1 booklets featuring 6 player autographs (these are also sticker)
–88 buyback autos of Frank Robinson
–50 different cut autos of celebrities like James Earl Jones, Bob Barker and Vanna White
–redemption cards for 50 uncut sheets of 2012 Topps Archives
–50 more original Topps player contracts

IF WE GET A NON-SPORT HIT IN OUR CASE, IT WILL BE RANDOMED AMONGST ALL TEAMS THAT HAVE NOT HAD A HIT YET (including any teams that do not sell).  IF ALL TEAMS GET A HIT, IT WILL BE RANDOMED AMONGST ALL TEAMS WITH THE FEWEST AMOUNT OF HITS.  ANY NON-SPORT NON-HIT CARDS THAT MAY BE IN THE PRODUCT WILL BE EVENLY DISTRIBUTED TO THE BEST OF OUR ABILITY.

]]> http://communitygum.com/2012/05/2012-topps-archives-case-group-break-reminder-teams-as-low-as-20/feed/ 1 Cordier Bleu http://communitygum.com/2012/05/cordier-bleu/ http://communitygum.com/2012/05/cordier-bleu/#comments Fri, 11 May 2012 15:08:12 +0000 Andy http://communitygum.com/?p=2854 I have very few card collections given my limited resources and space, but I did decide some time ago to begin collecting on-card Royals autographs. It’s been a blast so far trying to track these things down and this is the latest addition to my collection. To view the cards currently in the collection, take [...]]]> I have very few card collections given my limited resources and space, but I did decide some time ago to begin collecting on-card Royals autographs. It’s been a blast so far trying to track these things down and this is the latest addition to my collection. To view the cards currently in the collection, take a look at the Gallery or the other posts in this series. I’m working on getting a legit want list together on my trade page but, in the meantime, if you have any on-card Royals autos that it looks like I don’t have, don’t hesitate to drop me a line!

 

Let's name this autograph set, Night Owl style. I vote for an inaudible scrunching of the nose and sheilding of the eyes. How do I write that down?

I’ve “shown off” cards from the 2005 Topps base autograph set before. Show off is in quotes because I’m almost embarrassed to own these monstrosities. This set was a bit Royal-heavy so I’ve got more to show. The thing is, where a “blue” themed design usually helps make a Royals card look pretty sweet, swimming in the blue Neuromancer soup that is this awful card design makes veteran minor leaguer Erik Cordier look like an alien hologram on the Millennium Falcon’s chess board.

Now THAT's a fastball!

See, the thing is, in 2005, Topps knew how to make good-looking cards. Even with the exaggerated motion blue there, this Topps Chrome auto looks fantastic. 2005 Topps base isn’t the best design in the world or anything, but that’s not so bad, is it? Why not just make a little window on the base card to sign too? Why go through the trouble of creating a whole new horizontal design when the regular one is just fine?! Look, it even looks good in black!

Erik is Bak in Blak

I highlighted this card back when I was naive enough to title my Royals show-off posts with no mystique. I thought people might get into it as a “series.” Turns out no one cares about my Royals but me (and maybe Maupatches and Chrome Scratches) so I’m really writing this in a vacuum. Much like Erik Cordier is pitching has been pitching in the vacuum of AAA since 2010 (now in the Braves system). He may make his debut yet… just as I may get asked to write Royals autograph posts for Sports Illustrated any day now.

]]> http://communitygum.com/2012/05/cordier-bleu/feed/ 3 All For Naught http://communitygum.com/2012/05/all-for-naught/ http://communitygum.com/2012/05/all-for-naught/#comments Thu, 10 May 2012 06:00:18 +0000 Jon http://communitygum.com/?p=3931 It doesn’t happen too often, but occasionally bloggers will get cards out of the blue.  Typically we’re not those guys.  There’s usually a reason for us receiving something from somebody.  And speaking just for myself, I’m fine with that.  I get so wrapped up in the various aspects of my life that I can’t spend [...]]]> It doesn’t happen too often, but occasionally bloggers will get cards out of the blue.  Typically we’re not those guys.  There’s usually a reason for us receiving something from somebody.  And speaking just for myself, I’m fine with that.  I get so wrapped up in the various aspects of my life that I can’t spend the time getting a random pack of stuff together and ready to ship.  I’m also in favor of knowing beforehand that someone will need the specific things I’m sending.

But random packages do happen, and while I love opening them, I can’t help but feel like a modest mom on mother’s day saying “oh, you didn’t have to do that.  That’s too much!”  Speaking of parents, maybe now would be a good time to welcome our newest reader: my father.  Assuming he actually is visiting the blog like he said he would.

Hi, dad!  Come see how much Brian from Play at the Plate likes us!  See, we’re doing just fine and making friends and everything.  No need to worry.  Try not to correct my grammar too much.

Hi Brian!  You really shouldn’t have.  You didn’t have to do that.  This is way too much.  Have you eaten? There’s leftovers in the fridge if you’d like.

Okay.  End mom-mode and start slightly guilty card breakdown.  Let me just say in advance of showing everything, thank you.  This really is a generous gesture and I know card-ma will treat you well.  (Dad, that’s a term we bloggers sometimes use instead of “karma” because we’re nerds that like puns)

#008/400. I feel like there's a Bond joke in there. Or maybe Bonds.

First I’ll show the “hit.”  Normally I save such things for last, but I like to end on a positive note, unlike Sammy.  This goes towards Andy’s loose & lazy Cubs relics collection, but my guess is he’d be willing to trade for something he’s more actively pursuing.

That "award" looks like an elephant to me.

So, I’m not sure if Ultra wasn’t allowed to use the actual award names, or they wanted to make up their own, but “Top Glove” isn’t a thing.  Greg has another card in this insert set, also for a incorrectly titled award.

Golly, that pinnacle logo shore is purdy

Kind of a fancy looking base set, don’t you think?  The mid-90s is when companies started to get a little loosey goosey with the foiley.  Might as well make the whole thing gold foil.

Love the shine

I wasn’t collecting baseball in 1995, so I didn’t come across this design until I opened my 2005 Leaf box a while back.  If I had seen this back then, I would have bought as much as my allowance allowed.  Some may find fault with the massive team name and the hard to read player name, but I love the look.  I didn’t like it in the 2005 set, because it doesn’t have this foily/shiny thing going on. It’s a solid purple color that I didn’t understand. Now I do, and I’m converted.

It would be cooler if the glove was raised

Another insert with a fake award name.  Okay, that’s not exactly what Great Gloves is since all the players are included for their defense.  At this point, Maddux had won five consecutive gold gloves. I think that qualifies as great.

He wants "Big Hurt" on his Tombstone

I love food issue cards. They’re some of my favorites, and I’ve half-assedly campaigned before to bring them back.  This particular card is already well-loved. It’s tough to see the crease and the worn corners on the scan, but trust me.  I recently stopped back home and found what looks to be another copy of this card still in the wrapper.  Not sure if I’ll open it up yet.

Have you seen a fancier checklist?

Frank Thomas was a popular player.  He not only had his regs Ultra card, but he also had two subset cards and two checklists.  That’s all well and good until you realize that Ultra released Gold Medallion versions of all of them (this being one), and then went one step too far with the Platinum Medallion version #/100 (or #/98 for one series 2 subset card).  Oh, and 13 insert cards for this year. At least they didn’t parallel the inserts in 1998.

Blueprint for a terrible scan

I know it’s tough to see, but this Swing Time insert looks like something you’d create in some high school architecture/shop/drafting class.  It’s an interesting concept, but I think I’d rather see blue on my blueprint instead of silver foil.

Who needs a description when the back of the card writes it for me?

“You could hit even if you were asleep, right T? Thought so.  Even blindfolded? Wow. How about underwater?  Jeez.  Know what? Anybody who can hit over.300 in fifteen straight seasons, and collect 3,000 career hits [which you should this season] could probably hit with one hand.”

Smooth.

2000 Topps & Chrome will be the bane of my Gwynn collecting existence

Remember when Topps Chrome was a full parallel set?  I don’t, but I’m learning now.  Here’s one of the subset cards for the best players of the century in different categories.  Tony Gwynn would not crack the top 10 all-time leaders in batting average, but he was #1 amongst active players with a then .339 avg.  Frank Thomas was fifth in 2000 at .320.  Cool card, even if a little busy on the front.

Even cooler in person

Who remembers when Stadium Club had a Chrome parallel set?  I don’t, but I’m learning.  Get ready Andy.  This is what you have to look forward to.  This here is a sweet clear acetate card that Stadium Club did so well.  The white you see is my scanner peeking through. It’s not quite so orange in person, but it is quite badass.

Ooo, shiny and numbered!

This is the real best card in the bunch.  I don’t know much about Donruss from this era, but I’m pretty sure this would have to be a parallel.  As you can see at the bottom, it says career stat line.  What that means is the card is numbered to some career achievement.  In Captain Video’s case, it’s his career batting average, which ended up being .338.  This card is 229/338 for those of you logging such things in some master database.  I love getting cards like this in the mail. It makes me feel like I’ve accomplished something.  Maybe not a .338 career average like some birthday boys, but still a small personal victory.

For doing absolutely nothing.

]]> http://communitygum.com/2012/05/all-for-naught/feed/ 3 Crowd Teaser http://communitygum.com/2012/05/crowd-teaser/ http://communitygum.com/2012/05/crowd-teaser/#comments Wed, 09 May 2012 15:17:28 +0000 Andy http://communitygum.com/?p=3513 Former Cub makes good-ish.

A couple of days ago, I finally got around to updating my (sloppy/not well-organized/all over the place/in need of help) want list with all the 2011 Tier One autos I’m looking to grab. As I typed name after name after name, I started to realize what I’ve gotten myself into. [...]]]>

Former Cub makes good-ish.

A couple of days ago, I finally got around to updating my (sloppy/not well-organized/all over the place/in need of help) want list with all the 2011 Tier One autos I’m looking to grab. As I typed name after name after name, I started to realize what I’ve gotten myself into. I need tons of these things.

Thankfully, I’ve got at least one Crowd Pleaser auto to check off the list. The Crowd Pleasers set includes the guys who aren’t rookies, 2nd year players, legends, or legends-in-the-making. And let me tell you they run the gamut. From the “Seriously?!” (Angel Pagan) to the “He’s Not Top Tier?!” (Chipper Jones). And in the middle are the guys they got right. No, not former Cub Ricky Nolasco up there, who may have had a bit of trouble pleasing crowds with his league-leading 244 hits allowed. More like the Paul O’Neill types that are in this set. Solid players who are kind of like the fan favorites. Obviously Paul Molitor and Ryne Sandberg (who are also somehow in this set rather than the Top Tier one) got that too, but they’re also Hall of Famers. Point is: weird set. But getting autos of players like Ozzie Smith and Don Mattingly in my collection is part of what collecting the Tier One autos is about.

His great grandfather invented the Cobb salad.

The On the Rise autos are much easier to come by. Probably because like 90% of them are numbered to 999 or 699 which is way more than the number of people who actually want an auto of most of these guys. Alex Cobb had a decent run in the Rays’ rotation last year but started this year in Durham AAA for some reason. I imagine he’ll get the call eventually, though the Rays are notoriously stacked with quality minor leaguers.

There are lots of cool Alexes in the world, but I'd have to say my favorite is Alex Winter.

Alex White had a successful run with the Indians and then a less successful run with the Rockies after going over there in the Ubaldo Jimenez trade last year. It looks like he’s putting it back together so far in AAA for Colorado this year- he may be On the Rise after all! I have two of this card! Let me know if you want it!

Who's that badass shortstop walking the streets of San Fransisco? It's Bran! (don).

I gotta tell ya… I get this guy confused with about a hundred guys with “B” names that came up around the same time. Brandon Beachy, Brett Pill, Brett Wallace, Brent Morel… as far as I know, they’re all the same guy. Crawford is currently giving pitchers fits for the Giants. By which I mean Giants pitchers are probably freaking out because dude can’t seem to hit. He’s just above the Mendoza line, just as he was on average last year. And just average at SS as well. Is there an official chant for a AAAA player? Should we coin one?

Do I even have to say it? Sigh. Aloha, Mr. Hand!

Great. Another white guy with a “B” name. Miami must’ve been a bit hard up for pitching before Big Z came over to get paid lots of money by the Cubs to suck for the Marlins. Because Brad Hand threw to a 1-8 record while posting a WHIP near 1.5. Yipes. He’s back in AAA this year pitching at about the same level as he did in the Majors last year. But I’ll be damned if that’s not a pretty sweet signature.

I’ve got a long way to go in this quest but, as it is with my Royals on-card auto collection, my favorite part is learning about players I wouldn’t otherwise get to know since I only follow two teams very closely. Who knows- maybe there’s a diamond int he rough I’ll pick up from this set one of these days!

]]> http://communitygum.com/2012/05/crowd-teaser/feed/ 0 On The Ball! http://communitygum.com/2012/05/on-the-ball-2/ http://communitygum.com/2012/05/on-the-ball-2/#comments Mon, 07 May 2012 14:36:41 +0000 Andy http://communitygum.com/?p=2851 I have very few card collections given my limited resources and space, but I did decide some time ago to begin collecting on-card Royals autographs. It’s been a blast so far trying to track these things down and this is the latest addition to my collection. To view the cards currently in the collection, take [...]]]> I have very few card collections given my limited resources and space, but I did decide some time ago to begin collecting on-card Royals autographs. It’s been a blast so far trying to track these things down and this is the latest addition to my collection. To view the cards currently in the collection, take a look at the Gallery or the other posts in this series. I’m working on getting a legit want list together on my trade page but, in the meantime, if you have any on-card Royals autos that it looks like I don’t have, don’t hesitate to drop me a line!

Maybe my favorite current player signature.

Ahh, Sweet Spot. The stuff of… well, baseballs on baseball cards I guess. Combining the love of signed balls with that of things in other things. Not many Royals have been immortalized on these taxidermied ball, thick as hell monstrosities but I have managed to pick up a few for my Royals on-card auto collection. Yes, yes, I know they’re not on-card but really, anything that’s not a sticker is impressive to me anymore. All a manufacturer has to do is show a tiny bit of foresight and planning into an autograph set and I get all giddy.

The 2009 Sweet Spot Zack Greinke above is numbered to 25, which makes it technically not eligible for my collection. But I saw it for a good price and jumped on it. He’s got a killer signature and it looks great on the ball here. There are a dozen different versions of Greinke autos in 2009 Sweet Spot and I honestly don’t know the difference between most of them. Some have gold stitching. Some are on bats or glove leather. Maybe this one is #/25 because he added his number? Who knows. I’ll figure it out eventually as I’ll have to pick up all the ones #/50 and above eventually.

Do they take these from constructed balls? Do they get non-assembled ball material from someone? Or do they just manufacture the part they need?

In 2007, Sweet Spot featured Alex Gordon. Also numbered to 25, this one has gold stitching and gold ink, both of which are uglier than their standard counterparts. Not to mention it calls attention to the fact that these cards are manufactured. Kinda takes some of the magic out of it. I haven’t seen may Gordons from this set, but I assume there are some numbered to 50 and above as well, so eventually I’ll ditch this one and get those. Hopefully they look less lame. Surprisingly, the gold ink hasn’t faded much. Fading ink on these balls is a big problem with some Sweet Spot sets. Does anyone know which years were the worst? Or does how they’re stored have something to do with it? I’m very curious because I’ve got this one taped face-out to a south-facing window. That’s okay, right?

The multicolor makes this look like candy. I will eat it if all our readers pitch in $5.

Speaking of looking lame, this red and blue stitched Steve Stemle is ultra-lame. Uber-lame. Mega-lame. I guess the great red baseball thread shortage of aught six had some casualties after all. But seriously. Stemle was completely unknown to me until I purchased this card for one eBay. Turns out he was drafted by the Cardinals back in 1998 and only pitched in 11 games over 2005 and 2006 with no super positive results. He retired due to disc problems in his back after the 2006 season. An interesting choice for an on-ball signature in a relatively high end set like this. Also interesting is that the ink on this now-6-year-old ball is clear as day (the fuzziness in the scan is because the card is so thick). So what are the factors that go in to the ink fading on the ball? Inquiring minds want to- ooh, something shiny somewhere!

]]> http://communitygum.com/2012/05/on-the-ball-2/feed/ 5 Sometimes You Eat the Bar… http://communitygum.com/2012/05/sometimes-you-eat-the-bar/ http://communitygum.com/2012/05/sometimes-you-eat-the-bar/#comments Sat, 05 May 2012 14:23:56 +0000 Andy http://communitygum.com/?p=2845 I have very few card collections given my limited resources and space, but I did decide some time ago to begin collecting on-card Royals autographs. It’s been a blast so far trying to track these things down and this is the latest addition to my collection. To view the cards currently in the collection, take [...]]]> I have very few card collections given my limited resources and space, but I did decide some time ago to begin collecting on-card Royals autographs. It’s been a blast so far trying to track these things down and this is the latest addition to my collection. To view the cards currently in the collection, take a look at the Gallery or the other posts in this series. I’m working on getting a legit want list together on my trade page but, in the meantime, if you have any on-card Royals autos that it looks like I don’t have, don’t hesitate to drop me a line!

Pure Italian gold.

Prospecting ain’t my game. I’m a team collector with very specific constraints. If it’s a Major League card with an on-card Royal on it and it’s numbered to 50 or higher, I want it in my collection. So I’ve got all these eBay saved searches. I did a bunch of research and have batches based on names I found on Beckett.com, COMC and wherever else that identify players who appear in Royals uniforms with on-card autographs. Johnny Giavotella is one of those names. His only auto so far is a 2009 Bowman Chrome deal that I figured would only cost me one eBay ($.99 plus shipping…. still trying to get that unit of measure to catch on) to get each of the rainbow I needed.

Turns out Johnny is a bit of a name in the Royals system. I wasn’t into collecting when he was drafted in the 2nd round back in 2008 as a solid-hitting, somewhat-speedy infielder. So after seeing a gold refractor sell for about $28, I picked up the next one I saw for $25. It’s way more than I usually spend on a single card, and I usually wait until a handful of data on sales come in so I know if I’m getting a good deal or not. But in this case, I had just started my Royals on-card auto collection and I was excited to add a gold refractor to it so I jumped.

I’m not the kind of guy for whom that sort of impulsive buying usually pans out. Which is exactly why I don’t often do it. But, in this case, Johnny got called up to the Majors in August of last year and had a hot start. The next two gold refractors I saw sell went for $65 and $60 respectively. It always feels good to see you made what appears to be a reasonable choice when you weren’t being reasonable to begin with. Now, I’m not saying those prices will stay up. There are lots of decent MLB regulars whose gold refractor autos sell for less than $60 and Johnny, who started 2012 in AAA Omaha and is playing well, may very well not be the next Troy Tulowitzki. But still, I’ll enjoy my little victory over the secondary market while it lasts. Incidentally, I just saw one sell for $31, so I guess the ceiling is coming down on these puppies already! Noooo! Let me have this, world!

Too bad I can't see the mini-golf course behind these batting cages!

Incidentally, I also happened to grab and xfractor of the potential Royals 2nd baseman of the future. It cost me $10 and hasn’t seen the jump in price that the gold has. Of course, I get the impression that xfractors may be the least popular of the refractor versions. I can see why- the weird blockiness doesn’t really add anything to the base auto (which I picked up a million years ago) or the refractor (which I’ve yet to grab). In Royals land, the blue refractor is the one to get, though there seems to be a lot of popularity surrounding the blue refractor. Anyone have a favored refractor? If they were all limited to the same number of copies, I’d take the blue any day of the week. Does anyone out there actually like xfractors? I haven’t done nearly enough research myself to figure out what the multiplier is on value for these things (and Beckett seems to choose arbitrary multipliers anymore) so I’m open to some info!

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