I'm Thankful For...

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone.  I appreciate all of you taking the time to read my blog over the 5 years of its existence.  Yeah, that's right, I passed my 5-year anniversary a couple weeks ago.  Hard to imagine how much of a failure that I thought this blog would be.  I'm very thankful that Pete and P. A. talked me into starting it up back in November 2008.

I'm thankful for the close friends that I have gained because of this blog.  Andrew, Drew, Scott, Ryan, Nick, Schuyler, and many others.

I'm thankful for the opportunities it has provided.  Interviewing Mr. Virgil Trucks and trading with Nolan Reimold's wife.

I'm thankful to all of the former players who have responded to my TTM requests.  The players who took the time to put in a little something extra for this fan.

I'm thankful that I had the opportunity to interact with some of those players before they passed away this year, such as, Virgil Trucks, Mule Miles, Mike Palagyi, Bob Savage, Sophie Kurys, Chuck Diering, Babe Martin, Moon Mullen, Bob Turley and Earl Weaver.

Outside of the blog, I'm thankful for, obviously, my wife, Mallory who puts up with me (which is a lot more difficult than you may believe); my son, Christopher (who - SPOILER ALERT - will have his own blog soon), my mom and dad, my brothers and sisters and the rest of my extended family.

I'm especially thankful I have been provided another year with my grandmothers.

I'm thankful for all of those who choose to call me their friend.

I'm thankful for the company that I work for and the awesome people I work with.

I'm thankful for Buck Showalter.

I'm thankful that a late inning reliever, whom I loved, could be traded for a power hitting first baseman who smashed the Orioles single season HR record.

I'm thankful for Roch Kubatko's blog on masnsports.com.

I'm thankful for Fan Fest and being able to make a friend there, Michael.

I'm thankful to my brother, Adam, for introducing me to the Columbia Antique Mall.

I'm thankful for Double Stuff Oreos.

I'm thankful for a well-cooked steak.

I'm thankful for a lot of things.  So, thank you everyone for your support over the years.  Please continue to check in here and see what's going on, I sincerely enjoy it.  I hope you all have a safe and healthy Thanksgiving a merry Christmas and Happy New Year, but that's getting ahead of ourselves.  Let's get this turkey cooked first.

COM Pickup - 2012 Topps Chris Davis Target Red

As I prepare myself to cook the turkey tomorrow, I wanted to get a quick blog posted and continue to work on my COMC stack that came in a while ago.  I was going through my 2012 TOpps cards of Davis and realized that I have all of these parallels now, but I didn't have the base card.  How the heck did that happen?  Well, I know what happened.  I opened 3 boxes and ended up with two cards that went into the two sets I built.  I never thought to get another, but luckily, my best buddy (Andrew) is hooking me up with one.

I have a multitude of Davis cards here that still need to be blogged, so I guess I need to keep up.  I have also begun my Christmas shopping for a few fellow bloggers whom I am rather close to.  I also have the Black Friday weekend sale coming up for my COMC page.  I put everything on sale, so I hope I can sell some stuff to help with my Christmas budget.

My Second Trade With Matthew

I have no idea what I sent him in return, but I made a second trade with Matthew recently which landed me this 2013 Topps Chrome Yasiel Puig RC, which I will be needing to complete the Chrome set.  Yeah, I said it.  I'm going to try to put the set together.  It shouldn't be too hard, seeing as I have opened 3 boxes.  I bet I'm relatively close, but we'll see when I sit down and sort everything.  I haven't had much time for that recently.

I got a bunch of other cards in my package that Matthew was nice enough to throw in.  My package wasn't the best of the bunch, though.  Matthew included a bunch of cards for Christopher, and, well, he really blew him away with his generosity.  I was very impressed.  I will have to let Chris tell the story of what he got, though.

So, that's 2 trades I have done with Matthew.  He seems to be learning the ropes pretty well.  Head over to his blog and check it out.

COMC Pickup - 2006 Topps Chrome Brian Roberts Black Parallel

Numbered 391/549, I got this 2006 Topps Chrome black parallel off of COMC for $0.55.  Not bad for a black refractor.  I always liked 2006 Topps.  It is the first issue of Topps that I was around for in its debut since i got back into collecting in 2005.  I got back in the middle of 2005, so I wasn't there for the debut of '05 Topps.  It was kind of plain anyway.  2006 was really cool because of the more complex borders, etc.  It kind of stands out in the mid 2000s set offerings in my opinion, and it looks really good in the Chrome variety.

I need to go back and take a look through my 2006 set and see the names that showed up in there.  I can't even begin to name off any of the good rookies in there, with the exception of the oddball Alex Gordon card/non card that popped up.

Now, this card itself, looks really cool with the black and orange and matching up with Roberts's uniform.  I'm enjoying this card quite a bit for sure.  Especially for 55 cents!

Trade With Max of Starting Nine

I completed a trade with Max over at "Starting Nine" recently when I sent him a Collin Cowgill auto in exchange for some O's stuff and a stack of 16 2013 Topps Emeral parallels for my set.

I really like the above Adam Jones green parallel from 2013 Bowman Chrome.  I'm not too sure green and orange go together, unless you are a Miami Hurricanes fan like my older brother.  Still, it is a really sharp looking card, which I enjoy.

Finally, one of the emeralds I needed was this Zach Britton.  I hope to complete the emerald set sometime soon and this trade stack definitely puts a sizable dent in it.

Thanks for the trade Max, let's do it again!

Hall of Fame TTM Success - Jerry Coleman

My last TTM success was June 1, 2013 and there has been quite a gap in between my sending off anything to get signed.  Mainly because I just haven't had time to get anything together to send.  Or, my own laziness.  Take your pick.  Nevetheless, I did, in fact, get a TTM success today.  This is my 75th TTM success and just so happens to be my 95th Hall of Famer.  The ball is signed by 2005 Ford Frick Award winner Jerry Coleman.

Jerry Coleman (b. 1924) played in the majors from 1949 to 1957, all for the Yankees.  He had 558 hits, 16 home runs and a career .263 batting average over 9 seasons.  He was a member of 4 World Series championship teams (1949, 1950, 1951, 1956).

After his playing days were over, Coleman switched to broadcasting.  Coleman became the voice of the San Diego Padres and 1972, a position he held every year since, except for the 1980 season (He managed the Padres that season).

I mailed to Coleman on November 12 and got him back today, making him a 10-day TAT.  He signed my ball with no fee.

COMC Pickup - 2012 Topps Chrome Chris Davis Blue Parallel

I'll say it again, I love the Chrome parallels.  The Blue and Red ones the most.  Those two really pop when scanned.  Ok, maybe I like the Oranges a bit too, probably because I'm biased.  Anyway, this is a really awesome Davis card.  The blue picked up really nice.

I've got a bunch of Davis's 2012 Topps cards now, so I need to sit down and figure out what I still need.  This card is numbered 140/199.

COMC Pickup - Nolan Reimold 2013 Topps Mini

I bought this 2013 Topps Mini Nolan Reimold before I got a package from Ryan recently that I believe had another in it.  Its ok though, you know, since Reimold is one of my favorite players.  I know Reimold's career has taken a hit lately with all of his injuries.  I'm still confident that he will turn in a productive career when it is all said and done, though.  Nolan is a great guy and has an awesome family.  I am hoping he is able to play for a long time to come, and with the Orioles.  We'll see if the O's tender him a contract, but I'm hoping they stick with him and give him a chance to show that he is finally healthy.  I feel like a healthy Reimold would be good for 25 homers, 85 RBIs and a .300+ batting average.

COMC Pickup - 2013 Topps Archives Chris Davis Day Glo Orange

I got this really cool Chris Davis Topps Archives parallel off of COMC recently.  I like the Day-Glo orange on the card, which fits really well with the orange on Davis's uniform.  The sad thing is, the card is so bright, it didn't pick up on my scanner.  It just came out as this blase pink color.  Booo.  Anyway, you have to take my word for it that the card looks cool.

Something funny happened when I was going through all of the Chris Davis cards I picked up recently.  I sorted them all and knocked a bunch of them off of my wishlist only to discover that I was missing the 2012 Topps base card.  I don't know how I missed it.  I had 11 versions of the card but not the base.  Luckily, my best buddy Andrew had one that he was willing to send.  I'll have to make sure I post it when it gets here.

So, that being said, my Davis collection has exploded recently with all kinds of new additions.  I still have a bunch that i picked up off of Ebay and COMC that I still need to show, so keep checking out this blog!

COMC Pickup - 2008 Topps Chris Davis RC

I know I owned this card at some point.  I know I did.  I bet I sent it on to some fellow blogger who is a Rangers fan.  Luckily, this card is still pretty affordable, seeing as I only had to spend $2.50 of my COMC store credit to get it.

I remember busting several boxes of 2008 Topps.  I know I had a ton of them, but I sold what I had leftover from my set building at a show a couple years ago.  That's one of the drawbacks of selling stuff constantly, especially when you move things to make room for others, there are casualties.  Of course, I had no idea back then that Chris Davis would become an Oriole and I also had no clue that he would become one of my favorite players.  So, that's the risk I take in having to part with some cards.  Thankfully, though, my COMC page has been successful enough in that I have been able to flip some other cards for store credit and use that to buy PC and set needs.

So, here is the Chris Davis RC that I got.  I need the gold parallel now, so if anyone has it, let me know!

My Results From Andrew's Box Break

I got my package from Andrew today, which were my spoils from his 2013 Topps Update box break.  In it, I got the Orioles and my random team was the Braves.  I ended up with an Emerald Chris Davis, which I needed.  I'm glad I didn't buy one.  I still need most of his others but this one is a good start.

The biggest highlight of the box break was my being able to get this Manny Machado relic.  It is only fitting, since I pulled an Adam Wainwright in my box and Andrew got the Machado.  I guess I need to trade him the Wainwright to make things even.

Finally, I added a couple new Cal Ripkens to my collection, one of which is the above Ripken/Machado card.  Pretty awesome card with two excellent players.

I feel like I made out pretty well in Andrew's box break.  I kind of think that I need to do one myself pretty soon.  I have these dreams that my first box break will be this epic undertaking, but maybe I just need to get something more contemporary and let er rip.  We'll see.

Now, as for the Braves cards I got, I wonder what I'll be doing with them...?

COMC Pickup - 2010 Topps Brian Roberts Orange Parallel

I really hope I'm nearing the end for the 2010 Topps parallels for Brian Roberts.  I know I should at least have Chrome just about wrapped up.  this is yet another colored parallel for Chrome from that year, the Orange variety.  This card is not numbered, and was likely out of a retail pack, much like the orange parallels are today.

I would be really pleased if I could find a platinum parallel from 2010 of either Roberts or Reimold.  I missed my opportunity for the Reimold.  I know if I ever see it again, I'm jumping all over it.  Regardless of cost.  Well, within reason, of course.

Anyway, I never thought I enjoyed 2010 Topps this much, but I do have to admit that I really have enjoyed pursuing the rainbows of both Roberts and Reimold.  I don't know what it is, but I was able to get most of the parallels and a couple printing plates for really reasonable costs, so the set has grown on me.  I'm going to have to continue to keep my eye out to make sure I haven't missed anything.

I got this card off of COMC for $1.25.  Not bad, if you ask me.  Man, I love COMC.

COMC Pickup - 2013 Panini Studio Manny Machado

I'm a little bitter about Chris Davis getting 2/3 of the Triple Crown and finishing in 3rd for the AL MVP award.  I get it that Mike Trout is a hell of a player, but come on.  Really?

Anyway, let's put my bitterness aside and talk about the guy who finished 9th in the voting, Manny Machado.  Manny had a great year.  He really emerged as a future star of the game and was amazing defensively.  It really would have been nice if his knee would have held up, because it looks like he will not be ready for opening day.

I'm also happy with this card.  I saw it on COMC, and had no idea that Panini resurrected the classic Studio design.  Apparently, this was a Father's Day thing, and the cards look as amazing as they did back in 1991 when they first came out.  I got it off of COMC for $3.24 and I feel like it should be worth more than that.  It definitely is finding a place in my Manny PC.

COMC Pickup - 2013 Topps Opening Day Chris Davis Blue Parallel

I got so close on this one.  Really.  The serial number on the back is 0018 of 2013.  One more and it would have been Davis's jersey number.  Does it really matter to me?  No, not really.  I do have a few cards that are numbered to a player's jersey number.  One of my greatest pack pulls was a quad jersey of Cal Ripken numbered 8.25.  Not bad.  Any 1/1 I get of Brian Roberts is numbered to his jersey number.  Also one of my Brooks Robinson patches is numbered 5/50.  So, maybe it is a little bit of a deal, but not too big of one.

Anyway, here is a really nice Chris Davis blue parallel out of 2013 Opening Day.  Yet another card to check off of my extensive rainbow list.  Too many to count, but I do have quite a few.

Tomorrow is the big day when I find out if Davis came in second or third in the MVP voting.  Some all-time greats never were voted MVP, so I have to keep things in perspective.  I am rooting for him, of course.  We'll see tomorrow after 6.  I'll likely be listening on the radio on my way home from a site.  Would be nice to see it on TV, but work comes first.

Ebay Pickup - 2013 Topps Mini Chris Davis Pink Parallel

Here is another card that I was able to pick up off of Ebay with the help of my good buddy, Andrew.  He must have been bored, but he was searching Chris Davis cards for me and came upon this Pink Mini parallel.  I got it for less than $10, actually, which is amazing since the card is numbered to 25.  The normal size Davis Pink is going for $19.99, buy it now.  I still need that one as well.

The AL MVP award will be announced soon and everyone is saying that Miguel Cabrera is going to win it.  I would like to think that Davis will give him a run for his money, even though the Orioles didn't make the playoffs.  Davis won 2/3 of the Triple Crown, which Cabrera won last year.  Most writers used the Triple Crown argument (which I agreed with) to trump the new-fangled sabermetric approach that had some folks drooling over Mike Trout last year.  Folks are still drooling over Trout.  He's a good ballplayer and all, but the Angels were not a really good team with him or without him this year.  I think Davis was a key component in the Orioles' season this year and stayed healthy (while Cabrera didn't, and tailed off in late August through September).  Anyway, this is really grasping at straws.  Cabrera is a hell of a player and if Davis finished second to him, then I'm ok with that.

November 10, 2013 Trip to the Card Shop

I took a trip to the Greenville card shop on Saturday because I was bored.  I picked up a few packs of cards and also hit up the bargain bin.  In it, I found a couple Bowman Platinum cards from this year of Kevin Gausman and also some cards for a few fellow bloggers.  I also found the above 1995 Upper Deck SP Vladimir Guerrero prospect card.  It was only a dollar, so I figured it wouldn't be a bad pickup.  It looks really cool and I can't recall that I have seen it before.

The coolest part of the story, however, comes out of the $12 pack of 2013 Topps Update that I got for Chris.  He got the SP of Bo Jackson.  Since I am a fan of Jackson, I thought it might be a good idea for me to take it off of his hands.  I traded him some Tim Lincecum cards for it and have now added it to my collection.  I made sure to make a fair trade with him so he knows how to do it in the future.  He had begun to have more and more trade requests and I want to make sure he knows how to deal fairly.  I didn't take into account with him that I had purchased the pack with my money; That might have just confused him.  I hooked him up, trust me.

Even More Stuff Added To My COMC Page

I wanted to let everyone know that another batch of my cards has finally been posted on COMC.  One of which is the above basketball card that I had for some reason.  It is listed at $2.50.  I also have an Anthony Rendon 2013 Bowman Platinum Atomic parallel numbered to 5.  That one is for the higher end collectors, haha.  There are 2 Yaseil Puigs.  A Cliff Lee Silver Slate parallel, a Jake Marisnick Bowman Chrome Blue auto refractor, a ton of 2013 Topps Chrome refractors and parallels and lots of other stuff.  Please take a look!  I want to flip that stuff for my PC and set needs.  I got some stuff last night, but there are still a ton of cards on my wishlist.  Thanks for looking!

Here's the link:

http://www.comc.com/Users/wregenthal

Trade With Matthew

I follow the "Topps Baseball Card Collectors" page on Facebook.  After I posted a few times asking (begging) folks to let me know if they have the two Brooks Robinson patches I need and then posting looking for Chris Davis and Nolan Reimold parallels, I met a kid named Matthew.  Matthew is 10 and is just starting out with his card collection.  I believe I am the first person he actually traded with, although I know he had a couple others cooking with Scott and Andrew.  Matthew admittedly has a lot to learn when it comes to trading cards, but I have tried to give him a few pointers along the way.  He also started a blog, which you can check out here.

So, I got 3 cards from Matthew in exchange for several Carlos Santana (the Indians catcher, not the amazing guitarist) and Yovanni Gallardo cards.  I didn't mind sending him a few extras, as I have no need for Santana or Gallardo.  Surprisingly, I didn't have the above Chris Davis Chrome refractor from last year's Topps Chrome.  This saves me from thinking I already have it and missing it every time I pick up Davis PC needs.

You saw the Bobby Bundy Bowman Chrome at the top; He is the 'other' Bundy in the Orioles' system.  He's Dylan's older brother and a pretty good pitcher in his own right.  The final card in the package is the above Billy Hamilton Bowman Platinum purple chrome parallel.  This is a really pretty card.  I think I'm going to add it to my RC collection and not flip it for anything.

So, I hope everyone gets a chance to check out Matthew's blog and make him feel welcome to the blogging community.  It's nice to see kids continuing to get involved with cards.  It's a sure sign that our hobby will continue into the future.

Ebay Pickup - 2013 Topps Chris Davis Camo Parallel

I added another piece to the 2013 rainbow of Chris Davis recently when my good buddy Andrew pointed out an Ebay listing of the above card.  I got it for $17.50.  There were others listed as buy it now for $19.99 plus shipping, so I think I did pretty well.

The card looks good.  I still enjoy the camo parallels.  They have so many parallels, it makes working on a rainbow quite the daunting task.  I'm not fazed, however, it gives me a project to work on and something to search on Ebay (or, if yo read above, something for my friends to search).

1969 Topps Pickups From The Antique Shop

I finally was able to sit down and scan some 1969 Topps cards I got from the antique shop in Columbia last weekend.  I picked up 29 cards total and several of them were higher end cards.  I picked up this really cool Bobby Cox rookie.  Someone at the card shop in Winston-Salem had asked me to look for one for them, but they never were willing to pay to get it.  So, I never picked one up for them and completely forgot it was in this set.  Anyway, I'm happy to have it and it is in really good condition.

I saw this Earl Weaver (look how young he is!) and had to add it, too.  He began managing the Orioles halfway through the 1968 season, so this is also his rookie card.  Not bad!

I was especially happy about this card.  Ernie was on the tail end of his career here, but he still looks like he is happy to be playing ball.  I seriously would consider starting an Ernie Banks PC.  Off of the top of my head, I can think of some awesome cards that he has.  The fact that I was also able to get him to sign for free TTM is just a bonus.  Quick trivia question: What do Ernie Banks and I have in common?  Answer: We both attended a Pearl Jam concert in 2013.

Rounding out the Hall of Famers I picked up, I got this nice Joe Morgan.  The card is really sharp.  Morgan is a super nice guy and was amazing to Chris the few times he has met him.  I'll never forget that and I'm sure Chris never will either.

Some other notable cards I got were Orioles: Boog Powell and Elrod Hendricks; rookie cards: Graig Nettles and Amos Otis; and other notable names such as Tommie Aaron, Mayo Smith, Roy White (whom my buddy Drew has met) and Ken 'Hawk' Harrelson.

I think I did really well with these 1969s.  I definitely enjoy this set and can't wait to add more to my collection.

1959 Pickups From the Antique Shop

I'm going to keep this post short since it is late and I got home so late from work, but I wanted to discuss the 1959 Topps cards that I got from the antique shop in Columbia, this past weekend.

I was able to knock out 21 cards that I needed for my set (my wishlist has already been updated to reflect these pickups).

6 of the cards are the Sporting News Rookie Stars of 1959 cards like the one seen above.  They carried a little more of a premium than the other cards I got.

Other than the Rookie Stars cards, most of what I got were commons.  The most notable names were Ruben Amaro (shown above) and Johnny Roseboro.  Even commons in this set cost a little more than I'm used to, but I think a lot of that was due to me dealing with a guy who specialized in vintage cards, which is completely fine.

Anyway, with the Gibson and Mantle already taken care of, I believe I am making great progress on this set.  I still have the Mantle All Star card to get, which is a high number as well.  The thought of getting that and some of the other All Star cards might just be enough to give me a nosebleed.  Yikes.  Anyway, I'm in no rush and am knocking cards out at an impressive clip, so I will just keep on it and see where it takes me.

(Almost) Hall of Fame Signed Baseball - Greg Maddux

It's just a matter of waiting patiently until the announcement is made on January 8, 2014 at 2:00PM, but as of right now, this ball will have to wait to be placed among my Hall of Fame signed baseballs.  This one and possibly a couple more that I have, really.  We'll have to see.

That being said, for the low price of $52.00, I was able to pick up this Greg Maddux signed baseball from Conrad at the Columbia Antique Mall.  Conrad had gotten several cases of the Maddux balls from a private signing (he also had some Glavines, one of which I should have grabbed.  I was really happy with this Maddux, though.

Maddux (b. 1966) played in the majors from 1986 to 2008 for the Cubs, Braves, Dodgers and Padres.  He:

• was a 2-time 20 game winner (1992 and 1993)
• led the NL in wins 3 times (1992, 1994 and 1995)
• set a record (once held by Cy Young) by winning 15 or more games in 17 straight seasons
• won 13 or more games in 20 total seasons
• won the Cy Young Award an unprecedented 4 straight times (1992 through 1995)
• finished second in the Cy Young voting in 1997; 3rd in 1989 and 2000; 4th in 1998; 5th in 1996
• led the NL in ERA 4 times (1993, 1994 1995 and 1998)
• had a season ERA of 2.20 or better 4 times
• had a season ERA of less than 1.64 in two seasons (1.56 in 1994 and 1.63 in 1995)
• won the World Series in 1995 with the Braves
• went 2-3 with a 2.09 ERA in 5 World Series starts
• won the Gold Glove Award 18 times
• was a 8-time All Star
• finished as high as 3rd in the NL MVP voting (1995)
• had a career record of 355-227, ERA of 3.16 with 3,371 strikeouts
• had 109 complete games, 35 of which were shutouts
• is ranked 8th all-time in Wins with 355
• is ranked 10th all-time in Strikeouts with 3,371
• is ranked 1st all-time in putouts by a pitcher with 546

So, based on all of this, I am REALLY happy to have added this ball to my collection.  My only question is, with the voting being announced on January 8th for the 2014 Hall of Fame election, what idiot(s) will leave Maddux off of their ballots?  You and I know that someone will and they will try to make an argument for their decision.  Kind of like the woman last year who tried to say that Shawn Green was a deserving candidate but then said that she didn't vote for Jeff Bagwell because he did steroids.  That is another story all in itself, but you get my point.

Anyway, regardless of the few stupid voters out there, Maddux will be getting a call on January 8 saying that he is a member of the 2014 Hall of Fame class (one that has the potential to be one of the largest in history).  It will be then that this ball will be placed among my collection of Hall of Fame signed baseballs.

A Mystery To Me ***Updated***

I spent this past weekend in Columbia visiting my brother.  As always, I took some time and visited the Columbia Antique Mall to say hello to Conrad, the proprietor of Chic Antiques.  I bought some cards and a ball from him (all of which will be posted later).  Conrad, when looking for Hall of Famers for me, found two unlabeled baseballs which he wasn't sure who the signatures were.  I was able to identify the first ball for him pretty quickly, Rollie Fingers.  The above pictured baseball, however, wasn't as easy to identify.

If anyone recognizes the signature, please shoot me an email, or comment on this page so I can let Conrad know who it is.  I don't have a clue, and I may even be holding it upside down.  Anyone have any ideas?  It doesn't look like any Hall of Famer that I'm familiar with.  He is also somewhat of a Braves fan, so it could be a Brave.  Maybe not.

****UPDATE****
Immediately after I posted this blog entry, my friend Zach identified the signer as Darryl Strawberry.  Now I need to let Conrad know.  Thanks Zach!

Two Boxes From Michael

I've been really slow in getting mail posted on this blog, you know, with all of my Ebay pickups and all.  However, I really wanted to show the interesting stuff I got in two different shipments from my good buddy, Michael.

Michael and I met at Fan Fest this past year, and again at the Orioles game that I took my son, Chris, and my nephew, Jacob.  Michael is a really great guy, and since he has a younger brother who is about Chris's age, he is really awesome with kids.  He and Chris have hit it off and have even skyped together a few times.

Michael also is a baseball player.  We have talked at length about his playing for his school and town team(s) and he is very proud of his playing ability.  He included in the two boxes several game used articles from his 2012 season of school ball.  As you can see in the picture that he is either really generous, or he really wanted to clean out his closet.

In the boxes, he included: 2 signed hats, a signed uniform shirt, a signed under armor shirt, a signed belt, signed pants, a signed bracelet, a signed game used baseball, signed game used (and hopefully washed) socks and a necklace (that he was unable to squeeze a signature on).  We joked that all I need now is a mannequin and I will have a fully dressed baseball player in my man cave.  We joke about all the stuff he sent, but in reality, it is the mere thought that counts.  He's a great guy and I appreciate him thinking of me.  Who knows, maybe he will become a major leaguer and I will have all of this stuff.

He also included a bunch of Orioles stuff.  Some of which I bought off of him, and some of which was part of my birthday present.  Coincidentally, Michael's birthday is 10 days after mine, so with what I sent him for his birthday, it ended up being a trade of sorts.

Anyway, he sent me a stack of mid-90s Hall of Fame magazines.  Those are really cool.  I plan on letting Chris read them to practice his reading.  He sent me the Buckle Up Birds rally towel that was given out during the 2012 stretch run.  Signed Orioles post cards of: Wei-Yin Chen, Joe Durham, Ronny Paulino, Dick Hall, and Cla Meredith.  I got a signed Jason Hammel 8 x 10.  Finally, he included some baseball cards of Orioles, two of which were autographed (TJ McFarland and Jeff Fiorentino).

Michael has quite the memorabilia collection.  Especially his Orioles stuff.  He is always at games and always knows how to find good stuff.  He constantly adds stuff to his Ebay profile, which you can check out here.  He's a really great guy who I enjoy talking Orioles baseball with.  Thanks again for all the stuff, Michael!  It definitely is appreciated.