Some Signed Cards From Cal

These signed cards from my friend, Cal, have been sitting in a box to be blogged for quite a while, so I was glad to get them scanned and blogged today.  The above 2005 Topps Heritage David Segui is a nice card.  I didn't open much of this product back in the day, so it is nice to add one of them to the album.

Here are the other two cards from Cal, a 1978 Topps Al Bumbry and a 2003 Donruss Team Heroes Travis Driskill.  Both of these are nice, as well.  I didn't already have the Bumbry, which was strange for me, so that was nice to add to the album.

Thanks for the cards, Cal, I appreciate them!  I wish I had posted them sooner, but better late than never.

Some Autos From Cal

I got a package from my friend, Cal, last year, and haven't gotten around to scanning the cards until now.  He sent me a stack of Orioles cards that cleaned him out officially, and also the above custom auto of Virgil Trucks.  This is a print of his 1951 Bowman and it looks nice.

Cal also sent back a card that he had gotten signed for me by either Austin Hays or Chance Sisco.  I think I had gotten one of them and Cal finished the card... or Cal got both.  I can't remember.

Thanks for the cards, Cal!  Sorry it took me so long to post them!

Some 50/50s From Cal

I sent some cards to my buddy, Cal, a while back so he could graph the Lond Island Ducks and Scranton-Wilkes Barre Railriders.    Cal wasn't able to get much done, as he didn't get to as many games as he had hoped, but he still got a few cards done for me, like the above die cut Edgardo Alfonzo from 1005 Upper Deck SP.

He also got a 2006 Topps Alfonzo and a 2007 Fleer Delwyn Young.

Thanks for getting these cards done for me, Cal!  I'll be sending you some more next season.

Hall of Fame Signed Baseball - Chuck Thompson

I wasn't going to buy anything for quite a while.  I have been trying to save money, and be able to pay for Chris's braces when they are finally put on next month.  I had two different friends offer me two amazing deals on some signed baseballs, so I couldn't pass them up.

The first baseball was an absolute steal that my good friend, Cal, offered me.  His reasoning was that he wanted the baseball to go to a true Orioles fan, and didn't want me to pass it up.  Fair enough.  Cal had actually shown me the ball a while back, and I helped him identify some of the signatures on the ball.

It is a Baltimore Orioles team signed baseball from what appears to be 1994. I would have already been interested in the ball, if it only contained some Orioles players, but whomever got this ball signed (Cal got it from his neighbor who collected when he was a kid) had it signed by Hall of Fame broadcaster, Chuck Thompson.

Thompson was to the Orioles what Ernie Harwell was to the Tigers; Jack Buck was to the Cardinals; Vin Scully was to the Dodgers; you get my point.  I missed out on a good deal on a Thompson single-signed baseball a couple years ago, and regretted it.  When Cal told me Thompson was on this ball, and at the price he offered, I jumped all over it.

Thompson (b. 1921 - d. 2005) began his broadcasting career in 1939, in Reading, PA.  His career was interrupted by a stint in the Army in World War II, where he fought at the Battle of the Bulge.  He resumed his career in 1945.  Beginning in 1946, he called all home games for both of the Philadelphia baseball teams (A's and Phillies).  In 1949, Thompson was hired to broadcast games for the International League Orioles (the O's were not yet a MLB franchise) and the Baltimore Colts.

When the St. Louis Browns moved to Baltimore in 1954, Thompson was unable to broadcast Orioles games because their broadcasting rights were owned by a rival corporation.  The company hired Ernie Harwell to broadcast the games, but wanted Thompson to be a part of the broadcast, so he ended up working alongside Harwell beginning in 1955.

From 1957 to 1961, Thompson called Washington Senators games with Bob Wolff.  Thompson would return to the Orioles, and broadcast their games from 1962 to 1987.  During his time with the Orioles, he would call games for two World Series Champions, five AL pennants, six AL East titles and only one losing season.

Thompson would come out of retirement in 1991, to call games part-time for the Orioles, but would retire for good in 2000.

Thompson received the Ford C. Frick Award (which makes him a Hall of Fame broadcaster) in 1993.

Thompson passed away in 2005 after suffering a stroke.

Other players/personnel on the baseball include: Peter Angelos, Elrod Hendricks, Rafael Palmeiro, Harold Baines, Lonnie Smith, Arthur Rhodes, Mark Eichhorn, Mark Williamson, Chris Hoiles, Alan Mills, and Leo Gomez.

Thompson becomes my 147th Hall of Famer on a baseball.  Thank you so much for the deal, Cal!

Mail From Cal

My buddy, Cal, sent me this awesome Jonathan Schoop quad relic out of 2018 Museum Collection a while back as part of a trade.  I can't remember what I sent him in return, but I'm pretty sure it was a signed 1971 Topps.  He will probably read this and comment, but I'm pretty sure that's what it was.

The Museum Collection cards are always some of my favorites.  I can never afford to buy the boxes or even packs, but when some nice ones pop up on Ebay, I try to grab a few.

Thanks for the trade, Cal!

Christmas Gift From Cal

Continuing my effort to catch up on posts, here is what my good friend, Cal, sent me for Christmas.  He really surprised me by sending a huge stack of cards, including some really nice relics and autos.  The above Panini Spectrum Chris Davis is something I hadn't seen before, and looks really cool in my collection.

This Diamond Kings Chance Sisco dual relic auto was really cool as well.

As was this Austin Hays jumbo relic auto.  Cal really hooked me up, to which I am grateful.

Thanks so much, Cal!

Birthday Gift From Cal

My buddy, Cal, sent me a really nice birthday package a couple months ago. In it were some Orioles cards and this really cool Topps Tier One Adam Jones.  The card is really sharp, and will go into the Jones PC.  That PC will be suspended and put with Roberts and Markakis, now that Jones is gone from the Orioles.

Thank you so much for the birthday gift, Cal, it was definitely appreciated.

Some Orioles Cards From Cal

The way the Orioles season has gone has driven me completely away from picking up new cards for the collection.  I have had zero interest in spending any money on anything Orioles related, but I still appreciate when a friend thinks of me and sends something my way.  A while back (before the season), my buddy, Cal, sent me a few Orioles cards for the collection.

Cal is a great guy, and I really appreciated the gesture.  While the Orioles have been the worst team in baseball since last September, I will always be a fan.  I may be holed up in a doomsday bunker for a while, but I will emerge hopefully in the future, when it is a bit brighter for the O's.  Let's also hope that Chris Davis figured out his swing somewhere along the way, because he is set for a historic season, for all of the wrong reasons.  Hit the dang ball, and quit looking like a deer in the headlights.  Come on!

Thanks for the cards, Cal.  They are definitely well received, even though the O's stink right now.  I have some cards to send your way, soon.

A Nice Gesture From Cal

My buddy, Cal, sent off a TTM request to Joe Sambito recently, and turned it into some help for my 1987 set.  I had a success from Sambito a few weeks ago, and he left my 1987 Topps unsigned.

Cal came through for me with this card for the set.  I have a nice stack of stuff to give him in return, I just need to get it in the mail.

Thank you so much for the help, Cal!  I appreciate you looking out for me!

Christmas Gift From Cal - Nolan Reimold Triple Auto and More

I've only been talking to my buddy, Cal, for a couple months, but he was nice enough to surprise me with a Christmas gift recently.  I sent him a little something, as well.  I didn't expect anything in return, of course.  I've been helping him out a bunch with TTM ideas and general baseball information, and he seems to have really enjoyed it.  I love answering his questions, and I hope that I have provided him with some help with his collection.

I have seen a bunch of these Just Minors Nolan Reimold autos on my Ebay feed, but never got around to picking one up.  Cal got this one for me, and it is numbered 2/3.  It also has autos of Andre Ethier and Jeff Larish (where has he been?).

Cal also included this Chris Davis relic from 2015 Topps Heritage High Number.  I always love Chris Davis cards, and was happy that Cal included this in the package.

Thank you so much for the Christmas gift, Cal!  I have already put Nolan in a mag, and Davis will go into my PC.

A Couple Trades With Cal

My friend Cal made a couple trades with me recently.  He and I have been talking about TTMs and autos lately and made a few deals.  He just busted a box of Topps Gallery and sent me these two that I needed for my PCs.

I really like this product.  I haven't seen any that I could open, so getting these from Cal was pretty nice.

The above Trey Mancini is an Artist Proof, which is pretty cool.  It's not numbered, but I like it.  I may take it to Fan Fest in January to get it signed, but I do already have a few Mancinis that I had planned on taking with me, so we will see.

Finally, here is a purple chrome refractor of Derrek Lee.  I always forget that Lee was an Oriole.  I remember when he was traded to the Pirates.  I think I saw his first game with the Pirates, but I could be wrong.

Thank you so much for the deals, Cal.  I hope we can do some more in the future.