Kevin Gausman Cards From The National

Kevin Gausman delivered in what might have been the biggest game of his career yesterday.  He held the Yankees to two runs in 7.1 innings pitched and his battery mate, Matt Wieters supplied the lumber in the Orioles 5-2 win.  The Orioles win assured them of a spot in the 2016 Post Season; before the Tigers lost to the Braves.

Gausman has seemingly turned the corner in his progression as a former top prospect into a top of the rotation starter for the Orioles.  His won-loss record isn't spectacular by any means, but he suffered from a lack of run support throughout the season.  He still managed a 9-12 record with a 3.61 ERA and 174 strike outs this season.  Not too bad, really.

I only picked up two Gausman cards from the National (I don't count the Museum Collection card since it went into th Davis PC).  The card at the top of the page is a 2013 Finest orange refractor numbered 88/99.  The above card is a mini refractor from 2013 Bowman Chrome.

I hope that the Orioles can continue their season beyond tomorrow night, but they have to go through Toronto first.  Let's go O's!

Christmas Gift From Kyle

I am finally home from the North Carolina Christmas Tour 2015 and I hope that all of you had as great a Christmas as I did.  I spent time with my family and got lots of messages from my friends.  When I got home today, I had some mail to open that I included with my opening of Christmas presents here at the house.

One of the packages that was waiting on me was from my friend, Kyle.  He is one of the very first people I made a successful deal with on Instagram.  Since then, we have become good friends, even though the two of us are usually busy and rarely have time to talk.

Thankfully, though, when it comes down to it, we still think of each other, and the both of us exchanged gifts this year.  I got Kyle something that I hope he can use in his PC, and he sent me this really nice Kevin Gausman relic/auto from 2014 Triple Threads.

The card is numbered 25/50.  I love the green on the card; it makes it really stand out.

Thank you so much for the gift, Kyle, and for always thinking of me!

Relic Cards From Blaine

Continuing on with what I got from my friend, Blaine, here are some of the miscellaneous relic cards that were included in my package.  I don't know about you, but I really like the 2014 Triple Threads design.  The cards have what I would call a matte finish and it is really visually appealing with these cards, I think.

This 2014 Triple Threads Gausman relic is numbered 10/36.  The bright orange swatch really pops.  Gotta love the orange alternate jerseys.

This 2013 Allen & Ginter JJ Hardy is a nice card.  I don't have a whole lot of Hardy stuff, even though I really like the player.  I just haven't really done any kind of PC with him.  He has been the backbone of the Orioles these last few years, and I am glad that he is around.  He may be declining offensively, but he is still amazing with the glove.  He fills his job well as the "field general" in Baltimore.

I have a relic card like this one of Christian Walker from 2014 Topps Heritage Pro Debut, but it is a different color (white, I think, but I don't remember).  This blue one was nice to find in my package from Blaine.  Walker hasn't yet caught on with the O's, but with Chris Davis's impending departure, the first base job may be his (Walker's) to take.

Finally, I was pretty sure I had one of these, but I need to look through my boxes to verify.  This is a 2011 Goodwin Champions Manny Machado relic.  This is one of the first relic cards issued of Manny, so this is a pretty cool piece to have.

Blaine's deal still continues to deliver.  I will close it out tomorrow by showing off the autographs that were included.

Gift From Brian - 2015 Gypsy Queen Kevin Gausman Auto

A good thing that happened at this past weekend's card show was that I got to talk to my friend, Brian and his dad again.  I had met them at the previous show in July, and chatted with them for quite a while.  Brian and his dad are huge Orioles fans, and I made sure that I thought of them when I was at the National.

Brian surprised me at this show with the above Kevin Gausman auto from 2015 Gypsy Queen.  The card looks really nice, and Gausman's auto is on card.

Thanks so much for the awesome card, Brian!  I really appreciate it and I am glad you and your dad came by my tables again.

Care Package From Dilan

I have been doing card shows for some time now, and I have had business cards to hand out for a couple years.  I haven't really gotten much of a response from the business cards until I got a DM on Instagram from a guy named Dilan.  He said that he had picked up one of my business cards and liked my set-up at a show back in June (maybe it was May).  We got to chatting, and I remembered who he was, so we hit it off pretty well.

At the last show I did in July, he was hanging out with my buddy, Ryu, at that show, and came by my tables to say hello.  Dilan is a really cool guy, and I enjoyed chatting with him.  When Jericho passed away last month, Dilan sent me a DM with his condolences, and also wanted to tell me that he was sending me a little something.  That was so nice of him to think of me.  In the package was this really cool blue parallel from 2014 Panini Prizm of Adam Jones.  The card is numbered 44/75 and scanned really nicely.  I mean, it really looks cool on here.  Wow!  I love these different Chrome and Prizm parallels.  I hope both Panini and Topps keep this up, because I think these all look so cool.

The other card in the package was this 2014 Bowman Chrome Top 100 card of Kevin Gausman.  I didn't have either card yet, and it was an awesome gesture on Dilan's part.  I look forward to the next card show (weekend of September 26) so I can chat with him again.

Thanks, Dilan!!

National Gifts From Max

I've almost got all of the stuff written about The National that I can possibly write.  I may have two or so more posts after this one.  I have had a really hard time remembering who got me what, or where I found certain cards.  I had to send a Kik message last night to Frankie and Max in order to verify which cards I got from each of them.  We were handing each other cards left and right, and we were putting them in boxes to keep from letting them get damaged.

It was this that made The National a lot of fun.  Our group would search a table, and after a few minutes, each would say something like "Here, I thought you would like this, I just bought it."  Max and I were discussing last night about how we both realized that we had spent a good amount on money on each other.  I wouldn't have it any other way.  A lot of the cards that I bought ended up going to other people.  Some of ot was for later trades, but most of it was just care package stuff that I thought others would like.

Max really knows the types of stuff that I like, and he surprised me with some really good cards.  The above Kevin Gausman is a really cool card.  It's a 2011 Bowman Sterling numbered 185/199.

Max also helped with the Sonny Gray PC with this 3-piece relic card from from 2010 Topps USA Baseball.  This one isn't numbered, but is pretty awesome.

Thanks for everything you do, Max, and I'm glad we were able to spend the time that we did together at The National.

Care Package From James

I got a nice care package a few days ago from my buddy, James.  He was one of the first people I completed a trade with on Instagram, and has been a good friend ever since.  He surprised me with a couple nice cards that I needed for my collection.

First is this blue parallel of Orioles prospect Josh Hart from 2013 Bowman Draft Picks and Prospects.  It is numbered 5/99 and turned out really nice when scanned.

The other card that James sent was this gold parallel of Kevin Gausman from 2014 Bowman Platinum.  The gold really pops once it has been scanned.  I was really happy with how this one turned out.

I haven't been able to talk to James as much lately as I would have liked, but he is busy with school and baseball.  I know we will continue to send care packages back and forth.  I was very happy to get this in the mail, and I plan on sending something his way soon.  Thanks James!

Care Package From Garrett

I got a care package in the mail a few weeks ago from a new person I net on Instagram, a guy named Garrett.  He asked me for an Orioles rally towel, and I obliged him, since he asked nicely.  In return, he surprised me with this 2013 USA Baseball Kevin Gausman relic and a bunch of Orioles cards.

I wasn't expecting anything in return, and getting this package from Garrett was really nice.  I appreciated it, and I hope to do some trades with him in the future.

Gausman has looked a little sluggish so far this season, but I think he, much like the Orioles, will break out of it, and go on to have a strong season.  We will see, for sure.

Thanks Garrett!  I hope you all can check him out on Instagram, his screen name if card_collector02.

Pickup From The Dimwit - 2014 Triple Threads Kevin Gausman Relic-Auto

I completed a trade recently with Sam, the author of the blog, The Daily Dimwit.  I sent him a Colin Moran auto from 2014 Bowman Sterling and in return, he gave me this awesome 2014 Topps Triple Threads Kevin Gausman quadruple relic/auto.  The card is numbered 15/75 and looks amazing.

I sent Sam some additional cards, but I doubt that they measure up in comparison to this card.  I need to pick Sam up some more stuff to send his way.  Speaking of, I have a few other fellow bloggers that I need to hook up, since they have sent me care packages.  I'm getting to them and I appreciate everyone's patience.

Thanks for the trade, Sam!

Instagram Trade With Donny - Kevin Gausman Pre-RCs

I completed a trade a long time ago with a kid named Donny that landed me these Kevin Gausman cards.  I don't quite remember what I traded him, but I feel like it was a bunch of David Wright cards.  Anyway, the Gausmans were from his Team USA 18U squad, like this card above (2009 UD USA Box Set), and the below 2009 Upper Deck card.

I may have had these before, but I was glad to part with some David Wright cards to get these.  I've never been a big Wright fan, so getting these was a nice bonus.

Another card that Donny included was this 2013 Topps Pro Debut card from when Gausman was a member of the Keys.  Since they are the O's Minor League affiliate that I am able to see the most, I enjoy being able to get some of their cards.

Hard to believe that Gausman is already in the Majors.  He did pretty well last year, and Gausman's success will determine the type of year the entire team has, so a lot is riding on him.  I look for him to have a big year and firmly establish his spot in the Orioles rotation.

Guest Post - Mom's Autograph Session

William had vouchers for 1 more station. His wife, Mallory and I( his dear little old mommy) got to wait in line for this one. A little back story first. While Mallory, Christy and Christopher checked out the kids section of Fan Fest, William and I headed to the Memorabilia room. After digging through a gazillion jerseys both new and used, I dug up a game used David Lough jersey. I was getting ready to put it back when William mentions that Lough would be at the last station and I should buy it and have it signed. Sounded like a good idea to me so we headed for the checkout line. As we are threading our way to check out William(still searching the tables) spots a box of signed(by Buck Showalter) game line up cards and lo and behold the card at the very top is the line up card for my very first MLB game that William and family took me to over the summer. It also happened to be Gausman's first win as a starter game( what are the odds of that card being at the front of the stack!), of course I had to buy it not only for the above mentioned reasons but because Gausman would also be at the last station. Boo Yow!!!
  Being the last station(4:40 I think) we were all worn out and William and I hadn't had anything to eat since 8:30 am.
  Mallory and I waited patiently in line with me rehearsing just how I was going to ask Kevin Gausman to sign my line up card.
  Two people in line ahead of us I'm trying like mad to get my line up card out of the plastic sleeve it is in and the stupid thing will not budge! Panic!!! I don't want to tear it, maybe it's not supposed to come out, can he sign the plastic? These are the things running through my head as we inch forward. Just as we hit the steps I get the card out! Gausman is the first signer , I lay my card down and go into my rehearsed spiel. " This was my first MLB game and also your first MLB win as a starter. Will you sign it like that?" " He replies " Oh Yea. It is." and he does. Afterward my daughter-in-law said all the volunteers thought it was very cool that I had the card.
  Next up was Wayne Kirby. As I handed him William's ball to sign he asks me " Ok. What story do you have for me". I tell him my son wants the ball signed on the sweet spot but I don't know what that is. As he signs it he says " It's sweet because I signed it".
  Ok David Lough. Wow! In line Mallory kept commenting on his abs, blah, blah, blah.  Mrs. No Brain to Mouth filter hands him her jersey to sign and proceeds to tell him that my daughter-in-law wants him to take his shirt off! Wayne Kirby, listening in starts in on him!" Oooh take your shirt off."  Kirby is practically begging Lough to strip and Mallory is turning a lovely shade of red. I move off the stage and Mallory tells everyone it wouldn't be fair to the other ladies and he can just take it off later in private!
  A final swing through the memorabilia room yields no new goodies so we wait in the freebie line which has dwindled down to a few dozen die hards. The loot we came out with was worth it. Everyone got an Orange Crush action figure, Oriole bird pillow pet, stacks of rally towels , playoff score cards and Orioles magazines.
  It was a long walk back to the room lugging all of our treasures, where we regrouped and FINALLY went to eat.
  It was my first Fan Fest and was glad I was invited to go. Christy enjoyed getting away from home for the weekend. I'll probably go again. Next time I'm bringing a snack and some water!

Instagram Trade With Blaine

I completed a trade with my friend, Blaine, on Instagram last week when he made me an offer I couldn't refuse for my 1962 Topps Mickey Mantle.  I initially wasn't interested in moving the Mantle at all, but Blaine persisted and we finally struck a deal.

I got a god bit of cash, and also this nice 1960 Topps Sandy Koufax.  I like the 1960 set, almost as much as I like the '62 set.  So, this was a main component to the deal.

Once we had an agreement on the amount of money and the Koufax in place, Blaine helped sweeten the deal by adding this nice Joe Morgan relic to the pile.  Since Chris and I met Morgan a few years ago at the National, I have been picking up some of his cards here and there, so I was happy to add this one.

The final piece that sealed the deal was this Triple Threads relic/auto of Kevin Gausman.  I really liked how this card looked and when I got it in person, I liked it even more.  It has a matte finish to it, that I think really works well.

I also got a surprise when I opened the package from Blaine.  He was just a little short on the cash that we agreed to, so he added this Schoop auto from Stadium Club.  I didn't mind getting this instead, so I appreciated the gesture.

So, thanks for the deal, Blaine.  I guess the old saying is true, everything has a price!  I figured to upgrade that Mantle at some point, anyway.  It was on the lower end of the grading scale, and I wanted to try to find another one at the price I paid, in better condition, and I feel like I can do that.

Care Package From Alex R.

I got a care package in the mail a few days ago from my friend, Alex, from the Chicago area.  I believe this is my third package from him and he seems to have some good luck in pulling O's cards. The above 1989 design Chris Davis is a really awesome looking card.  The first batch of cards I ever got was from the 1989 set, so it will always have special significance for me.  The set itself may not be worth much at all, but it will always be a favorite of mine and I know there are others out there who share the same feelings.

I do like some colored parallels as well, however, I still believe that Topps could have picked any other shade of green and these cards would look a lot better.  I'm no design major, but doo doo green is just not aesthetically pleasing to me.

Ah, that's more like it.  I like the blue parallels.  This is a great shot of young Gausman, who now sports glasses. Like me.  Woo hoo.  Anyway, Topps is cranking out various colored parallels and rainbows of cards are ever challenging, but when I get some for free from my friends, I am definitely appreciative.

Finally, here is an intriguing card that Alex sent along.  This 1996 Leaf autograph (on card) of Jimmy Myers appears to have been issued following 1996 Spring Training as the card states that Myers was a surprise in ST.  He was a non-rosted invitee who made the trip north for Opening Day that season.  A look at Myers's baseball-reference page shows that his miracle ST didn't last long as he appeared in 11 games for the 1996 O's.  He had a 7.07 ERA with a 0-0 won/loss record.  This would be the only taste of the majors he would receive and those Orioles would go on to lost in the ALCS to some team whose name escapes me at the moment.......... bad memories.

Anyway, thanks so much for the care package, Alex.  I really appreciate it!  I'll be sending some Hanley Ramirez cards your way soon.

Mail From Nick

I got a nice surprise package in the mail recently from my good friend, Nick, over at Dime Boxes.  Nick is, by far, the best blogger around.  His mini collections and just all around joy for just about any kind of cardboard is a real sight to see.  He finds so many things to like about cards that I (and others) may miss.

I send him stuff every now and then, and in return, I get mailers from him as well.  This time around, Nick hit me up with a bunch of Orioles parallels and oddball cards.  One of which, I didn't yet have in my PC was the above 1989 Kahn (KAHHHHNNNN!!!!!!) Hillshire Farm Brooks Robinson card.

I had never seen these before, and it also provided me the ability to drop a movie reference in my blog.  Woo Hoo.

These Opening Day blue parallels look so awesome in person.  I didn't have this Kevin Gausman parallel yet and Nick hooked me up!

Finally, here is a Chasing History Bob Feller.  I love that I PC Feller.  He was a great ball player, a great American and a great man.  He is still missed, and I take every opportunity to add cards of his to my collection.

Thanks so much for the cards, Nick!  I am slowly building a pile again for you, hopefully, it'll be ready to send sometime soon.  If you guys haven't checked out Nick's blog yet, you're missing out.  Please check it and give him a follow by clicking here.

A Little Taste Of The National From Eric

I was unable to attend the National this year because of my extensive vacation to Michigan and Illinois.  I really wanted to go, but there was no way I was going to be able to afford it.  Luckily, my friend, Eric, sent a few things my way from his visit to the National.

Above is a really sharp looking Kevin Gausman 2014 Turkey Red auto that is numbered 454/499.  I hadn't had a chance to pick up any Turkey Red at all last year or this year.  I saw the Gausman before, but couldn't get my hands on it.  Thankfully, Eric thought of me when he saw it and grabbed it.

Eric told me he found this Jonathan Schoop auto in a $4 bin that was slammed full of cards.  What a deal!  The card didn't scan as good as it looks in person, but I assure you, it looks great.

Finally, Eric sent me 14 1969 Topps that I needed for my set.  Even better, 10 of them were high numbers, so that really helps me along with my set!  They are all in awesome shape, too!

Thanks for the cards, Eric.  Expect some great Twins cards in your mailbox real soon!

From Instagram - Another 2014 Topps Museum Collection O's Quad Relic

I made a deal with a kid named Adam on Instagram recently when I purchased this 2014 Topps Museum Collection quad relic Orioles card.  I might have overpaid by just a little bit, but Adam seems like a good guy and I didn't mind helping him out in exchange for this card.

This one has patches from Manny Machado and Adam Jones and jersey relics from Kevin Gausman and Chris Davis.  The card is numbered 33/99.

I know I've said it already, but I'll say it again, I love Museum Collection.  I have two more of these cards I want to show, so keep on the lookout over the next few days.  I have a ton of other stuff I want to show off, too, so I may mix other stuff in here and there.

Thanks for the deal, Adam, I hope we can trade again!

Ebay Pickup - 2014 Topps Museum Collection Orioles Quad - Amazing Patch

Ok, I'll admit it.  I have never been more excited about a high end product than I have been about 2014 Topps Museum Collection.  Ok, well, I did LOVE 2006 Upper Deck Epic.  Anyway, the Orioles patches I have seen on the 2014 Museum Collection cards have been amazing.

Look no further than the patch next to Chris Davis.  That, my friends, is a piece of the 2012 sleeve patch commemorating the 20th anniversary of Oriole Park at Camden Yards.  Don't believe me?  Take a look:

To me, this is just an amazing patch on a card.  I won't use the term "sick" because I feel like that is overused, but it definitely is amazing.  THanks to my good buddy, Michael, for providing me with a picture of the actual patch.

Just so you guys know, I have a few more of these patch cards coming and you know that each will be posted on here.

Amazing Mail From Dana

Very rarely do I put cards in magnetic cases anymore.  Even rarer do I have to buy a magnetic case immediately after I get a trade package in.  Well, today, I got a team bag full of Orioles as well as 3 amazing relic cards from my friend, Dana.

The first card I just had to show off right away, this 2014 Topps Museum Collection quad relic of Adam Jones, Manny Machado, Chris Davis and Kevin Gausman.

Just look at the Davis patch.  Wow.  I'm at a loss for words.  So, I'll just let you all bask in its glory and I'll close by thanking Dana once again.  You, my friend, are AWESOME.  Thanks!

Last Post From The December Card Show

Thankfully, I have reached the end of my posts from the December card show that I went to with my good friend, Scott.  These last few cards are some inserts I got for various PCs.  The above card is the 2013 Bowman Platinum purple chrome parallel of Jonathan Schoop (pronounced - scope).  He is the Orioles' top position player prospect.  Hailing from Curacao, he impressed during the Arizona Fall League.  Schoop likely will begin the season at AAA Norfolk, but could win the Opening Day second base job if he outplays Ryan Flaherty.  No longer are the Orioles waiting on Brian Roberts to return from injury, he cut ties with them this winter and signed with the arch-enemy Yankees.  With Roberts gone, Schoop now has a much clearer path to the majors.

Another player who could start at AAA Norfolk, but could win a job out of Spring Training, Kevin Gausman is the Orioles' #1 pitching prospect in some circles.  If you have Dylan Bundy ahead of him, that's ok, they are 1 and 1A, pretty much.  Gausman has the potential to be very good, he just has to put it together.  I got upset at times last year, mainly because I'm afraid that he is going to end up like other much hyped pitching prospects, like Hayden Penn, Adam Loewen, Daniel Cabrera, Zach Britton, etc.  Let's hope Gausman puts it together and has a strong year.  I know the Orioles need him to, since they haven't signed any other starting pitchers.

Finally, here is an X-fractor from 2013 Finest of 2013 NL MVP, Andrew McCutchen.  I've had a McCutchen PC going for about two years now.  He is the only current non-Oriole that I have a PC of, but I probably will have a few more this year.  I definitely will continue to get Nate McLouth cards, but he was an Oriole, so I don't know if that counts.  Really, though, there aren't too many other non-Oriole players who interest me like 'Cutch does.  He's such a good player on a team that you can root for.  I hope he keeps up his production and puts together a Hall of Fame career.  At this point, he is definitely on pace.

Random Orioles From The Card Show

I picked up a bunch of Orioles cards from random tables at the December card show.  I really came away with a bunch of stuff,but I won't show it all.  I did get this nice 2013 Topps Finest Adam Jones refractor for a quarter at one of the tables.  I also bought a few refractors for some buddies of mine, like Andrew, Drew and Scott.  I liked this year's version of Finest.  Actually, I've always liked Finest, I just can never afford it.

I got a 2012 Bowman Ice Kevin Gausman in a bulk insert purchase that was a couple bucks.  I'm a big fan of the Ice parallels (is it just me, or does Bowman set the standard for inserts/parallels these days?).  I still don't own a purple ice parallel of anyone, but I'm working on that.

Finally, this was a really cool pickup, a 2002 Topps Super Teams Orioles card.  The card shows Dave McNally, Mike Cuellar, Jim Palmer and Dick Hall and discusses the 1970 Orioles pitching staff.  The card looks really cool and is reminiscent of the early 1990s Upper Deck cards.  I was actually surprised it was a Topps card.

So, I'm starting to get caught up as far as posts go, so I'll need some more trade proposals to come in, along with myself making some more card purchases.  I've blogged non-stop for quite a while, now, so let's keep it going!  I did complete a couple trades recently, which will be highlighted soon, so you guys have that to look forward to.  I also have a couple more cards from the December card show that I may show off.  We'll see.