Autographs For Sale At The National

My trip to the 2018 National Sports Collectors Convention in Cleveland was a little different this year, as I was on a mission to knock out as many cards as I could for my 1987 Topps set.  I had autograph vouchers for a few of the signers who were on-hand that were in the set, and also brought some cards for the VIP signers.  I was also on the lookout for anyone who had any of the signed cards  for sale.  I ended up finding the proverbial "needle in a haystack" when I happened upon a table that had the above gem beneath a piece of plexi-glass.

My good friend, Nate, and I were almost through the last row of tables when I saw the above 1987 Topps Astros team card.  Almost forgotten in time, Yogi Berra was a coach on that team.  Since he passed away recently, I pretty much reserved myself to getting Hal Lanier on the card and calling it a day.  I hadn't seen any signed by Berra, and assumed they would be at astronomical prices if I had seen one.

This seller had gotten the card at the Berra Museum for a cheap price, as typically, anyone who wants a Berra auto will want it on Yankee items.  He sold me the card for $20.  I couldn't get my wallet out fast enough.  This might have been one of my all-time favorite card show finds.

I had also found a few vendors who had albums and boxes of IP and TTM autos, organized by set.  One such vendor had a ton of 1987s that I needed at on average $2-$3 a piece, with a few being higher.  I knocked off a bunch of guys that I had gotten TTM, but failed to send a 1987 in the bunch.  Guys like Oddibe McDowell (actually, he sent my 1987 back unsigned), Kent Oberkfell, Dale Sveum, Greg Gagne, etc.  I also added tougher sigs like Davey Lopes, Bubby Bell and Mike Laga.

I also saw a couple deceased players in the album, and picked those up.  I was afraid I would have to search a long time for Jim Fregosi, but was able to knock it off of the list easily.

One of the cards that was high up on my list to look for was this Mike Flanagan.  I had searched for one on Ebay for a while, but had no luck in finding one.  The auto isn't the best, but it definitely is Flanny's, and I can say I own one.  It is still a shame that he took his own life; I really wish I had met him when he was living.

While going through the albums, I saw this 1985 Benny Ayala and had to pick it up.  That may be one of the most unique autos I have ever seen, and had to grab one of them.  I also found the above Matt Lipka in a dollar IP auto box that the guy had.

While Virgil Trucks and I corresponded back and forth before he passed, I had never sent him any cards to sign.  I always felt bad that I was keeping track of how many Topps autographs I had, but had no Trucks in any of those years.  I bought each version that the seller had, including the above 1954 Bowman.

In my opinion, the vendor wanted way too much for his Trucks autos, especially this 1956 Topps.  However, I wanted to think that I provided a good home for these signed cards, as I feel I had a decent enough connection to Trucks.

He really was a good man, and I'm sure he probably would have been a little miffed at the guy writing to him a bunch of times for autos, just to sell them.  So, they will be added to my albums and preserved as a true fan should.

I have come to realize that in building any signed set, you can't really turn your nose up anymoe to the "pro" graphers who sell what they get.  I mean, I would have had no shot at some of these guys, so I guess I have to buy the ones that would be tough otherwise.  It can be a bit of a moral dilemma, but in the end, they have the supply, and I have the demand.

Care Package From TJ

I got a huge care package in the other day from fellow blogger, TJ, the Junior Junkie.  TJ hooked me up with a bunch of nice Orioles stuff like the above 1978 Topps Mike Flanagan buyback card.  I don't normally care all that much for buyback cards, but this one is really nice.  It is in good shape, and the dumb foil logo that Topps insists on defacing the cards with isn't too bad.  I'm still someone who likes to not have the foil stamp on the card, especially since I build sets of older stuff.  The card is really nice, though, so I'll let the foil stamp slide this time.

I can't believe I didn't have this 2013 Panini Hometown Heroes card of Brooks Robinson yet.  I opened a couple packs of this when it originally came out, and once my LCS sold out of them, I didn't really give the set much more thought.  This card is really sharp, and I like how it scanned.

Thanks for the care package, TJ!  I really appreciate it.  I need to find you some stuff that I can send your way soon.

Fan Fest Pickup - Mike Flanagan-Boog Powell Signed Baseball

One of my favorite pickups from this past weekend's Orioles Fan Fest is a bit bittersweet as well.  I have wanted a Mike Flanagan signed baseball for quite some time and that want/need was compounded a couple years ago when Flanny took his own life following years of battling depression.  The former Cy Young Award winner's death cast a pall on the life and career of one of the Oriole greats.  His death really affected me because I was one of those Oriole fans who heavily criticized his moves as GM, but in reality, a lot of his moves (and even some non-moves) turned out to be good ones.

With the recent passing of one of my favorite actors, Philip Seymour Hoffman (who has a key role in my second favorite movie ever, The Big Lebowski), I realize that life is really short and we need to enjoy it as much as we can.

So, that being said, I was really glad to be able to find this Flanagan ball at Fan Fest from one of the vendor tables.  The vendor area was full of some really cool Orioles stuff, a lot of it was stuff I would have been interested in taking home, but I didn't want to spend a whole lot.  I saw the ball (it is a 1993 All Star Game commemorative ball) and its price of $20.00 and was thinking I should probably get it, then Scott walked up and said I should ask the guy if he would do $15. The guy agreed and I was able to get the ball.

I really didn't think I would leave Fan Fest with a Flanagan ball, let alone one with Boog's signature on it as well.  I was really happy.  Of all the stuff I got at Fan Fest, this might be my favorite.

Going back to what I said before, it might not make sense in the context of me talking about buying a baseball, but I spent this past weekend with my son and a good friend.  We had a great time, enjoyed each other's company, and then had an amazing dinner together after Fan Fest.  I'm glad I was able to do it, and am happy that I am doing my part to make positive memories for Chris.  I hope he can look back at stuff like this when he is much older and think to himself, 'Wow, my dad took me to some really cool places...' Because, really, that's what it is all about, making good memories.

Orioles Team Sets From TJ

I got a nice surprise email the other day from TJ (better known as the Junior Junkie) saying he had picked up some vintage Orioles team sets and he wanted to know if I was interested in them.  I sure was, so TJ dropped them in the mail for me.  Included in the package was what appeared to be Oriole team sets from 1980, 1983 and 1987 Topps.  I have to double check to see if they are full team sets, but I do know that the 1983 'set' is missing the Cal Ripken card.  I'm pretty sure I have an extra lying around somewhere.

I chose to show Mike Flanagan from each year because I don't feel like I feature him enough on my blog. The 1980 'set' consists of 24 Orioles.  There's the Flanagan, an Orioles team card showing the team photo and a smaller (really small) photo showing Earl Weaver.  Other cards that TJ sent include: Tippy Martinez, Benny Ayala, Steve Stone, Lee May, Terry Crowley, Pat Kelly, Benny Ayala, John Lowenstein, Gary Roenicke, Ken Singleton, Al Bumbry, Doug DeCinces, Mark Belanger, Billy Smith, Kiko Garcia, Rich Dauer, Rick Dempsey, Don Stanhouse, Dave Skaggs, Tim Stoddard, Sammy Stewart, Denny Martinez and Scott McGregor.

The 1980 Orioles went on to have a record of 100-62 and finished SECOND in the AL East (3 games behind the Yankees).  The team featured three Hall of Famers (Murray, Palmer and Weaver).  Steve Stone's 25-7 record paired with a 3.23 ERA would land him the AL Cy Young award.

TJ included 24 1983 Topps Orioles.  Other guys include: Eddie Murray, Rick Dempsey, Scott McGregor, Tippy Martinez, Earl Weaver, Joe Nolan, Sammy Stewart, Storm Davis, Denny Martinez, 1982 Orioles Batting/Pitching Leaders- Murray/Palmer (Also with a team checklist!!), Jim Dwyer, Lenn Sakata, Terry Crowley, Benny Ayala, Al Bumbry, John Lowenstein, Dan Ford, Gary Roenicke, Rich Dauer, Glenn Gulliver, Floyd Rayford, Tim Stoddard and Jim Palmer.  According to the team checklist card, yes, the Ripken is the only one I'm missing here.

The 1983 Orioles finished the season 98-64, first in the AL East.  They would go on to win the World Series, their final one so far.  Cal Ripken would take home the AL MVP award in '83, beating out teammate Eddie Murray, while Rick Dempsey would take the World Series MVP.  The team featured four Hall of Famers - Ripken, Murray, Palmer and Weaver.

Finally, the 1987 set TJ sent consisted of 28 cards.  Along with the above Flanny, TJ sent: Tippy Martinez, Cal Ripken, Eddie Murray, Rick Dempsey, Scott McGregor, Mike Boddicker, Earl Weaver (with team checklist on the back), Juan Beniquez, Orioles Leaders, Jackie Gutierrez, Juan Bonilla, Lee Lacy, Fred Lynn, Jim Dwyer, Mike Young, Jim Traber, John Shelby, Larry Sheets, Tom O'Malley, Nate Snell, Don Aase, John Stefero, Floyd Rayford, Rich Bordi, Brad Havens, Storm Davis and Ken Dixon.

The 1987 Orioles would go on to finish the season 67-95 (6th out of 7 in the AL East).  Earl Weaver had retired at the end of the 1986 season (but had a card in the '87 set) and was replaced by Cal Ripken, Sr.  The Orioles had two players who hit 30 or more homers that season - Eddie Murray (30) and Larry Sheets (31) with Cal hitting 27 and Fred Lynn hitting 23.  They had one batter finish with a +.300 batting average (Sheets with .316).  Bill Ripken would hit .308, but that was only over 58 games.

The Orioles pitching was pretty much horrendous that season, Mike Boddicker would end up leading the team with a 10-12 record and a 4.18 ERA.  Eric Bell (I've actually never heard of him) was second on the team with a 10-13 record.  His ERA, though, was 5.45.  Flanagan, at age 35, would go 3-6 with a 4.94 ERA.  They say the season is won and lost with pitching and it appears to me that Cal, Sr.'s hands were surely tied at the mound.  This team, although kind of terrible, still featured two eventual Hall of Famers (Murray and Ripken), two former MVPs (Ripken and Lynn), three former Rookies of the Year (Murray, Ripken, Lynn) and a former Cy Young Award winner (Flanny).

Thanks for the cards, TJ.  I might try to add some more Orioles team sets; maybe start a binder.  We'll see.

Another Trade With Kalib

I completed another trade with my new friend Kalib over at "Cubs Cardboard" recently.  I sent him some random Cubs cards, including a couple vintage ones.  He recently posted some trade bait on his blog, so I had to ask for the above Tim Lincecum relic for my son, Chris, and the below Andrew McCutchen 2013 Topps Blue parallel for my own PC.

I think the blue and yellow on the McCutchen really pop off of the card as you may be able to see in the scan.  I think they go really well together.  I definitely need to get more parallels from 2013 Topps!

Finally, Kalib also included some random Orioles cards that he found in a few shoeboxes and one of which was the above 1992 Score No Hit Club featuring the combined no hitter that was thrown on July 13, 1991 (21 years ago!!!).  Bob Milacki, Mike Flanagan, Mark Williamson and Gregg Olson combined to no hit the A's that night.  I really like this card because it features Mike Flanagan.  Flanny is still sorely missed by all Orioles fans, since he took his own life in August of 2011.  To me, that was probably the darkest of days for any Oriole fan in recent memory and it still is tough to think about.  I always feel bad for him and his family whenever I see his cards.  I plan on creating a PC of him sometime soon.

So, thanks again for the trade, Kalib!  I enjoy kalib's blog and I, again, recommend you all to follow it!

More on Mike Flanagan's Passing

As today wore on and news continued to become available on the tragic passing of Mike Flanagan, I realized the importance of a few things.

According to multiple sources, and confirmed by the Baltimore Sun, Mike Flanagan took his own life yesterday at the age of 59. I sincerely doubt that anyone will ever know the full reason or reasons behind his decision to do such a thing.

Baltimore's sports talk radio station had reported that Flanagan was despondent in recent weeks/months due to the poor play of the Orioles and the public perception that (as Executive Vice President from 2002 to 2008) it was his fault. I have not seen any other reports which confirm this theory, however, ESPN's Tim Kirkjian, who was close to Flanagan, stated in this article that Flanagan's demeanor has not been what it once was before he was dismissed in 2008.

I don't doubt that he was disappointed that he couldn't help return the franchise to its past glory, but it seems to me (and I'm no doctor) that he was battling depression and the perception of the job that he did as GM was only the tip of the iceberg. Further reports on the Baltimore Sun's webpage say that Flanagan was dealing with financial issues and they are citing those issues as the reason behind his passing.

Before I learned about the financial aspect of the situation, I thought long and hard about the first scenario. Yeah, on the surface, it sounded kind of ridiculous that someone would take their own life because of the poor play of a baseball team, but when it is your job to make that team a winner and you put your heart and soul into that job, I think I can understand maybe a little bit why someone would feel that way.

Something else I thought about, too, was that I notice many times when I read blogs and forums based on things such as sports, etc, it is really easy for people to sit behind keyboards behind anonymous online handles and avatars and criticize the people who do these things for a living. Trust me, I'm guilty, too. Last week I was screaming at my computer, praying for the Orioles to release Kevin Gregg because he was terrible and seemingly cost the Orioles a chance at a much needed win.

One tends to forget the human element behind these things. These players, coaches, managers, executives all are human beings. They have feelings, families, friends who all love and care about them. When you go on these forums and read the things some online 'trolls' post day after day, week after week about some of these people, I can see how it could get under someone's skin.

One of my favorite places to catch Orioles news is Roch Kubatko's blog over at MASNSports.com. I've actually met Roch in person and he is an amazing guy. Really cool and down to earth. I don't know how he deals with some of the just mean and nasty people who post on there, seemingly only to get their names in print on the internet.

I'm glad I wasn't one of those people who cowered in their mother's basement and hid anonymously behind some screen name and blasted every member of the Orioles' front office. I have been critical of them, and as a passionate Orioles fan, my emotions have gotten the better of me at times and I have called for people to get fired. Not once, though, did I ever call for Flanny to get fired. I did believe that he lacked the experience to have been named GM (or Co-GM, as it was when he was there), but I felt that he did the best he could in a hard situation.

Sometimes the best you can do is all you can do.

Another point, coming from someone who has known people who have both committed suicide and others who have attempted it, is that we all need to try to do our part to help others. Depression is a nasty thing. A lot of people suffer from it and they don't even know it. If you see someone who you think needs your help, please help them. If it is a compliment, a pat on the back, a kind word, etc, try to do your part to make someone's day better. Sometimes that's all it takes. Tell your friends and family that you love them and do it often. It isn't 'weird' to do this. Let someone know that you care about them. If you know someone who has been going through a tough time; maybe the economy forced them out of a job, maybe their grandmother died, maybe they had a stroke of bad luck; do what you can to try to make them feel better. That's the best you can do. You can't save everyone, but sometimes the best you can do is all you can do.

Finally, if someone tells you that they are considering suicide, please get them help.

Thanks everyone for reading and giving me a place to vent about a terrible situation revolving around a player who is a legend for the team that I have loved for a long time. I wrote it based solely on emotion, so if it doesn't read clearly or make a whole lot of sense, I apologize, but I wanted to write something unrehearsed and from the heart.

Rest in Peace, Mike Flanagan

According to various reports, former Orioles pitcher, broadcaster and executive, Mike Flanagan was found dead on his property in Maryland.

Flanny was the 1979 AL Cy Young award winner when he went 23-9 for the Birds.

I was completely shocked when a friend of mine told me, just a few minutes ago. Flanny has been doing commentary on O's games for MASN.

This is a huge loss to the Orioles, for sure.