Auction Winnings - Shot Heard Round The World

I had another foray into bidding with Collect Auctions a couple weeks ago since I was so happy with what I got last time.  I bought three baseballs (out of 2 auction lots) this time, for very awesome prices.  The first ball I will talk about is the above dual signed baseball by Bobby Tomson and Ralph Branca.

The ball holds significance in that it is signed by both parties involved in the 'Shot Heard Round The World.'  The ball itself is inscribed with the date of October 3, 1951, which is when Thomson hit a pennant clinching home run for the Giants against the Dodgers.

When both teams finished the regular season with identical records of 96-58, a one-game playoff was necessary to determine who would face the Yankees in the 1951 World Series.  This was long before the one and done Wild Card play in game; long before the advent of the NLCS, etc.  This was a one-game winner goes to the World Series game, and when Thomson's shot cleared the fence, he etched his name into the history books for all time.

Branca and Thompson signed baseballs commemorating the event for years afterward, up until Thomson's death in 2010.

Awesome Mail From Weston

I got a surprise package in the mail yesterday from Weston over at 'Fantastic Catch.'  In the package was a bunch of Orioles cards and the (surprisingly) above Bryce Harper 2013 Topps Emerald parallel.  Oh man, I was really happy to get this card and knock it off of my wishlist.

Some other cool stuff in the package included these two Topps Coins (Cal Ripken and Pete Stanicek) and this Orioles mini helmet.  Shockingly, I did not yet have the Ripken coin, so I am also really glad to add it to my Cal PC.

Thanks for all of the stuff, Weston!  It was really appreciated and I will definitely get you something in the mail soon.

Emeralds From Andrew

In the package that I got from Andrew yesterday, he included an assortment of 2012 Topps Heritage as well as 2 2013 Topps Emerald parallels that I needed for my set.  He sent me the above Carlos Gonzalez and also Jason Grilli.

I now need only 192 of the 330 cards, so I'm slowly chipping away.  I hope I get some more in trades.  I have yet to buy a single one that I need for the set.  I'd like to prolong that as long as possible.

Results From Andrew's Box Break

I took part in Andrew's box break recently when he broke a box of 2013 Topps Gypsy Queen.  I bought 2 slots in the break for $12 each and picked the Orioles and Tigers.  I was awarded the Rockies and Marlins as my random teams.  I liked the stuff I got, even though I didn't get any hits.  The above Dealing Aces Dylan Bundy is a really cool card.

The minis didn't scan all that well, sliding a little crooked on my scanner.  I got this really cool Rick Ferrell with the St. Louis Browns.  Since the Browns became the Orioles, I was awarded this card.  Awesome!

Finally, I got this Ty Cobb that came in the 10-card mini box.  I'm going to keep some of the Tigers and all of the Orioles.  The Rockies and Marlins I got are definitely up for trade.  I really enjoyed the box break with Andrew, so I hope he did as well and has some more in the future.

Hall of Fame Signed Baseball - Bert Blyleven

Yes, you are reading the inscription correctly.  The ball, in fact, DOES say "I love to fart".  If you are easily offended, then this post is probably not for you.  I picked this baseball up off of Ebay (and it was on sale).  I had the auction page open and let my son practice his reading by reading the inscription.  He read it out loud like most first graders do "I... Love... To......" and he looked back at me as if to make sure it said what he was thinking it said "fart?"  I said "Yes, Chris, it says I love to fart."  He had just stuffed a swiss cake roll in his mouth, covered his mouth and said something that sounded like "That's hilarious."  I'm just glad he didn't choke on his swiss cake roll...

This ball definitely goes into my top two, as far as inscriptions go, right up there with my Pete Rose "Im sorry I bet on baseball".  It is pretty awesome, actually.  At least Blyleven is honest.  He has given interviews in the past about his love for flatulence.

I met Blyleven in person in 2010 at an Orioles-Twins game.  We spoke for a bit, but I didn't have time to get a baseball out and ask for an autograph.  He was really nice, but he didn't fart while we were talking.

Blyleven (b. 1951 in Zeist, Netherlands) played in the majors from 1970 to 1992 for the Twins, Rangers, Pirates, Indians and Angels.  He had a career record of 287-250 with a 3.31 ERA and 3,701 strikeouts.  He won the World Series in 1979 with the Pirates and 1987 with the Twins.  He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2011 (his 14th year of eligibility) with 79.7% of the vote.  He is my 84th Hall of Fame signed baseball.

Thoughts on 2013 Gypsy Queen

I didn't get any mail today, so I figured I would do a small post on 2013 Gypsy Queen.  I bought 2 packs from my LCS last week and I joined Andrew's box break also.  In the 2 packs that I bought, I ended up with 3 Orioles: Brooks, Manny Machado and Eddie Murray.

The cards look great, as Gypsy Queen pretty much always does.  I have been a fan for a while.  There are a bunch of inserts this year, and my favorite has to be the 'Dealing Aces' set.  Those cards look really cool.

I bought a box of Gypsy Queen last year.  I doubt I will buy a box this year, but you never know.

2013 Gypsy Queen Adam Jones From Judson

I recently completed a trade with Judson from The Cardboard Habit when I sent him a 2011 Topps 60 Matt Harrison auto and he sent me this 2013 Gypsy Queen Adam Jones relic.  I met Judson during Andrew's Gypsy Queen box break.  He seems like a really cool guy and has a great blog.

I really like the black frame around the relic mini.  Those and the Ginter relics are always sharp, in my opinion.  I can't wait until I get my cards from Andrew's break, it appears that I got some nice stuff.  I also hope to trade more with Judson in the future.