Care Package From Eric

I got a care package in the mail recently from my friend, Eric, whom I met on Instagram.  We have sent each other a couple care packages here and there, but haven't been able to talk a whole lot over the last year due to his going off to college.  During his summer break, we caught up, and were able to send each other a few things.

As always, Eric really hooked me up!  In the package was a signed program from an Orioles minor league affiliate with autographs from recent draft picks.  Also, there were some nice cards, like this 2015 Bowman Inception Christian Walker auto.  This card looks really nice.  Too many times have I seen Inception come along and there not be any Orioles I have really wanted to pursue.  I was happy to get this one, though.

Eric supplied a Chris Davis that I needed for the collection in this 2015 Topps Tier One.  This card is numbered 136/399 and scanned really well.

Finally, there was this 2001 Donruss Stadium Stars relic card with a piece of a seat from Memorial Stadium.  I have Brooks Robinson and Jim Palmer cards that have the seat pieces (from differing sets), and now I have a Cal.

Thanks so much for the awesome package, Eric!!

Brian Roberts Announces Retirement

I knew it was coming.  I knew it when he was released by the Yankees earlier this season.  Brian Roberts's playing days are over.  After playing 14 seasons in the majors, Roberts has decided to hang up his spikes.  This is a bit of a tough moment for me, because he was the first player I really got behind in the post-Cal days of my collecting.  I had taken a sabbatical from collecting after 1996 and got back into it after seeing a game with a friend in 2005.  Roberts hit a walk-off home run against the Yankees at that game and I was hooked again.  When I got home from the trip, I immediately started buying up cards just so I could add Roberts to my collection.  I have a pretty stout Roberts PC.  I have: 1 Orioles jersey, 1 2005 All Star jersey (thanks Lisa!), 2 signed baseballs, a signed bat and a ton of cards.  Above, you can see his 2001 Donruss RC; Below is his final card, 2014 Topps (with the Yankees - uggh).

Roberts closes his career of 14 seasons with 1,527 hits, 97 homers and a career average of .276.  He hit 50 or more doubles three times in his career.  He finished as high as 18th in the AL MVP voting (2005) and was a 2-time All Star.  Roberts won't get into the Hall of Fame, but he will get into the Orioles Hall of Fame.

Roberts was the bright spot on several bad Orioles teams and I will miss him.  He was a North Carolina native and always seemed to be pretty nice (although didn't say much) the few times I met him.  I will retire his PC, but I do plan on filling in some gaps from time to time; mostly rainbow stuff.  Maybe a relic or auto here and there.

Thanks for the memories, Brian.