Let's Talk About The Bonus Situation - A Christmas Gift

Merry Christmas, everyone.  One of the cool things I got for Christmas was this 2017 Upper Deck Alien Stasis Signatures card signed by Yaphet Kotto.  He played Parker in 1979's Alien.  His character is one of a small few who tried to go hand-to-hand against the xenomorph, still a badass move after all this time.  The character of Parker is one of my favorites in the Alien franchise, and the fact that my wife recognized that was equally badass.

Kotto (b. 1939 - d. 2021) acted in such films as Alien, Live and Let Die, The Running Man and Freddy's Dead - The Final Nightmare.

I wish I had picked up some of the Upper Deck Alien and Aliens products when it came out in 2016, 2017 and 2018.  I missed the boat on some great autos, especially now that a lot of the actors from those movies are dying off (Bill Paxton, etc.).

I'm glad my wife found this and got it.  Hopefully I'll be able to add some more in the future. 

TTM Success - Leslie Jordan

All it took for me to send this card out for a TTM signature was my wife's devoted following of Leslie Jordan's Instagram account (@thelesliejordan).  He posts videos daily, and she goes nuts whenever he posts.  I knew Jordan from seeing him in Jason Goes To Hell - The Final Friday, on the TV show, Reba, or as a voice actor on American Dad.

It took me a while to find this card in my collection, but when I did, it went out for signature.  It came back not too long after, along with a signed ad for one of Jordan's stand-up shows.  That one was addresses directly to my wife, so that one went into her autograph collection.

Jordan (b. 1955) has acted since 1986, and aside from being known from the movie and shows notd above, he also has appeared on Will and Grace, American Horror Story and The Cool Kids, among a wide range of other shows and movies.

I mailed to Jordan on April 30 and got the card back on May 12, for a 12-day TAT.

Christmas Gift From Mallory - 2019 Leaf Perfect Game Showcase Box

Normally, when I bust a box and the break makes its way to the blog, I show the numerous hits and provide commentary on what I think.  Well, this break was special for several reasons.  I specifically sent my wife, Mallory, a link for Blowout Cards for a box of 2019 Leaf Perfect Game Showcase.  The reason was simple, pull one card that I was looking for.  The specific player was Joe Reid.  Here's why:

A long time ago, I started my Instagram account because an online friend of mine said I would probably enjoy posting pictures and stuff.  I started my account back in April 2013, and my first posted photo was of my cat, Jericho.  I would post a few random pics here and there, and not really do much else with it.

I started posting random baseball cards in my collection, beginning with my Hall of Fame baseball collection.  I started getting more and more followers and finally around 2014, someone messaged me about making a trade for an extra Manny Machado baseball that I had.  I won't go into full details on it, but the trade didn't work out.  However, it kind of did.

Issues surrounding the trade were later resolved, and a friendship blossomed from it.  As the trade was initially discussed, the kid and I would have Kik conversations, and talk about getting autographs, what cool cards had we picked up, and when the trade didn't work out, I was upset.  I felt like I had made a card buddy.

About a year later, the same kid messaged me out of the blue and asked for my address.  A week or so later, I got a package in the mail with a nice note and an assortment of nice Orioles cards.  Since then, the kid and I have chatted back and forth when time allowed.  I have sat here the last 6 years and watched the two-sport (baseball and football) player grown into a heck of a baseball player.  He has also grown into a heck of a man.  That little hiccup back in 2014 is a faded memory now, and I can say that I am so very super proud to say that I "knew Joe when..."

The whole reason I wanted the box of 2019 Leaf Perfect Game Showcase was so that I could pull a card of one, Joe Reid.  I didn't open the box live on Instagram like I normally like to do.  I only opened it with my wife by my side.  I wanted the moment I pulled Joe's card to be mine.  I pulled the card.

Instantly, I sent Joe a direct message on Instagram and showed him the card.  Joe was as excited as I was.

Joe will probably read this, and I don't want to embarrass him too much, but I do want to say that the moral of the story is that I never gave up on Joe.  He never gave up on me, either.  We realized that there was a friendship there built over the love of baseball, and we used it to form a connection.  My hope is that Joe continues on his path, and maybe someday soon, I can catch one of his games in person.  I would love to go to a game with my autograph book and graph someone I "knew back when...".  That would be really cool.

Thanks for the Christmas gift, Mal.  You saw how excited I was when I pulled the card.

TTM Success - Scott Servais

I waited a while for this one, but I finally got a TTM return from Mariners manager, Scott Servais.  This Team USA card that came out of a box that my wife picked up a long time ago as a Christmas gift.  She thought I didn't like the box, but I have kept it separate from all of my other cards and I pull from it for TTMs quite a bit.  I have added a good many cards to my album that came out of that box.

These horizontal cards have some really great photography on them.  When I am pressed for a decision on what to send out, more often than not, it is the quality of the photograph that is the deciding factor.  Sometimes it is the card set itself that decides, but strong photography is a plus.

Finally, here are three other cards that I had him sign.

Servais (b. 1967) played in the majors from 1991 to 2001 for the Astros, Cubs, Giants and Rockies.  He had 611 hits, 63 home runs and a .245 batting average.  He has managed the Mariners since the 2016 season.  He has a record of 253-233 (.521%).

I mailed to Servais on February 13, 2017, via Mariners Spring Training and got the cards back on December 7, 2018, for a 670-day TAT.

We Are The (Co)Champions

Well now.  I never thought I would have been able to say this, but the Down East Wood Ducks are Co-Champions of the Carolina League.  In their first season of existence.  Following an improbable run in August and September that they parlayed into a playoff spot, the impending hurricane strike shortened the Carolina League playoffs and forced them to name co-champions for the first time since 1999.

I waited since the end of the 2011 minor league season for a team to come back to Kinston, and Chris and I have been with this team from the start.  We went to the first ever team practice, and the meet the team event in March.

This was my first ever season graphing minor league games, and in doing so, I got 964 baseball cards signed throughout the season.  During that time, I enjoyed chatting with all of the Wood Ducks (and some on opposing teams) players.

I remember thinking that the Wood Ducks would be pretty good this season, since I felt like the Rangers had a pretty good farm system.  Meeting the team in March helped us get to know some of them face to face, and we really worked hard in making them feel welcome here in Eastern NC.

We tried to watch their first ever game, an exhibition against Mount Olive College, but it was rained out.  We had to settle for the home opener a week later.

I believe I went to 31 Wood Ducks games this season (27 at home and 4 on the road).  That turned out to be a bunch!

Chris formed friendships with a few of the players, such as Emerson Martinez, who got the win tonight in the game that clinched their share of the league title.

Brett Martin started the game and pitched 2 and 2/3 innings.

I believe we all had a great time this season.  I hate to see it come to a close, but to close it out with a share of the league championship is just amazing.

Even my wife enjoyed going to the games.  Sure, she thought a few of the players looked better than I do, but I'm not worried, she still comes home to me!

I think Chris got more out of this season than anyone, though.  He has forged life-long memories this season.  He was able to go out on the field twice this season.  All of the players recognize him, and are happy to see him when he says hello.

I'm so happy that they won a share of the title.  This has been such a cool season; I can't wait until April, so another season will start.

No One Sings Like You Anymore...

I had to borrow a line from another artist's song to tie everything together for a nice title of this post, but it fits in with the whole narrative from last night.  I went to the Guns N Roses concert in Winston-Salem, NC last night with my son, wife and brother.  This was the culmination of a lifetime of waiting and hoping to be able to have this moment.

I had taken my little brother, Andy, to see Guns N Roses in November 2006, just before his 11th birthday.  At that concert, I had told Andy that if GNR ever came back to NC, I would take him.  That was a great show and all, but it was the Guns N Roses lineup that was pretty much just Axl and friends.  When we found out that Slash and Duff had rejoined the band, Andy and I hoped that the right and true lineup would go back on tour and come relatively close to us.  What ended up happening was that they did go on tour, and announced that they would be coming to Winston-Salem, of all places.

I had a little bit of fun in telling Andy that I had gotten him tickets.  I used it as his birthday and Christmas presents this past year, and wrote the above note "from Axl".  I took the pic of the note before I added XOXO at the end of it, since I couldn't miss the opportunity to reference Joe Dirt.  Andy appreciated the joke.

The band, Live, opened the show with a short set and brought me to tears with a cover of Audioslave's "I am the Highway", saying that "it was one of the many gifts that Chris Cornell left the world..."  I was in tears.

Axl and company hit the stage just after 8:30 and rattled off song after song for almost 3 hours.

GNR has carrried a stigma in the past of no showing concerts or going on stage very late.  That wasn't the case last night.  They really brought it, and the crowd was amped the entire time.

I noticed a lot of little things in the set, like some riffs borrowed from other songs during some of the solos.  I also noticed the Prince logo on Duff's bass guitar.

It was pretty amazing seeing Slash break out the double guitar.  I don't believe I have seen anyone play one of these live.

They busted out a super duper deep cut just for me, it seems when they played Coma.  This song was one of (and still is) my favorites when I was growing up, and to hear it live was amazing.

I was happy to be able to share the experience with Mal and Chris, since this is one of the penultimate bands from my childhood.  I used to listen to Side 2 of the Use Your Illusion I cassette tape every night to fall asleep.  November Rain is probably one of my all-time favorite songs, and to finally hear it live with Slash playing the solos instead of some stand-in, it was pretty magical.

I turned to Andy during November Rain and told him "We have been waiting our whole lives for this moment."  This is very true.  We all have songs that are part of the very fabric of our being, and for me, a good many of those are Guns N Roses songs.  This band was "my band" when I was growing up.  Folks who know me know that I am a huge Pearl Jam fan, but GNR has always been at the very top for me for a lot longer than PJ has.  Not to take a thing away from Eddie and the crew, but there was always the fear that I would never be able to experience the true GNR live experience.  Thankfully, I was able to do so last night.

Another part of the show that I will always remember is that it was the culmination of a very emotional experience for me that began on the morning of May 18, 2017.  I woke up that morning at my friend, Andrew's house, and saw a text message from my wife that said "Chris Cornell died."

Being the huge Pearl Jam fan that I am, I grew to love and appreciate the talent that was Cornell's.  I remarked on too many occasions to count that Cornell had to be one of the most talented musicians that I had ever seen in my lifetime.  It took Audioslave to hammer that point home for me, but ever since Out of Exile came out, I understood Cornell's immense talent, and began to really appreciate his work with Soundgarden, and also his solo work.

If you ask my brother, Adam, he can tell you that there was once a time where I hated the song, Black Hole Sun.  He used to wake me up in the morning to Tupac, Bone Thugz N Harmony, and would sometimes change things up with BHS.  I didn't like any kind of music blasting at 5:59AM, so I can give myself a pass on my initial take of the song.

I can't think of any other celebrity death that has hit me harder than that of Cornell's.  In the months that have followed his suicide, I have been listening to a bunch of his songs on YouTube, especially his cover of Prince's "Nothing Compares 2 U" and the touching "I Promise This is Not Goodbye."

Live's version of "I am the Highway" last night brought me to tears, but when Dizzy Reed went into a piano riff of "Black Hole Sun" during GNR's set last night, I bawled.  Axl once went on record to express his respect to Chris Cornell back in the early 90s, and Duff recently took the stage with Cornell in a tribute concert for the supergroup, Mad Season (look this concert up, it was amazing - Sonic Evolution).  The respect that the music industry has/had for Cornell is mind blowing. Check out some of the many tributes from other artists to Cornell, starting with Norah Jones's version of Black Hole Sun.

So, what was already an emotional experience for me in seeing one of my favorite all-time bands, and then seeing this live tribute to Chris Cornell in person, really capped my night.  I believe this was probably in the top two or three all-time concerts I have been to, and by my rough count, I think this was number 28.

When I say "No One Sings Like You Anymore", I am saying that no one will ever sing like Chris Cornell anymore, but I also mean that there are very few huge acts that will put on the kind of show like GNR did last night.  All of these arena rock bands are slowly dying out, or retiring.  Andy and I couldn't name too many that are still touring that we will be able to see in the future.  There also aren't very many new bands that I see coming along that I would want to see in a huge venue.  I'll have to stick to Pearl Jam when they go back on tour, I suppose.

TTM Success - Steve Fireovid

I sat on these Steve Fireovid cards for a while, before I sent them out.  Some of them were sat on longer than others.  First off, though, I had to add another 1987 Topps to the album.  That set is the one I have the most of, by far.  I don't plan on letting up on it, either.

The real highlights, though, were these two minor league cards.  The card on the left came out of the box of stuff Mom pulled down from the attic a while back, so it has probably been in my collection for over 20 years.  The card on the right came out of a box that my wife bought off of Ebay back in 2007.  So, I have been able to add these two cards to my album that have been languishing in boxes for quite a lot time.  Now, they will have a place where they can be displayed for all to see (all who come over and look through the album, I guess).

Fireovid (b. 1957) played in the majors in 1981, 1983 to 1986 and 1992 for the Padres, Phillies, White Sox, Mariners and Rangers.  He had career record of 3-1 with 27 strike outs and an ERA of 3.39.  The blue minor league card actually messed me up; I glanced at it quickly and almost typed "hits" but then, realized yes, he was a pitcher.

I mailed to Fireovid on March 8 and got the cards back on March 20, for a 12-day TAT.

July 4, 2016 - Mudcats Game

I kept a tradition alive this week when my wife and I went to a minor league game for July 4th.  This year, like we have the few years prior, we went to Zebulon, NC for a Carolina Mudcats game.  We used to go to Kinston Indians games, but since that team left town, Zebulon is now the closest team to us.

I met up with one of my good friends, Dugan, and we did a little bit of "graphing" before the game.  I always sit on the visitors side, as I feel like that gives me the best chance at getting stuff signed.  I didn't have a whole lot of cards of the visiting team, the Salem Red Sox, but I had several cards of their manager (Joe Oliver) and a few remaining prospect cards that I found in my rookie box.

I was able to get three cards signed, which was nice.  The above 2015 Bowman Jordan Betts turned out really well.  I had a thin point blue sharpie, but I feel like it did a pretty good job.

Here is a 2014 Bowman Wendell Rijo.  His signature isn't as nice as Betts's, but it still looks fine.

Finally, I got a 2014 Bowman signed by Michael Kopech.  His signature isn't too great, either, but I was still happy to come away with a few autos.  I had never taken cards with me to "graph", I always have used baseballs.  I liked how I did, except I am terrible at recognizing who the players are, especially when they are walking toward you, and their numbers are only visible on their backs.

Here is a nice picture of my buddy, Dugan and I.  He was way more successful at getting his stuff signed.  He is a pro at "graphing" and helped me figure out who was who.  I really enjoyed spending time with him, and plan on taking him up on his offer to "graph" at Durham Bulls games.

I enjoy Five County Stadium and watching the Mudcats.  I always have a good time when I go there, and always try to go at least once a year.

The fireworks show was great, as usual.  My wife and I try to hit a minor league game on July 4th, and always come away happy with the post-game show.

The Mudcats won the game, 9-6.  I was tossed a ball from Salem right fielder, Nick Longhi (which I dropped, and he re-threw to me).  I gave the ball to my sister who is in town and accompanied us to the game.  After the game, I flagged Longhi down and had him sign the ball for her.  He also hit a home run in the losing effort.

I had a really good time at the Mudcats game.  It was really nice spending time with my wife and sister, but it was also nice to be able to see and spend time with my great friend, Dugan.  He is a great guy, and I know we will be catching many more games together in the future.

Hall of Fame Baseball #100 - Mickey Mantle

The quest began in January of 2010 when I posted here that I wanted to branch out into memorabilia.  It was a discussion with my good friend, P. A. at the card shop on a Saturday that getting some signed baseballs by Hall of Famers wouldn't be too difficult a task.  I began with three baseballs, the Cal Ripken that my mom gave me in 1992; a Jim Palmer given to me for my 19th birthday in 1999 by my old boss, Todd and a Brooks Robinson given to me by Mom a few years later at Christmas.  The first baseball in my quest (4th overall) arrived on January 14, 2010 (A ball signed by Stan Musial, which you can see here).  Four years and 96 baseballs later, we now have number 100, Mickey Mantle.

This has been an exhaustive quest.  I have obtained several baseballs through the mail, at card shows, over Ebay, through auction houses, antique shops, two trades, birthday and Christmas presents from my mom and great friend, Drew and a couple in person autographs.  I haven't spent near what one might think on these 100 baseballs. I've watched sales and auctions like a hawk.  I've learned a thing or two about autograph authentication along the way, of course.

The Mantle ball came about, like I said last night, through my friend Conrad from the antique shop (Chic Antiques) in Columbia, SC.  He did shows with a good friend of mine in the 1980s and early 1990s where they would meet Hall of Famers in person, one of which was Mantle, himself.  Conrad wanted to help me with my quest, so he gave me a deal I couldn't refuse on both the Koufax ball and this Mantle.

As you can see, the signature is amazing.  Words can't describe, so I'll just let you take a look at the picture and see for yourself.

Now what do I do?  I've reached a plateau, 100 signed baseballs and I've nearly run out of room in my China cabinet.  This ball and several others won't even be able to be displayed since they are in a safe location, not in my house.  Do I keep moving forward and knock more players off the list (and go for Jimmie Foxx, ultimately)?  Do I rest on my laurels and admire the fact that I reached #100?  I don't really know at this moment.  I'm inclined to continue on, maybe try to reach 150 or more.  If I do, I need to devise an alternate means of display.  Also,I know I have to replace at least one ball (Niekro) because of fading.  I also need to re-assess my choice of pens/balls for TTM and IP autographing as well to eliminate the fading issue (which I think I have solved).

So, we'll see what the future holds.  If I were to guess today, at this moment, I'd be willing to say Hell Yeah, keep em coming, but I do have some things to think about.

Mickey Mantle (b. 1931 - d. 1995) played in the Majors from 1951 to 1968, all for the Yankees.  He had 2,415 hits, 536 home runs and a batting average of .298.  Mantle was a 16-time All Star, 3-time AL MVP (1956, 1957 and 1962) and the 1956 AL Batting Champion (.353 average).  He won the World Series with the Yankees 7 times (1951, 52, 53, 56, 58, 61 and 62) and made 12 trips to the World Series all together.

He was a 4-time AL Home Run champion (1955, 1956, 1958 and 1960) and hit 50 or more home runs twice (1956 and 1961). He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1974 (his first ballot) when he was named to 88.2% of the ballot.

So, there you have it.  I am celebrating a huge milestone in my collection.  I wanted #100 to be special and I couldn't honestly think of getting anyone other than Mantle at #100 (unless a Jimmie Foxx fell into my lap).  I'd like to thank everyone who helped me get to this point, namely Mom, my wife, P. A., Drew and Conrad.

First Ever 'Blog on Location' - NHL All Star Fan Fair

Hello to everyone. I'm in wonderful Raleigh, NC, site of the 2011 NHL All Star game. Today, the pre All Star festivities include the NHL Fan Fair.

There are a bunch of vendor booths, photo-ops, souvenirs, etc. We made the rounds, taking in all of the sites and sounds of the event. I am not a hockey fan, however, my wife, being from Detroit, is a HUGE Red Wings fan, so this is her Birthday/Christmas present. I took a picture of my wife with what appeared to me to be a giant Muppet. I was informed that this is the Montreal Canadiens' mascot... Interesting looking fellow.

Here is our good friend Babe-O-Licious with Blades, the Boston Bruins mascot. Babe is the person who arranged the whole trip. She is the queen of sports themed trips and is always the one who I call when I need to get somewhere.

I liked the 'Guardian Project' poster they had up, so I took a picture of the Red Wing guy for my wife because I knew she'd love it.

Here is the poster itself. Pretty cool. I may try to find one for Chris' bedroom.

You can't erase the smile from my wife's face. I'm glad I was able to get her tickets to the Skills competition (we couldn't get cheap enough All Star game tickets, but we went in 2008 when they were in Atlanta). To me, the skills competition is more fun anyway.

Here is my feeble attempt at a slap-shot. Notice my handling of the hockey stick. You can tell I had never swung a stick in my life. I think they clocked my puck (one I connected with it) at a whopping 28 miles per hour. Oh well, it was fun anyway. Look mom, I'm wearing the custom jersey you got us for Christmas!!

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Check back tomorrow evening when we get back from the Skills Competition. I'm hoping for a good time, and I'm sure it will be. Have a good night, I'm going to hang with the crew and have a couple beverages!

Finally, another 1955 knocked off my list...

Yep, that's right! This time, I wasn't drunkenly bidding on ebay either, haha. I got card #202, Jim Owens. He looks so pleased to be joining my collection doesn't he? This came courtesy of the ebay gift card my loving (cough cough) wife gave me for my birthday. Hooray for 1955s!!!

Stuff Happening.....

This weekend, we will initiate my wife and son moving to Greenville. My wife starts at her new store on Wednesday!! My birthday is Monday. The house is looking good and getting showings, and now we will have been moved out of it (for the most part). Card shop on Saturday. Busy weekend coming up!!!!!! Hopefully, I can get my scanner hooked up to my laptop and get you guys some scans of some stuff. Maybe be able to blog a little more often? Hope so!!!

My wife may not be the devil afterall...

No, I didn't accidentally spill holy water on her and she didn't fizz up... she told me to bid on (and I won) an AWESOME Brooks Robinson/ Brian Roberts/ Nick Markakis Topps Triple Threads. She said 'You should bid $100.00 on it... All I had to do was bid $40.00. Got it for $36.00. Of course, when it comes in the mail, she'll grill me about how much I spent on it and conveniently forget she gave me permission to buy it... Its a vicious circle in my life. Seriously, though, I'm pretty lucky I have her, although, she did cost me that sweet Roberto Clemente RC I could have gotten for $225.00 on Ebay... that's the lowest I have seen for that one... Oh well, you can't win em all.