Mmm Leftovers

Yeah, like I said yesterday, pickings are really slim right now for me, as far as cards go. I found this card I got while visiting my brother in Columbia, SC last month.
2010 Upper Deck Matt Wieters. I am and will always be a Topps fan, but, I'm not liking this exclusive deal. Much like the Monday Night Wars between WWE and WCW, competition is a good thing and it brings out the best in everyone.

I also do not like the fact that Wieters has an exclusive deal with UD, meaning, he doesn't have any Topps cards yet. I'm not sure when that deal ends, I'm sure someone can tell me.

Wieters sure hasn't had the best of years, but he has been hot lately. It looks like he will end the season with a .260 average. Not great, but getting there. I think he will come into his own next year and prove all the scouts and columnists right about his talent and future.

Orioles Thoughts

I don't have a whole lot card-wise to blog about lately, but I sure have a renewed feeling when it comes to being an Orioles fan.

The reason? BUCK SHOWALTER!!!

I don't think Buck is the total reason for the turnaround of the O's. Some has to do with the fact that the team is finally healthy; injuries took a huge toll early in the year. The return of Brian Roberts does coincide with the O's improved play. Replacing Roberts at the top of the order isn't exactly easy. He is one of the best leadoff hitters in the game. The O's proved this season how hard it really will be to replace him in the future. I'm glad they locked Roberts up til 2014.

The Orioles' starting staff has also turned it up. Even Kevin Millwood has joined in and started throwing much better. I can't complain about Millwood at all. I know he is a serviceable starter, he definitely shouldn't be at the top of a rotation in the AL East. I think he has one more year left, and would fit in well in the NL, especially the NL West.

Nick Markakis has proven, this year, that he is not a 30+ home run threat, but is (like Roberts) a doubles machine. Nick's average will hover around .300 and he will give you 175-180 hits each year. I also love his cannon for an arm. If the O's can get a legitimate home run threat to bad behind Nick in the lineup, his numbers will get even better.

I think that's enough of me talking about the O's for now. I may write more later, since I don't anticipate getting a whole lot of new cards anytime soon.

Another Birthday Present - Paul O'Neill Auto

My brother's girlfriend, Gina, totally surprised me when she got on the phone with me last weekend and told me that she got me a birthday present. I have not had too many opportunities to get to know her, but the weekend before, we sat on the golf cart at the racetrack for a while and had a very good conversation. I knew that she was a bit of a baseball fan, since she told me the first time I met her. She also told me that one of her cousins married former Reds and Yankee great Paul O'Neill.
According to Gina, O'Neill doesn't sign a whole lot anymore, but she was able to make a call and pull some strings. I like the card that it is on too, the mid 90's Stadium Club cards always had a nice look to them, and this one scanned really well.

I really appreciated this unexpected gift. I always respected Paul O'Neill as a player, even though he played for the Yankees. He was definitely a team leader and one of the main reasons the Yankees won their championships in the 1990s. I definitely think he should have gotten more support for the Hall of Fame.

Thanks for the present, Gina, I really appreciate it. I hope this blog entry does it a little bit of justice :)

Meet the New Boss, Not the Same as the Old Boss...

It's no secret that I have been following the Dodgers a lot more lately, since my best friend is a Dodger fan. In order to keep our baseball conversations fresh, I try to make sure I'm up to speed on all things Dodgers as he has done the same with all things Orioles.
It was announced today that Donnie Baseball is going to replace Joe Torre as the Dodgers' next manager.

I think this is awesome for many reasons. My best friend's team gives a true baseball icon a chance to helm the club next year and there will be new Don Mattingly cards issued to celebrate his place as Dodger manager.

I have so many friends who LOVE Don Mattingly. He is my mom's favorite player of all time (yes, Mom is a Yankee fan). My good friend Pete is a huge Mattingly fan as well.

I'm sure some Yankee fans will throw up in their mouths a little when they see the former Yankee Captain on cards in a Dodger uniform. My thought is: I really hope he does well and punches his ticket to the Hall of Fame. Wouldn't it be weird if he wins a couple World Series as Dodger Manager (my prediction is that he will) and goes into the Hall with a Dodger cap on?

How do you Yankee fans feel? Is it bittersweet that you are stuck with Joe Girardi? Or, would you be afraid of Mattingly managing where he is a legend and most assuredly would be fired at some point? Everyone knows most managers hre hired to be fired. This is the biggest reason I don't think I want Cal Ripken as the Orioles' manager (which I believe he has no interest in becoming O's manager), however, I'm perfectly happy with Buck SHowalter at this point.

I'm already excited for next season. I am very happy for Don Mattingly to finally get his chance to prove himself at a new position in the game. Good luck to him and good luck to the Dodgers!!!

2010 T-206 Thoughts

I picked up some loose T206 cards from the Greenville Card Shop this past weekend while Max was visiting me for my birthday. He was able to get a bunch of Dodgers while I got several Orioles.
My scanner cut off the bottoms of the cards and I'm too lazy to hook back up to it with the laptop to correct it... Sorry guys. Here is the Reimold. I made sure I got the 206 of my new favorite player. I really enjoy pulling for Reimold. It helps that he was really cool when I met him. I may devote an entire blog entry to that trip again, you know, cause it's my blog and I can write about what I want haha.

I really like this Cal. My wife likes it because he looks like Bruce Willis. Yippe-Ki-Yay. I'm glad they still make Cal cards, it's always nice to add to my huge Cal Collection. 400+ cards and going strong.

YES. Another Roberts to add to that collection as well. Brian looks super sleepy on his card. Roberts, in my opinion, is a huge reason that the O's are on the tear they're on. Roberts will be back full-on next year and make a serious run at 60 doubles. That's my prediction for next year. Count on it.

Got My Topps Tribute Redemption Back

I got my Topps Tribute Auto/Dual Relic Matt Kemp back the other day, which is really cool because it usually takes something like a decade to get a redemption back from Topps.
Pop Quiz: I got a sweet Dodger card. Do I still own it?

Answer: Hahahaha. Nope. Max has it already.

It was a pretty sweet card when I had it, but I know it is in a good place with someone who will definitely enjoy it much more than I will.

Birthday Stuff From Mom

I can always count on my mom to remember little things I mention throughout the year and completely forget about when it comes to stuff to get me for my birthday. Max and I spent a good portion of this summer catching as many minor league games as we could. At a Carolina Mudcats game in Zebulon, I bought myself and Max posters which listed all of the minor league teams and logos. He and I both thought that the Montgomery Biscuits was the best/oddest team name/logo out there. I spent a Saturday at the card shop with my little brother Andy looking at different logos and team shops, thinking about, maybe, buying a jersey; or, at the very least, a hat.
Something I did notice on the Biscuits' team shop was a plush biscuit mascot, which Andy and I both thought was AWESOME. I emailed Max a link to the item and he thought it was pretty cool as well. I got to my parents' house that night and showed my mom, and she thought it was cute and even remarked that she wanted one as well...

Well, she got herself one, and one for my birthday! Pretty cool, huh? But wait, that's not all:

Also in the box was a Biscuits jersey!!! Fan-freaking-tastic!!! Max and I WILL make a trip to Montgomery next year, and now, I have a jersey to wear! Pretty sweet. I just think a team called 'The Biscuits' is really cool. I mean, Evan Longoria wore a Biscuits jersey, so you know they're cool, haha.