tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79115110490334795552024-03-18T23:48:30.225-04:00The Snorting BullEric Brackehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01836668555583253200noreply@blogger.comBlogger2329125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7911511049033479555.post-52057742498896101642024-03-18T09:42:00.003-04:002024-03-18T09:42:47.716-04:00Monday Morning Autograph - Felipe Lopez <p>I own a couple of thousand autographs, the majority have never appeared on my blog. Here is a random autograph that I have never posted. </p><p><b>Today:</b> 2001 Bowman Autographs Felpe Lopez </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDJUFMNhzh1N4Pm6-wDVdJ0i_XL7zoaWPBZdvO7TCX_oaMlidQN2RE5H2StFTwE-2h6PMPizFneWyEHHwycRzvJ5Bt0oMZS51G-08OB0BkHlF1R8gcnMo9uQkkZngFirEpj-6r9ZP3OCPxi2V_XHufi7r7KlsPWOYXDl0ICH8Jw7lqnmwVzh8XLCeXiJs/s2204/IMG_20240317_0001.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2204" data-original-width="1625" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDJUFMNhzh1N4Pm6-wDVdJ0i_XL7zoaWPBZdvO7TCX_oaMlidQN2RE5H2StFTwE-2h6PMPizFneWyEHHwycRzvJ5Bt0oMZS51G-08OB0BkHlF1R8gcnMo9uQkkZngFirEpj-6r9ZP3OCPxi2V_XHufi7r7KlsPWOYXDl0ICH8Jw7lqnmwVzh8XLCeXiJs/w472-h640/IMG_20240317_0001.jpg" width="472" /></a></div><br /><p><b>Why Do I Own This Card? </b></p><p>Seemingly few Cardinals players find their way to Durham and vice versa. The number is more than I can count on one hand, but two hands might be a stretch. One of the lesser known Cardinals who found their way to Durham was Felipe Lopez. </p><p>Felipe was a toolsy infielder who played roughly a decade in the Majors and was on eight different teams during that time. You may best remember him as a Red or National, but in 2008 and 2010 he ended up on the Cardinals as a utility player. In 2008, Felipe Lopez had a great 43 game cup of coffee with the Cardinals hitting .385 with 14 extra base hits. His second appearance on the Cardinals in 2010 was less eventful as he only hit .231 for the season and the Cardinals ended up releasing him in the middle of September. </p><p>In 2011, he was signed by the Rays on a Minor League contract. Felipe spent the first part of the season in Durham where he was really good. He hit over .300 with power and earned a call-up to the Rays, where he did not hit and was sold to the Brewers. </p><p>To answer the question, I own this card because Felipe Lopez was on the Cardinals and the Durham Bulls. Believe it or not, I have multiple Felipe Lopez autographs. I like this one the best. </p><p><b>When Did I Get This Card? </b></p><p>I believe I picked it up off of COMC when he started playing for the Bulls. </p><p><b>Back of the Card </b></p><p>The "Congratulations" message and the information blurb run together, which stinks. Topps, Bowman, or whoever created this set should have just done without the extra information on the back of the card. Bowman typically has really good card backs that are full of information. I am sure they did a good job of describing Felipe's skill set on his base card, no need for it to also be on the autograph. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4-QAnwkPn19LmfytYFquHNKQfL4oLV4RkWKlB9KI2gNpKwNqEIyj5BW_MSITBIQe0H6HYBlsXSJTPbRA__LKUVdbLiKcnIPv5fTLCPS3K24VCHI97BrjBt_icU5mcVbQ-SPR_Bg7ExGXpvMfwHENCxNIxrsn7p9K-O6HG93W4nhPZOJ50oU8IHHz2adk/s2130/IMG_20240317_0002.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1530" data-original-width="2130" height="460" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4-QAnwkPn19LmfytYFquHNKQfL4oLV4RkWKlB9KI2gNpKwNqEIyj5BW_MSITBIQe0H6HYBlsXSJTPbRA__LKUVdbLiKcnIPv5fTLCPS3K24VCHI97BrjBt_icU5mcVbQ-SPR_Bg7ExGXpvMfwHENCxNIxrsn7p9K-O6HG93W4nhPZOJ50oU8IHHz2adk/w640-h460/IMG_20240317_0002.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p><b>Felipe Lopez's Teams in a Haiku </b></p><p>Jays, Reds, Nats, and Cards</p><p>DBacks, Brew Crew, Cards again</p><p>Red Sox, Rays, Brewers (again)</p><p><b><br /></b></p>The Snorting Bullhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11376669412007613030noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7911511049033479555.post-62112919739279914482024-03-16T11:00:00.002-04:002024-03-16T11:00:57.918-04:00It Was A Card Shop Kind of DayI have tried to explain my teaching schedule before in previous posts, so I am not going to completely rehash the whole thing. I am currently in one of those windows where I do not teach for a few weeks. Most teachers have summer vacation. I have "track out" a few times a year. Earlier in the week, I did a bunch of stuff around the house, so I decided to treat my productivity with a trip to the card shop on Friday afternoon. <div><br /></div><div>Besides, I needed some supplies to help me put away some cards. I really need to make a sorting post one of these days. Maybe next week. </div><div><br /></div><div>Beyond the supplies, I also went home with a few new baseball cards. I hope you're in the mood to look at pictures of cards, because I am not in the mood to do a ton of typing today. </div><div><br /></div><div>Did I mention there are basketball cards too. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEQJxbpaQnHvHaT1cjnuGfOs-ZXSE8ODiNtvDWjvPdzbTV4prz579F1rHqwawX8AWVZqk1103yeVMVosC3Pu8uGDVnPaRKSNSW2cWFCqzVvzdBWFBORtpAv0FsmGa7H3WqDjRebBA3gyFcBmoZyFTAc8XYTyEHO0LLWhbcDOySy_k8bmEcTkYm0jmiMyQ/s4838/IMG_20240316_0001.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2142" data-original-width="4838" height="284" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEQJxbpaQnHvHaT1cjnuGfOs-ZXSE8ODiNtvDWjvPdzbTV4prz579F1rHqwawX8AWVZqk1103yeVMVosC3Pu8uGDVnPaRKSNSW2cWFCqzVvzdBWFBORtpAv0FsmGa7H3WqDjRebBA3gyFcBmoZyFTAc8XYTyEHO0LLWhbcDOySy_k8bmEcTkYm0jmiMyQ/w640-h284/IMG_20240316_0001.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div>I will start out with the basketball cards. I found these McDonald's All-American cards in a quarter bin. I found two cards of Zoe Brooks, who goes to NC State, and a Hannah Hidalgo, who goes to Notre Dame. I saw Zoe Brooks record a triple-double earlier in the season. </div><div><br /></div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet tw-align-center" data-media-max-width="560"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Big showing for the 𝙍𝙤𝙤𝙠𝙞𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙒𝙚𝙚𝙠 - Zoe Brooks, <a href="https://twitter.com/PackWomensBball?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PackWomensBball</a> ‼️<br /><br />🏀 Recorded 14 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists in the win over Liberty, earning the first triple-double by an ACC player this season<br /> <br />📰 <a href="https://t.co/81akC4qRWi">https://t.co/81akC4qRWi</a> <a href="https://t.co/YcLOmQFYMs">pic.twitter.com/YcLOmQFYMs</a></p>— ACC Women's Basketball (@accwbb) <a href="https://twitter.com/accwbb/status/1734317771595616556?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 11, 2023</a></blockquote><p><br /></p><p>It's March. Go Pack!!! </p><p>Both Hidalgo and Brooks are freshman, so they are going to be around for awhile. </p><p>Onto baseball. There were no new Blake Snell cards at the shop, but I did find two new cards of former Durham Bulls star, Jake Cronenworth. It's been a minute since I added a new Cronenworth card, but these two looked pretty sweet. They were also just fifty cents. Pretty good deal. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA3rKyxV9OaGAAW4meuA0O2KEWRFWEDsLdPpchmhfg2Gz5v3BDjoY8C2iKxhGwkF2vfrhVITMuddV013r4TWw4HJ4rHf8EkjU7J7tgIbsApMfCYM03gaCA7z71rxl-RzY7t7hflvXv9RoxzY320cEzbLLVi02rHu84aB7IZrRnB-jYsxe9GJaoUKq-dfA/s3425/IMG_20240316_0002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2226" data-original-width="3425" height="416" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA3rKyxV9OaGAAW4meuA0O2KEWRFWEDsLdPpchmhfg2Gz5v3BDjoY8C2iKxhGwkF2vfrhVITMuddV013r4TWw4HJ4rHf8EkjU7J7tgIbsApMfCYM03gaCA7z71rxl-RzY7t7hflvXv9RoxzY320cEzbLLVi02rHu84aB7IZrRnB-jYsxe9GJaoUKq-dfA/w640-h416/IMG_20240316_0002.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>I also found a pair of Pujols and Goldschmidt cards. </p> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqIbFRIeC8oeL59Ndyje1c8cQd7Y2NDaJVd-yopnJgjKggQ1S4REtRmzDxdAfdXPdHu6WBJXlanCfuBMnVbwnstnlOVZLj0UTJEVGW4XmVdIS9XaIlFk5XMEL2gmi_YcfFfHoSouCugOh5qqXvyVlTtXcsZD7vjKHNIQNKSFUDRrk0qqC5Wyo7zOu9lA8/s3431/IMG_20240316_0004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2289" data-original-width="3431" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqIbFRIeC8oeL59Ndyje1c8cQd7Y2NDaJVd-yopnJgjKggQ1S4REtRmzDxdAfdXPdHu6WBJXlanCfuBMnVbwnstnlOVZLj0UTJEVGW4XmVdIS9XaIlFk5XMEL2gmi_YcfFfHoSouCugOh5qqXvyVlTtXcsZD7vjKHNIQNKSFUDRrk0qqC5Wyo7zOu9lA8/w640-h426/IMG_20240316_0004.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3BRBFSOKxN-I4gw5RcDZVWuMQr7tF9pYN7aHUFRddFZY-lANyi8asRofqy4LHgGBQkMsjtZMaCv2CeQtgskG52lveUVuTpIsoK0a8P8s0V22am45WMSwfQnOSLI4MezN-ILqS50yLhB4dzHll-zdTSZGCcZl7UzOJNmn6LQDJB8VjX4hYZCeo0VRnV7Q/s3249/IMG_20240316_0003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2241" data-original-width="3249" height="442" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3BRBFSOKxN-I4gw5RcDZVWuMQr7tF9pYN7aHUFRddFZY-lANyi8asRofqy4LHgGBQkMsjtZMaCv2CeQtgskG52lveUVuTpIsoK0a8P8s0V22am45WMSwfQnOSLI4MezN-ILqS50yLhB4dzHll-zdTSZGCcZl7UzOJNmn6LQDJB8VjX4hYZCeo0VRnV7Q/w640-h442/IMG_20240316_0003.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>An Adley Rutschman rookie card. Big fan, you should be too. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxCd1xIQDQc2YJzwlpUbiguORSFHoa6m8RpxTdcu9gaAHX5cJUXqIkFl3dpPnSc6FVlNFAQ-V740rtXVJJV5jxQGPlXP6j493exxczCFJwg6yjqoYTQ5ijNZVFDLtooSIIqoAZcAdWEt-Hm1aBJ37U7dNlQBRcSjmK9ssSq4bAyewWnZhj6McyjdZUdF4/s2238/IMG_20240316_0005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2238" data-original-width="1661" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxCd1xIQDQc2YJzwlpUbiguORSFHoa6m8RpxTdcu9gaAHX5cJUXqIkFl3dpPnSc6FVlNFAQ-V740rtXVJJV5jxQGPlXP6j493exxczCFJwg6yjqoYTQ5ijNZVFDLtooSIIqoAZcAdWEt-Hm1aBJ37U7dNlQBRcSjmK9ssSq4bAyewWnZhj6McyjdZUdF4/w474-h640/IMG_20240316_0005.jpg" width="474" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">A cheap copy of the 1987 Topps Barry Bonds rookie card. I can't believe these are a few dollars. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtqLtt6aW89qCM0y0_kzQIeVKf0WeH6PQWOqTgZvb87WMWq6A5tuelat466zZoJ3xx0OMPWqoUrFNfvaaGi-Oo55ZCZ_wwiRnd2wWazjcf4MG2ZSzGKOKpl6g_cxznNvKI6-HQUsKElar4JFvhCU2YxeJFJw9Fh2h-NcmhpAgl30pQx-Iz0SrW7fAr2ao/s2202/IMG_20240316_0006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2202" data-original-width="1613" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtqLtt6aW89qCM0y0_kzQIeVKf0WeH6PQWOqTgZvb87WMWq6A5tuelat466zZoJ3xx0OMPWqoUrFNfvaaGi-Oo55ZCZ_wwiRnd2wWazjcf4MG2ZSzGKOKpl6g_cxznNvKI6-HQUsKElar4JFvhCU2YxeJFJw9Fh2h-NcmhpAgl30pQx-Iz0SrW7fAr2ao/w468-h640/IMG_20240316_0006.jpg" width="468" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Which brings us to the vintage portion of the post. All of these are former Cardinals, former Durham Bulls, or in the case of Vada Pinson and Robin Roberts, older players I like. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKPrGwvr1Yk2cQWethYes_6YxBEwvijOQR8WwrR3bgUhY92EWOm92nB8Rmk69C5Vw_k6i18Jo2zmWD3GSpwUc8xeInwwoXRXG0TFr5BvJnPzMt-iBk6qMXl2I3yAEcNOEukQyROxVEV9FH4Y5t6xlwSuvtqmqye_jIuMlhHdUZg3XUNFHtb_cy0l955p4/s3707/IMG_20240316_0007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2384" data-original-width="3707" height="412" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKPrGwvr1Yk2cQWethYes_6YxBEwvijOQR8WwrR3bgUhY92EWOm92nB8Rmk69C5Vw_k6i18Jo2zmWD3GSpwUc8xeInwwoXRXG0TFr5BvJnPzMt-iBk6qMXl2I3yAEcNOEukQyROxVEV9FH4Y5t6xlwSuvtqmqye_jIuMlhHdUZg3XUNFHtb_cy0l955p4/w640-h412/IMG_20240316_0007.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfzaEwr2l-ZbC7Ssu373D9asngiwx1R4nNWcA9plOX8RzCRRI9hnV90KZ_NuC4jL0eq4zrBM39h_jpvJrNlkoNpfs2ijXNaZOihJEcAnU8YTZK5gD2Ae14jCKGJPo4sMCTFjqMd9myIpHM-KXks1FpsOP63WZw5Bk1Ek3SyS6WdztETwnylGsGcYITHY0/s3734/IMG_20240316_0008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2406" data-original-width="3734" height="412" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfzaEwr2l-ZbC7Ssu373D9asngiwx1R4nNWcA9plOX8RzCRRI9hnV90KZ_NuC4jL0eq4zrBM39h_jpvJrNlkoNpfs2ijXNaZOihJEcAnU8YTZK5gD2Ae14jCKGJPo4sMCTFjqMd9myIpHM-KXks1FpsOP63WZw5Bk1Ek3SyS6WdztETwnylGsGcYITHY0/w640-h412/IMG_20240316_0008.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc0pY_hhdu4z6G4jQhmwyzyD_r4Vra46aKJ_BjrXWyo2Y4qIqQ_CUB8xXJgp0IbeYcNttoFcIImlnHpjZu1UJ5r1oDLoaOYBavC1462SOtHK0rCjtJwyW2DpZQ8Fl57xiKgf-MFHJG1Gn8D5vck-3gsNdnuxrXrhodAlzSmRbVGT__LeoqLa2Az4JNTp4/s3667/IMG_20240316_0009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2365" data-original-width="3667" height="412" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc0pY_hhdu4z6G4jQhmwyzyD_r4Vra46aKJ_BjrXWyo2Y4qIqQ_CUB8xXJgp0IbeYcNttoFcIImlnHpjZu1UJ5r1oDLoaOYBavC1462SOtHK0rCjtJwyW2DpZQ8Fl57xiKgf-MFHJG1Gn8D5vck-3gsNdnuxrXrhodAlzSmRbVGT__LeoqLa2Az4JNTp4/w640-h412/IMG_20240316_0009.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK3X7w4mwj72n6EKmBKp8d9XsJaUzfXQjks5pGO8nFvrQ-1ugegLhp4XPIS5fQgLPKW9CQIQvVTw_fSHA0Y86nh-H2rM8M6mH4gqHMJiHp1Mx8dwgAYqA5xOY24TbPHnFLtRbW1g-3Xv2vk6C6n_-QLUiMeqquCvdX0R4T31PdhMc0vYhyqFZAZUhK9P8/s3691/IMG_20240316_0010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2351" data-original-width="3691" height="408" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK3X7w4mwj72n6EKmBKp8d9XsJaUzfXQjks5pGO8nFvrQ-1ugegLhp4XPIS5fQgLPKW9CQIQvVTw_fSHA0Y86nh-H2rM8M6mH4gqHMJiHp1Mx8dwgAYqA5xOY24TbPHnFLtRbW1g-3Xv2vk6C6n_-QLUiMeqquCvdX0R4T31PdhMc0vYhyqFZAZUhK9P8/w640-h408/IMG_20240316_0010.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifbvag0FDu8XB66SAuDDeelOnW3egW_7OMITakdTnuidD2hJF00rsE2nW4Ab8kIXQ40JpVosX7SGPbeji0PSR7x8NbAz7ukG6O6pXFRjceMoel0_gwUH7ZCCcvF-QqkysiQMPQ4ktI6bH3YgYS5BVM9KSxyyfBpmy-n2l6gavZbPNGQRO6KYPjhSNPcxw/s3708/IMG_20240316_0011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2408" data-original-width="3708" height="416" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifbvag0FDu8XB66SAuDDeelOnW3egW_7OMITakdTnuidD2hJF00rsE2nW4Ab8kIXQ40JpVosX7SGPbeji0PSR7x8NbAz7ukG6O6pXFRjceMoel0_gwUH7ZCCcvF-QqkysiQMPQ4ktI6bH3YgYS5BVM9KSxyyfBpmy-n2l6gavZbPNGQRO6KYPjhSNPcxw/w640-h416/IMG_20240316_0011.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>One final card for the post. </p><p>I also picked up a Bowman Platinum autograph of Orioles pitcher Grayson Rodriguez. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLLtHj6ucPfTs4M4LRwyBjwJUPFnZZJBaJqqSbElwNE5wEu-0zm43q_LHDUJlJYGhkfG40RRAc_VjrWuv1QYfaTOAOrED26fsrhF8Pc9DzzyqoQS8J1ub9Jlo6A5oKwqjRJcMOWDNTv3F18Tq07dF4Sy2LzkII7gilnw-vp7u6tprEZ6UP7BpD9Zze8gw/s2393/IMG_20240316_0012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2393" data-original-width="1863" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLLtHj6ucPfTs4M4LRwyBjwJUPFnZZJBaJqqSbElwNE5wEu-0zm43q_LHDUJlJYGhkfG40RRAc_VjrWuv1QYfaTOAOrED26fsrhF8Pc9DzzyqoQS8J1ub9Jlo6A5oKwqjRJcMOWDNTv3F18Tq07dF4Sy2LzkII7gilnw-vp7u6tprEZ6UP7BpD9Zze8gw/w498-h640/IMG_20240316_0012.jpg" width="498" /></a></div><br /><p>I have been really impressed with him in the Minors and his work in the Majors at the end of last season. I think he is going to have a really good season and his autographs are really inexpensive given his talent. I do not often advocate for people to spend money on autographs of prospects, but this is one of those moments. </p> <script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>The Snorting Bullhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11376669412007613030noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7911511049033479555.post-52612947960076068382024-03-11T09:20:00.002-04:002024-03-11T09:20:47.719-04:00Monday Morning Autograph - Jose Cruz Jr. <p>If you collected baseball cards in the late 1990s, Jose Cruz Jr. was a name you knew. He was one of those "Can't Miss" prospects who was going to be the next great player behind Ken Griffey Jr. and Alex Rodriguez on the Mariners. He hit 12 home runs in roughly 50 games for Mariners before they traded him to the Blue Jays where he continued to hit home runs. Jose Cruz Jr. played right around 100 games his first year and ended the season with 26 dingers. </p><p>The future was bright. </p><p>Unfortunately, the next two seasons were down years. When Jose finally got healthy in 2000, he did manage to hit more than 30 home runs, but also only hit .242. Jose Cruz Jr. actually had a pretty solid career. He played for 12 seasons, hit 200 home runs and 250 doubles, and collected more than 1,000 hits. Those numbers are not very flashy, so his baseball cards are currently not worth much money, which is fine. </p><p>I still liked Jose Cruz Jr. and have a few of his cards hanging around the collection</p><p><b>Today:</b> 2000 Fleer Showcase FreshINK Jose Cruz Jr. Autograph </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBCOGAG9VhKck78OAaQqTbMyX8qUmoAfnfZwGJaorXzfgtksVHmiA-ImyUE_95l14GrX5k2m6LNinwqAa5ZKIm7dLqkr4Uz8k1s9L-6cDtAfs-kW159mG1U3XQAucjMfXAX-VrhUPXIDIsYiJw-E-ks8pv4tgEfD76oDm1A3X4I5AmeqoRhliDspRSIeE/s2082/IMG_20240309_0001.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2082" data-original-width="1519" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBCOGAG9VhKck78OAaQqTbMyX8qUmoAfnfZwGJaorXzfgtksVHmiA-ImyUE_95l14GrX5k2m6LNinwqAa5ZKIm7dLqkr4Uz8k1s9L-6cDtAfs-kW159mG1U3XQAucjMfXAX-VrhUPXIDIsYiJw-E-ks8pv4tgEfD76oDm1A3X4I5AmeqoRhliDspRSIeE/w466-h640/IMG_20240309_0001.jpg" width="466" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>Why Do I Own This Card? </b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I pulled it out of a pack of cards in 2000. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>Jose Cruz Jr.'s Team In a Haiku </b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Mariners, Blue Jays </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Giants, Rays, D'acks. Bo Sox</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Dodgers, Pads, and "Stros </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>Back of the Card </b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQDFMFJG0H0X2wWWjLqbKGZJKzPr1qvqsfFvl4r84wa11KE9CAiVa_OAZl3zrZvuWLSv3b_xKoZolfu0gUDcwGmLJKjhBk1-Fa-bZyCJbKf247LRRsor47id0HRZn1JcJ38Ycu6bN06rrFJk8jKRjoZEL21jbIrwwf-ZpaI-qvIjYLbnskpUAIDqgtQwM/s2165/IMG_20240309_0002.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1466" data-original-width="2165" height="434" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQDFMFJG0H0X2wWWjLqbKGZJKzPr1qvqsfFvl4r84wa11KE9CAiVa_OAZl3zrZvuWLSv3b_xKoZolfu0gUDcwGmLJKjhBk1-Fa-bZyCJbKf247LRRsor47id0HRZn1JcJ38Ycu6bN06rrFJk8jKRjoZEL21jbIrwwf-ZpaI-qvIjYLbnskpUAIDqgtQwM/w640-h434/IMG_20240309_0002.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I love the "Authentic Autograph" ribbons on the backs of these old Fleer cards. They remind me of clip art that would be used in a lower elementary school classroom on an award. Thanks for coming to class everyday last quarter, you win first prize........</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC01FYH4QMuE5A_gNEbj9dV9hB5l2__pvutZ8qcZLL8H4-wdaY_zsXx_c4-75ltSZdnXnbWPhmOVrWczkixASFop4PTK6fOYOqu1XF2KO3Ji1J8sNr18msAG2p3kdR24nDwpLpVXd5RxUkkyL3-N1OKDCMNMllCumnDlu_SgiYE41PzyHgecBKBVUL0D4/s243/original-3445623-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="243" data-original-width="176" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC01FYH4QMuE5A_gNEbj9dV9hB5l2__pvutZ8qcZLL8H4-wdaY_zsXx_c4-75ltSZdnXnbWPhmOVrWczkixASFop4PTK6fOYOqu1XF2KO3Ji1J8sNr18msAG2p3kdR24nDwpLpVXd5RxUkkyL3-N1OKDCMNMllCumnDlu_SgiYE41PzyHgecBKBVUL0D4/w290-h400/original-3445623-2.jpg" width="290" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">or an autographed baseball card from Fleer.</div>The Snorting Bullhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11376669412007613030noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7911511049033479555.post-52921394403270377282024-03-09T18:50:00.002-05:002024-03-09T18:50:13.295-05:002024 Blake Snell Autograph Count: 6 <p>This is the 96th Blake Snell autograph in my collection and the card comes from the 2023 Topps Update set. This was a little too pricy for my tastes a few months ago, but they have come back down to reality. Snell was the Cy Young favorite by the time Topps Update was released and there seemed to be an uptick in his card prices for a time this fall. Snell's prolonged free agency seems to have returned his card prices to more comfortable and familiar territory. </p><p>Here is the front of the card. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBArVYKy77de_ZjxHCUP-q1qu-XllyozOrVIOt4pdQJ02dTZJF8mN7OojPbgabrUjimvNK7dck-P7A-z4gewQ2hjbN2ahjw2M2U30k2TVwfqO4reIsdWZ_SUy-nEGbI7EufpMStxCJ5EMeSmGj9PfeYZ8AGP3iHu9aSTdLo7w9VIiriDSlIRmhwlvg5m8/s2154/IMG_20240301_0001.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1586" data-original-width="2154" height="472" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBArVYKy77de_ZjxHCUP-q1qu-XllyozOrVIOt4pdQJ02dTZJF8mN7OojPbgabrUjimvNK7dck-P7A-z4gewQ2hjbN2ahjw2M2U30k2TVwfqO4reIsdWZ_SUy-nEGbI7EufpMStxCJ5EMeSmGj9PfeYZ8AGP3iHu9aSTdLo7w9VIiriDSlIRmhwlvg5m8/w640-h472/IMG_20240301_0001.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>Pretty standard looking card for a Topps jersey/autograph. It's a decent design that does an above average job of blending the sticker autograph on the front of the card. I like the action shot of Snell pitching. Looks like a change-up grip. The jersey piece is all white, you can find copies of this card with patch pieces, but this was roughly a $10 card. Plain, white jersey swatch is just fine. </p><p>Back of the card. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUIfD8_pk3ArbOJKUGpsav49TZ20GM_v0YQZ6yjkyiEyF_npFn83D73hbtupbbQJoS9RFllipFtlMrnhiNDoVc90_rsBj_kjcSJC4VL6xhkAYGGByZOOzrhhnyJ9lOw_TEYTi33UEYw_Ws25HgRJLCxhD1xUbHJ6Dk1Eo88FdMfPAhuk0ONmloZFKeiJI/s2203/IMG_20240301_0002.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1637" data-original-width="2203" height="476" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUIfD8_pk3ArbOJKUGpsav49TZ20GM_v0YQZ6yjkyiEyF_npFn83D73hbtupbbQJoS9RFllipFtlMrnhiNDoVc90_rsBj_kjcSJC4VL6xhkAYGGByZOOzrhhnyJ9lOw_TEYTi33UEYw_Ws25HgRJLCxhD1xUbHJ6Dk1Eo88FdMfPAhuk0ONmloZFKeiJI/w640-h476/IMG_20240301_0002.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>The back is the standard "Congratulations" message with all the typical small print about representatives and witnesses. The serial number placed at the top, center of the card. Bit of a different location for a serial number for a Topps card. </p><p>Four away from 100. </p>The Snorting Bullhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11376669412007613030noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7911511049033479555.post-68849555532478717642024-03-07T06:25:00.002-05:002024-03-07T06:25:32.764-05:00Random Ray - 2023 Panini Flawless Autograph <p>Ray Lankford became one of my favorite Cardinals players after watching him hit for the cycle against the Mets during his rookie season in 1991. Over the years, a few different baseball cards have referenced Ray's cycle game, but today's card might be my favorite of the group. </p><p>This is from the high-end Panini Flawless release and from the autographed insert set "Flawless Achievements". Note the small banner under the autograph and serial numbering labeled, "Homers To Complete Rare Rookie Cycle". I knew the second I saw this card that I needed a copy for my collection. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXUrwv_PvH_xHuOG3w-Ci4hj7TdDsjEUpu4vb3aDaY0sgDCTWRBDTMputMHwQI7WlUvKwYs1W0ENyOkeQrnfvOog71GXx6D8O1mApHrXpHJy7BHxDSYXsU5yI-0MXE7rhOsCF7uUME6ucEPE3JN4vijGom648j-xao-y3UI6JkLFHCUszNf9IFPYLP_G0/s2214/IMG_20240306_0001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2214" data-original-width="1662" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXUrwv_PvH_xHuOG3w-Ci4hj7TdDsjEUpu4vb3aDaY0sgDCTWRBDTMputMHwQI7WlUvKwYs1W0ENyOkeQrnfvOog71GXx6D8O1mApHrXpHJy7BHxDSYXsU5yI-0MXE7rhOsCF7uUME6ucEPE3JN4vijGom648j-xao-y3UI6JkLFHCUszNf9IFPYLP_G0/w480-h640/IMG_20240306_0001.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>Yes, it's a "high-end" Panini card without logos and the most expensive Ray Lankford card I have added to my collection in the past year. It was still less expensive than plenty of other modern autographed cards, so some perspective on it being an expensive Lankford card. I kind of dig the design on the card too. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA6D-OJGtXPg1GTZuuGJWMRo6NLZfLUPYaK2_6_QmT9vRhhk9OqgAqW21JaGKwx76Fb4lXmmNaRZ94YM_I9f8VBMfekFUlq6Uj-hv-gLVmZsgPEuv1Q5b3FAwmQgHXnOBCkebtt28RccZZY-x8BUzq4W6HDb3uAftC-a6Os6A9eqk_YoxuNkKE9hjN_0k/s2269/IMG_20240306_0002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2269" data-original-width="1610" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA6D-OJGtXPg1GTZuuGJWMRo6NLZfLUPYaK2_6_QmT9vRhhk9OqgAqW21JaGKwx76Fb4lXmmNaRZ94YM_I9f8VBMfekFUlq6Uj-hv-gLVmZsgPEuv1Q5b3FAwmQgHXnOBCkebtt28RccZZY-x8BUzq4W6HDb3uAftC-a6Os6A9eqk_YoxuNkKE9hjN_0k/w454-h640/IMG_20240306_0002.jpg" width="454" /></a></div><br /><p>I like the color scheme on the back with the gold writing on a white background with red trim. Panini also did a really good job with the write up on the back of the card describing his cycle and the rarity of the feat by players in their rookie season. </p>The Snorting Bullhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11376669412007613030noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7911511049033479555.post-9956720914544411412024-03-04T19:13:00.000-05:002024-03-04T19:13:08.539-05:00Around The Card Room, Take 16 <div>I typically do not collect items from fast food restaurants, but I made an exception in 2002 when the St. Louis area McDonald's started selling Cardinals bobbleheads. Sadly, I do not remember many of the details surrounding these, nor could I find them online. I do not know how much the cost or when during the season they were released, but I have always liked them and these are an item that has a connection to my kids. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzVU9yG0NhN4qbw-NepJBlNPyvwaaxma-a_Wy1vtrWAB3YSlAzU8N_eHfZKJUgSdOwy-y_G9jZoXNRRN4NNvgjhyphenhyphen8r2-8daiApPlTT5pqaC9jA_ZQylL6HJdhr2zw6vrkFe9UjLQrwGKQ_t911XCF4Ovzjt0udLSRuyUmHzRrYtuHOsKhTeiGp2h5IuJg/s2048/429454286_320468154361672_8046159215184833305_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzVU9yG0NhN4qbw-NepJBlNPyvwaaxma-a_Wy1vtrWAB3YSlAzU8N_eHfZKJUgSdOwy-y_G9jZoXNRRN4NNvgjhyphenhyphen8r2-8daiApPlTT5pqaC9jA_ZQylL6HJdhr2zw6vrkFe9UjLQrwGKQ_t911XCF4Ovzjt0udLSRuyUmHzRrYtuHOsKhTeiGp2h5IuJg/w640-h480/429454286_320468154361672_8046159215184833305_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div>Here is what I do remember. The set was comprised of J.D. Drew, Albert Pujols, Fernando Vina, and Jim Edmonds. A new bobblehead was sold each week at McDonald's and the base and autographed baseball were sold during the last week. I think. </div><div><br /></div><div>"I will take a J.D. Drew and an orange soda"</div><div><br /></div><div>Here is the back of the bobbleheads, which are made from hard plastic and are not ceramic. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitXG_Bij6w1SPwQmAv1V8ifX5v6DzvhdaXgD71IQs1Y3R_f62qbSH3Xb_1Pjb8WJQ2M2DEEv8Xw3OitWeWJmg02TYzRcwvbHR7BFlfLPpuvg-IcI8oFZUX2LCFBFn6mOXqF6HaXLo4CjdCUlSfSBNix4TEcMzwOSKMKXgwoPzTKwhHu2OmTpaX_vqALds/s2048/429831694_727807196139752_6251864666989203831_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitXG_Bij6w1SPwQmAv1V8ifX5v6DzvhdaXgD71IQs1Y3R_f62qbSH3Xb_1Pjb8WJQ2M2DEEv8Xw3OitWeWJmg02TYzRcwvbHR7BFlfLPpuvg-IcI8oFZUX2LCFBFn6mOXqF6HaXLo4CjdCUlSfSBNix4TEcMzwOSKMKXgwoPzTKwhHu2OmTpaX_vqALds/w640-h480/429831694_727807196139752_6251864666989203831_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div>Beyond housing all of my baseball cards and memorabilia, the card room is also a second floor family room for my kids. They have spent countless hours playing in the room and also use the television to watch movies. Playing usually means making sure they do not knock over piles of baseball cards, nor touch any of the things hanging on the wall. </div><div><br /></div><div>However, my daughter in particular has always been a huge fan of action figures and took an early interest in the bobbleheads that are in the card room. Since most are ceramic they are less than ideal action figures for the average toddler. However, the plastic Cardinals bobbleheads were a part of her play schemes for years, making them one of the few pieces of baseball memorabilia that I allowed to double as a play toy for my kids. </div><div><br /></div><div>Here are J.D. Drew and Jim Edmonds at the vintage Little Tikes Doll House. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoonjgF8kvUy2WWJst0LMRjTU3mFHsvQVWiPV2SR_a-xv2nIgF8XLUt2C2SSAOEe2rAPVcHEvX6SVhcVXmMVZQZERNO_Nm7KDB-qmVFOsGvVKQJThkOP4jwwiUq2VjXE3vRjnj9mb-QWkb880Llmw4X_6WVBtUj0ClOcyl3cTq6ROOYwrpMv6tC-W1kWU/s1578/429492523_939083340637805_7307026701396951257_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1578" data-original-width="1284" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoonjgF8kvUy2WWJst0LMRjTU3mFHsvQVWiPV2SR_a-xv2nIgF8XLUt2C2SSAOEe2rAPVcHEvX6SVhcVXmMVZQZERNO_Nm7KDB-qmVFOsGvVKQJThkOP4jwwiUq2VjXE3vRjnj9mb-QWkb880Llmw4X_6WVBtUj0ClOcyl3cTq6ROOYwrpMv6tC-W1kWU/w520-h640/429492523_939083340637805_7307026701396951257_n.jpg" width="520" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div>J.D. Drew enjoying snack time. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihcQ0mNsEE7yDVOY0GiAGblWKwpQr_ATxaTeM-sjM9YCU2p40De4JRujGCB9-wScTOcD68zfB9tUu6RK5_BMZwFd6p2dHuqIyXpsQaV_Sd1znpFoCjK5G16XGYoghZQdKy5zKuHBaOG-u-F59U_3xXC6GumDzx1-7llZBY1MfzpXYRkSTYI_-etwlIzNo/s1284/429451536_254928657700190_4282048782975552695_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="950" data-original-width="1284" height="474" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihcQ0mNsEE7yDVOY0GiAGblWKwpQr_ATxaTeM-sjM9YCU2p40De4JRujGCB9-wScTOcD68zfB9tUu6RK5_BMZwFd6p2dHuqIyXpsQaV_Sd1znpFoCjK5G16XGYoghZQdKy5zKuHBaOG-u-F59U_3xXC6GumDzx1-7llZBY1MfzpXYRkSTYI_-etwlIzNo/w640-h474/429451536_254928657700190_4282048782975552695_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>She has moved onto American Girl Dolls and other toys, so I have reclaimed my McDonald's Cardinals bobblehead set and placed them back on a shelf in the card room. They held up really well through years of toddler use. </div><div><br /></div><div>Hardly a scratch. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBbmQ1FnzjOjA0iCWuAXpMwIev5m3R3AMHIJouiIddPeVm3VtnbG_p8wbGtriHGg6ux-MTWa6-q3rOlEQdO04XBsWOQMiPtpyxts9Wk8uKd7BLczCvhd8lPIIifW6ozsOxmvjBmfhP9T1HK4urMq9w-FQfq1irQxz10ZYr2VJec65hSX4syNsrrL_4vsE/s2048/429433264_1573808433409266_4643042899104915097_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBbmQ1FnzjOjA0iCWuAXpMwIev5m3R3AMHIJouiIddPeVm3VtnbG_p8wbGtriHGg6ux-MTWa6-q3rOlEQdO04XBsWOQMiPtpyxts9Wk8uKd7BLczCvhd8lPIIifW6ozsOxmvjBmfhP9T1HK4urMq9w-FQfq1irQxz10ZYr2VJec65hSX4syNsrrL_4vsE/w480-h640/429433264_1573808433409266_4643042899104915097_n.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOzaNGXqEeR0oubAnDoAgS0Yp2PbeU4NJgDiJt9xpFLYgA0EYqH_xc26RYxWrUOGF_Tn7JJ1vd0GSakWHTfX4CiVvTYlEt9CPpkKizBxqzwEJbG7m8MgQrXA7LXbx_M30v_y8ruFPR4TGNvWi8Gp8qSmL009ZkoNgEfHaPRsRUGfjQ1nDni_56K9Teh9Q/s2048/429452654_916423700128321_6969605895178435898_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOzaNGXqEeR0oubAnDoAgS0Yp2PbeU4NJgDiJt9xpFLYgA0EYqH_xc26RYxWrUOGF_Tn7JJ1vd0GSakWHTfX4CiVvTYlEt9CPpkKizBxqzwEJbG7m8MgQrXA7LXbx_M30v_y8ruFPR4TGNvWi8Gp8qSmL009ZkoNgEfHaPRsRUGfjQ1nDni_56K9Teh9Q/w480-h640/429452654_916423700128321_6969605895178435898_n.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div>Back home in their spot on a shelf of bobbleheads. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkjZck6jzMjS1iWaCnY53QbrhbMXeG5949A6ilMHPT-hzLPer0Ds_YnuepWwEzVOcFd3NvziPoSWROTWs78hC1j1KCyWlWUnVq6fvBG5goCws125BLgrVfGk2ESMHH12KIDKrC7tMt_jy8eaJ2AkIU0NOgJSD9jpaHvmZZQ_hV7KigY8LkMXnut7rBXBA/s2048/429727738_813359217295251_3793962899437123691_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1072" data-original-width="2048" height="336" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkjZck6jzMjS1iWaCnY53QbrhbMXeG5949A6ilMHPT-hzLPer0Ds_YnuepWwEzVOcFd3NvziPoSWROTWs78hC1j1KCyWlWUnVq6fvBG5goCws125BLgrVfGk2ESMHH12KIDKrC7tMt_jy8eaJ2AkIU0NOgJSD9jpaHvmZZQ_hV7KigY8LkMXnut7rBXBA/w640-h336/429727738_813359217295251_3793962899437123691_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div>The Snorting Bullhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11376669412007613030noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7911511049033479555.post-51999022190338623142024-03-04T06:25:00.003-05:002024-03-04T06:25:26.441-05:00Monday Morning Autograph - Mark Mulder <p>I own a couple of thousand autographs, the majority have never appeared on my blog. Here is a random autograph that I have never posted.</p><p><b>Today: </b>2000 Bowman Draft and Prospects Autographs Mark Mulder </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4yU242DhQr246xavDEjiH53EZJGDidhkyTO5m3bXGrI3wElhtPxkJdDLaX8ouHKk_mvtSaHaJKqgApEfnQWhk1jKnMpJ1Wnh1XA51ogS7zo2VICg9hmcP2_H-mKXjvhG2v9J9SP-OFaSEsSMEgKuVlzIHhQbG044th8gnO4BSgAR0KVe3hc1nc7dJfYc/s2055/IMG_20240303_0001.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2055" data-original-width="1505" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4yU242DhQr246xavDEjiH53EZJGDidhkyTO5m3bXGrI3wElhtPxkJdDLaX8ouHKk_mvtSaHaJKqgApEfnQWhk1jKnMpJ1Wnh1XA51ogS7zo2VICg9hmcP2_H-mKXjvhG2v9J9SP-OFaSEsSMEgKuVlzIHhQbG044th8gnO4BSgAR0KVe3hc1nc7dJfYc/w468-h640/IMG_20240303_0001.jpg" width="468" /></a></div><br /><p><b>Why Do I Own This Card?</b></p><p>We all remember the Cardinals years of Mark Mulder? Hopefully you remember him pitching for the early 2000s Moneyball A's teams. He was traded to the Cardinals in December of 2004 for pitching prospect Dan Haren, catcher Daric Barton, and relief pitcher Kiko Calero. Mulder pitched decently in 2005, but then ran into shoulder problems which limited him to just 23 games in 2006, 2007, and 2008. It was a sad ending to an otherwise really good career. If you don't remember him on the Cardinals, do not go refresh your memory. It's not pretty, nor happy. </p><p>The biggest highlight from his time with the Cardinals was hitting a home run on the first Opening Day at Busch Stadium III while also collecting a win against the Brewers. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="393" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Me7heCpCljY" width="473" youtube-src-id="Me7heCpCljY"></iframe></div><br /><p><b>When Did I Get This card? </b> </p><p>I own several Mark Mulder autographs, all of them were bought post 2005 when the prices of his card tanked. </p><p><b>Haiku About Mark Mulder </b></p><p>Moneyball, pitcher </p><p>Shoulder injuries, Big Trade </p><p>Oh! What Could Have Been</p><p><b>Back of The Card </b></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxSq4RjUk62K8mbTnWm4dk27cU5mZfGnRuYFxUta8Rpnd3FSvGg-U3KNcLJAlDyCWMy1xG4u6fLK1SLURFlX_gCgOuIM1_5PEpfiluz4RPsvmBgY_Jonbc6178j8GC9keTn3DFz7UmGa_RY-SYVDXttCt6a8gTlJlEHEtyNgNL5bGMf3ThgpYg3GUSCBU/s2109/IMG_20240303_0002.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1461" data-original-width="2109" height="444" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxSq4RjUk62K8mbTnWm4dk27cU5mZfGnRuYFxUta8Rpnd3FSvGg-U3KNcLJAlDyCWMy1xG4u6fLK1SLURFlX_gCgOuIM1_5PEpfiluz4RPsvmBgY_Jonbc6178j8GC9keTn3DFz7UmGa_RY-SYVDXttCt6a8gTlJlEHEtyNgNL5bGMf3ThgpYg3GUSCBU/w640-h444/IMG_20240303_0002.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>Bowman cards from this era always have nice write-ups on the card backs, and this one is no different. They give mention to his college career, time with USA Baseball playing in the Pan Am Games, and his quick ascension through the Minors and into the A's starting rotation. In all, Mulder only pitched 24 games, all in Triple A, before the A's made him a starter in the middle of the 2000 season. </p>The Snorting Bullhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11376669412007613030noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7911511049033479555.post-28001951226451955502024-03-02T07:33:00.003-05:002024-03-02T07:33:34.228-05:00All My Wildest Dreams Come True <p>In the almost 20 years I have lived in North Carolina, I have thought it would be really awesome to see a favorite player with the Durham Bulls end up on the Cardinals and have a successful run with my favorite Major League team. For years, I have been hoping that someone like Evan Longoria, David Price, or Blake Snell would end up in St. Louis, but it has never happened. </p><p>Well, this past year the Cardinals finally ended up with a favorite former Durham Bulls player when they signed Taylor Motter (mutliple times) to be a utility player and the person at the end of their bench. Not really the type of star power I was hoping for, but I was still a big fan of Motter on the Cardinals. </p><p>Taylor Motter is good defensively at multiple positions, but can struggle with the bat. Taylor's performance on the Cardinals did not really surprise me, as he has bounced around to multiple teams over the past few seasons. </p><p>If you are a regular reader or read my Twitter page, you know that I really wanted a Taylor Motter card on the Cardinals during the past year regardless of on-field production and my wish came true when Topps included him in their Heritage High Numbers release. </p><p>I believe I declared this my favorite card of 2023.......</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe3pugr8QNl2Fd_TkzYGIxjUq7RJ56nUe9SE5zFTEDiJ1kaXx9arU9jG-zvz1IaWyMhfcV0Z57wToWD-YN4H0M6kui40zd1aAdG4lqkjy_5gkGXBoqb9-VOXVwiLE912mUCoHD-0AiTSwjfq3kjJPVAxDmj0bubO30fgIp2Hih6T1yq_yHL_p0oPrDsAc/s640/IMG_20240103_0001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="452" data-original-width="640" height="452" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe3pugr8QNl2Fd_TkzYGIxjUq7RJ56nUe9SE5zFTEDiJ1kaXx9arU9jG-zvz1IaWyMhfcV0Z57wToWD-YN4H0M6kui40zd1aAdG4lqkjy_5gkGXBoqb9-VOXVwiLE912mUCoHD-0AiTSwjfq3kjJPVAxDmj0bubO30fgIp2Hih6T1yq_yHL_p0oPrDsAc/w640-h452/IMG_20240103_0001.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>Over the past few months, I have checked on parallels for this card on Ebay and COMC, but have seen none. I figured the base card was good enough for my collection. However, last weekend I revisited my saved search "2023 Heritage Motter" one last time and I struck gold. </p><p>I found the black parallel, which would be the rarest Motter parallel outside of the printing plates. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoVp3i8q8eMrNdf2Ovga6PGW6KyxKsdeJF1yS-6VwPUDGxvhGaByix4mryOmdwi5DuUPD904XOnybhKLpfCU_J5PzTHz35sLo_Nw1dehQDJ7ModySE7pJfDLaxiZz1mgqGPQor-d0TWCmgsPjhTStSK7Zlal9G8YThTMmWQEVv-58fvJ6yuzWjHNUVf_U/s2175/IMG_20240301_0003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1616" data-original-width="2175" height="476" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoVp3i8q8eMrNdf2Ovga6PGW6KyxKsdeJF1yS-6VwPUDGxvhGaByix4mryOmdwi5DuUPD904XOnybhKLpfCU_J5PzTHz35sLo_Nw1dehQDJ7ModySE7pJfDLaxiZz1mgqGPQor-d0TWCmgsPjhTStSK7Zlal9G8YThTMmWQEVv-58fvJ6yuzWjHNUVf_U/w640-h476/IMG_20240301_0003.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>This card is limited to a stated print run of just 50 copies. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4JHzw02bgaTApbmheBLddnKwEDw7fj8uRK0CA5DgaQ_699pU6DkLobKVkobRL0GRpjvEHE6sZGprFUhla8eLjQuD6ghEm_MVkbQXYPVVYGUi6xE8HOIfC2RjrTVljgFPU496dytf_gICd7Y8WONs-QMgdEIL-R_Aaz20d45jy4uaSxkGtBMPTczhIULQ/s2209/IMG_20240301_0004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1653" data-original-width="2209" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4JHzw02bgaTApbmheBLddnKwEDw7fj8uRK0CA5DgaQ_699pU6DkLobKVkobRL0GRpjvEHE6sZGprFUhla8eLjQuD6ghEm_MVkbQXYPVVYGUi6xE8HOIfC2RjrTVljgFPU496dytf_gICd7Y8WONs-QMgdEIL-R_Aaz20d45jy4uaSxkGtBMPTczhIULQ/w640-h478/IMG_20240301_0004.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>Although, it's not actually serial numbered. </p>The Snorting Bullhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11376669412007613030noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7911511049033479555.post-10508420269343968892024-02-27T05:21:00.000-05:002024-02-27T05:21:16.569-05:002024 Blake Snell Autograph Count: 5 <p>This is the 95th Blake Snell autograph in my collection and comes from the 2019 Topps On-Demand product "Momentum Rising", which featured cards of younger star players. The checklist included Fernando Tatis Jr., Vlad Guerrero Jr., Aaron Judge, Juan Soto, and many others including Blake Snell. Each set of 20 cards, which were painted by water color artist Richard Sullivan, came with one autograph. </p><p>Naturally, the two-time Cy Young Award winning pitcher is likely the worst autographed card in the set. That's fine for me, because this card was dirt cheap. </p><p>Here is the front of the card. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqSA1l0DU15XKZCltFKmDwRsaeQpCzh72McB97nl1Kke7YVi1gmnlcy-Zyb_IDj5_M4-7Rgzh6WxX5xZcMALJ6lI5PeF0nqDS67ccvGwlpvNbcrDwLWN8MMh1x_v8APx0HLDi_madAbLs4uSiC7fjgFQac1TgVND0wihrlct3Z1sRkhYWZKceu9LDO4tc/s2210/IMG_20240211_0008.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2210" data-original-width="1618" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqSA1l0DU15XKZCltFKmDwRsaeQpCzh72McB97nl1Kke7YVi1gmnlcy-Zyb_IDj5_M4-7Rgzh6WxX5xZcMALJ6lI5PeF0nqDS67ccvGwlpvNbcrDwLWN8MMh1x_v8APx0HLDi_madAbLs4uSiC7fjgFQac1TgVND0wihrlct3Z1sRkhYWZKceu9LDO4tc/w468-h640/IMG_20240211_0008.jpg" width="468" /></a></div><br /><p>I like the white card stock and border design. </p><p>Is that a sticker autograph? </p><p>Why, yes it is a sticker autograph signed by Blake Snell. </p><p>How do I feel about the art work? </p><p>I am not a huge fan of adults using water colors. </p><p>How do I feel about water colors in general? </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqEIhkMPvF3vgOiwf5xN5I1_VDYMUEPty0ZJMl5-tdT5sTfSdPZabXlkftCrvqeu_G_mlkk3t01F_mWANAz5Lw-opm_G1FYYNA1Rgh0AELAkFtos3AtItIlHgRieLy5I7OCw-DD3sDHV5ssabKSCl36RqlD_PA130rltNBM3cqSYKTdylKsyFIgsduY4I/s1170/428888831_3381330315422781_55783051247280590_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="879" data-original-width="1170" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqEIhkMPvF3vgOiwf5xN5I1_VDYMUEPty0ZJMl5-tdT5sTfSdPZabXlkftCrvqeu_G_mlkk3t01F_mWANAz5Lw-opm_G1FYYNA1Rgh0AELAkFtos3AtItIlHgRieLy5I7OCw-DD3sDHV5ssabKSCl36RqlD_PA130rltNBM3cqSYKTdylKsyFIgsduY4I/w640-h480/428888831_3381330315422781_55783051247280590_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>My daughter really likes combining crayons and water colors. I think it's a good look. She's also in first grade, so it seems like an appropriate art medium. </p><p>Are you being an art snob? </p><p>Probably, but buy some oil based pants and put on a smock. </p><p>Back of the card. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNcvsDV_QynWM2-Y9RMyYcyvDceqG072fLMwDMnFbb40qcC-H-jMLU2X9SC-2Zy07B03uYq431WzGjCb9rU3emyqX_w9bZVz54D3Iu3mYcHGlmRMeuqS29JOBUhoRnudvN1ROT4y2Hg2v7fItF9WvcAnkpk4ZptUA8Am76DLcISmvziS3SW7Sfy5rg1wQ/s2209/IMG_20240211_0009.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2209" data-original-width="1627" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNcvsDV_QynWM2-Y9RMyYcyvDceqG072fLMwDMnFbb40qcC-H-jMLU2X9SC-2Zy07B03uYq431WzGjCb9rU3emyqX_w9bZVz54D3Iu3mYcHGlmRMeuqS29JOBUhoRnudvN1ROT4y2Hg2v7fItF9WvcAnkpk4ZptUA8Am76DLcISmvziS3SW7Sfy5rg1wQ/w472-h640/IMG_20240211_0009.jpg" width="472" /></a></div><br /><p>Not much about Snell, but I did check to see if Richard Sullivan appeared on a team I watched while he was in the Minors. He never made it above Double A, so I am going to guess that I never saw him. Wish there was something more about Blake Snell here. </p><p><br /></p>The Snorting Bullhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11376669412007613030noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7911511049033479555.post-47745253883920490462024-02-26T05:37:00.000-05:002024-02-26T05:37:29.751-05:00Monday Morning Autograph - Kenny Lofton <p>I own a couple of thousand autograph cards, the majority have never appeared on my blog. Here is a random autograph that I have never posted. </p><p>Today: 2003 Donruss Signature Series Autograph Kenny Lofton. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2lhHFM2J2OiD3HO9gUWNwhk7JehE1gl0XQvoeTDYG9DveHd65-wCa9pr-P0nIHCZEY16_mu2PQVsC5TzB8bi9kdSAZxv8P2VAqo7gQIlDfsNtqORROPn0GyxaeEDvtuZs1LlGDHTjwcGvv7YzL6ROwl3JuHTvqvDcGpDydko72wCwvi84sSTdXUkpiSA/s2145/IMG_20240224_0001.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2145" data-original-width="1558" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2lhHFM2J2OiD3HO9gUWNwhk7JehE1gl0XQvoeTDYG9DveHd65-wCa9pr-P0nIHCZEY16_mu2PQVsC5TzB8bi9kdSAZxv8P2VAqo7gQIlDfsNtqORROPn0GyxaeEDvtuZs1LlGDHTjwcGvv7YzL6ROwl3JuHTvqvDcGpDydko72wCwvi84sSTdXUkpiSA/w464-h640/IMG_20240224_0001.jpg" width="464" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><b>Why do I own this card? </b></p><p>I actually wrote about this Kenny Lofton a few years back, but it was on a <a href="https://www.cardboardconnection.com/top-kenny-lofton-baseball-cards"><b>Cardboard Connections article</b></a> about his best baseball cards. At the time of its publication, Kenny Lofton had very few certified autographs. Since that time, he's appeared in a few more modern products, but I still love this card. </p><p>I know what you are thinking, Kenny Lofton played for the Pirates?</p><p>Kenny Lofton played more than 1,200 games for the Indians. He also played for the Pirates, Giants, Phillies, Braves, Rangers, Dodgers, Cubs, Yankees, Astros, and White Sox. He never played more than 130 games for any team outside of Cleveland and played less than 100 games for 7 of those teams. Lots of trades and times as a free agent. </p><p>Not really an Indians fan, but I always loved Kenny Lofton. He was as close to a 1980s Cardinals player as anyone touched the field during the 1990s or 2000s. He led the league in stolen bases five times and ended his career with more than 600. </p><p><b><br /></b></p><p><b>When did I get this card? </b></p><p>I pulled this out of a pack of 2003 Donruss Signature from my local card shop in south St. Louis County shortly after it was released. I was so excited about it at the time. </p><p><b><br />A Cinquain About Kenny Lofton </b></p><p>Kenny </p><p>Speedy, Skilled </p><p>Hitting, Running, Stealing </p><p>Should be in Cooperstown </p><p>Lofton </p><p><b>Back of the card.</b> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLPRwOhmxHAMh1Et2WPUTZrvUZeIo-r30sM1v9PcIjON32j6tPkorVSt30IqTQlcYpY7TyXagQajSpr5j5CqHSzjZWtn6d7bH7najEhDudytA6CXW8m1pEnEwpsQ8mSMk5Nts28HxLWh19ZtAIcGOf6oqo2IoMwUm9cRLklyjZ2btXAw3_xTwALbOOZ74/s2175/IMG_20240224_0002.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2175" data-original-width="1635" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLPRwOhmxHAMh1Et2WPUTZrvUZeIo-r30sM1v9PcIjON32j6tPkorVSt30IqTQlcYpY7TyXagQajSpr5j5CqHSzjZWtn6d7bH7najEhDudytA6CXW8m1pEnEwpsQ8mSMk5Nts28HxLWh19ZtAIcGOf6oqo2IoMwUm9cRLklyjZ2btXAw3_xTwALbOOZ74/w482-h640/IMG_20240224_0002.jpg" width="482" /></a></div><br /><p>Love that Rickey Henderson gets a mention on the back of Kenny Lofton's card. Nice write up, great stats, and an awesome baseball card. </p>The Snorting Bullhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11376669412007613030noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7911511049033479555.post-10826839645709399062024-02-24T07:50:00.000-05:002024-02-24T07:50:01.208-05:00Hello, 2024. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">A recent trip to Target yielded my first packs of 2024 Topps. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkGrlbtjwLOHe_Br2ERKOWRmBydWLn2fberbSfl9u84s1G9TOp8sOVD8aYJJxmn4dE2EBgXUjXlaz-AbRUkHoknVlr-lORXUFZbikr5P3VqtNWsZUiPPo65yxx9NRl02BkG1iECJNaGpXCACZAlkPYEi1DNluAig-BlNMmyZ-TrDaiRqBjMkNNbYSzo6g/s2048/423422422_709185698073185_361763276065768695_n-1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkGrlbtjwLOHe_Br2ERKOWRmBydWLn2fberbSfl9u84s1G9TOp8sOVD8aYJJxmn4dE2EBgXUjXlaz-AbRUkHoknVlr-lORXUFZbikr5P3VqtNWsZUiPPo65yxx9NRl02BkG1iECJNaGpXCACZAlkPYEi1DNluAig-BlNMmyZ-TrDaiRqBjMkNNbYSzo6g/w480-h640/423422422_709185698073185_361763276065768695_n-1.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><p>I kind of dig this year's design, so I was somewhat excited that they were in stock and not completely picked over. In my opinion, the cards look like a cross between the 1986 Topps cards and the neon "DOUGHNUTS" sign at Krispy Kreme Doughnut shops. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNduusW6eNeUt0p8rl9wVfq5uiyYJWRXcItqrBXu4vAdD6h0bHB3aGytOuDea11QUY7YZwpXHphWid7DAbVJm_1hIKRvM1-vgnc1iE-9W5XDEGh9n0YWzwsQfMskokcGedOXiYHe5784CnKa0gulYxFauPH7NxJvZqD3HsvE0bXjUlEEykxmVOtLrJ9Q0/s640/1986%20Topps%20Vince%20Coleman%20.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="453" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNduusW6eNeUt0p8rl9wVfq5uiyYJWRXcItqrBXu4vAdD6h0bHB3aGytOuDea11QUY7YZwpXHphWid7DAbVJm_1hIKRvM1-vgnc1iE-9W5XDEGh9n0YWzwsQfMskokcGedOXiYHe5784CnKa0gulYxFauPH7NxJvZqD3HsvE0bXjUlEEykxmVOtLrJ9Q0/w284-h400/1986%20Topps%20Vince%20Coleman%20.jpg" width="284" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSB8-HzGbYxiGTRp2TlEsMm7QMVVvGvadP4OVLFUhguo5w15HUS1qlbr5p7plVJbJsae-47FE_Hp0-slfbBh7VwucntchxCzmTOmEQ2kQPmrLLT1-Fjp8BbtMPrrdVxW4Xb4V8ZlmZZX8_LrBHWMYF-84xm0US7YKwax5PMJ4MlaQ6qHBIKK52SJGuA74/s1024/3919767676_a93816ce14_b.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="768" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSB8-HzGbYxiGTRp2TlEsMm7QMVVvGvadP4OVLFUhguo5w15HUS1qlbr5p7plVJbJsae-47FE_Hp0-slfbBh7VwucntchxCzmTOmEQ2kQPmrLLT1-Fjp8BbtMPrrdVxW4Xb4V8ZlmZZX8_LrBHWMYF-84xm0US7YKwax5PMJ4MlaQ6qHBIKK52SJGuA74/w300-h400/3919767676_a93816ce14_b.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><p>I really like the 1986 Topps set and I also like Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, as long as they are being sold at their restaurant and not a grocery store. Krispy Kremes have to be hot or they're no good. </p><p>Here are my firsts from my packs.</p><p>First card was Ronald Acuna. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbXBQR5T-Oct72p-8butiFuN2qyUUR5oYoUaZRdO78X8fgzYW17pb1hyphenhyphenhfoWL0gVYrNLrFHtBDKh-23IQgUmSiNuGKm2ts2bR1WdJg7cDvtCXe4rLo3XV2KAhmxUa8IJTF6z5SiRjWlCFyxzjf71Apso7kXSofyDpqGp3dm7FuXqh-uzwtHj2JdxaJZcQ/s2072/IMG_20240218_0001.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2072" data-original-width="1510" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbXBQR5T-Oct72p-8butiFuN2qyUUR5oYoUaZRdO78X8fgzYW17pb1hyphenhyphenhfoWL0gVYrNLrFHtBDKh-23IQgUmSiNuGKm2ts2bR1WdJg7cDvtCXe4rLo3XV2KAhmxUa8IJTF6z5SiRjWlCFyxzjf71Apso7kXSofyDpqGp3dm7FuXqh-uzwtHj2JdxaJZcQ/w466-h640/IMG_20240218_0001.jpg" width="466" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>I also included a scan of the back of the card, because Acuna is card number 1. Convinient for set building purposes. Unfortunately, my second card was not card number 2, but I do like these card backs. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-9iKMvuc3PMiI8PfvXGhMA8XaTM-oOEQQbyokKg3pn9xd1zLeAKCUrSmvNtqg27CbXI9lfBvT6rpU8wpxnYFSMbpARIQVyVtfMhcat14teAEgsRu1z2stZAXfSUJqys4vrszJS1q_bcC0QmuPHpGAKgq-Nv2XGyIRdoqGybeN-g3N9lKO-lSI1XVIjxo/s2106/IMG_20240218_0002.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1489" data-original-width="2106" height="452" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-9iKMvuc3PMiI8PfvXGhMA8XaTM-oOEQQbyokKg3pn9xd1zLeAKCUrSmvNtqg27CbXI9lfBvT6rpU8wpxnYFSMbpARIQVyVtfMhcat14teAEgsRu1z2stZAXfSUJqys4vrszJS1q_bcC0QmuPHpGAKgq-Nv2XGyIRdoqGybeN-g3N9lKO-lSI1XVIjxo/w640-h452/IMG_20240218_0002.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>I love how stolen bases happened last year. I miss the high totals of my childhood, which is probably another reason why I like the back of this Acuna card. </p><p>First Cardinals card was Nolan Arenado. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlHdyeroaWK3UTA20BtwJ1gQp0FqdvVp8oBF_ccKfVTDhPTMxEehmPE_DmIOvuB5LAojOFYRxCSPx_iPDBvu807_wXuLGEk-fyVFCuIDQo-91L27pSj__0geolkg_sze-fSEiIJnuvfyrGemPPFK2iDIuqCe3VgVSOxlohjEe7nePIlp5Jb_whjJaqcek/s2085/IMG_20240218_0003.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2085" data-original-width="1507" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlHdyeroaWK3UTA20BtwJ1gQp0FqdvVp8oBF_ccKfVTDhPTMxEehmPE_DmIOvuB5LAojOFYRxCSPx_iPDBvu807_wXuLGEk-fyVFCuIDQo-91L27pSj__0geolkg_sze-fSEiIJnuvfyrGemPPFK2iDIuqCe3VgVSOxlohjEe7nePIlp5Jb_whjJaqcek/w462-h640/IMG_20240218_0003.jpg" width="462" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">First former Durham Bulls player was Merill Kelly. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAV0rhSa-8w_yteKPLcg2ZDDfwfjDxE3DP6DGcy8AefjepKweOHWp3bqMtFfkXvt8OMqeDvfOI0i_T4x95j-GbqczxgX5QwNtCBEgrN8mMfHjPsWycd2FXe_GCwlNncRVxboTdPCHSIvGzZdUaEYpALy7j_iUtCYRZmCEM9CbGRBX2SNxnUq2JUz0R3vY/s2091/IMG_20240218_0004.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2091" data-original-width="1545" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAV0rhSa-8w_yteKPLcg2ZDDfwfjDxE3DP6DGcy8AefjepKweOHWp3bqMtFfkXvt8OMqeDvfOI0i_T4x95j-GbqczxgX5QwNtCBEgrN8mMfHjPsWycd2FXe_GCwlNncRVxboTdPCHSIvGzZdUaEYpALy7j_iUtCYRZmCEM9CbGRBX2SNxnUq2JUz0R3vY/w472-h640/IMG_20240218_0004.jpg" width="472" /></a></div><br /><p>He's turned into a really good pitcher. See the Diamondbacks in the World Series last year. </p><p>A few other cards that were in my packs.....</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvvsPogVmV3uN0QDywewiAzJYnK-h-umh3egvF84_1LJKYK0Zdd-Fhp7A8_L5eLXfUD95LYZMOWQ4ShJJLtmrmcuAZBqLhTKLBXykrw_WT-fGTSEbrTZ1SAWJXEifvLGFKAxxotemxLBU8Xh-QkNI2ucrvg5VSIISDhwVReGscTc5DaCFsWcgCDYKLK6s/s4855/IMG_20240218_0005.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2173" data-original-width="4855" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvvsPogVmV3uN0QDywewiAzJYnK-h-umh3egvF84_1LJKYK0Zdd-Fhp7A8_L5eLXfUD95LYZMOWQ4ShJJLtmrmcuAZBqLhTKLBXykrw_WT-fGTSEbrTZ1SAWJXEifvLGFKAxxotemxLBU8Xh-QkNI2ucrvg5VSIISDhwVReGscTc5DaCFsWcgCDYKLK6s/w640-h286/IMG_20240218_0005.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Topps is doing holiday themed backgrounds this year. They were also in the Update set last year. I got three out of a blaster box. Springer is the best player in this group, but DeLuca was traded to the Rays and is a candidate to start the season in Durham. Seems like he might be a fun player to follow this year. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifRPXFr2p2m5lmtuvAHZLkKAENbQ41GmjQC-doP5XVv_FhekRxUNYUIxkI2Ek-Z1zzzIUsJsPOl1LRBNsDmYIo4eIS4Pl9HvZEVweO3fmzWwRTrOHHEOmSq_N5Etj7C3nCh9ae5iJqZnyX0haVVdJ_do76jjBGsvOFOF-JpClg4taEpBYV6xZVqomYhig/s4844/IMG_20240218_0006.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2140" data-original-width="4844" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifRPXFr2p2m5lmtuvAHZLkKAENbQ41GmjQC-doP5XVv_FhekRxUNYUIxkI2Ek-Z1zzzIUsJsPOl1LRBNsDmYIo4eIS4Pl9HvZEVweO3fmzWwRTrOHHEOmSq_N5Etj7C3nCh9ae5iJqZnyX0haVVdJ_do76jjBGsvOFOF-JpClg4taEpBYV6xZVqomYhig/w640-h282/IMG_20240218_0006.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We also have the 35th Anniversary reprints. Not sure why we have a Topps Heritage set at this point. I like the 1989 design, but the font is off on the player name. There is a Jim Edmonds autograph in this set, so I am sure I will go find that card at some point in the coming weeks. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Best card I pulled was an Evan Carter blue framed parallel. He is the favorite to win the American League Rookie of the Year this season. The card is serial numbered out of 800, but several copies have sold for north of $100 already. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Here is the card......</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggHjznDFX5ogYz-B8VSRZFF5Goch055iL4tPnXsZRWBL-lQIHPaPTpVc2yolSCd3B60qJ4iqfhC7stdJoPKDW_v6yTk3bRnhCekFiCEyIsO8UzNoMHmv9FHESB8Hoyp50pmeZKaeYebib0yuJmQxs2kHBK9lNvfYjE6gPp3U6mED7EFBS8_S17QFo0cG4/s2126/IMG_20240218_0007.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2126" data-original-width="1588" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggHjznDFX5ogYz-B8VSRZFF5Goch055iL4tPnXsZRWBL-lQIHPaPTpVc2yolSCd3B60qJ4iqfhC7stdJoPKDW_v6yTk3bRnhCekFiCEyIsO8UzNoMHmv9FHESB8Hoyp50pmeZKaeYebib0yuJmQxs2kHBK9lNvfYjE6gPp3U6mED7EFBS8_S17QFo0cG4/w478-h640/IMG_20240218_0007.jpg" width="478" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHBRGAjna3Qqe-rYgVnJsH14IrfBOVMe9belXDtcJdn3t-x-9XYPNBcc1kFUeuS34tjwtvDkUnYPEQcSh18wBZ7nCC79KtMKpgQfdEhQJQh94wtoU4dxe3aeVYk4nPZOFIkD4QiHpBvPQ8UtKgJDxEoRsqO3CWqVeuzmxSHMAlXqPlZeaBW-84bnwqUjM/s2154/IMG_20240218_0008.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1520" data-original-width="2154" height="452" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHBRGAjna3Qqe-rYgVnJsH14IrfBOVMe9belXDtcJdn3t-x-9XYPNBcc1kFUeuS34tjwtvDkUnYPEQcSh18wBZ7nCC79KtMKpgQfdEhQJQh94wtoU4dxe3aeVYk4nPZOFIkD4QiHpBvPQ8UtKgJDxEoRsqO3CWqVeuzmxSHMAlXqPlZeaBW-84bnwqUjM/w640-h452/IMG_20240218_0008.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I am going to file Evan Carter away for safe keeping. Might have to revisit this card later this summer depending on how the Rookie of the Year chasr is going. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I also got two yellow parallels. These used to be in the packs at Walgreens, but I am guessing that they are now in all retail packs seeing how I bought these cards at Target. Nice looking cards, love the Corbin Carroll. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid8YCJ7PgJWLJxXfHD5QbOPun7STvN160Wn4CVN3PjltE6hZoDlQoA1yW27PrQhCB-530A4PQ7c4nGDcDqLKUGrekAHQELwUrIpn3Te-LHw9IV9xSfjlp_itvar7G62x7D4Kv3F_hPJHmdWsayfjSQXTWizSaYeEwvITrGc_-bWJ5M5S1qHAun5hBEH08/s3853/IMG_20240218_0009.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2150" data-original-width="3853" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid8YCJ7PgJWLJxXfHD5QbOPun7STvN160Wn4CVN3PjltE6hZoDlQoA1yW27PrQhCB-530A4PQ7c4nGDcDqLKUGrekAHQELwUrIpn3Te-LHw9IV9xSfjlp_itvar7G62x7D4Kv3F_hPJHmdWsayfjSQXTWizSaYeEwvITrGc_-bWJ5M5S1qHAun5hBEH08/w640-h358/IMG_20240218_0009.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Last card for today. I also landed a Matt Olson Home Run Challenge card. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVFc5gjwW8Z7pzPpi-7XH_Wzf_kff1Q5tDKG1VN8zQz7eIfbem8j5WXKYGvjd9kJksQzifBoiUCA5L8jWfR004ISW_5rHxYHVsAooRRGlbmSMgQYIVDBy_diwln2kgBctnwBU2ojoFUOqB2FL-VfB0DITo75SHvRefE_dbVGUb7Xkj2ph7OIoRJO3cQzo/s2135/IMG_20240218_0010.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2135" data-original-width="1631" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVFc5gjwW8Z7pzPpi-7XH_Wzf_kff1Q5tDKG1VN8zQz7eIfbem8j5WXKYGvjd9kJksQzifBoiUCA5L8jWfR004ISW_5rHxYHVsAooRRGlbmSMgQYIVDBy_diwln2kgBctnwBU2ojoFUOqB2FL-VfB0DITo75SHvRefE_dbVGUb7Xkj2ph7OIoRJO3cQzo/w488-h640/IMG_20240218_0010.jpg" width="488" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Does anyone actually play these cards? I feel like I have a stack of them from the past few years that went unused. I am sure you win something for playing, but I am not sure if it is worth my time and effort. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Anyway, I like the 2024 Topps set, so I will be writing more about it throughout the summer. </div>The Snorting Bullhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11376669412007613030noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7911511049033479555.post-21624734460972158792024-02-19T21:02:00.002-05:002024-02-19T21:02:53.503-05:00I Needed Some Boxes, Maybe A Few Cards Too <p>I have been doing a lot of sorting the past few weeks, which probably deserves a post, but not today. Instead, I wanted to post a few cards I picked up while I was purchasing a few boxes from my local card shop this past weekend. It's a newer card shop that I wrote up a few weeks back, but I am impressed every time I stop there. Lately, it's been for boxes. </p><p>Figured I needed to check out some cards. </p><p>Here is a quick rundown. </p><p>First up, is an Adley Rutshman rookie card from Bowman Chrome. I am not an Orioles fan, but I do like a lot of their young players. I saw Adley a few year back in Durham, figured I would add a few of his cards when I get a chance. This was a good starting point......</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM9AnLGMBjj6eicIcopf2CckDJdWDklq5UQyicojMX5zECxGXBcpsb7w8Wxp9pUJNyvFdIa366fYGXYRWjVfc-J8Y4Gt4SrgqbyEQRWQZH62kMZYlUi3J8Duks-pxXrnBVP2n7oScQ0sYeDtZCK6L6J8yy25I_OwG33QWaZxFrlU8ixx5zJO6hKZd-VcY/s2140/IMG_20240211_0003.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2140" data-original-width="1612" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM9AnLGMBjj6eicIcopf2CckDJdWDklq5UQyicojMX5zECxGXBcpsb7w8Wxp9pUJNyvFdIa366fYGXYRWjVfc-J8Y4Gt4SrgqbyEQRWQZH62kMZYlUi3J8Duks-pxXrnBVP2n7oScQ0sYeDtZCK6L6J8yy25I_OwG33QWaZxFrlU8ixx5zJO6hKZd-VcY/w482-h640/IMG_20240211_0003.jpg" width="482" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Also fairly inexpensive. <div><br /></div><div>Next, an unexpected Cardinals find. This is a 2001 Bowman Chrome Stan Musial rookie reprint. Not sure the scan does this card justice, but I really like the sepia background with the greyscale photo, all with the trappings of a Chrome card. Nice to see a good blend of some vintage and modern design elements on the same card. <br /><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNXbg33Gv1EzcubdQn4wBbUkPe-Q8VxN3cy0krf6fnouyyanPW3nsjbVZ0hweCvnBkkzWVjrxixOQKVbCYaHcZFsO_2oIE9bFpIXmgowdC5Itm5lNSTM0o0gz6tgt4vQkvDtxMolnmtHhCqDWGJ3FK1ky-VRXJOeT0M7dUPpIKB1UgK4sYF1f9ibGHddM/s2115/IMG_20240211_0004.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2115" data-original-width="1574" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNXbg33Gv1EzcubdQn4wBbUkPe-Q8VxN3cy0krf6fnouyyanPW3nsjbVZ0hweCvnBkkzWVjrxixOQKVbCYaHcZFsO_2oIE9bFpIXmgowdC5Itm5lNSTM0o0gz6tgt4vQkvDtxMolnmtHhCqDWGJ3FK1ky-VRXJOeT0M7dUPpIKB1UgK4sYF1f9ibGHddM/w476-h640/IMG_20240211_0004.jpg" width="476" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Here is the back, which includes the serial number out of 299. Not the rarest Musial card by any means, but I was not expecting to find a serial numbered of The Man when I walked in the door of the card shop. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG_uqt4mqQ2m27qyDQNAsVowOxZjkYo-iwO875IhUp9lgGCBgONgPXz_t42-SCoCvXfpQMLaBRYfpf7T-hsUmQGGmK2Jw1aPE4JXpS_kyqQSEoP1bobh1yHS9G4Xf24m4UwIQDFxihlWiDL7fd4IQaIG1W4urKt44JV0DYoII6U_V8NjXW6tBlqgL88AM/s2113/IMG_20240211_0005.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2113" data-original-width="1600" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG_uqt4mqQ2m27qyDQNAsVowOxZjkYo-iwO875IhUp9lgGCBgONgPXz_t42-SCoCvXfpQMLaBRYfpf7T-hsUmQGGmK2Jw1aPE4JXpS_kyqQSEoP1bobh1yHS9G4Xf24m4UwIQDFxihlWiDL7fd4IQaIG1W4urKt44JV0DYoII6U_V8NjXW6tBlqgL88AM/w484-h640/IMG_20240211_0005.jpg" width="484" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I also found a few Snell commons.......</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibZ8tTj0Ej-LQY1pHUMk8llhS5g9O9GHn7LPt_d0XmXEP5rTp7E2k267EYcsH6unHb6t7PPrOdyjtk0PF-UoPz8kwdozHl0nIocm93whNWG6s5CtKzPskaqreecaXeyGYS844SJTbYi2lktBVzViHNJFwqBfA8pnUpHKqM4j-vvzWr6BbpKKsd_v8yalA/s6272/IMG_20240211_0006.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="6272" data-original-width="3719" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibZ8tTj0Ej-LQY1pHUMk8llhS5g9O9GHn7LPt_d0XmXEP5rTp7E2k267EYcsH6unHb6t7PPrOdyjtk0PF-UoPz8kwdozHl0nIocm93whNWG6s5CtKzPskaqreecaXeyGYS844SJTbYi2lktBVzViHNJFwqBfA8pnUpHKqM4j-vvzWr6BbpKKsd_v8yalA/w380-h640/IMG_20240211_0006.jpg" width="380" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">My effort to collect some non-autographed Blake Snell cards also should probably be there own post, but I will wait until I have time to write about some more exciting cards. There are in the fifty-cent bin at the shop.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Next up......</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMqW3p3R8Y13PiHZ-_mpzwbYG1zjWekwzJg5N2duJzaJv_lx7Co3-drl_TFRgEa4HgK8fYqNUOpNZEgYTwUVJ1GCtk9A18J7eKxH-ipNR-YCkBwgX39iYMiu0VkrmtlmnQ5N_gpV9brfFMpEC_LdNQoNKO3YfnEbhVdBWYd1e1SHp3bNW_VGBXinmUslc/s6600/IMG_20240211_0007.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="6600" data-original-width="5100" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMqW3p3R8Y13PiHZ-_mpzwbYG1zjWekwzJg5N2duJzaJv_lx7Co3-drl_TFRgEa4HgK8fYqNUOpNZEgYTwUVJ1GCtk9A18J7eKxH-ipNR-YCkBwgX39iYMiu0VkrmtlmnQ5N_gpV9brfFMpEC_LdNQoNKO3YfnEbhVdBWYd1e1SHp3bNW_VGBXinmUslc/w494-h640/IMG_20240211_0007.jpg" width="494" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">A few vintage cards. The Curt Flood is probably my favorite card out of the group. All the players have a connection to the Cardinals or Durham Bulls with the exception of Norm Cash who once tried to take an at-bat against Nolan Ryan with a table leg. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I demad a game-used table leg card, but nobody has come through for me. </div><p></p></div></div>The Snorting Bullhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11376669412007613030noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7911511049033479555.post-81799341465423988272024-02-19T06:07:00.000-05:002024-02-19T06:07:25.925-05:00Monday Morning Autograph - Doug Glanville I own a couple of thousand autograph cards, the majority have never appeared on my blog. Here is a random autograph that I never posted before:<div><br /></div><div><b>Today:</b> 1999 SP Signature Edition Doug Glanville </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgDy7DKUtC7AfVw1Ind-UvThsLxFBy2ptr6xtgkz5wKz1AQc_XdHItYLj5ahJW3o36-ZIaE38R30fRc5GXsXdjUgp3tbW-KZl0reoU2ClFxz5Ywt8K-dtY725idU3Xv7192sIY16D1bLwgwXwCRaArDvOhVQA_P69eiy84i8RI0qUyjyXH0fcQNtJJeYw/s2128/IMG_20240217_0001.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1482" data-original-width="2128" height="446" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgDy7DKUtC7AfVw1Ind-UvThsLxFBy2ptr6xtgkz5wKz1AQc_XdHItYLj5ahJW3o36-ZIaE38R30fRc5GXsXdjUgp3tbW-KZl0reoU2ClFxz5Ywt8K-dtY725idU3Xv7192sIY16D1bLwgwXwCRaArDvOhVQA_P69eiy84i8RI0qUyjyXH0fcQNtJJeYw/w640-h446/IMG_20240217_0001.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div><b>Why do I own this card? </b></div><div><br /></div><div>I got this card out of a $10 pack of cards back in the day and I am sure I was angry that I landed Doug Glanville. Somehow, someway this card was never stuck on Ebay and just lingered in a box of cards for the past twenty plus years. However, it has gained some significance over the past two years. </div><div><br /></div><div>My daughter loves music. For years, I drove her to daycare and the soundtrack to my mornings was music from Disney Princess movies and other kid-friendly albums such as the Trolls World Tour. She would frequently sing along and talk about the movies. The songs were not my cup of tea, but it made my daughter's drive into daycare more enjoyable. </div><div><br /></div><div>Two years ago, she graduated preschool and began Kindergarten at the school where my wife teaches. We no longer commuted together, so I began driving my oldest to middle school every morning. In fact, I transferred my own teaching job to a school that was just a few minutes away from his middle school. My oldest does not mind music, but as a kid on the autism spectrum he enjoys things that are a little more low key on his morning commute.</div><div><br /></div><div>Often, he reads books and talks me through what he is reading about and we listen to podcasts about baseball. One of our favorites is the Tuesday ESPN Baseball podcast, which features Doug Glanville and Jayson Stark. It's typically an hour plus show, so it lasts us a few commutes. We both really enjoy Glanville on the podcast whether he is interviewing someone, sharing his stories about his time in the game, voicing opinions, or trying to answer trivia questions. Always a good listen.</div><div><br /></div><div>Over the past two years of listening to Glanville, my appreciation for his work has grown, and with it a better appreciation for his baseball cards. If you have never heard Doug speak, here is an excellent piece he did on Dusty Baker after he finally won a World Series with the Astros......</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="439" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/NwTjC8K5BSo" width="528" youtube-src-id="NwTjC8K5BSo"></iframe></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><b>A Haiku About Doug Glanville </b></div><div><br /></div><div>Sunday night baseball </div><div><br /></div><div>Starkville podcast, Penn alumni </div><div><br /></div><div>Phils, Cubs, Rangers too </div><div><br /></div><div><b>Card back.</b> </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXq4_VJ1gKURRXeXX_IgLrWlklLtH6vAdMnJGZIIX1NoLt9dDAE8HS_sN5PsB__rUY8d4zMjvLDkmyjud_BURtPMXaVOixKLhlFAHDAf3rnBLV1OeF8GpIFsJ_Ez0SmroPhD3n0XwtptZv5r2VcS5FNOYoMffeZf6uRDtE0FamqRB9HqwxZcRJNmHBnGI/s2123/IMG_20240217_0002.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1488" data-original-width="2123" height="448" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXq4_VJ1gKURRXeXX_IgLrWlklLtH6vAdMnJGZIIX1NoLt9dDAE8HS_sN5PsB__rUY8d4zMjvLDkmyjud_BURtPMXaVOixKLhlFAHDAf3rnBLV1OeF8GpIFsJ_Ez0SmroPhD3n0XwtptZv5r2VcS5FNOYoMffeZf6uRDtE0FamqRB9HqwxZcRJNmHBnGI/w640-h448/IMG_20240217_0002.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><b>Back of the Card Bonus Trivia? </b></div><div><br /></div><div>What player is the other DG card in the autograph checklist of the 1999 SP Signature Edition Set?</div><div><br /></div><div>Clue- Think late 1990s hyped-up prospect who may have hit over .400 during a brief stint in the Majors thanks to some mile-high air. </div>The Snorting Bullhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11376669412007613030noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7911511049033479555.post-8083395492418287572024-02-13T20:33:00.001-05:002024-02-13T20:33:44.199-05:00Pujols Post - 2023 Stadium Club <p>I picked up a few packs of 2023 Stadium Club last week. It's always one of my favorite products every year with the great photography. I was also lucky enough to land a copy of the Albert Pujols card. It was one of the reasons I took a chance on opening a few packs. My expectations for this card were pretty high prior to pulling it from the pack. </p><p>Here is the front. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2jSKIlUpxZII4mruERc4LUtVMAmR0bdaBxjNY03gxtnpttoK27ZwBFL2MTfpJoHEqk4XvRpZ5N9bH5GXXxwg28FWbq-xlrZ2FRiJr1CWfDkPS4wTlFBVnWqw3PwKlFEzNsmngCXG8scPZybI09kCM2_kwe9FUl7VXHZtkdGRNBD-iZzoDj7XXhUjy17M/s2095/IMG_20240211_0001.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2095" data-original-width="1528" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2jSKIlUpxZII4mruERc4LUtVMAmR0bdaBxjNY03gxtnpttoK27ZwBFL2MTfpJoHEqk4XvRpZ5N9bH5GXXxwg28FWbq-xlrZ2FRiJr1CWfDkPS4wTlFBVnWqw3PwKlFEzNsmngCXG8scPZybI09kCM2_kwe9FUl7VXHZtkdGRNBD-iZzoDj7XXhUjy17M/w466-h640/IMG_20240211_0001.jpg" width="466" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I like that we have a picture of Albert Pujols tipping his cap on his final Stadium Club card, but Topps already used a similar photo for his final card in the 2023 flagship set. Here is the front of that card.....</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxjd8QCl7LczdrLetT6HEXJ7_Mv9IyXfw2WFTVtCDNy92EYsAW_D9aJtnwiwS64SOPNB30L8-zTjH-G50QnxkTarUBsX_hPSc5dTrhuj87HgwSsh9CrCVDWxASzqy96albfSJHiy5qz9ZgSIAqIPFmA2lVk77lg4ykHxae_6s8iYep4FW9RF0lwSh0Kf8/s542/Screen%20Shot%202024-02-12%20at%205.14.34%20PM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="542" data-original-width="389" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxjd8QCl7LczdrLetT6HEXJ7_Mv9IyXfw2WFTVtCDNy92EYsAW_D9aJtnwiwS64SOPNB30L8-zTjH-G50QnxkTarUBsX_hPSc5dTrhuj87HgwSsh9CrCVDWxASzqy96albfSJHiy5qz9ZgSIAqIPFmA2lVk77lg4ykHxae_6s8iYep4FW9RF0lwSh0Kf8/w460-h640/Screen%20Shot%202024-02-12%20at%205.14.34%20PM.png" width="460" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">While they are different photographs, it's the same concept for both cards. Honestly, it feels like a huge letdown. Pujols is such an iconic player over the past two decades, so I am sure that there are some great photos out there that have not been overused that would have looked great on this Stadium Club baseball card. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Heck, I would even take overusing a classic Pujols photo like him staring down his 2005 NLCS home run against Brad Lidge. I do not know a single Cardinals fan who gets tired of this one......</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFVn05TgeAyCc-aYRqWBhz0583x0ZLMhyBSuYfIVd52_2YTfNkZvj9oM_u-DHlWy0SGXOWOnzRIfhsVf2wUKYJKCFDOniyMcFEDt4Q1IbhOudBZr8yV10OJU4NNjDAw0-mq9M8Q2G3EhhhmGLyDSIVx-2u6D9XvJ26CLBT9A5kvrQ8zUul7yC4tjy3Hv0/s1894/636438390502827539-SW17-GOAT-LIDGE-21-9212305.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1894" data-original-width="1421" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFVn05TgeAyCc-aYRqWBhz0583x0ZLMhyBSuYfIVd52_2YTfNkZvj9oM_u-DHlWy0SGXOWOnzRIfhsVf2wUKYJKCFDOniyMcFEDt4Q1IbhOudBZr8yV10OJU4NNjDAw0-mq9M8Q2G3EhhhmGLyDSIVx-2u6D9XvJ26CLBT9A5kvrQ8zUul7yC4tjy3Hv0/w480-h640/636438390502827539-SW17-GOAT-LIDGE-21-9212305.webp" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Copyright, someone. There are so many copies of this photograph floating around on the internet that I am not sure who to credit. It's one of my favorites. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Back of the card. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAw1H0TzLyt6uA2i8ZeO57xfC5PVM3oWQapzryWDLEj71I4PN6Ig2gXro1alFWLsJw2x1yuLYegZeTaYTkl7VsuFLVGgdD18syXTPrfJEctdxwSl5v03FHi1YCLOZi0Q_AHbVpe5pHXx9ST7jUIGEc_6CWJeMQeZslERZFrcvkPNSjTqL0OfjALH46xoQ/s2118/IMG_20240211_0002.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2118" data-original-width="1596" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAw1H0TzLyt6uA2i8ZeO57xfC5PVM3oWQapzryWDLEj71I4PN6Ig2gXro1alFWLsJw2x1yuLYegZeTaYTkl7VsuFLVGgdD18syXTPrfJEctdxwSl5v03FHi1YCLOZi0Q_AHbVpe5pHXx9ST7jUIGEc_6CWJeMQeZslERZFrcvkPNSjTqL0OfjALH46xoQ/w482-h640/IMG_20240211_0002.jpg" width="482" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Solid write-up on the part of Topps to summarize Albert's final season in the Majors. I wish the same level of effort that was used on the back of the card was also used in finding a photo for the front of this card. </div><p></p>The Snorting Bullhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11376669412007613030noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7911511049033479555.post-69067989285772439682024-02-12T05:27:00.000-05:002024-02-12T05:27:15.669-05:00Monday Morning Autograph - Brian Stokes <p>I own a couple of thousand autograph cards, the majority have never appeared on my blog. Here is a random autograph that I have never posted before:</p><p>Today:2007 UD Spectrum Brian Stokes </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7quF0065KRH2l7SWrzjNUoUbieY2AE78WRfHJTCIVV4SRG5EViOakqNJzTLQnzr6ZqI5kDALrgRTkcem3lwV7QsCB9pD5gU32vbL976qhL2Z5e5Bod1C23rnIvsEzi0-z-PpbBqO6F_hADIV-YP5DvAH4GKwjCPCGkqp4r50PSW_Nob0_C1yQB4IeMDM/s2106/IMG_20240204_0003.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1475" data-original-width="2106" height="448" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7quF0065KRH2l7SWrzjNUoUbieY2AE78WRfHJTCIVV4SRG5EViOakqNJzTLQnzr6ZqI5kDALrgRTkcem3lwV7QsCB9pD5gU32vbL976qhL2Z5e5Bod1C23rnIvsEzi0-z-PpbBqO6F_hADIV-YP5DvAH4GKwjCPCGkqp4r50PSW_Nob0_C1yQB4IeMDM/w640-h448/IMG_20240204_0003.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p><b>Why do I own this card? </b></p><p></p><p>Brian Stokes was a starting pitcher on the 2006 Durham Bulls. He went 7-7 with a 4.11 ERA in 23 starts with the Bulls. The Rays called up Stokes in September 2006, he made 4 starts with the team, and went 1-0 with an ERA of 4.88. There were better players on the 2006 Bulls, but Stokes seemed like a solid pitcher and his cards were cheap. </p><p>You might be thinking, he had an ERA over 4 in Triple A, that does not seem solid. </p><p>It was the Devil Rays, not the Rays. </p><p><b>When did I get this card? </b></p><p>I guarantee you this was an EBay dumpster dive. The Rays were still a few years away from making the World Series and being considered good. When I first started collecting Durham Bulls players in 2006 and 2007, outside of Delmon Young and BJ Upton, the majority of prospect cards were just a few dollars.</p><p><b>Brian Stokes Career Teams In a Haiku </b></p><p>Amateur Free Agent</p><p>P-Rays, Blaze, River Dogs, O-Rays</p><p>Bulls, Rays, Angels, Mets</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjae4iugy2NYs_V18zDl9wTcpojgUmIiSZam3GnP4JUlJBnGLYh9QZFERmJ5bbFP7al8zSk5-Zg3NF5wAcPakpUO6_zAWmtfAkwmJ8jdFoG0asJD_pxtSSeWHUeNikYuMIk7ZOk07RXfmtpiSZt5MXUQosWZzWSAiWyBz4fD8WMP-EenQPbC8epvaa0NlU/s2100/IMG_20240204_0004.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1455" data-original-width="2100" height="444" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjae4iugy2NYs_V18zDl9wTcpojgUmIiSZam3GnP4JUlJBnGLYh9QZFERmJ5bbFP7al8zSk5-Zg3NF5wAcPakpUO6_zAWmtfAkwmJ8jdFoG0asJD_pxtSSeWHUeNikYuMIk7ZOk07RXfmtpiSZt5MXUQosWZzWSAiWyBz4fD8WMP-EenQPbC8epvaa0NlU/w640-h444/IMG_20240204_0004.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>I really hate when the only thing on the back of the card is a "Congratulations" form letter, unless it's from Richard McWilliam, then it's alright. As the kids would say, McWilliam is the "OG" of the Congratulations form letter. Plus, when you were opening packs of Upper Deck cards, anytime you saw that signature, you knew you were about to have your day made. </p>The Snorting Bullhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11376669412007613030noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7911511049033479555.post-71461116596504388472024-02-10T08:39:00.000-05:002024-02-10T08:39:38.468-05:0046 To Go <p>I had no idea who Earl Torgeson was before I bought this card a few days ago, but was intrigued when I Google Searched him and the bio from his SABR page started out with this sentence: </p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #031a3a; font-family: lato, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b><i>"In a 15-year major-league career filled with great stories and accomplishments of various stripes, Earl Torgeson was well known for getting in brawls."</i></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;">The card was sold before I could read the second sentence of his bio. </p><p style="text-align: left;">Here is the card.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimCmMUM1kp_lVD7RXQZBADMd-7zEE2qIuaKlh8-Hrqf6QA_lVFk9Lxk-EB6TNRM6QElJDxmFCg58gCCGghUEQSDOxY4WjVhVc6VWghREJ5nLa3M2N17Ca7ntHmFSJxJJC68PdJmdLAXG05gJR7GI1guC_PoG4KSRAcvIthKIxY-TbO39u0KkPM7XGYTts/s1415/421265248_778808920734097_1385769682830621456_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1415" data-original-width="1220" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimCmMUM1kp_lVD7RXQZBADMd-7zEE2qIuaKlh8-Hrqf6QA_lVFk9Lxk-EB6TNRM6QElJDxmFCg58gCCGghUEQSDOxY4WjVhVc6VWghREJ5nLa3M2N17Ca7ntHmFSJxJJC68PdJmdLAXG05gJR7GI1guC_PoG4KSRAcvIthKIxY-TbO39u0KkPM7XGYTts/w552-h640/421265248_778808920734097_1385769682830621456_n.jpg" width="552" /></a></div><br /><p>This is my first Red Man card with a tab. </p><p>A few facts I learned about Earl after reading his full SABR Bio:</p><p>-His nickname was "The Earl of Snohomish" after his hometown in Washington. The nickname was shared with Indians Hall of Famer Earl Averill who was from the same town. In fact, Torgeson grew up playing at Averill Field in Snohomish. </p><p>-Prior to his rookie season he faced assualt charges in Washington for beating two men who had used vulgar language in front of his wife. Torgeson was found not guilty after the judge agreed with his actions. </p><p>-Torgeson was in dozens of fights during his Major League career. After breaking his glasses in his first MLB brawl, he infamously would slowly remove them before charging pitchers or players to fight. </p><p>-He chain smoked cigars</p><p>-The majority of his baseball career was spent with the Braves and White Sox, but he also appeared for the Phillies, Tigers, and Yankees. </p><p>-After baseball, he was a County Commisioner representing the Snohomish area. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBI1wxogIxHwCqtbOBTOLKvD0ti6vwqe4AYdUhCYqUKg5LHDvxkDpinkKno3nEBriw8bCyhul21kuyFtf8g9otb_U31BYwZ7ZHVkSF6ooDWo1L3HMjIBCxpaNNy9VS6hQqepCahaIVR_p8R7t__np1sOhKARVLKUH5pVQYHGgK3686PVVszbmtYDXs4x4/s1406/421150514_757804582935230_2604803688354963177_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1406" data-original-width="1226" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBI1wxogIxHwCqtbOBTOLKvD0ti6vwqe4AYdUhCYqUKg5LHDvxkDpinkKno3nEBriw8bCyhul21kuyFtf8g9otb_U31BYwZ7ZHVkSF6ooDWo1L3HMjIBCxpaNNy9VS6hQqepCahaIVR_p8R7t__np1sOhKARVLKUH5pVQYHGgK3686PVVszbmtYDXs4x4/w558-h640/421150514_757804582935230_2604803688354963177_n.jpg" width="558" /></a></div><br /><p>I need 46 more cards. </p><p><br /></p>The Snorting Bullhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11376669412007613030noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7911511049033479555.post-25136096303478514602024-02-06T18:20:00.003-05:002024-02-06T18:20:51.719-05:002024 Blake Snell Autograph Count: 4 <p>This is the 94th Blake Snell autograph in my collection and my first from a Topps Dynasty Collection product. If you are not familiar with Dynasty, it is basically a one pack per box autograph product that costs upwards of $200 dollars. The cards are generally an on-card autograph with a large patch piece. Blake Snell has signed for the product several times over the years, but I have never forked over the money to purchase one of these cards. </p><p>Even the really good Blake Snell autographs with cool patch pieces and really low serial numbers sell for way less than $200. More common patch pieces are typically under $50. When I set out to find a Dynasty autograph, that was the top end of my budget for this card and I did not even spend it all. I have no idea why someone would buy a pack/box of Dynasty, but their loss is my win. </p><p>Here is the front of the 2019 Topps Dynasty Blake Snell autograph card, which is encased by Topps. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNumYiTu9XgSquGIy8lMR0dfTdRYa1enUT5htEn9xsaGpx41Qg2c8U-Z0PBSSsKiDWtPf1byTOor-DIPBk3K-SFTb5lRuSjApjFEyGef4BepvD9iBwD7a4PaFc2T6MP9AP4skxrh9lmLA7UftQQXlNnwwsl7F13lT8neQhFrRkM44yqxcJv08_JBjBacE/s2603/IMG_20240203_0001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1698" data-original-width="2603" height="418" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNumYiTu9XgSquGIy8lMR0dfTdRYa1enUT5htEn9xsaGpx41Qg2c8U-Z0PBSSsKiDWtPf1byTOor-DIPBk3K-SFTb5lRuSjApjFEyGef4BepvD9iBwD7a4PaFc2T6MP9AP4skxrh9lmLA7UftQQXlNnwwsl7F13lT8neQhFrRkM44yqxcJv08_JBjBacE/w640-h418/IMG_20240203_0001.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>The blue is patch material and the white is jersey material, making this a Rays home jersey. Too generic of a jersey piece to figure out where on the Rays logo this was cut. The serial number is also on the front with this card having a print run of just 10 copies. The autograph is Snell's standard form and effort. </p><p>This is the most high-end Snell autograph in my collection by product, but I am not sure it would even rank in my Top 20 in terms of style, design, and collecting appeal. It's just a card with a high SRP, that's it.</p><p>Honestly, a little disappointing now that it is in my hand. I guess it's cool to own one Topps Dynasty card, but I think this is likely my last. Although, I imagine the person who pulled this $40 card out of a $200 box of cards was even more disappointed than I might be feeling. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlRWr8tGVXrkXvf_BwteePHTZn_wRLE6QXEShhUeFpVJE-iIBHySOWyEFK6gEvpa_lEuVPhLW34HzaDdCoeleOZdRSNBxoRem8En9-aj7Rg2jQ7AoGTzd9z2Ps574ybOhLDKCD0K6YcCLt-JxPA2A1ppWdAsLPBZRURYYYWHRliI-f90WRDmJzKLthLwI/s2611/IMG_20240203_0002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1711" data-original-width="2611" height="420" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlRWr8tGVXrkXvf_BwteePHTZn_wRLE6QXEShhUeFpVJE-iIBHySOWyEFK6gEvpa_lEuVPhLW34HzaDdCoeleOZdRSNBxoRem8En9-aj7Rg2jQ7AoGTzd9z2Ps574ybOhLDKCD0K6YcCLt-JxPA2A1ppWdAsLPBZRURYYYWHRliI-f90WRDmJzKLthLwI/w640-h420/IMG_20240203_0002.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>I am surprised that the back does not have a huge "CONGRATULATIONS" stamped across the top. I actually like that they mention his first Cy Young, as well as Snell leading the American League in a bunch of different statistical categories. I would say the back is better than expected. </p>The Snorting Bullhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11376669412007613030noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7911511049033479555.post-23231993023319431212024-02-05T05:29:00.002-05:002024-02-05T05:29:28.238-05:00Monday Morning Autograph - Rex Hudler <p>I own a couple of thousand autograph cards, the majority have never appeared on my blog. Here is a random autograph that I have never posted before:</p><p>Today: 1996 Leaf Signature Rex Hudler </p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdb6Zsho-3qiyAxbHFpws-TmrVoAYHYxzOKybvm7SeYb64YI2m-8Xd2PoxYcT7Mq09AWlQpkjwFm3odm4Ig6Y3Hnj2l4BS1_UvBi68I-zNpNva9iyBlTuv8FC85kBk953_LcCnzSIefu9_6NzT9MmLWeXWu-H90x7li75h8XpTZ4Z8Vd5IONEi8NDxH_c/s2078/IMG_20240204_0001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2078" data-original-width="1494" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdb6Zsho-3qiyAxbHFpws-TmrVoAYHYxzOKybvm7SeYb64YI2m-8Xd2PoxYcT7Mq09AWlQpkjwFm3odm4Ig6Y3Hnj2l4BS1_UvBi68I-zNpNva9iyBlTuv8FC85kBk953_LcCnzSIefu9_6NzT9MmLWeXWu-H90x7li75h8XpTZ4Z8Vd5IONEi8NDxH_c/w460-h640/IMG_20240204_0001.jpg" width="460" /></a></div><br /><b>Why do I own this card? </b><p></p><p>Rex was briefly a Cardinal in the early 1990s. The team would not spend money on pitching, but there was money in the budget for a colorful utility player. </p><p><b>When did I get this card? </b></p><p>At some point in college. It's actually one of the first certified autographs that I owned. Not a pack pull, but a really cheap card store pickup. I would guess this came from 1,000,000 Baseball Cards in west St. Louis County. </p><p><b>Good Rex Hudler story?</b></p><p>Tom Pagnozzi, Lee Smith, Frank DiPino, and a bunch of other Cardinals players gave Rex Hudler a stack of 100 dollar bills to eat a bug off of his hat. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="403" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/FDY2pv5SdAw" width="485" youtube-src-id="FDY2pv5SdAw"></iframe></div><br /><p></p><p><br /></p><p>Card back. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKPHeKmYowgF9tuWGVoLlx2DnxnmGZknxyeb85Yk6k1toWeRvPspWmznODcmB87Vv7erTIrFjOSVG9EnKZNKoHf45fSgPUODJDJlkX_por-bRZAJdOPKMSpnoJ9gdTcVs0FUVRRzBNfmkLJmTMc4Yj4QB5iMxkM7-epOyrSyjLpmRGZQfsNSaUV0u8K1s/s2093/IMG_20240204_0002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2093" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKPHeKmYowgF9tuWGVoLlx2DnxnmGZknxyeb85Yk6k1toWeRvPspWmznODcmB87Vv7erTIrFjOSVG9EnKZNKoHf45fSgPUODJDJlkX_por-bRZAJdOPKMSpnoJ9gdTcVs0FUVRRzBNfmkLJmTMc4Yj4QB5iMxkM7-epOyrSyjLpmRGZQfsNSaUV0u8K1s/w470-h640/IMG_20240204_0002.jpg" width="470" /></a></div><br /><p>Look at this gem. Card companies did not need a filler with some giant "CONGRATULATIONS" note. It's Leaf Signature, you already know you are getting an autograph. Nice little paragraph of Rex Hudler playing all over the field and his career batting stats. I would have guessed lower than .257 for his career average. Maybe Rex was better than I remember. </p>The Snorting Bullhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11376669412007613030noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7911511049033479555.post-49604644001758629042024-02-03T09:06:00.002-05:002024-02-03T09:06:49.796-05:0047 To Go <p>I picked up two more cards for my 1952 Red Man Tobacco set project over the past weeks. No big names, but this is a small set, so every card helps. Plus, it's fun to learn more about the 1950s players as I go through and find their cards. </p><p>First up, three time World Series winner Murry Dickson. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9WUwGZTEjlibZQeYS7_dS2l_WYHiMtlwa6yDb6jkL6OxljvNdlMSu2yJfKuCaVENtJl9LYwdwcQxidcKZ0HuFwiCjnzsH8dM-eeGwdYD8q-jHplZLzoSUdJBc2PXFPmqN6BihJ_9Ahmmu7fqDBi7qftKaSE2ufZHUvCdhTQGbv_eqLRedg_TJjiFvqEc/s1000/IMG_20240203_002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="875" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9WUwGZTEjlibZQeYS7_dS2l_WYHiMtlwa6yDb6jkL6OxljvNdlMSu2yJfKuCaVENtJl9LYwdwcQxidcKZ0HuFwiCjnzsH8dM-eeGwdYD8q-jHplZLzoSUdJBc2PXFPmqN6BihJ_9Ahmmu7fqDBi7qftKaSE2ufZHUvCdhTQGbv_eqLRedg_TJjiFvqEc/w560-h640/IMG_20240203_002.jpg" width="560" /></a></div><br /><p>The Missouri native (Kansas City area) actually started his career with the Cardinals and won two World Series playing along side Stan Musial and Red Schoendienst as an spot starter and long reliever early in his career, but would end up being a mainstay of the rotation by the mid 1940s. Dickson started two World Series games for the Cardinals in 1946 when they defeated the Red Sox. </p><p>He spent the middle part of his career on the Pirates where he led the National League in losses three years in a row, but also made the All-Star team and had an ERA in the 3s. I looked around the 1952 Pirates Baseball Reference page and found the team hit .231 and had a .331 slugging percentage. If Ralph Kiner did not hit a home run, they did not score. </p><p>Hard to win that way.</p><p>His career ended in the late 1950s with the Yankees where he won a third World Series ring. </p><p>This card is in good condition outside of the corners, which are worn. It's hard being a 70 year-old piece of cardboard. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-FINrxU6vmeqqXrZGCBD7Qmt2amF7S_F74Su0bx8EpmxLOv_otWG20NOsTMJmI2bpE-y1PGZl3eNb3mP9-uJFMEJLbnn2TUnia0DqGd6sBw6eSTk0end5a1I_8zeGpeKEHPiuANvrnsJZd6vTcFFO1aIFgzYFpo-KnbLf5_rzkBcXVeNPLpmI2ADpvYY/s1000/IMG_20240203_001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="974" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-FINrxU6vmeqqXrZGCBD7Qmt2amF7S_F74Su0bx8EpmxLOv_otWG20NOsTMJmI2bpE-y1PGZl3eNb3mP9-uJFMEJLbnn2TUnia0DqGd6sBw6eSTk0end5a1I_8zeGpeKEHPiuANvrnsJZd6vTcFFO1aIFgzYFpo-KnbLf5_rzkBcXVeNPLpmI2ADpvYY/w624-h640/IMG_20240203_001.jpg" width="624" /></a></div><br /> <p></p><p>My first American League card out of the Red Man Tobacco set is Tigers outfielder and first baseman Vic Wertz. As the card describes, Wertz was a very good hitter, lots of home runs, doubles, and RBIs. He played in a bunch of All-Star Games over his career, but is more a Hall of Very Good Player than Hall of Fame. Wertz ended up getting traded at the end of the 1952 season to the Browns where he was on their final team in St. Louis and their first team as the Baltimore Orioles. He also played for the Indians and Red Sox before ending up back on the Tigers at the end of his career. </p><p>I need 47 more cards.....</p><p>National League </p><p>5. Murry Dickson </p><p>16. Stan Musial </p><p>19. Al Schoendienst </p><p>23. Eddie Stanky </p><p>American League </p><p>22. Vic Wertz </p><p><br /></p>The Snorting Bullhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11376669412007613030noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7911511049033479555.post-25739395520734181572024-01-31T19:14:00.000-05:002024-01-31T19:14:55.114-05:002024 Blake Snell Autograph Count: 3 This is the 93rd Blake Snell autograph in my collection. I am closing in on 100 and am really excited about crossing that barrier later in the year. At this point, I am left trying to track down autographs with really low print-runs. Some very unique looking autographs, although they are also more expensive and the bidding can be more competitive on Ebay. <div><br /></div><div>The newest Blake Snell autograph was not on my radar until I saw it on Ebay. </div><div><br /></div><div>Front of the card.......</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI3H_he72uvcJbZkxUqRFLC1AneQIQdbzBfFuJ0sC3Lkuac0Mn3iXwi-OcfXALu6p05na8P6kM3p5eu125uXKVjZgiZKANvo1pa4FRySg4pSgCr-jyfrISRh-xwJirNQBVkJBRaATFEmAK6WOIasaM_8YKz3NvxYej_PGAyL_9jW3YTna_LmSsK00FP0g/s2095/IMG_20240126_0001.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1486" data-original-width="2095" height="454" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI3H_he72uvcJbZkxUqRFLC1AneQIQdbzBfFuJ0sC3Lkuac0Mn3iXwi-OcfXALu6p05na8P6kM3p5eu125uXKVjZgiZKANvo1pa4FRySg4pSgCr-jyfrISRh-xwJirNQBVkJBRaATFEmAK6WOIasaM_8YKz3NvxYej_PGAyL_9jW3YTna_LmSsK00FP0g/w640-h454/IMG_20240126_0001.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div>This is from the 2020 Topps set and is apart of the Commemorative Sleeve Patch insert set. It's not an actual sleeve patch, just a manufactured one with a sticker autograph. It's a nice looking patch, but it's also not really from Snell's jersey. This card also has a sticker autograph that is not very well blended with the rest of the card. I guess the important thing here is that the card is serial numbered to 10, which is why I did not own a copy until now. </div><div><br /></div><div>Back of the card. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg26IGsYuGUQ6IUy_e1IYz6jbQUUmBhAdq0HKNs1IgF7Htvg0a5a2ATPrAJd79zM55nxxdS2xAH7z_sOWo6DcT94XbrR5LgyaTQRxd4Rqnhsy70maNJDUY5AEW7UuEbTQIMzLos-_lb5cfhZFrb1SincitwV9TAjjT3s7xnE63VSYPhyphenhyphen8y7ePmFKJ5kP0Y/s2105/IMG_20240126_0002.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1486" data-original-width="2105" height="452" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg26IGsYuGUQ6IUy_e1IYz6jbQUUmBhAdq0HKNs1IgF7Htvg0a5a2ATPrAJd79zM55nxxdS2xAH7z_sOWo6DcT94XbrR5LgyaTQRxd4Rqnhsy70maNJDUY5AEW7UuEbTQIMzLos-_lb5cfhZFrb1SincitwV9TAjjT3s7xnE63VSYPhyphenhyphen8y7ePmFKJ5kP0Y/w640-h452/IMG_20240126_0002.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div>We've got the standard "CONGRATULATIONS!" back from Topps. I love the small print. We've got one small print font for the "THE SIGNING OF ALL TOPPS AUTOGRAPH CARDS IS WITNESSED" and a different font for "THE PATCH ON THE FRONT IS NOT REAL". Topps should have written "CONGRATULATIONS" in an even larger font size. </div>The Snorting Bullhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11376669412007613030noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7911511049033479555.post-84145953584399180832024-01-28T10:12:00.000-05:002024-01-28T10:12:16.394-05:00Random Ray - 1993 Upper Deck Home Run Heroes <p>I am a huge fan of the 1993 Upper Deck set. Simple design, great photography, it might be my favorite Upper Deck product of all-time. If you have not checked out the <b><a href="https://93ud.blogspot.com/">1993 Upper Deck set blog</a></b> written by Night Owl, you are missing out. </p><p>Here is the front of the card........</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4GsAZVEgiZqZ02tFlRIi63i7jxAGT6pl9EGTp5NaLyILiutwzVgzKU4kIxmZQ5fIabOMJSEHc5neS-YZ-2Nu9nTrcH-JATtG1DVXjLAoBTAohwZkHAVP3SGfqB4CwRz1Yb4na3eQDCaukbqy8TQmyid2FwDqHDhguZQl1LWlZgAc-_iRmmy8c-FrlPKg/s2117/IMG_20240128_0001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2117" data-original-width="1550" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4GsAZVEgiZqZ02tFlRIi63i7jxAGT6pl9EGTp5NaLyILiutwzVgzKU4kIxmZQ5fIabOMJSEHc5neS-YZ-2Nu9nTrcH-JATtG1DVXjLAoBTAohwZkHAVP3SGfqB4CwRz1Yb4na3eQDCaukbqy8TQmyid2FwDqHDhguZQl1LWlZgAc-_iRmmy8c-FrlPKg/w468-h640/IMG_20240128_0001.jpg" width="468" /></a></div><br /><p>Wrigley always makes a great background for baseball cards. The ivy wall is the obvious answer, but the short brick wall behind home plate is also a classic landmark for those of us who are old enough to have watched day Cubs games on WGN in the summers. </p><p>Beyond the background, I love the action shot of Ray Lankford hitting. He had a great left-handed swing and always hit well against the Cubbies. In fact, in 158 career games against the Cubs, Lankford had 23 home runs, 7 triples, 30 doubles, and 26 stolen bases. </p><p>I loved the blue Cardinal hats in the 1993 card sets. The team stopped wearing them in the late 1960s and brought them back as their road hat in 1992 as part of their 100th Anniversary. The patch on Lankford's sleeve is also part of the 100th Anniversary. </p><p>A closer look at the patch......</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAJKuQQLZ0dKAjPjctmSVlP-vdVVaNB3xcB3gA8zfjkHJJ668ercdEsB_HH5QqQcGQr0u_9NAKA8zIAXa7qVr6wDCbO6Y1DUuqbAiwms6wN5s409hQh6sh0q9Lj2XqrWot9wUIe7qDCHUs6jrPQDgnQcWX9dLADTuel6JbpXQIYWRLef4M12T8LVVV-qY/s905/kx5hgbnk4cksx4n0wllb.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="635" data-original-width="905" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAJKuQQLZ0dKAjPjctmSVlP-vdVVaNB3xcB3gA8zfjkHJJ668ercdEsB_HH5QqQcGQr0u_9NAKA8zIAXa7qVr6wDCbO6Y1DUuqbAiwms6wN5s409hQh6sh0q9Lj2XqrWot9wUIe7qDCHUs6jrPQDgnQcWX9dLADTuel6JbpXQIYWRLef4M12T8LVVV-qY/w400-h281/kx5hgbnk4cksx4n0wllb.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>Back of the card. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGylvHY3MDLWDUAD1FOHikdDc2coh1o0vv0JPOXDOeEjZaHLnjk4-TmT0B_PQODtpTaB9nbrn3zg15jQaRmeG7_HE6lZ5Tk4L-5AU434CUQQS_YU7G-A-iBrqeCz0oFvCCsVvjDie5u1E_uAHhM8zCC3aOzl0FHkgDlAEJyCm1hmY8m78kdfECPm534ck/s2149/IMG_20240128_0002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2149" data-original-width="1641" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGylvHY3MDLWDUAD1FOHikdDc2coh1o0vv0JPOXDOeEjZaHLnjk4-TmT0B_PQODtpTaB9nbrn3zg15jQaRmeG7_HE6lZ5Tk4L-5AU434CUQQS_YU7G-A-iBrqeCz0oFvCCsVvjDie5u1E_uAHhM8zCC3aOzl0FHkgDlAEJyCm1hmY8m78kdfECPm534ck/w488-h640/IMG_20240128_0002.jpg" width="488" /></a></div><br /><p>This is a really good write-up about Lankford, his skill as a player, and his potential to be a star when he was a younger player. The Cardinals were not very competitive during the early 1990s, so it's nice that someone at Upper Deck was aware of a good player on a team that was a perennial mediocre team at best. </p>The Snorting Bullhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11376669412007613030noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7911511049033479555.post-28187948780241105782024-01-24T20:54:00.001-05:002024-01-24T20:54:38.264-05:00Local Cubbies I had a co-worker who bought me a blaster box of Topps Heritage High Numbers earlier this week. I do not want to get bogged down in the back story, but I had helped him out during an absence from work. <div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHDbFPRKH7lr-uhaIdYPCFatCxea2qdKSto7R3Mw-9pmqkwAGj6oR_b1zkGKGJ-bo9qY3mveey96BxJYeGPiFUXWpNFillJxOuajN2FpwqRjL_CWYFflg3LJ-zn3KdNIke9YwmHwF1YmPI1xE9IO5QxsYxjphUAJLwVRZLtYZ2itAsGqd81Kw5ukhcSRM/s2048/420997459_1505067650069665_6494147782913182500_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHDbFPRKH7lr-uhaIdYPCFatCxea2qdKSto7R3Mw-9pmqkwAGj6oR_b1zkGKGJ-bo9qY3mveey96BxJYeGPiFUXWpNFillJxOuajN2FpwqRjL_CWYFflg3LJ-zn3KdNIke9YwmHwF1YmPI1xE9IO5QxsYxjphUAJLwVRZLtYZ2itAsGqd81Kw5ukhcSRM/w480-h640/420997459_1505067650069665_6494147782913182500_n.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div>My expectations for pulling anything out of retail packs of cards is generally low. Any sort of serial numbered card is great, relic cards are super, and autographs are awesome, although extremely rare.</div><div><br /></div><div>When I pulled a Heritage Chrome card of Orioles pitcher Yennier Cano I was very happy. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8Wi0vXddnA_RiU6ex1yFKp1smzs37Tx3HiB1zhTzwN_sVKKuWsrR3NfsZbK_tjaYs4qJYvC101YAH_qLzdCXmD5kSrSpxRNIpt3xZa73pHbjtQzzvu15qpPBtU2JKn3CmBsNwS6uWboF_vz3hDXfTdHJp4kejpVkaPqgY2KTU3kOFwIqIIwBes9dJKtI/s2114/IMG_20240124_0004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2114" data-original-width="1540" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8Wi0vXddnA_RiU6ex1yFKp1smzs37Tx3HiB1zhTzwN_sVKKuWsrR3NfsZbK_tjaYs4qJYvC101YAH_qLzdCXmD5kSrSpxRNIpt3xZa73pHbjtQzzvu15qpPBtU2JKn3CmBsNwS6uWboF_vz3hDXfTdHJp4kejpVkaPqgY2KTU3kOFwIqIIwBes9dJKtI/w466-h640/IMG_20240124_0004.jpg" width="466" /></a></div><br /><div>Later, I ended up with a Heritage Red Autograph of Chicago Cubs first baseman, Matt Mervis. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV1muQXzGSBYF6vWyIxpuSinXjnpM24CK3Rl63W2tMQorD6OBGonx1TtoHe0byOV6NDx0-mzUpVhg7tytaLcABlReYxxq4ffnIFMPna6od-ff492Df5zHji6TksjvbH4ep7-Pu4SVsYlMGCQJQ21Koh9aX76YpO_U7PV6uw9rM-MquzRN67tokohcHC5Y/s2087/IMG_20240124_0001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2087" data-original-width="1523" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV1muQXzGSBYF6vWyIxpuSinXjnpM24CK3Rl63W2tMQorD6OBGonx1TtoHe0byOV6NDx0-mzUpVhg7tytaLcABlReYxxq4ffnIFMPna6od-ff492Df5zHji6TksjvbH4ep7-Pu4SVsYlMGCQJQ21Koh9aX76YpO_U7PV6uw9rM-MquzRN67tokohcHC5Y/w468-h640/IMG_20240124_0001.jpg" width="468" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div>Front of the card with the red Mervis signature, and below the back with the serial number out of 74. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgahUIuuP9lw-s2ZyQ7mnd6EwxzLOZ6evGK-p2APdqP5wAUFkYJJKeRKFmooAKle2t__TQGHrr2Y9db-KvgI9ccByi_4TAbEZMvLnRZWm8ELQV1lO-Eu2Q-bGiBfCWNjecoM5Y_o_KpsFFWL6rXZFgZkWHVEXYzddVCkrdtyL0z1XHqRAKJf6Ll_j3GQb4/s2137/IMG_20240124_0002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1495" data-original-width="2137" height="448" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgahUIuuP9lw-s2ZyQ7mnd6EwxzLOZ6evGK-p2APdqP5wAUFkYJJKeRKFmooAKle2t__TQGHrr2Y9db-KvgI9ccByi_4TAbEZMvLnRZWm8ELQV1lO-Eu2Q-bGiBfCWNjecoM5Y_o_KpsFFWL6rXZFgZkWHVEXYzddVCkrdtyL0z1XHqRAKJf6Ll_j3GQb4/w640-h448/IMG_20240124_0002.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div>Mervis actually played his college baseball locally at Duke. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="408" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/e6Vz69au7jc" width="562" youtube-src-id="e6Vz69au7jc"></iframe></div><br /><div>He was a really good player for the Blue Devils. </div><div><br /></div><div>An awesome card from a retail box. </div>The Snorting Bullhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11376669412007613030noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7911511049033479555.post-84072652708215368982024-01-21T07:38:00.002-05:002024-01-21T07:38:13.942-05:00Set Appreciation Post #22 - 2001 Donruss Classics <p>Upper Deck had Century Legends and Fleer had Greats of the Game. Donruss Classics was not quite as good as either, but it's still had solid product. The largest fault being the inclusion of rookie cards on the checklist, but we will get into those details later in the post. </p><p>Here is the base card design....</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj5YS6lhpFhK0FACBVqzH9mfBUmMx8GVeJMOk289G8lk9LNUSAMZNa4lt5i14vhkMEcDjMDNhTp9DdZjxB36oi6KCCeVo4JyVhM8ODAqXHBJWCkHAM5LdB8f9Sc5u8-EzyGQV50PCwGfjMA_zL_yDA1Zqg3_CI4SEdKszk8es5AmV9aIMWX5CPodyiY68/s2079/IMG_20240120_0002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2079" data-original-width="1506" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj5YS6lhpFhK0FACBVqzH9mfBUmMx8GVeJMOk289G8lk9LNUSAMZNa4lt5i14vhkMEcDjMDNhTp9DdZjxB36oi6KCCeVo4JyVhM8ODAqXHBJWCkHAM5LdB8f9Sc5u8-EzyGQV50PCwGfjMA_zL_yDA1Zqg3_CI4SEdKszk8es5AmV9aIMWX5CPodyiY68/w464-h640/IMG_20240120_0002.jpg" width="464" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Lots of gray. I do not always love card designs that are overrun by neutral colors, but I really like the looks of these cards with the color photo offering contrast. I also like the Donruss Classics logo on the top of the card with the player name, jersey number, and player position on the front. It seems like a lot, but all the different design elements are well-placed and spaced out on the front. My only qualm is the team name being split across the top on both sides of the Classics logo. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Very well done. Here is the back of the card. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJaiPkOtgHS3U2Pf6DhheU8GSlCNB6ZbPRzD63LUMYpMqqvLYmEde_3bf16mNE9E_IT4U4aJW6SNlzd04eRrGny58-mF682SrZmaKNyngzy8vM9v-45QDvkLLFWYSnWxhIdjMLBW9zE3fAlJ9rBnmfxdjJrJsh0Ko3oCV_55Mu9N9Xl_ldxaKXMin5viI/s2086/IMG_20240120_0001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2086" data-original-width="1544" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJaiPkOtgHS3U2Pf6DhheU8GSlCNB6ZbPRzD63LUMYpMqqvLYmEde_3bf16mNE9E_IT4U4aJW6SNlzd04eRrGny58-mF682SrZmaKNyngzy8vM9v-45QDvkLLFWYSnWxhIdjMLBW9zE3fAlJ9rBnmfxdjJrJsh0Ko3oCV_55Mu9N9Xl_ldxaKXMin5viI/w474-h640/IMG_20240120_0001.jpg" width="474" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div>Nice write-up with easy-to-read stats and biographical information. I find it interesting that write-ups on these cards reference events from within the 2001 season even though they are a 2001 release. Not a usual practice in the baseball card biz, but really cool to see considering that the majority of baseball cards are released later in the season. <p></p><p>Donruss Classics is a product supposedly focused on veteran and Hall of Fame players, but the base set also includes 50 rookie cards, which do not really seem to fit with this product. The rookie cards are serial numbered to 585 copies. Two biggest rookie cards are Pujols and Ichiro. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilCmTjjCVsSWcxM9eyg-ARPypIAe9r9H50J3uP9TwF0L4rMDM66If4qgSaXrhSPv-yYidWEojpLaCkv5gzkeRWe9A1EX5vn-_x1FAl0KqYhApbzDDLihCcmcjUQC12_pMGgvVxr5lDLtLEXWFa-awxeVWMJVPC7SF60ieMktx2KvyD0u8GdtaX0ejFS78/s956/IMG_20240120_0013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="956" data-original-width="682" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilCmTjjCVsSWcxM9eyg-ARPypIAe9r9H50J3uP9TwF0L4rMDM66If4qgSaXrhSPv-yYidWEojpLaCkv5gzkeRWe9A1EX5vn-_x1FAl0KqYhApbzDDLihCcmcjUQC12_pMGgvVxr5lDLtLEXWFa-awxeVWMJVPC7SF60ieMktx2KvyD0u8GdtaX0ejFS78/w456-h640/IMG_20240120_0013.jpg" width="456" /></a></div><br /><p>This might seem silly to complain about a Pujols rookie, but Playoff/Donruss made a ton of different baseball card products during the 2001 calendar year. There were plenty of opportunities to make cards of Pujols and Ichiro, including them here seems off-brand. The inclusion of the rookie cards diminish the overall checklist of Donruss Classics. I understand that rookie cards can be all the craze, but the equivalent Upper Deck, Fleer, and Topps products to Donruss Classics all were able to do just fine without having a bunch of Triple A players in the set. </p><p>Wait. </p><p>There are even more cards on the checklist, but they actually fit the product. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOStPytgtr27MIRoYHDkNNta2Zmbw4XiYyl6sBarm1K6dNJgYZ_T11OVhMmXFbnmrHGqgwd86s_OoxtHG9hEC1Q9NW58VL-NiiZ_pyuPHlgfj0aFAkz5IvMjS0esX2B5ZBRLPAgxMeU-v1qQGuPeHXQ5sFDORzPQGLXdICqRplKTcHUOj-koGgMKzMe5s/s1040/IMG_20240120_0009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1040" data-original-width="737" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOStPytgtr27MIRoYHDkNNta2Zmbw4XiYyl6sBarm1K6dNJgYZ_T11OVhMmXFbnmrHGqgwd86s_OoxtHG9hEC1Q9NW58VL-NiiZ_pyuPHlgfj0aFAkz5IvMjS0esX2B5ZBRLPAgxMeU-v1qQGuPeHXQ5sFDORzPQGLXdICqRplKTcHUOj-koGgMKzMe5s/w454-h640/IMG_20240120_0009.jpg" width="454" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">There are another 48 cards after the rookie cards that are "Legend" cards. The Legends cards came one per box, or one per two mini boxes. Yes, this had boxes inside of boxes. The Legends cards have a cult following. There are plenty people who love these cards and collect them. Actually fairly affordable if you can track down all 48 of them. They are serial numbered to 1,755 copies, but a few of them can be hard to find. I like the gold/sepia color on these cards. The player photos are a mix between black and white, sepia, and color depending on the age of the player. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Good looking cards. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So, let's do a few favorites. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">My favorite Cardinals cards are the Pujols shown above, along with the Rick Ankiel. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjRoNRB3uO_ZGQVCtH1rDVVewMipvz-D8073QoNycbRqif6hxfzIETG8E-erPeayNz88CZTIg0_WsUKoq5yOhWF72DwNVgyuKPh8yljy2HGljq6MyTfp1fgFMJnurfHUEDBJ-h-biD7Cy6ovfP2CTjO_xVWAPkx3eGBOqn4vARzkbllX3AZAp1AHifdOc/s2101/IMG_20240120_0003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2101" data-original-width="1527" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjRoNRB3uO_ZGQVCtH1rDVVewMipvz-D8073QoNycbRqif6hxfzIETG8E-erPeayNz88CZTIg0_WsUKoq5yOhWF72DwNVgyuKPh8yljy2HGljq6MyTfp1fgFMJnurfHUEDBJ-h-biD7Cy6ovfP2CTjO_xVWAPkx3eGBOqn4vARzkbllX3AZAp1AHifdOc/w466-h640/IMG_20240120_0003.jpg" width="466" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I love the red and white home uniforms against the gray background of the card. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Favorite former Durham Bulls player is Ryan Klesko with his lamb chop sideburns. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ30alLJWvX0d4Pn8_JqvRHjHNl2lbp5WIXgp6nDjlQzI8Cwlp9ImCAA5WsoCh_atPz0_dGiuqLmyQf7FiOWNQOo9_x9-Ha2lHVzyCBmmR6yApfSAfIFoZsyoPdSRWbsQeHv0jIe-g2s-UlsbZ5fTEEGx1COHVwcbXe9bbfnL6vEJ-sxDubkc4gD8xaA4/s2084/IMG_20240120_0004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2084" data-original-width="1529" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ30alLJWvX0d4Pn8_JqvRHjHNl2lbp5WIXgp6nDjlQzI8Cwlp9ImCAA5WsoCh_atPz0_dGiuqLmyQf7FiOWNQOo9_x9-Ha2lHVzyCBmmR6yApfSAfIFoZsyoPdSRWbsQeHv0jIe-g2s-UlsbZ5fTEEGx1COHVwcbXe9bbfnL6vEJ-sxDubkc4gD8xaA4/w470-h640/IMG_20240120_0004.jpg" width="470" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">My favorite odd card is Hideo Nomo on the Red Sox.......</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjECdOgUUGAuyf3b4BkG3Q7yjbpe37rPy1bLh__7-xcZlQQ5ZGGjQW0JxdOS3oteaQePM7RDAm1336UPN0KFAPSCK6jlGkoMAXPhcrOt0kWvhYxB3GrCUqr1rafJtbEKrnqTbaszmIhv7oLjl1M2D_ImpukrBctrz-3C3izCfRUIG_p6CyUVDCdES9WYTk/s2099/IMG_20240120_0005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2099" data-original-width="1545" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjECdOgUUGAuyf3b4BkG3Q7yjbpe37rPy1bLh__7-xcZlQQ5ZGGjQW0JxdOS3oteaQePM7RDAm1336UPN0KFAPSCK6jlGkoMAXPhcrOt0kWvhYxB3GrCUqr1rafJtbEKrnqTbaszmIhv7oLjl1M2D_ImpukrBctrz-3C3izCfRUIG_p6CyUVDCdES9WYTk/w472-h640/IMG_20240120_0005.jpg" width="472" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Hideo Nomo played on the Red Sox??? </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEief8OxdVPjr2D_vq2-NbgShBc3vL3bzVEq85qAkBchOhqPqCobmf5P-vTYFAI4ZANd1Qkp5n_iBL0KDzv1hn7MLiPam4Whu5POeUmu6WfceSdx1MhuJrluh0fpEqWmYjgYWM2SqFjKh8wSsRz1KOOeakMaXQRg63IPX67mCxl3e46mwgN1Yz6o_hzsnLY/s2104/IMG_20240120_0006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2104" data-original-width="1557" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEief8OxdVPjr2D_vq2-NbgShBc3vL3bzVEq85qAkBchOhqPqCobmf5P-vTYFAI4ZANd1Qkp5n_iBL0KDzv1hn7MLiPam4Whu5POeUmu6WfceSdx1MhuJrluh0fpEqWmYjgYWM2SqFjKh8wSsRz1KOOeakMaXQRg63IPX67mCxl3e46mwgN1Yz6o_hzsnLY/w474-h640/IMG_20240120_0006.jpg" width="474" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Apparently, Hideo Nomo was on four different teams in four years, but that included a no-hitter with the Red Sox. I remember him with the Mets and Brewers, not so much with the Tigers and Red Sox. I need to start using him when I play Immaculate Grid. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">There are also autographs. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The Hall of Famers are one of the big highlights of Donruss Classics. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaTSrRLYbY4oI1NricugF0rVlSQm5zSs9DFNGdxaffQI7okJFk_bO2qbr8WmD3fqX07lILEP7QfB2rGRT-eu7KW3NT8WbgPJfriTTljkbCep4GjFQNSGRHvNRb4xjENsDXTA5nPwIrF5ZxrlwlT4fSBXAMqPVvlJtrVI9tIiCtgJgkGcH3XF-mQXbnVQs/s840/IMG_20240120_0011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="840" data-original-width="591" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaTSrRLYbY4oI1NricugF0rVlSQm5zSs9DFNGdxaffQI7okJFk_bO2qbr8WmD3fqX07lILEP7QfB2rGRT-eu7KW3NT8WbgPJfriTTljkbCep4GjFQNSGRHvNRb4xjENsDXTA5nPwIrF5ZxrlwlT4fSBXAMqPVvlJtrVI9tIiCtgJgkGcH3XF-mQXbnVQs/w450-h640/IMG_20240120_0011.jpg" width="450" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div>The checklist for the autograph set is deep with good names and they are on-card autographs. </div><div><br /></div><div>There are also rookie autographs, but.......</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSC0sD4WrpnqQq8yocNzYtivM9l1M5DkwSgeo5eBVEflF33HaRPufPB91LemIU2c3-LO5Az37HD9MKf9is9YU_yg-5vuN_cWHfAasqpEH4WqsipzCnBbnQxifR4j1wOqs-iEZrGkqatlmMbnNoV0uf9v-Du4yQlNG8sk7JdSpkvCShfKwvMmEvubVFUs0/s1027/IMG_20240120_0010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1027" data-original-width="727" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSC0sD4WrpnqQq8yocNzYtivM9l1M5DkwSgeo5eBVEflF33HaRPufPB91LemIU2c3-LO5Az37HD9MKf9is9YU_yg-5vuN_cWHfAasqpEH4WqsipzCnBbnQxifR4j1wOqs-iEZrGkqatlmMbnNoV0uf9v-Du4yQlNG8sk7JdSpkvCShfKwvMmEvubVFUs0/w454-h640/IMG_20240120_0010.jpg" width="454" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div>They have ugly silver stickers and are players like Brandon Larson. </div><div><br /></div><div>Just stick with the old guys. </div><div><br /></div><div>One last thing. Let me tell you about the benches from the dugout in Three Rivers Stadium.</div><div><br /></div><div>Playoff/Donruss bought one of them at some point in the late 1990s and used it to create a insert set. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLAm_i-qKL4jEvI2qX90nf02emepg9SQzgfC6NPpbekM0wr4NDa1Az_zVV0CLAOnwfxb_G2mkcGsmWSftAymnSnX5ozXybKLQzyXLOMSuQapKvg7_Uv1811Z8YZuaj6dKTZI-glExgqH0Zlpj74OSwalAslWc-y1aarYREM1YlpKNAZMB5G60EKGflsK4/s692/IMG_20240120_0012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="491" data-original-width="692" height="454" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLAm_i-qKL4jEvI2qX90nf02emepg9SQzgfC6NPpbekM0wr4NDa1Az_zVV0CLAOnwfxb_G2mkcGsmWSftAymnSnX5ozXybKLQzyXLOMSuQapKvg7_Uv1811Z8YZuaj6dKTZI-glExgqH0Zlpj74OSwalAslWc-y1aarYREM1YlpKNAZMB5G60EKGflsK4/w640-h454/IMG_20240120_0012.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div>Roberto Clemente and Willie Stargell have cards in the set, which is cool, but Vlad Guerrero in Three Rivers Pack? I don't care if he hit two home runs in a game against the Pirates, this is a reach. </div><p>So, how does Donruss Classics rate? </p><p>Out of 5 Wool E. Bull's? </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoX6E5xj-2h8PkmRtpmCVi9mZ_3zCCqXd_br-OBsTW8U3MXhENwY70Tt7_pcAcTbwMzRa__GG6P-o-RIFeRMM6v_U5xiiQ6qST7NmmU23wPnxMkVowk4Txw7fEf2JdKez1UuPksil0xSz9E9O06viUvQYZsgHyrVfTjQtdAzMRRMb1maNyrhNWdq4KVL8/s877/Screen%20Shot%202024-01-20%20at%208.39.50%20PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="504" data-original-width="877" height="368" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoX6E5xj-2h8PkmRtpmCVi9mZ_3zCCqXd_br-OBsTW8U3MXhENwY70Tt7_pcAcTbwMzRa__GG6P-o-RIFeRMM6v_U5xiiQ6qST7NmmU23wPnxMkVowk4Txw7fEf2JdKez1UuPksil0xSz9E9O06viUvQYZsgHyrVfTjQtdAzMRRMb1maNyrhNWdq4KVL8/w640-h368/Screen%20Shot%202024-01-20%20at%208.39.50%20PM.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Solid set, but not as good as its competitors. </div>The Snorting Bullhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11376669412007613030noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7911511049033479555.post-25945226420858818872024-01-17T07:48:00.003-05:002024-01-17T07:48:40.989-05:00It's Been A Minute, Evan Longoria <p>I think my audience has turned over during the past decade of writing in this space, but when I originally started writing I had a really healthy collection of Evan Longoria cards. He was the most noteworthy Durham Bulls alumni in the Majors. My Longoria collection was not quite to the level of my current Blake Snell collection, but it was close. </p><p>There are autographs......</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqemPhGl0AQ6IYQnD5cebaCpR4TN-eQlbuIWvA8zolVlsVTizJT6ODDAQfYr9djFoVWqiYk6FcAIlSvVLqt99-OOy6Q0ELiJctDaWJJxvD_NT8eP8lMtV1IWGqo7LtLqPakHAAJ4QDolAqRJBphYluFlZNsSZRZPnJkwHZ_DeHBMSDYkgRSjh0IS2y83A/s640/IMG_12232017_03%20.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="465" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqemPhGl0AQ6IYQnD5cebaCpR4TN-eQlbuIWvA8zolVlsVTizJT6ODDAQfYr9djFoVWqiYk6FcAIlSvVLqt99-OOy6Q0ELiJctDaWJJxvD_NT8eP8lMtV1IWGqo7LtLqPakHAAJ4QDolAqRJBphYluFlZNsSZRZPnJkwHZ_DeHBMSDYkgRSjh0IS2y83A/w466-h640/IMG_12232017_03%20.jpg" width="466" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Autographed patches. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_yASxfFzZ5ieDmz1yvQmqHUYgiS0GmpSeSqz9Skxi7GFzu2alIw_3JETZ5sVfb_6h0pUt-sZ8tA3HsXYLP5F2C11GDEGw-r5WL2Vpkwl_LGJ7WrVLXrNIt6j1dwrMTD_BoqA-R2-wo038Fo5-qJ544r5dn1_lImhC0jUml_sQd8ccFlH8qbsAGkVF6vI/s640/IMG_20171202_0001.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="452" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_yASxfFzZ5ieDmz1yvQmqHUYgiS0GmpSeSqz9Skxi7GFzu2alIw_3JETZ5sVfb_6h0pUt-sZ8tA3HsXYLP5F2C11GDEGw-r5WL2Vpkwl_LGJ7WrVLXrNIt6j1dwrMTD_BoqA-R2-wo038Fo5-qJ544r5dn1_lImhC0jUml_sQd8ccFlH8qbsAGkVF6vI/w452-h640/IMG_20171202_0001.jpg" width="452" /></a></div><br /><p>Manufactured patches. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFotgJxGdUVQNWsnogmkf59cuSNKkKSA1TW43HsaoFsuR_QiccXxNllHtOfGtV0ExrkN7y5O414k9xBIq8uwHnCuWATHA_ULP8J2JyFdncJfWTyl5t7nnqBK1IVkJlxZSuSdirlvA9eonV4K1vdxk5A_l7uPAhGtXW0YtMz5JQe1rTxsi3c4nkoCty0jA/s320/Scan%20122870007.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="232" data-original-width="320" height="464" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFotgJxGdUVQNWsnogmkf59cuSNKkKSA1TW43HsaoFsuR_QiccXxNllHtOfGtV0ExrkN7y5O414k9xBIq8uwHnCuWATHA_ULP8J2JyFdncJfWTyl5t7nnqBK1IVkJlxZSuSdirlvA9eonV4K1vdxk5A_l7uPAhGtXW0YtMz5JQe1rTxsi3c4nkoCty0jA/w640-h464/Scan%20122870007.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>and whole letters off the back of his jersey. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfPoRLu4lAl3wgwtiWgAHDssi0KrRtmZ076bfN4JV_4ipSrDNPQoJsBi49VqZqBm-3wa5hGX3SIKn_AJ_fKXvghrSnG9bivd18iUmaNk4S8sLHany-KwBOwJh8hs0P14GEaEZX49vzOS4lUEKBeK2qrakOWwHi7EgEwpnh1LLiG_dO3jCo-JBPEqwpCuE/s640/Scanned%20Image%20131020003.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="456" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfPoRLu4lAl3wgwtiWgAHDssi0KrRtmZ076bfN4JV_4ipSrDNPQoJsBi49VqZqBm-3wa5hGX3SIKn_AJ_fKXvghrSnG9bivd18iUmaNk4S8sLHany-KwBOwJh8hs0P14GEaEZX49vzOS4lUEKBeK2qrakOWwHi7EgEwpnh1LLiG_dO3jCo-JBPEqwpCuE/w456-h640/Scanned%20Image%20131020003.jpg" width="456" /></a></div><br /><p>After getting traded off the Rays, my Evan Longoria collection came to a halt. I have not really touched his cards over the past six or seven years, but decided to go back and fill in a few holes. Nothing I am willing to put in my collecting goals for the year, but here we are with an important early card I missed adding to my collection years ago. </p><p>This is his 2006 Bowman Sterling autograph.......</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSIt_WpIJyQ7CokzF3pzMqqx13bsULGPI9s-yADzSx-lZRChfZpPoGltKAmVKaNU0em4JqM9plXhDO3PbQEFuc0mpn_TcetwHxLxTEs3sGUPTQZb4DhxObhIvS5w88Xo4fu1_wHliGD8IxQh7rpW4nSTt2Uah_8cVC-ZDT8enZwAXf0VE7mW1THTsE274/s2157/IMG_20240112_0001.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2157" data-original-width="1646" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSIt_WpIJyQ7CokzF3pzMqqx13bsULGPI9s-yADzSx-lZRChfZpPoGltKAmVKaNU0em4JqM9plXhDO3PbQEFuc0mpn_TcetwHxLxTEs3sGUPTQZb4DhxObhIvS5w88Xo4fu1_wHliGD8IxQh7rpW4nSTt2Uah_8cVC-ZDT8enZwAXf0VE7mW1THTsE274/w488-h640/IMG_20240112_0001.jpg" width="488" /></a></div><p>This used to be a fairly expensive card. There were nicer options at the time that were on-card autographs, so I skipped over this one. Several of the "missing" Longoria cards from my collection are early sticker autographs I did not choose to buy specifically because they were sticker autographs. I actually like the design of this card and the sticker is farily well-blended for having a white background. </p><p>More Longoria card later. </p>The Snorting Bullhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11376669412007613030noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7911511049033479555.post-57027381649826817882024-01-14T16:17:00.003-05:002024-01-14T18:39:30.958-05:00Pujols Post - 2021 Stadium Club Chrome <p>I ran into my local card shop for a few boxes on Sunday afternoon and ended up sorting through a few stacks of cards. Found a couple new Pujols cards along with a few others that will get their own post. I am going to make some non-Cardinal Pujols Posts this year. This is the first of them. </p><p>I love the photo on the front of the card. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlHoJrReucWXcaMVRrycB9SVUY6_PEoVuYRf7gexUsDu3CBperACsbACLfNT-soF4ITGVrcra8KECkw9fgwtVxNoV5eeo4uZGQYdIhbcJqqHYSWPSsy_xcOHt1sbKthHAi9e1ouCZH-9q7mecjDImjAoRV0h9IDRCmzm5vbnwlcK1zPKacXx8G641YqVQ/s2134/IMG_20240114_0001.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2134" data-original-width="1544" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlHoJrReucWXcaMVRrycB9SVUY6_PEoVuYRf7gexUsDu3CBperACsbACLfNT-soF4ITGVrcra8KECkw9fgwtVxNoV5eeo4uZGQYdIhbcJqqHYSWPSsy_xcOHt1sbKthHAi9e1ouCZH-9q7mecjDImjAoRV0h9IDRCmzm5vbnwlcK1zPKacXx8G641YqVQ/w464-h640/IMG_20240114_0001.jpg" width="464" /></a></div><br /><p>The scan does not do this card justice, so I am also going to include a photo of the card. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSwx9bT01OgkXoEdW5O5q5BH8uv9iwG_72JWOBN1vzLpInPBTzFld_3vfY5rl3HSxdSPYuqA9QumexQsHxyVj-qNt5Sj2drQtmf6TeeabEz609F5sbtUun11nqDGVt0tcVbzvnWe9Cec_dsWeBpv1Tox_vUBO8rCV5_n6xniJ0wJcwOnpFOZsubMWKXoQ/s2048/411512512_1500604620498165_4743176703025128746_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSwx9bT01OgkXoEdW5O5q5BH8uv9iwG_72JWOBN1vzLpInPBTzFld_3vfY5rl3HSxdSPYuqA9QumexQsHxyVj-qNt5Sj2drQtmf6TeeabEz609F5sbtUun11nqDGVt0tcVbzvnWe9Cec_dsWeBpv1Tox_vUBO8rCV5_n6xniJ0wJcwOnpFOZsubMWKXoQ/w480-h640/411512512_1500604620498165_4743176703025128746_n.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><p>That's slightly better even if you have the shadow and reflection of my phone on the bottom of the card. </p><p>Love this action shot of Albert swinging from the front. There are tons of pictures of him batting on baseball cards, but they are almost all from the side. This is a really unique vantage point. Great looking photography is why people buy Stadium Club cards and they certainly got this card right. </p><p>I tried tracking the photograph to a specific game. </p><p>Albert Pujols played three games against the Braves in Atlanta while he was on the Dodgers in 2021. The games took place June 4, 5, and 6. </p><p>In the June 4 game, Albert pinch hit for Max Muncy and then stayed in the game. He walked and struck out in two plate appearances and it waas also a night game. Not it. </p><p>In the June 5 game, Albert entered the game as a pinch hitter and had two plate appearances. He struck out in his first at-bat and flew out to center in his second at-bat. I would consider the second at-bat a possibility, but the game started at 7:00 and the fly out was at the end of the game. I think the photograph is too light. </p><p>June 6. The Braves started Max Fried (left-handed pitcher), so Albert started at 1B for the Dodgers. He had four at-bats and there are two possibilities, but I lean towards the second. First, he flew out to the left fielder in the sixth inning. He also hit a solo home run in the ninth.</p><p>I think this photograph is from the home run. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="438" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/fGNepvVI6NA" width="528" youtube-src-id="fGNepvVI6NA"></iframe></div><br /><p>What do you think? </p><p>Back of the card. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU5aKS20dyWTXCx1kPoFzK0BU_i6H7JykhUCk7i4VP749Gt_otbTzZ7U0x7HDAmeQACnoO6LZ_ImKbVYp2PBSvwhFeoNYVeJSgFHUQW003SqDxb-ARvIvMnR3Pk6N-gramaIBXKhtHVgHukPTZZopBZsULmBcXKI0f40caETCLk_NmevsHmvZdNaMukSc/s2151/IMG_20240114_0002.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2151" data-original-width="1545" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU5aKS20dyWTXCx1kPoFzK0BU_i6H7JykhUCk7i4VP749Gt_otbTzZ7U0x7HDAmeQACnoO6LZ_ImKbVYp2PBSvwhFeoNYVeJSgFHUQW003SqDxb-ARvIvMnR3Pk6N-gramaIBXKhtHVgHukPTZZopBZsULmBcXKI0f40caETCLk_NmevsHmvZdNaMukSc/w460-h640/IMG_20240114_0002.jpg" width="460" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Decent back design and write-up. I like looking at his career stat line. What a player. The Snorting Bullhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11376669412007613030noreply@blogger.com6