on March 10th, 2010 by 30-Year Old Cardboard
Tags:
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Posted in 30 Year Old Cardboard, Baseball Cards
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on March 10th, 2010 by Tracy Hackler
Tags:
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autographs,
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on March 10th, 2010 by chrisolds
Tags:
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Posted in Baseball Cards, Beckett Blog
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on March 10th, 2010 by handcollated
Why is this one of my favorite cards? Well, surely by now you have seen the other Topps team cards that pepper the Series 1 checklist. The most popular of these is card #1 of Prince Fielder and the Brewers. Other teams have the usual home plate celebration conglomeration demonstrated here by my beloved [...]
Continue reading about The Royal(s) treatment »
Tags:
2010 topps,
Uncategorized
Posted in Hand Collated
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on March 10th, 2010 by Newspaperman
When news came out Wednesday that Nomar Garciaparra was announcing his retirement, I echoed the sentiment that many others had — didn’t he already leave the game?
Fact is Nomar Garciaparra has been a shell of his former self for much of the last decade, thanks in large part to a string of injuries that led [...]
Continue reading about Is newly retired Nomar Garciaparra a Hall of Famer? »
Tags:
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Posted in Baseball Cards, Cardboard Icons
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on March 10th, 2010 by Captain Canuck
Hey kids, it’s time for the latest installment of the Cartoon O’ the Day…. Brooklyn, New York??Balding? Check.Heavy 5 o’clock shadow? Check.Smoking? Check.Beer in hand? Check.Wearing a wife beater? Check.Good ole New York!
Continue reading about Cartoon O’ The Day.. »
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Cartoon of the Day
Posted in Waxaholic
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on March 10th, 2010 by 30-Year Old Cardboard
‘Same Card, Different Paths’ – Card #48
1970 Topps - Card # – AKA – ‘The Bill Buckner Rookie Card’
Jack Jenkins – Jenkins’ career spanned 3 major league seasons and in that time he appeared in just 8 games. A pitcher, used as both a starter and reliever, Jenkins just did not have ‘the stuff’ to stick around long. His [...]
Continue reading about ‘Same Card, Different Paths’ – Card #48 »
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on March 10th, 2010 by T.S.

You would think that all grumpy old men would stick together, but I haven’t
been able to find much of a kinship with 2008 Hall of Fame inductee Goose Gossage.
Oh, he was great fun to watch at the peak of his game 30 years ago or
so, but I think the combination of my general disdain of the save statistic and the
Gossage-induced absurdity of complaining about nuance within the already questionable
interpretation of the usefulness of the same statistic, and, like Goose, I start to
honk a bit.
That and Goose did a good deal of bitching and moaning about the HOF
voting results in the years that didn’t quite bring him to the 75 percent threshold.
I’m not quibbling with the idea that he should be in the Hall of Fame, but merely
noting that his carping about other candidates – and potential future candidates –
borders on the disingenuous.
In a brief interview in the March 7 New York Times, he sidestepped
a question about whether Mariano Rivera is the best closer in baseball history
with his traditional lament about the enfeebled one-inning save vs. the manly two-inning
variety that was the norm during his time. I mean really, would it have diminished
Gossage at all to have simply said, “Yeah, the historical record would seem to have
laid that question to rest some time ago.”
And speaking of the tainted one-inning save, how many times do you suppose
Warren Spahn finished off yet another complete game under circumstances that would
provide for a “Save” to be awarded? It’s just changes in strategy and tactics of MLB
over the course of the game’s evolution.
But my real beef with Goose comes when he – now safely installed in Cooperstown
– grandly pronounces that hardly anybody else should be. I could argue that, in terms
of his impact on the managerial ranks, Billy Martin’s footprint in MLB was
no less imposing than Goose’s, but the reliever decrees that Martin doesn’t belong
because “we didn’t get along” and “he didn’t handle (pitching) staffs well.”
I’m not even a Martin apologist or advocate for his HOF chances, merely
commenting that guys who manage to get their plaque ought to be a bit more gracious
about some of those still on the outside looking in (figuratively speaking).
Gossage also insists that Mark McGwire and any of the other steroid
users should not be admitted.
Yikes. That could mean for some quiet midsummer weekends in Central New
York in the years ahead. Many of the biggest names in Major League Baseball over the
last two decades would be excluded by Goose, to say nothing of whoever might be on
that list of 104 names that we don’t know about … yet.
For a guy who played smack dab in the middle of an era when guys were
popping Greenies like they were going out of style – fortunately they actually were
– Gossage is pretty strict about denouncing anything that might be considered performance
enhancing.
Anybody want to take a stab at suggesting that amphetamines aren’t “performance
enhancing”? I’m hardly an expert – not my mood enhancer of choice or temperament –
but I understand that they are generally useful in enhancing a number of different
kinds of performances.
And to forestall any criticism, I’m not suggesting that Gossage popped
anything more potent than a Tylenol. But vast numbers of his contemporaries did, and
I’ve never heard any complaints from him about the effect of all that on the integrity
of the game.

Continue reading about Goose could be lonely guy in Cooperstown … »
Posted in Infield Dirt
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on March 10th, 2010 by Tuff Stuff
Lots of things going on in the sports world these days so instead of
picking one single topic and writing an expanded column on it, I’ll
just throw in my two cents on several of them.
NCAA Tournament Expansion:
This debate is a simple one. As it is right now with 65 teams in the mix to start
the tourney, I’d say about 20 actually have a chance to win the title and it’s likely
closer to about 8-10 that have a good chance of winning. If the field is then opened
up to 96 teams, those numbers don’t change. The list of contenders would remain exactly
the same while the list of pretenders would grow. What would the point of adding 31
more teams, all of which, have little-to-no chance of seeing the championship game
other than on TV like you and me. I’m a huge fan of the excitement that accompanies
the Madness but sometimes less is actual more. If it ain’t broke don’t fix it. Nothing
in the world captures the hearts of sports fans and non-sports fans like the Madness
of March. Any sport that can get Betty from Accounting filling out three brackets
and screaming her lungs out for a late break-away foul call is doing just fine.
Ben Roethlisberger: By now, everybody and their brother has heard about Big
Ben’s latest troubles involving a college girl and alleged sexual assault. Being a
life-long Steelers fan, my first reaction was: here we go again. Another gold digger
looking to cash in. But while the first woman who claimed Roethlisberger assaulted
her had no evidence to help support her claim and the case was quickly thrown out
without any criminal charges being pressed, this case seems to be different and not
in a sweep-it-under-the-rug kind of way.
Because Big Ben felt the need to hire one of the best defense lawyers money can buy
leads me to believe there is actual evidence supporting the woman’s claims. As it
stands now, no criminal charges have been charged, and despite the media painting
a very dark picture regarding Ben’s poor judgement of being in that type of situation
in the first place, Roethlisberger has yet to be charged of anything.
Unfortunately this isn’t the first time we as sports fans have gone through an athlete
being accused of similar activities and the history of such cases has proven that
no news is not good news for the person being accused. This appears to be the calm
before the storm, as the police look to gather evidence against Roethlisberger and
actually file charges. Just a gut feeling and I hope that I’m wrong, but this case
sure seems to be heading toward a trial and quite possible the beginning of the end
of a great NFL career.
NFL Offseason Moves
NFL Free Agency is always an exciting time, as fans’ dreams of Pro Bowlers joining
their squads dance through their heads. Typically the pick-ups made are nothing more
than desperate teams overpaying for guys based on their past performances only to
get little moving forward. And this year will likely have some of that as well but
I did like the moves that some teams made.
Without a draft pick inthe first two rounds (thanks Jay Cutler), the Bears made several
unexpected splashes by spending mega-millions to land Julius Peppers, Chester Taylor
and Brandon Manumalamula. If Chicago can now land a pick for disgruntled TE Greg Olson,
this could go down as one of the best offseasons in the team’s history. Peppers will
help the defensive line get pressure on the QB and ultimately help a suspect secondary,
Taylor will team with (and push) Matt Forte to forma potent backfield tandem and Manumalamula
will give the Bears an added blocker familiar with Mike Martz’s offense who can help
keep Cutler off his back and give him more time to find his own receivers instead
of opposing d-backs.
Other Free Agency winners appear to be the Jets and quite possibly the Bengals if
they can convince Terrell Owens to join Ocho Cinco’s party. The two receivers could
be the perfect combination of skill, showmanship and each would likely push the other
to become better. Carson Palmer says he can handle the two personalities and I believe
each receiver has enough in the tank to make this a marriage worth taking a shot on.
History Worth Recognition
While most sports fans don’t follow women’s basketball closely enough to understand
to fully appreciate the magnitude and the difficulty of the UConn women’s basketball
team’s incomprehensible 72-game winning streak, that doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be
recognized and applauded. Winning 72 games of checkers in a row is pretty amazing
but notching six dozen victories in a major college conference is downright sick.
When you consider that every one of those wins was by double digits makes it just
that much more incredible. My hat is off to the Lady Huskies and yours should be,
too.

Continue reading about Not So Deep Thoughts: NCAA, Big Ben and more »
Posted in 7th Inning Stretch
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on March 10th, 2010 by 30-Year Old Cardboard
1984 Fleer Paul Molitor
Oh Yeah, it’s yearbook time at ‘30-Year Old Cardboard’ again. This time we have Paul Molitor taking his senior portrait. Paul has chosen his baseball uniform as his prop, and it is a good choice since he is such a highly regarded baseball star for the school. Asked about what the future [...]
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Posted in 30 Year Old Cardboard
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on March 10th, 2010 by Tuff Stuff
The final week of the NCAA regular season proved to be too much for most of last week’s Beat the Blogger contestants but Brandon
Pierce had no problem steering clear of the many upsets. Pierce posted a score
of 8 to beat the Blogger’s total of 7 and defeat the rest of the field to win the
prize.
(Blogger’s note: Due to a much-needed and long-overdue vacation, there will be no
Beat the Blogger contest next week. Enjoy the NCAA Tournament action and we’ll jump
back into the contest on March 24.)
This week’s matchups and the Blogger picks are posted below so be sure you check back
and get your picks posted before the start of the first game on Saturday.
Copy and paste our link and send it to your friends on Facebook, Twitter and
anywhere else so they can be a part of the action and we can boost our total list
of contestants, http://blog.tuffstuff.com/7thinning/
With the number of weekly participants slipping a bit the last few weeks I’m making
a call to action to all of our regulars to do some recruiting. While more people
means more work for the Blogger and more people for the Blogger to go up against,
I welcome the challenge and offer this challenge to you: If each player can recruit
10 new players and we can boost the total to 200 or more, I’ll triple the weekly prize.
So spread the word about the contest to all your co-workers, family and friends
and meet that goal and boost the prize.
Copy and paste our link and send it to your friends so they can be a part of the action, http://blog.tuffstuff.com/7thinning/
This week’s winners are posted below so check to see how you fared against
the field.
While I enjoy giving prizes to several people vs. having just one weekly winner, from
this point forward contestants will be asked to provide a tie-breaker on the week’s
last game so we narrow our winner down to one. Contestants will now b
e
asked to predict the total score from the last game on the list and the closest to
the actual score will be deemed the winner). I’ll also require contestants
to post their e-mail address with their picks so I can track down the winners
easier.
For those unfamiliar with the Beat the Blogger contest, the idea is simple.
The Blogger posts 10 matchups each week and then selects his choices for the winners
of those matchups. Contestants enter the Beat the Blogger contest by clicking on
the “Comment” section below the post with the matchups and then select their
own 10 winners. You can also designate one of your picks as a “Doubler” and
you will receive an extra point if you’re correct so don’t forget to designate your
“Doubler” pick and increase your chances of winning. If you Beat The Blogger’s
total and post the high score for the week, you win. The regular weekly
prize is an authentic signed 8-by-10 color photo of stars such as LaDainian
Tomlinson, Drew Brees, Marshall Faulk, Santonio Holmes, Gale Sayers, Catfish
Hunter and many more. From time to time, the Blogger will sweeten the pot for
the weekly contest so look for special prize packages.
This week’s matchups with Blogger’s picks in parenthesis
Saturday & Sunday, March 12 & 13
NBA Basketball
Detroit at Atlanta (Atlanta)
Denver at Memphis (Denver)(Doubler)
Toronto at Golden State (Golden State)
Indiana at Milwaukee (Milwaukee)
Boston at Cleveland (Cleveland)
Utah at Oklahoma City (Utah)
NHL
Washington at Chicago (Chicago)
Pittsburgh at Tampa Bay (Pittsburgh
St. Louis at Minnesota (St. LOuis)
Calgary at Vancouver (Calgary)
Tiebreaker: Total goals in Calgary/Vancouver game (4)

Continue reading about Beat the Blogger Matchups »
Posted in 7th Inning Stretch
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on March 10th, 2010 by Matt F.
I was watching The Natural on Sunday night after the Oscars and after Roy Hobbs/Robert Redford first breaks out into baseball super stardom it flashes to a scene of Roy Hobbs baseball cards hot off the presses.As the cards flashed by they looked like 1…
Continue reading about Cards Of The Natural »
Tags:
the natural
Posted in Heartbreaking Cards
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on March 10th, 2010 by 30-Year Old Cardboard
1963 Headline: Pete Rose’s Debut A Hit. 2, Actually!!
On this day back in 1963, Pete Rose made his major league debut during Spring Training for the Cincinnati Reds.
The game’s all-time hits king established himself early as he collected two hits in two at-bats against the Chicago White Sox. And although nobody, except maybe for Pete, [...]
Continue reading about 1963 Headline: Pete Rose’s Debut A Hit. 2, Actually!! »
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Posted in 30 Year Old Cardboard, Baseball Cards
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on March 10th, 2010 by madding
I’m in a good mood tonight. It’s funny how a Blazers win will do that to me. I’ve also given up on trying to write these blog posts as if it were the day that my readers are likely to read the post rather than the day it currently is for me. Right n…
Continue reading about Catching Up »
Tags:
cardinals,
trades
Posted in Cards on Cards
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on March 10th, 2010 by stusigpi
Two people still need to pay, maybe 3 I don’t know if Dgreene paid this month. Captain and King Felix. They were waiting for the Hockey Break to fill up before paying. I will refund the rest of the hockey break people that paid tomorrow.
Continue reading about Group Breaks »
Posted in I am Joe Collector
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on March 9th, 2010 by rosschrisman2003
Tags:
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the,
usa
Posted in Sports Card Info
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