One Crazy Summer

It’s been quite a while since my last post.  I’ve got quite a bit of catching up to do. The hobby has had to take a back seat to a little thing called life.  Mainly, my work.  The summer schedule has been absolutely hectic.  The past several weeks have been full of training exercises, underways, [...]

©2008 The Electric Friar. All Rights Reserved.

This post is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

One Crazy Summer

Continue reading about One Crazy Summer »

My ship just got back in this afternoon.  We went on a 25 hour underway which was both a) a nasty surprise to the crew and b) very tiring.  Out of 25 total hours at sea, I stood over 16 hours on watch so I am rather exhausted.  We had no internet available to us [...]

©2008 The Electric Friar. All Rights Reserved.

This post is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

Just Got Back to Some Surprising Headlines

Continue reading about Just Got Back to Some Surprising Headlines »

I got my hand on a hobby box of 2008 Sweet Spot and one of those Sweet Spot retail tins from Target.  It’s been a while since I opened a box so I’ve been getting the itch to bust something.
I’ll start off with the retail tin.  These sell for about $30 at target and offer [...]

©2008 The Electric Friar. All Rights Reserved.

This post is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

Box Break: 2008 Sweet Spot

Continue reading about Box Break: 2008 Sweet Spot »

singlepic id=374 h=250 mode=web20 float=center]
It’s been awhile since I’ve won anything from Ebay, so a few days ago I started bidding and won these two cards.  This year’s Goudey design has pretty much been destroyed in the blogosphere, but I’m still a fan of anything with on-card autographs.  Especially anything with Padres autographs.
Some good news [...]

©2008 The Electric Friar. All Rights Reserved.

This post is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

Mailday: 2009 Goudey Graphs Adrian Gonzalez & Matt Antonelli

Continue reading about Mailday: 2009 Goudey Graphs Adrian Gonzalez & Matt Antonelli »

I’m in a 90’s kind of mood right now.  So I figure I’d spotlight a card that exemplified the craziness of the 90’s insert era.  Here’s Joey Hamilton’s card from the 1994 Flair ‘Wave of the Future” insert set.  This was a 20 card insert set that highlighted some of the game’s hottest young stars.  [...]

©2008 The Electric Friar. All Rights Reserved.

This post is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

Collection Highlight: 1994 Flair Wave of the Future Joey Hamilton

Continue reading about Collection Highlight: 1994 Flair Wave of the Future Joey Hamilton »

Another duty day onboard the ship, another boring watch finished.  I’m up working late, so I figured I could surf the web for a bit to pass the time.
The losses keep piling up.   Jake Peavy pitches pretty decently, but as he put it,  “Just good enough to lose.”  The Friars have gone 4-17 in their [...]

©2008 The Electric Friar. All Rights Reserved.

This post is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

Thoughts on the Night Shift

Continue reading about Thoughts on the Night Shift »

I completely forgot today’s significance, but 30 Year Old Cardboard was on point.  Tony Gwynn, aka Mr. Padre, turns 49 today.  Happy Birthday to a class act and the greatest to ever wear a Padres uniform.
©2008 The Electric Friar. All Rights Reserved.
This post is licensed under a Creative Commons License.Mr. Padre Turns 49

©2008 The Electric Friar. All Rights Reserved.

This post is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

Mr. Padre Turns 49

Continue reading about Mr. Padre Turns 49 »

Ryan Klesko’s Topps Finest Refractor.  So very shiny:
I first became aware of Ryan Klesko back during the Padres fire sale of 1993.  (Wow, that’s over 15 years ago….I’m feeling older.)  Back then the team was being gutted and the likes of Gary Sheffield and Fred McGriff were being shopped around.   The Atlanta Braves were very [...]

©2008 The Electric Friar. All Rights Reserved.

This post is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

Collection Highlight: 2002 Topps Finest Ryan Klesko Refractor

Continue reading about Collection Highlight: 2002 Topps Finest Ryan Klesko Refractor »

With the amateur draft almost a month away, I wanted to highlight a couple of prospects not named Stephen Strasburg. While I hope Scott Boras’ posturing will scare away the Nationals and Mariners, odds are that one of those teams will draft the best prospect ever.
So, who’s the best of the rest?   Even [...]

©2008 The Electric Friar. All Rights Reserved.

This post is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

Prospects Watch: Grant Green and Tyler Matzek

Continue reading about Prospects Watch: Grant Green and Tyler Matzek »

Remember back in 2004 when Padre fans naively thought that we were set for the next 15 years at SS and 3B?  It was a euphoric period for the Padres.  They were in the midst of moving into their new downtown ballpark and they had a nucleus of solid young talent – Burroughs and Greene [...]

©2008 The Electric Friar. All Rights Reserved.

This post is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

Collection Highlight: 2004 Sweet Spot Khalil Greene and Sean Burroughs Diamond Duos

Continue reading about Collection Highlight: 2004 Sweet Spot Khalil Greene and Sean Burroughs Diamond Duos »

Mr. Padre talks about his star pitcher.  How great he is, how he’s handled the pressure, etcetera, etcetera.  Gwynn’s take on all the attention surrounding Strasburg, clearly the top prospect in this year’s Amateur Draft:
If you don’t want all the attention then suck.
Speaking of the MLB Draft, it will be televised this year on the [...]

©2008 The Electric Friar. All Rights Reserved.

This post is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

Tony Gwynn Discusses Uber-Prospect Stephen Strasburg

Continue reading about Tony Gwynn Discusses Uber-Prospect Stephen Strasburg »

I was at the hobby store the other day and I broke down and purchased a pack/box of 2008 Ultimate Collection baseball.  Ultimate Collection is one of those “joe collector” type products – super expensive, guaranteed “hits”.   In this case, for well over $120 you get 4 cards – 3 base cards and 1 [...]

©2008 The Electric Friar. All Rights Reserved.

This post is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

Pack Break: 2008 Ultimate Collection baseball – Ron Santo

Continue reading about Pack Break: 2008 Ultimate Collection baseball – Ron Santo »

I was very excited when I received this card in the mail today:
Why the excitement over a card featuring Cowboys cornerback Mike Jenkins?  Well my friends, I have now completed the 2008 Upper Deck set (cards 1-325).  I started working on the set back in September.  It began with a hobby box of 08 Upper [...]

©2008 The Electric Friar. All Rights Reserved.

This post is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

Set Building: 2008 Upper Deck Football – Update 6

Continue reading about Set Building: 2008 Upper Deck Football – Update 6 »

A success from one of my spring training TTM requests.  Courtesy of Mark Prior, who signed his 2005 Fleer Tradition card in blue ink.  The postmark came from Phoenix, where I’m guessing, Mr. Prior is continuing his rehab.  With the Padres weak starting pitching decimated by injuries, hopefully Mr. Prior can bounce back and give [...]

©2008 The Electric Friar. All Rights Reserved.

This post is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

Mailday: Mark Prior TTM Success

Continue reading about Mailday: Mark Prior TTM Success »

The popular set is back for 2009.   The base set has been redesigned and looks really nice.  Like previous Allen & Ginter sets you’ll find rip cards, DNA cards, and the Ginter code.  Among the non-baseball autographs is Michael Phelps who signed some cards in gold ink.  Expected release date is July 2009.

©2008 The Electric [...]

©2008 The Electric Friar. All Rights Reserved.

This post is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

Video Preview: 2009 Topps Allen & Ginter

Continue reading about Video Preview: 2009 Topps Allen & Ginter »

Finally complete.  Never intended to do this, but it just happened to work out.  There were six Padres in this set, so I decided to try and spell ‘Padres’ using all six players.  From left to right:
P – Khalil Greene
A – Adrian Gonzalez
D – Kevin Kouzmanoff
R – Justin Hampson
E – Kevin Cameron
S – Chris Young
©2008 [...]

©2008 The Electric Friar. All Rights Reserved.

This post is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

P-A-D-R-E-S 2007 SP Authentics By The Letter Patches

Continue reading about P-A-D-R-E-S 2007 SP Authentics By The Letter Patches »

Coming out of Spring Training, I would have never imagined that the Friars would start off 8-3.  Nice start, and they’ve come through in the clutch too.  Two 6-5 wins in NY and the 8-7 comeback in Philly.  Jim Lefebvre just might be the answer to the Padres batting woes.  We’ll see what happens when [...]

©2008 The Electric Friar. All Rights Reserved.

This post is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

8-3 After Eleven Games!!!

Continue reading about 8-3 After Eleven Games!!! »

I got this card in a trade with a member from Trading Card Central.  I traded a couple of cards from my recent pack break of 08 Topps Mayo – the Donnie Avery autographed card and the Jonathan Stewart mini card.  Jersey cards are somewhat passe nowadays, but I liked that this one wasn’t a [...]

©2008 The Electric Friar. All Rights Reserved.

This post is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

Mailday: Ladainian Tomlinson 2008 Donruss Threads

Continue reading about Mailday: Ladainian Tomlinson 2008 Donruss Threads »

For a chance to win a free card from the 2009 Topps Heritage baseball set, here’s the address:
NPN 2009 Topps Heritage Baseball
PO Box 5176
Avoca, PA 18641
Unfortunately, this is open to U.S. and Canadian (except Quebec) residents only.  To enter, you must hand print your name and complete mailing address on a 3×5 index card and [...]

©2008 The Electric Friar. All Rights Reserved.

This post is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

No Purchase Necessary Information for 2009 Topps Heritage

Continue reading about No Purchase Necessary Information for 2009 Topps Heritage »

So the wife and I are walking through Target, just running a few errands. After several minutes of pestering and pleading, she relents and lets me buy a few packs. Like a kid who just received his allowance, I scan the card aisle to see what packs are at my disposal. Unfortunately, [...]

©2008 The Electric Friar. All Rights Reserved.

This post is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

Pack Break: 2009 Topps Heritage and 2008 Topps Mayo

Continue reading about Pack Break: 2009 Topps Heritage and 2008 Topps Mayo »

Another vintage card design from Topps.  This one looks promising.  It is Topps’ second football set of 2009, scheduled for a mid-June release.  It will feature the largest autograph set in Topps history – all 300 cards from the base set will have an autograph variation!  Also, look for hobby boxes to average 3 autographs [...]

©2008 The Electric Friar. All Rights Reserved.

This post is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

Video Preview: 2009 Topps Magic Football

Continue reading about Video Preview: 2009 Topps Magic Football »

Just received this one, should be a nice complement to my Magic Johnson UD Sweet Shots Autograph.
©2008 The Electric Friar. All Rights Reserved.
This post is licensed under a Creative Commons License.
Ebay Win: Kareem Abdul Jabbar Upper Deck Sweet Shots Autograph

©2008 The Electric Friar. All Rights Reserved.

This post is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

Ebay Win: Kareem Abdul Jabbar Upper Deck Sweet Shots Autograph

Continue reading about Ebay Win: Kareem Abdul Jabbar Upper Deck Sweet Shots Autograph »

I love Ebay.  In case you haven’t noticed, most of the cards in my collection come from Ebay auctions.  I love that I can get a 50 card lot of assorted Padres cards.  It’s like buying a few packs but knowing that I’m scoring all “hits”. Sure I end up with a lot of duplicates, [...]

©2008 The Electric Friar. All Rights Reserved.

This post is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

Eclectic Lot of Padres Cardboard

Continue reading about Eclectic Lot of Padres Cardboard »

The other day I won Tony Gwynn’s Topps rookie card from Ebay.  This was graded MINT by PSA.  For Tony Gwynn collector’s, this is the definitive card to have in your collection.  I have a couple of ungraded copies, but I’ve been wanting to get a graded copy for a while.
That should complement the other [...]

©2008 The Electric Friar. All Rights Reserved.

This post is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

Completed the Tony Gwynn Graded Rookie Card Trifecta

Continue reading about Completed the Tony Gwynn Graded Rookie Card Trifecta »

I’ve been diligently trying to put the finishing touches on the 2008 Upper Deck football set the past few weeks.  Getting a lot closer to completion.  I went on Ebay and started hunting for most of the short prints that I needed.  Here’s what I’ve picked up since my last update:

#274 Matt Flynn – The [...]

©2008 The Electric Friar. All Rights Reserved.

This post is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

Set Building: 2008 Upper Deck Football – Update 5

Continue reading about Set Building: 2008 Upper Deck Football – Update 5 »

It’s late at night and I’m just perusing Ebay.  Not looking for anything in particular mind you, just seeing what’s out there.  I come across this Tony Gwynn card from Upper Deck Premier which is currently being listed for $75.
Not a bad card.  Nice 2-color jersey card and an autograph too.  But if you’re a [...]

©2008 The Electric Friar. All Rights Reserved.

This post is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

Upper Deck Quality Control

Continue reading about Upper Deck Quality Control »

2008 Topps Sterling is usually the type of set that I admire from afar.  At well over $200 a pop for boxes (packs really), it is well out of my price range.  However, I when I saw this group of Tony Gwynn Sterling cards on Ebay, I decided to give it a shot. Normally, each [...]

©2008 The Electric Friar. All Rights Reserved.

This post is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

Ebay Win: 2008 Topps Sterling Tony Gwynn Cards

Continue reading about Ebay Win: 2008 Topps Sterling Tony Gwynn Cards »

Some of you have probably heard a thing or two about Stephen Strasburg.  If not, you definitely will by the time June comes around. For the uninformed, Mr. Strasburg is a pitcher for the San Diego State Aztecs.  More than likely, he will be the top pick of the June amateur draft.  He’s been [...]

©2008 The Electric Friar. All Rights Reserved.

This post is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

Stephen Strasburg: Baseball’s Lebron James

Continue reading about Stephen Strasburg: Baseball’s Lebron James »

Natrone Means.  The Natrone Bomb.  Natrone “Refried” Means.  Natrone Means Business.  Definitely one of my favorite Chargers of all time.  I happened to check out his stats, and it surprised me to find out that he only had one 1,000 yard rushing season.  That came in 1994, when the Chargers managed to upset the Steelers [...]

©2008 The Electric Friar. All Rights Reserved.

This post is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

Collection Highlight: 1993 Stadium Club Members Only Parallel Natrone Means, Graded BGS 9.5

Continue reading about Collection Highlight: 1993 Stadium Club Members Only Parallel Natrone Means, Graded BGS 9.5 »

I got this little gem in the mail, via Ebay:
A nice autographed Chrome Refractor card of Matt Antonelli.  Graded by Beckett, 9.5 GEM Mint with a 10 for the autograph.  Everyone knows that Antonelli struggled last year, so hopefully he’s ready to bounce back this season.  He recently turned to studying video of his at-bats [...]

©2008 The Electric Friar. All Rights Reserved.

This post is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

Mailday: Matt Antonelli, Charlie Joiner, Justin Hampson, and a host of UD Masterpieces Autographs

Continue reading about Mailday: Matt Antonelli, Charlie Joiner, Justin Hampson, and a host of UD Masterpieces Autographs »

Scott Miller of CBSSport.com just completed his outlook for the Padres 2009 season.  If you haven’t read it yet, let’s just say that he’s not very optimistic.  Some quotes:
The franchise continues hemorrhaging credibility the way a hemophiliac gushes blood.
“They’re not a major-league team,” one National League scout says quietly. “They’ve got some talented players, a [...]

©2008 The Electric Friar. All Rights Reserved.

This post is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

Scott Miller’s 2009 Padres Outlook

Continue reading about Scott Miller’s 2009 Padres Outlook »

The Big Fella is getting a lot of playing time with Adrian off to the World Baseball Classic. However, with Mexico’s elimination, look for his playing time to decrease as the Pads try to get Adrian back in the groove.  If he continues to develop, the Padres face an interesting dilemma.  Trade him, trade Gonzalez, [...]

©2008 The Electric Friar. All Rights Reserved.

This post is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

Mailday: Kyle Blanks, Justin Hampson, & Shawne Merriman

Continue reading about Mailday: Kyle Blanks, Justin Hampson, & Shawne Merriman »

I just received my first TTM Autograph success of 2009, courtesy of Pittsburgh Pirates 3B Andy Laroche.  He signed my 06 Turkey Red card, which featured him in his Dodger uniform.  He was part of the trade that sent Manny Ramirez to the Dodgers and Jason Bay to the Red Sox.  He’s having a pretty [...]

©2008 The Electric Friar. All Rights Reserved.

This post is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

Mailday: 1st TTM Success of 2009 & Josh Barfield/Chase Headley Autographs

Continue reading about Mailday: 1st TTM Success of 2009 & Josh Barfield/Chase Headley Autographs »

75 posts and I finally get around to showing off my favorite autographed Tony Gwynn card.  It’s from the 2004 Topps Originals set.  Basically, the concept of Topps Originals was that Topps would take some of their older cards, have them autographed (on card, not on stickers), and encase them in an acrylic protector.  A [...]

©2008 The Electric Friar. All Rights Reserved.

This post is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

Collection Highlight: 2004 Topps Originals Signature Tony Gwynn Autographed Card

Continue reading about Collection Highlight: 2004 Topps Originals Signature Tony Gwynn Autographed Card »

Well, I’ve finally found enough spare time to get down to the business of sending out some TTM autograph requests.  I still need to pick up more stamps and envelopes later. For my first batch, I’m sending to current Padres Jake Peavy, Mark Prior, Cesar Carillo, Cliff Floyd, and Brian Giles.  Also sending to former [...]

©2008 The Electric Friar. All Rights Reserved.

This post is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

TTM: Sending out My First TTM’s of 2009

Continue reading about TTM: Sending out My First TTM’s of 2009 »