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So, We Know Who Won The Super Bowl, But Who Won The Contest???

30-Year Old Cardboard — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 02:59:40 +0000

So, We Know Who Won The Super Bowl, But Who Won The Contest???

OK, more important than the winner of Super Bowl 46 is the winner of the ’1st Annual 30-YOC Super Bowl Contest’.

With the winning team being the Giants and the final score being 21-17 for a total of 38 points, the winner is JT with 35 points.

Congratulations JT!!!!

Here is a look at your prize:

And I also offered up a second place prize for this contest as well.

The second place winner is Jason Seidman who had the Giants with 31 total points scored.

Congratulations Jason!!!

And here is one more look at your prize:

I hope that everyone enjoyed the game, and I look forward to doing this again next year!!!

Thank for playing everyone – and please stay tuned to ’30-YOC’, I will have another sweet giveaway coming up in just a few short weeks.

Good night.

While The World Watches The Super Bowl….

30-Year Old Cardboard — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 01:00:08 +0000

While The World Watches The Super Bowl….

I am not really a big football fan. As a matter of fact, I have probably not watched more than a quarter of football this entire season.

Still, I enjoy the spectacle of the Super Bowl and everything that accompanies it.

I had the game on tonight, but was focused on something else…

While The World Watches The Super Bowl….

… I shop for baseball cards!!!

And wait until I start unveiling what I picked up!!!

Stay tuned.

‘SUPER BOWL CONTEST’ – The Players And Their Picks!!!

30-Year Old Cardboard — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 07:00:27 +0000

‘SUPER BOWL CONTEST’ – The Players And Their Picks!!!

Ok everyone, the big game is tonight and it should be an entertaining one.

And at ’30-YOC’ we have a great contest running in conjunction with the game.

So, thanks to all of the entrants, and Good Luck to you.

Here is a list of the players, their picks for the winning team, and the total number of points that they think will be scored:

Player	Team	Points
Jason Seidman	Giants	31
JT	Giants	35
Spiegel83	Giants	42
**30-YOC	Giants	45
Matt D	Giants	50
cynicalbuddha	Giants	52
Jeff B	Giants	57
Justin	Patriots	35
James	Patriots	38
Don S	Patriots	44
Doug	Patriots	45
Gregory Zawkin	Patriots	48
Jeff B	Patriots	50
Josh	Patriots	51
charley	Patriots	52
Jason Beasley	Patriots	55
Q	Patriots	59
Chunter	Patriots	62
Diamond King	Patriots	64
night owl	Patriots	65
Wrigley Regular	Patriots	71
Jeff Laws	Patriots	77

**I couldn’t help it – I had to put my selections into the mix too (if I win, I will still give out both prizes).

Enjoy the game!!!

Pete "Zombie" Daley

mkenny59 — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 02:00:00 +0000

Pete Daley, 1959 Topps

In 1949, Pete Daley died.

(Or he "pied." For the purposes of this entire post, let's go with died.) Normally, death is a difficult thing to come back from, but through a rigorous rehab program and also because he was a zombie—he died when he was bitten by a zombie, did I mention that? I should have mentioned that—he resurfaced, quite literally, in the Haitian Winter League. What follows is a short account of Daley’s fascinating post-life journey …

1955, Haitian Winter League game, sixth inning. Earth rumbles near shortstop, Daley emerges from ground in zombie form, dusts himself off.

Haitian player: (In Haitian) What the ffff …

Umpire: (In Haitian) Time out!

Daley: Put me in coach, me ready to play, clap, clap-clap, today.

Don Zimmer: (Playing in Haitian Winter League in order to stay away from family) Hey, what gives, pal? We’re in the middle of a game over here!

Daley: Where is me? This not look like America.

Zimmer: This is Haiti, you monster-looking fool!

Daley: Pfft. Me hatey Haiti, zombie joke. Walks over to catcher, picks him up by throat, tosses him over outfield fence. Me catch now, not him. Single switch. PITCH BALL NOW.

Daley does not have a glove; every pitch hits him directly in the face. Inning ends. Daley stand ups, rips off arm of previous batter to use as bat, leads off next inning, lines first pitch down left field line, kills third baseman.

Daley: Turns to umpire. Kill man equals 10 home runs, zombie rules. We win. New stance. Big difference is me dead now, pull ball; used to be alive, strike out. Eats umpire’s brain.

But winter turned to spring in Haiti, and Pete Daley longed to return to his beloved Red Sox teammates. Also, he had eaten everyone in the Haitian Winter League and most games did not last through two innings without devolving into chaos. He decided to head back to Boston. He walked, due to his fear of airplanes. It took him three years.

Boston, April, 1958, batting practice

Daley: Walks into Fenway, naked, grunting.

Vic Wertz: Mother of … Pete, is that you? I thought you were dead!

Daley: Not dead. Undead.

Wertz: You look a little pale. And what happened to your penis?

Daley: Fell off in Tallahassee. What happened to your brain?

Wertz: Wh—

Daley: Eats Vic Wertz’s brain.

Pumpsie Green: Well I’ll be a son of gun. If it ain’t ol’ Pete Daley. Thought you kicked the bucket a decade ago. Can’t hold a good man down, I guess. Here, put on some clothes. Tosses him a uniform.

Daley: Puts on uniform, takes spikes, throws them, impales groundskeeper in back.

Green: Hey Skip, Daley’s back. Ain’t dead after all. Got a spot for ‘em?

Pinky Higgins, mngr: Never thought I’d see the day. Promised McCarthy at Daley’s funeral that if he ever came back as an undead, I’d make room for ‘em. But that’s one too many catchers. JOHNSON! Git over here …

Johnson: What’s up, skip? Looks at Daley. Holy sh*t, man. You hit the moonshine too hard last night or somethin’?

Higgins: Johnson, listen—I know you worked real hard this winter—

Daley: Less talk, more action. Eats Johnson’s brain.

Higgins: Well, that was easy. Sully, git over here and give ol’ Pete Daley a refresher course on catching, will ya’? He looks a little stiff on account of the deadness and what not.

Haywood Sullivan: Sure thing, skip. How ya’ doin’, Pete?

Daley: Pretty good. For a Monday.

Sully: You remember how to catch?

Daley: Like this? Squats down, defecates self, tips over.

Sully: Almost. Here, let me show you. First you need a glove. Here. Now bend down, using your legs, not your back, and hold your glove out to receive the pitch.

Daley: Eats glove.

Sully: Don’t eat the glove. Here. Try again.

Sully: Okay, that’s better. Just try and move that leg in a little so you’re in a full squat.

Sully:

Sully: Alright, whatever. Try not to stare blankly into nothingness or else the pitcher is going to feel weird.

Daley: Pitchers is stupid.

Sully: See, that’s the kind of attitude that’s gonna leave you third on the depth chart. Try pounding your glove a little bit, and say something reassuring, like, “Throw it heeeyaaaa, pitch! Lemme see that heat!”

Sully:

Daley: Throws up. Mouse emerges from barf and scurries away.

Sully: Okay, I think that’s enough for today.

Pete Daley played two more years in the big leagues before settling into a zombie retirement community in Pensacola, Florida, where he still unlives today. On the third Saturday night of each month, he tells zombie jokes at the Pensacola Community Center.

Back card art and concept by Punk Rock Paint, words by Mike Kenny.

1st Annual 30-Year Old Cardboard ‘SUPER BOWL CONTEST’

30-Year Old Cardboard — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 07:30:04 +0000

1st Annual 30-Year Old Cardboard ‘SUPER BOWL CONTEST’

Alright Guys & Gals, as the big game approaches, it is time to stage another contest at ’30-YOC’.

And why not give away some great baseball cards during a football match-up???

For this contest, the game is very easy. All you have to do is predict (A) the winner of the game and (B) the total number of points scored by both teams.

So, leave your pick for the winner and the total combined points in the comments section of this post to get into the game.

And now on to the prizes…

The player that selects the winning team correctly and comes closest to the total number of points scored by both teams (without going over) will win these great Topps Archives & Fan Favorites:

Wow, that lot is chock-full of HOFers, ROYs, MVPs, and CYs!!!

And since I am in a very generous mood, let’s also have a second place prize, shall we??? To finish in second place, you must still correctly pick the winning team, and I will then take the player that was next closest to the total number of points scored (still without going over).

Here is the prize for second place:

Man, there are some great All-Star and vintage legends in that second grouping, huh??

Now it is up tp you – Make your picks and post them so you can WIN, WIN, WIN!!!

I will close the pool at midnight on Saturday.

Enjoy the game everyone!!!

And The Eddie Murray Game-Used Jersey Card Contest Winner Is…

30-Year Old Cardboard — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 07:30:49 +0000

And The Eddie Murray Game-Used Jersey Card Contest Winner Is…

Gregory Zawkin

Congratulations Buddy!!!

And thanks to all that participated in this giveaway – the participation was great, and I really appreciate the support.

Here is a look at the full results of the random drawing:

And one more look at this great card of ‘Steady Eddie’:

Oh, and another contest is right around the corner - this one will be Super Bowl themed.

Stay tuned.

*PIC

Dibs McNasty

mkenny59 — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 02:00:00 +0000

Rob Dibble, 1989 Donruss

Name’s Dibs, a.k.a. Nasty Boy, a.k.a. Dibs McNasty. I got a rocket launcher for a right arm and an attitude to match. That means my attitude is also a rocket launcher in that I WILL BLAST OFF ON YOU. You’ve been warned.

You’re not a woman, are you? Good. I don’t care for women around ballparks. They don’t pay attention to what’s going on, and what’s going is that I AM DOMINATING MEN WITH MY BASEBALL PITCHES. They’re in the stands, these women, all like, “Hair and nails, something something, that’s my husband over there, he’s number such and such, I forget, I don’t like math, Barbie dolls and tea parties, I shave my armpits, did you hear what woman said about other woman, menstrual cycles, flowers and children and what not,” and meanwhile I just struck out like 17 guys and NO ONE IS PAYING ATTENTION TO ME.

One time I threw a ball into the stands as hard as I could for no reason and it hit a woman, and I’m all like WHAT IS SHE EVEN DOING HERE? Wikipedia described the incident as “inadvertent,” as if the ball hitting someone was some random happenstance that occurred as a result of a ball being thrown directly into a condensed group of many people. I was making a point, and the point was that: I AM ROB DIBBLE. Point: RECEIVED.

I throw balls at dudes, too. I don’t care. I threw a ball into Doug Dascenzo’s back one time while he was running down the first base line. That is my own personal way of recording outs, because throwing the ball into the first baseman’s glove is for sissies. Also, nice name, Dascenzo! GO BACK TO POLAND. Man, I am so pumped right now. I want to throw a ball at somebody so badly. Do you have a ball? I want to throw it in your face! No, you don’t have a ball? LET’S FIGHT WITH OUR BODIES. One time I threw down with my “manager” Lou Pinella. He was in the locker room all like, “Baseball, blah, blah, blah, look at me yelling at full-grown adults!” and I was like I’VE HAD ENOUGH OF YOUR CRAP. So we fought and I won. That dude is such a hothead.

A lot of people don’t know this, but I broke my arm in that fight. Still pitched the next day. Struck out 12 guys on six pitches, world record. That’s why it really sticks in my craw when pretty boys like Strausburg stop pitching because they have boo-boos on their arm. They’d have to drag me off the mound with a complex pulley system operated by dinosaurs before I voluntarily left the game because my arm had an owie. YOU’LL TAKE THIS BALL FROM MY COLD, DEAD HANDS, PINELLA. The way I figure it, some boy in the stands came to the game with his dad for the first time just to see me pitch, and I’ll be gosh darned if I let that kid down. I want him to say, 20 years from now, “Daddy, remember that time we went that baseball game and that pitcher gave up 38 runs and then his arm exploded and we never heard from that pitcher again and the franchise had to move because they had invested so much in that pitcher? I LOVE YOU, DAD.”

DIBBLE, OUT.

GIVEAWAY TIME!!! Win A Game-Used Jersey Card Of Hall Of Famer, Eddie Murray!!!

30-Year Old Cardboard — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 23:02:17 +0000

GIVEAWAY TIME!!! Win A Game-Used Jersey Card Of Hall Of Famer, Eddie Murray!!!

I’ve been stocking up on stuff to offer for giveaways and contests – and I think that you’re really going to like this one.

The card is from the 2007 Upper Deck SP Legendary Cuts set, and it is tagged as ‘When It Was A Game’. The card features ‘Steady Eddie’ in his Orioles uniform and is highlighted by a nice swatch of White jersey.

To enter yourself into the pool of eligible players for this contest, simply leave a comment stating that you want in. I will accept all entries up until midnight on Wednesday and then throw all of the interested participants into a web-randomizer to select a winner. The winner will promptly be announced on Thursday morning.

Here is a shot of the prize:

So, leave a comment and let me know that you want this baseball card. I know you do!!!!

Good luck to all participants and ‘Thanks’ for reading!!

Kip Cut

mkenny59 — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 02:00:00 +0000

One of my friends growing up had, on his basement wall, a framed uncut sheet of baseball cards. I don’t recall the set, or which players it contained, but I do remember seeing it for the first time and thinking, “What the … ?”

I’m sure I would have eventually deduced that baseball cards were produced and manufactured in the same fashion as say, 64 slices of American cheese, and that’s not to say I had ever really thought about the origins of the cards I so enjoyed. But I think my naïve little brain subconsciously believed these cards were created with the same individual care and attention-to-detail with which I tended to them. By whom, you ask? I don’t know … elves with microscopic tools and a graphic design degree with full access to major league ballplayers? Prolly. But again, I didn’t really think about it.

That somewhat jarring dose of reality and the youthful disappointment it evoked was almost immediately replaced with a feeling of OH MY GOD WHAT DOES YOUR DAD DO FOR A LIVING I NEED TO GET ONE OF THOSE NOW!!! It seemed impossible that a person—much less a person I knew—could possess such a magnificent, priceless item. I thought it was worth more than the house in which it was displayed. That my friend’s dad knew someone in the industry of producing baseball cards (or, had a lot of money to give an obese sheister at a card show) seemed more improbable than had I discovered he knew the President of the United States. I mean, geez—even the President couldn’t get his hands on a sheet of uncut baseball cards without having to compromise on trade sanctions or something. POLITICS.

The uncut nature of the sheet was the true allure, as my slowly maturing brain was beginning to realize the Collector’s Formula that proved the less utilitarian a thing was, the more valuable it must be: mint condition < in an opened pack < on uncut sheet < doesn’t even exist. That is why, I think, I proudly own an unopened Derek Jeter figurine that will be worth, in 80 years or so, not that much money. But at least I can say, from eternity, it was never soiled by human hands.

So yeah, I stood in awe of the uncut sheet. After that experience, every now and then, I would get a card that was less awe-inspiring, but that nevertheless reminded me of the uncut sheet, and the unreliability of human hands, even the human hands that operate machine hands.

Bob Kipper, 1990 Topps

No offense to Bob Kipper—he was done justice on other cards in which he played a hilarious top-hatted beekeeper—but it was a darn good thing for 11-year-old me that this absurd nightmare of a cut involved Bob Kipper instead of … (remembering there were zero good cards in this set) … someone else. This is the type of card I would look at every now and then and think to myself, “I can’t believe I collect these things. I should start a blog when the Internet is invented.”

Meanwhile, my buddy is sitting on a sectional in his finished basement, playing the latest video game system I don’t have, an uncut and untradeable sheet of baseball men resting on the nearby wall, priceless yet ignored, like true love often is.

Bob Kipper struck out a career-high 83 dudes in 1987. He pitched 39 innings for the Twins in ’92 before calling it quits. Some might say his career was cut short. Others might say his career was cut long. Kip himself was just relieved he was never decapitated.

The Steve Nicosia Story

mkenny59 — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 02:00:00 +0000

Steve Nicosia, 1985 Topps

“GET YOUR ELBOW UP!” is what my dad would be yelling right now if he were Steve Nicosia’s dad instead of my dad and if Steve Nicosia were playing Little League ball instead of Major League ball. If my dad was still my dad but Steve Nicosia was on my Little League team, my dad would be yelling, “Lookin’ good, Stevie boy! Hum-batta-batta, let’s go Stevie!”

Let’s find out what the back of this Steve Nicosia card has to say re: Steve Nicosia:

What club’s pitching staff posted 17 shutouts to lead the N.L. in 1984?

Steve Nicosia?

(Turns card upside down …)

San Diego Padres

I am disappointed. Let’s go to Steve Nicosia’s BR Bullpen page to find out more:

Nicosia was a pitcher early in high school. As a sophomore, he threw in one game.

Steve Nicosia was a pitcher in high school. One time, he pitched in a high school baseball game. This is the beginning of our trip down Steve Nicosia lane, and I have to admit, I am thinking of turning around.

He hit batters with his first two pitches, walked the next batter on four, then allowed a grand slam on the next.

Kind of like a {least favorite pitcher on your favorite team} start! ZINGER!

He later recalls "I could see I probably wasn't going to make the big leagues as a pitcher...I couldn't even make the second inning."

If I had that type of outing, I wouldn’t be thinking, “Aw shucks, guess I won’t be in the big leagues as a pitcher!” I’d be like, “Get me out of here I hate baseball I think I’m going to be an artist I feel like crying but everybody is looking at me I am going to transfer to a different high school.”

He transferred to North Miami Beach High School the next year, which had just opened across the street from where Steve was living. Nicosia volunteered to catch for the team, opening his path to pro baseball.

I mean, hey—it’s right across the street! How can you not transfer there? Especially since you can volunteer for the team instead of undertaking the burdensome endeavor of trying out, and thus gain community service hours.

Now, if I am creating “The Steve Nicosia Story” movie for the Disney Family Channel, I am loving this sort of interesting and self-deprecating anecdote regarding his early baseball life. The only thing that would make it better would be if it were followed-up by some sort of fish-out-of-water story once he makes it to the bigs.

Steve had never seen snow, having grown up in Florida, and he got excited when the temperature in Rocky Mount, NC fell to 25 degrees while the team was there. Teammate John Candelaria sprayed fire extinguisher foam over the swimming pool in the motel where they were staying and convinced Nicosia it was snow. Steve later recalled "If you've never seen snow before, a lot of things could be snow. It was white and it was yet [sic]...You ever try to make a snowball with fire extinguisher foam?"

I’m calling b.s. I’ll give you that he never saw snow before, fine. But c’mon. I’ve never seen Mars before, but if someone put a giant red ball in a motel swimming pool and told me it was Mars, I’d be like, “Go back to bed, Candelaria you idiot!” What, Nicosia never saw snow on TV, or didn’t possess the basic human knowledge that snow doesn’t fall in isolated 18’ X 36’ areas?

If you've never seen snow before, a lot of things could be snow.

Steve Nicosia: Hey, what is that thing on the ground? Snow?

Normal person: That is a bicycle.

Steve Nicosia: How did it get there then? Did it fall from the sky?

Normal person: Somebody put it there.

Steve Nicosia: A snowman, probably.

Normal person: No.

Steve Nicosia: What about that? Is that snow?

Normal person: That is a mailbox.

Steve Nicosia: Hey, what is that white substance falling from the sky? Toasters?

Normal person: That is snow.

Also, what a dumb prank. Is there an old story about athletes or rock stars that doesn’t make hotel/motel management appear nonexistent or as a bunch of bumbling morons? It almost makes me wish the motel experienced a fire shortly thereafter, and as everyone scrambled around trying to locate fire extinguishers, Candelaria was outside in his underwear like, “Dorf! Me was playing snow pranks!” and then he had to pay out-of-pocket to build a new motel. This story makes no sense. It’s getting me kind of angry, actually.

He broke two ribs in a home-plate collision with Mike Scioscia, knocking him out of action for a spell.

Scioscia + Nicosia X collision = Collioscia!

That is all.