2010 Cactus League trip recap special #2

I got Aroldis Chapman’s autograph on an odd-sized image photo print [a little smaller than an 8x10] during a game between the Cincinnati Reds and the Cleveland Indians – he signed by the camera well near third base and looked to have stopped once the N…

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Being able to get out to Arizona for an 11 day spring training trip from the end of February through the beginning of March - made me feel enthused about the upcoming MLB season. The worst part of the off-season is stockpiling baseball cards and othe…

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I picked up a 2010 Topps ‘Honus Wagner’ cereal box [$9.99 each at Target], a 2010 Topps jumbo pack [$4.99 each at Target] and a 2010 Upper Deck Fat Pack [$4.99 each at Target] – I thought I’d impusively pick up one of the Topps cereal boxes, since it i…

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I finally was able to redeem my lone Topps Million Card Giveaway redemption card and landed this beaut – I think the redeemed redemption card is worth more [TMC-3, picturing a 1963 Topps Bob Gibson], than the ‘original’ Topps card of Forsch.I think it …

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2010 Upper Deck retail [$1.50 each / $4 for three packs from a booth at a card show] – you can’t see his face, the front of his uniform or the logo on the cap he is wearing, but Aaron Rowand’s card [#427] is a pretty damn good looking card. The ball l…

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2010 Upper Deck retail [$1.50 each / $4 for three packs from a booth at a card show] – I think Upper Deck messed up on Carlos Pena’s card [#481], because it seems like Carl Crawford pictured and not the slugger who hit 39 home runs and shared the Ameri…

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2010 Upper Deck retail [$1.50 each / $4 for three packs from a booth at a card show] – I wasn’t looking for any particular hits [like I’ve read and heard, flagship products are all about ’set building’ and this product is UD’s flagship baseball brand, …

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Frank Thomas announced his retirement on Friday – I remember him going neck-and-neck with Ken Griffey Jr. as the two players considered the biggest hobby stars through much of the 1990s.A possible blemishes holding ‘The Big Hurt’ back from first-ballot…

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Pack nine – Throwback pack #1#215 Max Scherzer#295 Kevin Youkilis#20 Tommy Hanson#171 AL Wins Leaders – Hernandez, Verlander, Sabathia#CMT 56 Dustin Pedroia – The Cards Your Mom Threw Out insert; 2007 Topps.#WTWY RM Russell Martin – When They Were Yo…

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Pack five#18 Tim Stauffer#79 Francisco Cordero#298 Baltimore Orioles team card#294 Adam Dunn#PP 41 David Wright – Peak Performance insert#TT3 Hanley Ramirez – Topps Town insert#262 Homer Bailey#173 Kendry MoralesPack six#57 CC Sabathia#9 Tim Lincecum…

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2010 Topps Series 1 blaster box [eight packs plus two Throwback packs with an old-school Topps logo and non-color grey stock backs] – I like the fact there is at least one insert in each pack, though it is merely a small consolation prize, like somethi…

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2010 Topps Series 1 blaster box [$19.99 each] – I needed to satisfy my 2010 baseball card fix and eagerly wanted to get to a local Target once I got back to the U.S., after I’d spent three weeks abroad in the island nation of Philippines for a sort of …

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I’m not so much worried about the details and what Mark McGwire may have not said in his statement or to Bob Costas in their MLB Network interview – regarding his use of steroids and PEDs.With McGwire’s admission, at least now there is finally some tra…

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Pack oneBDP 50 Kyle BlanksBDP 44 Diory HernandezBDPP 6 Christopher Lovett – ChromeBDP 43 Brent Leach – ChromeBDPP 11 Brooks PoundersBDPP 5 Josh HodgesBDPP 45 Mycal Jones – Gold parallelPack twoBDP 54 Josh ReddickBDP 33 Tim WoodBDP 3 Trevor Bell – Ch…

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It was decided a while ago that Vladimir Guerrero wasn’t in the Los Angeles Angels plans for 2010 and beyond – now, he is close to signing with the Texas Rangers, an American League West opponent of the Angels. It was fun watching this guy hit in an A…

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Here is my retrospective on 10 busts and disappointments over the last 10 years – Drew Henson was an easy choice for No. 1, since he managed to flop in two professional sports after being highly touted super-athlete in high school/college.1.) Drew Hens…

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Here is my retrospective on 10 busts and disappointments over the last 10 years – it really isn’t my point to make fun of these players’ accomplishments, but as a baseball fan who at times likes to speculate on the future stars, sometimes I wonder what…

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Here is my retrospective on 10 busts and disappointments over the last 10 years – I’ll label the guys who weren’t outright busts as disappointments, particularly if injuries seemed to be the biggest factor in them not being able to have successful Majo…

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Congratulations to Andre Dawson and his election to the Hall of Fame – for us fans and baseball experts who debate whether or not a player of his caliber is worthy of induction, it doesn’t matter because Dawson is in the Hall of Fame.On the other hand…

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Andre DawsonPro – he was a multitalented outfielder who was the 1977 National League Rookie of the Year with the Montreal Expos.An eight-time Gold Glove winner, playing in Montreal diminished Dawson’s abilities because apparently Astroturf was fake, sy…

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Tim RainesPro – he might have been the best lead-off hitter of his generation, if Rickey Henderson wasn’t running away with all the headlines.On the basepaths, Raines stole 808 bases in his career, including six seasons of 70 or more steals – he also s…

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Roberto AlomarPro – was the dominant player at second base in his prime with a sterling reputation as a slick fielding defender at second base and an offensive force at the plate. Alomar was arguably the best player for back-to-back World Series champ…

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Bert BlylevenPro – he has nearly 300 wins and over 3,000 strikeouts in his resume. By his account – he’s probably the most deserving of all eligible candidates and should have been inducted already.Blyleven made 685 starts in 692 games pitched in the …

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Fred McGriffPro – McGriff’s prime was during the late 1980s and early 1990s as he clubbed 30 home runs for seven straight seasons from 1988-1994.He propelled the Atlanta Braves in their chase to win the National League West championship in 1993 – the l…

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Dave ParkerPro – ‘The Cobra’ had some fine seasons and was arguably the dominant player in the National League from 1975-1979, when he won three Gold Gloves [1977-1979] in right field and was the 1978 NL MVP.Parker was among the Top 10 leaders in slugg…

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Jack MorrisPro - if there was a Hall of Moments, he’d be in along with someone like Roger Maris, particularly for his performance in Game 7 of the 1991 World Series, where he gutted out a series clinching performance with 10 shutout innings over the…

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1991 Pacific Nolan Ryan # 40 – pitchers hitting2005 Topps Cracker Jack Roger Clemens #70 – pitchers hitting2003 Fleer Patchworks Jeff Bagwell #74 – bonus baby / cameo by Barry BondsBy the end of 2009, I hope to have picked up 500 new collecting topics …

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