Ron 'Danger' Washington

Card Show Day!! It was fleeting but it was great while it was here. After finishing my rainsoaked, and eventually cancelled due to lightning, round of golf I made the trek to Jon's house and then together continued towards our destiny. Woodland Mall in Grand Rapids was the location of the card show. it was a small show (20-25 tables) but the vendors had the goods I just did not have the resources (aka Money). however, I was able to acquire a pretty awesome card. I have been scoping out these 'logoman patches' from last years' Topps ever since they came out. it was the right price and it was towards the end of our tour around the tables so I splurged and snatched it up for 10 bucks. My observations from watching them on ebay is they dont sell for less than 30-40 bucks, so I had to pick it up.
Check it out:
2010 Topps Logoman Patch Dan Haren #LM-100 Serial #'d 16/50. The MLB logo is just like the one on the back of the collar of all MLB jerseys. one of the coolest cards I now have. I just wish it was of a player that I actually collect. Thanks random vendor wearing a Mike Schmidt jersey for selling me this card.

On a great note lifetime Texas Ranger Michael Young acheived the 2000 hits mark this month. He is an underappreciated and super talented at whatever position he is placed. Gold Glove SS, who was booted over to 3B because of a young stud SS (who has greater range than Young but offensively challenged at times) and then in the offseason the Rangers managment goes and signs Adrian Beltre to play 3rd base.
       'thanks Michael Young for being amazing but we want to alienate you and leave you without        defensive position'- sincerely Texas Rangers management.
2008 Upper Deck Baseball Heroes Michael Young blue variation serial #'d /200

Well done Michael in thwarting the efforts of your bosses to derail your productivity, you are the toast of the town this month.
Recent Gems
DANGER!!! Danger on the field and in the dugout. That danger has a name...

 AND THAT NAME IS RON WASHINGTON!! Avery your eyes from the intense, steely gaze of Ron 'Danger' Washington, he holds to power to make the poor man rich and...

Pat I said AVERT YOUR EYES!! Pat never listens. He thinks just because he wears the tools of ignorance he can look wherever he wants. You have Got to be careful when you play against A Danger Washington team he does not play fair.
as I was saying, Ron Washington's gaze the power to cure illness and his hair holds the stuff that legends are made...
BOB ZUPCIC LOOK OUT!!!

 WOW! That was close. why are these guys not listening to me?!? Why do you think the Rangers have been untouchable in the west the last couple years? yeah, thats right there is Danger on the field and in the dugout. I fear that if I continue to talk about him these mid-1990's players wont make it off the field in one piece. They will need to avoid the lazer rocket-splosion eyes of Ron 'Danger' Washington. if they wish to return home to their wife and kids.
Heed this warning. Do not make eye contact with Ron Washington!! Don't even look in the dugout when he is present. Well its time to stop the Danger discussion before something worse happens. just look at Pat and Bob if you need the evidence of his destructive powers.
Thank you for checking out my latest installment and as always...
Peace and Baseball Cards.

I have a problem... stacks of a problem

I sat at my desk tonight surrounded by stacks of Baseball cards that are in wait to be placed on EBay and on one step closer to their new home. The allure of selling my cards on EBay is great. Its a valuable resource for me to be able to make a little bit of money off of cards that I may not necessarily be interested in keeping because they are not a player that I collect or I just don't like the card itself. The problem that I run into... I love the ALLLLLLLL. just like Goldmember in Austin Powers says 'I LOVE gooOOLLLLDD' I say, "I love CARDDDDDS". Even the Luis Castillo cards I have acquired thanks to Jon thinking its hilarious. I feel like I need to explain myself to each card that leaves my possession after an EBay sale. 'I am truly sorry Adrian Gonzalez game used jersey card. I really don't want to let you go to Mr. Giggly McGiggleton but if I sell you I may be able get a player that I collect... I know, I know you might win the MVP this year and the value may go up, but now is the time to sell.' These conversations dont actually happen out loud... most of the time... but I grow attached to to each card that I pull out of a pack.
This is my problem. Pictured below is my desk that once had space for me to complete assignments for classes and do my writing. It is now my 'EBay/progress station'. dont let the phone in the picture fool you, I rarely answer when I am sorting or working with my cards. 

This hobby of mine has done a great job of keeping me occupied through boring times and keeps my mind sharp and constantly on the lookout for hte next great acquisition. The realization tonight however is it is time to cut the fat of my collection. I really dont care about the cards of a prospect from the single A affiliate of the Arizona Diamond backs who I will never see in 'The Show'. I will still always be a collector but maybe just not of ALL cards that have a baseball player on it, maybe just focus my energy to my favorite players and cards that are ultimately unique. Though it will be tough to part with the Luis Castillo game used cards and Paul Molitor cards of my collection I will be so much happier with the better/new stuff I can acquire.
Is it weird that while there are actual troubles in the world like Stock Market crashes, and wars on foreign soil that I am troubled by the thousands of pieces of cardboard in my collection???
eh, oh well if it isn't. well lets end this one on a good note! Its time for everyones FAVORITE section of my blog. its time forrrrr...
GEMS OF THE DAY!!!
Oh my goodness!!! check out the current Detroit Tigers 1st base coach Tommy Brookens in the card on the left. Tommy! what is that on your lip? he looks like someone you might see on one of those lawyer commercials, 'I called Sam. and my settlement from the trucker who ran over my iguana was 1 million dollars' all said with a southern drawl.
Mike Loynd is just happy to be here between two AMAZING cards.
Jerry Reuss... I didn't realize Shady Acres Retirement Complex had a professional team.

With cards like these you might understand a little better now why I love ALL cards. these are classic keepers are they not? well thanks for checking out my latest installment and check back again a little later for another, and as always...
Peace and Baseball Cards!!

2011 Topps Lineage Review

Product: Topps Lineage 2011
Box price: 90$+
Distribution: 24 packs, 8 packs per box
Hits: 2 autos and 1 game used in every box

My Grade:  B-    The inserts in this set saved it from completely failing in my mind.

Topps has just released a new set called Topps Lineage. The set is a pretty affordable set with hobby boxes right around 80-100$ and you can pick up retail rack/jumbo packs for 5$ at your local super market. I just bought a couple of packs to get a feel for how the set will look and the types of insert cards that it would feature. Let me start by saying this set is not a baseball card addicts dream. The base cards are average looking and damage easily. I found a couple cards in each pack that I bought that had manufacturer's defects on the edges/corners and surfaces. For the Standard game used insert set they chose possibly the ugliest year of Topps they could have chosen (pictured below). Those were pretty much the extent of the complaints that I have with the set that really is a pretty affordable venture for the casual collector and provides the chance to get some unique inserts and game used or autographed cards. My favorite feature of this set is the mixture of legendary players mixed in with the current stars and rookies. in a pack you can get cards of players like Jackie Robinson and Mickey Mantle along with a Michael Pineda rookie card and your favorite active superstar like Ryan Braun. This set provides a good mix of these former and active players and is not loaded one way or the other. Lets get to it!! heres what I got!!
Check out the Base cards: The names and positions of the players are metallic and set on a dark name bar that makes it a little tough to read the names, but a simple design overall.
Top: on the left you can see the Jackie Robinson Base card #42, and on the right is the Mickey Mantle base card #7.
Bottom: on the left is the Tigers Great Ty Cobb base card #105, and on the right is the base rookie card of Mariners young pitcher Michael Pineda #139.

Inserts: Just a couple of samples of the inserts here. There are a lot more to see in the set.
Left: Cloth Sticker insert of Ty Cobb. This is my favorite insert of the set. I love the old sticker cards and its not super valuable or anything so you dont need to feel bad about peeling it and sticking it to your box of cards just like when you were a kid.
Right: This is a Topps Diamond Anniversary card of Stan Musial with a refractor like finish on it. the design is just like the base card but has a different metallic logo in the top left corner and a rainbow finish on the card. beautiful looking if the corner would have been crisp. The card came out of the pack with a flaw.

Game Used:
Left: Game used jersey card of Houston Astros outfielder Carlos (el Caballo) Lee. The jersey piece in this card has a great pinstripe running right trough the center of it.
Right: was a great pull for me. Game used jersey card of Detroit Tigers first baseman Miguel Cabrera.

The overall impression of this set, for me, was a rushed organization by topps and an overly simplistic design for the basecards. However, this set is affordable and Provides some REALLy cool inserts and its pretty easy to get your hands on a game used card for the collector looking for the 'hits'. Well thanks again for reading my newest installment, and as always...
Peace and Baseball Cards!!!