Round Two: Brother, Can You Spare a Vote?

Alright, it's about that time once again.  Time for me to shamelessly ask you to vote for my entry in the contest hosted over at the Nachos Grande blog.

A couple days ago I did a Top Ten list centering on the randomly-assigned 2001 Topps Stadium Club card of Johnny Damon.  In case you missed it, check it out HERE.

After you've soaked it in and say to yourself, "Self, that wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be," by all means go to the voting place at Nachos Grande HERE and cast your vote for me (Mark).

Will it make the world a better place if you vote for me?  Nope, not even close.  (Oh shoot, where was I going with this.  Quick, create a distraction...)

Hey, look this cool picture of Tim Tebow running shirtless!

What a beefcake, eh?  (Wait, Tebow is way too polarizing a figure.  You may lose votes by posting this!  Try something else.  Quickly!)

Um, uh...  Oh, hey, how about those, um...

Look!  Puppies!!

Aww, can we get one, Mom?  Pleeeease?

So, as I was saying, please vote for me. Because we love puppies here at This Way to the Clubhouse.

Thank you, and God Bless America!

MK

Additions to the David Wright Collection

I've been gettin' busy on eBay lately.  Just yesterday I told you about the 2011 and 2012 Heritage cards I picked up last week.  Well, in addition, I recently acquired some cool cards of Mets All-Star David Wright from everyone's favorite auction site.  They arrived earlier this week and I'm pretty happy with what I was able to snag.

First in the queue, I purchased three "Buy It Now" lots for a buck a piece from one seller.  Nine cards per lot, and some pretty nifty inserts and parellels included in each.

Here are some of my favorites from those lots:

2012 Archives gold foil, #180

Can't go wrong with the gold foil cards from 2012 Topps Archives.  I bought two blasters and a few rack packs or Archives and didn't get a single gold foil card.  Fooey.  I bought a Strasburg foil at a hobby show a couple months back, so this Wright represents just my second from this parallel set.

2011 Allen & Ginter, #HH42

The apple of seemingly every collector's eye, the Allen & Ginter set brings us this 2011 insert from the "Hometown Heroes" collection.  The back of the card refers to Virginia as a "state".  I'm sure Virginia natives aren't happy.

2007 Finest, #1

I don't own too many Finest cards from 2007.  In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if this was my first.  There may be a stray within one of my player collections, I don't know.  Anyhow, the '07 design kinda rubs me the wrong way. That's the thing with Finest, it's very hit or miss.  But, they made up for it was a good photo on this one.

2011 Topps Gold, #15

I have the regular, the silver diamond and the cognac dimaond versions of this card.  So, naturally I had to have the gold.  There are probably a rainbow's worth of other variations out there, also.  These goldies are numbered to 2011.  This might be my favorite action photo Topps has used for a Wright base card.  At worst, it's in a tie with 2010's pic.

2011 Finest Green Refractor, #35

Okay, it isn't the same exact photo as the card above, but it's obviously a continuation of the same play.  I can live with that.  These green refractors are numbered to 199, and I really like the design of the 2011 Finest base cards (remember, hit or miss).  I already owned one of these, and now I have to two.  As the good Mr. Stackhouse of Tim Wallach blog might say, "Only 197 to go."

This final card is from a separate transaction.  And it's a doozie!  A "Faces of the Franchise" insert from 2012 Finest.  I saw the die-cut design on another blogger's post and hustled over to eBay once I discovered that Wright had a card in the set.

2012 Finest, #FF-DW

Okay, let's just get it out of the way.  What's the deal with the Ralph Kramden eyes?  There.  Now that that awkwardness is over, let me just say that I like everything about this card design.  Talk about a kick-ass insert! The only thing keeping this card from being a perfect-10 is the photo choice.  But, I guess it's appropriate that the face of New York's dysfunctional National League franchise is kinda goofy.

Okay, that about wraps it up.  Another successful eBay voyage is in the books!

MK

The Clubhouse Top Ten List (Another Contest Post)

[Ed. Note: Due to the kindness of strangers, I have advanced out of Round 1 of the Nachos Grande bracket challenge (I'm Mark, in case you didn't know).  Ranked No. 25 out of 31 teams, I am the lowest-seeded entry to survive -- a fact I shall wear as a badge of honor.  Still a ways to go before the finish line, however.  The following post constitutes my second-round contest entry.  And, don't worry, I'll bang on the proverbial pots and pans when Round 2 voting goes live.]

Okay, with apologies to a certain gap-toothed, toupee-wearing late night host, here we go.

From the home office in Fort Riley, KS, and submitted for the approval of the sportscard blogosphere worldwide, here are the...

Top Ten Explanations of What's Happening in Johnny Damon's 2001 Stadium Club Card

No. 10:  Setting out to prove, once and for all, that white men can jump.

No. 9:  Began practicing the Lambeau Leap during an agonizingly long inning by pitcher Jeff Suppan.

No. 8:  Fleeing a gaggle of Japanese tourists who thought he was the GEICO caveman.

No. 7:  There was an engineering malfunction on the Jump to Conclusions mat.

No. 6:  Reacting after right fielder Jermaine Dye gave him the first on-field "hot foot" in baseball history.

No. 5:  Actually, this isn't Johnny Damon, it's Randy Constan dressed as Johnny Damon.

No. 4:  Perfecting his slamdance routine for the next Kid Rock concert.

No. 3:  Trying to escape from the 2000 Kansas City Royals season.

No. 2:  Testing out the Nike's new plyometric baseball cleats. "Johnny couldn't jump at all before he got these.  Johnny...was like you."

And the Number One Explanation of What's Happening in Johnny Damon's 2001 Stadium Club Card:

[timpani drum roll please]

Dude, it's Johnny Damon.  Who the hell knows?!

MK

Some Recent Topps Heritage Pickups

I'm constantly scouring the auction sites for cheap and easy ways to add onto my 2011 and 2012 Topps Heritage sets.  I'm not really looking for any inserts or relic cards -- of course if I should stumble upon any of my favorite players at the right price, I won't turn a blind eye.  Rather, I'm looking for those elusive base cards and, of course, those treasured short prints.

I recently stumbled upon a couple of "Buy It Now" auctions on eBay.  Make your own Heritage pack, the titles stated.  Ten cards (one more than your standard Heritage pack) for three bucks.  Now, between you and me, that ain't the best pick of the litter.  Especially considering some auctions allow you to pick upwards of 30-40 cards for around that same price tag.

However, after further inspection, the list of available cards for each lot included SPs!  And not just the SP cards of Randy Rightfielder and Paulie Pitcher.  Some tried and true stars included, some of which I highlighted below.

So, I wound up buying a one of each lot.  That's 20 cards.  Thirteen of which were SPs.  After factoring in the shipping costs, I got all of these cards for less than the price of what some sellers were asking for just one short print card of a star player.

I am a happy man!

Here's a sampling of what I got.  I will start with a few non-SPs that I really like:

2011 Starlin Castro, #25

Starlin looks a little: A.) woozy, B.) under the weather or C.) stoned.  Simply rhetorical, folks...

2012 Aroldis Chapman, #225

I'm starting to hear a lot of chatter about Chapman or fellow closer Craig Kimbrel getting serious Cy Young consideration.  As a Mets fan and, therefore, an R.A. Dickey fan, I take umbrage with this.  Yes, both closers are having extraordinary seasons.  But, Dickey's numbers have been consistently great all year, and he's winning on a pretty below-average team.  I just think most people have issues with taking a knuckleballer seriously. Of course, these are the same clowns who don't have to step into the batter's box and face one...

2011 Jeremy Hellickson, #219

Most cards of Hellickson feature this same or a similar facial expression.  It looks like some snotty or condescending comment is about to come out of his mouth.  No matter, the boy can pitch.  Even though the stat nerds of the world can't figure out how, since his WAR% or IP/WHIP/E=MC2 doesn't say so.

2012 Ike Davis SP, #436

Okay, we're in SP territory now!  And it's a good one.  I like Ike, so much so that I picked his 2011 base card as part of the other lot (not pictured).  His batting average won't look pretty at season's end, but he's got an outside shot at 30 homers.  And that's good enough for me after a dismal beginning to the year.

2011 Roy Halladay SP, #453

Nope, I will not call him "Doc."  Doc was a Dwarf.  Doc coaches the Boston Celtics.  Hell, Doc used to pitch for the Mets.  But, this guy's name is Roy HALLADAY.  It's not Holliday, like the Old West gunslinger.  Consider that a pet peeve of mine, and let's move on :-)

2012 Mike Napoli SP, #485

Nap is struggling to match his fantastic 2011 campaign, but his power numbers are still pretty solid.  And now I see he's on the DL.  No matter, I will still take my chances with the Rangers winning the AL flag again.

2011 Justin Verlander SP, #460

This is pretty much the crown jewel of the package, so to speak.  If I'm not mistaken, it has the highest book value of any 2011 Heritage short print.  Not that I'm absorbed with the price tag, but that sure does make it difficult and pricey to acquire a card such as this.  Cost aside, I really, really like this card.  A lot.  It looks like Verlander is in El Salvador or Costa Rica or somewhere like that.

2012 Troy Tulowitzki SP, #453

Last but not least is a player that baseball has sorely missed this year.  Tulo has been on the DL since late May and the Rockies have surely suffered for that.  I guess he's kind of getting close to returning, but it's still a lost season for the former All-Star.  By the way, what are those alien-looking trees in the background?  Scary!

All in all, I'm very happy with this transaction.  These are the kind of eBay victories that make the many hours of sifting through the auctions completely worth it.

I may not attain a complete SP set for Heritage 2011 or 2012, but I'm having a great time working towards it.  I guess that's kinda the point of the hobby, no?

MK

The Toddfather, Part 2 (A Trade Post)

I haven't done a formal survey, but the consensus among my peers seems to indicate that the second Godfather film is the one that is most fancied.  I'm not in that crowd, but I can understand where they're coming from. That's not to say I don't like the second film -- quite the opposite.  But, for my money, the original can't be beat.

What does this have to do with anything?  Well, not a whole lot I suppose.  But, I recently completed my second transaction with Tim over at the Home of the Toddfather blog.

I know what you're thinking:  So which trade was better?  This second installment of the Toddfather or the Original Toddfather?

My answer:  Every trade is glorious and beautiful in its own way, of course!  How can I choose when Tim keeps hooking me up with such great loot?

Let's take a peek at some of the highlights from this great lot:

Tim sent me a couple of unique cards of Carlos Delgado for my player collection.  One was a disc-shaped card from the 2003 Fleer Hardball set, while the above is a mini sticker parallel from '04 Cracker Jack.  I love the Cracker Jack set and might put my mind to completing it some day in the future.

Up next is a sweet "Then & Now" hologram insert from 1993 Upper Deck:

That's a dazed-and-confused HoJo from his Tigers days at the bottom left.  In the background is a holographic image of Howard swinging away from left side of the plate...right in front of the Brooklyn Bridge.  Of course, also having the Twin Towers in the background is a beautiful touch.  It's nice to have an image of the Towers preserved on a baseball card.  I'm a big fan.

Next we have a baseball card that thinks it's a label from a bottle of iced tea, or something:

The unique shape of this card coupled with printed elements such as "All Ingredients Added" and "2.7 FL. OZ." has me a bit confused.  Plus, there's the name of the insert, "Hot Ticket."  Is this supposed to be a label off a Snapple bottle or a can of bug spray?  Hey, I'm not sure what Fleer was aiming for with this particular insert set, but I really like this card of the great Vlad Guerrero.

One of my all-time Mets favorites is featured on this next card:

A very cool 2006 Fleer Ultra "Strikeout Kings" insert of Pete.  I've said it before and I'll say it again, Fleer made some pretty damn cool insert sets.  Great addition to my Pedro collection!

One of my bigger player collections centers on Mike Piazza.  Tim flipped me a couple beauties of the future HOF catcher, including this guy:

If you've got a thing for the Topps rookie cup, like me, this 2000 Topps insert set is right up your alley! Remember in 2010 when Topps changed the color and appearance of the rookie cup?  What were they thinking?! Glad they changed it back, though I think it's getting smaller and smaller by the year.  I'm not saying it should be the size of the enormous cup on this Piazza card, but beef it up a bit please.

Finally, a real gem from 2011 Topps Chrome:

And an orange refractor, to boot!  Call me a sucker, and I hate to admit this, but I really like the colored parallel cards.  It gives us player collectors a little something extra to go after.  This A-Rod was a most gracious inclusion in the trade package, and a great card on which to conclude the highlights portion of the post.

Many thanks once again to Tim at the Toddfather blog.  It's been a pleasure not once, but twice!

MK

I Ain't Too Proud to Beg, AKA Vote for Me!

Remember the contest post I did earlier this week about that Charlie O'Brien card?

And do you also remember how I promised you I would alert you once voting went live?

Well...

VOTING WENT LIVE!!!

Okay, don't panic.  Please stay calm.  Take my hand, and be so kind to observe the following steps:

1.)  If you haven't already, check out my contest post HERE

And, then:

2.)  Click HERE to take part in the voting process.  It's your civic blogging duty!

Thanks very much for your support, and I promise not to be a soulless beggar ever again! [Ed. Note: Unless I win this round and advance, then you better get ready for some intense pleading!]

MK

Clubhouse Time Machine: August 9, 1998

He debuted in September 1976 for the Orioles and threw his final big league pitch in September 1998 as a member of the Braves.  In that time, Dennis Martinez, aka El Presidente, racked up 245 victories and compiled a career ERA of  3.70 over 23 season.

On August 9, 1998, Martinez threw a scoreless 8th inning out of the bullpen and wound up the winning pitcher in Atlanta's 7-5 triumph over the Giants.   The victory gave the Nicaraguan-born Martinez 244 career W's, moving him past Hall of Famer Juan Marichal and, thus, making him the winningest Latin American pitcher in baseball history.  I don't know about you, but I think he's going to own that distinction for a long, long time.

About the Player:  I've always admired pitchers like Dennis.  I sort of group him into the category with contemporaries Jack Morris and Dave Stewart, insomuch that they don't get the acclaim they deserve.  I can't say for sure if El Presidente should be in Cooperstown, but most pitchers would trade their left kidney and a few toes to have the career this guy had.

About the Card:  1995 Score Select (#130). Anytime I see a Denny Martinez card in a dime box, I always throw it onto the "buying" stack. He never pitched for my favorite team and he wasn't a guy I noticed a whole lot when I was younger, so I'm not sure why I collect his cards. Nonetheless, I've amassed quite a few over the years.  I think I probably got this one out of a pack of '95 Select.  I wasn't a huge fan of Select over the years, but I like the action shot they chose for this card.  The gold-stamped team logo is a nice touch, too.

MK