From Basketball to Baseball to Basketball to...Hot Dogs?

1995 Collector's Choice, #500

The 1991 Upper Deck card of Michael Jordan that Marcus sent me last weekend got me thinking: Hey, don't I have another Michael Jordan baseball card lying around somewhere?

Why, yes.  Yes I do.

I actually pulled this one out of a Collector's Choice hobby pack all the way back in 1995.  At the time, I thought I could drop out of school and just live off the peripheral riches of this card for the vast majority of my adult life.  I was also 15 years old and, well, you know the rest.  It was a hysterical time for the hobby.

Anyhow, many years later this card sits in a dusty penny sleeve and barely gets a thought.  Nonetheless, it's a pretty great card.  It's a picture of a photographer taking a picture of the baseball player Michael Jordan.  I bet if you looked long and hard, you could find a parallel version of this card in which a photographer is taking a picture of the photographer taking a picture of the baseball player Michael Jordan.  I could go on, but this joke could get old and/or confusing in a hurry.

Look at Michael run!  Run Michael, run!

ESPN ran a pretty interesting documentary -- last year, I think -- on Jordan and his baseball fling.  The act of Michael Jordan swinging a baseball bat was as awkward a sight as, say, Michael Jordan selling hot dogs.

Or underpants.

Nonetheless, when your name is Michael Jordan you can pretty much do whatever you'd like.  Plus, if someone was giving me millions of bucks, I'd shill for just about anything.  But, I digress.

Looking back on it, the whole MJ baseball era was kind of cool.  Yes, yes, I've heard all the same stories you have.  About the gambling and David Stern and blah blah blah.  Probably all true, who knows.  Regardless, this is Michael Jordan.  And for a larger-than-life figure like Jordan to try on baseball for size is a pretty fantastic thing.

And, in case we ever let that sliver of time fall into obscurity, cards like Collector's Choice #500 will always be there to remind us.

MK

The Whole Kit and Kaboodle (aka A Trade with Backstop)

If you follow the blog "All the Way to the Backstop..." like I do, you probably came across the article Marcus wrote last week in which he talks about whittling down his collection.  This kinda went lockstep with the trend that kicked up some dust over the past couple weeks in which several of my favorite bloggers expressed their desire to take time off from blogging or pare down their collection or something along those lines.

Talk about a sinking feeling!  I'm just getting started with this blogging thing and many of my favorites are pondering a downshift?

My fears grew over the past weekend when I received a package from Mr. Backstop, aka Marcus, that was the size of a Britannica volume.  It was stuffed with five team bags brimming with cards from all over the card collecting map.  I excitedly went through each team bag and found gobs of amazing cards.

Some were a bit too amazing, like this one:

2012 Allen & Ginter, #4

And this one:

1987 M&M's, #22

But Mark, that's an M&M's card, big deal.  Yes, but Marcus is a Nolan Ryan collector.  If I'm a Nolan Ryan collector, I don't trade away any Nolan Ryan oddball cards, especially not one with a green M&M on the front.

So with my concern level high, I emailed Marcus to find out if he bumped his head or not.  Thankfully, he responded and assured me his coconut was fine.  And that was indeed paring down his collection, but not discarding the hobby or his collections.  Basically, he was just finding some good homes for cards that were not essential to his collection.

Well, that's good news on multiple fronts.  Foremost, I'm happy to know Marcus will still be bloggin' and collectin', because I definitely enjoy his thoughts and words on the hobby and his collections.  After all, his blog was and is an inspiration for my own.

And, as it pertains to me, I'm all too happy to be the recipient of some great cards!

So with a clear, calm head, here are some more highlights from the massive mailing:

Three David Wright cards that I did not have in my collection previously.  Score!  I know it's probably old hat, but count me a fan of the "bat over the shoulder" pose.  And it looks even better on a A&G card.  The Ginter insert is pretty great, as well.  And, is that a Triple Play sticker I spy?  Yup, my first time seeing anything from the 2012 Triple Play product up close.  To be frank, I'm not a fan of cartoon cards, especially those without the team logos, etc.  But, now that I can inspect them in person, they're kind of cool.

Now, I'm still not going to be buying any packs of this stuff, but this Pujols card is pretty darn nice, and I'm happy to have it in my collection.

Same goes for this Ike Davis:

This is a great artistic rendition of Ike: big schnoz, scruffy facial hair and all!  Very cool!  Along with the Triple Play, Marcus also tossed in a few other base cards of Ike, including his 2012 Bowman, which I did not have.

Staying with the Mets theme:

2011 Heritage Minors, #130

I was completely geeked to receive this card!  Harvey continues to impress with each outing.  His electric debut created a lot of buzz and even higher expectations, but he's acquitted himself quite nicely in the aftermath.  I'm keeping my fingers crossed and knocking on wood, but I think he's a future star in the Mets rotation.

As much as I love Mets cards, I love oddball cards almost as much.  So when I saw these guys I was very pleased:

1989 Cap'n Crunch

My only exposure to the 1989 Cap'n Crunch set is in the form of a dime-box find from a couple years ago.  It features Will Clark with a fake-looking mustache.  I love these cards, and I'm gonna have to complete the set now because I have OCD.

How about a pair of HOFers?

2010 National Chicle; 2012 Topps Series 2 "Cut Above"

In regards to the Mantle, this is one of the rare Mantle cards that Topps has done that doesn't make me roll my eyes.  I mean, we're all sick and tired of having Mickey Mantle shoved in our faces in every release Topps does, aren't we?  I know I am.  But, this one is so unique looking, that I can't help but showing it off.  Great artwork in this Chicle set, too.  I don't know why I didn't buy any of this stuff when it was out in 2010.  As for the Schmidt, there's not much to dislike.  It's a cool insert of an all-time great.  And it features a powder blue uniform.  What else do you need?

Finally...  Hey, these guys don't play baseball!

MJ and Brett

The iconic Michael Jordan '91 Upper Deck card.  I never owned one of these, but obviously everyone I knew who collected cards back in the day would've sold his sister's spleen to have a copy of this.  Luckily for my sister, her spleen is intact.  And, good ol' Brett.  I saw him on TV Sunday night throwing footballs on the beach to B-list celebrities and washed-up former superstars in some Madden '13 release event.  Eighty years from now, Brett will be nothing more than a head on a stick and he'll still be trying to flick paper footballs with his eyelashes.  I guess you gotta take your hat off to the guy for being such a competitor.

Lots more in this trade package, but that's a solid sampling of highlights.

Marcus, you are a good man!  Thanks for sending the goodies my way.  They have found a good home, I assure you.

MK

Heritage Cards...and Artwork, too! (A Trade with Fantastic Catch)

A trade I had worked out with Weston at the Fantastic Catch blog finally came to fruition when I received a package from him over the weekend.  It was well worth the wait, as he hooked me up with a nice big stack of 2011 Topps Heritage cards.  I scanned some of my favorites from the group, which you can see above.  I especially like the Victor Martinez (top right) and Chase Utley (bottom left) cards.  Pretty classic poses right there.  Also, what's up the Ian Kinsler card on the bottom right?  Kind of strange how the Topps folks left so much space between the top border and the crown of his shaggy-haired head.  No matter, cards like this give the set character.

Anyhow, as much as I loved the cards -- by the way, he also threw in a nice bundle of 2012 Heritage cards and a few extra Archives cards -- it was the presentation that was the true prize-winner.  The '11 Heritage cards were encased in this nifty, homemade wrapper:

How great is that?!  I will definitely be holding onto this.  I may even put it in the spine of the future binder that will house my completed set.  The little personal touches on a trade are always appreciated and make the experience that much more fun.  It is a hobby, after all.

Thanks for the trade, Weston!

MK

It's All Over

Yeah, in case you were wondering how I made out in the Elite 8 round of the Nachos Grande blogger bracket challenge, it wasn't pretty.  My bracket was busted and your's truly -- the No. 25 seed playing the top dog -- was given a bitter dose of reality.

Don't worry, Adam.  You'll win an NBA championship ring with Kobe in a few years.

If any of you are NCAA hoops fans, you no doubt remember the crushing defeat suffered by Adam Morrison and upstart Gonzaga Bulldogs in the Sweet 16 back in 2006.  The Zags led the UCLA Bruins by 17 points at the half, but it wouldn't hold up.  Thus, the weeping mess you see in the still frame above.  Morrison got a lot of guff for his histrionics as the clock ran out, but I was a fan of his before this happened and I stuck with him in the aftermath.  Tears or no tears, I can never assassinate a man's character based on his intense desire to win.

Well, compared to the final score of my matchup with Carlos at Chuck's Corner, Adam and the 'Dogs got off easy (albeit with much more crying).

Did I lose by two votes?  Um, no.

How about five votes?  Keep going.

Ten?  This may take a while.

Try on this final tally for size:  58-18.

That's a one-sided pasting of Super Bowl XXVII proportions right there, folks!

My beloved Bills. Taking one on the chin...again.

But, as with most things, the journey outweighed the final outcome.  I had a great time with the contest and discovered some blogs I otherwise wouldn't have seen and/or read.  Carlos did a fine job with his post.  I congratulate him and wish him well in the next round.

And lest I forget, allow me to dole out sincere thanks to everyone who took the time to participate and cast a vote for my corner.  I got as far as I did thanks to all of you!

While it's a bummer to have my bubble burst, I have a bright side to bask in.  I can now dedicate more of my blogging time to waxing poetic about B.J. Surhoff cards from toy store factory sets.

Surely, this is a card that could launch a thousand ships.  I wish Topps and Toy "R" Us still made sets like these.  So glossy, so colorful, so...good.

Anyhow, thanks again for your support.  And happy collecting!

MK

A Stately Gesture from the King

Okay, I'm just gonna lay right out there: I whined, and I got cards.

That's the Reader's Digest version.  So, if you just want to skip the next few paragraphs and just check out the scans of the cards, I'd certainly understand.

So here's what happened.  A while back I commented on a post form the Card Raven's page, in which he was showing off all the great loot he got from somebody called "The Diamond King".  The King had sent the Raven a so-called "welcome to the blogosphere" package, which included a bunch of neat cardboard that was genuinely brag-worthy.

And, because I'm an overgrown, immature baby, I commented something along the lines of, "Oh I guess my welcome package got lost in the mail" blah blah blah, wah wah wah.  I think I threw a little emoticon smiley face in there somewhere just so I wouldn't give off a petulant vibe.

But, it's okay, I'm a big, cranky baby.  I know.  And now you all know it.

However, there are some out there who have outgrown the third-grader's mentality and handle themselves with kindness, grace and maturity.  And that's where the Kevin (aka the author of The Diamond King blog) comes in. I'm guessing he saw my response on the Raven's page and took pity on me, because I got an email from him a week or two later offering to send me a package.

My initial reaction was to slink away and admit I was just kidding.  No need to send me anything, etc.  I guess I kinda, sorta did that.

And followed it up by sending him my mailing address.

I know, I know.  I'm a rotten human being!  But, hey, if someone is offering to send you cards which -- judging by the package the Raven received -- would knock your socks off, are you going to say no?

Well, I didn't.  So, it was earlier this week that I received the royal offering from the munificent Diamond King. And, the cards he included were every bit as amazing as I had expected.  A bounty of wonderful cardboard! Kevin obviously checked out my player collection needs, and he delivered big-time.

I got a whopping 23 cards of Vladimir Guerrero:

2001 Fleer Platinum Grandstand Greats, #GC14

And there were 18 Sammy Sosa's:

2007 Bowman Heritage Rainbow Foil, #122

Thirteen great cards of Manny Ramirez:

1991 Classic Draft Picks, #60

A nifty five-pack of Albert Belle:

1999 Fleer Brilliants Blue, #107B

Five cards of Albert Pujols, including a really neat fold-out:

2004 Fleer Platinum Big Signs, #BS1

Carlos Delgado?  Three cards:

1992 Upper Deck Minors, #264

And a trio of John Olerud's:

1990 Donruss The Rookies, #2

A pair of Beltran's:

1997 Bowman, #377

A deuce of cool Pedro inserts:

2000 Upper Deck People's Choice, #PC6

And, for good measure, a swell 1978 Keith Hernandez, sans mustache:

1978 Topps, 143

It doesn't get much better than '70s Keith, does it?  The perfect way to conclude the highlights of the package. Needless to state that this was a great collection of cards, and an even nicer gesture.  But, I'll state it anyhow.

Thanks very much, Kevin!  I promise to return the favor in the future.

And, sorry for acting like a baby :-)

MK

Club 200, N.Y.

First there was Darryl, and then Mike...

I don't need to tell you what a bummer this season has been for the team from Flushing, NY.  What was a pretty impressive ledger through the All-Star break has turned into a complete and utter nightmare for the Mets over the past month.  From Wild Card contenders to Bad News Bears in the blink of an eye.  They can't pitch, they can't hit, and they certainly can't field.

Happy 50th birthday, Mets, I guess.

But, even in the throes of this truly awful season, the Mets have given their fans a few things to remember for a long time.  Obviously the Johan Santana no-hitter -- the first in franchise history -- is an event no Mets fan will ever forget.

And now you can add David Wright's name to an exclusive list of Mets hitters.

...and now there's David!

With his solo home run off Houston starter Jordan Lyles in the bottom of the fourth inning Friday night, Wright became only the third player ever to compile 200 career home runs in a Mets uniform.

Here's what the Mets' career home run list looks like:

1.  Darryl Strawberry.....252
2.  Mike Piazza............220
3.  David Wright............200

David will most likely surpass Piazza's New York total next year, and could possibly be the all-time Queens slugger by the 2014 season -- assuming Sandy Alderson and Mets front office don't commit a most heinous crime by letting Wright walk away.  This is the same franchise that once traded it's greatest-ever player, Tom Seaver, so nothing's out of the question.

But, there will plenty of time this off-season to shred the Mets franchise and its botched handling of personnel on a perennial basis.

Tonight is a time to celebrate the great career of David Wright.

Cheers to you, No. 5!

MK

A Trade with Nachos Grande...and the Completion of 2012 Archives!

Finally, after a summer's worth of effort, my 2012 Topps Archives base set is complete!

The neat thing about this feat is that it marks the first time I've completed a set through the assistance of blog trading.  Normally -- or I guess I should say 'previously' -- completing a set meant buying boxes and packs, and then going to eBay or card shows to fill in the gaps.

But, since I've taken up this blog and, in effect, making trades with other bloggers, it's opened a whole new avenue towards finishing sets.  And I guess that was a big part of the reason I decided to start blogging in the first place.

So it was with great excitement that I busted open the trade package that I recently received from Chris of Nachos Grande fame.  He and I worked out a deal last week that netted me 15 cards towards the ol' Archives base set.  Those 15, plus the 25 I got from my trade with Charlie at Lifetime Topps Project and the handful I got from last Sunday's card show put me at my set-completion goal.

Now technically, the cards I got from last Sunday's show were the ones to complete the set, since I knew which cards Chris and Charlie were going to flip me prior to the show.  But, I'm not one to count my chickens before they hatch.  Thus, chronologically, the cards in Chris' trade package were the last of the aforementioned that I physically obtained and, therefore, the final pieces to the puzzle.

So, thanks very much, Chris!  Your trade package officially put the final stamp on the 2012 Topps Archives base set in the K household.

Now, that doesn't mean the book is completely closed on Archives, as I have oodles of short prints to track down.  But, I'm not as motivated for those as I am for, say, Heritage SPs from the last two years.  Still, it's something I'll keep working at.

At the very least, I'm thrilled to have the base set wrapped up.

MK