Obsessed with baseball? Can't wait for the College World Series? Like contests?

Then there is one going on at Autographed Cards. It is the 6th annual College World Series Contest. I didn't win last year, but who knows this may be my year.

A little help with some monster boxes

A former student, and now friend of my wife, gave me several monster boxes of cards. It was a very kind act and I am grateful for the cards. One of our cats, the cute one, decided she wanted to help sort them out-thankfully these are doubles. Thanks for the paw Poppy.

Sad Flight

After 14 seasons Raphael Furcal retires. Who could forget the energy he brought to the 2011 club? I can say they wouldn’t have won the Series that year without him. At the end he was in the Royals’ minor league system after injuries laid him low-sad way for him to go out.  I couldn't resist including a picture of his wife-it reminds of Will Ferrel's move The Other Guys. Have a Happy Flight!

 

Better than a Blaster X-Rated Edition

Disclaimer Stop reading now if you are offended by anything X-rated!

A few weeks ago I was having a good work day and on an impulse I picked up a couple of boxes from Blowout Cards one of which was UD 2009 X. I just got around to opening the box and was mildly surprised how much I enjoyed it thus alleviating any buyer's remorse.

The set consists of 100 base cards, 100 parallel die cut versions, 75 Xponential X inserts, 45 Xponential X2, 35 Xponential X3, 25 Xponential X4, 15 Xponential X5, 5 Xponential X6, 85 UDX Memorabilia, and 7 Upper Deck X Signatures Autos.  Non of which are #ed and no odds are found on the wrappers, the box, and none on baseballcadpedial nor given in the Standard Catalogue. The cards are very attractive and really showcase the player.

Well how did we  do?

The box yielded 90% of the set-or 90 of the 100 base cards and no doubles. I received 24 die cut parallels, or one per pack each of which contained 6 cards. The box also yielded 8 of the Xponential basic insert, 6 of X2, 4 X3, 3 X4, 2 X5, and 1 X6. The "hit" I received was a Vlad jersey card. Since I already had the Redbird base cards I was hoping to pull a King Albert X6. Alas, no luck. This was a Randy Johnson hot box as it gave me X2, X4, and X6 inserts.

Overall this was an enjoyable $20 or so-I will certainly pick up the 10 missing base cards and any inserts I can get in dime boxes. Here are the highlights. Of course we will start off with the Birds.

The die cuts, Redbird Holliday, Miggy-just watched Miggy hit his 400th homer off of the Redbird pitcher Lyons. I love Miggy but I wouldn't be sad if it was rained out, Jake Peavy, and Randy Johnson.

The Xponential X inserts St. Louis native Ryan Howard, and King Felix. 

  Xponential X2 Holliday, Miggy (all Miggys stay in our collection), Berkman (with out much effort I have been accumulating several non-Cardinals cards of Lance), and another Johnson.

 Xponential X3, more Lance love, Junior, and more Miggy.

 Xponential X4, Ichiro, and yes more Johnson.

 Xponential X5, yep you guessed it-

 Now the "hit", Vlad-which may end up with our friend Beth who is crazy about him.

TriStar Card Show Vintage Topps the '70s

I am slowly completing the Cardinals’ Topps team sets. All in all the ‘70s produced some of the most attractive issues in Topps’ history.  At the annual TriStar show I was able to add a few ‘70s Topps to the collections-in particular 1970. I thought I would give just a little info on each player.

First up, the 1970 Topps Redbirds. Carl Taylor spent one year (1970) with the Birds. Rich Nye is another local (Oakland, CA) boy who was drafted by the Cubs in 1966 while a University of California (Berkeley).  He would spend 1970 with the Birds as well. Rich would have a short career due to injuries and would later become a Veterinarian. Phil Gagliano was a utility layer for the Birds and would be with the Cardinals 1963-1970.  I am sensing a theme here with Jerry Johnson spending only the 1970 year with the Cardinals. I don’t think I need to say much about Joe Torre-not sure how I was able to get for $1.50 in excellent condition, but so be it. Steve Huntz would spend two seasons (1967, 1969) with the Cards and with the White Sox he would be traded along with Tommy John, yep that Tommy John, to the Dodgers for Dick Allen.  Joe Hague had an average Major League career and spent 1968-1972 with the Birds then 1972 and 1973 with the Reds.  Jose Cardinal was a Cuban born outfielder and cousin of Bert Campaneris. Jose spent 1970 and 1971 with the Birds. Jose was a three time World Series Champion (1996,1998,and 1999) when he was First Base Coach of the Yankees.

 

 

1972

Marty Martinez was also a Cuban born player who was with the Cardinals only in 1972.  He would later go on to coach with the Rangers and the Mariners.

1973

Rick Wise won the Little League World Series in 1958. He was the winning pitcher in Game 6 of the 1975 World Series. Rick was a two time All-Star and pitched a perfect game with the Phillies on June 23, 1971. Rick spent 1972 and 1973 with the Cardinals.

TriStar Card Show Topps Vintage #1 1950s and 1960s

Again, I really wish I would have picked up more common vintage Redbirds at the TriStar show last month. Oh well, there is always next year. Here are the '59 and ’60s Topps I picked up-

1959

Phil Clark lasted a little over one year with the Birds-came up on April 15^th, 1958 and last appearance was April 29^th, 1959. He left a 0-2 record, 7.98 ERA in 14 and 2/3 innings.

 

Gino Cimoli was a local boy from here (San Francisco). He went to Galileo Academy of Sciences. What a school this must be for sports. It produced the DiMaggios, Dario Lodigiani, and the much despised O. J. Simpson and his white Bronco buddy Al Cowlings.  Gino had a 10 year career starting with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1955 and ending the California Angels in 1965.  1959 was the only year he spent with the Birds. He had the distinction of being the first batter in the Majors to bat in a game on the West Coast when the LA Dodgers and the SF Giants played the first ever West Coast game .

Larry Jackson came up with the Birds in 1955 went on to be a three-time All-Star games (1957, 1958, 1960) while he was with the Cards. Only Phillies and Cub’s fans may know this but he was traded to the Phillies by the Cubs for Ferguson FREAKING Jenkins! Great trade Phillies. 

Chuck Essegian played a partial year (1959) with the Birds and was one of the first Americans to play in Japan when he went there in 1964 to play with the Kintetsu Buffaloes. He played in the Rose Bowl with Stanford in 1952 and in the World Series with the LA Dodgers in 1959, thus becoming only the second guy to do so.

1960

Bob Duliba spent almost three full seasons (1959-1962) with the Birds before being traded to the Dodgers. Walt “Moose” Moryn spent almost one full season with the Birds (1960-1961). Carl Sawatski started out with the Cubs in 1948 and ended his career with the Birds in 1963. Charlie James is from the STL and came up with the Cardinals in 1960, spent 4 years with his hometown club before heading to the Reds in 1965. He was part of the 1964 World Series Champion Redbirds.

1961

1964

Tired of Hearing About the Cubs' Young Guys

I can't take no more. I am listening to the Baseball Tonight podcast and Buster Olney is fawing over the Cubs' young guys, as he always does, in fact as the media does in general. Why are they so giddy? Yeah, I "hate" the Cubs but even a Cubs' fan is smart enough to recognize they SHOULD have the best young talent. Why you ask? Because they have sucked for so long they get the picks. Here are the overall draft positions of the Cubs for the last few years.

2010  #16

2011      #9

2012      #6

2013      #2

2014      #4

 

Here is the Cardinals' draft choice placement.

2010      #25

2011      #22

2012      #19

2012      #23

2013      #19

2013      #28

2014 #27 & #34

Which is harder trolling the lower draft slots for talent? Or getting the top 10 picks?