Are You Calling Me Yella?

I should take a moment to express my appreciation for all of the nice things that you guys said when I made my announcement that I was wrapping this blog up on March 4th.  I truly wasn't expecting that and feel very humbled and appreciative by the comments.

I certainly didn't mean to give the impression that writing this blog was making me miserable.  I still have fun with it, it's just that it's getting hard to find time for it, plus I just don't think I have much else to offer in terms of content.  I do still have some cards I want to show, including some of these parallels from 2014 Topps:

2014 Topps is really growing on me.  It seems like the consensus on the set is "meh" but I really like it.   I also love the yellow parallels, or "yella" as my West Texas born Mother would say.   It's kind of a goofy face on Wil Myers (of whom with which I've shared a baseball field with which of whom).

I do like the photography on most of the cards I've seen so far though, and I'm beyond thrilled that Topps has captured a card of Adrian Beltre getting his head touched (he doesn't like that you know!)  I'm for sure building a rainbow of the Beltre card:

I know the red and blue are Target and Walmart, and the red crystally thing is in all retail, but I don't know the story on the green.  I haven't seen it in any boxes I've opened yet.  Anyone know?

My Oh Myers!

Hey, did I ever mention the fact that I WAS ON A BASEBALL FIELD WITH WIL MYERS?

Well, I was so therefore I must collect his cards.  I decided the other night, at about 1 a.m., that it would be a good idea to build a rainbow of his rookie card from 2013 Topps Traded.  I also thought I needed a whole page of his base rookie card too:

Well, almost a whole page.  The one in the middle is the Chrome version. Thankfully, these were only $.18 each on sportlots.com. 

The color variants were a little more expensive, but not too bad at all.  I don't have enough color variants for a full page yet, but I do have enough to make a cool gif, which is something I just learned to do.  Actually, it's a super easy process so I didn't really learn a new skill.  But the results are cool anyhow:

I've got the chrome, emerald, Walmart and Target versions.  The others are kind of expensive, like the black, camo, pink and whatnot, so I'll have to spread them out over time.

Wil Myer's Shrinking Signature

Let's go ahead and get this out of the way: I WAS ON THE FIELD WITH WIL MYERS A FEW YEARS AGO.  I also got his signature on a few things during a pre-season meet and greet with the Naturals.

So I have a desire to collect his cards, especially his official rookie cards from 2013.  I got my first ones in the mail a month or so ago- a pair of 2013 Topps Chrome:

But I also sort of feel like I need a super duper version of his rookie card.  You know, like a crazy-fractor or a pink camo or whatever it is the kids are getting these days.  Or better yet, an on card auto!  Yeah, that would be awesome!

I've been idly hunting a cheap on-card auto with the gen-u-wine RC symbol, but haven't been willing to pay what I need to get it.   Here is one I'd really like:

Well, I like the Chrome and I like the Sepia.  But man, what a cruddy signature.  Looks like something my 4 year old would scribble.  It made me re-look at the autographs I already had of Myers:

 

Sorry for the close up of his butt, unless that's what your into, which in that case, you're welcome!  But look- it's still not legible, but you can tell he put a little more effort into it.

The above was a program I won on Twitter from the Naturals.

I also got an autograph from Myers during a meet and greet several years ago while he was in Arkansas, and it was more like the program than the Topps card above:

I'm actually not hating here.  I get it- Myers probably signed a kajillion cards for Topps and got to the point where he just didn't give a crap.

So maybe, I don't need an autographed card after all.  I got the good Myers signatures while he was toiling away here in Arkansas!

Virtual Trading On Listia

So the general consensus on Listia seems to be:  no consensus.  I myself can't decide if I like it or not, although my recent experiences have all be great.  Several of my first transactions had, shall we say, issues, and left a bad taste in my mouth.

But I've been feeling better about Listia lately.  I think with a little luck and some good strategy, you can make out well on Listia.

Case in point-  a few weeks ago I "sold" a Yasiel Puig 1971 mini card for 4,000+ points.  I was extremely please to get that much for it, and I think my timing for selling it was good.

I spent those 4,000+ points on a couple of cards that came in this week.  The first is a card I've wanted for a while:

This manu patch card of Razorback Legend Darren McFadden is mega cool, dude.  If I were just making trades, I would have gladly given up the Puig for it alone.  Instead, it cost me 2,600 points.  With my remaining points I was able to get a card of another 2013 hot rookie:

This is some kind of "Father's Day" promo card, but I don't know (or care) the story behind the promotion.  I'm just happy to get a numbered card of Myers..... WHO I'VE BEEN ON A BASEBALL FIELD WITH!!!!  I would have taken this card straight up for the Puig as well.
  

About That "Passing" On Bowman Platinum.... *puig*

Look, I believe in 2nd chances.  It's why I still agreed to marry the lovely wife after finding out she used to make a living stealing cards and instead of going to college, she spent her 20's travelling with the circus.

It's the reason I still consider The Lost Collector to be a friend after finding out that he used to... oh I can't even bring myself to writing the words.  Trust me,  it was bad. 

Yes, I believe in 2nd chances, so I decided to buy some more Bowman Platinum, even though I did put in writing that I didn't like it and wouldn't buy anymore.

I guess having a great big forgiving heart worked out for me *puig*.  Here was what was in the first value pack:

Boom.  I collect Wil Myers cards because I was on the same field as Wil Myers once during a minor league game.  That's all the reason I need dammit.

 

 

Cool.  Not only did I get the purple refractor, I got the plain old base card too.  Did I mention I was once on the field at the same time as Wil Myers?



 

 

Yes!  All you need to know about Joey Gallo is that he hit 40 homers in the minors this year.  And he's 19 years old.

And the pack also yielded a couple of other nice cards of Tavares and Profar.  So that was a great pack and put Platinum back in my favor. 

But the next pack was even better *puig*.

 

Who knows if Lewis Brinson will make it to the Show, but apparently, he's a 5 tool prospect and had a good year this year in the Rangers minor league system.  I was happy to get this.

 

 



In my previous post about Platinum, I mentioned my dissappointment with these "ice" parallels.  They still aren't great looking, but I'll take whatever Yu Darvish cards I can get.

Yes!  Another cool Joey Gallo card!  Remember- 40 HRS/ 19 Years Old.

I'm a big fan of this sapphire blue rookie reprint set, so this was welcome too. 

So if this had been all I got from the 2nd value pack,  I would have been satisfied.  As I started opening the last pack, my only "complaint" was that I had opened 5 of these value packs and hadn't hit a Puig card yet.  I haven't hit a Puig in anything I've opened yet, and that kind of sucks.  I want to partake in Puig-mania too!

But, I kid you not, on the last pack I opened this beauty fell out:

Thank you cardboard gods!

I know the smart thing to do would be to sell this while Puig-mania is still going strong.  But knowing my luck, as more Puig cards hit the market, this one would tank in value right as my sale of it ended on eBay.  Plus, I figure the most I would likely get would be $40 or $50.  So I'm pretty sure I'll just hang on to it and hope he continues to be a star. 

Pie Face Funded: Arkansas Connection Cards

Between the Razorbacks and the NWA Naturals playing in my area, I'm not at a loss for good quality baseball, even if it's not quite MLB level.  I picked up a few cards using my Pie Face Funds that celebrate the local dudes I've been able to see, including the Orlando Calixte autograph above.  Don't know who he is?  He's a guy I can go watch play here right now in AA ball, is who he is.

You know who Wil Myers is though, don't you?  I've actually been on the field with Myers once, although he probably doesn't remember me.  Or perhaps he does?  I mean I didn't actually talk to him, or even stand in his line of sight, but still, I COULD have made it into his subconscious mind. 

And I picked up a trio of awesome Cliff Lee cards.  Seriously, these Topps Golden Moment die cuts are underrated.  Pretty sharp cards, and sort of over the top in design.  Which I love.

Cleve's Auction Night: $2 For The Skinflint

Apparently I have a reputation at Cleve's for being on the cheap side.   A few weeks ago, the lovely wife went birthday shopping for me and knew that a gift certificate at Cleve's would be a hit.   While she was at his shop (I would love to have been a fly on the wall for that meeting of the minds) she asked if $150 would be a good amount for me.

Ever the smart aleck, Cleve sat back in his chair and rubbed his chin and acted like he was doing some quick math in his head.  "Well, for the way your husband spends, I'd say $150 will probably last him about 6 months."  All the regulars that were in that day started rolling with laughter.

"So what you're telling me is that my husband is cheap?" my wife replied.

Cleve and the regulars replied with more laughter.  I'd get defensive about it, except that they're right.

So now I've got a gift certificate to Cleve's, courtesy the lovely wife, that will last me until the Holiday Season.  Actually, if my last auction "haul" is an indication, $150 will last a lot longer than that.  I walked out this week with only a $2 purchase, which is the minimum bid one can place on an auction item.   But, it was a great $2:

The lot was for 2 cards from 2012 Bowman Platinum, and both cards were of interest to me.  Wil Myers is a top prospect for the Rays, and I was able to watch him play several times in person while he was with the Royals AA affiliate here in Northwest Arkansas.   It's a pretty card, and numbered to #399.  I would have paid $2 for it by itself.

But it came with a second card, which I was happy to get as well:

I'm always happy to get Darvish rookies, so this was a perfect bonus card for me.

Grade

2012 Bowman Platinum Myers/Darvish Lot  $2   A+:  I may be cheap, but I still get good cards. 

Signed Wil Myers Program.. Courtesy The NWA Naturals

I got an early Christmas present last week when I received this in the mail from the NWA Naturals:

I won this Wil Myers autographed program by responding to a tweet from the Naturals on 12/12/12 asking who the folks out there thought was the greatest #12 ever.  My response was picked, winning me the progam.  (I said Tom Brady was the greatest, but if the question was "who is your favorite #12" I would have picked Myers for sure.)

As many of you know, Myers was part of a blockbuster trade this month that sent him to Tampa Bay.  Here's hoping he thrives in Tampa and becomes the star that so many believe he can be.  While in NW Arkansas he was a hitting machine, and was recently awarded the Topps Spink Award as the Minor League Player of the Year.   He's a bad mofo.

This gives me a chance to once again show the picture of Myers laughing as my boy ran off the field this past summer when his little league team got to take the field with the Naturals for the national anthem before a game:

This also gives me an opportunity to give kudos to the Naturals, who just this month won the Bob Freitas award as the best minor league organization at the AA level.  The award recognizes excellence in community involvement and business and operational success.  For what it's worth, it's our family's favorite activity in the summer, so any awards the organization receives are warranted in my humble opinion. 

In short, I won an autographed program of the minor league player of the year from the minor league organization of the year.  Merry Christmas indeed!

Interestingly, I heard the Naturals might have a "blogger night" and let local baseball card bloggers blog live from the press box during a game.   I heard this when I came up with the idea and told the lovely wife I thought they should do it.  But now my idea is on the internet and will go viral at any moment.

If anyone from the Naturals Organization actually does read this, thank you for the program, and keep up the great work!  See you this Spring!

Card Show Recap Part 2: The Expensivies

Something I haven't done at a card show in a long time is purchase a "nice" card.  I usually only end up with dime box material, which is fun- don't get me wrong, but I usually only get my nicer cards online or at Cleve's auctions. 

As I said yesterday, we had a pretty nice card show this weekend and I came across a few things I'm pretty proud of:

I've been trying to get a good deal on a Mike Moustakas auto card for a while now.  Moustakas absolutely tore it up during his AA stop here in NW Arkansas (NW Arkansas Naturals), which is where my interest stems.  I got what I thought was a good deal on this Bowman Sterling auto'd rookie.

Speaking of former Naturals, I also picked up this Aaron Crow relic and Wil Myers Bowman Chrome rookie at great prices.

I didn't neglect my Rangers either. 

Last but not least, I picked up this Fergie Jenkins Triple Threads relic for only $5.  Jenkins is one of those guys that I think I may start collecting.  He's a HOFer, a former Ranger, his cards aren't too expensive and from what I've seen in interviews, he seems like a really decent guy.

Chrome Futures Cards With My Name Written All Over Them

...at least the backs anyways.  I've been anxious to pick up some of the Futures Game insert cards from 2012 Bowman Chrome, especially of players I've seen in person like Wil Myers and Jurickson Profar.  Oh wait, I've seen ALL of the guys in the Futures Game set because I WAS AT the Futures Game.  Bully for me!

I knew that there was something special about this set, but until I read the backs of the cards, I wasn't sure what it was. 

 Yes, this is a sweet card.  But the back was what floored me. Turns out, my presence at the game that day did not go unnoticed.

Wow, recognition on this spectacular set was a complete shock to be sure!  Of course, my name on one card would have been plenty, especially on one of my favorite prospect's cards!  Let's look at Wil Myer's card and see what's doing there:

Wow, another beautiful card.  Surely this one doesn't mention me too does it?

OMG!!!!  This is too much!  Not to be nit-picky, but I was getting a bratwurst, not a hot dog, but the spirit of the card is correct. 

I can't wait to get the other cards and see if I made the text of them too!

Checklist Chipaway: 2012 Bowman Platinum Prospects

I picked up a lot of 38 Bowman Platinum prospects on eBay  a few weeks ago, and I think I only paid around $6 or $7 shipped.  With rack packs of this stuff at $10, and only including a handful of prospect cards in each, this was a great value.

Better yet, many of the prospects I'm especially interested in were included.

I'm now at about 50% done with the set. 

Wil The Thril

I picked up a few Wil Myers cards last week, before I went on my August-erity mission.  This was a 3 card lot that I bought mostly for the Futures Game relic card.  I already have the other two.

Myers is still biding his time in AAA, but is a good bet to get the call on Sept. 1.  

I like that he spells his name with only one L.  Now any cliche play on words I use with his name will seem more clever.

Sterling Naturals

 I've finally collected enough cards of current/former NWA Naturals that they get their own binder.  It's becoming one of my favorite binders to flip through, which makes me want to keep adding to it.  I picked up a couple of very nice Bowman Sterling cards to add this week:

Christian Colon is a guy I've written about a few times, and is a personal favorite of our family.  This auto was only a few bucks with shipping.

Wil Myers is a name most of you are probably familiar with.  One of the hottest prospects in baseball, Myers is a good bet to join the Royals this September.  My boy got a few autographs from him in person, which is good because his certified auto cards are expensive.  This also gives me a good excuse to show the picture of him laughing as my son and his teammates were running off the field before a game a few months ago.

Futures Game: Team USA

 I was pretty disappointed that there were no Futures Game specific souvenirs I could buy when we went to the Futures game last weekend.  Everything was branded with the All Star game logo.  I didn’t go to the All Star Game.  I went to the Futures Game.  However, they handed out some handy  programs, and that was as good as anything since there were short write ups of all the players inside. 

I thought I would spare you my thoughts on the players and just scan the pages for you.

Wil Myers received a huge ovation from the crowd.  I’m not sure what the delay is on calling him up from AAA.  I was listening to sports radio on the way home, and some guy from the Sporting News said Myers could be in the same category as Trout and Harper.    I hope so, and from what I’ve seen in person while he was in NW Arkansas, it wouldn’t surprise me.

A New Favorite Player In The Doon Household Part 2

I mentioned yesterday that my little boy and his little league teammates were going to be guests of the Naturals for Sunday’s game.  When they arrived, they were treated to a tour of the press box, a luxury suite and the PA announcer room.  I’m not sure how impressed the kids were with this stuff, but I thought it was pretty cool.  

 Views from the suites

 Inside the suite

Lining up pre-game

Next the kids (and accompanying adults, yours truly included) got to go down below to the indoor batting cages and walked the tunnel leading out to the field.  They didn’t get to go in the dugout or locker room, but who’s complaining?

Once out on the field they assigned the kids a position so when the Naturals took the field before the National Anthem, the kids would run out there with the players to their spots on the field.  I had my fingers crossed that my boy would either get centerfield and run out with Wil Myers, or shortstop and run out with Christian Colon, who he met the day before.

 Colon warming up pre-game

An aside- Wil Myers is a big dude.  He’s thin, but not frail looking at all.  I’m glad we’ve got to watch him play a few times, because I think his AA time will soon be ending.  

Turns out my boy was given shortstop!  Actually, he was given second base, but I may or may not have convinced the kid that got shortstop to switch with my boy when no one could hear me…

Oh, what?  Like any of you Dad’s wouldn’t have done the same thing!  It was totally harmless, and trust me, the kid that switched had absolutely zero interest in anything that was going on.  Don’t look at me like that!

So, the players started getting announced and running to the field, and when Colon was announced and took the field, my boy took off and followed after him to the infield.  I had my video camera and was soaking up every minute of it.  The best part was when Colon saw my boy.  He did a double take and squatted down to my son’s eye level and said “Hey, I remember you.”  I couldn’t hear this of course from where I was in foul territory, but could tell by Colon’s body language and the huge smile on my son’s face that Colon recognized him.  My son later confirmed the conversation to me.  Then Colon shook my son’s hand and had him stand right next to him during the National Anthem.

Once the anthem was over, kids zipped off the field.  It was insanely cute.   Take a look at the expression on Wil Myers’s face on the below pic.  Even he got a kick out of it. 

So that was our weekend.  I'm not going to get sentimental and make sweeping statements about sports and their impact on our lives.  It's just really nice when nice moments like this happen even on a minor league level.  And the athletes that take a few minutes and do simple things to make kids happy deserve appreciation and credit.