Rain Out Theater: World Series Edition

I've been away for a while taking care of my new baby boy and already doing my best to raise him a Mets fan despite living in the northwest suburbs of Chicago (the Mets won the first game I had him watch with me against the Cubs).

Well, I decided yesterday since there was not going to be any baseball on I'd stop at the local card shop and see if I could add anything interesting to the 2011 baseball card collection I am working on for my son.

I found two cool adds.

First, is this Ike Davis Allen and Ginter relic.  I've mentioned before that the Allen and Ginter relics are my favorite, and I went into the card shop hoping they would have this one for cheap and they did!

Davis was far exceeding my expectations in 2011 before his collision with David Wright.  I am hoping desperately that the ankle injury he suffered is not something that lingers throughout his career and stops what Mets fans are hoping is a stellar homegrown player from staying on the field and productive.

The second 2011 Met card I picked up was this 2011 Triple Threads numbered to 75 of catcher Josh Thole.

Now most of the Mets sources I've read indicate that Thole had a disappointing season, and I too admit that I had higher hopes for him.  However, he did show a bit of promise.  I think he is worth starting again next season.  I don't expect McCann numbers from him, but I think he can be as good as Jason Kendall was in his prime.  His upside comes from the potential for a high batting average (.280 against Righties last year) and OBP (.349 against righties).  Now obviously he'd have to improve on last year's numbers, but those numbers are a good start and his K/BB ratio is solid.  The big question is whether a platoon is necessary with him, and it might be (though he only has 74 MLB ABs against in his career so it is hard to say).  However, the Mets also have youngster Mike Nickeas that could offer that right handed complimentary hitter to Thole.  Anyway, I picked this up because I still have hopes for Thole and did not think his 2011 season was that terrible.  Plus, maybe the lefty friendly new dimensions at Citi Field next year net him another HR or two and he is only 24.

Congratulations: The Lesser Milestone Edition

As most of you know by now, this is a Met-centric blog, so my first priority is to issue congratulations to Jason Isringhausen on his 300th save!  Sure he did not turn out to be the superstar starting pitcher we Met fans had once hoped, but notching 300 saves is no small task.  So congrats Izzy, hopefully Topps gets you a card in its 2011 update set.

PS: Congrats to Jim Thome too, he has been a very likable player over his career and I was happy to see him get to the 600 HR mark.

2011 Topps Baseball Stickers... Yes you read that right

So, I was shopping in the local Target the other day and decided to check out the card aisle (pretty much a normal stop for me).

What I found was a bit surprising, though, because I had not heard anything about these in the blogosphere before I saw them on the shelves (which is not normal for me).

2011 Topps Sticker Collection

At $.99 for eight stickers I decided to pick up a pack and see how the stickers looked.

First, fresh off the DL, a Brain McCann sticker.

Decent pose and nice clean design... not bad.

Now if you are curious about the size, I took a couple of comparative photos to help you envision that aspect of the stickers.

First, here is a normal sized A&G Jason Bay card compared to a Starlin Castro sticker.

Next, we have a mini A&G Jordan Zimmerman compared to a Chase Utley sticker.

So basically, they are smaller than a normal sized card but wider than a mini.

The backs of the stickers simply have a number which I am guessing corresponds to their spot in the companion sticker album (which I did not purchase) and a bunch of copyright info.

I think they are kind of interesting, mostly because we have not seen baseball stickers for several years now.  I probably won't go out and buy too many more packs, but I was happy to grab this one.

If anyone picks some up and wants to unload the Mets, shoot me an email.

I'll leave you with some other stickers I got from the pack.  Let me know what you think.

.... and now a word from our sponsors

Hey everyone, I'm taking a quick commercial break from blogging and fantasy baseball to review a product from a sponsor of my blog.  Easy Canvas Prints worked out a deal with me whereby they sent me a canvas print to review on my blog and I put up a link to their site on my sidebar.

The concept of their website is easy to understand: you pick a photo from their website or your own collection and they turn it into a canvas print.

I went with a 8X10 print of one of my most memorable baseball moments: leaving Shea Stadium after the final game and the closing ceremonies.

Let me set the stage for those of you who were not there.

The Mets lost the last game of the year after blowing a lead and by the end of the Mets game the Brewers had already won their game ensuring that the Mets season was over and that the game I was at would be the last Met game ever played at Shea.

After staying for the very bittersweet closing ceremonies, I took a picture that I had Easy Canvas Prints turn into this canvas for me:

It is a fitting photo because the clouds and impending darkness of the day's end were a metaphor for the closing of the stadium.

It looks especially nice on the canvas because the added texture of a canvas gives the photo more character than one could get from a simple photo.  For those of you familiar with UD Masterpieces, this is the real deal feel of what Upper Deck was trying to mimic in the texture of those cards.

Now, one of the interesting options that Easy Canvas Prints gives you is how you want the edges of the canvas to look.  The three basic options are to simply wrap the edges of the photo around the edges of the canvas, to use a solid boarder for the edges, or to mirror the edge of the photo and use the inverted image as the edge of the canvas.  Now I know that last option might be a bit difficult to understand, but that is the option I chose so here is a picture of the edges of my canvas.

So as you can see, the bottom of my canvas print is the mirror image of the bottom of my photo (the other edges follow the same system).  I thought this was a really cool option to have and it turned out looking great from all angles as a result.

I have to say that I was really pleased with the way this turned out and would definitely use Easy Canvas Prints again for my sports and family photos.  I have never done a canvas print before this, but I had always thought about it.  This is going to look great hanging in my office!

So, check out Easy Canvas Prints' website (there is a link on my side bar as well as one at the top of this post), I highly recommend them.

I also want to thank Brendan who contacted my on behalf of Easy Canvas Prints.  He was great to deal with and if he is any indication of Easy Canvas Prints' customer service then the quality of the company goes far beyond just their product.

Carlos Beltran Send Off

I know it's been a while since I posted, but I had to give Carlos Beltran his due since he got traded.

First up, my most recent Beltran card, a SP (thanks to Tony and Ike over at Ike's Cards).

If you listen to most media outlets, Mets fans were disappointed in Beltran's tenure with the Mets; however, most of the Mets fans I know were quite happy with Beltran while he was here.  Sure, injuries are frustrating but to me those weren't Beltran's fault.  For all but his first year in NY Beltran always put up good numbers while he was healthy.  In fact, most of the time the numbers were better than good and when added to his superb defense made for a perpetual all-star.

One of my favorite cards for last year's Chicle set

So consider that in comparison to all the terrible contracts the Mets have handed out over the years to the likes of Bobby Bonilla and Luis Castillo (not to even mention pitchers) and it is hard for me to understand why a Met fan would be so upset with Beltran's performance while he was with the Mets.

To make matters even better, Sandy Alderson was even able to pry away a big prospect from the Giants in return for Beltran furthering the value he brought to the Mets.

So, Beltran I wish you luck in San Fran and since I root for the former NY national league teams when they make the playoffs and aren't facing the Mets....

Let's Go Giants! Get Beltran a ring!

One of several Beltran Relics I have

PS: I was so happy with Beltran while he was in NY, I'll still be collecting his cards (as long as he doesn't sign with the Yankees in the off-season).

Rockies and Rangers Trade Bait: 2010 Allen and Ginter

Hey everyone, as a result of a group break relic/auto draft over at Crinkley Wrappers, I have some sweet 2010 Allen and Ginter up for trade.  As always Mets cards are appreciated, but I'm also up for 2011 Cubs cards.

Let me know if there is any interest

Here they are:

A 2010 Jeff Francis Auto

and a 2010 Ian Kinsler Relic

Come back soon Ike!

Mets fans are still holding their collective breaths that Ike Davis' next exam will show enough improvement to warrant removing the boot he is currently wearing for his bone bruise so he can get back to helping the Mets right after the all-star break.

While waiting for good news on Ike, I grabbed my first Ike Davis relic card.

This is a 2011 Topps Heritage Clubhouse Collection card.  I traditionally have not been a fan of the Topps Heritage relics, but I like this one.  I'm not sure if it is just that it is Ike Davis, if I like the image on the card, or if the wood boarder just works well in the 2011 set (maybe it reminds me of the 1987 topps set, which was my favorite as a kid).  I'm also happy that it is a gray swatch, since it seems to fit well with the rest of the card despite the fact that Ike is depicted in a home uni.

Anyway, I was happy to grab it and since 2011 has been a good year for Ike Davis cards I've added a bunch to my collection!

Piazza Friday

Thanks to Night Owl, Joe over at the Sandlot, and Sportslots.com I have added quite a few Piazza card to my collection recently.  Below are probably my three favorites.

First, Joe was nice enough to send me this awesome bat card.  It actually was my first Piazza as a Met bat card (I already had an Allen and Ginter Piazza as an Oakland A bat card). 

I love the painted looking card and I like relic cards, so this one was a win win for me!  Thanks Joe.

In fact, I enjoyed it so much that I picked up this 2011 Piazza Bat card from Sportslots along with a bunch of 2011 Opening Day inserts to help me towards completing that set (though I am still in need of some).

The interesting thing about this card is that there is a Jersey relic card with the same picture on it, maybe I'll pick that up too eventually.


Finally, of all the cards Night Owl sent me, I am choosing to highlight the funniest:

Poor Piazza, surfing in Flushing Bay could not have been as fun as the surfing options in LA.

Thanks guys!

Contest Shout Out - The Diamond King

Hey, interested in some game used free cards, check out the contest here: http://thediamondking.blogspot.com/2011/05/want-list-is-coming-and-contest.html

Hey Mets Fans, Anyone Want an Angel Pagan Auto?

I just got two

These are a result of the UPC redemption for missing autos from a Gypsy Queen case group break in which I had the Mets.  So the new totals for me from that case are: 1 Stamp Jon Niese, 2 Angel Pagan Autos, 1 Santana Framed Card, lots of minis and lots of base.  Not bad.

So, if any of my fellow Mets fans want to make me an offer for one of the Pagans, go for it! (Remember, if you have a 2011 Cubs auto, I'd be interested in that as well as any year of Mets stuff)

Opening Day Comes Late

So after a lot of frustration with the first store I ordered a box of Topps 2011 Opening Day from, I finally got a refund enabling me to buy a new box over ebay.

That came in the mail yesterday, and I quickly posted my Needs and Trade list here.

Fortunately, I pulled this card from the box

Always good to get the one Hall of Fame Met in a card set, though it is the Mascot Hall of Fame, as opposed to the one in Cooperstown.

But seriously, I completed about 92% of the set after breaking a hobby box, a rack pack, and a single pack so that is not too bad.  I also did pretty well with the Presidential First Pitch and Spot the Error insert sets.

The one thing that disappointed me was that two of my three 3D Opening Day Stars cards were yankees.

Other than that and the lack of an ultra rare relic hit, I was happy with the box, but I'll be even happier when I complete the set!

Gypsy Queen Blaster - More Gypsy Queen Up for Trade

So, I bought a Gypsy Queen Blaster today and finally posted my For Trade and Wants list from Gypsy Queen.  It is on the side bar, or you can just click here.  I need some base, some inserts, and a couple minis.  I did not put any of the hits on there, but I'd be interested in any Mets, Brooklyn Dodgers, or New York Giants hits as well.

Happily, I pulled a nice hit out of my Blaster.  This Ryan Braun jersey relic. 

It too is up for trade, but I'd probably want a Met Gypsy Queen relic in return.

I also pulled some retail exclusive inserts, two of which I am keeping.  First, a Hanley Ramirez Sticky Fingers.

Second, a Jason Heyward Wall Climbers.

I was kind of confused at first, because I did not see any of these in the video case break I was part of and because the base Carlos Beltran card is also a climbing the wall shot.

Then I realized it was a retail only insert along with the Sticky Fingers to capture a bug theme I guess.  But hey, they are kind of interesting.

Finally, the other nice card I got out of my blaster was a Tulo bronze frame.  All in all, I was happy with it (though I did not pull one Brooklyn Dodger card!!!!).

Anyone Need Gypsy Queen Mets?

Anyone in the market for these let me know.  I also ended up with a couple duplicates of mini base cards and a duplicate of the Seaver Great Ones Insert.

I participated in a case break of Gypsy Queen over at A Cardboard Problem.  Of course, I grabbed the Mets.  I ended up with about five complete team sets.  Now Ike Davis was the short print, and while I did not get any of those in the group break, I did end up with one mini parallel of the card so that worked out.  Additionally, I ended up with about five Ike Davis Future Stars Inserts.  This means I have about five of these:

My big hit of the break was this Jon Niese stamp card numbered to 10.  I was happy with it, but I was also hoping for an auto.  There is still hope, though, since I might end up with one of the shorted autos from one of the boxes.

What do people think of the stamp cards?  I think it is interesting more for the design of the card (inserted plastic window) but do not quite get the relevance of the stamp.  

Stadium Seat - Milwaukee County Stadium

So, I stopped by what ended up being a relatively disappointing card show late last month right before Opening Day.

But the one saving grace was this Eddie Matthews stadium seat card from old Milwaukee County Stadium.  I already have three other stadium seat relic cards, as well as an outfield wall relic card, so I jumped at the opportunity to grab another for a reasonable price.

I am interested in what other people think about these sorts of relic cards: more or less interesting than bat or jersey cards?

April 15th - Jackie Robinson Day

April 15 is Jackie Robinson Day, a day worth celebrating.  I think when they first retired the number 42 for all the MLB teams I was not sure how I felt about it, but now I really like the idea.  I also hope that Robinson is the only number that the MLB does this for to keep it special.

I have been to many a Jackie Robinson Day, once I even went to two during one season!  Once at a Nationals game in DC, then a week or so later at Citi Field (both wanted to celebrate, but only one was home on the official Jackie Robinson Day).

Here's a picture from that game.

Rachel Robinson, Jackie's wife, on the big screen at Citi

Also, as a Met fan, I am really happy with all the Jackie Robinson tributes at Citi Field.  It really does not feel strange to me since it is part of the proud history of NL baseball in NYC.  Especially now that that history is complimented by Mets history with a cool Mets Hall of Fame.  For those of you who have not made it out to Citi Field, here is a picture from inside the Jackie Robinson Rotunda.

Thanks again Jackie Robinson for all you did for the game and the country!

2011 Opening Day at Citi Field

Happy Home Opener to the Mets.  I've been to several in the past, but I'm out in Illinois now so I'll have to watch through Slingbox instead.

Our pitching match-up today pits

VS.

I'm hoping first for a Mets win and second for a good old fashioned NL pitcher's duel.

Let's Go Mets!

Happy Opening Day!

Happy Opening Day to everyone, and congrats to the Reds and Pads for the comebacks.

I celebrated with another white pizza (with Pepperoni baseball stitches).

I followed it up with some store bought Strawberry-Rhubarb pie that I topped with homemade whipped cream and cherry stitches.

I also opened a jumbo pack of 2011 Topps Opening Day and ended up with these two top Opening Day Performers:

Stubbs hit one of six homeruns in the Reds - Brewers game that ended on a thrilling three run homer by the Reds' catcher.

The Swinging Friar was on hand for the Pads big comeback against the Cards.

Lets Go Mets! Get a win tomorrow!

2011 Mets Topps Heritage

So, I went to a cardshow this past weekend.  It was kind of disappointing, though, with little selection and high prices.

The one good thing was that one table had 2011 Topps Heritage commons and I was able to pick up most of the Mets team set.  Including these two:

My second Lucas Duda.

My second RA Dickey.

If anyone out there has any of the following that I still need let me know and I'd be happy to work out a trade for them.

Need
#7 - Carlos Beltran
#85 - Ike Davis
#256 - Ruben Tejada
#421 - Francisco Rodriguez

SPs
#436 - Jose Reyes
#464 - Johan Santana
#478 - David Wright

New Banner and Imprinted Cards

So, I changed my banner at the top of the page.  Any comments would be much appreciated.

I also scored these two cards in a recent trade with Isaac from Ike's Cards.

I know that before Topps got exclusive rights a lot of people were down on upper deck, but I liked what Upper Deck did with Ovation.  The 2006 incarnation, from which this Reyes card below originates, might have even been the best.

The entire card has a textured feel to it from the play image being raised above the pock marked baseball with impressions of the stitching.

And speaking of impressing of a baseball's stitching, this 2008 Sweet Spot card has them too.  I'm not sure about other people but I like them.

Interestingly enough, the highlight of this trade with Isaac was a game-used for game-used swap.  I sent him a nice Scott Rolen in Cards uni for this Geo Soto card:

Now, you might be asking why I, a noted Met fan, want a Geo Soto game-used card.  Well, I decided that I will be collecting 2011 Mets AND Cubs cards since I'm living out in Cubs territory again this year and my wife and her family are Cubs fans.

So thanks again for the trade Ike!

Gypsy Queen Two Box Group Break

Hey, if you are like me you think Gypsy Queen is the most interesting Topps MLB product coming out in 2011.  If that is the case check out the group break going on over at Nacho Grande: http://fanofreds.blogspot.com/2011/03/gypsy-queen-2-box-group-break-sign-up.html

Some nice teams are still available, which means you could end up with this card:

Sign up soon!

Glavine Dual Relic - Pitchers and Game Used Bats?

So as I was browsing through my local card shop I found this nice looking card: a 2004 Diamond Kings Tom Glavine Dual Relic numbered 12/100.  Between the low numbering, the awesome design, and dual relics I decided to pick it up.

Now, I have always found game used bat cards of pitchers to be a bit odd, but Glavine did have a reputation for being a better than average hitter for a pitcher.  His career OPS was .454, he hit one homerun in his career, and had 90 RBIs.  However, it is hard to tell from those numbers how good he was compared to other pitchers.

This is where those new statistics become a bit more useful.  I am going to use oWAR: Offensive Wins Above Replacement.  This statistic is supposed to measure the number of wins above or below average this player contributed to his team offensively. Glavine totaled 5 over his 22 year career (all in the NL).  Compare that a terrible hitter like Al Lieter who compiled -2.4 over 10 years in the NL.  For a more modern example look at Cole Hamels who has .2 in his five year career which would extend to .88 if he played seventeen more years.

The moral is, that Glavine was a decent hitter for a pitcher, but he was no Babe Ruth or Carlos Zambrano (the later of which already has 4.6 in 10 years).

Frustrating Fantasy Players - Nice Looking Cards

I don't know about the rest of you, but I am gearing up for the 2011 Baseball Fantasy Season.  I play in an NL only six team rotisserie league with friends.

This cool card I got from Justin's World (check his blog here) reminded me how frustrating guys like Aroldis Chapman can be from a draft perspective.

Guys like Chapman are great players but may not get enough playing time to be worth a high draft pick.  It is especially frustrating when the players ahead of these guys on the team's depth chart are fantasy duds or may loose their jobs.  In cases like this I don't want to waste a pick on either Francisco Cordero (the Red's current closer) or Chapman (the guy who should be the Red's closer).  I mean if Cordero just barely holds onto his job his numbers will hurt my team AND prevent them from using the superior fantasy player.

Another example from the same division would be Tyler Colvin.  It seems to me that he did enough last year to earn a starting job, but instead he will likely split time with the likes of Fukodome, Pena, and Soriano.  If those three guys are healthy all year, the at bats they take away from Colvin make an otherwise intriguing player so much less appealing in the draft.

Anyway, maybe this is just me venting.  Thanks anyway for the card Justin!  I like it regardless of whether Chapman ends up on my fantasy team this year!

Duke Snider - Banner Seasons

As most of you know Duke Snider died yesterday.  One of my previous posts on the Duke of Flatbush detailed my affinity for the former Brooklyn Dodger great as well as an autographed card of his that I have and the favorite oddball baseball item in my collection.

Today, in honor of Snider, I bring you a more than cardboard card that depicts Snider literally crowned! (Do Dukes normally get their own crowns?  I don't know, but this Duke deserved it). 

The Dodger lettering is actually made of some fuzzy material raised from the card surface that I am going to call felt: I am guessing the way this material simulates the feel of an actual banner is why the card series was called "Banner Seasons."  The back of the card details Snider's and the Dodgers' achievements in 1956.

With a great picture and the cool effect on the front, this card is one of my favorites of Snider.  Thanks Duke for all the joy you brought to Brooklyn!

Two Cool Dual Relics

So I stopped by my local card shop yesterday afternoon and I picked up a bunch of game used cards of various players I like or did like before they retired including Randy Johnson, Tony Gwynn, Justin Verlander, another David Wright and the two cards below.

Both are from the 2009 Upper Deck SP Legendary Cuts insert set called Generations Dual Memorabilia.  I have always found those Dual Memorabilia cards to be hit or miss depending on whether the two players depicted together made sense and were both players I liked or at least respected.

First, is this Chase Utley and Joe Morgan card.  Though Morgan might not be the best announcer in the world, he is a Hall of Fame second baseman.  His Stolen Base numbers are great and he got caught less than once in four tries.  Utley, if he continue to be productive and play at Citizen's Bank for the next five years, will also have hall of fame numbers.  So this pairing made sense to me.

Next, Jose Reyes and Tim Raines.  The pairing here has to do with the two players' stolen base prowess.  Raines got caught less than once every five and a half tries and had over 808 steals in his career.  He is a boarder line hall of famer and, as a bonus, is depicted in his expos uni.  Reyes, if he can stay healthy and develop the power he has shown at times could end up being an infielder's version of Raines.

Anyway, I liked these two and I'd be interested to know what you think of them.  The Utley and Morgan card might even be up for trade, but only in the right deal for something interesting and/or 2011 related.

Trade Bait: Minis!

I know a lot of my fellow bloggers out there love minis.  I enjoy them, but probably not as much as some of you do.  I do really like the Kimball Champions from Topps 2011.

Anyway, over the years I have scored several minis from packs that I would be more than happy to trade with someone that will give them a better home than I have.

Here they are:

2010 Allen and Ginter #NA49 - National Animals Zebra

2010 Allen and Ginter Base Minis: #321 Carlos Gomez and 297 Isaac Newton

Allen and Ginter 2009: World's Biggest Hoaxes and Hoodwinks #12

Allen and Ginter 2008 #PA4 - Pioneers of Aviation

and Topps 206 #HE15

Shoot me an email or comment if you are interested!