Monthly Archives: September 2009

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Sketch Card Mania ’09

The other day I totally out of the blue decided I wanted to go full out on sketch cards.  I have no idea why I decided to do this.  I’ve got a sci-fi/fantasy book to write and mountains of baseball cards to trade and probably some other stuff too, but the decision is made.  So by the time all the fun-sized candy bars and nasty horrible disgusting candy corn has been given out and Halloween is over for another, I intend to have completed 35-40 sketch cards.

As of right now, I’ve drawn four and inked two.  The inked ones are of one of my favorite wrestling ladies (Tara as she is known in TNA) and the other of are two of my favorite non-sports card bloggers and twitter buddies that I hope get autographed by them.  The two that aren’t inked yet are Batman and a character of my own creation with a similar-sounding name and vastly different everything else.

If you’d like to help the project, I’m open to suggestions on who you’d like me to do, especially if you’d like to buy it after it’s done.  The only specific cards I know I’ll be doing at some point are as follows, so the suggestion box is WIDE open.

Kosuke Fukudome

Eddie Kingston

Megaman

Cutman

Phantom Lady

Ricky Rubio

In other news, the Bears are now 2-1, coming back late and holding on against the Hurricane-esque Seahawks.  Seriously, just throw a mask on ’em and stand back! It’s kinda outdated news now (I started this post late Sunday night), but I’m leaving it because the joke is timeless. 😛

I bought two [more] packs of Goodwin champions on Sunday.  I’m not sure, but I might’ve gotten a night variation, and I definitely got a panda.  That was kinda cool I guess.

One last thing: Can JD’s Daddy please let me know if  I got pretty much everything I was intending to send when his package arrives?  I packed everything up rather hastily, so I’m not 100% sure if the big hit made it in.

PS: eBay snipers deserve getting kicked in the shins by NFL kickers, and Jim Mora Jr. is the douche of the night.  I need sleep now.  Aloha.

Until our next…

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Remember When?

Now that we’ve established what a weirdo I am, remember when I complained about that Bowman Chrome blaster?  Here’s why:

One pack base & the next pack chrome. WTF topps?

One pack base & the next pack chrome. WTF topps?

The base prospect/WBC in one pack was immediately followed it’s chrome version in the next pack.

Damn. /Ron Simmons

Damn. /Ron Simmons

Thanks topps.  Stupid annoying crap like this is why I’m pissed off so often.

The last couple & my keepers, since it won't let me edit my scans...

The last couple & my keepers, since it won't let me edit scans...

A topps only baseball hobby next year threatens to run me out of it next year.  Crap like this makes me believe their pwnage this year had more to do with Upper Deck sucking/not getting it/not caring than topps being very good.  I hope Upper Deck’s partially licensed stuff sucks less than most of their crap from this year… If not, maybe I’ll be able to save a little money in 2010.

Okay, I’m done.  Sweet dreams, internet people.

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At the End of the Decade

The decade is coming to an end.  We’re more than 2/3 of the way through it’s last year.  The weather is beginning to cool as 2009 starts to wind down.  It is a time of reflection, a time to look back, as we prepare to move ever forward into the great unknown.

My own personal ’00s weren’t so good.  Growing up ain’t easy, and I found it especially tough.  As I struggled and failed to find my way through, it was as if timed stopped as the new millennium began, and only now, as we approach it’s first decade’s conclusion, do I feel like time has started to flow for me again.

I don’t know what it was that started my life moving forward again this year after being stuck in neutral for so long.  I don’t know if it was some outside force or something snapping within my mind, but something changed.  The wheels are in motion once more, and I’ve begun to truly feel alive for the first time in a very long time.

Of course, I’m not close to where I want to be, the process of healing my troubled little mind has only just begun, but… it has started.  I’m a little less depressed, a little more confident, a little less self-loathing, and little more proactive in keeping it that way.  My energy level is a little higher and I’m doing my best to be active and focus a little bit better.

However, being out of circulation for so long itself wasn’t without side effects.  I stand before you now as a 24 year old in body only; I’m stunted no less than a decade younger in emotional maturity, to speak nothing of life experience.  It is a strange feeling, to be sure.  The disconnect between my body and my mind is weird and kinda difficult to reconcile, but considering where my head has been for so long, it’s a comparatively minor issue.  Heh. 😉

So this is where I’m at, and it is what it is.  And as 2009 goes around turn three and we head into the fall and the reflective feelings it inspires, what is it from the past 10 years that you will reflect on, as the decade comes to an end?

Until our next…

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Fell off the Wagon… :(

It’s true.  I’d only spent $6.50 on cards this month until tonight. 😦  Oh well, guess I’ve got a blog to post then.  Here’s what I got:

2009 Tristar TNA iMPACT! retail

Pack 1

80 Sting & Kurt Angle (Champions subset)

3 Daniels

25 Kurt Angle

76 AJ Styles (Champions subset)- Keeper!

22 Jay Lethal

Pack 2

78 Daniels (Champions subset)

11 Samoa Joe

5 Bobby Lashley- I really hope he becomes a big MMA star, and not just to justify the topps Vault WWE Heritage Chrome proof I got of him on the ol’ eBay many moons ago.

52 Traci Brooks

82 Awesome Kong (Champions subset)- I’d like to remind everyone, and especially the previous Traci Brooks card that Kong Kills Bitches Dead (TM that one dude from 411mania).  Thank you.

2008 Bowman Chrome Draft Picks & Prospects

Pack 1

BDP38 Jonathan Van Every Red Sox RC

BDP32 Brooks Conrad A’s RC

BDPP9 Adrian Nieto Nat’s 1st Yr

BDPP16 Shane Dyer Rays 1st Yr

BDP23 Eric Hurley Rangers Chrome RC

BDPP59 Scott Green Tigers Chrome 1st Yr

Checklist Decoy

BDPP44 Bryan Shaw D’Backs Gold 1st Yr

Pack 2

BDP10 Mitch Boggs Cards RC- That’s some good Boggs, lol.

BDP44 Edgar Gonzalez Padres RC

BDPP6 Eric Campbell Mets 1st Yr

BDPP53 Devaris Strange-Gordon Dodgers 1st Yr

BDPP103 Gerardo Parra D’Backs Chrom 1st Yr

BDPP86 Jesus Montero Yankees 1st Yr- Heya Sooz. 😉

Checklist Decoy again- Fail…

BDPP49 Brent Morel White Sox Gold 1st Yr

2009 Allen & Ginter retail

84 Justin Upton

142 LaShawn Merritt

17 Manny Ramirez

306 Cliff Lee SP- Hello there, ball.

LMT7 Medusa Creatures of Legend, Myth and Terror- Sweet, I finally got one of the harder to pull inserts!  Keeper until I get a good offer for it.

NP10 Jose Reyes National Pride

Now for the main event…

…

…

2009 TriStar Obak retail!

Pack 1

76 Mike Coolbaugh- Southern League single season RBI record; The reason base coaches have to where batting helmets…

60 Joe Wilhoit- 69 game hitting streak in 1919.

54 George H. Rawlings Mini- Of Rawlings Sporting Goods fame.

23 Buster Posey- 2008 Gold Spikes Award winner.  Rich SOB, lol.

88 Patrick T. Powers- First Presidente of Minor League Baseball.

The info is from the card backs.

Pack 2

74 Alexander Cartwright- US Congress-credited inventor of baseball.

89 George H. Rawlings- Same guy as the mini, but different #… Umm, what?

27 Ted Williams Mini!- Began his pro career with the San Diego Padres of the Pacific Coast League.  Ironic that the 2009 Padres are once again a minor league-caliber team.

Thank you, I’ll be here all week.

57 Grover Lowdermilk- Set the single season strikeout record of 465, between the Eastern Illinois and Three-I League, in 1906.

38 Ryne Sandberg- He’s Ryne-Effin’-Sandberg!  Keeper!

These cards are FLIMSY.

Pack 3

41 Ted Williams- Hmm… same as mini, but with different number again.

33 Stan Musial- Was in the minors from 1938-1941?  Even the great ones had to start somewhere I guess.

60 John W. Heisman Mini- Atlanta Crackers President; the guy that college football trophy is named after.

4 Eric Hosmer- Has at least four of the mythical tools  apparently.

20 Jesus Montero- Sooz-jo!  Hopefully Hip-Hip-Jorge’s eventual replacement.

I’m forever replacing the word mojo with Sooz-jo.  Sorry Mr. Hand.

Let me know if ya require any of the above that isn’t being kept or being sent to Sooz.

I have a couple more fat packs of American Heritage for another post.  Still no pictures though.  I’m really backed up when I get to the scanner too, so I dunno when I’ll be doing what.  Sorry.

One other item of note, I received cards from Wicked Ortega today.  Let’s just say after that, the number of scans I’ve gotta do went up by 10-15.

Finally, an impromptu prize (and maddest of props if you don’t have to look it up) to the first person to get the reference I made on the Cliff Lee card.

Until our next…

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Quickie Pack Break & Some Chrome

I bought a fat pack of the new American Heritage, and here’s what I got:

16 cards per pack

51 Civil Rights Movement- Heroic Movement

6 Boyd “Buzz” Wagner- US Army Air Corps Lt. Colonel

57 American Red Cross- Heroic Group

59 ASPCA- Heroic Group

125 Flight 93- Event

118 Battle of Guadalcanal- Event

110 Lewis & Clark Expedition- Event

MOH-43 William Halford Medal of Honor (1:2 fat packs)

141 Barack Obama/Abraham Lincoln SP (1:4)

HJ-7 Lincoln Makes Presidential Bid A Hero’s Journey (1:4?  Cannot remember)

77 Herbert Hoover- Humanitarian

93 August Wilson- Playwright

43 Det. Frank Serpico- Finest (Police)

95 John Steinbeck- Novelist

27 Mary McLeod Bethune- Founder: Bethune-Cookman University

23 Sojourner Truth- Writer/Abolitionist

I really like these.  Even my little brother thought some of them were pretty cool.  This, I believe, is a set worth building.  I’d like to get the previous set too.  Historical stuff geeks me the f*** out.

I also have a few more Chrome for trade (must…stop…buying):

Base- 32 Mark Teixeira, 37 Carlos Delgado (horrendously off-center), 47 Even Longoria, 51 James Shields, 61 Conor “I’m too cool for a second n in my first name” Jackson, 102 Mark “my last name makes spellcheck ‘splode” Buehrle, 105 Jeff Francis, 119 Hank Blalock (horrendously off-center), 135 Chipper Jones, 143 Adrian Gonzalez, 184 Shairon Martis Nationals RC (Horrendously off-center), 206 Brad Nelson Brewers RC

Refractors- 36 Juan Pierre

X-Fractors- 217 Brett Cecil Blue Jays RC

PS: @Wicked Ortega– Did you get the two emails I sent?

PS2: LOL, I just realized the irony of pulling the Napoleon Bonaparte mini a few posts ago…

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Gint-A-Cuffs #2

Second half of the Allen & Ginter box now.

Pack 13

193 Khalil Greene

175 Alfonso Soriano (+1 Favorite Team)

11 Jacoby Ellsbury

181 Aaron Rowand

66 Alex Rodriguez (-1 Yankee)

132 Anna Tunnicliffe

202 Conor Jackson Mini

NP65 Carlos Delgado National Pride

Total: 0 (…)

Pack 14

267 Melvin Mora

221 Brandon Webb

265 Paul Konerko

240 Hank Blalock

104 Jeff Francoeur

208 Michael Young

14 Troy Tulowitzki Mini

NP63 Carlos Beltran National Pride

Total: 0 F*CK

Pack 15

99 Chris Duncan

2 Zack Greinke

111 Jason Giambi

212 Mariel Zagunis (+Hawt~!)

95 David Patton RC (Cubs; +1 Favorite Team)

334 Pat Burrell SP (+5, +2 Fave Players List, +7 I think)

88 Brad Penny Mini

NP62 Ryan Braun National Pride (+4 Fave Player List)

Total: 12

Pack 16

233 John Lackey

222 Akinori Iwamura

232 Everth Cabrera RC (Padres)

250 Grady Sizemore (+2 Fave Player List)

76 Brandon Phillips

297 Kolan McConiughey

NH34 General Jose de san Martin National Heroes (Agentina; +5)

NP67 Adrian Gonzalez National Pride (+4 Fave Player List)

Total: 11

Pack 17

103 Aaron Harang

59 Mark Reynolds

56 Daniel Murphy

266 Johnny Cueto

273 Jason Bay

311 Gavin Floyd SP (+5)

248 Colby Rasmus Ginter Back Mini Cards RC ( +2)

NP Jair Jurrjens

Total: 8

Pack 18

200 Carlos Quentin

70 Rick Ankiel

248 Colby Rasmus Cards RC

269 Brian McCann (+2 Fave Player List)

177 David Freese

233 John Lackey Code Parallel (+2)

26 Charles Goodyear Mini

NP47 Ryan Howard National Pride

Total: 2

Pack 19

170 Lance Berkman

115 Ryan Doumit

142 Lashawn Merritt

114 Hideki Matsui (-1 Yankee)

112 Millito Navarro (+2 Negro League Star)

325 Dioner Navarro SP (+5)

319 Gary Sheffield Mini SP (+7)

NP48 Jorge Cantu

Ginter Code Ad

Total: 13

Pack 20

165 Chase Utley (+2 Fave Player List)

223 Scott Rolen

83 Ludwig Van Beethoven

195 Kevin Kouzmanoff

214 Adam Dunn

264 Carlos Pena

170 Lance Berkman Black Border Mini (+3)

NP51 Albert Pujols National Pride

Total: 5

Pack 21

138 Garrett Atkins

7 John Smoltz

126 Trevor Crowe Indians RC

107 Brian Berg

295 Brett Gardner (-1 Yankee, but considerably less evil than most XD)

87 Aaron Cook

HHB15 The Bathtub Hoax Hoaxes, Hoodwinks, and Bamboozles (+5)

NP49 Max Scherzer- Why do I keep pulling you?! 😡

Total: 4

Pack 22

288 Joe Saunders

144 Joakim Soria

86 Michael Cuddyer

98 Josh Whitesell D’backs RC

278 Herb Simpson (+2 Negro League Star)

318 Delmon Young SP (+5)

114 Hideki Matsui Mini (-1 Yankee)

NP44 Yuniesky Betancourt National Pride

Total: 6

Pack 23

52 Aaron Hill

77 Francisco Liriano

153 CC Sabathia (-1 Yankee)

130 Johnny Damon (-Yankee)- Hax!

158 Sigmund Freud

133 Roy Halladay

NH19 Vasil Levski National Heroes (Bulgaria; +5)

NP55 Kosuke Fukudome National Pride (+6 MY Favorite Player)

Total: 9

Pack 24

187 Brett Myers

227 Nelson Cruz

219 Nate McClouth

235 Roy Oswalt

277 Kerry Wood

350 Jimmy Rollins (SP +5)

144 Joakim Soria Black Bordered Mini (+3)

NP60 Stephen Drew National Pride

Crack the Code ad

Total: 8

Second Half Score: 78

Total Score: 217 (pending…)

Now it’s all over but the pictures. :d

Vintage Lonestarr~!

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Gint-A-Cuffs #1

It’s finally time to throw the Gint-A-Cuffs box break up here.  And here is how I’m gonna do it:

• I’m just copy paste the 1st 12 packs now with the points beside them.

• I’ll do the next 12 tomorrow or something.

• Then I’m gonna post scans of all the point and negative point cards. debatably

Why am I doing it in this admittedly crappy, half-hearted way?  It’s quite simple really.  The way the standings look now, I’m in next-to-last place.  I have no chance of winning, I can score no better. So… I just want to zoom through this as quickly as possible and get on with things.  There are, as I mentioned questionably coherently recently, more pressing things I desperately want to get to.  Either that or I don’t feel like breaking down the scans any more than I have to.

There is one last thing I want to know before I slap this thing together, and that is this:

Why is Jared Weaver on the crap relic list?  He is 13-5 with a 3.89 ERA this year, 48-24 & 3.76 for his career.  Did he do something bad to Beardy or something?  I am endlessly confused by this…

…

Yeah, Breakitdown! ♫

Box Topper

Cabinet Card (+8)

Total: 8

Pack 1

100 Ichiro

271 Jair Jurrjens

151 Cole Hamels

247 Jeff Clement (-1)

AGR-NM Nate McClouth JERSEY (+8)

31 Nick Markakis Mini (+3 Fave Player List Mini)

NP45 Evan Longoria National Pride (+4 Fave Player List)

Total: 14

Pack 2

121 Ryan Church

57 Frank Evans (+2 Negro League Star)

28 Ervin Santana

209 St. Patrick’s Cathedral

336 Ryan Ludwick SP (+5)

AGHS18 Derek Jeter Baseball Highlights (+3?)

346 Dominique Wilkins Mini SP (+7)

NP58 Derek Jeter National Pride (+4 Fave Player List)

Total: 20

Pack 3

110 Kevin Youkilis

32 Jeremy Bonderman

287 James Shields

186 Adrian Beltre

324 Wladimir Balentien SP (+5)

ASGH17 Chipper Jones Baseball Highlights (+3)

188 Chris Davis Mini

NP52 Daisuke Matsuzaka National Pride

Total: 8

Pack 4

207 Jack Cust

185 Dustin Pedroia (+2 Fave Players List)

157 Jason Motte Cards RC

276 Michael Phelps (+?)

AGA-CJ Conor Jackson AUTOGRAPH (+15)

HHB16 The Cottingley Fairies Hoaxes Hoodwinks, & Bamboozles (+5)

NP61 Mark Teahen National Pride

Total: 22

Pack 5

216 Derek Lowe

68 Jamie Moyer

237 Walton Glenn Miller

14 Troy Tulowitzki

342 Sitting Bull SP (+5)

AGHS16 Alex Rodriguez Baseball Highlights (+3, -1 Yankee, +2)

13 Travis Hafner Ginter Back Mini (+2)

NP46 Carlos Ruiz

Total: 9

Pack 6

184 Chris Young

210 Johan Santana

12 Jermaine Dye

27 Chien-Ming Wang (-1 Yankee)

251 Carl Crawford

338 Jason Wong SP (+5)

47 JJ Hardy Ginter Back Mini (+2)

NP56 Edinson Volquez National Pride

Total: 6

Pack 7

124 Donald Veal RC (Pirates)

183 Pedro Feliz

53 Clayton Kershaw (+2 Fave Players List)

19 Mike Pelfrey

343 Doc Holliday SP (+5)

AGHS19 Albert Pujols Baseball Highlights (+3)

206 Miguel Tejada

NP64 Francisco Liriano National Pride

Total: 10

Pack 8

283 Mike Aviles

5 Luke Hochevar

280 Shin-Soo Choo

18 Clyde Parris (+2 Negro League Star)

224 Tim Lincecum (+2 Fave Player List)

345 Carlos Delgado SP (+5)

261 John Danks Ginter Back Mini (+2)

NP66 Joba Chamberlain National Pride (-1)

Crack the Code ad

Total: 10

Pack 9

113 Rafael Furcal

46 Brian Roberts (+2 Fave Player List)

117 Blake DeWitt

105 Kurt Suzuki

161 Justin Morneau

222 Akinori Iwamura Crack the Code Parallel (+2)

154 Corey Hart Ginter Back Mini (+2)

NP59 Miguel Cabrera National Pride

Total: 6

Pack 10

108 The Alamo

203 Scott Kazmir

26 Charles Goodyear

85 Jason Jaramillo RC (Pirates)

AGR-BD Blake DeWitt BAT (+8)

194 Brandon Morrow Mini

NP53 Vladimir Guerrero National Pride

Total: 8

Pack 11

262 Magglio Ordonez

134 Jered Weaver

280 Cat Osterman (+Hawt~!)

164 Erik Bedard

249 John Higby

313 Jeff Francis SP (+5)

331 Jeff Samardzija Ginter Back Mini SP (+7, +2 Ginter back, +1 Favorite Team, +10 I think)

MP54 Carlos Zambrano National Pride (+2 Favorite Team)

Crack the Code ad

Total: 17

Pack 12

9 Ryan Theriot (+1 Favorite Team)

94 Paul Maholm

140 Loren Opstedahl

173 Francisco Rodriguez

298 Dan Haren

243 Alexander Cartwright

72 Carlos Lee Mini

NP57 Victor Martinez

Total: 1

1st half score: 139

Let me know if I screwed up the scoring anywhere please.  This is pretty much unedited from two months ago, so I might be out of date on a few score rulings.  Also, a double check on maths is always helpful.

Done for now.  Second half soon.  Minimally edited down scans in the hole.  I got some emails to send.  Oh, and I finally sent the rest of the cards for Dinged Corners!  Finally!!… Though there is something else brewing, but that is for another time. 😉

Until our next…

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Pack Breaks Cuz I’m Depressed

Lots of crap is going on, bringin’ me down.  So I’m gonna do one of the handful of things that make me feel good when I’m feeling like crap.  Bust some wax!

We got a retail pack of ’09 Allen & Ginter and a fat pack of ’09 topps Chrome.  We’ll do the A&G first, just because.  Let’s get to it!

2009 Allen & Ginter retail (6 cards)

207 Jack Cust

111 Jason Giambi

66 Alex Rodriguez

346 Dominique Wilkins- Keeper!

259 Napoleon Bonaparte Regular Mini

NP33 Hanley Ramirez National Pride- Keeper!

That was a good pack!  A couple of keepers in there, so I’m feeling a little better now.  I’m typing these up as I open them, btw.

2009 topps Chrome fat pack (7 cards)

186 Trevor Cahill A’s RC- Jeez, we’re now three for seven on A’s.

59 Zack Greinke

W27 Alex Rios World Baseball Classic- Keeper!

97 Dustin Pedroia Refractor

42 Kosuke Fukudome- Keeper!

22 Justin Morneau

174 Matt Tuiasosopo Mariners RC

Nice!  Two more keepers.  A 4-13 keeper count is very good.  I’m very pleased.  I wasn’t really sure if I would feel better or not after busting some packs.  After all, it is easily my most hit-or-miss way of feeling better, being squarely at the mercy of fate.  She was kind today though, bringing a smile to my sadsack self. 🙂

That’s all for now, folks.  Thanks for reading! 🙂

Until our next…