Closet Full of Cardboard

Unexpected Rays!!

2011-05-22T11:50:00.000-04:00

A few weeks ago a package arrived in my mail box from the author of Night Owl Cards. Seems like he was up late looking through his piles and piles of Dodger cards and must have come across a few Rays cards that he had no use for. Being the kind blogger that he is, said Night Owl then stuffed them gently into a padded envelope and sent them to me here in the Sunshine State. The Closet is very greatful!!!! Here is a look at what showed up!!!!

First a couple of Crawford cards. After a lot of back and forth on the matter I think I am going to continue to collect CC cards. Even though his move to the Red Sox has made his cards a little more pricey on Ebay, I still really like Crawford's game. He has really struggled in bean town this year, but should turn it around before the season is over.

The Owl also threw in a couple of odd ball Hendersons. I really like the 70's inspired baseball card mag cut out. Check out the back below.

The investment advisor suggests BUY, BUY, BUY the Henderson Rookie at $150. I wonder what they advisor is doing now? I bet he is recommending Bryce Harper cards.

The ladies love LONGO and so does this blogger. The Rays really missed him at the beginning of the year. The Rays will only go as far as Mr. Longoria bat takes them this year. Their offense is very streaky and Longo needs to keep it glued together.

BJ Upton, what a pleasant surprise you have been this season. You have been playing pretty hard, picking up some clutch hits. Must be a contract year!

Desmond I dont remember seeing you play on opening day? Were you really there?

I did not know who this was until I received this card, but apparently this is who the Rays are hoping will be their starting catcher at some point in the future. After reading the info on the back of this card I have become a huge fan. Justin is an Indiana native who was born in Muncie, Indiana at the same time I attended Ball State. He also has been know to "DOMINATE AT TABLE TENNIS" I hope to see you at the Trop soon Justin.

And last but not least 80% of the Rays starting pitching staff. 4 out of 5 not to bad!!! Shields 2011 Topps Opening Day, Wade Davis and Jeff Niemann surrounded by wood grain, and a tiny little David Price... so cute.

The lesson learned, all you bloggers, is if you have a bunch of these "Rays" cluttering up your collection and you want to unload them, there are plenty of us out here who will gladly take them off your hands. Thanks again Night Owl Cards.

The Card Addict

TOPPS SKETCH CARDS ARE BACK!!!

2011-02-11T17:07:00.000-05:00

I was worried that the 2011 version of TOPPS may have dropped the "SKETCH" card. However after a little searching on EBAY this week I was able to locate a few 2011 SKETCH cards. Not only did I find a few, turns out they are some great looking cards! I am not sure I like the direction they are going with re-creating older cards, but I guess it goes go with the anniversary theme. Here are some pictures of the cards that have already been sold or are currently listed on EBAY.....

The Rays are going to miss you Joaquin. Thanks for a great year in 2010!

This is one bad mama jamma. Love the '73 feel and look of this card.

Great looking card.

Classic Killebrew

One of my All-time favorite cards re-drawn UPSIDE DOWN???

Still very sweet.

YAZ!!!

Not so sure about this one... looks unfinished to me.

Sweet piece of artwork. Doesn't look like Vladdy, but a really cool card.

This is really cool....

I really like these 1/1 pcs of artwork, and if you don't have one in your collection yet I highly recommend you go out and get one, you will not be disappointed.

The Card Addict

Just the beginning!

2011-02-06T16:18:00.000-05:00

I am not the first, and I will not be the last to post a break in the 2011 Topps collecting season. In case you were wondering I bought two loose packs and a blaster from Wal-Mart. These are the results of the first pack....

Paul Konerko..... watching a looping single land softly in front of an unknown center fielder!

Christian Guzman.... turning a double play!

James "Big Game" Shields.... Only three cards in and I pulled my first RAY!!!!!

Rays Team Card... Garza and Pena are now both Cubs.... Shoppach and Longo are still here though!

Pedro Ciriaco.... RC for the Pirates

Ryan Braun....Wal-Mart Exclusive Blue Diamond card. Ryan could be Brendan Fraizers stunt double if the baseball career doesn't work out.

Babe Ruth TOPPS 60... Decent looking cards. However for some reason I do not like getting Ruth cards in new product. Seems to me you should only be able to get a Ruth card by shelling out a lot of dough.

History of Topps 1994 moves from Brooklyn to NYC..... Is that why ever year they put a Derek Jeter gimmick card in the set?

Evan Longoria Topps Town.... I hate Topps Town and not even Longo looking at a long fly ball out can change my mind.

Jhoulys Chacin... Look at all the fans in those red seats....

Chase Utley... Great card, up on his toes, love the score board in the background.

Carlos Gonzalez... The 2010 NL Batting Champ... 197 Hits... Monster Year, can he do it again?

So there is my first pack of 2011... If you read this post all the way to this point you deserve a shot at a prize..... So here is the contest......

The first person to comment with the name of my first Rays card from 2010 will receive:

1 Random Wax pack and 20 cards of the team of your liking. You can guess as many times as you like, but only the first one will count, so make it a good one. If you poke around a little on this blog you will not need to guess.... Thanks for reading and good luck.

THE CARD ADDICT

UGH!

2011-02-04T20:59:00.000-05:00

I just threw up in my mouth a little bit!

The Card Addict

Kyle Farnsworth?

2011-01-12T21:56:00.000-05:00

Good bye.......Free agents
Carlos Pena
Carl Crawford
Joaquin Benoit
Randy Choate
Dan Wheeler

Soon to be good bye.....
Alfonso Soriano
Grant Balfour

Good bye traded core players:
Jason Bartlett
Matt Garza

Hello?
Kyle Farnsworth????

Really?????

The AP is reporting that Kyle "gas can" Farnsworth and his 12 year
lifetime 34-55 record are headed to the Rays. Please tell me that the
Rays are not really thinking about adding this head case to the roster.
Especially if the
money that are reporting can be believed....

$3.25 million per year???? What????

As a newer Rays fan.... since 1999.... I understand not signing the
free agents, and I have actually kind of liked the trades we have
pulled off. I know our bullpen is going to be our weakest link in
2011, but Kyle Farnsworth?

Note to Joe.... Keep the all the electric fans out of the dugout....
and lets hope Kyle spends some of his cash on obedience
school for his two Bulldogs!!!

At least he can fight!!! Do you need an enforcer in baseball?

The Card Addict

Carlos Pena or Evan Longoria?????

2010-06-28T12:21:00.000-04:00

Here is another auction for a confusing sketch card: CLICK HERE!!!

To me it looks like Carlos Pena, however the owner of the card has it listed as Evan Longoria!! What do you guys think.

I have never seen Longo hit left handed, but I guess it is possible.............

THE CARD ADDICT

Who is this SKETCH Card?

2010-03-24T21:58:00.001-04:00

As I was checking EBAY today to see what new Carl Crawford cards, that I cannot afford, were listed I came across this listing. The seller thinks this is a Carl Crawford sketch card. I am not so sure. Either the artist is not very good at capturing the essence of Carl, or this is someone else. I am leaning towards Desmond Jennings. What do you think??????

THE CARD ADDICT

Blue,Gold and......Copper????

2010-03-18T22:05:00.000-04:00

Here are a few recent pick ups. Like I always say I am a sucker for serial numbers!!!

2010 Topps Gold Carl Crawford 1156/2010

2010 Topps Opening Day Blue Carl Crawford 1831/2010

The backs, is anyone else mad about the cheap looking numbering this year on the back of the Topps product. What happened to the embossed gold foil? What happened to the gold foil? These are some lousy ink jet printed serial numbers. They are a little smaller on the Opening Day card as you can see in the scan, which I think looks a little better by the way. I still think it is garbage that Topps has gotten cheap on these parallel cards this year!!!!

2007 Topps Copper Aki Iwamura 55/56

I remember when this came out in '07 you could not touch one on ebay for less than about $40. I got this one for less then $5 shipped. Good things come to those who wait!!!!! I never understood why COPPER would be more rare then the gold, but I guess that is the way they wanted it.

The Back.... Notice the gold foil stamping.... Classy!!!!

Well that is all I have time for tonight. I still have to get these up on my Zistle.com account. Please voice your opinion of the way Topps is doing the serial numbers this year. I think it sucks!!!

The Card Addict

100th post celebration

2010-03-12T21:09:00.001-05:00

I decided for my 100th post I was going to treat myself to a break of my all time favorite baseball cards. 1986 Donruss!!! I imagine the main reason I love these cards is because I really started collecting cards around the time these were hitting the stores. In 1986 the Topps cards were kind of boring but the Fleer and Donruss products were both in my opinion great looking cards. However I have always preferred the look of the '86 Donruss.

So last week I decided to search Ebay and see if I could pick up an unopened box of wax. What I found instead was these beauties.....

Thats right 6 unopened rack packs. The auction started at $9.99 with free shipping. I bid $9.99. As you can see I won the auction. I know what you are saying to yourself right about now.... and yes I probably could buy a complete set for $9.99 + shipping but that is not what I did. I bought 6 unopened rack packs. What can I say? I am an addict.

Here are the highlights of the 1986 Donruss break!!!! Wish me luck!!!!

Pack number 1

Andres Galarraga-Rated Rookie

Goose Gossage-Diamond King

Rickey Henderson-HOF

Wade Boggs-HOF

Lou Whitaker-sweet LOU!!!

"OIL CAN" Boyd- the glasses plus the embroidered jacket = Awesome

Steve Carlton-HOF

Harold Reynolds- Before TV

Dennis Eckersley- Awesome photo

Pack number 2 A little SCARY or maybe I should call it HAIRY!!!!

No stars in this rack, but check out the mid eighties hair!!

Don Aase- I would like to introduce you to the man groomer

Lynn Jones- I am surprised you don't see that hairy animal on your upper lip with those glasses!

Von Hayes- This style seems to be making a comeback... all the young whipper snappers are wearing it like this!

Bob Stanley- Is that a barber pole your staring at?

Nelson Simmons- That is one sweet natural fro!!!

Sammy Stewart- That is not!!!

Pack number 3

Carlton, Kirby, and Fred... What else needs to be said?

Pack number 4

Frank Viola- Nice action shot here

Steve Garvey- as a former Cub fan Garvey in a Padres uni makes me physically ill

Tony Gwynn- hitting machine

Dale Murphy- Did anyone else play for the Braves in the 80's

Darryl Strawberry- THE STRAWMAN

Joel Guzman- Who is rating these rookies????

Todd Worrell- Rated Rookie

Pack number 5

Where is my Canseco????

Kirk Gibson- Before THE home run!

Ken Griffey- Before JR.

Nolan Ryan- sweet card

Tom Foley- future Rays third base coach

Hal McRae- future and former Rays coach

Fleet Feet- Willie and Vince, hey Willie do you have something in your eye?

Juan Nieves- Rated Rookie??

Cory Snyder- At one point in history this was a very hot card!!!

Last pack #6

Pete Rose- all time hit leader

Kirby Puckett- Double

Ken Griffey- Still before there was a JR.

Nolan Ryan- Still bringing the heat

John Habyan- Rated what?

Mike Woodard- Rated who?

Jose Canseco- the second to last card I pulled in this break! I think I will take this to the local mall show this week and sell if for $30-$40 bucks.... if it was only 1989 again!!!!

Marty Clary- Nice jacket Rook!

So there you have the 6 rack packs that helped me celebrate my 100th post. Not bad for the cost of one jumbo pack of 2010 from my local shop!

The Card Addict

99th Post.... Check out the Don-Sanity!!!

2010-03-07T23:14:00.001-05:00

Before I collected Carl Crawford, but after I started collecting Rickey Henderson, DON MATTINGLY was my favorite player. A fellow Hoosier with the most bad ass hair in the MLB. Donny Baseball was my idol. I have since learned to loath the evil empire, but back then I ran around my neighborhood every weekend checking to see if any of the kids I traded with had Mattingly cards. It was one of the best times of my life.

Recently Upper Deck lost a court case and the ability to produce baseball cards. Although I am not a huge fan of Upper Deck it was nice having a choice when it came to which product to spend my money on. Back when most of these cards were made we could pick between a number of companies as you can see. Some of them had a license to use the logos and some did not. I always wanted my Don's to have the Yankee logo, but I did trade away a lot of Gooden, Strawberry and Canseco cards to score most of these. I hope you enjoy my random 99 Don-Sanity.

Do you have any of these cards in your collection? If you do which one is your favorite? Leave a comment. I would love to know someone looked through the Don-Sanity!

THE CARD ADDICT

Card of the Day!

2010-03-06T21:18:00.000-05:00

I know what your saying to yourself right about now.... What a creative title The Card Addict came up with for this post! All I can say to that is Thank You! Here is a card that I recently bought from EBAY. For some reason I have really been hitting the Bay hard this month. I have a problem. I admit it. Is that the first step?

Carl Crawford will be my favorite player hopefully for most of 2010. I say this because I hope he makes it the whole year without getting traded. I don't really expect him to be a Ray in 2011 so I will just have to see where he goes to determine if he will still be at the top of my list. So for now CC is my main man and here is the newest item in my growing collection:

2008 Bowman Sterling GOLD 22/50

The back!

I like it for a few different reasons, number one: it is shiny. Number two: it is numbered in gold foil. Number three: it is a refractor. Number four: it is now part of my collection.

I can go and add it to my zistle.com account now and cross it off the list. Thanks for checking out my blog. If you want to set up a trade with me for your old tired Carl Crawford cards, email me at: jmeloy1218@gmail.com

The Card Addict

Cereal for Breakfast, Serial Killer, and Serial Numbers....

2010-03-04T21:33:00.001-05:00

This morning I had a huge bowl of Life cereal with my daughter.... Does it get any better?

At lunch today I was reading a great book, which by the way is the basis for the Showtime drama Dexter. If you like dark creepy crime books and are not familiar with this series, I highly suggest you pick it up and read it. You will not be able to put it down.

Does it get any better?

Then I received a package in the mail box when I got home from work!!!! I placed a $1.99 bid and ponied up the $3.50 shipping price for this lot of 6 serial numbered Carl Crawford cards!!!!

2008 Topps M&M 02/25

2009 Topps Unique 1179/1199

2007 Topps UH Gold 0432/2007

2009 Topps Triple Threads 0101/1350

2008 UD Heroes 031/499

2008 Topps M&M 028/150

In the legendary words of ICE CUBE, "I gotta say it was a good day!"

If you have any numbered Carl Crawford cards that The Troll or Carl Crawford Cards has not snapped up shoot me an email, jmeloy1218@gmail.com , I am sure I can come up with something you will like.

The Card Addict

Jumbo Hits???

2010-02-27T14:41:00.000-05:00

I always feel so good driving home after work on Friday! The work week is over and I have a couple days to do whatever I want. It is this good feeling that comes over me that makes me stop in at my local dealers and feed my fix.

This week I decided to go with one JUMBO 2010 Series 1 pack. Hoping beyond hope to beat the odds: 1:19 and pull a Black short print..... Well I did beat those odds, but here is what I did pull:

PP-21 Jimmie Foxx

TR39 Vladimir Guerrero

CMT-54 Ryan Howard / Cole Hammels

HOTG22 Ryan throws 7th no hitter

#163 Gold Josh Butler

TOG-20 The Jeter Flip

LL25 Tom Seaver and Roy Halladay

I also pulled a few more RCs, base, a toppstown, and a Million Card Giveaway. Here is what I got when I redeemed the Million Card Giveaway:

So after 4 redemptions I have 3 cards from the 70's and one from 2007. Not too bad, still not enough to pay to have them shipped to me, but not bad.

The Card Addict

Back in Black!!!

2010-02-26T21:10:00.001-05:00

2010 Black Franchise History 58/59

I picked up this sweet Rays card from ebay this week. I love these black bordered beauties. Still need a Crawford, Burrell, and Price!

Love the BIG AIR Aki is getting in this shot, I will miss watching him play for the Rays this season. Pirates fans should be very happy they acquired this guy, he is as steady as they come and a really exciting player to watch. I am sure he will become a fan favorite in Pittsburgh.

THE CARD ADDICT

My Random Card of the Night

2010-02-24T22:48:00.000-05:00

2010 GOLD GRIFFEY

I was very glad to hear that Jr. was coming back for one more year. Baseball will be better because this sweet swing will attend at least one more Spring Training!!!

There is a little more around the mid-section, but look at the extension!!!!

The Card Addict

Rays Pitchers Look Real Good in BLACK!

2010-02-22T21:34:00.000-05:00

I have been putting in some work on Ebay the last week or so trying to win some of these elusive creatures. Prices on these Black Parallels are all over the board on my favorite auction site. So I try and try and bid and bid in hopes that someday I will get that special email notification that says you have won this item. Well last week I received that good news twice. Here are the two items I finally won:

JAMES SHIELDS 16/59

WADE DAVIS 37/59

If the Rays have any chance of being in the Playoffs this year, both of these guys need to have good to great seasons. Now if I could just score a Crawford, Zobrist and the rest of the crew!

THE CARD ADDICT

2010 Rickey Henderson

2010-02-20T14:00:00.004-05:00

So I received my first 2010 Rickey Henderson card in the mail yesterday via an Ebay auction win. Then, when I stopped by the local shop I picked up another '10 Henderson. I am not sure how many more I have to go, but I feel better knowing that I have a couple of them.

Cards your mom threw out. Original Back!!!!

Front and A's Franchise History

Nothing makes me happier then seeing my man Rickey in his Green and Gold!!!

The Card Addict

2nd of a Million

2010-02-19T21:01:00.002-05:00

Ok so I pulled another One in a Million card today. Here is what I added to my collection....

Here are the two cards in my virtual online collection so far.....

I still think it is a great promo, and I still like reading about everyones redemptions. Keep them going. I read today that they are going to be putting contests together for your collection.... ie most catchers, most cards from a single year. When they start doing these all of us with blogs should combine our card power to become one unstoppable Million Card Giveaway juggernaut!!!!!

Who's with me????

THE CARD ADDICT

More 2010 Topps maddness!

2010-02-19T20:21:00.003-05:00

Here are the results of 4 HOBBY packs that I bought at my local "brick and mortar" hobby store. They were selling them for $3 bucks a piece or 4 for $10. Ten cards per pack on the HOBBY side of things. How much are hobby packs going for in your local shop? They also had an empty box of Jumbo packs. 50 cards for $10. However it was an empty box...... On to the cards...

ADAM WAINWRIGHT
DREW STUBBS RC Mr. Stubbs sure looks happy here!
TED LILLY
MICHAEL DUNN RC Photo taken across the Bay in Tampa
PEDRO MARTINEZ Cards my mom tossed.
DERREK LEE Turkey red, is it just me or does this look like a retirement card?
MIKE HAMPTON warming up in the pen
BEN ZOBRIST all right, a Ray.... I hope Ben can repeat as Zorilla in 2010!
ADAM DUNN toppstown.com enough with these already!

JOE BLANTON curse you Joe I am still not over the '08 World Series
DARIN ERSTAD a lot of red on this card, but a good action shot
MARK DEROSA even more red here
GARY SHEFFIELD Future Star indeed 500 home runs later.....
JONATHAN PAPELBON JERSEY! too bad it is a Red Sox UP FOR TRADE
VLADIMIR GUERRERO toppstown.com really
KELLY SHOPPACH a new Ray in an old uni
TOPPS ATTAX really
This pack only had 9 cards in it due to the jersey, but did one of them have to be a topps attax?????

NEFTALI FELIZ good looking baseball card!
ADAM LAROCHE another good looking card!
JASON KENDALL two for three isn't bad.....
MICKEY MANTLE TotG 500-734ft.? wish we would have had hr tracker!
MIGUEL CABRERA gold toppstown.com c'mon
AKINORI IWAMURA former Ray in a new airbrushed uni... nicely done!
VLADIMIR GUERRERO I love watching this guy swing
JERRY HAIRSTON sweet photo, nice card!

BRANDON ALLEN RC could he be the next Ryan Howard???
JULIO LUGO Julio oh Julio what happened to your skills?
LUIS DURANGO RC cool card!
CHASE UTLEY curse you Chase Utley......
ZACK GREINKE toppstown.com again...
JOE MAUER why use a shot you cannot see his face in?
HOWIE KENDRICK sweet card
SKIP SCHUMAKER very nice shot

SAN DIEGO PADRES pointless
TONY GWYNN AND JOE MAUER two sweet swings!!!
PHOTO DAY FUN all I can say is wow... could be the worst of 2010...
YANKEES FRANCHISE HISTORY pointless
MARLINS FRANCHISE HISTORY even more pointless
TOPPS MILLION CARD GIVEAWAY!!!!! I will let you know what I got on the next post!

THE CARD ADDICT

My One of a Million Card

2010-02-15T20:39:00.003-05:00

I know everyone is doing this exact same post today, and I am not ashamed. Not only am I not ashamed, but I am just warning you now, I will be posting one of these every time I redeem a code. I actually think this is a pretty cool marketing idea. So on the back of my MIKE SCHMIDT Million Card Giveaway I found this code:d7&59qkK$ What did I get for entering this code?

1. A former player of my favorite team. Recently picked up by the METS.

2. A Topps Rookie of said player.

3. A card less then three years old.

4. A card that I have at least 5 of already.

5. A card that features a terrible posed picture.

6. A card that has a terrible faux autograph.

Thats right folks I scored a 2007 Shawn Riggans!!!!!

THE CARD ADDICT

A random 2010 Topps pack

2010-02-15T17:24:00.003-05:00

Here are the results of a random 2010 Topps Baseball pack. Nothing special. I am pretty sure I have every worthless Babe Ruth card from Series 1 now, and I have to be closing in on every Youkilis as well, which are also worthless to a Rays fan like myself. Here we go, let the fun begin!!!

MAX SCHERZER-great photo, according to the back Max is unlucky!
KEVIN YOUKILIS- look how excited the Red Sox nation is in the background.
ANTHONY SWARZAK-hard to beat a bull pen warm up shot!

NICK JOHNSON-looks like it was taken between innings
ZACK GREINKE-AL CY YOUNG...Joe Mauer hit .400 off him though
BABE RUTH-Merry Christmas Yankee Fans... The deal was sealed on Dec. 26th

CHARLIE MORTON-What little league has the Blue Jays?????
JOSH HAMILTON-toppstown makes me frown!!!
ROBINSON DIAZ-nice photo

HOMER BAILEY-his eyes tell me this pitch may have been a little high?
NEIL WALKER-nice ball in glove shot of the ROOK.
KENDRY MORALES-home run or towering pop out, we may never know.

THE CARD ADDICT

Matt Carson or Mark McGwire???

2010-02-14T21:34:00.003-05:00

Thanks for the comments on the last post. Here is a side by side comparison of some McGwire cards and the 2010 Matt Carson. You are absolutely correct very similar!

The Carson card says he is 28 years old with no Major League experience... However he did hit 25 home runs last year for Sacramento. He also did a little pitching. He has a lot of home runs to hit if he wants to catch McGwire, who by age 28 had already hit 220 big league round trippers! I hope he has a few bottles of ANDRO laying around...

The Card Addict

2010 Topps Wal-Mart Blaster

2010-02-14T10:44:00.009-05:00

I know I shouldn't but I cannot help myself. Here is my first dose of 2010 goodness.

Here is a HISTORICAL COMMEMORATIVE PATCH CARD..... BABE RUTH 1923 World Series....... The patch looks terrible, is glued on twisted and off center, it is mounted to a grey piece of cardboard, what else could be wrong about this card??? How about the fact that the lower right hand corner is dinged a little??? C'mon man!

PACK NUMBER 1

DENARD SPAN
JOE MAUER
JOE MAUER Peak Performance
ADRIAN GONZALEZ toppstown
MICKEY MANTLE
CAL RIPKEN The cards your mom threw out.
REGGIE JACKSON The cards your mom threw out.
JOSE VALVERDE

Three Twins, two re-prints, a Topps Town, and the MICK. I don't know if I love or loath this pack! Only 4 base cards????

PACK NUMBER 2

KYLE BLANKS
NICK SWISHER
RUSSELL MARTIN When they were young
HIDEKI MATSUI
RICKEY ROMERO
JUSTIN UPTON toppstown
HISTORY OF THE GAME 1ST HALL OF FAME CLASS
CASEY BLAKE

2 Yankees, 2 Dodgers, 3 inserts.........JOY

PACK NUMBER 3

IVAN RODRIGUEZ
MATT CARSON
YANKEES checklist
VICTOR MARTINEZ
JONATHAN PAPELBON Turkey Red
JASON MARQUIS
JOE MAUER toppstown
JOHNNY CUETO

PACK NUMBER 4

BABE RUTH tales of the game
ANGEL PAGAN
CARLOS CARRASCO RC
CESAR IZTURIS
BRAD KILBY RC
JOSH HAMILTON toppstown
YAS AND YOUK legendary lineage
BREWERS FRANCHISE HISTORY

PACK NUMBER 5

KYLE PHILLIPS RC
TONY GWYNN JR.
RUSSELL BRANYAN
DWIGHT GOODEN The cards your mom threw out
RANDY WOLF
ADAM JONES toppstown
COLE HAMELS
SCHMIDT AND LONGORIA legendary lineage FIRST RAY OF 2010!!!!!

PACK NUMBER 6

OMAR VIZQUEL
ROD BARAJAS
ANDREW BAILEY ROY
NEFTALI FELIZ
JOSH THOLE RC
JONATHAN PAPELBON
JOHNNY BENCH Turkey Red
KEVIN YOUKILIS toppstown

PACK NUMBER 7

JOSH BUTLER RC
JERRY HAIRSTON JR
JOSH JOHNSON
BRIAN MCCANN
MATT HOLLIDAY
TODD HELTON toppstown
REGGIE JACKSON peak performance
ALEX GORDON the cards your mom threw out

I guess you could say 3 home runs in a World Series Championship is a PEAK PERFORMANCE!!!!!

PACK NUMBER 8

CARLOS GOMEZ
GERALD LAIRD
EVAN LONGORIA peak performance 2nd RAY of 2010!!!!
JOSH HAMILTON toppstown
MADISON BUMGARNER
NYGER MORGAN
JUAN RIVERA
JUSTIN UPTON

PACK NUMBER 9

JAMES SHIELDS
ADAM KENNEDY
ERICK AYBAR
ALBERT PUJOLS NL MVP why does this card say outfield on the back and 1b on the front?
JACKIE ROBINSON the cards your mom threw out
TIM LINCECUM turkey red
KEVIN YOUKILIS toppstown
ROCCO BALDELLI

PACK NUMBER 10

CLEVELAND INDIANS
RYAN DOUMIT
SHANE VICTORINO
SCOTT BAKER
MANNY RAMIREZ
RANGERS checklist
EDWIN JACKSON
RYAN HOWARD topps town

Last but most interesting.......

According to the back of this card, starting tomorrow, I should be able to type in this redemption code and get one of one million cards that Topps is giving away..... Lets hope for a 1987 JOHN KRUK!!!!

THE CARD ADDICT

Jason Bay signs with the NY METS

2009-12-29T22:02:00.005-05:00

Today is a good day for all of the teams in the AL East except for the Red Sox. Jason Bay has agreed to a 4 year $66 MILLION dollar deal with a possible 5th year, that would take the contract out to 80 MILLION. The deal is pending a physical. You can read all about it here.

As a Rays fan I am glad Bay is out of the division. However if you are a Jays, Yankees, or Orioles fan you should be even happier. Here is how Bay did last year against the teams in the AL East.

Bay vs. Rays
.254 average
15 runs batted in
4 home runs

Bay vs. Orioles
.368 average
9 runs batted in
3 home runs

Bay vs. Jays
.373 average
10 runs batted in
6 home runs

Bay vs. Yankees
.475 average
13 runs batted in
3 home runs

Good luck in the NL East Jason!

The Card Addict

Johnny Damon signs with the Yankees..........

2009-12-23T21:10:00.008-05:00

On this day back in 2005 Johnny Damon decided to leave the 2004 World Series Champion Boston Red Sox and sign a $52 million dollar 4 year deal with the arch enemy NEW YORK YANKEES!

Sorry about the headline for those of you who care about the Yankees or Johnny Damon.

Oh how the times have changed. Where do you think Johnny will be playing in 2010?

Here is a pic of Johnny from his days with the Sox!

A few years later with the Yankees!

Johnny is one hairy dude!

With his new team do you think he will keep the same clean cut look he had with the Yankees, or will he go back to looking like he belongs in a Geico commercial? "Playing center field, so easy a caveman could do it!"

The Card Addict

A little RICKEY to lift my spirits!

2009-12-22T17:21:00.004-05:00

Nothing brightens my day more then a few little Rickey cards. Enjoy!!!

Wow this 1986 Fleer Mini looks giant on the post. I heard a rumor that the Yankees are looking for a left fielder. I wonder if they still have Mr. Hendersons number on speed dial!

This little card from 1987 also looks huge scanned. I cannot believe I actually used to root for the Yankees! Loved me some Henderson, Mattingly, and Winfield back in the day.

I am not positive, but I think this miniature card was sold in Europe to promote the game of baseball. I opened a few of these packs back in '88. According to the back of this card, Rickey weighed 13 stone 13 pounds!!!

There were also a lot of little stickers of Rickey that somehow I have saved for 20 years.... Wow I opened a package of stickers 20 years ago and have been keeping this little guy ever since. Where does the time go?

Last but not least for this post is a 1990 SuperStar sticker. This little dude has a flame throwing Texan on the back. Thats right none other then Nolan Ryan!

I feel much better now that I have strolled down memory lane with my all time favorite player. If you have any Rickey Henderson doubles that you would like to trade, get a hold of me via email and lets try to work a deal. jmeloy1218@gmail.com

The Card Addict

2005 Topps series one pack break

2009-12-17T20:36:00.007-05:00

So there I was, standing in one of the check out lanes at my local K-Mart looking over the slim pickins in addictive cardboard with grown mens pictures printed on it when a shiny box caught my eye. On the outside, written in bold type were the words 10 packs of baseball cards $9.99. Or something like that...... It was one of those boxes where the wax has been repacked and sold to suckers like myself.

As you can see from the title and picture one of the pacs was a 2005 Topps series 1 wax/crinkly chrome material pack with 6 cards. So I pulled out my trusty pack cutting scissors and hacked it open. Here is what I found.

Bill Muller played 11 seasons and last played for the Dodgers in '06, Ramirez played last year for the Royals, Mr. Park played for the Phillies, Josh Beckett is a Red Sox and Mark Bellhorn last played in '07 for the Reds.

You may be asking your self right now, did he show us 5 cards or 6? Well what was it 5 or 6? Does the checklist count? Do you feel lucky? Well do you? Here is the 6th card:

A certified on card auto of Casey Kotchman, who when I last checked played for the Red Sox. Another interesting fact about Casey Kotchman is he played his high school ball right here in Pinellas County Flordia for Seminole High School, and my father-in-law was his coach! Well that is about all the excitement I can handle tonight. I wish I had that stinking NFL network so I could watch the Jags and Colts! If there are any Kotchman collectors out there that need this card, shoot me an email it is trade bait.

The Card Addict

2009 Topps Highlights and Updates pack break....

2009-12-16T20:47:00.005-05:00

So I have been on the road a lot for work lately, and in my travels I sometimes make it to a small town in Northwest Alabama named Russellville. It is a very nice small community and every time I am there I like to make a trip over to the super Wal Mart and pick up a pack or two of cards. Here are the results of a Jumbo Pack I purchased back in November.

Mr. Ryan, according to the back of this card, Joe Torre hit a solo homer off Nolan in his major league debut.
Mr. Bailey, AL Rookie of the Year
Mr. Beckham, one fine rookie himself
Mr. Peavy gold! I think this guy will be strong in 2010!

Mr. Lugo, the ex-Ray
Mr. Buehrle, perfect game against the Rays
Mr. Cain , 1st time All Star
Mr. Hudson, one of my favorite players, Orlando was always very fan friendly when he was with the Jays!
ICHIRO, what more can you say?
Mr. Lilly, he looks very excited doesn't he?

Mr. Pujols, the best player in the game.
Mr. Lee, the newest member of the Mariners.
Mr. Halladay, the newest member of the Phillies.
Mr. Hunter, one smooth center fielder.
Mr. Fielder, 2009 Home Run Derby CHAMP.

I pulled a few others as well, and was pretty happy with this pack until I started looking at the 11 cards in the last two scans. Every single one of them has two vertical creases running the entire length of each card! I finally got around to sending an email to Topps tonight to voice my displeasure and received a response within 10 minutes. Here is what they sent:

Have any of you every complained about the condition of the cards in a brand new pack? What was the outcome? I will let you know if and how this is resolved. Thanks for reading.

The Card Addict

Second game of the Double header....

2009-12-15T20:56:00.006-05:00

After what seems like the craziest month of my life I have returned from the land of the missing to pick up where I last left off, the second half of a great package I received from THE COLLECTIVE TROLL. In the first post I shared all of the great 69's the Troll was kind enough to send my way. Today I will share some of the new goodies that also showed up!

First off a sweet collection of Carl Crawford Cards!!!!

I did not need all of these for my Crawford collection, but who can turn down a Crawford? I really need to get a list of the Crawfords I have posted some where. Does any one have any suggestions on the best way to do it? By the way my fav off this first page has to be the blue bowman.......

Troll also sent me a CC rookie card... along with the GOLD version of the bowman, I guess I have the start of a rainbow! Troll was also kind enough to put this in the package!

And then my favorite Crawford of the bunch, a game used bat Ginter Card. This is one sweet slab of cardboard, wood and plastic!!!

The last card in the package was a card that I have been trying to buy from the Bay for a month with no success, then the Troll pulls it one out of a blaster. The SP of Rickey Henderson from the 2009 Topps Updates and Highlights. Thank you so much for this card, I absolutely love it. It is not that great of a Henderson card, but it is special because it is the first new card he has had in a long time... I was craving new Rickey material.

If you have not started following The Collective Trolls blog yet, you need to start. Marck writes great content, and has a super blog. He is also a great trader and is always looking out for his trading partners. Thanks again Troll, I put a package in the mail today for you, hopefully you will have it shortly.

The Card Addict

First game of a double header!!!!

2009-11-22T20:24:00.003-05:00

So I posted exactly zero new posts last week, but I do have a good reason. I was in Wichita Kansas doing some training for my real job. It was my first time ever in Kansas, and all things considered it was not as bad as I thought it might be. I wish I would have written a few posts, but I simply did not have time. Getting home at 11:39 on a Friday after a week of working in Kansas is usually a pretty lousy ending to a week, but this homecoming was made a little better by a package from THE TROLL!!!! If you have never been to THE COLLECTIVE TROLL blog, do yourself a favor and check it out. Marck is a huge baseball fan and an excellent writer. He posts really great interviews, and writes an excellent blog. He is also a great trader! I am going to do this trade in two post because he sent so much. Here is the first part of what I will call the MOTHER LOAD!!!

A few weeks ago, I posted a link to my 1969 Topps want list. Troll took the time to check it out and he delivered.

ROOKIE STARS AND STRIKE OUT LEADERS......oh my!

A WORLD SERIES TRIPLE!

A TOTAL OF SEVEN FROM THE AMERICAN LEAGUE!

AND SIX MORE FROM THE NATIONAL! And since you asked, "Yes that is a DOC ELLIS rookie card!"

Thank you very much Troll, I will post the other amazing cards you sent in the second game of this double header.

THE CARD ADDICT

Welcome to Birdland!!!!

2009-11-14T20:32:00.014-05:00

So I made the drive with my 9 year old nephew down to Sarasota today to welcome the Baltimore Orioles to there new Spring Training home, Ed Smith Stadium! We had a great time!

My nephew is a baseball fanatic. He likes talking baseball. He really likes watching his favorite team the Rays on TV. He loves playing baseball! He has already been playing for 5 years! He started t-ball when he was four and has been going non stop ever since. Two years in a row his team from Pinellas Park has won the Dizzy Dean Florida State Championship... I really love watching him play.

So when I found out the Orioles were having a Fanfest right down the road I decided I would invite him to go. He was up to the task and then some.

We arrived promptly at 1:25 PM to find this waiting for us!

The last thing the uncle of a 9 year old wants to see is a line like this. We waited, and waited, then right at 1:30 the gates opened and this thing started moving... What could have been a real downer quickly and easily passed as we walked through the gates. We were later told that the attendence figure was 3,500 people. Not a bad turnout. I think most of the people were there for this:

You read that correctly! A FREE SODA and DOG! Who could ask for anything more! They also were giving away new Orioles hats, one for the adults and a different one for kids. We also scored this cool pennant!

Next we went and played various games put on by various radio stations and cell phone companies. My nephew loved it! He threw balls and swung at virtual pitches on a nintendo Wii. This was followed by the National Anthem, and a question and answer period.

Who is that guy in the black you ask? None other then Hall of Fame pitcher, Jim Palmer. Here is the only downer for the entire day. Palmer did not stay and sign autos. He announced that he was going to a wedding in Stuart and would be leaving right after the Q and A. He did stick around a few minutes and sign a few items, but we were not lucky enough to score one.

We did score these though:

First off was JIM JOHNSON!

Next was 2009 All-Star and gold glove winner ADAM JONES!

Then we had to switch lines and wait for BRAD BERGENSEN!

Last but not least, NOLAN REIMOLD!

The weather was perfect, the free hot dog tasted great, and the autos came out very nice. This was a first class event and very well organized. We finished our day at the park with my nephew running for home!

I hope the Orioles were excited by the support of the community in Sarasota. We Grapefruit League fans do not want to lose any more teams to that wicked Cactus League out west. Thank you Orioles and Ed Smith Stadium. We had a blast!

The Card Addict

Crawford from the Bay!

2009-11-13T19:48:00.004-05:00

So I was searching the Bay, one of my addictions, and came across this card. The starting bid was $.90 and it had FREE SHIPPING! I bid the minimum and hoped for the best. As you can see I won the auction. I almost feel bad because I know the seller of this card had to lose money on this deal. Kranky1024, the seller, sent it to me in a regular envelope which makes me mad if I spend the usual $3.00 shipping and handling fee but for free what should I expect. The card arrived in great shape and that is all that matters. So the listing had to be .15, the postage was .44, the top loader had to be .05 and the final fee was most likely another .09 to .12 cents. I am sure it took at least 5 minutes to list and pack this card. So in the end it had to cost more to send me this card then it was worth. I am glad you did. Thank you Kranky1024!

Getting some ink....

2009-11-12T21:46:00.002-05:00

Bergesen is supposed to be there!

Hall of Famer Jim Palmer and never a player Dave Trembley are supposed to be there!

Super Rookie Nolan Riemold and recent Gold Glover Adam Jones are supposed to be there!

Last but not least, Jim Johnson is supposed to be there. Did I mention gold glover Adam Jones?

Hopefully this will be the last time I post these cards without autographs. I plan on taking my nephew down to the Orioles new spring training home, Ed Smith Stadium, in Sarasota for FanFest this weekend. You can read about it here. So good bye plain unsigned cards, hello sharpie ink. I will be sure to post the results of the trip some time in the future.

The Card Addict

Ken Griffery Jr. is not done!

2009-11-11T21:31:00.007-05:00

Jr. has signed a 1 year deal to come back to the Mariners in 2010. Read about it here. In honor of the man with 630 career home runs here a few of my favorite Griffey cards. I am not a Griffey collector so don't expect firework here, I think I will also add some really bad commentary as well. Sorry I am in one of those moods tonight.

Jr. says, "Dad, your head is huge!"

Jr. says, "I will be taking this pitch the other way with full extension, and you will like it!"

Jr. says, "Man, it is hard being this pretty."

Jr. says, "Hey, you guys forgot your bats, is that the ice cream truck I hear?"

Jr. says, "I am so good, I can hit your stuff with no hands on the bat!"

Jr. says, "Hey guy with the camera, did you get my good side?"

Jr. says, "Are you seriously thinking about trying to score from third on this shallow pop up? GOOD LUCK!"

I am very glad Grif Jr. is coming back, I could watch that sweet swing for 10 more years and still not see it enough.

The Card Addict

Carl Crawford the TEN MILLION DOLLAR man!

2009-11-11T20:42:00.006-05:00

Earlier this week the Rays picked up the $10 million dollar option for the 2010 season of Carl Crawfords contract. You can read all about it here. I happen to agree with the author of the article by the way. This is a very good thing for Rays fans! I do not think that Carl will finish the 2010 season as a Ray, and I will be really upset when he is traded, but the fact is he will be traded. Carl will be a FREE AGENT in 2011. If there is no extension signed in the off season, or before the end of Spring Training, I just do not see anyway CC puts on the number 13 for the Rays to start the 2011 season.

The Rays simply will not be able to afford to pay Carl what he will be worth on the free agent marked in 2011. If you look at the 2009 salaries of the top ten paid outfielders in the MLB you will see that even at $10 million Carl is under paid. Numbers do not lie, they don't always tell the whole story, but they do not lie. Carl will make more then the Rays can afford. The Rays also have a number of young prospects in the farm system that could fill the gap in the outfield if Carl was traded. Desmond Jennings, Frenando Perez, Justin Ruggiano and lets not forget Matt Joyce.

Here are what the 2009 salaries of the top ten outfielders in baseball made in 2009. When I look at this list I do not see 10 players better then Carl Crawford.

Manny Ramirez $23 million
Carlos Beltran $19 million
Carlos Lee $19 million
Magglio Ordonez $18.9 million
Torii Hunter $18 million
Ichiro $18 million
Alfonso Soriano $17 million
Vlad Guerrero $15 million
J.D. Drew $14 million
Matt Holliday $13.5 million

The Rays are not going to be able to spend that kind of money for a left fielder. Hopefully the front office will put together the kind of deal they did for Delmon Young and not the kind of deal they did for Edwin Jackson. Carl will have a good year next year for the Rays until about the mid point of the season and then I look for the Rays to unload him to a contender, who hopefully will not be in the AL East, for picks and prospects. I will curse them and be upset, but that is what happens when you root for a small market team. You get high draft picks, develop them into All Stars, and then ship them off to New York, Boston, or LA. Durham is our farm system, the Rays are the big money teams farm hands.....and that is what is wrong with the current system we have in Major League Baseball. Go Rays, and Carl, I will root for you where ever you go unless it is to the Yankees, or Red Sox.

The Card Addict

2009 Updates and Highlights box break!

2009-11-10T20:14:00.009-05:00

I was on the road today for my real job, traveling in Northwest Alabama. The day started rainy and cool, but once the sun broke through and the temp warmed up is was very hard not to notice all of the amazing fall colors. This part of the country is absolutely beautiful this time of year. So while I was driving back to the airport from my sales call I noticed a Wal-Mart in Russellville, AL. I stopped in to see what kind of wax was on their shelves.

I found this beauty along with a very nice selection of other wax. I have been looking for a box of these for a while, so I dropped the $19.95 plus tax and took my chances.

Here is what I came up with:

This is my "ONE COMMEMORATIVE PATCH" per box. It is a Robin Yount. The patch commemorates the 1980 All-Star game.

I pulled two Carl Crawford cards in 10 packs!!!

I snagged this Reggie Jackson short print, too bad it wasn't the Henderson, but I still love the A's uni. I really like the gold foil on these cards much better then the silver.

I pulled 4 gold parallel cards in 10 packs. More on two of them in a second.... I still love to pull these things. I know there are 2009 of them printed and for some reason that adds value to them for me. I wish Topps would put print runs on all of their cards.

Did you know there were black background parallel cards in the 2009 Highlights and Updates? I didn't until I opened this box! Are they only in the blasters from Wal-Mart?

I did not pull anything great in them, but each pack did contain a gold parallel as well as the black background cards. Do you know if they made the SPs in the black background as well? I am going to assume they did until I hear or see other wise. I guess I can add a few more Crawfords to my want list. I need to stop busting wax!!! Over all I enjoyed the break and will have a hard time not doing it again.

The Card Addict

1993 Stadium Club Ryan Klesko Question???

2009-11-08T20:41:00.006-05:00

Can someone who was collecting in the early nineties tell me something about this card. When this bad boy came out I was spending all my money on $1 pitchers at my favorite bar in Muncie, Indiana. All I know about it is that it is a Ryan Klesko Team Braves Stadium Club card from 1993. I am not sure if the auto is authentic. I also do not know if it was issued this way, or if someone got Ryan to sign it for them. Does anyone out there know if this is a real Ryan Kleako auto? Was this on the card fresh out of the pack, or did a previous owner have Ryan sign it? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks in advance. By the way this is on the trade block! I may even give it to you for a pitcher of dollar beer. Man I loved Wednesday night drink specials at Ball State!

The Card Addict

69th Post 1969 set building

2009-11-06T20:50:00.005-05:00

Wow, I am already up to 69 posts! That is hard for me to believe. Look out number 100 here I come. So for my 69th post I would like to tell you about a set I am building. 1969 Topps! A while ago I decided I wanted to collect a vintage set because I thought it would be fun. It would also keep me from spending all of my money on wax. So I started looking at some of my older cards trying to decide which set to choose.

I love the 1959 set best of all, but decided it would simply be too much money. I only have a handful of '59 so I would be starting from scratch. 1959 commons sell for between $3-$6 bucks, minor stars book for between $8-$20, Bob Gibson has a rookie card that goes in the high $300s, and then there is the $1000 Mickey Mantle. 1959s were simply not in the budget......

I also really love the look of the 1965 Topps set. I have a few of these, but not many. This set is a little more reasonable booking at around $4,000 but again the Mantle is over $500 and the biggest rookie card is Steve Carlton.

So I decided from a money standpoint, 1969 is the way to go. This set books for around $3000, has Mickey Mantles last card, a second year Nolan Ryan, and Reggie Jacksons rookie! So far I have managed to put together 378 of these beauties. I still need 286 more including most of the big money cards. You can see what I still need on this web site I have set up to help me complete this set: 1969 WANT LIST If you have any 1969 cards that you would like to trade that are on the list, drop me an email. I have a number of doubles that I will be organizing soon. I will put up another site as soon as I have them put together. I also have this card that I would be willing to trade to help me complete my set. It does have a small crease right in the center at the top of the card, and the corners are not very sharp.

I would love to get a Bench in similar condition for this Clemente. So here is a plead for help to the entire blog-o-sphere, if you have any 1969s you are willing to part with, take a look at my list and see if you have any I need. I will post some of my trade bait some day this weekend.

The Card Addict

Ebay win!!! Carl Crawford Beam Team AUTO!!!!!

2009-11-04T20:22:00.003-05:00

Wow it has been a tough couple of weeks for me on EBAY. I keep trying to win one of the many Carl Crawford Black Updates and Highlights cards but keep getting sniped at the last second. The same thing seems to be happening to me on the Rickey Henderson SP....

This makes me feel much better though. I paid a total of $4.36 for this card shipped. I am really excited about it! This is a 2008 Topps Stadium Beam Team Autographed card. It is numbered 01/99 and it is sweet.

The lesson I learned this week is to stay patient with EBAY, in the end it is still our best place to connect with the cards we love.

The Card Addict

Rays trade Akinori Iwamura to the Pirates!!!!

2009-11-04T14:08:00.004-05:00

I just read here that the Rays in another cost cutting move have traded Akinori Iwamura to the Pittsburg Pirates for right handed relief pitcher Jesse Chavez. This blogger will really miss Aki and his alligator skin glove.

Aki was an outstanding defensive player, and always had solid at bats. Congrats Pirates, you have acquired a true professional in Iwamura.

Sportlots.com order is in.......

2009-11-03T21:35:00.005-05:00

Sometimes taking ones own advice is the hardest thing to do! So when I saw the extra $20.00 I had left over at the end of last week in my wallet the first idea that popped into my head was..... WAX!!! How many Topps Updates and Highlights could I buy? 7 or 8 packs?

Then I remembered how I had just told another blogger to skip the packs, and just buy the cards you want. It will save money and you will not have buyers remorse after all the packs are ripped. I really only want to rip the update hoping for a couple new Crawfords and one of the Rickey Henderson SP cards. What exactly are my chances of pulling those in 7 packs? Not that great.

So instead I took my own advice and went to my favorite site to buy lower priced singles. You can click on it below. I love this site, because the dealers all seem to price their player cards reasonably.

After looking around for a little while I started filling my shopping cart. I ended up with 104 items by the way. Tonight I am going to post all of the Carl Crawfords I received. It would have cost me hundreds of dollars to open all of the wax it would have taken to acquire these cards.

HERE COME THE SCANS:

Finally, one of the cards I was hoping to pull. A Highlight/Update CC!!!

The key to making this site work for you is finding one dealer who has a lot of cards you want, and buying them all at the same time. I ended up paying about 25 cents a card for these shipped. If you can find one dealer to work with it saves on the shipping which can get crazy if you buy from more then one dealer at a time. I have placed a few orders now with www.sportlots.com and have been impressed so far with the dealers that sell from the site.

If your looking for a website that specializes in Single trading cards, check out

Sportlots.com. Sportlots has millions of cards to search through to help you find the cards
you're looking for. They accept Check, Money Order or Paypal payment. So the next time the wax calls, head over here and just buy the cards you are hoping to pull.

Baseball Heros pack 3 and 4

2009-11-01T13:02:00.003-05:00

Scans only.... I have football to watch!

Here is pack 4!!!!

The Card Addict

2008 Baseball Heros pack 2

2009-10-31T21:44:00.005-04:00

Here is pack number two from my .99 cent per pack purchase....

David Wright joins the 30/30 club. I love a guy who can hit for power and steal bases. What the heck happened to you in 2009 David? Is the new stadium that much bigger? You only hit 10 home runs? I do like the 27 steals though.

Jeter, Ripken, if you had these two guys on your team, which one plays short? Again, why aren't the pictures twice as big and the logo and text smaller?

8 RBIs in one game!!!! 4-4 two doubles, a single, and a home run. Oh yeah he also drew a walk to bring in a runner. What a game! JR only had 3 RBIs in 2009.

In 2006 Freddy hit .344, in 2009 Freddy hit .293. Keep on keeping on Freddy!!!

Yogi played in 14 World Series with the Yankees, they only won 10 of them..... This guy was an amazing player who is better know for what he said. Wouldn't it be nice if more modern players were that way. A lot of the guys now are know for what they say and are not that great of players.

The Card Addict

Halloween Baseball Heros Pack break........

2009-10-31T21:22:00.005-04:00

K-Mart was selling packs of 2008 UD Baseball Heros for 50% off today. So instead of paying $1.99 each for them they were $.99 per pack. I could not help myself. I picked up 4 of them. Here are the results of the first pack.

Why couldn't the pictures on this card be twice as big and the logo and names half sized? It would have been a much better card that way. I will admit, the big apple does have two strong shortstops!

Is a players first home run with the Nationals really card worthy?

This former Tar Heel from Gainesville FL went 3-5 for the Marlins in 2009. He pitched 80 innings and had 59 Ks. He is still only 24. I hope he turns into a first rate starter some day.

Where will Dan be playing in 2010????

500 Home Runs!!!!! Ken Griffey Jr. still has the smoothest swing in all of baseball. I hope you play in 2010.

The Card Addict

Fenway on the last day of the Regular Season 2009

2009-10-30T21:58:00.006-04:00

For the last two years a college buddy of mine and I have gotten together and headed out on a baseball weekends. Last year we made the trip to Yankee Stadium. It was an amazing trip and made me really appreciate the old Yankee Stadium. We saw the second to last game played there. We hung with the BLEACHER CREATURES in right field. We felt the adrenline rush when Enter Sandman plays and Mariano Rivera runs onto the field. It was awesome!

So this year we decided to head to the northeast once again to see another one of the Rays rivals, the Boston Red Sox. I was very impressed with Yankee stadium, but it pales in comparison to Fenway Park. Move on over Wrigley Field, I have a new favorite place to watch a ball game. This stadium was unreal! It felt like baseball should be. The seats were close, the grass was green, the fans were all wearing Red Sox gear, it was everything I think attending a baseball game should be. I took my camera with me, and did manage to snap a few photos, but if you have never been to Fenway, and consider yourself a fan of baseball, you need to go. Beg, borrow, cheat, or steal but make it to a game in Fenway before it is gone.

Here are some of the photos from my trip:

Thats me standing in center field with THE GREEN MONSTER in the background!

Here is the starting pitcher for the Indians Tomo Ohka warming up!

Here is the Red Sox starter Clay Buchholz stretching out the arm with some long toss.

Here is an artsy fartsy shot of the ancient seats in Fenway!

Ellsbury stole a base and scored a run!

I am a sucker for photos of catchers.

You can see this is before A-Rod and his 7 RBIs in one inning handed the Rays their final defeat of 2009.

This guy went yard twice against the Indians!

Not sure where the baseball trip is going to take us next year. If you have a suggestion I would love to hear it.

The Card Addict

Wal Mart Topps Crayon Box

2009-10-30T21:30:00.004-04:00

So I bought one of those "crayon" boxes of 2009 Topps at Wal-Mart a few weeks back. I think I paid $9.99 for it. Kind of expensive. Overall the break was pretty good. I remember being in a good mood when I was done flipping through the cards. I think I also pulled a shiny chrome Ted Williams. I put them in their proper places and have not though much about it since. That was until last night when I started to clean up a few loose cards laying around and I re-found this card.

Now I need to figure out what to do with it. It is way to thick to go into a regular top loader. It is not a "real" jersey or material card. The patch is of the made up variety. I do not have any of the extra thick top loaders, and do not really want to go pick some up. How do you store these kinds of cards? Team case, penny sleeve, no protection? I do have a few Tom Seaver cards that can keep this company, but I hate to just throw it in the box with the others unprotected. Also, if this was your card would you clip the stray brown string that sticks up between the O and the R in WORLD SERIES? Would that be considered altering the card? Just some random thoughts on a night without baseball.

The Card Addict

Orioles Autographs........

2009-10-29T21:24:00.005-04:00

Do you want to get this 2009 All Stars autograph?

Maybe you would rather have this Rookie of the Year candidates auto?

Or a signed ball from this Rookie of the year candidate?

How about an auto from a Hall of Fame Pitcher?

According to this website, Spring Training Online, all of these guys and the O's manager will be at Ed Smith Stadium, in Sarasota on November 14th from 1:30-4:00 signing autos for free!!!

I am a short drive from this event, and seriously considering attending it. If there are any other bloggers out there that want to hook up and maybe have a beer and trade a few cards in person let me know.

The Card Addict

What can you buy for $845 million?????

2009-10-27T20:52:00.008-04:00

Here is a hint:

By the way this is another one of those oddball items I have in my "baseball card collection". Thats right I grew up a Cubs fan. I was 11 in 1984 and cried when those stinking Padres ruined my life. I hated Steve Garvey!!!!

You also get this place in the deal:

This man will be running your new investment:

and last but not least, you get this guys contract:

To read about the Ricketts Familys newest purchase go here.

Hopefully the curse of the Billy goat was not part of the deal!

The Card Addict

Monday Nights totally awesome random card!

2009-10-26T21:23:00.005-04:00

Here is a Totally awesome random card from my meager collection.

THE STATS

WHO: The 1980 National League Batting Champion BILL BUCKNER

WHAT: 2002 Topps Gold Label Class 1 Game Worn Jersey Card

WHERE: This card came from EBAY

WHY: Why not, this card is awesome!

WHEN: I purchased this a few years ago, and have pulled it out to look at it once in a while ever since.

To sum it up this card is almost perfect. The moustache, the baby blue swatch with stripe, the shiny, the eyebrows, Bill Buckner!!! It doesn't get much better then this my friends. If you want to make yourself truly happy, and are not a Boston fan then this card needs to be in your collection!

Caution: Boston fans may have uncontrollable reactions to this card.

The Card Addict

Gordon Beckham wins A.L. rookie of the year... from The Sporting News

2009-10-25T21:44:00.004-04:00

338 Major League Players voted and they chose Gordon Beckham as the 2009 American League Rookie of the Year. J.A. Happ was their choice for the N.L. honor. This is only THE SPORTING NEWS award, but does bode well for Beckham. The Baseball Writers Association of America will be announcing its awards after the conclusion of the World Series. Beckham had an amazing rookie year and deserves the award, but according to the few bloggers and readers who have voted at Closet Full of Cardboard, ANDREW BAILEY is a better choice.

Check out the article about the award here. GO DAWGS!!!

THE CARD ADDICT

Non Baseball Card collections.....

2009-10-23T20:46:00.004-04:00

What is the strangest piece of memorabilia you have in your baseball collection? I am talking about anything that you consider related to or having to do with baseball cards that is not really a baseball card. I have a few different items that I am holding onto and would consider part of my card collection that are not really cards. Here is one of them:

Before my grandmother passed a few years ago, she called a very strange family meeting. We all gathered at my brothers house and sat around in the living room. My grandmother then told all of us that she was not going to live forever and that she wanted to see us split up the things she was holding onto that she considered of value. She then pulled out a stamp collection and several other items. She passed the stamps to one of my cousins and said take your pick, one sheet, or stamp at a time until they are all gone..... Wow was this ever weird.... I never knew she collected stamps. When the collection came to me I chose the sheet above. LEGENDS OF BASEBALL! I am sure it was not the most valuable, but I was also sure it would mean the most to me. As you can see in the scan, these were issued in 2000 and are .33 cent stamps....

I love the Robinson, Clemente, Paige, and Gehrig stamps on this sheet. They are really beautiful little pieces of artwork. Especially the way the stands are in a ghostly glow on the Paige card.

I would consider this a baseball card related item, and I keep it with my cards. It is no where near my strangest item, but not really cards. That family meeting went on to divide up coins, postcards, and even some jewelry. None of us was prepared for what happened that evening, it was very surreal, and I will never forget how sad I felt leaving the house that night. I am not sure if my grandmother was proud of the items and wanted to make sure everyone got their fair share, or whether she was tired of having them around and wanted to move them up the family tree early. What I do know is that every time I see something that she gave me that night, I can't help but wonder what were her reasons and why?

The Card Addict

2009 Topps Updates and Highlights

2009-10-22T20:49:00.010-04:00

Today was not unlike most days except for the fact that the Rickey Henderson short print, jersey card, and bat card from the 2009 Topps Updates and Highlights cards were calling out to me from a deep dark place.... When the cards call, I am powerless. As I sat eating my lunch I heard them... "Take a shot." "What will a couple of packs hurt?" "Buy a box, its your lucky day." So against my better judgement I walked over to the Target, crack house, across the street from my job and searched for a blaster of the '09 Updates and Highlights.

They did not have any! Thank you, Thank you, Thank you..... I did not need them anyway. As I turned to head out the door out of the corner of my eye I saw them. Sitting in one of the vendor drop down boxes..... unopened packs of the objects I desire, 09 Updates and Highlights.

My mouth watered, my heart raced. My wallet groaned! I snagged 5 packs in my sweaty hands and headed for the cashier......

Here are the results of my 5 packs:

TWO RAYS CARDS!!!!
Carl Crawford ALL-STAR and JASON BARTLETT ALL-STAR

These two nuggets of GOLD were in there!
I am such a sucker for anything serial numbered, I even put the gold commons in top loaders. I wonder what the numbering would have been on a 1988 Donruss Jose Canseco 12,345,980/20,000,000?

I also pulled a few ROOKS!Beckham, and Bergensen have potential!

These were a nice surprise.
JACKSON and RUTH

I wish I was a Chipper collector because I always seem to pull him. I think this is a very sharp card!

And the last card I am going to post.......
I am not sure why this card makes me want to throw up in my own mouth, but it does. Maybe it is the fact that the Yankees have had such a good year and are on the verge of going back to the World Series, maybe it is the fact that these two grown men get paid millions to play a game and I am jealous. Maybe it is the stupid looks on their faces combined with the "rocker horns". Or possibly it is the fact the the card says, "New York Rockers". It is most likely all of these things and then some that make me want to vomit. Whatever it is if you are out there and want this card, leave a comment. I would gladly put it in the mail and ship it to you!

The Card Addict

RICKEY, RICKEY, and more RICKEY!!!!

2009-10-21T20:39:00.006-04:00

I love my Rickey Henderson collection! I wish it was more complete, and to be honest I have not tended to it as I should over the last 2 or 3 years, but Rickey is the man who started my obsession for cards, and I need to start paying better attention to him.

This week I have been slowly adding all of my collection to my Zistle.com account. The more I use this site, the more I like it. I love the fact that I can store my player collection lists on-line. I find the format much easier to use then Beckett. I need to go back and add pictures to a lot of the cards I have uploaded, but that will have to happen in time. If you have not checked Zistle.com out I would highly recommend it. It has made my player collections interesting to me again.....

Here are a few of the odd ball cards that I will be trying to add to Zistle as soon as I get my regular issue cards in. If you know anything about any of these cards I would love to hear about them. I purchased all of these back in the 90's when these kinds of cards were hitting the market. It is a shame we do not get this kind of stuff anymore, but saturation is saturation.

Rickey looked great in the Yankee uniform......
Fronts

BACKS

Rickey looked even better in the OAKLAND uniform.....
FRONTS

BACKS

I am not sure what a 200 foot tall Rickey Henderson monster was doing in Wrigley field before inter league play, but from the looks of things there were a lot of fans there to witness it!
FRONTS

BACKS

Do you have any extra Rickey cards taking up space in your collection? If so, send me a message at jmeloy1218@gmail.com. Let me know who you collect, maybe we can work a deal?

The Card Addict

Tribute part 2...... 1985 Topps Traded Yankees and Angels

2009-10-20T20:14:00.005-04:00

Wow, these playoffs have had some strange things going on..... A-Rod is now unstoppable in games that count. The Angels cannot seem to hit when they have runners in scoring position. The Dodgers pitching as been missing in action, and the Phillies relief pitching has been strong. I really do not have a horse in the race, but for me there is nothing better than a game 7 in the playoffs, so here is hoping both of these series even back up and we have two nail biting game 7's........

In my last post I showed you what the 85 Phillies and 85 Dodgers Topps traded cards looked like. Tonight in tribute to the two teams battling for the ALCS title I will show you the Yanks and Halos from the 1985 Topps Traded set!

1985 NEW YORK YANKEES
Finished 97-64 2nd in the AL East behind the Jays
Don Mattingly had 35 home runs and 145 RBIs. He also led the team with a .324 batting average.
Rickey Henderson stole 80 bases in 143 games and hit .314
Dave Winfield also had a strong season hitting 26 bombs and batting .275
Ron Guidry won 22 games for the pinstripes with a 3.27 era
Dave Righetti had 29 saves.

Here are the cards from the 1985 Topps Traded set. I am very partial to the Henderson myself!!!! Be sure to read about the "love triangle" between the guys on the top three cards.

Eddie Whitson broke the arm of Billy Martin in 1985. See the article here.
Rich Bordi was the reason Whitson and Martin fought.... Martin started Bordi instead of Whitson.
Billy Martin was fired by the Yankees for a 4th time setting a record. He fought a three round fight with Whitson.......see previous link.
Dale Berra played in 48 games and hit .229
Rickey Henderson is the man!!!! He scored 146 runs in 1985 and became a Hall of Famer in 2009!!!!! Send me any Rickey Cards you have.... I will take them all!
Ron Hassey played in 92 games, hit .296 and drove in 42 runs! Not bad for the back up catcher!

Be sure to check out the fight story between Whitson and Martin. It is classic Billy Martin.

1985 CALIFORNIA ANGELS
Record: 90-72 finished 2nd in the AL West
Reggie Jackson led the team in HRs with 27. He also knocked in 85 runs.
Rod Carew had an off year only hitting .280.
Mike Witt led the team with 15 wins and a 3.56 era.
Donnie Moore was the closer and had 31 saves.

Now with a little less drama, I present the 1985 Topps Traded California ANGELS!

Pat Clements went 5-0 with a 3.34 era in 41 games. He only pitched 62 innings for the Angels in 1985.
Donnie Moore went 8-8 in the closers roll. He had a 1.92 era in 103 innings.
Ruppert Jones has an awesome mustach and first name!
Gene Mauch was the manager. He was origionally signed by the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1943 and played until 1957.....

Like I stated earlier, I no longer care who wins in this years playoffs, I just want to see some tight, white knuckle games. GO Phillies, Dodgers, Yankees, and Angels. Hail the 1985 Topps Traded set, and long live Carl Crawford.

The Card Addict

In Tribute to the playoff teams......pt 1

2009-10-19T20:41:00.008-04:00

I have finally come to grips with the fact the my team, THE RAYS, are not in the playoffs this year, and although I am not happy about it, I am over it. It is time to move on, and enjoy the greatest time of the sports year! Right now we have PLAYOFF BASEBALL, NFL FOOTBALL, COLLEGE FOOTBALL, and HOCKEY!!!! Could it get any better? So to show that I have moved on with the 2009 season, I decided to go back in time..... 24 years or so..... The year was 1985, the cards are 1985 Topps Traded!!! Lets take a look at what the 2 of the 4 teams left in the 2009 Playoffs were up to in 1985 as far as trades were concerned..... We will start with the National League........

First we have the PHILLIES.......
RECORD 75-87 Finished 5th in the NL EAST
Mike Schmidt led the team with 33 home runs
Von Hayes finished the year hitting .263
Kevin the scuff Gross led the team in wins with 15..... MORE ON THIS NICKNAME IN A FUTURE POST!!!!!!!!

Here are the Phillies cards from the 1985 Topps Traded Set:

Derrel Thomas played in 63 games hitting .207 with 4 home runs

Kent Tekulve went 4-10 in 58 appearances and had a 2.99 era

Rick Schu played in 112 games at third. He hit .252 and drove in 24 runs

Steve Jeltz played 89 games at shortstop and hit .189

Don Carman was 9 and 4 as a reliever with a 2.08 era in 71 games

Dave Rucker wend 3 and 2 in 39 games with a 4.31 era

No game changers in this bunch....

Next I proudly present the 1985 Traded Los Angeles Dodgers:
RECORD 95-67 Finished 1st in the NL West
Pedro Guerrero led the team with 33 home runs
Guerrero also finished the year hitting .320
Orel Hershiser led the team in wins with 19 and only 3 loses. His era was 2.03 WOW!!!!!

Mariano Duncan started 142 games at short and hit .244 with 38 stolen bases!!!

Ken Howell was 4 and 7 out of the pen with 56 appearances.

Al Oliver played in 35 games and hit .253. He only had 79 at bats.

Bobby Castillo was 2-2 with a 5.43 era in 35 games. He made 5 starts but only pitched 68 total innings.

No world beaters here either, although Duncan was a solid pick up.....

I have always loved the 80's traded sets. I don't know if it is the bright day glow backs, or the whiter card stock that makes me love them so! Don't worry all you American League fanatics out there, I will post what the Yankees and Angels were up to in due time...... For all the rest of us out there who do not have a team left in the dance? Who would you like to see your team trade for, and what would you be willing to give up to get them?

The Card Addict

Who was the worst free agent signing of 2009?

2009-10-16T20:39:00.005-04:00

2 years at 16 Million for a light hitting DH? Only the Rays, only the Rays.... Pat "limp bat" Burrell was supposed to take the 2009 version of the Rays back to the playoffs. Instead he hit .221, approx. 30 points below his lifetime average. Burrell hit 14 home runs, his lowest output since his rookie year in 2000. Pat did drive in 64 runners! Which tied his career low. His 91 hits were also a career low. He did tie a career high in stolen bases with 2! Pat made 7 million this year and is due another 9 million next year.

Now I am no mathematician, but if my calculator is correct the man on this card made the following this year:

$500,000 Per HOME RUN

$109,375 Per RBI

$16,990.29 Per AT BAT

$76,923.07 Per HIT

$122,807.01 Per WALK

and last but not least

$58,823.52 Per STRIKE OUT!

For this bloggers money, Pat Burrell was the worst free agent signing of the 2009 season. There are a few more very worthy contenders out there:

The Cubs paid Milton Bradley 7 million in '09 to eat at their insides like a cancer, and they still owe him 23 million over the next two years! He managed to hit .257 with 14 home runs in 393 at bats. At least he plays defense. The really sad thing is this was the Rays first choice, when he signed with Chicago they then went after Burrell.

The Giants signed Randy Johnson for 8 Million and got exactly 8 wins from him. He only pitched 96 innings.

Derek Lowe got 15 million from the Braves in 2009. He posted a 4.67 era but did manage to win 15 games.

The Yankees paid Damaso Marte 3.75 million in 2009 for 21 appearences and a 9.45 era. He did have 5 holds and 13 Ks.

Oliver Perez was paid 12 million by the New York Mets to go 3-4 in 14 starts with a 6.82 era. Now thats earning your check!

I am sure many of you have your own opinion about who was the worst free agent signing of the 2009 season. I would love to hear about them and share in your pain, so please post a comment about the player who you wish was still on their OLD team.

The Card Addict

Another throwing error for Chase!!!!!

2009-10-16T20:30:00.004-04:00

Chase Utley is trying very hard to make the Dodgers dreams come true. Two games in a row he has had a terrible throwing error trying to turn double plays!

What an exciting game 2 of the NLCS! I am always amazed at how good the pitching in the playoffs is. All the games are so tight, and every strike, ball, and out are so important. Maybe the pressure is getting to Utley. I hope that the Dodgers can win this series, because I am still holding a grudge from last years World Series. However since I am not truly invested in either team, I really hope for a 7 game series with action like the last two!

THE CARD ADDICT

Night Owl Trade!!!

2009-10-15T20:41:00.012-04:00

So a couple of weeks ago, Greg at NIGHT OWL CARDS posted a picture of a Goodwin Champions Anderson Silva card. Being a huge MMA fan I requested the card after it was apparent Greg did not collect "THE SPIDER". His response was, positive. I told the nocturnal bird of prey I also collect Rays and Rickey Henderson. So Greg put together a great little package and shipped it to me here in the sunshine state all the way from NY. I could not be any more excited about what was in the package after I cracked it open. Here are the little gems from the man behind NIGHT OWL CARDS.

First up a trio of BJ UPTON cards.

I love all three of these cards. The Upper Deck Timeline card is especially nice. What a great chrome embossed logo, and very typical BJ pose, running what looks like half speed.

The Owl also scraped up a few Rays pitchers to throw in the mix.

The Niemann is a great card, and I also really like the Ginter Garza, but for this blogger, the David Price Goudey card made me as happy as a Dodger fan when Holliday miss played that fly ball! What a great card!!! The baby blue background is PERFECT!

Next I noticed some shiny!!!!!

Diamonds may be a girls best friend, but chrome cards are mine. PENA, SONNANSTINE, and NIEMANN! oh my!

Night Owl also sent me a few former Rays.....

We missed Hinske and his very profession at bats this year. I also am still pulling for Kaz even though he is pitching out west now, I hope he does well against the Yanks. Then there is Rocco, what is a fan to do when you own a Jersey of a guy who is not only not on your team anymore, but is playing for an arch enemy like the Red Sox? Any suggestions?

Random sweetness!!!!!

So according Zistle.com, I have over 300 Carl Crawford cards. I did not have this 2000 Topps though!!!!!! The Garza is also a very cool card!

Last but not least, the cards that got the ball rolling: ANDERSON SILVA

This guy is one bad mamma jamma. If you are not a fan of MMA I totally understand if you do not know who Anderson Silva is, but if you do follow mixed martial arts I am sure you will agree this is one of the toughest men on the planet..... Thank you so much Night Owl for the cards. I will get your package in the mail shortly! What a great package to come home to!

The Card Addict

Goodwin Champions Retail break pt. 1

2009-10-08T21:01:00.011-04:00

Who? A baseball card collector without much money who gave into GOODWIN peer pressure!
What? A retail blaster of 2009 Goodwin Champions
Where? Target, front of the store next to the pokemon card display.
When? Last week?
How? Snuck over at lunch and put it on the debit card.

Like most of you times for The Card Addict have been tough, I do not have the disposable income now that I had last year or the year before. In fact, I should be saving all my pennies right now to make it through the next few gift giving months..... But those Goodwin cards that everyone else was posting starting calling to me... While I drove to work, on my lunch break, on my drive home from work, while I sat and watched TV.... all day and all night... BUY ME. RIP ME. POST ME. I was powerless. So here are the results from my fix:

First off let me tell you I really like the vintage style cards, and I really enjoy pulling players from the past. So these three cards were very satisfying!

#89 JOE DIMAGGIO
#11 JOHNNY BENCH
#112 ROBIN ROBERTS

I also love to pull cards from my home town team, TAMPA BAY RAYS, so this threesome was also a nice surprise!!

#83 AKINORI IWAMURA
#103 JAMES SHIELDS
#59 EVAN LONGORIA

Non baseball cards are not my favorite thing to pull when I buy a box of BASEBALL CARDS, but I think Goodwin has some interesting non-baseball cards in this set. Here are 4 that I pulled.

#129 LAIRD HAMILTON
#44 BARACK OBAMA
#84 JOE LEWIS
#66 BUFFALO BILL CODY

The final group of cards I am going to post on this pt. 1 of 2 are the mini cards that I received. I am not really sure how I feel about these yet. The positives for these little scraps are they are tiny, it seems like there is a demand for them, and they make me feel like I got something special, small, but special. The negatives are they are too damn small to sort properly. I hate the way they look in a top loader, and I feel like Upper Deck is ripping me of by only using half as much cardboard and ink as a normal card. Here are the minis I pulled:

#224 RYAN DEMPSTER GYPSY QUEEN
#87 ANDY PETTITE GYPSY QUEEN
#23 KEVIN YOUKILIS
#10 VLADIMIR GUERRERO
#213 ERIK BEDARD
#108 TIM LINCECUM
#247 PAUL MAHOLM
#243 VERNON WELLS
#61 MICHAEL BEASLEY

So overall, I am pretty happy with this box. I will post part 2 of this break as soon as I have time. Everything I pulled from this break, except the Rays cards, is on the trading block, so if you need anything you see here, and you have some Carl Crawfords or some Rickey Hendersons taking up room at your house that you no longer want, contact me at: jmeloy1218@gmail.com and lets work a trade.

The Card Addict

American League Rookie of the Year winner is.......

2009-10-06T21:03:00.005-04:00

American League Rookie of the Year Race tightens...... UPDATED as of 10/6/09

The regular season is over. The ROOKIE starter in the one game playoff is on the bench, and the voters are looking over the final weeks of the season. Lets see how the last week of the regular season treated our class of ROOKS.

Matt Wieters C Baltimore

FINAL STATS: Games 96 Hits 102 Home Run 9 RBIs 43 BA .288

Weiters slowed down a little the last week of the season. He still managed to get 102 hits in 96 games. He hit 9 home runs and 43 RBI. Wieters had a very strong Rookie year, and looks like he could be a superstar in the future. Wieters just did not play enough games this year to earn the ROY Award. If he was playing on a playoff team, the voters may have overlooked the number of games, but the Orioles finished at 64 and 98, last place in the AL EAST.

Jeff Niemann Starting Pitcher Tampa Bay

FINAL STATS: Games 31 Wins 13 Losses 6 K's 125 ERA 3.94 WHIP 1.35

Niemann won his last start of the season against the New York Yankees. He went 5 innings, struck out 5 and only allowed 2 runs. If Niemann would have finished a little stronger the award could have been his, but he and the Rays struggled down the stretch. Niemann led the Rays in wins (13) and ERA (3.94) If we could have picked up 2 or 3 more wins the AL ROY would be his, but he just did not do enough to be the Rookie of the Year.

Brett Anderson Starting Pitcher Oakland

FINAL STATS: Games 30 Wins 11 Losses 11 K's 150 ERA 4.06 WHIP 1.28

Brett Anderson lost his final start of the year to the Mariners. 4-2 was the final score. Anderson went 5 innings giving up all four runs, however only 1 was earned. Anderson the K's, and a great WHIP, but he just did not have the wins.

Elvis Andrus Shortstop Texas

FINAL STATS: Games 145 Hits 128 Home Run 6 RBIs 40 BA .267

Andrus had an amazing year for a rookie shortstop! He helped the Rangers stay in contention all year with his steady glove and bat. Andrus finished with a .267 batting average and 33 stolen bases. It looks like the Rangers have found an everyday shortstop. The Rangers had the best team record of any of the players in the running for the award, and it may be his. This race is too close to call, it will come down to whether the voters like the everyday player of the relief pitcher!

Andrew Bailey Relief Pitcher Oakland

FINAL STATS: Games 68 Wins 6 Losses 3 K's 91 ERA 1.84 WHIP .88 SAVES 26 4 Blown Saves BAA .167

Bailey pitched great all year and gets this bloggers vote for AMERICAN LEAGUE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR. I of course do not have a vote, but this guy was ice cold all year. He only gave up 2 hits in his final 10 innings, if only the A's would have been leading a few more of those games.

Rick Porcello Starting Pitcher Detroit

FINAL STATS: Games 31 Wins 14 Losses 9 K's 83 ERA 3.96 WHIP 1.34

Porcello started the sudden death playoff game against the Twins tonight. He pitched very well going 5.2 innings giving up only 1 earned run however it was his fielding error that allowed the Twins to score a run. When Porcello left the game the Tigers were winning 3 to 2. That is pretty strong for a rookie. The Twins and Tigers are still going at it in the bottom of the 11th as I write this. I wish I could find it on TV!!!! If Porcello wins the award it would not be a surprise.

Gordon Beckham 3B Chicago White Sox

FINAL STATS: Games 103 Hits 102 Home Run 14 RBIs 63 BA .270

Beckham finished the season with 102 hits and 14 home runs. That is a great Rookie campaign, but should fall a little short when the award is handed out.

This was not a really strong year for rookies in the American League with no clear cut winners, but if you believe this blogger, and the readers of this blog then Andrew Bailey should be the winner of this years award. I guess all that is left to do is sit back watch some great playoff baseball, and wait for the votes to be counted.

The Card Addict

Orange cards to the Left of me! Orange cards to the right!

2009-09-30T20:22:00.004-04:00

I know this is like the 4th post I have done on Bowman Chrome Orange Refractors, and I know you are most likely tired of looking at them, but I am in LOVE. I simply cannot get enough of these little orange beauties. It just so happens that I must be one of the few that is head over heals for them this year because this is another auction win from the BAY. I picked up this beauty for $.99 plus shipping. I know Navarro had a little bit of a let down season, but he is only 25 years old, and this is an ORANGE REFRACTOR!!!! If anyone out there has any other Rays, especially Carl Crawford, send me an email and who your player is, maybe we can work a deal. jmeloy1218@gmail.com

The "ORANGE" Card Addict

2008 Upper Deck Masterpieces Baseball Card

2009-09-29T21:59:00.004-04:00

Upper Deck Masterpieces is a great product, and here are the results from a recent pack break. These are of the '08 variety. I love the watercolor painting effect on the textured stock. The gold stamped foil on these cards is also a very nice touch.

The first card out of the pack was future HOF pitcher Randy Johnson. I do not collect the big lefty, but this card sure beats a sharp stick in the eye! Tipping the cap is always a nice jesture, something looks off with the ball in Randys' hand. I think it may be his super long thumb.

The next card is a player who I hope becomes a future Hall of Famer. Evan Longoria! What a sweet card. Longo warming up with a painted Trop back drop. I have been hitting some Longorias recently, maybe I should start a player collection. He may be out of my price range though.

The third and next to last card is Tim "the strike out machine" Lincecum. This is turning into a pretty decent pack. Tim had 150 Ks in 146.1 innings pitched in 2007! Not bad for a guy that is only listed at 170 lbs.

This pack just hit the wall. The forth card..... Robinson Cano. Cano is a fine player, and at one time I actually rooted for the Yankees, but my allegience is now with the Rays so I cringe every time I pull a Yankee or Red Sox. I like the pose on this card, Cano is looking to the coach for the sign adjusting his batting glove. According to the back of the card, Cano has over 500 hits in his first 3 years!!!!

As I said before I really like this product, it feels very high end. I just wish a pack contained 10 or 12 cards instead of 4. 4 Card packs just leave me wanting more...... Isn't the new Goodwin Champions a 4 card per pack product? As always, everything here is up for trade, the Longoria may be tough to pry from my grip however. If you need one of these please write a comment and I will get in touch.

The Card Addict

2009-09-29T20:30:00.005-04:00

American League Rookie of the Year Race tightens...... UPDATED as of 9/29/09

American League Rookie of the Year is an award that many young players started this year dreaming about. With less then a week left in the 2009 season the stats have sorted out the contenders and pretenders. This is my fourth post about the AL ROY and the stats and opinions shown here are updated as of 9/29/09. The stats don't lie, but they also do not tell the whole story. Some of these guys are heating up, and some of them are hitting the rookie wall. I will write one more post after the season is over to help us all sort this out. Here are the most updated stats for each of the AL Rookie of the Year Candidates

Matt Wieters C Baltimore

Games 91 Hits 98 Home Run 8 RBIs 40 BA .296

Weiters has been on fire the last week or so, even though the O's have lost 11 in a row. So far tonight he is 2 for 2 against the Rays. In his last 5 games he has 7 hits, 2 RBIs and has raised his batting average all the way up to .296 If this was the All Star break, and not the end of the season Matt would be hands down the ROY. He just has not gotten enough games and at bats to be the 2009 ROY.

Jeff Niemann Starting Pitcher Tampa Bay

Games 30 Wins 12 Losses 6 K's 120 ERA 3.94 WHIP 1.35

Niemann is no longer a contender in this race. He has not won a game since August 24th. He only lasted 3.1 innings last night and allowed 4 runs and 7 hits. Brian Roberts chased him out of the game with a two run dinger in the 4th. It is just this home town bloggers opinion, but Niemann is no longer in the race for ROY. There are too many other rookies finishing the season strong for the Rays to have their second AL ROY.

Brett Anderson Starting Pitcher Oakland

Games 29 Wins 11 Losses 10 K's 139 ERA 4.21 WHIP 1.28

Brett Anderson is pitching 10/1 against the Mariners. He is 2 and 1 in four starts against Seattle. A win would go a long way, but it may mean that Bailey would get another save.

Elvis Andrus Shortstop Texas

Games 139 Hits 124 Home Run 6 RBIs 35 BA .270

Andrus played against the Rays last week. He had 3 hits, 2 walks a stolen base, and scored 2 runs. He was caught stealing twice though. If you are looking for an every day player to win this award Andrus is your man. If you believe a very strong closer is better then an average SS, the next guy is for you!!!

Andrew Bailey Relief Pitcher Oakland

Games 66 Wins 6 Losses 3 K's 89 ERA 1.88 WHIP .90 SAVES 26

Bailey is still on a rolling, rolling, rolling!!!! 2 more games, 2 more K's and another SAVE. He also lowered his WHIP and ERA. This guy is the man and in this bloggers opinion has been the best ROOKIE IN THE AL this year!

Rick Porcello Starting Pitcher Detroit

Games 30 Wins 14 Losses 9 K's 81 ERA 4.04 WHIP 1.35

Porcello is in the middle of a Division race. He pitched 6.1 innings of ball today against the Twins. In this pressure filled situation Porcello gave up 7 hits, but only 1 earned run. When he left the game the Tigers and Twins were tied at one. This was a very impressive performance, and moves Porcello up in my opinion. If the Tigers end up making the playoffs Rick could be taking home the trophy!

Gordon Beckham 3B Chicago White Sox

Games 99 Hits 99 Home Run 14 RBIs 63 BA .272

Beckham is fading as the season drags on. Was my headline early last week. Beckham must have read it because he has been on fire! 7 RBI's 6 hits in his last 4 games! He has raised his average 5 points over those same 4 games... He is making a strong late season push, but Andrus is better in the field, and the Rangers have been better then the Sox.

Wieters and Porcello are making a strong push at the AL ROY, but it looks like Bailey, the only All-Star, is not going anywhere and may in fact be adding to his slight lead in this race. Was my analysis 4 days ago, and nothing has changed. I do however want to note the voters for the AL ROY tend to favor position players on playoff teams. We do not have any of those though so this award is still up for grabs!

VOTE IN THE POLL AT THE TOP OF THE PAGE FOR YOUR FAVORITE TO WIN THE AL ROY!!!!!!! Looks like the readers like Bailey as well!

The Card Addict

2009 Bowman Chrome Orange JAMES SHIELDS!!!!

2009-09-28T20:19:00.004-04:00

Who? James Shields, the man with the nasty change!

What? 2009 Bowman Chrome Orange Refractor 23/25

Where? In my mail box via EBay from Morris Park Collectibles LLC, Harrison NY

When? Today!!!!!!

Why? Bowman Chrome Orange is my master, I am weak to its power.

Those are the particulars on this card. I simply cannot help myself when it comes to the Bowman Chrome Orange Refractors. Coincidentally, I am equally addicted to the Red Refractors the only problem is they are a lot harder to score.

The Card Addict

2008 Upper Deck X box break!!!

2009-09-27T20:54:00.012-04:00

So last weekend I made a trip to my local neighborhood K-Mart and bought a few loose packs as well as a box of 2008 Upper Deck X. This box was marked half off, so I think it ended up costing me $10.99. The box says ONE MEMORABILIA CARD in EVERY BOX, on AVERAGE! Usually I end up below average. Here are the results of this box break.

Here are the Xponential inserts. They are the so called "shiny" in this product.

This Ichiro is a pretty sweet card. It is a LEVEL 4 Exponential not sure what that means, but I really like the card! I am also a collector of Vladimir Guerrero, so I will have to find a place for the Level 3 Guerrero as well.

Some American League East rookie base card love! Long live Longoria! If you look very close, you can see Longo is wearing pink wrist bands. That means this pic was probably taken on MOTHERS DAY.

The only double I pulled in the whole box was this Ichiro base card!

Here are a couple of the die cut cards that I received. These come pretty much one per pack. I was surprised to see that many of the die cut cards had hanging chads.....The Longoria is completely cut on the top and bottom, but if you look close the Martinez still has the die cut areas hanging on....

Here is my GAME USED card... Turns out I am average.

BRANDON JONES card number UDXM-BJ
Brandon played 5 games this year with the Braves and only had 13 ABs. He hit .308 while he was up. He spent most of the year at triple A and only hit .281 Maybe my material card is a little below average after all.

This box was actually pretty enjoyable. My wife and I sat and broke it together. I love hearing her try to pronounce player names.... I also got three Yankee Stadium Legacy Cards. #654 Lefty Gomez, #679 Red Ruffing, and #704 Babe Ruth

For half a twenty I would happily rip another box of this product. If I had paid the full twenty though I may have been a little disappointed. If you are building this set, and or need something you see here let me know. Thanks for reading and war to the 4-0 Michigan Wolverines!

The Card Addict

I highly suggest you Trade with The Troll!!!

2009-09-26T14:44:00.006-04:00

Today was a very good mail day for the Closet. I recently sent a package of Rays autographs to Marck at THE COLLECTIVE TROLL. He and I collect a lot of the same cards, but I think we pulled off a very good trade. As you can see the Troll packed his return envelope with goodness. It all started with this on card Aki Iwamura auto. VERY SWEET!

Below you can see some more of the cardboard treasures that made their way to my mailbox:

I love the bazooka Comic card. I had no idea that Carl Crawford was the first player since Willie Mays to lead his league in both triples and stolen bases. I needed all three of these for my CC collection.

More Crawfords that I needed and did not even realize I needed. What a big suprise to find out this was my first 2009 Topps regular issue Crawford!!!!

I love this Henderson card! I saw Rickey at the Trop when he was with the Mariners and the Rays were awful. The Goudey Crawford is also very nice. Thanks to the Troll for a great trade. If you do not currently follow his blog I suggest you click here and start following. He has some great posts on A&G, negro league autos, and all things Tampa Bay Rays. I hope we can pull another trade in the future.

As for me, thanks for reading my blog. If you have any Crawford or Henderson cards you no longer want, shoot me a list of what you collect. Maybe we can work a trade. jmeloy1218@gmail.com

The Card Addict

2009 Topps Hobby Packs

2009-09-26T11:30:00.009-04:00

The Facts before the RIP
Who: The card addicted author of this blog.
What: 2 Hobby Packs of 2009 Topps Series 2 Baseball
Where: The local dealer
When: Friday after work
Why: I cannot control myself

THE RESULTS:

Chone Figgins #332
Toppstown Carlos Beltran TTT47
Taylor Teagarden #412
Joe Nathan #445
Nyjer Morgan #481
Brian Schneider #654
Christian Guzman #608
Dana Eveland #521

Joe Girardi #555
Power Jays Rios & Wells #361

Carlos Guillen #538
Nick Markakis #460
Toppstown Jimmy Rollins TTT28
J.R. Towles #344
Huston Street #357
Justin Masterson #349
Jose Molina #478
Jody Gerut #444

Jorge De La Rosa #588
Kendry Morales #613

AFTER THE RIP
Who: The sucker who plopped down a $5 dollar bill.
What: The worst 2 Hobby Packs of 2009 Topps Series 2 Baseball in the entire world
Where: These cards are going into my team cards to be traded box
When: The worst two packs I have opened this year
Why: I am not a lucky guy when it comes to wax

The Card Addict

AL ROY Race updated as of 9/25/09

2009-09-25T14:24:00.018-04:00

American League Rookie of the Year Race tightens...... UPDATED as of 9/25/09

American League Rookie of the Year is an award that many young players started this year dreaming about. With just a little more than a week left in the 2009 season the stats have sorted out the contenders and pretenders. This is my third post about the AL ROY and the stats and opinions shown here are updated as of 9/25/09. The water has not gotten any clearer and the overall picture is a little blurry but, after a few more games for each position player, and at least one appearance for all of the starters my opinion may have changed again.

Matt Wieters C Baltimore

Games 86 Hits 91 Home Run 8 RBIs 38 BA .290

Wieters played a series at Toronto this week. In 13 at bats he had 1 home run, 2 doubles and 2 RBI's. Overall he collected 6 hits and only struck out 4 times. Wieters has also been strong behind the plate this year. His .990 Fielding percentage is testament to that. Wieters problem is he just was not brought up early enough to win the award this year......

Jeff Niemann Starting Pitcher Tampa Bay

Games 29 Wins 12 Losses 6 K's 117 ERA 3.81 WHIP 1.32

Niemann pitched against the Mariners this week. He lasted 6.2 innings giving up 3 runs on 4 hits, 4 walks while striking out 5 batters. Ichiro took Niemann deep once and was the batter that forced Joe Maddon to pull Niemann in the 7th. With this no decision performance it is this bloggers opinion Niemann would have to have an almost perfect game to finish the season to take home the award.

Brett Anderson Starting Pitcher Oakland

Games 29 Wins 11 Losses 10 K's 139 ERA 4.21 WHIP 1.28

Brett Anderson beat the Rangers this week. He lasted 5.2 innings. The Rangers got 6 hits and 3 runs, but only 1 was earned. Anderson struck out 6 and won his 4th game in a row. He is heating up as the season is winding down.

Elvis Andrus Shortstop Texas

Games 135 Hits 120 Home Run 6 RBIs 34 BA .267

Andrus and the Rangers played the A's this week. He had 19 at bats, scored 4 runs with 3 hits. Elvis struck out 4 times. If Andrus wins the award though it will not be due to his offense. He has been outstanding at short for the Rangers this year. He does have 22 errors in 1163 innings. But his .967 fielding looks very good to Ranger fans.

Andrew Bailey Relief Pitcher Oakland

Games 64 Wins 6 Losses 3 K's 87 ERA 1.93 WHIP .91 SAVES 25

Bailey is still on a roll. He only had one non-save opportunity this week, but he struck out 2 and did not give up a hit. I believe Andrew Bailey is still the front runner in this race. He has only blown 4 saves all year. I bet the fans in Philly wish Bailey was there closer at this point.

Rick Porcello Starting Pitcher Detroit

Games 29 Wins 14 Losses 9 K's 80 ERA 4.14 WHIP 1.35

Porcello picked up a win agains the Indians this week. He gave up 1 run on six hits and 3 walks, but only lasted 5 innings. He now has 3 more wins then Niemann, and the Tigers are still playing meaningful ball. If the award is going to a starting pitcher, I would now say Porcello is the favorite.

Gordon Beckham 3B Chicago White Sox

Games 95 Hits 93 Home Run 13 RBIs 56 BA .266

Beckham is fading as the season drags on. He did have 3 hits and score 2 runs this week, but it is probably not enough for Gordon to bring home the bacon.

Wieters and Porcello are making a strong push at the AL ROY, but it looks like Bailey, the only All-Star, is not going anywhere and may in fact be adding to his slight lead in this race. Most of the pitchers should get at least one more start, and the position players will get a few more opportunities so a lot still could change.

VOTE IN THE POLL AT THE TOP OF THE PAGE FOR YOUR FAVORITE TO WIN THE AL ROY!!!!!!!

The Card Addict

Carl Crawford looks so good in Black!

2009-09-24T21:22:00.006-04:00

The last time I posted a Carl Crawford card that I won on Ebay, CC went 4 for 5 against the Blue Jays. He scored 3 runs and stole a base as well. With a game like that I feel it necessary to post my latest ebay auction win here tonight. It is another Carl Crawford card. It is not as sweet as the 2008 Bowman Chrome Orange card from my previous post, but it is "shiny" as the bloggers like to say.

This 2009 Bowman Chrome Carl Crawford refractor found its way to my collection by way of Des Moines IA. It is number 58 of 250. I picked this card up for $.99 plus $3.50 s/h. Not a great deal due to the S/H but what is a Carl Crawford collector to do?

Now I am on the look out for the 2009 Orange Version!!!! The Rays travel to Texas to take on the Rangers tomorrow. James Shields will try to even his record at 11-11 while Derek Holland will be looking for his 8th victory in 19 starts. If my good luck holds CC should have a huge night!

The Card Addict

Villalona is no ANGEL!

2009-09-22T15:30:00.005-04:00

Baseball America chose Angel Villalona, 19, as the San Fransisco Giants top prospect before the 2008 season. The police in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic charged the young first base prospect with murder in the death of a 25 year old man. To read more on this crime click here: Giants Prospect Villalona Charged with Murder

This however this is a baseball card blog. So what does this have to do with baseball cards? Apparently there are a few collectors out there who have not heard this story, or there are some sickos out there who have and want the autograph of a suspected murderer. Currently there are 60 items listed on Ebay for young mister Villalona. Most of them are 2009 Bowman chrome autos. The highest one with a bid is currently selling for $41.00. It is the gold version, but $41.00 for a guy who is looking at 20 years in jail? Come on! There is even one seller who has "murder?!" in his item description. You can view the auction here.

Everyone is innocent until proven guilty, and I hope Mr. Villalona had nothing to do with this terrible crime, but things are not looking good for this young man. I for one will not be pursuing any of his cards, and I hope the people who are either don't know what he has been accused of or are just set collectors, but my gut tells me they are most likely neither of these.....They are probably the same folks my father calls rubberneckers. Those people who slow to a crawl and stare when they drive by an accident.

My only question is this: Do you think the police could pull a DNA sample off of one of these cards?

The Card Addict

AL Rookie of the Year UPDATE

2009-09-21T21:24:00.007-04:00

About four days ago I wrote about the AL Rookie of the year and how tight the race was getting. My unofficial vote changed from my home town pitcher, Jeff Niemann, to the Oakland A's rookie closer, Andrew Bailey. Today is another day, and my vote is back up for grabs. Here are the most updated stats and my thoughts on who should win the award.

Matt Wieters C Baltimore

Games 83 Hits 83 Home Run 7 RBIs 36 BA .282

Wieters stock is rising but it is probably too little too late. Wieters bat has heated up and he has made some great plays behind the plate. He does however have two things working against him. 1. The number of games he has played, and 2. Baltimore is not a good team. If he had played all year and the O's were .500 he would be a sure fire AL ROY.

Jeff Niemann Starting Pitcher Tampa Bay

Games 27 Wins 12 Losses 6 K's 112 ERA 3.80 WHIP 1.32

Niemann has not pitched in the last 4 days. His next start will be against the Mariners tomorrow night.

Brett Anderson Starting Pitcher Oakland

Games 28 Wins 10 Losses 10 K's 139 ERA 4.21 WHIP 1.28

Anderson has won 3 games in a row and in his last outing had 10 strikeouts and went 6 innings. His biggest obstacle to winning the award may be his teammate Andrew Bailey!

Elvis Andrus Shortstop Texas

Games 131 Hits 117 Home Run 6 RBIs 34 BA .272

Andrus has been as steady as they come all year for the Rangers. His team has played very well, and many credit his defense for helping turn around the Rangers pitching staff this year. Andrus could be the front runner for the ROY award.

Andrew Bailey Relief Pitcher Oakland

Games 63 Wins 6 Losses 3 K's 85 ERA 1.95 WHIP .92 SAVES 25

Bailey has 4 saves this month and has lowered his era to 1.95. He had 3 strikeouts and earned the save in his last outing. The only thing going against Bailey is the fact that his team in not playing meaningful games. The voters for ROY tend to favor players on teams that are in contention at the end of the year.

Rickey Romero Starting Pitcher Toronto

Games 25 Wins 12 Losses 8 K's 119 ERA 4.22 WHIP 1.51
1-3 in September Lost his last start vs. the Rays

I am officailly taking Romero off of my list of contendors. He is just 1-3 this month and was beating by the Rays in his last outing. Comparing his stats to the rest of the starting pitchers this blogger just does not think Romero has much of a chance to win the award.

Rick Porcello Starting Pitcher Detroit

Games 28 Wins 13 Losses 9 K's 79 ERA 4.22 WHIP 1.33

Porcello lost to the Twins in his last game although it was a pretty good start. He went 6 innings giving up only 3 runs. Porcello is 2-1 in September. Porcello and the Tigers are still in the thick of a pennant race which could swing votes his way. Rick may be the dark horse in this race that crosses the finish line first.

Gordon Beckham 3B Chicago White Sox

Games 92 Hits 90 Home Run 12 RBIs 54 BA .266

Beckham seems to be running on fumes. Without a strong performance this week he may loose his spot in the running.

Brad Bergesen Starting Pitcher Baltimore

Games 19 Wins 7 Losses 5 K's 65 ERA 3.43 WHIP 1.28

Bergesen is on the 60 day IR he has most likely pitched in his last game this year. I am offically removing him from my list.

I have seen some articles about Nolan Riemold of the O's getting a push from Baltimore to win the award, but with him being shut down for the season with an achillies tendon problem he probably does not have the numbers to earn the award. Here is his current stat line:

Games 104 Hits 100 Home Run 15 RBIs 45 BA .279

4 more days of stats and my vote is still going to Andrew Bailey. Wieters has played very well, and Brett Anderson was very impressive in his last start, the future is bright for the A's. If Niemann can put together a couple more wins he could take the trophy. Rick Porcello is also still very much in the hunt because he is playing for a pennant and a couple of pressure packed wins would go a long way in the eyes of the voters. The next 3 weeks worth of games should be very exciting.

The Card Addict

2008 Upper Deck Masterpieces pack

2009-09-21T17:32:00.007-04:00

K-Mart had very little baseball wax available to feed my habit this weekend. I ended up buying a few random loose packs and a box that I will post the break of later when I have time. I already posted the results of my one pack of Goudey. Here are the results on 1 of 2 packs of 2008 Upper Deck Masterpieces that I ripped. Only 4 cards per retail pack, but then again the whole base set only has 120 so I am bound to get someone good.

Alex Rodriguez #62 This is a pretty sharp card, I just hope that A-Rod is watching a long foul ball before striking out in the pose and not admiring one of his 54 home runs from the 2007 season.......

Kouske Fukudome #22 This is another really great looking card. I really love the Japanese players in the Major leagues work ethics. Fukudome, Iwamura, even Dice-K seem like really hard working give 100% players.

Joe Mauer #50 So for the first time in American League history a catcher wins the batting title, "Let's paint a portrait of him with the award" What a terrible card. Show the swing, not the stupid award! What were you thinking UD?

Chin-Lung Hu #43 For a portrait card this does not make me want to puke. It is not a standard pose, and I like the fact you can see his uniform number. I wish it was an action shot, but if you have to have a portrait masterpiece, I guess this will have to do.

Overall, I would say this is a pretty good pack! I really like the Fukudome card, and I seem to always pull A-Rod. These are very attractive cards and at half price I could not pass on a couple of packs. Thanks for checking out my blog. As always these are on the trading block, so if you need one leave a comment.

The Card Addict

Carl Crawford reaches 500 Career RBI's

2009-09-21T10:49:00.003-04:00

With Jason Bartlett on first, Carl Crawford took Roy Halladay over the right field wall at Tropicana Field on Sunday in the first inning to collect his 499th and 500th career RBIs. It was the third career homerun for Crawford against Halladay. The only pitcher Crawford has hit more homeruns off is is Josh Towers.

Crawford went 2-4 in the game, and the Rays swept the Jays. There was some controversy in the game for the Rays speedster. While trying to steal third in the 7th inning. Crawford was called out by umpire Damien Beal. TV replay showed Crawford was probably safe. See what Crawford had to say about the call here.

It was the 15th time Crawford was caught stealing this year. Crawford is 3 stolen bases behind Jacoby Ellsbury for the AL lead in stolen bases.

Halladay is now 1-4 against the Rays in '09. The Rays rookies, Niemann and Price, have both earned two wins this year against the Jays ace. Niemann was the first Rays pitcher to beat Halladay twice in a season. The Rays have beaten Halladay 7 times in the last two seasons.

The itch to Rip

2009-09-20T10:18:00.002-04:00

I had the itch to rip yesterday. I could not help, I just needed to go throw down some perfectly good money on a stack of cardboard. There was nothing I could do. It had to be done. So I drove over to the local K-Mart and plopped down some cash for cards. I will work on posting the results over the next couple of days because I still need to get my Fantasy Football line up straightened out today before I go see the Rays take on the Jays @ 1:38. K-Mart has some pretty good sales going on right now on "trading" cards. Makes me wish I collected football because they looked like the best deals. However I settled on a few loose packs and a box of 2008 Upper Deck X. Here are the scans from the one pack of Upper Deck Goudey I purchased.

ALEX GORDON #85
GARY SHEFFIELD #71
KELLY SHOPPACH #59
DAVID WRIGHT #125

4-1 DEXTER FOWLER
TRAVIS SNIDER
MATT ANTONELLI
MICHAEL BOWDEN
DAN HAREN mini #6
CHRISTIAN GUZMAN #200
KURT SUZUKI #149

Why do I do it? I spend money on Wax when I should just be searching the web for singles that I want. I do it because I cannot help it. I am addicted to ripping. The first step is admitting you have a problem. CHECK.

The Card Addict

Carl Crawford looks so good in Orange!

2009-09-18T17:17:00.006-04:00

I am super pumped today because the Ebay auction I won was sitting in my mail box when I got home from work. I do not buy nearly as much from Ebay as I used to because all the sellers charge so much for shipping and there really are not that many good deals anymore due to the fees that Ebay charges to list cards. That being said, the one search I always find my self typing in at the bay is:

Carl Crawford Bowman Chrome Orange Refractor

I love these cards! I do not know why, the orange does not go well with the Rays uniform, but I have to have my Bowman Chrome Orange cards. They are numbered to 25, and can get very expensive on the bay, but I am a sucker for the orange. This one is numbered 12/25. I am very happy about getting this card. By the way I paid a lot less for my 2008 version then I had to for my 2007....... I guess that would be the one good thing about the current economic condition.

The Card Addict

American League Rookie of the Year Race tightens......

2009-09-17T15:57:00.006-04:00

A few weeks ago I wrote a post about Jeff Niemann possibly winning the AL rookie of the year award. I also put up a survey to see who everyone else thinks should be the AL ROY. Here is an update on that post along with some stats that show the race has tightened.

Matt Wieters C Baltimore

Games 79 Hits 78 Home Run 7 RBIs 35 BA .273

Wieters threw out Carl Crawford two times in last nights game! If this guy would have played the full year I believe he would have been the hands down winner of the ROY award.

Jeff Niemann Starting Pitcher Tampa Bay

Games 27 Wins 12 Losses 6 K's 112 ERA 3.80 WHIP 1.32

Niemann was my vote a few weeks ago, and has pitched pretty well, but I think my vote is starting to be swayed to the only closer on my this list. He had a real bad outing against Baltimore this week. Going a little over 4 innings giving up 6 earned runs and 11 hits.

Brett Anderson Starting Pitcher Oakland

Games 27 Wins 9 Losses 10 K's 129 ERA 4.37 WHIP 1.29

Andersons numbers are comparable to Niemann considering Oaklands team record, 67-78. If this award is going to a starting pitcher, Niemann is still the leader.

Elvis Andrus Shortstop Texas

Games 129 Hits 114 Home Run 6 RBIs 33 BA .273

Andrus has done a very good job all year at short for the Rangers however Wieters numbers are a little bit better and he has played 36 fewer games. Andrus has a bright future and it looks like the Rangers have a steady SS for years to come.

Andrew Bailey Relief Pitcher Oakland

Games 62 Wins 6 Losses 3 K's 82 ERA 1.98 WHIP .92 SAVES 24

Bailey is one of the league leaders in ERA, K's and WHIP for relievers. He also has 24 saves and 6 wins. If the ROY race were to end today, I would have to give the AL version of the award to this hard throwing A's closer. He has an electric fastball, good curve, and effective cutter. He seems to be able to throw all three pitches to righties and lefties for strikes.

Rickey Romero Starting Pitcher Toronto

Games 25 Wins 12 Losses 8 K's 119 ERA 4.22 WHIP 1.51

I think Romero has some very strong stats considering he is pitching in Toronto and playing against the AL East, but his numbers are not as strong as Niemann or Bailey in this bloggers opinion.

Rick Porcello Starting Pitcher Detroit

Games 27 Wins 13 Losses 8 K's 78 ERA 4.21 WHIP 1.33

Porcello also has good numbers for a rook, but again not quite up to the level of Bailey or Niemann. Most of these starting pitchers should get a couple more starts this season, so a lot could change, and any of them could be awarded ROY.

Gordon Beckham 3B Chicago White Sox

Games 88 Hits 88 Home Run 12 RBIs 54 BA .274

Beckham has been solid at third this year for the sox, but he is in the same situation as Wieters, just not enough games to put up the stats needed to win the award. Unless he has a great final month and can put up big numbers, I think this award is going to a pitcher.

Brad Bergesen Starting Pitcher Baltimore

Games 19 Wins 7 Losses 5 K's 65 ERA 3.43 WHIP 1.28

Bergesen is on the 60 day IR he has most likely pitched in his last game this year.

So after looking over the stats I think if the season were over tomorrow, I would give the award to ANDREW BAILEY. That is right I said Bailey. I am a huge Rays fan, and have really enjoyed watching Niemann pitch this year, but Bailey has been really good for the A's and is one of the AL's better closers right now. I still think Niemann has a really good shot at taking this award home with a couple more quality starts this year.

The Card Addict

Zistle.com Review part 2

2009-09-15T22:13:00.006-04:00

So I have been thinking about my Zistle.com account today thanks to a great comment on my last posting from Josh Cutler at Zistle. The reason I call it great is because he took the time to find my blog and write me a note. Being in a customer service driven field myself I really appreciate this for a couple of reasons. The biggest one being I have not paid Zistle.com a single cent, but they are seeking out and searching for feedback from one of their customers. What a great first contact and impression to make. The second reason I am impressed is because I made a couple of suggestions and they responded positively. I am not a believer in the quote the customer is always right, but I do think more companies should listen and consider customer suggestions. So because I was thinking about it most of the day today, I came home tonight and got back to work on my Zistle.com account. Currently I am working on my 2001 Fleer Platinum set. This is one of my all time favorite card sets, and really got me back into collecting after a long lay off. I am not really sure why I liked this set so much when it came out, but I did and that is all that matters. The base cards are easy to get, but I am still working on the subsets, and probably always will be. Here are a few of the cards that I scanned in tonight and added to the Zistle.com website:

As I posted yesterday, if you have not been to this site yet I think you really should give it a look! By the way, uploading the pictures was very easy, but I like when my cards pictures are already there, so log on, create and account, and start uploading your favorite cards, then lazy bums like myself can just click the plus sign to add it to my collection or want list.......

The Card Addict

Excuses, Excuses, Excuses....... and a ZISTLE.COM review

2009-09-14T21:04:00.007-04:00

I am sorry for my lack of posting recently, but a family reunion, a knee injury playing wiffle ball, a fantasy football draft or two, and finally 11 straight losses by the Rays have left me feeling a little uninspired. The one baseball card related activity I have been working on however has been my ZISTLE account. If you don't have one, I suggest you go sign up tonight! What a great website for collectors. I spent most of my free time the last few days entering all of my Carl Crawford cards. I have a few more to add, but for the most part they are all up there.

Zistle is a great site right now, and will only get better as more collectors start to use it.

THE POSITIVE: It is much more user friendly then Beckett, and it is free. The trading section looks like it has a lot of potential, I have not put any "bait" up yet, but will soon. The data base for the site is very good, although not complete. The site lets you enter cards that are not currently listed, I need to go back and scan a bunch of CC cards...... The menus are fairly easy to use and so far the site has run very smoothly for me on all three of my Macs.....

THE NEGATIVE: I do not see any way to sell cards on the site yet, but who knows maybe someday. I also wish that you could print out your lists in a printer friendly format, especially your want lists. The library is no where near complete, but growing everyday. Most of the photos of cards on the site are on the small side, but it is free, so any picture is pretty good.

My favorite feature is the real time want list that you can create. You can see my list recently posted on my blog..... My list needs a little work, but the 1969 Topps are correct as well as the Carl Crawford section.

Enough of this Rays losing streak....

2009-09-09T22:50:00.002-04:00

Tonight I had a tough choice to make after watching the Rays blow another game to the Yankees. I could put down my remote, pick up a few cold ones, and drown my sorry, or I could use the numeric power of this historic date 09/09/09 to put an end to the Rays losing streak. I am going to scan 9 of my favorite Carl Crawford cards to add a forth nine to this magical day and put an end to this losing streak once and for all. So for all of the Carl Crawford fans out there here are the nine cards that will bring the Rays a victory. I suggest you use the remaining 58 minutes to scan and post your nine CC cards as well.

Nine material cards, scanned and uploaded on the ninth day of the ninth month of the year 2009. If this is not a losing streak breaker I do not know what is.

3 FOR 4 THE ORANGE LIGHTS ARE OUT!

2009-09-09T21:57:00.005-04:00

3 quality starts!
3 games the Rays could have won!
2 blown saves!
The last hope of the '09 season, down the drain.

The misery started on Monday with Matt Garza on the mound for the first game of a double header. Garza goes 7 innings gives up 5 hits and allows 1 run. He leaves with the game tied at 1. The bullpen wastes no time in letting the Yankees score three times on two hits and three walks.....

Game 2 Monday: One word Sonnanstine! 2.2 innings 6 hits 8 earned runs. I sure am glad we keep Andy and traded Edwin!

Tuesday was even more disappointing. David Price takes the hill and goes 6 innings gives up 3 hits and 2 runs. When he leaves the game the Rays are down 1 run. The bullpen holds for two innings allowing the Rays to make a comeback and tie the game at 2. Then Dan Wheeler comes in and allows the walk off homer to Nick Swisher.

That brings us to tonight. Niemann, my choice for AL rookie of the year, goes 7 innings, gives up 8 hits and 1 earned run. When he leaves the game he has a 2 to 1 lead. Shouse, Cormier, and Balfour proceed to give up 3 more runs. Then the Yankee pen comes in, does their job and finishes the game winners..... Stick a fork in the 2009 Tampa Rays, they are officially done!

With the Rays playing as poorly as they have the last 8 games, I am starting to wonder if they are going to finish above 500 for the year. After the loss tonight their record stands at 72 wins 67 losses........

Fenway Park Baseball Trip

2009-09-08T22:09:00.003-04:00

Road trip to Fenway Park!!!! As I posted a few weeks ago, I am going to be headed up to Boston to see the Red Sox. I am looking for suggestions, or don't miss tourist attractions. Can you recommend some places to eat, things to see, photography opportunities? I have decided to stay at Boston Hotel Buckminster, it is in my price range, and very close Fenway. I have my tickets, and booked a flight. I know I will be going to a day game, other then that I have a free weekend. If you have done something amazing while in Boston that should not be missed make a comment or two. Last year a college buddy and I went to see the Yankees last series in old Yankee Stadium and had a great trip.

WADE DAVIS is coming to the SHOW!

2009-09-02T20:28:00.009-04:00

The Rays are promoting Wade Davis to the bigs to help fill the void left by the Scott Kazmir trade. He will get his first ever major league start on Thursday, against the Tigers, according to the USA TODAY story. Rays fans have been hearing about Davis for a few years now, it will be exciting to finally see him pitch at the Trop. By the way, Kaz just struck out three batters in a row after loading the bases in the first inning of his Angels debut. Sounds familiar to Rays fans doesn't it?

The USA Today article says he has a 10.40 era. That must be a type-o. According to MinorLeagueBaseball.com he is 10-8 with a 3.40 era in 158.2 innings.

Welcome back A. Sonnanstine

2009-09-01T21:17:00.003-04:00

Four innings, 8 hits, 5 runs only three earned, 4 walks, 2 strike outs, and he gave up 2 long balls!!!!! It sure is a good thing the Rays got Sean Rodriguez thrown in on the Kaz deal......