The Presstine Project (Season 1 Volume 1)

The dollar store in my area hasn't had any baseball cards in awhile, so when I'm running errands in another part of the state, I'll check and see what the dollar store there has.

I found a pack of these, and while they are only twenty cards in these, they do have current cards....which the other repacks that I buy there don't.

2010 Topps Wandy Rodriguez (Astros)
1991 Score Jeff Parrett (Braves)
1997 Score Premium Stock Jose Herrera (A's)
1992 Fleer Charlie O'Brien (Mets)
2013 Topps Gypsy Queen Jemile Weeks (A's)
1991 Score David Walsh (Dodgers)
1992 Score Laddie Renfroe (Cubs)
1987 Donruss Ray Hayward (Padres)
1987 Topps Larry Sheets (Orioles)

1991 Score Dream Team Doug Jones (Indians)
1991 Donruss Ryne Sandberg (Cubs)
1988 Leaf Jody Reed (Red Sox)
1992 Leaf Jay Bell (Pirates)
1988 Donruss Ken Caminiti (Astros)
2010 Topps Chris Volstad (Marlins)
1992 Upper Deck Jesse Barfield (Yankees)
1992 Donruss Mark Lemke (Braves)
1990 Donruss Mickey Hatcher (Dodgers)

I also got what I thought was a 1991 Topps Charlie Leibrandt....

...until I looked at the back and realized I have my first 1991 O-Pee-Chee card. I think.

The last card is a 2013 Topps Gypsy Queen Adrian Beltre.

Yes, the 2013 issues have already made there way into repacks. This is also the first repack I've purchased that had a player named Laddie.

Intrigued, I had to find out more about him. He only lasted two weeks in the major leagues while pitching in four games. He pitched 4 2/3 innings, going 0 - 1 with a 13.50 ERA. He was also the subject of a post by a fellow blogger.

His son, David Renfroe (which is a name I do recognize), was a former Red Sox prospect. He was an infielder who last year was beginning the transformation into a pitcher. It apparently was not too successful, as he announced his retirement two weeks ago.

Cards From The Binder (Chapter 9)

Well now that I've completed my first year of blogging, I'm excited to begin year two. As I'm sure you'll agree, what better way to kick off the year than with the non-critically acclaimed "Cards From The Binder" series.

There are Denny's restaurants in my area, although I very rarely go to them. I think this was the only time that I went that they were giving out cards. I think I was in Methuen, MA when I got this one.

As usual, the card looks way better in person that in the scan.

Out of curiosity, I checked the boxscore of said game. It was 12 - 2, with Tom Candiotti picking up the loss. McDowell gave up 7 runs in 2 and 2/3'rds innings. Pendleton was also pinch hit for by Jeff Treadway his next time up.

The next three cards fall under the "I have no idea why I still have these" file. I'm pretty sure I got these at a card show. One of the LCS's in my area (the one where I buy the cards for my "Monster Box Mania" series of posts) used to hold card shows all the time. It was and still is more a comic book store than a card shop. There were always bags of promo items that would be given out which would sometimes include baseball cards, but mostly comic books, stickers, posters, etc. I threw out just about everything I got from these a while ago, but these cards remain (at least for now).

OverPower was a card game featuring characters from Marvel Comics which debuted in August 1995. I'm sure this is probably around the time that I got these.

According to it's Wikipedia page this is a description of the game:

"A deck typically consists of any combination of four heroes and/or villains, three in the frontline and one in reserve. The rest of the deck consists of fifty-one cards representing offensive and defensive actions that can be taken by the characters or their allies. Each player also chooses a set of 7 mission cards, that represent their team's goals. Finally, each player may also have a homebase and/or a battlesite that represent where their team is from and where the battle will take place. The goal of the game is to either KO the opponent's entire team, or to complete all 7 mission cards (or defeat all 7 of the opponent's).
Players take turns playing attacks back and forth. During a battle, characters may become hurt, and if they are hurt enough, they may be KO'd and eliminated. In addition, each team ventures a number of mission cards, and the winner of the battle completes those missions, while the loser's missions are defeated. If neither team concedes, the team that did more damage to the other is the winner."

The game was produced by Fleer and production was ceased in October, 1997.

This is a pre-production 1996 Topps Stadium Club card of Kenny Lofton.

A quick internet search found one of these on Amazon for $4.99 (plus $3.99 shipping!!). I'm pretty sure this was included in a baseball card magazine I purchased around the time it was produced.

I Forgot My First Anniversary

No, no, no, not that anniversary. I'll find all my cards (as well as myself) out on the front lawn if I do that.

I've spent so much time over the past few weeks organizing, making lists and trying to send out cards to people I owe them to that I completely missed my one year anniversary. After contemplating joining the blogosphere for a while, (the hesitation was mostly because I had a computer that suffered from a BSOD fetish), I finally started on the 6th of February last year, and I am very glad that I did.

Since I started this blog, I've been able to trade and correspond with a lot of very cool bloggers and readers and I want to thank all of you for making this last year a lot of fun. I haven't enjoyed card collecting this much since I was a kid. 

I ended up posting 182 times, which works out to just about once every 2 days. I've slowed it down a bit recently, as I am spending more time creating and updating want lists, sorting and organizing. One of these days I'll do a post showing just how much of a task it is trying to keep up with all the cards I buy. (Since my budget is limited, I buy mainly repacks and boxes of commons. Hence I can get a lot for a little and they can multiply on you fast.)

Thanks to everybody out there for welcoming me into the blogging community. You all have fantastic blogs and I enjoy reading everyone of them. Myself, I plan on sticking around for a while, and I'm sure at this time next year I'll be telling you how I missed my two year anniversary.

Or maybe I'll be organized by then.

Probably not.

Trade With Hardball Collecting

A few months ago, I was contacted by Derek from Hardball Collecting, and he said that he had the Bryce Harper card I was looking for from 2013 Topps Archives. He sent me that plus some others off of my want list. I offered to send him some cards in return......and he's still waiting for them. Not the most effective way for a first trade with someone. Thankfully, he's been very patient and I greatly appreciate that.

Two from 2012 Topps Gypsy Queen. I'm pretty close to finally finishing off this set.

Three from 2007 Upper Deck. I cannot say the same about this one.

Four from 1989 Score. When I think of "junk wax", this is one of the first sets that comes to mind. Unfortunately, I just went through this set and realized a couple I cards I thought I had, I don't. Grrrrrr.

With this Bryce Harper, I should be finished with 2013 Archives. But I won't know for sure until I verify that.

He also sent a few from 2007 Topps Heritage.

Thanks Derek! I know I still owe you some cards. Thanks for being patient!

The Super Bowl: Better To Make It And Lose, Or Not Make It At All?

Now that the Super Bowl is over, the sports talk shows have been abuzz with the happenings contained within those sixty minutes and most specifically, the pounding the Broncos received.

Of course you know the mastermind behind this beating was Pete Carroll, who has New England Patriot's ties, as he was their head coach in the late 90's. He was fired after 3 seasons as head coach, and was replaced by Bill Belichick in early 2000.

I really didn't want to the Broncos to win, because I didn't want to see Wes Welker win a championship. I know, that's a lame reason, but I was watching the game on and off and the only time I saw Manning throw to him, he dropped it. Imagine that.

But after the game was over I thought that it was probably good that the Patriots lost to the Broncos, or else it would have been them getting their butts handed to them by the Seahawks. And as I was listening to sports talk radio this week, other people were expressing the same sentiment. Many talked about the "legacy" of Peyton Manning. Is he a choker? What if the Patriots had made the Super Bowl and Brady had laid an egg on the field? What about his "legacy"? He's won 3 Super Bowls. Would he be labeled a choker? So the discussion turned to this question.

Which is better, losing the AFC or NFC Championship Game badly or the Super Bowl?

You would think losing the Championship Game would be worse, because you failed to reach the ultimate goal. But let's use my Patriots as an example.

Many, many years ago before the Patriots were almost a lock to make the playoffs every year, they sucked. They sucked really bad. They were even 1- 15 for a season. But on January 26, 1986 they were playing in the Super Bowl. I was ecstatic. I remember watching it at my Dad's and just being depressed the entire time. The Patriots never had a chance. The Bears beat them every way possible. The Bears would have destroyed anybody the AFC trotted out that day.

Tony Eason was the quarterback for the Patriots that season. Do I remember him as a field general who led the Patriots to their first Super Bowl?

No, this is how I remember him.

He was so bad, they took him out in the second quarter. He never even completed a pass.

So who did the Patriots beat in the AFC Championship game that year (and probably saved from a serious beating)?

You don't know, do you.

They beat the Miami Dolphins, and it wasn't that close either.

So the person who according to ESPN in 2008, that had the worst performance of any quarterback in a Super Bowl beat the Dolphins and Dan Marino 31 - 14 just 2 weeks earlier.

So what do you think? Since it's a pretty safe bet to assume that they would have lost too, do you think Marino's "legacy" would have been hurt by making the Super Bowl that year?

Personally I think as fans we are tougher on someone who made the Super Bowl and got creamed, than on someone who never made it at all.

Just ask Jim Kelly.

How I Spent My "Vacation" Plus Some Card Show Loot

It's been a couple of weeks since I last posted, but it's not because I'm getting tired of blogging. I had some vacation time left from my night job that I had to "use or lose", so I've pretty much had every night off the past couple of weeks.

So instead of spending time online and blogging, I've been trying to tackle the endless piles of cards that seem to be growing by the day.

As many cards as these pictures show, they are not even a fraction of the amount of cards I have that remain unsorted. What you see are just stacks of dupes.

I'm hoping by spending more time sorting and cataloging, I'll be able to get return trade packages out in a much more timely fashion. A few of you out there have been waiting for months, which I don't like to see happen.

I haven't even been online that much in the past couple of weeks. I've just come home from my day job and went straight to the cards.

I did manage to get to a card show today. I haven't been to one in about four or five months, I think. I've tried to get to a couple but I hate driving in snow, plus they are usually an hour away, so it would take even longer. (Yes I am one of those old people that realize you have to drive slower and more carefully in a snowstorm.)

The show had an autograph guest, but I don't remember who it was and I'm not going to look it up. I know he was a hockey player, because all the hockey cards and memorabilia was out in force. Not much baseball to look it. I was able to snag a few things for some people that I owe cards to, and picked up a few random things for myself. I didn't break the bank, I think I only spent fifteen or sixteen bucks for everything.

I know I'm starting off with showing a card of a damn Yankee, but I need this for my '78 Topps set, which I will be focusing on after I finish my '79 Topps set.

 
I found four from the 1981 Kellog's 3-D set. The Burleson was in the worst shape of the four, but still not bad for fifty cents. The back of the card lists him as a California Angel, as he was traded after the 1980 season with Butch Hobson for Carney Lansford, Rick Miller and Mark Clear.

Tony Perez was considered washed up when signed as a free agent prior to the 1980 season. Surprisingly he led the Red Sox in home runs and had 105 RBI's. Unfortunately, over the next two seasons he was unable to duplicate those numbers, and was released by the Red Sox after the 1982 season.

Most baseball fans know how Carlton Fisk ended up as a Chicago White Sox. If you don't, to make a long story short, his contract was mailed out after the deadline for offering player contracts. Fisk became a free agent and signed with the White Sox, which in my opinion is the biggest Red Sox mistake of my generation, not the Jeff Bagwell trade of 1990.

What doesn't get as much press is that Fred Lynn's contract was mailed out late as well. Rather than losing him as a free agent he was traded to the California Angels (about a month and a half after Burleson and Hobson) with Steve Renko for Jim Dorsey (16.88 ERA over 2 seasons), Joe Rudi (49 games, 6 HR, 24 RBI, .180 BA in his 1 season), and Frank Tanana (4-10, 4.01 ERA in his 1 season). Nice.

So the back of Fred Lynn's card also has him as a California Angel.

I remember hating that offseason.

As upset as I was about losing a lot of my favorite players after the 1980 season, I really would have thrown a temper tantrum had they lost Jim Rice. Fortunately, he was able to finish his career as a Boston Red Sox, and I never needed to throw that tantrum.

1981 Coca-Cola Bob Stanley. I'm not sure if I need this one or not, but at fifty cents, I grabbed it.

This Dwight Evans Coca-Cola card however, I knew I needed.

1994 Tombstone Pizza Mike Greenwell.

1987 M&M's Roger Clemens...

...and Wade Boggs.

Not a bad show, although because of the hockey theme, I didn't spend too much time there. Not that I don't like hockey cards, because I do, but I have made zero lists for my hockey needs.

And if I owe you cards, rest assured I haven't forgotten. I'll be getting them out as soon as I can.

79 Is Fine (Part 3)

As you've probably figured out , I'm trying to finish the '79 Topps set, as it was one of the first I collected as a kid. Over the past few weeks I've received a couple of packages of these from Greg at Night Owl cards which I posted here and here.

I had also received a package of '75 Topps from reader Mark, which also included a couple of the more expensive '79 cards I hadn't acquired yet. Read about it here.

The same day I received the second package from Night Owl, I also received a second package from Mark. In it was more '79's!

Just like the cards I received from Night Owl, reading all of the names on these cards brought me back to being a ten year old again. My most vivid memory of opening packs of 1979 Topps was being in the back of my mom's station wagon, (not the backseat, the back...you know where the "hump" is) and being excited because I pulled a Jack Brohamer card.

Thanks again Mark!