Friday 28 September 2012

My Zistle collections

Just added to the sidebar the link to my collections I already put online at Zistle.

Mainly baseball but I started to add the few hockey cards I got in the past month.

Thursday 27 September 2012

Card Chase box

The other day I ordered one of these boxes proclaiming to be the World's Great Card Chase Baseball.

I bought it because I found out what I'm collecting. I'm collecting at least a card from each year since '86. From every brand and set. And what better way then getting a few sorted vintage packs?


The box promised a lot. Got 16 packs for sure. Some only with a few couple of cards but ok...They were from 2 or 3 different brands.


This one is the pack that gives the name to the box. I just couldn't picture where it says how much cards it should bring but I got 6.




The photo is quite dark, sorry for that. But here is the list of the players:

  • 1987 Topps #479 Bob Sebra P@MTL - played from '85 to '90 for 5 different teams and his wiki page doesn't even has his stats.
  • 1989 Topps #98 Marty Pevey C/OF@MTL (MLB debut) - might be better known for being former third base coach for the Toronto Blue Jays
  • 1990 Score #1T Dave Winfield OF@LAA - now we're talking!!!!!! Former Yankee by '90 (remeber the trend I mention about me having former/going-to-be Yankees' players?) and a HOF! And besides that I do watch him in the ESPN America program Baseball Tonight.
  • 1997 Score #431 Deion Sanders OF@CIN - the comeback year after a year playing for the Dallas Cowboys in the NFL. And that's the best shoot they had of him? Laying down making some funny face during practice?
  • 1997 Score #333 John Wetteland P@TEX - keeping the trend a former Yankee collecting a total of 74 Saves in 2 years with the Yankees. And they traded him!? The WS (which he won with NY in '96) MVP!?
  • 1988 Donruss #399 Jim Rice OF@BOS - yep, he was a Red Sox but he was also a great player. HOF for a reason and a retired number to Boston. Must respect.

All in all I might say I got pretty good cards to make up for the couple I was not so lucky.

Will post soon about the other 15 packs I got in the box.

Tuesday 25 September 2012

Mike Flanagan - Fleer 1990

The Orioles are having the best season since a good couple of years. Right now they're 1.5 GB Yankees. I don't know if it is the retro bird that's helping them but they are truly making a run for the playoffs and something more.

And because of that this post goes to Mike Flanagan. Here is the 1990 Fleer card I got of him. Never mind it's from his Toronto times but that was all I got.


"Flanagan was a starting pitcher for the Orioles from 1975 through 1987. He was named to the American League (AL) All-Star Team once in 1978. The following year, the first of two times he would play on an AL pennant winner, his 23 victories led the circuit and earned him the league's Cy Young Award. He was a member of the Orioles' World Series Championship team in 1983." (info from wikipedia)

'79 was the year with most Ws for Flanagan in his career. And when he came back to Baltimore after the Blue Jays 4 seasons span, he even managed to pitch a no-hitter for the '91 season.

Will Baltimore make he playoffs alright and win something more? Will it be their year? Postseason is almost here to elucidate us.

Monday 24 September 2012

Fleer Ultra 1991 - pack 4

I'm so ill it's hard to write whatever I try. So lets see if I can pull something with this opening pack 4 of 1991 Fleer Ultra.

First, I must say I'm growing more found of this set than I ever thought.
At first when seeing cards from decades ago I cannot help but compare with the current ones we have, or at least the last 5 or so years of cards.

'90s cards are not that well good looking like the ones we get now. I think there is a somehow a gap between the '90s and 2K cards. They started to be more shinny and ultra-hyper-mega designed to be purist and finest and so.

'90s cards are still a bit rough compared to the 2K cards but they are a truly improvement to '70s/'80s ones. Even if there are a lot of people turning to vintage cards nowadays. But we all know that retro is the style everywhere we go.

So, after all this talk, lets blame the fever for that, lets get going with the cards I got on this pack.

Sorry for the blurriness. Got nervous on the almost dust-is-in-the-air card of Delino DeShields. The thing is that the one making the dust go wild is not Delino. I don't know who the player is. Can get the team, San Diego Padres, but don't know him. So if someone knows his name please leave a comment. Much appreciate it.

Lets see what's next...A Yankee! Roberto Kelly a two times All-Star (one for as a Yankee) and more recently WS winner as a 1B coach with the Giants.

But what put a smile on my face was the Barry Bonds card. He was awesome! He has a handful of MLB records (info from wikipedia):
  • 762 career home runs
  • 73 home runs in a season
  • 2,558 career walks
  • 688 career intentional walks
And I don't need to go on the other many awards and highlights of his career. I'm probably the one discovering this by now.

Next, Spike Owen which was a Yankee for only one year ('93) and didn't show any relevance and was traded to Angels by a minor league player (uhhhhhhh); Jeff Russell which started as a starter (pun intended) and ended as a closer (lets 'pun' again); Jose DeJesus...well...farm-system and nothing else that matter.

Finally, for the first half cards Lee Smith. An other Yankee in the next years after '91. He was a Yankee for 8 games and did very well. The team didn't. Smith "did not allow a single run and picked up three saves and 11 strikeouts". (info from wikipedia)


Now for the second half of the pack.

Gerald Young seemed to be one of the fastest guys an the time recording 2nd in the NL in stolen bases in 1988 with 65 (info from wikipedia). Nothing else besides it since he went up and down between the majors and minors.

Alvin Davis was Rookie of the Year back in '84 and was a one-team-man. I have an other card of him that must be the worst of him. Will search and post. I think is from 1990 Upper Deck.

Rickey Henderson. Why do I get Yankees' players when they are not in the Yankees? I still cannot get why Yankees traded him back to A's. He is a HOF since 2009 with many MLB records, such as (info from wikipedia):
  • 1,406 career stolen bases
  • 2,295 career runs
  • 81 career lead-off home runs
  • 130 stolen bases, single season
The few cards I have of him I like them all. Even if he's not in a Yankee uniform.

Next is Dwight Gooden. An other 'will-be-a-Yankee-in-a-few-years-but-not-in-my-card'. He pitched a no-hitter as a Yankee in '96. Also was a WS champion three times, two of those with Yankees.

John Olerud. Also a Yankee in 2004. I think I might start a trend with all the cards of Yankees' players which I do have the cards from when they were not yet a Yankee. In this pack I already have a bunch of them!

Dwight Smith was never a Yankee. And also won a WS as a Brave back in '95.

And to end the pack a Ultra Prospects card of a Yankee Pat Kelly. He played 7 seasons for the Yankees and his great moment was when he "hit a crucial 2 run home run in the 9th inning against the Blue Jays in Toronto to cap a Yankee rally from a 3-0 deficit in the 3rd to last game of the season. Thanks to Kelly's go-ahead home run the Yankees won the game 4-3 and were able to qualify for the playoffs 2 days later." (info from wikipedia).


An other pack with great players. That will make it for the design.

Friday 21 September 2012

Fleer Ultra 1991 - pack 3

So here for an other day and the third pack of 1991 Fleer Ultra. Meanwhile I got five more of it. Just open one yet but didn't have the time to look at the cards. Many many work...

So lets see what I got from the pack.


Brewers sticker. I like their retro logo. Perhaps a little childish but what is baseball than a kid playing ball with some friends?

Lets see the cards...yep a 'Ultra Team' duplicate insert card. They are 10 and I got 2 #3 Doug Drabek. I trade duplicates so if you want it I'm trading.

I looked at Al Newman's card and thought he was Ken Griffey Jr. They look much the same don't you think?

Chris Hoiles is a one-team-man. That makes me like him for start and besides that he was one of the best Catchers out there! I have a soft-spot for Catchers you know.

Both Zeile and Tartabull were Yankees for a brief time but they were not succeeded. Zeile even trash talk Yankees but oh well, cannot be perfect all the time.

The first half of cards didn't make much for me so lets see what I got in the other half...


Ok! Got 2 Yankees! That's the thing!
Don Mattingly was simply Don. Great great great. Now he's Dodgers manager but I think I can manage to forgive him. He wants to work so who am I to say that's a bad thing. He could've just chosen other team I like better but oh well, cannot be perfect all the time (again!).

And if one Yankee 1B wasn't enough I got Maas, the other 1B! Maas was drafted by Yankees in '86 and had MLB debut only on '90. 4 year waiting but started very well, setting a lot of rookie records along the 'Maas-tops' girls. After that he started to downgrade his performance and ended up released. But love the photo they chose to put on his card.

Then Galarraga. Lot of awards and even won a couple of Championships titles but no WS. He deserved at least one. But baseball is a team effort. This is card is from his Expos years and those were probably the most complicated ones for him.

And Yount? HOF in the house! Even if this is not the best photo of him...But at least is a card of his player-years. Nice!

I posted a dusty-is-in-the-air card yesterday. The Kevin Mitchel '87 Topps card. But look at other dusty card I got here for Geno Petralli.
That photographer got be eating dusty until today. Never mind this was almost in the end of his career but in this card it shows a Catcher effort to get a foul ball even going over people/stands to get it. Like it!

All of all I got pretty happy with this pack.

Thursday 20 September 2012

Dust is in the air

I saw this post made by Nick at his blog and the Oscar Gamble card right at the top of the post reminded me of this one I got a couple of days ago from a mini pack of 1987 Topps card (my first ever! and only I must say...).


Nick says Gamble's card must be one of the best, well I can agree with him but I must add that this Kevin Mitchell '87 card is quite tied to it.

Dust is in the air.

Wednesday 19 September 2012

Cal Ripken Jr.

Just showing off my chromy Ripken card.

The value box I got for 2010 Topps Series 2 brought along a bonus card. From the possible 3 I got this one. The other 2 options were Babe Ruth and Stephen Strasburg. I'd prefer the Ruth card but got the second best. Sorry Strasburg.



Tuesday 18 September 2012

2010 Topps Series 2 Favourites

I have already posted 2 cards from this set. The Babe Ruth History of WS and Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig card.
Now let see the other favorites of mine.

C.J. Wilson - the swan pose.

Washinghton Nationals - I like team cards and this one shows more team than others that have only 2 or 3 players and they call it 'team card' don't know why.

Miguel Montero - Look! Look! There is someone scoring a run! Throw to the home plate man! Oh..there is no one there...

Kelly Johnson - run Kelly, run!

Luis Castillo - something is right when the there is a dirty uniform.

B.J. Upton - diving for the ball.

Jack Wilson - 2B play!
Alexi Casilla - how much bunts do you get on a card? Few. So I treasure each one of those.

Gavin Floyd - reliable Pitcher.

Fleer Ultra 1991 - pack 2

I confess that I have too many packs and cards and cannot post about them all like I'd like. When a package arrive on the mail I open the packs and try to take the photos of the cards but then I take a bit to process them, aka, list them and try to post here on the blog. Maybe when I get on vacations by the end of the year I can post more often.


So lets get to pack 2 of the 6 I got from 1991 Fleer Ultra the other day.


When I pictured some blue in the sticker I thought I had a hit and got the Yankees one but oh no...it was Dodgers'.

I got one of the "Ultra Team" inserts card  which are numbered to 10. I got the Doug Drabek #3 of the insert set. If you like gold this is the thing to collect because the main set is all silver. Which I like.

Besides this insert card what I liked to see was the Ryne Sandberg card of course. His a HOF player and having one card from his player years is always good. Not that it is rather difficult since he played for 16 years. But I'm new to the hobby people!
But beside the fact of a great player card it is a great photo card. Not too HD for our current standards but I like it.

Got 2 Catchers. One in Catcher photo and other batting. Cool. Slaught even played for Yankees so I like it. Daulton being a Catcher and winning a Silver Slugger Award in 1992 is quite good.


Also found a Prospect card - can it count as a RC? - of Rich Garces which leaves me with not much to say but look I got 2 more Catchers. A pack with 4 Catchers! That's almost a Bingo line. Pagnozzi is a one-team-man and I like it. He even impressed Joe Torre to become Cardinals main Catcher. Winning 3 Gold Glove Awards (1991, 1992, 1994) must had something to do with it.

Last note to the only Yankees card I got on the pack - Jim Leyritz.
I don't quite like having a player with position 'infield'. Don't know why...
He was part of 2 WS champs teams for year 1996 and 1999. Nice.



Note: players' info came from wikipedia.

Monday 17 September 2012

Fleer Ultra 2007 - An extra pack

I purchased one of those 'Great Chase' box with a variety of packs. If the last time the box was kept at the customhouse, this time around it took no time to arrive.

Along with the box, this US seller from whom I bought a lot of stuff, sent me 2 bonus packs beside the box. One of those packs is a 2007 Fleer Ultra.


Here comes what I got...



I thought Papelbon did the right thing exiting Boston. Not by the biggest door but he was probably one of the best in the roster. It seems that he is not getting any luckier in Philadelphia. Well, even if they are reaching for the postseason I don't think they can make it. But after Cardinals last year we never know.

Uggla has these huge arms! At first glance I would not say he plays baseball but more american football.

I could not recognize Eric Chavez at first, only when I looked at the name. The photo in the card back looks more like him.
He's been such a huge help to my Yankees this final sprint to win AL East and go to playoffs that I started to like him better. Not that I didn't like him, but I would not pay much attention to him. I'm correcting this right now!

The forth card was Maddux. Who need to tell anything besides 'Maddux'? That's all said.

And last card in the pack (it says it's a 5 card pack) is some insert card. A Swing Kings card.

When I looked I saw someone in pinstripes and saw the NYY logo on the helmet so I was with this pretty smile upon my (also pretty) face.


Only when I looked at the players name - Gary Sheffield - I saw something really wicked. A Detroit Tigers logo.

Wait a minute...


I turned the card and yep...It's a Detroit card. And yet they kept the Gary photo as Yankees player! They don't even care to brush it off!

Ok. I think I'll do just fine with this.


A part from this, I really enjoyed this pack.

Friday 14 September 2012

2009 Topps Heritage - Yankees post

After posting about 2012 Heritage box I got lets take a look at the cards I got from a 2009 Heritage box.


I'm missing the other cards photos so I'll show only the Yankees I got and later I'll post the others..



I've always liked A.J. I think I've already stated that here in the blog before. And it was a sad day when I knew he went to Pittsburgh. Didn't have a great season last year like ht 2 before but Yankees could really use his pitching this season even more with so much DL players.

I'm note sure if this card is not photoshopped. But that's the problem with Heritage cards. Some have the aspect of being painted by some kid.


 Oh look! Got the Captain! Jeter is having such a great ending-career time that sometimes I think he will not end it soon. All Yankees fans appreciate that Derek!


My only shiny card from the box and it's an Andy Pettitte one! Who would not love it!? Was glad to have him back in the roster. But stopping for 2011 season may had him a bit rusty and might be the cause for his long DL time.
I read yesterday he will pitch soon so I'm looking for it.


(Never mind you can see me taking the picture of Pettitte's card.)

Thursday 13 September 2012

Cole Hamels - Woman Perspective Post

Look I'm back to more woman baseball player talk.

Today I'm going to talk about Cole Hamels handsome way to play the game.

I have 3 cards of him. That's not enough. It simply is not enough. So I want more!

I have this 2010 Upper Deck card:

For start his a lefty. I like lefties. And what I like in this UD card is that I can forget his a Phillie. I was so rooting for him to be signed by my Yankees, but then he re-signed with Phillies again for a 6 year contract. So I will have to see him throwing in his handsome way for Philadelphia once more.

And why do I like him so much?

He is a bad boy. Eheh One dissimulated bad boy. He have this angelic-teen-look but then it is all betray by those eyes.
You can see them in the next card:

Oh-oh an other good pitch! Besides being so cute and handsome he is a good pitcher.

And yep, I saw the game he pitched to the baby rookie Bryce Harper.

Is he feeling women are all paying to much attention to rookies like Harper? Well, don't worrie Cole, let them all go to their side I'll stay here...

...to rub his hair. Some baseball players do have great hair. I wonder what kind of shampoo they use...

That's why other day I got my third Hamels card a got pretty happy. It's a mini. A 2009 Topps206 mini.




Peek-a-boo! Why they've chosen this photo I cannot understand. It does not show all full Hamels. It's such a waste...

But what make up for that is the fact his looking at me. Well, I am entitled to think so.

And will be hoping, by a ray of luck, to see him in pinstripes.

Wednesday 12 September 2012

Sam LeCure RC

Do you know when everything goes wrong since the moment you wake up until you go sleeping again?

Having those kind of days..and to 'improve' it I was organizing my cards to make some space for even more and found in a box that my Sam LeCure 2010 Topps Update RC was damaged when I last put a deck box beside it in the box.

It now has the upper left corner bending a bit..And it was one of the cards I don't have a duplicate! I canmot believe my misfortune to end this day.

So if any of the flyes reading my blog, if you have this card, please contact me so we can make a trade ( I'm not sending the damaged card ofcourse!).

Surprise on the mail

Yesterday arrived mail. It was the package with the cards I purchased and talked here (along with some NHL packs). So you can imagine my surprise when I was expecting a small box containing all of this but got a large one.

What was happening? I thought they got no other boxes to pack it so they have sent this one bigger.

Then when I opened it I got surprised for what were inside.


My European seller sent me this Yankees reusable bag. Pretty awesome!
I know it's not the ultimate bag or something and yes I've spent a lot of money buying cards from him. But I'm a sweet heart and got touched by the attentiveness of him.

Besides the fact I don't need this kind of incentives to keep buying from him. So I just got this big smile on my face.

With so much work to do I only looked carefully to the cards I bought late at night. Yep, those up in the photo. I organized them and took an other picture.


They are nice! Love having a Teixeira relic card. Even if it's from his Rangers years. And even more because the card is a mini one. It kind gets lot of cute that way.

The Yankees team card is now the oldest card I have in my collection. It's a 1974 card! The year of Freedom Revolution here.

Now I'll go open the UD NHL rack packs.

Tuesday 11 September 2012

Fleer Ultra 1991 - pack 1

Got some 1991 Fleer Ultra packs.


Forget about the cards design. Did it exist back then? It seems not...


Got a checklist. Yep that's always good. The photos chosen were not that bad, they are normal in action photos. The cards back had a player face photo and 2 more in action but small. Also have the 90 stats and ML totals.


Back then the stickers were a wanted thing? A lot of '80s and 90's had those. I don't mind having stickers thou.

Look! Got 2 Yankees in just one pack! It's for the time I get none or just 1 in a box!
Sax without the syndrome and Cadaret the former Teixeira #25.

It seems like the set had some kind of insert cards. Like the Cecil Fielder 'Great Performances' that bring some history/milestones to the thing instead of only stats.


Got a prospect card of Mike York and...ohhhh wait a moment! Look at his card a bit better...


Yep. He has a paperboard under his knee to keep the pants clean and shinny-white. That would be a good thing to photoshop out of the photo no!? Ahhh wait again! It's there because it gives him a lot of style! That's why he was drafted by the Yankees and never got out of the minors until playing a couple of years in Majors for Pirates and Indians before going back to minors. All makes sense now.

2012 Topps Heritage

Got a value box for this year Heritage. One of my first Topps back-to-the-past sets.



Other thing I liked about Heritage is that cards are truly on cardboard. They tend to bend a bit but they can resist more.

The design for this year Heritage is based on the '63 cards. What I liked most about it was the card back. I like knowing players milestones besides their stats.

There are no in action photos, is more like a photo shooting session, but there are some inserts that have in action/in game photos.


It said to look for auto cards but got none. But about the blue-border parallels I got one. This Justin Jackson card above. Got his base card as well. Whenever I get in the same box the base and colored-border parallel of the same player it upsets me. If I'm collecting all set is one thing but if it's just to have some cards I prefer having the biggest player cards range possible.


Also got my first team card. Pirates are having a very good season, it already seemed better  routed to post season but lets wait a bit more.

My favorite card from the box was this one. The Bronx Bombers! But it reduces a bit the bombers because Teixeira and Granderson are missing.

Other parallel I got was this shinning Batting Leaders card. It seems a bit cartoony having only the players heads but oh well..it shines!
Other set insert are these also head-stickers. What's wrong with you people? I want the full body!
But even if I only get the heads at least I got the best Pirates player nowadays and one of my favorite Pitchers.


I liked Hank Aaron insert. I like knowing other things from players and the game besides the stats.

WoW! Got on of the few Tim Lincecum cards I own. Bad season this year an? I really don't mind because I don't care about Lincecum and even less to the Giants. They have other players I like thou.


One of the Last Chipper Jones cards during play-years.




 Got some interesting players. I like Lance Berkman because he once was a Yankee. Not quite well used during the contract but that's the problem we have. Too many good players in a small number roster possibilities.


 I truly like this Matt Dominguez RC. I think I also have his 2012 Series 1 RC.
Bloomquist is such a useful player. I like him. Better in my second favorite team the D-Backs. I come to know Dan Haren as a D-Backs Pitcher but he then went to the dark side and I only forgive him because he's such a good Pitcher.


This card is off. They cut Taylor's had off the photo but let the intruder in the photo? The man has is RC shared with more people is not that fun.


And then Reddick All-Star Rookie card. I liked him from what I saw from Boston games. But they are trading everything that moves. This is a photoshoped card. That I'm sure. Look at other Red Sox players cards and they were shoot at the same parking lot. There was no other place to shoot it anyway?