2011 A&G Highlight Sketches

I always have mixed feelings about 'sketchy' cards.

I prefer you go all the way and make it look more like cartoon than trying to make it look like real people. But 2011 A&G try is not that bad. At least we can identify the players with some easy.

Here Jay Bruce card is about the moment he hit a walk-off homer on the first pitch to make Reds win Houston 3-2 and clinch the NL Central Division title.

Starlin Castro card is about his debut on a Cubs 14-7 win over Reds scoring for himself 6 runs.

I should count this as an almost RC for Castro.

Ryan Howard always had an aura around him, making him one of those few players that even playing for a team you don't like you pay attention to his career.

His card is for the mark he achieved of being the fastest player to reach 250 homers.


This is one of those inserts I'd not dislike to have back in a future A&G set.

2011 Allen & Ginter - are there other sports than baseball? Yes sir!

The A&G sets always have other characters besides baseball players. Most of them I confess I don't know. If they would put some football (the true one you know...) players it would be different.

Box is one of those sports I don't watch. I prefer martial arts. But as all living person at the time I watched Mike Tyson bite that ear off...

But that's why A&G is cool. It makes you go search and learn.

And the coolest thing I found about LaMotta, an American boxer was that he was also a stand-up comedian!

So he could go from this

 To this

Mister Hoffman is an other thing. I like X-Games. I had that time of my youth when I thought I was a sk8...and always dreamt of having a BMX, but they were too expensive back then, and when you finally get to make some money you are old enough to think twice before going on a BMX...

So Tony Hawk and Mat Hoffman, thanks to their videogames too, were the thing! Everyone wanted to be like them.

That's why I know well who Hoffman is.

He is a Hall of Famer

Looking at him like this...I looked younger too back then... lol

2011 Allen & Ginter - Ginter Code

A love A&G sets, and always read about people trying to break the code. I never understood how is this done.

But I always kept the few cards I got about it, like these two 2011 A&G cards promoting the code game.

And maybe that's why I never looked closely to the cards, for I always thought it was just a promo card. But then I looked better and noticed that the clock is not marking the same time in both.

And after checking the wonderful internet I found:

"The first thing needed were the promo cards because the clocks reflected in the mirror were important.  The promo cards had 10 different times on them."

Ohhhhhhhhhhh  So that's it! Everything is explained here.

That's why it pays off to not throw any card, even the promo ones, out.

1988 Fleer stickers

I read Night Owl post and it reminded me that I also have some Fleer stickers too. So I went and right at the first box I open I found some of them.

So I posting my 1988 Fleer stickers.

I always tried to understand the algorithm for Fleer to match the teams in the cards but I couldn't figure it out. Maybe you can help me.

And a note to Detroit logo card, because that tiger is on steroids or has a serious sinusitis problem...

(And I have too because I've scanned two equal cards)

These stickers cards also play as card on their right, even if you actually peel the stickers. Because on the other side you have the stadiums.

How many of these are still standing!?

Oakland - yep
KC - yep
Blue Jays - yep
Mariners - demolished (year 2000)
Detroit - demolished (year 2009)
Astros - closed (year 2008), partially demolished (year 2013)
Cardinals - demolished (year 2005)
Yankees - demolished (year 2009/2010)
Brewers - demolished (year 2001)
Pirates - demolished (year 2001)
San Diego - yep (Padres moved to Petco Park)

Well...the majority was demolished. But other stadiums were constructed on the demolished ones site. So they kind are still there, like living a second life.

50 Cities of the World #37 New York

And we're finally at the United State of America for a visit to some of the big cities.

And so we start in the Big Apple.

Welcome to New York!

And what should be presented in the card to show off the city? The Brooklyn Bridge of course!

You can also see the phantom boats and ships that nowadays are no more and those small buildings, comparing with the skyline of the New York of our time this is like looking at ants.

(And I must say that the flag flying looks more like the Portuguese flag than the American one...lol)

The card back states New York was THE centre back then but I think, nowadays, even if it has all the glamour, it shares the importance with other cities in the US.

And it's the home of my New York Yankees ;)



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