2011 Topps Heritage ‘Red Sox Rippers’ With Dustin Pedroia & David Ortiz

2011 Topps Heritage ‘Red Sox Rippers’ With Dustin Pedroia & David Ortiz

This card from the 2011 Topps Heritage set reminds me so much of the 1987 Topps set.  It literally takes me right back to when I was a 12-year old kid ripping pack after pack of the wood-bordered cards.

Here is the 2011 Heritage version:

 

And this is the card I am reminded of first when I see it:

 

I LOVE IT!!!

And for me, this is what collecting baseball cards today is all about – Show me the stars from my favorite era in the game.  And take me back to a time when I was chewing the gum included in the packs while listening to Huey Lewis And The News on my Walkman tape player.

Good times.  GREAT TIMES!!!

1975 Topps Set Card 61/660 – #477 – Tom Hutton, Phillies

1975 Topps Set Card 61/660 – #477 – Tom Hutton, Phillies

Progress: 61/660

Player Name:  Tom Hutton

Card Number:  477

Team:  Philadelphia Phillies

Position:  1st Base, Outfield

Image Style:  Posed Batting

Years In The Major Leagues:  12 seasons, 1966, 1969, 1972-81

Notes From His 1975 Season:   Hutton played in 113 games for the Phillies in 1975.  He connected for 41 hits in those games en route to a .248 batting average.  Of his 41 hits, Hutton collected 6 doubles and 3 home runs with 24 RBI and 24 runs scored.

Notes From Career:  I have had the pleasure of watching Tommy Hutton on television as he is part of the Marlins TV broadcast team.  As a player, Hutton had 410 career hits in 952 games played.  He is a career .248 hitter and hit a career high .309 in 1977 with the Phillies.

The 2014 Major League Baseball Season Is Here. Let’s Play Ball!!!

The 2014 Major League Baseball Season Is Here.  Let’s Play Ball!!!

Finally we get to hear those two words we’ve been wanting to hear since November – ‘PLAY BALL’!!!

I am very excited that the 2014 baseball season is here. The Marlins are hosting the Colorado Rockies tonight in a rare night game and I am going to make every effort possible to it from start to finish.  Hopefully my two boys will want to watch a bit of it as well.  And with Jose Fernandez on the mound, it is even more exciting as the Marlins have a true ‘Ace’ on the mound!

As a kid, I always wanted to go to an Opening Day game, but there was no team in Florida during my youth. And as an adult, I guess that work and other priorities have gotten in my way as I have still not been able to conquer that dream.

I promise that one day I will!!!

Until then, ‘PLAY BALL’!!!!

“Opening Day Contest” – The Players & Their Picks!!!

“Opening Day Contest” – The Players & Their Picks!!!

Thanks to everyone that played – Now, let’s get down to business and ‘PLAY BALL’!!!!!

Here are the players and their picks for my ‘predict the total number of strikeouts’ from Opening Day contest.

Player	# OF K’s
Irondequoit36	84
TJ	99
Daniel W	104
defgav	111
Ron	137
Q	141
Adam	144
Al K	150
Charley8	151
Mgrlvr	156
Tony L	158
Cub Den	165
Eric	170
Stealing Home	177
PATP	182
Matt	187
Greydreamland	188
Fuji	192
Petethan	200
Jeff	208
connorhoopman (OUT)	208
Young Bleed	217
Vic D	221
AGL	230
Lost Collector	240
Hackenbush	250
Tom S	260

 

And once again, a peek at the prize:

The player that correctly predicts the number of strikeouts thrown on ‘Opening Day’, without going over, wins this lot of three 214 Topps ‘Opening Day’ packs.

Enjoy the games everyone.  The winner will be announced tomorrow!!!

 

A New Mission For The 2014 Baseball Season: Learning How To Score A Game!!!

A New Mission For The 2014 Baseball Season: Learning How To Score A Game!!!

Ok, this is something that I have wanted to do for a very long time.  And I believe that I am ready to take the first steps to towards making this a reality.

My plan is to proceed with this by taking ‘Baby Step’ as I don’t want any kind of confusion to derail my desires.

Ultimately, by the end of the 2014 baseball season, I would like to say that I am ‘Comfortable’ scoring a game by hand.

This is just another way for me to connect to the game.  For me to take a traditional part of the game and learn and understand it better.  And I think it can be fun too.

My biggest issue is that I rarely get to see the start of a game.  Between kid’s homework, kid’s extra-curricular activities, and bedtimes, sometimes I miss the first 2-3 innings.  But, I think that works for what I need.  Scoring a complete game while still ‘training’ on this may be a very daunting task.  But, maybe 1-2 innings at a time would be better and more manageable?

Either way, I am excited to start the process.

I’ve read a bunch on how to get this done, and the opinions vary tremendously.  There is also no true ‘standard’ rules to follow as many have adopted their own styles along the way.

But, I did find a few websites that offered good info and details so I will keep them with me as I get going.

And I printed a nice sized stack of scorecards so I don’t have to worry about messing up…

I’ve got my pencils.

And I even invested in a Pink Jumbo Eraser!!!

And now it is go time!!

If by the end of the season I can comfortably score a game I will be happy.  And if not, I will extend my learning into as many seasons as it takes.  Ultimately, I want this to be fun, and I want to be able to read my scorecard and be able to see and understand what took place during the action.

Wish me luck.  And if you have any tips as to how I can get this done effectively and while enjoying the process, please share!!

Thanks for reading.

Carlos Beltran 2014 Topps Series 1 Subset – ‘Super Veterans’

Carlos Beltran 2014 Topps Series 1 Subset – ‘Super Veterans’

When I got back into the hobby of baseball card collecting in the summer of 2008, my goal was to pay homage to the players that helped build my love for the game and the hobby.

The first subset I put together that helped me with that cause was the ‘Super Veterans’ subset from the 1983 Topps baseball card set.  This set is a beauty and it highlights the true legends of the game as their careers were winding down.

For the last few years, I have actively been begging Topps to bring this subset back and pay honor to today’s ‘Super Veterans’.  And while I cannot confirm that they obliged my request, I was very excited to see that a 15-card ‘Super Veterans’ subset was part of the 2014 Topps Series 1 release.

I am building the set now.  Here is the card of Carlos Beltran:

 

Entering the 2014 baseball season, Carlos Beltran will begin his 17th big league season.  He is a 8-time All-Star and has won 3 Gold Glove awards and 2 Silver Slugger trophies as well as being the 1999 Rookie Of The Year.

Beltran has 2,228 career hits in 2,064 games.  He has a career batting average of .283 with five seasons of .300 or better on his resume.  He has 446 doubles, 77 triples, and 358 home runs.  Beltran also has 308 stolen bases to his credit alongside 1,346 runs scored.

Andrew McCutchen 2011 Topps Opening Day

Andrew McCutchen 2011 Topps Opening Day

I am so eager for the start of the 2014 major league baseball season that I dug through all of the cards that I have yet to feature on the blog looking for a few ‘Opening Day’ cards.

Well, I found just one.

This one from the 2011 set.  It features 2013 NL MVP, Andrew McCutchen.

 

How did ‘Cutch’ do on Opening Day back in 2011?

Well, he had a great game!  Batting third for the Pirates, McCutchen went 2-for-4 with a double and a home run.  He drove in two runs and scored one time.  He also drew a walk in the 6-3 win over the Cubs.

Maybe he will repeat that feat in 2014.  We’re just a day away from finding out…

1975 Topps Set Card 60/660 – #382 – Don Baylor, Orioles

1975 Topps Set Card 60/660 – #382 – Don Baylor, Orioles

Progress: 60/660

Player Name:  Don Baylor

Card Number:  382

Team:  Baltimore Orioles

Position:  Outfield

Image Style:  Posed Portrait

Years In The Major Leagues:  19 seasons, 1970-88

Notes From His 1975 Season:   The 1975 baseball season was Baylor’s final one in Baltimore.  He played in 145 game for the team while hitting .282 and connecting for 25 home runs.  Baylor scored 79 runs, drove in 76, and was hit by a league leading 13 pitches while at the plate.

Notes From Career:  Baylor played for six different teams during his 19-year career.  He collected 2,135 hits with 366 doubles and 338 home runs.  Baylor also stole 285 bases en route to scoring 1,236 runs in 2,292 games. He won the Silver Slugger Award three times, was an All-Star, and a league MVP in 1979.  Baylor was part of the 1987 World Series champion Minnesota Twins.

Did You Know…

Bob Johnson was the first pitcher in Kansas City Royals history to strike out more than 200 batters in a single season.  He struck out 206 in 1970.

Among The ‘Normal’ Guys I Will Be Watching During The 2014 Season, Here Are A Few More I Will Be Paying Attention To As Well…

Among The ‘Normal’ Guys I Will Be Watching During The 2014 Season, Here Are A Few More I Will Be Paying Attention To As Well…

We are right around 36 hours away from the official start to the 2014 baseball season.  You better believe that I will be starting my day by listening to some games on my IPhone and then ending my night watching my Marlins host the Colorado Rockies.

It is going to be a great season.

In addition to the standard crop of guys that I will be watching as the season progresses, here are a few more guys that I am going to be paying attention to.  Each of them offers a great level of skill and enthusiasm to the game, and I am eager to see how their seasons unfold.

Jose Reyes

Mark Teixeira

Joe Nathan

Tim Lincecum

Gio Gonzalez

Billy Hamilton

David Price

And of course, Derek Jeter

Have I paid attention to these guys prior to this season?  Of course I have.  But, I believe that each of these guys will have some level of impact on the game this year – both minor and major.  It may be huge headlines, and it may be record-breaking performances, but I think that you will be hearing the names of these players a lot in 2014 – and I am ready!

I cannot wait to watch it all unfold!!

Is there anyone you think is ready to make a huge impact this season?  Are you paying special attention to someone new this year?

Let’s go!