Facial Hair Style - 2011 A&G edition

Love to see the evolution, or not, about the hair and beards and moustaches ball players show on their cards.

It's a theme on its own.

Carmona looks like he was shaving and forgot to do that little thing under his chin.

I had to double check these cards because McGehee and Marcum look just like the same...

But I prefer Marcum's beard and so...

Soto...that's too much of a drawn beard. Less is more my boy.

And my favourite has to be Scutaro 2/3 days beard. That beard that looks like he doesn't care but has all the style. Got to love it.

2011 A&G - Aroldis Chapman RC

I think I'm going to start a new category in my collection: "All those players that once played for my Yankees but I have their cards playing for other teams"

Quite a nice name for it!

And so I might start right here with this pretty Chapman RC from 2011 A&G's set.

This card is almost a win-win situation because I also like Reds, and collect its cards, so having Chapman's RC for the Reds, who is now playing for my Yankees. Yep. Win-win.

Also Chapman still has two great records for a pitcher:

    Fastest pitch in MLB history – 105.1 miles per hour (169.1 km/h)
    Fastest MLB pitcher to reach 500 strikeouts

(169.1 km/h is higher than the limit allowed to go in highway around here...)

I think I have to go through my cards and find more Chapman cards.

Also 2011 A&G set has one of my favourite designs and layout. Yep, got to like this card a lot.

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.

Top 10 by Price

I decided to see if my old accounts at Zistle and The Trading Card Database were still alive and after some work from my memory I could manage to log in.

I must say that I added these cards wayyyyyyy back I don't remember when. So I might have to go and re-do all my listings. Which, for a listing-maniac is like Christmas.

One thing I like at The Trading Card Database is the all the top 10s they provide, based on your added cards.

So, based upon the cards I have registered this is my situation:

Only registering around 4,5K cards the values of my collection goes like 2K dollars. Not bad!

So lets see my top 10.

So my card ranking #1 is this beauty commemorative patch from 2009 Topps Update Series.

I like these cards. I have a couple of them, the commemorative patches. But I always thought people used to dislike them because they were things manufactured and not true relics, like pieces of real cloth or bats. Maybe it's because I don't have much cards and tend to appreciate this little things more. They are all kinda important to me, to make me closer to the game.

Notice that the patch is a Reds patch (yeah!) but Tom is wearing a Mets uniform (buhhhhh).

And then my #2 card is also an other commemorative patch from the same set.

I also have a Roy Campanella patch but it does not make the top10.

And the final podium place, ranking #3 (two times) is Altuve RC.

And it seems I even have, at least, two of them. I think after Astros win this is normal to happen, getting a RC card like this to get a better price value.

But this card is one of those that I like besides all those facts. It's mainly because no matter how many times I see it, I have to double-take it in order to see the 3 people in it!

Getting on to #5 I have the Tris Speaker SP, from 2009 Topps (what a year!)

On #6 is one of the many Stephen Strasburg RC variation

I still cannot see him as such a star...but ok.

Now the first Yankee in the house is #7

Well...technically Alex Rodrigues RC card is not a Yankee card, but I take what I get!

And this is one of my favourite Upper Deck sets. It has such good photos!

#8 is the one and only Mickey Mouse! And now in truly Yankees mode!

Ok..this is a cute card.

And also at #8 it's Cal Ripken

You see...Mickey Mouse and Cal Ripken tied.

And I must say that this insert set is one of the ugliest... I can see it working with a relic, but this way, it's just a waste of card space..

And closing top 10 we have two giants

Again Ripken with a Yankee, but not Mickey Mouse. This time around is the insert Timeless Talents with The Captain Jeter.

That's a nice top10 by price. Lets see how it changes when I add more cards.

KC Royals - Listen listen! World Series Champs!

Now that KC Royals finally win the World Series here Mr. Butler is not and Kansas City anymore!

But I have Alex Gordon at least.

When some cards might become up to date again

And by that I mean I don't care if they play for one of the rival teams of my favourite team, that I still like them.

Lester, on top, were my favourite Red Sox. Even when he pitched against my Yankees I was hoping he at least had a good game. Let the batters do poorly and make them lose the game.

But keep Lester doing a great job.

I've read he might return to Boston. Lets see if that happens or not. And so this card is deprecated no more.

And then it seems there are still some players that manage to keep their cards always up to date.

Jordan Zimmermann is still with the Nationals!

Let see if he'll be one-team-man.

World Series card

I was hopping for them to win the WS because of this.

Since I got this card I paid a bit more attention to Royals.


That's the magic of collecting cards. You got to notice teams and players that makes you change the perception of the game and their players.

History Channel

I remember watching a documentary about Poe's life and they talked about this fact.

I was glad to get this card because of that.

But I think that the toaster ended the tradition a couple of years ago or that they finally found out who did it.

I simply love A&G for these sub-sets.

Royal baby

I was thinking...

Is this how the new royal baby will look like!?


Topps making predictions since 1938.

Flying like a bird - Ben Zobrist

Today I'm seeing double.

Ben Zobrist can mimic himself ground flying (just made that up right on the fly!) to catch the ball.

Still I think is better not to work the rest of the day. It must not be normal seeing double...

Jonathan Lucroy - Woman Perspective post

It's time for an other post in this so beloved category.

I was remembered by BASEBALL DAD comment that I haven't made a Woman Perspective post in a while.

Shame on me!

And then I started to think about who this posts might be.

And then again shame on me!

Why!?

Because I haven't made a post about one of the first players that made me stare at his card.

So the post is about Jonathan Lucroy.

And it's my first catcher!

The card that made me stare is this pretty thing.

Me who likes those clouds of dust and see the uniforms got all dirty during the games had a blast with this card.

Catchers gear all dirty and a pretty face on top is something to make my day.

It's like gold!

And that's why I also got this card.

He's my Golden Dusty Boy.

(If I said 'Dirty' it would sound R rated and I want to keep the blog PG13.)

And that's why I checked to see if I had more cards of me.

I found I have his Rookie Card!

Wow!

Catcher in action!

That umpire there is blocking my spectacular view!

Topps photoshop a lot of things, even eyebrows! And they let that umpire to block the pretty thing that is Lucroy!?

I'm preparing some voodoo...I just don't know if for the umpire, the photographer or Topps.

But I'm also thinking about Lucroy's hairdresser.

What is that!?

It's a 'no no no'!

Thank baseball gods that Lucroy saw the light and changed the hairstyle.

That and keep showing in cards wearing the helmet.

And there is an other update.

The Beard!

That 2/3 days beard!

See!?

Ahhh the Beard...

Unfortunately there are few cards of Lucroy and I only have 4.

And if Topps has the exclusive for the next 2 years or so, I think I'll go ahead with the voodoo thing.

How to wear the cap

Even in the other side of the Atlantic we are dealing with that fashion that put everyone wearing hip-hop-caps.

I don't know how can someone use a cap like that.

But I'm too old school maybe to reach that...upgrade.

Other thing beside wearing those caps is wearing them a bit to the side.

While you might get it for people casually walking down the street, for professional baseball players I don't get it and don't like it at all.

See Fernando Rodney example.

That card on top is from 2002 Upper Deck 40-Man set.

He wears a normal cap in a normal way.

His 2006 Topps Updates & Highlights card you can see that the cap is getting a bit to the side.

But in most recent years like in the 2011 Topps set you see that the cap kept a bit to the side but nothing to worry so much about.

But then came 2012 Topps Update card and it's ridiculous.

Fernando Rodney is a good closer but that cap makes me do not respect him that much. Why? Because I think it is not respectful of him to wear the uniform like that.

Yes.

The cap is part of the uniform in baseball.

Imagine seeing someone in the Army, Navy or Air Force wearing the hat like they wanted?

I know is a bit far fetched the comparison but if they use the cap even at night games it's because it's part of the uniform.

If they put the shirt inside the paints to wear the uniform why do they use the cap like some boy band?

Sorry but I don't like.

But Fernando is not alone.

Feliz Hernandez might have a Perfect Game in the stats but he also uses the cap a bit to the side.

But Hernandez is less evident.

He follows more the style of other player.

CC also likes to be a bit different. But you have to pay a bit more attention to see the cap detail.

I see that the pitchers tend to be quite the hipster ones.

At least Romo didn't follow that trend and only kept with the beard.