Tommy and the Rule of the Thirds

This set is already designed to look like a photo in an album. Which, for me, is a good looking design.

It seems like I was the one taking the photo. That's some cool sensation.

And, like everybody knows, sometimes we take better photos and sometimes we get it all wrong. Well...at least for the mortal ones and not for the photo gods out there.

So that's why this picture talks to me. The weird angle and composition and the Rule of the Thirds makes me trully feel like I was, a mere mortal, taking the photo.

It might look decentered and not that right. But for me it's the best from the few '91 Leaf cards I have.

Stretch

I've been seeing some pics for the golden gloves so here is Todd Zeile doing a stunt like those.

It's also cool to watch, from a different perspective a player trying to come back to the base before getting caught as stilling bases. It counts as a stretch too.

Wait!

Wait! Tom! Don't go pitching so fast or you just get yourself out of the card!

Broken bat

I've seen some broken bats' cards, but at this point!?

It even seems that the bats top is heading to a different direction that the swing.

But at least the ball seems to be going to the right place.

A bunt is always a bunt - Kevin Ward

Even if I don't have nothing to say about the bunt.

A bunt is always a bunt - Willie McGee

Even more when you see the ball right after the bunt.

1993 Leaf Series 2

Today I'm showing two packs of the Godzilla Set!

I know night owl called it an other name but for me it is the Godzilla!

And I think everyone knows why.

The cards back shows a picture of the team's city and the player.

An example from the mentioned night owl.

I confess the first time I looked to the back of on of the cards I instantly hated it!

What bloody hell in the world was that!?

And the stats are difficult to read.

But like they say 'first you wonder then you entrench'.

It's not one of my favourite sets for sure. But I don't hate it like before.

I simply ignore the back. Because I don't have nothing against the front.

#264 Pat Listach SS@MIL - Rookie of the year for the previous year. If it was Topps this card would have the famous cup.
#273 Tony Fernandez SS@NYM - In'93 would play for the Blue Jays and would win the WS title.
#282 Greg Gagne SS@KC - Love the sun-glasses-field-play.
#291 Rickey Henderson OF@OAK - Mister Henderson ready to still?
#351 Willie Banks P@MIN
#368 Rich Rodriguez P@SD
#357 Greg Olson C@ATL - Screaming to make the ball reach the 2B faster?
#346 Roberto Hernandez P@CWS

#281 Daryl Boston OF@COL
#396 Willie McGee OF@SF - Bunt to the ground. Did McGee succeed on reaching safely the 1B?
#245 Roberto Alomar 2B@TOR - Breaking the bat and still picturing the ball!? Great photo!
#256 Bret Barberie 2B@FLA - This Florida uniform is too much blue. I firstly thought it was the Royals.
#267 Eric Davis OF@LAD
#278 Tom Henke P@TEX - Won the WS the previous year with the Blue Jays.

#437 Carlos Quintana 1B/OF@BOS
#336 Sean Berry 3B@MTL
#345 Rene Gonzales 3B@CA
#354 Erik Hanson P@SEA
#293 Doug Drabek P@HOU - Drabek always look like the grandfather of the rest of the team.
#314 Kirk Gibson OF/DH@DET
#303 John Cummings P@SEA
#292 Chuck Finley P@CA

#335 Ramon Martinez P@LAD
#355 David Hulse OF@TEX
#351 Willie Banks P@MIN - Getting only 2 packs and getting duplicates none the same is way no fun at all.
#350 John Jaha 1B@MIL
#339 Stan Belinda P@PIT
#438 Omar Olivares P@STL


As you may see I'm not that impressed by this set for the cards I got.

But perhaps in a few years I'd change my opinion.

1992 Leaf Series 2

Today I'm showing an other pack sent me as a bonus from the USA eBay seller I used to get cards from.

The Leaf Set Baseball 1992 Edition Series 2.

And that is me taking the picture.

On the back the pack states that "New for '92" we have a double set from the original but in gold!

This sounds strangely familiar...

But on with the cards and let see if I get the so told Gold cards.

#333 Bill Landrum P@MTL - Got two on the same pack. Is that lucky?
#338 Kevin Ward OF@SD - But in the house! I started a binder section for bunt cards.
#279 Tom Glavine P@ATL - Glavine is almost getting out of the frame. He seems to have rubber arms. Incredible!
#380 Walt Weiss SS@OAK - Time to get back to the base. Down! Down!
#386 Kevin Ritz P@DET - That round light in the upper right corner is the ball or something printed in the back wall? If it is the ball I get it why they have chopped off Ritz leg. Otherwise...
#389 Dave Hansen PH/3B@LAD - Not only Hansen is looking good but it is the only card I have that states a player position as Pinch Hitter. Awesome!
#394 Arthur Rhodes P@BAL - A second year Rhodes card! I confess I only know Rhodes because is one of the worst 'cardogenics' in all sets...
#392 Ken Griffey Jr. OF@SEA - Always good to get a Griffey Jr. card from the years he played. And there is the ball!

I will take the opportunity and show the back of the card in which we have the normal stats and a lot of trivia to read! Well, at least in those players cards with just a few years to show stats.

But what I like is the fact that we get a second photo on the back too!

I think it is one of the best things that I can get in a card. Is a card-back-photo.

Especially if it is different from the one on the front.

Again I have to say I love the silver frame used in those days.

#432 Todd Zeile 3B@STL - Awesome shoot! My favourite card in the pack by far!
#437 Bob Scanlan P@CHC - Cub logo!
#440 Brian Downing DH@TEX - Those players that use the cap under the helmet.
#460 Mike Fetters P@MIL

What I like in some sets is the specification of the pitchers laterality. We have RHP and LHP. But that is obvious in the photo. I'd prefer the role of the pitcher in the card. Stating if it is a starting pitcher or relief pitcher.

Look! The first gold card!

#BC-21 Gary DiSarcina SS@CA - Look! Dust!

This is a card for the Gold Rookies insert set.

What distinguish these cards from the base are the golden frame in the front...

And the golden back!

Of course it is stated in the card right on the top.

I searched on baseballcardpedia.com but there are no odds for cards from this insert set.

But for the next they are. And it seems they are seeded 1 in each pack.

So it was obvious that I would get one unless some insert error had occurred.

Here is what says in baseballcardpedia.com:

"Each pack of 1992 Leaf yielded a Black Gold. A novel concept for the time, the cards are similar to the regular issue Leaf cards, except that the card face is black rather than silver and accented by a gold foil inner border. Likewise, the horizontal backs have a gold rather than a silver background. The set is noteworthy as one of the earliest examples of a parallel in collecting."

Pretty awesome no!?

#357 Geno Petralli C@TEX - Petralli looks like he is ready to punch someone in the face right here right now! Even after all these years.

I've tried to understand who might be the person holding him. At first I thought it was a White Sox player or base coach. But then I looked at the helmet and it has a Canada flag and the other made me think of Israel don't know why.

If you know who that person might be tell me because I got pretty curious.

And Just like the rookie insert the back in gold. And also stating it is the Gold Edition. If someone didn't get it.

Those days the gold was just for the gold. Without any serial numbered craziness.



Really loved opening this pack. It could have get better if I've pulled some Yankee.

1991 Leaf Series 1

Usually, the USA eBay seller from whom I get many of my cards, send me a bonus pack.

This post is about one of those.

As usually in Donruss sets there is a promise of 15 cards plus some puzzle pieces in each pack.

For the 3 puzzle pieces I get the Harmon Killebrew end of first name and begin of last name.

Here is how the complete puzzle looks like:

I usually don't like that much this puzzles but I don't know why but I loved this one!

Maybe is the silver/metal touch to it.

Wish I had it complete. Would make a frame with it to put on my wall.

I got to know Killebrew and I got pretty interested in having his cards.

I did a search on eBay and it seems there are some inserts in the last couple of years with him. But he's not in the spotlight it seems.

But I did found I had a card of him. As a Washington Senators'!

UD 2008 Masterpieces #49 Harmon Killebrew

Isn't it a great looking card? It's quite a pretty good start.

Now the packs' cards.

#159 Mark Knudson P@MIL
#173 Gary Sheffield 3B@MIL - '91 would be the last year with the Brewers.
#247 Julio Machado P@MIL
#166 Jose Mesa P@BAL
#240 Bob Melvin C@BAL
#254 Gary Redus OF@PIT - Swing to the knee.
#261 Barry Bonds OF@PIT

#144 Tommy Gregg 1B/OF@ATL - Love fielding photos at the bases.
#158 Greg Olson C@ATL
#172 Tom Glavine P@ATL - My favourite card in the pack.
#209 Charlie Leibrandt P@ATL
#151 Kevin McReynolds OF@NYM - Swing to behind the back.
#165 Dwight Gooden P@NYM
#180 Frank Viola P@NYM
#202 Daryl Boston OF@NYM


I don't know if this was a trend in this set packs, but I got a pretty team alignment in the pack: 3 MIL + 2 PIT + 2 BAL + 4 ATL + 4 NYM.

A last note about the cards design.

I like silver borders. I think I might as well already said it a lot before.

But besides the silver border the kind of photo album frame in the corners gives the best touch.

Try putting it in binders and you'll see the great effect it has!

Black & White - Is that a bad thing? - take 2

I'm back.

Yesterday's post was me venting a bit.

All set to get back to the hobby.

I posted a couple of days ago a black and white Jeter photo that I liked and said I'd gimp it to be some kind of a card-looking-photo.

Actually I didn't gimp it but I paint it.

I really cannot get along with gimp like the way I did with photoshop.

So I reverted to basic tool that every windows PC has. Paint.

Here is the amateur result of it.

I like the diagonal design. I saw a few cards with it and have a few.

For example the 1993 Leaf set, the 'Godzilla' set, have only one corner 'cut'.

But I think the set that pop up always in my mind when talking about double-cut-corners is the 1989 Fleer set.

I like it. Even the gray background. Sadly I don't have any card from this set.

But I also like that year Fleer SuperStar look even with no gray.

This one kind of have both bottom corners on diagonal way. This set I have.

I like diagonal layout on cards because it gives somehow movement to the card.