Saturday, January 31, 2015

Recent TTM success

Okay, so maybe it's not that recent, but I still needed to make a post about this. Around September, I sent Wade Boggs 8 cards, and asked him to sign some and keep some, but he didn't and sent all 8 cards back signed! I sent him 4 Red Sox cards, and 4 Yankees cards. I also sent $5. I got the cards back within a week, but after that I sorta lost them in a pile of stuff... After looking for them, I finally found them! I paid around $130 to meet Wade Boggs in person for one autograph, yet I send him $5 and he signs 8 cards. Huh. Maybe Boggs does charge a little too much.












The next card that came back is another Yankee, Jimmy Key! Key has a really nice signature, but will only sign 1 card. I got this back sometime in December, and this card has been sitting on my desk for the longest time. 


Right now, I'm actually watching game 4 of the 2001 World Series, which has kept me busy for the past 3 hours. The only problem is, is that I have to listen to Joe Buck and Tim McCarver. You sure learn a lot of useless information from McCarver.

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
Thank you for reading!

Friday, January 30, 2015

Joe Buck And Tim McCarver - The Dynamic Duo - Well... Also Ernie Johnson

I've listened to Joe Buck for so many years, and I'm getting a little sick of hearing the same thing over and over and over again. "Strike one." "Strike Two." "He's out." He calls the World Series every year, and I think he calls the Super Bowl, but I'm not too sure. But every year I hear the voice of Joe Buck, and it bores me to death. At least this year Harold Reynolds was in the booth with Buck, but before that, everybody had to deal with the son of the legendary Jack Buck, and Tim McCarver. Joe Buck would just say the strike number and the out number, and occasionally say something else, and Tim McCarver would, "sprinkle," the information on. In game 1 it was okay, but then, I couldn't take it anymore. At one point last year during the World Series, (Red Sox and Cardinals) I muted my TV so I couldn't hear Buck and McCarver. 

Like Ernie Johnson is any better... 

At one point during the 2014 World Series, Chris "Mad dog" Russo was talking about how bad the announcing was, which was of course, Ernie Johnson. Of course the only postseason game I went to, was on MLB Network which was a lot better. I love when Michael Kay and Paul O'Neil announce for YES, it makes the game a lot more interesting, and O'Neil is a pretty funny guy. I found this while looking for Joe Buck and Tim McCarver:

BUCK Two outs in the bottom of the seventh as Jarrod Saltalamacchia takes a strike. MCCARVER Saltalamacchia, who is known to his teammates as "Salty," uses Led Zeppelin's "Good Times Bad Times" as his walk-up music, which is fitting, given that he has had a tremendous offensive season but has struggled mightily behind the plate. BUCK And a ball outside. MCCARVER Led Zeppelin, one of the all time greats, led by Jimmy Plant and Robert Page, are enshrined in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, and this year the Red Sox hope to see Curt Schilling enshrined in the Baseball Hall of Fame. BUCK Strike two. MCCARVER I'm sure many of our viewers are familiar with the story of how Led Zeppelin got its name. When the band was formed, Keith Moon of The Who suggested that their sound would go over like a lead zeppelin, and the name stuck. Thankfully the MetLife Blimp, which is hovering over Fenway Park tonight, is not made of lead but rather a lightweight synthetic composite. BUCK Foul back to the screen. MCCARVER And I have to apologize to our viewers. I meant, of course, Robert Plant and Jimmy Page. Both tremendous musicians whose music remains just as relevant as it was when it was recorded. BUCK Swung on and missed for strike three and the inning is over.


I could honestly care less about all the worthless information Tim McCarver gave us. On top of that, Buck says about 20 words throughout the whole at bat... One gone one to go...

Also, does anybody know if Joe Buck is announcing the Super Bowl?

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
Thank you for reading!

Thursday, January 29, 2015

Players That Were Full Of Class - #1 and #2

Some of the players on this list may not be full of class, but their better than any Bonds or A-Rod. Here they are:


Paul O'Neil

Okay, maybe he wasn't the most perfect player, and he did knock down a dozen gatorade buckets, and throw a couple bats, but otherwise he was a great player full of class. He always respected the fans and payed attention to them just like in the 2001 World Series against the Diamondbacks. We all know how that game ended. Tino Martinez ties the game in the ninth and Derek Jeter hits a walk off home run. The series didn't end so well, as the Yankees lost in game 7 when Rivera was on the mound with the bases loaded. All the fans loved Paul O'Neil and respected him as he respected them. He never ignored them, but he also never ignored the game. Very few players can do that, although it may seem like such an easy skill. Paul O'Neil was a true class act.


Eric Young Jr.

Theres no doubt that Young should be on this list. He can play the game well, but the way he handles himself on the field is unbelievable. In 2013 when Tim Hudson was covering first, Eric young stepped on him, and you could see the fear on his face. It was amazing what he did. He immediately went over to Tim Hudson and started saying that he was sorry and everything and checked if he was okay. He stayed with Tim the whole time while he was down until he went back into the clubhouse and you could tell he was about to cry. Another game, when Young was going for a ball in the stands, he knocked down two little boys. He gave the one a little pat on the back and after the inning was over he gave the one he knocked down his wristband, and the other a baseball. Their faces immediately lit up. It was such a great moment to watch. I have a lot of respect for Eric Young Jr, and I think everybody does, or at least should. 



These kinds of players are what keep this game going. Without class and respect, where would baseball go? A lot of players now are just full of themselves like Carlos Gomez, or Yasiel Puig. It's great to see players like Eric Young Jr because he sets an example for everybody.

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
Thank you for reading! 



   


Top 5 Players To Ever Play The Game - #1

#1 - George Herman "Babe" Ruth - "The Sultan Of Swat"


Babe Ruth is probably the best player. No, I'm not just saying that because he's a legend and was famous for many things, but because he could do everything. He could pitch and bat very well, which barely any player can do. In his 10 years of pitching he had a 2.28 ERA, which is incredible! Not only could he pitch extremely well, he could extremely well. In his 22 year career, he hit 714 home runs which is third all time. He also had 2873 hits, so about a quarter of his hits were home runs! He also is on top of 3 lists in 3 different categories: SLG, OPS, and OPS+. He lead the league in home runs 12 times, although he lead the league in strike outs 5 times. He only had 1 MVP award, but that doesn't subtract from the fact that he was the best player ever. He may not have been the nicest player, but he certainly was an outstanding player. The Yankees made him captain, but that was quickly removed. Ruth punched a few umpires on the field... But that still doesn't take away from his other talent. His talent was respect, (although all players should have it) it was everything else that he did. No, I never did see Ruth play, but his statistics tell the story, and the fact that he "called" the home run that he hit. Nobody knows what really happened, although we do have an idea. Well, doing this mini top 5 was a ton of fun to do!




Wednesday, January 28, 2015

Top 5 Players To Ever Play The Game - #2

#2 - Willie Mays - "Say Hey Kid"


The only reason why I put him at #2 is because he is my idea of a very well rounded player. He could hit for average, while hitting for power, and on top of that, he could steal bases. He wasn't a Rickey Henderson, but Rickey didn't hit 660 home runs, in fact, he had almost half of that. He also improved a considerable amount when he got back from the military, boosting his average by 109 points from the pervious year! Willie also won his first MVP award that year, and lead the league in 5 different categories! He's only 12th on the all time hits list, which is not bad at all, but is 4th on the all time home runs list. After doing some research, Willie Mays is also one of the only players to have 600 home runs and 3000 hits. The only other player do have 3000 hits and 600 home runs in Henry Aaron who has more home runs and hits than Willie Mays. It was very close between the two players, but in the end, I had to say Willie Mays. Both were fantastic players, but some had better skills than the other, so it was extremely hard to decide who goes in the #3 spot. I probably should've put Hank Aaron somewhere in this top five, but hey, these are all legendary players, how are you supposed to decide! 


 

Tuesday, January 27, 2015

Full Memorabilia Showcase

After 4 months of blogging (it seems like a lot longer) I finally took the time to take pictures of everything that I have. I originally was just going to take pictures of my Jeter, Rivera, Posada, and Rivera baseballs, but got a little carried away. Here's everything!

The first signed baseball I got was of Derek Jeter! I got this around 5 years ago and still have it! I wasn't even really into baseball like I am now, but for some reason I wanted a Jeter baseball. Either way, It's an awesome ball! It's also authenticated by Steiner.

The second ball that landed in my collection is a Mariano Rivera signed baseball with his final season logo on the ball! I got this in 2013 right after Mo retired. This ball is also authenticated by Steiner.

A Jorge Posada signed baseball! I got this one for this Christmas and love it. This ball is, again, authenticated by Steiner.

This is the "mistake" ball that I made a post about yesterday. Well, it's another Posada baseball!

The final ball that I needed for the Core Four was Andy Pettitte. I also got this one for Christmas. Yes, it is certified by Steiner. This is how I would rank their signatures by how good they are: Rivera, Pettitte, Jeter, Posada.

This is one of my favorite baseballs that I have. It's signed by Joe Torre, and he inscribed it, "Happy Birthday 8/11," which is awesome! It's also signed on a Hall Of Fame baseball. The baseball is also JSA certified.

Another player that I met was Al Oliver. He signed this baseball and inscribed it, "1982 NL Batting Champ," which is really cool! This ball is JSA certified. 

It's a very long story how I got this ball. I went to this collectors house (he had a really nice house) and it was full of cards, memorabilia, and a lot more. He had millions of cards, and dozens and dozens of signed baseballs. He saw that he had two David Cone baseballs so he gave me one! It's not authenticated or anything, but nonetheless it's a really cool ball!

I got this at the White Plains show that I went to in November. I'm not too familiar with Bob Turley, but it's still a pretty cool baseball.

I got these at the MAB Pinstripe Pandemonium show. They are also all JSA certified. 

And this one.

This one too.

This is one of my favorite signed baseballs that I have. I think I'm going to send the picture that I had taken with Don Larsen out to him so he can sign it. It is JSA certified. 

John Smoltz was a really nice guy, and the baseball he signed for me turned out great! 

I think this is a 2012 Trenton Thunder team signed ball. I know their's Vidal Nuno (yuck), J.R. Murphy, and Dellin Betances on the ball. I picked it up for only $20! 

When I met Joe Torre, he signed a baseball, this jersey, and the photo I had with him. Now, this jersey is hanging up in my room, and it looks fantastic! It's also certified by JSA.

The picture is terrible, and it was hard to take since the bat was so high. It's right above my jersey, and is signed by Reggie Jackson! He personalized it to me even though I didn't have an inscription, and was super nice! The bat is certified by JSA.

I got this at the 2014 National Sports Collectors Convention in Cleveland Ohio for only $40! It looks amazing! 

I got this Yogi Berra photo a couple years ago, and when I got this, I was the happiest person! I got it for Christmas, but only hung it up a couple months ago. It's certified by Steiner.

I bought this off of ebay for around $20 (not framed) and it looks great! I needed to have something of Aaron Boone, so why not a simple 8x10?

I met Shawn Kelley, but sadly (maybe not sadly) he's on the Padres now. 

I traded a couple of cards for this, but it's not certified, so I'm not too sure whether it's authentic or not. I hope it is, but I'll see when I take it to JSA!



Game used batting gloves by Amaurys Minier! These are really cool, even though I'm not too sure of the player. All I know is that he's in the Twins organization.

Certificate of authenticity for the gloves.

A Frank Thomas signed bat! I met Frank Thomas at the White Plains show, but he was going way to fast to even talk to. All he said to me was, "My sons name is Frankie." It's a really nice looking bat! I just need to get it hung up now!

I got this signed photo of Jim Leyritz for $5 at the White Plains show in November. It's not authenticated, but the autograph looks pretty real to me. For $5, it's not worth getting authenticated.

An Ed Kranepool signed photo! It's also inscribed, "69 champs." For $5, I couldn't turn this down!

I got this at the National Sports Collectors Convention for $10! It's also inscribed, but not authenticated.

I got this at a card shop a little over a year ago, and just found it again today! It's a newspaper article from when the Yankees won the world series in 1998! I always like seeing Paul O'Neil at the top of the pile. He sort of flipped over when he got to the top and landed on his back.

Here's the Tino Martinez jersey again! Tino Martinez was so nice, and when a player in nice when you get the item signed, I feel like it makes the item more special. The jersey looks great!

Here's the jersey that Frank Thomas signed for me. He inscribed it "To Frankie" and "Hof 2014." I actually asked him to inscribe it "Big Hurt," but that's okay. I actually think I like HOF 2014 better!

Here's a closeup of the #35. It looks great, and I can't wait to get it framed!

Wade Boggs signed this bat for me and inscribed it, "Hof 05," even though I didn't ask him to which is awesome! 

Here's another signed photo that I made a trade for. This time it's of Hall Of Famer Willie Mays! I've always wanted something of Mays in my collection, and this photo looks great! It's just not authenticated.
I just got this photo this past Sunday and is looks fantastic! Since the photo is sideways, it doesn't look as good, but in person, it looks absolutely amazing! With one swing of the bat, Chris Chambliss put himself into Yankees lore. 

John Smoltz also signed this photo for me which turned out great (I think everything turns out great for me)! It's a little smudged, but it's still really cool! It's authenticated by JSA. This next bat is my favorite though.



I saw this on ebay for a great price, and there was no way I could turn down a game used bat by my favorite player. It was game used in the 2007 Arizona Fall League, but it's still an awesome bat! It also has a small crack. It's signed by Brett Gardner and inscribed "AFL 2007."This is without a doubt my favorite item that I have in my collection! 

Here's another picture.

Here's a closeup of the barrel. The bat looks fantastic, and it's such a cool piece of memorabilia to have. I'm just waiting to hang it on my wall!



That's all the memorabilia I have, hopefully I will be adding more in the many years to come! This was a nice little project to do on my snow day since I'm not able to go out in the snow.

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
Thank you for reading!