tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24488430722967291512024-03-13T21:57:13.861-05:00White Sox CardsThis site is about the Chicago White Sox, baseball cards and stories that touch on those two topics. Every card has the possibility to evoke a memory. Every player has a story. Every fan has memories.Steve Giermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10291911419511893670noreply@blogger.comBlogger3193125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2448843072296729151.post-61713261162962560842023-07-28T17:22:00.000-05:002023-07-28T17:22:07.325-05:00When Teams Are Sellers<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxQ4VoGpZjPL-l9dra6bj2p-qA-ksnqaWbmTAw_S0ZtsKqJSeXIcF36Ba6UpWTj_7mtWJ1XzVq7azaFcWbtHRzZJWEMNN707Ijun3-UXEXD7Hh1Jf6KPto4PQQe-haMEyWcSy2PTT0SNQm2_rLI9y7ttFANEShymEYWjcFhynnY9Qxenoda8sLymyyKNM/s448/2023ToppsNow-Giolito-7-23-23.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="448" data-original-width="318" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxQ4VoGpZjPL-l9dra6bj2p-qA-ksnqaWbmTAw_S0ZtsKqJSeXIcF36Ba6UpWTj_7mtWJ1XzVq7azaFcWbtHRzZJWEMNN707Ijun3-UXEXD7Hh1Jf6KPto4PQQe-haMEyWcSy2PTT0SNQm2_rLI9y7ttFANEShymEYWjcFhynnY9Qxenoda8sLymyyKNM/s320/2023ToppsNow-Giolito-7-23-23.jpg" width="227" /></a></div><p>As I write this, Lucas Giolito, Reynaldo Lopez, Lance Lynn, Joe Kelly and Kendall Graveman have all been traded away. Others, like Tim Anderson, have been rumored to have many inquiries and may go at any time. Or everyone may stay. It's really hard to tell what potential trades work and which fall apart until they get to that stage.</p><p>While this sell off signals the failure of the rebuild, it's also a time of hope and wonderment. One could drive themselves crazy analyzing everything that didn't work out the way it expected to. Whether it was injuries, laziness, sleeping managers or pod people, the end result was two years of soft playoff appearances and a huge cliff dive.</p><p>Ultimately, it comes down to the ineffectiveness of the Cerberus that is Jerry Reinsdorf, Kenny Williams and Rick Hahn. The talent was there, but there seems to be a missing ingredient that left the White Sox more comparable to a yeast-less dinner roll rather than a robust fluffy pillow of bread that compliments a cinnamon butter spread perfectly.</p><p>There seems to be major flaws in scouting. This hits all facets of scouting. Drafting is especially heinous. How else can so many high draft picks flame out? Assessing proper value on trades is spotty at best. Even in the actual games that all of this is building towards, the White Sox can't seem to capitalize on mistakes and weaknesses. When they actually do, everyone seems so distracted that things went well, that they give those runs right back with interest.</p><p>Does blame fall on upper management, the coaching staff, or the players themselves? In a word... yes. There are a lot of decisions that have to happen right above the players for them to be in the best position to win. That includes assessment of talent, training regimens, preparation of games, proper motivation and in the moment game decisions. That does not let the players off the hook. Chemistry is very important, but when the chemistry leads everywhere except the win column, it is not charging towards the task at hand. Friendships are awesome, but this is also a job. Individual accomplishments are great motivators, but it should not be the only one. Championships do not rely on team chemistry, but it goes a long way in helping.</p><p>At the end of the day, the players are responsible for what happens on the field. They have the immediate impact on the team's success. When players lazily run out ground balls, don't have good reads on balls in play or completely waste at-bats, it makes winning that much harder. Carlton Fisk would drop dead from an arrhythmia if he were coaching this team. Deion Sanders may actually have his back on this one.</p><p>There are no easy fixes for this. I love the fact that Jerry Reinsdorf prefers to keep most people in the fold. It's great to see the ambassadors and former players as coaches and in other positions within the organization. I love it, but it's just not working that effectively anymore. Neither is the maddening random decisions on when to open the pocketbooks and when not to. Let's throw $12 million at a problem pitcher who may not be effective (and was in danger of not pitching due to those problems), but be stingy at a proven player in his prime because he wants a few more million per year. It's also at this point that I realize that I will never sniff the kind of money even the most fringe athlete gets and even Seby Zavala will be at a financial level I will never get close to.</p><p>Now let's get to the upside, because there is an upside to all of this. The last time the White Sox did a major overhaul, they got back some really nice pieces that had a really great chance at gelling and making the team a force to be reckoned with for years to come. That didn't exactly pan out, but the move was bold and exciting. I was genuinely interested in the future of the team. I was invested. Refresh and renewal is an admittance of failure, but it is also a time of eternal optimism. </p><p>No team wants to go back to square one. I don't believe the White Sox will ultimately have to. They will have to have a long look at their organization and make some very hard decisions. If they can do that without rose tinted glasses, things will start improving fast. A mix of good rookies and solid veterans can be a glorious experience. 2023 is a lost season. So much potential wasted. It's not entirely their fault, but they definitely have not maximized the tools that they had.</p><p>Since this is essentially a baseball card blog, I'll end this with something card related. If the Sox play their cards right, I should have some new and exciting cards to collect in 2024.<br /></p><p></p>Steve Giermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10291911419511893670noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2448843072296729151.post-55364952373337998022023-02-27T13:30:00.003-06:002023-02-27T13:31:38.875-06:00The First White Sox Card Of 2023 Is...<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOhujOzlVX4lnCdJM27sgZoctfld-wvVXRatQuGLYP9YlWerjDk-MD27AQxOXGpYZPLfgkObPseNQVAsxOWWY_o6CVADN_9AoMb8VT27NHTq5PA007_T7RoxMHDgBI_4Rt-dLJbyP-QHfQWdz6LUkJ2ZVkFpUIgx-bUuhSEWufQ3ODG4nqga4M4k5l/s1500/Simpsons_3ABF13_PlayerFalling.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="844" data-original-width="1500" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOhujOzlVX4lnCdJM27sgZoctfld-wvVXRatQuGLYP9YlWerjDk-MD27AQxOXGpYZPLfgkObPseNQVAsxOWWY_o6CVADN_9AoMb8VT27NHTq5PA007_T7RoxMHDgBI_4Rt-dLJbyP-QHfQWdz6LUkJ2ZVkFpUIgx-bUuhSEWufQ3ODG4nqga4M4k5l/s320/Simpsons_3ABF13_PlayerFalling.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p>Well... it's that time of year again.</p><p>Topps Series One is officially out, marking the first genuine 2023 cards on the market. One aspect of this release that I really enjoy is seeing what White Sox card will be the first to appear in a pack that I open.</p><p>Sometimes it tells me what kind of a year I'll have collecting. Sometimes it doesn't. Either way, it's pure fun and has become a tradition.</p><p>It can be full of intrigue and mystery, just like Ozzie Smith stuck at the Springfield Mystery Spot. The vendor at work was amazing at getting these out relatively on time. Compared to the last few years, one day after release was stupendous.</p><p>I picked a blaster box at random, checked out and took it home. There awaited surprises in each sealed pack. There's nothing quite like the feeling of opening a fresh pack ahead of a brand new season.</p><p>The first White Sox card of 2023 is...</p><p style="text-align: center;">?</p><p style="text-align: center;">?</p><p style="text-align: center;">?</p><p style="text-align: center;">?</p><p style="text-align: center;">?</p><p style="text-align: center;">?</p><p style="text-align: center;">?</p><p style="text-align: center;">?</p><p style="text-align: center;">?</p><p style="text-align: center;">?</p><p style="text-align: center;">?</p><p style="text-align: center;">?</p><p style="text-align: center;">?</p><p style="text-align: center;">?</p><p style="text-align: center;">?</p><p style="text-align: center;">?</p><p style="text-align: center;">?</p><p style="text-align: center;">?<br /></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg566cxgSjnXqie97kFbGdGJ12seZTkO4HpFAUYaIG4ChCYeHQ8BfGkKVTZFq_wo53U93BL_dA2Fe4mhtZl6A0CWvrKMJEEtJ4IMpZSMws3ssagmwh2bypdMaPYlq_mKcGuoWsunnfogWY9du6xLOlyRfABzt-CrPbrwxLwI5ubgRisUOfx8CFmVtTB/s2064/Scan11284.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2064" data-original-width="1504" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg566cxgSjnXqie97kFbGdGJ12seZTkO4HpFAUYaIG4ChCYeHQ8BfGkKVTZFq_wo53U93BL_dA2Fe4mhtZl6A0CWvrKMJEEtJ4IMpZSMws3ssagmwh2bypdMaPYlq_mKcGuoWsunnfogWY9du6xLOlyRfABzt-CrPbrwxLwI5ubgRisUOfx8CFmVtTB/s320/Scan11284.JPG" width="233" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: center;">Davis Martin</p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;">I'm not sure who I was expecting, but this was the last name that came to mind. I didn't catch as many games as I would have liked to last season, so it was a familiar name, but I couldn't place a performance that I saw. As a rookie, there's tons of room to grow and I'm hoping that in 2023, Davis will take his 2022 experience and push to even greater heights.</p><p style="text-align: left;">That's the great thing about rookies. There's always potential. Each outing can be potential greatness. To be called up to the show, there has to be a need that is to be filled. There has to be a talent there. Why promote one guy over another? I will be looking forward to watching Davis in 2023. I have an extra incentive to hope he succeeds now, being the first card pulled.</p><p style="text-align: left;">A few cards later in the same pack, this pitcher loomed large.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrF3Z9gpE8WqNmG51hm9-rE0W1nb61SINyUBL2kSS0tr1XIjn5KClqsmaGfRCEDw7nm17xVKDLtZBI_tehZoQy89dFhIMEFeznMeWEPS1rdB9-kKSXOJKEPn7PL9wWVFrhif3pO42NjpAbQ1-VAnRb06G5IZzxt7vY_yeVrwf8D5P4ozuCn37i8wYK/s2064/Scan11285.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2064" data-original-width="1480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrF3Z9gpE8WqNmG51hm9-rE0W1nb61SINyUBL2kSS0tr1XIjn5KClqsmaGfRCEDw7nm17xVKDLtZBI_tehZoQy89dFhIMEFeznMeWEPS1rdB9-kKSXOJKEPn7PL9wWVFrhif3pO42NjpAbQ1-VAnRb06G5IZzxt7vY_yeVrwf8D5P4ozuCn37i8wYK/s320/Scan11285.JPG" width="229" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: left;">Those were the only White Sox players that came out of that box. There will be many more that will make it into my collection, but these are the first. They will set the tone for the whole collecting year.</p><p style="text-align: left;">Here's to many more White Sox cards pulled this year and I wish that all of you pull the cards you collect. Happy hunting!<br /></p><p></p>Steve Giermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10291911419511893670noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2448843072296729151.post-8070142733967200652023-01-09T21:24:00.003-06:002023-01-09T21:24:59.709-06:00Cancer Sucks<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtN8QuMEKMwkJqG2Y2q09XfyHyYCc8tkItMQ5X8uvwJQw9kKD0JKEJXbsV0s691YFY32B7N6ciFafbSwXLLSHKyX6q9V-75kF2pKi9dtkDcg0tNkOjwxQMWvKUV2UFRGLT-yVAUdiI8muf3Nq-AHX8WjTgY7xIZoqx8iy9Gqa09A4v2ZDO1dRLBV-q/s1055/2022ToppsArchives-LiamHendriks(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1055" data-original-width="750" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtN8QuMEKMwkJqG2Y2q09XfyHyYCc8tkItMQ5X8uvwJQw9kKD0JKEJXbsV0s691YFY32B7N6ciFafbSwXLLSHKyX6q9V-75kF2pKi9dtkDcg0tNkOjwxQMWvKUV2UFRGLT-yVAUdiI8muf3Nq-AHX8WjTgY7xIZoqx8iy9Gqa09A4v2ZDO1dRLBV-q/s320/2022ToppsArchives-LiamHendriks(1).jpg" width="227" /></a></div>I will start off by saying that I wish Liam a very speedy recovery. Any type of cancer is never a walk in the park. There will be rough times ahead. There will be ups and downs. If any player on the White Sox has the mentality and right attitude to head this face on, it is Liam Hendriks. The way he approaches every game and life itself, I have no doubt he will be fighting every step of the way.<p></p><p>In the past decade, cancer seems to have taken a lot of people from us. From family members to celebrities, there has been no shortage of people battling some form of this disease. Some succeed. Some unfortunately don't. </p><p>I have been pretty lucky. I grew up with only a few members of my family passing away. As I've gotten older, that number has gone up considerably. As you age, the odds go up that someone you know will come down with a serious illness or even die. I don't mean to be such a downer, but disease is rarely a topic that's not serious.</p><p>My dad passed away from stage four cancer in October 2021. Every time I read about someone getting any form of that disease, I think of my dad. It wasn't something that was totally unexpected. Fifty plus years of heavy smoking really increases the chances of that happening. He was in pretty decent health for most of his life. Except for a horrible bout with pneumonia in the army reserves, he was only in the hospital once. That required intravenous medicine to be administered at home for a couple weeks after his discharge. The cancer diagnosis still came out of left field.</p><p>I don't get back to the Chicago area often enough. A family and work keep me pretty busy in Michigan. I try to visit a few times a year. In the summer of 2021, I tried to visit every other weekend. I was able to keep that schedule for the most part.</p><p>I cherish the extra time I got to spend with my dad. At this time, the minuscule filter he had was completely gone. I heard family stories from a perspective I had never heard before. I heard stories about him growing up and stories about me growing up. He swore up and down that I met a White Sox player in the eighties and got his autograph, but I was petrified at meeting one of my heroes. From the description, it may have been Daryl Boston, but I don't think I'll ever know for sure. I have absolutely no recognition of the event.</p><p>Every Sunday game we would go to, my dad would encourage me to get in the line and get an autograph and shake a player's hand. I always got in line and I always chickened out before I arrived at the players. I have no idea what I thought was going to happen. Maybe I was afraid I would be a rambling incoherent mess, like I was when I met Weird Al. I should probably mention that I met Weird Al at an after concert meet and greet that I had won through his website. I was twenty-two. I can only imagine what a single digit aged me would have done.</p><p>I skipped one weekend of visiting my parents in 2021. My dad was doing pretty good and I had a long work week. I decided to put off the trip until the following weekend. I did go out the next weekend, but it was to help my mom figure out what all she needed to do in the aftermath of his passing.</p><p>I kicked myself for a little bit for skipping that last weekend. I soon realized that an extra weekend didn't matter so much. I had got to spend a whole lot of time with him leading up to that. Time that I wouldn't have gotten had I not made the time.</p><p>There is a great chance that Liam will come out of this just fine. I'm sure he will. A scare like this forces one to stop everything, breathe and live in the moment. I don't always get to live in the moment. Most of the time I am buried in the past or looking to the future. When I focus and appreciate the moment, I never regret it. It's not somewhere I always find myself, but I'd like to get there more often.</p><p>Liam. You've got this. Live in the moment and come back better than ever.<br /></p>Steve Giermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10291911419511893670noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2448843072296729151.post-2715892909816667672022-07-02T01:32:00.000-05:002022-07-02T01:32:05.484-05:002022 Topps Spotlight 70 II<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5ujCwLEG5JTU6loeSwlmHAlPUJl00M5Qy0utFRD4EULPEriDQKQqKOVcG-o7jtBR4NkF9igxz4T0KEs56sFqPDk12RQi9_r0O5K5KPzYiChGJVVUsCcq_FqhuF_oRoOoS6RBYlp6ChbHvxo1NN8-F1FBAIS3N7_G1_MR0s8l1l7lMH24G9PGovYKS/s1600/2022ToppsXFriedman70-2-baines.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1173" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5ujCwLEG5JTU6loeSwlmHAlPUJl00M5Qy0utFRD4EULPEriDQKQqKOVcG-o7jtBR4NkF9igxz4T0KEs56sFqPDk12RQi9_r0O5K5KPzYiChGJVVUsCcq_FqhuF_oRoOoS6RBYlp6ChbHvxo1NN8-F1FBAIS3N7_G1_MR0s8l1l7lMH24G9PGovYKS/s320/2022ToppsXFriedman70-2-baines.jpg" width="235" /></a></div>Cards are getting interesting lately. I appreciate all the different ways that cards are being created. Artists and celebrities create or dictate what a set should look like and who should be in it and suddenly it's for sale on a website. <p></p><p>It could be the most beautiful piece of artwork in the galaxy or a huge steaming pile of crap sent through the mail for a fee. It's all in the eye of the beholder. I would never intentionally try to yuck someone else's yum, but some of these cards are catered to my tastes, while most of them are not. Some look like a lot of thought and effort was put into the design and each brushstroke was a dazzling liquid diamond pouring out onto a mystical canvas until Leonardo Da Vinci wept salty tears of happiness at the pure ethereal joy birthed into the world. Others look like a second grader drew a spite portrait of the MLB player that crushed their hamster. In other words, it can be a bit of a mixed bag.</p><p><br /></p><p>This offering by Andy Friedman, at first glance looks a bit off. It wasn't until I saw that the chosen medium was ink and watercolor, that I started to really look at the cards. I have painted some great portraits in my time as an artist, but watercolor is one of the most difficult to work with. Throw in ink to the mix and there will be some massive color bleeds in the journey to the final product.</p><p>The combination is not without its charms, but it will clearly not be everyone's favorite.</p><p>The White Sox have three cards in this release. Two cards in the regular set and one in a rookie insert subset.<br /></p><p><br /></p><p>29 - Harold Baines</p><p>33 - Jerry Manuel</p><p>R-8 - Gavin Sheets</p><p><br /></p><p>Pablo Picasso, Mark Rothko, Georgia O'Keeffe, Vincent Van Gogh, Andy Warhol, Jackson Pollock and June Leaf each have distinct styles and some have widely ranging techniques. Some people love them. Some people loathe them. It's all a matter of taste.</p><p>I think it's absolutely wonderful that a variety of modern artists are getting their chance to explore and imprint their creative minds onto cardboard. Mixing baseball and artwork is a long standing tradition that goes back to the hobby's roots as advertisements for department stores and tobacco. It's a practice that fell out of fashion with the rise of the camera and occasionally has a resurgence.</p><p>I think that the most impressive feat in these types of cards are the risks that the artists are willing to take. It also takes great commitment on Topps part to keep these ventures going. All the efforts may not please all the consumers out there, but I don't think it was ever meant to.<br /></p>Steve Giermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10291911419511893670noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2448843072296729151.post-60924580824733178542022-06-28T19:55:00.003-05:002023-01-10T17:37:01.201-06:002022 Topps Cesar Hernandez Rainbow<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4XH_2BEOgddDFc1Obmlzy6NPMTyCMDl7HCVJ3rVchZBZtmC1okXzjsqRGJxpP_lmuAv5V15UbqqVVjhEglWcItpEcIScLn7MjgTLd2aBDzPWMTV9jDZ8dYC3KSo7mL2rHzyLlAJ-rOcVuAvbik4UBGGM4os-Jbycjv0kKY3N3lx4En-x44iuKkgkl/s2304/Scan10630.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2304" data-original-width="1776" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4XH_2BEOgddDFc1Obmlzy6NPMTyCMDl7HCVJ3rVchZBZtmC1okXzjsqRGJxpP_lmuAv5V15UbqqVVjhEglWcItpEcIScLn7MjgTLd2aBDzPWMTV9jDZ8dYC3KSo7mL2rHzyLlAJ-rOcVuAvbik4UBGGM4os-Jbycjv0kKY3N3lx4En-x44iuKkgkl/s320/Scan10630.JPG" width="247" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"> 2022 Topps #28 Cesar Hernandez</p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQq08IYZwy6Etlz1T9QIM00_0l4_Ld3SfHI5y_Mf_RclhY5FpYX9EFJ_HtUmmOUMuBtTvrvo4DKZ8jwpiEn6G85MAI3pGfZkLSMkenXkxjKhUh2J6_NbZS25KJ3ow_t1llp_HKmFZjl7_9VU_S1mt2Fg-98QNJibUUZjLBDkJN31LmHuBliOT2L1q5/s2376/Scan10631.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2376" data-original-width="1768" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQq08IYZwy6Etlz1T9QIM00_0l4_Ld3SfHI5y_Mf_RclhY5FpYX9EFJ_HtUmmOUMuBtTvrvo4DKZ8jwpiEn6G85MAI3pGfZkLSMkenXkxjKhUh2J6_NbZS25KJ3ow_t1llp_HKmFZjl7_9VU_S1mt2Fg-98QNJibUUZjLBDkJN31LmHuBliOT2L1q5/s320/Scan10631.JPG" width="238" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: center;">Gold Foil</p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmm2B9nCLAki8gkQ0tc_cMhza0pZ_dB55awt56ejb_GpR2QfwMMeSRwN_SaRypJJzroj2fPSlZqR2Qe3MZAX2ox_VBcMGrKn30KH7SdR5hOIBKlKuQIqwucgip1JY5qQGsPbjPp8K8_pEa_m3TwPtxdHnPS01qI6Pp8Ri_yZpbhjyoRNk8NdgbyxZp/s2360/Scan10632.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2360" data-original-width="1784" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmm2B9nCLAki8gkQ0tc_cMhza0pZ_dB55awt56ejb_GpR2QfwMMeSRwN_SaRypJJzroj2fPSlZqR2Qe3MZAX2ox_VBcMGrKn30KH7SdR5hOIBKlKuQIqwucgip1JY5qQGsPbjPp8K8_pEa_m3TwPtxdHnPS01qI6Pp8Ri_yZpbhjyoRNk8NdgbyxZp/s320/Scan10632.JPG" width="242" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: center;">Purple</p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWiX4U13nwW6-PbNzcz1T9ZKc-snsAn3HGLWEl8NjMQXy5RI07lZNplxgvgQJVW9E7Rm_IRcj9wHMz_veLwrciWPqJN9sB_k5Lb-5sgv81pRQwarICsl5QdlXQPGyMmvqBOpp2HRVgP_KiOFD-cI0cp5zCmRyjHEfhbUiXCvBWReKtmACIo8FrgyI2/s2376/Scan10633.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2376" data-original-width="1776" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWiX4U13nwW6-PbNzcz1T9ZKc-snsAn3HGLWEl8NjMQXy5RI07lZNplxgvgQJVW9E7Rm_IRcj9wHMz_veLwrciWPqJN9sB_k5Lb-5sgv81pRQwarICsl5QdlXQPGyMmvqBOpp2HRVgP_KiOFD-cI0cp5zCmRyjHEfhbUiXCvBWReKtmACIo8FrgyI2/s320/Scan10633.JPG" width="239" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: center;">Rainbow Foil</p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlOBhW1gnqAJR4mLI5CRDAwW7Jto53exzaYwRaOwwYnasLkltoQWB424AZI9oTSPYSAB0S7zgHAIb9sPP81841csSg602NnJOaMTpvmu5pYMbohtOMcni5e8HautSwKZCELDn71PKKKiNcFLg0LuEtjfsWqQyY4LHaqe4B1Z-yKHcT03Ud_Z8CU8DE/s2360/Scan10634.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2360" data-original-width="1768" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlOBhW1gnqAJR4mLI5CRDAwW7Jto53exzaYwRaOwwYnasLkltoQWB424AZI9oTSPYSAB0S7zgHAIb9sPP81841csSg602NnJOaMTpvmu5pYMbohtOMcni5e8HautSwKZCELDn71PKKKiNcFLg0LuEtjfsWqQyY4LHaqe4B1Z-yKHcT03Ud_Z8CU8DE/s320/Scan10634.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: center;">Royal Blue</p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd4GlBXxPtYUEsinbEuSE_51DIu1uohk6qw0ZhmjERxtPxsCgEGVbtNwDqOmQAt4JXI9GLv_HyeFezwV6iBReF1wsoarcR_f7n11e49Ys4aaxjVfU-2llnQjqs_D6ueSh3ggbuJA9dyw6_kniR0L4tITTXqdezxrSI2fspoOMvl2MxefLAL0uNn2B6/s2696/Scan10635.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2696" data-original-width="1808" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd4GlBXxPtYUEsinbEuSE_51DIu1uohk6qw0ZhmjERxtPxsCgEGVbtNwDqOmQAt4JXI9GLv_HyeFezwV6iBReF1wsoarcR_f7n11e49Ys4aaxjVfU-2llnQjqs_D6ueSh3ggbuJA9dyw6_kniR0L4tITTXqdezxrSI2fspoOMvl2MxefLAL0uNn2B6/s320/Scan10635.JPG" width="215" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: center;">Gold (/2022)</p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8IPAs63o-7IiJ43CzMCED-tOyWAXOq7oojXQnYmufRz6s9vZ0ewfogOU0yK775jX-LBL3Q1nOGlgCO6J114IrHL2PYkSGhS4XknSVMFuIEAJopwQ389MojXJLZqx3ORSrYTloo1vsCSvqaoVdi5vQzytq29iIzaBLnHyUSypiM8TOkqOYvUhLYCjT/s2352/Scan10636.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2352" data-original-width="1752" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8IPAs63o-7IiJ43CzMCED-tOyWAXOq7oojXQnYmufRz6s9vZ0ewfogOU0yK775jX-LBL3Q1nOGlgCO6J114IrHL2PYkSGhS4XknSVMFuIEAJopwQ389MojXJLZqx3ORSrYTloo1vsCSvqaoVdi5vQzytq29iIzaBLnHyUSypiM8TOkqOYvUhLYCjT/s320/Scan10636.JPG" width="238" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: center;">Green Foilboard (/499)</p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwvQIjuylM9WdDUcsj5Lr8VtAI0KbUbxL2WNgaFGZrRqCWe4WXLEAvbKlXLiOPEWn-yQFBXr6DqOlAxAaPLqpwVgq4CQ-Yc_HyDvFzRzcwjClk1Av7r04jrfzSB-4mUsSljMJsu2oEC_rDGJiVtTYfeZ9dBf2BKcgCIGGY5Vi8FGKpCmDhGEXrUCLx/s2552/Scan10637.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1768" data-original-width="2552" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwvQIjuylM9WdDUcsj5Lr8VtAI0KbUbxL2WNgaFGZrRqCWe4WXLEAvbKlXLiOPEWn-yQFBXr6DqOlAxAaPLqpwVgq4CQ-Yc_HyDvFzRzcwjClk1Av7r04jrfzSB-4mUsSljMJsu2oEC_rDGJiVtTYfeZ9dBf2BKcgCIGGY5Vi8FGKpCmDhGEXrUCLx/s320/Scan10637.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: center;">Advanced Stats (/300)</p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZVFOZHdfy7aL75jHEzxTCFdIo4wttVDsDPr25uyN8OS4I4K7GpOSaOrPDlaUnRFl9cCyD6MIlioKxHlcFeN86DuN0xgXTik3RlGKSblV-ie1wmE9GQoVfJVQaHNlp42d4oc63K6_VEyhXriCOZjlgEbxatUxZLOaHGHeb85ojwZm2Ltf2sYmeHFlY/s2368/Scan10638.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2368" data-original-width="1816" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZVFOZHdfy7aL75jHEzxTCFdIo4wttVDsDPr25uyN8OS4I4K7GpOSaOrPDlaUnRFl9cCyD6MIlioKxHlcFeN86DuN0xgXTik3RlGKSblV-ie1wmE9GQoVfJVQaHNlp42d4oc63K6_VEyhXriCOZjlgEbxatUxZLOaHGHeb85ojwZm2Ltf2sYmeHFlY/s320/Scan10638.JPG" width="245" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: center;">Orange Foilboard (/299)</p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcSJ8uW085CYGfwi7unFrTr-MBRya86ykfBi-YdyHSsxLhYR032f37gZxvCxXAECpwIsSSdE8EnCLC_PDy-OV0PQ-t1b4Jr8ZCGMisq69VxBceU2-Of93yGoTUyPKXw9S18Rg4YDwpJ42TsQEDDdOtMKHMtXps0Cmo6sdiNJ2pjq9IYG3iWJcVzNha/s2352/Scan10639.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2352" data-original-width="1736" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcSJ8uW085CYGfwi7unFrTr-MBRya86ykfBi-YdyHSsxLhYR032f37gZxvCxXAECpwIsSSdE8EnCLC_PDy-OV0PQ-t1b4Jr8ZCGMisq69VxBceU2-Of93yGoTUyPKXw9S18Rg4YDwpJ42TsQEDDdOtMKHMtXps0Cmo6sdiNJ2pjq9IYG3iWJcVzNha/s320/Scan10639.JPG" width="236" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: center;">Red Foilboard (/199)</p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq5o7UA6Jk3vugpNGUXnRrB23bg9U56SNJdv59j_bXlVbp-s6u2VNkPSQNpfpdcd61yWzV-KBqSx1n-qFVeQrWQNRchidrdotegZjGF4looVPdB401YJzYQvgBZCmpu511h6axEHrn2vWVuEy83PiWxQ6a5NVfA_n8TeJx-WulnQ1PlzQ1sqgvxeJC/s2360/Scan10640.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2360" data-original-width="1832" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq5o7UA6Jk3vugpNGUXnRrB23bg9U56SNJdv59j_bXlVbp-s6u2VNkPSQNpfpdcd61yWzV-KBqSx1n-qFVeQrWQNRchidrdotegZjGF4looVPdB401YJzYQvgBZCmpu511h6axEHrn2vWVuEy83PiWxQ6a5NVfA_n8TeJx-WulnQ1PlzQ1sqgvxeJC/s320/Scan10640.JPG" width="248" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: center;">Vintage Stock (/99)</p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh12fTx-OzfYQt4jlClW7hho3nrEGT_5vIEH0UvVREhvgXVlG_noDYMwV9qMEkDer9M_61Ws-YV29XvKoAwKUiPFyWhK0Jry9fOAFm8kXCoUKwMJqLcXgd4i2LTjCU_0OWI9egA5LbSkwvTe-V-JT_xwKJ9nZUL7wXhQRMW5Dn6co2q4Jt-rZw-aP0K/s2368/Scan10641.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2368" data-original-width="1800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh12fTx-OzfYQt4jlClW7hho3nrEGT_5vIEH0UvVREhvgXVlG_noDYMwV9qMEkDer9M_61Ws-YV29XvKoAwKUiPFyWhK0Jry9fOAFm8kXCoUKwMJqLcXgd4i2LTjCU_0OWI9egA5LbSkwvTe-V-JT_xwKJ9nZUL7wXhQRMW5Dn6co2q4Jt-rZw-aP0K/s320/Scan10641.JPG" width="243" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: center;">Independence Day (/76)</p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrmH8vVIhLeAo9Gi1IkjDrkBlZwSFJHicbWrcj1v5KVzLSnVz-5S02hprs9Y9AuYBh-rxtFuyMflFHGKDgBYRcB5Fz9HcwuJg4wzB1iPzAhhLj10JTc87EX2LTYKNTpySPUy4cB1q8SzxkkrGI_S5-D97_8gk5ccmrcgAJ-E12_YykNYVxvdgENoB9/s2760/Scan10642.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2760" data-original-width="1824" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrmH8vVIhLeAo9Gi1IkjDrkBlZwSFJHicbWrcj1v5KVzLSnVz-5S02hprs9Y9AuYBh-rxtFuyMflFHGKDgBYRcB5Fz9HcwuJg4wzB1iPzAhhLj10JTc87EX2LTYKNTpySPUy4cB1q8SzxkkrGI_S5-D97_8gk5ccmrcgAJ-E12_YykNYVxvdgENoB9/s320/Scan10642.JPG" width="211" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: center;">Black (/71)</p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV2tqVTuP7DFeMVuJujG9G7qtggWZjBGjrHsFedIHAbrA1VsSxH3AgaUr6LK7zdDQGrjJjo3BscvFpwQ1MdPP6G-yCT4sIZQyf2MBakm30rX5HAuAT-h1TS6XzqkR7NIPJZ4vP0czWpf_TKWafUC_8uJz8Scj7O1tByBYoyXOVDVcj8Fx1YdANN7_M/s2608/Scan10643.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2608" data-original-width="1752" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV2tqVTuP7DFeMVuJujG9G7qtggWZjBGjrHsFedIHAbrA1VsSxH3AgaUr6LK7zdDQGrjJjo3BscvFpwQ1MdPP6G-yCT4sIZQyf2MBakm30rX5HAuAT-h1TS6XzqkR7NIPJZ4vP0czWpf_TKWafUC_8uJz8Scj7O1tByBYoyXOVDVcj8Fx1YdANN7_M/s320/Scan10643.JPG" width="215" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: center;">Father's Day Blue (/50)</p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg72egFci9VlKRfdLhck2QSjFoeTQramrCX8p8Pkt8HonX051lrrZyDRHjnjlNugVGMIvgGMCvoavKXIHv2X23CRuL1MFzWlxl8DzgF7e8aSFsPEz9YB1mRIxvlm9Uwi6VNRJtngDcnj3PkT6Nlrsh9_0QME3-bfVdvCtOdyRW6v-mfVnLiYlpMezqh/s2360/Scan10644.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2360" data-original-width="1744" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg72egFci9VlKRfdLhck2QSjFoeTQramrCX8p8Pkt8HonX051lrrZyDRHjnjlNugVGMIvgGMCvoavKXIHv2X23CRuL1MFzWlxl8DzgF7e8aSFsPEz9YB1mRIxvlm9Uwi6VNRJtngDcnj3PkT6Nlrsh9_0QME3-bfVdvCtOdyRW6v-mfVnLiYlpMezqh/s320/Scan10644.JPG" width="236" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: center;">Mother's Day Pink (/50)</p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6rlTlnJCL9HoJcqKmK8q7vCvr3k9QxJA-H6kU9oJ_kAHvZ2rG_fVIw1AsNvGEjSiei0X0LKcQL3AsX00NNGU2zjIP1LWZqMs8Hpwcsuna1PG8yU0TGuVVCtzJKaUntici7qSYqkfzW3qCfMLog5XYNu2vLP8K6V2pxNTr4q-zB1rca9ZRyB6WBp7y/s2384/Scan10645.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2384" data-original-width="1840" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6rlTlnJCL9HoJcqKmK8q7vCvr3k9QxJA-H6kU9oJ_kAHvZ2rG_fVIw1AsNvGEjSiei0X0LKcQL3AsX00NNGU2zjIP1LWZqMs8Hpwcsuna1PG8yU0TGuVVCtzJKaUntici7qSYqkfzW3qCfMLog5XYNu2vLP8K6V2pxNTr4q-zB1rca9ZRyB6WBp7y/s320/Scan10645.JPG" width="247" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: center;">Memorial Day Camo (/25)</p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFDlLfqJlborXGUKSfeEzuVjOqsdEHo8p7Bbs9PxyStOGvE27IgFiAk3W9AdH0jXhQuMqpVUH8eTSA6mBxhM1vwWYcFNEUf3F_UOa5ea3F0Ip71JCwXp18pZMLs0ah0rEDxvDkul-qDxE1sb1GR_JNOOZ7VMb9xTpejaY1OqG_O_a7u9tDKOacUrHn/s2360/Scan10646.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2360" data-original-width="1744" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFDlLfqJlborXGUKSfeEzuVjOqsdEHo8p7Bbs9PxyStOGvE27IgFiAk3W9AdH0jXhQuMqpVUH8eTSA6mBxhM1vwWYcFNEUf3F_UOa5ea3F0Ip71JCwXp18pZMLs0ah0rEDxvDkul-qDxE1sb1GR_JNOOZ7VMb9xTpejaY1OqG_O_a7u9tDKOacUrHn/s320/Scan10646.JPG" width="236" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;">1st Edition</p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfA9k_xCGBRUHoljeAtL_4RI6wjE8aNQ3hJRY9NsFrjAoKswa_a4vtIkeuhz7II3Fzbs7jmhMqOkb9zfxwxbkF4PpCLXZXhh0OOTPlAOuLjqE8wTtBcqwneVei4m4U2MwQxjqJNi5VBTCVZsf3OyrA_8-QuA25_CDt0hCt9LIsOrZEaa-M5KQ0guRY/s2448/Scan10647.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2448" data-original-width="1768" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfA9k_xCGBRUHoljeAtL_4RI6wjE8aNQ3hJRY9NsFrjAoKswa_a4vtIkeuhz7II3Fzbs7jmhMqOkb9zfxwxbkF4PpCLXZXhh0OOTPlAOuLjqE8wTtBcqwneVei4m4U2MwQxjqJNi5VBTCVZsf3OyrA_8-QuA25_CDt0hCt9LIsOrZEaa-M5KQ0guRY/s320/Scan10647.JPG" width="231" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: center;">1st Edition Gold</p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpW1IM-e-vr6B_Y9XiKLcqPrMXPqe1NdwTbPehOxf1xjnoqY4p786IDQpC-N5qm_xz7U77AxWDWGjZ0ImteEcYSKPF-4k8wUBxrbDrxnv-e3zTQiJ1ToobSjAghq6_TkBAYotE6_zgsLwwvvYuhF1q1hqPbtfLWksUoapkcT8IcBqfrkYDRfbuDyOw/s2360/Scan10648.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2360" data-original-width="1776" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpW1IM-e-vr6B_Y9XiKLcqPrMXPqe1NdwTbPehOxf1xjnoqY4p786IDQpC-N5qm_xz7U77AxWDWGjZ0ImteEcYSKPF-4k8wUBxrbDrxnv-e3zTQiJ1ToobSjAghq6_TkBAYotE6_zgsLwwvvYuhF1q1hqPbtfLWksUoapkcT8IcBqfrkYDRfbuDyOw/s320/Scan10648.JPG" width="241" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: center;">1st Edition Green (/150)</p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZubtDQTZOSLxsddZCUTQRbn1d2Z6qF_9lPbThhrujk_7YnE-LG16iWFhTbZQeAjx9avZG8Zw3sZXEkWk91QYijPHKh9_5YL7O8oSkLuQAzbuZO73Z6r_t3FfI4v_VM8noH8zY4Ek_gjuMFj8nkfMrpQbY-vPvvz-3M8W47fD12P2rP8nSAsBN2ytg/s2360/Scan10649.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2360" data-original-width="1752" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZubtDQTZOSLxsddZCUTQRbn1d2Z6qF_9lPbThhrujk_7YnE-LG16iWFhTbZQeAjx9avZG8Zw3sZXEkWk91QYijPHKh9_5YL7O8oSkLuQAzbuZO73Z6r_t3FfI4v_VM8noH8zY4Ek_gjuMFj8nkfMrpQbY-vPvvz-3M8W47fD12P2rP8nSAsBN2ytg/s320/Scan10649.JPG" width="238" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: center;">1st Edition Orange (/75)</p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgihF4GWdvLAKtmqHiXxfO-_W1IXkK-6kcvsnBjg45SCcT0TwjRcKt0_8a0yNm8I5qYT31KJJWrNB6oqhDcaYLT6LSKtmV6BxcZhvmZTuB3sa4Y-7qcg4PiiDMEjF05AUxgL-XNUNwrIx7jiyPbApz_Jid97ycnBeMTlc6mtijvdT31Svp7p45won4E/s2312/Scan10650.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2312" data-original-width="1784" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgihF4GWdvLAKtmqHiXxfO-_W1IXkK-6kcvsnBjg45SCcT0TwjRcKt0_8a0yNm8I5qYT31KJJWrNB6oqhDcaYLT6LSKtmV6BxcZhvmZTuB3sa4Y-7qcg4PiiDMEjF05AUxgL-XNUNwrIx7jiyPbApz_Jid97ycnBeMTlc6mtijvdT31Svp7p45won4E/s320/Scan10650.JPG" width="247" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: center;">1st Edition Red (/50)</p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitM_sm84ISlTPvmx_rQ5KxI7Co2FOIcm-f7N2jz-NGDq3DRkEv2X-uawgjVvsmD64Jn9FkM42nMEM3BSKbTRJou83a624fgTEJ88bFIYUVjoziDYJ3D7SRgUlEdnz9c6mwCWfOxwvY5NGcT4S1kxexkWNDVqQb_kJXLEJ1O3uaFkwjR-kC7uDOHScO/s2384/Scan10651.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2384" data-original-width="1840" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitM_sm84ISlTPvmx_rQ5KxI7Co2FOIcm-f7N2jz-NGDq3DRkEv2X-uawgjVvsmD64Jn9FkM42nMEM3BSKbTRJou83a624fgTEJ88bFIYUVjoziDYJ3D7SRgUlEdnz9c6mwCWfOxwvY5NGcT4S1kxexkWNDVqQb_kJXLEJ1O3uaFkwjR-kC7uDOHScO/s320/Scan10651.JPG" width="247" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: center;">1st Edition Black (/25)</p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQXMmQq9TnCEPv26K3robSrwEGrlxGlxkTXV1E89zhZWkOVESeF_bhMIClKVPHwxRnzWp0Af6M5kYCXnHkVUEAdd4ElhV44haXS0HDeTS1_0kDhhVO_evxzovqzJcAVG1-toCk-voC7NfV8KM70AlL7p5saxSqK20E8jf4bV2UI-xfapVxA9ALIoGK/s4673/Scan10652.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4673" data-original-width="3296" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQXMmQq9TnCEPv26K3robSrwEGrlxGlxkTXV1E89zhZWkOVESeF_bhMIClKVPHwxRnzWp0Af6M5kYCXnHkVUEAdd4ElhV44haXS0HDeTS1_0kDhhVO_evxzovqzJcAVG1-toCk-voC7NfV8KM70AlL7p5saxSqK20E8jf4bV2UI-xfapVxA9ALIoGK/s320/Scan10652.JPG" width="226" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: center;">5x7 (/49)</p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQVSnbVIbpIFiHhLdeGOFahtMgN7DyXfD0SejTc7azTe6fKDY46Y9x82H9Q9-asPJYE6asVd_iL2i3MqcOJQDISU0cbWQ2krgMMYycmcwcICHkcR4sKRprKdRsFvubjB1cG-AsMrj7HQ-i7HokOf8TUnnT3DWRvVnR-y2xcpDoac2_risVemc2RHDj/s4304/Scan10653.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4304" data-original-width="3200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQVSnbVIbpIFiHhLdeGOFahtMgN7DyXfD0SejTc7azTe6fKDY46Y9x82H9Q9-asPJYE6asVd_iL2i3MqcOJQDISU0cbWQ2krgMMYycmcwcICHkcR4sKRprKdRsFvubjB1cG-AsMrj7HQ-i7HokOf8TUnnT3DWRvVnR-y2xcpDoac2_risVemc2RHDj/s320/Scan10653.JPG" width="238" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: center;">5x7 Gold (/10)</p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;">By my calculations, I only seem to be missing a few.</p><p style="text-align: left;">- Topps Premiere Party <br /></p><p style="text-align: left;">- Topps Rip Party</p><p style="text-align: left;">- Platinum (/1)</p><p style="text-align: left;">- Printing Plate Black (/1)</p><p style="text-align: left;">- Printing Plate Cyan (/1)</p><p style="text-align: left;">- Printing Plate Magenta (/1)</p><p style="text-align: left;">- Printing Plate Yellow (/1) <br /></p><p style="text-align: left;">- 1st Edition Hot Pink (/10)</p><p style="text-align: left;">- 1st Edition Light Blue (/5)</p><p style="text-align: left;">- 1st Edition Platinum Stars (/1)</p><p style="text-align: left;"> </p><p style="text-align: left;">I was surprised to see the 5x7, as I don't recall seeing it listed anywhere. I'm going to assume that I'm not going to find anything on this list that is numbered at five or one. I'm OK with that. The odds would definitely have to be in my favor to obtain six cards numbered to one.</p><p style="text-align: left;">This is the closest I have come to collecting a true rainbow. The hunt was just as fun as opening the cards. I chose Cesar Hernandez because he is already on another team. He isn't a superstar, so the prices wouldn't be astronomically priced. I could get the bulk of the rainbow under the radar.</p><p style="text-align: left;">As much as I would have loved chasing a rainbow for Luis Robert or Tim Anderson, I think this was the correct decision. If I happen to complete Robert or Anderson or any other White Sox card, I'm certainly not going to complain.<br /></p>Steve Giermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10291911419511893670noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2448843072296729151.post-78613495768042016822022-06-04T02:00:00.000-05:002022-06-04T02:00:29.829-05:00The Frustrations Of 1971 Topps<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyXaPPYeFRd74CvyOEfdw-ZdiBA-79VGidFHeqbP4NZIjlqXoF6beYWClXYOEAdvcy7tb2cq3txiOwvX88P4ND3TqRYYcQkGzfgVSAPyKU_d7lZd-nEIUcXcvnjLuOISUMgzWrtIyQWIB4RqgmtmOmFpD6SaBBDMA2ZvO3_Ox3qYJnlVuJAIwtmjlo/s1123/1971Topps-ChuckTanner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1123" data-original-width="839" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyXaPPYeFRd74CvyOEfdw-ZdiBA-79VGidFHeqbP4NZIjlqXoF6beYWClXYOEAdvcy7tb2cq3txiOwvX88P4ND3TqRYYcQkGzfgVSAPyKU_d7lZd-nEIUcXcvnjLuOISUMgzWrtIyQWIB4RqgmtmOmFpD6SaBBDMA2ZvO3_Ox3qYJnlVuJAIwtmjlo/s320/1971Topps-ChuckTanner.jpg" width="239" /></a></div>1971 Topps has got to be one of the most frustrating sets to collect. I can't even begin to imagine what patience it must take to collect the entire set. I'm getting frustrated just collecting the set for one team.<p></p><p>Finding an entire team set with near mint or better qualities is easy, if you feel like skipping your bills for a month. High quality condition cards can cost you a pretty penny. That's not even counting the high numbers, which can be astronomical to acquire. Most high numbers in fair condition will cost you an arm and a leg.</p><p>Not only are older cards harder to find in mint condition, the black that was used on the border is extremely prone to chipping. Even the best looking card may be foiled by the black color flaking away. Dinged and soft corners are another problem with this set. The black border really makes this stand out.</p><p>I am three cards away from completing the White Sox master team set from 1971 Topps. All three missing cards are high number cards. All three cards I have watched on auctions climb way out of my price range. I understand that the nature of these cards increases the price, but I find it hard to pay inflated prices for cardboard collectibles produced in the same decade I was born. Call it a principle, if you will.</p><p>I have this issue with a lot of vintage Topps products. I complete most of the cards in the team set, but struggle to get the high numbers. There are enough listings of these cards out there that I should be able to squeeze a bargain or two. Yes, the high numbers are rare, but not that rare.</p><p>I could settle for filler cards, but I don't want to. I shouldn't have to settle for filler cards for cards issued past 1950. Do I want the card just to have the card or do I want a decent example in my collection. If it's post WWII, chances are the answer is going to be best example out there. There just is a fine balance between financially affordable and high grade. It's an issue that I struggle with constantly. It also depends on the day, which I will prioritize.</p><p>It's always a good feeling when you hit that sweet spot. There are millions of online listings out there for cards. Not every card is going to sell for insane amounts of money. There will be some that slip through the cracks.</p><p>The last two years have been incredibly trying for the hobby, as thousands of people stuck home, found themselves with a lot of time on their hands. They tried to make money at card investing. This created a rabid marketplace, where people would try to swoop in and buy all the cards, so they can sell them online at a drastic markup. I'm all about free enterprise, but there are things that are frowned upon. Pack searching and secondary retail markup are some of the most rampant.</p><p>It wouldn't be so bad if the sellers would open the product and sell cards individually, but most of them would sell the unopened box for triple the cost or more. The sad fact is that most of them would get those prices because they had cleared out most stores of product. I work in retail and saw greedy adults swoop in and make children cry. I'm thankful that most of those extreme practices have subsided.</p><p>Vintage card collecting isn't nearly that cutthroat, but it can be close. I've had auctioned usurped last second. I've had auctions climb sky high in the last few minutes. I've seen inflated prices and questionable grading. Trust your instincts and your eyes. If it's too good to be true, it usually is.<br /></p><p>Eventually, I will obtain the last three cards to complete the set. If I have enough luck and patience, I might just do it.<br /></p>Steve Giermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10291911419511893670noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2448843072296729151.post-29527071436355145882022-03-25T11:23:00.001-05:002022-03-25T11:23:29.755-05:00What Happened to 2010 Upper Deck Wave 2?<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifAT5zyhFayZfCCh7USgCv4Pl5AdxM3MR6vzEK3B0hWnyMk0EQA16cfbxrR9rdmJhplItPRWBe9w5-Bz1NzUPrBoWFGm8ijFPcsmeZwzI3lIQfOzG2V1zPnhtiw5NYIfpHipszE-jpSobp8C3KYEx4hQrYj_ZbCrRa7NujFN-LTHRh-n-Awbh02X04/s400/s-l400.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="287" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifAT5zyhFayZfCCh7USgCv4Pl5AdxM3MR6vzEK3B0hWnyMk0EQA16cfbxrR9rdmJhplItPRWBe9w5-Bz1NzUPrBoWFGm8ijFPcsmeZwzI3lIQfOzG2V1zPnhtiw5NYIfpHipszE-jpSobp8C3KYEx4hQrYj_ZbCrRa7NujFN-LTHRh-n-Awbh02X04/s320/s-l400.jpg" width="230" /></a></div>2010 Upper Deck was a gigantic middle finger to MLB and as a result, to the fans as well. Upper Deck responded to losing the MLB license similar to a vengeful toddler stealing cookies after being told they couldn't have any. The release became the pettiest excuse of a set, trying to push the envelope of what they could "accidentally" get away with. There were more logo slips than a Janet Jackson/Justin Timberlake Super Bowl routine. Logos were in your face, taunting MLB, implying that Upper Deck was above the law.<p></p><p>I definitely agree that logo-less uniforms seem amateurish and very beer softball league. In fact, I commented on that in a <a href="https://whitesoxcards.blogspot.com/2009/08/card-spotlight-8-7-09.html">card spotlight</a> (that evolved into a now deleted Baseball Digest post), turning Ron Karkovice's 1989 Upper Deck card into a logo-less softball card, removing logos from his jersey and hat, plus removing the logo from the edge of the card too. Karkovice looks like an electrician who is on a bar's sponsored softball pickup team. Not exactly a card someone would feel inclined to collect. The only difference is the lack of logos, but sometimes that makes all the difference. It's between a fully licensed card and one you cut out of the back of a box of macaroni and cheese.</p><p>That being said, being only licensed with the MLBPA does not mean your product is doomed to languish at the bottom of the bargain bin with most late 80's/early 90s junk wax. Panini does a wonderful job with their limitations and they truly seem to respect the game and their small part of it. I can't recall seeing a logo on a Panini product, but I certainly remember them on 2010 Upper Deck. All over the place. On the card pictured on this post, there are four instances of logos. One on each photo with the hat, one on the sleeve, one on the front of the jersey. A case could be argued for each photo of the hat. The X is only visible on the head shot. That's not too bad. The left side of the logo is visible on the main photo. Not horrible, but lazy. The alternate logo on the sleeve is in full view and there is no mistaking the top of the S on the jersey. Each logo slip is distinctive enough to realize what the logo is. All four together creates a terrible circumventing of the rules. It's fine if Upper Deck wants to be anti-establishment, but it should not have been surprised at the swift reaction and ban it got.</p><p>Under an agreement, Upper Deck was allowed to sell through it's existing inventory of product that was already released. This meant that the public was bombarded with 2010 Upper Deck Series One product for the rest of 2010. That brings me to Wave 2.</p><p>Wave 2 was supposed to be a fifty card extension released on or around May 4, 2010. It would be an extension that would be one card per fat pack or two cards per rack pack, to my understanding. There is not a checklist of what was supposed to be in this extension, that I could find. I would be very interested in knowing what was on that checklist.</p><p>Here's what makes Wave 2 intriguing to me. The lawsuit that ceased baseball operations for Upper Deck was finalized in March 2010. That was roughly two months before Wave 2 was supposed to drop. With that short window, I would believe that some cards were actually printed. At the time, I was actually expecting them to randomly show up in packs of remaining inventory. I thought that I had heard of a few cards doing exactly that, but I can find no evidence of that actually happening.</p><p>At this point, twelve years later, I would like a few things to happen. I would like to see a checklist of those cards. I would love to see pictures of each card that was in the set. The cards were definitely finalized by this point, so there should be at least a finalized mock up of each card. If any cards were printed, and they featured White Sox players, I would love to have them in my collection.</p><p>I understand that is a pretty tall order, but for someone who is still trying to complete White Sox related mirror card sets from 2008 (not to mention a complete set of Heritage from that year), I figured this would probably happen before I get those sets completed. One can always dream.<br /></p>Steve Giermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10291911419511893670noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2448843072296729151.post-76234260495613898372022-02-22T10:10:00.000-06:002022-02-22T10:10:53.911-06:00The First White Sox Card Of 2022 Is...<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj9vGWag1MWt3JBOjDJfyFrWrV_JBFN53V7WIJVNckykH3t1GU3CCzmrYl4Ydpq-IsxXBiGgic1j0juHfHNF6UkrMn0WX1tI-xKSChMAI8zgCrk8vOrmWcuQBMI0WJO7ey9Vu0d3nEM02ykF_egtlHvJciEv_m9dJwLQPKanKqx9tldYZHl6JeG-iVN=s2064" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2064" data-original-width="1480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj9vGWag1MWt3JBOjDJfyFrWrV_JBFN53V7WIJVNckykH3t1GU3CCzmrYl4Ydpq-IsxXBiGgic1j0juHfHNF6UkrMn0WX1tI-xKSChMAI8zgCrk8vOrmWcuQBMI0WJO7ey9Vu0d3nEM02ykF_egtlHvJciEv_m9dJwLQPKanKqx9tldYZHl6JeG-iVN=s320" width="229" /></a></div>Liam Hendriks!!<p></p><p>I feel pumped for the 2022 season, that is if it will ever start. Millionaires fighting about money always seems to turn me away from a sport. Unfortunately, in the end it's all about both sides getting richer and the fan getting poorer. Yes, the players and the owners should be able to get their money. There is a balance, but the only ones that should be crying poor are the rookie minor league players. I guess, minor league players in general.</p><p>I realize there are other things on the table, but the major sticking point is money. An insane amount of money. If a compromise can be reached, these two entities should work together to strengthen the sport. The longer they squabble, the less interested the average fan becomes and the more money both parties lose.</p><p>I can remember being in elementary school and getting free tickets for good grades. I can also remember my dad getting free tickets through his work. They were almost always for the upper deck and we would sometimes exchange them for upgraded seats and we would cover the difference. That's part of what hooked me into the sport. I remember going to a lot of games growing up. Even if the majority of those were horrible teams, I still had a wonderful time. I got to see my heroes on the field. I have great memories of comebacks, the crowds, the plays, the near wins, the blowouts and the search for great ballpark food.</p><p>Baseball cards only helped enhance that experience. I could flip through my cards and the memories would come flooding back, even to this day. With my dad passing last year, these memories become even more important. Sure, those times of yesteryear will never be repeated, but the chance to make new experiences with my dad have seen their last game. Fortunately, I have the chance to do that with my own family. That is, if the owners and players association can come to a new agreement.</p><p>Until that is sorted out, I will continue to hope for the best. I'll keep opening packs and smiling at the wonders that I've uncovered. The search for my team and my favorite players is never ending. Along the way, I cherish the memories of yesterday and await the unknown experiences that lie ahead.</p><p>Open a pack and find your adventure.<br /></p>Steve Giermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10291911419511893670noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2448843072296729151.post-75202284355383488972020-08-26T01:07:00.005-05:002020-08-26T01:07:41.985-05:00Congratulations Giolito!<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglKJm_Ettt8x3uBFsBPxerZ1eMdABmsg3QauRXiIOhi_gn3A5HQvJrwi6f8qiHRcjAPWXSWsh87vZmNv7-NUVlCTtS2jhbO-BZLwl6xsSwVF0N0av1sxx3aTAOdzAu1ohcWbzuP6G0fe8/s1052/2020Donruss12LucasGiolitoDK.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1052" data-original-width="757" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglKJm_Ettt8x3uBFsBPxerZ1eMdABmsg3QauRXiIOhi_gn3A5HQvJrwi6f8qiHRcjAPWXSWsh87vZmNv7-NUVlCTtS2jhbO-BZLwl6xsSwVF0N0av1sxx3aTAOdzAu1ohcWbzuP6G0fe8/s640/2020Donruss12LucasGiolitoDK.jpg" /></a></div><span style="font-size: x-large;">101 pitches + 13 strikeouts + 1 walk = the first no-hitter of the 2020 season and the 19th in White Sox history.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;">Congrats, Lucas! You are truly an ace! </span><br /></p>Steve Giermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10291911419511893670noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2448843072296729151.post-25403103504448964872020-08-15T12:47:00.003-05:002020-08-15T12:47:53.608-05:00My Own Stab At Project 2020<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiefMRBprFP8iDaEnRBjS6MAxX8vu09a140KvbglmePD86uKZRbFCcU9WG9dFUQPaW92ntoqe93tK5oYVVOzx9DX1FmVWO8AGAotrf3ZHhI8TJZB_Q1fNDLWfWIoSBFj7smq66ISQqRTNc/s464/2020ProjectProject2020Thomas1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="464" data-original-width="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiefMRBprFP8iDaEnRBjS6MAxX8vu09a140KvbglmePD86uKZRbFCcU9WG9dFUQPaW92ntoqe93tK5oYVVOzx9DX1FmVWO8AGAotrf3ZHhI8TJZB_Q1fNDLWfWIoSBFj7smq66ISQqRTNc/s0/2020ProjectProject2020Thomas1.jpg" /></a></div><p></p><p>
I've been looking at Topps Project 2020 with a raised eyebrow, a hopeful outlook and a skeptical view. As someone with a heavy art background, I applaud this move. Even if some of the results have been less than spectacular or downright gaudy, it's a great idea and I love the execution. Art is always subjective and even what I think is amateurish can be considered great art. My taste does not usually include massive amounts of flashy bling, but there are cards in this series that cater to those tastes.</p><p>I've decided to throw my hat in the ring. I played around with color, paint and blending techniques. The result falls in line with most of the actual cards. I included text from a Sports Illustrated article that came early in Thomas' career. One of the things that impressed me about Frank from the moment he was called up was the motto he lived by, "Don't Believe The Hype". Boiled down, it means to keep a level head and don't let your ego run out of control by what others are telling you.</p><p>Here in the background, behind Frank, it adds a connection to Thomas that most people might miss. If you grew up watching him play and devoured every interview and article, this motto came up frequently, especially in the first few years of his career.</p><p>Let me know what you think of my plunge into this interesting idea of a set from Topps. Also, let me know what you think of the actual cards. Have there been any that you really like? Have there been any that you really disliked? Please share your thoughts. I'm interested.<br /></p>Steve Giermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10291911419511893670noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2448843072296729151.post-31163237490189525752020-07-26T01:15:00.001-05:002020-07-26T01:15:50.929-05:00Did Someone Say Baseball Is Back?<div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9RSQdwBEqaUKbMGronqo9Q33x9T7fYUvKbl2hfKqOn9Fl53AC3RnZ5bJZ4W8xAJ2E1zTN7-MA2xY77fyQVhYCzGQ0_doSDuvmVGEXKZfhEuQQrzdI1LsJ1cfifu2Unt3addrbVDS3eJo/s1037/2020BowmanBCP101-NickMadrigal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1037" data-original-width="758" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9RSQdwBEqaUKbMGronqo9Q33x9T7fYUvKbl2hfKqOn9Fl53AC3RnZ5bJZ4W8xAJ2E1zTN7-MA2xY77fyQVhYCzGQ0_doSDuvmVGEXKZfhEuQQrzdI1LsJ1cfifu2Unt3addrbVDS3eJo/s320/2020BowmanBCP101-NickMadrigal.jpg" /></a>I have slowly and quietly been collecting in 2020. I have by no means completed much, but I have opened a fair share of product, which has been mostly retail based. Probably the most exciting White Sox find would be the Medallion card of Luis Robert. I picked out one blaster box and that was the blaster exclusive card inside.</div><div><br /></div><div>I was really looking forward to the 2020 season. Now, I'm not so sure anymore. I love our national pastime. There are so many intricacies to the game that one could not possibly see every scenario play out in their own lifetime. It's fresh and exciting without tweaking the rules for the crowd of short attention span phone dwellers or the people that show up just to say they've been there.</div><div><br /></div><div>Playing to empty stadiums with cardboard cutouts and video game crowd noise seems like a desperate tactic designed to fool toddlers. To most adults, it seems creepy and weird. Almost like grown men playing a pickup game in the backyard, fantasizing that tennis ball that was hit over the roof just blasted out of a MLB stadium. It doesn't feel authentic. It feels artificial, but it retains a shell of its former self. Enough to be recognized at a glance, but when you look deep into its eyes, you realize the lights are on but nobody bought tickets.</div><div><br /></div><div>The worst fears have started to come true. A player that played on Opening Day tested positive for Covid-19. Is there a plan in place to keep other players safe that came in contact with that player? Do the teams that played in that game shut down for two weeks, until all personnel involved come back with two negative tests? What exactly is the protocol for this breach? I guess we'll find out in the coming days.</div><div><br /></div><div>Even though it's extremely weird, I'm happy baseball is back. I still have reservations, but I enjoy the hell out of the sport. This season has already cranked out some disappointments. I was looking forward to seeing Michael Kopech pitch again. I will have to wait until 2021 to see that. Giolito got rocked a bit on Opening Day. I haven't decided if it was jitters, the bizarre circumstances of this season or just a bad day. The Yankees/Nationals game was blacked out on MLB.TV. Soooooo... what is the point of paying for that if games are still blacked out? I know there are other ways to watch the game. That's not the point. Let's abolish blacked out games once and for all. It benefits no fan. MLB would gain more fans, if they had access to every game. I know. That's such a radical idea. It must be killed with fire.</div><div><br /></div><div>As this unique season plays out, I will sit back and enjoy what I can. I will collect my cards. I will catch some games on the streaming services. I will hope for the best outcomes. Not just in the games. In life too. I hope Matt Davidson recovers from Covid-19 to play again this season. I hope no one else catches that from being around him. Sometimes all you have is hope to get you through. I have hope. I need more baseball cards.<br /></div>Steve Giermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10291911419511893670noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2448843072296729151.post-71041434134185538712020-07-02T07:22:00.001-05:002020-07-26T01:16:59.030-05:00Being Essential Isn't As Great As It Sounds<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixfq9lQoNCgPlXTmA2zxNR-cXmmrQoaGYXOokOKwVH_AHOYQIAwUFX8B-W3N9SY-1rrZdBU6GsLEEZsJcrK_gu3UJnMM2zglrLQjg4U3sImrJiuJh6PlwHv6GlYoau4IZbups6_B6dCaw/s1600/2020ToppsMoncada.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1046" data-original-width="749" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixfq9lQoNCgPlXTmA2zxNR-cXmmrQoaGYXOokOKwVH_AHOYQIAwUFX8B-W3N9SY-1rrZdBU6GsLEEZsJcrK_gu3UJnMM2zglrLQjg4U3sImrJiuJh6PlwHv6GlYoau4IZbups6_B6dCaw/s320/2020ToppsMoncada.jpg" width="229" /></a></div>
Retail, in general, is more time consuming than you realize. I haven't posted since September 2019. That was the last time before the madness of the holiday season finally took hold.<br />
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Since then, I have worked first, second and third shifts. My spare time activities included watching a toddler and learning way more than I ever needed to know about Superwings and revisiting Scooby Doo. There really isn't a lot of downtime to sit down and write out a thoughtful post.<br />
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When the lull usually comes every year, I tend to ramp up my postings. This year the lull turned into overtime at work. My store was deemed essential because it has groceries and a pharmacy. What did everyone come to my store for (besides toilet paper and sanitizer)? Televisions and video game consoles and books. Computers, routers and printers. Beats and Apple Watches and Air Pods. If you can't tell, my usual domain is in electronics and entertainment.<br />
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I've dealt with the initial rush of Covid-19, where everyone was ill prepared to work at home. I've dealt with the rush from tax refund checks, where everyone came in looking for high end electronics. I've handled the first round of stimulus checks. You know, the ones that dropped directly into bank accounts. I've handled the second round of stimulus checks. The ones that came printed on paper, found in the mailbox. By the time those rolled around, we were out of pretty much everything I listed in the paragraph above.<br />
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I've been both thanked for my service and cussed out for things beyond my control. I don't control what we get in, when we get it or that people bought them before you got there. I also don't control pricing and I will not price match to that sketchy seller on eBay. I've heard complaints about having to wear a mask and I've seen people come in with what could only be described as WWI era gas masks on. I've had more than one person tell me that we were overreacting about this "fake virus". This has happened while I was ringing up their purchases and while I was disinfecting every surface that someone could even fathom touching.<br />
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I've seen the beauty in humanity and the ugliness of humanity too. I've had my shift cut short because the store had to shut down early for fear of riots and looting. I've had to clear every single item out of our glass cases, load them into carts and wheel them to a safer place for that same reason.<br />
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Why am I telling you all of this? It's not for any particular reason. I'm trying to explain why I've seemingly abandoned this blog for the past nine months. Time slips by and the world is definitely in an uncomfortable place right now. Everyone living in my house was deemed an essential worker in some way and had to keep working through all of this mess, which definitely made things more challenging. The most challenging being the escape artist toddler living in one of the bedrooms.<br />
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Baseball will be back soon. I have mixed feelings about that, but I'm happy that it's back. You may be wondering why the 2020 Topps card of Yoan Moncada is up at the top of this post. There's a good reason. It is the first White Sox card I pulled for 2020. Yes. This post has been gestating since Series One dropped.<br />
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I will try not to make it another nine months between postings.Steve Giermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10291911419511893670noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2448843072296729151.post-21589858710231550422019-09-16T00:40:00.001-05:002019-09-16T00:40:19.997-05:002019 Topps X Gary Vee Direct360<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgToc_Dj6uy5xzj8VycE6ZOXCRr50V8yi-s7o4JsJWJMnAWowDdK2K0Xeh-YhFIJTn1L0vM0k2H6hydginaKtVyIrtSydrEq_h2iSG5jLsKwBXEdPPCGfdsS6dr2E26i6EUuVWVzfzl2-Q/s1600/2019-Topps-X-Gary-Vee-Direct360-Baseball-Cards-Box-Set.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="536" data-original-width="506" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgToc_Dj6uy5xzj8VycE6ZOXCRr50V8yi-s7o4JsJWJMnAWowDdK2K0Xeh-YhFIJTn1L0vM0k2H6hydginaKtVyIrtSydrEq_h2iSG5jLsKwBXEdPPCGfdsS6dr2E26i6EUuVWVzfzl2-Q/s320/2019-Topps-X-Gary-Vee-Direct360-Baseball-Cards-Box-Set.jpg" width="302" /></a></div>
I have seen a lot of cards morph into the on demand online exclusive model in the past few years. I have an indifference to them. I like the fact that things that might not sell well in shops can be sold online. I like the fact that there are exciting avenues that can be explored using this method. I like the fact that moments can be emblazoned on cardboard in a speedy way that makes it seem especially relevant.<br />
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What I don't like is overpriced garbage that should have been left on the drawing board. I don't like having to research such loose connections that I feel that Al Capone should have a set because he attended White Sox games.<br />
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This bring us to my pick for the worst set of the year, so far. Who is Gary Vaynerchuk? And why was he allowed to put together a card set?<br />
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Gary in an entrepreneur who got his start in the family's wine business. He was also a wine critic, who started a social media empire. Apparently, he also collects cards.<br />
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I'm all for people designing their own cards. I do that very thing on my blog. I like some of the cards in this set, but there are just some that are so over the top ridiculous that it makes me question my life. The two subsets that are the worst offenders are the "Card Collectors" and the Wine Pairings" subsets. The "Card Collectors" set is like a bastard child of the 1990 Topps design paired with early Donruss. It does not look good. The "Wine Pairings" just offends my sensibilities as a collector. There is a generic cartoonish wine bottle with a wine recommendation based upon the player. I'm not enough of a wine connoisseur to know if these are joke titles to tie in with the player or these are actually the poorest named wines ever. A quick google search confirms that these are indeed real wines.<br />
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I'll have to admit that the comparison of wines and athletes together is unique, but the whole concept seems to be stretched thin. It would be different if the design didn't look like it belonged in a cheap early 80s soda tie-in. The top prizes of purchasing these sets include a chance to win a 5 minute video phone call with Gary Vee, dinner with Gary Vee and joining Gary Vee in a NYC baseball suite. Sorry, Gary, you are just not my cup of tea. The extent of my wine interest is a repeat viewing of Sideways. I don't enjoy speaking with famous people to begin with, let alone famous people who I have no clue are famous.<br />
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The White Sox have three cards in this set, in addition to three autographs. Let's break it down.<br />
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Bowman by Gary Vee<br />
11 - Luis Alexander Basabe<br />
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Card Hunting<br />
2 - Frank Thomas<br />
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Wine Pairings<br />
4 - Eloy Jimenez<br />
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Autographs<br />
Eloy Jimenez<br />
Frank Thomas<br />
Luis Alexander Basabe<br />
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I really wanted to like this set. Gary seems like an OK guy, but I am struggling to see why he was honored with this personal set. I'll still collect the White Sox cards in the set, but I'll hate myself in the morning.Steve Giermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10291911419511893670noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2448843072296729151.post-50883082817300740702019-09-13T21:25:00.000-05:002019-09-13T23:31:29.392-05:00Card Spotlight: 9-13-19<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilRHKOg8ASvCuoXD5_guysxeMM1P-waPbFTSNdSAP_rmvJHuc-my8leN5z5hBB7fbSPj9oNwlHZue2-oY3ddVAoxeeWIDFH1xyPMXoQgZeGiUg52PXw52CKTiwzoBtkeHjV1-WEVSmi8g/s1600/1950Bowman38BillWight.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="417" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilRHKOg8ASvCuoXD5_guysxeMM1P-waPbFTSNdSAP_rmvJHuc-my8leN5z5hBB7fbSPj9oNwlHZue2-oY3ddVAoxeeWIDFH1xyPMXoQgZeGiUg52PXw52CKTiwzoBtkeHjV1-WEVSmi8g/s320/1950Bowman38BillWight.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
1950 Bowman #38 - Bill Wight<br />
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Just a quick one today, as I've got a mini movie marathon to scare one of my daughters and my wife with. If you see the date, you can guess the movie series.<br />
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Sometimes I just look at all the cards that have received the spotlight treatment on this blog and I'll see a year or a series that's not represented much or at all and I'll explore options to fit those criteria. This would be one of these posts.<br />
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Bill Wight certainly wasn't a rookie when he got this rookie card, but cards were scarce in the forties and a lot of players didn't get cardboard love until much later. Some never got it at all.<br />
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Bill spent three seasons with the White Sox and twelve in the MLB. 1950 would be the last with the White Sox.Steve Giermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10291911419511893670noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2448843072296729151.post-51684506776807484552019-09-06T15:36:00.002-05:002019-09-06T15:36:40.768-05:00Card Spotlight: 9-6-19<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP_f1P-JgY_Rvz4C7OjqkkqYRKjBD6LtddPS_ws0BrjmHySX3caO5bP2n8nQQXhYLpak61Azsqdjdy-4wbjCNCfhGtlCDTA8xDT5p7nMYmKluJun3IistiSQ1CwzTMH1ZxmPsB18xwoVE/s1600/2019Donruss113YoanMoncada.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1046" data-original-width="756" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP_f1P-JgY_Rvz4C7OjqkkqYRKjBD6LtddPS_ws0BrjmHySX3caO5bP2n8nQQXhYLpak61Azsqdjdy-4wbjCNCfhGtlCDTA8xDT5p7nMYmKluJun3IistiSQ1CwzTMH1ZxmPsB18xwoVE/s320/2019Donruss113YoanMoncada.jpg" width="231" /></a></div>
2019 Donruss #113 - Yoan Moncada<br />
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I am sitting here at the computer digesting the latest offering from Tool called Fear Inoculum. While it's pleasing to the senses, it will take many more listens to fully appreciate the intricacies and skill that went into making the first album in thirteen years by one of my favorite bands in the metal vein. They have come a long way from Opiate and Undertow. Undertow and <span style="font-weight: normal;">Ænema are two of my favorite albums from Tool, but all their output has been pretty stellar. This latest release is no exception.</span></div>
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<span style="font-weight: normal;">Filled with ten minute songs, it's a treat for the senses. There is meaning behind each note and far removed from the typical pop fluff that finds its way on the charts.</span></div>
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<span style="font-weight: normal;">What does any of this have to do with baseball, the White Sox, Donruss or Yoan Moncada? Like Tool, Moncada just keeps getting better with age. Not only is he is living up to his potential and he's breaking perceived ceilings to escalate his performance to new heights.</span></div>
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<span style="font-weight: normal;">His average is way up. His home runs are up. His strikeouts are down. His play in the field has drastically improved. Yoan has really come into his own this year.</span></div>
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<span style="font-weight: normal;">The only thing that is wrong with Moncada is this card, filled with a field of dreams of many a softball team. That logo-less uniform just looks horrible and ruins a perfectly good Leaf 2000s throwback design with a bit of 2000s Donruss thrown in for good measure. I will be a very happy consumer when Topps no longer has a monopoly on team logos. It's just better for everyone. Competition is healthy in business. Variety is wonderful and one company should not be able to have full access and free reign to do whatever they please.</span></div>
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<span style="font-weight: normal;">Someday, these card companies not named Topps will be elevated to the greatness that they deserve. I won't have to do college level research to find out if Chicago means the White Sox or the Cubs on these unlicensed cards. Not really on the MLB players, but the prospects. If they choose a fringe prospect, it turns into a chore when I have to constantly look up what organization said prospect is in.</span></div>
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<span style="font-weight: normal;">This is supposed to be an enjoyable hobby. Monopolies do not make me happy. Monopoly is the worst game that always leads to arguments. That's the feeling I get when I think about Topps stranglehold on the logos and team names.</span></div>
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<span style="font-weight: normal;">It takes things like Tool's new album and Moncada's newly found successful stats to soothe me. Panini makes a lot of decent cards. They don't deserve softball status. Let them have logos!</span></div>
Steve Giermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10291911419511893670noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2448843072296729151.post-27790020518956356442019-08-30T09:12:00.001-05:002019-08-30T09:12:24.563-05:00Card Spotlight: 8-30-19<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2R8iE76Jt9yo7qF8dbShibKBDfHh3BZ8HivcrdFJ0HJIPDRpNIH6jLQmkOQhN4gnWUqgufpnprc4mz9ICxAsZy0lM7X3rCn_XlDLpJInWDDFfVue0R-bxUc8BO8UF3vdlkFJ3uMCAcgg/s1600/2003Topps546BartoloColon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="253" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2R8iE76Jt9yo7qF8dbShibKBDfHh3BZ8HivcrdFJ0HJIPDRpNIH6jLQmkOQhN4gnWUqgufpnprc4mz9ICxAsZy0lM7X3rCn_XlDLpJInWDDFfVue0R-bxUc8BO8UF3vdlkFJ3uMCAcgg/s320/2003Topps546BartoloColon.jpg" width="231" /></a></div>
2003 Topps #546 - Bartolo Colon<br />
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You know what's surprising? Bartolo Colon has not pitched in the majors in 2019. I know he's forty-six, but he's still capable, to my knowledge. How some fledgling team looking for veteran presence hasn't given him a shot, I'll never know.<br />
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I could see the Orioles or the Marlins or the Tigers wanting him on their staff, just to eat innings at this point. And of course, to provide some clairvoyance to the rookies coming up.<br />
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The White Sox took a chance on Bartolo in 2003 and again in 2009. Colon even won a Cy Young award between his stints with the White Sox. I'm actually a bit surprised that he hasn't popped up on the White Sox in 2019. With all the injuries that the pitching staff has endured this season, and the inability to find a solid fifth starter, Bartolo actually makes a lot of sense.<br />
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Maybe at this point of his life, Bartolo is more content with day drinking on boats. That's what I'd probably want to do today instead of working, but I'm not a multi-millionaire and I have to pay the bills. Maybe I'll do some night drinking tonight, celebrating my fifth wedding anniversary, but I doubt it. And if I do, I highly doubt that maritime activities will be involved.Steve Giermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10291911419511893670noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2448843072296729151.post-14394415007757034212019-08-25T12:46:00.000-05:002019-08-25T12:46:32.740-05:00WSC Southside '19 - Yoan Moncada<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfN2-dVmnQ0n4x0hSWOoh6rM5aoagLMiGpUk1v0fClxTMvr3-_Il5CghNbvLD9_Yge2iJ9TAYqGvidXuonv6LT5An94wMYPr1NBb7N7fTluFsiajT6gvx41hJXi6LFC3ocf3G4IzuYXzg/s1600/WSCSS19-14-YoanMoncada.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="525" data-original-width="375" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfN2-dVmnQ0n4x0hSWOoh6rM5aoagLMiGpUk1v0fClxTMvr3-_Il5CghNbvLD9_Yge2iJ9TAYqGvidXuonv6LT5An94wMYPr1NBb7N7fTluFsiajT6gvx41hJXi6LFC3ocf3G4IzuYXzg/s320/WSCSS19-14-YoanMoncada.jpg" width="228" /></a></div>
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Card #14 - Yoan Moncada</div>
<br />Steve Giermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10291911419511893670noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2448843072296729151.post-54440858758803129582019-08-23T22:26:00.000-05:002019-08-23T23:45:05.918-05:00Card Spotlight: 8-23-19<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO6zuYc2G2-9Z9cmXS5dKOKb16T8nubdrTRyhDRnxujACf1CxwHgnGpuJKwkl24HLitLIw2CZa5c6xae9zg7eqxYErSX-g52GjIQwaSZRiMstHQojZeEzCBMAfELaP9sM8nVdv55qKURQ/s1600/Scan10183.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1084" data-original-width="752" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO6zuYc2G2-9Z9cmXS5dKOKb16T8nubdrTRyhDRnxujACf1CxwHgnGpuJKwkl24HLitLIw2CZa5c6xae9zg7eqxYErSX-g52GjIQwaSZRiMstHQojZeEzCBMAfELaP9sM8nVdv55qKURQ/s320/Scan10183.JPG" width="221" /></a></div>
2019 Topps Living Set #219 - Harold Baines<br />
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I'll just say that I love the idea of the Topps Living Set. I'm not too crazy about the price per card, but it is what it is. The cards look fantastic and there are no repeats of players (at least until they change teams and I'm OK with that).<br />
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My day started early today because of Taylor Swift. I handle the movies, music and books at my store and today was the release of Taylor Swift's new album. I'll just say that it is not my cup of tea, but if she can get grown women to purchase five different variations of the same CD, I am definitely in the wrong business. The covers aren't different, except for the version number. The songs are exactly the same. The only differences are four different excerpts from her personal diary and four different posters. Also some photos, but I'm unsure if they are different with each version or not. That's it. Each CD doesn't have a different version of the same song on it. The two bonus "audio memos" are exactly the same on each of the deluxe versions. Then there's the standard version with no bonus tracks, in a regular jewel case. It really reminded me of all the parallel versions of baseball cards and how some of us are suckered into collecting them all.<br />
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I needed to really get away from parallels today. I thought about posting a yellow Walgreens parallel that I have from 2019 Topps, but thought better of it. I decided to get as far away from parallels as I can in today's collecting landsape. That would be Topps Living Set.<br />
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This will be the only Harold Baines White Sox card in this set. That is comforting. There is an artist's version of a not overused photograph of the player. It makes the cards have a unique feel among the rest of card releases.<br />
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The rest of the day was as unparalleled as I could possibly get. Some of the family and I took a trip to Grand Rapids, a town that I have never visited before, picked up some Pink Zebra product that my wife bought from a retiring seller. Yes, she is selling that, in addition to all the rest of the time consuming and amazing jobs that she does. We went to Arnie's, a restaurant that I've never been to before, and had a great meal that came with a free cupcake. I chose White Chocolate Raspberry. It was delicious.<br />
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I received this card in a way that I don't typically get cards... on Twitter. I got a great price from someone who was putting together a bulk order. I got one for the White Sox collection and one for the Baines collection.<br />
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It's been an unparalleled day. A wonderful day. I'm just not a huge Taylor Swift fan. And that's OK. If you have a problem with that, you should just shake it off.<br />
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Damn.<br />
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At least that has more to do with The Rock lip synching that song on television than being a fan of her music.Steve Giermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10291911419511893670noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2448843072296729151.post-36244207431759287042019-08-21T14:23:00.002-05:002019-08-21T14:23:53.741-05:002019 Topps Total Wave Two<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyrUI3R7iLkb2-rM08MEKfqtFoHiziU4onA4c0qN8XwGEe4UOjwuhumhR4fw9ZsmlJ0EH8vyAoOt6eIl08HRcLf-8NcqQpOTqtsWg6_rFAONN8lFpT7i0nnoWRVlskPvWNuyfW9l3QxI4/s1600/2019ToppsTotal164YonderAlonso.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1070" data-original-width="771" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyrUI3R7iLkb2-rM08MEKfqtFoHiziU4onA4c0qN8XwGEe4UOjwuhumhR4fw9ZsmlJ0EH8vyAoOt6eIl08HRcLf-8NcqQpOTqtsWg6_rFAONN8lFpT7i0nnoWRVlskPvWNuyfW9l3QxI4/s320/2019ToppsTotal164YonderAlonso.jpg" width="230" /></a></div>
I've already waxed poetic about the things wrong with the comeback of Topps Total in the <a href="https://whitesoxcards.blogspot.com/2019/07/2019-topps-total-wave-1.html">review of Wave One</a>. The price point and distribution is all wrong for the type of card Topps Total is supposed to be. For good or for bad, we are now stuck with this well intentioned monstrosity.<br />
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Wave two is similar to wave one. There are another one hundred cards in the set. It is only available in ten card packs for ten dollars on the Topps website. If you miss the window, you are thrown to the wolves of the secondary market.<br />
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The print run for wave two is 753, which is considerably lower than wave one. There are the numbered parallels and the random autographs too. All to create the illusion that you might be able to get value out of your purchase. That is truly in the eye of the beholder. I don't put much stock into this release, but I'm sure there are those who do.<br />
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The White Sox have four cards in wave two.<br />
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132 - Yolmer Sanchez<br />
140 - Daniel Palka<br />
142 - Caleb Frare <br />
164 - Yonder Alonso<br />
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To say the player selection in wave two is underwhelming would be an understatement. I like Yolmer, but he is not going to set the collecting world on fire. He is a great clubhouse presence, but he is a placeholder player, unless he really elevates his game another few levels. I like Daniel Palka, but he needs to figure out how to adjust quicker or he's going to be the ultimate AAAA player. I like Caleb Frare, but it's a bit too early to say how he's going to ultimately fit in the bullpen. He could surprise us all and be elite one day. Yonder's time with the White Sox resulted in a .178 batting average. That is 72 points below his lowest batting average with any team he has been with. His previous low was .250 with the Cleveland Indians in 2018. Alonso is currently hitting .317 with the Rockies through twenty-five games. Let that sink in. It can't all be explained by playing in Colorado.<br />
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The only way this wave gets more depressing is if they added Odrisamer Despaigne, Ervin Santana and A.J. Reed. Don't get me wrong. I like all the players that have been on the White Sox (except for Nick Swisher). There are just some players that are more exciting than others. These four players probably sounded a lot more promising in the planning stages. That happens. We'll see if things get more exciting in wave three.Steve Giermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10291911419511893670noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2448843072296729151.post-7028267792659423122019-08-20T14:53:00.000-05:002019-08-20T14:53:03.902-05:00Draft Years: 1972<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9K1gQe6ATYZ8Lsa_22BVYp4_NdH9AXs9GXTRxkyDQEtoT0aHeJJdD6kxgLcijnTA8tl0xw23CAJK-kZzGe3eaWDuBZGXmMT8OOXUmngrXBdiS4l5AV9cnQdAjMS2370HFtbgzhGYOWlM/s1600/MikeOndina.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9K1gQe6ATYZ8Lsa_22BVYp4_NdH9AXs9GXTRxkyDQEtoT0aHeJJdD6kxgLcijnTA8tl0xw23CAJK-kZzGe3eaWDuBZGXmMT8OOXUmngrXBdiS4l5AV9cnQdAjMS2370HFtbgzhGYOWlM/s1600/MikeOndina.jpg" /></a></div>
With the twelfth pick in the 1972 amateur draft, the White Sox chose outfielder Mike Ondina out of Rancho Cordova, California.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_OoF0YCOtDZF-bHrW6IM4wQ67rQTrfO4GsnvQMFSuzTqm4e3_kmcnjiaXdTmtkC-2scT1pWbKqnb4YblDULtdqLioZx-GwzWryGQ5PZcS5UiyAFUwRfo3RXoXaxQ22imRPQQQxio24bc/s1600/MikeOndina2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="294" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_OoF0YCOtDZF-bHrW6IM4wQ67rQTrfO4GsnvQMFSuzTqm4e3_kmcnjiaXdTmtkC-2scT1pWbKqnb4YblDULtdqLioZx-GwzWryGQ5PZcS5UiyAFUwRfo3RXoXaxQ22imRPQQQxio24bc/s320/MikeOndina2.jpg" width="235" /></a></div>
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Mike spent six seasons in the White Sox minor league system, not once getting a call-up. He hit a combined .254 average over eight seasons in the minors, six with the White Sox and two with the Royals, before calling it quits.</div>
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Ondina kept getting a little bit worse, the further he climbed the minor league ladder. It's not surprising that even on some of the questionable teams of the seventies, the Sox decided against giving him a shot at the MLB level.</div>
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The 1972 draft was not loaded with a lot of exceptional talent, but there were a few standouts. Dennis Eckersley Dick Ruthven, Dave Chalk, Jamie Quirk, Chet Lemon, John Candelaria, Willie Randolph and Rick Honeycutt were all taken after Mike Ondina. Along with a handful of other notable names.</div>
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The White Sox should have taken...</div>
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Gary Carter.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLCIKEjf-8fVOdSxDSiCny09BEzbkVmgtxCZB_u7ZqrYjtJsMoKHdaGYmgj4gG1O1bYOBGco6ewufCBxt7JdT5Pb9sGEdpyWWsdvRbmECvS498fAE91TMl-nPWnFQ_VJUih5g20iirBL8/s1600/GaryCarter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="408" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLCIKEjf-8fVOdSxDSiCny09BEzbkVmgtxCZB_u7ZqrYjtJsMoKHdaGYmgj4gG1O1bYOBGco6ewufCBxt7JdT5Pb9sGEdpyWWsdvRbmECvS498fAE91TMl-nPWnFQ_VJUih5g20iirBL8/s320/GaryCarter.jpg" width="261" /></a></div>
The man who scouted him for the Expos was known for his shenanigans and secrecy, so it could be understandable why a talent like Carter dropped to the third round and 53rd overall. It would also be a good bet that an injury that Gary suffered also cooled teams off from drafting the three-sport star.<br />
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Gary could have really solidified the backstop position for the Pale Hose in the seventies. Can you imagine an early eighties catching tandem of Fisk and Gary Carter? The Sox would have been set for many years.<br />
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I'm also going to be greedy and say that instead of outfielder Cleo Kilpatrick, the White Sox should have picked Dennis Eckersley with their second pick.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi01bgmOGifKe6Qymgx_CP4JNeqCJ-slTQbt3NI5EZhQrGdpZFsEZeXk5zQtnHaebuuXCec5iNTe04DNEEiDCK87i6pqocYIVgJvs4EXMmWkIBUSdMY6-zbGSqztrKmmTWSiUDf9RphsqM/s1600/DennisEckersley.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="772" data-original-width="474" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi01bgmOGifKe6Qymgx_CP4JNeqCJ-slTQbt3NI5EZhQrGdpZFsEZeXk5zQtnHaebuuXCec5iNTe04DNEEiDCK87i6pqocYIVgJvs4EXMmWkIBUSdMY6-zbGSqztrKmmTWSiUDf9RphsqM/s320/DennisEckersley.jpg" width="196" /></a></div>
Both Gary Carter and Dennis Eckersley were available until the third round. Eck was picked second in the third round (50th overall) and Carter was picked a few selections later (53rd overall). An Eckersley/Carter battery has a nice sound to it.<br />
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Out of the twenty-four players selected by the White Sox in the 1972 draft, only five made it to the majors. Bruce Robinson, George Enright, Mike Overy, Nyls Nyman and Jim Lentine. Only George Enright (two games, one at-bat) and Nyls Nyman (parts of four seasons) ever made it to the majors with the Chicago White Sox.Steve Giermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10291911419511893670noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2448843072296729151.post-58225950080324336902019-08-16T10:19:00.000-05:002019-08-18T11:09:12.638-05:00Card Spotlight: 8-16-19<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6UgSn1l-7MNudwCoUZkJ3AS0fyISN8IBX2YIv7YvVDuxrzPhJtMlTOixmBGwdQvhm8SaBSFgyPhPUUs70ogDHgRIXeNl4MXtwxVKtvWZxC1KJ0V-iAIqLMQ1idZl9S8ISNdsz9gTLDzY/s1600/2013Topps20KevinYoukilisSP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1052" data-original-width="748" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6UgSn1l-7MNudwCoUZkJ3AS0fyISN8IBX2YIv7YvVDuxrzPhJtMlTOixmBGwdQvhm8SaBSFgyPhPUUs70ogDHgRIXeNl4MXtwxVKtvWZxC1KJ0V-iAIqLMQ1idZl9S8ISNdsz9gTLDzY/s320/2013Topps20KevinYoukilisSP.jpg" width="227" /></a></div>
2013 Topps #20 - Kevin Youkilis (Out Of Bounds Variation)<br />
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Kevin Youkilis on the White Sox is a prime example of how the White Sox used to think. Get a popular player, who is on the wrong side of thirty, with just enough left in the tank for a few thrills, but not enough to match their previous greatness. Either that or sign a superstar that is well past their prime and have ticket sales coast on their name without adding much to the team. Kevin Youkilis was much closer to the former than the latter, but it should be noted that his career did end in June 2013, with his last team, the New York Yankees.<br />
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There were certainly great moments with Youkilis on the White Sox and I was very excited to have Kevin on the White Sox. I'm still glad that he was a part of the team. That doesn't necessarily mean that Youkilis was good. He was definitely in the end stages of his career, even at age thirty-three.<br />
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I tried collecting the rainbow, meaning all the parallels, but I think I am still a card or two short. I know I don't have the platinum parallel. I might be missing another parallel. I do have the out of bounds variation. Maybe one day I'll complete the rainbow.<br />
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<br />Steve Giermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10291911419511893670noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2448843072296729151.post-12877504110138538182019-08-09T18:33:00.002-05:002019-08-09T18:33:21.579-05:00Card Spotlight: 8-9-19<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSOI2fZoKHHy5HMeUtRZpAXhzaVp16vTZDFjNHDtpHjy_2D6Z6KHih0CL_fc1_WEc6W3hUp6JxBiuV_UoEIKl8n2OQCT3lq3QND8lPuG2V-lgjknDwbO1sXbQ5FjITyyvxiGVQxHqvoAw/s1600/1954Bowman54ChicoCarrasquel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="375" data-original-width="250" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSOI2fZoKHHy5HMeUtRZpAXhzaVp16vTZDFjNHDtpHjy_2D6Z6KHih0CL_fc1_WEc6W3hUp6JxBiuV_UoEIKl8n2OQCT3lq3QND8lPuG2V-lgjknDwbO1sXbQ5FjITyyvxiGVQxHqvoAw/s320/1954Bowman54ChicoCarrasquel.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
1954 Bowman #54 - Chico Carrasquel<br />
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This week's spotlight focuses on Chico Carrasquel. Chico was purchased from the Brooklyn Dodgers by the Chicago Whtie Sox before he reached the majors. Making his debut with the White Sox in 1950, Chico would spend six seasons with the Pale Hose and four All-Star selections, before he was traded to the Cleveland Indians.<br />
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Arguably, Carrasquel was one of the greatest players to wear number seventeen for the White Sox. I can certainly think of more accomplished players who wore seventeen, but the majority of their prime successes came with other teams.<br />
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Chico and the White Sox tried for a reunion in 1960, but it was never meant to be. Carrasquel signed in January and was released by April. That still does not squash the legacy that he left behind in Chicago, where he came in third for Rookie of the Year and was twice considered for MVP.<br />
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Carrasquel started a Chicago White Sox tradition of Venezuelan shortstops and became the first Latin American player to start an All-Star game. He had to fill the shoes of Luke Appling and did so admirably, with great defense. No wonder Chico is still mentioned with the White Sox greats. He embodied what most White Sox fans resonate with... great work ethic and a little spunk.Steve Giermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10291911419511893670noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2448843072296729151.post-44725690460483627552019-08-03T23:48:00.002-05:002019-08-04T09:53:59.811-05:002019 Allen & Ginter<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVYPIeTZL4Sus2cqmGqri0XAki5Yk5w2P3K5R6wWE4cHkD-3smGHS6dHFp3b1py24ZRdIIBKlDb32NyFLIzei_ZbTCcxHSQtnBICFXVlJyyBCgEkvhxbQi6UtgR802-eu_0e3A0jSSguA/s1600/2019AllenGinterPack.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="948" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVYPIeTZL4Sus2cqmGqri0XAki5Yk5w2P3K5R6wWE4cHkD-3smGHS6dHFp3b1py24ZRdIIBKlDb32NyFLIzei_ZbTCcxHSQtnBICFXVlJyyBCgEkvhxbQi6UtgR802-eu_0e3A0jSSguA/s320/2019AllenGinterPack.jpg" width="189" /></a></div>
It's that time of year again. Allen & Ginter time!!<br />
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It's one of the releases that I always get excited about. Everything from the feel of the cards to the look of the cards to the strange and interesting subject matter sprinkled in with the baseball players. It all adds up to be one of the best sets of the year, every year.<br />
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This year I decided to go in cold turkey. I actively avoided checklists, so I could be surprised when I opened my first packs. Boy, was I ever surprised with the results. Two of my absolute favorite White Sox players are in the set this year. Along with some of my favorite rookies and another Hall of Fame favorite, this team set shapes up to be one of my favorite of the year.<br />
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I will be a little unorthodox with my checklist this year. You'll know exactly where. You can choose to include the card if you want. If not, I completely understand.<br />
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The White Sox have ten cards in the set this year, including and optional card and two short prints.<br />
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118 - Frank Thomas</div>
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This Hall of Fame player is always welcome. I WILL believe the hype!</div>
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119 - Michael Kopech</div>
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I was so excited for Kopech day. I will be the same level of excited upon his return.</div>
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120 - Yoan Moncada</div>
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I am impressed with how big a leap Yoan has made this year.</div>
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121 - Jose Abreu</div>
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I'm hoping Abreu gets to stick around. I like him.</div>
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139 - Harold Baines</div>
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OMG!!! Total and welcome surprise!!!!</div>
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161 - Sister Mary Jo Soieck</div>
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This is the optional card. I'm including it because she did the first pitch with the White Sox and it's a great South Side story.</div>
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264 - Yonder Alonso</div>
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I was hopeful for Yonder when the Sox signed him. I wish him the best in Colorado.</div>
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272 - Carlton Fisk</div>
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Some Fisk MOJO!!! Both of my childhood idols in one team set? YES, PLEASE!</div>
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366 - Daniel Palka</div>
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What are you gonna do when Palkamania runs wild over you??? I hope he regains some momentum.</div>
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398 - Eloy Jimenez</div>
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Adventurous in the outfield, but he's learning and getting better. I'm glad he's getting MLB experience.</div>
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This is probably my favorite Allen & Ginter White Sox lineup so far!! Very solid effort.</div>
Steve Giermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10291911419511893670noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2448843072296729151.post-37368040694913995542019-08-02T12:15:00.001-05:002019-08-03T00:49:21.938-05:00Card Spotlight: 8-2-19<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPkAbvcpOiP45OQPQ-CkucMl29JEXB4swyRFbFYks0caY0u-GWvyd5pu_KyfhNujiZO-yty83FO4DMBmzYosuHEDs4an3kXp-16IPqGtF0RiP648FrsRNteJylFgHwoAEpQZlCv9RJqW4/s1600/1996StadiumClubMegaheroes1-FrankThomas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="894" data-original-width="656" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPkAbvcpOiP45OQPQ-CkucMl29JEXB4swyRFbFYks0caY0u-GWvyd5pu_KyfhNujiZO-yty83FO4DMBmzYosuHEDs4an3kXp-16IPqGtF0RiP648FrsRNteJylFgHwoAEpQZlCv9RJqW4/s320/1996StadiumClubMegaheroes1-FrankThomas.jpg" width="234" /></a></div>
1996 Stadium Club Megaheroes #1 - Frank Thomas<br />
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I really did not collect much past 1994 in the nineties. I will still run across cards that I will actively wonder "what were they thinking" or "who greenlit that?" all the time.<br />
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This takes a lovely picture of Frank Thomas in the end stages of his picture perfect swing and puts some unholy concoction of the looming steroid epidemic, Queen's News of the World album and America's love of fast food (seriously is that guy super jacked or super fat?) and rolls it up into some animated background from a Paula Abdul video. What is this mess staring seductively at Frank Thomas?<br />
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I can see this animator's nightmare putting on some Sade and whispering sweet nothings into the Big Hurt's ear, like, "You're going to publish a grilling cookbook after you're Hall of Fame career" or "Jay Mariotti wears the skirt, not you", while he attempts to either give Frank some weightlifting advice or prepare to devour him whole, like a snake. A cold hearted snake. See? He really does belong in a Paula Abdul video. And is that an eight-pack that he's sporting or is he about to nurse a farrow of piglets? This card is going to give me nightmares all weekend. I fear for Frank's safety.Steve Giermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10291911419511893670noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2448843072296729151.post-22550724029437348662019-07-26T23:36:00.000-05:002019-07-27T13:44:31.187-05:00Card Spotlight: 7-26-19<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic_2aPvrAPUivZ_UcYLlATAHD6NT2q5nglo1zYz5O1pg5r6ZccTqw_Lx40K0JRdRYJsPJ_ll_2qXnzdpNHZPAcdUTyXoxS0-pQ8f-JGcG7mfcPbZHPZemjKi0-uk2GUi5pjPK2zpH0uQs/s1600/2014AG334ErikJohnson.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1032" data-original-width="728" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic_2aPvrAPUivZ_UcYLlATAHD6NT2q5nglo1zYz5O1pg5r6ZccTqw_Lx40K0JRdRYJsPJ_ll_2qXnzdpNHZPAcdUTyXoxS0-pQ8f-JGcG7mfcPbZHPZemjKi0-uk2GUi5pjPK2zpH0uQs/s320/2014AG334ErikJohnson.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>
2014 Allen & Ginter #334 - Erik Johnson<br />
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I had high hopes for Erik Johnson. It seemed like he had good stuff, but nothing clicked on a consistent basis. I was confident that he would become a reliable fourth or fifth starter, but alas, it never came to fruition.<br />
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Probably the most notable part of his playing career was being part of a trade with the San Diego Padres in 2016. Erik went to San Diego along with a highly touted prospect name Fernando Tatis Jr., for a veteran starter named James Shields. That trade worked out for both teams, in a way. Tatis Jr. is now a force on the Padres MLB roster. Shields became a mentor and a stable presence for a few seasons on the South Side. Erik Johnson made a few appearances with the Padres in 2016 and spnt the rest of his time, through 2018, in the Padres minor league system.<br />
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Erik was part of the rebuild process before it was officially called that. He was good enough to make a lasting impression on the Sox for a few seasons, but unfortunately, he was not memorable enough for most fans to easily recall him a few years later. The most common reaction would be, "Oh yeah, I remember him on the team."<br />
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That's a shame, because Johnson had great potential. It just never all gelled together the way we all would have liked. Still he was a part of some interesting teams and anyone who can rack up some wins instantly has great stories to tell.Steve Giermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10291911419511893670noreply@blogger.com0