Cards From John, Cards From Eric

A lot of unexpected packages have been appearing in my mailbox this week. So far, one a day. On Wednesday, technically on Thursday morning at 7:30, I received John's package of cards. I assume it went to a neighbor first, who dropped it off at the mailbox early Thursday morning.

I always love getting cards from John. As soon as I see the UK postage on the envelope, I know I'm in for a treat.

1989 Fleer - Mike Woodard
1995 Upper Deck - Ozzie Guillen
1997 Collector's Choice - Wilson Alvarez
1997 Topps - Ozzie Guillen
1999 Skybox Premium - Ray Durham
1999 Skybox Premium - Mike Caruso
1999 Skybox Premium - David Lundquist
1999 Skybox Premium - Chris Singleton
1999 Skybox Premium - Carlos Lee
1999 Skybox Thunder - Paul Konerko
1999 UD Black Diamond - Albert Belle
1999 UD Ionix - Albert Belle
2000 UD Black Diamond - Magglio Ordonez
2001 UD Decades - Jim Kaat
2001 UD Decades - Wilbur Wood
2002 Fleer Tradition - Todd Ritchie
2002 Topps Opening Day - Frank Thomas
2005 Donruss Elite - Scott Podsednik
2005 Donruss Elite - Jermaine Dye
2005 Leather & Lumber - Jermaine Dye
2005 UD Classics - Al Lopez
2005 UD Pro Sigs - Casey Rogowski
2005 UD Pro Sigs - Pedro Lopez
2005 Zenith - Scott Podsednik
2005 Zenith - Jermaine Dye
2008 Topps Heritage - Jim Thome
2008 Topps Heritage Black Back - Javier Vazquez

There's quite a few gems in there. Like I said, receiving a package from the UK is always full of surprises!

On Thursday, I received another package from Eric. Another one that I was not expecting. I had already gotten two previous packages from him. I am waiting until he gets settled at his new address before sending off cards for him.

2008 Bowman - Lance Broadway
2008 Topps - John Danks (2)
2008 Topps - Joe Crede
2008 Upper Deck - Jon Garland
2008 Upper Deck - Jim Thome
2008 Allen & Ginter - Ohio Flag (Nick Swisher)

Plus, another huge stack of 2008 Topps Heritage cards! I swear, Eric is going to complete my set single-handedly if he keeps up packages like this one!

Thank you, John! Thank you, Eric! The cards from both of you are awesome!

I received a package on Friday as well, but that will have to wait for another post.

August 5-7, 2008: Tigers @ White Sox

August 5-7, 2008 - Chicago, Illinois

August 5: Tigers 8 - White Sox 10
August 6: Tigers 1 - White Sox 5
August 7: Tigers 8 - White Sox 3

You've come a long way.

Every team seems pesky against the White Sox right now. Especially the teams that are essentially out of contention. The Tigers fought tough, but could only salvage the last game against the Sox.

The good: A come from behind victory for the Sox in the 14th inning of game 1.

The Sox continue to be homer happy.

The bad:
Gavin Floyd ran into some struggles in game 1.

After a strong start, Ken Griffey Jr. has cooled a bit.

The ugly:
Matt Thornton almost blew the game wide open in the top of the 14th inning in game 1 by giving up two runs.

Sox pitching gave up 8 runs in game 3, most by Javier Vazquez.

The important thing is that the Sox won another series. Things got uneasy in game one when the tie was broken in the fourteenth inning by the Tigers. The Sox answered that by scoring enough to win in the bottom of the inning.

The Sox pitching is starting to show more signs of a long season. I'm sure the bullpen wasn't helped by the fourteen inning affair, but Javier Vazquez needed to follow John Danks great game two performance with one of his own.

It doesn't matter how you win, as long as you win. I wonder if this is what Doug Radar meant by winning ugly?

Card Spotlight: 8-8-08

1957 Topps #23 - Sherm Lollar

I found this card in a 1957 Topps White Sox lot that I had purchased on eBay. It was a bit of a surprise, since it wasn't actually listed in the description. This was the "bonus" that the seller had mentioned. I was stoked because I needed it for the collection. And really, who turns down a free 1957 Topps card, even if they had it?

Not only is this a card featuring Sherm Lollar, there is also an unidentified fielder BEHIND Sherman batting. Plus, the colors on the blur indicate that it could possibly be a teammate.

"Hey, Sherm! The field is this way!"

"No kid, I see the opposing pitcher", said Sherm.

"That's because he's in the dugout!"

More than likely, this photo was taken during batting practice or a day set aside for publicity shots. It's still awesome. Thanks to dayf, I now have the word awesome running through my head.

Even with the cards awesomeness set aside, it accomplishes one more thing. It gets my 1957 Topps team set a little closer to completion. I never thought I'd say this, but I'm kind of glad that the White Sox were just on the verge of making the World Series for most of the fifties and sixties. It makes their cards way more affordable. See, another good point for not being a Yankees fan.

Nudge Nudge

'Evening, squire!

Good evening.

Is, uh,... Is your trade a goer, eh? Know whatahmean, know whatahmean, nudge nudge, know what I mean?

I, uh, I beg your pardon?

Your, uh, your trade, did it go, eh, did it go, eh?

Well, it sometimes "goes", yes.

Aaaaaaaaah bet it does, I bet it does, say no more, say no more, know whatahmean, nudge nudge?

I'm afraid I don't quite follow.

Follow me. Follow me. That's good, that's good! A nod's as good as a wink to a blind bat!

Are you, uh,... are you trading something?

TRADING! Very good, very good! Ay? Ay? Ay?
Oooh! Ya wicked ya! Oooh hooh! Say No MORE!

Well, I, uh...

Is, your uh, trade a sport, ay?

Um, it does involve sport, yes!

I bet it does, I bet it does!

As a matter of fact, it usually involves baseball.

'Oo isn't? Involves games, eh?
Knew it would. Invloves games, eh?
Trades have been around a bit, been around?

They have traveled, yes. They're from Illinois.

SAY NO MORE!!
Illinois, saynomore, saynomore, saynomore, squire!

I wasn't going to!

Oh! Well, never mind. Dib dib?
Does your uh, does your trades invlove... photography, ay? "Photographs, ay", he asked him knowingly?

Photography?

Snap snap, grin grin, wink wink, nudge nudge, say no more?

Holiday snaps, eh?

They could be, they could be taken on holiday.
Candid, you know, CANDID photography?

No, no. I'm afraid I don't have a camera.

Oh.
Still, mooooh, ay? Mwoohohohohoo, ay? Hohohohohoho, ay?

Look... are you insinuating something?

Oh, no, no, no... yes.

Well?

Well, you're a man of the world, squire.

Yes...

I mean, you've been around a bit, you know, like, you've, uh... You've "done it"...

What do you mean?

Well, I mean like,... you've TRADED, with people...

Yes...

Did you trade back?

OK, basically, I've gotten really behind on trades. If you are still awaiting a trade from me, send me an e-mail and give me a nudge. I haven't forgotten, but probably need a reminder. There are piles pulled aside for a bunch of people, I just need a nudge to sort things out.

Thanks!

Random Card #30

Like Sandy Alomar Jr., most of my planned contributions to the blog today will be behind the scenes. We all need days like that. There's just no avoiding it.

I always appreciated the fact that Sandy Alomar Jr. was on the Sox, a multitude of times. I think that he brought a sense of stability to the pitching staff, at a time where there was no clear direction in some of the starters. The experience that Sandy brought was invaluable. His bat was a different story. His offensive prowess had long since been put to bed. Sometimes that isn't as important as calling a good game behind the plate and passing the knowledge of a long successful career to a younger generation.

I see most of the current Sox players picking Griffey's brain. I think that's wonderful. The Sox have been fortunate to have a roster of players who care for the game more than the fame and monetary gains. Would the players on the Red Sox or Yankees pick Griffey's brain, if he would have landed there? To some degree, I would imagine, but nothing like the players on the White Sox.

I can see Sandy Alomar Jr. becoming a bullpen coach for the White Sox at some point. I think that his experience behind the plate will compliment any teachings that the White Sox currently have in place. The Sox have a great history with catchers. Ray Schalk, Sherm Lollar, Ed Herrmann, Carlton Fisk, Sandy Alomar Jr, A.J. Pierzynski, stand out among the rest. The Sox have always taken pride in having sound catchers calling the game.

There's a reason that the Sox used to carry three catchers. They tried to protect the longevity of their catchers, by giving them breaks. This mostly started when Fisk was injured in the early and mid-eighties. The Sox also hold the distinction of having the record for most innings caught in a single game by a catcher. That record is held by Carlton Fisk, who caught all 25 innings of a game against the Brewers (when they were an AL team) in 1984.

Frustration Makes Hard Work

I think I have officially given up on Beckett.com. I have been able to work with my collection a grand total of three times over the past day and a half. While that may seem like a lot in under 36 hours, I had tried over thirty times to access everything. Beckett is broken.

I have even experienced lagging with the search feature. I tried to find a 1995 Roberto Hernandez Donruss Top of the Order card to confirm the number, since it is not on the actual card. It wasn't listed on the Roberto Hernandez player page. Strike one. I found the 1995 Donruss Top of the Order set page. Ball one. The page was stuck loading and never actually loaded. Strike two. I found the card eventually. Foul ball. 1 and 2 count. I found the information I was looking for. Deep fly ball. The whole process took thirty minutes. Caught at the warning track.

I have spent most of the day inputting my collection into Access by hand with six criteria. Year, set, card number, player name, numbered, and additional info. So far, I have 448 of my (rounded off) 5,000 cards. Not too bad for an afternoon.

Yes, this project is the reason I was searching for that particular card's number. I couldn't find it on the actual card, so I wanted to check it out against Beckett's list.

If this database idea is successful in making my collection more manageable, it will be a miracle. It's not the most ideal situation, but it's better than Beckett right now.

Did You Ever Get The Feeling...

... that you were more intelligent than the people you ask services from?

Apparently spelling isn't a "presing" matter for Beckett.

I was able to get in once, seconds after my previous post. Then I made the mistake of trying to add another card to one of my collections. All hell broke loose and I was stuck in loading limbo again.

The New Beckett.com

My first impressions are not good ones. I have spent the past two hours trying to access my existing collections. It's not happening.

I keep getting loading errors that tell me to press F5, and may resolve that error. It's not helping. I would like to have access to my online database of cards, which is nearing 5,000. If I have to manually add each card into the database, I will not be a happy camper.

I know my collections loaded properly. I could see a few of them in the preview and I got a note in my inbox from Beckett that everything was peachy keen! Somehow, as I see "Loading, please wait..." continually on the screen, I am not comforted by that note in my inbox.

Maybe it had something to do with the amount of collections I had. On the old beckett.com, you were limited to 5,000 entries for each collection. So, I recently split my White Sox collection into several collections, covering several spans of years. This doesn't count my separate collections of Harold Baines and Carlton Fisk, which are both notably smaller than my White Sox collection. Although they do tend to have overlapping cards.

The one thing that I noticed when I split my collections on Beckett was the amount I thought I had for some years was much more minimal than I previously thought. Some years, though, I was astounded at the amount of cards I had. I think that action alone gave me a better understanding of my collections weak areas. Or at least it reinforced what I already knew.

Even without being able to access my collections, my first impressions were anticlimactic. I was impressed by the new look, where the majority of the cards had images attached. I found that pricing was not immediately noticeable, which will infuriate some members. It's also a bit hard to navigate and very slow to load. I guess you take the good with the bad here, but it would be nice if it was a bit more manageable and quicker. Maybe when my collections actually load properly, my mind will change on these issues.

Still loading.

In theory this new site is great. In reality, it's a logistical nightmare, so far. I'm finding it very difficult to like this new design with no functionality. I just want to be able to view my collection and manage it quickly. Is that too much to ask? Apparently it is, after 2 1/2 hours. Let's hope these snags are fixed quickly.

Will My Childhood Heroes Ever Let Me Down?

I've been noticing another trend lately within the blogging community. Heroes (childhood or otherwise) have been letting us down. Everyone from Jose Canseco to Manny Ramirez. Does everyone's hero eventually let them down?

It's getting increasingly difficult to pick a sports hero these days, without them getting into some type of trouble. Even my former classmate, Rob Mackowiak, has gotten a DUI. So, how do you know your children are picking out good role models? Sadly, I wish there was an easy answer to that question.

I consider myself lucky to have picked out two childhood heroes that have never steered me wrong.

Harold Baines has always been exemplary in showing proper manners and sportsmanship qualities. He's not outspoken, but commands respect by what he does, not by what he says. He helped out teammates and never spoke badly about anyone. He played by the rules and reaped the rewards because of it.

Carlton Fisk was a different type of player. He played the game right, but was never afraid to speak up against an injustice. He commanded respect by example and by voice. He would chew out a superstar for dogging it, but was the first to congratulate an opponent on an accomplishment. He walked the fine line between fierce competitor and elder statesman.

In this age of showmanship, how does one choose someone to admire and follow?

Look at how he reacts to teammates and to opponents. Does he do the right things or does he try to be selfish? Does he play the game the right way? If he was on your team, would you root for him? Is he all about the drama or does he try to fit in? Is he in it mostly for the money or for the love of the game?

I'm sure you can think of many more questions to ask.

I think I chose well when I was a kid. Unless Harold beats up his mother or Carlton kills his wife, I'd say I chose very well. As much as it pained me to write that last line, it now has to be said after the whole O.J. Simpson fiasco. He was well loved before that. That's happened to a lot of superstar athletes. Look at Michael Vick. How you treat animals is a preview of how you treat humans.

I put my faith in people like Mark McGwire and Jose Canseco when I was younger. I never considered them my heroes, but I enjoyed watching them play. When those issues were accepted as true, it didn't bother me that much. I didn't have my heart invested in those players. I never had my heart invested in Sammy Sosa either. Yes, I rooted for him when he was on the White Sox. He struck out too many times, in my opinion, to warrant any type of long term investment from me.

Sure, when Sammy started hitting those home runs on the North Side of town, I always thought it was good for a former Sox player to be doing that. But he always seemed a bit arrogant when he was admiring his home runs. When Ken Griffey Jr. passes Sammy on the all-time home run list, with two more homers, there will be a little justice in the world.

I had a third childhood hero, that I don't talk about too often. John Cangelosi. It's not that he ever did anything wrong, it's just that he kept bouncing between the majors and minors so much, it was very hard to keep track of him after he was traded away from the Sox. I was happy that he finally got a ring in Florida with the Marlins. I always thought he would blossom into a special player. He blossomed into a common, but that's OK too. Sometimes they make the best role models.

August 1 - 3, 2008: White Sox @ Royals

August 1 - 3, 2008 - Kansas City, Missouri

August 1: White Sox 4 - Royals 2
August 2: White Sox 7 - Royals 9
August 3: White Sox 3 - Royals 14

Everybody was Kung-Fu fighting.

Things have not been boring on this road trip. Especially in Kansas City. A superstar's ChiSox debut. Two shellackings. One fight. Many hit batsmen and many ejections.

Things started off great in KC. Ken Griffey Jr. joined his new team and immediately started producing. From there, things just got worse. Buehrle got hit. Plays were not made. Fights broke out and the Sox pitching spiraled out of control. The heat can be partially to blame, but the Royals were out there too, so that's not a good excuse. It's just convenient.

The good:
Ken Griffey Jr. had an awesome debut in Game 1.

Brian Anderson showed hustle in center field in Game 3, even after it became hopeless.

The bad:
Clayton Richard gave up five runs in an inning, but seemed to bounce somewhat back after in Game 3.

The Sox lost a 3 run lead in Game 2 and never recovered.

The ugly:
The White Sox pitching broke down in the heat in Games 2 and 3.

The White Sox gave up 19 hits in two straight games to a team out of the playoff hunt.

The heat is no valid excuse for the pitching to get lit up like that. If that were true, the Royals should have had their problems too. The White Sox hit back to back home runs twice in the second game, but still couldn't overcome the deficit. There lies the problem. Most of the Sox hitters are trying to be the home run hero. To effectively score runs, the Sox need to get men on base. The focus must be on getting men on base and executing. That will be the key for the offense down the home stretch. The pitching should bounce back a little, if the starters can go more than five innings. Let's hope so.

Give Us A Reason

Houston Card Collector has written a letter that you should all see. It voices the same sentiments as we have been writing on our blogs lately about the product that's out of the average collector's price range and the plummeting value of these expensive products a few months after release.

You're thinking, "What's so different about that?"

This former collector says that he is actually going to send these letters to the card companies. I applaud the decision. It's hard enough to be a team collector or a player collector, without impossible odds and astronomical prices. Then there's the over saturation of other cards that we are conditioned to be rare, like relic cards.

When relic cards first came out, they were special. They were unique. They were rare. Now they are everywhere. They cost a lot to get and depreciate in value everyday.

Don't even get me started about parallels. Plus, a good point has been brought up. Where are the oddball sets? I haven't seen a good oddball set in a long time. The path chosen by card companies is a dangerous one and they are close to losing their base customers.

Houston Card Collector is short on a few contacts. If you have the info, please help Jason out. I'd love to see this plan of attack follow through. It's about time, don't you think?

Introducing Number 17

Ken Griffey Jr. in his debut White Sox game.
2 for 3, 2 RBI, 1 walk, 1 run

Most importantly, two 2-out RBI.

Mailbox Joys: The Playa Haters

As soon as it was confirmed that A.J. Pierzynski's 2008 Allen & Ginter card was indeed a short print, I went to eBay to get one before the prices shot up. I saw one at a dealer that I've dealt with before. It had a low price and another card was thrown in.

Perfect.

I received the package today and got my A.J. A&G card and an Orlando Cabrera A&G card to boot. I'm sure the pairing was accidental, but it strikes me as odd. A.J. and Orlando Cabrera are both known to instill hate in fans.

A.J. gets booed almost every place he goes, but none more so than the Metrodome and Wrigley Field. I know why he gets booed at Wrigley Field, but it wasn't until a Twins fan mentioned why he gets booed in Minnesota did I truly understand the phenomenon.

A.J. has bested the Cubs in many a crosstown game. This really sticks with the Cubs fans. Not only does A.J. play for the Sox, he steps up his game against the Cubs. I always have heard that A.J. gets booed in Minnesota because he was traded. I have now come to understand that A.J. gets booed there because of his style of play. He's known as a bushleague type of player.

OK, I can see that. A.J. seems to find himself in the thick of controversy more than the average player. Basically, he gets in situations a lot. He also tries to push the envelope to get his team in a better position. I can respect that. It's the fans' right to boo. I can respect that too. What I don't quite get is this is the same type of play that he's had his entire career. The same type of playing that got him cheers when he was playing for the Twins.

Orlando Cabrera, not only gets the fans upset, he rubs his own teammates the wrong way. He has called up to the scorer's booth, during a game, to dispute an error called on him. Twice. This year. He also got into a verbal, and almost physical, altercation with Jermaine Dye. Orlando took it upon himself to pad his stolen base stats and steal third base while Dye was at bat. It distracted Dye so much, because he wasn't aware of it, that he ended up striking out.

I can see both points on that one, but the verdict is in on O.C. This is why I've taken to calling him Mr. Selfish. Orlando Cabrera doesn't seem to be a team player. He appears to care more about his personal stats. That's fine, if you are out of the playoff hunt, but not when your team is holding onto first place for dear life. That type of play ends up hurting the team more than it helps.

Even if the players could be considered flawed by some, the cards themselves are gorgeous. Two down, seven to go!

July 28 - 31, 2008: White Sox @ Twins

July 28 - 31, 2008 - Minneapolis, Minnesota

Nosedive.

The White Sox should have taken three out of four games in Minnesota. As any White Sox fan knows, strange things happen in the Metrodome. The Twins seem to always find a way back into the game. I for one can't wait for a new park for the Twins. There is something unnatural playing on artificial turf inside a dome.

The Sox blew two different 4-0 leads in this series. This is simply inexcusable. The Sox can't continue to operate in this fashion. Josh Fields adds to the enigma of the team. He is starting to hit, but makes routine plays in the infield a little dicey.

The good:
Ehren Wassermann has been a bright spot in the bullpen after his call up.

Carlos Quentin and Jermaine Dye continue their dominance.

The bad:
Clayton Richard impressed in Game 2, but still gave up five runs and took the loss.

Paul Konerko continues to struggle.

The ugly:
The Sox blew a four run lead twice in the series.

Ozzie had to remove his team, after objects were thrown from the crowd in Game 4.

The Twins seem to give the Sox fits, especially in Minnesota. The momentum in Game 4 was shifting in the Sox favor, until a blown call by the umpires resulted in a hit Twins batsmen to stay at the plate. It was ruled a strike, since he was bunting, but he pulled back in time. This action led to Twins manager Ron Gardenhire to be ejected and the Sox momentum crushed.

Objects from the stands were tossed on the field, in a display of crudeness from the Minnesota crowd. These are the same people who boo A.J. Pierzynski for being traded to the Giants. That trade brought Boof Bonser, Francisco Liriano and Joe Nathan to the Twins. The same people booing him are the same people who cheered him during his tenure in Minnesota. Go figure.

The Sox need to display some aggressiveness and less mental mistakes in KC. Will Griffey help?

Card Spotlight: 8-1-08

2008 A Piece Of History - Franchise Members 3 - Ken Griffey Jr., Frank Thomas, Jim Thome

As, I turn my 2008 White Sox calendar to reveal Mr. August (Rob Mackowiak, for some reason), the trading deadline has officially passed. Two White Sox players have new homes in the Cincinnati organization and one new White Sox player will grace his presence tonight in Kansas City.

This card, which I do not have yet, features 3 members of the 500 home run club. After tonight, there will be another common link. They will have all played for the White Sox. Plus, they are all still playing. Frank Thomas' playing time this year was in serious jeopardy when he was released by the Blue Jays. Luckily, his second team picked him back up and he is enjoying a lengthening of his career there.

I'm not sure where any of these players will ultimately end up next year, but it's nice to think they will still be contributing to a team in some way. I doubt they will ever all be on the same team at the same time, so the White Sox connection may be the closest anyone gets to that pipe dream.

It's nice to see, that in the course of history, the White Sox have had four players with over 500 home runs in their career. Obviously none of those players hit all of their home runs with the White Sox. As of this moment, all but one have hit home runs on the White Sox. That's not entirely fair though. One of them hasn't even picked up a bat for the Sox yet. That will change tonight.

Among the four White Sox players that have hit over 500 home runs, there are two who hit over 600. That's some pretty elite company and quite an accomplishment.

If you haven't guessed, the missing fourth player is Sammy Sosa. He is not active and was not known as a home run hitter during his tenure with the White Sox. I'm glad he is not included on this card. It would ruin the nature of the card.

Who knew that this would end up being a card of all White Sox alumni? I sure didn't. Upper Deck had no clue. I love discovering happy little accidents like this one, don't you?