Dan Uggla: A Push Present

Been awhile - miss you guys.

If you're reading this, thank you for sticking with Ryan's Pitch or deciding to stop by for a quick cardboard cocktail before returning to twitter...

It's been an incredible year for my family so far. We welcomed our third child into the world back in March - hence, my disappearing act. Don't worry, my cardboard and hobby addictions are still going strong. As proof, behold what might be the oddest "push present" of all time - Dan Uggla?

For my oldest child and (what is agreed upon to be!) my only princess, I dropped a nice (Hallmark) card and some artist jewelry in the glove compartment of my car for my wife to enjoy as we made our way to the hospital back in 2007. She loved the jewelry and didn't kill me during the nearly 40 hours of labor that followed. I consider that a success! Not to mention...we ended up having more than one kid.

In 2011, I stepped up my game and added a bit more sparkle to the ride that would ultimately deliver our first boy. You know, the one that scratched that hobby itch after being dormant for twenty years? I talked about my son's arrival back in 2012 here. The sparkles were a bit more expensive that time, but we had been very fortunate and, heck, she earned every last sparkle (and then some) for making us a family of four!

So, what to do for the tie-breaker? #3 was late enough in the month that a birth-stone piece was too risky for my tolerance levels. Not to mention, a birth photographer was on-call and this service was proclaimed to be the push present so "don't get me anything else, babe."

But I had to do something.

So, naturally, I began to consider baseball cards. Makes sense, right? Well, while my wife supports my hobby endeavors, she certainly doesn't collect herself. She does like baseball however and, as an Atlanta native, she shares in my affinity for the Bravos. She even [had] her favorite player - Dan Uggla.

Yep. Dan freaking Uggla.

It became a joke between us over the past few years as Uggs contributed proficiently towards the repeated "close-but-no-cigar" seasons for our beloved Braves. I cursed his performance while she praised his cuteness.

Don't get me wrong - Mrs. Ryans Pitch understands the game and knows that her Dan wasn't the best 2B in the league...or even on the team...but we all have our favorites, and having a wife who is into baseball at any level is a definite blessing.

Just like the blessing that was headed our way a couple months ago (WOW, has time flown!) - so why not combine the two!? So, I did it - for a couple of bucks, I snagged a crisp little Uggla RC auto and dropped it into a snazzy one-touch beside a vase of tulips...right on her bedside table. I set it all up a week or so before the due date to allow for proper appreciation with the long-term goal of it becoming her focus during early stages of labor...hey, all yours, Dan.

She had no idea...so it was a complete surprise.

And it worked!

She loved it and shared her little Dan with her world via Facebook within minutes. "Look what my thoughtful husband surprised me with..."

Pretty cool. I had no idea how it would be received and could never have imagined that I'd throw inhibition to the wind and buy my wife an autographed baseball card - to show my love for her during the arrival of our child, no less!? But then again, it does kind of make perfect sense to me.

Long live this glorious hobby.

Thanks for reading and have a great weekend!

Ryan
 

A Hobby Discussion and One of My Favorite Cards: 2001 Bowman Gold #264 Albert Pujols RC

As I've alluded to a couple of times before, graded or "slabbed" cards are becoming a larger part of my collecting habits.   It's something that I continue to wrestle with as a collector - what exactly do I collect?   Who do I collect?   How do I collect?   Why?

It's a different answer on different days - and that's okay.   It's one of the glorious things about our hobby, the fact that we have so very much to choose from.   Well, maybe a blessing and a curse...but as long as I continue to narrow my focus on what I enjoy the most, the plethora of options can only be a good way to start.  

And right now, I really enjoy several aspects of graded cards.   As a collector, I appreciate the beauty of a card that is in good condition.   Whether it's a 1940's Bowman that has survived in "Excellent" condition or a 2001 Bowman that is an indisputable "Mint" - there is much to be admired and appreciated from a collector's standpoint.   Do I still love old, beat-up and well-loved cards?   Do I still love the way the smell of a 1960 Topps card can take me straight back to my grandparents' house?   You bet.   ALL of the above. 

But for me, there's also the aspect of value and investment when it comes to my collection.   I know, this is a hot topic for many of us and one that I have found myself to be on both sides of.

"You should collect for fun, not value!"

"Greed and money is ruining the hobby!"

"Kids can't afford it anymore!"

These are all valid concerns and discussions that should take place to ensure the hobby stays vibrant, relevant, fun, viable and accessible.   For me, personally, I have come to realize that I value my money and want to preserve as much of it as I can while using it to provide for my family - whether that preservation takes place when buying clothes, buying medicine, going on vacation, grabbing lunch, paying the phone bill or card-shopping on the Bay of E.   As we all know, it's all about the things we need in combination with some of the things we want.   Heaven knows, there isn't enough of it [money] for everything.   

I also know that I really, really, really love baseball cards.   They are something I will always want but will never need.   Well....truly need.   They're a luxury; a hobby.   So sometimes, the two ideas of money and my baseball card hobby conflict with one another.   It is very easy to exchange a lot of money for a lot of baseball cards but sometimes it is a challenge to do so and maintain the same value - though "value" in a hobby is very subjective!   My 1986 Topps Doug Corbett is priceless to me, for example.

SO what kind of value am I talking about?   Whether we like it or not, there is a definite market for our hobby that dictates and assigns a relatively well-known and, though sometimes INSANE,  agreed upon value to the cards we all love and collect.   Some are a lot and some are.....junk.   But they all matter as bricks in the foundation of our cardboard heritage.

I'm slowly discovering a method by which I can pursue and collect cards that I value from a collecting standpoint and that can also have a chance to maintain value from the hobby's market perspective.   Or, more simply put - cards that could be sold in the future by myself or my family, should our financial needs outweigh the collecting needs.   I hope it never does.....but you never know.

Does this stream of conscience make sense? 

I'm going to stop there for now, but this is certainly a topic that I mull over frequently as my hobby and collecting evolution continues.   Don't worry, this topic doesn't stress me out.  In fact, I rather enjoy it and would love to know what you guys think! 

Right now, let's enjoy this particular card.....which also happens to be a card graded by PSA:  

I picked up this Pujols rookie card a couple of months ago.   I had been considering players of today who seemed destined for permanent status in the game as being "great" players, perhaps even destined for enshrinement in Cooperstown.   Hall of Fame players are a cornerstone of my collection, a portion of the sport's history that I enjoy reading about, learning about and researching.   This enjoyment manifests itself in my collection in the form of pictures, books, cards, autographs and more.   While the majority of my HOF-related focus has been on players already enshrined, I've begun to consider taking a closer look at prospective inductees who are still trotting the base paths after mammoth home runs or taking the mound for additional strikeouts.

Enter Albert Pujols.

I am not a Cardinals fan and I do not collect Albert Pujols in particular, but the guy has had an amazing career.   A powerful slugger, he collected many titles and trophies in St. Louis before acquiring the spite of Cardinal Nation for heading to Anaheim in free agency.

It happens.

And while the titles and trophies have continued for the Cards, Albert has seen a decline in his production as a Halo.   He's had some worrisome injuries, as most players eventually encounter....but he was still working towards the 500 HR milestone that he eclipsed about a week ago.   It was a major feat and one which I was lucky enough to be watching live on TV with a good friend.

I believe Albert Pujols will one day be in the Hall of Fame and I believe he belongs in that group of "best sluggers" of the game.   Some have their doubts and suspicions....but I can appreciate the guy's talent.   Heck, I still admire the prowess of Bonds and McGwire - but I respect the fact that not everybody feels this way.

Back to the card!

I love this card of Pujols!   It comes from that hobby ice age for me, between my collecting years.   It is a gold version of his 2001 Bowman rookie card.   The design is simple and symmetric which I really love.   he facsimile autograph is centered right there beneath the photograph and it even says "rookie card" in gold foil in the top corner.   I love that!   Best of all, though, I love the picture of a younger Pujols in a majestic follow-through....perhaps a home run swing, perhaps not......but the swing captured is THE swing that has now clubbed at least 500 home runs and almost assured that one day I will be able to add this card to my HOF collection.   Here's home run swing #500 for comparison:

I think that's pretty cool.   Yes, the card is "Mint" and I did obtain a copy of the card in that condition on purpose....but it in my hand, as I appreciate it as a card and a piece of history, it feels like a collection treasure and a historic memento of the game more than a simple investment.

And if that memento happens to have the potential to preserve its value?   Just in case?

That's something I can enjoy, too.

Congratulations, Albert!   Thanks for the memory and welcome to my collection.

Thanks for reading and keep collecting!

That's no moon.....it's a LCS!

I recently had to take a day trip down to Charleston, SC and found myself with a few spare moments.

Cue the iPhone maps search (I don't have Siri capabilities yet): baseball cards

Results: Hooked on Cards (.2 miles away)

Sweet!

I tried to contain my excitement as I circled in on the alleged location.   I say 'alleged' because we've all been duped before by bad intel from internet-based searches.   Was the information up to date?   Was I headed towards a nail salon? Was it actually a Local Card Shop?

Jackpot:

OPEN

I hadn't been inside of an LCS since Columbia's last card shop,  Rudy's Upper Deck, closed its doors forever last year.   It's really one of my favorite kinds posts to read about on everyone's blogs - the card shop re-cap.   Napkin Doon's stories about "Cleve's" are some of my favorites.   Highly recommended to satiate your thirst if you find yourself in a hobby geographical doldrum - check 'em out here.   It conjures up images of a cardboard cornucopia.   Packs and singles and memorabilia and posters and magazines and supplies and.....and friends.   A local hobby shop is our "Cheers".   A place where people not only want to know your name but understand why you're excited to tell them about that super sweet Topps-Update-Series-All-Star-Game-Yankee-23/25-Tri-Relic that you pulled a couple of weeks ago.   My waitress at lunch that day didn't even know what I was talking about!

Gratuitous, yes.

  

If they're a really understanding bunch, they'll be patient when you fog the windows of their display case for half an hour and then walk out with nothing but supplies (Oh, I'm back to the LCS....not talking about fogging Jessica's case).   Not because you're a ruthless small business hater - no.   They know you're a collector because hey, they are, too!   And they know you have a method to your madness and......they know you'll be back.

Okay.  Maybe they knew I'd be back when I did a back flip in the parking lot and took a picture of their store?

Anyways - Hooked on Cards is a great hobby shop.   Most impressive to me was the flawless organization of their small space.   Divided by sport, you had bargain bins on the counter to leaf through with the more valuable singles and autographed pieces within the display case.   If you looked up, you would see shelves of row after row of unopened wax - conveniently labeled with name and price.

Ah!

They were very helpful and a pleasure to talk to.   I enjoyed my experience.   I cautiously asked how business was going......and breathed a huge sigh of relief when they said everything was going great.   They seem to have a very loyal following and are trying to incorporate a winning marketing strategy that builds the hobby network through trading, customer appreciation and quality.   Great job, guys.

I can't wait to go back and if you ever find yourself in the Charleston area - I recommend you check them out.   Here's their information:

Hooked Indeed

 Thanks for reading!

Do you Honor By Sharing?

The following is an article that I really enjoyed from the UpperDeckBlog that describes the story behind a part of their Museum Collection cards from the 2011 Goodwin Champions release....and the resulting controversy.

A big hat tip to fellow Yankees fan and journalist, Susan Lulgjuraj ( https://twitter.com/SoozOnSports )for the heads up & link on le Twitter......

Enjoy and THANKS for reading!

Controversy in the Cards? The Story Behind the Civil War Union Battle Flag Used 2012 Goodwin Champions

By Rob Ford

My name is Rob Ford and I have been working with Upper Deck for over ten years. My current role with the company is that of a sports coordinator and part of my job besides creating checklists is acquiring key components for certain brands. In 2011 Goodwin Champions the “Museum Collection” cards featured a variety of artifacts like a chair from Napolean and wood from the White House. For 2012, our hope was to focus in on one historic period for this insert series and with it being the 150^th anniversary of the Civil War, that seemed to be the perfect period for Upper Deck to target.




I am a huge aficionado of history so it was really exciting for me as I began to work with vendors to acquire authentic artifacts from the Civil War we could preserve and celebrate with the “Museum Collection” series. It was my goal from the start to respectfully show each piece and to minimize any damage to the pieces that may come during the production process. Therefore when first approached with the idea of doing flag cards from a vendor, I shared that we wanted to pass.


However, once I saw pictures of what was left of the Union battle flag that was being sold in pieces, I agreed to take a look at the flag in person. Perhaps if Upper Deck were to use it in the set, we could give it a second life by presenting it in an attractive fashion and sharing it with history lovers.
Once the flag arrived it was in a sad state both ripped and cut. The pieces missing had already been cut by the vendor and sold. The stripes were already cut away and all that was left was a narrow strip of red, white and blue. The process of cutting the flag to share with other collectors had already begun and I realized it would continue even if Upper Deck wasn’t involved in acquiring the piece. The flag was in fact so fragile that some of the rips became larger with every handling. Does it belong in a museum? Based on the current condition of the flag, I couldn’t imagine it would be something that anyone would want to see. Looking at it in this condition made me sad that it had not been better preserved. Still I had my reservations about altering it further.

This is a portion of the actual Union battle flag Upper Deck procured for use in the 2012 Goodwin Champions “Museum Collection” series. The vendor was in the process of cutting it and selling it off. The overall condition of the flag was very poor.

After much thought and weeks of discussion which included talking to a history professor from the Universityof San Diegoand number of veterans. From these discussions I learned that it was common for soldiers themselves to cut up their own flag for souvenirs. We all know there are proper ways to dispose of a flag, but this was not a flag that was accidentally left out in storm on a long Fourth of July weekend, this is an artifact that people should see.

I began to think not only could we do this, but this might be something that we should do. My position here at Upper Deck sometimes gives me a chance to do things that people will enjoy and appreciate. Sometimes it is rewarding a deserving player by including them on a checklist or acquiring unique new memorabilia to be used in a memorabilia card, but I had never had an opportunity like this to help preserve an item by actually altering it and presenting it in a new way.

This is the actual card we created that I believe gives this flag a new lease on life with the attractive presentation of the artifact. This piece came from the stitching, not shown in the image above.

Finally, it came down to not the bottom line. It wasn’t about creating buzz and it certainly was not profits on the product, but just one simple thing; I had the opportunity to save this piece from slowly disintegrating and to make something to honor our veterans, not disgrace them. As an organization we hoped we could create something that would be collected and cherished by patriotic Americans like myself. And because of that we moved ahead with the project.

Our intention was never to upset any veterans or patriotic Americans. Upper Deck has a strong heritage as one of the only trading card manufacturers who actively partners with military charities like Operation Gratitude. We know there are a lot of men and women in the military who are collectors. In fact, we even created a different insert series in the product paying tribute to the “Military Machines” used by our armed forces. As an American company we look to celebrate the men and women who have served our country, not disgrace them.

For those who were upset about the decision to use this flag in the product, I apologize, but I do believe it was the right thing to do. So many collectors will get to experience and appreciate this artifact, in fact the professor we brought in shared he hoped to use one of the cards in his class with his students. For that reason alone I was encouraged to proceed with the use of this flag. I understand and appreciate people’s strong feelings on this issue and again I am sorry to anyone who may be upset by the use of this flag in this set. Our intention was to honor this flag, never to desecrate it.

What is "iconic"?

That was one of the topics du jour in the twitter-sphere of Ryan's Pitch, today.

Rick Klein (@rickklein) put forth a great discussion piece on Cardboard Connection that cited his desire for Topps to return to its roots with the flagship release.   With no frills or parallels or inserts or whatever, Rick channeled his childhood roots as he cited this phenomena when explaining his stance:

"For all of baseball card history, until the 1990s, the star cards were the chase cards. You pulled a Willie Mays, a Nolan Ryan, a George Brett, a Ken Griffey Jr., and that was the value in your pack. They made the pack or the box worthwhile."

I tend to agree, for the most part, and I have found myself suffering through the same thought process as I've torn through wax for the past year or so.   I would fight an inner struggle to thumb quickly past base cards (ANY base cards) in the hopes of finding that strikingly rigid relic card or seeing some beautiful ink surface from behind the preceding, boring base card.

Seriously, self?!

Then, of course, I would feel the shame and return through the piles to pay my respects to the cards upon which the foundation of our hobby is built - the base cards.   "We are cards, too" I can almost hear them screaming.   And they're RIGHT.   Turn them over when you get a chance and just READ.   Even if it's one of the simpler designs like Gypsy Queen, read what's there.   The stats, the facts and, if you're lucky - the cartoons (Archives, Heritage).   read the words, gain the knowledge and behold - there's the value in your baseball card.   Flip it back over and look at the front design.   Is the picture cool?   Do the colors work?   Can you find an airbrushing or printing error?   Enjoy it.   Critique it.   Share it.

And now...........collect it.   Trade it.   Put it on a dart board (Red Sox).   Check the number off your list and add it to the others.   Send it to the player in a TTM request or slide it gleefully into a 9-card page.   There's the value in your baseball card.   You might not be able to flip it for your car payment on the Bay of E - but you can get something out of it.

Let me get back to the twitter conversation...........

SO, Rick, along with several other collectors, industry players like Beckett's Chris Olds and even Topps themselves (@ToppsCards) bantered back and forth about how Topps might be able to satisfactorily meet Rick's request.   It is a healthy debate and very logical, too, as all seem to respect the fact that Topps IS a business and would need to be profitable while heeding Rick's recommendations.

What is iconic?

Rick made another excellent point in his article, referring to the Topps designs of years gone by, albeit mostly from the years of our (us 30 somethings +) youth along with those wonderful vintage editions.   He cited how easily all of us could recall the designs in our minds, with specific cards for certain years and how those designs thrive today in our collective hobby conscious as "works of art" and artifacts of sporting sentimentality.  

How much of this is due to our own hearts and memories clouding our judgment?   Have we simply not allowed enough time for current cards to achieve the same status in our mental display cases?   Perhaps....but then again, the obvious excitement surrounding this year's Archives release is undeniable.    I am a victim myself!   I vowed to stop at the flagship and Gypsy Queen releases this year but fell like a middle-schooler for Erin Andrews when I picked up a few 'sample' packs of Heritage and Archives.  

Now a "Fox" in more than one way...

Yes.   Gratuitous........

I've said it before - well done, Topps.   So, what is it about seeing today's stars in yesterday's designs that makes it all so exciting?   Is it the gimmickry of it?   Is it the allure of 'something new as something old'?   We may never know.   But ask yourself this - would you be as stoked to see McCutchen in the 2002 design vice this:

....or this?

Oops.  An insert......okay, score one for Topps.   But hang with me!

So, what do you think?   What does iconic mean to you?   Will the 'surfboard' design of 2012 flagship develop into an iconic design - eventually?   Have we, as a hobby, lost our ability to appreciate beautiful designs if they aren't accompanied by the chance to pull on-card autographs, jumbo relics or maple syrup glaze parallel SSSSP's?

Perhaps, but in the meantime - here's my two cents:   I don't believe iconic designs are behind us.   The iconic designs of my youth are exactly that - the iconic designs of my youth.   The '87 mini inserts from this year's release made me tear up a little while they very well might cause a 12 year old kid today to mutter, "What the heck is this?"  It's true, fellow geezers.   The iconic designs of the golden age and beyond are iconic for the legendary players they picture, I believe....and they're just old....and can be kind of tough to find.   2012 base cards will be old one day and probably hold some value for collectors who are riding bikes today that will remember watching Pujols or Cano or Kershaw as children.   One thing that WON'T be the same, however, is the scarcity.   We may never see that phenomena associated with present-day releases so I think that is a unique contributor to the allure of designs and plain old base cards from vintage (50's and 60's) releases.

For the record - here's MY iconic:

EPIC

Where was I 6/24/83?!? I don't know.....

And THIS.....this just doesn't seem epic to me.   Not yet.   But perhaps one day?

Golden Mouuuuus

Overall, this is a great question and a healthy debate.   Topps truly can't stand to lose too much from trying to find an answer, either.   There will probably be a 'swing and a miss' from time to time, yes.   But they might as well try, though.   You KNOW that we will all be there to at least pick up a few packs!

Let me know what you think and thank you for providing the discussion point, Rick.

Thanks for reading and before I forget - GO YANKEES, BEAT THEM SOX!!!!!!!!!!

Jelly Beans

Not from Morpheus!

That’s how this all got started.   Actually – that’s not quite true.   I’ll get back to those jelly beans in a moment.   This all got started with a 1986 Topps Doug Corbett baseball card.   I don’t know where Doug came from but I like to think that HE found ME. I still have him somewhere, tucked away in a treasure trove pile of youthful memories that now rests in our basement.   Ah!   Here he is......say hello, Doug.

I just noticed - Mattingly's number!

My HS football team has battled Apopka HS many times... 

My first card.   As you can see, it's well loved.   Nice "fuzzy" corners and a couple of meandering creases.   Original gloss, though!   I think now that I’d like to find out more about Doug.   It’s only fitting since he is responsible for everything that has happened since he turned me into a collector...


I fell in love with baseball at some point.


I loved to watch it, in person or on television, with my grandfathers or with my Dad.   They loved baseball and I loved them, so I loved baseball BIG time.   We would always talk about it.   Sometimes, I would just listen to it.   I can remember listening to baseball radio broadcasts on Boy Scout camping trips.   Out in the woods, around a fire whilst eating horrible things!   It was all good so long as I could follow the Braves on their quest for greatness.


I learned about the sport, its teams and their players.   Naturally, I sought out heroes – those I would cheer for and even emulate.   Yes, I even played baseball from time to time.   I have the post-game Dairy Queen mini-helmets to prove it.   Little League was fun but my career never quite played out the way I had dreamt it would.   Which is a shame because I practiced my autograph until it was absolutely perfect.   I would have been SUCH a cool major leaguer.   I still get way too excited when I sign anything.   Alas, even a second, Favre-esque comeback attempt for me in high school was thwarted by reality.

Like a pile of scalps, much soft-serve met its fate in these...

That’s okay. 


There were other ways to immerse oneself in the religion of baseball and that's where that '86 Doug Corbett became the gateway.   I happily spent much of my youth, along with some of the best friends I ever had, at the altar of baseball cards.   I’d save everything I earned to buy them.   I would study them and trade them with my partners in crime.   My mission? Acquire every Don Mattingly card in northwest Florida and then try to get at least ONE of everything else.   A Saturday afternoon couldn’t be perfect without a stop by TBS Comics & Baseball Cards to fuel my collection.   I would organize my cards and memorize the players. I couldn’t get enough and life was simply perfect.



And then life changed.



Don’t worry.   This is not “VH1-Behind the Music”.   I didn’t crash a Mustang into a Hotel 6.   No, life rolled on.   I got older.   I started playing competitive golf and football.   Necessary extracurricular activities became important for new future dreams.   Besides, my baseball heroes decided they weren’t getting paid enough in ’94 and quit.   Fine, then!   I needed to grow my music collection binders more than my Super Star baseball card binder……plus there were too many different types of cards anyways.   There were sparkly cards and foil-y cards.   Baseball cards that didn’t come with gum and cards that were way too expensive.   They were more about money than warm summer afternoons anymore.   I bet Doug Corbett even shed a tear.   But that’s life and life doesn’t stop. 


High School, girls, college, adulthood and everything in between happened.   Doug was locked up safely with the rest of my collection at my parents’ house.   A career in the Navy happened.   That made keeping up with baseball even harder.   But there was my favorite part, too.   Along the way, THE girl happened and, unlike baseball, I know the exact moment that I fell in love with her.   The first moment.   She was the coolest person I had ever met and yes, she liked baseball, too.   I tricked her into marrying me and we eventually had a perfect little daughter.   She is a beautiful princess who makes me smile every day and reminds me the world is a pretty great place.   Jobs changed and the zip codes flurried by.   


Then one day…..the jellybeans showed up.   A friend (who’s more family than friend) handed me a jar filled with pink and blue jellybeans.   I was told to count, sort, organize and divide.   I did so feverishly, just as I had with those little pieces of cardboard so many years ago.   In the end, there was one jellybean left.

One jelly bean to rule them all, one jelly bean to find them..

One blue jellybean that has brought us here today.



I was going to have a son.   In an instant, I knew…I needed to find Doug.   I missed my old friend and more importantly, there was now a new life that he needed to touch.

And so, here we are.   My boy has joined us (happy and healthy) and my little girl just told me the other day, “Daddy, I’m starting to really like baseball!”   I told you she was perfect, right?   My love for baseball has been rekindled and I couldn't get enough.   Fortuitously, Doug and the rest of the treasure trove have been recently delivered from their parental deep-storage resting place (thanks, Mom and Dad).   I liked to picture it being wheeled out of the warehouse at the end of Raiders of the Lost Ark.   Everything looks to be in good shape, too!   Here’s a look:

Bay Bridge Series hat and Starting Lineups!

Good shape is a relative term, though.   It is a couple of packing crates full of assorted, wonderful, random STUFF.   It needs to be re-discovered, re-organized and pared down as much as possible.   My wife is excited about those last two goals.   I love my wife, so therefore I love those last two goals A LOT, too.   I’m also under the delusion that there are some people out there who might like to dig through that treasure trove with me to reminisce, share or even tie up loose ends?   Ah, to trade again!   I have discovered many of my fellow collectors out there in the Internet ether over the past year.   It’s been fun re-discovering our hobby.   I have received a rookie's introduction to new terms like Blaster's, "hits", patches, swatches, relics, chrome and heritage.   Your blogs are a joy to read and I can only hope to capture some of the same passion and joy regarding my collections as you all have with yours.   Thank you for your warm welcomes and friendly encouragement to share my own thoughts.   The chase in on to rediscover the old stuff and acquire some new treasures for the next generation.   Maybe a few things for Dad along the way, too!


So…without further delay….it’s blog time.   My first blog, to be exact.



Crazy?   Probably.



But I feel like this is a tale worth telling.   A story about baseball cards - the heroes and times they depicted.   A story about the fans who cheered them on and the world that was better for all because they did.   A story that includes Doug Corbett, our national pastime and a bunch of jelly beans.



This is a story about baseball, life, a little history and a LOT of cardboard!