Fantasy Becomes Reality - Some 2015 Bowman Pillow Talk

No, I didn't pull a Kris Bryant super-vallyrian-X-factor-auto card. Sorry to disappoint, but that kind of luck doesn't find me when I open new release packs.

That being said, I had a lot of fun opening up a blaster of 2015 Bowman. I know what you're thinking, "Dude, Ryan has LOST it. He is always raving about vintage and completely trolling modern cards. Now he gives us modern card pack-busting reviews in back-to-back days? WHAT IS LIFE?!?"

Don't worry, I haven't lost my mind - or, at least not that I'm aware of. What I did do was embrace the "do what I want to do" potential of Father's Day a couple weekends ago and it was EVERYTHING I hoped it would be! After getting our two older kids to bed, I kissed my wife on the forehead as she settled in with our newborn and whispered, "I'm off to see Jurassic World. I love you."

You see, pillow talk has always been an area of expertise for me. Sorry ladies, I AM indeed madly in love with my wife - who, by the way, is totally cool for accepting me and all of my geek/collector-tastic tendencies. So, off I went, to go see a summer blockbuster movie by myself that I knew was going to be completely cheesy BUT DIDN'T CARE because I was going to see a movie. By myself. In a theater.

My heart raced as I sped towards the targeted shopping center in my high-performance Camry. Carefully weighted down with two car seats in the back, I made a hairpin turn into the Target parking lot just prior to reaching the theater.

"I'm buying some baseball cards, dammit."

Gypsy Queen had tantalized me for several weeks so I snagged a couple of rack packs. But I wanted more...as luck would have it, I had been adjusting my fantasy baseball lineup earlier that day in the Buy-Buy-Baby parking lot. The minor league prospects from my roster were fresh in my mind, you see...so what happened next was purely an act of impulse.

"Bowman! Bowman! I want SCHWARBER," was the weird rambling that escaped my mouth as I dashed towards the registers. Women & children warranted little regard as I weaved my way to an open register, glancing nervously at my watch to mark time until previews started. It's ALL about the previews, man.

I made the movie (my first 3-D experience) and loved every mouthful of gloriously buttered popcorn as I watched Chris Pratt & Co. avenge the disaster that was Jurassic Park III while falling short of the original movie's excellence. That's okay! I was in Father's Day Nirvana and the joy continued when I returned home to rip open some guilty-pleasure wax. Here were a few that caught my attention:

Nothing beats a Rizzo for my PC!

Okay, maybe a Betances for my PC comes awfully close...

Oooooh, sweet - Yankee prospects! I can lay claim to Luis Severino and Aaron Judge on my fantasy minor league rosters, but I'm glad the Yanks can claim this guy, Jorge Mateo. He is quickly gathering buzz in the Bombers' farm system as a speedster (52 bags as of 6/29) with offensive upside. Batting only .275 with a couple of homers, he is still growing at 20 years of age but has already matured greatly by displaying noteworthy plate discipline and working on his other tools as a ball player.

Wait, there's more?

These Chrome inserts are always nice and I'm ecstatic to add this Greg Bird to my collection. He is on the cusp of joining the Show as the parent club works out a future that is currently clouded with aging stars and rent-a-bats. Their time will eventually come to an end and Bird is a prime candidate to step in as a difference maker despite his season that was interrupted by a stint on the disabled list.

Nelson Gomez was a multi-million dollar international signing for the Yanks. He holds a lot of potential offensive upside and is giving us a glimpse by batting .285 so far this season with five home runs in only 95 at-bats. That translates into some huge power potential, though I am a bit conflicted with his 3B designation alongside my Irish brother, Eric Jagielo. Good problem to have, I suppose.

So there you go, some Bowman fun! I've only lightly dabbled in Bowman for the obvious reason that the set is all about the big prospect "hits" - autographs, colored parallels, etc. Par for the course, I didn't pull any mojo in my blaster. But as a fantasy baseball player who tracks minor league prospects across the league, this set has become a lot of fun for me to rip. I know a lot more of the players than I used to and that adds some meaning and enjoyment to an otherwise gamble-heavy release that my risk-averse collecting approach won't allow me to enjoy.

Plus, I have half a mind to send all of these to my friend, The Lost Collector, so that he can get them autographed for me. He's a hobby badass like that.

Thanks for reading and have a safe 4th of July!

Ryan

The Warrior

I was very fortunate to be able to add a great autographed baseball to my collection - Paul O'Neill!

I hated it when O'Neill and the Reds swept the Athletics in 1990. I was a huge fan of the Bash Brothers, Dave Stewart, Henderson and The Eck back then, so the National League's domination wasn't what I was hoping for.

In November of 1992, the Reds sent Paul to the Bombers in exchange for Roberto Kelly. He displaced Donnie Baseball as the #3 hitter and began contributing right away. He was having a fine season (as many of the Yanks were) in '94 when a strike ended the season, batting over .350 with 20+ HRs and 80+ RBI in only 103 games. The Yankees were 6.5 games ahead in the East when it all ended that season...dammit.

He'd go on to be a big part of the Dynasty and their four titles from 1996 through 2000. He went tot he All-Star game four times as a Yank and brought home the batting title during that shortened season in 1994. His send-off in Yankee Stadium at the end of Game 5 of the 2001 Series was something I'll never forget and his hard work in pinstripes over the years earned him the "Warrior" label from 'ol George.

So this ball is pretty sharp, right? I have a great friend who dated a very nice young lady a couple years back...her family happened to be good friends with the O'Neills. Knowing I was a Yankees fan, my buddy couldn't wait to tell me about the connection. And in return, I couldn't wait to ask him if he thought his girlfriend might be able to get a ROMLB into the Warrior's (or "Uncle Paul" as she knew him) hands on my behalf.

No shame in my game, I suppose. Never hurts to ask, though, and as luck would have it - he was happy to oblige me, she was happy to oblige him and Uncle Paul was happy to oblige her.

Job changes kept us apart for a couple of years and my friend's romance with the young lady from Ohio didn't last either. The timing was precarious but in the end, he left town to begin a new career in Chicago with this O'Neill baseball stuffed somewhere in his belongings. We joked about it from time to time, bantering back and forth in emails, texts and messages through our fantasy baseball league.

"Someday I'll get this baseball to you, my friend."

That day came last fall when the stars aligned for us to rendezvous in South Bend for a Notre Dame football game. Picking me up from O'Hare, we made our way into town for a festive reunion with other friends, old and new.

"Hey man, check out the glove compartment! Got something for you in there."

Good friends and baseball - it doesn't get any better than that! Mr. O'Neill was even kind enough to add the personal inscription, a real treat that I always enjoy.

A big heart-felt thank you to my good friend for going above and beyond the call of duty. Grateful for your time as well, Mr. O'Neill. To the young woman who connected us all - fare thee well, madame. You will always be a part of this story.

Welcome to my Yankees' Collection, Warrior!

Thanks for reading and have a great weekend, everybody -

Ryan

My Mattingly Collection - 2002 Upper Deck Sweet Spot Bat Relic Card

There's nothing I enjoy more than a relic card for one of my Player Collections. I came across this Mattingly Sweet Spot for a little less than $10 and decided to - not buy it. Yes, in a rare feat of self-control, I recognized that this was probably a little too much to spend on another bat card of Donnie Baseball.

 

Don't get me wrong, I WANT THEM ALL. But Mattingly, for better and for worse, demands curiously high rates for any/all of his cards due to his loyal and passionate fans. So, often I find myself on the sidelines as I watch so many terrific-looking, higher-end releases go to good homes elsewhere. 

 

Fortunately, nobody else had their eye on this Hit Man because the card was re-listed at a discounted price of just over $5 - an amount I could happily accept! I like Upper Deck's design on this one, with emphasis evenly divided between the relic and a great follow-through image of Maatingly.

 

 

Yep, it's Don and the bat, no more, no less. It's a sharp card in person and is in really good shape. Sometime these relic cards that are listed on the cheap come with hidden dings near the relic or banged up corners and edges. For the most part, it's tough to get too upset over the condition of relic cards in my book. Which does beg the question, why? These are cards too, so why do I care so much less about their condition? Very interesting thought. If I had forked over $5 for a mid-90's Mattingly insert, for example, I would be disappointed if it showed up with dinged corners and crushed edges. Is this a normal double-standard for any you?

The back recycles a zoom-in on the front side's image with a standard accompanying relic card "CONGRATULATIONS!" statement.

I need to total up my Mattingly relic cards. I'm sure it's way less than what it needs to be right now.

Right!?

At any rate, I'm pumped to add this one to my Mattingly Collection!

Thanks for reading!

Ryan

1954 Bowman - #147 Joe DeMaestri and #19 Bobby Shantz

Joe DeMaestri and Bobby Shantz will always hold a special place in my collection. They were both very kind in their respective responses to my autograph requests, sending additional photographs and answering some of the questions I posed in my letters. I will forever be grateful for their generosity.

 

My interest in both players stems mostly from their time as Yankees, of course. But just as with most of these characters from the golden age, they each have some amazing stories. Whenever I have the chance to pick up cards for either of these guys, it becomes a very easy decision. I had just such an opportunity when these two '54 Bowman cards came up on a sales list.

 

DeMaestri found himself on the field for Mazeroski's home run in Game 7 of the 1960 Series. This was an epic moment lamented by Yankees fans but I find myself fascinated with the event itself. Joe only found his way into the game after Tony Kubek was struck in the head by a line drive in the 8th inning. Timing is everything, as they say.

 

"Froggy" began his career in '51 with the White Sox but had found his way to the Philadelphia in time for this '54 issue. The A's would venture west to Kansas City for the following season, where they would remain until the late 60's. Joe would leave in 1960 for the Yankees, a fateful trade that not only led to his view of Maz's shot from the field but facilitated the delivery of Roger Maris to New York.

 

1954 Bowman is a simple design and this particular card is playfully off-centered, but the coloring is really fantastic!    

 

Interestingly, the write-up on the back of the card cites a nickname of "Oats" for DeMaestri. He was a little tall for those days at six feet, so perhaps there was some kind of horse comparison? Bowman also cites a 'big player deal' that sent Oats from the Sox to the St. Louis Browns. A quick review of this trade shows:

Browns received: DeMaestri, Gordon Goldsberry, Dick Littlefield, Gus Niarhos, Jim Rivera

White Sox received: Sherm Lollar, Tim Upton, Al Widmar

Boy, if that batch of ballplayers doesn't scream for an internet research session, I don't know what does! I'm pretty sure I've seen a few of those guys in my collection before. In fact, I know I have! Yes, I recall blogging about Sherm after I picked up his '60 All-Star card for my Dad's set. I'll have to dig through some cards to see if I can connect some more cardboard dots - always a fun time!

In the meantime, here is the back of the card. A very logical layout that flows easily and provides a lot of solid information:

Check out that Presidential trivia question, folks! Now for Mr. Shantz...

Bobby Shantz had a fantastic career that spanned fifteen seasons of major league ball with seven clubs. He had his finest season with the A's in '52 when he claimed the AL MVP by going 24-7 with nearly 280 innings pitched. The Athletics finished in 4th place that season, enjoying their final winning season in Philadelphia. Shantz participated in the All-Star game at Shibe Park that year and notched a terrific line in the history books by striking out three NL sluggers in a row in the 5th inning: Whitey Lockman, Jackie Robinson and Stan Musial. His duel with Jackie plays a part in one of the items Mr. Shantz sent back to me in response to my TTM request. Have I shared that with you guys, yet? Definitely one of my favorite pieces.

Bobby was injured during the '53 campaign and endured a slow return to form, hurling only eight innings in 1954. That might account for the peaceful but tired look in Bobby's eyes on this Bowman card. Another simple portrait here and the centering is off top-to-bottom, but the edges/corners are AMAZING and the color is even better. There are no hints of a stadium to be had in this card as there was in DeMaestri's, but I kind of dig the field and wooded background. Looks like a warm spring day to me.

The back of the card describes everyone's hope for Bobby in 1954 and adds a curious "great little fielder" comment at the end. The reference to his stature was well deserved, as Mr. Shantz was only five and a half feet tall - but I view the great fielder portion of the comment with much curiosity and awe because it is quite prophetic. Shantz would go on to win eight CONSECUTIVE gold gloves in his career, an amazing feat! It's just incredible to me that he didn't win his first award until three seasons AFTER this Bowman card was issued.

Nice job, Bowman!

I'm excited to add these two cards to my collection. As I mentioned above, it's always a treat to add cards of players I've been able to interact with personally. I don't have very many 1954 Bowman cards but I might very well be approaching a full page now! Does this constitute an official set-build declaration? Hmmm...

Thanks for reading!

Ryan

My Mattingly Collection - 2001 Topps Archives Reserve, Bat Relic

Not that anybody was really worried or about the lack of posts over here at Ryan's Pitch...but just in case.

The Fall really overwhelmed me with family and work and school and...life. I had so much that I wanted to share with you guys in October as an epic baseball season was coming to an end. A season with so many emotional connections to the Ryan's Pitch Collection - but I had to place the blog on the back burner to make sure I could take care of business.

October became Halloween and then Thanksgiving was looming large and then December hit with a fury. But now - now that finals are done and the office has not a creature stirring - now for a few days...I'm all out of business!

I've missed you guys!

(group hug)

And I've missed my hobby time. I have a year left in my MBA program so 2015 may prove to be just as challenging, but as you all know, I am an eternal optimist - so here's hoping! Until then, I'd like to end 2014 on a positive note with a few posts. I'd love to provide one of those "STATE OF THE COLLECTION" posts. My collecting approach has truly evolved over the past year (or so) and I am very excited about tackling some much needed house cleaning in parallel with a renewed vigor for laser-guided collecting focus. And just who wouldn't want to hear about all of THAT?

For now, though, let's check out a slick Mattingly card I recently picked up! I found this bad boy for the price of two modern packs. It wasn't in a shop or at a show (what are those?) and in this case, I didn't even have a picture. This 2001 Topps Archives Reserve fell in my Hobby Ice Age, so I didn't have a clue as to what it might resemble. I am familiar with the Archives series, but what did the "reserve" label indicate?

At $5 though, it was a Mattingly card that I DIDN'T have and a bat card at that, so I scooped it up. And I am sure glad that I did:

I know, I know - another damn version of the Hit Man's '84 Topps rookie card. Isn't it sweet!? It's shiny and refractor-y in all the right, biased ways for me. This one was in great shape, too - for which I am always thankful. The corners are sharp and the surface is pretty clean. The Archives logo is slightly annoying in the top right, but I'm over it. The circular bat relic is kind of a cool contrast with the otherwise well squared-away card.

To the back: 

Pretty much the standard with the exception of the fine-print line at the bottom and the...wait, what's that? A certification hologram?

Enhance!

Houston, that's a serial number! Woo-hoo! God bless these cards from the Hobby Ice Age. I am supposing this an early example of serialization that was utilized as the hobby was figuring out just how they were going to handle this attribute. It's kind of a neat variant, even if it covers up some statistics. Good thing I can easily check the other 30 versions of this card.

Returning some focus to my Mattingly collection is one component of my 2014 Collecting Evolution story-line. It was very easy to dial-in on my modern day PC's:

Craig Kimbrel
Freddie Freeman
Anthony Rizzo
Dellin Betances
David Robertson
Eric Jagielo

Unfortunately, these quests often left Donnie in the dust despite his status as my favorite all-time player. Not to mention, there are SO many cards during the aforementioned Ice Age that I haven't even begun to discover or enjoy and are probably quite affordable.

Hopefully this card is another great step in the right direction for 2015. I say "another" because I was able to scoop up a "Player Lot" of Mattingly cards over the past couple of months that has been a joy to flip through during free moments here and there. Some good, old-fashioned player collecting.

Anyways, it feels great to be back and I hope this doesn't turn out to be a one-hit wonder. I hope you all had a great 2014, find much peace with you and yours for the holidays, and hit the base path in 2015 with tremendous gusto!

Thanks for reading!

Ryan

Night Owl Made A Pass At My Woman!

Nah.

Night Owl is a righteous dude with tremendous cardboard and Dodger knowledge surpassed only by his own incredible talent for writing. I just couldn't resist the gratuitous post title inspired by The Lost Collector's recent interview of [99.9%] retired blogger, Napkin Doon. It had me laughing out loud and wishing once more for a "Cleve's" of South Carolina....but alas, no such luck. The interview can be enjoyed here.

NO, it was I that was seduced by this glorious plethora of cardboard from our community's winged friend of the night. Completely unexpected but surely treasured, I must now hatch plans for a counterstrike.

Thank you very much, Night Owl!

Here we go - 

Yankees and Braves dominated this well-crafted package. I had never seen these tri-fold Upper Deck "BAT" cards before.....but I LOVE them. How do I store them?

We sure miss Robbie in New York but it's always a pleasure to see him knock one out of Safeco from time to time. I think I caught an update recently that he left a game with some pain...I hope he's okay. This "blue-sparkle" parallel from 2013 is a beautiful card and I have quickly become a fan of the Opening Day logo. Man, that follow-through.......one of the finest swings in baseball right now, folks.

What Mo can I say? Rivera cards will always be accepted around here. A simple baseball card with a winning smile from baseball's greatest closer is fantastic!

PC alert!!!!! A Donnie-Braves sandwich served up with my first look at the A&G insert set, "Across the Years". I can dig. The Braves colors and that OD logo (again) look great on the Freddie and Kimbrel cards. Great additions to my collections!

Here's a look at the back of the BAT card. See what I mean? They are REALLY nice and offer up some great baseball knowledge in an attractive, unique design. How were these cards distributed?

A giant Donruss Righetti!!!!! How giant?

THIS giant! Thank you for the perspective, Chippah (also included).

I'm a bit unsure as to how I'm going to store/display this bad boy....but I'll find a way to let Rags breathe safely in the Card Cave. In the end, a wonderful problem to have, right?

Thanks again, Night Owl and thanks for reading -

Ryan

My Yankees Collection - 2011 Gypsy Queen "The Great Ones" Thurman Munson (mini)

Many moons ago, I was able to stop by what has become the closest hobby shop to me in Columbia, SC. I wrote about my discovery of this LCS back in 2012. While this current LCS scarcity is probably best for my wallet, what I wouldn't give for a hometown shop!

During this rare visit, I was able to snag some supplies and a card that I needed for my 1960 Topps set-build. I also performed an obligatory flip through the "Yankees Stars" box on the shop's counter. Most of these were over-priced, but I couldn't pass on this one!

As any Yankee collector will tell you, we have a special place in our heart for Mr. Munson. And even though I wasn't able to watch him play, he lives on as one of the best "lunch-pail" type ballplayers to ever put on pinstripes. SO many accomplishments in such a short time with the sad early ending that we all know by heart, I view every one of Thurman's cards as a unique opportunity to learn more about him and, in some small/weird way, pay tribute to his legacy. Capturing his iconic 1971 All-Star Rookie card was a big day in my collecting timeline, but even the smaller (literally), modern era cards provide a rich, enjoyable experience. This card lived up to the task.

As a bonus, it's a 2011 Gypsy Queen, one of my all-time favorite sets! A double-bonus, you say?! It's a mini. While I'm not a 'mini' collector, I find them curiously interesting. This card of Munson gives us a fantastic action image of Thurman, in full color, as he casts his [vintage] catcher's mask aside. Munson is gnawing on some chaw with a beautiful scowl beneath his memorable mustache.

RUN, PUNK. I DARE YOU...

I think it's a great looking card. The overall impression is a bit dark, but I think this approach suits the historic nature of its hobby throw-back design. It seems to boil with baseball and cardboard history overtones, doesn't it? A tobacco card-era throwback of a tobacco-chewing baseball player. The dark borders, in combination with its small size might also have made it difficult to preserve the condition of the edges, but this one seems to have survived fairly intact.

Here's the back:

A simple, informative card back. Thurman, the Yanks' captain, led the league in singles for 1975....Topps makes an interesting statement about rarity of players who can produce runs without power. Is this, for the most part, accepted baseball wisdom? I feel like I should do some digging around on baseball-reference!

For now, though, let's just enjoy this card. Welcome home, Thurman! You truly were a Great One!

Thanks for reading,

Ryan

Bobble Relevance

Who doesn't love a bobblehead? Last season, a neighbor of mine shouted me down as I was playing with my kids in our cul-de-sac.

"Hey man, you like baseball, don't you?"

"Heck YES, I like baseball! How come?"

"I went to a Padres game while I was out in San Diego and I have this bobblehead....do you want it?"

"Definitely! Thanks!"

Didn't care who it was or what it looked like.....I was ALL about a free bobblehead for my baseball memorabilia collection. Turns out, it was Mr. Chase Headley......hey, cool. I knew about Headley and figured this was a pretty solid pick-up. Of course, NOW we know that Chase has become the starting 3rd baseman for the Yankees! Woo-hoo! "#AddedValue", as @StaleGum would say.

The Padres were sure proud of Chase's accomplishments back in 2012 - and you can't blame them! He came out of nowhere and really tore it up, both at the plate and defensively that season. He ended up earning himself a nice paycheck, too.

Unfortunately, Headley's output took a dive last year and his woes have continued through the first half of '14.....which made him an ideal bargain for the drifting Yankees. Hoping that Chase can continue his post-ASG hot streak and regain his 2012 form, Cashman & Co. swapped farmhand Rafael DePaula and 1st-half hero, Yangervis Solarte for Mr. Headley.   Like the Nuno/McCarthy trade, I think this is a good gamble for the Bombers, who are trying to piece together ANY sort of path into the post season for The Captain.

We'll see how it goes, but for now, this guy will be haunting me from the corner of the Card Cave:

My David Robertson Collection - 2012 Topps Gypsy Queen Mini Sepia Parallel, #27/99

How about this guy!

D-Rob is having a very quiet, successful season as the Yanks' closer.   He scared us all with an injury and short stint on the DL a few weeks ago.   I was almost sure that somehow his strained groin would translate into another Tommy John surgery.

Alas, Robertson returned and has gotten the job done in all nine of his save chances this season.   His numbers are solid too, if not dominant: 1.42 ERA, 0.63 WHIP, 17/2 K/BB ratio.   SWEET!   As we all know, the closer role is one of the toughest roles in baseball, especially in this day and age of zero forgiveness.   The expectation of impossible and unending perfection can be maddening, so for David to handle things so well after taking over for Mo......this has been a real treat so far.   It won't last forever, but I'll be cheering him on the whole way!

I started a Player Collection of Robertson a couple of years ago, and it has been a lot of fun to build.   His stack is quite a bit smaller than my other favorites, as relievers don't often get awarded as many card appearances as position players and the starting rotations.   So, when Robertson does appear on a card, I try to jump on it immediately!   

In 2012,  Robertson was coming off a terrific campaign that earned him a spot in the '11 All-Star game and really cemented the expectation that he would take over for Rivera when the time came.   This resulted in a few more cards being available, including a base card in the abbreviated 300 card Gypsy Queen set!   That is saying something....add to that the wide variety of size and colored parallels, and we have some great Robertson cards to chase down.  One of them was this mini-sepia variation:

The simple, vintage design didn't really do much for me in the normal versions of the base cards, but this sepia version is really cool and I am quickly becoming a sucker for tobacco-sized mini variations.   It has great contrast and comes off as a nice artistic rendering of "high-socks" Robertson in mid-delivery.   Pinstripes and all, this card is fantastic!

Let's flip it over:

Check out that card back!   #27 out of 99 makes me feel a tad lucky to have found a copy for my collection.   Aside from the very attractive (in my mind!) and vintage-feeling sepia color scheme, we have the sharp-looking foil serial numbers.....and a GREAT write-up.   How great?  

Well, Topps gives us a very juicy little tidbit about an exclusive group of pitchers to which David is a member.   I haven't fully vetted their statement yet, but as you can see, David is one of only three pitchers with at last 10 strikeouts per 9 IP in each of their first three seasons - along with Mark Prior (Cubs) and Troy Percival (Angels, Tigers, Cardinals and Rays).

After some quick research, though, I was able to find out that both Prior and Percival maintained their level of 10+ K's/9 IP for their first four seasons before dropping below the mark.   That's PRETTY impressive - until you take a look at Robertson's CURRENT streak (and record?!?!) of SIX seasons!   Yessir!   He also currently holds a 12.1K/9IP mark this season.   Will this be year #7 in a row?   Is my understanding of this record correct?

Let me check a few names real quick.   Beginning with heir first seasons in which they appeared, these famous pitchers averaged:

                                          Walter Johnson -     5.8, 5.6, 5.0

                                          Nolan Ryan -        18.0 (2 games), 8.9, 9.3

                                          Pedro Martinez -    9.0, 10.0, 8.8   

                                          Trevor Hoffman -   7.9, 6.6, 8.8

Wow. Some terrific perspective on David's accomplishment!   I was able to finally find some company for David.   I believe we can bid a tearful farewell to our friends Troy and Mark - there is clearly a new generation of arms in The Show, and here are some prime examples that include names I am sure we all recognize:

                                           Craig Kimbrel -      17.4, 14.8, 16.7, 13.2, 16.5 (in progress)
                                           Aroldis Chapman - 12.8, 12.8, 15.3, 15.8, 16.5 (in progress)
                                           Yu Darvish -          10.4, 11.9, 10.8

Hmmm.   What did I say about Tommy John surgeries?  I'm just saying.....at any rate, I'm very thankful to Topps for putting this stat on the back of this card.  It is something I hadn't considered and is definitely special - a stat that I can brag about whenever Robertson comes up in conversation.

Pumped to add this card to my David Robertson Collection!

Thanks for reading.

Coffee's on in Toronto! Paging Marcus Stroman...

A couple of months ago, I struck up a Twitter trade with @MrsClooney32, who is part of the #BravesFam group of complete strangers that I banter back and forth with about all things Braves.

It's a lot of fun and an easy way for you to get annoyed with my Braves-related play-by-play tweets on your timeline.

Anyways, MrsClooney32 is a big time Chipper fan and was interested in a grey swatch relic card that I had of 'ol Larry.   In return, I caught an unusual case of the "fantasy baseball pitching prospect autograph desire" disease and was interested in a Team USA autograph card of Blue Jays' young hurler, Marcus Stroman.

It was a one and done swap - thanks, MrsClooney32!

Here's the Stroman:

Apparently, Marcus sat beside Wil Myers in autograph class........

It's a another slick Team USA card from Topps Chrome.   It's sharp looking despite the fact that the autograph is on a sticker.   You see, I have a strange affinity for Team USA cards.   In fact, I bought a whole box of Team USA cards earlier this year.   More about that in a future post.   Here's the back of Stroman's card:

I love the American flag in the background of these card backs - Topps really did a nice job!   It's even numbered out of 199....something I didn't notice until JUST now, actually.   That's funny.

My favorite stat about Marcus?   No, not that he went to Duke (which is pretty cool)...he is 5'9" but can bring some serious heat.   We all know the quick fate that can be served to young prospects when they come up, but you can't help but root for this little guy, can you?   Man, would I love to see a pitching duel between Stroman and Yankees' giant flame-thrower, Dellin Betances (6'8").   That would be awesome!

Wait a second.   I don't have any autographs, or much cards at all, of Betances.   What the heck is wrong with me?   Note to self.....

I'm posting this today because the Jays' Dusting McGowan is struggling a bit and rumblings out of Toronto signal an imminent call-up for Mr. Stroman.   He's been quite successful in AAA Buffalo thus far, avoiding the long ball that often plagued him last year, posting a 2.18 ERA with a 29:6 K:BB ratio.

Not bad, and I wish him the best - just not against my Yanks!   A no-no against Boston wouldn't hurt my feelings.....

Keep collecting!

Ryan

My Mattingly Collection - 2000 Upper Deck Legendary Lumber Bat Relic Card

Yes!

I absolutely love this card.   Mattingly is my favorite all-time player and I pick up just about every relic card of his that I can at a reasonable price - which can be a real challenge sometimes!

I snagged this one, though.....and Upper Deck REALLY delivered.   The design is brilliant, mixing in Yankee blue and pinstripes alongside a black & white photo of a classic Mattingly follow-through.

But that's not the best part.

The best part, to me, is the carved "NY" Yankees insignia in the bat relic that allows for a bold blue color on the card to shine through and really make it POP.   Here's the card:

We even get a classy silver foil facsimile Donnie autograph at the bottom.  Great balance!   Here's a closer look at the bat relic:
 

And here's the back:

The standard blurb and a repeat of the picture on the front, something that we saw with my earlier post on the Jeter/A-Rod relic card.   Undoubtedly, must have been a standard policy.   The continuation of the bold blue stripe on the back is terrific.

Great card - very, VERY ecstatic to add this one to my Mattingly collection.   It MIGHT overtake another Mattingly relic in my collection......MIGHT......but this other one is pretty stellar :)

Thanks for reading!

My Yankees Collection - 2000 Upper Deck SPx Jeter & A-Rod Winning Materials Relic Card

Okay, I am just on a roll with these Hobby Ice Age cards being added into my collection....

I love Jeter and am ambivalent towards A-Rod.   Yeah, there's a lot to hate and I am certainly not shedding any tears over his absence (and possible departure?), but I feel like he has been singled out from a larger group of players.

One positive side-effect of the A-Rod disdain is that his cards and cards on which he appears can be had for a little bit less these days, so I was able to scoop this JETER relic card up for a reasonable price!

Yeah, a "game-used base" will always be kind of weird to me, but it's a nice change of pace.   I wish you could look up exactly which game it is from - I suppose then you could check out the box score and figure out who else might have touched the base?   That could be some fun research.....do you see the DIRT (game used!) on the base piece?   Cool!

The pictures are pretty solid.  I love the big smile from Jeter and A-Rod's sweet shades.   And let's not look past the fact that this is a bat-relic card for a 500 HR Club member.   PEDs or not, he's on that list statistically.

Here's the back:

I'm a little puzzled as to why they couldn't use a couple of different photos for these guys on the back, but I know how expensive it is for companies to maintain licenses for use of materials......

In the end, this is another great Jeter relic for my Yankees Collection and I'm thrilled!

Thanks for reading -

My Yankees Collection - 2010 Topps Chrome #214 Ivan Nova RC Certified Autograph

Here's another example of what is quickly becoming the 'must have' card for me when it comes to my PC's or favorite players from the teams I collect.

The " 2___ Topps Chrome RC auto" is usually dependable for being a nice looking card.   The "RC shield" always goes a long way with me and any certified autograph, while usually keeping most cards out of my price range, is a welcome addition!

Here we have Ivan Nova's version from the 2010 Chrome set.   Shield?   Check.   On-card signature?   Check - and this one looks really nice in the blue ink with just the right amount of tilt to fill up the auto-space.   The overall color scheme fits together nicely!   Awesome picture of said rookie?   Not so much, but I can deal with that.   Here it is:

Great color scheme! Awful reflection of collector, DOH!

Nova and his compadre Michael Pineda are going to be an essential key to the Yankees' success this year.   In the field and at the plate, we are a team in quasi-transition.   Some highly paid talent was brought in, yes....but this is not the team of old.   200 home runs will not be reached, in my opinion.   I think Girardi will have to run a lot more, and earn some wins the hard way - which I am ecstatic about.

That also means that we can't have our starter getting blown out of the water early or, frankly, blown out of the water at all.   Our staff needs to be dialed in and working hard to keep ahead in counts and any batted balls on the ground.   Should be simple, yeah?

Ivan had a great season last year - he was almost an unsung hero, in my opinion.   Kuroda collapsed as the post season approached.   Sabathia just kept getting SHELLED.....it was hard to watch, but this kid picked up the slack as best he could and he did it well.

Here's the back of the card:

Let's Go Yankees!

Exit question - what's the classic baseball word that serves as a synonym for teammate, fellow player/pitcher?   I know there's a word for this and I just can't remember right now....

Thanks for reading....

The Quest For '60: #465 N.Y. Yankees Coaches

It's been too long since I had an update on my progress with completing my Dad's 1960 Topps set - but this is a great way to dive back into the fold!

For just a few dollars, I was able to cross this one off the 'want list' and it's a beauty.   Sure, a banana yellow doesn't necessarily enhance the floating Yankee heads......but they are Yankee floating heads so there is a lot for me to enjoy here.

This is a great collection of Yankee royalty!   As the card back points out, Crosetti was a 2x All-Star shortstop and won......wait for it......17 World Series titles while playing on teams with Ruth, Gehrig and DiMaggio.   Did you know he hit ONE home run in all of his World Series' appearances?   Sure did - and he belted it off of the Cubs' Dizzy Dean to give the Yanks a lead in Game 2 of the '38 Series.   Bill Dickey, a Navy man in World War II, was an 11x All-Star catcher that set the standard for golden-age catchers.   He was elected to the Hall of Fame, but he only won 14 Series titles.   Womp, womp.

(sarcasm)

Ralph Houk was an Army hero during World War II and returned home to both successfully play and manage the game for many years.   He kept the troops together during that magical summer of '61 and later relinquished the reigns to his catcher, Yogi Berra after the '63 season.   Ed Lopat won 5 titles with the Yanks and was an All-Star in 1951.   He was considered one of the "Big Three" for the Bombers' rotation, along with Allie Reynolds and Vic Raschi. 

Considering all of this, I'd have to say that this collection of floating heads might be immune to ANY color Topps might have splashed around them!

And the back:

A great card and this one was in really good shape, too.   I'm thrilled to be that much closer to finishing my Quest for '60.

Thanks for reading!

A Treasure From The Lost Collector!

It's always a great day when a package arrives from my friend, AJ.   He was one of my first trading partners when I joined the blogosphere (as a reader) back in early 2011.   He gave a lot of great encouragement as I mulled over the idea of Ryan's Pitch and he inspires me to always strive to be a better Yankees fan.   He runs one of the finest blogs in our community and maintains a TTM success rate that exceeds the hobby average by about 1,000%!

Off the collecting field, we also compare notes from time to time as fellow dads and I'm always on the lookout for new HOF cards I can send to him for his son's collection.   A little while ago, I sent over an old beat up Red Schoendienst that I thought might plug a hole in a page.   I was happy to assist!

Well, that rascal went and returned the favor with a Don Mattingly card that I've been wanting since......well, since the lovely thing was created - HELLO, gorgeous:

Rainbow! Mustache! Pinstripes! Stars! Foil! Eye Black! DONNIE!

I mean....LOOK AT IT!

Amazing to go from a single '93 Topps Finest in my childhood collection ( a Jeff Bagwell that I ought to share on here pretty soon....) to a full hat trick in a matter of weeks!   I fawned over the early 90's wholesomeness of Nolan Ryan's Finest card in a previous post - but this Mattingly, my favorite player of all time, take the cake.   It MUST be the finest Finest card I will ever own!

Here's the back:

Drafted a couple of months after another epic event.....my arrival on earth.

AJ - thank you!   Thank you very much!   This card will be treasured always.

Thanks for reading!

My Jagielo Collection - 2013 Bowman Sterling Certified Autograph

Woo!

My Eric Jagielo collection has grown.   Kicked off a couple (few?) weeks ago with my first "1/1" Jagielo printing plate, I have now acquired a second autograph of the Irish Yankee from the Bowman Sterling set - here's a look at a very well slanted, on-card signature :)

The card is simple but sweet and the cold metallic theme of this Sterling design works well with the manly color scheme of the New York Yankees.

Yes, their full name for effect.   Here's the back:

I did not know that Jagielo was only the 3rd Irish player to be a first rounder?   Let's see...was it Jeff Counsel?  Was it Yaz? Who were the other two, I wonder?   I need to look this up!

Welcome to the PC!

Thanks for reading -

Ryan

My Yankee Collection - Behold.....MUNSON!

YES!

I have been wanting  - nay, dreaming of adding this car to my collection ever since I laid eyes upon it.   I wish I could tell you that I drooled upon the LCS display cases of my youth whilst staring into the dust and baseball greatness that is Thurman Munson's 1971 Topps card.....but I can't.   

Honestly, I don't think I truly discovered this gem until my passion for the sport of baseball and our wonderful hobby was reignited, circa 2011.   And you know what?   Better late than NEVER!

I love this card. My appreciation for Thurman Munson grows with everything that I learn about him.   Apparently he played with a lot of energy and eagerly embraced the role of leader in a Yankee clubhouse that found itself in a precarious transition as the Bombers stared at the empty locker of a recently retired Mickey Mantle....and a quick look at his stats from an abbreviated 10 year career quickly shows that Thurman was well on his way to the Hall of Fame.

This card captures so much of what I love about vintage ball cards.   Well....vintage for me :)

The design is very typical of the day but maintains a quieter monolithic dignity than its cousins in '68 or '72.   The black border is definitive and is well known for causing issues for collectors wishing to find copies of them in great condition.   The edges are hard to keep "crisp" - just ask '85 or '87 Donruss and they'll raise their beer mugs in agreement.   Centering is probably the biggest culprit.

Enough chatty kathy - here's my copy of the card:

Why yes, my Munson has been graded by PSA.   This is a new development in my collecting habits that I will begin to discuss at greater length in the coming posts.   I'm really enjoying, for many reasons, and I love the healthy debate that always ensues regarding graded cards.   Am I 100% graded cards now?   No way, dudes.  

But I DO love this graded copy.   I picked this one up for less than the cost of a blaster, shipped.   No, it's not going to pay for my kids' college tuition, but I jumped on this card because I really liked the centering.   After extensive shopping on-line, it is easy to determine that well-centered versions of this card are hard to come by.   They are often cut short on the right side and this discrepancy is easily discerned by comparison of the black border strips on both sides.   Here's a close look at the card itself, in the proper orientation:

  

AH!   How and why do I love thee?

- Team Name

- Player's Name

- Position

- ROOKIE CUP!!!!!!!

- Thurman freakin' Munson

- A well-placed facsimile signature

- Action photo

- PLAY AT THE PLATE!

- dust cloud

- old-school catcher's gear

- STIRRUPS!

- sideburns

Here's the back, my friends:

"A fine receiver with a strong arm, he releases the ball as fast as anyone."   I swear, you CAN'T beat the back of old baseball cards.   I find it interesting that he was the 8th best batter in the AL at .308?   Pretty cool.

Let's take a closer look at the action.

I'm so pumped to have this card in my collection.   Sure, the corners are a little banged up and the "top" edge is less than perfect - but I think that suits Thurman just fine.   He died four months after I entered the world, so I don't have a tangible 'baseball relationship' with Mr. Munson as a viewing fan, but he has certainly earned a spot in my collecting heart alongside many other great players.

Do you have any memories of watching Thurman Munson play?

What are your thoughts on this card?   His official rookie card in the 1970 Topps set is often overlooked and rarely spoken of with the same enthusiasm as this '71.  In fact, I believe both cards are valued relatively the same?   I wonder how often that happens for a player?   Might be a research project there.....not hard to see why as it is a dual-rookie card that he shares with fellow Yankee, Dave McDonald.   No action shots :) or stirrups...or dust cloud....

What are your thoughts on graded cards?

Ha!

Thanks for reading and enjoy your weekends!