Aardvark Trading Co

the times they are a changin’

Tue, 30 Dec 2008 20:14 GMT

The slow one now
Will later be fast
As the present now
Will later be past

- Bob Dylan (1963)

I wonder why it is that calendar pages seem to flip significantly faster today than they did when I was a kid. While I am willing to entertain the notion that it is only MY perception, something in my gut tells me that I am not alone.

I set out to generate a fantasy baseball card, or whatever term you choose to assign to it, to help mark the passage of the old year into the new. It isn’t really a card that I wish would be created by a baseball card manufacturer inasmuch as it reveals my view of both the game of baseball and the trading card hobby “today” compared to the past.

Has baseball REALLY changed, or is the change we note actually due more to how we have changed, and how we perceive the game? My vote is the latter. To support my claim visually, I offer the difference between how Norman Rockwell captured the essence of the game with oil paints in 1958 and this photo I shot of Shane Youman capturing pretty much the same event from the dugout steps nearly 50 years later while participating in the Arizona Fall League. The game is unchanged, and remains as strong as you are willing to believe. We just have a better view, and access to replays.

What of recent scandals? Baseball wouldn’t be baseball without scandals. Show me an era without scandals, and I will suggest you do more research.

As for the trading card hobby… I appreciate that it exists and that I am fortunate enough to have more baseball cards than any one person NEEDS. I love the fact that I could fill the bathtub with baseball cards and dive in if that’s what I wanted to do. Yes, there are problems with the industry from top to bottom that include bad ideas, lack of creativity, greed and worse- but as long as someone creates a product that I deem worth collecting, I will do so without hesitation. When everyone fails to release new products that I feel belong in my collection, I simply step back, catch my breath, and then refocus my attention on the now “vintage” sets that first romanced me. I don’t blame the card companies for their gimmicks because I understand they are trying to make money. On the other hand, I don’t lose any sleep over the fact that I’m never going to own a dual memorabilia baseball card that features a Norman Rockwell paint splatter AND a game-used Sony video camera microchip.

Perspective.

Just like professional ball players in the late 50s, Youman scratched his way up through the minor leagues for his 79-inning cup of joe with the Pirates during the 06-07 seasons. Youman has been unemployed since being dropped this past summer by the team who had picked him up as a free agent over the winter only to decide that he wasn’t going to help them with their master plan of winning the World Series (which they did).

I have no idea if Youman is done with baseball or if he will return in 2009. The only reason I care is my fondness for the underdog. If it turns out that Shane has retired from the game, I have no doubt that another “unknown” will eagerly assume his place on the roster, in the dugout, and eventually on the great stage. I take comfort in the rich history of the game and hope above all else that nothing will happen to cause me to turn from it.

At any rate, best wishes for the New Year! Here’s hoping that 2009 brings with it all that you enjoy about baseball and trading cards (as long as it doesn’t interfere with my enjoyment)!

- Kris

Posted in off the wall Tagged: Kris, minor league baseball, nostalgia

the wind cries “trade me”

Thu, 25 Dec 2008 22:13 GMT

“A broom is drearily sweeping
Up the broken pieces of yesterday’s life”

Partially inspired by the relationship between Jimi Hendrix and Curtis Mayfield, but mostly looking for things to do rather than writing thank you notes for gifts I received for Krismas, I thought I would pull together a quick entry about a number of trades that I have completed “recently.” As much as I enjoy a good trade, it is funny how I almost always have some other ongoing project that requires my attention more than blogging. Here is a prime example of why I sometimes fail to write anything at all…

I have no intention on including scans of every card I’ve received in trade, or even listing them in their entirety. This isn’t because I’m a jerk, but because I don’t believe anyone really is that interested in reading about the trades in that detail. On the other hand, if you have made a trade with me and I’ve omitted your name, feel free to chalk that one up to me being a total jerk. Please accept my sincere apology and do not hesitate to call me on the omission in the comments section.

In no particular order then, THANKS!

I recently received ten 2008 Allen & Ginter mini cards from half of the S&M blogging duo that composes A Cardboard Problem in trade for some random Cardinals infielder I’d never heard of. A few days later and I was packing up a few cards for the other half of ACP for a swap for a handful of Steve Finley cards I wanted. True to karma, I’ve pulled more cards of the two players that I sent out in trade in the few days since the trades were completed than I have of anyone else. Geesh!

A sizable trade of Topps 52s Rookie cards with The Easy Life resulted in the addition of a stack of 2008 Goudey baseball cards to my office after I decided I would collect the National League half of that set. Steve also tossed in a bunch of awesome Dodgers cards, including my first Upper Deck Masterpieces card. (Uh oh… these things are NICE!) Not only did I score cards of baby Dodgers to potentially get autographed this next season, but also a couple of cards that had already been autographed.

Whether we are talking about Cory Snyder or Jay Howell, it must be obvious that I won’t hesitate to scan and post images of autographed cards due to the fact that they are completely different from regular cards that anyone has an opportunity to pull from a pack. It has gotten to the point for me that when I see a baseball card, I feel that it isn’t “complete” until it has been autographed by the player. I guess that is just the historian in me.

In one of the most intriguing deals of 2008, Mark from Stats on the Back traded me 25 Steve Finley cards in exchange for a full half-inch of empty space in one of, what I assume must be, MANY monster storage boxes. (Expect to read more about that in a future post.)

Not to be outdone, the ever charitable folks behind the curtains at Dinged Corners supplied me with cards shiny enough to top any respectable pine tree, while the Cardboard Junkie continued to feed my addiction with a badly needed A&G mini here, a 75 Topps there, another hit of 08 Heritage that I just can’t seem to kick, and other random goodies I didn’t even know I needed- until I had a taste!

I’ve completed trades in person with local collectors as well as with a number of blogless collectors via a few interweb message boards that have been proving quite useful in chasing out the sets I am building. Oh sure, I could simply be purchasing the majority of these cards on eBay, but where’s the joy in that?

I also want to take a moment to thank in advance Danny at Saints of the Cheap Seats and FanofReds at Nachos Grande for trades that are either currently in the works, or possibly passing like postcards of ships in the night.

If you are looking to increase your pool of card trading friends and have yet to check out any of these bloggers’ want lists, I urge you to do so immediately. That is, AFTER you have revisited my updated want lists!

“Will the wind ever remember
The names it has blown in the past”

- Kris

Posted in good bloggins, good traders Tagged: autographs, trading

rock the wells with cards of non-sport

Tue, 23 Dec 2008 22:19 GMT

Season’s Greetings from your bloggin’ buddies at Aardvark Trading Company!

Hopefully you are reading this because you are completely finished with all of your holiday preparations, as opposed to using Cards in the Attic simply to avoid wrapping those last few presents and getting them under the tree where they belong. I’ve either completed all of my Krismas tasks with time to spare, or I’ve forgotten to do something altogether. Whatever the case, I might as well take advantage of that time to highlight a 15-year-old set of trading cards that happen to contain a little holiday charm.

The Curtis Publishing Company released the 90-card set of Norman Rockwell Collector Cards (Series 1) in 1993. The cards consist of old covers of The Saturday Evening Post that featured Norman Rockwell paintings and illustrations. The painting above of Santa plotting his gift route was used on the magazine cover published December 16, 1939. I’m sure all you keen-eyed readers had already begun questioning why the fat man had skipped over New Mexico entirely, but rest easy- I didn’t live here (or anywhere for that matter) in 1939, so no harm.

Classifying these cards as non-sport was tough given that nearly one quarter of the cards in the set are related to one or more sports- including baseball, football, horse racing, fishing, weight lifting, swimming, diving, golf, hiking, light outdoors recreation, camping, checkers and marbles. If you aren’t aware that “marbles” is a sport, I recommend sitting down with your grandfather (or his dad) at some point and having a LONG talk. Be sure to ask him about the first time he lost his marbles over some girl as depicted in this painting featured on September 2, 1939.

The 2003 Norman Rockwell Collector Cards set contains five cards that deal specifically with baseball. I am not going to include them all here because I am a firm believer in the joy that comes from personal, first-hand discovery.

Wouldn’t you agree that this painting captures many of the components that are GOOD about the game of baseball? Even though tiny Timmy is calling for the pitcher (let’s assume it is his father) to deliver the ol’ slurve in order to make gramps look silly, it would be next to impossible to not bust the elderly gentleman with a pitch high and inside just to watch him dance like a sugarplum fairy. After all, it’s nobody’s fault but his own if his pocket watch gets broken as it dangles unprotected over the plate. Appearing on the cover on the August 5, 1916 issue of The Saturday Evening Post, this was the third of Rockwell’s illustrations to be used by the magazine. Rockwell was 22 at the time.

It is difficult to make out from this scan, so you’ll have to take my word that this Saturday Evening Post cover from July 3, 1939 reads “100th Year of Baseball.” The painting is fantastic, and I wonder if the baseball article inside is as well written. My guess is that the article should be avoided by anyone not aligned with the Abner Doubleday camp.

This card is one of my favorites in the set. I’d be willing to bet that the majority of you have even seen this image before, as it is quite popular. And why wouldn’t it be? Titled “Bottom of the Sixth,” this painting used on the cover on April 23, 1949 features major league umpires Larry Goetz, Beans Reardon (seriously) and Lou Jorda pondering “what if” as the skies appear to be ready to open up above Brooklyn’s Ebbets Field. More humor is provided along the right side of the painting as Pirates skipper Bill Meyer and Dodgers coach Clyde Sukeforth conduct their own meeting of the minds. I will have to defer to the Night Owl to make the call as to whether or not this constitutes a night game. (Trivia buffs make note that it was “Sukey” who managed Jackie Robinson’s first major league game in 1947. Four years later, it was Sukey’s decision to send Ralph Branca to the mound to face Bobby Thompson in the infamous ninth inning of the third game of the National League playoffs.) This card is a MUST HAVE for Dodgers fans!

A single foil pack contained 10 cards; a full box included 48 packs. While I have seen hand collated sets available on eBay ranging between 9 and 19 dollars, I would recommend picking up a full box for probably right around the same amount of lettuce and building at least one full set. A factory-sealed box also provides an opportunity to pull one or more of these interesting “wood” inserts.

The inserts appear to be printed on a micro-veneer of wood, yet the backs are lined with paper, so I really don’t know what they are all about. A second series released in 1995 contained a short run of chrome Santa Claus card inserts. If you pick up a box of Series II, I would be happy to make some trades, as I don’t have any cards from that set.

Finally, in response to Dinged Corners’ Christmas request for current views of blogger landscapes, I offer the present condition of my Victory Garden that is kept under constant surveillance by my trusted, bodiless scarecrow “Gourdhead.”

Happy holidays to one and all!

- Kris

Posted in off the wall, product reviews, Uncategorized, what I collect Tagged: holiday, nostalgia, pumpkin, Santa

pandora’s blaster: 2008 topps stadium club

Sun, 14 Dec 2008 14:42 GMT

I really hadn’t intended to collect 2008 Topps Stadium Club cards, let alone build an entire set- that is, until fellow card bloggers and a national department store chain conspired to present me with an offer I was unable to refuse.

Fourteen blaster boxes later, yes fourteen, and I am still trying to completely wrap my brain around the short print situation and rookie card variations. In a nutshell, out of the 150-card checklist, if a card number is evenly divisible by 3, I do not have a single plain old, non-“1st Day Issue” card. PERIOD! So these must be short printed cards that are serial numbered on the back to 999? Okay, I pulled a couple of those (24 and 33).

I did pull 1st Day Issue parallel cards of most of the missing “power of three” cards, which would put me very close to have completed an entire set- albeit half-assed in reality. The sell sheets I’ve seen indicated that these 1st Day Issue parallel cards would be serial numbered short prints, but none of the ones I’ve pulled are. I don’t get it.

Furthermore, the rookie cards and their variations mock me. Thus I will be using scans of Garrett Mock’s card no. 109 in this discussion of my current understanding how those cards are supposed to exist.

Base rookie: Okay, this technically maybe isn’t a base card. Serial numbered 186/999, this Garrett Mock “base” card seems to be a short print. It had been my understanding that each player has one regular card like this.

Base rookie – 1st Day Issue: Again, card no. 109, not serial numbered on the back, but includes the 1st Day Issue foil on the front. Simple enough.

Rookie variation: Also card no. 109, not serial numbered, and I thought these cards would NOT have a parallel 1st Day Issue counterpart. Although this is where another limb branches outward from my tree of confusion, it is not the end.

My main question is how are collectors supposed to know which is the base and which is the variation if we only pull a single card of a player? Actually, even when I pull two I don’t know which is “A” and which is “B.”

These two Gregorio Petit cards illustrate my multiplying confusion surrounding the 1st Day Issue parallels. I didn’t think the Rookie variation card was supposed to have a 1st Day Issue parallel, but clearly they do. At least some do. Neither of these cards is serial numbered short prints or anything like that. I just don’t know. Again, which is the “base,” and which is the variation? Why do I care? Maybe because it is wintertime and figuring this out is more entertaining than watching football.

I am of the opinion that the Rookie auto cards are fantastic. The autographs are on card and positioned as to not compete with the image.

I also really like the Beam Team cards even though I find the sticker autographs distracting and unappealing. (Note to Topps: Sharpies will write on plastic, so knock it off with the stickers already.) These stained glass “Shrinky Dinks” cards would really make for a great set all by themselves- preferably unautographed.

I have posted my “needs” list on the Aardvark Trading Company trade page which will make it easier to keep updated than to attempt to do so here in this blog entry. I will probably continue to chase this set as long as the price is right, but rest assured- I already have enough duplicates, triplicates, and quadruplicates to keep me in trading stock until the Cubs manage to win a World Series.

Finally, here is a scan of an Albert Pujols Photographer’s Proof card (serial numbered 48/99) that I will probably end up trading to a rabid Pujols collector. It is neat and all, but it probably belongs in a collection where it will be appreciated more than it will in mine.

At any rate, please do not hesitate to leave comments or email your thoughts on the issues I’ve discussed, or to make trade offers after reviewing my 2008 Topps Stadium Club Baseball want list.

- Kris

Posted in product reviews, what I collect Tagged: Kris, Topps Baseball Cards

2008 albuquerque isotopes dav team set review

Fri, 12 Dec 2008 21:26 GMT

2008 Albuquerque Isotopes DAV team set
Official Score – seeing eye DOUBLE
Manufacturer: Disabled American Veterans (undetermined printer)
Sponsor: Disabled American Veterans
Retail price: FREE SGA– not available for purchase

I’d like to promise that this will be my final post about the Isotopes this year, but you never know. I definitely wanted to get this review completed this calendar year since the Isotopes and Marlins have parted ways, in order to clear the path for many posts dealing with new (and old) Isotopes and Dodgers connections.

DAV night at Isotopes Park took place on July 25, 2008. Official attendance that evening was recorded as 13,390 fans. Only the first few thousand fans through the turnstiles received this special limited edition 10-card team set. Between the free baseball cards and an Isotopes loss to the Sacramento Rivercats, there wasn’t a dry eye in the house.

Here’s the checklist.

1 – [195] John Baker (c)
2 – [196] Chris Barnwell (if)
3 – [197] Andrew Beattie (if)
4 – [198] Tagg Bozied (if)
5 – [199] John Gall (of)
6 – [200] Bobby Keppel (p)
7 – [201] Jai Miller (of)
8 – [202] Lorenzo Scott (of)
9 – [203] Taylor Tankersley (p)
10 – [204] Ross Wolf (p)

Most importantly, the 2008 Albuquerque Isotopes DAV team set included cards of three players that were not included in the regular 2008 Albuquerque Isotopes team set. They are as follows:

Ross Wolf has made quite an impression on me over the last two seasons. Always a pleasure to talk to, and I can’t remember a conversation that I’ve had with him that didn’t end with him thanking ME for coming out to the ballpark.

Taylor Tankersley pitched very well for during his stay(s) with the Isotopes in 2008. The Tank hurled 31 and two-thirds innings over 29 appearances, managing to keep his ERA at 1.71 in spite of a WHIP of 1.55. Taylor has one unique signature.

Lorenzo Scott was one of two Isotopes players on the 2008 roster who shared my birthday. Again, that is a surefire method of having one’s cards highlighted on this blog. If I could run half as fast as Lorenzo, I would have been a track star.

Tagg Bozied put together a great season for the Isotopes in 2008, hitting .306 with 36 dingers in 425 at bats. He was also one of the true characters on the team as is apparent in this video of Tagg Bozied announcing the starting lineups prior to one of the games.

I’ve blogged about Chris Barnwell before, and it appears that the girls at Dinged Corners have a slight crush on him. I think I read that Chris is a free agent, but I’m not completely sure about that. Do you notice anything “missing” on Barnwell’s card? That’s right- a signature. Unfortunately Chris had to leave town for personal reasons right before the end of the 2008 season, so I didn’t get have the opportunity to tell him how much I enjoyed watching him hustle day in and day out. I’ll be sure to tell him the next time he passes through Albuquerque- then hit him up for an autograph.

Overall, the set includes a fair share of pitchers pitching, fielders fielding and hitters hitting. My only real complaint is that 80 percent of the cards depict players in black jerseys instead of spreading the love and representing the other uniforms worn throughout the season.

Card surfaces are a semi-gloss that required no treatment prior to autographing. I believe you can tell from the scans that the autographs add a great deal to the overall look of the cards. If you flip one or more of these cards over, you shouldn’t be surprised to find only the DAV ad mentioned in previous reviews of these limited edition team sets.

You cannot purchase these cards from the Isotopes team shop- online or in person. I did see one sell on eBay recently for just less than six bucks, so that could be an option. Probably if you put your thinking cap on, you would be able to think of one baseball card blogger who might just have an extra one of these sets (unautographed) available for trade…

- Kris

Posted in Albuquerque Isotopes, team set review, what I collect Tagged: Albuquerque Isotopes, DAV, Kris, minor league baseball, PCL, Triple A baseball

2008 salt lake bees dav team set review

Wed, 10 Dec 2008 07:44 GMT

2008 Salt Lake Bees DAV team set
Official Score – TWO RUN TRIPLE
Manufacturer: Disabled American Veterans (undetermined printer)
Sponsor: Disabled American Veterans
Retail price: FREE SGA– not available for purchase

The Salt Lake Bees are the Triple-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. A long-time member of the Pacific Coast League, the Bees play their home games at picturesque Franklin Covey Field, in Salt Lake City, Utah. If, like me, you guessed that Franklin Covey might be the name of a tough old mountain man who dedicated his life to hunting beaver along the streams that drain the nearby gorgeous Wasatch Mountains long before Brigham Young relocated his flock to the valley, you are wrong. Feel free to chuckle at my expense if you want as you click here to discover who (or what) Franklin Covey actually is.

Hopefully, you will find the names of Salt Lake players included in this team set more recognizable than the stadium’s namesake. I wonder why the set was split into two separate groups in the 2008 DAV minor league master set. It appears that the DAV could have utilized one or more of Franklin Covey’s planning tools in order to avoid the numbering gap.

Here’s the checklist for the entire 29-card set.

1 – [32] Nick Adenhart (p)
2 – [33] Giancarlo Alvarado (p)
3 – [34] Jose Arredondo (p)
4 – [35] Erik Bennett (pitching coach)
5 – [36] Henry Bonilla (p)
6 – [105] Dee Brown (of)
7 – [106] Matt Brown (if)
8 – [107] Ryan Budde (c)
9 – [108] Jason Bulger (p)
10 – [109] Brad Coon (of)
11 – [110] Jim Eppard (hitting coach)
12 – [111] Terry Evans (of)
13 – [112] Nick Green (p)
14 – [113] Jeff Kennard (p)
15 – [114] Shane Loux (p)
16 – [115] Bobby Mitchell (manager)
17 – [116] Kendry Morales (if)
18 – [117] Kasey Olenberger (p)
19 – [118] Gary Patchett (if)
20 – [119] Adam Pavkovich (if)
21 – [120] Sean Rodriguez (if)
22 – [121] Freddy Sandoval (if)
23 – [122] Alex Serrano (p)
24 – [123] Coby Smith (of)
25 – [124] Rich Thompson (p)
26 – [125] Matt Wilhite (p)
27 – [126] Reggie Willits (of)
28 – [127] Bobby Wilson (c)
29 – [128] Brandon Wood (if)

Let's get to the cards…

While choosing which cards to highlight in this review, I had to decide between Kendry Morales and Dee Brown. Ultimately I went with Brown based on his willingness to sign autographs for fans without acting as if they have just asked him to jump-start their car in the middle of a hailstorm. That’s a beauty of a grass stain on Dee’s left knee. Those pants would certainly make for an interesting batch of game-used relic cards.

Brandon Wood is one of those unpredictable players that you never can tell how they are going to react to an autograph request. Normally he will sign one item per fan per day without having much to say. Catch him away from the crowd and you might see him chat up a storm while signing a handful of cards. My take Wood is that he’s a nice kid who is still learning to deal with the pressure of having been billed as the next Cal Ripken Jr. before he was old enough to buy a beer. At any rate, this card is going to autograph quite nicely, and I plan on being there when that happens to thank him for his time.

Hey, Jason Bulger makes an appearance in consecutive posts. This is starting to get out of control. Bulger is one of a dozen pitchers included in this set. While a few of the faces are obscured by shadows, all but two of the photos are serviceable. All but two of the cards featuring non-pitching players depict the players in the act of hitting. That gets a little tedious because we all know that there is so much more to baseball than just swinging a bat. The lack of variation stands out as an area where the set could easily be improved upon.

This is a very nice card of Bobby Wilson. An action photo in full catcher’s gear, yet a mask does not obscure his face. The focus is a bit soft, but I’m willing to forgive them given the overall appeal of the card. Wilson did appear in seven games with the parent Angels during the 2008 season.

Reggie Willits is a super nice guy who will always give his team 120 percent. He’s the kind of player who will crash into the wall in foul territory to make the third out in the top an inning, then some up to bat second in the bottom of the inning and lay down a sacrifice bunt to advance the runner from first into scoring position. Yet it appears that the jury is still out on whether or not that is going to be enough to land Reggie a full-time spot on a major league roster.

Willits is one of only three players in the team set not wearing a white jersey. From an autographing standpoint, if a team is going to feature the same style of uniform on the majority of the cards in the set, I would prefer that they follow Salt Lake’s lead and select the lightest color.

The Salt Lake Bees have one of the best looking logos and overall color schemes in the Pacific Coast League. The logo is most visible on the cards of manager Bobby Mitchell and pitching coach Erik Bennett.

As is the case with all cards from the 2008 DAV promotion, these puppies have a semi gloss surface that are ready for the Sharpie directly out of the pack. The card backs exhibit the standard DAV ad instead of stats. I am of the opinion that the Salt Lake Bees have one of the best looking team sets included in the 2008 DAV minor league master set. Weighing in at 26 players and 3 coaches, what you get here is basically a full team set. I haven’t seen the actual 2008 Salt Lake Bees team issued set, but I am guessing that the images used for that differ significantly from the ones utilized for the DAV set. While the Bees offer bracelets for sale thru their online team shop, they do not offer baseball cards. Go figure!

I did see one of the 2008 Salt Lake Bees DAV team sets sell on eBay for $7.50 plus shipping with five unique bidders showing interest. I would say that is about as low as you might expect to pick up one of these sets on the secondary market- assuming you are fortunate enough to find one for sale. After all, the Bees did finish 1st PCL Pacific North division.

- Kris

Posted in team set review, what I collect Tagged: DAV, Kris, minor league baseball, PCL, Salt Lake Bees, Triple A baseball

2003 lancaster jethawks team set review

Tue, 09 Dec 2008 09:05 GMT

2003 Lancaster Jethawks team set
Official Score – ground rule DOUBLE
Manufacturer: Grandstand Cards
Sponsor: Bubble Yum
Retail price: $6.00(ish)

The 2003 Lancaster Jethawks finished 4th in the California Southern League. The Baseball Cube indicates that Rick Rodriguez managed the team, yet this team set begs to differ. I wasn’t there, so I honestly couldn’t tell you who was in charge. It is interesting to note that some 148,194 fans stopped smelling the poppies long enough to file through the turnstiles at “the Hangar” (Clear Channel Stadium) to watch the Class A affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks play ball. (Today the Jethawks are affiliates of the Houston Astros.)

There is no printed checklist for this 30-card team set. The numbers on the backs of the cards correspond to the player jersey numbers. Pretty much the best way to tell if you have a complete team set is to compare your cards to this official team checklist sponsored by the Aardvark Trading Company.

1 – [25] Mike Aldrete (manager)
2 – [33] Scott Barber (p)
3 – [17] Billy Biggs (p)
4 – [20] Jason Bulger (p)
5 – [31] John Castellanos (p)
6 – [18] Lance Cormier (p)
7 – [36] Joey Cramblitt (p)
8 – [7] Mike DiRosa (c)
9 – [38] Jay Garthwaite (of)
10 – [26] Matt Henrie (p)
11 – [23] Jamie Jones (of)
12 – [21] Josh Kroeger (of)
13 – [11] Erick Macha (if)
14 – [30] Damon Mashore (hitting coach)
15 – [9] Kyle Nichols (1b)
16 – [4] Danny Richar (if)
17 – [14] Mayobanex Santana (if)
18 – [12] Sergio Santos (if)
19 – [16] Pete Sikaras (p)
20 – [29] Doug Slaten (p)
21 – [37] Chris Snyder (c)
22 – [24] Jeff Stanek (1b)
23 – [34] Mel Stottlemyre, Jr. (pitching coach)
24 – [19] Francisco Trejo (p)
25 – [8] Dan Uggla (if)
26 – [35] Justin Wechsler (p)
27 – [28] Carlton Wells (p)
28 – [22] Marland Williams (of)
29 – [‘03] Justin Jakubcin (strength coach)
30 – [‘03] Adam Weyer (trainer)

I like the design of these cards- a kittywampus layout of a full-bleed “baseball card” card superimposed over a warning track area of an outfield next to the foul line. However, I wouldn’t want to have like 20 of these sets from different teams to look at. The set also suffers a bit from the fact that only two cards (pitcher Matt Henrie and pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre, Jr.) have backgrounds that really differ from the rest. I’m not saying that all of the backgrounds are identical, but they are lacking in variation. Technically, the photography is very good, and I wouldn’t have hesitated to score the cards higher if the set had included some action shots.

You’d have to think that with a name like Billy Biggs, a player was destined for the majors. That was not the case with this right-handed relief pitcher. Instead, it appears that Biggs hung up the glove after spending four seasons in the minors, logging 216 innings on the mound and racking up exactly ONE plate appearance. Billy’s entire professional baseball career was spent within the Diamondbacks organization- pretty uncommon in this day and age. Biggs’ total stats include a record of 11-16 with an ERA of 3.33 and a WHIP of 1.30- again, all in relief. Certainly players have hung around in the majors for much longer than four years while not performing as well. Billy failed to reach base in his only trip to the plate.

Dan Uggla smashed 23 homers and stole 24 bases for the Lancaster Jethawks during the 2003 season. Any questions?

Jason Bulger made his major league debut on August 26, 2005. He was traded to the Angels the following spring, and has yet to spend a full season with the parent club. That’s the way it goes sometimes.

While I would not argue that Jason bears a slight resemblance to the scarecrow on the Wizard of Oz, I am here to set the record straight by reminding you that the man who played that character was named Ray Bolger- not Bulger. In other words, if they are related, someone in that family tree has some spelling issues.

Infielder Sergio Santos is still working toward his first call up to the majors. He has been in the Toronto Blue Jays organization since the end of 2005 when he was included in a deal with Troy Glaus for Orlando Hudson and Miguel Batista.

Chris Snyder broke into the big leagues on August 21, 2004. Snyder has been cashing paychecks from the Diamondbacks organization his entire professional career. I’m fond of baseball cards that utilize photographs taken from this vantage point. It almost allows you to feel what it would be like to be a baseball.

Card thickness is typical for a minor league set. Surface treatment is a semi gloss that left the cards practically begging to be autographed. The backs consist of two-color (black and grey) printing over white matte, including name, typical player stats, minimal bios and a grayscale Bubble Yum logo.

I obtained this team set in trade from a blogless reader in exchange for a 2008 Albuquerque Isotopes team set. Although the Jethawks don’t have it listed on their online team shop, I was informed that they do still have this set available. So you probably have to call them if you want to order one for six bucks. I haven’t seen this entire team set available on the secondary market, but if you act fast, you can pick up just the Josh Kroeger card from a dealer on eBay for “only” $3.95 plus $1.50 shipping.

- Kris

Posted in team set review, what I collect Tagged: California League, Class A baseball, Kris, minor league baseball

march of the “cey hay” kid

Sun, 07 Dec 2008 22:26 GMT

Are you going to sit there at your computer and tell me that you’ve never attended a minor league All Star game? If so, I’m going to fire back that you really should make an effort to do so. You never know who(m) you might bump into…

Actually, now that I think about it, you probably should contact the media director of the team hosting the event to find out if they are going to be having any special autograph sessions as part of their festivities so you can pack accordingly.

I obtained these Ron Cey autographs in person during the summer of 2007 during the “Fanfest” portion of the Triple-A All Star Fiesta that was hosted by the Albuquerque Isotopes.

Although I appreciate them all, the 1975 Topps is without question my favorite of the group. It was a shame that I didn’t also have the mini parallel to get signed.

Luckily I did have the 1987 Topps mini with me! People constantly give me a difficult time because I like these cards with the wood grain background. Their tauntings fail to bother me, but rather I shrug them off like water off a duck’s back (or in this case, a penguin).

I think the world would be a boring place if we all liked exactly the same things. What would be the fun if every baseball card collection were identical?

I expect my collection of old time Dodgers autographs will begin to grow this summer since the Dodgers have relocated their Triple-A franchise back in the Duke City. So you can expect more posts like this one in the future.

- Kris

Posted in what I collect Tagged: 75 Topps, autographing, Kris, Topps

2008 louisville bats dav team set review

Sat, 06 Dec 2008 20:49 GMT

2008 Louisville Bats DAV team set
Official Score – base hit
Manufacturer: Disabled American Veterans (undetermined printer)
Sponsor: Disabled American Veterans
Retail price: FREE SGA– not available for purchase

The Louisville Bats are the Triple-A affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds. After running away from the competition in the Western division of the International League in 2008, the Bats’ magical season ended when they flew into the wall that was the Durham Bulls in the first round of the playoffs.

When the home team takes to Louisville Slugger Field for opening day in 2009, they will be playing on a brand new surface of Kentucky Bluegrass thanks to sod recently imported from Indiana. The difficult part of writing that last sentence was deciding whether to end it with a period or a question mark! It is interesting that the Bats front office opted to replace the playing field the season after they hosted the 2008 Triple-A All Star game.

At any rate, a six-card team set hardly needs a checklist. I’m including one just the same because you never can tell who might be Googling for more information on Tom Shearn.

1 – [26] Bill Bray (p)
2 – [27] David Ross (c)
3 – [28] Homer Bailey (p)
4 – [29] Jay Bruce (of)
5 – [30] Jolbert Cabrera (if)
6 – [31] Tom Shearn (p)

I thought I’d start right off with a scan of the Jay Bruce card. So if you are only reading to see that particular card, you won’t need to continue reading this post. Before you leave, wouldn’t this baseball card look sweet with a sticker autograph haphazardly slapped across the front?

Autograph collectors should note that surface treatment is a semi-gloss that requires no special preparation prior to obtaining a signature. That’s right; just add a player and you’ll be cooking with gas!

Graphers won’t get any help from David Ross’s card in the task of identifying the catcher in his street clothes, but this action photo of Ross in full gear will probably look so good signed that you won’t mind the extra effort that might be needed in the effort. I wouldn’t hesitate to assume that Ross is probably on enough cards where his face is visible that picking him out of the crowd outside a ballpark won’t be impossible.

This limited edition minor league SGA team set includes two hitters, the aforementioned catcher and three hurlers. With the exception of the Tom Shearn card, all players are wearing the same style of uniforms. I haven’t the slightest idea why the Bats’ DAV team set contains only six players. As I understand it, teams were allowed to submit entire team rosters if they so desired. Apparently, the Bats did not so desire.

Enter pitcher Homer Bailey… Homer started 19 games for the Bats in 2008, accumulating a record of 4-7 with a 4.77 ERA and a 1.47 WHIP. Bailey struck out 96 batters while handing out 46 free passes over 111.1 innings. He was also touched for 10 round-trippers in the process. Lackluster as those stats may be, he didn’t fare nearly as well during his eight starts for the Reds in 2008. Bailey displayed an enormous amount of determination while pitching for the parent club last season. Unfortunately, that determination manifested itself in Homer’s uncanny impression of Josh Fogg.

There are no statistics on the backs of these cards. Instead you’ll find the same standard ad for the Disabled American Veterans as on all of their cards distributed in 2008. One of the things that I find most appealing about these DAV minor league baseball cards is the fact that only a few thousand sets were created in the first place. That, combined with the high probability that few sets will survive given that the average person who attends minor league baseball games probably doesn’t make any effort to retain baseball cards, should result in a collectible item that will prove extremely difficult to obtain even before a number of these players retire.

I’d like to think that I do a pretty decent job of monitoring the secondary market for these DAV team sets in order to have a little information to pass along about their value. That typed, I have yet to see one of the 2008 Louisville Bats DAV team sets up for auction on eBay. Given the limited supply of these cards, I would expect that this six-card set might fetch between four and five bucks in auction, and the winning bidder could expect to add an additional three to eighteen dollars (depending on the fine print) to have the cards shipped to their home or office.

- Kris

Posted in team set review, what I collect Tagged: DAV, International League, Kris, minor league baseball, team set review, Triple A baseball

2008 dav minor league master set team checklist

Mon, 01 Dec 2008 20:33 GMT

Another slight departure from my normal reviews of minor league baseball team sets in that this entry isn’t intended as a “review.” Rather, my goal here is to simply let readers know what minor league teams participated in the absolutely wonderful Disabled American Veterans (DAV) baseball program during the summer of 2008. I’m not sure how long the 2008 information will remain available on the DAV website as they are probably already working hard on the schedule for 2009. After all, there may be a team you are interested in, and it is quite possible that you will be able to pick up their DAV team set on the secondary market long before I get around to reviewing it.

You will have to wait for the individual DAV team set reviews for an official Aardvark Trading Company-sponsored player checklist. (Okay, if you want to know if a particular player is included in a team set, either shoot me an email or leave a comment here and I will let you know. Please just don’t ask for an entire team checklist. (Try bribery if you want me to review one team before any others….).)

Also, I will be adding links to this master list as I review individual team sets. So if you happen upon this posting via a Google search or whatever, you will not be forced to scan the entire Cards in the Attic archive to find out more about the team set you are interested in.

The 2008 DAV minor league baseball master set contains 277 cards from 1 independent league team and 17 minor league teams. For the life of me, I cannot figure out why more organizations didn’t take advantage of this excellent promotion. Slackers, I presume, until evidence to the contrary is presented.

1 – 10: Iowa Cubs
11 – 15: New Hamshire Fisher Cats
16 – 25: Oklahoma Redhawks
26 – 31: Louisville Bats
32 – 36: Salt Lake Bees (part I)
37 – 70: Hickory Crawdads
71 – 74: Pawtucket Red Sox
75 – 104: Potomac Nationals
105 – 128: Salt Lake Bees (part II)
129 – 140: Wilmington Blue Rocks
141 – 152: Tulsa Drillers
153 – 157: Omaha Royals
158 – 165: New Britain RockCats
166 – 191: Sioux Falls Canaries
192 – 194: Peoria Chiefs
195 – 204: Albuquerque Isotopes
205 – 227: Joliet Jack Hammers
228 – 261: Cedar Rapids Kernals
262 – 277: Camden Riversharks

Considered “Limited Editions,” these team sets were available only as FREE SGA promotions, and as such, were not and will not be made available for sale either at minor league stadiums or through online team shops. In other words, if you didn’t make it out to the ballpark for the game when the DAV was there, you need to hustle to find someone who did, then talk him or her out of their cards.

- Kris

Posted in team set review Tagged: DAV, Kris, minor league baseball