Friday, July 30, 2010

Cast Your Vote Now!!

There is only hours left to vote and decide who stays in the competition. 

The details...

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Contest Standings Now I Need Your Help

The first part of the contest id now officially over.  I had 13 people enter.  So that means 6.5 move on.  How can half a person move on you say?  Well I'm going to pick 6 that get to move on and then I am going to do a poll of the others and let the readers decide who moves on.  But first here are all the entries.


Dayf - Cat 5 hurricane Bonnie will slam into Tampa during the Rays vs. Yankees game on July 31st with such force that the roof of Tropicana field is ripped off and both teams are drowned in a flood of oil, saltwater and dead fish. Boston goes on to defeat the Durham Bulls in a one game playoff to win the division.

SpastikMooss - The Yankees, unaffected by talk that their rotation is fine and that they never needed to go after Cliff Lee, end up trading for Dan Haren, Roy Oswalt, Brett Myers, Ben Sheets, Joakim Soria, Cliff Lee, and Stephen Strasburg, just for good measure.


Of course, in acquiring all of these pitchers, the Yankees lose a ton of their talent, including major league talent. Though their 12 man rotation is superb, they are forced to start scrubs like Willie Bloomquist and Jason Kendall that they acquired in the Soria trade.

The Yankees lose a ton of 1-0 games and fall out of contention, leaving the battle between the Sox and Rays. Of course, the Yankees took all of the Rays best pitchers for position players, so that ends up not being much of a fight in the end. The Red Sox, who rightly refused to trade the Yankees, become the only balanced team in baseball and win the AL East.

And oh yeah, I left out that the Yankees traded for David Price and Matt Garza. That is kind of assumed later on, but I didn't fully explain it.
 
Ryan - The Orioles will win the remainder of their games against the Yankees, Rays, and Jays but inexplicably lose all their games against the Red Sox. Boston takes the pennant....
 
Cam - Boston's bad luck will continue, and the only active players will be Michael Bowden and Ryan Shealy. The others will all be injured. Shealy will play the entire field and Bowden will pitch every game. Shealy will go on a hot streak and have a 40 home run second half, while Bowden will have a 1.17 ERA to finish the season. The Red Sox will then sign free agent Jermaine Dye, who will win World Series MVP with 5 home runs and 19 RBis in the 4 game sweep of the Braves to win the World Series. And sorry, I know it was supposed to be just how they won the AL East, but I got caught up in my story :)
 
Don - The Red Sox will win the East when whatever injury bug is jinxing them will leave the clubhouse and infect the Trop when the Yankees visit in July.


Sportswriters will wonder in amazement at what is causing these strange injuries. Who would have guessed that Sabathia would hurt his elbow bringing it back in the window after paying for McDonald's though the drive through. One of A-Rod mirrors broke and put a whopping 1 inch gash on his foot, ending his season. Texeria hurt his back lugging all of that money around. Rivera finally showed his age.

The Devil Rays were not immune either. Longoria ran away with Eva Longoria, chuckling at how similar their names were. David Price found out that the Price was not right. Carl Crawford came down with a horrible slump that no one can explain.


The Sox, finally healthy, will run past these teams and clinch the pennant before the last weekend.

Oh, I think that I should be scared as Dave used my first idea. I hope that I am not starting to think like him.

LongLiveThe Who - This contest is moot considering the Sox won't win the East :)


I do see them getting to the wild card though, once everyone comes back from injuries.

The Rays pitching has been degressing and their offense is vastly overrated (Longoria, Pena, and Crawford are the only threats in that lineup).

Yeah, I just disqualified myself from the contest, but that's okay. I'll take the risk.

Slangon - The crack team of mad-scientists that reside in their secret lab inside of the Green Monster will work feverishly to come up with a cure for all the Red Sox baseball-related injuries and in the process invent a super-secret biological process that has not yet been banned by Major League Baseball that will turn all the inured Red Sox into Uber-Baseball Players.


Within days of fielding an entire team of Incredible Hulks, the rest of the American League will begin to forfeit all their games against Boston after several players are killed or maimed by line drives off of Red Sox bats. Also, all the opposing players are afraid to face Sox pitching after several batters arms are severed from just making contact with all those 312 MPH change-ups. Yes, that's right. Their change-ups are coming in at 312 MPH.

An unsubstantiated rumor has it that A-Rod peed his pants after Super Youkilis said his name under his breath.

Boston sets a World Series record for winning in 0 games after the National League Champs decide to just not show up.

Night Owl - The Yankees, robbed of the evil life force supplied by their dearly departed Steinbrenner, suddenly lose their ability to win through their usual nefarious means. The team reverts to the pre-SteinbrennerCelerino Sanchez is at third base and members of the pitching staff are swaping wives. The team drops into fourth place.


The absence of Steinbrenner somehow affects Tampa Bay, too, since Steinbrenner was a Tampa Bay resident. The Rays didn't exist in '72, so they fall completely apart, losing every game.

The Red Sox, meanwhile, surge to the top. All of the hatred that they had bottled up for Steinbrenner has been released and they are able to play without worrying about the evil empire.


MMosley - I am not sure how it's going to happen but I do know that it will involve the following:


1. Bucky "Freaking" Dent
2. A bloody sock
3. A Pedro v. Zimmer Bobblehead Fight promotion
4. Ted Williams' partially thawed noggin
5. Daniel Nava
It should make for an exciting end to the season OR a fun off-season MLB network reality show

Roy - They'll make a trade with AA to acquire Jose Bautista, Scott Downs, Jason Frasor and Shaun Marcum. Oh, and Dayf's hurricane.

mmmrhubarb - The BoSox win the AL East because they're not the Yankees -- that simple.
Dan - The Red Sox will win the AL East because all players in the lineup will start shying away from the influence of the Mike Lowell goatee and worshipping the Greek goatee of Kevin Youkilis. Then, Jon Lester's elbow tendons will merge with Daniel Bard's to create a new super Red Sox pitcher named Charles Yawkey Young that will become the ace of the staff; he will not have a goatee. Yay for mutant, lab-created pitchers.

WhiteSoxCards - The sniper that couldn't get through Angels security for the All-Star Game decides to take it out on the teams of the Eastern Division. As Yankees, Rays, Orioles and Jays get bullets in their kneecaps (thus rendering them on the DL for the rest of the season and assuring that doctors will never be out of work), miraculously Conan O'Brien's beard and the ghost of Ben Affleck's movie career convince the sniper to spare the Red Sox because they have suffered enough injuries this season.


Touched by the quasi-celebrity display, the sniper enlists the help of top scientists to clone Ted Williams and Babe Ruth. With a bullpen full of Ruths and a field full of Ted Williams, with the exception of Bobby Doerr, who regained second base after discovering the fountain of youth in a bottle of Evian, the Red Sox barnstorm through the rest of the season and end up in the playoffs with the best record in baseball. That sniper that missed the All-Star Game was a blessing in disguise.

Okay, now that you read all the entries. I am going to give you my favorite 6 and what I liked about them.

1. Dayf's - I thought his hurricane story was the most entertaining.
2. Dan - His Youkilis Goatee comment cemented his spot in the contest.
3. Don - Texeria getting hurt carrying his money bag cracked me up enough that he is in.  If he would have had Tony chase down Evan he may have won the top spot.
4.  mmrhubarb - I can't deny an anti-yankee comment.
5.  Slangon - A-Rod wetting himself was classic
6.  Cam - Almost took himself out of the contest with more Sox players getting hurt but pulled it out with them winning the series and his advertisement.

Now the guys at the bottom and why I didn't choose them.  (in order of their comments)

SpastikMooss - The yankees don't trade for talent then buy it.
Ryan - Just to short.
LongLiveTheWho - Yours was plain awefull.  But you were right about one thing you disqualified yourself.  So you don't even make the poll.  Sorry my contest my rulings.
Night Owl - We were never worried about Steinbrenner. 
Mmosley - Just mentioning Dent got you put in the loser group.
Roy - If all the Jays players are so great why are they not goin gto make the playoffs?
WhiteSoxCards - I don't like the yankees but I don't want them shot.  (well not right now anyway)

So now please vote which of those 7 6 make it to the next round.  I'll leave the poll up till Friday.  Then part two or the contest.

Monday, July 26, 2010

Free Vintage

Yes, I am giving away a 60+ year old card.  Just follow this link, answer the question, and you are entered.  Simple.

Even if you are not going to enter some of the answers have been entertaining and are worth reading themselves.

Friday, July 23, 2010

Finish some sets for me.

There are a ton of team sets that I am sooooo close to finishing.  I'm talking only one or two cards.  Here is a list of just a few of them.  These are all junk era cards that I know someone has sitting in a box at the bottom of their closet.  To see all the Red Sox cards I need take a look at my want list.  And don't forget to enter my contest here.

1981 DONRUSS

454 Rick Burleson

1981 FLEER
221 Carl Yastrzemski
226 Dennis Eckersley

1983 TOPPS
716 Tony Perez SV
 
1986 FLEER

341 Wade Boggs
345 Roger Clemens

1987 Fleer

41 Jim Rice

1989 Bowman

3 Wade Boggs
28 Marty Barrett

1990 BOWMAN

265 Jeff Reardon
277 Scott Cooper
282 Marty Barrett

1991 BOWMAN

109 Ellis Burks
124 Tony Pena
129 Wade Boggs

1991 SCORE

894 Wade Boggs COOP

1991 Upper Deck Final Edition

84F Wade Boggs AS

1992 FLEER

35 Ellis Burks
39 Mike Greenwell

1992 PINNACLE

33 Tony Pena
175 Wade Boggs

1992 ULTRA

15 Roger Clemens

1993 Donruss

251 John Valentin

1993 ULTRA

149 Scott Cooper
506 Greg Blosser

1994 CC - 25

412 Andre Dawson
550 Roger Clemens
602 Damon Berryhill

1994 Upper Deck

187 Mike Greenwell

1994 UPPER DECK MINORS

35 Billy Hall

Thursday, July 22, 2010

GSNHOF

First of all don't forget to enter my contest here.

Got another package from GSNHOF.  He always finds something from my want lists along with something that isn't on there but I didn't have yet.

You can't tell from the scan but these are Topps Chrome Refractors.  The Dice-K is actually an Atomic Refractor.  It wasn't on my want list but I'm glad I got it anyway.  If they were not so dam hard to come by I might consider building the team set of them.

I need some serious help with my 2009 Goudey team set.  Even after the Papelbon SP and the Beckett mini I am a long way from competing the thing.  (not to mention 07 and 08)

Thanks SPASTICMOSS!

And seriously go enter the contest now!!!

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Begging Post

This is basically a begging post.  I'm pretty well stuck on my Bill Virdon player collection.  I have all his normal cards and am left chasing really expensive oddball cards and some old postcards.  Most of them I have never even seen on Ebay.  The ones I have seen are always way too expensive for me.  There are a few Virdons out there that some bloggers may actually have.  I'm guessing that someone that has read my blog before has a 1964 Topps, a 1994 Topps Archives Gold, or a 1984 Stuart Expos Coaches. It is even possible someone has a Heritage Buyback card sitting in a box somewhere.  So this is me begging for those cards.  If you have something on this list please contact me.  If the only Virdons you have will be doubles for me I will still trade for them.  Bill Virdon is from my hometown and at some point I plan to get with him and have a very big autograph session.

Brace Postcard Cardinals (swinging)


JD McCarthy Postcard Pirates (Kneeling)
1953-55 Cardinals Postcards Type 4-C (Horizontal) #39 Bill Virdon
1954-55 Cardinals Postcards Type 5 (Vertical Gap at Bottom) #39 Bill Virdon
1955 Cardinals Hunter's Wieners #28 Bill Virdon
1956 Pirates Team Issue #23 Bill Virdon
1957 Pirates Team Issue #10 Bill Virdon
1958 Pirates Team Issue #12 Bill Virdon
1959 Pirates Jay Publishing #12 Bill Virdon
1959 Topps #543 Corsair Trio/ Bob Skinner/ Bill Virdon/ Roberto Clemente
1959 Topps Venezuelan #190 Bill Virdon
1960 JD McCarthy Postcard (full frame standing)
1962 Pirates Jay Publishing #12 Bill Virdon
1962 Pittsburgh Exhibits #7D
1962 Swan-Virdon Postcard #1 Bill Virdon
1964 Pirates Jay Publishing #12 Bill Virdon
1964 Pirates KDKA #28 Bill Virdon
1965 Kahn's #44 Bill Virdon
1965 Pirates Jay Publishing #11 Bill Virdon
1973 Pirates Post/ Gazette Inserts #24 Bill Virdon MG
1974 Syracuse Chiefs Team Issue #28 Bill Virdon
1975 O-Pee-Chee #611 Yankees: Team/ MG/ Bill Virdon
1976 Astros Postcards #30 Bill Virdon MG
1977 Astros Photo Album #13 Bill Virdon MG
1978 Astros Postcards #24 Bill Virdon MG
1979 Astros Postcards #25 Bill Virdon MG
1979 Astros Team Issue #1 Bill Virdon and Coaches/ (Calendar Variation)
1980 Astros Team Issue #27 Bill Virdon MG
1984 Expos Postcards #34 Bill Virdon MG
1984 Expos Stuart #38 Coaching Staff/ Bill Virdon MG/ Felipe Alou CO/ Ga
1985 Cracker Jack Classic Postcard yankees Z-Silk
1987 Astros Rainbow Postcards-Series Two #28 Bill Virdon
1987 Astros Rainbow-Series One #31 Coaches Card/ Bob Lillis/ Jesus Alou/ Bill Virdon#
1993 Pirates Nationwide Insurance #34 Bill Virdon CO Postcard
2003 Upper Deck Yankees Signature yankees Forever Autos #PTV Piniella/ Torre/ Virdon
2008 Topps Heritage 1959 Buybacks #543 Corsair Trio/ Skinner/ Virdon/ Clemente
2009 Topps Heritage 1960 Buybacks #496 Bill Virdon
2010 Topps Heritage 1961 Buybacks #306 Bill Virdon WS1
2010 Topps Heritage Framed Buyback Stamps #72 Bill Virdon 1/1
2012 Leaf Executive Collection WIllie Stargell/Bill Virdon Cut Auto 1/1
2012 TriStar Signa-Cuts Bill Virdon Cut Autograph #/25
2012 TriStar Signa-Cuts Bill Virdon Cut Autograph (Red) #/5
2012 TriStar Signa-Cuts Bill Virdon Cut Autograph Bronx Edition #/25
2012 TriStar Signa-Cuts Bill Virdon Cut Autograph Bronx Edition #/10
2012 TriStar Signa-Cuts Bill Virdon Cut Autograph Bronx Edition 1/1


72-83 Dimanche/Derniere #111 Bill Virdon