Refractors and Gold Cards for trade

I picked up some refractors and gold cards from mynew LCS.  If you would like to trade for any of these please leave a comment. My wantlist is right here.

 

fantasy Baseball 2011 Update

Two of my many Fantasy Teams are drafted and I have to say I am very happy with both of them.  I'm going to share them both here cause I have nothing else to talk about and you are here anyway so you may as well read on.  (I'll start some card blogging once the scanner is out of storage)

My first draft of the year was The Wacked Conference but together by Gellman over at SCU.  I ended up with the last pick which was new to me.  Usually I end up somewhere in the very middle to 3rd from last.  Two picks in a row was kind of cool but it sure made it a long time till my next pick.  I checked the scoring and setting before hand and found out that you get 4 points for a HR in the league and AVG wasn't considered a stat; so I went all out on guys that go deep.  Cabrerra dropped all the way down to me so I grabbed him first followed by Carlos Gonzalez.  Sticking to mashers I passed on some big name pitchers and grabbed Matt Holliday and my favorite Youkilis.  I don't really remember what order I took guys after that but here is what I ended up with:

Buster Posey
Miguel Cabrerra
Dan Uggla
Mark Renyolds
Juan Uribe
Carlos Gonzalez
Matt Holliday
Hunter Pence
Kevin Youkilis
Paul Konerko
Jacoby Ellsbury
Bobby Abreu
David Ortiz
Vernon Wells

Ubaldo Jiminez
Yovani Gallardo
Mariano Riviera
Joakim Soria
Heath Bell
Jose Valverde
Johnathon Broxton
Ryan Franklin
Clay Buchholz

I'm a little lot closer heavy but saves are worth 4 points in this league and I figured one guy can get up to 40 saves in a year which is a lot more wins than a started can.  I have depth everywhere but SS and C but I have plenty of guys who should be good trade chips.

The second league draft was the one of league I won last year, Card Bloggers Unite.  It was a keeper league.  Each team kept  guys from the previous year.  My 5 were:

Youkilis
Adrian Gonzalez
Joe Mauer
Andrew McCuthchen
Jacoby Ellsbury

I had a tough time deciding on those last guys.  I had to cut Pence, Phillips, and Joakim Soria to keep this 5.  But I got lucky in the draft and get them all back.  Here is what I ended up with:

Joe Mauer
Adrian Gonzalez
Brandon Phillips
Casey McGee
Hanley Ramirez
Andrew McCutchen
Jacoby Ellsbury
Hunter Pence
Kevin Youkilis
Paul Konerko
Bobby Abreau
Juan Uribe

Matt Latos
Trever Cahill
Matt Garza 
Hiroki Kuroda
Joakim Soria
Jose Valverde
Huston Street
Ryan Franklin
Leo Nunez
Mike Adams
Luke Gregerson

Again lots of hitting depth, some of my favorite players, and some strong closers.  The last two picks probably seem odd but this league has HLDs so got to have some middle relievers.  I don't think I could have done much better here. 

Barring catastrophic injuries I should be a lock for the playoffs with both of these teams.

FYI... They are on the way...

Today I received an email from Topps stating that my MCG cards shipped today.  So barring a USPS fiasco I should have them in hand soon.  I placed my order on Feb 15, so a little over a month.  Hopefully everyone can figure out when theirs may arrive from that.


Also - I have received three packages since the move.  Thanks to Writers Journey, The Lost Collector, and Ron G.

Is anyone else still waiting on their MCG cards???

I requested delivery on 2-14 yet I still do not have any cards in hand.  Does anyone else out there have an open MCG order or did mine get lost in the mail with my recent change of address?

The End... Hiatus?...New Beginning.

I look back at the building one last time as I pull out of the parking lot.  Goodbyes have been said to all the friends I have made over the last 15+ years.  I was a rough day.  They all have been lately.  

Over the last few years the plant I have worked at has slowly transferred more and more work to a facility in Mexico.  Little by little people have been let go as the work moved south.  Over the last few months it became obvious that I would eventually be destined for the same fate.  It doesn't make sense to let go of so many hourly laborers and keep the same amount of management so I started to look for some other means of employment.  Unfortunately there is not much work to be found in a town of only 15K, especially when the place you work at had 700 people 2 years ago and it now only has 300.  

So I pull out of work for the last time today and I pull out of town tomorrow.  I could have held on a little longer at work, another few weeks, months, maybe even a year; but since I knew it was going to happen eventually, I tried to get rid of the house and once I was out from under the payment there wasn't reason to hold out for the inevitable any longer.  Now I'm NOT a person that is accustomed to lots of change.  Not only have I worked in the same place for over 15 years, I drove the same vehicle for 14.  Change has never been my friend.  (I almost cried when I sold my Jeep last week)  Now change is something I am going to have to get used to cause I'm in for a big one.  I'm moving from a town of 15K, where I can't go to a store, gas station, or restaurant without seeing someone I know, to a town of 1.5M, where I know a total of 5 people.  Plus I am going from 15+ years of steady employment to an unknown job,  going from bread winner of the house to 2nd fiddle (at first anyway).  Yes things are going to change.  

Not all change will be bad.  There is good that is going to come with it.  Right now I have to drive an hour and a half to get to a card store or card show.  I don't yet know where they are at but Phoenix must have some card shops somewhere.  Plus there is Spring Training in town, not for my team but it is still baseball.

I spent the last few weeks/months on the blog not blogging.  I hinted that some things were going on in posts and comments I left on other blogs.  I also tried to get rid of as much of the clutter in my collection that I could, I made LOTS of trades lately.  I didn't do any trade posts cause I just haven't felt like it and I just didn't have the time.  To everyone that traded with me lately I would like to say I'm sorry I didn't post all the great stuff you sent but I thank you very much for it.  The reason my last post was a plea to ask if I missed sending someone cards is because it got real confusing as I tried to send so much out and pack things up at the same time.  Everything that is not one of my main collections has been traded away to bloggers or a given to friend and fellow collector to be listed ebay.  I'm going to give him a percentage just so I don't have to mess with it.  All the stuff I'm keeping is already in boxes and ready to load into the moving van tonight.  

I'm going to be out of trading/blogging for a month or so as I get settled into a new town.  I had a few trades where I sent my package out but haven't seen anything come back yet so if you are planning to send me something it should get forwarded for a few months by the USPS or email me for the new address.

So give me a few weeks, maybe a month and I will be back.  I still plan on reading blogs and commenting in my spare time so I won't be totally gone just no posts.  (I write this like someone will even miss my writing, but I know...)  Along with reading blogs I'm still going to be managing my fantasy teams/leagues, which many bloggers are in.   So good luck to all until I return.

Please Comment If I Owe You Cards

I have allot going on right now and I'm afraid some trades may have slipped through the cracks.  Shipping today are:  Yankees for Ron, Reds for Writers Journey, and Braves for Maddox/Glavin/Smoltz.  I also mailed four packages to other people on Monday but forget who they were without looking them up.   I am also finally getting that package for Peterson put together that I promised long ago; I have the envelope labeled already so it is close.  Anyway, I think I am all caught up on shipping cards out but like I said I have so much going on I could be forgetting someone.  So if I owe you cards please leave a comment or send me an e-mail so I don't forget you.  I don't want to be "that guy" that stiffs you in a trade.

Couple more things

• Big D - I need an address for you.  I gathered up stuff for you long ago and it got buried under some stuff and forget about.  
• Bloggers Unite Fantasy League - I'm waiting on one guy to let me know if he is in or not and trying to decide what to do about Foul Bunt being unavailable to accept his invite because he is on military active duty and can't get to a computer.  Once those two things are resolved I will be ready for your keepers so you probably ought to start thinking about it now.  
• Blogger Fantasy Baseball League - I am waiting on Lifetime Topps Project to accept his invite and we will be ready to set a draft date.
• Big news next week.

Fantasy Baseball 2011: Card Bloggers Unite League

It is time once again for Fantasy Baseball Sign-Ups.  I'm inviting everyone back that played last year.  So if Fantasy Baseball e-mails show up at alternate e-mails (ahem, Dayf), you need to check them and accept your invite.  I am planning on everyone keeping 5 players from their team last year or if you don't want to keep 5 you will get extra draft picks for not keeping someone.  Last years participants were:

Thoughts And Sox
Cardboard Junkie
Taste Like Dirt
The Mojo Beard (Beardy)
Play At The Plate
Red Sox Collector (Gordon)
Balk Four
Great Sports Name HOF
Cobb Halladay
The Paper Chase

If you don't want to join this year please let me know so I can find a replacement player. If someone bows out for the year I would like to any replacement participants to be Bloggers.  So claim a team now and if someone opts out you can have their spot.  I am probably going to start a ESPN League in addition to this one because I am all topped out on Yahoo so even if nobody opts out claim a team. 

One last thing.  It isn't required but I think it is more fun to play when the title of your team somehow represents your blog so each week I know who I am versing without looking you up.  Beardy has the name The Mojonic Beards so when I go to the head to head screen I know just who I am facing.  It isn't required but appreciated.