Aw, Man! I Want A Fairfield Repack, Too!!!

I’ve been seeing a bunch of posts lately for repacks, and it lit a fire within me.

MUST…
HAVE…
REPACK!!!!

I had to go to Target anyway, so I went through the repacks they had on hand… Unfortunately, the ones they had made no promises of vintage, just 5 rookie cards. Whoop-dee-doop-dee-doo.

Didn’t matter, I needed a fix. Into the cart it went, and into my blog it goes…

The particular repack I bought was one I picked out because of this Jason Bay card I didn’t recognize… and it turned out to be a 2007 Topps Wal-Mart insert. Despite his less-than-stellar time with the Mets, I like Jason Bay and hope he turns it around with the Mariners.

Just like most Fairfield repacks, I got some 1980′s Topps glossies… Usually my favorite part. Unfortunately, this time around the only one I needed was this Clemens…

…and naturally, I ended up with two of these. Sigh.

I like the late-1980′s parking lot in the background.  I believe that’s a big ol’ Cadillac just over Clemens’ shoulder.  It’s too bad it’s not a pink Cadillac, crushed velvet seats, ridin’ in the back, oozin’ down the street, wavin’ to the girls, feelin’ outta sight, spendin’ all my money on a Saturday night, honey I just wonder what it feels like in the back of your pink Cadillac… pink Cadillac…

Huh?  Whuh?  Oh, sorry, drifted away for a minute…

Woo-hoo! I got Bipped! I think that’s almost becoming a point of honor…

Huh. I didn’t know Star did a Keith Hernandez set… I’ve got a couple of other player-specific Star sets, but I don’t recall running across Keith before.

The problem with doing these player-specific sets in the colors of the player’s current team is that you get bad combos like a Cardinals uniform framed with Mets orange. This would’ve been a nicer card with different colors… but it’s Star, it’s only going to get but so nice… I’ll just distract myself by admiring Keith’s stirrups.

I got a number of 2010 cards, including this Aaron Laffey. Laffey was on the Mets earlier this month, and I didn’t have a single card of his. Last week the Mets put him on waivers and he was claimed by the Blue Jays… and NOW I have a card of Aaron Laffey. Ain’t that just…

In case you hadn’t noticed, the Blue Jays will put a waiver claim on ANYBODY. Don’t believe me? Keep an eye on the transactions column… seems like half the guys who go through waivers get claimed by the Jays, even if the Jays then turn around and DFA the guy.

No, I don’t understand it.

…and for what it’s worth, the Jays did turn around and DFA Aaron Laffey.

Among the promised rookies I got were a 2005 Bazooka Melky Cabrera (which seems to actually have some value), a couple of uninteresting 2010 rookies and this 2007 TriStar David Price, which is at least shiny even if it is kinda ugly.

Not one of the better repacks I’ve gotten, but still $4 worth of entertainment.

…And for the record, 36 cards went straight from the repack into the recycling bin… Just doing my part to keep America safe from Junk Wax.

Custom: Pedro Alvarez Rockin’ The Throwbacks

This past Sunday, the Pirates wore their Sunday alts which are based on the 1971 Pirates uniforms.  Even though I’m not a Pirates fan, I’ve loved these uniforms since I was a kid, so I couldn’t NOT make a custom from the game.  1971 or 1972 Topps might’ve been a better choice, but it’s been a busy week so I had to go with what was on  hand, which meant 1974 Topps.  I apologize for any pain and suffering brought on by this decision.

As for the throwbacks, I’m impressed by what I’ve seen in photos.  It certainly seems like they’ve gotten all the details down.  My only complaint, and one I don’t see a way around, is just that the players don’t wear their uniforms in a way that would’ve been appropriate in the 1970′s… Most of the players are going to wear “pajama pants” and even if they show some stirrups I don’t know whether the players have the knowledge of how to do it “right”.  I’m not blaming them, any more than I blame anyone under the age of 30 who can’t dial a rotary phone… It’s just a bit of lost knowledge.

Are We Not Stars…? 1972 Pirates Rookie Stars

…Answering the age-old question, “Who are these guys?”

This is the rookie card for Richie Zisk, but Fred Cambria shared a “Rookie Stars” card with Gene Clines in 1971.

Fred Cambria:  Cambria was born in Cambria Heights in Queens, but that’s just coincidence.  All of his major league appearances occurred in 1970;  he had 5 starts and 1 relief appearance.  The highlight may have been a late September start opposing Tom Seaver and the Mets;  Cambria went 5 and 1/3 innings, allowing 2 earned runs and 7 hits, pitching more effectively than Seaver and coming out of the game with a lead.  The Mets would tie the game in the 7th and deprive Cambria of a decision, but the Pirates would score 4 runs in the 10^th to win the game.  Cambria’s career was derailed by arm troubles in 1971, and he never reached the majors again.

Richie Zisk: He played for the Pirates, White Sox, Rangers and Mariners from 1971 to 1983, was a starting OF/DH for most of those years, and was twice named to the All-Star team.  Interestingly enough, both players on this card are from NYC;  Richie Zisk was born in Brooklyn, although he grew up in New Jersey.  In 2001, a Baseball Digest article listed Zisk as the career leader in numerous categories among those players whose last name starts with “Z”… I wonder where Ryan Zimmerman ranks in those categories now.

Closest To Being A Star:  Richie Zisk.  One must go with the gentleman who has 207 career homers and actually was a star… well, at least an All-Star.

The Pirates New, Sweet, Sweet 1971 Throwbacks

The Pirates recently introduced some awesome 1971 throwback uniforms that they will wear for Sunday home games.  Although I’m not really a Pirates fan, anybody who’s been reading this blog for a while has probably picked up on the thing that I’ve got for the Pirates of the 1970’s, especially the uniforms they wore from 1970 to 1975.

Since the recent unveiling of these throwbacks, I’ve been itching to make a custom card or two featuring those new uniforms, but all of the pictures that I could find looked like they were taken with a cell phone from across the room.  I held off a while, hoping that “official” photos would pop up somewhere, but I haven’t seen anything.

In dismay, I asked myself “What kind of custom could I possibly make with a dark, blurry photo?”

…and that last phrase echoed in my head…

…dark, blurry photo…

…dark, blurry photo…

… And that’s when I realized that I could turn this situation to my advantage.  After all, it’s like my grandmother used to say…   When life gives you lemons, make 1982 Fleer customs!

From what can be seen in the photos, it looks like they did a really nice job of re-creating the 1970′s uniforms, and I’m really looking forward to seeing these out on the field.  You can be sure that after the first Sunday home game, I will be creating some customs using early 1970’s card designs.

Pointless Exercise: If Nicknames Were Always Done The Way They Are Today

T-Mun

1971 Topps #5 – Thurman Munson – Courtesy of COMC.com

HonWag

1976 Topps #344 – Honus Wagner ATG – Courtesy of COMC.com

Diz-D

1983 Donruss HOF Heroes #29 – Dizzy Dean – Courtesy of COMC.com

B-Maz

1958 Topps #238 – Bill Mazeroski – Courtesy of COMC.com

LooBoo

1949 Leaf #106 – Lou Boudreau MG RC (Rookie Card) – Courtesy of COMC.com

P-Riz

1951 Bowman #26 – Phil Rizzuto [Good to VG‑EX] – Courtesy of COMC.com

MelOtt

1941 Play Ball #8 – Mel Ott [Good to VG‑EX] – Courtesy of COMC.com

Long Lost Oddballs

I made a discovery when I pulled out my 1981 Topps binder to scan a card for a post last week. Most of my set binders are organized by team, and in an effort to maximize my 9-pocket sheet usage, I’d stuck a number of oddball cards into the empty spaces at the end of a particular team’s sheets. I’d completely forgotten that I’d done that; I obviously don’t go back and look through my 1981 binder very often.

This odd little card was the first card I ran across, and my reaction was along the lines of “What on earth is that?” It’s slightly smaller than standard size, and it’s performated down the middle to make– dare I say it? –MINI CARDS.  The set is from 1986 and sponsored by Dorman’s Cheese;  I suppose it’s possible that I got it out of a package of cheese at the time, since in 1986 I was an adult, I cooked for myself, and I could buy whatever cheese I damn well pleased.  The back references MSA, which stands for “Mike Schechter and Associates”. Whenever there was a promotional card (or card-like object) which was licensed by the MLBPA but not MLB, chances are MSA was behind it.  On these cards, the Dorman’s logo on the front is so small as to be almost illegible, which makes you question the promotional benefit these cards might’ve brought.

This card is a thing of beauty which makes me wish I had more interest in the whole set;  this is not a 1951 Bowman card, but a promo for a 1986 reprint done by the Card Collectors’ Co.  I wish this scan could do justice to the card;  the reproduction is very nice, and the card has a glossy front which makes it very attractive.  Unfortunately for me, there were no Mets or Orioles in 1951, and the number of players I have any interest in are pretty limited.  I suppose a Willie Mays or Duke Snider would be pretty cool to own, even in reprint form.

The reprint cards I’ve seen online have a reprinted back which says “REPRINT 1986 C.C.C.”, just to make it clear that it’s not an original.  Here’s the back of my promo card, which gives you all the outdated ordering information.

Gettin’ Wiggie Wit’ It!

Today is Ty Wigginton’s birthday, and as a personal favor to Ty – because I know he’s far too polite to say anything – I’m going to let everybody know that “Wigginton” has only two G’s… it’s not WigginGton, it’s Wigginton.  Don’t be like Fleer… remember what happened to them?

Ty is one of the players I collect, and if you’re wondering why he’s a player I collect, I’ll start by reminding you that my two favorite teams are the Mets…

…and the Orioles…

Not to mention that he was a 2003 Topps Rookie All-Star with the Mets, a 2010 All-Star with the Orioles, and just seems like a hoopy frood.

By the way, I would be remiss if I hadn’t mentioned that today is 10-11-12.

You’re welcome.

Photo Clichés #4: Bronson Arroyo Yet Again

I’ve let a couple of months go by without adding to the Bronson Arroyo Leg Kick-ometer. Let’s check out a couple of Upper Deck Arroyos…

2006 UD has a Red Sox leg kick.

2002 UD has a Pirates action shot without a leg kick. I didn’t know Bronson could pitch that way.

Here are the updated totals…
Leg Kick: 2006 Topps, 2006 Upper Deck, 2007 Topps, 2009 Topps, 2010 Topps, 2011 Topps

Posed/Portrait: 2005 Topps, 2008 Heritage

Action Shot without a leg kick: 2002 Upper Deck, 2009 Upper Deck

Leg Kick Average: .600 (6 leg kicks out of 10 cards)

…And All The Rest Are Here On Gilligan’s Island!

Fine, I’ll admit this has nothing to do with Gilligan’s Island, but is instead about “all the rest” of the top rookies of 1973

Steve Busby tied for third in the AL Rookie Of The Year voting, and was one of those promising guys who were derailed by injuries. Check out this timeline:
- 1973: Went 16-15 with a 4.23 ERA, 174 K’s and 105 BB’s. He no-hit the Tigers on 4/27
- 1974: 22-14, 3.39, no-hit the Brewers and was an All-Star
- 1975: 18-12, 3.08; All-Star
- 1976: 3-3 in only 13 games
- 1977: Missed the entire season due to injuries
- 1978 – 1980: 9-12 in 41 games over three seasons. He retired after 1980.

Elias Sosa got some votes in the NL ROY (10-4, 3.28); He ranked third in the N.L. in games (71) and 5th in saves (18). This is his rookie card.

Richie Zisk was 9th in NL ROY; going into the 1973 season, a spot in the Pirates outfield had opened up with the untimely death of Roberto Clemente, and Zisk did his best to show that he was worthy of a starting job by hitting .324 with 10 homers and 54 RBI.

…and that wraps it up for the 1973 rookies. Hope you weren’t too disappointed that this wasn’t about Gilligan’s Isle.

Gilligan, toss me that coconut!

<BONK!>

Ooooof!

Watching Japanese Baseball Without Going To Japan

While watching TV this past Saturday night, Mrs. Shlabotnik stumbled across something that made me very excited:  A Nippon Pro Baseball game between the Hiroshima Toyo Carp and the Yomiuri Giants. We only got to see the last 45 minutes or so, but it was really interesting to watch, look to see which former MLB players were in the game, and just soak in the differences between baseball on either side of the Pacific.

Before going too  much farther, let me point out that we don’t have a dish or an extravagant cable plan;  this was on a basic cable channel, and I mention that just in case you’re like us in that you get these games without realizing it.

Here’s former Pirates prospect Brad Eldred, and a sample of the on-screen graphics which aren’t terribly helpful if you don’t read Kanji.  Even the team names are in Kanji, but at least you can figure out which team is which by knowing that the home team (the Carp) is at the bottom.  As you can see, the Carp are getting their butts kicked.  (Do Carp have butts?)

Below is Daisuke Fujimura, a second year player with the Giants.  He became an instant favorite of mine because he wears #0.  I don’t know if that’s unusual in Japan, or if wearing 0 is his idea, but I like it.  One other thing that I thought was interesting is that the Giants helmet has a matte finish to it, and has a raised flocking logo, rather than a decal.  The Carp helmets also had the flocking logo, but those helmets are glossy.  It’s hard to tell because the video was juuuust a little shy of HD, but I think it says “Giants Pride” just over Fujimura’s ear.

This is not  meant to be an indication that I have any particular fondness for the Yomiuri Giants, but I’ve always thought their uniforms are sharp looking.  I’ve even got a cap somewhere with that YG logo.  I don’t care much for their funky pants striping, as shown below.

This is another gaijin player in the game, former San Francisco Giants prospect John Bowker.  Bowker wasn’t the only one in the game wearing “pajama pants”, many of the Japanese players wore their pants the same way.   I thought the Japanese might’ve been more traditional with their socks.

Late in the game Tomonori Maeda came up to pinch-hit.  He was obviously a big deal in Hiroshima, judging from the fan reaction and the elaborate scoreboard graphics for him.  Maeda’s been playing for the Carp since 1990;  baseball-reference.com compares him to Eric Davis because of his athletic ability and his frequent injuries.  He’s a 4-time gold-glover, 4-time all-star.  Here’s part of the scoreboard graphics for him.

These graphics look like a Japanese version of the Doctor Who credits.  Perhaps the dugout is bigger on the inside than it is on the outside.

This is a detail from the back of Maeda’s jersey;  I thought it was interesting that while the jersey seems plain white from a distance, it’s actually got a stripe-y weave in the material.

The broadcast itself was a bit odd… It was pretty obvious that the video was from a Japanese broadcast with an English-speaking play-by-play guy added in, possibly after the fact.  We caught the game on the Comcast Network, a channel which seems to be 80% informercials, 20% third-party sports programming.  The broadcast apparently originated from One World Sports, and this game was three weeks old.

I looked at the upcoming games on my DVR, and they’re all Hiroshima Carp games, which means that they’re all Central League games (Dragons, Swallows, Giants, Tigers, Carp, BayStars).  I wouldn’t mind seeing some Pacific League games, but I will gladly take what I can get.  If there’s anything worth sharing in future broadcasts I’ll share them with you.

Just in case you’re not placing the two Americans I’ve mentioned, here are some cards of theirs:

2005 Topps Update #59 – Brad Eldred – Courtesy of CheckOutMyCards.com

2008 Topps Heritage #681 – John Bowker RC (Rookie Card) – Courtesy of CheckOutMyCards.com