Cards I Like Showing a Team I Don't Like.

 Hello Friends!

This topic was suggested by Shlabotnik Report on Blue Sky. It's a shame that most of the people who would perform a Blog Bat Around aren't around to bat.. 

But I figured what the Hell, why not use it anyway? 

Really I have two teams I hate.. The Yankees and the Braves. This post covers the Yankees.. 

So this 78 Gossage is nice. I believe the Yankee uniform is airbrushed on because that looks like it could be Candlestick based on the wall. He was a Pirate in 77, so it's possible. 

I may not like the team, but I do like the stadium. 

I've always liked Diamond Kings cards in general. These ones are especially nice

Jesse Barfield! Former Jay

1990 was strange. I like the card, even if the background reminds me of art class. 

Eric Plunk. Like the name, like the stadium they're in.. 

You don't get many good "baseball" names anymore like Eric Plunk

Something about the ball coming right at you... 

Fielding cards, especially with a close play, are always nice. It's cut off at the perfect time to have your imagination try to fill in the rest. 

Another Barfield. He did have a cannon attached to his right shoulder.. 

Biiiiiiiiiiiig stretch for Donnie B.. Just looking at this has my hamstrings screaming. 

The facade of Yankee Stadium drawn up nicely. 

Again, the stadium.. Though Mattingly is nice to see too. 

Mike Stanley mid throw to second.. Love the timing on catching the mask flying off. 

Yeah I'm cheating here. This one is Yankees In Name Only (YINO) 

Wynegar and maybe Jim Leyritz, are subconscious inspirations for my batting stance when I was younger. I did lean back a little further with more of a crouch. 

Fleer ProVisions are generally nice. I Can't say anything bad about this one. 

This may be cheating as well, but Brad Arnsberg in a Clippers uniform is nice to see.. Arnsberg eventually became Jays pitching coach. 

Yankee Stadium again.. Aerial and street level. Just a classic ballpark.. 

Andy Hawkins is here for the story attached to the card. He threw a no-hitter... And lost.... 

Later, the no-hitter was retoractively removed from him and others because they didn't meet the "Goes 9 innings" requirement. 

I have to say while I enjoy the stadium cards... I prefer the old Yankee Stadium over the new one. I know they designed it to be a replica essentially, but there's something missing.. I think the ghosts of Yankees past didn't get brought along to the new house.. 

And finally the last four.. All Canadians.. I'm sure me liking these cards doesn't surprise anyone.. 

So there you have it.. Cards I like from a team I hate.. 

Would anyone want to see my Braves one? Let me know.. 

A Mailday

Hello Friends! Recently I got a message from someone on TCDB asking to send my address because they had a card I talked about before. (1997 Scoreboard Sizzlers) I got the package today and there were three of them, plus a bonus. 

When we were talking, it was specifially about this one, the Joe Carter Magic Moments. The Sprague and Timlin were added surprises in there. What I was not prepared for, honestly, was that these ones are more box topper sized than the regular card sized the Nixon I have is.. They're still welcomed and will find a place in my collection. I may just need to get some sleeves used to hold paper for these suckers. 

There was a small hitchhiker in the package as well. I'm not quite sure the year, as I'm not versed in these cards at all.. But I can say I now own a Vintage Japanese baseball card. 

The player is Eishiro Yoshie. He was born in Canada in 1922 to Japanese immigrant parents. From what I can gather, he moved to Japan when he parents sent him to live with aunts and uncles. He was raised there and played baseball. 

Seeing that he was not born in Japan, he was not eligible to be drafted into the War, but did have intelligence agents watching him to ensure he wasn't a spy of any kind. 

He played professional baseball in Japan for three seasons, 1948-1950. 

In 1948, he played for the Kyuei Flyers. He threw 338.1 innings that year, pitching in 48 games, starting 35. 29 complete games. 

In 1949, he played for the Tokyu Flyers. (So, the Dalei Motion Picture Company bought half the Tokyu Flyers team in 1947, making Kyuei. After the season, Dalei pulled out of the partnership, so the team reverted back to Tokyu) 

In 1950, he played for the Yomimuri Giants in the newly formed Japanese Central League. The Giants had to hall of fame calibre pitchers already, so he didn't pitch much. 14 games that season. 60 innings. 

Afterward, he kind of disappeared. He played in some Industrial leagues until 1953 then completely fell off the map. From what I can find (which is honestly not much unless I want to pay for membership to the Canadian Baseball Network) he eventually made his way back to the British Columbia area where he passed away in 1986. 

Thank you Richard for the awesome cards!

 

The Lean Years: 2003

 Hello Friends!

Another day to look into the lean years of my collection.. This time, 2003. 

Now, in 2003, I was living in Bridgenorth just outside Peterborough. I was working at Mac's and rarely got into town. When I did though I'd get the odd pack of cards. More came through repacks later in life. 

Flagship Bowman is represented by exactly one card. And I mean there's only so many ways to say "I can't make heads or tails of this product" 

Bowman Heritage, however, is a nice little throwback to Bowman sets from before they were Toppsified. 

I do like the cards, but as usual, just looking for the cards that fit my collections. 

I think the sets between 2003-2005 were the last gasps of the original Donruss. The set looks nice. I like it. Never saw a whole lot of it. 

Donruss Diamond Kings. Donruss started a separate set for just Diamond Kings cards. The cards are nice, but it's just odd to think of the progression of the DK cards from the set starters, to an insert, to a separate set. 

Team Heroes. Very odd set honestly. I think I like a later iteration of this idea where it actually had team heroes rather than the current roster. 

Fleer Platinum. To me it looks like 87 and 88 Fleer decided to mash themselves together. What we get is a 1970s Pirates style striping.. Also the space for the team name kind of bothers me. 

Fleer Tradition. I kind of like this set as well.. I'd consider maybe collecting it. 

Leaf.. School Picture Day... 

Stadium Club is again with a nice set. I like the cards, but I find they get too similar year to year.. 

Another year of similar Topps. I don't mind the look but I think I'd stick with the collections for it

Archives.. I honestly really like the Archives sets. I just never see enough of them to actually consider seriously collecting them. 

Opening Day. Slight colour difference from Flagship. Yay.. 

Topps Total. I love the concept of the set. I loved the execution when they first did it.. Then it disappeared.. And when they brought it back they ruined it by making it online purchase only and added other crap to it. 

Upper Deck. It's... Ok.. I don't think I can really say much more than that. 

Upper Deck 40 Man. So like Topps Total, Upper Deck did a set where they made sure everyone got cards. Just like the others, I only want what I collect from this. 

MVP going into hybrid mode here. I don't like it, but I don't hate it either. It exists.. 

Victory. I actually despise this set. It looks like it's trying too hard to be a collectible card game. 

Finally UD Vintage.. 

It's interesting to me that Upper Deck threw these vintage sets out when their whole company line was anti-vintage and ultra modern. 

I'm not even sure what set(s) it's "Borrowing" from.. 

I like the set but as usual, just the collections..