2023

 Hello Friends!

Well, it's the end of another year. I may or may not have mentioned, I generally loathe this time of year because it just reminds me I'm getting older, things I loved are further away, and we're all marching toward the inevitable end.. 

Now that I've bummed everyone out... 

I can't really do a 2023 retrospective on favourite sets/cards/pickups/etc.. Partially because this year has been both a blur and a struggle. 

A blur because I really don't remember what came in this year.. A struggle because this year has been the most disconnected I've felt from collecting in a long time. I know part of it was time spent in hospital and dealing with illness/injury.. I know part of it is the crippling poverty I'm faced with due to the government not giving a crap about people with disabilities. 

I will however, share a couple things I liked about 2023 on my blog.. 

1. I love doing the Stadium posts. I've gotten positive feedback from you dear readers, so I will continue it. 

2. I still enjoy doing the Canadians in the Majors posts.. I'll pick up doing them again..

3. I have some books I'll mention on here after reading..

Now, to finally tie in with cards:

My three favourite gets this year:

I'd love this to be a physical card. This was done digitally for me by a member of the Team Collectors Community. If I had a say, I'd add on the back a little write up on the happenings of the day..

Anne Murray singing O Canada in the snow. 

The Jays borrowing the Leafs' zamboni to clear the field.. 

Doug Ault's two homeruns. 

The Jays winning!

This one, as mentioned in a post earler this month/late last month, came from Kevin Glew from the wonderful Blog Cooperstowners in Canada. Jesse Barfield entered the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame this year and, ever the kind man, was doing up autographed copies of the plaque and some other things for fans. Kevin saw my post about being hospitalized and that I wanted a Barfield auto sometime, so he sent me one. Also said that, had Jesse not been inundated with notifications, he would have noticed and likely sent it himself. 

Finally.. A John Hiller autograph. He was friends with my best friend's father in high school in Toronto. Added to the fact that I wanted to start a Canadians autograph collection, this was kind of a necessary add.. 

Anyway, that's my quick and dirty look at the year past. I hope 2024 is less of a dumpster fire, but I'm not holding my breath. 

A COMC Order

Hello Friends! 

I want to show off an order I got in from COMC. 

First we have some Stadium cards. A couple Yankee Stadium. A couple Wrigley Field.. And one Pilot Field, which is now Sahlen Field. 

Next is a few autographed cards. I don't know how Gorbous got in with the autos.. But anyway.. Yes, that Lawrie/Saunders has been featured on here before.. 

Finally, some World Baseball Classic cards. 

A nice little early Christmas present to myself that I've been slowly building over the course of the year. Of course, some of those autographed cards will get their own feature.. As will those Stadium cards. 

Postcards and Things

 Hello Friends!

Today I'm going to show another envelope I received recently. It's from Tom at Angels In Order. 

Old Comiskey Park. I never really got to see anything at this park, as I was coming into my baseball fandom when the new park opened. 

I believe this is the Rose Bowl. 

We have two of the Metrodome. It was an interesting place. I actually got to see a series between the Jays and Twins here.

Jack Murphy/Qualcomm Park. Looks like it's in the football configuration. 

Here we have New Comiskey Park

Wrigley Field all lit up and looking beautiful. 

Finally we have some Larry Parrish Expos pieces. 

Thank you Tom!!

A Nice Surprise

 Hello Friends!

As you know, I spent a while in the hospital. While hospitalized, former Blue Jay and Yankee outfielder Jesse Barfield was inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in St. Mary's Ontario.

It was a double induction, since there was cancellations and all that for Covid, but I digress.. 

One of the things Jesse started doing on Twitter is offering signed copies of the Induction plaque, much like Cooperstown sells. 

I had made a comment that I would like to get a Barfield auto sometime but funds weren't there..

Step in the wonderful Kevin Glew, author of the Cooperstowners in Canada blog. 

He saw I was recovering and my wish to get a Barfield sometime. 

I received this. The note stated that he (Kevin) saw my post and sent it to me.

Talking more afterward, he said that had Jesse come across my note, he likely would have sent something himself. So I have a nice 83 Topps Jesse Barfield autographed card. 

A December Update

 Hello Friends!

As I mentioned in my last post, I needed a break.. I was stressed out from multiple angles and generally not having fun doing anything. Plus there was a couple months I spent in hospital because of infections and then a rather gnarly wound on my knee that's still closing up as I type. 

I do have some ideas for future posts. I am going to get back into the Stadium posts. I enjoy  doing them and I believe people like reading them.. I do have some other ideas coming up. I do have a book I want to start soon.

I had some gift cards from last Christmas for Chapters/Indigo, so I decided to buy this.. There is another  book I'd love to get, but oddly enough it's not really available in Canada....

Now... You'd think a book with this title would have more of a presence in Canadian stores/online retailers than just ebook... Copies I found on book selling sites came from the US and Australia.. 

Amazon does seem to have it for not too insane, but I can't afford it right now. 

Anyway..

I want to start blogging again regularly soon. 

I also have a few cards and other things I want to show off. That will come next post. I just wanted to let my blogging friends know that I'm still alive and well. I took a complete break. Not even reading the blogs too much. For that, I apologize. It will be returning to my rotation again..