Updates.

To be honest, I have forgotten about my blog. This is due to multiple factors.
1. School has been so busy for me, but the semester is almost over! I'll soon have a month to catch up.
2. I didn't have my main email address connected to this account. I always forget to check that email and end up falling behind on trades. I've changed that now. My main email is now connected so all of you will be able to contact me much easier and faster.

I know this hasn't been much of a blog for the past couple of months. I really hope to change it. It's not going to be all about baseball cards, though. I want it to be about other things, too! Haha, basically it will be 50% baseball and trading and 50% whatever is on my mind at the time.

Please contact me through my changed email address, and let's make a trade!

Email From Tim

Hey Guys,
Sorry for the lack of updates, I've been very busy with school.
I got an email from blog reader Tim asking me to share this link on my blog.
Here it is: http://www.bestonlinecolleges.com/blog/2011/10-worst-mvp-snubs-in-baseball-history/
It's a good read so check it out!

Let's Trade.

I know I haven't been posting on a regular basis, but I've been keeping up with the trades!
Leave a comment or send an email if you'd like to make one.

#19

I love Josh Beckett. I've always stuck by him through his good and bad years. He's having an amazing 2011 so far, but with only 9 wins to show for it. All the other Sox starters get at least 5+ runs a game of support with some getting 6. Beckett meanwhile gets just over 3. It just goes to show that winning is a team effort. Pitching is obviously important but you need the offense to help you out in order to get that W. Sabathia has 16 wins this year, pretty much getting a W or at least a decision every 5 days. (Beckett has 8 no-decisions. Most of those went into extras.)

It's interesting that he's gone head to head against Beckett 3 times this year. The record: 3-0 to Beckett. When voting for the Cy Young comes along, do you think the writers will take into account this factor? Probably not. Of course, there are other guys who definitely deserve the award like Weaver and Verlander.

Now I just had a thought. Is it possible for Beckett or Ellsbury for that matter to get consideration for Comeback player of the Year? Beckett had a 5.78 ERA with a 6-6 Record in an injury plagued year. He currently has a 2.20 ERA and was named an AL All-Star. Jacoby only appeared in 18 games last year and now has that number in the home run column. Ells was named to his first All-Star Game and is having a career year.

(I really need to get my Josh Beckett card collection posted on here soon!)

Allen and Ginter?

Hey guys,
Just got back from vacation and trying to catch up on things. I'm debating whether or not I should purchase a box of A&G or concentrate on my current sets.

What do people think of the 2011 A&G? Maybe your suggestions and comments will help me decide. Let me know!

All-Stars.

Congratulations to Adrian Gonzalez, David Ortiz, Jacoby Ellsbury, and Josh Beckett for making the 2011 All-Star Team. I feel that all four players are very deserving of the honor. This will be Adrian's 4th, Papi's 7th, Josh's 3rd and Jacoby's first time as an All-Star.

Just some quick thoughts before bed.

This probably isn't the best time to be posting this considering the Sox have lost four in a row to the Padres and Pirates, but this is just really bothering me.

There is a guy I work with who considers himself a huge Red Sox fan. All he does is complain about the team, the city, and the ballpark. According to him, Fenway should be literally blown up because the seats aren't comfortable. The ballpark is almost 100 years old. Obviously, it's not gonna be as great as the new Yankee Stadium, which he absolutely loves. If you're a true fan, you should appreciate the history Fenway holds and all the greats that have made history there. He hasn't even been to Fenway in seven years so my co-worker hasn't seen the renovations yet.

Also, in his eyes, Terry Francona is the worst manager in the league. He gave no legitimate reasons why, but just because. Who knows if we would have 2 World Series titles under a different manager, but obviously he doesn't care about the titles we've won under Francona and the 86 year drought he ended. It's possible that a different manager could have done the same thing, but we did it under Francona. The Red Sox have had success under him, so why is he the worst manager in baseball? Go figure.

Let's hope for a win in Pittsburgh tomorrow. Then it's off to Phillie. Josh Beckett vs. Cliff Lee on Tuesday. That should be a great match-up! Beckett has been one of, if not the best pitcher in the American League this year. (Also, he has hit two home runs with the Red Sox. Both of them coming at Citizens Bank Ballpark.)  

Rainy Days

I feel like it rains every single day. This is not how summer is supposed to be. I've been attempting to organize all my baseball cards during this dreary weather, but haven't been too successful. There are many, many holes to pretty much all of my collections. I'd like to try to fill them in. Let's make a trade! All of my wantlists are on the right hand side of this blog as well as a list of most of the cards I have available for trade. Take a look and shoot me an email and we can work something out! Thanks.

Stanley Cup Champs!

I am so horrible at blogging. It's been over 4 months since I posted something. For a while, I was too busy with school to post on here and then it got to the point where I just forgot about it completely. I really need to get back to doing this on a weekly basis at least!

I'll need to update all my wantlists for starters. I've decided not to start any new sets until I've completed at least HALF of my current ones. Not sure how that will work out, but I'll try.

As you all know, the Bruins finally won the Stanley Cup after a 39 year drought. I had the opportunity on Saturday to go to the parade in Boston. Never before have I experienced anything like that and I don't think anything else will ever come close. Over a million people were in Boston that day. Here are some shots I got during the rally. Enjoy!

P.S. I promise I'll make my blog a regular thing now!

Just a few thoughts on my collections...

Before I start any new sets, my goal is to complete the one's I have already started. I'm not sure about everyone else, but I absolutely hate it when things aren't finished. It really bothers me. Anyway, I have plenty of cards available via trade. Let's get something done! After they are complete, I think it's necessary that I put more thought into what I collect. You know, just being more selective over particular sets. In the past, I've spent way TOO much money and I really need to budget myself. I think I want to concentrate on some of my player collections as well and make a bigger dent on my 1975 Topps set. (Which is extremely tiny at the moment.)

And someday, I'll actually find the time to post some of my player collections!
Hope everyone has a good weekend.

I'm Back.

Hey Everyone,
I realized that I haven't posted in such a long time. Honestly, I abandoned this blog for a while. There has just been so much going on right now that I didn't have time to even look at cards, let alone create a wall post. Also, I haven't been able to access my Yahoo email so if anyone emailed me about a possible trade, I'm sorry for the lack of response. It's back up and running now. I hope to make my blog a regular thing once more.

I'm so excited for Spring Training. New England, or should I say the Arctic Circle, needs something to look forward to. The snow has gotten way out of hand and I'm tired of shoveling every other day.

Catching Up.

I recently completed a bunch of trades and this is just a thank you to the people I traded with.

Blog reader Troy, who recently just got back to collecting cards, really helped me out. He had tons of cards from my want list and in turn I gave him most of the Twins cards I have. It was a great trade!

I've also traded a couple times with Tim from Tim's Baseball Cards. He has also helped me out quite a bit. Thanks Tim!

Jim from Sharpe Since 92 and I just finished up a very benefiting trade. Both of us had many cards that the other needed and were able to knock of many cards from various wantlists. Thank you!

If I forgot to mention anyone I recently traded with, I apologize. Just leave me a comment, and I'll add you to this post!

Thanks everyone for trading. Let's keep it up!

What an experience!

Yes, it does bother me that the Sox aren't in the playoffs. However, I am happy that they won the final series of the year against the Yankees, denying them the division title. Even better was the fact that I got to witness one of their wins. Although my dad made us leave when the game was tied, the experience of seeing the Yankees at Fenway was still amazing! It was 12:30 and the 8th inning just ended. We were at game 2 of the double header since it was postponed the night before after a 3.5 hour rain delay! Anyway, the game went to extras and ended at 1:30 with an Eric Patterson walk-off single. We were on the subway when they won, but it felt like we were still at Fenway. A "Yankees suck" chant got started and some of the Yankees fans who were a little to drunk didn't even realize what was going on.

The game itself was back and forth the whole night. At one point that Yanks had a 4-1 lead off Dice-K who pretty much walked the whole ballpark. Honestly, I thought the game was over then. The Sox had their JV lineup going, which disappointed me at first. If the game wasn't postponed, I would have saw my Mikey and Jason Varitek and even Derek Jeter. Oh well, the Sox fought back in this game against AJ Burnett and made it very interesting. Big Papi pinch hit in the 8th and Fenway Park was on their feet for that whole inning. He drew a walk against Nova and Kevin Cash came to the plate with the bases loaded. Everyone was pissed at first that no one was pinch hitting for him, but he drew a walk to tie the game. So it wasn't a total waste I guess. The next day, I understood why Lowell didn't pinch hit for him. Tito wanted Mikey's last a bat to be a good one and he achieved that in game one of the doubleheader.

Here are some pictures from both nights I went to Fenway:

it had stopped raining for about an hour, and they were going to get the game in...

...and then it was postponed.

let's try this again!

teixeira got hit by a pitch, he made a big deal about it all the way down the first base line.

jv lineup that beat the yanks 7-6.

lars anderson looked directly at me at one point. first time i've made eye contact with a player.

the yankees had a pretty sloppy game as you can see from their 4 errors.

jed lowrie also pinch hit in the 8th inning

papi!

Doctober.

Congratulations to Roy Halladay on his postseason debut. What an amazing pitcher! This was only the second no-hitter in playoff history.

It's raining and it's pouring and tomorrow it will do the same thing. As long as the Sox-Yanks game isn't postponed, I'll be a happy camper. You see, I'll be attending the game at field box level! So excited! This will be the first Sox-Yankees game I've ever been to. I'm looking forward to seeing the team in person. Even though the Sox were eliminated the other day, this game will still have meaning as this final series will decide who gets first place in the AL East. Should be interesting!

I'll post pictures from the game. Also, I have a few trades I recently made that I need to cover. Stay tuned!

The Pirate Ship is Real.

Hey Everyone,
Saturday night I went to the Sox/Jays game with my college. We had an amazing time even though the Sox lost. I'm not on very good terms with Ryan Kalish at the moment. He got picked off in the 9th inning right before Victor Martinez hit a triple that would have tied the game.

Anyway, I had my first experience in the bleachers. We were right by the NESN sign by the "triangle" in center field. Since we got there around 5, my friend and I had the privilege of watching the Jays' batting practice. Homeruns came to either side of us or fell just short and landed in the Red Sox bullpen. We stood at the bullpen until the game started. This was a good thing considering people started filling in around us wanting to see Beckett warm up.

There is a Jolly Roger flag mounted on the bullpen wall. The pitchers are introduced with music from Pirates of the Caribbean. Their pet "parrot" comes along with the pitchers are rests in front of the flag. Do other teams doing anything like that?

The September 18th game was my 9th time seeing the Sox and first seeing Beckett. It was such a different experience to be just feet away from him. A fastball has such a unique sound, and it was crazy to hear it whiz by my head.

Here are some pictures from the game. Enjoy!

this picture of jarrod was an accident, but i love it!

you can see the path of the baseball on the bottom left.

How does one aquire a favorite player? Part II

Dennis Eckersley: Eck is an analyst for NESN. Last year, he filled in for Remy and I think he did a great job. His vocabulary is quite unique, even amongst baseball standards. (Hairy cheese with gas...or salad. How often do you hear that when someone is analyzing baseball?) During his first stint with the Red Sox, Eckersley had a drinking problem to the point where he became an alcoholic. He had a very troubled life at such a young age, but through the support of his second wife he was able to overcome his problems. It shows that even athletes and superstars deal with the same issues as everyday people, but also the fact that these issues can be conquered. This, along with his work for NESN sparked my curiousity in his baseball career. I knew he was a HOF'er, but that's it. I soon learned he threw a no hitter with Cleveland; was a starter with the Red Sox; became a dominant closer with the A's and enjoyed a long and successful career. He just seemed like an interesting guy to collect. (His hair, mustache, and delivery also played a roll in my decision.)

Miguel Cabrera: When people talk about the best players in baseball, they immediately think of Albert Pujols, Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter, Roy Halladay, Ichiro. I never hear anyone mention Miguel Cabrera. His stats are just as good as these guys and he's still very young. Cabrera has been completely overlooked since he joined the Tigers for the 2008 Season. 2010 gave him his first All Star selection in the AL, but the vote wasn't even by the fans. No one ever mentions what he did with the Marlins. He made his debut in 2003 and helped the team beat the Yankees in the Fall Classic. He's had problems in the past with his weight and more recently with alcohol but Cabrera has recognized his problem and has since gone to rehab for it. I just wanna give the guy a little love. He deserves it. I'd give him a 1st place vote on this year's AL MVP ballot. (.333AVG, 110RBI, 33HR, 83BB with 29 being intentional, a .428OBP and .624SLG)

*I also collect Jerry Remy, but I have most if not all of his cards. When I see a good Sean Casey card, I'll pick it up. He's such an easy going guy and I really enjoyed watching him play with the 08 Sox. There was some really funny moments that involved Casey. Chris Iannetta is another guy I have interest in. He's a local guy from New England and has plently of potential. He just needs to take advantage of it. Perhaps a change of scenery would do Iannetta some good.

How does one aquire a favorite player?

Lately, I've been organizing my player collections and it got me thinking "why do I collect these players?" For starters, I should probably tell you some of my favorite players...Josh Beckett, Mike Lowell, Daniel Bard, Miguel Cabrera, and Dennis Eckersley to name a few. Josh Beckett is very inconsistent, Mike Lowell is old and will be retiring at the end of the year (sorry Mike), Daniel Bard has little experience, Cabrera has had problems with alcohlism, and I was 6 years old and didn't care about baseball when Eck played in his last game. Why do I like collecting these guys so much?

Josh Beckett: My passion for baseball was ignited during the 2007 postseason. (I knew about 2004 of course. At the time I was 13 and understood how big a deal it was that the Red Sox finally won a World Series for Boston) I watched Game 7 of the ALCS out of boredom. I went to bed before the game was over and the next morning turned on the TV to see the Sox had won and advanced to the World Series. Should I watch the Series? Yes. Beckett pitched game one and I thought he was absolutely amazing. (I didn't even know he had won 20 games in the regular season). He provided me with a great first impression and by the time he struck out the side in the first inning, he became my favorite player. As my knowledge for baseball expanded, I learned about his years with Marlins. His heroics in the '03 World Series against the Yankees made me adore him even more. His 2008 season disappointed me beacuse I didn't get to see the Beckett I had read about. The 2009 season provided me with that Beckett, but this year has been "ehh" to say the least. He's a guy who pitches well every other year it seems, but he's my favorite player and nothing will stop that.

Mike Lowell: World Series MVP. Need I say more? I will anyway. Mike Lowell appeals to me because he has been with Josh Beckett since Beckett joined the Marlins organization in 1999. Lowell was an extra in the Beckett trade before the beginning of the 06 season. That bit of information interested me and forced me (in a good way) to pay attention to Mike Lowell. Whenever I went to a Red Sox game, Lowell always did something special. Drive in the winning run. Homer. Make a spectacular play at 3rd base. I just enjoyed watching him play, and in turn, decided to collect his baseball cards.

Daniel Bard: Me being a girl plays a hand in this. I think Daniel Bard is absolutely adorable. His attractiveness made me pay attention to his appearances. The more I watched him pitch, the more I realized that there was so much more to like about him. He pitches so easily and with such velocity. It's amazing. I love the way he strikes out people. 100MPH fastballs and then he drops a slider on them. Daniel Bard has great potential and could eventually become the next closer. (Might be sooner than you think, since Papelbon has been not as dominant)

I'll talk about Cabrera and Eckersley in another post. I'll try to get up some of the cards from my various collections as well. Beckett takes up the majority of my collection, but some of my favorite cards depict Lowell. Stay tuned!

Relaxing end to a busy week.

Wow, talk about a busy week!
I started college and got my license, not to mention I'm in the process of redoing my room. I'm trying to keep up with this blog as well as trades, but failed.
I wish I hadn't missed the end of the Gint-a-Cuffs, but I wouldn't have won anyway. I think I'll still post some of my favorite cards from the two boxes at some point.

I don't wanna think about this, but I must be realistic. My Red Sox won't be going to the playoffs this year. I'll still be keeping up with them though as I am not a bangwagon fan. My college has organized a trip to Fenway to see the Sox play the Jays at the end of September. I hope to purchace tickets. Only $15! I'm assuming they're bleacher seats, but I've always wanted to see the view from there.

In case you are wondering who I'll be rooting for coming the postseason, my top choice is the Cincinnati Reds.(Unless the Sox pull off a miricle, of course) If they fail to go all the way, I'll then be rooting for the Braves. Sorry Yankees/Rays fans, but I will not root for the teams that finish ahead of the Sox!

I hope everyone has a great Labor Day Weekend!
Best Wishes,
Kelly

Packs 10-12.

Pack #10:
#121 Francisco Rodriguez
#112 Tyler Bradt
#288 Bobby Jenks
#139 Miguel Cabrera
#127 Albert Pujols
#298 Jorge Cantu
#LO25 Lords of Olympus: Atlas (+3)

#TDH68 Brian McCann (+1)

Pack #10 Total: 4pts
Total: 94.6pts.

Pack #11:
#207 Wandy Rodriguez
#24 Brandon Webb
#67 Carl Crawford (+2 Favorite Player List)

#113 Billy Butler
#169 Felix Hernandez
#342 Erik Bedard (+2 SP)

#219 Adam Wainwright Mini
#TDH28 Jose Reyes (+1)

Pack #11 Total: 5pts.
Total: 99.6pts.

Pack #12:
#156 Cameron Maybin
#291 Ron Teasley (+2 Negro League Player)

#67 Carl Crawford (+2 Favorite Player List) (not liking the doubles, but at least it's a player from the list)

#113 Billy Butler
#120 Nick Swisher (-1 Yankee)
#330 Jonathan Papelbon (+1 Favorite Team, +2 SP)

#100 Matt LaPorta Mini A&G Back (+2)

#TDH65 Zack Greinke (+1)

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Pack #12 Total: 9pts.
Total: 108.6pts.