Tuesday, March 13, 2018

Updating the Sports Card Blogroll, Just In Time for 2018, and Other Things.

Between working with a food broker and a pharmacy (yes, they let me work with drugs), there really hasn't been much time to relax. Not complaining, but I haven't had a day off since January 1. That's a good thing as it means a steady paycheck and I am able to pay bills and support my family.

More importantly, it means I have disposable income to pay for my habit (that pesky thing called baseball cards). I am going to ask if I can hang out on Friday night at the convention center as the spring card show is this weekend. And, as it was my birthday yesterday, maybe I celebrate by buying a few cards (or something).

In the meantime, I wanted to do a bit of catch up since I didn't post anything since I bought my first few packs of 2018 Topps Series 1.

So I decided to take two Topps packs each from Target and Walmart and put them in a box. The first pack I picked was from Walmart. So the first card from that pack, the official Topps first card for 2018 (for me) is:


Nick Pivetta, pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies. Card #241.

The first card from the Target card was of:


Jose Abreu, the White Sox' first baseman, card #280.

(On an unrelated note, I'm going to miss my HP scanner, but I'm starting to get the hang of this scanner/printer...loving it).

On the insert front, I did get one SP, Dexter Fowler of the Cardinals. But after opening 10 regular packs, 4 jumbos and two blaster boxes, the best card came from the fourth pack that I opened for the year. From the second Target pack that I opened, I found this:


A Corey Seager Major League Material Bat Card!!!

This only means one of two things:
  • I beat the pack searchers or they had not arrived yet.
  • They searched but missed a pack.
Either way, I'm happy with the pull as I rarely, if ever, get a card like this.

Now, onto the other reason for posting tonight. It's time, once again, to update the Sports Card Blogroll.

Yes, blogging seems to be a dying form of communicating. We've lost a number of bloggers to other social media platforms like Twitter (you can still follow me as I hang out there from time to time @bdj610). But perusing the site at 280 characters, I'm discovering new voices, and have decided not only to give them a follow, but to add their sites to the big blogroll. And of course, new blogs tend to find other new blogs, and so on, and so on...

But first, time to remove the blogs that have not had any activity in the past six months. The following blogs have been removed from the main blogroll:
But as some blogs leave us, I am adding a few new blogs onto the site, including:
So there will be at least 206 blogs on the main blogroll when I'm done with the updating tonight. Would you like to add your blog to the site that has been keeping tabs of the Hobby Blogging Community for almost a decade (I can't believe it's almost 10 years)? Send me an email at bdj610@hotmail.com, DM me on Twitter (@bdj610), or just leave me comments.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama
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Monday, March 12, 2018

42!


On April 15, 1997, MLB announced that it was going to retire the uniform #42 for all 28 teams in MLB in honor of Jackie Robinson. This meant that the Arizona Diamondbacks and Tampa Bay Devil Rays, the new expansion teams that would begin their inaugural seasons the following year, would not be able to use the #42 when they assign uniform numbers for any of their players, and they hadn't even started yet. Teams in the minors would not use the number either.

There were, at the time, 13 active players who were assigned the number 42 at the time it was retired league wide, Some names, you know: Mariano Rivera, Mo Vaughn, Butch Huskey. Others, like Marc Sagmoen, was a rookie who was called up to the Rangers squad that day and didn't know that the number was going to be retired THAT NIGHT. He had already had an at bat when he was told to take his uniform off because, as he found out later, that his jersey was going to be shipped to Cooperstown. He only has 21 MLB games under his belt, with 1997 being his lone season in the big leagues. Although Sagmoen is now a policeman in the Seattle area, he has a link to history that not many can claim.

Jackie Robinson is a legendary player who changed the course of baseball history by not only being the first African-American player to play in the majors, but by being a man who played the game with dignity and opened the doors for many players, not only here in the US, but around the world.

But that's not why I'm writing this post.

Today, I turn 42 years old. And as I work on the 2018 Topps set, I reflect on what I've done in my life so far. I have experienced both good times and times that were not so good. Some of the things I was able to do when I was younger, I have a hard time doing now. The quantities of food that I used to eat during my college days I can't stomach anymore (maybe that's a good thing). There are things that I've always wanted to do that I accept I will probably never do. And I'm okay with that.

But through it all, I am happy.

I am happy to have a family who I love dearly, a wonderful wife who supports me and I make sure to do the same no matter what, and two children who I couldn't be more proud of as they become young adults. I am happy that we are all in good health, a roof over our heads, and jobs (thankfully) to support us.

I am happy that I can see my parents and siblings during our (almost) weekly dinners.

I am happy to have that escape that is called The Hobby that I can go to when I can. It's fun to look back and reminisce about what I have done these past 42 years. But I look forward to the next part of my journey.

Thank you for being a part of it.

Finally, Happy 42nd Birthday Bryan Hebson!!!

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama
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Sunday, February 4, 2018

So Which 2018 Topps Series 1 Packs Should I Open First??!

January 31 was the start of the 2018 Baseball Card Season, and after two days of searching, (realistically, waiting for my paycheck) and watching all of the hits, sets, and cards that I am just dying to get my hands on myself, I finally had my opportunity to dive into the pool and buy some product of my very own. And I couldn't be happier.

But now I have a bit of a quandary on my hands.

You see, on Friday night, I went to Target and saw that they had 2018 Topps Series 1 packs on display by the registers.


So for $32.31, I bought the following:
  • Five 12-card retail packs
  • Two 36-card jumbo packs
  • One 72-card hanger pack



And then I went to the Walmart across the street, just for kicks, and saw that they also had 2018 Topps Series 1 by the self-checkout.


And so, for $32.82, I bought:
  • Five 12-card retail packs
  • Two 36-card jumbo packs
  • One 72-card hanger pack


First off, if anything, I'm really surprised. Target charged a penny more for the packs compared to Walmart ($1.99 vs. $1.98 for 12-pack, $4.99 vs. $4.98 for the 36, and $9.99 vs. $9.98 for the hanger). However, because the Target was in Lake County, and the Walmart was in Cook County (yes they were across the street, but the street is the border between two counties), I spent $0.49 less at Target.

Anyway, I haven't opened any packs yet. I'll probably do a live pack break during the big game tomorrow. This will be the first time I get to watch the Super Bowl on Sunday night in about three years. I have no skin in the game, I don't really care who wins. So I'll probably focus more on a pack break for the blog.

But which packs should I open first?

Do I open the Walmart packs first? I mean, they're the only place to find those exclusive Kris Bryant Highlight cards.

Or should I open the Target packs first? I did go to Target first of course.

So I'm going to get some sleep. I'll be working in the pharmacy tomorrow. Hopefully it'll be quiet (it's snowing right now...maybe traffic will be light).

Send me comments and let me know which packs I should open first. Maybe I'll post a Twitter poll or something (follow me on Twitter @bdj610 if you want to take part in it).

I'm just looking forward to baseball season. And what better way to enjoy it then by celebrating with a few packs of baseball cards??!

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama
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Wednesday, January 24, 2018

Hallbound...2018!!!

The votes are in...


  • Chipper Jones 410 (97.2%);
  • Vladimir Guerrero 392 (92.9%);
  • Jim Thome 379 (89.8%);
  • Trevor Hoffman 337 (79.9%);
  • Edgar Martinez 297 (70.4%);
  • Mike Mussina 268 (63.5%);
  • Roger Clemens 242 (57.3%);
  • Barry Bonds 238 (56.4%);
  • Curt Schilling 216 (51.2%);
  • Omar Vizquel 156 (37.0%);
  • Larry Walker 144 (34.1%);
  • Fred McGriff 98 (23.2%);
  • Manny Ramirez 93 (22.0%);
  • Jeff Kent 61 (14.5%);
  • Gary Sheffield 47 (11.1%);
  • Billy Wagner 47 (11.1%);
  • Scott Rolen 43 (10.2%);
  • Sammy Sosa 33 (7.8%);
  • Andruw Jones 31 (7.3%);
  • Jamie Moyer 10 (2.4%);
  • Johan Santana 10 (2.4%);
  • Johnny Damon 8 (1.9%);
  • Hideki Matsui 4 (0.9%);
  • Chris Carpenter 2 (0.5%);
  • Kerry Wood 2 (0.5%);
  • Livan Hernandez 1 (0.2%);
  • Carlos Lee 1 (0.2%);
  • Orlando Hudson 0;
  • Aubrey Huff 0;
  • Jason Isringhausen 0;
  • Brad Lidge 0;
  • Kevin Millwood 0;
  • Carlos Zambrano 0;
Congratulations to Vladimir Guerrero, Trevor Hoffman, Chipper Jones, and Jim Thome for being elected into the Hall of Fame. On this year's ballot, a player needed to receive 317 votes to reach or exceed the 75% needed for induction.

The players whose names are italicized will appear on next year's ballot, having surpassed the five percent rule to stay on (22 votes). Edgar Martinez and Fred McGriff will be on their tenth and final ballot going into 2019.

Chipper Jones is also the 24th member of Topps' All-Star Rookie Team to be inducted into the Hall of Fame as a player (2 are in as managers).

According to the Baseball Hall of Fame website, of the 422 ballots that were cast, one of them was blank.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama
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Tuesday, January 23, 2018

One (or More) of These Players Could Be Voted into Baseball's Hall of Fame

When the announcement is made at 05:00 PM CST on Wednesday, January 24, 2018, to let the world know who has been inducted into Baseball's Hall of Fame, I will be at home, getting ready to transition from one job to the next. But I'll still have the MLB Network on to watch the results live.

With any luck, more than one person on this list of 33 players will be rewarded with the ultimate honor...enshrinement into the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY. For the final time, here is the list of players (with years on ballot and % of ballots in the 2017 election) being considered:


When this post comes out, it will be 24 hours before the big announcement. At this time, only the Baseball Hall of Fame, and the accounting firm that tabulated the votes knows who will join Jack Morris and Alan Trammell in Cooperstown on Sunday, July 29, 2018.

Good luck to everyone.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama
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Hallbound 2018. And the Motor City Rejoices!!!

1985 Topps #610 Jack Morris and #690 Alan Trammell
On Sunday, July 29, 2018, the National Baseball Hall of Fame will be welcoming what should be a large and unique class of new inductees. Players who should be making their speeches after the big announcement on Wednesday, January 24, 2018, will be up there on stage, talking about their playing days, and thanking all of those who helped them become better ball players, and certainly, better human beings.

But before we get to talking about the 33 players who are on the BBWAA ballot, let's talk about two players who stayed on the ballots for 15 years and were not able to get the necessary 75% of the votes to be inducted during the regular voting cycles. Thanks to the revamped Veteran's Committees, these two men, teammates for many years, will be enshrined as Hall of Famers, and join whoever makes it in from the writer's vote, as part of the HOF Class of 2018.

On Sunday, December 10, 2018, it was announced that pitcher Jack Morris and shortstop Alan Trammell, part of a 10-person Modern Baseball Era ballot (contributions from 1970-1987), earned over 75% of the votes from a panel of 15 Hall of Fame players, managers, executives, writers, and historians that was taken on the last day of Baseball's Winter Meetings. Teammates from 1977 through 1990, both men were part of the dominant 1984 World Series Champion Detroit Tigers.

Jack Morris played in the Majors from 1977 through 1994 with the Tigers, Twins (1991), Blue Jays (1992-93) and Indians (1994). He pitched in 549 regular season games, 527 of them as a starting pitcher, posting a record of 254-186 with a 3.90 ERA, striking out 2478 batters in 3824 innings of work. He led the AL in wins in both 1981 (14) and 1992 (21), and was part of 4 World Series winning teams (1984 Tigers, 1991 Twins, and 1992-3 Blue Jays) being named the WS MVP in 1991. He was a 5-time All-Star, 7-time Cy Young candidate, and 5-time MVP candidate. He set the record for most consecutive opening day starts by a pitcher with 14 starting nods.

Alan Trammell was a lifelong Tiger, playing 20 seasons in the Motor City from 1977 through 1996. In 2293 regular season games, Trammell hit for a .285 average, with 185 home runs, 1003 runs driven in, stole 236 bases, and had a slash line of .352/.415/.767.  He was a six-time All-Star, four0-time Gold Glove winner, a 3-time Silver Slugger, and a 7-time MVP candidate. He was also named the MVP of the 1984 World Series, hitting .450 with 2 home runs and 6 runs driven in. For 19 seasons, Trammell shared the middle infield duties with second baseman Lou Whitaker, a man who many feel was slighted from the HOF voting and dropped from the writer's ballot after only a couple of years. Alan and Lou were so synonymous with Tigers baseball that not only did the pair set the record for most games played as an infield combo, but they made an appearance on Magnum PI. It is hoped that with Morris and Trammell both getting the call that "Sweet Lou" gets another look. Who knows, maybe one day he will join his teammates and manager (Sparky Anderson was inducted in 2000) in Cooperstown.

So who'll be joining the long-time teammates in July? The Hall of Fame announcement will take place on Wednesday, January 24, at 5:00 pm CST.

Post about the 33 candidates forthcoming.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

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Monday, January 22, 2018

Thoughts on 2018 Topps Before the Product Goes Live


So the 2018 Baseball Card Season begins at the end of this month with Series 1 of the eponymous product arriving some time on or around January 31. It's a great time to be a baseball fan because it only means that pitchers and catchers will be reporting to their spring training homes (at least those with teams anyway) not long afterwards.

This past month (in between learning what is involved in both a food brokerage and a pharmacy...yes, I work for the food AND drug industries), The Topps Company has been previewing what we are to expect in series 1:






  • checklists (the base set does not have numbers because they haven't announced the player who will grace Card #1 yet)
There has even been news about Series 2 and the 32 retail sets that will be coming soon to Hobby shops and big box stores near you.

But for the longest time, the only thing Topps never really showed during the hype build-up of their soon-to-be classic cards was the card backs. And for many years (or at least ever since I started blogging and sparingly being involved in the online Sports/Baseball Card Community) I've always asked to see what the card backs look like before the product goes live. Well last week, Sports Card News, who was able to attend Topps' big Transcendent part in Las Vegas, posted on Twitter (what the back of the 2018 Topps cards are going to look like.

2018 Topps Harrison Bader RC. Picture by @SportsCardNewshttps://twitter.com/SportsCardNews
And, I was awestruck...by how much open space there was on the back of the cards.

Before the interwebs, baseball cards were THE resource when it came to learning about your favorite players. Not only were there (in most cases) complete stat lines, but a simple (or long...depending on how long a player's career was) biography on the back about the player on the front of the card. There might be some random factoids about other players, or a "this date in baseball history" segment. There might even be a cartoon on the back. Lots of information could be packed on the back of a baseball card (if you were a big-time stat junkie, later years of Score baseball were for you...)

Last year, Topps limited the number of stat lines to five plus career totals. So for the first time in a very long time, no complete player stats for those who had played for more than five seasons. In it's place, Topps added a player's social media accounts (Twitter and Instagram if a player had them), or Topps' accounts if he was not a presence on social media. I get it, we're in a new age, what better way to follow your favorite player than on the social sites. Leave it to Topps for being forward thinking.

But this year's card back has a lot of issues for me. Now, I know that the only image shown was of a player with the rookie card logo, meaning that we're only going to see that person's minor league totals. I get that. That's been the deal since 2006. But there was just so much space, especially on the right side of the card. There is just so much blank space there. I'm wondering why? Couldn't Topps find something to fill that space? Maybe extend the text box?

At my new job, one of the things I'm learning is how to create sell sheets using PowerPoint. Yes, I've been in the food business for 19 years, but this is my first time at making these. I'm learning really fast that blank space is okay, as long as there is less of it. Too much space means a missed opportunity for content. And that's what I'm seeing here.

Now, I'm hoping that this is just the exception, and not the norm. People on Twitter began to wax poetic about how times have changed, and that they wanted full career stats. Maybe put in a QR code where that blank space was to make the cards more interactive. (Speaking of, have you seen those wines that have labels that when you put your smartphone to it - and have an app - the graphics come live??? That would be cool if Topps could do that with baseball cards...not that they haven't tried before...)

Again, I'm just going what I'm seeing in front of a computer screen. I haven't seen any of these cards live (yet). So I'm going to wait until I see these cards in person before making any decisions as to whether I'm going to like the design, front and back, or not.

Something tells me that, as always, I'm going to like them.

Bring on 2018!!!

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama
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