Stranger Things Night at DBAP

One of the things I like the most about the minor leagues is that teams do a great job on promotions.  I was looking forward to Stranger Things Night at DBAP ever since I heard that it was a thing.  I fell in love with the Netflix show, and was really glad I made it to the game.

I was really happy that they were going to have specialty jerseys for the game based off of the character, Dustin.  The jerseys are really cool, and I made sure to come home with one.

The jersey I got was of former Orioles first round pick, Brandon Snyder.  Of all the Bulls players I could have gotten, Snyder was the one I really wanted to get.  I plan on hanging it up with the rest of my game used jerseys.

It was really cool seeing Snyder in person again.  I picked this 2005 Bowman at the Chantilly show in April since I figured I would see Snyder sometime.  The card turned out great, I think.  I pre-prepped it with baby powder before I went to the game.

This 2005 Bowman Heritage also turned out so nice.  Snyder has a great signature, and it shows here.

Here are the rest of the Snyder cards that I got done.  Chris was down on the field saying "play ball" again, so I was happy to be able to get the extras done.

I was also happy that I got these two Nick Ciuffo cards out of my box and get them signed.  He was really nice.

Eloy Jimenez only signed for kids, and did this one for Chris.  We were glad to get this one done from our Carolina League Top Prospects set.

Outside the stadium, I was able to get these two cards from 2017 Pro Debut signed by Casey Gillaspie and Jordan Stephens.

I really enjoyed the theme night, and was glad I could spend it with Mal, Chris, and my friend, Jackson.

Some Card Shop Purchases

Last week, I went to my LCS for a few supplies and went through some of the boxes of old cards.  In one of them, I picked up some cheap vintage for my son, Chris, and I also got some cards for a couple fellow bloggers.  I did manage to get one card out of the vintage for myself.  The above Joe Morgan 1985 Fleer jumped out at me because I completely forgot that Morgan played for the A's at the end of his career.  He looks so funny in that green and yellow jersey.

I've met Joe Morgan twice now and was impressed with him both times.  Because of that, I may start a PC of him pretty soon.  I'm seriously considering it.  As for the Fleer card itself, I really like it in its simplicity.  The early to mid 80's Fleer offerings were pretty basic, but don't mistake that for a lack of quality.  Some of those cards are pretty sharp-looking.  Case in point, above.

Here is a card of a guy who I have a PC of.  A very small PC, but a PC nonetheless.  Brandon Snyder is another player whom I've met a few times.  He is a really nice guy.  I was happy to see him get a ring for being on the 2013 Red Sox part of the season.  I'm assuming he's going to get a ring.  Anyway, he doesn't have too many cards so, I was happy to find one in a bargain bin that I didn't already own.

Here is another guy who I am considering starting a PC of.  I have heard quite a bit about Alex Murphy and so far, it has all been good.  He is a local product (local as in he is from Baltimore).  I love the 'Wave' refractors in Bowman Chrome.  I just learned that there are black, red and silver versions as well.  I'm smelling a rainbow.  I'd say I was tasting a rainbow but I don't have any skittles.

Finally, here is a 2013 Panini Prizm Kevin Gausman RC.  Gausman is someone I started a PC of last year and have been slowly adding to it ever since.  In a perfect world, Gausman starts the year in AAA Norfolk (meaning the O's signed a decent starting pitcher so Gausman isn't needed in the rotation at the beginning of the year).

So, there you have it, some PC stuff of guys not named Chris Davis.  I know one fellow blogger who will appreciate that.

Completing Another Trade

I completed a trade with Dustin over at the blog 'Coot Veal and the Vealtones' the other day when I sent him an Ivan Rodriguez relic from some past A&A offering in addition to some Carlton Fisk cards.  In return, amongst some Orioles cards was this Virgil Trucks from 1994 Ted Williams, which I did not yet have in my collection.  I have probably 75% of all of Mr. Trucks' cards.  I hope to get some of his oddball cards from his playing days when I get a little money, but the big ones are mostly in my PC now.

The main piece I was trading for, though, was the below 2006 Bowman Chrome Brandon Snyder auto.  Snyder is a favorite of mine and I was happy to add this Bowman Chrome to my small Snyder PC.  I know Brandon has read my blog at least once, so maybe he'll see this on here!

Snyder didn't last long as a catcher in the O's system.  I believe he hurt his shoulder early on and was converted to a first baseman.  He was traded to the Rangers last year.  I believe the Rangers signed him to a minor league deal this past offseason, so I'm hoping Brandon can get back to the majors and stick around.  He is an awesome guy; the kind you really want to root for.

So, thanks for the trade, Dustin!  I really appreciate ding the deal and I hope we can match up again.

Fan Fest Memorabilia Room - Brandon Snyder Jersey

One of the coolest things I got from Fan Fest was this Brandon Snyder batting practice jersey for $50 in the memorabilia room.  Last year, I thought the memorabilia room was really cool, so I saved up some money with the hope that I could come across something really awesome.  I have always been a Brandon Snyder fan since I met him in Winston-Salem at a 2008 game between the Frederick Keys and the Winston-Salem Warthogs.  It was my first baseball game with my mom in probably 15+ years at the time and we took my son, my brother, sister and nieces.  Chris was only 2 at the time and was really fussy, but Brandon gave him a game used baseball that he signed.  He also introduced us to Matt Wieters, who had just joined the Keys.

I was really disappointed when Snyder was sent to the Texas Rangers for cash considerations last offseason, but that is part of baseball sometimes.  He played 40 games for the Rangers in 2012, hitting 3 home runs and batting .277.  Snyder was re-signed by the Rangers in December, so I'm hoping he gets a shot at making the team out of spring training.  Brandon Snyder has always been nice to me, and i really hope he sticks in the Majors!

So Behind on Mail

Yeah, I could have broken this up into separate posts.  I'm sorry about that.  I do have a few things on the way that should keep this blog busy until Series II comes out next week.

I've gotten mail lately from all over the blogosphere.  Today, I got a package from my good buddy Scott, over at Mr. Baseball-Scott.

 Scott sent me a few Orioles cards and a 2012 Bowman Tim Lincecum for Chris.  Thanks Scott!  Scott is quite the ball player himself.  Check out his blog and follow him, it might encourage him to post a bit more.

Next, I got a nice stack of cards from my good friend Andrew from Andrew's Baseball Cards.  In the stack was this nice 1st Bowman card of Orioles minor leaguer Ronnie Welty.  I've actually seen Welty play, when he was on the Frederick Keys, and he is a pretty good ball player.  So, I was really happy that Andrew sent me this card.  Andrew's a really nice kid who need more blog followers!

I got some mail from another good friend, Dustin, over at No Relics Pulled, but I have already put those cards in top loaders and have added them to my collection.  Sorry Dustin, but I did want to acknowledge the package you sent and that it was much appreciated.

Finally, I completed a rare trade.  Rare for me because I usually just send people cards that I think they would like and don't expect anything in return.  Well, The Rhubarb Runner contacted me about a trade for the Johan Santana patch that I pulled out of 2011 Topps Marquee.

 In exchange for the Santana, I got this Bowman Heritage auto of former Oriole Brandon Snyder.  The auto is on card, and the card itself looks sweet.

Among other cards I got from the rhubarb smuggler, was this really nice Playoff Class Reunion Brooks Robinson/Juan Marichal.  I love the seriously old school Oriole logo on this card.

So, thanks for all of the mail, guys.  Keep it coming!

Goodbye, Brandon Snyder

I was sad the other day to hear that the Orioles sent former first round draft pick Brandon Snyder to the Rangers for cash considerations.

Snyder had played at every stop in the Orioles developmental system and played pretty well until he got to AAA Norfolk.  He got called up to the majors for cups of coffee in 2010 and 2011.

This photo was taken during my visit to Harbor Park in Norfolk in June 2010.

 I first met Brandon Snyder in April 2008 when the Frederick Keys visited the former Ernie Shore Field in Winston-Salem, NC.  I took my son, mom, brother, sister and 2 of my nieces to the game.  As my brother Andy and I were getting baseballs signed by Snyder, he mentioned that Matt Wieters was sitting on the other end of the dugout.  I replied "MATT WIETERS????" and he replied, "Yes, THE Matt Wieters.  Would you like for him to sign your ball, too?"  Of course we did, so Brandon called Wieters over and got our baseballs signed.  As they were signing, my son Christopher (who was 2 at the time) was crying, so Brandon reached into his bat bag and pulled out a game used baseball.  He said "Here, maybe this will make the little guy feel better, no wait, hold on..." He signed the ball and then handed it to Wieters to sign, then said, "Here you go."  Chris still has that ball on his shelf in his room.

Here is Brandon Snyder signing a softball and baseball for my nieces Grace and Alexis.  This was their first baseball game.

This is a signed ball I got from Snyder in Norfolk, also during my June 2010 trip.

I met Brandon Snyder again in June 2010 when I visited Norfolk for a Tides game.  Brandon was signing autographs when I asked him if he would sign my bat.  He said "Of course" and signed it in black sharpie.  As he was signing it, I thanked him for being so nice to us when we met him in Winston-Salem and it meant a lot that he took the time to try to console my crying baby, when a lot of people would be annoyed.  He looked up from signing the bat, shook my hand and thanked me.

As a baseball fan, when you get the opportunity to meet some of the players and especially if they are friendly, you really hope they succeed.  I really hate to see Brandon move on to another organization, but since he is going to the reigning 2-time AL Champions, I think this is a good thing for him.  I really hope that the change in scenery does him good and he tears it up at Spring Training. 

Brandon, if you ever see this blog, good luck to you and I wish only the best for you; a very friendly and classy ballplayer.  Thank you again for taking the time out to sign autographs for fans of all ages.

Thoughts on 2011 Topps Heritage

I picked up a box of 2011 Topps Heritage from my local hobby shop today mainly because I was totally bored out of my mind. Anyway, I busted the box and here is a little bit of what I pulled:

Here is the best Oriole I got, a Nick Markakis base card. I love the design, the 1962 design is one of the best out there and I was really looking forward to Heritage this year for that reason.

Here is my one hit from the box, a Francisco Liriano relic. I was a bit underwhelmed with this pull, but it will be a little something to put in my display case at the next card show.

Here is a great pairing on the Then and Now insert. Usually Topps throws anything at the wall to see what sticks with their duos cards, but in this case, Spahn and Halladay is a great matchup. I like this card, for sure.

I was able to pull a card of one of my favorite Orioles' prospects, Brandon Snyder. I've met Snyder several times and each time, he has been really awesome to talk to. I hope to see him in the majors more this year.

One of the cool things in Heritage is seeing players in their new uniforms. I think that Topps Flagshhip comes out so early, you don't always get to see a player in the new uniform, so you have to wait til heritage comes out. You can see how strange Manny looks in the Rays uniform above. I also pulled new Orioles Derrick Lee and Mark Reynolds.

I'm always happy when I get a new Brooks Robinson card. I think pulling this card is what ended up satisfying me with this box break. It doesn't take much, haha.

I really thought this was a cool card. I keep forgetting that Babe Ruth coached for the Dodgers for a time. It is kind of weird seeing the Bambino with a number other than 3 on the back of his jersey, and seeing Dodger blue makes it even weirder.

Overall, I really like the design of this year's offering of Topps Heritage. I didn't have any great pulls (the Koufax auto would have made me pee myself), but in all, I was happy. I'm not sure if he is in the set, but pulling a Brian Roberts would have definitely made my day, but in the end, I got a good bit of trade bait and some stuff to sell at the next show.

Thoughts on 2011 Topps

I had intended on having the results of my 3 jumbo boxes of 2011 Topps posted earlier (like, Friday), but because of my craptastic connection here at the apartment, I have only now been able to get the pictures loaded. So, here are my thoughts on 2011 Topps. I will post my 'by the numbers' breakdown later on (the way my connection has been going, it looks like it may be posted just in time for 2012 Series 1).

First off, I like the design. I'd be happy if Topps strayed from the plain white border once in a while, but the cards do look great. I pulled 2 of the Legends Short Print variations out of my 3 boxes, one being the above Yogi Berra.

My second Legends SP variation is Mr. Cub, Ernie Banks. Both of the legends cards look great. Some people are tired of these variations, but I enjoy them. I'd be happier if they were Brooks Robinson cards, but with Berra and Banks, I sure won't complain.

Speaking of Orioles, I got my first Adam Jones auto. I wouldn't have known it was his auto without the card telling me so... His signature just looks like a bunch of loops.

One of my favorite Orioles Prospects - Brandon Snyder. He looks to spend the season at AAA Norfolk due to the signing of Derrek Lee, but that may be a good thing for him. I think he could use more seasoning in the minors. I've met him in person several times and he is a really nice guy. I hope he puts up some good numbers and becomes the O's first baseman of the future.

Hey, look, someone tied all of the O's outfielders together. This is a really cool picture of all the O's outfielders. Most of the pictures in this set are amazing. There are a few that are suspect, but for the most part the photos are great.

Speaking of great shots, here is one of Russell Martin. I really like all the action in the shot and also the depth that is shown. I wish Topps put in this kind of effort with all of their products.

I got a couple decent relics, the best of which was this CC Sabathia jersey. I also got Daniel McCutcheon and Justin Upton relics.

Here is one of the not-so-amazing shots. Again, here is CC Sabathia, and CC's belly. It appears that his stomach takes up 25% of the card. Yeesh. Maybe if he was wearing pinstripes, they'd have a slimming effect?

Now we have the leather nameplate cards. I definitely don't like these as much as I liked the Hat Logo patches from last year, but these aren't as hideous as I've heard. I was excited that I pulled Lincecum. I like him, of course, but he has quickly become my son's favorite player as well ('cause he throws nasty, Daddy'). So, this card is definitely spoken for.

I got Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw. My best friend is a Dodger fan. Card spoken for? Yep, you got that right.

Finally, I got the Pujols black variation. This is pretty cool, I guess. May try to sell it at the next card show. We'll have to see. I imagine that this will be a decently popular card. I'm hoping so at least.
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Anyway, there you have it, my 2011 Topps jumbo results. What do you guys think? Overall, I was satisfied, mainly because the photos are great. I wish I didn't have to wait for a new Roberts card until Series 2, but oh well. Patience is a virtue, or something like that.

6-9-10 Norfolk Tides Game

My boss is really cool. Knowing that I love the Orioles and baseball, when making out the schedule for this past week, he remarked that I would be out of town for a night (turned out to be 2 nights), but I would be at a site about 30 minutes from Norfolk, VA and that we had a direct bill hotel for use in Norfolk. He then says 'Dont the Orioles have a minor league team in Norfolk?' Why yes they do.... he knew that already. He then tells me to make sure I get my work done early enough to catch a game (which is cool for any boss to do). I got to the game 30 minutes late (my fault), but still had an amazing time.
I usually reserve the autographed baseballs for our Memorabilia Museum, but I had to include them in this post because of how awesome my trip was... I have: Brandon Snyder, 2 Nolan Reimolds and 2 Jeff Salazars. The Snyder and 1 each of the Reimolds and Salazars go to Max.

Here is a shot of Harbor Park, which is easily accessable in downtown Norfolk. It costs $5 to park and you can't bring in backpacks. I had to carry all my stuff in a Sheetz bag.

Here is the view from my seat. Like I said, I got to the park 30 minutes late and the two guys beside me were already trashed. They behaved, though...

I walked down to the net and snapped a couple pictures. Here is a good one of Brandon Snyder. I stuck the lens of the camera through the net to get this one.

Here is the man I came to see, Nolan Reimold. I ended up meeting him, but I will post that separately.

Here is Reimold batting. He is still mired in an awful slump, but he is still a really nice guy and I hope he gets back to the bigs sooner than later...

After the game, I was able to get the autographs in the parking lot beside the clubhouse door. I was amazed at how easy it was to get players in Norfolk. I think this park ranks #3 so far in my favorite minor league parks to go to. #1 being BB&T Park in Winston-Salem, #2 being historic Grainger Stadium in Kinston and #3 being Harbor Park.