A Gift From Jackson

I had the 2012 Bowman Red Ice Nick Markakis on my wishlist page for a long time.  Problem is, I had gotten the card from my friend, Gerard, and forgot to remove it from the page.  My buddy, Jackson, had told me that he had also picked one up for me, but kept forgetting to bring it to the Wood Ducks games.

Finally, Jackson remembered it, after some time, and handed it off to me.  Now I have two of these, and that is just fine with me.  These red ice parallels are really cool, and look great.  I think a red refractor, or ice parallel is probably the best looking out of the lineage of parallels for a Bowman card.  Of course, I have seen several  different shimmer parallels pop up, and those look great, as well.

Thanks so much for the card, Jackson!

Lots and Lots of Cards From Gerard

I received a Christmas gift from my friend, Gerard, and realized that I still had a bunch of stuff that he had gotten signed for me that had yet to be scanned.  So, I combined everything into this one post.

He got me a bunch of autos during Pawtucket Red Sox games, and one of the coaches was Rich Gedman.  He had gotten me Gedman's 87 Topps before, and also the above 1987 Red Sox team card.  Still, I'm going to keep this one on hand, in case I am able to get Tom Seaver at some point.  It'll make this easy to find.

I needed the Carolina League Top Prospects card signed by Travis Lakins.  The other Bowman cards came from the National.

I think I sent this Luis Sardinas card to Gerard because he was going to see Norfolk toward the end of the year.  A lot of the cards he got signed, I gave him in person when we met up in Boston.

Here are some nice Sam Travis cards that he got done.  I'm pretty sure I sent him the 14 Bowman.  The others are probably from the National.

These are some 2017 Topps Update cards that he was able to get done.  Adam Lind is a pretty big sig for me.  I sent to him TTM, but didn't get anything back.

These two are just extra autos he sent along with other packages.  I think he pulled the Tyler Mahle while we were sitting in the park in Boston.

One of the cards he sent for Christmas was this signed 1987 Topps Ed Romero for my set.

He got me all of these PawSox team cards signed.

There were also some Orioles cards that I can try to get signed at Fan Fest.

I'm pretty sure he found these Nolan Reimolds while he was at a recent card show.

I really liked this 2018 Bowman Mike Baumann auto that he sent.  Baumann was really good for Frederick this season, and is a bright prospect to watch for the Orioles.  He was also really nice when we met him this season.

Finally, Gerard knocked this 2012 Bowman Red Ice Nick Markakis off of my wishlist.  Except, my friend Jackson had also bought this cards for me.  Jackson kept telling me this season that he had the card in his card on COMC, but had kept forgetting to send it.  I should have crossed it off of my list, but I also kept forgetting.

Thank you so much for all of the cards, Gerard.  I really appreciate it.

Cheap Shots From The National - Nick Markakis Patch

One of the cool things about the bargain boxes at The National is that you can find some really nice stuff when you really aren't looking for it.  I had no Nick Markakis cards in my mind to check for while there, but I found this really cool patch card numbered 8/10.

It's a 2-color patch from 2013 Panini America's Pastime.  I haven't added anything significant to the Markakis PC since he signed with the Braves before last season.  This card is a really cool one, even though the patch almost goes unnoticed.

I got the card for less than $8 as part of a bulk deal, so I likely got it for closer to $5.  Not too bad for a patch of that size and that low of a serial number.

Max Sends An Amazing Mailday

My buddy Max sent me a box that I got today.  Inside was a lot of stuff that I really loved, but it was a simple gesture from him that really blew me away.  He sent me a game used ball that he picked up at some point, but this ball he signed himself, and inscribed it with the above inscription.  I have a ball signed by another friend, Michael (actually, he has sent me several) and I have also received a ball "signed" by my nephew.  Collecting autographs of famous baseball players is fun and all, but when something as small as a signed ball from a friend or family member comes in, I really enjoy getting them.  Max is such a great guy, and I am so lucky to be able to call him a friend.  I was able to meet him at The National last summer, and had a blast.  He and his family were such amazing hosts, and made us feel really welcome.

Not only did he include the signed baseball, but Max also sent me this signed mini football.  Max is a gifted baseball player, but he is also a very talented football player.  He was the kicker, center and defensive end on his youth team which won a National Championship this past season.  He and his dad skyped me from their hotel room during the tournament, which was really cool.  I wish I could have gotten down to Florida during his games and saw him play.

Max and I have a pretty good system worked out.  I send him cards that he needs for conventions and games, and in return, he sends a couple of them back to me after he has gotten them signed.  The assortment of cards above all came from some of the many huge boxes of cards that I have.  I have always had a ton of 1987 Topps, so using those for something other than kindling.  The more current cards, the two Bowman and the Team USA came from some cards I had lying around and the rest came out of some really cool mid-90s boxes that my mom hooked me up with.  I was especially pleased with how the 1994 Score Paul Wagner came out.

Because I couldn't fit the tenth card onto the scanner, this 1988 Topps Bill Madlock gets its own scan.  It actually turned out pretty great.  I am really growing to love the late 80s designs.  They look really awesome signed, so I intend to add some more to the binder as I get more and more TTMs in.

Max also included some cool cards for my collection, which were the second half of his Christmas present to me.  This Nick Markakis Baseball Heroes relic is really nice.  I think this is an underrated set.

This Inception auto of Hunter Harvey is also really cool.  I like the design of Inception, and was happy to add this to the collection.

Finally, Max included this 2015 Bowman Chrome gold parallel of Steve Pearce that is numbered 13/50.  I liked Pearce when he was an Oriole, but he is with the Rays, now.  He always has done well when playing at Tropicana Field, so we will see how that translates in playing half of his games there.

Thank you so much for the awesome package, Max!  I really appreciate it, and it made my day!

Instagram Trade With Nick S. - Bobby Bundy Auto and More

It is often forgotten that there is another Bundy in the Orioles organization.  Dylan Bundy's older brother, Bobby, is also a pitcher in the O's minor leagues.  Drafted by the Orioles in the 8th round of the 2008 amateur draft, Bundy has slowly made his way up the ranks in the system.  He is currently at AA Bowie.  He has played in 8 games, pitching 15 innings this season.  Both Bundy's have been quite injury prone, and it seems that neither will be with the Orioles after this season.  That really is a shame, since Bobby's younger brother, Dylan, has been such a highly touted prospect.

I got this card, a 2015 Bowman auto, from my friend, Nick S. on Instagram.  Nick approached me and asked if I would be willing to take a deal for the card, and I accepted.

Nick was also nice enough to include a 2014 Topps Mini gold parallel of former Oriole, Nick Markakis in the deal.  This card is numbered 57/63.  I sure do miss Nick patrolling right field for the Orioles.  It really is a shame that he wasn't resigned this offseason, but the O's were worried about a neck condition that Markakis had.  The condition is, in fact, evident this season, as it has sapped him of his power.  He typically averages 16 home runs a season, but through 81 games this year, Markakis has none.  He is batting a nice .295 with 91 hits so far this year, but the power is gone from his game.  I fear that he is definitely on the decline.  That being said, I still respect Nick as a ballplayer, and miss him on my team.  He was great for the Orioles, and I know he is missed among O's fans.  Maybe one day, he will return to the organization.

Thanks for the deal, Nick, I appreciate it!

Instagram Deal With Evan - 2009 Topps Unique Orioles Triple Relic

The crease at the bottom of the card notwithstanding, is this not an awesome card?  I had no idea it existed until I saw it posted on Instagram.  The page was a kid named Evan, who's screen name is "alldaycards".  I bought the card off of Evan for $8 shipped and it came well packaged in a bubble mailer.  So, the crease at the bottom was definitely not Evan's fault.

The card would look amazing if it was triple signed as well.  I'm sure they exist.  I'll have to go back and look at some and see what I can find.

This card will go nicely into my Roberts PC that had been stashed away, since no new cards would be issued for him.

I appreciate the deal, Evan, and I hope we can make more in the future!

Christmas Gift From Michael - Set Needs and a Top 10 Card

Along with the Mickey Vernon baseball that I got yesterday from Michael, I also got my Christmas gifts from him.  The major pieces from the package are shown here.  What I haven't shown, though, was a good bit of stuff as well.  Inside the box were two signed baseballs (Pedro Viola and Chris Michalak), a game used baseball from one of Michael's baseball games, a Derek Jeter Turn 2 coin that I won in an Instagram contest, a few assorted baseball cards, 30 cards from 2012 Topps Update to help me work on that set and three t-shirts (one of which was signed by Jim Gentile).  Those in themselves were huge pieces that I really appreciated from him.

Michael helped me out tremendously by finding three cards that I needed for my 1948 Bowman set. As you can see, the condition on all of them is really good.  I actually appreciated Michael's picky way with cards, because these really turned out great.

The above card from 1948 Bowman is card number 11, Johnny Lindell.

This one is card number 39, Augie Galan.  With the three cards from Michael, I now only need 10 cards to complete this set.  Not too bad, and I believe I can finish this sometime this year.

This one is card number 44, Johnny Wyrostek.  I really appreciated Michael hooking me up with these cards.  He didn't have to, but chose to try to push me further along with this set, and now he has me really close to the finish line!

Michael wasn't done with the '48s, though.  He knocked out an Orioles PC card that made it onto my Top 10 Wishlist for 2015.  I had been looking for this 2003 Bowman Chrome RC auto of Nick Markakis for some time, now, and let a few opportunities to pick it up pass me by.  I finally have it in my PC, which is bittersweet, since Nick is now a Brave.  I will always love Nick as an Oriole, so this card will be untouchable in my PC.

Michael has always come through for me.  I might not tell him every day how much his friendship is appreciated, but I sure hope he knows.  He went above and beyond with these Christmas gifts, and my gratitude cannot be overstated.

Thanks so much, man!

A Look Back at 2014 and my Collecting Goals for 2015

Well, 2014 is now over and I can reflect on the year that was, as far as my collection and blog are concerned.

I met my goals for 2014 as follows:

• I started the year with 96 Hall of Fame signed baseballs and ended the year with 107.  My goal was to add 10 baseballs and I exceeded that by 1 ball.  I added huge names like Mickey Mantle (ball #100) and Sandy Koufax, and I also added a tough to get name in Joe Gordon.
• As you can see above, I met my goal of making ball #100 something special.  I'm glad I have Mantle out of the way.  I doubt I will get as huge a name this year, unless something falls into my lap.  We'll have to see what unfolds this year.
• I met my goal of completing at least one of the Topps sets from 1993 to 1997 by completing 1993 and 1996.
• I didn't really add my 1993 to 1997 set needs to my wishlist, but I still consider that goal met, as I am one card away from finishing 1997.  I will add 1994, probably later today.  I haven't even started 1995, so that wasn't a real goal.
• I made significant progress with my 1948 Bowman, 1959 Topps and 1969 Topps sets.  I am just about done with 1948 and 1959 and knocked out some key cards in 1969.  I have knocked off cards here and there from my 2013 Emerald set, and I still intend on completing it.  My friends from Instagram have helped tremendously on that one.
• I did knock off 5 cards from my Top Ten Wishlist.  I will be adding new cards to the list today, some harder to get than others.  The cards I got this year were: 1948 Bowman Yogi Berra, 1952 Topps Bob Feller, 1953 Topps Satchel Paige, 1969 Topps Reggie Jackson RC and 1969 Topps Nolan Ryan.
• I did continue the relationships that I had established in 2013 and added a ton more.  In no particular order, I added new regular trading partners: Max, Noah, Caleb, Scott F., Anders, Josh, Kaleb, James, Michael A., Sam, Jet, Michael S., Drew (ultimatecards_), Joey, Carson, Jackson, Kyle, Jake, Blaine, Robert, Ben/Jake, Jack, and a ton more that I am forgetting at the moment, sorry.  I have filled my side desk up with note cards with everyone's name on them so I can continue to add to piles and keep track of who is getting what.  I have also started a notebook for trades so I no longer lose track of what someone offered me and what I offered in return.
• Finally, I feel like I was able to continue to provide good information on cards, the Orioles and the Hall of Fame.  I know a lot of my posts this year were about trades and incoming mail, but I still feel like I have thrown in the occasional tidbit about a past player or something to that effect.

Let's take a look at a few key moments from the blog for 2014:

• I listed my goals for 2014 on January 1 and as stated above, I did pretty well on them.
• On January 18, I was able to finally show my collection to my dad.  He was in town visiting with my mom and finally had time to take a look at my card room, my signed baseballs and other things I had posted.  I got a call from him a few days later, and he said that he had been thinking about my collection all that week and how impressed he was by it.  That totally justified all of the work I had put into all of this - to be able to captivate the attention of people I care about, who don't necessarily share my enthusiasm for baseball.  That was a big moment for me.  I was really happy that Dad liked my collection.  It really meant a lot to me.
• On February 1, I went to Fan Fest with my buddy, Scott.
• On February 6, Ralph Kiner passed away.
• On February 22, I posted about my first (successful) trade on Instagram.  This was with my buddy, Kyle, whom I still enjoy talking to.  We haven't traded much in the last several months, but we continue to talk as friends, and I send him the occasional Phillies care package.
• On May 5, I pulled the Bowman Chrome Jose Abreu auto.  One of the rare times I actually pulled a hot card from a pack.  I turned around and sold it for $165 on Ebay and I don't regret that at all!  I used the money to get some big names for my set needs.  You can see that post here.
• On May 22, I posted about my first trade with my, now, good friend, Max.  He and I became friends very quickly and now we talk nearly every day.  I have helped him expand his Cubs collection and we have even discussed meeting up at the National Card Show this year.  I look back on it and I am so glad that I met Max, as well as the other guys from Instagram.  I didn't like it (trading on Instagram) but after my first trade with Kyle, continuing with deals and conversations with my friend, James, then onto Max, I was reassured that 99% of the people (most of them young teenagers and pre-teens) are good people and legit traders.  I have always had a soft spot for kids and any chance I can get to help them improve their collections and their knowledge of the hobby, I will take it.  I now do Skype group chats/forums with several of the guys I trade with regularly, and those chats have led to a bunch of deals.  It sure beats the hell out of online forum trading.
• On June 7, 2014, I treated my mom to her first MLB game.  This was an early birthday present for a milestone birthday that I won't mention, since you shouldn't reveal a lady's age (and she would smack me, hahaha).  Mom got to see the Orioles beat the A's in a controversial series where the media really turned on Manny Machado.  Hopefully he learned from the mistakes that he made.  I'm glad Mom enjoyed her trip and I hope we can do something like it again.
• On June 16, we lost Tony Gwynn.
• On July 1, the Orioles designated Nolan Reimold for assignment, effectively ending his time with the Orioles.  He would later be picked up by the Blue Jays, then the Diamondbacks.  Now, a free agent, Nolan may see himself back with the O's in 2015.  I would enjoy that, but I know he wants a major league deal (and I hope he gets one).
• On July 19, I posted about my vacation.  I lost my camera, but that didn't stop me from enjoying a great time with fellow bloggers Dustin (who's wedding we attended) and Andrew (who is one of my best friends).  I really enjoyed meeting these guys and we, as a family, had a great trip.  I also learned that it is a LONG freaking drive from Memphis, Tennessee to Winterville, North Carolina.  Next trip we take, I'm flying, dammit.
• On August 17, I got the pieces in place to begin my next vintage set, 1967 Topps.  I look back on some of the vintage sets I completed and wonder "how did I even start this one", well, it is really easy to pinpoint where I started this one.  Thanks Rob!
• On September 16, for the first time in 17 years, the Orioles earned the AL East Championship.  This was such an awesome moment for me, since I was a senior in high school the last time the Orioles were on top of the AL East.
• On October 3, 2014, Chris and I attended our first MLB Playoff game when the Orioles defeated the Tigers in front of a packed house at Camden Yards.  I still get chills when I watch the video of Delmon Young hitting the go-ahead three run double.  Oh man, that was so amazing.
• On October 15, I broke the "No Crying in Baseball" rule when the Orioles were eliminated by the Royals.  I'm over it now, and I'm still happy for my friend, Jack, who was able to attend a couple World Series games in Kansas City.  He even sent me a Royals Rally Towel from the World Series that I will keep in my collection forever.  He didn't have to get it for me, and I know he wasn't rubbing it in my face.  He was just being a good friend, giving me a little piece of the World Series, since I couldn't yet experience it for myself.
• On October 17, Brian Roberts announced his retirement.  This was big for me, because I was able to experience his entire career.  From his call-up in 2001, to his final game in 2014, I was a big Roberts fan.  I have packed up my Roberts PC, but he will always have a special place in my collection.  Thanks for the memories, Brian.
• On November 18, I posted about a trade I completed with Noah.  This trade was right at the beginning of our group Skype forums, along with Scott F., Max, Michael and Caleb.  I don't know what I would do without these guys.  Yes, I do, I would get more work done, haha, seriously though, I appreciate the guys letting me be a part of their group, letting me be the "parent" of the group, and keeping everyone in line.
• On December 3, longtime Oriole Nick Markakis left the O's to sign with the Braves.  I was a bit sad when it happened, then, later, we found out that Nick was to have corrective spinal surgery for a herniated disc.  While the Braves feel confident that he will be fine, the O's erred on the side of caution, knowing all too well that the spinal fusion surgery isn't always successful.  Sad to see Nick go, but I think it was necessary, at the price he was getting from Atlanta.

So, 2014 was a pretty good year, I think.  I'm glad I was able to meet up with fellow bloggers Scott, Ryan, Dustin and Andrew during the year.  Each of those guys is a good friend of mine and I know we will keep in tough throughout 2015.  Now, to close things out with my goals for 2015:

1. Add 10 more baseballs to my Hall of Fame ball collection.  This would put me at 117 to close the year.  This, obviously can be done, so I will tackle this number again in 2015.
2. Acquire 5 cards from my Top 10 wishlist.  The wishlist will be updated tonight to include new cards, as well as the 5 holdovers from 2014.
3. Attend the 2015 National Sports Card Convention in Chicago, IL.  Yes, this is a sneak peek at my vacation plans for 2015.
4. Do a better job of keeping track of and responding to blog related emails that I receive.  I have tried really hard to continue trade discussions with folks who have emailed me, and I intend to continue to do so, but I know a few have fallen through the cracks.  For that, I apologize.  Please keep on me about it, and I will make trades and such happen.
5. Meet and complete trades with 10 new people that I haven't talked to before today.  I think Instagram and the blog will help me with that, for sure.
6. Continue to add to and expand my spreadsheet on google docs showing the cards I have so it is easier for folks to see which cards I already have.  I have Chris Davis, Nolan Reimold and most of my Brooks Robinson PC added and maintained.  This should help tremendously with trading.
7. Complete the 1948 Bowman and 1959 Topps sets.
8. IF 1948 and 1959 are completed, start one 50's set and one 60's set (1967).
9. Complete the 1994 Topps, 1997 Topps, 2012 Topps Update, 2014 Topps Update and 2014 Topps Chrome sets.
10. If 1994 is complete, start the 1995 set.

Thanks so much for sticking around for this mega-long blog post.  Thank you to all of my friends and family who read this blog and stay interested in what I'm doing with my hobby.  It means the world to me, and I love you all for wanting to be a part of it.  Thanks again, God bless, and to all, have a safe, healthy and happy New Year!

So Long, Nick

Well, the longest tenured Oriole is out the door after Nick Markakis has reportedly bolted to the Braves.  He has signed a reported 4-year, $44 Million contract, which, the Orioles weren't comfortable matching.

My feelings are kind of "mehhh".  I like Nick.  I was more pissed last year when Brian Roberts signed with the Yankees.  I feel like the Braves are a good fit for Nick.  I think the Orioles have options that they can use to replace him (namely Dariel Alvarez) or they can get a cheaper option, like Nori Aoki, who will provide an upgrade on offense and hold his own in right field.

I'll miss Nick, and I will continue to collect him, but this does sting a little bit.  Good for the Braves, though.  I think he will do decent there.

On another note, my wife had foot surgery today and will be out of work for up to three months.  Card buying is going to be a bit painful, so I will likely cut back a bit.  We'll see.

A got a lot of well wishes from a lot of people, and we both thank you all!

Some Surprise Mail From Andrew

I got a stack of cards in a familiar mailer in my mailbox the other day from my good friend, Andrew.  He and I pass the same bubble mailer back and forth when we send each other cards.  The poor thing has some mileage on it, for sure.

This time around, Andrew sent me this awesome Nick Markakis relic along with a bunch of other Orioles and random inserts.  I was sent this Markakis in another trade, but I'm glad I have them.

Thanks for the package, Andrew, I really appreciate it.

Instagram Trade With Caleb - 2009 Upper Deck X Nick Markakis Auto

I completed a trade with a new trade partner from Instagram recently when I picked up this 2009 Upper Deck X Nick Markakis auto in exchange for a Chris Johnson orange die cut card and a few other cards.  The person I traded with was a kid named Caleb who goes by the Instagram name  @cardman102_youtube and also is on Youtube as +CardMan102 .  Caleb is from NC, just like me, and his package got here really fast.

Upper Deck X wasn't one of the best sets around, but wasn't nearly as bad as Upper Deck Biography or Topps Moments and Milestones.  I don't have a whole lot of Markakis autos, so this one definitely fits well into my PC.  I'm hoping Nick signs with the O's soon, and I think he will.  I can't imagine him in another uniform.

Thanks for the cards and the deal, Caleb!  Everyone, go and check out Caleb's Youtube channel and his Instagram account.

Three Orioles Win 2014 Gold Glove Awards

They say pitching and defense wins ballgames, and the Orioles again showed that their defense is superior in the American League tonight when three of their players took home some hardware.  Nick Markakis (above) won his second Rawlings Gold Glove award when he was named the AL winner for Right field.  Markakis beat out Kole Calhoun of the Angels and Kevin Kiermeier of the Rays.

Adam Jones won his 4th Gold Glove when he beat out Jackie Bradley, Jr of the Red Sox and Adam Eaton of the White Sox.  I'm surprised that Mike Trout wasn't birthed with this award, since all of the baseball pundits feel that he is the greatest player alive.  Jones is now tied for third All-Time on the Orioles (with Mike Mussina, Jim Palmer and Bobby Grich) with 4 wins.  Brooks Robinson has the Orioles All-Time lead with 16, followed by a tie between Paul Blair and Mark Belanger with 8 each.

Finally, shortstop J. J. Hardy won his third straight Gold Glove tonight when he beat Alcides Escobar of the Royals and Alexei Ramirez of the White Sox.  Hardy and Jones have won three straight gold gloves as teammates.

A Surprise Package From Matt

I came home today to an unexpected bubble mailer in my mailbox from Matt.  I was blown away when I opened it up and saw these two autographed cards inside.  The above dual auto came out of 2007 Upper Deck Exquisite and looks so sharp.  I thought UD Exquisite and Ultimate were great high end products.  I don't have too many Markakis autos, so this goes nicely into the PC.  The Jon Knott auto actually looks really sweet, although Knott didn't last very long as an Oriole.

Knott played 7 games for the O's in 2007 where he had 3 hits, one home run and 4 RBIs.  He wasn't seen in the majors after that.  I remember when the O's picked him up.  I remember hoping that he would pan out as a solid player, but it just wasn't meant to be.

Matt also sent me this 2014 Panini Prizm Rick Dempsey auto.  I didn't have a single Dempsey auto, so this was a welcome addition to my Orioles PC.

Thanks so much for the cards, Matt!  Please go check out his blog, Bob Walk The Plank.

We Won't Stop - Recap of My First Playoff Game

I can knock something off of my bucjet list, I went to my first ever MLB playoff game today.  Chris and I went, along with Ryan from O No Another Orioles Blog and some friends of his.  We skipped over a great deal of DC traffic this morning thanks to the HOV lanes and that we had so many people in the car.  I was worried because the start time for the game was 12:00, noon, and our plan was to leave Ryan's house at 6:30, but that would put us in DC at the Friday morning rush hour.  Thankfully, we sot through there easily and got to Baltimore right at 10:00AM with only two stops along the way.

I was really glad that I made the decision to bring Chris along so he could experience this.  He had joked that he didn't really want to go because he was missing school, but I could tell that he was really excited.  They handed us these awesome rally towels as we entered the ballpark, and Chris actually got an extra one, so my wife will get a souvenir.  I really appreciate the photo bomb by the random dude in the background, by the way.

Another thing I wanted to do while I was there was to finally try some of Boog's BBQ and who was there while we were in line?  Why, Boog himself.  He signed a ball for Chris and posed for a picture.  I told him I was happy to see him again, and he shook my hand and said he was happy to see me as well.  Boog is such an underrated historical player.  I know that the 1970 AL MVP is loved in Baltimore.  He's one of our guys and I like our guys.

This summer, when we were at the Tiger game, I was disappointed that I didn't get to see Verlander pitch and Miguel Cabrera was on the bench.  Well, I got to see both today, and Cabrera was a terror on the Orioles, but he also helped them out with some questionable baserunning when he was cut down at the plate trying to score late in the game.  That run would come back to haunt the Tigers.

Check out the sea of Orange.  I thought the Brooks Robinson statue dedication in 2012 was wild, but this crowd was raucous, energetic, pumped, whatever you want to call it.  They were a bit deflated in the middle innings when the Tigers jumped out to a 5-2 lead, but the crowd would explode in the 8th inning when Delmon Young hit his 3-run double off of the wobbly Tigers bullpen to give the O's a 7-6 lead.  Ryan and I were going crazy, and even Chris was jumping up and down, although he couldn't see over everyone who was on their feet at that moment.

There were chants of "Hey Hey, Goodbye" when Brad Ausmus lifted Justin Verlander for Anibal Sanchez; chants for "Joba, Joba, Joba" for Joba Chamberlain when he was throwing gas on the fire; chants of "We Won't Stop" when Delmon Young his the double; and one of the most gratifying chants was the role call for Nick Markakis after his home run early in the game.  Nick has been up with the O's since the 2006 season and missed out on the 2012 post season with a broken thumb.  It was really cool to see him finally play in a playoff game, and he has shone so far.

I shot a video with my phone of the final out of the game.  Sorry for the shaky camera work, but I think this captured the mood at the stadium perfectly.  Baltimore is itching for a winner, after all of those years of futility, and I believe that there isn't a fan base that wants to win right now more than the Orioles fan base.  Of course, I'm sure folks from Kansas City would like to weigh in on that.

So, I hope you all enjoyed the look into my day.  I am still elated over the outcome of the game.  I told Ryan that I had felt in the 7th inning that the perfect game would be a close one where the Orioles came from behind and won, and I got my wish.

Trade With Matt From Bob Walk The Plank

I got an email well before I went on vacation from fellow blogger, Matt, from the blog: Bob Walk The Plank.  It has taken me quite a while to get caught up on trades and Ebay purchases, and I have finally gotten around to posting what I got from Matt.

Matt sent this awesome Nick Markakis Gypsy Queen relic along with some 2013 emerald parallels.  In return I sent Matt some vintage Pirates cards.  I really appreciated the trade, Matt and I hope we can do it again.

Instagram Trade With Eric - Huge Orioles Haul

I was contacted recently over Instagram by a young guy named Eric who asked me if I had any Twins cards for him.  Luckily, the day before, I had pulled a ton of Twins for someone else who promptly backed out of the deal, so that left the whole stack wide open to Eric.  He offered up a bunch of Orioles cards for 50 or so of the Twins (for now) and then some other Orioles stuff for a few 1971 Twins and some Joe Mauer/Justin Morneau relics.

I'm pretty certain that I didn't already have this Nick Markakis blue parallel from 2007 Topps Chrome.  This was a nice surprise in the package.

I know I didn't have this 2004 Just Minors Markakis card, though.  This was one of the specific cards that Eric brought up in our trade conversation that I happily accepted.

For some reason, I also didn't already have this 1972 Topps Frank Robinson card.  I was glad to go ahead and get it, even though I really haven't had Frank as a PC.  I know I will sometime soon, I just haven't gotten around to starting it up.

Finally, Eric gave me these sealed 1991 Crown Orioles team sets.  There were 4 sets and I have 3 of the 4 now.  I may look into picking up the individual cards of Brooks Robinson and Cal Ripken.  Apparently, these sets consist of every person that has been on the Orioles since the team relocated to Baltimore in 1954.  Pretty cool stuff.

Thanks for the trade, Eric!  Also, thanks for helping me unload that Twins stuff.  That (and our subsequent deals) really helped clear out some room in my boxes.

Cards From Mom

I visited my parents' house a couple weeks ago and when I got up that Saturday morning, my mom greeted me with a couple blasters of cards that she had picked up.  Mom has been asking me when I was going to post about the boxes on here, well, what better day than Mother's Day?

You see, my mom is the one who really got me into cards.  She would always take me to the card shop when I was younger and would spoil me with tons of cards.  I always enjoyed it, I mean who wouldn't?  The best part, though, was that Mom always bought some packs, too.  She had as big a collection as I did back then.  Too bad the both of us didn't know that those cards would be part of the era known as the "Overproduction Era."  Oh well, the memories of sitting in Mom's car, opening packs (which, is a habit that still carries over - whenever I buy packs, I always open them up in the car) and sneaking the cards into the house so Dad didn't find out is something I will always remember.

Happy Mother's Day, Mom!  I love you and thanks for getting me started (Mallory thanks you too!).

2014 Orioles Fan Fest Thoughts

Yesterday, I spent the day with my son and my good friend, Scott (from the blog Mr. Baseball-Scott) at the 2014 Orioles Fan Fest.  Originally, I was pretty upset that I was unable to get as many autograph vouchers as I had liked, but in the end, I did really well.  The above photo is of our first autograph session, David Lough, Ryan Webb and Dylan Bundy.  We also had vouchers for later in the day to the Bigbie/Urrutia/Wieters/De La Cruz signing.

The crowd wasn't quite as large as last year, but 15,000 fans still crowded into the Baltimore Convention Center

Nick Markakis brought his beard with him.  He looks like a young Chong, from Cheech and Chong.

Chris was recruited by my buddy, Michael to get him some autographs from the kids line.

Chris enjoyed meeting Matt Wieters for the third time.  He first met him in 2008 when Wieters was with the Keys, then again in 2009 when Wieters and Tillman were signing autographs with the Baysox.

So, here are Chris and Scott posting with our total haul.  Between the three of us, we got 24 signed baseballs, 21 signed post cards, 3 MASN bags, an Eddie Murray statue, a Chris Davis shirt, a Joe Mahoney Spring Training jersey, a Keys hat, 6 signed photos and 6 game used baseballs.

I doubt I'll post about each and every item, but I do intend to break out a few posts on certain items, so stay tuned.  In the meantime, I would like to thank Scott and his family for a great time and them being such amazing hosts.  I really appreciated our time together.