Wednesday, December 31, 2008

12 Days. And then some (To the land of the living...)

I knew it had been a while since I lasted posted ANYTHING on here, but I had no idea it had been nearly two whole weeks! AUGH! The original plan for "12 Days" was to post the "twelfth day" list of each gift pack as I went along. As you are more than aware, this did not pan out. I am still putting gift packs together, but I thought it would be kinda fun to show the twelfth day for all the packs that have gone out and that have been recently assembled (if you don't see your name here, it just means I amm still getting those done and will have them done by the end of the weekend). So, without further adieu:
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White sox cards - On the twelfth day of Christmas, Tribecards gave away: 12 Ozzie Guillen, 11 Ray Durham, 10 Wilson Alvarez, 9 Harold Baines, 8 Scott Radinsky, 7 Marc Buehrle, 6 Carlos Lee, Five JERMAINE DYE, 4 Chris Singleton, 3 Steve Sax, 2 Jeff Abbott, and a Frank Thomas 5x7 Card!
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Brian R - On the twelfth day of Christmas, Tribecards gave away some more: 12 Ron Gant, 11 Mike Stanton, 10 Tom Glavine, 9 Fred McGriff, 8 david justice, 7 errell Wade, 6 Sid Bream, FIVE LONNIE SMITH, 4 Jeff Treadway, 3 Darrell Evans, 2 Chipper Jones, and a 1970 Bob Aspermonte Topps!
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David - On the twelfth day of Christmas, Tribecards gave steelers and somee Braves: 12 Pittsburgh Steelers, 11 Mark Lemke, 10 Javy lopez, 9 Steve Avery, 8 Jeff Blauser, 7 Kent Merker, 6 andres Thomas, 5 OTIS NIXON, 4 jerome bettis, 3 kordell stewart, 2 time hudson, and a Steelers Courtney Hawkins serial! (112/500)
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Mark - On the twelfth day of Christmas, Tribecards gave some mets to mark: 12 doc gooden, 11 todd hundley, 10 keith miller, 9 paul wilson, 8 bobby bonilla, 7 kevin mcreynolds, 6 edgar alfonzo, FIVE HOWARD JOHNSON, 4 isringhausen, 3 carlos beltran, 2 pedro martinez, and an eTopps Mets team Card!
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Joe S - On the twelfth day of Christmas, Tribecards gave some more Mets away: 12 david cone, 11 howard johnson, 10 john franco, 9 keith hernandez, 8 ron darling, 7 mark carreon, 6 lance johnson, FIVE DARYL BOSTON, 4 jose reyes, 3 baerga, 2 moises alou, and a cliff floyd ud flyball card!
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Paul H - On the twelfth day of christmas, tribecards gave some mets to paul: 12 gregg jeffries, 11 sid fernandez, 10 kevin elster, 9 rey ordonez, 8 aguilera, 7 gary carter, 6 jeff kent, FIVE DAVID CONE, 4 tim bogar, 3 mookie wilson, 2 mike hampton, and a kaz matsui ud flyball card!
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Paul E - On the twelfth day of Christmas, Tribecards gave a variety of cards: 12 assorted football, 11 boston celtics, 10 assorted basketball, 9 new orleans saints, 8 new england patriots, 7 minnesota vikings, 6 aaron brooks, FIVE JOE HORN CARDS, 4 NY sixers, 3 antoine walker, 2 philly eagles, and a dustin fox spxciting card (814/1499)
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Rod - On the twelfth day of Christmas, Rod's gift pack was made of these: 12 tony gwynn, 11 trevor hoffman, 10 san diego chargers, 9 phil nevin, 8 benito santiago, 7 joey hamilton, 6 fred mcgriff, FIVE JAKE PEAVY, 4 tim flannery, 3 eric owens, 2 xavier nady, and a derrick lee classic best rookie express card!
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Erin - On the twelfth day of christmas, Tribecards sent some Cardinals Erin's way: 12 pedro guerrero, 11 todd zeile, 10 felix jose, 9 different smith cards, 8 andy benes, 7 willie mcgee, 6 ray lankford, FIVE KEN HILL CARDS, 4 rick ankiel, 3 jd drew, 2 mark clark, and a mark mcgwire etopps card!
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Kerry B - On the 12th day of christmas, tribecards created a variety pack: 12 portland blazers, 11 jose oquendo, 10 tom brunansky, 9 terry pendleton, 8 omar olivares, 7 ray lankford, 6 vince coleman, FIVE JUAN AGOSTO, 4 tim jones, 3 jim edmonds, 2 jack clark, and an oregon ducks football card!
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There are still more to come that have already gone out, but it is getting close to New Year's Eve PARTY TIME!! :-)

Sunday, December 14, 2008

Ho-Ho-Ho!!


The first "round" of gifts is getting mailed off tomorrow!! The scan above is only a sampling of the ones going out. I still have plenty to catch up on, but have no fears! If you asked for a gift pack, Tribecards will get one out to ya!

Also, please know that these are not being completed in any order. All requests will be filled, and everyone "should" get them before Christmas Day. :-)

If I don't blog much between now and then, it's mainly because I'm fillin' up those "12 Days" stockings! :-)

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Cheating a Little: The Voltaire Edition

As I mentioned in an earlier post, Voltaire sent me a big ol' box of Tribe cards! If you've been following along in recent months, you also know that I vowed to post pictures of every card I receive from the great folks reading my ramblings. Well, I stayed true to that in spirit, though delivery may leave a few things to be desired. Before we get to that, though, let's dive into this wondrous gift!

Starting off, Voltaire created two of his own cards (the "1985" Betancourt and Sizemore cards). These look great and could easily be mistaken for manufactured cards! We also have three 1984 "Fun Foods" buttons, a sticker, a game-used ticket, and some great Tribers. I am a big fan of the Fleer Flair cards. Those were done right as far as higher-end product goes:

The next group of cards is where I began to 'sift' through the box and start to pull out cards because I knew I was going to have to 'cheat' due to the sheer volume alone. My apologies to Voltaire for that. Vizquel and Thome make up the bulk here:

And this lot is a bunch of Thome cards! I know I have not seen a lot of these before, so I was excited to not only get Thome cards but that I knew they'd be going into 3-ring binders before too long! I like the SP red and silver versions, and the Topps 3-D is very cool! He even threw in a couple scratchcard game cards. I'm tellin' ya, scratchcard fever is in the air already! Add to those some classic and HOF guys, too:

I wish I had put the Harrah supersized card in full shot instead of putting him at the bottom of the photo. This is one big card (5x7 or 4x6 I would guess). It's a 1983 Donruss Jumbo. Also in this grouping are some vintage Tribe, fan faves, and more! There's even a "Major League Prospect" of Eric Wedge in a BoSox uni:

And, here is where the 'cheating' comes in. The main reason I opted to go this route was so I wouldn't bore you to death with my going on-and-on over the awesome Tribe cards Voltaire sent me! The cards are not the problem, it is the author you are reading here! There are so many cards, I feared you would lose interest long before I reached the end of the box! Simply amazing how many cards there are:

And, this is the final scan. As you can tell, the cards go for days! Simply incredible generosity from Voltaire and from ALL of you folks that send me cards! I appreciate it so much!

Again, thank you Voltaire for a wonderful box of cards!

When I started this blog, it never occurred to me that finding folks to swap cards with would be part of the adventure. Every time I see a post on one of your blogs or when I get an envelope (or a box) of cards at my mailbox, I am awestruck at what a great community of card traders we have. Folks all over the world (literally!) have found a fun and easy way to keep this addiction, er hobby, alive and kickin! Thank you for making me a part of that!

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

Sox and Thoughts...of Christmas

I had two more packages delivered to my mailbox while I was in Phoenix. One was from AdamE at Sox and Thoughts, and the other from Voltaire. I'll get to Voltaire's in a bit (it was a big box, like 500-count or something!), but after I removed the paper wrapping AdamE's was sent in, I found this:

The box is covered with foam Christmas shapes! The Henderson household was VERY excited and thought this was a GREAT idea!! Then, when I opened the box, I found these:

WRAPPED cards! Man, this was like getting my own "12 Days of Christmas" gift! Plus, it turns out the box AdamE used was actually the box we had sent HIM for Trick-or-Treat! Another very cool surprise!

So, the question now remains: Do we open the cards NOW or do we make them the official first presents under the tree? I will let YOU decide!! Respond here and let me know what you think! :-)

Monday, December 8, 2008

Tribers Traverse the Pond

One of the packages I received while I was navigating the 'hills' of Arizona came from John in England! I'm building a package for him of his favorite team - The BoSox - so, he can expect a package for Christmas!

his package had Tribers that sent me down memory lane (even if some of the memories were "collective" rather than actual). Folks like Feller, Doby and Lemon. Players such as Barker, Bannister, Diaz. And then, he brought me back to today with V-Mart, Bard and Betancourt:

I saw the Manny Trillo and had a flashback. For whatever reason, Trillo has always been on my "other players" list of cards I collect. And, now I had an early card from when he first became an Indians player! Awesome! Tucked in there is the "Flaming Balls" of Doug Jones, so watch yourself:

And, rounding out the package is Sizemore, Lewis, Otto and more. And if you look very carefully, you might even spot the ever-elusive SCRATCHCARD! I think someone is gearing up for the next tourney... :-)

Thank you very much, John! Your gift is greatly appreciated, and as I mentioned, I've got Sox comin' your way shortly!

Holy @#$! Boxbusters!

I am not one who is prone to cussing, but when I opened the padded envelope from Boxbusters, I couldn't stop myself. The Game-Used VicMart card is sheer awesomeivity! The color looks so cool as the backdrop and is just enough of the 'wrong' blue that it gives the card serious pop! This was coupled with a 2008 UD-X VicMart to boot:

The rest of the envelope had Stadium Club, Donruss, and more! I always though the Alomar Jr in the "Rookie of the Year" photo made him look like those basketball draft cards where the players are in suits. Why do they make ballplayers wear suits, anyway? Ah, well, here are the other cards from the package:

Great stuff, Boxbusters!! This is far better than I had expected of the card! Thanks a TON!

A few (weeks) late

After much delay for ALL kinds of reasons, I am proud to FINALLY show off the box of cards sent to me by Sam!

The box starts off with two "Tipton-esque" cards that were used as padding in the box. I love stuff like this. To me, it's a lot like those TV shows where they never quite let you forget it is a TV show, after all (Boston Legal comes to mind). Receiving oversized cards that have been folded up to serve as padding is kinda like that - never forget that at the end of the day, these are just pieces of cardboard, after all. The first one is Matt Miller from the 2006 team issue and the other is Jason Stanford's 2004 team issue. Each is about 5x7. Jason's sports the tag line; I play for you!" The "I" is, of course, the "I" from the Indians script. Priceless!

But that's not all! As you can see, there are all kinds of goodies in here, including Gaylord Perry and The Eckster, plus other cool Tribers:

How about a Tommy John Archives Reserve? Or a Lance Caraccioli? Lance who? Sorry, I have no idea, but without folks like Sam to give me the cards, I probably would have never known! There are Jones', Crisps, and Cooks, too! The UD Cover Glory is one I don't believe I have seen before - Colon is cool in the red-hot heatwave effect:

Up next, Bazookas, Auroras, and Authentix, oh my! Sweet Indians cards are found throughout the box. It never ceases to amaze me that the Indians have had great ones on board like Gaylord Perry, Doc Gooden, David Justice, and others. I have often said the Tribe is a place where nonames get their names and where great ones come after they've peaked. We're like the revolving door of the MLB:

Dayf may need to avert his eyes on this next one, as the Alomar Juniors abound. For the readers who were not able to catch the "wrath" (as dayf is quick to call it) of the Trick-or-Treat giveaway, Dayf's virtual TP-ing of my 'house' led to my sending him several hundred Sandy Alomar Jr cards, all in Padres uni... Ah, I still bask in the glory of it all... No fear, though, he'll get a nice Christmas present!

Sam also included a die cut 2002 Fan Club card and a gold Bazooka. I like the inclusion of many players on different brands:

Lee, Lofton, Thome, Martinez, Triple Play, and more round out this next group. I don't know how other collectors feel, but the Tribe sure make for some colorful cards!

Finishing out the box is a comic, some stickers, a Gold Glove and more:

Thank you so much, Sam, for a GREAT box of cards!!

Saturday, December 6, 2008

Checking in and catching up

Man, I feel like I've been on a whirlwind tour the past two weeks! First with Thanksgiving and then a trip to Phoenix.

I received a box of cards from Sam before I left for the big AZ, and had hoped to post the contents before I left, but prep for the trip took over instead. Hopefully, sometime tonight (Saturday), I'll get a post up!

Speaking of cards, I came back to a LOT of Indians cards! Man, you guys (and gals!) are incredible!! I haven't had a chance to bust open the packages I've received yet, but I can tell you I am looking forward to perusing some Tribe-al cardboard!! Thank you all so much. I'll thank each person individually with posts once I get everything opened up and scanned in.

The "12 Days Giveaway" is a HUGE hit this year! I was able to get WhiteSoxCards' package wrapped up before I left and I'll be working on the others this weekend and onward! I've received several requests over the past week, and if you've sent a request and are a regular (or even not-so-regular) reader, I just wanted to let you know I've received your request and you'll get a personal email from me soon! Remember, I'll start shipping them out around the 10th!!

The bad news is that I did not get to make it to Goodyear to see the Indians new spring training facility, nor did I get to make it over to see where the D-Backs play. The conference took place at the JW Marriott Resort on the VERY North end of Phoenix, putting me out of reach within the time frame I had. That's not to say I just stayed at the hotel, though! No way! My colleague and I hit McDowell National Park and then Sadona Red Rocks Pass on two separate trips. There might have been more, but my boss and her boss were there and were the ones who invited me along in the first place. Scenery or not, I know where my bread is buttered!

I have been posting slideshows of my adventures on my 'personal' blog, and still have a couple days' worth to post, but if ya like, you can check 'em out: http://poppedinmyhead.blogspot.com/.

Thanks for hanging in there while I was away. :-) Speaking of, I have a LOT of catching up to do in the clubhouses I visit!! :-)

Sunday, November 30, 2008

Diamondback Bound

Why would anyone in their right mind head for baseball territory in the off season? because my boss is making me go. I will be in Phoenix this week at a conference that has to with my job and not my hobby... I am hoping to sneak away for a bit and at least snag a few pics of the stadium, plus get away to get a few pics of the Tribe's new Spring traniing facility. I'll let you know how it goes!

Thursday, November 27, 2008

How could have I forgotten!?!


My deepest apologies to Joe. I forgot to mention that included with my Tribe cards was this unopened piece of gum. I am going on the assumption that it came from the pack he ripped on the way to post office. If not, well, should my blogging suddenly cease, you'll know why.

Ding'd, Costanza'd, Swaykos'd, and Paint'd

It's been a crazy week for me, as it has for most folks I would imagine. Well, earlier this week (I don't remember when, but I think it must have been Monday, maybe), my wife came in and handed me several packages from the mail.

Each package had some of my favorite things: Tribe Cards!! Wahoo!

Let's get rippin!

Patricia and the girls over at Dinged Corners sent me a prize I had won in one of their contests. Readers were asked to make comparisons between two sets of cards. Though most of mine were not creative, I did make the most of things by listing the MOST matches. Some were quite a stretch, I admit, but hey, it won me the GEM-10 Jarrod Parker card. Ironically, I pulled the same GEM-10 card from a repack blaster box that same week. Maybe someone is trying to tell me something... I added several of the cards to my collection and that Thome card is SHINY!! Very orange and very shiny! Oh, sorry, I was easily distracted by shiiiinnnyyy... :-) Here are the cards:

Thank you so much, ladies!!



Costanza's Brother included a note in his package that read, "Hope you still need these cards." Well, CB (can I call you CB?), have no fear! I still needed almost every single one of them, and the only reason I had the others was due to recent trades that had not been updated. Suits me just fine, though - I love gettin the Tribers, ya know! These are the cards I found inside the envelope:

Great stuff! Thanks a bunch, CB!!



Joe Swaykos sent a prize-within-a-prize... Wait, let me digest that... Yes, that's what I meant. Inside his bubble envelope was a white envelope with stack of Tribe cards. THEN, there was another smaller stack with a note (the prize-within-a-prize!). The note read: "Plus a couple more I pulled from a pack I picked up on the way to the post office..." On the WAY TO THE POST OFFICE!? Not only does he bust wax on the way to mailing wax, but he manages to pull a couple Tribers! We need to get that man to Vegas quick! :-) If memory serves, I added all of the cards to my collection except the 2008 Topps:


Way to go, Joe!! Thanks!



Punkrockpaint sent me a 200-count box of cards. Written in teeny-tiny lettering inside the cutout hole (where you open it), he wrote these words: "If there is one you need in here, I will be happy!" Well, I think you will find yourself to being VERY happy! The first TWO SCANS are cards I pulled that were added to my collection. Now, I have to admit, I cheated a bit. You see, when I opened the box, I reached in and the first card I pulled was the Branyan Lumber Auto! Already I knew you would be a cappy hamper! Here are the cards P-R-P included in the box:







Thank you so much, PunkRockPaint!


What a great way to start off Thanksgiving!! Now, it's off to watch the parades!!

"12 Days" List is g-r-o-w-i-n-g!

Wow! I've got a lot of fun ahead of me! There have been 21 people request gift packs so far, and hopefully more to come!

If you're holding back out of fears that I might not have enough cards to go around, you can put those fears aside! I've recently acquired a TON of cards (have to sort them still), so I should have no problems fulfilling requests!

On that note, are there any A's fans that would like a gift pack?? How about Pirates fans? Maybe Reds? Blue Jays? Mariners?? Or for that matter, if you're a fan of ANY team and want a free stack of team-related items, feel free to ask! Wait a minute! Did I just say "items!?" Yeap. This year's "12 Days" is not just limited to cards! I have all kinds of doo-dads that will be included with many of the team and/or player gift packs!

Some of you may be worried that you'll get the same things you got last year. I really doubt that would happen, just because my 'trade fodder' has changed out at least a couple times during the year for many teams/players (or has severely grown since last year for others).

I don't think I spelled this out in the original "12 Days #2" post, but these will all go out starting around December 10th. Remember, the cut-off date for requests is December 20th.

Thanks to everyone that's reading along (whether you ask for a gift pack or not)!! I really appreciate all the comments, personal notes, and each of you that hangs out in the background, just checking things out! I've been having a LOT of fun with the blog and I am hoping the Good Lord keeps me around for a long time to continue doing it!! I am very thankful for everyone that brings their browser by here or subscribes in their feed reader. I hope y'all have a VERY Happy Thanksgiving!

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Johngy and ChrisM Spreadin' the cheer!

I spent the day on Monday bein' off work. You'd think that would lend itself to a day of rest and relaxation. Not exactly. As the holiday season approaches, the time has come for the annual "redding up" (as we Pittsburgh natives say) of the kids' outgrown toys. In case you aren't familiar with the vernacular, 'red up' means to 'clean up.'

The brightest portion of the day by far was mail call. The postman (I can say that because, well, he is a male) left two packages in the box. One was from Johngy and the other from ChrisM. Johngy must have spent a LONG time sifting through my 'wants' and 'haves' to come up with the spectacular vintage offering:

Those are '75 MINIs (a whole slew of 'em!) and quite a selection of 1971 Topps. Almost every single card he sent came off the 'need it' list. But, it didn't stop there:

MORE '75 Minis and a cool collection of 1970 Topps! If memory serves, ALL of these cards removed a check mark in the WANT category. You would think that would be all for one day, wouldn't you? Not Johngy:

The cards above represent several different years, makes, and models. And all (I believe all anyway) of them came from the 'not owned' list! I hadn't realized just how many 'base' cards from the 80's I actually need! That surprises me, given that was the height of my collecting until I got back into it after college... Weird. Thankfully, someone out there create blogging! Believe it or not, there are still more cards:

The cards above are all from the Traded or Tiffany Traded variety. As I mentioned before, I did not understand the difference until relatively recently, so my inventory of traded and Tiffany are a bit out of whack. These definitely filled holes in my collection!

In fact, if memory serves, out of all the cards he sent, less than a handful were cards I already had. In his defense, however, I noticed that some of those were in my 'to be filed' box (meaning I had only recently acquired them). Talk about your holiday spirit!! I'll have to work extra to try and even come close to matching it!


And then to my wondering eyes did appear, but another package of holiday cheer! I read the return label, and ChrisM's what is says. Inside the envelope were TWO Victor Martinez!

Chris sent me a 2007 UD Masterpieces Captured on Canvas and a 2008 UD Masterpieces! I don't know about the rest of the card-collecting bloggers out there, but when the artwork on the Masterpiece cards is done right, it looks fantastic. Quite like little painted treasures. I also like the 'raised border' effect, like the cards are framed. These are great additions to my Tribe collection!

Thank you Johngy and ChrisM for a wonderful surprise after a hard day's work! You'll have something extra in your stocking this year, for sure!!

Don't forget, readers, the 2nd Annual "12 Days Giveaway" is happening now!

Sunday, November 23, 2008

2nd Annual "12 Days Giveaway!"


Last year's "12 Days of Christmas" giveaway was a huge success! It all started with an idea born from one of dayf's posts and then went wild from there. The whole thing was a great adventure that served to accomplish several things: First, it helped get folks in the holiday spirit; second, it helped collectors get more cards in their hands; and, third, it helped clear out a LARGE chunk of cards I had laying around!


Last year's giveaway consisted of football, basketball, and baseball cards. This year will mostly be filled with baseball cards, though I do have some football and basketball I will try to get in there as well (depending on responses, etc).


I am getting an earlier start than last year because I am taking my own advice from the lessons learned: 1) As you have seen from my "Bat Around" post, the cards are sorted by team; 2) I plan to scan in (or take pics of) the gifts before they go out, and 3) I am stocking up on Coke and Mt. Dew. :-)

Now, for those of you that are new 'round these parts since last year, let me tell you how this works:
  1. ANYONE can request a gift pack!
  2. Send me an email (from my profile) with the subject "12 Days Giveaway;"
  3. List several of your favorite teams, players, etc from baseball. You can also list football and basketball, but know I am limited on what I can include from those sports and only list teams for non-baseball,
  4. Be sure to include the address where you want your gift package sent. Use an address that you will be able to receive things during the holidays (packages may not actually go out until closer to Christmas, depending on the number responses),
  5. What do you get? 78 cards!(see below)
  6. Gift packs may be requested to be sent to someone else on your behalf, but those will take second priority over folks asking for themselves. I cannot promise that '2nd party' gifts will be fulfilled. I will let anyone who requests one of these know the fulfillment status as we get closer to the cut-off date.
  7. All requests should be sent to me before December 20, 2008. This gives me time to assemble the gift packs and get them mailed off in time for Christmas (hopefully!).

The scans/pics I take will not reveal too much about the gifts; after all, part of the fun is not knowing what you're getting! :-)

I have several packages going out as part of other trades. These do not count in the 12 Days Giveaway!


The 78 cards will be chosen in the fashion of the song, "The 12 Days of Christmas." So, each gift consists of 12 similar cards, 11 similar cards, etc until we get to the 1st day of Christmas! So, let's say someone requests Indians... That person might get 12 Jim Thome, 11 Sandy Alomar, 10 Bob Feller ... down to 1 Game-Used Jersey... (just an example, who knows what will actually end up in the gift pack!!).

You can get an idea of what last year's was like by checking this link.

So, let's get in the holiday spirit! Yes, I know it's not quite Thanksgiving yet, but if the stores can bust out the holiday decorations, I can start busting out "12 Days Giveaways!!"

Saturday, November 22, 2008

Indians Uniform Number 11 - Part 2

It has been a LONG time since I posted a Uniform post, so today I spent some time to walk through the next group of Number Eleven-wearing Tribers! Enjoy!



Eddie Leon - 5 seasons (1968-72) - Leon only wore the Number 11 during his final season as an Indians player. Before that, he wore Number 24, so we'll see him again later. In '72, he had 225 at-bats in 89 games. He had 45 hits, 2 doubles, 1 triple, and knocked in 4 homers, all of which netted him 14 runs and 16 RBIs. He was traded to the White Sox in 1972 for Walt Williams after accumulating only a .200 average on the season.



Frankie Hayes - 2 seasons (1945-46) - Hayes may have left the Tribe with a .246 overall average, but in his two seasons, he got on the All-Star team in one of those (1946). And the other season didn't have an all-star game (1945). Not too shabby. Overall, he had 541 at-bats in 170 games with 131 hits, 27 doubles, 6 triples and 9 home runs. He brought in 61 RBIs and walked 74 times while striking out 78 times. Hayes served as catcher to Bob Feller in the post-war all-star game. Now, that's not a bad gig at all.



Frankie Pytlak - 9 seasons (1932-40) - We took a look at Pytlak a few uniform numbers ago when he sported the Number 8. That was the 2nd half of his Tribe career. During the first part of his years with the Indians, he wore the Number 11. During those first five seasons, he racked up a respectable .285 average. He had two .300+ seasons and another in which he batted .295. He made 939 plate appearances in 313 games while wearing Number 11. He scored 136 runs with 275 hits, 44 doubles, 16 triples. Incredibly, he only had 3 home runs. As a side note, in his entire twelve-year MLB career, he played in 700 games. He was a catcher in 699 of those. Only in one game in 1940 did he get moved to right field. I don't know how he fared at the plate during that game, but his fielding percentage as a goose-egg... Based on his stats, he never had a play oon the ball. Weird.


Hank Ruszkowski - 3 seasons (1944-45,47) - Ruszkowski was born in Cleveland, grew up in Cleveland, played for the Indians three seasons and just over 50 years later died and is buried in Cleveland. A true Triber in every sense. he played while most of the other players were off at war. During his three-year stint, he had 84 at-bats in 40 games. He hit three home runs in his career with 2 doubles, 20 hits and scored 8 runs with 10 RBIs. He left the majors with a .238 average.


Herb Conyers - 1 season (1950) - Conyers played in only seven games during his career. In those seven games, he scored 2 runs, had 3 hits, and hit a homer. He struck out twice and was walked once. He ended his career batting a .333 average. He died a short 16 years later.



Jamie Easterly - 5 seasons (1983-87) - Easterly only wore Number 11 for a portion of his last season in the majors. We'll meet up with him again later. Since his final season is split, we'll go ahead and talk about the whole 1987 stat log. We went 1-1 with a 4.55 ERA in 31.2 innings pitched. He gave up 26 hits, 16 earned runs, 17 runs and 4 homers. He also struck out 22 batters and walked 13. He had suffered injury off and on during his time with the Tribe and at the end of '87, he was let go.



Jeff Branson - 2 seasons (1997-98) - Branson came to the Tribe in a 2-for-4 player swap with the Reds. He served as the utility infielder during his days in an Indians uniform. He was lucky enough to have joined the Tribe the same year they went to the World Series against the Marlins. He had one at-bat as a pinch hitter in the series, which unfortunately resulted in a strikeout. He left Cleveland for free agency in 1999 with a .232 batting average overall. While making his 172 plate showings, he scored 11 runs, 39 hits, 8 doubles, 1 triple and 3 home runs. He also struck out 38 times, making just as likely to strike out as to get a hit.



Jeff Moronko - 1 season (1984) - I don't believe I'd ever heard of Moronko before the countdown. He batted in only 7 games in '84, though he made 19 appearances. He struck out 5 times and walked three. He had 3 hits, scored 1 run, had a double, and brought in 3 RBIs. He left with a .158 batting average to return to the minors for a few years before the Yankees picked him up (in '87) for only seven more games.



Joe Adcock - 1 season (1963) - It surprised me to discover that Adcock only played one season with the Indians because I know I have several of his baseball cards for the Tribe. The reason? well, after playing in '63, then a few years for the Angels, he came back to the Tribe in '67 to manage them for a season. As for his playing time in Cleveland, he had 71 hits, 28 runs, 7 doubles, 1 triple, and 13 home runs. He had 49 RBIs and struck out 53 times. He left the Tribe with a .251 batting average.