Wednesday, September 29, 2010

I'm Redeemed in the Choo Crew

Some time ago, I received my "loot" from the Cardboard Problem T206 break.  One of my items was a redemption for an autographed Shin-Soo Choo card.  According to the site, I would receive the card no later than December 21, 2010.  They were right!  It came in the mail *today!* Wahoo!

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Turfdiggers Tuesday

The Turfdiggers made a few last-minute changes to the roster this past week, and those changes proved beneficial and detrimental all at once.  Let's look at the changes and then see just how those changes impacted the team this week:



The Turfdiggers pulled McCluster (KC), Ward (Pit), and Gonzalez (Atl).  In their places, they hoped Moss (Was), Cooley (was) and McFadden (Oak) would make a strong showing.  While putting in McFadden worked, pulling the others cost the team points.

McCluster: 9.40 pts
Ward: 7.60 pts
Gonzalez: 11.50 pts

Moss: 10.20 pts
Cooley: 2.65 pts
McFadden: 12.10 pts

Well, okay, really, the major issue was between Cooley and Gonzalez.  Had I left Gonzalez in, I would still be in first place.  And there you have the beans spilled: I have fallen to second place.  Frankly, the fact I can even write that sentence still brings a smile to my face.  I am totally enjoying my current standings in the Super Secret League - just ask my wife! She's pretty tired of me talking about my team.

So, what happened?  Well, only two teams remain undefeated: The Turfdiggers and the Red Grange Halls.  This week, the tables were turned on points, and I fell behind.  The Turfdiggers are 5.13 points behind.  See?  Had I left Gonzalez in there, I would have rocked the league.  Bummer.  Well, as it stands, the Turfdiggers have 251.26 points so far. 

As fate would have it, the two undefeated teams will face each other in Week Four, meaning that SOMEONE will remain undefeated and someone else will face their first loss of the season.  I'm just sayin' I shall reign supreme!!  Yeah, probably not, but it was worth a shot.

As my "Smack Talk" says, "I have a bad feeling about this."

Monday, September 27, 2010

(A different kind of) Mojo Monday



Oh, yeah! This is "MOJO MONDAY" alright!  I received not just one, but TWO packages in the mail today!! Wahoo!  The USPS Box is from Mr. Peterson (aka PunkRockPaint, of course!) and the bubbleope (not to be hunted in the wild) is from Steve (aka WhiteSoxCards)!

I have not had a chance to go through either one, other than to read the notes inside.  I have to say, one thing we card bloggers seem to share is a whacked-out sense of humor!  I'll share the cards and the notes in a later post.

THANKS so much, guys, for what I know is going to be a fun-filled trip through the Tribe cards packages!!

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Blog Bat-Around ALL CALL! (16 Commissioners so far!)

Re-UPDATE: WOW! So far, we have 16 wannabe Commissioners! Thanks for the great response!  And, if you're like Bo and want to add more thoughts, drop me a line and I'll keep your thoughts together - even if you can't! HA!

About the "cautions:" I don't care what language you use in your post. This is 2010 and you're free to express yourself how you want.  However, we have many younger readers and some of them can't read posts until the post is cleared by their parents. I'm not the censorship police, but more like a self-governed warning label purveyor.  If I think your post has language that might not be for younger eyes, the I'll post a "caution" by your entry. Don't be offended, I'm just looking out for the littler ones. :-) (and if I miss one that has strong language, please let me know and I will add a cautionary remark)

Hey folks! I don't know what version of the Blog Bat-Around we're on, or if there is an official method for announcing such a thing, but I thought I would start one up!

The topic: With Bud Selig supposedly retiring in 2012 (and assuming the end of the world doesn't follow soon afterward), if YOU were asked to become the next Baseball Commissioner, what would you do?  What changes would you like to make, what things would you leave as-is, what would you like to see as your legacy when your retirement time came?

How the Blog Bat-Around works:  Post your answer to the topic on your blog, then comment here with a link to your post.  I will update this post as entries come in so folks can find your thoughts!  I'll be posting my own thoughts before long, but wanted to get the word out there.

Blog Bat-Around Posts:

Matt (Project Baseball 1976) - http://baseball1976.blogspot.com/2010/09/blog-bat-around-if-i-were-next.html

Bo (Baseball Cards Come to Life) - http://borosny.blogspot.com/2010/09/if-i-become-commissioner.html and a follow-up: http://borosny.blogspot.com/2010/09/importance-of-good-team.html and a "last one - I promise:" http://borosny.blogspot.com/2010/09/best-of-6.html

Paul (Paul's Random Stuff) - http://wp.me/p6j5H-2fk

Steve (White Sox Cards) - http://whitesoxcards.blogspot.com/2010/09/blog-bat-around-commissioner.html

Mariner1 (Emerald City Diamond Gems) - http://emeraldcitydiamondgems.blogspot.com/2010/09/blog-bat-around-if-i-were-commissioner.html

Steve (1974 Topps) - http://1974topps.blogspot.com/2010/09/blog-bat-around-if-i-were-commissioner.html

Night Owl - http://nightowlcards.blogspot.com/2010/09/bombing-baseball-back-to-stone-age.html

Chris Harris (Stale Gum) - http://blog.stalegum.com/2010/09/my-blog-bat-around-post.html (caution: language)

Dan (The Other World) - http://dansotherworld.blogspot.com/2010/09/blog-bat-around-if-i-were-commissioner.html

JT (The Writer's Journey) - http://thewritersjourney.wordpress.com/2010/09/21/blog-bat-around-make-me-the-commish/

Jonathan (Nats Cards, and to whom I really am sending the cards I promised a few weeks ago!) - http://natscards.wordpress.com/2010/09/21/blog-bat-around-the-commish/

Matthew (Number 5 Type Collection - Sorry I missed this earlier, it had gone to spam for some reason) - http://number5typecollection.blogspot.com/2010/09/blog-bat-around-if-i-were-commish.html

Ryan (The Great Orioles Autograph Project) - http://greatoriolesautographproject.blogspot.com/2010/09/blog-bat-around-if-i-were-commissioner.html

Captain Canuck (Waxaholic) - http://waxaholic.blogspot.com/2010/09/blog-bat-around-canucks-take.html (caution: some language)

Andrew (Attic Insulation) - http://waxpackpastime.blogspot.com/2010/09/if-i-were-commish.html (Andrew has changed the language, now "kid-friendly") 

Adam (Thoughts and Sox) - http://thoughtsandsox.blogspot.com/2010/09/if-i-were-commissioner-of-baseball.html (possible language)

Okay, so officially... I'm a dork. Whuddyagonnado, uh?

Given yesterday's heartfelt post about the incredible generosity shown to me by you folks reading along, I thought it only fair that I balance that with a tale of my own dorkiness.  This comes courtesy of dayf, who sent me a package in the mail!!


Now, my first "clue" should have been the fact he said, "...something in here you don't already have."  How could he *not* say that with three packs of Goodwin Champions cards?  He wouldn't know what was in them.  Then again, would he really send three packs and chance giving me some uber-mojo-insert!?  Wow!  I turned the first pack to the bottom because all the cards were there, and experience has taught me it is far easier to pull apart the seams where you find the cards.

Now, the cards, as I had opened the pack, were facing their BACKS to me when I pulled them out.  The first thing I noticed was that the card I saw was David Huff.  It was a Topps.  Now, at this point, any self-respecting collector would have realized something was amiss.  Why?  Because Goodwins are made by Upper Deck.  Did I grab that? Of course not.  Did I grab the fact that Huff is a TRIBER!?  No, no, I was too busy trying to determine which Goodwin cards were in the pack.  Yes, seriously.  Quit laughing.  Nah, keep on laughing. It gets better (or worse, depending on your perspective).

When I flipped the first stack over, a Topps '52 Shin-Soo Choo was facing me!  Hey, a Triber!  How cool!  And, another Topps.  It was here I noticed one of the other packs sitting on the desk, mocking me.  That little UD logo staring at me.  I slowly looked through the rest of the cards (seven not four as stated on the pack, another sign of my ignorance), and guess what!?  Yes, they were *ALL* Indians.  Of course! DUH!

I was utterly amazed that dayf had managed to get the cards into the pack and then re-seal the thing!  That is sheer... er, wait a minute.  I checked the other end of the pack.  Yeah, you saw that coming, didn't you?  He had opened the other end, absconded with the cards and replaced them with some VERY cool Indians cards (and no Alomars to boot)!!  I quickly opened the other packs (from the already-opened end this time) and sat in disbelief at the coolness of the cards (I have *never* seen a Feller like that, what *is* that one!?) and the generosity of the online community we call the card blogosphere.

DAYF, I have to say THANK YOU for not only giving me some great cards, but also keeping me humble without even trying!

Okay, you can stop laughing now.  Really.  It's over.  Nothing to see here, people.

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Deeply Honored and Extremely Humbled

I took the day off today (Tuesday).  It wasn't planned, I just had a few things to do and then I was going to the office.  Instead, I decided to use some of the flex time I had earned during our big relocation this summer (er, well, we're still not quite moved in the new building yet really).

After errands, surfing the web, and watching "Cube" on DVD, I checked the mail as I headed out to the post office myself.   When I went to the mailbox, I saw a box in there and immediately thought I had forgotten a trade.  Speaking of, I really *DID* finally mail your cards, NatCards!  When I saw it was from SpastikMoos, I thought, "Hey, that's cool! I need to send him a few things." And then after I got back home, I opened the box.

According to the note inside, a group of readers had gotten together behind the scenes, "to make a giveaway package for you, for all your generosity."  I was so touched and overcome, I had tears running down my cheeks before I realized it.  Inside the box was a hand-written note from McCann Can Triple, a rather large collection of Indians cards (shown below), a Starting Lineup poster of Albert Belle, several serial/game-used/auto cards, a printout showing where a donation to Doctors Without Borders was made in my honor, and a monetary donation to the Tribecards blog ("or whatever, haha" - direct quote).

I sent a message to those of you that were listed in the note.  If I missed you, please forgive me.  I was rather emotional when I sent the thank yous out.  I am deeply humbled by this amazing gesture.  As I wrote in my letter, "I never dreamed I'd be sitting here with tears in my eyes, typing an email to a group of friends that are all connected by the common bond of collecting little bits of cardboard."  I never sent (send) anything out with any expectation of a return favor.  This surprise gift of friendship and appreciation is more than I could have imagined.  I cannot adequately describe the joy and blessing these gifts mean to me.  All of these cards (and letters) are going into their own binder.  Regardless of what happens down the road, I will treasure these Indians cards. Always!

Thank you!
--David

And now, the good stuff:















Turfdiggers Tuesday

Holy How Did I Do That, Batman! I am in *gasp* FIRST PLACE in the Super Secret League fantasy football game! Wahoo!  Now, if you want to know the stats, here is the one that matters: 2-0 with 162.66 points.  I am enjoying this now because the only way to go from here is down, down, down.  I am no fool.  I know my track record with fantasy football and I know the good times can't last forever.

The current 2nd place team is "The Red Grange Halls" with a 2-0 record and 162.59 points.  Yeah, read that again.  I am in the lead by 0.07 points.  Wait, that's 007... There *is* something to this Super Secret League stuff! Whoa...  The Florida Vikings are in 4th place because of their 1-1 record, but they actually lead the league in points (163.56).  As you can see, the top three point-earners are very close.  Now, had I played anyone BUT McCluster in Week Two, I would have scored many more points.

I jumped at the chance to snag McCluster after Week One's showing.  I got burned in Week Two.  He will be on the bench for Week Three and may find himself back in the land of free agency.  Another player who is on the brink is Hines Ward.  He is one of my favorite Steelers, but he is seriously lacking in the points department.

I did make a few drops/adds for the upcoming Week Three.  I dropped Stafford (QB - Det) and Bowe (WR - KC).  In their place, I picked up Darren McFadden (RB - Oak, ex-Hog!) and Kyle Orton (QB - Den).  I think McFadden is about to break out and I think anyone has to be better than having Stafford on the team.

As for the Week Two match-up, the Turfdiggers played the Fighting Foxhounds and romped them with a score of 82.05 to 57.71.  In the end, it was basically the Steelers defense (AGAIN) that pushed my team so far ahead. 

Week Three pits the first-place Turfdiggers against the last place Seymour Bengals.  On "paper," the Bengals look to eek out a win over my team.  I think a lot of that will do with Ward's role in next week's game.  If he is not used more, I may have to bid him adieu.  Let's hope not.

Monday, September 20, 2010

Mojo Mondays

Is it "mojo" when you acquire autographed cards that you are not 100% sure whether or not the autograph is legit?  Sure, why not!  Besides, I know at least *one* is certified real.  These cards were most likely a part of an Indians lot (or lots) that I bought at one time or another.  I do not collect autographs, generally*, and the unverified autos actually appear twice in my database: once as an 'auto' and once as their un-auto'ed counterpart.  If memory serves, these are the *only* cards to appear as "doubles" in my collection.

The Old Judge Giles is a great card from before Brian became "Brian Giles" the player on the hot list of his heydays (late 90's early 2k's).  I think it was probably one of my first authenticated autographs.  I kept it because I got it when he was an Indians player, even though he was not in a Tribe uni.  I guess sometimes, I appear to know what I'm doing.

*On autographs - I am about to launch something of an experiment in TTM.  Just keep reading.  I'll probably start this coming weekend and see how it goes.

Sunday, September 19, 2010

Homey DOES Play Dat

My take on the Blog Bat-Around (If I were the Commish)

If I were the new commish... 

Some of these ideas were already bouncing around in my head, while others have been combined from other posts I've seen that meshed with things bouncing between my ears.  My ideas will not all be popular, but that's part of the fun.

Expand the MLB to 32 teams and reorganize the league into 8 divisions of four teams each.  The two additional teams would come from a place in the US where baseball pro baseball is basically out of reach.  I like the idea of Billings, Montana, as some have suggested.  I also like the thought of Calgary or Edmonton, Canada, but I don't think that is realistic.  Instead, I would go for Salt Lake City or the SoVa/NC/TN area (Greensboro/Winston-Salem, maybe).

The DH position would be an optional position in both AL and NL, determined at the time of roster announcement (that is, before the game starts).  Once announced, the team would not be allowed to change their mind during the game for any reason.

Replay would be used like it was in the LLWS.  Each coach would get one challenge, and a 5th ump would be in the booth and could call for replay usage.  Replays would be for home runs, fair/foul, and outs.  Balls and strikes would remain with the home plate ump and/or base umps in the case of check-swings.

Pete Rose would be reinstated immediately. He would be eligible for the BBHOF as a player.  Players and managers currently banned but have since passed on will automatically be reinstated upon their death and therefore eligible for HOF status.

Salary caps with penalties for abuse/overages in the way of discounted tickets/concessions and/or retribution to be spread among the other teams in the MLB.  Frankly, I would have to have more info on how this would be implemented.  This would probably be the biggest, most difficult item on the agenda. 

I have also considered instituting a "no confidence" voting mechanism where the ticket holders (both season and single-game) could issue such a vote against the team's current ownership.  Should the current owners receive 75% of the "no confidence" vote by the end of the season, the owners would then be REQUIRED to offer the team for sale for a fair market value and be required to relinquish the team should a valid buyer be found.  As with salary caps, more research would be needed in the actual implementation of this aspect.

Interleague play would be phased out.  I have never been a fan of it.

The regular season would last 160 games.  Schedules would be arranged such that teams would play equal numbers of home and away games (I haven't done the math, but I think this is feasible with the expanded league).

The All-Star game would no longer determine home-field advantage and instead would return to an exhibition game.  There would need to be an offsetting incentive for players to want to play in the game, so I would have to evaluate several scenarios in which incentives or enticements would be incorporated.

Games would be played until there is a winner.  If you gotta use your shortstop as a pitcher, so be it.

Games would last nine innings at a minimum (except for weather, in which current rules apply).  None of this 7-inning game-length talk. That is ridiculous.  Besides, how many games ALREADY go beyond nine innings?  Cutting back to 7 would not be worth messing with.

AARGGHH!

Tribecards presents "International Talk Like a Pirate Day:"






Saturday, September 18, 2010

Dreaming of Fantasy Camp

http://cleveland.indians.mlb.com/cle/fan_forum/fantasycamp_main.jsp

Yes, I am dreaming of one day going to the Indians Fantasy Camp.  I'm sure I've posted about it on here before.  Maybe not. I dunno.  What I do know is that I would be tempted to sell my Indians collection for a week of playing with pros, legends, fellow fans, and getting some of the coolest one-of-a-kind memorabilia with MY NAME on it!

The camp costs $4900 for first timers.  I am officially setting that amount as a goal that I'd like to reach one way or another.  I can only imagine the feeling of walking to the field only to have Bob Feller or Pat Tabler, Mike Hargrove or Rick Manning or ANY of the other pros/legends of Cleveland baseball shake your hand and welcome me into the family.  Oh, man.

I wouldn't care if I walked away with a 12.00 ERA and a .000 batting average. Well, okay, yeah I would. I mean, come on.  But, my stats would pale in comparison to donning an Indians uniform with my name on it while wielding a bat, getting a hit and taking a slide into second.  Yeah, I live for that - or the thought of doing that, anyway.

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Turfdiggers Tuesdays (edited 09/16/2010)

I'm going to be running a regular column here during the football season discussing the exploits of the Tribecards Turfdiggers, a part of the Super Secret League fantasy league on Yahoo.

There are 8 teams in the league this year (as opposed to 10 last year).  The Turfdiggers did great in the first week, netting a total of 80.61 points, coming in second to the 81.44 scored by the Stumbling Blox.  I'd have to look and verify this, but I believe debuting at No. 2 is the highest I have ever been.  Actually, the fact that I am even *in* the #2 spot is the highest I've ever been.

Peyton Manning and Rashard Mendenhall had the highest marks this past week with 26.66 and 12.75, respectively.  The next highest was Mason Crosby (Kicker, Green Bay) with 12.00 followed by Steve Smith (Carolina) and the Pittsburgh Steelers Defense!

I had the wrong Tight End in place, using Atlanta's Tony Gonzalez instead of Washington's Chris Cooley.  Who knew Washington was going to kick butt?  Okay, most people. I am not most people, I guess.

I did make one roster change for the upcoming week.  While everyone else was sleeping, I snagged Dexter McCluster.  He had a seriously jamming game on Monday night, and I'm hoping to cash in on momentum.  In my case, though, it usually means he'll get a season-ending injury. Let's hope not.

*Thanks to Mark who pointed out that there are 8 teams this year (and were 10 last year).  Evidently, my reading and/or math skills aren't what they used to be!

Monday, September 13, 2010

A Little Mojo - Mojo Mondays?


Perhaps I should start a new, regular feature called "Mojo Mondays" around here. Or, maybe not. Who knows.  All I know is that I thought I'd throw in something a bit more current than I have been, and why not start with some autos and game-used?

I thought "Pack Wars" was a great idea.  Then again, I also liked "Cop Rock," so what does that say about me?  In any case, having a CC sig and a Boone sig is worth a few notes to sing about.  Add to that a Pronk patch, a CC clipping, and an On-My-Goodness Omar PRIME patch card and we are heading for full-on choral outbreak.  Okay, okay, enough singing references.  The Omar patch is pretty sweet though, if I do say so myself.

And then, how about some lumber signed by Blyleven!  Yeah, I know, I find it weird that they had him sign a piece of wood.  I mean, a ball, sure. But, wood? As in a bat? What you may not know is that over the course of his 22 years in the Bigs, he had a .131 overall batting average.  Wait... Okay, okay, he had a .144 on-base percentage.  Er, uh, umm... Okay, well, he had a .146 slugging percentage.  Okay, why did he sign a bat? I have no idea.  Now, Mr. Carter, on the other hand deserves to have his bats in cards! Sweet.  I also like the Team Trios card featuring a bat and two swatches.  The layout is simple, but effective.

Now, you may be asking yourself, "What about that Doby card? How does that fit into this page?"  I was asking myself the same thing.  All I can say is that if you're looking for "mojo," Doby's not a bad place to look.

Sunday, September 12, 2010

Topps Stadium Club "Play at the Plate??"


First off, I do *NOT* own this card.  I found it online while searching for game-used lots for an upcoming giveaway.  But, when I saw it, I thought of two things: 1) I wonder if Brian (of "Play at the Plate" blog fame) has any of these, and 2) Does anyone actually *want* these?

The only Indian in the list of 10 cards is Manny Ramirez.  Would I collect it? Of course! It's an Indians card.  But, would a casual collector (or fan) pull one of these and think, "Man, actual game-used dirt!!"  I dunno, I have to admit I was pretty excited when the Red Sox sent me Fenway dirt with their Fan Pack earlier this year. 

I would love to know whose job it was to collect game-used dirt from the batter's box.  And, is the dirt from when *that* player batted, or just from the batter's box in general?  Does that even matter?  Would it make the dirt more valuable if it was collected right after Vlad batted?  Better, how about DURING his at-bat?

Topps Intern in charge of collecting game-used materials (on phone): "Say again, sir? You want me to get game-use WHAT!?" (a brief pause as the director at the other end responds) "Yes, sir. Game-used dirt...from the batter's box..."

PA Announcer: "Now batting for the Montreal Expos - Vladimir Guerr... Ladies and gentlemen, please refrain from coming onto the field!"

Topps intern (to Vlad): "Pardon me, but I have to collect some dirt samples. It'll be just a minute."

In the background, a security office tries to charge the field, but is quickly stopped by the Topps Patrol.

Vlad (to intern): "Get the .... out of here before I knock you with this bat!"

Intern: "You can't. This is part of your contract with Topps to provide game-used memorabilia." He scrapes a handful of dirt from the batter's box into a snack-sized baggie.  "All done! Have a nice at-bat."

Saturday, September 11, 2010

1917 Collins-McCarthy E135


This is one of my more unique antique items in the Tribecards Collection.  There are 200 numbered cards in the set.  The set contains a handful or so of error cards and/or alternate poses.  As you can see, the lone example in my collection has "Tipton" written all over it.  It is not only folded several times over (I cannot help but wonder if someone tried to make an airplane out of it), but the paper is worn VERY thin and the card is extremely flimsy.  It's one of the few that I do not handle often because I'm afraid I'll tear it if I do.

I found a checklist online:
http://www.deliafamily.net/www.oldbaseball.com/MegaChecklists/ChecklistSet.php?setname=Collins-McCarthy~E135&year=1917

Friday, September 10, 2010

Plain Dealer tells a tale of Thome

Thanks to Timothy H, I was directed to an article published in today's Plain Dealer (in Cleveland, OH) regarding my favorite current player, Jim Thome.  After a little digging, I found it online:


http://www.cleveland.com/tribe/index.ssf/2010/09/former_cleveland_indians_star.html

I appreciate leads like this one from fellow Tribe fans, especially those who know I also like to keep up with what's going on with the "Thomenator." :-)

Thursday, September 9, 2010

Worth a shot

On Wednesday, I posted an article about my haul from the 2010 Topps T206 break done by A Cardboard Problem.  In that post, out of all the cards I could have selected, I chose Torii Hunter as the non-Triber to be represented.  Earlier in the day, a scheduled post was released concerning my actual T206 cards. 

Stay with me here.

A post about T206 cards is followed (by fate, coincidence, divine intervention, you name it) by a post on the T206 retro cards produced a hundred years later in which Torii Hunter is featured.

Wednesday night, the Angels and Indians go SIXTEEN innings, and who should score the winning run? None other than Torii Hunter, who had managed to get himself a double with a shot to the gap in left-center (if memory serves).

Well, with all this serendipity running amok here at Tribecards, I figure it's worth a shot to say that winning the lottery or otherwise coming into a sum of money that would pay off the ole credit cards would come in handy about now.  I've got a habit I'd like to support.  Just sayin'.

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

100 Years Later - 2010 Topps T-206

In a very weird twist of fate, I received a box in the mail yesterday (Tuesday).  I did not recognize the return address, but as soon as I opened the box, I knew I had my own "Cardboard Problem."  Inside was my haul from the break over at acardboardproblem.blogspot.com.  It so happens that my recent post about T-206 cards (as in the "real" ones) was actually written several days ago and 'posted' through the magic that is 'Blogger Scheduling.'  Who knew what turns the wheels of fate were turning!  Overall, I'd say I did very well:


A mini gold shiny Sizemore (05/50), a Choo auto redemption! and a Johnny Bench.  Sweet!

I ended up with a handful of minis with various backs.

In addition to regular issues, I also ended up with four gold cards and a slew of non-Tribers including Mr. Hunter who is from Pine Bluff, AR, which is down the road a piece or two from my house (about 100 miles). 

I actually ended up with a rather nice stack of cards, many of which will find themselves in my next giveaway.  Oh yes, there will be an upcoming giveaway.  Sadly, not as big as I used to do, but still a giveaway is a giveaway, right?

Thanks goes out to the women of "A Cardboard Problem" for holding the break and sending me some GREAT Tribe cards! 

Oh, in case you don't follow me on Twitter of Facebook: I redeemed the Choo and delivery is expected "before 12/21/2010."  Good to hear, I suppose.

1909-1911 T-206


I thought it would be fun to start posting cards from my "yearly" binders.  The first of those binders includes cards made between 1900 and 1959, inclusive.  I started with 1900 because I figured I would probably never own anything older than 1900, but you never know.  Until then, the oldest cards in my collection are these four T206's!

I bought each one of these from eBay at various times in the past, mainly when I had some extra cash and felt like adding to my T206 "collection" of Indians.  If memory serves, Liebhardt was my first-ever T206.  I think I had been leafing through an old price guide and decided to search for these golden oldies.  My original plan was to own a whole team set, but until I win the lottery (or at least pay down my credit cards), I'll happily stick with having a few samples.

In case you were not aware, there is an entire site devoted to these cards: http://www.t206museum.com/page/checklist.html

Mr. Thome, meet Mr. Robinson


On Tuesday, Jim Thome hit his 586th home run, a towering moon shot in Target Field, tying the great HOFer Frank Robinson in the all-time home run category. I don't know where Thome got his second wind, but I am so glad he was picked up by a team that saw his "youthful" potential. Talk about an eruption!

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Thome blasts longest ball at Target, hits flag pole, closes in on Robinson


On Monday, Jim Thome became the first player to hit a home run further than 430 feet at Target Field.  While that is quite impressive, nothing is more so than the fact that he HIT THE FLAG POLE!  Now, if this were a video game, he get at least 1000 points for that puppy!  Oh, and all of THAT weren't enough, he is now (or was when I posted this) just one home run shy of Frank Robinson in all-time homers!

Remember, this is the guy who wasn't sure he'd play this season.  This is the guy who took a PAY CUT to play the game because he loves to play baseball.  This is the guy who is cleanly making his way into the Hall of Fame.  Way to go!

Stadium Club: We stopped the presses

I have a lot of oddball items, as I'm sure you have have grown weary of seeing posted on here as of late.  But, this Stadium Club (offhand, I think it's 1992, but I could be mistaken and I don't feel like looking it up at the moment) is one of the more peculiar:


This is a "Sans-Foil" card that is also sorely miscut.  In all actuality, I'm not sure this wasn't part of some promo panel or perhaps it was just part of the sheet that missed the presses.  Notice that there is NO foil stamping on the card - no "Stadium Club" insignia, no team name, no "Members Only" (or whatever that subset was) - just the naked card.  I'm not even sure how I came to own this one, but I think it is one of the more "conversational" cards I have because of the lack of foilage (no, not plant life).

Sidenote: I really do have "regular issue" cards that will eventually make their way into an FTC post. Just not yet.
(This is a repost of the article appearing on Popped in my Head)


I joined two fantasy baseball leagues this season: The Card Blog League and the Card Collectors.  This is the first year that I actually tried to pay attention to my players and teams. In the past, I snagged up as many Indians as I could and just let the chips fall.  For a change of pace, I actually added and dropped players, move folks around during the week, etc.  In the end, it didn't make much difference.

The Card Blog League has 12 managers and is already two weeks into the playoffs.  Somewhere in my zeal to watch my roster, I missed the fact that I was no longer active in the league.  Yeah, that shows just how much I pay attention.  The Tribecards Tyrants finished 10th out of 12 places.  The team went 76-116-18, finishing 36.5 games behind the leader.  The next closest team was only 19 games behind, so there was no way to catch him.  Even if my tied games had been wins, I would have still fallen short.  I don't remember what my standing was last year, but I would suppose it was pretty close to the same position as this year.  The Tyrants tried, but just like the Indians in real-life, we'll take the off-season to regroup (provided I'm invited back).

The Card Collectors league also had 12 managers and the Tribecards wRappers finished in 10th place as well.  There seems to be some pattern there.  The difference, though, comes in the win-loss-tie columns.  The wRappers went 94-113-13 and were only 3.5 games behind the next team.  As for the number of games behind the leader: 26.5 out.  Still quite a bit behind.  Like the other league, I did a better job of picking a variety of players and rotating them out during the season.  I just have an amazing knack to STINK at fantasy sports.

My number one issue?  I hang on to DL'ed players way too long and I hang on to "favorite" players instead of letting them go for better players.  Even though this is fantasy baseball, I treat the teams a lot like I would a real team.  I tend to have faith the my guys are going to pull through, going to pull out of a slump, going to get better.  Sure, it means I lose a lot of games, but I still have fun playing.

Next year, I'm going for bragging rights.  Or maybe an all-Tribe team. You just never know with me.

Up next in fantasy world: The Tribecards Turfdiggers prepare for football season!

Monday, September 6, 2010

Indians Stickers - various makes, models and years!

Okay, I know the first two items on these pages are *not* stickers.  They are team logo cards (first from Fleer '96 and the other from Pacific).  But, the rest are of the peel-and-stick variety.  My biggest issue with stickers comes from the fact that in far too many cases, the manufacturer nevr bothers to put the DATE on the thing anywhere - not even by their own copyright info!  So, I do not have these logged into my database if they do not have a date.  I will have to spend some time on the FleerStickerProject researching these.  Given the great writing and fun to had over there, I don't think the research will be a bad thing at all.

I like the stickers with various "parallels" associated, such as the multi-team green and blue ones above.  Even though they have the same teams on them, the fact that they have different "backgrounds" makes each one unique in my eyes.  Of course, you may notice the difference in headings as well.  Nothing like being able to reuse the same sticker layout year-to-year to save production costs.

The last two stickers on the page above are some of my favorite because they are not like most team stickers.  Those are cool for featuring pennants and uniforms.  I'd love to know if anyone collected these and actually stuck the uniforms on something - like to make their own teams or something.  That might be a fun thing to do to one's sister's paper doll collection...

Sunday, September 5, 2010

(N)FTC: Indians Hawaiian Shirt

The "N" stands for "Not" as is "Not From the Collection."  Look, I am a Tribe fan, tried, true and tested, but even die hard fans have to draw a line somewhere, right?  Well, maybe not all fans.  This one certainly does, though.  I cannot invent a scenario in my head in which I would don such an article of clothing:

The kicker is that I *might* wear something like this if it weren't just so over-the-top.  In fact, the site where I fell upon these has some cool shirts for fans.  I just think they went WAAAAY overboard when it came to creating a print for use on an Indians shirt.  Here is where I found it: http://hawaiiansunsets.org/football-hawaiian-shirts.php

The Padres version is the most like a "typical" Hawaiian shirt in my opinion, but some of the other designs work out well, too.  Too bad they blew the Tribe shirt.

A variety of cards from 1983


On this pocket page, I have a variety of items from 1983 to share!

Lou Boudreau heads things up with a 1983 Donruss Hall of Fame Heroes card.  I'm sure you recognize the legendary Perez work in the artistry!  Full checklist: http://www.baseball-almanac.com/baseball_cards/baseball_cards_oneset.php?s=1983don03

Next, I have a Dover Reprint of Joe Jackson on a Cracker Jack card.  The Dover company had been creating books with perforated photos/cards for decades before these came along.  For many collectors (like me and my friends), these books were a way for us to see and hold card that we nevr otherwise would have.  Remember, in 1983, we didn't have the Web to show us everything!  I could not find a checklist of which cards were included in the book.

In 1983, TCMA/Fritsch produced a set of "OYW" cards - One-Year Winners.  The cards in this year's set start at #55 since this was a continuation set.  At the bottome of the post, I have included the checklist according to the Standard catalog, 2009.

The next card will look familiar to folks that read a recent post about Cramer Sports Baseball Legends.  If you recall, those were produced from 1980-1983.  Addie Joss is featured on the only card from that year's set that I have.  The checklist for the cards produced in 1983 will appear at the end of this post.

The next two cards come from the 1983 Topps Send-In series.  There were 40 cards that you could send in for from Topps.  Each of the players is from the "All-Star Set."  I've got Thornton and Harrah, but you can find the full checklist here: http://www.baseball-almanac.com/baseball_cards/baseball_cards_oneset.php?s=1983top01

Rolling right along, I've got two of the more interesting cards I own.  I've got a regular and a "gold" version of the 1983 Perma-Graphics Credit Card set.  Both cards I own are of Toby Harrah and they are about the size of a credit card in 1983, feature the player's image, name, etc on the front and stats/info on the back.  Also on the back, though, is a white strip where (presumably) players could sign their "credit card."  Very cool idea, and VERY 80's!  Also, there is a tagline across the bottom of the back: "The bearer of this card is a certified loyal fan and is entitled to all ensuing rights and privileges."  - Whatever *THAT* means.  There are 36 cards in each of the sets and you can see if your favorite player is in there by looking over the checklist: http://www.baseball-almanac.com/baseball_cards/baseball_cards_oneset.php?s=1983per01


1983 TCMA/Fritsch
One-Year Winners Checklist:

55 Don Prince 2.00
56 Tom Gramly 2.00
57 Roy Heiser 2.00
58 Hank Izquierdo 2.00
59 Rex Johnston 2.00
60 Jack Damaska 2.00
61 John Flavin 2.00
62 John Glenn 2.00
63 Stan Johnson 2.00
64 Don Choate 2.00
65 Bill Kern 2.00
66 Dick Luebke 2.00
67 Glen Clark 2.00
68 Lamar Jacobs 2.00
69 Rick Herrscher 2.00
70 Jim McManus 2.00
71 Len Church 2.00
72 Larry Stubing 2.00
73 Cal Emery 2.00
74 Lee Gregory 2.00
75 Mike Page 2.00
76 Benny Valenzuela 2.00
77 John Papa 2.00
78 Jim Stump 2.00
79 Brian McCall 2.00
80 Al Kenders 2.00
81 Corky Withrow 2.00
82 Verle Tiefenthaler 2.00
83 Dave Wissman 2.00
84 Tom Fletcher 2.00
85 Dale Willis 2.00
86 Larry Foster 2.00
87 Johnnie Seale 2.00
88 Jim Lehew 2.00
89 Charlie Shoemaker 2.00
90 Don Arlick 2.00
91 George Gerberman 2.00
92 John Pregenzer 2.00
93 Merlin Nippert 2.00
94 Steve Demeter 2.00
95 John Paciorek 2.00
96 Larry Loughlin 2.00
97 Alan Brice 2.00
98 Chet Boak 2.00
99 Alan Koch 2.00
100 Dan Thomas 2.00
101 Elder White 2.00
102 Jim Snyder 2.00
103 Ted Schreiber 2.00
104 Evans Killeen 2.00
105 Ray Daviault 2.00
106 Larry Foss 2.00
107 Wayne Graham 2.00
108 Santiago Rosario 2.00
109 Bob Sprout 2.00
110 Tom Hughes 2.00
111 Em Lindbeck 2.00
112 Ray Blemker 2.00
113 Shaun Fitzmaurice 2.00
114 Ron Stillwell 2.00
115 Carl Thomas 2.00
116 Mike DeGerick 2.00
117 Jay Dahl 2.00
118 Al Lary 2.00
-----
1983 Cramer Productions
Baseball Legends

91 Cy Young .25
92 Kiki Cuyler .25
93 Chief Bender .25
94 Richie Ashburn .25
95 Riggs Stephenson .25
96 Minnie Minoso .25
97 Hack Wilson .25
98 Al Lopez .25
99 Willie Keeler .25
100 Fred Lindstrom .25
101 Roger Maris .25
102 Roger Bresnahan .25
103 Monty Stratton .25
104 Goose Goslin .25
105 Earle Combs .25
106 Pepper Martin .25
107 Joe Jackson 3.00
108 George Sisler .25
109 Red Ruffing .25
110 Johnny Vander Meer .25
111 Herb Pennock .25
112 Chuck Klein .25
113 Paul Derringer .25
114 Addie Joss .25
115 Bobby Thomson .25
116 Chick Hafey .25
117 Lefty Gomez .25
118 George Kell .25
119 Al Simmons .25
120 Bob Lemon .25
121 Hoyt Wilhelm 1.00
122 Arky Vaughan 1.00
123 Frank Robinson 1.50
124 Grover Alexander 1.50

Thome passes McGwire


Yeah, that's right, on Saturday, Jim Thome (Twins) hit TWO home runs to become the ninth all-time home run leader ahead of Mark McGwire.  Now, with 584 homers, he is just he is just two round-trippers shy of the great (former Tribe player/manager, I might add) Frank Robinson!  Wahoo!! Way to go Jim Thome!!  Congratulations!

Saturday, September 4, 2010

1983 Topps Stickers


In 1983, Topps changed the stickers a little, going back to the white borders.  They did create a double-line thin border around each photo.  Some stickers were made with gold foil (Thornton).  There's really not much for me to add - once you see one of the Topps stickers of the 80's, you've basically seen them all.

The checklist from the Standard Catalog, 2009, shows these as the 330 issued players:

1 Hank Aaron 1.00
2 Babe Ruth 2.00
3 Willie Mays 1.00
4 Frank Robinson .15
5 Reggie Jackson .50
6 Carl Yastrzemski .25
7 Johnny Bench .25
8 Tony Perez .25
9 Lee May .05
10 Mike Schmidt .50
11 Dave Kingman .05
12 Reggie Smith .05
13 Graig Nettles .05
14 Rusty Staub .05
15 Willie Wilson .05
16 LaMarr Hoyt .05
17 Reggie Jackson,
Gorman Thomas .10
18 Floyd Bannister .05
19 Hal McRae .05
20 Rick Sutcliffe .05
21 Rickey Henderson .25
22 Dan Quisenberry .05
23 Jim Palmer .25
24 John Lowenstein .05
25 Mike Flanagan .05
26 Cal Ripken, Jr. 1.00
27 Rich Dauer .05
28 Ken Singleton .05
29 Eddie Murray .25
30 Rick Dempsey .05
31 Carl Yastrzemski .25
32 Carney Lansford .05
33 Jerry Remy .05
34 Dennis Eckersley .20
35 Dave Stapleton .05
36 Mark Clear .05
37 Jim Rice .15
38 Dwight Evans .05
39 Rod Carew .25
40 Don Baylor .10
41 Reggie Jackson .50
42 Geoff Zahn .05
43 Bobby Grich .05
44 Fred Lynn .05
45 Bob Boone .05
46 Doug DeCinces .05
47 Tom Paciorek .05
48 Britt Burns .05
49 Tony Bernazard .05
50 Steve Kemp .05
51 Greg Luzinski .05
52 Harold Baines .05
53 LaMarr Hoyt .05
54 Carlton Fisk .25
55 Andre Thornton .05
56 Mike Hargrove .05
57 Len Barker .05
58 Toby Harrah .05
59 Dan Spillner .05
60 Rick Manning .05
61 Rick Sutcliffe .05
62 Ron Hassey .05
63 Lance Parrish .05
64 John Wockenfuss .05
65 Lou Whitaker .05
66 Alan Trammell .05
67 Kirk Gibson .05
68 Larry Herndon .05
69 Jack Morris .05
70 Dan Petry .05
71 Frank White .05
72 Amos Otis .05
73 Willie Wilson .05
74 Dan Quisenberry .05
75 Hal McRae .05
76 George Brett .60
77 Larry Gura .05
78 John Wathan .05
79 Rollie Fingers .20
80 Cecil Cooper .05
81 Robin Yount .25
82 Ben Oglivie .05
83 Paul Molitor .25
84 Gorman Thomas .05
85 Ted Simmons .05
86 Pete Vuckovich .05
87 Gary Gaetti .05
88 Kent Hrbek .05
89 John Castino .05
90 Tom Brunansky .05
91 Bobby Mitchell .05
92 Gary Ward .05
93 Tim Laudner .05
94 Ron Davis .05
95 Willie Randolph .05
96 Roy Smalley .05
97 Jerry Mumphrey .05
98 Ken Griffey .05
99 Dave Winfield .25
100 Rich Gossage .05
101 Butch Wynegar .05
102 Ron Guidry .05
103 Rickey Henderson .25
104 Mike Heath .05
105 Dave Lopes .05
106 Rick Langford .05
107 Dwayne Murphy .05
108 Tony Armas .05
109 Matt Keough .05
110 Dan Meyer .05
111 Bruce Bochte .05
112 Julio Cruz .05
113 Floyd Bannister .05
114 Gaylord Perry .20
115 Al Cowens .05
116 Richie Zisk .05
117 Jim Essian .05
118 Bill Caudill .05
119 Buddy Bell .05
120 Larry Parrish .05
121 Danny Darwin .05
122 Bucky Dent .05
123 Johnny Grubb .05
124 George Wright .05
125 Charlie Hough .05
126 Jim Sundberg .05
127 Dave Stieb .05
128 Willie Upshaw .05
129 Alfredo Griffin .05
130 Lloyd Moseby .05
131 Ernie Whitt .05
132 Jim Clancy .05
133 Barry Bonnell .05
134 Damaso Garcia .05
135 Jim Kaat .05
136 Jim Kaat .05
137 Greg Minton .05
138 Greg Minton .05
139 Paul Molitor .20
140 Paul Molitor .20
141 Manny Trillo .05
142 Manny Trillo .05
143 Joel Youngblood .05
144 Joel Youngblood .05
145 Robin Yount .20
146 Robin Yount .20
147 Willie McGee .05
148 Darrell Porter .05
149 Darrell Porter .05
150 Robin Yount .20
151 Bruce Benedict .05
152 Bruce Benedict .05
153 George Hendrick .05
154 Bruce Benedict .05
155 Doug DeCinces .05
156 Paul Molitor .20
157 Charlie Moore .05
158 Fred Lynn .05
159 Rickey Henderson .25
160 Dale Murphy .15
161 Willie Wilson .05
162 Jack Clark .05
163 Reggie Jackson .50
164 Andre Dawson .15
165 Dan Quisenberry .05
166 Bruce Sutter .20
167 Robin Yount .25
168 Ozzie Smith .25
169 Frank White .05
170 Phil Garner .05
171 Doug DeCinces .05
172 Mike Schmidt .50
173 Cecil Cooper .05
174 Al Oliver .05
175 Jim Palmer .25
176 Steve Carlton .25
177 Carlton Fisk .25
178 Gary Carter .25
179 Joaquin Andujar .05
180 Ozzie Smith .25
181 Cecil Cooper .05
182 Darrell Porter .05
183 Darrell Porter .05
184 Mike Caldwell .05
185 Mike Caldwell .05
186 Ozzie Smith .25
187 Bruce Sutter .20
188 Keith Hernandez .05
189 Dane Iorg .05
190 Dane Iorg .05
191 Tony Armas .05
192 Tony Armas .05
193 Lance Parrish .05
194 Lance Parrish .05
195 John Wathan .05
196 John Wathan .05
197 Rickey Henderson .20
198 Rickey Henderson .20
199 Rickey Henderson .20
200 Rickey Henderson .20
201 Rickey Henderson .20
202 Rickey Henderson .20
203 Steve Carlton .20
204 Steve Carlton .20
205 Al Oliver .05
206 Dale Murphy, Al Oliver .05
207 Dave Kingman .05
208 Steve Rogers .05
209 Bruce Sutter .20
210 Tim Raines .05
211 Dale Murphy .15
212 Chris Chambliss .05
213 Gene Garber .05
214 Bob Horner .05
215 Glenn Hubbard .05
216 Claudell Washington .05
217 Bruce Benedict .05
218 Phil Niekro .20
219 Leon Durham .05
220 Jay Johnstone .05
221 Larry Bowa .05
222 Keith Moreland .05
223 Bill Buckner .05
224 Fergie Jenkins .20
225 Dick Tidrow .05
226 Jody Davis .05
227 Dave Concepcion .05
228 Dan Driessen .05
229 Johnny Bench .25
230 Ron Oester .05
231 Cesar Cedeno .05
232 Alex Trevino .05
233 Tom Seaver .25
234 Mario Soto .05
235 Nolan Ryan 1.00
236 Art Howe .05
237 Phil Garner .05
238 Ray Knight .05
239 Terry Puhl .05
240 Joe Niekro .05
241 Alan Ashby .05
242 Jose Cruz .05
243 Steve Garvey .15
244 Ron Cey .05
245 Dusty Baker .05
246 Ken Landreaux .05
247 Jerry Reuss .05
248 Pedro Guerrero .05
249 Bill Russell .05
250 Fernando Valenzuela .05
251 Al Oliver .05
252 Andre Dawson .15
253 Tim Raines .05
254 Jeff Reardon .05
255 Gary Carter .25
256 Steve Rogers .05
257 Tim Wallach .05
258 Chris Speier .05
259 Dave Kingman .05
260 Bob Bailor .05
261 Hubie Brooks .05
262 Craig Swan .05
263 George Foster .05
264 John Stearns .05
265 Neil Allen .05
266 Mookie Wilson .05
267 Steve Carlton .20
268 Manny Trillo .05
269 Gary Matthews .05
270 Mike Schmidt .50
271 Ivan DeJesus .05
272 Pete Rose .75
273 Bo Diaz .05
274 Sid Monge .05
275 Bill Madlock .05
276 Jason Thompson .05
277 Don Robinson .05
278 Omar Moreno .05
279 Dale Berra .05
280 Dave Parker .05
281 Tony Pena .05
282 John Candelaria .05
283 Lonnie Smith .05
284 Bruce Sutter .20
285 George Hendrick .05
286 Tom Herr .05
287 Ken Oberkfell .05
288 Ozzie Smith .25
289 Bob Forsch .05
290 Keith Hernandez .05
291 Garry Templeton .05
292 Broderick Perkins .05
293 Terry Kennedy .05
294 Gene Richards .05
295 Ruppert Jones .05
296 Tim Lollar .05
297 John Montefusco .05
298 Sixto Lezcano .05
299 Greg Minton .05
300 Jack Clark .05
301 Milt May .05
302 Reggie Smith .05
303 Joe Morgan .25
304 John LeMaster .05
305 Darrell Evans .05
306 Al Holland .05
307 Jesse Barfield .05
308 Wade Boggs .60
309 Tom Brunansky .05
310 Storm Davis .05
311 Von Hayes .05
312 Dave Hostetler .05
313 Kent Hrbek .05
314 Tim Laudner .05
315 Cal Ripken, Jr. 1.00
316 Andre Robertson .05
317 Ed Vande Berg .05
318 Glenn Wilson .05
319 Chili Davis .05
320 Bob Dernier .05
321 Terry Francona .05
322 Brian Giles .05
323 David Green .05
324 Atlee Hammaker .05
325 Bill Laskey .05
326 Willie McGee .05
327 Johnny Ray .05
328 Ryne Sandberg .75
329 Steve Sax .05
330 Eric Show .05

1982 Cracker Jack and 1982 Cramer Baseball Legends


I've got cards #1 and #2 in the 1982 Cracker Jack set.  I love these.  Know why?  The borders are Cracker Jacks!  That is sheer marketing brilliance to a kid in '82.  These were commissioned from Topps for the Borden company and were made to promote the first-ever "Old Timers Baseball Classic."  There are 9 cards plus one card of the Cracker Jack box.  The players included: Doby, Feller, Whitey Ford, Al Kaline, Killebrew, Mantle, Tony Olivia, and Brooks Robinson.  The images make look familiar (as in "retro" from previous sets!).

The next card is from the 1982 Cramer Sports Productions set of "Baseball Legends." These were actually produced from 1980-1983 in a series of sets.  The whole shebang has continuous numbering, so when complete, the three-year deal appears as one set.  I think that's a pretty cool idea.  In all, there were 124 cards:

1 Babe Ruth 3.00
2 Heinie Manush .25
3 Rabbit Maranville .25
4 Earl Averill .25
5 Joe DiMaggio 2.00
6 Mickey Mantle 3.00
7 Hank Aaron 1.50
8 Stan Musial 1.25
9 Bill Terry .25
10 Sandy Koufax 1.50
11 Ernie Lombardi .25
12 Dizzy Dean .25
13 Lou Gehrig 2.00
14 Walter Alston .25
15a Jackie Robinson/
Portrait 4.00
15b Jackie Robinson/Btg 1.00
16 Jimmie Foxx .25
17 Billy Southworth .25
18 Honus Wagner .50
19 Duke Snider .25
20 Rogers Hornsby .25
21 Paul Waner .25
22 Luke Appling .25
23 Billy Herman .25
24 Lloyd Waner .25
25 Fred Hutchinson .25
26 Eddie Collins .25
27 Lefty Grove .25
28 Chuck Connors .25
29 Lefty O’Doul .25
30 Hank Greenberg .25
1981
31 Ty Cobb 2.50
32 Enos Slaughter .25
33 Ernie Banks .45
34 Christy Mathewson .35
35 Mel Ott .25
36 Pie Traynor .25
37 Clark Griffith .25
38 Mickey Cochrane .25
39 Joe Cronin .25
40 Leo Durocher .25
41 Frank Baker .25
42 Joe Tinker .25
43 John McGraw .25
44 Bill Dickey .25
45 Walter Johnson .35
46 Frankie Frisch .25
47 Casey Stengel .25
48 Willie Mays 2.00
49 Johnny Mize .25
50 Roberto Clemente 4.00
51 Burleigh Grimes .25
52 Pee Wee Reese .25
53 Bob Feller .25
54 Brooks Robinson .25
55 Sam Crawford .25
56 Robin Roberts .25
57 Warren Spahn .25
58 Joe McCarthy .25
59 Jocko Conlan .25
60 Satchel Paige .75
1982
61 Ted Williams 3.00
62 George Kelly .25
63 Gil Hodges .25
64 Jim Bottomley .25
65 Al Kaline .25
66 Harvey Kuenn .25
67 Yogi Berra .25
68 Nellie Fox .25
69 Harmon Killebrew .25
70 Edd Roush .25
71 Mordecai Brown .25
72 Gabby Hartnett .25
73 Early Wynn .25
74 Nap Lajoie .25
75 Charlie Grimm .25
76 Joe Garagiola .25
77 Ted Lyons .25
78 Mickey Vernon .25
79 Lou Bourdreau .25
80 Al Dark .25
81 Ralph Kiner .25
82 Phil Rizzuto .25
83 Stan Hack .25
84 Frank Chance .25
85 Ray Schalk .25
86 Bill McKechnie .25
87 Travis Jackson .25
88 Pete Reiser .25
89 Carl Hubbell .25
90 Roy Campanella .25
1983
91 Cy Young .25
92 Kiki Cuyler .25
93 Chief Bender .25
94 Richie Ashburn .25
95 Riggs Stephenson .25
96 Minnie Minoso .25
97 Hack Wilson .25
98 Al Lopez .25
99 Willie Keeler .25
100 Fred Lindstrom .25
101 Roger Maris .25
102 Roger Bresnahan .25
103 Monty Stratton .25
104 Goose Goslin .25
105 Earle Combs .25
106 Pepper Martin .25
107 Joe Jackson 3.00
108 George Sisler .25
109 Red Ruffing .25
110 Johnny Vander Meer .25
111 Herb Pennock .25
112 Chuck Klein .25
113 Paul Derringer .25
114 Addie Joss .25
115 Bobby Thomson .25
116 Chick Hafey .25
117 Lefty Gomez .25
118 George Kell .25
119 Al Simmons .25
120 Bob Lemon .25
121 Hoyt Wilhelm 1.00
122 Arky Vaughan 1.00
123 Frank Robinson 1.50
124 Grover Alexander 1.50
(checklist from Standard Catalog of Baseball Cards, 2009)

Friday, September 3, 2010

1981 Topps Stickers



Topps couldn't let Fleer have all the fun of making stickers, so they released a set of mini-stickers and an album to go with it.  Somehow, I managed to *not* have all the Tribers in this set.  How? I have no idea.  In any case, I remember sticking these things on EVERYTHING back in the 80's.  I drove my mother crazy by sticking them on bookcases, bedposts, the walls...  If it had a flat, semi-smooth surface, it was getting a sticker.  I think I even stuck one to the car at one point.  I really don't remember if I did that or not. I can only assume that means I probably quite a tail-whipping if I had, and thus the loss of memory.

Here is a list of the stickers:
http://www.baseball-almanac.com/baseball_cards/baseball_cards_oneset.php?s=1981top04