Saturday, May 30, 2015

Caught Stealing Home: HOFers, Manny Being Manny, and more!

Quite some time ago now, I received cards from Stealing Home. The note said, "Here's hoping none of these are dupes." I know that at least some of them are not dupes, and a couple I'm not sure about. But, dupes or not, I am always thrilled to get some Tribecards in the mail!

Let's take a look at what's in here:


Phil Niekro 1988 Red Classic - I've always been a fan of the Classic cards. On the back, it says, "Phil begins the 1987 season with the Cleveland Indians in quest for his lifelong desire to be in a World Series." Unfortunately, that dream never came to be, however, 10 years after joining the Indians, he would be inducted into the BBHOF. Not a bad run!

Manny Ramirez 1996 Topps Gallery "The Modernists" - Ah, just before "Manny was being Manny," he was a kid with amazing potential. The back of the card reads, "Ramirez is perched on the precipice of greatness." He was part of the mid-90's Indians resurgence, making both World Series appearances and hauling in a slew of awards as a Triber.

Julio Franco 1989 Topps All-Star - Before there was Manny and rest of the 90's killer Indians team, the Tribe suffered through the 80's. Even then, though, we had players like Julio Franco. In '88, he had a 21-game hitting streaking that was later followed up by a 22-game hitting streak. He was part of the '97 team that made it to the World Series as well. Franco still remains an all-time Tribe fan favorite.

CC Sabathia 2011 Topps Lineage Diamond Platinum All-Star Rookie - Wow, that's a mouthful! Sabathia dominated from the mound. This card showcases his 2001 rookie year in which he "finished second to Ichiro in ROY voting." Yeah, you read that correctly: a pitcher gets 2nd billing for ROY. And, you see who he lost to, right? Freakin' Ichiro. Not bad way to end your rookie year at all!

Manny Ramirez 1994 Gold Leaf Rookie - Ramirez is one of those players that folks knew was going to be good. He was batting over .300 in the minors when he came up in '93. Only managing a .170 AVG in 22 games, that came with a double, two home runs, and 5 RBIs. The pot was just starting to boil.

Carlos Santana 2013 Topps Chasing History - This card celebrates Santana's ability to knock it out of the park from either side of the plate. In 2011, he hit 27 home runs batting switch. I'm sure there are stats somewhere that show which home runs came from which side of the plate.

Dennis Eckersley 2001 Topps Archives '76 - This card is iconic Eck. This reprint of his 1976 rookie card shows a determined young man poised to rip on in there. Of course, hindsight being what it is, we know where things went from here - an amazing career and the HOF. I love that I have the actual card and here is the Archives version. This is a very cool card. Except the back. Sorry, but who had the idea to print such a dark green background with black text!? Ah well.

Carlos Santana 2010 Topps Black - One of the more interesting chase sets from Topps, this subset featured the same images as the base, but the backgrounds are all blacked out. If memory serves, these were Walmart exclusives. He may have fallen a bit short his first day as a pro, but he rested and came back to hit a double, a home run, and pick up three RsBI. (Haha, yes, I did the RBI thing on purpose.)

Zach McAllister - 2012 Topps - Ah, this card features the official MLB "RC" logo. After an embroiled brouhaha over what is or is not considered "rookie" card status, the MLB decided they would call the shots. It's all very stupid in my book, but then again, they didn't ask me. In any case, McAllister has been on-again, off-again with the Tribe over his 5-year career thus far. He's been moved to the bullpen and that seems to suit him (and the team) well so far.

Thank you so much, Stealing Home for these cool Tribecards!! 

Friday, May 29, 2015

#PackADailyCircus - 055/056 - Flipping Cardboard

Hey there, folks! welcome to FRIDAY! Wahoo!!  Tonight, I am going old school and a throwback to old school. I've got a pack of 1987 Topps Mini Leaders and a pack of 2015 Heritage.

I'm not sure which one to open first, so let's do this by flipping a card. I have a 2013 Jason Motte Bowman Chrome Refractor. Heads, we open the Leaders first, tails we open Heritage first.

The card flitters through the air and...


By the way, Idaho Astros, you get the card! Congrats!


So, we start with the Leaders!

Tom Henke - Blue Jays - Free Agent
Glenn Davis - Astros - Free Agent
Set Checklist Card 1-77 - CaptKirk42s (Wahoo!!)
"Spring Fever Baseball" contest card (You may recall I sent a full-sized version of one of these to Topps. They did not share my sense of humor)
Vince Coleman - Cardinals - Maddings (Wahoo!!)
Tony Fernandez - Blue Jays - Pedersejs (Wahoo!!)
Tom Candiotti - Indians (Wahoo!) - Arkansas Tribecards (Wahoo!!)
Pete O'Brien - Rangers - Free Agent

Hey! I pulled a Triber! Wahoo!! We'll have some fun little cards for the next draft, too. Congrats to the managers who already own some of these players.


Now, let's rip open the 2015 Heritage!

Madison Bumgarner - Giants - RJBreeze (Wahoo!!)
Justin Turner - Dodgers - Free Agent
Baltimore Orioles 1st Place AL Div East - Orioles - Free Agent
Coco Crisp - A's - Idaho Astros (Wahoo!!)
Willie Stargell/Jose Altuve Then/Now - Pirates/Astros - Free Agent/New Jersey Hadsalls (Wahoo!!)
Sandy Koufax Legend Retires - Dodgers - Stealing Home (Wahoo!!)
Kevin Gausman - Orioles - Free Agent
John Jaso - A's - Free agent
Bartolo Colon - Mets - New Jersey Hadsalls (Wahoo!! x2)

Hey, great job by the Hadsalls to score two players from this pack! Congrats to the other managers as well! I'm looking forward to Stargell's draft appearance for sure! Haha, that's a lot of exclamation points. Yes, I am that excited about bit of cardboard. How can you not be!?





Thursday, May 28, 2015

#PackADailyCircus - 054 - Building up the draft pool

Yesterday's post was actually going to be a multi-pack post, thus the numbers that appeared in the title. That didn't happen, so I've fixed that one and have set this one to the correct number. I'm sure I'm the only that even pays attention to such details, but it's important to me that I explain things and that I keep things in as much of an order as I can - which isn't saying a lot, lest you think I am OCD about things - I am not. I leave that to my wife in our family. That's not a slam on her, it is just how we are oppositely wired.

As for the OOTP game, Raz got me to thinking, and so I am going to make sure that older players are edited such that their birthdays are around 1992 - I'm talking about players currently sitting at 50 or above. That should help keep them in the roster. We'll try it and see what happens. Why not, right?

In the meantime, I forgot to say what the contest actually was: viewers had to send an email to me with "PERFECTION" in the title and list the first Indians player to have a perfect game. It was supposed to be a trick question, but instead I tricked myself. The true answer to the way the question was asked is "Len Barker." I was looking for Addie Joss. But, the team wasn't called the Indians when he did it, thus I tricked myself. Josh answered with Len's name every day, or nearly every day if not. In fact, Josh was the only one to answer at all. So, THANK YOU, Josh, for watching my goofy updates. :-)  Actually, THANK YOU to anyone that watched, even if you didn't enter.

Now, let's bust some wax. I've got 1991 Upper Deck (because we have LOTS of them to open!!):

Marty Clary - Braves - Free Agent
Mark Grace Checklist - Cubs - Jafronius (Wahoo!!)
Chuck Knoblauch - Twins - Free Agent
Kirk McCaskill - Angels - Free Agent
Junior Felix - Blue Jays - Saitama Sushi (Wahoo!!)
Todd Zeile - Cardinals - Free Agent
Harold Reynolds - Mariners - Jacksonville Jobu (Wahoo!!)
Bret Saberhagen Checklist - Royals - Free Agent
Ray Lankford - Cardinals - Free Agent
Ron Hassey - A's - Free Agent
Terry Pendleton - Cardinals - Free Agent
Brett Knackert - Mariners - Free Agent
Gregg Olson - Orioles - Free Agent
Jeff Russell - Rangers - Free Agent
Dan Gladden - Twins - Pedersejs (Wahoo!!)
Angels Team Logo Sticker - Angels - Free Agent

Wow, that was certainly loaded up with free agents! I am hoping to open more packs per week so we have large player pools for the drafts. We'll see how it goes. Congratulations to the four folks here that added wax to their stacks!



Wednesday, May 27, 2015

#PackADailyCircus - 053 - Add wax to the draft stack

Heya! I am about to send the draft list to the managers. Before I did that, though, I want to add some more free agents to this week's draft.

2007 Topps Rack Pack

Damian Miller - Brewers - Free Agent
Bobby Abreu - Yankees - Thorzul (Wahoo!!)
Eliezer Alfonso - Giants - Free Agent
Nick Markakis (Rookie) - Orioles - Cobb County SuperChickens (Wahoo!!)
Brad Ausmus NL Gold Glove - Astros - Free Agent
Tony LaRussa - Cardinals - Super Dupermen (Wahoo!!)
Todd Helton - Rockies - Kentucky Quarrys (Wahoo!!)
Joe Blanton - A's - Free Agent
Adam Everett - Astros - Free Agent
John Smoltz - Braves - Captain Canucks (Wahoo!!)
Jonathan Papelbon - Red Sox - Thoughts and Sox (Wahoo!!)
Jose Valverde - Diamondbacks - Free Agent
Josh Fields - White Sox - Free Agent
Freddy Sanchez - Pirates - Free Agent
Freddy Garcia - Phillies - Free Agent
Moises Alou - Mets - Pedersejs (Wahoo!!)
Matt Holliday - Rockies - Maddings (Wahoo!!)
Matt Cain - Giants - RJBreeze (Wahoo!!)
Mark Mulder - Cardinals - Free Agent
Mark Loretta - Red Sox - Free Agent
Ubaldo Jimenez - Rockies - Jacksonville Jobu (Wahoo!!)
Travis Hafner - Indians (Wahoo!) - Arkansas Tribecards (Wahoo!!)

Wow, we had NO multi-hitters in this pack. That seems very odd, but kinda cool as well. Congrats to everyone who picked up a card for their own stacks as well! I am pretty happy: I got Pronk'd





#PackADailyCircus - De Draft! de Draft! And a WINNER!!

Good day, everyone! I was finally able to run the draft that I had forgotten to tell the managers about for last week! Wahoo!!  The results are in:



For the curious, here is the unrandomized list of picks (click to enlarge):


The results have been added to the managers/Players list, though I just realized that I have some spelling anomalies that make the list seem a bit quite not unlike something that is not entirely alphabetized (or something like that). I'll get that fixed.


The draft for *THIS WEEK* will go out before the end of the evening tonight (Wednesday May 27). The deadline will be Noon on Sunday, May 31. NO SKUNKS will be Jennings64 and Ventura County Royals!


Let's talk about our WINNER!!

You may recall that I had mentioned a contest that would be announced in one of my video updates. Well, I announced that contest in the May 13 update. The contest? A free OOTP 16 code!

And, the winner?????

JoshD (aka Ventura County Royals)!! WAHOO!!

Josh, I will be sending your code very soon, so be on the lookout in your email!


Today's pack break will be released shortly!

Tuesday, May 26, 2015

#PackADailyCircus - 052 - Who gets 4 hits with a Back-to-Back!?

Hey there, everyone! Thanks for dropping by the site for today's pack break. I reached into the big ol' box and the pack we have here is another box of Nachos Grande's mini Allen and Ginter! I'm not sure how many of these he sent, so I hope we've got at least another box or two in our stash. I love these things!

Wil Myers - Rays - RJBreeze (Wahoo!!)
Sonny Gray - A's - Free Agent
Tom Brady - Patriots - Free Agent
Jose Fernandez - Marlins - RJBreeze (Wahoo!! x2)
Kevin James - Comedian/Actor - Free Agent
Troy Tulowitzki - Rockies - Kentucky Quarrys (Wahoo!!)
Manny Machado - Orioles - RJBreeze (Wahoo!! x3)
Dustin Pedroia - Red Sox - RJBreeze (Wahoo!! x4, Back-to-Back)
Sailor Jack - Spokesman - Free Agent
C.C. Sabathia - Brewers - Bo Rosnys (Wahoo!!)
Mr. Met - Mets Mascot - Free Agent
Yasiel Puig - Dodgers - Enamel Rods (Wahoo!!)

Wow! RJBreeze serves up 4 hits and goes back-to-back. That is unbelievable! Congratulations certainly goes to him, but also to the other managers who were able to sneak in and get some of these for their collections as well. On the upside for the rest of us, there are a nice selection of free agents in here! Okay, technically, they are available to ALL of us...





Monday, May 25, 2015

#PackADailyCircus - 050/051 - Double helping of Sushi!

Hello, everyone! Today is Memorial Day. If you have not taken a moment or two to stop and consider the sacrifice so many have made while serving in the US Armed Forces, please just take a moment here. We enjoy busting packs and collecting cardboard and doing whatever it is we do to earn our living, but sometimes, we need to look beyond ourselves to pray or think about loved ones we may have known - or have never known - that were sent to a place they might not have ever been before to die away from family and friends, loved ones and colleagues.

In the recent poll for which cards to scan, we had a tie between "All cards" and "Currently Drafted Players." So, I will start posting certain packs with all the cards scanned just to see how that goes. We'll start with today's for fun.

Today, we're breaking packs for yesterday and today. So, two packs for your viewing pleasure.

First up, a pack of 1991 Upper Deck:

Gary Scott - Cubs - Free Agent
Geronimo Pena - Cardinals - Free Agent
Glenn Wilson - Astros - Free Agent
Junior Felix - Blue Jays - Saitama Sushi (Wahoo!!)
Mark McGwire - A's - Wilsons (Wahoo!!)
Dave Stewart - A's - Free Agent
Gary Scott - Cubs - Free Agent
Juan Agosto - Astros - Free Agent
Kevin Seitzer - Royals - Free Agent
Jeff Reardon - Red Sox - Bo Rosynys (Wahoo!!)
Mike Felder - Brewers - Free Agent
Jack Morris - Tigers - The Balking Dead (Wahoo!!)
Kirk Gibson - Dodgers - Free Agent
Nolan Ryan Baseball Heroes - Astros - Saitama Sushi (Wahoo!! x2)
Montreal Expos Team Logo Sticker - Expos - Free Agent

Congratulations to the Sushi for getting two hits from this pack! Also, congrats to the other three managers who picked up cards, too.



Next pack: A Bo Rosny custom "BoPack"

Dave Stieb 1993 UD - White Sox - Free Agent
Roberto Kelly 1992 Score Select - Yankees - Saitama Sushi (Wahoo!!)
Kansas City Royals Logo Mini Circle Sticker - Royals - Free Agent
John Burke 1993 UD Top Prospect - Rockies - Free Agent
Brad Pennington 1993 UD Top Prospect - Orioles - Free Agent
Rafael Paleiro 1993 UD - Rangers - Play at the Plates (Wahoo!!)
Jose Uribe 1993 UD - Astros - Free Agent
Dick Schofield 1993 UD - Blue Jays - Free Agent
Tom Brunansky 1993 UD - Brewers - Maddings (Wahoo!!)
Wally Joyner 1998 UD - Padres - Alecs All-Stars (Wahoo!!)
Jason Giambi 1993 UD Draft Pick - A's - Saitama Sushi (Wahoo!! x2)
Fredi Gonzalez 2007 Topps - Marlins - Free Agent
Aaron Hill 2007 Topps - Blue Jays - Kazis (Wahoo!!)
Steve Bedrosian 1989 Topps - Phillies - Captain Canucks (Wahoo!!)
Jerry Nielson 1989 Star Red - Prince William Cannons - Free Agent
Art Calvert 1989 Star Red - St. Petersberg Cardinals - Free Agent
John Faccio 1989 Star Yellow - Beloit Brewers - Free Agent

Wow! The Sushi grab ANOTHER two-hit pack! Way to go! This was a fun pack to open. I really like these custom packs you guys have come up with. I don't know if they are randomly filled or if there is a method to the packing of the packs, but either way, I'm enjoying them. Congrats to each manager who pulled one of these random cards.





Saturday, May 23, 2015

#PackADailyCircus #ootp Customization - 048/049 - Two Pac(k)s and 50 cent(s) worth

  • **NOTE (added after this post originally released): OOTP automatically fills out teams, regardless of my "cleaning house." So, rosters, etc in game and at padcircus.com may not reflect actual drafted players and/or ONLY drafted players. Welcome to my world. The Players/Managers list should be accurate, however.

Hello, everyone! I did not realize until today that I did not post a pack yesterday. The missing draft had me a bit bamboozled, I guess.  I want to thank Stealing Home and Bo Rosny for supply me with cards! That is awesome!! I will do a separate post for those soon.

In addition to Indians cards, Bo included a slew of pack, including his own custom version called "BoPack!" I am looking forward to opening those during the season.

Before we get into the packs tonight, let's talk about the OOTP portion of the giveaway. This may get a little detailed, but hang with me, it is worth it (or at least worth 50 cents, right?):
  • I am cleaning up all the rosters in the game. All non-drafted/game-created players are off the teams. Exceptions are Erin Rose and ProwlingCats because they do not have enough draftees to make up a team.
  • Most teams will now have all players on the active list (or injury), since most of us barely have 25 players drafted so far. There are certainly exceptions!
  • I believe I have the settings corrected. So, each team will have the game's AI provide lineups, batting order, etc for each team.
  • Contradicting the previous statement: If *YOU* would like to manage your lineups, active rosters, etc, let me know. I will do my best to make those changes for you. I haven't figured out how to list reserve players online yet, but you can use the player search to find any player. I will update the online game after team rosters are fixed.
  • Since you can now see your team colors online, feel free to drop me a line if you don't like the colors the game generated for your team. You get:
    • Team Color
    • Team text color
    • Ballcap Main Color
    • Ballcap visor color
    • Jersey main color
    • Jersey secondary color
    • Jersey pinstripes color
    • Away jersey color
    • *Note, if you know the hex code for the color(s) you want, that works best. Otherwise, I may have to interpret your color requests. Haha!
  • You can edit your basic stadium information, if you like:
    • Name of ballpark
    • Type: Open, Retractable Roof, Dome
    • Surface: Grass, Artificial turf
    • Seating capacity: Exact number, example: 48566
  • If you have any questions about the OOTP game we're running, please drop me a line. I'm pretty open to making the game as "personal" for you as I can.
Okay, now let's bust open two packs!

How about one of the "custom 2015 Opening Day" packs sent to us and a pack of 2015 Heritage:

Derrek Lee 2003 Fleer Ultra - Marlins - Pedersejs (Wahoo!!) - As crazy as it may sound, I like the aqua and orange on this card. I must be delirious.

Wayne Gross 1986 Topps - Orioles - Free Agent - I recognize him from his Indians cards, of course.

Adam Dunn 2013 Archives - White Sox - Northampton Therapists (Wahoo!!) - Topps sure loves those cheesy bat-over-shoulder shots, don't they?

Paul Konerko 2011 Topps - White Sox - SoxFan4Life (Wahoo!!) - This might as well be a UD unauthorized card. Heck, it almost would even have to be approved by MLBPA with its look.

Charles Hudson 1988 Donruss - Yankees - Free Agent - I once worked with a guy named Charles Hudson. Different guy. There ya go.

Dave Bergman 1988 Donruss - Tigers - Play at the Plates (Wahoo!!) - His face says, "I'm going to be stuck on this Donruss card forever, aren't I?"

Matt Garza 2010 Topps - Rays - Free Agent - Someone had been assigned Garza in the OOTP game. I fixed it. Sorry, Sushi...

Jesus Guzman 2013 Topps - Padres - Bo Rosnys (Wahoo!!) - I was never a fan of the "camo" look. But, at least the whole shirt is camo and not just one stripe or something.

Troy Tulowitzki 2013 Archives - Rockies - Kentucky Quarrys (Wahoo!!) - Somone is peeking out of the lower corner, presumably out on the play.

Clint Sammons 2008 Finest Certified Auto - Braves - Free Agent - This card... This card is GREAT! It is numbered 60/99 to boot!

2015 Heritage:

Didi Gregorius - Yankees - Free Agent - For some reason, I thought someone had him on their list. Ah, okay, he was on Arpsmith, but that was computer-assigned. Now you can try to draft him if you wish.

Jose Altuve, Victor Martinez, Michael Brantley AL Batting Leaders - Astros, Tigers, Indians (Wahoo!) - New Jersey Hadsalls (Wahoo!!), Jacksonville Jobu (Wahoo!!), TSHensons (Wahoo!!) - Heya! A triber on a leader card! WAHOO!! There is also an ex-Triber as well. Great stuff!

Daniel Corcino, Yorman Rodriguez Rookie Stars - Reds - Free Agent, Free Agent

Tom Koehler - Marlins - Free Agent - Well, I can't think of a single thing to say about this card. I don't know if that is good or bad.

Anthony Rendon - Nationals - Free Agent - Hanging out on a bench. It doesn't look like a dugout bench, though. At least he's smiling at whatever is happening to the side of the photographer.

Logan Morrison - Mariners - Free Agent - There is something weird going on in the lower left of the card. It is as if his back/arm was hit with a Photoshop cloning eraser.

Julio Teheran - Braves - Cobb County SuperChickens (Wahoo!) - This image has the "old school" look to it - shot from just below chest height, a little washed on image, pitcher staring off to the side a little.

Rusney Castillo, Anthony Ranaudo Rookie Stars - Red Sox - Free Agent, Free Agent - I don't know how old Rusney is, but man he looks like a kid. Something is amiss with Ranaudo's pic - looks heavily edited and flattened or something.

Bob Melvin mgr - A's - Jennings64 (Wahoo!!) - He does not look too happy to having his picture taken. It is as if he is saying, "Does Topps seriously still take manager pictures? This is 2015, right?"


Friday, May 22, 2015

#PackADailyCircus - The Dingus Principle

Hey, folks. Let's just get this settled right here and now: I am a Dingus. I sent this week's draft notice to exactly TWO people due to a pretty major operator error on my part.

Managers, please check your email.

The new draft deadline is May 27 (Wednesday). Ignore the dates in the email other than the 27th.

I apologize! Special thanks to @CardJunk and @CardsOnCards for hitting me up on Twitter to ask about the draft. You both get a bonus in your stacks!


Thursday, May 21, 2015

#PackADailyCircus - 047 - Running Commentary

In this post, we're busting open a rack pack of 2009 Topps. For a little change-up, I am going to add my thoughts to each card we pull. Why not, right? Maybe it will provide a little entertainment along the way. And, if not, well, at least I gave you something to read other than a list of names, managers, and teams.

Fredi Gonzalez - Marlins mgr - Free Agent - A couple notes: He looks like he is possibly giving a sign, and his left hand appears to be holding the logo in the lower corner of the card.

Carlos Delgado - Mets - New Jersey Hadsalls (Wahoo!!) - This a card to show young ballplayers - his eyes are focused squarely on that ball coming in.

Miguel Cairo - Mariners - Free Agent - If concentrate is directly proportionate to tongue sticking out, he is doing some serious concentration here.

Ryan J Braun - Brewers - Thorzul (Wahoo!!) - I know this is the "J" Braun because Thorzul and I got into that discussion last season. See? I can learn!

Brandon Jones - Braves - Free Agent - We have 7 Brandon's claimed in the game, and this is not one of them. Not yet, anyway.

Evan Longoria - Rays - TSHensons (Wahoo!!) - He is sliding into home here, I believe. And, given the shadows, this is a night game.

Ivan Rodriguez - Yankees - Jacksonville Jobu (Wahoo!!) - By looks of the ump in the back and Pudge's own directional stare, I'd say this ball was hit a long way. Heading home, I presume?

Albert Pujols - Cardinals - Wilsons (Wahoo!!) - I can see why Topps went with a horizontal card here. How do they decide which players get vets and which get horizes?

Casey Kotchman - Braves - Free Agent - I love these shots with the ball just coming into play at the batter.

Jon Lester, Jason Bay Postseason Highlights - Red Sox - Thoughts and Sox (Wahoo!!), Thoughts and Sox (Wahoo!!) - Hey, hey! Same manager has both players on one card! Do we call that a double play?

AJ Burnett, Ervin Santana, Roy Halladay AL SO Leaders - Blue Jays, Angels, Blue Jays - Free Agent, Cobb County SuperChickens (Wahoo!!), RJBreeze (Wahoo!!) - I am surprised that Burnett is a free agent, and then again not. These triple-pic cards remind me of the old tear-away basketball cards from when I was a kid.

Francisco Liriano - Twins - Cobb County SuperChickens (Wahoo!! Back-to-Back!) - Yes, this counts as back-to-back. Why? Because I said it does. Plus, my rules for such things does not specify whether it only counts for single player cards or not. Er, actually, there is no rule for these terms I make up.

Cliff Lee - Indians (Wahoo!) - Tribecards (Wahoo!!) - One of these days, I need to drive up the road and visit him in Benton. I'm sure he won't mind.

Hiroki Kuroda - Dodgers - Free Agent - Great pitcher stance: Leg cocked, hand just about to draw the ball out of the glove.

Scott Lewis - Indians (Wahoo!) - Free Agent - This guy is not to be confused with the Indians player Scott Leuis. Mainly because that dude played back in the 90's.

Conor Jackson - Diamondbacks - Dominic FDNY (Wahoo!!) - This is a shot of a very high ball as he makes the play. Or at least, I think the ball is in the glove. Which, if it is, makes for one killer photo.

Reed Johnson - Cubs - Free Agent - He is about to be swallowed by the ivy wall. Though, he is making one heck of a back-handed catch.

David Newhan - Astros - Free Agent - he is squinting after making a hit. At this point, he's not sure what's happening.

Mike Pelfrey - Mets - RJBreeze (Wahoo!! x2) - He's got the tongue-sticking-out thing going, too. All the fans in the background have been blurred out. Welcome to the age of Photoshop.

Xavier Nady - Yankees - Free Agent - I have always wondered if he is related to Charles Nady, and then I remember that his name was Charles Hagy and the answer is (most likely) "no."

Brad Penny - Dodgers - Free Agent - Actually, this is not the most flattering photo, as it appears there is a hand with a baseball protruding from his nether regions. Yeah, I said nether regions.

Carlos Pena - Rays - Play at the Plates (Wahoo!!) - The angle of this pic makes it appear that he about to go over the rolled up tarp. But, it's all perspective.

Well, there you have it. Congratulations to managers getting a card, or multiple cards, out of this pack! Hope you enjoyed the sidebars. Feel free to express your like, dislike or indifference below.



Wednesday, May 20, 2015

#PackADailyCircus #ootp - 046 - Standings Updates and New Archives

Hello, everyone! Tonight, I have the current standings from the OOTP game! I had planned to record a video, but I wasn't able to pull it off for today, so hopefully this weekend. I will probably move the videos to the weekend anyway because I have more time then to devote to recording them.

In the meantime, here are the current standings:



I am in the process of uploading the various files for the online system. Remember, that is now at www.padcircus.com!

The Managers/Players list has been updated, and once again, I need to thank Josh D for his awesome work in Excel to keep making my life easier! I can now easily generate the manager/player list immediately after each draft then copy and paste those into the online list. I cannot tell you how much time that will save me! Wahoo!!

And, since things are getting updated, let's rip open a pack of 2015 Archives.

Kyle Gibson - Twins - Free Agent
Joakim Soria - Tigers - Free Agent
Mookie Betts - Red Sox - Thoughts and Sox (Wahoo!!)
James Paxton - Mariners - ProwlingCats (Wahoo!!)
Matt Joyce - Rays - SuperDupermen (Wahoo!!)
Danny Santana - Twins - Free Agent
Brandon Moss - Indians (Wahoo!) - Dominic FDNY (Wahoo!!)
Adam Lind - Brewers - Kazis (Wahoo!!)
Nelson Cruz, Chris Carter, Jose Abreu 2014 AL HR Leaders - Orioles, Astros, White Sox - Play at the Plates (Wahoo!!), New Jersey Hadsalls (Wahoo!!), Jacksonville Jobu (Wahoo!!)







Tuesday, May 19, 2015

#PackADailyCircus - 045 - Smooth... But no Billy Dee - And a POLL!

Hello, PAD Circus fans! Today, we're packin heat! Er, well, we're packin' cardboard, anyway. We're rolling out pack 45. It's a custom Opening Day repack, so there is no telling what we'll find inside. It would be cool to find a Billy Williams in here...

Check out the poll on the right: What would you like to see in the way of card scans for the PAD Circus? Right now, I only scan the players already drafted. What would you like to see? Let me know by 8pm Saturday, May 23. Thanks!

Now, let's rip this pack open!

Lance Lynn 2013 Archives - Cardinals - Free Agent
Bill Almon Donruss 87 - Pirates - Free Agent
Matt Kemp 2013 Archives - Dodgers - Night Owls (Wahoo!!)
Victor Martinez 2012 Opening Day - Tigers - Jacksonville Jobu (Wahoo!!)
Barry Bonds 1996 Score - Giants - Arpsmith (Wahoo!!)
Robinson Cano 2010 Chrome - Yankees - Ventura County Royals (Wahoo!!)
Pablo Sandoval 2015 Studio - Red Sox - Northampton Therapists (Wahoo!!)
Hunter Pence 2015 Donruss - Giants - Captain Canucks (Wahoo!!)
Jeff Pico 91 Fleer - Cubs - Free Agent
Adam Wainwright 2013 Archives - Cardinals - Maddings (Wahoo!!)

Started and ended with Cardinals players! I think that's cool when a pack leads off and finishes up with players from the same team or the same player, etc. Well, we pulled no Colts and no Billy Williams, but this was still a fun repack! Congratulations to everyone grabbing some 'board today.




Monday, May 18, 2015

#PackADailyCircus - 043/044 - Perfect!

Hello, everyone! sorry for the missed pack last night. Things got away from me. That's okay, we'll make them up today. We'll do two packs again here. The Managers/Players rosters have not been updated yet. My daughter had a softball game tonight (Monday) and she ended up getting walked 3-for-3 times and scored each time! Not a bad evening at all.

Today is also my 24th wedding anniversary! It is so hard to believe how quickly time flies!

Let's rip some wax. First up, 2015 Gypsy Queen:

Jose Canseco - A's - Dominic FDNY (Wahoo!!)
Paul Goldschmidt - Diamondbacks - Jacksonville Jobu (Wahoo!!)
Ted Williams - Red sox - Thoughts and Sox (Wahoo!!)
Elvis Andrus Mini - Rangers - Play at the Plates (Wahoo!!)
Michael Wacha - Cardinals - SuperDupermen (Wahoo!!)
Lonnie Chisenhall - Indians (Wahoo!) - Play at the Plates (Wahoo!! x2)

WAHOO!! We hit a Perfect Pack! Congratulations, managers! That is so freakin cool!!

Our next pack is 1992 Stadium Club Series 1

Scott Bailes - Angels - Free Agent
Tim Hulett - Orioles - Free Agent
Jeff Treadway - Braves - Free Agent
Stan Belinda - Pirates - Free Agent
Ryan Bowen - Astros - Free Agent
Reggie Harris - A's - Free Agent
Danny Tartarbull - Royals - Captain Canucks (Wahoo!!)
Andy van Slyke - Pirates - TSHensons (Wahoo!!)
Paul Gibson - Tigers - Free Agent
1992 Checklist 1-100 - CaptKirk42s (Wahoo!!)
Jim Leyritz - Yankees - Free Agent
Kirt Manwaring - Giants - Free Agent
Geno Petralli - Rangers - Free Agent
Trevor Wilson - Giants - Dominic FDNY (Wahoo!!)
Tony Fernandez - Padres - Free Agent

Wow, I was getting worried there for a bit! I thought we went from a Perfect Pack to a no-hitter. Instead, we pulled a few card out of the pack for folks, so that worked out nicely. Congratulations, managers!



Sunday, May 17, 2015

#PackADailyCircus - Draft Results 05/16ish

Hey there, folks! I know you've been waiting to see what happened during the latest draft, so here ya go!


Haha, well, I just realized Arpsmith's name was selected during the screen shot. I have no idea what that means.

I also just realized that I have not been posting the "draft start" images for the drafts. I don't knwo if those are important to the managers or not, but here ya go! (click to enlarge)


I still have to get the players into the master list, so I'll have that done late Sunday night (not that it isn't already that as I am typing this). Then, I'll have a pack bust with updated rosters.

Thanks for stopping by!

Saturday, May 16, 2015

#PackADailyCircus - 042 - The Robinson Post

Hello, folks! welcome back for another pack break. Today, we're on #42: Jackie Robinson's old number. Also happens to be the the answer to Life, the Universe, ad Everything. Coincidence? I don't think so.

Today's pack is a 2015 Fat Pack from Walmart. We're supposed to be looking for "Exclusive Babe Ruth Story" cards and the "Call Your Shot" game. We'll see how far we get:

Devin Mesoraco - Reds - Nachos Grande (Wahoo!!)
Craig Gentry - A's - Thorzul (Wahoo!!)
Alexei Ramirez - White Sox - Free Agent
Jacoby Ellsbury - Yankees - Free Agent
Justin Morneau, Josh Harrison, Andrew McCutchen NL Batting Avg Leaders - Twins, Pirates, Pirates - Kentucky Quarrys (Wahoo!!), Pennsylvania BCs (Wahoo!!), Pennsylvania Bcs (Wahoo!! Back-to-back on same card!)
Nelson Cruz, Chris Carter, Mike Trout AL HR Leaders - Orioles, Astros, Angels - Play at the Plates (Wahoo!!), New Jersey Hadsalls (Wahoo!!), ProwlingCats (Wahoo!!)
Chase Utley - Phillies - Eastern Virginia Mutts (Wahoo!!)
Andrew Susac - Giants - Free Agent
Tommy Kahnle - Rockies - Free Agent
Pedro Alvarez Foil (31/50) - Pirates - Pennsylvania BCs (Wahoo!! x3)
Catfish Hunter Highlight of the Year - A's - Thorzul (Wahoo!! x2)
Carlos Gomez Robbed in Center - Brewers - Free Agent
Macklemore (singer) First Pitch - Free Agent
Jonathan Schoop - Orioles - Free Agent
Corey Dickerson - Rockies - Free Agent
David Buchanan - Phillies - Free Agent
Anthony Ranaudo - Red Sox - Free Agent
Austin Jackson - Mariners - Nachos Grande (Wahoo!! 2)
Starling Marte - Pirates - Pennsylvania BCs (Wahoo!! x 4)
Edwin Escobar - Red Sox - Free Agent
Chris Carter - Astros - New Jersey Hadsalls (Wahoo!! x2)
Everth Cabrera - Padres - Free Agent
Dilson Herrera - Mets - Free Agent
Madison Bumgarner World Series - Giants - RJBreeze (Wahoo!!)
Aaron Hill - Diamondbacks - Kazis (Wahoo!!)
Cody Allen - Indians (Wahoo!) - Arkansas Tribecards (Wahoo!!)
Brandon Moss - A's - Dominic FDNY (Wahoo!!)
Deion Sanders 1st HR - Yankees - Free Agent
Dustin Pedroia - Red Sox - RJBreeze (Wahoo!! x2)
Lucas Duda - Mets - Free Agent
Brandon Phillips - Reds - Nachos Grande (Wahoo!! x2)
Ryan Zimmerman - Nationals - CaptKirk42s (Wahoo!!)
Nolan Arenado - Rockies - Kentucky Quarrys (Wahoo!! x2)
Drew Pomeranz - A's - Free Agent
Mike Zunino - Mariners - ProwlingCats (Wahoo!! x2)

Well, we did not find Babe. We did, however, fins a bunch of hits for several managers! Congrats for pulling cards from this pack. I find it befitting that CaptKirk42's grabbed a card on the 42nd pack of the season. Wow!







Friday, May 15, 2015

#PackADailyCircus #ootp - padcircus.com is now online!


Hello, everyone! I have decided to bite the bullet and start posting the OOTP game online with a paid, real domain. Turns out, it was cheaper than I ever imagined. I am also keenly aware that HOW things are being done are not necessarily the way they are SUPPOSED to be done. You know what? I don't care. Well, I do a little.

In any case, you can now find our OOTP game at www.padcircus.com! It is updated as of 05/14/2015. Remember, some teams may still have real players that have no actually been drafted yet. If that's the case, enjoy the player while you can because they may not be on your team the whole season.

You may notice some of your drafted players are not listed. They may be on your team's Reserve List and so they don't show up on your online roster page. I'll see if I can fix that, too.

You will notice many player pictures are missing. I plan to rectify that by having OOTP generate missing player pics for the next upload.

If you notice other issues or general weirdness on the site, please let me know. I'm sure it has to do with the order/manner in which I am uploading the files from my computer to the site.

A quick technical note: I can ZIP the files locally, upload them, then unzip them directly in the site. Man, that is so much faster than transferring all the files individually! WAHOO!!



#PackADailyCircus - 041 - Pull up our Sox

Hey, everyone! Thanks for dropping by for today's pack. In a previous break, we did an Upper Deck Yankees Fan Pack. Well, today, we are doing a Boston Red Sox Fan Pack.

Before I go any further, I want to apologize to Nachos Grande. When I opened the box of packs he sent, all the 1991 UD packs were opened. Some of the packs had fewer cards than the specified number on the packs. I thought he had opened them, kept cards he wanted and donated the rest to the break - which is perfectly fine by me, I'll take ANY packs!!  As it turns out, he had *NOT* opened the packs. Upon further inspection, every pack is opened exactly along the place where the foil is crimped, suggesting they weren't ripped open, but more like popped a seal. That doesn't explain why some packs were missing cards, but I don't see why anyone else would open the box, search a bunch of 91 UD, leaving the Circa boxes alone, and then reseal things. That just doesn't make sense. So, my public apologies, Chris!

BTW, this Red Sox pack was in that box Chris sent as well. Seriously, he sent a LOT of packs!

Hideki Okajima 2007 Series 2 - Free Agent
Coco Crisp 2008 Series 1 - Idaho Astros (Wahoo!!)
David Ortiz 2007 Series 2 - Dominic FDNY (Wahoo!!)
Josh Beckett 2007 Future Stars - GCRLs (Wahoo!!)
JD Drew 2007 Series 2 - Maddings (Wahoo!!)
Curt Schilling 2007 Artifacts - Alec's All-Stars (Wahoo!!)
Julio Lugo 2007 Series 2 - Free Agent
Daisuke Matsuzaka 2007 Masterpieces - Free Agent
Jason Varitek 2007 Series 2 - Free Agent
Curt Schilling 2007 Masterpieces - Alec's All-Stars (Wahoo!! x2)
Dustin Pedroia 2008 Series 1 - RJBreeze (Wahoo!!)
David Ortiz 2007 Masterpieces - Dominic FDNY (Wahoo!! x2)
Carl Yastrzemski 2007 Legendary Cuts - Thoughts and Sox (Wahoo!!)
David Ortiz 2007 Future Stars - Dominic FDNY (Wahoo!! x3)
Manny Ramirez 2007 Series 1 - Free Agent (Really!?)
Wade Boggs 2007 Legendary Cuts - Northampton Therapists (Wahoo!!)
Jonathan Papelbon 2007 Series 1 - Free Agent
Manny Ramirez 2008 Series 1 - Free Agent
David Ortiz 2007 Series 1 - Dominic FDNY (Wahoo!! x4)
Bobby Doerr 2007 Masterpieces - Free Agent
Carl Yastrzemski 2007 Masterpieces - Thoughts and Sox (Wahoo!! x2)
Daisuke Matsuzaka 2008 Series 1 - Free Agent
Carlton Fisk 2007 Masterpieces - Thoughts and Sox (Wahoo!! x3)
Curt Schilling 2007 Series 1 - Alec's All-Stars (Wahoo!! x3)
Cy Young 2007 Legendary Cuts - Thoughts and Sox (Wahoo!! x4)

Wow!! Just like the Yankees pack, we have several folks who scored multiple hits from the pack. Thoughts and Sox grabbed 4 hits alone! Congratulations everyone for your pulled players out of this pack!







Thursday, May 14, 2015

#PackADailyCircus - 039, 040 - The Comeback Edition

Hey there, folks! I had some things that needed to be taken care of yesterday, so I did not post a pack break. Today, I'm posting two packs to catch us up again!

We're going to start with 1989 Bowman "Comeback Edition" cards. Back then, this was a big deal. Topps had brought back one of the "original" baseball card brands and in the larger format. I was two years beyond high school at the time, and I can remember how excited I was. Let's get rippin!

Cory Snyder - Indians (Wahoo!) - Enamel Rods (Wahoo!!)
Pete Incaviglia - Rangers - Free Agent
Todd Stottlemyre - Blue Jays - Free Agent
Jesse Barfield - Blue Jays - Free Agent
John Kruk - Padres - Free Agent
Mickey Hatcher - Dodgers - Free Agent
Mickey Mantle Sweepstakes Entry Card - Yankees - Eastern Virginia Mutts (Wahoo!!)
Gary Redus* - Pirates - Ventura County Royals (Wahoo!!)
Frank Viola - Twins - Free Agent
Kevin Wickander - Indians (Wahoo!) - Free Agent
Cal Ripken Sr - Orioles - Free Agent
Pat Tabler - Royals - Free Agent
Jesse Orosco - Indians (Wahoo!) - Free Agent

Wow! Three Indians cards in one pack! Man, I should have been playing Tribe-or-no-Tribe. Congratulations to you managers that got a player here. We're adding more and more folks to the free agent pool, which is okay by me.

*The Redus card had 1989 gum that had been stuck to it. The back is pretty rough from where the gum had been stuck and subsequently fallen off.


The next pack is one of the 1991 Upper Deck sent to us:

Wally Joyner - Angels - Alecs All-Stars (Wahoo!!)
Dave Martinez - Expos - Free Agent
Mike Scioscia - Dodgers - Free Agent
Tim Naehring - Red Sox - Free Agent
Harold Reynolds Checklist - Mariners - Jacksonville Jobu (Wahoo!!)
Greg Blosser - Red Sox - Free Agent
Greg Blosser - Red Sox - Free Agent (Yes, back-to-back)*
Duane Ward - Blue Jays - Free Agent
Willie Randolph - A's - GCRLs (Wahoo!!)
Joe Boever - Phillies - Free Agent
Mel Rojas - Expos - Free Agent
Lee Smith - Cardinals - Free Agent
Juan Gonzalez - Rangers - Free Agent
John Wetteland - Dodgers - Free Agent
Montreal Expos Team Logo Sticker - Expos - Free Agent

*Remember, these 1991 UD packs were opened and repacked from Nachos Grande. Do not expect off-the-shelf numbers or collation. Do, however, expect cardboard fun!



#PackADailyCircus Update | May 13

Tuesday, May 12, 2015

#PackADailyCircus - 038 - Going online, Gettin lots of hits

Heya, folks! Welcome to today's PAD Circus pack break! Before we get started with opening a pack, I wanted to share a link with you:
http://padcircus.net78.net/leagues/league_100_home.html

That link will take you PAD Circus online. Now, things are still being uploaded/transferred due to my slow internet. I wanted you to be able see things anyway, as they are - er, were. The current stats as of this writing are 4/23/2015. I am hoping that once the files are uploaded, then updates will be much less data to transfer. I'm not sure how all that works, so we'll see.

There also seem to be connection issues to the host on my end. If you have no troubles, let me know so I can check my connection, etc. Thanks.

Tonight's pack an Upper Deck Yankees Fan Pack. Every card in the pack will be a Yankees player. Let's see how many multi-hit managers we come away with tonight. I'm guessing several.

Phil Rizzuto 07 Legendary Cuts - Free Agent
Melky Cabrera 2008 Series 1 - Joliet Convicts (Wahoo!!)
Bobby Abreu 2007 Series 1 - Thorzul (Wahoo!!)
Derek Jeter 2007 Artifacts - Bo Rosnys (Wahoo!!)
Johnny Damon Series 2 - Jacksonville Jobu (Wahoo!!)
Alex Rodriguez 2007 Masterpieces - Bo Rosnys (Wahoo!! x2)
Babe Ruth 2007 Legendary Cuts - Stealing Home (Wahoo!!)
Johnny Damon 2007 Future Stars - Jacksonville Jobu (Wahoo!! x2)
Roger Maris 2007 Masterpieces - Northampton Therapists (Wahoo!!)
Thurman Munson 2007 Legendary Cuts - Illinois Jafronius (Wahoo!!)
Johnny Damon Series 1 - Jacksonville Jobu (Wahoo!! x3)
Hideki Matsui 2007 Masterpieces 15 - Northampton Therapists (Wahoo!! x2)
Mike Mussina 2008 Series 1 - Ventura County Royals (Wahoo!!)
Jason Giambi 2007 Future Stars - Saitama Sushi (Wahoo!!)
Andy Pettitte 2008 Series 1 - Bo Rosnys (Wahoo!! x3)
Mariano Rivera 2007 Series 1 - Jennings64 (Wahoo!!)
Reggie Jackson 2007 Masterpieces - Cobb County SuperChickens (Wahoo!!)
Robinson Cano 2007 Series 1 - Ventura County Royals (Wahoo!! x2)
Joe DiMaggio 2007 Legendary Cuts - Joliet Convicts (Wahoo!! x2)
Lou Gehrig 2007 Masterpieces - Alecs All-Stars (Wahoo!!)
Don Mattingly 2007 Legendary Cuts - Enamel Rods (Wahoo!!)
Hideki Matsui 2007 Masterpieces 44 - Northampton Therapists (Wahoo!!x3)
Alex Rodriguez 2007 Series 2 - Bo Rosnys (Wahoo!! x4)
Babe Ruth Masterpieces 1 - Stealing Home (Wahoo!! x2)
Derek Jeter 2008 Series 1 - Bo Rosnys (Wahoo!! x5)

Wow! Only one free agent in the whole pack. That is wild! As we see, several folks pulled multiple hits, but Bo Rosny takes the prize for the most reveals in a single pack to date! Congrats to everyone that got cards from this pack!






Monday, May 11, 2015

#PackADailyCircus - 037 - More minis!

Hey, everyone! Thanks for joining us for another PAD Circus pack break! I am about to release the new draft names to the managers, but before i do, I thought I would break open another pack of custom mini Allen and Ginter!

Wow, the one I grabbed is PACKED with minis! Let's roll:

Paul Goldschmidt - Diamondbacks - Jacksonville Jobu (Wahoo!!)
Giancarlo Stanton - Marlins - Pennsylvania BCs (Wahoo!!)
Wayne Gretzky (hockey, wearing Blue Jays uni) - Free Agent
Mike Trout - Angels - ProwlingCats (Wahoo!!)
Billy the Marlin - Marlins Mascot - Free Agent
Buster Posey - Giants - Arpsmith (Wahoo!!)
Adrian Gonzalez - Dodgers - GCRLs (Wahoo!!)
Adam Jones - Orioles - RJBreezes (Wahoo!!)
Jayson Werth - Nationals - CaptKirk42s (Wahoo!!)
Ryan Howard - Phillies - Eastern Virginia Mutts (Wahoo!!)
Joey Votto - Reds - Nachos Grande (Wahoo!!)
Cliff Lee - Phillies - Arkansas Tribecards (Wahoo!!)
Ryan Zimmerman - Nationals - CaptKirk42s (Wahoo!! x2)
Torii Hunter - Tigers - Jennings64 (Wahoo!!)
Floyd Mayweather Jr - Boxer - Free Agent
Chase Headley - Padres - Free Agent
Hunter Pence - Giants - Captain Canucks (Wahoo!!)
Joe Mauer - Twins - Play at the Plates (Wahoo!!)
Clayton Kershaw - Dodgers - Night Owls (Wahoo!!)
Justin Morneau - Pirates - Kentucky Quarrys (Wahoo!!)
Prince Fielder - Tigers - TSHensons (Wahoo!!)
Spider-Man - Superhero - Free Agent
Starling Marte - Pirates - Pennsylvania BCs (Wahoo!! x2)

As much as I love seeing folks get cards in each pack break, I have to admit, these are some of my favorites - customs, minis, A&Gs! How do you argue with that? I hope by the time we're done, each manager ends up with at least one! Speaking of "at least," how about the folks here pulling more than one!? Nice job! Congratulations to the rest of us who pulled cards, too. Hopefully, if you haven't managed to pull one of these player, you can snag one in the free agent draft!






#PackADailyCircus - Draft Dodging?

Hey there, folks! I finally got a chance to run the May 9 draft! Yeesh, we've had CRAZY weather down here - tornadoes, thunderstorms, flooding... All we're missing is the snow.

Well, be that as it may, we have the results form the draft. This week's NO SKUNKS were Play at the Plates and SuperDuperMen. The title of this post comes from the MIA SuperDuperMen. I checked several times, both in email and in the draft picks, and the team is simply not there. Not sure what happened to them, but I also checked to make sure I didn't have a "Hey, I never got my picks" email. I did not have one. So, they sat out this week it seems.

So, without further delay, I present the May 9 draft as run on May 11: (click to enlarge)


I knew Kluber was going to be a tough get. Congrats to Play at the Plates! That is definitely one of those times where the NO SKUNK comes in handy for managers. It's all good, though. I'll just wait for my no skunk to some around. I'll get all these processed and shoot out the next draft list by the end of the evening - pending any whackadoodle weather we have!

Stay tuned for a pack break later tonight.

Sunday, May 10, 2015

#PackADailyCircus - 035, 036 - Mother's Day Break

Hello, everyone! I hope you enjoyed spending time with or remembering your Mom today! I didn't realize until just now that I was a pack off, so tonight I am playing catch-up. And, I have a draft to run. I'm not sure if that will happen tonight (Sunday night) or Monday. We'll see how all this flows and goes!

Let's bust some wax. First up, a homemade pack of cards in a 2015 Opening Day wrapper that was gifted to us!

Ben Zobrist 2013 Topps archives - rays - Cobb County SuperChickens (Wahoo!!)
Aaron Boone 2003 Topps - Reds - Free Agent
Dwight Evans/Dustin Pedroia Dual Fan Favorites 2013 Topps Archives - Red Sox - Dominic FDNYs (Wahoo!!)/RJBreeze (Wahoo!!)
Prince Fielder 2013 Opening Day - Tigers - TSHensons (Wahoo!!)
Yunel Escobar 2011 Topps - Blue Jays - Captain Canucks (Wahoo!!)
Frank Robinson 2015 Donruss All-Time Diamond Kings - Reds - CaptKirk42s (Wahoo!!)
Felix Hernandez 2015 Donruss - Mariners - Free Agent
Jim Gantner 1988 Leaf - Brewers - Free Agent
Chris Davis 2013 Archives - Orioles - Free Agent
Jose Gonzalez 1990 Topps - Dodgers - Free Agent

All right! We managed a nice split of claimed players and free agents. Congratulations, managers!

Let's try a homemade pack of cards in a 1991 Upper Deck wrapper:

Jeff Gray - Red Sox - Free Agent
Kyle Abbott - Angels - Eastern Virginia Mutts (Wahoo!!)
Chuck Finley - Angels Checklist - Free Agent
Casey Candaele - Astros - Arkansas Tribecards (Wahoo!!)
Tino Martinez - Mariners - Free Agent
Bob Ojeda - Mets - Free Agent
Kevin Elster - Mets - Free agent
John Shelby - Tigers - Free Agent
Bruce Ruffin - Phillies - Free Agent
Oscar Azocar - Yankees - Free Agent
Set Checklist 301-350 - CaptKirk42s (Wahoo!!)
Brady Anderson - Orioles - Free Agent
Dan Pasqua - White Sox - Free Agent
Stan Javier - Dodgers - Free Agent
Baltimore Orioles Team Logo - Orioles - Free Agent

Wow, who would have thought we'd be cheering on someone to pull a checklist, but that is how things play out during a PAD Circus season! Congratulations to the three of us who snagged cards. The rest? Well, we've added a slew of agents to the pool for the next draft!

I will have to run the draft on Monday evening and push out the next draft right after that. Sorry, folks. I'm kind of slacking on the job here lately.



Friday, May 8, 2015

#PackADailyCircus - 034 - (After the) Thunderstormin'

Hello, everyone! For today's pack, I thought I would bust out a 36-card fat pack from 2010 Upper Deck. Let's see if we can some free agents to the pile that will be up for grabs in the next draft.

Felix Pie - Orioles - Free Agent
Jered Weaver/Kendrys Morales - Angels Checklist - Alecs All-Stars (Wahoo!!)/GCRLs (Wahoo!!)
Houston Astros Ballpark - Astros - Free Agent
Eddie Guardado - Rangers - Free Agent
Justin Verlander - Tigers - Saitama Sushi (Wahoo!!)
Luis Rodriguez - Padres - Free Agent
Koyie Hill - Cubs - Free Agent
Cole Hamels - Phillies - Eastern Virginia Mutts (Wahoo!!)
Yunel Escobar - Braves - Captain Canucks (Wahoo!!)
Seth Smith Tape Measure Shots - Rockies - Bo Rosnys (Wahoo!!)
Dennys Reyes - Cardinals - Jennings64 (Wahoo!!)
Shin-Soo Choo - Indians (Wahoo!) - Arkansas Tribecards (Wahoo!!)
Edgar Renteria - Tigers - Wilsons (Wahoo!!)
Albert Arias - Astros - Free Agent
Brandon McCarthy - Rangers - Free Agent
Fernando Rodney - Tigers - Free Agent
Chone Figgins - Angels - Free Agent
Edwin Jackson - Tigers - GCRLs (Wahoo!! x2)
Seth Smith - Rockies - Bo Rosnys (Wahoo!! x2)
Chase Headley/Tony Gwynn Jr - Padres Checklist - Free Agent/Free Agent
Philadelphia Phillies Ballpark - Phillies - Free Agent
Josh Beckett - Red Sox - GCRLs (Wahoo!! x3)
Ryan Madson - Phillies - Free Agent
Chad Tracey - Diamondbacks - Free Agent
Mitchell Boggs - Cardinals - Free Agent
Jeremy Sowers - Indians (Wahoo!) - Free Agent
Lance Berkman Tape Measure Shots - Astros - Illinois Jafronius (Wahoo!!)
Daniel Murphy Biography - Mets - Free Agent
Randy Wells - Cubs - Free Agent
Jose Bautista - Blue Jays - Kazis (Wahoo!!)
Chris Coghlan - Marlins - Free Agent
George Sherrill - Dodgers - Free Agent
Joe Thurston - Cardinals - Free Agent
Michael Dunn - Yankees - Free Agent
Ryan Theriot - Cubs - Wilsons (Wahoo!! x2)
Armando Gabino - Twins - Free Agent

Well, the thunderstorms Friday night lasted until nearly 8am on Saturday! But, we survived and it looks like several folks did really well in this fat pack break! A few folks ended up with multiple hits which is always fun for me as I open up the packs. Congratulations to each manager who snagged some cards from here! We've also added a lot of free agents to the list.









Thursday, May 7, 2015

#PackADailyCircus - 033 - All aboard the Express!

Hey there, everyone! Hope you are having a great day. I'm so glad we are nearing the end of the week! Tonight, we are opening a pack of 2015 Gypsy Queen (one of the few I have left). Let's see what we can do here:

Gio Gonzalez - Nationals - Free Agent
Nick Markakis - Braves - Free Agent
Martin Prado - Marlins - Cobb County SuperChickens (Wahoo!!)
Nolan Ryan Mini - Rangers - Saitama Sushi (Wahoo!!)
Curtis Granderson Queen's Throwbacks - Mets - New Jersey Hadsalls (Wahoo!!)
Nolan Arenado - Rockies - Kentucky Quarrys (Wahoo!!)

Congratulations to our four managers who plucked players from this pack! The throwback card is a neat change of pace. Of course, anytime you can pull a freakin Ryan out of pack, that's a good pack!


Wednesday, May 6, 2015

#PackADailyCircus - 032 - Video killed the radio star

Hello, everyone! Sorry for the late post. I have uploaded the latest PAD Circus Update video for those wanting to see why I am better suited for radio than video: https://youtu.be/zJR5qH_wmyo

Tonight's pack is another custom Opening Day 2015, so let's see what surprises await us!

Joey Belle 1990 UD - Indians (Wahoo!) - Jacksonville Jobu (Wahoo!!)
Eric Davis 1988 Donruss - Reds - Northampton Therapists (Wahoo!!)
Carlos Santana 2013 Topps Archives - Indians (Wahoo!) - Jacksonville Jobu (Wahoo!! x2)
Hunter Pence 2015 Donruss Elite - Giants - Captain Canucks (Wahoo!!)
Mike Huff 1992 OPC Premier - White Sox - Free Agent
Prince Fielder 2013 Topps Archives - Tigers - TSHensons (Wahoo!!)
Paul Shuey 2004 Topps Total - Dodgers - Free Agent
Mark Belanger 1983 Topps - Dodgers - Free Agent
Ian Kennedy 2015 Donruss - Padres - Free Agent
Alexei Ramirez 2015 Donruss - White Sox - Free Agent

Wow, for a brief moment, I thought we might have a perfect pack. That was completely blown away! Congratulations to everyone getting cards here - especially Jobu who snagged a two-hitter!





Tuesday, May 5, 2015

#PackaDailyCircus - 031 - Deja Vu 1989 all over again!?

Hey folks! Tonight, I am opening a pack of 1989 Topps. We seem to be doing a lot of the older stuff this season. I'm not sure how you feel about that, but that is the beauty of all this randomness!

Tommy John - Yankees - GCRLs (Wahoo!!)
Don Robinson - Giants - Free Agent
Ozzie Smith All-Star - Cardinals - Maddings (Wahoo!!)
John Costello - Cardinals - Free Agent
John Smiley - Pirates - Free Agent
Orel Hershiser Record Breaker - Dodgers - Enamel Rods (Wahoo!!)
Steve Bedrosian - Phillies - Free Agent
Carlos Quintana - Red Sox - Free Agent
Ellis Burks - Red Sox - Kentucky Quarrys (Wahoo!!)
Mike Moore - Mariners - Free Agent
Mike Schmidt - Phillies - Eastern Virginia Mutts (Wahoo!!)
Dave Anderson - Dodgers - Free Agent
Carlos Quintana - Red Sox - Free Agent
Charlie Hough - Rangers - Joliet Convicts (Wahoo!!)
Tim Belcher - Dodgers - Free Agent
Bobby Meacham - Yankees - Free Agent

I had to check and re-check some of these. I thought for sure we had seen the likes of Quintana, Smiley, and Bedrosian before, but I could find anything from this season. I guess my brain is playing tricks on me. Well, congratulations to the managers adding cards to their respective stacks! Some of these free agents are in the current draft, so maybe that's where my confusion stems. I dunno. I certainly have some serious deja vu...






Monday, May 4, 2015

#PackADailyCircus - 030 - Triple Play!

Greetings! I thought it would be fun to pop open a pack of Triple Play (2012) tonight. So, grab your favorite cold beverage and a bowl of your favorite crunchy snack and let's see what we have here:

Matt Kemp - Dodgers - Night Owls (Wahoo!!)
Yu Darvish - Rangers - RJBreeze (Wahoo!!)
Eric Hosmer - Royals - Ventura County Royals (Wahoo!!)
Bats and Balls Tattoos - #2 - Free Agent
Adrian Gonzalez Sticker - Red Sox - GCRLs (Wahoo!!)
Starlin Castro Puzzle 4 of 9 - Cubs - Pedersejs (Wahoo!!)
Evan Longoria Puzzle 8 of 9 - Rays - TSHensons (Wahoo!!)

Wow! Nearly a perfect pack! That is cool. Congratulations to each of the managers pulling players from this pack!


Sunday, May 3, 2015

#PackADailyCircus - 029 - The Large Chips

Hey everyone! I sent a message out to managers that we FINALLY have a draft up! Wahoo!! As I mentioned yesterday, tonight, I am opening a custom pack of A&G Minis from Nachos Grande. I have no idea what's in here, so let's see what cardboard goodness is inside:

Wilbur Wright - Inventor - Free Agent
Jose Abreu - White Sox - Jacksonville Jobu (Wahoo!!)
Kendrys Morales - Mariners - GCRLs (Wahoo!!)
Yoenis Cespedes - A's - Pedersejs (Wahoo!!)
Russell Wilson - Seahawks - Free Agent
Tony Cingrani - Reds - Free Agent
Christian Yelich - Marlins - Free Agent
Refael Nadal - Tennis Pro - Free Agent
Evan Longoria - Rays - TSHensons (Wahoo!!)
Elvis Andrus - Rangers - Play at the Plates (Wahoo!!)
Bob Dylan - Singer - Free Agent
Martin Prado - Diamondbacks - Cobb County SuperChickens (Wahoo!!)
Derek Jeter - Yankees - Bo Rosnys (Wahoo!!)
Jason Kipnis - Indians (Wahoo!) - Arkansas Tribecards (Wahoo!!)
David Price - Rays - TSHensons (Wahoo!! x2)
Stan Musial - Cardinals - Wilsons (Wahoo!!)
Lance Berkman - Rangers - Illinois Jafronius (Wahoo!!)
Jimmy Rollins - Phillies - Night Owls (Wahoo!!)
Phil Mickelson - Golfer - Free Agent
Angel Pagan - Giants - Free Agent
James Shields - Royals - Free Agent
Freddie Freeman - Braves - Captain Canucks (Wahoo!!)
Ray Allen - Supersonics - Free Agent

Wow! These are very cool custom "fan" cards! They are all done in the 2008 Allen & Ginter Minis style. We have now added some non-baseball people to the mix! These will go in NEXT week's draft (not the current one). Congratulations to everyone getting hits from this cool pack. There are several others done up like this, too, so don't fret yet! I scanned the back of Kipnis so you could see what the backs look like:









Saturday, May 2, 2015

#PackADailyCircus - 028 - Am I being punk'd?

Hello, everyone!

Tonight, I am running a little behind. I grabbed one of the 2015 Opening Day packs that Play at the Plates sent, but... Something is a little off here. First of all, the pack has been opened then taped shut. Second, I can tell the card I'm looking at is NOT Opening Day just from the little bit I can see peeking out. Okay, let's rip into this contraption:

Brian Fisher 87 Donruss - Yankees - Free Agent
Mike Lavalliere 86 Donruss Rookies - Cardinals - Free Agent
Danny Tartabull 92 O-Pee-Chee Premiere - Yankees - Captain Canucks (Wahoo!!)
Homer Bailey 2013 Topps - Reds - Nachos Grande (Wahoo!!)
Trevor Wilson 92 Fleer Ultra - Giants - Free Agent
Andre Ethier 2013 Topps Archives - Dodgers - The Balking Dead (Wahoo!!)
Jack Cust 2011 Topps - Mariners - Free Agent
Tom Candiotti 88 Donruss - Indians (Wahoo!) - Arkansas Tribecards (Wahoo!!)
Josh Willingham 2013 Topps Archives - Twins - Free Agent
Mitch Williams 92 Score Dream Team - Phillies - RJBreezes (Wahoo!!)

When Brian told me that he was looking forward to seeing the homemade packs busted open, I can totally understand why now! These are great fun packs to bust for the Circus. Thanks again!! Congratulations to the managers who pulled cards (including yours truly! Wahoo!!). Tomorrow, I am going for a pack of the mini A&G customs from Nachos Grande. Look for it!





Friday, May 1, 2015

#PackADailyCircus - 027 - Play at the Plates donates packs and we bust one of them

Good evening, folks! When i came home today, there was a box of cards waiting for me. Not just cards, but a BUNCH of packs! The scan is a tiny fraction. There are all kinds of packs - 2015 Opening Day, Donruss, Upper Deck, and some of them are, in his words, "homemade." I'm not even sure what that means, but we will find out during the season!  THANK YOU, Brian! Wahoo!!


Tonight, I am opening a jumbo pack of 2010 Upper Deck - you know, the "unauthorized" cards after Topps snagged back their monopoly, er, exclusive contract.

Kevin Richardson - Rangers - Free Agent
Carlos Lee - Astros - Illinois Jafronius (Wahoo!!)
Henry Rodriguez - A's - Free Agent
Mike Pelfrey - Mets - Free Agent
Omar Infante - Braves - Ventura County Royals (Wahoo!!)
Brad Lidge - Phillies - Free Agent
Matt Capps - Pirates - Free Agent
Chris Iannetta - Rockies - Free Agent
Jim Thome Biography HR 550 - White Sox - Arkansas Tribecards (Wahoo!!)
Prince Fielder Tape Measure Shots 460 - Brewers - TSHensons (Wahoo!!)
Pat Misch - Mets - Free Agent
Zack Greinke - Royals - Ventura County Royals (Wahoo!! x2)
Mat Gamel - Brewers - Thorzul (Wahoo!!)
Luis Perdomo - Padres - Free Agent
Brandon Phillips - Reds - Free Agent
Mark Lowe - Mariners - Free Agent
Seth Smith - Rockies - Bo Rosnys (Wahoo!!)
Houston Astros Ballparks - Astros - Free Agent
Joe Mauer - Twins - Play at the Plates (Wahoo!!)
Jayson Werth - Phillies - CaptKirk42s (Wahoo!!)
Reid Gorecki - Braves - Free Agent
Micah Owings - Reds - Free Agent
Brad Thompson - Cardinals - Free Agent
Matt Diaz - Braves - Free Agent
JP Howell - Rays - Free Agent
Mitch Stetter - Brewers - Free Agent
Derek Jeter - Yankees - Bo Rosnys (Wahoo!! x2)
Troy Tulowitzki Tape Measure Shots 458 - Rockies - Kentucky Quarrys (Wahoo!!)
Adam LaRoche - Braves - Captain Canucks (Wahoo!!)
Jack Taschner - Phillies - Free Agent
Bud Norris - Astros - Free Agent
Garrett Mock - Nationals - Free Agent
DJ Carrasco - White Sox - Free Agent
Jered Weaver, Kendry (sic) Morales Angels Checklist - Angels - Alecs All-Stars (Wahoo!!)/GCRLs (Wahoo!!)
Felix Pie - Orioles - Free Agent
Washington Nationals Ballparks - Nationals - Free Agent

Wow! Congrats, everyone! I snagged a Thome! Awesome! A couple of you managed to get two hits in there!

*Remember, if players are named on a card, it will be randomly given to one of the managers to whom those players belong.
*Kendrys Morales was misspelled on the card. I can assume is is an UER.