2023 trade package #11: Scribbled Ink

This evening's trade package comes from buddy of the blog Paul, a Michigan transplant living in New Hampshire. Throughout the year I can pretty much count on Paul sending me a few oddly shaped packages containing stuff I've never seen or heard of, and that's exactly what happened here. This one included cards, sure, and we'll look at those first, but those of you who don't skip the rest of the post will be rewarded with some very cool collectibles!

The cards portion opens open with a pair of Cronenworths, which is a great way to start. Jake and Rich Hill are Michigan's two main alumni in MLB right now, though Hill's fellow lefty Tommy Henry's been pitching a bit for Arizona as well. And out of the trio, Cronenworth isn't a pitcher while also being a young-ish semistar, so he's made a good number of cardboard appearances. Thank you to Paul for including him here, especially that cool Refractor!

Griffey's next and he gets three additions to his collection: a Fleer/SI base issue which is a collaboration I've always enjoyed, a fold-out mini-poster from the same product, and a numbered (/299) parallel of a 2022 Topps insert celebrating big postseason moments. If you're too young to remember Ken Griffey Jr.'s winning run in the '95 ALDS against the Yankees (plus his five homers in the series), well check it out!

Fellow PC guys and co-HOF entrants Gwynn and Ripken also made appearances in this package. Mr. Padre is seen on 2022 Topps diamond-themed insert that treats him as the baseball royalty he is. Meanwhile, Junior Ripken's cameo is a 2018 Storybook Endings insert that talks about his 2001 retirement.

Paul doubled up on the ex-UM players with a basketball representative in Chris Webber. One of the most famous to play in Ann Arbor, the NBA HOFer appears on a card that almost literally screams 90s in its design (Fleer's Skybox Z-Force).

I thought it would be fun to scan the fully folded out Griffey mini poster and also include the pair of stickers Paul sent me from the fine folks who produce his bats (and I believe his son's as well?) for his adult league, the Walter Bat Company. Based on the interaction I've seen between them on Twitter they seem very communicative and easy to work with which is awesome when you're paying for someone to make something you're comfortable with. Kudos to them for great customer service!

And now we get to the first of the non-card items, and what a fantastic one it is! Apparently a company named Spectra Star sold these marbles with player images embedded in them in the early 90s. This group is "Set #2" and includes HOFers Yount, Ripken, and McGriff, certified star Fielder, and Cory Snyder, who was kind of decent in 1988.

The back gives you some stats of the players plus the flip side of the marbles, which contain team logos. Up top you can see the groupings from the other three sets, and now I kind of want at least two of the others if not the rest, as one includes Jim Abbott and Ken Griffey Jr. (plus Paul's PC guys Canseco and Ryan), and another has ex-Wolverine Chris Sabo.

I love the oddball 90s-ness of these and like the idea of keeping them in the packaging for display purposes. If I end up picking up the rest I'll make sure to show them off here, and I'll give another hat tip to Paul for introducing them to me.

Here's something I definitely didn't expect either: a book written by "Al Kaline's last bat boy," Dennis Clotworthy. It was released around 2014 and considering the number of great stories I have to imagine the author has about Kaline and his teammates from that era, this should be a very interesting read I'll be sure to check out once I'm caught up on a couple other books.

Oh, and it happens to be signed by the impeccably-named author, too! I'm a fan of the "Go Tigers!" inscription and love that he abbreviates his former title as "L.B.B." Rest assured I'll let my fellow Tigers fans know how this was once I've read it.

Last up is a 20-year-old Fleer-produced team truck. I think I was at least vaguely aware of these or something like them from the team (when discussing them with others the name White Rose came up too). While that terrible 43-119 squad led by an overmatched Alan Trammell is one I'd rather not remember, this is a very cool item that I'll be happy to display somewhere in my card room or on my living room bookshelves with similar collectibles that show off my pride in the team I continue to root for no matter what.

Here's a quick look at the bottom of the box which shows that these were apparently limited to 1500 made, making me wonder how much they were distributed regionally as opposed to nationally.

And one last shot of the top of the packaging to give you a bit more detail.

Paul, thanks for some great cards and even cooler surprise oddball stuff! I appreciate you always keeping me on my toes as I never know what you're going to send and what rabbit holes you'll send me down (seriously, those marbles are too cool!).

Looking over at my card desk I think I'm down to just two more blogger trades but that can always change quickly so maybe I'll try to get to them soon so those generous folks can get their due. Until then, go get 'em, Tigers!

2019 trade package #21: Scribbled Ink

A couple Saturdays ago I got to do another fun in-person trade with fellow Michigander Paul of Scribbled Ink while we attended that day's Tigers/Red Sox game.  He had an extra ticket available and I jumped at the chance to get to a game for free since I hadn't been yet this year, mostly owing to the team's awful roster and performance.

Despite some extremely persistent rain that caused a four-hour delay I had lots of fun even taking into account starter Jordan Zimmermann's trademark ineffectiveness.  Mookie Betts and birthday boy Andrew Benintendi put on a show for the visitors while the Tigers rallied to make it interesting.  Meanwhile, Paul was somehow able to sell both of our giveaway items--Miguel Cabrera bobblehead picture frames--and I used a gift card to buy both of us a 10-card set commemorating the '84 champs.  More on that in a future post.

Anyway, I'm always glad to trade with Paul, especially in-person so we save the shipping cost and risk of USPS destruction.  Also, he's always good for stuff I know I'll need since he's a TCDB wizard.  Here's what he brought me this time:

First up is a 2005 Bazooka 4-in-1 sticker starring PC guy Ken Griffey Jr. and a supporting cast of Bartolo Colon, Manny Ramirez, and Dontrelle Willis.  Who would have thought that 14 years later Colon would still be active?!  Also, I wonder if any of my readers are young enough that they don't remember how much of a sensation Willis was with the Marlins?

Junior's fellow HOF "G"-man Tony Gwynn is next, in the form of a sweet, uh, Sweet Spot base from '03, plus a rare baseball entry from Press Pass Fusion (2009).  The latter is a college-themed product that includes baseball, basketball, and football, plus less sporty things like poker and racing.

Paul may not be a college collector like I am but he definitely knows which one I collect, and that explains the next four cards of former Michigan diamond stars Drew Henson, Rich Hill, and Barry Larkin.  Henson obviously flamed out, but I'm glad that "Dick Mountain" is still going--at least somewhat, since he's still on the IL.  He's the other two-card guy today with Topps flagship base issues from 2017 and '19, giving me 298 unique Hill items.  Almost milestone time again!  Larkin, meanwhile, pops up on one of his Donruss Originals appearances from 2002, a fun reminder of a set I really enjoy.

One good Junior is worth another so why not have Cal tag along?  The throwback SS looks right at home on the vintage-y 2014 GQ N174 insert, which I'm assuming is a reference to one of the many old-old-old school sets cataloged by Jefferson Burdick.

And finally, Paul covered his bases (pun not intended) with a new Verlander insert for me.  I initially mistook this 2018 Topps Chrome parallel for an X-Fractor because that's where my aging collector's mind goes when it sees this pattern, but eventually I believe I correctly pinned it down as a Prism Refractor.  Refractors are awesome, JV is awesome, this card is awesome, end of story.

That marks the end of the card items but Paul had another surprise in store:

A super glossy paperback book made around the time Ripken broke Gehrig's Iron Man streak.  He said he found this at a garage sale, and hearing that makes me think I should make more of an effort to check them out once in a while.  There's a ton to enjoy here and I'll likely get down to reading it soon, but for now here's a look inside:

You can see the top cover is embossed or raised while the inside cover is glossy like the rest of the book.

There are sections on different topics by a number of authors, discussing his offense and defense, comparing him to Gehrig, highlighting his family, etc.  I grabbed a shot of this two-page spread because of the sweet six-panel action photo at the bottom.

Besides the articles there's a number of one- and two-page photos like this one of Cal waiting on-deck at Camden yards.  This is very much a visually appealing book!

Lastly I'm including a look at the book's final section (other than an appendix with an interview), a career timeline.  I like how each page covers a year while the timeline below goes into specific events and includes examples of his baseball cards and magazines, among others.

While paging through the book I also came across this fold-out poster advertising cards from the 2006 season.  Paul mentioned he had a bunch of these from a previous retail job and was thoughtful enough to include it.  Each team is represented (Pudge for the Tigers, in this case), with a card from Fleer, Upper Deck, or Topps.  Cool!

Paul, thanks again especially for inviting me to the game, and for all of this great stuff.  I know you don't have much time for blogging anymore thanks to TDCBing, but I'm looking forward to your next summary post!

Earl and Stan

Yesterday was a very sad day for MLB fans as Hall-of-Famers Earl Weaver and Stan Musial both passed away.  I realize that this has been covered fairly comprehensively by bloggers better than I already, but I wanted to make sure I also did something to honor two of baseball's greatest men and the impact they had on the game we all love.

Weaver was a manager who knew how to win, as his 1480-1060 record, including one World Series title in four appearances, would attest.  But just as importantly, he became a fan favorite thanks to his fiery temper, something you just don't see enough nowadays, especially with Bobby Cox no longer part of the game.  If you were watching the Orioles from the 60s into the 80s, this was a very common sight:

I guess 94 career ejections are enough to become part of your legacy.  But old Earl probably knew what he was doing--he'll also be remembered well as one of the game's greatest strategists.  Apparently he was the person who led the charge in terms of measuring pitching velocity with radar guns.  Just as significantly, he was one of the earlier managers to realize the usefulness of statistics in optimizing matchups, something some teams STILL struggle with today.

Weaver was a pioneer, a spitfire, a proven winner, and ultimately, a fan favorite and legend.  Major League Baseball and Orioles fans will miss him dearly.

While I don't have any significant items of Weaver in my collection, I do want to make sure people are aware of a pretty good book in which he features:  Jim Palmer's Together We Were Eleven Foot Nine.

It's definitely worth a read, so make sure to check it out if you get a chance.

Stan Musial, of course, is the other legend we lost yesterday, though his passing wasn't quite so unexpected as he'd been dealing with health issues for quite a while.  It was no less tragic for baseball fans, however, because he was possibly baseball's best living player, with Willie Mays as part of that conversation.  But more than Mays, and perhaps more than almost any other player, Stan was extremely well-liked by his peers and fans alike.  A supremely talented by humble and friendly player, Musial was notably never ejected from a single game in his career.

Much has been said about his conversion from pitcher to slugger, his military service and the seasons he missed in the prime of his career, and his transcendent statistics.  For some reason, he's still managed to remain fairly low-profile despite a legendary career and his welcoming personality.  If nothing else, hopefully his death brings his name back into consideration as one of the greatest the game has seen.

In my collecting experience, I've been a bit more fortunate when it came to "The Man," as you can see above.  I grabbed the Topps 3000th hit card at a show some time last year, then added the autograph, a coup as far as I was concerned, for just $30 in late October.  At an upcoming show I may do my collection a favor and see if I can score any more vintage gems of a guy who's criminally underrepresented in my PC, not to mention the discussions of baseball's greatest.

Like Weaver, I can also recommend a pretty good book about Musial:  George Vecsey's Stan Musial:  An American Life.  It's an outstanding biography that does a great job of documenting the amazing life of an unassuming kid from Donora, PA.

Those two greats will be missed by many, and that certainly includes myself.  Given that fans suffered those two significant losses in the same day, I hope the baseball gods give us a long reprieve so we can remember to enjoy those who are still with us.  RIP Earl and Stan.

Card show report: May 5, 2012: Rick Leach/vintage RC edition

This morning I hit up the first card show I'd been to in a while, and it certainly turned out nicely.  Highlights:

Rich Leach (l), former Michigan football star and Detroit Tigers first-rounder, signing autographs.  To his left is author Kurt A. David, who signed his book that featured a chapter on Leach, who also signed copies of the book (see below).

Me and Rick Leach.  Bonus points for lack of hoverhands!  

The signed book in question, which should be an interesting read.  It discusses post-sports career transitions of various area athletes, including Leach, Dave Bing, Frank Tanana, and more.  The deal was $20 for the book signed by both guys, plus an additional Leach autograph.  Pretty nice!

My inscription, from the author.  Definitely a nice guy, and if the book's any good I hope he does well.

A much-welcomed "Go Blue" inscription from one of the all-time great Michigan Men!

My Tigers ball gets a new signature.  On this panel alone you can see Leach (and his #7), Al Kaline and former Tiger P A.J. Sager.  The rest of the ball includes Tigers mascot "Paws", Don Wert, Mickey Lolich, Willie Horton, and I believe Matt Anderson and Gabe Kapler.  I like getting this eclectic signature ball signed especially because I figure signers won't think I'm out to sell it immediately.  That and it's fun to have such a wide range of guys sign it, though it's getting pretty full.

Besides some much needed top-loaders of various sizes, I did buy a few cards too:

Trade bait:

Here's a cool Biggio jersey that's already promised to Sam in a trade we just arranged.  Unfortunately just plain white, but very Refractory and #d to 50.

Somehow I got the feeling Jeff might like this 1961 Topps Billy Williams RC.  I was right--he's pretty geeked, so this one's also spoken for.  This, as well as the few other vintage cards that follow, came from a guy from whom you've seen cards previously, and he charges a reasonable 10% of Beckett's hi book for not-exactly-mint vintage stuff, which makes them very affordable.

This Brett '75 Topps RC is up for grabs.  I couldn't remember if I had this version or the Mini and I didn't bother to check, but I guess I have this one, only graded.  I might crack that one open at some point due to its low grade, but for now, this one, condition defects and all, is available.  It's got some bad corners and creasing, plus it's torn pretty much starting from the second "T" in his last name (which you can sorta see in the scan) but it's still a cool RC.  I paid $8 for it so I'd take that or the usual stuff I like in return for it if anybody wants it.

For $2 (in addition to $18 I spent on some Michigan guys you'll see on TMM tomorrow), I grabbed this 2005 Topps Pack Wars Helton jersey because I'd be happy enough keeping it, though I'm betting one of my Rockies readers will step up and claim it.  Not bad, including a nice purple pinstripe.  Have at it!

Personal collection stuff:

These last three came from the aforementioned vintage guy.  I'm very excited about what I got, but I'm saving the best for last.

 Fred Lynn 1975 Topps RC

Jim Rice 1975 Topps RC:

This pair came surprisingly cheap, even at 90% off.  I'm glad to add another pair of 1975 Topps RCs to my expanding collection of rookies and other stars from that set.  These two guys were going to be part of the nucleus that was going to win multiple championships, but alas it never happened.  Speaking of Red Sox stars that never won a World Series...

Jesus H. Tapdancing Christ on a Cracker, is that approximately 96% of a Carl Yastrzemski 1960 Topps RC?  Why yes it is.  This guy set me back $25 smackers, but you aren't gonna convince me it wasn't worth it.  This is easily one of my highest-end RCs regardless of its condition.  Finding a gem like this helps remind me why I always check that guy's table when I hit up shows even though I'm not an avid vintage collector.  It's definitely been my best source of vintage stars and RCs, and I look forward to finding more gems like this in the future!

Keep an eye on the other blog tomorrow for a few more Michigan-specific pickups.

These Juniors aren't mint, but they were free

I realize this isn't a trade post, so it won't garner that many hits, but I thought some of you might still be interested in this.  I hit up the Ann Arbor District Library today as I sometimes do, and on my way out I scoped out the cart of free books, as I'm also wont to do.  I noticed a nice stack of baseball-related books and upon closer inspection, found three which piqued my interest enough to bring them home:

In order, we have Baseball America Almanacs from 1996 and 1998 plus a 1993 Baltimore Orioles media guide.

The almanacs were part of a larger stack that included a couple other years, plus some of their minor league handbooks, none of which interested me enough, plus I thought taking three books was more than enough.  Although the cover shots of Juniors Ripken and Griffey were my prime motivation for grabbing them, from my experience with other versions they're actually quite interesting to have beyond the collecting aspect as they include such info as a recap of the previous season, stats, draft info and more.  But really, getting a shot of Cal during 2131 night and Griffey probably bashing a homer would have been sufficient alone.

The media guide was more of a lark.  It's not as wide as the other two and it's your standard media guide, really, with a look at that year's team, a recap of the previous season, stats, schedules, player profiles and more.  I'd be just as happy to hold onto it, but I'm making it available to any Orioles fan or anybody else that would like to claim it.  Just shoot me an email or leave a comment, first come, first served.  You can either have it for the exact cost of shipping (I'm thinking Media Mail, if possible, though it may fit a flat rate box) or trade me something for it, your choice.

Not bad for some freebies, eh?