tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-905460678026881482024-03-14T04:40:19.263-05:00Summer of '74A Baseball Card BlogMatt Priggehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16611932704321174498noreply@blogger.comBlogger151125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-90546067802688148.post-62496505792798001912019-04-15T14:50:00.000-05:002019-04-15T14:50:49.225-05:002019 Brewers NOW is LIVE<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My most anticipated release of the 2019 card season was the return of my own Brewers NOW brand and... with a fresh blanket of goddamn snow on the ground... a bit of summer arrived in my mailbox today with the first installment of this year's set, ordered via the Rookie App for iPhone. </span><br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-o70ZvBN2T7c/XLTa8MBZxgI/AAAAAAAACWU/C7jtYnPeI1436nbkaex915vSlLSDqGUxQCEwYBhgL/s1600/Photo%2BApr%2B15%252C%2B1%2B57%2B34%2BPM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-o70ZvBN2T7c/XLTa8MBZxgI/AAAAAAAACWU/C7jtYnPeI1436nbkaex915vSlLSDqGUxQCEwYBhgL/s320/Photo%2BApr%2B15%252C%2B1%2B57%2B34%2BPM.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I opted for the low-key look of 1985 Donruss this year, after using a pseudo-80s Topps look for 2018. This is one of the 15 or so design templates in the Rookies app and it wasn't one that I was giving much consideration when I first began to plan for this year's set. But I liked the idea of an all-black boarded set and the simple layout and large photo area grew on me. Seeing these in person for the first time, I am really impressed with how they turned out. Lorenzo Cain gets the honors as card #1 this year, and I love that image of him after his game-saving catch on Opening Day. I wanted to get at least one card in the set with a photo from the Brewers' exhibition games in Montreal just after Spring Training ended, and I found a decent one for the Brandon Woodruff card. </span><br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PRMIc1ra6G8/XLTa87ZHqpI/AAAAAAAACWU/yXfm89keE8UM8K-Qur_n8F9r133WVbkUwCEwYBhgL/s1600/Photo%2BApr%2B15%252C%2B1%2B57%2B55%2BPM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PRMIc1ra6G8/XLTa87ZHqpI/AAAAAAAACWU/yXfm89keE8UM8K-Qur_n8F9r133WVbkUwCEwYBhgL/s320/Photo%2BApr%2B15%252C%2B1%2B57%2B55%2BPM.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One thing absent from this year's set will be coaches cards. I went all-out last time and made cards for the entire staff. But with some significant turn-over for 2019, I was worried that I wouldn't be able to find photos of all the new guys (several of my coach cards from last year were years-old photos). So I'm keeping it simple and making only a card of skipper Craig Counsell, capturing a rare moment where he is smiling in the dugout. </span><br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gTtbneQ8tmg/XLTbPx6qOKI/AAAAAAAACWs/AfAqdciSf5URh-GrHFG7d3NqoQbg3dNswCEwYBhgL/s1600/Photo%2BApr%2B15%252C%2B1%2B58%2B42%2BPM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gTtbneQ8tmg/XLTbPx6qOKI/AAAAAAAACWs/AfAqdciSf5URh-GrHFG7d3NqoQbg3dNswCEwYBhgL/s320/Photo%2BApr%2B15%252C%2B1%2B58%2B42%2BPM.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here's a pair of fun pics... the close-up on Grandal and a peek-a-boo shot of Freddy Peralta. I might stick true to the 80s theme and include more candid portraits like the Grandal in this year's set. We'll see how it shakes out. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You'll notice the accent color changing on these. I got a bit clever here and decided to alternate red-blue-white every three cards, setting up a nice look for the binder. It also gives that cool and very-80s splayed out look. </span><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HbSqyuBuIh8/XLTbKMa8jiI/AAAAAAAACWc/e9Z_wzRZHQk3-ZzRXrHkOaalG03b0hOaACEwYBhgL/s1600/Photo%2BApr%2B15%252C%2B1%2B58%2B16%2BPM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HbSqyuBuIh8/XLTbKMa8jiI/AAAAAAAACWc/e9Z_wzRZHQk3-ZzRXrHkOaalG03b0hOaACEwYBhgL/s320/Photo%2BApr%2B15%252C%2B1%2B58%2B16%2BPM.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mr. MVP, of course, needs a stand-out card, and I was glad to find this fun pic of him after the sweep of the Reds. </span><br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-T6ROR4lo9tA/XLTbLJ0OiWI/AAAAAAAACWg/toXQxnkK-Po0G-d30BEyy0-K5R9a8aR6ACEwYBhgL/s1600/Photo%2BApr%2B15%252C%2B1%2B58%2B25%2BPM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-T6ROR4lo9tA/XLTbLJ0OiWI/AAAAAAAACWg/toXQxnkK-Po0G-d30BEyy0-K5R9a8aR6ACEwYBhgL/s320/Photo%2BApr%2B15%252C%2B1%2B58%2B25%2BPM.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And here's an example of the backside. Sticking with the Donurss theme, I'm giving these guys the full-name treatment and including contract status info. I was never big into Donruss as a kid, but always got a kick from seeing the player's full names. I still remember being FLOORED when I learned Nolan Ryan's real first name was Lynn. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here are a pair of the season highlight cards. Again, this was a design I didn't really want anything to do with, but once I started playing around with it, I came to love the look. It has a hint of '71 Topps and leave plenty of space for vital info. I didn't include any game info (date, score) on last year's highlights, but I think it really works here. And I am alternating color schemes here as well, swapping blue for gold on every other card. These are both from Opening Day. </span><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qqa-Epp5LgA/XLTbeG4W9WI/AAAAAAAACW4/vRGTllkQkG8NXxQP7VDHtGW4yQPkFYpUgCEwYBhgL/s1600/Photo%2BApr%2B15%252C%2B1%2B59%2B24%2BPM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qqa-Epp5LgA/XLTbeG4W9WI/AAAAAAAACW4/vRGTllkQkG8NXxQP7VDHtGW4yQPkFYpUgCEwYBhgL/s320/Photo%2BApr%2B15%252C%2B1%2B59%2B24%2BPM.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Both the back designs for the highlights and player cards remain the same as last year, as the Rookies app only has these two options for backs with any content. But it works out well and I've learned to cut back on the text for these cards, as to leave them clean and readable. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Of course, the ultimate test for these is how they look paged-up. I gotta say, I really dig the way these came out. </span><br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7THYgGt0qM0/XLTbn_1sA5I/AAAAAAAACXA/_spfpOxeSFIo_cN6INNxtAiUk55NUMJHQCEwYBhgL/s1600/Photo%2BApr%2B15%252C%2B2%2B03%2B31%2BPM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7THYgGt0qM0/XLTbn_1sA5I/AAAAAAAACXA/_spfpOxeSFIo_cN6INNxtAiUk55NUMJHQCEwYBhgL/s320/Photo%2BApr%2B15%252C%2B2%2B03%2B31%2BPM.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Even more so for the highlight cards. The point of all this is to tell the story of season, and I'm thrilled that I'm well on my way again this year. Now, all the Brewers need to do is win the World Series... </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Easy peasy, yeah? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span>Matt Priggehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16611932704321174498noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-90546067802688148.post-53037857044502494622019-03-02T16:31:00.001-06:002019-03-02T16:31:41.118-06:00A Little Change Did Me Good...<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tis the season for change, right? Why not? Things are changing me for me in good ways lately. I just landed a new job as a reference librarian, which is a great change since I'm going to be graduating in May with a degree in Library Science. I had been searching for a while, and to celebrate the end of stressful time, I decided to hit up an area card show. Of course, I'm still not getting PAID the new money, so I decided to use some old money - namely, all of the change I could find in our apartment. It ended up totaling over $58 and I even <a href="https://twitter.com/mjpmke/status/1101343835987365888" target="_blank">held a little twitter contest</a> for whoever guessed closest based on some pictures I posted. It was such a hit that people are STILL guessing, even though I've already posted the answer and named a winner. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The show was in Oak Creek, way the the hell south of me, down by the airport. It was small space, but a nice show with a pretty decent crowd. Admission was free and guests could even help themselves to two free packs (2019 Topps even!) as the walked in. I didn't have much of a plan for the show, but wanted to fill some set needs and hopefully find some good vintage deals. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And set needs I filled indeed. I picked up a gang of 1971 Topps I needed as well as some stars from other 70s sets. </span><br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lbbZvGRM5iQ/XHsCcZfEPqI/AAAAAAAACUY/fIVau_eNOXkERxQLfV2kSAiCcktOw7SmQCLcBGAs/s1600/Photo%2BMar%2B02%252C%2B3%2B25%2B53%2BPM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lbbZvGRM5iQ/XHsCcZfEPqI/AAAAAAAACUY/fIVau_eNOXkERxQLfV2kSAiCcktOw7SmQCLcBGAs/s320/Photo%2BMar%2B02%252C%2B3%2B25%2B53%2BPM.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Dig these bad boys. The Yaz and Fisk were $2 each and the two Aaron were $4 each. That '75 Aaron is a hell of deal. I have one already, but now I can have one in both my '75 set and in my Brewers collection. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Speaking of Brewers, I also filled some holes in my Brewers autograph needs list. Two dollars for Matt Garza was both a deal and made me feel like I'd been cheated. </span><br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Uh7Mwe9LLaU/XHsDZUdm6ZI/AAAAAAAACUs/G4yqAoR54egE3CfFk9mEQ2hNmoip7IWCQCLcBGAs/s1600/Photo%2BMar%2B02%252C%2B3%2B29%2B27%2BPM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Uh7Mwe9LLaU/XHsDZUdm6ZI/AAAAAAAACUs/G4yqAoR54egE3CfFk9mEQ2hNmoip7IWCQCLcBGAs/s320/Photo%2BMar%2B02%252C%2B3%2B29%2B27%2BPM.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sticking with the Crew, I was thrilled to find these two All-Decade team sets. They were issued as stadium give-aways during the 2001 season and are notoriously hard to find. I had the 70s set but could not find the 80s and 90s sets for less than $20 each on the bay. I snagged these two for $3 each. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And I managed to strike another long-time want off my lists when I found this 1991 Topps Desert Shield Greg Vaughn for JUST A DOLLAR. I know there are lots of fakes out there of this set, and I was fully expected this to turn out to be phony, but everything I read online after the show indicates it's the real deal. </span><br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-p4nsvgFC-7s/XHsBcYXEX9I/AAAAAAAACUQ/KwSxPbfQ1YUTvX2GhTP3vUkbQCvN_0aNACEwYBhgL/s1600/Photo%2BMar%2B02%252C%2B3%2B23%2B31%2BPM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-p4nsvgFC-7s/XHsBcYXEX9I/AAAAAAAACUQ/KwSxPbfQ1YUTvX2GhTP3vUkbQCvN_0aNACEwYBhgL/s320/Photo%2BMar%2B02%252C%2B3%2B23%2B31%2BPM.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Back to vintage, I got this pair of #1s for $3 total.</span><br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-avySwFbdPfM/XHr_VBXmSxI/AAAAAAAACTI/WKsgDhbgjB0KKx0xaPe_n8AI8uWu7kZJACEwYBhgL/s1600/Photo%2BMar%2B02%252C%2B3%2B21%2B00%2BPM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-avySwFbdPfM/XHr_VBXmSxI/AAAAAAAACTI/WKsgDhbgjB0KKx0xaPe_n8AI8uWu7kZJACEwYBhgL/s320/Photo%2BMar%2B02%252C%2B3%2B21%2B00%2BPM.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And this sweet Dick Allen for a buck.</span><br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZzWDTm4s6RA/XHsCjlhSSxI/AAAAAAAACUk/hcosMdhKVi8uzZvjZ3yd5weQf_ZRp6o1wCEwYBhgL/s1600/Photo%2BMar%2B02%252C%2B3%2B26%2B56%2BPM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZzWDTm4s6RA/XHsCjlhSSxI/AAAAAAAACUk/hcosMdhKVi8uzZvjZ3yd5weQf_ZRp6o1wCEwYBhgL/s320/Photo%2BMar%2B02%252C%2B3%2B26%2B56%2BPM.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And what I guess would be Eddie Gaedel's rookie card, from the 1961 Nu-Card Scoops set. This ran me $2. </span><br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SeFkmtc50sw/XHsAApFz5OI/AAAAAAAACTs/gJ2ne29_hHMz-FEuLhzVXnC55rx5ZtTywCEwYBhgL/s1600/Photo%2BMar%2B02%252C%2B3%2B24%2B23%2BPM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SeFkmtc50sw/XHsAApFz5OI/AAAAAAAACTs/gJ2ne29_hHMz-FEuLhzVXnC55rx5ZtTywCEwYBhgL/s320/Photo%2BMar%2B02%252C%2B3%2B24%2B23%2BPM.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And the Ol' Perfesser! Looking miserable as the skipper of the 150-loss 1961 Mets. Just $3. </span><br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-aeovJZcGOsA/XHr_Y7bfdtI/AAAAAAAACTQ/BtrPY6EHU2sHeJf1SUZGZJMhTOoidWSawCEwYBhgL/s1600/Photo%2BMar%2B02%252C%2B3%2B22%2B13%2BPM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-aeovJZcGOsA/XHr_Y7bfdtI/AAAAAAAACTQ/BtrPY6EHU2sHeJf1SUZGZJMhTOoidWSawCEwYBhgL/s320/Photo%2BMar%2B02%252C%2B3%2B22%2B13%2BPM.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And how about a trio of second-year studs! Ok, so the Carew and Catfish are third-year cards, but whatever. Three baby-faced HOFers for less than the cost of two packs of 2019 flagship (which I got for free at the show, anyway). </span><br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QvrZBKvk5F8/XHr_mnv27hI/AAAAAAAACTY/8k2bc6NQG8YFwf8_ipX-YUrvpDOKVHsUQCEwYBhgL/s1600/Photo%2BMar%2B02%252C%2B3%2B22%2B38%2BPM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QvrZBKvk5F8/XHr_mnv27hI/AAAAAAAACTY/8k2bc6NQG8YFwf8_ipX-YUrvpDOKVHsUQCEwYBhgL/s320/Photo%2BMar%2B02%252C%2B3%2B22%2B38%2BPM.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But what about this Carew?? That's still about half what even the lowest-condition examples on eBay sell for. </span><br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9dt22c_hTrI/XHr_rYgDHZI/AAAAAAAACTY/okxqfFp8cncLJmIzsRej5TzkbweqwqivgCEwYBhgL/s1600/Photo%2BMar%2B02%252C%2B3%2B22%2B48%2BPM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9dt22c_hTrI/XHr_rYgDHZI/AAAAAAAACTY/okxqfFp8cncLJmIzsRej5TzkbweqwqivgCEwYBhgL/s320/Photo%2BMar%2B02%252C%2B3%2B22%2B48%2BPM.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hmm. Whatever, I consider that an upgrade. And you know what's kind of weird? Of all the pitchers who faced Rod Carew 35 or more times, only Rod Guidry held Carew to a lower AVG or slugger percentage than Sam McDowell. Carew only batted .174 off McDowell, managing only five singles in 35 trips to the plate. Carew never faced Dick Selma. </span><br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-92zBLJzFoDk/XHsAg_K3J2I/AAAAAAAACUE/LnmcsjmO-4Ip3HlOkGcBnuEV68JstcHzACEwYBhgL/s1600/Photo%2BMar%2B02%252C%2B3%2B27%2B11%2BPM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-92zBLJzFoDk/XHsAg_K3J2I/AAAAAAAACUE/LnmcsjmO-4Ip3HlOkGcBnuEV68JstcHzACEwYBhgL/s320/Photo%2BMar%2B02%252C%2B3%2B27%2B11%2BPM.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And then the BIG GET. A Billy Williams rookie card, which ran me just three dollars. Now, I'm not much of a Billy Williams fan (and those Cubs, wretch), but I couldn't hardly turn down a nearly 60 year old HOFer rookie for just three bucks. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And I even managed to leave the show with money in my pocket. Not a bad haul for a ten-bag sack of pennies and dimes. </span>Matt Priggehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16611932704321174498noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-90546067802688148.post-82660403791571473312019-02-23T15:26:00.000-06:002019-02-23T15:26:19.342-06:00I am the Keon King - A 2019 Goal Met<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">One of my 2019 collecting goals was to become of the "king" of something on the Trading Card Database. Well, less than two months into the year, I have done it. I am now officially the TCDB's #1 Keon Broxton collector. Not only that, but I've done it with ONLY Brewers cards - even though Keon has both Pirates and DBacks cardboard available. </span><br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-w05Es95g47w/XF9zZ8ciSKI/AAAAAAAACSI/dwLXtUgLgMsWbp3OPZyBisLOHyxbGt1aACEwYBhgL/s1600/keon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="446" data-original-width="717" height="198" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-w05Es95g47w/XF9zZ8ciSKI/AAAAAAAACSI/dwLXtUgLgMsWbp3OPZyBisLOHyxbGt1aACEwYBhgL/s320/keon.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So why Keon Broxton? Why a guy who played just a single full-time season with Brewers, never made an All Star team or won an award, and is now with the Mets? Well, it's pretty simple - Keon Broxton was a ton of fun to watch and has a lot of great cards. </span><br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HtfaW5Lp4lE/XF9zSNiz1cI/AAAAAAAACR4/111LnAcJ83UbA-Afl6PyR6m0aodS1YlAACEwYBhgL/s1600/Photo%2BFeb%2B09%252C%2B6%2B02%2B34%2BPM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HtfaW5Lp4lE/XF9zSNiz1cI/AAAAAAAACR4/111LnAcJ83UbA-Afl6PyR6m0aodS1YlAACEwYBhgL/s320/Photo%2BFeb%2B09%252C%2B6%2B02%2B34%2BPM.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This is the bunch that put me over the top - a six card lot of Topps High Tek that I picked up on eBay for a few bucks. The fact that not many other collectors are into Keon helps, as his stuff is usually pretty cheap. This lot yielded two numbered cards, for example, and cost me less than a buck each.</span><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PdhIk68eNR0/XF9zKTwcu7I/AAAAAAAACR0/muayvW5LHXocs3ck923XyzyKtJaHFkzzwCEwYBhgL/s1600/Photo%2BFeb%2B09%252C%2B6%2B00%2B06%2BPM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PdhIk68eNR0/XF9zKTwcu7I/AAAAAAAACR0/muayvW5LHXocs3ck923XyzyKtJaHFkzzwCEwYBhgL/s320/Photo%2BFeb%2B09%252C%2B6%2B00%2B06%2BPM.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Keon spent most of 2018 in AAA and has, despite from gaudy numbers, probably been no more than little better a league-average player so far in his three-year career. He strikes out a lot and doesn't hit for much of an average. And despite his speed, he doesn't rack up many doubles or triples. But when he connects, he can generate filthy power. He hit 20 homers in 2017, included a 489-foot monster in St. Louis that was the longest ever hit at Busch Stadium.</span><br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xYmzH3wa6Iw/XF9zj9zs4ZI/AAAAAAAACSI/VRWvuJEmA6IXOaKSx_ywLRncxaKrI-GvACEwYBhgL/s1600/Photo%2BFeb%2B09%252C%2B6%2B04%2B09%2BPM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xYmzH3wa6Iw/XF9zj9zs4ZI/AAAAAAAACSI/VRWvuJEmA6IXOaKSx_ywLRncxaKrI-GvACEwYBhgL/s320/Photo%2BFeb%2B09%252C%2B6%2B04%2B09%2BPM.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But he's someone that can really, really shine at times. He is something of an expert at robbing home runs. So much so that many of his cards are devoted to it.</span><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gMJASxC-TmU/XF9zXlgZ2rI/AAAAAAAACSA/eV2WH4p37z4iToDsySiWlz4bEk2T_PhHgCEwYBhgL/s1600/Photo%2BFeb%2B09%252C%2B6%2B03%2B34%2BPM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gMJASxC-TmU/XF9zXlgZ2rI/AAAAAAAACSA/eV2WH4p37z4iToDsySiWlz4bEk2T_PhHgCEwYBhgL/s320/Photo%2BFeb%2B09%252C%2B6%2B03%2B34%2BPM.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Does anyone else have TWO Topps Now cards dedicated to game-saving homer-robbing catches?</span><br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yCTJgYOBbqM/XF9z6a3JeKI/AAAAAAAACSQ/mSg_Iq8zf7U-ersQFVswAgulzLRxVvxHACEwYBhgL/s1600/Photo%2BFeb%2B09%252C%2B6%2B04%2B44%2BPM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yCTJgYOBbqM/XF9z6a3JeKI/AAAAAAAACSQ/mSg_Iq8zf7U-ersQFVswAgulzLRxVvxHACEwYBhgL/s320/Photo%2BFeb%2B09%252C%2B6%2B04%2B44%2BPM.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">He also got a Now card for his ridiculous game June 29 game against the Reds. Just a few days after his first game back with the Brewers (he was called up when Lorenzo Cain went on the DL), he hit two homers and made a great play in the field. It was one of a number of circus catches he made in his first week back. So impactful was with the glove that per baseball-reference.com, he had amassed a defensive war of 1 FOR THE WEEK. A 1 defensive war is a pretty decent <i>season</i>. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And aside from all this, I've always felt like Keon seemed like a pretty fun guy in general and someone you just wanted to pull for. He's personally liked TWO of my tweets about him and his fun-loving nature made him very gif-worthy. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img alt="milwaukee brewers cap tip GIF by MLB" class="sc-htpNat eEWWwP" src="https://media3.giphy.com/media/gQKEjgz5kGYoM/200w.webp?cid=3640f6095c5f702073645a452ea9b218" /> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But sadly, Keon didn't really have a place on the Brewers roster and a month or so ago they traded him to the Mets where I really do hope he finds regular playing time and lots of success. He saw some action in the NLDS this year - he even hit a homer - but as far as ways go to end your regular-season career with a team, there was really no better way to do it than this:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So long, Keon. </span>Matt Priggehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16611932704321174498noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-90546067802688148.post-11386850852294232092019-02-12T07:42:00.000-06:002019-02-12T07:42:49.871-06:00A tour of my 2018 BREWERSNOW set - Part II<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Here we go... after a mild twitter shaming from Vossbrink, I am back at posting my 2018 BrewersNOW set. You can check out the first 32 cards of the set <a href="http://summerof74blog.blogspot.com/2018/12/2018-brewers-now.html">here</a>. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I am proud to say that between me, <a href="https://njwv.wordpress.com/2018/04/10/giantsnow/">Nick</a>, and <a href="https://remembertheastrodome.blogspot.com/2019/02/it-is-finished.html">Marc Brubaker</a>, we've managed to create a nice little stir in the hobby. The wonderful <a href="https://sabrbaseballcards.blog/">SABR Baseball Commitee</a> blog wants a post summarizing our experiences, so I've been compelled to contribute this post, which will be linked in the SABR post. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Of course, with the new season approaching, there has been much chatter about rebooting the idea for 2019. Nick and Marc both used designed their own sets with photoshop-type programs (I'm hopelessly dumb when it comes to stuff like that) and then had them printed in sheets (Marc has yet to do this, as of this writing, actually) and cut them up. Nick sent me some of his a few weeks ago and DAMN was I impressed. They were on much thinner stock than my Rookies App cards, but the photos were sharper and he, of course, had much more leeway in the design and backside features. They were also MUCH cheaper than my cards, which ran about 80 cents each (I think Nick's cost about a nickle each). But I am still leaning towards using the Rookie App for 2019 - if I do a 2019 set. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My reticence is only that the 2018 season was SO great for the Brewers - literally the best year of Brewers baseball I've been around for, that trying the same thing in 2019 would be a set up for a let-down. Of course, the Brewers could very well repeat as NL Central Champs and make another playoff run, but there was something special in the symbiosis of this idea and that season that would be hard to replicate. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">AHHHAHAHAAH. Who am I kidding? I'm a junkie for this crap. Of Course I'm going to do it again. Anyway, on the second half of the player cards. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> 33. Jhouyls Chacin</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> 34. Matt Albers</span><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ourMsMzdiHk/XFz3FdcvwXI/AAAAAAAACQk/qC8QBgmY_ScKjg7FeY-9c_Mwi-_o5WcqQCEwYBhgL/s1600/Photo%2BOct%2B14%252C%2B8%2B46%2B58%2BPM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="829" data-original-width="583" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ourMsMzdiHk/XFz3FdcvwXI/AAAAAAAACQk/qC8QBgmY_ScKjg7FeY-9c_Mwi-_o5WcqQCEwYBhgL/s320/Photo%2BOct%2B14%252C%2B8%2B46%2B58%2BPM.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">35. Domingo Santana</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Domingo had a very rough start to the year and spent most of 2018 at AAA. He did come back up in August and September and had some huge hits along the way. He was traded to the Mariners in the offseason. </span><br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QaEnEwoRnrw/XFz3FH4LN-I/AAAAAAAACQY/UahCYQ1Y6nsFlNTj6O0Qd08Syh5IJGWLwCEwYBhgL/s1600/Photo%2BOct%2B14%252C%2B8%2B47%2B05%2BPM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="829" data-original-width="576" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QaEnEwoRnrw/XFz3FH4LN-I/AAAAAAAACQY/UahCYQ1Y6nsFlNTj6O0Qd08Syh5IJGWLwCEwYBhgL/s320/Photo%2BOct%2B14%252C%2B8%2B47%2B05%2BPM.jpg" width="222" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">36. Wade Miley</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I made this card during DL stints for Miley (this is actually him leaving a game with an injury) and didn't expect he'd end up anything like the team's defacto ace come October. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">37. Nick Franklin</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">One of the guys everyone forgets played for the '18 Crew, Franklin played in a single game and was injured, as depicted here. </span><br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Phx4XoSO6hA/XFz3Gbm-RQI/AAAAAAAACQg/2_8jBpVujt4JEzD-0iPymQ4O1PCTrcsiACEwYBhgL/s1600/Photo%2BOct%2B14%252C%2B8%2B47%2B20%2BPM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="818" data-original-width="586" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Phx4XoSO6hA/XFz3Gbm-RQI/AAAAAAAACQg/2_8jBpVujt4JEzD-0iPymQ4O1PCTrcsiACEwYBhgL/s320/Photo%2BOct%2B14%252C%2B8%2B47%2B20%2BPM.jpg" width="229" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">38. Derek Johnson</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Another guy who won't be back in the 2019 set, DJ jumped to the Reds this winter. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">39. Tyler Saladino</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This might be my second-favorite card in the set to the Lorenzo Cain from the previous post. That's Saladino in the dugout after his inside-the-park homer in Arizona. </span><br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CHKuQE1xVwc/XFz3HokVDyI/AAAAAAAACQk/8yMZw69esVsH5G2G1hLMCiEjSclGxG6YgCEwYBhgL/s1600/Photo%2BOct%2B14%252C%2B8%2B47%2B32%2BPM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="821" data-original-width="583" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CHKuQE1xVwc/XFz3HokVDyI/AAAAAAAACQk/8yMZw69esVsH5G2G1hLMCiEjSclGxG6YgCEwYBhgL/s320/Photo%2BOct%2B14%252C%2B8%2B47%2B32%2BPM.jpg" width="227" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">40. Dan Jennings</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">With relief pitcher photos limited, I had to horizontal-ize a few to get them to fit properly. I kind of like the sideways photo in the standard design, like Upper Deck used to do when horizontal cards were still a novelty. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">41. Carlos Subero</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">42. Corey Knebel</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The only card I redid due to an error, in which I spelled his name "Knabel."</span><br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Idz3dHBZmx0/XFz3IKjiYKI/AAAAAAAACQk/m5P1nTilC_ksSWXSMDzIpLnYhd8mfWtbQCEwYBhgL/s1600/Photo%2BOct%2B14%252C%2B8%2B48%2B03%2BPM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="823" data-original-width="595" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Idz3dHBZmx0/XFz3IKjiYKI/AAAAAAAACQk/m5P1nTilC_ksSWXSMDzIpLnYhd8mfWtbQCEwYBhgL/s320/Photo%2BOct%2B14%252C%2B8%2B48%2B03%2BPM.jpg" width="231" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">43. Freddy Peralta</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A hell of a debut for Freddy, in which he fanned 13 Rockies and took a no-hitter into the sixth. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">44. Brandon Woodruff</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">45. Boone Logan</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">46. Alex Asher</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This is the only photographic evidence I was able to find of Asher as a Brewer. I lifted it from a tweet from the team announcing he'd been sent to AAA. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">47. Zach Davies</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">48. Jason Lane</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">49. Erik Kratz</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Along with the Suter and the Counsell, these were the three I re-did to upgrade the pictures. Like with Counsell, I had to use an emotional moment to best capture the season. We see the beginnings of a chat between Kratz and ornery prick (who I totally love) Joey Votto that eventually cleared the benches. Kratz gave the quote of the year after the game, when asked what prompted the heated moment.<i> "We were discussing the Canadian dollar and flawed systems in our two
governments. He was coming from a different side of it, and we were just
discussing those kinds of things."</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> 50. Brad Miller</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> 51. Keon Broxton</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">52 Mike Zagurski</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">He will be the answer in a future Sporcle quiz about the 2018 Brewers that no one will ever remember. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> 53. Aaron Wilkerson</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">You'll notice we're kind of into the woods now. I made these cards mostly as the players debuted with the Brewers, so we're at the point in the season when lots of short-term bullpenners were being cycled between Milwaukee and AAA.</span><br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jOe2Om_32EA/XFz3K6LRg0I/AAAAAAAACQU/x5op4MP5YKQR8kpSB1Br50n6twzryMjYACEwYBhgL/s1600/Photo%2BOct%2B14%252C%2B8%2B51%2B30%2BPM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="816" data-original-width="569" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jOe2Om_32EA/XFz3K6LRg0I/AAAAAAAACQU/x5op4MP5YKQR8kpSB1Br50n6twzryMjYACEwYBhgL/s320/Photo%2BOct%2B14%252C%2B8%2B51%2B30%2BPM.jpg" width="223" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">54. Nate Orf</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">55. Corbin Burnes</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">56. Joakim Soria</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Here were have out first trade pick-up for the Crew. Soria was decent, but not spectacular. He won't be back in 2019. </span><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZaXri8v_2so/XFz3LzlHWyI/AAAAAAAACQQ/KUJ5T8YQGb4d2J6ecYfucO_S0zlK4g_fQCEwYBhgL/s1600/Photo%2BOct%2B14%252C%2B8%2B53%2B31%2BPM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="817" data-original-width="583" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZaXri8v_2so/XFz3LzlHWyI/AAAAAAAACQQ/KUJ5T8YQGb4d2J6ecYfucO_S0zlK4g_fQCEwYBhgL/s320/Photo%2BOct%2B14%252C%2B8%2B53%2B31%2BPM.jpg" width="228" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">57. Mike Moustakas</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Moose was the big get the Brewers, picked up at the deadline from KC for Brett Phillips and Jorge Lopez, both of whom have cards in the first half of this set. This is a pic from his Brewers debut.</span><br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2f_plMLP1qo/XFz3ML7WZJI/AAAAAAAACQk/-KOBKcBLJ0QYTbzgCwftbxSizRQORHzlQCEwYBhgL/s1600/Photo%2BOct%2B14%252C%2B8%2B54%2B02%2BPM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="810" data-original-width="586" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2f_plMLP1qo/XFz3ML7WZJI/AAAAAAAACQk/-KOBKcBLJ0QYTbzgCwftbxSizRQORHzlQCEwYBhgL/s320/Photo%2BOct%2B14%252C%2B8%2B54%2B02%2BPM.jpg" width="231" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> 58. Jonathan Schoop</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The Brewers also added Schoop at the deadline, but he struggled mightily in Milwaukee. </span><br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YdnYw2gQeVk/XFz3MWf0WOI/AAAAAAAACQY/W67KPlreEV00ZxzT1KLZEiHxHJIypVeMwCEwYBhgL/s1600/Photo%2BOct%2B14%252C%2B8%2B54%2B19%2BPM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="822" data-original-width="591" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YdnYw2gQeVk/XFz3MWf0WOI/AAAAAAAACQY/W67KPlreEV00ZxzT1KLZEiHxHJIypVeMwCEwYBhgL/s320/Photo%2BOct%2B14%252C%2B8%2B54%2B19%2BPM.jpg" width="230" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> 59. Jordan Lyles</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Lyles was decent for the Brewers, but in an anonymous kind of way, thus I couldn't even find a picture of him in uniform where his face was showing. Oddly enough, he drew a walk and scored the winning run in a wild 13th inning walk-off against Pittsburgh, but I couldn't find any images of him from that night. </span><br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_SA5pFpKh_s/XFz3MWikmNI/AAAAAAAACQg/o7pxgUkkRHo59P7iLcEhFAqHaPnYILa2gCEwYBhgL/s1600/Photo%2BOct%2B14%252C%2B8%2B55%2B00%2BPM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="807" data-original-width="591" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_SA5pFpKh_s/XFz3MWikmNI/AAAAAAAACQg/o7pxgUkkRHo59P7iLcEhFAqHaPnYILa2gCEwYBhgL/s320/Photo%2BOct%2B14%252C%2B8%2B55%2B00%2BPM.jpg" width="234" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> 60. Gio Gonzalez</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It took so long for Gio to get into a game after the Brewers picked him up, I had to use something like looks like a dumb Topps variation image. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> 61. Curtis Granderson</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So far, this is the only Granderson Brewers card aside from a single Topps Now issue. I NEED more Grandy Brewers. </span><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gC-GDPegKys/XFz3NCPy5kI/AAAAAAAACQc/P5ztSEqutUMF8g6xYGuia5erLN99JEQVACEwYBhgL/s1600/Photo%2BOct%2B14%252C%2B8%2B55%2B11%2BPM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="810" data-original-width="587" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gC-GDPegKys/XFz3NCPy5kI/AAAAAAAACQc/P5ztSEqutUMF8g6xYGuia5erLN99JEQVACEwYBhgL/s320/Photo%2BOct%2B14%252C%2B8%2B55%2B11%2BPM.jpg" width="231" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> 62. Xavier Cendo</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Fitting, perhaps, that the final player card in the set is the only guy who is missing from my All-Time Brewers set. Despite having seen action in EIGHT different MLB seasons, he is without an MLB card and only has regional Minor League issues. He's appeared in 249 games, for hell's sake, give him some love, Topps. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So, that makes 62 cards. One shy of seven complete pages. I have no more coaches or players to add... what should I do? What can POSSIBLY complete this set??</span><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Lf-wnsNm5Y8/XFz3Epr9d9I/AAAAAAAACQg/lW6RzRSK1rAMm132dKeU2o6gS5DfYc-swCEwYBhgL/s1600/Photo%2BDec%2B15%252C%2B11%2B05%2B10%2BPM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="820" data-original-width="590" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Lf-wnsNm5Y8/XFz3Epr9d9I/AAAAAAAACQg/lW6RzRSK1rAMm132dKeU2o6gS5DfYc-swCEwYBhgL/s640/Photo%2BDec%2B15%252C%2B11%2B05%2B10%2BPM.jpg" width="459" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">63. Bob Uecker</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The only way to end it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I'll be back soon with my game highlight cards!</span><br />
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Matt Priggehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16611932704321174498noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-90546067802688148.post-75997612200503548422019-02-09T17:47:00.002-06:002019-02-09T17:47:42.665-06:00A Fellow Blogger Judges Me<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">See? I told you I was serious about keeping up the blog in 2019!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Last week, AJ from <a href="http://thelostcollector.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">The Lost Collector</a> posted some of his pulls from his first try at 2019 Topps on Twitter. He hit a Lorenzo Cain photo variation card and, after I commented on how prudy it was, he said he'd send it my way and to send back whatever I felt was a fair swap for it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Blind trades!! Fun for all!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Today, it arrived in the mail...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And purdy it is indeed! Checking out baseball-reference.com, it seems that the picture is from the July 31 game, with Cain asking for time after a run-scoring double that accounted for the only run of a Milwaukee win. Fun! And I certainly do thank AJ for the card. He also included this note...</span><br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KB6I7sVYC0k/XF9cOPKQHPI/AAAAAAAACRQ/Hg_hbpDfe_wRBQN0HrXo-j0ze5HYR7sfwCEwYBhgL/s1600/Photo%2BFeb%2B09%252C%2B1%2B29%2B07%2BPM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KB6I7sVYC0k/XF9cOPKQHPI/AAAAAAAACRQ/Hg_hbpDfe_wRBQN0HrXo-j0ze5HYR7sfwCEwYBhgL/s320/Photo%2BFeb%2B09%252C%2B1%2B29%2B07%2BPM.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hm. A Judge auto? That seems a bit steep. I mean, it's a nice card and all, but I'd hate to part with either of my Judge autos...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Judge Elana Kagan and Judge Sonia Sotomayor. I got both of these via TTM a few years ago. It's not easy getting Supreme Court autos, and - even though I really like the Cain - I'm afraid I've got to hang on to these. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ohhhhh. Not that kind of Judge. I feel like a real turnip. Of course, he must have been talking about this Judge Auto...</span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-m0G0UPcQ1Gc/XF9fJcpccaI/AAAAAAAACRc/x_BAOREsYcogV2Tfd7WDZ2W74DuVIF8zgCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/Photo%2BFeb%2B09%252C%2B4%2B54%2B03%2BPM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-m0G0UPcQ1Gc/XF9fJcpccaI/AAAAAAAACRc/x_BAOREsYcogV2Tfd7WDZ2W74DuVIF8zgCK4BGAYYCw/s320/Photo%2BFeb%2B09%252C%2B4%2B54%2B03%2BPM.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Again, not to be ungrateful, but this Jim Pittsley Signature Rookies (Old) Judge auto is part of my All-Time Brewers collection, so I actually do need it. Probably more than most peopled a Jim Pittsley auto. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, shucks man, it looks like I'll have to find something else for you, since I can't really part with any of my Judge autos right now. Too bad you didn't get to me back in 2017, <a href="http://summerof74blog.blogspot.com/2017/07/being-haunted-by-wayne-gretzky-and.html" target="_blank">when I was just <i>dying </i>to get rid of an Aaron Judge auto I got TTM</a>. Oh well. </span><br />
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Matt Priggehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16611932704321174498noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-90546067802688148.post-43320489921914388782019-02-07T21:15:00.002-06:002019-02-07T21:15:18.371-06:002019 Topps... Because I can't Not<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have resolved to get back to card blogging. Once a week, I'll post. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">(let's see how long this lasts)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Anyway, there's no time like the present to get back into the swing of things as the new 2019 Topps cards were released this past week. I was involved in a Jumbo case break with my team collectors group, which yielded me about five full team sets and a handful of inserts. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It was a kinda-underwhelming return from a case break, but I did get some very nice Christian Yelich additions - including a HR Challenge card (I picked April 1 again the Reds). </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As for this year's set... I kinda like the design. It's mostly clean-looking, save for that stupid pock-marking or whatever you'd call around the lower edges of the image. I like the color swoop and I REALLY like the backside, to which full stats have mercifully returned. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I also picked up a blaster (off Amazon, off all places) just for the fun of it. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">99 cards (BUT AN AUTO AIN'T ONE)? Is that more than years before? I've seen that Topps has jumped the retail price of their packs from $2 to $3, but has also added a few more cards per pack. Does it all wash in the end? Who cares?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I opened that heavy bastard first, the manu-patch pack, which officially makes it my first card of 2019...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Not bad. I still mostly think that manu-patches are dumber than relics and I really don't care at all for relics, but it's a nice, bright card of a legend. It would be the highlight, sadly, of the box. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There have been a lot of complaints about collation so far with Topps 2019, but I didn't see much of that in my box. I won't bother to recap the base cards, but I did find a few nice inserts. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I dig that Khris Davis in the 1984 design. I really like these 35th anniversary inserts and I liked them last year too. However, I'm not at all looking forward to next year, assuming they'll dust off the 1985 design - which I've always hated. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My favorite card of the box by far was this very pretty Henry Aaron Grapefruit League Legends. I liked the idea of a Spring Training-themed set, and I do admit that these cards look pretty nice, but my gripe was that - except with recent photos - you can't really tell if these are actually Spring Training shots or not. But the Aaron does tell a nice story on the back, about how Henry got his shot in the Majors after Bobby Thomson broke his ankle sliding into second. Aaron stopped in and hit a homer in his first ST game. So, it's nice to some copy on the back to tie the theme together. </span><br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7WJpjlBTuRk/XFzygxXd2NI/AAAAAAAACNw/5bGj9K7Kr-8go8j5YaCBKqZQ1LE_QNd8wCLcBGAs/s1600/Photo%2BFeb%2B07%252C%2B8%2B32%2B50%2BPM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7WJpjlBTuRk/XFzygxXd2NI/AAAAAAAACNw/5bGj9K7Kr-8go8j5YaCBKqZQ1LE_QNd8wCLcBGAs/s320/Photo%2BFeb%2B07%252C%2B8%2B32%2B50%2BPM.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The same goes in a way for these cards - part of whatever they call the 2019 sets that generically depict retired players and reprint old Topps cards. These concepts are SOOOOOOOOO tired. Just let it go, Topps. Or take it a new direction. Oh! How about a "Never had a Card" insert set so I can finally get a proper Ron Rightnowar card? Or reprint some NEW stuff for once? Stuff your 1975 Younts in sack... I want a glossy, new take on the 1990 Chuck Crim. SURPRISE ME, TOPPS!!!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Oh, hey, here's a surprise... an ad card for Topps now. Depicting a card that probably cost about $800 when it was issued. And note that it isn't even a picture of the actual card, but just the mock-up they put on the website. Well, at least the back probably talks about the card a bit, how many they sold... OH, maybe it goes int the process of actually getting these signed. That'd be interesting... do they send a guy with a platinum suitcase to the Angels Stadium to get these scribbled on? Well, let's flip 'er over and take a...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">...oh, of course. It's a copy-paste from the ABOUT tab on the ToppsNow website. Yippee. </span><br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lISlRMTLlc8/XFzytzs7TQI/AAAAAAAACN8/zYGur5Frbjo9xooGRQfLeeuZhJl01R9HwCLcBGAs/s1600/Photo%2BFeb%2B07%252C%2B8%2B33%2B22%2BPM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lISlRMTLlc8/XFzytzs7TQI/AAAAAAAACN8/zYGur5Frbjo9xooGRQfLeeuZhJl01R9HwCLcBGAs/s320/Photo%2BFeb%2B07%252C%2B8%2B33%2B22%2BPM.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I also snagged this. Anyone have a suggestion for when Oz might go deep?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I probably won't build the 2019 set. I've done a lot of set-building over the past few years and I've grown a little tired of it. Even though I like the design, I dunno, it just doesn't feel like there is anything in it for me. Perhaps I'll do some rando packs throughout the year and then pick up a hand-collated set for the price of a couple of blasters in the fall. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So please forgive me as this blogging has made me weary. I am have grown too unaccustomed to the practice. </span><br />
Matt Priggehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16611932704321174498noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-90546067802688148.post-82563358682299396802019-01-03T21:19:00.001-06:002019-01-03T21:19:22.339-06:00Brien Taylor: Cardboard Rise and Fall<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">On the surface, it seems like an odd choice for me to be a
Brien Taylor super-collector. First off, he was a Yankee – among my most
despised of teams. Second off, why bother? He topped out at AA and is remember
mostly as one of the biggest flops in Major League history. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-P_eE27We1io/XC7QB4JbqwI/AAAAAAAACMA/uJjtksMcYRcRDFHkj3H94bH_OjCoYqD3wCEwYBhgL/s1600/Photo%2BJan%2B03%252C%2B7%2B13%2B55%2BPM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-P_eE27We1io/XC7QB4JbqwI/AAAAAAAACMA/uJjtksMcYRcRDFHkj3H94bH_OjCoYqD3wCEwYBhgL/s320/Photo%2BJan%2B03%252C%2B7%2B13%2B55%2BPM.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">To the second point, the latter sentence informs the former.
As for the Yankees thing, well, that only makes his story all the more
interesting. In fact, I’d say that Taylor is easily among the most fascinating
ballplayers of my lifetime, with a rise and fall that has few parallels. And
for the card collector of my age – turning ten years old as Taylor-mania
overtook the card world in 1992 – his cardboard carries an sense of import that
can only be realized by those who lived through that era. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Brien Taylor was nearly a perfect fit for carddom in the
early 1990s. The rookie card craze of the 1980s had led to major changes in how
card-makers approached their products. Upper Deck had the foresight to open
their debut set in 1989 with a string of rookie cards – a significant symbolic
move in a time when rookies were still mostly limited to the high numbers. That same year, in a rare bold move, Topps introduced the “#1 Draft Pick”
subset, a series of ten top picks featured on Major League cards in their
amateur uniforms. When Jim Abbott became that year’s stud rookie, Topps’ gambit
proved worthwhile and the company issued ten more #1 Draft Pick cards in 1990.
Score, in their 1990 release, topped Topps by issuing 22 first round draft
cards and Upper Deck included a card of top pick Ben McDonald in their base
set. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">For 1991, Upper Deck featured a number of top picks in their
base set as well, including future Hall of Famer Chipper Jones. Bowman was also
into the draft picks game by now and collectors had shown themselves very eager
to invest in players well before they had been able to prove themselves as
professionals. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And into this enter Brien Taylor, a dirt-poor North
Carolina lefty who remains to this day one of the greatest amateur pitchers of
all-time. And enter the New York Yankees, the most decorated team in MLB
history, who had just puked up a 67-95 1990 season that landed them the first
pick in the 1991 amateur draft. With Taylor the consensus for the top
choice, it was a match made for maximum hype. Before he’d even signed his pro
contract, he was being billed as the Next Great Yankee. When he held out for a
record contract, the hype meter blew apart. </span><br />
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DeMO7t94q6I/XC7QGKKfncI/AAAAAAAACLs/Zp303fP7Mt8loDRm1l6IgdNYgkrk-alYACEwYBhgL/s1600/Photo%2BJan%2B03%252C%2B7%2B14%2B14%2BPM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DeMO7t94q6I/XC7QGKKfncI/AAAAAAAACLs/Zp303fP7Mt8loDRm1l6IgdNYgkrk-alYACEwYBhgL/s320/Photo%2BJan%2B03%252C%2B7%2B14%2B14%2BPM.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Topps – just 11 years removed from having exclusive domain
on baseball cards – was by 1992 in an ultra-competive marketplace. They’d
finally ditched their grey card stock and introduced the first-ever
parallel set in Topps Gold. And they would score a major coup in signing Taylor
to a unprecedented exclusive contract, giving them the sole right to produce
Major League cards of Taylor while he was still a minor leaguer. Just months
after he signed with the Yankees, Topps announced that an autographed card of
Taylor would be included in their ToppsGold factory sets, which immediately
became brisk sellers at their $350 wholesale price. Dealers sold them to the collecting at $500
and could hardly keep in stock.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2HFLE92xI8E/XC7QAxR-LLI/AAAAAAAACL4/CQwm7AU9JYMf2ZEqUZy5Qe8uL8iQio2pQCEwYBhgL/s1600/Photo%2BJan%2B03%252C%2B7%2B14%2B55%2BPM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2HFLE92xI8E/XC7QAxR-LLI/AAAAAAAACL4/CQwm7AU9JYMf2ZEqUZy5Qe8uL8iQio2pQCEwYBhgL/s320/Photo%2BJan%2B03%252C%2B7%2B14%2B55%2BPM.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Taylor already had cards out on the market at this time,
being included in a few late-year Classic sets in 1991. He had even signed
about 5,000 cards for classic for insertion into random packs, a concept that
was only a few years old at the time. In 1992, the <i>Wall Street Journal </i>reported
that Score Board, Classic’s parent company, had paid Taylor $250,000 for
the right to produce his 1991 cards. But many collectors, even those who has
accepted Topps/Score/Upper Deck draft cards as legit rookies, were bit wary of
Classic, who showed Taylor in his high school uni, or a blank jersey top, or
even in street clothes. They wanted the REAL THING. And before the 1992
baseball season even started, Taylor’s Topps card – which was the first Topps
draft card to show a player in his MLB uniform – was selling for $5. A Stadium
Club card issued in a collector’s set early that year was selling for twice
that. And his signed ToppsGold cards were selling for hundreds. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So this was what was all around me as a ten-year-collector,
hopelessly unable to afford any Taylor cards and not lucky enough to hit one in
a pack. On the field, Taylor showed a lot of promise, fanning 187 batters in
191 innings at class A Fort Lauderdale with 2.57 ERA. But he had been burdened
– especially in the card world where investors were expecting to make a
fast killing on his cards – with hype that could only be realized by opening the
1993 season in pinstripes. Instead, he opened the year at AA and stayed there
all season. He pitched well, especially for a 21-year-old, but Dwight Gooden
already had a Cy Young and a World Series title at 21. The hype faded, his card
prices sank, and – overwhelmed with product for a AA pitcher who was supposed to
be the exclusive property of Topps (Fleer, Classic, and Upper Deck were all
permitted to issue minor league cards of Taylor), collectors began to lose
interest. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HNBHyhnM7HE/XC7QPQ6IVcI/AAAAAAAACMI/n3mVmYj7y8YDxRWgO35yt1bSggRwsIhLQCEwYBhgL/s1600/Photo%2BJan%2B03%252C%2B7%2B15%2B28%2BPM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HNBHyhnM7HE/XC7QPQ6IVcI/AAAAAAAACMI/n3mVmYj7y8YDxRWgO35yt1bSggRwsIhLQCEwYBhgL/s320/Photo%2BJan%2B03%252C%2B7%2B15%2B28%2BPM.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Then, in December 1993, Taylor got into what must be the
most infamous trailer park brawl in pro sport history. While the details on the
case are still unclear, Taylor got into a fight defending his brother and blew
out his shoulder in the melee. He missed the entire 1994 season, then lingered
at A-ball for four more years before the Yankees released him. In those
seasons he never had an ERA lower than 6.08 and never threw more than 40
innings. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-b4h1ajR-3Ds/XC7QSCN9-oI/AAAAAAAACMM/YV1BwoFnWooJBfvDtrSg9yeb6X6j0J2NwCEwYBhgL/s1600/Photo%2BJan%2B03%252C%2B7%2B15%2B12%2BPM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-b4h1ajR-3Ds/XC7QSCN9-oI/AAAAAAAACMM/YV1BwoFnWooJBfvDtrSg9yeb6X6j0J2NwCEwYBhgL/s320/Photo%2BJan%2B03%252C%2B7%2B15%2B12%2BPM.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">After a flurry of 1994 releases, Taylor’s only 1995 card was
in the Bowman set. It shows him smiling in shorts and the classic Yankees
jersey he seemingly only wore for photo shoots. The man who had driven the
trading card market to the pages of the <i>Wall Street Journal</i> just three years
prior would appear on just one card, a 1996 Norwich Navigators’ team-issue. He
looks tired in the portrait photo. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FzVn7VrOYRI/XC7QHWy_bqI/AAAAAAAACME/DoDCzpTqdFMtnmmv3_Tf_0uNSMX-H5uaACEwYBhgL/s1600/taylorlast.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="250" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FzVn7VrOYRI/XC7QHWy_bqI/AAAAAAAACME/DoDCzpTqdFMtnmmv3_Tf_0uNSMX-H5uaACEwYBhgL/s320/taylorlast.jpg" width="228" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I started this Taylor collection without even realizing it,
a few years ago, when I picked up one of his signed 1991 Classic cards for a
dollar on eBay. I just couldn’t resist, knowing what that card would have meant
to me as a kid of 10. This past year, bored of the latest rookie hype, I again
went on eBay and scored one of the storied ToppsGold autographs. I paid about $4
for it. The buyer mailed me three of them. When I contacted him to see if this had
been a mistake, he said it was not, telling me that he just wanted to get rid
of them. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This was when I realized I had to go all the way on Brien
Taylor. He is one of the few prominent players of the last 25 years who has an
achievable number of cards in his overall library. Per the Trading Card
Database, they are 106 different Taylor cards. The hardest to find will the
minor league team issues and the spate of unlicensed weirdo cards – a trend
whose peak seemed to match Taylor’s. There have been no retrospective cards or
reissues in the years since his glum Norwich issue. No one seems to want to
revisit his time in Yankees history. Taylor has personally mostly maintained
his privacy since leaving the game. He’s done few interviews and has made news
only when with his legal troubles. He did three years in prison for his role in
a cocaine-trafficking scheme (he was facing 40), and hasn’t been heard much of
since his release, save for MLB draft time when people run down the biggest
busts in draft history. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I currently have 37 Brien Taylor cards in my collection,
with another ten soon to arrive in the mail. This gets me nearly to the half
way point in a Taylor MASTER COLLECTION. And I think I’ll have fun trying to
track down the rest. It’ll make a good binder to page through whenever I get a
flustered with the thousand moving pieces that seem to make up my collection.
As Thomas Gray once wrote, “The paths of glory lead but to the grave.” </span></div>
Matt Priggehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16611932704321174498noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-90546067802688148.post-28888194698019417122018-12-30T23:53:00.000-06:002018-12-30T23:53:03.632-06:002019 Collecting Goals! <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Happy New Year, everybody! With 2018 coming to a close, I though I'd set a few goals for myself for the coming year. This isn't really a new idea or anything, but I've never done it before, so let's get it rockin'...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1. Get Stinking Organized!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-85MICNGvmVc/XCmt9eqWrHI/AAAAAAAACLI/8BYlMeEE4-YKj83J_nTqx4eFrAhoZayqwCLcBGAs/s1600/Photo%2BDec%2B30%252C%2B10%2B55%2B53%2BPM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-85MICNGvmVc/XCmt9eqWrHI/AAAAAAAACLI/8BYlMeEE4-YKj83J_nTqx4eFrAhoZayqwCLcBGAs/s320/Photo%2BDec%2B30%252C%2B10%2B55%2B53%2BPM.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This seems to be an annual goal for myself, even if I don't declare it in writing. Check out the scene above... that's the look in our guest room right now. I'm in the process of following up on my BIG BREWERS SORT of 2018 by paging up Brewers organized by player. I'm still not sure if I'm just going to do them alphabetical from start to end or separate them era or what, but I gotta get this into some form of finality. I've been dinking around with this for far too long now. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2. Do More Bloggin!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I severely fell off pace in blogging this year. And I do really miss it. I've been doing most of the action on twitter, and I really dig the crowd over there, but I also want to keep up with my blog folk. I'm getting a good start on this already, by deciding to post this list as a blog post than just a twitter thread. Woo-pee!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3. Reach the 500 Mark on my Ryan Braun Collection</span><br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ExuzotWD_0U/XCmt7pOtR4I/AAAAAAAACLU/FUWc8BzIVFgC5ciwiGld69bG5hCQlanaACEwYBhgL/s1600/Photo%2BDec%2B30%252C%2B10%2B57%2B07%2BPM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ExuzotWD_0U/XCmt7pOtR4I/AAAAAAAACLU/FUWc8BzIVFgC5ciwiGld69bG5hCQlanaACEwYBhgL/s320/Photo%2BDec%2B30%252C%2B10%2B57%2B07%2BPM.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">With some orders that on their way to my house right now, I will enter early 2019 with about 370 different Ryan Brauns. He's the largest PC in my collection and this past Brewers season has really given me an appreciation for his place in Brewers history. I'm well aware that he cheated and then lied about it and he very may well be a total asshole IRL. But I've long ago gotten over all that. And every time he goes on the road and gets booed like hell and then burns the hometown club... it's very satisfying. So everyone who hates this SOB can just go ahead and send their Braunies my way. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4. Build up my non-Brewers PCs</span><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hX3gzKAXYkc/XCmt4_ryrSI/AAAAAAAACLQ/aLsW9sm4Z6sjujso1JWYTBmaVKb7rpA1ACEwYBhgL/s1600/Photo%2BDec%2B30%252C%2B10%2B56%2B23%2BPM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hX3gzKAXYkc/XCmt4_ryrSI/AAAAAAAACLQ/aLsW9sm4Z6sjujso1JWYTBmaVKb7rpA1ACEwYBhgL/s320/Photo%2BDec%2B30%252C%2B10%2B56%2B23%2BPM.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This a new project I started this year, focusing on a handful of guys I've always liked. I've also decided to become a Brien Taylor super-collector. The super-prospect to end all super-prospects has only about 100 different cards per the trading card database - an absurdly low number for a prominent player. I have 47 different so far, ranking me second on TCDB. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">5. Brewers Dupes! They gotta go!</span><br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BBm4iuzrb2U/XCmuC67SjUI/AAAAAAAACLY/jQgLsjPYjkolJSuVhl4U-HHdrTyDfwiQwCEwYBhgL/s1600/Photo%2BDec%2B30%252C%2B10%2B57%2B39%2BPM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BBm4iuzrb2U/XCmuC67SjUI/AAAAAAAACLY/jQgLsjPYjkolJSuVhl4U-HHdrTyDfwiQwCEwYBhgL/s320/Photo%2BDec%2B30%252C%2B10%2B57%2B39%2BPM.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As a result of my BIG BREWERS SORT, I ended up with a BUNCH of Brewers dupes. And with all the traffic from my trades in the Team Collectors group, I am ending the year with about five thousand extra Brewers. See that monster box above? Yeah, that's just about all of them. I know there's someone out there - a few people probably - who can benefit from this bounty, and I sure could use the extra room. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">6. Reach the 10,000 mark in my Brewers Collection</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm at about 8,700 different Brewers cards as the year closes out. 10K is an ambitious goal, but I think it's within reason, especially with all the new releases that will be out next year. Plus, I've still got a lot of Brewers police sets that I can add to the collection, which will add about 30 new cards at a time.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">7. Become a Trading Card Database King</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="2018 Topps Now #412 Keon Broxton Front" class="img-responsive" src="https://www.tradingcarddb.com/Images/Cards/Baseball/168542/168542-11447589Fr.jpg" /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I want to be the top collector in a TCDB category. Right now, I have 104 different Seattle Pilots cards, as I consider them to be part of the Brewers franchise and thus within my Brewers collection scope. That ranks me 5th overall among TCDB collectors, but just 15 cards from the #1 spot. It's a small number, but a challenging one. I'm second place among Keon Broxton collectors, about five cards off the lead. This will be a much easier gap to close, but it could turn into a horserace depending on how well represented Keon is in 2019 releases. And finally, I'm about 13 cards off the lead for Brien Taylor. That will also be a slog, as I am mostly into the minor league and oddball issues on my wantlist. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So that's what I'm gunning for in 2019. How about you? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span>Matt Priggehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16611932704321174498noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-90546067802688148.post-21403445307463404092018-12-17T16:42:00.000-06:002018-12-17T16:44:03.050-06:00A tour of my 2018 brewersNOW set - Part 1<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">You know, I don't even remember where the idea came from anymore. I had been fooling around with the Rookies app - a custom baseball card creator - for a while early this year, but hadn't really considered actually ordering anything. It was just a dumb way to kill time. And then, sometime between Valentine's Day and the middle of Spring Training, I had an idea that would forever change the direction of this century-old hobby... for me and a couple of other guys, anyway. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The idea - which I dubbed "brewersNOW" - was pretty simple. I'd create a custom card for every player who appeared with the Brewers in 2018, and make a series of season highlight cards to commemorate big moments in the season. I figured it would be a fun way to keep up with the season and do something better (and cheaper) than Topps. I guessed I'd end up making about 100 cards.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I ended up with 194 cards, chronicling the greatest Brewers season of my life and a damn-near miss at a World Series. It was really the perfect season for me to try this idea... a season that both kept me motivated to keep moving forward with the project, and a project that kept me fully engaged with the season. I was able to actually build the set in my mind as I watched the season unfold. And - in a calendar year that was dogshit personally for me and mine in a lot of way - this dumb game and my dumb team meant a whole hell of a lot to me. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I'll be presenting my set over a few posts... sharing some of my memories of the cards and of making the set. Let's start off with the player series.</span><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ITHHtaxBWB4/XBXLepCeWsI/AAAAAAAAB94/1f7sU60WQZ0dddVQdhUkFPyFrum0WI5SwCEwYBhgL/s1600/Photo%2BOct%2B14%252C%2B8%2B41%2B59%2BPM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="819" data-original-width="581" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ITHHtaxBWB4/XBXLepCeWsI/AAAAAAAAB94/1f7sU60WQZ0dddVQdhUkFPyFrum0WI5SwCEwYBhgL/s320/Photo%2BOct%2B14%252C%2B8%2B41%2B59%2BPM.jpg" width="227" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1. Ryan Braun</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Yeah, eat it up, everybody. He might be an asshole, but he's our asshole. And there was no one better to drive a steak into the heart of the Cubs in game 163 than this SOB. I made this card during Spring Training, with a fun pic reflecting Braun's brief foray as a first baseman. </span><br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iT20Q3LhIAE/XBXLeyLcERI/AAAAAAAAB98/bsDbecIGYYYeUlYkPUOsRH9-v2qvLH0AQCEwYBhgL/s1600/Photo%2BOct%2B14%252C%2B8%2B42%2B17%2BPM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="799" data-original-width="580" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iT20Q3LhIAE/XBXLeyLcERI/AAAAAAAAB98/bsDbecIGYYYeUlYkPUOsRH9-v2qvLH0AQCEwYBhgL/s320/Photo%2BOct%2B14%252C%2B8%2B42%2B17%2BPM.jpg" width="232" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">2. Craig Counsell</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I didn't put too much thought into the numbering of the player series, but Braun was an obvious pick for #1, leaving the two-spot a good place for the skipper. I was making this set in real-time during the season, with the first batch of 20 printed and shipped by the end of April. So I had a few chances during the year to re-do cards when I found a better picture. This is one of those cards, with this pic of Couns balling out Tom Hallon after Madison Bumgarner plunked Ryan Braun in September. Counsell got tossed and Jonathan Schoop belted a grand slam in the next at-bat that gave the Brewers the lead and put an exclamation point on a city-wide f-you to Bumgarner. </span><br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kZ1Mp3eiWkw/XBXLfJdmS7I/AAAAAAAAB94/qlPSJI0bErwopsaplFCgWCjoSjnWbH74QCEwYBhgL/s1600/Photo%2BOct%2B14%252C%2B8%2B42%2B24%2BPM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="807" data-original-width="584" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kZ1Mp3eiWkw/XBXLfJdmS7I/AAAAAAAAB94/qlPSJI0bErwopsaplFCgWCjoSjnWbH74QCEwYBhgL/s320/Photo%2BOct%2B14%252C%2B8%2B42%2B24%2BPM.jpg" width="231" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">3. Ji-Man Choi</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In the first of many odd-but-genius moves by the Brewers in 2018, Ji-Man Choi made the Opening Day roster as one of, like, twelve, first basemen. Ji-Man had pinch-hit in the opener in San Diego, hitting a key double and scoring the go-ahead run. He was send down the next day. I listed him as a punch-hitter here, since I was pretty sure that's the only role he'd have with the Brewers in 2018, although he did get a call-up later on in the season and did play a bit in the field. </span><br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LJlD8BMej2E/XBXLfBkV3MI/AAAAAAAAB90/c2tm7GkTHcAtoxNZxp9G8JpqeiD3h9aJgCEwYBhgL/s1600/Photo%2BOct%2B14%252C%2B8%2B42%2B36%2BPM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="802" data-original-width="587" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LJlD8BMej2E/XBXLfBkV3MI/AAAAAAAAB90/c2tm7GkTHcAtoxNZxp9G8JpqeiD3h9aJgCEwYBhgL/s320/Photo%2BOct%2B14%252C%2B8%2B42%2B36%2BPM.jpg" width="234" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">4. Jeremy Jeffress</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">For some of the early cards in the player series, as is the case here. JJ would have some awesome moments in 2018, but i left this card as-was. It's a nice pic and does well to convey JJ's take-no-shit attitude. </span><br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cFCb6NelQes/XBXLfamtqQI/AAAAAAAAB94/xvwP2iH-2-Eli5LLAWR5rH8W1fIt6a1ewCEwYBhgL/s1600/Photo%2BOct%2B14%252C%2B8%2B42%2B42%2BPM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="812" data-original-width="586" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cFCb6NelQes/XBXLfamtqQI/AAAAAAAAB94/xvwP2iH-2-Eli5LLAWR5rH8W1fIt6a1ewCEwYBhgL/s320/Photo%2BOct%2B14%252C%2B8%2B42%2B42%2BPM.jpg" width="230" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">5. Jett Bandy</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Hell, not much to say here. Bandy opened the year with team and saw action in two dozen games. This is another 2017 photo. </span><br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5ywZtcc4_sg/XBXLfpGyY6I/AAAAAAAAB9w/vDWMK5do_k4IJXJS78g-_Nl2dPGddbEbQCEwYBhgL/s1600/Photo%2BOct%2B14%252C%2B8%2B42%2B47%2BPM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="808" data-original-width="586" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5ywZtcc4_sg/XBXLfpGyY6I/AAAAAAAAB9w/vDWMK5do_k4IJXJS78g-_Nl2dPGddbEbQCEwYBhgL/s320/Photo%2BOct%2B14%252C%2B8%2B42%2B47%2BPM.jpg" width="232" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">6. Chase Anderson</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Another picture from Opening Day in San Diego. I patterned this one on that <a href="https://www.comc.com/Cards/Baseball/1987/Classic_Update_Yellow_Travel_Edition_-_Base/124/Andre_Dawson/1923381">1987 Classic card of Andre Dawson </a>taking a pitch in the face... with Anderson looking less than comfortable after sliding into home plate on his face. </span><br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yrFkoJHM10Q/XBXLfvc2YVI/AAAAAAAAB90/jifeyMqt5gIZU6yBGQb95045tsaVBTZ1wCEwYBhgL/s1600/Photo%2BOct%2B14%252C%2B8%2B42%2B53%2BPM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="828" data-original-width="582" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yrFkoJHM10Q/XBXLfvc2YVI/AAAAAAAAB90/jifeyMqt5gIZU6yBGQb95045tsaVBTZ1wCEwYBhgL/s320/Photo%2BOct%2B14%252C%2B8%2B42%2B53%2BPM.jpg" width="224" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">7. Oliver Drake</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I probably have less to say about this card than any in the series. But there he is. </span><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Rt6u1IQnxec/XBXLfzBHoGI/AAAAAAAAB94/qArebVa3B7wvt1zzR7WhzLYLnAd8AOiygCEwYBhgL/s1600/Photo%2BOct%2B14%252C%2B8%2B42%2B58%2BPM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="818" data-original-width="587" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Rt6u1IQnxec/XBXLfzBHoGI/AAAAAAAAB94/qArebVa3B7wvt1zzR7WhzLYLnAd8AOiygCEwYBhgL/s320/Photo%2BOct%2B14%252C%2B8%2B42%2B58%2BPM.jpg" width="229" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">8. Brent Suter</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This is another re-do card, with this awesome shot of Suter diving to tag out Alex Gordon at first too cool to resist. These images I'm using here are actually screencaps, not scans of the actual cards. While I was, overall, very impressed with the quality of the end product, dark photos tended not to print as well. This was one of those, looking much better here than it does IRL. I know exactly dink about printing or color balancing, so I wasn't able to do much about this. </span><br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-aN-GAazsiLs/XBXLfzU--JI/AAAAAAAAB98/J54ztUcljv8dmkPVCzJA_7IU73Nj3BFMACEwYBhgL/s1600/Photo%2BOct%2B14%252C%2B8%2B43%2B04%2BPM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="817" data-original-width="585" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-aN-GAazsiLs/XBXLfzU--JI/AAAAAAAAB98/J54ztUcljv8dmkPVCzJA_7IU73Nj3BFMACEwYBhgL/s320/Photo%2BOct%2B14%252C%2B8%2B43%2B04%2BPM.jpg" width="229" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">9. Jonathan Villar</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A word about the design here... it's goddamn awesome. The Rookies App has about a dozen different design templates, and this was easily the best one. It's clean and simple, a great throw-back with feeling like they tried too hard. It's a touch of 1982 Topps, with a bit of a nod to 1971 Topps. I was able to customize it a bit, mostly in color. The obvious choice here would have been to do blue and gold, but gold was not an option. Still, I think the orange works really well. The lower-case team name was my touch, too. A really nice touch, if I do say so. </span><br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JZ3fayE0YQY/XBXciDrk35I/AAAAAAAACAQ/rXoVjO5O_zobzdyIUr4gq_O80l6EZzvBACEwYBhgL/s1600/Photo%2BOct%2B14%252C%2B8%2B43%2B09%2BPM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="807" data-original-width="581" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JZ3fayE0YQY/XBXciDrk35I/AAAAAAAACAQ/rXoVjO5O_zobzdyIUr4gq_O80l6EZzvBACEwYBhgL/s320/Photo%2BOct%2B14%252C%2B8%2B43%2B09%2BPM.jpg" width="230" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">10. Josh Hader</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Hader was a tough guy to get in a good pic. His splayed-out wide-up is much-better suited to horizontal cards, which I hadn't yet decided to use in this set. This is another 2017 pic. </span><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ev4m-L_kzDA/XBXciBULNrI/AAAAAAAACAo/VLF1ARodudIehEu1XARXChWQQixjy0wgACEwYBhgL/s1600/Photo%2BOct%2B14%252C%2B8%2B43%2B16%2BPM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="808" data-original-width="589" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ev4m-L_kzDA/XBXciBULNrI/AAAAAAAACAo/VLF1ARodudIehEu1XARXChWQQixjy0wgACEwYBhgL/s320/Photo%2BOct%2B14%252C%2B8%2B43%2B16%2BPM.jpg" width="233" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">11. Pat Murphy</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Coaches! Why don't they get any cardboard love. I had toyed with using a unique design for the coaches, but nothing really looked right. </span><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YOOyioVC-TE/XBXciBPb9pI/AAAAAAAACAQ/UBYkO8QTU9kDy4G2rSOV6EQTzeU7LoSOwCEwYBhgL/s1600/Photo%2BOct%2B14%252C%2B8%2B43%2B22%2BPM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="821" data-original-width="594" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YOOyioVC-TE/XBXciBPb9pI/AAAAAAAACAQ/UBYkO8QTU9kDy4G2rSOV6EQTzeU7LoSOwCEwYBhgL/s320/Photo%2BOct%2B14%252C%2B8%2B43%2B22%2BPM.jpg" width="231" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">12. Hernan Perez</span><br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6_-ao2joH78/XBXci-0oY9I/AAAAAAAACAo/y-BhcAUh4fkjFBmfrONuPKTx7fHQTcuMQCEwYBhgL/s1600/Photo%2BOct%2B14%252C%2B8%2B43%2B28%2BPM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="820" data-original-width="579" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6_-ao2joH78/XBXci-0oY9I/AAAAAAAACAo/y-BhcAUh4fkjFBmfrONuPKTx7fHQTcuMQCEwYBhgL/s320/Photo%2BOct%2B14%252C%2B8%2B43%2B28%2BPM.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">13. Manny Pina</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This is probably the most recognizable of the last-year photos. Here, Pina celebrates after mashing a three-run homer on Mother's Day to complete a wild comeback against the Mets. </span><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8XLSAs9EWqM/XBXcjEiYILI/AAAAAAAACAk/lZ12zdcWpGga2MvzBLwVtFrvz84-GXsYQCEwYBhgL/s1600/Photo%2BOct%2B14%252C%2B8%2B43%2B32%2BPM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="828" data-original-width="581" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8XLSAs9EWqM/XBXcjEiYILI/AAAAAAAACAk/lZ12zdcWpGga2MvzBLwVtFrvz84-GXsYQCEwYBhgL/s320/Photo%2BOct%2B14%252C%2B8%2B43%2B32%2BPM.jpg" width="224" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">14. Jesus Aguilar</span><br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZuliJ15NyU8/XBXckr0rkAI/AAAAAAAACAc/Nip6v1rQVdkA5V_Qi1G-Z2fKJUpYg3dUwCEwYBhgL/s1600/Photo%2BOct%2B14%252C%2B8%2B44%2B00%2BPM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="823" data-original-width="587" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZuliJ15NyU8/XBXckr0rkAI/AAAAAAAACAc/Nip6v1rQVdkA5V_Qi1G-Z2fKJUpYg3dUwCEwYBhgL/s320/Photo%2BOct%2B14%252C%2B8%2B44%2B00%2BPM.jpg" width="228" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">15. J.J. Hoover </span><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aGhMDzdF5I0/XBXck8RNfxI/AAAAAAAACAc/G3P6yyG3mQEhlKNBYbqvoI6DuppJ59tNgCEwYBhgL/s1600/Photo%2BOct%2B14%252C%2B8%2B44%2B07%2BPM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="809" data-original-width="579" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aGhMDzdF5I0/XBXck8RNfxI/AAAAAAAACAc/G3P6yyG3mQEhlKNBYbqvoI6DuppJ59tNgCEwYBhgL/s320/Photo%2BOct%2B14%252C%2B8%2B44%2B07%2BPM.jpg" width="229" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">16. Brett Phillips</span><br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KlrcjVxpDJI/XBXclV5KkjI/AAAAAAAACAc/o4X3FvTKC-cvpwxEDG5o90L7jTUooedoACEwYBhgL/s1600/Photo%2BOct%2B14%252C%2B8%2B44%2B12%2BPM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="822" data-original-width="575" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KlrcjVxpDJI/XBXclV5KkjI/AAAAAAAACAc/o4X3FvTKC-cvpwxEDG5o90L7jTUooedoACEwYBhgL/s320/Photo%2BOct%2B14%252C%2B8%2B44%2B12%2BPM.jpg" width="223" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">17. Jacob Nottingham</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I wanted to change things up a bit for the rookies. Although I hate the Topps Update "rookie debut" duplicate rookies, I felt like changing up the base cards of rookies a bit was a nice idea. These use an pic from the player's debut, the date, and a summary of the game on the back. </span><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dPYuAONlsL4/XBXclXX7fAI/AAAAAAAACAo/XGto_ZDTMBQFjfzsUpPA-Z82qe8-KJI4QCEwYBhgL/s1600/Photo%2BOct%2B14%252C%2B8%2B44%2B29%2BPM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="823" data-original-width="586" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dPYuAONlsL4/XBXclXX7fAI/AAAAAAAACAo/XGto_ZDTMBQFjfzsUpPA-Z82qe8-KJI4QCEwYBhgL/s320/Photo%2BOct%2B14%252C%2B8%2B44%2B29%2BPM.jpg" width="227" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">18. Jorge Lopez</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It wasn't until I made the Lopez card that I realized I could actually use letters from the Spanish Alphabet. It's a really nice touch and I considered re-doing guys like Jesus Aguilar, but I didn't. </span><br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YGQ9Ot7dNQY/XBXcljasg1I/AAAAAAAACAc/Xigu1Itk2AYNCjmK0D5bt_IZbybBBeoWwCEwYBhgL/s1600/Photo%2BOct%2B14%252C%2B8%2B44%2B37%2BPM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="814" data-original-width="584" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YGQ9Ot7dNQY/XBXcljasg1I/AAAAAAAACAc/Xigu1Itk2AYNCjmK0D5bt_IZbybBBeoWwCEwYBhgL/s320/Photo%2BOct%2B14%252C%2B8%2B44%2B37%2BPM.jpg" width="229" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">19. Ed Sedar</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Eddie Love has been a fan favorite for years in Milwaukee. It's about damn time he had his own card. </span><br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HoHGnOwLw0g/XBXcl9K3PTI/AAAAAAAACAY/mRMWwmHtCP8gzgsRE3_o7IfwwWMc07bngCEwYBhgL/s1600/Photo%2BOct%2B14%252C%2B8%2B44%2B42%2BPM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="816" data-original-width="577" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HoHGnOwLw0g/XBXcl9K3PTI/AAAAAAAACAY/mRMWwmHtCP8gzgsRE3_o7IfwwWMc07bngCEwYBhgL/s320/Photo%2BOct%2B14%252C%2B8%2B44%2B42%2BPM.jpg" width="226" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">20. Taylor Williams</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Of all positions, it was hardest to find good pictures of middle-relievers. At the time I made this Williams card, all I could find was an old picture, with him wearing a uni number he gave up in 2017. </span><br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-beS3UY_pWUE/XBXcxE3q5OI/AAAAAAAACAk/2Fix-wIvmS8xLNyVbf-H8f_Z5EohJ59_wCEwYBhgL/s1600/Photo%2BOct%2B14%252C%2B8%2B44%2B59%2BPM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="823" data-original-width="580" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-beS3UY_pWUE/XBXcxE3q5OI/AAAAAAAACAk/2Fix-wIvmS8xLNyVbf-H8f_Z5EohJ59_wCEwYBhgL/s320/Photo%2BOct%2B14%252C%2B8%2B44%2B59%2BPM.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">21. Eric Thames</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So, the nominees for card of the set begin here. After an April game in which he smashed a pivotal homer, he was asked in the post-game, on-field interview about the secret to his success. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Um... Miller Lite?" He replied to the delight of home crowd. Shortly after, Miller send the big man some free beer, which produced this OH-SO-MILWAUKEE picture. This is the kind of card you might get if you had card makers (PLURAL!) willing to take a chance and offend sensibilities. </span><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-C3DhrbWaVXk/XBXcxZikPbI/AAAAAAAACAo/Qwhw51HXNvw_AXHiw1shocZftj22mg_LgCEwYBhgL/s1600/Photo%2BOct%2B14%252C%2B8%2B45%2B05%2BPM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="820" data-original-width="584" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-C3DhrbWaVXk/XBXcxZikPbI/AAAAAAAACAo/Qwhw51HXNvw_AXHiw1shocZftj22mg_LgCEwYBhgL/s320/Photo%2BOct%2B14%252C%2B8%2B45%2B05%2BPM.jpg" width="227" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">22. Darnell Coles</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This was the ONLY picture of Coles as a Brewer I was able to find online. It's a few years old. Probably the oldest pic in the set. </span><br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wKNwrvBGsEI/XBXcxj6dxYI/AAAAAAAACAQ/oVRaNRMCitoTkSL-WXzpku8z026zESZwQCEwYBhgL/s1600/Photo%2BOct%2B14%252C%2B8%2B45%2B10%2BPM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="828" data-original-width="584" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wKNwrvBGsEI/XBXcxj6dxYI/AAAAAAAACAQ/oVRaNRMCitoTkSL-WXzpku8z026zESZwQCEwYBhgL/s320/Photo%2BOct%2B14%252C%2B8%2B45%2B10%2BPM.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">23. Junior Guerra</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ksa6MZrkEmY/XBXcx0u2UeI/AAAAAAAACAU/bvAi2pwgRqA9osLFzBPaoOeABRx5jE08gCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/Photo%2BOct%2B14%252C%2B8%2B45%2B16%2BPM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="813" data-original-width="578" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ksa6MZrkEmY/XBXcx0u2UeI/AAAAAAAACAU/bvAi2pwgRqA9osLFzBPaoOeABRx5jE08gCPcBGAYYCw/s320/Photo%2BOct%2B14%252C%2B8%2B45%2B16%2BPM.jpg" width="227" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">24. Jacob Barnes</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As middle relievers tend to be less often featured in photos, I sometime had to capture them in less-than-flattering moments. Here's Barnes getting yanked after a rough outing. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cPBE90VJrT4/XBXcyU_nbyI/AAAAAAAACAU/wEM6Q2YGB8YgT51BqRBNH_vzUXwR7o_WACPcBGAYYCw/s1600/Photo%2BOct%2B14%252C%2B8%2B45%2B32%2BPM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="824" data-original-width="594" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cPBE90VJrT4/XBXcyU_nbyI/AAAAAAAACAU/wEM6Q2YGB8YgT51BqRBNH_vzUXwR7o_WACPcBGAYYCw/s320/Photo%2BOct%2B14%252C%2B8%2B45%2B32%2BPM.jpg" width="230" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> 25. Davey Nelson</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This is the only non player/coach in this series. I thought I should honor Davey, who had been a coach/commentator with the Brewers for years. He was a beloved fixture in Milwaukee. He passed away in April. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DpXi6Qw3H0U/XBXcydEqbHI/AAAAAAAACAY/AvY2sxadKigZfKadMgNk2z58Pfug-PjlACPcBGAYYCw/s1600/Photo%2BOct%2B14%252C%2B8%2B45%2B37%2BPM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="813" data-original-width="572" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DpXi6Qw3H0U/XBXcydEqbHI/AAAAAAAACAY/AvY2sxadKigZfKadMgNk2z58Pfug-PjlACPcBGAYYCw/s320/Photo%2BOct%2B14%252C%2B8%2B45%2B37%2BPM.jpg" width="225" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> 26. Christian Yelich</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Yeli wasn't yet on his MVP pace when I made this card, but I think I still got him in a pretty nice shot. This is one of 23 cards on which Yelich appears in this set. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QAtMv_NqEOg/XBXcymQrW9I/AAAAAAAACAk/5Kt-5a2U_W0mMEs31N44xDdAiVeAwEocQCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/Photo%2BOct%2B14%252C%2B8%2B45%2B42%2BPM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="807" data-original-width="581" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QAtMv_NqEOg/XBXcymQrW9I/AAAAAAAACAk/5Kt-5a2U_W0mMEs31N44xDdAiVeAwEocQCPcBGAYYCw/s320/Photo%2BOct%2B14%252C%2B8%2B45%2B42%2BPM.jpg" width="230" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> 27. Travis Shaw</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Another candidate for best card in the set. I am beyond proud of myself for the clever cropping here. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-z2TxrBr082w/XBXczeoNYwI/AAAAAAAACAc/KyEV-bA1EUENbEmc9lLQNBVAFgOhyxYTQCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/Photo%2BOct%2B14%252C%2B8%2B46%2B03%2BPM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="839" data-original-width="586" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-z2TxrBr082w/XBXczeoNYwI/AAAAAAAACAc/KyEV-bA1EUENbEmc9lLQNBVAFgOhyxYTQCPcBGAYYCw/s320/Photo%2BOct%2B14%252C%2B8%2B46%2B03%2BPM.jpg" width="223" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> 28. Adrian Houser</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And how about the worst card in the set? Maybe this one. No shade on Houser, I just didn't have many (or any) good images to pick from. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CSi9wOUwezc/XBXc0OlPEMI/AAAAAAAACAY/Qb2ubgVILos2QYOPQqysxjK7FbozKyQXQCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/Photo%2BOct%2B14%252C%2B8%2B46%2B19%2BPM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="811" data-original-width="581" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CSi9wOUwezc/XBXc0OlPEMI/AAAAAAAACAY/Qb2ubgVILos2QYOPQqysxjK7FbozKyQXQCPcBGAYYCw/s320/Photo%2BOct%2B14%252C%2B8%2B46%2B19%2BPM.jpg" width="229" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> 29. Lorenzo Cain</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Another awesome card. This is one that I would just periodically stare at after I got it printed. A note on the images - most come from the JSOnline (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel) game recaps. Some, like the Thames, came from Twitter. The Highlight cards presented a few more challenges photo-wise than the team series. Which I will get to when I post about those. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kstAo1MtCNo/XBXc0ezdIRI/AAAAAAAACAc/T7i1tXBhSGkQJ_A_mvbwSiLvPH1y9qbVACPcBGAYYCw/s1600/Photo%2BOct%2B14%252C%2B8%2B46%2B23%2BPM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="811" data-original-width="583" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kstAo1MtCNo/XBXc0ezdIRI/AAAAAAAACAc/T7i1tXBhSGkQJ_A_mvbwSiLvPH1y9qbVACPcBGAYYCw/s320/Photo%2BOct%2B14%252C%2B8%2B46%2B23%2BPM.jpg" width="230" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> 30. Orlando Arcia</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9N-sX8vzCVs/XBXc01Vv8gI/AAAAAAAACAk/bmOmsC2sY5AFIzcFuM3SE_M0pb-FEkKNgCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/Photo%2BOct%2B14%252C%2B8%2B46%2B34%2BPM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="807" data-original-width="580" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9N-sX8vzCVs/XBXc01Vv8gI/AAAAAAAACAk/bmOmsC2sY5AFIzcFuM3SE_M0pb-FEkKNgCPcBGAYYCw/s320/Photo%2BOct%2B14%252C%2B8%2B46%2B34%2BPM.jpg" width="229" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> 31. Lee Tunnell</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The coach photos were kind of hit-or-miss. This one was a bit hit, I think. You can see bullpen catcher Marcus Hanel in the background. I considered making bullpen coach cards for him and Robinson Diaz, but ended up not doing it. Which I am glad for, because it would have given me a total of 64 cards, leaving me with a dreaded single-card page in the binder. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IcXgL0IlqbQ/XBXc1P5bb4I/AAAAAAAACAo/ZqTqyLhy9awgEG1XU4nA4fQeuh1vvKyowCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/Photo%2BOct%2B14%252C%2B8%2B46%2B40%2BPM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="828" data-original-width="581" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IcXgL0IlqbQ/XBXc1P5bb4I/AAAAAAAACAo/ZqTqyLhy9awgEG1XU4nA4fQeuh1vvKyowCPcBGAYYCw/s320/Photo%2BOct%2B14%252C%2B8%2B46%2B40%2BPM.jpg" width="224" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> 32. Eric Sogard</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Nice shot of a guy who just had an awful go of it in 2018. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So that's it for round one... I'll be back later this week with the rest of the player series, and then after we'll visit the Season Highlights! </span>Matt Priggehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16611932704321174498noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-90546067802688148.post-71105373404347211432018-08-28T16:01:00.002-05:002018-08-28T16:01:22.511-05:00A Winner in my (crooked) Contest and a Stack O' Brewers from Fuji <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At long last I have finished my BIG BREWERS SORT. Which means we have a winner in the HOW BIG IS MY CREWNEVERSE contest. But before we get that...</span><br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-twEmOkP7x80/W4W2dFpYoyI/AAAAAAAAB6M/ZabgGqB7JSYtUMC24fGJG4phjdul9UYzQCLcBGAs/s1600/DlqU4wrUYAIEjIi.jpg%2Blarge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-twEmOkP7x80/W4W2dFpYoyI/AAAAAAAAB6M/ZabgGqB7JSYtUMC24fGJG4phjdul9UYzQCLcBGAs/s320/DlqU4wrUYAIEjIi.jpg%2Blarge.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Look at that! What a beautiful sight... everything so damned orderly. What you see there are my all-time Brewers binder, which now is home to a COMPLETE set of every player who ever appeared with the Pilots and Brewers, my oversized Brewers stuff, and my two Brewers monster boxes, with players sorted by name (plus some spillage). Each of these cards is now entered into the Trading Card Database... which gives me a little demographic info about my collection. </span><br />
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<table class="table table-hover table-condensed table-bordered table-striped"><tbody>
<tr class="stats_row"><td>1.</td>
<td><a href="https://www.tradingcarddb.com/CollectionSummaryP.cfm/pid/656?CollectionID=1">Ryan Braun</a></td>
<td align="center" valign="top">262</td>
</tr>
<tr class="stats_row">
<td>2.</td>
<td><a href="https://www.tradingcarddb.com/CollectionSummaryP.cfm/pid/6472?CollectionID=1">Robin Yount</a></td>
<td align="center" valign="top">238</td>
</tr>
<tr class="stats_row">
<td>3.</td>
<td><a href="https://www.tradingcarddb.com/CollectionSummaryP.cfm/pid/4045?CollectionID=1">Paul Molitor</a></td>
<td align="center" valign="top">168</td>
</tr>
<tr class="stats_row">
<td>4.</td>
<td><a href="https://www.tradingcarddb.com/CollectionSummaryP.cfm/pid/1806?CollectionID=1">Prince Fielder</a></td>
<td align="center" valign="top">162</td>
</tr>
<tr class="stats_row">
<td>5.</td>
<td><a href="https://www.tradingcarddb.com/CollectionSummaryP.cfm/pid/5357?CollectionID=1">Ben Sheets</a></td>
<td align="center" valign="top">154</td>
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<tr class="stats_row">
<td>6.</td>
<td><a href="https://www.tradingcarddb.com/CollectionSummaryP.cfm/pid/6038?CollectionID=1">Greg Vaughn</a></td>
<td align="center" valign="top">126</td>
</tr>
<tr class="stats_row">
<td>7.</td>
<td><a href="https://www.tradingcarddb.com/CollectionSummaryP.cfm/pid/6195?CollectionID=1">Rickie Weeks</a></td>
<td align="center" valign="top">121</td>
</tr>
<tr class="stats_row">
<td>8.</td>
<td><a href="https://www.tradingcarddb.com/CollectionSummaryP.cfm/pid/2877?CollectionID=1">Geoff Jenkins</a></td>
<td align="center" valign="top">120</td>
</tr>
<tr class="stats_row">
<td>9.</td>
<td><a href="https://www.tradingcarddb.com/CollectionSummaryP.cfm/pid/17538?CollectionID=1">Dave Nilsson</a></td>
<td align="center" valign="top">112</td>
</tr>
<tr class="stats_row">
<td>10.</td>
<td><a href="https://www.tradingcarddb.com/CollectionSummaryP.cfm/pid/5720?CollectionID=1">B.J. Surhoff</a></td>
<td align="center" valign="top">99</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There you see the top ten players in my collection. Not a lot surprising about that... although Dave Nilsson ranks a but higher than I would have thought. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Anyway, I don't plan on keeping all of these cards in these boxes long-term. I ended up having some issues with the monster box set-up. First off, I have come to hate penny sleeves. You notice that most of these cards are in penny sleeves. It makes them slick as hell, and it's almost impossible to pick up a stack of these from the top without sending them flying out in all direction. I also erred on the player dividers. They look fine, but they are printed on normal printer paper and tend to slide down between the cards. In short, this is not a good set up to actually LOOK at the collection. My plan is to start binders with my favorite players - a Braun/Prince binder for example - which would make everything much more accessible and fun. But many players will remain in the boxes... Jose Valentine for example... not someone I regularly need to browse. Perhaps a Franken-set or something like that will also soon be in the offing. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So what about that total???? Well, about that total...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I remembered as I was doing this that in the original post for this contest, I said that I would not count Brewers cards that I got DURING the count. Well, I did. I totally forgot my own rule and lumped it all together. Anyway, since I have no idea how to undo that, I'll just stick with changing the rule mid-way through the game.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, now, getting to the winner of this crooked contest...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But WAIT! There are some Brewers cards in my collection that I have not yet added to this total. Cards I just got yesterday from <a href="http://sanjosefuji.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">San Jose Fuji</a>. I had won a contest of his (not crooked, I assume) a while back and my prize lot was full of Brewers!</span><br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CyRuoawsLMI/W4W3QY4hnYI/AAAAAAAAB6o/Lv38wf0nBicZybbbPRicgGlbm_fC7ppSQCEwYBhgL/s1600/Photo%2BAug%2B28%252C%2B3%2B37%2B05%2BPM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CyRuoawsLMI/W4W3QY4hnYI/AAAAAAAAB6o/Lv38wf0nBicZybbbPRicgGlbm_fC7ppSQCEwYBhgL/s320/Photo%2BAug%2B28%252C%2B3%2B37%2B05%2BPM.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here is Lorenzo Cain, the backbone of this year's team, in a great-looking SP from A&G.</span><br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Itcs3o8IwiI/W4W2_P1rPFI/AAAAAAAAB6c/2RtxveJlmFE9xI5vEu-KhXzA2US4DR3mACEwYBhgL/s1600/Photo%2BAug%2B28%252C%2B3%2B36%2B37%2BPM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Itcs3o8IwiI/W4W2_P1rPFI/AAAAAAAAB6c/2RtxveJlmFE9xI5vEu-KhXzA2US4DR3mACEwYBhgL/s320/Photo%2BAug%2B28%252C%2B3%2B36%2B37%2BPM.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hey! And a Dan Plesac card from the Topps TV All Stars set... I've been wanting one for a while.</span><br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MCbNhlBaiYE/W4W3PMBts-I/AAAAAAAAB6g/xgAPukkc4B8wdSahkx7rdKpCqzUuJIvTwCEwYBhgL/s1600/Photo%2BAug%2B28%252C%2B3%2B36%2B55%2BPM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MCbNhlBaiYE/W4W3PMBts-I/AAAAAAAAB6g/xgAPukkc4B8wdSahkx7rdKpCqzUuJIvTwCEwYBhgL/s320/Photo%2BAug%2B28%252C%2B3%2B36%2B55%2BPM.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And.... yeah, that guy. He's... certainly on the team.</span><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-S_gdQRVfZsI/W4W29Ft6aEI/AAAAAAAAB6U/ScTaiICEEvshn9dHD67ULO3GL9v4lmKkQCEwYBhgL/s1600/Photo%2BAug%2B28%252C%2B3%2B35%2B59%2BPM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-S_gdQRVfZsI/W4W29Ft6aEI/AAAAAAAAB6U/ScTaiICEEvshn9dHD67ULO3GL9v4lmKkQCEwYBhgL/s320/Photo%2BAug%2B28%252C%2B3%2B35%2B59%2BPM.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here's a Ryan Braun I wasn't even aware of... signed by the artist! Very cool.</span><br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jtHx2E0I3-Y/W4W2-83NyBI/AAAAAAAAB6Y/arg3KfZg15k8ZHOHDn65kgIiTFnTkmNYgCEwYBhgL/s1600/Photo%2BAug%2B28%252C%2B3%2B36%2B21%2BPM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jtHx2E0I3-Y/W4W2-83NyBI/AAAAAAAAB6Y/arg3KfZg15k8ZHOHDn65kgIiTFnTkmNYgCEwYBhgL/s320/Photo%2BAug%2B28%252C%2B3%2B36%2B21%2BPM.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And a couple of Greinkes from this brief time as a Brewer. The blue-bordered cards in numbered to 199. Sweet. </span><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pTJpj4PCW0w/W4W3P0ybDCI/AAAAAAAAB6k/0Br1Tu-rmTcMjpFjW6OiVC7yknE0mh4JgCEwYBhgL/s1600/Photo%2BAug%2B28%252C%2B3%2B36%2B44%2BPM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pTJpj4PCW0w/W4W3P0ybDCI/AAAAAAAAB6k/0Br1Tu-rmTcMjpFjW6OiVC7yknE0mh4JgCEwYBhgL/s320/Photo%2BAug%2B28%252C%2B3%2B36%2B44%2BPM.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And HELL YEAH! The best of the bunch, a clear-cut Greg Vaughn. Thanks, Fuji! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Which is, oddly enough, from the same set as the Lenny Dykstra in the prize pack for the Crewneverse contest. Let's recap that prize pack.</span><br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Uoh0NcNYiao/W4W24b2xtUI/AAAAAAAAB6Q/LjQ5pv6zBAcF_5dxf6s6bDAJGEWfIAE9gCEwYBhgL/s1600/Photo%2BApr%2B05%252C%2B6%2B03%2B55%2BPM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Uoh0NcNYiao/W4W24b2xtUI/AAAAAAAAB6Q/LjQ5pv6zBAcF_5dxf6s6bDAJGEWfIAE9gCEwYBhgL/s320/Photo%2BApr%2B05%252C%2B6%2B03%2B55%2BPM.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There's Nails and some UD stickers...</span><br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xoyk0PiDrb4/W4W3abmzwRI/AAAAAAAAB6s/tg-m6WUAhBs8wfd9T6G6JHfOWaiEEPzgwCEwYBhgL/s1600/Photo%2BMar%2B24%252C%2B12%2B31%2B58%2BPM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xoyk0PiDrb4/W4W3abmzwRI/AAAAAAAAB6s/tg-m6WUAhBs8wfd9T6G6JHfOWaiEEPzgwCEwYBhgL/s320/Photo%2BMar%2B24%252C%2B12%2B31%2B58%2BPM.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">... and a signed Tom Selleck card...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And that's all I'd gotten around to including. But, since I now know the WINNER of this contest, I can craft the rest of the prize package around their interests. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(which includes a lot of football)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To the guesses one last time...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Laurens – 2,200 </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Angels in Order – 4,444</span></div>
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Sportscard Collectors – 4,444</span></div>
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Doug Hoback – 6,500</span></div>
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Mike Matson – 6,700</span></div>
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Gavin – 6,969 (nice)</span></div>
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Bo – 7,676</span></div>
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GCA – 7,955</span></div>
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Trevor P – 8,100</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
Adam Kaninger – 8,750</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
EP – 9,009</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
Nick – 9,219</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
Rob 792 – 9,482</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
Jon – 9,700</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
Fuji – 9,887</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
Adam Sanders – 10,100</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
ARPSmith – 11,111</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
The Lost Collector – 12,224</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">and the final tally is...</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">8,162!!!! </span></span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Which means <a href="http://bumpandruncards.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Trevor of Bump and Run</a> is our champion!!!! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I know I've got a few Packers somewhere around here that I will include in your package and I'm sure I can find a bunch of other fun stuff from your lists. In the next week or so, I'll put something together... if you can send me your address, I'll get it out ASAP.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thanks again everyone for playing and for sending me so much great Brewers stuff over the past year-plus. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span>Matt Priggehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16611932704321174498noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-90546067802688148.post-69962572653372558632018-08-22T16:39:00.002-05:002018-08-22T16:39:39.926-05:00S as in SORTING THINGS OUT <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am now through the S names in my BIG BREWERS SORT or CREWNEVERSE or whatever the hell I called it project. With the Sheffields, Sexons, Sheetses, and Seguris all tucked away in their new home...</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Tfz79_kYq-I/W33VPeIaDrI/AAAAAAAAB5k/h-5BzGQ5390WohZUJHpfZ_GQ5PFIof6IACLcBGAs/s1600/Photo%2BAug%2B22%252C%2B4%2B21%2B45%2BPM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Tfz79_kYq-I/W33VPeIaDrI/AAAAAAAAB5k/h-5BzGQ5390WohZUJHpfZ_GQ5PFIof6IACLcBGAs/s320/Photo%2BAug%2B22%252C%2B4%2B21%2B45%2BPM.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">...how cozy... my total stands at 6,375. Let's check that leaderboard...</span><br />
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<strike><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Laurens – 2,200 </span></strike></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<strike>Angels in Order – 4,444</strike></div>
<strike>
</strike><div class="MsoNormal">
<strike>
Sportscard Collectors – 4,444</strike></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>THROUGH S - 6,375 </b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Doug Hoback – 6,500</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Mike Matson – 6,700</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Gavin – 6,969 (nice)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Bo – 7,676</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
GCA – 7,955</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Trevor P – 8,100</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Adam Kaninger – 8,750</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
EP – 9,009</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Nick – 9,219</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Rob 792 – 9,482</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Jon – 9,700</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Fuji – 9,887</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Adam Sanders – 10,100</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
ARPSmith – 11,111</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The Lost Collector – 12,224</div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have the remaining card sorted by name and ready to input and my guess is that I will end up somewhere around 7,500 to 8,000 for the grand total, which puts Bo, GCA, and Trevor in top contention for the prize... assuming none of them have died of old age while I took my sweet time in counting these cards. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I ended up having A LOT more dupes than I imagined. Almost 3,500 so far. Yeesh. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Once I am done with this project, I will be posting a series of TRADE BAIT lots, including making available for set-builders a bunch of the cards I recently acquired in my latest Goodwill mega-find. For those of you who missed it on twitter...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DUQZS6sOodw/W33W5VGczzI/AAAAAAAAB50/9GiulfL_P7UGybCeCTwVDqkypMfzuuiWwCLcBGAs/s1600/Dj8i5vFUcAAjg6f.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DUQZS6sOodw/W33W5VGczzI/AAAAAAAAB50/9GiulfL_P7UGybCeCTwVDqkypMfzuuiWwCLcBGAs/s320/Dj8i5vFUcAAjg6f.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-t9fD3kz0Ofw/W33W5LRD2cI/AAAAAAAAB5w/ah2-Z9YOKTAmkMKAp1GBiOjK3vG92NLagCLcBGAs/s1600/Dj8K4tXUUAAvFhb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="768" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-t9fD3kz0Ofw/W33W5LRD2cI/AAAAAAAAB5w/ah2-Z9YOKTAmkMKAp1GBiOjK3vG92NLagCLcBGAs/s320/Dj8K4tXUUAAvFhb.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pIK3kZt7pLU/W33W5ccVYTI/AAAAAAAAB54/oslQ5pdLE6Yd-CSsounTubbo8SHaW9sCgCLcBGAs/s1600/Dj8NU-zU0AAeo2p.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="240" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pIK3kZt7pLU/W33W5ccVYTI/AAAAAAAAB54/oslQ5pdLE6Yd-CSsounTubbo8SHaW9sCgCLcBGAs/s320/Dj8NU-zU0AAeo2p.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That's just a taste of the THREE 3,500 count boxes I picked up for 4.99 each. So, if you're working on any slightly off-beat sets from the late-90s or early 00s, I might be able to help you out. Or, if you collect a team that is not included in my team collectors group (Orioles, Mariners, Dodgers, Giants, Marlins, O's, Phillies, Rays, etc), I can offer a team lot. Plus there is some other stuff I've had sitting around forever that I'd like to use to spark up some new blog swaps. I am also going to broaden my PCs and update some wantlists on the blog here, so STAY TUNED and we can have some fun. </span><br />
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Matt Priggehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16611932704321174498noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-90546067802688148.post-45054520485387944992018-07-18T12:36:00.003-05:002018-07-18T12:36:29.389-05:00Ain't Nothing but an (A thru) G Thang...<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">[Default comment about how rarely I post]</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Anyway, with some mid-summer free time, I've made an effort to get back into my Big Brewers Count or whatever the heck I called it way back when I started this thing. (checking) AH! Brewneverse! Ok, whatever, I counted all my Brewers "G" cards and, now have tallied Aaron through Gwynn, Jr., my total stands at....</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2,347 different Brewers cards!!</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dYy9_n2iTkA/W096BIfh_9I/AAAAAAAAB4w/i_Ygu9grUr8PfPMs5wPhNnrPRvd6ZiWiwCLcBGAs/s1600/7850-124Fr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="349" data-original-width="253" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dYy9_n2iTkA/W096BIfh_9I/AAAAAAAAB4w/i_Ygu9grUr8PfPMs5wPhNnrPRvd6ZiWiwCLcBGAs/s320/7850-124Fr.jpg" width="231" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The "OG" of the group (Overall most often appearing with a G-starting last name) was hurler Yovanni Gallardo... who inexplicably turns up as a Brewer, with a years-old photo, in 2018 Topps series two. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> And since there is a prize attached to the outcome of this count, let's check the leaderboard...</span><br />
<strike><br /></strike>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<strike><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Laurens – 2,200 </span></strike></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">THROUGH G - </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2,347</span></b><strike><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></strike></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
<div class="MsoNormal">
Angels in Order – 4,444</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Sportscard Collectors – 4,444</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Doug Hoback – 6,500</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Mike Matson – 6,700</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Gavin – 6,969 (nice)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Bo – 7,676</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
GCA – 7,955</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Trevor P – 8,100</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Adam Kaninger – 8,750</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
EP – 9,009</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Nick – 9,219</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Rob 792 – 9,482</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Jon – 9,700</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Fuji – 9,887</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Adam Sanders – 10,100</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
ARPSmith – 11,111</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The Lost Collector – 12,224</div>
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Looking like I won't need to worry about that tie-breaker at 4,444...</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Next up, the H's! Hall, Hardy, Hamilton, Hart...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">and, uh, Hader... Yeah... what timing. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span>Matt Priggehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16611932704321174498noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-90546067802688148.post-80027524789176010292018-06-06T14:37:00.001-05:002018-06-06T14:37:25.752-05:00The Next Great Flagship Set Will be the One We Make Ourselves<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Topps Series II checklist came out today and - of course - it is the same old garbage we've all come to expect from Topps. My first outrage was seeing a card of Yovanni Gallardo as a Brewer (cut in spring training), but then I was alerted to the Brewers card of MATT GARZA - who was hardly an impact player on last year's team and was far from a fan favorite and is no longer in baseball and had NO CHANCE of returning to the Brewers for 2018. Why??? WHYYYYY Matt Garza? </span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IVH2PO2m-6M/Wxg3KDlYK9I/AAAAAAAAB14/h0TpKBUoiYkILem5pS6fDb-xOVicf3N_QCLcBGAs/s1600/DfB7wrJU0AAhXvz.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="600" height="213" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IVH2PO2m-6M/Wxg3KDlYK9I/AAAAAAAAB14/h0TpKBUoiYkILem5pS6fDb-xOVicf3N_QCLcBGAs/s320/DfB7wrJU0AAhXvz.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Because Topps doesn't give a shit. Base sets have become delivery systems for relics and parallels and SP'd RCs. Base is the soda, chase cards are the whiskey, and the hobby is old-timey drunk in a rumpled suit who just can't say no. "Coke, Pepsi... whatever. Mix it with some flat Sam's Club root beer for all I care. Taste is long lost, I just need my fix." </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But what if there was another option? A set of base cards that could reflect what the people who still give a hoot about base cards want? I've had this idea lately. It sprouted from the pure joy I have in building my BrewersNOW set and the utter indifference I feel towards any products. It's a simple idea, really - take the custom-made team set idea league-wide with a crowd-sourced set of 792 cards for the 2019 season. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It won't be an easy thing to do. As I see it, this project will need:</span><br />
<br />
<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At least 10-12 "team captains" who will be build team checklists, collect highish-res images of players and write copy for the backsides of their cards.</span></i><br />
<br />
<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Someone to design the base cards and subsets, front and back.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">People who can "harvest" player biographical info and stats from the internet and format them so they can be included on the card backs (I have no technical knowledge about this would be done)</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Editors for the card copy and information. </span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A checklist master who can arrange the cards and - as the 2019 season nears - update teams and photos as needed. </span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Someone with printing knowledge enough to oversee many of these processes so the cards don't end up looking like crap. </span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A printing company who will print, cut, and collate these cards. </span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A decent number of collectors (50 or more?) willing to put up money for these sets so we have cash to cover what I imagine will be a very large printing bill. </span></i><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, there would be a lot of work to be done. But, it would be fun work and we have plenty of time to do it. My biggest worries are about the money. I have no idea what something like this might cost. My uneducated guess is that a 792-card set would probably cost at least $100... but that is just a wild-ass guess. And we'd need enough collectors to sign on in order to make that possible. If there are only ten people interested in this concept, it's sunk before it even begins. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And there are other matters to consider as well. First, this will be an unauthorized product. We'd be using photos without the permission of their creators and depicting ballplayers and team logos without any OK from anyone. I don't have a huge issue with any of that. I'd insist on the price point of these cards to be just enough to cover the printing costs. I want to do this because it would be hella fun and would - hopefully - result in the greatest card set of the decade. No one is making money, no one is losing out. It's a guerilla kind of thing, too. A rebellion against a corrupt system. Not exactly burning down the ROTC... but you get my drift. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, that is the heavy stuff. The work, the cheating, and so on. BUT... what about the FUN!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">First off, we'd get to make our own damn set. Teams would get balanced coverage... FANS of each (or most) teams would get to pick the player depicted. MATT GARZA WOULD NOT BE INCLUDED. Middle reliever would return to cardboard! Managers! The photos would be GREAT! NO SPs!!!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And Subsets!! The limit is our collective imagination! Our set can have Record Breakers, Rated Rookies, multi-player leader cards. We could have a stand-alone card for Albert Pujols' 3000th hit! Playoff recap cards! Boyhood Photos of the stars! </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is something that can be done. Please share and comment below if you are up for the challenge. </span><br />
Matt Priggehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16611932704321174498noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-90546067802688148.post-49682830523676884252018-06-01T10:05:00.001-05:002018-06-01T10:05:18.607-05:00And the Winner Is...<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As promised, I put the names of everyone who commented on my True Crime cards post into the randomizer...</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pdVjTtw-Ajs/WxFgkyLFRGI/AAAAAAAAB1o/n76FsqTzOCgzETP05ZLhoKda16dHsfeIwCEwYBhgL/s1600/rand%2B1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="899" data-original-width="1600" height="179" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pdVjTtw-Ajs/WxFgkyLFRGI/AAAAAAAAB1o/n76FsqTzOCgzETP05ZLhoKda16dHsfeIwCEwYBhgL/s320/rand%2B1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> With the top name after one click (so boring, I know) to get the prize of a couple of unopened wax packs.</span><br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jCNG9ZdKNsY/WxFgk0FpDAI/AAAAAAAAB1k/5CZ4j0Glx9kKhQ4wEM9BoDU_CxCWSHtrgCEwYBhgL/s1600/rand%2B2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="894" data-original-width="1600" height="178" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jCNG9ZdKNsY/WxFgk0FpDAI/AAAAAAAAB1k/5CZ4j0Glx9kKhQ4wEM9BoDU_CxCWSHtrgCEwYBhgL/s320/rand%2B2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And there it is! Congrats, Julie! You win some "Ghoulie" cards. </span>Matt Priggehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16611932704321174498noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-90546067802688148.post-80140746965473910012018-05-25T21:01:00.000-05:002018-05-25T21:16:09.501-05:002018 Bowman Mania is an Utterly Boring Mania... and Represents Perfectly the Modern Day Hobby<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Card collectors are a bit testy these days. At least according to card twitter. The source of all this antagonism seems to be the new Bowman product. Normally a non-controversial release, this year's product features the coveted Ohtnai signed flashy whatever card. The initial offering of product at retail outlets sold very quickly, leading to a new "mega box" release that seems to be driving everyone involved in this thing we do a little crazy. </span><br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZcyjAR01NmI/Wwi_KtfUBaI/AAAAAAAAB1Y/JDxd8dqFBEMMMuz3f_9U7AIGb5AAANAwACLcBGAs/s1600/2017-Bowman-Mega-Box-A.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="561" data-original-width="600" height="299" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZcyjAR01NmI/Wwi_KtfUBaI/AAAAAAAAB1Y/JDxd8dqFBEMMMuz3f_9U7AIGb5AAANAwACLcBGAs/s320/2017-Bowman-Mega-Box-A.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">People complain that they can't find the mega boxes. They trash Topps for this weird, unannounced release. They hoard the boxes to open or resell. They trash other collectors for hoarding the boxes to open or resell. They mock collectors for wanting the stuff so badly. They ooh and aah over "hits" from the product. Bowman Mega Box opinions have become a big part of daily life on the card twitter stream. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I've been doing some casual reading in old issues of Baseball Card and Tuff Stuff mags while watching the Brewers the past few nights. Issues from the early 1990s, when there were dozens of releases every year from a half dozen different card makers, each of them trying to catch the collecting world's fancy... it was a weird and wild time. And then I check twitter and read all of this about retail Bowman. And something dawned on me...</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The modern hobby is an utter bore. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The Topps monopoly has drained all of the creativity out of the business. Even innovative products like Topps Now or the Living Set are executed in a cripplingly dull way. The Now set is an idea I've ripped off for my own custom set, so it's a good idea, but they take no risks with the set. It's largely the same teams and players as in the base product with a few terribly-written sentences on the back. The living set is more substantial, but the idea is less interesting. And the 1953 design again? AGAIN? </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Topps flagship is as devoid of new ideas as it has ever been. Heritage feels lifeless and lazy. Stadium Club has some stunning photos, but little else. I was just paging through my Update 2017 binder and - my god - it was so boring. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And so this is what we are left with... arguing about Bowman. BOWMAN. When was the last time anyone gave a shit about Bowman? </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I've tried to get excited about new product, and dutifully buy my flagship boxes each year, but looking back at this stuff, I'm left with such an empty feeling. What do these cards mean to me? Not much. They're just not any... fun. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">FUN! O lord, remember FUN??? Collectors, we have been deprived of fun for so long, we've devolved. Paging through my 1991 Topps binder is a BLAST. Remember Upper Deck SP inserts? Prime Times Two? Man, that was awesome. Ted Williams Card Co? Hell, it was a new take. Pacific? It sucked, mostly, but it sucked it its own weird way. Topps MBossed? What a big, bumpy, wacky try at something new. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">2018 Bowman Rookie of the Year favorites? (crickets)</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Now, I don't want to make this seem like I'm putting anyone down who is buying Bowman, or having fun ripping it. I actually tried to pick some up this past month and would have had some fun opening it up. But I feel like the furor over this far outpaces the actual enthusiasm anyone feels for this product as a whole. We have so little to get excited about, so it's a rather middling product like this that starts a firestorm. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I have almost no interest in buying in a box of Topps series 2 this year. Sure, the completist in me WANTS one... for no good reason other than to fill another binder that will depress me some afternoon this winter. Maybe I'm done with new stuff for now. Maybe until someone issues a set that is actually worth collecting. </span>Matt Priggehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16611932704321174498noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-90546067802688148.post-42949280040912888622018-05-24T11:42:00.000-05:002018-05-24T11:42:12.585-05:001992 Eclipse True Crime - The Mega-Controversy the Card World Forgot (plus a contest!)<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Look through a Tuff Stuff Magazine from the early 1990s once
in a while. It is a real trip. I have a June 1992 copy and paging through it is
like a damn time warp. There is just SO MUCH product being advertised,
discussed, sold and traded. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">SPORTS! The big four, boxing, golf, track and field.
NON-SPORTS! This is where is really gets crazy.. cars, movies, motorcycles,
wars (seriously), tractors, comics, TV shows, pin-ups… everything that anyone
could have a passing interest in what given a damn card set in 1992. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And people had more than a passing interest in serial
killers in 1992. Milwaukee’s own Jeffrey Dahmer was arrested in the summer of
1991, sparking international fascination with his horrific spree of murders,
mutilations, and acts of cannibalism. It was one of those moments where true
crime goes mainstream for just a bit, and all the so-called “respectable” news
outlets get to thrash around with the slop with those who write gory and
sensationalized stuff for a while before returning to their ivory towers. So,
with carnage and blood all over the news in 1991, it seemed natural that a True
Crime card set would hit in 1992. </span></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_rCXT9kmVJg/WwbqC1xoN2I/AAAAAAAAB1E/hRlba-84be0aaH6f9Ixgy8m6GqNiUDtmgCEwYBhgL/s1600/79535-5663744Bk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="248" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_rCXT9kmVJg/WwbqC1xoN2I/AAAAAAAAB1E/hRlba-84be0aaH6f9Ixgy8m6GqNiUDtmgCEwYBhgL/s320/79535-5663744Bk.jpg" width="226" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In that same issue of Tuff Stuff, there is a short column on
a set that was due out in May from Eclipse, a comic book publisher who
specialized in edgy material. In January 1992, the tv program Entertainment
Tonight (one of those schlock-centric garbage shows that lived on sensationalism,
but never owned up to being a <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>schlock-centric
garbage shows that lived on sensationalism) aired a segment on the set, which
they claimed would be dedicated to serial killers. The segment caused an
uproar, but only got it half-right. The set was to be dedicated to True Crime,
and it would include gangsters and crime-fighters as well as mass murders. But
the outcry was enough to get legislators in eight states to introduce
legislation to ban sale of the cards to minors or to prohibit them altogether –
a bill in New Jersey would have given a penalty of 18 months in jail to anyone
who sold the cards to kids. And this was all before even a sample card from the
set had produced. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Victims’ rights
advocates and free speech supporters debated about the cards on TV. Larry King
hosted a segment on the cards. Newspapers all across the nation wrote about the
controversy. Meanwhile, Eclipse Co. upped their initial print order for the
cards – which would sell for $1 for a 12 card pack – from 10,000 cases to 25,000.
</span></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-75di0zfCf8s/WwbqB5xNzDI/AAAAAAAAB0g/OYcFQT7_Qw0SeS6FqrH8AovK_spyWjjFACEwYBhgL/s1600/79535-5663673Fr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="255" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-75di0zfCf8s/WwbqB5xNzDI/AAAAAAAAB0g/OYcFQT7_Qw0SeS6FqrH8AovK_spyWjjFACEwYBhgL/s320/79535-5663673Fr.jpg" width="232" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And the cards sold like mad. Only one of the efforts to ban
the cards came to fruition… Nassau County, on Long Island, banned sale of the
cards to anyone under 18. A lawsuit by Eclipse, supported by the ACLU, eventually
overturned the ban. By the end of 1992, with a second, 110 card series rushed
into release, the New York Times reported that the company had sold $1 million
worth of the product. The cards gained such a high profile that in early 1993,
the Hillside Strangler – Kenneth Bianchi – who raped, tortured, and murdered at
least 10 women, brought suit against Eclipse for using his likeness for
commercial purposes. The suit was thrown out. </span></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FH5SptI6ltk/WwbqD2F0vuI/AAAAAAAAB04/gNsqAtz5dIUe4mVh17VNWBeyhIntbxi_gCEwYBhgL/s1600/79535-5663756Fr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="252" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FH5SptI6ltk/WwbqD2F0vuI/AAAAAAAAB04/gNsqAtz5dIUe4mVh17VNWBeyhIntbxi_gCEwYBhgL/s320/79535-5663756Fr.jpg" width="229" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The booming success of the cards didn’t seem to do much for
Eclipse’s trading card efforts. They had been in the game since 1988, issuing
tongue-in-cheek sets on the Iran Contra scandal and political corruption. In
1990, they printed a set on the Kennedy assassination and a “Friendly Dictators”
set and, in 1991, issued sets on the drug war and the savings and loan scandal.
Although they had announced plans for an “AIDS Awareness” set for 1993 – which would
feature Magic Johnson – the concept seems to have been scrapped. In 1993,
Eclipse issued a handful of movie sets – including a National Lampoon’s Loaded
Weapon set – and then bowed out of the card game for good. </span></div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-n4wXDHzq5rE/WwbqCpVZo0I/AAAAAAAAB0s/AyuhZbPUOv8r9PI837k0lYMqdCiyI_KjQCEwYBhgL/s1600/79535-5663735Fr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="252" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-n4wXDHzq5rE/WwbqCpVZo0I/AAAAAAAAB0s/AyuhZbPUOv8r9PI837k0lYMqdCiyI_KjQCEwYBhgL/s320/79535-5663735Fr.jpg" width="230" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I picked up a lot of the second series on eBay recently. I
was pretty impressed. The artwork is great and the backside have plenty
of copy. There are far fewer “star cards” in this series. Dahmer, HH Holmes, John
Wayne Gacy and the like all get their due in the first series. I’d like to pick
up some of those to try to complete this set. It’s weirdness and controversy
are just too much to pass up.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So what do you think of this set? The uproar seems kind of
silly in retrospect, but it’s easy to forget that in 1992, trading cards were
seen by many outside of the hobby as something strictly for kids. But so what?
I was ten years old in 1992 and read plenty of Milwaukee Sentinel articles on
the Dahmer case as it unfolded. No one was suggesting that kids not be allowed
to read the newspapers. There is a definite double-standard at play in all of this,
the kind that is found when people try to deny the fact that – in general –
people are pretty interested in those who do wrong. And if they read about it
in the papers or in books (like the books I write) or if they read about it on
a trading card… isn’t the real difference in all this just the status of the
medium? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And, for the record, no one said boo about the Civil War and
World War II trading card sets… and that depicts something that killed more
people than a caseful of Jeffrey <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Dahmers. </span></span></div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0c5_TphsEZQ/WwbqH0BbL9I/AAAAAAAAB08/gGv5bLp0F9k-4YswJx-UPBKSuAYShulRQCEwYBhgL/s1600/Photo%2BMay%2B24%252C%2B11%2B32%2B22%2BAM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0c5_TphsEZQ/WwbqH0BbL9I/AAAAAAAAB08/gGv5bLp0F9k-4YswJx-UPBKSuAYShulRQCEwYBhgL/s320/Photo%2BMay%2B24%252C%2B11%2B32%2B22%2BAM.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have a couple of unopened True Crime II packs left... leave a comment below with your thoughts and I'll random them off. I'll give you until 11:59 pm on Wednesday, May 30. </span></div>
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Matt Priggehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16611932704321174498noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-90546067802688148.post-16533568385273486182018-05-15T15:27:00.000-05:002018-05-15T15:27:04.833-05:00Blog Bat Around Doubleheader<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A little late to the table here, but I do want to join in on
<a href="https://cervinupcards.blogspot.com/2018/04/bat-blog-around-my-all-autograph-team.html">Zippy
Zappy’s Blog Bat Around</a> and present my all-autograph team. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I had planned to do this for a while, and I’ve actually
waited so long that ANOTHER Bat Around topic has been floated – this one by <a href="http://diamond-jesters.blogspot.com/2018/05/my-first-blog-bat-around-infinity-war.html">Diamond
Jesters</a> – which references some comic book movie-picture I haven’t seen and
have no interested in seeing. The movie is called “The Infinite Wars” or
something like that and evidently involves things disappearing. From this concept,
there emerge two questions to the collecting community. I’ll answer both of
these before moving on to my all-time auto team.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">1. With a snap of your
fingers, you receive a complete set of your choice. This set is in mint
condition. However, half of your collection as it stands now fades away into
nothingness. You have no idea what cards will disappear - junk wax, autographs,
relics - all are fair game. Would you do it? What set would be worthy of such a
heavy price?</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I mean, wouldn’t you have to do this? A complete mint 1952
Topps set would sell at auction for millions of dollars. And a mint t-206 set
would be perhaps the most sought-after auction item in the history of the
hobby. Still, I’d be a contrarian about it all and snap for a mint ’71 Topps
set, because it’d be the most beautiful thing in the whole collecting world. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">2. With a snap of your
fingers, you legally obtain every known copy of one card in existence. Just
think, all of those T206 Honus Wagners could be yours to do with as you please!
However, you must name a player. That athlete will have all of their
collectables erased from history. The player and their career is not affected,
they just lose anything associated with them. Set completionists will curse you
for all eternity, as these cards will forever leave gaps in their sets. What
card do you covet most? Who among the cardboard faces will never be in a PC
collection?</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Again with the finger snapping! I remember back in kindergarten
it was a mildly big deal when a kid learned to snap their fingers. It was like
a divide among the class – some kids could and some couldn’t. I recall one kid,
the first day in class after he had figured it out, going around and snapping his
fingers in everyone’s ears. Just to rub it in, I guess. Anyway, with this one,
I think I’d go for all of upcoming Ohtani Topps series 2 RCs. Just to screw
with people. And as for the vanisher… Kobe Bryant. You all know why. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Anyway, on to the squad…</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Catcher: Bob Uecker</span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nte4wOLzNdE/WvoYis2yyyI/AAAAAAAABzM/CTNa2GlSTTotqbxPCdLXCjNjYWcoO1YlQCLcBGAs/s1600/Photo%2BApr%2B21%252C%2B2%2B20%2B00%2BPM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nte4wOLzNdE/WvoYis2yyyI/AAAAAAAABzM/CTNa2GlSTTotqbxPCdLXCjNjYWcoO1YlQCLcBGAs/s320/Photo%2BApr%2B21%252C%2B2%2B20%2B00%2BPM.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Ok, so Ueck might not be the greatest catcher in my
collection, but he was a solid defender and could easily become the heart and
soul of an otherwise stacked lineup. I score this one via TTM a few years ago. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">First Base: Miguel Cabrera</span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ITKOBIcqi0w/WvoYpn5UMyI/AAAAAAAABzU/XcqtPL8k1MgdLid_Dl4rwQMea_K_9xtWwCEwYBhgL/s1600/Photo%2BApr%2B21%252C%2B2%2B20%2B09%2BPM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ITKOBIcqi0w/WvoYpn5UMyI/AAAAAAAABzU/XcqtPL8k1MgdLid_Dl4rwQMea_K_9xtWwCEwYBhgL/s320/Photo%2BApr%2B21%252C%2B2%2B20%2B09%2BPM.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It’s kind of easy to forget how great Miggy was just a few
years ago. Last season was the worst of his career and he’s on the DL again
this year, but between 2011 and 2015, he won four batting titles, two MVPs, a
Triple Crown, and played in the World Series. He’s under contract with the
Tigers for at least another five years and it’ll be interesting to see what
kind of role he plays in their rebuild. It’s also worth noting that in another
couple of seasons, if he stays healthy, he should make a run for 3,000 hits and
500 homers. I got this card cheap on eBay a few years back. A seller had
multiples of this card listed all at the same time, so I managed to pick it up
for about $15 in a diluted marketplace. It was more of a steal then and now, but
still a good deal. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Second Base: Lou Whitaker</span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9TUCj0vER_w/WvoYoX8U37I/AAAAAAAAB0E/lteEAtk4h5o2zeuw2EN8_OuptoVftwXRwCEwYBhgL/s1600/Photo%2BApr%2B21%252C%2B2%2B20%2B16%2BPM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9TUCj0vER_w/WvoYoX8U37I/AAAAAAAAB0E/lteEAtk4h5o2zeuw2EN8_OuptoVftwXRwCEwYBhgL/s320/Photo%2BApr%2B21%252C%2B2%2B20%2B16%2BPM.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Beats out the HOFer Ryno for this spot with his 75 WAR and
career .276/.363/.426 slash line. Sweet Lou actually best those numbers over the
last five years of his career, a period in which he ran up a 134 OPS+ and
struck out just 225 times. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Third Base: Adrian Beltre</span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3WEOzIRTXik/WvoYsp1DMDI/AAAAAAAAB0E/SEvCUQNcmS4x5-pR0unvq_TP5u1yOX3-gCEwYBhgL/s1600/Photo%2BApr%2B21%252C%2B2%2B20%2B24%2BPM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3WEOzIRTXik/WvoYsp1DMDI/AAAAAAAAB0E/SEvCUQNcmS4x5-pR0unvq_TP5u1yOX3-gCEwYBhgL/s320/Photo%2BApr%2B21%252C%2B2%2B20%2B24%2BPM.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Like Sweet Lou, I nabbed this one via TTM. Also like Lou,
Beltre has saved some of his best play for the twilight years of his career. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Shortstop: Ernie Banks</span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-E2V9pvlAsiM/WvoYvov93YI/AAAAAAAABz8/R2OJnw_pG4EU86CDT3uHHO2pPYY7nQdiACEwYBhgL/s1600/Photo%2BApr%2B21%252C%2B2%2B20%2B33%2BPM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-E2V9pvlAsiM/WvoYvov93YI/AAAAAAAABz8/R2OJnw_pG4EU86CDT3uHHO2pPYY7nQdiACEwYBhgL/s320/Photo%2BApr%2B21%252C%2B2%2B20%2B33%2BPM.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I should mention that I am not including any Brewers on the
team, just as an added challenge to myself. This certainly would have been
Rockin’ Robin Yount’s spot, but Ernie isn’t a bad pick either. Mr. Cub had a phenomenal
seven year run as the North Siders’ SS, averaging 37 homers a season while
batting .290. This was part of a lot of ‘Home Run Heroes’ autos I got a few years
ago in one of those groupon-type offer things. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Outfield: AL Kaline</span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-G8YZpRmhZ6E/WvoY1Uz5vjI/AAAAAAAAB0M/mnRA3INMeYMhcyMdXNUNs7Pj9WIgSwHfwCEwYBhgL/s1600/Photo%2BApr%2B21%252C%2B2%2B20%2B52%2BPM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-G8YZpRmhZ6E/WvoY1Uz5vjI/AAAAAAAAB0M/mnRA3INMeYMhcyMdXNUNs7Pj9WIgSwHfwCEwYBhgL/s320/Photo%2BApr%2B21%252C%2B2%2B20%2B52%2BPM.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A TTM send-back, Al Kaline made 13 straight All Star teams
between 1955 and 1967. In that same period, he placed in the top ten in MVP
voting NINE times. He was a regular at 19 and won a batting title at 20. Not
bad.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Outfield: Stan Musial </span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ICZohk22v9Q/WvoYti3GT0I/AAAAAAAAB0I/cPN9wfdVMGMwuQnH_5BaduurblVOZVcwQCEwYBhgL/s1600/Photo%2BApr%2B21%252C%2B2%2B20%2B44%2BPM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ICZohk22v9Q/WvoYti3GT0I/AAAAAAAAB0I/cPN9wfdVMGMwuQnH_5BaduurblVOZVcwQCEwYBhgL/s320/Photo%2BApr%2B21%252C%2B2%2B20%2B44%2BPM.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I got this one cheap a few years ago, part of a set issued
after Musial’s death. I read somewhere that in the last months of his life, he
signed thousands of stickers in an increasingly shaky hand. These stickers have
since shown up in all variety of cards, including just pasted onto some of this
vintage stuff. It’s an ignoble end and some the autos from this period look
really bad. It’s sad, really, but I couldn’t pass up the change to own a Musial
sig. Still, I feel kind of conflicted about it. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Outfield: Barry Bonds</span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QouImp93eOU/WvoY0ycb93I/AAAAAAAAB0E/FyfaeFYM_0UCWvgwiosAKhIDGIXqkGrNwCEwYBhgL/s1600/Photo%2BApr%2B21%252C%2B2%2B21%2B02%2BPM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QouImp93eOU/WvoY0ycb93I/AAAAAAAAB0E/FyfaeFYM_0UCWvgwiosAKhIDGIXqkGrNwCEwYBhgL/s320/Photo%2BApr%2B21%252C%2B2%2B21%2B02%2BPM.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Speaking of conflicted! Sure, he’s one of the five greatest
players ever, but he’s also probably not a very good person. And this doesn’t
even consider the PEDs. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">DH: Frank Thomas</span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uCkzykuXzyM/WvoY-Ng_IqI/AAAAAAAAB0M/_9V1xCMvxZE8HLu_GMq7eFXBXjFFboslQCEwYBhgL/s1600/Photo%2BApr%2B21%252C%2B2%2B21%2B27%2BPM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uCkzykuXzyM/WvoY-Ng_IqI/AAAAAAAAB0M/_9V1xCMvxZE8HLu_GMq7eFXBXjFFboslQCEwYBhgL/s320/Photo%2BApr%2B21%252C%2B2%2B21%2B27%2BPM.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This is one of those Best Company autos that they used to
sell blind at Wal Mart in the early 1990s. I got a deal on it and really dig
the colorful artwork and the bold sig. When I was a kid, the Big Hurt was THE
MAN. And looking back, his stats really hold up. I’d place him in the top His
career OPS+ is 156… 26 points higher than Ichiro recorded in any single SEASON.
</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Right Hander Starter: Roger Clemens</span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DpWxrnbJynY/WvoY4Nwg7dI/AAAAAAAAB0I/6GAyuUGHn4k7JJ65S4SbdJtZ_p6rxPKDgCEwYBhgL/s1600/Photo%2BApr%2B21%252C%2B2%2B21%2B11%2BPM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DpWxrnbJynY/WvoY4Nwg7dI/AAAAAAAAB0I/6GAyuUGHn4k7JJ65S4SbdJtZ_p6rxPKDgCEwYBhgL/s320/Photo%2BApr%2B21%252C%2B2%2B21%2B11%2BPM.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The other half of the PED elephants in the waiting room to
the Hall, Rocket Roger signed this one for my TTM in exchange for a donation to
his charity. It’s tough to find another righty who was as good for as long as
Clemens. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Left Handed Starter: Warren Spahn</span></div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-w1bhHrZbGsw/WvoY9Z9WMnI/AAAAAAAAB0I/5sWDww2cAVEB271hXENyVm3-bVt4MSzzwCEwYBhgL/s1600/Photo%2BApr%2B21%252C%2B2%2B21%2B20%2BPM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-w1bhHrZbGsw/WvoY9Z9WMnI/AAAAAAAAB0I/5sWDww2cAVEB271hXENyVm3-bVt4MSzzwCEwYBhgL/s320/Photo%2BApr%2B21%252C%2B2%2B21%2B20%2BPM.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Another TTM return, Spahnnie is not only a local hero, but
also the winningest lefty of all-time. He also won a Purple Heart in WWII and was
awarded a battlefield commission. He was an effective pitcher into his 40s and
in 1967 at age 46 pitched a handful of innings for the Cardinals AAA team in
Tulsa. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Closer: Brien Taylor</span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Hy023ebqBQA/WvoZAFlLgEI/AAAAAAAAB0Q/tIpSA3rELVQfxzZhnwSaVTfUhDvfyEqcQCEwYBhgL/s1600/Photo%2BApr%2B21%252C%2B2%2B21%2B42%2BPM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Hy023ebqBQA/WvoZAFlLgEI/AAAAAAAAB0Q/tIpSA3rELVQfxzZhnwSaVTfUhDvfyEqcQCEwYBhgL/s320/Photo%2BApr%2B21%252C%2B2%2B21%2B42%2BPM.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Yeah, this is just an excuse to show off this card, which I
paid all of a dollar for. I have price guides from the early 1990s that list
this beauty at over $100. For those who don’t recall, Taylor was taken by the
Yankees #1 overall in 1991 and was considered to be the greatest high school
pitching prospect of all-time. He immediately became the top prospect in
baseball and – this being the boom days of the card market – the frenzy for
this stuff was downright Ohtani-esque. He pitched his way to AA by 1993, but in
an off-season fight he fell on his shoulder, badly injuring it. He missed all
of 1994 and struggled mightily in five more minor league seasons, topping out
at A ball, before retiring. For purposes of this team, of course, I’m taking
1992 Taylor, jumping him and his electric fastball to the bigs to become our
fireman. In real life, Taylor went to work as a bricklayer after his career
ended and later spent three years in prison on a cocaine trafficking conviction.
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Matt Priggehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16611932704321174498noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-90546067802688148.post-69960467415649783302018-05-13T23:12:00.004-05:002018-05-13T23:12:45.170-05:00Getting Excited Again - 9 Cards at a Time<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Oh. Hello there. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You might remember me. I used to blog pretty regular here.
But then I went back to school like an idiot and had no time for my fun little endeavors
like this. Well, the semester is over, suckas! So, here I am again.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am a creature of habits, good and bad. I get into habits,
like running (I used to do thirty miles a week) or model building (I got really
into this for a while) or card blogging (like I mentioned above). But just as running
is a habit, NOT running is a habit, NOT building, NOT blogging. TO be honest,
these are much easier habits to keep up with. Cheaper too. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Anyway, I’m going to spend this summer trying to correct
some of my habits. Like Forrest Gump in the desert, I’m afraid my running days
is over (posterior tibial tendonitis saw to that), but getting back into
blogging is an achievable goal. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And also sorta of back into collecting. I’ve been recently
in a kind of down period as a collector. I just haven’t been overly excited
about anything in a while. This, with the time constraints, has made me a bit
scarce in the online collecting community the past few months. So I wanna recharge
that! I wanna make some swaps! I wanna do some fun stuff! Summer’s a-coming and
my team is winning. It’s the nature of the season! </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The one thing I have been keeping up with is my 2018
brewersNOW set. As I said in one my last posts, I was THRILLED with how these
cards turned out. I have since gotten another order of 20 and am working on the
backside copy for another order of 20. So, about one-fifth of the way into the
season, I am sitting on a set of 60-plus cards. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have also recently put my brewersNOW cards into some
9-pockets. I’ve always felt that in order to properly gauge a set of cards as a
SET, you need to see them nine at a time. It just gives you a different
perspective on them. For example, recent Topps flagship sets have looked OK on
their own, but just don’t really work in pages. </span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For example, take a look at 2017 Topps, which was a design
that – on its own – I kinda liked.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But look at a page of these. It’s just a mess. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZpZXmjbTKOQ/WvkMBnotgVI/AAAAAAAABy0/nHKzlGYN8sUBNSK9hJmy33rPhtjzs0TZwCEwYBhgL/s1600/Photo%2BMay%2B13%252C%2B10%2B57%2B18%2BPM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZpZXmjbTKOQ/WvkMBnotgVI/AAAAAAAABy0/nHKzlGYN8sUBNSK9hJmy33rPhtjzs0TZwCEwYBhgL/s320/Photo%2BMay%2B13%252C%2B10%2B57%2B18%2BPM.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But then look at this page of 1992 Topps. It’s artful in a
way I cannot really describe. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XsSfliIXh08/WvkMDG_AkQI/AAAAAAAABy0/yA_sgqpDIQ4Al6FU2Z77QyjHaGbgUyZtACEwYBhgL/s1600/Photo%2BMay%2B13%252C%2B10%2B58%2B47%2BPM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1201" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XsSfliIXh08/WvkMDG_AkQI/AAAAAAAABy0/yA_sgqpDIQ4Al6FU2Z77QyjHaGbgUyZtACEwYBhgL/s320/Photo%2BMay%2B13%252C%2B10%2B58%2B47%2BPM.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So I was just as excited to check these cards out in some
Ultra Pros as I was to see them in real life in the first place. And….</span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--Zsstmi4744/WvkL-JgsLAI/AAAAAAAABys/bPpxPiToVqYsEWfztxE9Q-QdaVSXeRTwgCEwYBhgL/s1600/Photo%2BMay%2B13%252C%2B10%2B34%2B37%2BPM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--Zsstmi4744/WvkL-JgsLAI/AAAAAAAABys/bPpxPiToVqYsEWfztxE9Q-QdaVSXeRTwgCEwYBhgL/s320/Photo%2BMay%2B13%252C%2B10%2B34%2B37%2BPM.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I think they play really, really well. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And I ended up being very pleased with my decision to do the
“team” set and the “highlight” set separately. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xpd_ZUvvL1I/WvkL_P8_95I/AAAAAAAABys/6aira0QUxEE1I2ScnolI4uVKB9vPXMCNgCEwYBhgL/s1600/Photo%2BMay%2B13%252C%2B10%2B35%2B25%2BPM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xpd_ZUvvL1I/WvkL_P8_95I/AAAAAAAABys/6aira0QUxEE1I2ScnolI4uVKB9vPXMCNgCEwYBhgL/s320/Photo%2BMay%2B13%252C%2B10%2B35%2B25%2BPM.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I’m not sure that the highlight cards look as good in pages –
I’m not as wild about the design of these – but having the big headlines in the
upper left with each one give a nice sense of order to the set. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And looking forward, I managed a couple of really cool cards
commemorating Freddy Peralta’s amazing debut today in Colorado. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Mwd5P1EkpzY/WvkMB9rQtmI/AAAAAAAAByw/a49njDG63ncZ8FYYTPYqOmscnsM007IEwCEwYBhgL/s1600/Photo%2BMay%2B13%252C%2B8%2B05%2B12%2BPM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="827" data-original-width="597" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Mwd5P1EkpzY/WvkMB9rQtmI/AAAAAAAAByw/a49njDG63ncZ8FYYTPYqOmscnsM007IEwCEwYBhgL/s320/Photo%2BMay%2B13%252C%2B8%2B05%2B12%2BPM.jpg" width="231" /></a><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6FyXZ-jOaNQ/WvkMaXz-s7I/AAAAAAAABy4/HTtIELpHt74RQWoV4LuZVFhbHLioDZd9ACEwYBhgL/s1600/Photo%2BMay%2B13%252C%2B8%2B05%2B20%2BPM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="828" data-original-width="594" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6FyXZ-jOaNQ/WvkMaXz-s7I/AAAAAAAABy4/HTtIELpHt74RQWoV4LuZVFhbHLioDZd9ACEwYBhgL/s320/Photo%2BMay%2B13%252C%2B8%2B05%2B20%2BPM.jpg" width="229" /></a></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, that’s where my excitement index tops out at the moment.
I’m going to try to get back in to habit of posting and sharing what I’m
getting into and hopefully that will lead to me getting back into my old ways
and getting excited about new things. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
Matt Priggehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16611932704321174498noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-90546067802688148.post-24409608012507884082018-04-21T15:10:00.003-05:002018-04-21T15:10:47.879-05:00Sometimes There's a Man... I Don't Want to Say 'A Hero,' cuz What's a Hero?<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It’s been a pretty decent couple of days here in Milwaukee.
The Brewers have finally started hitting – CRUSHING – the ball, the snow is
melting, and last night our neighborhood movie house ran The Big Lebowski at
midnight. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And this afternoon, a package arrived at my box from my
twitter pal <a href="https://twitter.com/AllTimeBrewers" target="_blank">@alltimebrewers</a>. ATB has a nearly-complete collection of Brewers
autographs, missing only a few players joined the team this season. Of course,
I have my own all-time Brewers autograph collection. I never really set a goal
of completing the damn thing, although it’s a bit inspirational to know that someone
out there actually has… takin’ it easy for all us sinners. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A week or so ago, ATB posted something about some “upgrade”
cards he had added and it finally dawned on me that me might have some spare
autos to trade. So we swapped a few messages and he got a package together,
which arrived today.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And holy heck. I’ve been in the blogosphere for over a year
now, and in the card twittersphere <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>for a
bit less than that and I am still amazed at how generous collectors can be.
Case in point:</span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LViY2dptvvA/WtuZDQUVDAI/AAAAAAAABxY/G-rlZkGoPbA6m0a32MueGqpEB4yXwdMBQCEwYBhgL/s1600/Photo%2BApr%2B21%252C%2B1%2B29%2B25%2BPM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LViY2dptvvA/WtuZDQUVDAI/AAAAAAAABxY/G-rlZkGoPbA6m0a32MueGqpEB4yXwdMBQCEwYBhgL/s320/Photo%2BApr%2B21%252C%2B1%2B29%2B25%2BPM.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Look at that stack! Far out, man…</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Most of these were his own cut custom cards. These are
really well-done. I was actually thinking about using some kind of custom cuts
for my ATB collection, particularly with guys who never appeared on a Brewers
card. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7AXvJL0w42o/WtuZKrd7T3I/AAAAAAAABxc/Vk2-4KyJqbgaUIxLS0hKtHedifG4VXJjACEwYBhgL/s1600/Photo%2BApr%2B21%252C%2B1%2B32%2B34%2BPM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7AXvJL0w42o/WtuZKrd7T3I/AAAAAAAABxc/Vk2-4KyJqbgaUIxLS0hKtHedifG4VXJjACEwYBhgL/s320/Photo%2BApr%2B21%252C%2B1%2B32%2B34%2BPM.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And this is about as nice a custom as I could ever dream of
being able to someday, after a lot of practice, be able to almost make. They
really tie the collection together. </span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qfJtHm7UWNM/WtuZJVnaAGI/AAAAAAAABxM/OBTPMIYRa4A5AlCDQoAWMKKsmt8-089rwCEwYBhgL/s1600/Photo%2BApr%2B21%252C%2B1%2B33%2B05%2BPM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qfJtHm7UWNM/WtuZJVnaAGI/AAAAAAAABxM/OBTPMIYRa4A5AlCDQoAWMKKsmt8-089rwCEwYBhgL/s320/Photo%2BApr%2B21%252C%2B1%2B33%2B05%2BPM.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Most of these are of mega-obscure players, many of whom
never even had a real MLB card. Some though, like Tyler Houston and Gerardo
Parra, are more prominent, but tough to find signed on Brewers cardboard. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The only drawback with these is that most are blank-backed.
I might get creative and try making my own custom backsides for these, with
stats, etc. This is not a First Amendment thing, man. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Meanwhile, some of them do have printed backsides like this…</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bA6SoQXq1OQ/WtuZ87ZrXiI/AAAAAAAABxo/ON1-7IoPpzkyW3xMi_2ke0vBTMG9yZL2gCEwYBhgL/s1600/Photo%2BApr%2B21%252C%2B1%2B34%2B21%2BPM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bA6SoQXq1OQ/WtuZ87ZrXiI/AAAAAAAABxo/ON1-7IoPpzkyW3xMi_2ke0vBTMG9yZL2gCEwYBhgL/s320/Photo%2BApr%2B21%252C%2B1%2B34%2B21%2BPM.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">He also threw in some custom on-card autos. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-W74sW9VSjow/WtuZWb5BHgI/AAAAAAAABxY/bER_mTclpik4EtEeC549vggkCQe3aTAGACEwYBhgL/s1600/Photo%2BApr%2B21%252C%2B1%2B35%2B37%2BPM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-W74sW9VSjow/WtuZWb5BHgI/AAAAAAAABxY/bER_mTclpik4EtEeC549vggkCQe3aTAGACEwYBhgL/s320/Photo%2BApr%2B21%252C%2B1%2B35%2B37%2BPM.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Again, featuring players that most people outside of
Brewersnation (or inside, for that matter) will remember. But what do you do
when you get cut by the Brewers? You turn in your library card? Get a new
driver’s license? STOP being a Brewer? </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bYxl8_6A9E4/WtuZPOj9pvI/AAAAAAAABxY/2VsmM9aCdk49u7FWW3v7UJYmop_YaOaLwCEwYBhgL/s1600/Photo%2BApr%2B21%252C%2B1%2B34%2B49%2BPM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bYxl8_6A9E4/WtuZPOj9pvI/AAAAAAAABxY/2VsmM9aCdk49u7FWW3v7UJYmop_YaOaLwCEwYBhgL/s320/Photo%2BApr%2B21%252C%2B1%2B34%2B49%2BPM.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">He also included some traditional signed cards, including
many sigs I’ve been chasing for a long time. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-o5OK3HboMyw/WtuZWM2auiI/AAAAAAAABxc/_ciO-MdnrPgTdD47UaFp9PozOVvhNsYlACEwYBhgL/s1600/Photo%2BApr%2B21%252C%2B1%2B35%2B49%2BPM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-o5OK3HboMyw/WtuZWM2auiI/AAAAAAAABxc/_ciO-MdnrPgTdD47UaFp9PozOVvhNsYlACEwYBhgL/s320/Photo%2BApr%2B21%252C%2B1%2B35%2B49%2BPM.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A number of these were minor league cards. My very favorite
of the bunch might be this old-ass Doug Loman TCMA Vancouver Canadians card. I
dig his style, man…</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-l81sLeQPSB8/WtuZeGVkhXI/AAAAAAAABxc/mYury49a59YH0ocfwj449zzyqxvYg2iTQCEwYBhgL/s1600/Photo%2BApr%2B21%252C%2B1%2B36%2B00%2BPM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-l81sLeQPSB8/WtuZeGVkhXI/AAAAAAAABxc/mYury49a59YH0ocfwj449zzyqxvYg2iTQCEwYBhgL/s320/Photo%2BApr%2B21%252C%2B1%2B36%2B00%2BPM.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I also dig this Neal Cotts, which has a transaction “bubble”
on it mentioning that he had been promoted to Visalia. I don’t think I’ve ever
seen that on a minor league card before. </span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">All told, he send me 46 (!!!) signed Brewers cards to add to
my collection, jumping me to 412 different signed cards in my collection – 48%
of the all-time roster. With a batch of TTMs about to go out this coming week,
I might actually be able to hit the half-way point before the All Star break. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Having a signed card of one of every two players who ever
appeared with the Brewers?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That had <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">not</i> occurred
to us, Dude. </span></div>
Matt Priggehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16611932704321174498noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-90546067802688148.post-8372224598423594302018-04-20T16:11:00.004-05:002018-04-20T16:11:47.439-05:002018 brewersNOW is LIVE and In-Hand! <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It’s been a heck of a thing to see my fun little idea (or
call to revolution, if you took my hyperbole to heart) about creating a custom
living set for this year’s Milwaukee Brewers inspire fellow collectors to try
the same with their favorite teams. Nick Vossbrink did a very nice <a href="https://sabrbaseballcards.blog/2018/04/11/you-say-you-want-a-revolution/">SABR
blog piece</a> on the idea, which included some of my mock-ups, as well as of
those of Battlin’ Bucs, who is doing a set of front-only Pirates UD
Documentary-style cards in a beeyootiful 1960 style, and Nick’s own set of
1993-inspired GiantsNOW cards. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lacking the design skills of … well, anything beyond MS
Paint, my idea was to use the Rookie App to build my cards in one of their
pre-made templates. I had a lot of fun just playing around in the app, but I
was a little worried about the end product. First off, I wasn’t sure if they’d
let me do it, what with copyright stuff and all. Second, I wasn’t sure how
these cards would look as a finished product, especially in terms of photo
quality. The first of these concerns was eliminated earlier this week, when I
got a notice that my order had printed and would soon ship. Whew. Good thing I
went ahead and secured permissions to use all of those photos, eh? Yeah… </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The second issue was solved today, when I got my first pack
of 2018 brewersNOW (a title that just kind of happened… not sure how I feel
about it) in the afternoon mail.</span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wYfYK6TIspY/WtpWA4jPSMI/AAAAAAAABus/cPiMp0ELg24voCfWG0VCVf2NLAg1M5LUACLcBGAs/s1600/Photo%2BApr%2B20%252C%2B2%2B54%2B01%2BPM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wYfYK6TIspY/WtpWA4jPSMI/AAAAAAAABus/cPiMp0ELg24voCfWG0VCVf2NLAg1M5LUACLcBGAs/s320/Photo%2BApr%2B20%252C%2B2%2B54%2B01%2BPM.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The cards come in a faux-wax back, which is a nice touch.
And when I finally tore this sucker open, I was very happy with what I found. </span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HkuIshoCR6c/WtpWE1_9Z6I/AAAAAAAABvU/G9_WH1eMmo0JlPaOUoHSQG4p-Ueh2u5zACEwYBhgL/s1600/Photo%2BApr%2B20%252C%2B2%2B54%2B35%2BPM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HkuIshoCR6c/WtpWE1_9Z6I/AAAAAAAABvU/G9_WH1eMmo0JlPaOUoHSQG4p-Ueh2u5zACEwYBhgL/s320/Photo%2BApr%2B20%252C%2B2%2B54%2B35%2BPM.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The photo quality was excellent, as good as I could have
hoped for. I might need some help from Nick on the terminology here (maybe I’ll
send him one to examine), but they look a lot like junk product from the 80s or
early 90s, with the images that certain kind of grainy. Personally, I think
they look fantastic. I was worried about pixelization, but there was none of
that to be found. </span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dmjcrweI18I/WtpWRFV6EUI/AAAAAAAABvw/T1wFgp779-AlMTngkpf-BNpfruwLUepQwCEwYBhgL/s1600/Photo%2BApr%2B20%252C%2B2%2B57%2B01%2BPM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dmjcrweI18I/WtpWRFV6EUI/AAAAAAAABvw/T1wFgp779-AlMTngkpf-BNpfruwLUepQwCEwYBhgL/s320/Photo%2BApr%2B20%252C%2B2%2B57%2B01%2BPM.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The colors are bright and sharp on this Pat Murphy card, one
of my favorites from this first bunch. </span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iuxwRppjsCE/WtpWLqXZFZI/AAAAAAAABvs/VH18RyjBragV3uAzmuFy-FmCF4VbfEEbwCEwYBhgL/s1600/Photo%2BApr%2B20%252C%2B2%2B54%2B46%2BPM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iuxwRppjsCE/WtpWLqXZFZI/AAAAAAAABvs/VH18RyjBragV3uAzmuFy-FmCF4VbfEEbwCEwYBhgL/s320/Photo%2BApr%2B20%252C%2B2%2B54%2B46%2BPM.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And how about this oddity... a "pinch hitter" card. Ji-Man had one PA before being send down this year. So I went with his primary position thus far. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YIKmOz1CeUs/WtpWMqUfYII/AAAAAAAABvs/ztkP9H4VpswT65F1tJK4N8d9m1_XLKqOgCEwYBhgL/s1600/Photo%2BApr%2B20%252C%2B2%2B56%2B08%2BPM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YIKmOz1CeUs/WtpWMqUfYII/AAAAAAAABvs/ztkP9H4VpswT65F1tJK4N8d9m1_XLKqOgCEwYBhgL/s320/Photo%2BApr%2B20%252C%2B2%2B56%2B08%2BPM.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here is as nice a close-up as my phone camera would allow.
You can see that the stripes in the design have a bit of back-drop to them… not
a design element I would have used, but overall, I really dig how these look. </span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-brCtbVI60pQ/WtpWJUdEU7I/AAAAAAAABvU/k67lXz6vWoQBJLcUGicGYKg9MUCEt67KACEwYBhgL/s1600/Photo%2BApr%2B20%252C%2B2%2B55%2B13%2BPM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-brCtbVI60pQ/WtpWJUdEU7I/AAAAAAAABvU/k67lXz6vWoQBJLcUGicGYKg9MUCEt67KACEwYBhgL/s320/Photo%2BApr%2B20%252C%2B2%2B55%2B13%2BPM.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In the true spirit of 1980s Topps, I even ended up with a
mis-matched color scheme, with blue and orange repping the blue-n-gold Brewers.
I know I’ve complained about this in the past, but I think it works here.
Yellow was not even an option on this particular design, and I think it would
have come out too light anyway. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The cards have a unique “feel” to them. Not like anything
from the 80s that I can recall. The fronts are matte, but still pretty slick.
The nearest product I can think of is 1994 O Pee Chee, but even that isn’t
really correct. </span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WFrlGncrJr4/WtpWTK6HwpI/AAAAAAAABvs/NKSHsC_ZbD0EQs9ssnAJ3SmfXHtrl1RJwCEwYBhgL/s1600/Photo%2BApr%2B20%252C%2B2%2B57%2B29%2BPM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WFrlGncrJr4/WtpWTK6HwpI/AAAAAAAABvs/NKSHsC_ZbD0EQs9ssnAJ3SmfXHtrl1RJwCEwYBhgL/s320/Photo%2BApr%2B20%252C%2B2%2B57%2B29%2BPM.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The design templates have some limitations. Here, I had to
go horizontal on the photo to make it fit. I don’t hate this, but I’ll probably
try to avoid as I build the set. </span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xJhRf-3ICLw/WtpWVyUSe7I/AAAAAAAABvs/7jFqb8-ZXoYUKhIDnEcoHFKjPzaUNmjqQCEwYBhgL/s1600/Photo%2BApr%2B20%252C%2B2%2B57%2B54%2BPM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xJhRf-3ICLw/WtpWVyUSe7I/AAAAAAAABvs/7jFqb8-ZXoYUKhIDnEcoHFKjPzaUNmjqQCEwYBhgL/s320/Photo%2BApr%2B20%252C%2B2%2B57%2B54%2BPM.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And yeah, we’ve got some errors. Here, you can see that I
used the tag “2018 Highlight” on the first two cards of the highlight series
and “2018 Season Highlight” on the rest. This works OK, considering the first
two are Spring Training cards and the rest are regular season. So I can live
with that. But shame on me for dropping the T on that card on the top. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Speaking of which…</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/--viqMAQBVJQ/WtpWboqCdhI/AAAAAAAABv0/OYl3323JxQA7-okd8srXesifezcaPeprgCEwYBhgL/s1600/Photo%2BApr%2B20%252C%2B2%2B58%2B49%2BPM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/--viqMAQBVJQ/WtpWboqCdhI/AAAAAAAABv0/OYl3323JxQA7-okd8srXesifezcaPeprgCEwYBhgL/s320/Photo%2BApr%2B20%252C%2B2%2B58%2B49%2BPM.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Who wore it better? I got the first (and probably only)
Topps Now card I’ll get this year earlier in the week. </span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-78w7-nfh01I/WtpWZOwjnAI/AAAAAAAABv4/DxDLJi16W8Ad8acgwnEqV_qXlGOyu4MxQCEwYBhgL/s1600/Photo%2BApr%2B20%252C%2B2%2B59%2B00%2BPM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-78w7-nfh01I/WtpWZOwjnAI/AAAAAAAABv4/DxDLJi16W8Ad8acgwnEqV_qXlGOyu4MxQCEwYBhgL/s320/Photo%2BApr%2B20%252C%2B2%2B59%2B00%2BPM.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Personally, I think my copy is better, even with the typo. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I decided on making the players and the highlights two
different sets. I was having fits trying to figure out the numbering for these,
so breaking them into series was the easiest solution. For the Highlight
backsides, I went with this 87-inspired look. I have room for about 74 words of
text, a quick linescore and a big-ass brand name. </span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">About that type… it’s tiny. Yeah, I’m not crazy about that. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7UgmW8GkrQs/WtpWghB-R6I/AAAAAAAABv0/2h_cVE_02dccmFPP1CNgN7jBMEqduucGQCEwYBhgL/s1600/Photo%2BApr%2B20%252C%2B3%2B01%2B24%2BPM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7UgmW8GkrQs/WtpWghB-R6I/AAAAAAAABv0/2h_cVE_02dccmFPP1CNgN7jBMEqduucGQCEwYBhgL/s320/Photo%2BApr%2B20%252C%2B3%2B01%2B24%2BPM.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The backs of the player cards are much easier to read. I
added a uni number space to the heading and a vital info line just below. These
offer room for about 50 words of copy and a single-sentence “fun fact.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Overall, I’m thrilled with how these turned out. I’m working
on the next “series” right now, with about 12 cards designed. I’m eager to get
some more of these but, at around $16 per 20 card series, I am aware that this endeavor
could get pretty pricey pretty quick. But screw it. If the Brewers keep making
highlights, it’ll be worth it. </span></div>
Matt Priggehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16611932704321174498noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-90546067802688148.post-85133467763501632592018-04-05T18:19:00.002-05:002018-04-05T18:19:58.512-05:00Brewneverse Update!<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The deadline has now passed for making a guess at the "How Big is my Crewneverse?" contest, which will give out a fine prize package for whoever can guess nearest to the total number of unique Brewers cards in my collection. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here are the entrants and their guesses:</span><br />
<br />
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Laurens – 2,200 </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
<div class="MsoNormal">
Angels in Order – 4,444</div>
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Sportscard Collectors – 4,444</div>
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Doug Hoback – 6,500</div>
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Mike Matson – 6,700</div>
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Gavin – 6,969 (nice)</div>
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Bo – 7,676</div>
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GCA – 7,955</div>
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Trevor P – 8,100</div>
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Adam Kaninger – 8,750</div>
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EP – 9,009</div>
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Nick – 9,219</div>
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Rob 792 – 9,482</div>
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Jon – 9,700</div>
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Fuji – 9,887</div>
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Adam Sanders – 10,100</div>
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ARPSmith – 11,111</div>
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The Lost Collector – 12,224</div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4,444 was a popular guess and I supposed I should think of some kind of rule to deal with a tie. However, since I am sitting at 1,719 having just finished the E's, I'm sorry to say that both Angels in Order and SSC (as well as Laurens) will probably come in a bit short. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have yet to make much more progress in the count, which involves sorting, weeding out doubles, ordering by year and brand, and entry into the trading card database. I was planning on using my birthday off-day (today, wheee!) to get through the F's and G's, but I sliced off a tiny, tiny piece of my thumb last evening while chopping food (no fooling... lotsa blood, but I'm fine) and the resulting band aid has made my card-flippin' thumb pretty much worthless. So, I'll need to wait until I can go bare-thumbed to get back at this. Anyway, the longer this contest goes on, the more fun stuff I'll add to the pot. So there's that. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And how about some more for the pot?</span><br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JKzj4-2x9tc/Wsau-klYIhI/AAAAAAAABuU/dkSiddzhMOc9V6OY7bmNz8UhEH4jb-WJACLcBGAs/s1600/Photo%2BApr%2B05%252C%2B6%2B03%2B55%2BPM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JKzj4-2x9tc/Wsau-klYIhI/AAAAAAAABuU/dkSiddzhMOc9V6OY7bmNz8UhEH4jb-WJACLcBGAs/s320/Photo%2BApr%2B05%252C%2B6%2B03%2B55%2BPM.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">How about these? That's a 1995 TSC Clear-Cut Leaders card of Len Dykstra that was the big hit from my recent Goodwill pack find. And a deck of hologram stickers from a 1991 factory set. Clear! Shiny! It's got something for everyone!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go injure myself in another remarkably stupid way. Perhaps I'll set myself on fire trying to blow out a birthday candle...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>Matt Priggehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16611932704321174498noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-90546067802688148.post-6751402498709320272018-03-30T13:44:00.002-05:002018-03-30T15:19:04.328-05:00A Call to Revolution!!! (or How I'll be spending my Summer Vacation)<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I tell ya, everybody, I have been PERCOLATING these past few days. And it's not just because of the start of the baseball season. I've come up with a fairly awesome idea that - if it works - could create this year's greatest set of baseball cards.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">First off, Topps Live and Topps Now are pretty good ideas... good IDEAS. The execution leaves a lot to be desired, especially for small market fans. But I really dig the idea that a set could be a living, active thing, being a document of a season. This was attempted, in a way, in 2009 Upper Deck Documentary. That set, however, was neither really a good idea or an example of good execution. When sorting my Brewers Fs this past week, I found the card for Game 162 of the Brewers 2008 season - when they beat the Cubs on a Ryan Braun homer to break a 26-year playoff drought. It was one of the most exciting and memorable games in franchise history. And the UD Doc card features the same picture of Prince Fielder at Wrigley Field (the game was in Milwaukee) that 30 other cards in the set use. Barf city.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">What I wanted was a living documentary set that features only the Brewers and isn't overly expensive and features ALL the Brewers and has fun pictures and cool backside copy. Since no one is going to do this for me, I guess I need to do it my damn self.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">There is a custom card app called "Rookies." I've used it once before, to order a set of cards featuring our pet rats for my wife for last Christmas. I had a "eureka" moment a few days ago when I realized that, using this app, my dream set could become a reality. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So I started playing around with it. The app does have limitations. You must use one of their pre-designed templates and color selection is limited. The backside designs are.. not great... and leave a kind of limited space for text. The cards themselves are pretty nice... sorta of like early 90s O Pee Chee, if you can remember those. They're not Stadium Club stock, but that's not what I want for this set anyway. </span><br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lc_QTRZOS_E/Wr59KDKvxBI/AAAAAAAABtQ/htkNt5D4DiIYt_QxBvT0961oftPG0nITgCEwYBhgL/s1600/DZZgQsbWsAYcqT0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="830" data-original-width="640" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lc_QTRZOS_E/Wr59KDKvxBI/AAAAAAAABtQ/htkNt5D4DiIYt_QxBvT0961oftPG0nITgCEwYBhgL/s320/DZZgQsbWsAYcqT0.jpg" width="246" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This is the look I've chosen for my base cards. It's actually a pretty great design, in my opinion. It would fit right in with anything Topps made 1971-1982. I added some of my own touches, like the lower case team name. I would have liked a blue/gold color scheme, but had to settle for this orange/blue instead, but the more I see it, the more I really like it. And here we have what probably no Topps issue will have this year, a dual-position card for new part-time first-sacker Ryan Braun. And a pretty cool pic, too. </span><br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZXhZmUsy-io/Wr59LYo-YsI/AAAAAAAABtg/NKWI8bpxptULLpLPCIMF3QsdpiLqY9GEACEwYBhgL/s1600/DZZz-S5XkAAQk2M.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="850" height="240" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZXhZmUsy-io/Wr59LYo-YsI/AAAAAAAABtg/NKWI8bpxptULLpLPCIMF3QsdpiLqY9GEACEwYBhgL/s320/DZZz-S5XkAAQk2M.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So yeah, the backs are not as great. But not awful. I can fit about 50 words in the middle, with another 20 or so in the "fact box." Still, far more text than anything you'll find in 2018. Plus, I really have fun writing these. </span><br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FhgIhmRv_Vg/Wr59KYEMI9I/AAAAAAAABtY/AG7ancV10h4vW4e52dogah-YVe134ZSiACEwYBhgL/s1600/DZZgQtHXkAEwP0b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="843" data-original-width="640" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FhgIhmRv_Vg/Wr59KYEMI9I/AAAAAAAABtY/AG7ancV10h4vW4e52dogah-YVe134ZSiACEwYBhgL/s320/DZZgQtHXkAEwP0b.jpg" width="242" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Rookies sells cards in multiples of 20 ($13 plus shipping). So, I envision this set being probably 5-6 series of 20 cards each. The Brewers used about 50 different players last season, so I am thinking the set will be a pretty even split between players and these season highlight cards. These are the Topps Now part of the thing, and what I'm really looking forward to when I flip through these cards again in years to come. Did you know the Brewers won the Cactus League this spring? It's not a big deal, but it'll be a nice thing to remember. </span><br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bKvM-0dq-wI/Wr59K3MySAI/AAAAAAAABtc/BfuFuqeT6qMagt4-aoH1spWEUEQwQxv4gCEwYBhgL/s1600/DZZz-S2W0AAxpvY.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="837" height="244" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bKvM-0dq-wI/Wr59K3MySAI/AAAAAAAABtc/BfuFuqeT6qMagt4-aoH1spWEUEQwQxv4gCEwYBhgL/s320/DZZz-S2W0AAxpvY.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I went with a different backside for these. The can take more text, but it comes out in <span style="font-size: xx-small;">tiny, tiny </span>print. Anyway, I get to have fun with that, too. </span><br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0lHFtq3ac1g/Wr59Kfxg7ZI/AAAAAAAABtU/fBAtc0UkhqASPwCohCpMOcvCfj60Kh3UgCEwYBhgL/s1600/DZZgQsaWAAAWqN3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="849" data-original-width="636" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0lHFtq3ac1g/Wr59Kfxg7ZI/AAAAAAAABtU/fBAtc0UkhqASPwCohCpMOcvCfj60Kh3UgCEwYBhgL/s320/DZZgQsaWAAAWqN3.jpg" width="239" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Did you see the <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=video&cd=2&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwi7vfL31JTaAhUIHGMKHZ63DxcQtwIILDAB&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DFEXqcyhpL9g&usg=AOvVaw03H-Zmf6JyypuCAlv3DSGu" target="_blank">Brewers' Sandlot video</a>? It was a hell of a lot of fun, and I think this team is going to be a lot of this year as well. And I think it needs a card to commemorate it. Another limitation of the app is that you can't alternate between vertical and horizontal lay-outs. They have vertical templates, but they're all kind of lousy and wouldn't match the rest of the set. This picture (i had to trim out poor Hernan Perez) would have been much better sideways. </span><br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Yh-WeHiyrx0/Wr59L26oEtI/AAAAAAAABtk/h14vN5UzwzIfb8BJo7y2lxV3UkNOpVk2wCEwYBhgL/s1600/DZa8VNlWAAEVmwP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="843" data-original-width="640" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Yh-WeHiyrx0/Wr59L26oEtI/AAAAAAAABtk/h14vN5UzwzIfb8BJo7y2lxV3UkNOpVk2wCEwYBhgL/s320/DZa8VNlWAAEVmwP.jpg" width="242" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And how about coaches' cards? Hell yeah! My set will have them. Here, I borrow the old 70s "as player/ as coach" thing from Topps. </span><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EnwZciWvuyI/Wr59MwK11jI/AAAAAAAABts/8DQjAhvVRAwr9ZN786_JSxwfwSN3ah36ACEwYBhgL/s1600/DZgLDfpU0AA7Ehr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="850" data-original-width="634" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EnwZciWvuyI/Wr59MwK11jI/AAAAAAAABts/8DQjAhvVRAwr9ZN786_JSxwfwSN3ah36ACEwYBhgL/s320/DZgLDfpU0AA7Ehr.jpg" width="238" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And if you happened to catch the Brewers yesterday, you know they won in exciting fashion, aided by Ji-Man Choi, the last man to make the team and the the guy who probably won't be with the team in a few days (they'll be adding another pitcher or two after the coming off-day). Ji-Man's heroics get the honors of the first regular-season highlight card... with a picture from actual event!</span><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2UqtQ6g79JM/Wr59Mc4LylI/AAAAAAAABto/KT8bVcqu7wAZskoEw0De-DPsSIXuZREnQCEwYBhgL/s1600/DZgLDfdU0AA98pc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="849" data-original-width="640" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2UqtQ6g79JM/Wr59Mc4LylI/AAAAAAAABto/KT8bVcqu7wAZskoEw0De-DPsSIXuZREnQCEwYBhgL/s320/DZgLDfdU0AA98pc.jpg" width="241" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This format also gives me the freedom to use photos from this season as I put the regular player cards together. I hadn't planned on doing a Chase Anderson card in this first series, but then he face-planted "sliding" into home plate yesterday afternoon, which resulted in this great photo. How can I not use this totally unflattering image on his card? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My goodness! I haven't been this excited about a set in maybe forever. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Of course, there are some possible snags. First, the quality on these images might not translate real well to the printed product. I'm trying to use pics of as high resolution as I can find, but I am kind of anxious to see how they look IRL. Also, Rookies might not print cards using MLB images and real players. The app is marketed as something to make personal cards using images and likenesses of which you have ownership over. But I've known some other collectors who use the app to make cards of real players (mostly older guys for All-Time Team sets) and have had no issues. But I think if I'm just ordering one card of each (so it's obvious I'm not reselling them) they'll probably let this slide. After all, they're really just a printing service. <i><b>(UPDATE - Browsing the Rookies Twitter feed, it seems that they have no issue printing cards of real ballplayers. WHEW) </b></i>But still, I'll be a lot more excited about this project when I get those first cards in my hands. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">There was some chatter on twitter about other collectors doing the same treatment for their favorite teams.... anyone else wanna join me? If we could get 30 people doing this, we could create a massive, 5,000 card all 1 of 1 master set of the entire season! Middle relievers would be recognized! Aaron Judge would get as much attention as Whit Merrifield! Variations would be eliminated! The RC bug would be a thing of the past! We shall write our own sell sheets! We shall insert, not be inserted upon! We shall boom while others break!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">COLLECTORS OF THE WORLD UNITE! YOU HAVE NOTHING TO LOSE BUT YOUR CHAINS!</span>Matt Priggehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16611932704321174498noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-90546067802688148.post-32075170225579084392018-03-24T12:45:00.000-05:002018-03-24T12:45:03.230-05:00Down on E-Street: A Crew-neverse Update<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is going to take a lot longer than I first thought. I guessed about a month, but that's probably a pipe dream. Anyway, there is still time to get in on the contest to guess how many different Brewers cards I have in my collection. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Visit <a href="http://summerof74blog.blogspot.com/2018/03/how-large-is-my-crew-neverse-contest.html" target="_blank">THIS POST</a> to get an idea of what I have and enter your guess. And since it has been slower going than I anticipated in doing these updates, I will give everyone an extra week to enter... so make your guess by 11:59 central time on April 3. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And I promised prizes for this great guess-off, to be reveled as we go merrily along. Here is the first item from the bundle the winner will take home:</span><br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/--n-VFXEuGIY/WraMu6YVisI/AAAAAAAABsw/vPegaNaqlc0709jt_mqW4qBJi4YXD-0qACLcBGAs/s1600/Photo%2BMar%2B24%252C%2B12%2B31%2B58%2BPM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/--n-VFXEuGIY/WraMu6YVisI/AAAAAAAABsw/vPegaNaqlc0709jt_mqW4qBJi4YXD-0qACLcBGAs/s320/Photo%2BMar%2B24%252C%2B12%2B31%2B58%2BPM.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That's a TTM autograph of Tom Selleck on the (sorta) famous 1992 UD SP4 card promoting the film "Mr. Baseball." That movie was ok, nothing fantastic. But not awful. </span><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ycc72fuOQo8/WraOgXXIXhI/AAAAAAAABs8/5d0d54hMgvkZC--9SbYyD5cTD0a5XB2KACLcBGAs/s1600/194-249Fr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="250" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ycc72fuOQo8/WraOgXXIXhI/AAAAAAAABs8/5d0d54hMgvkZC--9SbYyD5cTD0a5XB2KACLcBGAs/s320/194-249Fr.jpg" width="228" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As for the update on the count, I am now through the "E" pile in my sort. My scoreboard tally is 1,719 different Brewers. The Mayor of E-Street is pitcher Cal Eldred, who runs away with the title with 82 different cards. It really wasn't even close, second place was Johnny Estrada with 13. Overall, Eldred's card tally is as impressive as his workload as a starter - he ranks #2 so far behind Ryan Braun, who continues to lead the pack with 178 cards. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span>Matt Priggehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16611932704321174498noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-90546067802688148.post-1960187919646827172018-03-17T14:29:00.001-05:002018-03-24T12:36:00.102-05:00How Large is My Crew-neverse? A Contest! <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I've been a bit off the blog grid recently, for various reasons. So, I wanted to take a moment to reengage by working my latest project into a GRAND AWESOME and STUPENDOUS contest... I call it the "How Large is my Crew-neverse?" contest!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">At the moment, I am in the midst of my Big Brewers Sort - organizing ALL of my Brewers cards by player and entering the results into the Trading Card Database. I have made it through my A and B players so far, which has yielded 932 different Brewers cards. </span><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">UPDATE - I should say that this number also includes those stupid 2009 UD Documentary cards, which I entered all at once. </span></i><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The contest is simple... guess how many different Brewers cards I will end up with once I am all done with the big sort. To give you a general idea of what I am working with...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Here is monster box number 1. You can see the remnants of my previous Brewers sort in here.</span><br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-G0uHT7OJu3o/Wq1r0mitBeI/AAAAAAAABsA/mXoyiq99S6cKz3EwFd-5ATrUcJjpRJOSwCEwYBhgL/s1600/Photo%2BMar%2B17%252C%2B1%2B59%2B05%2BPM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-G0uHT7OJu3o/Wq1r0mitBeI/AAAAAAAABsA/mXoyiq99S6cKz3EwFd-5ATrUcJjpRJOSwCEwYBhgL/s320/Photo%2BMar%2B17%252C%2B1%2B59%2B05%2BPM.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And monster box number 2. This one has the start of my new sort.</span><br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SVsJRJtvv5M/Wq1r69vc_zI/AAAAAAAABsM/whlT_xK-OLMl5ds3xG90iBQF_wGxk1-FwCEwYBhgL/s1600/Photo%2BMar%2B17%252C%2B1%2B59%2B30%2BPM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SVsJRJtvv5M/Wq1r69vc_zI/AAAAAAAABsM/whlT_xK-OLMl5ds3xG90iBQF_wGxk1-FwCEwYBhgL/s320/Photo%2BMar%2B17%252C%2B1%2B59%2B30%2BPM.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And this box...</span><br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nhq7TtO2C8o/Wq1r3yvLHeI/AAAAAAAABsE/TTbvQ5KP8fE3CmWWXiIrCh3whe7aLdjrACEwYBhgL/s1600/Photo%2BMar%2B17%252C%2B1%2B59%2B50%2BPM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nhq7TtO2C8o/Wq1r3yvLHeI/AAAAAAAABsE/TTbvQ5KP8fE3CmWWXiIrCh3whe7aLdjrACEwYBhgL/s320/Photo%2BMar%2B17%252C%2B1%2B59%2B50%2BPM.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">...which contains C and D players I am in the midst of sorting. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And my All-Time Brewers binder...</span><br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2EkeRwDThLM/Wq1r6nqY9CI/AAAAAAAABsI/HmqJSTldwyoFsazEoBEYoczS3_h_CqL3wCEwYBhgL/s1600/Photo%2BMar%2B17%252C%2B2%2B00%2B18%2BPM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2EkeRwDThLM/Wq1r6nqY9CI/AAAAAAAABsI/HmqJSTldwyoFsazEoBEYoczS3_h_CqL3wCEwYBhgL/s320/Photo%2BMar%2B17%252C%2B2%2B00%2B18%2BPM.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">...can't forget these! (I should also mentioned that this does include Pilots cards)</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Now, some of these cards will undoubtedly be duplicates. Those I set aside and do not count. I also posted recently about my confusion over whether or not to count certain cards as Brewers. I am still working on that, but there are so few instances of these cards I don't think it would really affect anyone's guess. I am ONLY counting what is seen in these images towards the final tally, however (for purposes of this contest, anyway). So if someone sends me a pair of 500 ct boxes next week, those will be set aside for right now. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So make your guess! The nearest to the final total wins. The prize package is yet to be determined, but I have some ideas of what I am going to include and will be dropping some previews of the final haul as I complete the sort. I am also thinking of holding off on a "centerpiece" item for the package until we have a winner and try to tailor the big prize to whomever happens to guess closest. But this will be a pretty sweet package overall. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I am going to get crazy and give people til the end the day (central time) on <strike>March 27, the last day before the regular season starts</strike> April 3rd, to enter a guess. I will be posting updates as I make my way through the letters on twitter (@mjpmke) if you want to follow along. I imagine the sort will take me probably another month to complete and once I get all the entries I'll do some kind of leaderboard post so everyone can follow along. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Comment on THIS post to enter your guess! And good luck! </span>Matt Priggehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16611932704321174498noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-90546067802688148.post-37315314170209919402018-03-14T21:47:00.001-05:002018-03-14T21:47:51.520-05:00A Brewer by Any Other Name: How do You Define a Card's Team Designation? <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I’ve seeing someone else, blogosphere. </span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yes, it’s time I told you. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I’ve joined up with a team collectors group and have been
making pretty all of my recent trades with that gang. It wasn’t something I
planned on doing… it just kind of, well, happened. </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span> <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uiTvKmzi9Y8/WqneABlNDNI/AAAAAAAABrE/licHEAQ3m1IRL9pG5NVwVCtrDDOa-ZtuACEwYBhgL/s1600/Photo%2BMar%2B10%252C%2B10%2B13%2B54%2BPM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uiTvKmzi9Y8/WqneABlNDNI/AAAAAAAABrE/licHEAQ3m1IRL9pG5NVwVCtrDDOa-ZtuACEwYBhgL/s320/Photo%2BMar%2B10%252C%2B10%2B13%2B54%2BPM.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ok, that was my dumb little joke to start things out. I’ll
drop it now. But it does set up what I’ve been up to lately. I have embarked on
the BIG BREWERS SORT… a massive effort to get my 9,000ish Brewers cards into
some kind of order. I’ve broken everything into letter piles and have started
breaking those into player stacks. Then those stacks get sorted and everything
goes into a monster box. This will eliminate all my doubles and permit me to
enter EVERYTHING I’ve got into the Trading Card Database. I started last week
and can tell already it’s going to take A LOT longer than I anticipated. I’ve
slogged through the A and B piles so far and found 932 different Brewers cards
therein. I am doing this in anticipation of all the Brewers cards I will be
getting from this trade group. The basic idea with the group is that each team
has a collector and people sent team packages to each other whenever they have
something worth sending. The group has apparently been without a “Brewers Guy”
for some time, so everyone’s Brewers reserves are well-stocked. When I joined
up, the other members sent me messages that sounded vaguely threatening. “You
have no idea what you’re in for!” etc. So, I want to be ready for the
onslaught. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But, as I do with most things, this project has me a little
twisted up about things. I am sticking to Major League sets for the sort, but
including players who never made the Bigs (which I guess makes me a Khalid Ballouli
collector now). But what makes a card a Brewers card?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I had this in my Brewers box…</span></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vcFARVmEgkc/Wqnd_2dnzsI/AAAAAAAABrA/pi_hnZD7-TIZ89VDGoEDb5hakgF0E6URwCEwYBhgL/s1600/Photo%2BMar%2B13%252C%2B12%2B01%2B08%2BPM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vcFARVmEgkc/Wqnd_2dnzsI/AAAAAAAABrA/pi_hnZD7-TIZ89VDGoEDb5hakgF0E6URwCEwYBhgL/s320/Photo%2BMar%2B13%252C%2B12%2B01%2B08%2BPM.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That’s Nori Aoki from 2009. It was made for the World
Baseball Classic when Aoki was still playing in Japan. Three years later, he
signed with the Brewers and I picked this up because it was his only American
issue at the time. But this isn’t a Brewers card. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But what about this one?</span></div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WJDbwp896Ag/WqneKYu25VI/AAAAAAAABrY/7Hm3fOEUUVU02ZNYBoCaGbfRrnHfORurACEwYBhgL/s1600/Photo%2BMar%2B13%252C%2B12%2B01%2B48%2BPM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WJDbwp896Ag/WqneKYu25VI/AAAAAAAABrY/7Hm3fOEUUVU02ZNYBoCaGbfRrnHfORurACEwYBhgL/s320/Photo%2BMar%2B13%252C%2B12%2B01%2B48%2BPM.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That’s a Ryan Braun WBC card, also from 2009. It was made
when he was a Brewer, but make no mention on the team on the card. It’s closer
to a Brewers card, but I don’t think it really counts, as Braun is repping Team
USA. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, the uniform counts, right? Sure. So how about this…</span></div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OVGSzyTst5w/WqneHkVLEbI/AAAAAAAABrU/3OvN8pLUZecKQXx_n1T0KX7fLHVdcGpfwCEwYBhgL/s1600/Photo%2BMar%2B13%252C%2B12%2B01%2B41%2BPM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OVGSzyTst5w/WqneHkVLEbI/AAAAAAAABrU/3OvN8pLUZecKQXx_n1T0KX7fLHVdcGpfwCEwYBhgL/s320/Photo%2BMar%2B13%252C%2B12%2B01%2B41%2BPM.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">…this is some weird-ass Donruss issue that originally came encased.
You’re darn right I cracked that SOB open and pawed at those swatches. It’s
what the good lord intended. Anyway, another example of a card made when a guy
played for the Brewers, but who is not in uniform and with no mention of the
team. And what team is Sexson repping here? The MLBPA? Hmmmm. This one, I’m a
bit torn on. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Speaking of laundry, here is Paul Molitor, dressed in the classic
Brewers blue and gold…</span></div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mpuBrRkB2Lg/WqneE7hwwkI/AAAAAAAABrM/lJr1SxsXvWgvaniTjfUqT14u7qDecfT1QCEwYBhgL/s1600/Photo%2BMar%2B13%252C%2B12%2B01%2B34%2BPM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mpuBrRkB2Lg/WqneE7hwwkI/AAAAAAAABrM/lJr1SxsXvWgvaniTjfUqT14u7qDecfT1QCEwYBhgL/s320/Photo%2BMar%2B13%252C%2B12%2B01%2B34%2BPM.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">…under (ugh) a Blue Jays wordmark. It even has a transaction
bubble, which reads “chased out of Milwaukee by a GM who had no clue what he
was doing and an owner too damn invested in orchestrating his take-over of the
sport to give a shit about retaining a franchise icon at a reasonable price.”
(squints) Or something along those lines. Heartbreaking as this is, it’s ain’t
a Brewers card. It’s a Jays card with an out-of-date photo. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, the team indicated outweighs a jersey? Ok. How about
this…</span></div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_-w1Oz_6pfM/WqneBfjyW5I/AAAAAAAABrI/l2uSm9g7MK8mIMudKjZAc5puRZshpepMwCEwYBhgL/s1600/Photo%2BMar%2B13%252C%2B12%2B01%2B17%2BPM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_-w1Oz_6pfM/WqneBfjyW5I/AAAAAAAABrI/l2uSm9g7MK8mIMudKjZAc5puRZshpepMwCEwYBhgL/s320/Photo%2BMar%2B13%252C%2B12%2B01%2B17%2BPM.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">…Obviously, Jackie Robinson did not suit up for the 1997
Brewers, but this is a Brewers-branded card in a Brewers team set. Even the
Trading Card Database classifies this as a <a href="http://www.tradingcarddb.com/Person.cfm/pid/4998/Jackie-Robinson">Brewers
card</a>. I might consider this part of the Brewers collection just for fun. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But what of this? </span></div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GFv6MpLfWas/WqneHKGKFgI/AAAAAAAABrQ/79mUQR3GGAgea3s325PJLE86pf21Qh9pwCEwYBhgL/s1600/Photo%2BMar%2B13%252C%2B12%2B01%2B25%2BPM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GFv6MpLfWas/WqneHKGKFgI/AAAAAAAABrQ/79mUQR3GGAgea3s325PJLE86pf21Qh9pwCEwYBhgL/s320/Photo%2BMar%2B13%252C%2B12%2B01%2B25%2BPM.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here is Chris Bosio with a transaction bubble (stripe?)
indicating his shift to the Mariners. BUT, it’s undeniable a Brewers card aside
from that stripe. Is this more a Brewers card or a Mariners card? Can it be
both? Can a card be partially a Brewers card? Does this look forward or
backwards? Hmmmmmm.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now THIS is obviously a Brewers card.</span></div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mf_kstu81T0/WqneLWjEPXI/AAAAAAAABrk/vVZlUmwqKB0ZlBK-g8akdnV25SU7GLwTQCEwYBhgL/s1600/Photo%2BMar%2B13%252C%2B12%2B02%2B47%2BPM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mf_kstu81T0/WqneLWjEPXI/AAAAAAAABrk/vVZlUmwqKB0ZlBK-g8akdnV25SU7GLwTQCEwYBhgL/s320/Photo%2BMar%2B13%252C%2B12%2B02%2B47%2BPM.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Looky there… it’s Ricky Bones in a Brewers uni, with a
Brewers logo. Slam dunk, eh?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hold the phone…</span></div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-K64K0TGCOqk/WqneRGUjcYI/AAAAAAAABrg/m5nhOajAHhIPsJ1VDA-QDXScI3pXhkAHQCEwYBhgL/s1600/Photo%2BMar%2B13%252C%2B12%2B03%2B38%2BPM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-K64K0TGCOqk/WqneRGUjcYI/AAAAAAAABrg/m5nhOajAHhIPsJ1VDA-QDXScI3pXhkAHQCEwYBhgL/s320/Photo%2BMar%2B13%252C%2B12%2B03%2B38%2BPM.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">…Ah-ha! The stats on the back correctly state that he
finished the 1996 season with the Yankees. The Brewers traded him at the end of
August (remember when base sets came out really, REALLY early?) and Upper Deck
did not have time to fix his card aside from those three letters on the stat
line. Oddly enough, Bones only appeared in one other 1997 set – Fleer Ultra –
which depicted him with the Reds, the team he played for in ’97. This is
essentially the same thing as one of those Topps “NOW WITH XXX” cards, only
without the note on the front. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So which of these would YOU consider to be Brewers cards?
They all have at least a partial claim (except for Aoki), but a case can also
be made against each. Let me know what you think!</span></div>
Matt Priggehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16611932704321174498noreply@blogger.com9