Mail and Redemption

First off thanks to Jeff@cardjunkie.com. I sent him a handful of cards and he returned the favor by sending me a couple of NY Mets cards that I didn't have from the '09 Topps Series 2 collection. So, whether I decide to finish the Series 2 set or simply collect the Mets, I'm covered. Thanks, Jeff!

Next, I was searching e-bay for something (I don't even remember what I was looking up) when I ran across a Topps Red Hot Rookie, #1. It turns out it's Mets Rookie OF'er Fernando Martinez. I am doing this with my eyes wide open and will be rewarded after 30+ weeks with a shiny F-Mart card. By then he will no longer be a rookie, the Mets season will (thankfully at this point) over and I hope to be planning my return to Spring Training for the 2010 season.

30 Weeks!

Topps Series 2 - Jackie Robinson Cereal Box

I've been having trouble tracking Jackie down, but my wife found him in Target. SInce this is my third box of Series two, I guess I'm now "officially" collecting the set. I'm still 2 short (229 Cesar Izturis, 305 Ivan Rodriguez) on the Series 1 base set. I'll lasso them up soon. (I hope). I'm also all about the inserts in this years Topps.....

Luke Scott from the "hey, what'cha doin' down there" subset

Andy Pettitte

Troy Glaus

Pat Neshek

Billy Butler

Shaun Marcum, two goofy poses in one box. Wheeee.

Luke Hochevar

Robinson Cano

Chris Perez

Ted Lilly

Carlos Lee, wants to be on a Wheaties box

Bengie Molina

Steve Pearce

Jeremy Bonderman

Brandon Phillips

Joel Pinero

BJ Ryan, Yeah!

Ryan Howard

Freddy Sanchez

Chris Iannetta

Johnny Damon

Carlos Beltran, Finally a Met card. Great Action!

Yovani Gallardo

Chris Young

Adam Jones, 1160/2009 Gold Variation

Scott Baker

Kevin Millwood

Matt Harrison

Tony LaRussa

Chris Carpenter

Dustin Pedroia, Another good action shot

Placido Polanco

Chris Davis

Braden Looper

Derek Lowe

David Patton, Rookie

Randy Wolf

Khalil Green

Paul Konerko, part of the White Sox synchronized fielding team. (I give them an 8.7 for the artistic portion, but a 5.5 for degree of difficulty :)

Adam Jones (again, but no gold border)

Trevor Cahill, Rookie

Donald Veal, Rookie

Edwin Morneo, Rookie

Kenshin Kawakami, Rookie

Coco Crisp

Brian Anderson

Milton Bradley

Miguel Olivo

Bob Melvin

Nick Johnson

Eugenio Velez

Ron Washington

And Now the Inserts:

It's hard for me to believe that guys that I grew up watching (Sandberg and Carlton) are now considered "Legends." I don't feel that old. It doesn't seem that it was that long ago.

Friday night at "The Joe"

Here are some pics from my Friday night at Joe Riley stadium. The Riverdogs hosted the Sand Gnats and I can't say I was disappointed in the results. I love the Riverdogs, but seeing so many future Mets play and hit so well...It was enough to reinvigorate me as a Mets fan. Sand Gnats over the R'dogs....10-5. Lots of HR's (in fact I can't remember that many HR's in a single Riverdogs game, but my memory may be fuzzy. Man they have cold beer).

50% off Topps 2008 Series 1

Picked up a box of 2008 Series 1 from Wal-Mart. I went in looking for 2009 Topps Series 2 cereal boxes (Jackie R.). They had none. Anyway, I walked away with a consolation prize. Half price Topps Series 1...If your want list is in need of any of these, e-mail me.

Here are the numbers:

21,24,28,31,38,43,45,46,150,52,58,61,65,66,75,83,99

105,114,117,118,122,124,134,135,139,144,181

207,211,217,219,222,236,239,240,244,256,258,259,262,292,299

301,306,310,312

Highlights

Longevity

Last week I bought a cereal box of 2009 Topps Series 2. I opened it and sorted it and realized that there wasn't one NY Met in the whole lot. What are the odds? I don't know.

Today on the way home from work I went by Wal-Mart and picked up another cereal box. Would this one be loaded with Mets? Nope. One. One lonely NY Met. Francisco Rodriguez. That brings my collection of Mets from '09 Topps Series 2 to a grand total of 2. Ollie and K-Rod. (I picked up Ollie in a stray pack).

But, if we were to base Series 2 on the box cover, longevity would be the theme.

First up,

Ryan Braun, the Hebrew Hammer. Turkey Red. What a coincidence. In the last cereal box I bought I received a Turkey Red Prince Fielder. If I was a Brewer fan I would be in heaven. As far as longevity give this guy some time. I think he has it in him.

Next, Mel Ott. As a Met fan I appreciate the connection with the NY Giants. Ott played 22 seasons with the Giants. Pretty solid.

World Baseball Classic. Fu-Te Ni, Chinese Taipei. In the description they say Fu-Te "paced his old circuit in strikeouts in '08, after being his nation's workhorse in the previous year's Baseball World Cup".

Next insert, Larry Jones, Legends of the Game. You may not know this guy by that name, but I'm a Met fan. This guy has been killing the Mets, (and a lot of the NL teams) for some time now. 15 years is long enough. If he goes much more, his next kid will be named "Citi".

Stadium Club 2008 - Complete Set

Well, sometime last year I bought a box of Stadium Club. Before I knew it I was collecting baseball cards. The blogs are full of stories about guys who started collecting when they were kids, then dropped it, only to pick it up again as an adult. I am not one of those guys. I never collected cards as a kids. I didn't have the focus. I started and stopped hobbies like most people change clothes. I get distracted eas...

oh look shiny!


Get the point. So, it gives me great pleasure to say that, not only have I stuck with collecting, I've managed to finish a set! Hooray, me. Here is the card that finished the 2008 Stadium Club. Carlos Lee, OF, Houston Astros.

I do NOT have a complete set of First Day's or Photographer's Proofs, or whatever. I do have a complete base set that includes, 1st Days, Photographers Proofs, Autos, etc. I don't think I'll ever be that kind of collector. Also, (and I'm learning about collecting as I move along) I'm a "retail" guy. The card shops scare me. I will talk to the nice people at flea markets and garage sells. I buy a lot of "junk wax". Most Goudey cards look creepy to me. I don't know how to pronounce "Goudey". I do like Turkey Red cards & the chrome inserts in the 2009 Topps series. I stick to Topps for the most part but I do like any brand that has a NY Mets player on it.

Oh, look.....shiny Upper Deck.

Charleston Riverdogs

Here are few photos from Sunday's game at Joe Riley Stadium to see the Charleston Riverdogs vs the Rome Braves. The weather was warm but great. The beer was cold. To top it off I had a great seat right behind the visitor's dugout.

Riverdogs pitcher, Manuel Banuelos, pitched a good game. He scattered 6 hits and struck out 4 over 5.2 innings. The Riverdogs won 4-1.

Check out all the photos here: