FINALLY!!!!!

So after a two and a half hour long commute, I hit the Target right near work and BINGO!!!  Still in the cardboard box not even on display was some blasters and an unopened, unsearched gravity feeder!!!!  I grabbed one blaster and five single packs from the feeder. Now the tease sits in my cube. I will post my findings at some point today.

Some More 2011 Topps Goodness

So while it's snowing, sleeting, raining, and back to snow again here in Massachusetts, I have no desire to trek out into the winter weather mess. So, that means no Topps for you!! errr, no Topps for me!!!

So I am left to read the blogroll with emptiness, while many lucky souls have found Spring in newly arrived foil packs. In any case, while reading the blogs and snooping on eBay, I can across a fantastic 2011 Topps relic card.

 Behold, the genius of Bill Veek ... Rich Gossage relic (jersey is from 1975 judging the pinstripes) but the photo is from August 8, 1976 when the White Sox, needing a stunt to draw people (they were 19 games back), wore shorts in the first game of a double-header against the Kansas City Royals.

White Sox starter Rich Gossage was called on to shut down the Royals and secure a win. In 1975, Gossage was anointed the closer for the Sox and came through with a 26 save season and a 1.89 ERA.  For his stellar 1975 record, Gossage was voted the Sporting News Fireman of the Year Award. At the beginning of the 1976 season, Gossage was converted to a starter by manager Paul Richards since there just wasn’t enough quality talent to go around. His record for 1976 was a forgettable 9 wins, 17 losses and a 3.94 ERA with a surprisingly high 15 complete games. Upon entering the infamous game in the 8th innning in 1976, Gossage proceeded to revert back to his closer form and shut down the Royals for two innings with one walk and one strikeout to earn his first and only save of the 1976 season.

As a big fan of the blog UniWatch, I knew the background to Veek's idea and had seen the photos and video, but to my knowledge, this is the first time I have seen the White Sox shorts on a trading card. Now that, is some Topps Goodness.

2011 Short Print Variations ... so far

Are now hitting eBay. Here's a quick look at what I came across. Love the Musial shot but can Topps come up with some different players? Hopefully there are ones of Ernie Banks or Sandy Koufax now that they're in the Topps fold?

One Last Hurrah

So while I wait for my delivery from the Topps Million Card Giveaway, I was left with three cards in my collection: 1979 Marty Pattin, 1980 Doug Capilla, and a 1991 Terry Kennedy. I hadn't done anything in over a week with these cards nor did I get any offers. So I said to myself, lets see if I can't add three more guys from my no hitters need list in one day.

Within about and hour and a half, the last three cards were gone and three new ones had arrived.

The first was Pattin for a 1987 Joe Cowley who threw a no-hitter on September 19, 1986 against the eventual AL West Champions, the California Angels. For nine innings, the right-handed Cowley had fought against two foes: the Angels and himself. He won, 7-1, but not without first allowing seven walks and yielding a sixth-inning sacrifice fly that brought in the Angel run. That no hitter and win, was the last of his career. The following year near the end of spring training, Joe was traded to the Phillies for Gary Redus. He would pitch in 5 games, losing 4 while carrying a 15+ earn run average.

Next up was Capilla for a 1982 Charlie Lea. Lea would toss his feat against the San Francisco Giants in the second game of a double-header. The Giants won the opener, 5-1. In the second game, Lea struck out a career high of eight batters and walked four. He became the first Expo to pitch a no-hitter since Bill Stoneman did it against the Mets on October 2, 1972. Stoneman achieved the team's first no-hitter, also against the Mets, in 1969. Charlie would go one to have a couple of decent years with the Expos with an all-star appearance in 1984.

Last up was trying to rid myself of Terry Kennedy. I think I crafted no more than a dozen trade offers in a span of 10 minutes before I got an acceptance. Kennedy for a 1998 Kevin Brown. Pitching for the Marlins, Brown hurled a 9-0 no-hitter against the San Francisco Giants, on June 10, 1997. Brown hit just one batter (in the eighth inning with two outs) and did not walk anyone... On July 16 of that same season, Brown hurled a one-hitter against the Dodgers.

So with that, I now find myself looking at a $4.00 delivery charge for three commons that probably are worth the price of ONE stamp.  Anyone have these out there that wants to trade or would you just bite the bullet and enjoy one last hurrah with one pretty fun redemption program?

UD takes aim at fairway with return of Goodwin Champions

taken from Chris Olds &  Blowoutcards.com forums ...

Upper Deck has its sights set on a return to the golf world sometime soon and a pair of future products will include a golf card first and a big batch of Tiger Woods.

Those are things that golf fans—who have been without a set of their own since 2005—will undoubtedly appreciate.

Up first, is a first—Bubba Watson‘s first Upper Deck golf card. It will appear in 2011 Goodwin Champions, which will arrive later this year.

“We’ve reached a deal with the 2011 Farmers Insurance Open winner for image rights and autographs,” he said. “That’s kind of big news as many were wondering if we would ever produce Goodwin Champions again. The last Goodwin Champions set had a lot of very unique and innovative trading card inserts sets, so we are very excited to bring that product back with even more bells and whistles that will be announced in the coming months.

... so being a golfer (or at least trying to look the part), the caught my eye as I really liked the 2009 UD Goodwin Champions after the fact.  Again, I loved the minis from this set and feel UD really rose above Allen & Ginter in 2009. From what I gather, this will be again a multi-sport product.

Hopefully with this new 2011 release (due in mid-June to coincide with the 2011 US Open at the Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, MD), there will be more minis to track down.

For those getting buried by snow around the country

Here's something to warm your souls and toes. Pitchers and catchers report in 12 days!

Do you believe in the Tooth Fairy?

Well I do now ... well not really, BUT it's been added to my Allen & Ginter collection.

This is my first card from the 2010 insert set titled Creatures of Myth, Legend, and Joy.  I can find eight other cards on eBay, but have to think the set must consist of 10 cards. Here are the ones I could find:
    • Little Red Riding Hood
    • Santa Claus
    • The Easter Bunny
    • Paul Bunyan
    • Goldilocks
    • Peter Pan
    • Jack and the Beanstalk
    • Three Little Pigs

This was a follow up to Ginter's 2009 Creatures of Myth, Legend, and Terror.

And on a side note, I checked a Target and a Walmart in the Worcester (MA) area and no 2011 Topps baseball yet.