Wednesday, September 26, 2018

Gint-a-Cuffs (Packs 17-24)

Now our exciting conclusion!!

Currently at +81

Pack 17:

Pedroia
Longoria
Hosmer
Gooden
Maybin
McCovey
Baseball Equipment Baseball Donut +2
Kris Bryant A&G back mini +5

Running Total: +88

Pack 18:

Heyward
Turner
Epstein
Devers
McCann
Lester
World's Talent Darvish +2
Maddux base mini

Running Total: +90

Pack 19:

Arenado
Flaherty
Seager +1
Eckersley
Berrios
Keuchel
Magnificent Moons Mimas +2
Nelson black mini +4

Running Total: +97

Pack 20:

Ray
Nelson
Gonzalez
Severino -1
Benintendi relic +5
Fantasy Goldmine Carlton +2
Posey base mini

Running Total: +103

Pack 21:

Brett
Schoop
Taillon
Pederson +1
Fedde
Weaver
World's Greatest Beaches South Beach +2
Matt Chapman A&G back mini +2

Running Total: +108

Pack 22:

Sano
Hamilton
Gallo +2
Segura
Smoak
Betances -1
World's Talent Jones +2
Trea Turner A&G back mini +2

Running Total: +113

Pack 23:

Ohtani +4
Clemente
Dozier +2
Marquez
McGwire
Total Solar Eclipse
World's Greatest Beaches Bora Bora +2
Folio of Fears +3

Running Total:  +124

Pack 24:

Freeman
Pence
Gehrig -1
Rogowsky
Barreto
Robinson +1
Fantasy Goldmine Henderson +2
Rogowsky base mini 

Total total: +126

Not bad, we'll see how it stacks up against everyone else. As always subject to audit! Did pretty well with favorite players and by far the rarest card in the box was the brooklyn back mini. First time I have ever hit one of those. Pretty cool! 

Thanks for reading!

Gint-a-Cuffs X (Packs 9-16)

Running total is starting at +38, onto the cards!

Pack 9:

Rosario
Sandberg
Wainwright
Sanchez -1
Dawson
Zobrist
World's Talent Acuna +2
Carlos Martinez Brooklyn back mini (1 in 248 packs) +7

Running Total: +46

Pack 10:

Moustakas
Russell
Kingery
Altuve
Bader
Arcia
World's Greatest Beaches Harbour Island +2
Tim Beckham A&G Back mini +2

Running Total: +50

Pack 11:

Stroman
Stephens
Aaron
Arcia (back to back packs maybe its special?)
Benentendi framed mini relic +6
Fantasy Goldman Jim Thome +4
Strasburg base mini

Running Total: +60

Pack 12:

Machado
DeJong
Lucroy
Mazara
Gregorius -1
Richards
Baseball Equipment Vintage Cleats +2
Gohara black mini +4

Running Total: +65

Pack 13:

Martinez
Myers
Gohara
Acuna
Bour
Gurriel
World's Talent Cotton +2
Longoria base mini

Running Total: +67

Pack 14:

Thames
Castellanos
Thome +2
Santana
Renfroe
Piscotty
Baseball Equipment Pitch Counter +2
World's Hottest Peppers +3

Running Total: +72

Pack 15:

Blackmon
Lamb
Bomb Cyclone
Greinke
Puig +1
Pillar
Fantasy Goldman Robinson +2
Method Man base mini

Running Total: +75

Pack 16:

Abreu
Kipnis
Archer
Brinson
Smith
Pederson +1
Magnificent Moons Europa +2
Mismatched Socks +3

Running Total: +81

Onto the end of the box, one more hit to go!

Gint A Cuffs X (Packs 1-8)

I have enjoyed Gint A Cuffs through the years. I've won it twice and winning is awesome. I don't care what you win at but it's awesome. If I win a raffle for a free umbrella I am the man for that day! If I win free lunch, dude I just ate lunch for free! Can't beat that! Wish the Phillies had my winning attitude. I could be the next manager! I managed my Fantasy Baseball team to the title, can't be that hard!

Without further introduction hopefully my winning box of Ginter. Always fun to open, we shall see how it treated me this year.

For the purposes of scoring my Favorite player is Shohei Ohtani and Favorite Team is the Dodgers.

Box topper:

Jose Altuve +4

Pack 1:

 Votto
Jackson
 Santana
Cain
Stugotz -1
Cabrera
Magnificent Moons +2

Running Total: +5

No joke there was no mini in this pack. Literally the first pack I opened. I was worried the rest of the box would be miniless (it was not) I'm willing to bet this pack should have had the wood mini but because of Topps screw up they were never packed out.

Pack 2:

Cole
Jones
Fulmer
Andujar -1
Riley -1
Ortiz
Fantasy Goldmine Alomar +2
Adam Wainwright A&G Back mini +2

Running Total: +7

Pack 3: 

Seager
Ripken Jr
Marte
Gonzalez
Inciarte
Almora
World's Greatest Beaches Venice Beach +2
Indigenous Heroes Pocahontas +2

Running Total: +11

Pack 4:

Cano
Koufax +1
Davis
Lue -1
Correa
Altherr
World's Talent Urias +3
Doolittle base mini

Running Total: +14

Pack 5:

Donaldson
Bryant +2
Arrieta
Bruce
Bauer
Leake
Baseball Equipment Modern Baseball +2
Postage Required Ben Franklin +3

Running Total: +22

Pack 6:

Mancini
Gonzalez
Lecomte
Garcia
Rizzo Relic +5
Fantasy Goldmine Randy Johnson +2
Koufax base mini +1

Running Total: +30

Pack 7:

Banda
Cruz
Hicks -1
Davies
Calhoun
Mejia
Magnificent Moons Encelaous +2
Josh Donaldson A&G back mini +2

Running Total: +33

Pack 8:

Jake Lamb HR Challenge +1
Bellinger
Boggs
Contreras
Franco
Bullpen Car +1
World Talent Brandon Nimmo +2
Yu Darvish base mini

Running Total: +38

Solid start!

Thanks for reading!

Monday, September 24, 2018

Fantasy Championship!

I finally won my head to head league that I've been a part of for several years now (mostly same group of guys) We do head to head, 11 categories. Last year I finished regular season in first and got knocked out in the semis. This year I finished in 4th and won the whole thing!

Check out the final roster!

C - Yasmani Grandal (20th Round pick)
1B - Rhys Hoskins (Traded for)
2B - Jose Peraza (Free Agent pickup)
3B - Alex Bregman (4th Round pick)
SS - Gleyber Torres (Free Agent pickup)
OF - Whit Merrifield (9th Round pick)
OF - Aaron Hicks (Traded for)
OF - Nick Markakis (Free Agent pickup)
Util - Trevor Story (8th Round pick)
BN - Mike Moustakas (13th Round pick)

SP - Jacob DeGrom (3rd Round pick)
SP - Corey Kluber (Traded for)
SP - Mike Fiers (Free Agent pickup)
RP - Kirby Yates (Free Agent pickup)
P - Ken Giles (Free Agent pickup)
P - Tanner Roak (19th Round pick)
BN - Joe Musgrove (Free Agent pickup)
BN - Trevor Williams (Free Agent pickup)
BN - Carlos Rodon (Free Agent pickup)
BN - Joey Lucchesi (Free Agent pickup)

This league I typically rolled 3 closers in years past. This year after I drafted them poorly I decided to go with the extra starter and just hope for saves some weeks. My mistake was taking Corey Knebel in the 7th round who I ended up dropping. Drafted Brad Hand as well in the 10th who was good but I dropped him for Yates when he was traded.

I traded Aaron Judge and Chris Archer (2 days before Judge broke his wrist) for Corey Kluber, Aaron Hicks and Mitch Moreland (ended up dropping for a pitcher)

I really killed it with Story Bregman and Degrom. They were stalwarts all year. Also Merrifield leading the American League in steals and batting over .300. The other trade I made wasn't as great but it worked. I traded Paul Goldschmidt when he was cold and Walker Beuhler (who was hurt for a while after I traded him) for Rhys Hoskins and Gio Gonzales.Gio was good for a while then went real cold. I know I'm not an expert but I targeted Bregman and Story and I made the right call with DeGrom. (7th pitcher taken in my draft)

Rhys approve of this Championship!

Thanks for reading!

Monday, September 17, 2018

Hoskins Salutes you!

I recently picked up my first auto of my new semi mini collection PC player Rhys Hoskins. I would go full blown PC but a lot of his stuff is quite pricey. I was quite pleased this card didn't grade well cause that kept the price down! I was able to snag this for 30 dollars.

Pretty nice auto numbered out of 25. The corners got dinged big but there's nothing crazy. It's fine for a raw card in my opinion and displays real nice. I have a bunch more rookies to show and would love to pick  up some Topps Chrome color in the offseason hopefully when the prices go down. Would love to shoot for the rainbow but with the waves of colors not sure I have the wherewithal to do it this year.

Hoping the Phillies finish out strong.

Thanks for reading!

Friday, September 14, 2018

Samples on Samples!

I picked these 2 sheets up at the Chantilly Card Show. The dealer charged 3 bucks for each which I thought was more then fair. I wanted the Frank Thomas's for my collection.

The immortal 1994 Donruss! 

1993 Triple Play

I remember as a young person buying packs of these at an LCS for a buck a piece. None of the cards said Promotional Sample on them though! Pretty cool 90s oddities. Probably not worth a fortune but meh 3 bucks a sheet I can more then live with.

Hoskins just hit his 31st HR. Despite the Phillies falling out of the playoff race at least Hoskins will have a nice follow up to last year. I hope he continues to get better. 

Thanks for reading!

Monday, September 10, 2018

Did someone say Wood (mini!)

As all of my faithful readers know I pulled a Mike Trout wood mini a few years ago from a Ginter box. I ended up selling it a little while ago for a good price to a wood mini collector. That same collector messaged me and gave me a heads up that this card was for sale. I made a super strong bid at the end and it ended well below my maximum. Happy to re-enter the wood mini club.

Also, big controversy this year with wood minis. I don't think they were packed out except in rip cards. Kinda sucks for the collectors and breakers. Those are fun cards to hit and definitely carry value. Don't know if Topps ever responded to the people's inquiries.

From 2011 Ginter! Isn't in perfect condition but it fits perfectly into my Ryan Howard PC. Rather fun cards in hand. Reminds me a bit of that old 90s insert Lumber Company.

1996 Fleer Lumber Company. Pretty great Piazza card.

Thanks for reading! I have to get to scanning for Gint a Cuff. Probably won't win  but I always enjoy it!

Monday, September 3, 2018

Take a Seat!

Bad puns aside. I did pick up this pretty cool relic card off of ebay.


A seat relic from Shibe Park. Shibe Park pre-dates me so I never was personally there. My time as a youth for Phillies games was spent in the friendly confines of Veteran's Stadium.

I haven't posted this week just been on vacation. Getting back into the swing of things shortly. Have a bunch of scans I want to share and the card room is still a work in progress. (May forever be a work in progress but it's looking better and better)

Thanks for reading!

Hope the Phillies can make September interesting before the Eagles completely take over the radio (if they haven't already, how many questions can one ask about Wentz knee)