Cross Another Whale Off The "At Large" Wanted List

The term white whale, prior to its bastardization in Triple Threads, meant a card that you had a card out there in the sea of collectors that was virtually impossible to find. To this day, people still chase white whales all over the hobby, and for many of us, they are truly a quest fit for Ahab. In most cases, those whales were usually 1/1s that you didn’t know had been pulled, or a rare card that infrequently hit ebay at an affordable price.

For someone like me, there werent many of these cards that I had on my list. I can think of two specifically, and after last night, both of them were on the captured list. The first one took me forever to find, and I mean absolutely forever. I think I posted at least three times about the 2005 Artifacts Joe Mauer Patch Auto /10 before I pretty much gave up looking, even going so far as setting up multiple daily ebay spam mailers with new auctions. I was searching for about 3 years before it finally popped up on ebay in the middle of last year, and I knew that I absolutely needed to buy it before it was lost again forever. A user on FCB collects the set, and luckily I knew he already had this one, so my competition was going to be easier because of that fact. On the other hand, this card was the coveted number 7 of 10, Mauer's jersey number, and I knew there would be more people wanting it just for that fact. Even though I couldn’t care less what number in the run it was, other Mauer collectors would definitely have it on their list because of that.



There was a problem though, and it was one I wasn’t sure I wanted to deal with. The card was located in Taiwan, and most card collectors know that cards from overseas are always a risk, especially expensive ones like the Mauer. I put the thought out of my mind and concetrated on the win. As the final seconds ticked down, I entered a ridiculous snipe. You know, the type of max bid that could really get me in trouble if it actually was put to the test. It won me the card at a much higher price than I wanted to spend, but I still had the card on its way to California, and that was all that mattered to me at the time. This was also before Mauer's MVP run, so prices were considerably cheaper due to it being the off season. I still spent more than I had spent on a Mauer card in over 3 years, yet it wasn’t something that would break my bank. I waited for around three weeks with no delivery, but the card eventually showed up without problem. It is still on my shelf today, and is no doubt my favorite and only current on card Mauer signature. The patch on it is way above average, and to have the hard signed card, great player picture and nice patch is what makes it the centerpiece of my collection. I would sell my Chrome Rookie Auto before I sell this card.

The second card was one that I had been looking for on and off for the better part of three years, but it definitely was not as rare as the Mauer and not worth as much. The reason I wanted it was more for filling a hole in my Vikings collection than it was collecting the individual player, something that hindered my need to search for it daily. The card I am talking about is a 2003 Leaf Certified Fabric of the Game Cris Carter Patch Auto /80, one that I wanted for some very specific reasons. First and foremost was the auto that adorned this series of cards. Carter is notorious for signing like a chump, and this card was one of the only ones I saw that featured his full auto. Second was that this set looked better than any of the other donruss cards that he signed, so naturally, it was the one I wanted. I first saw it on blowout two years ago when someone posted their complete set of these type of cards, and I knew it was the Carter auto I wanted. Because autos and patches were VERY rare in the 2003 set, and because this set had an extensive checklist, they rarely came up for sale.



As if the cardboard gods were taunting me again, the seller of the card had VERY low feedback and even had a few negs on his profile in the last six months. That was a bad sign, but I figured the forty bucks was worth the risk. Well, things really didn’t turn out the way I expected, and my 75 dollar bid was swallowed up pretty quickly into the final 24 hours of the auction. I ended up having to spend 90 bucks to get the card, and I am now forced to play the waiting game and see how this card turns out. I could tell this guy was not an eBay veteran, as the picture in the auction was mirrored and flipped, as well as being quite blurry. He does live in Minnesota and was selling a ton of Carter cards, so I don’t think he is in the market to keep his collection. Ill be sure to let you guys know as soon as I get the card in my hands. Otherwise, I will definitely not hesitate to flip a shit like normal.

In the end, when it comes to White Whales, you need to make a sacrifice in order to cross them off your list. With the Mauer it was overseas shipping and high prices, and with the Carter, its definitely the seller's profile that I will need to put out of my mind. If these cards were easy to get, they wouldn’t be my whales, so its obvious that certain measures would no doubt be necessary.

Going To My First Baseball Game This Year

Ive always been a fan of going to the park, downing a few beers and having a dog while watching some baseball. Because I am not a Dodger fan, and Anaheim is way too far away, I dont usually make it out to the games I want to see. The Twins play out in California at least once a year, and there is always a reason we cant go. This year, despite the fact that my wife is bursting at the seams, she insisted that we see the Twins and her "boyfriend" Justin Morneau.

Due my wife's prodding, we bought cheap tickets on eBay, and tonight is the night we go. Of course, I missed the game where both Mauer and Morneau went deep, but Im sure it will be fun regardless. I wish we would get to see Kevin Slowey instead of Carl Pavano pitch for the Twins, but a least we get to see them. I wanted to buy one of the awesome new away jerseys for the game, but I figured that making a clothes investment like that when I am expected to lose a ton of weight, isnt really the best idea.

Either way, we will both be there in our Twins garb, cheering on our boys to an eventual 12-2 loss. We will be THOSE fans, the ones you hate seeing cheer for the other team, but at least we arent too loud. Im just hoping to see a good game, and a Twins win would definitely be icing on the cake. After last night, Im a little worried they blew their load the night before we decided to go, and all that is left is a sacrifice fly and two bloop singles. Hopefully the ass-bats werent packed for the trip and it wont be a game laden with Twins fails. Hopefully.

Baseball Brings Hope To The Weary

I have said every year that I have two religious holidays that I celebrate. First is the opening Sunday of the NFL season, and the second is obviously Opening Day for MLB. This year the Twins are playing in LA, so I have the privilege of watching the first four games on TV here. I will also be venturing towards the land of Mickey on Wednesday to see the game, which means that all is well in the world of Gellman. Funny enough, though my wife is VERY pregnant, she was the one who wanted to go more than anyone.

Other than that, Im glad there are a slew of games today, and I have the opportunity to watch each and every one on demand, thanks to my purchase of 1 month of MLB TV. See, this is the part of the season when I am so interested in baseball that I would sit and watch any game that is on. The feeling quickly wears off about 50 games in, where I switch modes to paying attention to only the Twins. I have the feeling that this particular season will try my patience with the Twinkies, especially after the Target Field new car smell wears off. This is the first season in a long time where pitching is the hole rather than hitting, and everyone knows that pitching is always more important. There are also teams like Detroit who made as many moves as the Twins, slating them atop many lists as a contender for the AL Central Crown. However, with good improvements made to the infield due to the signing of Orlando Hudson and JJ Hardy, as well as Jim Thome to fill the ever fluctuating DH slot on occasion, I still think the Twins have a good shot at a run into the post season.

I still think its kind of odd that despite my lack of interest in baseball cards and most things baseball that come extra, I still pay very close attention to what is going on for most of the season. I follow the stats more than anything, and I get awfully heated when the all star rosters and season ending awards come around. I hate undue recognition in Baseball, mainly because of the outdated stats used to determine success. With last year's awards being the first in a long time to pick the right players, I felt somewhat vindicated in my hulabaloo. This year, I hope the trend continues as dumb ass sports writers move away from stats like Wins for Pitchers and RBIs for Batters. Baseball has long shown that the good players excel at getting on base and hitting for both average and power over knocking in runs, and that Wins are about as meaningless of a stat as Holds or something similar. I can see that maybe people like Joe Morgan, Woody Paige and Mike Celezic are finally becoming part of a growing minority now that Sabremetrics are finally making their way to the top of player measurements.

Lastly, because Baseball is here, we know that nice weather isnt far behind. Baseball is a constant in our lives and I expect it to be for as long as I am around. It’s a long, long, long season and its tough to not get caught up in early hype and small sample size success. At this point I don’t care, as its obvious that the Yankees are slated for 162 losses if they continue on their current pace. Hopefully this statement turns out to be true as the season moves on, but right now, everyone is in first place, and everyone has the shot at being world champs. I cant help but wonder who will rise to the challenge this year, and Im praying to the baseball gods that my Twins will be the ones to raise the trophy when all is said and done.

Mauer Signs and I Am Very Happy

I have seriously been watching the Twins' MLB webpage and MLB Trade Rumors like a hawk these past few weeks, and I am very glad to see that Mauer has finally jumped on board for a good part of the rest of his career. His contract may be the fourth biggest of all time, but I believe it was a move that Minnesota could not have done without. Im not just talking about the Twins, but Minnesota in general.

See, in Minnesota, Mauer is like Jesus. If he were to have signed elsewhere come next spring, there may have been a riot. On my end of things, if he came back in pinstripes or in a Sox jersey, I probably would have cried. In that, I dont think I would be alone. He is the hometown boy, and could turn out to be the best catcher in MLB history, so why not throw money at him like we were the Yankees?

A lot of people are questioning the money spent on him as a limitation from signing other players in the future. To that I ask about whether or not we are watching the same team. I mean, I dont think I have ever seen the Twins sign a guy that wasnt on the downside of the downslope of their career, and many of the pieces of their team nucleus are signed long term. Although it will be tougher to afford to resign guys like Morneau in 2013, I would think that the new stadium should help to make the Twins into a larger market team.

Regardless of how the deal looks, I believe Mauer is worth every penny, and funny enough, so do all the people who have driven up his card prices. I own close to 40 different Mauer autographs, including some incredibly rare ones, and I couldnt be happier that his 2002 Chrome auto is selling at close to 300 raw. I bought mine for about a hundred bucks, and its pretty crazy to think that it has almost tripled in true value. Even his weird, common autos are selling through the roof, and that is nuts! If he has a good year this year, again, who knows where the peak will be. Considering I also have a signed game model bat authenticated by MLB, I may be sitting on a gold mine - that is - if I were ever going to dump his stuff.

Realistically, Mauer probably wont play at the level of A-Rod or Pujols, despite his contract reflecting that level of talent. However, I do think this is good for small-market baseball, and definitely good for Minnesota. Hell, if Mauer did end up as a fucking Yankee, I may have had to put my eternal hatred of them on hold for awhile. That would be bad.

Mauer Wins 2009 MVP and I Am At Peace

Rant avoided. Thank god.

The votes are in and Joe Mauer is the 2009 AL MVP. I cannot express how happy that makes me, as Mauer is my favorite player and definitely gives new meaning to small market success. Morneau may have won in 2006, but he didn’t really deserve it over some of the other players, whereas Mauer's season was definitely MVP worthy and then some.

I remember when Kirby Puckett had his run in Minnesota, and I loved every game he played. I got to experience game 6 of the 1991 world series, and at that point, Puckett was like a god. Mauer has reached that level of fandom for me, even though he has yet to win a ring. Now that this battle against the Yankees is over, hopefully the Twins will pull their heads out of their asses and prevent battle number 2.

Regardless of what is to come after 2010, congrats to the most valuable AL player this year.

Here is further commentary of mine on Mauer's remarkable season over at the UD Blog.

AL MVP Announcement Coming at 1:30 ET

All I have to say is that Mauer had better win. Its not even a contest. However, because he is going up against two Yankees, its always a contest. Although Jeter and Texiera had good seasons, they werent at the level of Mauer, who had arguably the best season in MLB history for a catcher. He did it all while missing a month due to a debilitating injury, and still came back to lead his injury laden team to the playoffs. Jeter was behind 8 other players on his team in some categories, and Texiera was just HRs and RBIs on an All Star team. If Mauer had as many runners on base to play with like Texiera, you would bet he would have had massive numbers.

Stay tuned for an EPIC rant if Mauer is snubbed for the second year in a row.

Two Amazing Games In Two Days

What a high I am living right now, my Twins beat the Tigers in one of the best games in the team's history, and the Vikings go and beat the crap out of Aaron Rodgers and the Packers (literally). Its the first time in a long time that its a great week to be a Minnesota sports fan.

Granted, the Twins are going to go to New York and get destroyed like the Death Star, but this win was good enough to validate their improbable ascension to division champs after losing Morneau and half their pitching staff. It sure helps that the Tigers had an epic collapse, but it was still a great victory none-the-less.

Photo Credit to AP

My main man Joe Mauer also should have secured himself the MVP, as if he didnt deserve it already. To the idiotic writers, the stats he put up would only have been enough if the team had made the playoffs, and now it looks like his resume is complete. That makes me very happy, as he is more

deserving than anyone in the AL, no question.

Photo Credit to UD Blog

As for Favre and the Packers game, I couldnt be happier for both him and for my favorite cattle roper Jared Allen. They did an amazing job putting up points against a good Packer defense, and it was awesome to see Aaron Rodgers get the shit kicked out of him on the other end of the ball. Yeah, yeah, I know it wont last, but it was nice regardless. The true test will be against Baltimore in 2 weeks, with one of the best defenses in the league, as well as a good offense with Flacco, Mason and company.

It was also sweet to see Sidney Rice have another great game, and I dont think much will be made of it, which is unfortunate. Rice had a great TD catch as well as two possible game saving onside kick recoveries, which definitely contributed to the win. Favre and Allen got the spotlight, but Rice deserves some of it.

Peterson, surprisingly had a mediocre game, mainly due to the Packers loading up the box. Of course, they paid for it, but it was discouraging to see him play just okay. The big play was the strip for a TD, and its scary to think that he has the most fumbles of any back in the last 2 years. That is not a good thing.

Lastly, I dont think I can watch another monday night ESPN game as long as Favre is playing. Gruden had crawled so far up Favre's ass that he may as well try and get a couch in there with some direct TV. Its fucking brutal.

Here's to another great Minnesota sports week, hopefully the high will continue.

The Twins' Date With Destiny

As the season wrapped up last year, I was not excited about playing a 1 game playoff against the White Sox in Chicago. Not a good place to be, especially coming off a horrible series against the Royals. They ended up losing 1-0 on a Thome home run, and ended up watching the playoffs from their couches instead of the dugout. This year, its a little different, as the playoff will be played in the dome, and they will have a rookie pitcher to hit off to add to it.

Aside from being happy that the Twins have even made it this far with the team as beat up as it is, their success has been even more of a testament as to Mauer's place as the 2009 AL MVP. The Twins lose Morneau, and Mauer continues at a torrid pace to help his team into a tie on the last day of the season with NO pitching what-so-ever. If Mauer doesnt win, you may see him actually raise his voice for the first time in his life. He has had one of the best seasons in MLB history, and to not end up with the hardware is criminal.

Either way, the Twins do have a much better shot at Winning this year, especially with Baker on the mound and a day off to get themselves together. Funny enough, the Tigers are having problems getting hotel rooms because of Monday Night Football, so maybe that will play into the Twins' improbable playoff run.

Ill be the first to admit, the Twins should NOT be in this position, and they will NOT go far into the playoffs, especially with the Yankees waiting for the winners in New York. But to see Detroit slip the way they have and to see the Twins turn it on, you can bet your ass that they are not going down without a fight.

The game starts at 3 pm PST, so I probably wont even be able to watch it all thanks to a few meetings I have on tuesday, but I will not hesitate to drive 80 down the 405 to make it as soon after the start as I can. Im actually thinking of concealing a radio in my suit, especially if things start out well for the Twins.

Regardless of the outcome, im sure all the Minnesota fans out there are happy to see the dome leave our baseball consciousness for good. After reading that Torii Hunter set himself on fire on a dive for a fly ball, I think its safe to say that outdoor baseball is where its at. That, and when the seats face the opposite outfield instead of the pitchers' mound, I will be happy that my neck wont be sore during a game ever again.

Im hoping that Mauer does amazing on tuesday and shows the idiotic voters who is boss, all on the way to a Twins victory. Although this will probably be the last win for them this year, it was a treat to see them make it this far.

Now, where is my Homer Hanky?

This Had Better Not Be The Case

Last night I was driving home from work, listening to some of the dumbassery on fox sports radio. They were fawning over Derek Jeter's latest accomplishment, as well as congratulating him for curing three sick yankee fans of swine flu by winking at them. I was about to change the channel, as I always do with any Yankee news, when they said the dumbest thing I have ever heard out of the mouth of anyone about baseball. They said that this is Derek Jeter's year to win MVP because he will have broken Lou Gherig's yankee hit record. I actually had to swerve out of the oncoming lane because I was rendered momentarily retarded by the stupidity of that idea.

Now, Jeter has had a good season, but there are at least five other people who legitimately deserve to win the award more than him. Yet, aside from all semblence of rational thought, the people on the radio thought he should win as more of a lifetime acheivement award, and for breaking a TEAM record that has no bearing outside of the pinstripes.

Even more scary of a thought, I could actually see people jumping on with this idea. In fact, after Buster Olney's ridiculous fluff piece on what Jeter is all about, it could become gospel. No matter that someone like Joe Mauer has put together the best season that baseball has seen from someone not named A-Rod or Pujols in a long, long time.

Take a look for yourself. Its black and white to me that when you destroy every stat category in the league, as Mauer has, he should be MVP. Bottom line. For the American League, Mauer is at the top of every relevant stat, all while playing the most physically demanding position. When was the last time a Catcher did what he is doing this year? Oh, right, last year for the same fucking guy.

Sadly, because he plays in Minnesota, and because the MVP award has become more about which team makes the playoffs, Joe could be on the outside looking in AGAIN. Thats how stupid some of these voters really are. Its not about your individual production anymore, its about every other player on that 40 man roster too. I wonder what would have been the case if Mauer was playing with Texiera, Rodriguez, and company. What if Mauer's TEAM actually had a pitching staff without injuries that won 9 more games this year? Is he MVP then? See, thats the craziness of this whole thing, even with a pitching staff that is in shambles, Mauer has kept them afloat.

If it is truly about wins, as of today, Joe has factored into more wins for his team than any other player per his Win Share stats on Baseball Prospectus. Funny enough, if not for Mauer, the Twins may very well be in the cellar of the division. He leads the American League by a ton in VORP, EqA, AVG, OBP, OPS, SLG%, everything. Unlike Jeter, he actually deserves this award for this monster season. Then you can add in that he has done all he has this year while missing the first month due to a painful injury, and you have a great case.

I would even go so far as to say that Jeter wouldnt want the MVP just for being there. Then again, I have ZERO confidence anymore in anyone who has a pick in this crap. As long as people like Woody Paige and his idiot bretheren have a say, true MVPs like Mauer may have to deal with the disappointment.

The Thrill Of The Chase

Over the last year, I have been wanting a certain Joe Mauer card that could not have been tougher to find. Since I had been looking for it, the card had only come up for auction twice. It didnt go for a whole lot of money last time, but this time I knew things had changed. Being in the midst of the best season of his career, Mauer's cards have gone fucking nuts. In the last auction, the card went for about 40 bucks, and I was quite anxious in waiting for this one to end.

The other issue that I have been contemplating is the locations of the auctions. Both times they have been in Taiwan, which prevented me from buying the first time around. In my mind, Taiwan is the land where crazy, crazy shit happens when it comes to cards. The comfort is that this time, the seller has 100% feedback, and I have some money from some stuff I returned at the mall today. Good for me to take a chance on it.

As the auction wound down earlier tonight, my hopes pf landing this whale started to slip away. Fifty dollars, sixty dollars, seventy dollars all came and went in the final hours. Since my budget was a c-note, I started sweating bullets about how much this could end for. When the final seconds ticked away, I entered my bid and won my prize by 1 cent. Yes, it came down to a penny, Im completely serious.

Despite the huge win, the water isnt calm quite yet.

First, I wont feel comfortable with someone shipping from Taiwan until I have the card in my hands. To help qualm any fear I have over the package, I will be videotaping the opening after I saw that one vid of the destroyed empty package on Youtube. I know I am generalizing about a seemingly harmless seller, but I cant be too careful with this much money on the line.

Secondly, the patch is pretty nice, which makes me question whether this card is truly "real." I do have comfort in some of the other cards that I have seen from this product, but these days you never know. Thank you to the douchebag patch fakers for that paranoia. With things the way they are, I could easily get the card and see it split down the side. That would make me more angry than you could imagine, though it is highly unlikely to happen.

Lastly, the sig is seemingly quite faded on this card, meaning it may be hazardous to display in a room that gets a little sunlight. Maybe its just the large scan, but I am very worried that I might be getting a poor example of this card. Worse come to worse, I could always re-sell. Yet, as a player collector with a chance to pick up a REALLY nice piece, I cant help the happiness over my find. I guess this is the plight of someone like me.

Now what am I going to chase?

BA-WHA? Mauer In the Home Run Derby??

Per MLB.com, Mauer is going to be one of the AL's representatives for this year's home run derby. Personally, I think any extra screen time for Mauer is a plus, especially for all the stuff I have from him. I know he isnt going to be Josh Hamilton, but he could do pretty well with a swing "as pure as the morning dew."

Either way, the derby is a fun spectacle to watch, and it should be fun to cheer on the second Twin to participate in the derby in the last few years. Morneau beat out a gassed Hamilton last year, despite the showing put on by everyone's new favorite player, so I assume that stamina is the biggest part of success in the derby. Who knows.

I guess the only thing this could do would be to help Mauer's stock, and thats always a good thing.

Joe Mauer: MC Minnesota Bats?

Usually I hate reading about baseball through ESPN or whatever magazine there is, unless its through Baseball Prospectus. Usually pieces are written for entertainment purposes and contain nothing but useless stats and ugly conjectures about what is actually happening. Over at yahoo, Jeff Passan is the worst of the worst in some cases. In fact, his cliches are so bad, I have to keep a bucket by my keyboard to catch stray puke particles.

Today is just as bad as ever, especially with his ridiculous article about Joe Mauer, sports god. He talks for a good 1000 words about how Mauer is good at bowling, golf, and well, pretty much everything. He even goes as far as saying his swing is "as pure as morning dew."

Are you kidding? This guy is the face of yahoo baseball?

Either way, Mauer is having a great season, leading the league in pretty much every stat that actually does matter. Feel free to check Baseball Prospectus for me on that one, im not smart enough on Sabremetrics to write about it. Then again, Passan doesnt focus on that, he focuses on Mauer's rapping ability, even to the point of asking Kevin Slowey if Mauer is a good dancer. You know what? I dont fucking care, and Passan needs to be a little more selective on his story subjects. I mean, when was the last time a Catcher, coming off one of a bad off season, comes back a month into the season and does what Mauer has done? I think his EqA speaks for itself, as well as his win share percentage. DJ Jazzy Joe is ridiculous, and not because he can rhyme like fiddy cent.

Who's glad he bought a ton of Mauer stuff when it was cheap?

*Raises Hand*

If I Had A Million Dollars...

If you look around eBay, there are probably things you wish you had added every minute of every day. Well, what would you do if you had all the money to spend, and nothing else to spend it on? Personally, if I had a lot of disposable income, cards would be the last thing I would buy, but if I couldnt buy anything else, I would have a few things to buy. Here are some (in no particular order):

2007 Adrian Peterson Exquisite Gold RC Patch Auto (3 Color)

If you have a favorite player, you need their Exquisite RC Patch Auto if they have one. If they dont have one, you need some sort of Exquisite auto. Its a status symbol, just like a Caddy. For me, thats pretty tough because I dont have 1500 to drop on one /99, let alone the gold parallel.

1997 Walter Payton UD Legends Auto

This card is from the set of sets, and it is the one player that everyone wants. It has a great design, a great picture, and its on card. It could be the best auto set in the history of the football industry. Eventhough it was recently redone in 2008 Ultimate, this particular card will always be the best of them all. I want one.

2001 Topps Archives Johnny Unitas Auto

Johnny Unitas' RC card is one of the most Iconic cards in the hobby. Everyone has the two tone card in their minds everytime they see a top 10. In 2001, Topps put out a set that had on card autos of many of these cards, and I would love to have the Johnny U. I wish that companies would do this more often, go back and have some of the most recognizable cards signed on reprints, especially now that retro sets are so popular.

2003-04 Lebron James Exquisite RC Patch Auto

If there were any basketball card I would want, it would be this one. I think when things are all said and done, LeBron will have every record in the book, be recognized on the same level as Jordan, and this card will be the card of his to have. Right now it tops out at a few thousand, but that should go up a bit when, not if, he wins his first championship. Being a small print run, you can imagine that there arent many chances to own one at a reasonable price now, but as part of the beginning of super high end, it will always be recognizable.

1986 Fleer Michael Jordan RC

This is probably the most iconic basketball card ever. I dont need to say much else on why I want this card in my collection somehow.

2000 Playoff Contenders Tom Brady RC Auto

No matter how much you hate him, Brady is one of the best QBs ever to play on the gridiron. It also just so happens that he came in at the beginning of the auto era of football cards. Granted, he is the reason you get undrafted free agent signatures in those products, but it doesnt make this card any less desirable for me.

1998 Playoff Contenders Peyton Manning RC Auto

Manning has already established his place in history, and this card is his best. It was released during a time where autos were still more rare, and to pull a Manning was the pinnacle of one's existance as a box buster. I am a Peyton Manning fan, if not only for his mastercard commercials and his SNL hillarity. Too bad this card costs so much, otherwise I would have already invested.

2006 Reggie Bush Exquisite RC Patch Auto

Holy fuck, I can still remember all the Reggie Bush hype in 2006. It was a machine, and this card rode it all the way to the bank. Now, it has dropped considerably as Bush's career has not lived up to the hype, but it would still be fun to have.

1994 Mickey Mantle/Ken Griffey Upper Deck Dual Auto

I think this may be the first dual signed card ever, but regardless, its one that every baseball fan should appreciate. The painted card has always impressed me, and to have it signed by two of the greatest players in baseball history is worth the chase to get one. 15 years later and its still one of the most sought after UD cards.

2005 Babe Ruth Absolute Memorabilia Jumbo Jersey

I just spoke of the Ruth effect, and this is a prime example of what happens when people flip their shit over the Bambino. However, unlike most cards, I like the way this one looks, especially with the giant fucking swatch that happens to be a part of the card.

2001 Joe Mauer Bowman Chrome Gold Refractor Auto

Mauer is my favorite baseball player, and its only fitting that we end with him. The gold refractors were the hottest RC auto back in 2001, and Mauer was the most expensive at the time. The highly graded ones still go for a ton, and so far, I have only been able to get the regular auto. This card would be a great centerpiece to my Mauer collection.

There are definitely more cards that I have wanted to have over the years, but these ones are at the top of my list right now. I know I didnt mention the 52 Mantle, or even the Wagner, but really, those cards are not of interest to me. So, which ones are on your list?

Testing The Waters...

A few days ago I posted about Joe Mauer and his recent explosion, and how I didnt want to sell any of my prized possessions just because he was hot at the moment. Well, I found two cards that I coundnt give two shits about, that are actually worth quite a bit from recent auction sales, so I thought I would give it a try.

The first, a 2006 Triple Threads Auto /18, I bought in 2006 for 18 dollars as part of a bigger deal. Triple Turds never really struck me quite right, and back in 2006 I never really knew the full extent of its sucktitude. Hell, this card is numbered to 18. Who fucking numbers a card to 18? Either way, its over the amount I paid for it, so hopefully that will continue to rise. Put a few bids in on my behalf, huh? I write for you, now you help me out...

...kidding, please dont.

Second is a 2004 Ultimate Collection jersey auto out of 50. These were actually pretty tough pulls in 2004, and I bought it a 40 bucks a few years ago. There is another card from the same set at 50 bucks already, so ill see what happens with this one.

Let me reinterate that I dont care what happens with either of these cards, they are both ugly beyond hell's deepest caverns, and really have no value to me anymore. I paid a total of 58 dollars for both, lets see what they end up at. Im hoping that they reach at least 58 so I can save up for the coming storm of Harvin stuff, or any number of Petersons I dont have from previous years. Hell, I might even hold the money for that Mauer Artifacts Patch Auto /10 that never surfaces.

A Comment On Extreme Price Jumps

Over the last few weeks, Joe Mauer has been the best hitter on the Twins and possibly in the league, after returning from his injured back. I never really expected to see Joe have a good season, but when you are batting over .400, you have ECLIPSED your homerun total from last year, and have played brilliantly behind the plate, it requires some sort of attaboy from me and others around the league. What's even better is that Morneau is having just as great of a season so far as well, more than I ever expected to see from him. Hitting behind Mauer helps quite a bit, but I will give credit when credit is due, these guys are having cloverfield sized seasons this early.

That’s not the issue I have, however. My biggest thing is now Mauer's cards are so fucking expensive that I cant afford them anymore. As recent as two months ago, you could get his cards for close to nothing, and I did. Now, the cards are triple what I was used to paying for them, and I am quickly being priced out of the market. So, what do I do now? I have so much Mauer stuff that I could easily sell for a small fortune, but as a die-hard fan, I don’t think I could do it! My bat I got last year is going for over 300 in regular auctions, and my Bowman RC Auto is back over $100 for the first time in a while. For the first time since Peterson's 296 yard record game, I am in a prospector's dream position - I bought low and can sell high, but should I?

If it were any other player but my favorite, the stuff would be on eBay as we speak. My two baseballs, my bat, my mini helmet, my 40 auto cards, everything. However, I did not buy this stuff to sell it. I bought it for my own enjoyment, so that’s where it will stay. My advice to the rest of you who may find yourself in this position one day is to really determine what the stuff means to you. If you have something you could live without, sell it. If you cant, then don’t, pretty simple stuff. That’s the rules I live by, and I encourage you to take advantage of good prices when you can/want to.

There is still another pressing question, one that I may not have the answer to. When, during an epic price run, should you sell? You don’t want to hold it for too long until the player cools off and you miss your chance, but you also don’t want to sell too early and miss out on higher prices still. I have always had a rule in gambling, and I think it should factor in here as well, because prospecting a price of a card is like gambling in this industry. If I ever sit down at a Black Jack table or something similar, I will never risk anything past doubling my money, the odds are never in your favor that you will do much better than that. So why not just take the money and run? Sure, you could win more, but its more likely that you will lose everything back. With cards, I would never hold something longer than a 75% rise in value (100 rising to 175 dollars and such) unless there is an extenuating circumstance like I have with Mauer and Peterson. In football, do it as soon as possible, maybe even at 50% or less because the season is shorter and injuries are more likely.

Listen, when you have a bird in hand, don’t wait for it to become the two birds in the bush. Just take it, risk is never good in a hobby like this one, especially with the economy where it is. Why even take the chance if its something you are willing to dump? 99% of the time, you will be able to rebuy what you sell at a lower price. Then again, with a hobby also full of wax breakers who risk hundreds weekly, its not surprising to see someone try to hold something for value. Remember, and I have said this a million times, cards are not and never will be a good investment.

With Mauer, I am going to stay put, the stuff I have is too important to me, and most of it is personally obtained. I would say the same stuff about my AD collection, though the rest I would sell in a second if the price jumped. There is no reason for me to think any other way as Tom Brady and Albert Pujols were once in a lifetime opportunities, and I am not disturbed by the fact that I missed out on both.

Mauer Is Back, Twins Watchable Again

Yes, Mauer is back, no pun intended, after spending exactly 1 month on the shelf. I cant tell you how happy I am, as finally the Twins are actually watchable again. I love Justin Morneau, dont get me wrong, but for some reason, watching one without the other just doesnt seem right. 

Actually Mauer couldnt have come back at a better time, as the Twins are in the midst of a division series against the near first place Royals. Whoa, hold on, pick your jaw up off the floor, yes the Royals dont suck anymore - yet. 

You know what the great thing is? First at bat: GONE. Yeah, he takes a pitch the other way into the seats, making me feel okay in his returning clout. Mauer goes away with the pitches more than any hitter I have watched on a regular basis, enough to actually give the teams nightmares in their outfield shading. To see him back to business the first time he steps up to the plate makes me a little warm and fuzzy inside.

As of now, Mauer has had 6 hits in his first 8 ABs, and thats gotta make your week. I am hoping this continues.

Get Ready To Sock Some Dingers

Its that time of year again, my friends, that time of year when the sky is usually blue enough that it hurts your eyes to look at, the time of the year when the titans of the game take off the training wheels and let 'er rip. Finally, its opening day. Finally.

This year, its been tough to get excited with Mauer on the shelf for up to a month, and the Twins hurting in general, but everything always seems to work itself out. In fact, Mauer is far from the biggest name on the DL, as Rodriguez is out for a few weeks and Hamels is also out for a few weeks. Everyone is still recouperating from the WBC, and the fans are putting on their winter jackets to sit through the early games in the cold weather cities. Its still a wonderful time of the year.

To me, Football is obviously the bigger sport, and much more of delicacy considering the lack of games, but that doesn’t take all the excitement out of the boys of summer. I will say this, I did not re-purchase the baseball package this year, and I think that is a pretty good idea. You get to that middle part of the season where teams are on autopilot and you just get bored. At least I did last year. It becomes another job to get home and watch the games you paid for.

As for the hobby, I havent bought a box of baseball cards for myself in a long time, and Prime Cuts was really the only set I saw that was worth my time. I bought a box of threads with money I had won or gotten as a gift, so it really wasn’t the same as risking my shit for a box of cards that wasn’t going to produce. Baseball has become even more of a first world collector's sport because there just isnt anything worth spending 200 bucks on for a box these days. Triple Threads is a disgusting excuse for a product, and Topps Sterling is even worse. I cant justify spending 200 bucks on a five hit box, let alone 250 on a 1 hit box or a 1 auto box, when the majority of the autos are worth less than 10 bucks on ebay.

Baseball should have a good season this year, though, as most of us are looking for another team to recreate the Tampa Bay miracle. Last year showed that payroll means nothing, and Baseball needed that. It didn’t stop the Spankees from spending a small country on Captain Cheeseburger and Mark Texiera, and if you were looking at how much was being thrown around, you would wonder what the hell people were talking about when they mentioned the bad economy.

Either way, today should have been a holiday, and it should be your top priority to get out to a park this week to enjoy the nice or shitty weather for playing Baseball. Im going to try to make an Angels game, but work sucks about that, so it may not be possible.

So, umm, PLAY BALL!

Blog Bat Around: My Goofy Superfan Moment With My Favorite Player

During the summer of my senior year in college, I got some great info while listening to the radio in my car going to work. The announcer for KFAN, the sports talk station, announced that they would be sponsoring a signing of Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau on the Saturday before I went back to Washington. It was going to be at a Best Buy, one that was a reasonable distance from my house, but I was determined to get there.

I arrived at work with a huge grin on my face, hoping that the schedule would be forgiving enough that I could make the signing. I knew I would need an hour to get to the Best Buy, a few hours to beat the throngs of fans that would be showing up, and twenty minutes to go home and change. Luckily, I was not working until the evening shift, which gave me two hours after the signing to get there without a problem. Clutch, right?

According to my plans, I needed to get two baseballs for them to sign, and maybe a few cards that I didn’t mind ruining if they got screwed up. After work, I went to target and went straight to the sporting goods section, only to find that the official balls cost 15 bucks a piece. I dug in my pocket and pulled out the tips from the night before, praying that I would have enough for the balls and some tax. As I counted the ones, I came to a total of 36 bucks, plus money for gas. It couldn’t be any more key, at least not to me!

The day arrived and I could not even stay focused enough to pack my stuff that I needed for the long drive we would be taking the next weekend. I actually showed up about four hours before I needed to be there, just to make sure I had a good spot in line for the signing. I was number 5 in the line, and little did I know how important that would be later. After buying a lawn chair at target to chill in, I started talking with the other people in line. It was awesome to see the stuff they had brought. One guy had a complete set of the Twins Medallions, mounted, framed, and signed by every player and manager except for Mauer and Morneau. Another guy had some framed lithographs that looked absolutely amazing, and I wished that I had something similar. A lot of people came with the mini batting helmets, which I thought were awesome. Me? I just had my balls and a few cards. I knew it would be one auto per person, and I collect the signed baseballs. That’s what I came for. I figured Id have another chance at Twinsfest for the fun stuff.

As the hours past, we talked about collecting and the evil shops from around the Minneapolis area, just having a whole afternoon of talking about the Twins and their future. Around 4, they let us into the store through a back entrance (we were waiting outside), and I finally saw the magnitude of how many people showed up. The parking lot was jammed, filled with about 700-800 people all circling this Best Buy. It was a sea of people, and more showed up every minute.

I was still number five in line, and they brought us in to stand next to the podium and stage they had set up. After about ten minutes, we heard cheers coming from the back, which we knew were Joe and Justin coming into the store. They had a security escort through the back of the store, but you could tell they were just there to have fun. Justin asked me how long I had been waiting, and I said that I had been there since before noon. He thanked me for the support, shook my hand, and went to go sit down at his spot. I had brought along a blue ball point, but I saw that they had hundreds of pens on the table. I didn’t take any chances, so I had mine at the ready.

Joe was first and I put the ball, as instructed on the table for him to sign. He was signing on the sweet spot for the guy before me, so I was going to nicely ask for the same. I wasn’t going to sell the ball, but for display purposes, I needed a sweet spot sig for my collection. Before I had the chance to say anything, he picked up the ball and signed the loop, much to my surprise. My mouth kind of dropped open with a partial word, and he realized that I wanted something different. He said, "Oh, dude, im really sorry, I thought Justin AND I were going to sign this one." I (very nicely, considering my shock) said, "No, its cool, my fault, can you please sign it again on the sweet spot?" He laughed and sort of gave me the 'you sure about this?' look before doing it. He signed again, and we both laughed pretty hard. He hit Justin on the shoulder and showed him the ball, and the Justin laughed.

I handed Justin a fresh ball, and he said, "should I do this one three times?" but I just laughed and said that he should sign the sweet spot. He chuckled and happily obliged. He thanked me again for waiting in line, and I started to leave. Joe shouted that he was sorry again, and I gave him a signal that it was cool with me. I mean, how often do you have a story like that? I still have both the balls, and I still tell the story to the people who come over and see my display. They always laugh about it with me, because they know it was all a part of the chase.

Funny enough, I went to Twinsfest that year with my then girlfriend (now wife), who was madly in love with Justin. Mauer and him were signing together again, and I couldn’t resist the temptation to get more stuff signed. She had a few balls with her, and I advised her that she needs to TELL Joe to sign on the sweet spot, because otherwise it will end up like my other one. As we approached she got kind of scared, but eventually lightened up. Justin signed her ball and picture, but she couldn’t bring herself to confess her love, thank god. She did just as I had told her with Joe, and he happily did what she said. Joe took one look at me and said, "Man, I promise I wont screw yours up this time!" Justin laughed, I laughed, and I told him I didn’t bring a ball this time, because I didn’t trust him. He laughed again, and signed my mini batting helmet perfectly.

You know, its these types of stories that makes me feel good about being a fan. You know that players who have a good time have the best fans, and you can count me among that bunch. Mauer and Morneau are my favorites, even though my wife said she would divorce me to marry Justin.

2008 Minnesota Twins Prediction Preview

Well, the 2009 baseball season is upon us, and there is around a month until opening day. I always love the beginning of the season, just like I do with the NFL kickoff, because everyone is starting with a clean slate. I think this year will be a VERY entertaining year, as there are a lot of old faces in new places, as well as some teams coming back that are hungry for a repeat of 2008.

Of course, the most important team for me is the Twins, who have taken a few chances during the off season on some free agents that may net them some improvement over 2008. I think they have as much of a chance to win the division as they did at the beginning of last year, but this time things are a bit different. First off, everyone is a year older, and that will be huge for the Twins' young rotation and outfield corps. They are one of the youngest teams in those respects and I think the years worth of experience will prove to be important. The other thing that will be intrinsic to the Twins success or failure is the other teams in the division, as the Royals and Indians both got somewhat better, and the Tigers only need to put it together to be a perennial contender. Last year the Tigers epically fell apart, and ended up in a race for second to last with the Royals. I doubt it will be the same this year, but the Tigers are on the losing end of age with both Sheffield, Ordonez, and a few others decending down the peak of their careers in my opinion. Although, with Granderson and Cabrera, they have a young core that could make them the team to beat in the central. Add Verlander, who is coming off an awful 2008 campaign, and you could be more than just division champs. Of course, that is all if they can convert their talent on paper to success in the win column.

The Twins nucleus is the same as last year with a new face peppered here and there in the line up. I expect that if they perform at the same level they did last year, we can probably be near or at the top of the central.

Joe Mauer

Mr. Mauer is my favorite player as I have well documented on this site, and I will say that he should have been the MVP last year. I don’t have a talent for Sabremetrics, but it has been shown on numerous sites, that his season should have been the one. Of course, because baseball writers are about as smart and connected as Beckett is to the card industry, Pedroia got the nod.
This year should be a little different as off season kidney surgery has the Twins taking it slow this spring with Joe. This means he will have to work on his timing and swing as he can, but it probably wont develop until a week or two into the season at best. Joe is one of the most competitive guys on the team, which means he will work harder than anyone to come back strong, but that can only offer so much.

My prediction: .310 avg, 70 rbi, 10 HR - yes I know that this is a prediction for the last things you can use to measure a player, but as said before, if I could use sabres more to my advantage I would. Plus, these stats are more universal and people will get a better measure of my prediction.

Justin Morneau

Morneau had his third amazing season in a row and finished second in the MVP voting. He has immesurable power and improved his hitting skills so that his OPS, his SLG % and all the stuff like that went up. Last year, I thought he would have a humungous year and I was good to have that inclination. The guy is a monster.

I expect that Morneau will be as good or better than he was last year because of his futher experience, and lack of any injuries coming in. I think he has a good shot at being at the top of the MVP voting again if the Twins have a good season, but who knows with them. Morneau has had horrible second halves for the last few years, and I hope he doesn’t tail off like he did before. That would doom us to another playoff-less season.

My prediction: .301 avg, 135 rbi, 35 HR

Fransisco Liriano

The F-bomb came back with a vengence last year after being sent down to the minors due to being sucky during the beginning of the season. I cant tell you how good that made me feel, especially when he looked like he wouldn’t ever be back like he was before his injury.

This year should be more of the same from last year, as I expect that with a few new pitches and a better arm, he should be back to his old self. He wont ever have that nasty slider that he used to, but he should manage with what he has.

My Prediction: 3.50 era, 150+ strikeouts, 1.1 WHIP - yes, I know, Wins and losses are not included here. Its because they suck as a stat. The others arent much better, but its better than fucking wins and losses.

The Rest of the Rotation

2008 was a great year for Scott Baker, Nick Blackburn, and Kevin Slowey. All are young guys who have really nasty stuff. The only thing is that they didn’t have the experience to make that nasty stuff work as it should for them. They went deep into counts and gave up a TON of HRs, and it was tough to watch them at times.

This year, I guarantee will be a different story. There is nothing more valuable to a pitcher than experience, and I think that with good coaching, they will be one of the better rotations out there in a year or two. Only time will tell if they can put some of those pieces together early so the Twins can have a chance.

Joe Crede

Crede spent most of 2008 dealing with his aching back. He hasn’t played a full injury free season since 2006. Despite those obvious deterrants, he is still an upgrade over last year, as long as he can stay in playing shape. He should have a good bat, and a great glove, but I don’t see him lasting the year. That means that Brian Buscher, Alexi Casilla and Brendan Harris will need to step up.

My Prediction: .275 avg, 48 rbi, 10 HR (115 games)

Overall, I think the Twins have a real shot if they can duplicate the things that made them successful in 2008. If they can improve in the field and even a little at the plate, they can be great. If they drop in any category, you can expect them near the bottom in the division.

My Prediction: 85-77, 2nd place.

David Versus A Goliath Of Assholes

Well, in about 2 hours, the Twins and White Sox will face off for the AL Central Division. I want the Twins to win, of course, but I have decided that I want the White Sox to lose more than that. What I mean is that I hate, hate, HATE, the White Sox, and I think it would be better for Baseball if they lost.

My reasoning is this: The Twins have the least amount of HRs in the AL and are more known for hitting for average, getting on base and running around. That is what makes a game fun to watch. They also have a pretty tiny payroll, and are not known for going out and buying a team. The White Sox are known for building/buying/trading for a team centered around players who hit .245 and socking 30 dingers. That sucks. Basically, if the Sox dont hit 3 home runs, they lose - and they have pretty much done that for the majority of the games. I dont think that is that fun to watch, as I would much rather see a three triple game, than a three home run game.

Of course this is coming from me, a person whose favorite player is Joe Mauer, the guy who hits .330 and 10 HRs a year with amazing, amazing defense. That is what I cherish in a player, the guy who doesnt need to swing for the fences to help his team win. He also is very close to the top in Win Shares, so I think he does help out more than people think. I also think he is one of the most well liked players around, which says a lot for the soft spoken catcher.

Funny shit from early may - who called this bitch?!? Thats right motherfuckers, ME.

Then we have Señor Bag O' Crap, AJ Pierzynski - the complete opposite of everything I just talked about. He plays dirty, he runs his mouth, and is pretty much the most hated player in the game. I hated him when he was a Twin, I hate him more now that he plays for Chicago. This is the guy that tried TWICE to injure Justin Morneau last year by stepping on his ankle running down the first base line on a routine ground out. Then again, we got three awesome players for him back in 2003 or whatever, so maybe I should be thankful he was a Twin. Funny enough, he was enough of a cancer in the clubhouse that they got rid of him, so San Fran basically gave up everything for nothing.

Guillen, although he gives the Twins credit for being as good as they are, sucks at life. He says awful things on a regular basis, and is more interested in being in the controversy spotlight than putting out a good lineup every day. I love seeing him lose, it warms my fuzzies like nothing else. He deserves nothing but shit from everyone, and I think even he knows that his managerial career is a joke now.

Guys, I know the White Sox will probably win, but thats fine, we exhausted them to a point where a deep playoff run is most likely not going to happen. The series sweep from last week was a bright point for the last five years, and it was nice to see Mauer win another batting title this year. For a team that was supposed to finish 4th, its cool to see them get this close.