The Sandlot was an awesome movie and is an awesome blog!

Joe, of the blog, The Sandlot, contacted me after reading one of my posts and initiated a trade. I got his half of the deal yesterday. He sent me two Brandon Webb cards that I needed (puts me at 163 different Webb cards) and a couple of multiple bat cards for my collection. Thanks Joe!

2005 Topps Rookie Cup Brandon Webb

2006 Upper Deck Brandon Webb

2000 Ultra Brad Fullmer - I actually already have this awesome multiple bat cards. It was one of the cards that inspired me to start collecting multiple bat cards

1999 Upper Deck Ron Gant - Ever since I have started my multiple bat collection I have been somewhat torn by which cards I should actually include. I think that I have decided that the player must actually have the bats in their hands for it to be included, so while this card does show multiple bats, it won't make my collection because Mr. Gant has them in a bag and is not holding them or carrying them in his hands.

What would $80 buy back in 1939?

Floyd Caves "Babe" Herman spent 13 years in the Major Leagues, 1926 - 1935 and 1945. He played for the Dodgers, Reds, Cubs, Pirates and Tigers. His best year was 1930, when he hit .393 with 35 homeruns and 130 RBI while playing for the Brooklyn Dodgers. I got this F.C. Herman check off eBay a few years ago and recently came accross it again. I have no idea what I paid for it. It's signed by F.C. Herman and is made out to the Glendale Sanitarium & Hospital for $80.00. The date on the check is 3-15-39. To me $80.00 in 1939 seems like a lot of money. I think it would be interesting to know what this check was for, was it for services rendered or maybe it was a donation? I guess I'll never know.

Multiple Bat Card - Eddie Mathews

I found this card the other day and happily added it to my Multiple Bats collection. This card makes 47. Only 3 more to reach my goal!

1998 Topps Hall of Fame Collection EDDIE MATHEWS

Contest over at no one's going to read this blog

There is a sweet contest over at no one's going to read this blog. All you have to do is share your favorite collecting memory and you have the chance at winning a 1/1 sketch card of your choice! Go check it out.

Trade with Steven - 2008 UD Masterpieces and Multiple Bat cards

Reader, Steven, contacted me after I posted my 2008 UD Masterpieces needs list. We arranged a trade and he knocked off 14 cards that I needed as I strive to complete the base set. He also included two cards of players holding multiple bats for my collection. Thanks Steven!

Here is a list of what I still need. If you can help me out and want to trade, let me know. Thanks!1,2,8,10,11,15,17,24,25,29,30,31,39,40,44,45,52,57,58,59,65,71,74,85,87

1998 Donruss DIMITRI YOUNG - 1991 Upper Deck MIKE LIEBERTHAL

Welcome Back and Thanks!

The ladies over at Dinged Corners celebrated their return to the blogging world by opening up a 2010 Allen & Ginter blaster and offering up the contents to the rest of the blogoshere. They asked for nothing in return, but I am going to keep an eye out for some David Wright cards to send there way as a thank you. Here are the two cards that I requested. Thanks ladies!

2010 Allen & Ginter TONY HAWK - Awesome card of an amazing athlete and a cool human being.

2010 Allen & Ginter MIGUEL MONTERO A&G Mini - The only D-Backs card that they pulled, but a sweet card of one of the few D-Backs players having a decent year, after returning from the DL.

My Cards for Clunkers Experience

Chris over at Nachos Grande offered up some Allen & Ginter relics as part of a Cards for Clunkers promotion he was having. After reading his post, I quickly compared his want/need list with cards that I had and made him an offer for a 2010 Allen & Ginter Mark Reynolds bat card. We arranged the trade and today I got the Reynolds bat card. Chris threw in a few D-Backs cards just because. Thanks Chris!

2010 Allen & Ginter Mark Reynolds Bat

His future was so bright...

he had to wear shades.

In May of 1984, Orel Hershiser, a young pitcher for the Dodgers in what would be his first full big league season, was called into manager Tommy Lasorda's office. On the way to his managers office Hershiser contemplated the reason for the meeting, speculating that he might get sent back down to the minors. According to Hershiser, this is what Lasorda told him. "I wanted to talk to you about your game, the use of your ability, your mental approach to pitching." Lasorda game him a specific example of a recent situation where Hershiser had not pitched well against Houston Astro Jose Cruz and Cruz ended up hitting a double, driving in two runs. Lasorda further told his young pitcher, "You don't believe in yourself! You're scared to pitch in the big leagues! Who do you think these hitters are, Babe Ruth? Ruth's dead! You've got good stuff. If you didn't, I wouldn't have brought you up. Quit be'in so careful! Go after the hitter! Get ahead in the count! Don't be so fine with him and then find yourself forced to lay one in!" Lasorda continued, "I've seen guys come and go, son, and you've got it! You gotta go out there and do it on the mound! Take charge! Make 'em hit your best stuff! Be aggressive. Be a bulldog out there. That's gonna be your new name: Bulldog." The nickname stuck. Hershiser would later write, "I still didn't like the nickname (I still don't), and I was still chagrined that anyone thought I needed it. But that day I became a big league pitcher."

Diamondbacks vs. Rockies

A co-worker, who knows I'm a big D-Backs fan, gave me tickets to the yesterdays Diamondbacks vs. Rockies game. This was the first of a 3 game series against the Rockies after being swept by the Cincinatti Reds at home. It didn't start off very good for the D-Backs. Ian Kennedy was all over the place and both he and catcher Miguel Montero made errors. Heading into the bottom of the 9th Arizona trailed Colorado 3-1. With 2 outs Miguel Montero hit a two run double to the right field corner that tied the game and then in the bottom of the 10th, Kelly Johnson hit a double that allowed Justin Uptin to score from 1st base and the Diamondbacks won 4-3. Go D-Backs!

The D-Backs celebrate by mobbing Kelly Johnson who drove in the winning run in the bottom of the 10th inning.

Cards from Chris

Chris, who contributes to several different blogs and is involved with baseballcardpedia.com (check out this site if you haven't already - great reference site and you can contribute - very cool), responded to one of my posts about a trade for a Brandon Webb card. He posted a link asking if I needed any of the Brandon Webb cards that he had. He had 7 Brandon Webb cards that I needed, so we quickly worked out a trade. This puts me at 160 different Brandon Webb cards. Thanks Chris!

2004 Finest Refractor

2008 Finest

2008 A Piece of History

2009 Goudey Heads Up

2008 Topps Heritage Ace Hurlers

2009 Topps 206 Bronze

2010 Topps Gold #'d 0497/2010

Prize from Play at the Plate - Allen & Ginter Blaster

Brian over at Play at the Plate offered up a blaster of 2010 Allen & Ginter as the prize for his August contest. I was the lucky winner and recieved my prize today. I usually open one pack right after another, but with this blaster I took my time and really enjoyed myself. I would open a pack and scan the cards and then open the next pack. I really had a great time opening this very generous prize. Thanks Brian!

Pack #1

First card out of the first pack - a smiling Vladmir Guerrero. Next up is a Chris Johnson Rookie Card. Followed by James Shields, who currently has an 11 and 11 record.

Chris Davis - I love the horezontal action shots in this years Allen & Ginter!

National Animals: Cheetah / Kenya - Does anyone else find it extremly fitting that the National Animal for Kenya is the Cheetah?

TDIH - Joey Votto

Pack #2

Ryan Kennelly - holds the world record for bench pressing 1,075 lbs. Wow! Jorge Posada - classic pose. Buster Posey Rookie Card - Sweet! And former D-Back pitcher Brad Penny, a short print.

Sig Hansen Mini - Sig is the Captain of the Northwestern, one of the ships on the tv show Deadliest Catch. - I've only seen a few episodes of Deadliest Catch, but what I've seen I liked. Cool card!

TDIH - Hunter Pence

Pack #3

Another former D-Back, Carlos Quentin. Chris Pettit Rookie Card. Former D-Back and former Seatlle Mariner for that matter, Eric Byrnes. Last I heard Byrnes was playing in a softball league, collecting a the rest of his $30 million dollars from the Diamondbacks. Padres pitcher Chris Young.

World's Biggest: General Sherman (Sequoia) - I wonder if Topps got it's info from Wikipedia. The picture on the front of the card is the same picture that is on Wikipedia and all of the information on the back can be found in the first paragraph.

TDIH - Chase Utley

Pack #4

Hoard & Rory, - former America's Got Talent semifinalists (I'll admit it, I enjoy watching America's Got Talent. Although I don't remember Hoard & Rory). Nyjer Morgan - rocking his hat slightly askew. Neil Walker Rookie Card. And another former D-Back, Troy Glaus - short print. Glaus is having a solid year with Atlanta.

Chris Coghlan A&G Mini

TDIH - CC Sabathia

Pack #5

Franklin Gutierrez - I wonder what he's thinking about?. Sig Hansen - full size version of the mini from pack #2. Matt Kemp with the ever popular bat behind the back pose, which just might turn out to be my next focus after I reach my cards with players holding multiple bats goal.

Nick Markakis - Topps should do a whole set of horizontal action shots like this one.

World's Wordsmiths: Homer

TDIH - Josh Hamilton

Pack #6

Area 51 - Great card! Sergio Santos Rookie Card. Asdrubal Cabrera - short print.

CC Sabathia - Another great card!

Betelgeuse Black Bordered Mini - The ninth-brightest star in the sky. (My first 2010 Black Bordered Mini)

TDIH - Jonathan Broxton

Pack #7

Kevin Millwood - I remember when he pitched his no-hitter back in 2003, haven't heard much about him since. And one of the Molina brothers, Bengi Molina.

Brad Hawpe - Horezantal action shot - need I say more!

Baseball Sketches: Mariano Rivera - Records 500th Save

Monsters of the Mesozoic: Stegosaurus - As a kid I used to really like dinosaurs. The Stegosaurus was my favorite.

TDIH - Derrek Lee

Pack #8

Robert Scott - Negro League Baseball Player. The first Negro League card I have gotten from 2010 Allen & Ginter. Chase Headly, with the rare one-handed bat over the shoulder pose. Colby Rasmus, looking really bored. Akinori Iwamura - short print and a walking Nike advertisement.  

Ian Stewart A&G Mini

TDIH - Troy Tulowitzki