Leveling Up My Olson Game

My first time through the hobby saw me pick dozens of Gregg Olson and Greg Olson cards. Since then I have added some Karl Olson and Matt Olson cards to my collection. To this point I've only cataloged my Karl Olson collection, because ... well ... vintage is cool!

Last week a major Zippy Zapping of a package arrived in my box. Originally, I thought it was the Sportlots order I was waiting on, but once I saw the return address was from the east coast I became very intrigued. 

Where on the east coast?  Hmm, I think the contents of the package will answer that one for you.

Game programs:

 Scorecards:

 What's this?

 Hey, the inside holds a uncut team set from the 2000 Staten Island Yankees Championship team!

 Odds and ends from the SI Yankees:

All of this was a huge head scratcher for me. I love minor league baseball, but I'm not a Yankees guy and I've never been to that part of New York. 

Then I found this gem in the middle:

 It's an 8.5" by 11" photo autographed and inscribed to yours truly!  How cool is that!?!

The SIY promotional items served perfectly as a cushion for this gem of an auto to safely travel my way.

Here's the certificate of authenticity:

Simply stated, I'm floored.

This Zippy Zapping also comes with a pack of cards:

A pre-rookie custom of the best catcher ever graced the top, but underneath I have the clues I need.
It looks like I need a couple of packs if I'm going to do a Pack War. Maybe I'll buy a pack or two of Update and see if I can't luck into a base card of The Vogelmonster. LOL

Zippy Zappy, you are the best!  Thanks for thinking of me!

These Didn't Come from the Dollar Store

Packages are starting to build up on my desk again, so here's the oldest one in the stack for your perusal. 

This one originates from north of the border. (Side note: why are shipping fees so outrageous to Canada? I feel like I'm paying for shipping in the USA and then all over again in another country. Argh.)

Douglas, from Sportscards From The Dollar Store had been squirreling Cubs cards away and I'm glad he kept me in mind. 

There was plenty of randomness in the package, but here's my favorites;

Matt Clement is a favorite here at Waiting 'til Next Year headquarters. Did you know we have a motto? "It's not ours unless it has cat hair on it." (See the left black border near the signature. Sheesh.)

I'm hoping Alzolay finds his way into the rotation for next year. First, that would mean he earned it, because he surely isn't going to be given the spot ahead of spring training. Secondly, the Cubs could really use an innings eater who is cost controlled. That roster of about to get crazy expensive.

I built the 2017 Stadium Club set, but I never was blessed with a gold Schwarber parallel. Very nice. 

More Stadium Club means more terrific photos.

Panini Chronicles is a crazy set.

 If I had the patience for it I would build this monster.

 There are so many designs and subsets it's difficult to keep track of.

I'm not even sure what I'm looking at here, but I love all of it!

Nico!

Maybe he's the second baseman in 2020? Maybe he's the lead-off hitter? 
Perhaps. But, I think he'll start the year in AAA to get a little more seasoning. 

I love Heritage High series more than the regular issued set. Who's with me on that one?

 I enjoy all the bullpen and role player guys. Kintzler, Brach, Kimbrel, Caratini and Descalso. Simply fantastic.

Lastly, we have a couple of autos.

I'm not sure what to think about Trevor Clifton, but the hour glass is about up on him making a splash with the big league roster. Caratini has carved out a role with the Cubs and I'm quite ecstatic to add this numbered orange parallel to my autograph collection. 

Thanks for the cards, Douglas! A package just left P-town for you today.  😀

Send Me Your 2019 US296

The first images of Topps Update are appearing on the interwebs.  No need to go anywhere else, I have the image of the card everyone will be chasing!

In all seriousness, I thought about buying into a 2-case player break for Daniel Vogelbach's 2019 Topps Update card.

 Then I was like, "What am I going to with 45 base cards when one will do the trick?".

So, if you pull a Vogelmonster base or a parallel or one of the relics, then please let me know!  I'll make it worth your while by sending you some cardboard in a good old swap!

I like the picture on the front, but I'm disappointed the back didn't include stats. I guess a summary with a bunch of "..." will do in a pinch though.

Woo-Hoo!  Let the chase begin!

Ogle Those Vogels: Deep Stat Dive

The 2019 MLB regular season has concluded and the playoffs are in full swing. I'm paying attention to the post season, but I'm more intrigued by the Cubs' managerial search and everything Daniel Vogelbach.

I was listening to ESPN radio and the Nats vs. Dodgers series and the announcers were talking about Max Muncy's position versatility and his patience at the plate. As it turns out, Muncy was third all of baseball this past season in pitches seen per plate appearance.

Here's a screenshot of the Top 10 in MLB from baseballreference.com:

Look at who's #2!  Wow, that's some solid company Vogelbach is keeping!

I'm pretty ecstatic The Vogelmonster is so accomplished at fouling off pitches and taking balls just off the plate. As a high school baseball coach, who has to watch pitch count limits during a game, I'm constantly preaching patience at the plate so we can get into the other team's bullpen sooner.

To celebrate Vogelbach's first 30-home campaign and his eagle eye, let me drop some super Vogel-mojo on you.

I believe I have completed the 2018 Panini National Treasures Daniel Vogelbach rainbow!

Vogelbach was granted one spot on the checklist, but that meant seven cards, with each featuring a jersey swatch and autograph. Above is the "silver" version numbered to /25.

Here's the "gold" numbered to /10.

This is my favorite card of the group, the "one-of-one " laundry tag!

Behold, the printing plates!

 Yellow.

 Black.

Cyan.

Magenta.

Here's a picture of all four at once.

The magenta just arrived the other day and I still haven't had a chance to package it up like the rest.

All I need now is a Vogelbach jersey to cut up and some auto'd stickers and I can start producing my own Vogelmonster cards. Woo-Hoo!

Thanks for stopping by today!

HOF Binder: Page 38

Here we are at the last page of the binder. Page 38 features another eight players I remember watching on television or in person. There is loads of variety in these eight pockets with cards from six different manufactures. Also, there are a couple of really well done cards here and it'll be tough for this collector to single out a favorite card by the end of the post.

Alright, let's dissect the HOF members from page 38!

1993 Topps, #573 -- Trevor Hoffman

 Trevor Hoffman was drafted by the Reds in 11th round of the 1989 draft as an infielder. He was a career 0.225 hitter in the minors before he started toeing the bump during the 1991 season. Hoffman earned 20 saves during the '91 season in the bush leagues, but the Reds tinkered with him as a starter in '92 and then left him available during the expansion draft and the Marlins selected him with the 8th pick. Fast forward and Hoffman finished with 601 saves (2nd all-time) and 2.87 ERA over 18 seasons. His devastating change-up helped him to two Rolaids Relief awards and seven All-Star games.

1992 Upper Deck - Top Prospects, #165 -- Chipper Jones

 Larry Wayne Jones was drafted first overall by the Braves in 1990. The switch-hitting third baseman flashed a solid glove at the hot corner, but it was his bat that helped him to stand out. During his first full season with the Braves he helped Atlanta win the World Series. He would go on to win the MVP in 1999, a batting title in 2008 at age 36, two Silver Slugger awards, and he was elected to eight All-Star games. Chipper finished his career with 468 homers, more walks than strikeouts, and a 0.303 batting average.

1981 Fleer, #475 -- Jack Morris

 Jack Morris was a horse. He was one of the last great starting pitchers who had a fair chance of finishing what he started. Eleven times he pitched from than 230 innings in a season and he finished his career with 175 complete games to go along with a 3.90 ERA and 254-186 win-loss record. Morris was a five time All-Star and he won three World Series titles (Detroit in '84, Minnesota in '91, and Toronto in '92). He was the MVP of the Fall Classic with the Twins when he pitched three games, including a ten inning complete game victory in Game 7 over the Braves.

1992 Pinnacle - Team 2000, #37 -- Jim Thome

 Jim Thome hit bombs during the Steroid Era and nobody ever questioned that he did it cleanly. Thome is a local product and his family, all big dudes, is known in the area for having light-tower power on the slow pitch softball fields. He came up as a third baseman, but as he filled out he moved across the diamond to first and eventually would settle in as the DH for his teams for a number of years. Thome was a five time All-Star and won one Silver Slugger (as a third baseman) over twenty-two years. During that time he hit 0.276 with 612 homers and a 0.956 OPS. I've said this before on the blog, but Thome is one of my favorite players of all-time.

1980 Topps, #232 -- Alan Trammell

 Alan Trammell played two decades at shortstop for the Tigers. The middle infielder could do a little bit of everything: four Gold Gloves, three Silver Sluggers, six All-Star appearances, and a World Series MVP in 1984. For me, Trammell is in the discussion of "Who belongs in The Hall and who doesn't," but so are a couple others on this page. Overall, Trammell's numbers aren't anything to sneeze at as he finished his career with a 0.285 average, 185 homers, and 1,000+ runs and RBIs.

1982 Fleer, #336 -- Harold Baines

 Harold Baines was the first overall pick in the 1977 draft and spent about 40% of his time as an outfielder and the other 60% as a designated hitter during his 22 year career. Baines never hit thirty home runs in a season, but he finished his career with 384 round trippers. In total, Baines was a six time All-Star selection and he has one Silver Slugger to his credit. Baines finished his career with 2,866 hits and a 0.289 batting average.

1997 Bowman, #308 -- Roy Halladay

 Roy Halladay was another pitcher who could throw nine innings and it wouldn't surprise you. In fact, he led the league in complete games seven times during his sixteen year career. Halladay, known for being a fierce competitor, was elected to eight All-Star games and won two Cy Young awards. He was a great control pitcher and he topped the league in SO/W ratio five times during his career. Hallday's career record was 203-105 and he sported a nifty 3.38 ERA.

1989 Donruss - The Rookies, #15 -- Edgar Martinez

 It has been argued by some that Edgar Martinez is the best player in Mariner's history. That's quite a statement considering some of the other names: Junior, Big Unit, Ichiro and The Kid. Gar was a doubles machine who played all eighteen years of his career in Seattle. The fan favorite was a bit injury prone and eventually moved off of third base to DH during his age 32 season. Overall, he won two batting titles, five Silver Sluggers, and he was voted to seven All-Star contests. Martinez did not experience his first full season until age 27. Here are his batting averages at AAA in 276 games: 0.353 in 1985, 0.329 in 1987, 0.363 in 1988, and 0.345 in 1989. What were the Mariners thinking? He still managed to collect 2,247 hits, connect for 309 homers, and bat 0.312 for his career. 

Again, I really appreciate the variety of cardboard on this page. I thought at first the Thome card would be my favorite, but I can't get over the inaugural offering of Fleer and the Jack Morris card. It's a seldom seen action shot at the end of his delivery and the left field foul pole makes a cameo in the background. Very cool indeed. I believe all of these cards to be keepers, as they're all from pretty early in the careers of each player. Which one would you choose to be your favorite?

For the curious, here's a glimpse at the rest of the 2019 Hall of Fame class.

I won't offer an in depth post until the page is filled, which may take another couple years or so as I need to fill five more slots. Jeter is the only slam dunk for the 2020 class, but there are some holdovers from last ballot who will make it interesting.

Thanks for taking this journey with me through the my HOF Binder!