Scribble Showcase: Padres Lot Edition

In my last post I talked about a $20 (free shipping) box of Padres cards I got recently. Now we're diving into the "hits"! Nine certified autograph cards of should-be Hall of Famers.

Now, this might not be a popular opinion, but I think Andy Ashby belongs in the Hall. Honestly, this was the card that made me pull the trigger on submitting a best offer for the lot. I've still got fond memories of Ashby from those up-and-down Padres teams of the late 90s. His 17-9 record in '98 was huge in winning the pennant that year. And now I've got his autograph!

Now, this might not be a popular opinion, but I think Brad Ausmus belongs in the Hall. Three Gold Gloves and an All-Star appearance to his credit. He's back in the news for succeeding Jim Leyland as manager of the Tigers this season. I wish him the best of luck. I always liked his hustle when he came up with the Padres. And now I've got his autograph!

Fast-forwarding to a current guy, here's a recent draft pick. Now, this might not be a popular opinion, but I think Jeremy Baltz is on the road to the Hall. In A-ball last year, he hit .293 with 15 home runs. And now I have his autograph! Plus, this card is serial #'d 12/25 on the back.. You know what that means! A new addition to my Christmas Card Collection! Wheee!!!

Now, this might not be a popular opinion, but I think Doug Bochtler belongs in the Hall. His excellent ERA+ of 132 in '96 helped San Diego win the division. And now I've got his autograph!

Now, this might not be a popular opinion, but I think John Flaherty belongs in the Hall. Sticking around in the majors for 14 years is pretty damn impressive for a backup catcher. He was outstanding behind the dish in '99, leading all of baseball by gunning out 52 attempted base stealers. And now I have his autograph!

Now, this might not be a popular opinion, but I think Brian Johnson belongs in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Oh wait-- I'm thinking of the singer for AC/DC. Different guy. Oh well, I guess Brian Johnson, the baseball player, was ok too. His .375 average lead the Pads in the 1996 NLDS (for guys with more than a couple at-bats). And now I've got his autograph!

Now, this might not be a popular opinion, but I think Scott Livingstone belongs in the Hall. His .337 average in 1995 was second only to Tony Gwynn on the team that year. And now I've got his autograph!

Now, this might not be a popular opinion, but I think Luis Lopez belongs in the Hall. He was a scrappy middle infielder who bounced around in the bigs from 1993 through 2005, always a pillar of poise and grace. And now I've got his autograph!

Now, this might not be a popular opinion, but I think Dustin Moseley belongs in the Hall. This former first-round pick posted a fine 3.30 ERA in 20 starts during 2011. Lifetime in the postseason, he was lights-out, allowing zero runs in 3 innings of work. Zero! And now I've got his autograph!

That's it. Thanks for reading.

I'm finally a respectable Padres collector! Part 1

I wasn't searching for anything along these lines, but I stumbled upon a big lot of 700+ Padres cards on eBay. It looked intriguing-- lots of RCs, inserts, and even a few certified autos-- so I made the guy a "best offer" of $20 (w/free shipping). I was a little surprised, but he accepted, and yesterday I received a big ol' Priority box full of Pads.

I think the number of Padres cards in my collection tripled with these additions. One thing I was most excited about was finally getting cards of up-and-comers that other Padres bloggers talk about with high hopes, like Jedd Gyorko and Andrew Cashner. There are other names I'm still working on. But give me time and hopefully I'll be able to name off the gist of the 25-man roster.

So yeah, I almost kinda feel like a real, respectable San Diego baseball fan now. Maybe 2014 will be the year I start actually paying attention to the Padres again. I'm sure it will be very exciting to follow them and watch wide-eyed as they vie for heights of second-to-last-place instead of dead-last. Keep the Faith! Keep out of the cellar!

In addition to cards from the past few years, there were cards stretching back through the 80s. It's always fun taking a trip down memory lane looking through old cards of your hometown team.. Lots of guys I remember fondly.. plus lots of guys I remember as sucky chumps.. and lots of guys I don't remember at all. But I definitely beefed up my PCs for Gwynn, Hoffman, and Peavy, to name a few.

Anyways, indulge me for 2 or 3 posts to show off a few of the cards from this lot I'm most happy to welcome into the warm confines of my collection.

Thankfully the guy didn't stick to strictly "Padres cards" so I got some Cashner Cub rookies. Rizzo is gone, but he's still semi-hot, so nice to get some decent cards of him.

I feel like I need to better diversify my collecting focus of "former Padres in the Hall". I've got tons of Gaylords and Winfields and Rollies, but not a lot of Robertos. And always nice to add RCs I needed of fan favs Bip and Benito. A Tim Flannery rookie card is also a long-standing want of mine. He didn't put up great numbers or anything, but us Padres fans like him because he surfed and played guitar.. Cool! Went on to be a great 3rd base coach for a while and I think followed Bochy to the Giants in that capacity still, right? It's funny that Topps seems to have colorized a black & white photo for his picture. Maybe in '80 they were planning to go B&W for their multi-player rookies like they did in '79, but changed their mind after Timmy here got his picture selected.

And lastly for today, a dream realized: I finally own a "Johnny Padres" card. Love it. I received this card yesterday, the 6th anniversary of his death. He was a good one. I've got a couple Dodger cards of his, but this is the first one I got with his near-namesake team.

Thanks Plugs-n-Harmony

View From The Skybox is run by a great guy. He generously hooked up a bunch of people with free cards over the holidays (PWEs to 40 lucky folks?! Impressive!). I scored a few Padres, my favorite of which being this Bip. Bip me with Bip anytime, guys.

Anyways, Chris is running a huge group break to raise money for Philippine typhoon victims. He could really use your help! Many teams left. Check it out and sign up if you wanna. You'd be doing a great thing, and getting yourself a bunch of sweet cards in the process.

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Judson over at My Cardboard Habit is also a cool guy who hooked me up with some free cardboard recently.

Pretty sweet Heritage Headley #'d 144/999. This marks the 2nd time in the past few months a well-timed comment on his blog has paid off well for me. Thanks again, Judson!

It's still pretty early, but he's already organizing a big group break for 2014 Gypsy Queen. Check it out and sign up if you wanna.

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And lastly, It's like having my own Card Shop is also run by a heck of a guy. Stick with me here, but he's running a contest trying to get 100 followers for another blog, Pack War. They've just about reached that goal, so hop over and maybe you'll be lucky #100!

Having a contest to promote somebody else's blog? That's a kind-hearted gentleman, right there! Hopefully he'll do my blog next! I, too, dream of followers cracking triple-digits. First things first, I need to hit 50. Hopefully we'll reach that milestone in the next 2 or 3 months. I need to bring my blogging A-game! I'm working on a big series of posts for February which I'm sure will put me on the blogosphere map and get me invited to all the cool-blogger parties. So stay tuned for that.

Anyways, thanks again to Chris, Judson, and Daniel for all their outstanding work in the baseball card blogging community!

Bill Madlock Collection

One thing I'd like to do more in 2014 is scan/post my Player Collections. This helps me keep track of which cards I have, plus is handy for prospective trade partners to check which cards I need.

A couple blogs I follow wished the great Bill Madlock a happy birthday back on January 2nd, but looks like that was due to a typo originating from baseball-reference.com. All his baseball cards and his Wikipedia entry list his birthdate as 1/12/51, not 1/2/51. (Somebody should alert them to the error. Anybody?) Happy Birthday, Bill Madlock!

For me, Bill's a lot like Dick Allen: A couple badasses from before I followed baseball. Neither played for my hometown Padres, but have become guys I collect, mostly due to the fact that I got their autographs in person when I was young. Back when I posted a rundown of my Dick Allen cards, I lamented getting Dick to sign a ball, then letting it slip away over the years during my time away from actively collecting. I got Bill Madlock's signature, I believe, at the same event, 1992 All-Star Fanfest, though I could be wrong about that. But unlike a bulky baseball, I had Madlock sign a slip of paper. Since a small piece of paper is a lot easier to store/move than a baseball, I'm happy to report I still have the very autograph Bill gave to me as a kid.

Too bad it's just a boring slip of paper, not a card (though the gold leaf name label I added afterwards is a nice touch), but I don't think I owned any Madlock cards at the time, or if I did, I didn't bring them with me that day. Still, though, I love this. It's one of just 3 baseball-related items I still own which I personally had autographed in person. The others are a piece of paper from mystery Indians coach from the early 90s (I posted about this months ago.. still no one has been able to help shed any light on who it may be), and the only card I ever got signed in person, a Padres back-up catcher who had a brief career in the majors (I should do a post on that one someday).

Anyways, I've since gone on to collect a bunch of Bill Madlock cards. He has too many out there for me to pull the trigger on "supercollecting" him, but I'll at least try to complete his flagship playing-days cards from the major sets, plus occasionally add a modern card or oddball to the collection.

Last time I did a "player collection" post like this, it was coincidentally Dick Allen (part 1, part 2). It took me a long time because I scanned both fronts and backs, plus typed up a little blurb for each card. This time I'm going to go an easier route and just scan the fronts, a flatbed-full at a time, and leave it at that. If you can fill any holes and want to trade, feel free to get in touch.

Topps

Looks like I've got a complete Topps base player card run, though that 1987 card is actually the tiffany version. I mistakenly thought it was a dupe and gave away my regular '87 Topps Madlock in a contest (Cards In Odd Places.. he was riding my dog, Annie, remember?). Oh well, I'll pick up another one one of these days. Oh, and I need his '75 mini. And '87 Traded.

He's also got a Batting Leaders card from '77 shared with George Brett that I need, and one from '84 shared with Boggs. Possibly more "team leader" cards out there too..?

Those near the bottom are OPC, as you can tell if you take a close look. Still need quite a few OPC Madlocks, especially from the 70s.

Donruss

I need Donruss issues from 1982, 1983, and 1985. For Leaf variations, I'm just missing 1987.

Fleer

Missing Fleer cards from '83, '85, '87 Update, and '88.

Other

SSPC, Drakes, Score, a couple Upper Deck post-career cards, a senior league card, a couple Sportsflics, and a sealed Corn Flakes card.

Autos!

That middle 2004 Topps Retired is thee card that got me hooked on that set, winning it off Listia while building my Madlock collection. Fell in love with the design and went on to sink a large chunk of money collecting other autos from the set.

While not a Hall of Famer, Bill seems to get lots of love from card companies these days, frequently popping up in "old timer" sets and inserts. He's a fairly prolific signer, so there seem to be many certified auto cards of him out there. I have no great desire to get them all, though if I was offered one I didn't have in a trade or stumbled upon one cheap, I'd probably jump on it.

Recent additions

A couple firsts for the collection! Just got my first Mad Dog relic thanks to a recent trade with Fuji. And my first Madlock refractor: The 2003 Topps Retired refractor parallel is #'d 7/25. (My scanner doesn't do refractors any justice [or cards in thick cases], but to see it "in action" check out yesterday's post.) It's not the "Christmas Card", but the "Lucky Card" is my next most-desirable serial number, I suppose. I still have an eye out for a '04 Retired refractor. There was one on eBay I almost went after, but it's #'d 13/25.. and I do my best to steer clear of the "Unlucky Card" serial numbers. Yeah, I'm weird about numbers sometimes.

As for the team card.. it's a tricky question for player collectors: Should team cards featuring the guy go into the PC? I haven't definitively answered that question for myself, but since this "floating heads" Cubs card clearly has Bill identifiable near the center, I figure I will count this as "a Madlock card". If it were a distant team pose shot where you kinda have to guess who's who, as most team cards are, then I probably wouldn't count it.

So there you have my Bill Madlock cards as of right now. As always, I'm up for trades for any cards I need. Thanks!
And again, Happy Birthday, Mr. Madlock!

Refraction Action: Bill Madlock 2003 Topps Retired refractor

Hey, Refraction Action is returning to its roots for this post.. after a Sportsflics card, a "water card", and a 3-panel vintage card, we're finally featuring an actual refractor again!

Bill Madlock 2003 Topps Retired Signature Edition refractor (#'d 7/25)

Bill here is the first repeat-offender on Refraction Action, I believe, having been featured on the aforementioned Sportsflics card as well.

This post is foreshadowing for more Madlock Madness I've got planned for tomorrow.

Scribble Showcase: 10 autos of should-be HOFers

There's no denying it, I've become a full-fledged autograph collector. Specifically certified auto cards. Hate to say it, but over the past few months my collecting habits have been focusing more and more on signed cardboard. For my bank account's sake, I'm hoping it's just a phase. But I figured I should have a reoccurring series on Baseball Card Breakdown where I can show off my new scores with no additional context. And so, Scribble Showcase is born! Enjoy.

Now, this might not be a popular opinion, but I think Mark Kotsay belongs in the Hall. Solid with the bat, and graceful in the outfield, he was a pleasure to watch during his stint(s) as a Padre. Good guy. And now I've got his autograph!

Now, this might not be a popular opinion, but I think Homer Bush belongs in the Hall. The guy batted .380 for the Yanks in 1998!(in 45 games)! They have him to thank for single-handedly bringing them home the Championship that year, if you ask me. After that, the Blue Jays were so desperate to get him, they traded Roger Clemens for him!(and a couple other guys)! And now I've got his autograph!

Now, this might not be a popular opinion, but I think Dustin Hermanson belongs in the Hall. As a starter, his best season was '98 with the Expos when he won 14 games to go with a fine 3.13 ERA. He was lights-out in 2005 after moving to the pen for the White Sox. His 34 saves and 2.04 ERA were instrumental in bringing the Windy City their first World Series Championship since Biblical times. And now I've got his autograph!

Now, this might not be a popular opinion, but I think Bubba Trammell belongs in the Hall. Oh wait-- I'm thinking of Alan Trammell! ...No relation. Oh well.. I guess Bubba's ok, too. He cranked out 42 home runs over 2 solid years as a Padre. He once hit four home runs in a single game for the Toledo Mud Hens, with whom he's pictured on this card. And now I've got his autograph!

Now, this might not be a popular opinion, but I think Scott Servais belongs in the Hall. Splayed himself behind the plate for 11 years in the bigs, usually a back-up catcher, but a starter for 3 years with the Cubbies in the mid 90s. A class act all the way. And now I've got his autograph!

Now, this might not be a popular opinion, but I think Pokey Reese belongs in the Hall. His consecutive Gold Glove winning streak spanned an incredible 2 millennia!(1999-2000)! In 2004, his top-notch utility infieldering was instrumental in helping the Red Sox to their first World Series Championship since man discovered fire. And now I've got his autograph!

Now, this might not be a popular opinion, but I think Tom Lampkin belongs in the Hall. Growing up, he was the premiere back-up catching extraordinaire for my hometown Padres for 3 impressionable years. He kicked around for 13 seasons, never quite figuring out major league pitching, though he hit over .300 in AAA several times. Like a true hero, he returned to San Diego for one last hurrah in '02 before hanging up his chest protector. And now I've got his autograph!

Now, this might not be a popular opinion, but I think Jeff Fassero belongs in the Hall. His career got off to a blazing start, clocking an ERA under 3.00 in each of his first 4 seasons. While he couldn't quite keep that up, he pitched over 2,000 innings as a dependable major league hurler for 16 years. And now I've got his autograph!

Now, this might not be a popular opinion, but I think Paul Assenmacher belongs in the Hall. A career reliever (just one solitary start on his resumé), he's 28th all-time in games pitched. And his fielding percentage is 4th all-time among retired pitchers (.986). And now I've got his autograph!

Now, this might not be a popular opinion, but I think Juan Encarnacion belongs in the Hall. He hit a solid .270 over an 11-year career, with 156 dingers and 127 swipes. Picked up a couple rings along the way, first with the Marlins in '03, then another with the Cardinals in '06. And now I've got his autograph!

All these cards pictured above came in a trade from Fuji of the wonderful blog the Chronicles of Fuji. Thanks, Fuji! You rock!

Fresh HOF auto.. great timing!

I won this card a few days ago and it arrived today:

Nice! And to receive it on the very day he got elected to the Hall of Fame.. that's some excellent added coolness to it for me to treasure.

As I've mentioned in the past, 1990 was the year I first began collecting baseball cards. Frank Thomas draft pick cards from Topps and Score from that year were among the earliest highlights of my collection. Seems like Thomas was the first HOF superstar whose career I was "on board" with from the get-go, so he'll always have a sentimental spot in my heart/collection.

A few months ago, I finally realized a childhood dream by picking up Frank's beautiful 1990 Leaf rookie card (I went ahead and got the complete set.. it's always been one of my favorite sets, though out of my reach as a kid.) Really my only collecting hankerin' (I'm not crazy about the term "collecting goal".. feels like I'm trying to meet some corporate quarterly report)-- my only collecting hankerin' left for Frank was to pick up a certified auto at some point. This beaut from 2013 Leaf Sports Heroes does the trick nicely, plus what really got me to pursue it was the fact it's a Christmas Card (#'d 12/25)! On-card auto. The jersey number is a nice touch the Big Hurt seems to include on just about all his autographs. I love the sloppy inscription, touting his back-to-back MVPs. And the strategic photo selection helps you overlook the missing team logos.


Ok, changing gears a bit...

I do not own the below card, but I'm posting it anyway to talk about it. This is an active auction, and while I do have a sniping bid pending, I expect to be outbid by a wide margin. The eBay seller was pretty smart and scheduled it to end the day after the HOF announcement.

Greg Maddux seems to have very few certified autos out there. Not sure why, but hopefully his call to the Hall changes that. I'd love to win this card. Not only is it a rare certified auto from arguably the greatest pitcher of an era, but it's also a Christmas Card! Ooh-da-lolly! And on top of all that, it's kinda a Padres card.. listing the team on the card, though the photo shows him in a Cubs uniform.

But can we talk about that signature?? For a guy who had masterful control with a baseball, he could sure use some work with his control of a pen. That scribble doesn't look anything like his name. Looks more like it reads "Im Fuzzy". OK. Thanks, Fuzzy, nice to meet you. Frank Thomas' signature ain't no work of art, but at least you can pick out 2 or 3 letters in his name. Fuzzy, here, not so much.


As for Tom Glavine, well, I like him just fine, but never really collected him all that much. I've got junk '88 RCs of him, I think from all 4 major sets if I remember right, but that's about it. If I saw a Christmas Card of him for a good price, I'd probably jump on it. But then again, I'm a fool for Christmas Cards.

Anyways, congrats to Frank Thomas, Greg Maddux, and Tom Glavine. I'm a little bummed voters continue to be stingy with who they elect in recent years (Bruce Sutter is in but not Lee Smith? McGriff! etc etc), but oh well. You can't argue with the worthiness of these 3 guys.