Liquidation Greatness

A lesson for Target and Walmart to learn from their long-struggling counterpart K-mart: in order to move old product, reduce the price. After reading of lonestarr's success in finding reduced price blasters at his local K-mart, I myself ventured into the blue-light special unknown in search of goods. What I found was this:

That's right - a blaster of 2008 UD Heroes for only $7.49. I snatched up two of them, and headed home for some crazy rippin fun. Here's the first of 2 blasters.

Pack 1

#33 Carl Yastrzemski (black parallel)

#184 Bob Gibson/Jake Peavy

#14 Nick Markakis

#30 Dustin Pedroia

#54 Travis Hafner

Pack 2

#9 Mark Teixeira (black parallel)

#YSL-4178 Yankee Stadium Legacy Ron Guidry
#132 Daric Barton RC
#65 Justin Verlander
#77 Hunter Pence

Pack 3

#149 Tim Lincecum

#27 Josh Beckett
#129 Bill Hall
#196 Jeter/Griffey Jr/Ripken Jr/Ichiro (black parallel) #181 Eddie Murray/Prince Fielder

Pack 4

#58 Garrett Atkins (black parallel)
#181 Eddie Murray/Prince Fielder
#115 Alex Rodriguez
#48 Adam Dunn
#72 Josh Willingham

Pack 5

#65 Justin Verlander (green parallel #'d 241/499)


#71 Andrew Miller (black parallel)
#95 Kelly Johnson
#192 Joe Maur/Hanley Ramirez/Troy Tulowitzki
#143 Roberto Clemente

Pack 6

#174 Lastings Milledge (black parallel)

#65 Justin Verlander

#184 Bob Gibson/Jake Peavy

#105 Jose Reyes

#168 Luke Scott

Pack 7 * I hate the Yankees...what the f? Why couldn't I pull a Brewers pack like this?

#125 Don Mattingly (black parallel)
#YSL-132 Yankee Stadium Legacy Herb Pennock
#114 Alex Rodriguez
#2 Dan Haren
#114 Derek Jeter

Pack 8

#126 Dave Winfield (black parallel)
#95 Kelly Johnson
#113 Phil Hughes
#165 Carl Crawford
#130 Freddy Sanchez

Pack 9


#107 David Wright (black parallel)

#38 Derrek Lee
#132 Daric Barton RC
#69 Edinson Volquez
#45 Nick Swisher

Legendary Handlebars

My current occupation doesn't afford me the opportunity that most men take for granted - the growing of lots and lots of facial hair.  Well, I would be a beard man. In my younger days I was a goatee man - college kid, cargo shorts and polo shirt, and of course a Brewers hat to match the shirt. And my lovable, trusty goatee. 

Today I would consider myself a beard man. Yes, I do have a huge appreciation for all matter of face fur - the "fu manchu", the biker, the hitler, the chin strap, the chops, the super chops, the horseshoe, etc. My favorite though is the traditional, full beard. Whenever I have a large amount of leave to use up, I always take the opportunity to grow one

Without further ado, perhaps the greatest handlebar grower in the history of the game...well, I am a bit biased.

2007 SP Legendary Cuts Legendary Materials #LM-RY2 Robin Yount  (#'d 17/199)

And now, a picture of one of those famous facial growths of his...

2007 SP Legendary Cuts Masterful Materials #MM-RY

Classic Yount. Diggin on the 80's baby blue away jersey patch, too.

Five Year Plan - 2005 Edition

In 2005, where did you see yourself in five short years? Did you have any resolutions, any huge plans, any thing you wanted to change about your life? How about a house? Did you buy one, sell one, or lose one? Are you driving the same vehicle you were driving back in 2005? Have you gotten married, had any kids, or adopted any babies from some country whose name you cannot pronounce?

In 2005 I had just picked up a new position as an instructor, and hadn't even met the woman who I now call my wife. That was two vehicles, one paygrade, two cats, roughly 30 or so viewing of The Big Lebowski, and one Major League Baseball postseason appearance ago.

Of course this brings me to the 2005 Milwaukee Brewers. A team that was coming off a 94-loss season, and a dead last finish in the division. That's right, even the Pirates finished better than we did. After the 2004 season, even the Brewers had a five-year plan in place. And part of this plan was a young kid from southern California named Ryan Braun.

2005 Topps Updates & Highlights #UH313 Ryan Braun

I don't think a whole lot needs to be said about "Brauny".  2007 NL Rookie of the Year. 2008 NL All-Star. Back in 2005, he was only playing rookie and single-A ball for the Brewers, but is now a vital part of the Brewers' five-year plan, to say the least.

Kenny Durost - Kenny had a great 2008. Playing for the KANSAS CITY T-BONES. What? Ya, his dreams of making it big in the big leagues never really panned out. That's not to say they still couldn't come to fruition, but after going 1-9 in 2005 for Brewers A-club Brevard County, his contract was purchases by the Oakland A's, and he did 2 years for them in Kane County and Stockton (former Brewers 'A' club). In 2007 he had to fend for himself, playing for the Schaumberg Flyers of the Northern League, going 3-1 over 7 starts. Finally, he was sent over to the T-Bones for a couple other guys who also have to work at Home Depot during the offseason.  

Dana Eveland - Eveland has had a slightly better past few years. After having a great season in 2005 going 10-4 for AA Huntsville, he was optioned to AAA Nashville for the 2006 season. He was acquired by the D-backs and played some more AAA ball for them, but spent most of 2007 on the disabled list.  Last year he was sent to Oakland as part of the trade sending Dan Haren to Arizona. He went 9-9 for Oakland last year, and is going to play a vital role in their rotation for 2009. His much needed success should help the A's content for a division title this year.

Hernan Iribarren - Hernan has played for every level of the Brewers' organization - from rookie ball all the way up to Milwaukee. His extended stay in the Brewers system reflects two things. He has the stuff, just not enough to keep him up. Secondly, he's at a roadblock with the Brewers current roster. An infielder by trade, he is currently roadblocked by Rickie Weeks and J.J. Hardy. Hardy isn't going anywhere for a while, but Rickie could be going somewhere should he have the season he's anticipated to have. Iribarren will again be a late-season call up for the extended roster, and will be the first call up should something happen to either Hardy or Weeks.

Vinny Rottino  - If you've been reading my blog at all, you've read this great Wisconsin native's story as well, so I won't repeat myself too much. He's a tough match for the 40-man roster, again because of roadblocks, but should once again enjoy a fruitfull year in AAA Nashville, after enjoying himself playing for Italy in the 2009 World Baseball Classic.

Mark Rogers - Rogers was the Brewers first pick for the 2004 draft, an honor that would be bestowed on Ryan Braun a year later. So why haven't you heard of this guy? First there was this bit about an entire mechanical overhaul of his pitching. Then it was a season and a half missed due to shoulder surgery and recovery. In 2006, after having surgery to repair a torn labrum in his right shoulder, he would sit the bench and the same in 2007. 2008  saw him under the knife again to remove scar tissue.  Now, in spring training 2009, he has pitched for the first time since 2006, will try to get back to prospect form. Current Brewers starting pitcher Manny Parra traveled nearly the exact same road as Rogers, so he's confident that he's got it in him. 

Kennard Bibbs - Bibbs was drafted by the Brewers in 2002, making his way up to AA Huntsville by 2006, where he'd find a nice home. The guy has amazing speed, reminding one of Juan Pierre as a center fielder who can steal 50 bases for you. He played AAA ball in 2006, but had a knee injury followed by off-season surgery, which would drop him from the Brewers system. He missed all of 2007, and signed last year to a deal with the Sioux Falls Canaries of the American Association. No news yet for him in 2009. 

Manny Parra - Not a whole lot to say about Manny. He is the man. After getting bitch slapped by Prince Fielder last summer in the dugout, he'll be back to kick some ass and take some names. He's my favorite hurler on the Brewers roster, and I sure hope he has another successful campaign in 2009. Also, he was the first player to send me back a TTM autograph. Hells ya.

Nelson Cruz - Cruz finally has a starting roster spot in the big leagues. On April 6th, he will be playing right field on opening day for the Texas Rangers.  Milwaukee had him for a while as a farm hand, then traded him along w/ Carlos Lee in 2006 to bring Laynce Nix (not a Brewer), Kevin Mench (not a Brewers) and Francisco "CoCo" Cordero (money grubbing closer for the Reds who left Milwaukee for $4 million more than we offered him, that is $5,000 for every run his team gave up last year. Sucker.)This spring he (Nelson Cruz) is playing for the Dominican Roiders...sorry, Dominican Republic alongside A-Rod in the World Baseball Classic. This is one of the few guys who actually made it (though not in our system, a rarity for the Brewers, who tend to hold onto their best prospects, ala Matt LaPorta).

I'll finish up with two of the current Brewers starters, 2B Rickie "can't play defense" Weeks and SS J.J. "my wife would leave me for him" Hardy. I'm serious about the Hardy thing, I think he's on my wife's list, if you know what I mean. At least her heart's in the right place. Anyways, back to baseball. Hardy is going to have another awesome season, and Weeks will injure his knee in April so the Brewers can finally bring up some real defensive talent, and a leadoff hitter who thinks that .234 should be his body fat percentage, not his batting average. That is EXACTLY what is going to happen. Knock on wood.

"COOOOOOOOP!"

Yesterday's mail run yielded wonderful results - and if you read my "Top 30" post yesterday in which I ranked the Major League Baseball teams in order of my preference - you can now see why I moved the Houston Astros from their #15 ranking in 2008 up to #11...two beautiful, personalized autographs from their skipper, a one Cecil Cooper.

1984 Topps #420 Cecil Cooper

2004 UD Legends Timeless Teams #208  Cecil Cooper

"Phil - Best Wishes, Cecil Cooper". I suppose personalizing an autograph request performs two functions. On one hand, it sends the fan a much more special autographed card that they will surely hold on to for life. On the other hand, it assures the player that the card will most likely not be sold on eBay for a sick profit.

I could care less about the reason these two cards have both my name and Cecil Cooper's name on them - to me, they are a kind gesture by one of the greatest players to wear a Brewers uniform, and will surely be a part of mine, and my future childrens' baseball card collection for years to come. Thanks so much, Coop.

30 Teams

After reading Night Owl's post on his ranking (in order of preference) of all 30 Major League Baseball teams, I decided to join him in the sort of blog-around. It's always interesting to see where your favorite team makes it on the list of someone else's ranking, and to see the reasoning behind how they ranked the teams on the list. You may not agree, but at least you'll be entertained. And if you're a Cubs fan, just leave now.

1. Milwaukee Brewers

I suppose it goes without saying that Milwaukee is and always will be my favorite baseball team. Not only was I raised a Brewers fan, spoon fed full helpings of Bratwurst and Bob Uecker every summer, but my first baseball game was a Brewers game. My first autograph was from a Brewers player. My first t-ball uniform had the name "Molitor" in iron-on letters on the back.  As an adult, it is only the icing on the top that their mascot is a guy who used to slide down into a barrel of suds every time they hit a home run. 

2. Minnesota Twins

I grew up about an hour from the Metrodome (on Wisconsin soil, though, no worries) and as a child I saw the vast majority of my ballgames there at the dome.  I will always watch them when the Brewers aren't on TV. Also, a few years ago catcher Joe Mauer donated $1.7 million to save the high school I graduated from. I'll be glad when that stupid dome is down and they have real baseball there again.

3. Atlanta Braves

Mostly because they USED to be the Milwaukee Braves, and also during my childhood (the peak card collection years) the Braves were awesome to watch - Dave Justice, Ron Gant, Tom Glavine, Steve Avery, John Smoltz, Mark Lemke, SID BREAM! I was on the big screen at Turner Field on July 4th, 2004 when the Braves played the Red Sox wearing my dress white uniform. So I got that going for me. Which is nice.

 

4. Tampa Bay Rays

That's "Devil Rays" if you don't mind being fined. I like these guys because they are young, Joe Maddon is an awesome manager who truly knows the game of baseball inside and out, and they literally went from worst to first. In one year. Not because they signed a bunch of expensive free agents, but because they stuck with their system and it finally paid off. It's a shame they didn't win the Series, but the Phils are okay too. 

5. Texas Rangers

Nolan Ryan. The greatest pitcher the game has ever seen. Red, White and Blue. Don't Mess With Texas.  And last but not least? George Bush.  Kenny Rogers will always occupy a special place in my heart. I've always had a good time in Texas whenever I've visited family down there, so here ya go folks.

6. Cleveland Indians

To me, the good ol days of baseball are the days portrayed in the movie "Major League": High socks with stirrups, huge guys with a mouth full of chaw, crazy fans w/ 80's haircuts and t-shirts, and drunken broadcasters. The modern-day Tribe has alot to offer. I'll give you 5 names, and you tell me 5 guys from a single team better than them (the Brewers don't count): Sizemore, Hafner, Garko (when he's hot), Peralta, and DeRosa. Perhaps the most under-achieving lineup in baseball. Hopefully this year is better for the Tribe. 

7. Baltimore Orioles

Brooks Robinson was possibly the greatest 3rd baseman ever, and combined with Cal Ripken, Jr, watching the O's as a kid planted them firmly in my all-time Top 10 of favorite teams (or, rather, teams I "wouldn't mind seeing win a game or two here and there").

8.  Pittsburgh Pirates

Before the Brewers moved back to the National League, the Pirates were always a non-threat, and had the coolest uniforms ever (aside from the 80's Astros garb) complete with the Abe Lincoln hat and plenty of yellow. Yellow is a great color, regardless the circumstance. I want the Brewers to bring back the early 90's uniforms (ball and glove logo) with the script Milwaukee or Brewers on the chest, because that yellow just pops so great. 

Now that the Brewrs are back in the National League, well, the Bucs are still a non-threat. Thanks for taking our place at the bottom of the division, guys.

9. Philadelphia Phillies

I love Chase Utley, he's a scrappy player who will go a long way if he stays healthy. Jimmy Rollins has the funniest commercial on TV right now...check it out...

Aside from that, they represent the Northeast in a great way, perhaps the way all the other teams from that part of the country should do business. 

10.Kansas City Royals

I'm not going to say pity, because that's not the word. But I do feel something for these guys. Also a non-threat to the Brewers, they pad the schedule for the Twins so that's a big factor on my list.  Before the Angels of Anaheim from Los Angeles in California no longer owned by Disney built their new house, the Royals had the only outfield flowing water structure in the league. It's still the best, too.

11. Houston Astros

If for no other reason than their old uniforms (and Nolan Ryan) the Astros reside in the top 15 of my list.  It's always nice, too, when the Brewers travel down to Minute Maid Park and hit homers over that toy train in left field. Tomorrow's main post will reveal to you another reason why the Astros were able to climb nearly 4 spots to #11 for the 2009 season. Let's just say, I did a little happy dance after I checked the mail today. Good things, good things.

12. Oakland A's 

Who else in all of professional sports wears a picture of an animal not at all associated with their current city or mascot as a logo on their uniform? Combine that with a city that barely realizes that they still have a baseball team, an organization that could give Jason Giambi a second contract, and a guy named Bobby Crosby, you have #12 on my list.

13. San Diego Padres

After visiting San Diego and Petco Park back in '07, the Padres climbed up my list. I love the old brown and yellow unis (again, the theme of yellow). I also love Tony Gywnn (Sr, not Jr) and his "large body but high voice" syndrom. He's one of the guys I could listen to talking about baseball all day.

In closing, three words: San Diego Chicken.

14. Washington Nationals

How anybody could root against a team who will not be a threat to their favorite team for at least 10 years, I'll never know. Let's here it for getting baseball out of Canada not a moment too soon. The poor Expos finally had a good season in 1994, only to see the season end early due to strike. Did the folks of Montreal even know? Nope, they were looking forward to the opening of hockey season.  Now the team is back in the US, with an outdoor stadium that kicks ass, and aside from their CLEAR and BLATANT knockoff big-head people racing thing (the orignal Sausage Race in Milwaukee will always be the best) they are okay in my book.

15. Cincinnatti Reds

I grew up on stories of the Big Red Machine (my mother's favorite baseball team) and the doctrine that Johnny Bench was the greatest catcher of all time, and that "Geronimo!" was a call that only should be heard at a baseball game.  Add to this that the Reds, season after season, make Bill Hill look like the greatest slugger in baseball, they round out my top 15. 

I believe the dividing line for baseball fans is whether or not they think Pete Rose should be allowed into the hall of fame. I firmly believe that the greatest tragedy in baseball (aside from the All-Star game tie in 2002) is the fact that Pete Rose is not in the Hall of Fame. It's about drawing a line in the sand, and across this line - YOU DO NOT...

16. Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

I have absolutely nothing against the Angels organization aside from the fact that they have the worst team name in all of baseball. I'm not talking mascot, either. I'm a God-fearing Christian  and love me some Angels.  But until they decide on either A) California, B) Los Angeles, or C) Anaheim, they must reside in the bottom half of the league.  And don't get me started on that stupid rally monkey. Oh, man.

17. Detroit Tigers

The Tigers ran the risk of turning into the Yankees of the Midwest a few years ago, but after last years dismal performance (relative to the high expectations, that is) we have no worry of that happening any time soon.  I guess the Tigers at #17 are my turning point of the list. I have nothing against them, but there's nothing for them either. After Detroit, however, it all goes downhill. And fast. Just wait until you see who occupies the 7th Cirle of Hell...

18. Colorado Rockies

If I were to become the commissioner of a professional sports league of some sort, I would have a few rules when it came to the naming of mascots.

1. Mascot must be something easily representable in costume form.
2. Mascot name must be easily pluralized
3. Mascot must not be a theme, concept, or anything besides an animal, person, or local figure.
4. If the team has relocated from another city or region, the name of the mascot must be changed to reflect its parent organizations current city or region (there are no lakes in LA, there is no Jazz in Utah). 

Unfortunately for the "Rockies", they don't meet requirements 1 or 2.  And aside from this, I don't like expansion teams either. The reason for the Wild Card is because the talent pool has been diluted due to expansion. Do we need 30 teams? No. We end up having 5 or 6 really good teams, and the rest are mediocre. We pick 2 of them to make the Wild Card so we can have an even 8 team playoff grid. For me, hockey is worse in this respect, but the current conversation deals only with baseball. And before you ask, the Brewers were not an expansion team, they moved from Seattle in 1970. 

19. Florida Marlins

The Marlins also fall into the "expansion team" category. Even worse to me is their hideous color scheme. When they came into the league in '93 they wore those horribly vibrant teal uniforms. Then they went ahead and won the World Series in 1997. Free agency has ruined professional sports, but I'm not getting into that. I just don't think they shoul have a baseball team in Miami. Their average attendance last season? Dead last. Only 16,688 people attended their home games. Most of them were retired folks from New Jersey who go because it's better than crossword puzzles and Judge Judy every day.  But, I guess Miami really needed a baseball team. Their great fans won't even approve a referendum to publicly fund a new stadium for them. Some fans. Milwaukee, the SMALLEST media market in the country, was #9 on the attendance list. For a team who hadn't made the playoffs in 26 years. THOSE are some fans.

20. Arizona Diamondbacks

The D-backs also fall into the expansion team category. At least they've changed their colors to something that people will wear in a different time period than the early 1990's. 

21. Los Angeles Dodgers

I don't like big city teams, and this whole recent thing with Manny Ramirez has just worsened it for me. Throw in bringing Joe Torre in as the manager, and you've got a great media maelstrom that is just perfect for those wackos out in California. If you're a Dodgers fan because they used to be in Brooklyn, then I'm alright with you and I'm sorry your team has been ruined by Major League Baseball and the craziness that is California.

22. Toronto Blue Jays

Aside from the fact that there shouldn't be a Major League Baseball team in Canada, the Blue Jays reside on the bottom of my list for a couple reasons. First of all, they stole Paul Molitor from me. I know it was free agency, and what actually happened was Milwaukee allowing Pauly to walk away, but still. To Canada?  Okay, so they are in Canada, and they play baseball indoors. Two no-no's for me. 

23. San Francisco Giants

Where do I start. It was worse in the Bay than it was in St. Louis during McGwire's heyday. Big Mac Land is one thing, that was just a big plastic sign hung from the 2nd level in left field. But building an entire ball park around one player, making it not only easier for him to break the all-time home run record but do it while turning a blind eye to the cheating that was going on? Come on. The San Francisco Giants are as much to blame for the steriod mess as MLB is.  They apparently were able to make money before the cash cow of Barry Bonds arrived, but instead of following that same business model after his arrival they used steroids and instant gratification to expand their profit margin and pad the pockets of the ownership. 

24. Chicago White Sox

The White Sox have two strikes against them from the gate. Firstly,  they are located in Chicago, which is a shithole. Trust me, I've lived there.  Thanks to the Cubs, I hate all things Chicago. Secondly, the 1919 Chicago Black Sox. It's one thing to steal signs, rub a little vaseline on your palm, or allow some pine tar to creep up your bat. But to intentionally throw the World Series for some lousy money, that is another thing entirely. Call me sentimental, or the product of a childhood filled with "Field of Dreams", but I believe it's their fault Pete Rose is not in the hall of fame. He will forever be compared to them, and in my book, unfairly.  What he did was very different from what they did, and unfortunately, Bart Giamatti has screwed Charlie Hustle for life.

25. Seattle Mariners

I've lived here in Seattle for the past two years, and the most disappointing part of it is going to a Mariners game at Safeco Field. Tickets are nearly 50% higher than tickets for a Brewers or Twins game, a beer is $8, bratwurst and chips is $9, and don't even plan on parking at the game. The team sucks, the ownership is too cheap to care about their team (and actually put some decent money into it...after all, it takes money to make money) and should Ichiro decide that when his contract is up he wants to leave Seattle, they have no plan in place to carry the franchise on from that point in time. They truly rely so heavily upon Japanese-Amarican fans that if he leaves the team, they are screwed.  True Mariners fans (i.e., the old guys I buy cards from at their little shops) tell me the only reason catcher Kenji Yohjima is on the roster is to prepare for that day. He is absolutely horrible (.227 avg, including .207 vs lefties) so why else would he still be their opening day catcher? Hmm...

26. New York Mets

Too much money, Shea Stadium sucked, and they are from New York. I think that sums it up. Not to mention no other team has let their fans down over the past 3 years more than the Mets. 

27. St. Louis Cardinals

I was barely able to speak when it happened, but they took away the only opportunity for my Brewers to win a World Series title back in 1982. Their fans are annoying, they think they are God's gift to professional sports, and they think they are part of the Midwest.  They are also divisional opponents for the Brewers, so that is another strike against them. If it wasn't for the next two teams, they would join the Cubs at the very bottom of the list.

28. Boston Red Sox

I have a huge problem with bandwagon fans. A friend of mine (who is from Ohio - home to two MLB teams, by the way) claims he has been a "life-long Sox fan" but didn't wear anything Sox related until 2004.  He is not even close to being the only person I know like this. I'll admit, I was cheering for them against the Yanks in the 2004 ALCS. Only because I hated to see their fans go so long without winning. But then it turned into a monster. Not only were the Patriots great, but now the Red Sox were on top, and then after they won it again in 2007, they had the Pats, Sox, and Celts atop their prospective leagues. It became a golem to fans of any team in any league, something unavoidable and always in your face. And the folks to bring it to us? Joe Buck and Tim McCarver. I love them as commentators, but I'm sure they were sleeping with the entire Boston infield for most of 2007. 

29. New York Yankees

I'm sure they rank near the bottom of every list made by fans from Boston or anywhere else in the US besides New York/New Jersey.  They forever changed the game of baseball. Well, not the game, but the game behind the game. They made it impossible for teams like Milwaukee, Kansas City, or Tampa Bay to compete at the same level year after year. Sure, the Brewers made the playoffs last year, and maybe the next 2 years we'll have a chance, but after that it may be another 25 year drought again. Thanks to the guys that can afford to pay the huge salaries that the great free-agent players command. That leaves small market teams no option but to once again turn to their farm system, bring those guys up, just to lose them again to free agency. It's a vicious cycle, and only a salary cap can bring an end to it. 

I hate their arrogance, I hate their loud mouths, I hate their steroids and their fans and their beloved "Cathedral of Baseball". I've been to Yankee Stadium: everything was expensive, the fans were crude, and our car was broken into.  Screw the Yankees. The Bronx sucks.

30. Chicago Cubs

Of course no Brewers fan in their right mind would rank the Cubs anywhere else but at the bottom of the list at #30. As my brother puts it, "I'd rather have a sister in a whorehouse than a brother who is a Cubs fan".  Well said, my friend. Well said. Maybe it's the fact that they come up to Milwaukee with their deep dish pizza and crappy Old Style beer, take over our parking lot and declare it "Wrigley Field North". When we try to return the favor, they steal our Pabst, eat all our Bratwurst, and leave NO PARKING WHATSOEVER at Wrigley for us to even attempt the claiming of that craphole they call a stadium.  I hope they go another 100 years without a World Series title. In the meantime, I'll continue keeping a goat as a pet and naming all my children "Bartman". Well, maybe just the goat thing for now. 

Updates...

It's been a busy weekend, so I haven't had any time to sit down and write, er, blog. I spent some time with the wife doing some churchy stuff, spent a few hours and a gallon or two of gas checking all the Target, Walmart, and card stores within a 20 mile radius searching for any sign of 2009 Topps Heritage (no luck), and this entire afternoon was devoted to sorting my huge ass box of 1990 Fleer and 1992 Topps cards preparing for a trade, and catching up on sorting that needed some doing.

I did receive a sweet looking J.J. Hardy card from Bat Ray North West over at Weekly Box Break (he also does a Reds card blog). He sent it without any request for a trade in return, so to him I say thank you. Check out his box breaks, he takes the time to do all the individual scans and that's always better than the lazy 9-card full page scan. And send him any of the newer cards you come across, he has to deal with the censorship of the great state of Utah, which probably limits his access to the new releases by a good 4-5 months. Damn his Reds and their causing of the Prince Fielder/Manny Parra nastiness from last season...well, we still have Bill Hall and as the Brewers' broadcast crew puts it, he's a "Reds Slayer". 

In other news, as promised (and a bit delayed) the trades for Night Owl, Johnny, and Saints of the Cheap Seats will be on their way tomorrow.

By the way, I think I have over 3,000 1990 Fleer cards. How the hell did THAT happen?????