Blog Archives
Don’t you love unexpected surprises?
I ordered this Topps TBT card a few weeks ago on eBay. I received an email a few days ago that I should be receiving the card by May 22. I was surprised when I opened my mailbox today and found it. This is my first Yasiel Puig Cincinnati Reds card. The transaction was smooth, the seller shipped fast, he even used blue painters tape instead of Scotch tape to secure the card (in a penny sleeve) in the Ultra Pro Semi-Rigid Lip Sleeve. This seller (watzhisname) is a pro, and I will not hesitate to order from him again in the future.
But wait…there’s more?!?!?
Also with the Puig card was a 2018 Topps Archives Johnny Bench ’77 style…the only Reds card I did not yet have from that set. Is good ol’ watzhisname a TWJ reader, or was this just dumb luck? Does it really matter? I can now cross another team set off the list.
Obviously I left watzhisname positive feedback, and encourage you to check out his items for sale to see if anything fits into your collection.
If you are reading this watzhisname, thank you for the smooth transaction, the fast shipping, and the bonus card!
Fun Cards: 2019 Reds, 1987 Topps football style: Johnny Bench
One of the greatest players ever, Johnny Bench is rightly and forever will be known as a legend in Cincinnati.
Just in time for Opening Day (part 1)
Happy Reds Opening Day! As I type this, my Redlegs trail the Washington Nationals 1-0 while waiting to bat against Brandon Kintzler, who replaces future Hall of Famer Max Scherzer in the bottom of the 7th. The Reds still have nine outs to cross the plate a couple of times and pull out a victory in their first official game of 2018. Fingers crossed!
For the second time in less than a month, @cjbosu2000 hits a home run with a package full of Reds cards. Inside were Hall of Famers Johnny Bench and Ken Griffey Jr...
Prospects Tyler Stephenson and Jesse Winker (who got the start today)…
Speedster Billy Hamilton…
And my first 2018 Gypsy Queen cards, Scooter Gennett and Adam Duvall…
Again, thank you for the cards Chuck! Good luck to the Tribe this year…maybe we will see a World Series featuring two Ohio teams this year!
I don’t like the Cardinals, but they have some cool fans
A few weeks ago, I sent Levi (@levi_vm some Cardinals cards that were cluttering up my house, and he sent some Reds cards back. I was sick when they arrived, wasn’t Tweeting much, so this is the first mention I have made of them. Sorry it took so long.
This package, while small, was a heavy hitter. Starting with a couple of retired Reds, including Hall of Famer Johnny Bench…
…and Reds Hall of Famer Jose Rijo.
This is now my second autographed Rijo card. I still want to get his signature on a 1990 World Series baseball that I have had on my shelf since 1990. But I’m not willing to spend a fortune on an autograph, so it will probably remain unsigned forever.
Moving to the current Reds roster, Levi sent over a 2016 Optic Billy Hamilton black (I think) parallel. It looks black in-hand, but when scanned looks more purply.
Two Jose Peraza cards also fell out of the package, both from 2016. First is the Optic Rated Rookie.
Next is an Immaculate jersey relic. I love this card.
Finally, the package was rounded out with a 2017 Finest Cody Reed autograph.
I don’t know a whole lot about Reed, but I know the Reds need good pitching. I hope he is up to the challenge. The offense looks great, but the pitching staff is highly questionable. I still think the team could have competed this year if they had signed one of those free agent starters, but as usual, they went the cheap route and let them all slip away. Rebuilding is just an excuse to avoid spending money.
Thanks for the cards, Levi! A definite surprise that brought a smile to my face last week when received, even though I didn’t acknowledge them right away!
Reds from Tennessee
I suppose one might say that folks in Tennessee are lucky. Since they have no MLB team, they are free agents when it comes to fandom. As such, the Tigers are the fortunate beneficiaries of @robbyt86‘s fandom. And I am the beneficiary of his non-fandom of Reds, as evidenced by our recent trade. I will only hit a few highlights here because it would take probably a month full of posts to show off everything Robert sent my way.
Let’s start with the cards everyone loves to hate…Donruss.
I know I’m an odd duck, but I prefer Donruss to Topps over the past few years. I think the 2018 product looks great, and can’t wait to get it in-hand. Topps has been getting further and further away from what drew me to collecting in the first place, and Donruss just piles on the nostalgia more and more each year.
Then there are the cards that I hate to love…parallels.
I do not put parallels on my wantlists, but I love it when they show up in my mailbox. I normally just add a note to my list in parenthesis, then hit it with the strike-through. Robert packed the package full of colorful borders, including a strangely appealing purple-bordered Bronson Arroyo. Why do those Toys R Us parallels look so fantastic?
Also in the envelope was the complete team set of 2003 Shoebox Collection.
Reprints of rookie cards of several Reds legends, except for Ken Griffey. Topps reprinted Senior’s 1981 card, instead of his 1974 RC. Strange.
Robert also helped me finish off my 2015 Topps Reds set.
The only base Reds card I was missing from 2015, Kristopher Negron, has now joined his comrades. Hmmm…Reds, Comrades? Maybe I should rethink that wording.
What a great trade full of legends like Johnny Bench…
Legends in the making like Joey Votto…
And legends of the future like Tyler Stephenson…
Man, I can’t wait for Opening Day!
Thanks for the fantastic trade, Robert! (And thanks for getting those Tigers out of my house!)
Fun Cards: “Baseball Immortals” Johnny Bench
Johnny Bench was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1989, receiving 431 of 447 votes. That’s an impressive 96.42%. At the time of his induction, that was the third-highest percentage in history, behind only Ty Cobb (1936, 98.23%) and Hank Aaron (1982, 97.83%). Currently, however, it is only the twelfth highest percentage, with Ken Griffey‘s 2016 election at 99.32% topping the list.
Bench’s name is often mentioned in discussions about the greatest catchers of all-time. Some claim Yogi Berra was better, but if I were the general manager, I would pick Bench every day. He was a fantastic defensive catcher, and busted home runs like no other backstop. Bench won the Rookie of the Year award in 1968, was twice named the NL MVP, three other times finished in the top 10, was named to 14 All-Star teams, and won 10 Gold Gloves.
Topps Throwback Thursday on the way
I bit the bullet and purchased the Topps TBT cards that were offered up last week. 1968-style Johnny Bench, Nolan Ryan, Paul Molitor, Willie Stargell, Andre Dawson, and Carlton Fisk.
I got an email yesterday that they are on the way! The initial plan was to hang on to the greatest catcher ever in my Reds collection (still happening), and offer up the rest on eBay to try to recoup the cost. The problem is, I hate eBay. Absolutely loathe using the site. Selling is worse than buying. So here’s how you can help me out…
Take the extras. Ryan is already spoken for in a Twitterfied trade, but the other four are up for grabs. Let me know what you’re willing to part with (either Reds cards or green cash), and we’ll see if we can work something out. Send me an e-mail or a Twitter message or a smoke signal or something.
Antiquing for baseball cards and more
I picked up a nine-pocket page of baseball cards at the Antique Mall yesterday. At least six of those cards (pictured above) I did not already have in my collection. Two of them (the Pete Rose cards) I have never even seen before. The Johnny Bench card comes from the 1976 SSPC set, while the Redsfest cards are variations on cards I already owned. In 2008, baseball cards were given away at Redsfest at various booths, but they did not have the sponosrs’ logos on the cards like these do. I’m not sure if there are variations for all nine cards, or just Jay Bruce, Brandon Phillips, and Joey Votto. In any case, I was happy to add the cards to my collection.
My wife also spied a couple of Starting Lineup figures for me—one of my favorite players, Chris Sabo, and Nasty Boy Rob Dibble—and the price was right to add them to my collection as well. I will be breaking them free of their packaging as soon as I get my mancave cleaned up a little bit, and put them on display with the rest of my SLU collection.
Antique Malls are awesome for finding deals on baseball cards and memorabilia.