drewscards 2015 Year in Review

Hey everyone, this is Drew back here with you for one last time this year. Today marks the end of one of the craziest years of my life. After a seamless conclusion to high school, the transition to college was rocky and resulted with me transferring schools to come back home. I got out of what once was a really healthy relationship that was affected severely by the changes that took place. I started working at a local Dick's Sporting Goods store and made some really great friends in the process. And I am currently preparing to leave the country next month and explore Europe as part of my journey to start a newer, fresher beginning.

With all of these changes, I had to choose whether to keep this blog going or to let it fade away with the rest of my childhood. I remember saying last year when Derek Jeter retired that it was the final straw for me to grow up and become an adult. I've been starting to take my writing more seriously, as you saw all of last year through my occasional "Ten for Tuesday" ranking posts and my frequent opinions on trades, teams, and the Baseball Hall of Fame. Some of the articles you saw towards the end of the year were even published in my school's online newspaper. I plan to use my passion for not just this hobby but for the game of baseball itself to hopefully land an internship next year, and maybe a job down the line. If there's one thing I've learned, it's that I'm the type of person that would prefer to love what I do more than love the benefits of doing something I don't enjoy.

So, the blog continues into 2016, but I decided to brush away the rust and create something new for you all. With that in mind, I'd like to formally welcome you all to "Drew's Hot Corner". Same author, same style, but I would like to think it feels more "grown-up". One of my biggest goals in 2016 (I'll get into this more tomorrow) is to shed away the skin of the 12 year old I was when I began this endeavor and give you all a more mature representation of who I am today. I'll continue to show you all how my card and memorabilia collections grow over time, but a lot of what you'll see from here on will have to do with my thoughts on the sport itself. I'll occasionally branch into football, basketball, TV, music, or really whatever else I feel like writing, but baseball is and will always be the concentration.

I chose third base because it was the position I enjoyed playing the most in the decade I participated in baseball. I've always had the most respect for players that are capable of making the long throw to first and have unquestionably quick reflexes. Maybe had I caught during my career, this blog would be "Behind the Plate". But I think this serves me best. Evan Longoria and David Wright were my favorite players to emulate when playing third, so they accompany all time greats Brooks Robinson and Mike Schmidt on the updated logo. I hope you all have found this post well, because I did purchase a domain through Blogger. We have moved from www.drewsbbcards.blogspot.com to www.drewshotcorner.com.

But before the Hot Corner begins to spark, let's take a journey into what 2015 brought into my life.

January

- I was blessed with a Nick Offerman through the mail success.

- Cubs prolific slugger and a personal favorite of mine, Ernie Banks, passed away.

- Dad and I met Tino Martinez, Don Larsen, among other Yankee greats at MAB's Pinstripe Pandemonium (and Frankie!)

March

- I celebrated watching baseball for 10 years by creating my All Time Yankees team. (Pitching)

- TTM Success from the legendary voice of Darth Vader, James Earl Jones!

April

- I started my "Ten for Tuesday" series by discussing my 10 favorite memories as a Yankee fan!

May

- I counted down the Top 10 Sports Photos of All Time

June

- One of the most controversial lists discussed the most Overrated Hall of Famers.

- I ranked the Top 10 Greatest Yankees of all time.

- I read and reviewed Jorge Posada's autobiography, "The Journey Home"

July

- I went to an NLCS Game several months too early with my friends, Mets vs. Cubs

- My birthday brought two new signed baseballs into my collection (Panik / Brooks)

August

- I discussed moves made during the Baseball Trade Deadline

- I bought an autograph of the game's top current prospect, Byron Buxton

- Dad & I attended the East Coast National, Meeting Robinson, Murray, & Kaline

- That day, I unofficially began collecting Yankees phenom Luis Severino!

September

- I payed my respects to the wonderful man that was Yogi Berra.

October

- Victory Fine Art & I teamed up to give away one of their beautiful prints!

- I picked up a signed copy of Ray Lewis' autobiography, "I Feel Like Going On"

- I started selling on eBay and treated myself to an upgraded autograph of Giancarlo Stanton

November

- I shared the articles I wrote for my school's newspaper: "Five Ways the Yankees Can Claim Back New York" and "A Letter to the Hall of Fame".

December

- I went to my first card show by myself and met future Yankees first baseman Greg Bird

- Dad and I went to the biggest Jets game of 2015!

- I got a TTM success from Yankees top prospect Aaron Judge!

- Frankie and William hooked me up with amazing Christmas gifts!

Thank you to each and every one of you that helped make this year as great as it possibly could get. I'm fortunate to live a wonderful life with amazing influences, friends, and family, and I want it to be clear just how blessed I know I am. I hope I can continue to use all that I have to make a considerable impact on all of your lives much like you have mine. 

Thank you to every single reader out there. Even if you just take the time to click my link, it allows me to continue to bring material out for you. 2015 was an enormous comeback year on the blog for me, and I hope to ride out this hot streak well into 2016 and beyond.

Until next year, so long, and goodbye. Rest in peace, drewscards. It was fun.

Christmas Gifts from William & Frankie!

Hey everyone, Drew back here! It is the last day of the year, and I just realized how many different things I'd like to accomplish with the blog today. So we're going to start this final day with a bang and show a few awesome gifts I received from two of my closest friends in the blogosphere.

William led off this year with a package filled with PC cards I've been in desperate need of.

This Luis Severino card technically does not fit in my PC because it isn't a licensed issue, but I never said I wouldn't welcome any other card of his. He also included the same Onyx insert of Greg Bird.

I didn't have as impressive a year as I would have liked with the Joe Panik PC, but I think collecting Luis Severino was partially to blame. With Severino being on the rise in New York, I've felt it is necessary to grab as many cards of his as possible before they become unaffordable. Meanwhile, Panik has already been named an All Star and his card prices have seemed to hit their peak, so it may be possible to grab more down the road for cheaper costs.

I needed all three of the Panik cards William sent along, including this 2015 Allen & Ginter mini.

Oh, Robby Cano. I've been missing our former star second baseman ever since he left New York, even though his years in Seattle have been mediocre at best considering the contract he is playing to. I still do collect any Cano cards, so feel free to keep on sending them along. They're all reminders of great times that have come before.

Speaking of great times, is there any product from 2015 that captured the inner essence of baseball quite like Stadium Club? The Mariano Rivera card is possibly my favorite non-hit card of my Rivera mini PC; showing him celebrate the final out of the 1998 World Series. The David Cone gold foil card (as Night Owl mentioned recently, I didn't notice the gold until I peeked at this scan).

I've been looking to add this Bowman Inception Severino auto ever since I sent one to Frankie for his birthday. I've added some of the higher end, serial numbered Severino cards from Inception in the meantime, but I still had to take it back to the basics. Inception is definitely one of this year's most underrated, although the amount of autos in the market make their top prospect autographs somewhat too affordable at times (to the point where you could question the card's long term sustainable value, but hey, we're not all in this for the money, right?)

My favorite card in the package was definitely the Jeter relic. I do not have enough cards of my all time favorite player, and that is something I hope to change in 2016. I've never really understood using a road jersey for a card featuring players in home jerseys, or vise-versa, but the amount of gray on the card makes this one aesthetically pleasing enough to pass my standards and keep me satisfied!

Frankie caught me totally offguard this year, although I was beginning to suspect something when I received a random text asking if I'm still collecting Joe Panik. Sure enough, a few weeks later I found a package in my mailbox that contained what now is my best card of the Giants All Star second baseman. 

I'm very excited to see what the future holds for Gary Sanchez. Sanchez was our top prospect for a considerable amount of time after Jesus Montero made his debut in pinstripes (and was subsequently traded to Seattle for Michael Pineda) until the recent core of young studs flooded the farm system. After Judge, Severino, Bird, and Mateo found their way towards the top of the Baseball America lists, Sanchez became a bit of an afterthought.

This year, he proved that he was just as worthy as the newcomers at sitting atop top prospect lists. In 58 games in AA, he batted .262 with 12 home runs and showed improvement behind the plate too. He was called up to AAA, and was even more successful there (.295/6 HR/26 RBI in 146 plate appearances). But he stole the show in the Arizona Fall League, making a run for MVP of the off-season league. It was a good year to be Gary Sanchez.

Tyler Austin and Mason Williams go hand in hand at this point. Both prospects have been highly touted at times for their athletic ability and skills, but neither player has been able to put it all together. Austin batted .240 between AA and AAA in 2015, far off what he had contributed in the past. He did perform better in the Arizona Fall League, and is still only 23. Williams made his major league debut in 2015, and showed some flashes of brilliance before a shoulder injury ended his 2015 rookie campaign.

The Yankees have proven to be excellent at finding pitchers like David Phelps and Adam Warren. These long reliever/6th starter type pitchers are valuable because they can help keep the bullpen rested when starting pitchers have to exit early, and they are often more than capable of starting games when other pitchers get injured. Phelps was included in the deal with the Marlins that brought Nate Eovaldi to the Bronx, who I would personally much rather have. I did miss Phelps in 2015 though, and I absolutely love this Gypsy Queen autograph of his.

My mouth dropped when I first saw this card. Joe Panik's best rookie autograph.. graded a 9.5? Is this real life? I don't often collect graded cards, but you won't catch me complaining about having a card this monumental for the Panik collection slabbed by Beckett. I already had the Bowman autograph, but have already sold it for a different Panik (that I have already bought). This one blew it out of the water, and I'm so fortunate to Frankie for sending it my way.

Thank you both for such awesome gifts! I hope you enjoy yours as well (which are well on their way by now)!

Later today, I plan on outlining the fantastic year it's been, before revealing a big change effective tomorrow. Be on the lookout for a big finish to drewscards' comeback year!

See Ya!

Belated Berra Birthday Mailday

Hey everyone, Drew back here. The semester has began, and it is going to be quite a grind throughout from what I can tell. Between my work schedule and schoolwork, it will be tougher than I expected to keep this blog as active as I did last semester. Some evidence to my absence is that I still haven't posted two really special gifts I was given for my birthday (yes, my birthday at the end of July).

First off, William spent a little time and money on me while attending the National, which as always meant a whole lot to me. He included some pretty neat things for my collection in a package he sent a few weeks following the big show.

This Babe Ruth Heritage Auctions advertisement really would look cool framed and hung up somewhere.

I've really enjoyed much of the 2015 Yankees season. They have most certainly exceeded expectations, and despite some injuries they have mostly persevered and played well. The loss of Mark Teixeira is going to sting, though, and although I have been intrigued by rookie Greg Bird's performance; it will be tough to make up for his 31 home runs in the lineup.

William always catches me up on the products I've missed. Allen & Ginter may have run dry a tad over the years but I do really like the McCann and Bernie Williams cards he sent. They still look better than any others signed.

The big gift was this a 1947-66 Exhibits oddball card of Yogi Berra. The exact year is unclear from everywhere I've looked, but it's a unique add to a collection that has grown ever so slighty over the years. There aren't many players I'd rather collect than Yogi, the one former player I would wish to meet (with the exception of Derek Jeter) over most any other. That smile on the card is so infectious.

The other gift(s) I was given came courtesy of my relatively new friend Frankie, of My Life in the Sports Card Hobby. I have known Frankie for close to a year now, and he is one of my favorite bloggers in the community as we speak. His collection may already surpass my own, but his passion for this hobby is so similar to what I feel. 

Frankie tossed in this Panini Prism autograph of Ivan Nova to kick things off! I expected better things from Nova next year, as it seems that pitchers seem to fare better the second season back from Tommy John Surgery. Regardless, he will come of heavy importance in tonight's game against the Blue Jays and if all goes well he could help to shorten the gap in the Division Race.

The main attraction in his package was once again Berra related, and couldn't be much better. The 1992 Front Row Series contains five exclusive Yogi Berra cards, one of which is autographed on card!

I can never get enough Yogi ink in my Yankees collection, and I love the picture the autograph is signed atop of (despite the lack of a logo on his hat). 

The set also comes with a separate Certificate of Authenticity, although it isn't really that necessary. Nowadays we tend to see COA's on the back of the certified autographs, but this was one of the first autograph sets and Front Row deserves a pass. Although limited to 5,000 copies, these are more rare than it may sound.

William and Frankie, thank you both so much for the really great gifts. You two are as awesome as it gets, and your kindness can not be beaten!

See Ya!

Chapter One

Hey everyone! This post is in regards to my new friend Frankie's recent contest announcement. Be sure to check out the post and join in yourselves, especially if you want in on some sweet prizes!

I've already posted a separate "About Me" page, and if you haven't had the opportunity to check that out and are interested in the full story behind what got me started in the hobby, take a look. This is an excerpt from that page:

Hey everyone, I'm Drew, and welcome to my blog, drewscards! Excuse my mediocre blog title, but I was only 12 years old when this site was first up and running and I've been doing my best to keep some of my traditions up ever since (this is why I begin every post saying "Drew back here", and end each post with "See Ya!"). I've been collecting ever since I was 8 years old, and in the summer of 7th grade going into 8th I discovered the world of YouTube and blogging by simply typing "baseball cards" into a Google search. I never thought that one basic search would bring across all of the possibilities and experiences it has, and I'm thankful I did that in retrospect.

I was born and brought up as a New York sports fan following in my Dad's footsteps. My dad played football in high school, and it has been his second passion ever since (hunting is his favorite). He's been a New York Jets fan his entire life, and he passed that plague down to me. I remember laying in bed crying when I was younger; miserable because the Jets choked up the lead in a key playoff game and were eliminated. My parents told me over and over that I could switch teams if I wanted to, but I've never had the heart to do so. Part of this was because I at least had a legendary baseball team to follow (so thankful my Dad wasn't a Jet/Met fan). I started watching baseball towards the end of the 2004 playoffs, and somehow stuck with the Yankees even through losing to Boston in Game 7 of the ALCS. In 2005 I went baseball crazy; reading every article I could and begging my parents to take me to Yankee Stadium. I used to cut out each player's profile picture and make little cards with their statistics on them and drafted different teams to emulate in my front yard. I can only imagine my neighbors watching me run around and announce the games to myself and thinking I needed to be put in some kind of institution. Nevertheless, a baseball fan was born in me.

In elementary school, I made everyone a baseball and football card collector. One of my friends didn't even like sports and still brought in cards to trade every lunch. Every year one of them would fade off and leave the hobby, and eventually I was almost alone in my own world. I still have a few friends from school that would appreciate some Yankees cards, but that was really it. I Google searched "baseball cards" in July of 2008, and wound up starting a YouTube account where I would open packs of cards for all the world to see. My parents found out about it and saw I was trying to negotiate trades online with strangers and told me I needed to delete the account. I was heartbroken, but didn't give up. Shortly after, I opened up a blog on Weebly, and made my first post that October. I didn't have much of a following until I brought all of my material over to Blogger in December. Blogger was a blessing for me, because the feeling of "writing to a blank wall" began to dissipate as my viewership grew ever so slightly. My writing was far from excellent back during those times, but I gave my best effort to write like my then favorite bloggers: Mario Alejandro of Wax Heaven, Dave of Fielder's Choice Blog, and Beardy of Beardy's Blog, and later the Mojo Beard. 

___________________________________________________________________________________________________

I have been involved with cards and collectibles ever since I was 3 or 4, when my Dad gave me a bunch of early 1990's Pacific football cards. I was infatuated with the colors of the uniforms and would often sort them out by team, only to put them back in the stack to be sorted again the next day. As I grew a few years older, I would use just about every Toys R Us gift card I was given towards the random 10 pack boxes with a mystery in the middle. I remember being so pumped up to pull a Yankee autograph. I don't even recall who the player was, but I believe it's somewhere in my basement, most likely collecting dust. There would occasionally be small card shows close by, and I used to beg my parents to take me. In the 3 shows I went to, I got to meet Roy White and Brian Bruney, and I felt like I was in baseball heaven. And as aforementioned, in 2008, I Google searched "baseball cards" after almost throwing in the towel on collecting, and I came up with about a million more reasons not to stop.

And here we are now. I can't believe how far something as small yet powerful as the Internet took me. I was brought to some of the best friends I've ever had, which I will forever be grateful for. It also helped broaden my horizons, which I desperately needed. When I was younger, I listened to the Beatles religiously (certainly not a bad band to follow, if I say so myself). I used to print out pictures of the band members and make picture books, which could explain my past interest in making custom cards. Through the Internet and technology, I have extended my iTunes playlists to everything from Pink Floyd to Coldplay to Kanye West. It takes more now for me not to like something than it is to enjoy something. I also semi recently fell into the trap that is Netflix and TV shows. I never thought I'd get to that point, but how could one say that when shows like The Walking Dead, Breaking Bad, and Game of Thrones are out there waiting for your pleasure and enjoyment?

My point is, I always will be thankful for growing up in this age of technology. I know many adults scowl at how different our lives are from what they experienced, but that's life. I needed technology to become the person I am today. And I'm proud of that.

Thank you to each and every one of you who have supported me throughout the years; friends, family, and even if you just click this link and read what I have to say once in a while. It is all appreciated. I'm looking forward to continuing to share my passion with you, and even after writing on this space for 6 years, I can say that I'm truly just getting started.

Again, if you have not seen Frankie's contest post yet, I encourage you to join in. I don't know many collectors with the passion that this kid has, and he deserves all the attention his incredible, growing collection should throw his way.

- Drew

His Life in the Sports Card Hobby Joins Mine!

Hey guys, Drew back here! Other than the ridiculous weather, things have been starting to fall back into place lately. It's been refreshing going to school every weekday morning and coming home to relax to myself (and not having to put up with dorm mates). It's given me a chance to get more involved in this hobby and organize a lot of the mess I have scattered throughout the house. 

Recently, I had the chance to meet Frankie of My Life in the Sports Card Hobby at the Pinstripe Pandemonium in January. I've helped Frankie with some advice as he's been getting started in the blogging community, and he decided to send me a care package out of the blue! It was so thoughtful of him, especially given all the amazing stuff he sent along!

He kicked it off by sending me this little Mariano Rivera mini figure. I'm not sure what this is from or for, but fortunately hoarders like me will take just about anything with an interlocking NY and especially of guys like him.

Frankie tossed in some interesting inserts and rookie cards in the package, my favorite of these four being the Jedd Gyorko Museum Collection parallel numbered to 99. I'm curious to see how the Padres will fare this season with their completely revamped roster, and Gyorko will be a key player in that transition from pretenders to contenders.

I think Eric Jagielo is going to be a pretty good player when he is able to put it all together. I've heard a lot of positive things about the 2013 Yankees draft class; consisting of top prospects Jagielo, Ian Clarkin, and Aaron Judge. They've never been known for having a standout farm system but I think Cashman and co. are heading in the right direction.

I really didn't expect to find this 1967 Yankees team card in the package, and it was easily one of my favorites Frankie included. That bright yellow sure is hideous, but it really represents the team well during the "Horace Clarke Era". In 1967, the Yankees finished 20 games behind the Red Sox in the division. Regardless, it's a classic card and it was super cool of Frankie to send this to me!

This is kind of a cool then and now scan here with Albert Pujols and Jose Abreu. Pujols is still a respectable, productive player, but it seems like the Cuban star is ready to take his throne. I'm keeping Abreu on my fantasy team this year, and am excited to see if he can defeat the sophomore slump. (If anyone has Abreu's to spare, I'd be happy to work something out!)

These were probably my 2 favorite cards from the bunch of two of my favorite players in the game today. I've been debating whether to make Tulowitzki a mini PC on my Who I Collect / Wantlist page, and I think one of these days I'm going to do it. This Bowman insert looks incredible in person. As for the Topps Finest insert of Pirates superstar Andrew McCutchen, well, what can I say? It's a beautiful card numbered only 19 of 25! Frankie, you really didn't have to do all this!

To cap it all off, he sent me 3 "hits", the first being a TriStar autograph of Michael Ynoa. I used to have a Ynoa autograph, but traded it and thought I was going to regret it. His future has not been determined just yet, but he was recently included in the Jeff Samardzija trade, so it's possible that the White Sox may see something in him.

David Berg was selected by the Rangers in the 17th round of the 2014 MLB Draft, but instead chose to pitch for the UCLA Bruins in college. He is a sidearm pitcher and a dominant bullpen arm in the 2013 College World Series! These USA jerseys are so patriotic and appealing looking, and if he turns out to be the stud he's pitching like it'll be a nice card to own.

Carlos Gutierrez has bounced around the minor leagues since he was drafted by the Twins. He now is in the Cubs farm system around AAA, and could be a call up possibility if injuries strike the big league club. I love pinstripe relics too, and although I don't know much about this kid, I really appreciate you sending me all of this Frankie!

I had a lot of fun uncovering your package and getting a wide variety of different things. I need some diversity in my collection once in a while anyway! Frankie, you really didn't have to do all this, it was so considerate of you to think of sending all this stuff along my way! I'll have to be sure to get you back in the future for this big haul, buddy, so watch out for that.

See Ya!