Much Delayed Pickups from COMC!

Hey guys, Drew back here! I haven't had a whole lot coming in over the past few weeks, but I did get this package in a while back that I haven't gotten around to showing off to you all just yet. I ordered some cards off of Check Out My Collectibles after selling a few cards I'd been wanting to move, all of which going towards my new Player Collections box I've been building while I've been away from the blogosphere. Take a look at what I was able to add this go-round:

When I first made my list of players I wanted to collect from this point on, I made sure to look young in some cases. Obviously I love a lot of the legends of the game, and a majority of my list consists of those players, but I was also sure to pick a few new favorites such as Mike Trout, Andrew McCutchen, and Bryce Harper. Cutch has been a favorite of mine for a few seasons now while I've been warming up to Trout and Harper along the way. The Home Run Derby I attended last summer definitely made me a bigger Harper fan, because I originally labeled him as cocky and arrogant (kind of like Puig). I love the intensity each of these 3 players bring to the table; they're always willing to go the extra mile and that has allowed them to be as successful as they have been. Also, while Robinson Cano left New York, I still decided to collect his cards because I've been a fan of his from the very beginning of his career and I can't let the business part in baseball get in the way of me rooting for one of my favorite players ever. I don't like seeing him in a Mariners uniform but he is still a favorite of mine, without a doubt!

The Knicks suck. I've been so incredibly disappointed with them this season, as I came into the 2013-14 season with high expectations coming off of a very good previous season. Now, I can't even bring myself to watch them, and I think a lot of smart business moves need to be made before I can really take interest in them again. However, I don't see James Dolan making any of those smart moves, so until he's out of the franchise, I don't know if I can get my expectations up again. Amar'e Stoudemire, despite all of his injuries, is still my current favorite Knick, although Carmelo is carrying most of the load. I feel bad for his poor health even though he's making a boatload of money because I see how much he cares about being a part of the team and wanting to contribute. I picked up this relic of his for a few dollars just for the heck of it. It's out of 2012-13 Timeless Treasures and is numbered 76 of 99. 

Tyson Chandler is another favorite of mine on the Knicks during this dark period. I love the way he carries the team on defense and he does a great job in his role. Unfortunately he doesn't have much help, as the defense is basically helpless outside of his performance, so with his frequent injuries it leads to many more problems. I picked up this gorgeous dual patch autograph of Chandler's from 2012-13 Panini National Treasures numbered only to 10 for a pretty fair (while expensive) price, but it's absolutely gorgeous and I'm glad to add it to my collection, despite how pathetic the Knicks have played this season.

Finally, going back to my Cano tangent, here's a really sweet 2011 Topps Triple Threads relic numbered only to 9 featuring Robby along with Hall of Famer's Joe Morgan and Roberto Alomar! The relics spell out Second Sackers, and while sort of cheesy, the card is still amazing to look at in person and it's really cool to see a personal favorite player of mine stacked up with the all time greats at his trade! I think Cano will ultimately go down as one of the best second basemen of all time (especially offensively, while he more than holds his own defensively as well), and quite possibly a Hall of Famer as well!

So that's all I have for now everyone, hopefully I'll be getting some stuff in soon leading up to perhaps the biggest event I've attended yet coming up next month! Be on the lookout for that, but until then, see ya!

Two More Tier One Relics for the Set!

Hey guys, Drew back here! A couple weeks back, I decided it was time to pick up a few more cards for my 2011 Topps Tier One set chase. I did well, only having to pay about $10 for the two, and a very cheap price for the first card!

The first of two happened to be of recent Hall of Fame inductee Roberto Alomar! This card came in dirt cheap, at about a dollar plus shipping charges. I bought both cards from the same seller though, so there was combined shipping, which made it even better. This card is numbered out of 399 and features a piece of his bat, which is pretty cool if I must say. He was a very good player without a doubt, and it's only fair that he was included in the 50 card set.

The second was of future Hall of Famer Albert Pujols! If this guy never has any suspicion of taking PED's in an era in which a good majority of baseball did, he could the best "Natural" player since Mickey Mantle. King Albert has a beautiful swing, a great glove, and an enormous fanbase that loves him to death. I'm certainly a fan of him, but I do kind of wish he stayed in St. Louis for the rest of his career. The money/business side of sports has been really killing the fun and tradition of the games. In a perfect world, Pujols would end his career as a Cardinal; Peyton Manning as a Colt; and Dwight Howard would remain a member of the Orlando Magic (given he does get traded at the deadline). Nonetheless, Pujols has helped given the Cardinals 3 pennants and 2 World Series titles during his tenure, so I don't think they should be too stubborn about his absence. They still have a great team and a very good chance at winning the Central this year. He wasn't the only defending champion, after all.

That will do it for me, but before I go, please check out my Tier One relic page, and if you have one of the cards not pictured, I would absolutely love to hear from you about a possible trade! Leave a comment or shoot me an email to yanks1996wsc@gmail.com! Thanks everyone!

See Ya!

Congrats to the Hall of Fame Class of 2010!

Hey guys, Drew back here. It's that time of year again where the hallowed Hall of Fame is opened to new players, and they join an elite group of superstar athletes. This year, the Hall of Fame inductions featured players such as Don Mattingly, Dave Parker, Jack Morris, Lee Smith, Alan Trammell, Roberto Alomar, Jeff Bagwell, Dale Murphy, Tim Raines, Larry Walker, Mark McGwire, Barry Larkin, Fred McGriff, Rafael Palmeiro, and the forever searching Bert Blyleven. These players were great on the field, but only 2 of them were inducted into Cooperstown in 2011.

The first was former All Star second baseman Roberto Alomar! Alomar played 15 years in baseball, playing for the Padres, Blue Jays, Orioles, Indians, Mets, White Sox, and Diamondbacks. He had a lifetime batting average of .300, with 2,724 hits, 210 home runs, 1,134 RBI, and 474 steals. He made 12 All Star teams and won 10 Gold Gloves, more Gold Gloves than any other second baseman in history. He can be considered the greatest second baseman to ever play the game, and that showed when he received 90% of the vote in his 2nd year of eligibility! I don't know a whole lot about Alomar, considering he retired the year before I began to follow baseball, but recently the MLB Network had a segment comparing him to current day All Star second baseman and one of my favorite players, Robinson Cano. Of course, Cano has only played a few seasons in baseball, so the career stats don't come close, but at the rate he's at, he could very well be very comparable to Mr. Alomar!

The second player inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2011 was former All Star pitcher Bert Blyleven! Blyleven pitched for the Twins, Rangers, Pirates, Indians, Twins, and Angels throughout his 22 year career. He won 287 games, lost 250, struck out 3,701 batters, and had a 3.31 career ERA. He made 2 All Star teams and won 2 World Series championships, but that was enough to finally get him into Cooperstown. Many people question if Blyleven deserved to be in the company of such legendary pitchers, because he didn't necessarily have the "swagger" and express fear in hitters, he just knew how to pitch, especially with his great curveball. It took 14 years, but finally, Bert Blyleven will get his plaque in the Baseball Hall of Fame!

I wanna say Congratulations to both Roberto and Bert on the inductions, that is the best accomplishment imaginable in sports, and being in that Hall of Fame must make you feel awful special!

See Ya!