Mad Max - But Not the Movie

Hey guys, Drew back here! It feels good to have some spending money for the first time in over a year. Regardless, I'm beginning to learn how fast it can all go, and with the summer getting underway I've been attempting to save some cash for when I'll want and need it most. However, I did allocate about $10 to pick up an autograph of who just may be the most effective pitcher in the game.

I was never sure if Max Scherzer was going to stick around at the top of the leaderboards, but I think it can be established by now that he is owns of the most polished arms around. Scherzer began his career rather inconsistently, but always possessed the "stuff" necessary to thrive. In 2013, at the age of 28, he had perhaps his best season; winning 21 games and coming home with the American League Cy Young Award. He followed up his tremendous performance with an impressive 2014, and was rewarded to the tune of a 7 year, $210 million dollar deal with the Washington Nationals. The deal will pay Scherzer over a 14 year time span, so he will be payed far after his time in the nation's capital. While this has all the implications of becoming a train wreck of a contract by the conclusion of the seven years, for now "Mad Max" is taking the National League by storm. He's opened this season with a 6-4 record, a 1.85 ERA (currently leading the league), and 90 strikeouts! If he keeps this up this performance, he will certainly be in consideration for more hardware. 

As previously noted, I was able to find a new 2015 Topps Museum Collection autograph of Scherzer's on eBay for just over $10 shipped. Despite ranking among the likes of Kershaw and King Felix right now, his autographs don't sell for nearly as much as they should. I pulled an Allen & Ginter framed autograph of Scherzer's in 2010, but quickly (and stupidly) flipped it for an autograph from the same set of Chris Young... It's safe to say I've made my share of errors since joining the online community in 2008. I finally redeemed myself with this purchase, and although I've always loved Allen & Ginter autographs; this one is even nicer.

What do you all think? Have you gotten any nice steals lately? Feel free to share in the comments below!

See Ya!

Yes We McCann!

Hey guys, Drew back here! My first official year as a college student is now complete, and I have to say there isn't a better feeling in the world than to be done. A lot has taken place in my life in that time, and I'm really fortunate for the way everything ended up. I definitely made the right decision by switching schools mid-way through the year, as being away (especially where I was) really brought me down in a number of ways. But, the past is the past, and every experience led up to where I am right now, and I'm very lucky to be where I am.

With all that said, here was my gift to myself for completing the school year; something I snatched up on eBay last week for a better price than what the remaining 24 copies were selling for.

Out of this year's stunning Topps Museum Collection product, I purchased my first autograph of the Yankees new gritty backstop, Brian McCann! McCann hasn't delivered as well as a lot of Yankee fans had hoped in his one plus year in the Bronx, but I feel like he deserves a lot more credit than he's been given. Being able to have a dependable catcher in this day of age who can also come up with clutch hits is really an asset only a select few teams can say they have. The Yankees pitching staff has come a long way, surpassing expectations thus far in the 2015 season, and I feel like some of that can be attributed to McCann's veteran leadership. He may not be the threat he was during his prime, but I would gladly take him over any of the options they threw out there after Posada left.

McCann didn't have many autographs in a Yankee uniform last year, but this year he's been featured in several products. This one is on a sticker, but it is pretty hard to tell unless you see it in person. It is rare to find quality Yankees patches in any product, so to be able to find one of one of the team's leaders, autographed and numbered to only 25 copies for under $30; I couldn't be happier.

He may not be our best player, but I have grown quite fond of Brian McCann as a person and leader. That is something many Yankee fans seem to overlook since we've had the pleasure of having the best team leader possible for the past twenty years. This year, other players have had to step up, such as CC Sabathia, McCann, and Brett Gardner; and I think they've clearly done a great job considering the Bombers have been in 1st place of the crowded AL East for a majority of the season! And if you haven't seen his Oscar nominated performance as Ham Porter of "The Sandlot" (totally kidding about the Oscar thing), you should definitely go do that.

Happy Sunday everyone! See Ya!