Zippy Zapped Back Into the Blogosphere!

In my blogging return last week, I cited the fact that school was underway and having less on my plate as the main reasons I've been able to come back. But I still lacked that final burst of energy to push me back into the blogosphere, until I met the Zippy-Zapper himself. 

Kenny has been "Cervin' Up Cards" for quite some time now, but I hadn't really gotten to know him until we started talking Yankee baseball on Twitter. In my time away from Blogger, I've been a part of collecting communities on Twitter and Instagram, and have gotten to know some great people in the process. Before leaving to go to the East Coast National (which you will hear about in due time), we made plans to meet up at some point throughout the day. 

The storm had settled in Westchester's County Center as dealers began to start packing up, but we were able to meet and spend some time observing the tables and talking about all things baseball. I was fascinated by his wealth of knowledge towards the Yankees farm system and towards prospects in general. But what blew me away over anything else was the kindness and generosity in his heart. He unloaded his backpack filled with goodies for me, and I couldn't believe it. It was hard for me to accept it all at once, but he insisted upon it. I felt better knowing that I was prepared to get him back for his madness, and took a look at what was now mine.

The two Staten Island booklets feature team sets of the 2000 Low-A Champion Staten Island Yankees. I can't say I'm all that familiar with most of the players on the team, outside of Chien-Ming Wang. These cards have perforated edges so they can easily be separated, reminiscent to the days I was subscribed to Sports Illustrated Kids way back in the day. 

Kenny also gave me 3 SI Yankees 'PlayBall Magazine' souvenir programs from 2014, 2015, and 2016! I have seen the Staten Island team play plenty in the past, but never actually at their home stadium. I am more familiar with Dutchess Stadium, where the Hudson Valley Renegades play; and have seen them play there in the past. We discussed having a future summer night spent at each stadium graphing, and I hope we can work that out next year.

These two Choice 2014 team sets were really neat toss-ins too. The set to the left features some of the best players from the New York-Penn League in 2014, which included Amed Rosario (Mets), A.J. Reed (Astros), Bradley Zimmer (Indians), and the god himself, Luis Torrens (Yankees). After speaking to Kenny, I can now say I believe Torrens will be a combination of Ted Williams and Johnny Bench! Speaking of which, Torrens was also featured in the SI Yankees set. That set had some surprisingly intriguing names such as Jordan Montgomery, Jonathan Holder, Ty Hensley, and Thairo Estrada to go along with the heir apparent to Babe Ruth (first time readers must be really confused).

He also threw in a bunch of cards of scrub Yankees (in comparison to the future first ballot Hall of Famer) Betances, Refsnyder, and numerous others. I'm starting to wonder how much longer Refsnyder will be a part of the team. It wouldn't shock me if he is an added piece in an offseason trade, because no matter what he does, it's never enough to earn a full time spot on the team.

You can never go wrong with Luis Severino, unless of course you're Joe Girardi naming him as an upcoming starter. I have slowed down collecting Sevy ever since his downward spiral, even though his card prices have tanked. I've invested far too much money already to keep buying his stuff in good conscience. However, I didn't have any of the 3 cards above, and really love the autograph in particular! 

I think it's sort of funny seeing Sano and Severino on the same card considering how mis-managed I believe they both have been thus far into their careers. Sano, to me, should not be in the field even though today's American League game tends not to employ full time DH's anymore. He can be an exception to that rule because he appears to have legit 40-50 home run pop in his bat. Meanwhile, Severino's poor performances in the starting rotation (while dominating in the late innings) have bounced him back and forth faster than you can say "Joba Chamberlain". Keep him in the bullpen for a prolonged period of time until he builds up enough confidence to be the starting pitcher we Yankee fans expected him to be. Rant over.

One of my favorite cards Kenny bestowed upon me is this 2014 Bowman Asia Exclusive Aaron Judge parallel. Judge hasn't quite followed up his explosive start to his career, and is striking out in over half of his at bats. We knew from the day he was drafted that plate discipline was going to be an issue, so this should be expected. He doesn't see fastballs often because he is known to crush them, so adjusting to major league caliber offspeed pitches will take time. Don't give up on this Baby Bomber though, because the future is still bright.

When it comes to Yankees prospects, Kenny knows more than most. I have seen these autographed cards before, but I don't know much about the players on them. Encinas is the only active player in 2016, pitching in High A for the Yankees. He has struggled mightily, but the former 6th rounder could get it together. Both Lewis and Stevenson were taken in the later rounds in the 2010 Draft, while Bautista appears to have been an International signing.

I never had much of Austin Romine, so this card is now my favorite of his. The Yankees have been able to churn out quality catchers for some time now, and he's just another example of a big league backstop. He handles his own, and probably will serve as a backup for years to come; whether he's with the Yankees still or not.

Dellin has really stepped into the closer role well ever since the deadline deals of Aroldis Chapman and Andrew Miller. I can't say I'm all that surprised by this news, though. He has been so dominant for now three years, and his stuff would translate well in any bullpen role. I'm not an enormous fan of the Panini designs, but I'll take a spare autograph of his to pair with my Bowman Chrome auto any day.

Kenny, thank you so much for the much needed zippy-zappying. It was a pleasure meeting you, and here's to hoping my revenge package will come close to matching all of this.

If you haven't already, please go check out Kenny's blog, Torren' Up Cards. If you have any cards of baseball jesus (Luis Torrens, duh), be sure to hit him up!

Mail from It's Like Having My Own Card Shop!

Hey everyone, so much for a grand start to the year. With all of this constant planning for my European adventure about to set sail in less than 2 weeks, I haven't had much time to blog. Thankfully, my buddy Daniel of It's Like Having My Own Card Shop randomly asked for my address and sent along a whole lot of Yankees cards I've never seen. Daniel is one of the mainstays our blogosphere has enjoyed the company of for several years, and has fantastic Diamondbacks collections.

I absolutely love the occasional care package, especially when I get to pick through dime box quality inserts and parallels. Daniel gave me that chance, but I didn't even have to choose between cards or get my wallet out!

There appears to be a difference between the material released today versus ten years ago. It seems like there are a never ending influx of insert cards that came out in the early to mid 2000's that I've never seen. I wasn't much of a collector until 2005, when I first got into baseball. So being able to add various inserts of the Yankees I grew up watching as a kid that I've never seen is always enjoyable.

Many of the cards Daniel sent over were short printed. My favorite obscure parallels were the 2003 Donruss Black and White Exhibit cards of Mike Mussina and Jason Giambi. The Mussina is numbered 30/63 copies, whereas the Giambi is 14 of only 46 in existence. They're unique cards of two players I got to know really well over the years. Here's to hoping Moose makes it into the Hall of Fame one day.

The final card I wished to highlight from Daniel's care package was this awesome Eric Chavez 2013 Topps camo parallel numbered 61 of 99. 2013 was the first year Topps brought camo parallels to their flagship baseball sets. In 2014, they did something very similar, and in 2015 went with the "Snow Camo" look. This is my first of any of the three, and I really like it! Granted, Chavez won't be known for his Yankee years, but he did have a few noteworthy moments in pinstripes.

Thank you so much Daniel for a really fun package! I'm going to do my best to return the favor before I leave!

Overdue Mail from John H!

Hey everyone, Drew back here. Thank you for all the kind birthday wishes; I had a nice birthday although I spent the majority of it at work. I've spoiled myself enough this summer where I didn't feel too obligated in taking my birthday off, and luckily I was off today to celebrate anyway.

About a month ago, I was randomly sent a care package from reader John H. John was one of the many who claimed a team in my big giveaway earlier this year, and ever since he and I have spoken sporadically about baseball and what not via email. Here are the highlights of what John sent along!

I will always take "vintage" Jets cards whenever given the chance. Although the 1980's and 1990's are not generally viewed as vintage, it has sure felt like forever since they have been of relevance. Sure, they appeared in the AFC Championship game twice in a row, but let's be real; they haven't been a significant threat in a long time. The days of Mark Gastineau, Joe Klecko, and the rest of the Sack Exchange are long since gone, but hopefully Gang Green will improve in 2015 with all of their substantial defensive upgrades.

John sent along some Yankees as well, including a few Curtis Granderson cards I didn't have. I have always been on the fence with Grandy. I love him as a person, but I could never get on board with his home run/strikeout approach while he played in New York. His two 40 home run seasons are missed, sure, but I'll take what the Yankees are getting out of Gardner and Ellsbury (when healthy) any day over that. It's nice seeing him on the Mets now, because I can still somewhat root for him, but I don't get nearly as angry when he strikes out another 150 times a season.

We wrap up with some cool Jorge Posada cards. Posada was on my radar early on this summer when I finished reading his great autobiography, but ever since he's faded right back to how I've always viewed him. I gained a lot of respect for the Bronx backstop, but I can't help but always view him as the "Ringo" of the Core Four (John Lennon = Jeter, Paul McCartney = Rivera, George Harrison = Andy Pettitte; tell me if you see that as well or if I'm just crazy). Regardless, I'll always gladly take any cards of his that I can get my hands on!

Thank you so much John for the random act of kindness! I'm sorry I took so long to post it, but here it is now; better late than never!

See Ya!

Seven Nation Army of Cards in My Mailbox!

Hey everyone, Drew back here! About a week ago, my best buddy William surprised me with an excellent package of Yankees cards, new and old. I was not aware of this coming in, and needless to say it easily made my day. Let's take a look at what came my way:

We begin with some 2014 and 2015 Bowman; the one set I never seem to buy any of no matter how nice they may be. I must admit, this year's product is the best I've seen in years, and I'm not sure what it is that I love about it. The photo choices are atypical of the average Bowman product, and I particularly like the Michael Pineda card (although this copy is missing the foil "Mi" in Michael). Foil isn't always a plus, but Topps did a good job of making it work with this year's design.

My favorite of the Bowman cards happened to be of recently celebrated center fielder Bernie Williams. Bowman celebrated a 25th anniversary of the 1990 rookie class, which included Williams, Frank Thomas, Moises Alou, among others. There are regular variations, and also autographed versions, which our fellow blogger The Snorting Bull has already fully assembled (Beautiful set, by the way)!

I missed Bernie's best years in pinstripes, but have always had a high level of respect for his career(s). He was one of the more under-appreciated stars of the Steroid Era, and while it may seem off to retire his number with the Yankees, he deserves it thanks in part to others who have also had their numbers retired. It was a nice ceremony, and if you haven't heard his emotional speech, check it out.

2015 Topps Heritage hasn't done too much for me, although I have generally been a fan of the product over the years. I think a lot of it has to do with never being a fan of the 1966 Topps set, especially considering it followed up perhaps the most beautiful years of baseball card history, 1965. I do enjoy manager cards, as you saw recently with my TTM successes from this set of Buck Showalter and Ned Yost. 

I know I recently bashed Gypsy Queen for the random loopy thing on the front of each card, but the more I see of the set, the more it's growing on me. It almost reminds me of a keyhole, which as far as I know hasn't been done yet. As always, Gypsy Queen honors the legends they use, and boy, those Gossage, Parker, Cone, and DiMaggio cards are gorgeous.

... but nothing beats this one. Forever my all time favorite player. I miss you Derek.

There was quite a mixed variety of stuff in this package, as there usually seems to be. I don't know how William ends up with all these Yankees cards, but I'll always be glad to take them off your hands. I know it's hard for Panini to do without logos, but the Thurman Munson Diamond Kings card is flawless. I really hope they get an MLB license within the next few years, because I think a lot of what took me out of buying packs and boxes had to do with Topps receiving exclusive rights; crumpling Upper Deck in the process. A little competition is never a bad thing.

I've been waiting for this card for a loooooong time. The second I knew Jack White was getting a card in this year's Series 1, I wanted it in my collection. The former White Stripes lead singer and guitarist, as well a member of the talented Raconteurs, Dead Weather, and a fantastic soloist; has become one of my all time favorite musicians in a very quick timespan. I saw him perform live this past January at Madison Square Garden, and it was perhaps the greatest performance I've ever seen. White has been seen at many baseball stadiums in the last year, and a meme was even created for his dull expression at a Cubs game. I was even at a Yankee game last year that he (and Kate Upton) were at; and in retrospect I really wished I stalked him down and got a chance to shake his hand. Oh well. At least I finally have one of these beautiful cards, honoring his First Pitch at Comerica Park last summer!

Thank you so much again William! Please go check out foul bunt, but who am I kidding; who hasn't? See Ya!

Care Package from Julie!

Hey guys, Drew back here! If any of you readers are interested in my last two lots, the Cleveland Indians and Kansas City Royals, please comment and email me your address (yanks1996wsc@gmail.com). I recently received a package in the mail courtesy of Julie from A Cracked Bat! I sent Julie some Tigers cards in the #FreeStuff giveaway, and I was surprised to get a package back out of the blue in exchange!

Julie attacked a lot of my player and team collection needs, and she did a fantastic job! I surprisingly ended up needing a majority of the cards, which amazes me considering how many Yankees cards I've been able to accumulate over the years. I had never even seen the Cano Generation Now Arrives insert from 2007 Topps until this package came along, so I really appreciate that one in particular.

I needed every one of the cards in the above scan, and many of these players are some of my all time favorites! I love the way Yogi looks out of place in that 1990 Topps design. Those 2014 Stadium Club cards are super nice too; I could almost read CC's forearm tattoo due to how clear the image is.

Julie finished off the lot with two sweet Tanaka's; the first being his 2014 Topps Chrome rookie card and the second his 2015 Topps "Future Stars" base card. I really don't like the way they did the Future Stars logo this year, but the picture makes up for it. I'm hoping for the best for Masahiro next year, but wouldn't be surprised if things don't work out as well as the Yankees would like.

Thank you so much for the package Julie; you really didn't have to do all this! If you haven't given A Cracked Bat a look, here's a link.

See Ya!

Mailday - Welcomed PC Additions from John!

Hey guys, Drew back here. Yesterday, I shipped the remainder of the #FreeStuff packages, and the only teams remaining to claim are the Kansas City Royals, Washington Nationals, and Cleveland Indians. If you're interested, please comment or email me (yanks1996wsc@gmail.com) and I will get them out as soon as I can. I didn't ask for anything in return for the cards, as I was initially just trying to clear out a bin of doubles that was taking up space in my collection. However, one of my readers, John, claimed two teams and wanted to reciprocate for what I sent him. I received a package from him a few days ago, and I was pleasantly surprised by how many holes he filled in my PC's!

John started off with cards of some of my favorite Yankees. He actually added 2 new cards to my Robinson Cano PC, the 254th and 255th unique cards in the collection! I'm beginning to warm back up to Cano, but I'd prefer to stick with collecting his Yankees cards (though I'd take the Mariners ones too). I just wish Topps would realize that the facsimile autograph they put on his cards matched his actual autograph; it's not even close.

Next, he sent a bunch of cool older Johnny Damon cards! I don't have enough of his pre-Yankees cards, and after meeting him at a card show I've grown to like him more as a player and person. He still hasn't announced his retirement because he thinks he's still got the talent to play in the big leagues. I admire that.

Finally, John sent along a bunch of non-Yankee cards that fulfilled some of my smaller player PC's. Nick Swisher used to be one of my main collections, but collecting him got a little boring after a while and I've slowed down. Believe it or not, this was my first card of him in an Indians uniform. I really hope to see Hamilton recover from his recent relapse, because he's easily been one of my favorite players to watch growing up.

Thank you so much again John for all of the great cards! You really didn't have to!

See Ya!

We Won't Stop! Mail from William

Hey guys, Drew back here! There was a bit of confusion recently between Frankie, William, and I which resulted in me receiving both William and Frankie's cards in the same box! I accidentally posted the mini Mariano Rivera figure with Frankie's cards, but that actually was from William. Anyway, everything is now worked out, so let's see what William had to offer!

We begin with a whole lot of 2015 Topps Yankees goodness! I did wind up buying 2015 Topps cards at Target surprisingly, but I only pulled a few of the Yankees cards. Luckily for me, William opens quite a bit more than me, and is one of the most generous people in Internet history. I kicked off with the two amazing Jeter cards, both of which have become two of my all time favorite cards. The second it was revealed that Jeter's classic celebration would be the first card in the set I knew this was going to be a special year for baseball cards. I really like the gold parallel of David Phelps too; I'm going to miss him next year when the rotation is on the DL. 

I'm going to hope and pray if Sabathia and Tanaka get injured next season that they don't look sign this lefty bullpen specialist. Curtis James Jackson III, aka 50 Cent, threw perhaps the worst pitch of all time to kick off a Mets game last season. Seriously. (Vlad could still hit it though)

Well, it really doesn't get much nicer than this 2014 Topps Chrome insert of Jacoby Ellsbury! I've always kind of liked the 1989 Topps design, and I think they did a great job with it in this case. I don't have much of Ellsbury in my collection, and I have a good feeling about him in 2015. So I think I've got to do something about that.

I mentioned earlier how the new Derek Jeter 2015 cards are among my favorites of all time. This one has got to be up there now too. From everything I've seen, 2014 Stadium Club looks amazing, although it's not much of a surprise. I may have to try and get some for myself, but I could just be content with this sweet Core Four tribute. It's so weird thinking that this era of Yankee excellence has come to a close. 

He also tossed in some older cards of a couple of my personal favorites. I love that Tino Martinez Donruss rookie; even if I may have it already I'll never get enough of it.

Capping it all off was this rally towel from the Orioles playoff run last year. He seemed to have gotten about a million of these from FanFest this year, and it is a welcomed addition to my collection. If it was a Red Sox logo, I could use this in all sorts of different ways, but I can tolerate his Orioles enough to leave this unharmed. 

I'll never be able to fully repay you for all of this stuff, William. It means a lot to you that you think to send me all sorts of nice things on occasion; it's living proof that you're one of the best people I've ever come across (although you certainly don't need to send anything to prove that). Thank you so much!

See Ya!

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!