Ten for Tuesday - Best First Picks

Oh, the joy of having the first overall pick in an upcoming draft. Teams that have suffered for decades know just how critical it is to make picks count early on in the draft, yet there have been so many horrible mistakes. Brien Taylor, Greg Oden, and JaMarcus Russell come specifically to mind. Today, I decided to take a look at what teams got it right over the course of baseball, football, and basketball history.

Before I begin, I would like to emphasize that this is more than just simply ranking talent. Superstars such as Shaquille O'Neal and John Elway will not be featured on this list despite being chosen first overall in 1992 and 1983, respectively. Shaq only played four full seasons in Orlando, where he was chosen, before leaving for Los Angeles and becoming the Hall of Famer we all know and love. Meanwhile, Elway was chosen first by the Baltimore Colts, who ended up losing out on the west coast wonder who wasn't interested in playing for an organization as bad as theirs was at the time. 

This list will constitute the best picks made that have impacted not only each franchise involved but the rest of the sport as well. I don't want to pretend to know any more about hockey than I do, so I excluded guys like Mario Lemieux, Alexander Ovechkin, and Sidney Crosby.

10 Best #1 Overall Picks

Honorable Mentions: Allen Iverson (1996, Philadelphia 76ers), David Robinson (1987, San Antonio Spurs), Alex Rodriguez (1993, Seattle Mariners), O.J. Simpson (1969, Buffalo Bills), Bruce Smith (1985, Buffalo Bills), Shaquille O'Neal (1992, Orlando Magic), John Elway (1983, Baltimore Colts)

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That list of names should warrant just how difficult it was to craft this Top 10. Allen Iverson was the heart and soul of the Philadelphia 76ers, leading them out of obscurity to the NBA Finals and taking home an MVP Award. Although AI played for several teams towards the home stretch of his excellent career, it was Philadelphia that got the best out of his talent. "The Admiral", David Robinson, also is well-deserving of a mention. Robinson made 10 All Star teams and won Rookie of the Year and the 1995 NBA MVP. He will go down as one of the greatest big men in basketball history, and it was so tough to keep him off this ten.

10 - Terry Bradshaw, 1st Pick of the 1970 NFL Draft

Chosen By: Pittsburgh Steelers

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Terry Bradshaw was a very good Quarterback in the NFL. Some go as far to say that he was one of the best, and while I disagree with this, he does have the accolades to back it up. He is the golden child of the rule some analysts use to rate Quarterbacks: "The best quarterbacks should be ranked by how many Super Bowl rings they have, and not by performance". I absolutely hate the entire idea of this (more on this later). Bradshaw won 4 Super Bowls as the anchor of the famous Steel Curtain team of the 1970's, and he was one of the NFL's best without question. But would I take John Elway, Dan Marino, Joe Montana, Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, etc; over Bradshaw? Probably.

Regardless of where he ranks, his impact is unprecedented. He played his entire 14 year career in Pittsburgh, and is beloved all throughout the Steel City. Iverson and Robinson may have been more dominant at their peak (hard to compare sports, obviously), but who knows if the Steelers would have the most Super Bowl titles if it weren't for Bradshaw's elite performance under high pressure circumstances.

9 - Chipper Jones, 1st Pick of the 1990 MLB Draft

Chosen By: Atlanta Braves

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Growing up in Florida, Larry Wayne Jones was not Atlanta's original choice, but they grew to love and embrace their switch hitting mainstay. Chipper played 19 seasons for the Braves, and stayed consistent throughout his tenure at the hot corner and outfield positions. When he was 36, he won the batting title with a .364 average; and while he fell shy of 500 career home runs (468), he still had the most of any switch hitter in National League history. On top of it all, he made 8 All Star teams, won the 1999 NL MVP, and won the World Series in 1995. The Braves didn't know they were buying into a franchise legend in 1990, and with that in mind he definitely earned a place as one of the best 1st overall picks ever.

8 - LeBron James, 1st Pick of the 2003 NBA Draft

Chosen By: Cleveland Cavaliers

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Woah, woah, woah. LeBron James at #8? Is this some kind of madness? 

No, and I'll tell you why the King doesn't hold the throne on this countdown. LeBron James may be the most talented athlete mentioned in this entire post, and when Cleveland chose him straight out of St. Vincent-St. Mary High School he became the biggest basketball prodigy since at least Kobe Bryant, if not "His Airness" himself, Michael Jordan. James played 7 seasons in Cleveland before his infamous ESPN special announced his departure to South Beach. Seven seasons should be more than enough to warrant a spot on this list, but had he not left and betrayed his Cleveland supporters in favor of winning championships with the Heat, he could have been towards the top.

Luckily for Cavs fans, LeBron hasn't completely forgotten his first fanbase, and returned to Cleveland prior to this past season to finish what he started. It may have resulted in an NBA Finals loss to the Golden State Warriors, but at least they made it there. If LeBron can finally fulfill his promise and bring home a title to Cleveland, his importance to the franchise will forever be remembered. 

7 - Kareem Abdul Jabbar, 1st Pick of the 1969 NBA Draft

Chosen By: Milwaukee Bucks

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Kareem Abdul Jabbar has been regarded by many as the best basketball player to ever walk the Earth. But everyone had to start somewhere, and before changing his name to Jabbar, he was Lew Alcindor of the Milwaukee Bucks. Alcindor was no slouch, but it wasn't until his days in Los Angeles when his legacy was completely set in stone. He only played 6 years in Milwaukee, but won 3 MVP's and made the All Star team in each of those years. The icing on the cake as to why he ranks above LeBron is that he did lead Milwaukee to a title in 1971. Alcindor was named the Finals MVP after leading the league in scoring that year. 

6 - Troy Aikman, 1st Pick of the 1989 NFL Draft

Chosen By: Dallas Cowboys 

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Much like Terry Bradshaw, Troy Aikman may be defined more for being a critical part of one of the best football teams of all time than for his own personal achievements. In sports, that really is what you shoot for. There have been better Quarterbacks than Aikman, but I wouldn't have a problem with him placing in any Top 10 Quarterbacks list (I may have to attack that down the line). The three time Super Bowl champion was joined by Emmitt Smith and Michael Irvin to quite possibly form the best three headed monster the NFL has ever seen. 

Still, with 32,942 career passing yards and 165 touchdowns, along with serving America's Team for all 12 of his years, he was qualified to make the list as well.

5 - Hakeem Olajuwon, 1st Pick of the 1984 NBA Draft

Chosen By: Houston Rockets

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Is there a basketball player more underrated than Hakeem Olajuwon? If you try to view his accomplishments on Wikipedia, they take up most of your computer screen! Two time NBA Champion. Two time Finals MVP. 1994 NBA MVP. 12 All Star Games. 6 Time All NBA First Team. He's the Houston Rockets all time leading scorer, and nobody in history blocked more shots. Plus, he played 17 of his 18 years in Houston, and up until this point is their best player to grace the court. His importance to that team can only be paralleled by the four following #1 picks.

4 - Tim Duncan, 1st Pick of the 1997 NBA Draft

Chosen By: San Antonio Spurs

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Despite his counterparts Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker, Tim Duncan is everything symbolic of the history of the San Antonio Spurs organization. For a player so consistently at the top of the game to still be disrespected as much as he has is sad. Duncan more than deserves be of the same breath as Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, and just about anyone else from this generation. With 5 NBA Championships under his belt (and counting), Duncan has solidified his legacy with the organization and with the NBA as a whole. In case you don't agree, I'll let some of his numbers do the talking: 15 All Star selections, 2 NBA MVP's, Rookie of the Year, 10 All NBA First Teams, and 8 All Defensive Team selections. He's led San Antonio in points scored, and not only has he been a part of great teams but he was the glue that kept them together. In three of his five NBA Finals wins, he won the MVP. Is there anything more that could possibly be said to keep Duncan from the respect he clearly deserves? 

3 - Peyton Manning, 1st Pick of the 1998 NFL Draft

Chosen By: Indianapolis Colts

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The fact that we haven't seen Peyton Manning 'man' Colts blue since the conclusion of the 2011 season and he still owns a spot this high on the list goes to prove just how impactful he was to their team. Luckily for Indianapolis, they seem to have a bright future still set in stone with their most recent #1 pick, Quarterback Andrew Luck, but he has some huge shoes to fill. Peyton only helped lead Indianapolis to one Super Bowl title, but their 2008 title was the shining moment of the entire organization's history. The elder Manning brother is larger than life, even if he has struggled in the postseason throughout most of his career. This does keep him from being considered the greatest QB of all time, but it certainly does not hurt his status as much as some say.

As I mentioned before, I don't agree to the argument that quarterbacks should be judged solely off of postseason accomplishments. It certainly helps for someone of Joe Montana's stature to have 4 titles of his own, but let's keep in mind that championships are won based off offensive and defensive team performance.

2 - Ken Griffey Jr., 1st Pick of the 1987 MLB Draft
Chosen By: Seattle Mariners

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Imagine if Ken Griffey Jr. was a little luckier. We can take out the fact that he is one of the most famous, rich athletes of all time, but if "The Kid" could have stayed healthy, we may have had a clean home run king. Griffey was a prolific five tool player among his years in Seattle, and was a quiet leader for an emerging team that always seemed to fall just short of winning it all. If the Mariners could have afforded to keep Alex Rodriguez, Randy Johnson, and Griffey together longer, I bet they could have won a World Series. Could have. In our collector universe, we glorify his 1989 Upper Deck rookie card, which may just be the best card printed within the past 30 years. He recently recreated that moment in Macklemore's new music video "Downtown", and while it made absolutely no sense, it was refreshing to see Griffey in the public eye again. Except, rather than crushing home runs with his trademark gorgeous swing or robbing home runs, he catches a fish and flashes a smile. 

1 - Earvin "Magic" Johnson, 1st Pick of the 1979 NBA Draft

Chosen By: Los Angeles Lakers

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You can not spell "Lakers" without "Magic". Technically you can, but there is no doubt that he should be the first face that pops up in your head when you think of one of the most storied organizations in sports history. Kobe Bryant has had a remarkable career, Kareem Abdul Jabbar contributed greatly, and Wilt Chamberlain may be the greatest basketball player ever, but Magic Johnson has been all about Hollywood ever since the day he was drafted first overall.

Magic compiled 3 MVP trophies and 5 Championship titles amidst a career that was threatened and shortened by his contraction of AIDS. He made the All Star team in all but his sophomore season. He was flashy and extravagant and always made his presence felt. In fact, he still does in Los Angeles through his work as part owner of the Dodgers. I had to shift the order of this list a few times, but he stayed at the top.

For now, that will do it for this week's Ten for Tuesday. In the future, we may see Bryce Harper, Andrew Luck, Anthony Davis, and others on this list.

See Ya!

A Great Unexpected Surprise From Dad!

Hey guys, Drew back here. Wow, has it been a while or what. I haven't even posted once yet this month until now, due to an enormously packed schedule, you know, my same old excuses. Anyway, I can't really promise to stick around a whole lot over the next three months, due to school ending and baseball heating up. My JV team is now 2-0, and we mercied our opponent 15-0 yesterday, so it's looking like it's going to be a great season for us! I'm having a great time with it, and hopefully we can keep up the run we're on.

Anyways, I don't think a whole lot happened around here while I was away, but I've still been able to add quite a few nice cards to my collection during my absence. Some of which were long overdue on here, like all of this for example. Before the card show, Dad came home one day from work with a bit of a gift for me. Why? I have no idea, I guess just because he's awesome. While I continue thinking about why he did all this for me, you guys can take a look at what he came home with this time around:

We start with a few solid cards from the 1970's and 80's, most featuring at least one Yankee on it. He told me he got all of this from a local store with collectibles that we haven't been to before. Speaking for the Active Career RBI Leaders card; I find it pretty darn hard to see Reggie in an Angels uniform. A's? Yes. But besides that, it just looks weird. PS, there's more of Reggie coming. 

Next is out of 2008 UD SPx, from the Ken Griffey American Hero numbered insert set, which was probably one of the weaker insert sets from the past decade. I mean, Griffey was awesome, but I don't think any of these large insert sets of the same player ever seem to do well (see: Mantle Home Run History; DiMaggio Home Run History; A-Rod Home Run History; all of those 2007 Topps inserts). This card is about his 450th career home run against the Giants, which is pretty cool. 

Following up is this 1993 Fleer Ultra rookie card of Mike Piazza. Piazza was a little out of my time frame, but he definitely showed that catchers sure did know how to smack a baseball into the stands. He certainly went down as one of the top catchers of history, although I'm not necessarily a big fan by any means. Still a good card to have.

Following that were these two 1961 Topps cards going towards my set! I believe I didn't own the Harvey Kuenn card yet, but I know I had the leaders card, because I already knocked all of those off the list! Still I can put my doubles to good use, either by trading them or maybe even use them as fillers if they're nicer than my original. 

This 2009 UD Piece of History Derrek Lee starts off an awesome slew of relic cards to add to the collection. Lee certainly had a few monster seasons in his career, and I always thought he was a pretty solid player. This card is for trade, if anybody is interested in the card. 

However, this 2009 Upper Deck Dan Haren triple relic numbered to 99 is not for trade! Instead, this sweet relic happened to finish off my Haren trifecta, which can be seen on my trifecta collection page! I've always liked him a lot, although not many people ever give him the credit he deserves. That Angels pitching staff sure is scary this season. 

Speaking of scary teams, how about those Tigers? A lot of analysts are jumping all over Detroit's hot start to the season, some even taking them to win the Pennant. If their pitching holds up besides Verlander, and their big hitters stay healthy, they'll be a scary team to face in October, for sure. Here is a 2008 Upper Deck Miguel Cabrera relic! Cabrera has been perhaps the most consistent player in baseball for a few years, and now with Prince Fielder batting behind him; watch Miggy take home the MVP trophy this season. Coming from a Yankee fan. 

How about a relic of perhaps the classiest person in baseball these days, Chipper Jones. It's out of 2007 UD Masterpieces, which as I've said is one of my favorite sets from the past decade. I hardly get to watch Chipper play, but all I know is he's a certified Hall of Famer one day, and I doubt many hits I'll pull in the future will top the one I hit of his a few years back. 

Getting back to Piazza, here's a nice relic of his, out of 2005 UD Reflections! Like I stated before, I really don't own much of Piazza's cards, and I'm not a diehard fan, but it's a neat card to own, for sure. I don't see any catcher in baseball today who hit with the power this guy hit with. Certainly a once in a blue moon kind of player. 

How about a bat card of one of the best pitchers to ever step on the field, Steve Carlton? Certainly a different idea by Upper Deck, although I've seen it before. National League pitchers do bat, remember. Sure, they're almost always an automatic out, but their bats still play a part in the result of the game. Most collectors I know would prefer a nice jersey with a Phillies pinstripe, but I like it. To go along with it, the it's very colorful and all around a good looking relic card.

Iw. It's a Red Sox (sock?). But, fortunately, it's one of a player I actually like a lot, Wade Boggs! If you follow this blog well enough, I recently got the pleasure to meet Wade at a card show, which was really special for me. The photo he signed for me will soon be hung up on my wall in my room, and it will always be one of my favorites in my collection. This card here is out of 2005 SP Legendary Cuts, and numbered out of 75. Even though he's in that ugly Red Sox uniform, I guess I can deal with having it in the collection!

Finally, Dad was also able to pick up two awesome Yankees autographs. The first of the two was this slick looking Ken Griffey Sr. auto out of the Upper Deck Yankees Classics series! This isn't the first Griffey auto I've gotten before, but I definitely don't mind adding another! He certainly has great penmanship, which adds even more to how truly great this autographed set looks. 

As great as that card, as well as the rest of these are, not only can top this one. I told you there was more to come from Mr. October right? Hmmm....

2008 Upper Deck Premier triple relic autograph, numbered 15 out of 25, of Reggie Jackson. THE Reggie Jackson, as in one of the best sluggers the game has ever seen! Dad must not have been completely content after getting me my first Jackson auto for Christmas, so he thought I could use this one as well! I feel so spoiled, but boy is this a heck of a card. It looks sweet in person, as do most of the cards from the Premier set. Besides Thurman Munson, Reggie is my second favorite player from the 1970's Yankees teams, with Goose Gossage and Sparky Lyle in a close tie for third and fourth. I doubt I'll be able to add a Munson autograph anytime soon, if ever, so getting more of Reggie is always cool.

So, for the billionth time since I began collecting, Dad spoiled me with awesomeness once again. I can't begin to describe how speechless I was when I opened this, and as I said before, I don't even know what I did to deserve all this. Thank you Dad, so much.

See Ya!

Trifecta Collections

Hey guys, Drew back here. If you read one of my posts a while back you know about the trifecta of a player. I think it is the easiest way to start off a PC, or the easiest way to know that you are the owner of 3 big parts of a player's card inventory, the rookie card, the game used, and the autograph. Whether the game used is bat, jersey, helmet, ball, batting glove, it is considered a game used. Whether it is through the mail, in person, certified on card, or certified sticker (:p), it is still an autograph.

A new task in my card collecting life is to pursuit all 3 parts of the trifecta for as many players as possible. I've always loved rookie cards, and most definitely the autograph. Game used can be fun to own, but I do get bored of the boring white jersey. There are a few rules in my book for the trifecta though:

1. It can be an entire baseball, bat, or anything else that is signed, or maybe even a full game used jersey or bat, they all count because they fit under the category.
2. They need to be 3 seperate cards, you can't have a rookie jersey autograph of Evan Longoria and say you have the trifecta, although technically you do, "tri" means three and is short for triple, so it needs to be 3 cards.
3. The jersey can not be from an event outside of All Star Games and Pro Bowls (no Rookie Premiere jerseys here!)

This is where I'm going to track who I have it of and picture evidence, I will write if any is for trade but most likely I'm keeping them all for PC. So, here is the ones I have the trifecta for now:

COMPLETED TRIFECTAS

Robinson Cano

2003 Bowman Heritage Rookie Card- Picked this up at a card show at a local Holiday Inn a few years ago, I want to upgrade to the regular Bowman RC though.

2009 Topps Allen & Ginter Short Printed Bat Relic- Although I have many more Cano relics from all you generous guys here, this is the one that is the most rare, it's one of the short printed ones and is a beautiful card. Picked it up on eBay recently for $15 shipped.

2007 Topps Co-Signers Solo Sigs Autograph- This card is now mine thanks to a old trade with William, from foul bunt. Although it's a sticker auto, I went against using Triple Threads for this picture because I just wanted the single autograph.

Nick Swisher

2004 Upper Deck Star Rookies- I do need an upgrade on this one, especially since it's one of my PC's, and this isn't a true RC, but it will do for now. I pulled it out of a pack long before Swisher became a Yankee, out of one of those boxes of mixed packs from Toys R Us. I was addicted to those things!

2007 Fleer Ultra Hitting Machine Relic- There are a few reasons I chose this one for my relic. First of all, my good buddy Mr. Scott practically gave the thing to me (but is getting something very soon), second of all the design is awesome, and third of all the relic is green! Awesome! No white or gray swatches in this house!

2009 Topps Ticket to Stardom Jersey Auto- Again, from a fellow blogmate, Derek from "Hey, That's Mine!". We made a trade for this a little while ago, and even though I have the Goudey on card auto I decided to choose one that was not obtained through buying, instead from a blogging buddy! The relic on this card is from an undershirt I believe too.

Melky Cabrera

2006 Topps Turkey Red RC- I have the Topps rookie card from 2005 too, so that may be a better one to show off, but I like this card better. I got it in a trade at some point, forgot who it was but it sure is nice! I really like the look of the card!

2007 Bowman Sterling Bat Relic- I just recently got this in a trade with someone on the Blowout Cards Forum, and it sure is nice. Unfortunately Melky is a Brave now, but I really like the bat relic.

2007 Topps Co-Signers Dual Autograph Nick Markakis/Melky Cabrera- I could soon get the Markakis trifecta but I'm not sure when. This card was nice, and I got it off eBay for I think $15 a while back. It has a simple design, and it looks nice, other than the dreaded stickers!

Troy Tulowitzki

2007 Topps Rookie Card- The most original you can get, the Topps RC. I have a few other Tulo RC's, but decided to choose the basic one. I'm assuming I pulled it out of a pack at some point.

2008 Topps Allen & Ginter Jersey Relic- Again, not a white or gray jersey swatch! I pulled this out of a blaster sometime last year, and I really didn't want to trade it. He's turned out to be a good player, and he was on my fantasy team last year!

2009 Topps Allen & Ginter Autograph- Yay! On Card, yet encapsulated inside some plastic that I don't think tobacco companies used back then! I got this sweet card from again, William, foul bunt. He has a nice auto and I sure have a heck of a card! Thanks again dude!

Chipper Jones

1992 Topps Top Prospects Rookie Card- I might look for the 1991 Topps one at the card show. I have like 4 of these cards, thanks to my dad because he got me a couple big lots of old (80's and 90's) cards from Craigslist. Pretty cool card though.

2008 UD Goudey Jersey Card- Darnit, the streak of non white/gray jersey cards has ended at 3. I have 2 different Chipper jersey cards, one is from 2008 Piece of History too. Pulled this in a pack from Target.

2008 UD Baseball Heroes Patch Autograph #ed/15- I remember pulling this card like it was just yesterday. It is possibly my most valuable card in my collection so you never could go wrong with something this sweet! He should be a first ballot hall of famer and is probably the second greatest Brave of all time, to Hank Aaron. I love having this trifecta complete, definitely one I'm gonna keep.

Don Mattingly

1984 Topps Rookie Card- Look at Donnie Baseball! Such a cool card and I'm glad to own it. My dad got this one for me a little while back, along with a 63 Topps Maris Postseason Highlights and a Strawberry RC. Dad loves giving me cards and I am happy to have a great dad like him.

2007 UD Sweet Spot Classic Jersey- Gray jersey but what are you gonna do? I have 3 game used cards of Mattingly and I certainly have some awesome ones. I bought this one at the card show in August in White Plains. These relics are really nicely designed.

2008 Donruss Threads Baseball Americana Autograph /25- Well, I gave it away. You guys I'm hoping were dying to see my big pull out of Threads, and this is it! I sorta wanted to wait for the review but I couldn't, it's not possible to keep a card this awesome from you guys. My dad opened the pack and he said to me, "Drew, I think you might like this one". We have this on video too actually, just on the PC. When I looked at the card my jaw dropped. Well, I'm still gonna spend the 70 bucks at the show to meet him, unfortunately it's a sticker auto. I wanna get an 8 x 10 signed so that's why, maybe I can get him to sign a card too, you never know.

Dave Parker

1974 Topps Rookie Card- I got this card and a few other copies of it from Pop Popps, my grandpa. He gives me so many nice cards that my collection is intensely growing every day. I have another version of this card autographed when I met Dave at one of those White Plains shows. I really like the card and I like Dave too.

2007 SP Legendary Cuts Jersey Card /199- I got this in a Blowout Cards Forum trade, and it's nice. I'm not a fan of the 3 blank relic spots on the card though, but it's ok. I'm thinking about looking for a Sweet Spot Classic relic of him. Kinda boring with the gray jersey, but still, he wore it and that's all that matters.

1978 Topps In Person Autograph- I didn't say much to Dave when we met him, but he was cool. I got 2 cards signed, and 1 was his rookie card. I didn't want to choose the same card twice for the trifecta so I decided on including the other one he signed. It's a pretty nice old school card and it looks great with a signature on it!

Kevin Kouzmanoff

2007 Topps Rookie Card- Again, very original, but it's all I have of the guy. I don't open products before 2007 but if I opened a box of Bowman when he was in the set I'd probably pull a super fractor 1/1 autograph. The guy stalks me! He's an ok player at least.

2008 UD Baseball Heroes Relic /200- Well, the boring things about this card are hmmm.... the fact that Heroes has way better players in the checklist... that this is the highest numbered out of any relic parallel in the set, oh yeah, and it's a white jersey!!! Pulled this in a box and I have no clue how they can count this as a hit. Again, I don't want this guys cards but they all just come to me!!!

2007 Bowman's Best Rookie Autograph- This card is lucky because it's in Bowman's Best. Since there are very few good rookie autos in the set, he is considered one of the better autos. But he is not good enough to get game used cards yet, so Upper Deck, just stop it. But Bowman did a good job with this set (it'd be better on card). I pulled this in a box of it that I opened, the most high end I've ever been.

Mike Mussina

1991 Upper Deck Rookie Card- A very cool rookie card of the Moose, I do have his more popular rookie card and it's signed, but for display I'd rather have 3 different cards. Very cool card with the minor league uniform, awesome!

2003 Playoff Piece of the Game Jersey Relic- We got a pinstripe on this one! I love getting pinstriped cards, not when they aren't Yankees though. No other team should be wearing pinstripes. None. Anyway, I bought this one on eBay right after he retired, I love how on the back it shows a picture of the jersey it was cut from.

2006 Topps TTM Autograph- I sent out to Mike in the past year and he signed a few cards for me, and I was psyched to get them! I won another one in a 30 Year Old Cardboard contest, along with a John Kruk auto and a Bobby Bonilla auto. He has a sweet signature, and although I have 3 of his autos already I may send out more, and I'd sure love to meet him. He seems like a great guy!

ALMOST COMPLETED TRIFECTAS- NEEDS

Here are a few cards I need of seperate players to complete their trifectas:

- 1976 Topps Ron Guidry RC
- 1997 David Ortiz RC (would love if it had the Arias last name on it, any set though is fine)
- 1969 Topps Al Oliver RC (it has two players, him and Rich Hebner)
- Any Ramiro Pena Game Used
- Any Shonn Greene Autograph

I'll try to find a few more soon. Thanks for looking, and I'll see you all later!

Trivia of the Week!

Hey guys, just got off the phone with my Grandpa Roy. He is an avid baseball fan like I am, and certainly knows a TON about the game. It is always fun to talk baseball with him, and he always challenges me to figure out tough trivia questions. Heck, he named 24 out of the 27 guys with 3,000 hits! So anyway, he asked me 3 trivia questions, and by using the computer I found them pretty quickly. I wondered if you guys wanted to try them as well. Go ahead and try to find these out if you want, and post the answers if you want to see if you are right. Here are the questions:

Question #1- Chipper Jones recently hit his 1,000th hit in Turner Field, the Braves stadium. There are 3 current MLB players that have over 1,000 hits in one stadium. Who are they?

For help: These guys needed to have around 11 seasons in the same ballpark to achieve this feat. So, an A-Rod or Ichiro would not yet qualify because neither of them have played 10 seasons on the same team. So think about this while answering the questions.

1: Derek Jeter, Yankees SS provided by Thoughts & Sox
2:
3:
4: Chipper Jones, Braves 3B

Question #2- There are many pitchers that have thrown no-hitters in the past. There are 5 pitchers that have thrown no-hitters in each league (American & National). Who are they?

For help: These guys can't be included in interleague play. This also has pitchers spanning from the beginning of baseball. Only 2 of these pitchers have won a Cy Young award and one of them would have.

1: Hideo Nomo, named by Night Owl
2: Nolan Ryan, named by White Sox Cards
3: Randy Johnson, named by Thoughts & Sox
4:
5:

Final Question- As you all know, Hank Aaron passed Babe Ruth's home run record in 1974 by hitting number 715. Who was the player that Babe Ruth passed to become all time home run kng? Also, what was the home run number Ruth passed him with and what year did he accomplish the feat?

For help: This player retired in 1897.

Answer: Roger Connor (White Sox Cards) who had _____ career home runs. Ruth passed him on _____________ (date) with # ______


Thanks a lot guys for looking, and I hope you try these and have as much fun as I did! See Ya!

Boxes will be ordered tomorrow off Blowout.