2015 MLB Playoff & World Series Predictions!

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Hey guys, Drew back here! We continue our coverage of the 2015 baseball season, and now things are beginning to get interesting. I recently posted standings predictions for each of the 6 divisions, and although some of my opinions have already changed in part of injury, this will document a loose representation of how I think the year will play out. The best part about baseball at its current state, as I have mentioned several times, is the amazing parity between teams. There hasn't been a time as bright and positive as this in the game, with so many great young stars and a flood of even more coming soon! I may be completely wrong with these choices, but I'm going to give it a shot.

AL East          NL East

AL Central          NL Central

AL West          NL West

American League

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Wild Card Series: Toronto Blue Jays vs. Seattle Mariners

The wild card system makes it difficult for teams to beat opponents with fantastic starting pitchers. The entire MLB season contains series' of games, with the lone exception of this one game play in. However, in recent years, teams that have gone on to win this game have had favorable luck further into the playoffs (see: Kansas City Royals and San Francisco Giants in 2014). The Royals were able to beat the pitcher Oakland traded for that was brought there to win that specific game in Jon Lester. This year in my fantasy world, the Blue Jays, even through losing their young ace Marcus Stroman, will still power their way into a Wild Card spot. Truth be told, I'm very skeptical of this happening, but I'm going to continue to go with my gut even with the injuries they've suffered this Spring. They will take on the best team to not win a division in the league, the Seattle Mariners. But more importantly, they would be going up against Felix Hernandez in his first career playoff start. If this indeed becomes the matchup, there's no way I can bet against King Felix to move the M's into the next round!

Advantage - Mariners

Division Series: Chicago White Sox vs. Boston Red Sox

The battle of the Sox will ensue as both revamped teams will challenge for a spot in the Championship Series. In this Best of 5 series, I can see this going both ways. At the end of the day though, I like Chicago more than Boston because of their pitching. Both teams are loaded with talented lineups, and the John Farrell managed Red Sox may have a recent advantage in playoff games, but the trio of Chris Sale/Jeff Samardzija/Jose Quintana along with an improved bullpen should prove to be the difference in this matchup. If the Red Sox were to swing a trade for an ace caliber pitcher, maybe they could stand a better chance, but for now I'd say that will be the cause for their demise.

Advantage - White Sox, 3-2

Division Series: Seattle Mariners vs. Los Angeles Angels

With all the talent the Angels have had over the years, they've always seemed to fall a bit short. Watching Trout, Pujols, and Hamilton all struggle in their 2014 postseason embarrassment by the Royals was telling of their future. I feel like they will play extremely well in the regular season, as Mike Scioscia appears to have managed that portion relatively well. A key for the Mariners in this series is having a strong performance from either Taijuan Walker, James Paxton, or both. Kershaw has had his challenges in the playoffs, but I feel like Hernandez could be much different and dominate the Angels lineup. The Mariners offense isn't overly dynamic, but a healthy, good year from Nelson Cruz could be the deciding factor for all of these predictions coming true. Between he, Robinson Cano, Kyle Seager, and some other sneaky candidates may also be clutch through this stretch.

Advantage - Mariners, 3-1

Championship Series - Chicago White Sox vs. Seattle Mariners

I've been using pitching as a key determinant for most of this post thus far, but at this point these teams are about even in that respect. Felix/Iwakuma/Paxton/Walker plays out well against Sale/Samardzija/Quintana, so there will be more to this decision than simply good pitching. I don't think the Mariners will run the table against the Angels, but I think at this point in October they will be feeling extremely confident. This late in the playoffs, momentum is a huge factor, and those days of a regular season record are long gone. Both teams will feel confident, but I'm anticipating the Wild Card game winner to once again prevail and win the pennant. Is this a flaw in the MLB system that the winners of that game get to stay in the same rhythm as they were in all season? These games have the potential to be even more exciting than any other playoff games outside of tiebreaker elimination games, and I can't even imagine how good the Royals felt after knocking out the A's in extra innings. I don't know if this is something that needs to be fixed, but I think it will be determined by the results of the next few years. Don't get me wrong, these 1 game series' are extremely fun to watch and I look forward to them every year now since the idea started in 2012, but I don't know if it hurts the other teams not to be feeling the same momentum after the intensity those games bring.

Advantage - Mariners, 4-2

National League

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Wild Card Series: Miami Marlins vs. St. Louis Cardinals

The Marlins don't have the caliber pitching staff as the Washington Nationals, which will most likely cause them to finish behind them in the NL East. But that's just the regular season, and a little bird told me that a guy named Jose Fernandez will be returning to their staff around midseason. With a healthy, MVP caliber season out of Giancarlo Stanton, along with production from their various improvements up and down the lineup, they can pose a huge threat into the postseason. St. Louis seems to be on the cusp of trending in the opposite direction, although they still do have young players that will develop into stars. I think this year is part will be the beginning of a trend for St. Louis, where they may still win games and make the playoffs, but could continue to fall short of advancing. Adam Wainwright, Yadier Molina, and Matt Holliday aren't getting any younger, and until some of their touted prospects and young players improve they will be on the outside looking in during the World Series this year. In a game that could possibly be Fernandez vs. Wainwright, I'll take the fish's upside here.

Advantage - Marlins

Division Series: Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Los Angeles Dodgers

This matchup may be interesting. For all of the money, time, and effort put into the Dodgers organization over the past few years, you would expect more results by now. It seems to be proven by now, however, that most teams dishing out the mega millions fail to reach the chemistry required to win it all. The Pirates have built their organization in the complete opposite way, developing homegrown players such as McCutchen, Starling Marte, and Gerrit Cole into excellent big league players. It's sad to think that a team with $157,183,552 less to spend every year stands a chance against this Dodgers team that has struggled immensely in recent history. But this year, things are going to go differently for the boys in blue, because they're not going to be facing their nemesis St. Louis Cardinals and Clayton Kershaw will solidify his position as the best pitcher in the game that Bumgarner attempted to steal last October. It's great to see Pittsburgh succeed, but I have a bad feeling about their playoff luck this year, because Kershaw will be out for blood.

Advantage - Dodgers, 3-1

Division Series: Miami Marlins vs. Washington Nationals

These division rivals are going to be a lot of fun to watch if they do get to square off this year. The Marlins will have the momentum in their favor, and the Nationals have not been able to win with their star studded team yet. But even with a staff of Jose Fernandez, Mat Latos, and Henderson Alvarez, nobody in the game can say they have what Washington does with their super staff. Max Scherzer may be able to squeak out victories against Fernandez, and the other starters will be overmatched by either Jordan Zimmermann or Stephen Strasburg (or Fister, Gonzalez, Roark, etc, etc). As exciting as it will be to see Giancarlo Stanton crush a late inning home run against a weak Nats bullpen, I think they will fall just a bit short. Although both the Mariners and Marlins will be in similar positions at this point in time, the Mariners veterans and a weaker AL competition gives them a better opportunity to reach the World Series, whereas the Marlins may fall just short of moving on. If Bryce Harper can continue to hit the way he has in his limited postseason experience, he could be a lethal weapon as well. This will be a great series without a doubt, perhaps the best of my entire mock playoffs, but this will be the year the Nationals and Dodgers will duke it out for a chance at the pennant.

Advantage - Nationals, 3-2

Championship Series: Washington Nationals vs. Los Angeles Dodgers

The series many of you have been waiting to see is indeed my NL Championship Series. Both of these teams will be on a level playing field; both with high momentum and a mix of veteran stars to help guide the young players to the top. No longer are concerns of "How many innings can Stephen Strasburg throw?" on the top of all fan's minds. Who knows which players will be out with injuries by this point, but assuming fully healthy clubs, I'm picking the Nationals to defeat Kershaw, Greinke, and the Dodgers. And no, this is not only because of their pitching staff. Despite losing Adam LaRoche at first base, the Nats still have Jayson Werth, Denard Span, Ian Desmond, Anthony Rendon, and Bryce Harper to worry about on offense. The Dodgers have their assets too, but who knows what will be running through their star player, Yasiel Puig's mind when it matters most. Last year, he was benched during pivotal moments of their series against the Cardinals. I like the Nationals overall team from top to bottom just a bit more than that of the Dodgers, and with that, they're my pick for the National League side of the World Series.

Advantage - Nationals, 4-3

World Series

Seattle Mariners vs. Washington Nationals

I know what you're saying: The Mariners in the World Series? I get the confusion; really, I do. They have actually been a dark horse favorite for the series going into 2015 with a lot of people, although I didn't take other people's opinions into account when I compiled this list myself. A lot will have to go right in Seattle for a chance to make up for their Seahawks' awkward Super Bowl disaster, but I have a strangely positive feeling about them. I'm no Swami, I don't know the answers, but I can say this decision was calculated; crazy as it may seem. The addition of Nelson Cruz to a primarily lefty dominant lineup was critical to the team's success. He may not swat 40 home runs in Safeco Field, but he'll certainly hold his own in the clean up spot of the lineup. Seth Smith, Dustin Ackley, and Austin Jackson will purvey the outfield, while young power hitting catcher Mike Zunino is behind the plate. Future stars James Paxton and Taijuan Walker will take the next step towards reaching their full potential, and that factor could also play huge in their late season run. This team reminds me of a better Kansas City Royals team that we saw in the World Series last year. They won't be making this series easy, especially with the best pitcher in the American League and momentum that will make the entire bleachers a sea of yellow K's.

But if they could beat Kershaw, they can and will beat Felix too. Like many others, the Washington Nationals are my World Series pick for the year. I didn't wish to be cliché with this choice, but I really do feel like if there is any year they will win, it's this one. Dominance isn't as frequent in these relatively even leagues, and the team with the greatest potential to dominate should be the favorite to win it all. Past postseason struggles, injury questions, free agency looming for top players, I don't care what the excuse may be. This is the best team on paper, and outside of Max Scherzer it hasn't changed too much recently. He will help, not hurt, the chemistry of the clubhouse. Recent history has proven that the best teams on paper don't exactly play the way most expect, but this is going to be one of the exceptions. I'm feeling it already.

Advantage - Nationals, 4-2

World Series MVP - Bryce Harper

The point of this post, over anything else, is that I can't wait for baseball to return. These picks could be the worst ever made, or maybe I'll look like a genius. I hope for the latter, although I would take a Yankees World Series win over any of my silly picks in a heartbeat.

Have any World Series predictions? Feel free to share them in the comments below.

See Ya!

2015 National League West Preview + Predictions!

Hey guys, Drew back here! After a bit of a delay, we are back on track with my 2015 Baseball Preview! We have covered each of the first five divisions thus far in our series, and following this post I will conclude it with Playoff Predictions and Award Predictions! I may be completely wrong with this picks, but I like to have a little fun with my choices while making sure to look into each team's strengths and weaknesses.

If you've missed any of my prior rankings and wish to take a look, click on the links below:

AL East          NL East

AL Central          NL Central

AL West

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1 - Los Angeles Dodgers

X-Factors: Joc Pederson, Brett Anderson, Yasmani Grandal

The Dodgers have been the talk of baseball ever since Magic Johnson and Co. took over the reins in 2012. But with all the talk of the Washington Nationals super pitching staff, they have flown a bit under the radar going into 2015. This past offseason, they rebuilt their front office, hiring former Rays GM Andrew Friedman, and his impact was immediately felt. They rebuilt their middle infield, bringing in Jimmy Rollins and Howie Kendrick; two established veterans to improve their clubhouse environment. They also traded longtime Dodger Matt Kemp to the San Diego Padres, opening up the center field position to mega prospect Joc Pederson. Adrian Gonzalez and Yasiel Puig will remain the threats of the offense, but the real danger of the Dodgers is their lethal pitching staff. Clayton Kershaw is the best pitcher in baseball, and Zack Greinke is the best #2 starter in any pitching staff around. I don't see how this team misses the playoffs; how deep into the playoffs they'll get another story. (PS: Happy Birthday Kershaw!)

2 - San Francisco Giants

X-Factors: Casey McGehee, Matt Cain, Angel Pagan

Uh oh, it's an odd year season, which is about the worst thing the Giants could ask for. San Francisco has won each of the past three even year World Series, despite being overshadowed by the massive payroll and superstars with the Dodgers. They've got three reasons to feel better than the Dodgers, but in 2015 they're already off to a scary start. Hunter Pence fractured his forearm and will miss the start of the season. Casey McGehee will be replacing fan favorite Pablo Sandoval, who left the team not because of money considerations but of some sort of "disrespect". Madison Bumgarner hasn't looked great in Spring Training, and yes, I understand the "it's only Spring Training" thing. I expect last year's hero to have a good 2015, as long as he doesn't feel too much wear from the excessive amount of innings he pitched. The Giants have become my second favorite team after visiting San Francisco last season, and I'll be rooting for Joe Panik to build off his successful rookie season at second base. However, I see them just missing the playoffs, because so many teams have improved around them. But if anyone embraces negativity, it's this team, and if they can make the playoffs, perhaps they could conquer the odd year!

3 - San Diego Padres

X-Factors: Wil Myers, Jedd Gyorko

I will credit San Diego for their great overhaul this past winter. It was a lot of fun watching their new young GM AJ Preller completely start over with one of the more embarrassing franchises in recent history. He was able to add Matt Kemp, James Shields, Wil Myers, Justin Upton, and Derek Norris to a team in desperate need of leadership and star power. Shields will bolster the rotation into one of the National League's finest, as he will join Andrew Cashner and Tyson Ross; two extremely promising right handers. My biggest concern is chemistry. There hasn't been a team rebuild of this caliber that has worked since the 2009 Yankees, showing that it takes so much more than name value to create a winning team. Wil Myers has been traded twice now and is 24 years old. For a player with as much potential as he is said to have, it makes you wonder if there's something about his game that other teams don't want to bother with. He will be taking his talents to center field, where he has played 9 games in his career. And what's a baseball without worrying about Matt Kemp, who this time goes into the year with two arthritic hips. If they don't win this year, will they try to sign Justin Upton long term, or will this be a one year colossal failure? We have yet to see, and until we do, I can't say they'll be making the postseason.

4 - Colorado Rockies

X-Factors: Carlos Gonzalez, Young Pitching Staff

Will the Rockies ever solve their pitching conundrum? It is so rare to see a pitcher succeed at Coors Field, which is especially scary for big name prospects Eddie Butler and Jon Gray, who will be at an unfair advantage from the get-go. But luckily for them, they won't have to worry about run support, as this team is chock full of productive hitters. Last year brought Nolan Arenado, Corey Dickerson, and Charlie Blackmon to the forefront, and they should be expected to bring much of the same to the table in 2015. The key to the Rockies is the health of their two superstars, Troy Tulowitzki and Carlos Gonzalez. With big seasons from each of them, they could be a surprise team surviving the stretch run. Unfortunately, too much would have to go right for that prediction to make any sense.

5 - Arizona Diamondbacks

X-Factors: Yasmany Tomas, Archie Bradley, Jeremy Hellickson

A few years ago, this would not have been a last place team. The Diamondbacks have acquired some pieces over the years to help advance the rebuilding phase, yet they still are a little bit behind the rest of the West. A healthy season from one of baseball's best, Paul Goldschmidt, could catapult this time in a few years with other players stepping up alongside, but he appears as if he'll have to carry much of the load in 2015. Yasmany Tomas, the recent Cuban player to become part of Major League Baseball, does not seem to have an established position. It will be difficult for him to make strides at the plate until he is comfortable in the field, because frustration does carry over to different parts of the game. Overall though, the D-Backs are not yet relevant, but give it a few more seasons and I feel like they could contend once again.

Division MVP: Troy Tulowitzki

Division Cy Young: Clayton Kershaw

Playoff Teams: Los Angeles

The NL West has potential to be one of the more interesting divisions in 2015, but I feel like it will be a bit underwhelming. Can the Giants, and even the Padres make the playoffs? Probably, if things go their way more often that not. But instead, I chose the Marlins and Cardinals to beat out these teams as Wild Cards. My predicted division MVP was Tulowitzki, but it could easily be Paul Goldschmidt, Buster Posey, or even Kershaw as well. Tulo is one of the more fun players to watch when healthy, and I would love to see him make a run for NL MVP, although it will be hard to win on a poor Rockies team.

That will conclude the division by division previews for you all. I hope you enjoyed reading each blurb about your favorite team(s) and be sure to leave a comment with your thoughts on how I did with these and if you would like me to try to do them next year as well! Playoff and Award predictions are coming soon to drewscards, and I hope to see you all there!

See Ya!

MLB Offseason Chatter: The New Dodgers

Hey guys, Drew back here! I posted my first MLB Offseason Chatter article yesterday afternoon, and I thought I was just about up to date on the news. Little did I know, the Dodgers decided to mess with my sanity last night, as they have made not one, not two, not three, not four, but FIVE huge moves over the past 24 hours. I'm going to attempt to make some sense out of it for you all, so let's embark on this roller coaster ride, shall we?

Dodgers trade for Phillies SS Jimmy Rollins (not official yet)

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The Dodgers were able to fill a hole at shortstop after Hanley Ramirez fled for Boston earlier this offseason. Rollins offers switch hitting ability but over anything, an incredible veteran presence and unquestioned leadership qualities. His contract expires following the 2015 season, but the Dodgers are using him to fill the gap between Ramirez and top prospect Corey Seager, who will be gearing up to start for LA in 2016. The deal has not been finalized yet, but should be completed by the end of the day.

I would have preferred to see Rollins stand put with the Phillies for the remainder of his career, but then again if I were him I'd get out of there as soon as I could. J-Roll has played his entire career in Philadelphia, and last year he set the Phillies record for career hits, passing Mike Schmidt with his 2,235th hit. He will forever be known as a Phillie regardless of how this move works out, but it's worth a shot to possibly get his second ring in what could be one of his final seasons.

Dodgers trade 2B/SS Dee Gordon, SP Dan Haren, IF Miguel Rojas, APTBNL

Marlins trade SP Andrew Heaney, 2B Enrique Hernandez, RP Chris Hatcher, C Austin Barnes

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From how it appears, the Dodgers didn't seem to want Dee Gordon any longer. And I get that, because he may be at his peak value this season after being named an All Star and stealing 64 bases in 2014. However, many view this as a fluke season from a player whose OBP is normally hovering around .300. The Marlins view Gordon as a "Juan Pierre type player", but I see him as a Pierre-lite if anything. I do like his versatility and he proved last year that he could make the transition from shortstop to second base, which will come in handy for Miami next season. I don't think Gordon will repeat his 2014 season, but I do see him fitting relatively well hitting ahead of Giancarlo Stanton next year. 

The general reaction to this trade though, was that the Marlins got too small of a return for their top pitching prospect. Dan Haren may not even play in 2015, as he's said earlier this offseason that he'd pitch in LA where his family lives or retire. Sure, pitchers come a dime a dozen these days, and Heaney's small sample size in the big leagues last year wasn't all that impressive, but it appears as if Owner Jeffrey Loria and GM Dan Jennings got a bit impatient with someone who could complement Jose Fernandez in the top of the Marlins rotation just a year or two down the road. But, Jennings waited a lot longer to trade Heaney than Andrew Friedman and the Dodgers...

Dodgers trade SP Andrew Heaney

Angels trade 2B Howie Kendrick

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Well, that was short lived. Heaney put it best:

Well, @Dodgers we had a good run! Great to be a part of such a storied franchise. #thanksforthememories

— Andrew Heaney (@Heandog8) December 11, 2014

Either way, Heaney was moving to Los Angeles, and I'm sure he's much happier about that than coming up in the circus down in Florida that's currently in the works. He could make an impact as soon as this season for the Angels, and I'm curious to see how well he develops, because this could go down as an enormous mistake for the Marlins and now the Dodgers.

As for Kendrick, he was probably traded to free salary cap for the Angels of Anaheim to possibly go and get another key player. I would sacrifice a player of his caliber for the potential of Heaney any day, but the Dodgers needed to fill the void they created 20 minutes earlier by letting go of Dee Gordon, and this will fill it perhaps better than Gordon would've. Kendrick has had a solid career, with all 9 seasons spent with the Halos, but this could give him a chance at a World Series if Friedman and the All Star front office with the Dodgers truly know what they're doing. He batted .293 last season and had a much higher OBP than Gordon, proving that the Dodgers would prefer a high on base guy over a stolen base threat in their lineup (I would too). 

So, just to recap this so far, the Dodgers are now looking at a double play combo of Jimmy Rollins and Howie Kendrick for this upcoming season. Next season, both of their contracts are up, and I don't expect to see them lock up Rollins with Seager waiting in the wings. I can see them extending the 31 year old Kendrick, but we'll see what kind of move they have up their sleeves.

Dodgers sign SP Brandon McCarthy to a 4 year, $48 Million Deal

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This move stung for a lot of Yankees fans, including myself. McCarthy did a great job in the second half of 2014 for the Yankees after being traded from Arizona for lefty Vidal Nuno. Who would've seen $48 million going to McCarthy after having a 5.01 ERA in the 1st half of the season after spending all of his prior career facing injuries? However, he appeared to have re-invented himself as the season moved along, and his advanced metrics looked much better than his actual performance indicated. But, $48 million does appear to be a huge overpay for a guy who has a difficult time remaining healthy for a full season. It's like if they were to give Dee Gordon an $100+ million contract after his breakout 2014 season, because McCarthy's performance in New York could have been a fluke or a hot streak. When this guy is on his game, he can act as a #2 pitcher in most team's rotations around the league, but the Dodgers are paying for him to consistently perform as such, and that may be a bit too much to hope for. He will also be 35 by the end of the deal.

McCarthy is a great clubhouse guy and absolutely hilarious on Twitter, and I really enjoyed having him in pinstripes last season. One of my offseason goals for the Yankees was to retain him, but the price and contract length were just too steep for Brian Cashman to even bother. I'm not a big Dodgers fan, but I wish Brandon all the best and hope he can perform the way he did in the Bronx consistently, because it was a lot of fun to watch.

Dodgers trade OF Matt Kemp, C Tim Federowicz, $32 Million Cash

Padres trade C Yasmani Grandal, P Joe Wieland, P Zach Eflin

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This blockbuster was the first thing I saw when I woke up this morning and turned on my phone. All offseason the Dodgers had fielded offers for any of their 4 starting caliber outfielders: Kemp, Andre Ethier, Yasiel Puig, and Carl Crawford. While some would immediately look at Ethier and believe him to be the easiest to trade, it made much more sense for the Dodgers to move Kemp, an inconsistent, injury prone, tumultuous former star of the league. Granted, Kemp had a comeback season in 2014, batting .287 with 25 home runs and 89 RBI. But he was still owed 5 years and $107 million on his contract, which caused a glaring problem with the Dodgers payroll-wise.

The Padres have been looking for a big bat to show off all offseason, from Cuban slugger Yasmany Tomas to former Giants 3B Pablo Sandoval. Here they add Kemp, who will be paid about an average of $15 million a year from the Padres with $32 million of his $107 being eaten by LA. With his inconsistency but high potential, they are paying a great price on the former superstar. I don't know how well he'll do in a relatively weak Padres offense in a pitcher friendly ballpark, but it could be the beginning of more moves to come for San Diego. Kemp is 30 years old, and is heading towards the final years of his prime before injuries will most likely hamper him even more than they have already. The Padres also received a good hitting catching prospect in Federowicz, who could make up for the loss of their former starting catcher Yasmani Grandal.

Grandal batted .225 with 15 home runs and 49 RBI last season in San Diego, but could perform much better in Dodgers Stadium, which is a lot more hitter friendly than Petco Park. He will share catching duties with AJ Ellis. Over anything else, it appears the Dodgers didn't want anything to do with Kemp any longer, and they ended up saving $75 million dollars that at this rate will be fully spent in a few hours. Perhaps they could use that money towards trading for Phillies All Star lefty Cole Hamels, which I would love to see because it would keep him from going to Boston. Zack Greinke could opt out after next season and become a free agent, so trading for a star like Hamels could act as a great long term solution.

So in total, over the past day the Dodgers have added Jimmy Rollins, Howie Kendrick, Brandon McCarthy, Yasmani Grandal, and a wealth of prospects and cash, while losing Dee Gordon, Matt Kemp, Andrew Heaney (kind of), Dan Haren, and some prospects. The cash appears to be the difference maker here, or else I'd say the moves ended up equaling themselves out. But they are far from done as far as I can see, and if they can add Hamels or someone of high quality thanks to the Kemp savings, this offseason could wind up being a tremendous success for the boys in blue.

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I hope this helped you guys gain a better understanding of what went on yesterday with the Dodgers! Of course, if you guys have any suggestions as to how I can improve my Offseason Chatter posts be sure to let me know! Thanks everyone, and for now,

See Ya!

Beautiful 8x10 TTM Successes!

Hey guys, Drew back here! Over the past few months I've been sparsely adding to my collection, although I haven't put much money into the hobby. Luckily, the best thing about the Through the Mail hobby is that you invest early and your results tend to trickle in as a nice surprise later down the road. I sent to these two players during last year's season and figured I'd have to be patient if I wanted to get a success. Sure enough, both players caught up on their mail during the offseason and I ended up receiving two gorgeous signed 8x10's! Check them out:

Josh Hamilton was kind enough to sign this picture of him participating in the 2008 Home Run Derby for me! I've been a big Hamilton fan since that night, and I'll always remember sitting on my living room couch with my Dad in utter awe of his performance. So far Josh hasn't really panned out in LA, but he still has time to make up for it and I believe he's still capable of being a productive player for one of baseball's better offenses. I sent this picture to him during last Spring Training and received it back in December, and it was well worth the wait!

A week ago today I also got back this signed Clayton Kershaw 8x10! I had gotten both Kershaw and Hamilton on cards last year, but I felt like having a signed photo of the best pitcher in baseball was well worth the cost of postage! Rather than dig into all the statistics, I figure those of you who know Kershaw know how great of a pitcher he is, and he really does speak for himself! Now a 2 time Cy Young Award winner, the Dodgers signed him to the biggest deal of all time for a pitcher this past offseason. If anybody in baseball currently deserves the money they've been given, it's Kershaw, who's certainly carried an often inconsistent Dodgers rotation and given them opportunities to win in the postseason! I'm excited to watch him more as the years go on and it's crazy to think that he's just entering the prime years of his career. I love the personalization he gave me on the photo and I'm looking forward to putting it on display while he's on the road to Cooperstown. 

Who else got Kershaw or Hamilton back? Did they make it worth your wait? Let me know in the comments below! 

See Ya!

TTM #88 & Birthday Gift! Brooklyn Dodgers Edition!

Hey guys, Drew back here! Lately, as most of you have seen, I've been really getting into pictures and memorabilia, almost to the point where I'd rather have photos over cards. I can see why people think otherwise, as Night Owl wrote in his post the other day, but I just feel like it would be cool to clutter my wall with all sorts of awesome autographs I can stare at all day long. And, I have to say, it's refreshing to hear a "I'm so jealous" by my friends once in a while, but I'll keep that between us! Anyways, sometimes I don't even ask for something and I ended up with it, as in this case. My dad's uncle received a picture from my Grandpa about 20 years ago, and for my birthday, he thought it would be fitting to pass it down to me, given I'm such a big baseball fan.

The picture was this team photo of the 1955 World Champion Brooklyn Dodgers! I am in no means a Dodgers fan, but I am a baseball fan, and I think it's awesome to now have a piece featuring legends like Koufax, Campanella, Pee Wee Reese, Duke Snider, and of course, Jackie Robinson. 

I don't know how soon it will be before this goes on a wall in my house, but if it doesn't have a good spot here, it will definitely one day. I dream of having a mancave when I'm older at my house so I can show off my collection even more. Hopefully that dream will come true, and if it does, I'll certainly find a spot for this. (even though they beat my dang Yankees in the World Series) Thank you Uncle John for thinking of me, and giving me this sweet gift. 

But, we're not done here. I found it fitting that the other day I happened to get a TTM success from one of the players in this picture- the guy to the left of Sandy Koufax. The success took only 9 days, and well, it was even better than I expected!

 

Yes, those are all autographs of Carl Erskine, a former Dodgers pitcher! Erskine was never quite Koufax, Drysdale, or even Newcombe, but he was certainly one of the more consistent pitchers of his era. The 1 time All Star finished his 12 year career with an ERA at exactly 4.00, compiling 122 wins and only 78 losses. He signed 4 items for me, even though I only sent two! He is now one of 6 autographs I own from the 1988 Pacific set, which I've been using a lot lately for TTM requests. The card below that is some sort of personal card he included, with a bunch of advice on the back. Also, he signed my index card and pimped out a nice inscription without a doubt, and he wrote "Hello Drew, Thanks for writing and for your interest, Regards, Carl Erskine" on my letter! I'm really happy with the success, and I'm glad I'm beginning to broaden my horizons with my baseball knowledge.

Again, a big thank you to my Uncle John for the great picture, and to Mr. Erskine for being such a class act! See Ya!

TTM #81- Triple Crown Winner!

Hey guys, Drew back here! Well, it's about to be that time again, in which I spend many hours on the baseball diamond working to become a better player. Our school tryouts are on Monday, and I have to say I'm very worried about the overall ability and future outcome of our team. Our coach is a new guy in town and he doesn't know our talent well enough to be able to fairly cut players. To be honest, I don't think you can judge a player's ability by how they field ground balls on a hard wood floor. But it is what it is. Anyways, about a week ago I received one of the most unexpected TTM successes I've ever gotten back before. My 81st Through the Mail success just so happened to be of a player who did awfully darn well in the big leagues last year. Have a look see:

Behold, an autograph of the 2011 National League Cy Young award winner, Clayton Kershaw! Kershaw is turning into one fine young pitcher, and at the age of only 23, it's almost scary to see his numbers three or four years from now. Considering he was able to top Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, Tim Lincecum, and the rest of the National League in wins, strikeouts, and ERA is just unreal. In the last 30 years, the only other pitcher that has done what Kershaw did at his age was Dwight Gooden back in 1985. He is without a doubt a special kid.

This success took roughly 380 days to get back. And no, there was not one typo in that last sentence. I sent it way back on February 7th of last year, to the Dodgers Spring Training complex. Apparently many collectors recently got back from him, so I wasn't alone, which is great to see in our hobby. I'm really happy with how the card came out, even though he doesn't seem to have the greatest of autographs. Can't complain one bit though.

Did any of you guys also hit jackpot with a Kershaw success?

See Ya!

Possible 2011 NL MVP eBay Pickup!

Hey guys, Drew back here. First off before I show off the newest addition to my PC, I just wanted to thank everyone for participating in the last Grandpa Roy post. You were able to nail all 4 pitchers that threw at least 2 no hitters in the same season (Virgil Trucks, Nolan Ryan, Allie Reynolds, Johnny Vander Meer), which was great! Of course, Roy Halladay could have been considered for this group since he threw 2 last year as well, but the question concerned the regular season pitchers, not including postseason play.

So, whenever a player gets hot, I always look on eBay to see how well their cards are selling, in fear that if I don't capture an autograph right then, I might be screwed when their prices go up. I picked up a few cards last week, and I got the first one in today, of one of the league's best all around 5 tool players!

This one, from 2010 Topps Tribute, is an autographed relic card numbered to 75 of Dodgers All Star Outfielder Matt Kemp! Kemp has been absolutely on a tear this season, currently batting .316 with 10  home runs, (oh wait, he hit another one today!) 32 RBI, and 12 Steals. He is almost a perfect baseball player, being able to hit for contact, power, steals bases, and is a great fielder, which are all of the most necessary tools. Even though he had an off year last year, I still feel like he will be one of the top players in the league for many years.

Anyway, the card is absolutely awesome looking, even though it doesn't really fit in with the rest of the cards in the set (minus Nick Markakis), because the rest feature the silver Topps stickers for the autographs rather than the clear ones. Regardless, the blue parallel always looks great on Dodgers cards, and all around, I'm pretty pumped with this new addition to the collection!

One by one I'm knocking the All Stars down, which is great! What do you think of Kemp?

See Ya!

TTM #32

Hey guys, Drew back here. Sorry it's been a few days, school is starting to heat up work wise and I can't see myself being able to post as much in the near future. Anyways, I got a TTM back yesterday, check em out:

Former Dodgers Third Baseman Ron Cey signed 4 cards for me! Cey was a very good player back in the 1970s and 1980s, and I'm very happy to see a nice success back! He hit 316 home runs and made 6 All Star Teams, as well as being named the 1981 World Series MVP after the Dodgers beat my Yankees. Cey got all 4 cards signed for me, unfortunately the custom came home very banged up, but it may be good enough to survive for now. The other 3 look great!

What do you think? He only took 7 days! See Ya!

TTM #23- Hall of Famer!

Hey guys, Drew back here, with my most recent TTM success, that I received in 27 days from a Hall of Famer! I was able to add another Hall of Fame Heroes Custom auto to my collection for $5 and it was completely worth it!

Duke Snider! Wow, still kinda speechless to own a Snider auto right now. It came out pretty nice, even though his signature is beginning to take a turn for the worse at 83. Still, he is a great one to add to my collection! Hitting 407 home runs will do that to your hands, so he has every right to be sloppier nowadays, considering he has a better signature than most everyone in current major league sports still.

Not only did he sign the Hall of Fame Heroes card, he signed this "Hall of Fame Heroes" card too. No I didn't steal the name on purpose, I'm very bad at set names. This autograph looks better than the other one, and the card just looks outstanding. I'm really glad he signed both for me, that's just awesome, especially to think that he played center field in New York, while Mantle and Mays also played center field at the time! Unreal.

Thanks Mr. Snider! See Ya!

The Future for One of My Favorites

Hey everyone Drew back here. I know I'm a little late to announce this, but as most of you know by now, Don Mattingly is going to take over as manager for the Dodgers next season. This is hard to see as a lifelong Yankees fan, but maybe if he could be Torre-like as a manager, he could do what Torre has done in ensuring a plaque in the Hall of Fame. I think guys like Dale Murphy, Don Mattingly, and some of those other 80's stars shouldn't be passed on in voting.

Don deserves this job, no matter what he's done as hitting coach. Hitting Coach and Manager are two different things, and I hope Mr. Mattingly can make a big difference as the new man in LA. I'm glad th at he has this chance, but then again, it's very weird to see him not in a Yankees uniform. I met him back in January 2010, and it sure was cool. He seemed like a really nice guy, and while I liked and collected him before that day already, I now love to collect his cards.

So, good luck Mr. Mattingly! I might actually root for the Dodgers as an NL favorite next year!!!!! See Ya!

An unforgettable game

Hey guys Drew back here. I was at my friend's house last night while my sister celebrated her 9th birthday with 5 or 6 of her friends over at the house. So glad I left. Anyway, I didn't get to finish celebrating the Yankee game with all you guys. No, I didn't go to the game, but I felt like I was part of it.

The ALDS Game 2 Yanks vs. Twins was unbelievable. So many pitchers were used, so many jams were escaped, and so many mistakes were made by both teams that could have ended it early. Brett Gardner did a nice job on the bases until he was doubled up running home to end the 10th inning. But some things we capitalized on, including these:

I've seen some awesome games recently. Both Yanks games were good, this one being amazing, and that Twins Tigers game had to be game of the year. The Twins are in a tough hole now, as they need to win tonight to stay alive. We'll see tonight. See Ya!

Oh, and congrats to Torre and da Dodgers, we'll see them later!