Celebrating My First 10 Seasons Watching Baseball!

Hey guys, Drew back here! I didn't realize until the other day, during midterm week no less, that last baseball season was the 10th year I've been following the game. It's amazing how quickly the past decade has gone, and how many memories baseball has made me. So, I decided to construct a team in recognition of this. I wanted to make a Yankees team using the best overall seasons for each position between 2005 and 2014, filling each slot with players specific to that role. Rather than stacking the bench with the superstars who just missed the cut, I wanted to keep things realistic. It may go a bit over budget, but it is the Bronx Bombers we're talking about. Without further ado, let's take a look at the results!

Catcher - Jorge Posada
Season: 2007
Statistics: .338 BA, 20 HR, 90 RBI, 171 H, 91 R

Jorge was the best Yankee catcher since Thurman Munson, and it's only fitting that we start this team with the player with the heart and soul he possessed. His On Base Percentage of .426 was not matched by anyone else on this team, and although his defensive performance wasn't always Gold Glove caliber, who could go against a team leader who can switch hit for power and average?

1st Base - Mark Teixeira
Season: 2009
Statistics: .292 BA, 39 HR, 122 RBI, 178 H, 103 R

Tex's first year in New York was much better than what would follow. Due to injuries, we wouldn't see this type of production past 2011, but he was a key player all throughout the year, and helped lead the Yanks to their 27th World Championship. He was the runner up for MVP behind Joe Mauer, and won a Gold Glove and Silver Slugger to accompany a fine season.

2nd Base - Robinson Cano
Season: 2010
Statistics: .319 BA, 29 HR, 109 RBI, 200 H, 103 R

It was difficult to choose Cano's best season in New York, but I ultimately decided on 2010. He finished only behind Josh Hamilton and Miguel Cabrera for AL MVP and also came up with Silver Slugger and Gold Glove awards! Robby was the first Yankee I got to see fully develop into a star player, and it was fun watching him dominate the second base position for so long here in the Bronx. He could do it all, and we'll certainly miss that with Stephen Drew slabbed as our Opening Day second baseman in 2015.

Shortstop - Derek Jeter
Season: 2006
Statistics: .343 BA, 14 HR, 97 RBI, 214 H, 118 R, 34 SB

Jeter was 31 years old when I started watching him play, so for the average player he would've only had a few "prime" seasons left. Luckily for us, we got to see the Captain perform above average (at least offensively) until he was 39! New Yorkers feel that Jeter should've won MVP ahead of Justin Morneau in 2006, as it was one of his best seasons of his career. He also won a Gold Glove and Silver Slugger this year (catch a theme?), so not only is this offense loaded with hitting, but they could also hold their own in the field.

3rd Base - Alex Rodriguez
Season: 2007
Statistics: .314 BA, 54 HR, 156 RBI, 183 H, 143 R, 24 SB

A-Rod put up video game numbers in his second of two MVP awards he took home with the Yankees, only possible with the help of performance enhancing drugs. I would've tried to find ways around having him on this team, given how much of a head case he is, but there really wasn't anyone else qualified enough to take the hot corner. I was a huge fan of Alex's at this point in time, and I can definitely credit his enormous statistics to keeping me interested in the game when I was young enough to simply walk away (I was 8 in 2005). While most of us aren't fans of his at this point, there's no denying that he would make a perfect cleanup hitter for this roster.

Left Field - Hideki Matsui
Season: 2005
Statistics: .305 BA, 23 HR, 116 RBI, 192 H, 108 R

He was one of those guys that was taken for granted. He wasn't a Gold Glove caliber player in the field, but give Godzilla a bat and he was almost certain to make you pay. Matsui broke his wrist in 2006, breaking a total streak of 1,768 consecutive games played (1,250 with Yomiuri, 518 in NY). He was never really the same player after the injury. In 2005, however; the guy was unstoppable. He was recently named as an advisor to General Manager Brian Cashman, and Cash could not have picked a classier player to help represent playing in pinstripes.

Center Field - Curtis Granderson
Season: 2011
Statistics: .262 BA, 41 HR, 119 RBI, 153 H, 136 R, 25 SB

Grandy and I had a love-hate relationship through his four years in New York. I loved him as a person, but sometimes I couldn't take his inconsistency at the plate. Sure, he clubbed over 40 home runs in back to back seasons, but he also struck out well over 100 times both years. But his 2011 season was the best of any center fielder's in this span (sorry, Bernie), as evidenced by his inflated stat line and 4th place MVP finish. He led the league in runs scored and RBI, stole 25 bases, and played above average defense to boot. I still root for Curtis with the Mets, but his power/strikeout style isn't exactly my favorite approach to watch.

Right Field - Gary Sheffield
Season: 2005
Statistics: .291 BA, 34 HR, 123 RBI, 170 H, 104 R, 10 SB

While Jeter was always my all time favorite Yankee, Gary Sheffield was my first favorite "role" player of sorts. Sheff would've been the star of most other teams, but in New York he wasn't exactly the one selling tickets. It excites me seeing him on the Hall of Fame ballot, but I truly feel that he's just a Hall of Very Good player, despite his 500+ career home run achievement. But in 2005, he put together a Hall of Fame quality season, doing a little bit of everything. He and Vladimir Guerrero in particular were lethal weapons during their prime, and it was fun to see balls rocket off his bat (unless you were sitting in the left field field level seats, then watch out).

DH - Jason Giambi
Season: 2006
Statistics: .253 BA, 37 HR, 113 RBI, 113 H, 92 R

Giambi was a mixed bag of tricks late in his Yankees career. Often injured, with or without that weird moustache, and constantly mentioned in steroid allegations. But 2006 was his final "great" season, and he will provide an extra boost of power to a lineup that doesn't really need it, but wouldn't mind it either. He could also serve in a small platoon situation with one of the bench players, hitting mostly against right handed pitching.

Bench -

Francisco Cervelli
Position: C
Season: 2014
Statistics: .301 BA (162 PA), 2 HR, 13 RBI, 44 H, 18 R

Cervelli played with passion in his 7 partial seasons in New York, and will back up Posada when he needs rest. He can provide a spark with his bat, and while he wasn't the best defensively either, you know he will play to the best of his ability every time he's called upon.

Andruw Jones
Position: OF
Season: 2011
Statistics: .247 BA (222 PA), 13 HR, 33 RBI, 47 H, 27 R

Jones will platoon with Giambi and hit mostly against left handed pitching for this team, as he did extremely well in 2011. He batted .286 vs. left handers, hitting 8 of his 13 total home runs. Jones can also contribute as a backup outfielder, and though he was a former superstar defensive player, he won't quite bring that tool to the park as a 34 year old.

Brett Gardner
Position: OF
Season: 2009
Statistics: .270 BA (248 PA), 3 HR, 23 RBI, 67 H, 48 R, 26 SB

I would have loved to use one of Gardy's better seasons for this slot, but unfortunately according to my rules I had to take a year in which he wasn't a starter. He provided an excellent spark off the bench for the World Series team, and would eventually develop into one of my favorite current players. He'll be the preferred backup outfielder over Jones for this team, and the perfect late game pinch runner as well.

Jayson Nix
Position: UTIL
Season: 2012
Statistics: .273 BA (202 PA), 4 HR, 18 RBI, 43 H, 24 R

I always enjoyed the versatility of Nix, and I feel like most teams should have a guy capable of playing multiple positions. I could have went with Eduardo Nunez, but his versatility felt forced as he made far too many errors too often. Nix was sure-handed, and he wasn't an automatic out at the plate either.

Opening Day Lineup

1 - Derek Jeter (R)
2 - Curtis Granderson (L)
3 - Robinson Cano (L)
4 - Alex Rodriguez (R)
5 - Mark Teixeira (S)
6 - Jason Giambi (L)
7 - Gary Sheffield (R)
8 - Hideki Matsui (L)
9 - Jorge Posada (S)

Total Salary - $137,726,096
Average Salary - $10,594,315

Notable Omissions - Eduardo Nunez, Nick Swisher, Alfonso Soriano, Bobby Abreu, Johnny Damon, Jose Molina, Bernie Williams

The Yankees may have won the World Series just in 2009 since I started following the team, but as you can see, there have been so many fantastic individual seasons compiled throughout that time. I also constructed a pitching staff, and will have that posted tomorrow to complete the 25 man roster! Please feel free to comment with your thoughts on this team, as well as any changes you would consider, and if you would like to use this idea for your team on your blog, be my guest!

See Ya!

August 17th White Plains Card Show Recap (I)

Hey guys, Drew back here! So, last weekend my Dad & I made the journey to JP's Sports & Rock Solid Promotions' East Coast National! I just noticed that this trip marked my 5th consecutive East Coast National, which really speaks for how long I've been involved not only in the hobby but on my blog too. My goal for the show was to meet a solid core of players, most of which to add to my Mickey Mantle signed picture. I also wanted to move some pieces I didn't want and pick up anything that looked interesting.

As usual, I made a stop at my good friend's Rich & Hunter's table! They have treated me fantastically over the years so no matter what my goal for a show is, I always try to take at least something off their hands. I came up with these 6 cards that cost me about $25 in total!

Jeff Nelson was a very good reliever throughout the 1990's, primarily for the Mariners and Yankees. He caught on with the Yankees right on time to win 4 World Series, and he was an integral part of Joe Torre's bullpen. Those teams were just before my time, but my Dad watched a lot of the teams and knows pretty much all of the players. This was my 1st Nelson autograph and I couldn't pass it up for the price.

Johnny Damon was one of the few Red Sox I didn't mind when I start following baseball. Unfortunately, about the time I started following baseball, the Red Sox were on their road to recovery from their 86 year drought. Damon was one of the stars, and I couldn't stand the team, but there was something about that Caveman look that made me a fan. After he hopped over to the Yankees in 2006, I had an excuse to root for him and he was a solid player for the Yankees! I saw this quad relic of his from the World Baseball Classic and for just $3 I had to add it.

I don't have as much Jorge Posada stuff as I do the other core 4 members, so I added this 2007 Topps All Star relic. I don't know if it's the big nose and ears, but Jorge reminds me of the Core Four's version of Ringo Starr. With Jeter and Mo being legends and Pettitte a 'Dark Horse', Posada fittingly resembles Starr.

I always seem to forget about Hideki Matsui also, although I remember watching him vividly as I grew up. Here is a sweet 2005 Donruss Diamond Kings dual relic numbered out of 100 of 'Godzilla', one that won't be leaving my collection anytime soon!

This Topps Tribute Johnny Bench relic caught my eye the second I saw it! After meeting Bench last month and having a relatively nice experience, I'm more than happy to spend a little more on adding to my personal Bench collection. I recently came up with a list of players I'm going to collect from here on out, in an attempt to liquidate all of the rest. I'll have a post all about that coming up soon.

The final card of the 6 was this Reggie Jackson bat relic that actually has baseball seams engraved on the chip! I have a Willie Mays relic from the same set that I believe I bought from Hunter & Rich also, and it'll make a solid addition to my Jackson PC.

There you have it, that was all of the cards I bought at the show! Players and show stories coming soon to a computer in front of you! See Ya!

Random Stuff

Hey guys, Drew back here. I'm all caught up on mail (FINALLY!), and I don't have much going on, so I guess I'll just try to talk about a few things. Today I went to the FDR Home, Library, and Museum for a school trip, and I thought it was kinda boring, but cool to see some of the things there.

Well, we are on day 3 of baseball so far, and I am really impressed with some of the things that have already happened, but first, I have to complain about the Yankees game. That's what we do. Ok, so, CC stayed in too long, got knocked up by one of the best offenses in baseball, and then Chan Ho Park comes in and makes it... worse. WTF? And then Joba gives up a run. WTF (again!)? The bullpen looked pretty bad, and although it is ONLY 1 game, I'm already worried that the bullpen doesn't have enough depth and guys like Joba and Chan Ho are going to ruin a lot of games that we should win. You need a deep bullpen to win, unless your pitching staff is Walter Johnson, Cy Young, Christy Matthewson, Nolan Ryan, and Tim Lincecum! Back to the cool stuff...

1: Brett the Jet Gardner already stole home!

2: Mark Buehrle already won the Gold Glove!

3: Matsui proved me wrong and hit one out in his first game!

4: Jason Heyward is amazing!

Seriously, Heyward is a beast. First pitch, boom, gone!

Start BUYING HIS CARDS!

Well, TTM wise, still waiting for Andrew Bailey, C.C. Sabathia, and a few others. I got Whitey Ford back, but no auto and a pretty little price list, and I put the wrong address down for Phil Coke. I am getting out 3 Hall of Fame TTM's, and planning on more. I'm also thinking about making a new design for non Hall of Fame players.

So, thanks for reading that little blob on my blog. See Ya!

Hall of Fame Mailday

Hey guys, Drew back here, got a trade in from the Sports Card Forum. I make a ton of trades on that site, and it really pays off. Here is what I got for jersey cards of Hunter Pence and Craig Biggio:

2009 Topps Chrome X-Fractor Hideki Matsui
My 1st X-Fractor from 2009 Topps Chrome, and it's nice. It stinks to see Matsui as an Angel but at least he's not a Met or Red Sox player. I've always thought x-fractors had a cool design and although it's been a little overused I still find it pretty cool.


2009 Topps Unique Joba Chamberlain Red Parallel /1199
Another pretty nice card of a player whose cards are worth too much but isn't bad overall. Joba is young and his value is a little too high but I like him and I hope he does a good job wherever the Yankees put him. I see him as the Yankees next closer after Rivera, if they don't trade him, that is. This is a pretty cool card from one of the least popular releases of 2009, Topps Unique. The design is cool but the concept is stale. Aren't the same cards in Triple Threads?


2008 Topps Heritage Andy Pettitte Chrome Refractor /559
This is a really nice card, best out of the 3 shown so far. Pettitte has always been my favorite lefty and he has left a great legacy in New York. Although he admitted to using HGH, I forgive him and I think if he plays more years and gets up there in wins that people may talk about him as a Hall of Famer. Topps Heritage has done an amazing job the past few years with their sets, and this card does not disappoint.


2009 SPX Winning Materials Quad Jersey
Jermaine Dye/Jim Thome/Nick Swisher/Ken Griffey Jr.
Now this is one of my favorite Swisher relics in my PC, especially because of the men on the right side of the card. This is my 1st Griffey Jr. relic and I'm really happy to have 1, he's by far the greatest player of the 90's decade and one of the Top 5 in the 2000's as well. If only he avoided injuries, he may be the best of all time. Overall, the design is nice, and I think SPX was one of the best sets of the year in all honesty. I've opened many packs and pulled many hits!

See Ya!

Wow! It's Over!

Well guys, it's the moment we all wait for. Everyone loves October baseball, especially when their team gets that far. I've always been a Yankees fan, but in 2004 was the start of my baseball life, bleeding pinstripes was and still is the name of the game (I think it's more normal than bleeding Jets green!) for me. Well, that year didn't work out as planned, and those bloody sox took it all away from us (get it?). After getting Randy Johnson and cutting Andy Pettitte, all we did was try to buy a World Series, and it didn't work. That day that Joe Torre was given the goodbye treatment was the worst for me. I didn't know if any manager alive (other than Lasorda and other HOF managers) could manage as well as Mr. Torre. I was heartbroken that day, and even more when they picked Girardi over Mattingly to become the newest manager.

But this year, after missing the playoffs for the 1st time since 1994, we were determined. Buying a World Series was very much needed, and picking up guys like Sabathia, Burnett, Teixeira, and of course mi hombre Nick Swisher helped a ton. Not to mention the beautiful new stadium built for us by Mr. Steinbrenner! We were ready to strike back, and we were gonna do it in style!

After the news of A-Rod getting hurt and having to miss the 1st 2 months of the year all pressure was on Mark Teixeira, who failed to deliver at all in the 1st 2 months. The team all together wasn't looking so great, but when A-Rod came back, we went on a crazy surge, leading to the playoffs, Teixeira, CC, Burnett (kinda), and Swisher had big years and the Yanks went into the playoffs with over 100 wins and the best record in the league!

And here I am today, practically holding up the World Series trophy in the air, having never once felt that feeling, that "on top of the world" feeling you get when something unreal happens. I'm thinking, what's next? Nothing is. Technically, next year is next. But for now, this is the high point, the climax for a baseball fan, and I feel great!

So, last night's game was pretty good, I had trouble watching it though. I've thought up some great excuses and I figured I'll share em with you now, 1) I had 2 projects for school I finished, one being a presentation in Social Studies today (which went out well) and I needed to sleep. 2) Because the stupid MLB idiots like playing these games as late as possible, the perfect way for a kid to see this moment. 3) When I went to bed it was 7-3 Yankees, more like Matsui 6 Phillies 3. 4) I wanted to watch the end so I set my 2nd alram (1st is for school) to 11:00 to watch the end, turns out I was knocked out that night and either didn't hear the alarm or it never went off at all. So, by the time I woke up in the night, it's 5:00 in the morning, and I was like "I wonder what the score is", and when I looked at the clock I was like "Darnit, it's already been over for hours".

Those are my excuses, I watched the 1st 6 innings though, and other than the Howard home run, Pettitte looked brilliant! And don't get me started about Matsui, he knew it may be his last game in pinstripes, and he made it a memorable one (my friend said they're gonna ship him back to Japan :), no offense yall). Well, I want to congratulate the 2009 New York Yankees team, they played one heck of a season, and Joe Girardi after all is a great manager. Congrats to the 4 super heros (Posada, Pettitte, Jeter & Rivera) for completing one hand of rings and to A-Rod, Teixeira, Sabathia & Matsui for getting their 1st moments in glory! Thanks so much Yanks, now I get to be there for the first time! Here's to number 28! Go Yanks!

Pictures from ESPN.com

I think it's safe to say that this new stadium is the stadium Godzilla built! See Ya!