A New Mission

Not one to be intimidated by the impossible, I have decided to focus my efforts in autograph collecting on obtaining the autograph of every living New York Yankee and Giant.  This already is going to be impossible because of the sheer amount of people that have played for these two teams and the lack of addresses for some of them.  Well, the fun is in the chase and I plan on having all the fun in the world with this one. 

I will not turn away any donations of either cards or autographs so if you are feeling generous contact me.

Whaddaya Know Joe?

Joe Torre and Tom Verducci have coauthored a book entitled "The Yankee Years" which is slated to come out on Feb. 3rd.  Early returns say this book bashes the Yankees and airs the team's dirty laundry.  Joe Torre, once the symbol of class and resolve in New York, is putting a lot on the line by coming out with this book now.  He is still an active manager and if a lot of the locker room stuff comes out what message does that send to his current players on the Dodgers?  Many of the players discussed in the book are still active players so what does that say about Torre's class and judgement?  

This book is not a surprise.  Torre has authored or coauthored a couple of books so it was only a matter of time before Torre came out with a comprehensive book on his time with the Yanks.  Tom Verducci says this is not just about Torre, that it is an historical documentation of the Yankees teams during Torre's reign.  If that is the case, and current players have made comments, then a lot of people need to take a class in ethics and class.  

I will reserve judgement on Torre and whomever else was in on this.  I will read it even though it goes against my better judgement but I will want to be sure.  What I won't do is hold back on Torre.

I am glad he is gone.  I like the man as a person (judgement pending on this book).  I love what he did with my team.  I will never forget the 1996 Series, nor the 1998 season.  I will also never forget getting the news that the Red Sox had come back in 2004 while I was in Iraq.  I won't forget his senile-like management of the Yankee lineup in 2006 against the Tigers.  I won't forget Torre refusing to take his team off the field after the gnat-like midges swarmed Joba Chamberlain.  I will never forget Torre's mishandling of his relievers from Tom Gordon, Paul Quantrill, Allen Watson, Mike Stanton, Tanyon Sturtze, Scott Proctor, and on and on.  If I were Scott Proctor I would sue Torre for negligence.  I will never forget Torre failing to have his hitters bunt against Schilling during the bloody sock game.  I will never forget the inactivity Torre had on the bench as the Red Sox, aka Pedro Martinez, threw at Yankee hitters.  Torre was a lot of things, including irrelevant in Yankeeland by the time his contract was up.  He didn't deserve a new contract.  Torre should have left or been fired after he lost to the Angels in 2005.  

Now, I hope this book doesn't ruin a legacy of a man who is revered in all corners of the sports world.  I hope he knows he is still managing a baseball team and what is written here will be reflected in the Dodger Clubhouse.  Until I read the book all one can do is hope that the black and white between the cover doesn't betray years of magic and joy.

Fun with Cardboard

Growing up nothing was better than taking a dollar down to the local card shop or convenient store and walking away with two packs of Topps Baseball cards.  I miss those days of $0.50 packs.  I miss those days when picking a baseball card was as easy as Topps, Fleer, Donruss, or Upper Deck and that was it.  I know most of you remember those 1987 Topps cards with the wood background and huge base set of almost 800 ball players.  There were some good cards to be found among the Joes who came up for a cup of coffee in 1986.  There is the Barry Bonds RC, which according to Beckett Magazine clocks in at $10 in mint condition.  There was the Mark McGwire card, his first in an A's uniform after making his Topps debut in 1985 with his Team USA card.  That McGwire card still clocks in around $4 despite all the issues surrounding McGwire these days.  There is also the Bo Jackson rookie card which still manages to book for $3.  Throw in rookie cards of Jamie Moyer  (he is the only player from this set still on an active roster), a Rafael Palmeiro, Ruben Sierra, Will Clark, Barry Larkin, and John Kruk and you have a fun and collectible set, even if you are doing a tribute to the steroids era.  There are Hall of Famers abound in this set as well.  There is the Wade Boggs', Tony Gwynn's, Cal Ripken, Jr.'s, George Brett, Ryne Sandberg, Mike Schmidt, Nolan Ryan, Robin Yount, Paul Molitor, Jim Rice, Rickey Henderson, and on and on.  This set is also relatively inexpensive to build and there is still a lot of unopened product out there.  A quick look on eBay or Beckettmarketplace.com will produce a lot of results.  You can still get a box of 36 packs (if I remember correctly there were 12 cards in a pack) for less than $20.  Or, you can go the vending box route which will give you 500 cards in a small box straight from Topps.  I snagged one off of Beckett.com for less than $10 a few months ago.  It was a good buy but there wasn't the satisfaction of ripping open packs and finding 20 year old gum!

These days, I can't even keep up with al the product out there.  It is freakin' intimidating.  Last year I managed to put together Upper Deck Series 1 and 2 through blaster packs at Wal-Mart.  That was a lot of fun, searching for that last card to put in the sleeve to complete the set.  It turned out I found that card in my doubles pile which I am now using to send through the mail for autographs.  I hate when I lose a card I need in the double pile.  Of course it only happened once since last year's set is the only set I consciously set out to complete.  I chose Upper Deck last year because the card focused on the picture and not the flashy border as is popular these days.  Plus, there weren't many inserts and subsets which are the bane of many a collector.  I don't know how people can keep up with all this stuff.  There are parallel sets, sub sets, refractors, chrome inserts, and everything else.  Sure, there were Upper Deck subsets in there but I chose to ignore them.  Although, the Yankee Stadium Legacy Set was fun but I had no hopes of completing that set without bankrupting me.  There was one card for EVERY game played at Yankee Stadium.  Upper Deck actually offered a trip to the new Yankee Stadium and meeting Derek Jeter to the first one who completed the set.  Last I heard some guy did it and won.  That is an awesome set though, even if it is the largest set of cards ever produced at over 4,000 cards.

Collecting baseball cards is something that I have done off and on since 1985.  Now, I mostly collect autographs ttm and through other means like at Scranton Yankee games.  It is amazing how much fun a hobby centered around small pieces of cardboard with pictures on them and stats and info on the back is.  My new thing is collecting the 2008 Topps update set of game used jerseys from the 2008 All-Star game at Yankee Stadium.  Right now there are plenty of those for less than $5 around.  

No matter how old I get I still can't get over the addiction that started years and years ago with a couple of quarters.  Today, I own a vast collection, mostly of autographs now since I committed sacrilege in 2003 by throwing out a vast majority of my old collection of baseball and football and basketball cards.  I regret that day everyday.  Oh well.  

Feel free to hit the comment button and let your thoughts and feelings be known on baseball cards.  No matter how big your collection is you are welcome here.  At the very least I am sure you have some cards left in an attic somewhere, probably those 1987 Topps cards.

Super Super Bowl

Congratulations to the Arizona Cardinals and the Pittsburgh Steelers for making Super Bowl 43.  I am very happy for the Arizona Cardinals who are making their first trip as a franchise to the big dance.  I am happy for Kurt Warner, who, although he only played 1 year in New York did an admirable job as Giants quarterback and helped tutor Eli Manning and didn't complain when Eli was named starter.  Kurt is a class act.  I know this because he is big on pleasing his fans who request his autograph through the mail.  I sent to Mr. Warner last season and was pleased to receive back three autographed testimonial cards.  Ben Roethlisberger also signs through the mail, making this a hard decision for me as to whom to root for.  I really like both of these quarterbacks.  Both are previous Super Bowl MVP's, one is a sure-fire Hall of Famer, the other is on his way.  Both give a lot to their fans and both are worthy of their fans' praise.  I am hoping for a great game.

A Hall of a Problem

Rickey Henderson is now a member of the Hall of Fame and deservedly so.  However, accompanying him into the sacred confines of Cooperstown is Jim Rice.  Jim Rice is one of the great players of his era, but not Hall of Fame worthy.  For a home run hitter he managed to hit only 382 lifetime home runs.  His highest total cam in the only year he topped 40, 1978, his MVP year when he hit 46 and drove in 139 runs, also a career best.  In an 8 year carerr, Rice drove in 100 or more runs in only 8 seasons.  Compare Rice's numbers compiled over a 16 year career to Albert Belle's who compiled his numbers in a 12 year career:

Home runs:

Rice - 382 (46 being the highest)

Belle - 381 (50 being his highest but he surpassed 40 two other times)

RBI:

Rice - 1451

Belle - 1239

Average:

Rice - .298

Belle - .295

Many don't even consider Albert Belle Hall of Fame material.  The Baseball Writers Association of America has shown Belle hostility in the past, never voting for him for an MVP, the highest he ever achieved was 3rd.  The BBWA sees themselves as the protectors of Baseball but they are just a bunch of thugs who gang up on people whom they don't like.  For example, Dave Kingman was never a liked man in the media and he is the only player with 400 or more homers NOT in the Hall of Fame of those who have become eligible.  With the Steroid Era Kingman is likely to see some company, however.  

If Rice is Hall of Fame material then Tino Martinez is at the very least a qualified candidate.  Tino hit 339 homers, drove in 1271 runs, collected 1925 hits, and played a stellar first base.  We saw what happened with the baseball writers when it came time for him to win a gold glove, they gave it to Raffy Palmeiro instead who only played 25 games at first.  Tino despite putting up similar numbers in his career to Rice will be laughed off the ballot.  

So why then did Rice get elected?  Think back to the time when you were a kid.  You probably collected baseball cards in old shoeboxes like I did.  Now think about this;  you probably held the players of your generation, for example the Don Mattingly's Wade Boggs', Tony Gwynn's, Cal Ripken, Jr.'s, Rickey Henderson's and Dave Winfield's of mine, in high regard.  You saw them play, grew up idolizing them, and wanted to be them.  The BBWA grew up watching Jim Rice.  They were the ones collecting his cards in old shoeboxes.  Jim Rice is a very good player.  However, he is NOT a Hall of Famer.  However, Jim Rice was a giant of the writers time.  That is how he got in, by being bigger than the kids who voted for him. 

Another gripe of mine considering the Hall of Fame is the lack of a fan's vote.  The Baseball Writer's have one.  The Veterans Committee has one.  Why not the fans?  the fans are entrusted to pick the All-Star game starters every year.  Why not have a special vote for the fans that allows one man per cycle to be elected by the fans.  Is this not our game?  Are we not to be represented by our favorite players?  The Hall of Fame can even put that on his plaque, that he was elected by the fans.  Maybe the Hall of Fame can set up a whole wing dedicated to the Fan's Hall of Fame.  Maybe this isn't a good idea but it can't be worse than letting Baseball writers who voted Raffy Palmeiro a Gold Glove for playing 25 games at first base.  Sadly, the Hall of Fame just doesn't hold the credibility it once did.  Maybe it will again one day.  Sadly, I doubt it.

2008, The Year the Giants Legs Gave Out

You knew it was going to be a tough year once Osi Umenyiora went down for the year with a leg injury.  However, the Giants got off to the best start in team history, going 11-1.  Then Plaxico Burress shot himself in the leg and took the offenses legs out from under offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride.  At first it looked like Domenik Hixon might be able to fill in for Burress but the team sorely missed Burress's ability to block and make the big catch over the heads of opposing corners.  The Giants limped into the playoffs losing 3 of their last 4 games but they won the important matchup against the Carolina Panthers for the #1 seed in the NFC.  However, in the topsy turvy world of the NFL that wouldn't matter.

Enter the Philadelphia Eagles, one of the league's hottest teams entering the playoffs squeaking into the postseason on the last day of the season.  The Eagles plain old beat up the Giants in a physical matchup that featured Eli Manning making several mistakes and poor throws.  Nothing seemed to go the Giants way, not even the opening kickoff that should have gone for a touchdown except kicker David Akers threw his body into Ahmad Bradshaw.  The Giants just couldn't make the big play, the thing Plax excelled at.  Had Plaxico been on the field the Giants win this game.  

Now comes the major question for the Giants this offseason, what to do with Plaxico.  Do they cut him?  Do they keep him and hope he comes back as the player he was?  If they get rid of him whom do they sign or trade for?

Topping the free agent class is T.J. Houshmandzadeh, a target of the Giants the last time he was a free agent which was the same year the Giants signed Plax.  Could Plax be replaced by T.J.?  the Bengals might be making Mr. Houshmandzadeh their #1 WR next year if they trade Chad Johnson.  However, they must trade Chad Johnson, aka Ocho Cinco, first.  could Chad end up on the Giants?  Not likely after seeing Plax implode on the New York scene.  What could be expected from Chad Johnson in the media capitol of the world?  I shudder at the thought.  

Devery Henderson of the Saints might be a viable option if Houshmandzadeh isn't available.  Henderson has put up decent numbers with the Saints but has not been a number one guy.  I don't think the Giants, still a Super Bowl caliber team, will entrust their aerial attack to an unknown.  There is always Terrell Owens.  Well, while he might be available I would boycott the Giants if they made a move for a 35 year old baby.  

There will be cap casualties that make themselves known later on.  However, right now the field looks pretty slim.  It is obvious that Eli Manning needs Plaxico.  Maybe the Giants bring him back, allow Derrick Ward to sign elsewhere as a free agent since he is going to command a little more money than the Giants would want to give to a #2 running back, 1,000 yards or not.  Ahmad Bradshaw is ready for an increased role in the offense if Ward doesn't come back.  There is also Danny Ware to consider.  Ware has been in the back waiting for his turn.  

Next year there will be an increased role for Mario Manningham, the Giants second round pick in the last draft.  Manningham has talent and has now spent a year learning the offense.  Look for Amani Toomer, the Giants all-time leading receiver to either retire or to be re-signed at a discounted price.  Toomer's age definitely showed this past season as he had a hard time getting open many days.  Toomer will go down in Giants record books and if he does sign with another team he will forever remain a Giant.  It's too bad he didn't get a chance to defend the Super Bowl title.  

No matter what the Giants do in the offseason they will be getting Osi Umenyiora back which is like signing an all-pro defensive end.  Osi's return will make whomever is the defensive coordinator's job a little easier.  Adding Osi opposite Tuck and rotating Dave Tollefson and Mathias Kiwanuka to keep them fresh will add up the sacks again for a defensive unit that is among the league's best.  

The 2008 season is not the closing curtain on this franchise, just a setback.  This team is still young, among the youngest in the league, and has playoff hardened veterans who are going to come back next year hungry to show they are still Super Bowl caliber.  There is plenty of talent already declaring for the draft which is shaping up to be one of the deepest in years.  The Giants will have an excellent shot at getting difference makers.  While 2008 is a disappointing year because of the expectations placed upon the Giants, it will not go down in vain.  Next year I expect Tom Coughlin to have his team back in the hunt.  There is plenty of cap room, a GM who has a nose for talent, and a team that will only be a year removed from a Super Bowl title.  If I am the NFC I am a little frightened at the prospect of a pissed off Giants team being on your teams schedule.