Although I probably owe all readers who have spent any amount of time in New Mexico an apology for the title of this posting, I just don’t see that happening. Instead, let’s check out some kool baseball cards. These are all 1975 Topps cards that I got autographed in person during the 2009 season.

Gene Clines – 1975 Topps no. 575

A hitting coordinator for the Los Angles Dodgers, Gene Clines made a few trips to Albuquerque during the 2009 season to help Isotopes hitters fine tune their approach at the plate. I was fortunate to have caught up with the “Roadrunner” after one of the games while he was hanging around outside the ballpark enjoying a smoke. Unfortunately, it was too dark for me to tell whether Gene was wearing the World Series ring he earned with the Pirates in 1971.

Glenn Abbott – 1975 Topps no. 591

I’ve gotten cards signed by Glenn Abbott before, but I never had his 1975 Topps card when I’ve seen him. One of the advantages of completing a set is having a card of every player contained within on hand in the event that you get an opportunity to meet them. I still need a few cards to complete my 1975 Topps set, but luckily, I was able to pick this one up in a trade before the Portland Beavers visited the Duke City near the end of summer. Abbott pitched a perfect inning on September 28, 1975 against the (then) California Angels in what proved to be the first four-pitcher combined no hitter in Major League history.

Don Money – 1975 Topps no. 175

Having set the major league record of consecutive errorless games at the hot corner at 86 with 257 opportunities during the summer of 1974, Don Money handled this card flawlessly after he agreed to autograph it for my collection. The four-time All-Star appeared in the 1982 World Series with the Milwaukee Brewers. Money is currently the manager of the Nashville Sounds. Don’s current signature is amazingly similar to the facsimile signature that was applied by Topps 34 years ago.

Jim Slaton – 1975 Topps no. 281

Jim Slaton served as the Isotopes pitching coach during the 2009 season, so I had a great number of opportunities to get this card autographed. That does not mean that I appreciate it any less. A teammate of Don Money and the Milwaukee Brewers, Slaton won Game Four of the 1982 World Series.

- Kris

The 2009 baseball season proved to be rather productive in my efforts to get more 1975 Topps baseball cards autographed. This post features two cards from that outstanding set that a fellow grapher offered to get inked for me when he attended a Toros game in Tucson, Arizona. Incidentally, this guy has his very own baseball card in the 2004 Nashville Sounds team set. I’m not going to drop any names here, but I will let you know that he is not one of the players in the set.

Tim Johnson – 1975 Topps no. 556

Tim Johnson is the manager of the abovementioned Tucson Toros that are part of the independent Golden Baseball League. It is worth noting that Johnson was the everyday shortstop for the Milwaukee Brewers until a young whippersnapper named Robin Yount moved in and forced him into a utility role. I am happy to have this card autographed in my collection, but it would have been nice to have met Johnson in person and traded a few war stories.

That same game resulted in the addition of Pete LaCock’s signature on his 75 Topps card from my collection. LaCock served as the Toros’ hitting coach during their inaugural season in the Golden Baseball League.

Pete LaCock – 1975 Topps no. 494

Any kid growing up in the 70s would be hard-pressed to claim that they never heard the name Pete LaCock. In reality, Pete’s true name is Ralph Pierre LaCock. As far as I know, Pete was the only major league ballplayer whose father was on television across the country on a nightly basis. In case you aren’t aware, LaCock’s father, Peter Marshall, was the host of the extremely popular game show Hollywood Squares. In “fact,” Hollywood Squares rivaled Match Game for bragging rights as the craziest game show on television at the time.

I am nearly positive that Pete was backstage during the videotaping of the episode when Paul Lynde went off on a tirade about how he believed that shoddily researched articles written by individuals and groups of people who share common interests would one day replace newspapers. When pressed for details on how these articles would be distributed amongst the population, the voice of Templeton the rat from Charlotte’s Web squinted his eyes and chuckled “…by carrier pigeons.”

I am typing under the assumption that if you are willing to watch the Game Show Network on cable nonstop between now and the next time I manage to crank out a blog posting, you will see that episode for yourself. You will not be disappointed when you observe Lynde’s outburst while a blizzard of Rip Taylor’s confetti dances like the Northern Lights on Lonesome George Gobels’ flatus rising up from the lower left corner.

Yes, I am still actively trading to complete my set of 1975 Topps baseball cards! My want list continues to shrink, so do not hesitate to make a trade offer soon to help me finish off this beast!

- Kris

There have been a great number of innovations in the trading card industry since I began collecting baseball cards back in the early 1970s. These changes have not only impacted cards, but also have noticeably shaped what we choose to store our treasures in.

In “my day,” we didn’t have penny sleeves, top loaders, or fancy screw-down acrylic cases, but any self-respecting baseball card collector had a decent supply of sturdy Velveeta cheese cardboard box bottoms to store cards in. Regular old shoeboxes were also commonplace, and the kids who lived in houses with garages even had these plastic boxes designed to look like gym lockers… but everybody used Velveeta cheese box bottoms for cards that were being sorted. Smokey used them. So did Pete. Mudnuts did as well. Joel had so many boxes we all thought that his family must have subsisted on mac and cheese (and baseball card bubble gum). The one exception was Mike, who stored all of his cards in a large paper sack. Mike was a Phillies fan, so we didn’t hold him to the same standards as the rest of our localized trading society.

Obviously if you are reading this blog, you already have an understanding of the myriad trading card storage solutions available at your local hobby shop or the many trusted online dealers. Like you, I have all sizes and counts of white cardboard storage boxes, plastic cases, binders of archival storage sleeves and on and on and on. I am also willing to wager that every now and again, a situation will arise in which you will find yourself having to improvise, and that need is what this post is intended to address.

I have a space on top of my CPU next to my scanner where I temporarily house cards that require my attention. These include autographed cards that I have already included in a blog post that are in need of proper filing, autographed cards received TTM that I have neither scanned nor written about, autographed cards that I am going to blog about (some scanned – some yet to be scanned) at some point when I find the time, and some 700-800 cards that I have gotten autographed in person this season that may never be featured in a blog post, but are awaiting proper sorting and filing. While the space is wide enough for a row of Velveeta cheese box bottoms, those won’t work because they are not wide enough to hold cards that are in plastic sleeves. Doh! Leaving such a large number of unorganized cards in stacks is a dangerous idea that can only end in frustration.

Well, leave it to my dear old friends at Kraft Foods to make sure my belly is happy and my cards are stored upright in the proper sorting position with a couple of fantastic products. First, Nabisco’s Oreo Cakesters [135mg of sodium per serving] boxes are ideal for storing baseball cards in protective penny sleeves. Makes absolutely no difference which flavor you choose- regular, Golden Oreo, strawberry crème or peanut butter, as each box will hold around 400 to 450 cards without overcrowding. The sides are not super strong, so you may choose to reinforce them with a ring of packing tape. I do not.

Sometimes I find that nostalgia is fun simply for nostalgia’s sake. While you MAY find a better storage box for your Topps Allen & Ginter mini cards, I prefer to keep mine in Kraft Velveeta Shells & Cheese [940mg of sodium per serving] boxes that are cut to size. Once I have obtained the majority of the set, those cards are transferred to sheets and binders.

Of course these are only a couple of trading card storage options that you may choose to employ while dealing with your collection. The important item to take away from this posting is the reminder that the next time you find yourself thinking that you need to run to the hobby shop to pick up a box for that stack of cards on your desk that isn’t going to file itself like you thought it would, a more convenient and delicious solution may be as close as your kitchen pantry.

-  Kris

Try as I might, I find it difficult to believe that approximately 1.37 lunar cycles have passed since I last posted any scans of Topps Allen & Ginter baseball cards that I have gotten autographed in person. Obviously the biggest thing that has happened during that time frame was the release of their 2009 product line. Certainly by now, everyone has seen these cards in person. What remains is the possibility that you may not have seen how these wonderful baseball cards can be further transformed with the few strokes of a fine point blue Sharpie.

I would also like to state for the record before I get rolling and eventually sidetracked a number of times, that I am interested in trading for any and ALL duplicates you may have of the “Electron” card from this set. While a few collectors dislike the oddball cards included in the Allen & Ginter product, I love them. Especially the ones that can be used to obtain unique autographs of baseball players and other celebrities, such as the St. Louis Arch for players in the Cardinals organization and the Washington Monument for random political glitterati (if you are so inclined). With that in mind, I couldn’t have been happier when I saw the “Electron” card and marveled at the similarity between the image and the Albuquerque Isotopes logo. Thanks Topps!

Blake DeWitt (Electron) – 2009 Topps Allen & Ginter no. 79

Having Blake DeWitt sign my first A&G “Electron” card was a no brainer given his kool signature and magnetic personality. Besides, I had a couple other 2009 Allen & Ginter Blake DeWitt cards that needed autographed anyway.

Blake DeWitt – 2009 Topps Allen & Ginter no. 117

I honestly didn’t get very excited when I looked over the checklist of certified autograph cards that were being inserted “randomly” into the product, but I was thrilled when I read that there was a Blake DeWitt bat card. These game-used relic cards look absolutely fabulous signed.

Blake DeWitt (game used bat) – 2009 Topps Allen & Ginter no. AGR-BD

*****

Chris Davis – 2009 Topps Allen & Ginter no. 188

The Texas Rangers decided to send Chris Davis down to Triple-A to work on his hitting and to make it possible for him to autograph this card for my collection when the Oklahoma RedHawks traveled west to the Rio Grande Valley. Davis is a great guy with a monster swing. I guarantee you that even the baseballs he misses are sweatin’ each trip toward home plate while he is up to bat.

Edwin Moreno – 2009 Topps Allen & Ginter no. 120

The native Venezuelan didn’t have much to say while he autographed this card after a game with the Portland Beavers. Oh well, he still has an interesting signature, and I think it looks fantastic on this card.

Brandon Morrow – 2009 Topps Allen & Ginter no. 194

I believe I had issues with the design of the 2009 Topps Allen & Ginter cards when I first began seeing scans of them online. But after having cards like this one of Brandon Morrow in hand, I can’t recall what those issues were. This really is a stellar product. In a perfect universe, this card would be part of a 700-card set that would be chock full of rookies and minor leaguers.

Matt Tuiasosopo – 2009 Topps Allen & Ginter no. 174

Getting Matt Tuiasosopo’s autograph can be more challenging than correctly pronouncing his name. He recently passed through the Duke City with the Tacoma Rainiers.

Brandon Boggs – 2008 Topps Allen & Ginter no. 346

Speaking of “tough signatures,” check out this autographed 2008 Topps Allen & Ginter Brandon Boggs card. Even the most seasoned graphers require relatively think skin when approaching certain players for an autograph. Boggs offers a glare and a choice word or three short of a tirade with each signature that leaves you feeling grateful that he only signs one. Possibly he is a little more fan friendly for the home crowd in Oklahoma City. It would be interesting to hear from a RedHawks fan on this topic.

Allen & Ginter cards from the 2007 set that I have recently gotten autographed include the regular and mini versions of both Alejandro De Aza and Doug Mientkiewicz.

Alejandro De Aza – 2007 Topps Allen & Ginter no. 199 mini

Alejandro De Aza will sign one card per person per game, but without any attitude. If you are hoping to engage a ballplayer in an extended conversation, my advice is that you look elsewhere.

Alejandro De Aza – 2007 Topps Allen & Ginter no. 199

*****

Doug Mientkiewicz – 2007 Topps Allen & Ginter no. 241 mini

Doug Mientkiewicz is one of those baseball players I had seen play on television for years and never once considered what I would say to him if I ever met him. In fact, I never had any reason to think that I would meet him. Then he was sent to Albuquerque on a major league rehab assignment- twice this past month. Turns out he has a great sense of humor and seems to enjoy talking to baseball fans about baseball, driving, and pretty much anything else you care to bring up. Oh, and he will autograph baseball cards all night long with a grin on his face.

Doug Mientkiewicz – 2007 Topps Allen & Ginter no. 241

*****

John Koronka – 2006 Topps Allen & Ginter no. 257

John Koronka signed this 2006 Topps Allen & Ginter card recently when the New Orleans Zephyrs blew into town. As much as I like this year’s A&G product, okay… all of them, I think the 2006 series remains my favorite.

Kris Benson – 2006 Topps Allen & Ginter no. 152

This Kris Benson card gets saved for last. I will leave it for you to decide whether I did so simply because his name is spelled the same as mine, or because he went to high school just a few clips down the road from the infamous Cardboard Junkie. I also briefly considered mentioning Anna Benson’s name in this article, but decided against it.

Well, as the days become noticeably shorter, I cannot help but realize that there remains but one homestand before the end of the regular 2009 season. While I may not have many more chances to get additional Allen & Ginter cards signed, it appears that I will eventually benefit from enough free time to catch up posting my favorites from all of the other cards I have been getting autographed this summer. Lucky you!

- Kris

Though fraught with risk, freelance work often offers serious advantages over the ol’ nine to five grind. Besides being able to complete the work around your schedule, contracting out your skills also allows for a creative compensation plan. For instance, I recently designed a website for a client in exchange for a healthy stack of beautiful 1965 Topps baseball cards that I needed for my set that I am building. I would be willing to trade html code all day long for vintage baseball cards that I need, so naturally I was elated to discover that I also was going to receive a half-baker’s dozen of autographed 1965 Topps cards as a tip.

Now that I have the cards in hand, I’ve decided to share scans of the autographed ones with you fine folks.

Wayne Causey – 1965 Topps no. 425

Picking up this card was quite interesting since I had just written Wayne a few weeks ago- when this card was still on my 1965 Topps baseball want list. Also, I had just gotten this embossed card back TTM this past week, so they make for a super combination.

Wayne Causey – 1965 Topps embossed no. 21

Ed Charles – 1965 Topps no. 35

Ed Charles has some absolutely fantastic baseball cards. This is but one of them. Possibly better known as being a member of the Miracle Mets, I believe I prefer Ed in his colorful Athletics uniforms. No stranger to writing instruments, “The Glider” was writing poetry long before fans began asking for his autograph.

Mike Hershberger – 1965 Topps no. 89

The comic on the back of Hershberger’s 1965 Topps baseball card includes a sketch of a player sliding head first into third base with nary a defender in sight. Given that he hit 21 triples in the minors in 1959, I have to believe that he wouldn’t have been sliding into a base unless a play was being made. Mike was traded to the Athletics in January of 1965 with Jim Landis. These cards provide an interesting mini study of the mid-60s baseball card manufacturing process as Hershberger is still shown as being with the White Sox, while Landis is depicted with the Athletics in a later series- though still wearing a White Sox uniform.

Jim Landis – 1965 Topps no. 376

One of the things I enjoy most about autographed baseball cards is where the player chooses to place his (or her) signature. While many just slap it on haphazardly, most appear to give it some thought. Some players (current and retired) sign every card in more or less the exact same spot. While I tend to use a blue Sharpie for the majority of my autographs, I have to admit that the use of the black Sharpie by Landis really works well with this card.

Bill Monbouquette – 1965 Topps no. 142

The surface of this Bill Monbouquette card suffers from either wax or gum residue. It also appears that Bill used some random blue marker instead of a Sharpie, resulting in an autograph that has either faded, or has bled into the card to some degree. Nevertheless, the card is a welcome addition to my collection- especially considering that Monbouquette reportedly charges to sign memorabilia sent to his house. Regardless of that, I probably would not be sending him any autograph requests, as I understand that he suffers from leukemia and probably has better things to be doing.

Tommie Reynolds – 1965 Topps no. 333

Well-wishers should make note that former Major League outfielder/pinch hitter Tommie Reynolds has a birthday coming up on August 15th.

Pete Ward – 1965 Topps no. 215

Named The Sporting News Rookie of the Year in 1963, Pete Ward seems to be the type of guy who would be a blast to have a beer with, eh? This is a beauty of a baseball card! Aren’t they all?

- Kris

I want to begin this brief blog posting by stating that I have absolutely zero problems with Upper Deck’s 2009 O-Pee-Chee baseball cards. I like the design, the card stock and the size of the set. Since I have no intention of attempting to build the entire set, I don’t even mind the short prints or the parallel cards.

The simple truth of the matter is that there are other new and vintage cards available that I prefer to chase. With that in mind, I will be picking up cards of players from this set that I believe I will have the opportunity to get autographed in person.

Cory Wade – 2009 Upper Deck O-Pee-Chee no. 181

Cory Wade signed this card for me Monday afternoon after pitching an inning in relief as part of a Major League rehab assignment with the Albuquerque Isotopes.

Blake DeWitt – 2009 Upper Deck O-Pee-Chee no. 382

Less than an hour later, a cab pulled up and delivered Blake DeWitt and his equipment to the Isotopes clubhouse after he had been optioned back to Albuquerque for a few days. Blake has a fantastic attitude about his movements between the two clubs this season, and you can’t help but think that one of these times he gets called up will be the last time we see him around town.

While I won’t have any 2009 Upper Deck O-Pee-Chee baseball cards to trade, you shouldn’t let that keep you from checking out my ever-changing want list as you attempt to reduce the number of duplicates you have taking up storage space in your card room. I’m almost positive that I can find something to trade that you need, so drop me a line.

-  Kris

2009 Quad Cities River Bandits team set

Official Score –  base-clearing DOUBLE

Manufacturer: Grandstand

Sponsors: Names Around Town Photography and Plaza Physical Therapy

Retail price: $ 8.00

What’s the name of that place in Iowa where the players walk out of a cornfield to play baseball and entertain adoring fans night after night? No, not THAT one. I’m talking about the ballpark whose right field skyline includes a monumental 70-year-old bridge that spans the Mississippi River. Yes, Modern Woodman Park, home of the Quad Cities River Bandits. The average fan visiting the facility from out of town would likely require a tour guide to inform them that the renovated stadium is actually 78 years old, making it one of the four oldest pro ballparks in use today.

Just between you and me, three-quarters of a century equals a LOT of baseball! Without a doubt, the Quad Cities (Davenport and Bettendorf, Iowa; Rock Island, Moline, and East Moline, Illinois) fans have enjoyed many a fine ballgame in their backyard over the decades. The Quad Cities River Bandits are currently the Class A, Midwest League affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals.

The 2009 Quad Cities River Bandits team set does not have an official checklist, so feel free to print out the one I’ve typed up and keep it with your cards.

Checklist: 30 cards

1 – Ace Adams (pitching coach)
2 – Jarred Bogany (of)
3 – Hector Cardenas (p)
4 – Dave Carpenter (p)
5 – Alex Castellanos (inf)
6 – Paul Cruz (of)
7 – Charlie Cutler (c)
8 – Gary Daley (p)
9 – Ramon Delgado (p)
10 – Steve Dillard (manager)
11 – Jon Edwards (of)
12 – Roberto Espinoza (c)
13 – Joe Kruzel (hitting coach)
14 – Brett Lilley (inf)
15 – Scott McGregor (p)
16 – Travis Mitchell (of)
17 – Osvaldo Morales (inf)
18 – Casey Mulligan (p)
19 – Arquimedes Nieto (p)
20 – Frederick Parejo (of)
21 – Andres Rosales (p)
22 – Chris Swauger (of)
23 – Miguel Tapia (p)
24 – Kevin Thomas (p)
25 – Guillermo Toribio (inf)
26 – Niko Vasquez (inf)
27 – Adam Veres (p)
28 – Brian Puchalski (trainor)
29 – Kevin Welch (strength & conditioning coach)
30 – Rascal (mascot)

I don’t think it is too big of a stretch for me to assume that Names Around Town Photography took all photos used in the 2009 Quad Cities River Bandits team set. The photos are for the most part very nice. The majority of the shots appear to have been thought out, and are unique throughout the set.

Divided into subsets, the 2009 Quad Cities River Bandits team set contains 3 cards of the field staff, 11 pitchers, 2 catchers, 5 infielders, 6 outfielders, and 3 non-baseball player cards (that will not be discussed further in this review). Here is the card of manager Steve Dillard. Nice action shot, and an interesting background to boot.

Each of the cards featuring the Quad Cities River Bandits coaching staff would have been fantastic if some sort of reflector or fill flash had been used while shooting the close-up of hitting coach Joe Kruzel. But such lighting was not used, which leaves us with a pretty nice photo of the River Bandits logo on the front of his cap.

The 2009 Quad Cities River Bandits team set contains cards of eleven pitchers. This subset illustrates three different styles of River Bandits uniforms, contains a nice variety of different angles, in game photos, posed upper body shots and even the set’s first horizontally aligned card.

This photo of Andres Rosales is perfect for use as a horizontal card. How about that grin folks? Sort of makes one wonder if Rosales is always in a great mood. Let’s check out the back of his card…

Well, I guess this photo answers the question about whether or not Rosales is a constant ray of sunshine. A good team set will not only make you think of  questions, but will also answer them!

I’m including this scan of Arquimedes Nieto simply to increase this blog’s Google strength amongst web surfers hunting for the name “Arquimedes.” I do like the use of the outfield berm as the background, even though the result is that Arquimedes is a tad bit on the dark side. The photo is expertly cropped, allowing fans to see that Arquimedes is pitching while wearing a custom-made left shoe that looks exactly like the Quad Cities River Bandits logo. How wild is that?

There are only two catchers included in the 2009 Quad Cities River Bandits team set, but the designer took full advantage of the opportunity to depict one catcher on defense and the other on offense. That is the equivalent of a one – two – three inning!

The defensive-offensive ratio drops to 20/80 as you flip through the cards of the infielders. Even still, the different camera angles and backgrounds vary so much that each card is as refreshing as an ice cold Mountain Dew.

Infielder Alex Castellanos appears to be watching a foul ball bounce off one of the five arches of Centennial Bridge and plop into the Mississippi River only to be eaten by a giant catfish rumored to lurk in that area.

For those readers scratching your heads wondering about this confounded bridge that I’ve mentioned a couple of times now, here it is in the background of Brett Lilley’s card. Obviously the 2009 Quad Cities River Bandits team set provides you with a golden opportunity if you want to own a card of the all-time NCAA leader in hit-by-pitches.

One-third of the cards of outfielders in the 2009 Quad Cities River Bandits team set show players in the field while the rest were shot in the act of hitting or running the base paths. As with the other subsets, the outfielders show a nice range of the different River Bandits uniforms and provides numerous views of the ballpark, helping make this set a pleasure to flip though. Is it just me, or do players seem happier on horizontal cards?

Structural engineers world wide must be salivating by the fact that the 2009 Quad Cities River Bandits team set contains more cards with images of a bridge than do the 2006-2009 Topps Allen & Ginter sets combined!

Card thinness is standard for a minor league set, and both sides have a semi-gloss finish. No surface preparation is necessary prior to obtaining autographs. The backs consist of four-color printing including typical stats, biographical data and very nice photos of players that are different from the photos on the front- a very classy touch that helps makes this team set a keeper in all leagues.

The 2009 Quad Cities River Bandits team set is a must have for all St. Louis Cardinals fans who enjoy following the careers of young players as they navigate their way upstream through the Cardinals farm system.

The set is available online for those of you who do not expect to be traveling through the Midwest at any point in the near future. You get all 30 cards mentioned and/or pictured in this review for $8.00. Shipping is right around six bucks, and you may be hit with sales tax. Heck, you might as well have them toss one of their 2008 team sets in your shopping cart for only five dollars and no additional shipping costs. I haven’t reviewed that particular set only because I do not have it.

-  Kris

……….

On a side note, I would be completely remiss as a historian if I failed to take advantage of this opportunity to hook you up with a link to a bit of the past of the Modern Woodmen of America. If you’ve ever been to a cemetery of any age, you’ve probably seen a distinctive grave marker of one of the members of the fraternal society and wondered what it was all about.

How do I prepare for the release of the 2009 Topps Allen & Ginter baseball cards? Well, for starters, I like to look back at the previous sets and marvel at what a fantastic product it is. Tired and in need of being retired? I think NOT. These cards are smokin’!

Of course, we’ve all seen them, and most even have the majority of at least the base cards. As such, plain ol’ base cards don’t merit scanning and posting here. Instead, here are scans of the various Topps Allen & Ginter cards I have gotten autographed in person over the past three months.

Jeff Weaver – 2007 Topps Allen & Ginter no. 167

It sucks that I’ve only gotten one card from the 2007 Topps Allen & Ginter set autographed in person this year. Of course, that is the main drawback to a product with a relatively small number of players included in it- most of them aren’t going to be appearing in many minor league games.

Greg Reynolds – 2008 Topps Allen & Ginter no.139

Greg Reynolds applied his fantastic signature to his 2008 Topps Allen & Ginter card recently while passing thru town with the Colorado Sky Sox. In spite of how often I rant and rave about other baseball cards that I like to collect, I would be hard-pressed to name another product that “takes” an autograph as well as the Allen & Ginter cardstock.

Jason Schmidt – 2008 Topps Allen & Ginter no. 337

Jason Schmidt has been rehabbing with the Isotopes for a short while. If you aren’t sure what he looks like in street clothes, I suggest looking for the 6’4” dude surrounded by a group of people seeking autographs.

Rich Thompson – 2008 Topps Allen & Ginter no.291

Rich Thompson was “down” with the Salt Lake Bees when they swarmed the Duke City earlier this season. Thompson is nothing short of all-serious on the mound, but an extremely pleasant player to talk to before he puts on his game face, or after his work is done for the evening. If you are wondering what the mini version of Thompson’s 2008 Allen & Ginter card would look like signed, here you go.

Rich Thompson – 2008 Topps Allen & Ginter no. 291 mini

Brandon Wood – 2008 Topps Allen & Ginter no. 312

For those of you who track such things, Brandon Wood seems to have doubled up and is now willing to sign two items per fan. I didn’t ask him why he had changed his routine when he was here with the Salt Lake Bees. I also saw him sign the sweet spot of a baseball this year. I found that significant because I once watched as he refused to sign the sweet spot for a fan during Spring Training in Tempe, Arizona, explaining that the sweet spot is reserved for the manager’s signature.

Chin-Lung Hu – 2008 Topps Allen & Ginter no. 22

Hold onto your caps, it’s a Chin-Lung Hu trifecta! First, a regular sized card signed in English then a second signed in Hu’s native Taiwanese. I’ve heard several people ask Hu to sign in Chinese, and the end result is the same. Listen, I’m a baseball card collector, not an orthograpist, so I don’t know which is correct. For all I know, asking a Taiwanese person to write in Chinese may be equivalent to calling a square a rectangle. Sure, I could ask Chin-Lung at some point, but I would rather congratulate him on a game well played while he is signing my cards.

Chin-Lung Hu – 2008 Topps Allen & Ginter no. 22 (Taiwanese auto)

Chin-Lung Hu – 2008 Topps Allen & Ginter no. 22 mini

Obviously there isn’t a heck of a lot of time for chitchat when Hu stops to sign his mini version of his 2008 Topps Allen & Ginter card!

Although I will be collecting the 2009 Topps Allen & Ginter baseball cards, I am undecided whether I will bust out of the gates with the new product, or wait and attack it with blaster boxes once they begin to filter into Target. More than likely I will invest my blaster box funds on a couple of Joel Rosario mounts at Hollywood Park Thursday in an attempt to parlay it into a hobby box.

- Kris

I’ve finally created and posted my want list for the 2009 Topps Heritage baseball card set I am working towards completing. In celebration of that milestone, I thought I would post scans of a few of the cards in the set that I have gotten autographed in person so far this season. I’m not overly bothered that I rarely pull a kool autographed card from my boxes, because each unsigned card represents the potential for obtaining an in-person signature.

Before I get to the autographed cards, here is the specimen that represents the 1960 Topps baseball set within my type collection.

Tommy Davis – 1960 Topps no. 509

The rules pertaining to my type collection are pretty lax. Basically, I am working toward obtaining one card from as many different sets as I can, and acquiring them thru trading channels whenever possible. With that in mind, if you absolutely need this Tommy Davis card in your collection, make me an offer.

Onward with the autographs…

Alcides Escobar – 2009 Topps Heritage no. 143

Alcides Escobar passed thru the Duke City last week with the Nashville Sounds. The fleet-footed shortstop prefers stealing bases to signing autographs, but will sign one per fan.

Greg Golson – 2009 Topps Heritage no. 130

Greg Golson also will sign one autograph per fan. The Oklahoma City RedHawks outfielder does have a rather stylish signature, don’t you think?

Chris Hayes – Royals Team – 2009 Topps Heritage no. 413

Team cards are swell for getting autographs of players who don’t have many baseball cards of their own. This particular signature belongs to pitcher Chris Hayes. Hayes will probably end up having a large number of baseball cards before his baseball career draws to a close.

James McDonald – Dodgers Team – 2009 Topps Heritage no. 18

Team cards are also great for players who have cards, but you think merit more NOW! Case in point, Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher James McDonald. The Dodgers were nice enough to loan McDonald to Isotopes fans for a few weeks during the first half of the season, but I don’t expect to see much more of him in the minors.

Jason Repko – Dodgers Team – 2009 Topps Heritage no. 18

Deja different! Same card as above, but signed by outfielder Jason Repko. Currently playing outfield with the Isotopes, Repko is a standout ballplayer, and a heck of a nice guy. In case you are wondering, I also enjoy getting team logo cards signed by players, but you don’t see them being produced all that often. If you have minor league logo cards that you want to unload, give me a shout.

Carlos Rosa – Royals Team – 2009 Topps Heritage no. 413

A few rough outings have resulted in some rather inflated stats for this young pitcher thus far this season. Unfortunately, Carlos Rosa performed very well during his appearances in Albuquerque. Rosa will continue to work on his stuff in Omaha until he can join their parent club in Kansas City.

Angel Salome – 2009 Topps Heritage no. 121

Angel Salome’s card is great, and his autograph is pretty interesting, but you should see the guns on this dude! I have no idea how he manages to hold a Sharpie in his hands without crushing it. Currently catching with the Nashville Sounds, keep your eyes peeled for when Angel joins the Brewers.

Again, please visit my 2009 Topps Heritage baseball card want list on the Aardvark Trading Co. website. If you have cards I need, chances are I can help you out as well.

- Kris

Quick… what is more fun than purchasing a whole mess of 2008 Topps Stadium Club baseball cards at drastically discounted prices?

CORRECT- getting some of those cards autographed in person!

A handful of pages have been ripped from the calendar since I last discussed these cards. As I suspected, the cards look pretty sharp after the players have signed them. I already posted scans of Blake DeWitt’s autographed Stadium Club cards, so they will not be repeated here. With that in mind, first up are the five variations of the Chin-Lung Hu cards that I pulled together while trying to understand this product this past winter.

Chin-Lung Hu 2008 Topps Stadium Club no. 133-a

Chin-Lung Hu 2008 Topps Stadium Club no. 133-a 1st Day Issue (no. 187/599)

Chin-Lung Hu 2008 Topps Stadium Club no. 133-b (no. 690/999)

Chin-Lung Hu 2008 Topps Stadium Club no. 133-b 1st Day Issue

Chin-Lung Hu 2008 Topps Stadium Club no. 133-b Photographer’s Proof (no. 44/50)

Carlos Gonzalez took a break from hitting home runs while in town with the Colorado Springs Sky Sox in order to autograph a few cards for me. Gonzalez was later called up by the Colorado Rockies.

Carlos Gonzalez 2008 Topps Stadium Club no. 128-a

Carlos Gonzalez 2008 Topps Stadium Club no. 128-b 1st Day Issue

Infielder Jonathan Herrera also visited the Duke City long enough to sign both variations of his Stadium Club cards.

Jonathan Herrera 2008 Topps Stadium Club no. 122-a

Jonathan Herrera 2008 Topps Stadium Club no. 122-b 1st Day Issue

In spite of being on the DL, Colorado Sky Sox pitcher Greg Reynolds seemed quite happy to affix his signature to both variations of his Stadium Club cards.

Greg Reynolds 2008 Topps Stadium Club no. 122-a 1st Day Issue

Greg Reynolds 2008 Topps Stadium Club no. 122-b 1st Day Issue

Slugger Sean Rodriguez visited Albuquerque with the Salt Lake Bees prior to being called up to the Los Angeles Angels. Not only did Rodriguez autograph his cards with a smile, but afterwards thanked me for coming out the to the ballpark.

Sean Rodriguez 2008 Topps Stadium Club no. 131-a

Sean Rodriguez 2008 Topps Stadium Club no. 131-b (no. 974/999)

Sean Rodriguez 2008 Topps Stadium Club no. 131-b 1st Day Issue

I am still interested in picking up the rookie card variations that I don’t have, so please check out my want list before digging through your duplicates. I do have a few, and expect to have more duplicate autographed 2008 Topps Stadium Club baseball cards to trade to graphers who are working on this set. I may not revisit this product prior to the end of this season, so feel free to contact me if you have any questions or have a trade proposal.