Assorted card shop pick ups

Wasn't as geeked up digging around a particular card shop I can only really visit maybe a few times in the fall - but found some loose odds and ends to put away in my pocket.

I paid $5 for a 2014 Panini Prizm Evan Longoria #65 - serial #'d 10/42; maybe a $1-$3 card on eBay but I suppose adding s/h costs even things out.

When digging for random singles, maybe I have a 'handful' of guys whose cards to look for - Longoria might be one of those MLB players that pique my interest from time to time.

The rest of the cards were a dollar each - I like numbered parallels when I can find them.

1993 Fleer Ultra Top Glove Greg Maddux #1 - an old insert featuring him wearing batting helmet, so I might as well grab the card now for my pitchers hitting collection or else I might as well forget it.

2002 Upper Deck Plus Mike Hampton #UD 99 - serial #'d 0142/1125; Hampton is not a player whose cards I'd usually find as keepers, but it's neat to find cards of him as a hitter.

2012 Topps Heritage Minors Matt Den Dekker - black border parallel serial #'d 61 / 96; I'll grab serial #'d cards all day even if the players aren't quite notables.

2012 Topps Pro Debut Garin Cecchini #23 - gold parallel serial #'d 24/50; maybe I've been on a numbered cards kick and it's fun to look for them, even though they aren't worth as much as I'd assume.

2012 Topps Pro Debut Tyrell Jenkins #130 - gold parallel serial #'d 08/50.

2013 Topps Update Series Ryan Kalish #US 108 - Camo parallel serial #'d 60/99; a seemingly limited card featuring awesome outfield action is a keeper.

2014 Panini Prizm Alex Gordon #42 - serial #'d 39/99; for the 2014 World Series, I'm hopping on the Kansas City bandwagon unless the San Francisco Giants snuff the Royals' World Series championship run out rather decidedly.

Ranking the 30 MLB teams on my watch - Tampa Bay Rays #3 of 30

He doesn't put up the greatest individual numbers but third baseman Evan Longoria makes this team relevant - I like how his batting stance seems so simplistic, but he's able to generate double after double and has the HR pop to 'clutch up' in crucial situations.

It seems like ever since his rookie year, Longoria has been involved in every Rays postseason run - the guy is a money player.

On the mound the Rays have gotten lucky with the pitchers that have come up through their system - but I don't know if Matt Moore or Jeremy Hellickson are ace quality types if David Price is traded, though they have other guys like Alex Cobb and Chris Archer looking to step up.

Featured autograph - Evan Longoria

I don't go too crazy on trying to get something for the Tampa Bay Rays star third baseman to sign in-person that he is just going to scribble on - I can take his short sig on a set card when other collectors think they can get something better than Longoria's scribble on their specialty baseballs or photos when the Rays are in town to play the Angels.

Quarter box finds - what else is new?

2013 Topps Gypsy Queen Evan Longoria #44
2006 Topps Turkey Red Joe Blanton #434
2010 Topps Pro Debut Randal Grichuk #147 - x3
2013 Topps Jason Grilli #174 - gold serial #'d 1711/2013
2013 Topps Gypsy Queen Jose Quintana #42
2013 Topps Gypsy Queen Salvador Perez #136

2013 Topps Gypsy Queen George Brett #230
2013 Topps Gypsy Queen Dustin Pedroia #275
2013 Topps Heritage Memorable Moments #MM-TR

2013 Panini Totally Certified Jeremy Lin #129

2012 Panini Prizm - three pack break recap #3 of 3

Pack three
#61 Josh Reddick

#TP 3 Shelby Miller - Top Prospect insert

#10 Evan Longoria
#149 Rickey Henderson
#196 Dale Thayer - Panini, you don't need to label an anonymous middle reliever a rookie when he's spent parts of the last four years in the Major Leagues.
#171 David Phelps

2013 Topps Heritage hobby pack recaps

I grabbed three random packs [$3 each] from the open box displayed on the counter of the card shop I go to - even though I'd already went on a retail run for 2013 Heritage, I wanted to try some Heritage 'H.'

Pack one
#56 Ross Detwiler
#210 Jacoby Ellsbury
#421 Wellington Castillo
#373 Ted Lilly

#HC 3 Evan Longoria - Chrome refractor serial #'d 547/564

#CCR-PK Paul Konerko - Clubhouse Collection relic
#36 Ben Zobrist
#325 Rafael Betancourt

Pack two
#393 Pat Neshek
#193 Garrett Jones
#268 Justin Ruggiano
#10 Miguel Cabrera / Curtis Granderson / Josh Hamilton - 2012 American League Home Run Leaders
#116 Chris Herrmann / Nick Maronde - 2013 Rookie Stars
#320 Coco Crisp

#124 Ryan Cook - Venezuelan parallel
#323 Danny Espinosa
#212 Edinson Volquez

Pack three
#314 Shane Victorino

#22 Andrelton Simmons
#239 Joel Hanrahan
#254 Nathan Eovaldi
#80 Jay Bruce
#232 Bob Melvin

#496 Clay Buchholz - SP
#11 Chase Headley / Ryan Braun / Alfonso Soriano - 2012 National League RBI Leaders
#146 Thomas Neal / Jay Chapman - 2013 Rookie Stars

The end of the 2011 MLB season - Longo comes up big

This quote from Joe Posnanski describes it all - he seems to capture what I've thought about the game, particularly with the four teams chasing for the Wild Card on the final night of the season.

"I've written this before: I never argue with people who say baseball is boring, because baseball is boring. And then, suddenly, it isn't. And that's what makes it great."

Baseball Night in America