Showing posts with label better luck tomorrow. Show all posts
Showing posts with label better luck tomorrow. Show all posts

Thursday, June 19, 2014

Featured autograph - Jose Abreu

After getting skunked in trying to get something signed by Abreu in-person, I relented to pick up a signed bat - even though he’s probably not a future Hall of Famer, he has some real juice in his bat and the talent is legit.

More than likely, he will put up big power numbers in the next few years - but as a 27-year old rookie, he’s likely as good as he is going to be and he's not going to put up real significant lifetime stats.

Because of how the hype machine works in professional sports, Abreu could put up a fine season in 2015, but basically be obscured by younger and brighter rising stars - not get to get too dramatic, but because he is one large human, he is more likely to suffer injuries that may hinder his playing career.

All things considered, the guy was a Cuban superstar, not some minor league journeyman bouncing around in various stops - he is set for life, even if he doesn't build upon what looks like a great first year.

Unfortunately unless otherwise noted, when it comes to signing autographs - I see him another grumpy foreign born player who doesn’t speak English but is ‘big time’ now.

I didn't realize how brutal he would be in-person and he’s not going to get easier - a schlub like me isn't going to get him to sign a bat, even if I immerse myself in Rosetta Stone lessons for a year.

The bat comes from a card shop in Chicago that had a signing with him and is PSA/DNA certified - admittedly, it’s a typical Rawlings Big Stick [engraved with his name] as opposed to anything close to something he’d actually use on the field.

Monday, February 03, 2014

2014 Topps Series I hobby jumbo pack


Even though I'm waiting on a hand collated set I purchased - I tried a 50-card pack for about $12 to see if I could pull something decent like this past break.

Pack one 
#90 Ethan Martin
#198 Nick Swisher
#284 Brandon Belt
#63 Tyler Skaggs
#107 Jordan Zimmerman
#46 Kolten Wong
#129 Yonder Alonso
#252 Kevin Pillar
#6 Josh Beckett
#14 Yoenis Cespedes
#60 Jon Niese
#328 James Loney
#74 John Mayberry
#279 Corey Kluber
#326 Khris Davis
#233 Rafael Soriano
#237 Michael Cuddyer/Chris Johnson/Freddie Freeman - 2013 NL Batting Average Leaders
#36 Billy Hamilton
#62 Joe Kelly
#323 Jose Bautista
#207 Jonathan Villar
#66 Kris Medlen
#180 Ben Revere - Gold parallel serial #'d 0269/2014
#185 Howie Kendrick - Red Hot Foil parallel
#PP-26 Jon Lester - Power Players code card
#TM-23 Roberto Clemente - 1989 Topps minis die-cut
#UC-24 Justin Verlander - Upper Class insert
#FN-7 Jean Segura - Future is Now insert
#BG-18 Cal Ripken Jr. - Before They Were Great insert
#10 Junior Lake
#272 Carlos Villanueva
#196 Cole Hamels
#154 Chris Iannetta
#125 Joe Mauer
#315 Jose Quintana
#40 Hyun-Jin Ryu
#144 Joakim Soria
#311 Chris Young
#216 Ubaldo Jimenez
#26 Josh Phegley
#181 Jim Henderson
#65 Hisashi Iwakuma
#242 David Holmberg
#281 Robbie Erlin
#219 Charlie Morton
#241 Henderson Alvarez
#33 Matt Harvey
#58 Dan Straily