The Card

One of the things that I really dislike about the hobby today is the graded card. I understand the principle behind grading. Its main goal is to preserve, or that should be the main goal. This can lead to discrepancies among collectors. Many errors in grading have been found.

In some cases, the same card has been graded multiple times, with different grades as the result. What should the final grade be? How can a card that received a grade of 5, get a grade of 7 the second time it was submitted to the same service?

I just finished reading The Card. It's a fascinating look at the history behind the world's most famous (and expensive) card. After hearing rave reviews from other bloggers in the community, I decided to check out my local library for a copy. Sure enough, they had one on the shelf. I am the fifth person to check out this book since August.

The first thing that struck me after finishing the book is that most of the action took place around my neck of the woods. A lot of the action takes place in Burr Ridge and Oak Park, Illinois. That really opened my eyes. A good chunk of was orchestrated place right under my nose. It was very surprising to me.

At first, I thought an entire book about one card would be a boring read. It would have been, had it not been for the people involved. Friendships were ruined, collectors were stabbed in the back, people were screwed over and deception ruled most of the stories.

There are also personal accounts of the man himself, Honus Wagner. Learning more about the Flying Dutchman was worth the read alone. I feel like I grew up around him as I read about his hometown and his habits and haunts.

This book also documents the rise of baseball cards and memorabilia. It shows the reader how a hobby transformed from a few fanatic collectors writing letters to the beast that it was in the nineties to the premium cards of today. All thanks to one card.

In my estimation, this Gretzky Wagner should not be worth as much as it is. The credit for the inflation should be given to each owner of the card since 1985. Each owner has added to the legacy of this one card. Not many are willing to openly talk about the origins of the card.

The origins are debated and the reasons are argued for each. The only thing that I didn't like about the book was the feeling of anger at how some owners blatantly manipulated future owners. It's also humbling and sad to think that the card may not be all that it claims to be.

The most interesting story comes from two unexpected players who can't seem to catch a break. Although, it seems like they are their own worst enemy. For each step they take forward, they seem to shoot themselves in the foot and hop three steps back.

The book also exposes many problems in the system created by these "pioneers" that set up the card auctions and started the grading systems. If the mystery and thriller elements don't hook you in, the talk of cards and the industry definitely will.

This card has certainly had a great journey since its "discovery" in Hicksville. I'm still waiting for the definitive story of how it got there in the first place.

I still say that grading cards is evil. Cards should be allowed to breathe. I can see one or two of each card being graded for preservation sake, but not for collecting.

1995 Stadium Club - Wilson Alvarez

My first impression of this card was, "What's with the multi-colored polo shirt?"

Isn't Wilson a little old to be in his good clothes looking for a pick up game on a street corner? Apparently not. There he is on a Sunday afternoon shaking kids down for money. The billiards hall wouldn't be open for hours, so he had to kill time by hustling kids on the street.

"I bet you can't hit my fastball", said Wilson.

"I bet you ten bucks that I can, old man", said some snot nosed punk kid.

Wilson then proceeded to blow the kid away with three pitches. He made ten bucks and sent the kid home crying. This is what multi-millionaires do when they are on strike. The 1994 strike hurt more than baseball, it hurt real live people. Major League players were forced to take to the street to practice their craft. It was a sad time indeed.

I suspect Wilson could only fool a handful of kids in 1994. He was famous enough to where he could be recognized. He threw a no-hitter a few years before and made the playoffs last season. His team was primed to head back to the playoffs. He wouldn't be a man to fool many. He took whatever money he could get.

This card painfully reminds us that the strike had an impact on even the most talented players. I hate to think what the common players did to make ends meet during this time. I would imagine it wasn't pretty.

1910 S74 Silk - Lee Tannehill

Cards made out of silk? It happened. I have been able to find very little information about these cards. What I have found, these were issued as tobacco premiums, much like the T-206 cards or the original Turkey cards.

This seems like an unusual idea that would be relegated to the annals of history. It would certainly appear so, but wait, there will be silk cards in 2008. Topps has taken it upon themselves to resurrect the silks as super limited inserts in the Series 2 hobby and HTA boxes. They will be limited to 50 and feature a checklist of 100 cards.

So, why do silk at all? I guess it's something different to put a baseball player on. I'm not entirely sure why someone would make a card out of silk. They do look cool though. Isn't the idea of silk supposed to be a touchable material? I don't understand why a touchable material would be used for something that is typically untouchable in this day and age.

I would imagine that I will not own an original silk card in my lifetime. The best I could hope for would be the 2008 version. I am a bit excited at the prospect of a silk card, but I'm not certain why. Could it be the alternative to paper that has me excited? Could it be the memory of silk against my skin that holds fond feelings? Maybe it's the oddity of the whole thing. Whatever it is, it should be interesting to see the public reaction to silk cards.

Surfin' San Diego

There's nothing worse than a gremmie out of control.

I've never visited San Diego. It's on my list of places to visit. There's the world famous zoo. The Wild Animal Park. Sea World. Old Town. Lots of museums. Lots of beaches. The Padres.

I'd love to take in a Padres game in San Diego. One thing has me worried though. Although I've never heard about it, apparently there is a rollicking surf inside the ballpark. Cowabunga dude! Let's hang ten or whatever they call it now. Yeah, I've never been surfing either. It's hard to do in Lake Michigan.

I can admire an athlete who can surf. Especially one who can surf at his job. His job on dry land. I've never been able to stay on a skateboard for more than five seconds, let alone a surfboard. Roller skating is a complete joke on me, but for some reason I think I would do well with roller blades, but I've never tested that theory.

You'll never see me in ice skates. Ice and I have a touchy relationship ever since I fell through the ice in grade school. It was not fun riding my bike over two miles home, in the dead of winter, drenched from head to toe. It's an experience that I'd not like to repeat. Ever.

This is the kind of card experience that I will miss. With Fleer gone from the landscape, I will never again see surfboards or snakes on baseball cards of actual major leaguers. Not that Fleer had those things in their sets in the past few years. It was nice to know that those types of photos could show up, if someone really wanted them to.

I've gotten a little nostalgic for Fleer. I don't like things taken away that shouldn't be taken away. Fleer was the ugly stepsister, whose heart was in the right place. It tried and tried, but it just couldn't look pretty on a regular basis. The few times that Fleer got gussied up enough to take the collectors' notice, it just didn't suit Fleer. Fleer was comfortable being ugly.

I know, that sounds like a bad sitcom or a cheaply made modern teen movie. You know it's true though. Fleer could be like the French exchange student, who fakes not speaking English in order to not get noticed. There's inner beauty just underneath the surface, just waiting for John Cusack's black Camaro to come along to show her the ways of street racing in broad daylight and skiing on one ski.

Truth be told. Fleer is probably most like Long Duk Dong. It's not much to look at. It has a bunch of cheesy lines. It also likes to party and comes out a winner despite itself. It also scares easily when the Topps and Upper Deck come looking for Fleer. Now because of Upper Deck's recent decision, there will be no more Yankee of Fleer's wankie. Fleer is now lying on the parkway, passed out. Sadly, it may never get up again.

2007 UD Black - Coco Crisp

I don't know about you, but I think I'd be a little pissed if I paid $200 for a box containing two cards and this was the best card I pulled. Nothing against the breakfast cereal that is Coco Crisp, but this card wouldn't really excite me if I were a Red Sox fan. Maybe if I was a Coco Crisp super collector, it would be different. It's hard to tell.

I don't mean to sound cynical, but $200 is a lot of money for me. If I'm dropping that kind of cash on two cards, at least one of those cards should be able to "WOW" me. This card does not do the trick for me.

The card looks boring and obscene at the same time. Please, allow me to explain. Upper Deck could have picked a better head shot of Coco Crisp. He looks like the photographer just woke him up or he's just getting over an exhausting case of exploding diarrhea.

The swatches of the uniform look absolutely boring. It's plain white. No stripes. No variations. No stains. Nothing. Just plain vanilla. In a premium product, I would expect a little oomph in the presentation. Maybe part of the red stripe along the collar or part of the letter patches. I'd expect to pull something like this from Fleer Ultra.

Take a look at the autograph. Closer. Closer still. Now focus your eyes on it. It looks like some illegal, lewd sex act is about to take place. I don't even want to take the time to analyze the signature. Maybe someone should add it to their collection of obscene cards.

Even though this is numbered to 50, is there a reason why I should care about this card? I'm drawing a blank as to why I should. It's nondescript and bland. If I were to buy a box of Upper Deck Black and I were to pull one of these 50 cards, my other card had better be a Cal Ripken Jr. or a vintage Yankee player that would pay for the cost of the box.

With all of that out of the way, this actually is a nice looking card. I just don't think it's worth $100, which would be half the cost of the box in a hobby shop. Would anyone pay $100 for this card? Yeah, I didn't think so.

2008 Topps Heritage Relic - Lance Berkman

I went to Target today to pick up a few supplies and they finally had some packs of 2008 Topps Heritage available. I picked up a few, hoping to add to my set. I did get a few for my set and a few for the doubles pile. Plus, I got an unexpected jersey card of Lance Berkman.

I have a soft spot for the Astros, ever since I laid eyes on those rainbow uniforms when I was a kid. They are ugly as sin, but it made quite an impression on my young mind. There are some teams that I could never truly dislike because of some weird association with them as a child. The Astros are one of those teams.

I follow them a little bit now. Nothing like I used to, but I do keep my eye on them. The only time I really didn't like them was in the 2005 postseason. It was a nightmare come to life to see the Astros against the White Sox. Of course I was rooting for the White Sox all the way, but a part of me wanted the Astros to at least do well.

To their credit, the Astros put up one hell of a fight. Any one of those games could have gone either way. As it turned out, the Astros were swept. They kept in each game though. You have to admire a team like that. They wouldn't roll over and die, they fought tooth and nail until the final out.

I usually can't catch Astros games because of where I live. If they aren't playing the Cubs or on a national broadcast, I can pretty much forget seeing them. Sometimes they don't even make the Sportscenter or Baseball Tonight highlights.

I can remember going to a game in Detroit, with a friend, to see the Tigers take on the Astros. A third of me wanted to see the Astros, another third wanted to see the Tigers brand new stadium and the other third wanted to see a baseball game outside of Chicago. All three thirds of me enjoyed the experience of watching the Astros win in a battle of interleague last place teams in a brand new stadium in a strange city.

I wore my White Sox hat. My friend wore his Cubs hat. Everyone was friendly and welcomed us to Comerica Park. We were expecting to be the strange highlight for this interleague game that no one cared about. ESPN never showed a clip. They just showed a quick score and on to the commercials.

When I see certain players from that 2000 Astros squad, I always think of that game. The five hour drive and the hotel bathroom that was bigger than the actual room. I suppose this card gets me that much closer to the game that I saw that July night in 2000. I can live with that. Lance, your jersey wasn't cut up for nothing. It sparked wonderful memories.

2006 Fleer #277 - Rob Mackowiak

Sure this is a base card, but it shows an annoying trend in the past few years. It shows the player listed on one team while showing him in another team's uniform. This is just plain lazy. I could even appreciate the effort to airbrush the new uniform on, even if it looks bad. This card looks like there was no thought or effort put into it.

Rob deserves a better card than this. He finally lands on his boyhood team and they still show him in a Pittsburgh uniform. Not only did Rob state many times that the White Sox are the team he grew up with as a fan, I know that first hand.

Rob is from my hometown. I went to high school with the man for three years. We were in the same grade and we had a couple of conversations about the White Sox. We were both big fans of the team. He played for them and I write about them on my other blog. Such is life.

I don't claim to have been his best friend. I don't even claim to have been friends with him. He was in my gym class and we talked a few times. That's it, nothing more. The only way I remember him is from our conversations about the White Sox. One of my friends met him at a White Sox neighborhood park function and asked Rob if he remembered me. He didn't have a clue, nor did I expect him to.

I was too busy in the art room. I was busy drawing my cartoon strips on notebook paper. It's funny about who becomes famous, even if it is fringe fame. You never know who is going to be written about in the papers, good or bad. It's one of the joys in life.

One of the joyless things in the life of a team collector is cards like this one. This is one of the main reasons why I started my first blog. I was sick and tired of seeing players in a White Sox uniform being listed on a different team and vice versa. I wanted to create a place where those things are sorted out and written down for all to see.

I don't consider a team set complete unless every card that features a player in that team's uniform or a player listed as being on that team is gathered together. Yes, I'm strange about my collecting habits, but at least it's consistent. This trend makes it harder for the team collector to collect the team. I'm hoping that this is something that will slowly fade away.