Three More From the Box

So, the restaurant has slowed down a bit, here in Chicago. Opening a restaurant that has been blessed with its success has been amazing. I have never managed an operation this large, had this many staff to look after, or done this many covers (I am from fine-dining after all). It has been amazing! However, it is nice that mother nature comes, freezes River North, and allows us to catch a breather after a hectic holiday season.

All that being said, it basically translates into more time to post. Man, so much time, and new cards don't release until next month. Looks like the 1.99 I spent is going to have to do. Worry not, 31 faithful readers, I have pulled some gems for today.

Do you think this guy likes a knuckle-sandwich?

I do wonder though, having watched this guy pitch for the majority of my life, who teaches this. When you have a young kid that just loves to throw with his knuckles, or just can't help but pitch side-arm, who trains these kids? I would think that most coaches would force them to throw over-hand. Anyone with experience in this?

Manny is next. Auto Manny. Even if it is a stamp.

I fully expect to see this guy Vinny Testeverde me. I have no doubt, that four years from now I will look up from the couch and see Manny DH for some team. I also expect Vinny to come back and QB for some team mid-season almost every year. Where oh where has my Vinny gone? (Sorry, I swear this is about a Manny card).

Last but not least . . . Who names their kid Junior?

Okay, his real name is Adalberto. Perhaps Score didn't know that? Weird stance, long career, and one ring. Not bad Junior, not bad.

Sweet Plasticine Pulls

If you can't tell, I'm gonna keep pluggin' away at this plasticine time capsule that I have purchased for 3.99 retail. Hard plastic pocket of treasure.

I continue to be amazed at the travesty of design. I kind of thought it was confined to the 80's and early 90's. This poor card, looking like its rolling lonely during couples skate, is from 1997. They should have known better by then.

I remember this guy pitching in the early 90's, and the hype of the Rookie Pitcher of the Year. He did admirably, he just unfortunately did it in Kansas City. And, I like the Royals. One of my teams. It happens when you grow up on I-70.

The next guy is almost off the radar. Only showing up on the more esoteric baseball stat sites, certainly no wiki page. It's cool though. I kind of like the card. The back has a nice full photo as well.

Poor kid with the pencil 'stache never made it to the bigs. My first non big-leaguer from the value box.

This next pitcher has a beautiful story told on wiki-pedia.

"Lucas is possibly best remembered for his role in the Angels' crucial Game 5 loss in the 1986 American League Championship Series. The Angels held a three games to one lead in the best-of-seven series and found themselves with a 5-4 lead in the ninth inning of Game 5. Needing only one more out to clinch the team's first-ever pennant, the Angels turned to Lucas to provide that out.

Angels starting pitcher Mike Witt was the team's clear pitching star and had pitched a very strong game overall. However, with the game on the line, the batter coming to the plate was the Boston Red Sox' Rich Gedman, who was 3 for 3 in the game against Witt, including a double and a home run. Angels manager Gene Mauch elected to remove Witt from the game and replace him with Lucas to nail down the final out. The wisdom of the move was questioned — then and now — but it was at least consistent with Mauch's long-held managerial tendencies: managing according to the historically demonstrated strengths/weaknesses of individual players.

In this case, Gedman had historically been very successful batting against Witt, including having hit a home run earlier in the game. Meanwhile, Gedman had faced Lucas a total of three previous times and had struck out all three times. Also factoring in Mauch's decision to remove Witt may have been the fact that although aside from Gedman's home run, Witt had almost completely shut down the Red Sox offense entering the ninth inning, earlier in that ninth inning Witt had given up a second home run, this time to Boston's Don Baylor.

With the Angels' lead standing at only one run, and with a relief pitcher in his bullpen who had had only success against Gedman, Mauch did not want to risk having Witt face Gedman again. Mauch made the decision to put the ball in Lucas' hands.

With Lucas' first pitch, he hit Gedman, allowing Gedman to take first base and bringing the go-ahead run up to the plate in the person of Dave Henderson. Lucas was replaced with Angels closer Donnie Moore, but Moore surrendered a home run to give Boston the lead. The Red Sox went on to win the game in extra innings, and after that, the shellshocked Angels were never again close to winning the series. They were crushed in each of the series' final two games and forced to watch the Red Sox celebrate a berth in the 1986 World Series."

That's also a lot of elastic!

Gotta love the plasticine.

Cubs From the Giving Box

The Extreme Value continues to crank out the hits. Here we have the 2006 Topps team set of the Cubs. I am sure glad I don't have the Diamondbacks, or the Marlins. At least its from a team I like, and since I did buy the box in Chicago it makes since. Here we have the Cubs, only five years ago. Moving into the Epstein era, lets see where these ex-cubies play, and if we would be glad or sad if they still played for the boys in blue.

1. Kerry Wood: Cubs again, Glad

2. Mark Prior: Yankees Farm League, Sad

3. Greg Maddux: Retired, Glad

4. Carlos Zambrano: Probably and Unbelievably a Cubbie, Sad-so-sad

5. Michael Barrett: Mets Free Agent, Sad

6. Derrek Lee: Pirates, Glad

7. Jerry Hairston Jr.: Dodgers, Sad

8. Ronny Cedeno: Pirates Free Agent, Sad

9. Todd Walker: Retired, Sad

10. Aramis Ramirez: Cubs Free Agent, Glad

11. Ryan Dempster: Cubs, Glad

12. Jacque Jones: Free Agent, Sad

13. Glendon Rusch: Free Agent, Sad

14. Juan Pierre: Free Agent, Sad


Well, there's the cards. And judging how I would be sad if the majority were still on the team, I think the Cubs have moved in the right direction. Just drop the big Z, what the heck?!?

More Love from the Box

Well, I hope every one's Christmas season was well spent with friends and family. Food at our house was delicious, a standing rib roast, horseradish whipped potato, various sides, homemade bread. And to wash it all down, Umathum, an amazing Austrian red wine that lends it self, along with a table for 10, to quick drinking and Gregorian chanting.

Alas, we shall return to the cards. Once more into my 1.99 investment we discover some questionable design, and three players, two who previously were strangers and one young surprise.

Tom Browning has the unfortunate fate to be placed on the worst design of the day. I think my sister sponge-painted her bedroom in a similar fashion around the same years. None the less, a year after this card was printed Tom would throw the 12th perfect game in history. Marge Schott, his then owner, attempted to add a clause to his contract that stated if he pitched another perfect game in 19989 his wife would earn 300,000 dollars. This was eventually nixed by the league.

Barry Jones, besides rocking the old-school White sox uni, has a sweet stash and an "East Bound and Down" aesthetic that is hard not to envy.

So, for the most part I figured this must be a different Luis Gonzalez. What were the chances that I got a rookie, minor league card from the "real" Luis Gonzalez's career. Had to be another kid . . . what is that. The same birth date as Luis on wikipedia. And, reading further he was drafted by the Astros in the 4th round of the 88 draft. The card is shot at the Astros compound and field down in Florida, home of the rookie league team. I figure that is what this is from. Pretty cool.

Well, I believe Luis here has pulled ahead of the off-center Buckner as best pull from the plasticine box of value!

The Extreme Value Plasticine Box #3

 So the World Championship hangover has come and gone. Man was that good kool-aid.

As I finish sorting my update series, and cataloging it (I should finally have a haves-and-wants list up), I look over and there is this pile of cards. Ah yes, the extreme value plasticine box, a real pile if there ever was one. Would the Buckner be the best of the bunch? We shall see.

All of today's cards are from the Leaf company.

Today's first card, once again in honor of the storied Redbirds, is a St. Louis Alum.

Tony is one of very few catchers to earn a gold glove in both the AL and NL. His work with the Cardinals in '87 was exemplary. Moving into quite a succesful coaching career after playing, he is currently the bench coach for the New York Yankees.

He is on a short-list to replace Terry Francona as manager in Beantown. I certainly think he would be a good fit there, and deserves the chance to manage the helm in the bigs.

I like the design ok. It is sharp, no intrusive design elements. I like the position and team logos located in opposite corners of the bottom. A surprisinly handsome card for the early 90's.

The next card is Joel Skinner.

My first bunt card. Can't wait to fill a page with 9 bunt cards. Oh man.

If I played baseball I would regret that they chose my picture to be of me bunting. I researched it, Joel is not known for his bunting prowess. Come to think of it, who is?

He is also a bench coach like Tony Pena, but working for the A's these days.

The card is beautiful. I love the "scrapbooky" design conceit, and the silver border works well with the Braves uniform. My favorite card of a bunt.

And last, the ugliest:

Thank good-ness we got through the 90's. So many photoshop tricks, I am glad we worked through the tricks.

Chris here only played a few games this year for the Orioles, but went on to play a whole bunch of them up until 1998. Fans of the Orioles that grew up watching him behind home-plate seem to really like him.

He did hit one of only 23 ultimate grand-slams in history. And, his may be the best. His slam is the only one to ultimate-ultimate. He hit a grandslam, at home, down three runs with 2 outs and the count at 3 and 2.

Boom!

More sweetness from the Plasticine Box.

More of that Extreme Value!!!

The Extreme Value Plasticine Box

The first card is a guy that spent most of his careers with the A's, whom with we see him here. For most of his career he batted behind Ricky Henderson. Mr. Henderson credits Dwayne with helping him set the single season record for stolen bases in 1982 at 130. He is still in baseball, currently acting as the hitting coach for the Blue Jays.

As if helping Ricky set the record wasn't enough, the man gets cool points for helping fund M.C. Hammer's first album. It's hammer time!

The next card will probably prove to be the best card in the plasticine box. Even if it is off center, has rough corners, the man has a story. I shan't recall it here. Although, if you haven't seen his episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm, you certainely should.

Slippery fingers Buckner . . .

I think he has a caterpillar on his face.

The last card for today is a world series winner, from the year the card was produced. I believe it is my first such treasure. If a '92 Score card could be considered a treasure.

And, to spin it back to my resurgent redbirds, Manny ended his career in St. Louis. On April 26th, 1995 he had one bat for the Cardinals, got injured in the fourth inning, and never made it back to the Show after that.

What are the chances I can find a card of him as a Cardinal? If Candy Sierra can have two as a Red, why can't Manny have one as a Redbird?

Extreme Value?

So I bought this box at Walgreens . . . ok, I bought two of them. They looked like a good way to expand my new collection a bit, and at 3.99 they wouldn’t break the bank. 

It says “extreme value” . . . we shall see. This will be a regular series on my blog, as we comb through the hundred cards that cost me .04 a card. I hope to remind you old-timers the gruesome beauty that were baseball cards back then. I have some real sweet  Star cards that will get you hoppin’. I also hope to learn something about all 100 players (assuming no repeat players), as that is what the game is really about. At .04 a card, the information may be hard to come by.

Without further adieu, I present:

The Extreme Value Plasticine Box

He doesn’t look German?

That doesn’t seem like a German surname.

What gives?

He pitched two seasons in the big leagues for the Twins. Had a respectable SO percentage, 19 SO’s in 21 IP in 1988.

Topps Lineage should have included this forgotten Venezuelan. What is that you ask? You haven’t forgotten about his name. He obviously doesn’t eat Schnitzel.

Germany was the first European country to colonize Venezuela in 1527. For twenty years they ruled until Spain revoked their ownership of the colony. Do you suppose his parents were history buffs?

Not much to say about Mr. Mason. He did hit the big show for 7 years total, with several trips back down the ladder during his career. Most notably, he has a microscopic postseason ERA of .49 over 18.33 innings. Still among the best for relievers. To put it in perspective, Mariano Rivera's average is 2.21. Although, admitedly Mo has pitched 1211 innings, and has a slightly bigger wiki page than Roger Mason. Still though, .49 is low.

Gleaton pitched mainly in relief for 12 years in the bigs. On April 30, 1981 he received the dubious honor of pitching a complete game loss as his Mariners lost to the Tigers.

He is only one of handful of baseball players to go by their first and middle name. 

Jerry Don.

Can you name others?