My Last Blast in OKC - or how I was Jinxed

The past two weeks have been a blur.  I've been packing, while accumulating more items cards to pack.  Somewhere along the way I have to stop shopping...right?  My last day at the office was Friday, May 15th.  I headed right to OKC to spend a few days with my Sis and some good friends before my move to the Big Mitten.  Sis and I caught an OKC Dodgers/Iowa Cubs game on Saturday. OKC won 1-0 in the 9th.   The Dodger affiliation is new this year. I don't care for the team name though.  Aren't minor league teams supposed to have fun names? Redhawks??  89ers?   The park now known as Chickasaw  Bricktown Ballpark, is still beautiful.  Ads covering the upper decks force fans to pay for the higher priced seats around the field.  Crowds fill the little park in Bricktown anyway. 



The Commerce Comet

Little General

Approaching storms kept attendance light that night

 

Ballpark necessities: kids meal bucket, THE helmet and adult beverage

On Monday, I spent several hours in The Old Ballpark, the LCS in South OKC.  Dime boxes galore!  From 11-5, I went through 4000 count boxes - box after box, fourteen in all! 

Baseball - orange tagged

I pulled 1500 cards we couldn't live without.  We  being me and you!  I won't say what the total cost was because the owner gave me an incredible discount.  Let's just say if you were to guess a nickel per card, you'd be on the high side. I found short prints, inserts, a few good rookies and Fergie Jenkins.

While texting my friend The Ump, with pictures of the many stacks of old timers, I messaged that Fergie Jenkins was in here. She replied to go ahead and get him too, get them all.   No - HE  is in HERE !   NO WAY she text back.  There I was surrounded by thousands of cards and not a single one Jenkins. No unsigned baseballs for sale, nothing.  I had nothing for him to sign. How could this be????  And why did this man wander into a card shop in South OKC?   My super-spy listening skills revealed to me he knew one of the customers also in the shop at the time.  This big time Cubbie fan just named his newborn Jenkins.  Fergie came out to meet his namesake on the way to the airport, headed for home in Arizona.

I worked up enough courage to approach the Hall of Famer for a short conversation and picture.  Not the best photo but an excellent reminder of my good fortune.  I've had an incredible run of the stuff lately!

Jenks - HOF 1991

 Fergie looked great, not any bit of 72. He chatted with the owner a bit about Ernie Banks and NL rules for pitchers batting.  He's all for it, of course.  It was a memorable afternoon for me.  I'm rarely in the right place at the right time. 

All this Cubbie talk brings the opportunity to share a recent trade package from P-Town Tom, our friend at Waiting til Next Year.  He sent over a stack of 2013 Hometown Heroes.



2002 Topps Total

2001 Topps

2014 Panini Classics

2015 Donruss  Altuve 81 - larger than life

Tom, thanks for completing my set!  I do love my Tigers but Altuve is right up there with them!  He is my favorite, current playing non-Tiger!

As I mentioned, Friday was my last day in the Dallas office.  I've made a lot of friends and worked with - and for - so many good people. Leaving them has not been an easy decision. The office threw me a surprise farewell party on Wednesday.  Josiah, World's Greatest Office Assistant is also a talented pencil artist.  He spent 30 hours on a drawing specifically for me which he and many of my co-workers signed.  

Tip of the Cap

Josiah's work is so good it doesn't appear authentic!  (He's shown me a few of his sports drawings in various stages of completion, some taking 200 hours or more!)  Ian Kinsler is in fine detail, stadium lights reflected in his helmet. A true labor of friendship. 

Within the next two weeks, I'll be moving into my new home.  I'll comment and post when I can but will be without internet beginning May 28 through at least June 4th.  Thanks for sticking with me through this transition.  I truly appreciate you, my blogger friends!

Have a great Memorial Day Weekend!

Just in the Nick of Dime

A patient young man named Nick Dimeboxes sent a fun batch of cards to me, oh say 3-4 weeks ago.  Yep, I'm that far behind posting all the fantastic cards I've received from my new friends.  By the time I finish writing this cracked edition, these cards may well be vintage.  I'm already vintage, so for that matter I may well be dead.

Speaking of dead...

2011 Allen & Ginter minis sent a tingle down my spine. The Borden story is a familiar one. Bachelor's Grove Cemetery had me searching the net. Grove is an abandoned cemetery in Chicago's southwest suburbs. Burials date back to the 1840s, possibly earlier.  Chicago's organized crime families may have dumped victims there back in the 20s and 30s but this is unproven. Orbs, electronic voices, angels, monks and ghostly figures carrying infants during a full moon as well as a two-headed ghost have been seen. 

The Villisca Axe Murders remained unsolved. In June of 1912, six members of the affluent Moore family and two house guests were gruesomely murdered in Villisca, Iowa.  Six of the deceased were children.  Definitely uninviting...but you're welcome to spend the night (?)

                                                       

                                                              2014 Panini Golden Age

 

While we're on the topic of death and angels...Farrah Fawcett, icon of the 70s.   The 1970s are my decade.   I was quite saddened when she passed.  Her death was somewhat overshadowed by Michael Jackson's departure on the same day.  But on to happier things....

 

 

Happier?  We - lost - the - playoffs!  2012 Archives for Victor here. While I love having Archived cards, these are too difficult to identify by year without looking at the backs.  2012 Heritage (1963 Topps) is a good-looking card set.

 

 

 I like the 2010 T206 design. Good cardstock and nice finish on the card. Mr. Porcello is all sparkly and throwing hard for Topps 2011 Diamond Anniversary.  Ricky, what about us?   Eric Munson  2001 Pacific, the Tigers number one pick in the June 1999 draft.  Oopsie.

 

                                                                          2013 Gypsies

                                                     2014                                              2012

 

Of the three, I prefer the 2014 design.  Alex Avila is becoming one of my fave catchers too. I like the guy, couldn't tell you why just yet. 

                                                                             1973 TOPPS

                                     1997 FLEER contest entry                1979 TOPPS

Two 1973 Topps found an accepting home. These cards are only a few years younger than me.  They've kept their figure trim and complexion bright. A little wear around the edges with a couple of wrinkles, I can relate.   Parrish is looking a bit better, standing a little taller and sharp all around.  A few years does make a difference!  The Fleer was a multi-sport issue, 50 cards - one per pack. Cards 46-50 were extremely short-printed.  The first 45 cards in the set could be mailed in along with one of the sp cards to win a shopping spree from $100 - $1000 in their LCS.  The collector who found and redeemed all 50 cards would win a million in cash, payable over twenty years. Any winners out there?

 

 1972 Topps, a very favorite design year!  I hope I live long enough to see this issued in Heritage!  Miggy finds himself on a 2013 Archives edition.  Norm has a LOT of tar on that bat!  Did George see this card?

 

National Baseball Hall of Fame

                            

                                                              2013 PANINI COOPERSTOWN

Slap an old-timer on cardboard and a few of us are sure to buy it!  If the cards look nice,  we may even attempt a set assembly.  I'm putting the 2012 Cooperstown set together now.  I like the looks of it a bit better than 2013 but still eat these up!  I love the name framed with the Hall entry date.

2012 Panini Cooperstown

 

                                                 2013 PANINI HOMETOWN HEROES

 

 Many of us have shared our Panini opinions - missing logos etc.  This is a good example of a winning design!  I LOVE THESE!  The backs could use a little work but forgiveness comes easily with the bright yellow fronts, pennants, current and retired player selection.

 

Turn me over, please

 



 

2006 SP Legendary Cuts Greenberg.  This set rocks!  I've been picking up singles at my not-so-local CS. A great design showing off  Legendary Players from days of yore!   1987 Topps Tiny Trammell.   Avila stickin' it to ya on a 2012 Topps sticker, of course.  2013 Golden Age Bill Freehan.  This is the only Freehan card I've seen that gives me jeebies. He appears so deformed.  No neck, long jawed, with an unusually large arm and makeup.  Ty Cobb appearing on 2011 Topps Kimball Champions.  I haven't seen many of these cards or I'd have been scooping them up, keeping them all for myself.  Classy design!

 

I've enjoyed all of these cards!  An incredibly diverse selection, Nick has a knack for touching on all my interests.  My collector's craving these days is heavy on Ty Cobb.  This grouping will hold me over for a little while:

                                                          

                                                                TYRUS RAYMOND COBB

                                       2013 Allen & Ginter                     2014 Panini Golden Age

                                               2013 Turkey Red                   2003 Flair Greats

 

I stopped collecting just in time to miss out on  Flair Greats.  Another trip back in time is required.  Super nice card design! 

 

Nick, thank you again for such a fun package, and being patient for the time it took to get these shared.  I do enjoying showing off the cards I receive from my trading buddies!

 

I may be absent for a week at a time so please, don't write me off!  I'm not dead...yet.

 

                                                     BACHELOR'S GROVE CEMETERY