New Antonelli PC Item

Posts two days in a row?  Is this a harbinger of a level of posting beyond the normal once a month or so that has characterized this blog for the past 4 years?  Probably not. However, I did add something new to my Johnny Antonelli player collection this week.  But first, a little background. 

I got back into collecting late in 2010, so my first real year of being a collector was 2011.  Like most anyone new to the hobby or returning after a long layoff, I collected everything.  Modern, vintage, and even some junk wax era stuff.

I have always been forgetful as my stupid mind is usually dwelling on something other than the proximate world.  But, I believe that the first set I ever completed was Topps Lineage. Lineage was a one-time issue of 200 cards celebrating Topps 60th Anniversary and featured cards that (more or less) used designs from previous Topps flagship sets. It was a set with feet in both vintage and modern worlds but more affordable than Heritage. It was right in my wheelhouse.

But, as I have recounted before, my feelings for modern turned sour in 2012 and I sold off my 2011 Topps flagship (including the Mike Trout RC) and Lineage sets with the intent of focusing only on Heritage.  2013 came and my love for Heritage died due to the expensive quest for the short prints.

However, I still have two Lineage cards in my collection: a 1975 mini CC Sabathia jersey relic card that I got from Night Owl and a Johnny Antonelli 1952 reprint autograph insert.  This week I added a third:

Also a 1952 reprint, this is the Canary Diamond parallel that is serial number 3 of 10.  Despite upcoming adult life stuff that will limit my hobby activity early this year, I would say that my 2025 is off to a great start.

What I am listening to: Highway 65 by Paige Plaisance

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    

Cards from Night Owl

Night Owl is the dean of baseball card bloggers. I think everyone can agree on that. He is one of the first card bloggers I started reading and, in my mind, still sets the standard for quality of writing in this particular milieu.  He also has some very specific collecting focuses, which makes it easy to come across cards that he might need.

The last card show was no exception. I came across 4 Topps 1975 Minis in a dollar box.  Also in a dollar box I found a 1961 Post Don Drysdale.  The minis were in decent shape, but the Drysdale was rough. Rough like someone was digging through an old landfill and found a 50 year old box of Post cereal underneath an old refrigerator rough.  And decided to cut the card off the box with a set of those dull scissors they let you use in kindergarten that were found a few feet away underneath a stack of old newspapers. That rough.

Yesterday, I got some cards back. It wasn't necessary. Watching a professional writer ply his craft is payment enough.  But, they were appreciated nonetheless.

Ahh, the ubiquitous card #7 from Topps. I have to wonder if Topps had never dumped the cases of leftover 1952 cards off a barge into the ocean, would Mickey Mantle's rookie card from that set be so valuable?  Well, I don't have to wonder since I have taken economics.  Basic economics says that since the supply of 1952 Mantles would be larger, so the price/value would be lower.  What I really wonder is if the 1952 Mantle wasn't so rare and pricey, would ALL Mantle cards be less valuable and would Topps not continually issue Mickey Mantle cards in every stinking set that they issue every stinking year?

Discuss.

I like Robbie. He is an outstanding player, but goes about his business in a quiet, workmanlike manner. Little pomp and circumstance. Just a solid star that lets his play talk for him.

Granderson is something of a joke among the various Yankee blogs. He continues to assert that he isn't a home run hitter.Uh, dude? Only Jose Bautista hit more home runs than you last year.  And only Bautista, Josh Hamilton and Adam Dunn are hitting more than you this year.  You. Are. A. Home. Run. Hitter.  Deal with it.

The big man.  The undisputed anchor of the Yankees rotation.  He really hasn't gotten into a groove this year and is probably not the best starter for the Yankees to date.  But, when the weather turns hot, he turns into a monster.  I expect he'll run off a string of starts where he is unhittable.

Night Owl has been working lately on his Topps All Time Fan Favorite set. I don't have many of these cards. In fact, I think the only ones I do have are part of my Paul Blair player collection. So, I am happy to get a couple others. One of these days, I need to research the Fan Favorite sets and see if it is something I'd like to collect.  I have been quite clear in my dislike of 2012 Topps Archives, mainly because it attempts to do too many things and does none of them particularly well.  The idea of Archives is something I like.  It is Topps execution that is lacking.  If they did a better, more coherent job with Fan Favorites, it is probably something I would enjoy collecting.

This Chrome Jim Abbott is 76/299.  Both of these Fan Favorites cards are going into my MOJO !!!1!!1!!!111! binder.

2006 Topps Opening Day Hideki Matsui parallel (1251/2006). Interestingly, at this moment Matsui has 1248 MLB hits in his career. 3 more and this card becomes a 1 of 1!!!1!1!1!!!!

And now my two absolute favorites from Night Owl.

I know a lot of folks don't like Michael Kay, but I enjoy his Yankee announcing. He works together well with all his color men, although I most enjoy his work with Ken Singleton.  I also like that he is not a homer.  At least not as much a homer as other announcers like the execrable Hawk Harrelson.  Kay gives his signature home run call "See ya" for all dingers, not just those of the Yankees.  Also into the Mojo binder.

A 2011 Topps Lineage '75 mini Sabathia relic. I realize that this card isn't exactly rare. In case you haven't noticed, CC is a big fella. I would estimate that Topps was able to make 25 bazillion of these cards with one of CC's away jerseys.  But, I don't care that. I love this card.  Mojo binder?  Oh, yea!

Trade with Potch Wheeler

Yesterday was a good day. I completed a trade with the esteemed Hoosier, Potch Wheeler. I had a few 2011 Topps cards he needed and was able to help him out on his 1978 set with some of the duplicates I had from when I built my set early this year. In return I got several cards I needed.



Heritage short prints are like gold to me. I currently have three Heritage sets that I am working on. I am closest to completing 2011, but I am still needing a fair number of short prints. And I hadn't made any progress on it whatsoever in months. These cards revived my effort.


I am really close to completing the Topps Lineage 200 card base set. This card reduced my want list by 20%. I am pretty psyched about it, since the last few rack packs I bought yielded a bunch of duplicates. I had given up on getting any more base cards for this set, except through trades. So, a huge thanks out to Potch for helping me get closer on two different sets.

On a separate note, I am off this week and have spent my morning putting together a want list for the 1976 set. I just finished 1977 and expect 1971 to take a while since I mostly lack the expensive high number cards, I figured I needed something to keep me busy during the off=season. 1976 should be good in that the commons will be fairly cheap and the stars aren't all that outrageous. And since I am off today, I may wander over to the card shop and start on it.

Trade Package from Night Owl

My collecting niche is set building, but having my youth collecting during the 1970s, I am getting rather jaded about modern sets. As I have probably said eleventy times, I am downright scornful of all the inserts, parallels, and short prints that Topps is putting into their sets now. I have registered my protest by only working to complete the standard base cards from the 2011 sets that I have been working on. I'm sure Topps doesn't know about my protest, and even if they did, I am pretty sure they don't care.

Having got that off my chest (again), I completed a recent trade with Night Owl that allowed me to rid my self of hated inserts. I sent him some of the Lineage 75 minis and I was able to make progress towards completing two different base sets. Plus he sent me some other cool cards. Let's take a look, shall we?


Cap'n! Before this trade, I still had 12 Lineage base cards on my want list. After the trade, I have 5 left. Derek was part of the 7 I received.


As the youngsters say, W00T! Ichiro was the last card I needed to complete 2011 Series 2. In celebration of having the set complete, I took Night Owl's want list and scoured the vintage dollar boxes at the show this past weekend. I found two cards for him. One of which was a 1960 Wally Moon. Alack and alas, he managed to find the same card in a dollar box at the show *he* attended over the weekend. So, I'll keep Wally and his magnificent unibrow and send along the 1960 Ed Krakow with the Fleer Greats Dodger duplicates I set aside for him.


1982 Topps Stickers. He sent Dave Winfield and Tommy John (who apparently is a pitcher and not a surgeon.) I have this urge to go out and buy a Trapper Keeper to stick these guys on. I kid.


2011 Topps Chrome Robbie Cano. It was accompanied by a Lance Pendleton, who is no longer a Yankee. He was claimed off of waivers by the Houston Astros early in September. He didn't do real well with them in a scant 4 innings of work and was outrighted to the OKC Redhawks after the season was over. So, I may get a chance to see him next year.


Night Owl sent two of these Yankee Stadium Legacy cards. I think they are great looking cards. And only 6598 to go to finish the set! Seriously, if this set was more reasonably sized, I would try to put it together. I like it that much. As it stands, I'll gladly take them in trade and will certainly buy them when I find them in quarter/dollar boxes. But, I would need to get a larger house if I was going to chase this one. A 6600 card set would involve 9 or 10 large binders and would take up nearly half of my storage closet.


I do like these Topps Archive cards alot and have added them to the list of sets I'd like to put together. I'm starting to get stretched a little thin with having 3 active sets and getting ready to start another, older Heritage set. But, this is definitely a strong contender.


And finally, a Conlon Collection card. I really appreciate the simplicity of this set. Such no-nonsense design is what drew me to the Renata Galasso set that I built earlier this year. With a total of 1430 cards issued over 5 years from 1991 to 1995, this is definitely a set I'd like to work on. It is, at this moment, a leading contender for my list of 2012 set priorities.

So, thanks N.O. Definitely a great trade!

Lineage from Nachos Grande

Nachos Grande seems to be a natural trading partner for me. He is something of a master set builder, while I am mainly a base set builder. If I follow through on my plan to make Heritage the only modern set I build next year, I may rethink that. But, in the mean time, I tend to accumulate a lot of inserts and parallels that don't interest me. And NG is a natural outlet to send those to. And, yes, I did end that sentence with a preposition. I also started *that* sentence with "and." Go ahead and charge me, grammar police.

This trade was no exception. As I was trying to get myself organized, I sorted through a pile of 2011 cards and came up with some Topps flagship inserts and diamond sparklies that were on his want list. Off they went in the mail. In return, I got a stack of Lineage base cards that I needed towards completing that set, including the ones I am showing below.



Tom and Al will make another appearance on my posts reviewing yesterday's show haul. But, we'll get to that in due time. I have some other business to clean up first.




Funnily enough, I actually had the Jackie Robinson at one point. When I first bought Lineage, I was ambivalent about completing the base set, so I sent Jackie off to a better home. When I finally decided to complete the base set, despite my continued ambivalence, there was a hole in the binder that should have been occupied by a certain legacy Dodger. Now it is filled and I am getting much closer to finishing the Lineage base set.