Recent E-Bay Padres pick-ups

I want to start out tonight's blog by thanking all the veterans out there for their service. Did you know less than 1 percent of the American population has worn a military uniform?

Here's me as a 2nd Class Radioman on my first Westpac in 1980. The second photo is getting ready for my Iraq deployment in 2010. Gotta love those ballistic goggles.

 

Ok, on to recent E-Bay pick-ups.

 

 

Ok, as most of you know, I collect everything and anything Padres. So, when I had the opportunity to pick up this 1974 San Diego vs. Los Angeles Dodgers program, I jumped at it. It's a very interesting read. While the cover is very slick and exciting, the inside consists of typewritten pages and just a few features. It's totally different from what the teams provide in this day and age. Although, I think you'd be rather hard pressed to pick up a program for 50 cents at your local ballpark -- even at the Class A level.

 



 

 



 

My other great pick-up was a 1/1 printing plate of of a 2006 Artifacts Jake Peavy Printing Plate. Below is what the the actual printed card would look like. I was pretty excited. While I have collected a few printing plates already, this is the first Peavy plate I've received.

 

By the way, if you haven't done so yet, be sure to go to www.fanofreds.bologspot.com to vote for me in the Nachos Grande blogging contest. I'm Comatoad, in Group P. You can read my blog entry in my previous post.

 

Again, thanks to all of the veterans out there. Semper Fi and Hooah!

"The Secret LIfe of Joe Oliver"

On Christmas Day, 20th Century Fox is releasing "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty," starring Ben Stiller and Kristen Wiig, about a day-dreamer who escapes his anonymous life by disappearing into a world of fantasies filled with heroism, romance and action.

Based on the short story by James Thurber (I told you I was an English Lit major), the film was originally released in 1947 with Danny Kaye and Virginia Mayo in the lead roles

Which now brings us to today's card.

In 1990, Joe Oliver was tied for the National League lead in passed balls (16), with Joe Girardi of the Chicago Cubs. Oliver would record double figures in passed balls in 1995 (16, Milwaukee), 1993 (11, Cincinnati), and 1991 (10, Cincinnati). In fact, he would go on to allow a total of 77 passed balls over his 13-year baseball career.

Having been a catcher myself, I had a few balls that passed me by in the day. Sometimes the pitcher will miss the pitch call, throw a different pitch than what was called, or jut uncork a bad throw. Sometimes, you just aren't set up correctly behind the plate, or you may have a lapse in concentration

In Joe Oliver's case, perhaps he's just "Living the Secret Life of Joe Oliver."

 

Oliver, who was born in Tennessee, now resides in Orlando, Fla., where he coaches a high school varisty baseball team at Bishop Moore Catholic High School. What's that phrase, "A bad day of surfing is better than any good day of work." I'm sure he's imagined himself out catching a break or two while toiling behind the plate.

Who doesn't picture theselves as a modern day Superman. Of course, with all those passed balls during his "anonymous life" as a Reds catcher, I believe this may be a bit of a stretch. A catcher can dream, though, can't he? At least he was able to hit .247, with 102 homers and 476 RBIs in 3,367 at bats.

 

 

And here's Oliver's daydream of being a world-famous tight-rope walker, as he makes his way across the Andes Mountains. For some reason, he just can't drop that ball and glove.

 

 

 

However, this is probably Oliver's biggest "Walter Mitty" moment. For that matter, what Reds catcher doesn't imagine himself as Johnny Bench, leading the Reds back to their Big Red Machine glory days.

 

As for me, I'm realatively well-grounded in reality (unless you ask my wife). I think I'll wait for the movie, though.....

 

(Blogger note: This particular blog is part of Nacho Grande's Blogger Bracket Challenge. Please go to http://fanofreds.blogspot.com and vote for Comatoad in Group P in Round 12).

Trevor Hoffman, stealth Ninja

Last month, the Padres named Trevor Hoffman as their newly-created "Upper Pitching Coordinator" and "Special Assistant to the General Manager." The former all-time saves leader will now evaluate and coordinate pitchers at the Double-A, Triple-A and major league levels.

 

“Trevor will be a key part of finishing the development of our younger pitchers,” said Padres general manager Josh Byrnes. “His expertise, passion and communication skills will undoubtedly impact this critical area for us.”

 

Byrnes might be more on the money about Hoffy than he thought. 

 

I've always considered Hoffman a "Thinking man's pitcher." While he had a rather impressive fastball up until his 1994 injury, he developed an intimidating change-up which proved to be equally devastating.

 

You can just imagine Hoffman in his new position, scouting the Padres pitchers and perhaps taking pictures of those pitchers, as pictured on this 1998 Collector's Choice card #222.

 

However, I see Hoffman in an entirely different role -- as Ninja Hoffy.

 

Anyone can be a coach. However, with his newly added Ninja skills, Hoffman can easily transition into stealth mode, appearing almost invisible as he observes and perhaps photographs his young charges.

 

Think of the scouting reports...If you can't see him, is he actually there? The camera never lies.

 

As a matter of fact, Chuck Norris has nothing over Hoffman.

 

Tervor Hoffman and Superman once got into a pitching contest to settle a bet. The loser had to start wearing his underwear on the outside of his pants.

 

Trevor Hoffman doesn't read books. He stares them down until he gets the information he wants.

 

Trevor Hoffman once got bit by a rattlesnake. After three days of pain and agony, the rattlesnake died.

 

Outer space exists because it was afraid to be on the same planet facing Trevor Hoffman.

 

Beware, young Friars. Trevor Hoffman is coming!

 

 (Blogger note: This particular blog is part of Nacho Grande's Blogger Bracket Challenge. Please go to http://fanofreds.blogspot.com/2013/10/blogger-bracket-challenge-round-0.html and vote for Comatoad in Group G in Round 1.).

Topps MLB ATTAX Showdown?

They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.

I’m sorry, but the 2011 Topps Attax cards, and this Aroldis Chapman card in particular, just doesn’t cut it for me.

Believe me, it’s all been done before.

Wizards of the Coast, riding the success of its uber-juggernaut series, Magic: The Gathering and Pokemon, released MLB Showdown, a collectible card game, in 2000.  It was kind of like the old Strat-O-Matic card game, only with cooler cards, and distinctly different gaming mechanics. It lasted until 2005, when WoC pulled the plug.

‘Fess up. Admit it. You actually played MLB Showdown with a friend when it first started hitting the shelves, or you reluctantly started collecting the cards. Ruben Rivera here was part of that early MLB Showdown release.

I remember playing in an actual league with eight other duffers (pun intended), at one of our local gaming shops (I think I finished fifth). Our league manager actually travelled to Minneapolis to compete in a regional tournament. He came home with second place and a decent amount of cash and goodies.

Ok, enough tripping down memory lane.

 

What once began as a simple insert set in last year’s Topps cards, has now evolved into yet another full-fledged collectible card game. Again, as a collectible card game, I give Topps Attax about a three-year run before it goes belly up (MLB Showdown enjoyed a five-year run).

1) The cards themselves are not that nice looking. While I have to admit, the 2000 and 2001 MLB Showdown cards left a lot to be desired, they at least featured almost full-length player shots that weren’t blocked out by a box of stats and gaming mechanics. Of course the later sets, such as this Tony Gwynn were pretty sharp looking cards, especially with that big team logo in the background. Plus, check out his sweet hitting numbers via a 20-sided dice.

2) It seems to me that me Topps Attax is geared more toward the younger player/gamers, with it’s cheaper price and number of cards. However, you have to determine whether you’re actually a player or collector; you can’t be both. Where MLB Showdown was printed on playing card stock with rounded corners, Topps Attax, is printed on matte paper with square corners. It won’t take much before you begin dinging the corners, even in a plastic sleeve.

3) One of the issues in playing MLB Showdown was the fact you couldn't just take a team like the San Diego Padres and play a game - there weren't enough Padres players included to make up a team. Even if they did, there was no way they could compete against a team like the Yankees at that time. I haven't seen the checklist for Topps Attax yet, so I don't kow if they have that same problem or not.

4) It’s all about the cards – threfore no dice and strategy cards, making the game fairly simple – that’s why Topps is offering Attax to be purchased as a separate entity, rather than as an insert set.

I may add the Padres from this set to my collection, but I'm not going to go out and buy any packs of this product. In the meantime, I thnk I'm going to go home and break out my MLB Showdown sets for old-times sake.

(Blogger note: I hope you like this particular blog. It's part of Nacho Grande's Blogger Bracket Challenge. He'll post up a card and you and a fellow blogger are supposed to write a post that somehow ties  into the card posted by Nachos Grande. Sounds like a lot of fun to me. Stay tuned to see how it turns out.).

Are you ready for the....El Paso Chihuahuas?

Oh, those goofy minor league baseball affiliates.

A few years ago, Portland, who once hosted San Diego’s AAA affiliate for 10 years, decided to turn to the dark side, ousting the Padres for a professional soccer team. Then-Padres owner Jeff Moorad bought the team, parking them in Tucson while he tried to get a stadium built in Escondido. When that plan went belly up, he sold his controlling interest in the team to a group of El Paso, Texas investors.

After three -years of San Diego AAA baseball in the warm, Tucson sun, the Padres have now relocated to El Paso.

So, with a new team and a new location, a new identity and colors were needed.

Amid great fanfare and a tighter security system than that offered by the U.S. government, the El Paso ownership group announced the new team’s name – are you ready for this? – The El Paso Chihuahuas.

 

The Chihuahuas. Really?

Apparently, names such as the Aardvarks, Buckaroos, Desert Gators, Sun Dogs, and of course, Chihuahuas were all in the running. However, it was the entry of one Shae Vierra who was “chosen at random” in the “name the team” contest, according to an El Paso press release. Vierra will now get season tickets, a personalized jersey and the opportunity to throw out the ceremonial first pitch at the team’s inaugural home game.

I’m sorry, but “The Fighting Chihuahuas” doesn’t strike me as a name that will strike fear into Pacific Coast League foes. I can understand teams wanting a completely different identity from their parent club, all the better to generate their own revenue stream by hawkingT-shirts, ball caps, and anything else they can print up to sell their team logo.

But the Chihuahuas? Really?

“I’m sure I’m going to be hearing all sorts of views, but we’re standing by this,” El Paso General Manager Brad Taylor told MiLB.com. “We have friends in a lot of other places, like the Iron Pigs or the [Fort Wayne] Tin Caps, who stepped outside of their comfort zone to create a brand. That’s what we’re doing here.”

I can just see some of the pomos now – Bring you Chihuahua to the ballpark night, with everyone carrying pooches in purses like Reese Witherspoon in “Legally Blonde.”

I guess it has to better than the “Swing of the Quad Cities,” the monicker the former Quad City River Bandits claimed a few years ago, with its teal blue and burnt orange colors. Thank goodness, it didn’t last too long, before the team was sold, with the owners returning to the River Bandits, only a little more updated.

Now that, my friends, is a logo.

 

 

 

A possible San Diego catching conundrum?

To no one's surprise, C Austin Hedges has been tearing up the Arizona Fall League. He's the second leading batter for the Peoria Javelinas, hitting .364, with six RBIs, four strikeouts and three walks in 22 at bats. even more impressively, he's also thrown out seven of 10 basestealers so far in six games.

Hedges played most of the 2013 season at Class A Lake Elsinore, hitting .263 with one triple, three home runs, 21 doubles and 26 RBI in 66 games for the Storm. lsinore. He was promoted to Class AA San Antonio, whre he hit .24, with eight RBIs in 22 games.

He capped off the regular season by receiving the 2013 Captain's Catcher Award by Baseball America. It's awarded annually to the catcher who displays strong defensive qualities including leadership, dedication, the ability to call a game, blocking and receiving. Statistically, Hedges threw out 32 percent of basestealers in 179 minor league games.

While it may be a few years before Hedges makes it to the bigs, I'm curious where C Rene Rivera is going to shake out next season.

Originally a second-round draft pick of the Seattle Marines, Rivera bounced from the Mariners to the Dodgers, Mets, Camden Riversharks, Yankees  and Twins before the Padres signed him to a minor league contract on Dec. 12, 2012. In July, he was called up from AAA Tucson to replace Yasmani Grandal who suffered a season-ending knee injury. Backing up Nick Hundley, Rivera hit .254 with seven RBI and four runs in 23 games.

I was fairly impresed with Rivera as he backstopped Tucson when they played here in Des Moines.

I can see the Pads keeping Hundley and Grandal next season. Despite Rivera appearing to be a mere journeyman catcher, I can see basically only one scenario where the Pads keep him up in the bigs, and that would be if Grandal doesn't bounce back from his knee surgery. Otherwise, San Diego could either carry three catchers (doubtful), or use Grandal as possible trade bait (even more doubtful, even if he were to come back completely from knee injury).

As I've stated before, the off-season should prove pretty interesting for the Padres..

The Bucs stops here

I'm a firm believer in Karma, in paying it forward and in sharing the wealth.

Earlier I posted a bunch of 1989 Topps Baseball Card books that were withdrawn from a local library. The books featured full-color pictures of every Topps card produced from 1952 to 1988 for that team. I collected a total of 14 books and put the other 13 up for whoever wanted them (Of course, I kept the Padres book).

One of those books found a happy home with Mark of Battlin' Bucs. Needless to say, he was pretty happy with it, as it helped bring back memories of Pirates cards past.

As a thank you, he sent me a nice little PWE of Padres cards - most of which were new to my collection.

I'll lead off with a 2002 Fleer Box Score #187 Ben Howard, S/N 893/2950. You can never get enough Ozzie Smith Padre cards and this 2003 Flair Greats #1 Ozzie Smith (far right) is greatly appreciated. Despite the fact he spent most of his career in Cardinal red, it always warms my heart to seen him dressed in brown and yellow.

I really, really like this 2002 Topps 206 Polar Bear #428 Khalil Greene Red FYP. Making his MLB debut in 2004, Greene may have been one of the best homegrown shortstops the Padres ever developed, letting his bat speak for his abilities. Unfortunately, the talented Clemson Tiger also battled inner demons of his own.  In 2008 he broke his left hand hitting a storage chest,while batting .213 with 10 home runs and 15 doubles. He was then traded to the Cardinals for Mark Worrell and Luke Gregerson and in 2009, he was diagnosed with a social anxiety disorder. In 2010, he had another bout of the disorder, and was released by the Texas Rangers, effectively ending his baseball career.

I also received a 2003 Donruss Heroes #420 Ryan Klesko card and a 2005 Bowman Chrome #273 Travis Chick RC. Chick didn't spend much time as a Padres minor leaguer. After coming from Florida in 2004 for Ismaeal Valdez, less than a year later, he and Justin Germano were packed off to Cincinnati for Joe Randa. Even though it's definitely a posed shot, you still have to smile at Gary Sheffield and Fred McGriff in their 1993 Spirit of the Game #SG12.

Again, it was a rather nice surprise to receive this PWE from Mark. However, like I've said before, having a great relationship with two local brick-and-mortar stores nearby and a monthly card show, I have no problem picking up cards I know my fellow bloggers can use.

Just don't be surprised when you find something in your mailbox from Iowa.