Card of the Day: 2007-08 Upper Deck Chronology #63 Lionel Hollins

While searching on eBay for Trail Blazer cards that I must have, this one really hit hard. This has to be one of the best looking autograph cards I have ever seen! A framed black and white vintage photo of Lionel Hollins signed, on card, with a blue fine-tip sharpie! It cost me $1.30 + $2 s&h.

Lionel was a member of the 1976-77 NBA Champion Blazers team, a 1977 All-Star and has recently had his #14 retired by the Trail Blazers. He is currently the head coach of the Memphis Grizzlies.

2009 Baseball Card of the Year: 4th Nomination

When I first saw that there were Negro League Star cards in this year's Allen & Ginter set, I was thrilled! How often does this happen? I love any look into the Negro Leagues since historical information seems scarce, and collectibles even scarcer. This one features Clyde Parris. It states on the back that he played for the New York Black Yankees and the Louisville Buckeyes. He's shown here playing for a Panamanian team in his native country which he went to the Caribbean Series in '57 with. I don't know about you, but I would love to go to any local league's game in the Caribbean or Central America.. or Japan.. Korea.. Australia.. anywhere!

I've come across a few other Negro League cards in this set and I have a feeling there might be some more nominations for my pick of the year from these cards.

Noms thus far:

1. Topps #559 Esteban German
2. Topps # 124 Reed Johnson
3. Topps # 7 Mickey Mantle
4. Topps Allen & Ginter # 18 Clyde Parris
   

My Rules:

1. Base cards only.
2. Can only pick from cards I own. Any cards I do not own are automatically DISqualified!
3. Focus will mostly be on photography. Design only plays a small part since this is base cards only.
4. I'll pick as many noms as I want.
5. You can suggest noms, but, see rule 2.
6. I don't know yet how the best card will be selected. (contest?)
7. The card subject must be about baseball and not the Milky Way or something like that.
   

Hugely Significant Trivia I Never Knew

Did you know that around 1960, Sy Berger, the "Father of the Modern Baseball Card", was in the middle of a spring cleaning effort at the Topps Brooklyn headquarters and hired a boat onto which he loaded 300 to 500 cases of 1952 high-series cards which then left the New Jersey shore and dumped them all into the Atlantic Ocean?

Why couldn't it have been 1987 Topps?! Then we could have Mantle's rookie for pennies and Bonds' for thousands of dollars right?

2009 Baseball Card of the Year: 3rd Nomination

Seeing Mickey during his playing days in something other than a posed head shot is a major plus for me. And this photo is in color! Great picture. Think how much better it could have been if it was taken at Yankee Stadium though?

Noms thus far:

1. Topps #559 Esteban German
2. Topps # 124 Reed Johnson
3. Topps # 7 Mickey Mantle

My Rules:

1. Base cards only.
2. Can only pick from cards I own. Any cards I've not seen or do not have are automatically DISqualified!
3. Focus will mostly be on photography. Design only plays a small part since this is base cards only.
4. I'll pick as many noms as I want.
5. You can suggest noms, but, see rule 2.
6. I don't know yet how the best card will be selected. (contest?)
   

Bounty: Care of Sports Locker and Trader Crack's Card Blog

JRJ over at the Sports Locker blog help a little contest a few weeks ago giving away some things he picked up while at The National. I happened to win the nice promo card featuring an all new vintage themed minor league set from TriStar!

He also sent this Score football card which he also got at The National. This is sweet because I'm actually putting together this set. This one surprised me though because I can't find anything anywhere about an "Atomic" parallel. I'm guessing Atomic = Promo?

This one I won from a contest at Trader Crack's Card Blog. This card brings many firsts to my collection. My first cut sig. My first Razor card. This card came from a pack that probably costs more than I make in a day, which will probably be a first and last! Who knew that cards can come out of a pack already slabbed!

Oh, and I almost forgot! Ryan was extremely generous and sent over a couple of team bags full of cards off of my want list! Thanks Ryan! I'd be happy to return the favor and have already gathered a few from your lists.

2009 Baseball Card of the Year: 2nd Nomination

Reed Johnson appears to be risking it all making this catch at Wrigley Field in Chicago.
As a fan of any and all things baseball, I can't imagine the game without Wrigley Field. And with the sale of the Cubs finalized just hours ago to a die-hard Cubs fan who even first met his wife at "the friendly confines", hopefully this will bring another 96 years of professional baseball to Wrigley and maybe even a championship for once. The last championship the Cubs won was when their home was at West Side Park.

Hall of Fame Giveaway!

Yet another contest! Try your luck over at The Collective Troll and vote for ME!