We Are The Champions!

Totally nerdy, but my fantasy baseball team took down the title. This is my fourth in 11 years. Very, very exciting stuff.

I plan to take some of the winnings and get some cards. Maybe break a box and get a couple cards of my team MVPs: Troy Tulowitzki, Evan Longoria, Carl Crawford, and Jose Bautista.

So many choices.

I'm looking forward to being at Target Field on Wednesday night for Game 1 between the Yankees and Twins. Although I think the Yankees are the better team, and the Twins pitching is sputtering, I feel like it's just time for the Twins to move past these guys in a short series. I'll be cheering my heart out on Wednesday night!

The Post Season Is Looming

It doesn't seem like that long ago that the Brewers were riding workhorse CC Sabathia's arm into the October lime-light . . . . ahhhhh the memories.

I really do get excited for playoff baseball. Although I wonder why the first round is played during the day, but I digress.

Lucky me, I've got tickets to Game 1 and Game 5 (if necessary) at Target Field to see the loser of the Yanks/Rays divisional battle take on the Twins in the first round. I couldn't be more excited.

I've never seen playoff baseball (remember, grew up near Milwaukee, with the Brewers, enough said). For Game 1 we'll be sitting in the RF bleachers near the open plaza area where Thome likes to swat those moon shots. So excited. The Twins really are my adopted team, and even though I grew up a Brewers fan I've gotten extremely close with this team as well.

The Twins pitching seems to be sputtering a bit here down the stretch, but hopefully these silly 5 game series help out a bit with that. I've never been a huge fan of Carl Pavano, but he pitched decent most of the year. Hopefully he and Liriano can pitch a couple of gems next week and allow me to also see my first ALCS. Tickets are in hand for that, should it happen.

And finally, a little nod to my fantasy baseball team, making a run for the title in the final week. Currently in first place, trying to power through the loss of Longo, only 5 days remain before I find out if I bring home title number four in 11 years. I've got midweek starts coming from Derek Lowe (he's been on fire of late), Ian Kennedy, and Justin Verlander. I'm praying for good outings.

I still owe a couple people trade posts, and I'll get to those this week. Promise!

APB: 2009 Topps #192 Collin Balester

I'd like to slam the door shut on 2009 Topps Series 1. Collin Balester. If you can hook me up, email me for my address. I'll send you back something in return, dealer's choice.

Thanks for helping. Double points for it being his gold or black card!

Trade With Ryan from "O" No!!! Another Orioles Blog

Thankfully my little code challenge gave me some time to refocus on cards for a bit, and Ryan from "O" No!!! Another Orioles Blog hit me up with a trade offer.

This was one of my favs from the bunch:



I want to say he knocked about 100 cards off my 2009 Topps Series 2 and U&H wantlists. He took so many cards off this is all I have left from 2009 Topps:

Series 1: 192
Series 2: 484, 500, 537
U&H: 1, 7, 13, 17, 20, 41, 48, 49, 68, 70, 76, 89, 98, 107, 109, 117, 119, 152, 155, 167, 176, 183, 184, 201, 206, 211, 223, 242, 247, 253, 255, 256, 260, 261, 276, 282, 289, 293, 324, 330

Ryan, thanks for the trade. I hope the 1983 Jim Palmer treats you well. Glad to knock something off your Top 10 Most Wanted. Check out Ryan's other Top 10s. I'm guessing some of you might have what he's looking for.

SS92 CIPHER SOLUTION

If Dave Magadan's scrawny frame had you scratching your head this week, and you'd like to see how to solve the cipher I put together, head on over to check out the solution from the guy who broke through.

Mike from JDs Wild Cardz. You might also know him as half of the tag-team duo that broke the 2009 Ginter Code.

Congrats to Mike. I regretfully informed Mike that the David Price auto showed up damaged, and we're working together to find an equally fantastic prize as a replacement.

It's been fun guys. Thanks for playing!

THE CIPHER HAS BEEN BROKEN!

I'll hold off on posting any details here in case anyone else wants to try to finish it off.

I've asked the person who cracked it to post a solution post for it, and I'll link over to it when I see it's up.

Thanks to everyone for playing along and if you're interested in having me put together another one, just leave me a comment. I had fun building it, and have no idea how many had fun trying to solve it.

Anyone any closer to cracking this thing?

I don't think I recall much of Andy Van Slyke as a Cardinal. My memories of him start with the Pirates. I've also got a wood Van Slyke Louisville slugger bat that I still like to use on occassion.

I received a couple of trade packages this weekend, and I'll try to get those posted over the next couple of nights. As usual, people were generous. I opened a bubble mailer full of 1986 Sportflics on Saturday and was greeted immediately by Paul Molitor. No better way to start a Saturday afternoon.

In baseball related news, I see that Mark Rogers is scheduled to make a start for the Brewers in the coming weeks. Rogers was drafted 5th overall in the 2004 draft but his career has been hampered by injuries up until this point.

It's Been A Week . . .

You know, it was fun creating this code for people to puzzle over. Just going back through this checklist from that season, do you even remember half these guys? I have nooooo clue who Keith Atherton or Nick Esasky is. None at all. Guys like that, it's fun to try to remember who was playing back then. Decades ago. It was fun to page through my binder. I'll probably do it again.

On a side note, if you haven't seen the fun going on at JDs Wild Cardz, you should stop in!

Kent Tekulve

How many of Kent Tekulve's baseball cards shamelessly promote his tinted spectacles? All of them? 90%?

What I always liked about this card is that I was more drawn to his seemingly odd delivery rather than his tinted glasses.

Maybe his tinted glasses are the key to my code?

My favorite part this far of this entire endeavor is using some old cards from the mass production era for a new purpose.

Anyone out there a Tekulve collector? Someone must have a binder solely devoted to this guy, right?

Bo Jackson Is Dying . . .

To tell you the answer to my code:

?????????????????

I know, I know, that was low, but it got you here to look around, right?

He's also dying to tell you how you can enter my contest to win this David Price Sweet Beginnings Auto numbered 17/299 even if you don't want to be bothered with solving the code.




Progress has been made out there, I assure you, and I now have confirmation that 10+ people are working on it, and more have tried and said "I give".