1981 Topps–Don Robinson #168, Hosken Powell #137

I’m collecting the 1981 set, slowly but surely. This post is the latest in my quest for the completion.

• Card Facts – Don Robinson – Pittsburgh Pirates – Card #168
• Purchase Price – free (Trade with “Manupatches & Mustaches”)

Action shot at least.  Although he’s probably just warming up.  I never understood these Pirates hats. Why they felt they had to be different from the rest of the league on the design is beyond me.  And what they have to do with Pirates is way beyond me.

• Card Facts – Hosken Powell – Minnesota Twins – Card #137
• Purchase Price – free (Trade with “Manupatches & Mustaches”)

Hey Hosken, I realize you just woke up, but I need to take your photo.  Alrighty, guess that one will do.

• Cards posted in this set – 44
• Total price paid – $1.89
• Average price per card – $0.04
• Cards left to post – 682
• Percentage posted – 44/726 (6% posted)
• Percentage completed – 426/726 (59% completed)

Average price per card is down another penny to $.04 with 2 trade cards from Eric.  I received another trade package in the mail today from Josh at “Royals and Random” so the percentage completed should change on the next post.

1973 Topps–Rookie Outfielders #611, Ted Sizemore #128

I’m collecting the 1973 set, slowly but surely. This post is the latest in my quest for the completion.

• Card Facts – Rich Coggins, Jim Wohlford, Richie Zisk – Baltimore Orioles, Kansas City Royals, Pittsburgh Pirates – Card #611
• Purchase Price – $.56 (Ebay lot 4/$2.24)

Seems like a lot to pay for a single card or even lot compared to what I usually spend, but the lot of 4 had a couple Hall of Famers with this card so I pulled the trigger anyways.  I don’t know Coggins, and I know Wohlford from the 1981 Topps set.  But Richie Zisk I know from my collecting days.  Of course, it’s mainly because of the last name starting with a Z.

• Card Facts – Ted Sizemore – St. Louis Cardinals – Card #128
• Purchase Price – free (Trade with “Crinkly Wrappers”)

Another poised shot.  But at least Ted is looking at the camera, that’s more than I can say than a lot of the other cards in this set.  And look at those side burns, and the color of the hair matches his uniform.  Ted’s got swag.

• Cards posted in this set – 39
• Total price paid – $5.15
• Average price per card – $0.13
• Cards left to post – 645 (including NNO Checklists)
• Percentage posted – 39/684 (6% posted)
• Percentage completed – 76/684 (11% completed)

Price per card went up with the big purchase of $.56 up there but another trade card from Ted helps keep it from going up too much.  Also got bumped up to 6% posting.  The percentage completed should go up as soon as I get some trade cards from Josh at “Royals and Random”.  I’m going to try to get those logged in later today so by Tuesday’s post they should be completed.

Today’s 9–Gordon Beckham, page 4

I keep my White Sox collection by players last name. When that player reaches 9 cards (a page), they get a post in the Today’s 9 series. I just recently moved all my cards into alphabetical order so most of these posts are just catching up and making sure everybody get’s their due.

GORDON BECKHAM

Cards (L-R) – (top row) 2011 Topps Diamond Die Cut, 2011 Topps Gypsy Queen, 2011 Topps Gypsy Queen mini

(middle row) 2011 Topps Gypsy Queen Future Stars, 2011 Topps Lineage, 2010 Topps Nation Chicle Chrome refractor (#’d 21/50)

(bottom row) 2011 Bowman Platinum Gold, 2011 Bowman Gold, 2010 Topps Wal-Mart

Played with the Sox from 2009-current

Was 5th in Rookie of the Year voting in 2009.

Card back info –

“Diamond Deed:  Beckham showed off multiple skills in a 4-3 victory over the Angels on September 12, 2009.  He reached base four times, swatted a solo homer, stole a base and scored two runs.  His ninth-inning single set up the winning tally by moving a man to third base.” – 2011 Topps Diamond Die Cut

“On June 6, 2010, Beckham ended a slump of 112 at-bats without an extra-base hit.  From that point forward, he raked 31 of them in his final 80 games.” – 2011 Topps Gypsy Queen

“A young Yogi Berra once staffed the outfield.  Jackie Robinson played first base as a rookie.  Position changes are as old as the game itself, so Beckham – whose bat profiles well anywhere – willingly made one from third base to second to help the team in 2010.” – 2011 Topps Gypsy Queen Future Stars

“The NCAA’s top home run hitter and an All-American at Georgia in 2008, Beckham claimed a slot in the White Sox lineup by the middle of the following year.  As a third baseman, he was picked by Sporting News as the 2009 AL Rookie of the Year.  Last season Gordon slid to second, where he is a rising star.” – 2011 Topps Lineage

“A look at Beckham doesn’t reveal exceptional size or brawn, so where does the young star’s power come from?  His secret is his strong forearms, which, in turn, help him generate bat whip from his wrists.  A program involving wrist-curls with barbells are one way for a baseball player to power-up his forearms.” – 2010 Topps National Chicle Chrome Refractor

“Beckham made his MLB debut on 6/4/09, starting at third base against the Athletics.  On that same date in 1936, Detroit Tigers catcher Mickey Cochrane collapses, and must be removed from the game, after racing to an inside-the-park home run.” – 2011 Bowman Platinum Gold

“Resume – Notched first career four-hit game on 7/18/10.  Finished fifth in 2009 AL Rookie of the Year voting.  Smashed 14 homers and 28 doubles.  2008 SEC Player of the Year honoree.  Skills – Generates plus power with great bat speed and hip rotation.  Has strong arm and smooth actions in field.  Hard worker.  Evolution – After setting a U. of Georgia record with 28 homers in ‘08, Beckham proved he could wield a wooden bat by whacking .322 in 59 Minor League games.” – 2011 Bowman Gold

“The fastest non-pitcher ever to go from the draft to a White Sox uniform (364 days), Gordon took a few weeks to acclimate in 2009, then blossomed.  In his final 85 games, he batted .288 with 13 home runs.  A game-ending hit against the rival Cubs on June 27 was a high point that he described as “the best feeling I’ve ever had playing baseball.” – 2010 Topps Walmart

Cards in Sox uniform that I own currently – 39

Autos/Relics I currently own of player above - 3

Beckham is saying all the right things right now before the season starts up.  Hopefully, in turn, he will be better than he was last year.

The bottom 2 card backs were listed on previous pages.  But as I add cards to the album, I start at the last card and add them until I fill that side of the page and scan it, so you don’t get any duplicate cards.  After that I change they way they are in my album so that the parallels are all side by side.  The 2010 Topps Walmart is my 4th parallel (and the base) of that card that I have and the 2011 Bowman gold is now beside the base card.

Trade with Baseball Dad

Baseball Dad of “All Tribe Baseball” fame had asked for a trade bait card that I had posted, I think it was a Ted Williams card from the 80’s.  I didn’t have much else to send him because we had just completed a trade a few weeks prior to me posting it.  So it was a small trade.  But he sent some great cards.

2011’s – Paul Konerko Opening Day, Adam Dunn Atomic (?) Refractor and Tom Seaver Diamond parallel.

I really like refractor’s.  What I don’t like is that they don’t say refractor on the backs of them anymore.  Then you got multiple parallel refractor’s on top of that.  I think they need to say exactly what it is on the back.  I like how Upper Deck puts what set it is on the back and I wish Topps would adopt that and even lists the parallels.  Some of us don’t break cases and see a whole bunch of cards to figure out the differences.  Anyways, back to these cards.  Like I said, I like refractor’s so I definitely like the Dunn.  But the price of the package for me was the Seaver Diamond parallel.  I’ve been looking at the base card of this online but they always want too much because it’s a SP.  And I love the diamond parallel in last years set so to get this card in a trade was huge for me.  Great trade package from Baseball Dad. 

But wait, there’s more….

I know he’s done this as of late, for how long, I don’t know.  But I’ve seen on other blogs, and in my previous trade with him, he throws in a pack of Donruss Estrellas.  These were the cards in that pack, all for trade if you want one.  And in those packs comes a poster, which I found out after I threw my first one out.

Be sure to check out his blog out at “All Tribe Baseball”.  Another great trade in the books.

1981 Topps–Billy Sample #283, Checklist #31

I’m collecting the 1981 set, slowly but surely. This post is the latest in my quest for the completion.

• Card Facts – Billy Sample – Texas Rangers – Card #283
• Purchase Price – $.05 (ebay lot 100/$4.99)

Guess Topps went with the ugly green from the 70’s a decade late.  Another posed picture with him looking somewhere else.

• Card Facts – Checklist – Card #31
• Purchase Price – free (Trade with “Manupatches & Mustaches”)

At least I didn’t have to pay for a checklist.  Hopefully I get all the checklists in trades.

• Cards posted in this set – 42
• Total price paid – $1.89
• Average price per card – $0.05
• Cards left to post – 684
• Percentage posted – 42/726 (6% posted)
• Percentage completed – 426/726 (59% completed)

Not to exciting of a post with a checklist, but it’s a card, and it’s part of the set.  Sorry.  Blame the random process.