Football Card Friday...2009 Topps Magic Joe Flacco

Today's Football Card Friday! takes us back to one of my favorite sets of football cards, 2009 Topps Magic, and card #51, Joe Flacco. 

I opened a few packs of Topps Magic all those years ago, a got some terrific cards, including Peyton Manning, Reggie Bush, Tom Brady, and Darren McFadden.

🏈 I like Joe Flacco, the former Super Bowl Championship QB of the Baltimore Ravens, who now plays for the New York Jets....and who's seen much better days.

🏈 Flacco played college football at the University of Delaware, who, just happens to be my favorite football team from New Jersey.

OK, so when I first started following college football in the mid-late 1970s I'd see pictures of football players from Delaware, and I noticed that their helmets looked quite familiar.

Yes...the Blue Hens of Delaware have awesome team colors! 

👀 When Joe Flacco was a Senior at Delaware I'd see a few of his games and highlights on TV, and I instantly became a fan of the young man from Voorhees, New Jersey, 

➡️ Looking through all of Flacco's cards on TCDB, I found a bunch of really cool looking football cards that I'm putting on my wish/must have list.

Hey, I needed that card for Save Second Base last month! 

These are terrific looking cards, and I'm definitely gonna need to work on adding more Flacco cards to my collection.

🤔 Who's a QB you like from a team that's not your favorite? 

Have a great weekend watching all the college and pro football games, and, unless you're a fan of the Indiana Hoosiers or Minnesota Vikings, I wish your teams well. 😂😂 

Play BALL! 💛🏈💙🏈💛🏈 💙🏈

My Mailbox... World Series Door Prize from Collectors Crack

Just a couple of weeks ago the Los Angeles Dodgers won the World Series, beating the Tampa Bay Rays, 4 games to 2.

Even though I didn't have the Dodgers beating the Rays, I did have them winning, in a contest held by CynicalBudda over at Collectors Crack.

Now, I had L.A. beating the New York Yankees, not Tampa Bay, so I didn't win the big prize, and that's OK, it's just fun to enter.

I did get notice that I won a door prize, and I was totally surprised by that, and, the mailman brought the package of cards yesterday.

Now, it should be noted that I had no idea what was coming in the package, and, truth be told, I'm getting so old that I'd actually completely forgotten about the contest...even after sending my address.

📫 So, here's a brief look at what was in that awesome package ...full of Detroit Tigers baseball cards! 

➡️ Remember, I'm taking these pictures from my cell phone... 📸... apologies as always.

The Gerald Laird card is headed straight to the Catchers Card Binder. 

Tyrus Raymond as a member of the old Philadelphia Athletics, 1927-28, a beautiful baseball card!

Miguel Cabrera... These caricatures cards are pretty cool!

👀👀 I also go this card on BUNT... so, you get a better picture of the card.

Austin Jackson...my first relic card of the former Tigers center fielder. 

I guess this is a mini Topps Archives Relic card of Austin, using the 1975 Topps set. 

👌👌👌👌 Thanks, Buddha, for the nice note, it's much appreciated, and thanks, again, for the great cards. 👌👌👌👌

Have a great Thursday... PLAY BALL! ⚾

Tigers Card Tuesday...2020 A&G Longball Lore...X2

This week's Tigers Card Tuesday! is a pair of recent additions to my Tigers collection, one of Miguel Cabrera,...

Miguel's card takes a look back at his 400th career HR, which made him the All-Time leader in HRs hit by a Venezuelan born ballplayer.

...and one of Cecil Fielder.

                           

Cecil's card back reminds us of his titanic blast off Brewers pitcher Dan Plesac in 1991, at old County Stadium in Milwaukee.

These  2020 Topps Allen & Ginter Longball Lore cards are so cool, and it's awesome that they included a pair of Tigers sluggers.

⚾ The Longball set has 50 cards in the set.

➡️ From Hank Aaron, to Ernie Banks, Lou Gehrig, Reggie Jackson, Willie Mays, Babe Ruth, and Mike Trout, this set is loaded with some of the great sluggers in baseball history.

I'm certainly going to give this A&G set a go, and I've certainly got a good start.

I hope they continue this insert set next year, hopefully with Norm Cash and Al Kaline included. 

Have a terrific day, and make sure you head to the polls and make your voice heard today.

Play Ball! 🐯⚾🇺🇲🐯⚾🇺🇲🐯⚾🇺🇲

Monday Mop Up, November 2, 2020

It wasn't a good sports weekend in my house, as Michigan lost at home to MSU, the Lions lost at home to the Colts, and Tracy's Cowboys lost at Philadelphia last night to the rival Eagles.

Neither loss from my teams was a surprise, especially the Lions, but the Wolverines looked like they weren't ready to play, and that's as inexcusable as it gets in a game against your in state rivals.

It was the first time in his tenure that I was truly upset with Coach Harbaugh, and I hope I don't feel like that again...so, it's on to Indiana, and, as always, it's always, Go BLUE! 

Saturday was Halloween 🎃, as well as then end of another fantastic year of following Collecting Cutch and his posts of PINK Andrew McCutchen and Pittsburgh Pirates Baseball Cards, all to raise money for his annual "Save Second Base" mission to provide a mammogram to a woman whom otherwise wouldn't be able to afford one.

His recap of all his posted cards is up for you to check out.

Cutch is probably quite giggly today, as his beloved Pittsburgh Steelers beat the rival Baltimore Ravens yesterday, moving to 7-0 on the season.

👍 Thanks to all of the amazing bloggers out there who participated in this year's event.

📆 I'm already looking forward to October of 2021.

My favorite baseball team, the Detroit Tigers, found themselves a new Manager, hiring former Diamondbacks and Astros skipper, A. J. Hinch.

Of course, Hinch, who  played for the 2003 Tigers team that lost 119 games, comes to the Motor City with a lot of baggage from the Astros cheating scandal, and that's gonna have to be addressed in Spring Training, when, hopefully, baseball gets back to some sense of normal.

For me, I think it's OK that they hired Hinch...that scandal in Houston just can't happen anymore, not with all the limitations that MLB has put on what teams can observe digitally during a game.

I'm pretty sure no one is gonna be banging any trash cans in the Home Dugout at Comerica Park, plus, we might just see a familiar face come back to Detroit in 2022.

To me, the Astros part of Hinch is just like that scene in "The World According to Garp," where a  plane crashes into a house that Robin Williams is looking to buy.

As his character, T. S. Garp says, "...it's been Pre- Disastered." 

Hope y'all have a awesome week...and, please, remember to to exercise your right to Vote!

Play BALL! ⚾🇺🇲⚾🇺🇲⚾🇺🇲⚾🇺🇲⚾🇺🇲

Happy Baseball Birthday... Matt Nokes

Sending out Happy Baseball Birthday! wishes to former Detroit Tigers catcher Matt Nokes, who's 57 today.

Matthew Dodge Nokes was born on October 31, 1963, in San Diego, California, where he attended Patrick Henry High School. 

➡️ Matt was originally drafted by the San Francisco Giants in the 20th Round, in 1981, making his big league debut on September 3, 1985, when he was just 21.

➡️ He was traded by the Giants, to Detroit, who sent another catcher, Bob Melvin, to San Francisco.

Yes, that Bob Melvin, the current manager of the Oakland Athletics.

Replacing legendary Tigers catcher LanceParrish in 1987, Nokes burst onto the scene, out of nowhere, it seemed, batting .289, belting 32 HRs, with 87 RBI. 

Nokes would be an All-Star and Silver Slugger Award winner in 1987, but his production in Detroit never again approached his '87 season.

💗🐯⚾ I need to get one last PINK Baseball Card posted for Collecting Cutch's October Breast Cancer Awareness campaign.

His post today ask is to comment on our favorite wrestlers, so, of course, I had to give a shout-out to the beautiful Charlotte Flair. 

After 5 years in Motown, Matt would go on to play 5 years in the Bronx, where, in 1991 & 1992, he would hit 24, and 22 HRs, respectively, for the pre-Jeter Yanks.

💗🎃💗 Nokes would move on to Colorado, and Baltimore to finish out his career in the big leagues.

In his 11 years in MLB, Nokes hit 136 HRs, driving in 422 runs, with a career batting average of .254.

Who's a player who came out of nowhere for your favorite ball club? 

Hope you all had a fun, safe, Happy Halloween! 

Play BALL! ⚾🎃💗⚾🎃💗⚾🎃💗

Football Card Friday.... Matt Stafford

Today's the last Football Card Friday! of October, a final chance to post a pink football card to help our friend Collecting Cutch.

➡️ There's only two days left in Save Second Base posts, so make sure you head over to today's CUTCH post.

Matthew Stafford is a terrific QB, and it's certainly not been easy for Matt in his 12 years as the starting signal caller in the Motor City.

I'm by no means a Stafford super collector, but I've got a few of his cards...this is the latest in the collection.

💻 I had to take this image of the 2017 Panini Unparalleled PINK #127 of Stafford because, after looking at this card last week, it's been misplaced...that happens way to much...man, I hate getting old. 

I'm a Stafford supporter, and I'll defend him when I have to. 

Stafford always takes responsibility when things don't go well, and he's his own worse critic when he's not playing well, but, he's the 

The Lions are notorious for making bad draft picks, but Stafford isn't one of them.

This is a very cool card. 

Searching his TCDB page today I noticed that card and I'll have to eventually find it...maybe next Saturday here in Kalamazoo at the first card show that's happened since the Covid-19 pandemic has hit.

And yes, mask wearing will be mandatory!

Have. AWESOME weekend. 

 

Play Ball! 🐯⚾

Kershaw Appreciation

Clayton Kershaw has always been one of my favorite pitchers, and as a non-official Dodgers observer, I need to post an appreciation after L.A. beat the Rays last night to win the World Series.

( This was FREE to all Topps BUNT users after the Dodgers Win last night.)

Clayton Kershaw was drafted by the Dodgers in the 1st round of the 2006 MLB Draft, the 7th overall pick.

( Again, I apologise for the lack of photography skills with my LG phone.)

This pink card of Kershaw is also a reminder that we have only four days left in Collecting Cutch's SAVE SECOND BASE posts, so, please, make your way to today's post. 

➡️ FYI- My Detroit Tigers had the 6th pick, and chose another lefty, Andrew Miller.

🐯⚾ We Tigers fans can only imagine a staff of both Kershaw and Justin Verlander for the past 12 years. 

☀️☀️ Well, if the Dodgers hadn't drafted Clayton, then we wouldn't have been able to see him pitch for our Double-A Jacksonville Suns in the late 2000s. 

➡️ As I've stated several times, I've followed the Dodgers since I was 13 years old, rooting for them against the Oakland A's, the team I disliked so much for beating my Tigers in the 1972 ALCS... including Game 5 at Tiger Stadium.

I cheered on Steve Garvey, my favorite L.A. Dodgers player, along with Cey, Russell, Lopes, Dusty Baker, Reggie Smith, and all the other players against the Yankees in 1977/1978..both losses to the Bronx Bombers.

It was fun watching the 1981 Dodgers redeem itself against the Yankees, and, in 1988, as Orel Hershiser and former Tigers slugger Kirk Gibson beat the A's.

💙⚾ One Dodgers player that I wish was still on this championship club is another former JAX Suns player, Matt Kemp.

Congrats also goes out to the Rays, a club that played as hard as any team that I've seen in my 54 years watching big league baseball. 

👉 I also voted for the amazing Randy Arozarena on the Fan's MVP Vote last night.

No player had a bigger impact on the 2020 playoffs than that amazing young man did.

It'll be interesting how he starts off the 2021 season...I hope he knows we'll all be rooting for him to continue his success.

Hope y'all are having an awesome Wednesday, and, as always, thank for taking time out of your busy day to read my blog.

Play Ball! 💙⚾💙⚾💙⚾💙⚾💙⚾💙⚾