Lack of competition equates to lack of interest

I have been thinking about this a lot lately, and just recently had a conversation with Flash about it. While I love my PC dearly and wouldn't part with it under almost any circumstance in the world, there is nothing driving me to continue it either.

The fact that I don't collect football, basketball, or hockey cards basically means it's baseball or bust. I don't have any interest at all in starting to collect another sport. Baseball is my passion, and for me to invest money into something just to kill the boredom doesn't make sense.

While I do go out and pick up a new release as soon as it hits the stores, the excitement or enthusiasm often wears off within 5 minutes of writing the post of my newly acquired loot. I was terribly mad and disappointed when Donruss lost their licensing for making MLB cards, and then when it happened to Upper Deck it mad me upset but not as much as Donruss. The second blow was just like the icing on the cake for me.

I really thought early in the year that it wouldn't be that big of a deal when Upper Deck stopped making baseball cards. For a whille, it wasn't that bad and was tolerable. But now approaching the end of the season and the year, there are so many products I miss having to open, like Goudey and Sweet Spot especially. The monopoly on baseball cards really makes no sense to me anymore.

If you think about it, there are 17 spots for baseball product releases and 12 months to a year. Two or three of those spots are wasted on crap products that are boring and usually suck every year. I get that Opening Day is for kids, but there has to be a way to do something goofy that can move that product to another line of production like animating it or something. I really don't care but no one wants Opening Day hobby boxes. I know it sounds goofy but I am so bored with the options of new cards. Approximately 1 release per month.... then we sit around and wait for the next boring set design with silver sticker autos, crinkled corners, damaged cards, and missing hits.

I bought hobby boxes at the National. Does anyone recall what boxes I purchased? I'll tell you this, not one of them was a Topps product nor was it a recent product. Since the National I think I have purchased maybe 8-10 cards, if that. I'm at the point of just buying what I like for my PC and basically nothing more. Wax is fun to me while I am opening it, and that's about it. But.... it doesn't mean I won't buy some new stuff later in the year. I like opening, just wish there was some Donruss 2010 or Leaf 2010 baseball around to entertain me.

I've been to Target 3 times this week and left with nothing. I went to the card shop last week and I left with a couple of 15 pocket sheets.... Ripping a case of 2010 Topps 206 was awesome for me because I got the thrill of opening a ton of packs, only took the few cards I wanted and didn't have to spend money on a whole box for nothing. I am looking forward to the Chrome break to add stuff to my PC and I like wrappers.

Has anyone else been feeling like this lately?

P.S. If anyone has any Cano, Pujols, or Lind mini's from 206 I'd like to trade for them.

P.P.S. I will also say that Bowman Platinum looks like it will be the best set of the year. I am hoping that product is awesome to get things going again.

2010 Homerun Derby

I write this blog as I watch this most torturous of recent Homerun Derby's that I can remember. I don't know if it is the lack of "star" hitters or the fact that I have to listen to Chris Berman quacking and clucking along side "Hall of Famer" (resident douche), Joe Morgan but this is brutal to watch.

I miss the days of watching the Kid up at the plate with his hat on backwards and a big smile on his face just hittin' some dingers. This was way more fun to watch when I was a kid, although I must say that I think Cano would have a Griffey like appearance at the plate. Cano is always smiling and having fun, but I am glad he was told to have a seat.

Is anyone else out there bored to tears watching this? Feel free to let me know what you think of the Derby.

P.S. Even if Nick Swisher was not eliminated I would hate this.

Remember when....

snow days were the best days as a kid? I will admit I rather like them right now since I am back in school, however they still suck being stuck home all day. The only main road I can see from my house the cars are moving at a rate where I could run faster even with my sinus issues.

This just means logging in cards today, and probably cleaning house/shoveling snow which are all my favorite things to do. However if I do need to go out I will be relying on one of these to get me around. Anyone else trapped?

It is coming down pretty damn good here for about an hour, and hour that would have so far been better spent asleep. Stay tuned for the next 100 volumes of todays blogging, which is sponsored by White Coats.

(Picture is after about one hour of snow.)

Jeter vs. Gehrig

I'm not sure where the confusion is for some people on Twitter and elsewhere but no one is saying Jeter is/was a better player than Gehrig. I have yet to read someone stating that as an opinion. Maybe there are people saying this, and I just missed it. Jeter is not the powerhitter that Gehrig was and Jeter has also been quoted as saying he doesn't care if he ever hits another homerun again when asked about him being the 8th man on the roster to reach 20 in the season.

The following of Jeter breaking the Yankees all-time leader in hits and putting Gehrig in the same sentence is based on the Yankees all-time leaderboard which is no indication of him being an MVP or anything like that. Jeter has a place in Yankees history whether some of you like it or not, and he will be one of the greatest Yankees ever despite playing longer than Gehrig and whoever else.

Here are the Yankees all-time leaders so you can see for yourself. Yes, Jeter has had more AB's and plate appearances than Gehrig but what is the big deal? This stat is meaningless to everyone outside of the Yankees fan base, so why all the hate if you don't like the Yankees? It's a franchise record and by no means an indication that he should be MVP or that anyone should be saying he is the best player that ever lived. If someone can show me another player who has meant what Jeter has to the Yankees, and brought that many championships to a team in the same years that Jeter has been playing, by all means tell me.

We're still here...

Sorry if we have been a bit boring around here lately. Sooz will be busy at work until oh, April or so and I have been running around transferring schools and things like that. I went and bought books for school yesterday, as well as a bag to hold my books and laptop which should weigh roughly 80 pounds so I'm super excited to lug that around, really.

I was twittering earlier that I was busy cleaning up trying to de-clutter and throw out crap that I don't need or haven't looked at in months (years). I had also mentioned that I could write a random blog about it, and there was a huge overwhelming response for me to do so. By huge overwhelming response, I mean a whole 3 people. I must give the people what they want even if it is only 3, and one of those 3 was Sooz.

I have discovered an assortment of stupid things that I like to save, and some of which I may still keep which defeats the purpose of this mission in the first place. The first was a re-discovery since the first time I had this idea a year ago I found this, but it makes me laugh and I just can't get rid of it. It's a bottle of Boones Summer Peach from when I used to work at the A&P circa 1997 as the receipt taped to it for proof of purchase states. Not sure how I purchased it at 17, however I am pretty sure one of my friends rang me up. I know good wine tastes better with age, but this should be like rubbing alcohol by now. I'd pay to see someone take a swig of this.

Some other things I have discovered are boarding passes from vacations, window stickers from old cars, brochures that I saved from old cars I had, magazines that were purchased simply for one article on the Camaro providing it was the picture on the front, Christmas ornaments still in the box, snowglobes given away on Black Friday at JC Penney, a pack of gum from some schmuck, matchbooks from places I don't remember being in, a book of hall passes stolen in high school, and the list goes on.

I'm sure most of you are laughing whether it is at me or with me is another story. I can bet someone out there has one or more of these items laying around somewhere but I am betting it's not the Boones.

I sent out a couple of surprise bubble mailers, and may send out some more. While I love baseball cards, I love when they are with someone who really appreciates them. There is a huge stack of (2nd place) Red Sox cards sitting on my desk that will end up getting mailed out or burned for warmth on this 68 degree night.

Anyone cleaning out there? If you find a Pujols '09 Ginter, de-clutter your collection and send it to me =)

Swap your wife and your collection?!

Just received an unsolicited email, which several other bloggers out there have received as I look through the email list.

Apparently, the 'hit shot' Wife Swap is looking to swap wives from families that are collectors. Collectors of what? Well, it doesn't say.

Here's the email:

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Wife Swap is currently casting for our fifth season and we are looking for families who are collectors!

If you think you have the best collection around, then I want to hear from you!

The premise of Wife Swap is simple: for seven days, two wives from two different families with very different values exchange husbands, children and lives (but not bedrooms) to discover what it's like to live a different family's life.

It's an interesting social experiment and a great way to see your family in a whole new light. It is shot as a documentary series, so NO scripts and no set. It's just a small camera crew that is documenting your life.

Families that appear on the show will receive a generous financial honorarium and if you refer a family that appears on the show you would receive $1000.

Here at 'Wife Swap' we look for a two-parent home with at least one child between the ages of 7 and 17 living at home full time.

If you are interested, please email me your contact information and tell me a little about your family. Or if you would like to refer a family, please email me their contact information and I will be in touch.

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If you want in, let me know because I want the $1,000 referral prize.

I have much more I want to say about this, but I will just keep it to myself for now as this thing is supposed to fun. Yippee!