Wrappers from Covered in Wrappers

Last week I received a small box in the mail from Marie over at A Cardboard Problem. Marie (aka : Covered in Wrappers) had purchased a couple hobby packs of Upper Deck O-P-C . I had a Albert Puhols O-P-C box bottom cut out . Of course, she wanted it and I wanted the hobby wrapper (one of these days I'm going to do a post on wrappers, really).

Well she sent the wrapper, above center, along with a 1991 OPC Premier.On the right is my retail wrapper.

The problem is, she sent all of this too !! Actually it's a problem of the good variety.

This is the one card I expected to receive with the wrapper.

This one she pulled later and included it to surprise me. A black-bordered Grady.

Now that was a nice surprise in itself. But did she stop there ? No. She sent the whole pile of cards shown above plus all of these :

Joe Roa ? Iknow I'm getting old, but you got on this one Marie. I don't remember this guy at all and I know I don't have any other cards of him !

2009 Upper Deck Grady and Ryan

Cliff Lee x 2 with an old Friend.

Cliff again along with Chad Ogea. Actually met him and got an auto. once.

A real nice '09 Spectrum V-Mart. This afternoon during the TV broadcast of the game, the name "V-Mart" came up and one announcer had never heard it before. Where have you been been Rick Manning !?

Speaking of V-Mart, a gold parallel.

This one goes back a few years. Hey Rick, did you ever hear of "Thunder" as in Andre Thorton ?

Team photo comparison : 1980 and 2009

Two more : 2003 and 2008

Well Marie, I don't know how to thank you other than looking for some more Alberts ! So that's what I'm going to do now.

I'm alive !

There have been a lot of things going on lately and I haven't had the time to post as much as I would like. We had our 40th HS class reunion this past week-end.That was a lot of fun. I did find time to have several discussions with a new blogger. He asked me about a trade. That's one question you don't have to ask twice ! I'm always interested.This guy,Jeremy, is a photographer and had some really interesting breakdowns on the photos on cards.You can read about that here : no one's going to read this blog.He's just getting back into collecting and is basically a New York fan. Welcome to our world !

He sent me these three Tribe cards.

A couple Garkos and a Dellucci.

His "calling card" was very interesting. The one he sent me has a Triber on it,but it's also numbered.Maybe he has one for each team ?

This is the reverse side.

Thank you very much, Jeremy ! Your cards are in the mail and you should receive them soon.

Free gift Part II

First of all, David , I'm sorry !! I inadvertantly left this out of my post yesterday ! I put this card aside from all the Tribe cards and it kinda' got lost. Actually, I'm not sure what to do with this card.(Apparently David didn't either so he passed it on to me !! )It's kind of a unique item with the Indians jersey swatch and the inscription on the back.David posted it on Indian baseball cards once before. This is an extreme example of the card companies not having the right material at the time for production.I don't have a ripped version in my sample card collection so it will probably end up there. Thanks David, Ithink ! Actually I'm glad to have it.

Back with a package from Tribe Cards

I still don't have my computer back but I borrowed my son's to catch up a little.



I received a package from David at Tribe Cards yesterday . It was part of his latest team give-away (don't tell him, but I may have been willing to pay a little for this !). It was a very large bubble mailer,partly folded over, to protect this:

A 1987 Cleveland Indian Gatorade team photo/baseball card stadium give-a-away.

A give-away- for a give-a-away !!

It unfolds to reveal a team photo and 30 "punch-outable" mini baseball cards.


There were also two nicely wrapped and decorated packages inside.They measure about 2 1/2 x 3 1/2. Hmm... I wonder what's inside ! ?

A ton of Tribe cards ! Well maybe not quite a ton,but a very nice mixture.

Some of the highlights are shown below.

I always loved Kenny Lofton's parachute device to build up his running strength.

What , A Sox card ! Wait a minute, that's our fearless leader, back in his playing days.The card states he was Boston's catcher of the future, but, unfortunately some injuries changed his path a little. Actually, I'd never heard of Eric until the Tribe hired him.

As of May 14,1981, there hadn't been a perfect game in major league baseball for 13 years.

On May 14th the battery of Len Barker and Bo Diaz took care of that. Lenny struck out 11 Blue Jays and walked none. I was there with about 200,000 other Indian fans ,who, when asked were there too ! (I really wasn't)

There were some nice older cards too like the '79 Topps Rick Manning and the '77 Topps Jackie Brown.

There were many more nice cards, some of which I need for my collection ! Thank you very much David, for your generosity.

R.I.P. Dick Jacobs

They say he saved baseball in Cleveland. I certainly can't deny that. I only wish we could have gotten him the brass ring while he was in charge as he deserved it.He purchased and revitalized the Tribe at just the right time and I will always refer to the ballpark as " The Jake " . My deepest condolences go out to his family. Thank you Mr. Jacobs for all you did.

She's not one of Grady's Ladies

I had tonight's post all figured out. At least I thought I did. But then some last minute editing turned up some conflicting information, which is fairly commonplace when you start digging into 19th century baseball. I wanted to present some information on the earliest Cleveland baseball cards that I have come up with.Now I'm going to go a slightly different direction with that post, so maybe this week-end I can get back to it.

This is more important anyway !

Earlier this week, when I got home from Columbus, there was a package waiting for me. I always like packages,sending and receiving.It was definitely not from a Grady's Lady or these cards would still be in New Jersey.They came from Sooz over at A Cardboard Problem. She's more of a "Derek's Doll". Which works out well for me !

We start out with some '09 Finest

Lee, Sizemore and Rundles.
Then we go to C.C. I still collect his cards as long as he's in a Tribe uniform.(and it says Cleveland Indians on the card)

One lonely Kelly Shoppach '06 Flair Showcase, which is a very nice card.

And then it's all Grady

Un-Common and Rare

23 and 20 /29

and more...

and more....

and more....

and more...

and more...

and more ...

and more !

Thank you very ,very much !! Many of these will be added to my collection.

Aren't bloggers just great !?

Vacation's over

And now..... the rest of the story ! I do miss Paul Harvey on the radio.

Below is another shot of Harold and I as we prepared to enter Huntington Park.The park,as you can see, was built right on the edge of the sidewalk. We manged to get a parking space right across the street for only $5.

Nice blue skies !

But the rain moved in and forced us under cover for one inning but there was no delay.

Yes, Greg, the night shots will be coming to you via email ! And there is a story behind my t-shirt. Greg thought maybe he should get one that reads 'Night Owl". I started using the name "Baseball Dad" many years ago as a sign -in name for Topps and Upper Deck web sites. Then on some of the sports card trading sights, and finally, here on my blog. Two years ago we made a week long trip to Cooperstown and while walking along the streets, viewing the various store fronts, there was the shirt hanging there in all it's glory ! I knew I had to have the Baseball Dad t-shirt.

Unfortunately the Clippers went down 3-2, but it was still a fun trip. Before the game Harold and I and our wives had a nice dinner together and got to know each other a little more.

Now, on my last day of vacation, since it's rainy and nasty outside I plan to get some some cards sorted out and start checking some want lists. I also hope to add another chapter to my Cleveland Indian baseball card history.

Meeting of the Bloggers

On the left is Harold from, Blue Grass Smoke Signals , a displaced Cleveland Indian fan now residing in Kentucky. I live southwest of Cleveland.He was visiting his son in Cincinnati so the perfect place for us to get together was halfway between, in Columbus, Ohio. We're, no doubt, among the oldest bloggers out there being born only 7 days apart in December of 1950. Me being the "older" one. Behind us you can see the scoreboard at Huntington Park, the brand new home of the Columbus Clippers, who are now the AAA affiliate for our Cleveland Indians. I'll have more photos and details later as we just got home from a 3-day trip.