Jacoby's Treasure Chest

Happy Friday to all, and here is to a nice, slow weekend burn and some wild card playoffs!


I watched the BCS National Championship game last night, and it had to be one of the most wildly unbalanced games that I have ever seen. When Colt McCoy went down early, and wide-eyed and quaking true freshman Garrett Gilbert stepped into the game, you knew that Texas was in trouble. On third and goal, the coach finally called a pass play, and Gilbert rewarded the call with a pass high and out of the end zone. Yup, BIG trouble. After two interceptions, the second of which was a pitch pass that was picked by a 300 lb lineman, Gilbert looked like he just wanted to vomit. I just remember him seeing him mouth the words "I'm trying" to his teammates.


After what seemed like an eternally long halftime show, Texas took the field again, and displayed an inspired defense for the next 27 minutes. Gilbert Grape found a quasi-rhythm that allowed him to connect with WR Jordan Shipley for a couple of touchdowns that set up the drama for the final drive with three minutes left...only to have Gilbert crunched from his blind side and fumble for a Alabama recovery and TD. Ballgame.


I guess my impressions were that the game would have pretty much sucked if not for the impulse to root for the underdog, to cheer on Gilbert and hope for him to succeed, which he didn't, then did, then didn't again. Also, does Colt McCoy really LOOK like a future NFL QB to you? I just keep seeing this tiny little dude with a baby face with enormous headphones standing on the sideline. Hard to imagine him leading a NFL Squad down the field. But the game kept me watching, what is what sponsors are hoping for, as I have now decided that I need a Ford truck and also need to take a trip to Norway and Sweden and book it on my Citi card.


But enough of the oblong ball. This blog is all about the hardball. Being Friday, it is time to dip my hand back into Jacoby's treasure chest and pick out three random cards to share with you. In case you missed last week, I will go over the rules one more time. My goal is collecting is to complete some sets, but also stuff a shoebox full of toploaders that my son and blog CEO (JD) can have to enjoy down the road some day. I try to eliminate my own personal biases in gathering a wide spectrum of autographs and rare cards, but obviously since JD is more interested in pushing siren buttons on his firetruck and eating graham crackers, I am calling most of the shots at this time!


Here are today's random three:



2008 Topps Chrome Refractor Rookie Auto - Being a phenom junkie, I jumped on the Johnny Cueto bandwagon. It was hard not too after his stellar debut against the Diamondbacks where he struck out 10 hitters on an efficient 92 pitch outing. Unfortunately JC was a bit wild on the control side, and those who owned him during fantasy season had quite the ride. Much the same for 2009 where he finished with an 11-11 record and only 132 K's to his record. I still hold out hope that Cueto's best days are still ahead, but at the moment he is mediocre on my watch list at best. Of interest in this auto is the bizarre signature of "J.Cuito" that is unlike any of his other autos. Its almost as if he was signing two stickers at once and I got the left-handed model. Though maybe, just like his pitching, he has lack of penmanship control from time to time.

Jackie Robinson SP from Topps 2009 Series 1 - Of the several SP's that I now have from Topps Flagship and Updates and Highlights, this one is my favorite. This is just a beautiful image with a perfect color scheme and an even more perfect slide from one of the game's most historical icons. It is a privilege to keep this card safe and sound and well protect. Timeless.

And finally a 2005 Updates and Highlights Jacoby Ellsbury draft picks rookie card. I am told that this is Jacoby's "true" rookie card, though these days it is hard to tell with all of the variations and bowman "first year" cards. Either way, it is no secret that this is a Jacoby kind of family, so I had no problem shelling out the 12 bucks and top-loading this baby. I can't afford a Jacoby autograph, but I can afford one of these!

Until next week, Jacoby's Treasure Chest is closed.

Why Theo Never Returned My Favorite Card

Chapman, Chapman, Chapman!!

A while back, being young, naive, and clueless, I decided to take a flyer and send my favorite baseball card out for a TTM from Theo Epstein. I had visions of a nice signature across one of the most memorable sports scenes in my life. Luckily my buddy Joe was all over the idea and had a spare...he even went as far as to address the return envelope and include a stamp. So again, luckily I still have one of these in my collection...unsigned perhaps, but IN my collection.

I waited patiently through the regular season and got no response. I figured that Theo was busy being awesome and signing Victor Martinez and I gave a free pass. Then the season ending and hope began anew that somehow, some way, this card would find a way to his desk. Nothing. Then the holidays came and I just knew that Theo Epstein was going to show up at my door in a Santa suit and HAND DELIVER the beautifully signed card to return to its hallowed place in my collection. NOPE. Then I thought maybe he would ask Jacoby Ellsbury (who is more or less in the neighborhood) to deliver it for him....hahaha.....no. But it all makes sense now! Theo is too busy making super secret moves in an effort to acquire on of the most sought-after pitchers NOT in the game...Aroldis Chapman

I think that the Red Sox learned a valuable lesson last season by very publicly courting Mark Teixera, only to see him turn pure evil and win a World Series. I like how the Red Sox have quietly stayed under the radar this off-season, but am actually a bit dismayed that a "source" has revealed that the Red Sox are "in the hunt". Whenever sources start talking, usually things fall apart or are completely false. Still, keep hope alive that the Red Sox can add another cannon to their arsenal.

I have to say that I have been intrigued by some of the moves the Sox have made this off-season. It is clear that the construction of a rock-solid defense was a top-priority for Theo (since signing my TTM clearly was not), and that he has harnessed all of his powers into gathering these troops...

SS- Marco Scutaro. Marco had a reasonably good season last year and improved in all of his stat categories, but has nothing to back up that it was an anomalous year. He does not hit for power (though he had double-digit homers last year) and is not know for speed (though double digit steals and broke the century mark in runs scored). What he does bring is solid defense .981 career fielding percentage. Seriously though, we all know that the SS is a constantly revolving door, so it would not surprise me to see somebody else manning this post by season's end.

CF (and I do mean CF) Mike Cameron. With ol crooked hat showing up, Jacoby Ellsbury will no patrol left field and learn how to take caroms off of the Monster. Cameron brings pop, but with a HUGE hole in his bat with almost embarrassing strikeout totals. Apparently he can leg it out though and has a stronger arm to play the position. His steals plummeted in 2009, but I guess you have to be on base to get steals. Go figure.

P-John Lackey. Has a career BAA of 3.81 with 102 wins and pitched 7+ shutout innings against the Sox in the ALDS. Don't make Theo angry, or he'll come and get ya! Lackey is an excellent addition to a talented staff, I just hope that Boston has the common sense to move Wakefield to the pen and keep Buchholtz as a #4 or #5 starter instead.

Adrian Beltre had one anomalous year with the Dodgers and the legend grew. He has never been able to repeat that performance, but again is being utilized for his defensive prowess. And who knows? If you have the right type of swing, that short, tall porch out in left can be awfully inviting.

When you look at the acquisitions, I am willing to make one bold prediction...Jon Papelbon is going to have about a million saves next season (fantasy roster tip o the day) because while I am willing to bet that the Sox have one of the tightest defenses in the league, I wonder who is going to be the run-scoring juggernaut of this squad? Replacing Bay with Cameron certainly does not help your numbers, Mikey Lowell had a good feel for finding the angles that Beltre MAY OR MAY NOT be able to replicate, Scutaro is a question mark and Lackey won't hit. Therefore I predict a lot of close games/save opportunities for Pap. Time will tell.

Of course, everything could go like clockwork and then maybe Theo can relax and take a moment to sign that card for me.

2009 Topps Heritage High Numbers Needs:

,506,519,528,537,563,655,685,687,688,690,691,693,695,696,
697,698,699,700,701,702,704,705,707,708,709,710,711,713,716,718,719,720,

Randy Johnson Beans 188, Retires

Every now and again, a player of reasonable significance decides it's time to hang up their cleats/jersey/horseshoes and call it a career. While "retirement" may seem like a loose term in other major sports (Brett Favre, Michael Jordan, Allen Iverson, Brett Favre again...) usually when a baseball player says they are going to hang it up, it sticks. What better time than Hall of Fame election day to pay tribute to a future HOF?



I have a soft spot for pitchers. I admire the courage it takes to step out on the bump every few days and throw a ball at 95 mph+, only to have it rocketed back in the opposite direction...sometimes right at your head.



I also love the game-inside-the-game of pitching for wins-losses-saves-strikeouts, and being the first line of defense for your squad. I gather possible phenom pitchers cards because I am looking for the next Nolan Ryan (K's), the next Cy Young (Wins), and the next Trevor Hoffman (saves). THESE are the records that I would like to see fall in my lifetime.



Randy Johnson gave it a go. He finishes his career 2nd in K's at 4875 (though first all time for lefties), first all time in K's per IP (10.67) and third all time in wins at 303. Some of the more obscure stats are the above mentioned all-time leader in hit batsman and third all time in wild pitches. There was also the "bird" incident that became an Internet sensation. I will not post the link for any potential PETA blog readers, but needless to say, you know what I am talking about and where to find it if you must.



I remember the 6-10 snarling, flowing locks Johnson of Mariner days that was an absolute beast every time he took the mound. I lost track of him when he left for Arizona, but later got to see the corporate, clean cut, totally unhappy version that was his NYY counterpart. He totally owned the Red Sox though.



Given the opportunity, Johnson got the heck out of dodge at first chance, and went back to Arizona and ultimately San Francisco in more of a mentoring role. His injury last summer pretty much cemented his retirement fate.



What a run though. Johnson has been a blast to follow through the years (even those with the Evil Empire), kept his nose clean, and should be a shoe-in for the HOF in short order.



Congrats on a great career Big Unit. Here's to a retirement full of warm beaches and golf courses, and a less-abrasive nickname!

A few more SP Highlights

I grabbed a few (okay, more than a few) packs of SP Authentic to rip open tonight. No 3rd and (final?) hit quite yet, but I did pull quite a wide variety of inserts tonight worth displaying to my dedicated readers. Your guess is as good as mine how Sean West ended up with a Rookie Card in 2009 SP Authentic. His rookie contributions turned out less than stellar with a paltry .338 avg to lefties and a more reasonable but unspectacular .267 to righties. Perhaps Wicked Ortega can help shed a little light on the upside of Sean West. I included this card because it was the only gold (or on my scanner...black) variety parallel of a rook.

NOMAR!! I wish you could see this card live. Apparently there is a refractor version parallel. In this card the SP authentic, Name, serial number, and 1B all refract nicely. I find it pretty hard to relate to Nomar these days because he has moved around so much and been pretty hit and miss, but he still finds a way to make the highlight reel a few times each season and finds a way to contribute when healthy. This card is particularly cool because Nomar is sporting the Ed Rooney!

This is another insert that took me by surprise, the pennant run heroes featuring Clayton Kershaw. Clayton is another one of those quasi-phenoms that I like to keep an eye on to see how they develop. I used to have a nice lil Kershaw auto..gotta get that thing back some day! :)

The platinum power cards are a nice insert. Adam Dunn, 40 HRs...YES! 100 RBI's...YES! .236 batting avg................uggg. keep swinging for the fences, kid.

I'd like to finish up this post with a little math less on for you all... WARNING: A-ROD RANT AHEAD.

young talent

I, Robot

And a star is born. For the record, I really like the Future Watch Flashbacks idea, and this particular card gave me pause. Back in 1994, before the advent of Internet/MLB Extra innings, the only shows in town were the Atlanta Braves and the Seattle Mariners, so I definitely got my fill of the A-Rod, Johnson, and Griffey show. That team had a bunch of young guys that you could really get behind and root for. Rodriguez looked starstruck being surrounded by the veterans of the game, and just looked like he was having a lot of fun out there....then came the contract...then the pressures to perform....then a trade to New York and even more pressure...only to finally have an opportunity to get out at the end of his contract and instead....SIGNED ANOTHER HUGE CONTRACT WITH THE YANKEES. At that point A-Rod was just dead to me. He could have gone somewhere far, far away from the AL East, somewhere quiet and far away from all the media scrutiny he faced on a daily basis. But nope, money talked loudest, and now as far as I am concerned, he deserves any criticism that people throw his way. Sure, he finally got his ring, but at the end of his career I doubt that's how his legacy will be remembered.

However you view A-Rod, this is a pretty nice tribute card to an amazing talent from a more simple time. If anybody has any other cards from this subset, I would love it if you could throw some scans my direction.

SP Authentic Hit #2 has arrived

Last night I played "Call of Duty" until my contacts felt like potato chips in my eyes. As I dragged my butt up the stairs to head off to bed, I decided to make a quick stop over to the ol china cabinet and snag one pack of my SP authentic to open up. I figured " at least I will have a few base cards to discuss today". I noticed immediately that the cardboard dummy was regular colored, so no patch in this back, but three cards back I pulled this... This is apparently a gold variety of Matt LaPorta's rookie auto #/125. I had no idea that there were so many variations on each card, but this one trumps the standard #/250 silver variety. Adding LaPorta to Jacoby's treasure chest has intriguing potential. LaPorta is the highest drafted pick (7th pick, first round) in the box, but that does not necessarily mean much when you have a guy like Tommy Hanson (22nd round pick) proves that a high draft pick does not a star player make. Regardless, Rookies autos are money, and I will definitely keep my eye on

The Wahoos to see how LaPorta develops.

The second card of mention from the pack was a Faces of the Game Dustin Pedroia. This is the third of this subset that I have ripped so far and I really like the look of these cards quite a bit. I love the gritty look on Little Pony's face complements a list of his accolades on the back of the card (MVP, ROY, Silver Slugger, Gold Glove, World Series Champion). Without a doubt, Pedroia has made quite a name for himself in his young career and I can't wait to see what he will do next.
More ripping to come!

Relics I Don't Hate (Part II)

Moving on to the exciting conclusion to the "relics I don't hate" cliffhanger! I know that you lost a ton of sleep overnight pondering how the autograph junkie could possibly even have a handful of lowly little relics on hand. Here are several more that I am happy to have in my collection...

Let's start you off with a little bit of a curve ball.
Ballpark Collection! Say What?? This from the man who ripped the octo-swatch just yesterday? Well let me explain a bit. Its not that I don't like multi-swatches if they make sense. This particular octo represent four former (and world series champion) players, and four current players on the opposite side, not to mention a couple current Red Sox to boot. I don't get the whole serial number sticker, but left in on the card to match it up with its serial number receipt to certify the authenticity of the card.

Kevin Millar! I love this card for several reasons. One I love Kevin Millar. Every team needs a guy like him on the squad to keep things fun and loose. Two, this is a massive chunk of bat that is well defined. Three, the color scheme is very visually appealing and four, I saved this from Joe's Red Sox card incineration pit.

This is one of two sweet swatch patches I have in my collection (the Roy Halladay from Sweet Spots 2009 was downstairs at time of scanning). These cards are nice and thick, numbered to 25, and have a good chunk of meaningful patch in them.

Here is another nicely themed swatch, although it is a bit of a joke because a collector from either side is not going to be happy with the second man on the card. I look at it from more of an investment purpose. We already a guaranteed an HOF with Rivera, so its good to keep an eye on Papelbon to see how his career finishes. This could wind up to be a pretty unique card down the road.

While I am not crazy at all with the relics in Goodwin, I took a bit of a shining to this one just because of the rich-coloring and color scheme as well as being a newly-minted Red Sox. The swatch itself is pretty bland though.

And I will finish up with my new favorite of the bunch. This one is an outstanding replica patch from the Brooklyn Dodgers and an old timer Campanella. I promised Joe that I would display this card often so he won't miss it too much, but have a pack of Yankees and a few relics ready to go to help ease his pain.

That's a wrap on Relics I Don't hate.

Oh, by the way, if you have not done so already, go see Avatar. It is an experience like no other, and even my wife, who dragged her heals and rolled her eyes when I made her go with me, came out of the theatre raving at how cool it was. Don't go in expecting a masterpiece, and DO expect to come out with a mild headache, but this movie was well worth the price of admission just for the sheer spectacle of it all. The sold out crowd on are way out of the theatre reminded me of people waiting in line for "Return of the Jedi". Crazy hype.

Relics I Don't Hate (Part Eye)

It has been long documented in the books of lore that I am opposed to "relics", or the tiny pieces of fabric that might have been worn by the actual player in an actual game at some point in his career. Much like Santa Claus, you just need to put doubt aside and just believe. as much as baseball card companies would like to make these their promised "hits" in each box, for the most part I believe that they are pretty gimmicky with little to no value other than sentimental (Ebay prices will confirm this, as will the "relic bin" that Joe often refers to in his blog).

Their are certain factors that make a relic worth owning, and I do have a small handful from my 2009 collecting that I enjoy viewing occasionally. There are certain factors that will make me want to collect a relic. First, it helps if they are on my favorite team, or are a favorite player. Secondly, it's all about the design. Some are very creative (Topps Flagship) and some just mailed it in (Bowman Heritage), and some are just crazy over-the-top (Upper Deck Ballpark) with octo-swatches of various players that have no theme whatsoever.

So, for fun, I decided to go through the ol' swatch box and share some of my favorites with you. Verrry nice!

Carlton Fisk - SP Legendary Cuts #/50. For obvious reasons this card is a desirable add to my collection. Catchers add so much value to an organization (otherwise the ball would just hit the fence after every pitch) and I would have loved to have been around to see Fisk in his prime.

Ernie Banks #/125. Another classy shot of a classy player. I also love the dot in the middle of the swatch, though I have yet to determine what it might be. Probably just came off the shirt of the guy packing the card.

Ryne Sandberg #/125. Yet another brilliant SP Legendary Cut of a legend. I fell pretty hard for this product and had delusions of completing 1-200 (came within 40 cards), but fell short and ended up with a few relics, autos and 1-100.

Mark DeRosa silk #/50. This remains my one and only silk pull and was one of the "surprise" hits from Flagship that still make me drool in anticipation of the 2010 set. If there is a Cubs fan out there that really wants this silk and has a silk in exchange of a desirable player, I would be happy to swap.

The following three cards are courtesy of Topps blasters. What a great idea to add a guaranteed patch to each box. Yes, they are manufactured, but I still love the design, the recessed (I think that is the word I need) silver platform with the patch attached. This one came out of my first-ever blaster where I didn't read the stinkin UPC label and came up with a bunch of throwback borders. Great patch though.

This Jimmie Fox came out of Topps Update and Highlights...and believe me, the only highlight of the box was this patch. Other than that, just a bunch of smelly base cards (seriously...did anybody else notice the distinctive smell of this set?) Even when I get these in the mail, you can SMELL what product it is. Very odd.

The last of the patches is an obvious choice. Yaz in the 71 summer classic. I received this in trade from Crackin' Wax, who has not posted in several months. Hopefully he comes back in the spring because it was a heckuva site.

One more for today. Believe it or not, this is one of only two relics from Allen and Ginter in my collection. I don't even have any autographs from this set. Because I am a Lincecum nut, this is a nice fit. I still don't get the Jimmy Buffet-esque borders on this set, but bordered mini's in general are pretty sweet.

More relic fun tomorrow! Off to see Avatar and gotta take my Dramamine first!

Special K Edition

This morning I decided to rip a couple more packs of Authentic and test out the pack searching technique as presented by Joe. I gently squeezed all remaining 21 packs and I can now openly confirm that I would make a terrible pack searcher. They all felt the same to me, BUT I did pull two prospect packs that I MAY have felt a little divot, but it was most likely my imagination. Turns out the packs did contain some K related cards...

Started out in pack #1 by pulling a Dice-K serial numbered "gold" card. Apparently the scanner interprets shiny gold as dark black instead. I hope Dice comes into camp ready to do some big things because I suspect he and chien-ming wang trained together last season.

Thought I would through in this K as in KRAP! STOP PUTTING THESE IN PACKS! They are a huge waste of space, nobody likes them, and they also count as one of my five cards??

The second pack held the gem...

Nick Markakis #/30 Letterman Patch auto. I have been looking for a Markakis patch to add to JD's box for months and finally gave up. Every time I would be in the chase on Ebay, some phantom bidder would swoop in with a ridiculous max bid that would top anybody with some sanity. Same guy too, without a doubt looking to spell out the full name. I really wanted the K also, so one hit in I already feel like the lucky card shop has struck again. More rips to come.

SP Authentic Pack Break #1-3

I am definitely excited to rip into some of the "forbidden" cards. There is a lot of potential out there, and after reviewing the hits received by Mr. Scott, I am definitely having dreaming of some nice, short-printed letter patches. But we got a lot of packs to get through, surely there could not be a hit in the first three packs...could there? Um, no. But some nice cards to display nevertheless. Please ignore the odd distortion caused by my scanner, it seems to have some real troubles with odd numbers.
Pack #1 features the ever-present New York Yankee representation with a Chien-Ming Wang, who took a break from falling off of the planet to make an appearance in pack #1. Grady Sizemore in full motion about to learn how much money he can save by switching to GEICO, Vlad the Impaler pre-dread shave, A rookie card of Jess Todd in full Cardinal glory...minus the fact that it's a Cleveland Indian card..and the always impressive Hanley Ramirez.

Pack #2 Jair Jurrjens, rumored future Red Sox Adrian Beltre, whom I am ever suspicious about the random spike in his numbers during his season with the Dodgers. On the other hand, it is the NL West...Speedster Jose Reyes who already holds the Mets career steals record, Sandman Rivera, and a faces of the game insert of super slugger Ryan Braun.

Pack #3 - Little Pony! To this day I swear that were he not a rookie, he would have been named World Series MVP in 2007. Sorry Mikey. Marc Rzepczynski (pronounced zep-chin-ski...obviously), we'll just call him Marc. The much more pronounceable Andy Pettitte, and the easy to pronounce if you do it phonetically Dice-K, and finishing off the pack with marooned Padre talent Adrian Gonzalez. It was rumored at trade deadline that he was on the block and I imagine he will find his way on to a contender at some point next season.

So three packs in. I like the look of these cards and it is clear that Upper Deck is showcasing marquee talent with a sprinkling of "who's who of minor league" rookies. I normally complain about the cut-and-paste look of most Upper Deck cards, but these are pretty decent.

Oh, just one more thing before I go. Each pack comes with a nice, thick piece of dummy cardboard, so I have serious qualms with Cranky being so sketch about pack searchers. Granted this set does not have the three layers of security that Sweet Spot uses, but just sell single packs already.

Jacoby's Treasure Chest

Happy New Years to everybody!

I am going to be adding some new features to the site starting this New Years Day. Starting today, and every Friday from here on forth I will be introducing "Jacoby's Treasure Chest", which is a way to celebrate the reason that this blog came into existence in the first place.

When I first started collecting, my goal was to complete sets and to find cards that I could top-load and stick away in a box for several years in the hopes that some day some of these might be worth something, and I can pass them along to my son JD to enjoy and someday teach a kid of his own how to collect.

I found out quickly how easy it is to become sidetracked with this hobby, and to collect the cards that dear' ol dad finds valuable to him (Go Red Sox! Go Old-Timers! Go Phenoms!). Upon this discovery, I immediately refocused, and purchased a top loader shoebox to stuff full of a wide variety of unique cards of all teams.

So starting today I will reach into the box and randomly select three cards to spotlight each week to share Jacoby's bounty with the blogging community. Here is today's random three:

David Freese Rookie Card Auto. "Allow me to break the ice. My name is Freese. Learn it well. For it's the chilling sound of your doom". David is just a baby and played in 17 games last season with 31 AB and a .323 Avg. Blew above a .08 on a December 14th DUI. This auto was one of the many great cards that I pulled from 2009 Topps chrome. I really love the chrome look and the on-card signature design. I learned quickly that there are a billion rookie cards in the world, so I am focusing on the rookie-autos to put away for JD.

YO! This card got be absolutely hooked on 2009 SP Legendary Cuts and in turn took a good chunk out of my wallet. Its like the manufacture knows when you are a greenhorn, and puts a nice autograph in the first pack of your fresh $100 box. Nevertheless, I still say that SP Legendary Cuts had some of the nicest autographs and even some decent patches (are you listening, Joe?). Plus I love the design and it's serial numbered to boot.

Ah, Short Prints! This was one of my favorite surprises out of Topps Flagship this year (this one is actually from Updates and Highlights). I loved how just when you think you have mathematically received all of your hits and inserts, something like this pops up. I love the design of 2009 Topps and the photo is a beauty. Into the shoebox it goes!

More next week!