September 7th & 8th Raleigh Card Show: Still Learning

     I was able to get away this past weekend at the request of my good friend Blake to the card show in Raleigh, North Carolina.  Sports cards are his business and livelihood. He doesn't believe in the financial burden of a physical shop but he is a very successful streamer on Whatnot (has the largest store on the platform) and sets up most weekends at  shows all over Virginia, Maryland, and North Carolina. We're about the same age, and our card collecting background is pretty similar.  We both appreciate the nostalgia of cards from the '90s and have large PC's of our favorite teams (he's a Twins fan and I don't hold that against him!).  This lead to a quick friendship he trusts me and my knowledge (of baseball cards at least) enough to help him keep an eye on the table and charm customers into buying cards they don't need.

    I was happy to make the trip down and help out for the weekend.  It was a busy show with lots of foot traffic.  It wasn't all work and no play however.  The perks of being a dealer at a show is getting in early "to set up" and prepare for the day.  Our set up takes 10 minutes at the most to set up so that leaves plenty of time to go shopping for ourselves.  While he was working on deals to bring in more inventory, I found some cards to bring home to the nest.  

    I've been on the look out for the Orioles from the Kellogg's sets since fall of last year.  They aren't terribly expensive and I could grab them off of COMC at any time.  Its about the chase though.  You knew that already, though.

    I grabbed a handful of insert set needs from the cheap boxes.  I'm one card closer to the Dick Perez Diamond Kings set (1982 through 1996) with the Eddie Murray.  I thought the Heart of the City cards from Topps Chrome were really cool as well as the All-Aces and Black Golds from the last few years.  I'm always on the look out for them.

    

    Some PC pickups here.  I love Raywave refractors of any kind which probably stems from my real life job. The Mancini will look nice in my PC of his cards.  Bundy is a nice pickup for less than a buck.  I think that Beam Teams are a box hit.  I had never seen the Brooks card before and at a quarter, I'll definitely take it.  The Grayson was 2 bucks and I love green cards of any kind.  Easy buys.

    Oh Austin Hays, I'm sad that he's gone from the Orioles but I know why they made the trade when they did.  Either way, both being numbered parallels, being orange, and of a favorite player make these some of the easiest buys of the weekend.

    This particular weekend I made some awesome pickups for my Cal Ripken PC.  I usually struggle to find Ripkens I don't have.  I was able to add this pretty new Ripken All-Star relic card from 2024 Topps. I love 1989 Topps and especially the All-Stars subset.

    The next Ripken I picked up was this Etch-A-Sketch insert from 1998 Topps.  I had assumed that Topps made this insert using some sort of computer program or something.  Not so.  This is an actual Etch-A-Sketch "drawing" by an actual person.  Wow, I had no idea until I read the back of the card. The guy who made the real life Sketches had some serious talent.

    My favorite Ripken pick up of the weekend was the insert from 1999 Skybox Molten Metals.  This is from the Heavy Metals Fusions insert set.  It a decently rare insert that I knew I needed when I saw it.  I used to think that Skybox and Pacific were rip off brands and didn't really pay them that much attention when they first came out.  I guess at this juncture of my collecting life I've really come to appreciate the risks that some of the "off the beaten path" issues took back then.  Case in point is this card.  The dots that you see on the right side are actually tiny pinholes which classify it as a die cut.  The scan really doesn't do justice to easily my favorite pick up of the weekend.

    I'm still learning the higher end of the card market.  I have stayed in my comfort zone of the card industry for quite some time.  It may have something to do with how I was brought up and cherishing every pack of '92 Topps I bought from the local grocery store or the '93 Donruss I bought from the drug store.  I totally understand the lower end of the market and Blake has been kind enough to show me the ropes of buying and selling higher dollar raw and graded cards and I am grateful for his tutelage.  I am just as grateful to have another card collecting buddy to call a friend.

All that being said, the weekend was quite enjoyable at the card show in Raleigh and I picked up some great additions to my collection.

August 24th and 25th, 2024: Delmarva Shorebirds @ Down East Wood Ducks

    Its been a poorly concealed secret that this year has been a tough one for me and my family.  While I have been more involved in collecting baseball cards, helping a friend set up and sell at local shows and attending baseball games in person, I have not been posting much of any of it. Frankly, I just haven't felt like it.  The experiences are what I've been focused on, not blogging them.  I'm just not the kind of blogger that will post every step of my hobby.

    My personal life dumpster fire has died down a bit recently.  Its not over by a long shot but I was able to schedule a weekend to visit my good friend William down in Winterville, NC.  He's the Down East Wood Ducks' number one fan and at his coaxing, I made the trip down to see them play the Delmarva Shorebirds (Orioles Low-A team).  The Wood Ducks are packing up and leaving Kinston, NC and moving to Spartanburg SC after the minor league season ends.

    The Orioles have usually sent the college players they had most recently drafted and signed to their Low-A affiliate to get their feet wet at the tail end of the minor league season.  The Shorebirds at this time were stacked with high round draft picks and they played like it.  Each major league team has its own philosophy on promoting, playing time, etc so sometimes you end up with a mismatch baseball game. This was the case during the 2 games we were able to watch.

 Vance Honeycutt was the Orioles first round pick in this July's draft.  He didn't set the world on fire during the season but he did have some fans in the stands because he played collegiately for UNC Chapel Hill.  He was nice enough to sweet spot a minor league baseball for me after the game Saturday night.  He only has cards through Onyx right now and it didn't arrive in time for me to bring it down with me.  There was a photographer there after the game on Sunday that may have been from Topps or maybe Panini.  He snapped some posed pictures of Vance and my next player that may end up in a future release.  I'll keep an eye out.

Griff O'Ferrall was the draft pick that the Orioles received as a reward for Gunnar Henderson winning Rookie of the Year last year.  It was a pick between the first and second round. Griff is actually from Richmond near where I live and went to UVA.  He was very nice in person, signed for me both days and carried on a short conversation too.  I'm definitely going to be followng Griff's career and I hope that the local kid makes it all the way up to Baltimore.

Ethan Anderson was the Orioles second round pick this past July.  He also went to UVA and is from Virginia Beach even though he was born in Hawaii.  He played Catcher on Saturday night and Left Field on Sunday.  He saw the difference between the 2 cards he signed and asked me what the difference was.  I was happy to give him the cliffnotes version of baseball card parallels.

Austin Overn was the Orioles third round pick this year out of University of Southern California.  He's very fast and had a great game on Saturday night.  He got the day off on Sunday after running wild on the basepaths the night before.

Ryan Stafford was another draftee from this year's class. He was the 5th rounder and played second base Saturday night and catcher on Sunday.  He's a smaller guy but he was a very scrappy hitter.  I look forward to seeing him advance up the minor league ladder.

Maikol Hernandez was not a draft pick but one of the first big signings that the Orioles got from the international pool a few years back.  He's a big kid and seems to have a lot of potential if he can stay healthy. 

Braylin Tavera also is another international signing from a few years ago.  He's having a tough season this year stats wise but he is still highly regarded as a prospect in the Orioles system.

Jake Cravey is having a tough season statswise but was very nice when he signed for me.  He actually spoke to us on his way out of the clubhouse asking us how we were doing and thanking us for coming out.  I think you only get that experience in the low minors!

Casey Cook is actually a Rangers prospect from UNC.  William was gracious enough to give me a card of him to get signed.  Cook was teammates with Vance Honeycutt and I saw them chatting several times before and after the games.

I was nice to get away to take a break for a few days and enjoy some baseball, 'graphing and great food with a good friend.  Thanks William!

A Final Tribute to My Father

 

Roland Weymouth Hughes Jr.

May 10, 1953 - May 11, 2024

    To say that 2024 has been extremely challenging, would be an huge understatement.  This Father's Day is very bittersweet for me.  Losing both my Grandpa and Father to horrid diseases in the last 6 months has been really tough on me, my wife and kids, my sister and my stepmom.  I'm not afraid to say that I've shed an extreme amount of tears of grief and opened myself up emotionally to pretty anyone willing to listen.  

This is my Final Tribute to My Father.

My Dad had his 70th birthday luncheon last May on Saturday the 6th.  It was a beautiful day to drive out to rural Northumberland County where I grew up.  We had plans to meet at a local seafood restaurant called the Crazy Crab.  It was a wonderful gathering of close family and we even had the pleasure of eating food that my cousin prepared since he was the head chef at the restaurant that day.  My dad had been in a slow decline since he had a small stroke in March of 2016.  Sure, he wasn't getting around as well as he did and he tired a lot more easily but was in great spirits that day.  We ate, laughed, watched the boats come and go, and just enjoyed a rare opportunity for family to gather.  As the meal ended, my dad started to become a little irritable and was ready to leave. We really had to coax him to make the short 100 (or so) yard walk to a small hometown ice cream shop.  My kids and wife had ice cream, but my father and I did not.  He dared not send his borderline diabetes into system overload.  Instead, we sat out on the porch and just enjoyed the wonderfully beautiful day not really talking much but enjoying the time together.  That was the last time I saw him outside of a medical facility.

I can try to remember all of the details but honestly some of the details are a bit foggy.  The last year has been a blur.  Between all the trips to the hospital, doctor's appointments, and the nursing home, there's no way I've been able to remember quite everything.  I can not remember how many times my dad had been admitted and released to various medical facilities.  There's probably a medical paper trail on my dad that weighs a metric ton and is a couple miles long.

My father had a stroke back in early 2016 and that really slowed him down.  He had recovered enough to go (at my wife's behest) to Camden Yards to see the Orioles play the day before Father's Day.  Yovani Gallardo was decent enough to beat RA Dickey, Manny Machado went 2-4 and Jonathan Schoop homered that day.  The thing about that day that really stuck out in my mind was how my dad had such a hard time shuffling and scuffling from the parking lot (admittedly it was more of a walk than I'm leading on) to our seats.  Thank God we were not in the sun.  I had never had to stop and wait for my dad to catch up.  Dads are supposed to be the ones who wait for their sons to catch up, right?  How could this be?  Super Dad's gonna make a full recovery, right? I didn't really think much more about it at that point and I drove him home with him napping in the passenger's seat.

The only picture I took that day

His health had pretty much stayed the same up until last May.  

A few days after his birthday luncheon, my stepmom called and said that my father had passed out and fallen at the house, the rescue squad was on the way and they were headed to the hospital.  He ended up being admitted to the hospital for confusion (later we'd learn it was a Urinary Tract Infection mixed with dementia starting to take hold of his brain).  At first, I was told he'd be fine and he'd go home in the next few days. The few days turned into a few weeks.  He couldn't kick the UTI as quickly as was originally thought and the confusion just didn't go away.  I went to see him at the hospital to see him and he was a different person.  What a difference a week or two makes because he hardly knew who I was.  At the time, I just kinds shrugged it off and chalked it up to the UTI and an unfamiliar surroundings for the confusion.  There was no reason to believe this was the beginning of the end for him.  He's Super Dad, he'll be fine in a few days, right?  How could I be so naive?

Another week or 2 went by and he became to weak to go home, so he was released to a nursing home, just 'til he gets back on his feet.  This was just before Father's Day 2023.  I didn't go to see him on his last Father's Day.  Big Mistake on my part but I can't do anything about it now.  I did call and he seemed to be in good spirits and on the mend.   He spent a few more weeks at the nursing home and was released towards the end of July to go home.

The second week in August me, my wife and kids went on vacation. My dad have a minor outpatient surgery to fix an issue that had plagued him nearly his entire life.  A few days after the procedure and going home, he ended up back at the hospital for another UTI and the confusion that went along with it. Again, he didn't bounce back, spent more time at the hospital, was released back to the nursing home, and then home again.  This was early October.  The next day, he had another fall at home and was headed back to the hospital again.  This was the last time he was anywhere other than a medical facility.  He was a prisoner of his dementia and a wheelchair.  His mind became numb to the passage of time and depression set in.  His body let him down time and time again.  He got so mad at me and my stepmom every time we told him that he couldn't go home. We were trying to get a handle on the urinary tract infections but we kept missing appointments because of those recurrent infections.  You can see where this was going.  At this point, I started to take the situation more seriously because it had been a long while since he had been in good health.

My birthday came and went in early December.  It was a milestone birthday and I got all of the normal phone calls and cards from family and friends except from one person: My Dad.  At first, I was selfish, angry, and depressed that my dad had forgotten my birthday.  When I thought about it more, I let it go and considered the situation.  It hurt, but I let it go.

Christmas was coming and for some reason I was more excited about the holiday season that I had been since I was a kid.  We were able to have a family Christmas gathering at the nursing home with my dad on December 23rd.  He was in good spirits this day since he had to "get up for it".  Looking back, even though flawed and unordinary, it was great to spend one last, big, happy family Christmas together.

We visited my Grandfather afterward and I couldn't believe what I saw.  My Grandma passed in October of 2022 and she had kept the house in great shape over the years. Her health had been in steady decline too for about 5 years.  Covid did her no favors as dementia really took hold and the limited visits that I had during that time period really showed that her health was failing. The slow decline of dementia and a stroke on October 1, 2022 took her.  I couldn't believe I had let my dear Grandpa's house get in such terrible condition inside.  I was mad, sad, angry, and down right embarrassed.  I had to do something.  The Saturday after Christmas, my family and my sister's family descended upon the house and cleaned it from top to bottom. He also mentioned that he hadn't been feeling great and had been to the doctor just a few days prior. He looked a little worn out, and was winded quite easily.  

On January 2nd, I was summoned by my stepmom to come to the doctor's appointment with her and my Grandpa.  The Doctor broke the news that the illness my Grandpa had was stage 4 colon cancer.  For a 90 year old man, the treatment options are very limited.  We had an appointment with an oncologist the following week and had a plan to treat it with oral chemo therapy  We just had to get his buy in.  

He was done.  I get it.  But, the decision broke my heart.  He was the last one standing from his generation.  He was ready to go be with them.  In the wee hours of the morning of January 22nd, with me by his side, he went to be with them. 

My father was not in good enough health to be there. Having to tell my dad that his father had passed was frickin' tough. He didn't take it really well but at least he was able to understand that he was gone. Arrangements were made for my Grandpa's Funeral.  My dad got a respiratory infection and was not able to go to the funeral. Another heartbreaker. Nevertheless, I was able to stand up, and speak at the funeral to the small gathering of close friends and close family and tell them what a wonderfully genuine man my Grandpa was, about how they don't make them like that any more and that the family Rock was gone.

From the end of January 'til early May was a downward slope. We tried everything we could trying to get my dad in front of doctors that would see him but it was just too much for his mind and body.  I pushed him around in a wheelchair while he had no idea what was going on.  Having to tell him who I was over and over.  It all weighed on my mind like a ton of bricks.  His body had been constantly fighting infection after infection for nearly a year and we had to put him on hospice care in early May.

On May 9th, I had just finished my lunch at work and I got "The Call". The nursing home called and said something had changed overnight and I needed to get there as soon as I could.  I rushed out of work but not before my coworker gave me his rough, barely still together, beat up, copy of the New Testament. He said he read to his mom before she passed and told me that hearing was the last sense to go.  

I made it to the nursing home with Bible in hand.  I walked in and my dad was laying there in the bed.  Unable to speak, unable to really move.  His eyes were open but I don't know if he saw me or not.  I told him I was there and the only reaction I saw was his brow lower a bit.  My stepmom was there, in shambles, so I did my best to comfort her but I knew this was a battle Super Dad would not win.  The nursing staff came in and asked me to step out while they had to do some work on him.  I waited in the hall and decided to read some of the Bible that my coworker had given me.  It fell open in my hands and I laid eyes on Luke 6:43-45. 

    "For no good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit; for each tree is known by its own fruit. Figs are not gathered from thorns, nor are grapes picked from a bramble bush. The good man, out of his heart produces good, and the evil man produces evil.  For out of the abundance of the heart, his mouth speaks."

My wife and sister arrived and we were all in shambles.  I gathered the family together and just read the Bible.  My wife left to go home and take care of our kids, my stepmom went home to rest, and my sister went the hotel right across the road.  I stayed vigil overnight and into the next day.  I was exhausted and finally went home to get some rest after being up for about 40 hours.  Friday, May 10th was my Dad's 71st birthday.  What a way to celebrate.  The next day was Saturday the 11th.  I had no mental energy or physical energy left.  My plan was to rest up as best I could and go back to see him Sunday.  It was not to be.  The phone rang at about 9:50 that night.  My dad passed at 9:40 on Saturday May 11th, 2024. I was not there but I believe that he wanted it that way. I believe that he waited until me, my sister, and stepmom were not around so we didn't have to see him pass to the other side. The Good Fruit Bearing tree of my family was gone from this world.  

The last month has been extremely tough. I was able to get up and speak again at Dad's memorial service on Memorial Day weekend.  Another tough moment but I wanted to let everyone in attendance what a wonderful man my dad was.  They already knew how great he was, and that is why they were there, but I told them anyway.  Its been tough letting go but I now look back on  treasured memories of fishing trips, baseball practices, car rides, and more importantly, the lessons he taught me.  There are THREE major things that I gleaned from his book of knowledge. 

Hard Work can accomplish most anything.  He was the hardest worker I've ever known. He worked the counter at NAPA from the time I was born until I was about 14 or so. Standing on that concrete floor day in and day out.  He was Super Dad around the house, in the yard, and in the garage. When he wasn't at work, he was always keeping things running smoothly at home.  Our yard never grew out of control, the bushes were trimmed and the garden was always planted with care.  In the winter, he always cut firewood, split it by hand and fed that wood stove to keep our butts warm.  We never had a vehicle leave us on the side of the road.  There wasn't a thing he couldn't fix.  He never quit until the job was done and my work ethic definitely comes from him.

Sacrifice for your kids and Dedication to your family.  He'd do anything for me.  From the time I was born, there's pictures of him giving me a bath, feeding me, and just sitting in the chair with me in his arms.  He was my teeball coach and threw numerous rounds of batting practice to me as my love for the game of baseball grew.  He was my biggest fan through the travel ball and high school baseball years.  Took me anywhere I needed or wanted to go without complaining one bit.  He was my personal moving company. He moved me to college and back, to various apartments, and into my first house.  I learned that sacrificing oneself for another only gets paid forward.

Love is Unconditional but it is also not Free.  Nothing in Life is Free. Not even Love.  Grief is the price of Love.  I would not be here without my Father's love.  I will miss my dad until the day I die.  That is the price of Love. The wound will callous over time but I will grieve my dad until I am gone too.

Since I have become a father myself, I have had the pleasure of rearing and nurturing two energetic girls.  They couldn't be more different from each other but I love them the same and am proud of them both.  As of today, they are 9 and 4.  They have a long way to go and I can't wait to see them grow and prosper.  I had the best example of what it means to be a Father so I will honor him by being the best I can be for my girls.  

I could not have asked for a better Father.  The world is a worse place now that he is gone but I now fully understand the Hard Work, Sacrifice and Dedication, and the Unconditional Love that it takes to be a Father because of Him.

Thank You Dad, You did Good, You did Well.  I Miss You and Love You! 

TTM Success: Tom Dukes

   Grabbing TTM off the bottom of the pile, this nice return came from Tom Dukes.  He was a relief pitcher in the late 60's and early 70's for a couple of teams including the Orioles.  He didn't have a mainstream Orioles card released during his time in Charm City but was immortalized in the 1991 Crown Orioles set.  

    He was traded to the Orioles along with Pat Dobson in the 1970-71 offseason from the Padres.  He bounced around the league as a relief pitcher but was fortunate enough to be with the Orioles for their 1971 pennant run.  He pitched in two games in the '71 series against the Pirates, throwing four innings of 2-hit ball.                          

In addition to my card, he included a signed custom postcard of himself.

He also answered my question that I included on an index card:

I sent out on November 11, 2023 and got it back on November 27, 2023 for a 14-day TaT. Thank you very much Mr. Dukes!

2 blasters of 2023 Stadium Club

Even though I put these cards away a couple weeks ago, I wanted to show the spoils of my two blaster boxes of  2023 Stadium Club while they are are still somewhat fresh in my mind.  Stadium Club was quite late to the market this year but it's usually worth waiting for.  I heard that it was delayed because the printer actually printed the front of the card on both sides and the whole print run needed to be trashed and redone!  Anyways, I'll lead off with my favorite card of the break:

I've always been a fan of Stadium Club over the years.  Some of the cards of legends of the game, like the Babe Ruth above, have not necessarily shown them actually on the field.  I dig this Orange parallel of George Herman behind the wheel of his car. 

A couple of the inserts that I pulled. I've always enjoyed the INSERT version of Stadium Club Chrome but the base set Topps put out for a few years can suck my toes.  Hats off to my scanner that doesnt believe the bottom left of the Chrome Machado exists.

This was a Acuna insert hot box(es) even though these 2 particular inserts do nothing for me.  Stadium club inserts are quite polarizing.  There's great ones like Instavisions, Beam Teams, Never Compromise and Lone Star Signatures then theres crap like Virtuosos of Velocity and Chief Fantasy Professionals.  woof!

I got two black foils and they were pretty decent players.  I can't complain too much with these guys.

I'm quite happy with these 2 red foils.  Chipper is a guy I collect and the Larkin might be of interest to a certain collector that has a Grande sized collection.  Also, its pretty cool that these are "color match" parallels.  Do you get into color match cards?

Probably the best hit of the box was this Photographer's Proof of Dansby Swanson.  These are hella rare, having a print run of 25.  They aren't numbered so of course nobody looks twice.  I've actually found a JD Martinez Photographer's Proof card in a dime box.  It still languishes on my COMC account to this day.

I didn't get any Orioles cards in either box.  It would be nice to pull cards of the team I actually collect but that's just the way it goes. I'm actually quite pleased otherwise.

Colonial Heights Card Show: Value?

    Value can mean many different things to different people. I am, through and through, a bargain hunter.  Some may call me cheap, but I know what hard work is and the value of a dollar.  When I go to card shows, I like to take my time and go through all of the dime and quarter boxes that time allows and I've been rewarded by finding some either undervalued or simply misplaced great cards.  It can be mind-numbing for some with a short attention span and the "pelican case mafia" has given me a lot of sideways looks over the last few years.  To each his own... I personally don't put value in what opinions that people may have on my cards.

I went to a smaller card show 2 weeks ago that is about a 20ish minute drive from my house.  I hadn't originally planned on going but at the last minute I decided to go.  In the past, its been a smaller show because of space constraints and this time it was only about 12 or so tables set up in half of the Moose Lodge.  Initially disappointed, I was able to find a couple boxes to dig through.

The first table right inside the door was where I spent most of  my time.  There was a 5000 count box of penny sleeved cards that the dealer said was 50 cents a piece.  I got down to business.  I don't keep a close eye on Topps' website or subscribe to their Brooklyn Club (or whatever its called) so I miss out on all of the online exclusive sets.  No worries, I can buy their tears for a fraction of what they paid.  I was able to grab a handful of Topps Chrome Cosmic from the past 2 years for myself (O's above) and a couple of non-Orioles for other people I know.

My assault on the box continued and I was able to pick out some neat-o inserts of the bigger names of the hobby today.  Its funny to look at the Corbin Carroll card and see that he was ranked as low as he was by the "Bowman Scouts".  I found out that guy is awesome at baseball during the playoffs this past year!

I don't do as much prospecting as a I used to but picking up rookie cards of promising young guns of the game is something I have done more of the last few years.  It makes it better that each of these is a parallel so that adds a little value IMO.  Royce Lewis is also great at baseball in case you hadn't heard and this silver foil parallel now resides in my "good rookie card" box.  I picked up the Logan Gilbert and George Kirby parallels because they are good young pitchers and I think they would look great as Orioles.  There were rumors earlier in the offseason that the Orioles and Mariners talked about them. The Mariners need infield help and the Orioles have (had?) an excess even after trading for Corbin Burnes.  I'm a sucker for the Mojo Refractors and it doesn't hurt that Pasquantino is a local kid.  He played high school ball about 20 minutes in the opposite direction from where this show was held.  Hopefully he turns in a fully healthy season this year.

When I picked up this Cal Ripken, I didn't think I had it already.  I got home and looked in my album and I already did.  Topps has done some confusing SH!T with Stadium Club the last few years so I had screwed up my want and have lists because of it. .  I love Chrome, I really do.  I love getting Stadium Club Chrome INSERTS from regular Stadium Club packs.  I do not love a whole Stadium Club Chrome base set especially when the numbering is all FUDGED up.  There is no consistency between the releases the last few years.  I haven't seen anything about a 2023 Stadium Club Chrome set so maybe Topps came to their senses and stopped with the confusion (wishful thinking?)

Any ways, I finished up with this particular dealer for 8 bucks for 20 cards.  I didn't show all of the cards but they were all epic, trust me!

I moved onto another table with a bunch of boxes sorted by sport and team.  I love it when they do that!  For another buck, I was able to get a green parallel of underrated Dean Kremer from Gypsy Queen and a Topps <shudders> Holiday card of Oriole short-timer Shintaro Fujinami.  I mostly love Gypsy Queen even after they ditched the minis but I could really care less about Topps Holiday.  Its just not a product I can get behind.  In 2023 Topps gave the ax to Gypsy Queen, Opening Day, Fire, and Gallery, bastardized Big League, did not introduce anything new but kept the Holiday collection. Let... that... sink.... in.

So on the whole, I spent less than 10 bucks and was home around noon.  Both huge wins in my book!

A Tribute to the Best Baseball Player I Knew

     It's been a bit of a rough start to 2024 for my family and I.  The last half of 2023 was no cakewalk because of my father's ongoing health struggle.  Getting him in front of the correct doctors and the correct care he needs while living a couple hours drive and raising a young family has taken put me into survival mode.  In all of the absurdity of real life things happening, I chose to bring this blog out of mothballs and also start sending out TTMs by the boatload.  I will also just briefly mention the subject of career fulfillment and maybe elaborate on it in the future.

    Finding beauty and peace in life has not always come easy.  I had a somewhat rocky upbringing and I believe that it is only by God's hand that I have been able to turn out as decent as I have.  (Taking credit or self-praise also something that is not easy for me to do either)  I still search for answers and ask daily for the purpose of why I have succeeded in life to the degree I have.

    There have been few constants in my entire life.  Baseball cards have been always been around.  They will be here long after I am gone.  

    My father has been around for my 40 years of existence. I don't know how much longer he's going to be around. It's a struggle every time I go to see him.  The drive is long and boring.  It is very tough to carry on meaningful conversation with him even when he remembers who I am. There are only so many pictures on my phone I can show him and ask what he had for lunch.  We will watch whatever football game is on that particular Sunday but he couldn't even tell me what the score is.  Its tough seeing "Super Dad" in such a lowly state.

    The third and final constant was my Grandpa.  As I type this, it was exactly one week ago I was having one of the toughest moments of my life.  I had to make the choice with the doctors at the hospital to only provide comfort care for my grandfather.  The plan was to wait for Monday morning and come up with a plan to get him home where he could pass into eternal rest on his own terms.  It was not to be.  In the wee hours of the morning on January 22nd, 2024, my Grandpa passed into the afterlife with me by his side.  It was quick, and I pray that it was painless.  He sat up in the bed and I asked him "Are you OK, Grandpa?" He replied "I don't know." I rushed out of the room to get the nurse and when we returned ten seconds later, he was gone.  It is the only time I had ever heard my Grandpa say that he didn't know.

    That was the great man my Grandpa was.  He was the most genuine person I'd ever known.  He was the rock of our family and never wavered or changed until he padded.  He lived 90 full years of life and was a farmer right up until he was 85.  The only reason he quit is because my grandmother needed care during her terminal battle with dementia.  To me, it always seemed he  knew exactly what he was doing and exactly how he was going to do it.  It's funny that he became a farmer. I can assure that if he had chosen to be an astronaut or a police officer, he would have been the best around.  He had the drive and determination to be the best.  He was the best farmer around.  He always had the straightest rows, the healthiest crops, and the highest yields.  I will always treasure the countless times I rode with him in the the tractor, combine, or grain truck.  Even as I got into my teens and was able to help him stack seed bags, he could still out work me.  

    Our many fishing trips out on the Potomac River will always have a place in my heart because it always seemed to turn into "catching" instead of just fishing.  It was on one of these trips where I witnessed the only time he ever showed the slightest bit of frustration.  Somehow, while casting is line out, he lost his grip and accidently casted his whole rod into the drink!  He waved his hands toward the water in disgust and sat down on one of the chairs in the boat.  Luckily, after a few casts of my rod, I was able to somehow catch is gear and pull it back into the boat.  The only time in 40 years I experienced my Grandpa get upset.

    So, in going through some of his belongings late last week, I came across a baseball.  I had never seen it before, nor had it ever been brought up in conversation.  See for yourself:

    Its a bit beat up, but you can see it says "Homerun Ball, Reedville, April 14, 1949."  That was his Senior (or maybe Junior) year of high school.  Since it is in his possession and the only known one in existence, I believe this ball is more valuable than even a Babe Ruth, Mickey Mantle, or Stan Musial homerun ball. There are plenty of baseballs from fancy major leaguers floating around in various collections across the globe but there is only one Weymouth Hughes homerun ball, and I have it.  That is the definition of priceless.

Take a look at the other side of this ball:

    I think since the ball is missing this section of rawhide, when he hit it, the cover actually came off of it.  Nobody has told me otherwise, so that's the story I'm going to go with.  My dad told me stories of how he was told how great of a baseball player Grandpa was during his youth and as a young adult.  There was a league in eastern Virginia called the Chesapeake league that he played in.  He was named pitcher of the year a few times and was also an awesome hitter.  He later played in the men's fastpitch softball league that was huge in the Northern Neck and Middle peninsula area of Virginia in the 60's, 70's and 80's.  He had hung up the spikes by the time I was born in 1983.  While I never got to see him play,  I have no doubt that he was the best baseball player I ever knew.

    It is a testament to his legacy that so many people showed up to pay their respects today at his funeral. In a small town everybody knows everybody and everybody knew my Grandpa.  I even reconnected with folks I knew when I was growing up that I didn't even know I was related to today. It was an absolute honor to stand in front of them today and tell them what he meant to me.  At the same time, it was one of the toughest things I had ever done and one of the easiest things I had ever done. It was wonderful to hear each and every person I spoke with today told me how great of a guy he was.  We will all miss him.

I Love You Grandpa

https://welchfuneralhomeva.com/book-of-memories/5367835/Hughes-Roland/index.php

TTM Success: Wes Stock

 These two returns came in from Wes Stock recently.  Both of these cards are a bit beat up but they still look great signed. I've noticed on the inside of most of the return envelopes that there ends up being a bit of the ink from the cards rubbing off. causing the paper loss you can see on the 1961 Topps just below.

It seems that this is unavoidable.  I could risk putting the cards in soft sleeves, top loaders, or even card savers but there's been some collectors having horror stories that the protection ends up getting signed instead of the cards.  I started out using index cards as protection and the results have been mixed.  I've just gone to leaving the cards loose in the envelope and hoping for the best.  That's mostly the name of the game for chasing TTMs anyways.

I Sent these two cards out on October 28th, 2023 and got them back on November 24th, 2023 for a 27 day TAT.  Thank You Mr. Stock!