30 Day Baseball Card Challenge

Saturday, September 19, 2020

TWIB: Double Bagel, Creative Collecting, and Second Base

Time is a tricky thing.  One one hand, it seems like I just wrote last week's This Week in Blogging post.  On the other hand, this past week of distance learning seemed like an eternity.

Oh well, let's get this party started...


#1Pujols Passes Mays

1968 Topps Game #8

Seeing a legend like Willie Mays slowly move down the all-time home run leaders list is sort of bittersweetSeventeen years ago, he was third on the list behind only Hank Aaron and Babe Ruth.

Now he's looking up at Barry Bonds, Alex Rodriguez, and Albert Pujols.

2000 Multi-Ad Sports Midwest League Top Prospects #2

That being said... congratulations to Pujols and all of his fans!   


#2Greetings from Syracuse


Earlier in the week, CinciCuse Bill showed off some new acquisitions for his Syracuse Baseball Wall of Fame collection over on his blogBill's Baseball Card Blog.  About a week earlier, I received the above postcard from one of my former students who is currently in her senior year at Syracuse.


There have been a lot of notable alumni, but here's the one that stood out the most in my collection:

1997 Upper Deck Legends Autographs #AL-16

Jim Ringo was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the 7th round back in 1953 and went on to have a hall of fame career with them and the Philadelphia Eagles.  My father has mentioned his name a few times over the years, as he was an avid fan of the Packers back in the 50's and 60's.


#3Sports Illustrated for Kids Cards


This week (or maybe last week), the September/October issue of SI for Kids began arriving in mailboxes around the world.  There weren't any athletes that stood out this time around, but I Googled a few of them.


Nelly Korda is the daughter of two professional tennis players.  Her father won the 1998 Australian Open.  Speaking of tennis... Sofia Kenin was recently in the news.  I hadn't heard of her or the "double bagel" reference until today.


#4Athletes Whose Names are Jobs


When it comes to creative collecting, I've gotta give Elliptical Man some props.  He recently gave away some cards featuring players who names double as careers.

His PWE inspired me to flip through the Oakland A's collection. where I found a hall of famer that would fit this collection:

1973 Topps #235

Thanks Brenden for the PWEWhat exactly do you collect?  This is the 2nd care package you've sent me and I read your blog religiously, but still haven't figured out what you collect.

Oh... by the way... Art Monk also attended Syracuse University.


#5Save Second Base

It's that time of the year again and Collecting Cutch is hosting his annual Save Second Base event.  Earlier in the week, he gave his readers a peek at the first prize and it's a doozy...

2020 Topps Project 2020 #84

I'm not gonna say that I'm the biggest fan of Project 2020 cards... but I've commented numerous times professing my fanfare for Ermsy and his cards.  In fact... I have an Ermsy post slated for ThursdayStay tuned.

1991 Face to Face #271

Anyways... if you're interested in an opportunity to win this card, all you need to do is write a blog post where you talk about your favorite John Travolta movie as well as plug the contestLeave a link in the comment section of his post.  Make sure to mention that Travolta's wife, Kelly Preston recently lost her battle with breast cancer and that it's important that we all work together to raise awareness for a cure.

Okay, here's my response...


As much as I enjoyed watching Grease as a kid... Pulp Fiction is my favorite Travolta film.  In fact that movie would probably be on my Top 20 list of favorite movies.


As for my favorite Kelly Preston movie... I can't really say that I have one.  But I do remember thinking she was really cute when I watched Space Camp back in middle school.

Okay... that wraps up another week of This Week in Blogging.

Feel free tell everyone a creative way to collect, your favorite bagel, your favorite Topps Project 2020 artist, or favorite female tennis player down in the comment section below.

Happy Saturday and sayonara!

28 comments:

Johnnys Trading Spot said...

My mind is blank.

gcrl said...

For a moment there I thought you were going to break out a Jim brown auto

John Sharp said...

I have Williams, Koufax, Clemente, & Robinson Project 2020 cards...and a few others. They're cool cards, for the mist part....and, Chrissie Evert is still my tennis crush, some 46 years later.

Billy Kingsley said...

I think Collecting Cutch needs to work "double bagel" into his program somehow.

DMA said...

Favorite female tennis player? I always liked Arantxa Sanchez Vicario.

Elliptical Man said...

So I'm too young for Tracy Austin.
Chris Evert for a while.
Steffi Graf and Gabriella Sabatini.
Maria Sharapova.
I haven't really followed it in a while.

Eagles legend Donovan McNabb was a Syracuse guy, though with his post-career issues I can understand people picking lacrosse star Jim Brown.

The Diamond King said...

Steffi Graf was always my favorite. Gabriela Sabatini was pretty cute! As for the Pujols passing Mays thing, I have been looking forward to it for a while. But like you, it is bittersweet, because Mays is probably my favorite player from before I was born.

sg488 said...

Favorite female tennis player-Chris Evert,favorite Kelly Preston movie-Mischief.

OhioTim said...

My week in baseball was kind of disappointing because of the Indians slowly dropping in the playoff race until some great pitching performances by Bieber and Plesac on Thursday and Friday, but then I woke up this morning to the news of Albert Pujols. I have been a fan and collector "The Machine" since early in his career. Despite his age showing in the paat few years, it has been awesome to watch him move up the all time lists. The most mind blowing stat of Pujols that I have heard lately is that he is the ONLY player in history with 660+ home runs and 660+ doubles. I look forward to the day Pujols is inducted into Cooperstown.

night owl said...

Creative way to collect: Night cards
Favorite bagel: A donut
Favorite Project 2020 artist: Efdot
Favorite female tennis player: Martina Hingis

I totally thought you going for Jim Brown on the Syracuse thing. Jim Ringo? OK. Also, Marvin Harrison and Donovan McNabb went to Syracuse. I've interviewed them both.

The Lost Collector said...

Excuse me...notable Syracuse alumni: The Lost Collector.

The Lost Collector said...

Also I’ve played golf with Donovan McNabb. In Puerto Rico.

Jeff B - Wax Pack Wonders said...

Jana Novotna winning Wimbledon in 1998 was one of my favorite childhood sports memories since she blew a big lead against Steffi Graf a few years prior. Was great to see her win it.

Mike said...

Andrea Petkovic, Caroline Garcia, & Garbine Muguruza Blanco.

Card bubbles said...

Favorite tennis player, Osaka. Favorite Kelly Preston movie, For the Love of the Game.

Nick said...

Creative way to collect: themed mini-collections! Also my taste in bagels is pretty dull -- I really only like plain bagels w/cream cheese.

gregory said...

Favorite tennis player: Ana Ivanovic
Favorite bagel: Can I say all of them? (I'm a New Yorker)

Also, they make reprints of postcards??

Nick Vossbrink said...

Hehe I share the same feelings as you about Mays moving down the order. In many ways he, Ruth, and Aaron will alway be the top three in my mind. Not because of any anti-steroid (or anything else) reason just because the facts we learn as kids are hard to shake.

Favorite creative way to collect: Gavin's We Didn't Start the Fire project. Within my own PCs it's a mix between the metacards (cards where the player name describes the card somehow) and the cards with Candlestick Park in the background photo.

Favorite bagel: I'm not picky.

Favorite 2020 Artist: Sophia Chang. There are other individual cards I've liked more but Chang's work has been the most consistently solid and intellectually coherent both in terms of respecting the original card and creating a set of cards that works together.

Women's Tennis: Can't really say I ever followed it but I can say that I've been especially impressed with what Serena Williams and Naomi Osaka are doing with the platform they have right now.

Fuji said...

johnnys trading spot - me too buddy

gcrl - i don't have one. i did think about using one of my vintage cards... but i'd have to dig it out and scan it. the ringo was ready to go.

john sharp - good call on evert. i had a crush on her too.

billy kingsley - he'd probably be up to the challenge. he is the king of tying things together when it comes to collecting cutch cards.

dma - wasn't familiar with her, but i looked her up. after seeing who she battled, i feel like i should know her

elliptical man - gabriella sabatini was smoking hot. as for brown, he was before my time... but i do remember mcnabb having fb cards with him wearing the orange helmet

the diamond king - gabriela sabatini was smoking hot... and graf seemed unbeatable

sg488 - evert was mine for a period. not sure i've seen mischief.

ohiotim - yeah, he's a first ballot no brainer. i was just thinking about what his career numbers would have been like if he didn't drop off after going to the angels. they're insane now. but his first half career numbers were mindblowingly insane

night owl - night cards are a creative way to collect. before your blog, i never would have looked for the glimmer on a batting helmet. loved efdot's version of jackie, but wasn't a fan of the gwynn. then again... ermsy didn't do a great job with gwynn either. thought about all three of the guys from syracuse that you mentioned, but only have scans of ringo and mcnabb on hand.

the lost collector - nice. i don't really follow college sports, but i'm pretty sure i rooted for syracuse when they were in a bowl game or march madness. and have you written about golfing with mcnabb? i'd love to read about it

jeff b - nice story. hadn't heard of novtna before. guess back in the day, i was only familiar with a handful of female tennis stars

mike - never heard of them, but thank you for motivating me to look them up

card bubbles - i follow osaka every now and then. i liked her post-win speeches. i feel like i've seen for the love of the game, but i don't really remember the details

nick - there is nothing wrong with plain bagels with cream cheese...or themed mini-collections

gregory - ivanovic looks like she could be a model. i haven't found a bagel i didn't like... although i usually pick savory over sweet. if you reprint something... there's a chance someone will buy it

nick - i've been thinking of starting a binder of cards with the coliseum in the background. one of these days it'll happen. chang is my second favorite artist. and i actually like her version of the gwynn better than ermsy's. as for female tennis, i don't actively follow it either, but i do watch highlights from time to time.

CinciCuse Bill said...

Sorry for the late reply, and thank you for the blog plug. That is a cool retro postcard, and those landmarks are still looking good. Other SU football notables that I don't think have been mentioned include Ernie Davis, John Mackey, Larry Csonka, Floyd Little, Al Davis, and Marvin Harrison. I just learned that only Notre Dame (13), USC (12), Ohio State (10) and Michigan (9) have more representatives in the Pro Football Hall of Fame than the 8 Syracuse.

Everything bagel with butter and bacon-horseradish cream cheese!

SumoMenkoMan said...

I have a hard time seeing the draw of Topps Project 2020, but might be missing the point. Space Camp was pretty good and I am sure drew in a lot of space enthusiasts to the industry. Favorite bagel is plain with cream cheese!!

Steve at 1975BaseballCards.com said...

I like this series. Favorite bagel is a New York bagel. After having some while there most bagels aren’t the same.

Peter K Steinberg said...

A baseball card of Syracuse. Now I think I've seen everything!

Collecting Cutch said...

First Fuji challenges me to butterscotch pudding and now youre challenging me to double bagel? What is it with you guys? Can't I just wrote about baseball cards without all these crazy connections? Lol

Collecting Cutch said...

Favorite bagel: Jalapeno
Favorite P2020 artist: Ermsy or efdot
Favorite Preston movie: For Love of Game
Creative way to collect: Cutch name cameos on back or the rare cameo on front
Favorite female tennis player: Serena Williams has dominated the sport

Matt said...

Favorite bagel: any
Favorite P2020 artist: none
Favorite Preston movie: ?
Creative way to collect: Collecting everything
Favorite female tennis player: dont watch

Commishbob said...

Favorite bagel? Easy...toasted plain with butter AND cream cheese from wither Bagel Buffet in Secaucus, NJ or the bagel kiosk on the ground floor of Grand central Station in NYC. Luckily I live half a country away or I'd be featured on My 600 pound Life or whatever it is. ,-)

I don't know any Kelly Preston movies off the top on my head.

Favorite female tennis player? You mean besides my wife? OK..BJK

Fuji said...

cincicuse bill - i saw ernie davis on the list, but i don't think i have any cards of him. thought about using marvin harrison (i collected his cards at one point), but nothing really stood out to me. kudos to syracuse fans for having so many representatives in canton. and that bacon-horseradish cream cheese sounds incredible

sumomenkoman - if i wasn't a huge gwynn or rickey fan... who loves both of their rookie cards, i probably wouldn't be drawn to project 2020 either. it's been a long time since i watched it. it'd be fun to go back and rewatch it.

steve at 1975baseballcards.com - i really enjoy bantam bagels... which i feel is based in new york. not sure if that counts though

peter k. steinberg - it's actually a post card. i tried finding baseball cards of syracuse alums, but they seem to be more known for their basketball and football programs

collecting cutch - jalapeno (& cheese) bagels are one of my favorites. might have to check out that preston movie. it seems familiar and several people have mentioned it, but i'm not sure if i've watched it.

sport cards over coffee - i don't watch female tennis very often either, but i do check out the espn highlights from time to time

commishbob - haven't done the butter thing in a long time, but i loved toasted bagels, butter, and parmesan cheese back in college. i don't have plans to go to the east coast anytime soon, but i'll try to keep the grand central station bagel kiosk on my places to visit.