Back in Time

This post is a few months late.  I originally wanted to publish this back in early March when some of us shifted our clocks one hour forward for Daylight Saving Time.  

1989 Topps #70

The contents of this post feature two oddball Oakland A's items from the Junk Wax Era that have one thing in common.  They both keep track of time.

Let's flashback to 2016.  A local sports fan reached out to me and donated a few boxes of newspapers, books, media guides, pins, ticket stubs, cards, and other oddball items.  One of those oddball items was this San Francisco Examiner Dot Racing wristwatch:

According to the paperwork included with this watch, it was part of a special giveaway sponsored by the San Francisco Examiner and the Oakland Athletics:

He even tossed in the newspaper clipping that featured his name in the list of recent winners:

This watch is one of the most unique memorabilia items sitting in my Oakland A's collection.  I couldn't find another one on the internet.  But it's uniqueness isn't the thing that makes it special.  Dot Racing was part of every A's home game at the Coliseum for as long as I can remember and this watch will forever keep those memories fresh in my mind.

Back in December, I added another wristwatch to my Oakland A's collection:

1989 Nelsonic MLB Card Watch

Ryan (@ SumoMenkoMan) sent me this watch in his 2025 Holiday Haiku Advent Calendar.  Here's the haiku clue he wrote for it:

I couldn't find a lot of information on this watch, but I did find a checklist and other interesting facts in a Sport Card Info blog post.

Nelsonic used a similar image from McGwire's 1989 Topps card.  When compared side by side, it's easier to see the the differences:

At first glance, it looked like this was the same at-bat, but McGwire is wearing a black wristband in the watch photo... plus not all of the fans in the background match perfectly.  If I had better detective skills and more time, maybe I could narrow down when and where these pictures were taken.  But I don't.

Regardless... both of these items are fantastic additions to my Oakland A's collection.  Thank you Bruce and Ryan!  And sorry it took so long for me to sit down and hammer out this thank you post.  Time sure flies by.

Happy Tuesday and sayonara!

Seinfeld and Coffee Inspired

Seinfeld is one of my all-time favorite television shows.  Favorite character?

1994 Parker Brothers Picture Pursuit #2A

George Costanza and it's not even close.  Yesterday, Matt over at Cards Over Coffee referenced both in his latest post when he announced that next year will be The Summer of Matt.  Since I'm not teaching this summer, I figured I'd proclaim this The Summer of Fuji.

The idea comes from the Seinfeld episode titled "The Summer of George".  If you're bored and confused, feel free to click here to learn watch some clips.

A big part of my eight weeks away from the classroom involves some short trips, catching up with friends, and lots of rest and relaxation.  However in regards to collecting, I'm working on organizing, sorting, and taking inventory.

Yesterday I spent a few hours digging through some boxes searching for my two largest basketball player collections:  Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan.  Most of you prefer baseball over basketball, so I won't show off any of those cards today.

Instead I'll be showing off six baseball cards that Matt sent me last month.  Let's start off with a hall of famer:

2025 Topps Allen & Ginter Wicked Curves #WC-30

During the Oakland Athletics' playoff run from 1972 to 1974, Hunter pitched in 13 games with a 7-1 record and a 2.24 ERA.  Based on this insert, a lot of his success had to do with his wicked curveball.

The A's pitching staff has struggled this season, but one of their young arms is showing his coaches, teammates, and fans that he's reliable coming out of the bullpen:

2026 Topps Gold #273

While discussing struggling players, it's hard not to talk about Brent Rooker:

2025 Topps Chrome Refractor #54

Rooker has been a stud for the Athletics the past three seasons averaging 33 home runs and 90 RBI's.  He's still crushing the ball, but his strikeout rate has soared and his batting average has dipped.  Hopefully he'll figure things out when he returns from IL.

The other fan favorite that's struggling at the plate this season is Lawrence Butler:

2025 Topps Update Stars of the MLB #SMLB-85

The A's don't normally offer up long contract extensions, but they hooked up Butler last year with a fat contract.  His batting stats are low across the board compared to his past two seasons.  And this year he's hitting below the Mendoza Line.

That being said, this insert card finished off my 2025 Topps Update Stars of the MLB set:

Matt also sent me an insert card of the A's brightest young star:

2026 Topps Heritage Raw Power #RP-NK

Nick Kurtz won last year's AL Rookie of the Year Award and after a slow start to his sophomore season, he's showing fans that he's the most reliable bat in the lineup.  As of yesterday, he was leading the AL in walks, runs scored, and RBI's.  He's also been in the Top 10 among AL home run hitters the past two seasons.  Topps got it right.  Kurtz has raw power.

The final card is a pretty pink parallel card of former A's centerfielder:

2026 Topps Heritage Chrome Pink Sparkle Refractor #236

JJ Bleday drove in 2 of the A's 3 runs in their final home game at the Oakland Coliseum.  That's the memory I will always cherish when his name is mentioned.

Thank you Matt for this generous six-pack of A's cardboard.

While digging through my basketball boxes yesterday, I thought of you and decided to show off five New York Knicks cards in honor of them winning this year's NBA Championship.

I know you appreciate 90's inserts as much as I do, so let's start with:

1993-94 Ultra Jam City #4

Patrick Ewing is the Knicks all-time leader in almost every statistical category.  This is the most attractive insert card I could find of his.  Unfortunately my scanner does not do this card any justice.  If you want to see a better image, click here.

As much as I love this insert, this might just be my favorite Knicks card in the collection:

1997-98 Stadium Club Co-Signers #CO-12

I know The Mailman wasn't a New York Knick, but he shares this card with John Starks:

The early 90's Knicks with Ewing, Oakley, Smith, Rivers, and Mason were fun to watch.  My favorite was Mr. Starks.  Who remembers him dunking on the Chicago Bulls in the 1993 Eastern Conference Finals?

Two years before I was born, this guy helped the New York Knicks win their first NBA Championship:

1998-99 UD Century Legends Epic Signatures #WR

Willis Reed played his final NBA game when I was still wearing diapers, so I never saw him play.  Regardless, he's a legend and a hero to Knicks fans for courageously playing in Game 7 of the 1970 NBA Finals with a thigh injury and helping them win their first title.

Here is another 90's Knicks fan favorite:

2012-13 Panini Intrigue Immortalized Autographs #52

Sadly... Mason passed away at the age of 48 back in 2015.  When I heard the news, I wanted to add an autograph of his to my collection.

The final Knicks card I picked out is their current superstar:

2018 Sports Illustrated for Kids #697

I didn't watch the NBA Finals this year (or any other NBA season since the late 2000's, but I definitely heard about Jalen Brunson.  His name was tossed around at school, on the radio, and in highlight videos the entire series.  Pretty sure this is the only card I own of him.

Congratulations again on the Knicks winning it all!  I had fun picking these singles from my collection and reminiscing about basketball and cards.

Happy Sunday and sayonara!

Animal Themed Post

Back in 2021-22 in the midst of the hobby boom... I decided to sell off the bulk of the sticker autographs I had accumulated over the years.  I also stopped searching for new ones for my personal collection.  If the athlete didn't hold the card and sign it, I wasn't interested.

Then I heard that Topps inserted Goose Gossage autographs into their 2025 Topps NPB products and I wanted to add one to my NPB collection.  Unfortunately... Topps had him sign stickers which forced me to decide.  Live without one of these autographs... or make an exception to the on-card autograph rule.

2025 Topps Chrome NPB Autograph #AC-GG

After patiently waiting for one to fall into my price range, I ended up adding this Goose to my collection.  It features him pitching for the Fukuoka Daiei Hawks back in 1990, before he returned to the MLB the following season.  

He is one of four former NPB baseball players to be enshrined in the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown.  Larry Doby, Ichiro Suzuki, and Andruw Jones are the other three.

While I'm on the subject of NPB trading cards, Kenny over at Torren' Up Cards sent me a pair of PWE's back in April & May that contained a few 2025 Topps NPB singles:

He also included some Bandai and Calbee cards:

Franmil Reyes' name popped out.  He played for the Padres a few years ago.  I was also happy to see a pair of Fujis within the Calbee cards.

But the card that stood out the most was this shiny Munetaka Murakami:

2024 Dream Order #CBP01-S02

His MLB start was pretty impressive with 20 home runs in his first 200 at bats, but he's currently recovering from a hamstring strain.  Hopefully he returns to the batter's box soon... and his home run tear continues.

Kenny sent one more item:

Signed Cheki

I have no idea who this lil' bunny is, but I was very excited to add her to my Japanese Model PC:

Thank you Kenny!

Last month... Brendan over at The View from the Third Floor also sent me a PWE filled with some Japanese athletes:

Hachimura is currently the Laker's starting power forward, but this Gonzaga Bulldog made history in 2017 when he became the first Japanese national to play in the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament.

He also sent me this SI for Kids card of Vicki Huber:

1990 SI for Kids #136

Huber is a Villanova Wildcat who won multiple NCAA indoor championships as well as the Broderick Award (given to the top female collegiate track and field athlete) in 1988 and 1989.

Thank you Brendan!

I'll wrap up this post with one more PWE with some Japanese athletes:

2006 Fleer Ultra #176 and #169

This pair was sent to me by Greg over at Crocodile Sports Cards a few weeks ago.  Not sure if Godzilla qualifies as an animal, but Matsui was truly a beast during his NPB and MLB career.

He also send me this trio of Hawks:

1991 Action Packed #259, #256, and #260

And this autograph of the 2008 Texas League ERA leader:

2011 Topps 60 Autographs #T60A-VM

Mazzaro dominated Texas League batters in 2008:

He kicked off his MLB career in Oakland and ended up pitching for eight seasons in the Show... including one in Miami as a Marlin.

Thank you Greg for these cards and this very cool sticker:

Started off with a Goose.  Couldn't think of a better way to wrap up an "animal" themed post than with a crocodile.

Happy Wednesday and sayonara!