Hey, I'm going to start a new section called Prospecting, which will examine young players and their impact on both fantasy baseball and the card collecting hobby. Prospectors are people who are looking to make money in the baseball card hobby by finding and buying cards of young prospects before they make it big, and then selling these cards when their value skyrockets. Deep leagues are leagues with over 12 teams, Medium leagues are leagues with 8-12 teams, and Shallow leagues are leagues with less than 8 teams. Keeper leagues are leagues that allow teams to carry over some or all of their players from year to year.
Kris Medlen-After a forgettable debut in which he threw multiple pitches to the backstop that would have gone behind a left-handed batter, Medlen settled down to strike out nine in six innings and getting a win over the Diamondbacks. While he has been overshadowed by the hype surrounding fellow Braves prospect and pitcher Tommy Hanson, Medlen got called up before Hanson by the Braves.
Prospectors: Medlen's key cards are are from 2006 Bowman Draft and Bowman Chrome Draft. Right now, decent sized lots of his Chrome RC are going at pretty high prices, so if you have a bunch of those, now would probably be a good time to sell. If you have any Chrome parallels, especially lower numbered Refractors, you will probably never get more than right now for those.
Deep League Managers: If he hasn't been picked up already, you should pick him up now. Even if you are deep in pitching, a trade to a team with less pitching could net you a decent hitter. If you already have him, and are deep in pitching, now would be a great time to trade him as his value is probably at or near its peak.
Medium League Managers: Just like in deep leagues, if he hasn't been picked up yet, he should be picked up ASAP. Pitching is probably not as thin in these leagues, but if a team is looking for pitching, Medlen could net you something decent. Especially if you have an extra bench spot, Medlen should be picked up immediately.
Shallow League Managers: If you're thin on pitching, you should probably take a flier on Medlen. If not, you should probably wait a couple more starts to see if he is the real deal.
Keeper League Managers: I'm almost positive that if your league is competitive at all, Medlen is owned by someone in your league already. If you are one of the lucky ones to own Medlen, his trade value will not be higher any time soon. However, if you are thinking of trading him, you must get something valuable for him. Don't give him away, as he has the potential to be a top-of-the-rotation pitcher for the Braves for a while.
Monday, June 1, 2009
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Wesbite Focus-Hawk to the Hall
After my blog on player collectors, the Dawson collector I wrote about led me to find another website made by a huge Dawson fan and collector, Hawk to the Hall. Not only is he a huge Dawson fan, he is also a huge Cubs fan, as seen by the pretty sick Cubs cards he has on his website. If you are a baseball card collector, I would advise taking a look at some of his collections. Amazing. If you have time, I would highly advise you to check out his site.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
A Look at the Hobby-Player Collectors
Something that I will try to do regularly will be called "A Look at the Hobby". It will focus on the collecting of baseball cards, and will feature articles on various topics within the hobby.
Today, I will be focusing on player collectors. Player collectors collect all types of players, from stars like Derek Jeter and David Wright to relative unknowns like Clete Thomas. Reasons vary from a childhood visit to the ballpark to the lifetime support of a team. Some collections are incredibly extensive, like the Hee Seop Choi collection belonging to Meliah of The Bench, located at thebenchtrading.com, a sports card trading website. His own personal website can be found here, where his collection is displayed. He owns at least one copy of 82.4% of every different card made of Choi. Perhaps an even more impressive figure is the fact that he owns 2.5% of Choi's serial numbered print run, meaning that of every single serial numbered card of Choi produced, he owns 2.5% of them. While that may seem like a small number, you must take into account the fact that approximately 46,975 serial numbered cards of Choi have been produced, and Meliah possesses 1182 of them. If you think you may have a Choi card he needs, please feel free to email him through his website.
Another impressive collection is this Andre Dawson collection, which features at least one copy of 60% of every different card made of Dawson. While 60% may seem small compared to the Choi collection, Dawson has over 2500 cards, while Choi has slightly over 500 cards. Both are impressive, the Choi collection because of its comprehensiveness and the Dawson collection because of its sheer number. In fact, Loyalty32, also found at The Bench, owns 12 1/1's, 299 game-used and patch cards, 257 serial numbered inserts, 260 pack-certified autographs, and 172 in-person or through-the-mail autographs of The Hawk. In fact, he is so passionate about his collection that he even collects checklists that have Dawson's name. If that doesn't show you a true player collector, I'm not sure what will. If you think you have something that can be found on his want list, please email him at hlrzr32@aol.com.
One word of warning, however, to potential player collectors. In no way am I discouraging player collections, but if you are thinking of starting one, please ask yourself these questions:
-Will I still collect this player if he leaves the current team he is on?
-What am I trying to accomplish with this player collection?
-Why am I collecting this player?
If you think that you won't collect a certain player if he leaves his current team, you should be cautious in starting a player collection. While it may be something fun while he is with his current team, what will happen if he does leave? Will you still collect him, or will you no longer be as much of a fan. If you don't think you'll collect him after he leaves, you will be left with a collection that doesn't have a lot of value to you that you have most likely put a lot of time and money into. If that is something you can deal with, by all means, have at it.
When starting a player collection, goals are often set. If you will only feel accomplished if you have collected a copy of every card produced of this player, beware to be disappointed. With the increase in production of 1/1s, printing plates, etc., collecting one of every card will be incredibly hard. Something else to watch is your competition. You will most likely not be the only person collecting that player, and many cards will disappear into other people's collections and not come out. If you are merely trying to get as many different cards of a certain player as you can, than you will probably enjoy your collection a lot more.
People start player collection's for many reasons, such as a love for their favorite team, a childhood memory, or a new "man crush" based on footage from ESPN. Having a favorite player is one thing, starting a player collection is another. Having a favorite player is free, while player collections usually have a lot of time and money invested into them. If you are doing it just because everyone else is, the novelty draw will soon wear off, and you will have a collection that you're just not in to anymore. However, if you really feel like you will enjoy your collection, no matter the value or the comprehensiveness, I would recommend it.
One of the craziest aspect of player collecting is the incredibly rare minor league, international or regional issues from the 80's and 90's. When these make their not-so-often appearances on eBay, like this 1986 Will Clark card that went for over $75. While most Clark cards, along with cards of almost every other player from the 1980's, will be lucky to fetch $1, these rare regional issues and parallels draw the attention of player collectors and grins from sellers. If you ever see an auction with what is seemingly a ridiculous price, you can usually chalk it up to the die-hard player collectors.
Player collections can be very rewarding, as it can be a tangible way to show your love of your favorite player. While it will most likely take a lot of time and money, I recommend it to those who are brave enough to enter the ranks of the player collector.
Today, I will be focusing on player collectors. Player collectors collect all types of players, from stars like Derek Jeter and David Wright to relative unknowns like Clete Thomas. Reasons vary from a childhood visit to the ballpark to the lifetime support of a team. Some collections are incredibly extensive, like the Hee Seop Choi collection belonging to Meliah of The Bench, located at thebenchtrading.com, a sports card trading website. His own personal website can be found here, where his collection is displayed. He owns at least one copy of 82.4% of every different card made of Choi. Perhaps an even more impressive figure is the fact that he owns 2.5% of Choi's serial numbered print run, meaning that of every single serial numbered card of Choi produced, he owns 2.5% of them. While that may seem like a small number, you must take into account the fact that approximately 46,975 serial numbered cards of Choi have been produced, and Meliah possesses 1182 of them. If you think you may have a Choi card he needs, please feel free to email him through his website.
Another impressive collection is this Andre Dawson collection, which features at least one copy of 60% of every different card made of Dawson. While 60% may seem small compared to the Choi collection, Dawson has over 2500 cards, while Choi has slightly over 500 cards. Both are impressive, the Choi collection because of its comprehensiveness and the Dawson collection because of its sheer number. In fact, Loyalty32, also found at The Bench, owns 12 1/1's, 299 game-used and patch cards, 257 serial numbered inserts, 260 pack-certified autographs, and 172 in-person or through-the-mail autographs of The Hawk. In fact, he is so passionate about his collection that he even collects checklists that have Dawson's name. If that doesn't show you a true player collector, I'm not sure what will. If you think you have something that can be found on his want list, please email him at hlrzr32@aol.com.
One word of warning, however, to potential player collectors. In no way am I discouraging player collections, but if you are thinking of starting one, please ask yourself these questions:
-Will I still collect this player if he leaves the current team he is on?
-What am I trying to accomplish with this player collection?
-Why am I collecting this player?
If you think that you won't collect a certain player if he leaves his current team, you should be cautious in starting a player collection. While it may be something fun while he is with his current team, what will happen if he does leave? Will you still collect him, or will you no longer be as much of a fan. If you don't think you'll collect him after he leaves, you will be left with a collection that doesn't have a lot of value to you that you have most likely put a lot of time and money into. If that is something you can deal with, by all means, have at it.
When starting a player collection, goals are often set. If you will only feel accomplished if you have collected a copy of every card produced of this player, beware to be disappointed. With the increase in production of 1/1s, printing plates, etc., collecting one of every card will be incredibly hard. Something else to watch is your competition. You will most likely not be the only person collecting that player, and many cards will disappear into other people's collections and not come out. If you are merely trying to get as many different cards of a certain player as you can, than you will probably enjoy your collection a lot more.
People start player collection's for many reasons, such as a love for their favorite team, a childhood memory, or a new "man crush" based on footage from ESPN. Having a favorite player is one thing, starting a player collection is another. Having a favorite player is free, while player collections usually have a lot of time and money invested into them. If you are doing it just because everyone else is, the novelty draw will soon wear off, and you will have a collection that you're just not in to anymore. However, if you really feel like you will enjoy your collection, no matter the value or the comprehensiveness, I would recommend it.
One of the craziest aspect of player collecting is the incredibly rare minor league, international or regional issues from the 80's and 90's. When these make their not-so-often appearances on eBay, like this 1986 Will Clark card that went for over $75. While most Clark cards, along with cards of almost every other player from the 1980's, will be lucky to fetch $1, these rare regional issues and parallels draw the attention of player collectors and grins from sellers. If you ever see an auction with what is seemingly a ridiculous price, you can usually chalk it up to the die-hard player collectors.
Player collections can be very rewarding, as it can be a tangible way to show your love of your favorite player. While it will most likely take a lot of time and money, I recommend it to those who are brave enough to enter the ranks of the player collector.
Website Focus-Seattle Autograph Site
If any of you are autographs fan, you have to check this site out. His quest is to collect an auto of every past and present Seattle sports athlete, and he is well on his way. Even if you aren't a Seattle fan, you will still be impressed by the sheer number of autographs he has collected.
http://home.comcast.net/~thewahlgrens/
http://home.comcast.net/~thewahlgrens/
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Lineup Card Errors
Has anyone else noticed the two mistakes in lineup cards recently. First, Joe Maddon lists Evan Longoria and Ben Zobrist both at 3B, when Longoria was supposed to be given a rest and placed at DH. So, instead of having Longoria at DH, the Rays had...Andy Sonnastine hitting 3rd. Luckily, Sonnastine happens to be a decent hitting pitcher, going 1-3 with an RBI double. In fact, going into the game, Sonnastine has a career BA of .400. While it may be in only 10 at-bats, the Rays may be onto something.
Yesterday, Cecil Cooper had listed Kaz Matsui at leadoff and Michael Bourn hitting second. However, Brewers manager Ken Macha alerted umpires that Bourn had just led off the game with a single. The umpires had no choice but to call Matsui out, and Bourn had to bat again, this time drawing a walk. With Bourn's career OBP of .312, he could have used the extra hit.
Luckily for both teams, their lineup miscue did not cost them the game, as both ended up winning. However, Andy Sonnastine will not forget this start anytime soon, and Michael Bourn will soon be wishing he could get on-base once, let alone twice, a game.
Yesterday, Cecil Cooper had listed Kaz Matsui at leadoff and Michael Bourn hitting second. However, Brewers manager Ken Macha alerted umpires that Bourn had just led off the game with a single. The umpires had no choice but to call Matsui out, and Bourn had to bat again, this time drawing a walk. With Bourn's career OBP of .312, he could have used the extra hit.
Luckily for both teams, their lineup miscue did not cost them the game, as both ended up winning. However, Andy Sonnastine will not forget this start anytime soon, and Michael Bourn will soon be wishing he could get on-base once, let alone twice, a game.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Fantasy Tips
I will try to post a fantasy tips article at least once a week, highlighting players that you should keep on eye on.
Matt Harrison, SP, TEX: While Harrison may be old news to some, he is not owned in more leagues than he is owned in, and there is a huge disparity between the two. This year, Harrison is 4-2 and is coming off two straight complete game victories. He threw a four-hit shutout on May 8 against the White Sox, and then threw a two-run, seven strikeout complete game over the Mariners on the 14th. While the seven strikeouts may be an aberration, his success is not. In his past four starts, all victories, Harrison has given up only six runs over 30 innings, including 22 straight scoreless innings. While he won't strike many batters out, his success lies in his control. He has walked only two men in his last four starts, after walking 11 in his first three. Even though he is a Ranger, so far, this has not hurt him. His last four starts have been split evenly between at home and on the road. If you are looking for a starting pitcher off the waiver wire, look no further than Matt Harrison.
Kendry Morales, 1B, LAA: When Mark Teixeira signed with the Yankees in the off season, it opened a door for Morales to display the potential he had been flashing for years. Morales is delivering solid numbers now that he has been giving a starting role, with eight home runs and 26 RBI through 37 games. These numbers are solid for a first baseman, but with Morales' dual eligibility in the outfield as well, his numbers are even better. While he may not keep up the 35 HR, 114 RBI pace, Morales looks to provide a decent 1B/OF option for the rest of the year.
Edwin Jackson, SP, DET: For years, Jackson has provided tantalizing potential with equally frustrating control problems and the tendency to give up the gopher ball. Last year, he took a step towards consistency, recording a 14-11 record while decreasing his amount of walks by 11 while pitching 21.2 more innings. This year, he has kept both his walks and home runs down, walking only 11 in 52 innings, while giving up only four home runs. If Jackson is still on your waiver wire, pick him up now.
Zach Duke, SP, PIT: Even though Duke plays for the Pirates, his stats so far should not be ignored. While he very rarely misses bats, Duke has still compiled a 5-3 record with a 2.84 ERA and a WHIP of 1.09. Whether he wins or loses really depends on how his offense does, as the Pirate's offense has averaged almost nine runs a game in Duke's victories, and one run a game in his losses. Duke has gone at least six innings in all but one of his starts this year, and his ability to limit his walks and keep the ball in the park look promising. While he may not be a consistent supply of wins, look for Duke to maintain a sub 4.00 ERA throughout the rest of the year. If you are having problems with your starting rotation, look to see if you can pick up Duke to give you a boost.
Matt Harrison, SP, TEX: While Harrison may be old news to some, he is not owned in more leagues than he is owned in, and there is a huge disparity between the two. This year, Harrison is 4-2 and is coming off two straight complete game victories. He threw a four-hit shutout on May 8 against the White Sox, and then threw a two-run, seven strikeout complete game over the Mariners on the 14th. While the seven strikeouts may be an aberration, his success is not. In his past four starts, all victories, Harrison has given up only six runs over 30 innings, including 22 straight scoreless innings. While he won't strike many batters out, his success lies in his control. He has walked only two men in his last four starts, after walking 11 in his first three. Even though he is a Ranger, so far, this has not hurt him. His last four starts have been split evenly between at home and on the road. If you are looking for a starting pitcher off the waiver wire, look no further than Matt Harrison.
Kendry Morales, 1B, LAA: When Mark Teixeira signed with the Yankees in the off season, it opened a door for Morales to display the potential he had been flashing for years. Morales is delivering solid numbers now that he has been giving a starting role, with eight home runs and 26 RBI through 37 games. These numbers are solid for a first baseman, but with Morales' dual eligibility in the outfield as well, his numbers are even better. While he may not keep up the 35 HR, 114 RBI pace, Morales looks to provide a decent 1B/OF option for the rest of the year.
Edwin Jackson, SP, DET: For years, Jackson has provided tantalizing potential with equally frustrating control problems and the tendency to give up the gopher ball. Last year, he took a step towards consistency, recording a 14-11 record while decreasing his amount of walks by 11 while pitching 21.2 more innings. This year, he has kept both his walks and home runs down, walking only 11 in 52 innings, while giving up only four home runs. If Jackson is still on your waiver wire, pick him up now.
Zach Duke, SP, PIT: Even though Duke plays for the Pirates, his stats so far should not be ignored. While he very rarely misses bats, Duke has still compiled a 5-3 record with a 2.84 ERA and a WHIP of 1.09. Whether he wins or loses really depends on how his offense does, as the Pirate's offense has averaged almost nine runs a game in Duke's victories, and one run a game in his losses. Duke has gone at least six innings in all but one of his starts this year, and his ability to limit his walks and keep the ball in the park look promising. While he may not be a consistent supply of wins, look for Duke to maintain a sub 4.00 ERA throughout the rest of the year. If you are having problems with your starting rotation, look to see if you can pick up Duke to give you a boost.
Transition
Hey,
I'll be transitioning to a more baseball-oriented blog, with focuses on baseball history, fantasy baseball, baseball cards and current baseball news. I will try to post every day, or at least every other day. If you have any feedback, suggestions, or comments, please feel free to leave a comment.
Thanks!
packerbacker11
I'll be transitioning to a more baseball-oriented blog, with focuses on baseball history, fantasy baseball, baseball cards and current baseball news. I will try to post every day, or at least every other day. If you have any feedback, suggestions, or comments, please feel free to leave a comment.
Thanks!
packerbacker11
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