Wanted! - 2011 Topps Series 1

Completed January 30, 2013!

Dipping my Toe into the Diamond Giveaway

Finally, I am catching up with the times.  Goodbye yesteryear, hello 2011!

If you read my last post and made it alllllllll the way to the bottom, you would have read that I have been buying a few 2011 Series One packs.  A whole seven have made into my clutches.  Surprisingly, from those seven packs, I amassed one double, so I've made a reasonable dent in the Series One set (~20%).

Today, I found myself in a Target and noticed the four packs with a guaranteed Diamond Giveaway Code.  I thought, heck, I'm going to buy two packs anyways, might as well pony up for two more packs and get a code.  My FIRST CODE ever.

Ripped the packs and ended up with three codes total, plus some assorted inserts (No Dodgers, YES!).  Anyways, I moseyed on over to the Giveaway site and felt immediately OLD.  I read all the FAQ and then created an account.  I entered my first code and got a:

Joy.  I was immediately thrilled and let down simultaneously.  After all the reading I've done from last year's giveaway to this year's, I was mixed.  I was happy to finally get a card, and then befuddled at the Orange Horror.  I then found my next card and tentatively entered the code and got this:
 

Better.  Not awe inspiring, and I'm pretty sure I have at least three of these at home, but at least we are pre-86.  I figure some Braves fan will make an offer and it will likely be accepted.

Then I looked at my final code card, and thought "Should I enter it, or save it?"  Then I remembered you could see what cards had recently been pulled, and try to get into the good groove.  I saw the three most recent pulls and they were from the late 60s and early 70s.  Sweet, pull that trigger.  I entered the code and got this:

Whaaaa?  What in the world is that?  What is a Diamond Die Cut and WHO is JAIR JURRJENS?  I can feel the sun racing around to come up behind me again, Pink.

Anyways, I'm not sure if you can select a "user" to trade with.  Anyone know?  And if anyone has pointers on how to actually trade, I'd appreciate the 411 (hah, look at me, all trendy and stuff. LOL).

Finally, I need to get a 2011 want list up, as the four packs I got yielded at least 25% doubles.  Also, I really don't care for inserts, so I'll have to post that trade bait, too.

April 26th - 2011 MLB Tuesday Tournament Update

Have you stopped holding your breath?  I know, I know, I missed last weeks update because I was out sick / on vacation.  Man, has this blog hit the tank over the past 10 months, or what?  I remember when I was full of ideas, and as Play at the Plate puts it "Witty banter."  I hope one day I can return to form because I am almost positive next to no one follows this lemon anymore.  I doubt my brother even reads this site now.

Enough of the lame banterless pity party, it is time for your 2011 MLB Tuesday Tournament Update!

Click to enlarge

I've decided to "nerd out" my bracket even more by adding the mysterious magic number to each pairing.  I found several formulas on how to calculate this number.  Some were long and convoluted, but they all eventually break down to Games Played + 1 - Leaders Wins - Followers Losses.  In other words, 33 - W1 - L2.  Arithmetic, My Dear Bob Watson, Arithmetic.

In the span of the last two weeks, the Royals have managed to lose their awesome lead on the Red Sox due in part to so-so play from the Royals and unstoppable Boston wins.  The Orioles showed that they still are AL East cellar dwellers and are likely going to bow out this week against the Rangers.

The first projected teams to make the Sweet 16 (beside the Yanks and Rays who are on bye) are the Rockies, Phillies, Marlins, Indians (didn't see that one coming) and Rangers.  In turn, the Mets, Pirates, Dodgers, White Sox and Orioles are facing first round exits, which means, that I am toying with the idea of throwing up trade bait.  

The Suns, Jets, Bullets, Knicks and other assorted teams will be out of the free giveaway, so I thought I might offer them as trade bait.  I really have no need for the 4,000 or so basketball cards I have, plus about 4,000 football cards either I don't care to have or have doubles.  If anyone bites on the trade bait, I was looking for packs of 2011 Topps in return depending on the quality/quantity for each NBA/NFL/NHL team.  Does this sound even remotely interesting?  

I've been quietly filling out a binder of 2011 Topps and have about 20% of Series One.  I've also got a handful of shiny and about 20 inserts that I'd be willing to part with, too, if anyone is interested.  Apparently Topps thinks central North Carolina is a good place to send Dodger cards because I've pulled at least one Dodger insert on every pack.  That will get at least two bloggers attention.

Hopefully I will post something between now and next Tuesday.  :-(

April 12th - 2011 MLB Tuesday Tournament Update

Click bracket to enlarge

Too much is going on in the real word to post.  Thinking of you, Mom and Dad!

2011 MLB Tuesday Tournament Update

With one, much more publicized, tournament with a yawn inducing finale out of the way, it is time for your MLB Tuesday Tournament Update!

The bracket looks rather anemic due to the Thursday Opening Day and the paltry amount of games played thus far.  Six games on Monday? Come on!  I want to see 14 to 15 games a day, every day from now until October!

Even so, a few stories have already emerged from the 2011 Tournament.  One clear Cinderella is window shopping for a pair of glass slippers, and a Mighty O has drawn the worst seed ever to temper their hot start.

The Cindy is none other than the Kansas City Royals with a shocking 2.5 game lead over the "Red 'Is that kethcup on my' Socks?"  Can the Royals pull off an upset of such magnitude that has not been seen since, well, last year?  When the #16 seed Nats thumped the extremely overrated #1 Dodgers?  I bet the Dodger fans weren't even in their seats before they realized they were out of the tournament.  That LA traffic can be murderously slow, just ask OJ.

The other AL storyline is that the Orioles have jumped out to a 4-0 start, only to be thwarted by the Texas "Ryan"gers 4-0 start.  Will the Orioles keep up this torrid pace?  Is there enough Orioles Magic up their sleeve or will ERAs start rising faster than Barry Bonds' voice?  Can Vlady, Lee and Reynolds provide more pop than Mario Mendoza?  Let's ask Billy Ripken...

On the Senior Circuit side of the bracket, everything is almost playing out to form except that the Pirates must be drinking Mean Joe Green's Coke.  Perhaps if I keep referencing Steelers when I mention the Pirates, I can actually create a Pirate fan from a Steeler fan.  Nah, because the Bucs will end up with a losing record, and Bill Cowher's Chin doesn't like losing records.

Finally, somebody tell Milwaukee and St. Louis that they'll need to have more than one combined win to make it past the next round.  Budweiser over Miller by one.  Someone pass me a Weihenstephaner Hefeweissbier.

Until next week's update, this is Funky Cold Mussina reporting.