Friday, April 23, 2010

Brian Roberts Card of the Day

Well Brian Roberts is probably out till mid-May. Felix Pie is sitting on the DL with him. Miguel Tejada strained a hip muscle and has missed this past week, but should return tonight. The Orioles have won 2 games this season. 2 games and today is April 23. Not much for the Orange Faithful to be excited about. I for one thought that adding Garrett Atkins, Kevin Millwood and bringing back Tejada were the moves that would push this team up into the upper echelon of the AL East. Boy was I wrong. That said I don’t think this is the year that B-Rob will get his shot at a ring. Anyway, today’s Card of the Day comes from 2005 Donruss. Not that the Orioles were contenders in ’05, but B-Rob is rocking the orange uni with the high stirrups so it has the look of a successful O’s team at least.

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Card of the Day...

As Brian Roberts is on the DL I thought I would substitute one of his teammates for the Card of the Day post. Since they all seem to suck these days, I figured I would go with the Oriole Bird. This is card #M3 in the 2010 Topps Opening Day Mascot insert set. I have professed my love for cards of mascots before and I think the O Bird deserves some credit. It ain't easy cheering for a team that is 2-11 and has yet to win a game at home...

Saturday, April 17, 2010

Brian Roberts Card of the Day

Brian Roberts is on the 15 day disabled list because of his back. He got his second epidural shot this week and is set to visit Doctor Lee Riley on Monday. Prior to going on the DL he was batting .143. In the few games I watched him bat-he didn't look like himself at the plate. He didn't have his normal patience, control, bat speed, power or timing. He did look just fine in the field and on the basepaths. More news will come on Monday. Till then here is today's Card of the Day. On my other blog, the Collective Troll, I have been posting about my Tampa Bay Rays team set quest. Last night I finished off the 2007 Topps set including series 1, series 2 and Updates and Highlights. I was pretty psyched! In celebration I wanted to show a Roberts card from that set. This is card #UH267 and the back celebrates Brian Roberts' second All Star Appearance. He was a Player's Choice on the 2007 All Star team. At the midseason point he was batting .326 with 25 steals. He finished the year off batting .290 for the Orioles, but he did double his steals total and led the AL with 50 stolen bases in 2007. His 258 steals is 17th among active players. This is another of the many cards that Ryan AKA Orioles Magic from the Great Orioles Autograph Project sent my way. Thanks to Ryan for the card and here's to a positive visit to the doc for Mr. Roberts. For those interested in helping with my Rays Topps team set needs, the list is HERE. I am also trying to finish off the 2010 Topps set with inserts. I am getting close and I am building up doubles. My have/need list for that set is here if you are interested in trading. A few notes on the O's... They are in last place in the AL East with a 1-10 mark. Brian Roberts' 2 steals leads the ball club. Ty Wigginton is leading the club with 3 homers and Miguel Tejada is tops with 7 RBI. Julio Lugo is playing second base in Roberts' absence. He is batting just .118 with 6 strikeouts and no extra base hits in 7 games. Things can only get better. Thanks for reading, gotta run!

Friday, April 9, 2010

The Brian Roberts Home Opening Day Card of the Day!

It probably would have been appropriate if I had posted this on Opening Day, but since today is their home opener, I thought it would work and I made this today’s Brian Roberts Card of the Day. This little gem came to me from Wicked Ortega from My Past Time…I Love It! as part of a gigantic package full of all kinds of cardboard goodies. The card is from 2010 Topps Opening Day, card #182 of the Orioles All Star second baseman. Senor Ortega set me up with a bunch of Opening Day cards, all of the Rays I could ask for plus this card of B-Rob. I really don’t care for the pose that Topps picked for this one, but I will say that I love the Opening Day product. One of the things that I hate about the hobby right now is that kids can’t afford to buy packs of cards. At 2 bucks a pack for 12 cards, Topps isn’t too bad, at just 99 cents per pack Opening Day is perfect! Its basically the same base set as regular Topps, but without most of the inserts. That is why I don’t chase this set, but it is perfect for younger folks or people on a budget who aren’t concerned with inserts. It does inserts that are unique to TOD like the mascots series. If anyone has any cards from any year of Raymond the Rays mascot, I want them!
Anyway, yesterday I made a comment that I wished that Brian Roberts started the year on the disabled list so he could get his swing back before he returned to the Orioles lineup. I want to officially rescind that remark. Roberts had 2 hits last night including his first double of the year and a stolen base. I think he has found his timing. Roberts and the Orioles will open their season at home tonight. Roberts batting average stands at .143 as the O’s return to Maryland.
To go with the Opening Day theme I included a shot of Roberts’ first at-bat of the season and first time on-base when he reached on a fielder’s choice in the 9th. Thanks as always for the great card Wicked! Thanks for reading. I really need to think of a way to sign-off and conclude my posts here. Roberts fan out just doesn’t sound right…

Thursday, April 8, 2010

Brian Roberts 2009 Topps Total Domination!

With the Orioles in town for the Rays home opener I have seen plenty of Brian Roberts these past two days. I am back at work tonight, but naturally I didn’t bring the flash drive with any of the photos that I took. Those will have to wait for another day. I will say that even though I was thrilled that Roberts was here for the first pitch of the season, as bad as he has looked at the plate, I wish he took a rehab assignment to get his timing down. I watched closely as he took batting practice on Tuesday night. He took all of his hacks from the left side and looked very weak. He didn’t look in pain and he was pulling the ball well, he wasn’t connecting with any force at all. He was hitting the ball, but not pounding the ball. Facing Shields on Opening Night Roberts wasn’t overmatched or outsmarted; he just didn’t have his normal control at the plate. His hands were still quick, but he wasn’t working the count, fouling off pitches or making solid contact. That happens when you miss all of spring training…
Well, even though I did forget the photos, I have some cards scanned, so I can make this 2009 Topps and Topps Chrome parallel the Brian Roberts Quadrafecta of the Day. Shown are the Topps Chrome refractor, X Fractor and blue refractor along with his Topps Gold parallel. I have the base Topps and Topps chrome as well. If I had scanned them this could be a Septafecta which sounds really cool. I am wondering what other parallels there are from 2009 Topps that I need to gather to have total Roberts domination. I know there is a 1/1 platinum version, but is there a black parallel of Topps and are there other colors of Chrome refractors out there? Everything I thought I knew about Topps Chrome I learned from this blog post earlier this month. I am worried I might be misled. Go Roberts! Tonight would be a great night to get your first hit of the year to give your team a tiny bright spot on a wasted road trip. By the way, I am implying that the Orioles are gonna get swept… Oh, and I think I have a dupe of the '09 X Fractor if anyone wants to deal for it...

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

Opening Day Brian Roberts Card of the Day!

This will likely be my lone post today as I am off to Tropicana Field to watch The Tampa Bay Rays entertain the Baltimore Orioles to open both of their seasons. Its a total win-win for me as I get to watch my favorite player play my favorite team. To celebrate, here is a great new B-Rob card that came to me from Beardy of Beardy and Mojo's Fantastic Card Blog. He and Beardy are running an awesome tribute and contest to Kurt Cobain and Nirvana. CHECK IT OUT!!! Anyway, Beardy sent me a great lot of stuff including this 2006 Bazooka Fielding Basics relic card of Brian Roberts. I don't care for the DMV style photo, but I love the design of the Bazooka brand. The only bad thing about this card is that there is no cartoon, otherwise it could be perfect... Thanks to Beardy for this great card! There is only about 10 hours left to vote for the best second baseman ever, so do it now! Hopefully tonight Roberts will have the only 5 hits for the Orioles in a 5-hit shutout loss to the Rays, we will see...

Sunday, April 4, 2010

My Peeps Pink Brian Roberts Card of the Day

Happy Easter Orioles fans and card collectors! For my Easter post I wanted to show off something sweet and shiny, so here we go! This is one of many, many cards that my good friend Wicked Ortega from My Past Time...I Love It! sent my way. It is a 2009 Bowman Chrome REFRACTOR of B-Rob, card #46. I LOVE REFRACTORS and we all know that they scan pink like peeps, so it seemed like a no-brainer for the card of the day. Happy Easter Orioles fans! Its less than 48 hours until the first pitch of Opening Day at Tropicana Field, Tampa Bay Rays versus the Baltimore Orioles. His back willing, Roberts will be the one standing at the plate when the Rays season officially opens. I will be the one who is 9 rows behind the dugout on the first base line. I CAN'T WAIT! Thanks for the great card Wicked! Thanks to all who have stumbled across this blog. I will do my best to get a fresh and new Roberts card up here at least 3 times a week. Oh, PLEASE vote for the best second baseman of all time while you are here. 60 people voted for the top shortstop on my other blog, we need some more votes for second base!

Saturday, April 3, 2010

Brian Roberts Card of the Day-Topps SI For Kids!

Today's Brian Roberts Card of the Day is from the 2006 Topps Sports Illustrated for Kids Funny Photos subset. It is card #24 of 25 and shows Roberts on the front with a balloon caption that says: "As fast, as fast as can be, you'll never catch me...". This is something that Roberts generally repeats aloud as he runs the bases. It helps. On the back of the card is a photo of Richie Sexson sitting down by the batting cage and it has AN EMPTY CAPTION!!! This means that you can make your caption and make Richie Sexson say whatever the heck you want him to! Have at it... This card entered my collection courtesy of some blogger kindness from Kevin of the 1965 Topps Project Blog. He sent a good sized stack of B-Robs that will keep this blog fueled... Thanks Kevin! PLEASE vote for top second baseman of All Time while you are here... Leading off and out.

Thursday, April 1, 2010

Leading Off With 2003 Donruss Century Legends of Summer Jim Palmer Certified Auto

Although I do have MANY Brian Roberts cards to post here, I thought I would push the Orioles theme and post one of the only certified Hall of Famer autographs that I still have in my collection. I have started Cakes collections several times in my life. The dude had an amazing career and he did it all in orange and that type of loyalty still means something to me... Anyway, I don't think I have ever posted this little gem before and this seemed like the place to do it. It isn't up here as trade bait, although I would consider the right offer, but the right offer for me would involve a certified auto of Steve Carlton, Larry Doby, Buck O'Neill, Ray Dandridge or Willie Stargell... The card comes from the 2003 Donruss Signature Series, the Century Legends of Summer subset. The card is number LS-20 in that set. Anyway, the card uses the space well with a shot of Cakes in delivery with a nicely framed sticker autograph to his side. The card is numbered 082/100 on the back. Brian Roberts cards will return soon, hope no one objects to a little Jim Palmer every now and then... While you are here, PLEASE cast a vote for the top second baseman, okay?

Bearded B-Rob From My Bearded Buddy…

Last week I received a pretty big and pretty amazing package from everyone’s favorite bearded blogger, Beardy from Mojo and Beardy’s Fantastic Card Blog. They are currently running a contest which involves bloggers trying to rap. It is awesome and amazing and must be checked out. Anyway, I will post the total package shortly, but I wanted to tease it by making one of the cards the Brian Roberts Card of the Day. It is card #8 from 2008 Upper Deck Spectrum. It aint your standard garden variety Spectrum, oh no, this is the real deal, serial numbered 230/399 and all. The best part is that its bright and foily and has the perfect orange background that an Orioles card should have. Beardy is pretty much the ultimate Orioles collector and my little collection will never come close to rivaling his, but I certainly don’t mind scooping up his leftovers. The back of the card shows a further connection between the Bearded One and the O’s second baseman… Look close, is that a beard??? Thanks for reading and a huge thanks to Beardy! Please vote for best second baseman of All Time while you are here. Check out my other blog, the Collective Troll for the full Bearded Trade Post coming soon! With all of the generous bloggers out there spoiling me with Roberts cards, laziness is the only thing standing between a different card being posted here every day this season. I think I can do it!

Tuesday, March 30, 2010

The Brian Roberts Card of the Day-Plus Are There Any Other B-Rob Card Collectors Out There?

Welcome to the Brian Roberts card of the day! Today's card is from 2008 Topps Finest, card #29 the uber-shiny refractor version. I don't know why I love refractors so much, but I do... I had just got back into the hobby in 1993 when Topps released the Finest Refractors for the first time. I was completely wowed back then and I still love them. They scan so nice and look so cool. I hate trapping refractors in my player binders-I prefer to let them be free in top-loaders so they can move around and do what they do best-refract! I thought the back of the card in 2008 was a big bust. I love me some trivia, but I prefer the Finest Moment or at least something relevant to the player. This trivia question asks "Which team holds the record for consecutive losses?" I answered to myself and I was wrong. I will give you the answer at the end of this post. I am slowly sorting and scanning my Brian Roberts cards. I am also adding to the collection pretty quickly. Dude has ALOT of cards. As I add to my collection, I am gaining dupes. I am looking for other Roberts collectors that I can trade with. I don't have anything real fancy or high-end, but I have a couple of duplicate refractors and a couple of extra relic cards that I would like to trade for B-Rob cards that I still need. If you are a Roberts collector, please get in touch with me! My email addy is bacontowne at yahoo dot com. Oh, and the answer to the trivia question is the 1961 Phillies who dropped 23 games in a row. Thanx for reading...

Sunday, March 28, 2010

The Brian Roberts Card of the Day



This Saturday Brian Roberts played in his first game this spring. He has been hampered with back problems. How did he do? He struck out in each of his three at bats. This is a good thing though because he was able to swing without pain. He says that he will be ready for Opening Day against the Tampa Bay Rays. He will remain the Orioles lead-off hitter. The Card of the Day today comes from 2007 Fleer Ultra which looks alot like 1987 Fleer. The insert series is called Feel the Game and it has a white jersey swatch on it. It reminds me of one of my favorite books to read to my sons called "Pat The Cat" where you could feel something that felt like cat fur. Pat the Cat, Feel the Game, it's all the same. I will update my Roberts list one of these days, but for now I want to thank My Past Time...I Love It! for sharing this great relic card of Brian Roberts with me. I have my tickets already and I can't wait till opening day!

Friday, March 26, 2010

Brian Roberts Cards is Back!!!

When I started a 3rd blog a lot of people thought I was over extending myself. Well, it turns out they were correct... I have not had the time to do all of my normal responsibilies and post on 3 different blogs. I am sorry. I had big plans for this blog during the spring. I had planned on covering the Orioles in spring training, posting a ton of pictures, chatting with B-Rob on a regular basis... None of that happened. Sarasota is literally one town away from where I live, but without a car it might as well be 1,000 miles. I never made it to camp or to a game and I never spoke with Brian Roberts. I probably could have found a way over there, but I never got my press credentials approved through the Orioles. That really upset me because not only did I play in their organization, I worked for the team for two years... Oh well. I am still a Brian Roberts fan and I still want to make this blog happen. Obviously I would like to post everyday here, but considering this is only my second post this month, I won't make any promises to do that. I will promise to maintain this blog throughout the season however. I will promise to post on at least a weekly basis, sum up Roberts week and his stats on a weekly basis. I will also post more cards, one at a time, front and back, as I get more. Right now I have plenty enough cards to post every other day for a while... Kevin from the Orioles Card "O" The Day sent me some, so did Stale Gum and I still have more to post from Cards on Cards. Today I got one of the most amazing packages I have ever received from legendary trader Alredo "Wicked" Ortega of the My Past Time... I Love It! blog. I am going to need to use all 3 blogs and about a weeks worth of posting to show off all of the gems he sent... I don't have any scanned for posting tonight, so I must ask you all to stay tuned. The Brian Roberts Card of the Day will return, in fact I will probably scedule one card per day until Opening Day as a countdown. There is some really good stuff here, too, so please stay tuned! I will probably put a contest up here pretty soon plus, like my other blogs, I will post a "Greatest ____ of All Time" poll. Till then...

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

3 Posts in One AKA 9 New Orioles Cards from 4 Different Sources...

I have realized that working 2 jobs, volunteering, doing roller derby and having a family doesn’t leave a ton of time to maintain 3 blogs, but I am determined to make this work. More now than ever that I realize that people are reading. This post is going to be 3 posts rolled into one and it will probably stay up for at least 3 days. Rather than post three different 3 from 3s, here are 9 new cards, all of Orioles, some of them named Brian Roberts. My B-Rob collection has reached 80 cards (I need to update my list); my Nick Markakis collection is now filling 2 pages with another 6 pages full of random Orioles. We will start with proof that people read this thing. Two weeks ago I posted a Roberts card from 2002 and complained that I didn’t have any Roberts’s rookie cards, cards from 2001. Within a week that problem was solved. Texas Brian from the ever amazing Play at the Plate blog had a package of 2010 Topps coming for me (I will update that list soon, too) and as is typical for him, he included some SWEET extras. One of them is this 2001 Donruss Signature Series foil card. It says “Rookie” on the side of the card, but card companies throw that tag around so often when it isn’t the case. This however is the REAL DEAL. It is numbered 0473/800 on the back. The other bonuses were Rays cards which will find their way up on the Collective Troll in due time. The next 3 cards all came from the same person, the ever generous and super awesome Ed from Roll out the Barrel. Ed and I swap packages about every three weeks and his never disappoint. He also sent me a slew of 2010 Topps and inserts for my set chase, PLUS some Brian The first one is for my set, the “When They Were Young” series anyway. I think I have one of these for the PC on its way. The card shows Roberts batting right-handed as a youngster in North Carolina. He was wearing #1 then, he still wears it now. The next card from RotB is #64 from the 2009 Upper Deck SP Authentic set. The back of the card mentions Roberts going 3-4 on opening day as the Orioles beat the Yankees 10-5. The final B-Rob card from Ed is an insert from 2007 SP Authentic. The Authentic Speed subset. This chronicles base stealers and Roberts had swiped 36 bags the year prior. Switching gears from current to a little while ago… This next card came from Sean at Condition Poor, it is a 2010 SlangKo Sportscard Co. of former Orioles centerfielder Paul Blair. Blair spent 13 seasons in Baltimore, won 2 Worlds Championships with them, went to 2 All Star games, paced the AL in triples and won 8 Gold Gloves. This card showcases the last feat. Only 7 other outfielders have won more Gold Gloves than Blair.
The next card is a SlangKo, too. From a less colorful series, but awesome nonetheless. I have decided it would look much better with an autograph across the front and that is what I have planned for it. It is of Orioles star right fielder Nick Markakis. I don’t collect Nick, but he and Adam Jones are both exceptionally complete outfielders and might get my All Star vote again this year. The next 3 cards come from a first time trader, a reader from Colorado named Lou. Colorado Lou if you please. Lou isn’t a Rockies fan, a Cards fan rather. I explained to him that all of my Cards go to Cards on Cards, but he sent me some cards anyway. Two more Markakii. These could be available for trading if you have similar Roberts or Rays cards. The first is from 2008 Allen and Ginter. The Dick Perez sketch card that says 1/1 on the front, but isn’t really a 1/1. It still looks rad. It would however look much more rad with a nice sharpie signature across the front. I will have to get cracking on that. The second card from Lou and 3rd new Markakis comes from 2009 Finest, card #21, a blue refractor. The card is serial numbered 152/399. The Finest Trivia question is: Who is the only AL player with SBs in one World Series championship game? The answer of course is BJ Upton. The final card from Colorado Lou shifts us back to the man for him this blog is dedicated to, Mr. Brian Roberts. It is from 2007 SPX and is die-cut into a little bit of an X. It is card #2 in the set. Okay, that is it, 3 posts in one. 9 new Orioles cards from 4 different awesome sources. Thanks to Sean, Brian, Ed and Lou!!! On a set building note, I have packages from these 4 fine folks, plus Dog Faced Gremlin, Baseball Dad, Cardboard Junkie, Cards on Cards and Largo Frank-all of which contain 2010 Topps base and inserts. I plan on posting the hits on the Troll and updated my needs and trade lists very soon. Go Roberts! Leading off and heading out…

Friday, February 19, 2010

The Roberts PC is up to 70 Cards-Fresh Stuff from Wicked Ortega

I have yet to see B-Rob in camp, but I will be out there again on Wednesday, camera in hand. For now you will have to settle for pictures of him on baseball cards. At least they are awesome looking cards... These all came from the greatest trader in the world, Wicked Ortega from the My Past Time...I Love It! Blog. He sent a TON of cool stuff covering every faction of my collection, but these are the Roberts cards. The one on top is from 2009 Topps Chrome. Wicked had sent me a regular refractor of this card a while back, now I have the blue version to go with it. This one is numbered 168/199. For the record, I LOVE these blue refractors. Its like 2003 all over again. This next one is from 2009 SP Legendary Cuts, card #1 of #1. Awesome. The third and final Roberts card comes from 2006 SP Authentic and the Baseball Heroes subset. It is number SPAH-69 in the set. The company he is sharing looks a bit odd, but I guess second baseman don't have the longest shelf life. I do think that the Baseball Heroes Card would look better like this. This brings me up to 70 cards in my Roberts collection! Woo hoo! Thanks for everything Wicked! You rule! Leading off over and out!

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Spring Training

Pitchers and catchers report tomorrow. I can not wait! Matt Wieters, Chris Tillman and David Hernandez will all be neighbors for the next six weeks. I will try and make it out there on Friday and then again on Monday. Next week all position players will have arrived. This will be the official HQ for all Orioles pictures. I will show Pirates pics on the Troll... Stay tuned! Oh don't forget, there WILL be a contest here soon. It will be open ONLY to the first 25 followers of this blog. Just saying... Vote Brian Roberts and Jason Bartlett All Star middle infield for the American League!

Monday, February 15, 2010

The Brian Roberts Card of the Day

I think I finally have all of my Brian Roberts cards sorted out, well almost. I know I still have a few more relics and fancy cards in screw-down holders SOMEWHERE in the house, but I have nearly everything documented on the lists on the side bar. As it stands I have 67 different Roberts cards. Not bad I think. Initially I asked for a couple cards, so I could have something to get signed if I ever ran into him again. Then, I decided that I wanted a relic. Then, once I had a jersey relic, I wanted a bat relic. Basically I got a little greedy and the whole thing snowballed and now I have more cards of Roberts than anyone except Danny Tartabull, Carl Crawford, BJ Upton (who I still don’t collect) and Scott Kazmir. I have twice as many Roberts cards as I have Gomes cards and 6 times more than Bartlett and 12 times more than Zobrist. Now that I know I have 67, naturally I want to hit 100. Another thing that I realized is that I do NOT have a Roberts rookie card. I have 2 cards from 2002 of Roberts, which I thought MIGHT have been his rookie, but he definitely has cards in the 2001 set. I will show off my oldest Roberts card as the Leading Off Card of the Day (or week depending on how lazy I get). This one came from Paul from the Carl Crawford Cards blog, which was the inspiration for the address of this one (brianrobertscards). The week prior to Christmas 2009 Paul sent me an awesome slabbed and graded Carl Crawford autograph from Just Minors. You can read that original post HERE from the Collective Troll. I immediately posted the CC auto, but didn’t mention the other card in that package, a 2002 Upper Deck Brian Roberts, card #3. I love the design of the 2002 set. I have lucked out and received a number of these cards the last few months-mainly from Tampa Bay Sports Wasteland, Cards on Cards and Cobb and Halladay. It might be my favorite Upper Deck set of the 2000s. I hadn’t really thought much about this card since I received it. It went right into the B-Rob binder and has sat quietly there ever since. The card has the Star Rookie imprint on it, which means nothing as there are Roberts cards from 2007 which call him a rookie, but I still thought it may have been a RC. The picture shows Roberts batting from the left side and taking off towards first after making contact. The focus is a little bit weak and Roberts dark jersey doesn’t stand out at all against the dark background. It is actually not a great looking card at all. That also made me think it might have been his rookie. Rookie cards are almost always hideously ugly. The back of the card recycles the same image from the front and shows Roberts numbers from his 2001 call-up when he jumped from AA to AAA and eventually the majors. He managed 273 at-bats for the Orioles in 2001 and batted .253 with 17 RBI. He stole 12 bases for the Orioles and totaled 45 for the year between the 3 teams. The back of the card says “Roberts joined Baltimore in mid-May and showed superb ability on offense. In July he batted .294 with 9 RBI, 11 runs and four steals. He clubbed his first Major League homer on 7/25/01. Awesome! This card stands as my oldest Roberts card and therefore is among my favorites. I WOULD like to add at least one rookie card to the mix though, so get in touch if you have one to spare… Thanks for the great card Paul! Thanks for reading, go Roberts!