Random Card Series #8

Card #22173
2009 Topps Unique #61 Miguel Tejada

Did anyone like this set? I don't.

Card #19742
1987 Fleer #185 Juan Samuel

In my opinion, the one of the best Fleer designs of the 1980s.

Card #2528
2002 Topps Traded Chrome #248 Angel Guzman

I actually liked 2002 Topps but I think the front of the Chrome version clashes badly with the backs.

Card #2966
1998 Score #18 Rickey Henderson

Another uninspired 1990s Score design.

Card #8787
2002 Topps Traded Chrome #122 Mark Outlaw

I don't have too many of these 2002 Topps Traded Chrome so I'm surprised another popped up at random so soon.

Card #19312
1984 O-Pee-Chee #187 Garry Maddox

Back in the 1980s Topps licensed it's designs to O-Pee-Chee. The only differences between this and the Topps cards are the logo, the card number, some French on the back and the white card stock.

Card #8258
1991 Topps Glossy All Stars #7 Ken Griffey, Jr.

I always like the 40th anniversary logo design.

Card #25260
2011 Topps #98 Bronson Arroyo

Nice pitching form.

Card #4620
2005 Topps Heritage #326 Johnny Damon

One of my favorite Topps Heritage designs.

Card #10177
2008 Topps #217 Josh Beckett

2012 Topps - First Look

I'm sure I a little late to this party but I suppose that my opinion counts as much as anybody else's here in cyberspace.

First off, I like the design. I'm not in love with it but I like it. I think the surfboard thingy is a bit too large but it's OK. I like it better on the back of the card. No photo on the back this year but the little fingernail sized photo they put on the back last year was a waste of space.  My major beef with the design:

1. As I said the surfboard (is anyone other than the Night Owl calling it that?) is a little too large.
2. I continue to dislike silver foil on a black background, mainly because it doesn't scan well. Topps probably doesn't care about that
3. The team name on the back is almost impossible to read. Maybe it's my 60 year old eyeballs but small gold colored letters on colored backgrounds are difficult to read.

My bigger beef with Topps is with the mix of cards I got. I bought a rack pack, a hanger box and a blaster. This came to 152 base cards. How many players did I pull who are considered stars? Exactly three, Derek Jeter (2 copies of the same card), Roy Halladay (the only Phillie I pulled) and Mickey Mantle (2 of those as well). Did they save all the big names for Series 2?

At least, the photography is generally good. Here are some of my favorite cards from what I got. I'll make a post on the inserts later in the week.

The Mick

Jamile Weeks being chased by a guy in a creepy mask. Run Jamile!

A good action shot of Jeter.

Alcides looks like he's about to slide into a open manhole. Sometimes a design element gets in the way.

Pablo, the Flyin' Venezuelan.

Sorry, Jordan, there's no crying in baseball.

From Brent's Wikipedia entry "Lillibridge garnered notoriety and a significant amount of media coverage after he made two back-to-back, game-saving and game-ending defensive catches while playing right field on April 26, 2011. The catches comprised the two final outs of a game played against the New York Yankees in Yankee Stadium and resulted in the Chicago White Sox getting the victory". I suppose this is one of those catches.

"Mr. Umpire, can we discuss that last call?"

I did get three Astros. And since you can't read the last name and even I don't know who this guy is, his name is Jason Bourgeois.

Song of the Week - Living Is So Easy by British Sea Power

From their 2011 album Valhalla Dancehall.

Random Cards Series #7

Card #14891
2010 Topps Heritage #30 Jayson Nix

He was the Rockies #1 draft pick in 2001. He's with his 4th team in 4 years with a lusty batting average of .207.

Card #18033
2002 Bowman Chrome Red #40 Ivan Rodriguez

I-Rod played 12 years for the Rangers before leaving as a free agent after the 2002 season.

Card #27349
2011 Bowman #43 Derek Lowe

Although he has a career record of 166 wins against 146 loses, Lowe was 9 and 17 (leading the league in losses) for the Braves in 2011.

Card #4176
1996 Fleer Golden Memories #8 Cal Ripken

This card is from a nice insert set from 1996 Fleer.

Card #2157
2005 Donruss Team Heroes #360 Barry Larkin

12-time All-Star Larkin, retired after the 2004 season. He spent his entire 19-year career with the Reds.

Card #17028
2010 Upper Deck Supreme Green #51 Justin Upton

An insert from Upper Deck's swan song.

Card #837
1992 Ultra #137 Dean Palmer

Dean had a 13-year career with the Rangers, Royals and Tigers.

Card #26941
2011 Topps Gypsy Queen #185 Logan Morrison

The Marlin's 22nd round draft pick in 2005, he is in his 2nd season in left field.


Card #20291
1990 Donruss #251 Roger McDowell

McDowell came to the Phillies in 1989, as part of the trade which brought Lenny Dykstra to the Phillies.

Card #11249
1995 Fleer #453 Craig Biggio

The 1995 Fleer set featured 5 designs, each one a bit more strange than the last.

Movie Review - Man On A Ledge

This is a movie about, well, about a man on a ledge. Sam Worthington plays Nick Cassidy, a cop unjustly convicted of a crime. He's been sentenced to 25 years in jail, and as you might imagine, especially since he's an ex-cop, it is not pleasant. He concocts an incredibly complicated scheme to prove his innocence. Elizabeth Banks plays Lydia Mercer, police negotiator. Cassidy, from his perch 21 floors above New York City, demands that Mercer be brought in to talk to him. He figures that she will be especially motivated since her last jumper, actually jumped.

There is a lot of suspense, especially early on when we don't really know what's going on. The ledge scenes are pretty intense and were apparently actually filmed on a ledge high above the street. No actors were harmed in the making of this movie.

Ed Harris plays millionaire developer, jewelery store owner and bad guy. He's apparently somehow responsible for Cassidy going down (I mean to prison, not off the ledge). Harris has menacing growlyness down to a science and he pulls it off pretty well here.

The story develops well, easily moving from suspense (will he jump or not?) to exposition (why is his brother and his brother's girlfriend on the roof of a building across the street?) and back again.

My only real beef with the movie is the unbelievableness of the the scheme. Not only is it complicated but they seem to have thought of almost every thing that could go wrong. On top of that, it must have been expensive to have pulled off. How did Nick's family afford to do this? All that being said, the story moves along fast enough that you don't really think about these questions until after the movie is over. By then, such quibbles seem like, well, quibbles.