Adam Dunn Bobblehead

A few weeks ago I was able to grab an Adam Dunn bobblehead on ebay for the price of a blaster. I've been trying to get one of these for some time but the cheapest one I found was listed at $35 and that was a little too much for my taste. The Reds gave away 20,000 of these nodders on August 10, 2002, slightly less than the 30,000 that are given away in more recent years. The Reds pummeled the Padres for a 9-0 victory that evening, in case you're interested. With the addition of Dunn, my collection of Reds bobbleheads now stands at 33!

TTM: Bob Borkowski

Although this is a Reds blog, did you know that Bob Borkowski played on the 1955 Brooklyn Dodgers Championship team? Now you know.

TTM: Nick Esasky

Did you know that Nick Esasky was part of the trade that brought Todd Benzinger to the Reds in 1989? Esasky spent six of his eight years in the majors with Cincinnati.

TTM: Gerry Arrigo

Did you know that Gerry Arrigo threw two one-hitters during his mlb career?

TTM: Tim Belcher

Did you know that Tim Belcher was part of the trade that sent Eric Davis to the Dodgers in 1991?

TTM: Charlie Rabe

Did you know that Charlie Rabe went to Waxahachie High School? It's in Texas, in case you were wondering.

TTM: Bob Boone

Did you know that Bob Boone had two sons that both played for the Reds (Aaron and Bret)? Did you also know that Bob is a descendant of Daniel Boone?

TTM: Dann Bilardello

Did you know that Dann Bilardello made his major league debut with the Reds on April 11, 1983? Did you also know that he also led the Batavia Muckdogs to the Pinckney Division Championship in 2010, his first year as manager of the team?

TTM: Ed Erautt

Did you know that Ed Erautt spent 7 years pitching in the majors...six of those were with Cincinnati.

TTM: Erik Hanson

Did you know that in 1999 Erik Hanson donated more than $300,000 to his high school alma mater so that they could renovate their field house? Very nice thing to do, in my opinion.

TTM: Rawly Eastwick

A member of the Cincinnati Reds back-to-back World Series Championships in 1975 and 1976, Rawly Eastwick was also the first National League pitcher to win the National League Fireman of the Year Award (later to be changed to the Rolaids Relief Man Award) in 1976.

2013 Topps

While every single baseball card blog has already written everything there is to the 2013 Topps base set, I have done no such thing until now. Better late than never, right? Here are a few pros and cons about this year's design. Please remember that the views expressed do not necessarily represent those of other cardboard bloggers or their subsidiaries and are the sole views of the Reds Baseball Card Collector. The pros: crisp clean design with the white border and baseball diamond/outfield incorporated into the design, great photography-probably the best I've seen in years from Topps, a nice addition to the back with the "Chasing History" stat, and a manageable size set at 330 cards. Cons: short prints, short prints, short prints!!! I'm starting to get burned out on the short print concepts from Topps when it comes to their flagship set. Ginter and Gypsy Queen I could see and even Heritage, though that might be a stretch. But in my humble opinion, short prints DO NOT belong in the flagship brand. Period. As a team collector I had to get not one, but two for my team set this year, and that's only for series one! Who knows what dastardly SPs await me for series two and the update set! Personally, Topps should have used the outstanding photos that were used in their "Out of Bounds" SPs for the standard player cards. The reason I've stuck with the flagship brand from Topps for as long as I have is due to the simple fact that it's always been affordable to put together a team set for about five bucks. So far this year it's cost me twenty nine dollars (three quarters of which belong to acquiring the short prints of Jay Bruce and Todd Frazier). Am I the only one who's rose colored glasses are starting to shatter at the thought of what the flagship has morphed into?

TTM: Aaron Harang

My favorite Reds pitcher in the 2000s and an all around classy guy. I admire the fact that Aaron Harang started Aaron's Aces at Great American Ballpark. If you're not familiar with the concept, the program honors local military families with an opportunity to get free tickets to a sunday ballgame. With Harang no longer being on the Cincinnati roster, Jay Bruce has taken up the torch to carry on this magnificent program.

Jonny Gomes Bobblehead

Last week I picked up another bobblehead off of eBay to add to my growing collection and, in my opinion, I think it's one of the best the Reds have given out. The Gomes bobblehead was given out on July 23, 2011 when the Reds faced the Braves. Cincinnati won that game 11-2 (if you want to call it a game). What's awkward about this giveaway was that within three days of being featured on a bobblehead, Gomes was sent packing to the Nationals.

I Wonder...

 There are times when I look at someone's collection and wonder if that will be me in twenty years. For my sake I hope not. I like this hobby and I enjoy collecting but not at the expense of taking it to the extreme. I'm slowly working on a man cave, a place I can go in my home to watch a game, shoot a game of pool and just relax. However, when I see something like this I have to ask myself how someone could possible enjoy a space like that when it's crammed from floor to ceiling with stuff. Maybe I'm being a bit critical, but I feel that there's a point when someone's collection reaches critical mass and crosses the line to obscene.

TTM: Kevin Mitchell

Before Barry Bonds landed in San Francisco....they had Kevin Mitchell! Sure, I know it's a Reds blog, but even I should be allowed to stray from the line every now and then. If you don't know...read about the urban legend of Mitchell during the 1986 Mets season and his then live-in-girlfriend's cat.

TTM: Billy Hatcher

Did you know that Billy Hatcher hit .750 in the 1990 World Series? Still a record to this date!

TTM: John Franco

Did you know that John Franco holds the National League record for career games pitched at 1,119? Now you do.