Aroldis Chapman Bobblehead

I recently purchased this bobblehead of former Reds closer Aroldis Chapman. This makes the 35th bobblehead in my collection and my first Coca-Cola sponsored nodder. There were 25,000 of these nodders that were distributed to fans on June 4, 2014 when the Reds hosted the Giants. For those interested, Cincinnati lost to San Francisco 3-2.

I'll admit that it's tough seeing the "Cuban Missile" in blue pinstripes. Every time I saw Chapman pitch for the Reds I was enthralled with the speed of each pitch and the radar gun registering triple digits. When the club dealt Chapman to the Yankees last off season it was a tough pill to swallow, especially since it appeared then didn't get much for him. But I learned to live with it since he was in the American League and my Reds didn't have to face him on a regular basis. You can imagine my disappointment when it was announced in the middle of the season when it was announced that the Cubs had acquired him from New York. It's not that I dislike Chapman, it's that I dislike the idea of having the Reds face their former flamethrower. Now that the regular season has wrapped up and the post season begins tonight I will be rooting for the Cubs to win the World Series. Going more than 100 years without a championship is rough for any team. Once the post season is over, I'll be hoping that Chapman finds his way back to the American League where he won't pitch against Cincinnati as much.

My first trifecta!

Yesterday I received a package in the mail that I had anxiously been waiting for the past few days. Inside was this beauty. I had always wanted a Chapman autograph and now I have one. For $10 shipped, I couldn't pass on this card. Sorry about the poor excuse of a scan...I forgot to take the card out of the top loader. This card completes my first Cincinnati Reds Trifecta. Although this autograph is considered a rookie, I went with a 2011 eTopps that you can see here. The 2012 Bowman Chrome printing plate that you see here rounds out the trio. Now I just need to pick up an ultra pro 3 card screw down to display them all together.

Calling Their Bluff

I'll be honest, I'm not too thrilled with the Reds chances of advancing in this year's playoffs. In fact, I think it would probably take divine intervention for them to make it past Pittsburg in the Wild Card game this coming Wednesday. I just haven't gotten the vibe from this team that I did the past few years. Perhaps I'm just being cynical, but probably not. So, I'm not betting on a Reds World Championship this year. I will say that I'm glad I picked up these Topps Chipz from sportlots last week. I was able to grab all four Reds chips for 50 cents a piece. I'm starting to appreciate the oddball stuff that Topps releases and perhaps I'll even go after the Joey Votto Big League mini that Topps released earlier this year.

My First eTopps Card

A few weeks ago I decided to start searching for an Aroldis Chapman rookie for my trifecta that I'm currently in the process of completing. I took a look at all that Topps had to offer with their Bowman sets as well as their high end products and then I stumbled upon this. I had never purchased an eTopps card before and I knew that Topps had shuttered the program last year. I knew that if I took the plunge on this card that I would purchase it from someone who already had it in hand as compared to buying it from someone's portfolio since the shipping rates are astronomical. Numbers to 999, I decided to bite and I'm glad I did. This is truly an amazing card. I don't think I'll free him from his plastic prison, although I have been tempted. While I probably won't chase all the Reds eTopps cards, there are a few that I'm most certainly pick up sometime soon. Now that I have a printing plate and a rookie card, I just need an  autograph to complete my Chapman Trifecta.

Give him the heater!

I love "Major League" and that quote seemed fitting for this particular post. I finally picked up my first printing plate a few weeks ago, and it's a doozy if you're a red's fan! Behold, an Aroldis Chapman 2012 Bowman Chrome yellow printing plate. I've decided to persue a trifecta (rookie card, autograph, and 1/1) for the Cuban Missle. Back to the printing plate. I was thrilled that I could pick this up for a little less than the price of a blaster. I'm in the process of grabbing an amazing rookie card to boot. I'm still trying to find the perfect autograph card, but I'm hopeful to have this completed before the end of the year.

Wipeout!

I knocked out another of my 2012 Card Collecting goals today with the completions of my 2012 Topps Reds team set. Even though it was the the easiest on the list to knock out, it's still a great feeling to know that it's one less thing to worry about in terms of my collection. As I mentioned before in previous posts...I'm not a fan of this design. 2011 Topps "I Love"...2012 Topps "I Barf"!!! I can't stand the surfboard design. I will say that I'm looking forward to next years set since I think the design is a home run for Topps (not a grand slam, just a home run). Anyway, I'm keeping my fingers crossed today that the Reds can pull out a victory against the Giants to move on to the National League Championship Series, but with the offense being as anemic as it has the past two games I'm not holding my breath.