Hey, there's a contest!

There's a bracket contest going on over at The Great Orioles Autograph Project. Check it out to win some great stuff!

2000 Topps

Ok, so it's not white... but it is silver! It's also the first year card that Griffey is in a Reds uniform. Sure, things didn't quite pan out the way they should have when he left Seattle to come home to Cincinnati, but we were lucky enough to have one of the games greatest players grace us with his presence for a little while when he wasn't on the DL. Topps did a decent job with this set. I like the photography they used for both the front and back of the cards. The team logo and player's name at the bottom of the card, along with the team color that's used as an accent is a nice touch. Out of all the cards in the 2000 Topps set, my favorite would have to be the Griffey. Sure, I might be biased, but I love the way he's about to snag a fly ball over his shoulder Willie Mays style. Very cool!

1984 Topps

So I decided to do a little housekeeping today to see what Topps sets I've already written a review for and found out that there was only one 1980s set remaining on my review list...so here it is. I like the 1984 Topps set. Maybe because it looks similar to the 1983 and 1963 Topps sets with the big action photo and tiny photo on the bottom front of the card. Again, white borders, as with most Topps sets and a nice blue color used on the background of the back of the card. I also like how they put the team logo on the back of the card as well. Nice touch. While the 1984 Topps set isn't on the same grade as the 1984 Donruss set, it's no red-headed step child either. But at least in 1984 we saw a glimpse of the competition yet to come in the late 1980s.

I just bought me a ballpark!

Well, a little replica of one anyway. One of the things I miss about living in Cincinnati is the fact that whenever there's a giveaway at the ballpark, the only way for me to pick it up is to either get a ticket to the game and drive four hours down I-71 or go to ebay and buy it from someone else. Option one I only use sparingly if it's a game I really want to see since I limit myself to going to watch a game at a ballpark only a couple of times a year. I was very happy to finally snag this on ebay over the weekend since I've always wanted to add this to my memorabilia collection. I still have a few bobbleheads and a seat from Crosley Field to pick up, but after that, it's strictly cards from that point forward. Stadium giveaways are so sweet!

1989 Topps

Gluttony! That's the first word that comes to my mind when I think about 1989. Why? Because it was the ramping up of the hobby. With the introduction of Upper Deck to the scene, things in the baseball card world would not be the same and we would be inundated with a plethora of selection from high end stock cards to inserts, short prints, game used memorabilia, to who knows what else in the years that followed. I'm a simple man and in 1989 I stuck with collecting Topps because I had done so in the past... and spending a dollar for a pack of cards from Upper Deck was a whole lot of crazy to me. I like the 89 Topps set because of a number of reasons: the white border, the curved name plate and photos, the deep colors on the card back. Overall, I think it was a big improvement over the 1988 Topps set. This was the final year for a Topps card for Pete Rose. It was also the year prior to the Reds going Wire to Wire in the 1990 season. While there are a number of Reds cards I like from this year, such as Barry Larkin and Eric Davis, the Chris Sabo card would have to be my all time favorite of this set. The way he's chucking his bat as he heads to first while tracking the ball through his signature glasses is just so sweet! It doesn't get much better than that.

Something New for the Man Cave

I'm always looking for new items to add to my man cave. Although I don't know when I'll have it completed, I'll have more than enough stuff for it when it's all said and done. In addition to displaying my Reds card collection and memorabilia, I plan on using some prints, newspapers and panoramic photos. I stumbled on this print a few days ago and I've decided to add it to the cave. It's a print by Legendary Graphics called "Evolution of the Ballpark". They have different prints to choose from so obviously I'll be snagging the Reds print. This should look sweet between the panoramic photos of Riverfront Stadium and Great American Ball Park. Sure... it's not baseball cards, but it's the next best thing.

1963 Topps

I finally finished my 1963 Topps Reds team set this past weekend. This was not an easy set to put together, but I'm happy to finally knock that off my wantlist. While most would think the Pete Rose rookie would be the most difficult card to get...not me. It was this one! Who would have thought that a Wally Post card could cause so much problems. For me it was about finding one is great condition since my mentality when collecting these older cards is to find a card I'll be happy with and not one that I'm just content having. That basically means an ex card or better, and while it does get pricey, it's well worth it for me. So now I have the complete run of Topps Reds team sets from 1963 to present. Next up... 1962 and 1961!