Thanks Kirk!

I recently completed a trade with Kirk, a fellow Orioles autograph collector who is behind Eutaw Street Cardboard. Here is my haul...

Not the most exciting autographed card ever of Robbie, but definitely an upgrade over my logos-removed Nabisco autographed card from the early '90s.

This card, with it's imperfect autograph, and rather boring posed shot, is almost perfect for my collection based on my feelings about Frank. You can click on my link above to find out how I feel. And if you clink the link to Kirk's site at the top, you can check out his side of the trade.

VLAD!

 

Always the source for your breaking Orioles news, I'm happy to say that the O's signed Vladimir Guerrero to a one year deal last Friday. And I couldn't be more excited; well, maybe if it had happened the first time they tried to sign him back in 2004, but I'm still really jacked up about this move. I literally freaked out when I heard about it. I can't wait to get my Vladdy jersey.

Vlad has long been one of my favorite non-Orioles. I had the pleasure of watching him tear up the AA Eastern League with the Harrisburg Senators back in 1996 and he signed the cards in this post for me at games over the course of that season. My dad tried to dig up a picture of me and Vlad, but he doesn't think we still have them, if we ever did. One thing I still remember is trying to speak with him using some of my middle-school level Spanish since he didn't really speak any English back then. I don't think I made much sense, but I recall that he seemed to appreciate my attempt.

As you might have noticed or already known, I've had Vladdy's name on the left hand sidebar of the site under the "Who We Collect" tab for some time now. I've never made a concentrated effort to collect his cards, but will happily trade for some if anyone has some that they are looking to get rid of.

The addition of Vlad really makes the 2011 Orioles lineup look formidable on paper. Not only will I love watching him hit, and occasionally unload his cannon from the outfield in the few games he might play out there, but he might be the one to push the team over the .500 mark this season for the first time in 13 seasons. I'm a relatively realistic fan, if not slightly too optimistic, so I'm not predicting playoffs, but I think the team can at least go 82-80 this year.

  

I traded with Josh over at Dodgerbobble to add this cool Angels Silver Slugger bobblehead of Vlad. The pinetar on the helmet is the best part and very accurate.


Whether or not Vlad is the one to push the franchise over the perennial losers hump, I know that I will enjoy seeing a former Oriole-killer in the lineup. In 2009, Vlad literally got a base hit against the O's on a ball that bounced in the dirt before reaching home plate. Literally. He's on pace to be the best bad ball hitter in Orioles history and hasn't even suited up for a game yet. Now if the Birds can add Pujols in 2012...

Orioles Hall of Fame Week- Frank Robinson

Frank Robinson might be the best all-around player to ever wear the Orioles uniform, but to me, he will always be the jerk who refused to sign a sheet of paper for me at a Minor League baseball game when I was about 8 years old. I'm not a big fan of the man nor of the autographed card of his that's currently in my collection.

It's a certified autograph and all, but it's not an Orioles card per se, so I would like to upgrade it one day. I just have a hard time justifying paying a lot of money for the autograph of a player I don't care for.

Now here's my story. I know that some of you might feel like I should get over the snub and appreciate how great Frank was during his six seasons in Baltimore. Honestly, Frank's playing career was finished six years before I was even born, so while I appreciate and enjoy the World Series Championships that he helped to bring to Baltimore in 1966 & 1970, my only personal experience with him was decidedly negative.

I was at a AA Harrisburg Senators game with my dad sometime during the summer of 1991. There were normally scouts at the games, but the O's must have been off that day, because we spotted their current manager at the game. It was none other than Frank Robinson!

I didn't really do the autograph thing way back then, I was generally too shy, but this was a Hall of Famer. Now I don't remember their being too many more than 500 people at the game because it was really hot and we seemed to be the only two who knew Frank was sitting in the stands. He was wearing a large sun bonnet-sombrero type hat to try to hide his face a bit, but we spotted him anyway. The only thing I had to get signed was the autograph page in the Senators' program but luckily the souvenir stand sold sharpies. I waited until between innings and walked over to Frank and quietly asked if he would sign my paper. "No". And that was that. The other guys he was sitting with, including the O's GM at the time, Roland Hemond, kindly signed my paper, but it was no consolation. Frank had refused my request and I dejectedly went back to my seat and told my dad that he refused to sign. I think my dad considered asking Frank to step outside to teach him some etiquette and/or manners. Now my dad isn't the violent type, so you know he had to be pissed.

About twenty years later, that is still what I think of when I think about Frank, and I probably always will. He's one of my least favorite Orioles because of that and maybe I'd feel different if I was around for his playing days, but I wasn't. As Night Owl commented in my post about Brooks Robinson, his brother had a negative experience with Brooks and it's stuck with him over the years. While that seems to have been uncommon considering Brooksie's typically pleasant demeanor, Frank has a reputation as a curmudgeon. And I'm here to tell you it's true, at least in my experience with him.

If you want to read about Frank's career you can go here or here. Apparently he was pretty good.

 

Don't forget to enter my contest. Tomorrow is your last chance to win a certified autograph of Earl Weaver.

Orioles Hall of Fame Week- Cal Ripken Jr.

One reason that I think I have held off on profiling many of the big-name Orioles Hall of Famers is that I don't feel qualified to write about them. I can blog about the Ramon Nivars and Barry Shetrones of the Orioles past all day and feel like I've done a good job, but trying to summarize Cal Ripken Jr. and what he has meant to me and my love of baseball is a whole different monster.

I was born in 1982 and my love of baseball really started to take shape in the late '80s as I was playing tee-ball and later little league. At that time, I honestly felt like I would make it to the Major Leagues. That obviously never happened, not even close, and I had actually stopped playing by the age of 13 or so, but my love of baseball remains to this day. It's my #1 favorite sport by far; I spend a good part of every day thinking, breathing and day-dreaming about baseball. And if you asked me which one player pops into my head at any given time, it would be Cal.

Now I know that most '92 Fleer cards wouldn't be your first choice to get signed, but I love that this card has the date that the streak started and 2130 on it. Outside of any possible Orioles' World Series Championships in the coming years, I don't think anything can rival "The Streak" and 2131 in my baseball memory hierarchy. Seeing video clips of that game gets to me even to this day. The lead up to 2131 was so amazing. Could Cal stay healthy? Would it benefit the team if he took a day off now and then? How would he handle the pressure?

Well, the "Iron Man" obviously passed Lou Gehrig's record of 2130 consecutive games played and extended the record to 2632 straight games played. My dad took me to a bunch of games in the lead up to 2130 & 2131 and we watched the numbers change of the warehouse count up towards those magical numbers. He tried to find tickets to those two games but the cost was astronomical, I think in the thousands. It just wasn't gonna happen, but I appreciate that he tried so hard. Honestly, it was pretty awesome to see it on TV. I didn't know her back then, but my fiance, Kalina, was lucky enough to have some family friends that took her to 2131. She was standing in line for her "I Was There" t-shirt when Cal homered. Cool stuff, and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little jealous, but I am glad that one of us got to be there for it. I was lucky enough to have been at the final game of Cal's career on October 6, 2001.

Kalina gave me this awesome card. 

It didn't scan well because it's in a screw-down case and I was too lazy to take it out for the scan.

Most of you know that Cal was the 1982 AL ROY, won the AL MVP in 1983 & '91, caught the final out in the O's '83 World Series victory, made 19 All-Star teams, won 2 Gold Gloves, 8 Silver Sluggers, was the All-Star Game MVP in 1991 & 2001, and won the '91 Home Run Derby. He has won countless other awards and honors over his illustrious career, too many to list.

Cal's #8 was retired by the O's in 2001 and he was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2007, his first year of eligibility. Thanks for everything Cal!

I have to plug my HOF week contest. Some of you have been earning a bunch of bonus entries. I won't comment on how you can earn them, but there are some clues in previous posts.

Orioles Hall of Fame Week- Brooks Robinson

 

The "Human Vacuum Cleaner" might be the most iconic Oriole in the team's 57 year history. Brooks is regarded as one of the best third-baseman ever to play the game, as his 16 consecutive Gold Gloves attest.  He played with only the O's over his 23 season MLB career from 1955-77 and is absolutely beloved around the city of Baltimore. It's pretty common to run into people who were named in honor of him around the city. I've had the chance to meet Brooks a few times over the years and the man will sign anything and everything for anyone. His autograph has to be one of the cheapest HOF signatures to find because he has signed so many items over the years. I got this card signed, along with a few others, years ago when Brooks appeared at a local car dealership. I was still a kid and it was pretty awesome to have a few minutes of one-on-one time with a Hall of Famer.

Brooks received many honors and accolades over his outstanding career, highlighted by winning the 1964 MVP award and being a key part of the 1966 & 1970 Orioles World Series Championships. He was also a 15 time All-Star (in consecutive seasons from 1960-74), and received MVP votes in 11 additional seasons, including four top five finishes.

Brooks was elected into the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility in 1983. His number 5 was retired by the Orioles at the end of his final season. He is currently part of a Minor League baseball investment group that owns four teams in the Independent Atlantic League. My "local" Atlantic League team is the York Revolution, one of those teams, and the plaza outside the stadium is named in his honor.

Before wrapping up this post, I wanted to make sure to remind everyone about my contest. It ends on Sunday, and some people have already been earning bonus entries, so check my past few posts to see how you can too! Remember to stay involved. Good luck everyone!