I Like(d) Ike.

       Ike Davis could have had it all.  Ike Davis should have had it all.  The son of a major leaguer, he was drafted in the first round by a team in New York and was fast tracked to the big leagues from moment one.  He looked good as a 23 year old rookie in 2010 and wonderful things lay ahead.  Instead, it all went horribly horribly wrong...

His sophomore year was over before it really began after he had a freak injury to his ankle during a collision with David Wright on a pop up.  The wonderful Mets medical team misdiagnosed him at least twice and he never got back on the field.  But he eventually healed and we were all looking forward to his 2012 season.  I insanely predicted big things for him.  He got off to a dreadful start, if by dreadful I mean nightmarish, and if by nightmarish I mean absolutely god-fucking-awful.  In the middle of June he was hitting a buck eighty with 6 homers.  The hitch in his swing that was supposed to be smoothed out by now was bigger than ever.  Then a funny thing happened...he got hotter than the sun.  The rest of June was a supernova and he bashed homer after homer.  He got his average up to .227 and finished with 32 dingers and 90 RBIs.  Now the question remained, which Ike was the real Ike?   Was it First Half Ike or Second Half Ike?

Sadly, we got our answer almost immediately in 2013.  Ike came out hitting a whopping .160 for the first two months and was demoted to the minors by the all star break.  All of our Mets fan dreaming of a homegrown power hitting Paul Bunyan first baseman were being dashed before our eyes.  The Mets even drafted the Next Big Thing at first in Dominic Smith in the first round. The dream was over for Ike Davis as a Met.

By spring training of 2014, the Mets had announced that he was going to be part of an unfathomable and untenable three way platoon at first with the immortal Lucas Duda and the incredibly terrible Josh Satin.  He was sadly third in a two man race.  He got into 12 games and got 30 at bats but it was obvious to anyone who has ever seen one game of baseball in their lives that Ike was on the outs with the Mets.  He did whack one last pinch hit walk off grand slam on April 5th to emphasize those saddest words of tongue and pen.  He was unceremoniously dumped on the Pittsburgh Pirates on April 18th for a middling middle reliever and the ol' player to be named. 

I collected all these Ike cards out of hope, not for profit.  I bought and traded specifically to get most of these cards and hoarded the ones I pulled.  I really had such high hopes for Ike.  I want him to do well with the Pirates, I really do.  But he is yet another in a long line of disappointments for the Mets in terms of developing power hitting prospects.  He's that girlfriend you wanted to move in with and make babies with but instead she flakes out and you just have a little pile of her shit in the corner of your apartment in a shopping bag, waiting for a day to get around to giving it back to her so you never have to see her again.

Trade With Stackhouse at Tim Wallach blog. aka Goals.

       You gotta have goals.  Long term, short term, midterm, it is always best to have something to aim for.  Not to get into deeper life lessons here, I will specifically apply this concept to a card collection.  Your collection can get out of hand real quick, both in terms of size and scope, if you don't know what you are trying to accomplish with it.  I have narrowed my collection in recent years to a very personal group of criteria.  But not everyone wants to narrow their collections down.  Some people want to expand and grow.  I respect that.  I envy that, in a way.

       There is one collector who has a vision I think we all should envy.  We all have favorite teams and players that we like to collect en masse.  This collector I am speaking of is a fan of Tim Wallach, former third baseman for the Expos and Dodgers.  He has a simple goal: collect all his cards.  And I don't mean one of each of his cards, I mean ALL his cards.  There is a fine line between madness and genius, I believe J Corey Stackhouse straddles this line perfectly. 

After finding his blog and immediately embracing his audacity, I sent him an email praising his insanity and promised him I would comb my collection for every Tim Wallach card I could find.  While I only found 14 of them, it was a nice mix of rookies and oddballs and Stackhouse reciprocated by sending me a nice selection of Mets and Saints cards:

I mean, how can you go wrong with a shiny David Wright and a vintage Gil Hodges?  Short answer: you can't.  And the hit parade continues with more shiny of Mike Pelfrey (that is a refractor, trust me) and Lucas Duda.  I really should collect the entire Mets set of those 2011 Topps Diamond cards.  They bring shiny to a whole new level.  Also here are some nouveau Gary Carters and Tom Seavers - a couple nice additions to two of my favorite players to collect (though I couldn't dream of collection all of their cards).   Plus, I love vague Mets stickers and that Panini is one I do not have.  Sweet.

Wait, there is more:

Stackhouse said he was going to come up with some of my Rookie Cup needs, but he only found one.  One is always enough if you don't have it.  There are a couple more oblong Mets inserts there that I am not sure if I have, but will go in the team book regardless.  Rounding out the package were some recent Saints cards that I did not yet have.  I didn't even know Topps did an Attax for football.  The caption on the Marques Colston insert is "Ringmaster of Offensive Circus" OK, sure.

I will now implore all my readers: please check out Stackhouse's blog.  Please search your collections and help him with his goal.  His chutzpah alone should be an inspiration to us all.  You gotta have goals, even if they are crazy.  Nothing is impossible.  Thanks, Corey!

Jaybarkerfan's Junk Part 2 - The Lots

       Yesterday, we covered a card draft held by the esteemed Jaybarkerfan's Junk on his blog.  But Wes wasn't done getting rid of his cards, oh no.  He was also offering team lots.  Lots!  My favorite.  And Mets! also my favorite.  So you can tell what a fool I am for lots of Mets.  Basically, all he wanted was the cost of shipping for them, so how could I resist (spoiler! I couldn't).  So along with my draft pickings came four jam-packed team bags full of Mets:

Also, altruistically or practically, I cannot tell which nor will I speculate, Wes was giving some lots away.  Yup, just giving them away...so because I also have an odd enjoyment of defunct teams, I grabbed his lot of free Expos, because, hey, free stuff! (what's with all the exclamation points? and parentheticals? I guess I shouldn't have had that third cup of coffee).  Before we break down the Mets, lets  take a quick look at some of those Expos...

...and we are already in a cardboard happy place.  Overly colorful Larry Walker rookies, dust-flying plays at the plate, those sharp mid 90's Expos unis, fabulous early 80's record breakers, and Mike Fitzgerald, one of the four quarters the Mets gave the Expos for their Gary Carter dollar.
I love players on odd teams; everyone remembers the Mark Langston trade because it had Randy Johnson in it, but few recall that a) it even involved the Expos or b) Langston was only in Montreal for half a season.
One can criticize Milton Bradly for his shitty attitude all they want, but no one can deny his awesome name.  He'd just be an ordinary malcontent if he was Robert Jones, but instead, he was a colorfully named malcontent.
Last, but not least, is Woody Fryman.  I always enjoyed Woody's cards as a kid because he looked 150 years old on them, even when he was 35.  Now, Woody is 42-43 in that picture there, and sadly, looks younger than I do now at 37.  Oh the ravages of time.  Of course, Woody is now dead and so are the Expos, but they will both live forever on cardboard.  

OK, lets break down that Mets lot.  Yes, there was a bunch of junk wax in there, I didn't expect anything less.  When one is dealing with lots, especially team lots, you know that 12th 1987 Topps Keith Hernandez All Star card is waiting for you.  But there were plenty of gems as well. 

I can never pass up Mike Piazza cards.  Ever.  I always loved that 1998 Finest card, his white uniform just pops out from the dull silver background.  I didn't have that 2002 Ultra short print, I only have the gold medallion version, so now we've got new cards...yay!
As you may have read earlier, my brother and I went to Jackie Robinson Day in Philly last weekend.  Since all the players were wearing #42, the Mo Vaughn jokes came fast and furious.  My favorite: "Are those Mo's old jerseys?"  "No, they saved three or four of them and sewed all of today's jerseys out of them..."
My other favorite card on that page is Don Schulze.  Why?  Well, in 1987 the Mets pitching staff was the walking wounded.  Everybody got hurt one way or another. My brother and I went to a game in early August expecting to see Sid Fernandez pitch but instead, we got Don Schulze (they never said what El Sid's injury was, but we are pretty sure it had to do with the buffet).  And he got brutalized.  And for the last 25 years, Don Schulze has been a punchline in our family.  Sadly, that was Don's last appearance in a Met uniform, yet he got himself a 1988 Topps card, so he's got that going for him.

Look! Nolan Ryan cards!  In a Mets uniform! (more exclamation points? really?)

I have often said that I have more cards of Nolan Ryan in a cowboy hat than a Mets uniform.  While that joke is not quite as accurate the last few years with all the faux-vintage cards around, the 1991 Pacific Nolan Ryan set seemed to be nothing but Ryan in a cowboy hat.  I see now that the problem I had with that set is, I bought nothing but the second series.  Obviously, Wes bought a lot of the first series, because I got a boatload of Nolan Ryan from him...in a Mets uniform!  I got several of each card, so if any other Mets fans have the same issue I (used to) have, I would be glad to part with some of the doubles.  Plus look at the baby picture, jeez he was born with that giant head....I feel bad for his mother.

Oh yes, there is plenty more...

This mishmash of stuff does have a theme.  Gregg Jefferies, one of the great disappointments of my life, did get some wonderful cards in his day.  I love that shot from the '91 Upper Deck set.  As I have gushed before, I love double play cards, and Rey Ordonez got himself a few nice ones, that Stadium Club shot included.
I have a bunch of those Tom Seaver Baseball Heroes cards, but I have never looked to see if I have them all.  That is one I didn't have, so the answer to that question was "no" and now is back to "I don't know."
Tim Teufel was always one of my forgotten favorite Mets.  He didn't look like a ballplayer, he didn't move like a ballplayer, heck, if you saw his batting stance, you might swear he wasn't a ball player at all.  Yet, he was a pretty solid contributor.  He was greater than the sum of his parts and scrappy, to use two horrible cliches.  Plus, his last name means "devil" in German - he is literally the devil...how cool is that?
Ryan Thompson is another in a long line of Mets disappointments (Jeff Kent was shown earlier but not mentioned - they came together from the Blue Jays in the David Cone trade - double disappointment!).  But I have a large Ryan Thompson collection.  Why?  Well, besides the fact that you always seem to accumulate cards of your teams failed prospects in gross, I have not one but two friends with the moniker "Ryan Thompson."  If I had the same name as a major leaguer, I would have my business cards printed on my same-name player's baseball card. 
I am currently infatuated with the 1994 Fleer set, a set I never really collected or even really looked at much before.  I am looking to pick up nine cards for a page (I have 2 so far) and I am looking to put together the Mets team, this is two more cards towards that goal.

There were some minor league cards too...

As I get closer to acquiring all the Mets cards from major manufacturers from the last 50 years, I find myself contemplating whether or not I should start picking up minor league Mets affiliates team sets.  You know, so I can have something new to drive myself nuts about. 

One great thing about baseball cards is, even when you think you have All The Cards, you don't...

...there is always an oddball you have never seen, an insert from a set that you didn't collect, a shiny variation of a vague set.  And, of course, stickers.  That Strawberry is an OPC sticker, to boot.  Oh yeah, and that cool graded Johan belonged in the Draft portion from yesterday but somehow wound up here.  Ahhh, my wonderful organizational skills.

There was a large vein of recent Mets cards, which is good, because I am still filling in the gaps from the last couple years:

There was an abundance of 2011 Topps, which I think finishes off my team set (I'll have to check).  I didn't have a Lucas Duda from the 2011 Bowman set, nor the Ike Davis from Heritage, and now I do.  I think James Fuller invented the steam engine or the hair brush or something, I'll have to check that as well.

Last but not least are some more contemporary Mets:

I think I now have 2 of those Gold R.A. Dickey cards.  I also think I am now one away from completing the Golden Tom Seavers, I have four and I believe there are five of each player.  I read a lot of trashing of the 2012 Topps design, but it has grown on me.  It is simple and modern with a little elegance and a little pizazz.  It fits in nicely with the last few years of designs with its white borders and curves.  I think I prefer the 2010 Topps design, but certainly not those two...is there a more apropos indicator of how lousy the Mets have been recently than Oliver Perez and Francisco Rodriguez?  I think I better wrap this up.

One man's Junk is another man's treasure.  Thanks Wes!

Almost There.

       Tomorrow is my favorite day of the year.  Opening day.  Hope springs eternal.  Everyone starts out 0-0. Your positive affirmation here, etc. etc.

Being a Mets fan, the last few years have been an adventure.  And by adventure, I mean like being kidnapped and tortured is an adventure.  But on opening day, everyone has the right to be optimistic.  Every player will hit .300; every pitcher will win 20 games.

My favorite player on the current team is David Wright.  He replaces The Shortstop That Must Not Be Named as the apple of my eye.  Wright has always been my second favorite Met for as long as he's been on the team.  He now has earned the right to be my favorite strictly by sticking around.  For how long, though, no one knows.  I hope with the settlement of all the legal unpleasantness, we can actually try and keep the players who are, you know, good.


Starting on opening day will be Johan Santana.  I became a big time Santana collector when we traded for (stole) him from the Twins.  He is one of the few players who's very presence on the roster is important.  He is affable and a leader.  Seeing #57 back on the mound is a big reason to be positive about the upcoming season.

I have a lot of hope for Ike Davis.  In typical Mets fashion, he was injured in the most freakish of ways last year.  After getting off to a scalding start, he missed the rest of the season with what was suppose to be a little ankle tweak that would keep him off the field for a week or two.  On any other team, this would be tragic...on the Mets, it is par for the course.  I am pretty sure Dr. Mengele is our team trainer.  I have Davis as a fantasy sleeper and penciled in for .320-35-120.  Yeah, I like my rose colored glasses, why do you ask?

On opening day, we can even have hope for Jason Bay.  Going by the Einstein definition of insanity, it would be completely crazy of us to expect anything from him.  But I refuse to give up on him.  That great hitter from Pittsburgh and Boston has to be in there somewhere.

The pitching equivalent of Jason Bay is Mike Pelfrey.  We were sold a bill of goods on Big Pelf and we have never collected.  He is the sad case of the Million Dollar Arm and the $3 head (think about it).  He has all the skills, but is too emotionally unstable to put any of it into motion.  What's that great line from Bull Durham - "don't think, it can only hurt the ballclub." - someone needs to show that scene to Mike.

Replacing Pelfrey as the great future #2 starter is Jonathon Niese.  His great claim to fame is that he was born on October 27, 1986 (if you aren't a Mets fan, look it up).  It would fit into the great cosmic plan if he pitches well this season and becomes a great pitcher.  It is also a pretty nasty knock on the great cosmic plan that someone his age is part of that plan.  Dammit, being a Mets fan is difficult.

Also on that page is Daniel Murphy.  Not only does he look great in those green St. Patrick's Day uniforms, he can hit.  I mean, really hit.  Unfortunately, he can't field.  And he seems to be made of paper maché.  My biggest fear is we never find a position for him, release him, and he goes to an AL team and rakes as a DH for a decade or so.

My current Mets collection is surprisingly skint.  This is a two fold issue, the Mets turnover lately has been unbelievable and my purchase of new product has been practically nil.  Most of the cards you see from 2011 and 2012 have come from kind donations/trades with fellow bloggers.  What will become of Lucas Duda, Ruben Tejada, and Josh Thole?  Well, on opening day, they are all fresh young faces with bright futures.  Duda can mash, Tejada can field, and Thole will bring this pitching staff together.  I say the Mets win 88 games and steal a Wild Card.  Yeah, I said it.

And if everything goes horribly horribly wrong (like it no doubt will) we always have Mr. Met and a lot of great memories (good and bad) to keep us entertained.  Also lucky for Mets fans, we hold the all time best winning percentage on opening day.  Let's Go Mets!