Award Winners '13.

       For the first time in a long while, I agree with all four choices for the major two awards.  It seems once a year for the last few years, there has a been a WHAAAAA?!?!? selection (Buster Posey over Ryan Braun?  Ryan Braun over Matt Kemp?  Josh Hamilton over Miguel Cabrera or Robinson Cano?). 

Miguel Cabrera, 2013 AL MVP.

This makes back to back MVPs for Miggy.  By my count, he should have four.

Andrew McCutchen, 2013 NL MVP.

I just heard a St. Louis writer on MLB Network trying to justify his vote for Yadier Molina and then going on to say he is not a homer.  I don't think you understand the meaning of that word if you don't think that applies to you.

Max Scherzer, 2013 AL Cy Young.

I originally collected this dude because of his very tasteful name, now look! I have a page of a Cy Young award winner.

Clayton Kershaw.  2013 NL Cy Young.

I need to work on my page of this guy.  Maybe you can help?

Oh and these are the Rookie of the Year winners.

I obviously don't have pages of these guys because, you know, rookies.

Football '13 Week 10: Veteran's Day.

       Today is Veteran's Day.  If you have any friends or family that served in the military, please thank them for their service today.  Heck, even if you see someone on the street, shake their hand and offer thanks.

Except for one glaring exception, you don't hear much about professional athletes who served in the military.  This is a blessing and a curse, I suppose, since without the draft they can focus on their sport and not Uncle Sam. 

If you watched any football this weekend, they had moments for our military at all the stadiums.  Of all the mistakes and horrors that came out of the Vietnam war, one of the worst was how we treated the men and women who returned from that conflict.  Luckily, we somehow learned a lesson from that and while we still participate in fruitless wars, we try and show our appreciation to our service members who return.

So as you settle in to watch a god awful Monday Night Football game this evening, keep in mind all those around who protected your freedom to be incensed at ESPN.

Just Because.

Keith Hernandez is the only one mentioned in this graphic three times, a minor upset.  I've always felt Rollie Fingers had the definitive mustache in the 20th century.  What do you think?

Football '13 Week 9: Party Crashers.

       I am currently sitting at home in my pajamas on my couch about to watch the Saints and Jets play.  Pretty nice, right?  Well, my mother is currently at the Meadowlands in a suite about to watch the game.  That bitch.  Anyway, I had this game circled early in the year as the most possible Annual Saints Total Ass Whupping. Instead, the Jets are 4-4 and actually look like a professional football team.  Funny how these things work out sometime.  I still anticipate a Saints win, but it won't be the automatic walkover I was imagining. 

The only Jets cards I own are a page of Joe Namath cards that I have featured before, so let's instead look at some shiny 90's oddballs that kind of represent the Jets this year:

Ah, you gotta love Upper Deck Collector's Choice and their wonderful convoluted contests.  I never quite understood the criteria for how you won these cards, which is just as well.  I picked these up in a dime box ages ago, which is much easier.

You gotta love how 90's looking these are; so much foil, so many bright colors, so much full bleed and odd backgrounds. 

Anyway, I look forward to a wonderful quiet day at home watching football and I pray my mother doesn't get punched or sexually harassed by irate Jets fans after their loss.

I Love It When You Call Me Big Papi.

       David Ortiz.  2013 World Series MVP.

David Ortiz went 11 for 16 (.688) with two home runs and six RBIs.  They walked him three times intentionally in game six alone because he was so blazing hot.  David Ortiz reached base more times in a six-game World Series than any other player in history, breaking the mark previously held by Paul Molitor for the Blue Jays in 1993.

David Ortiz.  Scrap heap free agent signing in 2003.

David Ortiz.  Three Time World Series Champion and future Hall of Famer.

David Ortiz.  Team leader and Boston legend. 

What a lovely day for a parade. Cue the duckboats.