October 2, 2023, Brooks Robinson Memorial

On Monday, I had the privilege of being able to attend the memorial to Brooks Robinson that was open to the public at Camden Yards.  I was able to take off of work and be in Baltimore for the service, which was really nice.

There were a bunch of former Orioles, Hall of Famers, current Orioles and fans there to remember Brooks.  Boog Powell was the last former player to speak, saying "I'm not good at saying goodbyes so I'll see you on the field again someday.  I love you, my friend. I miss you."

The speakers (seated, with Boog at the podium) were, from left: Jim Kaat, Joe Torre, Cal Ripken, Brooks David Robinson, Boog Powell, Scott Garceau, Eddie Murray and Doug Decinces.  Brooks's grandchildren, Brooks and Grant Farley also spoke.

Cal gave an emotional speech, breaking down and crying when he got to the end while saying how much he would miss Brooks.

Eddie Murray also gave a really good speech.  This was the most I've ever heard Eddie talk, and there were some really good stories.  One about how he and Brooks's daughter Diana bonded over video games and picked her up from her house to go to the video arcade and play games (and apparently when she neglected to tell her dad that the then 21-year old was coming to pick up the much younger Diana to go out).  It was a very funny story told by Murray.

Given the circumstances, I don't want to say that I enjoyed the event, but I was glad I was able to be there.  The weather was beautiful. Tears were shed.  Scott Garceau put it well "I'm sure we are all here for the same reason, we all love Brooks Robinson."

A Legend is Gone

Death comes for all o us, unfortunately.  We knew the day would eventually come where Orioles fans, and baseball fans as well, would mourn the loss of the legendary Brooks Robinson.  I'm a grown man and am holding back tears.  He was probably the nicest person I've ever encountered at signings, Orioles events, ballgames, etc.  He really treated you like he had known you your whole life.

I had sent off what is now the final TTM I sent to him back on August 22 and got these cards back on September 5; 21 days prior to is passing.  I wasn't going to send to him again, but I pulled the black and white sparkle card out of 2022 Topps Chrome Platinum Anniversary Edition, and something told me that I should send it out.  I'm glad I did.

I came into being a fan of Brooks long after I established my Orioles fandom.  I was the biggest Cal Ripken fan, and I remember turning down someone's offer at some Brooks cards back when I was 11 or 12 because he wasn't Cal.  Little did I know.

I obviously grew to appreciate Orioles history and grew to love Brooks.  I loved him like a family member.  I met him several times, the first being the Dinner With Brooks back in 2009.  That was the most nervous I had ever been when meeting any player.  Brooks put his arm around me like he had known me for years.  Every time I saw him after that, he would talk with me like we were long lost friends.  He was the epitome of "a good man".  I loved the guy.  I can legitimately say that.  I even yelled it out to him during the 2011 Hall of Fame parade in Cooperstown.  He yelled back, "I love you too."  

I'm going to take some time off from the blog to let this one sink in.  My prayers to Brooks's family, friends, teammates and fans.

Brooks Robinson Signs More Cards TTM

He was done signing TTM and I was content with what I had already gotten back from the greatest third baseman of all time.  Then I pulled this silver pack mojo card from 2022 Topps and took a look to see if he really was done signing cards TTM.  He still was, so I prepped this card and sent it on its way.  I also looked in my box for the two other cards that I had aside that I really wanted to get done, and put them in the envelope as well.

I promised myself that I truly would be done after these three cards were signed.  I had this 1968 Topps deckle edge card aside to get Brooks to sign for some time now, and for whatever reason, it never got sent in past TTM requests, or taken with me to a signing.  Maybe I had misplaced it, or had something just ahead of it in my mind on what I wanted to get signed.  Regardless, this one getting into my autograph album was long overdue.

Finally, I tossed this 1991 Crown Orioles card in just to try to get it signed.  Again, I'm not going for thr set, but the cards are really convenient when I know there is a former Oriole signing.  Or at least one who was with the team prior to 1991.

Anyway, I promised myself that I truly was done asking anything of Brooks.  I even included a thank you card for all of the things he has done over the years.  He is a great man and a genuine human being.  I am glad I have gotten what I have from him.  I sent off the three cards with $20 and am really happy with these results.  I hope Brooks liked my thank you card and knows how much he means to all Oriole fans.  Thank you, Brooks!

Another TTM Success From Brooks Robinson

A few Brooks Robinson cards have popped up in my box, seemingly coaxing me to send to him TTM again, so I pulled two of them and did just that - I sent TTM to the greatest third baseman of all-time.  The above 2016 Topps Tribute green parallel turned out so great; I was afraid I would dull it a bit when I prepped it.  The card looks awesome, and my fears were for naught.

I also sent this sad-looking 1962 Topps that I had in my collection so that it would end up in my album, as opposed to buried in the box.  This card was well-loved by someone in the past, and now it can take its rightful place among my signed cards in my album.

I mailed to Brooks on March 27 and got the cards back on April 6, for a 10-day TAT.  I paid a fee of $10.00/card.

Birthday Gift From Tomie - 1963 Fleer Brooks Robinson

My friend and coworker, Tomie, surprised me at my birthday party with this awesome 1963 Fleer Brooks Robinson.  It was made that much better to learn that Tomie had gotten his card from our mutual friend, Neil.  Since this came out of Neil's personal collection of 1963 Fleer, it means even more.  Neil's first memories of baseball cards were of his dad selling 63 Fleer to convenience stores back then, since his dad was a supplier to those stores.  So, that set and this card have a special connection with him, and that isn't lost on me.

Both Tomie and Neil know how much I love Brooks, and adding this card to my collection is really special!  Thanks to the both of you!

Christmas Gift From Noah

It took him a while, but I got a really great package in the mail from my good friend, Noah.  I've known him for a long time, and always enjoy when we are able to get up with each other and chat.  Noah has been preoccupied for some time now with a very awful personal tragedy that happened, and it isn't my place to discuss it here.

So, when I got the package and the letter from him, it really touched me.  This Cedric Mullins patch auto was amazing.  I like these patch cards, and Noah really hit a home run.

He sent me an addition to my post card album (yes, I have an album for signed post cards, in addition to my albums for baseball cards).

Finally, he sent this great Brooks Robinson auto.

Thank you so much, Noah!  I really appreciate it, and I am always thinking about you.

Christmas Gift From Jackson

My good friend, Jackson, sent me this awesome Christmas gift that included the above signed Brooks Robinson 1965 Topps.

1965 is one of my favorite sets, and I was glad to be able to put this Brooks in my autograph album.

Jackson included this Jim Palmer Hall of Fame plaque card, which I had never seen before.  If The Orioles hadn't canceled Fan Fest, I would put this at the top of my list of cards that I would want to get signed.  Unfortunately, I won't be able to for the time being, but might give it a shot later this summer.

Finally, Jackson included these two cards in the package.  I might see Jomar Reyes this summer, and I can always use new Brooks cards.

Thank you so much for the package, Jackson!

June 2, 2019, Graphing in Baltimore

Since Ticketmaster screwed up Orioles Fan Fest in January, I was able to get a free signing with Brooks Robinson and a free ticket to an Orioles game.  The choice ended up being the Sunday, June 2, 2019, game against the Giants.  My friend, Ryan, chose the same game, so we made a trip out of it.

I have Brooks on so much stuff, from baseballs to pool balls, cards, etc.; I had a hard time deciding what to have him sign this go-round.  I settled on the above 1963 Topps that was given to me by my good friend, Kyle.  Kyle was one of the very first people that I traded with on Instagram.  He might have been the third person I traded with on there; I was scammed by a kid named Joe and made a successful deal with my friend, James.

I met up with Kyle and his friend, Jordan, at the National a couple years ago when it was in Atlantic City.  While there, Kyle gave me the 1963 Brooks.  It is a sharp card.  The surface is immaculate, and I really wanted to have it graded by PSA.  You know, for fun, just to see what it would grade.  PSA took the card, and gave it back a couple days later and said that the card had been trimmed.  There was a notch on the side of the card that I hadn't seen before, and it couldn't be graded.  Still, the card meant a lot to me, so that is why I decided to have Brooks sign it.  Screw PSA, the card is priceless now.  I will always remember it as the card that Kyle gave me (I have sent him a snapchat photo of the signed card, and he approves), and it will always have a place in my album.

Here's Brooks signing for Chris.  He was amazing, as always.  He always has time to talk, and make you feel like he has been your buddy for years.

Chris got a blue foil Topps Fire card signed.  I had picked the card up at the Chantilly show with Ryan last year, and held onto it.  Chris liked it, so I let him choose it to be signed.  He has his own album of autographs, and I know he is proud to have this one added to his collection.

Not only were we able to see Brooks, but we were also able to see Boog Powell out in front of Boog's BBQ.  I went ahead and got my 1991 Crown Orioles card signed by Boog, so it would be over and done with.

I also had my 1962 Topps rookie that Mom gave me signed.  Much like Kyle's 63 that he had given me, I wanted the card Mom gave me in my album, instead of buried in a box under my bed.  It looks great signed, and it also has meaning, so it has a rightful place in my album.

I wanted to also get the above relic card signed by Boog.  He signed the relic piece, which I thought was odd, but still cool.

The card underneath the relic card is the only auto we were able to get while standing outside the stadium before the game.  The autograph is of Orioles manager, Brandon Hyde.  Since he doesn't have any cards yet, I figured the Camden Yards backdrop was nice.

Birthday Gift and Some Autos From Nick H.

My buddy, Nick H. has been doing some 50/50s for me this season, and has been talking with me for a couple years now.  He's a really great guy, who graphs the Columbus Clippers.  He surprised me with a nice little package for my birthday, which had a nice assortment of Orioles.

I didn't have this 1962 Topps Brooks Robinson All Star card, to my recollection.  It has seen a lot of love over the years, but will now be retired to a top loader and a home in my Brooks box.

I did have the above 1967 Topps Orioles champions card, but I took it and added it to my 1967 set.  I'm pretty sure I didn't have the 1968 Topps Frank Robinson All Star card.

These two Orioles relics were really nice.  I believe Nick had just recently went to a card show, which means that he was thinking of me while he was there, which is always a nice feeling.

I liked these Donruss Orioles as well.  Kind of odd seeing the last two posts showing the last two Orioles to wear #10.  Interesting, I suppose.

Nick has been getting me autos all season of Columbus players, as well as other guys who have come by.  These were the last of the cards that he was due to send me.  Jerry Owens is a coach for Columbus, and Nick has gotten his auto for me on some nice cards.

Finally, here is a Richie Shaffer that I had sent Nick a while back.  He was finally able to get it signed before the season ended.

Thank you so much for the birthday package, Nick.  I feel bad that it took me this long to get it posted, but I am slowly catching up on my stacks.

TTM Success - Brooks Robinson

I still have to let this sink in.  Getting Ernie Banks TTM a few years ago was huge.  I even got Brooks Robinson TTM, but it was basically through a signing he was doing through the Dugout Zone in Maryland.  This time, the TTM was a real TTM.  I sent out cards, a note, an SASE and some cash and landed my all-time favorite player (sorry, Cal).  Not only did I get Brooks, but I got him on some pretty sweet cards.  The above 2007 Masterpieces turned out so awesome.  Brooks also inscribed it 1970 WS MVP without me even asking.  Also, this is the first Masterpieces card that I have been able to get signed, and it is a beauty.  The card is just amazing.

I saw that someone on Instagram got Brooks back without having to pay the exorbitant amount that Dugout Zone charges (he got Brooks for $1/card!), so I checked with the guy and confirmed the address that he used.  It was the one listed on Sportscollectors.net, so I wasn't begging anyone for a private address.  I wrote a two-page letter to Brooks explaining my fandom (and man-crush) and included $10 cash.  I wrestled between sending the above 1962 Topps or a 1969 Topps Deckle Edge, ultimately sending the '62.  The '62 was an extra card that someone somewhere gave me, long after I had already picked up a '62 for my Brooks Topps run.

Additonally, someone somewhere gave me an extra 1959 Topps, which has now shifted into my Brooks Topps run, because the above '59 was removed for TTM.  I chose that one because I distinctly remember where I got it.  I was at my dad's engine builder's 60th birthday party in Spartanburg, SC.  We were waiting for the party to start, and a few of us walked across the street to check out the mall.  There just so happened to be a card show going on, and one of the vendors had this '59 Brooks for sale for $20.  I went ahead and bought it, and added it to the PC.  Now, it is forever part of my autograph album, and likely part of whatever Topps or Orioles Autograph Project I pursue next.

Being the amazingly awesome person that Brooks is, he included this Hall of Fame post card signed, as well.  This will go in my signed post card album, and will not leave the collection!

Robinson (b. 1937) played in the majors from 1955 to 1977 for the Orioles.  The greatest defensive third baseman of all-time (no, not Adrian Beltre, Cal!), Brooks had 2,848 hits, 268 home runs (the exact same amount as Jim Palmer had in wins) and a .267 batting average.  He won an unprecedented 16 Gold Glove Awards in a row between 1960 and 1975.  He was named to 15 All Star Games in a row between 1960 and 1974.  He was the 1964 AL MVP.  He was in the top 5 of the AL MVP voting 5 times in his career.  He won the World Series with the Orioles in 1966 and 1970, and was named the 1970 World Series MVP.  Brooks was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1983 on his first year on the ballot and received 92.0% of the vote.  Brooks's #5 was retired by the Orioles at the conclusion of the 1977 season.  With Frank Robinson (no relation), Brooks was part of the inaugural Orioles Hall of Fame class.

I mailed to Brooks on January 5 and got the cards back on January 20, for a 15-day TAT.

National Pickup - Brooks Robinson WS Champ Coin Stamp Card

I picked this card up on the first full day of the National from a vendor who had a whole bunch of Orioles stuff.  I was hoping they would have the Chris Davis laser booklet insert from 2016 Topps, but they didn't.  I saw this Brooks, though, and paid their high price for it.  The card was $40, but I really like these coin/stamp cards, so I was ok with it.  The fact that it was Brooks, well, that made it even better!  I want to go back and get the birth year coin/stamp Brooks card sometime.  I have the Ted Williams, and it is one of my favorite cards.  This came from 2016 Topps Series 2.  I opened 3 jumbo boxes of series 2, and didn't pull any of these.  Someone on Instagram told me that the $40 I spent wasn't too bad of a price, so that made me feel better.

Finally, After All These Years...

I have been waiting for seven years to write this blog post.  When 2009 Topps Series 2 came out, the one and only Pete from Dropped Third Strike suggested that I try to complete the series.  On June 13, 2009, I posted that I picked up two Us and an N.  Pete had a C that he ended up sending to me.  So, it actually took me seven years and two months to complete the series.  By my calculations, since each card is numbered to 50, and you need two of the Us, two As and two Cs, only 25 of these sets can be completed.  So, essentially, this set is a 1/25.  I am pretty proud that I have finally finished it.

I looked a three different National Card Shows to complete the series, with no luck at all.  The closest I came was this year, when I found a vendor with maybe 15 of the letters from various series, but the only Brooks he had was the C.  I thought I was smart back in the day when I added the search on Ebay as a "followed" search, only to be teased by the occasional L or E.  Finally, last week, the followed search paid off when someone listed several of the letters at once.

I had been waiting so long to finish this set, I was willing to pay almost any price to complete it.  Luckily, when I saw the R go up for sale, it was $10.00 BIN with free shipping.  So, I got it for a lot cheaper than most of the letters, which I paid between $15-$25 per letter (a couple were as low as $7, I think).

So, I can now turn off the Ebay notifications.  I can now stop searching through manufactured patches at card shows.  I am officially taken out of the market for these letter patches.

The original post that started this project can be seen HERE.

National Trade - 1963 Brooks Robinson

I'm kind of bouncing around with my posts about the National card show, but I wanted to get this card on the blog and off of my desk.  Not because it is in the way or I am tired of looking at it.  No, I want to put it away safely until next year's show because I believe I will take this to PSA for grading.  The card is virtually flawless in my mind.  Usually when I see vintage cards like this, they have surface wear, or a dinged corner.  There are no slight creases or wrinkles on this card.  The surface gloss is still there, even 53 years after the fact.  This really is a sharp card.

To say I was disappointed when I first got the card is an understatement.  I was happy to complete a deal, but I felt like I messed up big time prior to the deal,  but in the end, I am glad I sat down and really looked closely at the card.

I had met up in person with my good friends Kyle and Jordan at the show.  Both of them are guys I have befriended on Instagram right at the beginning of my time there.  Kyle was the first successful deal that I made, and Jordan is his best friend.  We all hit it off and have been good friends ever since.  Kyle was interested in a Brendan Rogers card that I had, and offered up the Brooks.

I had gotten the Rogers when my friend, Robert, traded my 2016 Bowman Rogers auto that we had raw card graded at Beckett.  It got a 9-10, and I let Robert trade it for me, since he was flipping his graded stuff for crazy deals.  He flipped that Rogers for a... Brendan Rogers auto.  This one was a 2015 Bowman's Best RC auto.  Robert felt like he got a good deal, and I couldn't blame him, since it was a RC auto, but I had been hoping for something better, like an Oriole.  So, Kyle said he was interested in the Rogers and offered the Brooks.  Since it was a Brooks, and since Kyle is such a good friend, I had to let him have the deal.  I felt like he got the better end of the deal, since I already had a 63 Brooks.  I took the card, put it in my box and forgot about it until Andrew and I were looking at cards a few days later.

I noticed, then, that the Brooks that Kyle had traded to me was in such amazing shape.  I had spent a good deal of time at the show shopping around for a graded vintage card for a friend and came to realize just how tough it is to get a high grade on vintage.  I also learned about the huge difference in quality and price between grades.  A 6 goes for a fraction of a 7 which goes for a fraction of an 8.  I think this card would bring a pretty high grade, even with its centering.

So, all of that being said, thank you so much for the trade, Kyle.  Also, thanks for sticking with me all of these years.  It was great to finally meet you in person and even better walking around the show for a bit with you and Jordan and talking about cards.

Card Shop Pickup - 2016 Tribute Brooks Robinson

I picked up a nice card for the Brooks Robinson PC when I was in Matthews last week.  I had asked the shop proprietor if they had any 2016 Orioles that they had pulled recently, and was handed this.  This is a 2016 Topps Tribute Brooks Robinson emerald parallel.  The card is numbered 43/99.

I haven't opened any Tribute this year.  I don't plan on buying any packs, but if I see any good deals on some PC cards, I will probably pick them up.  These are really nice cards.

Care Package From My Buddy, Josh F.

I got a nice care package back in June from my buddy, Josh F. after he had let me know I had something on the way.

He is a big Patrick Corbin and Jason Grilli fan, and I have sent him a bunch of their cards for his collection.  I was pleasantly surprised when Josh included one of the cards that he had signed by Grilli.

Josh had found this 1959 Virgil Trucks and remembered that I liked him, so he included it in the package.  I have the card already, but am always happy to take on another Trucks for the collection.

Josh also included a bunch of Orioles cards.  Among them was this Topps Coin of Brooks Robinson.  These are really cool, and I don't really see too many of them, these days.

Thank you so much for the care package, Josh.  I hope I can find more cards for your PC really soon!

Mailday From Tim

A few weeks ago, I bought a few cards from one of the most reputable traders on Instagram, Tim.  I haven't made a deal with him in forever, but I have talked to him some, and his kids quite a bit.  His son Carson is someone I talk to quite a bit.  I'm always happy to chat with anyone from that family, they are all really friendly.

This graded 1974 Brooks Robinson is pretty cool.  It is a nice grade for a year of Topps that struggles with centering on cards.  Since Tim made me a really good deal on it, I figured I would go ahead and pick it up.  I have a few graded Brooks Robinson cards now, so this will go with those in my box.

I also got this nice 2013 Bowman purple parallel of Jonathan Schoop.  I haven't added a whole lot to the Schoop PC lately, so this is a good pickup.  Schoop is having a pretty good year so far, so I'm hoping I can add more in the future.

Thanks so much for the deal, Tim!  I really appreciate it.

Christmas Gift From Andrew - Unique Brooks Robinson Signed Ball

I got my Christmas gift yesterday from my good friend, Andrew.  He and I have been the best of friends for about 5 years now (wow, that's crazy).  When we went to the National together last summer, Andrew was struggling to find something to get signed by Brooks Robinson.  I had just seen an auction where someone had gotten a "5" billiard ball signed by him.  I thought that was pretty genius.  I mean, come on, the ball is orange and black (Orioles colors) and his number 5 is retired by the club.  Pretty awesome, right?

So, Andrew got his dad to let him sacrifice one of the family's pool balls, and Andrew got it signed by Brooks.  Even Brooks thought it was a cool idea.

I had no idea what to expect from Andrew for Christmas.  I knew money was tight for him, but he always sends awesome stuff, and includes really heartfelt notes.  When I opened this package, I had some tears come to my eyes, not only because the letter he wrote was really awesome, but also because I wasn't expecting him to give up this ball.

Andrew is a really good friend.  He is a great kid, who comes from an amazing family.  I have had the pleasure of spending time with all of them the last two summers, and it is now something I look forward to each year.  I have helped Andrew with his collection, sure, but I have also helped him with school and with life.  I feel like he looks up to me, and my hope is that I act civil enough and hold my crazy inside long enough to be a positive role model for him.  I have a lot of love for the guy.

So, thank you so very much for the great Christmas gift, my friend.  The letter you wrote was amazing, and your friendship is priceless.  Thanks, Andrew!

More Pickups From the Card Show

I got a bunch of deals while at the show this past weekend, and added a few nice cards to my collection.

I got the above 1975 Topps Mini Brooks Robinson for my PC.  Thing is, I thought I had this already, but I can't seem to find it.  So, for $5, I grabbed this one while walking around Sunday at the show.

Right after I picked up the Brooks, I kept walking and checked out another table nearby.  I saw that he had this Chance Sisco gold mini shimmer from 2015 Bowman.  This one is numbered 20/50 and looks really cool.  The vendor really needed to put his glasses on, though, because he kept telling me it was Christian Walker on the card.  I didn't want to be rude, but I did correct him, because I felt like he was about to charge extra because it was Walker.  I ended up getting this for $5, though.

The vendor next to me had a nice box of recent stuff and parallels that I went through a little later when I was bored.  I found a few cards for friends of mine, and this Adam Jones for myself.  I had been tipped off by my friend, Tim.  This Adam Jones black refractor from 2014 chrome is numbered 80/100.

Finally, I got this card from Tim, himself.  He had gone through a dime box and rescued this purple JJ Hardy for me.  It is numbered 55/250.

I feel like I did really well at this past show.  I sold a decent amount of stuff, and have enough to carry over to the one day Easter show, if I'm able to attend that one.  I also bought some nice stuff, but didn't break the bank.  I wish I could say that for every show that I go to, though.