Group Break Additional Teams

That's it, no more entries.  I think it went well.  Since there were ten teams claimed, twenty teams will enter the Randomizer.  I will have 11 teams since there were five unclaimed spots and I don't really care which teams I end up with other than the Red Sox.  Here are the positions for the additional teams:
List Randomizer

There were 20 items in your list. Here they are in random order:

1. The Junior Junkie
2. Red Sox Fan in Nebraska
3. Red Sox Fan in Nebraska
4. Red Sox Fan in Nebraska
5. Baseball Dad
6. Red Sox Fan in Nebraska
7. Baseball Dad
8. Red Sox Fan in Nebraska
9. Red Sox Fan in Nebraska
10. Amy
11. I Don't Know...3rd Base
12. Red Sox Fan in Nebraska
13. Red Sox Fan in Nebraska
14. I Don't Know...3rd Base
15. Dean
16. JediJeff
17. I Don't Know...3rd Base
18. Red Sox Fan in Nebraska
19. Red Sox Fan in Nebraska
20. Red Sox Fan in Nebraska

Timestamp: 2013-10-14 17:18:18 UTC

And now for the random teams for those spots:

List Randomizer

There were 20 items in your list. Here they are in random order:

1. Toronto Blue Jays -
2. Houston Astros -
3. Washington Nationals -
4. Chicago Cubs -
5. Cincinnati Reds -
6. Milwaukee Brewers -
7. San Francisco Giants -
8. Arizona Diamondbacks -
9. Pittsburgh Pirates -
10. Colorado Rockies -
11. Los Angeles Angels -
12. Kansas City Royals -
13. Miami Marlins -
14. Atlanta Braves -
15. Oakland Athletics -
16. St. Louis Cardinals -
17. San Diego Padres -
18. New York Mets -
19. New York Yankees -
20. Minnesota Twins -

Timestamp: 2013-10-14 17:29:07 UTC

Damnit.  I got the Yankees.  I knew that would happen.

Another Nice Trade

I worked out a quick trade on the forums recently that nailed a few random wantlist needs:

1.  2012 Topps Chrome Dynamic Die Cut Jacoby Ellsbury.  A very nice die-cut insert.  I have really been after die-cuts recently.

2.  2012 Topps Chrome Xfractor Jacoby Ellsbury.  Nice action shot.

3.  2012 Topps Chrome Refractor Ryan Lavarnway.

4.  2012 Topps Chrome Xfractor Ryan Lavarnway.

5.  2012 Topps Chrome Orange Refractor Ryan Lavarnway.  The big question is what will happen to Jarrod Saltalamacchia?  Lavarnway was fairly impressive this year.

6.  2013 Topps Commemorative Patch Babe Ruth.  This is my favorite from the package.  Not many great Ruth Red Sox cards out there, but this one is definitely one.

Still 6 Spots to Go

I am making the deadline Monday at noon, central time.  I got two of the boxes in today and I am itching to open it up.  If 14 spots have not been claimed by Monday, then that means more for me.

Go here to sign up.

Here is the list of the remaining teams:

Arizona Diamondbacks -
Atlanta Braves -
Chicago Cubs -
Cincinnati Reds -
Colorado Rockies -
Houston Astros -
Kansas City Royals -
Los Angeles Angels -
Miami Marlins -
Milwaukee Brewers -
Minnesota Twins -
New York Mets -
New York Yankees -
Oakland Athletics -
Pittsburgh Pirates -
St. Louis Cardinals -
San Diego Padres -
San Francisco Giants -
Tampa Bay Rays -
Toronto Blue Jays -
Washington Nationals -

Red Sox Headed to ALCS

Boston took down the Tampa Bay Rays in four games and are now on their way to the ALCS.  It remains to be seen who they will face.

GAME 1:  Red Sox 12 Rays 2
This one started out well for the Rays as they were leading 2-0 with the Red Sox yet to get a hit until the 4th.  At that point the Rays seemingly forgot how to play defense and Boston did not relent.
PLAYER OF THE GAME:
JON LESTER:  7.2 innings, 2 earned runs, 3 hits, 3 walks, 7 strikeouts, Win.

GAME 2: Red Sox 7 Rays 4
The left-handed hitters surprisingly did the most damage against David Price and Boston held on.
PLAYER OF THE GAME:
DAVID ORTIZ:  2 for 4, 2 home runs.

GAME 3: Rays 5 Red Sox 4
Jose Lobaton hit a walk-off home run off of Koji Uehara to win the game for the Rays.
PLAYER OF THE GAME:
JACOBY ELLSBURY:  3 for 5, double, 2 runs.

GAME 4: Red Sox 3 Rays 1
A wild pitch by Joel Peralta scored the tying run in the form of Xander Bogaerts in the 7th and Boston stole this one away from the Rays pen.
PLAYER OF THE GAME:
CRAIG BRESLOW:  Win, 1.2 innings, 1 hit, 4 strikeouts.

A Zippy Zappy Package

Zippy Zappy sent me some random cards from Bowman Chrome and Topps Mini as a result of me sending him some Alex Rodriguez cards from A&G.  Always good to rid myself of A-Rods and even better when it results in Red Sox.

1.  2013 Bowman Chrome Prospects Deven Marrero.  Marrero was last year's 1st round draft pick.  He is a fine-fielding shortstop who can make contact.

2.  2013 Bowman Chrome Allen Webster.  One of the big pieces that Boston acquired in last year's Dodger trade.

3.  2013 Bowman Chrome David Ortiz.  Ortiz is one player who is thrilled to return to the postseason.

4.  2013 Bowman Chrome Jon Lester.  Lester will be the Game 1 starter in the ALCS.

5.  2013 Topps Mini Clay Buchholz.  A shame that he did not win Game 3 of the ALDS, but it is okay.

Thanks Kenny!

Just 6 Spots to Go

Go here to sign up.

Just six more spots remaining for the group break.  I expect the boxes to start trickling in soon.  The Update box may take another week or so since the release date is not until next week.  But there are some big teams still out there.  Here is the list of the remaining teams:

Arizona Diamondbacks -
Atlanta Braves -
Chicago Cubs -
Cincinnati Reds -
Colorado Rockies -
Houston Astros -
Kansas City Royals -
Los Angeles Angels -
Miami Marlins -
Milwaukee Brewers -
Minnesota Twins -
New York Mets -
New York Yankees -
Oakland Athletics -
Pittsburgh Pirates -
St. Louis Cardinals -
San Diego Padres -
San Francisco Giants -
Tampa Bay Rays -
Toronto Blue Jays -
Washington Nationals -

Group Break Update

I am coming into a little money with my finish in my fantasy baseball league so I went ahead and bought the boxes.  This thing is officially going to happen so I need the pending payments to come in.  There is still time to sign up for the break though for those of you out there waiting to see if it would happen.  I would still like 10 more slots filled.  But if they don't I suppose that's more for me.

Go here to sign up.

A Couple of Chrome Pack Hits

This will not effect the Group Break at all.  If you wish to sign up for that, go here.  Still need 10 more people.

Anyway, I picked up a value pack (three actually, but only one had Red Sox) just to get some orange refractors, which will not be available in the hobby box.

1.  2013 Topps Chrome Will Middlebrooks.  I still love this picture.  Here's hoping for a big postseason from Middlebrooks.

2.  2013 Topps Chrome Orange Refractor Dustin Pedroia.  Here it is, a nice orange refractor of Boston's best overall player.  A pretty good pull if I do say so myself.

Still 10 Spots to Go for the Group Break

Go here to sign up.

I need a lot of help.  If I can't sell enough spots, I may not be able to do this, so if you know anyone who is a fan of any of the remaining teams, please pass this along.

Lots of spots still available.  Once again, I am opening 1 jumbo box of 2013 Topps Update, 1 hobby box of 2013 Panini Golden Age, and 1 hobby box of Topps Chrome.  I need 10 more teams to be claimed.  Only the Red Sox, Mariners, Indians, White Sox, and Tigers are off the table so far.

There will be a lot of nice stuff.  Come take a chance.

A Small Trade, But a Good One

Just a small trade, but it knocked two cards off of my wantlist, including one from the Top 10 Most Wanted:

1.  2013 Bowman Chrome Cream of the Crop Refractor Jackie Bradley Jr.:  This is the card from the Top 10.  Bradley looks like a good bet to get a starting job next year in Boston.  He has improved over the course of the year and there is nothing more for him to do in the minors.

2.  2013 Bowman Platinum Cutting Edge Stars Matt Barnes.  Another rising young player in Boston's system.  Barnes could make it to the Majors by the end of next year.

10 Spots to Go in the Group Break

Go here to sign up.

I need a lot of help.  If I can't sell enough spots, I may not be able to do this, so if you know anyone who is a fan of any of the remaining teams, please pass this along.

Lots of spots still available.  Once again, I am opening 1 jumbo box of 2013 Topps Update, 1 hobby box of 2013 Panini Golden Age, and 1 hobby box of Topps Chrome.  I need 10 more teams to be claimed.  Only the Red Sox, Mariners, Indians, White Sox, and Tigers are off the table so far.

A Gallery of Nice New Cards

A couple new packages to add to the old Red Sox collection.

Up first is a card that I particularly like. 

1.  2013 Topps Archives Gallery of Heroes Ted Williams.  I liked the Gallery of Heroes inserts several years ago.  These cards look great and of course the fact that this is a Ted Williams car makes it that much better.

Next, I traded off a couple of hits that I pulled in packs for some Red Sox hits.

2.  2009 Upper Deck Icons Relics Josh Beckett.  No longer a Red Sox of course, but still nice to add a jersey of the 2007 ALCS MVP.

3.  2013 Topps Tier One On the Rise Autograph Brock Holt.  Holt was not terribly impressive this year but has a chance to stick as a utility infielder next year.

4.  2007 Upper Deck Game Materials Curt Schilling.  A big part of two World Champion Red Sox teams and a possible future Hall of Famer.

11 Spots to Go in the Group Break

Go here to sign up.

I need a lot of help.  If I can't sell enough spots, I may not be able to do this, so if you know anyone who is a fan of any of the remaining teams, please pass this along.

Lots of spots still available.  Once again, I am opening 1 jumbo box of 2013 Topps Update, 1 hobby box of 2013 Panini Golden Age, and 1 hobby box of Topps Chrome.  I need 11 more teams to be claimed.  Only the Red Sox, Mariners, Indians, and White Sox are off the table so far.

Final Series of the Regular Season

The last series of the season came in Baltimore, the same place the 2011 season ended, but this one was decidedly more positive even though Boston lost two out of three.

09/27: Red Sox 12 (97-63) Orioles 3
PLAYER OF THE GAME:
DANIEL NAVA and DAVID ORTIZ: both 2 for 5, 3 run home run, single, 2 runs.

09/28: Orioles 6 Red Sox 5 (97-64)
Boston's bullpen may be a problem in the postseason.  This one was blown by Franklin Morales and Junichi Tazawa.
PLAYER OF THE GAME:
DANIEL NAVA: 4 for 4, run.

09/29: Orioles 7 Red Sox 6 (97-65)
This time it was Felix Doubront and Matt Thornton who blew the lead and Rubby De La Rosa took the loss.
PLAYER OF THE GAME:
QUINTIN BERRY: 2 for 4, 2 run home run, stolen base.

So that's it for the regular season.  Boston finished with the best record in the league, tied with the Cardinals for best overall.  Despite that they will not feature a top 5 finisher in the MVP or Cy Young, while Jose Iglesias, who played half of the year with the Red Sox, will finish in the running for Rookie of the Year.

Red Sox lead the league in the following:
Plate Appearances - Dustin Pedroia 724
Stolen Bases - Jacoby Ellsbury 52
Hit by Pitch - Shane Victorino 18
Intentional Walks - David Ortiz 27

12 Spots Still to Go in the Group Break

Go here to sign up.

Lots of spots still available.  Once again, I am opening 1 jumbo box of 2013 Topps Update, 1 hobby box of 2013 Panini Golden Age, and 1 hobby box of Topps Chrome.  I need 12 more teams to be claimed.  Only the Red Sox, Mariners, and Indians are off the table so far.

More Wantlist Hits

This was another trade that knocked off some cards from my wantlist:

1.  2005 Absolute Memorabilia Retail David Ortiz.  Not technically one of the cards I needed, but I will take it and cross off a card from my list with it anyway.

2.  2012 Finest Adrian Gonzalez.  I have said it several times, I still love getting A-Gon cards.

3.  2012 Finest Josh Beckett.

4.  2005 Absolute Memorabilia Curt Schilling.

5.  2005 Diamond Kings Manny Ramirez.

6.  1998 Collector's Choice Nomar Garciaparra.  And with this, I can cross off the 1998 Collector's Choice team set.

7.  2012 Finest Jacoby Ellsbury.

Still Looking for More Participants on the Group Break

Go here to sign up.

Lots of spots still available.  Once again, I am opening 1 jumbo box of 2013 Topps Update, 1 hobby box of 2013 Panini Golden Age, and 1 hobby box of Topps Chrome.  I need 12 more teams to be claimed.  Only the Red Sox, Mariners, and Indians are off the table so far.

Package Full of Wantlist Hits

I have been trying to focus on knocking some stuff off of my wantlist lately.  That is kind of my main goal these days.  So if anyone else out there can help me hit a couple of these I would really appreciate it.  My wantlist is linked on the side.

Anyway, I traded a few cards for this large number of stuff off of my list:

1.  2009 Topps Heritage Ramon Ramirez.  This was actually on my Top Ten Most Wanted, so I am really thrilled to add it.  The 2009 Heritage team set has been very elusive.  Ramirez was acquired for Coco Crisp and gave the Red Sox one pretty good year in the bullpen.

2.  1987 Donruss Bill Buckner.

3.  1994 Fleer Scott Cooper.

4.  1994 Fleer Rob Deer.  Deer was only a Red Sox for part of one season but it made a big impact on me when I was a kid.  Deer was one of the cards in my first 1991 Topps pack.

5.  1994 Fleer Mike Greenwell.

6.  1994 Fleer Frank Viola.

7.  1995 Fleer John Valentin.

8.  1998 Collector's Choice Dennis Eckersley.

9.  1998 Collector's Choice Mo Vaughn.  A nice card that I am sure Nick of Dime Box Cards would like.

10.  1998 Collector's Choice Pedro Martinez.

11.  1998 Collector's Choice Troy O'Leary.

12.  2000 Topps Stars Troy O'Leary.  I am not sure why he is wearing #2 on this card.  If I did not know better I would be sure this was Damon Buford on this card.

13.  2000 Greats of the Game Dennis Eckersley.  Eckersley has been a big focus lately.  Why?  I have no idea, but I like action shots of him because he had such a unique style.

14.  2000 Greats of the Game Carl Yastrzemski.

15.  2003 Topps Retired Carl Yastrzemski.  Another card Nick would like.

16.  2004 Topps Retired Bill Buckner.  I actually had the autographed version of this first.  Weird.

17.  2005 Topps Retired Dennis Eckersley.  Another nice Eck card with the Red Sox.

Quick Rockies Series

09/24: Rockies 8 Red Sox 3 (95-63)
John Lackey gave up three home runs and Boston's offense stalled against Tyler Chatwood.  Jarrod Saltalamacchia homered late in the game making it a bit closer than it would have been.
PLAYER OF THE GAME:
JARROD SALTALAMACCHIA:  1 for 4, 2 run home run.

09/25: Red Sox 15 (96-63) Rockies 5
Jake Peavy was a little rocky but got the job done in Todd Helton's final home game with the Rockies.  Shane Victorino and Will Middlebrooks combined for three home runs.
PLAYER OF THE GAME:
WILL MIDDLEBROOKS:  2 for 5, 2 home runs (grand slam), 7 RBIs.

Who Wants to Do a Group Break?

I am kicking around the idea of doing one with a couple of boxes.  This is my first attempt at this so I really hope it is successful.  I have been unable to buy any hobby boxes lately and I am trying to buy a house so my available funds are lower than usual.  I figure the best way to get some boxes would be to open up a group break here to help out on costs.  Obviously I would get the Red Sox but I will sell 14 other slots.  Each person will get two teams with the second team being assigned randomly using Randomizer.

This is what I will be breaking:
1 jumbo box of 2013 Topps Update (10 packs per box, 50 cards per pack, 1 auto, 2 relics, 500 total cards).
1 hobby box of 2013 Panini Golden Age (24 packs per box, 6 cards per pack, 1 auto, 1 relic, 1 mini per pack, 1 box-topper, non-baseball cards will be randomly assigned using Randomizer).
1 hobby box of 2013 Topps Chrome (24 packs per box, 4 cards per pack)

I am asking for $15.00 per slot.  For less than the price of a retail blaster, you will receive all of the cards from two teams out of three hobby boxes.

The way this will work is as follows:
1.  Comment here first and claim your team.  After 14 teams are claimed I will assign the other 15 teams randomly to those who have made claims using Randomizer so each person will get two teams.
2.  Submit your payment using Paypal (please mark it as a gift).  My paypal address is brad_ewalt AT yahoo DOT com.
3.  Email me at shadowking86 AT gmail DOT com and tell me the blog name you used to claim your team, the email address you sent payment from, and which team you claimed.

I will update the teams as they are paid for.

Here are the teams available:
Arizona Diamondbacks -
Atlanta Braves -
Baltimore Orioles - I Don't Know...3rd Base (paid)
Boston Red Sox - Red Sox Fan in Nebraska (paid)
Chicago Cubs -
Chicago White Sox - JediJeff (paid)
Cincinnati Reds -
Cleveland Indians - Baseball Dad (paid)
Colorado Rockies -
Detroit Tigers - I Don't Know...3rd Base (paid)
Houston Astros -
Kansas City Royals -
Los Angeles Angels -
Los Angeles Dodgers - Baseball Dad (paid)
Miami Marlins -
Milwaukee Brewers -
Minnesota Twins -
New York Mets -
New York Yankees -
Oakland Athletics -
Philadelphia Phillies - Amy (paid)
Pittsburgh Pirates -
St. Louis Cardinals -
San Diego Padres -
San Francisco Giants -
Seattle Mariners - The Junior Junkie (paid)
Tampa Bay Rays - Dean (paid)
Texas Rangers - I Don't Know...3rd Base (paid)
Toronto Blue Jays -
Washington Nationals -