Not totally baseball related, but my new SIRIUS Satellite Radio now allows me to finally be able to listen to American Sports Radio which covers baseball way more in these cold winter months. XM was probably better from a sports perspective, but SIRIUS will do just fine. I also got a few gift cards for the Jays Shop so hopefully JP can swing a deal and I can get a fresh name on the back of my jersey!
2 great books;
People often dismiss "best ever" discussions because "the game changes so much", but it's the fact that we were robbed of following the merits of 50% (+?) of the talent pool that truly make them useless.
and
We lost a giant in Buck O'neil this year, THE coolest man in baseball. A shame MLB left him off this year's mass negro league HOF induction. As good as Ken Burn's baseball doc was overall, Mr O'neil's screen time is what consistently brings me back to it. RIP.
I really got spoiled this year in terms of baseball stuff, and I'm really developing a good collection.
Myself and one of my other brothers both received numerous packs of Upper Deck 2006 baseball cards. Highlights of the packs included a Shawn Marum rookie card and a Yadier Molina autographed insert. However, I didn't make out quite as well as my brother, who received a Johnny Damon Team Pride card. The card was a special insert and contained a piece of a Damon game worn jersey from when he played for the Red Sox.
I also received an autographed 8 1/2" x 11" autographed picture of Joe Carter, and a Vernon Wells autographed baseball card. These will go nicely with my autographed Roy Halladay baseball and card, and my autographed Mickey Mantle Tripple Crown basball card.
I also received $75.00 in Jays gift cards (just short of enough money to purchase my 10 game flex pack for the 500 level before the end of the year).
I got The Complete Boston Red Sox by Derek Gentile, which is a catch-all Red Sox book. I asked for Red Sox Century, but my mom couldn't find it and got this instead, and I'm not complaining.
I also got a Red Sox garbage can and a 2002 series one Pedro Martinez McFarlane figure, which isn't easy to find for non-collectors, but somehow my sister found it.
I think the best baseball gift I ever got was a Jesse Barfield Rawlings signature glove in 1987 (which I don't think was easy to find as a left handed glove.) It's probably still my most favourite gift ever. I think I got a ball signed by the '85 Jays that year too, and more recently got the Bill James Abstract.
Mick, what type of cards did you get, if you don't mind me asking.
I was so thrilled with the autographed and game worn jersey cards that my brother and I got, that I went out and purchased another box of 2006 Upper Deck.
On the way home I was feeling a little guilty for shelling out another $80.00 on myself for baseball cards: that guilt quickly disipated as I was opening my cards and found a Roger Clemens jersey card from when he was with the Yankees, and a Frank Thomas jersey card from when he was with the White Sox. Needless to say, there was almost an "accident".
I'm a little late chiming in here, but just have to take this opportunity to brag. My husband, a casual baseball fan who indulges my fanaticism, bought me an authentic Roy Halladay 2007 jersey with the 30th anniversary patch! He's a keeper! (My husband I mean. ) And he bought our son "The Mental Game of Baseball."
(My husband I mean. )
Well ... Halladay, too. I mean, unless your husband can throw 95 with good movement.
Mick mentioned Terry Cashman, but for those of you out there who love baseball music, for my money (or file swap), the best out there is Dan Bern.
A bunch of his songs are on Diamond Cuts compilations, but if you're inclined to look around cyberspace: Gambling With My Love, They Don't Got Baseball, This Side of the White Lines, Sammy's Bat and others are classics. No one got them for me for Christmas (or Chanukkah), but if they had, it would have been a great gift.
What do you know? Here's a site with most, if not all of his songs available for free, legal download (I think they're up with the artist's permission). You can thank me later: http://homepage.mac.com/bcourter/danbernbaseball/
