Don't call it a comeback to quote Fuji and the Music Challenge A-Z

 So after I posted these yesterday here, I also posted them in a couple of TTM groups I belong to on facebook.  Someone there got my Padres custom and I got his 1993 Flair.  So we are swapping to get our cards back.  

I also decided to participate in the A-Z Music challenge.

A- Andrae Crouch and the Disciples, my favorite song is My Tribute

B-This was the most difficult letter for me.  I chose the Beach Boys but could have gone with Billy Preston, the Blues Brothers or Blue Oyster Cult.  The Beach Boys have more songs I like.

C-Chicago, one of the first albums I bought was their 4 disc Live at Carnegie Hall

D-Daniel Amos, one of the bands I have seen the most.  From country to new wave.  Shotgun Angel to the Alarma Chronicles

E-Edgar Winter, I love listening to Frankenstein with headphones on

F-for King and Country

G-George Strait, saw him in concert once and love almost anything he sings

H-Huey Lewis and the News, love everything they do and saw them in concert once

I- The Imperials, love their harmonies.  You will notice that there are several trios and quartets on my list, I love the sound of several voices melding together

J-Johnny Cash and Jimmy Buffett, I couldn't choose between them

K-Keith Green, some songs that really minister to me

L-Larry Norman, songs that showed me that rock and roll can be used to express Christian themes.  Many songs that make me think about things.  Six O'Clock News in particular.  Saw Larry in Concert many times.  Lynryd Skynryd I love the fifteen minute version of Freebird.  I saw them in concert in 1977.  You can see that concert in the movie Freebird

M-Mercy Me, I Can Only Imagine will always remind of my late mother in law

N-Newsboys, love My Fathers House in Particular

O-The Oak Ridge Boys, Elvira among many other favorites

P-Phillips, Craig and Dean, a trio of amazing voices with some amazing songs, Mercy Came Running, Concert of the Age and Favorite Song of All

Q-Queen, love News of the World

R-Reba McEntire, love her voice and her wide variety of songs.

S-Steven Curtis Chapman, love The Great Adventure, Burn the Ships and Be Still and Know

T- Tim Flannery, the dude is awesome, singer, songwriter and humanitarian.  My favorite song is a hymn he wrote called Foot of the Cross

U-U2, my younger brother introduced me to them when they were first hitting the U.S.  Joshua Tree is still a favorite album

V-Van Halen, I and a friend used to listen to their first albums in the church parking lot while we played frisbee in the late 70's

W-War, Wings.  I couldn't decide and I don't have an X

X- nothing y'all

Y-Yes, I saw them in concert at Oakland, they were the headliners after Donovan played.  Just him and his guitar then Yes with their arsenal of instruments.  

Z-ZZ Top, Eliminator is one of my favorites, but I also like their early blues.

A little bit of everything

The other day I got a PWE from Adam at Infield Fly Rule, that contained this Jack Youngblood card and another card of a Los Angeles Ram.  All I remember about him is thinking that he had a really cool name.  I don't remember him as a player at all.  Doing research for this post I found out that he was an actor starring in two made for TV movies in 1986 and 1988.  He was a member of the C.A.T. Squad in the movies.  I did not realize that he was in the HOF, but I did not pay much attention to football at the time. 

Somehow though I knew about the Rams Fearsome Foursome, consisting of Lamar Lundy, Deacon Jones, Rosey Grier and Merlin Olsen.  I don't know why but I remember watching Little House on the Prairie and seeing Merlin as Johnathan Garvey.  But I remember him even more as Father Murphy, a show that ran for three seasons between 1981-1983.  He confronted a mining boss and that confrontation caused some children to be orphaned.  He posed as a priest to help care for the children and circumvent authority that would have split up family.  

That team of Rams had some actors on it, Fred Dryer went on to star in Hunter and Rosey Grier starred in several things before starring in The Thing with Two Heads, where he played an inmate who had a bigoted surgeons head grafted onto his body.  Not a comedy.  

Does anyone know where I send the cards next?

I had sent some Padres cards out to get autographed, bought one on ebay and got disappointed with a return.  

I  made contact with former Padres pitcher Randy Keisler on the web and sent him an email asking I could send him a card to sign and he said yes.  So I made the card and sent it to a wide spot in the road, called Richards, TX and just thirty-eight days it came back to me. 

It is Padrograph #1239, I used the only photo I could find of him with San Diego and modeled the card after one of the Fleer box sets from the eighties.  He pitched in two games for the Padres in 2003.

As I was working on the Padres Phrankenset (which is on a temporary hiatus)  I came across a card that I needed a signed copy of and when I looked on ebay there was a signed copy so I bought.

Steve Watkins is Padrograph #1238, he pitched in eleven games for the Padres in 2004.

I had sent custom cards to most of the Padres coaches for them to sign and the other day I received an envelop back that I knew was coming from first base coach Wayne Kirby.  I was disappointed when I opened the envelope though.  Instead of my Padres card I found these.  

I have added some more 1963 Astronauts cards to my set.

I am taking a hiatus from writing for awhile.  I will be reading your blogs and commenting some.  
Thank you for stopping by.

 

something happened for the first time.

 Last night a Grossmont High School in San Diego alumni did something that had never happened in over eight thousand games for the Padres.  Joe Musgrove threw a no hitter for the Padres, one of the few Padres pitchers to come close was in a suite, Rangers General Manager Chris Young.  Joe Musgrove was just one pitch off a perfect game after hitting one batter.  It was a great game to be able to watch, the tension getting thicker with each inning and each batter.  Congratulations to Joe Musgrove and his defense.  

Joey Hamilton of the Topps laser card soundly defeated Mark Parent eighteen to one.  Up next is a triple threat match between OPC, SSPC and Topps.  Gary Lucas, 1982 OPC, SSPC Larry Hardy and 1990 Topps Joe Carter.

Thank you for stopping by and thank you for your assistance.   

P.S.  That was an actual Ozzie Smith rookie and not a reprint a couple of pages ago.

Always a Red Sox to me.

Fredric Michael Lynn made nine straight All Star Games between 1975-1983, for the Boston Red Sox and California Angels.  In 1975 he was the American League MVP and Rookie of the Year.  Between 1985-1989 he played for the Orioles and Tigers.  He finished his career in 1990 playing in ninety games for the Padres.  I have a signed card of him in my Padrographs where he is number 489.  When I hear Fred Lynn's name I only think of one team, the Boston Red Sox.  He was drafted by the Red Sox in the second round of the 1973 draft, he made his major league debut with the Red Sox in 1974 and played for seven seasons before being traded to the Angels with Steve Renko for Joe Rudi, Jim Dorsey and Frank Tanana.  Fred is featured here on his last all star card from 1983 Topps All Star set where he is card number 7.

 

A lot of different things and then a battle.

 I picked up three more 1963 Astronaut cards.  I now have twelve of the fifty-five cards,  22% of the set.  I am trying now to get the individual cards of each astronaut.  These three are my most recent pick ups.

I picked up a new Padrograph card through a private signing through the Trove Sports Den.  It is a custom card with an amazing uniform transformation job done by Travis Peterson (PunkRockPaint).  Mike Campbell is Padrograph #1237, he appeared in three games for the Padres in 1994.

I picked up what I think might be my favorite Padres card of 2021 off of eBay the other day.  It is a short print of Mike Clevinger with a skate board that Tony Hawk gave him.  

We have gone through the first two pages of cards 100-199 and here they are.

Andy Benes won the last battle nine votes to six for James Steels.  Up next is a battery, pitcher Joey Hamilton and catcher Mark Parent in a battle for spot number one hundred nineteen.  

Thank you for stopping by and thank you for your assistance.  

Tatis for the win,

Well Fernando Tatis, Jr. won that round handily ten votes to five.  He left a spring training game today with shoulder discomfort.  Hopefully it won't impact the season, as there are several Padres dealing with injuries right now.  

Up next is spot number one hundred seventeen.  It is a battle between James Steels, who played in sixty two games for the Padres in 1987 before playing for the Rangers and Giants, and Andy Benes who pitched in over one hundred games for the Padres from 1989-1995.

Thank you for stopping by and remember each time you vote it is an entry in a contest that will conclude with card number one hundred ninety nine.  Thank you for your assistance.

 

A couple of new Astronauts from 1963, Hurst wins and the Next Battle

 

I am making progress on my Astronauts set with help from Hockey Card World in Canada.  I want to thanks Topps for putting the number on the front of the cards and making it a size that is readable.  I think both of these cards feature Gus Grissom.  

Bruce Hurst won the previous battle of cards convincingly, eleven to four.  

This is the battle for spot number one hundred fifteen.  El Nino already has two hundred sixty one cards for 2021 according to the trading card database today.  Cal Quantrill has zero cards this year so far.  Both of the players have fathers who were major leaguers.  Tatis, Sr.  has a record that I don't think will ever be broken.  

Thank you for stopping by and thank you for your assistance.

in a battle of not very cool cards Benny wins

 Benito Santiago won that battle convincingly.  Eleven to seven.  Up next is a battle of two pitchers for spot number one hundred eleven.  Clayton Richard pitched in two different stints with the Padres, both as a starter and out of the bullpen.  He will pick up some votes for being Michigan's number two quarterback behind Chad Henne.   Bruce Hurst will always be remembered as a member of the Boston Red Sox.  

Thank you for stopping by and thank you for your assistance. 

Vintage wins

Are we considering 1983 Vintage yet?  I was twenty-six that year, out of high school for eight years, four years out of the Navy and two years away from getting married.  Anyway the 1983 kicked butt winning fourteen to one.  Recycled Vintage versus Actual Vintage, Joey is now a New York Met in a three team trade that brought Joe Musgrove to the Padres.  Benito was Rookie of the Year, played seven seasons in San Diego and was a five time all-star.  

Thank you for stopping by and thank you for your assistance.  

Christmas Catcher

Francisco Mejia and his holiday spirit kicked Jorge Ona's butt fourteen to four.

There are a lot of years between the next two cards.  Elias Sosa at the end of his twelve year major league career pitched in forty-one games for the Padres in 1983.  Joe Ross was drafted by the Padres in 2011 and was part of a three team trade that brought Wil Myers to San Diego with Joe Ross and Trea Turner going to Washington.  

Thank you for stopping by and thank you for your assistance.  
   

The former Padre wins the battle.

 Austin Hedges beat Hunter Refroe nine votes to seven.  It was neck and neck for a few moments.  Up next is a battle between a current Padre and a Tampa Bay Ray.  Mejia was part of the trade that brought Blake Snell to San Diego.

Thank you for stopping by and thank you for your assistance.

Whitson fits the frame and wins

As Jafronius pointed out the Whitson card he fits in the frame nicely.  Trevor P dropped by to break the tie, so onto the next battle. It is a battle between two former Padres, Hunter signed as a free agent with the Red Sox after being traded to the Rays last year as part of the deal for Tommy Pham and playing in the World Series.  Austin Hedges was traded to the Cleveland team as part of the deal that brought Mike Clevinger to the Padres.  

 Thank you for dropping by and thank you for your assistance.

who will cast the deciding vote?

 For the first time in my memory we have a tie.  Each card got eight votes.  Will someone who has not previously voted on these two cards cast a vote.  Thank you.

I have also picked up a couple of more Padrographs and another astronaut card.  

Robert Hassell was the Padres number one draft pick last year.  He is Padrograph #1236, the card is from the 2020 Bowman Draft.

Jorge Mateo has been playing in pro ball since 2012 when the Yankees signed him as an amateur free agent.  They traded him to the A's who traded him to the Padres last year.  He made his major league debut last year with San Diego and played in twenty-two games in the time of Covid.  He is Padrograph #1235 and the card is from the 2021 flagship cards.

This is the latest acquisition in my quest to complete the 1963 Topps astronaut set.  John Glenn is all over this set although he is one of the last astronauts I knew of when I was a kid.  I followed Gus Grissom and Alan Shephard back then.  I turned six in 1963 and now I am sixty three, some odd kind of symmetry here.

Thank you for stopping by and thank you for your assistance.

News of the day

 First off I managed to get my hands on some 2021 Topps.  I thought Night Owl was employing some hyperbole when he was talking about how small the names were. Then my nephew, in his early thirties, and I opened a pack and he had trouble reading the names.  My apologies to Night Owl.

I was visiting Target today and stepped up to the card area, which was cordoned off and was completely full.  I asked if I could get some and they asked me if I was on the list.  I said what, they have a virtual list you sign up on and they have a special cashier to ring people up.  You are limited to three SKU's per person, so I guess you could get three of each type of packaging.  I said how many people are on the list and was told by the bouncer, I mean security person, that there were thirty people on the list.  With that I turned and walked away.  

Amazingly Matt Strahm won the first battle of this round of cards.  Matt got six votes, Wil got five and the El Nino got four votes.  Up next is are these two.  I don't remember much about Ed Whitson, except he couldn't handle the New York fans.  Cashner is one of the first players I remember with a big bushy beard.

Remember every vote is an entry into the contest.  Thank you for stopping by and thank you for your assistance.

Get Ready to Rumble

I am ready to start on cards 100-199 for the Phrankenset.  Remember each time you vote is an entry into a contest that has some pretty cool prizes.  You can see what is left on the prize page and I will be adding to it.  There was no battle for spot number one hundred as it is one of my favorite cards, a 1987 Topps flagship card of Steve Garvey.  Card number one hundred one is Bip Roberts on a Upper Deck card reminding everyone there are two outs.  So the first battle is for spot number one hundred and two.  We lead off with Wil Myers awaiting the throw at first, Matt Strahm preparing to (hopefully) get some one out and El Nino watching the action on the field.  

Thank you for stopping by and thank you for your assistance.