Let's Make a Deal

Wallet Card Keith Here - do you like making trades? 

Here's an example of the cards I've organized by team - these are (almost) all of my Braves - Orioles - Red Sox - Cubs and White Sox. I have similar boxes that hold all Major League Teams. The bottom 3/4 or so of this box is up for trade.  

Sure, I've got a ton of Junk wax like these. They could be yours! Team collectors, set collectors, let me know what you still need to fill in those late 80s and early 90s gaps. I am more than happy to send a "grab bag" style package of junk wax wrapped with more interesting inserts/autos/vintage/specific want list items.

But I've also got Vintage like these! There's quite a bit less of this, but again, if you're working on a specific set, let me know and maybe I have something for you. 

2016 (and in a few weeks 2017) issued cards like these! Finish those 2016 (and '15) sets!

I'm looking to pare down my collection to be just the top section shown here for each team. My Twins Collection is also bursting - I have 5 boxes just like this one with just Twins cards in them, lots and lots of doubles. (So even if you are a fellow Twins collector, I probably have something for you).

So, what am I looking for in return? I've got vintage and Junk wax want lists, several player collections, and I am always interested in unique Twins.

If you're interesting in making a trade, let me know - I will still be putting together trades for #supertraders and for folks I've been trading with over the last couple years, too.

The Completely Arbitrary Best Card of 2016

Oh, it was all build up - that other post about the Highly Subjective "Best" cards of 2016? See, This card above is the true winner, in completely arbitrary fashion. The Card has a history - you can see the 1967 Topps card that inspired the makers of Topps Heritage: 

Both of these cards - the 1967 original and the 2016 remix - came my way in 2016 as new additions to my collection. The 2016 version came from opening several packs of Topps Heritage, and the 1967 version came in a trade.

The 1967 card has a "behind the scenes at Topps" feel. Bob Allison and Harmon Killebrew appear to be posing for a different photographer to the left of the image. The 2016 version has the same off camera gaze, however Buxton and Sano seem to be interested in action taking place on the field of play. The new card seems to be capturing a candid moment of players at the top step of the dugout.

I could have picked this card, or any of the dozen or so cards from my top "10" list, but it can be so hard to pick just one favorite!

This post was inspired by the contest being run by P-Town Tom on his blog Eamus Catuli!(formerly known as Waiting Til Next Year). It's been great to see everyone else's choices, and there's still a couple days left to add yours!

The "10" Highly Subjective "Best" Baseball Cards of 2016

Oh man. So I was so very ready to just say that this was the card of 2016. Captured a great moment in the 2016 season, a fan favorite player doing something out of character.... Ask me at almost any point of the year, and I would say this was it, hands down. Then something happened . . .

Really Topps? There's also a card commemorating this homer in Topps Heritage High Numbers. So, the Topps Now version is no longer special in any way. I will say of the three versions, the Topps Now card has my favorite photo choice, and the better copy on the front. But we'll cry our Topps Now tears another time.

Here's another example of Topps capturing a great moment - Joey Bats with the epic playoff bat flip. I picked the chrome version because the bat is kinda sorta in 3-D on the card.

This was a very recent addition - I spent the $14.99 for the 8 update chrome cards and several packs of regular Topps Update. I love that this card is super sparkly and shiny and new, and juxtaposed against that is Denard Span's salt and pepper beard. I'm a fan.

Get used to seeing Stadium Club cards in this rambling list. There are quite a few. This could be a still from "The Natural" with the sunlight streaming through the open areas of the stadium. Really nice photo.

This is possibly blasphemy, but I think this card was one of the few that met the standards of the 1967 set. Several of the 2016 Heritage cards were washed out / over saturated using a technique to make them look like vintage cards. This one has a little bit of that, but it's not overly distracting. The "Tigres" jersey variation is the cherry on top.

I won't go crazy with Twins cards in the list, but I was quick to make an exception for Sano under the Target Field lights. The Future of the Franchise in a nicely framed shot.

Speaking of frames, The Archives set paid tribute to the 1991 Topps set. This shot right down the foul line mirrored the tremendous photography that defined the 91 set.

Ok, one more Twin. This photo was taken in the Twins' previous home, the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome. "The Rat" Gary Gaetti is in the background as "Sweet Music" delivers to the plate during the 1987 World Series. Viola was the MVP of the Series, then went on to win the AL Cy Young in 1988. Great memories with this photo.

I was trying to decide between this Met robbing a home run and the card of Juan Lagares robbing a home run - The tie breaker is having Bullpen Coach Ricky Bones all bundled up in the background of this one.

The Saint Louis Arch is a perfect backdrop for this card - the throwback uni on Grichuk is a nice touch.

I'm not really a Royals fan, or a Salvador Perez fan, but this card captures his love for playing baseball, and that's a wonderful thing!

There were many honorable mentions I could include here - Billy Hamilton bunting on his Topps Bunt card, The Buxton / Sano Twin Terrors Heritage card, the entire Stadium Club set.... it was too bad that there were only Topps cards on this list, but the truth is that Panini's efforts were not quite up to the task.

2017 Topps will be out in stores in about a month, and the cycle will start all over again - it's currently below zero here in Minnesota, but I'm already thinking about spring.

2016 Twins Home Opener - Bummer.

High expectations and LOW temperatures - that's not Celsius, kids. 

Some local eats

A big pile of rib tips, fresh off the grill. Awesome. Also a reasonable buzz can be obtained from this stand with a shot of Knob Creek.

Those seem like a very long time ago ...

 I didn't take many shots of game action- nobody on either side struck the ball very firmly.

There were a pair of bald eagles at the game, they politely listened to the National Anthem while being super majestic.

One highlight of the day was Rod Carew throwing out the first pitch. He suffered a massive heart attack over the winter, and will likely need a heart transplant sooner than later. Joe Mauer is catching and Tony Oliva is standing just to Carew's left.

The game itself? Frustrating. Cold. The Twins are now 0-7. No team in MLB history  has ever made the playoffs after starting 0-7. If they somehow become the first, they are going to have to turn things around dramatically, and do it really soon.

The good news? It's going to be in 60s and 70s for the rest of the week. Also, it could have been worse:

Here's the Minneapolis Millers at their home opener April 25th, 1950.