Dime Box Heroes: At the movies

2000 Impact #17 Jim Morris PROS

I'm not much of a movie connoisseur these days.

In the past three years or so, I've only seen five movies at the theater. "Hamlet 2", "Grown Ups", "Jackass 3.0", "Captain America", and, most recently, "Moneyball".

That's it. 

I didn't really even want to see "Grown Ups" or "Captain America", but I went because my friends were going. ("Captain America" actually turned out to be a decent flick.)

When I was younger, it seemed like there was a movie coming out every month that I wanted to see. The early-2000's were also the death rattle for good sports movies, at least to me anyways. The '90's had a bunch of great sports movies that were marketed towards kids. I was only one when my all-time favorite movie, "The Sandlot", was released. I was only about four or five when movies like "Rookie of the Year" or "Little Big League" came out. But I caught up with them later. 

Even though I'm twenty years old, I still feel that all of those were fantastic movies. 

A couple days ago, I was bored and decided to make a list of my all-time top 25 movies. I'd only seen four of them in theaters.

"The Rookie" was one of them.

Finding that "The Rookie" made the list was a surprise to me, coming in at #21 (just ahead of "Animal House"). I didn't think it would make the cut. 

But the more I thought about it, the more I realized how great it was. I loved it as a kid, and I still love it now.

It's not overly dramatic like a lot of movies nowadays, and it's almost entirely truthful. The term "based on a true story" is thrown around a lot when it comes to sports movies, but it's often not entirely true. (Just look up the actual story behind the film "Remember the Titans". Not even close to the movie.)

However, "The Rookie" is pretty consistent with what actually happened to former pitcher Jim Morris, from what I've read about him. He did actually go from coaching high school baseball to "The Show" in four months. He was a 35 year-old rookie who was a former minor-league pitcher in the '80s. He did all of a sudden develop a 98 MPH fastball, although no one's sure exactly how that happened.

And he did actually strike out the first major-league batter he saw. (Sorry for the spoiler, but I figure it's okay since the movie is almost ten years old.)

The makers of the film even got Royce Clayton to play himself, since that was who Morris struck out in his first game. (Clayton also played Miguel Tejada in the film adaptation of "Moneyball".)

Morris did have some minor league-issued cards in the '80s, but he never had a Topps, Donruss, or Fleer rookie card. 

Jim Morris didn't have a "rookie card" until 1999.

I do have Morris's '99 Ultimate Victory rookie card (also a dime box find), but I love his 2000 Impact issue because of the juxtaposition.

The word "Prospects" is proudly displayed across the front of the card. A year before this card was released, very few people even knew who Jim Morris was.

In 2000, Jim Morris was now considered a "prospect". A year before, he was teaching high school chemistry.

It's certainly a great story.

Short Term Stops, Pt. 7: Steve Carlton

1988 Fleer #7 Steve Carlton (Twins)

The final years of Steve Carlton's career are largely forgettable.

Judging from the picture on this card, you'd never know that this guy was one of the greatest pitchers in baseball history. By 1988, Carlton just looked old and worn out. This '88 Fleer issue is Carlton's final baseball card.

Not the best way to go out.

During his Hall-of-Fame career, Steve Carlton racked up 329 wins, 4,136 strikeouts, and ten All-Star selections. He also took home four Cy Young awards, including his magnificent 27-10 season (with a 1.97 ERA) in 1972 for a last-place Phillies team.

But by the time this card came out, Carlton was 43 years old and in the twilight of his career. In 1986, he played for the Phillies, Giants, and White Sox. In '87, he suited up for the Indians and the Twins.

1988 would be his final season. He'd close out his career in Minnesota, going 0-1 with a 16.76 ERA in 9 2/3 innings that year before being released in late April.

Until I got this card, I had no idea that Carlton even played for the Twins.

Perhaps it would've been better if it stayed that way.

Not for investment purposes

We started taking about the stock market in my business class today.

I still can't believe people buy and sell stocks for a living. How do they get any sleep at night, knowing that one major slip-up could potentially ruin them?

Anyways, as we started to delve further into the topic in class, I began to think about the "investment" side of baseball cards.

I can't believe that there are still "investors" out there when it comes to baseball cards (or any sports cards, for that matter). Everyone should know by now that baseball cards are probably among the worst investments you can make right now.

I've always been against collecting for investment purposes. If you've got the money to do it, then go right ahead, but don't be surprised when you come back empty-handed.

I'm happy to say that 99.9 percent of the people in this hobby are great. But the few jerks I've come across at card shows or wherever are the people who are in this hobby solely for the money. They're also probably the middle-aged guys you might see searching packs at your local Target or Wal-Mart.

"Flipping" a card every once in a while is fine by me, though. When I was collecting hockey cards, I managed to pull two Upper Deck Sidney Crosby rookie cards. At the time, they were worth two-hundred and fifty dollars a piece. I sold one for a decent chunk of change, and I eventually wound up trading the other one for some baseball cards.

But I must admit, I am guilty of having bought a card for investment purposes. Just once. At the flea market a few years ago, I picked up the Rich Hill rookie card you see at the top of the post for two bucks.

I'd heard that Hill had decent stuff and might be a good pitcher. At the time, I thought I got a steal on it. Surely this card would net me a decent return when Hill becomes the ace in the Cubs' rotation.

Shows what I know.

Hill didn't do much in his time in Chicago. He's had short stints with the Orioles and the Red Sox since.

The Hill debacle showed me that baseball cards are always a whole lot better if you're just in the hobby for fun. Don't take it too seriously, and don't expect to make any money.

I still have Hill's rookie card in my collection. It's a great reminder of the reason I got into collecting cards in the first place, and why I'm still doing it today.

For fun.

An impulse buy

Up until about a week ago, I had only made one impulse purchase as a result of seeing a card on another blog.

I was browsing through some of Night Owl's older posts a couple months ago and came across one of his "Awesome Night Card" posts that featured this Brent Mayne card.

In one of the best games of the 2011 baseball season, Phillies shortstop Wilson Valdez earned a pitching victory in a 19-inning game versus the Reds. He retired three straight Reds hitters in the top of the nineteenth before the Phils got a run in the bottom of the inning to earn the "W".

Before Valdez, catcher Brent Mayne was the last non-pitcher to earn a victory. Mayne pitched a scoreless top of the 12th for the Rockies in a game against the Braves on August 21, 2000. The Rockies would score in the bottom half of the inning to win the game.

This impulse buy set me back a mere 80 cents via Sportlots.

It was worth every penny.

I made my second impulse purchase as a result of another blogger's post last week.

A few weeks ago, Ted over at "Crinkly Wrappers" made a post showcasing the 1994 "Origins of Baseball" set.

I'd never heard of the set before Ted's post. Naturally, I set sail for Ebay in an attempt to get one for myself. No luck.

I'd forgotten about the set until last week, when Ted graciously sent an email alerting me about a couple of these sets that popped up on Ebay. I pounced on one of them. All in all, the 100-card set cost me just $20 shipped.

The set came in the mail today.

A big thanks to Ted for his original post on these cards and sending me the follow-up email that allowed me to purchase one for myself! I probably wouldn't have these in my hands today if it wasn't for him.

After I got home from school today, I spent about an hour just going through the cards and reading the backs.

I'm a total nut when it comes to baseball history, especially the pre-1900's stuff.

These cards go all the way back to the earliest bat-and-ball games, which apparently originated around 700 A.D. according to the above card.

A lot of the cards were stuck together as a result of being in that box for almost two decades. I managed to separate most of them with little damage, but a few didn't turn out so great, like this "Pud" Galvin card.

No matter, as I'm not much of a sticker for condition anyways. (Which is good when it comes to some dime boxes, as the cards look like they were literally "thrown" into the box sometimes.)

This is my first card of Galvin, who won 365 games in his fifteen-year career.

On a side note, he was also the first player known to be using performance-enhancing drugs. In 1889, he used an elixir which contained monkey testosterone. (Look it up.)

I love the mustaches on a lot of these old-timey baseball pictures. I find it hard to believe that most adult men walked around with those things at one point in time.

This is also my first card of "Old Hoss" Radbourne.

Radbourne holds the all-time record for wins in a season with 59 in 1884. The book Fifty-nine in '84 is a great chronicle of what was a truly crazy season in baseball history.

There's another reason why I like this card so much. Radbourne is subtly extending his middle finger on the right side of this card.

That was over a century before the famous Billy Ripken incident.

There's some outstanding team photos in this set as well, this one of the 1886 Chicago White Stockings.

So many mustaches!

Catcher Buck Ewing invented the modern catcher's crouch over a century ago.

Before Ewing, catchers would stand straight up and would point their glove downward. Ewing was the first to crouch behind the plate and give the pitcher a target.

I love seeing photos of pre-1900 catcher's masks, like the one Ewing is holding in this shot.

They've certainly come a long way.

As far as I'm concerned, I'm not sure it gets much better than an action shot from the dead-ball era.

You can see how far "Wee" Willie Keeler choked up from this shot, as his left hand is about a quarter of the way up the bat.

I think this is my favorite card from the set.

In 1889, the Chicago White Stockings embarked on a "World Tour" to bring the game of baseball outside of America.

A few of the members of the White Stockings are shown here at the famous Sphinx in Egypt during an afternoon break from play.

This is the best set I've come across in a long, long time.

It may be the best twenty bucks I've ever spent.

Zero-Year Cards, Part 21

2011 Topps #479 Justin Duchscherer (Orioles)

This is the newest inductee into the "zero-year club".

After about two or three years of collecting cards of Duchscherer, I think I have finally memorized how to spell his last name.

Duchscherer (pronounced Duke-sher) is one of the classic examples of a talented player who just cannot stay healthy for whatever reason.

He was an All-Star reliever in 2005, finishing the year with a 2.21 ERA in 85 2/3 innings. The reason I started collecting Duchscherer stems from that 2005 All-Star game. He was also an All-Star in 2008, this time as a starter. He'd finish the season with a 10-8 record and a paltry 2.54 ERA.

However, he's only pitched 28 big-league innings since his All-Star season in '08. Injuries coupled with a bout with depression have limited his action. He missed all of the 2009 season, and started just five games in 2010, going 2-1 with a 2.89 ERA.

He'd sign with the Orioles as a free agent in February of 2011. However, a hip injury forced him to miss the entire season. 

The O's released him in August of last year. Duchscherer never got the chance to pitch a single game for Baltimore.

He's still a free agent. Even with all the injuries, I really hope an organization is willing to take a chance on him with a low-risk minor league deal.

It could pay huge dividends.

The Birthday Haul, Pt. 2: Bustin' wax

In terms of baseball cards, this has been the best birthday I can remember.

My dad got me a great assortment of vintage (plus a few other odds and ends), and my mom took me to a card show last week as an early gift.

My mom was also gracious enough to get me a 2012 Topps hobby box for my birthday yesterday. This continues a tradition of receiving a box of Topps' inaugural offering for my birthday. It's been that way since 2009.

I don't open a whole lot of boxes. The only other box I busted in 2011 (besides Topps Series 1) was Topps Update. I've gotten a box of Update every year since I got back into baseball cards in 2007.

It will probably be the same story this year. I'd like to pick up a box of Heritage at the card show I'll be attending in March, but we'll see if I have the available cash.

When I do get a box, I'm not really looking for the "hits". I just like going through the base and inserts, picking out the ones I need for my massive amounts of player collections, and then making the necessary trades for the rest I need. It's a rewarding process.

It's no different with 2012 Topps. I really wanted the Tim Hudson base card from Topps flagship, but I hadn't pulled it from any of the packs I'd opened before yesterday's break.

Boy, was I happy to see it fall out of one of the 36 packs I opened. It's up there with Tom Gorzelanny and Reed Johnson for the best card in the set. Plus, it's another one for this collection of mine.

As I've said before, Topps really nailed it this year with the photography for their initial 2012 offering.

There's a lot of great horizontal shots, including this great card of Jacoby Ellsbury.

I previously called 2012 Topps the "celebration set". There's a lot of great shots of players celebrating (like Billy Butler) in the base set. Heck, a lot of the SPs this year are devoted to that very theme.

Say what you want about this year's short prints, but they're a lot better than the "sparkle" SPs from last year, in my opinion.

There's some great non-celebration action shots from this year's set as well. Bobby Abreu joins Melky Cabrera in the "robbing a home run" category.

Base cards are fine and dandy, but now onto the inserts.

I've had horrible luck pulling Gold parallels of guys I need in years past. Even though Topps omitted the numbered Gold parallels in 2012 (an interesting decision considering everything else seems to be gold-related), I still didn't have much luck with the sparkly parallels. (While these sparkly parallels are cool, I personally liked the gold-bordered parallels from years past a little better.)

The only one I needed from the box was this Vernon Wells card. Oh well, at least I've got a little more tradebait.

Topps struck gold with the '87 minis insert set this year. (I can't say the same about most of the gold-themed inserts, interestingly enough.)

The Uggla might be my favorite from the entire set. I love those throwback Braves uniforms.

I don't care what anyone else says. I actually like these cards.

Granted, they could've at least gotten a few different pictures of Mazeroski instead of using the same one three times. A team shot (like on the Carlton Fisk one) would've been a nice touch.

They're still cool in my book, though. And gold is nowhere to be found on them.

If there was actual gold in all these Gold inserts from 2012 Topps, we'd all be rich.

I've mentioned it many times, even before 2012 Topps came out. I wish Topps would change up the selection of Hall of Fame players for their insert sets.

Give me some more cards of Bill Mazeroski. Give me more Robin Roberts. And I'd love to see an insert set devoted to pre-1900 players.

I don't hate on Topps very often (the packs are still just two bucks, after all), but this is an area where I'd like Topps to step up their game.

I'm a big collector of old-time HOFers like Ruth and Cobb. I love getting cards of them. But I think it's time to see a little change, don't you? I don't need ten different Jackie Robinson or Mickey Mantle insert cards in each set.

I didn't think the HOFer selection could get much worse. But then I saw the "Golden Greats" insert set. There's not just one more Cal Ripken card, there's five different Ripken cards in this set. And five different Nolan Ryans. And five different Jackie Robinsons...

I'll let Bill and Ted speak for these two cards.

This was the big "hit" of the box.

There was also another good pull from the box. Luckily, it was an O's card that I can send to William from "Foul Bunt" to help repay him for the great cards he's sent me lately. I don't want to ruin the surprise, so I won't show it.

I pulled this card in the 36th and final pack from the box. It's for trade if anyone wants it.

That wraps up the "haul" from my birthday this year. A heartfelt "thank you" goes out to both of my parents for the fantastic gifts this year!

Now that my birthday is over, I've got just one thing on my mind.

Spring training is here!

The Gems of Junk Wax, Pt. 20: 1992 Topps #40 Cal Ripken Jr.

This might be the all-time greatest pose to ever grace the front of a baseball card.

As we all know, Cal Ripken Jr. is the record holder for consecutive games played (with 2,632), breaking Lou Gehrig's record of 2,130 games, a mark that many considered to be unbreakable.

In general, 1992 Topps is a very good set. Not too flashy, but not too boring like 1990 Topps or other offerings from the overproduction era.

Topps knocked it out of the park for Ripken's 1992 issue, having him pose with Lou Gehrig's monument at the famous Monument Park in Yankee Stadium. The pitch-black backdrop just tops it off.

What's interesting about this shot is that it was actually taken before Ripken broke Gehrig's consecutive games record. The "Iron Man" was well on his way to overtaking "The Iron Horse" by '92, but what if Ripken suffered some freak injury that forced him out of the lineup? If that had indeed happened, I don't think too many people would understand what Topps was hinting at for this card.

Thankfully, Ripken stayed healthy and wound up breaking the hallowed record. It's still the most memorable baseball moment of my lifetime, as far as I'm concerned.

In this day in age, I don't think anyone will ever come close to breaking Ripken's record. We rarely see guys play in all 162 games in a single season anymore.

Although Ripken was a fantastic hitter and a Gold Glove fielder, he will always be remembered for his amazing durability.

It's the same with his baseball cards.

Although he's had some great cards over the years, Ripken's 1992 Topps card is the first one I think of.

It's the one I'll always remember.