Suzuki Shock Shift

Thursday 22 August 2013: Chicago: Kurt Suzuki and Drew Storen celebrate 5-4 win vs Cubs after 13 innings in what would be Kurt's final game as a National.

Say What? The day after beating the Cubs 5-4 in a 13 inning game the last of a four game series that Nats took 3-1, The Nats Trade catcher Kurt Suzuki BACK to the Oakland Athletics, the team they got him from last year. I am shocked. Kurt helped the Nats with his hitting and excellent catching last year for their fantastic season that got them a small taste of what the Playoffs are like. I know that super Suzuki fan and blogger Fuji of The Chronicles of Fuji is overjoyed with the trade. The Nats get some minor league right handed pitcher I have NEVER heard of Dakota Bacus. The way he's been pitching lately I would rather that the Nats had traded their closer Rafael Soriano than Kurt. Soriano has been lazy of late, he seems to not really care about the game(s) at all. He has a tendency to loose a large lead blowing the save and often walking the winning runs. I am not pleased with this deal.

2012 Topps Baseball Opening Day 132 Kurt Suzuki Athletics

Nationals mentioned in this post:

Dakota Bacus (Minor League)

Rafael Soriano

Drew Storen

Kurt Suzuki

Classless Atlanta Fans

Friday 16 August 2013: Washington Nationals @ Atlanta Braves the game would end up a 3-2 win for Atlanta, however that is not what I'm ranting about here. This rant is about this:

And This:  (OK I couldn't find the right type of picture I was looking for exactly)

Yep Braves pitchers beaned Bryce Harper with a pitch twice in one game and with the second hit (at 91 mph) the fans in the stands CHEERED! YES That is right THEY CHEERED THAT A BATTER WAS HIT WITH THE BALL! Very CLASSLESS Braves fans. I just wish the Nats had bounced back and beaten the tar out of the Braves. OH Well Next Year, without any hijinks.

Now it is one thing to boo an opposing player as he steps up to bat, as the fans did each time Harper took the plate, but to CHEER his getting hit with the ball? What if it had been a freak pitch that knocked his helmet off, or smashed it, and gave him a concussion or killed him? Fans should NEVER cheer when an athlete is injured. Braves fans you are sick, sick, sick, SICK, I hope your team loses whatever playoff games they get to this year.

I noticed that a Red Sox pitcher got ejected from a game and suspended for five games for beaning Yankees Alex Rodriguez with a pitch. Oh and on Saturday's Nats-Braves game (the night after this Hit Harper Game) Stephen Strasburg gets ejected for pitching "behind" a batter, not even hitting him, and these Braves pitchers got NO punishment? Come on MAN the second pitcher should have at least been ejected on the spot, but no this year the Braves are the MLB's perfect little darlings.

Related Articles:
Harper on Braves fans "I love these fans. I really do"- Nationals Pastime at MASN Sports.com
Warnings issued after Harper hit twice by Braves - MLB.com
Stephen Strasburg ejected for throwing behind batter twice - USA Today
Atlanta Braves-Washington Nationals Rivalry Intensifies As Bryce Harper Is Hit Twice - Rant Sports
Bryce Harper hit twice in Nationals-Braves game - Washington Post
On Bryce Harper, Braves fans and a growing rivalry - Washington Times

Nationals mentioned in this post:
Bryce Harper
Stephen Strasburg

Stras First Career Complete Game Shut Out

I know this is a few days almost a week late, but it is Nats News. On Sunday 11 August 2013 in the final game of a three game home series vs. The Phillies, Nats ace starting pitcher Stephen Strasburg went the distance to win his first career complete shut out game 6-0. The Nats swept the Phillies, only their fifth sweep of the season, the last being in early July vs. The Padres.

 2012 Topps Heritage Baseball 221 Stephen Strasburg Nationals

Congrats Stephen! I won't give the game details since I didn't see the entire game and this blog is more about cards not team news, but I do have some links at the end of this post to articles on the game (plus one article on Stras in general).

2012 Topps Opening Day Baseball 190 Stephen Strasburg Nationals

Related Articles:
Can Stephen Strasburg Ever Be a True MLB Workhorse? - Bleacher Report
Strasburg shuts out Phillies in masterpiece - Comcast Sports Net
Stephen Strasburg With A Complete Game Shutout, Nationals 6-0 Over Phillies For The Sweep - Federal Baseball (SB Nation)
Nat's Strasburg shuts down Phillies- Fox Sports
Nats win on Strasburg's 1st career complete game - Idaho State Journal
No limit: Stephen Strasburg coming into own for Nationals - USA Today
Jayson Werth, Stephen Strasburg Gatorade baths - Washington Post
Stephen Strasburg completely dominant as Nationals sweep Phillies - Washington Times

Nationals Mentioned In This Post:
Stephen Strasburg

Frankly Friday: Classic Counterparts

CLASSIC COUNTERPARTS

OK so I missed last week and this week is only a one card Frankly Friday. Not much to tell about how I got the card, it came from Ebay (Buy It Now I think not auction) $1.30 plus $2.99 shipping. I forget what it was delivered in I didn't note that in my Forums blogs (where I try to keep up with my maildays). This card is one of those two players from different teams type of card. The common thread for this one, besides sort of being local area rivals would be both players were sluggers who lead their teams in Home Runs and RBIs and were regular All-Stars for about 4 straight years. The Duo featured on the card Frank Howard and Boog Powell (Orioles).

2005 Upper Deck Classics: Classic Counterparts - CC-PH

Boog Powell Orioles and Frank Howard Senators #d 1696/1999

(Front and Back)

The lines on the front are not a weird scanner glitch the design of the card I think was going for a wood grain effect sort of. The areas where the team logos are on the front are where the "materials" version of these cards puts the silly "Game Used" jerseys or socks or whatever, apparently there are also signatures versions.

Happy Birthday HONDO!

Hey! It's 08 August and born on this date in 1936 is #33 Your Washington Senator Frank "Hondo" Howard Outfielder/1st Baseman.*

Man I really need to find an upgraded copy of that promo photo. I think it is my fave piece of Hondo Memorabilia that I have. I probably should try to get it signed.

*Thanks goes out to blogger Contrary Guy it was on his blog that I saw it was Frank's Birthday.

Frankly Friday: 1970 Mini Posters

1970 Wall Decorations

During the 1960s and 1970s Topps seemed to love oddball inserts much like they love to overdo today. One of those inserts for 1970 was a 24 set of "mini" posters that measure 8-11/16" x 9-5/8" and were inserted in the regular wax packs. Since they are just thin newsprint thickness paper and folded to fit the packs they tend to tear at the folds. So far I am fortunate in the two I have with little or no rips, my standard two Washington Franks, Howard and Robinson which are featured in this post. Mr. Robinson of course represents the Orioles. It seems the only other Senators past, present or future in this 24 "poster" set were Denny McLain (Tigers), and Don Mincher (Pilots).

I seem to recall as a kid my brother had a copy of the Frank Howard poster pinned to the bedroom wall of our childhood home. At the time we were sharing the bedroom that I would eventually be the sole occupant of when my brother decided to move to the basement . I have no idea where that copy of the poster went. Anyway here are images of the posters for the two Flagship Franks of this post series.

1970 Topps Baseball Mini Pin-Up Poster Insert

22 Frank Howard Senators

(Front and back)

1970 Topps Baseball Mini Pin-Up Poster Insert

12 Frank Robinson Orioles

(Front and Back)

These mini posters are just a  fraction too large for my scanner to capture the complete width of them. This image of the Frank Robinson poster I moved over slightly so that the copyright line can be seen on the right side, the Frank Howard poster has that info under the "card" number on the lower left side.

Washington Franks mentioned this post:

Frank Howard

Frank Robinson

Other SeNators mentioned in this post:
Denny McLain
Don Mincher

Frankly Friday: Limited Greats

FRANKly Friday: Great Limited Autographs

OK so this week I'm only showing one Frank, but its my fave Frank Howard. This card I got from Ebay for cheap, well not so cheap it was lets see (looks up quickly on semi-recent card forum blog posts...) $10.19 +  $1.99 Shipping. 2011 Limited Greats Limited Autographs 29 Frank Howard Senators auto blue sharpie on sticker #d 007/299. When I got it I was a little disappointed because in the Buy It Now Auction listing it looked a lot BLUER than it really is. I guess the camera or scanner the seller used was set really bright, and reflected the light just right, probably was a camera. Anyway in addition to the fact that it was Frank Howard, and that it was an Auto, and that it was Leaf Limited (well Panini Limited) and that it was serial numbered, it was serial numbered to Kill 007 James Bond's number. If it was just plain old 7 I'm not sure I would have pulled the trigger on it as quickly as I did. I wish that Topps didn't have the official Monopoly licensing for baseball products. No team logos and just the name of the city is a huge reminder of that fact. Anyway here is the card enjoy.

 2011 Limited Greats Limited Autographs 

29 Frank Howard Senators auto blue sharpie on sticker #d 007/299

(Front and Back)

I just noticed while looking at the scans that the "OF 33" on the back could almost be misinterpreted as coming from a small set of only 33 cards. Instead of standing for Frank's position and jersey number.

Washington Franks mentioned in this post:
Frank Howard

Frankly Friday: 1953 Topps Reprints

1953 TOPPS Reprints

Last week I showed the 1952 Topps Reprint I have this week I will show the 1953 Topps Reprints I have. I also have some original 1953 Topps cards (a couple of St. Louis Browns) but none of them are Senators yet. I like the design of the 1953s more than the 1952. Again I got a Senators Team Reprint set (Didn't get one of the Browns although I should so I can do a side by side with those originals I have on my regular card blog). 1953 had the same two Franks (Campos and Shea) as the 1952 had this time both were shown properly/timely as Senators. This time the reprints were done in 1991 under the "Archives" Brand.

 1991 Topps Archives 1953 Reprint - 51 Frank Campos Senators

(Front and Back)

 1991 Topps Archives 1953 Reprint - 164 Frank Shea Senators

(Front and Back)

Washington Franks mentioned this post:

Frank Campos

Frank Shea

Frankly Friday: 1952 Topps Reprints

 1952 TOPPS Reprints

Many baseball card collectors consider the 1952 Topps Baseball set to be the Crème de la crème set of baseball cards. Nobody seems to know exactly what it is that has made this one of the most sought after sets in the hobby. This popularity and its scarcity makes the prices for the individual cards insane. So I will probably never have a complete original set, and probably won't even have a complete Original Senators Team set from 1952, but I did manage to get a reprint set of the Senators (and a reprint set of the St. Louis Browns who would become the Orioles in 1954). I have one original 1952 Topps cards of a Red Sox player. I don't have any original 1952 Senators yet. The Senators had two Franks playing for them in 1952; Frank Campos and Frank Shea. Both had 1952 Topps cards, however Frank Shea's card has him as a Yankee as he was traded to Washington in May of 52 and apparently Topps had already printed their cards, where as Bowman seems to have him as a Senator. So right now I only have the Campos '52 reprint so that is the only one I can show right now. When I get some of the originals I can do a side by side, until then I will only have reprints to show from time to time. The 1952 set was reprinted in 1983.

 1983 Topps 1952 Reprint - 307 Frank Campos Senators

(Front and Back)

Washington Franks mentioned in this post:
Frank Campos
Frank Shea

The Amazing Schneider-Man: Brian Schneider

BRIAN SCHNEIDER - (39) 23

Expos to Nationals transition catcher
Expos 2000 - 2004 / Nationals 2005 - 2007

photo by Getty Images - 29 April 2004 Expos in San Diego.

I'm trying to get this semi-regular player scheme going again. The biggest problem I've had with it is deciding which 5 (or 6 maybe) cards of an individual SeNator to feature, make sure I have the backs scanned (I didn't use to scan card backs for the longest time) and to hunt for photos to decide which if any to show along with the cards, and then to plan who will be featured next. The basic criteria for me to feature a player is for me to hopefully have more than just one or two of a player's cards; the player must have been on one of the DC Club incarnations so guys like Gary Carter and Vladimir Guerrero will not be mentioned in this series. I may blog about them from time to time since they were Expos, but neither actually played in DC on the home team. The closest Vlad got was playing in Baltimore for the Orioles.

OK so onto this post's Curly W Player Brian "Schneider-man" Schneider. Brian was the Expos main catcher when the team moved over to DC to become The Nationals. He caught the inaugural first pitch President Bush tossed in 2005. At the time he was my fave currently playing catcher. During his tenure as a National, Brian was an Amazing catcher (at least to me) and had a pretty decent arm for catching base stealers. He was one of the "take the lead" team mentors for younger players and worked well with the pitchers as their "quarterback".

Photo by Getty Images?

During the off season in the winter of 2007 News of him being traded to the New York Mets along with Outfielder Ryan Church (another fave Nat) for Lastings Milledge really ticked me. Probably because it was the first trade I recall that involved some of my faves that I heard about when it happened. I blogged my Gut Reaction to it on my regular blog in a post titled Nats + Mets Trade = UH OH. At the time I didn't have a card blog yet so all my card posts and sports-news posts were made there. It took me a couple of years to get over the trade, by that time Lastings Milledge was traded to the Pirates and Brian was still with the Mets about to move to the Phillies. Brian's last playing season was 2012 with the Phillies he announced his retirement on 29 January 2013 a day after, fellow Expo to National, Nick Johnson (last with the Orioles) announced his retirement.

Lookie what I found. "Final?" Play at the Plate between Ex-Teammates.

Photo via Associated Press from 09 June 2012 Game Phillies at Baltimore

Baseball Historian fans may recall that Brian was the Catcher at the plate in the 2007 "Chasing the Record" Circus game vs. The Giants in San Fran. where Barry Bonds hit homer number 756 off of Mike Bacsik -  freezing the game for an hour or two.

photo via Getty Images - 7 August 2007 Bonds his #756 at home vs. Nationals.

OK it was only about 35-45 minutes but it seemed about an hour too long. Yes I know it was baseball history and it was a big thing at the time, but halting the game for more than 10 minutes was uncalled for. 15 minutes tops would be acceptable for anything of this nature. 

Now lets get on with the Card Show:

 2002 Fleer Baseball 84 Brian Schneider Expos

 2004 MLB Showdown Card Game 014 Brian Schneider Expos

(Front and Back)

 

 2005 Topps Total Baseball 17 (WAS7) Brian Schneider Nationals

(Front and Back)

 2006 Topps Heritage Baseball 357 Brian Schneider Nationals

(Front and Back)

 2007 Topps Heritage Baseball 114 Brian Schneider Nationals

(Front and Back)

 2008 Topps Heritage Baseball 616 Brian Schneider Mets

(Front and Back)

Oddly Brian sort of bears a slight resemblance to this 1960s Senators Catcher. I noticed the resemblance when I first got this card from sportlots (I think).

1963 Topps Baseball 94 Bob Schmidt Senators

Senators/Nationals mentioned in this post:
Mike Bacsik
Ryan Church
Nick Johnson
Lastings Milledge
Bob Schmidt
Brian Schneider

Other Noteable "Franchise" players mentioned in this post:
Gary Carter
Vladimir Guerrero

Brian Schneider Baseball Reference

On Deck: Ed Brinkman - (2, 38) 11

In The Hole: Ryan Church - (38), 19