Moneyball 2011 - Art Howe

Understandably Art Howe isn't very happy with his portrayal in Moneyball.  Google his name and you can find a bevy of articles that all mention his complaints.

For my part I will mention that the Brad Pitt version of "Moneyball" is a Movie and is just that.  The Film is based on "Moneyball" the book, which is the work of the talented author Michael Lewis.  That being said the book is only one persons interpretation of the events.

Opinion:  There really isn't anything such as unbiased journalism - we all have our slants and opinions - Michael Lewis is an author and he is in the business of selling books.  As a narrative "Moneyball" has lots of villains - to make the story more effective it was likely best for Lewis to find a way of personifying the villain (the possibly outmoded way of judging baseball talent - scouting) as a person - In the book and the movie this is largely done in the form of A's manager Art Howe - to a somewhat lesser extent the A's scouts were also villified.
 

I think this works for the story, casual baseball fans, and film fans.  And isn't the audience that Moneyball is after?

1979 Topps #329 Art Howe  (image stolen from the Baseball Card Database)

For the record, during each of the finals two seasons Art Howe was with the Athletics they 100 games.  The A's have not won a 100 games since Howe left almost a decade ago.  Howe took the A's to the playoffs during each of his final 3 seasons with the team.  In the 9 seasons since the A's have returned to the playoff only twice, Although they did win a series in 2006 under Ken Macha - Art Howe has never won a post-season series as a manager.  

After leaving Oakland Howe led the Mets through a couple of mediocre seasons in 2003-04.  He was in the Rangers organization as recently as 2008 but appears to be cuirently out of baseball.

Moneyball 2011

Links to  previous MB 2011 posts

Moneyball The Movie

Bennett Miller

Billy Beane

Jeremy Brown

Michael Lewis

Michael Oher 

Ron Washington

Tony LaRussa

etc

Here is a link to a Moneyball and Collecting related article in Beckett that I first saw referenced by Chris Olds via Twitter. 

Last Card Show of the Year

I know I have been blasting Card Show posts repeatedly over the last month and a half, but other then a possible recap next week, this should be the last one of the year. 

On Saturday Team Phungo plans on hitting a new show - This is only in the interest of professional resarch - it isn't because we have a bad card habit or something like that. 

This is a show sponsored by Poppel.com at the Bucks Co Technical Institute in Bristol Twp PA.  I have only ever been to one previous Poppel show at the Granite Run Mall - which may  have had a dozen tables.  From what I understand the shows hosted at Bucks Technical are their bigger shows. 

2009 Phungo #37 Chad Durbin

There are a bunch of low-level autograph guests scheduled for the show including former Phils Chad Durbin, Greg Dobbs, Wes Chamberlain, and Ben Riviera.  Flyers Great Ed Van Impe and Phils Broadcaster Chris Wheeler are other notable guests. 

The Show runs 9:30-3:30 and admission is $3.  Autos are $10 and up.  for more information clikc here and then hit the Bucks Co Technical School Tab. 

On the Hunt

What will Team Phungo be looking for? 

1) My first priority will be completing my 1959 Topps set.  After a banner day at the Valley Forge Show last week and picking up a couple of cards on the Bay this week, I am down to the final 11 cards in this set.  Part of me thinks I am in the zone, the other part of me thinks the hot streak has got to be coming to an end.

2) Phillies Vintage.  I have been pretty busy working on getting my Phils vintage want list into a more user friendly form.  This will get it's dry run at the Poppel show. 

3) At each show, I try and add something to my Type Collection.  Last week I picked up my first 1963 Fleer Card. 

4) Would like to add to list of Hall of Famer's whom I have cards from their playing career collection.  I have been looking at Kiner, Rizzuto and Bobby Doerr cards recently, but haven't found anything suitable in my $$ range. 

5) knocking out a few checkers from my various want lists of recently issued sets.

Card Show Report 2011 12 03 - Philly Show, Valley Forge PA

The December edition of the Philly Show was a real success for Team Phungo.  I was real happy with results of the vintage bins I checked out.  Here are some of the Highlights: 


1959 Topps

Ernie Banks All-Star $6.00
Al Kaline Baseball Thrills $3.50
Commons Gus Bell 0.50, $1 for the Rest - I did spy a Solly Drake for 50 cents after I had already picked up the one above. 

The quest to complete 1959 Topps set is in the home stretch.  Going into the show I needed 20 cards to finsh the set, knocking out 35% of the cards on my want list in a matter of  a few hours was a complete victory.


 Phillies Vintage Bowmans

 This is a section of the Phungo collection that I plan on taking more seriously.  I have completed the 1948 Bowman Phils Set (all 2 cards of it) and have a lot of the 1955 set. The rest of the years are pretty sparse.  Most of the above cards went for $2-$5 each.  The commons were $1 or $2 while the High Numbers went for $5.  The Highlight in there is the 1955 Del Ennis Card ($2.50).

Other Phils Vintage

1963 Fleer Clay Dalrymple ($2)
1940 Playball Syl Johnson ($5)

The Dalrymple is my first 63 Fleer.  $5 for a card that is older then my parents is a buy. The 1940 Phillies Play Ball Set is likely hard to build, it is 15 cards.  One of the 15 is Chuck Klein, which I would imagine commands a bit of a price tag.


Hall of Famers

1969 Topps Willie McCovey
1969 Topps Phil Niekro 
1970 Topps AL HR League Leaders (Killebrew/F Howard/Reggie)
1970 Topps NL Battling LL (Pete Rose, Clemente, Cleon Jones) 

The first 3 cards were all 3 for a buck - The Rose/Clemente LL card went for a dollar. A stinking Dollar for Pete Rose and Roberto Clemente on a League Leaders card - That is like stealing.

The McCovey Card is in rough condition but the others are pretty decent the 1970 cards are in real good shape.

etc

1965 Topps Masanori Murakami RC (0.50)

This is a card I have always wanted but never was interested in throwing down real money for.  Masanori Murakami is the first Japanese player ever to play for Baseball in the US at the Major League level - 30+ years prior to Ichiro.  Murakami had some success with the Giants in his only season in the Majors but was forced to return to Japan due to a contract squabble involving his Japanese team.

Murakami is still alive at the age of 67.  The Giants honored him with a bobblehead at a game in 2008.  More info on his wiki.

Links
Willie McCovey Index
 

2010 Phungo Cards Jonathan Papelbon - The New Guy

Running behind as always - A few weeks back the Phillies are welcoming a new closer, Jonathan Papelbon, formerly of the Boston Red Sox. 

2010 Phungo #15 Jonathan Papelbon

Typically I don't get to many shots of closers for Phungo Cards.  There are a variety of reasons - once the game starts I tend to put the camera away, Closers typically are only involved in tight games,  and they only pitch at the end of games when light is less favorable for good shots.  The game this pix is from happened to be one of Boston's blowouts of the Phils and by that point in the game, I was more interested in gettting a decent picture then in the game.

Regardless I am happy to have already produced a Phungo Card of Papelbon prior to him ever suiting up for the Phils.  Hopefully act II of his career will be as successful as his stint in Boston. 

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I hope to have a card show regarding the Philly Show which was this past weekend up tomorrow.  The Show was pretty successful for team Phungo.  I was able to knock out quite a few cards from my vintage want list and thoroughly enjoyed the day.

Phiadelphia Sports and Memorablia Show returns December 2nd - 4th

Lately the majority of posts here have been card show related.  I am not doing this to make those of you that don't have nearby shows envious - we just happened to have 2 pretty decent shows running a few weekends apart here. 

The Philly Show returns to Valley Forge this weekend.  Team Phungo expects to hit the show on Saturday depending on the status of my sprained ankle.  In the vernacular of espn I am Day-To-Day (but then again aren't we all). 

The Show which is run by the local Hunt Auctions isn't quite as good for me as the CSA shows at the Oaks convention center, but it is still a decent show.  Show Admission is $8, typically there is a $1 off coupon in the local papers, the weekend of and prior to the show. 

Hunt Auctions is always giving more room and attention to their autograph guests - which are almost always out of my price range.  This year for the first time there are signers on Friday Night - Jockey Steward Elliot, and Brad Lidge.  Saturday is dedicated primarily to the 2008 World Championship Phillies team with Ryan Howard, Shane Victorino,  Chris Coste, Charlie Manuel and Pedro Feliz among the guests.  Sunday is focused on the 1983 NL Pennant Winners and includes SIX er I mean FIVE Hall of Famers Schmidt, Carlton, Tony Perez, Joe Morgan, Jim Bunning, and uhm some guy they played with named Pete Rose - All the above are $45 - $69. 

The shows complimentry Auto on Saturday is of local sportscaster Michael Barkann, while on Sunday it is Ike Reese.  The Barkann as the complimentry auto is insulting.  At the Oaks show in the spring they had 2 complimentry autos for a $5 adimission and they were both actual players (Gary Matthews Sr and Art Mahaffey). 

Regardless, the rest of the show is typically pretty decent.  There are two vendors I like to hit for dimers and off grade vintage cards one is a guy that comes down from Connecticut and usually has a dozen or so dime boxes of all sorts of singles and commons - The other is Uncle Dick who has a flourascent green theme and has lots of cheap vintage sorted by year.  Hopefully I will have some positive news to report on the show next week.

Show Link

Autograph Link

Moneyball 2011 - Ron Washington

 

A few weeks back as part of Moneyball 2011 we profiled Tony LaRussa.  In the interest of equal time today we are going to look at Ron Washington.
 

I had forgotten that Ron Washington had a role in the book.  Washington is the man saddled with the task of moving Scott Hattieberg to first base  - Hattieberg is the broken down catcher w/ the bum arm, but he gets on base at nearly a 40 percent clip. 

The Ron Washington character in the film is minor, yet arguably has the funniest line in the movie.  The 2011 World Series is still fresh in our memories and we all know where Ron Washington has gone since Moneyball.  He was a strike away from being a World Serieis winning manager.  He has also piloted the Rangers to back to back AL Crowns.  I am not sure he is a great manager yet or a good manager with a really good team. 

The toughest season may be in front of the Rangers.  With free agency and player movement you only get so many chances at a title.  The Rangers have a lot of storylines I like - Josh Hamilton, Nelson Cruz, Neftali Perez, Nolan Ryan etc.  I would like to see them remain relavent on the national stage.

1984 Topps #623 Ron Washington (image stolen from the Baseball Card Database)

Apparently Washington's playing career goes back to 1977 when he got a callup for the dodgers.  I didn't see a Topps cards of him as a Dodger - sounds like a Cards that Never Were opportunty for someone.

Moneyball 2011

Links to  previous MB 2011 posts

Moneyball The Movie

Bennett Miller

Billy Beane

Jeremy Brown

Michael Lewis

Michael Oher 

Tony LaRussa

etc

Here is a link to a Moneyball and Collecting related article in Beckett that I first saw referenced by Chris Olds via Twitter.  

Card Show Report 2011 11 11 - Dime Box

Before I start our regular posting, I would like to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving - I really enjoyed the many personal postings from card bloggers. It is wonderful to read about the joys of time spent with friends and family (and football and food!)  Team Phungo enjoyed the holiday which featured beautiful and balmy weather for this time of year for us folks in the US Northeast.      

Last week we went over some of the vintage cards that Team Phungo found at the Oaks Show, today I would like to go thru some Dime Box finds.  Although many of these cards were from a BARGAIN Dime Box - 12 cards for a dollar.

1974 Topps #95 Steve Carlton ($1)
1983 OPC Dave Winfield (dime)

Ok the Lefty Card isn't a dimer, but for a Dollar I couldn't pass it up.  I already had this card - and it was part of the Phungo legacy collection that survived the arduous path from my childhood to the present day.  But even off-center this 74 Topps Card is a significant upgrade over the heirloom I had in the binder previously.  Plus now I have one for the Carlton PC Page and one for the 74 Phils Binder.

I have seen a few 83 OPC cards out there recently and been picking them up when they are cheap.  I also added a few 83 OPC Mets to the collection at the show.

Various Minis (12/$)
 
I picked up three dozen+ minis in the 12 for a buck bin.  The bulk of these are HoFs from the 2011 Kimballs set.  There were also a couple of A&G including a few of the SP backs.

Various 2012 A&G Inserts (12/$1)
Hard to pass up Ginter inserts even if they are not minis.  Three of the evolution cards are in sequence.

2011 Topps Heritage Prospects Tim Beckham (6/$1)
Topps Heritage Then Now Jackie Robinson/A-Rod (6/$1)
Various Topps Heritage Inserts (12/$1)

The Beckham card is y first 2011 Heritage Prospect card - that one and the Jackie Robinson were worth digging out of the "Premium" 6/$1 bin.  The rest of the inserts came out of the huge haul of 12 for a buck cards I took home.


In the end I picked up a little over 200 cards out of the bargain bins, for roughly the price of a blaster.  Several of those cards went into my Phils Collection, Topps Star Cards, Topps Retro Collection, clearing out some spots on insert and subset checklists,  and a handful of vintage commons.

I have barely recovered from the Oaks Show and the Valley Forge Show is on the horizon, less than a week away. Haven't decided if I am hitting that one yet, but the show does promise a good selection of former Phillies signing autographs. If things go my way there should be a VF show posting later in the week.