Phungo 5 with Blue Jays Cards

It is amazing what a difference a World Championship makes. All of the sudden the burden of the 1993 World Series loss didn't seem as great. And this week when the Blue Jays return to Philadelphia I am sure that I will see Mitch Williams and Joe Carter several times on TV. But it won't hurt as much this time. For Phungo 5 we are talking with the aptly named Blue Jays Card Blog. .

1) Please, Tell me one bad thing about Joe Carter
The name Joe Carter amongst Jays fans is sacred. Joe Carter is a hero, a leader and a Blue Jay Legend. There is not a single bad thing that can be said about Jolt'n Joe Carter! I guess the only bad thing I could say about Joe, which isn't even bad, is the fact that he didn't retire a Blue Jay. I would loved to have seen him finish his career in the Blue & White. Joe Carter is to Blue Jays baseball what Michael Jordan is to Bulls basketball (if that makes sense)



2)What has to go right other than Halladay staying healthy and dominant for the Blue Jays to stay in this thing?
For the Jays to remain a contending team they need to continuing seeing the ball and hitting it. There is not a single consistent long ball hitter on the team which doesn't seem to be a major issue. There is just a collection of guys that will get many clutch base hits. Also they need to remain healthy, the jays always seem to be dealing with injuries last season it was Aaron Hill, Scott Rolen and Vernon Wells. This year it seems to be the entire starting pitching rotation aside from Doc (knock on wood that guy stays healthy.)

2009 06 16 Cole Hamels v Scott Rolen (click to enlarge)


3)Bigger Hassle at the dome Bosox Fans or Yankees Fans?
I love Bosox Fans, they always make the trek north of the border wearing the Red & White heckling and cheering in their Bow-stan accents. Yankee fans aren't really a hassle either, it is more so the flip-flopping locals who put their Jays hats away and cheer on the Yankee's when they are in town (for the most part Toronto is a city full of band wagoners)


4) How is that Dexter Fowler collection coming?
The Fowler collection is coming along nicely, trying to trade or ebay for a by the letter auto patch! Also going to try my luck at a TTM for the lovely lady. I have no idea where this love affair came from but hey, it has her loving baseball a little more.

5)And the Question I run by all my Canuck bloggers - SCTV or Kids in the Hall?
This has to be the hardest question out of the bunch SCTV opened the doors for so many great Canadian comedians like Candy, Levy & Flaherty to name a few. But if I had to pick one it would have to be Kids in The Hall. The humor on Kids in The Hall was so bizarre and off beat. The eradicator has to be one of my all time favorite sketches, i think I know it word for word. "30 Helen's" would agree with me on that one, Kids in the Hall takes the cake.


Final Note....Don't mess with Alex Rios especially after he is punched out 5 times in a game (FYI - NSFW - language)



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H2cxHRLJy6w

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ed note on # 2: Unfortunately I got these responses prior to the Friday Night game attended by Blue Jays Cards when Roy Halladay came up with a (hopefully) minor injury. As of now it looks like he will only get pushed back in the rotation, and as much as I would have loved to see Halladay pitch here this week.....well, it is probably just as well for the Phils that they don't have to see Roy Halladay right now.

I may have recovered from the 1993 World Series, but I have not forgotten it, so no matter how big a Legend Carter is in Toronto, I just can't award a point on Question number one. And I am old school, I have to go with the SCTV guys for question 5. Still a strong 3 out of 5 for Blue Jays Cards. Thanks again for helping us out, and best of luck to those Jays hanging in there in that always tough AL East.


We will have another Interleague guest this weekend as Beardy stops by for a chat,
For a look back at a previous Phungo 5 with Thoughts and Sox click Here.

Post Script: Team Phungo was at the Jays Phils Debacle on Tuesdasy night, I don't know if I will get a game report up, but once again it was a loss but it was still a good time. Until then enjoy the Hamels/Rolen photo above.

Spot The Sig! - 2nd Inning Wrap Up - Alex Rios - Robin Roberts

Night Owl Cards took this weeks Spot the Sig! NOC has been very active with the bonus questions and has even managed to score a run via the bonuses. This week he was the first one in to spot Alex Rios.

I pulled this from the first pack of Allen & Ginter I picked up this past year. This Rios Auto as well as other low-end Rios Auto's sell for about $6-8 on ebay. There are a variety of other dual autos featuring Rios that go for a few dollars more. That is probably about where the price point should be. Rios looks to be an above average hitter ready to hit his prime. Playing in Toronto probably holds down his value in the card market.

Night Owl earned a Russell Martin Double for getting the STS! this week. With that he also pushes a runner to third setting up a couple of runners in scoring position and a possible big inning.

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The second order of business is to straighten out the Bonus Question. This is my quest to get at least one Phils card out of a via ripping open a pack - This has not happened at Phungo Head Quarters in 19 Packs. 19 Frigging Packs. This is pack number 20. Is it the streak buster??. The pack we are ripping open a pack of 2005 UD MVP cards - 6 Cards - This pack came out of a Fairfield Repack, and I really don' t know that much about what they look like. The only person to pick this pack is DayF. Here goes. RIIIPPP!!!

#59 Nomar - Close - He's not a Phil yet and not a Phil on this card - He is a Cub though - 2005 likely one of his first Cubs cards.

#49 Jose Vidro - likely one of his first cards as a Nat

#28 Garret Anderson - Underrated here on the east coast. couple of good years this guy might be in HOF conversations

#15 Delgado - Another guy that may get himself into the HOF discussion someday

#47 Johnny Damon - A Phungo Favorite

And I don't believe it!!!!.....

BU-34 Robin Roberts Philadelphia Phillies.

I finally get a Phils Card!!! Whoohoo!! - and Congrats to DayF on getting the bonus. but even more amazingly he picked the exact card. Check his comment here. I will refrain from awarding a double bonus for that but let me just say the man knows his cards. The bonus is improved this week however so Dayf gets a single and advances a runner to 2nd.

So lets summarize.

The current STS! standings after 2 innings.

PTBNL - repsresentin those Fightin Phillies - 5 Runs - Man on 2nd.

Night Owl - Dodgers - 1 Run in men on 2nd and 3rd
Stats on the Back - Mets - 1 Run in - Man on 3rd
Cardboard Junkie - Braves - 1 Run in - Men on First and 2nd
Cardboard Addiction - Bosox - Man on First
A Cardboard Problem - Yankees - On Deck
Covered in Wrappers - Cardinals - On Deck

Nachos Grande - Reds - On Deck

I must also mention that we welcome the Cincinnati Reds Representative Nachos Grande to the game. You are on Deck - best of luck. I encourage folks to keep participating, I don't think PTBNL is out of reach yet.

For further information regarding the Phungo Spot the Sig! contest click here and join the party - you just may find yourself with a stack of cards come spring training!

2008 Allen Ginter First Pack

Made a Hobby shop visit recently to pick up supplies and random singles. Also picked up a couple of packs of the newer releases - one Allen & Ginter, one Goudey, and one Jumbo pack of Topps 08 Football. First off we will take a look at this years Allen & Ginter:


Not a bad pack, I like Halladay Liriano and Young. Getting Berkman as the mini works and I am happy getting my first non-baseball card (Serena Williams) in this pack. but wait that's only 7 cards - the packs says 8?!?!

Sure enough there is an 8th card!


Alex Rios Autograph. Sweet!

And that will also keep me from whining about the absence of Phillies in the pack.

Rios' numbers are down a little this year but he is still a fine young player. Most likely he would be a lot more well known if he played in a different market.

This Pack would probably get a solid B grade but the Auto boosts it up to an A easily.
Plus Auto
Minus no Phils
Grade A
Cost $5.30 (incl tax)