shohei ohtani. big if true

zach is an excellent writer, a good friend, and, most importantly, a true ball knower. great read here

a pan of some bitchin focaccia

wife and i made bacon cheddar chive focaccia today

i really hate the choice of kicking the field goal versus going for it on 4th and 2, but somehow i hate "trying to draw the defense offsides via play clock trickery just to burn a timeout with four and a half minutes left in the third in a win or go home game that's tied 10-10" even more

2025 Topps Archives Jay Buhner auto

2025 Topps Archives Andy Van Slyke gold auto /50

plus a couple certified too-good-to-be-the-subject-of-remember-some-guys guys

2025 Topps Archives #52 Trea Turner Magenta Printing Plate (1 of 1)

pulled my first one-of-one today, second year in a row where archives gives me a little holiday season present, let the phillies fans in your life know that this is on the market!

not a writer but here's how i'd vote if i was one, i guess. were i a writer, i'd always vote for 10 because blank ballots suck, but it's much harder to get to 10 than in previous years. abreu/pettitte/utley/wright were the last four and were competing with hunter, k-rod, and rollins

i know "john smoltz is an awful commentator" is overdone at this point but it's nevertheless wild that fox keeps trotting him out year after year despite him never having been good and showing zero signs of improvement ever

i had been wondering why the original needed a sequel, and then i learned that a sequel had already happened and it had completely eluded my awareness, presumably because they called it "now you see me 2" as opposed to the threequel which is what the sequel should have been called. awful all around

2021 Topps Tribute Ken Griffey Jr auto /25

and this, acquired yesterday with trade value from a stack of cards i had no attachment to. let's just say i am VERY attached to this. this is very likely my new favorite card in the collection

2022 Topps Gypsy Queen Ichiro Suzuki auto (SGC 9.5/Auto 10)

this guy's just the best. we love ichiro

2009 Topps Chrome David Freese rookie auto blue refractor (/199). BGS 9/auto 10

not brooklyn collection or finest, but ANOTHER cardinals legend, and this time it's a chrome rookie auto

2024 Topps Finest Moments Mark McGwire auto /25

not brooklyn collection, but another cardinals legend

2024 Topps Brooklyn Collection Frank Thomas auto, serial 1/40

2020 Topps Brooklyn Collection Chipper Jones auto serial 25/30

i generally really like brooklyn collection, and to topps' credit they do a good job at getting some good names to sign for it. here are a couple other recent pickups in addition to the pujols

2023 Topps Brooklyn Collection Albert Pujols autograph serial 5/30, PSA 10

i think it's time for another baseball card dump, thread below

Hank Aaron's 15th Best Season | Baseball Bits YouTube video by Foolish Baseball

inspired by this excellent video from the always excellent @foolishbb.bsky.social

i have been very responsible this week, i think i can get* myself a little treat**

*spend multiple thousands of dollars

**a henry aaron/ken griffey jr dual auto card i just saw on ebay

a corgi laying on its side and yawning but it looks like he's screaming

wallace is the only one who truly understands me

all in all, more proof that the modern card market is insane. no reason i should be able to sell that elly slab and get everything you see here (and more i'm probably forgetting about!) and still have like $600 left over. ludicrous. baseball is the best.

1961 Topps Carl Yastrzemski (RC, PSA 4)

ah shit, forgot about this one too (same card slush fund, different show). always great to get the rookie card of a HOFer no matter how much you abhor boston sports

2024 Topps Diamond Icons Gunnar Henderson Chrome auto /5

2018 Topps High Tek Bryce Harper auto /25

and finally modern products, potentially future legends? harper is a nut but he's also a ridiculously fun baseball player so i guess the two cancel out, too early to call on gunnar but i got a good price

2006 Bowman Chrome Alex Rodriguez Buyback Auto (hand numbered /31)

a modern legend from a pre-modern product (i'm sorry mr canseco)

2024 Topps Transcendent George Brett auto (/25)

2024 Topps Diamond Icons Johnny Bench silver ink auto (/10)

a couple autos from modern product, but legends nonetheless

1959 Topps Hank Aaron SGC 3

1961 Topps Frank Robinson SGC 5

a couple other vintage slabs - have mostly given up on the dream of owning a 54 aaron, but i am in the market for a 54 mays

1954 Topps Jackie Robinson (PSA 1)

this is probably the crown jewel of the pickups funded by the elly slab. obviously this is a beautiful card, but it's also an *important* card - not hard to argue that jackie robinson is the most important athlete in american history

so i sold this and got a pretty nice haul, thread below

well looky looky here what a slab that is

brady putting in some all-time terrible commentary, by far the worst thing about this otherwise excellent game

maybe i will sell it. maybe i'll hold onto it. i should almost certainly sell it

Topps Redemption card for a Fan Favorite Autograph Premium (Red Foilboard) of Elly De La Cruz from 2024 Archives

absolutely enormous, colossal, giant pull tonight from 2024 archives. on card auto numbered to 10, color match, my god