First Snow and the Happenings

    It's more cold than anything, but today marks the first snow of the season for us folks in Chicago.  There's not much snow out there, but the flakes are growing larger, and the density is beginning to look like a blizzard.

     Earlier this week, I watched one of the best documentaries that I have seen in a long while. (Netflix) First Contact: Lost Tribe of the Amazon.  

    I think what makes this documentary stand out from other first contact documentaries is that the Sapanawa tribe speak a dialect that is closely related to known tribal languages in the region. Because of the ability to use translators to communicate so early in the contact, we get very raw information that isn't diluted by narrator commentary. The exchanges are absolutely fascinating. To hear natives saying that the anthropologist's singing sounds like 'shit', or that they love clothes and were embarrassed to be naked was surprising! This doc does not disappoint. The hardships they endured are things that all of us can relate to, so if you have never watched First Contact: Lost Tribe of the Amazon, take the time to do so. You won't regret it.

    Speaking of Netflix, The Battered Bastards of Baseball got a thumbs up from me, and now I find myself missing Big League Chew! Loved it as a kid! I've looked in all of the neighborhood stores, and no one carries it. What a travesty! Oh well. Hey, Netflix has recently added the Jackie Robinson biopic film '42'. I haven't watched it yet, but it is on my to-do list.

   
    Yesterday, I pulled out the boxes containing my postcard collection. I am enjoying going through them, sorting and reorganizing. It's nice finding gems that I haven't thought about in a while. With all the snow fall, I think today will be a good day to play with postcards.

    A few of the topics I collect on postcards:

Lighthouses 

Outhouses 

Northern and Southern Lights 

    (I'll share more postcard themes in the near future.) Ah... the melody of snow blowers blasting cars with snow missiles. Time to grab another handful of postcards and party like an old lady. Peace Y'All!

Congratulations Houston!

   Congratulations to the Houston Astros, the 2017 World Series Champions!  

Now comes the long winter of no baseball, tempered by the warmth of trade rumor fires.  I can't wait to start over next year.  

Connecting Collections

   

    This morning, after reading a few blogs that I follow, I found myself wondering what reasons other collectors have for collecting players that are not based solely on their athletic prowess, but for other obscure connections.

    I know some PCs are chosen because of where or when they were born, or their alma mater etc.. I don't have anyone that I am collecting because of a connection that does not play into their talent. I collect Melky Cabrera because he is a joy to watch play, but it just so happens that he and Zipper share a birthday. That's cool. If I knew of ball players that have earned degrees in anthropology or archaeology, I'd enjoy putting together a collection of them.  Yeah... I would like that very much.

    Then there is Tetsuharu Kawakami the Zen hitter. I don't think I would seek to collect him if he was just another great batter, so his Zen practice plays a role in wanting to collect him.

 Getty Image

   
    I believe Ichiro also possesses a Zen mastery at the plate, but I don't know that to be a fact. I do keep an eye out to add his cards my collection, and I am certainly thankful that his cards are easier to come by than Kawakami's cards.

    Who or what do you collect that has little to do with a team or player skills? If you answer on your blog, please post a link here in the comments. I'd love to read your answers.

Have a great day!

What Gives?

 

    Does anyone know why the Followers widget is no longer working? Temporary? Permanent? It is not working on anyone's blog today.

Freebie Fun!

Good morning everyone! 

    I'm posting two images here that my fellow bloggers may download, annotate, decorate and use on their blogs. Emily, who is usually seen only in her wedding day attire has donned the gear of both the North Side and South Side teams. -Sorry to the blogging fans of the other MLB teams, but we have only Chicago jerseys and jackets. Although Zip does have a Padres (blue & silver cap), and possibly other MLB travel caps under the hat stack, we have no torso garments to match.

    If you ever post one of these in a brilliantly altered fashion, please post a link here. I'd love to see what you've done.

Have a great day!

Hey Theo!

     Ichiro. He is the lead off man you are looking for. One season. He can do it better than anyone else, and he is worth whatever the cost. Do it dude!

I-CHI-RO! I-CHI-RO! I-CHI-RO! 

A Cracked Bat, the Wows! part II

 
 
    Good afternoon everyone! I'm going to jump right into this post by starting with the Ernie Banks cards that Julie, from A Cracked Bat: Baseball cards and a Hot Dog, sent to me earlier this month.

Heeeere's Ernie! 

And a pair of Ozzies! I 💖 Ozzie!

A couple more Home Town Heroes. I like this simple but fun design.

My first White Sox Action Packed card. Yay! I don't have many cards showing this red accented uniform, so this is a nice timeline marker in the evolution of White Sox uniforms.

My first Schick Kellogg's 3-D Super Stars card.

    Ooh, there are three more FIRSTS for my collection coming up! I'm thinking firsts are just as fun as lasts, when it comes to card collecting.  

My 1st Goudey 

My 1st Turkey Red

My first A.J. Pierzynski card, and it's a Topps Chrome at that! -I can't believe how slow it has been to get A.J. cards. He's been on my want list almost as long as I've been collecting baseball cards.

I had not known about the Upper Deck Decade set. Near as I can tell, there is only a set for the 1970s. I'll have to look into this further because these are nice!

Thank you Julie!

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like... AAHHH!