Happenings

You might have noticed the lack of posts around these parts.  It isn't for lack of desire.  Let's call it time management.

Recently I've been doing some research.  Baseball research.  I was part of SABR Day.  This last Saturday Knoxville hosted a SABR meeting to help celebrate SABR Day.  There were only four of us in attendance.  I led the group.  Had a nice agenda scrawled out.  We didn't follow the agenda so much.  But we had fun and enjoyed a few rounds of the "Nickname Quiz" where I give a decade, the player's nickname and the contestants have to guess which player had that moniker.  Everyone's a winner when we play the "Nickname Quiz".  I was able to unload 10 baseball books from the home bookshelf.  It made my wife very happy.  We talked about baseball movies and baseball books.  I learned of a new movie from our newest SABR member, Robert.  Well, new to me.  One of Robert's favorite movies is One in a Million: The Ron LeFlore Story.  Another one of our members, Marshall, shared with us his involvement in the upcoming book about Baseball's Winter Meetings.  I was going to talk about Frank Moffett, Knoxville's baseball pioneer.  I spent much of the prior week gathering notes, typing them into some coherent pastiche.  It didn't go so well.  The assembling, that is.  Time constraints kept me from talking about Mr. Moffett for more than a minute.  The notes can be reassembled into a more precise biography.  We also discussed the formation of a new SABR chapter in east Tennessee.  Time flew by and we were done.  Three of us walked towards vehicles, one continued to the parking garage, leaving two of us to visit the Calvin M. McClung Historical Collection for a quick tour.  I picked up a nice news article that I found a few weeks ago.  It is from 1917 and describes the University of Tennessee's game with Johnson Bible College.

After that, it was a race home to assist my wife in the hosting of her parents' 50th wedding anniversary.  A long day of family, friends, and food.

Nancy & Jim Knowles

This week I was introduced to a new blogger in our midst. Kevin, over at Books and Baseball Cards, apparently found inspiration from me. I don't get it either.  In the Baseball Cards department, Kevin focuses on the St. Louis Cardinals and has assembled some rather tidy wantlists.  His blog is a good read.  Refreshing (in the sense that he doesn't talk about squirrels in his post about 2012 Topps).  Hop on over, follow his blog, trade some cards.

I discovered that I've been cranking out this blog for three years now.  That anniversary was last month.  Flew right by me.  And I also discovered that I've topped 100 followers.  I try not to focus on numbers like that.  How many posts I put up, how many views I've gotten this week.  It really doesn't matter.

In my spare time I've been doing some editing on the SABRpedia.  I've been trying to tighten up the colleges and universities that are located in east Tennessee.  Clean up some formatting, add in some info, that sort of stuff.

Somewhere along the way I chased a rabbit down an hole and found this at Ancestry.com.

Year: 1930; Census Place: Monroe, Ouachita, Louisiana; Roll: 4584714;
Page: 3B;  Image: 1031.0; Family History Library Film: 2340549.

It is an image from the 1930 US Census of Monroe, Louisiana. What what happening in Monroe, Louisiana in 1930? Baseball, that's what. The Monroe Drillers, part of the Class D Cotton States League played there.

Some of the names match up with the team list of players from the SABRpedia. Dan Irby, Clifford Shaw, Loy Bobo, and James Bagby are the names that I can match. Ah, to be boarding with roughnecks. 

I've highlighted the ball players in yellow. You can click on the image to enlarge it.  If you'd like a bigger, more clear copy of it, please let me know and I'll make it available.  I had to balance quality and size. 

Yeah, I've got cards to show.  But not today.  Hey, you're lucky I even posted this much.

One-Card Challenge ... Complete

Earlier this month, the Night Owl blogged about his desire to finish off sets that needed just one card. He called it The One-Card Challenge.

I had a card that I was trying to find from the 1994 Ted Williams Card Company Negro League subset.

1994 Ted Williams Card Company
John "Buck" O'Neil (card # 109)

Reader Jim came through for me.  Not only did Reader Jim send the "Buck" O'Neil card he also sent me an upgrade.  I first picked this card up in the early 1990s at a card and comic shop in the western suburbs of Chicago.

1989 "Out of the Blue" Book Promo Card
Orel Hershiser

Two and a half years ago, the Night Owl sent me another copy.  Now I've got three of them sitting around collecting dust. 

Thanks, Reader Jim.  You've filled a hole in my binder.

Truly, someone wants to trade me for some of my extra Hershisers.  Anyone?

Women's Basketball Hall of Fame

I was out running some errands with Caroline a week and a half ago. The University of Tennessee men's team was hosting Kentucky. We drove by Thompson Boling Arena in the final minutes. UT lost.

Then we tooled a few miles away to the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame.

We didn't have time to take the tour. I did pick up some info on their admission fees and hours.And a BOGO coupon / Lady Vols schedule.

The Lady Vols have had a tough season so far.  I think that they're 14-5 right now, with a low scoring loss to Notre Dame earlier this week.  On a positive note, the recent outpouring of love and support for Pat Summitt from the SEC has been unbelievable. 

I Back Pat.  How about you?

These Winnings are Cool!

Ryan, that traveler to the west (or far east, depending on which way you look) sent me my winnings from his contest.  No, not at all card related, but I like to show the kindness of others.

First up is that wonderful 2000 comedy, Dude, Where's my car?  Follow the wildly hilarious adventures of Jesse and Chester as they try to locate their missing automobile.

Ryan also tossed in a matchstick garden.  I hadn't heard of this before, but apparently you can grow a garden from a matchstick.

I'll wait until the threat of snow goes away and then Caroline and I will plant these indoors.

Thanks, Ryan, for your generosity.

Marty's Sports Card Exchange Superstore

A few weeks ago, before the end of last year, I took my wife to Chattanooga for a few days away to celebrate our 22d anniversary.  We got a nice suite and went our own ways.  She brought her sewing machine and spent the time quilting.  I headed to the library for some baseball research.  Oh, we did some stuff together.  Dinner at P.F. Changs.  A bit of shopping.  Dinner at Olive Garden and then the movie Moneyball.  I was able to head out to a card shop not far from the hotel.

I've showed some of the packs that I bought there in posts earlier this month.  Now I get to show you the store.

I got there about 45 minutes before they were scheduled to close.  The store was spacious, with lots of memorabilia for sale.

Jerseys, helmets, prints, cards.  Lots of cards.

The owner, Marty, asked if I was interested in anything.  Standard line: "Hershisers".  Then I added: "But I'm guessing that based on the selection of cards you have out that you probably don't have boxes sorted by players."  Marty replied: "Yep.  That's right.  There might be a rookie or something in the baseball rookies box."

The baseball rookies box was near the boxes of vintage football, racing, and basketball.  They were stuffed with more modern era hits.  I don't quite consider cards from the 1980s as vintage.  A few cards from the 1960s were sprinkled in, but nothing caught my eye.  The prices seemed fair enough, but nothing really grabbed my attention.

Marty and his wife have plenty of modern wax, as well as boxes of much older product.

It wasn't quite closing time, but Marty asked if I wanted to buy anything because they had a meeting to attend and then were going on the road.  I snagged a few packs from the dollar box.  Marty included the tax in the price.  I asked if I could take a few photos and put them up on the blog.    His wife said yes.  I asked if they had an internet presence.  She said, "No.  We use the internet sometimes, but not too often."

Based on the customer traffic I saw, which was considerable for the end of the day, right before a major holiday, this is one old school brick and mortar store that isn't going away anytime soon.  Next time you're passing through Chattanooga, give them a call to make sure they're open and say "Hi" to Marty.

Marty's Sports Card Exchange Superstore
6851 Lee Hwy, Chattanooga, TN 37421
423-648-7037 (map)

The One Card Challenge

Greg, the Night Owl, has nothing better to do than to juggle a few great blogs, work, blog some more.  And devise the One Card Challenge.

He asked for some help in designing a graphic.  I took a stab at it.  I searched the web for images of checklists, found one at VintageCardPrices.com, snagged it and went to town.

1963 Fleer 1st Series Checklist

One-Card Challenge logo

I chose #7, Bill Monbouquette as the player that hasn't been collected because I like the name and I find it ironic that someone could find all the other players, including Hall of Famers, before they found Bill.

Greg was enamored by my graphic abilities and has decided to use it.  I'm honored that he's using it for the One-Card Challenge.  Look through your wantlists and see what you're lacking.  Post a comment on the OCC and see what happens.  In a few hours my card want was filled by Reader Jim.  See, it works.


Tonight while I was looking for the site that I lifted the original image from I came across the Cards That Never Were blog.  Just two weeks ago he used the same card for a fictitious card.

Some would cry, "Foul. Plagarism. Bidenism." But, truth be told, I have not visited this blog in many a moon.  I should've, but I didn't.  I just 'followed' it now and have added it to my blogroll.

Look at them celebrate ...

1991 Hoby Cards SEC Stars
Kermit Kendrick (card # 28)

1991 Hoby Cards SEC Stars
Chris Mohr (card # 29)

1991 Hoby Cards SEC Stars
Vaughn Mancha (card # 36)