2011 csd Custom – Jeff Samardzija
As I alluded to earlier I made the 2011 card of Jeff Samardzija today. This is the first Cubs card for the 2011 set. I have included some of the changes that I decided on at the end of the preview process. I have changed the numbers so that they are outlined. I love how they look that way. The only problem with doing that was that it made the diamond that separated the name and position look odd. I just took that out. I like this card this way because it makes the number stand out a little more. (more…)
2011 csd Preview – Carlos Gonzalez
Last season when I saw Carlos play in early may I really did not know too much about him. After that game I quickly started to see that he was one of the best in the National League. He was paired with Paul Konerko for a dual run for the extra man vote for the All Star game. He had a great season, and the Rockies are expecting big things from him in the future. (more…)
2011 csd Opening Day – Gordon Beckham
I like the idea of this set. I took so many pictures yesterday that it would have been a shame to make all my Sox cards off the bat. This way I can have the fun of making Sox cards out of the gate knowing that I can make the regular issue card. Although nothing is really different from what I have already put out there in the preview set I like this card. The Opening Day logo looks good on the bottom of the card. (more…)
2011 csd Preview – Chipper Jones
I posted the previous card of Brian McCann because he knocked in the first run of the season. Who was the player that he knocked in? It was none other than Chipper Jones. Chipper hit a double in his first at bat of the season to set up McCann to knock him in. (more…)
2011 csd Preview – Ramon Castro
Ramon came to the Sox to be the backup to A.J. Pierzynski at catcher. That has to be a fairly easy job as A.J. does not like to sit out many games. Ramon has made the most of his chances though. He caught Mark Buehrle’s perfect game in 2009. From what I have seen in batting practice he has a lot of power as well. He hits some tape measure shots when they are just thrown in there. If he could only transfer that to the games. (more…)
2011 csd Preview – John Danks
I was able to watch John pitch for the Sox today during the last telecast of the season for the Sox from the spring. He didn’t look great, but he did look decent. Who knows what is going on with a pitcher in Arizona? It didn’t help the Sox today that Omar Vizquel made two errors. (more…)
2011 csd Preview – Lyle Overbay
Normally Monday’s are reserved for Minor League cards. With the surplus of preview cards that I have I have to try and get them out before the start of the season. I found a compromise though that I thought would work. Lyle Overbay was one of the first Silverhawk players that I saw regularly that made it to the bigs. He was a great hitter for South Bend, and has since provided his talents for the Diamondbacks, Brewers, Blue Jays, and now the Pirates. He will always be my favorite because he was the first. He also signed one of my first pictures that I took for me instantly making him a fan favorite. (more…)
2011 csd Preview – Boone Logan
I have always enjoyed players with interesting names. One of those is Boone Logan. He just sounds like he should be in our history books on the frontier. He is another former Sox player that makes the set for that reason. (more…)
2011 csd Preview – Omar Vizquel
I was not too sure about the sanity of Kenny Williams last year when Omar was brought on with the Sox. He was one of two players still playing who had played in the 80’s. He came up around the same time as Yankees manager Joe Girardi. Omar really did seem to help the team though. I don’t think that it was a coincidence that Alexei Ramirez had a better season last year. That almost made me forget that he wears Luis Aparicio’s number. For his card in the normal set I have to get a picture of him with the likeness of Luis on the outfield wall in the background. I have some work to do. (more…)
2011 csd Preview – Mike Aviles
For some reason last season when I acquired some good seats near the end of a Sox game against the Royals Mike Aviles seemed to be part of the action a lot. I don’t follow Kansas City baseball too closely so I did not know too much about him at the time. I do know that he has switched his number, but when I was making these cards I did not know that, and I used the number he wore last season. (more…)
2011 csd Preview – Kevin Plawecki
Kevin had a very good freshman year for the Boilermakers last season. He is expected to do great things at Purdue. I had fun watching him last season before I knew anything about him. Looking at his name I would guess that he from Polish descent like myself. He also plays my favorite position so he has a lot going for him in my book. (more…)
2011 csd Preview – Joakim Soria
Joakim became one of my favorites last July during batting practice before a game against the White Sox. I found him on the field to get a couple of pictures for my 2010 custom set. I ended up taking quite a few because of the way he was having fun with his teammates. That is what the game is about, and to see a superstar doing that is refreshing. He was also shagging fly balls which a lot of closers will not do. They just stand like statues near one of the foul lines. Soria was having a blast, and became a player that I look forward to coming to town. Until the ninth inning of course! (more…)
2011 csd Preview – Will Ryhmes
Will was one of the players that I saw went I went to a few Toledo Mud Hen games in 2009. I met him during a team autograph session, and he seemed like the nicest guy in the world. I don’t know if players realize it, but that sticks with a fan. Even a fan of a division rival. For that reason Will makes the preview set. (more…)
2011 csd Preview – Brent Lillibridge
One player who is trying very hard to make the team is Brent Lillibridge. He is out of options so that makes the choice much tougher whether or not to try and send him down. He came over from the Braves a couple of years ago along with Tyler Flowers. He has never really caught on with the Sox. He has played well enough to earn a spot on the roster this season though. The only bad part about that is that Lastings Milledge has played even better. Ozzie will have a tough decision ahead of him in the next couple of days. (more…)
2011 csd Preview – Miguel Olivo
I have been a fan of Miguel’s ever since he was a member of the White Sox. His grand slam against the Cubs is still ingrained in my mind. Miguel has since played for several teams. I have seen him on a couple of those. He is a solid catcher, and it seems teams recognize that as he is never without work. He has signed on to play with the Mariners this season going back to a former team. I may have to go and see a game or two when they come to town. (more…)
2011 csd Preview – Buck Showalter
Buck is one of those guys that you hire to turn your club around. The Orioles got what they paid for last season. Buck came in and made the Orioles into winners right away. He has a knack for turning a club around. For some reason he has the same effect that Mike Keenan had in the NHL in the 80’s and 90’s. Buck usually doesn’t win titles with the club though. The next guy usually does that. (more…)
2011 csd Preview – Ivan Nova
As it says on the back of the card I had never heard of Ivan before he pitched against the White Sox last August. After the game though I knew a lot more about him than I would have liked. He pitched a very good game against them, and may have a spot in the rotation this season. (more…)
2011 csd Preview – Paul Konerko
Finally I have gotten around to posting the preview card of the White Sox captain. For a while it was very much up in the air whether or not Paulie would be back with the White Sox this season. I am glad he is back though, and I look forward to the things that he can do this season with Adam Dunn batting behind him.
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2011 csd Preview – Stephen Drew
Stephen is slowly coming into his own. The last two seasons he has been improving a everyday infielder for the Diamondbacks. Before that he was known as the other Drew brother. He and his two brothers were all drafted in the first round of the MLB draft. They are the only trio of brothers to have accomplished this feat. (more…)
2011 csd Preview – Lucas Harrell
Lucas was one of the good guys I met in Indy last summer. Many of the Knights players were kind enough to interact with the fans, and sign autographs for them. Lucas had just had a tiring side session as you can probably tell by the picture. He stayed later then any of the players though making sure all the autographs were taken care of. I was happy to see that he was called up by the Sox not too long after I saw him playing for Charlotte. (more…)
2011 csd Preview – Ubaldo Jimenez
Last season when the Rockies came to Chicago in May Ubaldo had recently thrown a no-hitter. He ended up having a great first half of the season on his way to starting the All Star game. He was the pitcher of the month in both April and May. So you can see that he was hot when his team came to town. Sadly I watched Aaron Cook pitch that day. (more…)
2011 csd Preview – Daisuke Matsuzaka
This may be the only Red Sox card in this set. I only really had one usable picture of a Red Sox player in the archives. I have to see a game with them this season for a couple reasons, but that is one of them. I like the look of this Red Sox card so I need to make more of them. (more…)
2011 csd Preview – Gerardo Parra
Gerardo was one of those players that I have seen play locally in South Bend in single A, and then in the bigs. Some of them you really follow, and then some of them you have to check if you saw them play. Seeing so many players you tend to lose track of some. Parra is one of those. His name sounded familiar, but it took finding a signed card with him in a Silverhawk uniform to trigger my memory. (more…)
2011 csd Preview – Mat Gamel
When I saw Mat play in 2009 he was a rising star in the Brewers organization. He has since fallen from grace a bit. He only played in 12 games in the bigs last season. He played most of his season down in the minors. Unless something drastically happens at the end of spring training he will probably start there again this season. (more…)
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