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Tim TroutFiled under: Beckett Baseball, Beckett HQ | Tags: Beckett, Papelbon, Red Sox, World Series
You’ve got the iside scoop here on the Beckett Blog.
I told you this morning that because of the Red Sox’s sweep, we had a chance to remake the cover for the December issue of Beckett Baseball. Just finished minutes ago and off to the printer.
Thanks to the talent of our designer, Co-Worker Cathy, we are in business.
Filed under: Beckett HQ, Fantasy Sports, NFL | Tags: Adrian Peterson, fantasy football
Sometimes — like right now — fantasy football is about as much fun for me as force-feeding my face into an industrial-strength wood chipper.
I’m in four leagues; which is stupid in and of itself because I end up cheering for the same players in one league that I want to fail miserably in another. My combined fantasy record so far this season — pending the outcome of tonight’s game between my beloved Broncos and the Green Bay Packers: 13-19. I’m 5-3 in one league, 4-4 in another, 3-5 in another and an embarrassing 1-7 in my Beckett league.
I say all that to say this: I hate fantasy football right now because I lost a game by two points this weekend that I should have easily won.
If Peyton Manning’s late-game scoring pass to Joseph Addai hadn’t been called back because of a holding call (one play later, Addai ran the ball in), I’m a winner. If Steve Freakin’ Smith catches one more pass, I’m a winner. If I start DeShaun Foster over the Vikings’ Adrian Peterson, I win. If Peterson doesn’t lose six yards on his last carry of the game against Philadelphia, I probably win. If Drew Freakin’ Brees doesn’t throw one more garbage touchdown pass against San Francisco midway through the fourth quarter of a 31-10 victory, I win.
But since none of those things happened, I’m a loser. The Arena Football League season can’t get here fast enough. (Did I mention I play fantasy AFL, too).
Yes, I am a loser.
A guy spends $35.65 for Express Mail delivery of his grading order. When we get the parcel at Beckett Grading this afternoon, it sounds like a baby rattle. No packing materials. Just four cards in screwdowns that had endured a hard, overnight ride to Dallas from the Midwest.
Look at the Ted Williams card holder (left): cracked under the strain of the trip.
What kills the guys in BGS is that we receive grading submissions packed much worse than this, and the customer gets his order back with less-than-stellar grades . . . and then wonders why his grades are low. Well, he can start with his packing effort.
Cards shipped from BGS to you are in tight, packed boxes, with no markings to indicate that valuable cards are inside. Co-Workers Heather and Toli spend hours making sure your grading orders arrive safe and in the condition in which they left BGS.
C’mon people, take care of those cards when you ship through the mail. It’s rough in the shipping business.
Filed under: Beckett Baseball, Sports Cards | Tags: Alex Rodriguez, Beckett, Pete Rose, Sports Cards
Yes, it’s true.
Pete Rose was once again unceremoniously struck-down by baseball. How the Rockies couldn’t manage to piece together one measly win baffles me. But a four game sweep of the feel-good story of the year by one of baseball’s most storied franchises bumped the cover return of Charlie Hustle.
But in iconic Rose fashion, the newsworthiness of his return hasn’t faded or disappeared.
Thus, the banished cog of the Big Red Machine will be appearing on the January/February cover of the next Beckett Baseball Plus, available on newsstands and in card shops nationwide Nov. 21.
Assuming of course that A-Rod doesn’t sign a 6-year, $300M deal with the Marlins between now and then.
Yes — people have already started talking about one of the most anticipated regular season games in recent NFL history. Recognized at Beckett as a big fan of the Colts, I figure it’s my duty to bring up the upcoming game.
Two undefeated teams are clashing, and someone has to lose. Both teams know they can beat the other (or at least that’s how it was in the pre-Randy Moss era), so it won’t be much of a mystery that Tony Dungy and Bill Belicheat will each have their teams ready for the showdown. As good as these two teams are, it’s very possible that this one game could determine home-field advantage between the two should they meet again in the AFC playoffs.
As (most likely) Beckett’s most introverted employee, I’m not going to let myself get involved with any trash-talking because I just don’t do that. I’ll let the teams do the talking on the field with their play. In case you were wondering, however, my superstition of wearing my one-size-fits-all Colts cap unbuttoned will be continuing.
The Colts still haven’t lost a game since I went exclusively to that style almost a year ago.
Filed under: Sports Cards | Tags: Beckett, Pete Rose, Red Sox, Sports Cards, World Series
Ix-nay on the Pete Rose cover for the December Beckett Baseball magazine. Magazine designers are scrambling as of 10 a.m., putting together a commemorative Red Sox World Series Champions cover.
The Red Sox sweep of the Rockies allowed us to pull a few strings at the printer and get a late cover change. Had the Series gone five games or past today, Rose would have been your cover boy.
Does everything happen for a reason?
