MANNY RAMIREZ TRADED!!!

Source: Sports Illustrated

What a couple of years ago would have been unthinkable has finally happened. The legendary Manny Ramirez is joining a new team for the first time since 2001 when he left the Cleveland Indians for big money in Boston. Since his arrival to Boston, he has helped bring in two championships while being the most consistent player on the Sox.

Today, Manny is not the same player he once was. His numbers have dropped, his antics have gotten worse, and just about everyone in Boston was happy to see him go. Ultimately, he caused way too big a distraction to keep around during another playoff run and there was no way in hell Boston was going to pick up his $20 million dollar option for 2009.

Now, he is the Dodgers’ problem…

Razor introduces the $2,000 pack

THIS IS NOT A JOKE.

Well, so much for the hobby steam they picked up by signing all those draft picks. If Chrome Refractors are for “Joe Collectors” and Topps Triple Threads are for “Joe Collectors on Steroids” just exactly who is going to buy this ridiculous release that promises “1 encapsulated cut signature card per pack”?

“Due to release in the coming months is Razor Cut Signature Oval Office Edition-a 99-card product that features cut signatures from every U.S. president in history. The set also includes dual signature cards with first ladies, vice presidents and other names related to former presidents. There’s even a John Kennedy/Jack Ruby dual cut! Each card comes encased in a BGS slab.”

Here is my question: Which U.S president’s cut auto will NOT be worth of the cost of the pack? William Howard Taft, I’m lookin’ at you!

Jason Bay traded to the Red Sox?

Well, looks like the Manny Ramirez deal to the Marlins is officially dead because Pirates catcher Jason Bay, who was supposed to be part of the three-way deal has been sent packing to the Tampa Bay Rays.

Bay, who was a Rookie of the Year in 2004 is on pace for his third career 30+ hr season and was hitting .282 for the Bucs. He now joins the Florida who is directly answering the New York Yankees and their recent acquisition of “Pudge” Rodriguez.

(SOURCE)

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The deal might not be official just yet! UPDATE!

JASON BAY IS NOW A RED SOX!

A little sun wouldn't hurt Jason...

Ken Griffey Jr. traded!!!

This is officially the most insane baseball season of all-time. Ivan Rodriguez to the Yankees, Manny Ramirez possibly going to the Marlins, and now Ken Griffey Jr. has officially become a Chicago White Sox.

You can check out the White Sox official website HERE.

You can check out the White Sox card blog HERE for more reactions.

This is why I don’t buy into grading

Personally, there is not a single card in my collection I would ever in my lifetime send out to be graded. Now, if I were to pull some crazy one of a kind card possibly worth thousands of dollars I might consider getting it graded as authentic but nothing else. Personally, I like to be able to look through my cards and hell, if I feel like it—touch them as well.

Currently on eBay there is a 1993 Topps FInest Jose Canseco Refractor that just so happens to be graded and incidentally received a perfect score AKA “Gem Mint 10″. The asking price on this card because of the perfect score is $795.95 dollars or you can choose to make an offer. Now, the problem is that less than two weeks ago the very same card sold on eBay for a whopping $20.50 with a score of 9.

So you mean to tell me because your card scored one level higher (and that is rare) that your card is worth $775.45 dollars more than the “9″ FInest Refractor? See, this is the problem with grading baseball cards. It’s the biggest SCAM I have ever witnessed in all my years of collecting and because of some silly scores people are being taken for everything they are worth or are having to sit by and wait for another version of their card to show up on eBay with a lower grading and/or with no grading at all.

Personally, there is no card in my collection that is graded and I make it a point when I am looking to purchase a card that it is raw and hasn’t been slabbed. Sometimes it means having to wait another week, month, or maybe even years for the card to return to the market.

For me, it’s a risk I am willing to take.

The greatest comeback of all-time?

While this may not be entirely related to the hobby, we at one point or another were all teenagers once and who among us hasn’t laughed out loud at a Cheech & Chong movie or listened to one of their comedy albums? For me, ‘Up in Smoke’ is up there among my favorite comedies of all-time and I never imagined that a reunion would ever happen. Tommy Chong was always down but Cheech Marin was the guy who broke up the duo and wanted to do more “family friendly” work. Looks like Disney stopped calling Cheech because the reunion is officially on!

You can find many Cheech & Chong items on eBay from the usual stuff (tickets, DVD’s), to the autographed memorabilia we all know and love, and the just plain weird. Check out this creepy “stash jar” set currently up for auction. I don’t know about you but if I was the police, your two life size jars is the first place I’d go to look for your drugs.

You can expect Mario Alejandro to be at the Miami stop in a few months. If possible, I will drag the Infamous Tatiana with me but she’s more into “chick flicks”, ironically enough.

2008 Razor “first look” UPDATE

Oh my, Topps is in some SERIOUS trouble.

Below is a National Sports Collectors Convention exclusive being given out by Razor. While the card is blurry, it’s in my opinion, head over heels better looking than 2008 Bowman.

Waxheaven.com was expecting some exclusive scans before the Nationals but apparently we were forgotten about. Thank goodness for eBay!