From the Pedro Binder

2002 UD MVP

Wow. Wow. Wow. That’s all I can say. OK. Maybe I can say one more thing.

Bleh!

Is there a lot going on with this card, or what? They’ve pretty much thrown everything at it. Once again, the name of the card brand is the most important thing. There it is, bigger than life, right in the middle of the card. Amazingly, they actually allow Pedro’s picture to obscure the “m”. The MVP is floating in a starburst effect, which dissolves into a cloud effect at the edges. If that wasn’t enough? There are floating statistics all over the card. I will say, that’s not a terrible idea. To have Pedro’s statistics right there on the front is easier that turning the card over.

Wait, those aren’t Pedro’s stats. Unless he stole 31 bases one year. Those aren’t even pitching stats! So, the card is full of noise just for the sake of noise?

At the very least, the color scheme does allow the picture to pop. Somehow despite the busyness, the photo is able to escape just long enough to be seen. So, let’s look at that photo.

Really? That the best you have?

First of all, the picture doesn’t even fit on the card. They had to trim off his foot, and fingertips. And, what about that face? I know that’s what Pedro looks like when he releases a pitch, but I’m not sure I need to be reminded of it all the time.

Once again I have to think of the people complaining about the lack of innovation from Topps now that they have an exclusive. You’re really missing the innovation that came up with this card? There was plenty of competition in 2002, and UD still put out this garbage.

Sometimes it’s not worth opening the binder.

Sweep in the Heart of Texas

Whenever a team has a weekend like the Sox had, everyone starts looking for answers to questions that otherwise wouldn’t exist. What does this mean? How does this define the team?

Was April a fluke? Did the lack of quality opponents make the Sox look better than they really were? Was this weekend a fluke? Are weaknesses suddenly exposed? Or, is this just the sort of thing that happens as a season goes along?

Naturally, I fall into line with the latter. I posted before that I didn’t buy into the “haven’t beaten a good team” line, since the Sox had faced everyone that matters. They’ve faced everyone in the division, and some decent teams elsewhere. Are we saying, then, that Texas is the only good team out there? If so, I’m ok with that. After all, the Sox only have three more games against them. I’m not going to hold this one series up as an example of the Sox feasting on weak teams.

Did it expose a weakness? Well, I guess it showed that the Sox’s number four starter can’t beat one of the top teams on the road. Not sure that qualifies as a weakness, though. Lackey pitched pretty well, and Lester threw a quality start up against Darvish. Hard to get too worked up about that. The Sox had trouble scoring runs. But, that’s nothing new. We all knew when the roster was put together that they’d have trouble doing that. When you plan on winning lots of 4-3 games, you have to plan on losing lots of those too.

At the end of it, the Sox still have the best record in baseball. They have that despite David Ortiz missing a lot of time, and each of their closers spending some time down with injuries. Of course the Sox will drop off a bit. They won’t win 105 games this year. But, I’d rather be on pace for 105 wins than 105 losses. Look at the rest of May. What do you see on the schedule that scares you? Do you see a lot more of those “good” teams that people are so concerned about the Sox beating? Neither do I.

So, let’s be disappointed that the Sox couldn’t grab at least one of those games. But, let’s not doom them for it either. Sometime you win, sometimes you lose. Sometimes you sweep, sometimes you get swept.

You just have to hope to do more of the sweeping.

Collecting the Sox: Books

I’m not a big fan of the e-book movement. It’s not that I dislike e-books, it’s that I don’t exactly understand them. I like to consider myself a reader. I’m pretty much always working on reading a book. But, I’ve never once thought to myself, “My life would be better right now if I had 400 books next to me.” I read one book at a time. Having a library at my disposal seems like a waste. I also don’t understand the “portability” argument of the e-books. If I’m going to the beach, having a book to read would be great. (again, I don’t need 400…how long am I on the beach?) But, what if I want to go for a swim? Tossing a $7 paperback onto the blanket and running in the water isn’t a problem. But, tossing a $500 iPad? However much a Kindle Fire is? Really? I’m not sure I could do that.

But, the biggest reason I don’t understand e-books is the lack of a book collection. There’s nothing quite like the look of a shelf full of books. Looking at a screen with different pictures on it isn’t close to the same thing. You need to have the actual books. The colors of the bindings. The pictures on the cover. They display nicely, because that’s their entire purpose in life. No matter what you may say, book publishers know that you really do judge your book by its cover. So, they make them eye catching. If it works in the bookstore, it works in your display. A collection of books calls to you.

Books are also great collectables because they come in any number of price points. If you want to shell out some serious cash and go for an autographed first edition of The Science of Hitting, go ahead. If you want to grab Francona the second it’s released, you can do that too. Rather wait for the paperback version? You can save some money there. Or, if you’re really patient, you can wait for the clearance areas of Amazon or your local bookstore to put the book you want out. I’ve sometimes upgraded a paperback book to the hardcover version when I found it on a great sale.

And, books are just things to put on a shelf. Although, they could be. You can read them. See what your favorite players have to say. See what your favorite writers have to say about your favorite players. Use the books as reference when you want to know who the last Red Sox player to win a World Series game was. Or, transport yourself to yesteryear. But, you knew all that. Books are nothing new. They’re great to read, and great to collect.

As long as they’re around.

Happy 36th!

Today we wish a very happy 36^th birthday to Ryan Dempster!

It’s not often that we get to wish an active player a happy 36^th birthday, so this is pretty exciting. Dempster was one of the many off-season acquisitions the Red Sox made this year. While not a splashy signing, he was exactly what the Red Sox were looking for. A good value guy, who has a history of success. As Dempster’s career .500 record would indicate, success is sometimes a relative term.

Dempster’s not going to be the ace of the staff. That’s OK though, because the Sox already have one of those. Two of those, really. But, if you’re looking for a number three starter, he fits the bill perfectly. He’ll give you a couple hundred innings, and his numbers won’t embarrass anybody.

And, that’s exactly what the Sox have gotten from him. His record this season is right on his career pace, while his numbers have actually been better than that. Looks like a solid signing.

The question comes from the future. Dempster is signed through 2014. The entire rotation, then, is signed through 2014 (assuming the keep resigning Doubront). With kids like Alan Webster apparently knocking on the door, you have to wonder if Dempster will find himself elsewhere.

But, for now we get to enjoy his time in a Sox uniform. It’s a nice luxury to not dread your number three starter being on the mound. When Dempster’s out there, I think the Sox have a chance to win. Really, that’s all I’m looking for.

Happy 36^th Birthday Ryan Dempster! 

From The Pedro Binder

1999 Ultimate Victory

I’m not quite sure what the point of this set was. I suppose it was Upper Deck tossing out a high end set. Well, at least high end for 1999. It certainly is shiny.

The overall look of the card is a good one. I love it when there is plenty of room for a picture, and this card certainly has that. The player’s name, team, and position are there, but still nicely tucked out of the way. The “Ultimate Victory” logo is a bit too prominent for my liking. I understand that the companies may consider their logo to be the most important part of the card. But, I certainly don’t agree.

The rest of the design does a great job of adding to the overall look, while still getting itself out of view. When looking at the card, it’s almost possible to miss the colored square behind the picture. But, it’s still strong enough to add visual appeal.

The picture chosen is a great, if unoriginal, shot. It shows Pedro ready to embarrass a hitter once again. He’s not making a goofy face, and doesn’t have any arms at odd angles. He’s just staring in at his target, ready to go to work. Seeing Pedro when he’s off the mound being a complete goofball, it’s always interesting that he’s capable of a face full of this much seriousness and concentration.

I guess that’s what makes Pedro Pedro.