5/15/2012-Mets vs Brewers Citi Field

Let me start off this entry by stating that I am in no way a Mets fan. However, I am a fan of baseball and will go see a game just about everywhere I can. My buddy Mark shares season tickets for the Mets and will invite me to a game every so often. Today, I had a purpose though.

I went to Tom Seaver bobblehead day back in April. The game was rained out and the crowd that was waiting to get in kinda got antsy with chants of "Bobblehead, Bobblehead" ringing out. To pacify the unruly mob, vouchers were given out to be cashed anytime at any field level fan assistance booth before June 1st. Of course, I find out a half an hour after we left that they rescheduled the give away for a nother Saturday. Whatever. I had my voucher and was happy.

I get to Citi Field first. The weather wasn't the greatest and I was worried the game would get rained out yet again. This time the weather held up and I was able to go inside.

As soon as we got in, I went straight to the field level fan assistance booth and snagged my bobblehead. Once I retrieved it, we went to grab some grub. Some of the best places to eat at Citi Field are Shake Shack (Line is always way too long) and Mex Grill, which are Keith Hernandez owned burger grills (try the Tex Mex burger. They are awesome!) Thi time, however, the Mex Grills were closed so I opted for a cheeseburger deluxe at the regular vending windows. Afterward, we went up to our seats.

Pretty sweet seats right above home plate. Like at Shea, the upper deck is pushed back and not hanging over like it is at Yankee Stadium, so it looks further than it actually is.

We sat and watched the Brewers pound the crap out of the Mets. When the score was 8-0 late in the game, we made our way to the Mets Hall Of Fame. I took a lot of pics.

Polo Ground seats

Gary Carter's jersey

Shea Stadium seats

Shea Stadium dedication plaque

Original Mr. Met head and uniform

Mets Hall of Fame members

1969 World Series Trophy

1986 World Series Trophy

When I got home, I opened up the bobblehead box to take a closer look at my newest addition

Both the front and back of the box had pictures of Tom Seaver.

The side pannels were both the same. Colored in Mets Blue and Tom Seaver Bobblehead printed in orange lettering

And heeeeeeerrrreee's Tommy

CitiBank sponsored the bobblehead, which shows Seaver in the old school Mets pinstriped uni. The head seems to be leaning front a bit too much. Not sure if it's just mine or were all like that.

Here's what opposing hitters probably looked at...if Tom Seaver was a bobblehead.

And the back with his familiar number 41. Neck is a bit too ET-ish in this shot.

Overall, I really like the bobblehead. The face looks alot like Tom Terrific. The pose they picked is great and the paint job on it is very good as well.

During the season, the Mets will give away 4 more bobbleheads. Rusty Staub is next week (why not a Tug McGraw or Ed Kranepool?) and later Keith Hernandez (usually, I would say good choice, but all things considered, Gary Carter would have been a better choice), Edgar Alphonso (really?) and Mike Piazza. I will probably try to make it out to all of them since I just can't turn down a bobblehead. Hopefully, the rest will look as good as the Seaver did.

Recent TTM Sucesses

During the past weeks, I have been writing a bunch of autograph request letters and sending 4x6 photos with the letters. I haven't writen letters like this in a long, long time. I have to admit, I miss TTM'ing, so I try to get out at least 10 letters a week to various sports stars, actors and wrestlers. The successes are starting to trickle back in, slowly but surely. Here's who I've gotten back so far.

Ed Asner:

I was thrilled to see that Lou Grant signs TTM, but I didn't send out any Lou Grant photos. Here's what I sent out and got back signed.

The Spidey fanatic in me loves this photo. Too bad the it looks like the gold ink was dying on the pen he used.

This one is my favorite of the 3. Loved the movie Up and was thrilled he wrote a line from the movie on the pic. Awesome success!

John Astin:

Always been a fan of John Astin. A friend of mine got his auto and shared the address with me. Within a a week I got these 2 pics returned to me and signed.

Always loved him as Gomez Adams and was so happy to get this picture signed. Wish he used a Sharpie instead of a pen, but no matter. Just real happy to get this back.

As a huge, huge fan of the 1966 Batman series, getting this autograph thrilled me to no end. Another add to Project: Superhero.

Walter Flanagan

I'm a huge fan of Kevin Smith and his View Askew Universe. Walt Flanagan is a huge part of it, having been in most of Smith's movies. As a childhood friend of Smith's, he is the manager of Jay and Silent Bob's Secret Stash comic store, one of the star's of AMC's Comic Book Men and co-hosts Tell 'Em Steve-Dave podcast with Bryan Johnson.

Signed this shot of him wearing the Mooby's sweatshirt, behind the counter at The Secret Stash.

Signed the Mallrats poster. He played "Fanboy" in it, getting into it with Brodie while on line at the comic store.

This is so cool. For those who don't know, Flanagan is also a comic book artist, having done Batman: Cacophony, which was written by Kevin Smith. I think Smith and Flanagan will be doing another Batman story soon. I sent this artist card with the photos and he did a Batman sketch on it. Very cool piece.

Some very cool returns the past 2 weeks. I have more going out this week and hope to get more in as well. Stay tuned.

League Of Extraordinary Bloggers: The Ultimate Crossover Event

Thanks to the success of The Avengers, this weeks league assignment was a simple one:

What pop culture heroes or stories would make for the ultimate crossover–think along the lines of Han Solo meeting up with Firefly’s Mal on a smuggling run.

It took me a while to think of something. Something along the lines of Spider-Man fighting Doc Ock with Daredevil or Luke Skywalker fighting the Vulcans with Capt. Kirk. I wanted something epic. Something no one had ever, would ever come up with. Something worthy of League status and I think I finally came up with something.

Imagine with me, if you will.

Gotham City. Commissioner Gordon is waiting by the Bat Signal. Batman arrives by Bat -Rope. Gordon explains the Joker's escaped Arkham Asylum and has begun posioning Gotham's fish supply to try to market his own brand of Joker Fish. Gordon wants Batman to put a stop to the Clown Prince Of Crime's latest crime spree. Batman explains he might need some help on this one as he is not an expert on marine life. He would bring Aquman to help. Gordon informs him he came up with someone better. From a distance, a Tarzan like yell is heard through the night. Looking up, Batman and Gordan see a man, bent over, talking out of his butt.

Batman

Meet Ace Ventura, Pet Detective

This has money maker written all over it. Imagine the frustration Ace would cause Batman as he would get in the way of all Batman's interrogations with faces or imitaions of famous celebrities.

If he needs Ace to drive the Batmobile, covered

Or infiltrate the Joker's gang, check

Between Batman and Ace Ventura, The Joker hasn't a chance. Think we have a hit here.

Please check out my fellow League members here:

http://coolandcollected.com/the-league-of-extraordinary-bloggers/league-members/

Happy reading!

Yankees vs Rays 5/9/2012-Garden Gnome Give Away

It's been a bit busy in my world, so when I was offered a chance to hit Yankee Stadium for a game against The Rays I was glad to go. When I found out it was Garden Gnome Give Away, I was estatic. I really wanted the gnome. Why? I don't have a house or a garden to neccestate a gnome. I just think it would be something diffrent and cool to put in with the Yankee bobbleheads.

But, enough of my drivel. On with the pictures and there are a lot to show.

I got to the Stadium pretty early and was 4th on line. The line started growing a little before the gates opened, but with the weather real cloudy and a 75% chance of rain before game time, not a lot of people showed. A half an hour later, gates opened and I got my gnome.

Since I had 2 hours to kill, I decided to go to out to the right field stands and do something I hadn't done in years, ballhawk. I was never really lucky at it, but why not I thought.

Yankee Stadium from right field

CC Sabathia hanging out with some of the players

Nick Swisher and Boone Logan joins them.

So, I'm talking to this gentleman about his son getting a ball from one of the Rays players when a loud crack of the bat averted our attentions. A ball was hit and it was rocketing in our direction. The ball landed a few rows behind us and took a bounce forward....right into my hands.



Pretty sweet. The ball had a huge black mark where it was hammered. There are also grass stains on it, scuff marks and it was not marked "Practice" like some of the balls I had seen were. Not a ball I could get signed, but still a pretty cool momento of the game to bring home with me along with the gnome.

Seeing I still had about 45 minutes to kill, I decided to hit the Yankee Museum to check out the displays. I said farewell to the guy and his kid and headed up to the museum. The themes this time were Subway Series and a subject dear to me, Latins in Baseball.

Here are a whole bunch of pictures

Joe DiMaggio and Pee Wee Reese gamers



Various pins



Whitey Ford Gamer

Mantle Gamer

I love this Worl Series program. The vintage look to it and the artist renderings of Yankee Stadium and Ebbets Field is classic. I would love to own it one day...after I win the lotto.

Some of the Latino exhibit

Love the Alomar powder blue Jays uni. Love that they bought back a variation of these unis this season.

Luis Aparichio Gamer ( I probably misspelled that)

Rod Carew Gamer

Orlando Cepeda

Juan Marichel

Orlando Cepeda's NL MVP Award along with cards, Starting Lineups and other goodies.

I would love to show you pictures of my seats, the beer I drank, the awesome, awesome Philly Cheesesteak I ate, with Cheese Whiz, Tony Mamaluke Style, and the blown save by David Robertson that cause my buddy and I to leave in disgust, but I cannot. My cell died right after I snapped the pic of the MVP award. Stupid Android battery.

So, here's the main event, the Garden Gnome

I actually like how this came out. Scotts sponsored the give away. Not sure if Forever made the gnome. As you can see, he is decked out in a Yankee blue gnome cap and pinstipes

On the back, he is sporting #27, signifing the 27 World Championships the club has won in it's history.



By comparison, I put the gnome side by side with my Thurman Munson AGP bobblehead and it's a bit smaller, but not by much. Looks great next too it. Once I get my space to get a nice cabinet, the gnome will look great next in with the bobbles, figurines and other Yankee goodies I have.

Thanks for the read. Sorry for all the pictures but when anyone goes to Yankee Stadium, picture taking is a must.