Baseball Cards?!?!?

Crazy talk right? Here is the challenge. Go to your local store and try to buy a pack of baseball cards for under $1.00. Do they even make baseball cards any more?!?! I was at the local grocery store and I asked the guy at the check-out counter where they had packs of baseball cards? Simple question right? The guy just stares me down then laughs a nice full belly laugh. He then said, "What is this 1978? Do they even make baseball cards any more?" Like 1978 was the magic cut-off date for baseball card production. If it was I was never informed of it!

For some reason baseball cards are becoming harder and harder to find by the pack. When you do find them the store only sells them by the box for five times more then the cards inside are even worth! Just for the fun of it I purchased one of these boxes from a place that wasn't trying to rip me off. I opened every pack, sorted the players by team then got out the latest price guide. I was lucky if only one card was worth 25 cents. I paid $50 for this box and only one card was worth 25 cents. Try selling that to a card store and they will only pay you 5 cents for the card because they are in business to make money not lose money.

Once in a while I will find a store that does have baseball cards for sale at the checkout by the pack, but even those cost anywhere from $1.75 to $5.00 each! But with the current baseball market if you are looking to make any money you have to sell your cards when the player is red hot! Because next year or in the off season he might get caught shooting roids. My brother held on to his Barry Bonds rookie card way too long. I can hear my dad now, "You boys save those cards and keep them nice, they are gonna be worth something some day."

Me and my brother grew up in the '80's. So what do we do with all of our Roger Clemens, Jose Conseco, Mark Macgwire, Barry Bonds cards? I could go on unfortunately but I wont. Maybe 1978 is the year when players started thinking "Cheating is ok, no one will ever know." The average baseball card purchaser from the 80's and 90's most likely has a collection with at least 65% of what they have is worth zilch. At least right now its worth zilch.

If you find a place that sells good packs of baseball cards for $1.00 or less in the Baltimore area please let me know! Until then the hunt will be on and if I find any I'll share it here and on the PodCast!

-Case Rocker

The post Easter Blitz!

Wow what a weekend! The Redwings, Predators, and......CAPITALS are all moving on to the next round! Now I am hoping the Bruins can be the team that they are and beat the snot out of the Habs! In baseball The O's let the Yankers win, but the Red Sox rediscovered that they do have talent! And the Nationals are looking more and more like a legitimate MLB team......Go figure! NBA you ask? The Celtics sweep the Nicks, New Orleans and Chris Paul put their foot down and let the Lakers know its not gonna be a cake walk for them!

The NFL?..................Some players on their own have organized groups and held their own workout / training sessions or mini camps that way they are ready just in case things turn around quick.

In other news....Like me I am sure most of you are recovering from good times with friends and family yesterday. Whats the term? Ah yes, and detoxing from all the different types of sugar we consumed! Time to enjoy this sunshine and grab my Nike+ sneakers and record my miles walked!

-Case Rocker

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Keep the faith!

I have several family members and friends up in New England that would hate to see this hat on my head! I only realy wear it because I lost my Red Sox hat last summer. At the start of this baseball season I told Tap Master I would wear this hat as long as the O's are doing ok! Some would call that "Banwagen" but what can I say 30+ years of being a Sox fan does not get forgotten over night with out a Lobotomy!
The O's have won 2 in a row now and we are getting a real feel for what this team can to when they are alive at the plate! This team is very different than past teams. So just because they lose a few right now does not mean its over. Trust me I grew up a Boston Sports fan in the 80's 90's and early 2000's.......I'm just glad I dont have to hear Buckner jokes any more!

-Case Rocker
(From my Phone)

Its April folks....relax!!!

Oh no, we're on a huge losing streak!! Our team isn't hitting right now! Our pitchers can't locate a fastball any better than a blindfolded person locating the tail on the donkey! Its okay....breathe in.....hold it....breathe out.....its April people. While games are important this month, there's a bit more of a curve allowed for this time as opposed to say August and September. Its the start of the race for the postseason. Its a marathon and not a sprint, so when your team loses a few games in a row it's not as bad now as it would be then.
As of last night, the Orioles are coming off an eight game losing streak, and they did it in a pretty big way with an 11-0 over the Twins. This is still a very young Orioles team, very developing Orioles team. Andy Macphail is doing a good job in the front office of trying to put pieces together to make a more competitive and winning franchise. Are all the pieces there yet? No, I don't believe they are and here is why. Right now, the Orioles have an OBP(on base percentage) of .294(stat taken from ESPN.com.) That means they are getting one runner on base for over every three batters, good enough to put them 28th in MLB rankings. In order to win games the simple fact is you have to get runners on the bases. Whether that's done through being more disciplined at the plate or making better contact remains to be seen. I think this team can be better than the current .294 OBP they have right now. I'll be very curious to see where it's at by the end of the season!
There's alot more I would love to go into right now but I will save some thoughts for future blogs! I want to pass along one more amazing stat here for everyone. As of last night, Mark Reynolds(3B) stats for plate appearances with the bases loaded:

"Lost in what is an easy Orioles win ...Mark Reynolds made another bases loaded out today. For whatever reason, Mark Reynolds is a TOTAL disaster in bases loaded situations. He is 6-for-51 for his career. He is hitless in his last 26 credited at-bats (!) in bases loaded situations (excludes sacrifice flies), with 18 strikeouts (including one on Tuesday). He has struck out in 5 of his last 6 plate appearances that came with the bases loaded AND fewer than two outs." (the above taken from ESPN.com, http://espn.go.com/mlb/team/_/name/bal/baltimore-orioles.)

Thats a huge issue to have in a lineup. He's known as a strikeout guy with some power. But k'ing in 5 of last 6 with bases loaded and less than two outs?! Bunt! Make contact, even if it's just a ground ball. At least give the opportunity to score and not whiff completely and leave your guys on base yawning!

The good news is the pitching is there on this team, and hitting will come around. This could be a 75-80 win team, but we'll have a much better idea whats in store come Memorial Day.

How do you think the O's are doing? What do you think they need to improve on to take it to the next level? Share your thoughts with us on this fun ride that is baseball season!

Current Baltimore temp: 80 degrees, sunny and some clouds.

Coming up in future blogs/podcasts: More Orioles baseball, NFL Draft discussion, the Ravens schedule, and baseball stories!

Whats on the grill? Some london broil, a lil nice montreal steak seasoning...medium rare please!

- This post brought you by Tap Master

MOXIE!!!!

Okay,  so its not Baltimore....but sometimes you need to stay true to your roots too.  Love me some Moxie when I can find it available!

Tap Master

HyperSmash

Is it just me? Or do you smell charcoal too?!?!

     Yes folks grilling season is here!! But then again for me even if there is 4 feet of snow on the ground my grill is never closed! Just after SNOWMAGEDDON I snagged my bag of Mesquite wood chips, my smoker box, and two full racks of pork spear ribs. One rack I just used a dry rub by Chef Emeril Lagasse along with a little bit of garlic powder and onion powder and after about 4 hours low and slow on the grill I basted it with some Sweet Baby Rays Honey BBQ!
     The second rib I used the same seasoning but added a bit of a kick! Tap Master got me a gift last Christmas called Pirates Bite its a blend of Bird's Eye, Habanero, Scotch Bonnet, Datil, Chipotle, Cayenne, Peppercorns, Sea Salt, Coriander, Cumin, and Fennel, just a little sprinkle to each side will do ya! After about 4 hours low and slow on the grill I grabbed the BBQ sauce that was in a bottle shaped like a Fire Hydrant from a little place around here called Firehouse Subs. Basted the rib and after about 5 hours the ribs were at temp and done. My grill runs a little hot so the temp was around 290.
     Sweet Mesquite and Hot with a pinch of sweet! I do not boil my ribs EVER! These babies were so tender and so tasty! Yeah I'm tooting my own horn but I'm telling ya they were awesome! Now I didn't wake up one day and say, "Man I'm gonna smoke some ribs and it will be good!" No! I planned my attack! I went to the local book store and one book really stood out to me. Bobby Flays book Boy Meets Grill. I read that bad boy cover to cover trying to envision the way I would do it. Next up for my plan of attach is a Black Angus Brisket and my new smoker!
     So what plans do you have for your grill this season? Have any tips on keeping the item of choice juicy and tender? Maybe your a meat free kind of person and have some more healthy options you want to share? Let us know by commenting here or sending us a personal message at charmcitysportspodcast@gmail.com and we will share your ideas in our next PodCast!

Take care and good vibes!

-Case Rocker

NHL Team in Baltimore!

So today as I am driving into work I decide to turn on one of the local sports stations. As I tune in they are ending the segment talking about how disgusting it is that so many NFL Draft prospects are getting arrested for drugs and running from cops. As they end the segment they mention an NHL exhibition game between the Washington Capitals and the Nashville Predators at the First Mariner Arena in Baltimore on September 20th! Tickets go on sale to the general public on Saturday April 15th at 10:00 AM. I could not believe what I had just heard! Why has this not been bigger news?! As I get ready for work in the morning I like to watch local news so I am informed on what is going on in my local Baltimore area. Granted I grew up in NH and Hockey is in my blood, but come on!!! An NHL game being played in BALTIMORE is a really big deal!!! Heck even an NBA game being played in Baltimore would be a big deal! If some one could bring either of the missing pro sports to Baltimore they would make loads of cash hands down! Baltimore wants them! But NHL or AHL Hockey would really rock our socks! 


Let us know what you think! Would you want hockey in Baltimore and would you support it?!  E-mail us at CharmCitySportsPodCast@gmail.com


-Case Rocker and Tap Master