Baseball Video Games (DS)

Bit of a long shot, but I was wondering if anyone could suggest any baseball games for the Dsi. I am getting one for Christmas and was eying the baseball related games and there are a lot to choose from. A lot of them did nor get good reviews at least not the ones I looked at.

I was just curious to see if any of you have tried playing any though. I'm more into the MLB ones where I can be the Braves and Chipper Jones. I doubt any or new enough to be Heyward sadly :(

Goodbye ChopTalk

You have a had a good run. From 1994-2010, (minus a few minus between 2004 and 2005) you have provided a Brave fans from all over the country a way to keep in touch with their favorite team through the years and through the off season.

The December issue of ChopTalk marks the last printed issue ever of the official magazine of the Atlanta Braves. The only magazine of the Braves.

They just can't keep up with the cost anymore. Less subscribers mean less income and less income means ChopTalk just can't keep up. It sucks and I hate it and what is worse is there is nothing I can do about it.

You have a had a good run ChopTalk and you will be missed.

Well, at least he is a Brave ..or was.

It seems my penny has run out of luck.

Found a penny, got an auto.

So the other day I was out shopping with my aunts when I found a penny Lincoln side up and pocketed it. ..I'm poor and superstitious

The next stop was a dollar store where I bought two packs of cards and ended up finding a autograph in the upper deck X 2008 pack.

Then two days later I went to a dollar general and bought two more packs and in one of those I found a jersey card.

Now I am about to enter a code for the million card give away I got in single pack. Wish me luck!

The names have been drawn :)

Please log in to Elfster as soon as possible so you can e-mail me who you got. That way I can send you their address and you can get shopping!


Remember to shop early and keep the gift under $20 dollars. It can be anything sports card related or else baseball related. Or hell, sports related in general. Just no fruitcakes please

Also, please label on the package SS or secret Santa. At least if you aren't sending straight from online.

LAST DAY FOR SECRET SANTA SIGN UPS!

Thus far we have seven signed up including me. I have not gotten e-mails from two of you however. Or if I did it was eaten by hotmail's spam filter and I apologize.


I still need an e-mail from

wickedortega

and

paw75


There is still time to sign up!

Tomorrow be sure to log into Elfster to see who you got matched with and then e-mail me who you got so I can send you their address. More info will be posted Tomorrow.

2nd Annual Baseball Blogger Secret Santa!

That's right folks, it is time to begin the baseball blogger secret Santa. Or the sign ups anyway. Later than I expected as I got busy trying to write a Novel for Nano.

If you remember last year, or those that participated, you where matched with a fellow blogger through Elfster and then you bought a baseball related gift and sent it to them.

Well, nothing has changed.

IT IS TIME FOR.....

THE 2nd ANNUAL BASEBALL BLOGGERS SECRET SANTA!

There are a few other things I need you to do if you wish to participate.

First go to HERE (Elftser) and sign up.

I then need you to e-mail me your mailing address, the e-mail you signed up with for the secret Santa for Elfster, as well as a link to your blog or website.

It would also be great if you posted here saying that you have joined.

As to why I am asking for your address, it is because you would end up having to ask the person when you mail the gift, thus ruining the SECRET part. I promise not to share with anyone but the person who gets your name.

When you get your person, you will need e-mail me their e-mail/name and I will give you the address. (this will take placer later)

As you can see a lot of steps involved. Mainly for me, but I have no life so it should be well. I don't see an easier way. If you do let me know. Again, I WANT to do this.

Here is what I need you to do now

STEP 1:sign up for Elftser

STEP 2: Send me an e-mail with your

E-MAIL ADDRESS (the one you will use for the secret santa)

MAILING ADDRESS

BLOG/website

USERNAME/ ( or the name you tend to use on blog)

STEP 3: POST HERE THAT YOU HAVE JOINED

This will stay open untill names have been drawn on December 5th. That should be enough time for folks to sign up. Please be sure to tell fellow bloggers as I'd like everyone that wanted to; to participate

If you have any questions please let me know.

REMINDERS!

Please don't sign up if you don't think you are going to commit to buying and shipping a gift. It isn't going to be fun for the person you have to get jiffed

The gift should be under 20 dollars and that includes shipping.

No wish list. Do some sluthing. Check their blog out. I am not saying you can't get them something off their wish list if they had it up on their blog, just don't create up for the sake of SS.

.

120 cards vs 80 cards

and since two packs of those 80 cards are the black bordered ones that means 64 cards VS 120. At leats to those wanting to build a set.

I use to think that the blasters provided a better deal. However, I can get 10 lose packs with 12 cards each for the same price as a Blaster with 10 packs of cards with 8 cards in each pack. Topps 2010, series 1, I am talking about you!

What the heck its up with that? I don't get it. Why pay the same price for 40 less cards? Is it because of the OMFG patch card you can get?

...and enough with the inserts. 3 inserts in each pack is to damn many. I have enough of them to build a 12 story card tower. If you need/want any let me know. They are yours.

:(

I feel like I am going to puke. I have been crying. I feel dejected. I don't even care that one of my favorite shows is on. No more Braves.


I don't care if it was just a game. The Braves where more than that to me. I wanted Bobby to go home with a world series ring. Damnit to hell.

Baseball blogger secret santa is coming back!

Last year I decided to start a secret Santa for baseball or card bloggers.

Since people seemed to enjoy it, I am bringing it back! You can read more about it HERE.


In a nut shell, people would get assigned a person and would sleuth around (reading their blog, want list, etc) and get them something either related to baseball or else sports cards. They would then ship off said gift (provided with the address I give them) and that would be that. There was and sill will be a price limit of around 20 dollars, including shipping as this isn't something that is suppose to break the bank, just be a little something fun.

Likely it will kick off November 1st with sign ups. Kind of early I know, but doing things over the internet takes time. So if you are interested let me know and be sure to let others know. I'd love for it to get bigger every year.

Please let me know if you have ANY questions.

Take your digital and shove it!

I am pissed. Actually I am beyond pissed. I am seething, raging, worried, frantic, upset, and disappointed.

It seems they are doing away with Chop Talk Magazine. Or rather they are a making it digital. For those of you that don't know Chop talk is a monthly magazine of the Atlanta Braves. I love it.

https://secure.mlb.com/atl/fan_forum/choptalk_survey_form.jsp



I have gotten the magazine for over fifteen years. It was a Christmas gift from my mom. I have yet to throw away a single copy. I just can't toss them out in the thrash. I love getting out old issues and flipping threw them. It is the only magazine I get or have gotten regularly.

I love getting Chop Talk in the mail. I love opening up the mail box and seeing Chipper or Heyward's or McCann's face on the front cover. I get excited the day that they send out issues and rush to check the mail every day after wards in anxious anticipation until it finally arrives. I love being able to take it with me wherever I go. I like the feel of paper and how it feels to turn the page. I like holding the magazine in my hands.

And what about those without a computer or the Internet? They still exist. Will they just be screwed? Oh well son, to bad, so sad, you gotta get with the times.

It seems more and more things are going digital these days. Newspapers, books, magazines... you name it. Not that I am saying these are a bad thing. I want a Kindle myself. It is easy and convenient. I have a choice though. I can choose to go out and buy the book or download it.

With the way things are going, in a few years, or maybe even decades, newspapers on printed paper will be a thing of the past. So will magazines and books. A relic, an antique, something your parents read.

That scares me. In fact it terrfies me. I like paper and ink and book bindings. I like pages that you can feel when you turn. I like dog earing pages and real bookmarks. I like books on bookshelves. I like spending houts browsing the shelves of a library or book store.

My cat has a message for Bobby!

She growled the entire time at me. I didn't hurt her, she's just a witch with a B. She growls at me when I put her outside before she is ready, or when I move her to make the bed, or at our other cat when he gets to close.

...AND WE HAVE WON THE WILD CARD!

Game Day Pictures: Marlins VS Braves - 9/29/2010

More pictures of my fourth Brave Game of 9/29/2010 Marlins VS the Braves. They swept them!


View from our seats. Best seats I've ever had.


Conrad doling some funny stretches.



Bobby Cox being awarded a custom painting. Chop talk readers had the chance of donating and getting thier name on the back of the picture. I wasn't able to, but I do have a poster of the picture on my wall.



Likely to be our starting first baseman next year. Came close to hitting a homer.




My only glimpse at B- Mac. He didn't get a chnace to hit sadly.

I took more of Heyward than anyone. Didn't really notice till afterwards. Only posting a few though.

I believe he was walked. Look how taller he is compared to Glen.

ACTION SHOT! To bad I cut of his hand.

I wanted a view of the stands as wel.

D-Lowe was AWESOME!

Conrad juts before his home run.

Conrad just after his after homerun

The pitcher from down under.

My mom loved Billy Wagner's introduction. They showed Wyat Earp played be Curt Russsell on the big screem. (We think that was how it was anyhow.)

Celebrating!


WOOO HOO! Haven't been to a game yet where they lost.

Braves Batting Practice Expierence (pictures galore)

I'm back from the game. :) It was awesome. I had a great time and yelled and cheered so hard my throat was sore afterwards.

I got to take part in the Braves batting practice expierence . That is where you get to go on the field and watch them take batting practice. You have to stay behind a fence but you get to get to stand on the field and the players are at times less than a few feet away.

It said no autograhs on the tickets but that did not stop some players from coming over. I even got a picture and autopgraph from Brian Jordan!

Here are some more pictures.

Sometimes it is good to be a procrastinator...

...Like when the Braves lower dugout seats to $24 after my mom paid over $60 to get us the same seats.

Ah well, at least we know we have the seats. I CAN"T WAIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!


I decided I will wear my red Chipper Jones shirt. My mom bought a Bobby Cox shirt to wear. I am going to take so many pictures it will not even be funny. The site will implode when I attempt to upload them all.

The Wild Card...

Before today, I wasn't that familiar with the Wild Card. Ok, so I didn't really have a clue what it was. I've been hearing the Braves possibily being the NL wild card however so today I did a little research. Correct me if I am wrong.

Since there are only three divisions, the Wild card goes to the team out of all the divisions with the best record... minus the winning teams. Am I right? Thus far that is the Braves. I pray that kick ass against the Phillies and become the leaders of the NL east. They are three games behind thus far and they have six games to play

I am not sure I really agree with the wild card however. I think that there should be four divisions instead. The best teams out of each division should play each other. After all, it is about the best of the best. Not the best and the second best.

Four teams in each division would be ideal. That is all fine and well with the NL, but the AL only has fourteen teams. That would mean either there needed to be two more teams or for a team to move, which I don't really know is possible.

Or maybe I have no idea what the hell I am talking about.

The Bobby Cox Corn Maze...AKA THE MOST AWESOME MAZE EVER!

READ MORE ABOUT IT HEEEEEERE


I wannna know how they did that. It is so awesome.

We talked about this already topps.

I don't want two packs of black bordered cards when I buy a blaster of Topps 2010 series 2 at Wal-Mart. Target did this last year with the throw back backs, which I whined about in another post.

Just leave the borders alone. Please. If you want to do something special add two EXTRA packs. That would make me happy. or, or... JUST STICK WITH THE SAME DAMN BORDER!


I don't get why someone would consider this a good idea. Oh, lets make it harder for set collectors to complete a set. Huck Hyuck.



....Screw it, I'm saving for a hobby box.


EXTRA: Does anyone have an Series 1 cards? I neeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeed some. I'll pay 10 cents a card even.


I did get a Chipper. A black bordered Chipper.

Go to Baskin Robins and get me a Brave hat!

I command you!


Baskin Robins is doing this special where you can get ice cream in a baseball hat. ICE CREAM in a BASEBALL HAT! What can be better? NOTHING! Unless Heyward was serving the ice cream.


SEE this really… odd commercial.



Of course by the time I finally got to go to one they had no Braves, neither did the other one I went to. Damn other people liking the Braves. Why can't I be from New York? Then they'd only get the cups to, I dunno... piss in or something.

They still didn’t stop me from getting one and thus far I have a Phillies, a Tampa Bay and a Marlins.


The store I went to yesterday only have three hats left Marlins, Nationals and the Rockies.



I bet they have the Braves where you live. At least if you are out of Braves country.


It is a good deal. You get ice cream and I get a hat. I’ll even pay you back the money. I just want a Brave hat. >__<

I also heard they sell the hats and at MLB games… is this true? They come with ice-cream I would assume, although I doubt you get to pick your hat as everyone would request the same team.

How do you throw a player on the bench out?!

So I am visiting my dad and he has no TV. That means I am listening to the Braves on the radio. It isn't that bad really, I can easily picture the players in my mind and I like the announcers.


Except there are times when I really wish I had a working TV.

Apparently Chipper got tossed out. I thought they where joking at first. How does a player on the bench get tossed out? I guess he, well... he had to say something. I only turned the game on to the tail end of the game to see (I mean HEAR) them saying Chipper was tossed. O__O

I am glad to see him with the team. He said he had gotten stir crazy sitting on his couch watching the game.

EDIT: I JUST LOST THE GAME!!! I fiddled with the dial to get it to come in clearer and now I can't find it!

EDIT 2: Never mind, false alarm. I jiggled the clock radio and found it again ^__^

Note to self: DON'T TOUCH!

EDIT 3: ...and what is wrong with the moronic home plate umpire? he seems to be screwing up a lot of calls, judging by the announcers anyhow.


EDIT 4: and Ankiel makes a great catch to end the inning.


Enough edits. How many games do you listen to on the radio and do you generally enjoy it?

GOING TO A BRAVE GAME!!!!!!!! .

EEEEEEEEEEEE!


My mom bought tickets to the September 29th game vs the Marlins!


GHG>KGJJGVJBK! I CAN'T WAIT!


She got us dugout seats. (Row 14, seats 103-104) Does anyone know what the view is like from said seats? I have never sat that close before. I feel like I could puke from excitement!

Anyone in the Atlanta Area plan on attending? I would be so cool to meet fellow fans.



I don't know what shirt I should wear! I have dozens to pick from.


Chippper?
Maddux?
Frenchy?
McCann?
Andruw Jones?


I also plan on getting a Heyward. Maybe a Conrad. ...Can you buy a Conrad at the Braves store?




SO EXCITED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Why I am such a big Chipper fan

When I say I am a Chipper fan that is a understatement. I am a fanatical, tyrannical fan of the man. Some would even call it and unhealthy obsession. Not Kathy Bates in Misery obsessed. I am not going to tie him to the bed and break his legs, nor would I be the creepy stalker who digs through his garbage. I do have some self control and sanity. However, he is usually the first thing on my mind when I get up and the last thing on my mind when I got to bed.

I would like to explain WHY I am the way I am with him and why I took the news so hard last night. There are the logical reasons. He is a great player, he is a Brave and I admit it, he is a good looking. There is another main reason though that not many people will share with me. After a year of this blog and getting to know some of you I feel comfortable bringing this up.

I have Asperger's Syndrome, which is on the mild end of the autism spectrum. In a nut shell it means I have a lot of trouble socializing. I talked about my anxiety around people in a previous post The anxiety stems from this. I sometimes feel like a deaf mute trying to navigate through the world.

It is one of the main reasons for this blog, so I can communicate with others on my own terms. The social interaction I get from you people and trough conducting trades is often the only social interaction I get. It has been a lifesaver for me.

I was diagnosed when I was 17. Previously I had never even heard of the word.. My family knew that these was always something a little “off” with me though. I would trip over my own feet, loud noises would make me cover my hand over my ears, I couldn't stand tags in shirts. Most of the time school was a synonym for hell. I was picked on horribly and just couldn't seem to fit in. I had seen doctors before. One mentioned I just needed some “friends” and that I could outgrow said issues.

It didn't get better and they did not just go away. In the 11th grade I had been having thoughts of suicide. I ended up seeing a psychologist and on the very first meeting she asked my mom if she had every heard of Aspergers. It fit me to a T. Finally we had answers for why did the things I did.

There are often other issues that accompany Aspergers. One of them being a special interest. People with Aspergers often get fixated on a certain topic. It could be trains, or dinosaurs, or whatever. They find out all they can about said interest and often talk about it obsessively.

For me that is a a person, Chipper Jones. Don't get me wrong, I love the Braves and baseball. but Chipper is "special." I know I talk about him to much. I bring his name up constantly around the house. Multiple times a day in fact. If a day went by that I didn't mention his name, my mom would think there was something seriously wound with me She is sick to death of hearing about Chipper and yet I have a very hard time not bringing him up.

If there is a Chipper item I have to get it, if he is on the news I have to see him, if there is an article about him I have to clip it out. I get anxious when I can't do these things. When I was younger I would say I wanted to marry him. The thing that I talk about endlessly, will no longer be in my daily life. My dream come true would be to meet him. To shake his hand would mean the world to me.

Now that obsession is gone. It is like losing a limb almost. He has been my interest for fifteen years. I hope that he may come back next year, but he might not. I will still follow the Braves and watch the games. I am a fan and Chipper will not change that. It just will not be the same.

There is no crying in baseball.

Except for now. I can't believe I am crying over a damn baseball player. That is a a girl for you, ehhh?

Chipper is out for the rest of the season. Likely for his career if he retires this year, which I have a feeling he will. He is going to need surgery on his knee.

Goddammit. God fucking dammit. He was doing so well lately. His hitting had really come around.

I planned on seeing him play this year, possibly his least year. We have been talking about tickets and the best time to go just yesterday. Now that will never happen.

There will never be a player like Chipper. Not ever, He was one helluva ball player and one I know will be in the hall of fame. Not only that, but he cared about his team. You hardly ever see that kind of loyalty, where players go to whoever the highest bidder is.

Chipper negotiated his contract to help the team. How many people would do that? Not many. He even moved to left field to help out. He was the definition of a team player. he was the spokesman for the Braves and a mentor for the younger players. The only Brave left from the team of the 90's. He started as a Braves and will leave as one. That is a rare commmidity these days , when players bounce around from team to team like ping pong balls.

He was my all time favorite baseball player. I loved him ever since I was ten years old when I first picked him out. I have watched him him struggle and read about his hardships, some his own fault. I have clipped articles, collected memorabilia and cheered myself hoarse. I have wathced him mature not only as a ball player, but as a man. You will be missed Chipper.

Raw Dog!

RAW DOG, BROOKS CONRAD STRIKES AGAIN!

(Chipper gave him the nickname Raw dog because of his tendency not to wear batting gloves. )


For the second time he is up with the bases loaded, he hits a grand slam!

I love this guy, I really, really do.

I don't anything will ever top his walk off home run against the Reds though, especially when he thought the ball was caught and started to head back to the dugout.


A great view from the stands,



Yea, I already blogged about it once, but it is to awesome to leave alone.

I want cards of him. Caaaaaards. I will trade you. Someone's gotta have some cards of him.


and holy Heck, someone sure does update fast!

Liiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiies!

Finally earning some money for some cards (what else would I buy?) . Not much, which is why I settled on a blaster of upper Deck 2009 which was %40 percent off. I bought this last week, but I'm a lazy and wanted to use the scanner to post pictures as pictures make everything better.

One jersey card inside you say!

There was no jersey card in my blaster. I feel cheated. I feel betrayed.


Below the large red 40 % sticker, was another sticker. An orange rectangular sticker! It was on every single Upper Deck Series 2 2009 product, which consited for three blasters and some double packs.


SEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

ahem... seriously? Way to make money off the gullible.

The only card he is in, is a USA baseball which is only one of 20 jersey cards or one of 18 non jersey cards. A 1/20 chance isn't that bad if those are the only jersey cards that you can pull..... I mean 1/20 blasters though, not packs. ( I haven't pulled anything besides the USA in the past.) Dunno the odds are on the others as I suck at math. Upper deck doesn't list the odds of getting such and such card like Topps does.

They had Allen and Ginter products as well, but no sticker on those and I do believe they have a Strasburg (I think?)

I do like the base cards however which is why I bought two more blasters today. Plus I am a bit gullible and do hope to pull a Strasburg. Shhhhhhhhh, don't tell anyone though

I need to update more

... Seriously.

It has been two weeks since I have last made a post and I don't like that. I also don't like posting for the sake of posting (which I guess this sort of is). It is one reason I don't comment on a lot of blogs. There are a lot out there that I read daily and I really enjoy doing so. I just don't like commenting if I can't somehow contribute .

On the other hand, I lot of bloggers update daily and even more than that and there posts are always a pleasure to read. I feel bad for being so... lazy. There are some reasons for that though. I am of course.. lazy as well. I readily admit that.

My camera is still broke. I have cards I'd like to upload, but can't. It makes me sad.

..and I haven't bought any cards in weeks. Well, one pack last Friday... but that has been it. I've been saving most of my money for a hobby box, or jumbo of topps series 2. I miss buying cards though. I miss standing in the card isle and oogling all the cards. I'm like a.. well... junkie.

... I just thought I was being cleaver with that last bit. Until I remembered I blog I frequent quite a bit (daily).... "Cardboard Junkie" Durrrr.

Anyhow, I plan on trying to post more. I never thought I would reach 56 followers. It is awesome and I thank you all. I want to give you something to read however and something that isn't crap.

I will be going away fora few days or up to a week though to visit my grandmother, but when I return, I hope to have an improved blog. Or one that doesn't go weeks without posts.

Wear Sunscreen

Chipper should have taken his advice. Look at his neckline.


This is 1993 Topps Stadium card. I have long since forgotten how I obtained it. You can find it on E-bay for 99 cents.



I don't care for the back of the card at all. Chipper looks misrable in the picture, not to mention badly suburned. I don't like the colors used or the image of the slove. The black font is another turn off as well as the way they have it placed on the card.

....

JHHJHJKK! It seems I can't upload the back of the card.

I couldn't upload the front either. I found it online.

I want to chuck the computer out a window.

...Anyone got this card and wouldn't mind uploading the back? Please.

Make sure your camera has enough memory (Video box break)

.......or else it will cut off without you knowing.

I did record more when I saw what happened, but the second video would not transfer. Besides, that also got cut off as well. (despite the fact that I kept rambling away)

I managed to get most of it though. Sadly no Heyward or Strasburg, but I liked what I got. I also want advice on what to do for future breaks. Camera angles, lighting, speaking. What to do and not to do.

Would anyone want to trade for any of the below that aren't base or chrome? I kind of want to go after the set now.

Shoveling horse shit and hauling rocks in 102 F

Wanna know why I was shoveling wet horse shit and hauling rocks oin 100 plus degree weather?


All for

BOWMAN!

.....damn me and my non existent will-power

Picked up the only blaster they had. Yup, I am nothing more than a sheep, a sheep that has been bitten by the Bowman bug and who is hoping she gets a Heyward or a Strasburg.

Also got a pack of 2010 SERIES 2. ..which they finally got in. It wasn't wal-mart where I hit the jackpot, but K-mart.

They had a huge gravity box full of packs that hadn't even been opened. A couple of double rack packs, cereal boxes and blasters.

I was like daaaaaamn. K-mart, mine at least, is not known for keeping up to date on all things baseball. I was usually lucky if they had last year's haul.

....and a note to k-mart, please don't have the only regrister you have open on the card isle. An old lady was giving me a wonky look as I was trying to peer past them at the cards.

Jumping on the Bowman Baaaaaaaaahnd Wagon.

Get it? Bahhhhhh as in what sheeps make, cause I am a sheep and got caught in the Bowman.

Picked up one pack at Wal-Mart. For once they actually had something new. No series 2, but plenty of loose bowman packs, double packs and blasters.

AND GUESS WHAT!!!!???!!


I got a Heyward and Strasburg in one pack!




















....Actually I lied , I got neither.


Here is what I did get

Chrome: Bo Greenwell (Indians)
Chrome: Michael Wing(Angels)
1st Bowman: Neil Medchill (Yankees)
1st Bowman: Joe Serafin (White Sox)
Bowman Expectations: Ivan Rodriguez
Topps 100: Jared Mitchel (White Sox)
Victor Martinez (Red Sox)
Kenshin Kawakami (BRAVES)
Josh Beckett (Red Sox)
Aramis Ramirez (Cubs)

Beware the Jay Hey Train

Get out your number two pencils, because it is time for a pop quiz.

What happens when 5'11 and 180 pounds collides with 6'5 and 240 pounds?

A) whole lot of hurt.

B) like having run into you



C) like being ran over by

or

D) all the above

If you answered D you are correct.


Jason Heyward and Nate Mclouth where both going for a ball hit to right center field when they collided. Mclouth got knocked for a loop and went down HARD.

Scared the hell out of me when I saw it. He had to be taken out of the game. It seemed like forever before they got him in upright position. He walked out on his own thankfully. I don't know how bad he is hurt. Hopefully not much.