So Close. So Very Close

Blogging and want-listing are beautiful things.  It’s so easy to simply type a little list of cards or stickers that you may want or want to get rid of.  Then some curious fellow comes by and compares and contrasts your list against theirs, contact is made and before you know it Reader Jim is getting your 2011 MLB sticker album to 99.68% completion.

This one trade for 31 stickers (I only sent something like 4 from Jim’s remaining needs list — I’ll need to rectify that with the 2012 album) resulted in completing 18 pages. You can’t beat that ratio.  There’s only 1 left after this, and I’m pretty sure it’s finally on its way!!!!!!

Wanna see 37 images RE: Stickers?  Frankly, I don’t care if you do. I’m just so extremely happy to be this close to a full album.

Okay, okay. I can’t wait anymore.  I give you…more stickers (imagine me bowing and waving my hand backwards towards an imaginary curtain, please.  Like you always do.)

That’s all there is to it.  Seems simple and small on the surface, but those tiny parts assembled an unstoppable Voltron of completed pages.

This is one of the few players I can’t instantly recognize.  There’s only one pitcher per team in the book, but I had to double check baseball-almanac.com to make sure this was Brian Matusz.  It is.

Of course, if I were really smart, I would have looked at the completed page first and I would have seen the #17 that matched the empty page.  I honestly didn’t realize that Mark Reynolds was on Baltimore’s squad.  With his numbers this year so far, it’s almost as if he doesn’t realize it either.

Nice blurry shot of the Green Monster.

We can’t forget about Carl Crawford and Adrian Gonzalez, the two big acquisitions that year.  I don’t follow the AL very closely, but I haven’t heard much about A-Gon.  On the other hand, I have heard about Carl, and none of it’s been good.  At least Soriano can actually play the games for the Cubs.

Speaking of guys who can’t play games right now.

Remember when Sam Fuld was hot shit for about 3 weeks?  Yeah, that’s why he got a sticker.  I liked him as a Cub, but certainly didn’t miss him when he was sent away.  I prefer Tony Campana and Reed Johnson any day.

Am I hearing that Bautista is dropping off a little?  He’s turning back into a pumpkin so far this year?

At least they have Edwin Encarnacion to hit a home run every night.  Wait, what? How does that dude have as many, if not more, home runs than the entire Cubs organization?

Verlander probably deserved the MVP (and I think he’ll probably leave baseball with 5 no-hitters), but I think I’m in the camp that believes pitchers shouldn’t get votes.  You can argue me if you want, but I’m not passionate enough about the issue to fight back.  Or listen.

I can’t get behind the Tigers.  Sorry.  I’m not a Prince fan (Fielder, that is.  Loves me some Purple Rain).  I’m not a fan of Cabrera (due to off the field stuff), and even though I’m not a White Sox fan, I guess some of that rivalry has seeped into my brain.

Billy Butler gets the star nod for probably the last time now that Hosmer exists.

I bet if these were on-sticker autos, Andy would be collecting them.  I didn’t know who Eric Hosmer was when I opened my first pack of these stickers.  In fact, I captioned the picture “Not the greatest start.”  With no RC logo, I assumed he was a scrub bench-warming type.  You know, like the rest of the Royals.  I have a lot to learn about prospecting.

Cuddyer over Mauer or Morneau?  Bold move. Also probably the wrong one.

I’ve been getting the Twins as my random 2nd team in group breaks lately.  Maybe I should start a Torii Hunter collection to rationalize it all.  Speaking of Hunter, is it just me, or does it seem like he’s playing as long as Jamie Moyer at this point?  It’s just me.

There’s Torii with his “new” team.  I also thought he’s played for more than 2 teams.  I think my problem is that my brain combines him with Kenny Lofton.

This could be the first appearance of the “S” in “Kendrys” but don’t “quote” me on that.  How about them Angels, eh?  Proof that money doesn’t always buy you wins.  See also: Cubs.

King Felix deserves a better team than what he has right now.  So does Ichiro for that matter.  If I wasn’t such a proponent of one-team players, I would suggest they try to jump ship for contenders.

I mean, look at that team!  Guh!  Sail that ship into an iceberg already.  Nautical humor!

David Wright is licking some part of Angel Pagan.  Let’s find out what it is!

It looks to be either the neck or elbow.  Read into that whatever you want to.

I had to look elsewhere to find out who this is.  Ryan Zimmerman is not a household face to me yet.  Can I just say how surprised I am to see no Strasburg sticker on this page.  It’s a Topps Miracle.

I might have stated this once before, but my bold prediction for the year is that the Nationals make the playoffs.  This was decided by me before spring training and is not Harpermania related.

How many of you are still reading?  Joey Votto’s staring into space.  Eyes up front, Mr. Votto!

The Reds are my pick to win the NL Central.  I don’t know how the Cardinals manage to do what they do, but I don’t ever pick them to win for one, and 2) I think the Reds will be better in the stretch.

Hunter Pence: One of the bright spots for the Astros while he was there, and a guy that killed the Cubs.

I wish the Marlins were going to the AL instead of the Astros.  Then Back to the Future 2 would have a chance of coming true.

Poo–

Holes.  Yes, I’m 8.

Heath Bell has no sticker and he’s screamin’ mad about it!

Rizzo’s with us now.  You can keep the camo-jersey.  However, I do want to see that sucker make it’s way into some relic cards already.  Why hasn’t that happened?!?

Timmy is showing some signs of slowing down.  Well, he had a good year.  At least the Giants dont’ have to worry about paying another mediocre pitcher an exorbitant amount of mo—oh….

It’s Buster Posey Posey Buster ROY and Fox Ross Ross Fox!  That would make sense to you if you were watching the World Series in my apartment and if you were my wife.

I saved the best ones for last.  In the middle of the book you’ll find 2 pages with foil team stickers.

I don’t know why, but these are always my favorites to stick.  I like anything different than your standard player sticker.  Give me variety, please.

As you can see, the numbering gets all kinds of confusing for no good reason.

The superior league is stuck!

One more sticker and I can lay this to rest.  Once again, a huge thanks to Jim for helping me out with so many empty spaces for so little in return.  And thanks to anyone who waded through the entire post.  I barely made it myself.