The stache

Dinner's here. Be back in a little bit. Go Crew!

Dinner's here. Be back in a little bit. Go Crew!

Tulo is going off. Rather it not happen against the Brewers, but it certainly is helping my fantasy team. Check this lineup guys: C Yadier Molina 1B Joey Votto 2B Ian Kinsler SS Troy Tulowitzki 3B David Wright OF Ryan Braun OF Jason Heyward OF Matt Holiday Util Billy Butler I've got Alex Gordon, Anthony Rizzo, Jimmy Rollins, Chase Headley, Martin Prado and Miguel Montero on my bench. SP Matt Cain SP Madison Bumgarner SP Chris Sale SP Matt Moore SP Dan Haren Bullpen and closers: Mitchel Boggs, Joel Peralta, Joel Hanrahan, Mariano Rivera and Jonathan Broxton. Loaded, absolutely loaded.

Gomez will hit in front of Segura, but yes I love that lineup. I like that we basically have a couple other "leadoff guys" at the bottom of the order. Guys that can just fly, will have good power, and improving OBP. It could make for some just huge innings started before Brauny and A Ram even get up. There could be a lot of guys on those bases. Ryan and Aramis were the best 1-2 punch for RBI in the NL last year, and they could be even better this year.

I am VERY much looking forward to seeing this lineup once Corey Hart gets back. Our eventual lineup: 1. Nori Aoki 2. Rickie Weeks 3. Ryan Braun 4. Aramis Ramirez 5. Corey Hart 6. Jonathan Lucroy 7. Jean Segura 8. Carlos Gomez 9. pitcher There's not a better lineup in the National League Marco goes Polo on that pitch! 2-1 Crew!!!!

Damn, Carlos can just fly. Come on, Jean. Pick him up.

thanks turborickey. Last year I'd read the chat, and try to figure out what the hell was going on from that, and ESPN's gamecast. It was a sad time. Now that I have this....they'll have to pry my Roku remote from my cold dead hands before I give it up. I like it so much, I'm adding the Milb.com so I can watch the Nashville Sound, too. Gogo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Use the Force, Luc.

A Ram apparently forgot he's supposed to be cold to start the season.

Ok I'll take one run out of that. Could have been much worse. This is so neat! I love being able to watch the games and chat with you guys. I always felt like an outsider last year.

Hmm, Rockies getting some solid wood on Marco's pitches. First and third now with no outs. I take it Kyle Lohse will be ready for the next time through the rotation?

Watching on the Roku in Texas, loving MLB.tv premium I'll be able to chat during every game now. Is it me, or is Ryan Braun looking much more patient at the plate? Small sample size, I know. He said he wanted to be a little more disciplined this season, so maybe he's working on upping his OBP.

I'm watching on the Roku 2 XS right now, full 1080p with no delays. The picture quality takes 4 or 5 seconds once the game starts to get to full 1080p, but I'm having no issues whatsoever with the picture now. Watching on a 32 inch Sony Bravia TV in my bedroom. I average about 55-60 Mbps download speed with Verizon FIOS. ecjimg, are you on wireless? I'm running an ethernet cable directly from my router into the Roku, and an HDMI cable into the TV. I specifically got the best Roku available (right before the Roku 3 came out) because I could hard wire it.

A couple of balls just died out there today. Braun hit a foul ball that wasn't, and I was a bit shocked to see it stay in fair territory. And ya, I thought Go Go's was out.

LOL, and I missed it somehow. Damn. I went right to the '54 Topps Eddie Mathews.

Great collection, rwa12! I love that you have a Roy Campanella auto! I'm also a pretty big Pirates fan, and love the '58 Clemente and the Pops autograph. That 1958 Topps Clemente might be my all-time favorite baseball card. There's something about it that just grabs me. The picture is perfect, the background is bright and bold, and I love the typography from the '58 set. That one will be in my collection very soon! Bravo, guys! Keep it coming. This is really getting me pumped about the season!!!!

Ok guys, I figure that we can open this thread up beyond just Brewer cards (though that should still be the main focus). Here's some of the jewels from my certified autograph collection. http://imageshack.us/a/img836/8775/06chromeckershaw.pnghttp://imageshack.us/a/img705/8201/09chromemtrout.pnghttp://imageshack.us/a/img266/9556/12chromeotaveras.png http://imageshack.us/a/img252/9382/08chromedprice.pnghttp://imageshack.us/a/img705/7674/11chromemmoore.pnghttp://imageshack.us/a/img145/8674/12chromedhultzen.png http://imageshack.us/a/img18/5943/10chromewmyers.pnghttp://imageshack.us/a/img685/6350/12chrometskaggs.pnghttp://imageshack.us/a/img819/9180/10chromemmachado.png http://imageshack.us/a/img15/4176/11chromejprofar.pnghttp://imageshack.us/a/img801/205/11chromedbundy.pnghttp://imageshack.us/a/img62/3623/08chromejparkerblueref.png http://imageshack.us/a/img51/6302/12chromegcoleref.pnghttp://imageshack.us/a/img209/591/12chromencastellanosref.pnghttp://imageshack.us/a/img607/7207/08chromejmontero.png http://imageshack.us/a/img441/9589/10chromearizzo.pnghttp://imageshack.us/a/img405/2220/07chrometdarnaud.pnghttp://imageshack.us/a/img4/479/08chromemmoustakas.png http://imageshack.us/a/img16/8352/10chromecyelich.pnghttp://imageshack.us/a/img69/9804/10chromejtaillon.pnghttp://imageshack.us/a/img585/5405/10chromemoltref.png http://imageshack.us/a/img822/4571/11chromeflindor.pnghttp://imageshack.us/a/img855/8377/11chromepgoldschmidt.pnghttp://imageshack.us/a/img854/9729/10chromemharvey.png http://imageshack.us/a/img715/6632/11chromejhellicksonref.pnghttp://img19.imageshack.us/img19/4318/12chromemozunaref.pnghttp://img805.imageshack.us/img805/2779/12tchromeblawrieref.png http://imageshack.us/a/img195/9978/07chrometcahillref.pnghttp://imageshack.us/a/img252/5449/10chromebbrentz.pnghttp://imageshack.us/a/img404/6006/10chromesmiller.png http://imageshack.us/a/img203/9504/11chromejgyorkoref.pnghttp://imageshack.us/a/img841/2577/11chrometbauer.pnghttp://imageshack.us/a/img827/8656/11chromeyalonsoref.png http://imageshack.us/a/img545/6025/10chromekcowart.pnghttp://imageshack.us/a/img685/6062/12chromecmartinez.pnghttp://imageshack.us/a/img843/5796/12chromeccuthbertref.png http://imageshack.us/a/img341/9987/11bowmanzwheeler.pnghttp://imageshack.us/a/img716/5716/12chromednorrisref.pnghttp://imageshack.us/a/img268/6759/10chromejkipnis.png http://imageshack.us/a/img268/8606/12chrometjosephref.pnghttp://imageshack.us/a/img442/4447/12chromejpedersonref.pnghttp://imageshack.us/a/img855/9062/12chromejandersonref.png http://imageshack.us/a/img819/9512/12chromejmarisnickref.pnghttp://imageshack.us/a/img221/9160/12chromebpeacock.pnghttp://imageshack.us/a/img593/7008/12chromebdruryref.png http://imageshack.us/a/img24/9924/11chromesmarte.pnghttp://imageshack.us/a/img849/8318/11chromeycabrerablueref.pnghttp://imageshack.us/a/img268/5022/11chromembarnes.png http://imageshack.us/a/img827/6656/11chromerliriano.pnghttp://imageshack.us/a/img29/9361/11chromegspringerref.pnghttp://imageshack.us/a/img690/6010/11chromebbelt.png http://imageshack.us/a/img805/8969/11chromeabradley.pnghttp://imageshack.us/a/img194/7202/10chromeygrandal.pnghttp://imageshack.us/a/img32/31/11chromecjcronref.png http://imageshack.us/a/img20/484/11chromecspangenbergref.pnghttp://imageshack.us/a/img833/4568/11chromedgordon.pnghttp://imageshack.us/a/img24/8571/12tchromerlavarnwayref.png http://imageshack.us/a/img600/9374/06sterlingjupton.pnghttp://imageshack.us/a/img38/3739/10sterlingdbrownref.png http://imageshack.us/a/img715/952/12museumarizzo.pnghttp://imageshack.us/a/img42/4117/12museumjhellickson.png http://imageshack.us/a/img109/8775/11platinumbharper.pnghttp://imageshack.us/a/img266/4881/12platinumtwalkergreenr.png http://img594.imageshack.us/img594/2504/2011chromebryceharperbg.pnghttp://imageshack.us/a/img716/9919/10chromejteheranref.pnghttp://imageshack.us/a/img194/4696/07chromedmesoracobluere.png

I'd love to get to the Nationals, but my travel ability is quite limited until I get my back fixed. If you've got any questions about the modern stuff, please feel free to PM me. Happy to share the knowledge I've accumulated since coming back to the hobby. As far as getting the knack for grading vintage on your own, that's something I'm working on, too. For now I'll buy the graded cards, closely examining the card itself before deciding to buy. I've gotten pretty good at judging if the card fits the grade, so that will help protect me against unscrupulous people that would try to sell me a faked card, or a card of lesser quality. One thing I can recommend if you are going to buy raw. Get yourself a common card for whatever particular year you're about to invest heavily into. Use that as your control. If you buy a raw '57 Hank Aaron (as an example), buy a common '57 Topps card, and compare it to the Aaron under 10 x magnification. Compare the printing, the paper consistency, the feel and smell. That's one of the best ways to defend against fakes.

Opening day 2013 is officially underway! Jose Altuve with the first hit of the season, a single to left center field. Bottom of the first. Rangers vs Astros on ESPN. As you can tell, I am very excited! And I will be able to watch every single Milwaukee Brewers game this year thanks to MLB.tv Premium and my Roku. I'm looking forward to chatting with you all when the Brewers kick it off tomorrow at home vs the Rockies. Let's go, Crew!!!!!! In the immortal words of "Mr. Cub", Ernie Banks... http://www.celebsstars.com/images/Ernie-Banks-01.jpg "Let's play two!"

Yes it does, and I won't ever forget it. I'm a Braun fan for life. IF he used something, I'll be very disappointed, but it would never outweigh all the positives he's built up since coming to the Majors. This is a man that signed a contract for life to stay with Milwaukee. He's invested in the community, opened up a restaurant, and he's great with the fans. I really want to believe in his innocence. As far as Posey goes, he's a great catcher, and I unlike some, I think his numbers are actually going to improve. He might not maintain the same batting average, but he has some room to grow as far as his power production. If he can stay healthy, the Giants got a bargain. Of course, that's a big "if". However, he's learned how to lessen impact at home plate, so I think any injuries from this point forward will be due to normal wear and tear from playing the position.

Bikeage77, those are beautiful. That's pretty much what I'm going to be doing from here on out. I'll still buy some modern cards, but graded vintage is where I'll be investing heavily. I just love your collection. God, I love baseball. Some of the cards I'm looking at picking up first: 1956 Topps Ted Williams (love the one you have! I've always wanted a Teddy Ballgame card!!!), 1953 Bowman Color Stan Musial, 1957 Topps Mickey Mantle, 1958 Topps Roberto Clemente, 1956 Topps Hank Aaron, 1955 Topps Jackie Robinson. I'm going to look at knocking out a couple per month, trying to stick to PSA 5/6. Nice investment grade without breaking the budget on any one card. Of course that Mantle is going to set me back. I'll try to mix in the '54 Hank Aaron, '55 Clemente, '53 Topps Willie Mays, etc. I also want to add a 2005 Bowman Chrome Justin Verlander, a 2005 Bowman Chrome Matt Kemp, a 2002 Bowman Chrome Joe Mauer (all autos). I just got my Harper graded in the mail yesterday. I'll scan that in tonight. Let's open this up to all baseball cards, guys. I expect this thread will be updated quite a bit over the years.

Ok, here are some of my Brewer refractors. I almost like these better than the autos. They're fun to collect, and colorful. By the way, some of these will show some color inconsistencies. Chrome cards are notorious for curling slightly after they've been produced. All of these sit in top loaders, and they still don't flatten all the way out. The guys that collect some of these will understand all too well what I'm saying http://imageshack.us/a/img7/900/09chromewperaltaref.pnghttp://imageshack.us/a/img96/6249/09chromewperaltaxfracto.pnghttp://imageshack.us/a/img10/1293/09chromewperaltablueref.pnghttp://imageshack.us/a/img689/9807/09chromewperaltaoranger.png http://imageshack.us/a/img542/809/12chromewperaltagreenre.pnghttp://imageshack.us/a/img692/1913/12chromewperaltapurpler.pnghttp://imageshack.us/a/img14/9474/12chromewperaltablueref.pnghttp://imageshack.us/a/img694/5449/12chromewperaltagoldref.png http://imageshack.us/a/img109/7466/12chromewperaltaoranger.pnghttp://imageshack.us/a/img690/1067/12tchromerbraunblueref.pnghttp://imageshack.us/a/img202/9819/12tchromerbraunblackref.pnghttp://imageshack.us/a/img705/4553/11chromemrogersblueref.png http://imageshack.us/a/img694/4504/10chrometgreenpurpleref.pnghttp://imageshack.us/a/img703/4613/10chrometgreengreenxfra.pnghttp://imageshack.us/a/img545/3023/10chrometgreenblueref.pnghttp://imageshack.us/a/img820/2669/10chrometgreengoldref.png http://imageshack.us/a/img221/706/10chromesgennettpurpler.pnghttp://imageshack.us/a/img844/3308/10chromesgennettgreenxf.pnghttp://imageshack.us/a/img853/9720/10chromesgennettblueref.pnghttp://imageshack.us/a/img856/3376/08chromemgamelorangeref.png http://imageshack.us/a/img708/2374/06chromemgamelref.pnghttp://imageshack.us/a/img843/3030/06chromemgamelxfractor.pnghttp://img255.imageshack.us/img255/9831/10chromeefarrispurplere.pnghttp://img839.imageshack.us/img839/3519/10chrometthornburgpurpl.png And of course, the requisite Mat Gamel graded rookies. I hope some day he's healthy. http://imageshack.us/a/img546/6595/06chromegamelpsa.pnghttp://imageshack.us/a/img841/8803/06chromegamelbgs.png

Bigeage77, I don't typically trade cards anymore. Whenever I buy something, it's for my private collection, though I suppose at some point in the future that could change.

Kelbysdaddy, I love your Braun collection. I'd LOVE to have one of those triple autos from Braun, Yount and Molitor. Very nice!

pitchleague, Hobby packs are sold exclusively at card shops, or from authorized dealers that sell online (Blowout Cards, as an example). Retail boxes are sold at Wal Mart, Target, grocery stores, etc. There used to be more of a dividing line between the two, but that is closing. There have been exclusives for both retail and hobby, but typically the hobby boxes were better: somewhat better odds of getting a hit in a hobby box, better autographs (on card vs on sticker), additional refractor cards, and even more cards per pack were possibilities. But yes, you can still get cards of value in retail. I know somebody that got a Bryce Harper autograph from a blaster he bought at Wal Mart. The card goes for $250-300 now. Many of the high dollar cards you see on Ebay will come from people that just buy cases of the stuff, and get lucky because they increase their odds. My answer to that? Let all these guys spend a lot of money to buy a lot of cards, spending hour after hour ripping packs, placing them in top loaders and one touches, scanning them, and listing them on Ebay. I just jump on comc.com, or Ebay, put in what I'm looking for, and if I find what I want, I buy it. I never expect to get anything great from Chrome boxes. But sometimes I am surprised. It's still fun, because I am not in the hobby for the money aspect of it. I love when I get a Milwaukee Brewer in one of my packs. I'm just as excited to get a blue refractor Ryan Braun Chrome card as I'd be to get your average autograph.