2010 Tribute Pack Break

Today I picked up a pack of 2010 Topps Tribute, I never liked the product and unfortunately for myself, the pack didn't help help my opinion of the product. Check out the video to see, what I got:

Johan Santana Out for season with shoulder surgery

For three seasons, Johan Santana has been with the Mets. Now he has three surgeries to match.

The Mets announced on Friday that Santana will undergo season-ending surgery to repair a tear of the anterior capsule of his left shoulder. His status for Opening Day 2011 is in doubt.

"The most important thing is to be ready," Santana said, "to be 100 percent whether it's April, whether it's May, July, October -- who knows? Time will tell how I will recover. I've just got to get back to being healthy."

Frank Thomas Mojo

Today I was lucky enough to get a package containing a Frank Thomas Dual patch /50 from premier, take a look. Also included in the video is a quick update on my posting habits.

Trevor Hoffman's Legacy

It took longer -- much longer -- than he would have liked, but Trevor Hoffman finally has his nice, round number.

Major League Baseball's all-time saves leader notched No. 600 on Tuesday night at Miller Park, working around a leadoff single to close out a 4-2 win over the Cardinals.

When Wisconsin's own Craig Counsell fielded a grounder and fired to Prince Fielder for the final out, Hoffman threw his hands in the air and was mobbed by teammates who understood well the magnitude of the milestone, especially considering how hard those final four saves proved to get.

With a crowd of more than 33,000 cheering like they did two years ago, when the Brewers punched their ticket to the postseason, the big banner over the left-field bullpen, the one that was stuck on 596 for nearly three months, finally read "600."

The Heat In The NL East

Phillies manager Charlie Manuel has been around baseball long enough to understand the importance of September.

"It's good where we are at," Manuel said. "We have, what, 26, 27 games left? That's good.

"But we still have to win quite a few of them. We have to win some of those games."

The Phillies have won four straight and just completed their best month of the season, with an 18-10 record in August. In that time, the Phillies (77-58) have taken a three-game lead over San Francisco in the National League Wild Card race and trail Atlanta by just one game in the NL East.

In the Phillies' favor is the experience that comes with three consecutive division titles, something Manuel knows is almost, but not quite as important, as just getting into the playoffs.

Writers Note :

GO BRAVES ;)

Strasburg Surgery Update

Nationals rookie sensation Stephen Strasburg underwent season-ending Tommy John surgery on Friday.

"He had his surgery," Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo said. "It was performed by Dr. Lew Yocum and Dr. Wiemi Douoguih. I got a call from both and they said it was successful surgery, he came through it with flying colors. It went smooth and uneventful. He will spend the night in the hospital tonight and go back home to San Diego on Saturday and begin his rehab."

In 12 games for the Nats, the heralded right-hander was 5-3 with a 2.91 ERA and 92 strikeouts.

Strasburg, the first overall pick in the 2009 First-Year Player Draft, is expected to be out between 12 and 18 months.

The Nats are hopeful that he can begin light throwing in four months, but they understand it likely will be a long road for him to return to the form that made him the talk of baseball earlier in the season.

Roethlisberger only out for four games instead of six.

 Ben Roethlisberger's suspension has been cut from six games to four by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell.

The Pittsburgh Steelers' star quarterback met with Goodell early Friday and was told he could return on Oct. 17 against Cleveland.

Roethlisberger was suspended in April for violating the league's personal conduct policy, but Goodell said at the time he would review the player's behavior over the next few months. Goodell was satisfied that the quarterback has followed the league's guidelines and stayed out of trouble.

Roethlisberger was accused of sexually assaulting a Georgia college student following a night of drinking in a Milledgeville, Ga., bar on March 5. He was not charged by Georgia authorities.

My MLB Playoff Perdictions

AL

East- Yankees
Central- White Sox
West- Rangers
Wild Card- Rays

NL

East: Braves
Central: Reds
West: Padres
Wild Card: Phillies

Let me know if you agree/disagree

MLB Playoff Race

Contending teams are pretty much on their own now.

You heard the July 31 non-waiver Trade Deadline was a crucial date for clubs to add outside help for a potential playoff run, only to be reminded that players could still be acquired via trade through August, except they'd have to first clear waivers.

But this is it. Seriously.

September is here, and that essentially means three things: Active rosters have expanded from 25 to 40, any player acquired from this point forward will not have a say in the postseason, and the game-by-game importance is at a whole new level.

Will Manny Ramirez's bat be the driving force behind the White Sox surpassing the Twins in the American League Central? Is Aroldis Chapman going to have the kind of impact out of the bullpen that could help the underdog Reds hold off a late-season run from the stumbling Cardinals? Can the surprising Padres continue to hold on? Could Bobby Cox's final season in Atlanta end with yet another postseason appearance? And will the Yankees or Rays ever separate themselves for the top spot of the toughest division in baseball?

In a little more than a month, all those questions will have answers.

"There's the saying the season is a marathon," said Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard, as fine a September performer as the game has today. "You want to try to be strong at the end of the race, and kick it in during the home stretch."

Welcome to the home stretch.

Heading into the sixth and final full month of the regular season, 12 teams stood within five games of a playoff spot -- be it a lead in their respective division or the Wild Card race -- with several others teetering.

In the National League, the Braves hold a three-game lead in the East, the Reds are seven up in the Central, the Padres lead the Giants by four in the West, and the reigning league-champion Phillies are up in the Wild Card by 1 1/2 games.

Over in the AL, the Yankees sport a one-game advantage in the East, the Twins lead the Central by four games, the Rangers hold a comfortable 8 1/2-game cushion in the West, and the Rays are seven up in the Wild Card.

Based on the remaining schedule, a lot can change.

The Braves and Phillies, for example, will go at it six more times this year, while the Giants and Padres hook up for seven more games, as do the Yankees and Rays -- who were tied for a record eight straight days before New York barely jumped ahead on Tuesday night.

"We're going to meet up [with the Rays] a whole bunch of times," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "But, obviously, you'd rather have the lead."

The first three days of October -- and the last three days of the regular season, unless there's a one-game playoff for the fourth straight year -- could bring crucial ramifications, considering the Phillies finish up at Turner Field in Atlanta, the Yankees go to Fenway Park in Boston and the Padres end with a three-game series at AT&T Park in San Francisco.

San Diego's division lead had been at least five games since Aug. 16, but the Padres have dropped a season-high six straight contests and have scored just nine total runs in their past five games.

Meanwhile, the hot-on-their-heels Giants -- also 1 1/2-games back in the Wild Card picture -- added Jose Guillen and Cody Ross in August to further bolster a now-crowded outfield picture, and the Rockies and Dodgers still haven't gone away.

Is there reason for September panic in San Diego?

"I think what we've done this year is way too special to waste at this point," the Padres' losing pitcher on Tuesday, Kevin Correia, said. "And I really feel like we're going to turn it around any day now, and no one is really panicking at this point."

Perhaps the Twins are, considering they now have the big bat of Ramirez to worry about in their division.

Antics aside, the right-handed-hitting slugger could be a key addition to the White Sox, who have struggled mightily with production from their designated hitters this season. And considering Ramirez went on a flat-out tear upon being traded to the Dodgers at the 2008 non-waiver Trade Deadline -- which, like this season, was a contract year -- there's reason to believe in September if you're a South Sider.

"Manny can carry a ballclub," his new manager, Ozzie Guillen, said. "He did in the past. But that was in the past. Do we want him to do that? Of course we do. That's why we got him. But I just want him to be him. We've got more guys in the lineup that are going to help him."

The same kind of buzz for Ramirez from Chicago is felt in Cincinnati for Chapman, who last gave up a professional run on Aug. 8, reportedly hit an inhuman 105 mph on the radar gun in his most recent Minor League game and dazzled during his Major League debut on Wednesday, pitching a perfect inning and touching 103 mph.

Perhaps even more reason for the slumping Cardinals to worry?

The Redbirds were already enduring a tough stretch when they decided to shave their collective heads in hopes of shaking it up on Monday. Then, they were shut out in back-to-back games by the Astros to make it 2-7 on a road trip against three below-.500 teams.

Apparently, no grooming kit can fix this slump.

"We're picking a bad time to play some bad baseball," franchise player Albert Pujols said. "How many games do we have left? Try to win 30 games in a row -- that's it."

As the Cardinals look to bounce back, so do two of the game's elites -- Howard and Rangers ace Cliff Lee.

The Rangers have held a vice grip on first place in their division for a while, but they'd like nothing more than for Lee to get right down the stretch.

August -- when he posted a 6.37 ERA in seven starts -- was a month Lee would like to forget.

Prior to Tuesday night, Howard hadn't looked like himself since coming off the 15-day disabled list on Aug. 21, batting .111 (4-for-36) with just one RBI in nine games. Perhaps a three-run homer off Ramon Troncoso on Tuesday -- his first extra-base hit since July 27 -- will be just the thing to get him going.

The Phillies, who had had been held to two runs in eight of 12 games heading into Tuesday, certainly hope so.

"That's good to see," manager Charlie Manuel said of Howard's 24th homer of the season. "He's got to get going. We need him to get going."

September callups can also play a big role this month, and so will currently-on-the-shelf players.

The Reds are awaiting the returns of Orlando Cabrera and Jim Edmonds, among several others.

The White Sox need key late-inning relievers Matt Thornton and J.J. Putz back.

The Twins, who beefed up their bullpen recently by adding Brian Fuentes, are still holding out hope Justin Morneau will return this season (though that seems more unlikely as time passes).

The Yankees await the returns of Alex Rodriguez, Lance Berkman and Andy Pettitte.

And the Rangers, who added even more depth by acquiring Jeff Francoeur on Tuesday, will get Ian Kinsler back on Wednesday.

As for the Red Sox? They may not get any of their key players back, since Dustin Pedroia, Kevin Youkilis and Jacoby Ellsbury could all be out for the year. But injuries haven't kept them from staying afloat all season.

And it may not stop them in September, either.

"It's a ride-or-die situation toward the end of the season," said Red Sox DH David Ortiz, whose club is eight games back of first and seven behind for the Wild Card. "You have to win as many games as you can so you can be playing in October."

Will that be the fate of Cox in his last season at the helm?

The Braves have held first place in the NL East since May 31, they recently added first baseman Derrek Lee, and the players would like nothing more than to see their skipper finish his career off the right way.

"We all want Bobby to go out on top," Braves starter Tim Hudson said. "He deserves it."

September will play a major role in deciding that.

Baseball Recap : August 30

Dodgers 3, Phillies 0
Hiroki Kuroda carried a no-hitter into the eighth inning before Shane Victorino singled with one out, the Phillies' only hit against the Dodgers, who trimmed their deficit in the NL Wild Card race to 5 1/2 games. Wrap >

Rockies 2, Giants 1
The Rockies picked up a game in the NL Wild Card chase thanks to a ninth-inning rally featuring Carlos Gonzalez, who stroked a game-tying RBI triple and then scored the go-ahead run on a Giants error. Wrap >

Rays 6, Blue Jays 2
After Carl Crawford reached on an Aaron Hill error with two outs, Carlos Pena hit a three-run blast in the third that proved to be the difference as Wade Davis and the Rays defeated the Blue Jays in the series opener. Wrap >

Yankees 11, A's 5
A's ace Trevor Cahill saw his gaudy August numbers take a hit in the Bronx, where Mark Teixeira returned from a brief injury absence with authority, missing the cycle by a triple en route to an easy win for the Yankees. Wrap >

Reds 5, Brewers 4, 10 innings
Jay Bruce got things going for the Reds with a first-inning homer off Randy Wolf, and he capped it off with a walk-off single in the 10th off Trevor Hoffman, scoring pinch-runner Brandon Phillips from second base. Wrap >

Astros 3, Cardinals 0
J.A. Happ allowed only two hits -- harmless singles in the first and eighth -- to shut out the team that knocked him out after just one inning in their last meeting. Brett Wallace had an RBI double in his first three-hit game. Wrap >

Braves 9, Mets 3
Matching a career high with four RBIs, rookie Jason Heyward gave the Braves an early lead over the Mets, belting a three-run blast as the NL East leaders continued their impressive play at home with a blowout win. Wrap >

Rangers 3, Royals 0
C.J. Wilson turned in a brilliant performance over 7 2/3 innings to get the best of Kyle Davies in a pitchers' duel and shut out KC in the process. Wilson improved to 7-0 since the All-Star break with the victory. Wrap >

White Sox 10, Indians 6
Brent Lillibridge, who committed an error that helped the Tribe score three off Bobby Jenks to force extras, homered to key a four-run 11th as the White Sox won to pull within four games of the Twins in the AL Central. Wrap >

D-backs 7, Padres 2
Joe Saunders gave up two runs four pitches into the game, but kept the Padres' bats quiet over the rest of his eight-inning outing. Mark Reynolds picked up his starter with a pair of two-run blasts and five total RBIs. Wrap >

Angels 5, Mariners 3
Peter Bourjos, Bobby Abreu and Hideki Matsui each went deep in the sixth to snap the Angels' 31-inning scoreless stretch, while Ervin Santana and the Halos' bullpen kept the Mariners at bay in Seattle. Wrap >

Cubs 14, Pirates 2
In Mike Quade's home debut as manager of the Cubs, Carlos Zambrano struck out seven and hit the 21st homer of his career, while Chicago put together a seven-run fourth and four-run fifth on "Andre Dawson Day." Wrap >

Nationals 9, Marlins 3
Ryan Zimmerman and Adam Dunn both ripped three-run homers to power the Nationals past the Marlins following a 2-hour, 49-minute rain delay. Hanley Ramirez and Brett Hayes each hit a blast for Florida.  Wrap >

*STRASBURG OUT!* (tommy john surgery ahead)

Stephen Strasburg said Friday he was in shock when he learned that he had a significant tear in his ulnar collateral ligament -- an injury that is expected to force to the Nationals right-hander to undergo Tommy John surgery.

Shocked and disappointed are probably the best words to describe the feelings of the Nationals, their fans and everyone else who has enjoyed the phenom's amazing first act this summer.

"It was kind of a shock to me. I really didn't feel anything," Strasburg said during a news conference. "It's good that it happened in a way [now], instead of when we are going to the postseason or getting ready for the World Series.

"It's a new challenge. I want to be the best in everything. Right now, I want to be the best at rehabbing and get back [on the mound]."

Strasburg, who was originally placed on the disabled list because of a flexor strain in his right forearm, had an arthrogram performed on Thursday afternoon to determine if something is seriously wrong, and doctors found ligament damage in the elbow.

He will seek a second opinion from Dr. Lewis Yocum in Southern California before the Nationals make a final decision on surgery, but the club said that procedure is necessary. Strasburg will leave for California on Saturday, with elbow surgery to follow soon thereafter.

Strasburg is expected to be back at 100 percent in 12-18 months.

Vacation

Hey guys, as most of you know right now I am on vacation. Well today I am driving up to new hampshire. Since I will be driving there today do not expect any responses to pms or comments on youtube.
Thanks for watching my videos and reading this blog!

People I sent Mail to this week.

thegreathambino123-http://www.youtube.com/user/thegreathambino123
ryanandmarc- http://www.youtube.com/user/ryanandmarc
TheCardKid3511- http://www.youtube.com/user/TheCardKid3511

All of these peoples packages were sent out some time this week and should receive them soon!

Roger Clemens Indicted!

 A federal grand jury on Thursday indicted seven-time Cy Young Award winnerRoger Clemens for allegedly lying to Congress about using steroids and growth hormone.

Clemens indictment

A look at the indictment charging Roger Clemens with one count of obstruction of Congress, three counts of making false statements and two counts of perjury in connection with his February 2008 testimony before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. The indictment (PDF)

Clemens faces charges of obstruction of Congress, making false statements and perjury. The New York Times first reported the indictment.

The six-count grand jury indictment said that Clemens obstructed a congressional inquiry with 15 statements that he made under oath, including denials that he had ever used steroids or human growth hormone. The indictment alleged that he lied and committed perjury regarding the same matters.

Jacoby Ellsbury Out for season

Jacoby Ellsbury hasn't written off 2010 completely, but it is unlikely he will take another at-bat for the Red Sox this season.

An examination in Southern California with Dr. Lewis Yocum revealed what Ellsbury already suspected -- his left rib area was fractured for the third time this season. The most recent cause was a collision at first base with Rangers right-hander Tommy Hunter on Friday night. The leadoff man went on the disabled list on Saturday and was examined by Yocum on Tuesday.

Derrek Lee to the braves!

Atlanta traded away three prospects to the Chicago Cubs this afternoon in exchange for former All-Star Derek Lee. While Lee has been struggling with injuries of late, he still could help improve a Braves offense that has been stagnant at times this year. Personally I am hopeful to see how this will play out with his back problems, and if the braves do beat the Phillie's in the push for the playoffs, how he will preform in the post-season.

My favorite card

Hey guys I thought this would be a decent thing to post. Most of you have never seen this card so I thought would share it with you guys. As you all know I am a braves fan so naturally my favorite card is of a brave. Not a braves player but a manager, thats right... Bobby Cox!

Sorry about the writing being backwards but it is from 2010 tribute and is numbered 18/75

2010 Allen and Ginter

today I went down to target and picked up a blaster of 2010 allen and ginter. I got quite lucky with the box check out the video to see what I got.

Allen and Ginter Blaster- Broadcast your self LIVE