2009 Topps 206 Nolan Reimold

Thanks to Nolan Reimold, the Orioles have reached the .500 mark, 24-24 for the first time since May first. Nolan went 4-4 today with two home runs and four RBI to help the O's completed a sweep of the Royals and win their fifth straight. Vladamir Guerrero hit a bouncing single up the middle to score Robert Andino from second to win the game in the bottom of the twelfth.

So far this season the O's have been very inconsistent, and still cannot beat the Yankees or Red Sox. To stay competitive in the division they need some wins against their A.L. East foes. With the offense beginning to heat up the last few games, I'm hoping they can extend their winning record into the summer.



Josh Johnson Is Following Me

A trip to Target finally provided me with a chance to sample some Gypsy Queen. An employee was putting new product on the shelf so I had first crack at the fresh wax. I decided to try my luck with one of each and bought a blaster, one rack pack and a single pack from a opened box. This is significantly more than I originally intended but this release has been extremely difficult to find.

When this set was originally announced I didn't think much of it except that Topps was yet again releasing another retro set, and I wondered if there was really a need for another set like Allen and Ginter. The images on the sell sheet looked nice but nothing really caught my eye, except for the minis, so I told myself I would buy a pack or two as a sample. Since then and with the lack of product available in my area, I have seen these cards all over other blogs and I gradually began to like what I saw. I'm not going to build the set but I have decided to buy more of the product. I would love to pull the Markakis auto and I may try another blaster and pick up a few more rack packs. I really like the retail exclusive green framed parallels and my pack yielded a Brooks Robinson. I'm not going to show the cards from this break, its been done already and everyone is well acquainted with the release by now. Most of you have moved on to 2011 Bowman. From the loose pack I pulled this card.

I was hoping for an Oriole, but Josh Johnson is a solid player and the pin strip is a nice added touch. In my last post I mentioned I had yet again bought another Topps Value Box and I had kept it on my desk for a few days before opening the packs. When I did get around to opening the two Heritage packs I found my old Friend Josh Johnson again.

For me, it is a rare occasion to pull two relics in the same week, especially of the same player. I only have a couple relics in my collection so this came as a bit of a surprise. Both cards are for trade if anyone is interested, just drop me a line.

Overall Gypsy Queen has been a nice surprise and very popular with collectors. I like the inclusion of legends and past stars in the checklist, especially players like Barry Larkin and Ozzie Smith who you don't see that often in a new set. With the success of the inaugural release of Gypsy Queen, I assume we will see a second edition of the set next year.

Future Cleanup Hitter For The Orioles?



I don't have a Jake Fox card in my collection, let alone one picturing him in a O's uniform, so this picture will have to substitute for today.

Jake Fox hit his major league leading tenth home run of the Spring yesterday in the O's win over Detroit. His recent power surge has ensured him a role with the team when they open the season this Friday in Tampa Bay against the Rays. He will likely be the back up catcher behind Matt Wieters again this year, but because of his versatility and increased production he may see extended time at first base if Derek Lee's wrist issues linger. If this kind of power continues I'm sure Buck will try and find a way to get Jake into the lineup on a regular basis.