Goose Joak

This Year's Goose Joak Originals

2012-01-15T15:44:00.001-06:00

Kevin Youkilis

2012 Goose Joak Original

Stephen Strasburg

2012 Goose Joak Original

Lorenzo Cain
2012 Goose Joak Original

New design for 2012. Kinda dig it.

Kelvim Escobar

2012-01-09T23:30:00.002-06:00

Kelvim Escobar
Goose Joak Original

Brett Pill

2011-11-01T08:29:00.000-05:00

Brett Pill

Goose Joak Original

Evan Longoria

2011-09-28T22:47:00.003-05:00

Evan Longoria
Goose Joak Original

Random Number Generator (Billy Beane Style)
ALDS: Tampa over Texas
ALDS: New York over Detroit
NLDS: Arizona over Milwaukee
NLDS: St. Louis over Philadelphia

ALCS: Tampa over New York
ALCS MVP: Casey Kotchman

NLCS: Arizona over St. Louis
NLCS MVP: Ian Kennedy

World Series: Tampa over Arizona
World Series MVP: Casey Kotchman

My Best Guess
ALDS: Texas over Tampa
ALDS: New York over Detroit
NLDS: Milwaukee over Arizona
NLDS: Philadelphia over St. Louis

ALCS: Texas over New York
ALCS MVP: Mike Napoli

NLCS: Milwaukee over Philadelphia
NLCS MVP: Zack Greinke

World Series: Milwaukee over Texas
World Series MVP: Casey McGehee

We will see who is smarter. A random number generator, or a random baseball fan. On that note, I'm going to see Moneyball this weekend. Excited.

In my predictions for 2011, I'd give myself a B, mostly based on my awards picks.

I got three out of eight playoff teams (Rays, Brewers, Phillies)
Prince Fielder has an outside shot at MVP
Carlos Quentin does not
Jared Weaver should finish second in Cy Young voting, and Clayton Kershaw will likely win
The Royals did not sniff .500
The Storm Chasers not only made the playoffs, but won the PCL Championship over Sacramento and Round Rock!
Alex Gordon did breakout
The rest of my breakout/bust picks were bad

We shall see who wins!

Doug Fister

2011-09-26T23:37:00.000-05:00

Doug Fister
Goose Joak Original

Goodbye to a Legend

2011-09-21T22:23:00.001-05:00

Kila Ka'aihue
Goose Joak Original

Curtis Granderson Art Card

2011-09-02T22:38:00.001-05:00

Curtis Granderson
Goose Joak Concept Card

Lorenzo Cain Baseball Card

2011-08-30T22:01:00.001-05:00

Lorenzo Cain, Omaha Storm Chasers
Photo Courtesy of Minda Haas

Storm Chasers lose tonight, but their magic number is down to 2!

Tim Collins - Impressionist Style

2011-08-26T23:08:00.001-05:00

Tim Collins, Kansas City Royals
Goose Joak Concept Card

I thought this would be a Twitter exclusive, but I changed my mind. It makes the cut!

I'll post some other cutting room cards on there now.

New Design - Take 2 - Joey Votto

2011-08-24T23:18:00.000-05:00

Joey Votto
Goose Joak Original

I think I like the cleaner look. Here's a redo of the McCutchen, too!

Andrew McCutchen
Goose Joak Original

Cody Clark - Catcher in the Rye-als System

2011-08-24T21:35:00.000-05:00

Cody Clark, Omaha Storm Chasers

Goose Joak Tribute to 1976 Topps Traded

Photo courtesy of Minda Haas (Site) (Gallery)

About a week ago, the Royals couldn't "catch" a break. Only one catcher was active in AAA (pictured). The others:

MLB - Jason Kendall - Out for Season

MLB - Brayan Pena - Paternity Leave

MLB - Matt Treanor - 7 Day DL

AAA - Lucas May - Traded

AAA - Manny Pina - Promoted to MLB

AAA - Salvador Perez - Promoted to MLB

The Royals called up a backup from advanced rookie ball named Ryan Jenkins. He still has yet to play!

Thinking of Getting a Dog?

2011-08-16T23:00:00.001-05:00

Eric Hosmer
Tribute to 1995 Donruss

Winter is an amazing, affectionate, intelligent dog. In May, he was surrendered by a puppy mill. And by surrendered, I mean dumped at a shelter! The mill was being investigated for animal neglect and had to close. Sadly, this story is far too common. Luckily a rescue group stepped in and put him into foster care. Our foster care!

We were fortunate to foster Winter for six weeks this summer. Fostering him was a magical experience. He even attended a Storm Chasers game! While in our house, we nicknamed him Hozzie, after Eric Hosmer.

Today, Winter is happily adopted in his forever home! Things are going incredibly well, and the new owner is very happy with his new dog.

If you are interested in getting a dog, I strongly encourage you to consider a rescue group. Rescue groups can tell you a lot about their dogs' personalities. They provide a great opportunity to find a dog that will fit your lifestyle.

My wife and I volunteer for the following organizations. They really do incredible work.

Hearts United for Animals
Midwest Shiba Inu Rescue / National Shiba Rescue

I have also heard great things about Best Friends Animal Society. Of course, your local humane society is always a great option too.

There are so many great animals that need a home. If you are interested in learning any more, please feel free to post a comment and get in contact with me.

Everett Teaford - 1990 Donruss

2011-08-15T22:55:00.000-05:00

Everett Teaford
Goose Joak Tribute to 1990 Donruss

Matt Downs
Goose Joak Original - Black Variant

Zack Greinke
Goose Joak Original - PSA Graded

Jesse Chavez Redux

2011-08-13T11:13:00.000-05:00

Jesse Chavez

Omaha Storm Chasers

Goose Joak Original

Photo courtesy of Minda Haas, originally featured here. One of my favorite Storm Chasers. I hope they can make the playoffs!

MLB Home Jerseys - Plotting to a Bell Curve!

2011-08-13T09:49:00.004-05:00

(Click to enlarge)

The card from last night got me thinking about MLB jerseys. Which ones are aesthetically best? Which ones are aesthetically blah?

Rather than doing a straight up ranking, I plotted them along a bell curve. Right is "best", left is "worst". I hate to say "worst", because all (most) of these designs are still pretty cool.

The rules:

- Only use the standard home jersey. Which is a shame, because some alternates are hideous (Oakland) and some alternates are better than the originals (Arizona, Atlanta). But it was necessary to keep the thought experiment doable in under an hour.

- I went with my gut reaction on each one, giving myself about 10 seconds to decide. Afterward I rearranged maybe 3 or 4 based on seeing them all together.

I was curious to see if any biases would play out, like favorite teams, recent level of play, that kind of thing. What I found was:

- I generally like scripted fonts over block fonts
- I really must like pinstripes
- I tend to prefer a clean look and color scheme over an 'embossed' looking design
- I may have a slight regional bias to the midwest

Some highlights!

- The Padres "P" really offends me. It looks like a distorted Double Tree Hotels logo

- Astros, wow! I really dig the color scheme and pinstripes. Opinions probably vary on this one.
- I really like the Rays color scheme, but someone once pointed it out that it was nearly identical to a grocery store chain. It was eery. Wish I still had the link!
- I wish the Diamondbacks, Blue Jays and Rangers would go back to their old jerseys!

The Best Uniforms in MLB? A--a--a --a---?

2011-08-12T22:42:00.001-05:00

Mike Minor
Goose Joak Original

I'm probably in the minority here, but I absolutely LOVE these dark Braves uniforms.

There's something soft and muted about them. Very understated. It's like they took the flagship look that everybody knows from the Bobby Cox Decade of Dominance and turned it into something modern.

Is there a better uniform in the majors? Maybe, but you can't argue for your home team! I won't have it.

Hit me up on Twitter (@goosejoak) for another exclusive Braves card!

Any Readers on Twitter? Hit me up!

2011-08-11T23:02:00.003-05:00

Lance Zawadzki
Omaha Storm Chasers
Goose Joak Original
Photo courtesy of Minda Haas.

Lo-Cain!

2011-08-11T18:51:00.001-05:00

Lorenzo Cain
Omaha Storm Chasers
Goose Joak Original

Photo courtesy of Minda Haas. Like I said earlier today, her latest gallery is just incredible.

I think if Minda ever wanted a career in sports photography, it is hers for the taking. Wow! I can't get anything close to this awesome. Not even remotely close. And 99.9% of people can't.

Lorenzo (dubbed Lo-Cain by the ever-chatty Jarrod Dyson) is having an all-around amazing year for Omaha. Great at the plate, but also incredible in the field. He's one of the few all-star type players not to have been called up to KC yet. I'm hoping they at least keep him around for the playoffs, if Omaha can hang on. It's been like...15 years or something since Omaha has made the playoffs!

Lorenzo, along with Irving Falu and Jesse Chavez, are three of the fan-friendliest players on the team. And it is a very fan-friendly team to begin with.

Jesse Chavez - Omaha Storm Chaser

2011-08-11T08:06:00.000-05:00

Jesse Chavez

Omaha Storm Chasers

Goose Joak Original

Photo courtesy of Minda Haas. Probably my favorite Storm Chasers gallery to date!

Cody Clark
Omaha Storm Chasers
Goose Joak Original

Joakim Soria Art Card

2011-08-09T00:21:00.000-05:00

Joakim Soria
Goose Joak Original

An Easy Team to Enjoy

2011-08-04T21:48:00.002-05:00

Lorenzo Cain...Jesse Chavez...Lance Zawadzki...you guys are awesome!

http://www.baseball-reference.com/minors/team.cgi?id=95e46fa5

Not to mention everyone else. Even Kurt Mertins is back!

Lucas May

Manny Pina

Johnny Giavotella

Paulo Orlando

Clint Robinson

Kila Ka'aihue

Irving Falu

Mike Montgomery
Danny Duffy
Jeff Suppan
Greg Holland
David Lough
Everett Teaford
Mike Moustakas
Eric Hosmer
Kelvin Herrera

And so many more!

Irving Falu was awesome enough to autograph my program!

This is us on 'bark at the park' day in Omaha! The white pup on the right was our foster dog at the time. We named him Hozzie after Chasers/Royals 1B Eric Hosmer. We miss him a ton but are very happy that he is happily adopted with his forever home.

We were on the field for the balloon pop! 0-2. The new stadium didn't help.

My favorite seats in the house. 3B side, second row, 3rd and 4th from the aisle!

Saltdogs game in Lincoln. Beautiful park. It was hot as snot that day, and I had just run a 5K that ends inside the stadium!

Yeah! Inside the dugout! Kila smiled at my wife.

We went to Coney Island in NYC and happened to be there as Jose Reyes was making his rehab start. He's up to bat in this picture.

The Jake (Progressive Field) in Cleveland. It was an off day, and we were just passing through on our way home.

Promising Futures

2011-07-23T17:39:00.000-05:00

Eric Hosmer

Goose Joak Original

Mike Moustakas

Goose Joak Original

Joakim Soria

2011-07-06T08:56:00.000-05:00

Joakim Soria
Goose Joak Original

Time Machine - October 2009

2011-07-06T08:47:00.001-05:00

Almost two years ago!

Jorge De La Rosa
Goose Joak Concept Card

Joakim Soria
Goose Joak Concept Card

Mike Moustakas - TMNT Style

2011-07-06T00:46:00.000-05:00

Mike Moustakas
Omaha Storm Chasers
Goose Joak Concept Card

Photo courtesy of Minda Haas. The background photo is a warehouse in downtown Omaha.

Inspiration:

Concept Card - Prince Fielder

2011-07-05T22:40:00.002-05:00

Prince Fielder
Goose Joak Concept Card

Tribute to 1996 Select - Charlie Furbush

2011-07-03T11:04:00.000-05:00

Charlie Furbush
Tribute to 1996 Select

Love this guy's name. Furbush!

Needless to say, Plan B did an outstanding job with the team logo for the Lakeland Flying Tigers.

Brian Gordon and the Vegan Glove

2011-06-25T10:52:00.001-05:00

Brian Gordon, Yankees
2011 Goose Joak Original

Brian Gordon is the first known MLB player to sport a completely vegan glove. It is made out of 100% synthetic material and is lighter than a standard leather glove.

You can read more about the glove here.

Brian Gordon, Yankees
2011 Goose Joak Original

Maybe Prince Fielder or Pat Neshek will be the next!

Thanks

2011-06-21T22:27:00.000-05:00

Thanks to everyone who chimed in on the MLB.tv iPod/iPhone post. I am now in baseball heaven. The experience is just incredible.

For anyone interested...I find that I prefer it over the laptop or even TV. Super duper frame rate, no choppiness, high resolution. You can swap games with ease, pull up box scores, etc. I flip on over to check my fantasy teams between innings. What else...check on the Storm Chasers. Fire off a tweet. Interact with real life. Wow. Just too cool!

I mowed my lawn this Saturday listening to the Royals/Cardinals game. I never lost wi-fi connection, even outside! Suddenly mowing lawns seems more fun.

Baseball Number 5

2011-06-14T23:28:00.003-05:00

I have never caught a foul ball, but I have collected five game used baseballs during my lifetime. Here are the tales of all five.

Ball number 1
The scene - early 1990s. Probably '92 or '93. Thrown out from under the Omaha Royals dugout. I now have it signed by about ten players.

Ball number 2
Tossed into the stands by Matt Murton, fresh off the bat of Matt Kemp. Spring Training 2009.

Ball number 3
Traded for with a bat shard we got from a clubbie. No worries -- we still had another bat shard to keep. Omaha Royals season finale, 2009.

Ball number 4
A bullpen catcher flipped a ball over his shoulder, and it rolled to the edge of the new bullpen fence at Werner Park. I grabbed it after the pitcher was summoned to pitch. Opening Day, Omaha Storm Chasers 2011.

Ball number 5 (pictured)
Tonight -- tossed to me specifically by Jesse Chavez! Super nice of him to do so.

Aaron Crow and Danny Duffy

2011-06-14T08:20:00.000-05:00

Aaron Crow
Goose Joak Tribute to 1992 Bowman

Danny Duffy
Goose Joak Tribute to 1992 Bowman

1998 Ultra - Mike Moustakas

2011-06-06T22:55:00.000-05:00

Mike Moustakas
Omaha Storm Chasers
Goose Joak Tribute to 1998 Ultra

Photo courtesy of Minda Haas. It's positively big league and was begging for a borderless card to show it off.

In unrelated news, I watched some WCWS at a hotel this last weekend. It was a ton of fun. I loved the pace of the game and the relentless pressure on the defense. There was no such thing as a lazy out. It's probably the closest thing I'll ever see to baseball in the 1800s. Plus, the Baylor players were so spunky and fun. Maybe it would be obnoxious to play against them, but they were very charismatic to watch and easy to root for.

Doubleheader: Fielder / McCutchen

2011-06-06T00:08:00.001-05:00

Andrew McCutchen
Goose Joak Tribute to 1992 Bowman

Prince Fielder
Goose Joak Tribute to 1992 Bowman

On Behalf of Joakim Soria

2011-05-31T22:12:00.002-05:00

Joakim Soria
Goose Joak Tribute to 1991 Topps

For those who may have missed it, my favorite player of all time (pictured) has asked out of the closer's role.

I have no idea whether he'll get it back.

The fan in me says it's just 22 innings. This stuff happens!

Sometimes you eat the bar. And...sometimes the bar, well, he eats you. -Sam Elliott

Whatever it is, I hope he gets back to having fun. Even if he never is the closer again.

I have always liked this nugget from Joe Posnanski, circa 2010:

Royals starter Brian Bannister has one of my favorite Soria stories — he went up to Soria and asked him how he threw that curveball. Soria just shrugged and said something to the effect of: “I just throw it.” Bannister wanted to know how he gripped it, where the pressure points where, what the arm action was — that’s how Brian is, a technical thinker. Soria tried to show him but had no success. Bannister walked away shaking his head. Soria really did just throw it.

Does make you wonder, doesn't it? I hope as instantly as he lost it, he finds it again.

Finally...this marks the third known tribute card of Joakim Soria in the style of 1991 Topps!

I'm a new uncle!

2011-05-29T10:57:00.000-05:00

Dad and Grandpa are huge Cubs fans :)

1991 Topps - Irving Falu!

2011-05-28T15:27:00.000-05:00

Irving Falu
Omaha Storm Chasers
Goose Joak Tribute to 1991 Topps
Photo courtesy of Gage Matthews

Alright! Another person who takes awesome pictures of the Storm Chasers! And on the road, no less.

This one is from Nashville. I think the photo really fits the set.

Concept Cards - Paulo Orlando

2011-05-25T19:37:00.000-05:00

Paulo Orlando

Omaha Storm Chasers

Goose Joak Concept Card

Stormy

Omaha Storm Chasers

Goose Joak Concept Card

Photos courtesy of Minda Haas!

Concept Cards - Mike Moustakas

2011-05-24T23:45:00.001-05:00

Mike Moustakas
Goose Joak Original

Been wanting to do something special for the Storm Chaser cards. Here's a concept card of Mike Moustakas. Photo courtesy of Minda Haas.

Lighter variant:

Jose Bautista is...Ben Kingsley!

2011-05-22T10:44:00.000-05:00

Which is to say...he is a sexy beast!

Jose Bautista
Goose Joak Tribute to 1995 Donruss

Eric Hosmer!!!

2011-05-19T22:37:00.002-05:00

Eric Hosmer
Goose Joak Tribute to 1991 Topps
Photo Courtesy of Minda Haas

LOVE how this turned out! I actually built the template for an Irving Falu card, but Hozzie steals the show.

Also, we are fostering a dog and named him Hosmer. Yeah, it says Winter, so don't tell on us!

Just like Hoz, we think he is a top prospect ready for prime time!

Duffy Debuts, Hosmer Homers, Soria Struggles, Alliteration Abound

2011-05-18T23:12:00.000-05:00

Joakim Soria
Goose Joak Tribute to 1987 Fleer

Eric Hosmer!

2011-05-15T22:41:00.000-05:00

Eric Hosmer, Omaha Storm Chasers
Goose Joak Tribute to 1987 Fleer
Photo Courtesy of Minda Haas

Hosmer goes yard for his first big league HR!

I like the result here. I tweaked the colors of this set to match the Storm Chaser colors.

MLB.tv on iPod touch -- opinions?

2011-05-15T21:33:00.000-05:00

Does anyone use MLB.tv on iPod touch? What do you think of the video quality?

It works...decent enough on my laptop. But I am curious to know if anyone has tried this on their iPod touch (don't have one yet, but would consider it).

Tribute to 2009 Allen & Ginter - Mike Moustakas

2011-05-10T20:35:00.005-05:00

Mike Moustakas, Omaha Storm Chasers
Tribute to 2009 Allen & Ginter
Photo Courtesy of Minda Haas

Alright! I'm on the board with my first ever Storm Chasers card. Absolutely love this shot of Moose. It just oozes swagger! The picture (sans card) currently doubles as my desktop background.

I've seen two Storm Chasers games so far this year (three if you count the exhibition in KC), and in the second, Moose just crushed a line drive HR to right. Very consistent with what I saw last year, but with some added plate discipline.

For the uninitiated...Minda Haas is an Omaha Storm Chasers employee and saber-savvy media member/blogger/photographer/sports activist. Her photography and commentary is just awesome. The Storm Chasers really don't get a lot of local coverage, so when I found her blog and flickr albums, it was pretty mind blowing. Suffice to say I'm excited to be showcasing her photography on these cards. It really lets me showcase my own interest in this team.

More to come! Should Hosmer be next?

Guest Custom Cards! And six degrees of Brent Lillibridge

2011-05-09T21:23:00.001-05:00

Every now and then I get emails from people looking to make their own custom cards. I was in for a very nice surprise when reader Rob sent me a few of his customs last week. Take a look for yourself!

I was very impressed and asked if I could share them on the blog. Rob happily obliged.

Rob's a big TTM guy, so if you're into autos, definitely check out his blog. I'm hoping to see a few of his own customs on there soon. For my money, there isn't a much cooler collectible than getting one of your customs signed. Well, that, and finding out that one of your customs is on Twitter as a player's twitter profile!

As far as my own customs, I have two signed, and they're both enjoyed a lot.

As far as new stuff, I've been very busy. I'm working on something new courtesy of the excellent Minda Haas...kind of a legend in these parts of the country, and soon to be expanding out west! We've collaborated before and I think the next cards will be even better!

Until next time!

-Dave

Tribute to 1956 Topps

2011-04-26T21:48:00.000-05:00

Brent Lillibridge, Chicago White Sox

Tribute to 1956 Topps

by Goose Joak

Was adding some templates to my FTP site tonight and came across this one. This dates back to September of last year. Gotta say, I like how this came out!

Goose Joak Original - Mike Stanton

2011-04-24T20:57:00.000-05:00

Mike Stanton

Goose Joak Original

That was a big boy home run! video clip

Louis Coleman - Major League Debut

2011-04-22T08:08:00.000-05:00

Louis Coleman

Goose Joak Original

Tribute to 1995 Pinnacle - Alex Gordon

2011-04-17T07:29:00.001-05:00

Alex Gordon

Goose Joak Tribute to 1995 Pinnacle

Goose Joak Tribute to 1995 Pinnacle...and Roll Call!

2011-04-10T23:41:00.001-05:00

Joakim Soria

Goose Joak Tribute to 1995 Pinnacle

If you're into custom cards, in particular Royals, check out "A Hair Off Square." Some very neat things going on over there.

Speaking of which, if you're a custom card maker, and I don't have you on my blog roll, chances are I don't know about you! So leave me a comment below! The landscape of custom card makers seems to have grown in the last couple of years, and I like seeing what you guys are doing.

It's not easy being a cowboy!

2011-04-10T19:11:00.001-05:00

Joakim Soria

1992 Goose Joak Original

1. The best RSS/wire photography in the major leagues...hands down...belongs to whoever shoots day games at Comerica Park. There is no competition.

2. Royals are off to a nice start, eh? Soria, not so much. Call me in July if he still has an ERA over 3.00.

3. Storm Chasers evened their record to 2-2. Home opener Friday. PUMPED!

4. Doing well in my keeper league. Jared Weaver is carrying my pitching. Last week I called him out as my Cy Young pick. We'll see if he and Kershaw live up to my expectations.

5. H2H league...well I was up 7-3 at one point. But that fell apart. Ugly first week but as GMDM says...TRUST THE PROCESS! Losing my three best hitters (Dunn, Stanton, Drew) for parts or all of the first week didn't help.

6. Heritage league...going pretty strong!

Week two! Let's run this.

Opening Night! Storm Chasers

2011-04-07T20:21:00.000-05:00

Listening to Mark Nasser call the game on radio! Storm Chasers have an early lead, and Montgomery is pitching well!

Saturday Photo Blog

2011-04-03T08:55:00.002-05:00

Pictures and notes from Saturday's day at the K.

Before the game, I watched my boy Kila. Here, he warms up with Chris Getz.

On Friday, Kila hit a walk off home run. I could hear it from our hotel parking lot as we pulled into town. Pretty cool. He didn't do a lot on Saturday, but the Royals pulled out the victory with an eighth inning rally. My quick observations:

1. Soria looks locked in. I could be mistaken, but I think 100% of his pitches have been thrown for strikes in his two outings.

2. Chris Getz can really play some defense.

3. Matt Treanor seems to be able to work a count and draw some walks.

4. Jeff Francoeur has lost a TON of weight! I knew this going into the game, but seeing it in person was startling. I'm not attaching any kind of value statement

5. Superstition goes a long way. My wife and I are convinced in the power of a ROYAL blue ring we won at Coco Key.

After the Royals game, their top minor league clubs squared off in a futures game. This is the main reason we picked this weekend's game to come down.

I was caught by surprise when a bunch of guys in Royals jackets shed their coats and revealed Storm Chaser uniforms! Guess we picked the right side of the field to be on!

I was blown away by how cool the uniforms looked. You may disagree, but I think these are world class. Check out the lettering detail and color on the jersey numbers. I think the colors really pop. I think we're looking at Cody Clark here, evidenced by his number 2 and catcher's mitt.

Guys were signing, and we were totally unprepared! No pen, no custom cards, nothing! I did have a Storm Chasers hat, but it was the black road hat! Even the lid was black underneath. So I made do, snapped up a ton of pictures and wished the guys good luck. Other fans did the same (stuff like "can't wait for you guys to get here!") It was really fun!

The list of signers included Mike Moustakas, Eric Hosmer, Danny Duffy, Lorenzo Cain and Johnny Giavotella. Some A listers for sure.

We did, however, graciously borrow a black sharpie at one point and get Lorenzo Cain to autograph my wife's Storm Chasers sweatshirt! It came out beautifully, and he has a great signature. Thanks to Lorenzo and the guys for being very good natured.

The futures game itself was downright awesome. Mike Montgomery owned the day, throwing four no hit innings. Looked poised and ready for AAA, which I was a little worried about going into the season.

One other funny tidbit is that Lance Zawadzki (the new Omaha Storm Chasers shortstop, acquired from San Diego I believe) is a nervous nelly! In between pitches it's tic, tic, tic, nervous tic after tic. Reminds me of Juan Gonzalez but even more so. During the first inning that my wife noticed, we counted 32 crotch grabs and six hand licks. In that half inning alone! We got a late start on the next half inning too but still counted 46 crotch grabs and 11 hand licks! 46 crotch grabs! Needless to say it will be fun watching him this year.

As always it was a fantastic time. My wife and I both had a riot. We both really needed a vacation, and even a mini weekend trip down to KC really did the trick. Hats off the the K and the Royals.

Finally -- we're really looking forward to our first game at the new Storm Chasers stadium!

Mike Moustakas - Storm Chaser

2011-04-02T23:07:00.001-05:00

Mike Moustakas, Storm Chasers

Goose Joak Original

Very fun day! I got to see the new Storm Chasers in action. The uniforms (in action) look phenomenal. I was very impressed and will be posting more pictures later.

Plus, I got to see my brother and sister in law's new house! Also cool

And finally...the Royals are 2-1!

Feels So Good!

2011-04-01T22:30:00.002-05:00

Kila Ka'aihue featuring Joakim Soria
Walk Off Home Run & Win

Predictions for 2011

2011-03-30T21:03:00.000-05:00

The season is nearly started. Can you believe it?

Carlos Santana

Goose Joak Original

Here are my predictions for the season.

Champions:
AL East: Boston
AL Central: Chicago
AL West: Los Angeles
AL Wild Card: Tampa Bay

NL East: Philadelphia
NL Central: Milwaukee
NL West: Los Angeles
NL Wild Card: Colorado

World Series: Chicago versus Milwaukee
Champion: Chicago

MVP: Prince Fielder and Carlos Quentin
MVP Runner Up: Carlos Gonzalez, Carlos Santanan
Cy Young: Jered Weaver and Clayton Kershaw

Royals Record: 3 games under .500 (wow!)
Omaha Storm Chasers: Make the playoffs for the first time in over ten years

Pablo Sandoval: Bust
Matt Wieters: Bust
Mike Napoli: Bust
Alex Gordon: Breakout
Kila Ka'aihue: Breakout
Yovani Gallardo: Breakout

We Interrupt Our Regularly Scheduled Programming

2011-03-30T20:05:00.007-05:00

I have never -- until now, and only now -- used this blog as a vessel for non-baseball related topics, but I wanted to share this with anyone in earshot.

http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,2062252,00.html?xid=tweetshare

The quote I relate to:

‎"Baur has long since realized that most people don't agree with him — at least not enough to go vegan. This is less about social change or a movement than a moral decision each individual has to make."

This is something I relate to very personally. If you see things differently, that's ok. But I encourage you to at least think through and rationalize your own position on the subject, regardless of what it is.

Thanks for at least considering this.

-Dave

World's Largest Vegetarian

Fox Mulder said it best. Or was it Phil Davison?

2011-03-29T22:57:00.001-05:00

Alex Gordon

Goose Joak Original

Alex Gordon

Goose Joak Original

Alex Gordon

Goose Joak Original

THIS is the opportunity we've been waiting for!

Goose Joak Tribute to 1993 Topps - Billy Butler

2011-03-29T14:24:00.000-05:00

Billy Butler

Goose Joak Tribute to 1993 Topps

Goose Joak Tribute to 1993 Topps - Salvador Perez

2011-03-29T14:19:00.000-05:00

Salvador Perez

Goose Joak Tribute to 1993 Topps

Goose Joak Tribute to 1993 Topps - Mike Aviles

2011-03-27T20:14:00.000-05:00

Mike Aviles

Goose Joak Tribute to 1993 Topps

But Beyonce Had One of the Very Best Videos of All Time!

2011-03-27T10:29:00.000-05:00

Prince Fielder

Goose Joak Tribute to 1995 Score

One of my favorite and most collected sets of all time.

Would Make a Nice Ace

2011-03-26T21:05:00.000-05:00

Jered Weaver

1992 Goose Joak Original

Doubled his K/BB last year. In Spring Training, he is sporting an absurd 21/2 K/BB ratio.

The more I think about it, the more likely I am to draft Weaver as my keeper league ace.

Goose Joak Tribute to 1994 Bowman - Kevin Youkilis

2011-03-26T15:08:00.002-05:00

Kevin Youkilis

Goose Joak Tribute to 1994 Bowman

Joakim Soria - Art Card

2011-03-21T23:19:00.000-05:00

Joakim Soria

Goose Joak Concept Card

Favorite $1 Players of 2011

2011-03-19T12:40:00.000-05:00

When it comes to fantasy baseball, I am not a big proponent of punting positions. However, sometimes you're forced to do so. In that case, here are some of my favorite options for 2011.

Anybody I've highlighted represents a higher confidence pick. This is somebody I'd consider going an extra $1 or $2 for, depending on the league.

Catcher

Jake Fox

Miguel Olivo

I personally wouldn't go any lower than Jorge Posada ($2-$3). But if you're forced to scrounge, I'd go with Jake Fox. He offers a realistic semblance of upside.

Beyond that, most of the other guys are pretty fungible (Olivo, Saltalamacchia, Buck, Martin, Chooch, Arencibia, Conger) and offer slightly different strengths depending on your league.

First Base

Kila Ka'aihue

Second Base

Juan Uribe

Definitely not for the OBP/SLG leagues, but if your league has a lot of counting stats (HR,R,RBI), Uribe is your man.

He'll be 31, and like last year, he has a good shot at regular playing time.

Third Base

Edwin Encarnacion

If you can burn two roster spots, Chipper Jones and Scott Rolen make nice caddies for each other. Both are fairly productive when healthy.

Shortstop

J.J. Hardy

Hands down one of my favorite $1 sleepers of the year.

Corner Infielder

Mitch Moreland

This guy is getting less ink than an empty Bic pen. But I think he has a quietly solid year. Only real concern is that he loses AB to Napoli and Young. The same could be said of Ian Stewart, Ty Wigginton and Jose Lopez.

Middle Infield

Bill Hall

Another guy I wouldn't mind owning for $1. Almost a given that he'll get full playing time.

I look at 15 HR, maybe 10 SB as a reasonable expectation. He's a drag on average, but I think the counting stats will be there.

Outfield

Jason Kubel

Nate McLouth

Logan Morrison

Seth Smith

Alex Gordon

Kubel would be going higher than $1, but questions about his playing time could suppress that down. I think he ends up with 500+ AB when it's all said and done.

In some leagues you can stick Alex Gordon at 3B.

If the following guys had clear roles, I would add them to the list of outfielders: Michael Morse, Matt Joyce, Desmond Jennings, Ben Francisco, Tyler Colvin, Brandon Allen, Eric Young.

Utility

Jim Thome

Not a full time player, but he puts up counting stats in line with other full time $1 players. I'd also take a flier on any of the additional outfielders listed above.

Starting Pitcher

Anibal Sanchez

Edwin Jackson

Edinson Volquez

Jaime Garcia

Brian Matusz

Homer Bailey

I don't expect any of these guys to put up ridiculously good seasons, but I think they all offer some Brandon Morrow circa 2010 upside. In the last couple of years I have been stuffing my rosters full of these guys, but this year, I'm taking one, maybe two at most.

I think Jackson has the best upside of the group and one of the less dangerous floors if the bottom drops out.

Relief Pitcher

Johnny Venters

Takashi Saito

Mike Adams

I really wouldn't draft any of these guys save for Venters. He's about the $1, non-closer in waiting who I think has a projectable shot at 15+ saves.

Looking Forward To My Keeper League Draft

2011-03-17T07:40:00.001-05:00

It will be fun to see who is kept and who becomes available. I have a trade contingent upon who becomes available in the draft, so I'm eagerly awaiting the results. Monday!

Andrew McCutchen

1992 Goose Joak Original

Mike Stanton

1992 Goose Joak Original

Jose Reyes

1992 Goose Joak Original

Prince Fielder
1992 Goose Joak Original

Juan Ooo-reebay

2011-03-16T13:06:00.000-05:00

Juan Uribe

Concept Card - 1992 Goose Joak Original

Back to the Future! 1992 Goose Joak Original

2011-03-15T20:56:00.001-05:00

Use your imagination...and transport yourselves back to 1992! These are my 1992 Goose Joak Originals!

Mike Napoli

Concept Card - 1992 Goose Joak Original

Colby Lewis
Concept Card - 1992 Goose Joak Original

Collin Cowgill
Concept Card - 1992 Goose Joak Original

Stephen Drew

Concept Cards - 1992 Goose Joak Original

H2H Auction League

2011-03-15T07:54:00.000-05:00

Stephen Drew

2011 Goose Joak Original

My strategy in this draft was:

1. Target elite pitchers instead of elite hitters

Reason: Analyzing the last three years of data suggests that top ten pitchers are just as safe as top ten hitters. Plus, they are cheaper and unlikely to emerge out of nowhere.

2. Target an unbalanced team

Reason: Head to head leagues like this one use a playoff system to determine the winner. That introduces a lot of luck into the final outcome. To combat this, I wanted a team that was more likely to overload on specific categories every week. I may not win as many categories every week, but I should be winning the same categories most weeks.

3. Draft hitters between ages 26 and 31

I believe that all my hitters except for Mike Stanton are in this age range. I tend to believe that if you're cutting costs, this is the age range that gives you the most upside (see Robinson Cano and Josh Hamilton last year).

Based on these principles, I feel happy with my draft. Napoli was a plus (I expected Posada), and so was Cliff Lee (I was thinking of Josh Johnson).

I didn't realize that Kubel was in a time share with Thome, but hopefully he gets some AB in the OF. I also didn't realize that Aardsma was going to start the year on the DL, but he was my 7th closer. So I'm not too worried there.

The Poor Man's Jhoulys Chacin

2011-03-14T06:05:00.001-05:00

Carlos Carrasco

Goose Joak Concept Card

Jhoulys Chacin is a popular sleeper for 2011, and rightly so. But how about Carlos Carrasco? He should give you about 8 K/9 (to Chacin's 9 K/9). That's about 20 strikeouts over the course of a season, which is pretty much noise to me, considering how fallible projections can be.

Plus:

- he throws harder

- he gets more ground balls

- he has better control

- his out pitch is the change rather than the slider, so he has less chance of injury

- he is cheaper

- he is one year older

Just a thought!

One and Done!

2011-03-12T23:06:00.000-06:00

Clint Robinson

Goose Joak Concept Card

A one-and-done card of Clint Robinson. The concept is everwhere (color on black and white) but...the font! Any excuse to use this font is OK with me.

Black Borders Versus White Borders

2011-03-12T16:46:00.001-06:00

Carlos Santana

Goose Joak Concept Card

Carlos Santana

Goose Joak Concept Card

Carlos Santana

Goose Joak Concept Card

You decide!

Analyzing Fantasy Baseball Heuristics - Part One

2011-03-11T19:05:00.005-06:00

Jorge De La Rosa

2011 Goose Joak Original

Tonight, on the eve of my first draft, I look at the last three years worth of fantasy baseball rankings and draw some conclusions.

Heuristic #1: Don't spend a lot on pitching, because pitching is fluky
My Finding: Well...it may surprise you. Over the last two years, elite hitters do not seem less risk averse than elite pitchers.

Consider:

1a. Elite pitchers did not slip up. And, get this -- they held their ground equally or better than top ten hitters.

Based on Yahoo's preseason rankings, half of the top ten preseason pitchers in 2010 are still top ten preseason pitchers in 2011

Other than Wainwright and Santana -- who are injured -- the lowest any of them dropped to in the 2011 preseason rankings was 20th
MLB.com is the exact same. Half of the top ten preseason pitchers in 2010 are still in the top ten preseason pitchers for 2011.

Only 4 of the top 10 preseason hitters in 2010 are still in the top ten preseason hitters for 2010!

Based on Yahoo's preseason rankings, half of the top ten preseason pitchers in 2009 were still top ten preseason pitchers in 2010.

Other than Brandon Webb -- who was injured -- the lowest any of them dropped to in the 2010 preseason rankings was 24th
MLB.com is the exact same. Half of the top ten preseason pitchers in 2009 were still in the top ten preseason pitchers for 2010

The exact same is true of hitters!

1b. While new pitchers emerge, guys do not become elite overnight

Of the top ten pitchers going into 2011, the lowest rated going into 2010 was Cliff Lee -- no slouch at #20
Of the top ten pitchers going into 2010, the lowest rated going into 2009 was Justin Verlander -- more unexpected, but not a slouch at #34
The highest rated pitchers of 2011, who were not ranked in the top 72 of 2010 (roughly the active list of SP in any league) were:

Brandon Morrow (NR to 29)
Dan Hudson (NR to 31)
Phil Hughes (NR to 36)
Madison Bumgarner (NR to 38)

The highest ranked pitchers of 2010, who were not ranked in the top 72 of 2009 (roughly the active list of SP in any league) were:

Brett Anderson (NR to 32)
Clay Buchholz (NR to 38)
Tim Hudson (NR to 40)
Kevin Slowey (NR to 41)

My Conclusion: Big bats are still important. But don't be afraid of quality arms. And don't expect an ace to appear out of rubbish.

The Return of Scotty Ro

2011-03-05T08:28:00.000-06:00

Scott Rolen

2011 Goose Joak Original

Scott Rolen

Tribute to 2009 Goose Joak Original

2011 Goose Joak Originals

2011-03-04T19:54:00.001-06:00

Mike Moustakas, Adam Lind, Stephen Drew, Hanley Ramirez

2011 Goose Joak Originals

Some Observations

2011-02-28T22:10:00.000-06:00

Matt Kemp

2011 Goose Joak Originals

First of all, I love Spring Training. Love, love, love it. It signals the end of winter, the start of baseball, the anticipation of fantasy baseball.

Two, this is my favorite time for making baseball cards. With apologies to the esteemed Night Owl, my favorite baseball cards are day shots. And Spring Training is full of them!

Three, I really enjoy this new 2011 Goose Joak Originals template. Simple, clean -- it feels like a breath of fresh air to me. I love doing my more complex stuff, don't get me wrong. But I love being able to find a great photo off the wire, pop it on a card, and toss it on the blog in under ten minutes. It's real time baseball card manufacturing!

Four -- I'm no sports psychologist, but you have to love Matt Kemp's body language this year. I'll go out on a limb and call him my dark horse MVP candidate. Actually, I'll go out on a limb and call him my non-Pujols MVP candidate.

Hanley Ramirez

2011-02-28T18:20:00.000-06:00

Hanley Ramirez

2011 Goose Joak Original

Hanley Ramirez

2011 Goose Joak Original

Kila Ka'aihue Is Ready To Dominate

2011-02-28T07:48:00.000-06:00

Kila Ka'aihue

2011 Goose Joak Original

2011 Goose Joak Original - Mike Trout

2011-02-26T17:44:00.002-06:00

Mike Trout

2011 Goose Joak Original

Tres Greinke

2011-02-26T09:34:00.000-06:00

Zack Greinke

2011 Goose Joak Original

Zack Greinke

2011 Goose Joak Original

Zack Greinke

2011 Goose Joak Original

They're baaaaaaaaaaaaaaack...

2011-02-26T07:38:00.001-06:00

Sergio Romo

2011 Goose Joak Original

A new twist on an old favorite!

Joe Smith

2011 Goose Joak Original

2009 Goose Joak Original - Travis Snider

2011-02-25T07:21:00.000-06:00

Travis Snider

Goose Joak Tribute to 2009 Goose Joak Originals

One of my irrational breakout candidates for 2011.

Why should we believe in Travis? He has never hit lower than .275 in the minors, and has slugged over .500 three times, over .600 once.

Given a chance to play everyday, and preferably not rotting in the bottom of the lineup, I wonder what Travis could do. .260/.340/.490 is within reach if things break right, and I think the ceiling is there to achieve higher. I wouldn't go out of my way to draft him this year, but I think he's one of those guys that creeps up onto people's radars for 2012.

Goose Joak Introduces Tim Collins

2011-02-25T06:54:00.000-06:00

Tim Collins

Goose Joak Geometric Card

Tim is a 21 year old, 5'7'' reliever in the Royals organization. He has struck out over a batter an inning at every minor league level and had a 0.84 WHIP at AAA last year.

In my opinion, Tim has a 50/50 shot at breaking camp with the Royals. With a little more success in AAA, I'd say it's inevitable that he joins the KC bullpen sometime in 2011.

2011 Goose Joak Original - Carlos Santana

2011-02-19T10:10:00.000-06:00

Carlos Santana

2011 Goose Joak Original

My fantasy baseball battery mate for Zack Greinke.

Odds are that I won't end up with Carlos Santana. I'll try to restrain myself because of the knee injury. But that's ok. I'll probably end up with Miguel Montero or Jorge Posada, who are perfectly fine for late draft picks.

2011 Goose Joak Original - Zack Greinke

2011-02-18T22:46:00.002-06:00

Zack Greinke

2011 Goose Joak Original

2010 Goose Joak Original - Zack Greinke

2011-02-18T16:56:00.003-06:00

Zack Greinke

~~2010 Goose Joak Original~~

Goose Joak Tribute to 2010 Goose Joak Original

Goose Joak Tribute to 1994 Topps - Mike Stanton

2011-02-15T19:44:00.001-06:00

Mike Stanton

Goose Joak Tribute to 1994 Topps - Future Star

Like the 1996 Topps card, I really like this design. It was one of my favorites of the year.

Goose Joak Tribute to 1996 Topps - Brad Hawpe

2011-02-13T17:23:00.000-06:00

Brad Hawpe

Goose Joak Tribute to 1996 Topps

I actually really like this set. It's like a Topps version of 1994 Upper Deck.

Goose Joak Tribute to 1996 Upper Deck - Logan Morrison

2011-02-12T14:37:00.000-06:00

Logan Morrison

Goose Joak Tribute to 1996 Upper Deck

Logan Morrison has a strong on beast percentage.

I think there's an outside chance he puts up an identical OPS+ to Mike Stanton this year at a fraction of the cost. He already did it last year.

Goose Joak Tribute to 1996 Upper Deck - Carlos Quentin

2011-02-05T11:13:00.000-06:00

Carlos Quentin

Goose Joak Tribute to 1996 Upper Deck

Carlos Quentin

Goose Joak Tribute to 1996 Upper Deck

Quentin is hardly a sure thing, but I like him as a late upside play. His Mock Draft Central ADP is 194, so somewhere in rounds 14-16 of a 13 team league.

Goose Joak Tribute to 1996 Upper Deck - Aramis Ramirez

2011-02-05T02:30:00.001-06:00

Aramis Ramirez

Goose Joak Tribute to 1996 Upper Deck

Preseason Ranks
Hot Stove: #14 3B
FB365: #11 3B
Razzball: #11 3B
Mock Draft Central: #10 3B

Aramis turned 32 last year. Did he suddenly forget how to hit?

Here is his OPS+ by year since he became a Cub:
138
134
126
128
126
130
92

That 92 looks like an aberration to me. Throw out his first half (injury?) and it was right on target: 132 OPS+ post All-Star break.

I'm not fooling myself into believing that Aramis is a top tier 3B, or that he is suddenly going to play 162 games. But at a thin position, he's the kind of guy who I think is worth a flier. Not a HUGE upside play for sure, but other than Alvarez, what is the upside play at 3B this year? Compared to the possible waiver wire flotsam being drafted in his vicinity, I'd happily roll the dice on Aramis if he falls where I think he might.

Custom Card of Tommy Hanson

2011-01-30T00:41:00.000-06:00

Tommy Hanson

Goose Joak Concept Card

Dramatic photo op!

Goose Joak Tribute to 1962 Topps - Pat Neshek

2011-01-23T21:42:00.000-06:00

Pat Neshek

Goose Joak Tribute to 1962 Topps

Part 2/2 in our Major League Vegetarians series.

Neshek is vegan, which is a subset of vegetarian.

What's next? A Tofurky branded card? Maybe!

Goose Joak Tribute to 1962 Topps - Prince Fielder

2011-01-22T18:45:00.003-06:00

Prince Fielder

Goose Joak Tribute - 1962 Topps

Prince isn't the type of player I normally take an interest in. He's a hulking power hitter, whereas I tend to like pitchers, minor leaguers and underappreciated middle infielders.

But I like Fielder. He seems like a pretty cool dude, a family guy, and is probably the world's largest vegetarian. That third thing is what puts me over the top. I like that he helps to break the vegetarian stereotype. Same goes for Pat Neshek.

First Mock Draft of 2011

2011-01-22T08:09:00.002-06:00

R1 1B Miguel Cabrera, DET

R2 OF Matt Kemp, LA [CF]

R3 2B Dustin Pedroia, BOS

R4 OF Andrew McCutchen, PIT [CF]

R5 OF Jason Heyward, ATL [RF]

R6 RP Joakim Soria, KC

R7 SP Tommy Hanson, ATL

R8 SP Max Scherzer, DET

R9 3B Aramis Ramirez, CHC

R10 C Carlos Santana, CLE

R11 RP John Axford, MIL

R12 RP Craig Kimbrel, ATL

R13 SP Javier Vazquez, FLA

R14 SP Jeremy Hellickson, TB

R15 SP Brett Anderson, OAK

R16 OF Drew Stubbs, CIN [CF]

R17 RP Joe Nathan, MIN

R18 SS Reid Brignac, TB [2B]

R19 RP Jonathan Broxton, LA

R20 SP Jhoulys Chacin, COL

R21 C Chris Iannetta, COL

R22 C Jesus Montero, NYY

R23 SP Brian Matusz, BAL

Kind of a strange draft. No MI or CI, and only three OF. But here goes.

This shakes out as:

C-Carlos Santana

1B-Miguel Cabrera

2B-Dustin Pedroia

3B-Aramis Ramirez

SS-Reid Brignac

OF-Matt Kemp

OF-Andrew McCutchen

OF-Jason Heyward

UT-Drew Stubbs

I was really surprised about these players. They were round 15 or higher; pretty much free if you wanted them.

Joe Nathan

Desmond Jennings

Adam Jones

Ted Lilly

Chris B. Young

Jhoulys Chacin

Voltron

Brett Anderson

Overall I would be very happy with this team.

For my keeper league this year, I was coming off three consecutive championships. When I saw that I wasn't winning last year, I made trade after trade with contenders to try and build for 2011. I finished 11th, but I think I accomplished my revised goal. We keep up to four players (no round values or $ attached), and I walk into this year with Pujols, Utley and Reyes. Happy days.

I would love to have a shot at Prince Fielder (who is a FA in our league) but let's see. I would strongly consider trading Pujols for Fielder + something nice.

Three favorite fantasy baseball resources. All three of these sites do a phenomenal job challenging your assumptions and doing meta analysis -- that is, critiquing conventional wisdom and groupthink.

Fantasy Baseball Hot Stove - Mark does a phenomenal job with player comparisons and challenging your assumptions. The blog really seems to be gaining steam. I feel like I learn something new every time I read his site, and more than any blog, it helps me mellow about about getting one or two targets.

Fantasy Baseball 365 - One of my most trusted sources for sleepers. Very forward thinking and always digging for the next big thing. I find that I agree with a lot of what Charlie says. In my draft with him last year, he kept shouting out 'cliche!' with about half my picks.

Razzball - The most skeptical, they humorously break down groupthink. The main contributor, Grey, is very risk averse. It is a good balance to have when I get excited or turned onto a player (e.g. Carlos Santana, Brandon Morrow). Especially Santana. No matter how good his stats are, I have to remember that I'm drafting a guy coming off major knee surgery. Who happens to play catcher! I'll still try and get him, but patience!

Tribute to 1989 Upper Deck - Eric Hosmer

2011-01-15T14:35:00.000-06:00

Eric Hosmer

Tribute to 1989 Upper Deck

by Goose Joak

Goose Joak Digital Sketchbook

2011-01-15T09:01:00.000-06:00

Created using free cloudware. It's called Deviantart Muro. It's amazing how much they look like sketches! All I used was my laptop mouse pad.

Editor's Note

2011-01-11T13:37:00.001-06:00

I forgot that when Soria becomes a Yankee, he'll have to lose the stubble.

Joakim Soria as a New York Yankee

2011-01-10T18:04:00.007-06:00

Well, it hasn't happened yet. But at least in this picture, Soria is a Yankee. You could say I'm preparing for the inevitable!

Joakim Soria

New York Yankees

Wait for it...

Joakim Soria

Omaha Storm Chasers

Much better.

And hey...why not?

Joakim Soria

Lincoln Saltdogs

You like the Beatles?

Look closer!

Lookie lookie!