andrew-miller « WordPress.com Tag Feed

Help me kick MY habit

Mario A. — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 13:55:35 +0000

Yes, this is a direct rip-off of Ben Henry's post.

I gotta say, I am pretty fed-up with Game-Used/Autographs of players I have no clue about. Today, I am on an all-Marlins kick and want to unleash some of my more glorious "hits", if you will. I am putting up my entire collecting of Relics and Autos for anyone who can bring me what I need. I have approximately 40 of them (60% Auto/40% G/U).

This is what I am looking for in return:

1. Andrew Miller - Base, Parallel, #'d, Auto/Relic

It's simple, if I don't have it, I want it. For you auditory people, here is a list of my entire Andrew Miller collection. For those who need visuals, here are all the scans. If you find me ANY card I don't have, you will be mailed a random autograph/game-used.

2. Florida Marlins - Autographs/Game-Used

Did you pay $300 for a tin of some overpriced product with three cards in it and got stuck with a Cody Ross/Matt Treanor dual autograph? Yeah, sucks I know but guess what? I WANT IT! If you have any "hits" of current Marlins players and want to make a trade, I will give up a random "hit" of my own.

Here's the catch: I bought a TON of wax in 2007 but not as much in 2008 so most of my good stuff is gone. What I have left in "hits" are mostly commons/semi-stars/rookies so you cannot send me an Andrew Miller 2008 Fleer base worth .75 cents and expect a Ken Griffey Jr./Derek Jeter Dual Autograph #'d to 5 in return.

This is a project for those who just enjoy trading, not the ones who sell more than they collect. If you have some fancy Andrew Miller Gold Refractor Autograph #'d to 3 the best advice I can give you is to put it up on eBay because it will sell and for a good price.

If you just want to trade for the fun and ultimate surprise of what you might land and want to help a player collector and Wax Heaven, drop me a line at WaxHeaven@Gmail.com. The only rules are that you must show me a real scan of what you have and we must send out at the same time, to be fair.

Thanks to any and all who participate!

So, who's got this baby?

The United Countries of Baseball

Mario A. — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 13:25:51 +0000

Have you seen this awesome piece of artwork called 'The United Countries of Baseball? If not, CLICK HERE to check it out.

In case we have any Marlins fans around, the Fish answered my prayers and demoted Eulogio De La Cruz and sent him to Albuquerque. The bad news? Well, they are going to bring back Taylor Tankersley and his impressive 7.16 ERA. Woo hoo!

In other news, today the Fish go up to Coors Field and take on the Colorado Rockies. While they are not even close to being as good as last season (34-51), Andrew Miller is pitching and with its large dimensions and possible thin air, it could be a very Rocky outing for the rookie pitcher. There will be at least 4 fingers crossed for tonight's win down here in South Florida!

P.S - A random autograph/game-used goes to anyone who can find me this card. Just let me know if you have one, plan on trading for it, etc. so I don't get too many doubles.

VIP At Dolphin Stadium

The Infamous Tatiana — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 23:42:30 +0000

I'm not sure if it is good luck, or just sheer determination, but I am always on the look out for a way to get free tickets or a good deal for Marlins tickets. A week ago, I entered in the FSN's Watch and Win Sweepstakes. The very next day, I received a phone call from a young man named Anthony letting me know that I was the winner. I had won 2 tickets to the game, two VIP passes for a meet and greet with KC and the Sunshine Band, and two VIP wrist bands to go on the field for the concert after the game. I let out a shriek and did a little dance. ;)
Once game time came, I was beyond excited. We left our home early, as usual, and were one of the first to arrive. ESPN was even filming at the parking entrance and I got a little camera time. Everything was going very well, until we parked. Mario went to the entrance to reserve our place in line while I went to Will Call to pick up all my goodies. I was the very first in line and had to wait nearly 30 min for the people to get to their booth. (They were running late) Once they came, the woman who was at my counter looked at me and told me my tickets weren't there and that I had to go to "Media Will Call". Once arriving to MWC(on the other side of the stadium), the woman there told me my tickets weren't there either. They were at the other will call. Again, like an idiot, I walked over to the other will call only to be informed they weren't there. It was ridiculous. I was stuck in a Dolphin's Stadium ping-pong match and I desperately wanted to get out. Now, with all this time being wasted, Mario had to get out of line because the gates opened and he didn't have tickets. Mario waited anxiously and I eventually found people to help me and they informed me that my tickets were at the Will Call that I was initially at. Turns out the people at will call were lacking in brain matter and thought it would be easier to turn me away than look for my tickets. FINALLY, with my tickets in hand, Mario and I made our way back to the gate. Then, my flip flop broke. This was turning out to be a horrible day.
Once inside, I went in search of duct tape while Mario stayed near and took photos. What a horrible idea. After finding duct tape, I went to find Mario... only to find myself walking in circles for 45 min. I sat down at a picnic table in defeat when Mario finally found me. We were then rescued by FSN and taken to meet Mr. KC himself. Meeting KC wasn't a big deal, but the experience of being "backstage" was AWESOME! Mike Jacobs stood next to me and I just completely froze. Then out of nowhere, Jorge Cantu came running by and said "Hey!". Too cool! We also got to see some Diamondbacks. Kirk Gibson was sporting his uniform and porn star 'stache prior to the game and Eric Byrnes was hanging out with Benito Santiago.
After meeting the slightly awkward KC, Mario and I toured the Marlins corporate facility and then proceeded to our seats. Our seats weren't exactly "VIP", but at $35-45 bucks a pop, I certainly wasn't going to complain. Andrew Miller did very well the first couple of innings. He struck those Diamondbacks out quickly and with out hesitation. It wasn't until Dan Uggla was injured and had to leave the game that Miller, as well as the rest of the team, began to do a bit poorly. This game marked the first game that Mario and I had been to that the Marlins lost. It was heartbreaking.
In the 8th inning, we went to the back as usual. I was severely depressed, but tried to cheer myself up by dancing like a fool. (It was "70's Disco Night") It worked a bit and by the time players began to come out I was back to being my regular foolish self again. Tom Candiotti was the first to come out. He was kind enough to sign for a few minutes and pose for a photo. A few more players came, but no one really knew who they were. One guy was really disappointed. He looked around a few times before getting on the bus, and then even got off the bus again to make sure no one wanted his auto! I wish I knew his name, I felt kind of bad! Mich Owings then came and EVERY ONE called out his name. He walked to the bus holding his head down, ignoring everyone, and appearing very annoyed. He then took one step onto the bus, turned, and gave everyone a "GOTCHA!" kind of look. It was classic. He then came to sign and pose for a couple of photos. He is great guy. Total class act. :) Last, but not least, was Kirk Gibson. I was surprised to see that everyone was calling him, as well. He went on the bus to put his stuff down, but then came right back out to sign. Sadly, people are animals and were trampling over each other just to get to him. I can't even tell you how many times I got elbowed, stepped on, or kneed in the butt. It was ridiculous. Mr.Gibson gave a few warnings, but obviously the people there were morons and didn't want to listen. Kirk had enough and began to leave, but not before posing for ONE photo with an adoring fan, thanks to our friend Mitch. :)
All in all, the night was a success. The Marlins may have lost, my shoe may have broken, and I got trampled on, but the days experience was all very well worth it. :)

Until next time....

YAY! WINNER!!!! :)

Logan Kensing and Scott Olsen signing prior to game time

I've never seen Scott looking so pleasant.

KC from "KC and the Sunshine Band" just randomly walking by.

I'm still pretty happy despite everything.

Mike Jacobs "backstage". That is one BIG mofo!

The army of Mermaids!

Benito Santiago and Eric Byrnes.

Benito and I. :)

KC and I. :)

In the Marlins office

Andrew Miller. He is totally the man. Coolest Marlin!

Tom Candiatti and I :)

Micah Owings and I!! :)
Definitely an awesome dude!

Kirk Gibson and I :)
Scary dude, but very cool!

Best Father's Day...ever!

Mario A. — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 12:53:32 +0000

The Andrew Miller eBay extravaganza has come to an end. My collection is now at sixty-nine different Andrew Miller baseball cards, with 27 of them being autographs. You can check out the list HERE and the scans HERE. I won't be greedy but if Andrew signs for the fans this Saturday, you can bet I won't miss out on an opportunity for just one more in-person autograph.

I won't be getting ANY new baseball cards for about three months because I am planning something spectacular for a certain someone's 21st birthday so if you happen to pull any Andrew Miller and/or Florida Marlins baseball cards you'd like to part ways with, I still have plenty of autographs and/or game-used available for trade, not to mention parallels & #'d cards.

If interested, send me an email at Waxheaven@gmail.com. If you have some rare 1 of 1 or low-numbered autographs, don't waste your time cause more than likely I won't have anything you need unless you collect Bronson Sardinha. Now, if your recent $200 pack was littered with Jeremy Hermida and/or Ricky Nolasco for example and you know they will just sit in your collection and gather dust drop me a line!

#'d 49 of 57!!!

Killing me softly with his fastball

Mario A. — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 11:54:14 +0000

It was bound to happen sooner than later. We were just too good to be true. Sure, our line-up has three, maybe even four 30+ home runs guys but 3-run home runs only take you so far when your pitching is a mess.

First it was Taylor Tankersley and his 7.16 ERA in 23 games, he is now down in Triple-A Albuquerque. Later, as in this very week Matt Lindstrom was sent down after posting a 5.18 ERA in 30 games. His replacement was a fella by the name of Eulogio De La Cruz who made his debut last night against the Tampa Bay Rays and promptly gave up 5 earned runs without getting one single batter out. Welcome to the Majors!

Scott Olsen, our supposed "Ace" of the rotation has now been hit with 6 no-decisions in his last 8 starts and could easily be strutting around with a 12-4 record instead of a mediocre 4-4.

Andrew Miller, a guy who got off to a terrible start and in my opinion is still fighting for his job every single time he starts has been hurt by the lousy bullpen as well. In his last 10 games he has pitched two amazing gems but ultimate got a no-decision each time thanks to the bullpen staff. His record is a modest 5-5.

So sure, you are probably going to see Hanley start in the All-Star game and Danny Uggla will probably break the record for most home runs in a season by a second basemen but forget about contention and kiss the playoffs goodbye.

Yeah, I said it. It hurts, but the truth usually does.

It's the end of the world as we know it

Mario A. — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 12:16:08 +0000

In 4 hours, the world as we know it will cease to exist. The seas will turn red with blood, the skies will unleash a never-ending rain, and the entire population will be lost, all because of this eBay auction. So thanks to "Mckunkle" and to the 100+ sheeps known around the world as "sports fans" for taking from me my faith in humanity.

If you need me, I'll be on my recliner playing Grand Theft Auto 4 and eating my Jose Canseco '40-40' bars, waiting for the end of the world. If you have an Andrew Miller Superfractor lying around, just go ahead and send it my way. It's not like you will be needing it anymore.

Who wants custom Bowman/Topps cards?

Mario A. — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 15:16:30 +0000

In addition to Heavenly Vixen series two, JBel4331 will be making 13 FREE custom cards for the readers of Wax Heaven. This is the second collaboration between W.H & J.B. You can see his previous Wax Heaven exclusives HERE & HERE.

There are no strings attached. You don't have to send me any gifts or bribe me with anything BUT since there are only 13 spots available you must email me at WaxHeaven@Gmail.com with the photos you want used. If the image you send isn't large enough you won't be considered since the image has to be as big as possible. Find the very best images and send in as many as you'd like to be used. Only 13 will be picked so cross your fingers and hope for the best!

Below are three examples of cards done by "J.B" for Wax Heaven in the last hour. If you are one of the 13 chosen, you will get to choose from an '08 Topps template or an '08 Bowman template. If you submit a request, please make sure to thank "J.B" for his hard work.

Good luck, guys!!!

Custom Card: "J.B"

Photograph: Mario Alejandro

CONTEST!

The Infamous Tatiana — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 13:50:05 +0000

The newest contest at Wax Heaven is sponsored by me. Want to be a part of it? Well, head on over to Wax Heaven to submit your votes for one hitter and one batter out of the 10 teams that are playing for Monday's games that will have AT LEAST 3 hits and 5 strike outs. The rules for this contest are simple, once any player is chosen, you may not use the player again. So, please make sure to read all of the comments prior to posting your vote to make sure your player has not already been chosen. Submissions for the contest will be taken at Wax Heaven's Contest Submission post. If any of your two players reach their numbers, you will advance to the second round.
The winner of the contest will receive an Andrew Miller 2007 Topps Turkey Red G/U relic and a Justin Duchscherer 2008 UD G/U relic, along with a personalized and hand written letter of congratulations written by me and signed by both Wax Heaven and myself. Submissions will be closed at 11 AM Eastern time Monday.
Andrew Miller will be facing Justin Duchscherer today at Oakland. Root for ya boy! (Your boy better be Andrew!) Rumor has it that the Marlins will be sending down a pitcher once Josh Willingham rejoins the team. Keep your fingers crossed that it won't be Andrew!

Good luck to everyone! :)

Wax Heaven Contest!

Mario A. — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 12:03:46 +0000

This contest is brought to you by The Infamous Tatiana. Make sure to drop by her baseball blog and leave her some comments!

The rules for this one are simple, check out Monday's games. Out of the 10 teams playing pick one pitcher and one hitter who you believe will have at least 3 hits or 5 strikeouts. If any two of your chosen players reach their goal, you advance into the second round.

Once ANY player is chosen, no one else can have him. It doesn't matter how badly you want to choose Tim Lincecum, only one person can pick him so make sure to read every comment before you leave one. Also, you must choose by leaving a comment, no email submissions.

The winner of the contest will receive an Andrew Miller 2007 Topps Heritage G/U relic and a Justin Duchscherer 2008 Upper Deck G/U relic, along with a hand-written letter of congratulations written by the Infamous Tatiana and signed by both of us. Submissions will be closed at 11 A.M Eastern time Monday.

Also, make sure to check out Sunday's game as Andrew Miller goes up against Justin and the Oakland A's. Rumor is that the Marlins will be sending down a pitcher next week so it's time for Andrew to become consistent in his outings.

Good luck to all!

A.A.F strikes (yet) again!

Mario A. — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 00:23:34 +0000

Wow, I never expected to hear from my old friend Anonymous Astros Fan ever again. His persona is much like 'Keyser Soze' fromThe Usual Suspects and if you are lucky enough to catch him once, it will probably be the last time. For those that don't know, A.A.F is responsible for two amazing days at Wax Heaven. Here is day one and here is day two.

Now, as some of you may know I received two $25 dollar eBay gift cards for Father's Day which has allowed for me to finally pick up some new Andrew Miller cards. For the record, there is just $1 left on both cards after this final purchase.

One of the cards I was very proud to have won was a 2007 Bowman Sterling Andrew Miller Black Refractor #'d to just 25. Not my lowest numbered card but beautiful none the less. While I was expecting that card to arrive any day now, I wasn't expecting another package from A.A.F but sure enough there it was in my mailbox.

This time around he sent us two Andrew Miller cards I needed: the 2008 Topps Gold Foil and a very, very nice 2007 Topps '52 Rookie Cup Edition Refractor which I have yet to see on eBay and is #'d to 552. Once again, I am very thankful for A.A.F's generosity. He has single-handedly made me a serious Andrew Miller fan with his amazing gifts.

As much as I have enjoyed them, though I'd give them back if he would promise to keep reading the site regularly. I am forever in debt to him but more than anything I'd like to remain one of the most-visited, informative card blogs around. I hope you guys enjoy reading the site as much as I enjoy writing it. You may not always agree with what I have to say but I hope you never forget that under my strong opinion lies a true baseball card fan for life!

As always, my entire collection is scanned HERE. I also now have a new page with a list of all the cards in my collection which you can view here.

How to Salvage Your Losing Fantasy Baseball Team (Step 2 of 2)

643kate — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 04:23:41 +0000

Step 2: Patch your holes
You can make up for the near-fatal combination of a poor draft and star-player injuries by paying better attention than your opponents. Skim box scores -- every night, for every team. The other members of your league are probably paying better attention to some teams than others, especially if you're in a league with friends from the same geographic area. They may know which Yankee outfielder is on a tear, or which Met starter has pitched better than his record indicates, but they probably aren't paying attention to the infield situation in Minnesota.

If you're finally ready to cut your draft mistakes (Julio Lugo?!), you're going to have some roster spots to fill. Some suggestions....

C: Dioner Navarro -- A .326 AVG, .803 OPS a tight grip on the staring job, and a hot offense around him make Navarro the best catcher on your waiver wire, and a top-ten catcher overall.
see also: Chris Snyder, Chris Iannetta, Gerald Laird

1B:Eric Hinske -- His 12 HR, 5 SB, and .845 OPS speak for themselves. He may have disappointed you in fantasy seasons past, but he's a heck of a lot more useful now than Paul Konerko.
see also: Marcus Thames, Aubrey Huff

2B: Alexi Casilla or Alexei Ramirez -- If you don't have an Utley, Upton, or Kinsler, you should have one of these. These are their stats in the last 30 days:
Alexi Casilla: .315 AVG, .817 OPS, 3 HR, 4 SB, 23 RBI
Alexei Ramirez: .367 AVG, .918 OPS, 3 HR, 2 SB, 15 RBI

3B: Joe Crede -- With 15 HR, a respectable .284 AVG, and a beautiful .900 OPS, it's a marvel Crede is available at all. If you are the one guy in your league without two stud third basemen, now might be your last chance. 15 home runs should not be on the waiver wire.

SS: No studs here, but plenty of better options than Julio Lugo. Bobby Crosby is putting together a respectable enough season at a shallow position (.262 / 4 HR, 5 SB, 36 RBI) and Yuniesky Betancourt is heating up a bit. A slumping Stephen Drew is available in one of my leagues, and the injured (and before that, slumping) Troy Tulowitzki is available in another -- either one will help you over the course of the season.

OF: Michael Bourn -- He spent April as a frustrating one-category guy -- flailing at the plate but running wild on the bases (.195 AVG, 11 SB), but in June he's hitting .391 with only 3 SB. He probably won't finish the season with an average above .270, but the speed is definitely real. Bourn was just put back in the leadoff spot after getting demoted to 7th in May, and with the Astros a half game out of last place in the NL Central, there's no reason for him not to be aggressive.
see also: David DeJesus, Lastings Milledge, Fred Lewis, Skip Schumaker

SP: Kyle Lohse -- I can't say I really believe his numbers this year (8-2, 3.77 ERA, 1.21 WHIP), but if your team needs help, you need to look beyond the sexy or obvious names and just find someone who will help you win. At minimum, Lohse is worth streaming at home against most NL offenses.
see also:Justin Masterson, Manny Parra, Andrew Miller, Jair Jurrjens

RP: Damaso Marte -- He's the best overlooked setup man out there. He has one win, one save, and six holds with a 2.31 ERA over the last 30 days. He strikes out more than a batter per inning, and should be owned in all leagues that count holds.
see also: Joel Zumaya

Who wants to laugh at my eBay failure?

Mario A. — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 00:50:37 +0000

So here I was just 45 minutes from being released from work surfing on eBay when out of the blue I spotted an Andrew Miller autograph with just two hours left and only one bid for just barely $3.00 dollars. Almost instantly my "STEAL" alert light came on at the idea of winning an Andrew Miller autograph for less than $10.00 (almost impossible these days). The card is from some 2007 Upper Deck product I barely recall and I have missed out on the autograph version about 5 times in the last 2 months.

The card is gorgeous don't get me wrong but in my excitement I failed to inspect the card properly. By the time I won it for just $3.26 I felt more proud than ever before. I beat the system and won an awesome Andrew Miller autograph to add to my collection. When I finally did win it, I yelled to Tatiana to come look at my victory. Here is the exact conversation.

Mario - TATIANA!!!!

*Tatiana takes a break from feeding our son*

Tatiana - Can you wait five minutes?

Mario - NOOOO, this is important!!!

*Tatiana walks over to room and finds me on eBay*

Mario - I just won the cheapest Andrew Miller autograph ever!

*Mario refreshes eBay auction and scrolls to the photo*

Mario - What the %$^&??????

Tatiana - Wow, you called me over for a base card?

*Mario hangs head in shame*

Hey M's fans: Mariners are losers- get over it all ready!

trueslicky — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 21:22:31 +0000

So, after the M's bid adieu to former GM Bill Bavasi yesterday, I joked to my friends that the Mariners would reel off an eleven-game winning streak. (Which would put them just ten games below .500!) Of course, the M's promptly dropped the first game of the Marlins series by a 6-1 score, extending their home losing streak to eight games, the longest such streak in twelve years.

I guess the team celebrating their independence from Bavasi by reeling off a string of victories will have to be postponed. Maybe until next week or something. I guess the more things change, the more things will simply stay the same.

Yesterday, the M's were shut out by Marlins' left hander Andrew Miller, who stymied the M's, allowing just one run on six hits through seven innings. It seems like it would be almost ironically cruel to point out that Bavasi got fired on the same day that Miller shut down the M's line-up in his first career outing against the Mariners. Miller was the top pitching prospect in the 2006 amateur draft, but signability issues dropped Miller from the No. 1 spot that Miller was expected to be picked at. With the fifth pick in that year's draft, the Mariners had the ability to grab Miller, but as they were leery of Miller's contract demands, they bypassed Miller in favor of Brandon Morrow, allowing the Tigers to pluck the North Carolina product.

This is not intended to be a knock against Morrow, who has showed flashes of brilliance in the late-inning spot and may eventually be a poor man's Northwest version of Joba Chamberlain if the M's decide to put him into the rotation. Indeed, Morrow struck out the side with his high heat in a scoreless ninth inning yesterday. But he wasn't tying the Marlins' bats into knots for seven innings as Miller did against the Marienrs yesterday. (Admittedly, Miller was able to enjoy a dominant performance due to the fact that he was facing off against the weakest offense in the American League.)

Just how much of a good pitcher Morrow will turn out to be for the Mariners depends to be seen. However, in the 2006 draft, the M's had a chance to draft a great pitching prospect in Miller, and the Bavasi-led front office allowed Miller to slip through their fingers. That's okay, though, because the Mariners ex-GM had the wherewithal to sign the "top free agent" on last year's market in Carlos Silva, who yesterday allowed three runs in 4.2 innings as he extends his winless streak to eleven starts, not having picked up a victory since April 17th. The context for yesterday's game explains why Bavasi is no longer the Mariners' GM, while the Mariners' offense goes 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position as little run support was once again offered for their pitchers.

There has been much gnashing of the teeth lately as plenty of Mariners fans have bemoaned the incredibly horrid season 2008 has devolved to. (Considering that the first official day of summer occurs next week, it's hard to beleive that the Mariners are 20 games below .500 before summer even officially starts.) Maybe we got our hopes up by last season's misleading 88-win season, and all the pundits picking the M's to mount a serious challenge for the division title this year. But c'mon, folks. We're talking the Seattle Mariners here! Losing is part of the franchise's DNA! Look at the team's franchise encyclopedia page on baseball-reference.com. There's a reason why the club's all-time winning percentage is .471. M's fans who have climbed aboard the bandwagon in recent years may have been unduly influenced by the team's streak of success from 1995 to 2003. But those years were an aberration for an otherwise dismal team that is best known as being the punchline for the joke "What has eighteen legs and lives in the cellar of the American League West?" Indeed, if you subtract the team's 802-637 record (and .558 winning percentage) from that span of seven years, you're left with a franchise all-time winning percentage of .437, which translates to 71 wins over a 162 game season. And that mark is much better than the pace the team is currently on for this season.

Sigh. Felix Hernandez is taking the mound tonight, so the M's might have a chance to win. But smart money should go on the Marlins. I'm picking the Fish to win, by a 3-2 score. I mean, if today's game is going to be a close, well-pitched, low-scoring, one-run affair with the Mariners kept to four runs or less, their odds of winning are pretty much nil.

Saying goodbye to Jose Canseco

Mario A. — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 14:22:51 +0000

I stopped collecting Jose about 3 months ago after reaching the 1,000 different card plateau and I feel like it's time to make it official. As of now and perhaps for the rest of my collecting life I am no longer interested in adding to my collection any more. It was a great 18-year journey but I feel that he has let me down just one too many times.

As of today, I am concentrating on collecting the very fan-friendly and extremely talented Andrew Miller. I have over 60 different cards of him, including 26 autographs. You can check out my collection by clicking HERE and my two meetings with him here and here. No groupie jokes on the YouTube video!

As far as I am concerned, he is the future "Ace" of the Marlins. Hanley Ramirez is our premier hitter and I believe by next season, Andrew will be our #1 starter. For those who keep up with the site and like trading, please be aware of my collection as there are always new items added. If you have an Andrew Miller baseball cards I don't have, odds are that unless it's an ugly dual auto, I want it! Contact me by e-mail and if I have something worthwhile, it's trading time!

Next up: 100 different Andrew Miller cards!

No longer the "Terror Twins"

Mario A. — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 11:51:10 +0000

I remember going to a Marlins game last month and having the unfortunate luck of sitting next to some 70-year old "fan". It was kind of sad because all he could do is talk about how great the inaugural squad was and how this team was so lousy. He kept bringing up how great Orestes Destrada and Jeff Conine were and with Ricky Nolasco on the mound that night, well, it would turn out to be a spark plug for this man's anger.

He cursed Nolasco, cursed Andrew Miller and praised Mark Hendrickson and Scott Olsen. If you are a Marlins fan than you know that Mark was our #1 starter and Scott Olsen was/is considered our "Ace". Andrew Miller and Nolasco at the time were having monumental struggles on the mound for the first few weeks of the season. Miller, was inconsistent and could not find the plate to save his life. Nolasco, was a workhorse but was giving up way too many runs each game.

Since then something quite shocking has occurred. Both Andrew Miller & Ricky Nolasco have proven to be our most reliable pitchers. These two guys, who were #3 and #4 on the rotation were actually separated a few weeks ago because as Freddy Gonzalez put it, "they both use way too much bullpen help". He felt the best way to save our bullpen was to keep these two guys as far apart on pitching days as possible.

My, how the tables have turned.

Today, Nolasco is 7-4 with a 4.35 ERA while Miller is 4-5 with a 5.22 ERA but would have an extra two wins if that pesky bullpen didn't blow it for him. Sure, it's not quite Bob Gibson-like but the Marlins are all offense, no pitching so it's great to have these two underdogs (for the time being) take the spotlight for a while, if not for the rest of the year.

It's good to see the "good guys" come out on top every now and then.

Who would have guessed it? Me, that's who!

Topps Is Definitely On My Sh!t List

The Infamous Tatiana — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 01:56:50 +0000

If any of you know me, you may know by now that it is very easy to upset me; but this was just ridiculous. Over the last few days, Topps has pretty much been begging for me to hate them. It's kind of ironic because I work at the company that prints for them!
It all began when Topps caught a glimpse at Upper Deck's 2008 Legendary Cuts. The product featured cards with names and images that, apparently, Upper Deck could no longer use. What is this trade mark bullsh!t? Topps claims "ownership" to eight players that Upper Deck is using in this edition. Listen, if my dad was Jackie Robinson, I wouldn't be the relative to whore out his name and images. Why is there always an issue with Topps lately?
In April, Topps signed a contract with CMG World Wide, which represents the families and estates of deceased celebrities. The deal is good until 2010 and is exclusive to baseball cards, including game used, autos, and other inserts. In the lawsuit, Topps seeks out unspecified monetary "damages" and is requesting a court order to stop production of the cards in question. This is ridiculous. Does Topps have any idea how much time and effort it took Upper Deck to make these cards? I am sure UD was working on the cards before Topps made this gay little deal, giving them the rights to produce cards for a total of 16 deceased players. According to the legal papers, Topps states that Upper Deck "continues to knowingly, intentionally, willfully and maliciously infringe upon the exclusive rights purchased by Topps". Jesus Christ. Topps... get off your high horse! What is the problem here? Can't we all just get a long? This was only strike one for Topps, however. Strike two arrived in the mail today.
Does anyone remember that Andrew Miller redemption Mario and I pulled AT LEAST 6 months ago? Well, it finally arrived.... Kind of. I'd get into the full story, detail for detail, but I am already steamed at Topps, so click here for the whole story. Topps, you guys have one more chance with me. One more strike and I am boycotting you guys, permanently. Sure, I'll bust any boxes gifted to me, but I won't be giving you guys my money. :)

Does this look like Andrew Miller to you?

Philadelphia Phillies - Swimming With The Fishes

phanatic74 — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 06:11:03 +0000

The Philadelphia Phillies lost tonight 6-2 against the Florida Marlins by a walk-off grand slam issued by Tom Gordon. Cole Hamels recorded a season high record of 13 strikeouts, but was denied a win due to the longballs and Tom Gordon's inability to shutdown the Marlin's offense. He entered the game in the 9th inning and surrendered 2 walks along with 2 hits including the monsterous drive by Florida's 2nd baseman Dan Uggla whom currently went 0-3 against Hamels. Gordon has now raised his ERA to 5.19 as the set-up man in Phillies bullpen. The Phillies offense tonight was silenced by the young Florida southpaw Andrew Miller who gave up 4 hits over 7 innings and only 1 earned run. The Phils did make a run for it in the top of the ninth inning were they tied the game and had a opportunity to seal the deal until Jayson Werth put on a squeeze play with 2 outs and bases loaded. Unfortunately he was unable to place the bunt closer to the 3rd baseman and was thrown out at 1st base ending the game by Kevin Gregg the Marlin's closer. Tonight the Phils crafty left hander Jamie Moyer (4.56 ERA) will take the mound in search of his 7th win against Florida's Scott Olsen (3.44 ERA). Next the Phillies are headed off to St. Louis to have a 3 game series against the Cardinals whom are missing Albert Pujols.

Marlins Seem To Like This Dramatic Ending Thing

Adam Smoot — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 05:25:41 +0000

It's a good thing we spent an hour at the office the other day searching Google Images for a handful of these. This has to be pissing off a Philly fan or two...

Andrew Miller pitches an outstanding game. Cantu sends two over the fence again. Dan Uggla hits the walk-off grand slam in the bottom of the ninth. Marlins win 6-2.

Once again, click the image for the recap.

Of course, with Uggla's latest jack, we also have to add another image to our Artwork page. Enjoy...

Imaginary Bitches 1x06 - Imaginary Sex

Tracy J. — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 03:14:18 +0000

In connection to the previous post, where Mary Beth lists the word of the day, it's time to review (albeit give the gist) of last Friday's episode.

Apparently, Eden seems to be the only sane one in this whole episode. Brooke has sent her friend to see Dr. Kee, in an effort to find out why Eden is seeing "dead people." Eden quickly corrects the doc and says that she's seeing imaginary people, more so has imaginary friends. Dr. Kee renders the patient as possibly having "persona conflicta" in addition to making many references to his book. (Gee, product placement much, LOL.)

And of course, Heather and Catherine decide to crash the therapy session. No surprise here, though... as they start their little commentary, with Eden pretty much relaying everything their saying. Dr. Kee seems to either be amazed, annoyed or turned on by the Bitches, or maybe just Catherine and proceeds to send everyone away, except for Catherine.

I hope Eden didn't pay for a full session since she was only in his office for 3 minutes. Then again, with how much of a quack Dr James Kee comes off as, it makes you wonder why Brooke is seeing him.

Watch and see why...

This was yet another episode that never ceases to crack viewers up. Sam Riegel had a hand in writing this episode and apparently, was responsible for the "word of the day" in our previous post. To put it boldly, Eden Riegel has stated that her brother is "GROSS!" as she told the loyal viewers in post-episode chat.

It's great to see how each episode tackles something new. The story is continuous, but each episode brings something new to the table. Perhaps that is the best thing this show has going for them right now, nothing is repetitive and the writers are constantly giving viewers different views on the reactions to Eden's new friends, the Bitches.

And with each passing episode, it's become clearer and clearer that Eden is the sane one in all this craziness. In my opinion, Heather and Catherine are the best things that have happened to Eden. It's made her more outspoken and more confident in a way. Let's see what the coming episodes bring out in Eden, or rather what else the Bitches bring out from Eden.

On another note, since it has been mentioned (again during post-episode chat with Eden and Andrew) that Dr. Kee is an expert in self-love... maybe Mark should make an appointment with the doc. They do have something in common.

Watch Episode 7 of Imaginary Bitches this Friday, June 13 at 11 p.m. ET, 8 p.m. PT.

http://imaginarybitches.com

Subscribe to new episodes at http://www.youtube.com/imaginarybitches

Uggla Knows How To End It With A Bang!

The Infamous Tatiana — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 02:48:40 +0000

This evening's game was INSANE! The first 7 innings were smooth sailing with perfect pitching from Andrew Miller and 2 home runs from Cantu. Cantu has been on fire as of late! All was well until Kevin Gregg came in to hold the lead and gave a run to the Phillies to tie the game. All we needed was won run to break the tie that Kevin Gregg gave to the Phillies, but just one run was not good enough for Dan Uggla. It was the bottom of the 10th, bases were loaded with just one out. It looked as though Uggla was going to be walked, which would have scored a run and ended the game any way. That's not what Danny boy wanted, however. He knew that all he needed was a fast ball. When Gordon pitched the first fastball, Uggla gripped his bat and... swing and a miss. Call it a hunch, but Uggla knew the next pitch would be another fastball. This was a crucial game and Gordon wanted to get out of it alive. Next pitch, Uggla gripped his bat a little harder and... it was outta there! AND HIS NAME IS DAN UGGLA! There is nothing like a walk off grand slam! It sucks that Miller did not get the win, but the good news is that the Marlins are now down by two before reclaiming their proper places in first place. Hold on to your hats, dogs, and beers... these next couple of games are going to be a wild ride!

Mr. Cantu, I LOVE YOU!!!!

Mario A. — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 01:02:34 +0000

I don't think it's wrong to say that, right?

Thanks for saving Andrew Miller's ball game against the Phillies with your second home run of the game. I don't care what they say, I'd pick you, Cody Ross, and Luis Gonzalez over Hanley and Uggla any day of the week. You guys are the underdogs and perhaps the most exciting players on the team, in my opinion.

If anyone's wondering, Andrew pitched 7 innings and gave up only one run while striking out seven. Now it's up to the bullpen to secure Andrew's 5th win. Just two weeks ago they blew a save that cost Andrew a win. Hopefully tonight we can come out on top and get this guy to shut up already!

The Mexican Babe Ruth strikes again...

Florida Marlins Dialing 8!

The Infamous Tatiana — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 03:19:09 +0000

The Florida Marlins were on fire this evening against the Phillies scoring 5 runs, 3 of which were homers contributed by Cantu, Hanley, and Jacobs. For once, the pitching wasn't lacking either! The defense made a couple of errors allowing 3 unearned runs, but the offense was able to pick up the slack and pitching finally came through and held onto the lead! Florida Marlins are now only 3 games away from reclaiming their spot in 1st place for the NL East. Tomorrow, Andrew Miller goes against Hamels. I'd say that we have a pretty good chance of winning as long as the team can keep their acts together. Hopefully, Miller will be able to claim his 5th win of the season. Andrew, I'll have my fingers crossed for you, buddy!
In other news, the Florida Marlins Annual Fantasy Auction took place today. This was really the only day where I wished that I could be a rich snob so that I could bid on some of these AMAZING prizes! Auction packages included: A ride on the good year blimp, a game watch party on with Billy the Marlins and the Mermaids, swimming with the dolphins at Miami Seaquarium, Marlins VIP experience- throwing out the first pitch, etc. and my personal favorite, the road trip with the Marlins to Philadelphia. Definitely not fair. :(
All auctions did go at a fair price and all monies will be donated to the Florida Marlins Community Foundation, which concentrates greatly on helping inner city kids stay focused and play ball!
It may be too late to bid on these great prizes, but want to get involved? Click here to find out how you can get your hands on an Andrew Miller autograph while still contributing to the community!

Word for the day courtesy of Imaginary Bitches - 1x06

Mary Beth — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 16:27:06 +0000

In and effort to broaden everyone's vocabulary, the writers of episode 6 of Imaginary Bitches, Andrew Miller and Sam Riegel, graciously gave us a rant by "Eden" that included the word "smegma."

Watch it here first, kiddies:

Now go look it up. You will be impressed... and possibly disgusted...

But I guarantee, you will laugh!

Examining the Andrew Miller autographs

Mario A. — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 00:01:35 +0000

If you haven't read yet, Florida Marlins ace and our favorite player Andrew Miller went incredibly out of his way to sign Tatiana's "Andrew Miller Fan Club" poster. I had the camera rolling and you can view it here if you haven't seen it yet or you are in the mood to hear me squeal like a girl when Andrew starts walking towards us.

For the record, these cards were not part of my collection. They were doubles but will now be added to the rest of the growing Andrew Miller collection which you can see here. The main card not attached to the poster was a base Topps '52 Rookie Cup Edition. The other cards are taped on to the poster and include a Masterpieces and Turkey Red (got that one during Fan Fest, too!), Fleer & Upper Deck, and finally a 2008 Topps Heritage.

I DO NOT....have a man crush

Mario A. — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 15:07:59 +0000

Man, you go out and support your favorite player every weekend, force your wife into making a sign to get his attention, blog about him every other day, spend hundreds of dollars on eBay buying his baseball cards, and for some reason that equates to having a man crush on Andrew Miller? NEVER! Okay, maybe a little.

C'mon, don't lie and act like you've never had one. I know for a fact that David has one for a guy named Chipper but what about the rest of you? Which athlete or entertainer would you sell out your wife/girlfriend and/or sick grandmother to shoot some hoops with?

Oh, and if anyone hasn't seen the legendary Seinfeld episode where he goes "ga-ga" over former Mets great, Keith Hernandez, here is a proper definition.