Roberto Alomar Bobblehead

Earlier this year sports news broke word that Roberto Alomar would be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. I was really happy for him because I had watched him play for the Blue Jays growing up. During his stay in Toronto he was responsible for Toronto winning 2 back to back World Series. From 1989-1994 my whole world revolved around baseball and the Jays. The team was simply amazing, and played with so much heart. I remember I would watch every single game religiously, collect baseball cards, and go to the SkyDome once in a while to watch a live game. What made that team so special to me was that they never let me down. Even when you thought they were going to lose they would end up winning (specifically the 92-93 team). Those wins felt so genuinely satisfying especially after having lost the American League series to the Twins in 1991.

As the 1992 season began everything started to fall into place and the Jays had reached a new level of excellence led by Alomar and Carter. Alomar would play second base like a machine, diving and reaching for balls in what seemed like backbreaking jumps and then throwing them to first base to make the out. Then he would also go up to bat and make a hit, RBI, sacrifice or homerun when it was most needed by the team. One such homerun came in the 1992 playoffs against the Oakland Athletics when Alomar homered against Eckersley. This homerun was significant because the Jays had been losing and he had tied the game. As the ball left the outfield, Alomar threw his hands up with his fingers pointing to the sky as a moment of tense anxiety was lifted and replaced by joy and euphoria. This moment was then chosen as the stance Alomar’s bobblehead would get for his free giveaway.

Alomar’s bobblehead was given away at Rogers Centre on Sunday, July 31, 2011. Only 20,000 were given away to fans, and I was lucky enough to get one. It celebrates and honours Roberto Alomar for being inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame as a Toronto Blue Jay. The organization also decided to retire his #12 number as well. The bobblehead comes in a nice box that commemorates and highlights his many accomplishments. The paint job is also nice, as far as bobbleheads are concerned (don’t expect neat and clean lines). While the face doesn’t really look like him, the stance is really indicative of Alomar. The bobblehead is also a little heavy and is made out of ceramic. Overall this is a very nice collectable and I am happy that we are able to recognize and thank Alomar for what he did for Toronto, and Canada.

Roberto Alomar wiki:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roberto_Alomar

YouTube link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e5LpndNOmBU

The Dream Team

One of the best things about being born in the 80’s was that I was able to enjoy the 90’s as a tween and then a teen. One of my fondest memories as a tween was being able to watch on TV the Dream Team play during the Barcelona Olympics. The individual games were nothing to boast about since the USA would cream the competition. What made watching these games worthwhile was that it was the first Olympics to feature active NBA players. Yet what took this Dream Team to a whole other level was that it had the greatest player on its roaster, Michael Jordan.

About three years ago a friend of mine told me that he went to Barcelona in 1992 to watch the Dream Team play. I then started to freak out and asked him if he took any pictures, to which he answered yes. He told me he would share the pictures with me, but only until recently was he able to show them to me. Now that I have them, I thought the best place to show case them was on my blog.


The first picture is what the actual ticket to the finals looked like, the second is of the stadium while empty and the third is of the Dream Team warming up. Unfortunately my memory of those Olympics is pretty fuzzy and I am unable to accurately recall the games that were played during that summer. From what I can tell the next pictures are of the Dream Team playing against Croatia and then of the award ceremony. Some people will recall the controversy that occurred during that ceremony when Jordan used the American Flag to cover up the Reebok logo on his jacket. The final pictures are of some other teams that played that day.

Wikipedia link:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1992_United_States_men%27s_Olympic_basketball_team

Playmakers

With another season of baseball about to start I thought it was appropriate to showcase a baseball themed toy. I came upon Playmakers MLB toys one day when I was in a toy store looking for anything interesting. This toy instantly caught my attention because I love baseball. When I was a kid I used to collect baseball cards, and I know if these toys were around back then I would also have collected them. Playmakers are made by McFarlane Toys, a company that has been making sports figure toys for years. This time around, McFarlane Toys offers MLB players in a 4inch scale. For the first series some of baseball’s current fan favourites were included such as Ryan Howard, Alex Rodriguez, Josh Beckett, and many more. Most players come in two versions, either batting or fielding; though pitchers and David Ortiz only come in one version. Each sports figure is highly poseable because they have over 20 moving parts. The version I have is of Derek Jeter in a white pinstripe Yankees uniform. The quality of these toys is really impressive when compared to the price they cost (Canadian retail $9.99 plus tax), and the size they come in. These toys are a great collectable and will be fantastic to have around once the new MLB season begins.



McFarlane Toys:
http://www.mcfarlane.com/
YouTube link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oDh6griDDpo

Driven From Within; Michael Jordan

Title: Driven From Within
Author, Editor: Mark Vancil
Publisher: Atria
Driven From Within was released around the same time that the Air Jordan XX sneaker hit retail stores. At the time, the book reflected on the 20 years since the Air Jordan line had been created. It not only talked about the past and future of the brand, but went deeper by providing exclusive interviews with the people that helped create the brand. The book also comes with 2 foldout posters, various inspirational quotes by Michael Jordan, and numerous pictures including sneaker sketches. The combination of Tinker Hatfield interviews and pictures of his sneaker sketches is my favorite part of the book. Tinker Hatfield has been the lead Air Jordan sneaker designer since the Air Jordan III and has designed most of the sneaker line.


In his interviews he provides a detailed background as to where he got the inspiration for all of his designs. In one interview he talks about the day when he first showed Michael the Air Jordan III, at a time when Michael was unsure of whether to extend his contract with Nike. His design was so amazing that Michael decided to stay with Nike, and thus Tinker was credited with saving the Air Jordan line, and more importantly Nike. In another interview he talks about what went into designing the Air Jordan XI. Here you could see how creative Tinker can be by taking inspirations for the XI’s design from things such as high-end backpacks, the Denver International Airport, and even a yellow lawn mower. It’s one of those books that really remind’s me of how much I love sneakers and especially Air Jordan’s. This book does a nice job of describing how each Air Jordan sneaker was created and I highly recommend it for any sneaker fan.


Amazon link:

http://www.amazon.com/Driven-Within-Michael-Jordan/dp/B001SAREBE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1292464167&sr=1-1

Toronto Maple Leafs Exhibition Home Opener 2010 - Coke Zero Fans First

For a couple of years now Coca Cola has been offering hockey fans here in Toronto the chance to win free tickets to go watch a Maple Leafs exhibition game. Canadians love their hockey and to go watch a Leafs game is like being able to go watch a baseball game at Fenway Park, a football (soccer) game in Santiago Bernabeu, or a basketball game at the Staples Center. While I’m not a huge hockey fan, I have been following the boys in blue since the early 90’s when they had Wendel Clark and Doug Gilmour. So to finally have a chance to go watch the Leafs at the Air Canada Centre, and have gold seats/tickets made me feel overwhelmingly euphoric. Ordinarily these tickets are very expensive to buy, despite the fact that the Leafs haven’t won the Stanley Cup since 1967. A friend of mine once told me that parents put the names of their babies on a waiting list with hope’s that one day their kid (as an adult) will be able to buy season tickets. Win or lose Toronto loves the Leafs.

So when I finally got to the ACC, despite it being the new home of the Leafs it wasn’t so much the building that made it all exciting but seeing all the fans and how much they love and support our team that made it special. The inside of the ACC is very stylish and clean, and the staff was kind and courteous (maybe because it was the first game). The seats were comfortable and the view was better than any television coverage can match. My only complaint about my visit was how expensive food and beverage was, but I guess it’s no different from any other sports stadium I’ve been to. Although the Leafs lost that night 5-0, I still had lots of fun and even got to see a fight up close and personal. So here’s hoping the Leafs have a wonderful 2010-11 season this year, all-the-way! Go Leafs Go!

Official website of the Toronto Maple Leafs:
http://mapleleafs.nhl.com/
YouTube link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VAK5SEci9bA