Mascot Monday: The Baltimore Bird

The Oriole Bird

(AKA: The Bird, Baltimore Bird, Orioles Bird)

The Orioles Mascot was officially "hatched" on 06 April 1979 at Memorial Stadium. (I guess last week's The Chicken started a trend with the bird like mascots hatching like The Nationals Screech and Lady Gaga.)

Previously a cartoon Oriole bird face (which looks more like a duck) had appeared in the form of shoulder patches on the player's uniforms from 1955 to 1962, not quite a mascot yet but an icon and a logo. Then a variation of the cartoon bird flew into the team's caps from 1966 - 1989 and then returned in 2012. Previous caps and interim caps had a more Ornithologically correct bird. The cap logo I really don't like is the alternate plain "O's" logo.

I could have shown a regular card for the Bird but I decided to show this team issued post card instead.
 

 Baltimore Orioles Team Issued "The Bird" Postcard w/Autograph.

Measures 4.5" x 6" - Issue date unknown (estimated 1999-2008).

(Front and Back)

If anyone knows the year this "card" was issued I'd appreciate knowing. Since it has a website on it obviously it is no older than mid 1990s. Judging from the logo on the bird's hat it is from between 1998-2008 probably closer to the later years. The Team logo in the corner seems to be from around that same time too, a similar logo first appeared in 1995 with a plain white dot for an eye. It was redesigned in 1998 and apparently modified yet again in 1999 this logo seems to be the 1999-2008 variation (based on the variation in the tail). I'm pretty sure the autograph comes standard with this card.

I am always on the lookout for Mascot cards. I also accept Mascot Postcards and team issued promo cards/photos of mascots.

Not Following the Trends

Just thought I'd toss this out.

2009 Upper Deck SP Authentic 227 Brett Anderson Athletics RC Auto

Serial numbered 064/371 blue Sharpie (on sticker built into card)

NO NOT THE CARD SILLIES The idea/concept I'm about to talk about!

While many trading card bloggers are scrambling to be the first one to post about opening up a pack of the latest long awaited product to be released (be it Allen & Ginter's, Gypsy Queen, Topps Archives, or Bowman) I tend to stay away from making any posts like that. My reasons? Well first I don't rush out and purchase a brand-spankin' New product because most of the time I can't afford it at the time it is released, or I don't pay attention to the official release date. My life does not revolve around the release dates of new trading card product like others apparently do. Also I like to see some of the previews and reviews of the product first to see if it is something I am interested in before making a major purchase of it. Most of the more recent Upper Deck products and Bowman I have not been interested in. Also I've never been one for crowds. Most products I will eventually get some of the team I collect due to group box breaks, trades or good Samaritan bloggers.

I suppose that puts me in the minority of card bloggers. That puts me into the batch of bloggers that will never have a cult following of hundreds upon hundreds of followers. Heck I don't  even have 50 followers yet (I'm pretty close though) Then again I'm used to being in the minority for some things after all I'm a fan of most of the DC sports teams. LOL!

It reminds me of people who HAVE to see a movie on opening night, or the Midnight Preview the night BEFORE. What they can't wait about 3 months or less to buy/rent the DVD or to stream it on Netflix (or a similar service)? It used to be 6 months or more between the time a movie left the theatres to when it was released on DVD, longer during the VHS/Beta videotape era.

Maybe I'm just "Middle Aged Man" babbling incoherently about some nonsense that is getting his goat.

 

Oh and "Get OFF MY LAWN you whippersnappers."

By the way for those of you interested in this stuff here is the back of the card I showed at the top of this post.

2009 Upper Deck SP Authentic 227 Brett Anderson Athletics RC Auto

Serial numbered 064/371 Back

Mascot Monday Number 1: The Chicken

THE CHICKEN

AKA: SAN DIEGO CHICKEN, AKA: THE FAMOUS CHICKEN

(Portrayed by Ted Giannoulas)

Welcome to a new weekly feature "Mascot Monday". Each Monday (hopefully) I will show off a single card of a team mascot and try to give a little information about the Mascot that is featured (if it is the first time I'm showcasing that Mascot and can locate some info on them). I'm not sure how this will go or if I will continue with it, but I will try.

For the first Mascot Monday I present the first Mascot card I recall getting. 1983 Donruss Baseball 645 The Chicken. I have two of this card I got one of them (actually maybe both) when I bought the 1983 Donruss set in '83 or maybe it was '84 for about what it is still worth today $20.

1983 Donruss Baseball 645 The Chicken

Originally designed as a cartoon for part of an ad campaign for San Diego Radio station KGB-FM The KGB Chicken started making "live" appearances first at an Easter Egg event at the San Diego Zoo sponsored by the station and eventually appearing at sporting events including San Diego Padres games and became widely known as The San Diego Chicken. After a law suit about some conflict between the radio station, and the actor Ted Giannoulas (who portrayed the Chicken), the costume was altered some and Ted was allowed to continue appearing as The Chicken. Now he is known as The Famous Chicken.

1983 Donruss Baseball 645 The Chicken (Back)

For the December 2002 issue Esquire magazine had an interview with Ted Giannoulas which is a fun read. I had a subscription to the magazine at the time which is the only reason I had even recalled he had been interviewed by them. Warning: Esquire magazine maybe NSFW (Not Suitable For Work)


I am always on the lookout for Mascot cards. So far the only mascot cards I've seen that I am not interested in are some 2012 Upper Deck College Football Mascots Manufactured patches. UGH the photos are THE Manupatches. The card design isn't bad but the patch being the photo or the photo being the patch is the sucky part I hate.  I'll take almost anything other than those. I also accept Mascot Postcards also team issued promo cards/photos of mascots.

2012 Topps Opening Day Baseball Set

On Saturday 07 April (yeah I keep on focusing on the stuff I got from this post. So what? Its my blog and it was a huge mailday, and I am way behind on tons of stuff.) I got a sportlots order of the 2012 Topps Opening Day set of 220 cards. I got the set for 25¢ + 17.00 shipping (only cost the seller $5.10 to ship). So not a bad price even though the shipping is THE price of the set. Then about a week and a half later, from Ebay I got the Mascots subset of 25 cards on Wednesday 18 April for $22.99 + $3.50 shipping. I'm going to blog about the cute Mascots soon as well as the 2010 Mascots subset I got the following day. I love Mascot cards. I need the 2011 Mascots set.

OK now for some select cards from this set.

I suppose I should mention that the last card in the set card Number 220 Carlos Lee Astros has no number on it. I think this is an UER (Uncorrected ERror). I noticed other people in the blog universe have been questioning this and it seems every Lee card on Ebay is unnumbered. So NO it should not be sold or bought for tons more than the rest of the individual cards from this set.

 2012 Topps Opening Day Baseball 220 Carlos Lee Astros

(Front and Back) - NNO UER

2012 Topps Opening Day Baseball 33 Nick Markakis Orioles
(Front and Back)

2012 Topps Opening Day Baseball 95 Victor Martinez Tigers
(Front and Back) - Chose this card for the cool play at the plate picture

 2012 Topps Opening Day Baseball 51 Prince Fielder Brewers
(Front and Back) - Now with Tigers but you'd never know it with this set

 2012 Topps Opening Day Baseball 59 Alcides Escobar Royals
(Front and Back) - Cool sliding picture "Look Ma No Hands!"

 2012 Topps Opening Day Baseball 201 Jose Reyes Marlins
(Front and Back) - New Miami Uniform (Airburshed)

 2012 Topps Opening Day Baseball 132 Kurt Suzuki Athletics
(Front and Back) - Cool catcher in his gear action photo

The seller included some "Diamond Giveaway" Code cards. even if I wanted to use the codes they expired 31 Jan 2012. I got numbers: TDG 3, 4, 15, 17, 22, 23, 24, 27 I think I will try to get this little novelty set.

 2011 Topps Baseball Diamond Giveaway Code Card TDG-23

(Front and Back)

Note: The code shown on the back of this card has long expired.

I will also try to get the rest of the 2010 Million Card Giveaway Code cards I don't have. Actually for those I'd like to get some duplicates of them because I have an idea for them. I don't care that all these code things are expired the cards themselves (like some of the Toppstown cards) are fun to collect.

Topps 2010 Million Card Giveaway Code Cards I still need the ones I mentioned needing in this post. As I said I'd like to get some dupes of them for a project.

Note: The Jayson Werth Nationals card shown at the top of this post I have already talked about at my Curly W Cards blog in this post.