All World Series games have been uploaded and are available to 
listen to, on this site, till Dec. 17, 2010.
Sponsoring teams, have one person from your organization contact me 
for downloading instructions.
Thanks for your patience!
Randy
TalkinSports2000.com Sports Network

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Upper Deck cuts 119 workers off payroll .. May 07, 2010

Summary
(This story originally ran in the May 6 issue of the San Diego Union-
Tribune)

By Mike Freeman, San Diego Union-Tribune

Reeling from the loss of its license with Major League Baseball, 
Carlsbad, Calif. card and collectibles maker Upper Deck has slashed 
its staff by 119 workers, according to state records.

The company notified the state Employment Development Department of 
the layoffs through a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification 
Act, or WARN, filing. The job cuts become effective May 10.

This latest round of layoffs comes on top of 33 positions that were 
eliminated in January.

“Due to recent changes in Upper Deck’s license portfolio, the 
company was forced to make some tough decisions regarding its work 
force,” spokesman Terry Melia said. “Staff cuts were necessary to 
right-size the company to ensure long-term sustainability.”

Upper Deck provided workers with 60 days’ notice, so many have 
probably left the company. Upper Deck said jobs were eliminated 
across the board.


*******************************************


THE QUIRKS OF 2010 TOPPS HERITAGE BASEBALL 

Collectors of 2010 Topps Heritage Baseball are noticing some 
interesting short printed variations throughout the product.  Topps 
is confirming the following:

1961 HR Chase Insert

2010 Topps Heritage commemorates the 1961 Topps design, so Topps saw 
it fitting to celebrate the famous 1961 HR chase with a special 45-
card insert…

 

Babe Ruth (15 cards) Hobby Exclusive

Roger Maris (15 cards) Wal-Mart Exclusive

Mickey Mantle (15 cards) Target Exclusive 

 

Each of these inserts also has a Relic Parallel that’s sequentially 
numbered to the player’s jersey number …Ruth (#’d to 3), Maris (#’d 
to 9) and Mantle (#’d to 7).  In addition, there are short printed 
variations in the base set featuring Ruth (#60), Maris (#61) and 
Mantle (#56).

 

Dice Game Variations 

In 1961, Topps issued an obscure 18-card dice game as a test.  The 
following players in 2010 Heritage have short printed variations 
with dice game backs:

 

Joe Mauer, Victor Martinez, Albert Pujols, Mark Teixeira, Grady 
Sizemore, Justin Upton, Adam Jones, Vladimir Guerrero, Matt Kemp, 
Ichiro, Daisuke Matsuzaka, Tim Lincecum, Chase Utley, Ian Kinsler, 
Derek Jeter, Hanley Ramirez, Alex Rodriguez and Chipper Jones.

 

Color Variations 

There are 10 extremely short printed color variations.  The color 
changes appear on the player and team name plates at the bottom of 
the card.

 

Albert Pujols                Black-Black

Joe Mauer                    Black-Black

CC Sabathia                 Green-Yellow

Derek Jeter                  Red-Yellow

Grady Sizemore           Green-Red

J.A. Happ                    Orange-Blue

Zack Greinke               Yellow-Blue

Ryan Braun                 Blue-Orange

David Wright               Green-Yellow

Pablo Sandoval            Yellow-Green

 

Juan Marichal Autographs

All of Juan Marichal’s Real One autographs were signed in red ink 
and none are sequentially numbered unlike the other Red Ink 
autographs in the product.   

 

Short Printed Base Cards 

Base cards 426-500 are short printed and can be found 1:3 packs.


***********************************

Topps is confirming that the recently-released 2010 Topps 206 
Baseball selling material includes a piece of inaccurate 
information.  

 

Although Stephen Strasburg’s card appears in the sales pamphlet, he 
is not on the checklist.  Strasburg is currently ineligible to 
appear as a Rookie Card in products.

 

If Strasburg is called up to the Washington Nationals before Topps 
206 ships, he will be inserted into the product.  Until that time, 
collectors can find Strasburg’s prospect cards in 2010 Bowman 
branded baseball products starting with 2010 Bowman Baseball, which 
releases next week.


***********************************

CHICLE BASEBALL SHORT PRINTS REVEALED

 

Topps Announces cards 276-329 in the recently released 2010 Topps 
National Chicle Baseball are short printed and can be found 1:4 
packs.  The short printed cards are part of three unique subsets…
Retired Stars Revisited, Vintage Veterans and Rookie Renditions. 
(image attached)

 

The all-painted Topps Chicle features 2 on-card Autographs and 1 
Relic card in every box!

 

The subject list is as follows.

 

 276 Babe Ruth  
 277 Rogers Hornsby  
 278 Pee Wee Reese  
 279 Lou Gehrig  
 280 Jimmie Foxx  
 281 Honus Wagner  
 282 Roy Campanella  
 283 Mel Ott  
 284 Tris Speaker  
 285 Jackie Robinson  
 286 George Sisler  
 287 Ty Cobb  
 288 Thurman Munson  
 289 Johnny Mize  
 290 Walter Johnson  
 291 Cy Young  
 292 Christy Mathewson  
 293 Mickey Mantle  
 294 Stan Musial  
 295 Eddie Mathews  
 296 Ernie Banks  
 297 Ryne Sandberg  
 298 Joe Morgan  
 299 Reggie Jackson  
 300 Ian Desmond
 301 Albert Pujols  
 302 Ichiro  
 303 Alex Rodriguez  
 304 Ryan Howard  
 305 Lance Berkman  
 306 Chipper Jones  
 307 Manny Ramirez  
 308 Dustin Pedroia  
 309 Ryan Zimmerman  
 310 Joe Mauer  
 311 Buster Posey  
 312 Tyler Flowers  
 313 Madison Bumgarner  
 314 Adam Moore  
 315 Henry Rodriguez  
 316 Drew Stubbs  
 317 Kevin Richardson  
 318 Reid Gorecki  
 319 Eric Young Jr.  
 320 Josh Thole  
 321 Neil Walker  
 322 Carlos Carrasco  
 323 Tobi Stoner  
 324 Matt Carson  
 325 Tommy Manzella  
 326 Michael Dunn  
 327 Brent Dlugach  
 328 Michael Brantley  
 329 Juan Francisco  

****************************************



Topps has confirmed that the following 5 memorabilia cards in the 
recently released 2009 Tribute Baseball include pieces of stadium 
seat:

 

Babe Ruth Dual Relic                       Bat / Old Yankee Stadium 
Seat 

Babe Ruth Triple Relic                    Old Yankee Stadium Seat / 
Uniform / Old Yankees Stadium Seat

Ty Cobb Dual Relic                           Bat / Tiger Stadium 
Seat 

Jackie Robinson Triple Relic         Ebbets Field Seat / Bat / 
Ebbets Field Seat

Mickey Mantle Triple Relic           Old Yankee Stadium Seat / 
Uniform / Old Yankees Stadium Seat

 

Topps will replace any of the above cards with a pack of 2009 Topps 
Tribute Baseball or comparable product for collectors that are not 
satisfied with their card(s).

In addition, every card in 2009 Topps Sterling Baseball features 
game-used bat and game-used uniform except for one subject—Carl 
Erskine, which features Erskine’s autograph with stadium seat.  
Topps will replace this card with a pack of 2009 Topps Sterling 
Baseball for collectors not satisfied with their card.

Moving forward, to ensure no confusion, stadium seat pieces will not 
be used as memorabilia pieces unless it’s part of a special stadium 
seat specific insert.

Please send all items intended for replacement to the address listed 
below.  Please allow 2-4 weeks for delivery.

The Topps Company

ATTN: Seat Relic Replacement

401 York Avenue

Duryea, PA 18642



***************************

Topps Confirms 2009 Chicle Football Short Prints 

 

Topps is confirming that there are 24 short printed base cards 
seeded 1 in 6 packs in the recently-released all-painted 2009 Topps 
Chicle Football.  (image attached).  The short prints are as follows:

22
 Johnny Knox 
 
24
 James Harrison 
 
26
 Clay Matthews 
 
33
 Josh Freeman 
 
41
 John Elway 
 
47
 Dan Marino 
 
54
 Chad Pennington 
 
66
 Cedric Peerman 
 
69
 Donald Brown 
 
72
 Jerious Norwood 
 
73
 Barry Sanders 
 
74
 Felix Jones 
 
96
 Ed Reed 
 
106
 Dustin Keller 
 
116
 Jared Cook 
 
134
 Jeremy Maclin 
 
136
 Devery Henderson 
 
153
 Torry Holt 
 
168
 Brooks Foster 
 
177
 Lee Evans 
 
181
 Derrick Williams 
 
184
 Bernard Berrian 
 
190
 Peyton Manning 
 
  
194
 Chad Ochocinco 
 

In addition, the following three cards do not appear in the regular 
base card set.  These subjects can only be found as mini parallel 
versions.

59 – Jonathan Stewart
99 – Brandon Pettigrew
191 – Steve Slaton



************************************

‘Double Take’ Variation Cards in Upper Deck Series One Baseball
Will Keep Collectors Hunting through June
 
First baseball card set for 2010 contains unique variations of select
base-set cards;
cool prizes await lucky collectors who complete 25-card set!
 
Carlsbad, CA (February 9, 2010) – With the releases of its first
baseball card set of the New Year, the Upper Deck Company is excited 
to
announce a unique “variation card” promotion that should send
collectors clamoring for both hobby and retail packs of 2010 Upper 
Deck
Series One Baseball. A total of 25 of the 600-card first series set’s
base-level cards have scarce variation cards featuring between two 
and
four subtle tweaks to the image shown on the commonly seeded version 
of
the card that collectors will need to keep an eye out for.
 
In a tribute to last year’s championship match-up, the first two 
cards
batting leadoff for this promotion belong to Jorge Posada (# 347) and
Chase Utley (# 376). See if you can find all three variations on
Posada’s card and all four variations on Utley’s. Through June, Upper
Deck will be announcing weekly the remaining players (and their
corresponding card numbers) to seek out.
 
Of note, one in every 96 hobby packs (and one in 960 retail packs) 
will
contain a “Double Take” variation card. Furthermore, some Double Take
variations are considerably scarcer – up to six times, in fact – than
others. Thus, don’t be surprised to find some cards surface more
quickly than others after the cards are announced.
 
“This should be a lot of fun for collectors as they seek out the
variation cards,” said Gabriel Garcia, Upper Deck’s Baseball brand
manager. “We’ll be announcing more and more players every month up
until July, so collectors really need to be on top of things to keep
track.”
 
Autographed baseball memorabilia from Upper Deck Authenticated awaits
the first five resourceful collectors who complete the 25-card
variation first series set and send it in to Upper Deck headquarters
for verification. Note: All sets will be returned to their respective
owners once the contest deadline closes. Further information will be
revealed in the coming weeks regarding the promotion’s entry rules 
and
deadline.

*****************************************



Upper Deck Sets the Record Straight on the Future of the Baseball 
Card Market 

 

Carlsbad, CA (August 7, 2009) – On July 2, 2009, The Upper Deck 
Company and the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) 
announced their renewed partnership to produce baseball trading 
cards for the upcoming 2010 season, building on the successes of 
recent years in rebuilding the trading card category through 
strengthened distribution, consumer-friendly pricing, dynamic 
products and interactive promotions designed to attract kids to the 
excitement of baseball cards. This license provides Upper Deck with 
the rights to feature current Major League Baseball Players on their 
trading cards, including the game’s most collectible and sought-
after superstars. 

 

“Looking ahead to 2010, we are 100% committed to building the 
highest quality and most innovative baseball cards in the industry,” 
said Upper Deck CEO Richard McWilliam. “We look forward to 
announcing more details on our product portfolio in the coming 
weeks.”  


Since its inception in 1989, Upper Deck has been the market leader 
for both its ability to create top-quality super premium products 
and to develop innovative programs that promote baseball cards to 
kids. In the past four years alone, Upper Deck has committed more 
than $21 million dollars to increase kids’ interest in baseball 
cards. Through annual television advertising campaigns, numerous 
retail promotions and online initiatives such as Upper Deck’s Kids 
Rewards and the current UpperDeckU.com virtual world, Upper Deck has 
led the way in dramatically increasing household penetration of kids 
collecting sports cards from 8% in 2005 to a reported 44% in 2008. 

The MLBPA license agreement provides access to more than 1,200 
current Major League Baseball players, including all of its stars. 
Fans can look forward to finding cards featuring autographs and 
pieces of game-used equipment from the biggest names in baseball 
including Derek Jeter, Albert Pujols, Ken Griffey Jr., and hundreds 
more. "Great cards of great players will continue to be the 
cornerstone of all Upper Deck products,” added McWilliam. 

The license agreement between Upper Deck and the MLBPA ensures the 
company's continued commitment to its existing consumer base, while 
at the same time building on its extensive investments to stimulate 
even greater interest among new users and kids.   

“We’re looking forward to continuing the partnership with Upper 
Deck, a licensee that is clearly focused on the long-term growth of 
the trading card category," said Judy Heeter, MLBPA Director of 
Business Affairs & Licensing. "We believe strong competition is 
generally good for consumers, and expect that our ongoing 
relationships with both Topps and Upper Deck will ensure consumer 
choices that lead to category growth." 


***************************************

TalkinSports2000 2009 Show Schedule:

Jan. 23-24th, Tri Star Show, Houston, Tx.,
Jan. 30-31st, St. Joseph Mo. Easthills Mall,

Feb. 7-8th, Topeka Ks. Westridge Mall,
Feb. 13-15th, Springfield Mo. Battlefield Mall,
Feb. 21-22nd, Machinist Hall, St. Louis (Bridgeton, St. Louis 
suburb) Mo.

May 29-31st, Arlington, Tx. Convention Center.

June 19 & 20th, Battlefield Mall, Springfield Mo.
June 26-28th, Tri Star Show, George R. Brown Convention Ctr., 
Houston Tx.

July 31-Aug. 2nd, National Sports Collectors Convention, IX Center, 
Cleveland Oh.

Aug. 7-9th, Battlefield Mall, Springfield Mo.
Aug. 29-30th, Merle Hay Mall, Des Moines Ia.

Oct. 9-10th, Battlefield Mall, Springfield Mo.
Oct. 17-18th, MSP Baseball Monster Bash, Mid America Sports Complex, 
Shawnee, Ks.
Oct. 23-25th, Machinist Hall, Bridgeton (St. Louis), Mo.
Oct. 31st & Nov. 1st, Hampton Inn on Strang Line Rd., Olathe, Ks.

Nov. 6, 7 and 8th, Southridge Mall, Des Moines, Ia.
Nov. 14 & 15th, Diamond Sports Academy, Columbia, Mo.
Nov. 20, 21, and 22nd, Donald E. Stephens Convention Ctr., Rosemont 
(Chicago), Illinois.
Nov. 28 & 29th, Diamond Sports Academy, Columbia, Mo.




*****************************************

Panini America, Inc. has signed five of the NBA’s top draft 
prospects to exclusive trading card agreements, marking its first 
player endorsement deals since entering into a partnership with the 
NBA in January, the company announced today at the NBA Store in New 
York City. Blake Griffin (Oklahoma), Tyler Hansbrough (UNC), Jordan 
Hill (Arizona), Brandon Jennings (Lottomatica Virtus Roma,Italy), 
and Hasheem Thabeet (UCONN) will be featured in all 2009-10 Panini 
NBA card products, and on select packaging and advertisements 
throughout the year. In addition, exclusive autograph cards from 
these five players will be prominently featured in Panini America’s 
first line of NBA products.

 

Panini’s first release for 2009 will be called Prestige and will be 
the company’s first set of NBA rookie cards. Prestige will feature 
the five players in their respective NBA team uniforms* and will 
release in October 2009.


******************************************