Friday, September 17, 2010

Win from the Winnings

Brian, the winner of the Gint-A-Cuffs II fiasco, wants to share some of his Grand Prize. He won a hobby box of 2010 A&G, courtesy of Topps. He'll be doing a giveaway for those involved in the Old Planter Boogaloo. I'm just a conveyor of information. Please visit Brian's blog, Play At The Plate, for more info.

Here's Brian's request of me...
Mark, I got the box today.

Can you do a post on the gint-a-cuffs site that announces I'm doing a giveaway related to the box?


I'm going to let everyone that was involved in Gint-A-Cuffs 2 pick a team and I'm giving away the hits from the box. I'll get a post scheduled to go up Saturday morning.


Thanks again for all the hard work.


Brian
Little does he know that there isn't that much hard work at all. I roughed up some scoring rules, let the participants clamor about what wasn't fair, made them do all the scoring and Bazinga!, I'm done. But visit his site and sign up soon.

UPDATE: Brian just informed me that his post is scheduled for Saturday morning at 8. He lives in the great state of Texas, so you figure out which time zone that is and click accordingly.

Thursday, September 2, 2010

Official GAC Winners Announced


We have a (real) winner.

At this time, officially, I'm officially declaring that Brian from the Play at the Plate blog as the winner of Gint-A-Cuffs II.

Brian raised a scoring question with me. After careful examination, I corrected his scoring. That helped him jump in front of Chrstopher, of the Nachos Grande blog.

Beardy of The Mojo Beard blog, remains in third place.

Here are the final tallies:

268.7 - Play at the Plate
259.5 - Nachos Grande
257.0 - Beardy

It was an interesting contest, one that brought me many headaches. I hope that you had fun.

Ladies and Gents, thank you all for participating in Gint-A-Cuffs. We'll see what next year brings.

Winners, your prizes will be headed out on Saturday.

Sorry that I couldn't rig up any heralding trumpet sounds. Here's the closest I could get.

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Unofficial Winners Announced - Unofficially

Folks, it looks like we have some winners. Since the final scores are a bit tight, I'm going to have to look at them with a finer tooth comb.

But, at this time, unofficially, I'm declaring (unofficially, of course) that Christopher, of the wonderfully rustic Nachos Grande blog, the unofficial winner of Gint-A-Cuffs II.

Brian from the Play at the Plate blog just edges out Beardy of The Mojo Beard blog, who tried everything in his power (including a corked box of 25 packs AND an unsuccessful attempt at bribing the commissioner) to win.

259.5 - Nachos Grande
257.1 - Play at the Plate
257.0 - Beardy

While I verify the scores, there is still time to try and bribe me.

And now, to do right by our sponsors...






Topps donated a hobby box of 2010 A&G for our first place winner. Strat-O-Matic provided two copies of their computer (read: Windows) Baseball simulation game for our second and third place winners. I'd also like to thank Blowout Cards for giving a discount on several cases of cards to the participants.

And a big thank you to all those that participated in this little thing that we call Gint-A-Cuffs.

So, don't hold your breath, but wait for an official winners post.

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

The Clock Ticks

It is almost time to post your final scans and scores. Or scones. I'm not picky any more.

In the light of day I'll be updating the leader board. No, you won't find Tiger on there.

A bit of spot checking and then the winners will be announced soon enough.

Thursday, August 12, 2010

Updates

So, you know how you drift away from a friend. Nothing really terrible happened between you, but you just sort of go in different directions? You know you should give them a call. Reestablish your friendship. But you feel guilty. For not being the friend you should be. So you avoid them. You're ashamed. You don't go the pub they go to, because you're embarrassed. For whatever reason.

That's been me with Gint-A-Cuffs these last few weeks. No, it is not fair to the participants, but I've drifted away, knowing that I need to clarify a few rules, update the leader board, stuff like that. I've been embarrassed that I haven't given it the attention that it deserves. I made a commitment to be your commissioner and I need to do it.

Life has gotten busier, and that hasn't helped, but it is not an excuse. So, I'll ask for forgiveness and move on. I hope you understand. Thank you.

First up... I'm extending the final date to post your breaks and scores. Final date will be on Wednesday, August 18th, 11:59pm. Eastern. Yes, just before Thursday starts. I'm doing this because the original ship date for the product got pushed back a few days.

Now on to the scoring parts...

One of the original scoring rules was:

+2 "Crack the Code" player card (excludes "Crack the Code" promo cards)

It is my understanding that there aren't any of the "Crack the Code" player cards in the set. I'm replacing that rule to now be:

+2 "Celestial Stars" player card

Yeah, I know. I've heard that they are super short printed, only 1 card per trailer truck or something like that. They are +2. That's it. Final answer.


Now, to address the Short Print Relic Cards... Originally I had listed them as:

+12 Short Printed Relic (#301-350 ) (Hit Card - divide by 2 if Yankee)

This was based on the assumption that Topps was going to follow some sort of logic in their numbering scheme.

I'm replacing that rule to be:

+12 Relic Cards (#AGR-xxx) (Hit Card - divide by 2 if Yankee)

Next year, we I plan to start the Cuffs after the cards have been on the market for a week or so, so that I have a basic idea of what is actually inside the wrappers. Less headaches for me, more fun for you.

Let's see. I think that the only other thing I have looming over my head is that darned red auto that was loose. I'm going to go with a ruling of:

+20 any red auto that is not in a rip card

So there. No, I don't remember who will benefit from that. I haven't invested too much time in looking at who ripped what, for I don't want any personal bias to influence my decisions.

I hope to be updating the leader board later this evening.

Again, I thank you for your patience.

Friday, July 30, 2010

Commissioner Speaks, my supervisor left edition

So, my supervisor left the company which we work for. Which I work for. He doesn't work here anymore. Which means I move up on the seniority ladder, but my new supervisor is on a lower rung than my old supervisor. Bottom line? I'm working a lot more than I used to. Which isn't saying much, but I've got a lot more on my plate. Hence, the lack of recent posts.

I've been asked about some rulings. I won't get all fancy, but I'll take a stab at them.

But first note that the Leader Board page is up. Scores have not been verified, nor are all scores posted.

Teddy, of the fine Mack's Mets blog, has bowed out of the competition. Something about only getting a pogo stick champ autograph. And that he's only a part time writer for Mack's Met's and didn't have a blog platform to post his hits on. Fair enough. I'm ruling that he is exempt from the competition but that his Favorite Player will stay on.

Slangon asked about Saltiest Sailors and then answered his own question. I like guys with initiative. He also asked about Autograph Redemption cards. They score the same way as an Auto card.

Beardy asked me to "please clarify the SP relic (301-350) scoring". I'll be thinking about that as I hopefully eat some chicken fingers from Craven Wings this evening. It needs resolution, I agree. I just haven't found the right words since my secretary left me.

I also need to get a score up on the Celestial Star cards. And a final decision about the non-rip red auto card. I know. Leave me alone.

If you have finished your rip and have posted the final score, please let me know so I can add it to the Leader Board. Remember, a hobby box of 2010 A&G from Topps for the winner and a PC version of Strat-O-Matic Baseball for the second and third place boxes. Just showing a little love for our sponsors.

Thursday, July 29, 2010

My Secretary quit

She was nagging me for days to post a response. I told her I'd get around to it when I was good and ready. She quit.
Then the custodian started to nag me. Sheesh.

I promised him that I'd put something up this evening.

I haven't abandoned Gint-A-Cuffs. Really.

Friday, July 16, 2010

The Commission Speaks - Birmingham Edition

I wanted to post earlier this week, but I was getting ready to head out of town for a few days. Now that I'm actually out of town, I'm carving out a few moments to make some rulings.

I'm in Birmingham, Alabama. I'm attending the 13th Jerry Malloy Negro Leagues Conference. Tonight was the first time I met a Negro League ball player. Ray Haggins. He played for the Memphis Red Sox in the early 1959s. A very nice gentleman, generous with his stories.

Tomorrow is a day full of lectures, a tour of Rickwood Field, then a Birmingham Barons / West Tennessee Diamond Jaxx game. Saturday will be more lectures and then a five hour drive home.

I'll be posting pictures and stories on my card blog (What? You think that this is all I do?) after I scan cards and link photos.

On to the issues at hand...

Slangon asks:
Wait a minute, I've been subtracting 1 point for all the Yankee This Day in History cards that I've been pulling. Should I have not been doing that?

And the Commissioner replies: Yes, the This Day in History cards that depict a Yankee should be (given the penalty of) -1. The Yankees are an abomination to the Gint-A-Cuffs gods.
Clarification: TDIH = +1. If Yankee, then subtract 1. A TDIH card should either +1 or 0. NOT a -1


Community Gum asks: I have a Negro League auto. Would that be a +2 or a multiplier (a la Favorite player list)?

The Commissioner replies: Assuming that this is a mini framed auto, then it would be +2 for a Negro League Player and then +15 for the auto. +17 total.


Everyone and their brother is asking about the contents of the Rip Cards.
All cards pulled from a Rip card will be +10.
If the card is Wood it will be an additional +5.
If the card is an autograph (any color) it will be an additional +5.
If the card is a Yankee, then divide by 2. This is considered a hit.
Example: If you pull a Jeter card from a Rip card and it is a red auto, then it would score as: +10 as pulled, +5 for the auto. It now sits at 15. Divide by 2 for him being a Yankee. That card is now scored as +7.5, or 8 if you are into rounding. I'm into rounding.

UPDATE: I'll add more to the FP / FT / YOUR FP thing later. Don't make this harder than it is. You know what to do.

Several participants have asked about the Saltiest Sailor cards.
Saltiest Sailor cards shall be scored at +7, one for each of the seas.


I'm sure that I've not satisfied everyone with my rulings. I'm not making rulings to make friends. I don't know what cards you've pulled, but I can make some guesses. If this were easy, they'd be paying me a lot more. I'm tired and I hope that my next set of rulings will be done in a less tired state of mind.

Thank you for your willingness to bend to my whims. Next year might be better. I hope.

Friday, July 9, 2010

The Commissioner Speaks, part deux

I'm sorry that I wasn't able to make any rulings last evening, but I was so devastated by LeBron's announcement that I immediately shut off all the electricity in the house and turned off my cell phone. I did not want to hear or see anything else about it. Today is a new day and I have a clearer head. Let's get it on...

Beard wrote: This Day In History cards are one-per-pack. Still want to make them worth +1?

The Commissioner replies: Yep. Otherwise how would someone like Night Owl get any points. Yes, it does seem senseless, but the cost to go back and review and redo everyone's scores would be monumental. +1 on This Day In History. Plus or minus modifiers.


Beardy also wrote: Don't forget the "Saltiest Sailors" cards either.

The Commissioner replies: Forget about them? Never knew about them. I'm holding off judgment on the Saltiest Sailors cards until I make a ruling on the contents of the Rip Cards. Hold on there, bucko. Just wait.


Beardy (once again) wrote: Autographs are worth less than relic cards? That doesn't make sense, since they are a tougher pull.

The Commissioner replies: While putting the scoring rules together, I had intended to make the autographs at +15, but my copy and pasting skills were at a low (due to my biorhythms being all out of whack) and the 'tens' part of the 15 didn't get transferred. It has been corrected on the rules.

Any changes to the scoring rules will be posted in red for a week or so to let people know that there is a change.


Several folks asked about scoring for the Short Print relic/auto cards.

The Commissioner replies: Due to the lack of information about short printed auto and relic cards and the ensuing confusion I'm considering pulling any points for Short Printed relic and auto cards. As it stands now, there is only scoring for the Short Printed relic cards (301-350). None of this Marvin Miller shirttails stuff. I have not issued a final ruling on this debacle.


Beardy, the thorn in my side, asked: Why are N43's worth less than cabinet cards? They're a tougher pull.

The Commissioner replies: Because I used that part of the scoring from last years' Gint-A-Cuffs rules. I don't know what the pull ratio was last year. I really don't care. The points will stay as they are. If we get down to the final scores and there is a difference of 3 points due to the N43 vs. a Cabinet Card, then I guess I'll have egg on my face. I can live with that.


Cardsplitter asked: I got a Yankees boxloader/cabinet card. Some crap about them winning a World Series or something. So what does that cost me?

The Commissioner replies: The card described is a Cabinet Boxloader, NCBB6, of the Yankees. The Cabinet Boxloader card would be worth +8 points, but then you must divide by 2 because it is the Yankees. Cardsplitter would get +4 points for this card.


In other news, the grand prize arrived at my house yesterday. Topps has donated a hobby box of 2010 Allen and Ginter. It is in safe keeping.

In other (facetious) news, I'm a bit dismayed at the lack of bribes. Now, don't start up all at once. It will look disingenuous. Really. Don't. But I'd like to collect the Negro League players from the this year's base set.

Oh, I know that I need to rule on the Rip Card contents, Saltiest Sailors, Red Autos and probably some other stuff.

Thursday, July 8, 2010

My Secretary

tells me that I have many scoring requests and questions to answer. Bah. I'll get to them this evening.

And yes, I made an error on the Autographs vs Relics scoring. It was a cut and paste issue. Mea culpa.

Have no fear. It will be set right.

Also, please direct any and all questions about scoring to this blog, not to any email address.

Rest your pretty heads and dream of rip cards. And no, I still don't know what the mini-cards in those rip-cards score at. Yet. Hey, it doesn't matter, because they're in your dreams.

Friday, July 2, 2010

The Commissioner Speaks

There have been some interesting questions posed already. I'll try and address them her and will integrate any necessary changes into the official scoring rules.

--David asked: If you rip the rip card, do you count the points for *both* cards? 'Cause, you know, if I get one, I'm ripping...

The Commissioner answers: Yes, you will get points for both cards. I don't yet know what the points for the mini card inside will be.



Kelly said: I've been looking on ebay and I saw some different inserts:
*Celestial Stars
*Creatures of Legend, Myth, and Joy


The Commissioner answers: I forgot about the Creatures cards. They will score at +15 Creatures of Legend, Myth and Joy 1:288



Beardy said: You also forgot to mention printing plates.

The Commissioner answers: No I didn't. You just couldn't see them. Look under Minis.



Cardsplitter asked: I got a Yankees boxloader/cabinet card. Some crap about them winning a World Series or something. So what does that cost me?

The Commissioner responds: I don't know. Exactly which cabinet card did you get? Can you show me a scan of the card, please?



stusigpi said: Guess I was left out ya filthy animals.

The Commissioner responds: Yes. If you can show me where you entered before the extended cut off date, I'll allow you in, but I can't find it. Sorry about that.



Kelly also asked: How are we scoring the "This Day in History" Cards, if at all?

The Commissioner answers: I don't know. I guess they should be scored. Let's go with +1 for any This Day in History card, plus or minus modifiers.



The Commissioner says: I messed up and listed Autographs twice, once under Minis and once under Hits. I've removed the Hits reference and we will only use the points under Minis.

The Commissioner responds: Good call.



Other questions that have come to me privately concern the point values for non-sport autographs. They are considered autos and will be given +5 points. I was also asked about autographs of Negro League players. They get +5 points for being an auto and +2 points for being Negro League players. Therefore a total of +7 points.

Thursday, July 1, 2010

Official Scoring Is Officially Up

Ladies and Gents, I have posted the Official Scoring Rules.

Thank you for your comments. I've added in scoring for Negro League players. I've added scoring for Nick Jacoby, last year's (recognized) A&G Code Cracker.

With regard to the statement that Chicago can stake claim to 3 of the 4 negative cards. Not quite. Milton Bradley is shown as a Mariner in this year's set. Yes, I know he used to be employed by the Cubs (I couldn't bring myself to write the word play). But not right now. The City of the Big Shoulders can stake claim to 2 of the 4 negative cards. See, I've appeased or ticked off both Northsiders and Southsiders.

No bonus points for any Strasburg. No one has asked for them, but I'm not feeding the hype.

Please remember to list each card and show scans of any scoring points.

Scott, of the Hand Collated blog, emailed me explaining that he is withdrawing from the Gint-A-Cuffs competition. I respect his decision and will probably call on him to help out with any tricky commissioner decisions that I can't resolve on my own.

Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Semi Official Scoring

Below are the proposed scoring rules. Please remember that you get points for ANY player on the Favorite Player list, even if they aren't your favorite. The official Favorite Players roster is available via the page links at the top of the blog.

I'll invite comments below. I had a good framework (last years' scoring) to go by, but I assembled this mess on my own. I may or may not make changes to it. When it is done, it will be moved to the 2010 Rules page. I'm sure that I'll be making rulings during the contest.

The ratios below (1:12 or 1:24) indicate the approximate odds per pack of finding any type of card per the Topps wrappers.



SEMI-OFFICIAL SCORING RULES
(still being tweaked)

Scoring will be based on the player/individual/place/etc named on the front of the card. If it is a card of Reyes sliding into home plate that is covered by one of the Molina boys and Reyes is named on the front, you only get points for Reyes.

Favorite Teams only apply to the MLB teams. The Keokuk Braves do not equal the Atlanta Braves.

BASE CARDS
0 base card
+1
Your Favorite Team base card
+4 Your Favorite Player base card
-1 Any Yankee base card
+1 For any base card of a Yankee on the Favorite Players list
+2 Other Favorite Player list base card
+2 Short Print base card (#301-350)
+2 "Crack the Code" player card (excludes "Crack the Code" promo cards)
-1 points if you pull base card of:
  • Carlos Zambrano (#91) (recent dugout actions)
  • Milton Bradley (#114) ("negativity" with the organization)
  • Johnny Damon (#197) (I didn't like his book)
  • A.J. Pierzynski (#198) (I cannot spell his surname correctly)
+1 points for pulling the base for:
  • Betelgeuse (#68) (Loved the movie)
  • Johannes Gutenberg (#129) ("To heck with Fixed Type")
  • Area 51 (#130) (Where all the cool kids play)
  • X-Rays (#185) (Röntgen getting some props)

Combine points if it qualifies for multiple categories. Example: Slangon pulls an Angel Pagan base card (#323), which is Short Printed. Angel is in a Mets uniform. How many points does Slangon get for pulling this card?
Short Print player (+2 ) from your Favorite Team (+1) = 3 points


MINI CARDS
-1 Any Yankees
+2 Sherlock Holmes (#110)
+1 Mini of player on your favorite team
+3 Mini of any player from Favorite Players list
+5 Mini of
your favorite player
+2 A&G Ad Back Mini Parallel 1:5
+3 Black Bordered Mini Parallel 1:10
+3 Short Print Mini Parallel
1:13
+5 Framed Mini Autographs 1:40
+6 A&G Ad Back Short Print Mini Parallel 1:65
+8 Black Bordered Short Print Mini Parallel 1:130
+10 No Card Number Mini Parallel 1:140
+20 Bazooka Ad Back Mini Parallel 1:280
+40 Framed Mini Parallel Printing Plates 1:799
+60 Wood Mini Parallel 1:3,542
+1 points for pulling the mini of:
  • Betelgeuse (#68) (Loved the movie)
  • Johannes Gutenberg (#129) ("To heck with Fixed Type")
  • Area 51 (#130) (Where all the cool kids play)
  • X-Rays (#185) (Röntgen getting some props)
-1 points for pulling the mini of:
  • Carlos Zambrano (#91) (recent dugout actions)
  • Milton Bradley (#114) ("negativity" with the organization)
  • Johnny Damon (#197) (I didn't like his book)
  • A.J. Pierzynski (#198) (I cannot spell his surname correctly)
Combine points if it qualifies for multiple categories. Example:
Mini Any Favorite Player (+3 ) with A&G back (+2) = 5 points

OTHER INSERTS
+2 National Animals 1:8
+3 Lords of Olympus 1:12
+3 Monsters of the Mesozoic 1:12
+4 World's Greatest Wordsmiths 1:24
+4 Sailors of the Seven Seas 1:24
+2 Short Print 1:2
+3 Baseball Highlight Sketch Insert 1:10
+20 Rip Card 1:285
+25 Framed Cloth Cards 1:365 (silks, not relic / jersey / pants cards)
+100 Cut Signatures 1:110,000
+125 Book Cards 1:127,825

+175 Monsters of the Mesozoic Relic Redemption Card 1:174,000
+200 Framed DNA Relics 1:200,000

HITS
+8 Relic (Jersey / Pants / etc)
+12 Short Printed Relic (#301-350)
+15 Autograph

MULTIPLIERS FOR HITS
x1.2 If any of those pulls are of a player from
your Favorite Team
x1.7 If any hits are of players on the Favorite Players list
x3 If it is your favorite player
Divide by 2 for all Yankee hits, excluding Favorite Players

BOX TOPPERS / LOADERS
+5 N43 Box Topper
+8 Cabinet Card Box Topper
+20 N43 Relics
+30 N43 Autographs
+50 N43 Autograph Relic
+10 N43 of player from Favorite Player list
+20 N43 of
your Favorite Player


If your Favorite Player is a Yankee, you get full points for that player only. All other Yankees are worth points as noted.

If the Yankees are your Favorite Team, that is your problem and you must accept any and all penalties for all cards that are not of your favorite player.

Monday, June 28, 2010

More Info You Need To Know

All of the cards at a discount that were allocated to Gint-A-Cuffs 2 from our sponsor at Blowout Cards have been sold off. I'd like to thank Chris at Blowout Cards for his willingness to sponsor Gint-A-Cuffs 2.

The official rules, when they are posted, will be accessible from the top of the page. Also, there is a page for the Favorite Players (and Favorite Teams, if you forget).

After the cards are released into the wild, I would ask that someone please send me a copy of the official checklist. There will be scoring addendum. Addenda? I'll be making some scoring tweaks after I know what's really in the product this year.

Commissioner's Rulings Start Now

So, the product hasn't yet shipped and I'm already having to make some rulings. Sheesh, this is going to be a long summer.

Anthony mentioned that he might have to drop out from the contest because his card supplier might not get his cards to him in time to rip, score and post. I don't want to see him drop out. I've talked with Anthony via email. Summing it up without sharing too much info, Anthony is a member of the US military. He's stationed in Europe and soon he'll be deployed to another area of the world. Knowing that the military mail can move a tad slow, especially when it is trying to find the recipient that is on the go, it might be difficult for Anthony to get his box on time. I'm ruling that Anthony gets to be part of GAC2 with all the rights and responsibilities that it entails. He'll keep his Favorite Player, Javier Vasquez. All other members will get the scoring benefits from Javier Vasquez cards pulled. Yes, this is an unusual circumstance, but we go with what we got. Hopefully the cards will find Anthony and he can participate.

Two other bloggers want to be included. They submitted their requests past the official deadline. I'm extending that deadline and will include them. Todd Uncommon from Todd Uncommon's Tomb and Scott from Hand Collated will be added shortly, but I need to know their Favorite Players and Favorite Teams.

And I had overlooked Teddy from Mack's Mets. Sorry about that. I've corrected it.

Countdown is at 2 days. Or three. Depends when it ships. If anyone still wishes to join the absolute last day will be Wednesday, June 30, 2010. Let's go with 11:50pm that night. Eastern. You've been warned.

Public domain Gint-a-Cuffs art

Travis, who is the Vice President of Design Propaganda at PunkRockPaint, Inc. (and also a participant in this year's fiasco contest), shared this image with me. He said: I found this a while back. Feel free to use it. So I am.

Friday, June 25, 2010

The Countdown Begins

Topps, for whatever reason, has pushed back the release date for their 2010 Allen and Ginter cards. Semi-reliable sources indicate that it won't be available until June 30th.

Fine, I say. That gives me more time to tweak the scoring rules.

I hope to have them up later today. Maybe this weekend. The Old Planter is laid back. I'm taking a cue from him.

Even after the rules are in place there will probably be some changes / additions as more card information is revealed.

Thanks for your patience. And thanks to Beardy for the fantastic image that I lifted. Actually, he is on retainer for producing official images for any and all Gint-A-Cuff events.

Saturday, June 5, 2010

GAC2 Rules - the beginning

I've been reviewing last year's rules. I decided to scrub them all and start fresh. That got too time consuming, so I reviewed them again and have started to tweak.

We currently have 21 23 contestants signed up for Gint-A-Cuffs II (GAC2). Not quite as many as last year, but there's still time. Please comment somewhere on this blog to let me know if you want in.

Here's the rules you should know now:
  • The deadline to sign up as a participant in GAC2 will be on Friday June 25, 2010. That is the tentative release date for Topps 2010 Allen & Ginter. If you haven't signed up by then, too bad. Sit on the sidelines. Wait 'til next year. Amended: Deadline is now Wednesday June 20, 2010. That is the new tentative release date.
  • Each contestant can post a MAXIMUM of two (2) boxes towards the official scoring, and only the box with the higher score will count.
  • The final day to post any official Gint-A-Cuffs breaks will be on Sunday, August 15th, 2010. The winner will be announced later that week.
  • Prizes will be awarded to the top three (3) point scorers. First prize, generously provided by Topps, will be an unopened hobby box of 2010 Allen & Ginter. Second and third place winners will each receive a copy of Strat-O-Matic's baseball game, courtesy of Strat-O-Matic.
  • Each contestant must select their Favorite Player (FP) and their Favorite Team (FT) and inform the Commissioner. A blog entry has been set up to allow participants to declare their FP and FT. FPs affect scoring for all participants. FT only affects the participant who chose the team for themselves. FPs cannot be duplicated. If Beardy selects Nick Markakis for his FP, no one else can select Nick. First come, first served. FTs can be duplicated. If two participants want to select the Nationals, that's fine.
  • How to post your results: Please go pack by pack and list every card. Only those cards worth positive points need to be scanned and posted. Please list your score by pack. Please keep a cumulative score.
A blog entry will be set up to allow participants to ask scoring questions of the Commissioner.

As commissioner of GAC2 I encourage everyone to be honest. No combining hits from multiple boxes, or forgetting to list out those Yankees or other cards that might cost you some points. We're all professionals here and there are rules.

Individual scoring of cards is being worked on and rigorously tested.

Remember, if you haven't yet ordered your box Blowout Cards is providing boxes to the participants at a discount. Details can be found here.

Friday, June 4, 2010

Favorite Players, Favorite Teams

If you are participating in GAC2, please let me know who your favorite player (FP) is and who your favorite team (FT) is.

You might want to check out Sports Card Radio's checklist for the 2010 A&G set. This is as official as it gets right now. You don't want to select a player and not have them be part of the set.

FPs affect scoring for all participants. FTs only affects the participant who chose the team for themselves. FPs cannot be duplicated. If Beardy selects Nick Markakis for his FP, no one else can select Nick. First come, first served.

FTs can be duplicated. If two participants want to select the Nationals, that's fine.

I'll make the list here.

Beardy (Mojo & Beardy's Fantastic Card Blog)
FP: Nick Markakis
FT: Baltimore Orioles

FanofReds (Nachos Grande)
FP: Johnny Cueto
FT: Cincinnati Reds

Marck (The Collective Troll)
FP: Carl Crawford
FT: Tampa Bay Rays

Tunguska (Long Fly Ball To Because ...)
FP: Roy Halladay
FT: Chicago Cubs

--David (Indians Baseball Cards )
FP: Derek Jeter
FT: Cleveland Indians

Travis (PunkRockPaint)
FP: Adrian Gonzalez
FT: San Diego "Super" Padres

Baseball Dad (All Tribe Baseball)
FP: Grady Sizemore
FT: Cleveland Indians

AdamE (Thoughts and Sox)
FP: Kevin Youkilis
FT: Boston Red Sox

Night Owl (Night Owl Cards)
FP: Clayton Kershaw
FT: Los Angeles Dodgers

Cardsplitter (The Call of Cardboard)
FP: David Ortiz
FT: Boston Red Sox

Play at the Plate (Play at the Plate)
FP: Michael Young
FT: Texas Rangers

Teddy (Mack's Mets)
FP: Stephen Strasburg
FT: New York Yankees

Sharpe (Sharpe Since 92)
FP: Joe Mauer
FT: Minnesota Twins

Dan (The Other World)
FP: Chase Utley
FT: Philadelphia Phillies

Kelly (Baseball Obsession-itis)
FP: Dustin Pedroia
FT: Boston Red Sox

gcrl (Garvey Cey Russell Lopes)
FP: Matt Kemp
FT: Los Angeles Dodgers

The Wax Wombat (Wax Wombat!)
FP: David Wright
FT: Toronto Blue Jays

Motherscratcher (Achiever Card Blog)
FP: Evan Longoria
FT: Cleveland Indians

Community Gum (Community Gum)
FP: Ryan Howard
FT: Chicago Cubs

Ryan (Ryan's Memorabilia Blog)
FP: Adam Jones
FT: Baltimore Orioles

darkship (MidWest Cardboard)
FP: Joakim Soria
FT: Chicago Cubs

Slangon (Condtion: Poor)
FP: Ryan Braun
FT: New York Mets

Jeremy (No One's Going To Read This Blog)
FP: Matt Holliday
FT: New York Mets

22Byrdman22 (22Byrdman22)
FP: Kendry Morales
FT: Anaheim Angels

Anthony K. (Balk Four)
FP: Javier Vasquez
FT: Houston Astros

FP: Ken Griffey, Jr.
FT: Seattle Mariners

FP: Hanley Ramirez
FT: Florida Marlins

Todd Uncommon (Todd Uncommon's Tomb)
FP: Adam Dunn
FT: Oakland A's

Scott (Hand Collated)
FP:
FT:

Thrifty Ryan (Card Cache)
FP: Joey Votto
FT: Cincinnati Reds

dayf (Cardboard Junkie)
FP: Jason Heyward
FT: Atlanta Braves
Comment below.

Thursday, May 27, 2010

Find Us On Facebook


The group on Facebook is only a portal for those who use the social networking site. Contestants do not need to join Facebook for the contest. There will be no bonus points given for joining the Facebook group. It is just another avenue to the official Gint-A-Cuffs blog. And you're already here.

It also provides another method for us to thank our sponsors.

Thanks, sponsors.

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Yet Another Sponsor

I asked another company to come on as a sponsor. Chris, of Blowout Cards, has come through in a big way.

Blowout Cards will make hobby boxes of the 2010 Topps Allen & Ginter available to contestants in Gint-A-Cuffs II for the low price of $77 per box. Free Shipping on all orders over $99.

This special pricing is available only to those who are going to participate in this contest. The offer is good only for the first 36 customers. Please email me to receive instructions on how to get this fantastically discounted price.

email: GintACuffs (at) gmail (dot) com

For those of you who have already placed an order with Blowout Cards or another vendor, I applaud your enthusiasm and I'm sorry that this sponsorship didn't come to fruition any sooner.

Thank you, Chris and Blowout Cards.

Another Sponsor

Strat-O-Matic has agreed to hop on the train wreck contest that is Gint-A-Cuffs. Here's a bit of info about the game company:
Since 1961, Strat-O-Matic has created the most realistic simulation of statistically accurate baseball. Every player is rated by Strat-O-Matic’s unique rating system with statistical precision in each phase of the game – batting, pitching, defense and running.

Strat-O-Matic Baseball is played with the exact same rules as professional baseball. Each major leaguer has his own Strat-O-Matic Player Card based on his overall stats from the 2009 season. The gamer controls every aspect of each play from determining the starting line-up, stealing, hitting and running to replacing the starting pitcher. Instead of a bat and ball, the gamer uses dice, player cards and charts to play the game.
They've ponied up a few copies of their Baseball game and those will be added to the prize pool.

Don't forget to let me know if you're interested in participating. Boogie on.

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

We're Sponsored


Topps has agreed to be a sponsor for Gint-A-Cuffs II, Old Planter Boogaloo.

Thank you, Topps.

Friday, May 21, 2010

What to do to enter?

A few of you can't hold your horses and want to get this thing underway.

Patience. Patience.

Basically,
  • Let me know that you want to participate
  • Secure a hobby box of 2010 Allen & Ginter cards
  • Rip them open
  • Follow the official rules of the contest
  • Post on your blog, the cards that score points for you, positive or negative
For added fun,
  • Add witty commentary
  • Keep up with the contest
  • Bribe the Commissioner
We're feverishly working on the scoring system. A bit tough since we don't have the checklist or exact odds of hits.

But, first things first.

Let me know that you want in. I'll create a list of contestants soon.

Thanks for playing.

Sunday, May 16, 2010

Gint-A-Cuffs 2, Old Planter Boogaloo

Coming soon to a blog near you.

In about five weeks the Topps Allen & Ginter 1887-2010 World Champions Color Picture Cards will be loosed upon the public.


And that means that it will be time for Gint-A-Cuffs 2, Old Planter Boogaloo.

I'll be your commissioner. Again.

What does that mean for you? Another chance to get in on the best box break competition since, well, the original Gint-A-Cuffs.

You want parallels? We got 'em. Wood. Cloth. Bazookas. NoNos. Black Border. A&G Backs.

You want Top Loaders? We got 'em. With Autos.

Lords of Olympus? Got 'em.

World's Greatest Wordsmiths? Got 'em.

This Day In History? Got 'em.

National Animals? Got 'em.

Monsters Of The Mesozoic? Got 'em.

Sailors Of The Seven Seas? Got 'em.

All that, and more.

Please note that by mentioning the various card possibilities available in the 2010 A&G set, it does not mean that you will get them in your box. Probably not. Fair warning.

Now, leave me alone. I have to go and figure out some sort of scoring method. Perhaps a tweak of last year's rules. More than likely I'll have to scrap that and start a fresh.

Any scoring ideas will be received and given the weight that I feel is necessary. Beardy, having created this monster last year, will be relinquishing some of his duties so that he can more fully concentrate on winning. Again. I'll still be relying on him for some pointers, but I've found out that his bribes are full of hot air and I ignore them.

Speaking of bribes I was rather disappointed in the bribe department last year. You all are big boys and girls. Step it up this year. Please.

We're working on several goodies for prizes. And perhaps some other goodies, too.

Please leave your scoring comments below.

Thanks.