Sports wagering, with interest

I like to bet a little. Not a lot. Just a little.

I'll never be someone to throw down massive sums of money on betting, but a little skin in the game? Sure, why not? Plus, sports wagering is now legal in the state in which I reside, and many others are on the way, and on the way quite soon. It's going to be mainstream here in the US (if it isn't already), and frankly, I'm glad to see us catch up with the rest of the world on that front.

But one does not need to bet in just cash. Cards are a solid form of wagering!

I'm not talking about buying Bowman, which is a form of gambling in its own right. I'm talking about cards as the payment for a friendly gentleman's wager.

In December, when it was announced that my alma mater, Syracuse, would be taking on the hometown squad of Bob Walk The Plank, West Virginia University, in the prestigious Camping World Bowl, we decided to make a friendly wager out of the ordeal. Loser would buy the other a $10 card of their choice, related to the school that won. I think those were the terms.

Syracuse ended up winning the game 34-18, although admittedly it wasn't a fair fight. WVU was without their stud QB, Will Grier, who decided to sit out the game to avoid the risk of injury heading into the NFL Draft. Plus, for a perennial bowl-bound team like WVU, I can't image this game felt too big for them. For Syracuse, the game was a culmination of their best season in years, with a lot of optimism for the future with a solid team and a great coach. The game felt like it meant a little more for the Orange because of the way the last two decades have gone.

Regardless, Matt is a man of his word, and this was the card I chose:

I'll always have a soft spot for Malachi Richardson due to his performance in the 2016 NCAA Tournament, so I felt like owning an autograph of him in a Syracuse jersey was the way to go.

Matt decided to charge himself some interest for a delated payment, which I wasn't expecting, and sent four additional cards my way:

The Gleyber/Adams dual relic is awesome! Matt said he actually pulled it from a pack, which makes it even cooler.

The Leyritz buyback autograph is very cool, and then Winfield jersey is great. There's even some dirt on it! I appreciate the low-numbered mini of future Hall Of Famer CC Sabathia, as well.

Thanks for the bet and following through, Matt!

The King of second-guessing

 

File this under: not sure why I bought this.

I already have two Jim Leyritz TTM autos, so I'm not sure why I decided to buy a certified auto. Really, I don't. It's an ugly shiny sticker. It's not that great of a card. Maybe if it was a "World Series heroes" card or something that would have been different. I don't know.

However, for some reason, I grabbed it.

Leyritz was a guy I didn't appreciate until after he left the Yankees. He had that weird post-pitch bat twirl that would probably get him banned from baseball now. He was a solid contributor in the early to mid 90s as the Yankees were turning into a good squad. He played a key role on the 1996 team, and will forever be known for the bomb he hit in the World Series.

He then left and bounced around a bit amonst a few teams from 1997-1999. Then in 1999, he was reacquired by the Yankees and hit a big World Series homer once again.

Post-baseball hasn't gone particularly smoothly for him, as he was the subject of a vehicular manslaughter case. No good.

Here are the aforementioned TTM autos:

TTM Success: Jim Leyritz (The King)

This was another lengthy wait, as I send this back in May to the Newark Bears, where Jim Leyritz was a coach on Tim Raines’ staff. Leyritz served as a pitching coach, which I always found odd since he was a catcher. I suppose that gives him plenty of knowledge to be a pitching coach, but it’s still a bit unusual. Perhaps that’s how it is in low-budget independent ball.

I know that “The King” has had plenty of off-field issues, but I had the chance to meet him once and he was incredibly nice. I hope he is getting his life back on track. I’ll always have a fond place my heart for his post-season heroics in 1996.