Wednesday, May 10, 2006

Ebay Oddball win of the Week: WWI BF2


This is one of the most unusual items I've ever won on eBay. Arriving this week was a 1916 Ferguson Bakeries (Roxbury Mass) WWI Allied Hereos mini pennant of US Major General James G. Harbord. Its about 5 5/8" long and has a black & white picture of the General. Its very similar to the baseball BF2 version. I'm not sure how many different pennants exist in the set. If anyone has a clue please let me know.

I know the seller had several different pennants; including a 22 inch long large pennant of Allied Hero flying ace Lieutenant Ed Rickenbacher- famous for fighting the Red Baron, available for sale over a couple week period. Other heroes included: Admiral Mayo, Admiral Gleaves, Admiral Benson, King Victor Emanuel III, of Italy, Secretary of War Baker, General Brewster, General Menoher, General Pershing, Lieutenant Ed Rickenbacher (mini version) and President Woodrow Wilson. The Gleaves and Benson should be arriving in a few days.


Are things starting to come together?

Well, it appears that the season is not all lost. We are in the midst of a 4 game winning streak after a succession of ugly losses. The team seems more confident out there as they start to get some consistent hitting throughout the lineup. Russell Martin is proving why he will be the catcher of the future. Nomar is playing well beyond his expectations. Was he a steal or what? Starting pitching has been surprisingly sharp from the top 3 starters- Penny, Lowe and Tomko. Relief needs some help that, I think, only experience can provide. Broxton, Hamulak, Osoria will be better as they get more opportunities to pitch. Saito is proving to be a reliever we can trust. Baez has turned out to be a fortuitous pick-up.

Seo has been OK, but needs some help. Duaner Sanchez, the top flight reliever we traded for Seo, has been lights out for the Mets. Perez is more inconsistent than ever. Will Sele take over his starting position? Really? I read that Billingsly is expected to grace Dodger Stadium mid-year. So maybe there is something else going on. Trade Perez now for some prospects or experienced relievers (or Sele) with the expectation that Billingsly will have a chance to take a job away from Seo or the other starting pitcher (Sele or Perez). I look forward to seeing this battle.

The rookies are coming to town. Russell Martin will be our future catcher. Broxton and Osoria will solidify our bullpen. Kuo is not far behind as he gains confidence in Las Vegas. Billingsley will come in to show us what a future #1 pitcher looks like. Aybar will arrive and prove he belongs. Repko is already proving he belongs in the lineup. Can Ethier be far behind? How about Guzman or Young? The future is exciting and the present show us the way.