The Travels of "Large Ass" Herzog (photo log)

[Leon]

A member just asked what this "Large Ass" was all about so it seems an appropriate time to bump the now famous thread.

And most likely, Buck will be adorning the new Net54baseball T shirts to be made soon.

[bnorth]

Originally Posted by Leon

A member just asked what this "Large Ass" was all about so it seems an appropriate time to bump the now famous thread.

And most likely, Buck will be adorning the new Net54baseball T shirts to be made soon.

That is awesome that SGC put Large Ass-Net54 on the flip.

[Aquarian Sports Cards]

Originally Posted by bnorth

That is awesome that SGC put Large Ass-Net54 on the flip.

Beat me to it, that's very cool.

[lowpopper]

How do I get on the LARGE ASS waiting list?

[clydepepper]

Originally Posted by lowpopper

How do I get on the LARGE ASS waiting list?

Hey, I already have one...now, I just need the shirt to draw more attention to it.

[Fred]

Holy crap, it's got its own flip!

I want the T-shirt. Would be second to the Beatles themed shirt (which I regret not ordering). This one, I'll make sure to order early.

Dang!!!!

[frankbmd]

Originally Posted by bnorth

That is awesome that SGC put Large Ass-Net54 on the flip.

You can’t hide a large ass with a new flip, trust me.

[Baseballcrazy62]

Found this one in the archives. Figured I would introduce him to Mr. Vader at the Detroit Institute of Arts in June of 2018.

C2ABAB9C-FB77-4F65-99CF-168E9B99442E.jpg

[T206.org]

I'd love to take BAH out to the Frying Pan Tower on a fishing trip some time!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mV4VtC-zVB0

[Leon]

Originally Posted by T206.org

I'd love to take BAH out to the Frying Pan Tower on a fishing trip some time!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mV4VtC-zVB0

He does need to get out more. If someone has an interesting place they are going soon, and want to take him.,...and promise to send him back or to a designated person, then I can disinfect him from the pandemic (I haven't been tested but feel great, knock on wood) and get him out of quarantine to a member.

[T206.org]

Haha, Leon. I‘ll be going out there at least once or twice a month during Summer. I’d be happy to give him a boat ride, and send him along.

We spearfish there - I could put him
in a dry bag and get a cool underwater shot with a shark!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[T206.org]

I didn't have the stones to take Large Ass underwater for the shark shot, but he did ride along for the trip out to Frying Pan Tower.

Here's a quick video as well:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/aszsw0no3d...large.mp4?dl=0

Leon, he'll be headed back your way soon (tracking coming via PM).

[abothebear]

Regions Field
Birmingham, Alabama
09/07/2021

Barons 3
Trash Pandas 0

[BuzzD]

Were the shirts ever made? In the spirit of things, I would need XL

[milkit1]

Its been 10 years since I had my son pose with Large Ass. Would love to receive Large Ass Herzog again for some followup photos

[CobbSpikedMe]

Yes! A Large Ass sighting. I've been wondering where he was. Let's keep him moving, he needs to see more places.



.

[vthobby]

I'll take him to the oldest ballpark in America..... Centennial Field in Burlington VT where Griffey roamed the OF at 18 years old with the VT Mariners!

Message me! Thanks! Mike

[mrreality68]

This is a very unique thread but looks fun and amazing thru all these years

[Kevin]

If you can get him to Long Island before October 7th, he can attend a t-ball game!

[abothebear]

9/08/21
Vulcan Park
Birmingham, Alabama

Atop Red Mountain stands a pre-war statue of the pagan god Vulcan. Built in 1938, the Vulcan statue once held aloft a light shining green when there were no traffic deaths, and red if there were. I believe this morbid practice went by the wayside after the recent restoration.



For $6 one can climb to the top of the pedestal or take an elevator. I did not pay the $6, and did neither, so here is a view of Birmingham from a somewhat lower elevation.



Given a certain brotherhood betwixt LAH and this fellow who necessarily also could be said to have a large ass, I thought a photo from the backside would be appropriate.



Unplanned, I happened to be driving by the Alabama Boy Scouts Headquarters in Liberty Park where there happens to be a Statue of Liberty replica. I could not pass up the chance for another backside shot.



.

[abothebear]

9/08/2021
Dawes Concert
Avondale Brewing Company
Birmingham, Alabama

The was Dawes' first live show since before the great panic. They seemed to be in top form to me. I am a casual fan at best, familiar with several of their songs from Pandora. I was very surprised by this show. The instrumentation across the board was excellent, creative, complex, varied, and appropriate. The lead singer's guitar work was stellar. The whole bad were high-energy performers, especially the lead. I was not expecting any of that based on the subdued recordings I've heard. The venue is great. If you have a chance to see a show at Avondale Brewing, go for it.

[abothebear]

Here he is amid the remnants of a 90s era card store once located in Alabaster, Alabama, now confined in a large closet of an office building. The kind owner opens it up for me whenever I can scratch together a few 20 dollar bills to buy 80s junk wax. He gives me a "deal," which is half off the buy-it-nows he sees on ebay, which is not a deal. But when you factor in savings on shipping it is near market rate. I always get a package of top-loaders too. He sells them for his cost, and he purchased them before the top-loader shortage, so I feel like I'm at least getting a deal there (even though I am good on top-loaders). This time I got a box of series 1, 2, and 3 1988 Big Topps to open with my childhood buddies on our annual trip next week (Buck is coming too). I also got a box of Donruss Hall of Fame Heroes cards... and some other stuff.


.

[abothebear]

9/18/2021
State College, Pennsylvania
Penn State 28, Auburn 20

I went to the Penn State/Auburn game this weekend to support my Tigers. Unfortunately, Auburn let victory slip through their hands against a tough Penn State squad. It was a treat to visit Happy Valley. It is a magnificent campus, and 109,958 people were at the game! The White Out experience was fun. Way overblown, but it is always fun when everyone coordinates. For those that have never been there, the stadium is surprisingly dark. I don't think the players care a lick that everyone is wearing white (on TV they adjust the filters so viewers see the shadowy crowd shots as brighter than they are). But the noise was impressive. Getting out of there after the game is a nightmare. We didn't get back to Pittsburgh until 4am. An hour-and-a-half of that was not moving an inch in the parking lot at Penn State. Great trip though, nice people there, and I got some good shots of Buck.

A formidable contingent from Auburn made the convoluted trip into the vast rural interior of this historic state. As game time drew near we made our way to the stadium to welcome the team in what we call the Tiger Walk when at home. Here it was the less-catchy Tiger Bus Drop Off.


Then I stood at a tailgate for an hour, soaking in the wind-less heat and humidity while waiting for the game to begin. On the way to the gate (crowd management does not appear to be a strength of the PSU program), we saw the delightful Miss Auburn delighting a delightful PSU couple. Goodwill flowed like the sweat dripping down my back.


The Goodyear Blimp was there too, ominously motionless in the becalmed skies.


Our seats were at the very top, which was a blessing, as the occasional breeze could be only be enjoyed there. Here is Buck with me and the gang.


The sun set right before kickoff. The orange and blue sky was not the omen of victory for the Tigers that we hoped it would be. If one were to tell the tale of the game with the sky, one might say the orange and blue sunset succumbed to the navy and white of the moonlit night.


Here is the white-out in its shadowy glory. You can see that the upper decks on both sides are actually above the light banks. Only a third of the crowd is lit up to any degree to speak of. I mention it again not as a criticism of PSU at all, more to expose the nefarious camera tricks of TV. It is the noise that probably does the trick against the opponents. It seemed clear to my untrained eye that Auburn's game plan was designed with the noise in mind, and limited what they could do. But Auburn can make some noise too. We get our chance next year.

.

[Leon]

Nice job George. Large ass looks like he's having fun!

.

[vansaad]

Originally Posted by abothebear

9/18/2021

Here is the white-out in its shadowy glory. You can see that the upper decks on both sides are actually above the light banks. Only a third of the crowd is lit up to any degree to speak of. I mention it again not as a criticism of PSU at all, more to expose the nefarious camera tricks of TV. It is the noise that probably does the trick against the opponents. It seemed clear to my untrained eye that Auburn's game plan was designed with the noise in mind, and limited what they could do. But Auburn can make some noise too. We get our chance next year.

.

I was sitting a couple sections from Large Ass himself and didn't even know it! Oh, cruel world.

[frankbmd]

Originally Posted by vansaad

I was sitting a couple sections from Large Ass himself and didn't even know it! Oh, cruel world.

Be thankful you were not sitting next to large ass.

[abothebear]

I traded him on, yesterday. Since I still had the shirt and hat from the first picture 10 years ago, I took a 10-years-later picture before going to the post office.






The years roll on. Godspeed, Buck. And godspeed to you all.

.

[mrreality68]

Very cool and looks like fun.

Keep passing it around.

Let us know when it is coming to Long Island, NY

[wolf441]

Glad to see that Buck is making the rounds again!!!

[milkit1]

I have Bucky again and will post pics soon. In the meantime who wants to trade to get Bucky next?

[milkit1]

So I was lucky enough to be the first person George sent Bucky to way back in April 2011. Back then I had my children pose (very reluctantly) with him. I thought it would be cool to do followup photos every 10 years with the same poses so everyone can see my boys aging rapidly and Ol Buck staying the same.
At the bottom I asked my sons some questions including a prediction for the future and to guess when Buck was born and died (they were closer than I thought theyd be!).

My son Sean was 10 months old back in April 2011. He is now 11 years 3 months. Still very hungry!
SEAN AND BUCK.jpg

My son Maxwell was 4 1/2 years old when this pic was taken with Bucky in front of the Abraham Lincoln tomb here in Springfield Il. He will be 15 next week.
abe buck bigger.jpg


I can honestly say Maxwell had WAY more fun doing this now then he did then! This is in front of our Korean War memorial
max salute.jpg


You can see that Maxwell was sick of this game in the early photo. He was very enthusiastic this time around!
MAXWELL CAPITAL.jpg

Buck wanted to see Honest Abe's tomb. He said it reminded him of time he fought Ty Cobb in a hotel room. I was confused and assumed that was supposed to be poignant?
20210926_152448.jpg


Maxwell Brennan aged 14 years, 11 months, 3 weeks
Favorite song: Tame Impala " It feels like we are only going backwards"
Favorite movie: Lego Movie
Prediction for the next 10 years: I will make an animation!
Guess Buck Herzog's birth and death year - 1890-1950

Sean Edison Brennan aged 11 years 3 months, 2 weeks
Favorite song: BTS - Butter
Favorite movie: It
Prediction for next 10 years: to become a famous Tik Tok'er
Guess Buck Herzog's birth and death year - 1893 - 1929


Sean Michael Brennan Aged 46 years exactly
Favorite song - Pat Suzuki How High the Moon
Favorite movie - Dr. Strangelove / The Shining
Prediction for next 10 years: value in pre war cards go so high, middle class cant afford anymore

Thanks for the memories Big Ass Bucky! See you in 2031! :O

ALSO: If you want to trade for Bucky, be the first to ask on this thread. Ill pm ya

[abothebear]

That's great, Sean!

[milkit1]

Thanks George! Anyone want to trade?

[Leon]

Originally Posted by milkit1

Thanks George! Anyone want to trade?

Those are great photos, Sean. Thanks for posting. And Large Ass looks just the same after 10 yrs. Your kiddos are growing up fast. If we play it right we can have your kids kids take him for a while.

Let's make sure we keep good tabs on Large Ass. IF there are no takers I can get him back to home base here in Lucas Texas....but he does love to travel.
.

[milkit1]

Thanks Leon! Yeah I'm hoping to make this a 10 year tradition since this started with my youngest was basically zero (10 months). Seeing the sign-in book is great too!

[milkit1]

Checking back if anyone wants to trade, send me a pm.
Thanks
Sean

[Leon]

Originally Posted by milkit1

Checking back if anyone wants to trade, send me a pm.
Thanks
Sean

If no one asks please send him back here so we can keep track of him. (and great pictures)..thanks!

.

[nat]

The Continuing Travels of Buck "Large-Ass" Herzog


Chapter 46 - Buck Goes Spelunking


As long-time readers will know, Buck "Large-Ass" Herzog is a jet-setting, globe-hopping, adventurous baseball card (consult earlier entries in this thread for details). But until this month, he'd never been underground.

Now, Buck has been in Alabama getting some well-earned R&R. And I don't blame him, he's been on the road since 2011. But when he heard that I was going to Carlsbad Caverns, he couldn't pass up the opportunity get back in the saddle and venture out again.

My own trip had a few stops, but timing was tight and so Buck had to meet me en route. I was driving to Columbus Ohio, and had Buck mailed there. He arrived a day before I did, and we caught a plane to Texas the following afternoon.

We spent an evening in El Paso, but really only used the city as our jumping-off point to get into the desert. The plan was to go east. US 62/180 is the only major road running east of El Paso, so we filled up the tank (it's about 150 miles between gas stations) and headed out.

First stop was Hueco Tanks State Park. The directions to get there are basically to head east on US 62 and then turn left at the flying saucer. It's close to town, a few miles north of the road.

Water collects in basins around the park, and so people have been stopping there for ages. The park is probably best-known from its ancient petroglyphs, but there is also more recent (19th c.) graffiti. Mr. Wayland scratched his name into that rock about a year before Buck was born. Almost made him feel young again. (But not quite; just by coincidence we were there on Buck's 138th birthday, and 138 years is a hard thing to forget.) We did a little hiking, but the temperature was something like 107, and there's only so much good that drinking water will do for you in that kind of heat, so we didn't stay out long.

After that it was a race across the desert. Our plan was to spend the afternoon hiking in Guadeloupe Mountains National Park. It's about 90 miles between Hueco Tanks and GM, through scrubland and salt flats. Fortunately, temperature dropped a little bit with the elevation and so we did some more hiking that afternoon. There's a picture of Buck enjoying a view of the mountains. The view in the other direction, of the desert stretching out forever, is just as good.

As evening approached, we set out again, with the aim of spending the night in Carlsbad, NM. The next morning it was time to explore the cave. We took a guided tour with a ranger, and then the next day hiked down the natural entrance to look around ourselves. Buck was suitably impressed. He insisted on returning in the evening to watch the bats fly out of the cave, but photography is prohibited (and pointless anyway, it would just be a blur) when the bats are on their way out, so you'll just have to take his word for it that he was there.

Now we're back home, but Buck is itching for more adventure. I've got the world's best-traveled baseball card sitting on my shelf. If you're going somewhere, just send me a message with a trade proposal and he'll be on his way. He comes with a nice little book detailing his travels, that's waiting for its next entry.

EDIT - Buck has a couple more trips on his itinerary, and is spoken for through September. HercDriver should have him by then, so contact him if you want to arrange any travels for Buck this fall.

[abothebear]

Great write-up and photos!

[todeen]

Herzog arrived in WA for an upcoming week of vacation. The itinerary included visiting Seattle, going to a Mariners game, various sightseeing locations, and then going camping at Sullivan Lake and crossing the border to Canada.

Well, once his tour guide arrived in Seattle, he immediately got extremely sick due to complications from a colonoscopy (what a coincidence). The tour guide spent three days in the hospital, and Herzog missed the Mariners game, missed sightseeing, and missed Seattle.

But! We still went camping and to Nelson, BC, Canada. The campground was East Sullivan Lake Campground. It is a gorgeous setting just ten miles from the Canadian border. On Day 1 of the adventure, we stopped at Metaline Falls. This small town is the site of Kevin Costner's apocolyptic film: The Postman. You might recognize the bridge that Herzog is standing on from multiple scenes within the film. On day two of the three day trip, Herzog crossed the border and visited Nelson, BC, Canada. Nelson has an art school, and it is slightly touristy. It is not yet a Jackson Hole type location, but it is tourist centered. It is worth a trip. And if you need to make reservations, it is highly recommended you stay at the historic Hume Hotel. It was renovated over the last ten years - which took away some of the rustic charm. But it is across the street from a museum, and the entire town is within walking distance. When we returned from Canada, the rest of the afternoon was a beach day to help find relief from 100 degree temperatures that had taken over the Pacific Northwest. One thing that makes East Sullivan Lake Campground so unique (other than the gorgeous views), is that an airport is located right on the lake. The end of the landing strip drops into the lake. If you get to Sullivan Lake on a big weekend -- exp 4th of July, Memorial Day, or Labor Day -- there are usually a dozen planes that have flown into the airport to camp. That night after swimming Herzog was introduced to S'mores.

We got back from camping and another opportunity presented itself. Moses Lake, WA, was about to open a new Latter Day Saint Temple, and tours were being offered to the general public. So we jumped into the car and drove halfway across the state to see the temple before it is closed to member only access. My oldest child was born in Moses Lake, so we brought the whole family for some fond memories. If you ever need to pull off the road in Moses Lake for a bite to eat, consider going downtown to eat at Pho Saigon Vietnamese, J's Teriyaki, or Tacos El Rey Taqueria. These are much better than any common fast food.

If you are interested in traveling with Herzog please reach out to me, but until the card is sent, more sightseeing might occur in Spokane WA.

[todeen]

Had Buck with me to see the iconic Spokane Riverfront Park, with the Spokane River running right through the park and right through downtown. Went to visit my wife, and she works patriotically next to the jail...so I showed him the jail to too!20230908_132107.jpg

Sent from my SM-G9900 using Tapatalk
Attachment 589255Attachment 589256

[todeen]

I went hiking this weekend with Buck Herzog in the North Cascades of WA. I went to Colchuk Lake (water looks like Blue KoolAid), and up Aasgard Pass, into the Enchantments, and out through Snow Lake. The Enchantments are high alpine lakes surrounded by Tamarack/Larch. It is WA #1 most popular hike. I was surrounded by 100s of people for the first 7+ miles. Some people turn around and go back downhill by way of Aasgard Pass. My group exited an extended route that made the total hike 20 miles in one day. In order to overnight, campsites are drawn on a lottery system. So most people only go up for a single day hike.

Attachment 592366
Attachment 592367

[todeen]

Anyone got travel plans for the holidays and want to take Herzog along?

Sent from my SM-G9900 using Tapatalk

[todeen]

I'm moving soon, probably within a month, and would like to send Herzog on his next adventure. It would also help prevent losing him during the chaos of reorganizing. Anybody going anywhere soon? 20240405_200118.jpg

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[milkit1]

Hopefully someone will volunteer and keep this going. Awesome pics Tim!

[gnaz01]

Originally Posted by todeen

I'm moving soon, probably within a month, and would like to send Herzog on his next adventure. It would also help prevent losing him during the chaos of reorganizing. Anybody going anywhere soon? Attachment 617678

Sent from my SM-G9900 using Tapatalk

Tim,

I've had him once but I am going to a Meet and Greet with Tom Brady next weekend on 4/20, would love to take a pic of the 2 GOATS together....

Greg

[bcookie]

I think I need to take 'ol Large Ass to see The Alamo. I promise to take good care of him while in my possession.

[JustinD]

Originally Posted by bcookie

I think I need to take 'ol Large Ass to see The Alamo. I promise to take good care of him while in my possession.

Don’t forget to show him the basement.

(Hopefully that’s not too obscure a reference, lol)

[frankbmd]

I don't think Large Ass has been to Iceland. Let me know if he is interested. I'm leaving in 4 weeks. I'll throw in Amsterdam and Norway as well.

[JollyElm]

Originally Posted by frankbmd

I don't think Large Ass has been to Iceland. Let me know if he is interested. I'm leaving in 4 weeks. I'll throw in Amsterdam and Norway as well.

You mean you're hoping to take a Reykjapíc??
(Thank you...and remember to tip the waitstaff.)