Game 7

Please don't do this to the fans again! The last 3 consecutive seasons have all come to an end via Game 7 losses, and we can't take it anymore!!! In fact, unless I'm mistaken the B's have not won a game 7 in over 15 years. Please please please come out with a good effort tonight, I'm begging here.


LET'S GO BRUINS!!!

Pack Rip - 1991 Bowman Baseball

I'm not really sure why I even purchased this. I guess because I didn't have any 1991 Bowman and it was only 50 cents. That's a pretty weak reason.

14 cards plus 1 nasty 20-year-old stick of gum, which I didn't dare eat.

#5 - Rod Carew

Definitely my favorite card in the pack. The first 5 cards in the set are all Carew, a small subset commemorating his induction into the Hall-of-Fame in '91. Rod was elected his very first time on the ballot.

#477 - Frank Viola

#268 - Steve Buechele

#210 - Dave Winfield

1991 was Winfield's only full season with the Angels, and he turned in a pretty solid campaign, clubbing 28 home runs and 86 RBI.

#246? - Ken Griffey

From what I found online I believe this is an uncorrected error. Griffey Jr. is actually card 246 in the set, and his father is supposed to be card #255, although the back indicates number 246.

#227 - Jose Canseco

Look how ripped Jose is in this photo. How were we all so naive?

#415 - Joe Girardi

#351 - Alex Fernandez

#9 - Roberto Alomar

Alomar was the lone damaged card in the pack, as the left edge was ripped along the back of the card. I'm not ashamed to admit that I threw it in the garbage...

#499 - Dickie Thon

#497 - Chuck Malone

#247 - Jay Buhner

#588 - Deion Sanders

Prime time!

#450 - Rondell White

All in all these aren't bad looking cards, and I made out pretty well with this pack. Still, I find myself asking why I bothered with this one.

Hobby Shop Blaster

I have a few posts queued up that need a bit more work, including a great package from Johngy. In the meantime, here's a quick post. I had some time this afternoon, so I swung by the hobby shop. Here's my haul, purchased for less than the cost of a blaster (by a couple bucks).

1970-71 Topps - #105 - Bruce Gamble

There were a bunch of 70-71's in the dollar box, but most were a little too beat up for me. This one was my favorite of the bunch though, and is in pretty good shape. Possibly my favorite card in the lot.

1993-94 Upper Deck - SP #42 - Paul Coffey

Out of everything I picked up today, this is one of only 3 cards that were on my want list. I'll eventually complete this 180 card one-per-pack insert set. I think I'm just over half-way there.

1993-94 Fleer Ultra - #357 - Martin Brodeur

Couldn't pass by this one in the quarter box...

1983-84 O-Pee-Chee - #138 - Ron Francis

This one was also in the quarter box. It pains me that my favorite franchise's most beloved player gets so little respect in the hobby. Other than Wayne Gretzky, nobody in NHL history has more assists than Francis. How can his second year O-Pee-Chee card be in a quarter box? This thing "books" at $6. Grant Fuhr's card from this same set (his second year card as well) "books" at $8. That disgusts me. I have nothing more to say.

I was a huge Mikael Renberg fan in the early 90's when he played with Lindros. I always pick up his cards when I find them. In addition to the Parkhurst Calder Candidate insert, I also snagged this Classic Pro Prospects card:


I snagged 3 more cards for my 1968-69 Topps set, which is starting to build momentum:

1995-96 Topps New To The Game - #22NG - Andrei Nikolishin

I've never seen these inserts, but the gigantic Whalers logo in the background sold me on this one.

My first 1996-97 Leaf card, of Renberg's linemate with Philadelphia. What can I say, as a kid hockey fan in the early 90's it was hard not to like the Flyers.

1984-85 O-Pee-Chee - #375 - Tom Barrasso (Calder Trophy)

I snagged 17 more Parkhurst Missing Link cards. I plan to finish this set someday, this lot brings me to around 40 cards.


I love the game action cards towards the end of the set. Included in the lot was one of the key cards from the set:


As I was leaving I saw this in a stack on top of a display case. It's a 1978-79 Topps sticker, inserted one per pack. I have a handful of these but not the Rockies, and the owners were kind enough to let me take it.

1974-75 Topps - #155 - Ken Dryden

This was the most valuable single card of the day, and it gets me that much closer to finishing off the 1974-75 Topps set. I'm well past 80% done now, with just 48 cards left. The back is pretty interesting:

As you can see, there are no stats for Ken for 1973-74, and the cartoon indicates that he's studying to be a lawyer. The blurb indicates that his absence was to pursue a law career. While he did fulfill the requirements for his law degree that season, I think the year off was just as much a result of how Dryden felt about his contract situation with Montreal. The haul wasn't all hockey though, I managed to add 5 new Nolan Ryan cards to the collection:

2005 Donruss Throwback Threads

1994 Topps Gold

2009 Upper Deck 20th Anniversary Retrospective

2010 Topps Rangers Franchise History

1982 Topps Highlight

This was a need for my 1982 Topps set as well. I also snagged a ton of 1990's hockey inserts, but I'm saving those for some future posts, hopefully coming soon!

Ugh! At Least There's Sunday Night Baseball...

Well that was a painful opening weekend for the Red Sox. The Rangers absolutely battered the Sox, swatting 11 home runs in a 3 game sweep in Texas. Ian Kinsler and Nelson Cruz led the way with 3 home runs each in the series. I'm so sick of hearing that heroic sounding song they play in Arlington every time a Ranger hits a home run. Even worse, the Red Sox now have an off day to sit around and think about their start before kicking off a 3 game series in Cleveland on Tuesday.

But, at least there's still Sunday night baseball. The Dodgers and Giants meet in the season's first broadcast. It will be the first summer since I was 7 years old that I won't be listening to Jon Miller and Joe Morgan call the Sunday night games. I'm interested to see how the new crew does. Here's a recent flea market pickup of one of the all-time great San Francisco Giants, who are looking to even the 4 game series against L.A. tonight:

1963 Topps - #440 - Juan Marichal

I picked this one up last weekend, from the same gentleman that I got my 1971 Munson from a few weeks back. This card's in even better shape than the Munson was, with a very slightly soft lower left corner. It's easily among my best 1963 Topps cards, I've only got 11 of them though.

Only 3 years worth of stats, but you can already see the signs that Marichal would become arguably the most dominant pitcher of the decade. For a great argument that claims precisely that, check out this article.

Baseball Is Here!

Although Opening Day was yesterday, the Red Sox kick off their 2011 season this afternoon against the Texas Rangers in Arlington. The fact that it snowed last night is making it a bit harder for me to get excited for baseball season. I'm hoping this random smattering of cards that have been sitting on my desk waiting to be scanned for quite some time can help. Not a lot of time to post today, so I'll let the scans speak for themselves:

1961 Topps - #173 - Beantown Bombers

1973 Topps - #480 - Juan Marichal

Believe it or not, this was the only Marichal card I owned until recently. This is a great card but I just picked up another of Juan's Topps cards that blows this one away. I hope to post it in the next couple of days. Since I love the 1973 backs so much:

1995 Upper Deck Minors - #205 - Nomar Garciaparra

2006 Topps Wal-Mart Exclusives - #WM2 - Ted Williams

As much as it pains me to own anything even somewhat related to Wal-Mart, I couldn't pass up this 2006 insert featuring the Splendid Splinter on the 1987 Topps design.

1952 Bowman - #158 - Bucky Harris

Very few sets get me in a nostalgic mood like 1952 Bowman does. I would absolutely love to complete this one someday. Bucky's got a wax stain and some creased corners but I don't mind.

1980 Topps - #405 - Dwight Evans

2008 Topps Heritage T205 Mini - #HTCP2 - Clay Buchholz

2008 Allen & Ginter Mini - #350 - Kevin Youkilis

I'm not a huge fan of the Heritage sets, but Kevin's card from the 2011 set is pretty nice looking. If anyone's got a spare to send me I'd love to trade for it.

2008 Upper Deck Masterpieces Brown Border Parallel - #13 - Curt Schilling

1972 Topps - #255 - Jim Lonborg

Sure, he's not with the Sox any longer on this card, but the smile and airbrush job make for a pretty funny card.

1972 Topps - #254 - Boots Day

Great name, great card.

1976 Topps Traded - #528T - Dock Ellis

I'll even include a couple of Yankees here, both from the 1976 Traded set. Dock Ellis' monster sideburns and handlebar mustache, and then a card that should be in every good baseball collection:

1976 Topps Traded - #74T - Oscar Gamble

It's really inexcusable that it took me almost 4 years to pick this one up...

1975 Topps - #8 - Rogelio Moret

1975 Topps Mini - #463 World Series Game 3

I just recently picked up my first 3 '75 Topps Minis. Here are the other two:

1975 Topps Mini - #451 - Rick Dempsey

I'm a sucker for vintage catcher cards.

1975 Topps Mini - #356 - Rico Petrocelli

2011 Topps Heritage - #55 - AL ERA Leaders

We finish off with the only card I intend to keep out of the 2 packs of Heritage I've opened.

Happy 2011 baseball season everyone, whichever team you follow!!!