Classic Kaz

As I attempt to return to some form of blogging regularity, one of the most daunting tasks in front of me (as it always seems to be) is getting caught up on the many great trade packages I've received in recent weeks.  This is truly a "first world problem", I never thought when I got back into collecting nearly ten years ago now that so many generous folks would be sending me so many awesome cards out of the blue that it would be a struggle to keep up with!

Anyway, today I've got the contents of the latest fantastic PWE to make its way to my mailbox courtesy of my good friend Mark Kaz of This Way to the Clubhouse.  This particular envelope contained some especially great names and faces from Red Sox past, starting with this Bowman Heritage Jim Piersall.

This card is actually from the 2003 set, and I found out when preparing this post that it's one of three versions of Piersall's card from this set that exist out there.  The timing on this card is spectacular, as I actually have a copy of Fear Strikes Out (thanks to Netflix) sitting on my entertainment center waiting for me to find an hour or two of free time to give it a watch.  Anyone seen it before?  I'm not expecting much since it was released in 1957, but maybe I'll be pleasantly surprised...

Continuing on, we've got a nice Fleer Sports Illustrated card that gives you a good look at HOFer Dennis Eckersley's flowing locks and mustache.  As portrait shots go, this is about as well-done a photograph as one could hope for.

How about some Spring Fever?  I believe these are hobby shop promotions that Topps has released each of the past few years during Spring Training.  This David Ortiz is from the 2015 release...

...as is this Hanley Ramirez.  These two leave me just a Dustin Pedroia short of a team set.  A day late and a Dustin Pedroia short, story of my life!  These are much appreciated as I don't make it to the hobby shop very often and never seem to run across the Spring Fever cards in discount boxes or at shows.

Here's a nice Dewey Evans from 2003 Topps All-Time Fan Favorites, a set that makes me wish I had been collecting at the time it was released.  This one is nice in that it uses the '82 Topps design, a set that has always been near and dear to me since it's the year I was born.

Johnny Pesky is one of those guys who doesn't seem to have a ton of newer cards, so the fact that Mark managed to find a new one for me is impressive.  This is also my first look at the 2003 Fleer Flair Greats set, but it wouldn't take long for me to get a second look...

...as Dom DiMaggio here was in the PWE as well!  I will never get tired of accumulating cards of The Professor; this marks my 9th unique DiMaggio card.  I certainly hope to add to that total this summer.

Last, but certainly not least, is another Spring Fever card.  This is the 2014 version, and features my favorite Red Sox player on the current roster, shortstop Xander Bogaerts.  I was really excited to see this one in the package.  In fact, I've been pursuing new Bogaerts cards quite a bit lately on my limited hobby budget, enough so that I've actually debated about going head first into player-collecting Xander.

I've learned from past experience though that player collecting isn't really for me, and the pressure of trying to get every new card released took a lot of the fun out of the hobby for me.  So, for now I'll stick to just accumulating new Bogaerts cards vs. officially "collecting" him.  Either way, this one is certainly a most welcome addition to the growing pile of Xanders!

Mark, thanks as always for the solid batch of cardboard my friend!  I will do my best to get another PWE headed your way before next weekend...