Category: Memories

Retro Review – 1986 Donruss

Today is really a special day for me.  I have stated before that I am a Donruss man.  I know, Panini is a little different now and they don’t have an MLB license and they do points in their sets and they produced the abomination that is ’90 Donruss.  I know all of that. But I am a Donruss man.  I’ve loved the product since I started collecting in late ’88 and I still buy it today.  I really like the ’17 design and just bought a box of it to break sometime in the near future.   I love that they have jumped into Football now and I love the new Optic product.  My first big rookie card was the ’89 Donruss Ken Griffey Jr.  The first big chase card I went after was Donruss Elite.  There’s a lot about Donruss that I love.  But one of my favorite things about Donruss is the 1986 card design.I don’t know why this design specifically jumps out at me other than it’s really retro and reminds me of the great 80’s.  Maybe it’s because of the “Max Headroom” feel it has to it.  Maybe it’s because it had the famous Jose Canseco rookie that I loved so much as a kid.  Maybe it’s because it’s always been one of the pricier Donruss boxes and not one I could just pick up at the local flea market for $5.  It’s a set that predates when I started collecting but I’ve always been drawn to it.  And even with all of that being said, until today, I had never opened one single pack of it.  I have a lot of singles that I’ve picked up from various places but you just don’t see ’86 Donruss packs laying around often and the box has always been a tad high for me to justify the expense.  The boxes today range from $35-$50 depending on the seller.  So I finally had enough of “wishing” I had an ’86 Donruss box to break.  I just broke down and bought one, chalking it up to a severe case of nostalgia-itis.  Then, after it came in, I sat on it…..for almost 3 weeks.  I looked at the box everyday and thought, “nah, I’ll do it tomorrow.”  I guess I just didn’t want it to be over so quickly.  Besides, I had been waiting a long long time to finally break one of these boxes.  But today, after all of that delay and anticipation, I did it.  I declared today ’86 Donruss Saturday!  The ’86 set has a checklist of 660 cards, which includes 26 painted Diamond Kings, as has been the standard for many years.  The wax box consists of 36 packs with 15 cards and 1 Hank Aaron puzzle card.  As with other 80’s-90’s Donruss sets, one of the features was a large puzzle that you could put together with 60 puzzle pieces.  1986 was strong with my hometown Braves’ Hank Aaron.  The set also produced some strong rookies, including Canseco, Fred McGriff, Andres Gallaraga, Cecil Fielder, Paul O’Neill and Darren Daulton.  It’s truly a set with the perfect blend of both young superstars and stars on their way out.  Young superstars include Ryne Sandberg, Tony Gwynn, Ozzie Smith, Roger Clemens, Darryl Strawberry and Dale Murphy.  Some of the older stars in the set are Don Sutton, Vida Blue, Rod Carew, Dave Winfield, George Brett and Mike Schmidt.  The checklist is really loaded with a wide variety.The box did not come without some drawbacks.  While I am a Donruss fanboy, I am also fair in both my praise and criticism.  The Diamond Kings checklist leaves a bit to be desired.  The best player I pulled in my box was Orel Hershiser.  The checklist includes such names as Rick Mahler, Mike Davis and Bill Doran.  Those may have been household names in ’86 but they didn’t have any staying power.  Also, while the cards were in overall great condition for a 30 year old box, the cut of the cards was somewhat weak.  More than any other boxes I’ve broke in the recent months, the length of these cards were very inconsistent.  When you stack these cards, the cut issue is rather obvious.  But, all in all, the condition of the cards and packs was much better than I anticipated.  I pulled what seems like 90% of the set together with my first box.  That figure may be off one way or the other but that’s my best guess after collating rather unscientifically.  I did pull McGriff, Gallaraga, Dykstra, Daulton and Fielder rookies, among many second year stars as well.  However, I fell short of my overall goal of pulling Canseco, McGriff and Gallaraga.  Unfortunately, I pulled neither Canseco or O’Neill.  Perhaps I’ll have better luck with my 2nd box (Dub Score Spoiler Alert).  I enjoyed many of the names and the trip back to my early baseball days.  Nolan Ryan popped up a couple of times.  The Twinkies duo of Viola and Hrbek continue to haunt me as they were ever present with others from that dastardly team like Gladden, Gaetti and Jack Morris.  My Braves were poorly represented with the only  notable player being Dale Murphy.  But the big names of the late 80’s were there and this was a very nice timeframe between their rookie years and their established years of 88-89.  Like I said, it really is a great mix of young and veteran stars.  1986 was also a very nice year in the history of jerseys.  The Braves were in the nice blues that I loved in the 80’s in most photos while the Astros had their classic orange and yellow combo.  The Expos were sporting their nicest uni (in my opinion) with the classic red, white and blue and the Pirates were rocking the old pillbox hats!  The set used a very good balance of action and posed shots as well.  As was classic 80’s, there was also a ton of porn stache’s, Jheri curl and mullets.  The set really has it all.  And the packs were classic wax with no bubblegum to powder up the cards.  No UV coating and no bubble gum powder helped these cards stay in pretty fine condition.  There wasn’t much of a nostalgic scent to the cards as there is with many of the 80’s Topps sets but I’ll sacrifice the scent for the lack of powder.The box was everything I had hoped and more.  The only negative was that I didn’t pull a Canseco.  But the fact that I pulled almost every other star made up for that. I’ve busted several ’89 boxes and haven’t pulled a Jr. and been much more dissapointed with the results.  I’ll go back to the well for a second box soon.  I’d like to complete the set and try once more to pull the Canseco.  Because of my background, this set is really cool even 30 years later.  It has a Michael Jackson video/Knight Rider/Saturday Morning Cartoon feel to it that will keep me coming back for more.  When you bust a mid to late 80’s box, you go into it knowing that, at best, you may pull some moderate value rookie ($5-$10) so it’s not about dollar value.  It’s about the value of taking a step back to some vivid moment in your childhood when you first saw the ’86 Ozzie Smith.  For me, that’s a huge part of what collecting is about.  At this point in my life, I’ve pulled 1 of 1’s, nice autographs, printing plates, etc.  That can  definitely be exciting.  But nothing gives me a sense of comfort and makes the stress of the real world fall away like a retro box of baseball cards from when I was a little squirt playing video games 24/7.  This box gave me that feeling 100%.  So to me, that is a very good return value.  The price is also fairly reasonable these days and the quality of the product holds up in my opinion.  I’ll have to go with a Dub Score of 5, even though this one was destined for one from the start.  The next box is going to be more difficult to grade high.  I’ve got an ’89 Topps box ready for breaking in my next retro review.  1989 was a great year but the set didn’t exactly light the world on fire.  Until then, Keep Collecting!

Dub Score – 5

Dub’s Snubs

I started thinking about this when I got that ’86 Donruss box a couple of weeks ago.  You know, the one that I still haven’t opened.  It’s really bothering me but I just haven’t had the time I think should be allotted to meticulously go through those packs.  It’s sort of a big deal for me because I’ve always wanted to rip a box but for whatever reason, just never have been able to get it done.  I guess I still can’t get it done even though the box is sitting right in front of me.  Anywho, two of the big rookies in the set are Jose Canseco and Fred McGriff.  For totally different reasons, they have one major thing in common; neither are in the Hall of Fame.  I have to thank Matt Sammon at @waxandgumstains for making me think so hard about Fred McGriff and the Hall.  But I really don’t understand why he isn’t.  I get why Jose isn’t, even though he was one of the most dominant hitters of the late 80’s-early 90’s and one of my all time faves.  The Crime Dog doesn’t have those kind of numbers but he also doesn’t have that kind of baggage.  

So that’s what brought me here.  What players should be in the Hall that I collected growing up?  Moreover, what about the players that didn’t have any glaring steroid allegations?  I decided to avoid the whole steroid issue (almost) in this review because I didn’t want to beat a dead horse.  Some of these players may have even had some weird link to some of the issues but they aren’t Clemens or McGwire or Sosa.  These are players that,  by and large, did it the right way on the field.  They are also players that might eventually get in through some veterans committee waiver but they aren’t in yet and I think they should be.  I’ve also tried to put them in order from least to most deserving.  This is not a comprehensive list by any means but it is based on the thoughts of yours truly.  And again, this list is restricted to a time period in which I collected these guys heavily.#5 Alan Trammell – I first remember Alan Trammell from RBI Baseball from 1987.  The Tigers were stacked and Trammell hit .343 with 28 bombs and 105 RBI that year.  He was also a middle infielder, which was my spot on the field too.  Those numbers are really staggering for a short stop from the mid 80’s.  He also had 21 stolen bases and he won silver slugger during that season.  I know, you don’t get into the Hall for one season so here is more support: 20 seasons, 6x All-Star, ’84 World Series Champ and MVP, 4x Gold Glover and 3x Silver Slugger.  He had 7 seasons batting over .300 and 13 double digit steals seasons.  Perhaps one of the most impressive stats is that he only had 3 seasons with more than 60 K’s and none more than 71.  He averaged 8 less K’s per season than Cal, hit 10 points higher in his career and won 2 more Gold Gloves.  Now, I’m not arguing that he is actually Ripken but he had a worthy career.  Unfortunately, none of his numbers jump out as threshold numbers.  .285 avg, 2365 hits and 185 HR.  But if you ask me, he belongs in the Hall!#4 Don Mattingly – “Donnie Baseball” did not have a career as lengthy as Trammell but he did but up numbers.  He finished his career as a .307 hitter with 2153 hits.  He also outclubbed Trammell in HR’s with 222.  He had 1,000+ RBI and only averaged 40 K’s per season.  He was also a 6x All-Star, 9x Gold Glover, 3x Silver Slugger, AL MVP (’85), AL Batting Champ (’84) and AL RBI Champ (’85).  He was the captain of the Yankees from ’91-’95 and had his #23 retired.  The only thing he didn’t do was win a World Series.  He was an absolute stud during his heyday but ran into injuries along the way and just didn’t finish with any of those magic numbers either.  But the Hall is not just about numbers.  The dude was nicknamed Donnie Baseball for crying out loud!#3 Larry Walker – Mattingly and Trammell’s numbers sort of pale in comparison to #3 on our list.  Larry Walker hit .313 for his career and almost hit more home runs than the other two combined, 383.  He struck out a little more but he hit .350+ in 4 out of 5 seasons from 1997-2001.  Add in 230 steals and 150 RF assists, good for 17th all-time, and you have yourself a 5 tool player!  Over 17 seasons, he was a 6x All-Star, won 7x Gold Gloves, 3x Silver Sluggers, led the NL in HR in 97, was the MLB batting champion 3x and won NL MVP in ’97.  Seriously, you’re telling me that this guy doesn’t belong in the Hall?#2 Gary Sheffield – Now, a controversial pick.  Yes, he has been linked to PED’s but not in the same capacity as the big guys from the day.  Yes, he was a bit of a hothead and character issue guy but he helped ball clubs win.  He played for 22 seasons and was a 9x All-Star, 5x Silver Slugger, a World Series Champ and an NL Batting Champ in 92.  There are no Gold Gloves on the resume but he did top 500 HR (509) and hit .292 over his career.  He came up shy of 3,000 hits by only 311 and had 1676 RBI.  As a power hitter in a strikeout era, he also only K’d an average of 74 times per season.  He never struck out more than 83 times in a season.  Recently inducted Jeff Bagwell struck out 100+ times in 10 of 15 seasons.  Again, not comparing the two players as a whole, just giving a reference.  Sheffield has his issues but he was always a very intimidating force at the plate.  His stats are worthy but he just has too much baggage at this point.  #1 Fred McGriff – First and foremost, I’m a Braves fan and Crime Dog was a tremendous player on those teams from 93-97, eventually winning that WS ring in ’95.  He hit 130 of his career 493 HR’s during that 5 year stretch and hit for a .297 average as a Bravo.  He finished his career 10 hits shy of 2500 and 7 HR shy of 500.  Over 19 seasons, he was a 5x All-Star, All-Star MVP (94), a 3x Silver Slugger and 2x HR Champ.  He also never found himself in the news for any dubious reasons, was not linked to PED scandals and was by all accounts a consummate teammate and professional.  He is one of my all time favorite 1B, along with Frank Thomas.  This guy is the prime example of what the Hall of Fame stands for in my opinion.  And as if all of that weren’t enough already, he also gave Tom Emansky his full endorsement on his hitting instruction videos.  Case closed in my book!No-Brainer – Pete Rose – I really didn’t want to have to do this but can we get Pete in the Hall already?  He obviously had a character flaw with his betting on baseball.  I’m not going to completely ignore that fact.  But what he did in the diamond is unparalleled.  4,256 hits??  17x All-Star, 3x World Series Champ, Rookie of the Year, NL MVP, Clemente Award Winner, 2x Gold Glover, Silver Slugger, All Century Team.  3,000 hits is a benchmark stat for HOF and Rose had 3,215 singles!!  It’s time people!  Pete Rose belongs in the Hall of Fame!

I’m sure everyone has their list that differs.  There are tons of metrics that people use.  But sometimes we make things more difficult than they have to be.  The eye test is important to me and these guys all pass it.  Of course, everyone can’t get in and there will always be fringe players but these guys excelled at the game and had long, decorated careers that should be honored and admired.  What about you?  Who’s in your top 5?

J-Dub

I’m A Dork!

I have no problem with the self depracating column that is before you.  Odds are, we are a lot alike but you may not embrace the terminology I use.  But I am a dork, nerd, dweeb, geek, whatever you want to call it.  And I’m not talking about in a hipster kind of way.  I mean it in the pretty basic immature kind of way.  I have my likes and they are generally juvenile.  I have things that get my attention and they usually are the same things that got my attention when I was a young lad.  I am 40 years old and I haven’t grown up.  And I don’t plan on it.I’m married, have two kids, own a home and have a stable job of 19 years.  That’s as far as I’m taking this adulthood thing.  Those things do come first and I will be a responsible functioning adult in those arenas.  But that’s it.  I usually don’t do dinner where I have to tuck my shirt in or wear a button down.  As a matter of fact, I’m going to say that 100% of the time my shirt is tucked in is at work and church.  Other functions make up less than 1% of those times so I’m rounding it on up to 100.  Now, if you’re ordering a pizza and we are going to eat off of paper plates, watch a game and just talk with no preset expectations, just tell me when and where.  I’ll probably show up wearing my RBI Baseball t shirt.One thing you learn about me the first time you meet me is that I am not ashamed.  You can take me or leave me and the Earth will continue to rotate around the sun.  I haven’t always been that way and I don’t mean that in a flippant.  I have been around this rock for a long enough time to understand that people come and go but real friends are the ones who accept you for who you are and vice versa.  It took a while to figure that out.  I used to want everyone to like me.  I wanted to be someone that people automatically wanted to call if they were about to go out on the town.  I met a lot of fake people that way too.  There are a lot of people that will use that type of desire to be liked or “vulnerability” for their gain and throw you aside when it’s convenient.  So there is part of my message today.  Be you no matter what.  Some people will like you and some people will be turned off but you’ve weeded out some of the riff raff without even trying when you stay real.  And as Curly in “City Slickers” would say, that’s my one thing.  Be you and let me be me.  We may get along or we may not but we don’t have to get in each other’s way either.Well, this took a more serious tone than I anticipated so I’m getting back to the dork stuff.  The above is a good preface to explain why I have no shame in who I am at this stage in my life.  So I’m walking around the mall on this Sunday afternoon while the Mrs’ looks at every shoe available for purchase and I find myself taking in all the sights.  I’m not looking at Patagonia or North Face stuff because I don’t suppose I’m a “brand guy.”  I’m looking at the retro t-shirts, not because they are hip but because I actually love Ric Flair and Top Gun!  I’m checking out the new Funko Pop items at BAM.  I’m looking through old “coming of age” comedies at FYE.  I found Deftones “White Pony” on vinyl and it excites me because we I still listen to records when they are available.  I’m not going to Men’s Wearhouse even though I have a professional type job.  I’m going to Spencer Gifts because I think the shirts are funny and I need to update my black light for the 91 Topps project I’m working on.If I could freeze time from 1988-1993, I would do it in a second.  That would probably be my first wish if I ever found one of those genies in a bottle.  Second wish would probably be the abolishment of all the new tech items that led to the closure of video and record stores.  The third wish would no doubt be “3 more wishes”.  But back to 88-93, it wasn’t just a simpler time because I didn’t have many responsibilities.  I was just simpler all the way around.  If I wanted baseball cards, I hit Wal Mart or Piggly Wiggly.  There was no hobby and retail to get bogged down in.  The packs were $1 or less too so a reasonable summer job kept cards on the table if you know what I mean.  If I wanted to watch a movie, I had to go to the video store and walk the aisles, which would undoubtedly lead to additional rental possibilities.  As convenient as Netflix is, the convenience makes the decision too hard!  If I have to drop $2.50 on a movie, I’m going with what I know I want to watch, not just some film that looks like it might be interesting and I can turn it off if I want.  Yes, I suffered through many a horrible movie in the video days but I still joke about them with my brother and friends. I could play summer ball at the rec field and go get ice cream in a mini batting helmet at Dairy Queen after.  When I beat Zelda, I could go trade it at school for Mario 3 with Joe or BJ.  When I was hungry, I could pop pizza rolls in the oven and not worry about caloric intake.  I could stay up watching tv until 2 am on a weeknight and not feel like I’d been hit by a Mack truck when I had to get up for school.  I had to be vibrant in the morning because I had homework to do on the bus after all.  My work day would consist of a lawn to be mowed or watching my little brother.  Just absolute simpler times!  I am Exhibit A of why “Stranger Things” was such a huge breakout in 2016.  It’s a time period piece for me as much as it’s a sci-fi thriller.  See my Ghostbusters shirt??  That was my heyday! I have a hard time letting go of the old days.  If I had a positive interaction with someone in school and I haven’t seen them in 25 years, I’ll go right back to that memory when I see them again.  Nothing that’s happened in between those years matters.  In my mind, we’re back at the Legion pool on the super slide or trading 90 Donruss in Mr. Spivey’s class or camping out at Lake Okitiayakani and planning a big scare for the tent next to us.  That’s what I hang on to.  I sometimes just feel like a stranger in a different time.  All the partying on the river and gathering for poker and marathoners of the world have passed me by.  (And tubing on the creek is different than partying on the river in this case.)  Especially when you’re doing it with some of your closest friends.  But, each person is different.  Motivations are all unique but give me a pizza or cheeseburger, a copy of Night of the Living Dead, a couple of packs of ’90 Fleer and a Nintendo controller and I’ll stay out of your way and be as content as a koala in a eucalyptus forest.So maybe you’re not a dork like me.  Maybe you like those Junior League functions where you get to dress up and impress other people with your big society living.  Maybe you like sitting back with a cup of coffee and chatting about MSNBC with your colleagues.  Maybe you’re not happy unless you’re forcing your veins out of your forehead while you try to flip that 5 gallon bucket of concrete over your head.  Hey, it takes all kinds to make this world go round.  And I accept that about you just like I’m asking you to accept everything about me.  I’m just not impressed, much like you’re probably not impressed with my extensive knowledge of National Lampoon’s Vacation or my uncanny impersonation of Magnum PI!This isn’t an attack on anyone or their interests.  It’s quite the opposite.  This is a proclamation of who I am.  This is me finally understanding and drawing my line in the sand.  I’ve lived with the desire to be liked by all for far too long.  As a friend of mine said one time, “I just may not be your cup of tea.”  But now more than ever, I’m totally fine with that.  I have friends across all walks of life and that’s because we all have some common interests.  I’m just different with what makes me happy.  I am me!  I am a total, unashamed, take me or leave me dork!J-Dub

Mail Day Review – Cuyler Smith Trading Cards Series 2

I’ve been waiting on this mail day for a solid year so it’s a pretty big one.  When I first heard about Cuyler Smith’s Trading Card Series 1 in 2016, I was too late for the party and almost all of the cards were sold out.  All of the specific cards I wanted were sold out.  The prize of the 1st series to me was the “George Costanza – Assistant to The Traveling Secretary” card with the 1987 Topps design.  I know Mr. Wright, I’ve seen that design enough too but for this particular card, no border would have done it better justice.  But alas, it was sold out so I’m banished to EBay to get that one if I ever want it and it’s not for sale often and it’s never cheap, as evidenced by the last sale in February 8 at $219.95.  Three have sold in 2017 with the lowest being $185.  That’s my luck!You see, to understand the whole picture, I need to give you a little bit of information on the cards themselves.  Cuyler Smith is an artist from California by way of Texas.  I’ve never met him or spoken to him outside of passing comments on Twitter so my bio on him is based on what I’ve read.  After moving to California, Smith obtained a BFA (Bachelor of Fine Arts) in animation and MFA (Master of Fine Arts) in illustration.  And his work shows it.  His interest in film and animation took him to Cali and now his fine art degrees are paying homage to film and animation.  The Trading Card Series’ are all about athletes from film and Tv.  The checklist includes such big names as Daniel Larusso, Crash Davis, Bobby Boucher, Kenny Powers, Al Bundy and Ty Webb.  And those names don’t even begin to scratch the surface.  Rocky, Teen Wolf, Mighty Ducks, Caddyshack, Varsity Blues and Friday Night Lights are all covered too.So Smith presented Series 1 in early 2016 and it was largely sold out in the first month or so.  The pieces are all standard trading card size and are also signed and numbered by the artist.  I don’t know the exact print run on Series 1 but all of the cards I got today are numbered out of 90 except for one that is numbered out of 45.  So yeah, absolute short prints here.  Series 2 was just released in February and I pounced on the single I wanted and then splurged for a pack.  The singles are around $15 and the pack of 5 is $85 and includes either an “Air Bud” numbered to 45 (only available in packs) or an Artist Proof from a Sold Out Previous Edition.  They are available at www.nineteeneightyeight.com and www.cuylersmith.com and by all accounts appear to be headed for sold out again so I’m glad I jumped when I did.  Does the $219 Costanza make a little more sense now?Now, on to my mailday.  Don’t judge the condition by the photo as this particular card holder was taped by itself to cardboard for shipping and that is what you are seeing.  The cards were in mint condition and shipped very meticulously.  The single that I had to have as a 40 year old who sat in front of the Tv a ton from 10-15, was AC Slater from Saved By The Bell.  Don’t pretend for one second that you didn’t want to emulate at least one of the characters from Saved By The Bell growing up.  Maybe it was Screech, doesn’t matter.  This show is an iconic 90’s masterpiece and AC Slater was Sports on that show.  Football, Basketball and Wrestling, it didn’t matter.  AC was all world.  So I had to get that one out of the way even though I was buying a pack.  If I scored one in the pack too, just call it Christmas in March!After marveling over the Slater for a moment, I turned my attention to the pack of 5 cards.  The pack itself is also signed which is 1) a very nice touch but 2) screams “DON’T BREAK THIS SEAL!”  But I didn’t sit on my hands for the last 2 weeks to only look at an unopened pack.  After all, there was the slimmest of chances that a Costanza Artist Proof was lurking in that pack.  I know, I probably have a better chance of pulling the Babe Ruth card from those retail repacks at Wal Mart.  But hey, isn’t that what ripping packs is all about?So Card 1 was the limited edition Air Bud card.  It is numbered 43/45.  As mentioned above, nothing I received is numbered higher than 90.  As you can tell from the photo of the card, it lists the name, team name and number, which in this case is K9.  The back of each card includes a quote from the subject, “Woof” for Buddy, and a little peek at highlights and background.  The back of the cards have an older Topps set feel to them and it’s really a nice card stock.  The cards are also very well centered, unlike my photos.Card 2 was Fulton Reed, the massive defenseman from The Mighty Ducks films.  The card is numbered 90/90 and speaks of his time on Team USA as a member of The Bash Brothers with Dean Portman.  It also includes the Hendrix logo and his position on the front, staying true to sport card design.  If you’ve ever read my piece on The Video Superstore, you’ll know that this film was right in my wheelhouse, along with others that are covered in the set.  Nostalgia from all angles!Card 3 was Thornton Melon (Rodney Dangerfield) from “Back to School” and is also numbered 90/90.  This was another classic from the video store days.  This film was later in Dangerfield’s career but he still had the pizazz to woo the Hidden Valley Ranch spokeswoman from back in the day, Sally Kellerman.  He was also the master of “The Triple Lundy” and has one of the better card quotes, “With the shape I’m in, you could donate my body to science fiction.”  The card includes a diving logo on the front and a background of the high dives from GLU.Card 4 is a classic!  Hamilton “Ham” Porter from the Sandlot, numbered 89/90.  Of course you see the photo but was there any question what his quote would be?  It’s what he is famous for and I have owned shirts over the years that shout it!  “You’re killing me Smalls!”  His character made the film for me back in the day and I couldn’t have been happier with my Sandlot pull!  It even had the year in the top left corner, “1962.”Even though I love the Ham card, I saved the best for last.  Card #5 is none other than Rocky Balboa himself!  A beautiful card with a blue border and red, white and blue stripes, which every knows was Balboa’s signature colors when he defended his dear friend Apollo Creed’s (and the mighty USofA’s) honor in his bout with Ivan Drago, who is also included in the set by the way.  I now have a Trading Card that features Rocky Balboa, who was also Rambo, Cobra and Lincoln Hawk!  This one was numbered 90/90 and the quote is a great one; “Going in one more round when you don’t think you can – that’s what makes all the difference in your life.”

This card pack has made a big difference in my life as a collector and I could not be happier with the card selection, design, packaging and most importantly, the artwork in this set.  This has been an amazing “non-traditional” trading card few weeks for me.  First, I got my first set of “Welcome to The Show.”  If you haven’t made that purchase yet, I don’t know what you’re waiting for.  I’ve already ordered my second set.  Then I finally added some Cuyler Smith Trading Cards to my collection.  I’m about to get my second pack of that as well!  Unfortunately, time may be out on some of these cards but go look for yourself on the links I’ve provided above. He’s also on twitter under the handle @cuylersmith.  His twitter feed will lead you to the link to purchase these amazing cards.  If you’re intrigued like I was last year, don’t make the mistake I made and wait too long to get on the site.  These will go fast!  Score is obvious in this one!

Dub Score – 5

Nostalgia Night – Baseball

I have really been tied up with work, the kids and a brutal sinus infection that won’t seem to go away.  I haven’t been able to get to the ’86 Donruss box yet and it’s kind of driving me nuts.  I want to have the time to sit and go through the whole box.  I’ve never even bought a pack of that product but have some singles and have always loved them.  Opening that box is going to be a new experience for me, which is rare when talking about opening an 80’s box of baseball cards.  But that set has always eluded me.  I’m going to get to it very soon and will have plenty to say about it when I do. While I haven’t had a couple of hours to spare, I have had time to rifle through some of my old boxes while looking for the non-sport packs I just traded with Scott Berger, which was a saweet deal!  In going through those boxes, I decided to try a new (maybe weekly) post called “Nostalgia Night”.  I have boxes of baseball, football and basketball cards that are loaded with 80’s-90’s stars.  I was weighing how many cards, what players, etc when I decided to just pick 10 cards that jumped out at me and start with those.  The first edition will be baseball but I will mix it up frequently in order to stay fresh.  Well, see how it goes.  Maybe this thing has legs or maybe it’s a dud.  Only one way to find out.1987 Topps Eric Davis – There isn’t much that can be said about 87 Topps that hasn’t already been said.  Topps themselves are living off of those bad boys much like an early 2000’s Bama fan was doing with Bear Bryant’s legacy.  Topps has tried to incorporate some type of 87 variation in tons of products and for the most part has been successful.  There’s just something about that wood grain that takes us all back.  Station Wagons, Bedroom Walls and Baseball Cards all shared that design in 87.  Eric Davis is sort of the antithesis of 87 Topps.  He hasn’t gotten much exposure since his playing days and I think that’s a shame.  In his prime, he was a five tool player if there ever was one.  We throw around that word now but he was legit.  He’s just not remembered by many baseball fans of our generation.  87 was his best year and his stats proved that he was capable of doing it all.  He hit .293 with 37 home runs, 100 RBI and 50 stolen bases.  You may be thinking that 50 is a lot of stolen bases.  But it was actually 30 less than his 86 season when he swiped 80.  So yeah, power, average, speed and he also had the glove as is evidenced by 3 gold gloves.  I loved me some Eric Davis back in the day and still do today.  1988 Donruss George Brett – 88 Donruss gets hammered as the set that sent the card industry head long into the Junk Wax Era.  There were tons and tons of this product made and pushed out to the public.  I envision the future as robots still churning through boxes of 88 Donruss.  When Biff Tannen was dropping off the sports almanac with his younger self, he also said “Don’t buy any 88 Donruss, trust me.”  Even though a ton of it was printed, 1988 had a solid selection of stars and rookies.  Some of the older players were wrapping up and players like Tom Glavine and Craig Biggio were just getting started.  George Brett was close to the end of a stellar career.  I knew Brett as a tough player that was a difficult out.  He finished his career with a +.300 batting average and is one of only four players to ever hit over .300 with 3,000 hits and 300 homeruns.  The others?  Stan Musial, Hank Aaron and Willie Mays.  That’s some damn elite company there.  Even towards the end of his career in 88, he churned out a .306 average with 100+ RBI.  He’s also responsible for one of the most memorable moments in baseball history with the Pine Tar Incident.  I don’t have to rehash that whole thing if you’re already reading a blog about 80’s baseball cards.  Let’s just say that I was only 6 when it happened but I have seen it probably a million times in my life.1989 Topps Sandy Alomar Jr. – The first Jr. I was a huge fan of.  I loved pulling Alomar rookie cards in ’89.  His career never lived up to the hype surrounding him in the late 80’s but he was better than average during his career.  He made 6 all-star appearances, a couple of World Series appearances and won Rookie of the Year and a Gold Glove in 90 as well.  While he spent the most productive years of his career (10 seasons) with the Cleveland Indians, his 89 Future Star featured him in his San Diego uni.  He and Carlos Baerga were traded from SD to Cleveland and both were part of a mid 90’s Indians resurgence.  As for 89 Topps, it should not be a secret by now that I have a love hate relationship with the card company.   But from 89-91, I loved the sets they put out.  It’s really hard for me to even rank those three years because they all have their high points.  90 was the first complete set I owned so it has a special place in my memory.  I’m neck deep in 91 Topps here in 2017, chasing variations and glow backs that I didn’t even know existed back then.  And 89 is one of the purest card designs in my collection.  No neon colors, no throwback attempts, no computer graphics.  Just a plain basic card with a lot of class.1989 Upper Deck Will Clark – Much like 87 Topps, there’s not much I can say about 89 Upper Deck that you don’t already know.  It was the premier set for the company and broke the mold for baseball card features in a time when innovation was needed.  A Groundbreaking set to say the least.  Most famously known for card #1, Ken Griffey Jr, there are several popular, well known cards offered up in the set.  It was loaded with stars as wells as bums.  One of the stars in 89 was Will Clark, or as I like to refer to him thanks to Donruss, William Nuschler Clark Jr.  I really called him Nuschler on RBI and when we were playing in the yard because I was so amused at that middle name.  Another career +.300 hitter, 89 was also his best individual season.  He hit .333 with23 bombs, 111 RBI and scored a league leading 104 runs.  Two great water cooler trivia questions for your friends.  First, in 89, Will finished 2nd in the MVP voting.  Who did he finish behind?  Kevin Mitchell, his SF teammates.  The other – Will hit a home run in his first major league at bat off of what pitcher?  Nolan Ryan.  Not many players can say that!1990 Donruss Juan Gonzalez – if you want Juan’s comprehensive backstory, listen to Episode 52 of Wax Ecstatic’s podcast on ITunes or Audio Boom.  He does a great job with a players background and career in those podcasts. As for my memory of Gonzalez, I remember he was an absolute masher.  His rookie card in 91 made him look like a slim and trim speedster when in fact, he was about to grow into a mammoth of a home run hitter.  There are some allegations as to whether it was all legit but that’s neither here nor there for this conversation.  He was high on my collection list in 1990 and I had high hopes for a massive career.  He did finish his 17 year career with 400+ home runs and 2 AL MVP Awards but he’s been swept under the rug over the last 15 years.  As for 90 Donruss, yeech.  Really very few positives about the set.  But this particular card was known for its reverse negative error in which Juan could be found hitting left handed.  I had both at one time but now only have 2 non error versions.1990 Fleer Dale Murphy – Like 89 Topps, the Fleer set of 1990 was a classy, clean baseball card.  White border, no frills, just baseball.  I remember getting a few packs of Fleer at Halloween from my grandmother and I chucked my candy out of the way and went straight to ripping.  My hit that night was Mark McGwire.  That was 27 years ago and I still remember it so vividly.  That’s a microcosm of what collecting cards is to me.  They can take me back to such a specific place and time and I can have that sense of nostalgia wash over me.  Back to the card, Dale Murphy is a legend in Atlanta, even though he went on and played for the hated Phillies after wrapping up his career with the Braves.  He was the lone bright spot in a stretch of horrendous baseball history for my home team.  I remember going to games as a kid and being one of a handful of fans there to take in the struggling Bravos.  But Murph was one of my heroes.  I’m still dissapointed he hasn’t made it into the Hall of Fame.  His overall career numbers don’t seem to hit any of the benchmark metrics for induction but he’s always been more than that to me.  He was a 2 time MVP on a lousy team and played his butt off every day.  As it stands, he and Roger Maria are the only 2 time MLB MVP’s not in the Hall of Fame.  For shame!  He also got traded right before the Braves magical run of 14 consecutive division championships.  Bad timing.1990 Kmart Jose Canseco – Speaking of Hall of Fame, I don’t suspect Jose is going to get in anytime soon thanks to his post career look behind the curtain.  You could almost commend him for his honesty if you weren’t pretty sure there was a motive behind it.  The KMart baseball cards are certainly not Hall of Fame worthy thenselves.  But those derogatory assessments aside, Jose Canseco was my #1 focus in the late 80’s.  I was Oakland on RBI 3, I wanted all of his cards, I carved a wooden plaque in his honor in 8th grade shop class and I dressed up as him in 7th grade for an autobiographical presentation.  So yeah, Jose is a big part of my love for the hobby.  If it were up to me, he’d be front and center in the Hall, regardless of his enhancements.  This dude was a masher, had blazing speed for a big man and hit for a pretty solid average for most of his career.  He was the first 40/40 club member and still only one of four.  Of course, those players have something else in common.  They are Barry Bonds, Alex Rodriguez and Alfonso Soriano.  Again, I don’t care!  You’ll never prove to me that 80% of the league wasn’t doing the same thing.  And Jose was still better than all of them!  If not for Ron Gant, I might be a Jose super collector at this point.  But that place in my collecting heart goes to #5.1990 Upper Deck Tom Glavine – If Dale Murphy was the Atlanta Braves in the 80’s, the same could be said for Tom Glavine in the 90’s if not for John Smoltz and Chipper Jones.  See, the 90’s Braves were quite a bit better than the 80’s  version so there was more star power to share the spotlight.  One of those stars, a real superstar, was Tommy Glavine.  A former hockey player that decided to focus on baseball, he rolled up 10 all star selections, 2 Cy Young awards and a World Series ring in 1995.  Not only did he win that long awaited ring in 95, he was voted the MVP of the 95 World Series.  He finished his career with a 305-203 career record, leading the NL five times in wins. He could also swing the bat, as evidenced by his 4 silver slugger awards.  I could write an entire post on Glavine’s achievements!  Tommy was a stud on the mound and always gave us Braves fans an optimistic feeling when he took the ball.  Like Glavine, 90 Upper Deck was also a star among the card world.  They were still ahead of the rest of the league when it came to design and features and would claim one more year on top before Stadium Club joined the party in 91.1991 Fleer Bo Jackson – I can’t help but chuckle when I see 91 Fleer.  What were they thinking?  What could have possibly given them the idea that a bright yellow card was going to be a big hit?  Where in baseball card history has such a thing been successful?  Did they not pay attention to Donruss in 90?  These are  just plain awful cards in my opinion.  They have nostalgic value but even in 91, I remember thinking they were God awful. Someone that wasn’t God awful was Bo Jackson.  In 91, he was coming off his official induction into the Book of Legends  (thanks to Super Tecmo Bowl) and also a strong baseball campaign in 90 with a .272 average and 28 bombs.  But if you thought 91 was a bad year for Fleer, it was really no comparison to the awful year Bo had.  He injured his hip early in 1991 in a football playoff game, ending a promising career in that sport.  He would then be cut by the Royals, with who he appears on the 91 Fleer.  He would return late in the season with the Chicago White Sox but his otherworldly mythical persona would fade with the hip injury.  He will still go down as one of the top 3 athletes I’ve ever watched play.  Bo is still a legend in many circles and he’ll always have a place in my collection.1992 Fleer Ken Griffey Jr. – The mere mention of the word legend stirs memories of one of the greatest to ever take the field.  He may actually be THE greatest of my 40 years on this earth.  The Kid took the league and hobby by storm in 1989 thanks in large part to Upper Deck.  Ken Griffey Jr. drove Upper Deck’s success but I can’t help but give them credit for driving some of his early success in the hobby as well.  His smile was electric and belonged on a baseball card.  Some 89 sets didn’t even include him in the base but UD made him #1, a risky move that paid off in a huge way!  As for this particular card, it’s probably my favorite of the entire 92 Fleer set.  I’ve mentioned before that I loved the artwork subsets of the early 90’s and this card stood out among them to me.  Colorful and regal, it’s one of my favorite non rookie cards of all time.  In the mid 90’s, I was considered a Ken Griffey Jr. super collector but when me and the hobby went our separate ways in the late 90’s, I lost touch for a while.  When I came back, I never really focused on one player again, except for ole Ronnie Gant.  Now, Ryan Sawyer is the Jr. super collector and he has quite a collection!  I still collect The Kid but I’ll never own as many as I could have if I had stuck with the hobby during my 18-25 age.  

So that does it for the first edition of Nostalgia Night.  What do you think?  Does this thing have legs or is it like the 91 Fleer, one and done?

J-Dub

Let’s Make A Deal!

Trading is something that still exists today but was much more a part of my collecting when I was a kid. As an adult, I’ll occasionally make a trade with a friend and we’ll exchange cards through the mail. But that’s a little more difficult and risky than when you could sit down and hold a friend’s binder and physically make a deal. Due to that added risk and effort, there are some Do’s and Don’ts that I use when trading today to try and reduce the chances of getting burned. Everyone learns from their own mistakes and you may have some different or additional techniques that are helpful to you. This is not meant to discourage you from any of your techniques. I’m also not calling this the gospel of trading. This is what works for me. Finally, these may seem like normal common sense items but I have seen too many people get shafted because they were too eager to make a move.It’s usually best to get comfortable with a trade partner before sending a card off willy nilly in the hopes of getting one in return. I’m in a Facebook group that promotes the hobby and buying/selling/trading. I’m also active on Twitter with my personal and blog account. Social media is an excellent source for finding some of the cards that you’ve been looking for to add to a PC when you are trying to avoid EBay. I use EBay quite a bit as well but the trade is what we are focusing on today. As a general rule, I don’t entertain trade offers from someone new to the FB group or a fresh follower on Twitter unless their references check out. What I mean by that is you can check their timeline and with some mutual friends to see how active they are. If someone is a chronic retweeter or has 5 followers, I will likely not trade with them. It’s no offense to that person, I just don’t get enough material in the due diligence period for a trade or purchase.When you get comfortable with someone, it’s still usually a best practice to start slow with a fairly inexpensive card, like Mr. McNamara here. You know, baby steps. I recently pulled off a small trade with a twitter friend, @ShaneKatz73. He’s also a fellow blogger and I would recommend you check his work out at www.otwbbcards.wordpress.com. I was able to get comfortable with him quickly because for one, he has a blog of his own. This told me that he was pretty serious about the hobby and also that he was not necessarily hiding from the public. He also has a solid presence on Twitter in the card community. Even still, the trade we pulled off was mere pennies. But it went off without any issues and will lead to me seeking him out when I am in the market for something a little more valuable and I won’t worry whether that deal will be ok or not. If you pay attention to your feed, you can usually pick up on the people to trade with and those to stay away from.One thing about trading now that is much different from when I traded as a kid is value. As an adult collector, I have come to understand that value is relative. We still have Beckett and EBay to give us a taste of market value but I am sometimes willing to pay/trade a little more than market value for items I need for my PC. When I was a kid, all of my trades were based on needs but Beckett made it fair. At 14, you may have needed the ’89 Donruss Griffey but it was going to take more than the Sheffield ’89 Upper Deck to get it. You may have to throw in a Kevin Maas or Gregg Jefferies to complete the deal. Now, I might trade a $10 card for a $3 card if it’s something I need. We all develop this sense of value in our minds now based on what we collect. It differs from person to person so sometimes you can target PC items and make deals in that realm. The deal needs to make sense to both parties but it doesn’t always have to be equal in market value. I am not recommending that you go out and fleece anyone or allow yourself to be fleeced. I’m still not trading a $100 card for that same $3 card but value truly is in the eye of the beholder.Once the deal is done, make sure you acknowledge the deal with the trader and share your thoughts on how it went down. If it was a positive deal, let them know and let others know so they will have that reference for the future. If it was a negative deal, always try to work it out with the trader before going negative with any posts. Be clear with the trader about what didn’t meet your expectations and what would make it right. If the card was not as advertised, try to work something out to return the card. Many times, its buyer beware and you need to check everything up front. Unless the seller was misleading or did not follow through with a deal, you may have to play the hand you’ve been dealt. Of course, if the seller was misleading or failed to send an item and you can’t resolve it, negative feedback or a negative post may be in order, if for no other reason but to warn others. I am very careful with negative feedback because usually things can get worked out unless you are dealing with a real scammer. Then, that’s another story for another blog post.There are a couple of things that you don’t really have any control over. First and foremost is card condition. That is one of the major downfalls of not holding that binder in your hand when you devise your trade offer. Photos are good but if you are like me, you don’t really know until you are holding that slab of cardboard. You have to go into a deal knowing that unless it’s graded, it will likely have some issues, even if only minor. Secondly, you can’t control the US Postal Service. It’s good some days and atrocious others. You can pack your item with care in a top loader and then wrap in paper or plastic so it won’t come out. But let me say this. One of my #1 pet peeves with receiving cards in the mail is when someone tapes the top loader opening to keep the card from coming out. Please don’t do that. Find another way. Finally, you can use tracking in instances where real value is moving through the USPS system. This gives the buyer or trader a sense of comfort that a package truly is on the way and it protects your reputation if something goes wrong. Again, I usually reserve tracking for reasonably valued packages or packages where someone paid for shipping. If they pay for shipping, they get tracking!With all of this being said, it doesn’t mean that I have never been fleeced. There is one trade that will remain in my memory forever. For one, I still have the card that I traded for because it will always remind me. I actually look back on it now and it’s funny. But for a time there, I thought I had scored the biggest piece of my collection to date. I was 15 years old and Ken Griffey Jr. was my favorite player. I have mentioned before, When Subsets Were Cool, that I loved the 91 Score subsets. A friend of mine had an autographed 91 Score All-Star Ken Griffey Jr. I should’ve known something was up when it didn’t take too much to take it off of his hands. I also never considered where he would have gotten his autograph. This was 1993, before interleague play and TTM was prevalent. We live in Georgia and The Kid played with an American League team. And I knew my friend didn’t do a lot of traveling out of the state to baseball games. And furthermore, this was also before autographs were getting stuffed in every set made. But I was too star struck.I remember trading a couple of ’92 Bowman, which have turned out to be the class of the 90’s. I know a Chipper was in the stack but a Piazza might have been too. In return, I got this shiny Ken Griffey Jr. autographed card. My first autographed card! I know now that it isn’t real. I knew then that it probably wasn’t real but I couldn’t talk myself out of the deal. I still have the card in the exact same card holder as the day I traded for it. I’ll never get rid of it even thought I know it’s worthless. It has value to me. It is meaningful to me. It takes me back to the good ole days of my youth when baseball cards were my life. And that makes the trade worthwhile to me now.

Trading can be fun and easy. You just have to go into a trade with an open mind. A trade is meant to better each person’s collection. Much like fantasy football trades, you have to work at it a little bit and figure out what the other person really needs. You can’t just open the door and say I’ll give you A for B and expect that to be the end of it, unless it’s really minor items. And you have to accept that you only control one part of the transaction so do your best to live up to your expectations. It will go a long way in terms of developing future deals. Even though the days of trading in person are limited to card shows and close friends, trading is still a vital part of the hobby. Build your trader base and use it often to help each other reach goals. Whatever you do, be a positive force in the community. There have been too many members that have been out for themselves or out to make a quick buck. Be the person that you want to deal with when you make that next trade. You’ll thank yourself for it one day.

J-Dub

Memory Lane – 1991 Fleer Ultra Football

My last visit to “Middle Georgia Sports Cards” store in Warner Robins turned up a few early 90’s gems, in addition to my purchase of a box of 2016 Donruss Football.  I’ll rip that one a little later and post on it.  It was a pretty solid football product in 2016 and is not too easy to find these days so I had to grab it.  Along with the box of ’92 Fleer Ultra Baseball I purchased and previously reviewed, I also picked up a box of ’91 Fleer Ultra Football off of the $5 table.  A few things caught my eye with this one.  First, the pink neon post it note called out to me like a siren in the night.  A full box of any year and set for $5 requires a closer look.  It doesn’t always require a purchase, but certainly a closer look.  When I saw the year and sport, this one required a purchase.  An NES cult classic was also released in 1991.  That NES classic was Tecmo Super Bowl, or Super Tecmo Bowl if you prefer.  Along with card collecting, this game is one of the few things that can still make me feel like I’m 14 years old.  I know all of the players who played in the NFL that year.  I know most of their stats and I certainly know almost all of their attributes on Tecmo.  So the decision to purchase was an immediate yes.I’ll get this out of the way up front.  If you are as big of a Tecmo fan as I am and you spent your teens playing season after season, go find this box on EBay and buy it, so long as it’s reasonable.  Again, I got it at $5.  If you can find it for $10 or less, don’t hesitate.  You aren’t going to get rich but I promise you that the names will trigger quite a few memories for you.  The only name that is surprisingly missing from the set is Bo Jackson.  He did injure his hip in the playoffs of the 1990-91 season so he was not active in 1991 but he was a pro bowler in 1990 and it would have been nice had he been included.  Aside from his absence, all of the other stars from the NFL and the game are included.  There are also many stars on the game that weren’t actually considered stars in the collecting hobby in 1991.  They are there too.The set itself is the first year for Fleer Ultra in Football.  It consisted of a 300 card base set (280 veterans and 20 rookies) and a 10 card All-Star set.  There isn’t much by way of inserts to get excited about.  The All-Stars are not particularly sharp as they use a bland gold color border to mark the set.  The base set design is a complete copy of the baseball set from ’91, from the silver top and bottom border to the thin card stock.  While the card stock differed from what Topps had thrown at collectors for years, it was much like the 1990 Pro Set card that hasn’t been able to stand the test of time.  I believe Score is the first card company to get the card stock right in Football in 1989 but that year was about all they got right.  Of course, Upper Deck later joined the fray and outclassed the field, much like they did in baseball early on.  There was also some fading in various aspects of the Ultra card.  This would be due to the lack of UV coating that would come later in Fleer Ultra’s efforts.  Although, no UV coating means that the cards aren’t sticking together in the packs 26 years later.A box contains 36 packs with 14 cards in each.  I’m not too sure about the collation throughout each box but I did put the entire set together with one box break.  The cards showcase good action shots of the players on the front and three photos on the back, a profile shot and two more action shots.  Photography on NFL Trading Cards has always been on par or better than baseball to me.  Maybe it’s because of the existence of NFL films or the proximity of the photographers to the field versus other sports but I’ve always enjoyed the photography on football cards.  The photography was so good, it really put Ironhead Heyward’s size in perspective when you compared him to a defensive tackle!  Overall, Ultra did a reasonable job on the product and provided the collector with an alternative to Pro Set, Topps and Score.  They could have differentiated the product from baseball in some way but they seem to have used the exact same templates and it was a little boring by the time football season rolled around.The checklist is very strong.  The set includes almost all of the star QB’s of my generation, with two exceptions – Jim Kelly and Bernie Kosar.  Kelly and Kosar both only had Pro Set card’s in 1991, which may have been some sort of deal they had with the NFLPA or QB Club or something.  I remember there being an issue with the licensing when Tecmo came out and I don’t think it’s a coincidence that the two missing from this set are known as QB Bills and QB Browns on Tecmo that season as well.  The third “QB” from the game is included in the set, Randall Cunningham.  Along with Cunningham, you also have access to Montana, Aikman, Elway, Marino, Moon, Simms, Esiason and a back-up named Steve Young.  There are plenty of other names that will be recognized but aren’t considered “Stars” per se, such as Steve DeBerg, Mark Rypien and Jim “Don’t Call Me Chris” Everett. The RB class is also well represented, with the exception of Bo.  The set includes Barry Sanders, Thurman Thomas, Herschel Walker, Icky Woods, Marcus Allen, Neal Anderson, Emmitt Smith and “The Nigerian Nightmare”, Christian Okoye.  The WR’s include Andre Reed, Don Beebe, Mark Clayton, Michael Irvin, Tim Brown, Jerry Rice, Sterling Sharpe, Art Monk and one of my favorite Falcons of all time, Andre “Bad Moon” Rison.  The defense is well represented as well with LT, Derrick Thomas, Howie Long, Bruce Smith, Rod Woodson, Deion Sanders, Mike Singletary, Reggie White, Charles Haley and Darrell Green.  One notable absence from the defensive checklist is Ronnie Lott.  Also missing is the most underrated Tecmo Bowl linebacker, Percy Snow.  Finally, the rookie checklist is buoyed by Brett Favre and Ricky Watters but is otherwise light.  There are a couple of major busts in the rookie class if you are into that sort of thing.  Todd Marinovich is the most notable.  If you are not a 90’s fan of football, this set may not be for you.  But if you are close to my age, remember Tecmo Super Bowl and remember watching football in the late 80’s and 90’s, I don’t think you can go wrong with a box of ’91 Ultra provided the price is right.  On quality alone, this set would not score very high on the Dub-o-meter but the checklist, price and nostalgic value make up for it and I can safely give it an overall score of 4.  While I also gave ’92 Ultra Baseball a score of 4, it was for entirely different reasons.  ’92 Ultra Baseball was a beautiful card with a slim checklist.  ’91 Ultra Football is a blah card with a fantastic checklist.  I wouldn’t spend more than $12 tracking a box down and I’d probably stick with one box and hope I put the set together with it.  But I’m glad I bought this one.  I spent $5, I put the entire set together and I reminisced of David Fulcher taking a Jim Harbaugh pick back to the house in a Super Bowl when I was 14.  It was fun!

Dub Score – 4

Ready or Not, 40 is Here!

Well, the day has finally come and gone and I can no longer say that I am “almost” 40. I am that guy now. It has really been a glass half full vs glass half empty past week for me. I don’t physically feel any different today than I did a week ago but I definitely feel different than I did 5 years ago and will likely 5 years from now. But the reality is sinking in that I will never be able to say I am in my 30’s again. I was only a little bummed when I couldn’t say I was in my 20’s anymore because I was excited about being in the 30’s. This one hasn’t quite been the same feeling. I’m trying to remain positive, don’t worry, but it’s not the same. This isn’t a “woe is me” post and I don’t think that life is almost over but there has been some distinct soul searching and mind sorting in my quiet time the last few days.The girls were all in the bed last night by 9 and I retreated to the kitchen table to start sorting 1991 Topps Baseball cards as part of the massive undertaking I have assumed in putting the master set together. You know, the one I wrote about here. Any who, I started up Starset on the Bob Marley speaker I got Alicia for Christmas and I blocked out everything that had gone on previously in the day. I put away the stress from work. I stopped obsessing over money. No more “what’s for supper” or constant why’s from the kids. NO distractions. It was just me, Dustin Bates and Bo Jackson hanging out in the kitchen together, reminiscing about old times.Going back through that 26 year old box of baseball cards has brought back a lot of memories. I remember the age from 14-17 when I would sit on my bed and go through each card in the Beckett magazine to see if I had any big money cards. I’d compare with Josh and Shook or with Corey and Jared to see who got the better haul. Once I got done sorting the cards, I’d pop on Super Tecmo Bowl and knock out a few season matchups. If the weather was nice, I’d check with Brewer to see if we could get a pickup game going in basketball, baseball or football. If it was already dark, I’d turn to my horror movie collection and watch one of the Night of the Living Dead flicks or Silver Bullet. I have long been a horror movie buff even though they scared me to death when I was young. I still remember watching “Lost Boys” at Josh’s house when I wasn’t really supposed to. And if we weren’t already grounded, maybe I could get Coop to come over and try to beat Contra again. Yes, I remember the code to get 30 lives!Then at 17, I matured a little (very little) and started focusing more on female companionship. That’s when I was working at the ole Video Superstore and doing a lot of girl watching. The card collection and the video games tapered off a bit but they never really left completely. I also liked girls before 17 but that wasn’t really my focus then either. So the roles sort of reversed around this time. During this stretch, I started talking to my future bride and soulmate, Alicia. We spent quite a lot of time together playing tennis, watching movies and riding 4-wheelers. And when I wasn’t with her, I spent my time with Munt, Rusty and Jim hanging out at the Parramore Pavilion. We made a lot of awesome memories too and we can still laugh today at some of the shenanigans. As a matter of fact, when Jim wished my Happy Birthday Monday on Facebook, the comments spiraled into old one-liners and we had a good laugh. From 17-20, that was pretty much my life!You won’t believe me when I say this but I did not drink alcohol before I was 21. But you can believe me when I say that I did after 21. By that time, I had started working at the job I am still at today and had a little change in my pocket. Munt was over at Valdosta State then so I would leave my job at 4:15 in Albany and haul over to VSU to spend the evening over there hanging out and chasing more chicks. Alicia and I went on a bit of a break from when I was 20-23. And this wasn’t like a Ross and Rachel break, this was real. Even though I initiated it, I was the first one that wanted to rekindle it a few years later. We still look back and consider it a good thing for our overall relationship to spend some time apart and do our own thing for a while but there were some tough times then. So Munt, Russ, basketball, the Collins Sandbar and Fort Gaines kept me busy. There were other girls then too but they weren’t Alicia.

I can honestly say that one of those “life moments” happened during that time period. Like I said, I had started my job but at that point, that’s all it was. I worked 8-4, got my paycheck and went about my business. I wasn’t thinking it would turn into a career yet because I had tried my hand at several trades but none of them could ever match the excitement that I missed from the video store. I hadn’t found my “Clerks” job yet. But I was doing pretty well at the job I started in 1998 and I slowly started to think that it might be something I could stick with. I was still going over and partying in Valdosta though and focusing on fun! I remember showing up to work a few times and not really being wide eyed and ready for the day. One morning, the big boss called me in her office to talk. She told me that I had a lot of potential and the she had been impressed with what I had done so far. But she then told me that I would never make it at the rate I was going. I couldn’t have a full time job and party my life away at the same time. It just wasn’t possible.

That’s when I had my moment. I went home that day wondering if this was it for me, and if so, I had to pull myself together. Or, I could quit the job, find something that could just help me pay the bills and keep up the raging lifestyle I had created. I chose to pull myself together and try to make this a career. I have her to thank for that moment and much of my career to this day. Of course, I have my parents to thank for most everything I have but this lady will always hold a special place in my heart because she walked me through the early stages of what has turned into a pretty respectable career. Almost 19 years later, I have been promoted through many areas of the company, was chosen as the Employee of the Year in 2005 and was selected as a member of the Top 40 Under 40 in the Southwest Region of Georgia. Well, I guess I’m not technically a member of that club anymore. I wonder if they do a Top 50 Under 50?!?Alicia and I got married in 2001 and I started a new journey with her. We got our own place to live and we both had our own jobs so we could try to pay our own bills. We started out just like the newlywed clichés. We rented a duplex, ate hamburger helper and waited on bonus’ or tax returns to splurge. We spent 6 years together with just us and our animals. The more established we got in our careers, the more we liked to travel and spend time doing the things we loved. We went to the mountains, the beach, nascar races, Georgia games, you name it, and we could just do it at a moments notice. When work was done, we did not have a set schedule and it was fun! I remember getting home from work one Friday and Alicia had our bags packed and said, “We’re going on a trip.” I just got in the car and we started driving. That was our first trip to Helen as a couple. We bought a house a couple years after moving into the duplex and became proud homeowners. That’s when we started thinking about the next step in our lives.In 2007, that next step happened. On April 11, Bailey was born and the world changed once again for me. I think every time I got comfortable with life, something changed and brought a new challenge. Having our first child was definitely a challenge. I went from worrying about just me and Alicia to having to worry about someone that couldn’t even take care of herself. I still remember that first night we came home from the hospital. The couple of nights we spent in the hospital were fine because nurses were right outside the door. But when we got home that first night, it all hit me that it was just us. No nurses or doctors at our disposal to help when I got to panicked or paranoid. The first few nights were sleepless but not because of her getting up off and on. That definitely happened but I didn’t sleep mostly because I was a nervous wreck. She’s 9 now and I still walk in her room at 2:30 am to listen to her breathe and make sure she is ok. I don’t know that I’ve slept a full night since April 11, 2011.My life was changed forever when Bailey was born and she will always be “Daddy’s Girl”. There are days when we want to slam doors in each others face and go to our corners but they are outweighed by the good time. Sometimes I just have to stop and appreciate the bond that we have. We spent 7 years in our house as a family of 3. We doted on Bailey, let her get away with too much and bought her everything she wanted. We took her to Georgia games and made sure she always knew how much we loved her. I am thankful for that one on one time I had with her. But all of that would change yet again in 2014.This change happened in January of that year when Alicia surprised us with her announcement of being pregnant again. Although this one didn’t go as smooth, as previously discussed here, the end result was another beautiful girl, Georgia. Georgia has so far been nothing like Bailey was growing up. Bailey was a handful when we went to eat in public or when she didn’t get her way in a store. She still can be. Not that Georgia is totally devoid of those issues, but we have just recently started to have signs of that problem. Now, she’s 2 and thinks she can do everything on her own and wants to be independent. She’s just as headstrong as Bailey but up until now, she hasn’t been as vocal about it. And while she started out as mommy’s baby, she has taken a turn to daddy’s girl status too. She wants me to do things for her all the time and I definitely see her and Bailey competing for my time on occasion. And then, I find myself competing for Alicia’s time so I guess it’s just part of negotiating family life.So once again, I had gotten pretty used to life the way it was going and then I had to go and turn 40. Now it has me pondering life and where I’m at and how I got here. I’ve taken a wild and twisted journey to be where I sit today. It’s been filled with ups and downs and in between’ s. It makes me wonder if the next 40 (if I’m lucky) will be as eventful and bring as much change or if I’m sort of settling into the rut that is middle aged life. There won’t be any additional kids, at least there shouldn’t be. There better not be! But there may be another house in the future. There will be school for the kids, college, marriage and then maybe grandkids for me. My job hasn’t changed in 18 years so hopefully that can continue to go as planned for another 18. So while some things will remain the same, there are some eventual changes that life is going to provide that I am going to have to be ready for. I don’t yet know what they are, I can just hope and pray that they are good changes and that I can always handle them.

In my teens, I was a pretty good kid but was as unfocused and ill-defined as a person could be. I had no direction and wasn’t really looking for it. Then, in my 20’s, I found some of that direction but still lived an indistinct existence. The 30’s started with the abrupt life change of starting a family with kids but I think I found myself and my voice in my late 30’s. A lot of things I think about from the earlier days make so much more sense to me now. Then some of them make me realize how dumb I was too. Most importantly, I am now able to look back on certain moments in my life and realize what they may have been for. We don’t always understand why things happen or why we make some of the decisions we make. Eventually, it starts to make a little bit of sense. There are probably some things we’ll never understand but the light will come on for many of them and make us cognizant of those little moments that happened along the way.I’m bummed that my 30’s are over but I am going to embrace where I am in life and try to make my 40’s just as meaningful. To do that, I have to hang on to the memories that got me here. I can’t ever forget that first Ken Griffey Jr. I pulled. I can’t ever forget the nights playing Tecmo Bowl with the guys. I can’t ever forget watching “The Crow” at Alicia’s house on our first date. I can’t ever forget what it was like when Alicia and I were apart. I can’t ever forget the desire I had to do well at work after the fateful conversation I had. I can’t ever forget what it was like to only eat hamburger helper for supper. I can’t ever forget the first time I held Bailey and Georgia. And the only way to keep those alive is to talk about them and relive them when I can (except for that being apart from Alicia part.)So that’s what I do now. I play old video games and collect old baseball cards and make old jokes with my high school friends on Facebook and Snapchat. I’m active with my fellow Twitter card collectors. I ride down old streets I haven’t been down in a while. I watch old movies when I have free time. I try to give my girls the same experiences that I had growing up partly because I want to relive them. Life comes at you in strange ways sometimes. I have friends from high school that disappeared and have become friends again. I have acquaintances from high school that have become dear friends. And I have dear friends from high school who I never see anymore. But life has provided me with the people I have needed when I needed them the most and has surrounded me with some of the most special people in the world at the present. And maybe that’s what being 40 should be about to me. I have great memories and great family and great friends. What more could I ask for? Except to be younger?

So this is what Dustin, Bo and I talked about last night in the kitchen. And Dustin said something that hit me hard when I started thinking about memories. This sums up memories perfectly to me. “You come in waves, till you’re all I know. Then you fade away, into nothing. Weighed down by dark matter inside, you leave me frozen. You leave me froze in time…..in your Everglow.” Our memories come and go but when we they come up, they take us back to a particular moment and they shine on them. We have to hold on to them and never that that Everglow die. If you are in your teens, make those memories. If you are in your 20’s, correct some of the mistakes and make more. If you are in your 30’s, accept the mistakes you made and live your life. If you’re in your 40’s like me, lean on all of the above as you face new challenges. And when life gets too tough, just take yourself back to a particular moment that made you very happy and relaxed. For me, that is at a kitchen table with 1990’s baseball cards.

J-Dub

Mission Impossible: 1991 Topps

I will be honest with you.  It has been quite some time since I’ve given a passing thought to 1991 Topps Baseball.  The set was right in the thick of the card boom and in my mind (at the time), not a very attractive card.  There were premium sets such as Leaf, Stadium Club and Upper Deck that were looming over the hobby and Topps just felt tired to me.  They were trying to spice things up with an Instant Win contest that gave collectors a chance at Vintage Topps Cards but it wasn’t enough for me.  I knew my chances were slim.  I had been striking out all season with Donruss Elite after all.  And after owning the 1990 Topps crazy neon colored set, the cards were just bland.  Except for the “40 Years of Baseball” logo in the top corner of the card, it was more of the same from ’88 and ’89.  At least that’s what I thought at the time but as the old saying goes, “Hindsight is 20/20.”

Back in those days, there was also a set of 1991 Topps that made its way overseas to American Soldiers in Iraq, fighting in Desert Storm.  This is a completely different blog post one day but that set didn’t go over quite like Topps thought it might at the time.  But now, the set is one of the most (if not the most) valuable 90’s sets you can get your hands on.  Not only was it produced in smaller numbers than other sets during that time, there were also several soldiers who didn’t collect cards or didn’t care too much about the set.  They would discard them altogether if there was no interest.  This has made the cards even more scarce.  My childhood best friend’s dad was a soldier in the war and I remember him bringing some back home.  Even then, they weren’t of great interest to us because it was ’91 Topps.  Again, that hindsight thing.  But back to the base 1991 Topps Baseball set.  Like I mentioned, I hadn’t thought much about this particular set in quite a while.  Probably since 1991 to be honest.  I have bypassed many packs and boxes over the years, convinced that there was nothing to gain from dropping the money on them.  All of that changed recently, thanks to a Beckett Radio podcast guest, David Wright.  Not the Mets David Wright, but the 1991 Topps David Wright, also known as @longflyball on Twitter.  At any rate, he proceeded to discuss how he had begun a project of trying to put together a master set of ’91 Topps with all of its variations and errors.  As I listened to him explain the set, the errors in the set and the multiple corrections that were attempted over the print run, I found myself thinking about the few ’91 Topps I still had in a shoebox in my closet.  Color me intrigued! 

After hearing the David’s spot on the podcast, I had to start to do a little more research.  This led me to a blog post on Junkwax Gems labeled “Unlisted 1991 Topps Errors.”  I was blown away.  Every card seemed to have some sort of variation.  Whether it was an actual printing error on the card or the wrong player on the wrong card or a different shade of red on the back or even the previously unknown (to me) glow back variation, every card seemed to be affected.  My interest slowly changed to a sense of “there’s no way I could ever do this.”  Where would I start?  How would I ever understand all of the variations?  I decided to start slowly.  Slowly needs to be taken in context though because the base set alone is numbered to 792!  So, I started a spreadsheet with the base cards listed.  Then I added a column for a glow back variation.  Then I went in and added the individual card variations and errors.  Finally, I made a column for the “Bold 40th Logo” variation.  I’ll get into these variations a bit more in a minute.  Let’s keep in mind thought that I am a total novice at this project.  I am flying by the seat of my pants and asking for directions the whole way.  BUT, it’s growing on me and I am currently neck deep in 1991 Topps.  And for the first time in my life, that’s a good thing. Let’s talk about the variations a bit.  This is going to be a 10,000 foot view of those variations too because I still don’t have a good handle on them.  Let’s just say that even the sweepstakes card that is in every single pack has variations…..yeah.  The variations (errors) include different colored borders, airbrush issues, incorrect photos, trademark and registration symbol issues and misspellings, among many other items.  There are a few very valuable variations in the set.  By very valuable, I mean they could approach $100 if given the right circumstances.  The major 3, also the hardest to find, include Dennis “Oil Can” Boyd, Doug Drabek and Mark Whitten.  The Boyd card has a few variations but all related to his hand originally covering part of the 40th Anniversary logo.  There is an airbrushed version with a pink flag and then one with a black line at the end of the pink flag.  Drabek is a hot commodity in the set with a black inset border and white inset border card.  And Whitten has his hand over the border in one card and that has the border over his hand in an obvious rework.  There are others like these but these seem to be the most popular. Then, you have the glow backs.  As far as I can tell, these versions can be found for every card except for the sweepstakes cards.  They may even be there but I haven’t run across any.  In true 90’s fashion, these glow backs are exactly how they sound.  They glow under black light and look like the back of a Spencer’s Gifts in the Mall.  Again, by all accounts, there is likely one for every card in the set.  Can you imagine if we had discovered this in 1991?  There wouldn’t have been enough Zima in the world to top that! The final column of my spreadsheet is one for the bold 40th Anniversary backs.  So far, I have not come across any of those.  I am only midway through my first box and a few jumbo packs in but still, none so far.  These are just how they sound as well.  There are cards with backs that have the 40th Anniversary barely visible and then there are some with the logo very bold on the card.  Take a look at the two versions of the Carlton Fisk card.  Pretty easy to spot but don’t appear easy to find so far.  Maybe it’s the box I have.  So far, every card has been a glow back.  I’m guessing that the print runs are important in the boxes.  And that is what we all a bold assumption. Of course, apart from the errors and variations, you have the classic Topps back tidbits, as discussed in my previous post, Remembering Card Backs.  I mentioned the Ken Howell card that stated that he and his wife were building a house in Michigan.  It seems that Mickey Tettleton also “lists Froot Loops among his favorite foods.”  Look at that again.  He lists it among his favorite FOODS.  We’re not talking about his favorite cereal.  This is right up there with steak and shrimp friends.  This is info that you can only find on the back of baseball cards.  The other staple for 1991 was gum!  I am not chewing it but it definitely brings back that familiar smell when you open a pack.  I call it the scent of nostalgia.  I’d wear it as cologne if I could bottle it.  1991 would be the last year they put gum in the packs.  Which meant it was also the last year you could find an authentic “gum stained” back.   I have just begun this journey and the spreadsheet will undoubtedly grow.  I will probably be old and feeble (I’m already 40) before I am ever able to pull this together.  And that is IF I am able to pull this together.  Right now, I am committed.  I think about ’91 Topps in my sleep.  I head to my kitchen table whenever I have free time to rip a few packs.  That will die down a little as time passes, like anything else would.  But, I will remain steadfast in my journey to continue to work on this set.  It may come and go from time to time but I won’t pass up any packs or boxes when I see them at the flea market or a garage sale.  No, there is value to this set for me now.  

Here is the part where I get on my soapbox.  I’m still learning to appreciate the many variations of the meaning of value.  It used to be about the Mike Trout Auto or the Kris Bryant Relic.  But I have learned to glean value from other sources that are more affordable.  Value to me can be described as committing to learn something new about a product and setting a goal to reach.  Several of my twitter friends have their own goals.  They want to obtain a certain number of a particular player or they want a card from each set of a particular player.  No matter the actual goal, the only way for us to reach them is to be a part of this community and help one another.  I will never know enough about the ’91 Topps set on my own so I lean on David Wright and Kin Kinsley and others.  That’s the only way I’ll get there.  But that’s what it’s all about to me now; making those connections and being good stewards to the hobby.

My plan is to periodically update my progress on the set.  Maybe there is info I can pass along to you if you are interested.  Or maybe you can help me and correct some of the misconceptions I may have so far on the set.  Either way, I’m here to help when I can and I appreciate those that are here to do the same in return.  Until that next update comes, happy collecting and keep the hobby alive!

J-Dub

Every Card Has A Story

Collecting sports cards is about more than buying, selling, flipping and trying to make a profit.  If that’s all you are focused on, you are doing it wrong and you are going to burn out pretty quickly.  Is it possibly to buy a $3.00 pack of 2017 Topps, pull a Kris Bryant and make a quick hundo?  Sure, it’s possible.  Is it likely?  Nah.  If it were likely, the card wouldn’t be so valuable.  You have collectors who focus on certain teams, certain sets, certain players and even certain poses.  I know a guy who was collecting all cards that depicted a player signing an autograph on the card.  Sports cards bring so many options to the table.  You can be as niche as you want to be.  My favorite PC (Personal Collection) cards have meaning to me and hold a special place in my memory.  A lot of PC’s have that characteristic.  The cards may look like just common base cards or retro junk wax to many.  But to the collector, it’s more than just a piece of cardboard.  When it relates to a PC, every card tells a story.1982 Topps Danny Ainge – I have always been a multi sport collector.  I would buy whatever packs were available in my local grocery store.  I watched all sports and played them all on Nintendo and Super Nintendo.  I knew all the players and their stats from video games and television.  I have still never figured out who AW Second was on RBI 3 but he was really fast.  As I’ve also shared before, I really hit the ground running in 1989.  Any cards I have from before them were pick-ups from the local card shop (LCS) or in trades with friends.  As a multi-sport guy and loyal Larry Bird fan, imagine my surprise when I came across this gem at my LCS.  By 1989, Danny Ainge had won two championships and was a recent all-star…..in the NBA.  So, what was this card of him in a Toronto Blue Jays uniform?  I had to do some research because I was only 13 but lo and behold, Ainge was a former baseball player.  I knew Bo Jackson, Deion Sanders and Brian Jordan were multi sport guys.  I had even heard stories about Dave Winfield but I had no clue about Danny Ainge.  I would go on to learn that he made his MLB debut 2 years before he hit the NBA.  He would put up some Dwight Smith like numbers though with a career .220 average and 2 home runs.  Nevertheless, he played parts of 3 seasons in the major leagues.  This stuck with me.  As has this 1982 Topps card.1982/1983 Donruss Hubie Brooks – Every baseball card collector from the 80’s recognizes the name Hubie Brooks.  He had a solid 15 year career with 2 all-star games and 2 silver slugger awards to his name.  He was the third overall draft pick for the New York Mets in 1978 and put together very serviceable numbers while in the league.  However, his cards were never anything more than commons left for the shoe box.  But to me, there was a deeper connection with Hubie.  One of my best friends growing up, Munt (nickname), collected here and there during the 80’s but had not really taken up the hobby quite like me.  We did find an old box of cards in his closet one afternoon and decided to go through it.  He had a solid collection of cards but if he had 2,000 total, he had to have 500 Hubie Brooks.  As we were going through stacks, it seemed like every 3rd or 4th card was ole Hubert.  There was no rhyme or reason because he wasn’t a player either of us particularly followed.  He just happened to be mass inserted in packs over the years.  Even now, as I approach 40, when I stumble across a Hubie Brooks card in a shop or online, I’ll snap a picture and send it to him and we’ll share a laugh.  And of course, I have a few stashed away in my PC because I want to stumble across them when I’m 80 and have that same chuckle.1983 Donruss Julio Franco – Julio Franco is a popular name with baseball collectors from my era for different reasons than Hubie.  Julio had a very good career.  He played longer than any baseball player I can think of as he made his major league debut in 1982 and wrapped up his career in 2007 with the Atlanta Braves.  25 solid years of baseball!  He spent the occasional season in the Pacific League or Korea but he started and finished in the majors.  I don’t even know he is finished.  He could be a designated hitter in some obscure league now for all I know.  He was a career .298 hitter (so close to .300), hit 173 home runs and amassed 1,194 RBI.  He was also a 3x all-star, 5x silver slugger winner, the 1990 MLB All-Star Game MVP and the batting champ in 1991 with a .341 average.  He spent 2001-2005 with my Braves and became a fan favorite for his work effort and age defying play.  He went to the Mets in 2006 but came back to the Braves in 2007 to wrap up his career.  That summer, I was in the middle of my own softball career that was probably similar to the Pacific League of softball.  Julio had been injured and was rehabbing in Rome, GA.  After a Saturday tournament in Macon, my wife and I decided to head up to Rome for a Sunday game to try and catch Julio up close.  I also took this card to try and get it autographed.  It was a beautiful day for a game and we got to see Julio before the game but he told the fans that we would be signing after the game and wanted to warm up before.  We saw him get a few at bats and he was pulled in the 6th inning.  As the game came to a close, the news started circulating that a car had picked up Julio from the clubhouse during the 7th inning and he was gone.  We had been had.  I never held it against him personally because I understand the business and the demands on the athlete.  It was disappointing nonetheless.  I still keep the card in my PC to remind me that we don’t always get that personal contact and autograph so we have to enjoy it when we do, regardless of what player it is.1989 Donruss Ron Gant – It’s been well established that 1989 Donruss is my favorite set.  Well, Ron Gant is also my favorite Brave of all-time.  I wear #5 to this day because that was his number.  Ron Gant was my guy.  I have every card made of Ron Gant except for the obscure random inserts as far as I can tell.  My favorites have always been the 88 Score rookie and his 89 Donruss.  I think Ron was a very underrated player during his career.  He was a 30/30 club member in 1990 and 1991 with 30+ home runs and 30+ stolen bases and was a 2x all-star and silver slugger winner.  He hit 321 home runs over the course of his career, which is not too shabby.  He also won National League Comeback Player of the Year in 90 with 32 home runs, 84 RBI and 33 stolen bases.  One of the more memorable plays of Gant’s career came in the 1991 World Series.  In game 2 versus the Minnesota Twins, Kevin Tapani attempted a pick off of Gant on 1st base and as he went back to first, Jackwad Kent Hrbek pulled his leg off of the base as he was tagging him and he was called out.  He had a horrible motorcycle accident in 1994 and his time would unfortunately come to an end for him.  They gave up on him to soon as he would also win the NL Comeback Player of the Year in 1995 and go to the All Star Game.  I checked off a bucket list item in 2012, I got to check an item off of my bucket list when I met him at a Braves game and had him autograph a card for me.  I saw him on one of the TV’s doing some pregame work for FoxSports and we went to the set and they were wrapping up.  He was more than happy to sign and pose for a picture.  In my excitement, I totally forgot to ask him if Hrbek really pulled him off the base.  I wanted to hear it straight from him but my giddiness overtook me.1989 Topps Steve Avery –  Another Braves player and another from the year I started collecting.  One aspect of Topps I liked was the Draft Pick cards because they showcased players in their amateur uniforms.  And apparently, they come in a few color variations as seen in the picture above (haha).  Sometimes it was college but in the case of Steve Avery, it was his high school uniform.  As a 12 year old, nothing was more exciting than imagining having my own baseball card when I was in high school.  I would later find out that you couldn’t get your own baseball card in high school with a 68 mile an hour fastball and a middling curve.  Bummer.  But back to Avery.  He was a highly touted young gun for the Braves as he would make his debut in 1990, just 2 years after graduating from High School.  He didn’t really disappoint with the Braves too much either but was always overshadowed by John Smoltz, Tom Glavine and Greg Maddux.  That’s not really a knock but was just the hand he was dealt.  While with the Braves from 1990-1996, he would be the NLCS MVP in ’91, an All-Star in ’93, and ultimately a World Series Champion in ’95.  As for his NLCS MVP, he absolutely dominated the Pirates in the ’91 postseason.  He started 2 games against the Pirates in the ’91 playoffs and pitched 16 2/3 scoreless innings, picking up two 1-0 decisions.  He also pitched very well in the most famous game in Braves history, the ’92 NLCS Game 7.  He threw some relief innings in that nail biter.  He had some down moments as well in the postseason like getting shelled by the Pirates in Game 2 of the ’92 NLCS and was never able to get a win in either the ’91 or ’92 World Series.  He had arm problems late in 1993 that derailed his career for the most part as his pre and post injury records would indicate.  But overall, his time with the Braves is looked upon fondly.1990 Donruss Francisco Cabrera – Another early 90’s Brave worth mentioning.  I would guess that no one outside of Braves Country has a single Cabrera in their PC.  There may be a small percentage of Braves fans even.  But he will always have a spot in my PC because of two at bats.  One was magical.  Cabrera was a backup catcher and first baseman for the Braves from 1989 to 1993.  He had a very small stint with the Toronto Blue Jays but played 99% of his 5 year career with the Braves.  And his career was 99% uneventful.  He finished his career with a .254 average, 17 home runs and 62 RBI.  In 1991, with the Braves trailing the Dodgers by 2.5 games of the LA Dodgers, Frankie hit a 3 run bomb in the 9th inning off of Rob Dibble to tie a game and eventually lead to a win that sparked a 29-12 finish for the Braves who would win the division by 1 game.  This capped the Worst to First season, bouncing back from a 65-97, 6th place finish in 1990.  In 1991, the stakes were even higher.  After blowing a 3-1 series lead, the Braves found themselves in a must win Game 7 home game in the NLCS vs the Pirates.  The Braves trailed the Pirates 3-0 in the bottom of the 9th inning and all hope seemed lost.  Terry Pendleton led off the inning with a double and David Justice reached on an error by Jose Lind, Gold Glove winner at 2nd in 1992.  Sid Bream was then walked to load the bases.  Ron Gant then came up and hit a sacrifice fly that scored Pendleton to make the game 3-1.  Damon Berryhill followed it up with a walk and once again loaded the bases.  After a Brian Hunter pop out, the Braves had bases loaded with 2 outs and the season on the line.  With the pitchers spot due up, Bobby Cox turned to Francisco Cabrera.  It was a necessary move but not one that gave Brave’s fans a lot of comfort.  Cabrera had a total of 10 at bats that season and he hit .167 in ’89, .214 in ’90 and .277 in ’92.  Nervous is an understatement.  But with a 2-0 count, he came through with a laser over the shortstop’s head that scored Justice and EVENTUALLY Sid Bream and the Braves would win.  Unbelievable is also an understatement.  His card is in my PC because of 2 hits in his career.1990 Donruss Diamond Kings Ken Griffey Jr. – This was is pretty simple.  I loved Ken Griffey Gr. and I did a lot of trading at school.  At 13, kids were also mean to each other sometimes.  There were ongoing feuds among boys all the time for one reason or another.  I can’t remember what sparked this particular one but I remember the outcome.  I had this ’90 Donruss in my book bag one morning at school and one of the gentlemen I was currently feuding with waiting until I went to get my breakfast tray.  He went into my book bad and ripped the ’90 Donruss in half.  At the time, it was a $2 dollar card, which was pretty good for a youngster.  I can still remember finding that damaged card and seething.  I learned some valuable lessons that day.  I later replaced the card and is one of the only sub $1.00 cards I keep in a top loader these days.  I’m not damaging this one!1990 Kmart Superstars Jose Canseco – In the early days of my collecting, I bought everything.  Toys R Us, Purina, Jimmy Dean, Kmart, Revco, you name it, I would put it in my collection.  I had envisioned that these would one day hold more value because they were “limited”.  These could be the 90’s version of the T-Cards!  Wow was I wrong.  But I held on to most of them because they are so different than the cards that were offered at every convenience store in the country.  This one was one of my favorites because in 1989, I dressed up as Jose Canseco for a presentation in my English class.  We had to pick someone that we admired and write about them and present as them.  Looking back on it now, I could have picked someone better to admire in those days.1992 Classic Best John Lynch – This was another set that I had to have at the time.  I bought a ton of this at Wal Mart.  For one, there was that extremely long shot chance of pulling a Mike Schmidt autograph.  Chipper Jones was also in the set.  I had the idea that if a rookie card was good then a minor league card would be even better.  Again, my speculation was off base.  I kept several of these cards though for many years.  Later in the 90’s, I rifled through them to see what players hit or missed and I stumbled across this John Lynch.  By that time he had been to a Pro-Bowl and was on his way to a Super Bowl in what would become a great NFL career.  He was selected to the Pro-Bowl 9 times, won a Super Bowl and was a 3 time All Pro.  He is in the Ring of Honor for both Tampa Bay and Denver.  I think he chose the right career path because his 2 year stint in the minors produced a 1-3 record.  But in this card, he even looks like a football player.  He would not have been someone I would charge if he beaned me.  Another unique part of the card is that it’s showing him doing what looks to be some infield work as a hitter.  Much like Danny Ainge, I hung on to this because it showcased him in a sport that he eventually left to star in another.1992 Pro Line Brian Jordan – The final card on the list is one of yet another two sport athlete.  But this guy fell somewhere between Bo Jackson and Danny Ainge.  He was more like Deion Sanders in that he played both sports at the same time and later played them for both of my Atlanta Teams, the Braves and Falcons.  Unlike Deion, he didn’t do it at the major league and NFL level at the same time and he never won a championship.  But he was a great athlete and performed well in both sports.  And this card showcased him in his Falcons jersey on a football card holding a bat in a baseball stadium.  Classic crossover.  He was drafted in 1988 by the St. Louis Cardinals and in 1989 by the Buffalo Bills.  For the Falcons, he was a hard hitting safety that led the team in tackles while playing minor league ball for the Cardinals.  He would eventually give up football to dedicate his time exclusively to Baseball.  He had a very serviceable 15 year career in baseball and made the all star game in 1999.  He continues to work in Braves broadcasting and is a well liked figure in Atlanta sports.

We all have our own PC guidelines and to each their own.  I will never judge someone on what they like to collect because we all have our reasons.  For some, it’s Francisco Cabrera.  For others, it’s actually a player we’ve all heard of.  Whoever it is, just keep collecting!

J-Dub