Falling Out Of Love With Baseball

It hit me while watching tonight's AllStar game. Maybe the uniform uniforms had something to do with it. Maybe it was the excess player fraternizing on the field or the clip of Tatis  Jr. wearing the  homerun chain. All these things set off a chain reaction and suddenly everything from the implementation of replay to the " man on second" extra inning rule had me doubting my love for  today's version of MLB. In fact, the day they decide to implement the DH rule in the National League will be the day I stop watching baseball all together. The last straw I guess you could call it. I could list other things that have changed in the game that are contributing to my growing disdain for the sport but I've gone over it ad nauseum in my head. My mind is made up. 

My Wallet Card - Day 2,264

My first wallet card post was 2,264 days ago on January 5th 2015. I'm not 100% positive who started the craze. I'm thinking Junior Junkie? Recently, my daughter caught me looking at my childhood Lenny Dykstra rc which has been in my wallet for 6 years now, and asked if she could have it. I was reluctant at first but thought who better to carry on the tradition than my daughter. 

1992 Comic Book Sports Card Ads

One of my favorite things to do as an adult collector of childhood ephemera is to enjoy the ads within. Sports card ads, especially! You don't see this anymore. At least, not like before. Here are a couple of ads that came out of a  Marvel 1992 June issue of Wonder Man. 

Good times!

1989 Score #655 - Jose Canseco (1988 Highlight)

Jose Canseco had a bunch of 40-40 cards come out in 1989 but this one always stood out to me. The front of the card was pretty cool but what got me was the pic on the back. Is that the sloppiest looking slide into second you've ever seen or what 😂  Steroids or not, I tip my hat. People got their money's worth whenever they got to see him play and he'll always be my childhood fav. 

1989 Score #447 - Joel Skinner

This one is kind of an odd-ball choice for me. I was never a big Yankee fan and had it not been for Dave Parker sliding in and under the tag, this Joel Skinner card would be meaningless. I get a kick out of stars making cameo appearances on cards of common players. A little more to the right and this could have been a kick-ass "Cobra" card!

1989 Score #175 - Wade Boggs

Boggs was a guy I got to see alot of growing up. I was an A's fan back then so I got a good dose of Red Sox baseball whenever they'd matchup in the playoffs. I always liked his crouch at the plate and the way he'd always look pitches back into the catchers glove. This card captures both of those things beautifully. 

The back of the card shows the standard player mugshot as well as the players jersey number. Something other cards never made us hip to. 

1989 Score #565 - Paul Molitor

I bought alot of 89 Score as a kid. Those little plastic bag-like packs they came in were fun to rip into. I damn near had an entire set If my memory serves me right, but I can't remember ever having this card. Paul Molitor is one of those players I wish I could have seen more of. I think that's why I enjoy his cards so much. Judging by  his numbers , the guy was solid! This is a great looking card. The borders match the Brewers uniform color nicely and the photo captures a locked- in Molitor probably roping a double into left-center. 

Penny Sleevin' Some Score

There's nothing like spending a quiet Tuesday night sleeving cards and listening to 80s soft rock. It's a great alternative to watching crappy primetime television and mindless movie streaming. I scored this complete set of 1989 Score for a measely 5 bucks on eBay, shipped! It's been tucked away underneath my bed for a couple of months now so I figured I'd crack the box open and throw a few of my favorite cards from the set into toploaders. Throughout these next couple of weeks I'll be showcasing those cards.

Important Cards From My Childhood

It's been almost a year since I've posted anything on this poor little sports-card blog of mine. Funny how the prospect of  shoveling out of a foot of snow can be just enough of a stressor to get the creative juices flowing again.  I figured a post about an important childhood baseball card was just what I needed to get my mind off of things  and hopefully get the ball rolling again here at the pub. Plus, baseball is super heavy on the mind right now and the season can't start any faster. So here we go...

 By the time I started collecting cards as a kid McGwire was already In his third year In the bigs and making waves.  We knew how important this card was and would often use It to draw interest from possible trade partners. I distinctly remember my buddy Doug waving this card in my face hoping I'd trade away my 1990 Upper Deck Kevin Maas for It. Wasn't happening. I thought Maas would most certainly become the better player. I thought wrong. McGwire would go on to break the single season homerun record and Maas would have to watch from the sidelines as he lasted only 5 years In the majors.