Recently I received a nice group of cards from 'Joe Shlabotnik' and I quickly scanned them for posting. I was in a hurry because my window of opportunity to upload them to Google's Picasa online photo service was closing. I loved Picasa. But it's gone now. I have alternate plans, none of which I like. Meanwhile I'm just loading all my scans on a flash drive and toting them around.
But back to the cards I got from Joe. They were almost all Orioles cards and that's good because the only way I seem to get the O's from contemporary sets is by having them sent my way by fellow bloggers. I get some decent stuff from the few packs I buy but I have terrible luck when it comes to snagging Orioles.
Couple of Brooksies to kick things off. Up top we have the '16 Archives and below it's a Topps World Series Heroes from the 2014 set. I really need to count up my different cards of Brooks. I read posts all the time that state how many of a certain player are in the blogger's collection. I need to do that with Brooks, Mike Cuellar and a few others.
Next, Manny Machado 2014 Opening Day. I've had the concept of the Opening Day set explained to me but I still wonder why it exists. Same cards with an extra logo? Is that it? But either way this card took it's place in my fantasy binder because 2014 was the year I had Manny on my team.
I like cards with borders. I wish Topps would do borders on every set except Stadium Club. But you will note the 'trimmed' look of the Machado card. Very bright white borders give my scanner fits. And I'm too lazy to re-scan with a dark sheet of paper over the card and then crop the card. So Manny lives on in this post sans border.
Zack Britton lost his border and most of his position. I read an article the other day suggesting that the reliever has a case as the AL Cy Young Award. And yes, he's that good.
Joe's envelope turned into a JJ Hardy hot pack. here is his Heritage from 2016.
His (non-bordered...grrr) Archives from last year.
And his 2015 Heritage.
Joe warned me that there was back damage to this one. Looks like Topps had tried a new faux-damage variation. White Out staining joins 'gum' and 'wax' stains as chase cards.
Caleb joseph from last season's set show the Orioles back-up at a not too flattering angle. It's an unusual action shot but I'm not sure what the action actually is.
An Honest Abe for my presidential binder. Shows him with Secretary of War Edwin Stanton. Bruce McGill played Stanton to Daniel Day Lewis' Lincoln. He was a dead ringer for him, too. Bruce McGill is awesome.
Joe sent along two SSPCs. I have the Orioles from the set and a few scattered others but bot of these were new to me.
It's me! Well, no it isn't but it's close. Same first and last name and we were born 6 days apart. I have one of his regular Topps cards but I wasn't aware he was in this set. That's Shea Stadium and those hideous behind-the-box seats barricades they installed. And the patch on Andrews' sleeve is for Don Wilson the Astros' fireballer who has passed away in January of 1975.
And then there is Terry Crowley. He's with the Reds here but he spent 12 seasons with the Orioles as a player and many more as a hitting instructor. I'm not sure what he's up to now but as recently as 2014 he was still semi-involved in coaching as he was working with Chris Davis that year.
'Cro' won rings with the O's ('70) and Reds ('75) and very nearly another one in 1983 but he was released by the Orioles before the season. He also was in several more post season series with Baltimore and Cincy.
Glad you liked the cards... Both of the Brooks cards were in my "in box", but I knew you'd enjoy them more than I would.
ReplyDeleteLove that Archives Brooks
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