Wednesday, January 26, 2011

1998 Circa Thunder

There are so many different logos and brand names going on with this thing that I didn't even know where to begin. I had to consult Big Bad Beckett in order to properly categorize this set. This pack promises things like Rave and Super Rave. I guess it's the DJ Tiƫsto of baseball card packs.

132 - Kelvim Escobar (Lots of color. Gold. Big Last Name. Squiggly lines. Even though the back of his card says otherwise, Escobar ends up looking very short here.)

11 - Barry Larkin (A good shortstop throughout his career who probably didn't deserve to get dragged into this mess.)

176 - Aaron Boone (This is before he adopted the same middle name that Bucky Dent adopted back in the day.)

147 - Shannon Stewart (The baseball player.)

13 - Billy Wagner (More squiggly lines here. In fact, they're everywhere. I don't get how this could have ever been perceived as a good idea. I was alive in 1998. I didn't actively collect cards or anything, but I was alive. And I don't remember a lot of squiggly lines.)

32 - Bill Mueller

297 - Frank Thomas Checklist (Somehow, the venerable is the only thing spared from the squiggles.)

68 - Steve Trachsel (Yep, this guy. The guy who gave up McGwire's 62nd home run in 1998.)

Monday, January 24, 2011

1984-85 Topps Hockey

One of packs I bought at Stevens Creek Sport Cards in San Jose, CA. The set that could never go wrong, 1984-85 Topps Hockey. I have always enjoyed opening packs of this set because every pack feels like a winner when you open it. This is likely first time Topps used the wrapper instead wax paper which now the normal of this hobby. No wax stains on the back but do have bubble gum residue on front of the card.

120 - Dave Poulin - two-time All-Star who would win top defensive player award in 86-87 and leader and contribution award in 92-93.

111 - Larry Patey - played 12 seasons in the league including defunct California Golden Seals (Oakland) team. Currently 25th overall in all-time shorthanded goals.

135 - Brian Sutter - One of six Sutter Brothers in the league. He would have a coaching career spanning 13 years with four teams.

153 - Michel Goulet (1st Team All-Star) - Hall of Fame goal scorer for Quebec Nordiques (now Colorado Avalanche) and Chicago Blackhawks.

109 - Don Maloney - 13 year career mostly with the Rangers. He finished his career playing for rival Islanders.

18 - Phil Housley - "The Housefly" as I call him. The 7-time All-Star sets up and dishes out passes adding to his assist total along with being a goal scorer.

12 - Pete Peeters - one of premier goalies for the Bruins in the early 80s. Spent the late 80s with Washington Capitals and Philadelphia Flyers.

100 - Dennis Potvin
103 - John Tonelli
Members of New York Islanders dynasty in the early 80s. 1983-84 was the last time Islanders won the Cup which was their fourth consecutive title.

106 - Glen Hanlon - played 12 seasons in the league only twice he posted .500 w/l record. He also coached in the league with Washington Capitals for four years none with a .500 or above record as well.

19 - Gilbert Perrault - Mr. Sabre who spent his entire Hall of Fame career with Buffalo whom drafted him first overall in 1970.

27 - Murray Bannerman - played 8 seasons with Chicago including two All-Star appearances. I would like to see the gamelogs for his 83-84 season. He's started the All-Star team that year, but finish the season with a record of 23-29-4 with goals allowed average of 3.38.

142 - Dave Christian
22 - Mike Ramsey
Members of 1980 Team USA hockey team. A team that will always be remembered forever in time.

73 - Dino Ciccarelli - the recent Hall of Fame member spent 19 years in the league shooting pucks in the net including scoring 50 goals in a season twice.

It's another winning pack filled with legends and Hall of Famers.

Sunday, January 23, 2011

1990 Pro Set Series 2 Football

Are you watching football right now? I am. Here are some guys that don't play football anymore. Be very careful when handling 1990 Pro Set cards. I hear if you get water on them, they multiply exponentially.

395 - Dalton Hilliard Pro Bowl (Last seen: Watching Star Trek with his nephew, Ike.)
- Pro Set Playbook IV

389 - Bill Fralic Pro Bowl (Last seen: Selling insurance.)

570 - Hassan Jones (Last seen: Playing Facebook games.)

585 - Hoby Brenner (Last seen: Catching passes on third-and-long for me in Tecmo Super Bowl.)

641 - Bubba Paris (Last seen: Inspiring and motivating.)

384 - Mark Carrier Pro Bowl (Last seen: Joining Mark Carrier and Mark Carrier on a spiritual quest.)

427 - Scott Case (Last seen: Building a really sweet town made out of Legos.)

432 - Jessie Tuggle (It wouldn't be a Pro Set pack without an error card. His name is spelled wrong.)

646 - Brian Blades (Last seen: Playing in a bar band with his brother Bennie as Blades of Steel.)

526 - Jack Trudeau (Last seen: Hosting the Fox Sports Radio show Zakk and Jack at 3:00 in the morning.)

729 - Bernard Clark (Last seen: Coaching linebackers at the University of Pittsburgh.)

708 - Keith Sims (Last seen: Watching Twilight with his four children.)

793 - Ronnie Lott Photo Contest (Last seen: Polishing trophies named after himself.)

790 - Mike Mularkey Photo Contest (Last seen: Wondering how his Falcons offense failed to keep up with the Packers last week. And slip 'n sliding. Lots and lots of slip 'n sliding.)

MVP Collectible 22 - Doug Williams Super Bowl MVP (Last seen: Apparently he's the GM of something called the Virginia Destroyers, who seem to only exist in theory.)

Friday, January 21, 2011

1985 Topps baseball

First let me give a shout out to Stevens Creek Sport Cards in San Jose, CA. Every year when I vacation around California Bay Area I always make the trek there to buy cards. They have amazing selection of packs and boxes to choose from. I went there over the weekend buying up packs like these. I'm hoping to pull out that Mark McGwire card. As for the pack I wound up with these.

680 - Jerry Reuss. He was the card on the back of the pack.

639 - Ed Hodge. His only season in the majors. Spent his final two seasons of the his careers in AAA ball.

275 - Harold Baines #1 draft pick card. Topps print out former first overall picks on this set. Interesting note I read on the back he caught the eye of then-White Sox president Bill Veeck when he was 12 years old playing Little League ball. Kinda creepy.

427 - Mario Ramirez. Another Mario struggling hit above .200. In his six seasons in the majors he only hit above .200 twice with his best effort in 1985 season.

555 - Bob Stanley

394 - Bob Caffrey. Not the Team USA card I wanted. Drafted 13th overall by the Expos he lasted five seasons spending four of the seasons in A-ball.

748 - Lee Mazzilli

356 - Dave Meier - put up solid hitting numbers in the minors but didn't translate in the majors. Didn't play 1986 season after Twins released him. Rangers signed him for 87 season where he spent most of the year in the minors and getting a cup of coffee in the majors. Traded to the Cubs in final season his career in, where else, the minors and getting a 2 game cup of coffee.

Can I still redeem these?

201 - Burt Hooten. I notice after the sweepstakes card few cards have been poorly cut. This is one of them.

405 - Dale Berra. Another bad cut. As you can see clipped right below the black line. On the back of the card it cut off the first number of his card.

439 - Junior Ortiz

128 - Ernie Whitt. He made contact with that swing

366 - Todd Cruz - 1984 is the last time he played in the majors. He spent next three years in the minors before calling it quits. Made a comeback in 1991.

322 - Dave Stapleton
500 - Mike Schmidt -despite a bad cut still a good way end the pack.

Still no Mark McGwire card yet.