Getting There

I haven't completed a set in about 17 years (unless you count non-sports cards, but I'm not getting into that now.) Thanks to fellow blogs like Night Owl Cards, I'm closer than ever to completing 2008 Allen & Ginter. I've only posted about this set about, oh, maybe 10 times now, but here's another couple of cards from the set (and some extras) that I received from Night Owl this past week.

When looking at my want list, I stumbled upon someone called Takudzwa Ngwenya, not having any idea who he or she was. That's part of the fun of this set. Now that I see the card, I can go... ooh, rugby guy.

I know who Melky Cabrera is. I wonder what the Yankees will end up doing with their enormous collection of outfielders. I would hate to be a minor league player in their system.

I was also sent my first two 2009 Upper Deck cards featuring the Cardinals' former starting middle infielders. Cesar Izturis left quietly and unceremoniously, having done his job about as well as could be expected last season with a sharp glove and a toothpick for a bat.

Adam Kennedy was released about a week before pitchers and catchers were set to report. The timing was fairly ridiculous, but supposedly the team still held out hope that they could hope that they could find a trade partner for him even while publicly stating that he wasn't going anywhere. Having now seen the new Upper Deck design in person rather than just on the internet, I'm still not sure that I'm all that wild about it. They really are reminiscent of that lousy Documentary set. Still, it beats 2008 Topps.

Finally, there was a Colby Rasmus rookie card. I believe I whined in a post or a comment on some blog somewhere awhile back that I was hoping to pull one of these in a 2005 Topps Updates & Highlights pack someday because I didn't have any of his cards. Night Owl must have had one in a secret stash somewhere, because he sneaked his way into the package I got last week. I'm afraid all of the hype that is built up around Colby is going to forever surpass what he actually does on the field, but for now I'd just settle for getting to see him play. Maybe I should consider a move to Memphis.