Actual Baseball Cards

I'm grounded now. I'm centered. All is right with the world. The Blazers evened up their playoff series and the Cardinals came from 4 runs down late to beat the Mets. It's time to talk about... yes... baseball cards. I received another surprise package from Eric of The Pettttiittttteeee Pursuit on Saturday. Among the stack of cards were my first Cardinals from 2009 Upper Deck First Edition. I really don't like this set, but it always makes me happy to get Cardinals cards from sets I detest because it means that I don't have to seek them out. I felt like the 2007 First Edition set was a much uglier version of the regular base set, and I feel the same way about this year's crop. I thought last year's First Edition stuff was a great approach, especially the "update" set. It's not the UV-coating I miss. I just really think the gold coloring combined with the budget feel of the set combines to make it lousy. I do find it fairly amusing that they apparently cut the hologram logo out of the budget at the last minute to save money, since you can clearly see the "(R)" registered trademark near the place where the hologram thing should be.

This isn't the best photo of Albert. I've often thought it would be funny and somewhat appropriate if they used their best shots for the main sets and then used stuff like this for the budget sets, but they don't.

I don't have a good reason for liking the 2003 Topps design, but I do like it.

Back to the regular Upper Deck set here with Ryan Ludwick. It's an interesting photo, but couldn't they have found something better?

Albert Pujols: hero to many, good at baseball.

Thanks again to Eric. I sent out 5 packages today and one of them is heading his way. My next round of packages will be headed out to my two contest winners and the proprietors of the blogs known as Dinged Corners, Padrographs and White Sox Cards.