Strange but True: Cards from Thoughts and Sox

I usually try to post about packages I receive more or less in the order that I receive them. However, before I could post about the recent package I got from Adam of Thoughts and Sox, I unexpectedly received another package from him that contained something rather... extraordinary... which I felt warranted bumping him up the queue. More on that later, but let's first look at package number one.

Adam lives in Missouri, where Cardinals cards are in scarce supply. (The same can be said of Blazers cards where I live, unless you want to shell out 50 cents a pop for Steve Blake cards.) He still managed to toss in a few, including this Kelvin Jimenez 2007 Upper Deck card that I happened to be missing. I've found that I'm missing a surprisingly large amount of cards from this set, although I managed to knock a handful off of my wantlist at the last card show for a penny a piece.

This is actually a black MINI O-Pee-Chee card of Adam Wainwright, despite the fact that it appears slightly larger than the rest of the images. You'll just have to trust me on this one. The Rick Ankiel card at the top of this post apparently was an inserted preview image for O-Pee-Chee's set before Topps got angry at Upper Deck or something. I don't even remember the whole story, and I thought the whole O-Pee-Chee set was so uninspired almost to the point of seeming intentionally awful. The bottom line is this: I don't care, but I do want the Cardinals cards anyway because they are Cardinals.

I've coveted this card ever since Upper Deck's first series of cards came out a year ago. I really like their Team Leaders cards but was not all that impressed overall by the regular base design. It's not bad, though. From what it sounds like, Upper Deck is going to attempt to put out a comprehensive base type set in 2010, which as far as I know is uncharted territory for an unlicensed set. (Correct me if I'm wrong.)

Here's a rookie card of long forgotten point guard Alvin Williams. Williams was just starting to come into his own when the Blazers ran out of patience with their starting point guard Kenny Anderson and traded him for Damon Stoudamire. Blazers cards always have a home here.

I haven't really mentioned the Eagles on this blog all season since the, er, unpleasantness. I did break down and watch a couple of games, but I was disgusted with their performance at the end of the season and opted not to watch the playoff game, which turned out to be a wise decision. Vick should be gone by next season, so I will probably pay more attention then.

The impetus of the trade was a healthy stack of 2009 Allen & Ginter cards which cut my wantlist down by quite a bit. I usually seem to get a Mickey Mantle card out of one of the first packs of every Topps product I purchase, so it seemed kind of odd that I didn't own this already. I didn't even realize he was in the set.

So the second package came yesterday, and I do vaguely an e-mail suggestingt hat Adam had a few additional old Heritage cards to send me. Let's take a look.

Here's Juan Encarnacion, former Cardinal. His career ended sadly, gruesomely and suddenly, and I hope he's enjoying a good and productive life away from baseball now.

Boss and Power, eh? Is Chipper threatening to keep playing until Cox retires so he can take over managing the team?

Here's a much-needed Rookie Performers insert from the 2008 Heritage set. I'm starting to find that, dastardly short prints aside, a lot of the stuff I'm missing from this set is from the high series.

Finally, there were a couple unlicensed 2008 Donruss Threads Cardinals cards, including Eck here. Of all of the Hall of Fame relievers (there aren't many), he seems like the most "regular guy." Unlicensed cards are just so awkward, and the only reason I like getting them in trades is so I don't have to spend money on them - because I won't.

Wait... there was another group of cards in the package.

STRANGE BUT TRUE!

IT CAN HAPPEN TO ANYONE!!!

Yargh!!! Ol' Red does kind of have a pirate look to him here. At least I got Bipped with a Cardinal. I don't think others have been so lucky.