Karma is a...

With the curtains drawn on the 2010 season for the Cincinnati Reds, we can also officially close the book for good on another Cardinals season as their chief competitors managed to break a record for playoff futility, managing just eleven hits in their series - two fewer than the record and also two fewer than they tallied off of one Roy Halladay start alone earlier this season. While I will certainly try not to let the grudge carry over until next season and beyond, I also can't say I'll be rooting for Brandon Phillips or Johnny Cueto anytime soon. With well-respected ex-GM Walt Jocketty at the helm and a number of ex-Cards dotting the lineup, this team had a chance to be my NL team of choice this year with St. Louis out of the picture. They were one of the only teams in the division that I didn't have a problem with (Dusty Baker aside.) In the end, the 2006 Cardinals stand as the last NL Central team to actually win a playoff series.

Meanwhile, on quite the opposite spectrum lies Night Owl Cards. I received at least the 32nd package from his neck of the woods back east recently and, as usual, it contained an assortment of Things I Tend to Collect. (You can see what is among those Things I Tend to Collect by checking out the sidebar on this very blog. You know, it's the thing... on the side... over there.) Should Night Owl read this post, he'll likely be quite confused about how my first paragraph relates to this trade package and, quite frankly, I am too. I think I just wanted to passively and aggressively complain about the Reds tonight because I (sort of) kept it classy during the season.

Speaking of complaining (see... I'm trying!), Adam Kennedy basically became a metaphor for a couple of lost non-playoff season that the Cards suffered through after the 2006 title. Kennedy was one of the few Cardinal role-player signees that failed to live up to his projections as an adequate player and do anything at all that endeared himself to fans. He talked his way out of town by his second season as much with his mouth as he did with his bat... um, with the uh... hitting instead of talking. Right? Right.

Great card. But is Gibby pitching... in a dream? Where are his teammates? Where is the opposition? Is he pitching in a biosphere? Where's Pauly Shore and the Baldwin guy?

Ahh, I love minis! I love it when people send me minis. I don't ever expect to complete any sort of set of minis, but I will continue to list them and love them when they're sent to me. At some point, maybe their novelty will wear off with people and I'll be around to scoop up the unwanted remains.

Finally, because I like to keep it short these days at 5 cards per trade post (also not coincidentally the maximum number of images Blogger will let you upload in one spell), I'll give Night Owl's team some love because it's the offseason and he sent lots of cards from Heritage and A&G sets that I collect without really buying packs or boxes. Thanks!

Oh, are you hungry for more?

That'll do it.