Thanks, Topps, For Making Things Even Worse

Okay, Topps, how am I going to clear up this misconception when you make things like this George Sisler National Chicle card? As you probably know, Hall of Famer George Sisler was never a Cardinal, but he played for an MLB team in St. Louis known as the St. Louis Browns. To confuse even more, the Cardinals were actually the Browns at one point - briefly - but the Browns were never the Cardinals. At least, not George's Browns. Not the Browns that he played for that roamed the ball fields of the American League. I've received quite a few Sisler cards over the past couple of years. I can't complain about getting Hall of Fame type cards, but I don't collect Sisler or Browns cards unless they are somehow connected to the Cardinals franchise. The Cardinals began their life as the Perfectos before spending the greater portion of the 1890s as the Brown Stockings (Browns for short.) Most of the cards and photos you see, however, are for players that played for the A.L. franchise that was founded in 1894 was... wait for it... the Milwaukee Brewers! They were the Browns for 52 years beginning in 1902 before becoming the Baltimore Orioles that you know and love, but mostly just know, today.

All of this leads me to a nice little package from The Card Chop. Topps got a little silly with the National Chicle set that they put out this year (remember, there were Chipper Babe Ruth Atlanta Braves cards, after all) and after I purchased the basic team set at a card show I ended up with an unnecessary Sisler card. I even see Sisler misrepresented as a Cardinal in databases and even on Beckett's website, so this was no great surprise. The card I received in this trade was a big surprise, however. Apparently it's a short print and, despite all my outrage, I am reluctantly glad to own it... if that makes any sense.

Here's a card with a bit less controversy and even more awesome. This is one of those funky cereal box refractors which are normally limited to "legend" type players. Pujols is a living legend, though, so he gets one.

I really like the black minis from Allen & Ginter. This Colby Rasmus mini is better in person than it looks here, not helped by the fact that my scanner cut off one of the borders.

I received a nice little stack of 2010 Turkey Red inserts. I'm slowly whittling down the list as the release date for Topps Update draws nearer.

And here we come to this trade's instigating card: the very final Topps 2020 insert that I needed. Yes, let it be known that on this day in October (okay, fine, I actually received this box last month) I have now completed something... yes, something... for the first time. I have removed this small set forever more from my want lists.

Finally, here's a Colby Rasmus Topps rookie card with the "classic" MLB Rookie Card logo (2006-2009.) I did a double-take, however, because this is no ordinary 2009 Topps card.

It's actually a JC Penney exclusive factory set insert! Nice! I didn't even know JC Penney was still in business, let alone putting out baseball card exclusives. Way to go, department store chain!

Thanks again to The Card Chop. I need to get your package in the mail posthaste.