![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI6-J21n4GluTnop8oSgwW8NmtsB_QDzeHLzTXP65yeueLa_quH1xaDBlpSe8uFpxxts46NySSGqCbSzl-9JBxCHOQz5NiBOwMHlT-RFFkcjjCMzKtFLx3G8zSoLOU2uD0xjcu5B6z6qs/s320/reitz78topps.jpg)
It's easily to get intimated by a large stack of cards that I plan to write something about. Such was the case when I acquired a full 660-ct. box of Cardinals cards from
gcrl. I'd been putting it off for awhile, but last night I felt like I needed to do something with my hands during the World Series game and sorting the contents of this box into alphabetized stacks seemed to do the trick. I challenged myself to pull 10 cards... 15 at the most... worth writing about here and ended up with the 19 images you see in front of you. I apologize for my image heavy post and instead will try to keep my comments brief. I should also mention that, not pictured here, is a Ryan Ludwick 2009 A&G jersey card that was a surprise. It's also the second of those that I've received in recent days, but I am not one to thumb my nose at actual (supposed) pieces of clothes worn by Cardinals players. Er, strike that last sentence. It sounds creepy.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNRYrBX236Tz6pTKl5zuAj2bJlzuP0-z8O0jh4M7yvtGuAhGQEryDZX3n_zdX5LmFwWdBfAQ6GhZxRI47Fgp9w9tZu175VgBTkGGsU0ZRT_PZylgRQTJo-8Jj8NEEuKn3ezdbZoSEE1Ypk/s320/mcgwire00udlegendstm.jpg)
Ladies and gentlemen: your 2010 Cardinals hitting coach. It should be an interesting year.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig3rdmzoYZVd7bkjziuvJQyTHZJt4np4zV2mqE04rAhso5ss-facRdv3Zs3eKWNX_w4VkO6xrWqAp9Yb1j4WEnxuWyUVEHM0SDYIvDGXx6UsQCfwAB1kBj05zbA7xdt5nk9L5zIppR1sFp/s320/brock99fleersigog.jpg)
The same dude that requested more Gibby on this blog also made the same request about Lou Brock. This magazine themed set has a lot of nice looking cards from what I've seen so far.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC0AzdAXP6Pthf7gdLmDRxDAb_5_QbhSDXOhxrOGsK9rSOd8d7jzDu_eAm1Eb0K1SitHLjJ_4xsi5tUVAuAgzC5q5m4S8eRoPHpZbcre9W38kXtctyAK1IehsVvoth1Gu8-qGJUCbPmbVl/s320/kile01topps.jpg)
There were a few DK cards and I really wanted to include one, so I did.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjafRiiggd9v8jCvnSDmKbk2ljL75s4jQXDq_N6XvtpfHSNlSjMuF4XrNq2MF3Hi1ZxYrnP4xKl-1wEso1tVth1qFJ8hluh0qcFjsrfqOBhdZyeGDadUXrKxeHPyJNYAF2hwBxwYXoQjo3I/s320/haren03fleerccdebut.jpg)
Wait, so is this a "manufactured box score" swatch? This is kind of strange. I like the concept, I think, but I still don't know what to make of it.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZuxMeWa8-vsSEPZOzBONpqdLhZMUtROor9xN3UyRYv70vunst-a3PfJPAlGWvwaAPrnOfp2EO1yJi5ZRqyILubPH-qHfVDnUnwJpSZpa7-FQ-hIzBS83G-LWWbdIuXwu1P4iF-QdKut2J/s320/barton08toppsagminiblack.jpg)
The 2009 A&G black border minis look a lot better, but that doesn't keep me from wanting to collect all of the ones I don't have from this and previous years.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilQFJ5w0twwRuWEWxclyQlZ621LyAnQ90o1oX62MbYhyphenhyphenVwx6urfvPPP83CEP3rQLSPNtEzcVItvOQP9prDuTMOBl0vjzS2GHRJ_Ynmp254XdED_6JmNGWZ0U6eJc-Kb1T5cMyTRgic62Ep/s320/gedman92score.jpg)
This one was a surprise. There aren't many Cardinals cards from 1987 to 1992 that I don't own, but this Rich Gedman card was one of them. Even scarier is the fact that I instantly knew I didn't have it because I didn't recognize it at first.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrx4udO32h2U-vYwOZE9VfPMb9YQgfV8dnK1GenW7dngfBxOx0Qkni2xCr94DaZJOabFhEHVCURyl4cvG2KSUkKmSk2b3mWaCwbUPG4o83tduI1kkW_BoL2ugB7AB3lduCtzDXuBB5Lkzz/s320/pendleton85donrussjeff.jpg)
This is one of the earlier, fairly well-known error cards. I'm not sure where they got Jeff from Terry, but here he is anyway. Since this is pre-Billy Ripken, you have to give Donruss the benefit of the doubt here and figure that it was an honest mistake.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8ulCQGVg8yR2duvAmGHvn3oNISQ_0-b94-FTc7woa9Xn6IUnqr3z6BKOCUtIjTKepQnivRb9XazGH_gmcjkT5YLY5fIPf68u19w6VP2YdmHPCh4nONAF3aQY_zLNi5cHcIG0Hb2nzcjAN/s320/ankiel09toppschr.jpg)
I received several 2009 Topps Chrome cards, including Mr. Ankiel here. It hasn't really hit me yet that we may have seen the last of him in a Cardinals uniform, more than a decade after he made his debut.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcuRMViDZqCKyqJDM3eRsJzunUrasVgCQ-E89M5Hf1QkrJqabe6d03pss-LXJ3e_HV26FlHO7bgJodt_YIqQAl4CMPwAB-r5-upUGAFxjIPmvg7xTfelrtvPy-ZhbeKrsTvemxsRwP_iji/s320/vina00pacificrevolution.jpg)
I just wanted to scan this one to see how crazy it would look. It looks pretty crazy.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmCdDJNwQk9hFww3yNUsPLsfDzZNHf9h4wlchLIw8WhXy7eud13GHMJKMBTTM0feOTlQa3Rfr2BlDnQdFFYi8TRPcStcq3Y8ZCGssWIV1Mpu1VDQHXLHgUUVWFCLCucLMcsCAbSs53eTXa/s320/gray59topps.jpg)
I'm stunned whenever I receive a card from the '50s or '60s, no matter what the condition. This is great!
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzu-pp_4FY0GONYFEatWuWVfDLqRT0sNDx8DQqYpDg-orQefjl6CBRJsfjvHM0iMuAeL47B9OkGjM9F2RezKoU3ruYQYR6s8GlIU-P1LG-0-thrrcJ5tbtjD1N-gKMvD1Lrnlk0CNcELzk/s320/frisch06toppsagminiag.jpg)
I'm sorely lacking in the 2006 and 2007 Allen & Ginter department, so this Frankie Frisch A&G back mini is much appreciated. Every time I see packs of 2007 I buy them up, and I've yet to ever see a 2006 pack.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiVmsEXoSylyYOug9Gff3GhmqVVoyd4CGx0FwrqtKjKHfn3Kon3TPr5bmAjx-aJgeJ3IUNAopLoq8wH60QyhZqaFV0V7WJwCfwnpMDws2r4CyG2IAl5APZFE3YaRW44JnZ17S43bu5eyj1/s320/carpenter07toppsotg.jpg)
Here's Chris Carpenter, 2009 Comeback Player of the Year, owning the game.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLpkxbqCDBRtWaXrdJ4tPw4VvJM2XYVk1B0InwN0tQqACWVNNvyPaXfFbTJMGR7Ux61zMG9H-HMofuQPa2W4hhkXchaokKQwNmGbUuffk05C58-jVtwn3cOnBnuxe1vT6lobVyi0VNN_oS/s320/izzy03toppschr.jpg)
As I've finally decided that 2003 Topps is my favorite set of the decade, I was afraid of what the Chrome version would look like. I'm no longer afraid - it's nice.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt08dNtNiuBi3Q20nvOQCSBx9c2xIorc9IevURO1RPZpYYuP1HkAPwyDVn_fNZs8UCIjKiH31Dl9mLiYhZvWrFHvWiXt8oTMPicUU2KsxwzoBU2fJQk9Ta2EHo7fYRzYju6G4nMCEkDAWG/s320/perry91score.jpg)
As a hardcore collector of Score cards for their first several seasons, it's surprising that this is actually my first 1991 Score traded card. (Okay, fine, the packs were really cheap.)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJvgyt3gHsm-6kOFAznQjjy_hO4smbvhuc77TXNuknH5Z7ldERa0zKDATAaXMuVcS4zwPNlQ3X5KuZHd7TZqoIDTmICaB60PGBek2f6nXGXGHPtr7uJn82STrea0ELaXwHDwjoJTvTrwmM/s320/ludwick09toppsherchr.jpg)
Steely, shiny Ryan Ludwick. I'm hoping he bounces back and has a season more in line with his 2008 levels. He showed flashes of it last season and I still believe he's a pretty useful corner outfielder.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBa8IeRuGgAyzOD57FeHivzuP6vXTkDPpjIGLx1RlBtSk1LkFYyPRPr0pLD-KKemN-n_oQy56gV6mvwU1EZJXxINY1tbQgd11LDN3s8llvTjI1pk7EvO6ob-i1-iTjB_W6nUJmT_IUSXy3/s320/izzy04toppsgold.jpg)
I was fortunate enough to get several more Topps gold parallel cards, including this Izzy card from 2004.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibFfzELzsibt0kcA7Inp8zpMk1imRV6_ICspA1dZIIt89Mbnwc9n_-bpufVTMog6azPxDCGqNjbxuAHc2KvLnjuYG3jqcT8zu4txIZ576QM06B3WcJiA-zbUn6UWC6_pKHzwl247vFScHO/s320/molina04topps.jpg)
I also received a lot of 2004 Topps base set cards including Yadi's rookie. I wasn't aware that he ever wore #24, which is actually really confusing to me. Rookies and prospects usually get the high uniform number treatment (anywhere from the 50s on up) and I know that Yadi broke in wearing #41. He eventually switched to #4 the same year that Braden Looper came in and took #41. I've never seen him wearing this number on any other card. I guess I'll have to investigate further.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1286jvZjpyQ3Tbe-EeLwvLyrN-hOm0wsziMnsUtX1BP4kvtfDT2Uxk6ViX7-EfLjivsyJUypXwTd2WvEdHaruKLHg1COjNzuCVukmmLnpeGkQ0SuTPGCaTKqLvMyWEx1aOcjzDjMwLzN5/s320/barton08toppschrauto.jpg)
And finally, an unexpected autograph of Brian Barton. I'm disappointed that the club didn't find a way for Barton to stick around. He was at an "advanced age" for a rookie, but I still liked watching him play.
Thanks again to gcrl. Make sure you check out his
blog. I am way behind on sending his package, but I promise that it will be out in the mail on Friday.