Airbrushed Fridays: 1975 Topps #289

I have an interesting reaction to 1975 Topps cards. 1975 was my birth year, so you would think that this set might hold a special place in my collecting heart. Mostly, my reaction to this set is "oh, this is what baseball cards looked back then." Did they cost a nickel a pack? A dime? For the low, low price of $15, I guess I could own a wrapper from a pack of the mini version of this set. I don't see a price on it, though. For the most part, I think the team name looks ridiculous, like the opening title sequence of quasi-3D '70s action TV show. The photos aren't always great. But these cards are pliable and warm and my scanner loves them. It must be those bold borders.

Who is this week's victim, and why do we care? Ken Rudolph was a journeyman catcher throughout the '70s, with the stats and games logged that would suggest that he was simply a catch-and-throw guy. Maybe he offered some sort of sagely advice or wizardly baseball knowledge that other players with a .540 career OPS could not provide. Perhaps he was just hilarious in the locker room.

Why is this a thing? After 5 seasons with the Cubs and a single season with the Giants, Rudolph's wacky antics and penchant for playing extreme hot foot just didn't play in the Bay Area. The Cardinals picked him up in a three player deal a couple of weeks after the 1974 season was over. They must have missed the big lug, though, because a few years later he would be sold back to the Giants. Also, check out that cartoon on the back. You would think "Swish" would be Steve Swisher, but you would be wrong. So terribly wrong.

Airbrushed Fridays is a weekly feature as the name seems to imply. If you know of a card with an altered photograph that you'd like to see featured, please contact me. You probably won't win anything other than a hyperlink and Tyler Greene, but you never know!

Cards on Cards From The Writer's Journey

I love a good blind trade, especially when it nets me Cards (on cards) by the pound. I almost collapsed under the sheer weight of Cardinals cards that I received from The Writer's Journey back in late February, and I have picked out some of my favorites from this great haul.

I know we all wanted last year's Topps Archives set to be more like the Topps Archives sets of the past, and the cards I received here were good reminders of that. It's interesting that they chose one of Kaat's last cards, and not even a regular base card, for this set. It actually took me awhile to get ahold of the original 1983 Topps card that this was based off, and now I have a slick reproducton of it as well.

I am not sad that Tim McCarver is leaving the FOX broadcast booth. I've probably mentioned this before, and will likely continue to mention it whenever I run across his cards. He was on some great teams and had a nice playing career, but his second career makes my ears bleed.

Pacific cards could be just plain weird. It's a very bizarre era of cards that I completely missed out on. I just can't believe this really stern looking inset picture of DeShields, surrounded by a glowing light that makes him look like one pissed off judgmental diety.

'Sup guys. My name's Alan. I'm here to take the league by storm.

I don't know how many times I've seen the classic Gibby "arms up, ready to pitch" pose, but I'm not sure that I'll ever tire of it. Bonus points to Upper Deck for not colorizing this card... unless they de-colorized a color photo for some stupid reason.

Here's another Pacific card that I missed out on the first time around. This may have been from before Kennedy developed his frustrating uppercut swing.

It's always bittersweet, and maybe even a little heartbreaking to see Darryl Kile cards from the year he died (2002).

Cute. I wonder if the kid that drew this ended up setting his original artwork on fire when he found out the truth about Big Mac, though.

By the way, it's 11:00 PM on the west coast as I write this, and the Cardinals game is still going on. I should be liveblogging this instead of talking about players who haven't played for the team in half a decade.

I love regional issues. I should really work something out with someone local who goes to all of the games to get ahold of more Cardinals merch and regional cards. That would be fun.

Finally, here are some of the bigger guns that this huge package offered. This Woody Williams "Credits" parallel is numbered 66/100. Nice find!

I don't know where or how or who released this button set, but I want more! I would proudly display Todd Zeile's button on my backpack or book bag.

And finally, it's Tommy Herr! A nice slab of autographed cardboard if I do say so myself. I wonder if there's a story behind this card. It's now officially the largest autographed baseball card in my collection.

Tourney Update and Other Nonsense

As we head into the Final Four in the big college basketball tournament, I thought I'd take another look at the contest leader board. While Speigel's "Bracket of Nomo" has the most total points, it is The Lost Collector who in the driver's seat for most total possible points right now. It will most certainly come down to the wire, as there are 7 others with a solid chance of walking away with the top prize, most of whom picked Louisville. I could run the scenarios for everyone, but that would take more effort than I'm willing to put forth for college basketball, especially with my team having been eliminated in the round of 16. Unfortunately, I can with all certainty announce that reader Danny, the defending champion of the Bowl Pick 'Em contest, has clinched last place. How the mighty have fallen!

Tonight's post features cards sent to me by blog favorite GCRL. Garvey Cey Russell Lopes is, as the name would suggest, a Dodgers-centric blog, but it's well-written enough that it doesn't even matter that there's a team I don't care about at its core. (How's that for mixed praise?) GCRL sent over some Cardinals that I needed and filled a few often overlooked set needs from nearly a decade ago.

This is normally the part of the post where I complain about my scanner cutting off images for no good reason, but this Bob Forsch card is actually just centered very poorly. Fortunately, it's a far more interesting than it looks O-Pee-Chee card, with the highly lovable jagged borders. Are OPC cards actually the hipsters of the baseball card world, always just a little askew and trying to be different? Also, were the Canadian presses not afforded a proper paper cutter? So many OPC cards seem to have been cut with kindergarten style safety scissors, especially ones from the 1978 set.

I tried to read an article on Grantland about the band Perry today (no, wait, that's The Band Perry... seriously, that's their name.) I just couldn't get over the name, though. I can read almost anything written about anything resembling modern music, even if it's about something mindbendingly awful like Buckcherry, but this article didn't hold my interest. And I just can't get over that band name. Anyway, the Player Perry fits into my Cardinals collection as I was never able to afford the 1991 Fleer Ultra update set back in the day.

Turning the page to the set needs, here's one of those funky Bowman Heritage TV cards that I like. Scott Elbert is still in the Dodgers system, apparently, which is more than you can say about most of the First Year cards in this set.

Wonderful, it's another Perry! Well, this is actually a short print from the 2003 Topps Heritage set. Jason Perry played all of 4 games in the majors with the Atlanta Braves, but that was 5 years ago and he's out of the game now.

Finally, here's a peak at a base card from the plain old 2003 Topps set. I've cooled a little bit on this set as other flashier things have tugged at my interests lately. It seems to be a condition sensitive set during an era that has no real excuse for such things. It doesn't really make me feel great about a Topps base set released today would hold up under the varying temperatures of storage conditions for a decade. Basically, I just want Topps to stop making the same thin (cheap) card set with UV coating year after year. Picking up a card manufactured in the last 20 years will just never feel the same as one from the '70s, no matter how many years removed we are.

Fookie Isn't There

We're mere minutes away from the first pitch of the Cardinals first counting game of 2013. Rafael Furcal isn't going to be there. There are a couple of question marks in the lineup right now, and most of those types of conversations begin with a guy named Pete Kozma who for now is the starting shortstop. Furcal should have gotten surgery eons ago, but the final decision didn't come down until spring training was well underway. He probably won't see any action in 2013.

Mark Kaz sent this jersey card to me awhile back. I wish there was some sort of Cardinals logo somewhere on it, but I'll have to settle for Rafael in Royal Blue instead.

Opening Day! Hooray!

Opening Day is finally here! This is one of those things that I wish could happen more than just once a year, but it's just not meant to be. I am doing some housekeeping and thought I'd throw a post or two up on the blog today. If I'm feeling charitable, this might not be the last you here from me today.

I sent over a sizeable chunk of Padres cards, Blazers doubles and assorted other goodies to Backstop Cards. I thought I'd show off some of what I received in return.

Whenever I hear "injured" and "indefinitely" in the same sentence, I get a little worried. And a little nauseous. And, uh, well... anyone can close, right? Hopefully Jason Motte gets better soon, but I'm not going to hold my breath. I will be holding my breath when Mitchell Boggs and whoever else is called upon at the ends of Cardinals games are on the mound. Yikes!

I'm hoping for a big year from Carlos Beltran this year. I guess that's what Opening Day is all about. Optimism! Anything can happen! The Astros are in first place. The Pirates are still in contention!

This card is a "gold" parallel. Seriously. Can't you tell?

On to the set building portion of this trade - here's a much needed 2011 Heritage short print. Only 53 left to go!

I'm not a fan of these sketch cards, as I've mentioned plenty of times before in this space and others. This is Ozzie Smith we're talking about here, though, so I had to post it.

I'm watching the Angels/Reds broadcast as I post this (ew, interleague!) and just can't believe how awful Thom Brennaman and Jeff Brantley are to listen to. They seem to really hate baseball and their viewers.

Airbrushed Fridays: 2013 Topps Opening Day #36

We are three days away from Opening Day! This is not a drill. On Sunday evening, the Texas Rangers battle the remnants of the Houston Astros, American League style. Those festivities (?) then give way to a nearly full slate of MLB action on Monday, like Abner Doubleday (or whatever British dude actually invented the game) intended. I am taking the day off from work just to geek out on sportsgames all day and I suggest you do the same. Wait, your boss isn't cool with it? Fake an illness or injury! Wait, you're unemployed/going to college/living in your mom's basement? Just pretend it's dark outside and crack open some cold ones! Peanuts! Caramel-coated popcorn and peanuts! Disregard any interest in ever returning! Bases Ball!

Who is this week's victim, and why do we care? Tommy Hanson is a former Next Big Thing who is teetering dangerously close to Shoulda Coulda Woulda Been territory. He had a rough season last year and could be suffering from some sort of ailment that affects most pitchers at some point in their careers.

Why is this a thing? Hanson was traded in the offseason to the Angels for one time closer Jordan Walden. He was the reliever the Angels were all buzzed up about until Ernesto Frieri passed him up, and both pitchers probably needed a change of scenery. And as usual, the Topps Opening Day set once again serves as a breeding ground for Photoshopped masterpieces. Oh Adobe, is there anything you can't do?

Airbrushed Fridays is a weekly feature as the name seems to imply. If you know of a card with an altered photograph that you'd like to see featured, please contact me. You probably won't win anything other than a hyperlink and some defecated coffee, but you never know!

Nacho Nacho Trade

How is everyone doing in the tournament? You realize that everyone you picked has already lost, right? I meant to do this a couple of days ago at a logical break in the action, but I just checked and it looks like Spiegel currently has a slim lead in the "potential points" category, which is usually the best indicator of who has the best chance of winning. Noted Juan Pierre superfan AJ is in the overall lead right now, as he's hoping to ride Marquette's odd uniforms all the way to the bank.

Adding to the mood of those who are depressed about the state of their brackets, I thought I'd take a look at a few cards that Nachos Grande sent last month from the still-in-progress 2012 Allen & Ginter set. 

Whales are no sharks (see 2008 A&G), but they are still pretty impressive. What's next on the sea creature power rankings? Will we be treated to a future mini set of impressive octopuses?

Until I received this package, I had zero Culinary Curiosities cards. Were these hobby only or just difficult to pull? In any case, I'd already been pre-warned not to read the backs of these cards too carefully. This is some sort of rancid shark meat. The other card that I received had something to do with coffee and defecation.

Baseball cards, everybody!