White Sox Photoshop Cards: Joe Crede

Card #39 - Joe Crede

It was the best of times. It was the worst of times. 2008 would mark Joe Crede's first All-Star appearance and a return to form after his ailing back nearly derailed a promising career. Soon, the back problems resurfaced and another season split between starting and the disabled list passed.

Joe is expected to look elsewhere to play in 2009, but never count out the White Sox to make a surprising move. If Crede is the best option available, Joe may not have finished his South Side legacy.

This photo reminds me of the best of Joe Crede. Pure joy and playing for the love of the game. This is the Joe that helped the White Sox win it all in 2005. It's a shame that things have gotten so muddied between Joe, Joe's agent and the White Sox.

This is probably a parting image. If so, then I think it's the best photo to exhibit the high point of Crede's tenure with the White Sox. Fly away, Joe. I hope you land somewhere decent.

A Treat From Dan

This little beauty of a package came in this morning's mail. It was small and mysterious. Inside was only 11 cards, but they were all winners!

Dan from Saints of the Cheap Seats has put together two packages for me now. Each have been special in their own way. This might not seem like a lot, but this tiny package packs quite a wallop!

Inside were treasures from the nineties all the way until today. Some familiar faces. Some not so familiar cards. And a lot of great memories.

Let's dig in!

1990 Leaf #405 - Ron Kittle
I love Kitty! Those rooftop shots were awesome!

1992 Bowman #614 - Scott Cepicky FOIL
Ended up on the Twins. Lost track of him after that.

1993 Bowman #364 - Jason Bere FOIL
So much potential. They should have shut him down at the first sign of trouble.

1993 Flair Wave Of The Future #1 - Jason Bere
See above statement.

1994 SP #192 - Jack McDowell
Mr. Rock N' Roll Cy Young award winner!

1997 Donruss Elite Gold Stars #142 - Alex Fernandez
So good. So what happened?

2001 Topps Chrome #341 - Ray Durham
Stop! In the name of love! Weird, I just picked the sister card for the card spotlight this morning.

2006 Bazooka Blue Fortune #2 - Scott Podsednik
FORTUNE: Collect all 220 of Bazooka Joe's Favorite Players.
That's not a fortune. That's an advertisement.

2007 Artifacts #85 - Jerry Owens
I'm looking for buried treasure! Maybe some Kraft dinner would help.

2007 Bowman Heritage #21 - Mark Buehrle
Awesome vintage looking card of Mark.

2008 Finest 33 - Jermaine Dye
Oooo! Shiny JD!!

Thanks, Dan! That was a great package of cards! A nice treat for Halloween!

Happy Halloween

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Card Spotlight: 10-31-08

2001 Topps #492 - Ray Durham

It is well documented that Ray Durham is a big fan of Halloween. Just take this 2001 Topps card. It shows Ray's costume in 2000. He went as Diana Ross.

Stop! In the name of love!

He did the entire song in front of a capacity crowd. Baseball fans ate the act up and he toured ballparks during the offseason. For his final performance in 2000, in Dodger Stadium, he donned a full vintage Diana Ross outfit from her days with the Supremes. It was a show stopper!

Before the Dodger Stadium appearance, he had been dressing up in his uniform. He had the choreography down pat, but he didn't pull off the whole performance until that night in Los Angeles. Once the wig and dress came on, it was a complete transformation. Ray Durham was Diana Ross of the Supremes.

He thought of retiring the act, but was called back in 2001. After the United States was reeling from attacks in New York, Ray did the only thing he could think of. He planned an entire Supremes night in New York. The first night would be in Shea Stadium. The next and final night would be in Yankee Stadium.

The two nights in New York became stuff of legend. Ray called in favors and employed the services of Carlos Lee and James Baldwin to round out the rest of the Supremes. It would be two complete concerts in full dress for all three ballplayers.

After the concert in Yankee Stadium, Ray retired the Supremes act. Diana Ross and Mary Wilson had separate lawsuits against Ray and the realities of bitter singers sucked the fun out of the project.

Ray went back to baseball and still plays, as of this writing. He never went back to the world of sold out Supremes concerts, but for one brief shining moment, Ray was living the dream.

White Sox Photoshop Cards: Gavin Floyd

Card #38 - Gavin Floyd

Gavin had the most successful season of his big league career in 2008. This was the year that everything clicked and turned around for him. Exceeding expectations, Floyd was one of the most consistent starters the entire year. Outpacing veterans like Mark Buehrle and Javier Vazquez, Gavin stepped up his game and the scoreboard returned the favor.

Gavin had a nasty habit in 2008. He kept losing no-hitters in the late innings. Only time will tell if there is a no-hitter in Floyd's future. One thing is for sure. If he keeps on pitching like he did in 2008, there will be many more chances for one.

I chose this photo of Gavin because of the hug. This was taken in the dugout after he lost his no-hit bid in May. This shows how much the White Sox players care for each other, even in a market where players jump from team to team.

This close knit team amazes me with each public display like this. It shows that in a sport full of "me" type players, there are those who still believe in the team ethic. I think this is a wonderful display of what baseball should be about... the team.

Mailbox Joys: A Tenth Of Mays

I buy four teams in a box break and end up with this in one of my team lots. This was the first time that I bought into a box break. I wasn't expecting much of anything. I was hoping for a little Pete Rose love, but I was completely sideswiped by this beauty.

The Shoeless Joe was the appetizer, but this card of Willie Mays is definitely the main course! The Century Collection Materials card is numbered 2 of 10. I never have this amount of luck!

I told Bailey of The Nennth Inning that all the Giants cards would be his, unless they were something White Sox related or it really floored me. This card really floored me. Sorry, Bailey. I do have a Lincecum materials card that I will throw in instead.

Any funds that this card will get, will go right into the wedding fund. That is now less than a year away and things are starting to become due. So this card couldn't have come at a better time.

Late Birthday Presents From Eric

"I remember when the candle shop burned down. Everyone stood around singing 'Happy Birthday.'" - Steven Wright

This was a pleasant and unexpected surprise! Another kick ass package from Eric! There was even a little note stuck inside wishing me a happy late birthday and warning me that the racing cards are only in there to protect the valuable White Sox cards. Time and time again, Eric pulls through with a winner!

I could be wrong, but I think Eric busts a ton of Upper Deck product. Why, you may ask? I received FIFTEEN different Yankee Stadium Legacy cards featuring White Sox games! That's quite an accomplishment. Either that, or he's buying YSL lots like mad and getting a lot of doubles. Either way, I've just doubled my collection of the White Sox cards in that set.

There were two plastic snap boxes full of cards. There was also a large taped cardboard sandwich containing unknown treasures. Let's see what was in the two boxes.

1988 Topps Traded
82T – Dan Pasqua

1990 Donruss Baseball’s Best
60 – Robin Ventura

1990 Topps Stickers
304 – Melido Perez

1991 Donruss
147 – Sammy Sosa

1991 Fleer
136 – Sammy Sosa

1991 Leaf
321 – Sammy Sosa

1991 Line Drive AA
51 – Wilson Alvarez

1991 Score
256 – Sammy Sosa
428 – Wilson Alvarez NH

1991 Stadium Club
303 – Harold Baines

1991 Topps
378 – Wilson Alvarez
414 – Sammy Sosa

1991 Topps Traded
56T – Charlie Hough

1991 Upper Deck
265 – Sammy Sosa

1992 Donruss Spirit Of The Game
SG18 – Frank Thomas

1992 Pinnacle
1 – Frank Thomas
192 – Wilson Alvarez

1992 Stadium Club
761 – Wilson Alvarez

1992 Topps
94 – Sammy Sosa

1992 Ultra
44 – Frank Thomas

1993 Fun Pack
202 – Frank Thomas

1993 Pinnacle
108 – Frank Thomas

1993 Score
70 – Jack McDowell

1993 Select
6 – Frank Thomas

1993 Topps
150 – Frank Thomas
737 – Wilson Alvarez

1993 U.S. Playing Cards
6H – Tim Raines

1993 Upper Deck
526 – Ellis Burks
555 – Frank Thomas

1994 Bowman
211 – Scott Christman
399 – Julio Franco

1994 Classic
102 – Scott Ruffcorn

1994 Classic Four Sport
174 – Paul Konerko

1994 Collector’s Choice
36 – Wilson Alvarez
370 – Darrin Jackson
500 – Frank Thomas

1994 Donruss
86 – Jason Bere
145 – Ellis Burks

1994 Finest
262 – Darrin Jackson

1994 Fleer
73 – Wilson Alvarez
77 – Rod Bolton

1994 Leaf
71 – Wilson Alvarez
125 – Jack McDowell
210 – Steve Sax

1994 Post
7 – Jack McDowell

1994 Select
33 – Ron Karkovice
92 – Tim Raines
111 – Wilson Alvarez

1994 Score
41 – Frank Thomas
220 – Wilson Alvarez
469 – Harold Baines

1994 Stadium Club
212 – Jason Bere
285 – Frank Thomas

1994 Topps
392 – Jack McDowell AS
421 – Scott Radinsky (2)
478 – Joey Cora
599 – Alex Fernandez
662 – Steve Sax
684 – Ron Karkovice
766 – James Baldwin/Rod Bolton

1994 Topps Gold
599 – Alex Fernandez

1994 Triple Play
261 – Wilson Alvarez
262 – Jason Bere

1994 Ultra Award Winners
4 – Robin Ventura

1994 Ultra Second Year Standouts
1 – Jason Bere

1995 Donruss
57 – Wilson Alvarez
198 – Ron Karkovice
298 – Lance Johnson

1996 Topps
194 – Alex Fernandez

1996 Upper Deck Diamond Destinby
DD14 – Frank Thomas

2001 Topps
373 – Joe Crede

2003 Bazooka
172 – Anthony Webster

2003 Bowman
264 – Aaron Miles

2004 Bowman Draft
BDP92 – Wes Whisler

2005 Topps
107 – Mark Buehrle

2006 Bazooka Stamps
5 – Mark Buehrle

2007 Bowman Heritage
148 – Paul Konerko

2007 UD Masterpieces
5 – Carlton Fisk
46 – Michael Jordan (2)
62 – Luis Aparicio

2008 Allen & Ginter
24 – Bobby Jenks
141 – Jermaine Dye

2008 A Piece Of History
108 – Lance Broadway

2008 Baseball Heroes
187 – Carlton Fisk (Yaz, Boggs)

2008 Baseball Heroes Black
187 – Carlton Fisk (Yaz, Boggs)

2008 SP Authentic
73 – Jim Thome
74 – Paul Konerko

2008 Spectrum
69 – Nick Swisher

2008 Upper Deck
282 – Jon Garland
284 – Matt Thornton
290 – Jermaine Dye
455 – A.J. Pierzynski
779 – Nick Swisher CL

2008 Upper Deck First Edition
235 – Jon Garland
240 – Jerry Owens

2008 Upper Deck First Edition Update
331 – Bobby Jenks
332 – Javier Vazquez
334 – Orlando Cabrera
337 – Nick Swisher
339 – Alexei Ramirez

2008 Upper Deck First Edition Starquest
SQ-54 – Paul Konerko

2008 Upper Deck Starquest
SQ-54 – Paul Konerko (Common)

2008 Upper Deck X
24 – Paul Konerko
25 – Jermaine Dye
27 – Jim Thome (2)

2008 Upper Deck Yankee Stadium Legacy
15, 60, 446, 611, 677, 950, 1047, 1658, 2135, 2218, 2922, 2935, 3124, 4400, 5261

That's a pretty good haul! I've been constantly reminded this month that Sammy Sosa was once a part of the White Sox team. It seems that packages have come loaded with him lately. I'm certainly not complaining about it. I'm just observing. Tons of Big Frank and Wilson Alvarez too. It's interesting to see the trends in cards coming my way. There was a time not too long ago where every package contained a 1989 Donruss Jack McDowell. Now they are nowhere to be found. Funny how that all works out.

I couldn't begin to imagine what was in the cardboard sandwich. So, I approached with care. Here's what I found.

1988 Topps Big
197 - Carlton Fisk

1989 Bowman
56 - Bill Long
58 - Shawn Hillegas
59 - Melido Perez
66 - Fred "Malaise" Manrique

1989 Topps Big
44 - Dan Pasqua
84 - Fred "Malaise" Manrique

Here's where the mystery sandwich's contents get very interesting.

1990 Baseball Cards Magazine
49 - Robin Ventura/Sammy Sosa (1990 Rookie Stars)

1993 Donruss Masters Of The Game
1 - Frank Thomas

1994 Donruss Dominators Jumbo
B2 - Frank Thomas 00097/10,000

WOW!! Those are some of the coolest cards I have ever seen! You may be wondering why I chose the Frank Thomas 1994 Stadium Club card to represent this lot. Basically, I think it's funny that this card never gets any mention for Frank giving the middle finger. This one is super obvious. Definitely more obvious than the 1991 Upper Deck.

It's the little things that stick out to me. Frank even looks like he's trying to hide from the camera while giving the finger. A classic shot!

Thanks again, Eric! You have made my birthday special this year. Everything from the cards themselves to the unexpectedness of the package makes this one a total win! You never fail to amaze me with the selection of cards that you send over.

A Card I Will Probably Never Own

Two years in a row, I've been screwed by Upper Deck. I realized after 2007 was over that there wasn't an update set. I was cautiously optimistic when I saw a 200 card update set scheduled for 2008.

Closer and closer the date approached and then it happened. The update set had been cancelled. No explanation was given. The most likely excuse? Lack of interest.

Lack of interest? Hardly. Did Upper Deck need to put out an update to their First Edition? No. Did they need to put out Upper Deck X? Clearly no. So why did they cancel an update to the base release?

The base sets and update sets to those same base sets should be left alone. Those are called "base" for a reason. I, personally, look forward to the update sets at the end of the season. This will sometimes be the only shot I have at getting some players pictured in a White Sox uniform. End of July rent-a-players can be tricky to get cards of. By the time the next year's releases are out, most of those rent-a-players have moved on to different teams.

This is the only opportunity for some of these players to be pictured on certain teams. Unless said player does some remarkable feat or becomes a postseason hero, this is it for capturing them on cardboard on certain teams.

Topps and Upper Deck have both taken turns in my doghouse this year for bonehead decisions. Topps more often than Upper Deck, but it seems that Upper Deck wants to even things out before the end of the year. This is a fantastic start to that goal.

Thank you to Hand Collated for the image of Griffey's deleted Update card.

Mailbox Joys: Shoeless Joe Framed!

In a recent box break, I bought into two slots which consisted of two teams each. I was randomly selected four teams. I traded one team to get the White Sox.

The teams I had left were the Giants, the Nationals, the Reds and the White Sox.

I wasn't hoping for much, but pure luck smiled upon me and I got the two nice hits from both boxes. The first hit came today. With all the base cards, my mailings had to be split between two packages. So, tomorrow or Friday, I should be getting an even better card in the mail.

In reality, I couldn't get much better than a Shoeless Joe Jackson blue framed Diamond King numbered 25/50. The only way this could have been better would be if I had pulled the bat card. I'm thrilled to have pulled this though.

Thank you Houston Collector for trading with me.

I was hoping for some Pete Rose love, since I had two of the three teams that he played for. I did get some Pete Rose base cards, so I am happy for that. I also received the Joe Jackson base card, the Luis Aparicio base card and the Gordon Beckham college card. All in all, it was a great day for the White Sox collector.

White Sox Photoshop Cards: Pablo Ozuna

Card #37 - Pablo Ozuna

Pablo did everything to stay on the club, but someone had to be the odd man out. When he was released from the White Sox in July 2008, he had been having a pretty average season as a super-sub utility infielder. He stepped up when Joe Crede started to have problems, but ultimately lost to Juan Uribe at third.

With one or two options blocking Pablo at his three infield positions, the Sox had no choice but to release him. Ozuna quickly signed on with the Dodgers and had moderate success with them in 2008. Pablo was an imortant part of the 2005 World Champion White Sox team.

I love this photo of Pablo. It shows the enthusiasm that he can have on the field. He played with no regard for his own safety in pursuit of the ball. I think the Sox squeezed all the potential from Ozuna before they let him go.

Still, he keeps getting involved in special moments that keep the ballclub moving forward. I like the "look what I have" pose that Pablo displays in the photo.

Trading With gcrl

Since this box arrived, I have been sick, sapped of energy and generally trying to scrape together posts with the little bit of energy that I did have. I am sad to report that my sinuses are still hanging in there making my life torturous, but that is the only thing.

The generosity and concern of many fellow bloggers made the time that much more tolerable. I thank each and every one for the good thoughts and well wishes over the past week. They really did help.

Now on to this monster that came by way of gcrl. I haven't sorted them out yet. I haven't counted how many cards either. But I have written everything down and scanned two cards to represent the entire box. The card initially representing the box is a 2001 Topps Tribute card of Carlton Fisk, as seen in the upper left hand corner of this post. The card is actually shiny and mirrorlike, but it scanned beige.

When I opened the box, I knew I was in for a treat. On the top was a graded card and three 1989 Bowman cards of Carlton Fisk. As I sorted through the cards, putting them in order, I saw a bunch of great cards. I also saw mind blowing numbers of duplicate cards. To get the full impact of this box, I have decided to list all of the contents, including how many of what card. Be prepared for a laundry list of cards. Not since the box from Eric have I seen such a display of White Sox cards in one setting, through the mail.

What's in this box? Let's find out the loose cards.

1983 Fleer
229 – Harold Baines

1983 Topps
177 – Harold Baines

1984 Fleer
51 – Harold Baines

1984 Topps
216 – White Sox Leaders (Fisk/Dotson)
560 – Carlton Fisk

1985 Donruss
208 – Carlton Fisk

1985 Topps
1 – Carlton Fisk RB (3)
770 – Carlton Fisk (4)

1987 Fleer
490 – Steve Carlton

1987 Fleer Mini
33 – Richard Dotson
48 – Ozzie Guillen
110 – Greg Walker

1987 Topps
718 – Steve Carlton (2)
756 – Carlton Fisk

1988 Topps
209 – Richard Dotson (2)
232 – Bob James (2)
309 – Bill Long (2)
321 – White Sox Leaders (Baines/Fisk) (2)
357 – Floyd Bannister (7)
385 – Carlton Fisk
486 – Pat Keedy (8)
511 – Joel Davis (2)
634 – Jose DeLeon (2)
657 – Gray Redus (2)

1989 Bowman
62 – Carlton Fisk (3)

1989 Donruss
7 – Carlton Fisk DK (4)
101 – Carlton Fisk (3)

1989 Fleer
497 – Ozzie Guillen
512 – Bobby Thigpen

1989 Score
449 – Carlton Fisk (2)

1989 Topps
539 – Barry Jones (2)
695 – Carlton Fisk (8)
764 – Robin Ventura (3)

1989 Upper Deck
175 – Ozzie Guillen
183 – Ron Karkovice
192 – Kelly Paris
231 – Greg Walker (5)
243 – Melido Perez
457 – Barry Jones (2)
460 – Mark Salas
499 – Bill Long

1990 Donruss
28 – Robin Ventura (2)
253 – Steve Rosenberg
489 – Sammy Sosa
651 – Steve Lyons
BC-19 – Carlton Fisk MVP

1990 Fleer
535 – Shawn Hillegas (3)
541 – Tom McCarthy
542 – Matt Merullo (2)
543 – Donn Pall
546 – Melido Perez
644 – Tom Drees

1990 Score
663 – Frank Thomas

1990 Topps
93 – Shawn Hillegas
121 – Robin Ventura (6)
169 – Richard Dotson
243 – Barry Jones (2)
326 – Tom McCarthy
392 – Carlton Fisk AS (4)
414 – Frank Thomas (6)
420 – Carlton Fisk (6)
446 – Dan Pasqua
461 – Carlos Martinez
587 – Lance Johnson
621 – Melido Perez (4)
692 – Sammy Sosa
751 – Steve Lyons

1990 Topps All-Star Glossy Send Ins
9 – Carlos Martinez

1990 Topps Major League Debut
34 – Wayne Edwards
57 – Greg Hibbard

1990 Upper Deck
3 – Tom Drees
17 – Sammy Sosa
21 – Robin Ventura (2)
69 – Ron Karkovice
367 – Carlton Fisk (2)
525 – Melido Perez (6)
529 – Daryl Boston (5)
625 – Jack McDowell (2)
651 – Eric King
765 – Wilson Alvarez

1991 Classic Best
146 – Nilson Robledo

1991 Donruss
477 – Frank Thomas

1991 Fleer
125 – Ron Karkovice
131 – Dan Pasqua

1991 Leaf
468 – Donn Pall (2)

1991 Line Drive AAA
639 – Jerry Kutzler

1991 Topps
3 – Carlton Fisk RB (2)
79 – Frank Thomas (3)
121 – Eric King
170 – Carlton Fisk
278 – Alex Fernandez (3)
299 – Scott Radinsky
378 – Wilson Alvarez (2)
393 – Carlton Fisk AS (3)
414 – Sammy Sosa
461 – Robin Ventura

1991 Upper Deck
75 – Len Brutcher
248 – Lance Johnson
283 – Ken Patterson
641 – Phil Bradley
645 – Alex Fernandez
744 – Bo Jackson

1992 Classic Best
29 – Clemente Alvarez
321 – Brandon Wilson
409 – Eddie Pearson

1992 Donruss
178 – Greg Hibbard
229 – Ozzie Guillen (3)
264 – Matt Merullo
267 – Lance Johnson
299 – Scott Radinsky
352 – Jack McDowell
509 – Melido Perez

1992 Stadium Club
611 – Esteban Beltre (3)
674 – Wayne Edwards (3)
688 – Kirk McCaskill (3)
744 – Brian Drahman (4)
761 – Wilson Alvarez
778 – Terry Leach (2)
794 – Dan Pasqua (2)
840 – George Bell (3)
894 – Charlie Hough (4)

1992 Topps
11 – Jack McDowell
57 – Donn Pall (2)
94 – Sammy Sosa
107 – Dan Pasqua (2)
129 – Melido Perez (2)
153 – Ron Karkovice
176 – Ramon Garcia
179 – Cesar Bernhardt
191 – Charlie Hough (2)
210 – Ozzie Guillen
231 – Brian Drahman
273 – Craig Grebeck (2)
255 – Robin Ventura
290 – Bo Jackson (2)
302 – Joey Cora (2)
355 – Warren Newson
426 – Rock Raines
452 – Wilson Alvarez
477 – Greg Hibbard (3)
505 – Bobby Thigpen (3)
532 – Mike Huff (4)
555 – Frank Thomas
630 – Carlton Fisk
635 – Harold Baines
648 – Scott Fletcher (2)
701 – Scott Radinsky (2)
736 – Lance Johnson (3)
755 – Alex Fernandez (2)
784 – Ken Patterson

1992 Topps Traded
9T – George Bell
62T – Gene Lamont
69T – Kirk McCaskill

1992 Upper Deck
87 – Frank Thomas CL
263 – Robin Ventura (2)
571 – Carlton Fisk (2)

1993 Donruss
67 – Bobby Thigpen
169 – Scott Radinsky

1993 Flair
182 – Joey Cora (2)

1993 Fun Pack
198 – George Bell

1993 Stadium Club
375 – Esteban Beltre
403 – Shawn Abner
517 – Ozzie Guillen

1993 Topps
13 – Esteben Beltre
70 – Roberto Hernandez
94 – Lance Johnson
122 – Joey Cora
150 – Frank Thomas
175 – Kirk McCaskill (2)
204 – Dan Pasqua (2)
259 – Craig Grebeck (2)
286 – Ron Karkovice (2)
313 – Greg Hibbard
344 – Jack McDowell
400 – Bo Jackson
443 – Terry Leach
474 – Ozzie Guillen (2)
550 – Scott Radinsky (2)
582 – Shawn Abner (2)
645 – Bobby Thigpen (3)
707 – Donn Pall (3)
770 – Robin Ventura (2)
790 – George Bell (3)
800 – Shawn Jeter (2)

1993 Triple Play
82 – Kirk KcCaskill

1993 Upper Deck
105 – Frank Thomas CL
199 – Ron Karkovice (2)
263 – Robin Ventura (2)
280 – Lance Johnson
298 – Scott Radinsky
345 – George Bell (2)
350 – Wilson Alvarez
357 – Jack McDowell
418 – Terry Leach (2)
448 – Mike Robertson
526 – Ellis Burks
649 – Dan Pasqua
671 – Bobby Thigpen (3)
738 – Craig Grebeck (4)
805 – Dave Stieb

1994 Collector’s Choice
99 – Alex Fernandez
134 – Roberto Hernandez (2)
150 – Lance Johnson (2)
157 – Ron Karkovice
235 – Scott Radinsky (2)
247 – Scott Radinsky (2)
282 – Robin Ventura
309 – Jack McDowell TP
327 – Frank Thomas CL
354 – Frank Thomas CL
370 – Darrin Jackson
415 – Julio Franco (2)
435 – Ozzie Guillen
445 – Jack McDowell (3)
500 – Frank Thomas
617 – Dan Pasqua (3)

1994 Donruss
598 – Rod Bolton

1994 Fleer
76 – Jason Bere
81 – Craig Grebeck
90 – Warren Newson

1994 Score
153 – Alex Fernandez

1994 Stadium Club Team
133 – Craig Grebeck
149 – Dan Pasqua

1994 Stadium Club Members Only
12 – Wilson Alvarez
21 – Jack McDowell

1994 Topps
5 – Ozzie Guillen (3)
62 – Tim Belcher
90 – Robin Ventura
118 – Jason Bere
270 – Frank Thomas
500 – Bo Jackson
601 – Frank Thomas MG

1994 Topps Gold
299 – Wilson Alvarez

1994 Upper Deck
55 – Frank Thomas FUT

1994 Upper Deck Electric Diamond
263 – Robin Ventura

1995 Collector’s Choice SE
29 – Frank Thomas RP
235 – Frank Thomas (2)
237 – Robin Ventura

1995 Topps
1 – Frank Thomas (2)
384 – Frank Thomas AS
479 – Robin Ventura (2)

1995 Topps Cyberstats
197 – Ron Karkovice

1995 Upper Deck
105 – Frank Thomas (2)
201 – Robin Ventura
235 – Ray Durham (2)

1996 Collector’s Choice
412 – Frank Thomas CL

1996 Pacific
289 – Dave Martinez
292 – Wilson Alvarez

1996 Pinnacle
133 – Jason Bere

1996 Stadium Club
304 – Alex Fernandez
375 – Larry Thomas (2)

1996 Topps
100 – Frank Thomas
229 – Frank Thomas SP (2)
310 – Robin Ventura (2)

1996 Topps At The Break
1 – Frank Thomas (2)

1996 Upper Deck
302 – Danny Tartabull

1997 Topps
46 – Harold Baines
108 – Frank Thomas
425 – Robin Ventura (3)

1997 Topps Number Crunchers
SB2 – Frank Thomas

1997 Upper Deck
40 – Frank Thomas

1998 Score Rookie/Traded
RT254 – Frank Thomas (2)

1998 Topps
20 – Frank Thomas
303 – Robin Ventura (3)
331 – Albert Belle (4)
480 – Frank Thomas IP

1998 Upper Echelon
458 – Frank Thomas

1999 Fleer Tradition
34 – Frank Thomas

1999 Topps
93 – Albert Belle (2)
423 – Frank Thomas (4)

1999 Ultimate Victory
29 – Paul Konerko

1999 UD Choice
72 – Frank Thomas

1999 UD MVP
45 – Frank Thomas

1999 UD Challengers For 70
C8 – Frank Thomas

2000 Fleer Tradition Update
U148 – Lorenzo Barcelo/Joe Crede

2000 Topps
55 – Frank Thomas (3)
261 – Carlos Lee (2)
286 – Paul Konerko
443 – Joe Crede

2000 Ultra
232 – Paul Konerko

2000 Upper Deck Legends
83 – Carlton Fisk (3)
84 – Frank Thomas (2)

2001 Bowman
336 – Joe Crede

2001 Fleer Focus
56 – Jose Valentin

2001 Fleer Futures
33 – Keith Foulke
199 – Joe Crede

2001 Fleer Premium
29 – Chris Singleton
139 – Jose Valentin

2001 Fleer Tradition
408 – Mike Sirotka

2001 Topps
64 – Carlos Lee
240 – Frank Thomas

2001 Topps Chrome
298 – Joe Crede

2001 Topps Traded
T160 – Joe Crede

2001 Topps Tribute
59 – Carlton Fisk

2001 Ultra
178 – Paul Konerko

2001 Upper Deck Vintage
353 – Rocky Biddle/Joe Crede/Josh Paul

2002 Bowman
135 – Joe Borchard

2002 Diamond Kings
81 – Mark Buehrle

2002 Donruss
143 – Mark Buehrle

2002 Donruss Elite
86 – Mark Buehrle

2002 Donruss Fan Club
107 – Joe Crede
180 – Ray Durham

2002 Flair
41 – Mark Buehrle

2002 Fleer Authentix
105 – Jose Valentin

2002 Fleer Box Scores
4 – Mark Buehrle
70 – Ray Durham
167 – Edwin Almonte 2688/2950
277 – Luis Aparicio 1213/2950
278 – Hoyt Wilhelm 1213/2950

2002 Fleer Genuine
92 – Mark Buehrle

2002 Fleer Greats
84 – Luis Aparicio

2002 Fleer Greats Dueling Duos
18 – Nellie Fox

2002 Fleer Maximum
177 – Keith Foulke

2002 Fleer Premium
130 – Keith Foulke
160 – Chris Singleton

2002 Fleer Tradition
322 – Royce Clayton

2002 Fleer Triple Crown
130 – Ray Durham
167 – Chris Singleton

2002 Leaf
157 – Kyle Kane

2002 Leaf Rookies & Stars
376 – Mitch Wylie

2002 Sweet Spot Classics
17 – Eddie Collins

2002 Studio
26 – Joe Crede
163 – Mark Buehrle

2002 Topps Chrome
82 – Jose Valentin

2002 Topps Heritage
86 – Ray Durham
430 – Sandy Alomar Jr.
440 – Brian West

2002 Topps Opeing Day
95 – Jose Valentin
99 – Sandy Alomar

2002 Topps Total
443 – Bob Howry

2002 Upper Deck
231 – Royce Clayton
620 – Rocky Biddle

2002 Upper Deck 40 Man
420 – Edwin Almonte

2002 Upper Deck Authentics
75 – Mark Buehrle
176 – Danny Wright

2002 Upper Deck MVP
122 – Todd Ritchie
124 – Edwin Almonte

2003 Sweet Spot
31 – Paul Konerko

2003 Topps Gallery
13 – Eddie Collins
116 – Magglio Ordonez

2003 Topps Opening Day Stickers
37 – Paul Konerko

2003 Upper Deck
121 – Todd Ritchie

2003 Victory
26 – Frank Thomas
28 – Paul Konerko

2003 Upper Deck Vintage
335 – Sandy Alomar Jr.

2004 Donruss Classics
6 – Carlos Lee
148 – Frank Thomas

2004 Fleer Classic Clippings
22 – Magglio Ordonez

2008 Baseball Heroes
43 – Jermaine Dye
44 – Paul Konerko

2008 SP Authentic
61 – Nick Swisher

2008 Upper Deck X
24 – Paul Konerko (2)
25 – Jermaine Dye
26 – Carlos Quentin (2)

2008 Upper Deck X Die Cut
25 – Jermaine Dye

Let's catch our breath, shall we?

There was even more treasures in the box. Remember, way back near the top of the post, I mentioned something about a graded card. It turned out to be a graded rookie card. No, not a Frank Thomas, but someone else from 1990.

A 1990 Upper Deck Sammy Sosa graded card.

Normally, I don't care much for graded cards. This would be my first actual graded card. But, I feel the imprisonment of this card is justified. Take that any way you like.

If that weren't enough, there were three sealed White Sox team packs of 1997 Collector's Choice.

This was a lot to handle while I was sick, but I enjoyed every minute of it! Thank you so much gcrl! A package is being compiled for you right now!

White Sox Photoshop Cards: Horatio Ramirez

Card #36 - Horacio Ramirez

Horatio had a below average stint with the White Sox in 2008. If the the Sox do not retain him for their 2009 roster, this would make the only team in his career where he has not hit a batter while pitching. Horatio hit two batters, in 2008, while with Kansas City. The only year that he has not hit a batter was 2004, with Atlanta.

This is another in a long line of former Kansas City pitchers that Kenny Williams thinks will magically transform into a miraculous pitching machine. Yes, these pitchers all have flashes of brilliance, but a change of uniform will not fix these damaged goods.

This was the best picture of Horatio that I could find. It shows him in Baltimore, I believe, during the continuation of the rained out game from Chicago. I remember Horatio being much better than the numbers say, or what everyone else thinks.

I doubt that Horatio will be on the Major League roster in 2009, but he is a left hander, so that could sneak him into the bullpen. It all depends on how the winter dealings progress. It should tell you how ineffective Horatio was, if the hit by pitch angle was the best blurb that I could come up with for the card.

Trick Or Treat!

Yes, that is my box from Trick or Treating. For some reason, I was even drawn to that box when the picture was originally posted, in its unaltered form. I'm not sure why. Something told me that that was probably the one. Maybe I should have played the lottery that day. Maybe not. Why press my luck?

As I have hinted in a previous post, during my weakened state from which I am still recovering, I received a box full of treats. Well... mostly treats. I didn't get dastardly tricked with major tricks. I had no Cubs, no Red Sox, no Astros, no Rays, no division rivals or any of that nonsense. If I had gotten tricked with cards from any team who is a rival or who had beaten the White Sox in the postseason or whatever, I would have used that for trade fodder down the road. So ultimately, everyone wins at some point.

But there were tricks in this box of merriment. Little tiny tricks. See, even Flash Gordon could tell that there was something up with this package.

Maybe it is just the effects of my recent bout with sickness or my sickness inspired playoff beard inspiring these thoughts. (OK, the beard is not originally because of sickness. It's because I wanted to dress up as Silent Bob for a Halloween party. Are you satisfied?) I found a slew of White Sox doubles. I also found a couple of Topps Big cards that just fit inside the tiny box. Were those my tiny tricks? Maybe so.

Still, there were many treats to be found inside!

1992 O-Pee-Chee Premier
43 - Steve Sax

1993 Conlon
696 - Bill Hunnefield

1993 Fun Pack
198 - George Bell

1993-1994 Classic Images Four Sport
115 - Scott Christman

1994 Stadium Club
528 - Frank Thomas

1994 Topps
147 - Mike LaValliere

1994 Topps Gold
500 - Bo Jackson
758 - Greg Norton

1994-1995 Excel
28 - Ray Durham

1994-1995 Excel All-Stars
3 - Ray Durham

1995 Panini Stickers
11 - Wilson Alvarez

1995 Sportflix
96 - Scott Ruffcorn
114 - Ray Durham

1995 Stadium Club
302 - Tim Raines
410 - Tim Raines CS
457 - Jason Bere

1995 Upper Deck Michael Jordan
1, 5, 7, 8, 9

1995 Upper Deck Minors
89 - Ray Durham

1995 Zenith
119 - Ray Durham
123 - James Baldwin

1996 Bowman's Best
13 - Frank Thomas

1996 Leaf
150 - Frank Thomas

1996 - Score
499 - Chris Snopek

1996 Upper Deck
44 - Robin Ventura
231 - Chris Snopek
303 - Darren Lewis

1997 Circa
229 - Roberto Hernandez
261 - Ron Karkovice
330 - Robin Ventura

1997 Fleer Update
534 - Doug Drabek
572 - Jaime Navarro

1997 Score Hobby Reserve
348 - Jaime Navarro

1997 SP
46 - Robin Ventura

1997 Stadium Club
43 - Robin Ventura
70 - Harold Baines
134 - Danny Tartabull

1999 Topps
271 - Jeff Abbott

1999 Upper Deck
343 - Jeff Abbott

Wow! We're finally through the nineties! I think I'm getting dizzy from all the gloss and day-glo colors. Was this more trick than treat?

2000 Stadium Club
143 - Chris Singleton

2000 Upper Deck Hitter's Club
47 - Frank Thomas

2001 Royal Rookies Futures
9 - Ryan Hankins

2001 Topps
78 - Harold Baines

2002 Absolute Playoff
34 - Keith Foulke

2002 Donruss Fan Club
117 - Carlos Lee

2002 Donruss Originals
410 - Mitch Wylie

2003 Donruss Elite
21 - Mark Buehrle

2003 Fller Authentix
95 - Paul Konerko
98 - Bartolo Colon

2003 Fleer Tradition
303 - Joe Crede

2003 Topps Chrome
126 - Aaron Rowand

2003 Topps Heritage
326 - Corwin Malone

2003 Topps Total
382 - Flash Gordon

2004 Donruss Team Heroes
95 - Miguel Olivo

2004 Upper Deck
110 - Ryan Wing

2005 Bazooka
83 - Paul Konerko

2005 National Pastime
43 - Magglio Ordonez

2005 Origins
77 - Paul Konerko

2006 Sweet Spot Update
23 - Jose Contreras

2008 Bowman Prospects
BP83 - Sal Sanchez

2008 TRISTAR PROjections
92 - Nevin Griffith

So there you have a listing of all my treats in the box. The other cards, which were treats in their own right, was slightly larger than these. When I can get results from a random trick or treat box like this, I am truly honored and lucky.

The box was fantastically decorated with artwork and Halloween themes. Kudos to the Tribe Cards family! This was a lot of fun. I'm glad I braved my fears and knocked on the door. Thanks!

Card Spotlight 10-24-08

2008 Donruss Americana Sports Legends - Pete Rose/Joe Jackson

Will I ever own this card? Probably not. When I saw it at Sports Card Info, I knew I wasn't the only one intrigued by its existence.

What does this mean for the hobby? It doesn't look like a lot, but it means a great deal for the hobby itself. I want Pete Rose, Joe Jackson and many others to be a part of future releases. I'm getting burnt out on Mickey Mantle and the go to guy for retired players.

I would like to see players from all teams get the respect that they so richly deserve. Where would the game be without these pioneers, who did amazing things on the field. As a White Sox fan, my veterans are either Luis Aparicio, who is sometimes pictured as an Oriole, Minnie Minoso, who is sometimes pictured as an Indian and Luke Appling. That's pretty much it.

Sure, I'll get an occasional Harold Baines or Carlton Fisk thrown my way, but what about Ted Lyons? I can't remember the last time I saw a card of him. There are many forgettable players on every team, but there are memorable players who are forgotten. Either because of a banishment or contract dispute or some other slight.

It's time that we got some of these other deserving players on cards. I was hoping for SP Legendary Cuts to continue in that tradition, but Upper Deck has turned that release into a farce this year. Maybe a release will come out in 2009 that will satisfy those needs. Until then, I'm happy to see Pete and Joe back on cardboard.

Sick As A Dog

About 5 AM, yesterday morning, it started. I couldn't explain why, but apparently I caught some really nasty bug that's been wreaking havoc with my insides. At least it waited until after my birthday was over to get me.

Yesterday, I could barely muster enough energy to look at the computer, let alone write anything. The farthest I got was reading some of the other blogs. I may have made a comment or two, but I honestly don't remember.

Things should be up and running at normal capacity in the next few days. The postings may be sporadic, but aren't they always?

I did receive two packages in the mail today. I got the trick or treat package from Tribe Cards, which was full of treats! No tricks whatsoever. I also received a huge box from gcrl, filled with interesting White Sox goodies. I'll be sorting out those packages shortly.

Even though I feel like death warmed over, it doesn't mean that I don't have a sense of humor about it. So, for your enjoyment, an Aerosmith classic.

One Year Before My Birth

One year before my birth, some young catcher was making a name for himself because a cameraman was focusing on a rat, rather than paying attention to the game. The cameraman couldn't follow the path of the ball, as instructed, so he focused on the batter. Isn't history funny?

Elsewhere, exactly one year before my birth, current catcher Toby Hall was being born.

Now, of those two (very loosely) White Sox related stories happening on October 21, 1975, which do you think I tell more often as being done one year before my birthday? That's not a picture of Toby Hall up there.

Will One Of These Be In My Future?

I bought four team slots in an upcoming box break of Donruss threads. I was randomly picked the Twins, Giants, Nationals, and Reds. I traded the Twins for the White Sox.

Will I get a Shoeless Joe Jackson card? I hope I get at least the base common card. What would I do if I got the Shoeless Joe memorabilia card? I honestly don't know what I'd do. Maybe I'd run screaming into the night with joy. Maybe I'd faint. Maybe I'd shriek some high pitched shrill tone. I just don't know.

I fell very short of my 2008 goal, which was to get the first Shoeless Joe bat card into my possession. It wasn't lack of trying. It was lack of funds. It has moved to my long term goal list.

Now, I'm hearing that 2008 Donruss Threads has been sold out and oversold. I'm hoping that this doesn't mean that I'll be left out in the cold. If it does, I can live with that, just not as well as I could have. Still it should be interesting to see what pops up in my four teams.

White Sox: I'm hoping for Shoeless Joe, but who knows.

Giants: Unless something blows me completely away, enough to ensure a huge sale, these are all going to The Nennth Inning for some random White Sox cards. For some reason, I can't add The Nennth Inning to the Long & Winding Blog. I've been trying for months and it won't take.

Nationals: I'm not really hoping for Nationals here. I'm hoping for some good old fashioned Expos from this slot.

Reds: There are many players that would make this slot cool, but I'm hoping to get a prickly thorn named Rose. I figure that if a Pete Rose is pulled, I have a two out of three shot at it. The odds might be slightly higher with the Reds as one of my teams.

Will all four teams be a bust? I certainly hope not. The odds are in my favor to get at least one decent pull. I wouldn't hold my breath on that though. Regardless of what I obtain from the box break, it will definitely be interesting. I just know that I'll miss out on Carlton Fisk, since I didn't pull the Red Sox. Oh well. There's always the secondary market.

Treasure Never Buried Trade

With all the hoopla surrounding Treasure Never Buried lately, it's sometimes hard to remember that the site is about a father and son collecting cards. The pure and simple joy of this hobby gets lost occasionally, but jv and Connor are a constant reminder of the purity of collecting.

I sent a good chunk of 1990 Topps over to help jv and Connor get closer to completing their two sets. One set for Connor and the other for jv. Sure, it could be just easier to pick up a complete set on eBay for dirt cheap, but where's the fun and adventure in that?

I get to help out two fellow collectors and get rid of a sizable portion of my dormant 1990 Topps. How could I lose? It's a win-win situation. But wait, it just got better. A box of cards came for me yesterday.

The mail was somewhat late yesterday. I had already left for a friend's house by the time it arrived. I didn't get home until shortly before midnight. I see this box of cards on the coffee table and get very curious. I opened it shortly after midnight and it became, by default, the first package that I opened on my birthday.

Let's dive inside this box and see what goodies await!

1995 Upper Deck Michael Jordan
10 - Michael Jordan

1996 Collector's Choice
437 - Jermaine Dye (2)

2006 UD Future Stars
12 - Jim Thome
14 - Jermaine Dye

2006 UD Future Stars Red
12 - Jim Thome 1543/1799

2007 Allen & Ginter Mini
234 - Joe Crede
234 - Joe Crede A&G back

2007 Bowman's Best
30 - Jim Thome

2007 Topps Co-Signers
86 - Jim Thome

2007 Topps Co-Signers Bronze
86 - Jim Thome/Paul Konerko 056/175

2007 Turkey Red
145 - Jim Thome

2008 Allen & Ginter State Flags
US35 - Nick Swisher

2008 A Piece Of History
25 - Jim Thome

2008 Baseball Heroes Black
42 - Jim Thome

2008 Bowman
112 - Nick Swisher

2008 Bowman Gold
31 - Javier Vazquez

2008 Bowman Prospects
BP97 - Matt Inouye

2008 Finest
92 - Mark Buehrle
128 - Donny Lucy

2008 Goudey Mini
42 - Paul Konerko

2008 Topps Chrome
69 - Jim Thome
76 - Jermaine Dye

2008 Topps Chrome Refractor
64 - Mark Buehrle
76 - Jermaine Dye

2008 Topps Gold Foil
240 - Jim Thome

2008 Topps Opening Day
113 - Jose Contreras

2008 Upper Deck
287 - Jim Thome

2008 Upper Deck First Edition Starquest
SQ-26 - Jim Thome

2008 Upper Deck Starquest
SQ-26 - Jim Thome

2008 Upper Deck X
24 - Paul Konerko
25 - Jermaine Dye
27 - Jim Thome

2008 Upper Deck X Die Cut
24 - Paul Konerko

If that weren't enough, there was a nice stack of 2008 Topps Heritage cards!

2008 Topps Heritage
60, 62, 79, 142, 154, 161, 189, 195, 211, 215, 232, 278, 321, 347, 427, 433, 440, 479

2008 Topps Heritage Black Backs
22, 28, 81, 135, 173, 226, 323, 372

2008 Topps Heritage Flashbacks
9

2008 Topps Heritage News Flashbacks
3

2008 Topps Heritage Then & Now
8

That brings my total to 420 cards out of 502 for the base set. Only 82 to go! The want list has been updated.

This was a totally unexpected bounty of cards. I wasn't expecting much for a bunch of 1990 Topps cards that were just collecting dust, bu this goes well beyond my wildest dreams for a trade. The sheer volume of awesome cards is astounding! There was even another Michael Jordan card from that pesky 1995 Upper Deck subset.

I hope that jv and Connor enjoyed their cards. I know I sure enjoyed mine! Thanks for a wonderful trade!

Trading With Night Owl Cards

There have been so many great, unique card blogs popping up lately. Night Owl Cards is no exception. Greg brings an amazing nighttime perspective to card blogging that we all do, but rarely admit to... staying up all night talking about cards.

It's a secret shame for some of us, but there is no shame on display here. Only celebration. I can't even count the number of times I've seen a fellow blogger on at some wee hour, updating the blog, or having a conversation through e-mail. This site celebrates the night cards and the night lifestyle.

So, when a proposed trade came up, I couldn't refuse. This package came on Saturday, but I haven't had a chance to do much with it until today. Let's see what came in from the night.

1980 Kellog's
34 - Claudell Washington
46 - Chet Lemon

1989 Donruss
503 - Shawn Hillegas

1989 Score
399 - Bobby Thigpen
512 - Jeff Bittiger

1990 Score Rising Star
7 - Donn Pall
77 - Greg Hibbard
89 - Ken Patterson

1992 Fleer
94 - Ken Patterson

1992 Stadium Club
20 - Ozzie Guillen
184 - Donn Pall

1993 Score
418 - Steve Sax
582 - Bobby Thigpen

1993 Select
387 - Kirk McCaskill

1993 Topps
122 - Joey Cora

1993 Topps Gold
41 - Alex Fernandez

1994 Triple Play
265 - Roberto Hernandez
266 - Lance Johnson

1998 Pacific
52 - Albert Belle
53 - Tony Castillo
56 - Jorge Fabregas
57 - Ozzie Guillen

2000 Topps
13 - Magglio Ordonez
86 - Mike Caruso
154 - John Snyder

2005 Donruss
144 - Frank Thomas

2008 Allen & Ginter Mini
148 - Mark Buehrle

2008 Topps Heritage
A smattering of cards from my list

What an awesome package! Almost everything was hit from my lists! That's always an extra bonus. Greg sent a note saying that he hadn't checked the want list in about two weeks prior to sending the package. There were only a couple of cards that I had received in the past few weeks. Two Topps Heritage cards and two 1989 score cards. Not too bad of a ratio.

I would have listed the 2008 Topps Heritage cards, but I was so excited to get them, that I mixed them in the pile of cards to go into the album, after I updated the want list. It was only after I had sorted both stacks together, that I realized that I could only guess as to every card from this set that came from Greg.

The few highlights that I couldn't forget from the Heritage sent over? Frank Thomas. Mantle/Ortiz Then & Now. Every single card is appreciated. I can't believe how close I am to my goal of completing this set.

Thanks, Greg! You will receive a mysterious package soon. I hope that you enjoy that as much as I've enjoyed this one that you sent over!

Dewon Day? He Gone!

Dewon Day was claimed by the Boston Red Sox off of waivers.

Will Dewon improve upon his 0-1 major league career record with 11.25 ERA? It stands to reason that he would, if given a shot to crack the Boston bullpen.

With only 13 games to his credit and 12 innings pitched, Dewon has managed to finish 6 games with no saves. He gave up 19 hits, 15 runs all earned), 1 home run, 9 walks, 7 strikeouts, 2 hit by pitches and 1 wild pitch.

It seems that if he could learn a little control and spot his pitches, he might have a chance at being slightly more effective. He might be a lost cause, but who knows? Stranger things have happened. When he finally pieces it together, he could be a decent middle reliever.

Maybe he will take going back to the AL east (he was picked up from the Blue Jays from a Rule V draft) to heart and improve. Are the Red Sox this desperate to overtake the Rays next season? Maybe. I doubt that is the motivating factor. Maybe they need to fill a spot in AAA.

1984 Topps

While 1983 Topps was the first pack that I ever opened, 1984 Topps was the first set that I remember buying myself. My dad bought me my first pack of cards. I have bought the majority of the rest in my life.

1984 was a strange time for me. I was collecting cards, but not the ones that you would think. I was collecting Gremlins movie cards. Those have since been destroyed (probably by Gremlins), but I would pass up packs of baseball cards to get to the Gremlins cards.

I actually saw Gremlins at the drive-in in an actual Gremlin car. It was my dad's car. It was orange. I'm so glad it's gone. But I thought it was cool seeing Gremlins in a Gremlin. I was seven during the summer of 1984. Little things like that impressed me.

I did manage to pick up a few packs of Topps that year. I must have because I had a nice amount of those cards in my early collection. My local drug store didn't have Fleer or Donruss regular issues that year, so Topps it was. I stumbled upon them almost by accident. They kept the cards in the candy aisle. I always went straight to the candy aisle to see what new, interesting candies were in that week.

The design is reminiscent of the 1983 design. This time, the circle becomes a square and the space gets a little smaller. The team name is moved to the side and is blown up considerably. It's a step down from the previous year's set, but it's still a classic design. One that doesn't get a lot of respect today.

Is the design slightly juvenile? Yeah, just a little bit. It's comforting to look at though. The nostalgia factor drives this set up just a bit, but not enough to swing heavily in the opposite direction. Just enough for a tap. It's still a clean design and better than some of the card designs in the past few years.

The White Sox have 30 regular cards and 3 multiple team cards in the set.

20 - Greg Luzinski
47 - Rudy Law
72 - Mike Squires
97 - LaMarr Hoyt
125 - Britt Burns
135 - Victory Leaders (LaMarr Hoyt)
153 - Dick Tidrow
163 - Lorenzo Gray
177 - Jerry Hairston
216 - White Sox TL/C.Fisk
257 - Julio Cruz
269 - Aurelio Rodriguez
280 - Floyd Bannister
311 - Jerry Koosman
364 - Scott Fletcher
382 - Chris Nyman
405 - LaMarr Hoyt AS
409 - Juan Agosto
434 - Harold Baines
459 - Kevin Hickey
480 - Ron Kittle
518 - Greg Walker
541 - Dennis Lamp
560 - Carlton Fisk
591 - Tony LaRussa MG
619 - Jerry Dybzinski
664 - Dave Stegman
667 - Vance Law
698 - Marc Hill
712 - AL Active HR Leaders (Greg Luzinski)
716 - AL Active Strikeout Leaders (Jerry Koosman)
759 - Richard Dotson
777 - Tom Paciorek

Another solid effort by Topps and another bounty of White Sox cards in the set. It probably helps that the White Sox won their division by twenty games the year before. It couldn't hurt. With all the great stars and regional stars in the Sox set, you may be wondering why I chose Dennis Lamp to represent the set. Two reasons. I like to showcase the cards that don't see the light of day often. The other reason? I love... Lamp.

A Hand Collated Trade

It seems that 1990 Topps is the popular not quite yet vintage card set to complete by hand lately. Over the past two weeks, I have sent out three different packages with just 1990 Topps cards in them.

This was the first set I started collecting during my second wave of card collecting. I am on my third and final wave. During my first wave, I was the rookie. I was just glad to be part of the game. During my second wave, I was the cocky superstar. I wanted everything and I wanted it NOW. So far, my third wave can be described as the grizzled, wise veteran. I know what I want and how to get that done. I know I'll never have everything. I now focus on what's important. I concentrate on things I do well and end up excelling at them.

Pretty much, everything that is not in the realm of what I collect is up for trade. I'm OK with that. I've hand picked what I collect and the rest is usually trying to find a home elsewhere.

I saw a list for 1990 Topps at Hand Collated and thought that I had a bunch of 1990 Topps cards just sitting there, doing nothing. An idea formed in my brain. I can trade off whatever I could find from the list and possibly get things that I needed in return.

"What a novel idea", I thought.

The 1990 Topps will always hold a special place in my heart, but I got what I wanted out of the set. I only completed my White Sox team set a few months ago. If these overproduced cards can find a loving home, I'm all for it.

Here's what Scott sent back in return.

1989 Score #399 - Bobby Thigpen
1989 Score #607 - Jim Eppard
2008 UD YSL #2334 (08/19/1952)
2008 UD YSL #4368 (08/09/1979)

This trade completes my 1989 Score White Sox team set. As it turns out, I was only one card away from completion. When I am doing years on the want list, I try to visually see every card and try to do a little bit of research. The site that I use, made a mistake and claimed that Jim Eppard was part of the White Sox team set. He was not. Jim was a first baseman for the Angels.

There aren't many mistakes at the site I use as a guide, but human error isn't totally out of the realm either. This was just one that I didn't catch. Probably because of the year. The White Sox had so many people on the team in the late eighties, some names completely escape me, so Jim being on the White Sox was plausible. Oh well, live and learn. I appreciate the card though.

The other two cards get me two cards closer to completing the White Sox set of Yankee Stadium Legacy cards. It's still a long way to go, but every little bit helps. I'm just glad that I didn't decide to collect the whole gigantic thing. That would be crazy.

Thanks, Scott! These four cards make a nice dent in my collection in very important places. I can scratch one team set off the list and I have two more pesky YSL cards out of the way.

Card Spotlight 10-17-08

1982 K-Mart #21 - Rich Allen

A recently acquired card of mine, this K-Mart baseball card features the entire 1972 Topps card of Rich Allen, complete with faux shadow lifting the original card off of the new card. Could K-Mart have been on to something? How would a picture of another card on a card do in today's market? Would collectors scream about fraud and the saturation of the market or would they embrace a card like this?

So many thing could go wrong with this type of card. The potential backlash could be fatal to the set's success. I'm not sure how I would react to something like this released today. I'd probably dismiss it as a cheap knockoff designed to suck more money out of the already financially strapped collector.

Back in 1982 would be a different story. It would be another year before I would receive my first baseball card. When I started collecting, I engrossed myself in the past releases and taught myself what to look out for and what to avoid. I probably knew more then, than I know now. I had to reteach myself everything, when I reentered the world of cards last year.

This card is a reminder of those innocent days spent looking up different sets in these huge books filled with pictures of cards. I used to dream of owning every single card. Back then, it was not totally impossible to believe that you could obtain every single card. There were only three major card companies and a handful of regional releases.

This was before I found out about things like minor league cards. This was before the internet was available to most people as an information tool. This was when my knowledge of card releases was limited to the drug store and whatever information I could find in books.

I guess this week has been a reflection back. The season is drawing to a close with the World Series looming large on the horizon. I have been finishing up projects started during the season. I have resurrected some other regular features that have fallen by the wayside in favor of more current topics. With my birthday rapidly approaching next week, it is the perfect time to reflect back. This card fits that theme perfectly.

White Sox Photoshop Cards: DeWayne Wise

Card #35 - DeWayne Wise

DeWayne surprised a lot of people in 2008. Once considered an afterthought as a fifth outfielder, DeWayne showcased his fielding skills and timely hitting. When the big names falter, the rest have to step up. Wise has stepped up beyond his expectations.

During the 2008 ALDS, DeWayne provided the majority of the offense, which is remarkable on a team with Thome, Griffey and Konerko. Wise is a gamer, who is not afraid to give it his all. It may seem a stretch, but the White Sox may not have made the postseason in 2008 without the contributions of Dewayne Wise.

I chose this photo of DeWayne because he is completely in midair, in the beginning stages of catching a ball that is a few feet from him. It reminds me of a Chicago legend that once tried playing for the White Sox.

I certainly hope that Dewayne will find a spot on the 2009 team. In my opinion, he certainly earned it with his 2008 season.

1983 Topps

1983 Topps was the very first pack that I opened, way back in 1983. I have a soft spot for the set. I loved everything about this set, from the two different pictures on the front to the Super Veterans. It captured my interest. I might have dismissed the entire first pack and gone my entire existence without opening another pack, if it weren't for one card.

Alfredo Griffin.

That one card, which is now lost to the evil monkey living in my closet, changed my entire childhood. That one play captured on cardboard catapulted me into a world of baseball cards. A world that I cannot escape.

It's been a strange journey from that Alfredo Griffin card. I couldn't stop collecting from that moment until sometime after the 1987 season. I collected everything. Every team, every player, every card. Now, those foolish days are behind me. I only collect one team and a couple of players from my childhood. But this was the set that started it all.

In my opinion, this is one of the best looking sets of the eighties. Everything seems bright and in balance. It strikes the right balance of geometric shapes and photographs, without seeming too overwhelming. Many releases would try to imitate this set, but none have come close to capturing the same kind of magic.

There are 29 cards featuring White Sox players.

20 - Carlton Fisk
46 - Richard Dotson
72 - Tom Paciorek
98 - Vance Law
124 - Marc Hill
153 - Jerry Koosman
177 - Harold Baines
216 - Tony LaRussa MG
260 - Steve Kemp
278 - Kevin Hickey
310 - Greg Luzinski
362 - Bill Almon
393 - Carlton Fisk AS
409 - Marvis Foley
434 - Dennis Lamp
461 - Steve Trout
487 - Jerry Hairston
514 - Rudy Law
541 - Britt Burns
560 - Ron LeFlore
591 - White Sox TL Greg Luzinski & LaMarr Hoyt
618 - LaMarr Hoyt
669 - Mike Squires
693 - Sparky Lyle
694 - Sparky Lyle SV
698 - Tony Bernazard
705 - LaMarr Hoyt (Steve Carlton) LL
758 - Aurelio Rodriguez
772 - Jim Kern

With a pleasing design and bright, crisp photographs and colors, this set is a winner. This was part of the mid eighties Topps releases where special subsets felt special. They were part of the actual set. This was before intentional short prints and insert cards. It was a simpler time and a better product. I'll take this set over this year's Topps set any day of the week.

White Sox Photoshop Cards: Octavio Dotel

Card #34 - Octavio Dotel

Octavio was part of the master plan Kenny Williams had in mind for the bullpen in 2008. For the most part, that plan worked. The only flaw in the plan was injuries to key players in the bullpen. That forced the other relievers into other positions, which caused ineffectiveness.

Dotel rebounded when the bullpen was healthy. He did the role he signed on for without any further inconsistencies. Octavio is lights out for the one inning of work that he is prepared to do. Stretching him over an inning, causes the teams to catch up to him, resulting in very unflattering numbers. It should be interesting to see how he responds in 2009.

Sorry for the delay in the Photoshop cards. Other areas of this blog and my life have taken my time the past few weeks. I hope to finish up the remaining cards by the end of the month.

I chose this photo for two reasons. It shows a pitcher covering home plate, which isn't seen too often on cards. It also shows Negro League uniforms, which look very different than the regular uniforms.

The Game That Never Ends

It started innocently enough. I was invited to one of my best friend's houses for dinner last night. His roommate would be cooking a meal of beef stew, preceded by salad and followed by chocolate cake. How could I resist?

After dinner, we would whip out the board games. Maybe there would be a potential Trivial Pursuit win in my future or I could become a Scrabble champion for the night. The possibilities were endless.

Someone, not me, suggested that we pass the time during the cooking of dinner by playing a game. It sounded like a fun way to pass an hour or two. This game would be played only with our brains. It was a sports name game. The first letter of the last name would be the first letter of the following first name. Sounds simple. The following is just a random sample. I don't remember what name started it all, but the game began at 6:30 PM.

Jason Bere
Bartolo Colon
Chad Billingsley
Britt Burns
Brooks Robinson

The only additional rules were that a name could not be repeated. It could be from any sport or sports related occupation.

Ravishing Rick Rude
Reggie Jackson
Jack McDowell

This was so successfull that we continued playing it during dinner.

Michael Vick
Vida Blue
Bobby Bonds
Bobby Thigpen

We also couldn't use names starting with I, Q, X, Y and Z, because they were too uncommon for first names.

Tiffany Cohen
Carlton Fisk
Floyd Patterson

We finished with dinner and dessert and decided to sit around the fire pit in the back yard.

Pete Rose
Roger Bossard
Bob Boone

We started the fire around 9:30PM

Barry Jones
Joe Jackson
Jerry Lawler

This would be one of the last nights where the weather would be perfect to sit out and enjoy a fire. It wasn't too hot or too cold.

Lance Armstrong
Alex Cora
Catfish Hunter

About a half hour before we decided to call it a night, there was an H to me. We had used all of the Harolds, Honuses, Herbs, Horaces and other H names we could think of. When I came up with this H name, we knew we hit the bottom of the barrel.

He Hate Me
Manny Trillo
Tara Lipinski

We went our separate ways sometime after 4:00AM. Be warned. This game is infectious.

Larry Bird
Bruce Jenner
Jeff Juden

Take extreme caution when you start this game.

John McEnroe
Mark O'Meara
Ozzie Canseco

It may never leave!

Cal Ripken
Rodney McCray
Mario Andretti
Alvin Davis

How The Cookie Crumbles

With the announcement of Mother's Cookies shutting its doors, everyone has been looking back at past releases of thier baseball card issues. I never collected any. They were great pieces of unusual, well-made slices of the West Coast and Texas. If I would have been older in the eighties and early nineties, I probably would have been collecting them with my first real job. By the time I got something that paid more than a paper route, baseball cards had passed me by.

These are great looking cards, that would focus on West Coast and Texas teams and players. They certainly got my attention during my second wave of collecting (1990 - 1994), but my crappy K-Mart overnight stocker job wouldn't come until November 1994. This was after I was disillusioned by the strike and focused my attention on other things, such as music and dating.

When I got back into full time collecting, in 2007, I narrowed my focus down to just White Sox players, featured in a White Sox uniform or listed as being on the team. I never got a chance to really sink my teeth into one of these sets. My tastes never matched what they were selling (baseball card-wise) or my income was virtually non-existent, when this would have been the perfect appetizer.

Goodbye Mother's Cookies. You will be missed.

Random Card #37

The Minnie Minoso 1995 Sonic Coke card. This card eluded me for quite some time, but I finally obtained one in a blind trade with Spiff last month.

This is an interesting card for many reasons. One, it features Minnie running and rounding a base. That's something you wouldn't normally see on a card from the picture's era. I love action shots of vintage players because normally their cards would either have a portrait or a posed shot. This really gives the older players more dimension.

Two, the uniform features no logos or identifying marks, besides the pin striping. If this was a White Sox uniform, there has been some very crafty airbrushing done to take the letters and/or logos off of the uniform. The card was made by Upper Deck, so I'm unsure as to why any identifying marks would have to be airbrushed off.

Three, according to the back, Minnie Minoso and Mickey Mantle hit their first home runs in the same game. That's something that I either didn't know or had forgotten over time. I am super sick of Mickey Mantle after years of Topps abuse, but that's still a cool fact. After doing a little checking, that game (May 1, 1951, in Chicago) did feature the first career home runs for each player. Minnie got his in his first at-bat. Mantle had to wait for his until the sixth inning, when the White Sox pitcher thought he would fool him with a change up.

All in all, this is a wonderful card. It's a shame that these Sonic Coke cards don't get as much respect as other releases. Looking over the checklist, it has a pretty impressive roster. A great lineup and the cards look halfway decent. Not bad for what's technically an oddball release.

The Cash Game

So, your blog has been fortunate enough to gain a sponsor? That's great. So, your blog is touting that it has been and always will be advertiser free? That's great too.

In the grand scheme of things, I personally don't care who is sponsored by what and who takes money from who. I don't care if a name changes to "Big Ass Card Company presents... Baseball Card Blog Number 167" after a sponsor signs on. The one thing that matters most to me? Content.

If the content drastically changes, and declines in quality, after a sponsorship, than I would have a problem with it. If the quality of the posts does not diminish, then who cares? Certainly not me.

I don't even particularly care if the ads are all over the place, as long as they aren't intrusive. I've watched some of the best blogs and some of the worst blogs get advertising. The better ones haven't changed much because of it. The worst blogs change from sponsorship. They become something that they aren't. They become something foreign.

There is a right way to do sponsorship and advertising and there is a wrong way to do it. If you incorporate either or both, what path will you choose?

Wax Heaven Turns One And I Get Presents

First of all, congratulations to Wax Heaven on its one year anniversary! I started this site about a month after Mario started his and Wax Heaven has been an early supporter of this site. The White Sox Cards blog was even included of the Top 7 blogs over there, until a few months ago.

There was a rumor that a package for me from Wax Heaven had been circulating around my hometown, unsure of where I was. Saturday, I finally got proof of that. Inside a package addressed to me was another package addressed to me. The difference with the package on the inside? The actual address was to my next door neighbor. We are on friendly terms, but I guess they don't know my last name yet.

Anyway, inside the inner layer was a select few cards. Some I had, some I didn't. Much as the mystery of the trip these cards took to me, there were other mysteries to solve once I dug around inside. The base cards in the following description, I already had. The surprises and mysteries were in the other cards.

Let's list the base cards first.

2008 Allen & Ginter
41 - Paul Konerko
76 - Jim Thome
141 - Jermaine Dye

The heart of the lineup. Three, four and five. Simply awesome. Already have them, but I love these cards, so I am happy with that.

2008 Goudey
40 - Mark Buehrle
44 - Jim Thome
45 - Nick Swisher

The ace, the slugger and the scrappy, peppy guy. I had these as well, but my Thome from a pack had some scratches on the front of the card. This is a perfect upgrade!

Now... the mystery!

2008 SPx Winning Materials #WM-AR - Aaron Rowand 025/150

That's a nice Aaron Rowand relic card! There's a picture of Aaron in a White Sox uniform. The material is obviously from a White Sox uniform. The team listed on the front is the Giants.

Huh?

I know this is 2008. I know that Aaron Rowand is on the San Francisco Giants now. I get that the "Winning Materials" would be from a team that had success when Aaron was a part of it. But why the Giants name on the front and the Giants logo on back, when the relic is from the White Sox and the picture is from the White Sox? Both pictures (one repeated on the back) show him in a White Sox uniform. I'm not complaining. I just find it weird.

Either way, it an awesome card!

The next is not so much a mystery, but just something cool. It also reminded me of something.

Now that I have my "Mini Me"s, I will hold the blog ransom for one million dollars. MUH-HA-HA-HA!!! MUH-HA-HA-HA!! MUH-HA-HA-HA!!!

Right... OK, that's enough evil laughing for one day.

BRING OUT THE "MINI ME"S!!!!!

2008 Goudey Mini #40 - Mark Buehrle
2008 Allen & Ginter Mini #33 - Nick Swisher

No on can separate me from my "Mini Me"s. I wouldn't have it any other way.

Thank you, Mario! You and Tatiana are the best! This was an awesome package with an interesting journey. Much more interesting than the time I was stranded with a cheese grater, a ball of yarn and two AA batteries. What would MacGyver do? Actually, I'd like to see what MacGyver would do with those items. Anything I could think of, would end up being painful.

What's definitely not painful? This awesome package from Wax Heaven! Thanks again, and happy anniversary! Now, I will go back to my search for Topps "Laser" White Sox cards.