Cards That Never Were #13

1976 Topps - Mike Squires

Johngy's Beat has many special requests, when it comes to custom cards. I love the challenges, but many challenges were waiting for me with this request.

One: I could not find any Mike Squires pictures in the red and white uniform.

Johngy eventually solved that by sending me a high resolution picture. The only downside was that I'd have to wait. It was sent literally hours after my hard drive crashed.

Two: Lack of access to my programs and files. Again, with the hard drive crashed, it was impossible to get anything regarding custom cards done.

Three: I never noticed before, but there is no first baseman standalone card for the White Sox in the 1976 Topps set. Go ahead and look. You won't find one. Which is why I had to make my own. Digitally underneath lies "Pops".

Carlos May was the regular first baseman in 1975, but he was listed as an outfielder in the 1976 Topps set.

Mike made his MLB debut on September 1, 1975. He appeared in 20 games, all at first base. Apparently, this wasn't enough to warrant a card in the 1976 set. This has now been corrected. Enjoy!

Post Christmas Bonanza With GCRL

Don't let the title fool you. I've been working on this list since before Christmas. Between the holiday madness and ice slipping (which is really fun and unexpected, until the pain sets in the next day) and chipping a tooth on cheesecake tonight (don't ask), I've had to put off completion of this massive list.

Wait no longer! The list is complete and I am proud and happy to present the cards sent over by GCRL.

This was so fun to go through right before the holiday! I intended on finishing the list on Christmas day, but one thing after another happened and... well, it was delayed a bit.

Brace yourselves. It's a long list!

1976 Topps
413 - Pete Varney
607 - Rich Hinton

1976 Topps Traded
434T - Morris Nettles

1979 Topps Checklists
404 - White Sox

1980 Topps Checklists
112 - White Sox

1982 K-Mart
21 - Rich Allen

1985 Fleer
659 - Checklist

1985 Topps Traded
43T - Ozzie Guillen

1986 Donruss
208 - Ozzie Guillen (2)

1986 Fleer
202 - Joel Davis
206 - Ozzie Guillen
219 - Greg Walker

1986 Fleer Box Bottoms
C3 - Ozzie Guillen

1986 OPC
6 - Rudy Law
14 - Julio Cruz
64 - Floyd Bannister
65 - Harold Baines
87 - Tim Hulett
123 - Greg Walker
233 - Richard Dotson
254 - Ozzie Guillen
284 - Bob James
288 - Ron Kittle
290 - Carlton Fisk

1987 Donruss
124 - Joel Davis
580 - Gene Nelson

1987 Fleer
500 - Tim Hulett
502 - Steve Lyons
659 - Checklist

1987 Fleer Update
U-72 - Fred Manrique

1987 Sportflics Team Preview Cards
26 - Fisk, Cangelosi, Walker, Karkovice, Baines, Guillen, Hassey, Cochrane, Cowley, Thigpen, James, Morman

1987 Topps
54 - Bill Dawley
61 - Bobby Thigpen
318 - Jim Fregosi
482 - Daryl Boston
667 - Ron Hassey

1988 Donruss
306 - Bill Long
370 - Gary Redus
383 - Floyd Bannister

1988 Fleer
407 - Jack McDowell

1988 Pacific Baseball Legends
91 - Luis Aparicio

1988 Score Traded
24T - Rick Horton
52T - Mark Salas
56T - Dan Pasqua
66T - Jeff Bittiger
85T - Jack McDowell
89T - Dave Gallagher
108T - Melido Perez

1988 Topps Folders
Greg Walker

1988 Topps Traded
68T - Jack McDowell

1989 Bowman
61 - Jack McDowell (2)

1989 Donruss
489 - Fred Manrique
531 - Jack McDowell
573 - Bill Long

1989 Score
128 - Harold Baines

1989 Score Traded
26T - Eric King
47T - Scott Fletcher
80T - Richard Dotson
97T - Ken Patterson
102T - Donn Pall
103T - Carlos Martinez

1989 Score Young Superstars
7 - Eric King

1989 Topps
408 - Greg Walker
486 - Jack McDowell

1990 Donruss
15 - Ozzie Guillen DK
58 - Carlton Fisk
135 - Ozzie Guillen
294 - Ivan Calderon
371 - Ken Patterson
531 - Carlos Martinez
660 - Harold Baines AS

1990 Donruss MVP
BC-19 - Carlton Fisk

1990 Fleer
545 - Ken Patterson

1990 Fleer Stickers
White Sox logo

1990 Score
115 - Dave Gallagher

1990 Score Rookie/Traded
44T - Phil Bradley
80T - Jerry Kutzler
85T - Wayne Edwards
90T - Scott Radinsky
105T - Craig Grebeck

1990 Topps
569 - Ivan Calderon

1990 Upper Deck
269 - Bobby Thigpen

1991 Classic Game
184 - Alex Fernendez

1991 Fleer
123 - Lance Johnson
129 - Jack McDowell

1991 Leaf
506 - Cory Snyder

1991 Score
62 - Scott Radinsky
132 - Donn Pall
496 - Steve Olin

1991 Score Rookie/Traded
52T - Mike Huff
81T - Brian Drahman

1992 Bowman
371 - Jack McDowell

1992 Donruss
191 - Alex Fernandez
374 - Ron Karkovice

1992 Leaf
78 - Wilson Alvarez

1992 Stadium Club
635 - Steve Sax (2)
761 - Wilson Alvarez (2)
866 - Ramon Garcia
894 - Charlie Hough

1993 Leaf
330 - Lance Johnson CL

1993 Pinnacle
560 - Kirk McCaskill

1993 SP
271 - Jason Bere

1993 Topps
41 - Alex Fernandez

1993 Upper Deck
597 - Tim Raines

1994 Action Packed
63 - James Baldwin

1994 Bowman's Best
10 - Lance Johnson

1994 Ultra
32 - Joey Cora
35 - Lance Johnson

1995 Collector's Choice
2 - Scott Ruffcorn
497 - Olmedo Saenz
498 - Scott Sanderson

1995 Collector's Choice SE
231 - Julio Franco (2)
232 - Jack McDowell (2)
234 - Alex Fernandez
236 - Ozzie Guillen (2)

1995 Fleer
118 - Ozzie Guillen

1995 Sonic Coke
14 - Minnie Minoso
17 - Joe Jackson

1995 Stadium Club
71 - Darrin Jackson (3)

1995 Stadium Club Members Only
16 - Julio Franco
24 - Lance Johnson

1995 Stadium Club Virtual Reality
54 - Ron Karkovice (2)
68 - Wilson Alvarez

1996 Leaf
39 - Alex Fernandez

1996 Pinnacle
40 - Alex Fernandez

1996 Topps
405 - Roberto Hernandez (2)

1996 Upper Deck
303 - Darren Lewis

1997 Bowman
128 - Jeff Abbott

1997 Collector's Choice
74 - Mike Cameron

1997 Collector's Choice White Sox Team
CW - Checklist
CW2 - Wilson Alvarez
CW3 - Tony Phillips
CW4 - Lyle Mouton
CW5 - James Baldwin
CW8 - Chris Snopek
CW9 - Ray Durham
CW11 - Ozzie Guillen
CW12 - Roberto Hernandez
CW13 - Jaime Navarro

1997 Donruss
346 - Chris Snopek

1997 Score
158 - Ray Durham

1997 Topps
137 - Chris Snopek
201 - Mike Cameron
215 - Ray Durham
310 - James Baldwin

1998 Collector's Choice
61 - Scott Eyre
62 - Jeff Abbott
114 - Tom Fordham

1998 Donruss Elite
68 - Jeff Abbott

1998 Omega
57 - Jaime Navarro

1998 Pacific
53 - Tony Castillo

1998 Pinnacle
78 - Jeff Abbott

1998 Score
89 - Jaime Navarro
99 - Lyle Mouton

1998 Score Rookie/Traded
RT140 - Ray Durham(2)
RT243 - Mario Valdez (4)
RT244 - Magglio Ordonez

1998 Stadium Club
346 - Mike Caruso

1998 Upper Deck
570 - Magglio Ordonez

1999 Fleer Tradition
53 - Mike Caruso
87 - Ray Durham
409 - Mike Cameron
504 - Greg Norton

1999 Fleer Tradition Rookie Flashback
4 - Greg Norton

1999 Fleer Tradition Update
U-10 = Jesus Pena
U-26 - Kip Wells
U-28 - Joe Davenport
U-138 - Paul Konerko

1999 Just
170 - Pat Daneker

1999 Metal
24 - Mike Sirotka
264 - Robert Machado

1999 Omega
56 - Paul Konerko
59 - Mike Sirotka
61 - Mark Johnson, Chris Singleton

199 Pacific
98 - Mike Cameron

1999 Pacific Crown Collection
67 - Wil Cordero
68 - Jaime Navarro

1999 Skybox Premium
239 - Chris Singleton

1999 Skybox Thunder
71 - Mike Caruso

1999 Sports Illustrated Greats Of The Game
11 - Luis Aparicio

1999 Stadium Club
303 - Jeff Abbott

1999 Topps
155 - Magglio Ordonez
425 - Carlos Lee

1999 Topps Traded
T79 - Paul Konerko

1999 Topps Stars
84 - Mike Caruso

1999 UD Choice
71 - Mike Caruso

1999 Upper Deck Encore
21 - Paul Konerko

1999 Upper Deck MVP
48 - Paul Konerko
50 - Jim Parque

1999 Upper Deck Retro
20 - Ray Durham

1999 Upper Deck Ultimate Victory
29 - Paul Konerko

1999 Victory
88 - Checklist

2000 Aurora
33 - Chris Singleton

2000 Bowman
32 - Ray Durham
408 - Kevin Beirne

2000 Pacific Crown Royale
30 - Paul Konerko

2000 Fleer Focus
71 - Mike Sirotka
98 - Carlos Lee

2000 Fleer Gamers
73 - Paul Konerko

2000 Impact
57 - Ray Durham

2000 Pacific
101 - Greg Norton

2000 Pacific Crown Collection
58 - Jason Dellaero
61 - Jesus Pena

2000 Pacific Paramount
55 - Greg Norton

2000 Pacific Paramount Gold
54 - Carlos Lee

2000 Skybox
97 - Chris Singleton

2000 Skybox Dominion
258 - Kip Wells
274 - Pat Daneker, Aaron Myette

2000 Skybox Dominion New Age
14 - Kip Wells

2000 Topps
13 - Magglio Ordonez (2)
261 - Carlos Lee
286 - Paul Konerko

2000 Topps Opening Day
158 - Paul Konerko

2000 Ultra
232 - Paul Konerko

2000 Upper Deck Gold Reserve
107 - Carlos Lee

2000 Upper Deck Hitter's Club
48 - Magglio Ordonez

2000 Upper Deck HoloGrFX
86 - Carlos Lee

2000 Upper Deck MVP
204 - Carlos Lee
208 - Paul Konerko

2000 Upper Deck Pros And Prospects
39 - Paul Konerko

2001 Donruss Signature Series
30 - Paul Konerko

2001 EX
57 - Paul Konerko

2001 Fleer Focus
174 - Carlos Lee

2001 Fleer Futures
74 - Magglio Ordonez

2001 Fleer Tradition
117 - Paul Konerko

2001 Fleer Triple Crown
34 - Paul Konerko

2001 SP Authentic
35 - Paul Konerko

2001 SP Game Bat - Milestone Edition
39 - Carlos Lee

2001 Topps
64 - Carlos Lee
122 - Paul Konerko

2001 Topps Chrome
49 - Carlos Lee

2001 Topps Gold Label Class 1
81 - Paul Konerko

2001 Ultra
178 - Paul Konerko

2001 Upper Deck
136 - Paul Konerko

2001 Upper Deck Black Diamond
38 - Ray Durham

2001 Upper Deck MVP
133 - Paul Konerko

2001 Upper Deck Vintage
136 - Carlos Lee

2002 Donruss Class Of 2001
86 - Carlos Lee

2002 Donruss Elite
38 - Paul Konerko

2002 EX
82 - Paul Konerko

2002 Fleer Box Score
8 - Paul Konerko
88 - Carlos Lee

2002 Fleer Maximum
155 - Carlos Lee

2002 Fleer Showcase
76 - Paul Konerko

2002 Leaf
15 - Carlos Lee

2002 Studio
58 - Paul Konerko

2002 Topps
264 - Paul Konerko

2002 Topps Opening Day
148 - Carlos Lee

2002 Topps Gold Label
121 - Paul Konerko

2002 Upper Deck
478 - Carlos Lee
621 - Paul Konerko

2002 Upper Deck Authentics
74 - Carlos Lee

2002 Upper Deck Vintage
108 - Carlos Lee
115 - Team Checklist

2003 Absolute Memorabilia
73 - Joe Borchard

2003 Authentix
101 - Joe Borchard

2003 Donruss
10 - Josh Stewart
56 - Mitch Wylie
111 - Mark Buehrle
113 - Jose Valentin
115 - Rayce Clayton (2)

2003 Donruss Classics Sample
51 - Mark Buehrle

2003 Donruss Team Heroes
125 - Joe Borchard

2003 Fleer Box Score
11 - Mark Buehrle
70 - Bartolo Colon

2003 Fleer Platinum
120 - Billy Koch

2003 Upper Deck First Pitch
123 - Paul Konerko

2005 Topps Opening Day
89 - Magglio Ordonez

2006 Fleer Tradition
189 - Scott Podsednik

2006 Upper Deck Season Highlights
SH-24 - Jim Thome

2008 Goudey
42 - Paul Konerko
43 - Jermaine Dye
45 - Nick Swisher

2008 A Piece Of History
108 - Lance Broadway
110 - Heath Phillips

2008 Upper Deck Documentary
1869 - June 14th (Sox lose to the Rockies)
3379 - August 6th (Sox remain one game ahead of Detroit)

2009 Bowman
173 - A.J. Pierzynski

2009 Goodwin Champions
29 - Carlos Quentin

2009 SP Authentic
84 - Jim Thome

2009 Topps Ticket To Stardom
28 - Paul Konerko
66 - Jose Contreras
144 - Gavin Floyd

2009 Upper Deck
82 - Orlando Cabrera

2009 Upper Deck X Die Cut
21 - Jermaine Dye

See. I told you that was long.

Thank you so much! This package was a blast to go through. It brought up so many different memories, it was like hundreds of presents in one!

Parents Can Be Awesome

Even though I'm rapidly approaching my mid thirties (at what point do you go from early to mid?), my parents still try to make me feel like a kid at Christmas. I found all these packs in my homemade stocking that my late grandmother made for me. Since 1999, it's been a tradition to have Mr. Hankey sticking out the top of the stocking until it gets put away. Some may call it a mockery of the season, but I call it having fun.

Along with more practical things (Cool Water and a Sox scarf), I received the requisite ornament (I can probably fill three trees with all that I've gotten in the past 33 years), clothing, and a few DVDs (Up, District 9, 30 Rock Season 1, and the Peanuts 70s Collection Vol. 1).

After a meal of lasagna and polish sausage, my friend and I headed off to flip the meager holiday pickings on television. Then my friend got the bright idea to invite one of his friends over and we all played Trivial Pursuit Pop Culture until the wee hours of the morning. It had to be the most bizarre Christmas that I've spent since I was working alone cleaning a store on December 25th.

I didn't concern myself with what any sports team was doing. I didn't check my mail or the other blogs in every spare moment. I checked, but even that was nonchalant. It was a day spent with family and friends and the only thing that could top it would be if Tracey was able to make it. Instead, she spent a nice quiet holiday catching up with her sister from Georgia and her mom.

I hope everyone's holiday was full of joy and was as stress free as possible.

Merry Christmas

Christmas Belles

A Christmas gift from Jack aka Baseball Dad of All Tribe Baseball.

1998 SPx Finite Spectrum
71 - Albert Belle (2079/2250)

Thank you so much! This really brightened my holiday!

A Marie Christmas

Technically, this package came during my forced technological exile, but it was still in December, so I'm counting it towards Christmas. Take that logic spewing pig dogs!

Marie, of A Cardboard Problem, was kind enough to clear off her desk (or something similar), and send over some White Sox cards for me. Yay!

Accompanying with the spectacular package was a note saying basically that I will enjoy these more than she will. I could say that would be true, unless Marie has changed the city of her black and white pinstriped uniform fascination. I highly doubt that. It's what makes this community so cool. The fact that everyone has their own little niche, even when it seems that they overlap sometimes.

Let's see what Marie sent over!

1998 Topps
141 - Jaime Navarro
249 - Jason Dellaero, Troy Cameron

2001 UD Victory
223 - Herbert "Milkman" Perry (Or "Gator", like he prefers)

2003 Topps
636 - Chicago White Sox Team (2)

2007 Bowman Heritage Pieces Of Greatness
PG-DE - Darin Erstad (People just don't want Erstad bats in their collections)

2008 UD Documentary
963 - May 7 (A massacre 13-1 loss to the Twins)
964 - May8 (A rebounding win against the Twins)
2761 - July 9 (An Adam Russell win?!)
3109 - July 27 (A comeback too short for a loss to the Tigers)
4189 - September 5 (A Buehrle whipping to the Angels)

2009 Goodwin Champions
29 - Carlos Quentin
46 - Jim Thome

2009 Goudey 4 in 1 Blue
35-76 - Griffey, Dye, Thome, Quentin (It's sad that only one remains)

2009 SP Authentic
14 - Paul Konerko
50 - John Danks (2)
110 - Jermaine Dye

2009 Spectrum
23 - Carlos Quentin
24 - Jim Thome

2009 Topps T-206
284 - Alexei Ramirez

2009 Topps T-206 Gold Border
3 - Carlos Quentin

2009 Topps Chrome
107 - Carlos Quentin

2009 Topps Gold
506 - Paul Konerko (0337/2009)

2009 Topps Ticket To Stardom
177 - Alexei Ramirez
189 - Jim Thome

2009 Toppstown
TTT19 - Carlos Quentin

2009 Toppstown Gold
TTT19 - Carlos Quentin

2009 Topps Updates
UH36 - Konerko, Dye
UH117 - Alex Rios
UH147 - Jayson Nix
UH241 - DeWayne Wise
UH268 - Chris Getz (2)
UH309 - Scott Podsednik
UH319 - Ramon Castro

2009 Upper Deck X
20 - Paul Konerko

2009 Upper Deck X Jersey Memorabilia
UDXJ-PK - Paul Konerko

2009 Upper Deck X XPonential
X-JD - Jermaine Dye

Thanks, Marie! These were great! It was eating away at me that I couldn't get to the computer and shout this out to the world. Now that the computer is running and my programs are slowly being installed back in, I can give this package the respect that it deserves.

A White Whale Hooked

The hustle and bustle of the holidays are upon us. Add the already hectic holiday time to a crashed hard drive and you've got the makings of a Christmas disaster.

Beyond all miracles, Christmas has been salvaged big time by a group break from I Am Joe Collector. Not one, but two Joe Jackson bat cards were pulled from the boxes. One for each grouping. Not too shabby!

When I learned about the first Joe Jackson bat card available, it instantly went on my want list. That 2001 SP Legendary Cuts card is still on the list, only now it's not as high a priority. This officially becomes my coolest card. My best pull. The only thing that could possibly top this would be a relic from the 19th century with a White Sox connection. Come to think of it, that might not even top this.

I have tasted the forbidden fruit of Joe Jackson and I like it! Regardless of Jackson's involvement in the misdeeds of others, this is a bat relic of an elite player who was cut down in his prime. Not by illness or death, but by banishment. It has a gritty allure to it all. This feels like something that should not be. By all means, it shouldn't be here at all.

I have strong reservations about butchering historical artifacts for the greed of today's collecting market. The players of nearly a century ago did not have the same mindset about the collecting market that today's players have. There was no collecting market back then. All that was around were a bunch of kids and a few eccentric adults with time on their hands. That's part of what makes this card so unique and special.

I'm still pinching myself to make sure it isn't a dream. It's a reality and my smile is still ear to ear.

Attention Traders! The State Of The Blog

I need your addresses. Please e-mail them to me. Even if you never intend to trade with me again, I'd like to have those addresses replaced. Plus who knows, I've been known to send stuff at random.

I once had quite a list, but that went with my crashed hard drive. I can understand someone who gets frustrated enough to shave off hair. I've been going through that for the past few days. It's a good thing that the time of wearing my hair past the middle of my back are long gone or I might think drastic thoughts.

After switching out a power supply on a computer I have been building over the past year, I find out that the graphics card is missing a cord and the burner is DOA. Everything else worked, but there was no workaround for the graphics card and without the cord in place, it will not boot up.

Instead of sinking more money into the pit, I decided to scrap it and sell off the parts. This was made easier by my computer expert having a working, fairly new computer that he was doing nothing with. He gave me an unbelievable deal on it, so I swiped it up. It's not my ideal computer, but it is better than the previous one.

On the old computer, I was able to switch out the hard drives that crashed, but could not extract any information off of them. So, I have a running temporary computer, until the other one arrives in the morning light. Up until this afternoon, I could live by the old adage, "If it wasn't for bad luck, I'd have no luck at all". Thankfully, my luck seems to be improving.

Slowly, things are getting back to normal here. Please help me get back to normalcy a bit quicker by sending those addresses. My sanity thanks you.

Oh yeah, I almost forgot. Welcome, Juan Pierre! You'll love it here!

Black Wednesday

Sorry for my recent absence. I'm afraid it will be longer. The current epidemic of crashing hard drives hit me Wednesday night. I should be up and running again by the end of the month.

Congrats to J.J. Putz for signing with the White Sox. You'll love it here and you'll be able to continue your bromance with Matt Thornton.

As a result of the crashed hard drive, all regular features will be put on hold, as if you haven't already noticed. If I didn't need all the information that was on the hard drives, I'd already be back up and running. Yes, I do back up, but I can't back everything up. The sudden loss of the hard drives made backing everything up an impossibility.

For those of you who e-mailed with your concern, thank you. If I can't get back before December 25th, please have a happy holiday. I'm hoping my computer guy can squeeze me in before then.

WSC Birth Years: Scott Podsednik

Card #32 - Scott Podsednik

Born: March 18, 1976

In 2009, Scott and the White Sox formed a symbiotic relationship. Pods needed a place to play and prove himself and the ChiSox needed a contact leadoff man with some speed and an outfielder. The partnership proved invaluable.

Things started to immediately improve for the White Sox and Podsednik seemed to enjoy a return to his 2005 form. While the Sox didn't make the playoffs in 2009, Scotty Pods proved his worth by keeping them in the race until September.

One can only speculate if Podsdenik is on the club in 2010. His accomplishments in a White Sox uniform speak volumes to the type of player he can be when healthy.

WSC Birth Years: Wilson Betemit

Card #31 - Wilson Betemit

Born: November 2, 1981

Wilson was supposed to turn it all around in Chicago. That never really happened. What the White Sox did get was five errors in thirteen appearances in the field. It wasn't exactly gold glove material.

Betemit is a complex player. On paper, he looks like he will do well and break out of whatever funk he is in. In reality, Wilson is a streaky player who thrived in the National League and did well enough in the American League when the teams were unfamiliar with him.

The White Sox have nothing to worry about in 2010, except revenge. Betemit was picked up the the Kansas City Royals and could possibly be in the lineup when the White Sox face KC next year.

WSC Birth Years: Brent Lillibridge

Card #30 - Brent Lillibridge

Born: September 18, 1983

Brent has an incredible upside. Youth and speed are among his many tolls. Experience will eventually tell the tale on Lillibridge. If he is peaking in his career right now, he will be an adequate utility infielder and backup outfielder, but Brent may just be finding out what his ultimate role in the majors will be.

Lillibridge may just be perfect for the two spot in the lineup. He can produce enough contact and have enough speed to be a threat. He was one of Atlanta's best organizational prospects before a trade landed him with the ChiSox. 2010 looks to be the litmus test for Brent. If he can improve offensively, look for him to explode on the scene, wherever the Sox can find room for him.

Midnight Hootenanny

A tiny Don Slaught of packages have made their way into my house in the past week or so. Don Slaught is my term for onslaught, ever since I was a kid. Now you know, and knowing is roughly equivalent to but not more than half the battle.

In today's mail was an eBay non-baseball card package. If your prying eyes must know, it was the horror/comedy film "Student Bodies" on DVD. I know I can watch it anytime on YouTube for free, but I like owning a copy of movies.

That will be my viewing agenda for tonight. My card agenda for tonight has been taken care of by the Night Owl.

There were a small amount of cards from my want list and a few off the beaten path. With packages like this coming in the mail, how could I not enjoy the monthly festivities? I am forced to enjoy them to the fullest. This is why I'll be shopping for the ingredients this week to make cookies. Sugar cookies with festive sprinkles, snickerdoodles and Kahlua cookies. Yum!

Enough about my daily habits and multi-holiday preparations. Bring on the cards!

1984 Fleer
White Sox cap & logo sticker

2000 Upper Deck Gold Reserve
105 - Frank Thomas
106 - Mike Sirotka
111 - Paul Konerko

2002 Donruss Classics
93 - Carlos Lee

2009 Goodwin Champions Mini
75 - Carlton Fisk

2009 OPC
65 - Alexei Ramirez

2009 Topps Ticket To Stardom Perforated Parallel
189 - Jim Thome

2009 Topps Updates & Highlights
UH169 - Mark Kotsay

2009 Topps Updates & Highlights Gold Parallel
UH319 - Ramon Castro (1294/2009)

2009 Tristar PROjections
123 - Daniel Hudson

2009 Upper Deck "Fool You" Upperdeckstore.com Insert
Ken Griffey Jr.

2009 Upper Deck X
21 - Jermaine Dye

Thanks, Greg! The mini Fisk and my first non-custom card of Daniel Hudson are definite highlights. Small card packages certainly pack a mighty wallop!

WSC Vintage: Dixie Leverett

Card #12 - Dixie Leverett

Dixie (born Gorham Vance Leverett) started his rookie season in 1922 on a hot streak. He compiled a 13-10 record with a respectable 3.34 ERA. Each year after was slightly worse.

In 1925, Leverett reported to camp ten pounds overweight. He was quickly sent down to the minors and stayed there the rest of the season. Dixie eventually shed the weight and was back with the White Sox in 1926.

By that time, he was a shell of his former self. He only appeared in six games in 1926 and his ERA ballooned to 6.00 for the year. Dixie pitched well enough with the minor league Indianapolis Indians, in 1927 and 1928, to get picked up by the Boston Braves in 1929.

1929 was not kind to Dixie and the Braves dropped him after the season. By the end of the 1931 season, there are no further records of Leverett playing professionally.

A Trade From The Birthday Boy

A few weeks ago, a box of Lipton Tea arrived in the mail. Twenty four family sized Iced Tea Brew bags. Being the iced tea connoisseur that I am, I excitedly opened the box. In my horror, I discovered that there wasn't any tea bags to be found. To my delight, there were baseball cards inside instead.

These weren't just any baseball cards. These were White Sox and White Sox player related baseball cards! All the way from the other side of 355. Chris from On Card Autos sent over a mother lode of Sox related cards.

I decided the best way to tackle the enormous amount of cards was to whittle it down to the cards I needed. The rest will go straight into my White Sox redistribution program. The anointed cards from my want list and a few select upgrades will be reported here.

This past weekend, I decided to get off my duff and sort the cards. I originally went through the cards when they first arrived, but put off sorting because of a wake, a funeral and a holiday. Now that everything is back on track, let's go through the stack of needs.

1989 Topps Rookies
8 - Dave Gallagher
16 - Melido Perez

1991 Fleer
712 - Bobby Thigpen (John Franco)

1993 Ultra
174 - Lance Johnson

1994 Pinnacle
347 - Jason Bere
531 - Darrin Jackson

1994 Select
311 - Alex Fernandez

1994 Topps Gold
270 - Frank Thomas

2002 Upper Deck
545 - Edwin Almonte

2003 Studio
20 - Frank Thomas

2003 Topps
109 - Frank Thomas

2004 Fleer Legacy
50 - Magglio Ordonez

2004 Fleer Tradition
183 - Mark Buehrle

2004 SkyBox LE
62 - Bartolo Colon

2004 Topps Opening Day
112 - Paul Konerko

2005 Donruss
143 - Carlos Lee

2006 Topps
44 - Carl Everett
98 - Geoff Blum

2006 Ultra Rising Stars
URS10 - Tadahito Iguchi

2007 Fleer Mini
262 - Joe Crede
333 - Jerry Owens

2007 Ultra SE
35 - Paul Konerko
38 - Mark Buehrle
39 - Tadahito Iguchi

2007 Upper Deck
615 - Nick Masset
618 - Toby Hall
624 - Jim Thome

2008 Topps Opening Day
175 - Javier Vazquez

2008 Upper Deck Documentary
1269 (CWS49) - May 24th
2164 (CWS74) - June 20th

2009 Upper Deck
589 - Chris Getz

Thank you, Chris! This was a real treat to go through. I'm still working on your return package, but it will get there soon.

Before it gets too late, make sure you wish Chris a happy birthday today!

Relic In The Tin

Relic In The Tin

Goodbye Wax Heaven
Though we never met at all
You had the content to mesmerize
While lesser blogs did fall
They crawled out of the woodwork
And they commented into your brain
They came to see Canseco
And stayed when you changed your name

And it seems to me your blog lived its life
Like a relic in the tin
Never knowing which game was played
When the cards came in
And I would have liked to have met you
But I’m in the city of wind
McGwire's card burned up long before
Your legend ever did

Exclusives were tough
The toughest scoop you ever made
Blogosphere created a superstar
And time was the price you paid
Even when you retired
The readers still hounded you
All the blogs had to say
Was that Mario we’ll be missing you

And it seems to me your blog lived its life
Like a relic in the tin
Never knowing which game was played
When the cards came in
And I would have liked to have met you
But I’m in the city of wind
Pinnacle closed up long before
Your legend ever did

Goodbye Wax Heaven
Though we never met at all
You had the content to mesmerize
While lesser blogs did fall
Goodbye Wax Heaven
From the man on the South Side of Chicago
Who wishes you the best in your new life
You are more than just Wax Heaven’s Mario

And it seems to me your blog lived its life
Like a relic in the tin
Never knowing which game was played
When the cards came in
And I would have liked to have met you
But I’m in the city of wind
Fleer went bankrupt long before
Your legend ever did

Cleaning Finds

Today, while I was getting the mail, a small white envelope almost slipped by me. Fortunately, I recognized it in time to be addressed to me. If not, it might end up in another pile of mail and i might not see it for a week.

Matthew of the excellent blog, The #5 Baseball Card Type Collection, sent over a few goodies unbeknownst to me.

Found these while cleaning - must be for you!

An astute observation indeed. Out of the envelope came five cards. One had me initially puzzled. I wasn't sure if it was a card or not, but one quick look into the SCBC and the mystery was solved.

Let's see what Matthew sent over this time.

1969 Globe Imports Playing Cards Blank Back
6H - Joel Horlen

1981 TCMA 1959 White Sox
2 - Nellie Fox

1984 Ralston Purina
33 - Carlton Fisk

1992 Cracker Jack Donruss Sealed Pack
33 - Robin Ventura

2007 UD Masterpieces Windsor Green
39 - Frank Thomas

Thanks, Matthew! This little bundle of happiness is just the thing to start the weekend off right. I'm still looking out for number 5 cards to send your way.

Card Spotlight: 12-4-09

1968 Topps Game #13 - Gary Peters

Inserts are nothing new. In packs of 1968 Topps, there were cards depicting a baseball game. One could either purchase many packs trying to complete the set or send away for a set of 33 cards.

These cards are notable in a few different ways. The cards are a throwback to the 1951 set. The backs have a similar feel to them and the fronts are reminiscent of the baseball game on those original cards.

If sixties cards of stars are a little out of your budget, this is a perfect way to complete a vintage set. Stars like Mickey Mantle, Roberto Clemente, Carl Yastrzemski, Hank Aaron and Pete Rose are just some of the players that make up the set.

If you are patient enough, you can find most of these cards for a song. That's one of the advantages to most vintage insert cards. They tend to be overlooked and packed with stars of the day.

Gary Peters is one of the forgotten stars of the sixties. From his Rookie of the Year season in 1963, he dominated the American League. He led the AL in ERA in 1963 and 1966. He reached the 20 game win mark in 1964. In 1963, he missed that mark by one game.

So, with numbers like that, why isn't Gary Peters a household name? Mostly, it has to do with the "just missed the playoffs by a game or two" record of the White Sox in the sixties. Most years, the White Sox were right in the thick of things until the last week of the season. By the time Gary made it over to Boston, his career was winding down.

Keep an eye out for Topps inserts of the sixties. They are an inexpensive way to pick up vintage star cards. Hurry, before everyone else realizes it.

2009 Topps Unique

Everyone seems to be focusing on the inserts of Topps Unique, which are not unique in the least. That's what most of the collectors will be focusing on with this release.

I choose to ignore the inserts in Topps Unique. I'm certainly not going to balk if any should come my way, but I won't be fighting off people for them either. Instead, I'm focusing my interest on the base set.

Most people tend to forget about the base set in releases like this. Everybody is paying all their attention to the uniform pieces and the autographs and such, that the base set gets left behind.

I've finally seen the checklist and a smattering of base cards. Let me tell you, the base set is pretty sharp looking. There seems to be some real care going into the throwaway cards of the set. These will most likely be tossed aside, like advertising inserts, while collectors frantically search for their pot of gold. That's a real shame.

From looking over the checklist and scoping out some cards on eBay, there appears to be seven White Sox cards in the base set.

9 - Jermaine Dye
49 - Carlos Quentin
99 - Paul Konerko
120 - Jake Peavy
122 - Mark Buehrle
133 - Alexei Ramirez
187 - Gordon Beckham

The one thing that you'll notice is the lack of Jim Thome. Thome is still in the set, but I am proud to announce that he is in Dodger blue in this set. While it's a minus for White Sox fans, it's a huge plus for Dodger fans.

Overall, I'm pleased with the design of 2009 Topps Unique's base set. I'm not a huge fan of the inserts that I've seen from the release, but the base set is sharp. I will be looking forward to completing this White Sox team set.

1909-1911 T206

In celebration of the 100th anniversary of this set, Topps has issued a set of their own. That set is very polarizing. A lot of people do not like it. A lot of people love it too.

Perhaps the most iconic set in the history of trading cards, thanks to the Honus Wagner card (which inspired a great book called, The Card), the T206 tobacco series is what most people think of when they think of vintage cards.

Collectors are still trying to piece together this set. There are so many back variations and pose variations, it's almost impossible to own a complete set. Good luck trying to track down a few of the rarer cards. Unless you are very lucky or have disposable income to burn, you likely aren't going to succeed.

There are 523 cards in the set (that are currently known) and 16 different back variations. Not all cards will have the same brand variations, which makes the actual number of cards for a master set still a mystery. Card variations are still being discovered.

The back variations include American Beauty (thinner cut cards), Broadleaf, Carolina Brights, Cycle, Drum, El Principe De Gales, Hindu (found in both brown ink and red ink), Lenox (found in both brown ink and black ink), Old Mill, Piedmont, Polar Bear, Sovereign, Sweet Caporal, Tolstoi, Ty Cobb and Uzit. The card combination and variation possibilities are mind numbing.

There are 27 cards featuring the White Sox.

Atz, Jake
Burns, Bill
Davis, George
Donohue, Jiggs
Dougherty, Patsy (Arm in Air)
Dougherty, Patsy (Portrait)
Duffy, Hugh
Fiene, Lou (Portrait)
Fiene, Lou (Throwing)
Gandil, Chick
Hahn, Ed
Isbell, Frank
Jones, Fielder (Hands at Hip)
Jones, Fielder (Portrait)
Owen, Frank
Parent, Fred
Payne, Billy
Purtell, Billy
Scott, Jim
Smith, Frank (F. Smith)
Smith, Frank (White Cap) (Chicago & Boston Amer.)
Sullivan, Billy
Tannenhill, Lee (L. Tannehill on Front)
Tannenhill, Lee (Tannehill on Front)
Walsh, Ed
White, Doc (Pitching)
White, Doc (Portrait)

If you choose to chase any of the set, good luck. Here is a gallery of every card to help you identify cards along the way. The distinct white borders were the first thing that Jefferson Burdick noticed about the set. The mysteries of the set keep drawing people in. Happy 100th anniversary!

The End Of The Darren Clarke Saga

What once promised to go out with a bang, trickled out with a whimper. I'm left with more questions than answers. A little part of me is sad to come to that conclusion.

Truthfully, I had forgotten all about my bizarre encounter with Darren Clarke. Silence has a tendency to do that. I haven't heard any more developments in well over a year. No word from Topps. No word from Mr. Clarke, himself.

For some odd reason, Darren Clarke's name popped into my head today. I wondered what became of him. I hadn't heard anything about him lately, but that shouldn't be a surprise. National League relievers have a sneaky way of hiding from me. It's not their fault. It's just the nature of the game.

I went looking for answers, only to find nothing definitive. What I did find raised an eyebrow. After having a literal cup of coffee with the Rockies in 2007, he was back in the minors. I couldn't find any mention of him playing past 2008 with the Rockies AA team.

Baseball Reference even lists his final game as May 20, 2007. After eight seasons in the Rockies organization only resulting in two games pitched with the parent club, maybe Darren made peace with the fact that he wouldn't return. Maybe he focused on something else entirely. Maybe it wasn't his decision.

Whatever the reasons behind his leaving the Rockies, I wish him well. I hope that he appreciates that he pitched in two big league games. It's a lot more than most of us will ever accomplish. I am officially moving this saga to cold case. At least Darren Clarke can say that he has an unblemished ERA in the majors. Now that's something!

The 2nd Annual Stale Gum Trade

For the second year in a row, Chris of Stale Gum fame, has sought me out for a trade. We'll go want list hunting and reach some sort of an agreement on card exchanging.

For the second year in a row, I've been lucky enough to score a 1/1 authentic Chris Harris autograph. Very cool indeed!

I'm glad I only trade with Chris once a year. I don't have the back stock of cool stuff to send his way. It takes me all year to compile a worthy enough package to send over. Some of you know this fact a little too well. Sorry about that. I'm still working on some packages to send out to a few of you.

Without any further delay, let's see what Chris sent over!

1992 Baseball Enquirer
9 - John Smoltz
37 - Len Dykstra (Chris Harris auto 1/1)

1994 Leaf Limited Rookies
23 - Norberto Martin

1995 Finest
161 - Roberto Hernandez

1995 Leaf
69 - Alex Fernandez

1996 Bowman
2 - Ray Durham
54 - Frank Thomas

1997 Pinnacle New
12 - Albert Belle

1999 Metal
174 - Mike Caruso

2001 Bowman Heritage
223 - Joe Borchard

2001 Topps Stars
26 - Paul Konerko

2001 Ultra
255 - Jon Garland

2001 Upper Deck Ovation
65 - Joe Crede

2003 Upper Deck Game Face
121 - David Sanders

2005 Cracker Jack
151 - Paul Konerko

2005 Ultra Gold Medallion
135 - Frank Thomas

2006 Bowman Chrome Draft Picks
BDP7 - Brian Anderson
DP14 - Justin Edwards
DP59 - Tyler Reeves
DP60 - John Shelby
FG12 - Josh Fields

2008 Baseball Heroes
42 - Jim Thome

2008 Baseball Heroes Charcoal
32 - Carlton Fisk
42 - Jim Thome
43 - Jermaine Dye

2008 Topps Gold Foil
293 - Gavin Floyd

2008 Topps Heritage Black Back
301

2008 Topps Heritage High Numbers
588

2008 Topps Heritage High Numbers Black Back
541

2008 Upper Deck StarQuest
SQ-54 - Paul Konerko (uncommon)

2009 Allen & Ginter
12 - Jermaine Dye

2009 Allen & Ginter Mini A&G Back
265 - Paul Konerko

2009 Allen & Ginter Mini Black
167 - Jim Thome

2009 Bowman
BCP23 - Tyler Flowers
BCP84 - Steven Upchurch

2009 Bowman Blue
169 - Carlos Quentin

2009 Bowman Gold
108 - Jermaine Dye
127 - Paul Konerko
169 - Carlos Quentin

2009 Finest Refractor Gold
56 - Mark Buehrle (33/50)

2009 O-Pee-Chee
474 - Mark Buehrle
489 - Wilson Betemit
503 - White Sox Team Checklist

2009 Topps Attax
Mark Buehrle
Orlando Cabrera
Jermaine Dye
Bobby Jenks
A.J. Pierzynski
Jim Thome

2009 Topps Attax Silver Foil
53 - Jim Thome

Thanks, Chris! These cards were awesome! I look forward to next year's trade! Hopefully, I'll be able to hit more from your want list by then.

A Writer's Journey Trade

Sometimes the best trades don't seem like trades at all. That is how the latest trade with Jason of the Writer's Journey felt like.

There was no haggling over what was sent. It just happened. I saw JT left a comment about the Reds cards from a set I had purchased on the cheap just to get the White Sox cards. So I gathered the few meager Reds cards that were in the set and shipped them off, with a few extras thrown in for good measure.

I received a package shortly after from Jason. Inside were a few White Sox cards and 44 cards for my friend. I won't mention what cards, just in case my friend stumbled upon this post. Long time readers should know what I'm talking about though. Let's just say that the 44 cards hit right on the nose.

The White Sox cards in the package:

1988 Donruss Baseball's Best
11 - Harold Baines
25 - Ivan Calderon
67 - Carlton Fisk
81 - Ozzie Guillen
123 - Dave LaPoint
137 - Dan Pasqua
179 - Melido Perez
193 - Greg Walker
235 - Bobby Thigpen
249 - Ken Williams
291 - Steve Lyons

1989 Upper Deck
711 - Ron Kittle
715 - Steve Rosenberg
790 - Eddie Williams

Thanks, Jason! If I had any holes (too lazy to check right this second) in the 1988 Baseball's Best, I'm sure they are filled now. My friend will be excited when I finally get everything together. Thanks for helping!

1949 Bowman

This is an iconic set, but that doesn't mean that it wasn't filled with bad choices. The cards are ugly, but they aren't as ugly as the 1941 Goudey set. They do come close to that level of ugly.

The players are hard to identify sometimes and team affiliations occasionally do not match the uniform on the front of the card. Still, this is one of the best known sets to come out of the forties.

If you count all the cards picturing or listing the player as being a part of the White Sox, there are a total of thirteen cards. If you choose only to follow the team listing on the back, there are ten cards. If you choose to follow the pretty pictures, there are eleven cards.

12 - Cass Michaels
28 - Don Kolloway
44 - Dave Philley
87 - Randy Gumpert (pictured in a Yankees uniform/back lists White Sox)
96 - Taft Wright (pictured in a White Sox uniform/back lists Athletics)
103 - Joe Tipton (pictured in an Indians uniform/back lists White Sox)
119 - Floyd Baker
133 - Aaron Robinson (pictured in a White Sox uniform/back lists Tigers)
141 - Tony Lupien (pictured in a White Sox uniform/back lists Tigers)
159 - Glen Moulder
175 - Luke Appling
191 - Joe Haynes
217 - Marino Pieretti

Players being out of sync with their uniforms is nothing new to the hobby. This was happening sixty years ago. Information flows much faster than it did back then. There really isn't much of an excuse for this in a modern card set. In 1949, this would have been perfectly acceptable.

The mismatches are sort of endearing to a vintage set like this. Bowman also couldn't decide whether or not to issue the cards with names on the front. Some cards have the name on the front (usually the higher numbers), some do not have the name. Then there are the rare few where both versions can be found of one card. No card affiliated with the White Sox has two versions.

Mailbox Joys: 50 Proof

2008 Stadium Club Photographer's Proof Gold #65 - Nick Swisher 33/50

There's a reason why I haven't reviewed this set for the blog yet. Even after being available for over a year, the set is still confusing. Retail and high end hobby versions. First day and photographer's proof parallels. Some cards in the set only seem to be available in either the high end expensive hobby product or the cheaper bare bones retail version.

That being said, the photography is the key here. Some of it is simply stunning. Even Nick Swisher making a routine play on this card looks beautiful and important. I wish Topps would have treated this set as such.

So much potential was lost in this product. That does make it a bit easier to pick up cheaply on the secondary market. This was my first photographer's proof card from this release and I couldn't be happier with the result. The gold foil shines in person. Unfortunately, it shows up as a dirty copper color blob when scanned.

This card makes me pine for a Stadium Club set done right. It even makes me forgive Swisher for being such a two faced pouty jerk of a player. Well, almost. I still like him as a person, since he has a good heart. His baseball side is a lot like this set. It looks good on the surface, but when you dig deeper, you see it needs a lot of work.

Cards That Never Were #12

1968 Topps - Bill Skowron

It would be easy to ignore Moose's 1967 season. He got off to a poor start with the White Sox and was quickly traded to the Angels for Cotton Nash and cash. Life in California was slightly better, but not by much.

Bill finished out the year with the Angels before being released shortly after the season was over. Considering Skowron won five World Series championships (four with the Yankees and one with the Dodgers), you would think that he would be deserving of a final card. You would be wrong. Even his six All-Star Game selections didn't sway Topps to issue a 1968 card.

According to Topps, Moose's last team was with the White Sox and his last card was in the 1967 set. Let's correct that oversight right now. Here is Bill Skowron's proper final card.

Card Spotlight: 11-27-09

2006 SP Legendary Cuts #62 - Sloppy Thurston

When I first got back into collecting cards in 2007, I tried to make up for thirteen years of absence by sampling every product I could get my hands on. The second hobby box I purchased from the local card shop was 2006 SP Legendary Cuts.

I instantly fell in love with the product. If I was thinking clearly back then, I probably would have finished the set. Instead, I showed great restraint and only collected the White Sox cards in the set. I sold the rest through eBay.

Back then, I solely focused on the White Sox cards in each set. Since then, I have expanded that original criteria into chasing one complete set and a few players that I admire. Mainly, I have stuck to my guns.

I'm a sucker for cards that feel retro without actually "borrowing" from a classic design. If a company fills a set with retired players that normally don't get a lot of "card love" nowadays, I will usually gravitate towards that set. If I ever get into a lull in my card collecting, I may decide to chase this set.

The design is sharp and it looks even better in person. The scan does not do the card proper justice. It even feels different. It's printed on very solid stock and at first glance reminded me of porcelain.

Last year, the unexpected happened. SP Legendary Cuts turned into some type of hybrid product which featured mostly current players. It was not one of my favorite releases of 2008. 2009 continued that trend. If you are intrigued by baseball history and love collecting retired players, you can't go wrong with this set from 2007 or earlier. It's a shame that card companies tinker with a winning formula. I can still concentrate on the earlier sets. So I got that going for me.

Happy Thanksgiving

Getting ready for dinner and still recovering (in a good way) from the Dreams concert last night. This is beginning to be an annual tradition!

Just When I Thought It Was Safe...

... Topps pulls this variation card out of their hat. In what seemed like minutes after I had opened my mouth and claimed that I would be frustrated if the White Sox had a stupid "variation" parallel, I run across this card staring me in the face.

Ugh!

Topps should really have their license pulled for crap like this. It's not cute anymore. It stopped being cute the moment I saw a squirrel with his own baseball card, along with a cutesy name that made me want to vomit.

Can someone please organize an intervention for Topps? One is long overdue.

Welcome Andruw Jones

Next up on Kenny Williams' wishlist from 2000 is Andruw Jones. Andruw is expected to be a bench player, who will pinch hit, play a little outfield and DH. With this signing, the White Sox bench should be feared. Why does that make me a little bit afraid?

We will see how these moves will pan out during the season, but I hope Kenny Williams is focusing on the 2010 team and not fulfilling his decade old dream team.

Either way, it should be an interesting sight to see on the South Side next year. Jones signed a one year contract for $500,000.00. It's a low enough commitment that if this doesn't work out, it shouldn't be taxing the budget too much. Hopefully, Andruw will have a bit of a resurgence here.

Welcome to Chicago, Andruw! You'll love it here.

2009 Topps Heritage High Numbers

For the second year in a row, Topps has continued the Heritage set with a high numbers release. Basically, they are exploiting the fact that some of their older sets came in different series throughout the year and created this release to add an update set onto the existing retro set.

I don't have a problem with an update to the Heritage set. I love the idea! I have a problem with how the retro update set is marketed. In order to get around the pesky rule of only having a certain number of sets per year, Topps latches this onto the Updates & Highlights set and treats this as an insert set.

Even someone with a transorbital lobotomy can figure out that if six out of the eight cards in a pack are from the Heritage High Numbers set, that is probably the main set of the pack. I would think that licensing would have been pulled from Topps instead of Upper Deck for this type of mockery.

From the base set, there are four different White Sox cards, including a short print card of Gordon Beckham.

516 - Bartolo Colon
569 - Alex Rios
682 - Scott Podsednik
699 - Gordon Beckham

This isn't a bad addendum to the set earlier in the year. In fact, this set really compliments the other. It is a natural progression to the first release and I feel very good recommending this update set. I'm still not a fan of the way it's distributed, but I certainly can't complain about the product itself. With only four cards to pick up (as far as I can tell at this early juncture), this should be a fairly easy set to finish for the White Sox team collector.

***UPDATE***
There is now photographic proof of a gimmick card of Alex Rios featuring a black & white photo instead of the color. I haven't seen one for sale yet, but just the thought of it existing is another slap in the face by Topps.

Cards That Never Were #11

1969 Topps - Rocky Colavito

Rocky's last card was in the 1968 Topps set as a member of the Chicago White Sox. The only problem is that Rocky spent the first half of the 1968 season with the Los Angeles Dodgers and the second half with the New York Yankees.

By the 1968 season, Colavito was well past his prime. He still managed to appear in 79 games between Los Angeles and New York. While with Cleveland, and to a lesser extent Detroit, he put up fantastic numbers. One would think that this would justify a final card for Rocky. This was sadly not the case.

Forty years later, Rocky Colavito will finally get his final card.

2009 Topps T-206

The year is winding down and there is yet another retro set on the market. Topps, who already put out a 206 set in 2002, has decided to mark the 100th anniversary of the original tobacco set with this tribute release.

The cards themselves look smart and somewhat faithful to the original design. Purists will complain that the set feels forced and doesn't retain the look of the original T-206 set. I would have to agree to a degree.

If you want a true faithful rendition, purchase 2009 Goudey. This is not what's on display here. This set reminds me of the spectacular Obak release from a few months ago. The only differences lies in the backgrounds and the licensing of team logos.

There are eleven cards featuring White Sox players. That number may fluctuate slightly, as I see examples of every card. Jim Thome is still stuck in a White Sox uniform. I was wondering if Topps would sneak Thome into a Dodgers uniform, but that doesn't appear to be the case.

3 - Carlos Quentin
80 - Jim Thome
97 - Gavin Floyd
108 - Alex Rios
161 - Jermaine Dye
174 - Gordon Beckham
191 - Paul Konerko
193 - Jake Peavy
238 - Mark Buehrle
255 - A.J. Pierzynski
284 - Alexei Ramirez

Overall, the Topps T-206 base set is a winner. I have seen examples of sticker autographs as inserts and that feels completely wrong for a retro set. There is a Gordon Beckham short print back variation out there, which has "Rookie American League" and nothing else.

There are the usual mini parallels and back variations for every card in the set. Refractors, printing plates and other unnecessary evils of modern card collecting are present too. The exact information on all of that jazz will slowly leak out, as more boxes are opened. Going to the Topps website for help on any complete set checklist is a complete joke. The one thing that's not a joke? This excellent looking set!

Welcome Omar Vizquel

The White Sox signed Omar Vizquel, who will be 43 in April, to a one year deal today. He will be used as a backup middle infielder.

The White Sox have a knack for high profile Venezuelan shortstops. Although it would have been nice to have Vizquel ten or twenty years ago, Kenny Williams seems to prefer high profile stars in the twilight of their careers.

Hopefully, Omar will bring a much needed spark to the lineup and stability in the middle infield. He did a decent job as a backup player with the Rangers last year, so there is no indication that the Sox can't expect more of the same.

Welcome to Chicago, Omar! You'll love it here.

Memories Linger

Memories are something that no one can take away. I have vivid memories starting around two years old. One of my best memories was from July 5, 1981. I was a few months shy of five years old, but there I was at my Uncle Jack's house playing catch with him in the backyard.

I can remember feeling so much joy in that one simple act. Playing catch with my uncle may have only lasted a few minutes, maybe less, but at that age, it seemed like an eternity. I was in complete bliss.

I imagine that we were at some type of barbecue, since it was the day after the fourth of July. I also remember that I chose not to watch my favorite movie that had just started on cable, The Blues Brothers (which I had all of the dialogue memorized by that time). Instead, I went out in my aunt and uncle's backyard to play catch.

My uncle saw how much I enjoyed playing with the baseball, so he inscribed it for me. He spelled my first name out on the sweet spot and underneath he wrote, "FROM UNCLE JACK 7-5-81". I still have that ball today and whenever I want a quick smile, I'll pull that ball out and reminisce.

My Uncle Jack passed away on Wednesday in Florida. He was in the middle of playing golf, so I can take comfort that he was doing something he loved in his last moments.

I didn't see him very much over the years. My dad's side of the family only gets together for weddings and funerals, mainly. I did get to visit him when I got my driver's license. He sold me my first auto insurance policy. He shook my hand and offered his congratulations.

It's those little moments that I will always remember. If this blog is lacking in the new post department over the next few days, now you know why. This weekend my mission is to find a ball holder for that ball.

Card Spotlight: 11-20-09

1992 Pinnacle #227 - Dan Pasqua

Once upon a time, there were a plethora of baseball card companies in existence. Each had many different releases. Sometimes the sets were so diverse, that one could not distinguish which cards came from which company without looking at the tiny print.

2009 is a much simpler time, in that respect. There are only so many places where cards come from today. By 2010, there will only be one card company that will be fully licensed to produce cards. That company would be Topps. As of next year, only Topps will be able to produce images of players with logos. Any other company will need to get creative.

Back in 1992, only card sets that came with baked goods and cereal had to airbrush logos out. Pinnacle has long since ceased production of baseball cards. Still, the memories of this age are fresh in my mind. It may have been the overproduction era, but there were so many choices.

Innovations in how cards were presented were born out of healthy competition between card companies. Where will the Dan Pasquas of today find a home? Today's Dan Pasqua is someone like a Nick Swisher, with one difference. Dan Pasqua would not showboat or complain about where he ended up on the field. Dan Pasqua would play wherever the manager assigned him.

He did not fuss or cry foul if he wasn't in the lineup. He came to the park ready to play and did his job to the best of his ability. There was no flash, yet Dan occasionally had a flair for the dramatic, when he would hit a mammoth home run. His numbers may not show it, but I felt confident every time that Dan came up against a right handed pitcher.

I, along with many other collectors, miss Pinnacle. I miss all of the other fallen brands too. There was a feeling I would get when I went to the card shop and had a smorgasbord of packs to choose from. Pinnacle always stood out when I was in a pinch. Dan Pasqua stood out to me when the Sox were in a pinch. Whenever I run across a Pinnacle card in my collection, I always think about this card of Pasqua and collecting as a teenager. Looking back, I wouldn't trade either memory for the world.