Thoughts And White Sox

This post would be what the teaser post from the other day was leading up to. On Saturday, I received a box from Adam of Thoughts And Sox. We had been discussing a trade for awhile through e-mails and we finally pulled the trigger about two weeks ago.

The big surprise was right on top. A 1972 Red Sox rookies card featuring Mike Garman. More importantly, it featured a prominent Cecil Cooper. Most important of all (with no disrespect to the other two players who had fine careers), it featured a young, barely noticeable catcher named Carlton Fisk. A pitcher, a first baseman and a catcher. You could potentially field a skeleton team with those three positions, if the game were pitched just right.

It's been nearly a lifelong dream to own a Carlton Fisk rookie card and that dream became a reality last Saturday. It may not be the prettiest Fisk rookie around, but it's still a Fisk rookie. This card will never leave my collection, even if I eventually get an upgrade. It was in my collection first and that counts for something, in this case.

The box held other surprises too! Let's find out what surprises.

1972 Topps
79 – Red Sox Rookies (Mike Garman, Cecil Cooper, Carlton Fisk)

2000 Skybox Dominion
274 – Pat Daneker/Aaron Myette

2001 Sweet Spot
66 – Matt Ginter (0895/1000)

2002 Donruss Classics
11 – Mark Buehrle

2002 Fleer Showcase
144 – Edwin Almonte (0871/1000)

2002 SP Authentic
35 – Mark Buehrle
134 – Kyle Kane (1532/1999)

2002 Topps Pristine
105 – Mark Buehrle

2003 Bowman
159 – Joe Borchard
277 – Arnie Munoz

2003 Bowman Draft Picks
BDP81 – Matt Nachreiner
BDP85 – Robert Valido

2003 Bowman Draft Picks Chrome
BDP126 – Neal Cotts

2003 Bowman Heritage
107 – Bartolo Colon
176A – Luis Aparicio

2003 Diamond Kings
21 – Mark Buehrle
151 – Joe Borchard

2003 Donruss Champions
56 – Carlos Lee
57 – Corwin Malone
59 – Joe Borchard
60 – Joe Crede
64 – Tim Hummel
65 – Joe Adkins

2003 Donruss Classics
66 – Joe Borchard
69 – Carlos Lee

2003 Finest
55 – Bartolo Colon

2003 Fleer Box Score
46 – Magglio Ordonez
70 – Bartolo Colon

2003 Fleer Double Header
116 – Frank Thomas

2003 Fleer Mystique
66 – Magglio Ordonez

2003 Fleer Splendid Splinters
7 – Bartolo Colon

2003 Leaf
271 – Joe Borchard
290 – Corwin Malone
294 – Jon Adkins
306 – Mitch Wylie

2003 Leaf Certified Materials
39 – Mark Buehrle

2003 Playoff Prestige
189 – Jon Adkins

2003 Topps
546 – Bartolo Colon

2003 Topps 205
5 – Bartolo Colon
34 – Magglio Ordonez
52 – Paul Konerko
144 – Arnie Munoz
251 – Esteban Loaiza
256 – Carlos Lee

2003 Topps Chrome
435 – Joe Borchard/Corwin Malone

2003 Topps HOF Gallery
5 – Luis Aparicio (Wood Bat)
5 – Luis Aparicio (Black Bat)
13 – Eddie Collins

2003 Topps Heritage
63 – Joe Borchard

2003 Topps Total
513 – Arnie Munoz

2003 Topps Total Silver
955 – Rylan Reed

2003 Topps Traded
T11 – Mike Rivera
T142 – Joe Crede

2003 Upper Deck
120 – Mark Buehrle
511 – Josh Stewart

2003 Upper Deck 40 Man
884 – David Sanders

2003 Upper Deck Classic Portraits
15 – Magglio Ordonez
39 – Bartolo Colon

2003 Upper Deck Finite
28 – Bartolo Colon

2003 Upper Deck First Pitch
120 – Mark Buehrle

2003 Upper Deck MVP Sports Nut
SN13 – Magglio Ordonez

2003 Upper Deck Victory
27 – Mark Buehrle

2003 Upper Deck Vintage
282 – Josh Stewart

2004 Absolute Memorabilia Spectrum Gold
53 – Carlos Lee (34/50)

2004 Bowman Chrome
119 – Miguel Olivo
149 – Neal Cotts
217 – Ryan Meaux

2004 Bowman Heritage
26 – Mark Buehrle
328 – Shingo Takatsu

2004 Donruss
98 – Bartolo Colon
197 – Carl Everett

2004 Finest
42 – Mark Buehrle

2004 Fleer Patchworks
107 – Rudy Yan (798/799)

2004 Leaf Certified Materials
100 – Joe Borchard

2004 Playoff Honors
51 – Carlos Lee

2004 Playoff Honors Prime Signatures
PS-36 – Bo Jackson (0966/2500)

2004 SP Authentic
69 – Carlos Lee
71 – Magglio Ordonez

2004 Sweet Spot
162 – Ryan Wing (463/799)

2004 Throwback Threads
48 – Joe Borchard

2004 Topps Chrome
95 – Jose Valentin

2004 Topps Total
751 – Jon Rauch

2004 Ultra
11 – Carlos Lee

2004 Upper Deck Reflections
341 – Shingo Takatsu
361 - Ryan Wing
386 – Enemencio Pacheco

2005 Bowman Chrome
101 – Aaron Rowand

2005 Diamond Kings
285 – Harold Baines
335 – Scott Podsednik
445 – Brandon McCarthy

2005 Diamond Kings HOF Heroes
HH-11 – Carlton Fisk

2005 Donruss Classics Membership
MS-24 – Carlton Fisk (0126/1000)

2005 Origins
209 – Casey Rogowski

2005 Reflections
209 – Casey Rogowski
261 – Paulino Reynoso
262 – Pedro Lopez

2005 Sweet Spot
96 – Brandon McCarthy
140 – Matt Smith
149 – Paulino Reynoso
150 – Pedro Lopez

2005 All-Time Fan Favorites Refractors
134 – Harold Baines (011/299)

2005 Topps Traded Chrome
UH113 – Brian Miller
UH128 – Daniel Haigwood
UH136 – Pedro Lopez
UH146 – Sean Tracey
UH147 – Jerry Owens
UH149 – Brandon McCarthy
UH161 – Micah Schnurstein

2006 SP Legendary Cuts
64 – Vern Kennedy

2006 Upper Deck Gold
567 – Ross Gload (161/299)

2007 Triple Threads
107 – Hoyt Wilhelm (1174/1350)

Thank you, Adam! That is a great selection of cards! Being away from the hobby for the majority of years represented in this box makes me think that cards from this era are needlessly numbered. I'm a bit glad that I didn't waste my money on cards during this time because I was into collecting everything before my epiphany of collecting just what I truly care about in 2007. I think I would have hit myself over the head repeatedly with a brick had I collected during this period.

It's hard enough to collect just the White Sox and select players with the limitations of numbered cards and short prints. Trying to collect everything would have drove me batty!

That being said, I have to admire someone who consistently hits my want list from those periods. My hat is off to you. Bravo! I stopped collecting again in 1994, when I thought that there were too many sets coming out. I couldn't keep up with them, so I left the hobby to explore other interests.

I just hope that the box that I sent over lives up to the expectations that this box brought. I do know that I found cards that were on your want list, at the time it was sent out. I have a feeling that I will be looking through your want list again to see if I can find a few more cards, in the near future.

Thank you again for your generosity.