White Wizzard

Sorry Tolkien fans, this isn't a post about Gandalf and his congregation of hobbits.  I'm a big fan of the blockbuster movie trilogy.  However today's post is about a "white whale" of Ozzie Smith that I've been trying to add to my collection for quite a while now.

Feast your eyes on one of The Wizard's earliest cards:

1978 Padres Family Fun Centers #1

Offered as some kind of promotional giveaway, this wood bordered beauty features Ozzie in a posed action shot while sporting the iconic brown and gold Padres uniforms that many of us San Diego fans fancy.

On the back there's a portrait shot of Smith with those famous lamb chops that also appear on his official Topps rookie card and his 1979 Hostess card.

There's also a nice story about him winning the MVP award playing for Team USA back in 1976.  And if you look closely under his LIFETIME RECORD, you'll notice a lack of career statistics, because 1978 was his FIRST YEAR IN MAJORS.  I think this is a nice bonus to go along with the facsimile signature I've never seen Smith use before.

With that being said... this card isn't without flaws.  The postcard size and low quality card stock create storage and preservation concerns.

But let's keep it real...

What card would you actually classify as being perfect?

I'm just excited that I finally managed to catch this "white whale" after years and years of hunting.  Seriously... it's not very often you're able to take down a White Wizzard.

Happy Thursday and sayonara!