Collecting baseball cards has its benefits. Stirring up fond memories is one of them.
This evening I opened up a package from Johnny's Trading Spot and was immediately taken down Memory Lane.
2000 Fleer Tradition #395
1999 was a great year for Oakland A's fans. We got a glimpse of greatness and a taste of success. But this card actually took me back to the early 80's when my neighbor gave me a shoebox filled with 1979 Topps baseball cards. I remember treasuring the Oakland A's team card like it was worth its weight in gold.
1987 Donruss Opening Day #251
I'm a huge Topps supporter... but I feel that Donruss did a better job with their Opening Day product by actually including the Opening Day starters on their checklist. Seeing this card reminded me that Mark McGwire wasn't our starting first basemen on Opening Day in 1987. Rob Nelson was.
Speaking of Big Mac...
2002 Donruss #43
As soon as I saw this card, I was reminded of the Bash Brothers. Good times.
Not all memories are happy though. The next two cards are painful reminders...
2008 Bowman Draft Picks and Prospects #BDP19
Sure Coors Field has inflated Cargo's stats... but as an A's fan... I'll always wonder "what if?" Billy kept him.
Speaking of "what if's"...
2014 Topps Update #US142
What if Billy had kept Cespedes? Honestly... Lester was pretty solid for the Athletics during his short tenure. Unfortunately... his worst game was the one that mattered the most.
Let's wrap things up on a happy note...
1996 Score #95
Terry Steinbach is the greatest catcher in Oakland Athletics' history (sorry Kurt... I still love ya). But that's not why I chose this card to end this post. I picked it, because it's a truly beautiful card. It combines a great action shot with a solid (yet simple) card design.
I don't think I've ever looked at 1996 Score and thought was a great looking set... until now.
Thank you Johnny for this awesome care package. Who doesn't love celebrating Christmas in July? It brought back a few fond memories and helped put a smile on my face as I wrapped up a stressful and excessively warm week.
Happy Friday and sayonara!
9 comments:
This is my first comment on your blog and unfortunately it is not a kind comment. I hate when people and since you did this it applies to you as well say coors field inflates numbers. If mlb does not have a problem with coors field then I do not think other people need to have a problem with it. I am a lifelong Rockies fan.
Johnny is the man!
I totally had forgotten about Lester's quick stint in Oakland.
casey - no problem... welcome to my blog. we live in a country that encourages freedom of speech... and so do i. i don't have a problem with coors field. both teams have the right to their at bats, so the opponents get a chance to help their numbers as well. all i wrote is that his numbers are inflated there... which if you look at his statistics... they are.
the lost collector - yeah he is. i've gotta add a signature of his to my lefty collection.
I had to look up who Rob Nelson is. I do not remember him and I remember almost every player from the '80s. He did not have a lot of cards!
Steinbach over Gene Tenace?
I never understood that trade (Cespedes for Lester). Cespedes was the big bat on the team and made less money than Lester. I understand that in the postseason pitching matters most, but to go all-in that season boggles my mind. That was the same year they got rid of Addison Russel for Shark, right?
Ho Ho Ho! I remember Fulton County Stadium being the "The Launching Pad" with the highest elevation (1050' above sea level) in MLB until the Rockies came to be. Indeed as a little leaguer fortunate to play an exhibition game there I short hopped the left field wall myself. Today's youngsters are dang near hitting it 400', that short porch as it was often referred to was only 330'.
and that 13 year who hit one 500' last year, wow.
night owl - had no idea who he was either. thanks to the internet, i learned that he was battling mcgwire for the starting role.
snorting bull - it's definitely debatable. both guys are bay area legends. gene's 3 rings trumps terry's lone ring. however steinbach's oakland numbers beats out tenace's in almost every offensive category. plus the athletics chose steinbach to represent them at catcher on their 40th anniversary team.
collecting cutch - yeah... the a's have been in rebuild mode ever since both of those trades.
john miller - thanks for the package. it inspired a lot of research and stirred up some good (and bad) moments in a's history. wow... a 13 year old hit a 500' home run? impressive.
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