Not Perfect, But That's Okay

Starting a new unit with my students.  Dinner with an old buddy.  Lounging at a late night board meeting.  Chaperoning a school dance.  Bonding with my brother.  Last week was a little hectic.  

But I finally got a chance to scan some cards over the weekend.  So I can finally hammer out some posts I've been meaning to write.

Today's post features some quick stories involving cards, high school, and my interest in flawed cardboard.  It centers around the only notable MLB player to attend the high school I went to (albeit he was there over a decade before me).  I've written about him before, so some of you might already know who I'm referring to.

If you don't, here are a few hints...

#1:  He was a standout outfielder in high school and community college who transitioned into a pitcher while attending Southern Illinois University.

#2:  He led the MLB in WAR among pitchers in the 80's and had the second most wins behind Jack Morris.

#3:  He's the Blue Jays all-time leader in several pitching categories including: games started, wins, and strikeouts.

Yup.  You guessed it.  Dave Stieb.

Right around the same time he was turning into a perennial all-star, one of my Little League coaches mentioned that he played with him.  A few years later I discovered that he attended the same high school.  Both of these things stuck with me and molded me into being a fan of his.

Decades later, I have built a small collection of his cards that include a few autographs, a bunch of his base cards, and even a Topps rookie card that Night Owl pulled from a pack back in 1980.  However one card that has eluded my collection, but was high on my wantlist is his O-Pee-Chee rookie card.

Well Angus over at Dawg Day Cards generously took care of that when he sent me this:

1980 O-Pee-Chee #42

Technically he handed it off to Night Owl who shipped it to me as part of Angus' care package back in December.

Collectors understand that O-Pee-Chee baseball cards from the 80's and earlier tend to have issues in regards to condition and centering.  This card is no exception.  It's not perfect, but that's okay.  I absolutely love it and is now one of the cornerstones of my Dave Stieb PC.

Angus sent a few other O-Pee-Chee Stiebs...

1981 O-Pee-Chee #5

His second year card is really off-centered.  But holy moly... I love seeing O-Pee-Chee printed in the middle of that baseball on the front of this card.  

1986 O-Pee-Chee #353

This card is a little off-centered too... and suffers some minor edge issues (common O-Pee-Chee baseball issue).

Neither of these O-Pee-Chee Stiebs are perfect, but that's okay.  Check out that cool O-Pee-Chee logos on the backs, the French translation of text, and bright card backs.  Pure awesomeness.

The final Stieb from Angus is the cleanest of them all:

1988 O-Pee-Chee #153

It's actually shockingly clean for an 80's O-Pee-Chee card.  The card back even mentions hall of famer Pat Gillick signing Stieb to a contract back a few days after the Blue Jays selected him in the 1978 MLB Draft.

Switching gears, but staying in the same lane.  Here are a few other cards that Angus sent my way...

2020 Topps Rookie Card Retrospective Logo Medallion #RCR-CA

Back when I was in high school, Jose Canseco was one of the biggest names in baseball and a Bay Area fan favorite.  His 1986 Topps Traded was a key card in my collection at the time.

And check out this cool early 90's food issue:

1990 Wonder Bread Stars #14

I know I don't cherish logoless cards as much as some of you do, but oddball issues from my childhood get a pass.  In other words, this food issue isn't perfect, but that's okay.  It still cool to know that someone found this card sitting in a bag of Wonder Bread back in 1990.

Canseco may have had his share of struggles on and off the field and was obviously far from perfect, but that's okay.  This oddball is still cherished by A's fans and card collectors around the world.

Speaking of oddballs, let's check out the lone football card in this post:

2015 Panini Contenders Rookie Ticket Auto #151

You might be wondering why Angus sent me a card of former Cleveland Browns draft pick: Ifo Ekpre-Olomu.  Well he happens to be married to my friend's cousin's daughter.  Back in 2014, he was considered one of the best cover corners in college football.  Unfortunately he suffered a knee injury that altered the path of his football career.

Angus also included these two Jordan Yamamoto autographs:

2020 Topps Gypsy Queen Auto B&W #GQA-JY (#'d 20/50)

2021 Donruss Optic Signature Series #SS-JY

Yamamoto fits into two of my PC's:  Japanese athletes and athletes born in Hawaii.

Like Ekpre-Olomu his career as a professional athlete might not have been perfect, but that's okay.  I still enjoy collecting their cards.

Finally a pair of miscuts that some collectors would discard with their kitchen scraps:

1986-87 O-Pee-Chee Album Stickers #115-129

At first glance, this sticker is a monstrosity of a miscut.  But check out who is featured on it. Two members of the Hall of Very Good and two of the greatest hockey players to play the sport.  How awesome is that?  I'd have to do some digging, but I'm guessing this is the single greatest miscut hockey sticker/card in my collection.

1991-92 Pro Set MusiCards #174

Can't say I was a big fan of Extreme, but I do remember listening to their acoustic ballad More Than Words which reached #1 in the summer of 1991.

Both of these stickers/cards are not perfect, but that's okay.  I'll make sure to provide a loving home for both of them.

Thank you Angus for sending me these awesome cards and stickers!  They might not fetch high grades from PSA or Beckett, but that's okay.  They're still awesome and I promise to cherish them in my collection.

As for the rest of you, here is your question of the day:

What's a favorite card or collectible in your collection that is far from perfect, yet you're perfectly happy to own it?

I look forward to reading and responding to your comments (hopefully sooner than later).  Until then...

Happy Sunday and sayonara!

Extra Innings

Red Cardboard is back behind the keyboard and he's giving away a vintage Mickey Mantle!  So click the link, follow his blog, and enjoy his posts!

The Bulk Box Keepers

It's a beautiful Saturday afternoon and I'm spending the majority of it on my back in an effort to let my lower back relax and return to normal.  As I promised on Thursday, I wanted to write up a post featuring a bunch of cards that Kevin over at The Diamond King sent me recently.

They were part of a giveaway he held on his blog that featured a bunch of bulky cards he was giving away for the holidays.  The catch?  The only thing he requires is that the winning recipient must send out at least one care package you weren't already planning to send.

Well I had a few care packages planned for this holiday season, but thanks to Kevin... there will be a few more.  I even went out and purchased some cards on eBay for these care packages.  As soon as everything has arrived and packaged up, I'll ship them out.

In the meantime, let's look at the cards I decided to hold onto from The Diamond King's giveaway...

Let's start off with a trio of cards for my team collections:

2022 Donruss Retro 1988 Materials #R88M-HK

This is my very first Ha-Seong Kim memorabilia card.  I was a big fan of his during his four seasons with the San Diego Padres.

2007 UD Masterpieces Captured on Canvas #CC-JK

I'm sure most of you remember Kendall for his years with the Pittsburgh Pirates, but he also spend two and a half seasons with the A's.  If you've never held one of these Captured on Canvas memorabilia cards, they're really nice.

2020 Topps Player Medallions #TPM-MC

Manufactured relics like this commemorative coin can be hit or miss.  I like this particular one, because it's heavy and has the density of a paper weight.

Here are a few more manufactured relics from Kevin's giveaway that I added to my collection:

2022 Topps Update Commemorative Batting Helmet #BH-FF

This was the thickest card in the box... and is right up there with the Chapman in regards to weight.  Even though I'm not a fan of the Dodgers, I'm a big fan of Freeman and this card.

2020 Topps Update 20 Years of the Captain

Commemorative Patch #20YCC-13

Another player I admire pictured on a team I dislike.  What's the saying?  Don't hate the playa.  Hate the team.

2022 Topps All-Star Alumni Commemorative Relics #ASA-HAA

I definitely don't hate the Braves.  In fact, outside of the A's and Giants, I have watched more of their televised games in my lifetime than anyone else.  As for Aaron, he had retired before I became a huge baseball fan.  But I learned about his career and legacy early in my childhood.

Kevin actually sent me two really cool Hank Aaron cards, but one of them will be passed along to a fellow blogger who collects the Braves.

Next up are a pair of thick high-end base cards I'm adding to the collection:

2019 Topps Triple Threads #47

2023 Topps Tribute #23

Topps Triple Threads and Topps Tribute are two products you'll never see me opening up.  It's not because I don't appreciate them.  I think both of these cards are really nice.  I just can't justify spending hundreds of dollars on a box of cards.

2021 Topps Update All-Star Stitches #ASSC-JS

I'm not 100% sure, but I think this is my first Juan Soto memorabilia card.  He's such a dynamic player whose career is off to a stellar start.  It's just a shame that he's played with four teams over the course of the past four seasons.  One day he might be remembered as one of the Mets all-time greats, but for now... I associate him mostly with the Nationals.

Next up, a legendary lady...

2008 Donruss Americana Hollywood Legends Materials #HL-60

I don't think I have ever watched one of Hedy Lamarr's movies, but she's a familiar name and ranked #24 on IMDB's list of the most beautiful actresses of all-time.

The next single I want to share is my personal favorite:

2008 Donruss Americana Sports Legends

Museum Collection Materials #MC-4 (#'d 160/250)

This card instantly reminded me of my father and his love of golf.

Although my dad's favorite golfers were Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus, Snead's name also came up whenever we talked about the all-time greats.

The final six thick cards pulled from Kevin's box that were put into the keeper stack were these:

Cronenworth and Tatis Jr. have been added to my Padres PC, while Clemente, Trout, and Johnson are cool cards that I wanted.  The Hafner autograph is a keeper for now.  I read an interesting fact about him recently.  He's the only player in MLB history to hit five grand slams before the all-star break.

I'll wrap up this post of bulk box keepers with the only thin card in the box:

1984 Calbee #95

Back in October, Kevin opened up a pack of 1984 Calbee and pulled this sweet Sachio Kinugasa card.  I had never seen one of these Calbee cards before, but I really like the design which kinda resembles the 1981 Topps baseball.

Kinugasa is a member of the Japanese Baseball Hall Of Fame.  His best season was the same year this card was produced.  That year he won the Central League MVP Award.

Kevin was also kind enough to send the original pack wrapper:

Thank you Kevin for sending me this box of bulky cardboard and adding eighteen new cards to my collection.  The rest will be shipped out in care packages, used in a future giveaway, or be added to my box of trade bait that has slowly dwindled in size over the years.

More importantly... thank you for holding these giveaways and inspiring me and others to ship out more care packages during the holiday season.

Happy Saturday and sayonara!