Topps Million: Two Yankees

They're almost like mirror images of each other... Doubt we'll be paying the postage for either of these.

Few and Chosen: Defining Cardinal Greatness Across the Eras

Go figure. I go to Chicago for the weekend and find a book about the Cardinals amid all the Harry Caray bios. I picked this up at Half Price Books for a fraction of the publisher's price. Looks like this is a series from Triumph Books with books covering a few other clubs available here:

Triumph Books: Few and Chosen Series.

Published in 2003, so presumably written even earlier, I wonder how the last 7 - 8 years might have changed some of the position rankings. Pujols was just starting his attack on the record books, Edmonds had a few more years to move from the 4th ranked CF-er, and LaRussa has since surpassed Red as the winningest coach in Redbird history. Would Carpenter's short, oft-injured, yet spectacular tenure leap-frog him ahead of Bob Forsch?

After paging through the book, I'm amazed at the legends who set the standard so high they might never be surpassed in the future. As good as Wainwright has been and might one day be, will he ever pass Gibson as the best right handed pitcher in Cardinals history? Despite all the riches the franchise has showered on Matt Holliday, how can he ever surpass Brock or Musial in the outfield? And will we ever see another SS or 2B in the same league as The Wizard or Rogers Hornsby? Wainwright might crack the Top Five. Yadi might as well. Pujols is well on his way to passing Big Mac and Keith Hernandez at 1B. How will history remember this Cardinals era?

1958 Topps

More from the Not Topps Million vintage haul in lieu of a couple of jumbo packs. I don't know much about these vintage sets but its tough to argue with Ken Boyer. He may be my next vintage target behind Brock and Gibson.

Topps Million: Back to the Junk

Oy Vey! On the plus side, the Snipping Tool in Windows 7 is a god send for posts like this.

Flea Market Finds: The Great American Baseball Card Flipping, Trading and Bubble Gum Book

Picked this up, a first edition hardcover from 1973, for a buck, torn cover and all. The first time Isaac opened the book, the paper parted to page 67... picturing the '59 All Star card of The Man himself, Stan Musial. Serendipity.

Straggler Packs

What do you do when you see the last few packs in the box? Do you impulsively pick them up even if they weren’t on your radar? I’m guilty. I pick them up knowing that they’re just like any other pack in the box but I can’t resist the urge to empty that box out *just in case* something in those packs are special. I’ve been lucky enough to perpetuate the myth and did so again last night. I stopped by the hobby shop to pick up a 10 pack of tobacco top loaders & sleeves and four, count ‘em – four, binder pages for a few oddball cards Isaac and I have picked up recently. Total expected cost: $2.50. At the counter, I spy two last packs in the T206 box and one pack in the Ginter box instinctively grab them and instantly more than quadruple my bill. Once again, nothing fancy but enough to perpetuate the impulse.

Cy Young SP Piedmont Mini

The second card didn't scan well at all but was a Conor Jackson x/ 10 silk card!

Topps Million Traded: 2004 Mike Matheny

Wow. I posted our first trade offer and BOOM, an hour later someone accepted. Its nice to have Matheny back in the Cardinals fold as a special instructor... hopefully his role will expand as his kids get older and we'll see more of him at Busch in the future.