Day Thirty - 1987 Topps Kirby Puckett # 611

Day 30: Your Favorite Card in Your Collection

Taking the lead from Tony at Off-Hiatus Baseball Cards this will be the last of 30 posts, using the prompts provided. I didn't necessarily post one every day, but I did do one for each card, tossed in a few "insights" (as insightful as I can be, anyway), and I usually included an honorable mention or two, just because I'm like that.

Here's my pick - it's not the most glamorous card in my collection, but it's the first Kirby Puckett card I ever owned. I think I traded a Barry Larkin and a Reds pitcher to my cousin in Ohio for this card. I would have given him the whole pack that my dad bought for me.  

Since these are basically one card posts, why not share the backs? The 1987 Topps All-Star cards featured the league leaders in categories in which the main player excelled. The AL home run leaders from 1986 may seem like Puckett's year was not all that impressive. But consider that in 1984, Puckett did not hit a single homer in his rookie season. In 1985, he hit just 4. Puckett was mainly a singles hitter, competing with Wade Boggs and Carney Lansford for batting titles. But he went to work that off-season with Tony Oliva, then a roving instructor and hitting coach for the Twins, to re-tool his swing. He went from slapping and slashing down at the ball to a more familiar uppercut swing, along with a much more pronounced leg kick to generate power.

Honorable mentions? Check out the last 29 posts on the countdown, they all qualify! This was a really fun trip, thanks again to Tony for the idea to get things rolling. It has been great reading everyone else's posts as well

Day Twenty Nine - 1919-1921 W514 Gavvy "Cactus" Cravath

Day 29: A Favorite Card From Before 1950

Taking the lead from Tony at Off-Hiatus Baseball Cards this will be the twenty-ninth of 30 posts, using the prompts provided. I won't necessarily post one every day, but I will do one for each card, toss in a few "insights" (as insightful as I can be, anyway), and usually include an honorable mention or two, just because I'm like that.

Here's my pick! Gavvy Cravath was the premier power hitter of the 1910s. People bring up "Home Run" Baker, but his nickname came from a single World Series homer, not from terrorizing pitchers all season long like Cactus Cravath. Cravath's first name is actually Clifford - he got the name Gavvy as a shortened version of Gaviota, a graceful Pacific Coast bird that he either resembled in the outfield, or that he killed with a hard hit ball. The "Cactus" nickname is also due to his origins in the Southwest United States. He led the league in homers 6 times in the 1910s, including an at the time unheard of 24 homers in 1915. He has a great quote about the joys of being a power hitter in an era of "Small Ball" -- he declared "I steal bases with my bat."

Since these are one card posts, why not share the backs? Maybe when there's nothing on the back, it's less interesting. The W514 set were originally sold in strips of 10 cards at a time, and features 7 of the "Eight Men Out," including Shoeless Joe Jackson. There are 120 cards total in the set, Cactus Cravath is the only one I have. He's listed as a member of the Philadelphia Quakers, which was another name for the Phillies franchise at the time. I've shared it before, but I recommend reading his SABR biography - written by Bill Swank.

Some Honorable Mentions-

It's like I'm a Gavvy Cravath supercollector! Here's his T206 card.

Gabby Street was a Catcher for the Washington Senators from 1908-1911. This is a 1911 S74 Silk "card" - his claim to fame (beyond being an accomplished defender behind the plate) was catching a ball dropped from the top of the Washington Monument on the National Mall in DC.

Barely making the pre-1950 cut is this 1948 Leaf card of Johnny Vandermeer - the Cincinnati Reds hurler tossed two no-hitters in a row, a feat which I doubt will be matched. Pete Rose often said that it was this record that would never be broken, even safer than his hit record. He rightly points out the difficulty in matching it, but surpassing it would mean tossing three  no-hitters in a row in the major leagues. There's a High School pitcher in New Hampshire that has a streak of 4 no-hitters  going right now. The all-time record in High School is 6. Two different pitchers threw 6 consecutive no-hitters in High School. That's insane.

Day Twenty Eight - 2002 Upper Deck SP Legendary Cuts Minnie Minoso #S-MMi

Day 28: A Favorite Relic / Manufactured Relic Card

Taking the lead from Tony at Off-Hiatus Baseball Cards this will be the twenty-eighth of 30 posts, using the prompts provided. I won't necessarily post one every day, but I will do one for each card, toss in a few "insights" (as insightful as I can be, anyway), and usually include an honorable mention or two, just because I'm like that.

Here's my pick- in my opinion, a "relic" should be from a bygone era. The older, the more relic-y it is. Minoso played his last MLB game (the first time) back in 1964. Then in 1977. Then in 1980. He even suited up for the Minor League Saint Paul Saints as recently as 2003. He's the only player to play in the 21st Century that also played in the Negro Leagues. This card isn't a "sick patch" or laundry tag or a book with buttons or anything like that - just a simple design that features a relic of an all-time great.

Since these are basically one card posts, why not share the backs? If the back of the card is accurate, the relic is at least from 1959, if not older. Cleveland was the first team Minoso played for in the big leagues, back in 1949, and he returned for two more seasons in the late 50s. I miss Upper Deck baseball, I hope they get another chance to make some cards in the future.


Honorable mentions!

I like a clean design most of the time, but a little craziness can be welcome as well. I like to pretend that the relic on the Kirby Puckett card is from the bat he hit the home run with in Game 6.

Topps Lineage was fun as well- every pack had a fun insert- there were some pretty heavy hitters in there as well as relics. Kennys Vargas is an example of how Panini is able to stay competitive - if you can't show the logo, might as well have a swatch that features as much as you can get away with. Murray, Jackson, and Oliva are all cards that meet my personal criteria for a good relic. A retired player, an interesting design, and the relic itself is featured without overwhelming the card.

Day Twenty Seven - 2013 MCPA Joe Mauer #3 of 9

Day 27: A Favorite Oddball From the 1990s or later

Taking the lead from Tony at Off-Hiatus Baseball Cards this will be the twenty-seventh of 30 posts, using the prompts provided. I won't necessarily post one every day, but I will do one for each card, toss in a few "insights" (as insightful as I can be, anyway), and usually include an honorable mention or two, just because I'm like that.

Here's my pick - The Minnesota Crime Prevention Association has a set that they release each year. In 2013, they decided to rip off the 1972 Topps design, and I think they did a very nice job of it! The set has varied in size over the years, but they always have a different tip on each card for kids to avoid a life of crime. There apparently wasn't a card about intellectual property / copyright in this year's set. There was a certain wry humor in having Mauer associated with medication safety, as this was the season that altered his career forever when he suffered a concussion that ended his catching career.

Since these are basically one card posts, why not share the backs? Fun Facts! Medication is not candy!

Some honorable mentions:

I'm a big fan of holograms, the minor leagues, and multi-sport athletes. These four cards fill in all those requirements.

Day Twenty Six - 1987 Mother's Cookies Chili Davis #3

Day 26: A Favorite Oddball From the 1980s

Taking the lead from Tony at Off-Hiatus Baseball Cards this will be the twenty-sixth of 30 posts, using the prompts provided. I won't necessarily post one every day, but I will do one for each card, toss in a few "insights" (as insightful as I can be, anyway), and usually include an honorable mention or two, just because I'm like that.

Here's my pick - Mother's Cookies are a mostly West Coast phenomenon. I don't think I've ever had one of the cookies, and other than some Chuck Knoblauch Rookie of the Year inserts, I didn't see any of these cards in person as a kid. I found this awesome Chili Davis card while looking for cards to go in my "At the Bat Rack" mini collection. Chili brings the bat rack with him.  

Since these are basically one card posts, why not share the backs as well? I would love to get this card signed at some point - Davis might make a Twinsfest appearance some day, but he's the Red Sox hitting coach right now.

How about some honorable mentions?

Not really an oddball, but I am a fan of the All-Star inserts from 80s Rack Packs, as well as the Glossy Send-in All-Star set. The "Eight Men Out" set was a fun diversion, and I've shared my love of Box Bottom cards before (Dwight Gooden from 1985 Donruss), and this Eric Davis card is no exception.

Day Twenty Five - 1976 SSPC Rod Carew #214

Day 25: A Favorite Oddball From the 1970s

Taking the lead from Tony at Off-Hiatus Baseball Cards this will be the twenty-fifth of 30 posts, using the prompts provided. I won't necessarily post one every day, but I will do one for each card, toss in a few "insights" (as insightful as I can be, anyway), and usually include an honorable mention or two, just because I'm like that.

Here's my pick - I'm a little conflicted about this - the big wad of chaw is really cool, but it's also a really dangerous habit. I remember on my high school team there were two players that dipped and I always declined to join in. I think it was one of many things that eventually pushed me out (the number one reason being that I just wasn't too good) from playing on the team after my junior year. It is digusting, but also it is a major cancer risk with prolonged use. Regardless of your opinions of chewing tobacco, the design and execution of SSPC cards in the 70s was excellent. A big full color photo with little to no text on the front of the card. Lots of personality and lesser seen moments around the ballpark were captured on these cards.  

Since these are basically one card posts, why not share the backs too? No text on the front, but plenty to make up for that on the backs! The text, as you may already know, was supplied by Keith Olbermann. The blog 1975 Baseball Cards has a great essay on the set.

Here are some honorable mentions:

I am a big fan of commemorative patches, and Luis Aparicio is rocking a unique one that was only worn for one season (but by two teams). This is a 1970 Kelloggs' Card, the patch is commemorating the 150th anniversary of the state of Illinois. The Sesquicentennial patch was worn by the Sox and the Cubs during the 1968 season, and they didn't show up on any of the 1969 or 1970 Topps cards. This Kelloggs' card and a handful of MLB Photostamps have the patch, though. Also from the SSPC set is the only card featuring Harmon Killebrew as a Kansas City Royal. The two Tony Os are examples of a couple fun food issue sets. on the left is the 1976 Hostess Set, with Red-White-Blue stripes in honor of the bicentennial. On the right is a 1971 Milk Duds card of Tony Oliva. The first card I picked up from this set was a Boog Powell, but I didn't even know what it was at the time. Once I figured out what the set was, I was able to track down Tony O!

Day Twenty Four - 1961 Peter's Meats Elmer Valo #12

Day 24: A Favorite Oddball From the 1960s

Taking the lead from Tony at Off-Hiatus Baseball Cards this will be the twenty-fourth of 30 posts, using the prompts provided. I won't necessarily post one every day, but I will do one for each card, toss in a few "insights" (as insightful as I can be, anyway), and usually include an honorable mention or two, just because I'm like that.

Here's my pick - this is a recent addition, which I found more or less accidentally. You know the 1961 Topps Harmon Killebrew card? Capless with a sweaty forehead. The card makes him look older than his age, and it's one of my least favorite cards of all time. I was toying with the idea of making a custom replacement, so I did a Google Image search for "1961 Twins Killebrew" and as I was scrolling through the pictures, I found a Peter's Meat card of a different Twin. Now I was even more curious. So I went on eBay and did a search for Peter's Meats 1961 and there were several different players for sale. The biggest surprise of all was this Elmer Valo card, which I didn't even know existed. His '61 Topps card is also capless, like Killebrew, so this might be the only card that features Valo in a Twins uniform (even if it is airbrushed).  

Since these are basically one card posts, why not share the ba---- aah! Gross. Hot Dog sweat from 1961.

A couple honorable mentions:

1960 Bazooka! I would like to try to build this set some day - maybe after I finish a few others.

1962 Post! Don't have any designs on building this set, but I am a fan of this card.

Day Twenty Two - 1969 Topps Stan Bahnsen #380

Day 22: A Card of a Common Player That Always Seemed To Elude You

Taking the lead from Tony at Off-Hiatus Baseball Cards this will be the twenty-second of 30 posts, using the prompts provided. I won't necessarily post one every day, but I will do one for each card, toss in a few "insights" (as insightful as I can be, anyway), and usually include an honorable mention or two, just because I'm like that.

Here's my pick. It's hard to call any card from the 60s "common" by today's standards, but this was the last card I needed to bring my Topps All-Star Rookie set up to date. I might have been able to find this card sooner if I had been looking for it specifically, but I had a random shotgun approach to building this mini collection. By the time I was down to the last 5 cards, I decided to take care of it in one afternoon at a card show. I was able to find two from the first table, then 1 each at the next two vintage tables. Stan Bahnsen was still missing! Sure, I could have just bought it on eBay or Sportlots or COMC, but instead I just kept going to shows. It took three more shows before someone had it in stock!
 

Since these are basically one card posts, why not share the backs, too? Bahnsen, like many young pitchers in the 60s and 70s, started out with impressive numbers, but ran into arm trouble after a heavy workload. You can see the promise that Bahnsen had back in the late 60s.

Honorable mentions:

uh oh. I vaguely remember putting these two cards in as place holders, but I thought for sure that I had replaced them with the real deal. Well... I didn't!

Turns out I still need these two Red Sox from the flagship set, because I only have the team set version! Any Boston fans need these? I think I have the whole team set from 2008 (obviously out of the blister pack now), so I would trade the set for these two as regular Topps base cards. I guess there are two commons that continue to elude me!

Day Twenty One - 1991 Leaf Juan Gonzalez #119

Day 21: A Card of a Rookie You Thought You Were "Investing" In

Taking the lead from Tony at Off-Hiatus Baseball Cards this will be the twenty-first of 30 posts, using the prompts provided. I won't necessarily post one every day, but I will do one for each card, toss in a few "insights" (as insightful as I can be, anyway), and usually include an honorable mention or two, just because I'm like that.

Here's my pick - first things first, I realize this is not a rookie card. When I was 9, I was given the 1991 Leaf set as a gift. I studied the backs of all the cards and Juan Gonzalez stuck out to me. Whenever I went to a card shop (I grew up with one shop two blocks from my house, and another one at the mall a ten minute bus ride away) after that, I was asking if they had any Juan Gonazlez cards. I did get his 1990 cards from Score and Upper Deck and Fleer - but I still credit this card as the one that got me started on collecting his cards.

Since these are basically one card posts, why not show the backs, too? It was Juan Gone's 89 and 90 minor league stats that really popped out at me. I think I would still be impressed today with a similar player's statline. Of course, I wouldn't really call my childhood collection of Gonzalez cards an example of prospecting - I wasn't collecting them with the intention of selling them later for big bucks, it was more about trying to get in on the ground floor. I missed out on Rickey Henderson rookies and Kirby Puckett rookies as a kid by virtue of not being old enough to read or form sentences... by the time I could do either, those cards were commanding premium prices. So Juan Gonzalez would be different! I went all in right away.

How about some honorable mentions:

Last year after the World Series, I went onto Baseball Reference and browsed the minor league leaderboards and randomly picked a few AA and A affiliates and looked for some new player collection candidates. The criteria were mostly arbitrary - I wanted to find players that were outperforming their peers, but also players that I would find interesting even if they ended being a bust. Again, I wasn't looking for gold in them thar Bowman hills, but just trying to get in on the ground floor. The Twin I selected was Fernando Romero - and I was disappointed to find that he didn't have any cards yet. 2017 Bowman is the first card released for him, so I snapped up one base card and one chrome base card at the last card show.

There was also a dealer with an autographed card of Romero, but was asking 12 bucks for it. So, I went on eBay and won auctions for these two for about 10 - and both of these are serial numbered! Getting in on the ground floor!

Day Twenty - 2003 Topps 206 Framed Mini Relic Doug Mientkiewicz #TR-DM

Day 20: A Favorite Parallel*

Taking the lead from Tony at Off-Hiatus Baseball Cards this will be the twentieth of 30 posts, using the prompts provided. I won't necessarily post one every day, but I will do one for each card, toss in a few "insights" (as insightful as I can be, anyway), and usually include an honorable mention or two, just because I'm like that.

*based on the Parallel, not the player 

Here's my pick - I have a love/hate relationship with minis. They are a great idea, but I don't have a good system for storing them, different brands and sets have different sizes, so I generally end up with a bunch of tiny dinged corners. Put a mini in a frame and you've got the best of both worlds! This isn't the most elaborate design as it is a pretty early example, but Allen & Ginter's as well as Gypsy Queen have put out some very flashy, ornate, and creative frames over the years.

Since these are basically one card posts, why not show the backs, too? A little hologram of authenticity, and away we go! This one happened to be the most conveniently located framed mini, but it didn't have to be a relic card or an auto to get my attention.

Some Honorable mentions:

The Topps Gold "Winner *" is especially appealing to me if it is a Minnesota Twin, as they were coming off a World Series win. The Pinnacle Dufex technology was mindblowing to me as a kid. Paper Framed cards can be a mixed bag, but if you can find a good combo of border color and a Team's primary jersey color, the results can be quite nice. I hesitated about including Topps Clear as they are not very easy to come by, but they are very cool. Still Looking for the 2015 Kennys Vargas Topps Clear...

Day Nineteen - 1984 Stuart Expos Team Issue YOUPPI! #1 of 40

Day 19: A Favorite Card From A Country Outside the United States

Taking the lead from Tony at Off-Hiatus Baseball Cards this will be the nineteenth of 30 posts, using the prompts provided. I won't necessarily post one every day, but I will do one for each card, toss in a few "insights" (as insightful as I can be, anyway), and usually include an honorable mention or two, just because I'm like that.

Here's my Pick! Youppi! will not be denied. I feel like I'm shouting, but it is just the excitement that Youppi! provides to the city of Montreal. After the Expos left town, it might have been understandable that Youppi! would follow. But Youppi! found a new home with the Habs, aka the NHL Montreal Canadiens. I acquired this in a recent trade, and it's easily one of my favorite 80s cards, favorite oddball,  favorite mascot, you name it.

Since these are basically one card posts, how could I not share the backs? You know this is Canadian through and through - bilingual and badass.

Some honorable mentions:

I had to include the sets I've built / am building from outside the U.S. - showing the backs because the fronts look just like the U.S. versions. The bottom row is a lot of Japanese cards I picked up at the National a couple years ago. I don't know much about these at all, but I purchased them for the aesthetic value alone.

Day Eighteen - 1983 Fleer Ron Gardenhire #543

Day 18: A Card of A Player Who Became Manager of Your Favorite Team

Taking the lead from Tony at Off-Hiatus Baseball Cards this will be the eighteenth of 30 posts, using the prompts provided. I won't necessarily post one every day, but I will do one for each card, toss in a few "insights" (as insightful as I can be, anyway), and usually include an honorable mention or two, just because I'm like that.

Here's my pick - Gardy was Twins manager from 2002 - 2014. Only Tom Kelly managed longer as a Twin (Bucky Harris in Washington is the All-Time Franchise leader), and since Tom Kelly didn't play in the big leagues, I figured I would go with Gardy. I will admit that towards the end of his tenure I was one of many Twins fans that joined the chorus to replace him with some new blood, but I still feel like the Twins rough patch was not his fault. He's currently battling prostate cancer, but he plans to return to coaching as soon as his health allows.

Since these are essentially one card posts, why not share the backs, too? Gardy was in an army family, and as a result was born in Germany, though he grew up in Oklahoma. His entire MLB career was with the Mets, including starting at 2nd when Dwight Gooden made his major league debut. His final game came in 1985, just missing out on the Mets' World Series title. He was the Twins' 3rd Base Coach in 1991, so he does have one championship ring. It's interesting to see that he stole 28 bases in his final full minor league season - his career was derailed by injuries, especially to his hamstring, which sapped his speed.

Some Honorable Mentions:

Mele was the Twins' manager from 1961 - 1967 and led the team to their first World Series appearance in Minnesota. He's described on this card as a power hitter - though it's more doubles power than Home Run power. Mele played in the outfield and at first base for Boston, Baltimore, Cleveland, Cincinnati, the Senators, and the Boston Red Sox. He led the league in Doubles in 1951. Mele also played for the Minneapolis Millers when he was first signed, a Red Sox farm team at the time. After his managing days in Minnesota, he returned to Boston and became a minor league instructor, scout, and jack-of-all-trades for 25 years.

Bill Rigney was the Twins' skipper from 1970 - 1972, taking over for the volatile Billy Martin. Here Rigney is just 29 years old, playing in the New York Giants infield. He would make the 1948 All-Star team, but he truly made his mark on the game as a manager and bench coach, starting in 1956 with Giants.

The Twins current manager is the first to have been enshrined in the Hall of Fame as a player. A surprising first season that had the Twins within a game of a playoff birth gave way to a franchise record for losses. Early returns in 2017 have been more promising, and it remains to be seen exactly what his managerial personality is. Always considered a cerebral player, he is given quite a bit of credit for his baseball IQ. His style is certainly more laid back in comparison to Gardenhire, though Molitor has been known to get thrown out of a ballgame if things are getting out of hand.

Day Seventeen - 1948 Bowman Ewell "The Whip" Blackwell #2

Day 17: A Card From the First Set You Put Together Hand Collated

Taking the lead from Tony at Off-Hiatus Baseball Cards this will be the seventeenth of 30 posts, using the prompts provided. I won't necessarily post one every day, but I will do one for each card, toss in a few "insights" (as insightful as I can be, anyway), and usually include an honorable mention or two, just because I'm like that.

Here's my pick - the other Day on the countdown that was similar to this one asked about the first set I tried to complete. In that case I went with a card from the 2014 Topps Heritage set, which I did complete before I finished this one. So, the "twist" I'm adding here is that 1948 Bowman is the first set I finished without buying any packs. the 2014 sets were still available in retail stores when I finished it, and you'll still find a loose pack in a repack box from that set. You won't find many 1948 Bowman packs lying around. There's one wrapper on eBay right now going for just a hair under $4,000, no cards included. I don't plan on making an offer for that one anytime soon...
I finished the 1948 Bowman set in about a year - starting with this card of Ewell Blackwell.

Since these are basically one card posts, why not share the backs, too? This is especially true for the 1948 Bowman set. The backs are the main reason I wanted to complete it. Bowman was Score before Score, the copy on the backs taught you a little bit about the player, how they did in the most recent season, and because of the era, often included a sentence about their military service. The set (which is a tidy 48 cards) is filled with great nicknames, another reason to have an interest in the reverse side. The side arm delivery of the wiry 6'5" hurler earned him the nickname "The Whip." This set, despite being small, oddly sized, b&w and not particularly sexy, is still one of my favorites of all-time.

Honorable Mention:

Ewell Blackwell was the first card that I purchased to build the 1948 Bowman set, this Tigers Rookie Stars card is the last one I needed to complete the 1965 O-Pee-Chee set. The 65 set goes to just card #283, and the mid 200s and above seem to be harder to find than the rest of the set. This one is #259, and there was a copy on eBay for more than I wanted to pay for months and months before this one finally popped up in an auction. The rest of the "high numbers" seemed to pop up regularly, but this one eluded me after all the others fell into place, either online or in person.

Day Sixteen - 1996 Flair Chipper Jones #200

Day 16: A Card of a Player Whom you Appreciate (But Don't Like)

Taking the lead from Tony at Off-Hiatus Baseball Cards this will be the sixteenth of 30 posts, using the prompts provided. I won't necessarily post one every day, but I will do one for each card, toss in a few "insights" (as insightful as I can be, anyway), and usually include an honorable mention or two, just because I'm like that.

Here's my pick - As a Twins fan in the 80s and early 90s, there were few National League teams that crossed paths with Minnesota. Saint Louis and Atlanta were the only visitors when I was a kid, not counting the 1985 All-Star Game, which I can't remember. Chipper Jones wasn't playing for the Braves in 1991 - he had just been drafted the summer before and was making his way through the minor leagues. This topic was somewhat tough for me. If I don't like a player, I generally don't appreciate them, either. I had a little leftover animosity for the Braves in general after the '91 Series, so that resulted in me not liking anyone that played for the Braves very much. That's how I felt about Chipper, even though he's arguably one of the best hitting 3rd basemen of all time.

Since these are basically one card posts, why not share the backs, too? If not for the magnificent debut season of Hideo Nomo, Chipper might have been Rookie of the Year in the National League, but he got over it quickly enough by winning the league MVP award in 1999.

Some Honorable mentions:

I would say that there two kinds of players that could have been on my list for this post - players I actually do like, but play for teams I can't root for; and players that play for teams I don't like at all, and the player doesn't really endear himself to opposing fans either... but I might be willing to pretend that I have respect for them.

Paul Konerko and Mariano Rivera are among my favorite players despite the teams they played for. There are a handful of players that are/were White Sox or Yankees that transcend the team they play for.

I would list my least favorite teams as The White Sox, The Yankees, Cleveland, Oakland, and the Braves.
Nick Swisher played for ALL of those teams. David Justice played for the Braves in '91, the Yankees and Cleveland and Oakland at the end of his career when the Twins were trying to make another playoff run.

I'm sure that Justice and Swisher are perfectly decent human beings -- I just couldn't stand them when they were playing in the majors. It's funny how you can easily defend a player that's on your team, even if everyone else seems to dislike them (See Kent Hrbek, AJ Pierzynski, or Chuck Knobluach for example).

Day Fifteen - 2015 Topps Kennys Vargas #219 (Photo Variation)

Day 15: A Favorite Card From the 2010s

Taking the lead from Tony at Off-Hiatus Baseball Cards this will be the fifteenth of 30 posts, using the prompts provided. I won't necessarily post one every day, but I will do one for each card, toss in a few "insights" (as insightful as I can be, anyway), and usually include an honorable mention or two, just because I'm like that.

Here's my pick - 2 years in and I'm still working on finding all of the parallels for this card. Kennys Vargas happened to be the first Twin I pulled from a pack of 2015 Topps, so I got the idea then to try to build a Kennys Vargas rainbow.  This was a photo variation that Topps loves to insert into the flagship set to both irritate and invigorate collectors. It was an unexpected surprise that Vargas was selected for this, as he'd only appeared in 53 major league games by this point in his career. Vargas crushed a homerun last night to straightaway Center Field and drove in a career high 5 runs on the night. Still my favorite Twin! 

Since these are basically one card posts, why not show the backs as well? One version of it, anyway - like I said, working on a rainbow. This back is nearly identical to the back of the photo variation from Series 1, but this is a Red Chrome parallel numbered to 5. 

Here's a peek at some of the parallels, I should update my progress on this soon.

Uh, yeah, some honorable mentions....

A.J. at Guaranteed Rate Fi- I mean, Comiskey Pa- I mean U.S. Cellular Field.

LaTroy, moments before teaching a baseball all the mysteries of the diamond.

Big Bart's big moment!