Transatlantic Triple Break! 2006 Topps Heritage

I was really excited to find a sealed box of 2006 Topps Heritage - This was squarely in the era when I was not collecting cards, so I have only seen about 3 or 4 cards from this set in person. The box and the packs all look classy - even the empty packs have a certain heft to them.

Each pack came with gum, sealed in its own cellophane wrapper to protect the cards. I have resisted the urge to try the gum, I recommend the same for Bob Walk the Plank and The Card Papoy when you get these cards in the mail.

Here's the only Twin from the box! The photos have this odd focusing - like a tilt shift effect which is quirky. I think it was an attempt to emulate the older photography from the 1957 set, especially with the washed out colors.

Here are the backs, just like their vintage counterpart (with some extra legal-ese along the bottom and in the top right corner.

As far as hits go... Well, the base cards are really nice! This is a chrome parallel, numbered to /1957. There is also a refractor version of this parallel, and we pulled one of those. But no relics, no autographs. The odds are printed on the individual packs, but not on the box itself. If I had looked it up in advance, I would have known the odds were one relic or auto per 33 packs, which is just a bit more than the 24 packs in each box. So, we didn't get lucky this time, but everything we did pull fell within the stated odds. The inserts all are being sent away to France or West Virginia, so I will let them share those when they arrive.

I got to keep the Twin, The NL East, and the NL West. Here are some of my favorite cards from the box!

Books on Baseball

Quick post today - I want to know, what is your favorite book on baseball? Any books that have come out recently that you would recommend?


Tomorrow - A Transatlantic Triple Break!

Hmm, That's Odd . . .

Believe it or not, there are a handful of cards from former Twins Manager Tom Kelly's playing career - this is one of them!

Each card in the KMO radio set features the 1975 team schedule. They probably will never play an in-season exhibition game between a major league and minor league team again.

CACTUS SUPERCOLLECTOR

The Philadelphia Baseball Card Show has a bunch of oddballs out there, I found this one and the next one on COMC.

Sweet, another Elmer Valo to add to my collection. That's fun.

I'll have my eyes peeled for the other years to see if there are more Elmers and more Cacti.

Saturday is Card Show Day

It's a hot day in Minneapolis today, and I preferred to spend as much of it as possible outside. Headed to the card show and gave myself a small budget. I focused on dime boxes to fill in some junk wax gaps like Big Dave above, and also found some oddball gems elsewhere at the show.

Before making his debut for the Red Sox, Ted Williams played in Minneapolis for the minor league Millers. All that remains of the stadium now is a plaque in South Minneapolis and a handful of murals that dot the city.

Here's the back of this oddball - the 1978 set includes local broadcaster Halsey Hall's recollections of both Minneapolis Millers and Saint Paul Saints.

I picked up three cards from the set - Dave Barnhill was an ambidextrous pitcher in the Negro Leagues, but by the time he signed with the New York Giants, he pitched right handed only but still switch hit. He played for the Millers for 3 seasons, and was already 35 years old when signed. He did not get the opportunity to pitch in the major leagues, but was a 4 time All-Star in the Negro Leagues.

Oscar Roettger had a few short stints in the majors, with the Yankees and the Brooklyn Dodgers in the 1920s, and a cup of coffee for the Philadelphia Athletics in the 30s. He was a first baseman for the Saint Paul Saints as a Dodger farmhand from 1924 to 1931.

Back to the dime boxes!

Three of these cards are technically Red Sox cards...

I didn't see the Larry Fritsch Baseball Card Museum when I visited Cooperstown - apparently it was only open for one summer in 1988. Dude only paid $5 bucks for that Ty Cobb card!

I only paid $1 for this one - Old Hoss has the record for most wins in a season, going 60 - 12 in 1884 with Providence. Or did he only win 59 ? Either way, it was quite the feat, old rules or not. In the World Series of 1884 (or league championship), Old Hoss pitched every inning of every game. He shut out the New York Metropolitans in three games, giving up 11 hits and striking out 17. Things were a little different then!

And I couldn't pass up a shiny Jose Berrios card.

Happy National Donut Day!

Happy National Donut (or Doughnut) Day

Please celebrate responsibly.