Christmas Cards

When I'm on the receiving or giving end of a PWE it's usually one of two envelope sizes, the 6 3/4 and the 10, but the other day a greeting card sized envelope arrived in the mailbox and it was addressed to just me... no mention of my beautiful wife.

Behold!  A card filled with holiday cheer and baseball cards!

I seem to have made Julie's Christmas card list!  Woot!  Julie is the wonderful trader and blogger from A Cracked Bat and we pulled off a cardboard swap not too long ago.

My 729th unique card of Ryno!

Julie also collect Ryne Sandberg and I feel honored that she was willing to part with this one.

Apparently, she felt the need to even the score, which I'm not going to argue about!

2008 Co-Signers came out before I got back into the hobby, but at the the time I was still checking out cards on eBay and making a random purchase here and there.  I remember when this card hit the market and Soto won the Rookie of the Year.  Felix Pie was still up-and-coming as well. What a hot card at the time!  Still gorgeous, and further evidence that good things come to those who wait.

Lastly a 1961 Fleer card of Hall of Fame member Lou Boudreau.

 Boudreau was inducted into Cooperstown more for his playing days a shortstop for the Indians, but he did also manage for sixteen years and bring a championship to Cleveland in 1948.  Actually, he was a player-manager for ten of those years. Pretty cool.

Boudreau was the second of two managers for the Cubs in 1960, his only season with the northsiders, and he managed the club to a record 54 wins and 83 losses.  I'm hoping win-loss records of that ilk are long behind us now that we signed Jon Lester and made a few other transactions this winter.

Julie, thank you for the kind words and the beautiful cards!  Happy holidays to you and yours.