BOOM Goes the Dynamite!

If I keep receiving trade packages of this quality I'm going to have to invest in a better catch phrase. The High Subjective and Completely Arbitrary Brian and I have been swapping cards for just about a year now and each package seems to pack more of a wallop than the previous. Let's see what the man from up north has in store for me this time!

It's been raining 1965 Topps on me as of late. Last Friday I posted a Ron Santo and now I have a Dick Ellsworth to add to my collection. Fifty year old cardboard is being thrown at me? #firstworldproblems  (Edit: It's not a Topps card.  It's O-Pee-Chee!)

I enjoyed Brian McRae as a player and I loved his shades. He obviously wears them to protect his eyes from lasers, as in Topps Laser from 1996.

A year later, in 1997, Dr. Evil stole Topps' idea about lasers.

Both cards are beauties, but I'm personally lovig the design of the Kris Bryant card.  Although, I might sing a different tune if I'm eventually able to find the other two Cubs to complete this triumvirate.

 Oh and for what it's worth, I'm setting the over/under on the combined home runs hit by Bryant and Soler at fifty in 2016. I'm actually a bigger fan of Soler than Bryant, and I truly Jorge is just scratching the surface on his power potential. A few year from now NL pitchers may be collectively hoping to ONLY give up fifty bombs to these two.

Yeah, I know.  I need to stop drinking the Cubbie Kool-Aid.

Player Collection Additions!  Heck yeah!

 I only collect Brooks Kieschnick as a Cub, but that still leaves plenty of cardboard to chase. The card is from the 1997 Donruss Signature Series and the sequential number on the back is 0739; coincidentally enough, it's the 39th different card in my Kieschnick collection.

Here's another piece of cardboard from 1997.

  This is from a minor league (?) Upper Deck SP set.  In the bottom left you can see the Iowa Cubs logo, and it's also on Kerry's hat.  He looks super young there! At the time this card with produced Kerry pitched in ten games at Iowa, but he fanned 80 batters in just over 57 innings. This is the 443rd Kerry Wood card in my collection, but only the third autograph.  Thanks, Brian!

Woo-Hoo!

 The VOGELMONSTER!  He's going to terrorize the Pacific Coast League all summer long!  Those poor baseballs are going to take a monstrous beating! Will this be the year he makes his MLB debut? I sure hope gets a cup of coffee in September.  Oh, man!  How epic would that be?  I can't wait!

I know, I know.  I need turn stop being such a fanboy.  The above card is already five years old. Where does the time go?  It's also the 48th in my Vogelbach collection and my 7th autographed card.  Woot!

Allow me to be completely honest here. When I first saw this card I thought about passing it on to a Diamonbacks fan. I know Randy Johnson and Dan Haren are sporting different uniforms, but the card lists them both as members of the Dbacks. I was thinking, "Huh, Brian must think I'm a big Dan Haren fan since he played for two months with the Cubs last year."

 After I took a picture of the front I turned the card over to look for a serial number.  I couldn't find one.

But, my jaw did drop. Kerry Wood card number 444!  Plus jersey swatches of DLee and ARam! I know most collectors don't get too excited about relic cards anymore, but this 2008 Upper Deck Ballpack Collection card features six swatches on one card.  How cool is that?

Lastly, we have a blast from the past.

 It's a 1911 T205 Sweet Caporal Cigarettes card of Lewis Richie, not to be confused with Richie Lewis who played with the Marlins eighty years later. Lewis just missed playing for a world champion in Chicago, but that doesn't mean I love this card any less. It's the second oldest card in my collection, and certainly one of my top ten coolest!  What a great find!

Thanks for a really fun package, Brian! I'll be sure to hit you up again in the future, you Super Trader!