Random Listia Autos - Part 17

I won’t lie, these posts are not well read. But it’s ok, because it’s fun for me to show off a few of these autographs that fall well outside of my collecting focus, while also quickly revisiting a player’s career.

For example, I didn’t know Jim Deshaies was drafted by and debuted as a Yankee. Had no clue. He had a good career as a pitcher and has really established himself as a broadcaster. I also love the card, as the ’87 Topps '86 Record Breakers are underrated. I vividly remember the Dwight Evans. It’s pretty cool that Deshaies still holds the record (along with Jacob DeGrom) for most consecutive strikeouts to start a game. That feat also occurred on my birthday! He struck out the first 8 batters to start the game. I was going to say that it was wimpy that he didn’t strike out the pitcher in the nine-hole, but the Dodgers actually sent up a pinch hitter, Larry See, who popped out to second.

Here’s a cool signature of Orlando Palmeiro. I did check to see if he is related to Rafael. He is not, from what I can tell. He had a nice Big League career over 13 seasons, mostly as a backup outfielder and pinch hit extraordinaire. He currently ranks 9^th all time with 120 pinch hits. Some guys really know how to carve out a roll! Palmeiro won the World Series with Anaheim in 2002, and also was a member of the Astros NL pennant winning club in 2005.

Lee Lacy has a great signature! So clean and simple. Did you know his real name is Leondaus? I sure didn’t. He had a 16-year career, playing for the Dodgers twice, the Braves, Pirates, and Orioles. He won a World Series in 1979 with the Pirates. He was also famously part of the 1985 Pittsburgh drug trials, in which he was suspended 60 days, but could continue to play if he donated 5% of his salary and did community service. Could you imagine: 1. These trials happening today? And 2. Getting off of a punishment with a certain percentage of salary and community service? I believe the world would be outraged. Imagine if that was offered to ARod? Admittedly I was 2-years-old during these trials, so curious what some of you around before me might remember from that time.

Ryan Shealy, not to be confused with Ryon Healy,  is a player from the mid-2000s I don’t remember. He had some pop in the minors, although it never really translated into ML power. He hit 29 HRs in 2004 in AA, then another 26 in AAA before getting called up by the Rockies and hitting .330 in 91 ABs. He was then traded to Kansas City, where he played for three seasons batting .260 with 17 homers over those three years. Also, while many complain about prospects being photoshopped into ML uniforms, I think it's a lot better than this alternative, which is impossible to tell what organization he belongs to.

Woody Williams is a guy who is hard to forget. I feel like most probably remember him as a Cardinal, although to me he always pops into mind as a Blue Jay first. He pitched for 16 seasons, and was an All-Star with St. Louis in 2003 when he won 18 games. He ended his career with 132 wins, and actually is one of 15 pitchers to beat all 30 teams. Interesting! Bonus points if you knew his name was actually Gregory Scott Williams.

I’m a big Mike Easler fan. I got a TTM success from him afew years ago, sending a card that had sentimental value. He was also one of the first Yankees I consciously remember in the mid 80s. For his career, Easler hit a very respectable .293/.349/.454 and was a 1980 All-Star with Pittsburgh. Since I already have this card signed, I’d love to pass on this copy to someone else. Please let me know if you’d like it. First to claim it gets it.

If you are very bored and would like to go back and see some of the other signed card I got from this Listia seller, knock yourself out:

 

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5 
Part 6
Part 7 

Part 8
Part 9 
Part 10
Part 11 
Part 12 
Part 13 
Part 14 
Part 15
Part 16

JBF Epic Boxes: Packs 9-10

Two more of SIXTEEN total team bags that Jaybarkerfan sent me in his epic flat rate boxes full of Yanks. We are now on to box #2!

Here is how Pack 9 unfolded:

First up, another Mattingly oddball. I love his follow through on the swing. These KMart cards were always a favorite growing up. I feel like they came in a small box, like a deck of cards would. Can anyone confirm that?

A pair of Jeters I didn't have, nor had I seen. These were from my non-collecting years, so I appreciate the enlightenment.

And the card of the pack? It was tough choosing this, but I liked the cloth stickers a lot from 2012 Archives. I had actually traded this one away to someone who needed it, so the card karma gods hooked me back up.

Total cards in pack: 43
Running total: 308

Pack 10

Spoiler alert! Packs with a relic may contain less cards!

But first, this should be called the Topps Traded pack. There were near team sets of both 1986 and 1989 Topps Traded. From '86, all that was missing was Lou Piniella. From '89, two cards were missing: Bye Bye Balboni and Leon Sandcastle. Question - why were the backs of Topps Traded cards always lighter in color? To differentiate?

Next, a few cards from one of my all-time favorite sets (no joke): Tristar Projections. I love the look of the set. The scan doesn't do it justice, but the white is stunning. I love getting these cards signed too. They look awesome. Almonte is currently helping the Yanks as a 5th OFer.

Ugly Tino alert!!!! Circa!!! AHHHH!

Ok, for as bad as Circa was, Upper Deck SP was usually pretty classy. This Paul O'Neill is no different.

Here's the relic! It's also the card of the pack. Why? Simple! It's a Tino relic I didn't have. This one is super cool. It's from 2003 Stadium Club, and I love how the bat is shaped like the state of Florida, where Tino was born. Very, very cool card, and not just because it's one I needed! I appreciate when companies try to back a relic an odd shape. Helps make it more interesting.

Total cards in pack: 38
Running total: 346

Some players really do read my letters!

As an active TTMer, I often wonder whether or not a player actually reads my letters, or simply grabs the cards, signs them, and moves on to the next letter. I always try to put something personal in there...a memory, a question, etc. Some repsond, some don't.

I recently sent to Mike Easler (thanks for the tip, Kenny), and enclosed two cards: a 1987 Topps and a 1987 Fleer All-Star. Now, I mentioned in my letter that the 1987 Fleer All-Star card had significant meaning. I didn't send the exact card (which I have), but in 1988 I was sick in the hospital. I was five years old. I remember that my Mom stopped at the local card shop and brought me a few packs to open in my hospital bed, as well as this single Mike Easler insert card. Yes, I was five years old and already loved cards.

I was too young to know what an insert was, but I knew the Easler was special. It didn't look like the other cards. Mind you, I was used to seeing 1987 Topps cards, so seeing a gray card with yellow stars, it was the most special card I had ever seen. I told Mr. Easler this story, and asked him to sign my upgraded copy of this card.

Without asking for an inscription or personalization, Mr. Easler wrote "God Bless You, AJ!" on the Fleer card, as well as writing "Hit Man" under his name. So cool! On the 1987 Topps, he signed fairly normally with just his name.

Do I know for sure that Mr. Easler read my letter? No. But I feel pretty confident he did by treating the 1987 Fleer card as he did.

A meaningful Mike Easler card

When I was just a little guy in the late '80s, I got tons of packs of cards. I always got packs to keep me busy on a road trip or when my mom went to the drug store. I wasn't looking for anything good, just the Yankees logo on the card. However, I could name a ton of players as a four or five year old, and my parents and my older brother would always make me perform in front of others. They'd ask me to list certain players on a team, and I'd rattle them off, all because of the guys I knew on my baseball cards.

When I was five, I got sick and had to be admitted to the hospital for a few days. I don't know what was wrong, but I just remember sitting on my mom's lap in my hospital room with my arm attached to a wooden plank with an IV running through me. We were watching bowling on TV. Then I remember my dad coming and sitting with me while my Mom went home for a bit.

When my mom returned, she had a small brown lunch bag for me with packs of cards, and there was one single card as well: a Mike Easler Fleer All Star. Mind you, I basically opened packs upon packs of Topps and Donruss, so to see this card, with this fancy design, was completely foreign. It was so special because it looked so different than the other cards.

Over the years, this card got really beat up, but I always held on to it. It meant a lot to me and was invaluable. A few weeks ago, Kerry from Cards on Cards sent me a large box of Yankees as my last place prize in his March Radness contest. While shuffling through the cards, I was shocked when I came to the Mike Easler All Star in pristine condition! While my beat-up original will always be special to me, it feels great to own one a bit more fresh.

Thanks, Kerry!