Toast Your Team

I received the ultimate gift from my daughter last night.

Because in our house we celebrate both Chanuka and Christmas, the exchange of our immediate family gifts is usually on a day between the two holidays (though we usually leave at least one to be opened on Christmas morning).

So, last night we had our Chanu-mas dinner and gift exchange.  Naturally I did receive two packages of Pepperridge Farms Rapsberry Milano's (some family members actually read my blog), a bottle of Crown Royal (yes I have a dark side) and . . . drum roll please . . .

This toaster which has the Chicago Cubs logo on the inside to brand each piece of my toast. 

Now my peanut butter and jelly sandwiches will taste better and my breakfast egg and cheese sandwiches will be blazing in the Cubs trademark too. 

My thought is that if the Cubs have a bad day, stink up the joint, lose a thriller, get shutout or worse yet be the victim of a no-hitter I can always burn a piece of toast beyond eat-a-bility. 

But, if the Cubbies have a good day, win in a walk off, pitch a no hitter or even shall I say make a run for the World Series (and actually get there ?!), I shall be toasting plenty of slices of bread in honor of their success.

For now, thanks to my daughter, I can Toast the Cubs every day !

There's always next year

It occurred sometime last week and I missed it. To be honest, it has actually occurred every year since 1908 at different times of the year so I sometimes just lose track of things. Not that I dont care but I do try (not) to "celebrate" this event.

Yes, you might have guessed it, the Chicago Cubs have been officially eliminated from the playoffs, let alone winning anything this year. In honor of this moment I have turned to a book that offers some levity to this situation, titled: "The Cubs Fan's Guide to Happiness" by George Ellis, circa 2007.

With chapters such as; Beer will make it better (Chap 2) and At Least You're Not a Sox Fan (Chap 7) to the 15 Habits of Highly Happy Cubs Fan's the theme of being "frustrated" for 100+ years is evident throughout out these pages.

So as the season winds down with some teams preparing for or pushing themselves for that last run at the playoffs and potential World Series celebration, other teams just go home ashamed of under-performing, I turn to a book.

We however as the eternal optimist called a Cubs Fan, we simply chant "wait til next year".

a third time

For the third time in three years my beautiful daughter is off on an adventure.

Two August's ago she embarked on the Rotary Youth Exchange program and headed to Finland (yes Finland) for ten months. Upon returning home last summer she then went off to start her college life (freshman year) at Flagler College in St Augustine Florida. While both of those experiences were positive (and not so positive) in many ways, my daughter was craving something different . . . again.

Just the other day she left again, for Chicago, our old home town, to attend Columbia College and pursue her creative writing aspirations. I wish her the very best in everything, am so proud of her and look forward to visiting her and taking her to a Cubs game.

Below you will find a song sung by Winnie the Pooh to Piglet that I have now sent my daughter three years in a row. Maybe this year it will inspire her to be "big" !

You can be a guiding star,
If you make the most of Who You Are.
And the sensitivity,
That you are now discovering to see
Can be developed even more,
So you can find the hidden doors
To places no one’s been before.
And the pride you’ll feel inside
Is not the kind that makes you fall -
It’s the kind that recognizes
The bigness found in being Small
as Pooh sings about Piglet in The Te of Piglet pg 51

Baseball "Lifer's"

I recently came across a list that intrigued me.

The list was of ALL current Major League Baseball Players that have been with the same team for ten years or more (thanks to ESPN).

Here are the only eleven players currently that fit that category.

Chipper Jones Atlanta Braves 16
Mariano Rivera New York Yankees15
Derek Jeter New York Yankees 15
Jorge Posada New York Yankees 15
Todd Helton Colorado Rockies 13
Jason Varitek Boston Red Sox 13
Eric Chavez Oakland Athletics 12
Vernon Wells Toronto Blue Jays 11
Jimmy Rollins Philadelphia Phillies 10
Mark Buehrle Chicago White Sox 10
Michael Young Texas Rangers 10

Not sure how that number compares to other years but it seemed rather small to me.
With my heart still being stuck in the era of the sixties and seventies I do wonder how this compares to other years ? Anyone out there able to calculate this for the year 1970 ?

Three quarters (Santo, Kessinger, Banks) of the Chicago Cub infield were "lifer's" (that is from a long time ago)! It is a shame no Chicago Cub made this list this year ! Who will be the next Cub to play for Chicago for ten years ?

While I understand that baseball has changed drastically over (in so many ways, both for the good and bad) the commitment and loyalty of the game (from the players and owners) is one thing I wish would change back to the days of yester-year.

Someones "junk" is someone elses treasure

Several months ago a most generous blogger John of Pursuit of 80's offered up a set he "did not like as much as he thought" and I because my thoughts are far less deep or poignant I asked and received this most unexpected treasure.

John had acquired the 1995 CardToons set of cards (copy written date of 1993 though not released until 1995).

For those not familiar with this set, it was a parody,simple as that. The base set of 95 cards spotlighted almost every star of the day in a caricature rendition with humor and sarcasm flowing freely. There were also several subsets printed including one aptly named Big Bang Bucks (showcasing the 20 highest salaried players on card currency) and Politics in Baseball ( an eleven card set focusing on the problems of baseball at the time).

My personal favorite subset is the Field of Greed (a nine card set) which describes the history of baseball (at the time) labor problems. The most interesting thing about this subset is that when completed and aligned (or put in a nine-pocket page) they make a complete Field of Greed picture.

The complete set has a comical approach to our national pastime and its players; fronts and back are very cleverly stated (or at least in my opinion) and gives me a chuckle every time I look at these cards.

A couple of my favorites are naturally the "Scrubs" (ie Chicago Cubs) cards:

Shawon (Tungsten Steel) Dunston

Ernie (Mr. Club) Banks

and if some remember this superstars' brief stint in baseball, Michael (Just Air) Jordan (sorry if the timing is perfect as he was inducted into the NBA Hall of Fame (yesterday) as the GOAT (greatest of all-time) for a sport I rarely follow.

This 1995 Cardtoon set is fun, simple as that. Collecting baseball cards should be fun, simple as that. This set is now my "treasure". Thank you John !

Just One Shy

Today (Sept 2) marks the 37th anniversary of Chicago Cub Milt Pappas' razor thin close call with perfection (in 1972 for those math challenged). After retiring the first 26 batters in a row and reaching a 3-2 count on the 27th batter (Larry Stahl of the San Diego Padres) Pappas was one pitch shy of perfection. Unfortunately the call was a ball (lets not over react to a correct call made by then plate umpire Bruce Froemming) and perfection was "ruined". Pappas did however retire the next batter to secure the no-hitter and an 8 - 0 victory at Wrigley Field. Still today, Pappas has the unique honor of being the only pitcher to have a perfect game "ruined" by a base on ball to the 27th batter.

{1973 #70 love those "earmuffs"}

Pappas's career began in1957 with the Baltimore Orioles appearing in only 4 games, yet 1958 began a string of eleven years in a row of double digit victories. Prior to that infamous day in 1972, Pappas was probably best known for being traded to the Cincinnati Reds during the off season of 1965 for the "old" superstar Frank Robinson.

{1958 # 457 "oh so young"}

Two and half years in Cincinnati and a couple of stints with the Atlanta Braves, Pappas was traded to the Chicago Cubs in June of 1970. Arguably, his finest year was in 1972 as Pappas compiled a 17-7 win-loss record and a top ten in the Cy Young award voting.

Pappas finished his career in 1973 with a 209 - 164 record, 3186 innings pitched and a better than 2 to 1 strikeout to walk ratio (1728 to 858). With 110 wins as an Oriole, Pappas came within one win shy of achieving 100 wins in the NL as well. Pappas would have been just the eighth pitcher to achieve 100 wins in both leagues joining; Cy Young, Al Orth, Jim Bunning, Gaylord Perry, Nolan Ryan, Ferguson Jenkins and Dennis Martinez.

Once again, Pappas was just one shy of being part of an exclusive club. So today I honor Milt Pappas and being just one shy . . .

Trying again

Dear fellow bloggers, followers, baseball card junkies and baseball fans in general

I am attempting a comeback. Being that this is my first post in almost three months I will take it slow and do my due diligence in returning to your nightly reading lineup. It has been a "summer to forget" in my part of the woods and it is now time for me to get back on the playing field. Ok enough of the baseball analogies, I am going to give my blog another shot.

Just a bit of a recap of my personal life: my daughter returned from her year in Finland on May 24, and two weeks later my wife asked me for a divorce (and I agreed). We decided to put the house on the market and I would move out in 2 - 3 months (I thought we agreed). I packed up most of my "stuff" (including my baseball cards, binders, supplies etc) and within two weeks was "ready". Then my wife said she was "moving out" and out she went. I unpacked my "stuff" and she used my boxes and crates. She was gone by July 15 and I took the house off the market (never really had officially listed it). This past weekend I moved my beautiful daughter into her college dorm (she is attending Flagler College in St Augustine Florida and is an incoming freshman). My house is now empty, quiet and clean. No more dog, no more cat, no more wife, no more teenager. The house is too big for one so now I will try to sell it more vigorously. So that's my "brief" update of my summer . . .

Now for my baseball update: at the time of my last post in June the Cubs were 29-26 trying to find their groove. They never found it and now sit at 65 - 64. Another "summer to forget" as well. Quite coincidentally the day of my previous post the Cubs beat the Astros 7 - 1 (yesterday the Cubs lost to the Astros 5 - 3).

This past weekend I started reading a George Will book titled Bunts. In a rather poignant way Will concludes his introduction like this: ". . . baseball is a work in progress. If you dont believe me, just remember, and heed, the fans familiar cry, Wait til Next year".

A great big thank you to all of you who have expressed concern for me. I will try to get back to the basics of my blog (a personal salute to the Cubs of 1969 and baseball of that era), try to remember why I started this, try to get back into the trading mode and try to rekindle some blogger friendships I have ignored. I am going to try again . . .

a shadow of a career

in my Websters New Collegiate Dictionary copy written in 1973 (yes it is the only middle school graduation present that I still have) the word shadow has several definitions including:

a) an imperfect and faint representation
b) an imitation of something
c) a source of gloom and unhappiness
d) not functioning in a official capacity
e) of questionable merit

Knowing all of that I think this card of Kevin Orie (1998 Pinnacle # 71) and his shadow fits. Looks like Orie has a scared look on his face, is running from success and his career is well . . . all of the above work.

Orie was billed as the next Ron Santo for the Cubs after being drafted in the first round of the 1993 amateur draft. All those expectations lasted about a year as Orie never could produce numbers anywhere close to staying in major leagues.

Interesting to note is that Orie did have a respectable year in 1997, earning him enough rookie of the year votes to place 11th, yet from then on it was down hill. The Cubs traded Orie to the Marlins mid season in 1998, and Orie disappointed them too.

After appearing in just 77 games in 1999 the Marlins sent Orie to the Dodgers which began Orie's minor league travel odyssey; to the Royals, Yankees, Phillies and then back to the Cubs in 2002 to play 13 games with the big boys and then off for more travel signing with the Indians, Astros and Brewers yet never making it back to the senior circuit, finally "retiring" in 2006.

His career fits the above definitions of a shadow very well.

"Big Z" reaches 100

Carlos Alberto Zambrano of the Chicago Cubs reached victory 100 last night ! Now I know that his 100 wins is over shadowed by Randy Johnson reaching 300 wins earlier this week but the Cubs and Zambrano should celebrate just a little bit.

Zambrano becomes only the fourth Chicago Cub pitcher in the last fifty years to reach that plateau with the club; thats right he is now in the company of HOF'r Ferguson Jenkins, soon to be HOF'r Greg Maddux and the powerful Rick Reuschel as the only Cub pitchers in the modern era to garner 100 wins wearing Cubbie Blue.

Zambrano also hit his franchise record 18th career homerun to help the Cubs win 2 - 1 while allowing only 2 hits through 6 2 /3 innings. He celebrated his 28th birthday last week; comes off his suspension, hits a homerun, pitches a gem and then announces he "wants to retire when his current contract expires" in 2012.

It bothers me that after a strong performance on the mound (and at the plate), reaching a minor milestone (100 wins is minor in the overall scheme of things) this three time all-star and two time silver slugger awardee is bombarded with questions concerning reaching 300 wins. I guess that is the state of the game these days - the constant comparison and pressure to achieve stratosphere status. Zambrano makes $ 16 million this year, will make upwards of $ 50 million more by the time his contract runs out . . . why should he even contemplate pitching after he turns 32 ? ! He is the state of the game - play hard, play to win, play with emotion and energy, get paid buckets of money and "retire" !

I like to celebrate "little" things like; a beautiful Florida sunset, an unsolicited hug or "I love you" from my daughter, finding an extra $ 20 in my pocket, receiving a bubble mailer with baseball cards from the mail box, and a Chicago Cub pitcher reaching 100 wins !

Congratulations "Big Z", this Cubs fan wants you to pitch strong, hard and win as many more games as you can. Never mind personal milestones, lets get the World Series Ring . . . then you can "retire".

I was on the radio today

I will try to make this short story long (or is it the other way around ?).

For starters, I dealt blackjack (yes I am a "professional" blackjack dealer) at a charity event this past weekend and on Monday I sent an email to the party planner / guy who hired me to say how well I thought the event was run and that I appreciated being involved. On the bottom of my email, as some of you may have noticed, is a tag line (signature) that promotes my blog (this blog that you are reading).

Unbeknownst to me this guy also does a sports talk radio show on AM 1490 in the Sarasota, Bradenton area from 5 - 7 pm on Wednesday called "Out of Bounds". He noticed my signature and called me to see what my blog was all about and then asked me if I wanted to be on the radio as a guest to talk about my collection and the Cubs. Naturally I said yes. This might be a good time to say that I have been told I have a face for radio - sorry for that old joke.

So this evening at 6:30 pm I called as instructed and was his guest for about ten minutes talking baseball, the 1969 Chicago Cubs and baseball cards. For me, this was exciting.

I think I did well (that is according to the two people who listened to me, my wife and daughter) since he did call me after his show was done and thanked me for being on. He also invited me back to talk "anytime". That only means he likes me or is desperate for guests. I would like to think that I did ok for my first time on the air.

The bulk of our conversation was about the cornerstone of my collection; the Cubs of 1969 pennant and the cards from 1970 that are framed, but he also asked me about the "Bartman" incident and our hopes for this year. He even plugged my blog on air !

I hardly doubt this will turn into anything regular but it was fun to be on the radio today.

Afro, Sideburn and Mustache

three words that could describe 1974 perfectly:

AFROS, SIDEBURNS and MUSTACHES

One of the most knowledgeable and generous Cub bloggers around, Paul at Wrigley Wax sent me the complete Topps 1974 team set of the Chicago Cubs. Twenty-seven cards which also include the Jerry Morales in a Padre uniform # 258 and Rookie Infielder Bill Madlock # 600.

However, the three cards that stand out to me are the Afro (Jose Cardenal # 185), Sideburn (Randy Hundley # 319) and Mustache (Bob Locker # 62). Those were the days . . .

Thank you Paul for the complete set and bringing me back to 1974.

Moyer gets win # 250

Congratulations to Jamie Moyer for earning his 250th win today . . . some of us remember a younger Moyer wearing the big red "C" on his blue cap and pitching for the Chicago Cubs.

Moyers' major league debut AND first victory was on June 16, 1986 against the Philadelphia Phillies. Interesting enough win # 250 on May 31, 2008 he is wearing the colors of the Phillies.

You have come so far and it all started in Chicago . . . Congratulations Jamie Moyer !

An interview on cardboard

As I was putting the finishing touches on the 1991 binder for my daughter I came across this card which caught my attention at first and after a bit of research warranted this post.

This 1991 UpperDeck of Dave Smith #704, depicts him sitting casually on a folding chair doing an interview for WBBM NewsRadio. He has a half smile, his shoes are untied, has a cup of water (I am guessing) and just seems to be his normal "likable" self.

The interviewer has his finger pointing at Smith, as if he might have just said "good answer", is wearing argyle socks and what look like velcro shoes (or slippers).

The back of this card can be deemed fair at best. Only five of his eleven years of stats appear and the horizontal photo of his almost release shows a good two finger grip and grimace on his face but UD 1991 was not known for their card backs (nor the fronts for that matter either).

This card intrigued me because I remember Smith as a "bust-out" for the Cubs in 1991 and 1992 (going 0 - 6 with 17 saves while earning over $ 2 million a year) and was amused at the "interview" being portrayed on the card.

Smith did have several "great" years as a member of the Houston Astro's from 1980 - 1990. A two-time All-Star ('86 and '90) Smith is number two on the Astro all-time save list with 199 career saves. His change-up was once unhittable and he was voted onto the All Astro Dome team in 1999 upon the closing of that stadium. Smith had then gone on to coach for the San Diego Padres for several years.

The sad part about this is that Dave Smith passed away from a sudden heart attack in December 2008 at the very young age of 53. I still like this unique card and wonder what questions would have been asked if one only knew how short his life would be.

Night(Owl) hits another homerun

as generous bloggers go NIGHT OWL is right up there with the best of them.

A surprise package arrived in my mailbox a few days back (actually on May 16 my birthday, though Greg did not know that). I was extremely pleased to find this bubble mailer / surprise birthday present filled with Cubs cards galore.

Some of my favorites include the Sammy Sosa Christmas 2000 card (second from left in top row with red bow), the 2008 Goudey Kosuke Fukudome Rookie card (fourth card in top row) and two 1992 BCM cards depicting the 1970 style of Matt Williams and the Astro Rookie Stars; Bowen and Juden (fifth and sixth cards second row) .

I have to admit that since my scanner has not been working recently and my camera skills are less than adequate the above does not reflect the true appreciation of what was sent. Over 25 cards from 2008 Heritage to 1988 mini to to 1997 Pinnacle to 2009 UD. A great selection.

As birthday surprises go, it was the best. Thank you Night Owl !

a Motor City trade

a couple of weeks back an email came across my path from a reader of my blog who was looking for some "vintage" Detroit Tiger card. Communication went back and forth a few times and a trade was easily agreed upon.

So, I sent out a handful of Tiger cards from the years 1966, 68, 71 and a Rusty Staub from 1979 any Tiger fan should appreciate (vintage or otherwise). In return I got a bunch of Cubs cards ranging in year from 1961 to 1975 including 5 cards from 1970 which is helping me put together another team set.

A couple of my other favorites are the "floating head" team photo from 1972 and the 1973 Batting Leaders with HOF'rs Billy Williams and Rod Carew.

This mystery reader also looked at my want list and included three Topps All-Star cards I needed; a 1966 Marcelino Lopez of the Angels # 155, a 1972 Chris Chambliss of the Indians # 142 and the 1973 Jon Matlack of the Mets # 55.

I really like readers of our blogs who make trades, regardless of whether they have blogs or not. Everyone participates in this blogging world in different ways and I only hope the cards I sent are finding their new home as friendly and safe as my new cards are. Thank you Tiger Fan.

way too busy of a card

maybe it is just me but i like cards that highlight a player; especially those old fashioned posed photos from the "vintage" days of baseball cards (ie sixties and seventies).

Action shots are nice when players are turning double plays, sliding into home with a dust cloud or swinging for the fences but when I saw this "action card" (2004 Topps Kyle Farnsworth # 232) it made me think this is "way too busy" for my liking.

The 84 Lumber ad is larger than the Cubs logo and the red shirted bleacher "security guy" in the back row draws my eyes to the packed outfield (it is a nice left field stadium shot).

I realize the Farnsworths' pitching career is rather un-remarkable and should go unnoticed (career wins 30, career saves 27 with a 4.47 era) so maybe it is appropriate that he is a second thought and goes unnoticed on this card as well.

I think I am going back to my "vintage" binder to appreciate some old posed / air brushed photos.

Birthday Wishes for . . .

Rick "Big Daddy" Reuschel, born on May 16 1949. Standing 6 foot four and weighing in at 225 pounds Reuschel was an intimidating figure on the mound.

A 3X all-star (1977, 87 and 89) Reuschel played for nineteen season and is most remembered for being a Chicago Cub (more than half his career was in Chicago). His only 20 win season came in 1977 as a Cub and was 3rd in Cy Young voting that year.

His career numbers of 214 - 191 with 102 complete games, 26 shutouts tell just a small part of his story. Reuschel pitched over 3500 innings; and in a eight year span form 1973 to 1980 he had more than 230 IP each year. His strikeout to walk ratio of 2.15 (2015 K's to 935 walks) and his career era of 3.37 are both very respectable. He did have two World Series appearances; 1981 with the Yankees and 1989 for the S F Giants.

Happy Birthday "Big Daddy" Reuschel . . . today I celebrate with you . . . oh did I mention that today May 16 is also my birthday and I got myself a new set of wheels.

Was Harry Bright?

It might sound like a strange question but Harry Bright had a rather quiet nine year major league career. Though originally drafted by the N Y Yankees prior to the 1946 campaign it would take him 12 years before he had his major league debut in 1958 for the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Bright would also go on to play for the Senators in 1961 and 1962, appeared in one game only for the Reds in 1963, then being purchased by the Yankees in 1963 (appeared in four games in 1964) before signing on as a free agent for the Chicago Cubs in 1965.

His best and only year as a regular was in 1962, playing in 113 games and hitting 17 homeruns for the Senators. Bright also appeared twice as a Yankee, in the 1963 World Series, as a pinch hitter, striking out both times. In game one of the 1963 series, Bright was actually Sandy Koufax's 15th strikeout, a record strikeout at the time.


So this card, # 227 Topps 1960 stating his team as the Chicago Cubs was quite a mystery to me at first. When I was reviewing the team roster and stats for the 1959 (and 1960) Chicago Cubs, there was no mention of Harry Bight anywhere. So you may be asking yourself, how did Bright get on a 1960 Chicago Cub card if he never appeared as a Cub until 1965 ?

Simply put, the Cubs drafted him in November of 1959 in the "rule 5" draft and returned him to the Pirates in April of 1960. Obviously too late for correcting this Topps had his "right" team at the time, though his uniform is clearly that of a Pirate (note the banding around the collar and vest).

It was probably only a strange coincidence that Bright ended up in a Chicago Cub uniform in 1965, though he only appeared in 27 games with 25 at -bats getting seven hits and striking out eight times.

I think Harry must have been very Bright . . . having the ability to have a 1960 Chicago Cub card for my collection, though not playing for them until five years later.

Baseball's Greatest Hits from OH

my wife came into the house this afternoon exclaiming "you have a package". I like getting packages. (I feel compelled to mention at this time, that even though I get home before the wife, she gets the mail - has done that for years and she just does it. I think she likes to get the mail, though I am not really sure because I never asked otherwise).

Anyways, today's bubble mailer was a rather pleasant surprise from "Baseball Dad" Jack of All Tribe Baseball a long time Cleveland Indian fan. In this package was a CD, yes a CD. He had mentioned a contest of sorts in a post a few weeks back and to be perfectly honest, I totally forgot about it, but am glad he did not.

This CD is a collection of 22 of Baseball's Greatest Hits (hence the title of the CD) and includes such classics as "Who's on First" by Abbott & Costello; "Say Hey" (The Willie Mays Song); "Willie, Mickey and the Duke"; "Casey at the Bat"; "Lou Gehrig's Farewell Speech" and Chicago Cub favorites like Steve Goodman's "A Dying Cub Fan's Last Request" and "The Land of Wrigley".

This is now playing in my computer and I really like this selection of music and baseball lore on a CD. Jack also included a few Cubs cards; and I especially like the larger than life bat in your face Julio Zuleta 2002 Topps Total and the Kenny Lofton 2003 Fleer depicting the 1963 Fleer design.

Jack, thank you very much for remembering me . . . and for sharing Baseball's Greatest Hits !

My Last Card Show

I just got back from my last card show . . . not for ever but for the season. You see, down here in Sarasota Florida, cards shows are small and mostly organized by "northerners". They are all returning to PA, IL, NY, IN, OH or even the great country due north of us called Canada.

So the show I have attended each month since January will be taking a six month hiatus . . . my opportunity to "indulge" myself as fellow blogger Mark of Marks Ephemera likes to put it. I did just that and stayed away from the bargain bins and only bought a few "pricier" cards I really "needed" and stayed "vintage". My scanner is not working (which only compounds some other issues I have been having these past few weeks) but I did find a camera to take a photo of my finds.

top row: 1960 Chicago Cubs: Dick Gernert, Richie Ashburn and Dale Long (I now have 25 of 33 to complete my team set)

second row: ToppsAll-Star Rookie Cards: 1964 Gary Peters and Al Weis of the Chicago White Sox; 1966 Ron Swoboda N Y Mets, 1967 Dave(y) Johnson Baltimore Orioles and 1978 Gary Alexander of the S F Giants

third row: 1970 California Angels team card # 522 (being my 685th card of the set, missing only 35 now); 1972 Chicago Cub Glenn Beckert "in action" and a 1963 Fleer Clay Dalrymple (my real only big $$ card and I am still a long way from completing this set but getting closer by one is always nice)

bottom row: 1974 Chicago Cubs Pina, Mitterwald, Aker and Hiser . . . just because I they were there.

All in all I kept to my "want" list (mostly) and am very happy. Now I am off to a pre-Mom's Day celebration which gives me the opportunity to say Happy Mothers Day to all you Mom's out there !

While today was my last "traditional" card show for the season, I shall still search out for cards I like or need via more modern methods (ie blogger generosity and ebay). Now I hope to get my life in order and my scanner working again !