This Way To The Mailbox

My last post described the joy of receiving a card package from a fellow blogger that I was not expecting. This was the first time that it had happened to me, so I finally had a story to tell which featured some unexpected cardboard goodness.

Would you believe it's already happened again?

Last Wednesday night, I'm watching the Red Sox - Angels game and realize I haven't checked the mailbox that day. Wouldn't you know that inside waiting for me was a bubble mailer will three full team bags of unexpected cards!

This all came courtesy of Mark from This Way To The Clubhouse, hence the extremely original title to this post.  Even though we've only been corresponding for a few months, he knows exactly what I like.

2006 Topps Heritage Mike Lowell. The Red Sox were "forced" to take him in order to get Josh Beckett. The Marlins wanted to unload his salary after he had a lousy 2005. Two years later he was the World Series MVP.

1992 Upper Deck Minors Frank Rodriguez. Somehow I've accumulated about half of this set. I really should somehow accumulate the other half.

1992 Topps Magazine Phil Plantier. I used to buy this magazine, but I didn't have this card.

He made his major league debut on August 21, 1990. I was at that game.

He pinch hit for Luis Rivera in the bottom of the eight, and struck out swinging on a 2-2 count.

The pitcher?

Curt Schilling.

2004 Bowman Kevin Millar. The 2004 Red Sox will always be one of my favorite teams. It was a lot of fun watching them that year. Just like collecting, I will go through periods of time when I follow the Sox a lot, and times when I don't. I watched a lot of baseball in '04.

2001 E-X Pedro Martinez. When Pedro pitched, it wasn't just a game, it was an event.

2007 Upper Deck Rookie Of The Year Dustin Pedroia. Believe it or not, I just started watching the "NESN Champions Again" DVD, which highlights the 2007 road to the World Series. They show some Spring Training footage, and it is strange to see him wearing number 64.

2002 Topps Eric Glaser. This was during my days when I wasn't really following the Sox all that much. Hence, I have no idea who this guy is. A quick look at baseball-reference.com says that he was drafted in the 2nd round of the 1997 draft, but never made it to the majors.

2005 Topps Tony Graffanino. One of the many infield "stopgaps" over this time period when it seemed that there was a different shortstop and second baseman every year. Thankfully, Pedroia has solved the second baseman shuffle, but we still have the annual "run the shortstop out of town" festival every year. Hopefully this years emergence of Jose Iglesias will stop the bleeding there as well.

2013 Topps Chasing History Ted Williams. One of the few insert sets that I actually like. So I'm sort of trying to complete the set. So if you have any you want to get rid of, you can sort of let me know.

2013 Topps Daisuke Matsuzaka Target Parallel. Oh, the hype over this guy. I remeber being excited when the Sox won the rights to negotiate with him. We out-bid the Yankees! We out-bid the Yankees!

I remember when Red Sox Nation couldn't wait to see him pitch. I also remember when Red Sox Nation couldn't wait for his contract to end.

Mark also sent me three 1993 Topps cards. I should have finished this set a long time ago. I still need a few Series II cards. Check my want list here.

2008 Topps Opening Day. I still need a few more of these as well. Mark sent two that I needed.

Plus...

Two team bags full of 1992 Leaf! Way, way back in '92, there was all sorts of sets to collect. And most of these weren't your wussy two or three hundred card sets. 1992 Stadium Club was 900 cards! Score was 893 cards! Topps was 792! Fleer was 720! You had to buy boxes upon boxes to finish all of these sets!

 

As usual, I thought I was way closer to finishing this set than I actually was. Between this and the cards I got from Sportscards From The Dollar Store, I should have this down to a much more manageable level.

What a way to spend a Wednesday evening...watching the Red Sox beat the Angels and looking at some brand new (to me) cards. Thanks a lot Mark, and a happy belated 4th to you!