How I Spent My "Vacation" Plus Some Card Show Loot

It's been a couple of weeks since I last posted, but it's not because I'm getting tired of blogging. I had some vacation time left from my night job that I had to "use or lose", so I've pretty much had every night off the past couple of weeks.

So instead of spending time online and blogging, I've been trying to tackle the endless piles of cards that seem to be growing by the day.

As many cards as these pictures show, they are not even a fraction of the amount of cards I have that remain unsorted. What you see are just stacks of dupes.

I'm hoping by spending more time sorting and cataloging, I'll be able to get return trade packages out in a much more timely fashion. A few of you out there have been waiting for months, which I don't like to see happen.

I haven't even been online that much in the past couple of weeks. I've just come home from my day job and went straight to the cards.

I did manage to get to a card show today. I haven't been to one in about four or five months, I think. I've tried to get to a couple but I hate driving in snow, plus they are usually an hour away, so it would take even longer. (Yes I am one of those old people that realize you have to drive slower and more carefully in a snowstorm.)

The show had an autograph guest, but I don't remember who it was and I'm not going to look it up. I know he was a hockey player, because all the hockey cards and memorabilia was out in force. Not much baseball to look it. I was able to snag a few things for some people that I owe cards to, and picked up a few random things for myself. I didn't break the bank, I think I only spent fifteen or sixteen bucks for everything.

I know I'm starting off with showing a card of a damn Yankee, but I need this for my '78 Topps set, which I will be focusing on after I finish my '79 Topps set.

 
I found four from the 1981 Kellog's 3-D set. The Burleson was in the worst shape of the four, but still not bad for fifty cents. The back of the card lists him as a California Angel, as he was traded after the 1980 season with Butch Hobson for Carney Lansford, Rick Miller and Mark Clear.

Tony Perez was considered washed up when signed as a free agent prior to the 1980 season. Surprisingly he led the Red Sox in home runs and had 105 RBI's. Unfortunately, over the next two seasons he was unable to duplicate those numbers, and was released by the Red Sox after the 1982 season.

Most baseball fans know how Carlton Fisk ended up as a Chicago White Sox. If you don't, to make a long story short, his contract was mailed out after the deadline for offering player contracts. Fisk became a free agent and signed with the White Sox, which in my opinion is the biggest Red Sox mistake of my generation, not the Jeff Bagwell trade of 1990.

What doesn't get as much press is that Fred Lynn's contract was mailed out late as well. Rather than losing him as a free agent he was traded to the California Angels (about a month and a half after Burleson and Hobson) with Steve Renko for Jim Dorsey (16.88 ERA over 2 seasons), Joe Rudi (49 games, 6 HR, 24 RBI, .180 BA in his 1 season), and Frank Tanana (4-10, 4.01 ERA in his 1 season). Nice.

So the back of Fred Lynn's card also has him as a California Angel.

I remember hating that offseason.

As upset as I was about losing a lot of my favorite players after the 1980 season, I really would have thrown a temper tantrum had they lost Jim Rice. Fortunately, he was able to finish his career as a Boston Red Sox, and I never needed to throw that tantrum.

1981 Coca-Cola Bob Stanley. I'm not sure if I need this one or not, but at fifty cents, I grabbed it.

This Dwight Evans Coca-Cola card however, I knew I needed.

1994 Tombstone Pizza Mike Greenwell.

1987 M&M's Roger Clemens...

...and Wade Boggs.

Not a bad show, although because of the hockey theme, I didn't spend too much time there. Not that I don't like hockey cards, because I do, but I have made zero lists for my hockey needs.

And if I owe you cards, rest assured I haven't forgotten. I'll be getting them out as soon as I can.