Cardboard appreciation: 1974 Topps Paul Lindblad

(Cars, household appliances, property are subject to depreciation. What a sad word: depreciation. Let's talk "appreciation," and something that never depreciates -- at least in the mind of collectors -- BASEBALL CARDS! These are the cards I appreciate: my all-time favorites. Here is another edition of Cardboard Appreciation. This is the third in a series):

Long before I knew the sad story of Paul Lindblad, that he suffered through a 12-year battle with Alzheimer's Disease and was confined to a nursing home for almost a decade before his eventual death a couple of years ago, I felt sorry for him for a far more trivial reason.

Look at this card. Lindblad is at maximum effort, pouring his heart and soul into this pitch, all in front of seemingly no one. Aren't those folded-up bleacher seats in the background? (I'm asking, I don't know for sure). It seems that if Lindblad is going to make like Mitch Williams and practically trip himself up into an ass-over-backward-spill-off-the-mound, someone somewhere NEEDS to be watching.

Of course, thanks to the photographer, we're all watching. And Topps was nice enough to complement Lindblad's Swingin' A's green-and-gold uniform with a green-and-gold design. Keep it simple, Topps, that's what we like.

Lindblad, you may already know, was a valued left-handed reliever for Oakland and a few other teams. He certainly didn't throw as hard as Williams, but he was just as effective. He won a game in the 1973 World Series, and he lives on forever after his death as the last pitcher to ever face Willie Mays.

In memory of Mr. Lindblad, here's a salute to his '74 Topps card. 1974 Topps Paul Lindblad, I certainly appreciate you.