Byrd caged

Thanks to reader Drew, my 2009 Topps Series I set is now officially complete. The Marlon Byrd card is mine, and I can remove the throwback Byrd card that I had as a seat-filler.

It's fantastic to see readers out there coming to the rescue of fellow collectors. Because I believe we all know the feeling of thinking we have completed a set only to realize we've missed a card or two. It's happened to me at least a half-dozen times.

Probably the most disturbing case, for me, came with the 1984 Topps set. I had purchased the entire set at once, the first time I had ever done that. It was my intention at the time to rid myself of the time-consuming practice of collecting a set. After all, I was a big shot college boy, and I didn't have time for frivolity (chasing girls and drinking beer is definitely not frivolity. It is gravely serious business).

But much, much later, at least a decade later or more, I was cataloging my '84 set and realized I was missing one card.

It was this card. Todd Cruz, number 773 of the Orioles. I knew I had the entire set when I bought it. I made sure I went through all the cards at the time to see that they were all there. But somewhere along the way, I had lost the Cruz card.

That missing card bothered me more than it ever should have. But the purchase of my first completed set was a point of pride for me then and a 791-card set just wouldn't do.

It was years before I tracked down another Cruz card. But I do have it, and just like Marlon Byrd, I will always remember a non-descript player like Todd Cruz because of how elusive his card was.

Thanks, Drew. I'll keep my eye on the Greinke cards.