Murphy's law

I passed up a card show yesterday to travel to see family in one of those remote outposts in New York, other than the one in which I live.

Normally, I'd be quite upset about missing a card show. But after what work has foisted on me the last few days, I welcomed the chance to be out of contact for a few days -- or as out-of-contact as is possible in this modern existence (stupid smart phone).

My sister-in-law helped make up for my card show absence with a couple of store packs. She likes to give gifts to family visitors and knows exactly what I want. Allen & Ginter and Stadium Club are as good as you can get, and they came from someone who doesn't follow baseball at all.

The Allen & Ginter hanger pack didn't contain anything exciting.

This was the best card in the pack. I also would have been pleased by the Clayton Kershaw By the Numbers insert if I didn't have it already.

As is customary, there was one short-print in the pack. This was it:

Now, if you are a regular reader of this blog, you know I have pulled this card a few times. I don't buy it for a second that No. 336 in Allen & Ginter is a short-print card, I don't care what they say about cards above No. 300.

I don't buy it at all. There is no other A&G card I've pulled more frequently. Hell, I don't think there is a card from any 2016 set that I've pulled more frequently than ol' Murph.

So that was a tad discouraging, but let's move on to the Stadium Club pack.

As usual, SC contained terrific cards that are well-worth savoring, card by card.

Although I don't like the Yankees or gold-letter parallels, it all works with this card.

The Gehrig card showed up at card No. 8 in the 12-card pack.

Right after this card:

Yup. Ol' Murph again. This time, autographed.

I mentioned on the only other post in which I ever mentioned Tom Murphy that he grew up in a town just about an hour from me. In fact, we drove past it on the way to and from my sister-in-law's this weekend.

I don't think I want to let go of this card. I'm almost afraid to think of what would happen if I did.

Not only is Ginter trying to tell me something, but Stadium Club is, too.