Loot

Until I started this blog, I never won anything. I know a lot of people say this, but it's true for me, too. Door prizes, radio contests, church raffles, fantasy baseball, race you to the corner. Nothing.

This used to bother me. It bothered me so much that when I won third place in the seventh grade science fair, I hung onto that ribbon like it was a Nobel Prize. I was proud of that ribbon. It was well-earned, and at least I didn't debase myself and go the "exploding volcano" route, which has been and ever will be the biggest lowest common denominator gimmick in the history of science fairs.

But then something happened: I started blogging about cards and I started winning contests. I don't know how many I've won exactly. Somewhere between 6 and 10, I think. And some I didn't have to do anything to win, so the feeling of accomplishment is non-existent. But I've also won a couple things at card shows, and after all those years of watching the volcano win first prize, it feels pretty good.

My latest prize is the 1990 Upper Deck High Numbers set from Andy, who gave it away at the end of his Traded Sets blog. Andy is finishing off the creation of a new blog, this one focusing on baseball stats, which I can't wait to read.

I kind of lucked out on winning this set as each participant was assigned a player's card, and then readers were asked to vote on each assigned card. I was assigned the Nolan Ryan card. Lucky me. You can't go wrong with Nolan Ryan on your team. Losing with Nolan Ryan is like losing with John Wayne. It just doesn't happen.

This is the card that won it for me. Can you say, "majestic"? None of the other cards had a chance.

So I'm going to show some of the cards that I won here, even though you've seen them all on the Traded Sets blog. These are some of the cards that interested me, despite me not being a huge fan of the early years of Upper Deck. The designs all look the same. I'm forever mixing up my 1989, 1990 and 1991 UD cards and it's all because UD couldn't come up with a unique design. It continues to be a problem for them.

Here's a look at what's enclosed in the box. I didn't receive an assortment of team logo holograms. Andy must like shiny as much as me. Or he got gypped.

Only three Dodgers in the set, and this is the only one I needed. While looking through the set, I rechecked my 1990 Upper Deck Dodgers and discovered a few that I thought I had were not there. UD has issues with design, I have issues with thinking I have cards that I don't. Want list updated. (EDIT: I discovered my missing '90 UD cards mixed in with my '89 UD cards. So want list updated again. Damn you, Upper Deck and your repetitive designs!)

I miss Pascual Perez. I miss Pascual Perez on the Yankees. I love it when guys like this end up on the Yankees. The team always seems so corporate and uptight. I'm sure Perez caused Steinbrenner to erupt over some issue -- possibly that drug suspension in 1992. I guess that's worthy of an eruption.

Did Upper Deck create the Biggest Dork Ever with this card? Why did they do this to Scott Hemond? I'm sure he is an awesome individual. In fact, he has his own baseball school and web site (in which this card figures prominently). And the last line on the site says, "Contact Scott to DJ your next party!" I rest my case.

Winner of the non-Topps edition of "The Best Glasses in the History of Baseball Cards," right here on this blog. Cole will be defending his crown if I ever muster up an enough interest to do a third version of the glasses post.

Here Delino DeShields is plotting the destruction of the Dodgers' franchise and plunging it into mediocrity for more than a decade, all through one little trade. Do I blame him for L.A.'s woes during the 1990s? Well, not totally. I do blame him for hitting .224 with 124 strikeouts in 581 at-bats in 1996. Wait, maybe I should blame the manager for that.

My biggest competition for first prize in Andy's contest. Hernandez got the second most number of votes in the poll for the top card of the set. But even Hernandez and his mustache is no match for Ryan.

I am semi-confident that this is the biggest close-up of a player's head in the history of cards. Please correct me if I'm wrong, because I really want to see something even closer than this.

What is Mike Fetters writing? "Night Owl will win the Traded Sets blog's grand prize!"

Andy also sent some other cards, which are very cool. It's a rather eclectic group, too, so I am going to show some of them.

A super golden O-Pee-Chee card of the NHL's golden boy, Sidney Crosby. I resolve to watch more hockey this season. I've kind of slacked the last two or three years. I can't get away from the MLB Network during the offseason.

An early card of that Barry dude. There is a giant crease going through the right side of the card, to the right of Bonds' head. Ten years in the future and that crease is going through Bonds' head.

An A&G Dodger for the Dodger binder. Russell Martin is the lone hold-out. Come home, Russell. Come to the place where you'll never have to hear how a second-place team's catcher is better than you.

Now we're getting somewhere. A 1971 Topps card that I needed. And what a fantastic card it is. Off-center photo. Cap propped way, WAY up on Kelly's head. Oddly position facsimile signature. Instant classic.

I received a number of White Sox from both 1971 and 1973 Topps. I have only marginal interest in the White Sox, but I'll take vintage cards of players from any team. I like every last one.

Yet another Sox player, of the red variation, and it's an awesome one. It's Fisk's sophomore card. Wow. Fisk never seemed to be the type who suffered fools gladly and this card sums that up. It looks like he just spotted A.J. Burnett with a paper plate full of shaving cream and he's giving Burnett a look that says, "If you come over here, I'm going to make you crap shaving cream for the rest of your life."

Andy, very cool cards. Best of luck with the new blog. I'll be following.