I am trying to avoid going on a rant about how my vacation is about to become a mini-vacation and how people who have the inability to run their own lives have no idea how many people they affect with their incompetence.
So, instead, please join me in staring at the first winner of Cardboard Appreciation, The Review 2. Look deeply into the photo. Become one with Lindy McDaniel on the mound. Enjoy this slice of baseball zen. Forget about your problems, your issues, the idiots you have running around in your life.
Feel more at ease?
I do.
The '71 Topps McDaniel card is a worthy winner in this latest vote-off. It even defeated the 1992 Stadium Club Wade Boggs card, which I thought was going to be tough to do. But the polls, they do not lie. Here are the votes:
1. 1971 Topps Lindy McDaniel - 23 votes
2. 1992 Stadium Club Wade Boggs - 16 votes
3. 1974 Topps Ron Cey - 7 votes
4. 1976 Topps Jerry Reuss - 3 votes
5. 2003 Fleer E-X Kaz Ishii - 3 votes
6. 1975 Topps Rudy May - 1 vote
7. 2010 Topps Jorge Posada - 1 vote
8. 1972 Topps Ron Theobold - 0 votes
I just realized how many Yankees were in that first group of cards. I will rectify that in Part 2.
Here are the next eight cards that want your votes:
1. 1981 Donruss Best Hitters: This was the most fascinating card to me out of all the cards in that first '81 Donruss set. It even made me forget for a moment that '81 Donruss was made out of black market index cards.
2. 1981 Topps Juan Eichelberger: Facial hair is starting to come back among current ballplayers. Now, if they would only adopt the goofy uniforms full-time and I may get my childhood back.
3. 1969 Topps '68 World Series, Game 1: This Cardboard Appreciation was actually a tribute to the entire World Series subset in '69. (and a tribute to the Night Owl "lost template," a template that I used for Night Owl Cards for less than 3 months). I decided to feature this card from the series because I think it's the best one.
4. 1980 Topps Bill Nahorodny: You don't see a lot of ball players sign their names with a baseball. That's why this card is here.
5. 1976 Topps Mike Schmidt: Quite some time ago I mentioned that Schmidt didn't get a lot of love from Topps. He didn't have a lot of great cards. However, this is an exception. One of my early favorite cards.
6. 1956 Topps Vic Power: This card kicked off my '56 of the Month Series, that I ignore, oh, every other month or so. I really shouldn't do that. All of these cards are terrific, as Power demonstrates.
7. 1983 Topps George Cappuzzello: OK, I know this card isn't getting any votes, but it means something to me. Cards from my childhood that feature players I never heard of until I acquire the card decades later are AWESOME.
8. 1976 Topps Lou Brock: My inner 10-year-old is pleading with you to see that this card wins. Do it for him.
See? No Yankees there.
OK, time to vote. The poll is on the sidebar.
I am off to conduct damage control.
Comments
I think baseball should market to kids again, not collectors & parents who pay for the kids. The uniforms all look too formal nowadays... there's no Pirate Pajamas or just-for-fun cartoonish logos anywhere anymore.
Oh what I'd give to see a team douse their hat in crazy like the Montreal Expos once did.
All that being said, I'm votin' for Brock 'cause I love base stealers... but if that card wasn't in this mix, I'd be going with the Padres card.
Stop the voting. We have a winner.
#2 rule of Vacation - never, ever, and I am unanimous in this, answer the telephone.
How about this: Vic Power only struck out 247 times in 6,046 professional at-bats. Yo!
The Carew/Brett card - eww - Carew looks like the Joker.
Eichelberger looks very cool, Nahorodny... looks weird. I do not remember the Sox jammies looking quite that electric blue.