Mets collectors have the best Nomo cards

The other day I saw that Spiegel received a record number of Hideo Nomo cards in one package. It was like 70 cards or something.

I don't ever get that many Nomo cards at once. But then I don't have the guy's name in my blog title. Just imagine if there's ever a player named "Night Owl." I'll set the record for having the most cards of that guy.

Fortunately, I do know some Mets collectors. And they always seem to have great Nomo cards. I'm not sure why. Possibly because Nomo spent a stray year in New York. That 4.82 ERA got all of New York fired up and there was a run on Nomo cards.

Anyway, I was contacted by ... Joe at The Sandlot about a fancy Nomo insert that he pulled, which you see here. Isn't it great? I have to figure out how to store this card with a light shining behind it at all times.

I also received these other two cards from Topps Gallery. The first one is Nomo's regular base card from the set -- I think, one never knows with '90s cards.

The second card is some sort of ad card. On the back there is all kinds of information about auction points, and how these points can go toward bidding for fancy artwork, and after getting only a quarter of the way through the write-up, my only question is -- did any card collector in the '90s have a job? What was with all the contests and hoops every collector had to jump through during this decade? Can we just enjoy the card, please?

Moving on to a couple of Nomo cards from Max.

Max has sent many Nomo cards to my address, all very appreciated. Here, I'm displaying a Marquee Matchups card from '96 SP. I have the diecut version of this card already. I imagine you are supposed to pair it up with some player from another team that I don't care about in one big superstar clash bonanza. But I'd rather just have the half of card with Nomo. It's easier to display and I don't have to see whatever ugly player is on the other side.

The second card is one of Nomo's many rookie cards. Look! It's a baseball card! See? There's a bat and a ball and a glove! That means baseball!

Come on, UD3.

Of course, Max had to send me some other cards. You know the type.

This is not just any 1975 Ron Cey card. Not that there's anything wrong with that.

It's a '75 O-Pee-Chee! This is very, very exciting.

I have known only one back to the '75 Ron Cey card since I was 9. This particular card back looks so freaky. If I had received this card in '75, I would have memorized all the French on the back in a matter of days. Now? Give me a couple months. But I'm already intrigued that they printed "derriere" on the back of a baseball card.

Hee, hee! Remember when we cared about back variations? I have three different backs for this one card. Who cares about this? Anyone?

I'm told there are no gold parallels in 2012 Topps. No big loss. I would like just one Topps base card set without any mention of gold. No gold and no foil. One year. But they'll never do it. Because Topps is ADDICTED.

Probably the only 2011 American Pie card that I really need. The shelf-life of that set sure was short.

Jackie represents a segue into the Bums portion of the cards Max sent. I'm sure he's got a lot of Gil Hodges cards, given his Mets ties.

Don't get excited. These are not actual, incredibly well-kept, early '50s Bowman cards. These are reprints from the mid-1980s. I didn't even know they were reprinting stuff like this in the '80s.

Some Ted Williams Company goodies. The Joe Black card means I merely need the Tommy Davis to finish off the TWC set. Who knows how many inserts are left as I had never seen that Duke Snider card before.

OK, the next image will either amuse you or make you cry:

If these look familiar, it's probably because you know them respectively as a 1954 Topps Johnny Podres card, a 1957 Topps Don Zimmer card and a 1957 Topps Jim Gilliam card.

Only these are a little more focused on the subject.

Each of those cards were cut down to little rectangles by some derranged kid, apparently. Although I shouldn't place blame, as I did the same to 1977 Topps 4-player rookie cards.

I have the actual Podres and Zimmer cards already. The Gilliam makes me a little queasy, though.

I guess I'll end it there. I don't want any other cards to get hurt.

Many thanks to the Mets collectors. They always come through.

By the way, you may have noticed I've been posting just once a day lately. That hasn't been a planned scheduling thing. I just haven't had the time with all the life seriousness going on. I'll try to get back to regular posting, but the life pattern hasn't been promising the last several months.

We'll see.