Night Owl Cards

I've mentioned before how much I like horizontal cards and that I wish someone would issue an all-horizontal set someday -- something like 1960 Topps , but with all action shots. I'm not sure why I find horizontal cards so pleasing. It might be because the cards are much like the effect you receive from a wide-screen TV or computer. The image just seems bigger, more life-like, more panoramic. Another reason is because during my peak collecting period, from 1975-1990, Topps didn't issue horizontal player cards. It wasn't until Upper Deck arrived and started putting out horizontal player cards that Topps came back with them in 1991. I thought I'd show some of my favorite horizontal cards, in no particular order, although I did save my favorite for last. Also, I'm breaking this post up into two parts. Since horizontal cards are so commonplace now, it's too difficult to search for my favorites from 1992 to the present. So, this part will be the old-school...

I knew a couple of things would happen when I announced here that I wanted to finish off the 1991 Topps set. First, I knew that I would wrap up the set pretty quickly. Announcing that you want to complete an overproduced set in a "room" filled with generous card bloggers is a lot like standing in a McDonald's and saying that you're hungry and have a thousand dollars in your pocket. You're going to get all the Big Macs you want. Secondly, I knew the Walt Weiss card would be one of the last cards to come to me. No one wants to give up the '91 Weiss. It's probably the best card in the set. Even better than Santiago or Clemens or Boggs or all the other great shots. It's certainly the best action shot in the set. Fortunately, Bo of Baseball Cards Come to Life! had some duplicates to share. And he sent me the last two cards I needed to finish off '91. Eddie Whitson is the other one I needed. Another nice card. Whitson pitched well in both sti...