Ok, so the scan is a little cockeyed. Of the fifty-something pages I scanned front and back for this set two came out really crooked. I rescanned them both. This page I scanned the back instead of the front the second time. The scan of the back came out better than the first time I scanned it so I used that scan for this post and decided not to press my luck with any more rescanning. just think of it as the page is a little unbalanced over on that right side because bigguns Sosa and McGwire are over there.
Card #28 - Nick Markakis
First on the page is a dang solid outfielder for the Orioles who is probably the face of the franchise right now even though Adam Jones is sneaking up on him. Nick played high school and college ball in Georgia and got an Allen & Ginter insert card because of it even though the Braves are filthy with homegrown talent. GINTER. Y U NO PICK MCCANN FOR GEORGIA FLAG CARD? It's all good though, as I am easily amused and am distracted by the odd lettering on this card that makes it look like Nick's name is Ik Akks.
#29 - Flash Gordon
Yeah I know, another Yankee. I just find it amusing that right when Stephen King wrote a book about a little girl who loved Tom Gordon that Flash immediately went and hurt his arm. Then he jumped ship and became a Yankee! If he had blown out his arm a year earlier, that little girl would have been devoured by wolves. Think about that. Of course the real reason this card is in the set is
#30 - Sammy Sosa
Fun to watch, hit a lotta home runs, was probably pharmacologically adventurous, will be shut out of the Hall by the BBWAA, will still get into the Hall eventually. Just watch.
#31 - Nook Logan
Even though Nook's career was short, if you get on a baseball card and have a great name, your immortality is assured.
#32 - Marcus Giles
Brian's little brother had a short but fruitful career with the Braves. He ain't no Mark Lemke, but he held down the title "Keeper of the Scrap" well in his day. And man oh man that 2003 season. Doubles! Doubles EVERYWHERE. Once again, 2006 Heritage brings the goofy pose on a washed out photo. Here Marcus shows us his impersonation of a frog.
Ribbit.
#33 - Chin-Hui Tsao
Why wasn't this man's nickname "General". He also didn't deserve the fate of having to pitch in Coors. His Baseball-Reference page has an interesting sponsor though, at least until April 27th.
#34 - Javy Lopez
So this is most likely Brian McCann's last season in a Braves uniform. If he can't bounce back from his injuries the Braves probably won't re-sign him. If he does, he will probably be too expensive on the free agent market for the Braves to keep. What this ultimately means is 2013 is his last chance to get a ring with the Braves. Javy has a ring. As great a player as Brian is, I think that probably pushes Javy ahead of Brian in the "All-Time Braves Greatest Catcher" race. Who knows? The Braves might win a title and Brian might stick with his hometown team. Right now though I think Javy might have the edge. He also has a very, very nice looking card on a '52 Topps design of all things.
And I would be remiss if I didn't mention that my grandmother always pronounced Javy's name as "Harvey Lopes". Miss ya.
#35 - Woody Williams
Another instance where the card simply insisted itself into the FrankenSet. When I see this portrait, this is the scene that plays out in my mind:
(bartender hands you a roofie colada courtesy 'that guy')
(Woody winks, adjusts the lapel on his chartreuse polyester suit, saunters over to the bar)
Woody: "Hey baby, wanna wrestle?"
2013 Heritage does the super close up portraits right, 2007 Heritage not so much
#36 - Mark McGwire
See: Sammy Sosa
Expect about three of these a week tops. My writing mojo is far from back from wherever it's been hiding.
3 comments:
I think Tsao more than deserved pitching in Coors (although it was post-humidor). After his Rockies days, he became a member of the "Black Sox" of the Chinese Professional League, a group of players banned from league for fixing games. He is much worse than any PED guy in my book.
would I be drummed out of the Braves alumni if I said I'd take Marcus over Uggla anyday?
@Canuck If I had a dollar for every time I heard someone complain about Uggla I could afford to become a case breaker.
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