BIRTHDAY BOOLSHEET BLASTER: PART 10 - BRAVES

I WAS PLEASANTLY SURPRISED TO SEE A BRAVES TEAM PILE IN THE CRAPOLA BOX. I EXPECTED MOST OR ALL OF THE BRAVES TO BE YOINKED OUT AND PUT IN THE 50 CENT BRAVES BOXES BUT I GUESS THOSE WERE GETTING A LITTLE FULL AS WELL SO I GOT A NICE PILE OF THIRTY SEVEN BRAVES. IT'S NOT EVEN THE SMALLEST TEAM PILE IN THE BOX!

ONLY ONE OF THE FOUR BRAVES IN THE 87 TRADED SET MADE IT INTO THE BOX. I NEED IT FOR THE SET, SO THAT'S NICE AT LEAST

1987 TOPPS TRADED COUNT: 15/132

THERE WERE TWELVE 2002 TOPPS CARDS IN THE PILE BUT I'M ONLY ADDING SIX OF THEM TO THE SECOND SET BECAUSE HALF THE PILE IS NEEDED FOR MY TEAM SET

SINCE I ALREADY HAVE THE ENTIRE 2002 BASE SET, A SECOND TEAM SET IS KIND OF A LUXURY, BUT IT MAKES THE TEAM BINDERS LOOK NICE. LOOKING AT MY SET WANT LIST AND TEAM WANT LIST I COULD PROBABLY COMPLETE A FEW SETS IF I RAIDED MY BINDERS. HMMMM

2002 TOPPS COUNT: 86/718

SO THERE'S NOT ONLY BRAVES IN THE BULLSHIT BLASTER BUT VINTAGE BRAVES. 1978 IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE SETS BUT I'VE COMPLETED THE BASE SET AND THE TEAM SET SO IT'S HARD TO JUSTIFY PICKING UP RANDOM CARDS FROM THE SET WHEN I SEE THEM. I WILL ABSOLUTELY TAKE THEM JUST OUTTA NOWHERE THOUGH. THIS IS A GOOD MIX OF PLAYERS TOO, ALL STAR WILLIE MONTANEZ, GOOD OL' CHANNEL 17, LONG TIME UTILITY GUY JERRY ROYSTER AND ROOKIE OF THE YEAR GARY MATTHEWS. IF WE PLAY THE GAME ON THE BACK OF THE CARDS WE GET A GROUND OUT AND STRIKEOUT BOOKENDED BY GAME INSTRUCTIONS. THAT'S HOW IT GOES SOMETIMES

THERE'S ALSO A TEAM CARD IN THERE AND IT ISN'T EVEN MARKED UP OR NOTHIN. THERE IS A COOL ARTICLE FROM SPORTS COLLECTORS DAILY ON THE SURPRISING PLAYERS THAT TURNED UP ON TEAM CARDS OVER THE YEARS THAT'S WELL WORTH A READ. I'D LOOK UP WHO IS ON THIS CARD BUT I AM TRYING TO GET THIS WRITTEN BEFORE I HAVE TO GO RUN ERRANDS THE REST OF THE AFTERNOON SO THERE'S NO TIME. I'M PRETTY SURE THAT'S SHOULD HAVE BEEN GIVEN THE FORD FRICK AWARD YEARS AGO ERNIE JOHNSON SR. ON THE LEFT OF THE TOP ROW THOUGH

I ALSO LOVE 1980 CARDS AND WE HAVE A BRUCE BENEDICT ROOKIE CARD RIGHT HERE. I'M GLAD MY LCS COMPLETELY DISREGARDS VINTAGE TOPPS AFTER ABOUT 1974

SINCE THERE'S SO FEW CARDS IN THE PILE I'M SHOWING THEM ALL OFF EVEN IF I HAVE NOTHING TO SAY. MAN, THERE'S A LOT OF COLORS ON THIS CARD

THIS PHOTO IS NOT ONLY OUT OF FOCUS BUT I ALSO FORGOT TO CROP IT. I RETOOK THE PICTURE OF THE 1978 CARDS BECAUSE THEY DESERVE TO LOOK NICE BUT I CAN'T BE ARSED WITH THIS ONE

NOW WE REACH THE BIG STACK OF UPPER DECK COMMONS THAT WE GET WITH EVERY TEAM. THESE ARE JUNK BUT I WILL ALWAYS APPRECIATE FRANCISCO CABRERA'S CONTRIBUTION TO HUMANITY

I'M TEMPTED TO COMPARE THE GIANT STACK OF 1992 UPPER DECK TO 2002 TOPPS WHEN THIS IS ALL SAID AND DONE, BUT UPPER DECK'S CARD STOCK IS THINNER SO TOPPS WILL END UP WINNING NO MATTER WHAT. IT DOES IRK ME THAT I STILL HAVE NOT FOUND A 1992 CARD I NEED TO FINISH THE SET OUT OF THEM ALL. JUST ONE IN THE BOX AND I WILL BE HAPPY

1993 UPPER DECK IS NOT JUNK EVEN THOUGH IT'S IN THE RIGHT ERA AND PROBABLY HAD JUST AS MANY CARDS PRINTED. YES, THERE ARE MILLIONS OF THIS BRIAN HUNTER CARD BUT HOW MANY OF THOSE ARE PERMANENTLY BRICKED OR HAVE THE DREADED 93 UPPER DECK SNOW FROM CARDS STICKING TOGETHER? JUST COMPARE THIS CARD COMMEMORATING THE DEMISE OF A POOR BAT TO THAT BRIAN HUNTER TOPPS CARD ABOVE THAT I COULDN'T BE BOTHERED TO CORP. JUNK 1993 UPPER DECK DOES NOT EXIST. EXCEPT FOR THE ONES YOU CAN BUILD A HOUSE WITH

LEMKE!!! FROM MY FAVORITE DONRUSS SET!!! LE EPIC WIN!!! 

WE WIND UP THE PILE WITH A COUPLE ROYAL ROOKIES. STEVE TORREALBA MADE IT TO THE BIGS WITH THE BRAVES IN 2001 AND 2002 AND WAS A GOOD ENOUGH PROSPECT TO GET A COUPLE SHORT PRINTED ROOKIE PROSPECT CARDS. I HAD NO IDEA WHO KENNY NELSON SO I LOOKED HIM UP AND DISCOVERED THIS ISN'T KENNY NELSON IT'S BUBBA NELSON. BUBBA WAS ALL OVER THE PLACE IN PROSPECT SUBSETS IN THE EARLY 00S. IN ADDITION TO THE GAWDAWFUL CARD DESIGN ROYAL ROOKIE DEPRIVED US OF A BUBBA CARD. UNFORGIVABLE. I HAVE ABOUT SIX COPIES OF BOTH THESE CARDS AS THESE PACKS WERE RIPPED LIKE CRAZY FOR AUTOGRAPHS AND NO ONE WANTS THE BASE

THAT WAS A NICE LITTLE PILE OF BRAVES AND THE NEXT BULLSHIT BLASTER POST IS EVEN NICER BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE TO DO A LOT OF WRITING

Setsmas All Year Round - Day 8: Junk Food

True facts: One of the first trading cards I ever had if not THE first card* was a 1978 Burger King card acquired in Toronto on a family trip. That card was of a Tiger and is long gone like my memories of that trip. If it even happened, I don't really know for sure because I was 5 and I can't even remember what I ate for lunch yesterday let alone confirm crap that happened almost 40 years ago. I do know I have this '78 Yankees BK team set because I found the scans in my draft folder. I thought I had posted it already but I forgot. I also forgot who sent me this many years ago, sorry and thanks. Man, it's a drag getting old.  

Yeah I know. Yankees. Everyone hates the Yankees. Well I liked, like and will always like the Yankees. Up to the moment Don Mattingly retired at least. All subsequent Yankees teams suck and can go chew on tinfoil. Not crazy about Burger King either, The grease makes me feel oogy and screws up all the numbers in my blood tests. Oh boy did I like their onion rings when I was a kid though. Man, it's a drag getting old.  

This set is cardboard onion rings. Mmmmmmmmmm.

*The official 'first card' is now a 1980 Topps Mike Schmidt. It can be seen in my first post. My goodness that was over a decade ago. Man, it's a drag getting old.  

Oldy Moldy Mailday Video

I got you a 2013 Topps Series One Rack Pack to video...

But I opened it.

Here's a video mailday from @grogg on Twitter instead. Go sign up for Twitter and stalk him, it'll be worth your while. Or just watch the video. Or not. Totally up to you, I'm not your boss.



For the tl;dw crowd here's some highlights/spoilers.

And the biggun':

I now have no excuse to not finish up my '80s Topps sets anymore.

Thirteen 1978 Topps Cards

Twelve good, one bad.

Warren is staring into your SOUL.

Cobra and Carew on one card is dangerous levels of Coolness and Bad-assery.

Dave Chalk's nickname is the Honey Badger because he just don't care.

In my mind, Luis Tiant is in the Hall of Fame. If not for pitching, than for his mustache. I am unanimous in this.

Bob Forsch is either in a hurricane or a cow came up and licked him right in the side of his face.

This one here threw me. The 'As Player' photo has a picture of him playing for Boston. The Boston Braves. Checking the stats on the back, he also played for the Atlanta Crackers. Looks like I have to open up a space in my Braves team set binder now. Sigh.

The only good checklist is a marked checklist. This lucky stiff pulled the Winfield!

This could have been the exact Vic Davalillo card that guy marked off on that checklist. You never know...

I never understood why the Cubs always did the floaty head team pictures. Was the owner back then worried that if he gathered them all in one spot long enough to take the photo, their power of suck would reach critical mass and cause a black hole?*

This is simultaneously one of the worst and best photos ever on a baseball card.

I always liked Jack Clark for some reason. I think I have a soft spot for epic eyebrows.

I like Lou a whole lot better now that he's retired. I think it's because I was mad at all the attention he got every time he was ejected from a ballgame. We all know who the true king of ejections is, now don't we?

Boooooo! BOOOOOOOO!!! BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!

And here's that pony picture I drew in the video in case you wanted a better look.

Liston never knew what hit him.

*As a Braves fan I really should not be making fun of ANY team from the late '70s. Dear Christ, did we stink back then.

I screwed up my mailday video so I drew you a pony

Pretty much exactly what it says on the tin.



Here's a selection of Cubs Tom inflicted upon me in the package.

And then, out of nowhere...

1978 Topps Eddie Murray.

The Diamond King just sent this to me out of the blue because I am a fan of beat up ratty old cards. I'm not exactly sure why this exact card was sent, it seems to be in pristine condition. I mean, there's not even any bits missing off of it. With this card we launch this month's theme here at The Junkman Chronicles: catching up on posts about stuff people have sent me. This will likely be a July-August theme to account for my slackness as well as the inevitable Allen & Ginter Freakout that is scheduled to occur in a few weeks. I am grateful to Mr. King, as well as somewhat jealous that I didn't think of using that name when I started blogging all those years ago. Actually never mind, being this is way too much responsibility. I'll remain the card blogging version of this instead. The King has a tribute packaged and waiting to get dropped off at the post office, whenever I can find the time to get there. I might have to put together that '78 Binder now once I am able to free up some pages.

Transmogrified into being: A Couple of '78s

Let's do another one of these. Two for one special!

1978 Topps John Scott

I love 1978 Topps cards but I have a paltry amount of them compared to, say, the 1976 and 1979 set which I like less. Acquiring this card here is probably one of the reasons I initially decided to eventually have cards delivered. Up until then most of my trades were for Lemmers.

Condition on this card is really good. The top left corner is slightly dinged, the bottom left corner is slightly touched. The other two are sharp. Up-Down centering is about 65-35. Just enough off to notice but not enough to really matter. Gloss is good, no creases or wrinkles. No smoke or musty smell. This is a very nice looking 33 year old card.

The back unfortunately is miscut. It's cut right on the the blue border line. There may be a microscopic sliver of orange between the blue and the edge of the card, but I can't see it. John knocked a double for the Jays, so that makes up for it. PSA don't like it but I don't care.

I got the John Scott I needed for my set plus a bonus Ron Fairly in exchange for a '76 Leron Lee card. Was this the card I taunted Night Owl with? I can't remember, I taunt Night Owl too frequently to keep track. Ron Fairly I didn't need though, so it got flipped:

I traded it for me! Ok, not really me. But a Brave. With my name. That I already have piles of but who cares. I had to save the Braves from the sinking Transmogrifier.

1978 Topps Dave Campbell

This one isn't nearly as crisp at the Scott card, but it's perfectly acceptable for a '78. Left corners are dinged, right corners are touched. Left edge is a little rough. There's either a slight wrinkle or a flaw in the cardboard just to the right of Dave's cap. 65-35 centering again with the top border getting short shrift this time. Perfectly acceptable. PSA -2. Who grades '78 Topps anyway?

Dave was the Braves' top bullpen artist in 1977! Baseball-Reference even says he's the closer. Dave walked his batter, though. It makes me slightly sad when pitchers give up walks and hits in the '78 Topps game. They should be getting K's and outs. Of course then the shrewd player would just chuck all the pitcher cards I suppose. Of course if you're going to cheat at '78 baseball, you'd probably just get a stack of Home Run cards and be done with it. On the flip side, if you were to try to play a game using only the players from one team, this would be a boost for the Bravos. That's an idea actually...

I pulled out my 1978 team set and determined that the Braves lineup ended up with five singles, one double and ten assorted outs. Six for sixteen is a robust .375 average, but the slugging is a bit anemic at .438. However, five bases on balls gives them a .524 on base percentage! That's some serious moneyball right there. That would rank fifth in the NL in 1977. Of course you've got no power there at all. The Braves would have to dink everyone to death. I'll bet the Yankees got plenty of home runs on their cards. DAMN YANKEES!!!