Ok, back in the saddle after a brief respite (and about 100 games of Mario Kart*) so it's time to get back to ripping those Zman packs. First though, you'll see a poll on the top right. You all snubbed my '85 Topps Super boxes so I'll rip a box of something more recent. Your choices are:
2008 Upper Deck Series 1&2 Combo Blaster
Or the MEESTAIRY BOCKS:
It's got autograph cards in it, so it can't
POSSIBLY suck, can it?
Choose wisely.
Ok, the answer to the last trivia question was:
Chuck Jones was interviewed about his work on Upper Deck Comic Ball cards. I'm more of a Tex Avery and Bob Clampett fan myself.
Ok, now for today's question. There is a dealer's ad for Classic Best minor league cards (the ads are the best part of this magazine) touting a Mike Schmidt Reading Phillies card that Beckett values at over $1,500. So of course YOU should go out and buy some extremely limited (less than 2100 cases!) Classic Best minor league cards in order to get the next thousand dollar minor league card. In the ad, there is a list of players with the caption "Could one of these players be the next Mike Schmidt?"
Today's Trivia Question:
Name any one of the players on the list. (one point)
Bonus Essay Question:Explain why even if a card of a player who had Walter Johnson's arm, Babe Ruth's bat, Rickey Henderson's legs and Michael Jack Schmidt's mustache was in that set, his card would never ever
ever be worth as much as that mythical Reading Phillies card. (one point)
Ok, onto the the pack of 1990 Donruss at Captain Canuck's request. I didn't pull the last two cards he needed, but I've got them held for
ransom anyway.
Carl Yastrzemski's full, pouty lips 0¢
532 Atlee Hammaker 5¢
419 Tim Laudner 5¢
424 Ken Caminiti 5¢
453 Greg Litton 5¢
200 Checklist 5¢
30 Sandy Alomar Jr. 50¢
587 Willie Frazer 5¢
592 Tony Castillo 5¢
596 Pete Harnisch 5¢
2 Steve Sax Diamond King 5¢
659 Nolan Ryan 5000 K's error $4.00
193 Dennis Cook 5¢
197 Orel Hershiser 10¢
622 Mark Guthrie 5¢
626 Paul Sorrento 5¢
BC-25 Von Hayes MVP 5¢
Total Book Value: $5.25
Another big money card! Nice! This wasn't a spectacular pack overall, but there's a couple of minor stars in there along with the Ryan error card. There's the top three:
Nolan Ryan 5000 K's 
I double checked this card in my phonebook sized price guide and the error card is actually an error in Tuff Stuff. They have the 5000 K's and King of Kings cards swapped on their checklist, so what appears to be an error card in their guide is actually the corrected version. However, since I'm going by that price guide and they list the 5000 K's #659 as the error that's the price I'm going by. It's still a pretty cool card either way.
Orel Hershiser
This guy pitched his ass off in the '80s and '90s, but if you even mention that maybe he should get a 10% discount at the Hall of Fame gift shop you hear nothing but groans and harrumphs and "It's the Hall of Fame, not the Hall of Very Good". Well you know what?? Maybe we NEED a Hall of Very Good! For the Orel Hershisers and Dale Murphys and Al Rosens and Bill Freehans and Minnie Minosos and Kirk Gibsons and Moose Skowrons and Frank Tananas and Lou Whitakers and Frank Howards and Bobby Gritches and Mark Graces. Then ordinary slobs like us could go hang out at the Working Man's Hall of Fame and let all the elitist snobs spend some quality time with Joe Morgan.
Steve Sax Diamond King
Ok, this selection is iffy. I could have chosen the Alomar Rated Rookie (second year in a row!), the young Caminiti in the 'stros rainbow uni or the Atlee Hammaker card where I like the photo for some reason. Instead I chose a Diamond King of a player I never liked and still don't think was very good. Why? CRAZY LAZER BATTLE BACKGROUND. I think Dick Perez was starting to lose it at this point, prompting the more naturalistic Diamond Kings for the next few years (Before he lost his mind again and went all Peter Max in '94)
Ok! '90 Donruss was good, but couldn't beat the '90 Score pack. Only two packs left, Score and Fleer. Choose... AND PERISH.
* I fracking
HATE Bowser's Castle
