Thursday, June 11, 2009

Pack Twenty-Nine

Pack 28 +13
(upgraded cards are indicated by bold blue text)
539 Tom Glavine
389 Dave Valle
90 Eddie Milner
55 Kirk Gibson
591 Carmelo Martinez
567 Eddie Murray
509 Tim Belcher
283 Reggie Jackson
195 Bob Sebra
267 Dan Quisenberry
651 Major League Prospects (Kirt Manwaring, John Burkett)
465 Cecil Espy
153 Gene Walter
491 Jack Howell
310 Lance Parrish

Pack Ripping Music: Bush: Sixteen Stone (1994)


At some point it stopped being cool to like Bush, but this is a remarkable album. I gave up on them after Razorblade Suitcase sucked. But Sixteen Stone is a record I still listen to from time to time. There was a lot of crap in the early 90s, but there were a few gems to be found. This is one of them.

Now, to the task at hand. This was a very good pack, and could be considered for best pack of the box (though my nod still goes to pack three that had both Ripken and Gwynn). Several Hall of Famers, one that will be a Hall of Famer, and a few rookies.

Since this has been a year of... controversy in Atlanta, this is a good card to start with.


Tom Glavine got the shaft on his rookie cards. Only the Score card is nice. Poor guy:


I'm still not exactly sure what to think about the Glavine situation. In the end, the Braves did what they felt was best for the team. The outfield is in trouble, that's no secret and needed attention, now. The Braves have an important stretch of games coming up and they're just not scoring runs. Picking up Nate McLouth was a good move.

As far as Tom Glavine is concerned, the McLouth move was poorly timed. The money that Glavine was guaranteed if and when he joined the 25-man roster would have been better spent somewhere else. But it does look bad to release a 22 year veteran, and a pretty popular player, and turn right around and spend that money somewhere else.

So I completely understand where Glavine's frustration comes from. But I still have to wonder if he would have been successful at the Major League level this year. Maybe so. We'll never know.

I do think that Tom Glavine could be a valuable addition somewhere. Especially for a struggling team with a young pitching staff. Glavine would be an excellent teacher for a young staff. So I wouldn't be surprised if he's picked up by a team like Baltimore or Oakland.

It's a pretty safe bet that Glavine will be the Hall of Fame, probably on his first ballot.

Speaking of first ballot Hall of Famers:


Eddie looks positively distressed by something that's happening off camera. I think he's about to throw that ball at whatever it is.


Another HoF'er. The back includes Reggie's full career statistics as 1987 was his final year.


A pitcher holding a bat on his baseball card!? What is this demonry!?

Tim Belcher did well enough for himself with a bat. Over all he hit .124 with two home runs and 25 RBIs.


I talked about Kirt Manwaring here, so we're going to talk about John Burkett today.

I know John Burkett had a pretty successful career, but I didn't realize just how good he really was.

He came up for a while in 1987, but went back to the minors until 1990. In 1993 he tied for the NL lead in wins, with the afore mentioned Tom Glavine, at 22. He placed fourth in Cy Young voting that year (behind Glavine, Bill Swift, and Greg Maddux). Burkett was also a two time All Star and finished fourth for the 1990 NL Rookie of the Year.

Over all he was 166-136 with a 4.31 and 1766 strikeouts in fifteen seasons.


Jack Howell is running for his life... from what?


Uh oh, it's back.

3 comments:

night owl said...

Great group of cards there. That Howell card is worth picking up even if you don't care a wit about '88 Fleer, the Angels or Howell.

Anonymous said...

I like the rookie card that is just a portrait of sorts. I think Glavine's rookies all look pretty good (Score had his portrait on the back, didn't they? Scouring my memory and can't seem to find it in my brain at the moment...)

That Reggie card was one of my favorites in 1988. I got it in one of the first packs I bought that year.

Ben said...

yes, there's a headshot of Glavine on the back.

I agree with you, I like the portrait style. But Glavine just looks kinda goofy in all the others. Plus, he has such a nice delivery, how can you not like a shot of him in mid pitch :).