Bad Wax

This isn’t mine, I found it while looking for some cool videos.  Ever wonder what it’s like to bust a $300 box of Upper Deck Ultimate Football?  16 cards is all you get, but just image finding what these guys found.  I think they at least covered the cost of the box in this one.  I’m not a huge football card fan, but I have quite a few.  Just always wanted to break a box and find something like this:

This not having a laptop business is really killing me. So far, this will be the second post without a picture and I am not going to be able to do a bad/cheap hit post today either, maybe I can find a video to put up there for your amusement. I am supposed to be getting my laptop back today, but so far nothing. I have an old g4 mac ibook, but I don’t know how to edit photos on it. Since I am also playing babysitter tonight, it makes it rough. So in the meantime, I hope you enjoy my review of pack 19.

1. Danny Tartabull - OF - Mariners - 476 - Ooooh another Topps All Star Rookie card, I believe this is 3 of 9. At the end of the 1986 season (after his first monster year) he was traded to the Royals, and he pounded the ball in 1987 going 0.309/34/101, finishing 7th in MVP voting. He even had some speed (9 stolen bases). His fun fact is that his 1979 American Legion team won the National CHampionship and his father Jose was an AL outfielder from 1962-1970.

2. Gary Redus - OF - Phillies - 42 - Gary was your classic one dimensional player. He could steal bases with the best of them. In the 1986 off season he was shipped off to the White Sox for Joe Cowley. He went 0.236/12/48/52 showing some rare power but lots of speed. His fun fact was that he has three daughters.

3. Kent Hrbek - 1B - Twins - 679 - Everyone was a Hrbek fan by 1987. How could you not be, he was a big ole jolly guy playing first base. In 1987 he was in the middle of his prime years and went 0.285/34/90 and was 16th in MVP voting. He is definitely one of my Hall of Very good guys. His fun fact was that he played American Legion ball in 1977 and 1978.

4. Garry Templeton - SS - Padres - 325 - I was thinking that 1987 was towards the end of his career, but really it was just toward the end of his peak years. He would end up going 0.222/5/48/14 in what would be not one of his best seasons. His fun fact was that he has three children.

5. Charlie Hough - P - Rangers - 70 - In 1987 Charlie was 39 years old and was in his 18th season, the best part is, that he’ll play another 8 years and that this will be the most games he won in a single season in his career. In 1987 he went 18-13/3.79/1.27, which are very solid numbers, even impressive when you take into account he was 39 years old. No funf act for Chalrie (I would doubt there will be any more fun facts for him either).

6. Indians Leaders - 11 - The batting leaders were Joe Carter and Brett Butler. The pitching leaders were Tom Candiotti and Scott Bailes.

7. Rob Wilfong - 2B - Angels - 241 - A terrible guy offensively but what a great last name, it’s one you just can’t forget because it’s so unique. In 1987, Rob was 33 and in his last MLB season. He was with the GIants and ended up going 0.125/1/2/1 in 8 at bats. Always Tough to go out like that. His fun fact is that his brother, James, played pro ball in 1978.

8. Sammy Stewart - P - Red Sox - 204 - Just like Rob Wilfong, his last season would be in 1987 as well. He finished his career in Cleveland, where he went 4-2/5.67/1.70 and 3 saves in 25 relief appearances. He has no fun fact.

9. Otis Nixon - OF - Indians - 486 - If anyone has ever played baseball simulator 1.000 for the nintendo NES, they know about Nixon’s speed. Every hit was a double and if you put it in the gap you could get a homer. Otis had speed and that’s it, in 1987 he had an injury plagued season that limited him to just 17 at bats and he went 0.059/0/1/2. I promise next year, you’ll hear all about Otis’s speed. His fun fact was that his brother Donell played in the Mariners farm and he has one child.

10. Alfredo Griffin - SS - A’s - 111- 1987 was right in the middle of Al’s prime years, it’s just too bad he didn’t do anything with them. In 1987 he went 0.263/3/60/26 in what would be his last season with the A’s. His fun fact was that he learned to switch hit in the minors. Now I know what that really means, but what a negative connotation that would have in today’s day and age.

11. Tom Hume - P - Phillies - 719 - I know, I know I have to stop showing pictures of guys with big glasses, but come on! Were they like bell bottoms? The bigger the better? This would be TOm’s last season in the bigs, he split time between the Phillies and the Reds and he went 2-4/5.36/1.57 in 42 games of relief work. His fun fact was that in 1972 he was named the best high school player in the country.

12. Dave Stapleton - 1B - Red Sox - 507 - Dave’s last season was in 1986, In 1987 Buckner was gone and Evans was primarily that first baseman. In his last season Dave went 0.128/0/3 in 39 at bats. His fun fact was that he has a son.

13. Brian Downing - OF - Angels - 782 - Brian was definitely a late bloomer, not getting this power thing down until he turned 31, in 1987 he was 36 and just mashing homers in the AL. He went 0.272/29/77, he might be another candidate for my Hall of Very Good. Did you knwo his nickname was “The Incredible Hulk”? After doing a little research I found out he was one of the first body builders in baseball turning himself into a hitting machine after spending a decade as a weak hitting catcher. Interesting stuff.

14. Sid Bream - 1B - Pirates - 35 - The curious case of sid . . . wait wrong story. This was his second season starting at first. He was a very plain hitter as his 0.275/13/65/9 would indicate. There was nothing exciting about seeing him play, but he did get big hits when he had to and I guess that’s why he managed to stay in the league so long. His fun fact was that former big league pitcher Al Worthington was Sid’s coach in college.

15. Paul Molitor - 3B - Brewers - 741 - 1987 may have been Paul’s best season in the pros. He won a Silver Slugger award (even though he only played 41 games at 3rd that year) and 5th in MVP voting. In 1987 he went 0.353/16/75/45 and only had a little over 450 at bats for the year. Not to bad at all, I knew there was a reason they let him into the Hall of Fame. His fun facts are he played for the U of Minnesota, has one daughter and is nicknamed the Ignitor.

16. Lonnie Smith - OF - Royals - 69 - He was mainly a backup in KC at this point in his career. He went 0.251/3/8/9 in only 169 at bats. His fun fact was that he went to one of the toughest high schools in the country, Centennial High in Compton California.

17. Rafeal Belliard - SS - Pirates - 541 - Raffy was a backup his entire career, in 1987 he went 0.207/1/15/5. His fun fact was that he made Eastern League All Stars at Lynn in 1983. He also plays in the Dominican WInter League.

Overall a great pack. This is a fabulous follow up to yesterday’s pack. I will rate it as such, I give this one 4.0 stars. Finding the Tartabull right off the bat was fun, but also the Molitor, Hrbek, Hough and Downing were fun to find as well. I am going to try and get some photos on here when my laptop is fixed, until then just sit tight and enjoy my posts.