Pete Vukovich #458

Here is the baseball cardof the the 1982 American League Cy Young winner. I am assuming this is a spring training shot as the back ground is mostly blurred. It looks like there are some trees in the background.

Back Facts: Came over to Brewers 12/12/80 from Cardinals along with Rollie Fingers and Ted Simmons for P Larry Sorensen, OF Sixto Lezcano and Dave Green.

It was the above trade that would help put the Brewers in the 1982 World Series, Milwaukee got the best of the deal but they could not beat the Cardinals in the World Series.

Mike Ivie #396

I think Mike at one time was a big San Diego Padres Prospect but he never really panned out. He had one big year in 1979 with the Giants (27-89-.286), but that was about it. Mike gave a side look smile for this card. I am guessing that this was not taken in Spring Training as he was traded to the Astros on 4/20/81

Back Facts: Traded by Giants to Astros 4/20/81, but spent much of '81 season on the disbale list under medical care for exhaustion. (What???)

Bruce Benedict #375

He was the Atlanta Braves catcher in 1982, which would later be known as America's team because of their cable broadcast through WTBS. WTBS brought over 140 games in other markets that summer of 1982 and with the Braves being really good with a budding Super Star in Dale Murphy the moniker of America's team stuck.

This is a nice spring training shot on a cloudy day as Bruce posed for this photo. Bruce would eventually replace Murphy who came up as a catcher. .

Back Facts: Attributes his improvement with the bat the past couple of seasons to an off season weight and strength program.

Bill Virdon #144

A stern shot of the former Pirates centerfielder who was managing the Astros back in 1981. This is clearly a posed spring training shot.  Virdon who was about 50 years old in this shot and he recently turned 80. Again this is another great card from the set that gives you a nice shot of the team logo and that Florida blue sky.

Bill managed the 1972 Pirates and 1980 Astros probably the best 2 teams for those clubs between 1970-1981. Did you know that Bill's teams won 231 games and lost 231 games between 1975 and 1977 (he managed the Yankees and Astros). Bill was also managing the Yankees the year Derek Jeter was born (1974).

Frank Lacorte #270

This is kind of a really dark photo of Lacorte. I can't tell what is the background of the card but Dodger Stadium comes to mind. Could the photo been taken in the  Astrodome (I doubt it) given the darken background. The photo looks like a very tiny tad out of focus. Frank has a nice set of hair while warming up along the foul line.

Back Facts: Key to sucess is his breaking ball...Worked one inning of game two of the NL championship series with Phillies in '80 and picked up first ever Houston post-season victory.

My Yao Ming Topps Rookie Card Drug Deal.

Back in the late fall of 2002, when I was still going to card shows (not so now after I discovered ebay), I went looking for a 2002-03 Topps Yao Ming rookie card. I had just seen Yao make something like 11 of 12 shots against Shawn Bradley and he was shooting something like .800 from the lane for the season.  I wanted his rookie card. I went to a card show.

I went to all of the booths at the card show but no one had his Topps rookie card. I just paid like 3 or 4 bucks for admission, drove about 20 miles and his card was not even here.

Then when I was at some dealer’s table I looked to my left and I saw some collector standing there and low and behold in his hand in a hard plastic sleeve was a 2002-03 Topps Yao Ming.

I did not know what to do next or react, so I just kind of listened to the conversation between the collector and dealer. I could not believe what I was hearing, the collector was trying to sell the dealer some of the cards that he had in his hand.

I waited until the conversation was over and then I pounced.  Just as the collector left the table, I approached him.  “Hey Buddy”, “You looking to sell that card” Me pointing to Ming.

At that time, I hoped that the collector did not notice the look in my eyes. The look that no I did not want to have that Ming rookie card, but the look that I HAD TO HAVE THAT MING ROOKIE CARD. The look that said I would have given my first born or a yacht for that card.

Luckily, He did not notice the look, so in the dark dusty corner of that large auditorium away from all other patrons and dealers, the deal went down. My few dollars for his Ming rookie card. Wow! It was they only time I ever bought cards from another collector at a card show. Somehow the whole thing felt dirty and until this day I get shivers down my back thinking about the transaction. (At least it made going to the card show worth it). 

Ralph Dave Engle #102

I never knew that Engle's real first name was Ralph. This is one of the more colorful cards and the Twins powder blue uni's clash well with the Donruss 1982 Design. Another great shot of the Twins red cap and the twins logo. The colors are just striking on this almost 30 year old card. A nice shot of some palm trees in background.

Back Stats: Another in the long time of twins farmhands to make good.