I Needed Some Boxes, Maybe A Few Cards Too

I have been doing a lot of sorting the past few weeks, which probably deserves a post, but not today. Instead, I wanted to post a few cards I picked up while I was purchasing a few boxes from my local card shop this past weekend. It's a newer card shop that I wrote up a few weeks back, but I am impressed every time I stop there. Lately, it's been for boxes. 

Figured I needed to check out some cards. 

Here is a quick rundown.  

First up, is an Adley Rutshman rookie card from Bowman Chrome. I am not an Orioles fan, but I do like a lot of their young players. I saw Adley a few year back in Durham, figured I would add a few of his cards when I get a chance. This was a good starting point......

Also fairly inexpensive.  

Next, an unexpected Cardinals find. This is a 2001 Bowman Chrome Stan Musial rookie reprint. Not sure the scan does this card justice, but I really like the sepia background with the greyscale photo, all with the trappings of a Chrome card. Nice to see a good blend of some vintage and modern design elements on the same card.  

Here is the back, which includes the serial number out of 299. Not the rarest Musial card by any means, but I was not expecting to find a serial numbered of The Man when I walked in the door of the card shop.  

I also found a few Snell commons.......

My effort to collect some non-autographed Blake Snell cards also should probably be there own post, but I will wait until I have time to write about some more exciting cards. There are in the fifty-cent bin at the shop.

Next up......

A few vintage cards. The Curt Flood is probably my favorite card out of the group.  All the players have a connection to the Cardinals or Durham Bulls with the exception of Norm Cash who once tried to take an at-bat against Nolan Ryan with a table leg.  

I demad a game-used table leg card, but nobody has come through for me.  

More Archives Cards. Yes, Cardinals.

I have already covered all sorts of Cardinals autographs that I have picked up from this year's Archives set, but haven't really touched any non-Cardinals from the yearly Topps product.  So, I actually have recently ended up with a non-Cardinal.....and two other players with connections to the Cardinals.  The Archives autograph checklist was deep for the Cardinals this year, even if the former Cardinals players appear in other uniforms.  

Non-Cardinal first.  I liked this card because it was an Expo and......

I have always really enjoyed the design of the 1986 Topps cards.  I tend to like the Archives cards a little better when the player and card design match, Alou is a 1990s and 2000s player, but I was willing to overlook it here based on price and the fact that everyone digs finding Expos cards.  Alou was a nice player too, even if he spent a lot of his career successfully hitting baseballs off of Cardinals pitchers.  

Card back.   

Very nice.  Next up is a former Cardinals Rookie of the Year and owner of a cool unibrow....

Moon is probably best remembered for his years with the Dodgers, which took place in the late 1950s and early 1960s when the team first moved to the West Coast.  The Dodgers played briefly in the Los Angeles Coliseum while Dodger Stadium was being built.  It had unique dimensions which Moon took advantage of.....

by trying to hit the ball at the short left-field fence which also featured a high screen.  In 1959, Moon had 19 home runs, 11 triples, and 26 doubles.  Many of them involved that short porch in left.  While he was with the Cardinals, Moon won the 1954 Rookie of the Year Award with a .304 average, 12 home runs, 76 RBIs, and 18 steals.  

Card back.  

Last card.  Also a former Cardinals player.  

Tito Francona spent 6 years with the Indians and 3 years with the Braves.  The rest of his career was spent seven other teams which included the Cardinals, Orioles, Athletics, Phillies, Tigers, Brewers, and White Sox.  The Indians used him as a starter and he had a few nice years playing everyday.  In 1959, in 122 games, he hit .363/.414/.566 with 20 home runs.  After his time in Cleveland, he ended up in St. Louis where the Cardinals used him as a reserve corner outfielder and first baseman.  Basically the same things as Terry Francona as a player.  

Card back 

This card is the blue framed parallel, so we have the serial number on the back of the card.  Overall, very happy with my three new Archives cards.