Box Topper for Brewers

This past summer, I participated in the Gint-A-Cuffs competition. It was a fun excuse to open a hobby box of Allen & Ginter. I ended up buying two hobby boxes for the competition because I knew I wanted to open a box right away rather than waiting. 

In my first hobby box that I opened, I received a box topper of New York Yankee Jacoby Ellsbury. Anyone who has read this blog knows that the Yankees are not exactly high on my list of favorite teams, and it's not like Ellsbury -- with his switch from Boston to New York -- has a lot of card collectors clamoring for his cards. 

In an effort to give Ellsbury a good home, I realized that I had just won a contest from A.J. -- The Lost Collector -- in which I won a customized, hand-drawn Robin Yount card. It was an awesome addition to my Yount collection, so I asked A.J. if he wanted the box topper. The answer being what one would expect -- "Here's my address" -- I sent it off to him.

I really wasn't expecting anything in return other than kind consideration whenever A.J. may run across rogue Brewers cards in his collection that he would like to jettison. In that regard, then, when a PWE showed up from AJ, I shouldn't have been surprised -- it was, after all, what I wanted! 

When I opened the envelope, that post-it note was stickered on top of a 9-card sheet in which each pocket contained a Brewer. Here's what I got:

Always nice to get some Zack G's. 

I remember Bennett for being a backup catcher in Philadelphia. I guess backup catchers really do play everywhere before they retire.

Pods was a study in how teams could save themselves money first by using older "non-prospects" with defined, useful skill sets for the three years prior to arbitration rights kicking in and then dumping them as soon as they got expensive and less useful.

The Peter Gabriel parallel of Jim Henderson. A return to health next season will help shore up what could be the weak spot of the Brewers team.

Best hitting pitcher of the past 20 years? Or, did he just waste time trying to be a position player before getting back on the mound? 

Spivey was useful in fantasy baseball in 2001. Then again, nearly every hitter in the major leagues appeared useful in fantasy baseball in 2001.

Pedro Liriano was involved in a trade which included both Jorge Fabregas and Sal Fasano. Talk about shifting deck chairs on the Titanic.

Finally, Ben Sheets. AJ, I did indeed need this Ben Sheets card for my player collection so it is much appreciated.

Thanks again for the great PWE, AJ.