Texas Rangers Cards

A few weeks back, Spiff from Texas Rangers Cards left a comment on my blog saying that he had some Brewers that he wanted to send my way. Always being up for a blind trade, I said in response that I'd be happy to give those Brewers a good home.

A week or so later, a package came containing several cards that I needed for my player and/or team collections.

Let's start with the Topps Update that Spiff sent my way:

We get two K-Rods and a Lucroy. Sadly, Topps was too busy chasing "prospects" and including Juan Francisco -- who didn't make it to Opening Day with the club -- to include Francisco Rodriguez in either of the first two series in any way.  So, as a result, K-Rod gets the two angles on his pitching motion look.

As for Lucroy, I defy anyone to explain to me how or why Yadier Molina and his 110 games played got the Gold Glove over him. It's not like Molina had a better year with the bat either.

More catchers -- Johnny Estrada, whose final full season in the major leagues came in his 120-game stint with the Brewers in 2007, and Jason Kendall, who replaced Estrada in 2008 and 2009. Thank God Jonathan Lucroy hit the majors in 2010. Neither of these guys were helping at all at the plate.

Here, we get two recent relievers. First, it's John Axford, who's cut off the mullet and trimmed back the fu-manchu mustache significantly as of late for Movember. Then, it's Brandon Kintzler, who was excellent in 2013 but was not as excellent in 2014 thanks to losing 2 strikeouts per 9 innings.

Strangely enough, I needed this Rob Deer 1989 Bowman Is Too Big card for my Brewers team set.

Nick Bucci is a Canadian from Sarnia, Ontario, whom the Brewers drafted in 2008 out of high school. He made it as high as Double-A Huntsville as an 18-year-old for 4 innings in 2009 before the Brewers tried to find a level he could master. He was released in 2013, a year after he and his 2011 Pan American Games-winning teammates were inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame. He was inducted in the same Canadian Baseball HOF class as Brewers GM Doug Melvin.

Mat Gamel -- the guy the Indians really wanted for CC Sabathia. Not pictured: Michael Brantley, the guy whom the Indians still have from the CC Sabathia trade.

Another card that, oddly enough, I needed. I needed this one for my player collection, though.

BJ Surhoff, Catcher.  Fielding a ground ball at third base.

More Score 1991. For a guy who was on the team for just one year, there sure seems to be a lot of Dave Parker as a Brewer cards.

Two more cards I needed for my team collection. I think that the Kuenn finishes off the "Brewers only" portion. Kuenn looks a bit like my grandfather did in about 1984 in that photo.

Finally, a Cooper 1988 Topps card. I've gone through all my major release cards through 1989, and I'm embarrassed to report that I need a lot of cards from that time. I guess I really didn't collect all the way through high school.

Spiff, thanks a ton for these cards and the others you sent to me. I will be putting a Rangers package together for you soon!