Andy Makes Time to Send Me Cardboard

Hobbies take time. Whether your hobby is flying an airplane, reading, building models, racing cars, or collecting baseball cards, one must have some leisure time to engage in the hobby. After all, the very definition of a hobby is "a regular activity that is done for enjoyment, typically during one's leisure time."

Driving that point home is the new blog from Andy, a gentleman I have interacted with on Twitter, who named his blog "Ain't Nobody Got Time For Cardboard." Andy collected at the height of the junk wax era -- 1988 to 1992 -- so dumping Cubs on him from times other than that should be a thrill for folks like, well, me. So many Cubs collectors who blog are pretty well full up on 1980s cardboard, so putting a package together for Andy this past weekend was a true joy for me.

Anyway, Andy beat me to the punch in getting enough time to send out cards. I will highlight the ones that caught my eye.

Minor League Madness

Sid Roberson pitched at the University of North Florida. He spent 26 games, including 13 starts, with the Brewers in 1995 and then never pitched in the major leagues again. Sid had a 5.76 ERA and a 6.22 FIP, walking 37 and striking out 40 in 84-1/3 innings. Being a small man -- only 5'9" tall and 170 pounds -- apparently took a toll on him, as he had to have two rotator cuff surgeries. He's now working at Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Florida in Jacksonville (where UNF is located) as the Director of Major and National Accounts -- a position he's had since 2011.

Archer never made it to the Majors, topping out in Triple-A in 1995 and 1996. Bo Rosny at Baseball Cards Come to Life said that Archer was, in 2012, a sales rep for Western State Design.

Boze also reached the big leagues in just one season -- 1996 -- at the age of 25. He got knocked around to the tune of 7.79 ERA/6.88 FIP and a WHIP of 2.227 thanks to 47 hits and 25 walks (against 19 strikeouts) in just 32-1/3 innings. In 2001, he actually pitched in the Alaska Summer League in one game while spending the summer working as a pipefitter for VECO near Anchorage. It appears that he also has the distinction of being the first Alaska-raised player to make the major leagues; while he was born in Arizona, he was raised in Kenai, Alaska.

Stickers!

Yes, stickers. One of PC member Carlos Gomez, and then three of the sort-of Wacky Package stickers. I am guessing that those Wacky-Package-wannabes probably had to be scaled back dramatically to make sure that they weren't offensive or disgusting. After all, Topps probably would like to renew its exclusive license with MLB, and having a Brewers logo with some dude puking from drinking too much Milwaukee's Best or getting food poisoning from a bad oyster being shucked probably wouldn't help that process.

Heritage

It's the second day in a row that Scooter Gennett's half-smile, half-sneer stares out at everybody. Of the rest of the guys on these cards, Ariel Pena pitched on opening day, faced 11 hitters, and allowed 5 runs (including 3 homers) and was promptly designated for assignment. He cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A Colorado Springs. 

Nevin Ashley got 12 games in last year in September, but he's not a prospect. He turns 32 this year, and he's actually in the New York Mets system now. So, it appears that card appearance for him is really meant to troll me and my continued pointing out of the fact that Topps forgets that there are teams other than the New York teams. 

Segura obviously was traded. 

Will Smith is on the disabled list after spraining his lateral collateral ligament taking off his shoes in spring training. No kidding. He's rehabbing right now to determine if he can avoid surgery. Before that happened, he was slated to share closing duties with Jeremy Jeffress.

Great Player Collection Cards

What a great group of cards to go into my various PCs!

It was great to add that Yount card in particular, because it allows me to vent for just a moment about what Panini does incredibly wrong with Donruss. I don't think Panini gets it. 

If they want Donruss to be their version of Heritage or Archives, then they need to work more at getting the design correct. The 1982 set did not have that massive "D" in the corner. In fact, I don't think any Donruss product did.  The year is way too large too -- so large as to be obnoxious and intrusive. Further, does Panini have to destroy the uniform colors now in an effort to avoid being sued for trademark infringement? Frankly, that Brewers uniform looks more like the 1978 Cubs:

Than it does any version of the Milwaukee uniforms:

Does Panini have to turn all the yellow to blue? Really? If so, then just stop making the cards that have guys in full jerseys. Get head shots, get home jerseys, but don't destroy the away blues the way that that 1982 wannabe card does.

Okay. Back to happiness. How about a song that I hear in my head every time I see Andy's blog's name?

Andy, thank you for the great cards you sent my way -- and especially for the opportunity to get that whole dissertation about Panini's unwarranted destruction of the Brewers' uniforms of my youth off my chest!