It's card number AGHS6, from the 2010 Allen & Ginter's. I am not collecting this set, mainly because of the size and price range of the packs. I buy mostly single packs here and there, and mainly base Topps (read cheaper) for set building.
Anyhow, looking at this card, I came through the following realizations:
1st glance tells me it's a New York Yankees card (one of the teams I collect, my favorite A.L. team)
reading the front tells me it's Johnny Damon, nothing special there.
I now notice the other player in the picture...
1st glance tells me it's my favorite team, the Phillies (I bleed Phillies red, don'tcha know?!)
closer inspection reveals to my wandering eyes that it is a player wearing the number 7 jersey, none other than Pedro Feliz. Players wearing the #7 jersey is one of my sub-categories, as explained in this post, and also in this post.
Flipping the card over reveals the following info: apparently, this particular sketch tells the story of 2009 World Series game 4 when Damon pulled off the double stolen base which would set the stage for the Yankees defeating my Phillies 7-4.
As Paul Harvey would say, "and now, for the rest of the story..."
The ultimate irony of this card and why it struck a chord with me, resulting in this rare, second posting of trade results lies with my true introduction to baseball. Growing up in a house full of women (my dad proudly served our country in the U.S. Navy for 30 years, leaving me with my mom and two sisters) I was never a big sports fan. I attended every football game in high school only because I was in the marching band. I did not start watching NASCAR until the mid 80's when Davey Allison was the hottest driver on the track.
I'd gone to two baseball games in my life at that point, both of them Norfolk Tides games which I could not tell you a single thing about.
Now comes October, 2009... the Phillies had won the series in '08, and were headed back to the series again.
For some reason that I can not begin to fathom, I sat down and watched the second game of the series, and absolutely fell in love with the game. I can remember watching game 4 as well as this particular play. I was disappointed when the Phillies eventually lost the series to New York, but was not unhappy to see the Yanks get #27. I was now hopelessly hooked. I watched every game that I could last season (my wife HATES baseball), and kept up with all the games on my laptop. My 2 live games in 30+ years has turned into 2 live games last summer. Once again, both Norfolk Tides. Their loss to the Toledo Mudhens was witnessed by myself and my mother the night before mother's day (I was rooting for the Hens). Game 2 was another loss to the Buffalo Bisons, which was a family outing, as well as Military Appreciation night at Harbor Park. (I was rooting against the Mets' farm team Bisons that night!) I am hoping to make it up to Citizen's Bank Park this summer for my first MLB game.
I also started collecting baseball cards, the 2010 Opening Day set was my first. This also led to internet searches, trying to find other collector's that could maybe help me finish the set as well as take some doubles off my hands. These searches have led me on a strange and wonderful journey right up to this very blog post. Meeting all of you guys has been GReat. Finding other people out there that I can talk to who understand the compulsion behind these "little cardboard pictures of men" has been truly wonderful this past few months. I look forward to seeing what the next season, and all of your posts, brings.
Thanks again Ted, for the GReat trade, and a neat card that flooded my thoughts with such GReat memories. It is truly weird how one little word or picture can trigger such an out-pouring from the ole memory banks.
Earlier this week, the Other World had a contest entitled Card Love, at that time, I could not imagine carrying a baseball card around in your wallet for any reason. This IS my "wallet card", though I'll never subject it to possible damage in such a manner.Thanks Ted, for adding it to my little world here.
Thanks for joining me in the "Way-Back" machine today.
Have a GReat day,
Dawgbones
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