Fall Break!

This week, I am home for fall break, and that means I get an opportunity to post on my blog. Between my six classes, an on-campus job, and college baseball, I am very pressed for time during the school year, so I'm excited that I get to do this. 

A few days before I left for school, I made my final trip to the card store for the summer. My sights were set on the 1971 Topps binder, and I wasn't disappointed: 

This Tiant caught my attention, both because he spent only one season with the Twins and because he isn't sporting his famous handlebar 'stache. I had also previously written about him on my Hall of Fame blog, so I was more inclined to pick out this card. 

Although best known as one of the men who killed baseball's reserve clause, Andy Messersmith was also a truly impressive pitcher, achieving a 2.86 ERA in over 2,200 innings before injuries cut his career short. Graig Nettles was also a highly-respected player, hitting 390 homers and driving in 1,314 runs. Despite becoming a popular Hall of Fame candidate in recent years, I think he falls a bit short. What do y'all think? 

The last 1971 card I picked up was this Conigliaro. At the time, I was in the process of writing a tribute post about him, so it seemed right to grab this card. He was truly a Hall of Fame talent, and his story is one of the saddest in baseball. 

As usual, I also dipped into the quarter boxes: 

Here's the back of the Gwynn: 

I find it amusing that this card talks about his prolific use of videotape. Most people my age probably don't even know what that is. 

On the spur of the moment, I also picked up a small pack of hockey stickers, mostly out of curiosity. I'd played fantasy hockey for the past couple seasons, so I figured I'd give it a go. The highlight of the pack was this Nikita Kucherov: 

Kucherov was an asset to my team last year, racking up 44 goals and 86 assists in 76 games, and is off to a good start again this season. 

When I got to the counter, the owner greeted me with a pleasant surprise. When I tried to pay, he insisted the cards were on the house. My brothers and I are regular customers, and he told me that he enjoys seeing us come into the store. An older gentleman, he runs the business with his son, and seeing younger collectors seemed to give him a sense of nostalgia. 

Thanks again to that generous store owner, and thanks for reading!