Lovin' In The Mailbox

Received these cards in a trade with Justin G. of the fabulous blog Is This A Wasteland- No It's Tampa Bay Sports. Justin is a fellow O's fan trapped in south Florida, and was in need of some '08 Allen & Ginter cards. I was more than happy to oblige, and in return got more great O's cards for the ol' collection.

1983 Topps #530 Eddie Murray. Is there a bad Eddie Murray card? Debatable. Is there a bad Eddie Murray card featuring him with sideburns? Absolutely not. This card is no exception.

2008 Donruss Threads #5 Eddie Murray. Oh old Eddie. I believe this photo is from his Oriole swan song tour, which would make it either '97 or '98.

2008 Bowman Sterling #EM2 29 Eddie Murray. This is my first Bowman Sterling card, and I've got to tell you, it sure is fancy. The image inside is almost like a refractor, and the nice framing makes the card seem expensive, which it is, all things considered. I'm pretty sure the photo is from Eddie's 500th home run, but I am not 100% positive.

2002 Fleer Greats Dueling Duos #DD-EM2 Eddie Murray/George Brett bat. This card confuses me. While it's always awesome to add anther Eddie bat card to my collection, I can't quite figure out why George Brett is there. Do you see any pine tar on this card? Me neither! The back of the card states that it is an Eddie Murray game-used bat , and the numbering has nothing to do with George. Mr. Brett, please kindly remove yourself from my Eddie Murray card.

2008 Upper Deck Heroes #14 Nick Markakis. I already had this card, but I've got to get a Markakis in here somewhere.

1961 Topps #240 Ron Hansen. Nothing makes me happier than vintage Orioles cards. This is my first '61, and it even features the sweet retro All-Star Rookie cup. I have Hansen's '59 rookie, which lists him as Ronnie. Guess by '61 he had become a man, and preferred simply Ron.

1999 Upper Deck Retro #12 Albert Belle. Saved the best (worst) for last. Justin had taken it upon himself to scribble "The Greatest Oriole Ever" on this card's penny sleeve. I made sure to post the image as large as possible, so you could read that. It's a good thing Justin lives in Tampa! In the future I want to do a post about multiple personality disorder and the whole Joey Belle vs. Albert Belle phenomenon. It would almost be like Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde, except that both Albert & Joey were total doucheknuckles. It's still interesting that he changed his name after undergoing psychological counseling. Too bad he turned out to be a bust here, despite putting up decent numbers. If you only play 1 1/2 years of a 5 year contract, and end up getting paid for all 5, you're a bust in my eyes.
Well, that's it from Justin, and for '08 Allen & Ginter trade posts. I still have a ton more doubles if anyone needs any cards from this set. Thanks for the great Orioles cards Justin, especially "the greatest Oriole ever".

I didn't mention the game I attended today, and it was for good reason. Today was "kids run the bases day" at Camden Yards, and it sure looked like it during the game. I've never seen any team run themselves into as many outs as the 2009 Baltimore Orioles.