Vice or Virtue?

All those packages I sent out have been coming back in spades lately. That's what I love about this online community: I send you some things you need, you send me some things I need. I really don't have a burning desire to keep those Biff Pocoroba doubles around, but gimme a good Rick Manning, and I'm happy. 

In fact, the other day on NPR (yes, I'm one of those kinda people, y'know, commies!), there was an interesting segment on whether the give and take in politics, like what is going on in Illinois with Gov. Rod Blagojevich, is actual just business as usual and nothing illegal, or is it bribery and influence peddling. There was no consensus by the panel, but there were interesting facts put out on both sides, as I would expect. In the Blagojevich case, they are not actually going after him for corruption, but for other misdeeds as a way of getting him out of office. The selling of President-Elect Obama's Senate seat is just the incident that sent everyone over the edge and brought a consensus to impeach him. 

How does this pertain to what we do on the blogosphere of the sport-card hobby? 

Am I expecting a favor in return for the cards I send to you? Do I expect a Quid Pro Quo in response to my generosity? As the Godfather said, "Someday - and that day may never come - I'll call upon you to do a service for me." Is this vice or virtue?

The latest "favor" comes from Scott of Hand Collated, who sent me the cards I really needed: the two base cards from the '08 UD Masterpieces, the Fukudome and the Hu cards. Now, I only have the SPs to finish, which is proving to be harder than expected. So, to all those who "owe" me, I'm calling upon you to "do me a service." Or you may end up like Luca Brasi - sleeping with the fishes!

Scott also sent some '78 Topps which I needed. I'm getting closer now. But don't you just love the array of weird uniforms from the 70's? The all-yellow Pirates? The yellow-and-brown disasters in San Diego? Were the Astros awful rainbow-colored uniforms around then? Why did teams go with the same color, besides white, for pants and jerseys? The worst had to be the Indians all-red unis from 1975, I believe. I can still see Frank Robinson in it, and the program with the immortal Wayne Garland on the front in all-red. AARRRRRGGGGGHHH!

   

Look at Cliff Johnson in the Yankees photo. He's actually thin, actually squatting behind the plate! Was this the last time that he ever did that? I only remember him being very large, very slow, and very powerful. But here, he is actually looking like an athlete!

Thanks, Scott.