Monday, October 30, 2017

Off-Topic: Short Story to be Published!

I am so excited and honored to have "A Game of Tag" included in this collection coming out SOON!! http://gallencook.com/2017/10/29/hardclay/

The story centers around a boy who is essentially confined to his room a decade after World War III. He watches his friends play a game of tag. Not all is as it seems.


Thursday, October 12, 2017

Cards From Co-Workers

When you collect baseball cards, word gets around the workplace pretty quickly. Soon, colleagues ask about your collection, how long you've been collecting, what keeps you collecting, etc. And, yes, many give you the sideways glance of a disapproving parent.

Often, at least in my experience, they are quick to come to your for advice about cards they still have or cards their kids are collecting. "How much do you think this is worth?" "What do you think of these?" and other similar questions.

Sometimes, co-workers bring you a stack of cards and say, "I've had these for a long time and I don't collect. Would you like them?" I always take them. Always. It doesn't matter to me if the cards are worth $1 or $100. It doesn't matter if they are players I collect or players of whom I have never heard before. What matters is that this person thought enough of me and my hobby to offer something to help the cause or to find a new home for cardboard bits that were collecting dust. The cards in this post are just that: cards given to me by co-workers. Most of these will find their way into trades/giveaways, off to find a more permanent home.

The "Pudge" card came from my organization's Director. I'll keep that one, mainly because she understands what my hobby means to me and this was a very cool gesture. The other cards came from one co-worker, cleaning out her closets one day. They are all from 1987.

There are some very well-known folks in here: Jim Rice and Tony Gwynn jump off the scan from this first group. Am I the only one that thinks of the song "Come on Eileen" when coming across a Johnny Ray card? "Poor old Johnny Ray..." We also have Otis Nixon, Triber!


 The next scan finishes out the 87 Fleer with players like Oil Can Boyd, Cecil Cooper, Ron Guidry and more. These are the players of my youth - er, okay, I graduated High School in 87...

Next up, we have a stack (most likely a single pack) of 1987 Donruss. Dale Murphy, Tim Wallach, and Jorge Orta (former Triber) stand out for me. Which ones grab your memory?

Finally, we end things with some 1987 Topps. Again, probably from one pack. Roger Clemens, Dave Kingman, and Leon Durham jump out for me, along with several others.