Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Random Carboard Fascination

I've seen many blog posts about upcoming card shows, or card show recaps.  I've only been to one card show in my life.  It must have been in 1987, because we moved out of the area in early 1988.

I remember going with my step-brothers, but I don't remember what I bought.  Except that I bought the 1987 Fleer Update set.  I've always kinda like the boxed Traded sets from Topps, although I've only got 1985-1990.  But the 1987 set is the only Fleer I ever acquired.

The most memorable card in the set for me was this:

I was immediately drawn to this card.  I had never seen two pictures of the same player on the same card in two different uniforms.  I later learned about the 1983 Fleer Joel Youngblood, but this card was unique to me at the time.  I still don't know of any others off hand.  (I wonder if Nick has this in his short term stops mini collection?)

Kevin Mitchell had come up with the New York Mets briefly in 1984, then spent 1986 as their fourth outfielder.  He was traded in the offseason in an eight player trade to the San Diego Padres in a deal that sent Kevin McReynolds to the Big Apple.   But it only took until July for the Padres to flip him to the San Francisco Giants in a seven player deal. 

Mitchell was from San Diego, and if I'm not mistaken the reason the Padres traded him away was that he had gotten involved with the wrong types of people back in his hometown.

But the two trades induced Fleer to commemorate them with the double card.  Topps included Mitchell in its Traded set, but only as a Giant.  In fact, the only other Padre cards of Mitchell are in the 1987 Donruss Opening Day set and in a set I've never heard of - 1987 Sportflics Team Preview.


1 comment:

  1. I actually do have a copy of this one and I agree, it is quite fascinating. I've never seen another card of Mitchell in a Padres uniform.

    Chad Curtis's 1997 Upper Deck issue (which I don't yet own) actually pictures him with THREE different teams.

    http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_W2Ncx2XIww4/Seq0jDisHzI/AAAAAAAABoo/UQo6clODEy8/s320/1997_ud_curtis.JPG

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