2020 trade package #34: Scribbled Ink

Now that I've covered one of my two large TCDB deals from earlier this year I can get back with a quick-ish turnaround on the most recent trade package I received: a PWE from Paul over at Scribbled Ink. A very active Twitterer (@Scribble4me) and TCDBer (pjdionne12), the former Michigander may not be blogging much anymore, but he's still very involved in collecting and trading. As a matter of fact, this is the second month in a row he PWEd me some cards.

And as opposed to last month, they even arrived with safe for work packaging! (New "SFW packaging" tag? Yep, new "SFW packaging" tag!) Eventually I realized he'd told me he was gonna send these at some point, but as I continue approaching my 40s my brain seems to be rapidly turning to Jello, so at least temporarily they were a nice surprise:

I haven't really been a fan of Topps Update since it got away from the smaller boxed set (or set plus packs) format, mostly because it used to focus on traded players and rookies (since it was, you know, called "Traded & Rookies"), and now it's ballooned to twice the old size and chock full of filler. And I believe I ended up with these after Paul had a less-than-stellar experience with a blaster or something. Anyway, we don't need five different Luis Robert bases and a bunch of subsets; Stick to what works, Topps!

Ok, that negativity aside (as if I could resist), of course I'm happy to get what I got here: two Griffeys and a Cal. Although, now that I look on TCDB, Junior has three different issues (with two short prints of one of them, so five total) while Cal has two (with the second also having a couple SPed versions). My beef above stands!

Griffey #1 here highlights his performance in the 1994 Home Run Derby, which he won with seven homers. Just a reminder that the format was very different back then! His other card is a reminder of the night he had at the '92 Midsummer Classic. Batting seventh (he was only 22!) he led the junior circuit (ha!) to a 13-6 win at old Jack Murphy Stadium, going 3-3 with a pair of RBI and runs, in part thanks to a homer against fellow future-HOFer Greg Maddux.

Cal's card is from the 2001 All-Star Game, one I remember quite well since it was notable for a few reasons. Everyone knew he was retiring at the end of the season so it served as a nice farewell for him. He was voted in as a starter and got to go out having been selected in every season except for his 1981 cup of coffee and first full season of '82 (when all he did was get named AL Rookie of the Year). He was set to appear at third when the team's SS, A-Rod, who idolized him, forced a position swap. And then the biggest moment came when Cal slugged a solo HR off Chan Ho Park (possibly a meatball out of respect). He was named MVP of the game for the second time in his career, the first to achieve that honor.

And here's the backs, some of which inspired or coincide with what I wrote above.

Paul, thanks again for sending these my way and, you know, sort of surprising me with them, not that I was surprised that you remembered to do so after you offered them to me. Depending on when my partial COMC order arrives I'll try to hit you back in time for Christmas!