Three Packs for a Buck

LCS has a little clear plexiglass card pack dispenser with an assortment of odd packs selling at 3 packs for a buck. I had picked up some of these '93-94 Fleer Excel here before so I figured I'd run over during lunch and grab another three.  Makes for a nice quick lunchtime pack rip.

These Excel packs are notorious for the cards sticking together, so I had to do a little pack searching to find 3 that weren't brick-like.

14 cards per pack. Here's some of the betters.

There's that Todd Greene again. He never fails.

Then I came across this nice silver-bordered Todd Greene...even better. A 1:7 pack insert of the 1st Year Phenoms type. This one number 7 of 10.

I decided to show you this Brant Brown card because I don't particulary care for Brant Brown, based on first impressions. You see, a couple years into collecting autographs through the mail I sent a card to Brant Brown. It was probably around 1997-1998.  I was so excited when I got a return in the mail but when I ripped open the envelope I found that Brant Brown had used a stamp for his autograph. And he didn't even do a good job with that.  I just could not imagine why someone would do such a thing.  I was kinda ticked.

Let me stop myself before I go on a rant about players using stamps or autopens.

Lets continue.

I next came across this card of Mike Busch (you can really see the specking where the cards stuck together).  Mike Busch, Mike Busch, where have I heard that name before?  I did a google search on mike busch baseball and ended up on wikipedia. 

When I figured out why I remembered the name Mike Busch, I went to my index card binder and found this:

Ah yes.  I got this through the mail, via the Dodgers, I think in 1994, actually during the player strike.  You see Mike was a replacement player, a scab.  And after the 1994 season, became the first replacement player promoted to an MLB roster.

On second thought, I probably got this in 1995 after he was on the Dodgers regular roster. That would seem more reasonable as to why I would want to try to get his autograph.  He now had a claim to fame.

I compared this autograph to some on ebay and they dont really match up too well.  Who knows, maybe when he signed it he was still on edge and looking over his shoulder a lot, what being a former scab and all.

I just liked this card because it shows a young Bob "You Can Call Me Bobby" Abreu.

And a nice Andy Pettite Prince William card.