The Jays Finale

 

Time to finally wrap up the TMV mailer with a pre-Expo finale, that will probably result in another large mailer heading to Michigan.

Might as well have a big start with these five postcards. I'm not sure how I'd react getting a touristy postcard from someone that had Ed Sprague's photo on the front. My favourites are the Guzman and Hentgen, since that does look to be Veteran's Stadium in the background, meaning they're both 1993 World Series photos.

The really oversized portion ends with these 1989 Topps LJN Baseball talk cards. Am I obsessed enough to find the player for these? Probably not. I do say probably, because some of these featured the voice of Mel Allen. Mel Allen was a 2/14 baby. Does that qualify those cards for my 2/14 collection?

Probably not.

But with me, you never know.

And now, the slightly oversized. Maybe a centimeter or two beyond the usual, but still enough to group together.

Vladdy-mania to start the regular portion. You'd think they'd adjust the font size so it didn't look like a Dominican Repu.

Nothing says early 2020s like a masked mascot on their card. And there's Cavan Biggio, soon to be recipient of a World Series ring based on his 30 game stint with the Dodgers, before moving on to Atlanta. 

2024 wasn't exactly the best year to get Bo Bichette in a Home Run Challenge. Maybe things will be better for him next year if his "wife" stays away from the ballpark. The Joe Carter is some sort of gaudy parallel. Matrix, to be accurate. Also: Sportflics! YEAH! That's Damaso Garcia on that card.

Of all the people to make an appearance in two posts over the past few weeks, I never thought that Robinzon Diaz would be one of them. At least here, he's not getting saluted for being part of one of Pittsburgh's worst trades. Or Toronto's best.

A&G probably should have removed that 1/1 portion of that Perez insert. Still, it was a welcome, albeit brief return to original king of the painted card.

Here's the horizontal finale before moving into the numbered/relics/auto portion of the post.

Just a couple only-numbered cards, but both could go into either my Jays binder, or the respective Delgado/Guerrero Sr binders.

Gabe Gross was not the Jays name of the past I most expected to see on a relic card, but there he was. As always, I love the obscurity thereof.  Delgado and Springer are more familiar faces. 

I remember Dickie Thon getting autographs years back in Panini's Hometown Heroes release. I should try and find one to complete another father-son pairing in my collection. If Scott Campbell had reached the bigs, he would have been the first MLBer born in New Zealand. They're still waiting. James would make MLB, albeit with Oakland. Urena was the only one to actually play for the Blue Jays during the regular season. 

And the best of both worlds. While Kirk hasn't been at his previous All-Star level the past couple years, he's been perfectly fine in his role. 

There you have it!