Rod to the Rescue

Rod from Padrographs, who's also my NE Portland neighbor, kindly swung by last weekend with another box of miscellaneous cards for me. Instead of tucking into them right away, I set the box aside to have something to look forward to after a procedure I had scheduled the coming week (yesterday).

Yep, I finally got that colonoscopy I've been dragging my feet about. It's a big weight off my back and tiny polyp off my colon. I'll do the public service thing and recommend any of you guys over 45 who haven't gotten one yet to talk to your doctor about it and go ahead and do it if recommended.

On to the cards that were waiting for me on the other side. It's like a "the card show comes to me" situation when I get a box from Rod... mostly recent product, but plenty of variety. Typical "commons" mixed in there with other good cards that didn't stick in his collection, and occasionally special cards targeted for me.

 
I hope to eventually get around to the current Blog Bat-Around talking about our proudest hobby achievements, but these guys are in the conversation for me. A year ago, I was pretty stoked to complete the full run of Dan Walters cards on the market. Even a "completed" PC has room for additions when you're talking about aftermarket autos and buybacks (and sure, even customs and CardArt). This is only my second autograph of his, with the minor league card I got signed in-person as a kid being the other. This one features a bolder signature/pen, so that's a nice way to button the PC for now. And I continue to be damn near giddy over being the #1 ranked Dick Allen collector on TCDb, a streak that's been going since well before his tardy Hall of Fame induction. Thrilled to add to my total with this lime green Optic parallel from 2026 Donruss.

Since I don't rip new stuff these days, an influx like this from Rod really helps me keep up with the current wave of intriguing young players coming up. I kinda hate hearing about hot new rookies of whom I have no cards.. but when I have a card or two of the guy, boom, then I'm a stakeholder and I root for him. LOL. I've been like that since Kevin Maas.

Of course any box Rod gives me is likely to be heavy with our mutual favorite team, as was this one, with some highlights visible here.

And a nice stack of PC guys for me. Looks like I'm due for another big sort.

Lots more cards I could show, but I'll keep the post tight and close with this grand finale:

Christmas Card! Of a hot young player! I'm sure this would fetch a decent return on eBay, but Rod knows my affinity for cards numbered 12/25 and graciously let me have this one. Love it! Konnor Griffin is signed to be the Pirates shortstop through 2034. Injuries have blemished his rookie campaign, but the future looks bright for the 20-year old.

Again, huge thanks to Rod for being so incredibly generous with me over the years. And during a rough time like when I'm in the midst of a colonoscopy prep, it means even more. I help him out with occasional Photoshop requests when he needs a hand, and try to come up with fun Tim Flannery cardart so he doesn't leave empty-handed when I see him. But yeah, don't think I'll ever be able to really balance the scales there.

Thanks for reading, guys. 

[BTW, if you're having trouble finding new blog posts thanks to Blogger crapping out on their blogroll stuff, Bo mentioned a good alternative is the TCDb blog list, so you might want to bookmark that.]