#BigShepMailday Review

Roughly one thousand Cubs cards came in the mail from Big Shep on Wednesday. The cards were packed nicely inside three 500 Count boxes inside a medium flat rate box. I was impressed by the Big Shep's Cards sticker, and even a handwritten #BigShepMailday on the side of the box.

Our deal for the Cubs will have me sending out a Royals (with plenty of George Brett) package this weekend. 

First, let's get to the Ryno Count for @CardsFromAttic. This box came with 25 Sandberg cards. A nice mix of old and new.

Sandberg's heyday was during the "junk era" of baseball cards. There were some cards from this time included here that stood out. 1991 Fleer was UGLY. Might be my least favorite set of all time. But for some reason this Gary Scott is attractive to me. Maybe it's because it's from the Update set, maybe it's because it's Gary Scott. He of the unbelievable spring training he had in 1991 making him a Cubs legend that fell fast. 

Rookies are great. Everyone likes a rookie card. Many people dislike the dual, triple, or quadruple rookie cards, especially if it's a star surrounded by flameouts. This 1976 Rookie Pitchers card didn't feature much. Larry Anderson had a nice career. But the Cubs pitcher here, Ken Crosby, did not. He appeared in just 12 games in 1975 and 1976, making one start. That start was April 29, 1976 against the San Diego Padres. He tossed three innings allowing four earned runs on five hits and earned a no decision in the Cubs loss.

Ben Christensen shared his 2000 Topps rookie card with Richard Stahl of the Baltimore Orioles. Christensen was the Cubs controversial first round draft pick in 1999. While pitching for Wichita State, he beaned Evansville's Anthony Molina timing pitches. Molina's playing career never recovered and turned out to be an awful human being . 

Back to the 70's, Big Shep put plenty of the decade here. The 1976 Topps design is underrated, but I'm a fan of its simplistic look with the caricature in the bottom left corner. I don't give this Set enough credit because I bunch it up with the 1979 set as they look nearly identical. Here's Bill Madlock and wish he would have spent more time with the Cubs.

The following year's Topps set is a classic look. It was remade in 2012 Archives and this Starlin Castro is the cloth sticker Insert.

Back to the junk era. Erik Pappas made a Cubs appearance in 1992 Stadium Club. I can still remember the first time I saw this card as a 10-year old. It was at my friend Jamie's house. I had never heard of Pappas and always loved seeing players I had never heard of in Cubs uniforms. Jamie was that friend that had everything. The best toys, the newest video games, Air Jordans, and when you spent the night on weekends his mom would take us to McDonalds. Spending the night at Jamie's introduced me to The Goonies, Erik Pappas in a Cubs uniform, and magazines meant for adults. 

Finally, how about this haul of vintage! Six cards from 1958, one of the most classic Topps designs of all time. Probably my favorite Topps design. Included here are Bobby Adams, Cal Neeman, Chuck Tanner, Dave Hillman, Jim Bolger, and Jerry Kindall.

Thanks for bringing back some memories, Shep. This was a great #BigShepMailday. I'll reciprocate with plenty of George Brett's.