Card 2

Today we visit with a future 500 Home Run Club Member.
Adam Dunn.
The card I have selected is the 2003 Topps Chrome 51 Topps Fly Out Jersey Card.
I picked this card up 2 weeks ago at a local (40 miles away is the closest) card shop. For 3 dollars and trade of some commons to help the dealer complete his and my 2007 Fleer sets. So don't be affraid to barter. The sticker had 8 dollars on it.

This is a fun card. The cool design we see too little of because Mickey Mantle was in the 52 series and not 51. The cartoon players that look like I drew. The fly out instead of a strikeout is nice. The laid back smile and attitude shown by Adam. The factoid on the front. It lets me know he is destined to become a great Reds player and will produce an MVP season right after he is traded. Just like Frank. The jersey he wore when Griffey, Larkin, Kearns, Casey, LaRue and the gang mob him at the plate for bashing the the game winner.
The reason I metion Dunn will be a future 500 HR Club member is his striking simularities to Reggie Jackson's career.
Reggie 1968 - 553 AB, 82 Runs, 138 Hits, 74 RBI, 29 HR in his first full season.
Dunn 2002 - 535 AB, 84 runs, 133 Hits, 71 RBI, 26 Hr in his first full season.
Adam only had 170 SO compaired to Reggie's whopping 171.
After 7 seasons:
Reggie: 833 Runs, 858 Hits, 537 RBI, 189 HR, . 253 BA, 889 SO
Dunn: 620 Runs, 833 Hits, 572 RBI, 238 HR, .248 BA, 1,092 SO
Sure Adam strikes out more. However, he has not had the talent backing him up that Reggie did in Oakland in the 70's. Therefore not as many runs scored or hits. But, his HR toatals and RBI totals far outway Reggie.
That is why I want to see Adam come to the plate, bang his bat on the ground and yell "Bam Bam!" before each pitch. He has made listening to the Reds on the Radio a lot of fun the past 2 years. Cause you never know if its a homer or a slow walk back to the dugout.

Welcome To Cincy Reds Cards.

As a fan of the Reds since the early 80's, it's been fun collecting their cards. I still remember the first card I pulled from a wax pack. It was 1981 at Jitney Jungle with my Grandma Helen. A 7 year old begging for some candy and I get a pack of Topps instead. Little did she know the lifelong chase she would start.
The slick feel of the pack, the wonder of what was in there from a new baseball follower. As a Reds fan on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, the only thing I knew was Johnny Bench, Tom Seaver and that they were a long ways away. So who do I see as the first card in the pack? Johnny Bench - All Star! How sweet is that?
From there I pestered parents, grandparents, neighbors for jobs to do for money to buy packs of Topps. Then I discovered a second set! Donruss! More jobs to do for a fire had been lit. Although my first card from a Donruss set was a lowly Mike Schmidt, I did not loose faith I would find my Reds. My Grandfather Red (coincidence?) took pittty on me at the end of summer and called a friend who was a candy didtributor. My birthday present was 3 boxes of Topps Baseball, Football, Basketball, 2 boxes of Donruss and what's this? 3 boxes of Fleer? Sweetness from Heaven! How could he afford all those 30¢ packs? Pa Red was the man now. He understood what I was going through as a new collector. He grew up in the late 30's and early 40's as a Giants fan and sometime collector. Even met Mel Ott a few times when he came to New Orleans.
Since then I have been a set collector. Concentrating on finding Reds cards first and complete sets second. Although I lost it all in Hurricane Katrina, I am back on the hunt and am going to be rebuilding my Reds team set collection. I hope you enjoy as I talk about the cards I find and join in with me. So in Honor of my first post:

My Fist Baseball Card
1981 Topps N0. 600 Johnny Bench - All Star



What's not to like about this card? The smile, the All-Star Banner, the crisp green border, the red tint to the photo. It screams"I'm the best and I'm a Red!" At least to me.
Although the back lacks lacks cool facts or cartoons, it helps you find out about the man. Born 12/7/47. Same day as my sister. Throws and bats Righty. Just like me. 1974 was a monster season for him. 108 Runs. 174 Hits. 33 Homers. 129 RBI. Too bad the Dodgers were a little better that season. Coulda been 3 in a row for the Reds in the World Series.
Granted the hats on front are a little hokey, but they get the point across.