Dollar General pack break

My folks are in town.  As one gets older in life, one tends to appreciate more what one may not have appreciated when one was younger.  I appreicate my folks a lot more now.  Not just because they bought me two packs of specially packaged Topps 2009 Baseball cards, Series 1.

I appreciate them for the way that they raised me.  For instilling a moral compass.  For teaching me about God.  For taking me to Fenway and Parc Jarry.  For encouraging me to read.  For taking me to 'cello lessons and making me practice.  For putting up with my high school pranks.  For liking my friends.   But, this is turning into a Mother's Day post.  Maybe a Father's Day post.  But I digress.

Apparently, Dollar General Stores struck a deal with Topps to package a seven card pack for sale at their stores.  The price point is right.  A buck.

And here's what we have in pack number one:

Matt Joyce (# 143)

Luis Ayala (# 284)

David Eckstein (#79)

Nick Markakis (Toppstown)

Evan Longoria - Postseason Highlights (# 16)

John Russell (#234)

Matt Antonelli (#159)

Pack number two consists of:

Juan Uribe (#149)

Johan Santana (#310)

Todd Wellemeyer (#266)

Justin Morneau (Toppstown)

Scott Lewis (#248)

Joe Torre (#131)

Brandon Moss (#104)

I'll be giving my dad the David Eckstein.  The other night I gave him a large stack of Diamondbacks.  They live in Arizona.  The team and my parents.  It was quite nice to see him grin and study the cards, telling me about the players' recent histories.

The John Russell and the Brandon Moss remind me to again encourage my mom to set pen to paper and record what she did in the 1950s.  Summary: She was the governess for the team doctor of the Pittsburgh Pirates.  I knew that she was a governess (a nanny for you youngins).  A few years ago we were talking about it and it came out... "Yes, I was a governess for Dr. ____ .  We went to Florida with the team.  I remember being at a party at their home.  The whole team was there.  Branch Rickey.  All the players."

I'm thinking... "Hmmm.... Didn't get any photos, did you?  Any autographs?"

We talked a bit more about her time doing this, and other families that she worked for.  I didn't press to hard on the Pirates' party.  I wanted to lull her into a sense of (false) confidence, being comfortable to talk and then have her write a tell-all book about it.

You never know when interesting stories will pop up.  Last week I was telling my sales manager about it.  He listened politely, with interest and as the conversation meandered he said, "Oh, my dad played semi-pro ball in Indianapolis in the 1920s and 1930s.  He had a tryout for the Tigers when Hank Greenberg did.  My dad didn't make the cut.  I guess not many players did when Hank Greenberg is your competition."

I guess not.