WAR! What is it good for?

Oh, I'm sure that blog post title has been used about a hinty-billion times in the last few years.  Get off my case.  And my lawn.

A short time ago I featured a card that was sent to me by A.J., The Lost Collector.  It completed my 2014 entry for my Topps Type Collection.  He did send over six cards and I wanted to feature them.  But time got away from me and then other things distracted me.  (Which means I put the envelope of cards down and didn't find them until this weekend.)

But during the time that A.J. sent me the cards and I got around to scanning them it seems that most of the card blogging community has shown examples and given their thoughts, both good and bad.  There's nothing I can really say that is new or fresh.  (Okay, they mean the same thing.  I suck as a writer.)

I was looking at the back of the card and noticed that WAR was included in the player stats.  I'm a proud member of SABR.  I read the daily email list.  I attend all the local meetings.  I've published our chapter's newsletter.  I read the SABR publications.  But I don't get WAR.

2014 Topps
Joe Blanton (card # 269)

I've tried to understand it.  I get the concept.  Sort of.  Here's Baseball-Reference.com's explanation.  I think that too much statistical analyzing gets in the way of the great school yard discussions of "Who's better?  Aaron or Mays?  Maris or Mantle?"

Since no one wants to look only at the back of the cards here's a front scan.

2014 Topps
Lonnie Chisenhall (card # 317)

I'm not wanting to start another collection, but I could see myself beginning to gather cards that feature pictures of players in throwback uniforms. Not the pink ones. Not the camouflage ones. Not the inverted road jerseys. Throwback uniforms. It would be fun. Is anyone else collecting that niche?

Because you've already got the song stuck in your head I need to share Edwin Starr and his fabulous pseudo referee get up.


Now if you need a bit of a palette cleanser, I might suggest my current favorite finger style guitar player, Jake Reichbart...