Barry Larkin oddball

My folks picked up a few baseball books from a Cincinnati area library book sale. Inside one of them was this card, probably used as a bookmark.

It standard size and the text on the back refers to events that happened in 1999, so I assume that it is from no earlier than 2000.

On the front is a scratch off area.  It appears that this card is not a winner.  Could it have been a regional game giveaway at the park? 

I guess I'll never know.

Dale Murphy Oddballs

Michael Schecter Associates was everywhere in the 1980s. Here are two non MLB licensed issues.

The True Value cards came in panels of three with a purchase of $5 or more.  Dale shared his panel with Robin Yount and Tom Seaver.  There are worse guys to get paneled with, I guess.  I'm thinking Buddy Bell and Bill Madlock.

1986 True Value Super Stars
Dale Murphy (card # 10)

This 1st Annual Collector's Edition was also the Last Annual Collector's Edition.  A mail in set of 24 cards.

1988 Chef Boyardee
Dale Murphy (card # 17)

Hershiser Oddball Ball

I picked this up on ebay several years ago. Every so often I take it off the shelf and dust off the plastic holder. My desk at work is so cluttered with paper, CDs, computer parts, and monitors that it would quickly get lost in the fray.

This is a 1996 Burger King Fotoball of Orel Hershiser. I think I spent about $4 on it. Every so often they still pop up and are available for about the same price.

In 1995, Hershiser was the ALCS MVP as well as team co-leader with sixteen victories. A three-time All-Star, he threw for a MLB record 59 scoreless innings in 1988 while also earing Cy Young and Sporting News' Player of the Year honors.

You'll notice a similarity between this ball and the 2010 Upper Deck cards. They are not licensed by MLB, just the MLBPA. Unlike UD, Burger King stayed far away from mentioning or showing any team connection.

Ryne Sandberg Oddball

Sometime back I stopped at the Antique Mall in south Knoxvegas. Most of the stuff that they have there is not antique. But booth 67 has some nice cards, baseball, football, basketball and racing. Most of them are inexpensively priced. That is my kind of booth.

I found this oddball Ryne Sandberg. It is a 1992 American Sports Monthly issue. I'm assuming that this was a magazine.

1992 American Sports Monthly, Ryne Sandberg, no number
(card numbered 3,514 of 16,000)

Note the low print run. I'm lucky to have picked it up for a dime.

I also purchased some Mets, Dodgers, Diamondbacks, Orioles and a bit of shiny. These will be making their way to new homes.