From the Disorganized Collection of Hugo Z Hackenbush

I found these four cards in the first small handful I pulled from an unmarked 200 count box I had sitting on a shelf.

This random card may be the only one I have from a pretty cool looking insert set.  I'm not a Padres fan but who doesn't like the late great Tony Gwynn.

This is one of 50 cards honoring great moments in history from Upper Deck's 2008 Piece of History set.  I think I must have opened a couple of packs at some point.  Can you believe that we went from this moment to landing on the frickin' moon in just 66 years?

Insert hot post!  Denis looks high here.  Who wouldn't be after winning the Stanley Cup!  Too bad it wasn't with the Blackhawks.  Hockey fans will know that Denis's Canadiens are still the last team from our neighbors to the north to hoist the Cup.  Denis was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2000, just one year after The Great One himself.

Hall of Fame hot post!  (OK, I'm lame).  This is a great card from one of my favorite sets, Upper Deck's 2007 Baseball Masterpieces.  Like Gwynn and Savard it's hard not to like Cal.  

I have no problem with being organized but sometimes it's fun to be a slob.  

Blow Out the Candles May 9

First ballot Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn is celebrating his 52nd birthday today.

1983 Topps #482

Career highlights and awards

15× All-Star (1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1989, 1990,1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998,1999)
5×  Gold Glove Award winner (1986, 1987, 1989, 1990, 1991)
7× Silver Slugger Award winner (1984, 1986, 1987, 1989, 1994, 1995, 1997)
8× NL batting title (1984, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997)
1999 Roberto Clemente Award
1998 Lou Gehrig Memorial Award
1995 Branch Rickey Award
San Diego Padres #19 retired

Two of the greatest hitters who ever lived. 

Gwynn and Son

If you wanted to make a Mount Rushmore of modern day baseball you could do worse than starting with these two guys.

Steve Yzerman is celebrating his 47th birthday today.

 Yzerman spent his entire career with the Wings, leading the team to three Stanley Cup Championships.

Steve was the Wings captain for a record 19 seasons.

Yzerman was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2009.

Singer/songwriter Billy Joel is celebrating his 63rd birthday today.

Hackenbush's 500th Post Contest!!!

What better way to celebrate my 500th post than to give away a bunch of cards?  None, I'm sure.

Don Pardo, tell them what they can win.

The lucky winner of this contest will take home these five great rookie cards!

But that's not all!

In addition, our winner will receive over three hundred Hall of Fame and star cards from Topps 1982, 1983, and 1984.  Palmer, Bench, Ryan, Fingers, Yazstremski, Carew, Jackson, Rose, Schmidt ... the list goes on and on.

Thanks, Don Pardo.

OK, it's a contest so there have to be rules, right?

To start with, you don't have to be a follower though seeing your little icons on my list does appeal to my vanity.  Most people come to Can't Have Too Many Cards to look at pictures of Marlo Thomas or Rene Magritte so if you're reading this post you're already on my good list!

The winner will be chosen at random based on the number of entries they have.  

Any comment here gets you one entry. 

Publicizing this contest on your blog gets you an additional two entries. (Comment with the link.)

If you're too busy, don't like guessing games, hate kids, or B&W pictures put you to sleep,  you may skip to the comments area.  You are excused.  Good luck!

Click to enlarge

Most of us started collecting cards when we were kids, like the ones in this class photo.  In fact, Hackenbush is one of the kids in in this photo.  

Guess who I am and win five entries.  Guess the year and win two entries. Guess how many of my classmates' first names I can remember and win another three entries.

This contest will run through 11:59 PM Central Time, Sunday, Oct. 10 and the winner will be announced shortly thereafter.

Topps All-Time Fan Favorites Favorites G-J

Topps put out 150 card sets of retired players in 2003-2004-2005. Players are pictured on card designs from their playing days but with different photos than were in the originals. Here are my favorites, alphabetically.

2005 #102

This is a sharp portrait shot of everyone's favorite fro wearing outfielder. His original 1976 card pictured Oscar with his previous team, the Indians. His "traded" card was airbrushed.

2004 #51

Politics aside I like Rudy. Anyone who was on Seinfeld gets points with me too.

2004 #127

This is an alternate Tony Gwynn rookie card from the 1983 set.

Like so many of these, I like the new one better. And was Tony ever any thinner than he was here? By the way, Gwynn is on my short list of admired ballplayers. Surely one of the great ones on and off the field.

2003 #107

I'm partial to the 1968 design. It's the earliest set I collected as a kid that I still have in quantity. I guess Topps chose 1968 for Ernie since the Tigers won the World Series that year.

2004 #142

Speaking of the Detroit Tigers, here's longtime Tiger oufielder Willie Horton on a 1969 design. I like the flash effect.

2004 #107

Here's a young Charlie Hough. Charlie played into the 1994 season and the uniform he's wearingis either from 1971 or 73. The knuckleballer finished his career with an even 216-216 record.

2003 #108

I don't know why, but the reprint is missing Monte's signature. Below is the original from 1952:

2004 #5

I like the Sporting News All-Star subsets. The 1970 original has Reggie in a batting stance.

2004 # 121

Two favorites here, Fergie and the 1967 set. It looks like Topps was off a bit on the team lettering (a little skinnier in the reprint). The original is below: