Relays week and 1988 - 1991 pack busting

One of the many things I find interesting in my life, is serving as a track and field official. When the last full week of April comes, that usually mean's it's the holy grail of the Iowa track season - the Drake Relays. 

 

While I usually concentrate on throwing events (the shot put, discus, hammer throw, and javelin), I crossed over to other events this year, to help out as needed. That included everything from the Pole Vault at the Mall (an actual event at one of our local malls), to serving as a marshall. It's definitely a hoot, but by the time the four-day event is over, I'm more than ready to go home.

That's me in the second row, third from the left.

 

On the way home from the Relays, I felt I deserved a treat, so I picked up a few cards at one of my local card stores. After adding a few slabs of cardboard for my Padres collection, I also picked up the following packs for 25 cents each, just for the fun of it.

 

After spending $1.50 more, I went home with two packs of 1990 Upper Deck, a pack of 1989 Topps, a pack of 1991 Bowman and two packs of 1988 Topps Minis.

I always thought these cards were kind of cool, and was just a little disappointed I didn't receive any Padres cards. Included in the 1988 Topps Mini Leaders - 1st Row - Dale Murphy, Jimmy key, Kevin Seitzer and Willie McGee. 2nd Row - Todd Worrell, Teddy Higuera, Jack Clark and Darrell Evans. 3rd Row - Mike Scott, Ozzie Smith, Lou Whitaker and Bob Welch. I also had a "Blackjack" Morris card. 

Among the two packs of 1990 Upper Deck, I received Padres cards of Joey Cora and Darrin Jackson. As you can see from the back of the Jackson card, they include a great photo with the stats as well.
Other 1990 Upper Deck cards included David West (#15), Mickey Tettleton CL (60B), Andre Dawson CL (73), Julio Franco CL (82), Kevin Mitchell (117), Devon White (129), Pat Tabler (142)Billy Ripken (184), Bob Ojeda (204), Stan Javier (209), Keith Hernandez (222), Jose DeJesus (255), Roy Smith (284), Alfredo Griffin (338), German Gonzalez (352), Tom Gordon (365), Otis Nixon (379), Shane Rawley (438), Rob Ducey (464), Pascal Perez (487), Steve Lake (491), Mark Portugal (502), Kirk McCaskill (506), Dale Murphy (533), Steve Searcy (575), Steve Bedrosian (618), Eric King (651) and Lance Parish (674).

I also found a Padres card within the Bowman pack, 1B Dave Staton, as well as a gold-stamped MVP card of Juan Gonzalez. The stamping is okay, I guess, if you like marketing ploys that try to help prop up a set that didn't have much promise to begin with. The other Bowman cards were Eric King (#63), Carlos Baerga (69), Joe Orsulak (84), Danny Darwin (111), Mark Davis (306). Todd Ritchie (332), Bobby Thigpen (342), Felix Jose (401), Wally Whitehurst (470), Xavier Hernandez (545), Charlie Leibrandt (573), and Terry Kennedy (631).

As for the 1989 Topps, there's not much to speak of, or to scan for that matter. Cards included Jim Snyder (44), Mark Cler (63), Geno Petralli (137), Dave Stewart (145), Sil Campusano (191), Rob Ducey (203), Jim Leyland (284) complete with wax-stain, Orioles (381), Joe Carter (420), Bo Diz, (422), Buddy Bell (461), Luis Salazar (553), Jimy Williams (594), Robin Yount (615), Bob Brower (754).

Now that was good therapy, after a hard work of Relays. Of course, all the cards, except for the Padres, are up for whoever wants/needs them.