I had an opportunity to send in for a Brian McRae private signing a few weeks ago and just recently got my cards back. At first I was just going to send in my ATCRCS card but there was a special that if I paid for 4 cards, I'd get a 5th one free. I know, I'm a sucker. But the price point was pretty reasonable and I believe the money was going to a charity of some sort too. So it's all good.
I have about a dozen McRae cards where he is featured on the Cubs. I don't need or want them all signed like I did with Jerome Walton so picking the four wasn't super easy. I've always been a fan of Topps so I narrowed it down to that brand.
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| 1995 Topps Traded Brian McRae |
First off we have a 1995 Topps Traded. McRae was traded to the Cubs from the Kansas City Royals in early April 1995. There was still a strike going on so the season didn't start until later that month. By then, the Topps set was already produced for the year and they weren't doing two separate series yet. So his first Cubs card through Topps had to wait for the Traded set.
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| 1997 Topps Base Brian McRae |
Skip ahead past 1996 to 1997 and we have another Topps Base card. I have no recollection why I passed on the 1996 and opted for the 1997 card other than this one looked cooler. He looks like he may be about to steal home or score on a passed ball or something fun like that. From the blurred out batter, it doesn't look like a sacrifice. Any amateur sleuths want to find that game??
Another Topps branded card although not from its flagship product is this Bazooka release from 1996. Not sure what's going on in this play either and the player in the background doesn't really help by looking at first. If McRae was stealing the base, I doubt the fielder would be looking towards first like that. Did he break up a double play? I imagine if it was a successful double play, the fielder would be up in the air or otherwise avoiding the contact . Plus his right arm still looks half-cocked like he's thinking about making the play btu deciding against it. Or he could be safe altogether...
Another one for the amateur sleuths I guess.
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| 1996 Topps Laser Brian McRae |
And for the final card in today's post (ATCRCS tomorrow!) we have one of my favorite cards I received in a trade a few months ago from Jeroen (AKA The Dutch Card Guy). Take a favorite card, slap an autograph on it and it becomes even cooler, right? Pretty much!
That '97 card DOES look cool, even more so now that it's autographed. Is that Raphael Belliard in the background on that Bazooka card? I feel like I recognize the face, I remember as a kid, getting packs full of light-hitting middle infielders seemed to be a gift that I had.
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