NFL, Fleer, and Shell Takes You to School

One of packs I picked up at Houston Sports Connection for a quarter and its the one I never seen or heard before. Fleer and Shell teamed up producing these cards known as Fleer Shell FACT. Research showed they produced these from 93 to 96 splitting into five sets gearing toward school kids. I don't know how the packs are distributed. The one I got is from set 4 of 96 Fleer Shell. Back of the cover card is a scoreboard on notching points from the words problems and questions they asked.

Set 4 featured these players with Chester McGlockton being macho, Ricky Running Watters, QB Slash catching a ball, Troy Drayton, Aaron Hayden, Ken Norton running with a ball from a turnover,  Rick Mirer (Jets fan trying to forget he played for them), Hardy Nickerson, Henry Ellard, Aeneas Williams showing who's no. 1, Terrence Mathis, the late Eric Turner, Carl Pickens, and Prime Time homing on a target. This is very good selection with blurb on front of the player's greatest game. The back have no stats just word problem questions.

As for the questions its "Are You Smarter Than 5th Grader?" on cardboard. Not all the cards have the answer key. Can you able answers those questions on the back

How many points did you get at the end? This isn't bad for quarter.

Trip to Houston For Wrong Reasons

Last week my parents and I urgently got in the car driving 8 hours to Houston. By the time we got there near 7 PM it was too late. My uncle passed that morning. We spent the entire time consoling our heartbroken family and discussing funeral plans. Rough weather hit when Imelda made landfall on Thursday flooding parts of Houston. The storm came during middle of meeting with funeral home discussing plans. We end up at funeral home from Thursday to Sunday discussing type of memorial to grave site. Surprisingly they gave me a ticket to Astros game for Friday night and said go have fun. The game took my mind off family tragedy for few hours. Angels pitcher Justin Anderson signed on a stub as it was only thing I had with me along with my camera. Saw Astros blasted four homeruns in the 1st inning then Carlos Correa with a second blast. Zack Grienke lost control in the 4th giving up five straight hits and Angels scoring four runs. The bullpen held on to the lead when Grienke left after five innings for 6-4 victory. On Saturday made a trek to Houston Sports Connection on Westheimer to pick up packs and oddballs especially on 1981 Donruss. Oddballs such as pack of NFL Facts Stay in Tune cards, large portrait size Pinnacle Beehive hockey cards and Topps sticker card of Don Sutton. Some of it will be posted on A Pack to be Named Later. During that few days around Houston caught up with old family friends from my parents side as well going shopping with my relatives. Two of my relatives flew in on late Saturday from California Bay Area catching up with them especially "Mr. Happy" who will always have a laugh and smile. I don't know how he does it. My dad and I left Houston yesterday without seeing the body leaving mom with the relatives for the wake and funeral. It's just our work schedule would allow us short time off even at urgent. More relatives flew in today to pay their respects. I'm going to miss my uncle. He's the one that drove us to Sacramento for a day trip during family reunion few years back. Two years ago he invited me to join them for Christmas marking first time in six years I been with family during Christmas day as I was living in Austin at the time. It was Christmas off but work the next day making 5-6 hour drive in Midland impossible. But three hour drive to Houston is great to relax with family. RIP Uncle. Everyone will miss you.

Midland Rockhounds September 16, 2009 Scorecard

With final installment of 2009 Midland Rockhounds scorecard programs. This is final home game I attended that season. Didn't get go to their South Division Championship games which they won the series 3-1 advancing to Texas League Championship against Northwest Arkansas. This is game 2 of the series. Scores of north and south division series between both teams as well regular season standings of first and second half of the season.

Same roster they had from last month.

Chris Carter no longer at the team as he got called up to Sacramento. Kyle Middleton rejoin the team. Mickey Storey joined the team. He played all four levels in the minors that season. Played two seasons in the majors before spending remaining three years of his playing in the minors and independents. Currently a manager for Round Rock Express leading the team to PCL championship but got swept in the series against Sacramento River Cats.

Rockhounds won 7-6 to tie the series 1-1. They would win two straight to the take Texas League crown in 2009.

Had a time going through scorecard programs remembering the players, coaches, and managers who played in Texas League. The researching of the who's who and where they go afterwards. Some went on to the majors while others stayed in the minors, independents, or overseas. Few went on to coaching. Former Rockhound Raul Padron is one of them. He had the vital hit in game 4 of Texas League championship giving the team a clinching championship win. Today he's part of Amarillo Sod Poodles coaching stuff. Things came full circle for Padron as last night Sod Poodles won 2019 Texas League championship thanks to Taylor Trammell grand slam. Padron became a Texas League championship winner both a player and a coach. You never know who might wind up where but the memories of watching them play and move up will stay fresh in a fan's mind.

Hockey Card Stories 2

After reading the first book (you can it buy here) and I wanted more. What book can talk about stories of the player's hockey cards and be rolling in laughter of Steve Larmar and Steve Ludzik photo mix up or poor Bryan Maxwell had three cards but only one of them has his mug? Ken Reid delivers another with Hockey Card Stories 2 with forewords from Penguins All-Star Sidney Crosby and Upper Deck's Chris Carlin.

Released last year I finally got my hands on a copy. When the first five words of the first chapter starts out, "I hate that friggin card" I knew I was in for good read. You got some excellent behind the scene stories featuring Terry Toporowski Ultimate Draft Pick card (spoiler: it's not him), Rick Vaive extra hair airbrush, Olaf Kolzig hot dog pic, Dino Ciccarelli feeding a rhino to name a few.

Cam Russell was originally about his 1990 Score card til Russell showed his minor league card and it became a story about it.

Who doesn't love uncorrected error cards? When I look at the ones Reid mentioned I wonder how they made it to print like a slapping a Canucks player on Joel Otto's Calgary Flames card. Interesting note Joel Otto DOES SIGN that card.

There's a story behind the poses, airbrushes, styles back in the day, and rookie cards with a few getting at least one official NHL card with most remembering where and when it was taken. Another thing Reid would make note is the equipment the player's use from helmet to stick as reminiscence to his past playing days

It's a must read for any sport card collector even if you are not a fan of hockey.

The Day After

It's all over national news now. A guy randomly shot and killed 7 people and injuring 21 in Odessa, TX. I was at work the news broke. I live about 15-20 minute drive where it occurred. It was so much crazy stuff happening. People are edge and giving whatever word of "updates" circulating around. What was circulating around was a shooting at Home Depot/Music City Mall and there was word two shooters, one in a gold Toyota and the other hijacked a postal truck and was on the way to Midland. Every business around Loop 250 in Midland shutdown for safety concerns. Then it ended in Odessa on the highway that is across from Cinergy (Dave and Busters or Main Event like place). Turns out it was one guy doing the random shooting and attempted to breakthrough a road block that was set up.

What was setup to be a Labor Day weekend turned tragic around here. The week long Permian Basin Fair opened up Friday night. Yesterday afternoon everything just stopped. It was very surreal day and more soul searching around Midland-Odessa area on this random senseless act. I drive on 191 get to Odessa. Going be eerily rough for a while when I drive past Cynergy to Loop 338.

Prayers goes to everyone affected and let the cities heal.