Awesome Surprise Cards from GCRL!

I love random surprise packages of goodies - I mean who doesn't? But they're especially nice when they contain TTM autos of one of your favorite players. Like say...if Garvey Cey Russell Lopes sent me a Pete LaCock TTM which he just posted about six days ago. Because he did:
GCRL threw me a little linkage in his LaCock post, citing Pete's surprising lack of support in my Great Sports Name Hall of Fame Ballots (even from me...I only introduced him last ballot...whoops). I commented that I was super jealous, and figured it would stay there. But sure enough, 6 days later, I now have the dude's TTM, making this one of my favorite packages EVER, so thanks GCRL!

Now, weirdly enough, I had just decided that Pete LaCock was my favorite name (yes, even above WTM the 3rd and good old Rusty) and, as such, was deciding to collect as many of his cards as possible. In my Million Card Giveaway Collection this morning I actually had Pete's 1977, 1978, 1979, and 1980 Topps cards (I had 1976 and 1981 already, though now I have 1976 AUTOGRAPHED!). Well turns out GCRL also sent Pete's 1977 and 1979 cards,
meaning I didn't need those anymore for my LaCock PC. So I proposed a trade of these two cards for the only Topps Pete I still needed, 1975, and sure enough it was accepted a few hours later. I am now the proud owner of every Pete LaCock Topps Base card ever made. And one of them is TTM'ed. I'm a happy camper!

As is common with totally awesome packages, bloggers never stop with just a few great cards, and the surprises keep coming. First GCRL added some 1992 and 1995 Topps set help - they're not pictured here but trust me, those cards were great!

Next we have this quadfecta, which features Ed Ott (who will definitely get his day of Great Name Fame one of these days), the Dick Pole 1978 Topps card that is attracted to me like a magnet but which I love dearly, and two cards of Mark Lemongello:

Lemongello.

As in Lemon Jello.

Actually pronounced "Lemon Jello."

Not only did I laugh, but also my girlfriend laughed, and she hates my cards.

So he's definitely getting nominated to the GSNHOF soon.

The back of Mark's card is cool as well...he's cousin of Mike Lemongello, professional bowler, and Peter Lemongello, professional singer (here's some of Peter's work).
Edit: Mark was arrested in 1982 for KIDNAPPING AND ROBBING his cousins, aka Mike and Peter Lemongello. Thank you Bo for wikipedia-ing this for me...you really cannot make this stuff up!

Card backs are way cooler when they tell you random facts about players with the stats. So I guess I like really busy card backs, with fun facts and stats going back to little league. No white space, just stuff to read!

Last but definitely not least, we've got another Fred McGriff sighting! Sadly I didn't need any of the actual Freds GCRL sent me - he's sent me a ton before though, so that's fine by me. But GCRL is a big fan of background lurkers, aka players who creep in onto other dude's cards. And this Tom Henke card is an example of lurking at it's McGriff-y finest:
Henke is shaking someone else's hand, and Fred's just kind of standing there like "wtf?" One of those pictures that really makes you wonder, "1989 Upper Deck couldn't have found a better shot of Tom Henke?" Though I'm glad they didn't, even if the shadowing sort of makes it look like tom just peed his pants. That would explain why Fred's so awkward I guess...

Anyways, thanks again for the cards GCRL! You always send such awesome stuff my way!