Totally Complete

I was doing something yesterday and thought about my blog some.  Then I realized that despite the Royal Card Review name, I haven't really dedicated a post to Royals card in a while.  So today I will remedy this.  Long before I started this blog I was fairly active on EBay.  This was like a decade ago, and I would buy some random stuff as long as it was cheap.  I bought a script from the TV show Sports Night on time (I loved that show).  But I also bought some Royals cards.  It was shortly after I sold my collection off.  It may seem odd to buy again after just selling your cards, but I did it because I had so much I really didn't want, that I thought I could make a few bucks and clear some space.  After I did I didn't regret it, but I also did go out buying packs all the time.  It wasn't until my father passed and I got his collection that the juices really kicked in and I started collection more often.  Then when my sister Andrea passed I kind of went into hyper mode, and in turn it introduced me to Trading Card Database and eventually to sports card blogging.  I'm pointing this out because while it was likely I would have been collecting even if neither event happened, I don't think it would be to the point it is now.  I still would have likely found TCDB and the blogging, but it wouldn't be like it is now.

One thing wouldn't have changed though, and that's collecting Royals cards. I've always like the Royals obviously, but collecting their cards seemed to make me more of a fan.  That was kind of evidenced when I bought this set off EBay as I said about a decade ago as part of three complete sets of Royals cards.

I got three minor league sets of 1991 Classic of the Royals.  Today I will focus on the Baseball City Royals.  From the first time I got minor league cards, I've loved them.  I can't remember the year (maybe it was 1990) but the first minor league card I remember was of Pete Filson.  It was a CMC card.  I always thought the Classic cards looked more bland, but despite this I kind of liked the design a bit better (I like straight edges).  I don't remember having many minor league Royals cards, so once my collection was sold and I started to rebuild it, I saw these.  Since it was 3 sets and pretty cheap I bought them.  Not many names from this set I remember but its still fun to look at.  Its odd to me that some of the players are wearing KC hats while others are wearing the BC hats.  Also not a fan of the pullover style jerseys.  I just like the button down jerseys better.  I have to admit some of these names sound made up.  No offense to Jake Jacobs, or John Conner, or even John Cross, but I've seen better names of WWE wrestlers (don't ask me to give examples, they are few and far between). I do wish Bubba Dunn became a bigger name though.  I guess I can settle for Bubba Starling who is close to reaching the majors with Kansas City now.

I'm going to come right out and say it.  This is possibly the WHITEST BASEBALL TEAM SINCE THE 1960'S! I'm not starting a race war, but it seems incredibly one sided to me.  13 cards in and we finally see a bat, and a batting helmet.  That field doesn't look too great, maybe Baseball City was code for Tropicana Field (I will make a crack on the Trop every chance I get, that field is horrendous).  Not to be super observant, but Colin Ryan is in the exact spot for his photo that John Cross and Jake Jacobs were in theirs.  It is nice to see the scoreboard in the background.  Too bad it wasn't on, I guess they didn't need it on for picture day.

IT'S PHIL HIATT!  I finally know somebody!  I also notice the team is starting to appear to be less white now.  I wonder if this was just luck or they regulated them to the back of the set.  Maybe I'm thinking about this too much.  Though something else catches my eye, why are some of these guys standing farther off the field as the guys before?  Maybe I'm just making stuff up now.  Anyways Phil Hiatt made the majors and I have a few of his cards.  I remember him having a card in the 1994 (maybe it was 1995) Fleer set, so it seems like somebody made it from this squad.

Kerwin Moore also made the majors.  I just don't remember much about him though.  I also spot Pete Filson and now that I think about it, he isn't the player on the 1990 CMC card that I remember.  The problem is, I can't remember WHO that guy was now.  As for Filson, he did play in the majors, but by 1991 he was a coach.  I like the Scott Hennessey because you get to see most of the scoreboard.  Upon closer inspection, that isn't the same scoreboard as in the other photos, so I'm a bit confused now, but that is an awesome scoreboard.  I decided to show the backs of a couple cards, the first being Phil Hiatt, since he was probably the biggest name from the bunch, and Jay Andrews, III because he had more stats than most of the other guys.  I do like the Baseball City logo on the bottom of the card and like how the Royals logo is in the background as well.

Overall, I like these cards, the front is basic and simple.  I would have liked to seen a little more action, at the least show some of the fielders practicing catching fly balls or something, but back then it seems this was about all you got, so no complaints.  The backs are nice too, with my only complaint being too much open space on the bottom.  I think they could have included a bit of a biography of the player and if need be they could have made the logos of Classic, MLB, and the team a bit smaller.  Otherwise I can't say much else wrong with them.

It's been a while since I searched for team sets or specifically minor league team sets on EBay, but maybe I'll give it another shot.  Now that I have a fairly accurate checklist, it will be easier to see what I have.

So that wraps it up for today, I hope to do more of these in the future, but don't be surprised if it will be a while.  I have other stuff lined up, but should work on these more often.  Thanks for reading and have a great rest of the weekend.  As for me, I have a free trial to Netflix, so I'm gearing up for a binge marathon of Daredevil soon, and checking out some 30 for 30's that I missed.  The Four Falls of Buffalo was really good.  I wasn't too big on Believeland though.  The rest of my que consists of Adam Sandler movies and Fuller House.  I don't expect too much from either (I've sat through about half of Fuller House, I just have too many complaints so far).  Anyways, if you have any suggestions, let me know, I last had a trial last spring so I'm mostly caught up I think.  A rapper I know guests on Orange Is The New Black, so I might watch for him once I know which episode.