Are You Ready For Thisss!?

When I was younger (6-15) my greatest passion was collecting sports, in particular, baseball cards. I still have a solid sampling of the cards at my parent's house that I often flip through on holidays and other random trips home. They bring back some great memories. Some such memories include:

• Being fleeced of a Jose Canseco rookie I had pulled from a pack by my cousin Tyson at around age 5. I'll never forget my dad finding out and being absolutely furious at the cousin.
• Making a trade of some random card for a Kevin Mitchell Donruss Home Run King with Mr. Jason McKim in grade school and both of us, approximately one hour later, regretting the trade and trading back.
• Receiving for my 8th birthday a 1990 Upper Deck Updated set that included a David Justice rookie.
• Receiving for Christmas of the same year a box of 1989 Topps in an attempt to put together a full set with my dad pack by pack. I was 11 cards off on the set, but I pulled 7 Gregg Jeffries Future Star rookies cards
• At some point receiving the holy grail of all baseball cards: a 1975 Topps George Brett rookie
• Begging Big Ray (Saxby's father) for a trip to the vaunted High 5 Sports Cards shop - the only baseball card shop in Kirksville - and having him say he would if we could answer a question. The question involved a classic rock band with a name that started with a member of the Beverly Hillbillies. The band in question was Jethro Tull, my father's favorite all time band. I think Big Ray was impressed that I knew the answer, but I think he would have taken the MadDog and I anyhow.

Time permitting, I could go on for days with such stories (mainly my extreme fascination with the 1992-1993 NBA draft class, most notably Shaquille O'Neal).

The reason that I conjured up this post was based on a story I ran across at JoeSportsFan.com today about the legendary Don West. I am running short on time at the moment, so I think I will leave the rest for another day, coming soon (either before or after the Boston post promised). I will, however, leave you with a video that might explain why, whenever I could, I tuned in to the Shop At Home network from 12-7 am whenever I could. It starts out slow, but once Don gets going, he keeps going (19 boxes!).