Brooks Robinson, 2006 Topps Rookie of the Week #9

This card arrived in a plain white envelope today from Randy. I was glad to have it, since 1) it's new to me and 2) it saves me from chasing down an eight-year-old promotional giveaway card on my own. Topps done goofed on this one, going with the 1957 design to harken back to Brooks Robinson's rookie card. The picture, judging from the uniform and Brooks' shabby hair and weathered face, is actually from the mid-1970s - that is, the tail end of Brooksie's career. Apparently that was something of a common problem in this set. Eek.

Cal Ripken, Jr., 2006 Topps Rookie of the Week #14

This card was part of a weekly hobby giveaway from 2006, and I'm not so hot about it. While the design is meant to mimic Cal's 1982 rookie card, the photo is clearly from the 1989-1991 era. Oh well, it's not like Topps has an enormous photo archive and thousands of hours of manpower to rely on for oversight. That's even a lackluster photo, with Cal looking dazed and wearing a mighty unfashionable black turtleneck with double orange stripes. As I mentioned several days ago, I now have over 40 copies of this lovely card at my disposal, thanks to an odd draw from Thorzul's cheapo lot break. I'm thinking about fastening them all together in a single sheet to make the world's most unappealing and uncomfortable quilt. That is, unless you have any better ideas.