Time Travel Trading Update #28

I apologize to the small few that actually red my little short stories. It's been getting harder and harder to come up with new ideas, and I have been dealing with writer's block on this one for weeks. Hopefully the next update will have something new, but for now, I'm tapped out!

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It's been over a month since the last Time Travel Trading adventure, so I'd say we're about do, wouldn't you? I'm not going to lie, it's been slow going. The addition of a fresh pack of 2019 Topps didn't jump start the trading as I would have hoped. I did make one trade, however!

A TCDB member named Kari wanted the 1958 Topps Marty Keogh, and in return sent me this card from the year prior:

We also traded some newer cards, but I'll save that for another post.  Outside of the obvious "4" marked on the front, this card is in pretty good shape. I love how he's not "catching" a ball so much as holding the glove up on the ground. You don't see that too often!

Send trades! Help me keep this going! All I ask is for a card older than what I send you! Comment below, or send me a trade proposal through the TCDB (Member ID: Kep75).

The Time Travel Trade Stack:

2019 Topps
#27 Mike Leake
#32 Carlos Correa
#57 Justin Verlander
#62 Elvis Andrus
#123 Jose Martinez
#189 Khris Davis (LL)
#215 Didi Gregorius
#217 Joe Jimenez
#226 Almora Albert
#274 Francisco Cevelli
#290 Steven Souza Jr.
#346 Chris Iannetta

2019 Topps - Super Stars Of Baseball
#SSB-32 Chris Carpenter

2018 Topps
#502 Xander Bogaerts

2018 Topps - Instant Impact
#II-3 Nomar Garciaparra

2008-09 O-Pee-Chee (hockey)
#128 Tim Thomas

2001 Upper Deck - e-Card (golf)
#E-TW Tiger Woods

1998 SP Top Prospects
#119 James Manias

1993 Classic Draft Picks (basketball)
#33 Will Flemons
#67 Bennie Seltzer

1990-91 Hoops (basketball)
#168 Glen Rice (RC)

1990-91 Pro Set Super Bowl 160 (football)
#16 SB XVI Ticket - San Francisco 49ers / Cincinnati Bengals

1990 Upper Deck
#626 Frank Viola

1990 Pro Set - Theme Art (football)
#10 Super Bowl X Pittsburgh Steelers / Dallas Cowboys 

1989 Fleer
#29 Bob Welch

1989 Score
#495 Larry Parrish

1986 Sportflics
#122 John Tudor

1986 Topps
#5 Rose Special '75-'78
#6 Rose Special '79-'82
 #401 Fernando Valenzuela (Turn Back The Clock)

1985 Topps
#694 Joe Carter

1982 Donruss
#NNO Checklist 545-653

1982 O-Pee-Chee E.T. The Extraterrestrial (non-sport)
#15 Among Elliott's Toys

1980 Topps
#143 Bruce Bochte
#157 Willie Wilson
#671 A's Future Stars

1979 Topps
#130 Bob Watson
#465 Reggie Smith

1977 Topps
#524 Rowland Office

1975 Topps
#378 Derrel Thomas
#402 Bob Tolan

1974 Topps
#38 Don Kessinger
#67 Tommy Helms

1974 Topps - Team Checklists
#NNO Montreal Expos

1973-74 O-Pee-Chee (hockey)
#53 Richard Lemieux

1973 Topps
#18 Leroy Stanton
#29 Tony Taylor
#36 Steve Barber
#79 Jim Willoughby (RC)
#98 Dick Woodson
#99 Carl Taylor

1972 Topps
#43 Rick Wise
#109 Jerry May
#437 Maury Wills
#438 Maury Wills (IA)

1971 Topps
#16 Ken Singleton (RC)
#63 AL 1970 RBI Leaders (Howard/Conigliaro/Powell)
#71 AL 1970 Strikeout Leaders (McDowell/Lolich/Johnson)
#90 Joe Pepitone
#95 Luis Tiant
#105 Tony Conigliaro
#146 Ralph Houk (MGR)
#183 Gil Hodges (MGR)
#195 AL Playoffs Game 1 - Powell Muscles Twins!
#208 Billy Martin (MGR)
#290 Tony Oliva
#374 Clete Boyer
#385 Maury Wills
#388 Al Oliver

1971 Topps (football)
#22 Ken Avery (RC)

1970 Topps
#47 Bob Miller
#56 Phillies Rookies - Joe Lis/Scott Reid (RC)
#103 Frank Reberger

1970 Red Rose and Blue Ribbon North American Wildlife In Danger (non-sport)
#32 Polar Bear

1969 Topps
#139 Andy Kosco

1969 Topps - Deckle Edge
#13 Mel Stottlemyre

1969 Topps (football)
#73 Bennie McRae
#154 Sam Baker

1968 Topps
#4 1967 AL RBI Leaders (Yastrzemski/Killebrew/Robinson)
#348 Larry Colton/Dick Thoenen

1968 Topps - Game
#15 Steve Hargan

1968 Topps (football)
#7 Earl Gros

1967 Philadelphia (football)
#109 New York Giants (TC)

1966 Topps
#154 Chuck Hiller

1966 Philadelphia (football)
#104 Rams vs. Browns

1965 Philadelphia (football)
#193 John Paluck

1964 Philadelphia (football)
#172 Ken Gray (RC)

1963 Topps
#155 Bill Stafford

1961 Topps
#32 Ray Sadecki
#38 Bob Lillis
#96 Billy O'Dell
#165 Gino Cimoli
#258 Jack Sanford
#267 Norm Siebern

1960 Topps
#95 Frank Thomas

1959 Topps
#289 Willie Jones

1959 Topps (football)
#80 Joe Perry

1958 Topps Zorro (non-sport)
#83 Rude Awakening

1957 Topps
#66 Brooks Lawrence
#235 Tom Poholsky
#249 Dave Pope
#371 Bob Lennon
#406 Bob Hale

1956 Topps
#21 Joe Collins
#103 Willie Miranda (white back)
#156 Johnny Antonelli

1956 Topps Flags of the World (non-sport)
#70 Jordan

1955 Topps
#126 Dick Hall (RC)

1954 Bowman
#73 Don Mueller

1952 Bowman
#57 Clyde Vollmer

1938 Church & Dwight Useful Birds Of America Tenth Series (J9-6) (non-sport)
#2 Black-throated Green Warbler

The Time Travel Trading Project is simple in concept. I started out with a random pack of 2018 Topps Series 1 baseball cards. My aim was to trade every card in that pack for something older. Each card I receive in turn is then made available for trade, with the goal to get the oldest card I can get.

Number of trades completed: 32
Unique trading partners: 24

Number of cards mailed out: 74
Year of oldest card mailed out: 1956

Number of cards received: 168
Year of oldest card received: 1938

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April Fool! While the above apology is based on truth (These stories really are getting hard to do!), I did manage to whip up a quick story. Enjoy!

This was the part of the job Marty hated. As a psychologist, he was used to seeing all manners of mental breakdowns. His expertise in this particular field made him the perfect candidate for his current job. As the "Chronological Adjustment Specialist", it was his job to make sure the athletes from the past were mentally prepared for the new world they found themselves in. Most of the time it was pretty straight forward. The human mind has remarkable capacity for adjustment, and most ballplayers accept and thrive in their new environment within a week. 

Bob Hale was not adjusting. Three weeks have gone by with no improvement. Mr. Hale just kept believing that he was dreaming, that it was still 1956, and that he had to get to his game at 4 O'Clock. 

The call from his supervisor realized his worst fear: "We're cutting bait and sending him back. Take him back to Time Station 3." It was a horrible idea, and Marty made sure his boss knew it. "You can't do that! He'll never be able to resume a normal life back then! His mind is too conflicted. I need more time!"

"You're out of time, Marty. So is he. Time Station 3, right now. The lab technicians are waiting."

The call ended, and all Marty could do was look at Bob Hale and sigh. Maybe things will be alright. Maybe Bob will make the game on time, and things will go back to the always have for him. More likely, Bob Hale will always remember the future and the strange world he found himself in. 

I hope he can finally adjust, Marty though to himself. Maybe then, he can forgive me for what we did to him....