Tad Powers on baseball cards

Tad Powers pitched nine seasons of professional baseball in the US and Australia, including time in the Orioles organization. After his playing career ended, he owned and managed the Sydney Wave in Australia and started a sports card company called Futera Sports Cards, which he later sold to Crazy Cards, the makers of Pokemon. Now back in the US as President of the Sandlot Baseball & Softball Academies in Colorado, he kindly answered my questions about baseball cards.

"I started a baseball card company in Australia called Futera for the Australian Baseball League in 1989 (Pepsi ABL) later sold to Crazy Cards. Yes I collect and still have my collection. My favorite is my Sydney Wave card."

Thanks! I couldn't find a picture of the Sydney Wave card, but here is one of Powers (middle right) on a card from his US playing days.

Here are some examples of Futera cards, including one of future American star David Nilsson.

Jose Canseco, art collector

I love Jose Canseco's 1993 Studio card. You can't quite tell if he's being serious or is messing with the interviewer.

It's hard to imagine Jose bowling or collecting oriental art. Howard Cosell and Reggie Jackson do seem like they would be very similar personalities. But the best answer is to the question, what would you have been if not a professional athlete. His answer? "Nuclear physicist." Gotta believe Canseco was messing with the Studio interviewer there and that person either didn't get it or didn't care.

Bel3

One more piece of interestingly personalized baseball equipment - Esteban Beltre writing Bel3 on his glove.

I guess in Victor Borge's inflationary language he would be Esteban Belquatro.

Another Satanic Scott Lusader

Last year I posted Scott Lusader's card from 1990 CMC, showing him wielding a bat with the number 666. I recently got another one, from ProCards, and it shows him with that devilish bat again.

Esix Snead's favorite card

Esix Snead played nine seasons in the Cardinals, Mets, Braves and Orioles organizations, making the major leagues with the Mets in 2002 and 2004. He stole over sixty bases four straight seasons, setting a Carolina League record with 109 in 2000. Now coaching baseball at Gainesville High School in Florida, he kindly answered my questions about baseball card.

"My favorite card of myself is one called sweet beginnings. It was one of my first cards."

Thanks! I don't have that card, but here is one I do have, from 2001 Upper Deck.

Oss

Ballplayers with long last names often use just the first syllable of their name to personalize their equipment. Maz on a bat or glove would belong to Lee Mazzilli, for example. What to do when your last name is Assenmacher?

Write it as it is said, not as it is spelled. (His name is pronounced Ossenmocker.)

Penny Rock

How do you personalize your bat when you have a twelve letter last name that sounds kind of wimpy, like Pennyfeather?

You change it to something badass - Penny-ROCK!

A Classic Switch

In 1991 Classic Best, they switched the pictures of light-skinned pitcher Shane Reynolds and dark-skinned shortstop Orlando Miller.

Trade with Potch Wheeler and the Cardboard Heroes

I traded some '78 and '79 Topps to Potch Wheeler and the Cardboard Heroes, and he sent me a variety of cards from the '70s, '80s, and 2011.

With these two '89 Donruss cards, I'm down to needing just three for the set. Anyone have Ken Griffey Jr. (#33), Gary Carter (#53), or Kent Hrbek (#199) to trade?

He also sent me my first diamond card from 2011 Topps. It sure is pretty.

Baseball card stories from Darwin Pennye

Darwin Pennye played five seasons in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization, hitting .278 with 25 HR and 211 RBI. Now the athletic director at Bay Area Christian School in League City, TX, he kindly shared with me some baseball card stories.
"My favorite story is when I was a minor league coach and the players of the Auburn Doubledays talked the photo guy into taking a picture of the mascot Abner and then they dogpiled him and I was hoping that the picture would end up on the card, but it didn't. The guy who worked as the mascot got mad and the assistant GM wound up being the mascot for that night's game.

My favorite card is my 1990 Salem Buccaneer card by Star. They snapped a pic that was natural and unrehearsed and most people said it made me look like Lawrence Taylor. Later that offseason I was walking through the mall in my hometown of Temple, Texas and a card shop had a collectors magazine and my card was on the outside cover as an inset picture. It made me feel a little special and when I bought it, the salesman said "hey that's you".

As far as baseball card collecting goes, I gave it up when I stopped playing. I have a few around the office, but as a whole it's not a hobby I care to pursue anymore."

Thanks! I couldn't find a picture of his 1990 Star, so here is one from 1991 Line Drive.