My Odds & Ends: PASSION OF THE CHRIST!!!

[BrandonDaCollector]

Okay, so here comes My seventh Baseball showcase comin' at ya This one is all about classic VHS Tapes. I believe I got them all over at Dollar Tree but I cannot be certain of that however. Here's this two pack that I never opened so search Me why I never watched it It's of the MLB Unbelievable Plays & Bloopers



It was by Orion Video and here's the 1995 Copyright



Here's MLB Prime 9: The Best in Major League Baseball. It features some of the best players during some of the best times Baseball history from 1st Basemen to Pitchers in a great lineup which are Mo Vaughn, Chuck Knoblauch, Ken Caminiti, Alex Rodriguez, Ken Griffey Jr, Barry Bonds, Albert Belle, Mike Piazza & Greg Maddux and is hosted by Ozzie Smith. I love how this VHS Box is as it has raised graphics and the pictures of the players is superb



Here's the VHS Tape and the 1997 Copyright...



and the Orion 1997 Copyright.




Now here's the most prized one of the three as I have MLB '98: The Record Breakers. I love this one. It features the unforgettable Home Run Race with Mark McGwire & Sammy Sosa, the incredible feats that Cal Ripken Jr. Barry Bonds & David Wells did as well as the amazing season of the New York Yankees plus much more. This VHS Box is great looking too, it shows you how remarkable the 1998 Baseball Season was




Here's the VHS Tape.



Here's the 1999 Copyrights so this VHS Tape has it's 25th Anniversary as I speak. As I always say, look for those Copyrights, Trademarks & Info on your collectibles regardless what they are. It will help you so much. I've always done this since I was a youngster




This Insert was inside of the Box of Blessid Union which I have no idea who they were then. I think they should have included something else like an Ad of more Baseball or at least another Sport but that's just Me.



So here's all three of My great Baseball VHS Tapes together...look at that classic 90s Baseball history



That will do it for now and I hope you liked this. Next up I'm going to go full fledged on starting the 99 Season of The St. Louis Cardinals which is going to be something else. Until then I'll see you around

[packerbacker180]

Mo Vaughn? No way. Jeff Bagwell. McGwire. John Olerud. There had to be better choices than bi fat Mo Vaughn. I'll always dislike Mo Vaugh. When he was with the Pawtucket Red Sox they came to Buffalo and back then I kept much more track of prospects and who was coming to play against the Bisons, and Mo Vaughn was a first round draft pick in 1989 and I always wanted to get the autographs of anyone who could be a future star. So I was one of many kids there that day leaning over the third base wall trying to get autographs and Mo Vaughn was walking around so we were calling out for him and he looked over and said, "Sorry, I have to go stretch" and then he proceeded to walk behind home plate and stood there talking to another player until they were getting ready for the ceremonial first pitch. I doubt that fat bastard ever stretched, lol. I always rooted against him from then on. That's one of two stories of "heartbreak" I tell about Bisons games as a kid. The other being when the Columbus Clippers (NY Yankess affiliate) were coming and Deion Sanders was playing with them and he got called up the same afternoon that I was going to the game that evening lol. I hope I haven't told those stories before, it gets hard to keep track.

Well, history repeated itself this past Tuesday. My oldest son is a big Blue Jays fan and the Bisons are currently the AAA affiliate, and his favorite players are Vlad Guerrero Jr and Bo Bichette. Well, Bo Bichette was down here on a rehab assignment for over a week, and the first home game they had while he was supposed to be down here was Tuesday, and we got tickets for his birthday and then the Blue Jays recalled Bo Bichette literally 50 minutes before the game started. Womp womp. He still had fun even though the game went 12 innings and ended pretty later. He got a ball from one of the players after the game, too.

I never really watched the old VHS tapes like that, but back in the ealry 90s I would always watch This Week in Baseball. Such good memories.

[BrandonDaCollector]

Yes, it was a very questionable lineup to say the least. Gosh, I didn't know Mo Vaughn was a jerk Thanks for that trivia there , Yes, I know your son likes the Blue Jays, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. & Bo Bichette. If he hasn't already he needs to see their fathers and the great stuff that they did too Gosh, that was also some story there too Oh yes, This Week in Baseball was great

I got Autographs too from some Cardinals. We'll see about that one day. Also, My next showcase will have a little bit of their farm system & affiliates and this showcase will be a big one. Thanks for your reply PB

[packerbacker180]

Yes, Mo Vaugh was a tool, lmao.

I completely forgot to mention that Blessid Union of Souls ad. That brings back some memories. I worked at Penney's back then and there were a couple girls I kind of had crushes on at work but didn't have the nerve to ask out, and Light in Your Eyes was on the rotation of songs that played at Penneys daily and it became a bit of torch song for me in those lonely days. It's actually a pretty decent CD. but it was the one that came out before the advertised CD. It would've been 1997, my sophomore year of college.

[BrandonDaCollector]

I'm glad you rethought/remembered about something else of My showcase because sometimes I wonder why stuff wasn't said about other great things I posted especially when I think heavy of it. Well, that's some good trivia there Packer and I'm glad that you recalled that from 1997, what a year that was. Boy, I think I would have asked one of'em out especially if it was a crush. If I didn't I'd still be thinking of what could have been I mean I still do from time to time with My girlfriends from long ago in school & so on.

I hope to post a big St. Louis Cardinals showcase soon that introduced 1999 within the/a week or so, so be looking for that in time. Thanks PB

[packerbacker180]

There's a lot of times I think of things to mention while typing and then go off on some tangent and completely forget to even mention it. Like this, for example. Now about asking those girls out, well, there's a story there as well. I may've told it in passing previously, but maybe Ill go a little more in-depth over in the music thread since I was thinking of posting a few Blessid Union songs anyway, so follow me there...

[BrandonDaCollector]

I see. I feel bad when I forget to mention things in replies to you. You see many times I mentioned stuff a couple days after I posted about it. Okay, I'm off to go in the General Section

[BrandonDaCollector]

So here we go with a huge showcase that introduces the 1999 St. Louis Cardinals. Take your time to check all of this out because 99 was My first full Baseball Season. I just wasn't a Cardinals fan, I became a "Baseball" fan as I realized there was much more fun to be had other than My home team & Mark McGwire. You'll see a ton of that in time.

First, here's My great 1999, Anheuser-Bush St. Louis Cardinals Magnet that My Grandma MiMi got Me directly from directly from them which she did this for Me sometimes as seen in My previous showcases. How did she do this you ask She called them and they were nice and I got it in a couple days as their just Downtown from Us. Here it is



Now, here's My St. Louis Cardinals 1999 Yearbook. I always loved Wrestling Books with bios & stats. This is how I learned a lot about stuff long before the Internet was a thing. Most people don't think information is important but at a very age I always thought the opposite. I always wanted to know more and the things their not teaching you or hearing about. When I got into Baseball and I was knowing countless players and their stats...this was a must for a stat freak such as Myself. I saw this great Book during one fine trip to My local Toys "R" Us in early 1999, 25 years ago this year when they were still that wonderful original place to be My Mom got it for Me as a gift for $9.99 which was a very decent price for such a fantastic Book such as this...look at that Price Tag



PLEASE NOTE: Not every page will shown and some things will be combined and in random order.

Here's the Table of Contents & 1999 Copyright. As I always say, check those Copyrights & Trademarks on your collectables regardless of what they are because it's very important



This is published by USP - University Sports Publications Company Incorporated in New York.



This is the TRU that I got this great Book at in 1999. This is the on Lindberg in South County that I've shown & talked about before. I have many, many great memories from this location



Now I'm going inside the Book. Here's the 1998 Mark McGwire Tater Ticker, great looking Articles & Covers.






Here's some of Mark's Home Runs with a great Papa John's Pizza Ad when they were still the original Papa John's.






Here's this one with Gary Gaetti, Ron Gant & Brian Jordan when they were still there but come 99 they went elsewhere which was okay with Me because this allowed more interesting players to come aboard to a new lineup



Here's the Final 1998 Cardinals Stats.




Here's the Bush Stadium Seating Guide. I've always loved to look at these but it's very important too if you're getting to Tickets. As I said before, we usual got the cheap seats by Homer's Landing. It was great there as you could see the Cardinals Bullpen and the Pitchers warming up plus the Outfielders from both teams.



Now here we go with the Roster. First here is the legendary Manager Tony LaRusa, Pitching Coach Dave Duncan, Bench Coach Jose Oquendo who I met in 2000 at the Hoffmeister Driving Range as I revealed that last year Also here is Rene Lachemann, Mark DeJohn, Dave McKay, & Mike Easler. I'm glad that they included them I mean their guys that run the team



IMPORTANT NOTE: Here's the whole St. Louis Cardinals Team. I met some of these guys via a Autograph Signing Event. I never had big conversations with them, it was just like a hi & bye scenario. I will note this plus more of My memories of this great Team with the newcomers because the 99 Cardinals had a lot of new additions

Juan Acevado. I met him. He was nice. Good Pitcher.



Manny Aybar. He was friends with Acevado as there were like a tag team on TV.



Ricky Botallicap was one of the many newcomers to the Cardinals.



Kent Bottenfield was a good Pitcher, he always looked so big.



Darren Bragg was a great new addition. I couldn't believe how much he resembled Liam Neeson from SW: EP1 TPM during this same fun year, that was cool



Here's Pitcher Mike Busby...



and here's newcomer Alberto Castillo. I met him. I recall a couple behind Me & My Mom saying "is he Asian"



I was like wow, they got Eric Davis from the Baltimore Orioles, that was big



JD Drew was a huge acquirement from the Phillies, it was war whenever The Cards went to Philadelphia as the fan were furious about him.



Like Bragg, I was really looking to seeing Shawon Dunston



Here's David Howard, a great utility player.



Jose Jimenez was a good pitcher but was a young hothead thinking he knew it all. Dave Duncan always gave him a lesson or two and Jose knew he didn't.



Ray Lankford was one of the last of the original Cardinals from previous seasons.



Eli Marrero was a great up and comer and really one of the most underrated catchers.



Joe McEwing was a fan fave. My Mom really liked "Little Mac". She liked his ridicules rituals he had to do before he went to bat. He came out to Bush's Machinehead which was a song We'd listen too a lot.



Here's Willie McGee, he was the guy you needed to get the job done and he usually did



Here's "Big Mac" Mark McGwire who was the hero of the team and quite frankly Mine too I mean he's the reason why I got into Baseball. Don't forget I showcased most of My McGwire items last year. Sure, soon I'd realize there was much more cool & fun stuff than him but again, I known that because he was the key to the door Shame how I'm like one of the plebians now that thinks about him now & what he did for society...gosh how people forget, move on and think nothing of great events...this is one of the things that I really dislike about Society It was so awesome when he'd come out to Guns N' Roses' "Welcome to the Jungle" and flashbulbs from the crowd would go off. There's never been a time like that before nor since. The pictures they chose here of Mark is excellent



Kent Merker was a decent pitcher. He was very underrated.



Mike Mohler was such cool one and one of the many new recruits that I was looking forward to.



Darren Oliver was from Kanas City, Mo and was a top guy for the Cardinals.



Donavon Osbourne was okay. Most of the time he'd really botch a game giving up hits & runs more often than what he should.



Lance Painter was very good and was from England and actually knew what Baseball was. I'm saying this because those people over there don't know the sports here in the US. I know first-hand because I talked to many people from the U.K. over the years and their asking Me what is Baseball and all that jazz and I'm like really I always thought Painter looked liked Kurt Russell from the side.



Oh man here's Scott Radinsky, another of the new guys. He was an excellent pitcher and like his name says, he was "radical"



Here's Edger Renteria whom we got from the Florida Marlins. He would prove to be a great Shortstop. My Grandma always said, what is he going to "rent" next



Here's Fernado Tatis, one best of all time. This Third Baseman would make some unbelievable records. As good as his son is and as much love he get's from people today, they need see his father's accomplishments and see what "a real player" was



Here's some more players including Jose Leon, Matt Morris, Luis Ordaz, Placido Polanco, Luis Saturria & Jason Woolf. Now Matt Morris would become a major face within the Cardinals' Organization and would be one of the best well known pitchers in the sport. Now I met Ordaz & Polanco. I looked right into Placido's yellow eyes and told him he would be a great player and then look what happen...HE WAS Also, I lend him My Grandma's Money Pen to sign My Autograph Ball and he forgot to give it back Me and I forgot about it because of the all the excitement. Ever since My Grandma always called him THE PEN THIEF



Here's Rick Ankiel who is a pitcher here but would later become a big heavy hitter. Alan Benes, the big brother of Andy Benes. Also here's Brent Butler and Rick Croushore who My Mom always got a kick out of because how he was. Also, here's Matt Dewitt, Chris Haas, Chad Hutchninson and two that would be great with the STLC, Adam Kennedy & Curtis King.



Here's the Farm System Directory which is your Minor Leagues. To Me, seeing the Minors is as fun & as important as the Majors.



Here's a ton of good Ads including White Castle, Toys "R" Us, St. Louis's own Don Brown Chevrolet & R&F
















To close it off, here's the iconic "Got Milk" Mark McGwire Ad. The Yearbook would basically be incomplete without it There's the back Cover



So I hope you liked this. Take another good gander at this so you don't miss anything you overlooked. I'm going to try to have a couple small Baseball Showcases for this Baseball Postseason, until then I'll see you around

[BrandonDaCollector]

Before I get to My next part, don't forget to checkout My 1999 St. Cardinals Yearbook because there's a ton of great can't miss stuff there. So here I go with My final Baseball showcase until the Spring of next year

Remember those super cool USPS Mark McGwire Envelopes that I posted last year Well, I hope so because I posted so much great stuff. My Mom got Me those and she also got Me this of Kansas City Royals' George Brett a year later in 1999, 25 years ago this Year. I recall that she said to Me that she wasn't sure it if I'd like this or nor since it wasn't Cardinals and I said heck yeah Mom, this is great and it's HISTORY Boy this is so darn cool, I just love how this looks & feels






As I always say, look for the Copyrights on all of your collectables regardless of what they are




Now here's this special Keychain of St. Cardinals' 3rd Baseman Fernando Tatis. I'm really not sure how I got this which is a Shame. This is a special of when he hit 2 GRAND SLAMS IN ONE INNING AGAINST LA DODGERS' CHAN HO PARK which this insane record still stands to this day





There's a special AMC Theater Offer on the back, look at that date...10/31/99




Now I'm including the clip of when Fernando Tatis hit the 2 Grand Slams off of Chan Ho Park in one of the most unbelievable Baseball games EVER and I recall this experience like it was last week and nothing has happen like this ever since



Now here's a recent interview with Tatis when he returned to St. Louis and talks about his son and that he's better than him but I got news for him, until his son beats that record and more...he ain't better but that is just Me saying thisn;)



So that there is My Baseball Finale for this year and I hope you liked all of this that I have posted thus far. If you want more Baseball check out all of My special showcases from last year because I'm sure there was a lot you missed not to mention all of the other great stuff that I showcased as well. Next year I will have some big major Baseball stuff. Next I'm going to post a very special local one of a Woman Mechanic I once knew, until then I'll see you around

[packerbacker180]

I liked Geirge Brett a lot as kid. Something abut the blue Royals unis were always cool. And he had a lot of heart out there. Tatis I remember being good for a few years. I think his son could be better, but he's had suspension problems, so it's hard to really be a fan of his.