I have been a New York Yankees fan for as long as I can remember. In my younger days, I would never have allowed myself to like anything related to the Red Sox. I bought in to the whole rivalry thing. I thought that because I loved my team, that I had to hate anything to do with the Sox. Fortunately, I've grown older (and what I like to think) wiser. Don't get me wrong, I wasn't happy when they broke the Curse of the Bambino and won their first championship in 86 years, especially since they made history by rallying in the ALCS. However, I've learned to appreciate some of the great talent they've had over the last decade(I'm talking about you, Big Papi). Their subsequent WS wins didn't make me happy either, but at least they didn't make me angry or depressed like some fans. In fact, at least one good thin came from their 2007 Workd Series win.
It's this 2008 Upper Deck Jason Varitek, recently pulled from one of those 100 card repacks.
This is one incredible piece of cardboard! It's got everything:
Great photo? Check.
Captain of the squad? Check.
Championship sweatshirt and hat? Check.
A moment in baseball history frozen in time? Check.
World Series Trophy? Check!
I really dig cards like this. Sadly, they are few and far between. Cards like this can break down barriers. If I pulled a Varitek with a random picture of him behind the plate, hitting, or something of the like, I'd be frustrated at pulling a BoSox card and eventually throw it into a trade package. Pulling this was memorable. It's a rare occasion that I can say I'm happy to have pulled a card from my favorite team's bitter rivals, but hey... A great card is a great card!
