Some eBay Throw-Ins: 1985 Topps Traded

I ordered some baseball cards from eBay the other day, in honor of my birthday.  I hope to show what I received soon, but for now, I wanted to post the throw-ins that the seller included.  I got 8 1985 Topps Traded cards for free, and I think they're awesome.

U.L. Washington.

Steve Nicosia.

First some late-70s/early-80s goodness, with U.L. Washington and Steve Nicosia.  In the DVD I have of the final game of the 1980 World Series, the announcers are clear that kids at home shouldn't imitate U.L. Washington's famous toothpick habit.  The 1979 championship Pirates had a ton of hitting power and some strong pitchers, but didn't have a star catcher.  Nicosia and Ed Ott platooned and certainly did well enough.

Vance Law.

Hubie Brooks.

The Pirates had a star catcher coming back then, with Tony Pena.  And Vance Law shared Pena's 1981 Topps Pirates Rookies card with him, along with Pascual Perez.  Law then went to the White Sox before joining the Expos here.  He was on the 1988 NL All-Star team with the Cubs.  Hubie Brooks was part of the Mets' mid-80s rebuild, but didn't end up being part of the championship team.  Instead he was a piece in the blockbuster trade that sent Gary Carter to the Mets.  And he did well in Montreal, making two All-Star teams and winning two Silver Sluggers.

Bert Roberge.

Bob Rodgers.

I don't have much to say about these next two, Bert Roberge and Bob Rodgers.  But I'll say that I will let this post with all these Expos also serve to honor the Nationals winning the World Series.  I had been planning to root for the Astros until the Astros came out as pro-domestic violence, and then switched to the Nationals side.  With the Expos/Nationals now having won a World Series, there are now only 5 teams with a longer futility streak than my Pirates: Cleveland, Texas, Milwaukee, San Diego, and Seattle.  I think it will be a long, long time before the Bucs ever win again, but maybe the same is true of a couple of those others, too.

Chris Pittaro.

Walt Terrell.

Then we have a couple of Tigers that I also don't have much to say about.  But about futility, although only a few teams have longer championship-less streaks then the Pirates, several are in about the same boat.  Pittsburgh, Baltimore, and Detroit are all in pretty similar condition I think; in Detroit they must celebrate that 1984 team the way the Pirates do with 1979.

Thanks for reading!