Going Back to 1994

One of my most frequent trading partners is Kevin M, who runs the Trading Bases group.  It is more of an open ended type of deal.  I will find a few nice Mets cards for him at a show, while he seems to send a 100 count box of Cardinals my way every month or so.  I may not need them all, but I still like going through the box.  I received the latest box on Saturday.  It had a very 1994 feel to it.

It might be the kid in me, but I have always liked Sportflics.  The "magic motion"  cards are just fun to play with.  These 1994 cards cut my team wantlist down to 3. 

1994 Finest may not have the hype of the 1993 set, but they are still nice cards.  I do not believe the refractors were as limited as the 1993 version, but they are still tough to distinguish since Topps did not not them on the back. 

These are my first cards from the 1994 Upper Deck Minor League and Classic Best sets.  Alan Benes was the only one of the 4 who reached the majors. 

More minor league cards from 1994, these from Fleer Excel.  I was shocked to see the team set has 22 cards.  Not many big leaguers from the bunch other than Benes and TJ Mathews.  Mathews was a reliever who is better know for being part of the Mark McGwire trade.

1994 Bowman Best was a strange set.  Some cards had a blue background, some had red.  Nice to get an Ozzie insert from 1994 Upper Deck.  I did not feel like scanning the 2016 Topps card by itself.  I am still 4 or 5 cards short of completing that set.  Hope to get that done before Update comes out.

Not all cards I needed where from 1994.  Along with the 2016 Topps base card, I received these 2 Topps Chrome parallels.  I was not too excited about the Oh signing last winter, but he has turned out to be a very good reliever.  He took the closer's job around the all star break and has not slowed down.  I hope Matheny does not overuse him so he will be efffective next year.  Hazelbaker was a career minor leaguer before getting a shot this year.  He provides speed and power off the bench, but his strikeout rate will keep him from an everyday job.