My latest pickups in my quest to get the entire 2000 Upper Deck Legends Legendary Jersey insert set came in this week. The first is a card that has been pretty tough to find as I have not seen many of them anywhere, including eBay. I remember watching WTBS Broadcasts of the Braves games as I was growing up. Even though the Braves were not very good during those years and my main reason to watch WTBS was World Championship Wrestling, I did like watching Dale Murphy play. Much has been written about whether or not he should be in the Hall of Fame. While his power stats are pretty good (398 HR and 1266 RBIs), and his 2 MVPs (82 and 83) look impressive, I personally don't believe he should be there. One cannot argue his character though, perhaps, one of the best people to play the game.
On the other hand, I give you the next card of a player that many people question, both his career numbers and his character. Barry Bonds finished as the All-Time Home Run Leader in baseball. However, achieving that feat with the help of steroids has cost him greatly. I still think he was one of the most gifted players to play the game even without the help of steroids, but the fact that he did this during one of the most controversial eras of baseball and his relationship with BALCO have meant that his career and his records will always be tainted. Would I put him in the Hall of Fame....yes, but I don't care if he never gets there.
Ironic that the two cards that I get this week are players known for their power, but whose character is so drastically different.
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