1977 Topps Steve Garvey

Things just look different when you're a kid. Steve Garvey looked like a baseball superhero.  He had those (for the time) impressively muscular forearms.  He had that supernatural self-confidence.  He always seemed to get the big hit, and flash that big smile in the post-game interview, saying all the right things about helping the team.  He was a certain Hall-of-Famer, right?

Of course, it turns out he was all Hollywood flim-flam.  A politician in cleats.  John Edwards batting cleanup.  But, at the time, this card epitomized everything that I thought was right about baseball.

1982 Fleer Pete & Re-Pete

Pete and Re-Pete are on a baseball field.  Pete gets busted for gambling.  Who's left?

Re-Pete.

Pete and Re-Pete are on a baseball field.  Re-Pete gets busted for selling steroids.

Not exactly the fantasy of kids everywhere when this card came out, at about the time I was playing first base for the Phillies in Mira Costa Little League.  We all viewed Re-Pete with envy.  Of course, I wouldn't throw any big-league career back if you gave it to me.  Even a 2-for-16 (.143) cup o' coffee.

1980 Topps Don Sutton

I stole this card from Burt (Bert?) Ramsey when I was 10 years old.

1980 was my first year collecting baseball cards.  I had all of the Dodgers... except for Don Sutton.  I made several trade offers to Burt (Bert?), willing to nearly empty the vault to satisfy my obsession.  But, being ten years old, the power to withhold the prize from me was worth more to Burt (Bert?).

So I stole it.  And I was happy/guilt-ridden until his mom made me give it back to him.

Fear not.  I soon found the card in a pack.