1975 Topps Page by Page: Page 55 (487-495)

 I'm sure that you all remember that I finally completed my 1975 Topps set.

Now that it's done I thought it would be fun to look through the set and talk about it. Going page by page seemed like a good way to go about it. Hopefully you find it interesting to read what I have to say.

How about we continue with page 55?

Red Sox Cards on the Page  

1. Thank goodness for Cecil Cooper.

Cards that make the 1975 Topps set cool 

Team cards are cool. Players from the 1975 World Series are cool. (Although, Cooper didn't exactly excel in that series.)

My favorite card on the page 

A couple actual action shots on this page. But, still have to go with the Cooper. Love that Sox uniform.

What would your answers to those last two categories be?

Madison Morrow Visits Section 36!

Section 36 has another visitor! Madison Morrow is passionate about the arts, a talented painter, and the current Miss Moraine State. I was thrilled that she was willing to visit with us to discuss those topics, and a few more.

So, let's see what happens when Madison Morrow visits Section 36! 

How did you celebrate winning the Miss Moraine State crown?

I called my mom! She has been one of my biggest supporters and has been with me every step of the way for all of my endeavors.

What part of the upcoming Miss Pennsylvania competition are you most nervous about?

I would have to say the unfamiliarity of it. I have never been able to compete in a state competition before, so I’m doing my best to prepare but don’t fully know what to expect.

Is there a specific goal you’d like to accomplish during your time as Miss Moraine State?

With the shutdown from the pandemic coming to a close, people are more likely to get out of their houses and want to be in person for events. However, this might mean that arts institutions will relax their digital content because their audiences are “coming back.” I hope to guide them on how to keep up their digital content for those who are not able to physically come to their spaces. If I can help five organizations implement a digital accessibility plan during my time as Miss Moraine State, then I would consider my time a success.

How did you select your social impact initiative “Arts For All”?

In the 1970’s, an art historian by the name of Nancy Hanks became the chairwoman for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). To have a woman in such a high position at the time was quite a feat already, but her ability to raise funds, awareness, and appreciation for the arts was the true legacy she left behind. She had an “arts for all Americans” vision for the NEA, and that is where the inspiration for my platform title came from. “Arts For All” is exactly what it sounds like- art should be one of the most accessible things for people to enjoy, whether as an audience member or as an artist. However, this can only happen if there is funding for the organizations that create and showcase art.

As a speed painter, how do you select the subject for your competition painting?

I try to select something that is not too complex, but that is still detailed enough to be understood. Faces of famous artists or arts advocates are usually what I paint, but I’ve been able to do small landscapes or still lifes.

You’ve been able to do quite a bit of traveling. Is there a favorite place you’ve visited?

That’s such a hard question! Everywhere I have gone has had

its own thing that makes them especially unique, but if I had to pick, I would say Rocky Mountain National Park outside of Denver, Colorado. I went hiking there a few years ago, right when the snow was melting, and have never seen anything more beautiful. The lakes, trees, and mountains were out of a fairytale.

If you could be a Disney character for a week, who would you choose? Why?

I would love to be Kidagakash (“Kida”) from the movie Atlantis: The Lost Empire. She is the princess of Atlantis and does everything she can to save her community and people from dying out. She’s headstrong and independent, and I connected with her instantly!

If you had an extra ticket to a Red Sox - Pirates game at PNC, who would you take with you? Why?

I would take my partner, Christopher. He has been a baseball fan his entire life and played when he was younger. MLB season is a very big deal to him, so being able to see the Pirates in person would make his day!

Is there a feature or activity at a Pirates game that you’d especially like to experience?

The Pierogi race, of course! Who doesn’t want to see a bunch of pierogis racing against each

other?

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I can confirm that watching the pierogi race is a fun time!

As always, I want to thank Madison for visiting with us, and for sending along the pictures to go with the interview.

As Madison continues her time as Miss Moraine State, I encourage you to follow her on her title and personal Instagram accounts. They're great ways to keep track of everything she has going on! 

I also absolutely want to wish her the best of luck when she competes for the Miss Pennsylvania title. It would be wonderful to have the first Section 36 visitor wear that crown!
 
Thanks again Madison, and good luck!

1975 Topps Page by Page: Page 54 (478-486)

I'm sure that you all remember that I finally completed my 1975 Topps set.

Now that it's done I thought it would be fun to look through the set and talk about it. Going page by page seemed like a good way to go about it. Hopefully you find it interesting to read what I have to say.

How about we continue with page 54?

Red Sox Cards on the Page  

0. Although, Tom Burgmeier would become a Sox.

Cards that make the 1975 Topps set cool 

Players from the 1975 World Series are cool. Although, much less so when they saved game seven for the Reds.

My favorite card on the page 

I'm not sure what's going on with McEnaney's hat. So, that's interesting. But, I can't get over the face of pure joy on Burgmeier. He's really enjoying this posed shot.

What would your answers to those last two categories be?

McKenzie Connelly Visits Section 36!

Photo by Steven Palowsky

Section 36 has another visitor! McKenzie Connelly is passionate about helping the homeless, a talented singer, and the current Miss Atchafalaya. I was thrilled that she wanted to visit with us to discuss those topics, and a few more.

So, let's see what happens when McKenzie Connelly visits Section 36! 

How did you celebrate winning the Miss Atchafalaya crown?

One of the things I love about competing in Louisiana is the immediate sisterhood. Right after crowning, all of the contestants and the visiting queens went to Cracker Barrel to celebrate, and get to know each other better if we didn’t know each other already, as a sort of “welcome to the sisterhood” dinner. 

What part of the upcoming Miss Louisiana competition are you most nervous about? 

I’m the sort of person who isn’t super nervous about thingsuntil I have arrived and it’s finally happening. I’d say right I’m confident in what I have been working on for the past two years and I’m just ready for it to finally be competition week! 

Is there a specific goal you’d like to accomplish during your time as Miss Atchafalaya?

I really accomplished everything I wanted to during my reign as Miss Atchafalaya - making better connections with homeless charities in south Louisiana, working closer with CMNH through Dance Marathon, and creating interesting content that highlights fellow titleholders. I’d say now during my “victory lap” I want to finish the #WomenEmpowermentWednesday highlights for the girls who joined the Miss Louisiana class this year and continue working with those homeless charities as much as I can. 

How did you select your social impact initiative “Heart for H.O.M.E.”?

I’ve actually been working on parts of Heart for H.O.M.E - Homelessness Outreach, Mentorship, and Education, since I was nine years old. I was first exposed to the issue of homelessness through the organization Family Promise for a Gifted & Talented service learning project in the fourth grade. The objective was to find a need in the community and work to assist an organization that helps meet that need. My church had just announced a partnership with Family Promise and I felt like there was no greater need in the community than people living without basic necessities like food, water, and shelter. As a part of my initial service project “Baking A Difference”, I organized a bake sale and helped raise money for the program’s immediate needs going into the holiday season. 

Heart for H.O.M.E. seeks to ameliorate and eradicate the effects of homelessness within our community. Outreach is working directly with local homelessness organizations. Mentorship is mentoring children experiencing homelessness to reach their fullest potential by providing them with the resources they need to thrive despite their current circumstances. Education is educating the public on the realities of homelessness and how they can create positive change in their communities by getting involved and giving back to those who need it most. 

As a talented singer, what do you enjoy most about performing on stage?

I absolutely love the feeling I get when I can step outside of

myself by portraying a character and conveying a story through song. This year I have a very fun and challenging talent, the Queen of the Night Aria from Mozart’s The Magic Flute. While it took me a very long time to get it where it needed to be technically, it is such a fun, dramatic piece. This is one of my favorite pieces I’ve ever performed and I can’t wait to share it with everyone in just a few weeks!

How would you complete the sentence "I get great satisfaction when ___"?

I get great satisfaction when I see the kids I’m working to impact. I recently went to Dance Marathon at LSU’s Big Event and they had several of the miracle kids and families in attendance. Getting to play with and talk to many of the children in attendance made me realize just how much of a difference I can make with my efforts and how the payoff of hard work is so sweet. I haven’t been able to work hands-on with homeless children in a long time because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but I can’t wait to see them all again (hopefully) very soon! 

If you could be a Disney character for a week, who would you choose? Why?

I would choose to be Moana because I love the beach and the ocean and being able to go on a Polynesian adventure to save the ocean sounds like a lot of fun! Fun fact: I actually almost drowned off the coast of New Jersey when I was 6, so I should probably be scared of the water but I still love it! 

You had the opportunity to attend the parade celebrating the Houston Astros World Series championship. What was that experience like?

That was absolutely incredible! My family is full of pretty big baseball fans (we have a fierce Astros v. Yankees rivalry, sorry Sox fans!) so being able to go with them to celebrate a World Series win was probably a once in a lifetime experience for me. The streets were full of people and there was so much joy after the city had been through such hardships with Hurricane Harvey. It was an unforgettable experience and I am so grateful to have been able to go. 

Is there a feature or activity at a baseball game that you’d especially like to experience?

I like the train full of oranges that goes around every time theAstros score a Home Run at Minute Maid and of course the mini helmets full of ice cream! But of course at my home stadium of Alex Box here at LSU, Geaux Tigers!, I love being able to watch a great sport with my best friends and cheer on the Tigers to hopefully another national championship! 

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Mini helmets full of ice cream are definitely a must!

As always, I want to thank McKenzie for visiting with us, and for sending along the pictures to go with the interview.

As McKenzie continues her time as Miss Atchafalaya, I encourage you to follow her on her Instagram account. It's a great way to keep track of everything she has going on! 

I also definitely want to wish her the best of luck when she competes for the Miss Louisiana title. It would be wonderful to have the first Section 36 visitor wear that crown!
 
Thanks again McKenzie, and good luck!

A Grande Trade Post!

Back in October, I posted about a blaster of Topps Allen & Ginter that I had the pleasure of opening. One of the cards caught the eye of Chris over at Nachos Grande. He recognized it as one he needed, and I was happy to send it over to him along with a few other cards I had for him. He was kind enough to send a package of greatness back in return. I thought it would be fun to look at some of them here.

I hope you agree!

Here we go...

The 1981 Donruss design is starting to grow on me. Instead of being "plain and boring", it's starting to become "classic". The coloring I'm also finding appealing. Whatever the reason, I welcome this change in my opinion.

This Parnell is from the Archives set back when they were actual reprints. While it's not a real 1953, it's still a great addition to the collection. Coming off a less stellar 1952 season, Parnell was a 20-game winner in 1953.

Always nice to be reminded that Dawson was a Red Sox for a while there.

A nice collection of 1995 Score here showing different stages of Red Sox stardom. Frankie Rodriguez was supposed to be the next big thing...right until he wasn't. He went from untouchable in the minors, to being traded to the Twins during the '95 season. Mo Vaughn would, of course, win the MVP in 1995. Roger followed a 9-7 1994 season with a 10-5 1995. After a 10-13 1996 season he was allowed to sign with Toronto to finish out the twilight of his career.

In 1997, Reggie Jefferson was coming off a career year, and competing for a batting title. Well, perhaps "competing" is a stretch. For much of the season, he was among the league leaders...but didn't have enough at-bats to qualify for the title. He wasn't playing regularly enough to get the at-bats he needed. In fact, at one point late in the season he was hit by a pitch that bounced in the dirt first. He didn't attempt to take his base, and the ump didn't seem to realize it hit him. There was always the assumption that Jefferson ignored the HBP because he need the at-bat more. As it happened, Jefferson ended up finishing 8th in the batting race that year, about 30 points behind Frank Thomas.

He also included these cards featuring Red Sox greats Cecil Fielder and Jeff Fassero. Wait...that's not right...

That's better. The other sides of those cards feature actual Sox legends Mo Vaughn and...well...Jeff Suppan. 

Another couple prospects that never really panned out. Trust me, people were excited about Veras and Asadoorian at one point.

People were also excited about this guy. For a long time. Love the way the Gold Label really shows it off. Kudos to Chris for finding a Nomar card I didn't have...that's not easy to do.

And he did it again! Topps Total was a fun brand. A nice clean design.

Chris was nice enough to point out that this card is a SP. Which is good, since there's no way I would have known otherwise. This trade was a big deal at the time. It's also a feature in Moneyball since Billy Beane tried to insert himself into the trade as a way to get Kevin Youkilis from the Sox. It didn't work.

Speaking of Youkilis, here he is on a card with a great design. Makes for a pretty impressive card. Unlike the Ortiz card, which looks like it was cut and pasted together. Literally. By a kindergartener. 

Wally!

While Wells always had too much Yankees stink on him for my taste, always fun to add a Red Sox relic piece to the collection. Does the "Midsummer Swatches" insert name imply this might be a specific jersey? Let's see...

No, not a specific game. Just a regular old generic Padres game. Wait, what? Why would Upper Deck do that? I mean, obviously I know why. But...why?

And there you have it. Trust me when I tell you that this is a small sample of the pile of goodness sent my way. Every last card was very much appreciated.

Thanks Nachos Grande!