Cards That Never Were: Joe DeSa Topps 1981

Cards That Never Were is a recurring series in which I create virtual trading cards for players missed in various sets. It is a concept I have borrowed from far too many to thank, but I appreciate all of their efforts.

Joe DeSa was selected by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 3rd round of the 1977 MLB June Amateur Draft. He made his Major League debut in 1980 by appearing in seven games for the Cards. Becoming a free agent after the 1983 season, DeSa signed with the Chicago White Sox and made it back to the bigs in 1985. It was back to the minors in 1986. He was released after the '86 season and signed by the Kansas City Royals, but he died tragically late in 1986. For his career, DeSa saw action in 35 games over two seasons, hitting .200 with 2 HRs, 7 RBIs and 5 runs scored.

Topps gave DeSa a card in its 1986 set, but failed to give him one for his time with the Cardinals. I set out to do that, when I saw Jeff in the Custom Baseball Cards Facebook group beat me to it. His was perfect, meaning I didn't need to do one. Still, I wanted to highlight his great work and the work of all in that group. There are thousands of creations and not just baseball cards.

Carole Feuerman and Monuments of Stillness

A few weeks ago, I attended a press session for the unveiling of a sculpture series in downtown Chicago. For the full recap and pictures, go to Monuments of Stillness on Global Traveler.

A native of Hartford, Connecticut, Carole Feuerman has been creating beautiful art for more than 50 years. Her creations involving swimmers were some of the first to garner major praise and attention. She continues using swimmers in her current works, including some of her pieces in the Chicago exhibit.

There will be 11 of Feuerman's pieces located along Chicago's Magnificent Mile. They will remain through October, at which point they will move to California. It's too bad Chicago can't keep even one of the pieces. They really add a nice touch to Michigan Avenue.

At the unveiling, Feuerman spoke of the sculptures and her inspiration. One particularly interesting thing to me involved the reflective base of one of her pieces. I was trying to get a picture with my image in the reflection. Feuerman stated the pieces are made to reflect viewers, to make them part of the piece. That makes each person's take unique. It also make the sculpture ever-changing in that sense. It changes my perspective.

Small in size, but huge in spirit and personality, Feuerman also entertained us on a double decker bus as we toured the rest of the pieces on Michigan Avenue. She was a pure delight.

Carole Feuerman and me in Chicago, IL-May 2026.

Cards That Never Were: Pedro Borbon Topps 1981

Cards That Never Were is a recurring series in which I create virtual trading cards for players missed in various sets. It is a concept I borrow from far too many to list, but I appreciate all of their efforts.

Pitcher Pedro Borbon was signed by the St. Louis Cardinals in 1964 as an amateur free agent. After being drafted by the California Angels from the Cardinals in the 1968 rule 5 draft, he made his MLB debut in 1969. He was traded to the Cincinnati Reds after that season. He pitched for the Reds until midseason 1979, when he was traded to the San Francisco Giants. Prior to the '80 season, the Giants released him, but he signed with the Cardinals. He was released after the '80 season to end his MLB career. All told, he pitched for 12 seasons, going 69-39 with 80 saves and a 3.52 ERA. For his efforts, Topps gave Borbon cards from 1969-80. That left a missing career capper.

For once, I did not see any of the other master creators with that card. Fortunately, I found a decent picture and I righted the wrong.

Back at POWW with Jimmy Blaze

At the Milk Days in Harvard, Illinois, Tony and I enjoyed a fun night of POWW wrestling. We also finally got new pictures with POWW owner Psychotic Jimmy Blaze.

Don't get me wrong. Jim is very approachable. He is very appreciative of all fans. We have been going to POWW shows for 15+ years, catching several a year. We don't get to as many as we would like, but that's because we cover so many events. POWW remains one of our favorite wrestling companies.

We usually get a chance to briefly chat with Jim before the shows, but we know he is focused on the show and we don't lie to bother him for pictures. After the show, he is busy with paying the wrestlers and other business.

Prior to this show, Tony messaged Jim and asked him for a picture because he would be wearing a Jimmy Blaze short. True to his word, Jimmy did come out and take a picture with us. As you can see from the picture, Jimmy "strongly encouraged" me to come more often.

Jim Blaze and me in Harvard, IL-June 2026.

The Dog Days of Naperville

In addition to my fascination with mascots, I also love public art, especially sculptures. A few weeks ago, I visited some dog sculptures in Naperville, Illinois. Always looking out to help me, my sister Jean alerted me to these dogs.

The Dog Days of Summer features 25 painted pet sculptures in the downtown Naperville area. Notice, I wrote pets, and not dogs. That's because one cat is in the mix.

Aside from the lone cat, the other 24 sculptures feature a variety of dog breeds painted with different themes and local business logos. Unlike some other sculpture projects, the different breeds allow each piece to look different. I love these type of sculptures either way, but having them all shaped differently makes them stand out.

I wrote more about the dogs on Naperville's Dog Days of Summer on Global Traveler. Below is a picture of my favorite dog, a very colorful bulldog.

A Naperville Bulldog and me in Naperville, IL-June 2026.

Friend Encounters: John Cena and David Vox Mullen

Friend Encounters is a weekly series featuring my friends meeting celebrities.

There is so much material in this picture. It is also a bit bittersweet for me.

First, the obvious joke. Why am I featuring my friend David Vox Mullen all by himself? If you know wrestling, you'll get that reference. If you don't know wrestling, look at Cena's hat for a clue.

This meeting between wrestling legend John Cena and my pal Vox happened at Wizard World in 2012. That was before I even knew Vox, but it wasn't before I was covering Wizard World. Henc my angst. Why didn't I get an interview with Cena? Oh well.

I am very happy for Vox though. He landed a big name and he deserved it. Vox is extremely talented, whether singing, hosting, performing comedy or anything else he does. He is also ne of the greatest people I know.

Vox earned everything he has gotten. His most recent projects were a documentary on Wisconsin wrestling promoter David Herro and an unnamed future doc. His very latest accomplishment is his book Go Book Yourself. I am lucky enough to have a special #5 of 20 original copies headed to me. I can't waqit to read it and review it right here.

To learn more info, follow Vox on Instagram. Of course, check back here, too. You'll definitely see more of Vox in the future.

John Cena and Vox in Rosemont, IL-August 2012.

Celebrity Jersey Cards #810: John Harbaugh & Kimmie Meissner

Celebrity Jersey Cards is a weekly series featuring celebrities wearing sports jerseys. I am continuing my season-long alphabetical march through all MLB teams. Today, I present a couple athletic Baltimore Orioles fans.

Born in Ohio, John Harbaugh led the Baltimore Ravens to a victory in Super Bowl XLVII and was named Coach of the Year in 2019. The younger brother of Jim, John just moved to the New York Giants after 18 years with the Ravens. Perhaps he will make an appearance for the Mets or Yankees to get another Celebrity Jersey Card.

Born in Towson, Maryland, Kimmie Meissner grew to be a world champion figure skater. She was the youngest athlete to compete in the 2006 Olympics. After winning the Worlds championships in 2006, Meissner became the ambassador for the "Cool Kids Campaign," which provided toys for pediatric oncology patients, for which I wildly applaud her. She also designed bracelets to raise money for charity. Meissner gets extra points for an old school pose on her Celebrity Jersey Card. That pose would look great on a card from the early 70s.

Cards That Never Were: Bob Gallagher Topps 1973 & '76

Cards That Never Were is a recurring series in which I create digital trading cards for players missed in various sets. I borrowed this concept from far too many to thank, but I appreciate all of their efforts.

Bob Gallagher was selected by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 17th round of the 1968 MLB June Amateur Draft. In 1971, he was selected by the Boston Red Sox in the 1971 rule 5 draft and appeared in a few games for the BoSox in 1972. Again in 1972, he was selected in the Rule 5 Draft, this time by the Houston Astros. He played two seasons for the Astros, before being traded to the New York Mets. After one season in the Big Apple, he was traded to the San Francisco Giants, but did not play in the MLB after the 1975 season. All told, Gallagher played parts of four seasons, appearing in 213 games, batting .220 with 2 HRs, 13 RBIs and 34 runs scored.

For his efforts, Topps gave Gallagher cards in 1974 and '75, skipping his first and last. Once again, I was beaten to the punch. Gio of When Topps Had (Base)Balls created the 1973 card, while Lynn of the Facebook group Custom Baseball Cards made the 1976 card. I can't improve on these beauties. I just highlight them and encourage all to checkout those sites for their thousands of other masterful creations.

Carrie and Squared Circle Expo

One of the unsung heroes of Squared Circle Expo is Carrie, wife of co-promoter Adolfo. With Ed and Heather, these two run a fantastic wrestling convention.

I first saw Carrie at a horror convention many years ago. Adolfo saw her there, too and they eventually married. That is a true love story.

Carrie is usually manning the SCX merchandise table. She is always smiling, no matter the crowd wanting various items. I am sure she has other roles behind the scenes, like the other promoters. They all work extremely hard to make the convention awesome.

She's just a nice person, a joy to know. As the merch table is one of the first things after the entrance, Carrie is usually one of the first folks I see. It is always comforting and welcoming to see her there.

SCX has held six events and each one is better than the previous. SCX VII should be sometime in late March, but I am eagerly awaiting the date announcement.

Until then, check squaredcirclex.com for mor einfo on this great event. Also, check here for my updates.

Carrie and me in Indianapolis, IN-March 2026.

Celebrity Jersey Cards Special Edition #809: WWE FIFA Kofi Kingston & Robert Roode

Celebrity Jersey Cards is a weekly series featuring celebrities wearing sports jerseys. With the World Cup starting today, I produced some Special Edition WWE FIFA Celebrity Jersey Cards.

Born Kofi Nahaje Sarkodie-Mensah in Ghana, Kofi Kingston was originallt billed from Jamaica, requiring some sort of accent. Why not just Ghana? That's the WWE for you. Somewhere along the way, he lost that part of his gimmick and has become one of the cornerstones of the WWE.

Toronto native Robert Roode made his debut in 1998. He gained huge success in the Beer Money tag team in TNA Impact Wrestling. He has been with the WWE since 2016, but often gets lost in the shuffle, despite his skills. He has done agent work for the WWE for a few years, seemingly retired from inring competition now. Roode deserved a better run in the WWE, but again, that's the WWE.