Why I Think I Have to Own the Rally Squirrel Card

Conventional wisdom would say that I wouldn't want to own the card, considering the rally squirrel arguably contributed to the Phillies early demise in the playoffs.  But surprisingly enough I don't immediately associate the squirrel with heartbreak and disappointment.  I associate it with laughter.

These are some reasons why I think I am drawn and mildly fascinated by the squirrel card, SP #93 of Skip Shumaker:

1.  Just watch the video above.  Something that I find funny is that it was Roy Oswalt, avid hunter and country boy who was on the mound when the squirrel make his appearance.  Charlie Manuel was later quoted as saying that if he had a shotgun he would have shot the squirrel.  Picturing Charlie Manuel with a shotgun trying to shoot squirrels makes me laugh.

2.  A baseball card with a squirrel on it sold for $600.  That alone is funny, and quite frankly, nuts (ha).

3.  I like the photography on the card.  The squirrel looks like he is flying, and that's cool.

4.  Another reason why I am mildly fascinated by the rally squirrel card is that it reminds me of something I like.  No, not eating squirrel meat, but it reminds me of other trading cards with squirrels on them--cards I actually own and have featured on the blog!

That's right.  In the modern day version of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, squirrels played a big part in one scene with Veruca Salt.  I love that movie, and the trading cards that came along with it.

5.  It's a squirrel on a baseball card.  What's not to like about that?  In doing some research this is not the first time that a squirrel has been featured on a card.  Does anyone have this gem from 2007?  This is the first time I have seen it. It is a really rare card, and there is only one on eBay right now.

 That's Poley Walnuts from Yankee Stadium. He lived around the foul pole there. It's part of the 2007 Update set, and it is numbered SQ1.  Awesome!

I guess I am just drawn to the lightheartedness of the squirrel cards.  I am confident that the price of the SP #93 will go down significantly as more are pulled, so someday maybe I will get one.  I haven't opened any 2012 Topps yet, so maybe I'll pull one out of the hobby box I have yet to buy.