Carded goes back in time with Milk Bone’s dog baseball cards

When you think about baseball cards, you probably think of the big ones: Glitzy insert cards, big name rookie chases or iconic collectibles like the 1957 Mickey Mantle or the T206 Honus Wagner. But sometimes baseball cards can just be fun: Case in point, Skip Schumaker’s Rally Squirrel card or Kurt Bevaqcua’s 1976 Topps Bubble Gum Blowing Championship card.

For the newest episode of MLB.TV’s “Carded,” the masterminds behind the show located archival footage from one of the greatest oddball sets in history: Milk Bone’s incredible 1993 Superstars featuring big league stars posing with — who else? — their pups.

If you’ve ever wanted to see a young Barry Bonds bark like a dog, well, buddy, I have some good news for you.

Next, Jim Palmer looked back at some of the most iconic cards from his Hall of Fame career. From his rookie card which listed him as a left-hander to a World Series card which reminded him of the time he tossed a shutout against Sandy Koufax, Palmer’s cardboard history is pretty iconic. Too bad none of his Jockey advertisements ever got the Topps treatment.

If you’re someone who has attended card shows, you likely have an idea of what they’re about. But Fanatics Fest, a new card and sports memorabilia show, is trying to bring a few new wrinkles to the event. Alex Giaimo got to walk through the showroom floor and even take a few hacks in the cage.

“To be able to take the experiences of Comic-Con and add to a card show is really fulfilling,” Mike Armstrong, senior vice president of Fanatics Events, said. “As someone who grew up to card shows — and still goes to the same card show at the same church basement in Trumbull, Conn., every month — is great.”

While out on the floor, MLB Network’s Greg Amsinger then sprung a surprise when he got PSA to grade the special All-Star Game card set: “The Stars of MLB Network.”

We referenced the iconic T206 Wagner card above, but what do you know about the T205 set? Confusingly named as it came out a few years after the T206 set, Bruce Markusen of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum explains what makes this set so important. Beyond looking incredible, they were one of the very first sets to include statistics on the back. Can you imagine a world where that wasn’t the norm?!

Finally, as with all episodes, it must include the iconic pack rip. This time, young Nationals players Jake Irvin and Jacob Young talk about their first ever big league cards before tearing into some packs of Topps Heritage.

For more “Carded” and all of MLB.TV’s other programming, click here.