After a three-year hiatus, Mario Alejandro returns with Wax Heaven.

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    Behind the Card - ‘88 Topps #370

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    There was a time shortly after the 1988 baseball season ended that Jose Canseco was seen as the second-coming of Babe Ruth. As ridiculous as that may sound today, it was a real thought put out by real journalists who had seen Jose Canseco play the game since late-85.

    I remember seeing a magazine in the late-80s with Jose swinging for the fences. The headline? “Ruth, Mantle, Canseco?”. The truth was that while Jose hadn’t yet had his huge Ruth/Mantle like season (and never would), he appeared to be better than both those guys at least after his unanimous ‘88 season.

    Not only did this guy look and play like a baseball God, he also had the swag and lived the rock n’ roll lifestyle of fast cars and faster women including a drop-dead gorgeous Madonna in her prime before she got all wrinkly and annoying. This man literally had the world in his finger tips and all before reaching the age of 25.

    Fast-forward to 2013. The man is STILL a baseball pariah, is dead-broke, and pretty much lives off his Twitter fame. Sadly, the man doesn’t realize that more people are laughing at him than with him. What is even more sad is the fact that at age 50, Jose still thinks he can play professional ball.

    Now, let’s look at this 1987 Topps baseball card of Mr. 40-40. It is a very iconic photograph of the then 22-year old Jose after he smacked 31 home runs for the Oakland A’s. Much like most of what Topps put out that year, it is pretty much worthless but is a must-have for any of the 6 Canseco collectors left out there.