The Yankees sent Ian Kennedy to the hill against the Rays on Thursday. It was the latest in a long string of tough outings for the highly-touted prospect. Joe Girardi continues to grapple with his rotation as the season progresses, and the Yankee faithful are looking forward to the return of Alex Rodriguez as a new beginning for this 2008 season. The Yankees are looking up at everyone save the Blue Jays in the AL East. That's right. The scrappy Rays and Orioles are currently sitting ahead of the Yankees in this final season of "The House That Ruth Built."

The image inserted above shows a picture of "The Sultan of Swat" from a new insert set issued by the Upper Deck company during the 2008 season. "Yankee Stadium Legacy" commemorates the hallowed grounds of Yankee Stadium, featuring the games and events of a long and storied past. You want numbers. Talk about a 6,661-card set. That's <i> Guiness Book of World Records </i> big.

We've all bought a pack of cards here and there through the years. Sure, we miss the gum from our youth, but pulling a jersey card, autograph or the rookie card of the next "can't miss" prospect still holds some luster.

This set is like a history lesson on cardboard. Love 'em or hate 'em, you can't deny the importance of baseball in the Bronx and its place in baseball history.

You'll find multiple cards of Maris, Ruth, Jeter and all of the usual suspects, but how about cards showing love to Wally Pipp or Earle Combs? Allie Reynolds? I couldn't believe when I pulled a card of Billy Martin.

That made me smile. Nobody who came to love baseball in the 70s and early 80s can forget Martin versus "Big Stein" and his famous beer commercials.

There are prizes involved for building out the collection, including a trip to Yankee Stadium.

Tired of all of the off-field issues and speculation about who did what, when and with whom? Do yourself a favor and take a trip down memory lane.

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