2004 Upper Deck McDonald's Phillies #2 Placido Polanco

The Chicken Pox Outbreak of '85. The Mono Incident of '93. The Evil Stomach Virus of '10. All had one thing in common. After days of suffering through these various maladies, I was tentatively prepared to eat solid food again and only one choice appealed to my delicate stomach - Chicken McNuggets and McDonald's french fries. Some people get back on the horse gently with dry toast or crackers. For me, nothing speeds along recovery faster than a 6-pack of crisp and delicious, golden fried McNuggets. I'm lovin' it.

In the summer of 2004, McDonald's and Upper Deck collaborated on a 27-card Phillies team set. I vaguely recall two cards came with each purchase of a Value Menu item. After four visits, 8 cards, and realizing the calorie intake required to try to complete the set on my own, I opted to purchase the set on eBay.

The set borrows the design of the 2004 Upper Deck Diamond Collection set and it features such mid-'00s Phillies luminaries as Amaury Telemaco, Shawn Wooten and Eric Milton. The set also featured then-second baseman, current third baseman Placido Polanco. (Placido struck out tonight in the opening Spring Training game against Florida State.)