Binder Page Heroes - Nolan Ryan

Aloha readers and trade partners,

I was recently privileged to be profiled by Nachos Grande in his most excellent series Better Know A Blogger. In the profile I mentioned the favorite articles in my collection to be my main baseball card binders - one for the Dodgers and one for players from all the other teams. 

The cards in those binders are my current favorites, which means they are updated and reorganized whenever new favorites join my collection. 

Answering that profile question reminded me of a series that's been dormant here on ATBATT for a while now, Binder Page Heroes. In the series I show off a random binder page and the cards currently residing there. 

I figure it's time to revisit that series, so let's begin with my Nolan Ryan page. 

Leading off is a miiiiiiinnnnnnnnniiiiii Express...

When I restarted my collecting back around 1994, Ryan was one of the first players that I collected. His legend was still pretty fresh to baseball fans, and we share the same birthday, which I felt connected us somehow...
 

 I've gotta give Ryan extra credit for pitching so well in such an ugly uniform. 

Gotta love the old (now gone) Houston Astrodome in the logo. My only personal memory of the Astrodome is driving past it once and marveling at it from the freeway.

 Seven no-hitters. Simply amazing. 

  
As you can see, I'm a sucker for these "No hitter" tribute cards. 

 And now, a Ryan card with a lurking Dodger Stadium...

 Some folks liked to take Ryan down a notch and say it's inevitable that he's attained all those no-hitter and strike out stats "just because he pitched forever".  

Well, you don't get to pitch forever if you're not any good. 

Remember when pretty much everyone's mitts were made by Rawlings?

Finally, a card where Ryan shares the spotlight with another couple of pitching legends...

Aloha!

Let's try A Reboot...

Aloha everybody,

I originally wrote the article below about 17 hours ago. The problem is, the post didn't show up on folks' blogrolls until 12 hours after I posted it. 

I suspect many of you all aren't even aware I posted this. 

Since the goal of every writer is to share their thoughts with the most sets of eyes, I'm reposting in the hopes the blogrolls will update in a reasonable amount of time. I invite you to read on...

******************************************************

As every baseball fan knows by now, the Dodgers traded Matt Kemp to the Padres. 

Matt Kemp fans and detractors alike did a double take when photos of Kemp in Padres gear started showing up. 

 When Kemp updated his Twitter photo to show himself in his new Padre digs, I'm sure a few heads of Bison super-fans exploded. 

Greg from Plashke, Thy Sweater Is Argyle is the biggest Matt Kemp fan I know. He's still blogging, so I'm presuming his head is still intact, thankfully.

 In a further reaction to Kemp as a Padre, Roberto from the Dodger-centric blog Vin Scully Is My Homeboy sent out this tweet: 

Seeing Matt Kemp in a Padres uniform feels weird. So this how you old folks felt when you saw Steve Garvey in a Padres uni?
— Roberto Baly (@rbaly79) December 19, 2014

 Since I lived through Steve Garvey's Dodger career, I know first-hand what an earthquake it was for Dodger fans back in the day to see Garvey in Padres brown and gold. Therefore, I consider myself qualified to answer Roberto's question. 

The short answer is heck no, there is NO comparison. 

That's like comparing my income to Donald Trump's, or the richness of my warmth and charm to D. Trump's. 

Garvey was THE Dodgers, where Kemp is The Bison. 

Garvey was Los Angeles, where Kemp is Rihanna and the Gap. 

Garvey still leads the NL in his iron-man 1,201 consecutive games streak. He won the NL and NLCS MVP awards. He won back to back All-Star Game MVP awards. 

The Garv hit .417 and led the Dodgers over the Yankees in the 1981 World Series. 

In 2012 and 2013 Kemp hardly played, and when he did play, he often led the team in strike outs. 

Garvey led the team in being a nice guy, where Kemp often came off as pouty and demanding to be treated appropriate to his "star status".  

Sure Kemp is (was?) a great athlete. Sure, Matt Kemp should have won the MVP award over cheater Ryan Braun, and he was in full Beast mode during the final few weeks of the 2014 season, but Garvey was a rock solid, exceptional athlete in LA for 14 years straight.  

That's just shy of a generation's time.

It may seem like it, but I'm not trying to pull Kemp down. What I'm illustrating here is what Kemp and Garvey represented and meant to the team and the city, and not just their hard core followers.

The world flipped upside-down when Dodger fans saw Garvey's All-American smile beaming out from a Padre uniform. It still seems surreal even now.

If you'd like to read a bit more about why the impact of Kemp as a Padre pales in comparison to what LA fans felt when Garvey switched teams, I invite you to head over to Lasorda's Lair, and read my article Five Reasons Padre Matt Kemp Cannot Compare To Padre Steve Garvey .  Go on, indulge. 

Aloha!

 

Reasons Padre Matt Kemp Doesn't Compare To Padre Steve Garvey

Aloha,

As every baseball fan knows by now, the Dodgers traded Matt Kemp to the Padres. 

Matt Kemp fans and detractors alike did a double take when photos of Matt Kemp in Padres gear started showing up. 

 When Kemp updated his Twitter photo to show himself in his new Padre digs, I'm sure a few Bison super-fans' heads exploded. Greg from Plashke, Thy Sweater Is Argyle is the biggest Matt Kemp fan I know. He's still blogging, so I'm presuming his head is still intact, thankfully.

 In a further reaction to Kemp as a Padre, Roberto from the Dodger-centric blog Vin Scully Is My Homeboy sent out this tweet: 

Seeing Matt Kemp in a Padres uniform feels weird. So this how you old folks felt when you saw Steve Garvey in a Padres uni?
— Roberto Baly (@rbaly79) December 19, 2014

 Since I lived through Steve Garvey's Dodger career, and I know first-hand the shock it was for Dodger fans of the day to see Garvey in (then) Padres brown and gold, I consider myself qualified to answer Roberto's question. 

The short answer is heck no, there is no comparison. 

That's like comparing my income to Donald Trump's, or the richness of my warmth and charm to Trump's. 

Garvey was THE Dodgers, where Kemp is The Bison. 

Heck, Garvey was Los Angeles, where Kemp is Rihanna and the Gap. 

Garvey still leads the NL in his iron-man 1,201 consecutive games streak. He won the NL, NLCS, and All-Star Game MVP awards. 
He hit .417 and led the Dodgers over the Yankees in the 1981 World Series. 

In 2012 and 2013 Kemp hardly played, and when he did play, he often led the team in strike outs. 

Garvey led the team in being a nice guy, where Kemp often came off as pouty and demanding he be treated appropriate to his "star status". 

It may seem like it, but I'm not trying to pull Kemp down. What I'm illustrating here is what Kemp and Garvey represented and meant to the team and the city, not just their hard core followers.

Sure, Matt Kemp should have won the MVP over cheater Ryan Braun, and he was in full Beast mode during the final few weeks of the 2014 season, but Garvey was a steady rock in the Dodger line up and a dominator over other teams for 15 years in LA! 

That's just shy of a generation's time.

The world flipped upside-down when Dodger fans saw Garvey's All-American smile beaming out from a Padre uniform. It still seems surreal even now.


If you'd like to read a bit more about why the impact of Kemp as a Padre pales in comparison to what LA fans felt with Garvey, I invite you to head over to Lasorda's Lair, and read my article Five Reasons Padre Matt Kemp Cannot Compare To Padre Steve Garvey .  Go on, indulge. 

Good night and aloha!

 

Tis The Season To Get Zippy Zapped - Part 2

Aloha everybody,

Let's get back to the review of the wonderful Dodger Blue stocking stuffers that Zippy Zappy sent to me...

Leading off is the man who was traded to the Padres, then he wasn't so traded, then maybe he wasn't gonna be traded after all, and as I type this, it seems he's back to being traded (maybe)...

 Watch those hips, Matt!

I love me some Adrian Beltre cardboard, I mean sweet 90's see-through plastic from Tek. 

Extra bonus: The photo looks like Beltre just smashed one into the right field bullpen, but check out the bat. The knob shows number 5. This is possibly the only time that Jose Vizcaino's bat was ever involved in a ball hit out of the infield. 

ZZ also packed the Ghost of Christmas Past with some older Dodger cards..

 

 Singer and Havens aren't exactly legends of the game, but as previously mentioned, all these cards are new for me, so ZZ just got me closer to completing those year's Dodger team sets.

How about a visit from the Ghost of Christmas Future...

Here's a beautiful Dodger Blue-framed card of the guy who's now positioned to be the Dodgers' shiny new center fielder next year. 

Joc's bat tore up the farm leagues and he's proved himself well above that level. However, in a short stint with the big club in 2014, his bat was way quiet against big league pitchers. 

Hoping he's got that out of his system and we'll see him start bopping some homers out of Chavez Ravine next year.

Jonathan unfortunately hasn't done a whole lot in his career (yet), except for a lot of pitching for a lot of team's farm leagues. 

I suppose we might say his Dodger highlight was being included in the Carlos Santana trade that brought Casey Blake to the Dodgers. 


So Santa had a reindeer with a red nose. Big deal. The Dodgers have a pretty darn good bench player with an awesome red mane...

Last batter up (is actually a pitcher)!  The final card is that special exclusive bonus that is always included when you get Zippy Zapped...

 Yup. This Christmas package contained a Japanese stocking stuffer from Sega Card-Gen. We get a wonderful photo of southpaw Capuano getting ready to bring it. 

 
Oh yeah, and a cool note too. A classic close to ZZ's epic year-end package. 

THANKS again, Zippy Zappy for the sweet cards that are rocking around my Christmas tree tonight and will soon be settled into their spots in my binders. 

Aloha and Merry Christmas, ZZ - and to all a good night! 

Tis The Season To Get Zippy Zapped !

Aloha,

One of Santa's helpers has sent me an early Christmas package. Yahoooo !!!

Jolly Saint Zippy Zappy sent me a package full of Dodgers goodness that I'm very happy to share with all of you. ZZ took special care in packing because every card was brand new for me. Let's check out some of these great new Christmas additions to my collection. 

Leading off are the Big Three of the Dodgers' pitching rotation from 2014. First up is the big star on top of the Dodgers' Blue Christmas tree...

Looking at Kid K's game face here, I feel as though just his photo can strike me out! 

Next up are two great cards from the number 1.5 Ace...
 

 Speaking of game faces, this is a great shot of GreinKe representing the Dodgers at the All-Star game this past summer. 

Following is a great shiny chrome card that manages to look washed out by my scanner...

Finally, a new ornament - errrrrr, card - to add to my growing Hyun-Jin Ryu collection..

Next up are position players, old and new.

 A very cool Gold Upper Deck parallel of Rafi Furcal. These were numbered to 99, and I've got one under my Christmas tree.

Next up is a Dodger of the future. We traded away last season's second baseman, Dee Gordon and snagged Howie Kendrick from the Angels to play second next year. 

Guerrero is expected to be ready for the majors and take over in 2016...

 Guerrero's big claim to fame in 2014 was having part of his ear bit off in a dugout fight with teammate Miguel Olivo. For the morbidly curious, the ear shown in the card is not the one which was shredded.

Ending Part One of the Zippy Zappy Christmas package is a tribute reprint of the 1949 RC of Duke Snider. 

I'll probably never own an original rookie card from the Duke of Flatbush, unless it's so chewy it looks like Guerrero's ear, but now I've got a pretty cool Platinum Blue Sapphire refractor of it...

 I'm including a shot of the back of the card because I love the offer to send away for a baseball ring...

Only 15 cents - and three wrappers! Cool. 

Zippy Zappy,thanks to you, it's not just Elvis, now I'm too thinking of a Blue Christmas. 

Next post: Part 2

The Last, Last, Last JBF From JBF

Aloha everybody,

My team went hog wild at the Winter Baseball Meetings. When the dust settled, among other things, they traded away one of my treasured - and one of my least favorite Dodgers. 

Poor ol' Flash Gordon Jr., who did nothing in 2014 except lead everyone in all of baseball with the most stolen bases and triples, hit a whole messa doubles, make some spectacular plays at his new position, make the all-star team, AND play very well in the A.S. game - earned nothing but a one-way ticket to palookaville (Florida). Thanks, new Dodger management. Sheesh! 

At least they moved the locker room prima-dona that is Matt Kemp. Sure, his fans will rightfully point to his brilliant final six weeks of the season - but they have selective vision when it comes to his previous two and a half seasons of injury, lack of hustle (which caused a major ankle injury), fading defensive skills, increasing crybaby skills, and continued focus on the name on the rear of his jersey, not the one in front. 

That said, let's check out the final installment of my favorite cards that were sent to me by Wes, from JBF fame, right before he closed up shop on his blog.  

Since it's Sunday and my Raiders have once again blundered and sputtered to yet another embarrassing loss, let's kick off today's cards with a Dodger who blundered and stumbled his way through his short-lived (thank goodness) stint as a Dodger....

The Dodgers brought in Andruw with the hopes that his being on the verge of joining the 500 Home Run Club would translate to fans at the turnstiles rushing in to catch his HOF credentialed 500th homer. 

What a crock that was. Fatty Jones just stunk up the joint until moving on to whomever team, USA, and hitting his 500th in their stadium. 

 Cesar was a fan-favorite in my home, as both of my sons and I loved his play at shortstop. The kid didn't hit enough to stay a Dodger, and we were all sorry to see him go. 

It's very cool to now have a bat slice from Cesar. 

Wes doesn't just send you relics and swatches when he puts together a package for you. He also includes autos...

This is my first Goodwin Champions autograph card and it's a real beaute. Corey Wade is awash in a beautiful Field of Dreams dusk pallette. Wade signed like he meant it and left a great John Hancock on the card. 

I started this series of posts with a Mike Piazza card, so it's only fitting that Home Run bashing Mike should close out the player cards today. 

This Score card is fantastic. Not only because of the attractive PS shield,
not the action photo of Piazza getting ready to fire off that ball,  
and it's not the fuzzy Dodger Stadium golden yellow seats in the background. It's something more that makes this a brilliant card.

It's the early LA Piazza mullet that even the tools of ignorance can barely contain! It's a sweet, sweet mullet card. 

Finally, the crown jewel of the package. 

No, it's not another relic card, nor another players auto, not even a card of a baseball HOFer. 

My absolute favorite card from the package is a one of a kind card from a HOF blogger and trader.  

Loyal readers and trade partners, I present...

My very own numbered (under 10!!!!) autographed card of good ol' Wes, hisself!! How awesome is that! 

THANKS so much, Wes, for a great package, and the even greater double honors of being included in the final blow-out blast of cards to leave from JBF headquarters, and this awesome one-of-a-kind slice of cardboard. What a treat! 

Aloha!

The Last JBF From JBF (The Blog, That Is) - Part 2

Aloha everyone,

How's winter settling in for you? Is the first winter cold of the season spreading through everyone over there as it is over here? 

As I type this, I sit recovering from a head cold - box of tissues at the ready. 

However, since I'm confined to chair duty, I figure this is a good time to crank out the next intallment celebrating the cards I received from JBF just before he closed up shop on his blog. 

And awaaaaay we go...

Leading off is a newly retired Dodger, one who came  in thto the Dodgers from Boston in the biggest trade made by ex-G.M. Ned Colletti. I just love typing the words "ex-G.M." for Ned.

Beckett had a mostly so-so time with the Dodgers, but he had a pretty good 2014 and ended his career with a no-hitter against the Phillies. It was the first no-hitter of the 2014 season, and the first for the Dodgers since Hideo Nomo in 1996.

Here's a great shot of the O-Dog, exactly the way I remember him as a Dodger - smiling and getting the job done. The barcode design is a little silly, but I guess the card's supposed to look like a ticket.  I do however, dig the "rising sun"  rays emitting behind O-Dog. They work especially well with this photo.

I'll always remember watching Hudson's opening day inside-the-park home run (on TV). Unfortunately, he was considered expendable as a young Dee Gordon came on the scene, and he ended up a Padre. 

I don't know if GCRL covered this card yet in his posts about trubute/memorial patches, but here we see Mondi wearing patches on both sleeves. 

One is a dual tribute to Roy Campanella and Don Drysdale. The other sleeve is a memorial patch for Tim Crews. Crews died in a boating accident during Spring Training. 

Rather bland design with a great photo. Fleer did love those stripey designs. 

Coming up next is a player who would look great even on one of those dull grey Fleer cards...

 Now that's some well-done framing right there. Topps also added a nice artful touch with the hints of green grass behind Koufax's shoulders. Sweet card. 

Speaking of artful, I'll end today's post with a Masterpiece. I just can't get enough of these Masterpiece cards. Everything about them rocks - card design, photography, framing, faux painting finish, texture - it all works. These are beautiful cards. 

Thanks again to Wes for the great cards. There are still enough favorites left from his package to put up one more installment, so I'll see you all next time for Part 3! 

Aloha *ahhhh-choo!*





 

ATBATT's Blog Post Recommendation of the Day

"O" No!!! Another Orioles Blog

Because: Organization Rules

JBF Beats Black Friday Every Time

Aloha everybody,

Whom of you out there loves Black Friday? Who wants to fight, kick, scratch , and toss Molotovs with a tummy full of turkey? And that's just in the parking lots! 

Not me. No way. I'd much rather stay at home in my post-Thanksgiving warm up pants and enjoy the great new cards that came to me courtesy of one of the most generous of all card bloggers ever, the legendary Wes, from the now defunct Jaybarker Fan's Junk.

I'm sorry that Wes has shut down operations over at JBF central, but thankfully he will still be around the blogs. To use his own words, he'll still be around "in the shadows".  That's good news, because the blogosphere just wouldn't be the same without him.

As sorry as I am that Wes has gone into the shadows, I'm honored that he included me in the last blast of cards that he sent out from the JBF site. 

The package he sent me was so full of cardboard goodness, it's going to take at least two posts just to show off my favorites. So let's get started...

 First up is a kick-ass card of Iron Mike Piazza. This card totally sums up Piazza in his L.A. heyday. 

I dig Piazza shooting The Eye of the Tiger on a posed card, while being framed with a magnificent sky of Dodger Blue. Digging the Mike Piazza model mitt as well. Mizuno does make great catcher's mitts. I own one myself.

Next up is a very nice numbered Karros card. The SP in bronze is set into the card and makes for a cool change in surface texture.

Let's now jump into the present with this year's (and last year's) Cy Young winner in an MVP caliber card. 

The way Kershaw is a throwback to the pitchers of ole, like Gibson and Koufax, this card's imagery is like a throwback to the gritty "In Action" style card photography of yesteryear. 

Wes must have figured - rightfully so - since I collect Kershaw, I'll also be wantin' to collect our other Ace, Grienke.  

Grenks here is giving us a sweet pitcher's grip shot, while giving Piazza a good run for the Eye of the Tiger award. 

I'll be closing out this post with a cool old school artcard from a man who needs no introduction, in both the National AND American Leagues. 

I feel a bit bad about the way Gibby's baseball career seems to have imploded and ended in ridicule and boos. Gibby was a sports warrior who tried to manage like one, but he found out the hard way that dog just won't hunt, and it's not such a good idea to ask your pitching staff to be headhunters on a regular and obvious basis. 

That said, it's going to take a lot more than that to steal the thunder of Gibson in his Dodger days (for me), and the unbelievable World Series heroics he pulled off while I watched on TV all alone that night in my living room. 

If I can only take one baseball memory to heaven with me, that wonderful World Series at bat is the one. (losing by just half a point is Bob Welch striking out World Series cheater Reggie Jackson)

Do I sniff a theme for a blog-around?  How about it? I'm tossing out the idea of a blog-around where we write up this post:

"IF I CAN ONLY TAKE ONE BASEBALL MEMORY TO HEAVEN, THIS IS THE ONE..."

Of course, include cards of the players or teams involved. That might be a fun one to see what memories we all consider the greatest. 

To clarify, it doesn't have to be a World Series memory. Mine just happens to be one. 

I'll leave you all with that, and I'll be back next time with The Last JBF from JBF Part 2.  

Aloha! 

Whatever Happened To Good Ol' Stealing Home?

Aloha readers and trade partners,

It's been a long time since we commiserated. 

I haven't been around here since the Dodgers' season ended, and that feels like a pretty long time to me. 

I haven't lost my passion for writing or blogging, as others before me. In a way, it's only increased over this time. 

No, I haven't run out of ideas to blog about either. 
Most certainly no, I haven't lost my love for our beloved hobby. 

And regardless of what you may have heard, I didn't ebay my collection and buy a seaside condo in Costa Rica. 

I mentioned the last time I was around these parts that I've been working on a project, and I would fill you all in on it sooner or later. 

As I write this, I'm divided about spilling the beans about my mysterious project, because on one hand I want to share what I've been doing, but on the other hand, while it is in motion, it's not as far developed as I would like. I want you all to see, but I want to add a bit more before I pull back the curtain.

The project is another blog over on Wordpress. I'm learning how to build a website with a blog, and while lots of the parts to build a website are simplified, it has taken quite a bit of time to get it up and running, looking like I want it to look, and having enough content for people to read. 

Sure, some of you computer whizzes can knock out a website in a couple of hours, but the fact is, when I started, I knew nothing about how to do any of that, so everything has been baby steps for me up to this point. 

Writing for the Dodgers website, Lasorda's Lair  , working on my new website, and all the stuff of which is life, unfortunately forced me into putting this humble little blog on hold. I don't intend to let it die - but I also haven't had the time to give ATBATT the love and attention it deserves. 

For that, my fellow card collectors, trade partners and those who just dig reading my pieces here, I apologize for letting it seem like I've walked away or dropped the blog.

I actually have a couple of pieces intended for ATBATT, one of them being a post about some great cards that I received from the great JBF a while back.

I have several trade packages also that need to go out. Rest assured, I haven't forgotten any of you.  I can't forever blame my bad memory or not having enough time on that one. The main reason many of those packages sit today is I have been in hard financial times this 2014. I mean - hard financial times. 

Some folks think it's hard times when they can only go out to dinner twice a month. I used to think that too. My situation went well beyond that a long time ago. 

I don't expose this to all of you because I'm fishing for pity.  Heck, it's hard enough to get a comment out here sometimes for what we feel is a brilliant post, so I know pity's certainly out of the question. lol 

The reason I mention it is because I've read a few of your posts in the past where you mentioned hard times and losses of jobs, or the loss of your spouses jobs. I mention my situation so you will know you're not alone. 

We come together here because of our love of the cardboard, but we also share a camaraderie that other hobby communities do not. 

Stamp collectors don't have rivalries between collectors of train stamps and stamps with nature scenes. Bird watchers don't feel bitter emotions between those that watch Orioles and those who admire Cardinals. But we have among us Yankee fans and Red Soxers, Pirates and Phillies fans, Dodgers and Giants (Booooo!!!!) fans - but those rivalries are crossed because of our trades and shares. 

We can forget for a moment that we hate that other team when we read each other's blogs, comment and send emails, and form friendships across the country because of our love for the grand game and our hobby. 

That's why I can't ever stop sharing my love for cards with all of you. Things may have slowed down on this site for the time being, but keep your eyes open for the news and link about my website, and at least a few more posts to come here on ATBATT.

Aloha!