This Way To The End of 2015 *sniffsniff*

Aloha, everybody,

This will probably be the last post of 2015 for ATBATT.  So I'd like to thank all of you out there - fellow bloggers, readers, traders and friends (some of you belong to every catogory) - for reading and joining me in my humble little corner of our hobby over this past year.

Unless a new surprise should pop up in my mailbox before Jan.1, this will stand as my last fistful of cardboard received in 2015. These cards came to me courtesy of Mark Kaz and This Way to the Clubhouse, the place to be for Mets fans and Mets cards. Get on over there and see if you can't help Mark to complete that huge Walmart Blue Series project of his. 

Today is the birthday of Dodgers legend, World Series hero, retired number 32, greatest southpaw pitcher ever - Sandy Koufax. 

So it's appropriate that we lead off with one of his cards. Ah heck - it's the end of the year. Let's run with a few Koufax's...

First up is this thick-cardboard beauty, a 2013 Topps Silver Elite.

We've seen plenty of Koufax and Kershaw cards, but this time it's Sandy with a Korean partner. I like the idea here, but that mid-ground bypasses simple and goes straight to simplistic.

Finally, a tribute. I will never get tired of Koufax cards. Nope, never. 


Here's a very cool solo Ryu...

As much as my Dodger blue-tinted glasses want every Dodger to be a legend - alas, it cannot be so. Presenting...

 Hernandez was a below-average catcher who spent his Dodger career playing backup for Mike Scioscia and Mike Piazza. 

Aside: Hernandez may have reached legend status in his home country, for being the second Venezuelan-born catcher in MLB. The first was Bo Diaz, which may have GM's around baseball wondering if the third time will be the charm. 

Finally, we have an LA kid who left Cali to be a star on Mark's team, the Mets. In fact, he was an All-Star eight straight times. 

Darryl Strawberry tore it up as a Met, and he was the NL leader in home runs in 1988. I still remember the Dodgers battling the Mets in the 1988 NLCS, and dreading every time I saw Strawberry in the box for the Mets.

After the 1990 season the Straw returned to LA to play for the Boys in Blue, and the city opened its arms wide. He was big in his first year as a Dodger, but the high life took its toll. 

Strawberry's good buddy Eric Davis mercenaried over from the Reds, there was a scandal with those two driving around the Dodgers parking lot tossing firecrackers at fans, and it was all downhill after that. 

 But all's forgiven as the Straw eventually got his life together, and as I said, he's an LA homeboy, so I love me some Darryl cardboard. 

Matt chose well with this 1991 Upper Deck, which is new for my collection. Here we see brand-new Dodger Strawberry, fresh from conquering New York and seeing future roads of baseball gold laid out before him. 

THANKS for these great cards, Mark! 

Once again, thanks to all of you out there for riding along with me in 2015. I'm looking forward to what cardboard thrills 2016 will bring. 

Happy New Year and aloha, everyone, wherever you may be.