Rediscovered Vintage Dodger Goodness

Hey everybody,

I was recently sorting through my collection - for reasons that I think you will appreciate soon enough - when I came upon a shoebox that I hadn't opened in quite a while.  While it wasn't chock full of big money cards that I forgot I had, it did contain a fistful of almost forgotten cardboard, priceless to me.

I bought all of these back in the early 90's, the days that I first got seriously into collecting.  I picked them up from various dealers at various shows, although most were probably had from the famous Frank & Son's shows out here.  In those days my collecting goals were "always pay the lowest price for the best condition possible". 

Let's open with the oldest cards, from 1955 Topps, the year the Dodgers won their first, and Brooklyn's only, World Championship...
 

When people write about Dee Gordon, they never refer back to Jim Gilliam, the brilliant second bagsman for the Brooklyn squad.   

Gilliam also batted leadoff and led the league in triples once, and won the N.L. Rookie of the Year award. Gotta love the fashionable Dodger blue turtleneck - Dodger gear the team dropped after moving to sunny LA.

Podres, my favorite pitcher from Brooklyn.  He was the MVP of the 1955 World Series and shut out the Yankees in Game 7.  

If you've seen the Ken Burns documentary, BASEBALL, then you've seen one of my all time favorite sports clips.  It's in the "7th Inning - The Capital Of Baseball", which is a great stand alone segment from the series.  

The Brooklyn Dodgers had been to the Fall Classic numerous times, only to lose and crush the dreams of their devoted fans time and time again.  Podres and the Dodgers finally won in '55, and in a post game clip a reporter asks Podres if he was nervous during that final 7th game.  

Podres immediately responded, with his ever-present grin which we see on the card above, "Nervous? Nah. I was a real pro out there today." I just love Dodger southpaws.

Finally, from '55 is Joe Black. Joe was the first African-American pitcher to win a World Series game, back in '52.

Next up is my lone 1956 Topps Dodger. I only have the one, but it's not too shabby...

Furillo got a great PATP card.  

When we think about Dodger right fielders with rifle arms, we usually think of Puig or Raul Mondesi.  
Move over boys - Mr. Furillo's nickname was "The Reading Rifle".  

He led the league with assists from RF twice, and had double digit assists for nine straight seasons. 

Now the "newer" cards from 1957...

Erskine pitched a Dodgers no-hitter and struck out 14 in the '53 World Series. 

I wonder who's lurking on the mound back there? 

Finally today, a classic card from a classic Dodger.  Topps has used this shot countless times over the years, but at least, this is the first time it was put on cardboard. 

Not only was Hodges one of Brooklyn's big boppers, he was a heckuva first baseman.  When they invented the Golden Glove awards, Hodges won the first three.  

Next up: The Rediscovered LA Dodgers

A Number 5 Type Collector Sends Over Some Number 1 Type Cardboard

Hey everybody,

Continuing on with the great packages I received before the holiday weekend, here comes the first trade that I've put together with Matthew from Number 5 Type Collection. 

Number 5 was a new blog for me, and if you're not familiar with Matthew's great blog, I suggest you hurry and get over there for some great information and real love for vintage cardboard - and I do mean vintage with a capital "V".  You'll see some awesome stuff over there.

Matthew was willing to part with some of that awesome stuff in order to help me in my chase for the 1958 Topps Dodgers.   Thanks to Matthew's generosity and coolness factor, I'm now 3 steps closer to completion.

First up, is Don Bessent, who had a brief, but eventful pitching career with the Brooklyn and Los Angeles versions of the Dodgers.

He pitched 3.1 scoreless innings in the 1955 World Series, certainly doing his part to help the Dodgers win their very first WS championship.  Brooklyn went to the WS again in 1956, and Don won Game 2, but the Dodgers ultimately lost the series.

Don later died from alcohol poisoning.  Having learned that unpleasant fact, I will forever see what I originally thought was water damage to the card as an omen of the alcohol tragically rising up on ol' Don to eventually consume him and take its toll.

Intellectually I know Zimmer played for the Dodgers, but I will always emotionally connect Zim with being the Cubbies skipper.  I also will never forget Pedro Martinez and Zimmer (both ex-Dodgers) mixing it up in a Yankees/Red Sox basebrawl. 

Speaking of World Series heroes, here comes the guy who's incredible outfield snag of Yogi Berra's bash in Game 7, eventually saved and sealed the win for the '55 Dodgers. 

Here's that catch...

Check out all the men in the stands wearing suits!

There are 30 Dodgers in 1958 Topps, and I now have 14.  Thanks a bunch, Matthew!

Dodgers All-Stars in World Championship Years Part 1 - 1955

Hey there, readers and trade partners,

With the All-Star festivities taking place, and almost no Dodgers on the All-Star team, I had to find a way to get the Boys in Blue (and myself) involved.

So I figured, how's about a positive celebration and take a look at which Dodgers made past All-Star teams in the years we won the World Series.  I'll include cards from their actual All-Star years when possible.  When I can't show a player's card from that year, you'll know that's a hole in my collection -  and i need my fellow blogonauts to help me fill that in.   

First up are the All-Stars from the Brooklyn Dodgers' first and only championship season -

1955  

The '55 contest was the 22nd A.S. game, and it was held in the home of the Milwaukee Braves.  

The National Leaguers came back from a 5-run deficit and won 6-5.  Stan Musial hit the first pitch he saw in the 12th inning for a walk off, victory home run.  Yet another reason why he's called "The Man". 
 

 Campy was selected for the game, but he had a leg injury and didn't play. 

Newk pitched a scoreless inning with one strike out.

Hodges pinch hit and knocked out a single.

The Duke of Flatbush started in CF and went 0 for 2.

Next Post: 1959 - And they played TWO games!

Inspired By A Night Owl...Kinda

Hey everybody,

When you're blogger of the year, you don't just write cool stuff that your blogger brethren love to read.  Heck, if that were enough to win, I might just take that title myself next year - or the year after that - or the year after that one.

No, you've gotta do way more than write stuff we like to read.  You've gotta write cool stuff that helps us see our hobby through a new filter and through refreshed eyes.  And if you're good -  i mean, if you're really good, you inspire other bloggers to write yet even more cool stuff about our hobby.  That's what B.O.Y. Night Owl did with his offbeat, but definitely interesting new "thing".  Over at N.O's blog, he's matching up albums and song titles to cards.

So here's my take on it, my "thing", if you will.  I'm offering up my top 20 movies represented by cardboard.  Two rules to be included:

1. It must be a movie I can watch 100 times or more. 
2. The card must be in my collection (and a Dodger card whenever possible).  Check 'em out...

20. BOOGIE NIGHTS
A movie chock full of young actors just bursting on the scene, Marky Mark Whalberg, Don Cheadle, William Macy, John C. Reilly, Philip Seymour Hoffman, and veterans Julianne Moore and Burt Reynolds.  The story of a young man's rise and fall in the California porn industry, circa 1975-80, and the group of actors, actresses, camera people, hangers onners and the director who become his supportive "family".

"I never take my skates off." 

Karros and Piazza were rumored to love the night life during thier heyday, basking in the glory of being a rich, young baseball player in LA.  Back in those days, whenever we heard a car driving by blasting loud marengue or salsa music, we used to joke, "There goes Raul Mondesi."

19. GHOST DOG: WAY OF THE SAMURAI
Director Jim Jarmusch's  smart, funny and violent study of an African-American hit man (Forrest Whitaker) who follows the ancient ways of the samurai in modern-day Brooklyn, New York.

"If a warrior's head were to be suddenly cut off, he should still be able to perform one more action with certainty." 

When Jackie broke the color barrier in baseball, even if unwittingly, he followed the way of a quiet and serious samurai, silently enduring hardship and defeating countless enemies with his physical prowess and the weapons of his chosen art.

18. RAISING ARIZONA
The first true comedy in my countdown.  A quirky and at times, hilarious baby-kidnapping film starring Holly Hunter and Nicholas Cage.  Also, in a brilliant bit of casting as a bounty hunter, 'Tex' Cobb.

"Well, it aint Ozzie and Harriet."

I couldn't for the life of me find anything connecting to the film, so here's a backdoor reference to the All-Star game that was played that year in Arizona.

17. GOODFELLAS

I think we all know this one.

" You're really a funny guy!"

Dodgerdom's first Goodfellas - the 1955 Brooklyn squad.  The first team to bring home the World Series Championship.

Our last Goodfellas - The 1988 Los Angeles squad.

16. ANIMAL HOUSE
Hands down, the absolute funniest college comedy, ever.

"See if you can guess what I am now."
 

The Dodgers have had a few "animals" over the years.  First we had a Toro.

Then we had a Bulldog.

Now we have a Bison.

15. SAVING PRIVATE RYAN

Wow. The storming of Omaha Beach scene alone was worth the price of the ticket.

"I was a schoolteacher."

If you were a Dodger pitcher needing a 9th inning save, watching Eric Gagne take the mound meant Game Over! 

Hope you enjoyed the first installment as much as I enjoyed writing it.  Thanks for reading!

Next Post: Part 2