It Only Took a Decade and a Friendly Enemy to Land my First One

Aloha, everybody, 

As far as rivalries go, sports rivalries are among the bitterest. Often for no other reason than being born into a family of fans from one team, we're raised to hate a different team, it's stadium, colors, and fans. 

If the rivalry is held deeply, just the sight of another person wearing a cap or jersey can set off a Pavlov-like reaction. We've seen it with the Yankees and Red Sox, Dodgers and Giants, the Orioles and...heck if I know who...but you get the idea. 

Some rivalries, like the Dodgers and Giants, go waaaaaay back, all the way to the days the teams shared bandbox stadiums in the boroughs of New York. Well, this isn't one of those. The timeline isn't as long - stretching back to 1988, but when it runs hot - baby, it runs red hot. 

Bulldog was the 1988 NLCS MVP vs the Mets

I'm talking about the Dodgers and the Mets. These two teams are far apart geographically, and sometimes in the standings, but when they meet, the fire from their playoff battles in 1988 and again, in 2016, burns bright. I remember heated Dodgers/Mets blogger battles after the Chase Utley slide controversy. 

I lay all of this groundwork because that's what makes the friendship between myself and Kaz all the more special. Kaz used to blog back in the day, but he's since moved on to other things. Luckily, Twitter is one of those things, so we've been able to keep channels open that way, and we continue to send each other cards from time to time. 

Topps Turkey Red 

Kaz recently sent a PWE to me, and that's why we're gathered here today. I showed off a couple of cards already, let's check out what I else found in that envelope...

Returning to the Hershiser card, we have the rear shot. I loved opening packs of 1993 Leaf because I couldn't get enough of these crazy shots of gigantic baseball players dwarfing their cities. 

Love this card tribute to Julio Urias' major league debut, when he was just 17 years old...

Kaz tossed in some minis from the 2011 MLB sticker album...

 This Jackie Robinson is high gloss and shiny (nice!)...

Finally, this baby. My first printing plate. By all weights and measures, rivals would never share with each other. But this is the card collecting community. We operate on a different level...

It seemed as though everyone in my collecting circles had at least one printing plate, but not me. Not until now. 

Sweet, right? My collection is continuously expanding, thanks to the usual suspects - and even from the occasional enemy (but an enemy only inside the chalk lines). THANKS, Kaz! 

Aloha! 

More Cards Migrate from the East Coast to LA (this time, from Mark H)

Aloha, everybody, 

Continuing on with getting caught up on PWEs that have been sitting way too long on top of my card table. 

This fistful of cards comes to me via my good friend, trading partner, and Twitter buddy, Mark H. 

Leading off is a couple of right-handers from the 1988 Worlds Champions...

Orel looks so young. 

Here's a cool little cut-out card of Corey...

Dodgers ace Ramon Martinez (20W - 6L in 1990) is the veteran in this group from 1991 Fleer. Lots of folks don't like this banana yellow 1991 Fleer set, but these specimens are NM condition, so the bright and glossy finish actually looks pretty good in hand...

How about some more Fleer, and Fernando flashing tight yoga pants...

Prospect Jack Savage never caught on with the Dodgers. He later changed his name to Jeff Kent and had a pretty good career up in Frisco...

Speaking of guys who had pretty good careers...

Ol' Gonzo is reportedly considering retirement if the herniated disk in his back doesn't heal up. From the forlorn look on Adrian's face, it looks like they snapped this photo right as that realization hit him. 

Howie Kendrick is represented by this tiny sticker. Which come to think of it, represents the tiny contribution he made as a Dodger. 

Finally, from the "I didn't know I wanted it until I had it" files, a binder page full of Dodgers coaches from the late 80's to the early 90's. 

There's Tommy Lasorda's long-time mafia of coaches (Amalfitano, Perranoski, Mota) and others who I suppose made good coaches, but were terrible managers (Hoffman, Tracy). 

THANKS for the cardboard trip down memory lane, Mark! Great cards. 

Aloaha!

Live Blogging Blaster Pack 9

Here we go...did somebody say something about Dodgers?

ROYAAAAAAAAALLLLSSSSSS !!!!

Another great photo. Catchers gear? Check. Hard-ass look? Check. RC? CHECK !!

Last pack, coming up! 

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