Wes' Big Ol' Cube o' Cardboard - Part 2

Aloha, everybody, 

Yesterday we saw the first part of highlights from the cardboard pummeling I received from good ol' Wes. We now commence with Part 2 - RELICS, SWATCHES and AUTOGRAPHS...


First up is a beautiful patch card numbered 1379/1430 (14-30?). I love everything about this card, including the no-name scrub who lends his likeness to it. 

This is because our scrub pitcher bookends two big trades that I remember as a Dodgers fan. First, he came to the Dodgers (along with Brian Jordan) in the trade that sent Gary Sheffield to the Braves. Second, he was quickly shipped off to Oakland for Milton Bradley. 

Speaking of ex-Dodgers who've been shipped off to obscurity...

Here's a very low edition, low numbered (7/36), well-designed, Triple Threads...

 In a bizarro reverse situation, here comes Carl Crawford, who came to LA, and THEN found obscurity...

And now, the big boys...

My first swatch from Yasiel Puig, and it's super low numbered 3/99...

I showed this one off on Twitter earlier. Number 52/99, World Series relief pitching hero, Kenta Maeda...

I absolutely love this next one. Gonzo's career may or not be over, and the haters are biting around the edges, still claiming his arrival from the Red Sox paid no dividends. Philistines! 

A-Gon was the iron man, with ironclad offensive numbers throughout most of his Dodgers career.

 Good stuff from Wes, and we're a long ways from done. Next time: Autographs. 

Aloha! 

Parlay Vous Oh-Pee-Chee?

Aloha, everybody, 

Good ol' John from Johnny's Trading Spot recently sent me a fistful of cards that filled out some missing Dodgers team sets from the 90's, and some fantastic Oh-Pee-Chee cardboard. Let's have a look.

First up is Score '96, led off by the Dodgers lead off batter, Brett Butler. Ex-Giant, sure. But LA came to love Brett as a guy who played every inning of every game, and did it pretty well. 

That guy way in the back is Delino DeShields. The scrub the Dodgers got in exchange for Pedro Martinez. 

Here's a bunch of Score '95. Front and center is Pedro's big brother, Ramon. Big head in the back is the scrub. 

Final team bunch is '96 Upper Deck Collectors Choice. The photos on these are great, including the rear photos. The blue borders work well with the team colors also. 

Shawn Green, Diamond King. Details Bonus: Dodger Stadium 40th Anniversary patch on the uni. 

Now I'm thinking of Adrian Gonzalez's 2017 cards as "sunset" issues. 

You will never go wrong dropping a brushback Don Drysdale card in for me. 

Call me out of touch. I have no idea who this EDM DJ (or whatever he is) is, and I don't care. He did get my binder page of first pitches at Dodger Stadium one step closer to completion. 

I'm aware enough to know who these youngsters are. I may not know EDM, but I sure do know RBIs...

And now, le piece de resistance (sorry, can't figure out how to make fancy accent marks on my laptop) of the trade. Le Oh-Pee-Chee. 

Note the bilingual text. Monsieur Garvey is le 1st But. 

Le lancceur tragique. 

Here's a look at the backs in case you haven't seen these before. How do you say "awesome" in French?

Tres bon, Johnnie. Tres THANKS! 

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!

When The Dodgers Roster Comes From Wrigley, It's Jenga!

Aloha, everybody,

Yup, it's been a while. I hope you don't think I've deserted you all and the blogosphere; that won't happen. I've just been on other adventures, but I'm happy to say one nice development has brought me back here to ATBATT. 

About a month ago, Tony from Wrigley Roster Jenga put out a call for anyone who might have Target 100th Anniversary Dodgers. As luck would have it, I had just come upon some, and I was able to help him chip a bit off of his wishlist. 

I didn't think of sending those Target Dodgers to Tony as a trade, it was just one collector helping out another. But Tony being Tony, went ahead and stuffed a fistful of cards into a return package for me. 

That was FANTASTIC! As you all know, any new additions to my collection are heartily welcomed. Which bring us to the cards that my friend Tony sent to me. 

Let's begin with Topps Bunt and the man who surprised quite a few Dodgers fans by his return from the disabled list...

One reason Kershaw returned to the big club so soon is the minor leagues have completed their seasons, and there really isn't anyplace else for him to make rehab starts. 

This also explains the return of Andre Ethier to the club. 

Who else was in those Bunt cards? 

The upcoming ROY! With a RC shield. Nice!

One more...

You want more, you say? How about more of the same guys-this time on a different product...

I love that above shot of the professional hitter, focused, and in his element. 

Colorized Jackie! 

Tony knows I like the ol' Brooklyn club, so he tossed in my first Bill Bergen card. 

Maybe there's a reason I don't have many Bergen cards? This is from his Wikipedia page: 
No one played in the major leagues as long as Bill Bergen and hit so poorly. In 1909, Bergen set a record for futility with a span of 46 consecutive at-bats without a base hit. 

No surprise he was a Dodger for eight years. In Bergen's defense, he was a very good backstop during the Deadball Era. He's ranked among the all-time top catchers in more than a few books and publications. 

Come to think of it, maybe I should get my hands on more Bergen cardboard. 

Tony took me from a hero of the Deadball Era to one of tomorrow's standouts...

Another first for me, my first Willie Calhoun card. Calhoun is a fourth-round draft pick who is making lots of noise in the AA leagues. Dodgers fans are eagerly looking forward to Calhoun's development. 

Here's someone who just finished taking some "development" time in the minors...

Just as it is on the field, it is for my collection: more Puig is good. 

Long before Puig was throwing guys out from the deepest corners of RF in Chavez Ravine, and hammering monster home runs, this guy was doing the same...

I loved Fleer's inserts back in the 90's, and I still do. Speaking of  Dodger Stadium and Fleer in the 90's, here a couple more of Mondesi's teammates...

Because I gots to have lotsa Piazza...

A San Antonio Missions Piazza card...Wow!

The next one's not so much of a wow, as it is a hmmm...

Here we go, more young Dodgers blood...

And we'll close out with more Dodgers history...

From that 1990 Swell set, I now have King, Newk, Koufax and Drysdale. I just need five more to complete that checklist. Tony has just given my collection a new goal. 

What a great package that was, Tony. THANKS very much for the cool cards. 

Aloha!