Card Show Haul

Aloha, everybody, 

Everyone loves personal time. Personal time plus spending money is even better. When this combination falls my way, I love to hop in the car and drive out to the Saturday card show. I was lucky enough to do that a couple of times last month, and I'd like to show some of the cards I came upon while I was out. 

Leading off is a quick pick up of my favorite dual sport athlete. Step aside, Tim Tebow...

 Back in the 90s, when Donruss used to be able to show logos, they were my favorite brand. One reason was their inserts. I loved chasing - and catching those inserts. One of my favorites was Press Proofs. 

While browsing the dealer boxes I came upon this Press Proof, numbered 64/199. I picked it up with Matt in mind, but if Matt doesn't want/need it, I'll be happy to pass it on to someone else, or add it to my (very small) press proof collection...

Here's a new addition to my defunct teams collection. This comes from a 1962 oddball release...

I tried to come up with a "shadow shot" interpretation for the card, but I only drew a blank. I suppose I would fail a psychiatrist's ink blot test as well. 

Coming up is one that I've seen around and been chasing for a while. Finally, I've got my own copy of the Flying Spikes card...

These next two will notch two more off my vintage Dodgers team sets. First up from 1958 Topps is Don Bessent. I can't believe I'm down to 11 needed for this year...

I've still got a long way to go for 1959, but Mr. Kipp chips one more away. 

Check out his signature. It reminds me of my father's autograph. My father was a southpaw that the army forced to be a right-hander. He always signed like that afterward...

I don't usually pick up Fleer from this era, but I hadda have this one for a lotta reasons...

Sure, it's a little chewy, but what vintage lover would not love this Zinzinatti vintage? From 1960 Topps...

 Here are a couple more Dodgers for the team sets...

These are for my World Series subsets, and I'm now just two cards shy of completion for the 1971 WS...

Finally, this guy...

I couldn't resist those glasses, and he fits right into my Defunct Teams collection, so I snatched it up. 

I also picked up some surprises for a couple of my trade partners, but they're surprises, so you won't see them today. 

Enjoy your weekends, everybody, wherever you may be. 

Aloha! 

Without Communication, Who Are We?

Aloha, everybody, 

I've spent today in an email chain trying to solve a puzzle. Different people (who could be referred to as teammates of mine) are giving me contradictory answers to the same seemingly simple question. 

On top of all that, I'm trying to get to the bottom of this in a way that won't offend anybody, all the while knowing some fundamental communication between us teammates would have prevented this in the first place. *sigh*

Of all sports, baseball seems to be the most reliant upon communication between teammates. It takes place on a number of levels, mid-game and even mid-play, using words and coded body language. Nowhere is this more evident than the constant non-verbal communications between a pitcher and his catcher. 

I dug into my binders today and pulled out a few random pitchers, curious about who they spent their time communicating with. The results surprised me. 

 Hall of Famer Jim Palmer pitched for the Orioles for 19 years, and won more games than anyone else through the 70's. In checking on his past battery mates I discovered a former Dodger, Rick Dempsey. 

 Dempsey was behind the plate for eight of Palmer's shutouts. That's certainly some top-notch communicating. 

Note Dempsey sporting a 40th anniversary Vero Beach (Spring Training) patch. 

The next pitcher I pulled from my binder was Phil "Knuckleballer" Niekro. 

 Niekro also threw to a former Dodgers catcher, Johnny Oates. 

More great communicating took place, as Oates caught two of Niekro's shutouts. Although I suspect Johnny simply held up the "knuckleball" sign 90% of the time. 

Here comes another great pitcher from the past (with a lurking Mets coach, who was probably communicating with the batter)...

I was amused by this Carlton being caught by a different Carlton - Fisk. 

Amazingly (?), Steve Carlton also was caught by Oates and Dempsey. 

I then pulled Eck...

 Who did he communicate with? Steve Carlton's battery mate, Carlton Fisk - for four shutouts. 

Eckersly was the only one of these pitchers who did not have a Dodger for a catcher, but the final pitcher of the post...

...returns us a battery mate who, you know it, also caught for the Dodgers...

From team to team, across divisions and seasons, they communicated with wig-wagging fingers, and now we honor them with our fingers wig-wagging across keyboards. 

Aloha!

Grand Salami Of Trade Bait - White Sox

You know the drill by now...

Two Bloggers Walk Into A Card Show...

WOW! The Dodgers absolutely clobbered dem tomahawk choppin' Braves tonight. At one point, the Dodger Stadium crowd even began a mocking version of the chop chant. LOL.

After a rough, and I mean ROUGH start by Hyun-Jin Ryu, the Dodger bats stepped up and said, "We got this."  And they proceeded to thump and thump and thump.  Nice.  I'll sleep well tonight.

Now for Part Two of my report from the Culver City Card Show.  Yesterday's post featured the Dodgers cardboard I picked up, tonight will be a look at my loot from the other teams.  But first, a shot of Patrick, our favorite dealer at the card show.

Patrick is very friendly, loves to talk cards, has a good variety of stuff with fair prices (he even has actor cards, actors from the 20's!), and he shares his doritos.  Here's to a great guy!

OK...cards.....

Leading off is 1958 Topps and some love for the other guys in the playoffs.  Sure, it's creased, but it doesn't really detract from the card.  It is a bit off-center, but it's not trimmed, that was my scan job.  How about that baby faced Kaline.

Ana Lu - here comes some dust from the original Pudge.  This is a great action shot of the original Pudge playing the game the only way he knew how.

 I love me some Killebrew cardboard.   Action shot, a home run, triple photo, and a sweet caption.  This one is awesome.

 Did I mention I love them cards from the Killer?  How about this one, psychadelic Topps, featuring Killabrew's weapon of choice.  And a lurking number 8.

Here's a great 1952 Bowman.  Horizontal, sweet imagery, that 1950's TV advert, and the man with the name that noone dares say.

1959 Topps.  I've wanted this one for a long time.  Two Yankee legends on one great card.  The man who tossed a perfect game in the World Series, and the man who showed him how, the ol' perfessor.

How about more Yankees.  Yeah, I know, lots of Dodger fans hate the Yankees.  I don't really have that in me, and I can respect that legacy.  Speaking of legacy, every collector with his (or her) mettle has gotta have a Mantle.   Yes, it's chewy, yes, it's wobbly, yes, the Mick has a bat jammed into a sensitive area, but I finally land my first Mickey Mantle card from his playing days!!

Speaking of cards that capture players in their heydays, this is a very nice shot of the Hit King strolling up to the plate, with that shite eating grin that says, "Base hit, coming up!"

I can take or leave Frank Robinson.  I hadda have this card because of Roberto Clemente.

Finally, we close with a card that somebody apparently folded into quarters.  Was that to fit neatly into a kid-sized wallet?   This is what people mean when they talk about vintage with character.  I've always enjoyed collecting Colavito just because of his name, but I know Tribe fans dig him for much more than that.

That's almost all of my card show haul.  Greg had a goodie bag waiting for me full of Dodgers.  We'll see those next time.

Although my next one may very well be a YAHOO, DODGERS WIN! post.  

Go Dodgers!!!