The Cheatin' Astros Caused me to Rethink Myself as a Dodgers Fan

Aloha, everybody,

The Cheatin' Astros' scandal has caused me to step back and re-evaluate some of my opinions about the Dodgers

Aloha!

The Two Biggest Questions Facing the Dodgers in the Postseason

Aloha, everyone, 

The Dodgers face two big questions coming into the postseason. 

Here is Question Number One, and of course, it involves Kenley Jansen. 

Aloha!

Kenley Jansen Asked About his HR Problems - Here's What He Said

Aloha, everybody, 

Kenley Jansen was asked about his pitching troubles and about Craig Kimbrel coming to the Dodgers. His answers might surprise you. 

Aloha!

Am I the Only One Worried When Kenley Jansen Pitches?

Aloha, everybody, 

Has anyone else noticed Kenley Jansen isn't exactly the dominant pitcher we thought we were getting when he signed that mega-money contract? 

He's barely pretty good, and frankly, he worries me when he takes the mound with a slim lead.

 Bonus: Let's look at the Jackie Robinson Night fan jersey.  

First Dodgers Report Card 2019

Aloha, everybody, 

I've been quiet for a couple weeks - unfortunately, some personal things got in the way of mindless videos and fun. 

I've finally got some time, so after one homestand and one travel series, let's break down the Dodgers and give my first report card of the Dodgers for 2019. 

Enjoy and Aloha! 

One More Batch of Cardboard TTM

Aloha, everybody, 

Welcome to ATBATT 2018. I'm lucky and blessed enough to open the year's posts with a small backlog of trade packages to present. 

Right before the close of the year, I featured a bunch of cards that came to me from Paul's TTM Autograph Blog. Paul, being a generous man, actually sent two separate packages to me. Today, we'll be checking out that second batch. 

The first couple of cards represent a side story for Dodger fans. It's "the changing of the guard". One big reason the boys in blue made it to the Fall Classic was the fact the Dodgers got younger. 

This card marks the power-hitting duo (from a few years back) of young Joc Pederson and Adrian Gonzalez. It's a good representation of the Dodgers turning a page on aging veterans, and moving toward a younger core. 

Andre Ethier, the longest tenured Dodger, will be probabbly moving on as well. I've long been a fan of Captain Clutch, so this blue-bordered beauty is very welcome. 

Manager Dave Roberts blew World Series opportunities when he kept Ethier mostly on the bench against the Astros, despite Ethier almost always getting a hit (including a PH home run) whenever he got a chance. 

Paul also dropped some new Nomos into my lap...

I love these cards that show Nomo just peeking over the top...

 Here's another angle...

Press Proof alert! These always take me back to my early collecting days. I was always ripping packs with the hope of catching one of these.

And now, World Series pitching hero, Kenta Maeda about to be sucked down into shiny, colorful quicksand...

Any and all Kenley Jansens happily accepted...

Closing out this pitching-heavy package is one of my favorite Dodger southpaws, on All-Star cardboard. I'm thinking that's Wrigley ivy behind him...

THANKS for the two great packages, Paul! I'm lucky the dealers around you are stocking a whole lotta Dodgers these days, and I'm very happy that you thought of sharing that with me. 

Aloha! 

What Was Lost, Is Now Found

Aloha, everybody, 

In my last post, I mentioned a surprise package that I received from mi hermano, Wes - which I had misplaced. 

It turns out the cards had been placed in a cabinet where I store my card shipping supplies. Perhaps by me, and then forgotten? This is very likely. 

The important thing is, they were found, and now I can give them their proper thanks in a post, before they are filtered into my binders. 

Leading off is Jackie in a mini variation. Sweet. 

Just like a surprise fistful of cards is sweet. You see, good ol' Wes doesn't blog as often as he used to, but the man hasn't left behind his generous ways of dropping cards on old friends (and hermanos). Wes just rolls like that, which is why blogging or not, he will always be one of my trading mentors and inspirations. 

Here's a blast from the past, from the days card companies were flailing about, trying to merge computer tech and the net with collecting. 

I checked the web address, which is now a dead end. *Sigh*

How about a great photo of Kenley Jansen on a  numbered card? 

With a card back that the stat-heads will love...

Here's a fantastic addition to my Pedro as a Dodger collection...

New Bowmans are always welcome...

New, shiny Bowmans even more so...

Here are some tribute cards...

This here's a copy of the '52 WS program cover...

Finally, a couple of very well preserved '87 Don Russ Opening Day Dodgers. Those '87s are always chipped around the edges, so I'm very happy to receive these upgrades. 

THANKS very much for the surprise cards, Wes! The pile I have for you is growing, but I want to make one more trip to the card show before mail day. 

Aloaha! 

What Were Once Lost to One Collector are Now Found to Another

Aloha, everybody, 

Whew! Sometimes it's tough trying to come up with a witty title, am I right? 

Anyways, that title was supposed to refer to AJ, the Lost Collector, who sent a PWE with some cool Dodgers to me. With the heat wave that's cooking LA these days, cool cards are just what I need, and AJ's the man givin' me the fix...

Here's a RC of the young backup catcher who's proving he belongs with the big club. When Yasmani takes a break, the catching corp doesn't skip a beat. 

The current stars of the Dodgers' bullpen are well represented...

I love how Topps Bunt caught Kenley's dead eye stare that he employs before every pitch. 

Did I mention "coolness"? Dig Piazza's shades, baby...

I guess Keith Urban counts as cool to some music fans out there...right? Remember when those jeans with pre-fabricated holes were 'sposed to be cool? 

Any card featuring Dodger Stadium counts as cool to  me, so this will fit in with my other first pitch at Chavez Ravine cards just fine. 

THANKS for the PWE, AJ. it was...cool! 

Aloha! 

Kenley Jansen is the Dodgers' Best Closer Ever. He may be Pitching for Your Team very Soon

Aloha, everybody,

Last night Kenley Jansen wrote his name into Dodgers history. He nailed down the 162nd save of his career, passing Eric Gagne to become the all-time saves leader for the Dodgers. 

This mini golden-framed beauty is limited 47/62. 

The man who's record Jansen broke is Monsieur Eric Gagne. 

Here's Gagne before his signature goggles and goatee.

 I'm torn over the legacy of Gagne. Torn because I witnessed - and cheered on - his incredible, super-human feat of 84 consecutive saves. Before Gagne, nobody had ever put together a string any bigger than 54. I loved the entire "Game Over" era at Chavez Ravine.

Goatee sans goggles.

 But here's the rub - Gagne admits to achieving his record numbers through substance enhancement. I didn't know it at the time, and perhaps my Dodger blue glasses just wouldn't allow me to see it.  I always figured it was guys on the other teams who cheated, it wasn't my beloved Dodger heroes! 

As a matter of fact, Gagne later estimated 80% of his teammates were juicing up with him. I'm thinking about expanding on that thought later, on the Dodgers site I write for, LADodgersReport.com. 

I suppose it should have been 85% of the team on the stuff, because if Gagne's allegations are true, 80% sure wasn't enough to win a World Series. 

Limited 17/40

 In the end, I fall on the side of Eric Gagne still being a helluva player, and I'll never forget the thrills I felt seeing those bullpen gates swing open to Guns n Roses "Welcome to the Jungle" every time Gagne sprinted to the mound. 

Besides all that, he's a great ex-Dodger, and participates in Dodgers festivities. He's throwing out the first pitch tonight. 

All of that said, Gagne is no longer the beholder of the Dodgers' saves record. Kenley Jansen is, and until I hear different, I'm believing Jansen earned the record juice-free. 

I mentioned Jansen may be coming to your team soon because the sabremetric boneheads who control the Dodgers' personnel decisions only gave Jansen a one-year contract. 

He'll be a free agent at the end of the season, and although I'm sure the Dodgers will want to sign him to a real contract then ( the dopes), he might go mercenary, run up the bidding, and jump teams. 

However, today is not for being cynical. Today Kenley Jansen stands atop Dodgers Mountain. All hail the Saves King! 

Aloha!

I'm Always Off Hiatus When It Comes To Great Trades

Hey Everybody,

As a result of the Grand Salami Of Trade Bait series, I was able to connect with Tony L. and his very cool blog, Off Hiatus Baseball Cards.  Tony bit on some Ryan Braun trade bait and the rest is cardboard history.  Tony's a Brewers fan and a fantastic trade partner, so be sure to shoot some Younts, Molitors and vintage Brewers over his way.

BTW - Tony wrote a great post with the cards I sent his way, weaving a mash up of cardboard and music from my rock n' roll tastes.  Tony, you've inspired me to riff off of your post and there'll be a mash up of my own coming soon.

Before that, let's get to these newest additions to my collection.  Apparently Tony and I both had a similar influence in our card-collecting educations; the importance of "Condition, condition, condition" was evident as I opened the trade package he sent...

These 3-D stars are great minis, but I rarely see any in as great a condition as this Dusty Baker.  It looks like it came out of the box yesterday. 

Speaking of miiiiiinnnnnniiiiiiis, here's a mini Goudey.  I'm not usually a collector of minis, but I'm a sucker for numbered and limited editions.  This one is 18/34.  SWEET!

You can never go wrong with shooting me a card of the Garv. Never mind the chop job on the bottom, that was my faulty scanning.  Once again, this 82 Fleer sings the praises of condition.  The surface and gloss are fantastic. 
Hey Nick, how about that great bat barrel shot?  Hey GCRL, how about that arm patch?

As much as I adhere to the Dodgers-Giants rivalry, on occasion, I have to rewire my thinking when ex-Giants switch sides and don the Dodger Blue.  It's certainly easier to do when the player contributes and makes it easy to be a fan. 

It's easy with Juan Uribe, in the past it was easy with Jeff Kent, and before him, it was easy with Brett Butler.  Butler was a pretty good lead off batter and base stealer for the Dodgers. That said, this card shows Butler learned his trade from the Giants and not the Dodgers.  Maury Wills teaches any lead off the base that does not require you to dive back, isn't really a lead at all.  

Did I mention I appreciate vintage that is in good condition?  (Never mind those little splotchy marks on Alston's uni - it's just time to clean the scanner).  Actually, this Walter Alston card is much closer to Ex-Mt condition.  Very nice, indeed. 

Enough with the non-players.  Here's Kenley Jansen, who's discovered the mix of off-speed pitches and 98 mph fastballs makes him a force to contend with in the 9th inning.

While we're on the subject of pitchers to contend with, I'll close out with the greatest pitcher the Dodgers ever had, and just maybe, the best pitcher the game ever saw...

Nuff said.

Thanks for an awesome trade, Tony.  Looking forward to the next one. 

RYU = YAAAA-HOOOOO!!!!

 

Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times

Well, THAT was exactly what the doctor ordered:

A packed house at Dodger Stadium.  Not bad for everyone trying to get to Chavez Ravine at the height of LA rush hour.  C'mon, TV...how about a 6 or 6:30 p.m. start?

A calmed down and most excellent outing from our third ace, Hyun-Jin Ryu. He pitched a masterpiece that I'm sure everyone back in Seoul enjoyed.

Richard Mackson - USA Today

Adrian Gonzalez getting his batting groove back. Cardinal Adam Wainright was irritated by El Jaguar's hand explosions after he knocked in Mark Ellis with a double.  Haha!

Hanley Ramirez back in the line up and doing what he does best.  Manley busted two hits and knocked in a big run, all with a fractured rib. 

Puig chilling out the plate and bashing the ball again.  He missed a home run by a foot or two.  He might have snatched an inside-the-park home run if he had been off and running on contact - instead of vogueing at the plate.

The Beard and bad-ass Kenley Jansen punching out the Cards in the final two innings.  Boo-yah and Good Night little birds.  Sweet.

Finally, a note to the TBS execs who chose the boring announcing crew for the TV broadcast - It should tell you something about your choice for announcers when your own post-game show uses Vin Scully's voice for the highlights of the game. Doncha think?

Super Hot Trades for a Super Hot Day

Hey everybody,

My team got absolutely shellacked last night! I mean, those dang Phillies just ran roughshod, and then scored some more.  Final score:16 -1.  *Sheesh*

Putting that aside, let's spend a little time checking out some super cool cards on a super hot summer's day out here in L.A.  I'm glad to be inside with my jerry-rigged window air-con, hoping all y'all out there are staying cool today as well. 

First up is a trade with Scott Orphan.  Scott sent over some great cards and a nifty team Dodgers package from early 90's Stadium Club.

 Leading off with a great art card of Raul "Puig" Mondesi.  Apparently he's exploding some unlucky baseball while vacationing (in uniform) on some exotic island with bizarre lines of perspective.

Piazza in a sepia-toned shot. I believe he made this same face during one game when he took a foul ball into his groin, proving catchers should wear a cup for EVERY game. 

 Hideo Nomo bringin it on fimsy cardboard stock with remarkably nice gold lettering.

 I'm digging this RC of Dodgers reliever Paco Rodriguez.  Paco is from Florida and hails from Cuban stock.  I would imagine Puig and he have become friends.

I remember trying to complete this insert set way back when.  The checklist was full of 90's stars.  I don't remember the list now, but it probably reads like a rouges gallery of PED-enhanced rouges.

Topping off the package was this sealed team package of Dodgers from 1993 Stadium Club. The top didn't scan well because it was sitting high and away from the scanner glass.

I'm tempted to open this up and check out all the cards, but I won't for now because I just want to keep it all intact for a while.  Here's the checklist.

I can't wait to open it later and get a look at the Daryl Strawberry and Pedro Martinez cards inside.

The second trade is from another reader, Zippy Zappy, based out there in New Yawk.  I was under the impression Zippy was just going to send 4 cards over in a PWE, which would have been fine enough, but what arrived was a bubble envelope with a stack of cards.  Here's a few highlights from the stack...

I dig the shiny, chromy in this card of my favorite L.A. Dodger shortstop.  Here's Raffi turning two against against the evil ones, in their house. Sweet.

Give a little and get a little.  After sending some Kemps over to Nick at Dime Boxes, I've started to receive more Kemps to restock my collection.  The latest is this golden Bison parallel.

YEAHHHHHHH !!!!!!

 I'm very happy to get my first 2013 Gypsy Queen Dodger.  On top of that, it's an excellent shot of our rock steady backstop.

Also among the firsts is this, my first Topps Marquee.  These cards are very nice, indeed.  Substantial cardstock, great photo with colors that just pop right off the card.  Very nice.

But speaking of firsts, the cards below are what Zippy first opened our trade talks with.  Presenting awesome Dodgers 2012 Topps and Sega CardGen cards from Japan!!!  Check 'em out !!!

Here's what the backs look like...

Zippy Zappy and Stealing Home will not be stopped by Japanese writing.  ZZ really went the extra km and translated the backs for me.  Here's a portion:
 

 How cool is that?  Thanks for translating, ZZ.  Finishing out with 2 more...

 The Dodger's new/old/new/shoulda-been-closer all along.

And finally, this awesome card featuring the Bison in old-time Dodger blues.  Sweet card.


Sweet cards all, gents.  Thanks for the trades, Scott and Zippy Zappy.

THANKS for reading, everybody!