Social Distancing Diary ~ With Baseball Cards #6

Aloha, everybody, 

Today we check out some custom cards made by the very talented Baseball Card Breakdown, and we see the first of many Dodgers autographs to come. 

Enjoy and aloha! 

Yes Virginia, There is a Customs Cardboard Santa

Aloha, everybody, 

Most of you know that Gavin from Baseball Card Breakdown creates awesome custom cards, and it was my pleasure to receive a Christmas blast of his cardboard art. 

If you don't know Gavin's site, make sure to bookmark it and visit often because he's one of the coolest guys in our community. He's a straight up guy who isn't afraid to speak his mind, and he loves the right bands. Sometimes he confuses the order between the Stones and the Beatles, but nobody's perfect. I'm happy to say, although we haven't met in real life yet, I consider him to be a true friend.  

I hear you out there. Enough with the Brotherhood of Cardboard sappiness. Let's get to the cards!! C'mon, yo! Gimme a break. It's Christmas - and besides, Gavin definitely rocked the part of Custom Cardboard Santa this year. 

These cards are so righteous, I don't even know which is my favorite yet, so in no particular order (but leading off with a snow flurry of cold blooded baseball rivalry)...

How awesome is this card immortalizing this infamous face off between LA and SF? 

"Bring it!", said Yasiel. Gavin brung it. 

Bumgarner says, "Don't look at me." Sorry, bum. I can't stop looking at this awesome Rowdy Rivals card. 

Next up is the greatest baseball announcer of all time...

G sent me a mini Scully custom before like the one above, but that one was masterfully aged to give the impression it was truly an old card. Now I have a gem mint 10 version (maybe 9.8). Either way, it's Merry Christmas to me! 

You want more Scully? How about Vinny in the style of Upper Deck?

Heya, Red! 

On the rear, a great shot of the master in his office...

The caption quotes Vinny's farewell speech to the fans. Priceless art, folks. 

The following cards were almost a letdown because they were "just" normal cards. 

Of course, they're not really letdowns, because ya gotta love DOdgers on playing cards, and they're new to my collection. 

Back to the snowstorm of Dodgers greatness...

What's a cardboard stocking stuffer without an autograph? 

Pena was a light hitting backup catcher who double-dipped with the Dodgers. I suppose he was a nice enough guy, but that and a bat with holes in it won't get you very far in the bigs. 

At least the kid's got an autograph I can read. I'll take it! 

Finally... the big, secret gift that I wanna shake to see what's inside...

A Tony Gwynn Holiday Blast Rip Card! Holy red-nosed reinderrs, Batman! That shite is cool! 

I messaged Gavin today on Twitter and told him I wasn't sure if I should open it. Part of me wanted to keep the card in pristine condition. 

Gavin's response? "Rip it" 

And so I will. As Devo advised us, I'm gonna rip it good. But not yet. 

It's a Holiday Blast card. It's numbered to 25, for the 25th. So I'm going to keep this baby on ice until Christmas day. 

Tune in after Christmas to see what was waiting inside. 

*Shake, shake,shake* 

THANKS for the holiday cards, Gavin. They are truly a blast. 

Aloha! 

Jackie Robinson Day At Dodger Stadium - What A Night, Indeed

Aloha, everybody, 

On Jackie Robinson Day I attended my first ballgame of the year. It was Dodgers vs Giants, Clayton Kershaw vs Madison Bumgarner, the teams were tied for first place in the National League West, and the Dodgers were giving everybody a Jackie Robinson Commemorative jersey, with fireworks after the game. The best part? I was there. 

We arrived early, because it was a sellout and I didn't want to miss a second of it. 

Check out homeboy's Vin Scully t-shirt. Scully is definitely THE MAN in LA. 

It's about 45 minutes to first pitch and the grounds crew is putting the finishing touches on a large Number 42 on the infield, just beyond second base. 

 They brought out the color guard and we heard an amazing National Anthem. I forget the guys name, but you can look him up if you need a most excellent National Anthem singer. He moved the crowd, he was that good. 

It felt pretty special to be there and see all the players suited up with Jackie's number. 

Almost sunset, and the outfield was bathed in beautiful twilight.  

Frank Robinson, the first African-American manager in the big leagues threw out the first pitch to Dodgers skipper Dave Roberts, the first minority manager in Los Angeles. 

Vin Scully was ready to rock, so it was Time For Dodger Baseball! 

Hunter Pence fouling one off of Kershaw. You can see the ball trailing off behind the umpire. 

Dodgers rally! Kike Hernandez just sent a double into left field (He also blasted two home runs in the game). The Giants are starting the relay in as Dodgers are clearing the bases...

It coulda had something to do with this rally banana in the stands. Kike began the tradition of the rally banana last season. 

Kike and his rally banana led the Dodgers to a 7-3 win over the Giants, putting the Dodgers in first place. Life was good. 

But there was still a fireworks show to come!

I like to think every time a firework explodes, a Giant loses his wings...

We were in higher seats and there was a bit of wind, so the smell of the fireworks wafted over us. Sublime. 

I regularly use the metro option to go to the game. So we headed to the shuttle bus stop after the game. 

 It was a sellout, so traffic was horrendous. Our shuttle buses were stuck in it too, and the line got pretty long...

 Look down that row of trees. See those bright orange-yellow lights at the end of the horizon line? THAT was the bus stop. The line has taken on a "U" shape. We are in the middle of the U. 

We waited about a half hour and suddenly an army of buses pulled up. 

After a bus ride to Union Station, we took the train. Home at 12:30. All in all, it was a wonderful night.  

Stop by LADodgerReport tomorrow morning to check out even more - and larger - photos from the game. Aloha!