The Top Three Stories From The Dodgers' Opening Day

Opening Day. Short season, weird rules, universal DH, and  pandemic. Suffice to say, I was not enthused. Then it was 24 hours away and I could feel the annual excitement growing. 

By game time yesterday, I had the Opening Day Party ready to go in the garage, and cold beers in the fridge. 

It did not disappoint. Here are my top three takeaways from the glorious stomping the Dodgers laid upon the Giants on Opening Day 2020. 

Enjoy and aloha! 

Social Distancing Diary with Baseball Cards ~ Opening Day Edition

Aloha, everybody, 

It's Opening Day, but all a the ballparks are closed. In that case, let's enjoy checking out some vintage Johnny Bench and Duke Snider cardboard.

Enjoy and aloha!

Rich Hill Deserves to Pitch Opening Day. The Dodgers Owe Him

Aloha, everybody, 

With Clayton Kershaw out, the Dodgers have announced Hyun-Jin Ryu is the front-runner to pitch on Opening Day. They couldn't be more wrong. 

Dick Mountain deserves that ball - the Dodgers owe it to him. 

Aloha!

It's Opening Day! Here's a Quickie Video (with beer review)

Aloha, everybody, 

It's the big day we've all been waiting for! Opening Day is finally here, and everyone's team is dreaming of a shot at the World Series. 

In case you're still waiting fr your team to hit the field, and you've got a few minutes, check out my Opening Day Eve Youtube video that I made last night. 

It's got my take on the Great Flood of Chavez Ravine, the Great Robbery of Andrew Toles, the Great luck of Joc Pederson, and the Great Heart of Enrique Kike Hernandez. 

There's also my beer review of a Belgian IPA from To Ol Brewing. Enjoy, and don't forget to hit "like" if you did. 

PS...in an move to up my game...I'm using a new mike for improved sound. 

Aloha! 

It's Opening Day - So Let's Open Some Packs! (BTW - 100,000 views for ATBATT)

Aloha, everybody, 

Happy Opening Day to all of you, my fellow baseball fans, on this most excellent day. 

I even wrote a baseball haiku. Here it is, in case you didn't see it on Twitter (with apologies to any haiku purists out there)...

Hot dogs and beer, 

A Spring celebration 

It's Opening Day 

With that, my team isn't playing today, so I figured the next best thing would be to OPEN a few packs. Luckily my old lady was headed out to the local Target and she asked me if I wanted anything. You bet! 

I put in an order for a few packs, and here is what she returned with...

Welp, it turns out she also has the knack of choosing packs just like me. The Topps Series One pack followed the same pattern that I've been pulling since the start of the cardboard season. The first card from the first pack I opened...

 Wouldn't ya know it? An Angel. I also got the usual assortment of inserts, Cubs and Yankees.

The 2016 Heritage pack followed the same pattern as usual - way too many Giants, nothing for my collection, and something for ZZ.

Here are the highlights (?) from the Opening Day pack...

Yet even more Yankees...

And some kinda insert...

 In the end, my old lady chose well, because I pulled one of the cards I've been wanting since we all opened our first packs this year...

 It's extra cool because I got it from Opening Day, on Opening Day. 

Finally, Opening Day 2016 is a little extra special because ATBATT quietly passed a milestone today - 100,000 views. Not bad for a humble little blog. More on that next time. 

The Dodgers open their season tomorrow! Aloha!

 

Cardboard Countdown - One day - I Say, Just ONE DAY to Go!

Aloha, everybody,

This is it! I can smell the hot dogs and taste the over-priced beer. My team doesn't play until Monday, but tomorrow will be Opening Day for lots of other teams, so let's count down with the only two number ones that I could find in my collection...

And we'll close with (perhaps) everyone's favorite number one on one of my favorite cardboard issues ever...
 

Less than 24 hours to "Play ball!" Wooooooooo!!!!!
Aloha! 

Cardboard Countdown to Opening Day - Three Days to Go!

Aloha, everybody, 

Three days to go until first pitch of the new season!  

I wonder who'll blast home runs on Opening Day?

Hey kids! Can you find the number 3?

 Here's a cardback number 3...

How about that .450 WS batting average - with two homers!

 That was it for legitimate number 3's in my collection.

I had to pull out the ol' artistic license for the rest...

Let's end things with a Dodger...

 Aloha! 

Cardboard Countdown to Opening Day - Four Days to Go!

Aloha, everybody, 

Folks on Twitter are having fun counting down to Opening Day by showing photos of player's uniform numbers that match the number of days to go. 

 I figured I would take a crack at something like that and run an ATBATT countdown, showing cardboard that features the appropriate numbers.

 My criteria was the same as Twitter's; the number itself had to be visible. Little did I know how hard it would be to find a lot of cardboard in my collection that clearly showed the numbers I needed. I had to get creative on occasion.  

Lucky for me, I've got a few cards from the Duke of Flatbush...

See you all for Number 3. Aloha! 

Did Somebody Say "Tradition"?

Let's Go...

Batter up...

We're taking...the...afternoon...off!

It's a beautiful day for a ballgame...

Those are the opening lines to a 60'ish song they used to play before every Dodger radio broadcast when I was growing up.  And I listened every chance I got. That song always meant Vin Scully, the Boys in Blue, and an escape into the wonderful thing that is my favorite team playing ball.  

Night Owl's great Opening Day post reminded us today that Baseball is indeed, Tradition.

For about 10 years straight it was my tradition to attend Opening Day.  Not so this year, but as the song says..."I'm taking the afternoon off"...and I'll be watching every pitch from the comfort of my living room, and Vin Scully will be right there too.  Aint life grand?

I hadn't yet come up with an idea for my Opening Day post, but good ol' Night Owl inspired me.  While our favorite teams deal with baseball tradition between the chalklines today, I'll deal with tradition as a cardboard blogger should...

Presenting some mighty fine cardboard baseball tradition: 1954 Bowman.

What better day than Opening Day to enjoy the Dodger Blue running throughout Labine's card? We've got the magnificent blue Brooklyn cap, blue silk Dodgers lettering, the Big Dodger in the Sky providing a great blue background, and don't forget Clem's baby blues. 

How 'bout a little more traditon, you say?  Here ya go...a little bitta tradition from today's opponents...

We're gonna cheer...

and boo...

and raise a hullaballo...

at the ballgame, tooooo-daaaaayyyy !

Here's to tradition !   PLAY BALL!