Grand Salami Of Trade Bait: Cleveland Indians

As we return to ATBATT's Grand Salami Of Trade Bait offerings, I present, The Tribe...

Hows about a future manager card?

Another future manager. Neikro managed an all-female team!

Rookie Card Shield

When eye black ruled the diamond.

Shiny All-Star Rookie Cup

Thanks for stopping by!

Binder Page Heroes - Vintage Calling!

Here we go again with another page pulled from my PC binders. Here comes a mix of old-timers from Topps base, subsets, and even an Upper Deck oddball.

These first cards were inserts before there were inserts.  They come from 1973 Topps and featured the All-Time stat leaders (up to that point) for a variety of baseball accomplishments.

I'm chasing this bunch, so I'd appreciate if anybody out there who has some of these lying around would send 'em my way - in a trade of course.  Just check my "Sets I'm Chasing" page to see what I have and what I need.

Before Pete Rose was The Hit King, there stood The Georgia Peach. 

 This card of Walter Johnson has yet another WJ card creeping up into him. We'll see that lower card again in a sec.

 Here's good ol' Walter once again, leading his second category in the set: Most K's.

Coming up - down below - is that long rectangular card that was creeping into WJ's "Shutout Leader" card.  This is from 1993 Upper Deck All-Time Heroes....

These are patterned after the T-202 Hassan Triple Folders cards. There's 165 cards in the set and I have 3 or 4.  Not chasing.

The cards immediately above and below come from a set I'm sloooowly chasing, 1963 Fleer.

About a week ago the Dodgers tied, and then broke the franchise road game-winning streak record.   It was previously held by the 1924 Brooklyn Robins.

What most sports writers or bloggers didn't tell us was the fact that back in those early days in Brooklyn, the ballclub was called by a slew o' nicknames, depending upon who was doing the slewing.

They were called, for example, the Superbas (which I always read as the Super-Bras), the Grays, the Grooms, and the Robins.

It's said Manager Wilbert Robinson, affectionately known as "Uncle Robbie", was the reason they were called the Robins.  Baseball history will record this as the last time any manager was affectionately called anything.

Here's the Dodgers' All-time Hit King.  Way to rock that hip-hop cap waaaay before anybody, Sir Z to the Ack. 

The final three in the line up come from vintage Topps...

I'm a big fan of knuckleballers.  Here's a prime example of old-timer knuckler Phil Niekro, with old-time Dodger Stadium lurking in the background.

1962 Topps brings us one of those great shared cards featuring former Dodger and Yanks skipper, Joe Torre and his amazin' eyebrows. 

Finally tonight, another knuckler showing us how to grip it.  Contrary to the pitch's name, you don't really use your knuckles at all. Just another tricky facet of that dang tricky pitch.

Dimes? This Box Of Traded Cards Is Worth A Million To Me

Hey everybody,

A while back, Nick, over at the most excellent blog, Dime Boxes, decided he would begin collecting Matt Kemp cardboard.  So I sent over a few Kemps to help him kickstart his new quest.

As most of you blogonauts out there already know, Nick is a proficient and prolific writer.  However, what some of you may not know is what kind of a generous and cool trader he is.  Nick sent over a fantastic batch of cards that fit perfectly in my collection.  They span across teams, players, decades and card company releases.  He included so many cool cards, it was difficult to settle on just which ones to show.  However, settle I did, and here's a sampling of the cardboard goodness Nick sent my way...

Starting off with a beauty, 2001 Upper Deck Legends, Johnny Bench.  What a sweet card this is.  Black and white imagery for that classic feel, surrounded by an understated but dignified frame...

Is it me - or is that Yogi Berra in the dugout?  Here's Berra, a former great catcher studying the new generation's backstop in action. 

Good ol' Ralph Kiner is a local boy.  He grew up in the next city over from me - Alhambra, CA.

 Above is a  slice of HOFer goodness on a miscut that you almost won't  notice unless it's pointed out.  This card kinda looks like Niekro is trying to remember if he turned off the faucet at home.

From vintage sweetness to modern beauty below...

All rise to World Series Hero, Maz.

It's new to me!  2000 Upper Deck Hitters Club, featuring Cap Anson looking rather dapper. 

Below is what Rickey Henderson probably sees when he looks in the mirror..

How about this sweet cut-out Carew !!

Of course Nick tossed in some Dodger goodness for me...

Fantastic card! The greatest L.A. Dodger third baseman ever.

Speaking of fantastic, below is a great card of Satchel Paige, pictured during his time with the Indians...

Cubbie great Santo looks like he's wearing a WBC championship belt.

Blogger Fuji might appreciate these very cool A's cards almost as much as me.  Did somebody just give Reggie a hot foot? 

Finally, a Dodger's pitcher batting. No - bunting.  No - risking his fingers bunting...

I wish anger management- challenged hitting "coach" Mark McGwire would take Hyun-Jin Ryu aside and teach him to quit trying to bunt with his fingers completely wrapped around the bat.  I cringe every time I see Ryu trying to bunt.

But then again, I cringe even further when I think about all the great work McGwire has done with the Dodger hitters up to this point.

There's no cringing, however, when I reflect upon this awesome trade with Nick.  THANKs for the great cards, bud!

THANKS for reading, everyone !

Heavenly Trades Result in Cardboardy Heaven

Hey everybody,

How about that Yasiel Mondesi Puig??? Wow, what a wonderful addition to the Dodgers.

I'm about to settle in and watch the ballgame.  Can't wait to see what excitement Puig will bring to the Dodger Nation tonight.  BTW- I'll be at the game on Sunday, and that'll be my chance to see Puig in person.  I'll try to get some good pics for a later game report. 

I've been falling behind in trade posts lately, so here comes the first of a few.  Cameron over at Cardboard Heaven put up some cool Topps vintage and I just hadda have 'em.  It took a few emails scattered over a few weeks, but we finally nailed things down and locked in our trade.

That neato '67 Topps Steve Carlton (below) wasn't even involved in Cameron's initial trade bait post, but it worked its way into our trade talks, and now its happily in my binder. 

How's about some old-time Dodger Stadium lurking?

 Those '68 Topps above were the cards from Cardboard Heaven that started our trade.

Some 2013 Gypsy Queen came along on the side.

This miiiiinnnniiiii is my favorite from the Queen cards.  What a great looking card.

I got some Heritage too!  This Banks photo really matches the card graphics.

I cannot have too many cards of Hammerin' Hank.

Is that a cruise ship lurking behind the boys?

This is a great Kershaw card.  Thanks for this one, Cameron.

What a great trade.  THANKS for reading, everybody.