Social Distancing Diary With Baseball Cards: Clemente and Killebrew

Aloha, everybody,

In this edition of Social Distancing Diary with Baseball Cards, we check out some of the favorites from my PC's of Roberto Clemente and The Killer, Harmon Killebrew. 

Enjoy and aloha!

Social Distancing Diary with Baseball Cards: Mantle, the Babe, and Giants

Aloha, everybody, 

In this episode of Social Distancing with Baseball Cards, we check out some tribute and vintage Mickey Mantle, Roger Maris, the Babe and more.

Enjoy and aloha! 

Social Distancing Diary with Baseball Cards - World Series Vintage Subsets!

Aloha, everyone, 

In today's edition of Social Distancing Diary, we check out a World Series vintage subset, and a couple of Al Kaline cards, on his RIP day. 

Enjoy and aloha!

All Things Come to an End

Aloha, everybody, 

One of the biggest lessons that I took to heart while studying Buddhism (on the way to a Masters in Buddhist Psych) is that everything is constantly changing. Thus, everything comes to an end.  

Case in point...

The voice of every past summer of my life has retired and gone quiet.

Long before I came along, Vin Scully was bringing the Dodgers to life for fans over the radio. He was there when, as a young boy, I committed myself to love the Dodgers forever. He was there all summer long as I grew up, became a man, and raised a family. 

But everything changes, and I'll never hear Vinny call a (live) game again. 

Perhaps no other sports fans know the lesson of all things coming to an end (or felt it deeper) than the heartbroken fans of the Brooklyn Dodgers. 

For generations the Dodgers were the beloved team - the fricken' identity - of the borough. And then Walter O' Malley uprooted the club and moved it to sunny Los Angeles. 

What was tragedy for those east coast fans was welcomed on the west coast. Nothing would be the same again. 

It once seemed the Iron Horse's record of most consecutive games played would never be broken. Then the Iron Man came along and he played every game too, for even longer. 

Until one day, he wasn't in the starting lineup, and his run ended. 

Everything changes. Circumstances that we take for granted will be the same tomorrow can change without a moment's warning. 

When I was putting together my list for Operation PWE, I was surprised (and saddened) to discover the passing of several blogs that had been part of our community long before my humble little blog came along. 

I visited blogs of past trading partners to check on wantlists, and instead I found messages of goodbye and farewell. Bloggers I considered friends, and a couple I was barely acquainted with, had hung up their keyboards - and I never knew. 

I get it. Collecting and trading is fun and easy - consistently scanning and writing, not so much. 

Those blogs went dark without my knowledge because I was missing in action from the blogosphere for a good part of the year myself. The joy of blogging can become a slog sometimes. New circumstances in life arise, and suddenly there's no time for a hobby. Everything changes. 

On the other hand, not every change of circumstances is tragic...

As the old saying goes, "When a door closes, a window opens". Bloggers retire and move on, just like legendary sportscasters. New ones will take their places. 

I bid aloha to my old comrades who closed up shop in 2016. I'll miss your posts, but I look forward to what 2017's bloggers will bring. 

Cardboard Countdown to Opening Day - Only Two Days to Go!

Aloha, everybody, 

It's getting close! Can ya feel it? Opening Day is just around the corner. Let's celebrate with some cardboard number twos...

All I see is the "2", so this one makes the cut...

 

Besides, getting creative with these twos is a good excuse to show off some cool cardboard...
 

 

Amirite? 

 

Finally, a full-on two, with a full-on smile, which also expresses how I feel about Opening Day being almost here...
 

Aloha!

Grand Salami Of Trade Bait: Pittsburgh Pirates

Hey everybody,

Jumping from the shakin' west coast over to the freezin' east coast.

Here come the Bucs...

BOOOOOOOO !!!!!!

BOOOOOOO !!!

"It's all about the 'stache."

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!!!

Cardboard Heroes Say THANKS To The Real Heroes

Hey everybody,

It's Memorial Day and Buzz Aldrin is about to toss out the first pitch at Chavez Ravine.  As our baseball heroes prepare to battle it out on field, I'm presenting some cards with patriotic backgrounds to honor the men and women who served and gave the ultimate sacrifice on the fields of battle keeping us all safe for generations.

From me to all the vets out there, past and present, especially to Dad, who earned a Bronze Star in The Battle of the Bulge - THANKS!

THANKS for Afghanistan!

THANKS for Iraq !

THANKS for Iraq (again)!

THANKS for Vietnam!

THANKS for Korea!

THANKS for World War 2 (Pacific Campaign)!

THANKS, Dad!

THANKS for World War 2 (European Campaign)!

THANKS for World War 1!

THANKS to ALL VETS, and Happy Memorial Day, everyone!