Surprise 2020 Package From Too Many Verlanders

Aloha, everybody, 

Just before Christmas, I received a surprise package from Too Many Verlanders. Lemme tell u, my 2020 started off with a blast bc this was a windfall of Dodgers cardboard and relic awesomeness.

Aloha!

Dodgers Announce "Fernando Valenzuela Fix" - What a Crock

The Dodgers announced the "Legends of Dodgers Baseball", a way of recognizing great past Dodgers with plaques honoring their contributions to the team through its storied past. The inaugural class is Fernando Valenzuela, Steve Garvey and Don Newcombe.

Folks ranging from the Dodgers' beat reporters to anyone with a Twitter account were praising this "solution to the Fernando Valenzuela retired number problem". I'm calling this a complete crock and an empty way of avoiding the true recognition that Fernando deserves from the organization - the retiring of Number 34.

You Can't Have Too Many Great Things to Read

Aloha, everybody, 

I have to start this post off with an apology to Dennis, from Too Many Verlanders. You see, Dennis sent a package to me long, long ago, and I'm just now getting around to posting about it. 

It wasn't because I didn't like what he sent - rather, I liked it so much, that I immediately stashed it in my library to be enjoyed in my leisure time, but I forgot it was there until now. 

When Dennis' package arrived, I was still reading "Electric October". So I put it aside to be perused when I finished the book. Unfortunately, I didn't finish it until a few days ago. All the while, the package sat there waiting, while I forgot to post about it. Ugh!!

OK, self-flagellation is over. I finished the book, and I'm currently enjoying this generous package of past collecting periodicals from Dennis. 

Most were old Beckett mags, and I love 'em. I read Beckett religiously back when I started collecting, and I saved a few from back in those days. These are great additions to my collection. 
There's so much goodness and collecting nostalgia in these mags, I'm going to spread them out over a few posts. 

Let's get started with Mike Piazza, the cover boy for July 1996. 

I love reading and reminiscing over what the card collecting world was like back then. For many of us, Beckett was the cardboard bible, and it set trends as much as it reported on them. 

Here's who collectors were chasing back in '96. Frank Thomas and Piazza were at the top of my wish list back then. 

The main attraction this mag has for me is a gallery of full-page photos that were meant for autographs. I wonder of anyone ever got every autograph needed to fill out the set. 

Autographed or not, these are great photos. I'll hold commentary and let the pics speak for themselves...

Good stuff, right? THANKS for these wonderful mags, Dennis. Sorry it took so long to post up. 

Next time, we'll get into the way-back machine and pull out a real vintage Beckett with plenty of fun reading inside. 

Aloha! 

A Penny Sleeve Can't Hold Back This Cardboard's Coolness

Aloha, everybody, 

I recently received a package from Jon, my friend and the man behind A Penny Sleeve for Your Thoughts. 

I love reading Jon's blog posts. Everyone in our community has a different writing style, and I just happen to connect with how Jon writes. The bonus is our occasional blind trades. Nothing set up formally, just a fistful of cards flying from one collector to another. That's simple cardboard goodness, and this batch did not disappoint. 

First up is an interesting specimen that has me scratching my head.
Take a look and see if you notice anything different about this card... 

The card itself is of a highly diggable nature. What's not to love? Steve Garvey, rare fielding photo, and a jersey patch. All cherished checkmarks. 

But...did you notice the swatch? It's black. The Dodgers don't have any black in their uniforms, so why is the swatch black? The back of the card doesn't give me any hints, but closer inspection of the photo gives me a very big clue. 

Garvey is wearing a black tribute patch to number 19, Brooklyn Dodgers great, Jim Gilliam. The texture of the swatch itself feels a bit rough, like a patch might. Is this a swatch from Garvey's sleeve patch ?!?!?!?!? Dare I believe so???? What do you guys think? Any ideas from GCRL or Sir Night Owl?  

Moving on. Some of you may know Al Downing as the guy who gave up home run 715 to Hank Aaron. In fact, that's what the Memorable Moment for this card is...

Jon dropped a few 2017 Topps Archives on me. Cool! 

Here's a nice surprise. Jon knocked a solid base hit with this Larry Doby inclusion...

How many times have I said it? Gimme all your Piazzas. Please. 
High tops alert...

I don't know how many times I've had this card and traded it away or sold it. It's returned to me once again. Must be fate. I think I'll keep this one. 

Don't you love when trade partners remember who you collect, or check your wish lists to ensure they include some stuff right in your collecting wheelhouse? Jon does this...

I collect defunct teams, and one of my favorites is the Washington Senators. This Gil Coan card is a beauty. A bit flawed because of the fold crease, but otherwise, a beauty. What a photo! Plenty of the classic checkmarks found in 50's cardboard. 

Flip it over and there's even more goodness. It seems Coan had such a terrible 1952 campaign (the Topps writers called it a "slump year") that they totally ignored '52 and reminded us 1950 and '51 were much better for ol' Gil. 

Finally, Jon dropped in a couple of sweet items for my Raiders collection. Biletnikoff!!

Shiny Archives and below, numbered 1090 of 1099. The next best to the first ten numbers, is within the last ten. Cool! 

THANKS for the great cards, Jon. Your pile is almost ready to send out from here. 

Aloaha! 

A Fistful of Dodgers From Bo's Box

Aloha, everybody, 

As you may remember, I'm showing off some samples from the large box of cards that Bo sent over to me. We're down to the last couple of posts, so let's get started. 

Here come some great Dodgers cards from the shiny and creative '90s and beyond. Leading off are a few Beltres...

Now some shiny (and new!) Nomos...

Tribute reprints that came off very nicely...

I wonder how many reprint versions of that Steve Garvey All-Stars card are out there? This is my third different one. 

Let's get modern with some Diamond Kings...

These DKs work just as well on the backside. I like stats on the back as much as the next guy, but I'm also a big fan of the snippets I can read that give me context...

Takeshi Saito didn't get on a lot of cards back then, but boy, I'm glad he made it onto this cool blue Spectrum specimen...

I don't think there's another ex-Dodger who's cards make me feel sad, like Pedro's...

This Mondesi card has a nice textured surface to go along with the shiny stars...

I wonder if we'll ever get sparkly, glittery cards again...

Let's close with a couple of lights-out pitchers...

As always, THANKS for these cool cards, Bo! 

Aloha! 

Parlay Vous Oh-Pee-Chee?

Aloha, everybody, 

Good ol' John from Johnny's Trading Spot recently sent me a fistful of cards that filled out some missing Dodgers team sets from the 90's, and some fantastic Oh-Pee-Chee cardboard. Let's have a look.

First up is Score '96, led off by the Dodgers lead off batter, Brett Butler. Ex-Giant, sure. But LA came to love Brett as a guy who played every inning of every game, and did it pretty well. 

That guy way in the back is Delino DeShields. The scrub the Dodgers got in exchange for Pedro Martinez. 

Here's a bunch of Score '95. Front and center is Pedro's big brother, Ramon. Big head in the back is the scrub. 

Final team bunch is '96 Upper Deck Collectors Choice. The photos on these are great, including the rear photos. The blue borders work well with the team colors also. 

Shawn Green, Diamond King. Details Bonus: Dodger Stadium 40th Anniversary patch on the uni. 

Now I'm thinking of Adrian Gonzalez's 2017 cards as "sunset" issues. 

You will never go wrong dropping a brushback Don Drysdale card in for me. 

Call me out of touch. I have no idea who this EDM DJ (or whatever he is) is, and I don't care. He did get my binder page of first pitches at Dodger Stadium one step closer to completion. 

I'm aware enough to know who these youngsters are. I may not know EDM, but I sure do know RBIs...

And now, le piece de resistance (sorry, can't figure out how to make fancy accent marks on my laptop) of the trade. Le Oh-Pee-Chee. 

Note the bilingual text. Monsieur Garvey is le 1st But. 

Le lancceur tragique. 

Here's a look at the backs in case you haven't seen these before. How do you say "awesome" in French?

Tres bon, Johnnie. Tres THANKS! 

Aloha! 

When Dodger Collectors Collide

Aloha, everyone, 

Not too long ago I wrote about Spiegel, my old collecting friend who was getting back into the trading game after retiring his own Dodgers blog a couple of years ago. 

Just as you might suspect, Spiegel isn't the only ex-Dodger blogger who was away for a while and is now back in. GCRL Jim is another. Jim and I recently turned the U.S. mails blue when we swapped fistfuls of Dodgers cardboard. 

We Dodgers collectors are blessed, as our team has historically had plenty of representation in card companies' checklists. That means no matter how large our collections are, and however much we swap among each other, the chances of receiving plenty of new (for us) product in our mailboxes are pretty good. 

Take for example, these 2007 SP Legendary Cuts cards of Roy Campanella and Maury Wills. 

 I've loved these black n' red beauties ever since I saw a dealer selling a large stack of them a couple of years ago. He wanted fifty cents a piece for them, and I wasn't convinced they were worth that, so I walked away and never had a chance to pick through that set again. 

Speaking of beautiful cardboard...

Just lookit that. I don't need a card to be selling for $100 on ebay for me to appreciate it. A grand design and good photography goes a long way with me. 

Sure I've got 2009 Dodgers, but I didn't have O-Pee-Chee versions until GCRL hit me with them. 

Sir Night Owl wrote about receiving a team set Dodger card tonight, and just like the team bag says, these are a bunch of 2012 team set Dodgers...

Just enough to make me need to complete the set. Ha! 

Here's an interesting pair, both from 2005. Playoff Prestige and Throwback Threads both used the same photo of the Penguin. The Prestige card was even lazier in its use of the same photo on the back. 

GCRL set me up with a whole lotta cards that were brothers in sets that I've never seen. Like these...

And the hits just kept on coming. Here's a string of Dodgers batsmen...

 Except Manny's bat is nowhere to be seen. 

And here's some pitching. 

Another set with amazing photography and design....

Finally, one more photographic work of art on a little slice of cardboard...

Dig that sly smile on Jackie. It's the same look Dodgers collectors have when we open packages from each other. 

THANKS for all the great cards, Jim! 

Aloha!