Dodgers Yanks Rain Delay - So Here's the Last '97 UD Jewels

Aloha, everybody, 

The Dodgers and Yankees game went into a rain delay during today's game, and that gave me a chance to get this post started. 

So let's take a look at the last of the cool cards from my forgotten 97 UD set. 

Global Impact is a cool subset featuring foreign-born players making good in the big leagues. This is a young (and dreadless) Manny Ramirez. 

The card back for Raul Mondesi's card...

This next subset is a fun one, called Strike Force. Of course, it features the top pitchers...

These cards have a cool, emerald green shiny finish. 

Here's a very young-looking Hideo Nomo...

I mentioned abominations in my first '97 UD post - here's another. The Hawk as a Marlin in the Final Tribute subset. 

 Gimme those full-career stats! 

And now, another fun set of inserts, Ticket to Stardom...

These are die-cut to look like ticket stubs - remember those?  They have a high gloss, gold finish. Handsome cards. These were seeded 1:34 packs. 

Here's the rear...

Last, but not least, my favorite subset from '97 Upper Deck. Series One that year kicked off with cards 1-9 devoted to ATBATT's patron saint. 

 These are a very nice little set, with sepia toned photos and a slightly mirrored finish. 

There are nine cards, so we get nine different shots of Jackie, posed and in action. 

Here's a card back...

Discovering this Jackie set was a nice surprise as these cards have now come out of that forgotten box from inside the end table, and now they have their very own binder page. 

There is one drag, though. The set has nine cards - like a binder page. I have eight. Argh! I'm missing card #3. 

That's the rub, aint it? No matter how many cards we add to our collections, there's always one more card to chase. 

Aloha! 

Bryce Harper Aint got Nothing on the Pimps in my Binders

Aloha, everybody,

So Bryce Harper says baseball is "tired" and needs some pimping to liven it up. I get it. It's a new era. 

Just as baseball gave us a livelier ball to make the game more exciting, Harper and many of today's ballplayers want to pimp home run shots and fist pump until the cows come home, because that's how they want to leave their mark on the diamond. 

Every team's got a pimp. The pimp on the Dodgers is Yasiel Puig. I wrote an article about that today for LAdodgerreport. I hope when you're done here, you'll stop by there and give that a read also.

Writing that got me to thinking about where I can find some straight up pimps in my card collection. Everybody knows the pimp card of 2016 Topps is the Joey Bats bat flip card, but I haven't pulled that one yet. Nevertheless, I found a few pimp daddies in my collection. 

Leading off is Matt Kemp pimping the old school threads. 

The Big Hurt  pimping eye black (stick on style) 

Here comes Catfish pimping the old fake pitch pose.

I wonder if this is the first time anybody was "catfished". 

The Hawk pimping the stare down. 

Vida pimping the joy of la vida. 

 Boggsy pimping the knuckleball.

 Topps had the opportunity for a pimp set with these Pressed Into Service inserts. Instead, by settling for so many cards without actual photos of the players pitching, they went from pimping to FAIL. 

Clemente pimps the die-cut.

Fingers pimps the mustache. 

The Splendid Splinter pimps the stretch.

Pimping the hardware. 

 Of course Kemp returns. Pimps always double dip.

This guy pimps the right name, but in the wrong profession. 

EY pimping the DP.

Gibby pimping the glory. 

Beltre pimping the stretch (part two). 

Finally, Sandy pimping the zeroes. 

Here's the ATBATT pimp saying, Aloha! 

The Dodger Bats And My Collection Go Off Hiatus

Hey everybody,

FINALLY the Dodgers are righteously kicking some ass and blowing out the Pirates 12-2.  I've had to update the score twice since I started writing this.  Sorry Matt, but the Boys In Blue were due.  Sunday will be ours as well. Hehe

In the spirit of a great game, I bring a post about some great cards that arrived in my mailbox this morning.  

A while back my buddy Tony from Off Hiatus Baseball Cards ran a contest and I came away a winner of one of the most iconic slices of cardboard ever.  

The winners of the contest were able to choose our favorite of the offered cards, and if I remember correctly (which is not as often as I would like), I had second choice. It was a tough selection because Tony was offering a sweet giant swatch from a Dodger - Chad Billingsley - but I saw a different card that I wanted.  

Furthermore, I knew Chavez Ravining was next in line to choose after me, and I figured he had his eye on that Bills card.  I chose to pass on the unfulfilled potential of Bills and go for a card of one of the solid greats.

Lookit this beauty that Tony offered up - and I snagged!

THE HAWK - ALL-STAR RC CUP !!! DANGGGGGGGGG !!!!!!

I don't usually show the backs of cards, but in this case, let's see what Topps did with an early card of one of the game's greats...

What do you think? Do you see The Hawk's eventual career from this card back? 

Winning that card would have been enough, and that's all I expected when I saw my winnings envelope today, but Tony don't just roll minimum style like that. He included  a coupla great extras.  Let's check 'em out...

 How's about a legendary pitcher for the Angels - back when the Angels were happy to represent the city they actually play in? 

Although I'm not an Angels fan, per se, I did attend university in Orange County - Cal State  Fullerton - and I'm a California homer, so I'm very happy to land a card from a great Angel.

And that's not all.  Tony knew I wanted a Dodger and he sent me a beautiful Museum card ...

Scans don't really convey how nice these Museum cards are in hand.  The player image just jumps out at you from the background.  These cards are defintiely worthy of the Museum moniker. 

All in all, it was a very nice envelope for a great Saturday. 
Enjoy the weekend everybody! 

Grand Salami of Trade Bait - Chicago Cubs

Here come the Cubbies....

Give it up for the Hawk!

Rynooooo !!

Wild Thang

The friendly confines lurking...

Lee Smith Rookie Card!

Thanks for checking these out!