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 Only Took a Decade and a Friendly Enemy to Land my First One

Aloha, everybody, 

As far as rivalries go, sports rivalries are among the bitterest. Often for no other reason than being born into a family of fans from one team, we're raised to hate a different team, it's stadium, colors, and fans. 

If the rivalry is held deeply, just the sight of another person wearing a cap or jersey can set off a Pavlov-like reaction. We've seen it with the Yankees and Red Sox, Dodgers and Giants, the Orioles and...heck if I know who...but you get the idea. 

Some rivalries, like the Dodgers and Giants, go waaaaaay back, all the way to the days the teams shared bandbox stadiums in the boroughs of New York. Well, this isn't one of those. The timeline isn't as long - stretching back to 1988, but when it runs hot - baby, it runs red hot. 

Bulldog was the 1988 NLCS MVP vs the Mets

I'm talking about the Dodgers and the Mets. These two teams are far apart geographically, and sometimes in the standings, but when they meet, the fire from their playoff battles in 1988 and again, in 2016, burns bright. I remember heated Dodgers/Mets blogger battles after the Chase Utley slide controversy. 

I lay all of this groundwork because that's what makes the friendship between myself and Kaz all the more special. Kaz used to blog back in the day, but he's since moved on to other things. Luckily, Twitter is one of those things, so we've been able to keep channels open that way, and we continue to send each other cards from time to time. 

Topps Turkey Red 

Kaz recently sent a PWE to me, and that's why we're gathered here today. I showed off a couple of cards already, let's check out what I else found in that envelope...

Returning to the Hershiser card, we have the rear shot. I loved opening packs of 1993 Leaf because I couldn't get enough of these crazy shots of gigantic baseball players dwarfing their cities. 

Love this card tribute to Julio Urias' major league debut, when he was just 17 years old...

Kaz tossed in some minis from the 2011 MLB sticker album...

 This Jackie Robinson is high gloss and shiny (nice!)...

Finally, this baby. My first printing plate. By all weights and measures, rivals would never share with each other. But this is the card collecting community. We operate on a different level...

It seemed as though everyone in my collecting circles had at least one printing plate, but not me. Not until now. 

Sweet, right? My collection is continuously expanding, thanks to the usual suspects - and even from the occasional enemy (but an enemy only inside the chalk lines). THANKS, Kaz! 

Aloha! 

JBF Delivers a Cross-Country Body Blow

Aloha, everybody, 

Several of us received cardboard bombardments from the most generous collector I know. None other than my brother from way down south, good ol' Wes, of JBF fame. 

Wes sent me a big cube o' cards filled with cardboard goodness. The cards were packed in such a way that goodness was sprinkled about. Inserts, limited edition cards, relics and autos popped out from among Dodgers base cards that filled out team sets. As fun as it was to get those first glimpses of cardboard gold in my initial flip through the cards, its true glory slowly revealed itself as I sorted out what I had. 

As usual with Wes' slammings, it's going to take a couple of posts to show off the highlights. I'm so jazzed by said highlights, I don't even know what to start off with, so in no particular order, we'll get started with INSERTS and LIMITED EDITIONS...

First up are a couple of 2017 Chrome Refractors - real beauts...

Here's a green refractor, numbered 23/99...

Up next are a couple of cards that may be among the last issued to Andre Ethier as a Dodger. The blue is numbered 32/500...

...and the orange is #62/250...

This gold Manny is # 32/50. The photo is from Hanley's early days as a Dodger. It's a great photo, but looks like he's gonna be missing or fouling it off just underneath.

Here's a seemingly simple card, but I dig the caption "Robbed in Right", and the great shot of the ball nested securely in Puig's glove. 

Finally, a 2015 Chrome Farm's Finest miiiiinnnniiiiiiiiiiii of World Series hero, Joc Pederson...

We're just getting started folks. This is just the first wave of blows from ol' Wes. Stay tuned for more! Lots more. 

Aloha! 

World Series Hero - Joc Pederson WHAT???

Aloha, everybody, 

I know it's tough to watch a World Series when your team isn't involved, but if you haven't been watching, you've been missing a doozy. This one is a real dogfight - both on and off the field. 

There's plenty of drama. Almost too much drama for me, as the series has been a real emotional roller coaster, and after all of that, the series is right back to even at two games apiece. It's now a best two out of three series. Whew! 

Most of you know I love cards of World Series Heroes, and last night, in Game 4 of the Series, there arose a couple of new ones. Alex Wood, who pitched brilliantly (a no-hitter through 5 2/3 innings) and Joc Pederson, who sealed the deal for the Dodgers by clubbing a 3-run home run in the ninth inning. 

Joc was always known for his power bat. He earned Minor League Player of the Year when he played for the Quakes. 

Rookie Diamond King...

Joc hit a grand slam on Opening Day this year. Hopes were high for him to have a break out season, but as the summer opened up, Joc's season took several turns for the worse. 

Since coming up from the minors two years ago, Joc was the Dodgers' center fielder. He flashed speed and a great glove in the OF, but his power numbers and BA steadily dropped. Despite that Opening Day grand slam, Joc looked lost at the plate. His playing time started to shrink. 

Eventually, the Dodgers sent Joc back down to the minors and traded for Curtis Granderson. The season turned dark. 

To Joc's credit, he never complained or sulked. He just put in the work and finally got called back up in September when rosters expanded. He still didn't play much. Granderson stayed in the lineup despite sucking, and Pederson stayed upbeat. If you watch Dodger games, you'll see he's a big cheerleader for the team, even as he rides the bench. 

Joc was left off the NLDS roster, but Granderson's suckage increased to monumental levels, so Joc got his chance in the NLCS against the Cubs. 

He got playing time and a few hits, but nothing earth-shattering. Still, it was enough for him to be included on the World Series roster. 

Dave Roberts chose Pederson to be the DH over veteran Andre Ethier because he figured Joc could catch up to fastballs that Andre would miss. 

How's Joc doing in his first World Series? As DH he went 3 for 9 with a double, two homers, four RBIs, and one huge deathblow that he laid on the Astros last night. 

Not bad, kid. Not bad at all. 

Aloha! 

World Cup of Trading Loot for Trade Deadline Day

Aloha, everybody, 

Did you participate in the World Cup of Trading? It was the final big bash, wahoo trade-a-thon sponsored by my great hermano, Wes, of Willinghammer Rising and JayBarkerFan fame. 

Wes put up a ton of offerings for trade, and all we had to do was pick a few items and trade back. I love that Wes' events are always simple, but the end results are far from it, and often spectacular. 

Here are the goods that I selected from Wes. Leading off is my first auto from one of the Boys of Summer, the Duke of Flatbush. 

Sweet, right? That wasn't my only autograph score. This next one is from an LA Dodger, who patrolled right field with a canon for an arm, and hit monster home runs. 

Nope, not Yasiel Puig. 

Raaaaaaaauuuuuuul Mondesi. 

This joins my very modest collection of signed baseballs, and proudly sits beside another of my favorite autographed spheres...

 Yup, signed by the big man hisself. Awesome. 

You know me, I've gotta have some vintage in my picks as well. I chose this baby.

1962 World Series MVP Ralph Terry. This card also slots right into my defunct teams collection. 

Terry wasn't just a WS hero, he also tasted WS ashes. He gave up the home run bomb to fellow WS hero, Bill Mazeroski in the 1960 Fall Classic. Great pick up. 

Those were the items I chose. As I said earlier, Wes takes simple things and makes them spectacular. Don't think for a minute that was all he sent to me. 

Sit back and check out this bonus loot my bro from Alabama sent as well. It's a stack THIS THICK! 

First up, more Brooklyn Dodgers. Forgive the scanner crop. Trust me, this Jackie Robinson Bowman refractor is complete and a beauty. 

Really digging these Diamond Kings. They've become my favorites of all the DK offerings. 

Jumping to present day LA, it's Yasiel. 

How about some shiny Mike Piazza. This Bowman is gorgeous. That's right. Cardboard gorgeousity. 

 I remember chasing these 1996 Leaf Preferred steel cards. Now I've got Piazza! 

After a particularly lousy season at the plate, in 1993 Jose Offerman abandoned all batting convention and employed an unorthodox "samurai chop" style swing. Needless to say, this method didn't work too well for him either. 

Here's a favorite. It's a Don Drysdale pull out card from Stouffers. That Stouffers lasagna is one of my guilty secrets. Love the stuff. 

Here's the Dodgers' present day skipper. 

One of my favorite cards of the bunch. The spacey kaleidoscope  effect on this Mondesi card makes the world around me drip. 

Young Dodgers coming up! 

Speaking of trades, the Dodgers just announced they traded Willie Calhoun to Texas for Yu Darvish. While I'm happy enough to get Yu, I'm really sorry to see Calhoun go. 

That said, it's probably a good move for Willie. He's going to the AL where his iffy defense won't be an issue. I'm sure he's going to be raking for the Rangers as a DH for a long time. 

In a return to simplicity, Wes also included a chip shot at my Dodgers team sets want list. Check off 1976 Rick Rhoden. 

Sadly, this was the swan song of trading with Wes via bloggery. However, this is far from the end of cardboard exchanges with my hermano. THANKS, Wes! 

Aloha!