Awesome night card, pt. 61

I posted this card basically to keep the vintage train going. With this card, I am up to six straight posts of nothing but vintage material.

I would like to continue that trend for a long, long time. But I can see it coming to an end very soon. I've been blessed with several very fine card packages in the last few days, and after feeling very caught up, I am now desperately behind again. Trade posts are on the horizon, and several of them will feature very snazzy, decidedly un-vintage cards.

So, let's wallow in the wonderfulness of this vintage card for as long as we can.

This is one of the cards from the World Series subset in the 1974 Topps set. I have always believed that a card company's main base set for the year should include a card apiece for each World Series game. Topps was faithful to this practice through the 1960s and into the mid-1970s. Then, for some inexplicable reason, it scaled back to only a card or two for the Series. In the 1979 set, they didn't recognize the World Series at all! Now, the Yankees beat the Dodgers the previous year, so my heart wasn't broken then, but every Series needs to be acknowledged.

In 1980, Topps pulled the same thing. No recognition of "We Are Family." Unacceptable. Topps went back to acknowledging the Series in 1981, so Phillies collectors were able to enjoy a card or two of their team's 1980 championship. But then, the following year, Topps completely ignored the Dodgers' 1981 championship. I was miffed. OK, I was significantly outraged.

It took Upper Deck -- a company who employed Dodger haters, ironically -- to bring back the World Series in card sets when it issued several cards of the 1988 champs in its debut 1989 set. Since then, it's been very sporadic. Topps has recognized the Series in its Updates & Highlights set, which is better than nothing (EDIT: And the last two years they've inserted Series cards in the base set).

Anyway, the night card here is of Game 4 of the 1974 World Series, a 6-1 victory by the New York Mets to tie the Series with the Oakland A's at two wins apiece. Rusty Staub is pictured, which is appropriate since he hit a three-run homer, went 4-for-4 and drove in 5 runs. I believe the photo might depict Staub's home run off Ken Holtzman in the first inning. Baseball-reference.com says the home run went to left-center and that appears to be where Staub is looking.

I often wonder which team I would root for in a World Series that took place before I became a baseball fan. This one is difficult because the Dodgers have histories with both the Mets and the A's. I'm not much of a fan of either team. If I went back in time, I know I would have rooted for the A's in the 1972 World Series, because they played the Reds, division rivals of the Dodgers.

The Mets beat the Reds in the 1973 NLCS, which would have made me appreciate the Mets that year. Would the A's cocky crankiness worn on me by the time the 1973 World Series rolled around? I'm thinking it's possible. Given that my grandfather was a Mets fan and he was around in '73, I probably would have rooted for the Mets that year.

Of course, the Mets took a 3-2 Series lead, only to lose in seven games to the A's. But at least Topps got several night cards out of the Series, back when it was recognizing the World Series in its main set.

Little D

It occurred to me that I haven't featured a Dodger yet on my "Best of the '70s" posts. That's a major oversight on my part. (And, no, this doesn't count). I should have featured a Dodger first.

So, after determining the best '70s card of Johnny Bench, Reggie Jackson and Manny Sanguillen, it's time to do the same for a Dodger.

He's not the first guy I think of when I think of the 1970s and the Dodgers. I think of Ron Cey first. Most other fans probably think of Steve Garvey. After that it's Lopes and Russell and Buckner.

But Don Sutton was there before all of them. And he lasted with the Dodgers through the whole decade. He is the link between the great Dodger teams of the 1960s and the great Dodger teams of the '70s. In fact, in 1966 -- Sutton's rookie year -- Don Drysdale was called "Big D," and Sutton was called "Little D." Later, Sutton's nickname was "Black and Decker," for his alleged doctoring of baseballs.

Sutton is the last player to come up with the Dodgers to be elected to the Hall of Fame (in 1998). And even though he also played for the Astros, Brewers, A's and Angels, and broadcasts for the Braves, he'll always be a Dodger to me.

So, it's time to vote for the best '70s card of Sutton. The poll is up on the sidebar. Yes, that means I have two polls going at the same time again. But that's OK. My New Year's resolution for 2010 is going to be no more polls for six months. Really. That's it. I'm perfect in every other way.

(*Ahem*) On with the cards:

1970: This might be my favorite. I got it at a card show not long ago. But the best part might be on the back.

A baseball card cartoon that features the punch line in the word bubble! I don't think I've seen that before.

1971: So many 1970s cards show players posing in front of what appear to be high school fields. Were facilities that bad then?

1972: Extra credit for wearing a blue glove.

1973: OK, this is my favorite. First, the palm trees make for a great scenic background. Second, Sutton is pictured throwing a pitch, but the ball is in his glove! Third, we learn on the back that Sutton was a DJ in the offseason.

1974: Sutton appears to be providing some words of wisdom while he rubs up the baseball.

1975: Again, a very high school-looking scoreboard in the background.

1976: Ah, the transformation. Sutton goes with the white man's Afro look, which he has basically kept ever since.

1977: There's another cheap-looking scoreboard. I don't think it's the same one, though.

1978: Even with the All-Star shield, which is and always will be spectacular, I never liked this card. Sutton looks like Big Bird. Not good.

1979: This pose comes up over and over for Sutton in his early 1980s cards. I like the ballplayers gathering in the background.

Sutton doesn't get enough credit for what he did during his career. Even when he was elected to the Hall of Fame people squawked about it. But he was the first great pitcher that I knew, and that's why we've just got to figure out his best card of the '70s. It's imperative.

I'd better get moving

I received an email from David a week or so ago. He said he had some cards for me. I had traded with him before. He's a Dodger fan residing in New York, just like me. I figured he had some Dodgers to throw my way. And he did.

But what he mostly sent were 1971 Topps from my want list. Wow. And they weren't any old '71 Topps. They were mostly high numbers. The difficult ones. Seriously, with the exception of one card, the lowest numbered card that I received was #537. The majority were cards in the high 600s and 700s. Wow, again.

The crazy thing is that these 60 or so cards aren't the only '71s I've received recently. I just received some more today from another trade, including a card I thought it would take me awhile to land. AND some more '71s are on their way from another trade.

I am now up to having 84 percent of the set. I never ever thought I'd get to this point on this set so quickly. I mean the set is almost 40 years old, and it's known for being a bit of pain to collect. But I find myself staring at the most difficult cards to get much earlier than I thought I would. I thought guys like Mays and Aaron and Munson would be a distant project years down the line. They still may be with the cost of those cards, but there are a lot less cards between me and them. It's time for me to come up with a plan to get those cards, even in my pathetic economic state.

While I ponder my strategy (a Night Owl Cards telethon?), how about a look at bunch of '71s from David? Here is SOME of what I got:

A miscut beauty of Mike Jorgensen. People who send me '71s often apologize about the condition, because '71s are a hassle with the black borders. But I am always pleased with what people send me. Unless you used your '71 cards for paper airplane making or it looks like you attempted to lick the black border off the cards, then I don't care.

A card of one of the last Senators.

Four cards of backup/utility infielders.

A card of a guy INTENTLY focused on his target.

Two cards of a couple of old birds.

A card of the recently dearly departed.

A card of a player's solo card debut.

A card that sums up the Cubs' problems in the 1970s.

A card of the man whose participation in a controversial play during the 1969 World Series led to the establishment of the running lane along the first base line.

A card of the man who caught Dock Ellis' no-hitter, the one Ellis claimed he pitched while on LSD.

A card of the man who pitched the first game in San Diego Padres history. He struck out 12 and won.

A card of a team hoping that a lousy debut season meant no sophomore jinx. They did win 21 more games than in 1969. Still finished last.

A card of a future Los Angeles Dodger.

Two cards of former Dodgers. Although they are obviously still Dodgers in their respective photos.

A card of a future manager and broadcaster.

A card of a future hurler of a no-hitter.

Four cards of players whose best times were behind them.

Four cards of players whose best times were ahead of them.

Six cards of guys that, damn, I've never heard of before (the '71 set is 752 cards strong, and with only two subsets and the team cards, there may be more player cards in this set than almost any other Topps set).

Two cards of guys named Russ (not Russell).

Two cards of guys with awesome last names.

One card of a guy with an awesome first name. Or nickname, actually.

Three cards of guys whose names might be confused with someone else.

Six cards demonstrating awesome early '70s adventures in airbrushing.

And lastly, one final terrific card. Not as great as this one. But still fantastic.

David, man, thanks a bunch. Only 118 cards to go! Now, if I save a dollar a week, how many weeks will it take for me to land those Clemente/Mays/Aaron/Munson cards?

My 100 all-time favorites - #1

I've decided to start another series on this blog, but it is more for my personal purpose than anything else.

I have always had a list in my head of my favorite baseball players of all-time. But it's never been a concrete 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 ... etc., etc., list. It's more of a jumble of names and reasons.

But I thought if I could categorize it here, I would be able to figure out who my 100 all-time favorite players are and why. And then I would have it for posterity. Then, if someone was to pull me aside on the street and say, "quick, name your 100 favorite baseball players of all-time or I will start yammering something about 'Jon & Kate' in your face," I would be able to avert disaster.

I know who some of those players are already. You know who some of those players are already. Ron Cey will be there. Sandy Koufax will be there. There will be more Dodgers than players on any other team. But there will be players from other teams. And you're going to be surprised by some of the people I list.

First of all, you're going to see some players on teams that you know I don't like. I can already think of one Yankee that will be on the list. And there's another player who played for my least favorite team ever. Fortunately, he's not known for playing for that team.

Secondly, they're not all going to be stars. A player doesn't have to be the greatest ever for me to like him. Some of the greatest players are absolute jerks, and you won't find them anywhere on this list just because they're great players. Plus, the more human aspect of a player interests me quite a bit. I am a writer after all.

That brings me to the first player on my list (these aren't ranked in any order. It's totally random).

Bob Welch has been one of my favorite players since he first came up to the Dodgers. He was a mid-season call-up in 1978. He went 7-4 with a 2.03 ERA. But everyone remembers Welch's 1978 season for his strikeout of Reggie Jackson in the ninth inning of Game 2 of the World Series, clinching a 2-0 series lead for the Dodgers.

It was one of the more dramatic moments in World Series history. I didn't see it live as Welch threw his pitches to Jackson between 11:09 and 11:16 p.m. east coast time, and little night owl was in bed. But I sure remember reading about it in the paper the next morning.

Welch's 1979 season was a mess. Alcoholism had taken over his life and after the season he was admitted into a treatment center. In the spring of 1980, he revealed publicly that he had an alcohol problem since he was in high school. The 1980 season was a triumphant return for him. I particularly remember him one-hitting the Braves in May and the large headline that heralded Welch's performance the next day.

I bought Welch's biography "Five O'Clock Comes Early," co-authored by George Vecsey, as a teenager in 1982. It was probably the most eye-opening book I had read at the time. True-to-life baseball books were the rage then, with "Ball Four," followed by "The Bronx Zoo." They were much different than the usual glossy, almost fictitious treatment of ball players up until then.

But "Ball Four" was issued before my time, and "The Bronx Zoo," while very revealing, seemed more about clubhouse hijinks and the inner workings of a team and a clubhouse.

"Five O'Clock Comes Early" was about the player: Robert Lynn Welch. And he didn't hold back. It was the most revealing personal portrayal that I had ever read at the time. Probably because his treatment involved revealing everything, he was comfortable doing the same in the book. It was a very interesting read.

I have always been fascinated by people with addictions. I don't watch a lot of non-sports television. But if I come across one of those intervention shows or something similar, I am glued. I come from a fairly stable background and there isn't much addiction in my family, so I'm not sure where the interest is. Perhaps my hobby is related somehow.

But I'm fascinated by the inner workings of an addict. I'm always rooting for them to get better. And I always want the people they love to continue to help them. I hate it when people label someone as "worthless" or "scum" because they have an addiction. Yes, addiction can lead to criminal behavior, but in most cases the person is worth being treated.

Anyway, that's a tangent. Welch went on to have a successful career for the Dodgers, then was traded to Oakland in the big 1987 offseason deal with the A's and Mets that brought Jay Howell, Alfredo Griffin and Jesse Orosco to the Dodgers for their World Series run in 1988. I was crushed that the Dodgers traded Welch. But a World Series title helped me get over that.

Welch went on to have a 27-win season for Oakland, win a Cy Young Award, and win a World Series, too. But none of Welch's time with the A's is the reason why he's one of my all-time favorites.

For each of these all-time favorite players, I plan to show my favorite card of that player. Welch's 1979 Topps card -- his first card -- is my favorite of his. He wasn't clean and sober then, but he had an interesting career ahead of him.

I am still waiting for Welch to return my TTM request to me. I don't know if I'll ever get it back. But even if I don't, he'll remain on my list forever.

Pirate days

I came up with the idea for this post from this post. That's a lesson for all you young card bloggers out there: Read other people's card blogs! You never know where you'll find your inspiration. Or something to rip-off. Or plagiarize.

I'm starting this post off with the absolutely bizarre jacket that Grant Jackson is wearing. A diamond pattern down the sleeves? Who designed that? Dock Ellis?

The Pirates were well-known for their wild uniforms in the late 1970s and early 1980s. In 1977, they unveiled five different uniform combinations that would replace the traditional home whites and road grays that they had worn for years. In the ensuing years, they would add more combinations and subtract others.

The colors were very loud, but it was the '70s, so that in itself wasn't wild. The A's had their green and gold. The Astros had their colors of the rainbow. The Padres willingly wore brown and yellow, and did not commit whoever came up with that concoction to the insane asylum.

What was different about the Pirates' unforms were all the combinations. According to Dressed to the Nines, the Pirates wore seven different uniform combinations between 1977 and 1984.

Here are the seven:

1. pinstripes
2. pinstripe jersey, black pants
3. gold jersey, gold pants
4. gold jersey, black pants
5. black jersey, black pants
6. black jersey, gold pants
7. white jersey, white pants


I set out to find all seven combinations pictured on baseball cards.

1. Pinstripes: Here is Grant Jackson again, modeling the pinstripe beauties that the Pirates wore for their home uniforms between 1977-79.

Kent Tekulve is also displaying the golden pinstripe look. The thing I find interesting with this card is the player in the background appears to be a San Diego Padre. He may or may not be wearing a fielding glove, I can't tell. But if he is, why would he be in the field when Tekulve is on the mound?

2. Pinstripe jersey, black pants: Bruce Kison is modeling the alternate home uniform for the Pirates between 1977-79. By the way, the second baseman behind Kison (is that Rennie Stennett?) looks absolutely forlorn in that get-up.

3. Gold jersey, gold pants: Uniform #3's objective was to make everyone look like a giant banana. No one looked good in these things, but apparently Pittsburgh didn't learn from Oakland and San Diego, which each did the same thing in the early 1970s. Shockingly, this combination lasted for seven years for the Pirates, one of only two combinations to be there at the beginning and the end.

4. Gold jersey, black pants: This is the fourth of the five uniforms unveiled in 1977 and the only combination that debuted in '77 that was still around in '84. The Pirates wore it on the road. And speaking of the road, Garner's pants look like a winding byway through the Adirondacks.

5. Black jersey, black pants: The last of the original five -- an all-black ensemble. These look more like pajamas than any of the other ones, but I thought the all-black uniforms rocked back in 1979.

6. Black jersey, gold pants: In 1978, the Pirates debuted the black jersey with the gold pants. They scrapped it again for two years before it reappeared in 1981, and then reappeared again in 1983 and '84.

7. White jersey, white pants: This looks like what the Pirates wore before all of the wild color combinations came along in '77. These replaced the pinstripe jerseys as the Pirates' home uniforms in 1980 and are basically what Pittsburgh has worn at home (except for the recent "vest" jerseys) ever since.

Those, according to Dressed to the Nines are all the combinations the Pirates wore for eight years. It must have been hell on the equipment manager. I hope he was paid handsomely.

But I remembered there being even more combinations -- combinations I saw only once or twice back then. After looking at the Dressed to the Nines site, I thought maybe I was just imagining it. But then I found this card:

It's Dave Parker sliding into second wearing a gold jersey with pinstriped pants. A-ha! That's not on the list of the seven combinations. So, now I'm wondering if the Pirates wore other combinations:

black jerseys with pinstripe pants
pinstripe jerseys with gold pants
gold jerseys with white pants
white jerseys with black pants
white jerseys with gold pants

Maybe Dressed to the Nines needs to update its site.

By 1985, the Pirates and most other teams were making it easier on the poor equipment manager, decreasing the number of combinations worn. The Pirates went all the way back to the pre-1977 days, with home whites and road grays.

Looks kind of boring doesn't it?

By 1987, the Pirates had even done away with the old-style square caps that they first wore in 1976 (unlike the Mets and the Cardinals, the Pirates kept their 1876-style caps long after the bicentennial).

It was a sad day. Look, not even Smiley is smiling about that.

The Pirates sure had some strange uniforms. But, man were they fun.

Cardboard appreciation: quarterfinal #1

(The pain-in-the-ass two weeks of work that was has finally passed. I am now back on a schedule that actually includes - gasp - days off. And there is a vacation around the corner. All of this is greatly appreciated. So how about some Cardboard Appreciation?):

A J.R. Richard card with 3-D powers is an unbeatable combination. How did any of his competitors have a chance?

Here are the vote totals in the vote-off for the last finalist spot:

1. J.R. Richard, 1980 Kellogg's, 18 votes
2. Hideo Nomo, 1996 Upper Deck V.J. Lovero insert, 7 votes
3. Barry Larkin, 1988 Topps, 4 votes
4. Cecil Fielder, 2009 O-Pee-Chee, 2 votes
5. Benny Distefano, 1985 Topps, 1 vote
6. John Pawlowski, 1988 Donruss, 1 vote
7. Andre Ethier, 2009 O-Pee-Chee black border, 0 votes

So, J.R. Richard rounds out the list of 10 finalists, which is on the sidebar.

And that means it's time to start the quarterfinal round. Each week I will pair up two of the finalists and feature a poll so everyone can vote on which one they like the best.

To start with, I randomized the list of finalists just to make things a little interesting. And I'm going to reveal the first two cards you're voting on right now (please contain yourself).

Here is the first card:

The 1981 Topps Kent Tekulve card. This card has too much going for it. There's Tekulve, of course. The golden Pirates uniform. The Mets guy hanging out in the background. The bright 1981 design. It's a classic.

Let's see who Tekulve will be battling:

Yes, it's Mr. Richard! Well, he certainly has the momentum on his side. Will his 3-D skills carry him past Tekulve?

That's up to you. Poll's up on the sidebar. Get going.

The last new items you're going to see for awhile

I have an idea for the topics of my next four or five posts, and they are all related to older cards. Vintage cards. Mature cards. Cards that have been around the block a few times. Cards that will tell you to "listen to your father."

So this is your last opportunity to see something shiny for a little bit. Unless I get lucky and pull something freakin' awesome. But that sound you hear is my wallet crying softly, so that's not going to happen.

These are some cards from Ed at Roll Out the Barrel. I saw a card I wanted and Ed knew what to do from there. Next thing I knew, there were Dodgers in the mailbox.

Here is the card that I wanted. I have yet to see any 2009 SP Authentic in my area. I'm not crying about it. The cards are bland in a futuristic sort of way. They resemble Ticket to Stardom, which is not a good thing. But Clayton Kershaw rises above all that. The great ones always do.

Ed also showed two other Dodgers in his SP Authentic haul. I asked for those, too. Kershaw needed some company on the ride from Wisconsin.

Ramirez's card number is 99. That's not cute anymore.

Shiny 2006 Flair Showcase. I think the only time I've seen these cards is on Roll Out the Barrel. I've mentioned before that the logo on the front looks like a hotel chain sign.

The backs are odd because they feature both the notation "Upper Deck" at the top and the Fleer logo at the bottom. I know this is because Upper Deck acquired the rights to Fleer. But it's strange seeing both mentioned on the same card back.

All right, this isn't exactly a new card. But I have a hard time calling 1993 vintage. Besides, I wanted to show how Triple Play was forced to put horizontal cards in their set because of the huge font it used for the names. "Strawberry" isn't fitting vertically.

A Nomo card I didn't have. A simple, base card Nomo. That shouldn't happen.

One of the only World Baseball Classic chrome cards that I want. Broxton would be the other one.

An xrefractor Hudson and a golden Hudson. I'm not sure where Orlando Hudson went wrong with the Dodgers, but it doesn't seem like they like him much anymore. I wish they'd keep him. Or at least I hope they don't do anything stupid. And by "stupid" I mean picking up the phone and calling the Mets about their second baseman.

It's only fitting that Mr. Vegas should feature a gold frame.

This James Loney exclusive mini means I'm just about done with Goodwin Champions. Not much for me to chase, except for those blasted "night variation" cards that seem to be made with me in mind. I wouldn't mind getting some Goodwin night cards.

I mentioned this last year: SP Authentic may produce boring base cards, but it has some nice insert cards. I like this one a lot. It looks like Christmas with the shiny gold on the red background.

That wraps up the new stuff for at least a couple of days. And I'm off to track some Brewers for Ed. I've got some. I need more.

What a prospector must feel

I am not a prospector. I think that's well-established by now. I can focus only on major leaguers, and a few minor leaguers from my favorite team. I have no time for anyone else.

So, I was leafing vacantly through some cards a couple days ago, looking for some cards for a trade, when I came across this card:

"Holy smokes, I know him," I thought. "That's the next American League Rookie of the Year."

And, so it is.

Now, it was a nice surprise for me. But when I think of it, I suppose a prospector wouldn't get the exact same feeling. He'd know all about Bailey already and probably had known who he was when Bailey was in high school. He'd certainly have more than this one, lonely, base card of Bailey. The news of Bailey's award might be the prospector's cue to start selling his cards.

But, for some reason, I prefer to wander cluelessly through my collection some days, looking forward to what card can surprise me this time.

It makes collecting fun.

Dollar store update

I went to the dollar store yesterday.

There are probably 15 to 20 dollar stores within easy driving distance from where I am, but I think by now everyone knows which store I'm talking about when I say I went to the dollar store.

It means I went to the dollar store with BASEBALL CARDS!

(Proceed with party dance. ... OK, stop now. You're just embarrassing yourself).

I was there to pick up some prize winnings for zman, who won my 700th post contest. But as usual, I have to grab a few cards for myself.

The football and basketball cards have taken over the whole card display at the store. They're like cancer cells, growing unchecked, burying the baseball cards all the way to the back of the display. But they do not deter me. I still leaf through all those bags for as long as it takes, until it's freakishly obvious that the dude with the baseball cap over there has been standing in front of the same display for 40 minutes. I swear he has not moved. ... But don't get your granny panties in a bunch, ma'am. And don't call the manager. I will be buying something. In fact, you may have to restock.

When I knocked aside all the football and basketball bags (don't worry, I put them back), I found the usual good stuff, mostly mid-90s cards. There were a few junk-wax era bags, 1990 Donruss, mostly, and a bunch of 1992 Upper Deck. But I also found something that I hadn't seen much of in my previous trips.

Early 1980s Topps.

They always find a way to keep me coming back.

I have completed the 1980 and 1983 Topps sets already, and there were plenty of cards from both of those years. But I still need 21 cards from the 1981 set and I need a good 150 or more from the 1982 set. So, I went right for those bags that displayed the 1982 cards.

The 1982 set is like the 1979 and 1977 Topps sets for me. I'm not actively collecting it. But those sets are all from my early collecting days, so every card that I don't have produces an "Oh, wow." I found several "oh, wow" cards for my '82 binder. Here they are:

Floyd Bannister looks like he's trying not to tear up as he tells the story about how his dog died last night.

The Orioles and Dodgers sure knew how to use their pinch-hitters. Morales was such a good pinch-hitter for the Orioles that I thought he would make a good Dodger. And then the Dodgers went and acquired him.

Dave Chalk is featuring a hairstyle that every boy in my class had in 1981. He seems quite proud of it. We were, too.

I adopted the Blue Jays as one of my favorite teams when they first started. I eventually grew to dislike them, but in the early days, I wanted the Jays' young expansion pitchers, like Jerry Garvin here, to become stars. Dave Stieb was the only one who didn't let me down.

Believe it or not, that is not a wig. No, maybe it is. No, it's not. That's real. That's his hair. No, it can't be. It's a wig, it's definitely a wig. No, no it's not. Oh, for the love of God, John Henry, put your cap on.

A star of the '83 postseason. The Yankees let him get away. Hee-hee.

One of my brother's favorites. Flanagan, I believe, is still a front office guy, although I don't think he's making decisions with the Orioles anymore. It's hard to figure out what's going on in that organization. As a Dodger fan, I'm starting to feel the same way about my own team.

Mickey Hatcher, during his exile with the Twins. He did have his best seasons with Minnesota, but he had to come back to the Dodgers to win a World Series title. I felt a bit sorry for him after he left the Twins, because the team went and won a World Series the next year. But then Hatcher and the Dodgers won the title the following year. Problem solved.

Finally, the last Dodger from the 1982 flagship set that I need for the Dodger binder. Woo-hoo! This card would have been worth a dollar in itself. Instead, I paid 11 bucks and got like 300-400 cards.

I love my dollar store.

Meanwhile, I've added the 1982 Topps set to the "Define the Design" part of the sidebar. It is now the "hockey stick" set.

And I think I'm going to take dayf's suggestion and call the 1973 Topps set the "silhouette position" set, or maybe just the "silhouette" set.

I'm still taking suggestions for the 1976 set. This seems to be a tough one.

Old school Troll

You remember the old troll dolls from the 1960s and '70s don't you? I never got into them as a kid, but they were quite the fad with some of the girls I knew growing up.

Now they spell it "Trollz," and the dolls are cartoon stars and quite a bit more girlish than I remember. They certainly don't look like the doll picture here.

But I'm going with the Old School Troll, because The Collective Troll sent me an old school card package this week. Except for a single Toppstown card, no card in the package was born after 1982. Those are my kind of cards.

I already showed you the best card out of the package. Still can't get over that I have that Cey rookie card in my possession. But Marck hit a number of other old school wants, as well. Many of the cards came from the 1981 Topps set, which I am slowly closing in on completing.

I received 14 cards from my wants, which means I need just 21 cards to finish off the set. That is, if I can trust my want list.

Here are the fine vintage cards sent by the Troll:

I'll start it off with one of the premier pitchers of the time, Jim Palmer. My Orioles are severely lacking from this time period, because I have a brother whose favorite team is the O's. All my O's went to him.

Another Palmer, who made less of an impact. He did grow up not far from me. And he once threw a 5-inning, rain-shortened perfect game, that has since been removed from the major league record books as an official no-hitter.

This player appeared in just two sets -- 1979 and 1981 Topps. Even though I collected plenty of cards each of those years, I never acquired the Hal Dues card. So, as far as I was concerned, he didn't exist. To this day, I know nothing about Hal Dues, which is very odd for players from that era, which I followed avidly. I guess I have some catching up to do on Hal.

I wonder how difficult it was to make the Pirates cap drawings square on these cards. I can hear the artist grumbling.

Dave Rozema and Mark Fidrych were supposed to be mound fixtures for years for the Tigers. Didn't happen. Good thing Jack Morris came along.

I once interviewed Aurelio Rodriguez's son. He was a minor league ballplayer in the Indians organization. I like this photo because it gets across how vulnerable a bunter is -- turning and facing a 90-mile-an-hour fastball.

The Orioles loved players who couldn't hit. Go ahead, look it up. There are .227 batting averages all over the place. Yet, somehow, they still managed to win in the '70s. I'm thinking of the 1979 postseason, specifically. Every time you looked up, John Lowenstein or Terry Crowley was getting a hit. Timing is everything, I guess.

More players who have failed to register in my consciousness. I'm sure I have six or seven cards of each player. Yet I know nothing.

The man who managed the Rockies to a World Series and then suddenly lost the ability to manage two years later. I'll never figure out how that happens.

Willie Randolph always got good photos for his cards. It's that whole Topps bias thing toward the Yankees. Yeah, I know Topps is based in New York. But you can't tell me that the company isn't filled with Yankees fans.

More Yankee action, this time of El Tiante. I see Marck also sent this card to Wicked Ortega. Stocking up on the '81 Topps Tiants!

Last 1981: always nice to get a team card out of the way. This is one of the few Red Sox team cards of the time that didn't have a floating head of a player who could not make the team photo.

Marck also sent some vintage Dodgers for my Dodger binder, which I also appreciate greatly.

Here are two Dodgers from the "hockey stick design," 1982 Topps. Yes, that is what I am officially calling this set.

Another 1981 Topps card, the rookie card for both Scioscia and Valenzuela. I still need to work on getting that Valenzuela traded set card.

I am down to needing one Dodger to complete the '78 team set after getting these two guys.

And these three cards wiped out my 1976 Dodgers needs. I needed an upgraded Manny Mota card BADLY.

How about some great Dodgers from the 1974 Topps set, the very first card set I ever saw? All of these were needed.

I'm featuring two of them separate. One is one of my favorites from the '74 set. The last card of Claude Osteen in a Dodger uniform. I believe Claude is pitching in Wrigley. Looks gloomy.

And here is the final card, the last card of Smokey (excluding the 1975/1976 team cards). You've got to love the floating heads.

Marck, a major thanks. Doing it up old school is always the right move. I can't wait to fill the holes in my '81 Topps binder.

Awesome night card, pt. 60

Adrian Beltre is a free agent again this offseason. The last time he was a free agent was after his monster 2004 season with the Dodgers. He signed a 5-year, $64 million contract with the Mariners, the team that may be losing him now.

As a Dodger fan, it pains me to say this, but I miss Beltre. It is easy for Dodger fans (and media) to point to Beltre's numbers as a Seattle Mariner, saying that they never came close to his 2004 numbers and therefore Beltre is a failure as a Mariner. I've done that.

But after a little more reading, I've come to realize that Beltre's 2004 numbers (48 HR/121 RBI/.334/.388/.629), were an aberration. You can interpret "aberration" any way you want, but all it means is that Beltre's 2004 season was not Beltre. No matter how much Dodger fans wanted it to be.

Beltre has always been a solid-fielding third baseman with above-average power. A decent run producer. Nothing more. Safeco Field has been killing his numbers, feeding the arguments that Beltre has been a mess with the Mariners. But his numbers have been right in line with everything else he has produced in his career, everything except for 2004.

Believe me, I don't like saying any of this. I spent years hoping Beltre would become a superstar. And when 2004 hit, I thought we'd finally hit paydirt. But 2004 was something he just couldn't duplicate. And I think the Mariners knew that. People who know money and economics (believe me, I don't) point out that the contract that Beltre signed in '04 was right in line with his career-average numbers, not his 2004 numbers.

Beltre has put up respectable power numbers -- nothing great, but nothing hideous -- in his 5 years with the Mariners.

Meanwhile, in those same 5 years, the Dodgers have put Mike Edwards, Willy Aybar, Antonio Perez, Jose Valentin, Oscar Robles, Bill Mueller, Wilson Betemit, Cesar Izturis, Julio Lugo, Ramon Martinez, Nomar Garciaparra, Andy LaRoche, Tony Abreu, Shea Hillenbrand, Blake DeWitt, Casey Blake, Ron Belliard, Mark Loretta and Juan Castro at third base.

(When Beltre appeared to be leaving the Dodgers, L.A. acquired Jeff Kent to make up for some of the power exiting the lineup. L.A. also said Kent could play some third base. Kent never played third for the Dodgers).

Listen, I like the Dodgers' current starter at third base, Casey Blake.

But, damn, I wish the Dodgers had signed Beltre after 2004. And I never thought I'd say that.

Shiny shockers

As a writer of sports headlines, I am forever looking for a synonym for the word "surprise."

Sports is all about drama, and there is nothing more dramatic than a victory by a team that wasn't supposed to win. So those games are going to get the big headlines. But you can't use the word "surprise" over and over again. "Miracle Mets Surprise Orioles," "U.S. Olympic Team Surprises Russians," "Douglas Surprises Tyson." That's boring.

So, I am forever looking for synonyms. These are the words I turn to when "surprise" won't do:

upset
upend
startle
shock
stun
blindside
ambush
astonish
astound
jolt
fool
boggle
bowl over
overthrow

You headline writers, feel free to use some of these. Or bail me out and give me some more synonyms.

The reason I bring this up is that Joe sent me a surprise package of cards recently. Totally out of the blue. And I was trying to come up with a title for this post. The only thing I had was "I like surprises." And that's not true at all. Most of the time, I hate surprises. "Surprise! You have less in your bank account than you thought you did." "Surprise! You have to come into work on your vacation." "Surprise! Everyone in your daughter's sleep-over has come down with the flu." "Surprise! Your tire just blew out on the freeway."

So, yeah, I needed a different word.

I went with "shock," because just about all the cards Joe sent were shiny and then I get to be alliterative. And everyone likes alliteration, right? Why wouldn't we?

OK, cards. You came here for cards. Here's some shiny:

A super tiny shiny Eric Gagne from 2004 Topps Chrome. Gagne is a big guy, but you can't tell from this card.

More shiny Gagne, this from 2005 Donruss. It's some numbered parallel. I know nothing more than that. I do know that I always appreciate Gagne cards. I know he's a Mitchell Report guy and his relic card was worth negative points in the recent Gint-a-Cuffs battle. But I don't subscribe to that way of thinking. I still like Gagne. He was pleasant when I interviewed him. His family was very pleasant when I talked to them. I'm happy to have his cards.

Russell Martin copper parallel from 2008 Topps Chrome. Copper is a weird color for a card. I suppose since gold is so played out and silver and platinum aren't new anymore, Topps had to try a different metallic color. Personally, I can't wait for the magnesium parallels.

Ah, here is some gold. A numbered gold parallel of Chad Hermansen from 2003 Topps Chrome. I vaguely remember Hermansen. He came to the Dodgers in the fateful Karros-Grudzielanek for Hundley-Hermansen trade. Barely played for L.A.

Lastly, an '04 Topps Chrome of Hideo Nomo for my Nomo collection. Yippee! The back of the card says Nomo's "two keys are his diving splitter and his mental makeup." There's some alliteration for you. I don't know what it means, but doesn't it sound nice?

Thanks for the cards, Joe. They were stunning. Just stunning.