Be careful what you say ... you may end up with cards

So, the Dodgers, for some inexplicable reason, did not offer arbitration to Randy Wolf on Tuesday. This, to me, is the most apparent example that the McCourts are going to completely pull this team down with them as they engage in their darling divorce dance.

Why would you not offer arbitration to a coveted free agent pitcher unless you're deathly afraid that Wolf will say, "yes," and you'll have to pay him $10 million? (The Dodgers aren't going to be big free agent players, so it's not like they have to worry that Wolf will eat up their spending budget). L.A., not willing to risk the slim chance that Wolf would accept the offer, chose instead to forgo the draft picks that they would earn as compensation by offering him arbitration and having another team sign him. And that's how desperate Frank McCourt is for cash.

Brilliant. That's some forward thinking there. Screw the future, eh? And what's our pitching staff going to look like next year? If the Dodgers end up with Marco Scutaro at second base and Jeff Weaver in the starting rotation, I may take up bird-watching next summer.

To get my mind off the worst day of the offseason, so far, I am going to write about a little gift of cards from the always generous Joe. Yep, he's at it again.

About three or four weeks ago, I received an email from him. He had found some cards and wondered if I was interested in them. The cards were from the 2006 and 2007 Allen & Ginter sets. I told him that I didn't have too much interest in '07 A&G, but I was always interested in the '06 set as it was the first Topps A&G set.

That's all I said. But this is what I arrived at my doorstep:


It's a small representation of what was actually sent (you may note that all the players pictured have played for the Dodgers). Joe mailed literally two-thirds of the 2006 A&G set to me. Now that's a starter set.

He didn't do all the work for me. He left most of the short-prints to chase, but he did throw in these cards:

Three of my Dodger needs from the '06 set. What a trio that is. Can't anyone leave a team on good terms?

I also received the short-printed Derek Lowe card.

And a short-print mini of Hong-Chih Kuo, who thankfully is not a blonde on this card.

Joe didn't think that was enough. He also sent two key 2007 A&G cards. This is the short-print Luis Gonzalez mini.

And this is the last Dodger from the regular set that I need to complete the '07 team set. This is also a short-print, I believe.

So, that was quite nice of Joe. But, as usual, he wasn't finished. In that same set of emails, he wondered whether I was collecting the '78 Topps set. He said he had about three-fourths of the set just sitting in his closet.

I said I had completed the set already, but I was looking for one checklist card to replace the sorry item I had filling the #535 slot. Other than that, I said, I needed to do some upgrading, but I hadn't given much thought to it.

But apparently that was the opening that Joe needed, because he sent me the much-needed checklist ...

... AND three-fourths of the 1978 set. All in perfect shape. Awesome.

Happy upgrading he told me. And it was a happy time. Here are some of the cards I upgraded. Old dingy card on the left, sweet, pretty card on the right.

The Bob Boone item has plagued me for some time. The rounded corners laughed at me. The scuffing on the border mocked me. No more.

For some reason, many of my '78 Phillies have taken a beating. I'm assuming it's because I liked the team a lot. Also, the Phillies and Dodgers played each other in the postseason that season, so I'm guessing I probably used the cards in some sort of virtual (well, virtual in 1978 terms) clash of my own. No cards were spared.

My brother laid waste to my Orioles. The few Orioles that I was allowed to keep were disasters like the card on the left. This upgrade is long overdue.

This is my favorite upgrade. With the checklist card I had and this miscut Blyleven card, I didn't even consider my '78 set complete. I'm so used to Blyleven leaning to the right on this card, that the newer card seems odd, but I welcome my more centered hurler.

One more. I don't have to look at the scuffed-up Lou Brock card anymore. Brock was nicknamed "The Franchise." He needs a card that fits that moniker.

There were many other '78s that I upgraded, but I still have a number of dupes from the set. I have sent out some in trades, and one guy timed things just right and will receive a bunch of '78s. But even with that, I still have more in great shape for anyone trying to complete the set (sorry, no Murray, Ryan or Molitor-Trammell).

But I still need to show a few more Dodgers Joe sent to close out the post.

A nice gold parallel of a player that I'm beginning to think has the Dodgers flummoxed. Is he the answer at second base? We may never know.

A blue-back 2008 Goudey mini of James Loney (it still doesn't really look like him). Will Loney remain in L.A. this offseason?

Shiny Topps '52 cards of Broxton and Martin, two guys who need to be better next year.

And lastly, a gold parallel Bowman card of Chad Billingsley. Wow, do the Dodgers need this guy next year. Especially now that the Dodgers are going to let Wolf go for nothing. For absolutely nothing. Maybe I'm wrong. But it looks rotten right now.

Joe, I did have a happy Thanksgiving. The cards helped. They always help.