Almost awesome night cards

What a strange card.

I've been going back and forth over whether this card is a night card. I don't think it is. And when I see it scanned, I really don't think it is. The photo is lighter in the scan than in person.

But Shane from Off the Wall sent it to me as a purported night card, and I can't blame him. There's still a part of me that thinks it's possible. It sure is dark where they're sitting. But my instincts say it was more likely taken indoors, using shoddy late '80s minor league camera equipment, and the picture-taker was positioned somewhere around the pitcher's mound.

But what minor league team in the '80s had an indoor facility with grass? Maybe it is a night card.

Oh, I don't know.

I go around and around about this stuff. These are the arguments I have with myself when mulling night card possibilities. It's really self-created busy work that I absolutely don't need. What I should do, when I don't know whether something is a night card or not, is simply throw the card up on the blog and ask "NIGHT CARD OR NO NIGHT CARD?" in bright red letters. I should make my audience work for me.

Hmmm, that's not a bad idea ...

But not right now. Instead I'm just going to show a handful of Almost Awesome Night Cards. What I have time for, anyway.

No doubt about it, this is an Awesome Card. Period.

But this Awesome Card has a "D" for a middle initial, not an "N." It is an Awesome Dusk Card, not an Awesome Night Card.

Spiegel (as some bloggers are calling him) sent me this card along with a handful of other more legitimate night cards. Those cards can't compare to this one, which is why this card should get an honorary page in my night card binder. As mayor of the night card binder, I could write-up an official certification and stick it right there in the pocket with the card.

Or more likely I'll throw it in a box of Upper Deck cards and stumble across it every once in awhile and mutter, "Cool card, I should do something with that one."

I would like to make this clear: I have never owned a Beanie Babies card (or a Beanie Baby) in my life. That is, until hiflew of Card From the Quarry sent me a couple.

I suppose this could be construed as a night card. Dark background. Stars twinkling all around "Batty" (a truly creative name). But, sorry, it's lacking one major qualification.

Beanie doesn't get paid 8 million a year to hit a little white ball and run (not fly) around the bases.

Nice try, hiflew. But the ty-dye bat has been DQed because of that reason, as well as a potential rabies problem.

This Almost Night Card wasn't sent to me. It's one I've owned since I was 10 years old. Since completing the '76 Topps set, I've upgraded this card, but of course kept this one around.

Several of the Pirates cards from this set appear to be night cards, but actually they were all taken during the day. I don't know if Three Rivers Stadium was exceedingly dark back in the mid-70s or if the camera equipment was inferior, or both. But Oliver is not admiring his foul ball after night fall.

So, these are the cards that keep the night owl up at night. There are many other examples. But as usual I have no time to show any more of them.

Days off are around the corner. And maybe some genuine night cards, too.