That's how the cookie crumbles

Remember when Adrian Beltre wore a white Dodger cap and professed on his uniform that his baseball hero was Ron Cey?

Those white caps are long gone. Mercifully. The Dodger practice of forcing players to select a specific Dodger hero is gone. Thankfully. And Adrian Beltre is hitting three home runs a game in the postseason for the Rangers. Unfortunately.

Well, not unfortunately for the Rangers. I'm rooting for the Rangers. I mean it's just unfortunate that he's not still a Dodger.

I miss Beltre. When he hit all those home runs for L.A., I was resigned to losing him. When he leveled out in Seattle, I was convinced the Dodger made the right move. But now, I wish he had never left. The Dodgers are having their familiar old difficulties at third base, just like after Beltre's "hero" Cey was traded away after the 1982 season.

There's another ex-Dodger currently on the Rangers. Mike Maddux is Texas' pitching coach. But back in 1999, he was in the penultimate season of his career, working out of the bullpen, while featuring Hall of Fame starter Don Sutton on his jersey.

These are two cards from the Keebler's Dodgers set from '99. Tom from The Angels, In Order sent it to me. It's a nice-looking 28-card set, right down to the Keebler elf on the back:

One of my favorite characteristics of this set is how happy it is.

Everyone is smiling.

Or attempting to.

They had to bring Sheffield into the studio to smile. He couldn't do it outside. Around the guys. His reputation might suffer.

I don't know how anyone could smile in those white caps.

See, Devon has seen those white caps, and he doesn't approve. He can't possibly smile after that. White and Alan Mills are the only guys in this set who are not smiling.

I think Mills was just told he had to wear that white cap all year.

Of course, Karros is the only guy in the set to pose without a cap. Can't let all that hair go to waste, white cap or blue.

The Keebler's Dodgers set is a fun little set. It takes my mind off the fact that the following Dodgers are playing in the postseason ...

Adrian Beltre
Brad Penny
Wilson Betemit
Russell Martin
Cory Wade
Andruw Jones
Wilson Valdez
Edwin Jackson
Rafael Furcal
Ryan Theriot
Takashi Saito
Randy Wolf
Craig Counsell

... but are no longer with the Dodgers.

Multiply that by the fact that four of the remaining managers in the postseason -- Ron Washington, Charlie Manuel, Ron Roenicke and Kirk Gibson -- all played for the Dodgers.

And add that postseason coaches John Shelby, Eric Young, Juan Samuel, Dave Anderson and Mike Maddux  were each Dodgers and ...

... and ...

... there's absolutely no way that a Dodger ISN'T going to be a world champion this season.

Hey, you've got to think positively.

But, more likely, at the end of the World Series, I'll just shrug my shoulders and say, "hey, that's how the cookie crumbles."

At least I've got my Keebler cards.

Wait 'til next year.