First, because people might have missed it because I haven't been in the habit of posting on this blog overnight lately, I am hoarding Steve Garvey cards. I apparently have a thing about fallen heroes.
I look at my first year of blogging with the same nostalgic haze usually reserved for bad '70s music and '80s neon. It was a fascinating time full of new cards, new collecting partners and newly discovered blogs. Not only was I finding already established blogs, but new ones seemed to appear every week.
The blogging giddiness has disappeared over the years for me and, it appears, for others. Lots of blogs established during 2008 and 2009 aren't around anymore, or are stuck on some distant date in the past, frozen in time.
Every once in awhile, though, a blog reappears and I love it when that happens.
A few weeks ago, I received an email from someone who was blogging during that first year I was, who had returned to blogging. The blog -- Project Phillies -- hadn't been updated in more than four years!
Of course, I suppose this means I can't delete any blog off the blog roll ever again if someone is going to come back after a four-year hiatus.
But I'm happy to have Amy back and any other blog from 2009 that wants to return, too.
Meanwhile, Amy sent me some key cards -- totally unaware that I've become a very pokey trader and goodness knows when she can expect cards from me.
But enough about that ugliness. Let's see the goodness:
I am going back to the '50s for inspiration now that the Dodgers are in the postseason. My team's injury woes are making me very nervous. I'm certain Campy powered through whatever ailments he had in the postseason.
The Dodgers' No. 3 starter in the playoffs is a tremendous Stay Puft Marshmallow Man. He needs to trample through the Braves like Stay Puft through the streets of New York, but without being destroyed or turning pleasant on a cartoon series.
Ryu missed out on the kind of Asian rookie hype that Ishii enjoyed in 2002 (I must count all of my 2002 and 2003 Ishiis some day). Ishii is preparing to retire after pitching in Japan the last eight or nine years and 21 years overall.
Amy found my want lists. This is a good example of what the Dodgers were relying on for victories in 2005. Yup, a former Astro, a former Red Sox and Anger Management Milton.
Every time I see Edwin Jackson pitch for the Cubs, I just wait for everything to crumble. It didn't happen quite as much as I thought it would, but I still think running him out there is like putting a "kick me" sign on your own back.
The Alex Cora is some MLB Showdown card that was on my want list but I can't tell you anything about it. The Royals Rookies make me feel guilty just because I just mentioned on another blog that I don't really pursue nationally issued minor league sets for Dodger cards, yet these were on the want list. What to do with them? What to do?
I love this card. I had no idea it existed, even though it seems like the phrase "Pacific Terrific" would have been mocked endlessly on the blogs by now.
This is one of those two-sided '90s cards (never do these AGAIN).
This is the flip side:
Sorry, bazillion Griffey collectors, the Strawberry side is facing forward forever.
Short-print greatness! The Gonzalez SP is probably the best of the too-many Dodger SPs this year. I love this card and just need the Ryu one to finish off the FIVE Dodger SPs. (There's probably more than five and someone will destroy my self-satisfaction in a matter of minutes).
This is the item that Amy said she had for me.
As you know, I'm not a fan of manupatch "cards." But the ones issued this year that mimic famous cards are the best kind of manupatch. I haven't pulled one myself, probably because I've bought only one 2013 Topps blaster all year.
So it's nice to have one. This also makes the seventh different version of Jackie Robinson's '52 Topps card that I have without actually having a '52 Topps Jackie Robinson.
Here you go:
I think that idea of one binder page full of all the fake '52 Jackies is starting to become a bit of genius.
So those are some pretty good cards from someone who just returned to blogging after four years. I don't know if I could come up with that kind of stuff after a four-year absence.
I'll get some Phillies out to you soon, Amy.
Of course, my version of "soon" has changed since 2009.
Comments
That Jackie manupatch is beautiful....