Night Owl Cards

(Latin proverb: "Hay is more acceptable to an ass than gold." As a card-collector, I resemble that remark. It's time for Cardboard Appreciation. This is the 101st in a series): If you haven't noticed, the blogging world can be a very snarky place. Everyone and everything is the target of ridicule. And if you've never been on Twitter, then I'm here to tell you, it's a lot worse there. One of the Snarky Elite's favorite targets is the past. Thank goodness they didn't live then , right? They pull out a card from the '70s or '80s and poke fun at the player's facial hair or sideburns or style of dress. I'd like to say it's done with love, and sometimes it is. But other times I wonder. It's during those times when I think, "what will people 20 years from now pinpoint and ridicule?" What are we doing or wearing or how are we appearing  that will be considered the most pathetic, cheesy, dumb-ass behavior by people...

So ... The Dodgers lost to Oliver Perez . Andruw Jones hit three home runs against the Angels. People are busting boxes and packs of Allen & Ginter already (No, I will not link that. Why? Because I'm spiteful and bitter and my box isn't arriving until Friday. Find it yourself, Mr. I Have a Hobby Shop on Every Block). Sheesh , with all of that bothersome business, I need something to distract myself. Fortunately, I can find a game to play in the latest card package I received from madding of Cards on Cards . I've always been the curious sort. It's probably why I'm in the journalism field (although I found out soon enough that I wasn't nearly as curious as some of those people). And it's easy for me to find questions to ask about the most innocuous-looking baseball card. So I'm going to throw a few of the cards I received up here and see if they can spark my inquisitive side. I have a feeling they will ... 1995 Upper Deck Orel Hershiser ...

It's time to comment on the results of my recent poll. The results are hardly conclusive, which is appropriate because I'm not sure myself what direction the Dodgers should go in this offseason (let's hope Dodgers management does). In terms of free agents, Manny Ramirez received the most poll votes as far as who the Dodgers should retain. I can't shed any new light on the millions of words wasted on Manny Ramirez. Yes, he's a fantastic hitter who helped the Dodgers into the playoffs. Yes, he can be a drain on a team if he's not happy. Personally, if the Dodgers can find a way to sign him for two or three years, I'm all for it. L.A. needs a power-hitter and if Manny goes there's not a lot out there on the free agent market (I'm hoping that L.A. finds a way to wrestle Pat Burrell away from the Phillies). But I don't want the Dodgers to be stuck with Manny for 5 or 6 years. That's asking for trouble. For me, the no-brainer among the Dodgers...