Maximum Dodgers

I don't need any incentive in maintaining this blog. I am my own worst critic, and I wouldn't be happy with myself if I mailed it in all the time. I try to keep posts interesting, at least to me anyway. If others like it, that's wonderful.

But if I needed incentive, there are some wonderful collectors out there who provide it. Several collectors have sent me cards simply because they enjoy the blog. I am truly grateful to those who do so and very humbled. And I find myself doing the same thing (although on a smaller cards scale -- my collection isn't as vast as others). It's kind of instinctive. I just seem to want to send cards to bloggers that I like. The only trouble is, there are so many blogs that I like!

Anyway, reader Max is one of those who simply enjoys sending cards out to collectors. I've come across Max a few times as he's a frequent commentor on Andy's blogs (reading his latest, the '88 Score Traded blog, is a daily ritual for me). Max needed a card he saw on my blog, a Topps Chrome James Loney. I'll be sending it in the mail to him in a day or two. But in the meantime, he sent me 80 Dodger cards! And the vast majority I didn't have.

So what follows is a review of Max's generosity. There are a lot of Dodgers here. So L.A. fans, buckle up! All you other guys, quit your whining. I'll be posting on something un-Dodger-like very soon.

I'm starting with a quartet of Ron Cey cards. Cey is a favorite of Max's, and my all-time favorite, as you all know. This 1983 Donruss card is the last Cey card from a major set that I need (discounting the Rookie Stars cards of '72 and '73 that I'll track down one day). On the back, it says Cey cut a country-and-western record during his playing career. I vaguely remember hearing about him singing. I wonder if you can buy that record anywhere?

Here's one of the retro issues, 2002 Fleer Greats. This shows Cey's rather unathletic follow-through swing. They didn't call him the Penguin for nothing.

2003 Topps Fan Favorites. I love, love the Fan Favorites cards. I've got to think about completing all those sets someday. Ron almost looks like he was cut out of another photo on this card. By the way, Ron celebrated his 61st birthday today!

Finally, a 2005 Topps Prestige. This is more like it -- Cey manning third like I remember. On the back it says Cey has more homers than any L.A. Dodger except Eric Karros. That is something I touched on with a countdown of top Dodger power hitters way back when.

Max sent several Shawn Green cards. These two amuse me the most. The top one is one of the several brand names that Fleer came up with during the turn of the century. "Mystique" has to be the strangest of the bunch. I don't think I'd collect a set called "Mystique." The second card is one of the Upper Deck Power-Up card that I love. The bright orange-and-green backs are almost as great as the fronts.

2005 and 2004 Bowman Draft, Russell Martin and Blake DeWitt. Both cards say "first year." I know the DeWitt card is his rookie card. I'm not sure about the Martin. In any event, these cards are much appreciated.

1984 Topps Ralston Purina Fernando Valenzuela and Pedro Guerrero. I love the oddballs! These are especially great because I finally have some Dodgers in this set. Davey Concepion and Dan Quisenberry, you have company!

Ramon Martinez, 1991 Fleer Ultra Team. This would have been a nice card to get back in the day, when Ramon was one of the top pitchers in baseball. In case you're wondering, he hit .153 for his career.

Norihiro Nakamura, 2005 Upper Deck. I forgot all about this guy with the odd wind-up swing. There was a period after Adrian Beltre left for Seattle and a pile of cash that Nakamura was a possibility to take the third base job. It didn't work. The Dodgers went with Mike Edwards (another guy I've completely forgotten about) for most of 2005 and Nakamura played only 17 games in his Dodger career. It's a shame, because I think someone with the last name "Nakamura" really needs to be in the major leagues.

Don Sutton, 2005 Upper Deck Classics. Some of these old photos just weren't made to be viewed this close. I deal with that quite a bit in the newspaper business. You can't crop old photos too tightly because the quality just wasn't that good back then. You end up with hazy stuff like this.

This card stumps me. I don't know what it is. It's not a regular 1989 Fleer because it's a different pose. It's not a Fleer Update card. The number on the back reads "C-10," but it's not a Fleer Canadian card, because Gibson was No. 57 in that set. Is it a Fleer version of Baseball's Best? I've got no idea.

  Chin-Lung Hu, 2008 Topps Trading Card History set. I believe this brings my total of different Hu cards for 2008 to 14 or 15. He's a regular card superstar.

Bryan Morris, 2007 Donruss Elite. Morris is now in the Pirates organization and still not out of Class A ball. This is a big reason why I don't buy "Elite" (Donruss is really playing fast-and-loose with the definition of "elite"). The other reason is the lack of an MLB license. Call me shallow, but I need that license to buy the card. Meanwhile, this is my first look at the backs of these cards. They look like some psychedelic '60s pattern.

Pee Wee Reese, 2001 Topps Archives. This will be as close as I get to an actual 1958 Pee Wee for awhile, although there are a number of '58 Reeses up on eBay right now (some with insane price tags).

Two Dodger legends from Upper Deck, Drysdale and Campanella. I will always, always appreciate cards of the old-timers. Especially as long as modern-day players like A-Rod keep mucking up today's game.

Ryan Luzinski, 1994 Action Packed. The only reason I show this card is because on the back they describe Ryan's dad, Greg Luzinski, as being "girthy." I did not know "girthy" was a word.

But not as much as this card! I've been waiting for a long time to obtain a Dodger from the 1981 Topps Traded set (the first traded set from Topps that was issued separately from the main set). The Landreaux card means I'm halfway home. Only Fernando left!

A pair of Saxes. We have a well-designed 1985 Fleer on the left, and one of the worst-designed sets of the '80s, and possibly ever, in 1986 Donruss on the right.

1976 Topps Tommy John. I have two of this card already. But I show this because neither of those two can come close to the shape this card is in. It looks like it came right out of the pack.

Eddie Murray, 1989 Upper Deck. This was a hopeful time for Dodgers fans. L.A. had just won a World Series and then we snagged a legitimate hitter to shore up that palty offense that the Dodgers had then. Bring on the dynasty! Little did we know. But we can't blame it on Eddie.

GARVEYS! Wow, these are great. Especially, the '74 and the '75 that will fit nicely in my Dodger binders. I always liked the '74 card, even with the ghostly faces in the background.

Lastly, a pair of sweet 1966 Topps Dodgers that I needed. Two mediocre hurlers here in Bob Miller and Howie Reed. I guess L.A. hung on to these guys because Koufax and Drysdale were throwing off the curve. They don't look too happy. C'mon guys, you just won a World Series in '65!

To sum it up, Max sent Dodgers that spanned more than 40 years of collecting. It was truly a great package to open. I enjoyed every second.

I'll keep writing. And I'll post as many cards as I can. Because you never know what a single scan, like the Chrome Loney card, can lead to. Thanks, Max!