Just curious

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 Trade Card

Apparently you could trade this card in for nine cards from an update set.

Question: Did people actually do this? Here are the cards you could get by returning this Hershiser card: Jim Abbott, Danny Tartabull, Ariel Prieto, Scott Cooper, Tom Henke, Todd Ziele, Brian McRae, Luis Gonzalez and Jaime Navarro. Judging by the Beckett prices, I guess these are more valued than the rest of the set. But I'd much rather have this Hershiser card than those jokers (OK, Abbott's not a joker. I'm not so sure about the rest).

2002 Upper Deck World Series Heroes Steve Garvey

This is a good shot of Garvey's familiar lean in his batting stance

Question: Has there been anyone with a stance similar to Garvey's in the last couple of decades? I don't really follow batting stances, but I don't remember anyone.

2008 Opening Day James Loney numbered card

Yes, a numbered card in Opening Day. I knew nothing about these.

Question: Isn't this a kid's product? Why are we trying to get kids to chase numbered parallels? Oh, we're greedy bastards. I see. That makes sense.

2008 Upper Deck X die-cut Rafael Furcal

I've asked this question before, but got no answer, so ...

Question: Are these cards more aerodynamic than you're average cardboard card?

Oh, hell, I'm trying it myself ...

(25 seconds later)

Results: The James Loney card sailed through the living room to the other end of the coffee table. The Furcal X card spun and plunged like a wounded sparrow to the near end of the table.
Verdict: X sucks in all phases of the game.

2009 UD Goudey Kirk Gibson and Russell Martin

I don't know why I scanned the Gibson card, when the question is ...

Question: Who did they have pose for Martin's card? Because that ain't Martin.

1998 Topps Finest Paul Konerko

Question: Who did the Dodgers play at first base when they could have kept Konerko?

I have an answer for this one: Fred McGriff, Robin Ventura, Shawn Green, Hee Seop Choi and Nomar Garciaparra. Fine players, but they were either washed up, not really first basemen, or, um, Hee Seop Choi.

1995 Sportflix Mike Piazza

Never mind the front. The write-up on the back says, "Mike, with his thigh-sized forearms ..."

Question: WHAT?

1995 Bowman Eric Stuchenschneider

Question: Why couldn't he have made the major leagues so people could stop talking about Saltalamacchia's 14-letter last name and start talking about Stuchenschneider's 16-letter last name?

2009 Topps Heritage chrome Andre Ethier

This is my second Heritage chrome Ethier.

Question: Does anyone try to collect every numbered chrome card of an individual player in a given year? And if so, does he/she ever see the sun?

2007 Tri-Star Elegance Clayton Kershaw jersey card

Question: The back of the card says, "You have just received a game-used uniform from Clayton Kershaw, pitcher for the GCL Dodgers." Huh?

I'm sorry. I've been known to be slow a time or two. But I don't ever remember Clayton Kershaw giving me his uniform.

Anyway, it's very cool of madding to send me that card. Thanks a bunch, man. That helped me take my mind off the A&G.

Now, where was I? ... Ah, yes. Only 32 hours to go.