A sucker for history

I guess these trade posts aren't going to post themselves, are they? I have so many of these to do. So I need to start doing! Unfortunately, that means another monster post will be arriving on the horizon in the next 48-72 hours. But I won't make it as big as this.

I'm keeping this one relatively in check, too. These cards are from fellow Dodger-rooter, Jim, of gcrl. We send Dodgers to each other and are happy when the other guy needs about 30 percent of the cards. Or at least I am.

Jim's success rate was much better than that. And for some reason, he sent a lot of older cards. I'm not sure why. Do I give off the impression that I like older cards on this blog? I never knew that. Heh.

Anyway, older cards are always cool, because they're historic and usually make me want to learn more about the player. While everyone else seems to be obsessed with the newest and greatest and why-can't-everyone-be-innovative-every-damn-time, I'm pretty happy with a card of ol' Hack Wilson here.

This is my first card of Hack Wilson, let alone Wilson as a Dodger (he played for them for only three years). And it took Fleer making a card of him 70 years after his playing career for me to obtain one of his cards. God, I love retro sets.

Here's an Upper Deck card of the Sym-Phony band from the "Dem Bum" days of the Brooklyn Dodgers. And you have to ask me why I'm a Dodger fan? I would have loved to have been a spectator at Ebbets Field.

Moving up about 35 years, here are four 1976 Topps cards for my set-collecting cause. Some are upgrades, some I plain didn't have. I'll have to figure that out later.

Some sweet, sweet 1971 Topps cards, including one of Roberto "Rodriquez." I'm pretty sure his last name is Rodriguez. At any rate, it's another card I can check off the '71 list. And the three Dodgers go in the Dodger binder. Yay!

Poor Shellenback's been used to scrub frying pans, or something. But he's good enough to fill a hole at No. 351 until I can upgrade.

Wow, now we're going all the way back to the time when they tried to tell kids that guys who looked like this were ball players. Ah, you could tell kids anything back in 1963. Walls actually had a pretty good year with the Cubs in 1958.

Coolness. A 1961 card of Dodger reliever Ed Roebuck. Look closely Heritage fans. This is the design Topps will throw at us next year. Unless they decide to go straight to 1962 because of the yawn-inducing capabilities of the '61 design.

Ed's got a crease through the card, but I don't know when I'll be getting another card of him, so I'm happy he's here.

I know the Timeless Teams cards are some of Jim's favorites, and they're mine, too. Collectors don't think of history when they think of Upper Deck, but some of their history-driven sets were cool. I wonder if we might see more of those now that UD's lost its MLB license.

Of course, there's nothing like the real thing, a 1975 Topps card of Buckner in his prime.

Jim's earned himself more pretend bonus points for finding a Ron Cey card I don't have. This is some "Only you can prevent forest fires" card of Cey issued by the California fire protection department. It obviously came off a perforated sheet of some sort. It's pretty flimsy.

Donruss Team Heroes. A land where you could mix Omar Daal and Don Drysdale and it all would make sense. Somehow.

More Ramon cards! Here we have flexible Ramon and "just throw me the damn ball" Ramon.

The 2005 Topps Rookie Cup set was something I saw once in Target that year, bought a pack, and when I went back it was gone, never to return. So, I'm happy to have this card.

OK, all you crystal-ball gazers, here is a prospect card of James Loney, a player that everyone is trying to trade. I found out not long ago that Loney's parents went to college just an hour from me. That's cool, in a totally meaningless sort of way.

You already know how I feel about Orel Hershiser as a Giant. Those cards are being shipped in the mail as you read this. I can tolerate Orel as an Indian a little more, although it makes me sad. He did give me a team to root for during the 1995 World Series. That didn't turn out well.

Lastly, I'm showing a very large night card of Chris Speier. I don't know what this is. It looks like some sort of SSPC issue. I'm sure Jim was very happy to get this Giant out of his house.

So, there you go. Not a present-day card in the bunch. Just boring old history. Nothing shiny. Nothing on-card. Nothing but players and teams and pictures and the past.

It is so cool. Thanks, Jim.