A new favorite Hershiser card

Sure, this is an attractive, fancy insert card of Orel Hershiser, numbered to 250. Brian of 30-Year-Old Cardboard was super generous to send it to me, too.

But it's not among my absolute favorite Hershiser cards. It's merely great, spectacular and fantastic.

Instead, another Hershiser card that came with this one could be one of my all-time favorites.

Isn't that over-the-top tremendous? I might have to collect the entire 1988 Revco set. Based on what I've seen from the Dodgers cards, it's an entire collection of wonderfully awful pictures.

If Hershiser was centered in the photo, as about 98 percent of the portrait pictures on baseball cards are, it would merely be a charming, late '80s, oddball card of a young Hershiser. A splendid card, but nothing outstanding.

However, I can't take my eyes off those TREES! Those awesome, leafy, city park trees! Magnificence! No wonder the photographer shoved Hershiser off to the side. Look! Trees!

(*pause, to collect myself*)

So, where does this Hershiser card rate in terms of my all-time favorites? Well, once again, I've got no time for that. So, let's compare it to some random classics.

It's definitely better than this item. My goodness, I'm sorry that I'm displaying this card again.

It's along the same lines as this card, although I'd have to give a slight edge to the Wonder Star, because of the unapologetic, insane, unlicensed nature of the whole ensemble.

This card doesn't get a lot of credit because it's from a junk wax set, but I think it's one of Hershiser's finest and the Revco card can't compare.

Yeah, Revco is totally outmatched by this card, too. I'd say maybe only Hershiser's rookie card can stack up with this psychedelic card.

So, the Revco card might not be as smashing as I thought.

The problem is that Hershiser has so many terrific cards. His career spanned the era of the baseball card explosion. Throw in his unexpected World Series success and his bookish looks that don't jive with people's concepts of a major league baseball athlete, and there are just too many memorable cards of Orel Hershiser.

But I'd say the Revco card lands somewhere in the top 25. Maybe the top 30. Or 40. Perhaps I need to compile another list.

While I'm pondering that, here are a handful more cards from Brian:

I just got finished watching the 1981 World Series highlights on the MLB Network. The Series is etched in my brain, but it was nice to relive Cey's performance and see Yankee Tommy John being taken out unexpectedly in the fourth inning of Game 6 and muttering to himself in the dugout.

Thanks for the cards, Brian.

And for helping me remember a time when, you know, the Dodgers actually made the World Series.