A couple of weeks ago, I went on a rant about the new Topps Heritage High Numbers set, a hunk of 100 cards that comes equipped with an autograph and sticker shock. Quantities are limited and there may be plenty left or none left. I don't know. I don't care.
Topps' swift move has pretty much turned me off to modern cards, except for sampling here and there. And except for getting the Dodgers in every current set I can find.
So, the way around shelling out 100 bucks for Heritage High Numbers, just for a handful of Dodgers, is to find a team break.
I found one. And I'll be getting my Dodgers.
But there are lots of good teams left in the break that Padrographs is holding. And you know you want the cards. Stick it to Topps! Don't give up all that cash for their lousy money grab, but get the cards you want! And it'll cost you less than 10 bucks.
OK, the Ackley card is here for a two-fold reason. Pimp a break, and continue yet another regular series here on NOC.
We're up to the Mariners in the "team colors" list.
I think I speak for everyone when I say, I never think of the Mariners.
Not ever. Not when they were an expansion team, not when they sucked, not when Griffey Jr. was making them cool, not during Sweet Lou's 100-win season and Ichiro, not now. (OK, maybe a little when they beat the Yankees in that one playoff series. I liked them a lot then).
I have nothing against them. They're just so, so far away. And the team most likely to move to Japan. Which gives you an idea of how far away they are.
I'm so behind on the Mariners that the first player I think of when someone mentions the Mariners is not Felix or Ichiro or A-Rod or even Jay Buhner. It's this guy:
Yup. Alvin Davis. For a couple of years there, he WAS the Mariners. How soon we forget.
As for the Mariners' color scheme, I often confuse it with the Brewers. I suppose that's appropriate given the whole Seattle Pilots connection. But they are two of the few pro teams to dare to select green as a uniform choice.
How did Topps address that bold fashion choice?
Let's see. Here are the colors that Topps used for the years when it selected a color based on which team it was featuring:
1977: green, yellow and pink
1978: green and pink
1979: green and yellow
1980: green, yellow, blue and red
1981: yellow and blue
1982: gold and blue
1983: gold and pink
1984: gold and light green
1985: yellow and blue
1986: blue
1987: blue
1988: green, gold and blue
1989: yellow, green and blue
1991: gold and blue
1992: gold, yellow and blue
1993: gold and blue
1994: yellow and silver
1998: blue
2000: aqua green
2002: green and blue
2003: green and blue
2004: green and blue
2005: green and blue
2006: green and blue
2007: green and purple
2008: green and blue
2009: blue
2010: green
2011: green and blue
2012: aqua green
Back in the '80s and '90s, the Mariners included gold in their color scheme and so did Topps. You can see that Topps dutifully yanked the color when the Mariners switched their official colors.
And what are the Mariners' official colors? They are navy, Northwest green, metallic silver and white.
I have no idea what "Northwest green" is. Neither does Topps as the green it has used for the Mariners has varied from aqua green to forest green to kelly green.
But at least it got green in there.
So ...
Mariners' team colors: navy and Northwest green
What Topps thinks are the Mariners' team colors: Blue and green!
Close enough.
(The tally: Blue-20, Green-15, Yellow-8, Gold-7, Pink-3, Aqua Green-2, Red-1, Light Green-1, Silver-1, Purple-1)
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