A few weeks ago, I received an unexpected bundle of cards from a man who apparently has a bottomless inventory and runs Jaybarkerfan's Junk.
A lot of us have been the beneficiary of Wes' largesse (I'm not being dirty, look it up), and that includes me on several occasions. I enjoyed looking through the Dodgers he sent and planned to blog about them whenever my perpetually behind behind found the time.
But before I had a chance to catalog what I received, a much larger and insane package arrived from Wes. It was downright freakish. How freakish? It contained 80 different serial-numbered Dodger cards.
A package like this deserves its own glorious post, one that can properly match the mood and the glee that surrounded me as I opened it.
That post will probably arrive later this week. In the meantime, I present you with the earlier package. Consider it the opening. The preamble. The prelude to greatness. Yes, this is just the beginning. But as your mom often said "anything worth waiting for is worth waiting for" ... or something like that.
So, now, here is the introduction:
It starts with a card that probably wouldn't be on my radar if I lived to be 358. I am no longer looking at 2007 Upper Deck for Dodgers cards, haven't been for some time. And I am definitely not looking at Padres for Dodgers cards. But I am so happy to have another Maddux in Dodger blue before he enters the Hall.
Next up is a Pacific card. They would have come in handy if they were issued about 15 years earlier. I had a hell of a time in Spanish class in high school. If I could cram for a test using the backs of my Pacific cards, I know I could have conjugated a few more verbs.
These are the last two cards I needed to complete the Classic II Dodgers set. How'd Wes know? I barely knew this set existed a month ago.
Ugh. This guy. Ben Diggins was the Dodgers' No. 1 draft pick in 2000. Like most of the pitchers that the Dodgers have selected first overall, Diggins did nothing for L.A. (he played five games for the Brewers in 2003 and that was it).
Here is a look at the pitchers the Dodgers have selected with their first pick overall since the draft started:
2013: Chris Anderson
2011: Chris Reed
2010: Zach Lee
2008: Ethan Martin
2007: Chris Withrow
2006: Clayton Kershaw
2004: Scott Elbert
2003: Chad Billingsley
2000: Ben Diggins
1995: David Yocum
1993: Darren Dreifort
1990: Ron Walden
1989: Kiki Jones
1988: Bill Bene
1987: Dan Opperman
1984: Dennis Livingston
1983: Erik Sondberg
1979: Steve Howe
1977: Bob Welch
1974: Rick Sutcliffe
1971: Rick Rhoden
1970: Jim Haller
1966: Larry Hutton
There are a few shining examples in there, but there is also a whole bunch of WHO?
And to drive home the point further, that wasn't the only Ben Diggins in the package:
Still not all of them.
There were 16 total Ben Diggins Wilmington Waves cards. I've been Ben bipped!!!
It seems that someone had been hoarding No. 1 draft picks with an eye on future riches. Of course, now it looks like I am the one who was hoarding Diggins cards. Sheesh, how am I going to explain this?
One disadvantage of Sportsflicy type cards is sometimes you can't see the letters so well. I've been working under the delusion all these weeks that this was Eric Karros. Turns out it is hyperbust Bill Ashley. The scanner reveals all.
I will end this preface with an O-Pee-Chee of everybody's mid-1980s hero Steve Sax. It's a terrifically diamond cut card. Graded card collectors would have never survived in Canada in the 1980s.
So that's the introduction. Great in itself, but it can't possibly match up with what is to come.
Consider yourselves fortunate that I'm giving you a few days to brace for it.
Yes, it will be epic.
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