The Awesome Night Card series has slipped from a once-a-week staple to once-a-month to "has it really been five months since I've done one of these?"
The future doesn't look good for the ANC series. It will always be a part of the rotation, because I'm still collecting night cards and you never know when one will suddenly strike my fancy so forcefully that I will be required to post it. But the days of seeing an ANC post even once a month are gone.
And, you know, I think that's OK. I just don't have a lot to say anymore on today's ballplayers -- the primary topic of most night cards -- and could use a break in stressing my mind trying to "stay relevant" in the baseball world.
I'll bet Josh Hamilton could say the same thing. He hasn't played since 2015. I just read a story in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram that said Hamilton was supposed to show up for some Hall of Fame festivities down in Arlington this weekend, but he called and canceled. He seems to be intentionally missing the limelight, and I'm sure enjoying laying low.
A lot was written about Josh Hamilton between 2007-17. Even on my own blog, I mentioned him nine times between 2008-14. Since then? Nothing. I bet he prefers it that way.
This Awesome Night Card is from 2012 Archives, when Hamilton was a couple years away from his MVP season. It was sent to me by Adam of Cardboard Clubhouse.
He added a few more cards. In fact, the purpose of the envelope was this card:
This was the lone 1982 Donruss coaches card that I still needed. I mentioned that back on my post about coach cards. This one is a gem, probably even more distinctive than Yogi Berra's grin or Harvey Kuenn's chaw, to use a couple other coach card examples.
In 1962, Jackie Robinson was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame along with Bob Feller, Edd Roush and Bill McKechnie. Fifty-six years later, this is one of the few cards showing a player holding his own Hall of Fame plaque.
Common, ordinary 2015 flagship Dodgers?
NOT common, ordinary, flagship Dodgers. TEAM SET Dodgers, in which only hopeless team collectors like me could possibly care.
Finally, cards that were issued between the time when I was 12 and 16 years old.
If I'm being honest, that wasn't the greatest time in my life. But it WAS a great time for baseball cards.
And that is why you will continue to see cards from the past on this blog, more often than anything else and in greater frequency. And why you will see fewer modern night cards.
Being relevant is tough work, in the blog world, in anything really.
I'm sure Josh Hamilton understands.
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Awesome Night Card binder candidate: Josh Hamilton, 2012 Topps Archives, #190
Does it make the binder?: It does. Tune in for the next update ... in October ... maybe.
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