One thing I still haven't learned in all this time blogging is to step away from the blog when there isn't time to post.
I've gotten better since the days of two-posts-every-24-hours; I usually give myself two days off a week from the blog. But yesterday I thought it was necessary to post on the anniversary of the Dodgers' first World Series title since I was a fan. It's a big moment in my rooting history and it seemed important to recognize the day.
But I had zero time with Thursday's schedule. So I whipped up a post, showing off cards from that 1981 team and didn't have time to check my work. That's never good.
In an instant -- almost record time between me publishing and someone commenting -- somebody pointed out an error. I didn't have time to reassemble the cards, but I did. But those cards weren't quite right either (FYI: Ron Roenicke was in the display).
I don't like having errors in my posts. I also don't like it when people who don't write a blog of their own seemingly lie in wait to point out something wrong.
So I've redone what I deleted yesterday and I've added to it. Below are displays of each of the Dodgers' World Series championship teams since I've been alive, 1965, 1981, 1988 and 2020. I've included everyone who played an inning for the team that year, plus the manager of the team.
2020:
1988:
1981:
1965:
A couple of things to note:
1. I was surprised by how consistent in number the teams are, 38, 38, 38 and 33 players. I suppose that makes sense. Teams that win the Series usually don't have to deal with a large number of injuries or under-performing players, which would cause them to add to/subtract from the roster more frequently.
2. I was also surprised to see that Jim Gilliam disappeared from Topps cards after the 1964 set, even though his career lasted through 1966. I wonder if he was one of the contract opt-out players that I wrote about a couple of months ago. I didn't come across his name then.
3. I pulled from the cards issued the year the Dodgers won the title first and then filled in the blanks. I tried to go with Dodgers cards or at least Dodgers minor league cards. I failed in one case, with Bill Krueger, who played briefly for the Dodgers in 1988. He has a couple minor league cards from '88 but I don't have those. So I had to go with an A's card from '87. It seemed fitting, there were a whole lot of former A's on that Dodgers team.
4. Well I guess that 2020 Ben Baller set proved useful.
5. I have got to upgrade some of my Don Drysdale cards.
OK, so that was a whole lot of binder shuffling, card-pulling, etc. But I had a little more time for it today. And I had time to cross-reference.
I had time to cross-reference once. So if I made a mistake, a player is there who shouldn't be or a player isn't there who should be, please know I'm not being paid for this. It's not like anyone else is pulling all those cards and putting them back (Well, this guy is).
I invite you to conduct your own research on your own blog. Maybe I'll stop by and check your work.
Comments
The store with Jim Gilliam is that he was released after the 1964 season, then re-signed in early 1965 to beef up their 3rd base corps, but too late for Topps to react.
The same thing happened a year later.
And, thanks, Jim, I don't remember if I heard that story before.
As a blog author I am constantly proof-reading my posts and editing them before and after publishing to avoid that very issue. And even then I've had some of the same people pick apart my posts. So, yeah.. I know the feeling.
Your WS champion collages are impressive, and I trust your research. I'm sure if I looked up my team's last title-winning roster I would see at least six or seven names that I'd completely forgotten were Red Sox. I certainly wouldn't have their cards in my collection.
I was wondering the same thing a few years ago when working on completing my 1966 set, and found that info in B-R.
Love this idea. I've been burning myself out with sorting the past month or so, but when I finally finish, I think I want to build one of these team sets for the 1989 A's.