Trying to capture the spirit of the thing

 

I didn't buy a blaster of 2023 Stadium Club. This image is here to make a proper intro.

I've avoided this set because it's arrived so late and a number of the cards are out of date. Plus, Stadium Club is only really good when you're super-excited for its arrival and can gloss over the boring inserts and limited number of cards per box/pack. When it shows up six-to-seven months later than usual, that enthusiasm disappears.

But I am keeping in the spirit of the thing. While 2024 Topps flagship openings are exploding all over the internet, I'm showing off my '23 Stadium Club Dodgers team set that arrived today, fashionably late. Hey, at least I'm not posting it six months late.

There are 12 Dodgers in this year's set, and I'd say the images are maybe about average for a Stadium Club team set. Not too much exciting here actually. But I'll let the ranking explain my feelings, because you know there's going to be a ranking!

Excuse the wonky lighting on these. It's super-bright today. We had snow last night and the sun is now shining aggressively.

 

12. Julio Urias

Here's example one of 2023 Stadium Club arriving too damn late. Urias was yanked out of post-mid-year sets due his domestic issues but I'm sure this checklist was made last March.

11. Noah Syndergaard

One thing nobody talks about with SC is that there are quite a few average photos in the set. There's nothing wrong with this picture and it's probably sharper than if it appeared in flagship, but it's a flagship image. Also, Syndergaard didn't pitch for the Dodgers beyond July. (Almost surprised they didn't include Andre Jackson in this set).

 

 

10. Freddie Freeman

Freddie is modeling the Dodgers City Connect uniforms, which I don't mind as much as some, what's wrong with more blue? But in general I think MLB's City Connect fetish is getting very annoying and it's starting to feel like the players are dress-up dolls for the league.

 

9. Will Smith

Freddie shows up indirectly on this card with Will Smith doing "the Freddie". This was kind of cute at first, got old and now makes me fear for this season's choreographed celebration.

8. Miguel Vargas

Extra points for Vargas sliding head-first without an oven mitt. Vargas will be lucky to make the major league roster this year. The absence of Jason Heyward in this set is glaring.

7. Clayton Kershaw

Good shot of Kershaw in Dodger Stadium for the All-Star Game, despite the gold jerseys. The patch gives it away (or maybe the gold jerseys do) that this is the 2022 All-Star Game, and the guy next to Kershaw is Carlos Rodón, who was not a Yankee at this point but a Giant. You could call this photo a Golden Oldie.

 

 

6. J.D. Martinez

 

Nice sky shot and I appreciate the palm tree. It really feels like Spring Training here. No real evidence of Martinez being with the Dodgers aside from his blue shirt.

 

 

5. James Outman

 

I love candid shots. There aren't enough of them now but they used to be Topps' bread-and-butter.

 

 

4. Max Muncy

 

Really like the third-base greeting shot on home runs, it seems to clinch the feat, even more than stepping on home plate. I also like this angle, too, maybe it was taken by one of those cable cameras -- is that one at the left?

 

 

3. Jackie Robinson

Robinson is the only legend in the Dodgers team set, which makes me a little sad. The Orioles and Braves have four in their team sets. The Red Sox have five. But it's fun getting an off-the-field photo of Robinson. I don't know what's going on here or what kind of car that is (it's definitely from the 1940s) or why part of Robinson's forehead is weirdly shiny, but it's cool.

2. Mookie Betts

A lot to like. It's Mookie. He's having fun. It's a batting cage shot. There are people gathered (maybe a few too many?)

 

1. Michael Grove

Easy pick for the best shot. That's a good chunk of Dodger Stadium there. Look, you can even see the gate that torpedoed Aaron Judge's season. I've never been to a Union 76 gas station but I've seen it so long in Dodgers yearbooks, etc., that I have nostalgia for it like the Gulf station my dad always went to when I was a kid.

 

That's all I've got.

 

I don't see myself tracking down any of the parallels, the colored ones have worn out their welcome for me. Same with the inserts although I may add one or two and certainly welcome any of them (same with parallels).

 

As for buying any Stadium Club generally and featuring it here, that will probably happen only if I really get bored later in the year, which I don't see occurring with Topps flagship and Heritage this year. But you never know.

 

SC missed its shot with me this time. You snooze, you loose.