Milestone stuff

 

It's time for another birthday post.

 

It's a milestone one this time. The kind that you don't even want to say out loud because it can't possibly be right and if someone hears you, they're going to throw a blanket over you and haul you off to the elderly farm.

 

I shall distract myself with dinner out, gifts, cake, ice cream and this post.

 

I have posted almost every birthday since starting this blog and have tried to tie the occasion to cards or baseball. But I'm all out of stuff. In fact, I thought about not posting this time. But I can at least update a couple of past birthday posts with more information.

 

For instance, three years ago I posted about active players in the majors who share my birthday, focusing on a then-new discovery, Jarred Kelenic.

 

Kelenic is still going, on a new team since last time, and still over a year younger than my daughter.😬  

 

I also happen to have recent cards of three other active players who are celebrating a birthday today.

 

Hey, I've actually heard of all three of those guys! (Vargas is now back on the Diamondbacks).

 

Five years ago, I looked through the Dodgers' performance on my birthday, picking out notable games and doing way too much research when it's my birthday. But I can at least update the stats now.

 

I listed a team-by-team breakdown of the Dodgers' record on my birthday since 1975, which was the first year I collected cards and followed baseball. Since then, the Dodgers have played three more birthday games, winning two and losing one. One of those games was against the Rockies in 2022. Back on that 2020 post I said L.A. had never played the Rockies on my birthday. So that's another "milestone" down. Here is the updated team-by-team records for the Dodgers on 7/16:

 

Angels 1-0
Cubs 4-2-1
Diamondbacks 1-2
Expos 1-0
Giants 1-0
Marlins 1-2
Mets 1-1
Padres 1-0
Phillies 2-4
Pirates 3-1
Rockies 1-0 
Total 17-12-1

 

The additions are the Rockies (2022), Angels (2023) and Mets (2024). The 2023 game was the first interleague game played by the Dodgers on my birthday.

 

As for card milestones on my birthday, I have one for you, even if it's a pseudo one.

 

 

I recently completed the "low-number" portion of the Brooklyn Dodgers team set for 1952 Topps! This Billy Loes card was the last one I needed.

 

 

That's the back for the red back/black back/condition freaks.

 

I went on a bit of a '52 Topps spree this year -- well, a spree for me -- to get this portion of the team set done. Who knows, it could be all I ever do for the Dodgers with this set, seeing as what's ahead of me.

 

Here now are all the Dodgers I own from the set:

 

The Hodges and Loes were arrivals this year. Billy Cox showed up not too long ago, too. Rocky Bridges, interestingly is probably in the worst shape of this group, along with Phil Haugstad.

 

 

In this group, the most recent arrival is Duke Snider and Jim Russell, both this year. I'm still stunned by the sharp condition of ol' Clarence up there, and who knows if I would have this portion done if I didn't receive that Andy Pafko card a number of years ago.

 

So that's a nice thing to celebrate on my birthday! Seventeen cards down and 16 impossible high numbers to go!

 

But today is a day for happy thoughts only. So we're not talking about last night's game either.