50 years a fan

  

I realized just the other day that I have been rooting for the Dodgers for 50 years. Today, the first Dodgers game of the year, marks exactly 50 years -- although according to the calendar I guess 50 years wouldn't arrive until April 9, which was the first Dodgers game of the 1976 season.

 

Anyway, for 50 seasons I've been a fan. Last year I celebrated 50 years as a collector and the year before that I celebrated 50 years of owning baseball cards. I'm still waiting for my awards.

 

I've mentioned before that although I started collecting in 1975, I wasn't watching any baseball games. My allegiance to the Dodgers was demonstrated almost entirely by wearing a Dodgers hat, which was really a Los Angeles Angels hat. I'm wearing it in the photo above on the occasion of my 10th birthday.

 

Outside of that, being a Dodgers fan in 1975 meant getting as many of the '75 Topps Dodgers as I could. I did not watch any regular season games on TV until 1976. That's when fanhood began ... and triumph and agony, so much agony.

 

Today, the Dodgers are doing pretty good, it's easy to root for them (well, most of them). But with 50 years under my belt I can tell you exactly when the bad times were, too. This is why I appreciate these days so much.

 

This fool card arrived today on the occasion of my 50th. It's the start of my latest sportslot order. Even though it's an example of Panini Chronicles weirdness, I find the Magnitude cards amusing.

 

I've been trying to document the first Dodger card I've pulled since I started opening packs. Last year I tried to update the post. I said then I'd attempt to fill in the many blanks over the years when I just don't remember what the first card was. But I haven't done anything with that.

 

So here is the list again, with only 2026 updated:

 

 

 

2026: Shohei Ohtani

2025: Yoshinobu Yamamoto

2024: Freddie Freeman

2023: Miguel Vargas

2022: "Moving On"/Chris Taylor (checklist)

2021: Mookie Betts (World Series)

2020: Hyun-Jin Ryu (League Leaders)

 

2019: "Sweet Life"/Cody Bellinger, Max Muncy (checklist)

2018: Cody Bellinger

2017: Josh Reddick

2016: Zach Lee

2015: Clayton Kershaw (checklist)

2014: Brandon League

2013: A.J. Ellis

2012: Javy Guerra
2011: Vicente Padilla

 

2010: Andre Ethier

2009: Greg Maddux

2008: (don't know)

2007: (don't know)

2006: Bill Mueller

2005: (didn't collect)

2004: (don't know)

2003: (don't know)

2002: (don't know)

2001: (didn't collect)

 

2000: (don't know)

1999: (didn't collect)

1998: (don't know)

1997: (didn't collect)

1996: (didn't collect)

1995: (don't know)

1994: (don't know)

1993: (don't know)

1992: (don't know)

1991: (don't know)

1990: (don't know)

 

1989: (don't know)

1988: (didn't collect)

1987: (didn't collect)

1986: (didn't collect)

1985: (didn't collect)
1984: (didn't collect)

1983: (don't know)

1982: (don't know)

1981: (don't know)

1980: Lerrin LaGrow

 

1979: (don't know)

1978: (don't know)

1977: Ellie Rodriguez

1976: (don't know)

1975: Steve Yeager

1974: Tommy John

 

For the more modern sets, I ignored any inserts I pulled first, which has been the case three times in the last six years. 

I will try again to fill in some of these blanks, but no promises. I mean there's a lot of baseball to watch now. In fact, I should be watching the Mets and Pirates right now instead of writing this. What kind of fan am I?