I finally completed my 2025 Heritage High Numbers Dodgers team set yesterday.
The Hyseseong Kim card was the last to arrive at the nest. Of course, it's a short-print and is a part of the infuriating way Heritage is acting recently with online exclusives and short-prints and inflated ebay pricing.
I also wondered if it would ever arrive. It took exactly a month, from purchase to arrival for me to claim ownership. "Rushed" is a funny way to put it. I didn't realize when I bought it that it was through comc consignment -- that violated my "never going to deal with that place again" policy. I guess I have another reason now.
Anyway, ugliness out of the way, I can now celebrate with a Card Numbers for Commons post using Kim's card number -- 719.
To go over the rules, this is the post in which I take a certain card number that once was the domain of commons and find five notable cards with that number in my possession. Then I look for five notable cards with that number that I don't own -- but would like to.
Since we're in the 700s this time, it eliminates a whole lot of sets that didn't ask collectors to collect that many cards. Almost all football sets are out (football seems to have about a thousand more players than any other sport so it's always mystified me that the sport's sets are smaller than baseball). Many pre-1970 baseball card sets are out, too.
But let's see what I found. My cards first, counting down to the best.
5. 1986 Topps: Carlton Fisk, All-Star
Everything about 1986 Topps is bold and beautiful, the All-Star cards especially so. I also can't argue with a helmeted individual or anyone wearing the 1980s SOX logo.
4. 1981 Topps: Sparky Lyle
As someone who grew up with baseball in the late 1970, seeing Sparky Lyle with anyone other than the Yankees just didn't make sense. But when he went over to the National League, that's when it really got bizarre.
3. 1980 Topps: Don Robinson
About a year into the blog, I wrote a popular post about the Pirates' many uniform combinations in the late '70s and into the early '80s. I broke down the combos that I found on baseball cards.
My favorite combo back when I was watching the Pirates then were the black tops and black pants. That combo was difficult to find on cards. This is the only one I know. It's been a favorite ever since I pulled it. (Edit: '81 Donruss has a couple, I probably just focused on Topps back then).
2. 1972 Topps: Cesar Geronimo
I wear my 1972 high number cards as a badge of honor. Cesar Geronimo is appropriately dented, but the collection is complete! Everyone knows those 700-number cards in the '72 set are confounding.
1. 1979 Topps: Dodgers prospects, Pedro Guerrero, Rudy Law, Joe Simpson
Maybe not much to look at -- none of the '79 Topps prospects cards are -- but all three players are notable names, whether you're a Dodger fan or simply a fan of baseball on cable TV. This card means so much to me that it is the rare post-1976 card in which there are duplicates contained in my Dodger binders.
OK, now let's see some cards I don't own. The pickings were a little slim:
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5. 2003 Topps: Bobby Cox, Sporting News All-Star
Without trying I've obtained almost the entire run of Bobby Cox Topps flagship cards. This is one of the ones that is still missing. I really like the 2003 Sporting News All-Star cards, I should finish that subset and invite Bobby into the fold.
4. 1988 Pro Cards Minor League: Mike Villa
What in the world is going on here? Did my grandmother take this picture?
3. 2006 Upper Deck: Kelly Stinnett
I once owned this card as I bought quite a bit of 2006 Upper Deck in my return to the hobby. But I jettisoned most of the cards from this set years ago. Stinnett eventually spent a brief time as a coach for a pro team in my town a number of years back. I looked in my collection and was disappointed to see I had none of his cards (I've since added one -- but not this one).
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2. 2003 Topps Total: Benji Gil
Night card! My night card binder goes up to 726 but I have nothing after 703. Seems like a no-brainer purchase.
1. 1974 Samlarsaker Popbilder: Tina Turner
I don't know much about these, only that it's a Swedish set, it ran for several years and the cards -- if they are "cards" -- are 1 3/4-by-2 3/4. The backs are blank. I'm guessing they're fairly flimsy.
But the checklist is amazing, like every music act that was notable during the period is there.
So that's what I found this time around on Card Numbers for Commons. I hope to tackle a lower common number in the next edition to get some more interesting cards involved.
Now, if you'll excuse me, I'd like to add my Kim card to my 2025 Dodger binder and hope that I finish the 2026 Heritage Dodgers a little quicker -- but I probably won't.
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