Night Owl Cards

It's been awhile since I received a Clayton Kershaw card in a trade. I did receive a couple from Project '62 recently that broke a prolonged slump. And I'll post them ... eventually. But other than those two, it's been quiet. On top of that, I've noticed Kershaw's cards going up in price in the online shops. Nothing drastic. But apparently people are finally getting wise to the idea that he's something special. It only took them four years. So, with everyone marching behind the Minotaur, I decided to do a little something and grabbed some Kershaw cards myself. Collectors collect, right? They can't wait by the mailbox all the time. I didn't get anything flashy. I don't have the cash. So that means no autographs, no relics and definitely no patch cards (some of which are gawdawful). But it does mean: COLORED PARALLELS!!!!!!!! My favorite parallel of all-time! Zowie! I love the colored parallel. I hope it stays around forever. First,...

I received a package from The Collective Troll a week or two ago. And while my posting of its contents isn't terribly timely, the cards I received are -- especially this one. I burst with pride when a player on my favorite team leads the league in offense. I don't care if it is only the third day in May. It's been that way ever since Ron Cey set a then major league record of 29 RBIs in April of 1977. I remember back then mentioning Cey's feat in music class to a couple of my Yankee-brainwashed classmates and them looking at me in complete incomprehension. Dumb-asses. Knowledge is power muchachos. Anyway, I burst with pride because unlike the Yankees and Red Sox and a few other teams, the Dodgers don't get the chance to lead everybody in offensive categories very often. I mentioned that once long ago . The Dodgers have and always will be about pitching (the 2010 mess aside). Ethier, right now, is leading the National League in just about every power category:...

Yes, good people, it's time for a trade post. Don't look at me that way. I've just made it through the most debilitating month of the year -- made even more debilitating this time around by circumstances you don't want me to document. Trust me, you don't. The end results is March ate half of the days off that I usually get during a regular, non-hostile month, turned my general mood from happy-go-lucky to WHAT-THE-F***-ARE- YOU -LOOKING-AT, and I'm quite sure knocked a couple of Marchs off my life, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. So with April and baseball right around the corner, I am spunky and ready to go. Besides, I just got this email the other day: "Thank you for your order 1960-BB-TS1-265-NA Rip Repulski 1 03/29/10 SHIPPED 1968-BB-TS1-277-NA Jerry Buchek 1 03/29/10 SHIPPED 1972-BB-TS1-532-NA Fred Kendall RC 1 03/29/10 SHIPPED" My Million Card Giveaway items be shipped!!! (EDIT: My Million Card Giveaway items  BE HERE!!...

I can't get too excited about photoshopping on baseball cards. As long as you're not rubbing out umpires or transforming an entire ballpark, I think it's harmless fun. It's been going on for decades, first with a simple paint brush and now with a computer program. This is a 2010 Opening Day card of Roy Halladay. He's pictured working for a team for which he's never taken the mound in an official game. He was traded to Philadelphia in December. Companies are getting better at "hiding" their photoshopping efforts, but this is one of the easier ones to detect. The cap and T-shirt colors are too dark. The name on the back of his jersey is just too big as is the uniform number (Halladay wore No. 32 with the Blue Jays). I like that they put the "TV number" on Halladay's sleeve because the Phillies do feature TV numbers. I guess Halladay is supposed to be wearing a Phillies road unform, because their home uniforms feature pinstripes. But t...

Yes, collectors, the long wait is over. Opening Day has returned to the card aisle. It's back and better ... uh, well ... the same as ever. In fact, I purchased a pack of 2010 Opening Day today. And I'm going to show the contents right here. Hello? Anybody still reading? Was it something I said? OK, for the very few of you left, you know the details. Opening Day is a cheaper version of the 2010 base set. It looks the same except for one or two minor details. In 2006, the foil was blue. In 2007, the borders were white. In 2008, the borders were crimson-blood-red-oh-my-god-they-sacrificed-a-goat-and-dried-its-life-source-on-cardboard!!!!!!!!!! After that bit of ugliness, Opening Day went on hiatus for 2009. The economy was the official reason. But we all know it was about the goat blood. Now it's back, and pretty blah, I must say. I wonder how Ryan Howard feels getting stuck on the Opening Day wrapper while Albert Pujols graces the main set. Anyway, let'...