Night Owl Cards

All right, everyone is all apoplectic over Ichiro suddenly becoming a Yankee. I'm just not that upset about it. If you're a Mariner fan, then, yes, I'm sorry. I understand. For you, it's awful. Just horrible, disgraceful, unthinkable, galling, gagging, repulsive, puke-inducing, nasty, crushing, hurtful, agonizing, gross, dehumanizing, shameful, inexcusable and rotten. But if you're not, then, really, things could be worse. How much worse? Well, off the top of my head, I came up with 10 or so players who I would have much more of a problem seeing in a Yankee uniform than Ichiro. Suzuki is practically an icon and very good at what he does. But, let's face it, he's 38, and he's not the player he once was. If the Yankees want to try to capture 2001 in a bottle for a half a year, then, fine, knock yourself out, New York. I hope you fail. But these guys? No, I do not want these guys to appear as Yankees. Or I might have to start watching crick...

A few days ago, I came across an old post of Ben Henry's on The Baseball Card Blog. It was posted during the first half of 2008. It was about the insignificance of the relic card. Yup, relics were officially dull and boring way back then. More than three years ago. Before I even started blogging. Since that time, I have read probably dozens of posts about how the relic card doesn't matter anymore. I'm not going to argue the point, because from the perspective that many are coming from, they're right, it doesn't matter. The relic card has lost its ability to impress. But now it has reached a new low. The relic card has become so unimportant that someone like me is now able to accumulate them without trying. Even I, a common variety set collector who does the vast majority of his card shopping with the other peons at the discount department store, has no trouble pulling relics. Within a two month period this spring, I pulled 11 relic cards. Eleven. I've never ...

I received this card from Rod of Padrographs several weeks back. It's one of those scout autograph cards from Bowman. I think that Rod, as a reader of my blog, thought I might have a few things to say about this card. As a matter of fact, Rod, I do have something to say. Here it is: (*ahem*) Baseball scouts are our greatest and truest national resource and should be treasured by generations past, generations now and generations to come. That is my only statement. Except that this card will be off to Dave of Tribe Cards as soon as I can get around to it. He will enjoy it quite a bit more than I will. Nice try, Rod. But I am definitely not stepping into that one again. I had my fun the last time . I've got enough stress in my life.

Another vacation week has come and gone. This is my last day of doing what I want, so I'm going to do what I want and post cards from some trades. But first a brief vacation recap: Snow. Wind. Can't see 2 feet in front of me. Ah, good times. Through it all, the good mail carriers still delivered card packages to my door. I haven't posted the contents of those cards yet, because I'm still working on the cards that arrived pre -blizzard. These cards are from the one and only Spastik Mooss of The Great Sports Name Hall of Fame , and Brian at Play at the Plate . I'll start with The Mooss ' cards. First, here is my first 2009 Sweet Spot Dodger card. I saw it on the GSNHOF site and instantly claimed it. It's a nice-looking card, but there is no way I'm putting down 30 bucks for one of those Sweet Spot tins at Target. I heed the warnings posted on the internets . Well, sometimes. A very early card of the Dodgers' current closer, Jonathan Broxton . So e...

Yes, kids, that's a late 1960s band reference -- "I'd love to change the world," and all that stuff. I'm on a late '60s/early '70s kick for some reason. That's odd, because it's before my time. But there I go, appreciating things that took place before my era. Wacky me. One thing in the music arena that did take place during my time was the "decade in review" show on the radio. Do you remember those? I vividly remember listening to an hour-long show each night during the end of 1979 as it reviewed the decade's biggest moments and songs year-by-year. It was kind of hokey, especially when I think about it now: news of Watergate with Roberta Flack singing "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" in the background. But back then I thought it was cool. And by 1989, I'm sure I listened to another decade review show that covered everything from "Another Brick in the Wall" to New Kids on the Block. After that, I los...