Night Owl Cards

Dear NOC, I was appalled when I went to your blog this morning. Please tell me what women posing in swimsuits has to do with a baseball card blog. Cancel my subscription. Signed, A Disgusted Ex-Reader (P.S. Don't blame me for posting this the day after Valentine's Day. I wasn't the one who decided the release date for Sports Illustrated's swimsuit issue). (P.P.S.: Why didn't SI make swimsuit cards an annual occurrence? It was a hell of an idea. A lot better than the body paint stuff. Yuck).

So, you're a major league catcher. You've been one for 17 years. You're 40 years old and strictly a backup these days. You start maybe once a week. And that's enough. Because you're 40. You've seen a lot since you came up with the Padres in 1993. But you're not all that well-known. Mostly, people know you for being smart. You're so smart that you're constantly mentioned as a future manager. But you've never been known for the numbers you put up. Except for one pretty impressive factoid: you've never been on the disabled list. That's right. In 17 years, you've never hit the DL. That's pretty damn good for the modern player. And really damn good for a catcher. I mean it's a minefield back there. That's an achievement. That's something to tell your grandchildren. So, 2010 comes along, the DL streak is intact, and retirement is always an option this late in your career. But you come back for a second season wi...

DEBUS ... DUGAS ... ... AND BUSTABAD I haven't gotten my hands on the script for the show, but sources tell me that Debus and Dugas are former Army buddies who decide to open a detective agency. Realizing that technology has become a way of life in the baddie-fighting business, they enlist the services of Bustabad , a brilliant computer hacker but socially awkward. Working from their boat, and with the help of a helicopter and Bustabad's robot, they battle crime and injustice every week while attracting the bikini-clad ladies. " Debus , Dugas and Bustabad ." Coming soon. Let's all be there . (Oops. Sorry, the show has been done already . They just don't make them like that anymore).

All right, it's obvious I'm going to have to go through the rules on which cards you burn and which ones you don't, because someone doesn't know them yet. Please try to keep up. I'm only going to say this once. CARDS THAT MAY BE BURNED 1. Checklists Guidelines: Burn only for warmth. If it's 20 below or the landlord has turned off your heat, then you may bundle checklists in stacks of 500 or more and light them ablaze. But only use checklists that are not numbered as part of the set. 2. Cards from 1991 Guidelines: Check first that none of your fellow bloggers need these cards. After that, I better not catch you trying to sell them on eBay. Take them immediately to the incinerator. 3. Barry Bonds cards Guidelines: Arrange Bonds cards in order by his increasing head size. Attach cards to fuse. Light fuse. Enjoy! 4. Hated Yankees. Guidelines: Your choice may vary from period to period. It may be Jackson, Piniella , Dent, Winfield, O'Neill, Rodriguez or Tei...

This card always puzzled me. I don't know if my depth perception is off or if it's the way the card's cropped, but it looks like they cut around Santo's likeness and then pasted him in the forefront of a Cubs spring training scene. I realize this photo was likely taken in 1973 and photoshop wasn't around, but the photo just looks weird. But that's not the reason why this card is here. It's here because the Hall of Fame Veterans Comittee on Tuesday announced their list of 10 candidates for the Hall from major leaguers whose careers began in 1943 or later. Santo's on that list. So is Gil Hodges, Joe Torre, Luis Tiant, Maury Wills, Tony Oliva, Jim Kaat, Dick Allen, Al Oliver and Vada Pinson. On December 8th, the committee will announce whether they've selected anyone from this list, or from the previous list of players whose careers started before 1943, for the Hall of Fame. And that got me thinking: why go through all the hand-wringing? This debate...