Night Owl Cards

I have this sudden, overwhelming desire to categorize, compartmentalize and marginalize a whole mess of baseball card sets. So I pulled a small stack of cards from various years, and I'm going to try to give them a name on the spot. I can tell you already that I'm going to be successful with some and a failure with others. So I'll need your assistance as always. If you think you have a good name for these sets, yell out your answers. Even if I've come up with a name, there's always the chance that there's something better. However, the 2012 Topps set has been named already and there's no going back. By consensus, it's The Surfboard Set. I'm not taking credit for that name. I believe steelehere was the first to come up with it as far as I know. So I'm giving him his due. Address your complaints appropriately. But really, it's a perfect name. So, let's move on to some sets that are more difficult to name: 1959 Topps deserves ...

My brother-in-law visits a few more flea markets than I do, so when he sees a large box of baseball cards, he knows what to do. I was told that he had found such a box recently, bought it, and left it for me to pick up and do with it what I wanted. Reportedly, the box was filled with baseball mostly, but there were some other cards in there, too. Probably football, said my sister-in-law. I couldn't wait to see what was in there. I knew the chances of it containing junk wax were good, but my brother-in-law had produced some much more cooler card items from flea markets before, so I approached the box filled with excitement. It turns out the box featured between 2,500-3,000 cards. And it was 99.99999 percent junk wax. There were non-baseball cards in there, too. But not one was football, as you'll soon see. I admit I was a bit disappointed as I leafed through the cards, even though I knew I could use some of them. Yes, I haven't completed m...

I hate to get all grandpa on you, but it's on my mind, so you're going to read it. I was looking at this fine Upper Deck card sent to me by madding of Cards on Cards, tilting the card this way and that to figure out what the heck was written on it, when it occurred to me: I'm SICK of TILTING cards! Now, tilting to see a second or third image on a Sportflic item, or tilting to see the rainbowosity of a refractor is one thing. As much as I'd like to absorb everything on a card with a single glance while it's lying flat, I do see the point of truly playing with your cards. It makes the hobby more fun. But tilting every which way in order to READ what the heck is on the front of the card is getting way old. I'm not 65 years old. I don't need bifocals. I have excellent eyesight. Stop making me feel like I play bingo every Monday. Gold and silver foil is cool in moderation, but I don't think it needs to go on lettering anymore. As much as I liked this year...

I realize the Pirates don't have Jason Bay anymore. He was traded away in that three-team deal that brought a certain free spirit to the Dodgers last season. The Pirates also don't have Jack Wilson or Ian Snell anymore. They were shipped to the Mariners. They don't have Freddy Sanchez. He was sent to the Giants. They don't have Adam LaRoche or Nate McLouth . They're now Braves. They don't have Nyger Morgan. He's a National. They don't have Tom Gorzelanny . He's a Cub. They don't have Xavier Nady. He's a Yankee. Sort of. You know who else the Pirates don't have anymore? Sean Casey. Jason Kendall. Ty Wigginton . Kris Benson. Aramis Ramirez. Brian Giles. Matt Stairs. Jeff Suppan . Bronson Arroyo. Jose Guillen . A few other guys they don't have anymore: Jay Bell. Denny Neagle . Jeff King. Andy Van Slyke . Doug Drabek . Barry Bonds. Tim Wakefield. Randy Tomlin. Bobby Bonilla . John Smiley. Sid Bream. Johnny Ray. Tony Pena. Bill Madlock...