Night Owl Cards

I don't miss Upper Deck. There, I said it. I just don't. Maybe it's because I grew up on Topps, long before Upper Deck came to be. Maybe it's because I'm not all that interested in modern cards anymore (I passed up the card aisle again today) and "competition" isn't as urgent a need to me as it once was. Whatever the reason, I don't miss them. But that doesn't mean I don't suffer, along with every other card collector, because Upper Deck isn't making MLB-approved cards anymore. Upper Deck's innovation and especially its photography is missing from today's cards. And then there are other things that went by the wayside when Upper Deck's agreement with MLB died in 2010. One of the most notable was the fact that Orioles catcher Matt Wieters didn't appear on baseball cards anymore. As you know, the currently disabled Wieters signed an exclusive deal with Razor back in 2008. I wrote about that once before . Upp...

Almost four years ago, I wrote a post about the all-time worst Dodger seasons by position, basically assembling a team consisting of those worst Dodger seasons. This was two full years before Eugenio Velez graced the Dodgers with his presence. He really did wear a Dodger uniform, right? It's difficult to tell because in 2011, Velez received 37 at-bats for the Dodgers and was retired every single time. He did manage to walk a couple of times, but good gosh that O-fer makes everything else irrelevant. Velez's 0-for-37 stands out because it is the longest any position player has ever gone, in terms of at-bats, without a hit in a season. And it is all Velez has to show for his Dodger career. Because the Dodgers let him go free after the season, understandably. Since that time, Velez has been signed by the Cardinals and let go, signed by the Blue Jays and let go, signed by the Brewers and ... well the season isn't over yet. With each of those teams, he didn't g...

This is the only time that I have felt sorry for the San Diego Padres. Matt Holliday's consensus failure to touch home plate in the one-game playoff between the Rockies and Padres helped propel the Rockies all the way to the World Series in 2007. Normally, I laugh when misfortune befalls the Padres (and I laugh a lot). But there was no justice in this particular play. And I like seeing justice done. I also like seeing the Rockies lose. So my sympathies, San Diego. But it didn't occur to me until I received this night card that every team -- not just my beloved Dodgers -- has experienced injustice on the baseball field. For the Padres, it's Holliday not touching home plate. For the Braves, it's Kent Hrbek's wrestling move on Ron Gant in the '91 World Series. For the Cardinals, it's Don Denkinger. For the Orioles, it's Jeffrey Maier. For another team, it's ... umm .. well, I'm sure it's something . I'm just too immersed in the injust...

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 ...

Ten things that stop traffic: 1. Construction 2. A red stoplight 3. Fallen tree limbs 4. An auto accident 5. A crossing guard 6. Ducks in the road 7. A boy chasing a ball 8. A funeral procession 9. An attractive woman And ... 10. Throwback Padres uniforms on a summer night! The uniform Jake Peavy is wearing is a tribute to the regular San Diego uniforms worn in 1972 and 1973. I suspect famed McDonald's owner Ray Kroc was the mad genius behind these things, and I wish they'd bring them back full-time. It'd be a true style-over-substance move. But the Padres don't have any substance. At least they'd have style. This card was sent to me by spiegel . He always throws in some night cards into his card packages that are generally dominated by Dodgers. This package happened to have a variety of items, including some notable late-'70s vintage. Behold: All of these were most-needed for my non-existent '77 Topps want list (I'll get it up ...

In the last 5-to-10 years, the percentage of night cards in sets has exploded. Reasons for that include Upper Deck's exceptional photography over the years, Topps devoting entire subsets to the All-Star Game, and the general tendency to start sporting events later and later (which is both a blessing and a curse for the night owl). In fact, night cards are so frequent that I have an unlimited supply. I can also start to consider something that never would have been possible even 15 years ago: Which player has appeared on the most night cards? Now, I haven't figured this out. First, I don't have the time for that right now. Second, with the exception of one binder, most of my night cards are scattered about willy nilly. Third, I don't have a lot of cards from the Upper Deck late '90s/early '00s period, where I imagine there were a great many night cards. But I do have some guesses. Jimmy Rollins, for example, seems to keep popping up on night cards. I l...

Today, Dodger fans bid farewell to Juan Pierre. I am sure some of us are happy about that. He made too much money for being a part-time player. And goodness knows the Dodgers need money. At the plate, Pierre didn't walk very much. In the field, he has the most pathetic arm I've seen on a major leaguer . It really was his time to go. The White Sox will give him a chance to start, and that's what Pierre has been used to all of his career. But it's trades like these (the Dodgers will get two minor league players to be named), that bring home the cold reality of life in the major leagues to me. The fact is Pierre did a lot of things well. Walks aside, he can get on base. He has registered more than 200 hits a season four times in his career, and came four hits short of a fifth time. He hit over .300 and had a .365 OBP last season. Also, he knows how to bunt. And a lot of major leaguers don't have a clue in that area. He is a student of the game. He work...

How many times have you uttered the phrase, "I can't believe this guy is still in the league"? I know I've done it often. But no one has surprised me more by his ability to keep showing up in a major league uniform than Rudy Seanez , featured on this 2008 Upper Deck night card. His career has spanned 20 years. Can you believe that? I can't. He pitched for the Dodgers on two different occasions , including appearing in 73 games in 2007, but I was never all that impressed with anything he did. Such is the life of a reliever. The thing that most amuses me is how many teams want the guy and then how many teams don't want the guy. Some Rudy Seanez facts: -- Teams traded for him five times -- Teams released him six times (the Red Sox released him twice) -- He has played for eight teams (Indians, Padres, Dodgers, Braves, Padres again, Braves again, Rangers, Red Sox , Royals, Marlins, Padres a third time, Red Sox again, Padres a FOURTH time, Dodgers a third time, ...

I'm a person who is well aware of his faults. No need for you to call attention to them. I know the rundown. I have the list. I check it daily. But even though I could start a blog on the topic, there are times when I come across a fault of mine that I never knew I had. Trading cards through the blogosphere has brought one particular previously unknown fault into focus, and here it is: I suck at pulling Minnesota Twins cards. You may think this isn't much of a fault or that it doesn't even fall under the definition of the word, but let me tell you: if you are trading cards with a Twins fan, it's a definite shortcoming. I don't know what it is. You may think it's because the Twins are a small-market team and the card companies don't feature as many Twins players. Well, then how come I have no problem pulling Kansas City Royals and Houston Astros? How do you explain my Carlos Lee temple o' cards in the basement? I most certainly pull small-marke...

It's the end of a long, draining work week for me. One that was filled with all kinds of computer-related malfunctions, failures and issues. I'm tired and really not in the mood to deal with anything of the computer persuasion. So I'll make this quick and snappy and fall back on the multiple choice question. Here it is. This card is an Awesome Night Card because: a) It's a night card of someone named "Yorvit" b) It's a night card of one of those cool mask cards c) It's a night card of someone who can laugh and chew gum at the same time d) It's the happiest night card that you will ever see. Congratulations to all of you who picked "d." It is indeed the happiest night card that you will ever see. And to those of you who are asking "what about all those World Series celebration cards that feature night photos," I say, "it was easy for THEM to be happy. They just won a World Series." What does Yorvit have to smile about...

I believe I owe Mr. Kuroda an apology. Because, in a public forum -- specifically in the comments on this blog -- I doubted his ability to defeat the Padres. Oh, me of little faith. As everyone knows by now, Kuroda handcuffed the Padres for 5 2/3 innings, Matt Kemp swatted a home run, and James Loney hit a two-run single to kick off the Dodgers' first 162-0 season! Yeah, I know, I just went from giving them not enough credit to giving them too much credit. But I am a fan. That's what fans do. I didn't get to see any of the game, since I was at work. Earlier, I did get to see plenty of other games. I watched some of the Mets-Reds, Pirates-Cardinals, Rockies-Diamondbacks, Nationals-Marlins, Yankees-Orioles, and Indians-Rangers. I don't have the MLB Extra Innings package. But I take full advantage of the free preview weeks. So, in lieu of missing out on the Dodgers' 4-1 victory, I am going to show some of what I received in Thorzul's Cheapie Group Break fr...