Night Owl Cards

Tonight, regardless of whether the Mets win or not, will be the last baseball game I watch live for the season. Games 6 and 7 are scheduled for days when I work, and although there's a TV at my job, I won't have time to see more than a few snippets. But don't worry about the end of the season. As usual, Night Owl Cards won't be cutting back during the offseason. I have plenty of interest in baseball cards through the winter months -- maybe even more so than the summer months. And I'll be even more eager to keep things going thanks to a postseason without an ugly ending. Good things can happen in baseball, people! One of the reasons that I like this World Series matchup is because it features two teams that haven't won the Series since the 1980s. I feel a kinship with those teams, and fans of those teams, because my favorite team is also Stuck in the '80s. Those "Stuck in the '80s" teams -- the Dodgers, Royals, Mets, A's, Orioles a...

(The cake was wonderful, you'll be glad to know. The presents were nice, too. Just three packs of Ginter with nothing special. But I'll be spending some of my birthday cash tomorrow on, oh, I don't know, possibly baseball cards. So the birthday was a smashing success. Time for Cardboard Appreciation. This is the 154th in a series): Angel Berroa: What are we going up in the stands for? Topps photographer: To take your picture for the set. Berroa: In the stands? Photographer: We're trying something new. Berroa (looks at Blanco): Whatever. Photographer: OK, this looks like a good spot. Blanco: What do want us to do? Photographer: Pretend like your fielding. Berroa: Both of us? Photographer: Yeah. Blanco: That would never happen. Berroa: Yeah. We're both shortstops, so we wouldn't even be on the same field together. Photographer: Don't be so literal. We're having some fun here. Berroa (rolls eyes): OK, so how do you want us to pose?...

This post isn't about the weather, even though it is zero degrees outside right now, and it's still four days away from the first day of winter. It's more about the Dodgers' offseason maneuvering and the general disinterest I have in my team's transactions. Yes, other teams have been more active than the Dodgers. As usual, the Red Sox and Yankees are acting like hyperactive kids who can't endure a quiet moment. They have to do SOMETHING or they will be forced to deal with their insignificance. The Phillies and Braves are their usual industrious selves. And teams like the Rangers, Orioles and Mariners are surprisingly busy bees this offseason . Meanwhile, every Dodger transaction has come with a string attached. And the other end of that string is attached to a dollar bill. The Dodgers just aren't going to sink a bunch of cash into a major star. It's not going to happen, which is why I can't even look at fan message boards anymore. I can't dea...

I get distracted easily. I'm not proud of that. If there's a conversation going on somewhere in the room and I'm not part of it, I find myself drifting away from what I'm doing to figure out what people are talking about. It's an annoying habit that I only recently realized I had, and I'm trying to break myself of it. I was at my inattentive best at work tonight. Couldn't focus on a thing for about the first four hours. But I have an excuse. 2009 Topps Heritage is coming out soon! No, not that soon . But in 48 hours it will be here. Well, not here , but somewhere. Probably in North Carolina, where everything seems to be. But that was just one distraction. There was also Manny. Haven't you heard? He's going to sign ! With the Dodgers! If you believe someone named The Brick, anyway. And then there's the whole matter of people losing their followers . What's Blogger up to now? But I'm going to keep my focus this time. Because reader Matt s...

That's really what this blog is, isn't it? Just a grown-up, computerized version of "show and tell." So I guess it's my turn to go to the front of the class and blab about what I've brought today. First, this afternoon, I pulled this bat card of Dodger Angel Berroa out of a 2008 Topps Updates & Highlights presents 2008 Topps Heritage High ... gasp, pant, gasp ... Numbers Series pack from Target. I know what you're thinking. You're thinking Berroa doesn't play for the Dodgers anymore. He plays for that team. And you're thinking relics are SO yesterday's news. You can find them anywhere. And you're thinking, Topps is even placing relics inside each blaster just to get collectors to take the blasters off their hands. But you can't bring me down. Because, believe it or not, this is the first relic card of a Dodger I have ever pulled. Ever. The Johnny Podres auto aside, I have extraordinary poor luck when pulling relics and autos o...