Night Owl Cards

Team cards are an often overlooked source of an entertainment when it comes to collecting. I am referring to the team cards in which the whole squad (and the traveling secretary!) poses on bleachers for a few snapshots, not the ubiquitous on-field celebrations that pass for team cards today. These staples of my childhood appeared on Topps cards in different stages over the years: 1956-1968, 1970-81 and 2001-07 (and Heritage until 2012). I've written about them many times and pointed out several different aspects. They're really quite fun and you never know what you're going to find. Elephants roaming in the background (1980 Padres), Burt Hooton with his head down , players with missing body parts . The possibilities are endless. I mean check out this phenomenal assemblage. The Phillies are posing in front of a baseball sculpture that once stood at the podium level of old Veterans Stadium. The sculpture first appeared in 1976, which means the Phillies were stil...

I really try not to be one of those people who has difficulty adjusting to the changes that are inevitable with advancing age. As someone who was born in the '60s, grew up in the '70s, went to college in the '80s, and started a family in the '90s, I've seen the world shift a time or two. Sometimes I hop on board and travel along. But there are other times when it is very obvious that I'm too stuck in the past and things happen by which I simply cannot abide. For instance, a couple of weeks ago, the Tampa Bay Rays and Oakland A's completed a trade that sent Ben Zobrist and Yunel Escobar to Oakland. The Rays received John Jaso and a couple of prospects. One of those prospects is named Boog Powell. Yes, Boog Powell. If this doesn't strike you as everything that's wrong with the world today then you're too young to read this post. I don't follow minor league baseball very closely or I probably would have come across this particular f...

It's really a shame that some of you are away from the internet this weekend, because you're missing out on my '75 mini extravaganza. These aren't just any old cards here you know. These are: THE BEST CARDS OF ALL-TIME So, if you're at a ballgame right now, or under a tent in the woods (you poor bastard), I can't help you. I can only hope you'll stumble across this post when you get back. As for the rest of you, you will be rewarded for your non-active lifestyle. And appreciation of electricity. As you know, I've made a recent commitment to the '75 minis, both the Topps Lineage version and the real thing. The pursuit of the real thing is a Long Term Project, but I'm already pleasantly surprised by how available they are -- even if I hardly ever see them at card shows. Right now I have maybe 125 minis from the 1975 set. Once I get done with my "1975 Topps (it's far out, man)" blog, I'll know how many I have for sure. I ...

I went to Target today to see if there were any 2010 cards. I kill myself. What was I thinking? So, instead I'll post about vintage. Besides, vintage cards will explain the pile of meat in the photo: I am really missing summer right about now. I miss baseball, the lake, vacations, everything. One of the best things about the summer is the food. Burgers. Potato salad. Corn on the cob. Ice cream sundaes. Great stuff. One my favorite summer meals of all is very simple: barbecue chicken, macaroni salad and deviled eggs. Barbecue is fantastic. I love it all. But I've never been one of those guys to buy the massive grill and spend half of July and August inhaling mesquite. I cooked on a grill both indoors and outdoors when I was in college, and that pretty much cured me. But I have noticed that baseball players from the 1970s are HOOKED on barbecue. Of course, it all started with Boog . He was the first former ballplayer I knew that got on the barbecue kick. And now, ...

There are a lot of major leaguers who I wish had played for the Dodgers. Roberto Clemente is probably at the top of the list. The Dodgers had their chances, signing Clemente before losing him to the Pirates after Brooklyn couldn't find a spot for him. Then there are players that may have come close to playing for the Dodgers or didn't come close at all. But none of that kept me from wishing they wore Dodger blue. Tom Seaver was first in that category when I was a kid. Then later it was Garry Maddox, Fred Lynn and Willie Wilson. I even went through a Ben Oglivie phase (it was a 1980 thing). More recently it has been Jim Thome and Jake Peavy . (Lucky White Sox ). I think every fan has players they wished played for their team. I think that's why we're so happy when we see a big-name player land on our team. (I did a major double-take last year when someone at work told me the Dodgers had traded for Manny Ramirez). A lot of times that big name doesn't pan out. But i...

(Remember being forced to take Art Appreciation in high school or college? What a blatant misuse of the word "appreciation." Few people that I knew who took that class "appreciated" anything about it. Well, I'm here to take back that word. I'm taking a stand. Here is Art you can truly Appreciate: BASEBALL CARDS. And these are the cards I appreciate the most. My all-time favorites. This is the first in a series): What a fantastic card. When my brothers and I were kids, we saw this card and just one glance at it could throw us into hysterics (we were silly, silly children). We had no knowledge of the basics of fielding a pop fly, calling off your fellow infielders with an "I got it!" We had not started playing organized ball at that point. We also had no knowledge of who Boog Powell was. The combination of Powell's posture here -- arms outstretched, mouth open -- and his first name (actually, his nickname, of course) threw us into fits of para...