Night Owl Cards

All right, everyone is all apoplectic over Ichiro suddenly becoming a Yankee. I'm just not that upset about it. If you're a Mariner fan, then, yes, I'm sorry. I understand. For you, it's awful. Just horrible, disgraceful, unthinkable, galling, gagging, repulsive, puke-inducing, nasty, crushing, hurtful, agonizing, gross, dehumanizing, shameful, inexcusable and rotten. But if you're not, then, really, things could be worse. How much worse? Well, off the top of my head, I came up with 10 or so players who I would have much more of a problem seeing in a Yankee uniform than Ichiro. Suzuki is practically an icon and very good at what he does. But, let's face it, he's 38, and he's not the player he once was. If the Yankees want to try to capture 2001 in a bottle for a half a year, then, fine, knock yourself out, New York. I hope you fail. But these guys? No, I do not want these guys to appear as Yankees. Or I might have to start watching crick...

Remember this card from last year's Allen & Ginter set? Everyone had a laugh, or shook their head, over the Invisible Man card, which was part of the "Creatures of Legend, Myth and Terror" insert series. I didn't bother to chase this card, although I did find it amusing. But did you know that 2010 Allen & Ginter has its own invisible man, too? Derek Jeter is not featured in this year's set. I'm sure you know that already, but that stuns me. Not only is he one of the top five most popular baseball players on the planet and has been for years, but he plays for Topps' favorite team. That's what makes this so shocking to me. Why would Topps exclude such a popular player on such a popular team in probably its most popular release of the year? I still don't know the answer to that. Although the absence of popular players from card sets has always fascinated me -- from Ted Williams and Maury Wills to Rusty Staub, Jason Varitek and Ba...

When it comes to the latest and greatest, I've always been one to stand far from the action, waiting until the frenzy dies down. It's become a pattern, and it plays out in a variety of scenarios -- movies, technology, new restaurants. I like to figure out whether something is really worthwhile, at my own pace. And so it is with baseball cards. I was about a year-and-half behind when it came to UD Masterpieces. But part of that time was spent evaluating whether I had any interest in the brand. And I decided -- and this is out of line with a lot of collectors' thinking (so what else is new?) -- that Masterpieces wasn't for me. That didn't mean I thought Masterpieces was crap. The brand produced some great cards, including my favorite card of 2008 , and possibly my favorite card of 2007 . It's just that painted cards and I don't get along. And intensely short-printed sets and I don't get along. Combine both of those facts, and I couldn't see blowing mu...