Night Owl Cards

One of the things that I like about baseball is that, for the most part, it is a game played by people of reasonable dimensions. Sure, the vast majority of pitchers are very tall people and players have gotten bigger and bigger over the years. There are some seriously large dudes playing ball now. But when you compare them with a few other sports, baseball players are downright average-sized. I've been in NFL locker rooms. What enormous specimens those guys are. They are nothing like anyone you see walking down the street. The same is true for the NBA. In a way, it's a reason why I don't watch much of those sports. It just seems too unrealistic: look at the freaks do the impossible! It's a circus sideshow, not a game. NHL players seem a little more normal-sized, although they are in incredible shape. The same goes for baseball. But you do see more than your share of tall players in a major league locker room. Most tower over your average reporter. I remember looking f...

I have to say Friday was the highlight of the week for me. I received two autographed cards in the mail from my favorite player as a child, and I finally tracked down some 2009 Topps. A week after I first saw these things on other blogs, I knew exactly what to look for when I stepped into Target this evening. From 60 feet away I could spot that baby blue background behind you-know-who's head (apparently the qualification for being featured on a pack of 2009 cards this year was not getting into the playoffs). I reached into the double-wide feeders and came up with air. But fortunately, there were '09 packs scattered all around the '08 boxes still there. All of them were probably manhandled, but I didn't mind. I grabbed six and brought them home to daddy. And after opening them, I have to say what I suspected: Topps is a clear winner over Upper Deck this year. I have a natural preference for Topps, so I am a little bit biased, but when I compare everything as obje...