Night Owl Cards

One of the best aspects of having a card show to go to in October is that I can usually find the latest version of Topps Update at one of the dealer's tables. I haven't been interested in collecting Update/U&H/Traded, since 2006. By the time it comes out, there are usually other sets that hold my interest, and at this time of year, I can't afford to start purchasing multiple sets. So, the card show comes in handy. I just go through the Update binder and pluck whatever Dodgers I see and that's just about it for Update for the rest of the year. This weekend, I managed to find six Dodgers from Update, which you'll see tomorrow. That leaves me with just six base Dodgers remaining. It's six instead of seven, because I did buy a single pack of Update before I went to the show and the first card that greeted me was the Jamey Carroll card above. It's so good of Topps to get a tattooed Diamondback in the picture with Carroll in a failed attempt to ruin the...

I am trying to rid myself of the habit of referring to certain major league ballplayers as "nobodies." I know it's a common phrase used by baseball fans. It refers to players who are on the fringe of the major leagues. They could be rookies, and others not so hopeful, who are called to the bigs. They could be pinch-hitters, mid-inning relievers, and late-inning substitutions. But the phrase has gotten myself into trouble a few times. In this hyper-sensitive world, some people have objected to reading my reference of a player as a "nobody." The protests usually come from those connected to the player -- family members, etc. -- or those connected to the team, fans proud of their knowledge of their squad and eager to share it with the less informed. I'm not trying to rid myself of the term because of those people. Those are their hang-ups, not mine. I'm trying to do so because calling players "nobodies" is in direct opposition to my colle...

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 admit, I don't really know what "completist" means when it comes to our hobby. I suppose it could define anyone who collects cards in an attempt to complete something, whether that is a player set, a team set or just the set, period. But I've always associated the completist term with my first example, collecting the player. Although we have lots of player collectors in the blog community, it's never been an aspect of collecting that I've truly understood. Sets I understand. Teams I understand. Players? One specific player? Only one? Umm, no. As much as I am interested in cards of my favorite player, Ron Cey, I really don't care if I get them ALL. But if you expand that definition of "completist" to sets, I am guilty as charged, especially when it comes to one. The 2006 Topps set was the first current set I collected upon getting back into the hobby. And it remains my mission to obtain every base card, every update card, every insert card, eve...