Night Owl Cards

A post earlier today from Wrigley Wax got my attention. I am a sucker for helmets on baseball cards and even did a post a few years ago trying to figure out why I liked them so much. WW dug up the first Topps card to show a Cubs player wearing a helmet. I suppose if you run a Cubs blog that's what you got to do. I was surprised that there wasn't a helmeted Cub before 1963 until I considered that helmets weren't made mandatory for all players until 1958 (and not strictly enforced until 1970), and helmets most often appeared during games, which Topps didn't regularly shoot until the '70s. I quickly went through my collection to find the first Topps card of a Dodger wearing a helmet. I came up with 1962 Topps Larry Burright here, an extra careful chap, wearing a helmet while fielding grounders. I wasn't extra careful researching this though, so I'll have to double-check for the next helmet post. That's right, the next helmet post. I told you I li...

Leave it to Frank McCourt to ruin a half-assed tribute to Spinal Tap. But if I'm going to 11 , as in the Dodger uniform number, I've got to keep it in the family, as ugly as the Dodgers' family situation is right now.  The story of the Dodgers who have worn the number 11 is the story of players who have made the most with their limited capabilities, mostly. Back in the '30s, the No. 11 was worn by catcher Clyde Sukeforth, who isn't remembered much for his playing career. That's because he was the man who scouted and helped sign Jackie Robinson. He also was the manager in Robinson's first major league game, as he was filling in for a suspended Leo Durocher. After Nick Tremark, George Watkins and Fred Frankhouse took turns with the number during the rest of the decade, No. 11 found a eight-year home with the most talented Dodger to wear the number. Dixie Walker is one of the greatest outfielders in Dodger history. He became known as Robinson's ...