Night Owl Cards

It's a little difficult to pinpoint when the baseball card collecting year ends these days. As a kid, I remember baseball cards disappearing off shelves in September. So that signaled the end of the collecting year for me. But today baseball cards are available in stores year round, and companies are even issuing sets during the offseason. If you're like me, and need a little time to file away that year's cards, it gets frustrating. I need an end point to the collecting year, so I can file my cards away and get ready for 2012. Since card companies aren't helping me out, I decided to create my own end point. The end of the collecting season for me is when Topps Update hits stores. That doesn't mean I stop buying packs. All it means is I can now start filing away my cards. During the collecting season, each of my card sets are stacked on a desk in the "card room." Topps base has a couple of stacks, Heritage has a stack, A&G has a stack, etc. It...

It's Saturday and I'm busy. Busy with non-work things for once. So, I'm just going to show some shiny cards that I obtained from Offy at Sports Syzygy . He busted a case of Topps Chrome, and like the little bottom-feeder that I am, I nabbed a few Chrome Dodgers for my collection. I sure do love shiny -- I don't think I'll ever stop saying that. And here is the shiny shimmery I wanted most of all: Those are the Chrome Heritage cards of possibly the best two-man team in recent baseball history. Is it possible to win ballgames with just two players? Kershaw and Kemp may have come the closest to doing that. I am still puzzled by the Heritage cards that appear in Chrome and the Chrome cards that appear in Heritage. I'm assuming they all belong to the same set. If I had the time to do some research, I'd probably know for sure. But if they're from the same set, why do the Heritage Chrome cards that come in Heritage packs feature chrome with a pebbly...

The trade posts will continue until morale improves. ... Here are some enhancements to my Nomo collection from Offy : It was only within the last year that I figured out that there were both silver and gold parallels of these Bowman First Impressions cards. Previously I thought it was just a printing flaw. And while we're still in "clueless night owl" territory, I'm guessing that there is yet another parallel of which I'm unaware. "Destination Fall Classic." Isn't that cute? Unfortunately, Nomo never made the Fall Classic. He didn't even make an NLCS. But back-to-back NLDS losses? That's bragging material there. The stretchiest wind-up stretch since those old guys in wool uniforms. I'll excuse the appearance of Randy Johnson here, because Nomo has the better nickname. Tornado vs. Big Unit is not even worth comparing. What a wonderfully, wriggly little critter this card is. However, my scanner didn't like ...

As I write this, Clayton Kershaw has struck out eight Giants through five innings. That would make me most pleased, except for the fact that the Dodgers are continuing the tradition that they have been known for over the last decade -- leaving abundant runners on base. So, I've decided to write a post during the game that will remind me of why I'm happy to be a Dodger fan, no matter what happens tonight. The following cards come from Mike at Sports Syzygy . I thank him for validating my appreciation for the greatest team on earth. Kirk Gibson. Author of the greatest baseball moment since ESPN hit the airwaves. Really. There were polls to figure this out and everything. We all know that if it's not on ESPN, it didn't happen. Sandy Koufax. Author of the greatest abbreviated pitching career of all-time. I think he has many more fans today than he ever did when he was playing. Roy Campanella. Perhaps the most inspirational baseball player of all-time f...