Night Owl Cards

As we all know, Topps is the only card company granted an MLB license. But that hasn't stopped Panini from making baseball cards. I give them credit for trying, even though it's clear they don't know what they're doing. (Although turning Kershaw and Seager into Dumb and Dumber is kind of a feat). It's like this guy I know who used to work with me. He really likes sports. He's really into media. He's been a sportswriter and a TV news reporter and radio show host and self-published his own book. He tries really hard and he's enthusiastic. And he's a pleasant guy. Likeable. But he's just not that good. The talent isn't there. Yet he keeps plugging along. That's Panini. They just keep trying. They don't have it. I don't know if they ever will. But they own a license from the MLB Players Association, so, dammit, they're going to keep making lousy cards. I never thought this Donruss thing would last. Just about every year...

Freaked you out a little with that title, huh? Don't worry, there's plenty of inspiration on tap for this blog, even in these energy-sapping winter times. What I am referring to is my existence as a team collector. I still love the Dodgers and all of their cards, of course. It's just that I feel my grip slipping on every card that's Dodgerish, especially for more recent sets. I feel that I'm not as serious of a team collector as I was three years ago. Take this Panini Pinnacle card of Paco Rodriguez (gosh, that's a lot of "Ps"). It arrived from Adam of ARPSmith's Sportscard Obsession  -- you'll see more cards from him very soon. I took one look at it and knew that I didn't have it yet. But there was no number on a want list to cross off. Because I had never created a want list for 2013 Panini Pinnacle. It feels a little ridiculous making want lists for Panini in the first place. But I used to do it. I used to create team want...

Yesterday's Dodgers game went pretty well. Even in a 6-1 win, there were some disconcerting moments, but that's just the way it is in the postseason for me. How today's Game 2 is going I have no idea at this writing. I will be working during game time and that will cut down somewhat on the angst. Ignorance is a blissful fan. I'll just have to let Zack Greinke go out and do his thing without any help from me. How he'll survive, I don't know. If I wasn't working, I'd probably be doing something comforting to distract me from the game. My main source used to be eating. Food is a wonderful sedative during playoff time. But I don't do that anymore. Instead, I sort my baseball cards. This takes many forms during a game. Opening up a binder filled with Dodgers and painstakingly shifting cards over one pocket at a time and adding new ones in the proper spots. Or I could grab a set binder and just slip the needed card into the waiting empty pocket. S...