Night Owl Cards

Some time ago I made an effort to keep my trade posts down to a one package/one post format. No more epic trade posts. For the most part, that has worked pretty well. It takes a lot of thinking and creativity to do that -- especially if I'm not going to put a post title up that says "Cards from 'fill in the blank.'" But part of me WANTS to put up a post title that says "Cards from 'fill in the blank.'" What a relief that must be! No topics. No tie-ins. No rants. No clever references. Just cards -- from "fill in the blank.'" Well, here's my opportunity. Because cards have been piling up on my desk so fast that I've got to get them scanned and posted or they're going to start spilling on to the floor and then the dog is going to eat them when I'm not looking and you don't want that. No one wants that. So here are some cards, from ... well ... from everywhere. Literally. I'll start in the deep south...

I have become rather proud of my ability to be late. I admit it's "acting out" on my part. I have a job that revolves around being obsessively "on time" and "on top of things." I also was raised by a mother who I am convinced would forgive every last wrong as long as I was punctual. "You say you ran five cars off the road and crippled the mailman? That's OK, honey. You made it here on time." So when I want to ride on the wild side, I whip the alarm clock out the window, dash outside and do a party dance on its shattered remnants. For a little bit in college, I lived 25 minutes away from campus. I would wake up 30 minutes before my first class began and walk into class five minutes after the professor began his lesson. I probably didn't smell very fresh, but I was fashionably late. That was the important thing. But, lately, I think someone has me beat in the "notably late" department. About two weeks ago, I received ...

In my never-ending effort to get all of my cards cataloged, I finally reached the letter "L" in my alphabetized system. This is huge. I was in the midst of players whose name began with "H" when I started this blog. So it has taken me 2 1/2 years to travel through four letters in the alphabet. And I haven't even gotten to two of the letters that should take a decade apiece -- "M" and "S". I have no chance of finishing this. But I won't ruin my mood by looking too far ahead. Instead I'll celebrate this modest milestone. I can't wait to file the cards I have of Lee Lacy, Fred Lynn and Chet Lemon (a player I seemed to pull consistently every year). Bring on Carney Lansford, Charlie Liebrandt, Ted Lilly and Steve Lombardozzi! The "L" player with the most cards will be either Paul Lo Duca or Davey Lopes. I have no interest in showing Lo Duca's cards, so I'll stick with Lopes, one of my favorite players grow...

It started out with a simple chrome card. "Heh, Jon Link," I said. "I can't believe they made a card of this guy." But not being one to look a gift rookie Dodger reliever with 8 2/3 innings of major league experience in the mouth, I happily filed away my Topps Chrome Link card and assured myself it might be the last Link card I ever obtained (I do have a couple minor league Link cards). But then the Link Chrome refractor arrived. I didn't even ask for it or anything. But there it was, paralleled and proud. And that meant Link was unparalleled in his chromeness. I had both his regular chrome and refractored chrome before any other Dodger. Yet, Link wouldn't stop there. Xrefractor Link arrived just as mysteriously as refractor Link. Sure, I collect Dodgers and all, but not once have I expressed interest in obtaining as many versions of Virginia Commonwealth's former star pitcher as I could. But apparently some thought having as many Li...