champions!

not much more to say other than i am very happy with the results of the 2020 baseball postseason! 32 years is a long time for die-hard fans, but i recognize that the same fans of other teams have waited longer (or are still waiting) for a title.

i didn't start writing this post until this morning, given the fact that the rays were still alive and the dodgers had lost game 4 in disturbing fashion. i didn't really relax until julio urias struck out willy adames to end the series, and even then i had a jack buck moment - "is this really happening?". it was and it did and i am happy for the organization and my fellow fans.

to celebrate, here's a 2016 topps bunt titletown insert that i've been wanting to post for awhile now

it's the gold parallel, and it's numbered 06/50. that is steve garvey's number as well as the number of titles the dodgers had until last night. duke snider, sandy koufax, and the garv should make room on this card for orel hershiser and clayton kershaw or mookie betts or corey seager.

here's the back of the card

offering the same view of los angeles as on the front. the asterisk can be removed - the dodgers now have six world series titles in los angeles.

i mentioned the skyline on the above card because i have another card to show that missed that mark.  as you are aware, the los angeles lakers are also world champions just as they were in 1988 - the last time the dodgers won the title. until last night.  this is a printing plate from 2019 leaf in the game used sports

specifically, it's the "we built this city" (i am really sorry if that song is stuck in your head now) black printing plate of the kareem abdul-jabbar and steve garvey dual relic card

but the skyline is not that of los angeles.  kareem was also a member of the 1982 champion lakers, who won that title in june of 1982. at that time, garvey and the dodgers were still world champions of baseball. there is another card in this set that matches up magic johnson and fernando valenzuela, and now magic is part-owner of the dodgers and was in texas last night for the clincher.

it is strange that the title was won in texas by beating a team from florida, but that is what happened. the dodgers have still not been able to celebrate a world series win in dodger stadium since 1963. since then, the dodgers have celebrated in minnesota (1965), new york (1981), oakland (1988), and now texas, while the yankees (1978), astros (2017), and red sox (2018) have claimed the title in los angeles.  i recently added a card to my dodger stadium collection from 2018 topps now that features one of those celebrations.

the back of the card shows the red sox raising the trophy in dodger stadium with the retired numbers (and microphones) of dodger greats appearing in the background. at least, that's what the picture on topps' website showed

those numbers don't show up on cardboard too often, so i bought the card on ebay for cheap. when it arrived, the back was much darker and looked like this:

i am pretty sure that the photo shows all but pee wee reese, tommy lasorda, and duke snider, but it is tough to tell, even when referencing the photograph from getty images.  

i am thinking that i knew this back in 2018 when the card was issued and that is why i didn't buy it then. oh well.

here's another picture from getty images of the left field facade that hosts the numbers and microphones:

those numbers would be 1 (reese), 2 (lasorda), 4 (snider), 19 (jim gilliam), 20 (don sutton), 24 (walter alston), 32 (koufax), 39 (roy campanella), 42 (jackie robinson), 53 (don drysdale), plus two microphones for jaime jarrin and vin scully.

do you know what is mounted on the right field side of the stadium? the championship banners:

and now they'll have to make room for another!