i have written before about the patches that the dodgers wore in 1999 to celebrate different players, managers, and even a trainer that helped to shape the franchise in the second half of the 20th century. back then, i bought four of the regular sized patches directly from the dodgers - bill russell, ron cey, kirk gibson, and steve garvey. i've also picked up some other patches in recent years to flip when i see them being undervalued. these really are sought after by collectors, especially some of the ones that may not have been as popular at the time.
anyway, i recently came across a lot of the miniature version of the patches that included the garvey
i was very happy to bring this one home in to my collection, as the regular sized garvey patch that i own is currently sewn to my dodger jersey. it measures about 2" x 2.5" and so fits nicely in to a 9-pocket page.
i've been able to add quite a few pieces to my garvey collection this year, and i was very pleasantly surprised when i received one of the cards i won and found that the seller had included this custom vinyl sticker as a throw-in
it's about the same size as the miniature patch and is a great complement to the official issue. both measure about 2" x 2.5" and so fit nicely in to 9-pocket pages.
that size is close to the standard card size, which is 2.5" x 3.5". it's so much easier, however, to say 2x3 don't you think? speaking of which, jedi jeff stuck his head out recently and sent out some cards to many bloggers, myself included. here's some of what i received...
a hot off the presses (at the time) 2020 topps stadium club mookie betts widevision box topper
it's not a bad job of photoshopping, but it is photoshopped nonetheless. the lack of the nike swoosh is the giveaway, and a search of getty images tells me that
the photo used comes from a game in june of 2019.
2019 bowman scout's top 100 chrome alex verdugo
verdugo was the big piece that the dodgers gave up for betts. i wish verdugo well, but i like the trade. i do not like bowman and how it includes chrome cards in the "paper" release and then issues a bowman chrome set later. way too confusing.
2019 topps historic through-lines duke snider / cody bellinger insert
the duke hit 11 postseason home runs in his career (all in the world series, of course) and bellinger has 8 (2 in the world series) so far. steve garvey also had 11 postseason home runs (10 as a dodger) in his career, with only 1 coming in the fall classic.
2019 topps archives fan favorites autograph steve sax
a great certified auto of the 1982 nl rookie of the year.
2018 topps cody bellinger highlights cards
there is 1/15th of the complete set. can't wait until 2021 for the luis robert highlight set.
2018 topps yasiel puig instant impact insert
including puig in this insert set was a no-brainer. in his first month as a major leaguer, puig hit .440 with 22 runs scored, 8 home runs, and 18 rbi. two months later, he was still hitting .350. that was a fun summer to follow the dodgers.
2018 topps allen & ginter yasiel puig full-size relic
more puig
2018 topps opening day yasiel puig before opening day insert
and even more puig.
2018 topps allen & ginter joc pederson mini
not 2x3 but it still works!
2018 topps archives walker buehler coming attraction
2018 topps archives mike piazza turn back the clock subset
celebrating the dodgers' 13th rookie of the year
2020 topps gypsy queen jackie robinson sp
featuring the dodgers' (and the major leagues') first rookie of the year.
2019 bowman cristian santana camo parallel
santana spent 2019 in double-a tulsa, hitting .301. he was a non-roster invitee to spring training earlier this year, but didn't make the 60-man roster. not sure what he did during the season since he wasn't at the alternate training site as far as i can tell.
the last card from jeff to be featured is this defaced 1992 upper deck donn pall card
jeff says these cards were way overdue, i say they were right on time. thanks jeff!
was also included in the mailing. you know verdugo, of course, as he played for the dodgers and was sent to the red sox in the mookie betts trade. he struck out to end the 2024 world series, and then played half of the 2025 season for the braves. he is currently unsigned as i understand it.
he's not quite 20 years old, and has pitched in rookie league and a-ball so far. let's see what happens!
it's a 2020 topps chrome refractor parallel. rios showed some pop for the dodgers in 2020, hitting 17 homers plus two in the postseason. his big league run ended with the reds in 2024.
of the dodgers' backup catcher. he's in a tough spot with will smith firmly entrenched, but hopefully he gets his time or is spun off and given an opportunity elsewhere.
kim is another current big leaguer who should see more action in 2026 than he did last year (if he's healthy) as tommy edman will miss some time to start the season.
