don't look marion!

keep your eyes shut!

or don't, and witness my latest tristar signa cuts pick up.

this desecration of a signed 1984 topps ralston purina steve garvey card is an abomination, but i like that it is in my collection.

remember the astros?

earlier this year i completed a trade with bru, whose site used to be call 'remember the astrodome' but now oversees a much more personally named site.  anyway, the trade went so well, that we are in the midst of another one as i type this in early november.

it's always nice to get some brooklyn boys - pee wee reese, gil hodges, and duke snider

all were needs/wants. it was nice to see topps bring gil hodges back in to the fold last year. i see that hodges fan steve garvey has appeared in a couple of releases late this year, which is hopefully a sign of things to come.

i did not buy any 2019 topps holiday cards last year, so i am thankful (i guess) for those i receive in trade packages, like this cody bellinger 

i do appreciate the design of the 2019 holiday cards more than those of previous years.

here's a 2020 panini donruss rated rookie card of gavin lux

lux will turn 23 in a couple of days, so he has time to live up to the hype. it's a bit crazy that there remains a premium on his cards though as he has not looked up to the task so far.  

here are a couple of clayton kershaw cards - 2019 panini leather & lumber and topps stickers

topps left the open fly on the sticker.

here are three cards of world champion max muncy

2019 topps allen & ginter, 2019 topps stickers (back), and 2002 panini donruss. muncy wound up doing better in the postseason than he had in the 60-game "regular" season - he had an obp over .400 in the last three series which was nice to see.

here's a lot of sticker backs from the 2019 topps sticker set - kershaw, aj pollock, justin turner, bellinger, walker buehler, and kenley jansen.

world champions, all! now, i would have preferred the dodgers to have beat the astros back in 2017, but what happened happened. i am glad that the two teams didn't meet again in 2020, because who knows what damage george springer might have wrought.  thanks bru - looking forward to more!

my favorite cards of the year - 1991 edition

i recently introduced my mini collection focusing on my favorite cards from each year that i've been a collector. the basic gist is that i wanted to create a space for the cards that i most appreciated having in my collection in the year that they were released. these were cards that i acquired in the year that they were issued, and that i considered to be my favorites at the time. i have disallowed (most) cards that are already in other mini collections in order to avoid having a mini collection consisting of more steve garvey, double plays, and dodger stadium cards.

in 1991, after buying only a box or two of 1990 cards the previous year, i dramatically increased the amount of cards i purchased, although i was sticking to just topps. the 1991 set design was such an improvement (in my opinion) from 1990, with some great photography and i was all-in. here are my favorite cards from 1991 that i acquired that year.

favorite non-dodger card: topps carlton fisk 

not a big surprise here, as this card is widely held as one of the best from that year. it captures action that hadn't been represented at that level on a topps card for quire some time. it's not a completed play like that on gary carter's 1980 topps card - it's a play in progress with urgency showing in all three players featured. cecil fielder is running as hard as he can. the player i immediately assumed to be dave bergman is emphatically telling fielder to slide, and fisk is focused on the incoming throw.  just a great piece of cardboard.

great cardboard was nothing new for fisk. his 1974, 1977, and 1982 topps cards (the 1982 one i am referring to is his "in action" card) all showcase great action. and most of his other cards show him in catcher gear which is always cool.

favorite dodger card: topps fernando valenzuela

fernando was such a great dodger, beginning with his debut in late 1980 and continuing with fernandomania in 1981 and extending through 1990 when he threw a no-hitter against the cardinals.  in the spring of 1991 however, fernando's dodger tenure came to an end when he was released just before the regular season was to begin.

when i first saw this card in a pack i had purchased, i thought that it might be his final tribute and was happy to have such a great card representing his career. the full body shot showing fernando's trademark eyes to the sky during his windup and the card design work so well together. fernando went on to pitch for the angels in 1991, and although there was no 1991 topps traded card of fernando, he would resurface a couple of years later.  more on that another time.

roy campanella is in my hall of famer collection

in two days, we will come to the 99th anniversary of roy campanella's birth. and, although it's been over 27 years since he passed away, campy still lives in the hearts and minds of dodger fans, including this one. he's in my hall of famer collection with this card as his entry:

that's a 2001 topps tribute relic. here's the back:

normally i cringe when i see a campanella card that refers to the los angeles dodgers, as his playing career ended while the team was still in brooklyn. however, it is appropriate in this case, as his number was retired by the team in 1972 at a ceremony in los angeles.

campy made his major league debut just about a year after jackie robinson, but he began his career as a 16-year old in the negro leagues. signed by the dodgers, campy was the new england league mvp in 1946 and spent the entire 1947 season in montreal before cracking the opening day roster in 1948. his first major league plate appearance came on opening day against the giants after he replaced gil hodges (!) behind the plate in the late innings. giants pitcher ken trinkle hit campanella with a pitch, and you have to wonder if it were intentionally thrown.

campanella was sent to triple-a st. paul after a week or so in the majors, but returned in july with three consecutive 3-hit games, hitting two home runs in the third of those games. he was in the big leagues to stay. campy went on to win the national league mvp awards in 1951, 1953, and 1955, joining jimmie foxx, joe dimaggio, stan musial, and yogi berra as the only men to have won the award three times up to that point.

i don't recall when i first learned about campanella's car accident that left him paralyzed and unable to join the dodgers on the field in los angeles, but i do remember seeing him in spring training footage as an instructor in my early fandom years. i later learned more about his career and events like roy campanella night at the los angeles coliseum in 1959 that showed how well-loved he was by his teammates and fans of the game in the 1950's.  there is a photo of him playing for the st. paul saints hanging in one of the restaurants in target field here in minneapolis. it was a treat to see and to know that he is remembered beyond his dodger career.

here's my hall of famer collection as its been documented so far:

babe ruth - 2003 topps tribute world series edition world series tribute relic 351/425

honus wagner - 2001 topps tribute relic

nap lajoie - 2002 topps tribute milestone materials relic

tris speaker - 2011 topps tribute dual relic green parallel 53/75

eddie collins - 2002 topps tribute milestone materials relic

george sisler - 2004 topps tribute hall of fame tribute relic

mel ott - 2011 topps tribute quad relic 15/99

dizzy dean - 2001 topps tribute relic

hank greenberg - 2004 topps tribute hall of fame tribute relic

bob feller - 2001 topps archives certified autograph

jackie robinson - 2004 topps clubhouse collection clubhouse relic

ted williams - 1992 upper deck baseball heroes autograph 1067/2000

roy campanella - 2001 topps tribute relic

stan musial - 2002 topps team topps legends autograph

yogi berra - 1998 donruss signatures significant signatures 1640/2000

sandy koufax - 1998 donruss signatures significant signatures 1707/2000

roberto clemente - 2005 donruss greats hall of fame souvenirs relic

warren spahn - 1999 upper deck century legends epic signatures

mickey mantle - 2000 upper deck legends legendary game jerseys relic

ernie banks - 1999 upper deck century legends epic signatures

willie mays - 1997 topps willie mays reprints certified autograph

al kaline - 2001 fleer greats of the game autograph

duke snider - 2003 upper deck sp authentic chirography hall of famers 144/250

bob gibson - 2001 fleer greats of the game autograph

hank aaron - 2004 topps originals 1979 topps all-time record holders rbi 03/32

frank robinson - 1995 upper deck autograph

don drysdale - 1993 nabisco all-star autographs

harmon killebrew - 2000 upper deck legends legendary signatures

pee wee reese - 2001 topps tribute relic

lou brock - 2018 topps archives signature series 1989 buyback 53/61

jim hunter - 1998 donruss signature series significant signatures 0736/2000

willie stargell - 2000 upper deck legends legendary signatures 

johnny bench - 2019 topps definitive collection legendary autograph 09/25

red schoendienst - 2012 panini cooperstown signatures 038/549

jim palmer - 2001 fleer greats of the game autograph

rod carew - 2004 topps retired signature autograph

fergie jenkins - 2013 topps five star baseball autograph 154/333

gaylord perry - 2003 topps finest finest moments autograph

rollie fingers - 2018 topps archives signature series 1978 topps buyback 1/3

hal newhouser - 1993 front row premium all-time greats autograph

tom seaver - 2013 topps five star baseball autograph 44/50

reggie jackson - 2018 topps tier one tier one talent autograph 19/60

steve carlton - 2018 topps five star career year autograph 43/45

mike schmidt - 2002 topps archives autoproof 1980 topps buyback 048/147

phil niekro - 2017 panini donruss recollection collection 1983 donruss buyback autograph 13/33

don sutton - 2001 fleer greats of the game autograph

robin yount - 2001 upper deck ultimate collection ultimate signatures 112/150

carlton fisk - 1999 upper deck century legends epic signatures

tony perez - 2004 fleer national pastime 2002 fleer greats authentic autograph buyback 30/59

dave winfield - 2003 upper deck sp authentic chirography hall of famers 121/350

ozzie smith - 2019 topps finest finest origins autograph

gary carter - 1999 fleer sports illustrated greats of the game autograph collection

eddie murray - 2004 upper deck sp legendary cuts legendary sigs 45/50 

dennis eckersley - 2017 topps archives signature series 1984 topps buyback 47/99

paul molitor - 2016 topps museum collection archival autographs 021/125

wade boggs - 2005 upper deck baseball heroes autograph red parallel 30/49

ryne sandberg - 2016 topps five star autographs gold parallel 17/50

bruce sutter - 2003 topps all-time fan favorites certified autograph

tony gwynn - 1997 donruss signature series millennium marks autograph 0702/1000

cal ripken jr - 2018 topps high tek portraitek autograph 32/75

goose gossage - 2003 topps finest finest moments autograph

jim rice - 2005 upper deck past time pennants past time signatures

andre dawson - 2000 fleer greats of the game autograph

bert blyleven - 2004 upper deck legends timeless teams autograph

ron santo - 2004 topps retired signature autograph

greg maddux - 2018 topps luminaries masters of the mound autograph 13/15

pedro martinez - 2018 topps high tek portraitek autograph 09/60

ken griffey jr - 2003 upper deck game face autograph

mike piazza - 2014 topps five star autograph 35/50

tim raines - 2018 topps tribute tribute autograph green parallel 26/95

alan trammell - 2001 fleer greats of the game autograph

roy halladay - 2017 topps archives signature series 2004 topps buyback 15/23

pete rose* - 2018 panini flawless legendary signatures 15/25

barry bonds* - 2001 bowman heritage autographs

roger clemens* - 1995 upper deck autograph

 

you can find the full list of hall of famers (and some not - yet) that i aim to include in this collection at my want list site.