a walk around the park

it's that time of year when i start to think about being at a baseball game.  normally, i would like to think about myself in dodger stadium, but that hasn't happened for a few years now.  in fact, if all goes well, i will be in cincinnati watching a game there for the first time when this post is published.

i was pretty pleased when cardboard connection posted the 2019 topps checklist and revealed that there would be stadium cards in the base set.  the dodger stadium card was the first card i picked up when the flagship set was released.

awesome card.

of course, there are parallels:

rainbow foil

purple (from meijer's)

gold

black

independence day

father's day blue

mother's day pink

along with one that i don't have - walgreen's yellow (if that ever really happens).

[update - it happened!]

some of those cards shown above are only in my dodger collection - i don't have dupes of all the parallels (yet) to put in my dodger stadium binder.

while i am holding out hope that dodger stadium will be included in series 2 as part of the stadium relic set, there was also a series one insert featuring both ebbets field and dodger stadium.  here's the back of the card:

kudos to topps for using a different photo for dodger stadium, but the photo from ebbets field is the star. it's great!  take a look:

there's campy behind the plate and jackie at third.  plus, look at how pee wee (i assume that is pee wee at short) has wings!

anyway, i will have to get back to chavez ravine someday.  in the meantime, here's a virtual tour of dodger stadium featuring cards that i've added to my dodger stadium binder over the last few months.

1998 fleer ultra ismael valdes

this image shows the home plate area near ismael's right shoulder. it looks like izzy is standing in the third base camera well or thereabouts.

1988 classic update blue joe magrane

this card shows the old dugout level seating that existed in the area behind the plate between the dugouts.  you can see the beginning of the broadcast booths under the 'classic' text.  i found this card in a repack, which was nice.

2018 topps gypsy queen nicky delmonico

this card gives us a glimpse at the new (thanks to frank mccourt's remodeling) seating near the dodger dugout, on the home plate side.

2019 topps opening day jonathan schoop

schoop was a milwaukee brewer when this photo was taken. it features an almost identical background as the delmonico card above.

2019 topps heritage clayton kershaw nlcs

there's not as much personality behind the plate since the remodel was done. the dugout level seating (where jorge brito used to stand with his panama hat, cigar, and radar gun) are gone and replaced by advertising.

2019 topps heritage world series game 5 red sox celebrate

you have to take the good with the bad, i suppose.  this is the second year in a row that the american league has celebrated in dodger stadium.  this card give us a slight view of the visitor's dugout along the first base line.

1987 fleer record setters kevin mitchell

here's a look down the first base line, past the visitor's dugout, with the photographer's camera well and the first part of the old field level scoreboard in the background.  these cards make me think of murph and the unocal commercials that ran during dodger broadcasts.  i'm glad they brought back the 76 logos after the mccourt remodeling, even if they are in the outfield now.  there will be more from this set a bit later, by the way.

1998 pacific crown collection todd worrell 

this card shows the area between the first base dugout/camera well and half of the same field level scoreboard that is on the mitchell card.  i'm pretty sure that is davey lopes in the first base coach's box, by the way.

1990 donruss calvin schiraldi

here's a look at the other half of the scoreboard. i found this card in a repack. fortuitous.

just slightly further down the first base line we find todd pratt on his 2000 skybox card

the other part of the field level scoreboard is over pratt's right shoulder.  thanks to julie at a cracked bat for turning me on to the existence of this card!

2019 topps heritage cody bellinger nlcs

and
2019 topps heritage max muncy world series

now, that area down the line is filled with advertising - in the case of these cards for playball.org, mlb network, and youtube tv instead of unocal or budweiser or coca-cola.

1987 fleer baseballs best mike scott

this card was a bonus card from a sportlots seller.  it features the end of the field level seating and the visitor's bullpen out in right field.

1999 fleer ultra carl everett gold medallion parallel

ah, the murals.  here, carl everett is on the warning track in right field, just to the center field side of the visitor bullpen. he's in between the kirk gibson/1988 world champions image and the tommy lasorda retired number image.

2019 topps 150 years greatest moments sandy koufax insert

here we have sandy being mobbed by teammates (hello, wes parker and ron fairly) while heading back towards the dodger dugout after pitching a perfect game against the cubs in 1965.  the scoreboard that sat over the right field pavilion is over sandy's left shoulder, complete with the orange 76 ball that sat atop it before it was replaced by a mercedes logo or some such.

2019 topps online 150 years of baseball

topps used that same photo of koufax on the second card of their online only 150 years of baseball release. technically, this card is in my dodger collection and not my dodger stadium collection, since i only bought one (on the secondary market, of course).

2001 upper deck tribute to 51 ichiro

more murals! on this card, ichiro is patrolling right-center field at dodger stadium during a game in july of 2001.  part of duke snider's retired number mural is behind him, and as far as i can figure, that mural was below the scoreboard, center field side.

1990 baseball card magazine tim raines

this oddball tim raines card features the right field pavilion in the background, where it is clear of the scoreboard.  it also features a great synchronicity of color! thanks to fuji for featuring this card on a post and making me aware of its awesomeness!

1992 upper deck all-star fanfest steve avery

now we're in center field with the end of the right field pavilion behind avery.

2019 topps heritage red sox world series champions

here's a zoomed out view of the pavilions and both scoreboards, with center field pretty much in the middle of the background.  you can see the big speaker that sits in front of the batter's eye there in the background, along with the scoreborads and some advertising.  the rectangular diamondvision screen was replaced a few years ago with a screen whose shape matches that of the right field scoreboard. this card shows both screens, and if you look closely, both pavilion roofs.  2018 was the second year in a row that the american league celebrated in dodger stadium.

1987 fleer baseball mvp tony gwynn

we are moving on to the left field pavilion (and there is the original rectangular diamondvision!) behind gwynn.  thanks to gavin at baseball card breakdown for featuring this card in a post so that i could add it to a sportlots order. side note: i was featured on diamondvision in its inaugural season at a game against the reds.

2019 topps lorenzo cain (photo variation)

cain (with enrique hernandez) has the left-center wall behind him, not too far from the dodger bullpen.  cain's regular version 2019 topps card has also been added to the binder as it shows him standing up shortly after the umpire granted his request for time out. both cards show the aforementioned unocal 76 logo, which is always, to me, a nice sight to see on baseball cards.

2019 topps opening day lorenzo cain

well, here's that photo of cain i was speaking of just now.  

2019 topps clayton kershaw

kershaw, being a lefty, means we get lots of cards with the left field corner in the background. here you can see the field level seats and just a bit of the bullpen wall with the new-ish overlook area above.  also, kershaw forgot to zip up.

2019 topps justin turner (photo variation)

redturn receiving the gatorade shower makes for a great card. the photo shows the left field foul pole, and you can faintly see some of the palm trees (the "three sisters") that tower over the bullpen area as well.

2004 upper deck legends dusty baker gold autograph parallel (back)

you can see the entirety of left field from foul pole to center on the backs of the dodger cards from this set.  this one, numbered to 5, is in my 2004 dodgers binder.

1987 fleer record setters bill gullickson

and
1987 fleer record setters orel hershiser

here's a look at the third base side of the field. that's the old field level scoreboard that was just beyond the dugout and camera well near which ismael is standing in the card up top.  that means we've made it around the park!  it is worth noting that i recently purchased the mitchell and gullickson cards from sportlots, but salvaged the hershiser card from my own sportlots inventory. i must have overlooked it or thought it already resided in my dodger stadium binder, so thanks to night owl for showing this set on his blog and inspiring me to make sure those cards were represented in my mini-collection.

i'll finish with the ballparks insert from 2019 topps opening day

as you can see, dodger stadium always looks great on cardboard, and 2019 is shaping up to be a great year in terms of cards featuring dodger stadium. and, as far as the 2019 season goes, i'm hoping that the dodgers can win a third pennant in a row and finish with a world series title this time.  with the all-star game already scheduled for the ravine in july of 2020, it would make for good cardboard next year, as well.