Playing With My Cards

Check this out...

1988 Score Mark Eichhorn TOR #198

Do you ever look at a card that you've seen before... many times... over the course of several years, or even several decades, and feel like you're seeing it for the first time? I'd dismissively judged this seemingly unremarkable specimen from the inaugural Score set many times before it finally caught my eye last weekend. Frankly, it's beautiful. Eichhorn's windup is caught at the apex of his pitching arm's motion, just before he's to dip into his buggy-whip sidewinding delivery to the plate. But it's the photo's lighting and the card's colors that make it stand out. The predominance of blue, with the highlights of the team's secondary color, red, combine in the blurry distance to produce a subtly implied violet background to the righty's baletic motion. I stared at this card Friday night for about as long as I have any other. And it's just Mark friggin' Eichhorn, a relief pitcher for the Toronto Blue Jays a quarter of a century ago.

I have a guy named Mark, also known as "Harry," to thank for this magical cardboard moment. But that's just the tip o' the proverbial iceberg. I am always amazed at the kinds of trade packages that people manage to put together, and this one was certainly no exception. Mark doesn't have a blog (probably a wise time-management decision). But he enjoys following the many of us crazy enough to ramble publicly about our hobby/obsession. The fact that there are people out there who are interested in this stuff, alone, is rewarding. But Mark also really delivered the goods with the package he sent my way.

1989 Topps Juan Berenguer MIN #294
1987 Donruss Kent Tekulve PHI #453

Today's post is going focus on only one aspect of the great cardboard deluge from Mark: pitchers, pitchers, (a couple of catchers), and more pitchers. Has there ever been a more ferocious, almost sci-fi looking warmup grip than the one Juan Berenguer is directing toward his poor catcher? Is that going to be a split-finger or a palm ball? Nasty. Meanwhile, another master of the laredo delivery, Kent Tekulve, gets one of the small handful of great '87 Donruss cards.

1990 U.S. Playing Cards Dave Smith HOU #8D
1992 O-Pee-Chee Premier Denny Martinez MON #13

Fantastic oddball featuring Dave Smith. For the record, not a Getting a Grip card, since he's just holding the ball, not gripping it. But a card's failure to quite fit into a mini-collection is never an impediment to my enjoyment of a card received. And I'm always happy to see El Presidente come my way. (I've forgiven him for no-hitting the Dodgers.)

1992 Topps Bryan Harvey CAL #568

One of the best developments in cards at the dawn of the 1990s was the return of the horizontal option in Topps base sets.

1993 Upper Deck Mike Maddux NYM #650
1992 Score Frank Viola NYM #220

Here are a couple of Mets gems. Gotta love the way the logo on the outfield wall halos Frankie V.'s noggin.

1993 Score Pinnacle Joe Magrane STL #342
1993 Fleer Ultra Darryl Kile HOU #393

Speaking of outfield walls in the background, the Wrigley Ivy can't be beat.

2012 Topps Update Cole Hamels All-Star PHI #US206

Mark didn't get stuck in the junk wax era. He also sent along some current pitching goodies like these.

2013 Topps Gypsy Queen Dylan Bundy BAL #41
2012 Topps 1987 Minis Lance Lynn STL #TM-103

Even better, Mark's specialty is vintage. He's a Red Sox fan with an impressive collection. If he were to find the time and inclination to blog, it would no doubt be a fun read. Fortunately for those of us that he's contacted for trade opportunities, the thing that he's light on is Red Sox cards of recent vintage. It's the proverbial win-win situation.

1973 Topps Ron Bryant SFG #298
1973 Topps Dave Hamilton OAK #214

But it's hard not to think that those on the receiving end of a package from Mark aren't the big winners. Check out these fabulous examples of pitchers in motion from the quirky '73 Topps set, the first to feature action in substantial quantities on its base cards.

Mark tried to help out with my mini-collecting. These were accompanied by a note asking whether these qualify for Getting a Grip.

1973 Topps Duffy Dyer NYM #493
1973 Topps Phil Roof MIN #598

Well, no. They don't. I did recently add position players to the collection, but only in cases where the player is displaying an obvious pitching grip, such as a knuckler or an obvious split-finger grip. These two catchers are simply gripping the ball the way they would when playing their own position. That said, even though they don't fit a mini-collection, they fit the most important collection: the maxi-collection. They're vintage cards that I needed. That's enough for me to love 'em.

1973 Topps Gary Nolan CIN #260
1973 Topps Ross Grimsley CIN #357

And, as it turns out, Mark did hit the mark with these Getting a Grip gems. The Nolan card actually made me think a bit, though. Getting a Grip does not include pitchers in the act of throwing. But I decided that, despite his convincing body language, Nolan is posing, not throwing. I might be wrong. But, then again, I don't care. It's in.

1972 Topps Dock Ellis In Action PIT #180
1972 Topps Danny Frisella NYM #294

Wrapping up this first look at what Mark sent, we have a quartet of '72 Topps pitchers in motion. As was typical of this set, that required that they be on special "In Action" cards. Or, in the case of Nellie Briles, getting the job done in the Fall Classic (a two-hit shutout; time of game: two hours and sixteen minutes).

1972 Topps Steve Renko MON #308
1972 Topps 1971 World Series Game #5 (Nelson Briles) #227

As usual, I've saved the best for last. Next time we'll see what happens when a generous guy with vintage cards to trade meets a Dodger fan. Spoiler alert: He makes the Dodger fan very, very happy. Thanks, Mark!

Yesterday we looked at the parade of pitchers that marched through my Card Night last Friday, courtesy of (blogless, therefore sane) Red Sox fan and vintage card trader Mark "Harry" Hoyle. That explains the subject line of these posts. So does the fact that I failed to replace my placeholder subject yesterday with something more appropriate/interesting than "Harry/Mark." Then again, considering the goodies he sent, Harry/Mark certainly deserves top billing.

1975 Topps Mini Ron Cey LAD #390
1975 Topps Mini Charlie Hough LAD #71
1975 Topps Mini 1974 MVPs Jeff Burroughs/Steve Garvey #212

I mean, look at these '75 Topps Minis! You often see the description "pack fresh" on eBay listings. While usually dubious in that context, it's entirely appropriate here. Imagine that. I did. Opening a pack of 1975 Topps Minis. Wouldn't that be a blast? Of course, it's unlikely that I would get three such great cards out of a random pack. I mean, come on! The Penguin, Rough Tough Charlie Hough, and the reigning MVPs, including a vertigo-inducing downward-facing Garvey. And, oh, the '70s ice cream shop colors!

1969 Topps Wes Parker LAD #493
1965 Topps Bob Miller LAD #98

However, when it came to the vintage Dodgers in Mark's trade package, the vintage was decidedly sixties. This is a fabulous thing, since (other than '75 Minis) I am in pretty good shape when it comes to '70s Dodgers. The '60s? Not so much. To put it simply, getting these from Mark rocked!

1968 Topps Walt Alston MG LAD #472

Ho hum, just a Hall of Famer...

1968 Topps John Purdin LAD #336

...and, not a Hall-of-Famer. But I love 'em both. Of all of the '60s sets, including the early part of the decade, I think '68 is probably the one least represented in my collection. I used to hate 'em because of the funky burlap borders. Now I love 'em. I also really enjoyed the story on the back of Purdin's card. Every part of it is interesting, but it's fun to picture the Reds' scout rushing into the room and being told that he's two hours late, the Dodgers' scout just left with a signed contract. Also, the trivia question was hardly a no-brainer, since it was the first time since the '50s that the answer was someone other than Maury Wills.

1963 Topps Ed Roebuck LAD #295

The card here that really made me salivate, though, was this flippin' awesome Rubbing Up the Ball card for the Getting a Grip collection. Ed Roebuck is one of the exclusive group of World Champion Brooklyn Dodgers, having tossed two scoreless innings in the '55 Fall Classic. I had thought maybe this photo was taken at Yankee Stadium during a World Series (note the bunting). But the Dodgers didn't face the Yanks after moving to LA until a few months after this card was released. In fact, it's probably not Yankee Stadium at all. I'm a bit stumped. And a bit giddy about the wonderful addition to my collection, courtesy of the generous gentleman from New England known (at least in my lazy subject line) as Harry/Mark.

That's all of the vintage Dodgers I'm going to show here. But don't be fooled into thinking Harry/Mark's generosity ended here. Stay tuned for five new vintage members of the Playing With My Dodgers collection, inducted over the next five days (fingers crossed), all courtesy of Mark. Thanks again, kind sir. I sure hope the modern Sox I send your way do something useful for your collection.

The best story about Jim Brewer stems from an incident that took place when he was a young Chicago Cub in 1960. The lefty had the nerve to brush back Billy Martin, then of the Reds, who responded by throwing his bat at Brewer and then coming out to the mound to land a haymaker that broke Brewer's cheekbone. The story's epilogue would come nearly a decade later, in the middle of Brewer's long stint with the Dodgers, as he was awarded $10,000 in damages from Martin as a result of a successful civil suit.

Brewer was a constant in the Dodgers' highly-successful bullpens of the '60s and '70s. The Cubs are often lampooned (for good reason) for dealing away future Hall-of-Famer Lou Brock for pitcher Ernie Broglio. But the deal that sent Brewer to the Dodgers for the 1964 season in return for pitcher Dick Scott (remaining big-league career: four-and-a-third innings, 12.46 ERA) was no prize-winner either. Brewer spent twelve seasons with the Dodgers, helping them to three National League pennants, including a World Championship in 1965. He would compile a stellar 2.62 ERA and 125 saves in Dodger Blue. His 6.89 hits per nine innings ranks third in franchise history, bettered only by Sandy Koufax and Clayton Kershaw.

1965 Topps Jim Brewer LAD #416

This is the first of five spectacular cards for the PWMD set sent in the trade package that I've been raving about from Harry/Mark, New Englander and longtime citizen of Red Sox Nation (he's no front runner!). I had long admired this particular card. You don't find much better examples of the portrait variety. I've used the photo from the internet numerous times for various projects. I already had Brewer's 1967 Topps card, which is also very good, and I almost used it for the PWMD set. But I decided to wait, in the hope that this one would land on my doorstep one day. I had no idea it would happen so soon. And this isn't even one of the cards I'd mentioned needing! Thanks again, Mark!

Nick Willhite is a baseball success story, though not so much for what he accomplished on the diamond. Pitching entirely during baseball's second deadball era in the '60s, the southpaw managed no better than a 4.55 ERA in 58 big-league games, exactly half of them starts. A one-time "bonus baby," Willhite fell far short of expectations. By his own admission, much of that has to do with his struggles with alcohol.

Things got worse for Willhite before they got better. Just as he struggled to find success as a player, he would also have difficulty holding down coaching jobs, finally finding himself homeless and contemplating suicide. Fortunately, he got in touch with fellow Dodger alum Stan Williams, who brought his plight to the attention of the BAT (Baseball Assistance Team) Program. BAT is funded primarily through donations by active players, and helps former players and other baseball people who have fallen on hard times. They helped Willhite get into a rehab program that would save his life, and give him back to his family. The Dodger family stepped in to help as well. Peter O'Malley would pay to get back the 1963 World Series ring that Willhite had hocked to feed his addiction.

1966 Topps Nick Willhite LAD #171

This is the second of five PWMD inductees sent my way by the generous New Englander, Harry/Mark. As it's Willhite's only major issue solo card in a Dodger uniform, this was the obvious choice. It was just a matter of landing a copy... and here it is. Thanks again, Mark!

Wes Covington made a name for himself with the Milwaukee Braves. Used sparingly as a second-year player in the first half of the 1957 season, he would come on strong in the second half, finishing the year with 21 homers and 65 RBI in just 96 games. Covington followed that up by starring with both the glove and the bat in Milwaukee's seven-game World Series victory over the Yankees.

The powerful left-handed batter did not reach Los Angeles until the final stop of his big-league career, joining the club two months into the 1966 season after being released by the Cubs. Unfortunately, he did not perform particularly well (.121, 1 HR, 6 RBI, almost entirely as a pinch hitter). He was one of the eleven strikeout victims of Moe Drabowsky in the first game of that year's World Series. It was to be the final at bat of Covington's major-league career.

He did have one signature moment in Dodger Blue, however. On August 14, at Dodger Stadium, against the team that had released him just a few months earlier, he came to the plate with two outs in the bottom of the fourteenth inning, with the bases loaded and the Dodgers training the Cubs, 3-2. Covington knocked a single into center against Calvin Koonce for a walk-off 4-3 Dodgers win.

1966 Topps Wes Covington CHC #484

This is the third of five cards for the PWMD set sent by Harry/Mark. This card, along with the two still to come, was on the short list of needs that I sent to Mark when he contacted me about trade possibilities. I hadn't really expected that he'd have any of them available, let alone three! Covington isn't pictured with the Dodgers, but I'm not sure a card exists with him in that uniform (his 1990 Target All-Time Dodgers card shows him with another team). This card works perfectly, however, given that he's not wearing a cap, and that the card is from the year he played with the Dodgers. If you get the impression from the picture that the card is in good shape, you're right. It's friggin' beautiful! I am positive that this is the best-looking card of this vintage in my collection. Thanks again, Harry. You really hit the Mark again!

Signed as an amateaur free agent by Los Angeles in 1961, Jack Billingham was groomed by the Dodgers to be a reliever. He would spend just one season at the big-league level with the franchise, finishing second only to Jim Brewer on the club with 50 appearances in 1968, posting a fine 2.14 ERA.

He would go on to become one of the most dependable starting pitchers of the 1970s, but he made only one start in Dodger Blue. On August 5, at Dodger Stadium, Billingham would duel Pittsburgh's Steve Blass to a scoreless draw through eight innings, allowing just five hits and two walks while striking out seven. The Dodgers would finally get to Blass in the tenth inning, with Zoilo Versalles knocking in the only run of the game.

Billingham is a distant cousin of Hall-of-Fame pitcher Christy Mathewson.
He was nicknamed "Cactus Jack" for his loping gait and laconic personality.
Not protected by the pitching-rich Dodgers in the 1968 expansion draft, he was chosen tenth by the Montreal Expos.
He was sent to Houston by Montreal on the eve of the 1968 season as a replacement for Donn Clendenon, who refused to report to the Astros following a trade for Rusty Staub.
After the 1971 season, Billingham was involved in the trade that also saw key Big Red Machine cogs Cesar Geronimo and Joe Morgan move from Houston to Cincinnati.
On Opening Day, 1974, he surrendered the 714th home run of Henry Aaron's career, allowing him to tie Babe Ruth's lifetime record.
Billingham recorded double-digit victory totals in each year of the 1970s, including back-to-back 19-win seasons in '73-'74.
He remains the stingiest pitcher in World Series history, allowing just one earned run in 25⅓ innings, for a microscopic ERA of 0.36.

1969 Topps Jack Billingham MON #92

Here we have the fourth of five cards sent by the vintage virtuoso Harry/Mark that are being inducted into the PWMD set. Billingham was featured as a Dodger on a 1968 Topps Rookie Stars card, along with Jim Fairey. But I prefer to avoid multi-player cards in this collection whenever possible. And Billingham is pictured as a Dodger on this card. He's just had the "LA" rather artlessly scribbled over on his cap.

Of course, I could fix it...

But I won't.

Dick Allen spent perhaps the quietest season of a very, very loud career with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1971. I'm not going to go into the details of Allen's colorful career, as the stories are well known, and little to none of them have anything to do with his time in Los Angeles. Suffice it to say, Dick (or Rich, or Richie) had Hall-of-Fame talent, and nearly put up Hall-of-Fame numbers in his career, but managed to get sidetracked more than once along the way.

His brief time in Los Angeles could easily have become more than a historical footnote, however, with the swing of a single game in the standings. It was a time of transition for the franchise. The team of the '60s was giving way to the youth movement that would become the core of the team's successful '70s run that culminated in a 1981 World Championship. Maury Wills, Willie Davis and Wes Parker were nearing the end of the line with the club. Steve Garvey, Bill Russell, Bill Buckner, Joe Ferguson and others were just starting to break into the lineup. Into that mix was added Allen, acquired from St. Louis for Ted Sizemore and Bob Stinson. Trailing the Giants in the NL West by eight-and-a-half games heading into the season's final month, the Dodgers almost managed to overtake their rivals, coming up just a single game short by season's end.

Allen saw significant action at three different positions in his brief stint with the Dodgers, starting 52 games in left field, 44 at third base, and 13 at first base, where he would often be moved late in games. His offensive numbers took an understandable hit playing in the pitchers' haven of Dodger Stadium. But, adjusted for context, his 151 OPS+ was just a few points shy of his career average. Who knows what the postseason may have held for Allen and the Dodgers if they'd managed to overtake San Francisco?

But they didn't, and Allen was dealt to the Chicago White Sox in the offseason for Tommy John and Steve Huntz. The controversial slugger would win an MVP Award for the Pale Hose in 1972 and go on to enjoy perhaps the best stretch of his career in the Windy City, his brief Dodger career left behind with only dreams of what might have been.

1971 Topps Rich Allen LAD #650

This iconic high-number card from the sixth and final series of 1971 Topps is one that every Dodgers collector seeks. From the unfamiliar uniform on one of the game's best-known characters, to the fantastic view of the left field foul pole, pavillion and scoreboard at an empty Dodger Stadium, and the heroic angle of the photo with the quirky appearance of the photographer's knee in the foreground, it's an unforgettable piece of cardboard. I automatically put it on the short list that I sent to Harry/Mark when he contacted me about trade possibilities. I had never really expected that it would actually be in the package that he sent my way. For a week now, I have been showing what Mark's generosity has meant to me, and this stands as a fitting grand finale. A parade of great pitcher cards and some sweet vintage Dodgers, including five fantastic additions to the PWMD set, is worthy of some serious gratitude. Thank you so much, Mark! You sure brought some great toys to this playground.

I was going to post about this card on the final day of 2013, but being there for my Grandma was more important. Now we're all immersed in 2014 Topps and this is old news. But, better late than never...

Ladies (who am I kidding?) and gentlemen, my favorite card of 2013:

2013 Topps A.J. Ellis LAD #314
2013 Topps Los Angeles Dodgers Factory Team Set A.J. Ellis LAD #LAD8

2013 Topps Mini A.J. Ellis LAD #314
2013 Topps Mini Gold A.J. Ellis LAD #314 (24/62)

2013 Topps Blue A.J. Ellis LAD #314
2013 Topps Red A.J. Ellis LAD #314

2013 Topps Purple A.J. Ellis LAD #314
2013 Topps Gold A.J. Ellis LAD #314 (1677/2013)

2013 Topps Emerald Foil A.J. Ellis LAD #314
2013 Topps Silver Slate A.J. Ellis LAD #314

2013 Topps Silver Slate Sparkle A.J. Ellis LAD #314 (6/10)

This last one represents the most I've ever paid for a single card, including vintage. The amount probably would seem paltry when compared to some of the major purchases made by many of you out there. But it was enough that I think I'll omit the details for fear that my wife might actually find the spare time to catch up with this blog.

The reasons for this being my favorite card of 2013 should be obvious. But they weren't obvious to me, at least at first. When I pulled the card from a series one pack early in the year, I simply thought, "Cool, a Dodgers card." My next thought was, "I really hate these superstar cameos. They take the spotlight off of the player whose card it's supposed to be."

But I saw the light when I received the gold version from Michael of Nomo's Sushi Platter (who seems to be on a bit of a hiatus) in a trade package later in the year. This isn't just any superstar cameo. It's my favorite active player, Clayton Kershaw, on a card with my second favorite, Ellis. The pair happen to be good buddies as well as teammates, and I'm hoping that Ellis will one day manage the Dodgers with Kershaw as his pitching coach (or at least guest instructor, ala Koufax). Not only that, but the fact that Kershaw is rubbing up the ball in the picture lands the card in my favorite mini-collection, Getting a Grip. So, really, how could it not be my favorite card of the year?

The beauty of this card from a collector's standpoint, is that it gives me an opportunity to chase a Clayton Kershaw rainbow that comes with an A.J. Ellis price tag. Which is not to say that it's cheap, but at least I have a remote chance of making it happen. Also, the fact that this card does not appear in either the Opening Day or Chrome sets cuts down considerably on the number of cards I have to chase. Which is good, because finding any of these (let alone all) is going to be hard enough (if not impossible). Here's the task ahead of me. Wish me luck. And, by all means, help if you can!

Factory Set Orange (x/230)
Desert Camouflage (x/99)
Black (x/62)
Pink (x/50)
Sapphire Foil (x/25)
Mini Pink (x/25)
Mini Black (x/5)
Platinum (1/1)
Blank Back (1/1)
Printing Plates (1/1)
Mini Platinum (1/1)
Mini Blank Back (1/1)
Mini Printing Plates (1/1)

I think that's all of them. Please let me know if I managed to forget anything. I'll consider myself "done" if I manage to get everything from Mini Pink on up the availability scale. Any of the rest would be gravy. Really, really, really good gravy.

Incidentally, I've also begun to attempt a run at the rainbow for A.J.'s 2012 Topps card, which also perfectly embodies the team spirit of this great team player. I had assumed that I already had the regular base card before ordering these parallels. You know what they say about assumptions.

2012 Topps Update Blue A.J. Ellis LAD #US304
2012 Topps Update Red A.J. Ellis LAD #US304

2012 Topps Update Gold A.J. Ellis LAD #US304 (594/2012)
2012 Topps Update Gold Sparkle A.J. Ellis LAD #US304

2012 Topps Update Black A.J. Ellis LAD #US304 (13/61)

I haven't looked into my needs for this one. I think I'll just let them come as they may. These are the only rainbows I've ever chased. As you can probably imagine, I intend to chase after A.J.'s 2014 rainbow as well. It will be interesting to see if starting on that task from the set's initial release will make it any easier. It will also be interesting to see if Topps manages to give Ellis another great card, worthy of his contributions to his team. I don't even know yet if he's in series one, because I refuse to look at all of those posts out there until I finish enjoying the cards myself in my own sweet time.

Oh, one more thing before I go. I also recently got this:

2012 Topps Golden Moments Autographs A.J. Ellis LAD #GMA-AE

I guess I'm a full-fledged A.J. Ellis collector now.

Wish me luck, and jump aboard the bandwagon to help me with this task if you can. Thanks.

...not to mention a city in the Southern California desert, and an Asian island nation (by way of the Great Lakes region).

It was the best of trades... it was the worst of trades...?

I'm not sure which it was for Kenny, aka, "Zippy Zappy," of Cervin' Up Cards. His haul from me was... unusual. Upon learning of his blog, and his uncommon fandamonium for the Staten Island Yankees of the the short-season Class A New York–Penn League, I had to request his address. You see, nine years ago, when I was still living in New York, I had the pleasure of attending a handful of games at the home of the "Baby Bombers." I was in the middle of a custom card project at the time (which I'll bore you all with at some point), so I had made a couple of cards of SIY players in the hopes of getting them autographed. I didn't have any luck with the players, but I did get pitching coach Mark Thurmond to sign a couple of cards I made portraying his time as a player with the Expos and Yankees.

Anyway, I had spare copies of the two player cards I made at the time: John Poterson, a power-hitting prospect who never rose above A-ball, and a flashy shortstop named Eduardo Nunez, who would fare a little better. So I figured sending them to Kenny made sense, though it's hard to say whether he really views them as one man's treasure or trash. Frankly, it could go either way.

The one thing that I know for sure is that it was, indeed, the best of trades from my perspective.

2004 Fleer Greats of the Game Forever Zack Wheat BRO #3 (725/1909)

Kenny recently showed a some cards on his blog that he was offering up for trade, and this one caught my eye, for obvious reasons. Zack Wheat is not one of the bigger-name Hall of Famers, but fans of Dodger history know that he has a case for a spot on the Mt. Rushmore of Brooklyn baseball lore. And this is a sweet lookin' card. I hadn't realized it was serial numbered when I requested it (though if my pea brain had been processing words as well as pictures that day, it wouldn't have been a surprise).

2013 Topps Update Ronald Belisario LAD #US132
2013 Topps Update Ricky Nolasco LAD #US191

Kenny also sent a couple of old cards of ex-Dodger pitchers. Geeze, time flies, doesn't it?

2006 Konami MLB Powerful Rondell White MIN #54

The pleasant surprise of the package was this Rondell White card, though. Not so much for the player, but because it satisfies my sweet tooth for oddball cards, and my fetish for all things Asian. Well, maybe not all things (ever heard of balut?). But certainly baseball cards qualify. These things accompanied a video game at the time, as you can glimpse from the wonderfully "J-Pop America Fun Time Now!" characterization of Mr. White on the back of the card. Needless to say, you can never go wrong sending Japanese cards my way.

However you slice it, Kenny did not get the better end of this deal. I'll be on the lookout for something to tip the scales. But for now, thanks for the super happy fun smile cards, Zippy Zappy!

The National Baseball Hall of Fame is an exclusive club. But not that exclusive. After all, you can find just about every Tom (Seaver), Dick (Williams) and Harry (Heilmann) within the Hall's halls. If you want exclusive, look no further than (cue the ego) The Hall of Ethan.

I was inspired to explore this bit of narcissism by a post by Gavin (don't call him Garvin) at the excellent Baseball Card Breakdown (back in November... timely as usual around here). The Hall of Gavin, as it turns out, is even more exclusive than the Hall of Ethan. Major League Baseball has seen but one Gavin, Mr. Floyd, now of the Atlanta Braves. So Gavin dug deeper and found some minor leaguers to pad his Hall. Right now, I don't have that kind of ambition or attention span, so for the moment I'll stick with the three Ethans to grace a big-league roster in the nearly 150 years of MLB:

Ethan Allen

1985 Big League Collectibles '30s Ethan Allen NYG #14

The first big-league Ethan was a bit of a Renaissance man, at least by baseball standards. a .300 career hitter, Allen was a fine ballplayer who had a nice career. After his playing days he became the National League's motion picture director, and then spent 23 years coaching at Yale University. But it is as the inventor of the All-Star Baseball board game that Ethan Allen earns the most bonus points. It was the first popular baseball simulation game that used actual statistics to shape the probability of outcomes. As someone who's spent countless hours enjoying games like Strat-o-Matic, Dynasty League, Diamond Mind, etc., not to mention spending much of a teenage summer making my own such game, this is Ethan Allen's greatest legacy (and that includes that Revolutionary War dude, too!).

Ethan Blackaby

1977 Cramer Coca-Cola Phoenix Giants Ethan Blackaby GM Phoenix Giants #3

Blackaby's first major league at-bat came in 1962, pinch-hitting for Bob Uecker. He rapped a double off of Ernie Broglio, valuable Cardinals trade chip. It was Blackaby's only big-league hit. Fifteen years later, on the way to whatever was the hottest disco in Phoenix at the time, he posed for this classic minor league card, sponsored by Coke (the drink, not the disco-enabling controlled substance). For this card alone, Blackaby is a worthy member of the Hall of Ethan.

Ethan Martin

2008 TRISTAR Prospects Plus Ethan Martin GCL Dodgers #14

Finally, there's actually an Ethan in the game today! In fact, his card just popped out of a pack of 2014 Topps for me. But he's wearing a Phillies uniform on that one. In fact, Martin never appeared for the Dodgers at the big-league level before being dealt, along with Josh Lindblom, to Philadelphia for two horrendous months of Shane Victorino. But after having two Giants-related cards representing the Hall of Ethan, there was no way I was going to pass up the opportunity to get some Dodger Blue in here for balance.

Roy Halladay apparently felt moved to give Martin one of his own baseball cards to help him take solace in the fact that Doc posted a 10.64-ERA-season early in his career. That gives you some indication of Martin's performance last season. But the story is still being written, so we'll give him the benefit of a doubt. Besides, he's already done all he had to do to make the Hall of Ethan (with a lot of the credit going to his parents).

I'll probably see if I can make a baseball card dent in the minor-league Ethan population at some point. There are currently ten bold-faced (active) Ethans on the farm according to Baseball Reference. Feel free to drop one on me if the opportunity and inclination strikes.

I'm just glad that this guy didn't play in the bigs and become a star when I was in grade school! Times were different back then...

What's this? Find out here.

When my Grandmother passed away at around the beginning of the year, I kinda hit the reset button as a blogger and collector. Obviously I got back into the ballgame quickly and whole-heartedly. As those of you out there reading are all-too-likely to understand, these little pieces of cardboard have done a lot to ease the transition into this new year.

One of the consequences of hitting the reset button, though, was that I took everything that had been waiting to be scanned and blabbed about here on this blog, and threw it all into the giant card-sorting factory that our dining room has become. So, while the Night Owl haul has continued apace, this sequential look at "packs" will end with the next one, as these are the last two for which I made scans before the "reset." Enough pointless explanations. Let's play...

1977 Topps Bill Singer TOR #346

An ex-Dodger joins the airbrushed expansion parade with one of the more jarring Topps attempts at updating a uniform. Between the airbrushed Blue Jays cap, the Twins jersey with the orange stripe, and the random yellow undershirt, this approaches Astros-level color vomit. Throw in the pink and radioactive green supplied by Topps in its card elements and now you know what an acid trip is like...

1977 Topps Chad Curtis SFG #324
1977 Topps Larry Parrish MON #526
1977 Topps Checklist 133-264 #208
1977 Topps Chris Chambliss NYY #220

This is a card of a type which has recently begun to fascinate me. I call them "hero cards." These are cards of players primarily known for a single big accomplishment, most likely in the post season, from the year following their moment in the spotlight. Of course, Chambliss had ended the 1976 ALCS with his anarchy-inducing walkoff homer, making this his hero card. Chambliss falls just about in the middle of the hero card "scale." The better the player, the less points for the hero card. Sure, Bob Gibson's 1968 card is a hero card. But so is his 1965 card, his 1969 card and, really, just about any of his cards. He was a Hall of Famer and World Series master, after all. On the other end of the spectrum, there's Gene Larkin's 1992 cards and Francisco Cabrera's 1993 cards. These represent the epitome of hero cards because those players left little to remember their careers by, other than their one big moment.

1977 Topps Dave Parker PIT #270

Mmmmmmm... Doughnuts! This is currently the oldest card in this tastiest of mini-collections. And The Cobra seems to be double dipping.

1977 Topps Buck Martinez KCR #46
1977 Topps Mike Marshall ATL #263

Another ex-Dodger, in the final Topps card of his playing days, despite having four seasons left in his career, including a 90-appearance campaign in 1979 for the Twins. No doubt another cardboard casualty of contract/rights issues. He did receive one of the strangest Random sunset cards around from Fleer in 1982, after his career had ended with the Mets the previous season.

1977 Topps Ellie Rodriguez LAD #448
1977 Topps Steve Braun SEA #606

We end with a cartoon (from the back of Larry Parish's card) that would have confused the heck out of me if I'd first seen it as a kid:

Was Johnny's Bench's nickname "Hotrod," or something? Was he a speedster (he's got wheels, after all)? Did he enjoy dressing up in a strange metal tutu after a hard-fought game? Was he a member of the Transformers?

John, of Johnny's Trading Spot, strikes me as many things: a passionate Braves fan, a dedicated blogger, a collector with an eye for the unusual (have you seen some of his interpretations of shadows on cards?). But one thing he's not (again, this is just my impression) is patient. You can see this in some of his posts about Braves team sets that he's looking to complete right now.

When it comes to cards, you can hardly blame him for not wanting to wait. But that character trait probably has him a little exasperated by me as a trade partner. Within days (maybe even just a day) of contacting me about trading, John had stuffed, by his count, about 25 different envelopes full of Dodgers, Grips, Turtlenecks, 42s, Doughnuts, and just plain cool cardboard ready to ship out my way. After the first few arrived, I had to slow him down. My sorting project is not only less than half way complete, but the inventory project has me slogging through the beginning of the alphabet again.

The good news is that I finally caught up to John's first wave of envelopes. And the second wave has begun to arrive. You can bet that I'll be plugging away at sorting and inventory and pulling Braves as fast as I can. I can sympathize with John. His great cards have me impatient for more...

2001 Topps Stadium Club Orlando Hernandez NYY #106

A couple of the best things about trading with John are his eye for great cards, and his supply of cardboard from my collecting dark ages, which started in about 1997. The result has been a deluge of fabulous cards from the late '90s and early aughts, such as the great El Duque here, racing to beat a runner to the bag.

1998 Fleer Tradition Jose Vizcaino SFG #175
1998 Fleer Tradition Shigetoshi Hasegawa ANA #204

The set that I've been treated to the most by John so far has been '98 Fleer Tradition, a set which appears to sport some of the most interesting photography of the era, and which represented an almost complete void in my collection until John began to rectify that. I think that many of the cards John has sent are supposed to be for potential inclusion in The Turtleneck Collection, as many of the players are sporting those long-necked undershirts common of the era on the card backs. Of my mini-collections, Turtlenecks is probably the toughest to get into in terms of subjective judgement. The player can't just be wearing a slightly long-necked shirt. The turtleneck really has to jump out at you. That said, if that's the reason he's sending these great cards, I have no incentive to stop him. Mini-collection hits or no, I love 'em!

1989 Topps Shawon Dunston CHC #140
1994 Pacific Wes Chamberlain PHI #470

At any rate, both in his previous packages and with this one, John did manage to send some Turtlenecks worthy of inclusion, including that incredible specimen to be found on Shawon Dunston!

1986 O-Pee-Chee Ed Vande Berg LAD #357

John knows I like Dodgers (check), I like pitchers (check), and I like OPC cards which vary from their Topps counterparts (check). Thanks for "letting us know" that Vande Berg is "now with Dodgers," OPC. That's "useful information" (if not proper usage of quotation marks).

1973 Topps Steve Yeager LAD #59
1973 Topps Jim Brewer LAD #126

John also surprised me with some vintage Dodgers, as well! Nice. I can't wait to see what he has in store next. You hear me, John? I can't wait!! I'd say that I'll be patient, but that's probably not going to be necessary with John. I'll be surprised if there isn't an envelope from our favorite high-speed Braves fan waiting for me when I get home. Thanks, again, my friend.

There were a few cards on COMC that I wanted to pick up recently for various projects and posts. But there weren't enough on that list to make the $3 shipping fee worthwhile. A collector has two options in that case: wait until they have enough needs to justify the purchase, or create "needs" on the fly and make the purchase immediately.

So, really, there is no choice. You've seen, or will see, the other cards from this purchase as they fulfill their Playing With My Cards destiny. Right now, it's time to enjoy some cards just because they were meant to be enjoyed. Let's play...

2009 Topps Allen & Ginter Clayton Kershaw LAD #53
2010 Topps All-Black Clayton Kershaw LAD #10

Naturally, I had to add to the affordable Kershaw collection. The '09 Ginter was a classic no-brainer for Getting a Grip. I'm not usually big on the black parallels, but they looked good with the 2010 design.

2012 Topps Archives Stickers Clayton Kershaw LAD #67S-CK
2013 Topps Gypsy Queen Mini Clayton Kershaw Photo Variation LAD #26B

Big cartoonish floating head and mini batting photo variation. It's this kind of Random variety that makes collecting these things so fun.

2013 Panini Prizm Blue Pulsar Clayton Kershaw LAD #3
2013 Bowman Blue Refractor Clayton Kershaw LAD #220 (225/250)

I dig these the most, though. Blue refractor Kershaws are a particularly desirable player collection subset for me, though I certainly can't afford to be a completist with these. I love these Panini Pulsar things. Can't get enough of 'em.

Moving on, "It's tiiiiiiime for Dodger oddballs!" (Sorry, I wanted to hear Vin Scully say that in my head.)

1986 True Value Super Stars Fernando Valenzuela LAD #6
1997 Fleer Sports Illustrated Hideo Nomo Classic Covers LAD #176

Is Fernando going to pitch a five-hit shutout, or build a tree house for his kids in the back yard? Maybe both. When I saw that there was a baseball card version of that Nomo SI cover, it became must-have material. I had that magazine cover on my bedroom wall for several months in 1995. And this was at a time when I thought I was too cool and grown up for such nonsense. That's how excited I was.

1987 Topps Tiffany Dave Lopes Record Breaker HOU #4
1981 Topps Coca-Cola Houston Astros Don Sutton HOU #11

Dodgers wearing (or, in the case of Sutton, having their picture altered to appear as though they're wearing) an orange rainbow on their jerseys. The Lopes card may not look like an oddball, unless you noticed the particularly crisp photo and fine dark wood grain of the border. It's my first Tiffany card from the '87 Topps set, and it's a beaut. Dig the Don cuz it's a different picture from the base set (Dodgers) or traded (Astros) versions from '81 Topps.

1993 Topps Stadium Club Inserts Charlie Hough FLA #C2

I'd been seeing this on the Dime Box Dozen at Nick's site since I started doing this blog thing. I wanted one, too, so I figured it was time to do something about it. All together now: ROUGH... TOUGH... CHARLIE... HOUGH!

2008 Upper Deck National Baseball Card Day Luke Hochevar KCR #UD16
2006 BBM Japan Nostalgic Baseball Atsushi Aramaki Mainichi Orions #85

Of course, I had to get a few more non-Kerhsaw grips while I was at it, and I couldn't be happier with these. In fact, what would make me really happy is getting my hands on that whole Nostalgic Baseball set. Those things are awesome!

1989 ProCards Scott Davison Jamestown Expos #2145

But the random COMC treat that I'd been eyeing the longest was this Scott Davison card. It's not his first, though. That honor (most dubiously) goes to the black & white '84 Topps ripoff you will find here, along with the story of why I'm interested in Scott Davison... if you're interested, that is.

In retrospect, pointing this out only reminds me that I've allowed Top of the Topps to whither on the vine. Who knows if I'll wake the thing up at some point? Not I.

End transmission.

Sure, growing up in Southern California I loved the Matterhorn and Space Mountain at Disneyland. But my Happiest Place on Earth was among the hills of Chavez Ravine. A lot of life has happened over the course of the past couple of decades. So much that I'm not even sure when the last time was that I had the chance to enjoy beautiful Dodger Stadium in person. But I did recently receive a package from Chavez Ravining, courtesy of Alex.

It all started when he showed a few cards on his blog that he had available for trade, including one that caught my eye for obvious reasons...

2012 Upper Deck Goodwin Champions Nolan Ryan #108

Hoyt Wilhelm and Nolan Ryan, two Hall-of-Fame pitchers with very different repertoires, are easily the Grand Masters of Getting a Grip so far in the mini-collection's short life. Ryan has had some of the more interesting specimens to make it into the collection to date, including a couple of other cartoon versions, a fabulous Achievement Grip, and even a son in the collection. Thanks to Alex, you can now add this suit-and-tie grip to the eclectic list.

2006 Topps Bryan Bullington PIT #304
2004 Topps Total Arthur Rhodes OAK #716

He also sent along some always-welcome standard Posing With a Grip cards, including Arthur Lee Rhodes in his one season in Oakland (out of twenty spent in the bigs).

2004 Topps Total Silver Steve Sparks ARI #309
2004 Topps Total Randy Johnson ARI #650

Fortunately, that wasn't the only Topps Total card that Alex sent my way. Any Topps Total is welcome on the Playing With My Cards playground, but especially knuckleballers and Big Units.

2005 Donruss Jeff Fassero ARI #248
2005 Topps Bazooka Brad Wilkerson TEX #53

Really, anything that's not from the Topps flagship base sets between 1997-2007 has an excellent chance of being new to me. I'm especially exited to receive Donruss cards from this period, since they are a billion times better than the stuff they were putting out during my younger collecting days. Meanwhile, Brad Wilkerson does not have a Doughnut there. That's a gyro. It's a "mistake" that a lot of people have been making when sending me mini-collection cards... and I love it! Why? Because I love cards that I don't have, whether they're Dodgers, mini-collection hits, pitchers, non-pitchers, stars or scrubs. If it's a baseball card, and I don't have it, I want it. It's a sickness, really.

2002 Topps Ten Ichiro SEA #102
1996 Fleer Ultra Roger Clemens BOS #16

That sickness means that I love getting cards of players that I like and respect (Ichiro) as well as players that I despise (Clemens). All you've gotta do to make me happy is make new cardboard with baseball players on it appear in my collection. The fact that Alex included much of what I enjoy the most is icing on the cake. Come to think of it, cards like this make our former dining room (now the great baseball card sorting factory) my new Happiest Place on Earth. Thanks, Alex!

I recently read on someone's blog (sorry, I forget whose it was) that they'd had pretty good success with placing very low early bids on a bunch of cards and reaping the rewards when a few of them slip through the cracks and don't get bid up. So, naturally, I had to give it a try. The result was four great mini-collection hits, delivered to my mailbox, for just about a buck total.

2000 Pacific Crown Collection Latinos of the Major Leagues Freddy Garcia SEA #28

This photo on just about any other card probably would not have gotten Freddy Garcia into The Turtleneck Collection. However, framed the way it is, with all of that fabulous colorful shininess, I've gotta get it in there. Come to think of it, this idea might not save me money, after all. Now I want to track down this entire insert set. These things are fantastico!

1992 High 5 Reusable Decals Promo Frank Thomas CHW
1998 Topps Gallery Jose Rosado KCR #131

The Big Hurt's big turtleneck gets him in with this really odd oddball. And Jose Rosado makes for a museum-worthy addition to Getting a Grip in one of its least-populated sub-categories, Rosin Bags.

2001 Topps Stadium Club Pete Harnisch CIN #24

But this one is even better. If there's a more interesting Warm-Up Grips card out there, I'd love to see it. Maybe I will see one on eBay, while everyone else misses it. It's been known to happen...

You know, I need to stop underestimating what you people out there are likely to drop in the mail. When Matt over at Red Cardboard recently asked readers of his blog to take some unwanted cards off his hands, I immediately jumped at the opportunity. After all, as far as I'm concerned, there's absolutely no such thingas unwanted cards.

But, as Matt put it in his post, he was tired of looking at what he described as "filthy, rotten, disgusting non-Reds baseball cards." Although, as a completist and a hoarder, I couldn't relate, I could sure appreciate the sentiment. Especially since that meant baseball cards for me! I asked for his Dodgers pile and one of two Yankees piles on offer. He said he wasn't asking much in return, and the way Matt had described them I figured I'd get some junk wax, a few 2013 Topps commons, and just maybe a card or two that I still needed.

1989 Topps Tommy John NYY #359
2013 Topps Archives Goose Gossage NYY #156

1989 Topps? See, just junk wax... Oh wait, it's just that one. And that one is that dude all the young guys out there know as the surgery guy. And it looks like the photo of T.J. was taken with him standing in the same spot in Fort Lauderdale as the Goose was on this Archives card, released 24 years later. Nice.

2013 Topps Blue 2012 ALDS Game #5: CC Sabathia NYY #283

2013 Topps? Yeah, recent junk... Oh wait, it's a blue parallel of a great pitcher on a post season highlights card. Nice, nice.

2007 Upper Deck Goudey Hideki Matsui NYY #105
2012 Topps Gypsy Queen Gold Framed Paper Mark Teixeira NYY #90

Well, you get the point. The stuff Matt sent was not junk at all. Man, am I glad most of you people out there are team collectors. It's crazy the things you see as clutter. Godzilla? Yes, please! Fancy bordered Gypsy Queen cards? Okay!

1994 Topps All-Star Catchers: Mike Piazza/Mike Stanley #391

The Yanks were great... but check out the Dodgers! Matt even sent a "transition card," bridging the gap from one storied franchise to the other. I think this card shows which team is boss.

1992 Fleer Gary Carter LAD #450
1991 Upper Deck Gary Carter LAD #758

But the Dodgers catcher I was most excited to get was The Kid. He may not have had much of a career in Dodger Blue, but it's great to have him on the all-time roster. And he's always good for some excellent cardboard.

2006 Upper Deck Andre Ethier LAD #985
2006 Upper Deck James Loney LAD #937

I keep telling anyone who will listen that (other than Topps flagship base sets) I have a big ol' hole in my collection that remains agape as recently as 2007. Which means that it shouldn't be surprising that these two awesome Dodger rookies are new to me, and greatly appreciated.

2011 Topps Chrome Andre Ethier LAD #4
2010 Bowman Chrome Refractor James Loney LAD #32

And here are those two in shiny and refractor form. Glad to see Tampa Bay brought Loney back. Still rooting for the guy.

2013 Topps Pro Debut Andres Santiago Chattanooga Lookouts #196

Here's something else to appreciate. If you're one of those people who can afford to jump on board with every set released each year, congrats. I'm not one of those people, and (as much as I dig 'em) Topps Pro Debut is one of those sets for which, other than a random pack or three, I have to take a pass. So getting baby Dodgers who may one day grow into adult Dodgers is way cool.

2013 Topps Archives Clayton Kershaw LAD #130
2013 Topps Heritage Clayton Kershaw LAD #200

But there's nothing cooler than Kid K. If it weren't for that perfect A.J. Ellis card, the Heritage Kershaw might have been my 2013 Card of the Year. Slip that thing in with a '64 Topps Koufax, Drysdale and Podres, and you can have a nice little daydream.

Heck, all of these cards (and more) were a nice little daydream, from which I didn't need to awake, thanks to Matt. Thanks, Matt! Keep seeing Red (and only Red).

A short while ago, I received a truly awesome trade package from Mark "Harry" Hoyle, a non-blogger who is rapidly building a legend as the "Vintage Virtuoso" in the card blogging community. In my posts about that trade I accidentally left in my place-mark subject header of "Harry/Mark." Allow me, on the occasion of receiving an incredible addendum to the previous package, to correct that mistake, as we take a look at more of what Mr. Hoyle has bestowed upon this humble playground. Let's play...

1975 Topps Mini Manny Mota LAD #414

If you didn't start saying it when you saw this, try it now: "Mini Manny Mota." You know you want to do it. Out loud now: "Mini Manny Mota." See? Now that's Playing With My Cards. You can't stop saying it, can you? I know I couldn't. Mini Manny Mota!

1975 Topps Mini Bill Buckner LAD #244
1975 Topps Mini Geoff Zahn LAD #294

Another thing that I can't stop saying is "wow." Mark's incredible collection, his generosity, and his presence in the community (blog or no blog), have made for one of the most welcome developments of the new year. If my rambling fails to properly convey my excitement about Mr. Hoyle's impact on my collection, this second batch of Dodgers '75 Topps Minis that he sent, in all of its colorful mini glory, serves the purpose well.

1969 Topps Jim Lefebvre LAD #140
1969 Topps Andy Kosco LAD #139

I was born in 1970. Perhaps as a result, I tend to conceptually divide time into decades even more than people without a zero at the end of their birth year. My collection tends to reflect that, as well. I began collecting in 1980. When it comes to Topps Dodgers cards, I have them all from the 80's, most of them from the '70s, and less than 10% from the '60s. That percentage has been on the rise in the past month, thanks almost entirely to Mr. Hoyle.

Lefebvre won a Rookie of the Year Award for the Dodgers, and later became a coach (though he and Lasorda didn't work well together). But the thing that I remember about him from when I was a kid was that his name was pronounced luh-FEE-ver, while Padres outfielder Joe Lefebvre pronounced his name luh-FAY. I never could wrap my mind around that. Meanwhile, I love that Topps tried to pass off Kosco's black hat and sleeves, pinstripes, and lawn-tarp undershirt as a Dodgers uniform.

1968 Topps Len Gabrielson LAD #357
1968 Topps Jim Brewer LAD #298

This is the '60s set that has grown on me the most over the past year. I used to hate those borders, but I dig 'em now. And I love all of the action taking place behind Jim Brewer on the sidelines. You not only get the young dude in the windbreaker, but the random zoom lens from the camera poking into the frame on the right.

Mark had sent a '65 Topps Jim Brewer in his last package, which was inducted into the Playing With My Dodgers collection, along with four other great cards. I think he enjoyed seeing his cards make their way into the set because he managed to hit upon four more PWMD greats, which will be inducted this week.

Receiving any one of these cards would have made my day. I can't thank you enough, Harry/Mark... pardon me, Mr. Hoyle.

Three months spent in Los Angeles in 1965 represents the totality of Don LeJohn's big-league career. Yet the man was a Dodger almost exclusively for thirty-three years.

That career began in 1954 with the Shawnee Hawks of the Class D Sooner State League. Twelve years later, LeJohn would make his Major League debut, starting at third base for the Dodgers in the second game of a double header at Wrigley Field on June 30, 1965. Batting eighth, he came to the plate for his first at bat with runners at the corners and two outs in the top of the second inning. LeJohn came through with a hit off of Bob Buhl to drive in Lou Johnson. He would later single and score the go-ahead run in a 4-3 Dodgers win. A strikeout in his only plate appearance in the 1965 World Series would end the big-league portion of Don LeJohn's career.

By 1967, LeJohn would begin a twenty-year career as a manager in the Dodgers' minor league system, starting with the Tri-City Atoms of the Short-Season Class A Northwest League, and including stops in Bakersfield, Waterbury, San Antonio and Lodi. Players like Ron Cey, Steve Yeager, Joe Ferguson, Rick Sutcliffe, Pedro Guerrero, Bob Welch, Dave Stewart, Fernando Valenzuela, Orel Hershiser, Steve Sax, Sid Bream, John Franco and Ramon Martinez would benefit from his tutelage, not to mention such future managers as Terry Collins, Jim Riggleman, Ron Washington, Ron Roenicke and Mike Scioscia.

Don "Ducky" LeJohn may have had a brief moment in the big-league spotlight, but for more than three decades he was the kind of baseball lifer who contributes to the solid foundation of a successful major-league franchise.

1966 Topps Don LeJohn LAD #41

Naturally, this is the only big-league card of LeJohn's career. It's also the first of four more PWMD inductees sent by the "Vintage Virtuoso," Mark "Harry" Hoyle. And it's a beaut. Ducky stands poised to field any grounders that may come his way in the foul territory along the fist base line at Connie Mack Stadium in Philadelphia. The last major league game to be played there took place before my first birthday. But Mr. Hoyle's baseball time machine continues to take me to places that I only wish I could have experienced first hand. Thanks, Mark!

Bob Lee's career with the Dodgers consisted of four games early in the 1967 season.

First three appearances: 3.2 IP, 0 Runs, 2 Hits, 2 K, 0 BB
Final appearance: 3.0 IP, 8 Runs (4 Earned), 4 Hits, 0 K, 3 BB

He was then sold to the Reds, where his career would fizzle out by the end of the following season.

The best parts of the big right-hander's story were written before his trade to the Dodgers for Nick Willhite (another recent PWMD inductee). "Moose" had a fantastic rookie season for the Angels in 1964, and followed that up with an all-star campaign in '65. The reliever compiled a scoreless innings streak over the course of those seasons that reached 21, an Angels franchise record that was not broken until just last season by Jared Weaver.

1967 Topps Bob Lee LAD #313

In this, the second of four new PWMD inductees to recently arrive courtesy of Mark "Harry" Hoyle, Lee still sports his California Angels jersey. But it's his military-grade flattop that really stands out. Yet another gem from the "Vintage Virtuoso."

Just how far does nepotism go?

Jim Campanis was "scouted" by Dodger scouting director Al Campanis (who happened to be his father), leading Los Angeles to sign the catcher as an ametuer free agent in 1962.

In his major league debut, the only game in which he would appear in 1966, Jim Campanis caught the final two innings ever pitched in the regular season by Sandy Koufax at Dodger Stadium.

In limited action, most of it coming in 1967, Campanis would bat a paltry .149 in 74 at bats as a Dodger.

By the end of 1968, Al Campanis, now serving as general manager, would send his son to Kansas City for a couple of minor leaguers too inconsequential for Baseball Reference to mention by name.

I guess there's your answer about nepotism, at least when it comes to baseball.

P.S. Jim Campanis batted .147 in the remaining 143 at bats of his career, proving that his father was a shrewd GM... I guess.

1968 Topps Jim Campanis LAD #281

Here's the third of four PWMD inductees from the latest delivery from Mark "Harry" Hoyle. We can see from Jim's catcher's mitt that his initials afforded him the opportunity to both label his possessions and make a religious statement at the same time. Taking a look at his big-league stats, I would be inclined to throw the middle initial of "H." into the mix...

Harry/Mark Part I: Pitchers on Parade

Harry/Mark Part II: Vintage Dodgers

Playing With My Dodgers: Jim Brewer

Playing With My Dodgers: Nick Willhite

Playing With My Dodgers: Wes Covington

Playing With My Dodgers: Jack Billingham

Playing With My Dodgers: Dick Allen

Playing With My 2013 Card of the Year!

A Trade of Two Boroughs...

The Hall of Ethan: Inaugural Class

Ethan Allen

Ethan Blackaby

Ethan Martin

Early Bird's Night Owl Haul: Pack #16

Once Again, Here's Johnny...

Check Out My Impulse Buys

Cards From the Happiest Place on Earth

Mini-Collecting Under the eBay Radar

Extras? Extras? Read All About It

Correction: Mr. Hoyle

Playing With My Dodgers: Don LeJohn

Playing With My Dodgers: Bob Lee

Playing With My Dodgers: Jim Campanis