orioles begat dodgers

a while back i completed a trade with an orioles collector named ed. i'm always interested in turning other teams' cards into dodgers, and ed did not disappoint. here are just a few from the box he sent me.

1997 topps gallery eric karros.

this is a nice card, and ed included a few other dodgers from the set. i really like the hero shot with the top of busch stadium in the background. this is what you might call 'context sensitive design' - the stadium reflects the st. louis arch in it's architecture. very nice. i was very impressed with busch stadium when i visited in 1999. i expected much less from a former multi-sport stadium. back to the card, look closely and you will see italian american superstar slugger mike piazza lurking in the background.

1995 stouffers pop-up don drysdale.

i would have guessed that this card was from the early 80's at the latest. i haven't yet pulled the tab to make big d pop-up, and i don't think i will.

1985 topps candido maldonado.

some friends and i call candy 'check swing'. he seemed to check his swing at every pitch, except for those he actually swung at. maldonado was one of those guys who tore up the pcl for the dukes (along with greg brock and mike marshall) in the early 80's. although he didn't do the same in the majors, he was a member of the 1992 world champion toronto blue jays. good for him.

another 1985 topps card, this time it's rick honeycutt.

the current dodger pitching coach, honeycutt was a holdover from grady little's staff. i guess joe torre couldn't convince mel stottlemyre to head west with him.

1983 topps mark belanger.

displaced by cal ripken jr in baltimore, belanger spent one season in la with the dodgers. this gave the dodgers two no-hit shortstops. the 1983 cards are true final tributes for belanger, who retired after the 1982 season. i've always wondered if that last season was worth it to him, as it was the only one he didn't play as an oriole. sadly, belanger died in 1998 of cancer.

1971 topps bill buckner.

buckner's second multi-player rookie card, a feat matched by the penguin in 1973. here, he is the only player featured in a non-airbrushed hat. buckner debuted at age 19 in 1969, pinch-hitting for jim brewer against gaylord perry. he popped out to second.

1963 topps walt alston.

i like the managers' cards in the 1963 set. instead of the inset photo, they have the team logo (except for the colt .45's). here alston looks annoyed. notice the rotary phone in the upper right hand corner. true vintage.

ed also included some nice dodger stadium shots, such as this 1990 donruss jeff treadway card,

and some double plays such as this beautiful 1991 topps stadium club kurt stillwell card.
i have a feeling i should just become a stillwell super-collector because all of his cards i have seen are double play turns!

thanks ed! if you are reading this, i am amassing another batch of orioles for you!