what hurts the most...

is that they were so close.  card manufacturers, that is.  i can't think of a single card issued that featured all four of the dodger infielders (alone) together.  no record breaker or highlight or retrospective card.  none.  there have been commemmorative sheets, sure, but no cards.  a few have come close, though.

anyone remember the 1981 topps scratchoff set?  three cards to a panel, and one of the panel combinations featured steve garvey, ron cey and davey lopes. 

bill russell wasn't included in the set.

how about 2001 upper deck decade 1970's?  surely the dominant infield of the 70's would get some completist representation, right?  almost.  here's the dodgers' 4 player bat card.

garvey cey russell monday just doesn't quite have the same ring to it.  monday wasn't even a dodger for the majority of that decade. 

then, in 2003, upper deck came out with their sp chirography set.  i drooled over the checklist - so many dodgers, and so many from the team of my youth - garvey, cey, russell, lopes, yeager, sutton!  surely there would be a gcrl card!  well, almost.  there was garvey russell and cey,

and garvey lopes and cey,

but no garvey cey russell lopes.

finally, in 2004, upper deck released their awesome legends set.  the theme of the set was 'timeless teams' and, appropriately, the 1970s era dodgers got a lot of attention.  all four of the infielders were included in the set, and i picked up three versions of this card - a six player game used card

featuring steve garvey, ron cey, bill russell and davey lopes, along with dusty baker and steve yeager. 

i even got one signed by the foursome. 

no disrespect to dusty or yeager, but it would have been nice for them to have been left off at least one of the print runs.

well, until i find a card of the infield, i am left to my own devices.  here is the 1981 topps scratch off card panel that should have been.

a man can dream, can't he?