snobbery is the sincerest form of generosity

are there really any baseball card snobs?  true snobs who might look down on someone for collecting certain things as paul giamatti might look down on someone who drinks merlot?  probably, but i am sure they are just as generous as the baseball card snob who contacted me a couple of weeks ago because he had some 1979 topps cards he wanted to send my way.

i am slowly upgrading the 1979 topps set from my youth, and i still have a ways to go.  here are some of the cards that paul sent along.  you can probably guess why i chose some of the players i did.  ok, i'll tell you ahead of time - they are former dodgers who don't have many cards featuring them as dodgers between them.  like doyle alexander

probably best remembered as the guy the tigers gave up john smoltz to acquire, alexander made his big league debut as a dodger in 1971.  he made a dozen starts and five relief appearances for the blue that year, and posted a 6-6 record before being traded to baltimore in the frank robinson deal during the offseason.

ivan dejesus

gets the obligatory mention on father's day - his son, ivan dejesus jr is a current dodger - and he, too, started his career wearing dodger blue.  dejesus spent parts of three seasons as a dodger (1974-1976) before he was included in the bill buckner/rick monday trade prior to the 1977 season.

here's gene mauch and a bunch of minnesota twins

mauch, as you will recall, was a dodger double dipper during his playing days.

buddy solomon, known as eddie solomon previously,

was a dodger in 1973 and 1974, and appeared on a 1975 topps 4-in-1 rookie card wearing dodger blue.  he made his big league debut in a game against the astros late in the 1973 season and struck out the first batter he faced - future teammate jimmy wynn.  the dodgers traded solomon to the cubs early in the 1975 season, along with geoff zahn, for burt hooton.

although he was never a dodger, here is dale murphy's 1979 topps card

there are many reasons why i like this card - the pajama uniforms, the expos' baby blues in the background, the stirrups and the old braves' helmets, the reminder that murphy played first base for a season or two before heading to the outfield - but most of all i like it because it was the first time dale murphy got off of the 4-in-1 'rookie' cards.  i didn't care for murphy as a player when he was hitting against the dodgers back in the old nl west, but i respected the talent.

paul also sent a need from 2009 upper deck o-pee-chee, a wily mo pena card

754 times in 1845 plate appearances, pena either homered, walked, or struck out.  that's 41%.  nice, but still well off the rob deer pace of 49% for the three true outcomes.

there were also some dodger cards included, such as a 2000 fleer showcase adrian beltre card

a 2000 skybox metal chan ho park card

and a 2000 topps gold label shawn green card.

thanks paul.  i think i might have a graig nettles or two to send your way.