another happy trade

it's been a while since i have picked up an autograph of burt 'happy' hooton's.  hooton was, of course, a member of the 1978 topps dodgers and the team of my youth, but he was also the 1981 nlcs mvp and a very solid pitcher who was often overshadowed by don sutton, bob welch, fernando and others.  i was happy myself to see this card, a 2005 upper deck mlb artifacts burt hooton autograph, in a trade package from robert at $30 a week habit

upper deck has issued a few autographed cards for hooton, and while i think i own most of them, i did not have this one in my collection.  very nice to have some variety in players featured - now if only there were some rick rhoden or bob welch cards coming out these days...

there were a number of other cool cards in the package from robert, like this 2000 fleer ultra card of mark grudzielanek

sliding home at dodger stadium.  this 2011 topps chrome orange refractor of matt kemp features an image taken from a similar angle

and you can see how much closer the seats are these days to home plate.  i really do miss the field level scoreboards and the union 76 signs.  i'll be getting back to the ravine in late august, and will take a moment to point out to my son how much less foul territory there is now compared to how it was just a few years ago.

i also got some numbered cards, like a matt kemp card from 2008 topps triple threads

a 2006 upper deck purple parallel looking card of hee seop choi

and a 2004 upper deck sweet spot classics roy campanella card

back in the early 2000's, we dodger fans were assured of two things when it came to card sets, no matter how large or how small.  those two things were cards of kevin brown (like this 2001 donruss)

and shawn green (like this 2001 fleer futures)

these days, it's kind of the same except it's kershaw and kemp who pop up in every set.  not that that's a problem, mind you.

i'll finish off this post with another dodger who is well represented in today's sets, duke snider.  this is a 2003 topps heritage flashbacks insert

and it features a pose that i don't think i have seen a dozen times.  nice work topps.  and nice work to you, richard.  thanks for the trade!