group breakin' 2 - world series boogaloo

i recently participated in ryan's second group break (that would be ryan of 'o' no not another oriole blog) and brought home some nice dodgers.  the break included 1998 fleer sports illustrated world series fever, from which i scored this card of the 1988 world series mvp, orel hershiser

it's too bad they didn't have a card for the trio of mvp's from 1981.

this next card is not new to my collection, or the blog, but it needs to be shown again, for obvious reasons

a magnificent moment, to be sure.

i drew the pirates as my second team.  a few months ago, that would have been ok since there was that pirates treasure room blog.  he's gone awol (and left me hanging trade-wise), and i don't think billy suter is trading anymore and i am not sure about the real dfg either.  anyway, i got a few nice buccos, including a card of another walk-off series homer, courtesy of bill mazeroski

way to beat them yankees, bill!

i also got some cards from 1999 fleer sports illustrated, including this one of a bespectacled raul mondesi

and this one of a dazed and confused chan ho park

i do not believe either bazooka or gatorade had to pay for product placement on that card.

1999 topps stars was also featured in the break, which means i was destined to get some cards of kevin brown

and gary sheffield

and i did!

i was happy to see 2002 upper deck victory included in the break.  victory was pretty much upper deck's version of topps total.  that means that instead of a set just featuring shawn green, kevin brown, gary sheffield, and eric karros, i got cards featuring the likes of james baldwin

this is significant, because topps did not include baldwin in their 2001 traded set, and by the time 2002 rolled around, they were able to feature him as a mariner in the flagship set.  i think the only other card featuring baldwin as a dodger (in my collection, anyway) is a 2001 bowman heritage card, and it's in black and white.  baldwin spent the last half of the 2001 season in los angeles, and was 3-6 in 12 starts. welcome to the blog, mr. baldwin.  maybe in a couple of years, there will be more james baldwin dodger cards, as his son is currently in the dodgers' minor league system.

another card of note i received is this 2002 ud victory darren dreifort gold parallel

because we can't expect to have a set without some frills, can we?

thanks for hosting the break ryan!