i got the card, greinke gets the ball

it is somewhat appropriate that i have this card ready to go today.  it's a 2014 topps heritage zack greinke purple refractor

that fuji sent my way a while ago.  later tonight, greinke will get the ball in game 2 of the nlds, and he'll try to right the ship.  that's all that needs to be said about that.

fuji is working on a 2004 upper deck legends timeless teams set, a set that you know is near and dear to me, and in exchange for some of the cards he needed, he sent along some requested dodger doubles.

from the dodgers' 1974 subset he sent bill buckner

 and steve garvey

although i don't think garvey was rocking the dual-ear flapped helmet in 1974.

here's steve yeager's card from the 1977 subset

and here's mickey hatcher's card from the 1988 team's group

now, there are a couple of things to note here, as these cards have reminded me that in both 1977 and 1988 (and in 1981, for that matter), the dodgers lost the first game of their postseason.  in all three of those seasons, they made it to the world series, and in 1981 and 1988, they won it all.  i take the most comfort in the fact that the 1981 postseason was structured just like it is now, with a division series before the league championship series.  and, in 1988, don't forget the mets beat the cy young award winner orel hershiser in game 1 before the dodgers came back to take the series (although that was a 7 game series).  

the other thing i wanted to mention is that, after a long layoff, the timeless teams blog is back.  i posted about mickey hatcher and those improbable world series champions from 1988 the other day.  there aren't too many teams left in the set, so i hope to be through the base set by the end of the month.  after that, i'll probably post on a few of the inserts - autos, numbered parallels, and relics.

thanks for sending me these and all the other cards, fuji.  sorry about your a's, by the way - i was hoping for a 1974/1988 rematch.