epic nomar and the (not really) team collector dilemma

there was a time when i considered becoming a nomar garciaparra supercollector.  i did have a pc going of his cards during the late 1990's and into the early 2000's, but those were mostly cards that i pulled from packs - i didn't go out and actively seek cards of his to add to my collection.  that all changed when he signed with the dodgers prior to the 2006 season.  i figured that i would go after all of his non-red sox cards.  that task was made easier by the fact that nomar didn't bother to re-up with topps after the 2006 season, but it turned out that there were still way too many releases and inserts and parallels for me to keep up with.

here are a few that i did track down, including an insert from 2006 upper deck epic that features him (mostly) as a red sox player.

there's a smaller picture of him as a dodger on the card so it's ok. there's really no team collector dilemma this time.  and, here's his completely dodger-iffic base card from the epic set

nomar didn't get a flagship dodger card from topps until the 2006 update set (i count update/traded sets as part of the flagship sets), but he did get a trading places insert in series 2 of their 2006 flagship release.  this one includes a bat relic

here are a couple of photoshopped cards from 2006 topps finest - base

and refractor

more shiny stuff from 2006 - bowman chrome

and topps chrome - this one a black bordered refractor

nomar also made it into the 2006 topps triple threads set - here's a green one

numbered to 99.  his 2006 upper deck ultimate collection card is also numbered, but to 799

this is what i was referring to when i suggested that all of the different issues and parallels and inserts and even the regular 'base' cards made it tough to become that nomar supercollector.

his card in the flagship 2006 upper deck series 1 set was him in cubs gear listed as a dodger.  so, i was please to see that he was put on the team checklist in the upper deck update series in real dodger apparel

nomar had fewer cards in 2007 despite his big comeback season in '06.  here's his 2007 fleer ultra card

and some 2007 upper deck 'predictor' parallels - blue and green - on both the team checklist card

and his regular card

i'm not sure what was being predicted, but whatever the reason, upper deck made some parallels.  another ud parallel from 2007 were the red backs in their goudey release.  here's nomar's

at least there were no 2007 topps red letter backs of nomar to chase.  here are a few more - a 2007 upper deck spx die cut base card

a 2007 upper deck spectrum die cut parallel thingy

and a low-end retail 2007 upper deck first edition pennant chasers insert

nomar helped the dodgers get to the postseason in both 2006 and 2008, but never actually successfully caught the pennant.  that was too bad, but we'll always have the 4+1 game, and i'll always have my incomplete nomar non-red sox super collection.

recent card shop pick ups (and they're not all dodgers)

i don't know how often the 'baseball specials' bin gets updated at the quasi-card shop that is nearest to me, but i stop in maybe once every two or three months just to check. here are some goodies that i picked up for around 30 cents a pop.

2002 topps archives reserve don suttonthis is one shiny sob. works well with the psychedelic tombstone.

1992 kellogg's all stars bill madlocknot sure what was more surprising to me - kellogg's making a bill madlock card in 1992 or kellogg's making a bill madlock as a dodger card. either way, i'm glad they did.

2008 upper deck sp cory wadewere these rookie exclusives short prints or just available in blasters? i think i recall buying a blaster and getting a 5-pack of rookie exclusives. no dodgers though.

2006 bowman chrome brad pennybrad penny is like a bad penny - he keeps popping up everywhere. next season, it will be in saint louis, where he'll be a teammate of this guy's

2008 upper deck o-pee-chee insert albert pujolskinda sorta a ripoff of 1969 topps. the studio shot is a look at things to come with 2009 opc.

finally, the beautiful 1974 topps dave kingman card i've wanted this card for a while after seeing it on a few different blogs. it is the yang to the 1974 topps steve garvey's yin; the hell to garvey's heaven; the mr. glass to garvey's david dunn. you get the idea.

i heart (cards from) halos

rwh from i heart halos recently sent me a bunch of dodgers in return for some cards featuring those angels of anaheim - it was an interleague/freeway series trade!

here are some highlights:

2006 bowman chrome nomar garciaparra xfractor 182/250

can't top the checkerboard! reminds me of vans and junior high. so sad to see nomar making spot starts. the twinkie announcers were talking like he was dead over the weekend.

1995 upper deck collector's choice se darren dreifort rookie class
little d was the personification of 'tremendous upside'. injuries suck.

1982 donruss ken landreaux once traded for rodney cline carew, this man caught the final out of the first dodgers' world championship of my lifetime.

1986 topps terry whitfield
i always wondered why the dodgers brought whitfield back from japan instead of re-signing dusty or reggie or even rick monday. i also wondered what that guy off his right hip was wearing and what he was doing in the dugout.

1989 topps mini leaders john tudor i believe tudor led the league in being traded for pedro guerrero.

1990 topps mini leaders jay howell this set is even less attractive in mini style.

2009 topps walmart black angel berroathis card is bad ass. like shaft playing shortstop.

2008 upper deck timeline chin-lung hu not as dark as the walmart card, but it scans that way. another need from my timeline quest taken care of.

2007 topps finest jason schmidt refractor 109/199

hm. stick with the blue refractors, especially for the dodgers.

thanks rwh! see you in the fall classic!