guardians of the shins

i recall the first time i saw a baseball card dedicated to an inanimate object.  it was 1979 and i had begun my chase of dodger team sets from 1970 on.  i was digging through a box of 1972 topps cards and came across the cy young award card.  i thought it was weird and kind of a waste.  seriously, why cram three players onto a rookie card and have those award cards when ron cey could have had his own card instead?  anyway, about 20 years later i went on a subset collecting whim and, of course, picked up all of the award cards from 1972.

 

i obviously softened on my stance regarding those types of cards, and i have the don drysdale and pee wee reese jersey 'contest' card inserts from 2000 upper deck firmly in my collection as well. so, i was pretty intrigued when i saw this card from 2013 panini cooperstown recently.  i quickly went to sportlots and picked up a copy for cheap.

those are roy campanella's shin guards.  i really like this card.  i have never been to the hall of fame, but i have seen some of the travelling exhibits.  no substitute, of course, but i'll take it.  the way this card is laid out definitely has a museum quality to it.  i think it is well done by panini.

 

i looked through some of my campy cards, but most of the ones that feature him in his gear (like this 2009 topps triple threads card)

show a slightly different style of shin guard.  i did find his 1987 baseball's all-time greats card (featured in this post) that seems to show the full orange version on the panini card.  not that i would think the hall of fame would get it wrong.  still, it's nice to connect the dots. 

i pretty much ignored this insert set in 2012 (no dodgers), and i now find myself disappointed that the campy equipment card is the only dodger related one in the 2013 set. i may actually find myself completing both years of the insert set even though that is the case!  and, despite the fact that, for some reason, paul waner's 3000 hit ball (almost a dodger related card) was included in both year's sets.

i snoozed, losed, but wound up winning. sort of.

i was recently tipped off via a saved search to a listing on ebay of a 2006 fleer greats of the game steve garvey bat barrel autogreats card, numbered out of 4 copies

i didn't win it.  i added to to my watch list with the intent of submitting a best offer to the seller.  someone beat me to the punch, although their best offer of $225 was higher than mine would have been.  

small consolation, but the seller had some other dodger goodies listed, and i was able to get a few of them for my best offer amounts.

like this 2009 topps triple threads russell martin, manny ramirez, and matt kemp relic card

i like the card, but i do have a tinge of buyer's regret thanks to the well documented questions surrounding 'game used' jerseys, as well as the non-committal statements on the back.  for all we know, that could be a piece of maury wills' wool jersey under kemp's photo.

here's a card i didn't know existed before now - a 2011 topps black diamond wrapper redemption card of clayton kershaw

kershaw wasn't around in 2001 when topps heritage used the 1952 design, but i suppose this is what it might have looked like.

jim wynn wasn't around in los angeles for too long, so i love finding cards that show him during his brief stay.  here's the autographed companion to the 1999 fleer sports illustrated greats of the game card i showed a short while ago

it's nice.  as is this 2004 upper deck etchings dusty baker autographed card

and this steve sax auto from the same set.

i think the dusty baker photo was also used by upper deck in their 2004 legends timeless teams set.  speaking of which, the timeless teams blog gets an update in a couple of hours.  be sure to check it out, but make that best offer you've been putting off first.  just in case someone else is out there ready to beat you to the punch.