tatooine grab bag

i understand that filming of the next star wars movie is underway in the united kingdom and abu dhabi. that likely means more tatooine.  maybe the skywalkers will take in a ballgame together while they are there.  you know, because sometimes baseball cards make it look like the game is played in the desert sands of tatooine.  for example...

...here's adrian beltre getting back to the bag on his 2004 upper deck card

while damion easley does the same on his 1998 topps card

as does bubba trammell on his 1998 upper deck card

roger cedeno got to second base while carrying his helmet like a football on his 1997 topps card

orlando hudson tries not to lose the pop up in the suns of tatooine on his 2004 topps card

while reed johnson launches one on his 2004 topps card

russell martin's 2008 topps stadium club card features a nice tatooine play at the plate

while joe mauer's 2010 bowman chrome card features an oddly cropped tatooine play at the plate

some more desert shots - 2008 upper deck jake peavy season highlights

1996 upper deck collector's choice jeff blauser (a double play turn aftermath)

and a lance parrish card, also from 1996 upper deck collector's choice.

it turns out, the parrish is a final tribute, as he did not return to the major leagues following the 1995 season. here are his career stats

not shown, his short stay (10 minor league games) in the dodger organization in 1993.

a quick trip to tatooine

with the trade of juan uribe to the braves, i would expect alex guerrero to eventually settle in at third base. at least until hector olivera is ready.  however, most of guerrero's playing time of late has been in the outfield, since both yasiel puig and carl crawford are injured.

last year, topps included guerrero in many of its sets, and listed him as a second baseman.  that made sense then, but he has yet to play at second in the major leagues.  here are three of those cards, with guerrero turning two to boot.

2014 topps walmart blue

2014 topps chrome purple refractor

and 2014 topps mini pink parallel

notice that the cards show guerrero throwing to first without a lick of grass in sight.  that's what makes a tatooine card a tatooine card.

here are some others from my mini collection

1994 donruss bobby bonilla

1995 upper deck luis lopez electric diamond parallel

1996 upper deck brady anderson vj lovero showcase insert

2000 topps stadium club bobby abreu

2001 fleer tradition corey koskie

2011 topps carlos beltran

and 2012 topps emilio bonifacio

i am guessing that there is all kinds of mischief one can get into at mos eisley spaceport, so the vegas code probably stands - what happens on tatooine stays on tatooine.  unless you're luke skywalker bragging about taking out womprats to a group of rebel pilots.

bo knows tatooine

i recently completed a trade with bo from baseball cards come to life.  i sent him some set needs, and he sent me some tatooine cards.  i don't necessarily seek these types of cards in trades, but bo sent me some good ones.

one of the many fantastic staged cards that topps put out in the early 1990's is this 1991 topps benito santiago card

sorry, i guess he was benny in 1991.

the padres were frequent visitors to the desert planet, apparently.  here's a very 1973 topps-ish 1992 upper deck card of paul faries

 as well as a 1993 leaf tony gwynn

and let me take a moment to recognize the passing of mr. padre.  i've mentioned a few times that while i was living in orange county, i would often drive to san diego to see the dodgers play.  one of the series that i attended included the last three games of the 1995 season, including (obviously) the season finale.  the dodgers had clinched a playoff berth the night before (it was the first time i had been in attendance when they clinched - that was really cool), and so the teams were just playing out the string.  chan ho park made his first big league start, striking out 5 in 3 innings of work.  the game was tied 1-1 heading into the 7th when mike busch hit a 3-run homer to put the dodgers ahead 4-1.  in the bottom of the frame, gwynn led off with a double and was removed from the game for a pinch runner.  it was a nice move by bruce bochy, as it allowed gwynn to get an ovation as he left the field.  and what an ovation he did receive.  everybody stood and applauded, and i could feel the deep appreciation that the padre fans had for number 19.  he acknowledged the crowd, and it seemed that the feeling was mutual.  i am glad i got to see gwynn play a few times and get a few hits, but that ovation as gwynn walked off the field is my lasting memory of him.

back to the post at hand.

the cubs played some games on tatooine, too.  here's a 1993 upper deck shawon dunston card

and the back of sammy sosa's card from the same set

the cubbies must have been playing the mets outside of mos eisley, because here's eddie murray's 1993 upper deck card

with a couple of southsiders

other examples of tatooine cards from bo include a 1990 upper deck lance parrish card

a 1993 topps stadium club tim hulett card

plus some cincinnati folks - 1993 upper deck barry larkin

and a 1995 upper deck collector's choice john roper

when it came to the ropers, i was more of a mr. ferley fan.

here's the back of a 1994 upper deck randy tomlin card

tomlin can run, but he can't hide from the imperial stormtroopers on his tail

finally, here are a couple of cards from 1995 upper deck collector's choice special edition - carlos baerga

and will clark

clark looks like he just bulls-eyed a womp rat in beggar's canyon.

thanks for the cards bo!

more cards from tatooine

warning - the geek quotient is high with this post.

sometimes, in between the landspeeder races and droid purchasing, folks on tatooine take time out for baseball.  here are some examples.

1996 topps joey cora

this is one of my favorite 'dirt only' cards.  the teal mariners jersey is the star of the card.

1994 upper deck alan trammell

and his teammate travis fryman on a 1995 score select card

there may be a hint of green on this 1993 upper deck dave valle card

but then again, that might just be some womp rat remnants.

it looks like the moisture vaporators are malfunctioning on kevin young's 1993 upper deck card

better get those droids to the south rim to work on the condensers.

speaking of droids, it looks like mike piazza has spotted the incoming escape pod on his 1998 topps stadium club card

here's a classic that i am pretty sure i have shown before - dmitri young's 2002 fleer ultra card

but he's not the only one that can dive back to the bag on tatooine - there is also carlos santana on his 2010 topps update card

turning double plays on tatooine doesn't happen often, but here are a couple of examples - 2007 topps turkey red 'turning two' with hanley ramirez and jose bautista

and 2002 topps total russ johnson

i wouldn't be surprised if the florida teams drew bigger crowds on the planet furthest from the bright center of the universe than they do in miami and tampa.

meanwhile, on tatooine...

...a new mini collection is begun.  i have set aside cards in the past that feature backgrounds of nothing but dirt.  the best example of this, of course, is the 1971 topps brooks robinson card which i have shown before.  i've also featured a few others over the years, but this is the first time i have dedicated a single post to these types of cards.

here are a few.

2006 upper deck juan dominguez

the pitching mound tatooine card might be the rarest of them all.

2010 topps ronny cedeno

a double play on tatooine!

most of these cards will feature players running the bases.  for example, 2011 topps freddy sanchez (gold parallel)

1996 donruss roberto kelly

1996 donruss jose offerman

and 2008 bowman andre ethier (gold parallel)

sometimes players will be sliding into bases, like shane mack on his 1991 upper deck card

or brady clark on his 2004 topps card

 or michael brantley on his 2011 topps card

and, sometimes players will be at the bat, like jody gerut on his 2004 topps card

or fellow indian victor martinez on his 2006 topps card.

i am not sure if i have seen a warning track tatooine card yet.  anyway, feel free to send me these types of cards in trade, along with dodgers, double plays, memorials, vladdys, etc.  the list seems to keep growing.  but stay out of mos eisley spaceport - you will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy.  kind of like the giants' roster.  bam!