whoopsie dempseys

i really like rick dempsey's 1991 score card

the black borders with the gray uniform and the blue chest protector and the little bit of red jersey number poking through make for a visually appealing card, even if the photo is kind of odd.  there are bodiless feet and part of dempsey's face is obscured.  still, i appreciate him rocking the jerry grote look with his cap instead of a helmet.

i like the card so much, i sent a copy of it (along with a 1978 topps card) to dempsey about 3 years ago through the mail hoping that he would sign it.  he had signed a couple of cards for me with a quick 10-day turnaround in 2009, and i was hoping for another success.  a year or so later, i sent another couple of cards - another '78 and a 1989 topps card.

well, two weeks ago, i got a return from the former dodger catcher and 1983 world series mvp, except it was a 1986 topps

and not the '78 or '89 or '91 card i had sent.  i'm thankful for the return though i am curious how this happens.  does he have a card desk where cards pile up and get knocked over and mixed up like so many of us do? or does he have a stack of pre-signed cards ready to go?  i'd like to think it was the former.

thanks for sending me a card rick - i am always appreciative of players taking some time to respond to mail.

from one junkie to another

tj the junior junkie recently sent me some new-to-me double play cards.  just when i thought i was close to having my list up to date…

here's a 1991 score ozzie guillen all-star subset card

it looks like tom foley needs an adult on his 1992 score card

i really like the double play ballet on display on mike bordick's 1993 pinnacle card

it was nice of pinnacle to keep all the body parts inside the image window.

speaking of body parts, is that base coach elbow we see on lance blankenship's 1993 topps stadium club card?

also from 1993, here's benji gil's upper deck card

it's hard to believe that i didn't already have this card pulled for the dp binder.

here's a 1997 score robby thompson

and a 2000 skybox dominion kevin stocker

i don't know who shaun boyd is, but i am glad bowman used this photo for his 2002 card

and now we are in the present with this 2013 topps update luis valbuena card

thanks for the cards tj!  i'll be sending you some stuff again soon...

another edition of same play? same play.

this double play post begins with carlos baerga suspended in mid air - not just on his 1992 upper deck card

but also on his 1992 leaf card

thanks to jeff at 2x3 heroes for pointing this out to me.  jeff also alerted me to many of the cards that are in this post, prompting a quick visit to sportlots.  anyway, i think we can all agree that this is the same play, right?  i mean, there's really not enough evidence to pinpoint the angels' baserunner that baerga is so acrobatically avoiding but it is pretty clearly the same guy.

unfortunately, this is not the case on these shawon dunston cards.  first, from 1993 topps stadium club, dunston doubles up some poor schlub in spring training

and then takes to the air on this 1991 fleer ultra card

over an anonymous expo at wrigley.  at least dunston is consistent with his long sleeves and red wristbands.

back to 1993 topps stadium club, here's tony phillips turning two in some nice throwbacks

back to wrigley, courtesy of 1991 score.  here's jose oquendo

standing triumphantly over mark grace.

now back to the detroit tigers, for whom lou whitaker is certainly making the turn on his 1991 upper deck card

even though we can't see the runner.  there's really no other reason for him to have his left foot on the base.

we get runner and base on jose lind's 1993 score card

plus the ball as well!

back to wrigley once again for craig biggio's 1993 upper deck sp card

with another mark grace cameo.  who was hitting behind grace, anyway?

and then to fenway and john valentin's 1994 topps card

where brady anderson and his famous sideburns make an appearance

now for a couple of 1994 topps stadium club cards - neither of which feature tigers, wrigley field, or mark grace.  instead, we get alex arias

 and biggio again

i'll finish up this double play post where it began - with carlos baerga suspended in midair.  this time, courtesy of his 1996 score select card

featuring game 6 world series action!  ryan klesko gets doubled up in a rare 1-6-4-3 double play.  i'm guessing dennis martinez deflected the ball to omar vizquel who relayed to baerga at the bag.  good stuff.

a double play junkie gets his fix

so, quite a few of the cards that the junior junkie has sent me over the last few months have been cards that feature double plays.  that is fine by me.  here are a few of them as the junkie takes over the gcrl airwaves today.

1987 sportflics ozzie guillen

i assure you, that is a double play card.  take a look from another angle

and another

and another

double play lenticular goodness!

1990 leaf mike gallego

i did not have much 1990 leaf in the collection, so this gallego is appreciated.

i can't believe, however, that i did not have a 1991 score casey candaele card

or a 1992 score jose lind card

or a luis river card from the same set

prior to the package arriving.

same goes for this 1992 upper deck jose oquendo

with ryno sliding in.  actually, i did have this oquendo, but it is part of a complete set so i am happy to have another.

here are a couple of jay bell cards - 1993 donruss triple play

and 1993 leaf

the dirt on the triple play card is largely what gives me reason to recognize the card as a dp turn.

here's another 1993 leaf card, this one of the royals' keith miller

i like this 1995 topps stadium club mike bordick card very much

more than this 1994 donruss ozzie smith

that features craig biggio, or this 1995 leaf ozzie

that features way too much busy-ness

the final card for this post is another card from 1995 leaf, but this one is of barry larkin

and comes from a great gloves insert set.

thanks again, thomas.  more cards coming soon!

double play cards from the dollar store

here are some cards that came my way via the blog sportscards from the dollar store.  doug took part in my 1983 fleer sticker group break, and offered to send some cards my way to offset the higher shipping costs to the great white north.  that he did.  here's a 2010 upper deck 'all world' insert of canadian catcher russell martin

that was the lone card in the package that did not feature a double play, if i recall correctly.  ready for some dp's?  here we go...

1990 upper deck ryne sandberg

1991 fleer ultra bill ripken

with a special appearance by harold reynolds

1991 score al newman

1992 classic i pat kelly

i am too lazy to look, but i think this is the same play that is on his 1992 donruss triple play awesome action card.  ok, i was motivated to look.  it's not, but it is eerily similar...

1992 classic i roberto alomar

with chuck knoblauch sliding in, which is kind of cool because here is knobby's 1992 classic i card

i had not seen any cards from this set before.  they feature questions on the back like other classic cards, but also have a stadium shot.  here's the back of knoblauch's card featuring the minneapolis skyline and the hhh metrodome.

there are a few newer buildings these days, and the metrodome's roof is new with a bunch of purple text on it since it is only home to the vikings now.  and that's just for one more season.

more dp cards from the dollar store coming up later.  thanks for the cards doug - you should be getting your stickers (along with a few other cards soon)!

2x3 double plays. literally.

that's right - i received 6 double play cards from jeff at 2x3 heroes the other day, five of which i did not previously own.  like this 1991 score terry shumpert card

relax fanboys, that's not derek jeter being forced out - wayne tolleson was number 2 in 1990.  besides, there were still a few years to go before jeter came along later in the decade.

here's a leapin' joey cora on his 1991 upper deck card

1991 upper deck also had this luis polonia card

which i will assume to be showing the aftermath of a double play turn given the body language of the infielder more than anything else.  still, the best part about double play turns are when the second baseman or shortstop are caught in the act of turning two, like shawon dunston on the back of his 1991 upper deck card

and johnny ray on the back of his 1991 upper deck card

very nice.  the card that is not shown here is the 1994 upper deck luis alicea card which i think i have shown a couple of times before.  i asked for another copy for the dodger stadium binder.

thanks jeff!  i've got some dp's and some throwbacks coming your way soon!