LA Dodgers win 2020 World Series

2020 has been quite a stinker of a year, so I'm gracious for any tidbit of joy that comes my way. The Dodgers World Series win last night against the Tampa Bay Rays made my week and is a great way to close out October for me.

This crazy year had me longing for any sort of normalcy in the spring. I yearned to watch baseball once again, and even started watching Korean baseball games to get my fix. That led to me spending hours reminiscing about Dodgers baseball of the 70s and 80s, which in turn led to getting me back into collecting baseball cards.

When baseball finally started up again, I began watching any game I could, but especially Dodgers games when they played in our market, which wasn't very often in central Florida. I noticed very quickly that the Dodgers had a heck of a team this year and knew they had a chance to go all the way.  This was one of those sweet wins. The last time the Dodgers won a World Series was 1988. This year marked the Dodgers 8th consecutive appearance postseason, but this year's talent finally made it happen. 

I definitely get some strange looks and eye rolls when people find out I'm a Dodgers fan. After all, I live in Central Florida and Tampa Bay is only a little over an hour south of us. Many a friend and colleague have stared me down and asked "Why?" when they learn the Dodgers are my team.  My spiel usually includes my backstory of being born in Southern California and the Dodgers being my older brother and I's team. Growing up in Colorado where there was no major league team to root for in the 70s and 80s, left only one option in our minds, and that was to continue our pledge of allegiance to the Dodgers.

Yes.. no matter where I hang my hat, I will always bleed Dodgers blue. I wish my late brother were around to relish in this long overdue and much deserved win, but I guess I will just have to celebrate for the both of us.

Get yourself a piece of the history on Amazon..

The Covid Lockdown got me back into collecting Baseball Cards

During the Covid-19 pandemic, I had a lot of time to think during the two months I was stuck at home, out of work, and sheltering in place. The anniversary of my big brother's passing happened during this time, and with it came lots of reflection and reminiscing.

That reminiscing led to an immense desire to watch baseball, and to thumb through some old baseball cards I still owned. The memories and feelings that instantly flooded back to me when I touched, smelled, read, and gazed upon my old cards, is the closest thing to time travel I've ever experienced. Memories from decades ago returned to me like they happened yesterday.

And just like that.. I suddenly found myself back on the path of a hobby I once loved so much. Maybe it was a yearning for some kind of normalcy to help ground me during all the current madness. Perhaps it had to do with wanting to feel comfortable in the moment, by looking back fondly on our childhood. 

Being able to actually touch pieces of that very history was surprisingly comforting and therapeutic.  Maybe I was always meant to go down this path once more.. I'm not entirely sure. Nevertheless, here I am again at mid-life getting back into baseball card collecting, and I feel like a kid again.

I got into collecting baseball cards back in the 70s when my brother gifted me a stack of his old cards and duplicates that he didn't need. Over the next two decades, that little stack of cards blossomed into 1000's of baseball and sports cards. At one point I was setting up tables at sports card shows, flea markets, malls, and conventions. 

The money I made selling cards more than paid for my collecting, and gave me a little walking money to boot. There was even a time where I was very close to opening a sports card business with my friend. In retrospect, I'm glad I opted not to do so, as the bottom fell out of the sports card collecting business a couple years later.

1975 Topps Standard and Mini Baseball Cards

My foray back into the hobby consisted of  buying a few cards to complete my Davey Lopes collection. I wanted every Topps brand card ever made during his 16 year career as a player. I thought I had accomplished my goal, but discovered I indeed did not posses every one of his Topps player cards. First off, I remembered there was a miniature set in 1975 that was identical in every way, only smaller.

Also, there were a few years towards the end of Lopes career, when Topps made 'Tiffany Sets' in addition to their standard bubble gum cards. Tiffany sets were of superior quality, made with better paper stock and a glossy finish. They were never packaged with gum, so there was no chance of staining and discoloration. I of course couldn't call my collection complete, until I added these to display next to their bubble gum counterparts. It's a bit extra I know.. but that's just how the mind of some collectors work.

I told myself I was going to stick to collecting vintage Davey Lopes cards if I indeed got back into the hobby, but Lopes was such a versatile player with the rare combo of power and crazy speed, they have never stopped making baseball cards for him. He also had a great career coaching, so he also has plenty of coaching cards as well.

2001 Upper Deck Sweet Spot Card

I quickly broke my rule of only collecting vintage when I saw the above card. This card actually contains the sweet spot of a baseball signed by Davey Lopes! There are tons of cards with autographs, pieces of game used bats, and jerseys. The great thing is that they are incredibly affordable. Many cards like this of bigger name players are pretty affordable as well, costing less than if you were to pay to get something signed by them.

1978 Topps Eddie Murray Rookie Card

The type of collector I am today..

My card collecting habits definitely lean towards vintage cards. Mainly because of the nostalgia and sentimental reasons. But from a collectors standpoint there were only so many of them produced, so they should continue to increase in value as time passes.

I had every intention of sticking with Davey Lopes cards, but I did follow other players as a kid like Eddie Murray, Steve Garvey, and many others. However, the thrill of the hunt often keeps the mind of a collector looking towards the next find. My collecting style is definitely evolving as I get back into the hobby, but here are the card types I've been collecting over the last few weeks..

• Davey Lopes cards all brands new and old
• Old LA Dodgers players cards
• Old Eddie Murray Cards
• Complete Dodgers team sets from the 70s & 80s
• Cards from food companies like Hostess, Fast Food etc.
• Various stars from the 70s, 80s, and early 90s

Not a huge list by any means, but that list could easily equate to thousands of cards, so I really need to dial in what I'm going to collect.


What collecting is like in 2020
Life definitely used to move a lot slower back in the day. I used to love visiting sport card shops to thumb through albums and boxes of cards for hours on end. This obviously is something you can't easily do nowadays. For one thing, there's the matter of Covid-19.  And then there's the fact that these stores simply are not as abundant as they once were. Before this pandemic, sports card shows and conventions still existed, but these are currently very much on hold.

So what's left for a card collecting enthusiast in this day and age? eBay! While it may not be as fun and stimulating as hitting up a card show or shop, it's an incredibly efficient and streamlined way to collect exactly what you want. From the superstar to most obscure players, there hasn't been a card I haven't been able to procure if I wanted it. 

This method of collecting is definitely keeping me focused on what I'm amassing. This time around, I don't want boxes containing 1000's of cards lying around the house. In short, using eBay has helped me to keep laser focused on what I want to collect.

The prices are great as well. I've bought a lot of cards in recent weeks for well under book value. I also often stumble across rare cards I had no clue existed. So while it's definitely a much different way to collect for an old school collector, there are bargains galore and treasures just waiting to be found. With the current state of everything, eBay has been a blessing for folks wanting to dip their toes back into the hobby.

1990 Bo Jackson Score card  #697

I was a huge Denver Broncos fan and followed many players like John Elway for their entire career. I also was a big Denver Nuggets fan as a kid, so don't think I haven't thought about stepping over into football and basketball cards as well. I'm not sure exactly how my collecting habits will continue to evolve, but I'm excited to explore and learn about the hobby all over again.

In case you're also getting into baseball or sports card collecting once again,

here is some great stuff to start up with that I've found on Amazon..

   

My boyhood Baseball hero Davey Lopes

I first heard of Dodgers player Davey Lopes in the mid 1970s via my brother.  He was my brother's favorite player, and quickly became mine as well.  Davey Lopes started playing with the  L.A. Dodgers as a rookie in the fall of 1972. I started keeping an eye on his career in the late 70s when the Dodgers had an incredible series of seasons leading up to their 1982 World Series win against the Yankees who were a force to be reckoned with during that time. The late 70s and early 80s was a great time to be a Dodgers fan, and Davey Lopes had a lot to do with that.

Davey Lopes was an incredibly versatile player with both speed and power, packed into a wiry 170-pound, 5'9" frame. What he lacked in power, he more than made up for with speed! That speed made him one of the most feared stolen base leaders in the game. He stole 557 bases during his 16 season career in Major League Baseball.  He stole 38 consecutive bases without getting caught in the 1975 season, breaking a standing 53 year record previously held by Max Carey. Lopes ranks 26th highest of all time in most stolen bases. However, what's really amazing, is that his success rate of doing so without getting caught is just over 83%, with 557 steals in 667 attempts.  That stat ranks him in the top ten best of all time, among players who had 400 or more stolen bases during their careers.  This guy made magic on more than one occasion, and we were witnesses to it time and time again.

My brother and I had polar opposite tastes in movies, but one movie we absolutely loved was 'The Sandlot'. The last scene of the movie, shows the character Benny 'the Jet' Rodriguez as an adult who is now a pro ball player with the L.A. Dodgers.  He is playing for the team during the same era Davey Lopes did, and ends up stealing home base.  David M. Evans who wrote, directed and narrated the Sandlot was a big Dodgers fan, and my brother and I always wondered if the adult version of Benny may have been loosely inspired by Davey Lopes. We never were able to corroborate this theory, but we always felt proud of ourselves for making the possible connection.

My brother inadvertently got me hooked on and involved in the hobby of baseball card collecting, when he gave me a 1978 Davey Lopes Topps baseball card that was one of his doubles. I loved everything about that card; the fancy cursive, the little baseball with Lopes player position, the crisp red border around the photo, the battering helmet he was wearing over his cap, and the multitude of stats on the back of the card.

The love of that card evolved into a hobby which in turn morphed into a pretty good side business for me. I would set up tables at flea markets, swap meets, trading card shows, etc. and made some pretty good money throughout the 90s. The side business paid for any cards and collectibles I wanted to buy for myself, and also provided me with a little walking money. I even almost went into business with a friend who started a sports card and collectibles store. A decision I'm glad I decided against, as the bottom totally fell out of that market in the late 90s.

I've since gotten out of the hobby, but have retained my collection of every Davey Lopes Topps brand baseball card ever made during his career as a player. My brother only collected Topps sports cards because they were miles above the competitors cards of the time. I followed suit for awhile, but eventually broadened my collection with other card brands.

All of my Lopes cards fit nicely in a small collector card album that I thumb through on occasion. You can see every one of my cards here where I've indexed them all. That '78 Davey Lopes card however, is still my favorite card in the collection. It's the card that got me into card collecting, the Dodgers, and reminds me of good times with my late brother.  I love the card more every time I look at it, and am still in awe of it to this day.

One collectible I attained that I wish my brother were alive to see, is my Davey Lopes autographed baseball. This is one of the balls from a signing to commemorate Lopes Gold Glove Award in 1978. I remember first getting this ball and removing from its box. The smell and feel of the soft rawhide, the gold colored stitches, along with his signature in blue ink, made me feel like I was holding a work of art. I personally don't know anyone else who would appreciate this ball more than my brother would have.

The next item on my list to obtain is a Davey Lopes Dodgers jersey. I've been wanting one for years and have decided its time to pull the trigger. I also may expand my card collection starting with oddball Lopes cards made by Kellogg's etc. I also very well may start collecting Fleer and Donruss cards from 1974 to 1988. I still don't like them as much as the old Topps cards, but they do have a feel to them that embodies the era they were made, and I'm looking forward into revisiting them.  And of course, any new and unique additions to my collection will probably be shared here, so keep an eye out if you are also a Davey Lopes fan.

The LA Dodgers of the 70s & 80s.. when baseball was magical to me. Lockdown Day 58

I like baseball.  However, I was a bigger fan in years past, and especially when I was younger. I'm not entirely sure I would have ever gotten into it at all if not for my big brother.  He lived for baseball, and his team was the LA Dodgers. Growing up in southern California for a good part of our childhood, the Dodgers were my brother's team. Looking up to big brothers as younger siblings often do, the Dodgers also became my team.


My brother often went to Dodgers games with his friends in Los Angeles.  I remember one night when I was about five years old, I laid in my bed crying because I wasn't allowed to go to the game with my brother and his friends.  My Mother came into my room, turned on my Mickey Mouse radio and dialed it in to the Dodgers game. She sat on the bed with me for a while and told me to listen real close. After a few moments she exclaimed "Do you hear that? It's your brother Danny! He's screaming and cheering for the Dodgers!". Even at five years old, I was skeptical as to how she knew it was him, but I put my ear close to the radio and listened to the game intently until I fell asleep. The next day, I awoke to find my brother had brought me something back from the game. I think it was a pennant or a mini plastic Dodgers cap.  I'm not sure if my mother put him up to that, or if he just felt sorry for me.

The Dodgers were on a tear for the better part of the 70s. They finished 1st or 2nd in the league for an entire decade for all but two seasons. They finished in 3rd place in '72 and '79. They lost the World Series to the New York Yankees in both '77 and '78. I always remember my brother absolutely hating the Yankees, so by default, I of course hated them too. Other boys my age idolized Reggie Jackson while I abhorred him. I would even trade away any Reggie Jackson baseball cards from my collection for Dodger players. I even once rigged a Jackson card in the spokes of my bicycle as a noise maker, which was an unforgivable sin back in the day, as that was something you reserved for 'common' player cards. 

The Dodgers had their comeuppance however in 1981, when they won the World Series against the Yankees four games to two.  My brother was so nervous, as the Dodgers lost the first two games.  They then rallied and won the next four, and my brother was on top of the world for weeks.  I was happy about it too, and was proud to call myself a Dodgers fan. I remember a wonderful sense of fulfillment I suddenly got from being a part of something bigger.  At that time, we had lived in Colorado for about two years and had no Major League Baseball team to follow, so we were faithful Dodgers fans through and through.  I would get crap from the kids at school who would call me a bandwagon jumper, but I took pride in telling them I grew up in California and was watching Dodgers games when I was 4 years old.

The longest running infield in history..

Ron Cey, Bill Russell, Davey Lopes, Steve Garvey

I remember the Dodgers having the most incredible players during those magical years.  You had players like Fernando Valenzuela, Pedro Guerrero, Dusty Baker, Steve Garvey, and my brother and I's hero.. Davey Lopes.  Lopes 10-year slash line with the Dodgers (batting average / on base percentage / slugging avg) was .262 / .349 / .380. Nothing to shake a stick at for sure, but what has always been remarkable to me, was that Lopes stole 418 bases during his ten years with the Dodgers, only being caught 85 times. In one game, he stole five consecutive bases and set a franchise record that stands to this day. He wasn't a big slugger, but he was super fast and could make magic happen.

During this whole Covid mess, my enthusiasm for baseball has recently morphed from interest into passion.  It's the classic dilemma "You don't know what you have until it's gone". I've been dying to watch the Dodgers, but am really been desperate to watch any game whatsoever. Not knowing when I will be able to watch MLB games once again is driving me nuts. I can only imagine how crazy the hard core fans are feeling right now. 

As a way to help cope, I sprung for ESPN+ early this week, and have been filling my free time with watching old 80s Dodgers games. Its been a great way to re-live my youth, and has brought back lots of great memories. I've also begun watching KBO Korean Baseball. It really is a nice way to pass an afternoon.  As crazy as it may sound, seeing the park, the baseball diamond, and simply watching the game being played, is bringing back a sense of normalcy to my spring. I neglected baseball for a long time.  On the other side of this pandemic, I won't make that same mistake.  Not only in regards to baseball, but for a long list of things.

• For the Dodgers Fan:  Dodger Blue website

• MY KBO:  ( The best site around for those new to Korean Baseball )

I'm so ready to watch some Baseball - Lockdown Day 45

I'm not the biggest baseball fan, and haven't been an avid watcher since the 80s and early 90s.  Similar to pro wrestling and NBA basketball, there was just something more exciting and fun to me about watching it back in the day.  I can count on one hand how many times I actually played baseball in my life, but I still admired the sport.

I had a Dusty Baker baseball mitt that my Dad bought me when I was about seven years old that I still own .  Having a Mitt was something just about every boy was expected to own back in the day.  I never used it much, just to play catch with my Dad and Brother occasionally.  I was proud to own that mitt however, and it made me feel like I was part of something bigger.

With talk of Baseball coming back soon, I'm all about watching some games as soon as they start up.  I am a man without a team though.  I do watch Dodger games, because I lived in Southern California until I was about 8 years old.  It was my Brother's favorite team, and I was very familiar with the team history and players from a very young age.  We had our favorite players like 'El Toro'.. Fernando Valenzuela, Davey Lopes, Dusty Baker, Steve Garvey, and who didn't love watching Tommy Lasorda marching out on the field to argue with the Umps?  We loved it when he did that.  Here's one of the many shows he put on back in the day..

Those were the days.  Tommy was just as entertaining as watching the game sometimes.

While the Dodgers hold a special place in my heart, I followed many teams over the years like the Oakland A's, Anaheim Angels, Baltimore Orioles, Chicago White Sox, Milwaukee Brewers, and a few others.  I credit this to my Brother.  He would buy baseball cards and give me any doubles he'd get, which got me into the hobby of baseball card collecting.  He taught me what the stats meant on the back of the cards, and I became enthralled with how better some players were than others. 

It was because of reading facts and stats about players from their respective cards, that I started following players rather than teams.  Eddie Murray from the Baltimore Orioles was my favorite childhood player, and in most recent years David Ortiz aka 'Big Papi' from the Boston Red Sox.  In fact, the only Baseball Jersey I currently wear is a Big Papi jersey.

I don't even care who is going to be playing, I'm going to be watching games as soon as baseball starts up.  I had every intention of catching a spring training game locally this year, but those plans were obviously derailed.  While I can watch games on TV, there's just something so great about watching them live.  I'm not sure when we will be able to take in games like that once again, but I'm for sure going to enjoy them all that much more when they do return.  Baseball.. one more thing on a list of many, that I sorely miss now that it's not there.

Hot Dog Hall of Fame - Universal City Walk Orlando

Hot Dogs and Baseball.  There's no denying that they pretty much go hand in hand.  If you like either one.. then do I have a restaurant for you!  Hot Dog Hall of Fame is located at Universal Studios City Walk, and is a must see for any baseball or Hot Dog fanatic. Once this epidemic is done and finished, I can't wait to visit there once again.   There's so much I can say about this place, so let me walk you through my experience from my last visit..

When you walk up to Hot Dog Hall of Fame, one of the first things you see and hear is their Jumbotron playing live sports games.  I was hoping for a baseball game, but on this particular day.. Wimbledon was in full swing, and Serena Williams was playing, which was pretty entertaining to watch as well.

The queue is actually a mini baseball field!

STADIUM SEATING!!

This was one of my favorite things about this place.  Not only do you have real stadium seating, but you can sit in old authentic stadium seats from ball parks around the United States!  Check out some of the seats below..

These were my favorite seats, and the ones I chose to sit in with my son.  They're seats from Angel Stadium in Anaheim California.  I sat in these same exact chairs from that era a baby with my Mom in 1970, four years after the stadium opened!  Check out my stylish Retro Mama and I in the picture below during summer 1970..

If you're a mustard enthusiast, you'll love the Incredible Mustard Bar sporting Stone Ground, Spicy Jalapeno, Smoky Garlic, Beer n' Brat, and Original Ball Park varieties.

Oh yeah.. the Hot Dogs are great as well!  I ordered the Kansas City Dog which sported a Vienna All-Beef Hotdog, Pulled Pork, Coleslaw, Pickles and Barbecue Sauce.  My son had the Detroit Dog with a Koegel Hotdog, Abbott's Coney Chili, Cheese and Diced Onions.  Other Hot Dogs you could get most recently are listed below..

Chicago

Vienna All-Beef Hotdog, Poppy-Seed Bun, Neon Relish, Sport Peppers, Diced Onions and Tomatoes, Pickle, Celery Salt. 

Colorado

Nathan's Famous Hot Dog, Grilled Peppers & Onions, Sauerkraut. 

Boston

Kayem All-Beef Hotdog, Toasted New England-Style Bun, Spicy Brown Mustard, Diced Onions, Relish. 

Washington

Hebrew National Dog, Buffalo Sauce, Coleslaw, Blue Cheese Dressing, Celery Salt

New York

Sabrett All-Beef Hot dog, Sauerkraut, Mustard.

Arizona

Vienna All-Beef Hotdog, Smoked Bacon, Pinto Beans, Grilled Onions & Peppers, Cheese. Served with Fries

Milwaukee

Bratwurst Sausage, Hoagie Roll, Grilled Onions, Spicy Brown Mustard. Served with Fries

Foot Long Dog

Vienna All Beef Hotdog, Foot Long Bun, Choice of Two Toppings. Served with Fries

Two Foot Dog

Vienna All-Beef Hot dog, Baguette, Choice of Two Toppings

Italian Sausage

Provolone Cheese, Grilled Onions, and Peppers. 

Veggie Dog Platter

MorningStar Farms Veggie Dog with choice of two toppings

Regular sized hot dogs are around $9.99 with fries.  Not the cheapest, but the experience as a whole makes it well worth the price.  I will definitely hit up Hot Dog Hall of Fame again in the future. Next time I might even try to tackle their Two Foot long Hot Dog!

Visit Hot Dog Hall of Fame Online