Playing With My Dodgers: Henry Schmidt & Darren Dreifort (or, "I'm No Sandy Koufax")

There have been five pitchers to win 20 or more ballgames in their final big-league season. The most recent was Mike Mussina of the Yankees, who posted his first and only 20-win campaign in 2008. Two of these pitchers (Eddie Cicotte and Lefty Williams) had their careers ended prematurely by their participation in the Black Sox scandal of 1919. And Sandy Koufax was forced by injury to retire after what may have been the best season of his legendary career.

The final man on this list is unique in that his 20-win season was not only his last, but his first and only season in the major leagues. Henry Schmidt went 35-20 in the independent California League in 1902 for the Oakland Clamdiggers (or Oakland Dudes, depending upon your source), prompting the Brooklyn Superbas to sign him for the 1903 season. The 30-year-old righty would lead Brooklyn's staff in victories, going 22-13, despite posting the highest ERA (3.83) of any member of the club's rotation. The Superbas wanted Schmidt back for the 1904 season, but the reluctant hurler returned his contract unsigned with a note that read, "I do not like living in the East and will not report," bringing his one-year big-league career to a close.

1990 Target All-Time Dodgers Henry Schmidt BRO #1063

Schmidt may have had a card or two made of him during his career on the west coast. But maybe not. I haven't seen any evidence that such a thing exists. And even if there is something out there, I'm unlikely to ever come into possession of it. So, blurry photo and all, this Target card of the only man to have a single-season, twenty-win big-league career is a beautiful thing.

I've been doing this card blogging thing for about a year now. I started (the currently hibernating) Top of the Topps on April 16 of last year. It's an anniversary that I'd intended to acknowledge at the time, maybe even by reawakening that blog for the spring. But that didn't happen.

I had a very productive month o' March as a blogger. April? Not so much. If I were a big-league pitcher, my blogging skills would translate into the kind of player that I don't much care for. I'm streaky. Inconsistent. And I was in a big-time slump last month. Not the kind where you're just missing the corners and every little blooper is finding a hole. No, this was the kind of slump where you routinely get knocked out of the box before you even get used to the mound. Translating that back into blogging, I not only had writer's block, but scanner's block, cropper's block, and just about any other kind of block that you can think of. When that happens, I start to compare myself to the steady veterans out there who post just about daily, month after month, year after year. I start to feel like maybe I don't belong in the big leagues. The slump snowballs, and it becomes harder and harder to get back on track.

So, does that mean I'm going to be like Henry Schmidt? Am I going to have one pretty good year of blogging, and then disappear?

Eric Gagne (chemically-enhanced), Sandy Koufax, Clayton Kershaw, Hideo Nomo, Chan Ho Park... Darren Dreifort. Sixth in Dodgers' franchise history with 8.27 strikeouts per nine innings is Darren Dreifort. This fact does more to point out what might have been than what the highly-touted righty actually accomplished in his twelve seasons as a Dodger. Only four pitchers have spent more seasons with the franchise (Don Sutton, Don Drysdale, Orel Hershiser and Johnny Podres). But thanks to twenty surgeries in his big-league career, causing him to completely sit out three of those twelve years, among many other stretches on the disabled list, Dreifort's long career really never got on track.

This was made all the worse by the fact that his agent, Scott Boros, would work his "magic" by getting the Dodgers to agree to a five-year, $55 million contract when Dreifort became a free agent after the 2000 season. Dreifort was coming off his finest big-league season, in which he went 12-9 with a 4.16 ERA. His career record at that point was 39-45. He would never again win more than four games in a season. He was unable to pitch in the final year of the contract (and his career), despite being the seventh-highest paid player in the National League in 2005.

2000 Fleer Tradition Darren Dreifort LAD #330

I got this great card from Jeff over at 2x3 Heroes as part of his awesome 'Tis the Season package that he sent my way. It's a gift that keeps on giving! It's tough not to like these great '50s Topps knockoffs. And I'm a big fan of red borders and backgrounds for Dodgers cards. Good stuff. Thanks again, Jeff.

So, am I more like Darren Dreifort? Will I stick with this blogging thing, occasionally flashing signs of potential, but struggling through slumps and periods of inactivity? Or might I find it in me to step up my game, stick this thing out, gain some consistency and maybe find a way to shine on occasion? I'm no Sandy Koufax. But, hopefully, I'm also no Henry Schmidt or Darren Dreifort, either. Can I be Don Sutton? Maybe not. Fernando Valenzuela? That would work. Nap Rucker? Possibly. Van Mungo? We'll see. Only time will tell.

I have some catching up to do around here, especially in the trade post department. As the Night Owl recently pointed out, trade posts aren't exactly the marquee matchups of the card blogging world. So I'm going to continue to explore this theme of what kind of blogger and collector I may be, and want to be, while I bring things up to date and give some much-deserved thanks to a long list of generous bloggers (and a couple of non-bloggers, as well).

In the meantime, I hope you'll hang in there with me while I continue to figure out my place in this world. My "career" is in the balance, and as Random as things can be around here, anything can happen.

(To be continued...)

Playing With My Dodgers: John Purdin

It couldn't really be as easy at it probably seemed. And, eventually, it wasn't. But the first taste of big-league action for 21-year-old John Purdin in 1964 had to be pretty heady stuff for the Ohio native.

The first batter he faced, coming out of the bullpen in the sixth inning on September 16, with the Dodgers trailing Pittsburgh by five, was Bill Mazeroski. He retired the future Hall-of-Famer on a grounder to third, and worked a scoreless inning. In the seventh, he retired Roberto Clemente, Willie Stargell and Donn Clendenon in order. Not a bad debut.

But it would get even better. Purdin got the start his next time out, facing Larry Jackson and the Cubs at Dodger Stadium on September 30. Cubs catcher Dick Bertell singled in the third and fifth innings. Those would be the only two hits allowed by Purdin in a 2-0 complete-game victory. Purdin would get one more chance, starting the final game of the year for the Dodgers, at home against Houston on October 4. He would finally surrender a run on a fourth-inning leadoff homer by Jimmy Wynn. But he picked up the win with five solid innings in an 11-1 rout.

Purdin was never going to be able to sustain that kind of success. And he didn't. Another brief trial in 1965 wasn't pretty. He spent all of '66 and '67 in the minors, was effective out of the Dodger bullpen in '68, and then not so much in '69. And that was it for his major-league career.

1969 Topps John Purdin LAD #161

The Vintage Virtuoso, Mark "Harry" Hoyle comes through again, continuing to stake his claim as the biggest, baddest contributor to the PWMD collection. In this case, perseverance paid off, as Mark had sent me Purdin's only other solo Topps card in the very first package that he sent my way. Way to employ the process of elimination, Mark! Thanks again for being the Santa Clause of baseball cards. I have no idea how I managed to get on the "good" list, but I'm sure glad to be here.

Playing With My Dodgers: George Hildebrand

What a great story. If you're interested, I've posted the back of this card for you to read the details. Long story short: George Hildebrand was a minor-league outfielder at the turn of the Twentieth Century, playing mostly in the old Pacific Coast League, who invented the spitball. Then he became an American League umpire, serving in that capacity for 22 years, from 1913 to 1934. The pitch that he'd invented was outlawed by Major League Baseball in 1920, meaning that it was his job to make sure pitchers didn't illegally employ "his" pitch!

Oh yeah, and his entire major-league career consisted of eleven games for Brooklyn in 1902.

1993 Megacards TSN Conlon Collection George Hildebrand UMP #708

Here is another excellent example of the power of Random. This is one of the many excellent cards chosen by Dime Box Nick, as my card show proxy shopper. I don't know what Nick knew about George Hildebrand, if anything, when he grabbed this card for me. You would have to read to the end of the text on the back of the card to determine that Hildebrand had anything to do with the Dodgers. It's my guess that Nick simply saw a nice Conlon card, with the truly Random element of an umpire labeled as a "spitballer," and figured that alone would make this a card destined for my playground. If so, he would have been entirely correct, at that. But the fact that it depicts a Dodger (Superba, actually) who played in just eleven big-league games, all back in 1902, naturally vaults the thing into PWMD perfection. Thanks again, Nick, for your uncanny ability to channel the power of Random.

Playing With My Dodgers: Preacher Roe

One of my prized possessions is my Grandfather's old copy of Roger Kahn's The Boys of Summer. It might be a first edition. I have no idea. But it's properly worn out from the readings it's provided for Grandpa and me over the years. The players who appear in Kahn's masterpiece became more like mythical characters than regular ol' ballplayers to me growing up. Those Brooklyn Dodger teams are better known for their offense. Robinson, Reese, Snider, Campanella, Hodges, Furillo... these are the names that come most readily to mind. But, as with any perennial contender, the Dodgers of this era enjoyed the backbone of an excellent pitching staff. And if Preacher Roe's name isn't as widely remembered today, it's neither for a lack of talent nor personality.

A flamethrower in his youth, injuries had turned Roe into the proverbial crafty lefty by the time Branch Rickey brought him to Brooklyn in 1948. In fact, the extent of his craftiness was well-known around the league, and was revealed by Ol' Preach himself shortly after his retirement. Motivated to encourage Major League Baseball to once again legalize the spitball (and/or by the $2,000 that he was paid by Sports Illustrated to make the confession), Roe admitted to including the banned pitch in his repertoire throughout much of his career. The son of a doctor, a college man himself, and a high school math teacher in the offseason, the Arkansas native played to the media by affecting the stereotypical drawl and mannerisms of a hillbilly bumpkin. But the bottom line is that the man could pitch. Roy Campanella considered Roe the best pitcher he ever caught. "He was a guy who knew what he was doing every second of every minute," said Campy.

Perhaps Preacher Roe's finest moment in baseball came in the 1949 World Series. Brooklyn had dropped a heartbreaker in the opening game at Yankee Stadium, with Allie Reynolds outlasting Don Newcombe for a 1-0 victory, courtesy of a walk-off homer by Tommy Henrich. Preach got the call for game two, facing Vic Raschi. Jackie Robinson doubled to lead off the second inning, and was driven in with two outs by Gil Hodges to give Brooklyn a 1-0 lead. In the fourth, the Yanks' Johnny Lindell ripped a shot back through the box that tore half a nail off of Preacher's glove-hand ring finger. There was so much swelling that the Dodgers' trainer had to drill a hole in the nail to relieve the pressure and allow Roe to stay in the game with what turned out to be a broken digit. Ol' Preach hung tough and shut out the Bombers for a six-hit, 1-0 victory to even the series.

1954 Topps Preacher Roe BRO #14

This is yet another vintage gem chosen by my proxy shopper, Nick, for the First Dime Box Card Show. You can see the confidence, intelligence, and country charm on the face of Ol' Preach. You can picture him whittling away at a piece of wood, straw dangling from his lips, as he languorously takes in the day from a rocking chair on his porch. Or you can just as easily envision the man as a wise country doctor, keeping a frazzled farmer calm while delivering his wife's baby in a barn. Being a city guy, myself, Preach might as well be a mythical character. This is a fantastic piece of cardboard that further brings to life for me one of The Boys of Summer. Thanks for exercising your considerable card show powers to bring this great card home to its rightful place in the PWMD set, Nick.

Playing With My Dodgers: Jeff Kubenka

Jeff Kubenka was drafted by the Dodgers in the 38th round of the 1996 amateur draft. The lefty reliever appeared in six games for LA in 1998 (0.96 ERA), and six more in 1999 (11.74 ERA). And that was it for Kubenka's big-league career. Although he ended up with an earned run average that was nothing to write home about, his career batting average puts him at the very top of the all-time list... as long as it's a list for which one plate appearance qualifies.

I often talk about a player's first major league game, but in Kubenka's case we'll take a look at his last. It was Sunday afternoon, August 8, 1999, at Shea Stadium in New York. The Dodgers sent the talented, though fragile, Darren Dreifort to the mound to face the Mets. The Dodger bats were hot that day, and by the time Dreifort left the game, with one out in the seventh inning, the Dodgers led 11-2. Enter Kubenka, who would allow just a solo homer to reserve infielder Luis Lopez in his inning-and-two-thirds of work. But Jeff's favorite memory of this, his final game, has to be his lone plate appearance in the major leagues. In the top of the eighth, Kubenka stroked a line drive single to right, and would later score on an Eric Karros base hit. He may have had an unremarkable career as a pitcher, but the man was a 1.000 hitter, and you can't take that away from him...

1999 Fleer/SkyBox Thunder Jeff Kubenka LAD #136

This card was chosen for me by Nick, as part of the First Dime Box Card Show. Not surprisingly, given its vintage, cards from this set are new to my collection. I usually don't like it when the player photo is taken completely out of context like this. But I have to say that I really like the traditional feel of the design. It's unique, without being overwhelming in the way, say, Metal Universe cards are. I liked the few samples Nick chose for me so much that I made a winning offer for a cheap 100+ card lot on eBay. They're not perfect cards, though. The photo choices can get a bit tedious. And then there's the problem of the flip sides, which include ridiculous attempts at hip lingo. SkyBox apparently didn't have much more of substance to say about Kubenka than I did:

We'll give it up for ya, J.K., 'cause you can play, and we'd take you on our fly team anyday.

Okay. When in Rome, I guess...

Props for dropping a PWMD on this blog, Dime Box King. Just doin' yo thing. You da bomb!

Yeah, good thing I only use the front of the cards for the PWMD set.

Playing With My Dodgers: Jack Banta

Jack Banta was a lanky righthander with a sidearm crossfire motion. Following a couple of trials with the Dodgers in 1947 and '48, seasons in which he spent most of his time dominating International League batters in Montreal, Banta stuck with Brooklyn in 1949. After toiling effectively out of the bullpen for the majority of the season, Banta was inserted into the starting rotation in mid-August, going 4-1 with a 3.10 ERA over the course of eight late-season starts to help Brooklyn stay close to the St. Louis Cardinals in a tight race for the National League pennant.

Going into the final day of the 1949 season, on October 2, Brooklyn stood atop the NL standings by a single game over the Cardinals. With the Cards at Wrigley Field, en route to a 13-5 shellacking of the Cubs, the Dodgers needed to beat the Phillies at Shibe Park to avoid another playoff with St. Louis for a trip to the World Series. It looked good when Brooklyn batted around in the third inning, taking a 5-0 lead behind their ace, Don Newcombe. But the Cards would battle back, and by the time Jack Banta was summoned from the bullpen to replace reliever Rex Barney, the tying run stood at second base for St. Louis with two outs in the sixth inning of a 7-6 game.

Banta surrendered a base hit to Del Ennis that would plate Granny Hamner with the tying run. But he would strike out Andy Seminick to end the inning and the rally. Banta would then settle in to toss three scoreless, hitless frames, keeping the contest knotted at seven through nine innings. In the top of the tenth, Pee Wee Reese singled and was bunted over to second, where Duke Snider would drive in the captain with the go-ahead run. An insurance run gave Brooklyn a 9-7 lead for Banta to protect... which he did, retiring Richie Ashburn to end the game and send the Dodgers to their third Fall Classic matchup with the Yankees.

Banta pitched well in three relief appearances against the Bronx Bombers in a losing cause for Brooklyn, and hopes were high for the Kansas native going into the 1950 season. But arm troubles would crop up in spring training. The state of sports medicine being what it was at the time, the Dodgers pumped Banta's arm full of morphine and kept sending him out there. Eventually, they decided that having his wisdom teeth removed might cure the pain in his shoulder. Not surprisingly, that didn't work and, at just 25 years of age, Banta's promising major-league career was over.

1950 Bowman Jack Banta BRO #224

This first Brooklyn Dodger to be inducted into the PWMD set comes courtesy of the Vintage Virtuoso, Mark "Harry" Hoyle. The man really outdid himself this time. What can I say? It's simply incredible to consider how much enjoyment Mark has provided me in such a short time. With this beautiful little piece of cardboard, Mark has matched the oldest card in my collection, Hoot Evers, from this same 1950 Bowman set. Words are not enough, sometimes, even though that's all a blog has got. Thank you, Mark. Sincerely.

Playing With My Dodgers: Bruce Brubaker

Do you live in Kentucky? Are you on the market for a new or pre-owned car, truck or van? If so, discover “The Champion Experience” with a visit to Champion Ford Lincoln Mazda on Southtown Boulevard in Owensboro, KY. And while you're there, say hello to Bruce Brubaker, owner of one of the premier dealerships in western Kentucky, as well as the experience of pitching in a big-league game for the Dodgers.

That's right, "a" big-league game, as in one. Actually, I'm shorting him. That's one game as a Dodger. He also pitched in one game for the Milwaukee Brewers, bringing his lifetime total up to two appearances. Let's give the man his due. He was a 117-game winner in the minors from 1959, when he was 17 years old, through his retirement in 1972.

That one appearance for the Dodgers? It came on April 15, 1967, in St. Louis. Don Sutton didn't have it that day. By the time Brubaker was summoned from the bullpen by Walt Alston to make his major-league debut, the Dodgers trailed the Cardinals 10-3. With a runner on first and two outs in the bottom of the seventh, Brubaker struck out the first big-leaguer he faced, Phil Gagliano, to end the inning. The eighth inning would not go so smoothly. It started with a Julian Javier double, followed by a single by Dal Maxvill. One out later, Brubaker's career ERA would never look pretty again, as he was touched for a three-run homer by future Hall-of-Famer Lou Brock.

1967 Topps Bruce Brubaker LAD #276

Why does this card exist? That's a reasonable question when you consider that Brubaker hadn't arrived in the majors yet. The Dodgers made him a Rule 5 draft pick out of the Philadelphia organization (hence, the maroon windbreaker peaking out from beneath his uniform), so he was hardly a heralded prospect. And yet, here it is. And it's a beautiful thing. You know you want to buy a car from this guy...

This card arrived on its own in a PWE from the Vintage Virtuoso, Mark "Harry" Hoyle. I seems like Mark has been on a mission to locate the most obscure player eligible for the PWMD set, and with Brubaker he may have reached the pinnacle (or nadir) of that goal. Looks like you need a new goal, Mark. Time to head in the opposite direction? Koufax hasn't been inducted yet, you know... I kid. But there's no kidding when I say that I continue to be astounded by, and appreciative of, the surprises Mark has in store for my collection and this humble blog.

Playing With My Dodgers: Updates & Tweaks

I hadn't expected to make any updates to the Playing With My Dodgers set quite so soon. But I guess it's good news. Updates mean upgrades. Let's play...

2012 Topps Heritage Bobby Abreu LAD #H669

Bobby Abreu was the second player to join the set, with his 2012 Topps Update card getting the nod. But as Nick of Dime Boxes pointed out in a comment, I had failed to consider (because I didn't know about it) the high-numbered SP from the Heritage set. Well, I have it now, and since it gets a little more up close and intimate with Abreu (even though it makes him look like a frog), it joins the set.

Another interesting thing about Abreu's entrance into the PWMD set is that his comeback this year with the Phillies (if it's successful) will mean that I've broken my own rule about not inducting a player until he's retired. I guess I ought to adopt the ol' five-year rule for that reason.

2005 MLB Showdown Trading Deadline Wilson Alvarez LAD #37

If Nick gets an assist for the Abreu update, he gets the putout for this Wilson Alvarez update. The much appreciated assist goes to Bo from Baseball Cards Come to Life, who pointed out on the pitcher's induction day that (despite my faulty research to the contrary) Alvarez does appear in a Dodger uniform on cardboard. Fortunately for me, the master of the Dime Boxes had an extra copy of one such specimen that he was generous enough to send my way. I guess it's fitting that there will be a gaming card in the Playing With My Dodgers collection.

In addition to adopting the five years of retirement eligibility rule, I'm making a couple of other minor tweaks to the guidelines. I've decided that, sometimes, one card just isn't enough. For some players, depending upon their significance and the existing cards from which to choose, I will use cards with both a portrait shot and an action shot.

1989 Fleer Ramon Martinez LAD #67

The only player already in the set that this effects is Ramon Martinez, who was inducted with a fabulous action shot from 1996 Stadium Club. To that, I will add this nice young smiley face. There were some other solid options, but this one stood out to me. It had to stand out for an '89 Fleer to be given any love.

The other change in the content of the PWMD set will be to also include Brooklyn Dodgers. The "goal" remains a card (or cards) for every Los Angeles Dodger. But the collection will also include as many players from before the continental shift as I can get my hands on, with no intention of trying for completion there. It would actually be somewhat possible if I were to lean heavily on the 1990 Target Dodgers set, but I have no interest in doing that.

Okay, onward and forward we go...

Playing With My Dodgers: Jim Wynn

From the vantage point of the 1970s, a career .250 hitter who routinely struck out over a hundred times a season wouldn't have looked like a player who belonged in a conversation of all-time greats. To the Sabermatricians of today, looking at a power hitter with a lifetime .366 on-base percentage, it's a different story.

The raw numbers put up by Jim Wynn in his fifteen-year major-league career are impressive, no matter how you look at them. Then you factor in the home ballpark in which he spent the majority of his career. The Astrodome was one of the toughest parks on offense that modern baseball has seen. Next, you consider the era in which he played. Wynn's age 26 season was 1968, aka, "The Year of the Pitcher," which was the pinnacle of baseball's second dead ball era.

OPS+ attempts to adjust for context, allowing for a more level playing field when comparing players from divergent run-scoring environments. Wynn's career OPS+ of 129 is equal to that of no-doubt Hall-of-Famer Eddie Murray. Now consider the fact that Wynn played center field and stole 225 bases in his career to go along with his 291 home runs. Finally, keep in mind that "The Toy Cannon" clocked in at just 5'10" and 160 lbs., and you have an argument (one that's been made by many) that Jim Wynn might just be the most underrated player in modern baseball history.

Coming to the Dodgers in 1974 in exchange for veteran pitcher Claude Osteen helped to improve impressions of Wynn's value. But not as much as it should have. Los Angeles found itself playing in a World Series in Wynn's first year with the club. The centerfielder made the All-Star team, unbelievably for only the second time in his career. And he was named the NL Comeback Player of the Year, after nothing worse than an average season (107 OPS+) for Houston in '73. But he finished fifth in the MVP voting, and third among players on his own team. The winner, Steve Garvey, posted a slash line of .312/.342/.469. Wynn: .271/.387/.497. It really was all about batting average back then.

How about a little appreciation for "The Toy Cannon," Jim Wynn?

1975 Topps Mini Jim Wynn LAD #570

Speaking of appreciation, this is the final PWMD inductee (for now?) from the Vintage Virtuoso, Mark "Harry" Hoyle. And it's a true gem. To my way of thinking, it is the perfect card to represent Wynn in the set. I will not be using a '75 Mini for any other player. But for "The Toy Cannon," it couldn't be more appropriate. There might be a better-looking card in the '75 Topps set, but you'd have to really dig to find it. The fantastic primary colors of the border, the big ol' All-Star star, the sun-shined helmet, those sweet sideburns and Wynn's "I'm just happy to finally play for a winner" gap-toothed smile all conspire to achieve aesthetic perfection. I mean, the card is so colorful that it manages to make the bright blue sky look dull by comparison. Take that, nature! This is what a PWMD card is all about. As John Hart would say, "This is what they look like." And as I would (and do) say, thank you again, Mark. Your impact on my collection has already been profound, and will always be appreciated.

Playing With My Dodgers: Jim Campanis

Just how far does nepotism go?

Jim Campanis was "scouted" by Dodger scouting director Al Campanis (who happened to be his father), leading Los Angeles to sign the catcher as an ametuer free agent in 1962.

In his major league debut, the only game in which he would appear in 1966, Jim Campanis caught the final two innings ever pitched in the regular season by Sandy Koufax at Dodger Stadium.

In limited action, most of it coming in 1967, Campanis would bat a paltry .149 in 74 at bats as a Dodger.

By the end of 1968, Al Campanis, now serving as general manager, would send his son to Kansas City for a couple of minor leaguers too inconsequential for Baseball Reference to mention by name.

I guess there's your answer about nepotism, at least when it comes to baseball.

P.S. Jim Campanis batted .147 in the remaining 143 at bats of his career, proving that his father was a shrewd GM... I guess.

1968 Topps Jim Campanis LAD #281

Here's the third of four PWMD inductees from the latest delivery from Mark "Harry" Hoyle. We can see from Jim's catcher's mitt that his initials afforded him the opportunity to both label his possessions and make a religious statement at the same time. Taking a look at his big-league stats, I would be inclined to throw the middle initial of "H." into the mix...

Playing With My Dodgers: Bob Lee

Bob Lee's career with the Dodgers consisted of four games early in the 1967 season.

First three appearances: 3.2 IP, 0 Runs, 2 Hits, 2 K, 0 BB
Final appearance: 3.0 IP, 8 Runs (4 Earned), 4 Hits, 0 K, 3 BB

He was then sold to the Reds, where his career would fizzle out by the end of the following season.

The best parts of the big right-hander's story were written before his trade to the Dodgers for Nick Willhite (another recent PWMD inductee). "Moose" had a fantastic rookie season for the Angels in 1964, and followed that up with an all-star campaign in '65. The reliever compiled a scoreless innings streak over the course of those seasons that reached 21, an Angels franchise record that was not broken until just last season by Jared Weaver.

1967 Topps Bob Lee LAD #313

In this, the second of four new PWMD inductees to recently arrive courtesy of Mark "Harry" Hoyle, Lee still sports his California Angels jersey. But it's his military-grade flattop that really stands out. Yet another gem from the "Vintage Virtuoso."

Playing With My Dodgers: Don LeJohn

Three months spent in Los Angeles in 1965 represents the totality of Don LeJohn's big-league career. Yet the man was a Dodger almost exclusively for thirty-three years.

That career began in 1954 with the Shawnee Hawks of the Class D Sooner State League. Twelve years later, LeJohn would make his Major League debut, starting at third base for the Dodgers in the second game of a double header at Wrigley Field on June 30, 1965. Batting eighth, he came to the plate for his first at bat with runners at the corners and two outs in the top of the second inning. LeJohn came through with a hit off of Bob Buhl to drive in Lou Johnson. He would later single and score the go-ahead run in a 4-3 Dodgers win. A strikeout in his only plate appearance in the 1965 World Series would end the big-league portion of Don LeJohn's career.

By 1967, LeJohn would begin a twenty-year career as a manager in the Dodgers' minor league system, starting with the Tri-City Atoms of the Short-Season Class A Northwest League, and including stops in Bakersfield, Waterbury, San Antonio and Lodi. Players like Ron Cey, Steve Yeager, Joe Ferguson, Rick Sutcliffe, Pedro Guerrero, Bob Welch, Dave Stewart, Fernando Valenzuela, Orel Hershiser, Steve Sax, Sid Bream, John Franco and Ramon Martinez would benefit from his tutelage, not to mention such future managers as Terry Collins, Jim Riggleman, Ron Washington, Ron Roenicke and Mike Scioscia.

Don "Ducky" LeJohn may have had a brief moment in the big-league spotlight, but for more than three decades he was the kind of baseball lifer who contributes to the solid foundation of a successful major-league franchise.

1966 Topps Don LeJohn LAD #41

Naturally, this is the only big-league card of LeJohn's career. It's also the first of four more PWMD inductees sent by the "Vintage Virtuoso," Mark "Harry" Hoyle. And it's a beaut. Ducky stands poised to field any grounders that may come his way in the foul territory along the fist base line at Connie Mack Stadium in Philadelphia. The last major league game to be played there took place before my first birthday. But Mr. Hoyle's baseball time machine continues to take me to places that I only wish I could have experienced first hand. Thanks, Mark!

Playing With My Dodgers: Dick Allen

Dick Allen spent perhaps the quietest season of a very, very loud career with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1971. I'm not going to go into the details of Allen's colorful career, as the stories are well known, and little to none of them have anything to do with his time in Los Angeles. Suffice it to say, Dick (or Rich, or Richie) had Hall-of-Fame talent, and nearly put up Hall-of-Fame numbers in his career, but managed to get sidetracked more than once along the way.

His brief time in Los Angeles could easily have become more than a historical footnote, however, with the swing of a single game in the standings. It was a time of transition for the franchise. The team of the '60s was giving way to the youth movement that would become the core of the team's successful '70s run that culminated in a 1981 World Championship. Maury Wills, Willie Davis and Wes Parker were nearing the end of the line with the club. Steve Garvey, Bill Russell, Bill Buckner, Joe Ferguson and others were just starting to break into the lineup. Into that mix was added Allen, acquired from St. Louis for Ted Sizemore and Bob Stinson. Trailing the Giants in the NL West by eight-and-a-half games heading into the season's final month, the Dodgers almost managed to overtake their rivals, coming up just a single game short by season's end.

Allen saw significant action at three different positions in his brief stint with the Dodgers, starting 52 games in left field, 44 at third base, and 13 at first base, where he would often be moved late in games. His offensive numbers took an understandable hit playing in the pitchers' haven of Dodger Stadium. But, adjusted for context, his 151 OPS+ was just a few points shy of his career average. Who knows what the postseason may have held for Allen and the Dodgers if they'd managed to overtake San Francisco?

But they didn't, and Allen was dealt to the Chicago White Sox in the offseason for Tommy John and Steve Huntz. The controversial slugger would win an MVP Award for the Pale Hose in 1972 and go on to enjoy perhaps the best stretch of his career in the Windy City, his brief Dodger career left behind with only dreams of what might have been.

1971 Topps Rich Allen LAD #650

This iconic high-number card from the sixth and final series of 1971 Topps is one that every Dodgers collector seeks. From the unfamiliar uniform on one of the game's best-known characters, to the fantastic view of the left field foul pole, pavillion and scoreboard at an empty Dodger Stadium, and the heroic angle of the photo with the quirky appearance of the photographer's knee in the foreground, it's an unforgettable piece of cardboard. I automatically put it on the short list that I sent to Harry/Mark when he contacted me about trade possibilities. I had never really expected that it would actually be in the package that he sent my way. For a week now, I have been showing what Mark's generosity has meant to me, and this stands as a fitting grand finale. A parade of great pitcher cards and some sweet vintage Dodgers, including five fantastic additions to the PWMD set, is worthy of some serious gratitude. Thank you so much, Mark! You sure brought some great toys to this playground.

Playing With My Dodgers: Jack Billingham

Signed as an amateaur free agent by Los Angeles in 1961, Jack Billingham was groomed by the Dodgers to be a reliever. He would spend just one season at the big-league level with the franchise, finishing second only to Jim Brewer on the club with 50 appearances in 1968, posting a fine 2.14 ERA.

He would go on to become one of the most dependable starting pitchers of the 1970s, but he made only one start in Dodger Blue. On August 5, at Dodger Stadium, Billingham would duel Pittsburgh's Steve Blass to a scoreless draw through eight innings, allowing just five hits and two walks while striking out seven. The Dodgers would finally get to Blass in the tenth inning, with Zoilo Versalles knocking in the only run of the game.

• Billingham is a distant cousin of Hall-of-Fame pitcher Christy Mathewson.
• He was nicknamed "Cactus Jack" for his loping gait and laconic personality.
• Not protected by the pitching-rich Dodgers in the 1968 expansion draft, he was chosen tenth by the Montreal Expos.
• He was sent to Houston by Montreal on the eve of the 1968 season as a replacement for Donn Clendenon, who refused to report to the Astros following a trade for Rusty Staub.
• After the 1971 season, Billingham was involved in the trade that also saw key Big Red Machine cogs Cesar Geronimo and Joe Morgan move from Houston to Cincinnati.
• On Opening Day, 1974, he surrendered the 714th home run of Henry Aaron's career, allowing him to tie Babe Ruth's lifetime record.
• Billingham recorded double-digit victory totals in each year of the 1970s, including back-to-back 19-win seasons in '73-'74.
• He remains the stingiest pitcher in World Series history, allowing just one earned run in 25⅓ innings, for a microscopic ERA of 0.36.

1969 Topps Jack Billingham MON #92

Here we have the fourth of five cards sent by the vintage virtuoso Harry/Mark that are being inducted into the PWMD set. Billingham was featured as a Dodger on a 1968 Topps Rookie Stars card, along with Jim Fairey. But I prefer to avoid multi-player cards in this collection whenever possible. And Billingham is pictured as a Dodger on this card. He's just had the "LA" rather artlessly scribbled over on his cap.

Of course, I could fix it...

But I won't.

Playing With My Dodgers: Wes Covington

Wes Covington made a name for himself with the Milwaukee Braves. Used sparingly as a second-year player in the first half of the 1957 season, he would come on strong in the second half, finishing the year with 21 homers and 65 RBI in just 96 games. Covington followed that up by starring with both the glove and the bat in Milwaukee's seven-game World Series victory over the Yankees.

The powerful left-handed batter did not reach Los Angeles until the final stop of his big-league career, joining the club two months into the 1966 season after being released by the Cubs. Unfortunately, he did not perform particularly well (.121, 1 HR, 6 RBI, almost entirely as a pinch hitter). He was one of the eleven strikeout victims of Moe Drabowsky in the first game of that year's World Series. It was to be the final at bat of Covington's major-league career.

He did have one signature moment in Dodger Blue, however. On August 14, at Dodger Stadium, against the team that had released him just a few months earlier, he came to the plate with two outs in the bottom of the fourteenth inning, with the bases loaded and the Dodgers training the Cubs, 3-2. Covington knocked a single into center against Calvin Koonce for a walk-off 4-3 Dodgers win.

1966 Topps Wes Covington CHC #484

This is the third of five cards for the PWMD set sent by Harry/Mark. This card, along with the two still to come, was on the short list of needs that I sent to Mark when he contacted me about trade possibilities. I hadn't really expected that he'd have any of them available, let alone three! Covington isn't pictured with the Dodgers, but I'm not sure a card exists with him in that uniform (his 1990 Target All-Time Dodgers card shows him with another team). This card works perfectly, however, given that he's not wearing a cap, and that the card is from the year he played with the Dodgers. If you get the impression from the picture that the card is in good shape, you're right. It's friggin' beautiful! I am positive that this is the best-looking card of this vintage in my collection. Thanks again, Harry. You really hit the Mark again!

Playing With My Dodgers: Nick Willhite

Nick Willhite is a baseball success story, though not so much for what he accomplished on the diamond. Pitching entirely during baseball's second deadball era in the '60s, the southpaw managed no better than a 4.55 ERA in 58 big-league games, exactly half of them starts. The recipient of a hefty $50,000 signing bonus out of high school, Willhite fell far short of expectations. By his own admission, much of that has to do with his struggles with alcohol.

Things got worse for Willhite before they got better. Just as he struggled to find success as a player, he would also have difficulty holding down coaching jobs, finally finding himself homeless and contemplating suicide. Fortunately, he got in touch with fellow Dodger alum Stan Williams, who brought his plight to the attention of the BAT (Baseball Assistance Team) Program. BAT is funded primarily through donations by active players, and helps former players and other baseball people who have fallen on hard times. They helped Willhite get into a rehab program that would save his life, and give him back to his family. The Dodger family stepped in to help as well. Peter O'Malley would pay to get back the 1963 World Series ring that Willhite had hocked to feed his addiction.

1966 Topps Nick Willhite LAD #171

This is the second of five PWMD inductees sent my way by the generous New Englander, Harry/Mark. As it's Willhite's only major issue solo card in a Dodger uniform, this was the obvious choice. It was just a matter of landing a copy... and here it is. Thanks again, Mark!

Playing With My Dodgers: Jim Brewer

The best story about Jim Brewer stems from an incident that took place when he was a young Chicago Cub in 1960. The lefty had the nerve to brush back Billy Martin, then of the Reds, who responded by throwing his bat at Brewer and then coming out to the mound to land a haymaker that broke Brewer's cheekbone. The story's epilogue would come nearly a decade later, in the middle of Brewer's long stint with the Dodgers, as he was awarded $10,000 in damages from Martin as a result of a successful civil suit.

Brewer was a constant in the Dodgers' highly-successful bullpens of the '60s and '70s. The Cubs are often lampooned (for good reason) for dealing away future Hall-of-Famer Lou Brock for pitcher Ernie Broglio. But the deal that sent Brewer to the Dodgers for the 1964 season in return for pitcher Dick Scott (remaining big-league career: four-and-a-third innings, 12.46 ERA) was no prize-winner either. Brewer spent twelve seasons with the Dodgers, helping them to three National League pennants, including a World Championship in 1965. He would compile a stellar 2.62 ERA and 125 saves in Dodger Blue. His 6.89 hits per nine innings ranks third in franchise history, bettered only by Sandy Koufax and Clayton Kershaw.

1965 Topps Jim Brewer LAD #416

This is the first of five spectacular cards for the PWMD set sent in the trade package that I've been raving about from Harry/Mark, New Englander and longtime citizen of Red Sox Nation (he's no front runner!). I had long admired this particular card. You don't find much better examples of the portrait variety. I've used the photo from the internet numerous times for various projects. I already had Brewer's 1967 Topps card, which is also very good, and I almost used it for the PWMD set. But I decided to wait, in the hope that this one would land on my doorstep one day. I had no idea it would happen so soon. And this isn't even one of the cards I'd mentioned needing! Thanks again, Mark!

Playing With My Dodgers: Wilson Alvarez

Has any pitcher's arrival in the big leagues been quite as odd as that of Wilson Alvarez? The Venezuelan native debuted for the Texas Rangers as a nineteen year old in 1989, the first player born in the 1970s to reach the majors. Given a July start in Texas against the Blue Jays, Alvarez failed to retire a batter. Junior Felix singled. Tony Fernandez homered. Kelly Gruber homered. George Bell walked. Fred McGriff walked. And Wilson Alvarez walked off the mound, not to return to the majors for two years.

When he did return, on August 11, 1991, he was pitching in Baltimore for the White Sox. This time he struck out the side in order in the first inning (Mike Devereaux, Juan Bell and Cal Ripken), and would go on to pitch a no-hitter.

Alvarez would have a fine career, going 102-92 with a an ERA+ of 112 in fourteen big league seasons. But that career would be interrupted by injury woes that would see him miss two entire seasons. After proving himself healthy with Tampa Bay in 2002, he would go on to sign three consecutive one-year free-agent contracts with the Dodgers from 2003-2005, serving as a dependable swing man. His velocity diminished, Alvarez reinvented himself as a control artist, posting the best walk rates of his career, by far, while in Dodger Blue.

1995 Topps Stadium Club Virtual Reality Wilson Alvarez CHW #68

The funny thing about Wilson Alvarez's time with the Dodgers is that I can find no baseball card, or mention of the existence of any card, featuring the lefty during his three-year tenure in Chavez Ravine. And I'm not just talking about major releases. He doesn't even show up in the Keebler Cookies sets given away at the stadium. It's as though, once he arrived in Southern California, he feared his soul would be stripped from his body if were to appear in uniform on a 2.5" x 3.5" piece of cardboard. Realistically, it was probably one of those licencing issues that sometimes plagues collectors. Either way, bad timing for Dodger fans. In the absence of a Dodgers card for Alvarez, this Getting a Grip beauty from Stadium Club serves as a fine alternative for the PWMD set. If there is a card out there somewhere featuring Alvarez in a Dodger uniform, please let me know.

Playing With My Dodgers: Larry Bowa

Larry Bowa is my kind of guy. A baseball lifer, passionate and knowledgeable, and just plain fun to watch work, whether as a player, manager, coach or commentator. I was pretty young when he retired as a player, but I have vague memories of the 1980 playoffs and World Series, and I saw him a fair number of times playing for the Cubs on Superstation WGN toward the end of his career.

He never played for the Dodgers, of course, but is a more-than-welcome addition to the Dodger family, having come from the Yankees to serve under Joe Torre in LA from 2008-2010. He certainly hadn't lost any of his fire. I remember him getting worked up on more than one occasion. I've enjoyed watching him on MLB Network for the past few years, but I'm glad to see him back in uniform, by the side of Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg (who was the seeming "throw-in" player acquired by the Cubs with Bowa for Ivan DeJesus in 1982).

2008 Topps Dodgers Premium Team Set Larry Bowa CO LAD #34

Yesterday I inducted two of the other cards from this set featuring members of the Los Angeles coaching staff into the PWMD pantheon. (Posts on back-to-back days? Shocking.) But this one is by far my favorite, and one of the main reasons that I went out of my way to track down the Premium Team Set.

Late-Inning Rally

I don't know how you people do it. By "you people," I mean the card bloggers out there who manage to post regularly, day after day, week after week, month after month, etc. The Dodgers make the playoffs... and I don't blog for a week. I need to dig up cards to send in return for a trade... and I don't blog for a week. I need to do laundry... and I don't blog for a week.

Well, it's not that bad. But almost. This latest dry spell in blogging comes courtesy of the ongoing, never-ending, multi-decade sorting project. So I'm still Playing With My Cards. I just don't have the kind of attention span that makes multitasking a possibility.

I am happy to say, however, that the sorting project has reached the letter L (sorting by player's last names). That means that I've arrived in the "sweet spot," between the places where I stalled in my last two attempts at sorting over the course of the past two decades, once from the beginning of the alphabet, and once working my way backward from Z. That means that I'm looking at cards that I haven't seen since I was a teenager. Believe me, that was a long time ago. I'm really looking forward to getting this job done because it will allow me to make trades far more easily, knowing what I need, what I have, and where to find it. (I'm a dreamer.)

I'm not gonna abandon things here, though. I may be flaky, but you're stuck with me (if I'm on your blogroll, that is). Since I've been blogging so little lately, I'm gonna give you a comeback rally post, with a little bit of everything from my stable of recurring features. Let's play...

BLOG SHARE

About the only thing I managed to blog about in November was the great cards I received in a couple of trades with Michael from Nomo's Sushi Platter and Marcus of All the Way to the Backstop. I spent most of the rest of the month digging through my half-sorted collection to find cards to send in return. November also saw the arrival of my second package as a member of Club PWE from 2x3 Heroes...

2012 Topps Heritage Don Mattingly MG LAD #154
1996 Fleer/SkyBox Metal Universe Carlos Perez MON #193

As Jeff has noted, there are more Dodger fans in the blog world than there are cockroaches on this planet, so he makes good use of my "secondary" teams. He did manage to hit me with the Dodgers manager in addition to Eddie Murray with the Mets and some cool Expos cards including a Score Gold Rush Cliff Floyd, and this psychedelic Carlos Perez. Thanks Jeff! Random cards in the mail are always a welcome treat.

TBALL PRODUCTIONS

These are the virtual Dodgers cards that I (begin to) make every year. I showed the Kershaw card before the final Dodger game of the year, the card about that game in my depression, and the NLDS cards shortly thereafter to accentuate the positive. I also noted how unlikely it was that I would finish the set, and to date that prediction has proven accurate. I'm stalled at 22% completion.

2013 TBall Virtual Elian Herrera LAD #37
2013 TBall Virtual Drew Butera LAD #31

Here we have the two position players who played the least for the Dodgers in 2013 (four games each). This post is the perfect place for them because I don't have to say much about them. First things to come to mind: Butera's father Sal looked better with a mustache than without (drawing on my '80s collecting experience); Herrera is (unfortunately) the only Dodger I have in green parallel form from 2012 Panini Prizm. Moving on...

FEEDING THE HABIT

Still a weekend tradition, adding yet more cards to the unsorted side of the room.

1970 Kellogg's Joe Morgan HOU #72
1971 Topps Joe Morgan HOU #264

I'm just now wrapping up the assimilation into my collection of the cards that I bought on vacation this summer, when I first started this blog. These Morgans were among my favorite pickups from the card shop I visited. Both truly fabulous in their own way.

Then there's the pack-busting portion of my Card Night tradition. I managed to open a pack of 2009 Upper Deck in which I found four different Manny Ramirez cards... in one pack. That was kinda crazy. I've also managed to get a few nice "hits" lately.

2013 Topps Jose Fernandez AS SP MIA #589B

I probably wouldn't have even realized that this was a short print variation of Fernandez unless, in the very same pack of Topps Update, I also got his regular all-star card. But the best pack of cards that I've opened recently was from Panini Cooperstown. Six cards: Tony Perez, Harry Heilman, and...

2013 Panini Cooperstown Colgan's Chips Ernie Banks CHC
2013 Panini Cooperstown Duke Snider BRO #58

Cool. But also...

2013 Panini Cooperstown Blue Crystal Bob Gibson STL #84 (129/499)
2013 Panini Cooperstown Signatures Goose Gossage SDP #HOF-GOS (97/150)

Holy crap. Two hits in one six-card pack. Sweet! Guess that's why they're so friggin' expensive. Definitely worth the money this time, though. (Interesting that they chose to list San Diego as Goose's team, despite the fact that he's better known as a Yankee... and he's wearing a Yankee uniform in the photo. Odd.)

MINI-COLLECTING

I've been slowly looking through this Bowman set, a recent purchase, on Card Nights...

2000 Bowman Draft Picks & Prospects Ryan Vogelsong SFG #63
2000 Bowman Draft Picks & Prospects Mark Buehrle CHW #69

And so far it's been loaded with Getting a Grip cards, including these fine examples. It's kinda cool to have a card of Vogelsong (or Volkswagen, as Jack McKeon calls him) from his first, pre-Japan, stint with the Friggin' Giants. Buehrle is one of those less-than-Hall-of-Fame-worthy aces that I dig so much. It's a shame he ever left Chicago.

PLAYING WITH MY DODGERS

I recently fulfilled a long-held desire by getting my hands on the 2008 Topps Dodgers Premium Team Set. I really wish Topps had kept making these things. If they were to do so for all 30 MLB clubs, that would make for a monster master set worth chasing. I'd dig that more than all of this parallel stuff. Don't get me wrong, I like seeing the same card in 37 different hues, with various degrees of shininess, refraction and sparkles. But I prefer cards of fringe players and coaches.

2008 Topps Dodgers Premium Team Set Mike Easler CO LAD #51
2008 Topps Dodgers Premium Team Set Bob Schaefer CO LAD #15

Where else was I going to find cards of Mike Easler and Bob Schaefer as Dodgers coaches for the PWMD set? I don't have much to say about them (which is why they're in this catch-all post). So I'll talk about the set some more. It gets a bit tedious with some overly-obscure season highlights and team leader cards among its 55-card checklist. But they're certainly worth the good stuff, including a Dodger Stadium card, which is always welcome. (No Vin Scully, though...) I've already thrown a couple of cards from the set (Beimel and Kuroda) into the Getting a Grip collection. And there will be more PWMD gems in the future.

Finally, a couple of notes from the blog world. Although it's probably counterproductive to my chances of winning, I feel compelled to point out that Topher from Crackin' Wax (with its sweet new logo) is celebrating his blog's fifth year by giving away lots and lots o' cards. Thanks Topher. Good luck to all of you (and to me, too!).

I also want to remind you all of Chris' great Typhoon Haiyan Relief Super Mixer Baseball Group Break, over at View from the Skybox, which is surprisingly taking a while to fill up. My wife and I joined immediately. It's not only a good cause, but it seems to me to be a pretty sweet break, especially if you're interested in getting your hands on this year's Topps mini cards from your favorite team.

Okay, that's all for now. See you in a week or so...