MrMopar's New Dodgers Autograph Thread (and other interesting items on a slow mailday)

[mrmopar]

Today's mail day: 1 card - 3 autographs

Blake DeWitt, Scott Elbert & Justin Orenduff. This could have been a great card, had any of them done ANYTHING worth mentioning. Sadly, it is a nice triple autograph worth only about $3 now (around what I paid for it).

Dewitt played about 2 seasons worth of time for LA from 2008-2010 and was dealt to the Cubs with 2 minor leaguers for Ted Lilly and Ryan Theriot. He finished his career in 2013 with Atlanta with a lifetime .257 in 426 games.

Elbert played his entire career in LA from 2008-2012 & 2014. He was 4-3 with 2 saves and a 3.54 ERA in 127 games.

Orenduff never made the leap to MLB, but played with the LA organization from 2004-2011.

What could have been...

 

[Dilferules]

Still a cool card. I appreciate the consistency of three "duds" more than if it were one star and two duds, because then you think "ugh, if only those other two weren't on there." Or even worse, if it's a heinous monstrosity like this one, where it's a HOFer and a guy who never even made the majors:

I guess it does kind of hearken back to the times of multi-player RCs where only one panned out (or more recently, Max Muncy's Topps RC), but I'm not that nostalgic for those since I started collecting in the late '80s.

 

[mrmopar]

There is some truth to that. The multi-sig cards are always better if the players are all good, but I also appreciate it being the same team. They have some where they toss what seems like random guys on a card and there are 2-3 different teams too, plus they might all be average players.

If i thought it would create some better participation and bring some cool stuff, starting a multi-sig thread would be a cool showcase.

 

[mrmopar]

This one took it's sweet time to arrive, but that is the PO we are dealing with these days. It's hard to watch and wait, as more and more orders are sitting out longer. At one point, I counted 21 orders still in route!

The seller tossed in a nice Justin Turner blue parallel base card, numbered to 25, so that is sweet!

Will Smith Topps ART Au /25. This kid has some really nice looking autograph cards. I hope he makes a decent career for himself.

 

[mrmopar]

Today brings a pair of Matt Beaty cards. I do like a good silver or gold bordered card.

Andy Pages. Another player I am prematurely forced to buy, as he is a 19 year old Dominican playing in rookie league ball now. He may never make the Majors, let alone the Dodgers. Yet, he has a certified Dodger auto card, so buy I must!

Steve Garvey magazine photo. I used to love getting the various baseball magazines and finding who they featured on the full page "poster" or pin-up pages. Another throwback thing that seems to have disappeared. They may still do full page pin-ups like this today, but I am doubting it. This is from a Baseball Illustrated issue from 1982. Schmidt and Brett were the other headliners. All three were future HOFers at the time. Only Garvey failed to achieve that goal...so far.

Last item is a Heritage Joe Torre card. i remember getting Torre's autograph at an old timers game in the 80s. his signature was always so simple, another throwback to the days of cursive. This also worries me today, as it makes it easier to fake. Eddie Murray is another. His looks like a grade school kid is writing his signature. The 61 Topps manager cards were one of the coolest, with that red, white & blue shield in the background. A Mattingly Dodgers manager card would look awesome too, but I had to settle for a 1963 design for his.

 

[mrmopar]

I'll start it off with a non-Dodger Garvey card, only because he is the primary focus of my collection. This one is /30. Nothing special, overpaid a bit, but it is a decent card. I also noticed I got it from a seller I swore I would not buy from again, but honestly didn't even notice that until it was too late. I snipe 95% of my Garvey cards.

The next item is technically not something i would normally feature. It is a non-Dodger card of a player who has not (yet?) made the Dodgers, Zach McAllister. The 6'6" pitcher has 8 years of MLB experience under his belt, but has not pitched at that level since 2018 and apparently broke his arm earlier this year in spring training. It's doubtful he would pitch in 2020 again. The way the Dodgers have gone through pitchers in the past, was thinking there may be a shot he eventually makes the team. He is currently in AAA for the Dodgers. I included this for 2 reasons. 1, it's a slow mail time and I kind of like the card. 2, the guy who sold it to me has some absolutely TERRIBLE fake autographs listed. Some are so bad, I am not sure what to think and can only laugh out loud. Is he absolutely clueless or is he just trying to pass garbage. I want to believe this $1.50 autograph is real, I mean, he has to have some real cards in the mix, right? Who would fake a 32 year old journeyman pitcher who is in AAA right now? Well, once more, I took a little risk with this, but am spending very little to take that risk. I am not going to out this guy here because I don't know what his true intentions are with the crap autos he is selling, but anyone with half a brain can probably figure it out with just this image to work with.

That leaves the BEST for last and a pretty nice one that I was excited to win. I normally lead off with certified Dodger cards, but this one deserved the suspense. This is what I would consider an upgrade to a Dodger certified auto already in my collection, although some might disagree. The other card I have is a 1991 Leaf buyback auto. The Leaf is an on-card signature If I recall correctly, so that is where I figure some purists would prefer that over this sticker job, although this one is fairly well camouflaged. This new card is also /10 and from a pretty nice set that has some great looking cards. This future HOFer, Eddie Murray, joined the Dodgers in 1989 in a trade with the Orioles for Juan Bell, Brian Holton and Ken Howell and had 3 very solid seasons, including an AS appearance and a silver slugger award. The Dodgers were thieves on that deal! Howell & Holton were pretty much done by then and although Bell lasted for 7 years, his contributions were not significant. Murray would depart for NY after the 1991 season, his AS year, and would bounce around a few more times, but he still has gas in the tank and put up decent numbers through 1996 when he was 40. He ended up back in Baltimore, which would have made for a nice career capper. However, he tested the waters once more and headed to California in 1997, which would prove to be his farewell season. After hitting poorly in 46 games, the Angels cut him loose in August. Steady Eddie would return to LA for his final 9 games, ending his career with a 2nd stint for the Dodgers.

 

[mrmopar]

Matt Kemp Heritage Real One Red Ink /63.

 

[mrmopar]

Oops, posted by mistake and was not done...

Garret Anderson 20 Archives. The topic of packaged of ebay items comes up frequently. It seems some people just can't figure out the best way to ship an item. I think we'd all much rather have overpacking than under packing. However, sometimes it is extreme and you feel the need to still complain a little. Thus was the case with this card and I politely let the seller know that I wanted him/her to have some constructive feedback on it.

I seriously don't know what happened with this package, other than it looked like most other weird colored padded mailers that seem to be gaining popularity these days. Red, purple, blue, pink, etc. Anyway, it was oddly "crimped" around the item. I cut off one end close to the crimp and it wouldn't open. I proceeded to cut off all 4 sides of the envelope and each time, it would not open. I thought I had it finally and then the surface layer peeled off, but the item was still safely sealed. I flipped it over and the same thing happened to the other side. WTF!!! I am 2-3 minutes into trying to open this thing at this point. not the end of the world, but most packages is a rip or slice and 5 seconds you have hit paydirt. I finally had to pry and cut at the same time and was finally able to free this card. It actually looked like the seller somehow shrink wrapped the item inside the mailer. Considering it was no more protected that way than if in a standard manilla padded mailer, i don't see how anyone would appreciate this treatment of the envelope. I hope they take it seriously and stop whatever they are doing for the sake of anyone else that comes after me.

Now Anderson had a pretty good career and silently put up some close to HOF numbers after 17 years. He hung it up in 2010 after being released by the Dodgers in August after hitting a weak .181 in 80 games with the team. Unless you were a fan of his or maybe one of the teams he played for, it might surprise you that he amassed 2529 hits, 287 HR, 1365 RBI and .293 average. 3X AS (1X ASG MVP) and a 2X Silver Slugger. Not bad at all.

Al Oliver Heritage 73T /30. I thought how cool would it be to have a Topps run, but discovered that the 72T was a 1/1 and I already missed out. It went for under $50 and had I been paying attention/thinking harder about it, I may have put up a better fight. I think I was underbidder. Still have not seen a 69T rookie or a 70T or a 85 T Traded, if any of them even exist. This came from Hong Kong faster than most of my domestic purchases, by the way. Ain't that a bitch?

 

[mrmopar]

Decided to "upgrade" for a Graterol. Maybe when a logo card becomes available, I may upgrade again.

This was my most wanted non-Dodger from this year's Archive series and it seems his cards have been selling in the "popular" category so far. Most Archives cool down and I'm sure he'd be no exception. I only wanted/needed 1. For this design, the silver looks great. Always default to blue /25 if I can get it, but so far I keep losing out, so settling for silver unless a blue deal comes my way later.

Manual had a pretty short and uneventful playing career, although he did survive for parts of 6 seasons. He broke into the majors in 1969 with the Twins and after hovering near the Mendoza line (what did they call it before Medoza came along?) for 4 years and a year in the minors, he was traded to the Dodgers at the end of 1973 with a minor leaguer for another minor leaguer and Jim Fairey. What a blockbuster that must have been. Fairy never played for the Twins or another MLB team after that trade and was out of baseball by 1977. Manuel on the other had spent most of 1974 in the minors but got a peek with the big club in 4 games, all as a pinch hitter, getting a single hit in 3 AB for his career high average of .333. The following season, 1975, saw him appear in 15 games with 15 AB. Again, all appearances were as a pinch hitter and this time, he hit a terrible .133 having only 2 hits. That would be it for him in MLB and he headed to Japan and found great success, suddenly turning into a .300 hitter with lots of power. One year, his stats were 48/129/.325!. He would play until 1981 and then hung it up as a player for good. He would do some scouting and coaching and eventually end up as a MLB manager, which is where he is most well known now. He lead the 2008 Phillies to a World Championship and the following year they won the NL pennant, but failed to beat the Yankees in the series or a repeat.

Until now, i don't think Manuel had a certified autograph card, so although it is him as a Philly, still a nice grab for my Dodger collection. /99.

Last up is yet another Oliver Archives, this time the 77T. Slowly inching towards a near complete career Topps run. /22.

 

[mrmopar]

Irv Noren Heritage Red /60.

 

[mrmopar]

Saturday snuck by and I forgot to post the lone Dodger auto in my mail day. Larry Burright.

 

[mrmopar]

I had not checked in a few days and see that Zach McKinstry made his debut. He doesn't seem to have any signed pre-rookie cards like most players, so adding 1 more to the true wantlist. 99.9% of what I pick up and share here are duplicates. I truly need 3 players to get back to 100%. I am fortunate in that the Dodgers have not added a lot of players so far.

If anyone can help with Victor Gonzalez, Zach McKinstry, Luke Raley (40 man roster, yet to debut) or Mookie Betts (Probably going to have to wait on him or score an amazing steal), please let me know. I would prefer a signed card, but anything flat (photo, magazine, poster, scrap of paper, ticket stub, etc) will do.

 

[mrmopar]

Garvey Jacket Card /10.

Will Smith Archives Silver /99.

Al Oliver Archives /13. I don't love the card itself, but it was cheap enough and numbered to 13, so I bought it.

 

[mrmopar]

I feel like I am getting to the point where little bio tidbits for everyone has been done. I will try to add something relevant for anyone I think has not yet received a fun fact or bio. Maybe sometimes I repeat myself or share a new fact on an already featured player. No harm there, other than loss of my time.

I think I said it before a few times, almost all of these pick-ups are duplicate signatures. However, if I only posted new signatures, I am far enough into the collection that it would be a very boring thread, not worthy of continuing.

Rafael Furcal /150. He played about 5.5 years for the team, from 2006-2011. He was a free agent pick up in December 2005 after 6 decent years in Atlanta. he had been ROY and was a 1X AS at that point. He had a couple nice years with LA and made his 2nd AS game in 2010, the year before they traded him to Cardinals with some $ for Alex Castellanos. Aparently they thought he was done and Castellanos was the future. That didn't work out so well for LA, but Furcal was on the downward end of his career, although he squeezed out a final AS appearance in 2012 with the Cards. In 2013, he appeared to be out of baseball or injured and didn't play at any level. After some time in the minors and a 9 game stint with the Marlins in 2014, where he only hit .171, that would be the end.

I can't seem to leave these alone when I see them and this is now the 3rd Furillo I have won like this. Furillo was a solid player on a team and during a time when it was loaded with Hall of Famers and superstars. He was definitely overshadowed and at the end of his career, the Dodgers apparently shafted him, which left him trying to sue and bitter about baseball. He died relatively young, at 66, in 1989. This one is numbered to /5.

Shawn Green /25. Green was a 5 year Dodger from 2000-2004, which included his 2nd (and final) AS appearance. He came to the team after 7 seasons in Toronto, in a trade that saw the Dodgers send Raul Mondesi and Pedro Borbon for Green and Jorge Nunez, a minor leaguer. He did have one very memorable & massive game for LA in 2002, going 6-6 with 4 HR and 19 total bases, a MLB record. The Dodgers later shipped him to Arizona in 2005 for what amounted to 3 minor leaguers & Dioner Navarro. Green ended his career in 2007 with the Mets.

 

[mrmopar]

I'll start out with one that is technically certified and has an odd story behind this specific purchase. I have bought a number of things Padres related from a certain seller. In fact, I have since met him in person and we text/message back and forth now and again. Once Covid is a memory, I hope to meet him again for a ball game.

Anyway, I happened upon some Garvey pins he was selling, about 6-7 of small enamel pins. I actually have all of the pins he was selling already, but wouldn't mind a few singles, as you'll see why shortly. I bid and wait. Then comes the 2nd part of this story, my rival. He finds the lot and also bids. I proceed to bid him up to the point where I think he is overpaying for the pins, somewhere around $28 delivered (possibly a bit more if this person also has to pay sales tax). Yes, sometimes I am a spiteful opponent. I stop bidding and he eventually wins the lot at the price I drove up his proxy bid to. I don't know what this guy is thinking as he bids on things, but sometimes it feels like he does the same thing and just bids people up as well. I have a little more history with him directly, but I won't share that tidbit as it is not relevant to the story.

Not the end of the story. While I was bidding him up, I decided to look and see if there were any of the sets these pins originated from. You see, these pins were originally part of a 10 pin set that was presented in a frame, under plexiglass, with a plaque. The sets were numbered to 1000 and Garvey even autographed each plaque. Interestingly, I just got a brochure that showed the Padres selling the sets via their concessions and mail order. I don't remember the price, but I am thinking probably around $40-50 or more at the time (mid 80s). Anyway, sure enough there was a set and the seller had a very reasonable BIN with a BO option and I thought why not, and made an offer of $10 for the set, knowing I probably would have paid the asking price, but either way didn't even need the set as I have several already. The offer was quickly accepted and because the item is someone bulky, the s/h was higher and thus my delivered price with tax on top was $28.01! So, i ended up winning the entire 10 pin set, in it's presentation frame with autograph for the same price as this guy paid for 7 loose pins. Chock this one up as a win for me.

This is also one of the lowest serial numbered sets I have personally seen. Not sure why people care about that, but it seems to be a thing. This is set 57/1000. I would especially love to have set 6/1000 but would also take any other variation of 6 and 0 numbering (60, 66, 600, 606, 660, 666).

Next I received the two photos that prompted me to write the Lamination thread, but turns out these were not laminated, but in older snug fitting plastic baggies. Both were taken from 70s/80s vintage magazines.

My only certified card of the day was my first Roberto Kelly Archives card of the year. This one is the purple version /150, although the 90 Topps cards are one of the worst designs for multicolored parallels, yet they keep using it over and over! Kelly spent most of the 1994 season in LA, having been traded from montreal with Joey Eischen for Henry Rodriguez and Jeff Treadway. He played 112 games before heading to Minnesota the following year via Free Agency.

A handful of TTM/IPs wrap up the day.

Ralph Bryant.

Hector Valle.

Sandy Vance.

Bill Krueger. I don't think I have talked about him yet. Krueger's entire Dodger career spans 3 games across 1987-88, no decisions, 4 2/3 innings and a 11.57 era. The Dodgers traded a minor leaguer for him in 1987, then they released him after the season. They then signed him as a free agent in 1988, before trading him to Pittsburgh for Jim Neidlinger. He lasted 13 years in MLB with a 68-66 record with a 4.35 ERA.

Sean Maloney. Got the regular Bowman to got with the International foil I got last time.

Jim Tracy. His playing career was short, but he has several cards as a Cubbie. He later managed the Dodgers (2001-2005), Pirates and Rockies. He lead LA to a NL West title and then a Division series loss to the Cardinals in 2004. For his tenure at the helm in LA, he replaced Davey Johnson in 2001 and was replaced by Grady Little in 2006.

 

[mrmopar]

It's an Al Oliver day.

First is my 2nd copy of the infamous card that I thought was lost forever. I tried buying another before the original arrived, but kept getting outbid. With only 14 copies, you only get so many chances. Well, I landed a 2nd one for less than the first cost me and this is the kind of double I don't mind having.

The 2nd one is from the same set, and an even smaller print run, /11. I actually might even have this already, but it was a great deal, so maybe both cards are dupes. Unfortunately, this one was removed from the original sealed holder. I dislike sellers doing this, although I will admit I didn't look closely at the listing. I see that if I had paid closer attention to the image, I would have seen the card in a penny sleeve. Someday maybe I won't care, but for now, I like the sealed cards as they are issued.

 

[mrmopar]

A rare new signature leads off today's mail. However, he is yet another prospect who has yet to play a MLB game. He is already 24, which hurts his long term star potential, if he even has any. I guess we'll see.

Next is a Steve Finley Archives silver /150.

Last item is a card I did not have signed yet, Rip Repulski 1959 Topps. The 60 Topps is a much better Dodger oriented card, but this one, also a Dodger card in name, had eluded me thus far. Here Rip is still sporting his Phillies uniform, as he was traded to the Dodgers 2 days before Christmas in 1958. Perhaps too late for the Topps boys to get him in a Dodgers uniform, which is why the popular, yet unfashionable hatless look is so prevalent in 1960s and early 70s sets. Rip died relatively young in 1993, at age 64. Sounds like he had major health issues starting in his early 50s and became a recluse near the end of his life. Like so many that paved the way for what baseball became today, Rip was apparently a little bitter that he was "born too soon". He missed out on the big bucks and the factors that allowed players to more easily extend their careers.

 

[mrmopar]

Steve Finley basic archives auto

This one is interesting. I had never come across the card before when I found an ebay seller trying to sell an 80 card lot of them. I asked and he had no interest in selling just one card! Whatever, but I really wonder about people trying to sell stuff that walk away from SALES OPPORTUNITIES! So, I decided to take a chance and do a search. I would have not had a reason to find the card necessarily, but having collecting Dodgers for 40+ years, you'd think I might have come across one before. It just so happened that someone else was selling one. it was a little steep ($9 + free shipping for that and a slightly beat up 1991 Donruss Belcher). I then noticed that their copy was signed. I figured they were offering the pair and described both cards like they both mattered so I asked if they would just sell the oddball and got a slight reduction in price! I'll take $2 off and no 1991 Donruss Belcher all day!! $7 delivered is pretty hefty for a Belcher auto (most sell for around a buck each), but I liked it so, why not. Meanwhile 80 card lot guy is still hoping for that special buyer than needs 80 of the same card for 40 cents each!

 

[mrmopar]

Here is a coincidental or weird mail day. 2 autos, same card. Purchased on different days, 2nd one I bid on with opening bid, but after I won the first card, was hoping to be outbid and it never happened. Steve Finley archives silver /99.

 

[mrmopar]

Have not been COMC shipping in a while. Nothing much in the bargain bin, but did grab 2 under $2 deals.

Ibandel Isabel is either a Reds prospect or is independent. Played in a foreign league this past year, not looking like he is on the right trajectory to make it to MLB. Maybe i overpaid at $1.45, but it's fun to add another Dodger to the collection at that price regardless. I may already have this card though, I can't remember now. I do have an Isabel auto, just don't remember which one.

The other guy is Trayce Thompson, another guy who got loaded up with certified autos and fizzled. He saw action in 107 games for the Dodgers in 2016-17, after being part of a large 3 team trade that brought him to LA from the White Sox. Seems like he is with the D-Backs organization now, but has not played MLB since 2018 when he returned to Chicago and hit .116 that year for the WS in 48 games. $1.87 is probably overpaying for this one too, but it's a decent looking card and I don't mind.