We Got A Streak!

Four in row! Happy days are here again.

eBay: 1886 "Official Baseball Record" Hardbound Volume

A very rare 19th Century hardbound book detailing Baseball history was recently sold on eBay. Check out the auction here. Within the binding of this book consist of 149 issues of the "Official Baseball Record" (April 19th, 1886 through October 9th, 1886) which was the 1st daily sports newspaper devoted exclusively to the increasingly popular game of Baseball. For $1.00 a year you could get a daily report detailing the actions of King Kelly, Cap Anson, the Wright Brothers, Billy Sunday and others.

The rarity of this volume is as a result of the type of printing within the book. The paper is highly acidic and extremely cheap / poor quality newspaper stock. As a result, very few examples exist today. This particular historic piece sold for an incredible $3,195.99.
eBay Link: Auction Link for book:
Hat Tip: Vintage Baseball Card Forum:

Overworking Russell and Not Playing Ethier

Will Carroll of Under The Knife points to something we were all thinking.

The Dodgers are trying to find rest for Russel Martin, but they're doing a bad job of it. An interesting thought--is there a "catch count" or some kind of innings limit on catchers?

Does Russell need some rest time? Are the Dodgers neglecting their future star by not forcing him to sit on the bench from time to time? Can we afford to bench him considering the playoff race we are currently in?

On top of that, I see that in today's game the Dodger have chosen to sit one of their hottest hitters today, Andre Ethier. Why is he not playing regularly? Has he not earned a starting outfield job?

Sit Gonzo and play Ethier. It is time to move towards the future.

I love how the team is shaping up. Kemp and Ethier in the outfield corners. James Loney at first base. Russell Martin is our catcher. Billingsley is now one of our top starters. Broxton is a potential closer. It is like watching an artist turn a sketch into a painting.

Tomko?

Tony Jackson asks in his article today:

With the Dodgers holding on for dear life in their quest for a playoff berth, how much longer can they afford to keep running the unreliable Tomko to the mound every fifth day?

My answer: Any thought that he can be an effective 5 to 6 inning starter had been vacant from my mind months ago. He is just not getting it done. All I know is I never want to see that guy on the mound again this year.

Also, I have to wonder what Grady is thinking when he said,

"He has good stuff. Sometimes, it amazes me that he gets hit."

What was that again? You've got to be kidding me.

What amazes me is that he still wears Dodger Blue. Unfortunately, with the injuries to Kuo, Schmidt and Wolf we have no choice.

YouTube: Baseball Video From 1898

Below is a short video clip featuring the very first, or at least oldest surviving, video/film of Baseball being played. It was put together by Thomas Edison in 1898 and is called The Ball Game. Two amateur teams from Newark, New Jersey face off against one another.



YouTube Link: baseballguru:
Hat Tip: VBCF:

Allen & Ginter's Fantasy Card- The Dude Abides

As you may recall, I had previously written about a Mother Teresa signed Allen & Ginter card that recently sold on eBay for over $10,000.00. Furthermore, I mentioned that this set includes names not typically found in modern card offerings. In fact, the set includes many non-Baseball and non-sports people. Do you want a Queen Victoria card? How about P. T. Barnum? Is classical reading your fancy, then pick up a Fyodor Dostoevsky.

Well, several Baseball collector blogs have been putting together list of potential submissions for Topps to consider in their future offerings of this widely popular card set. Check out Stale Gum's submission here. Cardboard Junkie has his own list with photo-shopped examples. Then, he updates it and includes the best suggestion of all- a "The Big Lebowski" card. All you have to do is use a photo from that whacked out dream sequence and title it "The Dude Abides."

It's brilliant I tell ya. Brilliant!