"Where Is Rob?" -Clap- Clap-ClapClapClap

Here is another Improv Everywhere prank sprung at a Knicks game. This would be a blast to pull off.

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2009 Topps 206 Dodgers

Topps recently unveiled their "206" set and the collecting world seems very happy about it. Personally, I'm not a bit fan of the cards. I just don't like the photos and backgrounds of the Boys in Blue. Besides, the set pales in comparison to the cards it is meant to resemble- the famous tobacco cards from 1909 called T206. One thing to note is that it marks the 100th anniversary of that vintage set.

Below are the Dodger base cards. There are three old-time Dodgers included in the set- Roy Campanella, Pee Wee Reese and Jackie Robinson. A mini version of each card is also available.

Jon Broxton

Chad Billingsley

Roy Campanella

Andre Ethier

Rafael Furcal

Orlando Hudson

Matt Kemp

Clayton Kershaw

James Loney

Russell Martin

Juan Pierre

Manny Ramirez

PeeWee Reese

Jackie Robinson

As has become commonplace, several cards have parallel short printed cards inserted in packs. Below is a example of the Roy Campanella base card (on the right) and it's short printed brother (on the left).
Gold bordered mini cards are also included.
Limited "one of one" printing plates are also part of the set. Below is a Rafael Furcal printing plate.
Another premium are silk version of every mini card in the set. I believe they are numbered to 50. Manny Ramirez's silk card is below.A game-used jersey relic of James Loney is below.
An even cooler game-used bat relic card of Jackie Robinson is below.
Clayton Kershaw's inserted autograph card is below.

Card of the Week: Bo Breaks Bats

Bo Jackson could do anything. He played 2 major sports and, according to Nike, he could do more than that. Above is a 1991 Score card of Bo Jackson breaking his bat, and below is the greatest sports commercial ever made.

Blog Kiosk 12/27/2009

• Santa Tommy
• Check out the Hall of Fames biography on 1st time HOF ballot ballplayer Eric Karros.
  
• Raul Mondesi, the politician? Are you kidding me?

  "Most of the people, they don't have anything," said Mondesi, who grew up in crushing circumstances just a few miles away. "I know what they need, how they feel."
  
  Asked for specifics, however, and the closest he comes to a campaign pledge is repeating a desire to build a basketball court in every neighborhood.
  
  "The first thing," said Mondesi, who didn't study beyond grade school, "is to try to show the young people how to play sports."

• GCRL makes a custom card of Sandy Koufax using the 1967 Topps design. I too have always wondered why they excluded him from the base set that year.
• John Sickels of Minor League Ball puts together his Preliminary Dodger Prospect list.
  
• Topps signs an exclusive memorabilia deal with Stephen Strasburg.
  
• Christmas trees from around the world.
  
• Oh No! A Volcano is about to erupt in the Philippines. My family does not live near Mt. Mayon, but it's still scary to think about anyway.
• Here is a great interview with collector and appraiser Mike Gutierrez at the Collectors Weekly.
  
• The Hockey Card Shows 12 Days of Christmas.

Have a Very Merry Christmas

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Card of the Week: Photoshop Magic

This weeks card of the week has been lurking around the collector blogs for quite some time. It is the 2008 Topps Stadium Club card of Manny Ramirez in a Dodger uniform. Why is that important? Well, this card set came out shortly after the Manny trade to LA, so the chances of a Manny in Blue card was low. Fortunately, Topps did not disappoint.

At first glance, I was just happy to have Manny in a Dodger uniform, but there is so much more happening here. If not for the 'net I would never have noticed the chicanery. It is a almost perfect photoshop creation.

• Did you notice that there is no umpire? I didn't, at first.
  
• The background is neither Dodger Stadium or AT&T Park. It is of Fenway park- just colored in blue. Also, the 99 advertisement is of a chain of restaurants in the Boston area.
  
• Numerous fans in the stands have washed out hats that probably sported a giant "B" for Boston.
  
• The pitcher is Matt Morris who wore #22 in 2007 in tribute to a former roommate, Mike Matheny. Matheny had retired from Baseball due to post concussion syndrome- too many foul balls off the mask. In 2007 the Giants faced the Red Sox at Fenway and is probably where the photo originates.