Thursday, September 16, 2010

Card of the Week: Happy Birthday Bulldog

One of the great pitchers from my childhood turned 52 today. His name is Orel Leonard Hershiser, and this fan will never forget his amazing season in 1988. He was unstoppable like a runaway 18 wheel truck heading down the Cajon Pass. You better get out of the way otherwise you'll get flattened with the force of a thousand Dodger Blue angels. So in honor of this glorious day I bring you the above 1988 Topps "Big" Baseball card of Orel Hershiser, also affectionately known as the Bulldog, as this weeks "Card of the Week."

I remember when this set first came out. They were the hottest thing out there. Fans and collectors went crazy for them. They were meant to resemble the 1956 Topps set and even measured in size to that vintage set- hence the name Topps Big. Printed on clean white and thick cardboard stock with a glossy finish, they really had the quality many collectors had not seen yet. So, collectors lined up in groves to get a box, or two.