Card of the Week: What Are Ya Doin' Tim?

Tim Wallach has a long and storied history in Southern California. It all began in the late 70's as he was a standout for the Cal State Fullerton Titans Baseball team. In 1979 he won the Golden Spikes Award which goes to the best college Baseball player of the year. He was subsequently drafted by the Expos and would spend most of his career north of the border. Later on, though, he came back home and played for both the Dodgers and Angels from 1993 to 1996. After retirement he became the Dodger hitting coach for the 2004 and 2005 season. Today, he currently manages the Dodger AAA club- Albuquerque Isotopes.

The card above is this week's "Card of the Week". It is Wallach's 1992 Topps Stadium Club card of him in a pose unexpected on a Baseball card. He appears to be ready to launch the Baseball like it is a shot put. Why? I don't have a clue.

Blog Kiosk: 8/30/2009

See, no reason to worry. We are back on track. My hair is not turning gray.

• Here is another great custom card from The Custom Card Blog. Billingsley on a 1982 Donruss design.
• Jo Anna volunteered at the ThinkCure! telethon and has photos to prove it. Check it out.
• Charlie Haeger in a new custom Goose Joak original card. He has become my new pitching hero.
• My good friends, Rob and Nancy, recently went to Disneyland and posted a trip report complete with pics on MiceChat. Below is my favorite photo of all- complete with a mellow Yoda. Oh yhea, I apologize for the Angels hat. I guess there is no accounting for taste. The funny thing is that he grew up in LA County and became a Angels fan, while I basically grew up in Orange County and remain true to the boys in Blue.
• Here is a great article about Chan Ho Park and his transition from starter to reliever in the Phillies bullpen. It all came together for him during a West Coast swing through LA.
  
• Bob Lemke shares a new discovery- a 1952 Ponca City, Oklahoma Dodgers Class D Minor League Baseball cards made by Globe Printing.
• Rob L gives a nice rundown of the evolution of the Baseball in the 1800's at the Net54Baseball message board.
• Get your own torture team cards here. Get one complete set for free. (Hat Tip: A Cardboard Problem)
• Upper Deck interviews Andrew Long, creator of the "Packs to the People" video box break series. He puts together the best video box breaks around. See them here.
  
• Former Vikings football player, Onterrio Smith, has his infamous Whizzinator being auctioned off (Randball). Apparently, it was confiscated at an airport and would presumably be used to pass a drug test. (Hat Tip: Deadspin) Go to the links to get to a picture of it. I would have posted it, but it just ain't appropriate looking and is definitely NSFW.
  
• World Champions and Tommy was a catalyst.

  I told them that if they all get on one end of the rope and pull together that they could pull the rest of the teams with them.

  The 16 and under Team USA won the gold medal. Read more about if from Tommy Lasorda's World.

YouTube Link: takapaiki:

Dodger Correspondence: George Cisar

(pic link: wikipedia)

George Cisar is one of the oldest living Major League Baseball players- 5th on the list. He was born on August 25, 1912 in Chicago, Illinois. He recently turned 97 years old.

Cisar only played in the Majors for one season, 1937, at the age of 25, but got to do it for the Brooklyn Dodgers. He played in 20 games; scoring 8 runs, getting 6 hits and 4 RBI's. George Cisar also stole 3 bases and did not commit a error as an outfielder.

"I didn't play too many full games, I wish I did. It wasn't my fault, I was ready anytime." - George Cisar (Interview, Justin Murphy, 06/07/2007)

Uber Fan Roy gets a great letter from this old-timer as they happen to have a common connection.

(click to enlarge)

You may not know it, but I finished my pro ball career right in your old home town with the Anniston Rams of the old South Eastern League (1940). Bill Rodda was our manager and Larry Gilbert Jr. was the business manager. I joined them in June of that year and they were in last place where we eventually finished up.

I wish I could think of some names of the many friends I made there but time and the war gradually erased that. I do remember a "Doc Tom" who worked in a drug store, but he and his wife may not even be their anymore.

Well anyway, it brought back fond memories even if we finished in last place. Best of luck and very Merry Christmas.

How fortuitous George must have thought it was to get a letter from a lad who comes from a town he played in.

(click to enlarge)

P.S. I still can't figure how we finished in last place. We had Joe Hatton who later starred for Brooklyn, Ralph Hamner (later White Sox), Frank Papish (later White Sox) (all good pitchers).

I just wondered if Tommy O'Brien who later starred foor the Boston Red Sox still makes Anniston his home. He was one of us Anniston Rams.

One of the unfortunate realities of growing old is that memories can sometimes fade away. That is why letters like these are important to record, keep and share for the sake of family, friends and history.

(click to enlarge)
eBay Auction Link: George Cisar Letter:

2009 Upper Deck Sweet Spot Preview

On Upper Deck's Facebook page they recently released some preview photos from their upcoming Baseball card set called Sweet Spot Baseball. Above is the Manny Ramirez base card from the set. This set is very popular due to randomly inserted autographed cut pieces of baseballs, bats or leather on a card. This year they have added some special autographs that I'm sure the collector community will go mad over. They had Michael Jordan and LeBron James sign some stuff for the set.

UPDATE: There is one thing I find most frustrating about these early previews. It seems that if they show a Dodger it is always Manny. I know he is our high profile superstar, but are there not other team members worthy of inclusion in the previews? How about our burgeoning ace Clayton Kershaw, or our soon to be superstar Matt Kemp. Anyway, that is my little bit of venting for the afternoon.

Photo Day at Dodger Stadium, 1966

Once again I would like to thank Bob Wong for allowing me to post some photos from his collection. They are like sitting in a H. G. Wells Time Machine painted in Blue and adorned with pennants, trophies and a little statue of Tommy Lasorda resting in front like a hood ornament. Below are a series of photos taken on Photo Day at Dodger Stadium in 1966.

Below, Willie Davis poses for the cameras.
Doesn't Sandy Koufax look dapper.
Below is Ron Perranoski and John Kennedy.
Jim Barbieri and Don Sutton are connected at the hip.
It looks like Willie Davis is having a little fun with Don Sutton.

Down to the Wire

It is now hand-wringing time. My palms are sweaty as beads of perspiration starts to dribble down my cheek. The season is almost over as the Dodgers suddenly find themselves in a battle we all thought would not come a couple of months ago.

Such innocent times those days were. We had the best record in Baseball and no other team was close. We had capably beaten every team in our division and found that the competition in the East and Central had difficulty matching our gusto.

Now, we find ourselves- at least us fans- dealing with self doubt. Can we hold on? Are we on a sinking ship or a cruise line slowing down as it comes to rest at its final port? From our rear we see the S.S. Rockies and it has us worried. Can we beat them so we can collect our luggage and go to the promised land? Is our October going to be a bag filled with "tricks," or will we be treated with candies and chocolates from the big Dodger in the sky.

Even at this hour our record is still tops the National League. Unfortunately, many teams (the Rockies, Cardinals and Phillies) stand just a few feet away. Our hold on the division was assured, but now we look over our shoulders wondering if we will get passed. I feel like that truck driver on a two lane highway who goes too slow for passenger car traffic and can't go too fast otherwise he'll run himself off the road. I'm just holding on to keep on keeping on.

Nearly 80% of the season has passed us by and 35 games remain (not including this afternoons match). The Dodgers sound confident and assured. We face a fairly weak schedule going forward; Pittsburgh for 6, Washington for 3, San Diego for 5, Arizona for 7 and Cincinnati for 3. We should be rejoicing at our good fortune. Instead I stare in the mirror watching my hair go gray.