5 Cards challenge #2

I can't really drive through civilization without stopping to see which baseball cards might be offered up for sale. I am on my way back to my baseball card collection...just in time for the playoffs.

But way out here at the very end of the consumer product supply chain (Michigan's Upper Peninsula), I didn't bother peeking in the big box stores for some 2013 Topps Chrome, even though I am pretty eager to see some blinged-out Sea Turtles. These places did eventually get those Topps Chipz, somewhat to my surprise, and of course the Qubi stampers too, even more of a surprise. Chrome should hit those shelves in another week or so I expect.

So I went with a sure, cheap thing - the Dollar $tore.

The repacks on offer, the 30 cards / one buck deal of course, didn't entice me with the uni-color Fleer offerings on top of the package. So I grabbed 5 cards of Series Two, just to pick up something to blog about.

And promptly lost the Topps lottery of the day. Two cards that had been the main subject of a post already (Michael Bourn and Juan Francisco), one that I hope to mention in a multi-card post (Phil Coke), and one with a special uni that I had already had fun with via another card.

That left just one card to blog about, and even that one has been mentioned here somewhat obliquely one rough day in July, courtesy of the great blog All The Way To The Backstop.

So let's Get Down! with Greg Dobbs and one of my favorite cards from Series 2:

Sorry I had to crib that image from eBay. Why do I type it with a capital B? I don't know.

If that turns into a red X or a blue ? someday I will replace that image with a quality scan when I get home. This card deserves a good scan.

Thanks to Backstop Cards, I will always think of this card as the Get Down! card. Are we going back to Disco Night at Comiskey? I'm not sure. Something exciting seems to be going on though, even if the fans seem to be watching a different part of the field than Greg is.

Seems that the Braves are visiting Miami for this image, and the poor ole Marlins can't even fill all the seats in the 3rd row. I think if I can ever get within a few hundred miles of Miami during baseball season, I will check out a game there. I like sitting right on top of the action.

And we have a night card, though not much of one to write home about. Just the stadium lights reflecting in the batting helmet tells us this.

The back of the card reveals a decent, mostly National League career, which is why I only know hardly anything about Greg Dobbs aside from the fact that he appears in my sets of baseball cards. Topps gives him a couple nice shout-outs with their text. Respect. A grown-up baseball card.

But after these basics, the mysteries begin. Someday in my not-voluminous free time I will be investigating this Only One Sleeve trend I see on my baseball cards. One elbow sleeved and one bare does start creating some imagery intrigue though.

Then we have the most basic mystery of the card. What is Dobbs doing? Is he covering for the third base coach, off taking a leak in the clubhouse for an at-bat? Ahh the irony of a third baseman seeming to give the STOP! sign to the runner rounding second.

Or is Dobbs at home plate, signaling a runner rounding third?

And what is he signaling anyway? The right hand, palm-out, is saying Stop! But what is his left hand saying? It kind of looks like C'mon down, the buffet is thataway. Very confusing. Maybe Mr. Dobbs is just trying to say Hi, but it's a little hard to do on a baseball card.

Meanwhile, whether he is behind third base, or behind home plate, how did the photographer sneak onto the live field of play to get this shot anyway? Or is Dobbs in the On-Deck circle perhaps. I'm kinda lost now.

Then we see he is yelling something. What? What? What should I do Greg? Ask Lassie? Look down the well for little Timmie first? Follow you to that bitchin' new club in South Beach with the wicked DJ later on?

If only baseball cards could talk.