Calm Before The Storm

I have been reading about the Dodgers NLDS series against the Braves all morning.  I have read the series previews, studied the Dodgers playoff roster and even thought of the many scenarios that may occur during the opening series.  I feel that I need a slight break from playoff talk and need to clear my head of Dodger baseball for a moment.

The Dodgers open the series against the Braves tonight in a little over five hours.  The thought of the first pitch is making me jittery with nervous excitement.

Rather than have a Dodger themed post that may make my heart race too fast for comfort, I have decided for a 90s style post.  Maybe showing some cards from one of the better insert sets from the great decade will work as a natural form of panic reducing Xanax.

I recently finished opening a box of 1996 Upper Deck Series II.  One of the draws for me when deciding on a cheap box to purchase was the V.J. Lovero insert set.  These cards are epic and show some of the world class photography that Lovero was known for.

Ken Griffey Jr. had the sweetest swing that I ever saw.  It was smooth and quick.  Griffey packed a punch when he connected on a pitch.  Normally, Griffey cards don't make it into one of my binders.  This card is an exception because it shows the swing of sweetness is a high quality piece of glossy cardboard.

The Seattle Mariners had some great baseball players in the mid to late 90s.  Jay Buhner was one of them.  He looked like a mean fellow that had a future of being a bouncer at a biker bar.  Instead he was a masher that hit some bombs for the Mariners, which was probably a much better career choice.

I have seen this card before on some other blogs.  This card would probably make some bloggers Top 100 lists.  When I see this card, I don't think of Jay Buhner, I think of the little Buhner.  What direction in life did his son choose?  Is he an athlete like his pops?  Is the little Buhner a tough looking dude that gets into fistfights just for kicks?

I also wonder what do kids of ballplayers that appear on baseball cards think when they look back at those cards.  Are they embarrassed to see a childhood photo of themselves being collected by complete strangers?  Do they have a sense of pride knowing that they made it on an Upper Deck card without being a big league ballplayer?

I am just realizing that this is a Mariners themed post.  In an effort to avoid Dodgerness for a minute, I have been carried away to the Pacific Northwest.  The name of my blog may be changed to Jamie Moyer's Fish Market when all is said and done.

I don't outline my posts before I write.  I just have the words flow freely from my mind to my keyboard.  Some bloggers seem very prepared and thoughtful when posting.  I am not one of those guys.  I just see words in my brain and type them as I go.  That is why you may see typos or random thoughts that don't fit the mold of the opening paragraph.

Anyway, the card above is another 90s classic.  This card is featuring Randy Johnson actually looking happy.  Johnson always seemed like the surliest guy in the world when he was on a baseball diamond.  He appeared to be full of rage and anger like a lot of mullet rocking metal heads.  It is nice to see that Johnson did have a good time at least once in his life when V.J. Lovero stopped by for a photo shoot.

It is time to break up the Seattle stronghold of this post.  May has well show off a beautiful photograph of juicer poster boy, Brady Anderson.  This card shows Anderson sliding into home on a close play with the pitcher covering.  This play in baseball doesn't happen often and is rarely captured on film.

The dust cloud and the shadow of the umpire add to the charm of this masterpiece.  I believe the umpire is making a safe signal as his arms seem spread apart.  This may be the first and only Brady Anderson card that I deem binder worthy.

Opening up a box of '96 Upper Deck was a lot of fun.  I will probably pick up another 90s box very soon.  Any suggestions?