1887 N28 World Champions Billiards Cards

I just came back from the post office after receiving a notice that I had a special delivery waiting for me at their lock-up. The postman came back from the rear of the building clutching a white box. Inside there was 8 cards from the Allen & Ginter tabacco card set produced in 1887 called N28 World Champions. There are 50 cards in the set with 8 of them being billiards players. Other sports include baseball, boxing, wrestlers, gun shooters and oarsmen. These 8 cards complete my non-baseball N28 set. Now its time to find a great deal on the ball players to complete the full set. Only 7 cards to go!

Check out my photo album to see my set. Only the billiards cards are up, but I will add to that list over the next several weeks.

Blue Heaven on Earth

Saint Tommy preaching to his flock.

Referring to God as the "big Dodger in the sky" and Dodgers Stadium as "blue heaven on earth," Lasorda, whose talk closed out the 1998-99 edition of the Distinguished Speakers Series, said his epitaph will read "Dodgers stadium was his address but every ballpark was his home."

... "Loyalty is an amazing thing," he added. "I love the Dodgers and I want to die a Dodger."

Back in my youth, when days where filled with fun and irresponsibility, I had an opportunity to hear Tommy Lasorda give an inspirational speech to employees at my Fathers work. My Dad was an engineer with Flour Daniel. Pops jumped an the chance to let his young son listen to the patriarch of the Dodgers. The Dean of the Blue Diamond. And I welcomed the opportunity to listen to his kind words. I remember being so excited about being there.

It was some time ago, the exact time period or date escapes me, so its hard to remember exactly the body of his speech. But rest assured, it was probably much like the speech described at the Distinguished Speaker Series detailed above. I left the evening with a smile on my face, a signature in my hand and a strange sense that Tommy was talking right to me. I'm sure he said, "we must believe we can achieve whatever we want, but we can only achieve our dreams through the avenue of hard work."