2011 Topps Lineage Sneak Peek

Topps just unveiled some sneak peek photos of some cards from a set expected to be available in August. It is called Topps Lineage, and, if I'm not mistaken, is an inaugural brand for the company. From the looks of some of the samples it appears to be a set that borrows the card designs of various vintage Topps sets. I guess this is a "super-Heritage" set since it takes from many different years instead of focusing on the vintage card design of just one year- like the Topps Heritage brand.

Anyway, one Dodger is represented in the sneak peek, and we shouldn't be surprised who it is. Below is the Sandy Koufax card. Go here, on their facebook page, to see more.

UPDATE: Beckett has more on the set right here. The set actually ties in many different oddball Topps designs from the past 60 years.

Collection: 1979 Albuquerque Dukes

Here is a brief trip down memory lane. The 1979 Albuquerque Dukes were a great team that provided a small glimpse into the future of the Dodgers. They finished 1st in the overall standings, and featured many future Dodgers who would play integral parts of 2 championship teams.

There was Mickey Hatcher who lead the league in hitting with a .371 average, and was third with a OPS of .971. Pedro Guerrero provided the power as he belted 22 home runs and 103 RBI's. Mike Scioscia was the primary backstop, handling pitchers like Dave Stewart and Bobby Castillo, while hitting a robust .336.
Featured in this post is the complete 1979 Albuquerque Dukes team set made by TCMA.
Here is what the reverse of the cards look like.

Blog Kiosk: 4/5/2011

• Tommy Lasorda tells another great story about Steve Sax on his blog.
  
• Tom Hoffarth interviews Bobby Valentine.
  
• Vin Scully is My Homeboy has some great pics from the Dodgers newest Dreamfield at Martin Luther King Jr. Recreation Center.
• New Mexico Fan has the 2011 Albuquerque Isotopes Opening Day roster.
  
• Children's Hospital Los Angeles launches an interactive guide featuring local LA sports stars, via Kings website. There will be 4 parts with Pau Gasol being the first star to be featured. See it here. James Loney is the Dodger who is represented. I'll certainly pass it along once it goes live. Here is the schedule:

  · “Where’s Pau Now?” featuring Pau Gasol: April 1 – May 5, 2011
  · “Look for Luc” featuring Luc Robitaille: May 7 – June 10, 2011
  · “Locate Landon” featuring Landon Donovan: June 12 – July 16, 2011
  · “Find James First” featuring James Loney: July 18 – August 20, 2011

  
• Check out what I think is the coolest #5 type card collection item so far, right here.
  
• As a follow-up to my April Fools Joke on Friday, here is a version of the Rebecca Black song that is actually really good. I guess you can't go wrong with Colbert and Fallon.

Video Link:

eBay: 1963 World Series Hat

Gone are the days when gentleman wore this style of straw hat to the game. Here is a 1963 World Series hat that featured the Dodgers versus the Yankees on eBay. As you know, the Dodgers swept the most hated team in the world in 4 games.

(eBay Auction Link)