Daniel Cabrera, 2006 Fleer #234

Pop quiz: Is Daniel Cabrera still an active player? I consider myself fairly plugged in when it comes to baseball news. I'm subscribed to Hardball Talk and Baseball Nation's blog feeds, I follow baseball writers and fans by the dozens on Twitter, and MLB Network is frequently on my TV. Yet somehow, I was surprised by the news that Baltimore's favorite erratic 6'7" pitcher had recently signed a minor-league contract with the Pirates. I did know that Cabrera hadn't been seen in the major leagues since 2009, when he walked 42 batters and struck out only 23 in 51 innings for the Nationals and Diamondbacks. I had a vague memory of the White Sox giving him a go, but Ozzie Guillen and company set him adrift in the middle of spring training in 2010. He didn't catch on with another team until that June, when the Angels picked him up. He appeared in 11 games between AA and AAA with sufficiently awful results (0-3, 7.09 ERA, 20 K/16 BB in 26.2 IP). Baseball Reference has no record of Daniel playing anywhere in 2011, which brings us to the present day. Even considering the lowly state of the Pirates, Cabrera has to be considered the longest of long shots to return to a big league mound in 2012. If he does, I have one friendly suggestion for baseball fans in Pittsburgh: duck.

Ramon Hernandez, 2006 Fleer #251

Although Ramon Hernandez is identified as an Oriole on this card, he is pictured in a Padres uniform. (As Steve may have noticed, he's attempting to tag out White Sox outfielder Scott Podsednik.) I chose this card today as my way of telling you that I'm heading out of town for the weekend. In four hours, I'll be flying out of BWI-Marshall Airport en route to Atlanta. For the fourth time in my life, I'll see no more of Georgia than the inside of its busiest airport. Some day I'll actually check out the rest of Atlanta! From there, I'll catch a connecting flight across the Southern United States to San Diego to visit my good friends Jill and Tristan. I'm really looking forward to escaping the terrible humidity of Baltimore for a few days, and as luck has it, I'll be able to check out Petco Park for a game or two of the Padres' weekend series against the Brewers. The only major league ballparks I've seen are Memorial Stadium and Camden Yards in Baltimore, RFK Stadium and Nationals Park in Washington, D. C., and the former SkyDome in Toronto (though that was for WrestleMania, not a baseball game). I'll be sure to tell you all about it when I get home.

As usual, I'm not leaving you completely in the lurch. I've picked out a few of the most aesthetically interesting cards in my collection and they'll be posted each day while I'm away. I'll be back on Tuesday. Enjoy the transition from July into August, everyone!