The Riverside Times

The 1980s represented a high point for the baseball card industry, both in terms of mainstream popularity and in terms of card design. Many of the most popular and recognizable card designs of all-time were produced during this decade. Below are my Top 10 baseball card designs of the '80s, based on overall attractiveness, creativity and/or innovation, and my own personal preferences. Card backs are not weighed as much in these rankings, but I like to read the backs of baseball cards, so bonus points are given to good design there as well.  So without further ado... 10. 1989 Donruss  The '89 Donruss set is easily distinguishable for the multi-colored borders at the top and bottom of the cards. This gradient effect (which Donruss debuted in 1988) would be emulated many times by many companies in the decades that followed. I also like the way Donruss utilized the space on the back of the cards. A maximum of five seasons worth of stats are displayed along w...

Although it's a given that baseball players are going to get hurt, there are some ways that Major League Baseball could make the game less hazardous for it's athletes. Here are a few practical ideas to help make the game safer without changing the way it's played. 1. Foam rubber outfield walls. Why are the outfield walls in major league baseball parks covered with padding the thickness of an oven mitt? In some spots there is no padding at all. Wrigley Field literally has a brick wall out there. Players get hurt crashing into these walls all the time. Earlier this season, Yankees OF Jacoby Ellsbury received a sprained neck and a concussion slamming into a wall. He made the catch, but landed on the DL. Clearly, the "warning track" is not enough of a deterrent. Outfield walls are bad for your health. Photo: USA Today My suggestion: 3-foot-thick foam rubber outfield walls. This would prevent countless serious injuries every year, and it wouldn'...

NBA D-League MVP Vander Blue / Photo: NBA.com The NBA's minor league could be bigger than college hoops within 10 years if it just makes one change... I'm bullish on the NBA G-League. It's expanding to 26 teams next season, with the Bucks, Grizzlies, Hawks, and Clippers being the latest NBA teams to add a minor league affiliate to develop their young players. Existing, unaffiliated minor league teams are also being scooped up, and soon every NBA team will have it's own G-League franchise. And that's when things will get fun. Minor league basketball will soon be like minor league baseball... except way better. While minor league baseball has multiple levels (Rookie ball, AA, AAA) the G-League will be all AAA, stocked with players on the brink of the big-time. Soon the nation's top high-school recruits won't be one-and-done's at Duke or Kentucky, they'll be going pro in the G-League. All the league needs to do is give it's players ...