The readership blues

I've been trying to fight this for the past year-plus on this blog.

Honestly, I didn't want to believe it was true at first. As of right now, though, I think it's finally time to 'fess up.

Yes, folks, I do care about the amount of comments and readership I get on my posts.

Let me be clear here, though. It'll never get to the point where I stop blogging altogether because I didn't get a comment or two on one of my posts. It's not that big of a concern, by any means.

But, as much as I tell myself not to think about it, I do tend to take note when my blog stats take a hit. This week's card show posts were noticeably less viewed and commented on than my past ones of the same variety.

It's been that way for most of my write-ups during the past week or so, although I'm not quite sure why. I know the blogosphere goes through peaks and valleys, but those valleys can get a bit worrisome at times.

Deep down, I doubt I'm much different from the rest of my fellow bloggers in this regard. I think most of us have at least a slight interest in how "popular" our posts on a given day are.

I'm sorry if this sounds like whining. That's the last of my intentions here. I'm an upbeat guy.

Hey, you, look! Here's some cards I received before my card show/Vegas mega-week, courtesy of Douglas from the awesome blog "Sportscards From the Dollar Store".

Look at them, don't look at them. Comment, don't comment. I don't care. (I do, though.)

Days after Douglas sent his last batch of cards out to me, I added this 1992 Donruss Triple Play card of Roger McDowell and his water gun arsenal to my "Dime Box Dozen" list. Lo and behold, he had that one, too. 

Because he's such a terrific person, Douglas assembled yet another great package for me, centered around the now-former "Dime Box Dozen" McDowell.

Look!

Harold Baines blowing a bubble!

Surely someone has a comment about that, right?

I'd love to dig through a box stuffed with early '90s Triple Play cards. If what I've seen from the set is any indication, that'd sure be a ton of fun. 

After all, Triple Play is a gem within itself.

Cool!

Ballplayers doing impersonations of my math teacher!

Funny, eh?

Although I haven't fully decided to chase these types of cards, Douglas chose to partake in a bit of a "bespectacled dump" in preparing this particular package. 

No, I don't wear glasses, so I don't have any type of personal attachment to these things. For whatever reason, I just think they're cool.

I'm not sure my binders can withstand another mini-collection, though. My unorganized stacks of "pitchers at the plate" and "interview" cards are already overflowing.

So, will I ever eventually decide to chase these bespectacled ballplayers?

I'm sure I will.

Not quite yet, though.

Of course, Eddie Gaedel is the smallest ballplayer ever featured on a card.

But I think mini-Sheets here is now the smallest human I've ever seen on a piece of cardboard. A prime add to my "cards with kids" collection, no doubt.

If my research is correct, that's Ben and Julie Sheets's first son, Tom. Incidentally, they chose to name him after pitching legend Tom Seaver. (The second son of the former Brewer was named Miller. Coincidence?)

Thanks to a repack he'd recently opened, Douglas had an extra copy of this card to send my way.

As if I needed any more reasons to love repacks.

I certainly feel those cards were comment-worthy. Every single one.

I'll just have to leave that part up to you.

In all seriousness, though, blogging is a whole lot more than readership and comments to me. That'll never, ever change.

No matter how, where, or when you came across my post this afternoon, I thank you for checking in and reading through it.

But I do appreciate any feedback I can get on this drivel I post every now and again.

It feels good to finally get that off my chest.