Someone Needed to Do It

Nature abhors a vacuum. 

Now, in physics, that may not be true. Certainly in our biospheres, however, so long as you don't destroy an area with chemicals, a forest that is cut down will see the undergrowth and seedlings will come back within weeks to fill in that hole. 

As the Wikipedia article cited above mentions, nature abhorring a vacuum is a commonly cited misconception which "may owe more to its colloquial usage in modern times than anything else, as the phrase is commonly used to demonstrate the fleeting nature of opportunity as it is recognized and quickly seized by an opportunist before another opportunist beats them to it. This is sometimes referred to as 'finding a niche'."

That's what I am doing here -- finding a niche.

But 1982 was such a great year for me as a baseball fan. If you have read my other blog, you know that I am a Milwaukee Brewers fan. That means that 1982 was the one and only time I have ever seen my Milwaukee Brewers play in (and unfortunately lose) a World Series. I was a 10 year-old kid in 1982, so I was at my most impressionable while still being able to remember things today about that season.

1982 was also the year I really started collecting baseball cards in earnest. I was able to put together the entire 1982 set by buying wax packs, and my mom was kind enough to pay the $10 plus $2.50 shipping and handling for me to buy the 1982 Topps Update set through the mail.

So, 1982 has a lot of meaning for me as a baseball fan and as a collector. This blog will try to do justice to the cards, the players, and the goings on in 1982.

Let's start with some context for what this year was like.

MUSIC

The top selling song for 1982 was the song that started the year at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart: Olivia Newton-John's paean to the gym and other workouts, "Physical".

Yeah, I didn't like that song much even then. Earworm from hell.

The Number One song did not turn over much in 1982 -- only 16 total songs shared the 52-week calendar, including everything from the classic J. Geils Band song "Centerfold" to Rocky III's (and Auburn's) "Eye of the Tiger" to "Truly" by Lionel Richie.

I'm not sure who 1982's Justin Bieber or One Direction or New Kids was -- maybe it was John Cougar with "Jack and Diane"?

IN THE NEWS

I remember well how god-awful cold it was in January of 1982: January 17 was "Cold Sunday", with the all-time low for Milwaukee of −26 °F (−32 °C) being set on that day.

Also in 1982:

• The Falkland War between Argentina and the United Kingdom took place. 
• Wayne Williams is convicted of killing 2 adult men in 1979-1981 and receives two consecutive life terms. 
• Baseball is delayed in several northeastern cities by a blizzard dumping 1-2 FEET of snow. 
• The Weather Channel first aired. 
• Aston Villa won the European Cup by beating Bayern Munich in the final in Rotterdam. 
• In September, 7 people in Chicago die by ingesting cyanide-laced Tylenol. 
• EPCOT Center at Walt Disney World opens. 
• On November 30, Michael Jackson releases Thriller. Oh, and there is your Justin Bieber. 

That is just a tip of the iceberg for the year 1982. Hopefully, my run through the cards of 1982 will be enjoyable for me and for all of you.