bdj610's Topps Baseball Card Blog

Veteran's Day Thanks.

2009-11-11T12:00:00.001-06:00

On behalf of the staff of this humble little blog, I would like to thank all those who have either served, are currently serving, or will be serving their country shortly, for the sacrifices you've made for all of us so we may live our lives freely.

Regardless of how we feel about the wars our country is involved in, we all should take time to think about the brave men and women, whether stationed around the country, or around the world, representing our country, representing our people, doing the things that many of us could only imagine. They deserve our respect.

To all in the Armed Forces (the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard)...Thank You!!!

To make this post semi-baseball card related, I wrote about a little insert set from 2007 Topps called Distinguished Service. It's worth a read if you have the time.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

bdj610's End of Year MLB All-Star Teams: 1990 Edition

2009-11-11T09:00:00.000-06:00

We're finally into the 1990's. By the time I named my 1990 End of the Year All-Star Teams, I was balancing high school homework and working as a lackey in the theater department. I followed baseball a bit more closely over the summer, and watched as the defending NL East champs wrote in their season. But the real All-Star Game was at Wrigley, and while I wasn't at the actual game, my aunt who lives on Addison allowed us to watch the game from her place. And we all know what happened at the game that night, right???

While I am still learning more about the game (I started picking up books about the history of baseball at this time too), when it came to picking teams in the early 90's, all it involved was using the players from the actual All-Star Game, and plugging in the holes as needed to fill out the rest of the positions. So while it was not yet picking the best of the best yet, the players chosen for my 1990 teams deserved to be there. There are 10 pitchers on each team (six starters, four closers), and because the 1991 ASG would be in Toronto, each team included a DH. So the rosters expanded to 35 players per team.

Let's cut to the chase. Without further ado, for the first time online, I am proud to introduce my 1990 End of Year MLB All-Star Teams (in alphabetical order by position):

(Lots of space here when I added the table. On feeds and on other blog sites like Sculu, it all looks normal, but on Blogger, the space remains...)

American League

First Basemen

Cecil Fielder, Tigers*
Mark McGwire, Athletics
Rafael Palmeiro, Rangers

Second Basemen

Julio Franco, Rangers
Steve Sax, Yankees
Lou Whitaker, Tigers

Third Basemen

Wade Boggs, Red Sox
Brook Jacoby, Indians*
Kelly Gruber, Blue Jays

Shortstops

Ozzie Guillen, White Sox
Cal Ripken, Orioles
Alan Trammell, Tigers

Outfielders

George Bell, Blue Jays
Ellis Burks, Red Sox*
Ivan Calderon, White Sox*
Jose Canseco, Athletics
Ken Griffey, Jr., Mariners*
Rickey Henderson, Athletics
Bo Jackson, Royals
Kirby Puckett, Twins
Robin Yount, Brewers

Catchers

Sandy Alomar, Indians*
Carlton Fisk, White Sox
Lance Parrish, Angels*

Designated Hitter:

Dave Parker, Brewers*

Pitchers

Roger Clemens, Red Sox
Dennis Eckersley, Athletics
Chuck Finley, Angels
Randy Johnson, Mariners*
Doug Jones, Indians
Gregg Olson, Orioles*
Bret Saberhagen, Royals
Dave Steib, Blue Jays*
Bobby Thigpen, White Sox
Bob Welch, Athletics*

Manager:

Jeff Torborg, White Sox

The Starters:

1B: McGwire
2B: Sax
3B: Boggs
SS: Ripken
OF: Canseco
OF: Griffey, Jr.
OF: Henderson
C: Alomar
DH: Parker
P: Welch

*First-Time All-Star

National League

First Basemen

Will Clark, Giants
Mark Grace, Cubs*
Eddie Murray, Dodgers*

Second Basemen

Roberto Alomar, Padres*
Tommy Herr, Mets
Ryne Sandberg, Cubs

Third Basemen

Chris Sabo, Reds*
Tim Wallach, Expos
Matt Williams, Giants*

Shortstops

Shawon Dunston, Cubs
Barry Larkin, Reds
Ozzie Smith, Cardinals

Outfielders

Barry Bonds, Pirates
Bobby Bonilla, Pirates
Kal Daniels, Dodgers*
Andre Dawson, Cubs
Lenny Dykstra, Phillies*
Tony Gwynn, Padres
Kevin Mitchell, Giants
Lonnie Smith, Braves*
Darryl Strawberry, Mets

Catchers

Greg Olson, Braves*
Benito Santiago, Padres
Mike Scioscia, Dodgers

Designated Hitter:

Ron Gant, Braves*

Pitchers

Jack Armstrong, Reds*
Jeff Brantley, Giants*
Rob Dibble, Reds*
John Franco, Mets
Neal Heaton, Pirates*
Dennis Martinez, Expos*
Ramon Martinez, Dodgers*
Randy Myers, Reds
Dave Smith, Astros*
Frank Viola, Mets

Manager:

Jim Leyland, Pirates

The Starters:

1B: Clark
2B: Sandberg
3B: Sabo
SS: Smith
OF: Dawson
OF: Dykstra
OF: Mitchell
C: Scioscia
DH: Gant
P: Armstrong

Twenty-nine new players are first-time all-stars (12 for the American League, 17 for the Nationals). One-person teams on my 1990 rosters include the Twins (Puckett), Yankees (Sax...this would be unheard of today), Astros (DSmith), Cardinals (OSmith), and Phillies (Dykstra). Both the Athletics and Reds send five representatives on the AL and NL rosters respectively, leading both leagues (figures, since both teams went to the World Series that year). The White Sox, Cubs (Chicago bias rules!!!), Dodgers, Giants, and Mets each send four players to their respective squads.

As always, seven regular games (10,000 simulations each, six with the same starting pitchers, one where lineups and starting pitchers change), and one All-Star Game will be simulated during the course of the week. I hope to have the results of all the games by the end of the week.

Now it's time for me to create the .DAT files before getting the games set. You know, putting my imagined All-Star Teams to the 'net, and the added fun of simulating games with them, is really rejuvinating. And a whole lot of fun. I'm actually enjoying this.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

bdj610's 1989 End of Year All-Star Teams Simulated Games Results

2009-11-10T09:00:00.002-06:00

I have finally finished simulating the All-Star Games using my 1989 End of Year All-Star Teams. I'm getting a whole let better now that I kinda know what I'm doing (I'm sure by the time I'm done, I'll be an expert...wishful thinking).

Just like the first two times I ran these, I simulated seven games (five series between starters, one series with the full rotation but one regular lineup, and one series where the lineups, starting rotations changed on a daily basis), by playing each one 10,000 times.

The first five games I simulated used each starting pitcher on both sides at least once, and all position players started a minimum of two games each. Here are the results:

Game 1: AL vs. NL, Dave Stewart vs. Mike Scott. The NL wins 5,939 games out of 10,000 simulations.
Game 2: AL vs. NL, Chuck Finley vs. Orel Hershiser. The NL wins 5,806 games.
Game 3: NL vs. AL, Joe Magrane vs. Nolan Ryan. The AL wins 5,498 games (using a DH). Nolan Ryan pitched 16 no-hitters.
Game 4: NL vs, AL, Rick Reuschel vs. Mark Gubicza. The AL wins 5,453 games (using a DH). Tony Gwynn had hitting streaks of 30, 32, 41, and 42 games.
Game 5: NL vs. AL, John Smoltz vs. Greg Swindell. The NL wins 5,661 games (using a DH).
Game 6: AL vs. NL, each SP started 2,000 games. The AL wins 5,197 games.
Game 7: AL vs. NL, anything goes. The NL wins 5,190 games.

So the NL wins the regular series 4 games to 3. For the official All-Star Game, I decided to just simulate one game and one game only. The starting pitchers were Stewart and Scott and I let them pitch two innings (unless they struggled badly). The rest of the pitchers would get one inning each (unless they struggled badly). The position players were replaced every three innings. No pinch hitters here, (as in previous tries, the pinch hitter is taken out of the game...I couldn't figure out how to double switch here), but the game did ask me if I wanted to make double switches (to which the response was YES!!!)

The starting lineups, first for the American League (I'm using 1990 Topps cards because these are the cards I used to imagine my All-Star teams):

Now the National League starting lineup:

Here is the result:

The 1989 NL All-Stars beat the 1989 AL All-Stars by a final score of 9-3.

The box score is below (Just click on the picture to take a closer look.

The scoring plays:

Bottom 1: Dave Stewart pitching. Eric Davis triples. Ryne Sandberg grounds out to Wade Boggs (5-3). Will Clark singles, EDavis scoring. Tony Gwynn reaches on an error by Boggs, Clark advancing to second. Howard Johnson reaches on an error by Cal Ripken, Clark scoring, Gwynn advancing to third. Kevin Mitchell hits a home run, Gwynn scoring, Johnson scoring.

Top 2: Mike Scott pitching. Mark McGwire walks. Wade Boggs grounds into a double play to Ryne Sandberg (4-6-3), McGwire out. Ruben Sierra hits a home run.

Top 5: John Smoltz pitching. Steve Sax singles, reaches second on an error by Tim Raines (E8). Bo Jackson strikes out. Rickey Henderson singles, Sax advancing to third. Tony Fernandez singles, Sax scores, Henderson advancing to second.

Bottom 5: Mark Gubicza pitching. Larking flies out to Rickey Henderson (7). Von Hayes singles. Bobby Bonilla grounds out to Gubicza (1-3), Hayes advancing to second. Pedro Guerrero doubles, Hayes scoring.

Bottom 6: Doug Jones pitching. Craig Biggio reaches on an error by Don Mattingly (4-E3). Tim Burke strikes out. Tim Raines singles, Biggio advancing to second. Both runners advance via passed ball by Terry Steinbach. Tom Herr singles, Biggio scoring, Raines advancing to third. Mike Henneman pitching. Barry Larkin grounds into a fielders choice to Steve Sax (4-6), Raines scoring, Herr out at second.

Bottom 8: Jeff Russell pitching. Darryl Strawberry walks. Shawon Dunston strikes out. Mike Scioscia reaches on an error by Joe Carter, advancing to second, Strawberry advancing to third. Willie Randolph grounds out to Lou Whitaker (4-3), Strawberry scoring, Scioscia advancing to third.

Top 9: Mark Davis pitching. Jeffrey Leonard strikes out. Joe Carter singles to right, reaches second on an error by Andre Dawson. Ozzie Guillen singles, Carter advancing to third. Jeff Russell singles, Carter scoring, Guillen advancing to second.

Kevin Mitchell is the MVP, thanks to his 3-run homer in the first.
After the drubbing at the hands of the AL the year before, the NL comes back with a vengeance in this game. If this game actually existed, the MVP would have definitely been Kevin Mitchell (1-2, 1 home run, 3 rbi's). Orel Hershiser earns the win, Dave Stewart suffers the loss, and the only players who didn't get in the game were pitchers Bobby Thigpen from the AL and Joe Magrane from the NL.
If you want to see the .DAT files that I used (I still don't know how to download these onto the blog , so please just take a look at the screen caps below). If anyone can e-mail me instructions, please do so at bdj610@hotmail.com. Below is the AL .DAT file, then the NL .DAT file:

Now that the 1989 All-Star Games are officially over, on Wednesday, I will introduce the 1990 End of Year All-Star teams. Simulations for games with those rosters to come hopefully by Sunday night.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

The NFL Players Association Will NOT Renew Topps License for 2010.

2009-11-09T17:09:00.003-06:00

Yes, this is a baseball card blog, but because it is related to the company whose products I collect, it's big news.

The number one source in the hobby has reported that the NFL Players Association will not renew Topps License for 2010.

The current deal with Topps, Upper Deck, and Panini runs until February, 2010, and who is to say what happens in 2011 and beyond.

But here is the thing:

Just like in MLB, there are two distinct marketing arms in the NFL, NFL Properties and the NFL Players Association. There was a time in the early 90's that Topps didn't have a license from the NFL Properties, yet still produced cards as they were licensed by the NFLPA. I think now that the licenses have reversed because there has been no official word from NFL Properties regarding this matter. Just because the Players Association is cutting Topps off doesn't mean that they are totally out of the NFL card business yet. If however, NFL Properties says they are no longer going to work with Topps, then all is lost.

Regardless, this is a blow to Topps for sure. How much of an impact, though, remains to be seen.

This should make one specific blogger extremely happy though. And he knows who he is.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

bdj610's End of Year MLB All-Star Teams: 1989 Edition

2009-11-06T09:00:00.003-06:00

It's now 1989, and it's a big year for baseball in Chicago. Don Zimmer's Cubs were the talk of the town, and the White Sox were mired in last place in a seven-team American League West (take a moment for that to sink in...). I'm still new to this concept called baseball, and while I'm getting to know more and more about the players, I'm still influenced by outside sources when it comes to naming my end of the year All-Star teams. It actually isn't until the early part of 1990 that I finally get around to naming my teams.

The main source of influence when it came to picking teams was actually the 1990 Panini sticker album. I was still crazy about sticker albums then, and as I didn't see Topps come out with one for the 1990 season, the Panini album was a good alternative. All the Panini regular player stickers were the same size as the Topps stickers from the year before, and none were the "half size" pictures. They were all large. Panini even included a little caption stating "All-Star" somewhere near the player's name. And I will have to admit that most of the players on the lists you see below were named All-Stars by Panini. Now whether they were actually All-Stars during the 1989 ASG or not I can't recall. All I do remember is that every team had an All-Star named by Panini, and to get the rosters up to 34 members, I did stick to the same formula as the year before when it came to roster sizes (3 each for the infield spots, 3 catchers, 9 outfielders, 9 pitchers), but because the 1990 ASG was coming to Wrigley Field, I took out the DH spot and replaced it with a 10th pitchers spot (which broke down to five starters, and five closers).

Let's cut to the chase. Without further ado, for the first time online, I am proud to introduce my 1989 End of Year MLB All-Star Teams (in alphabetical order by position):

(Lots of space here when I added the table. Don't know why...)

American League

First Basemen

Wally Joyner, Angels*
Don Mattingly, Yankees
Mark McGwire, Athletics

Second Basemen

Julio Franco, Indians
Steve Sax, Yankees
Lou Whitaker, Tigers

Third Basemen

Wade Boggs, Red Sox
Gary Gaetti, Twins
Kelly Gruber, Blue Jays*

Shortstops

Tony Fernandez, Blue Jays
Ozzie Guillen, White Sox*
Cal Ripken, Orioles

Outfielders

Harold Baines, Rangers
Joe Carter, Indians
Rickey Henderson, Athletics
Bo Jackson, Royals*
Jeffrey Leonard, Mariners
Kirby Puckett, Twins
Ruben Sierra, Rangers*
Devon White, Angels*
Robin Yount, Brewers

Catchers

Carlton Fisk, White Sox
Terry Steinbach, Athletics*
Mickey Tettleton, Orioles*

Pitchers

Chuck Finley, Angels*
Mark Gubicza, Royals
Mike Hennemann, Tigers*
Doug Jones, Indians
Dan Plesac, Brewers
Jeff Russell, Rangers*
Nolan Ryan, Rangers*
Dave Stewart, Athletics
Greg Swindell, Indians*
Bobby Thigpen, White Sox*

Manager:

Frank Robinson, Orioles

The Starters:

1B: McGwire
2B: Franco
3B: Boggs
SS: Ripken
OF: Puckett
OF: Sierra
OF: Yount
C: Fisk
P: Stewart

*First-Time All-Star

National League

First Basemen

Will Clark, Giants
Glenn Davis, Astros
Pedro Guerrero, Dodgers

Second Basemen

Tommy Herr, Phillies
Willie Randolph, Dodgers
Ryne Sandberg, Cubs

Third Basemen

Bobby Bonilla, Pirates
Howard Johnson, Mets
Tim Wallach, Expos

Shortstops

Shawon Dunston, Cubs
Barry Larkin, Reds
Ozzie Smith, Cardinals

Outfielders

Vince Coleman, Cardinals*
Eric Davis, Reds
Andre Dawson, Cubs
Tony Gwynn, Padres
Von Hayes, Phillies*
Kevin Mitchell, Giants*
Dale Murphy, Braves
Tim Raines, Expos
Darryl Strawberry, Mets

Catchers

Craig Biggio, Astros*
Benito Santiago, Padres
Mike Scioscia, Dodgers*

Pitchers

Tim Burke, Expos*
Mark Davis, Padres
John Franco, Reds
Orel Hershiser, Dodgers
Jay Howell, Dodgers
Joe Magrane, Cardinals*
Rick Reuschel, Giants*
Mike Scott, Astros
John Smoltz, Braves*
Mitch Williams, Cubs*

Manager:

Don Zimmer, Cubs

The Starters:

1B: Clark
2B: Sandberg
3B: Johnson
SS: Smith
OF: Davis
OF: Gwynn
OF: Mitchell
C: Santiago
P: Scott

Twenty-four new players are first-time all-stars from the previous year's teams (14 for the American League, 10 for the Nationals). One-person teams on my 1989 rosters include the Mariners (Leonard), Red Sox (Boggs), and Pirates (Bonilla). The Dodgers have five representatives on the NL roster, leading both leagues. The Athletics, Indians, Rangers, and Cubs each send four players to their respective squads.

Very veteran-heavy teams on both sides. Had I known better, players like Fred McGriff, Ken Griffey, Jr., and even Jerome Walton would have made it onto either team. But again, Panini influence and a tendency to stay with players I was already familiar with keeps the teams above where they are.

Seven regular games (10,000 simulations each, five with the same starting pitchers, two where lineups and starting pitchers change...since I have only five starters...a home and home battle where anything goes), and one All-Star Game will be simulated during the course of the week. I hope to have the results of all the games by the end of the week.

Now it's time for me to create the .DAT files before getting the games set. This is a lot of fun. Why didn't I think of this sooner?

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

bdj610's 1988 End of Year All-Star Teams Simulated Games Results

2009-11-05T09:00:00.001-06:00

I have finally finished simulating the All-Star Games using my 1988 End of Year All-Star Teams. Now that I have enough practice with it, using the SBS has been so much fun. And I didn't even get that "Error: Box Score 70" that plagued me the last time.

Just like the last round using the '87 teams, I simulated seven games (six series between starters and one series where the lineups, starting rotations changed on a daily basis), by playing each one 10,000 times.

The first six games I simulated used each starting pitcher on both sides at least once, and all position players started a minimum of two games each. Here are the results:

Game 1: NL vs. AL, Orel Hershiser vs. Frank Viola. The AL wins 5,707 games out of 10,000 simulations (using a DH).
Game 2: NL vs. AL, Dwight Gooden vs. Mark Gubicza. The AL wins 5,948 games (using a DH).
Game 3: AL vs. NL, Roger Clemens vs. David Cone. The NL wins 5,031 games.
Game 4: AL vs, NL, Dave Stewart vs. Danny Jackson. The NL wins 5,253 games.
Game 5: AL vs. NL, Bruce Hurst vs. Tom Browning. The AL wins 5,221 games.
Game 6: NL vs. AL, Bob Knepper vs. Teddy Higuera. The AL wins 7,238 games (using a DH).
Game 7: NL vs. AL, anything goes. The AL wins 6,001 games.

So the AL beats (in dominating fashion in some cases) the NL 5 to 2 in the regular series. For the official All-Star Game, I decided to just simulate one game and one game only. The starting pitchers were Hershiser and Viola and I let them pitch two innings. The rest of the pitchers would get one inning each (unless they struggled badly). The position players were replaced every three innings. No pinch hitters here, (as in previous tries, the pinch hitter is taken out of the game...I couldn't figure out how to double switch here). The DH's (Dale Murphy of the NL and Harold Baines of the AL) were never replaced.

The starting lineups, first for the National League (I'm using 1989 Topps cards because these are the cards I used to imagine my All-Star teams when not using the Topps sticker backs):

Now the American League starting lineup:

Here is the result:

The 1988 AL All-Stars beat the 1988 NL All-Stars by a final score of 12-4.

The box score is below (Just click on the picture to take a closer look.

The scoring plays were like this:

Top 2: Frank Viola pitching. Andre Dawson singles. Gary Carter singles. Runners advance on a Mike Greenwell error. Bobby Bonilla grounds out to Viola (1-3). Ozzie Smith walks. Andy VanSlyke reaches on a fielders choice, Smith out at second (5-4), Dawson scoring.

Top 4: Bruce Hurst pitching. Gary Carter doubles. Bobby Bonilla flies to Rickey Henderson (7). Ozzie Smith lines out to Tony Fernandez (6). Andy VanSlyke hits a home run, Carter scoring.

Bottom 4: David Cone pitching. Harold Reynolds reaches on an error by Rafael Palmeiro (E7). George Brett grounds out to Barry Larkin (6-3). Harold Baines walks. Dave Winfield strikes out. Robin Yount walks, loading the bases. Paul Molitor singles, Reynolds scoring, Baines scoring, Yount out at third (8-3).

Bottom 5: Tom Browning pitching. Carlton Fisk walks. Tony Fernandez doubles, Fisk to third. Rickey Henderson singles, Fisk scoring, Fernandez scoring. Reynolds flies out to Tony Gwynn (8). George Brett doubles, R. Henderson scoring. Harold Baines flies out to Kirk Gibson (9), Brett moving to third. Dave Winfield singles, Brett scoring.

Bottom 6: Danny Jackson pitching. Paul Molitor grounds out to Barry Larkin (6-3). Carlton Fisk grounds out to Vance Law (5-3). Tony Fernandez singles to right, reaches second on an error by Kirk Gibson. Rickey Henderson singles, Fernandez scoring. Harold Reynolds doubles, R. Henderson scoring.

Top 8: Doug Jones pitching. Benito Santiago singles to center, reaches second on an error by Joe Carter. Howard Johnson fouls out to Geno Petralli (2F). Shawon Dunston singles, Santiago scoring.

Bottom 8: Bob Knepper pitching. Cal Ripken walks. Dwight Evans triples, Ripken scoring. Lou Whitaker walks. Mark McGwire walks, Whitaker to second, loading the bases. Harold Baines singles to left, reaches second on an error by Barry Bonds, Evans scoring, Whitaker scoring.

Your starters, Orel Hershiser and Frank Viola. Rickey Henderson is the MVP.
Compared to the 1987 simulation, this was a blowout of epic proportions, not helped by Bob Knepper's collapse in the 8th (which may somewhat coincide with the 7,238 wins the AL got when he started 10,000 games). If this game actually existed, the MVP would have definitely been Rickey Henderson (2-2, 3 rbi's). Dave Stewart earns the win, Tom Browning suffers the loss, and the only players who didn't get in the game were relievers John Franco from the NL and Jeff Reardon from the AL.

If you want to see the .DAT files that I used (I still don't know how to download these onto the blog , so please just take a look at the screen caps below). If anyone can e-mail me instructions, please do so at bdj610@hotmail.com. Below is the NL .DAT file, then the AL .DAT file:

Now that the 1988 All-Star Games are officially over, on Friday, I will introduce the 1989 End of Year All-Star teams. Simulations to come hopefully by Sunday night.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Coming Soon to a Store Shelf Near You...

2009-11-05T00:30:00.000-06:00

Congratulations to the New York Yankees. They have just won their 27th World Series title. And because of this, Topps will be making the above product available to the masses (in the New York area anyway...).

And so the 2009 Major League Baseball season finally ends.

Heat up the Hot Stove folks...it's time to see what the Free Agent market holds!!!

And after today, everyone is 0-0.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Would Anybody Like to Buy This for Me???

2009-11-04T12:00:00.001-06:00

I'm not one to beg or grovel on this blog, but I saw this auction on the Bay today and, in totally reckless wishful thinking, thought I'd link the auction on here and see if anybody would be willing to buy this for me.

Topps Updates 25 Card SP Variation Set

It's only going for the ridiculously low BIN price of $339.99 (plus $9.95 shipping...)

Want to see what the cards look like???

It would save me the time and agony (and also the money since ideally you'd be buying this for me out of the kindness of your heart).

Please???

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

P.S. No, I'm not expecting anybody to buy this for me (unless you the readers really want to, that's fine...I would totally appreciate it). I'm just pointing out this option for anybody who has the dough and not the time and patience to build the set one card at a time. jba

The People Have Spoken...Bring Back the MLB Debut Set!!!

2009-11-03T07:00:00.000-06:00

Whether it is because I left the poll open for so long, or there are a lot of readers feel strongly about the issue, but apparently many agree with me that they would like to see the return of the MLB Debut set.

A total of 128 people voted on this issue. Here are the results:

89 people (69%) would like to see a Topps Major League Debut set featuring players who debuted in 2009.
23 people (17%) on the other hand, did not.
10 people (7%) don't really care either way.
5 people (4%) gave up, considering that UD has Weiters locked up anyway.

It's funny that since the announcement was made that Topps was now the exclusive baseball card company for MLB, nothing has been said regarding how many baseball products Topps will be making in 2010, or what (if any) changes are there to the Rookie Card rule. These are the only things I can think of that would hold back a set of this caliber.

Hopefully one day, we'll see the return of the Debut set, giving those players who might never again play in the big leauges a chance at cardboard immortality. Thanks to all who voted.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

A Preview of What is to Come on the Blog!!!

2009-11-02T17:35:00.002-06:00

Now that Halloween's over (which marks the first day in more than three years that I didn't sit in front of a computer in a 24 hour span), and the World Series is almost over (unless by some miracle the Phillies wake up and remember that winning feeling), it is time to figure out what's coming up in November on this humble little blog.

You've hopefully read the first post of the month, honoring the baseball players who passed away in 2009 and are now playing in the cornfields of Iowa (in a figurative sense). Here is what else to expect this month:

More All-Star Teams from the past (and the results of simulated games if they did play against each other...the 1988 results are coming soon).
The deadline to turn in your guesses for the All-Star Rookie Team contest has passed. I am no longer accepting entries. To those who submitted their guesses, thank you very much. As soon as the official team is made public, winners will be announced here soon after.
Barring any unforeseen monetary issues, I am going to buy a jumbo box of 2009 Topps U & H (as well as a complete master set on the Bay if possible). Box breaks and the shortprint begging will commence.
I am going over the old Beckett Magazines (I have not forgotten this task...). E-mails will be going out to those who had previously inquired about certain magazines. I do have a whole run of Beckett Baseball magazines from 2000 until when they stopped the monthly presses (to that multi-sport thing), so if you're looking for a particular issue (excluding the Rookie Rolodexes, or the special Topps issue from 2001...I'm keeping those), send me an e-mail with your request and an address, and it's yours.
The monthly comment mailbag will return, with lots of comments to review and questions to answer.
Any news that gets my attention will be posted here.

That's should keep me busy until the holidays. I hope. Until next time...

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

As Today is November 2, 2009...

2009-11-02T17:01:00.002-06:00

November 2 is traditionally All Souls Day. It is the day where we celebrate the lives of family and friends who have passed away. Many will go to cemeteries and pray, many will even picnic on the grounds. It is not really a day of mourning, but a day of reflection. Remembering those who we strongly miss.

Personally, I would like to honor my grandparents, Felix Anama, Leonor Filoteo Anama, Gloria Y. Nichols, Ruben S. Menguito, Sgt. Clinton H. Nichols. As well as countless great aunts and uncles too numerous to list.

Today I want to remember the seven souls who died on January 8, 1993, at the Brown's Chicken in Palatine, Illinois: Michael C. Castro, Rico Solis, Thomas Mennes, Marcus Nellsen, Guadalupe Maldonado, Richard Ehlenfeldt, and Lynn Ehlenfeldt.

I would like to remember the people I've met over the years who left us too soon: Shannon McNamara, Linda Beyer, Gail Leff.

On behalf of my wife, I would like to honor her grandparents, uncles, and especially, her mother (since I have not asked for my wife's permission to do so, I am not adding their names here presently...this may change).

Finally, I would like to take a moment to remember the families, the loved ones who were left behind.

Now that the personal side of the blog has been taken care of, I would also like to take time to remember 78 more people. Between 11/02/2008 and 11/01/2009, 78 people who can lay claim to playing major league baseball, passed away. Many lived long productive lives, even after their careers ended. Others, tragically, either passed away before their potential could be fully reached or before they could enjoy the fruits of their retirement.

On this night, I take time out of my humble little baseball card blog to remember:

Preacher Roe	11/9/08
Herb Score	11/11/08
Floyd Weaver	11/17/08
Tom Burgess	11/24/08
Randy Gumpert	11/25/08
Andy Tomasic	11/27/08
Red Murff	11/28/08
Sal Yvars	12/10/08
Nick Willhite	12/14/08
Dave Smith	12/17/08
Dock Ellis	12/19/08
Nino Bongiovanni	1/6/09
Dave Roberts	1/9/09
Frank Williams	1/9/09
Preston Gomez	1/13/09
Mike Derrick	1/14/09
Craig Stimac	1/16/09
Bill Werber	1/22/09
Len Perme	1/24/09
Eddie Lyons	1/25/09
Roy Johnson	1/26/09
Gene Corbett	1/28/09
Bob Scherbarth	1/31/09
Ramon Hernandez	2/4/09
Gabe Gabler	2/7/09
Ted Uhlaender	2/12/09
Ben Flowers	2/18/09
Joe Tepsic	2/23/09
Tom Sturdivant	2/28/09
James Atkins	2/28/09
Eduardo Rodriguez	3/6/09
Ed Wolfe	3/8/09
Joe Pactwa	3/10/09
Elmer Weingartner	3/15/09
Whitey Lockman	3/17/09
George Kell	3/24/09
Johnny Blanchard	3/25/09
Earle Brucker	3/28/09
Herman Franks	3/30/09
Nick Adenhart	4/9/09
Gene Handley	4/12/09
Mark Fidrych	4/13/09
Ed Blake	4/15/09
Ron Cash	4/22/09
Danny Morejon	4/27/09
Jack Lohrke	4/29/09
Dom DiMaggio	5/8/09
Bill Kelso	5/11/09
Johnny Schaive	5/11/09
George Williams	5/14/09
Frank Dasso	6/8/09
Jack Littrell	6/9/09
Bill Lillard	6/9/09
Ray Hamrick	6/9/09
Woodie Held	6/11/09
Hal Woodeshick	6/14/09
Dusty Rhodes	6/17/09
Gene Patton	6/25/09
Jay Kleven	6/30/09
Jessie Hollins	7/9/09
Alec Distaso	7/13/09
Jim Kirby	7/17/09
Carl Willey	7/21/09
Luis Quintana	7/27/09
Cal Ermer	8/8/09
Davey Williams	8/17/09
Jackie Collum	8/29/09
Jack Phillips	8/30/09
Buddy Blattner	9/4/09
Lonny Frey	9/13/09
Purnal Goldy	9/21/09
Del Bates	9/24/09
Don Thompson	9/28/09
Humberto Robinson	9/29/09
Barry Lersch	10/4/09
Brian Powell	10/5/09
Larry Jansen	10/10/09
Herman Reich	10/22/09

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Whoever Wins the World Series...

2009-10-29T10:22:00.002-05:00

For the first time since 2005, Topps has the honor of producing the World Series set.

Since 2004, the winner of the World Series has been honored with a 55-card box set, which included players, managers, League Playoff highlights, and World Series highlights, and the eventual MVP's.
Topps made the 55-card sets for the 2004 Red Sox and the 2005 White Sox, with that other company producing sets for the 2006 Cardinals, 2007 Red Sox, and 2008 Phillies. This year's winner will get a 27-card set in the blister packs similar to the 15-card team sets that came out earlier this year. They look pretty good. Check out scans of what the Phillies and Yankees World Series sets are going to look like.

Remember, these are only preview scans. The losing team is not getting the set treatment (or are they???). The World Series set will retail at $9.99 and final checklists are still going to be determined.

May the best team win. Either way, collectors are going to have fun with this set. At a little over $10.00 with tax, I just hope these make it to Chicago.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

bdj610's End of Year MLB All-Star Teams: 1988 Edition

2009-10-27T09:00:00.001-05:00

Last year, I gave a brief history as to why I create End of the Year All-Star teams. Basically it was because I was 13 years old, still new to baseball, new to baseball card collecting, and was fascinated by the 1989 Topps sticker backs. Growing up, I was familiar with collectible stickers and albums, and I somehow managed to get my hand on the 1989 Topps Sticker Album and a lot of the stickers. But I was intrigued by the players featured on the backs of the stickers. The players who appeared on the backs were All-Stars. The top three players at each position (1b, 2b, 3b, ss, 9 of, c, rhp, lhp, closer). And I would imagine games played by these All-Stars, acting the plays out with the cards on my bed (I had a checkered bedsheet, so it sort of resembled a baseball diamond). And fair warning, almost all of the players on the rosters below are from this set.

I say almost, only because while the 33 players on the American League team had players from all 14 teams, the National League side only had 11 teams represented. The one team missing was the Atlanta Braves. To offset this slight (because even then I believed that every team had to have a representative) I went to the Atlanta Braves page, and picked a player whos sticker I could use to cover one of my extra cards. It had to be a full sticker, not one of those half stickers. I thought that the two players with the full stickers represented the stars of the team. So my choices were Dale Murphy or Gerald Perry. Because Murphy had the better power statistics (24 HR's and 77 RBI's compared to Perry's 8 and 74) in 1988, I picked him over Perry. So Dale Murphy's sticker was placed over an extra card and included in my "set," and eventually, my All-Star team.

But this gave me another problem. I now had 34 players on the NL side, and 33 players on the AL side. What was I to do? The same thing. Pick a player who had a full sticker and add him to the set. But who? Because I lived in Chicago, I thought it should have to be a White Sox player. So onto the page with the White Sox team. The two "stars" were Carlton Fisk and Harold Baines. Now because Fisk already had a card in the set, I placed the Baines sticker onto the back of another card. Now my "teams" were complete.

Just like when I "created" my 1987 All-Star teams, I wasn't totally familiar with the best players in baseball (yet), so for me, this assembly of all-stars would have to do. Looking back now, I know I could do much better. But as before, I am not about to revise anything now, especially since I still have my notes from when I first wrote them down.

So without further ado, for the first time online, I am proud to introduce my 1988 End of Year MLB All-Star Teams (in alphabetical order by position):

(Lots of space here when I added the table. Don't know why...)

American League

First Basemen

George Brett, Royals*
Don Mattingly, Yankees
Mark McGwire, Athletics

Second Basemen

Julio Franco, Indians*
Harold Reynolds, Mariners
Lou Whitaker, Tigers

Third Basemen

Wade Boggs, Red Sox
Gary Gaetti, Twins*
Paul Molitor, Brewers*

Shortstops

Tony Fernandez, Blue Jays
Cal Ripken, Orioles
Alan Trammell, Tigers

Outfielders

Jose Canseco, Athletics
Joe Carter, Indians
Dwight Evans, Red Sox
Mike Greenwell, Red Sox*
Dave Henderson, Athletics*
Rickey Henderson, Yankees
Kirby Puckett, Twins
Dave Winfield, Yankees
Robin Yount, Brewers*

Catchers

Bob Boone, Angels*
Carlton Fisk, White Sox
Geno Petralli, Rangers*

Designated Hitter

Harold Baines, White Sox

Pitchers

Roger Clemens, Red Sox
Dennis Eckersley, Athletics*
Mark Gubicza, Royals*
Teddy Higuera, Brewers*
Bruce Hurst, Red Sox
Doug Jones, Indians*
Jeff Reardon, Twins*
Dave Stewart, Athletics*
Frank Viola, Twins*

Manager:

Tony LaRussa, Athletics

The Starters:

1B: Mattingly
2B: Franco
3B: Boggs
SS: Trammell
OF: Canseco
OF: Greenwell
OF: Puckett
C: Boone
DH: Baines
P: Viola

*First-Time All-Star

National League

First Basemen

Will Clark, Giants*
Glenn Davis, Astros*
Andres Galarraga, Expos

Second Basemen

Juan Samuel, Phillies
Ryne Sandberg, Cubs
Steve Sax, Dodgers*

Third Basemen

Bobby Bonilla, Pirates*
Howard Johnson, Mets*
Vance Law, Cubs*

Shortstops

Shawon Dunston, Cubs
Barry Larkin, Reds*
Ozzie Smith, Cardinals

Outfielders

Barry Bonds, Pirates*
Eric Davis, Reds
Andre Dawson, Cubs
Kirk Gibson, Dodgers*
Tony Gwynn, Padres
Kevin McReynolds, Mets*
Rafael Palmeiro, Cubs*
Darryl Strawberry, Mets
Andy Van Slyke, Pirates*

Catchers

Gary Carter, Mets
Mike LaValliere, Pirates*
Benito Santiago, Padres*

Designated Hitter

Dale Murphy, Braves

Pitchers

Tom Browning, Reds*
David Cone, Mets*
Mark Davis, Padres*
John Franco, Reds
Dwight Gooden, Mets
Orel Hershiser, Dodgers
Danny Jackson, Reds*
Bob Knepper, Astros*
Randy Myers, Mets*

Manager:

Tommy Lasorda, Dodgers

The Starters:

1B: Galarraga
2B: Sandberg
3B: Bonilla
SS: Smith
OF: Dawson
OF: Strawberry
OF: Van Slyke
C: Carter
DH: Murphy
P: Hershiser

For these teams, you will notice that there are only nine pitchers. This will be the only year that I will have nine pitchers on either team. The tenth pitcher spot was replaced by the designated hitter spot. And as we go on later through the years, you will notice that while the tenth pitcher's spot is on every year, the DH alternates every even year until 2007.

Thirty-six new players are first-time all-stars from the previous year's teams (16 for the American League, 20 for the Nationals). One-person teams on my 1988 rosters include the Angels (Boone), Blue Jays (Fernandez), Mariners (Reynolds), Orioles (Ripken), Rangers (Petralli), Braves (Murphy), Cardinals (Smith), Expos (Galarraga), Giants (Clark), and Phillies (Samuel). The Mets have seven representatives on the NL roster, leading both leagues. The Athletics, Red Sox, Cubs, and Reds each send five players to their respective squads.

Based on the ringing success of the 1987 All-Star Game simulations, I am going to do the same thing with these two rosters. Seven regular games (10,000 simulations each, six with the same starting pitchers, one where lineups and starting pitchers change), and one All-Star Game will be simulated during the course of the week. I hope to have the results of all the games by the end of the week.

Now it's time for me to create the .DAT files before getting the games set. This won't take long.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

2010 Topps Series 1 Sell Sheets are Live!!!

2009-10-26T10:50:00.002-05:00

The sell sheets for the now highly anticipated 2010 Topps Baseball Series 1 product is now live!!!

They are really selling the point of being MLB's exclusive baseball card manufacturer. And though the images were already shown last week, it's nice to see how it all fits on the sell sheets.

Product information can be found here:

The initial checklist (subject to change...) can be found here:

Product goes live the week of January 18th, 2009, until otherwise noted. I can't wait.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

bdj610's 1987 End of Year All-Star Teams Simulated Games Results

2009-10-26T09:00:00.001-05:00

I've been slowly but surely learning how to play the SBS simulation game, using my 1987 End of Year All-Star Teams. I've figured that the best way to determine which team wins would be to simulate seven games (six series between starters and one series where the lineups, starting rotations changed on a daily basis), by playing each one 10,000 times. The simulations go really fast, and unless you get that dreaded "Error: Box Score 70," play goes well without a hitch.

The first six games I simulated used each starting pitcher on both sides at least once, and all position players started a minimum of two games each. Here are the results:

Game 1: AL vs. NL, Bret Saberhagen vs. Rick Sutcliffe. The AL wins 5,454 games out of 10,000 simulations.
Game 2: AL vs. NL, Roger Clemens vs. Dwight Gooden. The NL wins 5,219 games.
Game 3: NL vs. AL, Orel Hershiser vs. Mark Langston. The NL wins 5,358 games (using a DH).
Game 4: NL vs. AL, Mike Scott vs. Jack Morris. The NL wins 5,127 games (using a DH).
Game 5: NL vs. AL, Fernando Valenzuela vs. Bruce Hurst. The NL wins 5,535 games (using a DH).
Game 6: AL vs. NL, Mike Witt vs. Sid Fernandez. The NL wins 6,174 games.
Game 7: AL vs. NL, anything goes. The NL wins 5,257 games.

But what about an actual game where everyone gets in, just like a real (before 2002) All-Star Game? Well, after multiple attempts, I finally figured out how to set it up so that I can use the other starting pitchers in the bullpen (it involved removing the games started number from the other pitchers...don't worry, I backed everything up). For the official All-Star Game, I decided to just simulate one game and one game only. The starting pitchers were Saberhagen and Sutcliffe and I let them pitch two innings. The rest of the pitchers would get one inning each (unless they struggled badly). The position players were replaced every three innings. No pinch hitters here, (as in previous tries, the pinch hitter is taken out of the game...I couldn't figure out how to double switch here).

The starting lineups, first for the American League (I'm using 1988 Topps cards because these are the cards I used to imagine my All-Star teams. You will see going forward that I use the following years cards for the previous year's teams):

Now the National League starting lineup:

Here is the result:

The 1987 NL All-Stars beat the 1987 AL All-Stars by a final score of 2-1 on a ninth inning walk off home run by...Ozzie Virgil!!!

The box score is below (Just click on the picture to take a closer look.

The scoring plays were like this:

Top 1: Rick Sutcliffe pitching. Rickey Henderson doubles. Cal Ripken flies out to Dawson (9). Wade Boggs walks. Runners advance on wild pitch. George Bell walks, loading bases. Dave Winfield walks, Henderson scoring.

Bottom 5: Bruce Hurst pitching. Bo Diaz hits a home run.

Bottom 9: Jay Howell pitching. Ozzie Virgil hits a home run.

Diaz hits a game tying home run in the fifth, Virgil hits the walk-off in the ninth.
A very low scoring affair indeed. If this game actually existed, the MVP would have definitely been Virgil. The rest of the NL staff didn't even allow a hit after the second inning, and no AL batter reached base after the third inning. The NL batters on the other hand, had eight hits, but just couldn't get the runs home. Lee Smith takes the win. Jay Howell takes the loss, and the only players who didn't get in the game were relievers Dave Righetti & Tom Henke from the AL, and John Franco & Steve Bedrosian from the NL.

If you want to see the .DAT files that I used (I still don't know how to download these onto the blog , so please just take a look at the screen caps below). If anyone can e-mail me instructions, please do so at bdj610@hotmail.com. Below is the AL .DAT file, then the NL .DAT file:

Now that the 1987 All-Star Games are officially over, on Tuesday, I will introduce the 1988 End of Year All-Star teams. Simulations to come by Sunday night.

Hopefully by the end of next week, I'll have some U & H to break (or buy on the Bay...)

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Short Prints in 2009 Topps Updates & Highlights...Which Current Player was Paired with an SP???

2009-10-21T12:00:00.001-05:00

Topps is honoring twenty-one legendary players in it's 2009 eponymous Updates and Highlights set with short-printed cards. All of the players selected are Hall of Famers (or in two cases, living legends...thanks PAB for setting me straight). And just like the SP's in series 1 and 2, the twenty-one legends are numbered as if they are part of the flagship set (as you will see below). The kicker is that four players will have two variation cards, and a pair of legends is sharing one card number. So, which active player is being paired up with the legend?

For those keeping score, here is the official 2009 Topps Updates and Highlights SP checklist:

#UH47 Carlos Beltran, #UH47b Duke Snider.
#UH48 Albert Pujols, #UH48b Roger Maris.
#UH52 Kyle Blanks, #UH52b Bo Jackson.
#UH71 Chase Utley, #UH71b Rogers Hornsby, #UH71c Ryne Sandberg.
#UH98 Hanley Ramirez, #UH98b Honus Wagner.
#UH103 Evan Longoria, #UH103b Wade Boggs.
#UH148 Jason Bay, #UH148b Tris Speaker.
#UH150 Raul Ibañez, #UH150b Ty Cobb.
#UH153 Ichiro Suzuki, #UH153b George Sisler.
#UH186 Zack Greinke, #UH186b Christy Mathewson.
#UH198 Roy Halladay, #UH198b Cy Young.
#UH232 Tim Lincecum, #UH232b Nolan Ryan CAL, #UH232c Nolan Ryan NYM.
#UH250 Mark Teixeira, #UH250b Johnny Mize NYY, #UH250c Johnny Mize NYG.
#UH253 Prince Fielder, #UH253b Reggie Jackson CAL, #UH253c Reggie Jackson OAK.
#UH260 Ryan Howard, #UH260b Willie McCovey.
#UH281 Kevin Youkilis, #UH281b Jimmie Fox.
#UH318 Carl Crawford, #UH318b Rickey Henderson.
#UH325 Torii Hunter, #UH325b Frank Robinson
#UH330 Ken Griffey, Jr., #UH330b Babe Ruth Braves, #UH330c Babe Ruth Red Sox.

Pictures of all 25 cards can be seen here. These cards look fantastic, but the chase is probably going to stretch into next year (at this rate). Nothing on eBay (yet) showing big-time gimmicks or unannounced SP cards (yet).

I am now looking for 30 SP cards, five from series 2 (you should all be able to rattle them off in your sleep, Ryan, Ripken, Frank Robinson, Marichal, Schmidt), and the 25 above. I keep telling myself, "Patience. You don't need to rush. Take your time." I don't know if I need to stop listening to myself or if I need therapy.

The chase is on.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

2009 Topps Updates & Highlights Target and Walmart Legends of the Game Checklists For Those Who Need Them

2009-10-21T09:00:00.000-05:00

Topps is concluding both the Target and WalMart exclusive Legends of the Game Insert Sets with exclusive inserts found in packs of the new Updates and Highlights product. As many of the subjects did not appear in either series I or II, I don't think that these cards will add to the existing timelines in either series. And as before, Target has the gold set, Walmart has the Platinum set. Enclosed are the checklists for both exclusive sets:

Target
LLG21 Rickey Henderson
LLG22 Ozzie Smith
LLG23 Babe Ruth
LLG24 Roger Maris
LLG25 Nolan Ryan
LLG26 Reggie Jackson
LLG27 Frank Robinson
LLG28 Ryne Sandberg
LLG29 Steve Carlton
LLG30 Johnny Bench

Walmart
LLP21 Babe Ruth
LLP22 Rickey Henderson
LLP23 Roger Maris
LLP24 Nolan Ryan
LLP25 Reggie Jackson
LLP26 Steve Carlton
LLP27 Tony Gwynn
LLP28 Paul Molitor
LLP29 Brooks Robinson
LLP30 Wade Boggs

The Cereal Boxes also had Store Exclusive inserts in chrome form for series 1 and 2, and that is again the case here in Updates and Highlights. Here is what you can EXPECT to be in either set:

Target
GR21 Rickey Henderson
GR22 Ozzie Smith
GR23 Babe Ruth
GR24 Rober Maris
GR25 Nolan Ryan
GR26 Reggie Jackson
GR27 Frank Robinson
GR28 Ryne Sandberg
GR19 Steve Carlton
GR20 Johnny Bench

Walmart
PR21 Babe Ruth
PR12 Rogers Hornsby
PR13 Johnny Mize
PR14 Ty Cobb
PR15 Tris Speaker
PR16 Rickey Henderson
PR17 Ozzie Smith
PR18 Nolan Ryan
PR19 Reggie Jackson
PR20 Frank Robinson

The chase continues.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

P.S.: Lists were taken from the number one source of the hobby. Until confirmed, the checklists are still subject to change. jba

Blogs Leaving the Sports Card Blogroll

2009-10-20T23:46:00.003-05:00

With all of the good news today, with previews of what is to come in 2010, I forgot that today is the day I have to let go of some inactive blogs on the Sports Card Blogroll.

You know how this works...blogs that have not seen any activity in six months will be listed here for posterity before I remove them from the active roster. So, tonight, the Blogroll says farewell to:

baseballcardman
Jesse's Cards
Cardaholics Anonymous
I Don't Know...3rd Base!
2000 Fleer Gamers - Tribute to 2000 Fleer Gamers
Boston Red Sox - Big in Japan and Red Sox Musings
Detroit Tigers - Base 4 Ur Face! (but do catch friend of the blog The Drizz at his new blog...Cecil Fielder - Totally Cecil - The Cecil Fielder Card of the (Every Other) Day)
Los Angeles Dodgers - BLUE DIAMOND
Trading Cards, TCG's and me (I had high hopes for this one...)

If you have a blog, or would like to recommend one that you'd like to add to the Sports Card Blogroll, send me an e-mail at bdj610@hotmail.com and let me know. And if any of the above blogs are yours and you plan on starting it up again, let me know so I can add it back.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

2010 Topps The Cards Your Mother Threw Out = 2001 Topps Through the Years???

2009-10-20T15:17:00.002-05:00

That friend of the blog tdlindgren really is something else. If there was a code to crack, he can figure it out. Or so it seems. Based on just wild speculation on his part, it actually makes sense. You know that new insert set called "Cards Your Mother Threw Out"? Well, he is guessing (and it's a pretty good guess) that this is going to be a reprint set (akin to 2001's Through the Years), but now including designs from the 21st century (2000-2009). If you don't click on the comment on the last post, take a gander at what he wrote:

"The cards and inserts look great! I'm interested in "The Cards Your Mother Threw Out" inserts. My guess is based on the picture (1960 Yaz) that they will be reprints. Looking at the intial checklist, I came up with the corresponding reprints. Seems to make sense to me. Of course subject to change!"

The Cards Your Mother Threw Out
MTO1 Mickey Mantle (1952)
MTO2 Jackie Robinson (1953)
MTO3 Ernie Banks (1954)
MTO4 Duke Snider (1955)
MTO5 Luis Aparicio (1956)
MTO6 Frank Robinson (1957)
MTO7 Orlando Cepeda (1958)
MTO8 Bob Gibson (1959)
MTO9 Carl Yastrzemski (1960)
MTO10 Roger Maris (1961)
MTO11 Mickey Mantle (1962)
MTO12 Stan Musial (1963)
MTO13 Brooks Robinson (1964)
MTO14 Juan Marichal (1965)
MTO15 Jim Palmer (1966)
MTO16 Willie McCovey (1967)
MTO17 Mickey Mantle (1968)
MTO18 Reggie Jackson (1969)
MTO19 Steve Carlton (1970)
MTO20 Thurman Munson (1971)
MTO21 Tom Seaver (1972)
MTO22 Johnny Bench (1973)
MTO23 Dave Winfield (1974)
MTO24 Robin Yount (1975)
MTO25 Mike Schmidt (1976)
MTO26 Reggie Jackson (1977)
MTO27 Nolan Ryan (1978)
MTO28 Ozzie Smith (1979)
MTO29 Rickey Henderson (1980)
MTO30 Eddie Murray (1981)
MTO31 Paul Molitor (1982)
MTO32 Ryne Sandberg (1983)
MTO33 Don Mattingly (1984)
MTO34 Dwight Gooden (1985)
MTO35 Tony Gwynn (1986)
MTO36 Bo Jackson (1987)
MTO37 Nolan Ryan (1988)
MTO38 Gary Sheffield (1989)
MTO39 Frank Thomas (1990)
MTO40 Chipper Jones (1991)
MTO41 Manny Ramirez (1992)
MTO42 Derek Jeter (1993)
MTO43 Tony Gwynn (1994)
MTO44 Mike Piazza (1995)
MTO45 Cal Ripken (1996)
MTO46 Pedro Martinez (1997)
MTO47 Alex Rodriguez (1998)
MTO48 Ivan Rodriguez (1999)
MTO49 Randy Johnson (2000)
MTO50 Ichiro (2001)
MTO51 Albert Pujols (2002)
MTO52 Kevin Youkilis (2003)
MTO53 Alfonso Soriano (2004)
MTO54 Ryan Howard (2005)
MTO55 Alex Gordon (2006)
MTO56 Dustin Pedroia (2007)
MTO57 Tim Lincecum (2008)
MTO58 Evan Longoria (2009)

If this is correct, look who's lined up to represent the classic 2006 Topps design??? I can't wait to see how Topps handles this one.

Also, on a totally unrelated note, and the point of me posting this in the first place. New information shows that there will be a new MLB Properties Rookie Card Logo that will appear on official Rookie Cards everywhere in 2010. And check out how it looks.

I'm loving this. If this doesn't get that other card company rattled...

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Information for 2010 Topps Series 1 is Up!!!

2009-10-20T12:32:00.002-05:00

The number one source in the hobby has images and initial checklists of the highly anticipated 2010 Topps Baseball Cards.

Series I will be a 330 card set filled with the usual players, rookies, league leaders, combo cards, and team cards makes a return in 2010. But it's the insert sets that I'm looking forward to as well. The insert themes are interesting to say the least.

As you probably all have read, Topps is buying back one million cards from the past 60 years worth of products and are reinserting them (or redemptions for the older, larger, and more expensive cards) into packs of 2010 Topps. Along with the buy backs, the following insert sets will be included in packs:

The Cards Your Mother Threw Out: Either these are reprints of cards from years gone by or they are similar to the Trading Card History series from 2008.

The History of the Game: Similar to the Legends of the Game series, but highlights historic events in baseball history (Ruth's sale to the Yankees, Jackie Robinson's debut, etc)

Tales of the Game: Another similar theme to HoG, but will discuss things like the invention of the DH, and the 1969 Mets for example.

Past and Present: Pairs legends of the game with today's superstars (don't they do this in Topps Heritage???) Autos and Relics will abound here.

When They Were Young: Features today's superstars in pictures of their youth (the Wright card utilizes the 1980 Topps design...draw your own conclusions as to how this set is going to look). This is similar to the "Boyhood Photos" from 1972.

Peak Performance: Showcasing players past and present, and highlighting something of significance. Again, Autos and Relics should be aplenty here.

Turkey Red: Makes a return as the continuity insert, but this time, the design used for 2007 Turkey Red will be used (the light colored wood picture frames used for the boxers in the original T3 set).

Logoman Patches: Topps first attempt at including the MLB logo (is this Harmon Killebrew?) in cards. The "Thumb in Nose" set to their competitors. Also will be used as a continuity program. How and why is anybody's guess.

The usual parallels make a comeback (gold, black, platinum, silk). ToppsTown cards, Sketch Cards, cut signatures, World Series relics, and even a 1961 Mantle Relic card is in the offering as well.

If you want the checklist (and remember, it's subject to change), the boys and girls at Beckett has it:

More information coming soon.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

bdj610's End of Year MLB All-Star Teams: 1987 Edition

2009-10-20T09:00:00.000-05:00

So here I am, more than a year after I first said that I would do it, ready to show off the All-Star teams that I first created out of childhood fantasy, and turned it into something that I continue to do into my mid 30's. I'll be honest, when I was much younger, I didn't really know to research the best players as I do now. Back when I was 12 and 13, I just combined the players who made the All-Star Teams (both NL and AL), and then added players as needed to fill in the positions (which, if you didn't know by now, currently include 3 each for 1b, 2b, 3b, ss, c, 9 outfielders, 6 starters, 4 closers, 1 middle reliever, and 1 designated hitter).

The team I am presenting now was not the first team I created (that was for 1988). The only reason why I ever even decided to do one for 1987 was because I finally completed my 1988 Topps set, and thought that since I had an All-Star team using cards from 1989 Topps (for my 1988 All-Stars), it seemed like a good idea at the time. It was now 1990 (or was it 1991, I'm not sure), and back then there was no internet, so I couldn't just "look up stuff" online. To create the teams you will see below, I used the following information:

I just figured that combining these two lists would give me a good enough talent pool to create my 1987 rosters. Looking back now, I know I could have done much better. But I am not about to revise anything now, especially since I still have my notes from when I first wrote them down.

So without further ado, for the first time online, I am proud to introduce my 1987 End of Year MLB All-Star Teams (in alphabetical order by position):

(Lots of space here when I added the table. Don't know why...)

American League

First Basemen

Don Mattingly, Yankees
Larry Parrish, Rangers
Pat Tabler, Indians

Second Basemen

Willie Randolph, Yankees
Harold Reynolds, Mariners
Lou Whitaker, Tigers

Third Basemen

Wade Boggs, Red Sox
Mark McGwire, Athletics
Kevin Seitzer, Royals

Shortstops

Tony Fernandez, Blue Jays
Cal Ripken, Orioles
Alan Trammell, Tigers

Outfielders

Harold Baines, White Sox
Jesse Barfield, Blue Jays
George Bell, Blue Jays
Jose Canseco, Athletics
Joe Carter, Indians
Dwight Evans, Red Sox
Rickey Henderson, Yankees
Kirby Puckett, Twins
Dave Winfield, Yankees

Catchers

Carlton Fisk, White Sox
Terry Kennedy, Orioles
Matt Nokes, Tigers

Pitchers

Roger Clemens, Red Sox
Tom Henke, Blue Jays
Jay Howell, Athletics
Bruce Hurst, Red Sox
Mark Langston, Mariners
Jack Morris, Tigers
Dan Plesac, Brewers
Dave Righetti, Yankees
Bret Saberhagen, Royals
Mike Witt, Angels

Manager:

Sparky Anderson Tigers

The Starters:

1B: Mattingly
2B: Randolph
3B: Boggs
SS: Ripken
OF: Bell
OF: Henderson
OF: Winfield
C: Kennedy
P: Saberhagen

National League

First Basemen

Jack Clark, Cardinals
Andres Galarraga, Expos
Keith Hernandez, Mets

Second Basemen

Tom Herr, Cardinals
Juan Samuel, Phillies
Ryne Sandberg, Cubs

Third Basemen

Terry Pendleton, Cardinals
Mike Schmidt, Phillies
Tim Wallach, Expos

Shortstops

Hubie Brooks, Expos
Shawon Dunston, Cubs
Ozzie Smith, Cardinals

Outfielders

Eric Davis, Reds
Andre Dawson, Cubs
Pedro Guerrero, Dodgers
Tony Gwynn, Padres
Jeffrey Leonard, Giants
Willie McGee, Cardinals
Dale Murphy, Braves
Tim Raines, Expos
Darryl Strawberry, Mets

Catchers

Gary Carter, Mets
Bo Diaz, Reds
Ozzie Virgil, Braves

Pitchers

Steve Bedrosian, Phillies
Mike Dunne, Pirates
Sid Fernandez, Mets
John Franco, Reds
Dwight Gooden, Mets
Orel Hershiser, Dodgers
Mike Scott, Astros
Lee Smith, Cubs
Rick Sutcliffe, Cubs
Fernando Valenzuela, Dodgers

Manager:

Bob Rodgers, Expos

The Starters:

1B: Clark
2B: Sandberg
3B: Schmidt
SS: Smith
OF: Davis
OF: Dawson
OF: Strawberry
C: Carter
P: Sutcliffe

Allow me to defend some of my picks. The Pirates representative at the All-Star Game was Rick Reuschel. However, he was traded before the end of the year to the Giants. And since all the other spots were open, I could only fit in a pitcher. So I picked Mike Dunne. Why? He had the shiny looking trophy on his 1988 Topps card. Putting Dunne in the pitching staff gave me seven starters and three closers. A good pitching staff for an 80's All-Star team, but looking back, was not what I would have had in mind. I could have put in the Pirates closer, but to pick between Jim Gott and Don Robinson would have been stomach churning.

You will also notice that I have Mark McGwire listed as a third baseman. That's because with Larry Parrish of the Rangers was on the AL All-Star team. Primarily a DH, he was also a first baseman by trade. Fortunately, I was able to add McGwire and his 49 home runs because he was also listed on his 1988 Topps card as third baseman.

My previously mentioned Chicago bias played a role in getting Fisk on the American League team. Dunston is there because he was included in the 1988 Topps Sticker backs set. I would have included Jody Davis, but Diaz and Virgil actually made the All-Star team in 1987.

One thing you'll notice is that I also have managers on each roster. Now picking the managers has been a mainstay since the beginning. However, I've made it a rule that although players can get on to as many teams as they deserve, the managers get only one shot at being recognized. I still can't figure out why I've done it this way, probably so I could learn who manages the teams. But you will see as I go along that the managers I choose will only appear once, even though he may have had better seasons later on in his managerial career. This has forced me to pick newer managers later on, but it's part of the selection process. I'm not changing that either.

One-person teams on my 1987 rosters include the Angels (Witt), Brewers (Plesac), Rangers (Parrish), Astros (Scott), Giants (Leonard), Padres (Gwynn), and Pirates (Dunne). The Yankees, Cardinals, Cubs, and Mets each have five representatives on the rosters, and the Cardinals have all four of their starting infielders on the NL squad.

Now, regarding the simulated games. I am going to use SBS as I stated previously. However, I am still trying to figure out the best way to play the games. I just learned how to create a series DAT file and was able to apply it a number of times on test runs. However, I can't figure out how to switch lineups after every game. My starters (as you see above) wound up starting every game. That was not what I had in mind. Bryan, can you give me some tips??? I also was able to copy and paste the above rosters onto a team DAT file. Bryan Bollman, who was one of the people contributing to SBS, was wondering if I was going to put the files online. I'd like to, but don't know how. If somebody can show me, I'd be more than happy to do it. I will post the official game simulation results before the end of the week. Afterwards, I hope to be able put everything on one post.

That should do it for a start. Every Tuesday in the off-season, I'll introduce a new team. New players, new analysis, and you'll see, as time progresses, that I get better at picking these rosters.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

The 500 Club.

2009-10-19T09:00:00.000-05:00

When I first started collecting Topps cards in 1988, I noticed something very interesting about the way the cards were numbered. This was during the time of the 792-card sets, and I think you know where I am going with this, so bare with me.

I noticed that most of the cards that had numbers that ended in "0" were cards of baseball's superstars. Whether they were that particular team's most recognizable player, or a player who appeared at the All-Star Game the year before, it was a name that many fans should already recognize. I also noticed that cards that ended in "5" were also of star players, but they would be the "lesser known" stars. They were very good players, many of them All-Star as well, but they just appeared to be on a lower tier than those players who had their cards end in "0." Now I'm not saying one player is better than the other, and this totally isn't the case in EVERY set and circumstance, but growing up, that's just how I thought.

As I got older, I started to understand the reasoning behind this way of numbering. As a set collector, I needed to have the cards organized so that I could put them in an album. I first thought of sorting the cards by teams, but then I'd have extra cards where there was more than one player, or it wouldn't fit with just one team. So the best option for me was so sort them by number. I believed that the reason why Topps didn't just randomly assign numbers for the cards was so that the product would evenly seed the "star" players within the set. Sure, every player on a team is important, but if the more known "name" players were interspersed every five cards or so between the managers, unproven rookies, and "common" players, that there wouldn't be a lack of interest in going over a page when looking through an album or flipping through numerically sorted cards in a box. There was always something to look forward to on every page, or at least a card that would jump out at you if quickly running through cards in a pile.

Back to the point.

So the cards that end numerically with a zero were of star players, the subject of the cards that had a number ending in "00," was usually was one of the most elite players in the game. The rare six players who were the "best of the best" that year. In 1988, the cards that ended in "00" (not including the #400 AS card of Kirby Puckett) were of players who either made a huge impact during the 1987 season, or were legendary players:

100 Jack Clark (an All-Star, was 3rd in the NL MVP voting, had a powerful 1.055 OPS)
200 Wade Boggs (led AL with .363 batting average)
300 Don Mattingly (most popular Yankee in the 1980's)
500 Andre Dawson (NL MVP, led NL with 49 home runs and 137 rbi's)
600 Mike Schmidt (living legend, had hit his 500th home run in 1987)
700 George Brett (All-Star and leader of the KC Royals)

All were big names, but none were bigger (to a Chicagoan) than Andre Dawson. The "Hawk" signed a blank contract with the Cubs for the 1987, and although the Cubs finished dead last that year, he was voted as the NL's Most Valuable Player. Leading the NL in homers and rbi's helps.

With 1989's set, I noticed the same thing with card number 500. That set had AL MVP Jose Canseco at the 500 position. The year before, he became the first player to hit 40 home runs and steal 40 bases in one season. The combination of power and speed, plus leading the Athletics to the 1988 postseason, earned him the MVP.

In 1990, card 500 was of NL MVP Kevin Mitchell of the Giants. He led the league in home runs and rbi's, the Giants to the World Series, and was named the NL MVP. Do you notice a pattern here???

The 1991 set had Will Clark, Mitchell's Giants teammate, was the subject of card 500. That may have snapped the MVP player streak associated with card 500, but it also meant that Clark was a big time superstar.

Lately, I've been thinking about that number 500. In baseball, it's has always been a very important number in terms of it's most powerful club...the 500 Home Runs club. But to me, the number 500 was significant because, more often than not, the player assigned that number by Topps was among the baseball's elite. So I'd like to honor the #500 cards by listing them here below. Now the first Topps #500 card did not appear until 1959. The player that year was Vic Wertz, first baseman for the Indians. Since then, here is the list of players who held the 500 position in Topps' eponymous set.

1960 Johnny Temple
1961 Harvey Kuenn
1962 Duke Snider
1963 Harmon Killebrew
1964 Carmilo Pascual
1965 Eddie Mathews
1966 Hank Aaron
1967 Juan Marichal
1968 Frank Robinson
1969 Mickey Mantle
1970 Hank Aaron (first person to have this number twice)
1971 Jim Perry
1972 Joe Torre
1973 Oakland A's Team Card (they won the World Series)
1974 Lee May
1975 Nolan Ryan
1976 Reggie Jackson
1977 Dave Kingman
1978 George Foster
1979 Ron Guidry
1980 Tom Seaver
1981 Jim Rice
1982 Rod Carew
1983 Reggie Jackson (again)
1984 George Brett
1985 Mike Schmidt
1986 Rickey Henderson
1987 Don Mattingly
1988 Andre Dawson
1989 Jose Canseco
1990 Kevin Mitchell
1991 Will Clark
1992 Vince Coleman
1993 Jose Canseco (again, this time as a Texas Ranger)
1994 Bo Jackson
1995 John Hudek (huh???)
1998 Dustin Carr/Luis Cruz dual rookie card
2001 Kent Mercker (did Topps start deviating from the formula here???)
2002 Barry Bonds (nope, I guess not...)
2003 Mike Piazza
2004 Ivan Rodriguez
2005 Barry Bonds (again)
2006 Derek Jeter
2007 Pedro Martinez (first time as a NY Met)
2008 Chipper Jones
2009 Ryan Howard

So with certain exceptions, card #500 was always of the best of the best. The MVP, superstars sluggers, the dominant pitchers of the time, these are the members of the Topps 500 club.

By now, you must be wondering why I've become suddenly obsessed with the number 500. Well, this is the 500th post on my humble little blog. And it's a milestone that when I first started I thought I'd never reach. But here I am, still writing away about the Hobby I love, and the Topps cards that keep me involved. Five hundred posts is a lot for a blog, and not too many reach this many posting milestone. Thank you very much for joining me on my journey within the Hobby. And here's looking forward to another 500 posts.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

The Simulation Programs I Will Be Using...

2009-10-18T21:30:00.001-05:00

When I first announced that I wanted to simulate All-Star games using the rosters that I made up for the past 22 years, I wanted to wait until I able to fully utilize the sites that I was thinking of using before making the official announcement. I have found two perfectly good baseball simulation sites that I will be using when I announce my All-Star teams from the past. And the good news is that they are both FREE!!!

The first one is Pennant Chase. This website features full leagues, and you can either create your own players, or use players from MLB's history (all the way back to the 1880's if you wish). The only drawback is that it will only won't allow for you to scrap the DH in the simulations, which would have been very disadvantageous for me when trying to simulate early games when I didn't even pick a "Designated Hitter." Otherwise, it was easy to find the players I needed and I had no problems being able to pick and switch players from lineups when necessary.

The second one, which I will probably be using more, is the Strategic Baseball Simulator, or SBS. I actually got an e-mail from Bryan Bollman, one of the site's contributors, and said that he reads this blog and suggested that I give the site a try. Granted, I had to download the programs onto my computer (something I was a bit leery on at first), but after I did, and added all the extra rosters from past years, I found it ridiculously easy to create rosters using Notepad by copying and pasting the necessary information from the different rosters onto my All-Star rosters. After playing a few simulations with this one, I was totally impressed with how smoothly the simulations run. Bryan, you will be adding the 2009 rosters soon right???

So there you have it. I will be using the SBS game when I run the simulations for my All-Star Game rosters. The games will be played this way:

There will be six games utilizing each of the six starting pitchers on each roster. Each of the position players will get a chance to start two games each. These first six games will play out like a regular season game.
The seventh game will be the All-Star game, where I will actually try to insert as many players as I can into the games, just like the actual managers. Of course, there is the all-told possibility that not every player will get in this last game, but we'll see how that goes.
Three of the first six games will utilize the designated hitter. The seventh game, will have a DH depending on if I chose one that year.
As best as I can, if I can, I will try to link game results online after All Star Roster post, with the simulated MVP. I will also try to compile stats for the six regular games.

So thank you very much for the tips. I now definitely look forward to the off-season. And you will too. My 1987 All-Star Game rosters will be up on Tuesday, October 20. Join me then for the roster discussion and the game results. (There will be pictures of Topps cards...I promise).

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Comparing the Major League Debut Classes of 1989 and 2009.

2009-10-17T13:00:00.002-05:00

1990 Topps Major League Debut 1989: Steve Finley, Ken Griffey, Jr., Omar Vizquel.
The year was 1990. Topps Magazine Issue #1 (Winter 1990, with Jose Canseco on the green-bordered 1990 Topps designed cover) was unleashed upon the masses. Before the Internet became mainstream, before blogging, during the time the number one source in the hobby was actually revered and the price guide mostly relevant, finally there was a magazine for those of us who loved Topps cards. I remember seeing this magazine for the first time at the Phar-Mor (they don't make them anymore in Chicago) and wanting to buy it right there and then. I was only immersed in the hobby for two years at this time, but something instinctively told me to buy it ($2.95 back then).

Anyway, in amongst the stories previewing the upcoming 1990 Topps Baseball set (and the rainbow colored borders pictured in the poster checklist), on page 8, in the "Topps in the Field" section, just above the article about the 1990 Topps George Bush card, was a story headlined "V.S.O.P" or Very Special One-Time Performance. It went on to say that (as of 1989) over 13,000 players have played in the Major Leagues. And whether this player played in one inning in one game in their ML career, or went on to a Hall of Fame career, each one of them had one thing in common, that major league debut. So with that in mind, Topps created a new baseball card set called "Major League Debut." The first edition utilized the brand new 1990 Topps design, (with an awesome shade of crimson), and each card in the 152 card set (including two checklists) honored the 150 rookies that made their major league debut in 1989.

Everyone from Ken Griffey, Jr. (who debuted on April 3, 1989 and was one of three players to make his debut that day) to Gary DiSarcina (who made his first appearance on September 23, 1989, the last player to debut that season) was included in this set. Twenty-three players would go on to become All-Stars at some point in their careers. We'd all get to know their names on a regular basis like Sammy Sosa, Albert Belle (known then as Joey), Larry Walker, Robin Ventura, Andy Benes, Juan Gonzalez, Greg Vaughn, and more were part of this set. Players who had high expectations, but eventually faded from the spotlight (Jerome Walton, Hensley "Bam Bam" Meulens, Ben McDonald) were also here. This was the only set that would have Topps cards of Yankees pitcher Bob Davidson, and Joe Skalski of the Indians, Larry Arndt of the Athletics. And if you're asking who these last three guys are, let's just say that they are among the few players whose major league career lasted no more than two games (and in the case of Davidson, just one inning in one game).

Combined, the debutantes of 1989 (as of the end of the 2009 season), combined for 67 All-Star Game appearances, 6,497 home runs, 25,661 runs batted in, 3,319 stolen bases, and a batting average of about .266. Pitchers who debuted in 1989 have gone on to a combined record of 2068-2004, saved 931 games, completed 276 games, faced 154,862 batters, struck out 24,689 of them, gave up 3,687 home runs, and had a cumulative ERA of 4.20.

Regardless of how their careers turned out, all of them debuted in 1989.

It is now 2009. Four teams were formed since then. The Milwaukee Brewers, long a franchise in the American League, was now a National League team. At any given point during the season, there were 750 players on active rosters (not counting those on the disabled list). And in amongst the shuffling of talent, 204 baseball players, some who've toiled in the minors for a very long time, finally got to step onto the field of a major league stadium for the very first time and play at least one inning of major league baseball. Seventy-six of them were position players, the other 128 stepped onto the pitcher's mound for the very first time. Of the 204, one was born in 1989 (Madison Bumgarner), and the oldest player to debut was 40 years old (Ken Takahashi).

The 2009 debutantes combined for one All-Star Game appearance (Andrew Bailey), 183 home runs, 840 runs batted in, 188 stolen bases, and a cumulative .250 batting average. Pitchers went 264-301 with an ERA of 4.72, striking out 3,730 batters, and saved 33 games (26 by Bailey).

Just for fun, let's compare both classes:

Players making debut: 1989 = 150; 2009 = 204
Position Players/Pitchers: 1989 = 80/70; 2009 = 76/128
Earliest Debut: 1989 = Steve Finley, Ken Griffey Jr, Omar Vizquel (April 3, 1989); 2009 = Jordan Schafer (April 5, 2009)
Latest Debut: 1989 = Gary DiSarcina (September 23, 1989); 2009 = Matt Pagnozzi (September 29, 2009)
Youngest at time of Debut: 1989 = Wilson Alvarez (born March 24, 1970, or 19 years, 122 days old); 2009 = Madison Bumgarner (August 1, 1989, or 20 years, 38 days old)
Oldest at time of Debut: 1989 = Paul Wilmet (November 8, 1958, or 30 years, 259 days old); 2009 = Ken Takahashi (April 16, 1968, or 40 years, 16 days old)
Shortest Career (1 Game only): 1989 = Bob Davidson; 2009 = Fernando Rodriguez, Esmil Rogers, and Carlos Corporan each have only one MLB game under their belt.
Longest Career, Seasons: 1989 = Griffey Jr & Vizquel (21 seasons each as of 2009); 2009 = only time will tell.

Of the players from the debut class of 2009, just like in 1989, there could be some Hall of Fame candidates. Most may go on to All-Star caliber, or very long careers in the bigs. And for some, this may be their only year in the majors. But all of them can say that they achieved their dream of being a Major League Ballplayer.

And nothing can take that away from them.

I've clamored before about wanting to bring back the Major League Debut set. But I know in today's age of exclusive contracts and rookie card restrictions that a set of this type might never see the light of day again. And although I have a feeling that many collectors would not want to get a set that might have stars but plenty of "never will be's" amongst them, a set like this could contain the only card of a player who played in one inning of major league ball.

1990 Topps Major League Debut 1989: Bob Davidson.
At least Bob Davidson got a card in the 1989 set, his one inning of one game got him onto the 1989 set. Who knows what the future will bring for the 204 players who first appeared in 2009. Most might never play in the bigs again, disappearing in the obscurity of minor league baseball for the rest of their professional careers. A set like this would give them an albeit slim piece of cardboard immortality.

Oh well, I can dream, can't I???

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

P.S. Don't forget to enter the contest to guess who makes the 2009 Topps All-Star Rookie team. Details are above the post and the poll. jba

2011 Topps Archives: Larry Walker

2009-10-16T09:00:00.001-05:00

There is a saying that good things come in three's. In the course of major league history, one player definitely took that mantra to heart. In fact, it became an obsession with him. This guy:

sets his alarm for 33 minutes past the hour
took practice swings in multiples of three,
wore No. 33,
was married Nov. 3 at 3:33 p.m. (he has a very understanding wife, let me tell you, to allow this)
showers from the third nozzle (okay, that was way too much information)

Okay, it was a good thing that today's subject for the 2011 Topps Archives project was such an incredible player that he was able to get away with a lot regarding his number "3," otherwise I'm pretty sure his managers would have asked to put a top to it. If you haven't guessed by now, today's subject is a six-time all-star, seven-time Gold Glove winning outfielder, three-time Silver Slugger, and even an MVP winner (1997), who traded in his hockey stick for a baseball bat. Yes, today's subject is Larry Walker.

Larry signed with the Montréal Expos in 1984 and made his debut with the big club late in the 1989 season. In his first full year in the bigs, he hit 19 home runs, and drove in 51 runs batted in. Good enough for seventh in the NL Rookie of the Year. From there, he became one of the keys to the Expos success in the early 1990's, leading the team to a 74-40 record, a first place finish in the NL East, all this before the strike that shut down baseball and cancelled the World Series. That 1994 Expos team became one of baseball's greatest "What If's?" because who knows, maybe the Expos would still be in Montréal if it weren't for the strike. Regardless, in his six years with les Expos, Walker had a decent .281 batting average, to go with 99 homers and 384 rbi's. But his best was yet to come.

At the end of the 1994 season, Walker signed with the Colorado Rockies. And in the crisp Rocky Mountain air, Walker became an offensive powerhouse. In his decade of service with the Rockies, he led the majors three times in batting average, hitting well over .300 in seven of those seasons. He made it to four All-Star teams, and was in the running for the MVP award six times. In 1997, he hit career highs in home runs with 49 (this led the NL), drove home 130 RBI's, and had a batting average of .366, and on base, and slugging percentages of .452, and .720 respectively (giving him an OPS of 1.172). Those numbers, awarded Walker the NL MVP award in 1997.

Wanting to be play for a contender in 2004, Walker was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals and even though the Redbirds lost the World Series that year, Walker still performed well, hitting .357 in four games, along with two home runs and five runs driven in. After the 2005 campaign, Walker, a veteran of 17 major league seasons, finally called it a career. His final numbers are worth of Hall of Fame consideration, with a final .313 average, not to mention 383 home runs, 1,311 runs batted in, 230 stolen bases, and an OPS of .965.

Currently, Walker helps the Cardinals out during spring training. Although he was offered a full-time position on the coaching staff, Walker decided it was best to be at home and spend time with his family.

Now, back to that "three" obsession. A couple of things I didn't mention earlier was that during his days with the Expos, Walker would buy tickets for 33 disadvantaged kids when he played in Montreal, to be seated in Section 333 at Olympic Stadium. And the final contract he signed with the Rockies called for a joint donation of $3,333,333 to children's organizations in both Colorado and his native British Columbia.

The 2011 Topps Archives set will officially have two cards of Larry Walker. But who's to say I can't include a bonus third card just for kicks. Here are Larry's cards going into the 2011 Topps Archives project:

First card: 1990 Topps #757. Last card: 2006 Topps #154.
And for a bonus, if we ever decide to do a "Best Year's Edition" (as someone had mentioned should be done), here is Walker's Archives card:

1997 Topps Larry Walker #461.
Three really is a magic number after all.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama