Lately I thought about how long I've been running this blog. It's been thirteen years and some change. Which is insane. It's insane to do anything for 13 straight years. But especially this.
I was thinking about some of my early custom card projects, and one of them was doing the 1983 Topps Super Veteran subset for some of the players that'd been around for a while in 2009. And it was a murderer's row of big names. Ken Griffey Jr., Manny Ramirez, John Smoltz, Ivan Rodriguez, Jim Thome, Jason Giambi, etc. And I can say now that these were pretty amateurish, because I didn't have great photo selection for the archive side of the card.
So I was thinking about it from a 2022 standpoint, and how many players have been around since I started making customs, and there's a great deal. 20 in all, I counted. I initially had 19 but one came in right under the wire. And so I figured...why not go for a new round of Super Veterans, dating all the way back to 2009? Wouldn't that be cool.
I hope so, because here they are, the 2022 Super Veterans:
Elvis Andrus:
In 2009: Young, defensively-inclined shortstop putting some life into a slowly growing Rangers lineup.
In 2022: Hitting in the .220s and a bit slower on defense, trying to lead by example in a sluggish A's team.
In 2009: A year into his Tigers tenure and at age 26, 'only' hitting .324 with 34 homers
In 2022: At 39, hitting .294 and notching his 3000th hit.
In 2009: Indispensable 2nd baseman for the World Champion New York Yankees.
In 2022: Wearing a SpongeBob jersey in El Paso waiting for the Padres to need him again.
In 2009: His first of seven All-Star seasons, with 33 homers, his first of 8 30+ home years.
In 2022: Still a power-hitting fixture, now in an elder statesman role in Washington.
In 2009: Just bounding onto the scene in Cincinnati as a young fireballer.
In 2022: After a few down years, gaining back some cred as a veteran arm in Chicago.
In 2009: A rookie standout with amazing outfield plays and a great contact bat.
In 2022: Mostly relied on for power and DHing, but still a fan favorite in Milwaukee.
In 2009: The Cy Young winner with an impressive grasp of command after years of anxiety.
In 2022: Back in Kansas City after 11 years away, a trusted veteran taming a wild rotation of youngsters.
In 2009: Blowing an opportunity to stay relevant as an Orioles starter, and beginning a number of years as a bullpen piece.
In 2022: Commonly revered as 'Dick Mountain', returning to pitch for his hometown team at the ripe old age of 41.
In 2009: Second-year flamethrower that found his control by the end of the season.
In 2022: Resting on a Hall of Fame case, still striking out batters even as Walker Buehler and Julio Urias rule LA.
Evan Longoria
In 2009: After making the World Series in his rookie year, winning the first of his three gold gloves with Tampa.
In 2022: Though a little more injury-prone, helping the Giants stay in the NL West race.
Yadier Molina
In 2009: Finally emerging as a varied player, and getting his first of SEVEN STRAIGHT ASG jobs.
In 2022: Still catching for the Cardinals, and helping Andrew Knizner move towards taking his place.
In 2009: A lower tier member of the Mets rotation.
In 2022: Still relieving games, and up for his final MLB season with the Diamondbacks 20 years after breaking in with San Diego.
In 2009: The can't-miss prospect who racked up a ton of Rookie of the Year votes, eventually losing to Andrew Bailey.
In 2022: Used primarily as a relief piece for the Dodgers, a far cry from where he was in Tampa.
In 2009: Winning his third and, to date, final MVP award, and leading the league in homers with 47.
In 2022: Ending his career back where it started while mentoring the next wave of Cardinals heroes.
In 2009: Striking a ton of people out in Arizona before he really figures out the majors.
In 2022: At 37, and 3 Cy Youngs in, indisputably one of the best pitchers in baseball, and a trusted ace for an NL titan Mets squad.
In 2009: A solid defensive catcher for an uncompetitive A's team.
In 2022: One of the more reliable backup catchers in baseball, now backing up Max Stassi in LA.
In 2009: The poster child for the Arizona Diamondbacks, making an All-Star team and representing the future of the squad.
In 2022: Trying to make one last try at MLB glory as a late addition to the Seattle Mariners.
Justin Verlander:
In 2009: Leading the AL in wins, strikeouts and innings pitched, and cementing himself as a hero in Detroit.
In 2022: Still at peak levels, currently leading the league in wins with 8, and helping the Astros stay in 1st.
Joey Votto:
In 2009: Hitting .300 with 25 home runs for the first of six times.
In 2022: At 38, only hitting .206, but you never know what he'll do once he really hits his stride.
Adam Wainwright:
In 2009: Going from 'the guy who recorded the last out of the 2006 World Series' to the league leader in wins and innings, showing the Cardinals there's more to their rotation than just Chris Carpenter.
In 2022: Still leading the Cards' rotation at the age of 40, and still throwing to Yadier Molina every 6 days.
Nice Kurt Suzuki! By the way... Greinke looks almost exactly the same.
ReplyDelete