1993 Was So Close

This is gonna be a bit more technical than a lot of my other 'so goddamned close but let's eulogize them' posts from this week. So, let's talk about the Marlins.

They were in a tough division, yet had a ton of big-hitting players, all pretty young, a big-hitter who spent some time on the DL, some pitching that did surprisingly well given the circumstances, and spent the whole season in third place despite being better than, well, being a third place team.

The Marlins fit this description, but also another NL team fits, and it's a surprisingly coincidental one, as it's the Colorado Rockies, who were added to the MLB in the same year as the Marlins were, 1993.

And the Rockies were stuck in that same trap this season. Really nice team with some exemplary players, a lot of youth, and some good pitching, and they couldn't make it out of third because the Dodgers and Giants blocked them all year.

Now, the real question is will either team be able to accomplish anything in 2017? It's hard to say if the Giants and Mets will be on the downswing by that point for them to sneak in, but they'll probably rebuild in a way that could make this quite possible (rather than just doing some Padres-style beefing).

Still, seeing what both teams did this year...it's possible. It could happen. And I love that aspect of baseball.

Coming Tonight- A former AL MVP, rounding out the rest of his career by stopping in Chicago.

The Professional?

Right, after that college-related break in posting, back to the matter at hand- the season ends in two weeks and we're inching towards the playoffs. And it's looking like this is the Red Sox' year, which means that the right team's taking this one away.

I've been saying this for a while, but the Sox have accumulated the best team, and the best overall lineup, of all of the AL East competitors. The O's were great for a while, but they're JUUUUST succumbing to their injuries- they may sneak in via the Wild Card but 1st place doesn't seem likely at the moment. The Jays and Yanks are basically out of it.

The Sox...I don't know how they did it, but they have people like Sandy Leon, Rick Porcello and Koji Uehara, people that basically everyone counted out, playing like it's the end of goddamned days (and for Uehara it pretty much is). Sandy Leon took a job that pretty much belonged to Christian Vazquez this season, made it his own and became one of the most underrated and powerful catchers in baseball. Combine his stuff with the already-unstoppable threats like Mookie Betts, Jackie Bradley, Xander Bogaerts, David Ortiz, Dustin Pedroia, Hanley Ramirez, and HOLY SHIT THAT'S MORE THAN HALF THE LINEUP. HOLY CRAP THIS COULD BE THEIR YEAR.

I know that everyone's crazy about IT COULD BE THE CUBS or IT COULD BE THE RANGERS, but the Red Sox certainly could zoom back to the top and win a World Series, and I'd be perfectly fine with it happening. This isn't a team I hate anymore, like the '07 squad. This is a well-built, tough as hell team that may in fact clobber everybody in the game.

Whatever happens, it'll be fun as hell to watch.

Coming Tomorrow- The Marlins aren't going to make the playoffs, so here's one last tribute to their mega-ultra-power hitter.

Nostalgic Box Break: 1995 Stadium Club Series Two (Part One)

A while back I made an insanely ambitious goal.

I was going to attempt to collect every Stadium Club set ever made. I was going to do this solely by breaking boxes, like the Mayans used to, and try and trade my way towards completion if needed.

Now, with sets like 1992 SC and 1993 SC, this was relatively easy, as despite the bad collation, the set was collectible enough that I'd only need one or two extra cards in the end. But as the set grew, it became increasingly difficult to yield an entire base set through ripping a wax box. And by 1995, it was pretty tough, though not impossible.

I'd already ripped a box of Series 1 a few years ago. And now, as I'm ridiculously stupid, I'm going for Series 2. Like its predecessors, 24 packs per box, as well as 14 cards per pack. That's pretty nice. To give a brief spoiler, I didn't exactly get the full set her, but I still enjoyed myself, which is what matters with products like Stadium Club.

Enough talk. Let's dive in.

 Pack 1- As you can see, there's one in-pack dupe, which is lovely, but the card quality more than makes up for it.
Cards I needed: 12/14
Dupes: 1/14

 These are your base cards- the design is probably the least intrusive and most minimalistic in a while, although it's still pretty flashy, especially with that new, flashy TSC logo.
Jimmy Key was a Yankees standout in 1995. He even gets a 'league leader' emblem. Gregg Jeffries is left hanging there.

 I'm showing the Abbott because I love those teal uniforms.
The Roberto Hernandez is a VIRTUAL REALITY insert, which sims stats to the end of the 1994 season. These are annoying because they have different numbers than base cards and you have to pull the regular one of these to actually feel like you've accomplished something.

 The rookies, like with the '94 set, have a huge rookie card emblem on them. The selection in this set's not terrific, but there are some relatively nice ones, like this Garret Anderson.

 The horizontals are probably the best part of this set. Leo Gomez' is a full on rundown, with every detail in the picture. Fielder's is a static shot of the power-hitter at BP. Just oozes coolness.

 Pack 2-
Cards I need: 12/14
Dupes: 1/14
Hall of Famers: 1/14
Current MLB Managers: 1/14

 For some reason the A's cards are pretty cool in this set. What the mid-90's A's lacked in results they made up for in quasi-futuristic uniforms.

 I believe that Turner Ward card was a part of Nick from Dime Boxes' Tournament. It looked very familiar when I pulled it.
DiSarcina's a nice, well-zoomed field shot. I love that the photography in this set is really clear, polished looking.

 Ventura's congratulating Ron Karkovice. Dante Bichette's the VR insert, and it's at least a cool enough photo.

 I promised a Hall of Famer, so here he is. This awesome Mike Piazza is part of PART 2 of the Best Seat in the House subset, featuring more in-depth stadium shots of players (like Field Access).

 Pack 3-
Cards I needed: 11/14
Dupes: 2/14
Future Yankees: 1/14
Former Yankees: 1/14

 McRae and Greer get some truly awesome action shots. Tavarez' is scaring me.

 This is a comparatively-tame Jose Rijo card. Yeah, it's still kind of cool, but it's been trumped by other, more awesome Rijo issues. Fleming gets the VR treatment.

 Our two star cards are mega-hitter Joe Carter and mega-closer John Wetteland.

 Pack 4-
Dupes: 1/14
Cards I needed: 12/14
MVPs: 1/14

 Castilla is what feels like the umpteenth Rockie in this set, while Kevin Stocker's auto-signing card is pretty nice, especially angle-wise.

 Munoz is here because it's a cool one, but...not only is this Jeff Cirillo's rookie card, but this is a freaking awesome card. The sky is just dark enough, and the lighting is just right. Look, the Brewers of the 1990's were a pretty paltry bunch, but some of the more impressive photos from the 1990's came from those groups. Mostly just Ricky Bones cards, but also...most of those teams led to fantastic cards.

 Robin V's VR card, which is...the same as his base, but with silver foil. Plus, Kevin Mitchell as he was trying to salvage his career, and Marquis Grissom as he was trying to pave his path.

 Another subset in '95 SC was 'Cover Story', obviously trying to recreate Sports Illustrated, but still leading to some pretty nice shots, even if the players weren't always cover-worthy, like Jose Valentin here.

 Pack 5-
Dupes: 2/14
Cards I needed: 11/14
Guys I Hope Get to the Hall of Fame: 2/14

 A couple of standard shots, but I really dig the lighting on Swindell's and Rodriguez, almost giving them an old-timer feel, with grey emphasis.

 J.T. Snow, who'd already been used as trade fodder for Jim Abbott, was the VR for this pack, while Fred McGriff is also here and it's about time- he's one of my favorite players to collect.

 And then there's Trevor Hoffman, absolutely mowing 'em down in the ninth. I don't care, I still think he's a Hall of Famer. Him and Lee Smith.

 Pack 6-
Cards I needed: 12/14
Dupes: 1/14
ABSOLUTELY BATSHIT INSANE INSERTS: 1/14
Dead People: 2/14
People Who Are Dead to Me: 1/14 (Barry)

 Chuck Carr was one of the first big stars in Miami, and this was a great card for him, alongside Brent Gates bunting (I don't know why, but those A's uniforms look kinda cool), and Darryl Kile.

 John Olerud, master of the headgear, in the process of hitting one out. Plus, our Best Seat in the House highlights Veterans Stadium, and Lenny Dykstra.

 Two of the best overall photographs in the set.
Valentin's is...something to be beheld. I know the VR logo is in the way, but it's a definite standout, and something that belongs in a museum, again going back to the trend of great Brewers photography.

 Wilson Alvarez' miscolored golf shirt does not top Ruben Sierra's Indiana Jones phase, but it still makes for a great color story.
And then HOLY SHIT WHOA WHAT THE HELL BARRY NO.
This...monstrosity...is a Ring Leaders insert, and I believe it was devised to give people a seizure. It's a cool insert, busy but cool. but I wish I would have pulled someone other than Bonds.

 Pack 7-
Cards I needed: 10/14
Dupes: 4/14
Borderline Hall of Famers: 3/14
Guys Who Were With One Team For Just About A Decade: 3/14

 Phillips' is a nice DP shot, but I liked Appier's, for at least giving a better, more unusual view of a standard pitching shot.

 Mike Mussina throwing fire, Mike Greenwell going for an outfield throw, Lou Whitaker making a fantastic catch. Three 1990's standouts.

 Somehow I got THREE 'Best Seat' cards here, Greenwell surprisingly being the most bland of the three. The others are zoomed out, landscapes using, well, the stadium aspect to its best aspects. Galarraga's is a nice wide shot, and Bonilla's is a good slide portrait, especially with the crowd in the background.

 Pack 8-
Cards I needed: 11/14
Dupes: 3/14
Hall of Famers: 2/14
Borderline Hall of Famers: 1/14
Steroid Abusers: 1/14

 Another surprisingly AWESOME shot of the A's uniforms (I have no idea why all of these look so cool).
Plus, there's a really cool sprinting shot of Reggie Sanders.

 Barry Bonds was the first card of this series, and this is a nice static shot of him. Shame I stopped collecting him.
Pedro's is pretty damn cool, though.

this pack's Best Seat insert was Cal Ripken, on his way to Gehrig's record in this photo. Plus, Omar Vizquel trying to do his best Cal impression.

I'll do the next 8 sometime soon, but this is a pretty fun box, and it'll keep on giving.

Right Where the Giants Want to Be

It's an even year, the Dodgers are in first place, and the Giants are way behind, yet in line for the Wild Card spot.

Isn't this the exact thing we were trying to AVOID this year?

Like yes, keeping them out of first was a start, but they're still in position to surge HARD in October and still crack into the World Series, like every other even year. What else did you think was going to happen?

Plus, they actually have a really nice team this year, and people like Brandon Crawford, Hunter Pence and Johnny Cueto are throwing them into the race, despite being behind the Dodgers in the standings.  Plus, as evidenced by the 2014 run, they don't have to be in first, or the best team, to sneak into the playoffs. They have the talent and force to get past whoever they play in a Wild Card matchup (they have a nice chance against either the Mets or the Cardinals), and they can matchup with some of the best teams in the NL.

Look, there's a reason why the Giants are so good on years like this- Bruce Bochy knows his shit, and knows how to propel his team late in the season. It's not luck, it's progress, and it could happen again.

Coming Tomorrow- The catcher for the AL East-leading Red Sox.

At Least the Astros Tried

For a team that began the season in dead last, the Astros deserve a lot of respect for what they accomplished this year. Their Cy Young winning star pitcher was struggling, so they invested in a deeper rotation, and people like Doug Fister, Collin McHugh and Lance McCullers stepped up in big ways. The youth movement that began last season, now featuring Alex Bregman and newly-imported Yuliesky Guerriel, had been strengthening the team, and they were winning some very important games towards the second half.

However, thanks to the Mariners' sudden boom, the Rangers being so far ahead, and the fact that the Wild Card is between the M's, 3/5ths of the AL East, and the Tigers...the Astros have been essentially booted out of the race, which is sad. They had a lot going for them this year.

Still, I imagine the rebuilding for next season will definitely help. They're still a great team, and I don't think they'll be slinking back down to last anytime soon.

Coming Tonight: The still-powerful shortstop for a team that could be huge in the playoffs.

It Probably Won't Happen: Cardinals Edition

Last night I talked about how prepared the Detroit Tigers are for some potential playoff berth. Today, I talk about a team that isn't prepared for the playoffs...even if they are technically in Wild Card position, and that's the St. Louis Cardinals.

Right now, it's between the Cardinals, Giants and Mets for the Wild Card. Or, as I would have put it in April, the most predictable choices for the playoffs. I mean, yes, the Mets squeaking in under these circumstances would be great, and I still see the Giants potentially working some even-year magic, but...the Cardinals are stalling.

It's become obvious, from the state of the pitching staff to the number of injuries to the main lineup, that they're not fit for the playoffs, and don't have the team to make a serious effort in the playoffs. But there they are, still going for the Wild Card spot.

Yes, there are people that are having nice seasons, like Carlos Martinez and Steven Piscotty, but this is not the squad they had in 2013, or even 2015. They're beginning to age out of legitimacy, and the guys that were once surefire successes are beginning to fall apart. I'm predicting they're gonna go through a serious rebuilding period in the near future.

Unless something miraculous happens, we're looking at a Giants-Mets WC game.

Coming Tonight: The rookie standout for a falling Astros team.

It Could Happen: Tigers Edition

It's September, which means it's time for anybody who isn't clinching a division to jam their way towards the top of the standings in the hope that they can squeeze into the playoffs, via the Wild Card spot.

The Tigers, at the moment, have a pretty nice shot. In the year since ending up in last, they've rebuilt, and reengineered their squad to be heavy in power and hits, as well as having three really nice arms mowing down batters. Miguel Cabrera, J.D. Martinez, Ian Kinsler and Victor Martinez are all surging at the same time. It's actually really nice to watch.

The Tigers have a shot at making it into the playoffs, but right now they're facing against the Mariners, who haven't lost a game in a week, and the Orioles and Blue Jays, in opposite directions in the AL East. The Yankees could factor into it, but...actually no, that's not happening. Not this year.

I think the Tigers have enough sheer power to wind up in a WC spot. They're obviously not to the level of Cleveland, but they have a lot going on, and a lot of great players that have improved since last year. Plus, Michael Fullmer's here and he's probably your AL Rookie of the Year.

I'm not going to say that they're a definite, but they have a better shot than most of their competitors to make an impact this postseason. In a perfect world, they play Baltimore for the WC spot.

Coming Tomorrow- Speaking of Wild Card contenders named Martinez, this one...has much less of a chance.