Topps Cards That Should Have Been: 2012 Red Sox

 

A year before the Red Sox would win a World Series against the Cardinals, during one of the most infuriating World Series matchups of my lifetime, they were still trying to form their legacy without the bulk of the Francona players. Heck, 2012 was the dreaded Bobby Valentine year, which was an unsettling bridge between the strong Francona years and the brief-but-starry John Farrell years. Also, it is kinda funny considering that Valentine was the only Sox manager from '04 to '18 not to win a ring, as Francona, Farrell and Cora all got theirs. 

Anyway, the players, the ones that Topps were unaware of in 2012.

First off, Jose Iglesias, who did get a rookie card in 2011 Update, made a few more starts in 2012 than he did the previous year, but with a spottier average of .118 over 25 games. Iglesias would have better numbers the following year, so good, in fact, that he'd be traded for Jake Peavy [in a move that would ironically get Frankie Montas out of Boston]. 

There were two big figures in 2010s baseball hiding in Boston this year. Andrew Miller, having been shipped to the Sox the previous year, finally settled into a relief role in 2012, with a 3.35 ERA and 51 Ks in 53 appearances, also delivering a 0.7 WAR, his best tally to date, which would be dwarfed by his 2014 numbers both in Boston AND in Baltimore. All this before becoming a fixture with the Yankees and Indians. Basically, this is where the killer second act for Miller began.

And you can also say that 2012 is where Rich Hill started HIS career second act. The Sox had let Boston native Hill pitch a few games in relief the previous years, and while he did go scoreless in 12 innings, he wasn't completely trusted yet. Well, in 2012, the Sox gave him 25 appearances, and Hill responded with a 1.83 ERA. And when the next 2 years would be turbulent for the former Cubs prospect, the Sox would appear again in September 2015 to give Hill four breathtaking starts that would put him on the A's radar and jumpstart his career to the degree it's at this year. It's a career reclamation story you love to see, and it couldn't have happened without Hill's hometown team.

Another former starter used in relief by the 2012 Sox was [checks notes] FORMER PHILS STARTER VICENTE PADILLA? Really?? I knew that he was a late-season star for the 2009 Dodgers, and that he kicked around there as his career wound down, but I'd forgotten that Padilla was a Sox relief piece in 2012. He did fairly well, too, with a 4.50 ERA in 56 appearances. As someone brought up by Phoenix as a relief piece, it's kinda fitting that his career would end in relief as well. 

Speaking of mid-2000s All-Stars still kicking in 2012, this season also delivered the last career numbers for former Brewers and White Sox talent Scott Podsednik. Podsednik had ebbed and flowed since his World Series year in '05, but he made the most of 63 games as a bench bat by hitting .302 with 60 hits and 12 RBIs, a pretty solid run. He'd attempt to make the 2013 Phillies, but would lose the spot to Juan Pierre, and call it career.

Most surprising in this Sox team is the fact that Aaron Cook, former Rockies starter extraordinaire, was a major candidate for a starting role. He was in his early 30s, a lot of his Denver mojo had worn off, but he was called up in May, and after an injury, permanently in June, as a rotation piece. Cook did have some nice starts in July, but struggled with opposing offenses. This was also an era of baseball that was beginning to embrace strikeout artists and one-dimensional hitters, and crafty, low-K starters like Cook were dying off. After a 5.65 ERA over 18 starts, Cook tried to make the 2013 Phillies but was denied, a lot like Podsednik. 

After a strong rookie campaign in 2012 with the Twins, Danny Valencia's role with the team lessened, to the point where he was cut mid-2012 and wound up as a late addition to the Sox's roster. In 10 games he hit .143 with 4 RBIs and a home run. Thankfully, this would be a precursor to stronger years with Baltimore and Seattle. 

Similarly, Marlon Byrd was cut by the Cubs, who he'd made an ASG team with a few years prior, after 13 games and a poor .070 average. The Sox were happy to make a spot for him, as Byrd hit .270 with 27 hits and 7 RBIs in 34 games. While this season would lack the power numbers he'd become known for in Philly and Cincinnati, it would definitely pave the way for the stronger 2013, where he'd become a fan favorite in Queens.

Tomorrow, we'll join the 2007 Reds, and find players at opposite ends of long careers.

Topps Cards That Should Have Been: 2012 Padres

 

In 2012, the Padres were one of those consistent bottom feeder teams that could never really get anything done, and this was only a few years removed from a playoff push. The low-budget core of Chase Headley, Yonder Alonso, Will Venable and Everth Cabrera kept them afloat for a few years, but things didn't really get cracking til Machado came aboard.

Still, 2012 featured some unfamiliar developments that Topps didn't bother to depict. The one above might be the biggest deal, considering that Topps seems to think that Miles Mikolas' rookie year was in 2018 [then again, what the hell does ANYONE know about what qualifies as a rookie?]. Before Japan, Miles Mikolas got his start with the Padres, and made his debut in 2012. It was in time for the rookie cutoff and the Update cutoff, but, you know...reliever. In 25 games, Mikolas had a 3.62 ERA with 23 Ks, not too bad.  These would be his best pre-Japan numbers, as we'll discuss in a few days. 

Also slightly pre-relevance was Ernesto Frieri, who had spent a few years kicking around as a relief piece in San Diego, and fairly well too. 2012 was looking to be another strong year for him as a Padre, as he had a 2.31 ERA in 11 games. In early May, Frieri was traded to Anaheim for Alexi Amarista, a trade that would benefit both sides, and would lead to Frieri taking the ninth in LA and nearly making an All Star team. 

 

Now we get to some stranger ones. Like, these next two are people who most baseball fans thought had stopped playing before 2012. Kip Wells was an innings-eater for years, being a standout for the White Sox before being a loss-heavy option for Pittsburgh, St. Louis, Colorado and Texas. After a few botched spring training tryouts, including one that would have been a return to Chicago, Wells was picked up by the starting-pitching-starved Padres, and got to start 7 last games. Surprisingly he did sort of alright, with a 4.58 ERA, 2 wins and 19 Ks. Yes, it was still a negative WAR, but it wasn't as bad as some of his loss-heavy numbers. 

Another starting option the Padres called upon midseason was Jeff Suppan, who was 37, and had last pitched for St. Louis in 2010 [and rather well, too]. Still, his waning numbers had scared off the Giants and Royals before, and so the Padres were slightly wary, but needed an innings guy. In 6 starts, Suppan went 2-3 with a 5.28 ERA and 18 earned runs. Like Wells, the veteran mentality didn't work here. Suppan, like Wells, would call it a career after being cut. 

Tomorrow, quite a few customs for the 2012 Phillies. 

Topps Cards That Should Have Been: 2012 Orioles

 

I was bitching about the rookie rules the MLBPA has set up a few days ago, I guess i'll start this 2012 Orioles post with a little more- Manny Machado's rookie season was in 2012. It was his first season, it was the season where he had the most breakout success, and according to baseball reference, he exceeded rookie limits during that season because he played 52 games. So really only the cutoff thing was preventing Topps from making a rookie card of him for Update. You know, that and wanting a high profile rookie for the 2013 set. 

And on one hand, I sort of get the mentality of saving him for the next year's set, but one thing that you need to remember is that Topps had the power to make a card of him for 2012. They put SPs of Jim Thome, Josh Beckett, Adrian Gonzalez and Carl Crawford in their new uniforms into Update. Now, would Topps be ballsy enough to release a rookie card as a short print only? YES. THEY WOULD. They did it with Alex Gordon in 2006, and they did it with Jacoby Ellsbury in 2007. Maybe they'd grown up slightly by 2012, but they could have done something like this.

Honestly, Machado was the centerpiece of a 2012 Orioles team that could have been way bigger had it not been for that breakneck Game 5 of the ALDS. He hit .262 with 7 homers, 26 RBIs and a 1.6 WAR. He would later proceed to have 7 WAR seasons at age 22 and 23 before Juan Soto made it cool. 

Topps missing Machado I can understand, but Topps missing Chris Tillman during his breakout season as a starter? A little more suspect. After a few seasons of struggling to stay afloat as a starter, Tillman had 15 games to change the minds of fans, and he pulled it off, with a 9-3 record, a 2.93 ERA and 66 Ks. These numbers would soon make him one of the more important arms for the O's, culminating in an ASG nod the following year.

Steve Pearce had a tumultuous 2012 to say the least. After starting the year trying to make camp with the Yankees, he'd stay in the minors before Baltimore would select him off waivers in June and throw him on the team. In 28 games with the O's, he'd hit .254 with 14 RBIs and 3 homers. After this, the Astros would pick him up for a bit, and eventually he'd be returned to the Yankees. And at the end of the season, Pearce would re-sign with the Orioles, who'd utilize him well for the next few years. I learned while doing this post that Steve Pearce played for all five AL East clubs, which is a pretty awesome stat. 

After spending an entire season in the Cleveland minors system, Nick Johnson was determined to get back to the majors after hitting his peak with New York and Washington. The O's took a chance on him, and tried him at DH as Chris Davis was heating up. Johnson, comparatively, hit .207 with 11 RBIs and 4 homers in 38 games. The numbers wouldn't be enough, and he'd be cut midseason, leading to his retirement. 

Also trying to find stability again was former Brewers bench bat and super-ute Bill Hall, who had come into some trouble after the Red Sox signed him in 2010. He'd split 2011 with the Astros and Giants, and only played 7 games with the 2012 Orioles. His power numbers had diluted, as had his defense, and he only hit .222 with 1 home run. Like Johnson, Hall would call it quits after the season.

Perhaps the most intriguing roster addition for the Orioles prior to the season was Lew Ford, a former prospect with the Twins who flamed out after a strong 2004, tried playing in the Japanese and Mexican leagues and fought his way back. The O's were expecting big things from Ford, and sadly he only hit .183 with 3 homers in his 25 games there. 

As for some waiver deadline pickups, Joe Saunders was having a nice season for the Diamondbacks, diluted by a weak offense, but the O's came for him in late August and he had 7 starts with the club. One of which I was in attendance for, and it was a scorcher against my Yankees where he got the win, thanks to a still-debated out-at-first call in the ninth. Saunders was also lights-out in the postseason, allowing only 2 earned runs in 2 starts, one of which was a win that pulled the team into the ALDS. Though his numbers would dilute after 2012, Saunders' season was one of the main assets that got them as far as they did.

Meanwhile, Nate McLouth was all set for a return to form in Pittsburgh, which Topps did document, only to fail to hit for average and be released by May. What Topps didn't document was his time with the Orioles, which was way better and put his career on the right track again. In 55 games, McLouth hit .268 with 18 RBIs and 7 homers, and hit .318 in the ALDS with 3 RBIs. This season also led to an even better, and fuller, 2013 season as an extra outfielder in Baltimore.

Strangest one last. It's been sort of lost to obscurity, but after impressive years with Philly and LA, Randy Wolf actually had something of a career renaissance with the late-2000s/early-2010s Brewers, becoming a consistent option for them. In 2012, his ERA began to build, and he was becoming a bit less necessary. The Orioles needed more potential pitching options, so they got him on a waiver deal late, and Wolf got 5 games and 2 starts for a competitor. The Orioles used Wolf more in relief, though he did get to start those 2 games, even if those were the ones that got more runs out of the opposing offense, but he still won 2 of his relief appearances. Didn't make the postseason roster though. Wolf would continue to pop up on weird teams for the rest of his career. 

Tomorrow, we stay in 2012 and knock out some Padres. 

Topps Cards That Should Have Been: The Xavier Nady Chronicles

 Xavier Nady is one of those unsung heroes of 2000s baseball. He never made an All-Star team, but he was a prominent member of some very cool playoff teams, like the 2005 Padres and the 2012 Giants, and he was one of the stars of the late-2000s almost-good Pirates teams. 

Topps was, for the most part, on top of Nady's many moves, especially during the period from 2008 to 2011, where he spent time in New York and...got injured before he could join the postseason effort there. For some reason they didn't make a card of him in 2005, mostly because his 2004 season was kind of uneventful and they figured it wouldn't be very worthy of a card. The joke was on them, as Nady hit .261 in 124 games, and solidified himself as a lineup presence. 

Stints with the Mets, Pirates, Yankees, Cubs, Diamondbacks and Nationals followed, and then Topps gave up. 

Unfortunately, that was the one point where Xavier Nady could have benefited from a Topps card. Nady gets released by the Nats in June then signed by the Giants in an effort to aid the outfield, then winds up in the middle of a Giants postseason run thanks to the Giants' hesitancy to play the HGH-friendly Melky Cabrera. In 19 games, Nady hits .240 with 7 RBIs, though he goes hitless in the playoffs. Still gets a ring, though. 

Nady splits 2013 between the Royals and Rockies and makes the team with neither, so he signs a minor league deal with a familiar team.

This is odd to me. Xavier Nady in 2014 Padres duds. Not as weird if it would be if he were wearing 2020 Padres pinstripes, but...weird.

Yes, it's true. Xavier Nady made the team in 2014 in San Diego, and got some starts alongside 2014-era Padres stars like Cameron Maybin, Yonder Alonso, Jedd Gyorko and Alexi Amarista. In 22 games, Nady hit a blistering .135, with 4 RBIs, 3 of them homers. His prime had clearly past, but it was kinda cool that he got to finish his career with the same team he started with. Yeah, he tried again after the Pads released him by signing with the Ms, but...he wasn't gonna top a full-circle ending. 

So yeah, not a lot of people might remember Xavier Nady, but he was a fun little fringe player, and he still could have been more documented on Topps cards. 

Topps Cards That Should Have Been: The Will Smith Chronicles

No, not the actor. Not the catcher, either. And not the guy that co-wrote The Thick of It. This guy.

Will Smith was a strong, consistent reliever for 8 years, and nobody knew who he was until he became a surefire closer in 2019 for the Giants. If people were paying attention, they would have seen it coming. Topps, of course, wasn't.

In 2012, Smith makes his debut as a starter with the Royals. He has a 6-9 record in 16 games, with a 5.32 ERA and 39 Ks. Not much to report, especially. 

In 2013, Smith is moved to the bullpen.  3.24 in 33 innings of relief isn't bad, but it's also not much to really hang onto. In 2014, the Royals are moving to October and need outfield help rather than bullpen help, so they trade Smith to Milwaukee for Nori Aoki.

Smith comes into his own with the Brewers, suffice to say. He appears in a league-record 78 games, with a 3.70 ERA, 86 strikeouts and a few too many runs given up, suffice to say. But he's still a trusted member of the Brewers bullpen and keeps things going for them for 3 years. 

In 2015, Smith gets a suspension for a foreign substance on his arm, and he's sort of downplayed by the Brewers that year. He also gets injured prior to the 2016 season, which leads the Brewers to think about trading him. 

They eventually deal Smith to the Giants at the trade deadline, which...is odd, because the Topps cutoff in 2016 did allow for trade deadline acquisitions. So they should have done a Smith card that year in Update...yet they didn't. He has a 2.95 ERA in 26 games, which is a great start. 

Smith sits out all of 2017 with an injury, which explains...

...why Topps doesn't make a 2018 Topps card for him. But...nothing in Update? By Update, he was relieving games, even if he wouldn't get his 14 saves until after the cutoff. Still, the 2018 season, where he has a 2.55 ERA in 54 games, is enough to establish him as a force to be reckoned with, and enough to garner the ninth inning job for 2019. He's not closing as many games in Atlanta these days, but he's still a trusted bullpen option for a team once starved for relievers.

Topps Cards That Should Have Been: The Pat Neshek Chronicles

 Pat Neshek collects, so this one's important.

That's something in itself. While being one of the few MLB players to actively collect baseball cards, Pat Neshek became one of the most people TO collect on baseball cards. Just look at the Lowell Palmer homage card in 2019 Heritage. Look at the number of fun cards Topps gave him from 2017 to 2019. Look at all the stars who apparently signed autos for Pat during ASG games. Neshek was the real deal, and it was a joy to have him in Philly for his last 3 seasons.

Topps generally was good at producing cards of Neshek, honestly, but they missed on two occasions. One was in 2012, coming off an okay year in San Diego. The A's signed him to a two-year deal, but a pretty low-key one. As Topps wasn't exactly rushing to make A's cards in 2012, Neshek's 24 games and 1.37 ERA went unaccounted for in update, which is a shame. This was the season where Neshek flirted with a soul patch before eventually going for the full beard in subsequent seasons.

From 2013 to 2017, he was in good shape. Topps missed his Phillies signing in 2017 Topps, righted it in Update, but...

By that point, Neshek was already in Colorado. Yes, Pat Neshek was one of the many traded players absolutely screwed over by Topps' early print date for Update. Hooray.

Neshek's time in Colorado after his strong, ASG-caliber start to the season with Philly was also pretty good. Yeah, slightly raised ERA because Denver, but a 2.45 ERA and 24 Ks in 28 games isn't bad at all. And it was a strong finish that'd lead Philly to re-sign him for 2 more years, with...eventual diminishing returns in 2019. 

Still, Neshek was a fun reliever to collect, and I'm thankful that Topps, for the most part, had his cards sorted out. 

Topps Cards That Should Have Been: The Hideki Matsui Chronicles

If I were collecting in 2003, I'd be miffed.

Hideki Matsui, one of the most fearsome sluggers in Japanese league history, signs with my team, the New York Yankees, and Topps doesn't sign him to a deal. Upper Deck, Donruss and Fleer all do. But Topps, the most important card retailer in the business, can't court Matsui to a deal. So in 2003, while Upper Deck, Donruss and Fleer are producing tons of rookie cards of the slugger, Topps is just...shrugging. Going 'how about Jose Contreras?' 

It always pisses me off when Topps can't sign someone to a card-producing deal, because I'm a Topps-reliant collector, and I like seeing everybody in a Topps set and using that as my base for that player's year. And if they're not gonna do cards of, oh I dunno, THE MOST IMPORTANT JAPANESE EXPORT OF 2003, then what's the point?

So yes. Hideki Matsui makes it to New York in '03, and immediately hits the ground running, hitting .287 with 106 RBIs and 179 hits. He makes an all-star team, plays all 162 games, plays in a World Series, and loses Rookie of the Year to Angel Berroa for some strange reason.If Topps were to have put a Matsui rookie card in flagship, it would have looked like that- a shot of Matsui fielding specifically for card companies to have an action shot. That would have been enough for us. 

2004 is another strong year for the hitter affectionately referred to as Godzilla- he hits a career-high 31 homers, hits .298 with 108 RBIs, makes ANOTHER All-Star team, and finishes the season with a 5.0 WAR, higher than all Yankees that aren't A-Rod. Topps once again isn't making cards of Matsui this year, which is sucky, but UD, Donruss and Fleer all still do.

In 2005, Matsui FINALLY signs a contract with Topps, and from '05 until 2010, Matsui has tons of Topps cards, remains a solid MLB hitter and wins a World Series. 

Then, in 2011...the contract runs out. And Matsui and Topps don't agree on a new deal. Which means, for the last two years of Matsui's career...NO ONE is making cards of him. 

While Matsui's final two seasons aren't to the caliber of his Yankee years...we could have at least had SOMETHING. Anything. Like...2011, Matsui plays 141 games with the Oakland Athletics, in a starting role. He hits .251 with 72 RBIs and 130 hits. Not great, but he's still one of the chief figures of the A's season, and a Topps card of him would have made sense. Of course, no contract, no cards. So we suffer.

In 2012, Matsui doesn't sign with a team until one desperately needs him, and in late April he signs with the Rays. In 34 games, he hits .147 with only 7 RBIs. Clearly, his best days are behind him, and he retires after the season. And, again, Topps could have made a cool final tribute of Matsui, but it doesn't happen. 

In 2017, Topps signs a contract to produce cards of Matsui as a legend. He also signs with Panini, because nyah. Matsui has been on cards ever since. And yet Topps will probably never rewrite the years they missed with Matsui, because....I dunno, money or something. 

Topps Cards That Should Have Been: Corey Kluber's Early Years

 Right now, Corey Kluber is having tryouts for whoever wants to see that he can still pitch, to attempt to get a contract for 2021 and onward. It's a move that's sadly put him into the category of league-high pitching talents who've struggled to maintain success past their prior decade. I don't want to pit Kluber in the same category as people like Johan Santana, Brandon Webb and Tim Lincecum, because I have a lot of respect for Kluber as a fireballer, and I want him to keep having great seasons and potentially get a nice HOF case. 

And yet...after 2020 ended after 1 inning, I worry that he may never reach his 2014 numbers again. Argh.

As starry as Kluber's career is, it's easy to forget that it took a few years for people to notice what was going on with his material, especially Topps. Kluber didn't get his first official Topps card until 2013. A year later, the legend began.

So, a year after being traded from the Padres to the Indians in a three way deal with the biggest name being Jake Westbrook, Corey Kluber debuts in Cleveland. He's used in relief, and pitches an 8.31 ERA in three appearances. So I can see why Topps didn't exactly bite in 2011 Update or 2012 Series 1.

In 2012, Kluber is moved to the rotation, but he doesn't get brought up until August, again affirming Cleveland's lack of space and confidence in Kluber. Also, because he's an August call-up, Topps again can't make a card of him until 2013. So it...sort of makes sense.

In 12 starts in 2012, he had a 2-5 record, a 5.14 ERA and 52 Ks. Not much to really scream about. But, it lets the Indians know that Kluber can be a starter, even in a depleted rotation scenario. So, 2013 they give him another shot in the rotation, he gets an 11-5 record, and the rest is history. 

I hope some team gets an opportunity to sign Kluber and let him get back to where he was, cause I still think he's got some stuff in the tank. 

Topps Cards That Should Have Been: The Stephen Vogt Chronicles

I think you all know where I'm going with this, so stick with me.

 Stephen Vogt, one of the more fun catchers of the 2010s, appeared on a lot of Topps cards, especially at his peak in 2015 and 2016, when he made 2 ASG teams. He's also probably on a few now as a beloved NL West backup. But...more often than not, Topps, when it matters most, will forget...to Vogt.

Ironically, the first time they forgot was in 2012. Granted, Vogt didn't have a ton of appearances as a Ray, his rookie year, but he still was an early-season rookie with Tampa, made some April appearances, and was eligible for a 2012 Topps rookie card. But in 18 games, Vogt didn't get a single hit. Therefore, even if they had the entire season to make their mind up, when it came time to release Update in 2012, Topps...did not Vogt.

This would cost them.

It happened again the following year, after Vogt was purchased by the Athletics in the offseason. Suffice to say, Vogt had a few hits in 2013. In 47 games as backup catcher to Derek Norris, he hit .252 with 16 RBIs and 34 hits. Not bad at all. Plus, the A's in 2013 got to advance to the postseason, and Vogt got a crucial RBI for the A's in their losing series against Detroit. 

However, despite a growing fan following that would grow even further in 2014, Topps once again did not Vogt. Vogt had no Topps cards in 2013. His issues would start in 2014, and thankfully, Topps would be a lot more disciplined about Vogt-ing for the next few years.

In 2017, Stephen Vogt has a bad start in Oakland, fails to find the average, and after 54 games of batting .217, the A's release him. 

In July, he's picked up by a competitor.

Granted, not a SUCCESSFUL competitor, but the 2017 Milwaukee Brewers were doing their part to squeeze into the postseason, despite eventually being usurped for a Wild Card spot by the Diamondbacks and Rockies. And once they snagged Vogt out from free agency, Vogt's bat returned. In 45 games with the Brewers, he hit .254 with 8 homers and 20 RBIs. Yes, an injury keeps him away for a month, but he gives the Brewers stability at the backstop that they didn't have since Jonathan Lucroy. 

However, since Topps' print deadline was earlier than usual in 2017, even the early July arrival of Vogt was still too late for Topps to include. For the third time, Topps was unable to Vogt. Yes, they included him in the 2018 set, but by that point Vogt was already too injured to play any of the 2018 season.

I'll add that Topps has also abstained from Vogt-ing in 2019, though they were wise enough to include Vogt in their 2020 set. However, their track record of not Vogt-ing is still disappointing, especially considering how much of a fringe favorite Vogt has become.

So...please don't do what Topps has done, and Vogt, if you haven't already. 

[This is...the cheesiest post I've had in a while, but it made too much sense not to do.]

WANTLIST: 2012 Topps Archives

Most of this set is basically completed, but the short prints, and a few base cards, are still floating around out there.

14- Yadier Molina
20- Robinson Cano
21- Jeremy Hellickson
25- Dan Haren
33- Jon Lester
44- Cal Ripken
45- Carlos Ruiz
54- Jemile Weeks
62- Hanley Ramirez
63- Tim Hudson
66- Andrew McCutchen
71- Jimmy Rollins
74- Ty Cobb
76- Victor Martinez
91- Ted Lilly
92- Jordan Walden
93- Matt Harrison
94- Anibal Sanchez
99- Brandon Belt
128- Shin-Soo Choo
132- Ben Zobrist
138- Joe DiMaggio
144- Ike Davis
145- Howie Kendrick
156- Ubaldo Jimenez
164- Kevin Youkilis
172- James Shields
174- Asdrubal Cabrera
177- Shane Victorino
183- Dan Uggla
188- Vance Worley
189- Babe Ruth
193- Lonnie Chisenhall
196- Andrew Bailey
197- Allen Craig
200- Derek Jeter

SHORT PRINTS

201 Don Mattingly

202 Mike Scott 204 Ken Singleton 205 Bill Buckner 206 Dave Kingman 207 Vida Blue 208 Frank Howard 209 Will Clark 211 Wally Joyner 213 Bill Madlock 214 Mitch Williams 215 Brett Butler 216 Bake McBride 217 Luis Tiant 218 Dave Righetti 219 Cecil Cooper 220 Ken Griffey Jr. 221 Jim Abbott 222 John Kruk 223 Cecil Fielder 224 Terry Pendleton 225 Ken Griffey 226 Jay Buhner 227 John Olerud 228 Ron Gant 229 Roger McDowell 230 Lance Parrish 232 George Bell 233 Oscar Gamble 234 Shawon Dunston 235 Ed Kranepool 236 Chili Davis 237 Robin Ventura 238 Jose Oquendo 239 Von Hayes 240 Sid Bream 241 Bryce Harper

Five Years (What a Surprise)

 

(This post was supposed to be for yesterday. However, I had half the post written, and then I went to watch the Beatles 50th Anniversary thing, and forgot. I'm awful at this remembering thing. But oh well).

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Five Years ago today I was a young, thirteen year old baseball card collector, racking up cards from everywhere and wanting to share it with the world. I had no idea that I'd get into customizing, Stadium Club, or any of the stuff I've immersed myself in now.

The custom above was my first-ever custom, from June 2009, after many failed attempts at blog series'. I figured it'd be nice to put new players in old designs, so I followed a tutorial, threw Derek Jeter into a 81 Topps design, and posted it. Now, honestly, compared to the stuff I've been producing lately, it's really subpar. Like, for example, here was a 1981 custom I made last year:

Better cropped, better photo, better condition, better gradients and filters. I started simply putting more effort in, and pretty soon I made a name for myself as a customizer.

But, as today's the blog's fifth anniversary, I wanted to look back at the five previous years of the blog, and all the things I was talking about back then.

2009: The First Year

You'll see it in my writing, in my customs, and in my content that I clearly had no idea what I was doing. I was a kid, I was too young, and I banked so much on the fact that nobody was reading, so I felt like I had so much freedom. Around the end of the year I got some followers, and a few trade offers, so I was beginning to get big.

A lot of the posts this year are just me trying hard to be funny, or reporting one-sentence long news stories, or something. The content isn't great, and it's cringeworthy by today's standards.

The only thing that stayed constant were the customs. I didn't use too much filter on them, so they're just the straight photos, but in terms of doctoring the original cards, I had the right idea. The ones I did for 'Year by Year' and the postseason are honestly some of the best of that year.

This was also the year that both my teams played each other in the World Series, and I got to go to Yankee Stadium to watch them. It was an okay first year of blogging, but it was nice to be a part of the sphere, and have people like Dayf, Canuck and Night Owl occasionally comment on your posts.

 

2010: Finding the Knack

First of all, that logo. I dunno what I was thinking. I thought it looked pretty cool, and I thought it was a swell enough idea. Some bloggers weren't amused.

2010 was the year that I became more of a regular blogger, and did more of the normal blogger stuff. I made trades. I ranted. I took part in a blogger worst-autograph tournament (thanks Drew!)

I also started doing a lot of open ended editorial-type posts, which took on some pretty nice topics, like the uselessness of Bowman,  the addictiveness of ToppsTown,  and the fact that everyone despises my team.

My customs were more improved, as I added more filters and just did more work on them. The quality of my writing improved as well.

By the end, I was talking about heartbreak as a fan of two teams unceremoniously booted from the playoffs within two days. I think that the moodier I got back then, the better my posts were.

Like with last year, some of the best stuff was during Year by Year.

2011: Finding the Sweet Spot

I think that 2011 was the year I really settled into the blogosphere. I had an ill-prepared blog contest, bought and ripped some vintage Stadium Club, had some trades with big time bloggers, and started churning out better posts.

One of the more viewed posts of the year was one about how pretty much every team had its haters, so the Yankees weren't free of blame. It soon became an omnibus of all the bloggers' teams of hatred. Reminds me, I should probably update that post.

I started accumulating some pretty nice fans in 2011. One in particular, a Dodger fan, gave me a lot of ideas for customs, as detailed in this post. That same fan ended up leading me to Brent Lillibridge, the first (and only, that I know of) actual ballplayer to actually like one of my customs. He made a custom of mine his Twitter photo. I will take that to my grave.

I had some nice road trips in 2011, going to Indians, Pirates and Nationals games, as well as staying in Meredith, New Hampshire for a week. Also, I went to the Super Bowl, but that's another story.

I think this was the peak of my popularity before I went back to being a regular fringe blogger like I am now.

2012: The Consistent Year

Overall, in 2012 I think I finally hit my stride, and started writing and customizing the way I do now. I learned to control the filters so that I stopped having so many overdone customs. Also, I had more well-written posts, and more well-formed ideas.

2012 was the year that Archives came back, but basically just as a way of copying my set. I had a very angry rant here about how they were stealing my idea. I also had an angry rant about the 2012 Topps gimmicks, which was even more hate-fueled than the Archives one. I had a lot of emotional posts this year, as you can see.

2012 was my biggest year in terms of customizing, as I produced more customs in 2012 than I did any other year. None were real newsmakers, though the Chipper Jones one is a favorite.

I won a contest over at Thorzul's this year. Honestly, I'm drawing a blank on anything else that happened that year.

2013: Making my Mark

Toward the end of this year I was buying Stadium Club boxes, and customizing football players. I was tussling with Topps and still making great baseball customs. Everything I really wanted to do, in my blogging career, I ended up doing in 2013, so it was really a success in my eyes.

You could argue that it was a lot of the same stuff. Making customs, going to lake George, buying cards, telling the world how awful Topps is. For a month I kept getting boxes of football products from a mysterious contact to rip. I think I ripped more actual hobby boxes of products in 2013 than I did in any other year.

2013 was a great year for me even though it wasn't really too different than the other ones. But it really exemplified how I write more than the other years. I think I'm in in my prime, unless in five more years I become as good a blogger as Night Owl or Dime Boxes or something like that.

-------

To make a long story short, I never did anything on this blog for popularity, for accolades, for followers. I did it mostly for myself, but also for the rest of the world to see my opinions. And I didn't think it would last this long. I didn't think it would last a month.

I'm just glad it lasted part March 2009, and into February 2014.

Will the blog last ten years? Who's to say? Certainly not me. I have no idea what's going to happen to me a year down the line, let alone five. I'll blog until I'm done, and I'll know when I'm done.

Thanks for sticking with me, by the way. For reading when I had nothing to say. And, thankfully, when I had too much to say. I really appreciate it.

Five years, stuck on my eyes
Five years, what a surprise
We've got five years, my brain hurts a lot
Five years, that's all we got...









P.S.- If you were expecting me to pick my favorite custom in all my years of making them, I'll say this-  I'm not one for picking favorites...




....but this one

A discounted blaster of 2012 Topps Heritage

Boy, I've been getting a lot of cards lately.

Most of these purchases are more spaced out than it looks, they just take a while to post. Today, while out trying to get pages for my binders, I found a box of 2012 Heritage lying around at Target, for cheap. Being that my local Target decided NOT to restock on Topps Football, I grabbed the box, mainly because I loved last year's Heritage set.

Pack 1-
4- Leaders card. In 2011, the AL Home Run leaders were Jose Bautista, Curtis Granderson, Mark Teixeira, Mark Reynolds, Adrian Beltre and Ian Kinsler. Only Beltre still leads in homers, yet he's in sixth.
94- Wilson Ramos.
132- Cole Hamels, who had a really nice night the other night, blanking the Mets.
388- Pablo "Kung Fu Panda" Sandoval. Dunno who's benefitted more from that nickname, Sandoval or DreamWorks.
69- Michael Morse, back when he was still on the Nats
A Then and Now insert, comparing Harmon Killebrew to Jose Bautista. Again, this was 2012, back when we were all convinced that Bautista was a god.
312- Rays team card
372- Scott Downs
118- AJ Pierzynski. Evidently he's been hot lately for Texas, though I haven't seen that much evidence.

Pack 2-
305- Ryan "Tatman" Roberts, whose star has faded a bit since 2012, unlike his tattoos.
326- Ramon Hernandez, who has since retired.
190- Matt Holliday. I have the red border version of this, but this is the plain version.
68- Friendly Foes insert of Ryan Vogelsong and Andre Ethier.
395- Daniel Hudson
163- Matt Cain
440- Jonathan Sanchez, who was traded for Melky Cabrera.
347- Chipper Jones, in his final season. Great player.
128- Seth Smith.

Pack 3-
274- A Rookie Stars 4-fer. Out of these guys, there are no standouts, though there are okay people like Alex Liddi and Jared Hughes
181- A very somber looking Brent Morel. I imagine he just saw his team's stats in 2013.
392- A Tribe Thumpers combo of Asdrubal Cabrera and Carlos Santana, who were kind enough to stay on the team.
152- Nick Hagadone
414- Corey Hart, who hasn't really been too big this season.
110- Chase Headley.
A 63 Flashback of the demolition of Penn Station. A sad event, as it would go on to host two mediocre sports teams.
315- Hector Noesi. Man, that trade didn't help ANYBODY.
42- David Robertso-HOLD ON A SECOND. DO YOU SEE THE CARD NUMBER? THAT CARD NUMBER SHOULD BELONG TO ANOTHER YANKEE CLOSER. HEAR THAT TOPPS? YOU DID IT WRONG.

Pack 4-
402- Davey Johnson, who the Nats should be very thankful for.
267- Nick Hundley
319- Adam Jones, who had another fantastic season for Baltimore.
116- Vance, The Vanimal, Worley.
297- Derek Holland, who...is having a not so great season? I haven't paid attention.
483- Mike Stanton...RED BORDER. Too bad it doesn't say 'Giancarlo'.
198- Joe Benson
82- Greg Holland
413- Huston Street, who should at least be happy he had the 2005 season.

Pack 5-
243- Jordan Pacheco
295- Cory Luebke
146- Mike Napoli Postseason Highlight
361- A-Rod. I have this one.
Holy crap, I pulled a game used!
It's a clubhouse collections relic of CARL CRAWFORD!
I know it's not the greatest season to pull a Crawford from, but he's still a great player.
433- Rickie Weeks
323- Chase D'Arnaud
170- Lonnie Chisenhall.

Pack 6-
210- CLAYTON KERSHAW!
134- Jim Leyland
281- Jason Marquis
386- Another rookie stars card, of Yankees Brackman, Betances and Romine...as well as Mariner Jesus Montero.
183- Mark Teixeira
328- Elvis Andrus
The Disembodied Head of Mark Teixeira insert
228- Rookie Stars. Not much going on here.
260- Anthony Rizzo

Pack 7-
166- Travis Hafner, back when he was still on the Indians
265- Rookie Stars, with Steve Lombardozzi being the most relevant, which says a lot
21- Drew Stubbs
56- Cliff Lee
373- Michael Young, who just hasn't been hitting.
Hank Aaron Flashback
377- Orioles tc
423- Neftali Feliz
227- Josh Thole
cl

Pack 8-
192- Justin DeFratus. Ha.
5- NL ERA Leaders. In 2011 they were Kershaw, Halladay, Lee, Vogelsong and Lincecum. Now they are Kershaw, Harvey, Hernandez, Corbin and Greinke. 1 out of 5.
244- Jason Motte
422- Dusty Baker
50- Madison Bumgarner
14- Justin Masterson
478- Roy Oswalt, still a Phillie.
175- Matt Garza
286- Star Rookies. At least Matt Moore's in here.

Well, that was actually pretty nice. That Carl Crawford relic sat on shelves for a year. Hm.

Two Rack Packs and a $10 box of Topps Series 1

I'm one of those poor souls that, immediately arriving upon a gigantic mall such as the Palisades, only wanting to find someplace with cards. So, I swung by the Target and picked up some. And it was some pretty nice stuff, as I found a lot of base cards I needed.

Rack Pack 1-
191- Chris Capuano.
227- Jose Altuve. On the short list of reasons the Astros can somehow succeed. And yes, pun intended.
70- Todd Frazier, Pt. Pleasant man
126- Dan Uggla, whom Braves fans really want to get back to the stuff he was doing in 2011.
36- Jered Weaver. He is always either yelling or making a weird face on a card. Here he does the latter.
112- Mark Reynolds. Strikeout King.
23- Jemile Weeks, who needs to return to the family business.
100- Mike Moustakas
86- Henry Rodriguez RC
305- Shelby Miller RC
187- Nick Marone RC
111- Casey Kelley RC
Calling Cards of...RA Dickey. I have that one.
181- Jeff Keppinger.
248- Colby Lewis
192- Javier Lopez. Not the former Braves catcher
18- Mitch Moreland
53- Alex Cobb
68- Colby 'Why did I get cornrows' Rasmus
201- Jonny Venters
302- Aaron Hill
200- Scott Downs
81- Leaders
269- NLDS Gmae 5
203- WIIIILLLSOOOOOON Ramos
297- Michael Saunders EMERALD SHINY
Chasing History of Matt Kemp
Chasing the Dream of Jose Altuve. Funny, we were just talking about you a short time ago...
1972 Matt Kemp mini. I still love these.
CODE CARD! LET'S SEE WHO I GET:
Ryan Ludwick. Not bad, not bad at all
SHINY Chasing History of Roberto Clemente. These inserts are kinda awesome
SHINY Chasing History of CHIPPAH Jones
182- Randy Choate
156- Dillon Gee
160- Stephen Drew, now on the...sighhh...
92- Clint Barmes

Rack Pack 2-
33- Cliff Lee. Excellent Way to start
147- Ivan Nova. Nice
320- Michael Young. How do we go from Phillie to Yankee to current Phillie. In one pack? In three consecutive cards?
281- David Hernandez. Good grief, he hasn't given up yet?
134- Jake Arrieta. That stache.
69- Scutaro NCLS. Got it
249- Vance Worley. Got it
272- Leaders
148- LJ Hoes RC. What an unfortunate name.
199- Avisail Garcia RC
Cut to the Chase of...DEREK JETER! I finally got one of these that wasn't a Ranger!
323- Michael Brantley
215- Gordon Beckham
279- Vicente Padilla
168- Kyle Farnsworth, and his shades
211- Jarrod Parker
184- Geovany Soto. Bleagh
123- Rickie Weeks, who needs to get back on top
80- Ryan Zimmerman
11- Yu Darvish, who's still kinda awesome
55- Tim Lincecum, who needs a MAJOR comeback
283- CC ALDS
157- Carter Capps
90- ANDY PETITTE Cl
216- Josh Willingham EMERALD SHINY
Chasing History of Ted Williams. That's actually pretty nice. He's one of the few Sox I don't hate
Chasing the Dream of Addison Reed
Adam Jones 72 mini
CODE CARD! Let's see who I get:
Aramis Ramirez! Yeah! He needs to hit.
SHINY Chasing History of A-ROD. He had a lot of help chasing history, I guess
SHINY Chasing History of Evan Longoria. He's sorta slumping as of late
144- Jason Bay
198- Chris Coghlan
289- Jeremy Guthrie
239- Ramon Santiago

And now the box...
16- Andre Ethier. Nice way to start it off
52- CC Sabathia!
137- Edinson Volquez
34- FELIX Hernandez.
29- The slightly less overrated Adrian Beltre
325- Kevin Millwood. Jeez, he's still playing?
230- David Robertson, whose trust is failing
306- Jerry Hairston
104- Jed Lowire
273- Dexter Fowler, who really needs to accomplish something
195- Chris Heisey
291- Ryan Sweeney
331- Holy crap, I got the Reyes! It was shortprinted or some crap, but I got it! WOOOO!
119- Chris Davis
81- Leaders
269- NLCS Game 5
3 doubles
3- EMERALD SHINY HUNTER PENCE! NICE!
Chasing History of Tom Seaver. Nice!
Chasing the Dream of Devin Mesoraco
Cut to the Chase of...another Ranger, Yu Darvish. Must be some Rangers fan getting all the Yankees and Phillies
Pablo Sandoval Calling Card
RA Dickey 72 mini.
5 doubles
71- Kyle Kendrick, the Other Guy in the Phils' Rotation
31- Jose Tabata
208- Kurt Suzuki, still fighting for the Nats
154- Sergio Romo, World Series Hero
217- Brian Matusz, who should still be starting
264- Roy Halladay CL
87- Mike Olt RC
78- DYLAN BUNDY RC. That's a nice one.
296- Didi Gregorius RC. Just for my inner child's sake, I hope he gets on a team with someone named Dexter.
8 doubles. Jeeez
293- Jeff Karstens
117- Aubrey Huff
5 doubles. A bit silly now
CODE CARD! Let's see who I get:
Ike Davis! Yeah, he's pretty good
141- Carlos Santana. Also sings.
22- Clayton Kershaw. That's pretty awesome
213- A-ROD. Credibility gone.
75- Barry Zito. Nice.
258- Doug 'Why oh why hath somebody forsaken me with this last name' Fister
159- Felipe Paulino
221- Heath Bell, crappily photoshopped into a D-Backs uni
312- Scott Hairston
231- Melky Mesa RC. Hopefully will do better for us than the last gut named Melky
268- David Lough
247- Luis Perez
99- Paco Rodriguez rc
SHINY Chasing History of Lance Berkman, now on the Rangers
SHINY Chasing History of a badly photoshopped Mark Buehrle
SHINY Chasing History of RICKEY HENDERSON!
SHINY Chasing History of HANK! AARON! THAT IS AWESOME!

All in all, pretty nice cards. A lot of stuff I needed.

2012: The Year in Review

What? Already?

Another year went by faster than Mike Trout's run, and I can't believe it. 2012 was quicker than 2011. If this keeps up, 2032 is gonna go by in 10 days. But still, this year was a pretty nice one for me, as I got my 1000th post, my 4th anniversary as a blogger, and my 17th birthday. So it was pretty cool. But, as usual, before we move forward, before 2013 comes in and we act like we were waiting for it, we first have to look back, get one last breath of 2012 before we run out of air. As always, I'll start every sentence with 'this was the year that...', because we have to remember that things actually happened this year.

This was the year that Ichiro Suzuki joined my team. And he was freaking amazing. I know he didn't perform like we all wanted him to, but he still hit well in October, a period when nobody else on the team was hitting very well.

This was the year that I collected more Heritage than usual. Because this year's set was indeed that good. I was very impressed, more than usual. I most likely will get even more packs next year and the year after, because I love both the sets they showcase.

This was the year that my blog readership went up a little bit more. Not earth-shatteringly more, but to a degree.

This was the year that a good friend of mine was in a movie with Bill Murray and Bruce Willis. In a good role, too. And also, this was the year that a good friend of mine was in a movie being considered for a few Oscar nominations. And it's the same flick. So basically, this was a good year for that friend of mine.

This was the year that I went to more Sixers games than I did Phillies games. That's a new one.

This was the year that the Phillies and Eagles were absolutely terrible. And the Sixers weren't too bad.

This was the year that I pulled, out of a pack from a Target in Lake George, New York, a dual game used jersey card of Johnny Bench and Buster Posey. Now both of them have the same number of championship rings. Well how about that. Buster needs one more MVP to match Bench's full accolades, though.

This was the year that a knuckleballer won the Cy Young, and his team promptly dumped him.

This was the year that, on TV, Dexter stopped being good, American Idol stopped being credible, someone no one had heard of beat out Blair Warner and The Guy Who Burned His Hands Clean Off for a million dollars, Modern Family kept being funny, and Wolowitz went to space, got married, and went gambling with his father and law.

This was the year that they came out with 3 comic book movies that people can agree are all good. I hope.

This was the year that Topps came out with a set that copied my Custom Card formula. And I loved it.

This was the year that, after schooling the Orioles, my team bellyflopped in the playoffs. Never again. Hopefully.

This was the year that I messed up on a K-turn. But it happens. Hopefully 2013 will bring better news on this front.

This was the year that I finished my first screenplay. Which was pretty nice.

This was the year that I collected considerably less baseball cards than before, in the 5th anniversary of my entrance into the hobby. I'm on the way out of collecting big-time, folks, but not on the way out of blogging. Not anytime soon.

So that's it. As for the future, I expect tons more Custom Cards, more Topps acquisitions, and more of the stuff that made me happy this year. And I hope all of you out there have just as nice of a 2013.

And to all the aspiring 17-year olds, all the young people who wanna be like me, who aspire to write just as well as me, to do what I've done at this age, I have one piece of advice.

Work on your k-turn.

2012- Where's all the praise?

I'll admit that at the beginning of the year I was unsure of how the year in card releases would go. The flagship set looked terrible, and all in all it didn't seem like it was gonna be as good a year as last. My fears were realized once bloggers began trashing Series 1 and complaining of the gimmicks. It seemed 2012 was going to be another down year.

Then Heritage came out. It was a good set. Then Gyspy Queen came out. It was a good set. Then Bowman came out. Even Bowman was a good set. And now, just after Topps Archives has been applauded after its street release, 2012 is looking like a pretty good year for card releases.

Why hasn't anyone been talking about it?

You see, there are some people out there who criticize and blather on about how bad Topps sets are, and always point out the weaknesses rather than the strengths. And those people would have said how bland Bowman looked, or how ugly the Gypsy Queen base set looked, or how crappy the Bryce Harper gimmick was, were missing out on the good of the set. Gypsy Queen had better inserts than last year, and seemed like it improved in its sophomore season. Bowman put out its best set since the 1990's, and surprised most everyone with its success. Topps Archives, with the exception of the Harper gimmick, is probably what Lineage should have been last year, and is a really good nostalgia set.

And the bloggers aren't recognizing this. Most of them are going on about how they're only ripping one pack of things and then not collecting anything but the team set. And those people just don't see the upsides of these products. You can't have one little thing drag the whole product down. Design, gimmicks and inserts can be overplayed by the better qualities of the set. If you focus on those things, then you'll never really enjoy another Topps set.

So yeah, in my opinion, with the exception of the Flagship Set, 2012 is a banner year so far for Topps. Heritage, Gypsy Queen, Bowman and Archives are all tremendous products. Archives especially is quite awesome judging by what I've seen. It's so awesome, I should have thought of it myself.

Oh wait. I did. It's called Custom Cards.

Expectations for a Hyped Year

It's that time again, ladies and gentlemen. Tomorrow, every baseball fan will offically have a reason to live, and every baseball manager will have a reason to die.

The season begins tomorrow, and it couldn't come soon enough. The offseason was long, and quick, though quite eventful. Big stars were swatted across the leagues, and teams were deprived of their stars.

However, while the rest of the league is uncertain in its progress, there's one team whose season seems to be drawn out for them, and that is my New York Yankees. They picked up a lot of awesome players in the offseason, including:

• Michael Pineda, in a trade with Seattle


• Raul Ibanez, in a free agent signing


• Andy Pettite, after he returned from retirement


• Hiroki Kuroda, in a free agent signing

Unfortunately, we lost a few players as well, including:

• Jesus Montero, in a trade with Seattle


• Jorge Posada, to retirement


• Bartolo Colon, signed by Oakland


• AJ Burnett, signed with Pittsburgh

Still, with the roster we've built up, it looks like it'll be a great season. Personally, I'd love to take it all this year. But that's just me.