Topps Cards That Should Have Been: The 2008 Rookies

 

...well, since blogger took away the ability to caption photos...I guess I've gotta do away with the obvious.

2008 Topps is a weird year in terms of their rookie selection, because there is personnel that appears in Upper Deck sets, premium sets, and even their hobby-exclusive Red Hot Rookie program, and yet still fails to receive a card in actual flagship. 

Alexei Ramirez is one of the biggest rookie stories of 2008, bursting onto the scene in Chicago as a compact little shortstop with a 2.5 WAR, and notching 77 RBIs and 21 home runs, both admittedly career highs, while also coming in second during Rookie of the Year voting. Topps does not give him a rookie card in Update. What they DO give him is a World Baseball Classic short-printed gimmick hidden in the set along with Yasuhiko Yabuta and the set's rookie giant Kosuke Fukudome. All three players were supposed to have regular cards in the flagship set, but were reduced to gimmicks. 

Only Fukudome got an actual Update Series base card. Ramirez did get a card in Update, but it was a World Baseball Classic insert. Meanwhile, Upper Deck was producing base rookies of him like it's nothing. It was a maddening affair that robbed a genuinely good player of an official rookie card.

Not every rookie I made for this project comes off like Ramirez'. Daniel Murphy got an official Topps rookie in 2009's flagship set, but he still appeared in 49 games in 2008, hitting .313 with 17 RBIs in 49 games, which isn't bad at all. Sadly, a lot of this production came after the cutoff, so his chance at a 2008 Topps rookie card dissipated. 

But this one looks nice. The black Mets uniforms were underrated. And it's odd to see someone affiliated with mid-2010s Mets success wearing one. Kinda like how odd it is to see Jose Altuve in 2011-era Astros uniforms. 

We go slightly more obscure for this next rookie.

Ernesto Frieri is best known for his role as the fun-loving Angels closer in 2013, and his eventual trade to Pittsburgh in 2014 for Jason Grilli. Before landing in LA, Frieri was a staple for the Padres' bullpen, and while he didn't debut until 2009, a Spring Training photo does exist from the 2008 season, and by the rules of this project, that totally counts. Topps has based rookie cards on far less. 

So Frieri gets a rookie card in 2008. Because why not?

Similarly present in 2008 Spring Training but absent for most of the actual season was future A's DH and power-hitter Brandon Moss. Moss was among the squad that played overseas for a few games in Spring 2008, as he was being primed for an infield position that would eventually go to Jed Lowrie. 

The reason he doesn't have a 2008 rookie card with Boston, apart from Topps being harebrained and not giving him one after his 2007 debut campaign, is that after 34 games in Boston, Moss was traded to Pittsburgh for Jason Bay. Bay would be an outfield asset and All-Star for Boston, while Moss would continue his utility man role in Pittsburgh, where he would get his 2008 Update rookie card. 

Ian Kennedy has a rookie card with Upper Deck in 2008. As a matter of fact, he's all over Upper Deck's third quarter releases. Perhaps Kennedy was sought as the 'token Yankee rookie' that year, despite not getting a ton of playing time.

Despite his solid 2007 numbers, Kennedy would have an 8.39 ERA in 2008, and eventually be eased out of starting, and the majors. Topps wouldn't produce a card of him in 2009 either, and his 2010 Topps release would technically be his Topps rookie card. By 2010, Kennedy had already been traded to Arizona in the Curtis Granderson deal [but really we should be calling it the Max Scherzer deal at this point], and his career was already burgeoning as an ace in Phoenix.

Unrelated, but I bet Upper Deck would have rendered this entire project meaningless if they'd kept their license after 2009. 

Which leads us back to the 2008 Red Hot Rookie series, one of the charter members of which was Jeff Samardzija, a Cubs reliever with a funky windup and a funkier name. 

Unlike Kennedy, Samardzija's inclusion in this set does not mean he didn't receive any Topps releases in 2008. Topps liked him a lot during the last quarters of 2008, and included him in Finest and Heritage High Number. Yet he did not get a card in Update Series, and would have to wait until 2009 Topps to get an official rookie card [now that I am realizing this, neither did Pablo Sandoval, whom I always assumed has a 2008 Update card I just never pulled. So I guess I have to make one of him now].

Shark's 2008 number certainly would have warranted a rookie card, though. With a 2.28 ERA and 25 strikeouts in 27.2 innings, he was clearly one of the brighter relief options of the competitive 2008 Cubs team. It just stinks that Topps' silly quotas prevented them from actually making a rookie card of him that year.

Those are the 6 newest additions to the Should Have Been series. Now I, admittedly, have to go make a Pablo Sandoval one.

A ChiSox Coming Attraction

(The Following Preview has been deemed appropriate for All Baseball Audiences by the Commissioner of Major League Baseball)

(Dark, mysterious music plays)

Underneath the shadows on the South Side of Chicago, a threat looms in the distance.

It may look meek...it may look harmless...and it may not get a ton of attendance...but here lies the ground roots for the most powerful threat in the country.

This was a team that didn't get any respect. A team that spent too many years being ridiculed for what they didn't have. A team...that had been watching...waiting...formulating the perfect comeback...retooling the roster...patiently awaiting the right time. A time which is coming very soon.

Oh, they could be beat now. They could be ripped apart. Why? To make those other teams think they had a chance.

From the people who brought you the 2005 White Sox, and from the same people who won't stop talking about the 2005 White Sox, even if it's ten years later...comes the most shocking thing your mind will ever fathom.

Starring Jose Abreu! Alexei Ramirez! Chris Sale! Avisail Garcia! Robin Ventura! Jose Quintana! And many, many more.

It's growing stronger by the second! It's taking over everything you love! And it's closer than you might think!

SEE...THE CONTENDING CHICAGO WHITE SOX!!!

Coming Next Summer...or the Summer after that...or a summer season that occurs sometime soon after that one...To a Ballpark Near You!

Uncustomed Heroes of 2014: White Sox

Yep. Still finishing these up. Why? 2015 customs are coming up. Gotta clear the 2014 ones out before they do.

This was my second Abreu custom of 2014, because I selected a few huge stars of the year to have 2 customs, because why not. Abreu had a monster season in 2014, and all of Chicago is betting on him to have another huge one in 2015, especially given the fact that the Sox have gotten a few more contracts on the team.

Meanwhile, the other megahitter in Chicago had a less-than-stellar season. This custom is probably the best part of his season. I mean, it looks like a comic book cover. Viciedo is not sitting comfortably in...wherever the Blue Jays have Spring Training, waiting to squeeze his way onto the 40-man.

Alexei Ramirez, now that Paul Konerko is gone, is now the longest-standing member of the Chicago White Sox. And he got there after I started collecting. Man, it's tough wrapping my head around that one. Anyway, Ramirez is a consistently great shortstop, and will likely have another great season in 2015.

This guy was the real man of the hour in 2014, besides Abreu. If it wasn't for Corey Kluber, Chris Sale would have likely nabbed his first Cy Young award. And now it looks like he won't be ready in time for Opening Day, which is bad for the Sox, as they'll be forced to start Jeff Samardzija instead (which...isn't that bad).

Meanwhile in sophomore-land, Adam Eaton had a decent enough season away from Phoenix, settling into his role in the Chicago offense. He's not all the way there yet, but there's still hope.

Let me tell you, if I'd posted this in December like I was supposed to, this card would definitely would have made the top 5 on my Best Customs of the Year list, because it's that good. Just the smile on his face, contrasted with the helmets on the back of the wall. That is a great shot, and it's now a great custom.

Coming...Tomorrow, I hope: Finally I'll finish out these damn posts with the Yankees.

Uncustomed Heroes of Baseball: White Sox

 Funny story. I predicted the White Sox to be in the world series sometime in December 2012. I said it would be a Dodgers-White Sox series. You can see how far off I was. At least in the AL.

Paul Konerko will likely be retiring after 2014. A shame, too. He's a great player, a great 'mainstay' you can always count on.

Alexei Ramirez...funny story (again). A friend of mine took me to a Phillies game this year, and he knew basically nothing about baseball. So I had to explain which players were good, and which teams were good when. And it baffled him that someone could exist with the name Alexei Ramirez. He said 'sthat mean he's Russian and Spanish?'

Coming Tomorrow- The Yankees. And the last customs you'll see until Spring Training photos show up.

Year by Year Customs: 1979

 

After that....Hamiltonstrosity, we all go back to where we belong. In this case, I'm doing Year by Year. Odd. 

Sadly, none of today's players were around in the MLB when the Smashing Pumpkins song '1979' came out. Nobody here was born in 1979 either. They're just kinda...here.

Although Alexei Ramirez is a pretty nice player. 

 

Now the Nats' closer. And not Brad Lidge.

 

One of the many prospects that could not help the Rockies this year.

Coming Tomorrow- much bigger stars, including a head-case (you'll be groaning when you realize who I'm talking about", and a player who's been on the same team since what feels like forever.

Custom Card of the Day: Alexei Edition

You ever have one of those moments where you've done something the whole year without knowing it, and it's pissing a few people off. That was me last week, when I realized I'd gone a whole year without making any White Sox customs. A know a few bloggers might have noticed something, so this week I made 3 of them. Yeah, 3. This is the first of three, which means I'll have to weave other teams in between. But hey, at least you get an awesome looking Alexei Ramirez diving for a catch today.

Coming Tomorrow- A rookie for Texas who has been plowing down batters despite looking worse than Raul Ibanez's morning face.

Year by Year Customs: 1984

I've always been fond of the 84 design, and it's always been cool to customize. No real other news here.

Tomorrow- Skipping 1985 and going straight into 1986.