Topps Cards That Should Have Been: 2007 Athletics

 

Continuing our trail through the Topps Cards That Should Have Been backlog I've left, we have four forgotten members of the ill-begotten 2007 Athletics. 

Todd Walker was a handy utility guy that got around as an infield piece for the 90s Twins teams, and a bunch of 00s mid-tier teams including the Cubs. By 2007, he'd played for 11 years and had been everywhere, so he gave Oakland a shot as a 1B type bench guy for 18 games. He hit .271 with 4 RBIs and subpar defensive numbers, so his career ended there.

As we've been celebrating a lot of 'life begins at 30' hurlers recently, like Charlie Morton, Miles Mikolas and Scott Kazmir, let's not forget one of the early proponents of this, that being Rangers favorite Colby Lewis. After coming up as a Rangers arm in the early 2000s and flaming out, Lewis bounced around a bit, also playing for the Tigers and A's. In 2007, Lewis was used mainly in relief by Oakland, and had a 6.45 ERA in 37 innings. After this, he'd play 2 seasons in Japan, recapture his control, and have more productivity in Arlington afterwards. This was the very edge of the turning point for Lewis.

Jeff DaVanon was an outfielder and bench bat from the 2000s Angels team, being a lesser-remembered teammate of people like Garrett Anderson, Troy Glaus, Darin Estrad and Tim Salmon. After a few seasons in Phoenix, DaVanon was waived by the team that initially signed him, the Athletics, and finished his career there, with a .238 average in 26 games.

As a lot of these players were finishing with Oakland in 2007, Santiago Casilla used this season to break out. After a few years of near dormancy in the Oakland bullpen, Casilla was put to fuller use, appearing in 50 innings with a 4.44 ERA and 52 Ks. It would be the stepping stone to a number of great seasons in relief for Casilla, to the point where Topps really should have documented him earlier than when they did.

Tomorrow, some very odd could-have-beens for the 2009 Blue Jays.

Defeating the Purpose in the AL

I was out of town for a few days, which, as a college student, means I was home for the weekend. So I missed covering the last few playoff events on the blog, including Utleygate. I also missed the comeback win that the Jays had last night, and the huge monster game in Houston.

Today, two teams are in position to potentially clinch. The Texas Rangers, who've been uncharacteristically dangerous this postseason, and the Houston Astros, who've gained steam like never before. Which means that thought of a Jays-Royals ALCS I had? Down the shitter.

I mean, yeah, an all-Texas ALCS would be nice, but it'd also be a bit anticlimactic, because those two aren't the best teams. I'd much prefer a Royals-Rangers Series, if the Rangers have to be in it at all. The Astros are an underdog team that's gotten hot, and for them to overpower the Royals is definitely something. But...I kind of banked on seeing the Royals back in there somewhere. They deserve it. They were on top for so long.

So, as much as it's looking like there may be double-clinchage today, especially under Derek Holland in Texas...I kind of want somebody to tie it up. And I feel like the most likely to do this is...

Yeah. They can do it.

I feel like today's game could be a good way to break back into the race, because the bats are perfectly capable of it. If it's Yordano vs. McCullers, and McCullers lets up a bit after a few innings, this could be a very bat-heavy affair. It just requires Yordano Ventura to hold on and pitch like he did in 2014.

Plus, get somebody like Paulo Orlando or Mike Moustakas on a good night, and you have some serious offensive production.

Not saying the Jays are out of it. I'm just saying it's gonna be tough for them to get back in it.

The Rangers. as I said before, are really hot, and the Jays picked the wrong time for injuries. They seem to be slowing down, even after that big Tulo-fueled win yesterday, and if they don't win today they could be going back home way sooner than everybody thought.

I honestly have no idea how today's gonna turn out. I just would prefer if both series went on a game longer. So far this isn't especially indicative of the entire season, just of the last bit.