Anyone Can Pitch: April & May 2022

 

With position players pitching becoming one of the most fun novelties in the sport, I figured I'd bring a new design to Anyone Can Pitch while keeping going my quest to document the best of the canon. 

The first of these came very early in the season, with Arizona Diamondbacks catcher Carson Kelly, now on the IL, taking an inning of relief to round out an early game against the Padres. He did well enough, only allowing 1 hit over 3 batters, and finishing strong in the loss. 

Elsewhere in the NL West, Giants rookie Luis Gonzalez, who has been a few useful addition to the outfield picture, has also made 3 appearances so far in relief. In 4.1 relief innings, he has a 6.23 ERA, 5 hits and 3 earned runs. With the amount of times Gonzalez has pitched by May, he might even make more appearances as we go, which is cool.

In a match with the Giants, longtime Padres power hitter Wil Myers made his first EVER career pitching appearance, which is a big deal. Say what you will about Myers and expectations, but he's still been reliable enough for the Padres over the years, and is the lone survivor of the 2015 contract-a-palooza that A.J. Preller tried. As a pitcher, though, Myers went 1 inning and allowed two home runs. So yes, I think he's better off in the outfield. 

Rounding out our inadvertent trip around the NL West, former Orioles infielder Hanser Alberto, who is now a bench piece for the Dodgers, has gotten 2 appearances in relief, bringing his career total to 4. Alberto has had one crappy outing, giving up two hits an an earned run, and one good outing, giving up only one hit and no earned runs. Both have been against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Matter of fact, most of the NL West appearances here have been against other NL West teams. Weird.

I haven't even made a regular custom of Andrelton Simmons on the Cubs yet, and here I am making an Anyone Can Pitch custom of him. I have odd priorities. Polishing off a recent blowout against the Reds, Simmons made his first ever pitching appearance, and turned the game from a 15-5 loss...into a 20-5 loss, giving up 5 earned runs and ending the night with a 45.00 career ERA. Hell of a contact hitter, but...eeeeesh.

I don't think that Dee Strange Gordon's 2022 season is gonna be a career highlight for him, especially after his years in Miami, but Gordon made his former big league reliever father proud by making his first ever career start for the Nationals. In 1 inning against the Braves, Strange-Gordon gave up 3 balls, 3 earned runs including a home run and walked off with a 27.00 ERA. At least he can say he finally pitched in a game. And if you think that's a cool moment for the Gordon baseball family,

Yep, Tom's other kid pitched as well this year. Unlike his older brother, Nick Gordon actually had a decent go of things on the mound. In the only appearance by an AL player in this post, Gordon went for 4 batters to close out a game against the Astros, and only allowed 1 hit and no runs. A more triumphant moment for the younger Gordon brother, and a marker that means all 3 baseball Gordons have pitched at least an inning in the majors.

I'll hope to have some more of these as the season progresses, these are fun.

2021's Dream Team

 

One of the frustrations of the spring training season is seeing great players in new uniforms, and resigning yourself to wait to make customs of them during the regular season...and then they get cut before the end of training camp and you never get to make a regular season custom of them, or even see a Topps card of them. It's a sucky feeling, just for the possibilities of it all. 

So I figured...why not make them anyway? 

I used Topps' K-Mart oddball set Dream Team for the basis of these, because this is literally a dream team- you can only dream of seeing these players in these uniforms in regular season play.

Coolest one first- Felix Hernandez signed a minor league deal with Baltimore this season, was looking like a surefire hit to make the rotation, then got injured and opted out of his contract. Like with Atlanta, the next stage of King Felix' career only existed in preseason views of it. I'm still holding out for him to somehow pitch again, because...it'd be awesome, but whatever he's most comfortable with.

One of the ones I was looking forward to seeing in regulation was Jonathan Lucroy in Chicago. After Yasmani Grandal's injury-laden start, it was looking like Lucroy was gonna make the team as a backup, and was hitting really well at that. But, Grandal came back looking confident, and Zack Collins came alive during the second half of camp, meaning Lucroy as a White Sock would never happen. I keep waiting for Lucroy to have a comeback, cause he was so great with the Brewers, but it might never be a thing.

Heck, this one hurts for me because Todd Frazier is such a New Jersey legend, and I kinda want him to succeed anywhere he goes. Here he is 10 years after his rookie year, and he's failing to make camp with the PITTSBURGH PIRATES, the dregs of the majors. It's mainly because the Pirates are stacked at 3rd, with people like Kevin Kramer, Ke'Bryan Hayes and Colin Moran blocking him, but it's still sad to see him so depleted. 

Some of these aren't indicators that these players might not play at all this season- Billy Hamilton is looking to make the White Sox in some faction right now, but earlier this month he was a hopeful potential outfielder for the Indians, doing his best in early games despite once again refusing to perform at the plate. With Oscar Mercado and Bradley Zimmer, despite not making the team either, taking preference in the minors, Hamilton really had no reason to pretend he'd make the team at all, so he was an early release for the benefit of trying to make another team. Not sure if the Sox will take him, but you can only hope.

Similarly, another former all-star and base-stealer extraordinaire was trying to make Hamilton's old team, the Cincinnati Reds. Dee Strange-Gordon was looking very human after his last few seasons in Seattle, and his attempt for the Reds made him look even more unworthy. I hate that this cut happened, because Gordon was the league's best in 2015, and he was an all-star and hero for a few consecutive years, and now he's essentially an also-ran. 

Jake Lamb had a tremendous comeback year in 2020 filling in for Matt Chapman in Oakland. So he was a nice idea for the Braves as a third baseman, in a year where the position once again seems to be relatively open. Not only does Jake Lamb fail to make the Braves despite this schematic, but he misses the team while PABLO SANDOVAL makes the team. Lamb is younger and had more promise, and thanks to a weaker spring, he's now trying to make the White Sox. 

Ivan Nova was a strong pitcher for the Yankees and Pirates before bopping around the league in Chicago and Detroit unsuccessfully, his velocity down. The Philadelphia Phillies were the latest stop on his career reclamation tour, and he was chased in multiple starts. With the Phils prioritizing Chase Anderson and Matt Moore, there was no place for Nova in Philly.

After jump-starting the offseason by being sent by his longtime White Sox to the Orioles, former gold-glover Yolmer Sanchez was thought to be a threat to Rio Ruiz for the third baseman job, and made the most of some early spring starts. Unfortunately, the combination of Ruiz's continued dominance and the arrival of Maikel Franco onto the scene spelt doom for Sanchez' starting bid.

Arguably one of the saddest stories here is of Francisco Liriano, the former Twins and Pirates fireballer who was coming off a comeback season in Pittsburgh as a reliever in 2019. He was in camp with the Phillies in 2020 when COVID hit, and that was a setback that cost him a roster spot. So he tried again with a team he'd played for in the past, the Toronto Blue Jays, but this was a different Jays and an older Liriano, so that combination didn't exactly work, despite Liriano circling the final roster spots well into camp. I'm not sure if this is the end of the road for Liriano, but he was certainly a strong pitcher in his prime.

Hopefully there's better futures in new uniforms for these players, but it helped to at least do customs of them now rather than never having done any of them. 

The regular custom season begins tomorrow. What fun!

Uncustomed Heroes of 2019: Mariners

 I don't really know what else there is to expect from the Seattle Mariners except for heartbreak. Because that's what keeps happening. After an impressive start, the Mariners reverted to their old ways, unshelled Leake, Edwin and Bruce, and failed to recover from Mitch Haniger's injury.

Dee Gordon was left to be the veteran leader of this team. He's down to 22 in terms of steals, which is a far cry from his season high of 64 in 2014, and hit .275, which is his best in Seattle but nowhere near his Miami average. At least he was able to rock those awesome Pilots uniforms this year.
Why Him in 2019?: One of four to get 100 hits in Seattle.
2020 Prediction: He's gonna decide whether he wants to hit more for power next year, and his steals are gonna go down further.

 Mitch Haniger was expected to lead this team with power in 2019, and while he did that in April, his numbers lessened in May and June and he was on the IL from June on. Yes, his 15 homers are an impressive first-half number, but without a sturdy second half, it's not much.
Why Him in 2019?: You can argue that the Mariners' complete dissolution is because of his injury.
2020 Prediction: Will hit 30 home runs, but as he's on the trade block, not sure if it'll be for Seattle.

 Domingo Santana came to Seattle in a trade for Ben Gamel, and while Gamel had the more prolific bench year, Santana was embraced as a member of the outfield, leading the league in RBIs at one point despite finishing with only 69. His homer total, 21, is also dwarfed by his 2017 total.
Why Him in 2019: Came through in the wake of Haniger's injury, and was the most potent power performer in the outfield in 2019.
2020 Prediction: The Haniger-Santana-Smith outfield is so mismatched that it won't last. Santana could be hitting off the bench midway through the year.

 The Mariners finally managed to get themselves a decent catcher in 2019, as Omar Narvaez hit .278 with 22 homers and had a 2.1 WAR, which must have been a relief after years of people like Miguel Olivo, Kenji Johjima and Mike Zunino failing at that position. Unfortunately, Narvaez was traded, just like that, to the Brewers.
Why Him in 2019?: Best Mariners catcher in years.
2020 Prediction: Will bring similar numbers to Milwaukee; they won't exactly be screaming for Grandal.

 Mallex Smith finally made a game appearance for the Mariners (after being traded there only to be traded to Tampa a day later), and became a speedy, hit-piling outfielder for them. Smith led the team in stolen bases, and led the non-Narvaez Ms in hits.
Why Him in 2019?: Proved the team can win games on speed without exhausting Gordon.
2020 Prediction: Another similar season, but will once again be bogged down by plate woes.

 Austin Nola's brother is one of the best pitchers in baseball, but Austin himself finally made it to the bigs and made a nice name for himself in Seattle. 31 RBIs in 79 games isn't bad, especially considering that Nola was essentially the starting 1st baseman after Edwin left.
Why Him in 2019?: Probably the most prolific rookie addition to the lineup
2020 Prediction: A bit more impressive on a full season, but something will prevent him from being seen as legitimate.

 In Narvaez' absence, the Ms will have to start Tom Murphy, which won't be a problem, seeing as Murphy led the lineup in WAR. Murphy also hit 18 homers and 40 RBIs in 75 games, and led the team in SLG with .535. A guy like Murphy, if he keeps it up, could be a solid offensive tool for Seattle.
Why Him in 2019?: Cause he did more in 75 games than most of the team did in 162.
2020 Prediction: Will hit 30 homers, but his defense will slow down a chance of legitimacy.

 Shed Long was the guy who was traded for Sonny Gray, then subsequently traded to the Mariners at the beginning of 2019. So some eyes were on him immediately. Long was a pretty impressive swingman, being pristine in the outfield and pretty durable in the infield, as well as hitting 15 RBIs in 42 games.
Why Him in 2019?: One of the few call-ups that made a gradual impact in Seattle.
2020 Prediction: Might get lost in the shuffle with Kyle Lewis and Austin Nola surging, but will still post 100 hits.

2019 was Felix Hernandez' last year as a Mariner after 15 strong ones throwing fire. It's become evident that the fire that one powered Felix's fastball has gone out, as he threw a career-low 57 strikeouts over his 15 starts. He also had a 6.40 ERA and only one win, but the fans still gave him a memorable send-off, which says a lot about that fanbase.
Why Him in 2019?: Last year of a Mariners HOF tenure.
2020 Prediction: Likely retirement, but someone could sign him to a minor league deal.

Coming Tomorrow- Some Miami Marlins. I didn't expect to need to make this many pitchers for this team for Uncustomed Heroes this year.

Appetite for Dee-Struction

(Screw it. Music pun streak is back on. Let's see if we can beat ten.)

So, it's been established that Ichiro Suzuki will no longer play a part in the Mariners' outfield. And in any other season, I'd be worried.

But...this year, the Mariners' outfield consists of Dee Gordon, who's off to a nice start in an M's uniform, Mitch Haniger, who already has ten home runs, and Guillermo Heredia, who is picking up right where his decent 2017 left off. Yes, Ben Gamel also factors into this season, but his numbers are a little less than exemplary right now.

Heck, for a third-place team, the Mariners really aren't too bad right now, with a W-L record better than all 5 teams in the AL central, and the best closer in the AL right now in Edwin Diaz. There's a killer DP combo in Jean Segura and Robinson Cano, as both guys are playing insanely well right now. The lineup is doing relatively well, even with some issues, once again, at Catcher.

The pitching is what's keeping these guys in third, as Felix Hernandez, Mike Leake and Marco Gonzales are tanking, and James Paxton's insane strikeout abilities can't quite save his ERA. Yes, Diaz can close games, but the starters aren't doing a great job at giving him a break.

Not sure what the Mariners can do in this division, especially with the Astros heading it up, but with Cano, Haniger and Segura surging, there's a chance for some serious damage to be done.

Coming Tomorrow- A supremely great 2nd baseman for a team who's trying to hold onto its momentum.

Dee-Constructed

It's that time of year again- a team trades for someone who's predominantly played two positions and try to get him to convert to a third one, which he's never played, as they have two insanely good players at both positions he's proficient in.

This time, it's the Mariners, and the player in question is Dee Gordon. Dee's had a nice run of seasons in Miami (steroids notwithstanding), but he's only played 2nd base and shortstop. The Mariners have Robinson Cano and Jean Segura, therefore...they got Dee for his bat, not his defense, which is odd because he's pretty good with both.

So, the M's are gonna attempt to convert Dee into a centerfielder. With Ben Gamel, Jarrod Dyson and Mitch Haniger all still doing well, plugging an established star into that formation, albeit one who hasn't played the outfield, is odd, but the Mariners know that they're doing apparently.

At least the move makes sense offensively, as it adds a steady bat to a lineup that's in need of versatility, with a ton of home-run friendly players and not a ton of hits guys (though Dyson and Segura are starting that trend). Dee will hopefully a.) behave, and b.) continue his consistency in Seattle.

Besides, the Mariners are still in the race for Ohtani, and are expecting HUGE THINGS FOR 2018, so maybe Dee Gordon will be one of them.

Dee-Lite

Welp, once again, it's looking like the mantle of 'best team to miss the playoffs' might be going to the Miami Marlins. Even with the best hitters in the game, even with some pretty impressive young pitchers, even with a roster that'd even improved itself after a solid 2016, the Marlins are buried deep enough beneath Washington that their Wild Card chances are quite slim.

And it's sad, because the Marlins actually have a ton more promise than a lot of the teams in front of them in the standings (especially those bloody Cardinals). But the WC race seems to be relatively decided, with the Diamondbacks holding onto that first spot like a life preserver, and the Rockies and Brewers volleying for the second spot. Pretty much everyone else in the race hasn't a chance, which is a shame, as the Marlins have some great stories cooking.

Giancarlo Stanton has 53 home runs, and is chasing Maris like nobody who hasn't taken steroids ever has. Marcell Ozuna's making a case for consistent legitimacy, with another 30+ home run season. Dan Straily is taking full advantage of his second chance, hedging out injured players to become the team's ace, followed by converted-starter Jose Urena. Even Dee Gordon has learned to emphasize hits over homers, and is slowly building his redemption arc after last season. Plus, they just brought up this kid Dillon Peters, and he had a phenomenal debut, with 8 strikeouts and no earned runs. Maybe he could be the future ace?

Bottom line is the Marlins are far from a low-end team. They just got thrown back thanks to injuries, and a ton of Nationals wins. But, like last year, I still think they can become great very soon.

Coming Tonight: One of two consecutive customs of guys that got out of Queens, New York. This guy gets to play for a team that's gonna be frigging terrifying in the playoffs.

Jeez, Dee...

Way to wait your turn for me to post your custom, man.

I make the custom, I slide it in to go up in a week or so, and then you go and get busted for PEDs like an idiot, so I can't save this until the entire 80 games are off. I have to get it out of the way now, and give you a whole walk of shame thing like on Game of Thrones. This is what you're making me do, Dee.

Damn...I had so much respect for you, and then you pull something like this. Phenomenal, man...

Uncustomed Heroes of 2015: Marlins

It's hard to exemplify a season through just one guy, but Dee Gordon was basically like the Marlins in 2015. Started strong, was injured for a bit, finished decent enough. If it hadn't been for injuries to Giancarlo Stanton, Henderson Alvarez, Jose Fernandez and Dee Gordon, the Marlins might have been able to compete this year. But sadly, they came in third.

Dee Gordon, meanwhile, is still an ASG-caliber second baseman, with enough speed to keep them rolling for a while.

Jose Fernandez didn't get a ton of playing time in 2015, but when he was on, he was unstoppable, and is still one of the strongest arms in the NL, regardless of the time he's missed on the DL. It's looking like he might be traded this month, though you really never know.

I love this card, and I already adore Ichiro. Even if he wasn't the main focal point of the Marlins lineup, he still did a lot off the bench, and still was able to get a ton of playing time late in the season thanks to the carousel of injuries in the outfield. Plus, he's sticking around for one more season in Miami.

Martin Prado...man, he could have been a Yankee in 2015, but we so BAAADLY wanted Garrett Jones and his limited bench ability, didn't we? Still, Prado had a nice season, playing great 2nd base and hitting well...stuff he could have been doing in New York this year...

In Fernandez' absence, Tom Koehler was the main guy in the rotation this year, and for what it was, he didn't do the worst job. True, some people are very excited to have Fernandez back next year, but Koehler is a great arm, and had some very nice games this year.

Justin Bour came up at first this year, and replaced Garrett Jones, and this was another reason the Marlins got the better end of the deal, because Bour was wonderful, getting a ton of hits and keeping the infield strong, like a Matt Adams-type.

JT Realmuto took over for Jarrod Saltalamacchia at the plate, and was a defensive upgrade, giving some youth and talent to the position, and making things a little easier for the pitchers.

Finally, AJ Ramos took over the ninth inning job after Steve Cishek he was more suited for a setup-man position (in St. Louis), and did a very nice job, getting 30+ saves.

Coming Tomorrow- That little 'ol NL East team that almost won the World Series.

Custom Card of the Day: Gordon Edition

Last Season, Dee Gordon came back from a couple of down seasons and made a name for himself in the NL West not only as a base-stealer, but as a formidable hitter, the kind you'd want on your roster, the kind that would take you to the postseason.

So the Marlins figured it'd be a nice idea to trade for Gordon, as well as Dan Haren, and made a deal. So they got an elite second baseman for the next few years, and a guy who's been doing pretty well for himself over the past few weeks.

I mean, the Marlins are a bit underwhelming so far, as the Mets and Braves are sort of ruling the roost, and the Marlins are sitting in third, taking their time. I think people are expecting a mid-season boost, which I could definitely see happening (Stanton and Yelich are gonna catch fire, I imagine), and the fact that it's not happening NOOOOWWWW is a little disheartening.

Bottom line- this division is insane. The guys who were inches from a league title last year are currently in fourth. The Braves are in second. The only sane thing going on in the NL East right now is the Phillies are in last place, where they're supposed to be.

I think if the Marlins can pick up enough momentum in May or June, they could be a first place team for a while, and they could potentially make a playoff run. They do have the talent, their outfield is pretty nice, and thanks to Dee Gordon their infield has improved. They have what it takes. I dunno if it'll happen this year or whenever, but it's going to.

Coming Tonight (?)- He spent last year on the DL. Now he's back, part of a surging Tigers squad.

On the Supposed Future Dynasties of the Winter Meetings

There's a phrase that always comes up every year after the winter meetings. One or two teams will pull ahead and get a ton of players, and then everybody well say "________ are going to be huge next year, thanks to _____ and ____"

And then, the next year goes by, and that team spends it in last, with injuries to those players they spent the majority of the meetings trying to secure.

Last year it was the Yankees, after nabbing Ellsbury, McCann and Beltran, and everybody said they'd be huge in 2014. They weren't. This was the Orioles' year. The year before, it was the Blue Jays, with Buehrle, Dickey and Reyes. And then the year before that it was the Marlins. None of those teams actually made any impact the year of their mega-deal.

So when people are now saying "THE CUBS ARE GONNA OWN THE NL CENTRAL NEXT YEAR" or "THE DODGERS JUST GOT THE PIECES THEY NEEDED TO WIN THE SERIES" or even "THE RED SOX JUST MIGHT HAVE IT AGAIN", you have to think logically. You have to remember that not everything goes exactly according to plan. If that were the case, the Cubs would have twenty-nine World Series rings by now.

So, I'm going to talk about the teams that people are claiming will win it big next year, and then explore the actual probability of that happening. I'll start with the obvious pick.

Most comedians end with the one that has the most joke opportunities. Today I'm starting with the Cubs because I'm in a good mood.

So, what do we know about the Cubs now? Well, now they have a trusted, veteran manager in Joe Maddon, who is used to situations where it looks like winning is impossible. They also have a guaranteed top starter for about six years in Jon Lester. Lester, in a good year, will give you sixteen wins. However, this is the Cubs, so that number might be a little less than sixteen.

In addition, they now have Miguel Montero, a catcher that is only there to replace Wellington Castillo...who, unless I don't know something, didn't especially need a replacement, unless he busted his knees or something.

So, why won't this work? Well, because when people are freaking out about the Cubs, they're losing the big picture. All the Cubs have gained in the last month are a pitcher, a catcher and a manager. If you have that much at Spring Training, chances are you're not in good shape. And besides, a pitcher, a catcher and a manager cannot save a team that is already untrusted and scattered. There's a lot of youth in the team, a lot of youth that is still too young to succeed.

Plus, we don't know if these puzzle pieces are going to fit into the already-established dynamic in Chicago. Jon Lester may pitch a season in Chicago, and he may not get it. He may not be as strong as he was in cities like Boston and Oakland. Now, the similarity between all three cities is that all three (well, three if you count Wrigley) stadiums he'd pitched in on a regular basis have been more than fifty years old. Maybe he likes old stadiums. He could do great here, but you don't know until the season starts.

The bottom line is that even with Lester and Maddon, the Cubs are still flawed.

Next we have the Marlins. Gee, haven't we seen this one before?

Well, you have, but to a much larger scale. Instead of huge, A-listers like Mark Buehrle and Jose Reyes, the Marlins have picked up strong, if not as well known, players like Dee Gordon, Dan Haren and Mat Latos. Not only that, they began the offseason by re-signing their huge star, Giancarlo Stanton, to a mega-contract

Now that they have stronger infield support, as well as a more fully-formed rotation of Latos, Haren, Jose Fernandez, Henderson Alvarez and Jarred Cosart, people are now claiming that the Marlins will rise up and take the NL East next year. And I have to admit it's a pretty good theory. Instead of crowding their roster with mega-contracts and huge stars, they're working more towards parts that work, rather than people to fill the stands.

Yet, like the Cubs, there's little probability that the Marlins will actually perform well in actuality next year. And the reason has nothing to do with the new players. Well, it does a little bit.

You see, the Marlins did the right thing in re-signing Giancarlo Stanton, in that the guy will give you 30+ home runs every year that he's healthy. The only downside is that Stanton is really the Marlins' only source of power. Sure, you have people like Casey McGehee and Marcell Ozuna to hit a few singles here, but it's not a power-stacked roster. Lots of young, speedy hits guys. And now, in comes Dee Gordon, another young, speedy hits guy.

Unless the Marlins focus more on power eventually, they might not make a splash next year.

The other problem the Marlins have are the Braves and Nationals. Those two teams either have made more progressive offseason moves, or have refined their already-strong roster. Going up both of these teams may be extremely difficult next year, especially considering the amount of power both teams can hold.

So, while the Marlins could be good eventually, it won't happen in 2015.

The Red Sox also are getting some mentions for 'could be amazing now'. Mainly because they just added three pitchers, Justin Masterson, Wade Miley and Rick Porcello, to their previously vacant pitching rotation. In addition to this, they already slid Hanley Ramirez and Pablo Sandoval into some empty roster spots.

The problem here is one that the last few potential dynasties haven't really had to deal with- age.

Miley and Porcello don't really count here- they're both in their 20's, and they'll be fine if they keep up their numbers. Ramirez, Sandoval, and especially Masterson, will be in trouble, because they're all in their thirties (Masterson will be 30 next year), they both have had injury-prone seasons in the last few years, and they are both being asked to start games in high-pressure Boston.

The Yankees had this problem last year with Carlos Beltran, and he was injured for a lot of the season. Ellsbury and McCann were fine, but underwhelming. The same thing could happen in Boston this year.

I'd go over the Padres, but one aging slugger does not a playoff team make.

So, those are your potential dynasties debunked. Sorry to ruin Christmas, kids, but if you look at it realistically, it's just potential.

Custom Card of the Day: Gordon Edition

Well. I'm unpacked, settled and mostly integrated. So, this blog is now that of a college student, officially.

I know, right? It's so different than it was, like, three days ago, when I was a soon-to-be college student. Weird.

Still, I'll try to blog as often as possible, and whenever my classes allow me, which, this semester, is quite frequently.

So, Dee Gordon sliding back into second will be the first of a new era, as I slide into the next stage of my career, or maybe even my life, if you wanna be extra deep.

Hopefully, this change of venue will at least bring an end to the one-note posts that have been dominating this blog lately. I've been focusing on a lot of stuff lately, and blogging has basically been an after-thought, to the point where I'll just resort to writing a few sentences or something. I want to write more, and I want to write stuff that's more thoughtful than the stuff I've been writing for the blog as of late. Like, I want to get back to the stories and opinions that made me want to keep this thing going in the first place.

Hopefully, the quality of this blog's gonna improve as I keep going.

Coming Tomorrow (?)- I'll try to start opening those football boxes, but in terms of customs, I'm probably going to post one of the red-hot Kansas City Royals.

Custom Card of the Day: Gordon Edition

I think the man above is one of the most fun-to-watch up-and-comers in the league right now. He steals bases, he makes awesome plays at second, and he's quick on his feet. The Dodgers are lucky to have him, and they needed a good second baseman.

Coming Tomorrow- I need to make more. Any Requests?

Custom Card of the Day: Gordon Edition

Not a lot of people know of Dee Gordon, other than the fact that he plays for the Dodgers and he's Tom Gordon's kid. However, I've seen him play on television a few times recently, and I am very impressed with this guy. He's extremely speedy, he's young, thin, good at his position. He isn't the strongest of hitters, but he can bunt when he needs to. In other words, he is a clone of Juan Pierre. And while Gordon and the Dodgers may not strike October this year...sooner or later, Dee Gordon will steal a base in the World Series. Hopefully, that is.

Coming Tomorrow- Going from a new speedy player to an older, stronger player, this guy probably was the most overrated player in baseball a few years ago. Now...he's retaining his title with Texas.