Uncustomed Heroes of 2022: Diamondbacks

 

The Arizona Diamondbacks have had bad or disappointing teams in the last few years, but none of them have been boring. The 2022 D-Backs had 3 players with a WAR of 4.5 or more, and all three of them, being Christian Walker, Zac Gallen and Daulton Varsho, were not the usual marquee guys for this team.

Even better, Christian Walker wasn't the same Christian Walker whose dad was running for senate in Georgia, so that's all good news.

The D-Backs, despite coming in fourth place, produced ten players for the uncustomed heroes series, which was far and away the highest amount for any NL West team. This team had so many great players to cover week after week that I had to do another 10 right here. And you'll find I still managed to miss some pretty big ones.

For instance, hidden behind the stellar years that Zac Gallen, Merrill Kelly and Madison Bumgarner had was Zach Davies, who's been consistent for pretty much every team he's suited up for. Davies appeared in 27 games for Arizona, and posted a 4.09 ERA with 102 strikeouts. Davies, as this point in his career, has settled into a role as a mid-rotation innings eater who doesn't give up too many runs. And he's been healthy all this time, as 2018 was the only year he missed time. I don't know if he'll be back in Arizona next year, but he'll be useful somewhere.

2023 Prediction: uhhh...Baltimore? Anaheim perhaps? Someplace that needs an innings eater. And he'll do some of the same stuff.

Palin Smith, coming off a strong 2021, took a backseat to the menagerie of new outfield options the D-Backs had this year, including Alek Thomas, Jake McCarthy and Corbin Carroll. Smith only played 75 games, and hit .220 with 33 RBIs and 9 homers. Not much to write home about.

2023 Prediction: An improvement, I reckon, but if he continues to be used as an extra outfielder, expect him to be trade bait if the D-Backs are in position to stock up in July.

The D-Backs' starting shortstop this year was speedster Geraldo Perdomo, who, while a decent enough defensive SS, made up most of his goodwill on the base paths, with 9 steals. Mostly his mechanics were the stars, as he hit .195 and only had 84 hits in 148 games, but he was utilized for the whole season as a defensive asset, and he managed to stick around all year without anyone taking his position from him. He's 22, and he's definitely got room to grow.

2023 Prediction: I think the 'baseball is fun' guys are really gonna take to Perdomo, and his WAR numbers are gonna blow up.

After a season split between Cleveland and Tampa, Jordan Luplow settled into a backup outfield role with the Diamondbacks. Luplow actually outdid expectations, becoming a fan favorite and hitting 11 homers in 83 games.

2023 Prediction: A similar role, perhaps filling the need for a steady DH bat.

The most intriguing addition the Diamondbacks made during the offseason was a two-headed veteran relief monster. The middle relief half of this duo was, actually, former D-Backs strikeout king Ian Kennedy, who has mellowed into a good enough relief pitcher, though was coming off a disappointing second half with Philly. Kennedy had a 5.36 ERA with 7 losses and 10 saves, so while not perfect, it was nice for Kennedy to return towards the end of his career.

2023 Prediction: Part of me thinks he'll retire. Another part things he'll go for one more year, and somebody odd'll sign him to a minor league deal.

And then there's closer favorite Mark Melancon, who had a huge year for the Padres in 2021, and chose the D-Backs, of all people, to close for next. Unfortunately, Melancon only saved 18 games in 62 appearances, and had a 4.66 ERA with 10 losses. Perhaps on a stronger team, in a division that wasn't the NL West, he'd have been better off.

2023 Prediction: An improvement, then a trade in July, then retirement after a great postseason run.

Of the many rookie outfielders that graced Chase Field with their presence this year, Corbin Carroll was certainly one of them. The 21-year old played 32 games this year, mostly after David Peralta's absence freed up an outfield spot, and he hit .260 with 27 hits, 14 RBIs and 4 home runs. The real edge for Carroll may be his defense, as that was a large factor in his 1.2 WAR in a month and change outweighing a lot of D-Backs that had been with the team all year.

2023 Prediction: Okay, so the outfield for next year looks like it'll be Alek Thomas, Daulton Varsho and Jake McCarthy, right? Varsho's probably gonna DH a bit. I think Carroll has a good chance of taking a lot of reps in the outfield next year, and widening his case to start. If Thomas, McCarthy and Carroll are all gonna be really good, that's gonna be dangerous for this division.

In one of the strangest moves of the year, the non-competitive D-Backs traded struggling arm Luke Weaver to the Royals in exchange for their starting third baseman Emmanuel Rivera. The Royals already had a third baseman in Josh Rojas, though he was swinging occasionally. Rivera was mainly an infield depth move, and I'd say it went pretty well because Rivera had 18 RBIs and 6 homers in 39 games, and was a defensive improvement at third. For a piece they didn't really need, Rivera did pretty well for them.

2023 Prediction: Has a very good chance of starting at 3rd next year, but Rojas may give him some tight competition in camp.

And finally, the D-Backs ended the season by bringing up two consecutive killer pitching prospects who went scoreless in early starts. Drey Jameson went first and had more eyebrows raised in his 4 starts, with 3 wins, a 1.48 ERA, and 24 strikeouts in 24 innings. Jameson, in his 4 starts, had the third highest WAR of any pitcher on this team. THAT is a stat. 

2023 Prediction: I think he's more likely than Nelson to get a starting nod, but I'm not sure if he's gonna immediately do as well he did in September of this year.

The other guy they brought up was Ryne Nelson, another 24-year-old D-Backs draft pick. Nelson, in 3 starts, pitched similarly well, with a 1.47 ERA and 16 Ks in 18 innings. Of the two rookies, Nelson had the lower WHIP with 0.818. 

2023 Prediction: Gallen, Kelly and Bumgarner are the definites in this rotation. Everybody else, including Nelson and Jameson, Tommy Henry, Kyle Gilbert, Humberto Castellanos and, I suppose, Corbin Martin, are fighting for those last two spots. I think Jameson has one. Nelson may not get a rotation spot immediately, and may be a later call-up. But I think he'll have the stronger 2023 of the two rookies.

Tomorrow, a few extra Dodgers who couldn't hold onto their regular season momentum. 

Uncustomed Heroes of 2021: Phillies

 

The Philadelphia Phillies had an MVP, a Cy Young candidate, and a sleeper standout named Ranger, along with so much talent, a few former All-Stars, an ex-MVP and some awesome trade deadline energy...and EVEN THAT couldn't get them into the playoffs. 

Look...I imagine it's tough. Especially in the NL East, where pretty much everyone was human and had flaws. But the Phillies had a chance in July and August to take the East, and lost the lead, paving the way for the Braves to take the east and eventually the MLB. 

The Phillies had most of the season with their rotation hydra of Wheeler-Nola-Eflin, but after 18 games, Eflin hit the IL. To that point, he'd had a 4.17 ERA and 99 Ks, but a 4-7 record. If he'd stayed healthy, yes we might not get the legend of Ranger Suarez, but maybe there'd be more rotation security and less reasons to start Chase Anderson and Matt Moore.

2022 Prediction: A healthy year, with better numbers, dwarfed by Wheeler and Nola still. 

2021 marked the return of Bamboo Brad to Citizens Bank Park. After being a trusted bench bat in St. Louis, Brad Miller kept the magic going in Philly, with 20 home runs and 49 RBIs in 140 games. More importantly, he became a steady replacement for Rhys Hoskins after his injury.

2022 Prediction: So many people could sign him. I'd honestly say the Red Sox, A's and Braves have the best chance. Unless the Phils bring him back, which I'd love, but I'm not 100% sure will happen.

With Adam Haseley, Scott Kingery and Roman Quinn all failing to make a run at the center field spot...Odubel Herrera returned from exile to take it back. Accusations be damned. In 124 games, El Torito had a comeback campaign, with a .260 average, 13 homers, and solid defensive numbers.

2022 Predictions: I get this sinking feeling that the Phils are gonna bring him back.

THANKFULLY, Hector Neris will not be playing for Philadelphia next season. I know, he did have some moments of success, and struck out 98 this season with 13 saves, but his save blows, his 3.63 ERA, and his inconsistency continued to piss off fans and management alike. 

2022 Prediction: Not even the Astros can save him, and he'll be trying to keep his ERA under 4 all year.

Didi Gregorius was injured for a portion of the year, so Joe Girardi did exactly what he did the last time Didi got injured under his watch- HE WENT AND GOT RONALD TORREYES AS BACK UP! Seeing Toe in Philly brought a tear to my eye, as he's just as fun as he was with the Yanks. In 111 games, Toe hit .242 with 41 RBIs and 7 homers, plus some dazzling defensive plays and fun moments. I think the Phillies fans enjoyed him as much as the Yankee ones did.

2022 Prediction: Somebody cool signs him, and he does well enough there, albeit in a bench role.

As for the rookies who tried to find playing time this year, Luke Williams played the biggest role in one of his first games, where he had an insane walk-off that made the fanbase learn his name very quickly. In 58 games he hit .245 with 24 hits and 6 RBIs, a decent outfield audition but not enough to get past Herrera.

2022 Prediction: Falls into a backup role.

The real impressive rookie audition came from Matt Vierling, the contact aficionado who hit .324 with 23 hits and 6 RBIs in 34 games, just coming onto the scene and immediately catching fire. Vierling had the most presence late in the season, which paved the way for potential 2022 success.

2022 Prediction: There's a starting spot with his name on it, and he's gonna keep pounding them where they ain't all the way to a .300 average.

The trade deadline returned Freddy Galvis to Philly, where he came to prominence as an everyday slap-hitter. Galvis's magic has worn off, but he still did decently enough on his return to Philly, hitting .224 with 14 RBIs and 5 homers in 32 games.

2022 Prediction: A season in the Korean leagues to ramp him back up to some humble late-career years in a few years.

And when we needed a closing option, Ian Kennedy came along off of an exceptional start in Arlington, and....Philly happened to him. As it does to all great closers who come this way recently. Kennedy did have 10 saves, let's be clear, but he also had a 4.13 ERA, and 3 blown saves. He was not this human in Texas. The Philly adjustment did a number on him, and even if he had 27 Ks, he was still a bit stifled by it all.

2022 Prediction: A cheap closing option somewhere. Maybe he returns to Arlington.

Tomorrow, some last remnants of another forgettable Pirates team.

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.

Ian Kennedy the Closer: How Did This Work?

Right, so...unless your name is John Smoltz or Dennis Eckersley, being a successful starter that's tapped to become a closer due to lack of options usually isn't a great point in your career. Look at Bud Norris, who, after being a semi-successful starter for Houston and Baltimore, got relief work around the leagues before being used in the ninth by the semi-competitive Cardinals last year.

...Bud Norris is not in the MLB right now. So it's not exactly a move that screams 'career longevity'.

So now we turn to Ian Kennedy. Kennedy won 21 games for the Diamondbacks in 2011, struck out 207 for the Padres in 2014, and was a crucial member of the Royals' post-championship teams. As a starter, he's been modest, but capable of big games. After a pair of disappointing seasons, the Royals realized that...with such electrifying starting options as Glenn Sparkman and Eric Skoglund in the mix, that there was no reason to keep Kennedy in the rotation. So, to the bullpen he went.

And after the team's initial choices for closer, Brad Boxberger and Wily Peralta, proved to be incapable, Kennedy got the job. Initially, I was puzzled by this, because I was unsure if Kennedy had anything left, or if this would be another harebrained move for them, but...I'll admit I was wrong.

Kennedy has 30 saves in 2018, the most by a Kansas City closer since Greg Holland's 32 in 2015. The funny thing about this 30 saves stat is that only 3 AL closers (Aroldis Chapman, Roberto Osuna and Brad Hand), have more than him. Even 2019 heroes like Taylor Rogers and Liam Hendriks have less, which is impressive for Kennedy, who's working with a 3.23 ERA and 71 strikeouts. For a first-time closer, this is not bad at all.

It's a good thing the Royals and Kennedy are making this work, because there's one year left on Kennedy's contract, and...it's better that he's doing something rather than stinking it up somewhere. Plus, the Royals aren't gonna have a lot of grade-A roster options for 2020, as Alex Gordon might decline his 2020 mutual option (or...not. I don't know), and the rest of the team has some very messy, inexperienced youth options filling major holes. I don't know if Kennedy's season in 2020 will be good, even for Kansas City, but I hope he can take this really nice year and build on it.

Coming Tonight: A future Hall of Famer, playing for a consistently fun non-competitive team.

Uncustomed Heroes of 2018: Royals

 The 2018 Royals. As ho-hum as ya get, really.

One of three teams with 100 losses, and one of two teams in the AL Central with 100 losses. Their remaining stars from the 2016 run either stuck around in injury-shortened years, or left in July. The few remaining veterans, such as Ian Kennedy, came up with paltry numbers like a 3-9 record and a 4.55 ERA. Far from the D-Backs runs, are we Ian?

 A bright spot in this roster was Adalberto Mondesi, or Raul Jr. Mondesi proved to be vastly different from his dad by relying less on power and more on defense and little hits. Though...his 14 home runs were the third-most on the team, and second-most of people who actually stuck around to September, MOOSE...

 Ryan O'Hearn was the usual choice for DH in 2018, and in 44 games he did fairly well, with a .262 record and 30 RBIs. I'm interested to see what he'll do with a full season.

And after Kelvin Herrera left for Washington, the closing job went to former Milwaukee starter Wily Peralta, who managed to give a decent enough run at the job, with 14 saves in 14 opportunities, and a 3.67 ERA. Not bad at all for a last place team.

Coming Tomorrow- Another AL Central squad, and a marginally better one at that, with some signs of a future.

Uncustomed Heroes of 2017: Royals

2017 Royals. I imagine people will point to this squad as the last breath of those WS-competing teams of the middle part of the decade. It looks like Hosmer, Moustakas, Cain and Escobar are all leaving, and they're not leaving a lot behind. Even if Alcides Escobar hasn't had great numbers in a little while, he'll still be a potential commodity for someone.

I think we've established that Ian Kennedy isn't going to have many seasons like his Diamondbacks ones. He's...an alright veteran arm. That's all he is. His numbers in 2017 were very okay, with no real spectacular moments. This may be what we're getting from here on out.

Jorge Bonifacio had a promising rookie year, nabbing a starting spot early on and having some nice numbers as their tentpole stars declined. He'll probably be relied on a bit in 2018, if his numbers are consistent.

Jakob Junis was a late-season call-up that worked...admittedly better than Eric Skoglund. He had some great games, some good strikeout stuff, and maybe he'll nab a spot in the 2018 rotation (which won't be particularly difficult).

Mike Minor had a fantastic season in relief, doing even better than the pegged closer, Kelvin Herrera, and giving him the breakout season he needed as a reliever. Next year, the Rangers' plan is to employ Minor as a starter again, which...could work? I'm not sure. The Rangers seem to know what they're doing, but I'm still hesitant.

Coming Tomorrow- The dilapidated, cherry-picked, soon-to-be-Last-Place Tigers.

Uncustomed Heroes of 2016: Royals

Good year for the AL Central, not so good year for the Royals.

I'll give them credit for trying, but without Zobrist and Cueto, without a healthy core, without most of the pitching staff and without a real definitive squad focus for the year...the Royals couldn't get it done, and wound up in third, missing out on the playoffs...right where they were three years ago.

Alex Gordon had a down season, which...he has from time to time. He'll probably be back in 2017 when the pressure's off.

Ian Kennedy's first, and only, season in Kansas City went...relatively well. Not his best season, obviously, but he did a considerably better job than the rest of the staff, so well that he's got a contract to help revive the grieving Marlins rotation.

Paulo Orlando had a much bigger 2016 season, after a few partial-season gigs in the championship teams. He was one of the few positive offensive performers, and turned in some nice moments towards the end of the season.

Mike Moustakas was on the way to another really nice season...and then the injury hit and ruined everything. It's sad, because Moose has become a treasure to that squad, and he thankfully didn't miss out on a wonderful season like Kyle Schwarber (almost) did. He'll be back in full force next year.

Coming Tomorrow- The Tigers team that NEARLY cracked the playoffs.

Customs for Christmas: Padres

This was, as expected, a down season for the Padres, but the future seems bright for the team, with the onslaught of rookies and the surge of offseason deals making sure that people will, in one way or another, be talking about the Padres next season.

Ian Kennedy was a strong, if serviceable, starter for the team this year.

Yangervis Solarte was a Yankees prospect shipped to San Diego in the Chase Headley deal, where he had a decent end of the season.

Odrisamer Despaigne was the August call-up that had a bunch of nice starts, and is being poised for a bigger season in 2015.

Cory Spangenberg will be dueling with Will Middlebrooks for the third baseman spot next year. Spangenberg is a highly praised prospect, so I'm pulling for him to take it.

Later on today, I'll be posting a ton of other teams' customs, so keep a lookout for them while you're waiting for your family to get here, or while you're waiting for the Chinese food to arrive.

Uncustomed Heroes of Baseball: Padres

 Yes, Ian Kennedy played for the Padres this season. And that right there sums up their season. A former-really-good pitcher gets traded there, and it does absolutely nothing to impact the rest of the season. Although, if you're a Padres fan, you're probably used to this ritual by now.

This card is awesome. A pitcher sliding. Like, this doesn't get depicted in photography every day, let alone on cardboard. I'm glad I customized it.

Coming Tomorrow- Three members of my pathetic Philadelphia Phillies.

Top 8 Trade Deadline Deals

You know, after years of seeing trades go all over the place, and teams go crazy at the deadline, it was a combination of weird and refreshing to see a deadline where nothing really happened. Sure, deals were made, and big stars were swapped, but nobody absolutely HUGE was swapped.

Still, like usual, I'll present the top 8 deadline deals, and share how it helps both teams, and declare a victor. Why 8? Because I couldn't find enough deals to make it 10.

8. Jose Veras to Detroit, prospects to Houston. Victor: Tigers. How it helps Tigers: gives them a nice closer to swap out for the faltering Jose Valverde. How it helps Astros: rids them of someone who was juuust becoming a star closer.

7. Ricky Nolasco to Dodgers, prospects to Marlins. Victor: as of right now, Dodgers. How it helps Dodgers: gives them another nice pitcher to add to the rotating cavalcade of pitchers. Besides, they just DFA'd Ted Lilly. Nolasco helped fill the hole. How it helps Marlins. Gives youth to a team loaded with it.

6. Robert Andino to Pittsburgh, prospects to Seattle. Victor: Pirates. How it helps Pirates: gives another quick infielder to a team prospering with a lot of those. Andino would be a nice fit there. How it helps Seattle: reinvigorates the farm system.

5. Ian Kennedy to San Diego, prospects to Arizona. Victor: surprisingly the D-Backs. How it helps the D-Backs: rids them of a struggling pitcher, and said pitcher's forthcoming expiring contract. Also,more prospects. How it helps Padres: helps a little bit with another middling pitcher to add to the pack.

4. Matt Garza to Rangers, prospects and Mike Olt to Cubs. Victor: Rangers. How it helps Rangers: Gives them another deadline success, and another arm to add to the surging rotation in Matt Garza. How it helps Cubs: gives more, younger support with Olt and the various prospects.

3. Bud Norris to Orioles, LJ Hoes and prospects to Astros. Victor: Orioles. How it helps Orioles: gives them help with the one problem they've been having, and that's PITCHING. Now someone other than Jason Hammel will be able to start games flawlessly for them, and Norris has made himself a name for that in Houston. How it helps Astros: Just what the doctor ordered: MORE PROSPECTS!

2. Alfonso Soriano to Yankees, prospects to Cubs. Victor: Yankees. How it helps Yankees: Gives another strong, powerful bat to a team that really needs one. Plus, returns a struggling star to where he made it big the first time. How it helps Cubs: Gives youth for the future.

1. Jake Peavy to the Red Sox, Avisail Garcia and prospects to the White Sox, Jose Iglesias to the Tigers. Victor: by a hair, the Red Sox. How it helps Red Sox: Gives one of the best pitchers of the late 00's to one of the best teams in baseball. Well done to the GM. How it helps the Tigers: If Jhonny Peralta is suspended for his steroid use, then it'll give one of the best young shortstops to one of the best teams in baseball. How it helps the White Sox: gives some of the most okay prospects to one of the worst teams in baseball. I got nothing,

Overall, victories for the Red Sox, Yankees, Rangers and Dodgers (as usual). I'm personally surprised that the Phillies did nothing, but I'm glad that Utley and Lee stayed put.

Year by Year Customs: 1971

 

Not much going on with the customs today, but I thought it'd be fun to put them in numerical order. What does that mean? Well, let me explain.

Sergio Romo is shaking his fist. A fist means 'zero'.

 

Harrell is pointing at the crowd, and in doing so, holding up ONE finger.

 

Garza is holding up TWO fingers. Also, that's apparently how many years his career lasted in Chicago. 

 

And, while Ian has no number, one of the ones on his back is a THREE (he's #31). So yeah...that was fun.

Coming Tomorrow- A couple of really good customs, two of which featuring people I saw play recently. 

Year by Year Customs: 1982

With the exception of the guy at the bottom, all the players today had breakout seasons this year. Kennedy ran a Cy Young campaign throughout, terrorizing the NL West that Clay Kershaw and Tim Lincecum hadn't already terrorized. Plus, some other guys.

Yes, that's Rickie's brother. How'd you guess?

Coming Tomorrow- Skipping the hard-to-customize 1983 design, we skip into a really cool design, which isn't the easiest to customize either.