Topps Cards That Should Have Been: 1999 Harold Baines

 

It always amuses me which short-term stops Topps misses. 

Harold Baines played for only five teams over the course of his career, and it feels like more because he played for the White Sox and Orioles multiple times in a 20 year period. The last several years of Baines' career was a constant volley back and forth between Chicago and Baltimore, oftentimes both in the same year. Not that Baines' material was an issue, as Baines routinely hit loads of RBIs and a bunch of 25-homer years along his lengthy career. It was mostly just one team losing momentum and the other getting him for a playoff spot, and then back again.

The only time from 1993 til 2001 that Harold Baines played for a team that wasn't the Orioles or the White Sox was the tail end of the 1999 season, a season that began with some of the last great numbers of Baines's career, a .322 average, 24 homers and 82 RBIs in 107 games in Baltimore. And let's be clear, Baines did all of this as a 40-year old. However, during the waiver wire period in August, the Indians, still needing a surefire DH bat in the years since Eddie Murray's departure, took a chance on Baines for a stretch run, and traded two never-to-develop minor leaguers to the O's to get him. 

Baines's time in Cleveland was short but somewhat memorable. The regular season didn't add a whole lot to his full season effort, he hit .271 with 1 homer and 23 RBIs, at the very least enough for his third 100+ RBI year, and his first since he was 26 years old. Not quite Orioles hot, but still productive. The postseason is where Baines really hits his stride for the Indians. In 4 games, over the course of a contentious ALDS that the Red Sox would eventually win in 5 games, Baines hit .357 with 1 homer and 4 RBIs in 14 at-bats. Somehow, a 40-year-old DH was enough to keep the Indians alive until Game 5. Even if it was futile, the Cleveland massive would not forget this. 

After the season, Baines would re-sign with Baltimore, then be dealt back to Chicago, where he'd finish his career a year and a half later. Topps only had time to make a card of Baines in a Cleveland uniform in 2000 Stadium Club; there would be no luck for the flagship set, not even for a Traded set. Despite the lack of true photo options, I did manage to make a fitting 1999T issue for Baines, filling in the gap of a career that has otherwise been well documented on Topps cards.

Topps Cards That Should Have Been: The Rich Hill Chronicles

Of all people from when I started collecting in 2007 to still be active in the MLB, I never would have guessed Rich Hill would be one of them. I mean, there's not a ton of people left who were around in 2007. Miguel Cabrera, Justin Verlander, Adam Wainwright, Nelson Cruz, Zack Greinke. And then, uh...and then Rich Hill.

Y'know, the guy who got injured in 2008, struggled with Baltimore in 2009, and we all sorta figured would never fully recover. 

Now, let's play that game for a second. Rich Hill, Cubs prospect who becomes a young fireballer for them in 2006 and 2007, making up for the lack of Mark Prior, and then gets injured and has a tough time coming back. 2009, Topps does make a card of him with the O's, he doesn't do well. 

Prior to the 2010 season he's signed to a minor league deal with the Cardinals. A rare sight for Hill for this post in that it is an NL team. Hill is grouped with the starters, and competing against Wainwright, Chris Carpenter, Kyle Lohse, Jeff Suppan, Brad Penny and eventually Jaime Garcia proves to be an uphill battle. Hill does not make camp with the team, and is cut prior to the season. I've covered a lot of careers in this series, and that can usually mean the end of the line as far as MLB service is concerned.

Wellll...not in this case...

I think one of the defining factors in Hill's continued success into the 2010s is that he's very much a Boston resident. We don't have a ton of MLBers from the Northeast that really wear their region on their sleeves anymore. You can argue we have Todd Frazier, the Jersey Shore native, or New York natives like Marcus Stroman or Andrew Velasquez, but Hill is very much a Bostoner, and I think that's what drew the Sox to bring him on. Y'know, local boy, lives locally, let's bring him on. So they did. Hill was used in bit relief roles, gave up no earned runs, 5 hits, and notched a win. The Sox kept him on going forward.

Hill's 2011 season was slightly more productive, but he still only had 9 appearances. Here he struck out 10, gave up 3 hits and still zero earned runs. The Sox kept bringing him back year after year, including 2012, which I've already done a custom of.

The Cleveland Indians beat Boston to the punch for 2013, and signed Hill knowing they'd be in need of bullpen help. 2013 was Hill's fullest year as a reliever, making 63 appearances and facing the most batters he'd had since starting in Baltimore. Granted, he left the year with a 6.28 ERA and only 53 Ks, but it told teams he could be a reliable relief piece again.

Prior to the 2014 season he was actually signed to another minor league deal by the Red Sox, as they figured it'd be easy enough to bring him back. This time he would not make camp, and would be waived over to the Angels, where he'd appear in two games and finish with an infinite ERA. Eventually he made his way to a very unfamiliar setting for a lifelong Boston resident:

Yes, Rich Hill, the man famous for getting in a fight in the parking lot of Gillette Stadium, had to suit up for the New York Yankees in 2014. I have no idea how he went through with it. He did a pretty decent job in the Bronx, finishing the season with a 1.69 ERA [very fitting for a man nicknamed Dick Mountain], and striking out 9 in 14 appearances.

Hill actually attended camp in 2015 with the Nationals, but, again due to the breadth of both their rotation and their bullpen, he didn't end up making the team. He stayed on as a minor leaguer for a bit but was cut midway through the year. And then, as the 2015 season rolled to a close...Boston once again came calling.

The Red Sox, thanks to injuries to Clay Buchholz and too many unfamiliar arms like Henry Owens, Steven Wright and late-career Justin Masterson failing to keep runs down, were low on starters. As usual, Rich Hill was local and stayed in shape with a few games playing for the Long Island Ducks, so they signed him and had him come up through Worcester, where he notched a 2.78 ERA in 5 starts. Once he made it back to Fenway, he started 4 games in September, and turned the heads of the entirety of the league, posting a 1.55 ERA, 36 strikeouts and a 2-1 record. The man that everyone thought was cooked was officially back.

Hill would use this incredible end to the season to sign with Oakland for 2016, make his was to LA via a trade, and become a very steady low-rotation arm for Minnesota, Tampa, the Mets, and, yes, the Boston Red Sox, who he started 26 games for last year at the ripe old age of 42.

Rich Hill is currently in camp with the Pittsburgh Pirates, and thanks to the dilution of that organization, he is a favorite to make a rotation spot this year. I hope he keeps pitching for as long as he wants to, a guy like him is really good for baseball. 

Topps Cards That Should Have Been: The Todd Hollandsworth Chronicles

 

In 1996, Todd Hollandsworth won the NL Rookie of the Year award as a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers. After Eric Karros, Mike Piazza, Raul Mondesi and Hideo Nomo, he was the fifth consecutive Dodger rookie to win the award.

However, the difference is that those four had long careers, with consistent numbers, and became fan favorites with the Dodgers, as well as other teams. Because of injuries, Hollandsworth was not only rejected by Dodgers fans after his ROY season...he was rejected by Topps. I've heard that contractual issues had to do with this, but for two seasons, 1999 and 2000, Topps did not produce ANY cards of Todd Hollandsworth. No flagship, no premium, nothing. It was almost like Hollandsworth didn't exist to collectors. And after his snakebitten 1998 season, he kinda didn't. 

In 1999, to his credit, Hollandsworth had a fuller season, playing 92 games and hitting .284 with 74 hits and 32 RBIs. It was definitely a comeback year, if not quite perfect yet. The problem, however, was that the Dodgers had settled on a new outfield, consisting of Mondesi, Gary Sheffield and Devon White, one that did not really need Hollandsworth. So unless he'd really brought it in 2000, he'd be looking at a bench position with the team that had rewarded him 3 years earlier. 

In 2000, while Hollandsworth was once again locked out of Topps products, he disappointed in 81 games as a Dodger, hitting .234 with the same number of hits as he did strikeouts. The outfield was set with Shawn Green taking over for Mondesi, and he didn't seem to have a place in it anymore. Even more of a stab in the gut, his brother in law Matt Herges was getting PLENTY of solid playing time in relief. In July, Hollandsworth would not only be traded...he would be traded for an outfield upgrade, Tom Goodwin, who would start in center for the remainder of the season in LA. 

The joke, however, was on the Dodgers- once arriving in Denver, Hollandsworth would produce the best WAR numbers of his career, even bigger than his Rookie of the Year numbers. In 56 games, he'd hit .323 with 23 RBIs and 11 homers, and find the offensive sweet spot he'd been looking for since 1997. The Rockies would reward him with a few more years of service, Topps would reward him with a return to their sets, and despite a few more injury plagued years, Hollandsworth would have a brief career renaissance, even being a World Series hero with the Marlins in 2003.

The numbers fell off in 2005, as he split the season with the Cubs and Braves. I could not find any images of Hollandsworth as a Brave, or else that'd be here as well. Topps would lose interest around here. Hell, Topps would do a 2006 Heritage card of Hollandsworth on the CUBS. Which would be THREE TEAMS AGO by the time the product would release.

By the start of 2006, Hollandsworth would find himself in a minor league deal with Cleveland. There he'd bat .237 with 27 RBIs in 56 games, primarily as a backup/bench guy. It wasn't much, but he was still playing. Midway through the season he'd be purchased by a team on the other side of the state. 

And that's how Hollandsworth ended up delivering his final career numbers with the Reds, who were dealing with injuries to Ken Griffey and had just traded Austin Kearns to the Nats. Hollandsworth actually produced decent numbers in Cincinnati, hitting .265 with 8 RBIs in 34 games, but, again, it was mostly as a backup. Just as he'd feared after 1999. He'd retire shortly after the season, and rest on the laurels of both his ROY win as well as his World Series victory. 

More to come, I reckon. 

Topps Cards That Should Have Been: 2005 Indians

 I think the modern relief pitcher has lost the art of being horrendously out of shape and still really good. The 2000s were a decade where Rod Beck, Todd Coffey, Todd Jones and Antonio Alfonseca were trusted relief pieces while also being big doughy guys. I think the doughiest relief guy we have now is Andrew Chafin, and he's in more shape than a lot of those 2000s guys. 

I think the patron saint of these was Bob Wickman. Bob Wickman played for 15 years, became a hit in midwestern cities like Cleveland and Milwaukee, and just got up there and got people out in the ninth. Though he had some nice seasons in the late 90s and early 2000s, the biggest statement might have been in 2005, when he led the league in saves with 45, made an All-Star team, and did so while only striking out 41. 

And yet...because Topps just LOOOOVES relievers, Wickman not only didn't get a Topps flagship card, he didn't even get an All-Star card. It was damn near shameful. Wickman would get an Indians card in 2006, but by that point the writing would be on the wall, and he'd be finishing the year in Atlanta. 

Let's look into two other crucial 2005 Indians that Topps also forgot...

I always forget how dirty Topps did Arthur Rhodes before his renaissance in Cincinnati and Texas. After spending all of the 90s with Baltimore, Rhodes bopped around the AL for the early 2000s. He landed in Cleveland for the 2005 season and put in another strong campaign, with a 2.08 ERA in 47 appearances. A solid 1.0 WAR year for the career middle reliever. He'd go to Philly for 2006, with less starry results.

While everyone knows about Ryan Ludwick's career renaissance with the Cardinals, and how he turned that into a solid second career half in cities like San Diego and Cincinnati, people tend to forget that for the early 2000s, he was an A's farm product kicking around for far too long. First of all, he's a big piece of the Carlos Pena trade, so humorously depicted in Moneyball, then the Rangers trade him to Cleveland for Shane Spencer, and he spends his Indians tenure trying and failing to find starting time. 2005 would be the last of this tenure, as in 19 games he'd only hit .220, albeit with 4 homers. After a botched year in Detroit, he'd find his way to St. Louis and the rest would be history.

We're staying in 2005 for tomorrow's post, there are some cool Mariners to talk about from then.

The Stars Are Out 2021: July to September

 

Before we get into the postseason, we have to wrap up the regular season's Stars are Out customs, based off of cool gets for first pitches at MLB stadiums. Seeing as we're starting with July, how about the fella that threw out the first pitch at the All Star Game, Peyton Manning. My fun Manning claim to fame is that I was present for the last football game Manning ever played, Super Bowl 50. Always had a lot of respect for him, glad he's made a decent enough career for himself as a TV personality. 

Speaking of recent NFL Hall of Famers, here's Detroit Lions defensive legend Calvin Johnson, still a legend in Detroit, even if his career may have been shorter than the average NFL career. I'm glad Megatron still gets the crowd going over there.

Onto another sport, Cade Cunningham was the first pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, and the Pistons seem to have a lot of faith in this guy to turn the team around. Hopefully he's the guy to do it. 

Alternatively, Tyrese Maxey came off a fantastic 2021 playoff season off the bench for the Sixers, and is slowly becoming a major figure on the team. In Simmons' absence, we need to cement our beloved Sixers, and hopefully he keeps those numbers going. But yeah, great to see him pop up at CBP.

And in the category of NBA legends, here's Jason Kidd, who won an NBA title with the Mavericks and is now suiting up to coach the Mavs, after...coaching the Nets went so well for him [sidenote, can ANY hall of fame NBA player make it work as a coach in New York?]. He's still a hero in Texas, he's still feeling very optimistic, and hopefully the Mavs do better than the Rangers this year.

I did have an MLB one in here as well, and that's Manny Trillo, Phillies legend who was inducted into their wall of fame this summer. Kind of a cool, fringe Phils hero to showcase.

Moving towards some cooler pop culture ones...there wasn't many this stretch, but there were some. Nathan Followill is the drummer for, and one of the charter members of, Kings of Leon, a relatively cool rock band that's having a pretty decent 2021 despite some personal woes. 

Here's the big one for me. Drew Carey is a comedy legend, has been hosting Price is Right for almost 15 years, and ruled my childhood as the host of Whose Line is it Anyway. He's also famously a very big Cleveland sports fans, and got in one last first pitch for the Indians before the Guardians name change takes effect next year. This was probably the coolest one for me to make.

That's all we've got for now, maybe there'll be some cool ones for the postseason.

They Call Him Dr. Sticks

 

Tonight, Shane Bieber returned from the IL, and immediately got back to his old tricks. He joins the newly returned Aaron Civale, who's also been sharp since being activated. 

So...if we were to have Bieber, Civale, Zach Plesac, Cal Quantrill and Triston McKenzie all playing well, and healthy, at the same time...d'you think maybe the Indians would have been a bit more a threat to the White Sox this year? I certainly think so.

I feel like each of these pitchers had their own month to be really good. Bieber took off in April, picking up where last season left off. Civale took off in May, with his very low ERA and high amount of wins. Once he and Bieber got injured, Plesac was the only viable starting option for June. Then Cal Quantrill took off in late July and early August, making the Indians regret not making him a starter from the beginning. And now it's Triston McKenzie, who's had some blistering starts recently, and is getting to the point where his strikeout totals aren't the entirety of his personality.

But the tragedy of the Indians is that when one would get really good, the others would either be injured or inefficient. That also rings true for the lineup, where only Jose Ramirez was consistently good all year [cause that's what he does]. I kinda wish the Indians could have enjoyed strong starts by Franmil Reyes and Josh Naylor all year round, and I wish that Bobby Bradley didn't take as long to heat up as he has. But, this is just a very fragmented, inconsistent team that couldn't pull things together 

While it is a good assumption that the inaugural Guardians squad will still be led by Shane Bieber and Jose Ramirez...will some dealing be done to rid the team of the overhead room? I do think that when it comes time to try and lock up Bieber, it may not exactly go according to plan unless the team gets good again. But even if Bieber-Civale-Plesac-Quantrill-McKenzie would be awesome if all of them were on and healthy...could this be the last time all of them are together at once? Is this like the Mets rotation, where they actually align for a brief moment before Harvey craps out and leaves. Will one of them get traded or leave in some capacity in the next few months? Or...could the inaugural Guardians team actually have an awesome rotation.

All that remains is whether or not the lineup will match. And as of right now, it's really not.

Coming Tomorrow- Shortstop for a team that came from nowhere to infuriate the hell out of me again.

Triumph of the Grande Box: The Indians

 

Like with the Diamondbacks, I took an Indians slot in Nachos Grande's Breakers Club because it would accommodate a few players I collect- namely Kenny Lofton and Jim Thome. I also did it because the 90s Indians had a lot of great players and Hall of Famers, so either way I couldn't really go wrong.

When the massive box arrived a few days ago, some of the Indians spoils were scattered in. Including a sole remnant of Orel Hershiser's time in Cleveland, from 1997 Leaf, an underrated late-era Donruss set.

With the current products, there were also some opportunities to get some current Indians, like Jose Ramirez and Shane Bieber. As well as some rookies of current standout Triston McKenzie, including an 86T insert from Series 2.

These two turn-of-the-century Cleveland fireballers had some much-needed appearances as well. Any Colon is a good one for my collection, and that 1997 Leaf pseudo-rookie is a cool one. Both CCs from 2002 Topps 10, a very interesting set to say the least, were welcome, and the one on the left is a gold die-cut parallel. 

As for the big winners, obviously Omar Vizquel made a few appearances. I forgot how nice 2000 Pacific Aurora was. Kinda underrated, honestly.

There were also some much-needed Lofton cards, which I'm certainly alright with. Also, 2001 Pacific Private Stock was pretty new to me, and is a pretty nice set. Obviously this was Pacific's answer to something like Topps Gallery and it works. 

Also a few Roberto Alomar tribe issues there. There was a lot of cool stuff from 2000 Pacific Vanguard in here, a very cool, and thick, set. These breaks are giving me more and more respect for Pacific, honestly.

Though slightly maligned by PED rumors, I do collect Manny Ramirez, even though I probably shouldn't. Dude was a dynamic player. Lots of love for him here. That Vanguard High Voltage insert is pretty damn awesome.

But of course...the guy I bought in for did show up...

In droves.

I had to cut out a few Thomes to fit the scan, but rest assured that the big man was well represented, and there's a lot of cool ones to add to my collection. 

Annnnd one more awesome High Voltage insert for the road. Man, these are awesome.

Tomorrow, I'll show you some of the picks from a team I do follow closely.

Zimmer Framed

 

As the most forgettable Cleveland Indians season in recent memory comes to a close, it's very interesting to think about where this team ended up vs. where it started just 6 months ago. 

The beginning of the season, there was still hope, and the roster was packed with people like Eddie Rosario, Amed Rosario and Cesar Hernandez, and the odds were saying that Andres Gimenez and Josh Naylor would have huge seasons and Shane Bieber would repeat as Cy Young champion and...oh god it all just fell apart. 

Even with Civale back, and thank the gods he's doing well, the rotation is...while good, not quite the same. Quantrill, Plesac, Civale and McKenzie have all turned in good seasons, but Plesac and Civale were limited by injuries and McKenzie took FOREVER to figure out the strike zone. Thankfully he's great now, and thankfully he's got a nice chance of lapping Bieber for strikeout leader, but...imagine what this team would have been with Bieber, and with Civale and Plesac healthy for those months. That string of injuries ruined this team, and took away any chance of someone catching the White Sox.

Even worse, the outfield completely corroded, with Naylor getting sidelined due to a nasty injury, Jordan Luplow getting traded to Tampa [along with one of the two DJ Johnsons in Cleveland], and Rosario getting dealt to now-contender the Braves. Meaning the outfield had become...Harold Ramirez, whose June numbers would not last, Oscar Mercado, who still hasn't lived up to his rookie season, and Bradley Zimmer, who's actually doing pretty alright. Zimmer's having his best season since his own come-up, with 29 RBIs in 80 games, and he's providing a bit more security than a lot of Cleveland outfielders have this year. Myles Straw, at the very least, is springing in and having some nice contact numbers, but I don't know if the Indians are gonna wanna trust him next year vs. all these homegrown options. Maybe they will, considering he's actually approaching .300, which next to nobody on this team is, but...I'm not even sure. 

Whatever the Guardians look like in 2022, I sincerely hope they have more stability and durability than they did this year. If not...looks like the rebuild is gonna happen sooner than we all thought.

Coming Tomorrow- Ironically a former Indians outfielder, who may have the single streakiest season of anybody in the leagues this year. 

Parental Guardian

 

Kinda funny that the two members of the Indians' rotation to stay healthy most of the year were the two 2nd-generation guys. Plesac and Quantrill. Nephews and sons of former MLB relievers. Residing over a Bieber-less Cleveland rotation. 

Honestly, Cal Quantrill's transition from swing/5th-starter type to one of the most integral parts of this team has been refreshing. The Padres could never figured out what to do with Quantrill, even with his impressive nature in the latter half of the 2019 season. Once he was traded to Cleveland, he still had some learning curve to go, but once he got the starting job midway through this season he was golden. In 16 games as a starter, he has a 3.44 ERA, 4 wins and 67 strikeouts, numbers also boosted by his equally impressive relief numbers. Quantrill is dominant, he is reliable, and he's been very tricky in his last few starts. If he's this good next year when Bieber, McKenzie and Civale are back, the Guardians' inaugural rotation might be pretty spiffy.

But, really, the injuries to those pieces, including Triston McKenzie going down right when he figured out how to stop runs, have slowed down this team to a barely efficient 2nd place competitor to the towering White Sox. The lineup is a backbone of its former self, with only Jose Ramirez, Bradley Zimmer and Amed Rosario persisting throughout. The good news is that Myles Straw is continuing his versatile work from Houston, D.J. Johnson finally seems MLB ready, and Blake Parker has been a surprisingly steady bullpen presence. But, yeah, this team's a husk of its former self, is no longer at competitive capacity, and may be looking at some rebuilding years to rely on Mercado, Clement and Bradley as they develop.

It saddens me that the AL Central ended up being such a wash, but the Indians were competitors for about half a decade, which is pretty cool considering how bleak things were in the early 2010s. Maybe they'll run again soon.

Coming Tomorrow- Even with more earned runs, he still wound up a part of the deadliest rotation in baseball right now. 

Last Rosario Standing

 Last year, the Cleveland Indians had 0 players named Rosario. Last month they had two. Now they have 1. So they've made progress, at least in that department.

Amed Rosario is also currently healthy, which can't be said about Francisco Lindor, who was traded for him. So by that account, he should be playing well. And...he kinda is? He's hitting .276 with 34 RBIs, and a team-leading 109 hits. It's his best season since 2019, where he hit for average with the Mets. 

But, the problem with this Cleveland team is that Rosario, along with Jose Ramirez and Franmil Reyes, is one of the few trusted presences left in this lineup. Everyone else is just scattered. Andres Gimenez and Owen Miller are struggling in rookie campaigns. Oscar Mercado and Harold Ramirez are making decent but not perfect outfield auditions. Bobby Bradley and Josh Naylor were closing in on starting positions and then got injured. New additions like Myles Straw and Wilson Ramos have at least been productive through early appearances. But still, the team is very disorganized and not on the same level. There's remnants of previous factions of the Indians team, like Bradley Zimmer and Roberto Perez, still hanging about. Further, the rest of the season, they're gonna be without Francona. It's completely fractured.

At the very least, the rotation is better off. Plesac and Quantrill are getting stuff done, and at the very least Triston McKenzie can strike people out. I worry about the inexperience of guys like Eli Morgan and Sam Hentges, but maybe they'll be alright eventually. And then Clase and Karinchak are awesome bullpen pieces, and they'll be good for a bit. So the pitching is at least less of a problem. But now the Indians only really have Jose Ramirez as a selling point. Shane Bieber will get back when he gets back, but without him, there's really only Ramirez to denote this team.

I wonder what this team is going to look like for the rebrand. The big marketing push is gonna be 'because we have a new name, all of these things about us are new', and for that to happen, a lot of what made this team so meh is gonna need to change, and work better. You can't lie and say 'oh we're fresh and different now that we're the Guardians'. You have to put the work in. And I hope they do.

Coming Tomorrow- I owe this team a debt of gratitude for beating up the Braves last night. And I owe their first baseman a lot for still being elite even into his late 30s.

Guardian Ship

 

So. Last week, the Cleveland Indians changed their name to the Cleveland Guardians. This is the single weirdest reasoning for why someone might like it, but I like this because it's a name change that still keeps the team alphabetically between the Giants and Mariners in my binders, alphabetically, and therefore I don't need to move the Cleveland sections anywhere else in my binders.

Personally, I'd have preferred 'Spiders'. How awesome would it be for a sports team to be named the Spiders? We have Jaguars, Pelicans, Coyotes, Sharks and Rays. Why not Spiders??? But yeah, Guardians is fine, a little safe for my standards, but...considering what it's replacing, I do understand. Guardians isn't gonna piss anybody off...except for, uh, the people who were really, really attached to Chief Wahoo.

But anyway. Guardians is for 2022. For now, we still have to follow the 2021 Cleveland Indians. As I write this, they're at .500, and in second. Which means the AL Central is back to where it was a few years ago, where one team competes mightily and all the other ones sort of shrug behind it. The Indians are not that team, so they're sort of hanging on at second. Zach Plesac is healthy again, and he's doing alright, with 5 wins in 13 starts. But he's the only real trusted starter from Opening Day to really meet expectations. Triston McKenzie strikes people out, but he has a 5.91 ERA. Sam Hentges and J.C. Mejia are giving up runs left and right, as was Eli Morgan before the demotion. They are using Cal Quantrill more as a starter, meaning we're now at two Cleveland starters whose relatives were relievers in the 90s, and Quantrill's been doing a decent job. But the lack of a strong, healthy rotation has doomed this team more than any other aspect.

Like, I don't think anyone would have predicted that the Cleveland outfield by midyear would be Harold Ramirez, Bradley Zimmer and Oscar Mercado, but none of them are doing too badly. Ramirez is having a great comeback year, hitting .269 with 24 RBIs. Bobby Bradley already has 11 homers and is coming into his own as the everyday first baseman. Roberto Perez is back, and while he's not hitting for average, he's still a better option than Austin Hedges. Cesar Hernandez has sacrificed his contact numbers for excellent power, with 16 homers. And Ramirez and Reyes are still holding the lineup together.

This is far from a great team, and they're barely even competitive, but they're solid enough to finish with some semblance of dignity, and I doubt they'll be complete sellers this week. 

Coming Tonight: A lot of his teammates are likely to be traded this week. Will he survive?

Clase Closed

 

Was gonna do a whole Always Be Closing post on this guy, but Emmanuel Clase is in a weird position, as are all Indians pitchers, it seems. For one thing, he's healthy, which is very rare indeed in that pitching staff.

Emmanuel Clase, whose claim to fame before this season was being the chief piece in the trade that sent Corey Kluber to Arlington, was given the closing job right off the bat this season. Brad Hand was gone, Nick Wittgren was laying lowe, it was between Clase and Karinchak and Clase won. Good for him. So he gets the gig, is pretty lights out for a month or so, and has a disastrous May, with 3 earned runs and a much higher WHIP. At which point, Francona untethers him from the ninth and slots in James Karinchak, who's been better so far. Since losing the closing gig, Clase has still been strong, with a 1 ERA in 9 starts in June, and some scoreless runs so far this month.

But while Clase was yanked out of the ninth for a few high-ERA starts, he's only the tip of the iceberg. This season might be quickly becoming the year of the blown save. Strong relievers like Hector Neris, Aroldis Chapman, Will Smith, Raisel Iglesias and Daniel Bard are all losing their grip on the ninth, and racking up losses and blown saves all over. It's especially heartbreaking for someone like Chapman, who used to be one of the most dominant closers in the game, continuously blow saves at this rate. Neris I understand, he does this every year. But it's looking like more and more of a trend. And it might not have anything to do with the substance ban, though Chapman's drop-off looks slightly suspicious. 

Closing pitching, as I've discussed on here before, is less of a guaranteed job than it's ever been. You don't have like 10 guys like Dan Quisenberry and Jeff Montgomery and Bruce Sutter having closing gigs for a decade or so anymore. You have Chapman, Jansen, Kimbrel, Melancon, and Hader. That's honestly it. Everyone else is year-to-year. Emmanuel Clase has a stellar season, that's great, but it's no career certainty. Edwin Diaz is even year-to-year after chasing K-Rod a few years ago. It's less stable because there are more relievers now. And if anyone can be a lights-out closer...the truly great ones are even rarer. 

Still, the Indians bullpen is one of the few things the team has going for them right now, so I hope they stay in good shape.

Coming Tomorrow- Perennial contact hitter that only really soars in the midwest.

2020 Topps Final Edition: Cards #316-324

 The penultimate week, the penultimate post, the penultimate grouping, the next-to-last time you're ever gonna hear anything about my 2020 Topps Final Edition set. This was fun, but man it was a monolith, and man it was an investment to keep posting selections from it every monday and friday. Phew. But we got through it, and today's is our last full page of cards from it. Some interesting stories in this one.

Card #316- Justin Topa, Milwaukee Brewers

Justin Topa was brought up to make up for A.) Devin Williams hitting the IL, and B.) David Phelps getting traded to Philly. The Brewers' bullpen needed to sustain its strength, and Topa was a low-key minor league threat that did the trick. In 6 appearances, Topa struck out 12 and had a 2.35 ERA, keeping middle relief a strength in Williams' absence, and throwing 2 scoreless innings of postseason ball against the eventual World Champions. Topa's been injured all season, so the Brewers have had to carry on without him [they've been doing pretty well], but he'll no doubt be an important piece once he returns.

Card #317- Mike Mayers, Los Angeles Angels

After four shaky seasons with the Cardinals, reliever Mike Mayers had the best season of his career last year with the Angels. In 29 games, Mayers fanned 43, won 2 games and had a 2.10 ERA. It gave him a 1.0 WAR, his first-ever positive WAR, and a statement in his favor. Mayers has been alright so far in 2021 for the Angels, but nowhere near as dominant as last year.

Card #318- Ryan Thompson, Tampa Bay Rays

Ryan Thompson was another one of the many homegrown pesky relief options the Rays employed on their way to a World Series appearance. Thompson had a 4.44 ERA in 25 games during the 2020 regular season, his rookie season, and had a 1.93 ERA in 9 postseason appearances, with 10 Ks, and only 2 runs coming at the expense of the Yankees offense.

Card #319- Jose Marmolejos, Seattle Mariners

Jose Marmolejos was one of two rookies who made the Opening Day lineup for the Mariners, the other being gold-glover Evan White. Marmolejos was similarly vacant at the plate as well, hitting .206 with 18 RBIs in 35 games. After 31 similar games this season, Marmolejos was sent back down to Tacoma, where he actually seems to be hitting for average.

Card #320- Brandon Workman, Philadelphia Phillies

I've talked about this story before, but Brandon Workman was netted by the Phillies in a trade that sent him and Heath Hembree to Philly and Nick Pivetta to Boston. Pivetta's been stellar since the trade, and Hembree and Workman suffered in the bottomless pit of the Phillies bullpen. Workman had a 6.92 ERA in 14 games with the Phils, blowing 3 of his 8 save opportunities. He seems to be doing a bit better since being returned to the Sox, but...not a great move for Klentak, which explains why he's out.

Card #321- Will Smith ASG, Los Angeles Dodgers

The last of the 2020 ASG cards in this set, Will Smith would have snatched the starting NL All Star catching gig out of the hands of J.T. Realmuto. It would have been a deserving choice though- Smith hit .289 last year with 25 RBIs, and gave the Dodgers backstop security during their Championship season. He's similarly doing well this year as well, proof that LA may have netted themselves a winner.

Card #322- Cal Quantrill, Cleveland Indians

Cal Quantrill had run out of uses in San Diego, and the son of a former Toronto reliever was promptly shipped to Cleveland for Mike Clevinger. The Indians similarly had barely any use for the decent-starting-but-better-relieving Quantrill, and used him out of the pen in 8 games. He did well for the Tribe though, with a 1.84 ERA and 13 Ks, and has been much better in a dual role this year, shifted into a starting position due to the injury issue.

Card #323- Thairo Estrada, New York Yankees

The last position player [I.E. non-pitcher] in this set, Estrada was one of the main bench pieces for the Yankees last year. After a decent call-up in 2019, Estrada struggled in a similar role last year, only hitting .167 in 26 games, with 3 RBIs. He was purchased by the Giants before the 2021 season, and hasn't seen much major league playing time, unlike one of his fellow 2020 Yankee benchmates.

Card #324- Joakim Soria, Oakland Athletics

Joakim Soria has been a dangerous relief option since I started collecting, and it's a joy to still see him hopping teams and putting in the work. Last year he was in Oakland, and continued his recent dominance, with a 2.82 ERA and 4 Ks in 22 games, though he did give up a few postseason runs. Given Soria's comeback in the last few years, it's kind of puzzling as to why Soria wouldn't get a card in flagship or Update, but that's what I'm here for. Hopefully they give him one from the D-Backs this year.

Monday will be the final post from this set, and the final six cards of it. I've saved one or two whoppers for the end. 

The Battle to Stay Healthy in Cleveland

 The Indians are trying to chase a Wild Card spot without Shane Bieber, Roberto Perez, Zach Plesac, Franmil Reyes or Jordan Luplow. Can it be done?

Well, the AL Central is pretty patterned out right now. The White Sox are way ahead, the Indians are 4.5 games behind, everybody else is out of the conversation. The Indians may be the last competitor other than the White Sox who have a chance at glory this year, as they're well over .500, still have Jose Ramirez and Aaron Civale playing well, and have a surprisingly in-depth bullpen.

But...as of right now, 4/5ths of the Opening Day rotation's not in the active roster. Triston McKenzie and Logan Allen are in the minors, Plesac and Bieber are hurt. It's a good thing Aaron Civale's pitching as well as he has, but the rest of this rotation right now is either relievers or triple-A guys. Guys like Eli Morgan, Sam Hentges and Jean Carlos Mejia are carrying the load for a competitive second place team. Not that they're all bad, I mean Mejia and Hentges have had nice starts, but...how seriously do the Indians want to be taken? They are lacking in starting pitching at a time where the Royals and Tigers are solidifying youth-driven, trusted rotations by choice. The Indians don't have a choice, and these may not be the best choices.

They're a lot better off in the lineup. Harold Ramirez has been a great outfield replacement, and is delivering great power material. Bradley Zimmer isn't getting a ton of playing time, but he's been a solid bench bat. Even better, Bobby Bradley is FINALLY coming into his own at 1st, and is hitting .393 with 10 RBIs in 9 games. Jake Bauers had only been a holdover until Bradley was ready, and now that he is, he's doing everything the team has been waiting for. Meanwhile, while Eddie Rosario still isn't entirely hitting for average and power like they'd hoped, he still has 38 RBIs, 2nd behind Jose Ramirez, and is at least producing runs. Amed Rosario is hitting for average though. No idea why he couldn't with the Mets, but he is now.

The bottom line is that this Indians team is still functioning and looking to compete, even with a compromised starting pitching unit. So if that won't stop them...what will?

Coming Tomorrow- One of the best catchers in the majors, who didn't need to wait for a trade in order to see his team compete again.

Civale Action

 

Well, it's a good thing Aaron Civale has been on such a tear recently. The hurler's 7-2 record, 58 Ks and 3ish ERA has been a solid performance out of the rotation stalwart, and he and Shane Bieber have both been consistently reliable. But as of now, Zach Plesac's on the IL, Logan Allen and Triston McKenzie are in the minors, Eli Morgan's first start was a colossal failure, and the team is relying on people like Juan Carlos Medina, Sam Hentges and Phil Maton for starts. The era of close-knit Indians rotations may be coming to an end.

And yet, as this Indians team is decidedly different than the ones that came to prominence in the latter part of the 2010s, they're still winning games and chasing the White Sox for the division. Not only has this team traded relatively well, as evidenced by the impressive Amed Rosario, Cal Quantrill, Josh Naylor and Emmanuel Close performances this year, but they're capable of getting nice returns without people even thinking about it. Right now, former Marlins outfielder Harold Ramirez has been one of the major outfield contributors due to injuries, and he's been pretty nice so far. 

The big issue, again, is the last of contact hitters. Austin Hedges, Jake Bauers, Andres Gimenez and Yu Chang have been disappointing in this respect. Even people like Eddie Rosario and Cesar Hernandez, who are definitely heating up considering earlier numbers, are only hitting around .210 or .220. It's important to have them both because their work is contributing to the Indians' identity, especially after Lindor's absence, and it's nice that they are at least working power numbers, but...I'd expected a bit more from either, especially the usually-contact-friendly Hernandez.

And yet, despite recent injuries [Franmil Reyes is a big one], the Indians are still winning games, are still one of the best teams in the AL Central, and are still very well over .500. Admittedly, they aren't as hot as they were at the peak of May, but they still have a lot of life left in them, and could be a very big player in the AL race over the next few months. 

Besides, they still have Shane Bieber, and they still have Jose Ramirez. Those big pieces, still in line, are worth a ton to them.

Coming Tomorrow- One of the most fun players in the majors, and thank the gods he's on a hot streak right now.

2020 Topps Final Edition: Cards #262-270

After today's post, we'll have 60 cards left in the 2020 Final Edition set. It's been quite a ride, and while we've still got a lot of big ones to get to, today we reach our third multiple of 90, and are third zero ending card with this 9-cards-at-a-time model. There are some intriguing ones this year, also in the story of 2021 as well, so let's get to 'em:

Card #262- Jose Martinez, Chicago Cubs 

Jose Martinez was having a decent season DHing in Tampa, on his way to a potential World Series appearance, and suddenly the Rays decided they didn't need him for the stretch and traded him to the bench-curious Cubs. In 10 games in Chicago, Martinez failed to make any progress, with no hits, 7 strikeouts, and a .000 batting average. He unsurprisingly did not make the postseason roster. The Mets signed him for 2020, then he got injured [they could really use him about now].

Card #263- A.J. Minter, Atlanta Braves

I have to imagine Topps used Minter's disappointing 2019 season, with a 7+ ERA in 36 games, as a reason not to include him in 2020, but even still, they missed out on commemorating a strong, important season for Minter. He only allowed 2 earned runs in 2020, with a 0.83 ERA in 22 innings, and struck out 24. He was also fairly unhittable during the postseason, going hitless in the first two playoff series and striking out 8 during the Dodgers series. Minter is taking a little longer to get to a low ERA this season, but he's still a crucial piece of the Braves' bullpen.

Card #264- Daniel Castano, Miami Marlins

Daniel Castano was one of two rookies brought into the Marlins' rotation in order to cover for two of the previous year's rookies that failed to deliver. Last year, Castano was better than his compatriot Trevor Rogers, with a 3.03 ERA and 12 Ks in 6 starts. Nothing too huge, and outdone by Rogers' high-K work in 2021, but a decent harbinger of what could become a steady career. Castano is incidentally currently in the minors, but has made 4 starts in 2021, and has lost 2 of them.

Card #265- Triston McKenzie, Cleveland Indians

Oh yeah, speaking of starry 2020 rookies that haven't worked as well in 2021. Triston McKenzie started his career with a bang in 2020, with a 10-K debut for the Indians, and 32 more over the course of the rest of the season. McKenzie was not the highest-tier arm in the rotation, and sort of evened out over time, but his first few starts were LETHAL. 2021 was a definite sophomore slump for McKenzie, and while he did notch 49 strikeouts so far, he's got a 6 ERA and is giving up way more walks and runs than last year. He's currently back in the minors. 

Card #266- Yohan Ramirez, Seattle Mariners

Man, we're 3 straight with 2020 rookies that aren't currently in the majors. My luck. Yohan Ramirez was an integral bullpen piece for the Mariners, in that he was the rare Seattle reliever that actually lasted past the end of August. Ramirez had a 2.61 ERA and 26 Ks in 16 relief innings, and notched 3 saves. It looked like the beginnings of a decent career, but with the recovery of the Mariners' pen, Ramirez had less room to succeed, and disappointed in 2 relief outings so far this year.

Card #267- Phil Gosselin, Philadelphia Phillies

Phil Gosselin was the Phillies makeshift Brad Miller in the season in between his Phils years there. Miller, if you'll recall, was a bench hero for the Phils in 2019, and is right back at that in 2021. So Phil Gosselin, right at the start of the season, starts doing exactly what Miller did- 12 RBIs in 39 games, the starting DH position, and a surprising amount of contact work. Yes, the numbers died down once the season kept going on, but Gosselin, or Goose as he was called, filled a valuable hole for Philly. Of course, Miller's back now, so Gosselin's now a bench player in Anaheim.

Card #268- Alex Verdugo ASG, Boston Red Sox

I may be wrong, but I believe that in this sim'd 2020 ASG I did up for this set, Alex Verdugo was the only Red Sox player to make the team. No Bogaerts, no Martinez...Dugie had an excellent breakout season in the outfield, would have qualified for the team on his own merits, and it helped that he was one of the few bright spots in a dark Boston season. Of course, now that the team's better, he fits in a lot more.

Card #269- Caleb Baragar, San Francisco Giants

At last, a 2020 rookie that's still on the major league roster somewhere. Caleb Baragar had a decent rookie year in relief, with a 4 ERA, 5 wins and 19 Ks. He's a sharp relief piece in a whole bullpen full of tricksters, and he's having a much better season in 2021 now that he actually has a better team to fight for.

Card #270- Tommy La Stella, Oakland Athletics

A year after making an all-star team for the Angels, Tommy La Stella had mellowed into a decent infield piece on a tanking roster. His .273 average with the Angels was alright, but once he was traded to the A's for Franklin Barreto he got even better, hitting .289 with 28 hits and 11 RBIs. He also got a lot of starting reps at 2nd, and was a starter during the playoffs, where he hit .293 with 8 hits and 2 RBIs. He seemed to be off to a nice start in SF before the injury, as well. 

Monday, we've got another 9 up at bat. A few very puzzling omissions in this one.