Uncustomed Heroes of 2016: Orioles

The Orioles took a team nobody was thinking about and made the heroes. That is something pretty great. The strength of the lineup was unparalleled, and people like Mark Trumbo, Manny Machado and Jonathan Schoop were huge and potent this year.

Pedro Alvarez had a slightly quieter year in comparison, but still did some amazing things, and hit enough to be taken seriously. He's not at Pirates levels, but he's not completely done yet either.

Hyun-Soo Kim was a Korean import that came in, played a pretty nice rookie season and nailed down an outfield gig away from fellow rookie Joey Rickard. He'll probably get the starting gig next season, as he's become a nice bench hitter as well.

Dylan Bundy's been simmering in the minors for year, so it's ABOUT TIME he had a nice enough season in the bigs, here coming into the rotation and saving the day in the absence of Yovani Gallardo and Chris Tillman. He did a pretty great job, and will likely get the rotation gig next year as well.

Trey Mancini was a very late rookie call-up that made an impact in September, making a serious case for a starting gig in 2017, which...might happen. He's definitely got the average, and he could be pretty cool, but the question is whether or not the O's have room.

Coming Tomorrow- Oh, those pathetic Padres...

Uncustomed Heroes of 2015: Pirates

This was a pretty gigantic year for the Pirates as, while they didn't dethrone the Cardinals, they had a strong hold on the Wild Card for most of the year, and seemed to get stronger and stronger as the year went on. Mark Melancon had an even bigger season, notching near 50 saves, and proving how dominant the Pirates can be given the right hand.

Francisco Liriano is still the team's ace, even if he hasn't been consistent year-to-year. He's still pretty tough, and still had a pretty nice fastball, and that's really all they need.

Pedro Alvarez had a down season comparatively, switched between 1st and 3rd, and not hitting as well as usual. The Pirates didn't pick him up for 2016, so they'll be looking for a new option for 1st, as Josh Harrison is likely taking over 3rd.

I absolutely adore this card. Seriously, everything came together. The light with the ball, man. That's pretty damn perfect. Jeff Locke is a pretty nice middle-of-the-rotation option for the Pirates.

Coming Tomorrow- I only have a few Texas Rangers because I used most of them up during the playoffs, but they're pretty nice ones.

Customs for Christmas: Pirates

I made a McCutchen custom earlier this year, but I figured since that one was an action shot, I might as well include a cool static shot, and this one is pretty damn cool.

The Pirates had a pretty nice year that was cut a little too short for my tastes. If I ran the world, they would have gotten past the Giants at the Wild Card level, but unfortunately that didn't really happen.

Cutch had a pretty nice season as well, even if it wasn't as awesome as his 2013 season. Still, it's McCutchen. How do you not love him?

Gerrit Cole had an impressive sophomore season, even if it was marred by a brief minor league stint. He was great for my fantasy team.

Pedro Alvarez is consistently great, so I wasn't shocked that he had another nice season in 2014. He's one of the more underrated stars in the league, as he's a pretty nice third baseman too.

I may be the only Vance Worley super fan, but I can still appreciate him as much as the Pirates fans can for his efforts this fall. He was a mid-season pickup that turned into a nice grab around August and September.

Neil Walker, seen here in one of the few batting practice shots this season, had another nice defensive season.

Finally, here's Mark Melancon, whose name I know for certain is not pronounced that simply, stepped into the closer role this year after Jason Grilli flew the coop. Nice job of it, too.

Coming Later: The few Rangers that didn't make Rangers fans want to turn on the Cowboys games this year.

Custom Card of the Day: Alvarez Edition

Pedro Alvarez has already been eliminated from the Home Run Derby. So, naturally, it feels fair that I post this custom of him as a consolation.

Granted, I had already posted a custom of the other seven nominees, especially Cespedes, Cuddyer, Harper and Davis. So, really, win or lose, I was gonna post this one tonight nonetheless.

Actually...that custom is awesome. I dunno if I actually planned on saying something meaningful about the Home Run Derby tonight, but that card basically sums it up. It's like a 2009 OPC kinda thing.

Still, I hope the rest of the derby goes well, and I hope Cespedes carries on through.

Coming Tomorrow- The final All Star infields, and probably a starter or two.

Year by Year Customs: 1965

 

 I love this set. It's one of the more classic sets of the vintage era. The only problem is that it's a pain in the ass to customize. D'you see that watermark running like a crease through the pennant? That's why. It's so frustrating. One time, I tried to get rid of it, but it turned out sloppy. 

Oh well. At least you get a nice shot of Chutley, reacting to a nearby explosion.

 

This looks so much like Upper Deck's O-Pee-Chee set from a few years ago. With the border and everything. Please don't sue.

 

Coming Tomorrow-A slightly less awesome set, featuring an ex-Phillie, two ex-prospects, and a World Series champion.