Philly Show 12/4/21: Part One- Return of the Bins

 

Last Philly Show, I was discouraged.

There were a number of nice things to find, and I did have some very nice takeaways, but I was worried that the niche hobby mentality that I subscribed to was finding itself less and less prevalent at these shows. More people with locker-boxes wanting to sell their goods, and more people selling mojo cards. Last show there were lots of quarter bins, and not a ton of 10 cent bins. 

Was this what card shows were going to be now? Is this what the focus was? Chuckleheads with money aspirations with no love for the hobby? Is this where we're going?

The message I got from this weekend's Philly Show was 'not quite'. While there was a lot of emphasis on the big stuff, and while some of the fumes of 'the eBay Collector' were inescapable, I managed to find a great deal of my low-market favorites, and a lot of stuff that fit the snug areas of my collection. No, there wasn't just quarter bins at this show. Think much lower. 

Dealer #1: Quarters Past Ten

Typically when I do these Card Show posts, I like to start with the one that seems the most normal, the most typical for a card show environment. And this quarter bin qualifies. This could have been at any show. Everything for a quarter, mostly newer stuff, lots of what seemed like dissolved player collections of people who were big last decade. Occasionally some unconnected players, like this 2015 Chrome of Craig Kimbrel's world famous lunge in his year on the Padres.

I never find 2008 Stadium Club anymore, so it was nice to find these two. I honestly doubt I'm ever gonna try to chase the set of this one, as it's so infuriatingly difficult to find all of due to the SPs. These two look cool though.

As I said, lots of dissolved player collections. Lots of Beltres, lots of King Felixes. Surprising amount of Heritages.

Occasional inserts. I always try to find those GQ inserts in the wild, and that 2010 Heritage Price insert is pretty damn sharp.

Luckily for me, one of the player collections this dealer had was one of my favorites, Andrew McCutchen, so I snagged a few of his mid-career issues.

Requisite retired players. Always fun to find Jim Bunning and Early Wynn. The Sutter I actually needed for my 2017 Archives set. 

As this is the Philly area, some requisite rookies. Freddy Galvis might be the biggest name of these. Willians Astudillo is the one I had no idea came up as a Phillie [he looks so thin here]. Ken Giles I'm still hoping for a comeback from, he was SHARP with the Phils. 

I always look for numbered cards in here, and I found a few. Montas from this 2020 Topps, numbered as such. The other one is a Kyrell Hudson Bowman card, numbered to 250. Hudson never made it, but hey, low-numbered Philly mojo!

Strangest thing this dealer had was a TON of stuff from 2000 Upper Deck Legends, a set you rarely ever see at all. Good to see cards of Bob Feller, Willie Stargell and, of course, Michael Jack, coming my way here. 

Dealer #2: The Ever-Elusive 8-for-1s

Lots of mishmash with this one. This dealer was an old-timer who made it very clear how much his son was making selling cards on eBay. He had his big ticket items, his buying, and also he had some bins of 8 for a dollar stuff, which is where I obviously ended up. A lot of very recent stuff, as well as some older, 2000s era randomness, which I of course appreciated. 

How had I eluded this card of Blooper massaging Ozzie Albies in the outfield? 

The most appreciated bit for me- lots of 2021 Update. IDK how much more I'm gonna buy off the rack of this stuff, so it's nice that he had some commons I was looking for. This isn't even all of it. That Adolis is a beauty. 

It also included a soon-to-be-legendary card of Albert Pujols as a Dodger, which I'm glad I have.

I also appreciated the glut of 2021 Archives this guy had. As I've said, I'm not collecting the set, but I am collecting as many cool base stuff as I can find from it. I also threw in a 2020 Devers, cause I don't think I had one for the regular collection yet. 

This set gets some brownie points for actually including traded players in new uniforms. Even if one of them has already moved onto another team by this point. 

Every so often I find 2017 Gallery cards I don't have. And I keep thinking I've exhausted the set.

It's not quite prospecting if they've made the majors and are supposed to be good. Welker needs some MLB time to prove himself, but I'm already convinced that Oneil Cruz and Shane Baz are gonna be HUUUGE. 

I always end up chasing these throwback set inserts Topps does, cause they're easy crowd pleasers. I also like the Target exclusive ones from this year. Didn't expect to find multiple Bryants. 

Some cool inserts. That Pillars of the Community Wright is pretty sharp.

This box also featured my first look at this year's NBCD set, featuring the newly-retired Giants legend.

I've always enjoyed Allen and Ginter's retired player selection, and hadn't really been introduced to this year's set yet, so I got a bunch. Perry, Morris and Campy are great selections. And hey, another Rays Fred McGriff card! Not complaining at all!

Assorted retired players. Those Diamond Kings legends SPs are always cool finds. 

A few from 2003 Gallery Retired, with an always-welcome Irvin and some Oakland mustaches.

Again, cheap numbered cards always work for me. Gibby's a Phillie now, he works especially well. O-Hud was always a funny player. And...you never see UNNUMBERED Arthur Rhodes cards much anymore, let alone numbered ones. 

All in all a decent dealer, and some good bins. Tomorrow I'll uncover the even cooler stuff. Including, yes, the return of a certain bin variable that I may have raved about at a past Philly Show.

Uncustomed Heroes of 2021: Blue Jays

 

Fine, Rob. The Blue Jays would have been a fine playoff team too.

2021 was a tough year for AL East competitors because at the end of the day, only one was going to truly win out. And sure enough, none of the four ended up making the World Series, so none of them really won at all. And because they missed the playoffs as the Yanks and Sox ascended, the Blue Jays got the most screwed of all. They had some epic standout players, some great midseason momentum, and some very smart trade deadline moves. And yet they had nothing to show for it in a shortened postseason year.

Cavan Biggio seemed to have peaked as a rookie. After his 3.0 WAR rookie year he's ballooned downward every year since, culminating in a year where he only hit .224 in 79 games with 56 hits. Not exactly a contact tear or anything. Eventually he lost the starting 3B spot to Santiago Espinal.

2022 Prediction: Biggio will finally find a niche, but that niche may not be starting, and it may not even be with Toronto.

Similarly, Randal Grichuk hasn't had a fully respectable year since joining the team in 2018. Despite starting 149 games and being a trusted outfield piece, Grichuk only hit .241, despite 81 RBIs and 22 homers. On a team with burgeoning talent, he seems to be standing out less and less.

2022 Prediction: A stronger start than usual will keep him a starter, but he may not be on the playoff roster.

Then we have, as usual, the Blue Jays' catching carousel. The team employed 4 catchers in all this year, and while they did trade away Riley Adams, they were left with 3 equally qualified catchers fighting for a starting spot. Their usual starting catcher, Danny Jansen, did deliver his best season with a 1.3 WAR and some decent defensive numbers, but he still hit .223 with 11 homers in 70 games. He continues to feel like the more lightweight option at backstop.

2022 Prediction: Shifts towards being a professional backup, and perhaps for the last time as a Blue Jay.

The nearest thing to a starting catcher the Jays had this year was Reese McGuire, vindicated from his assault charges [as it tends to in the MLB if it doesn't involve weird sex stuff]. McGuire continued to have the better bat of the options, hitting .253 in 78 games, but put up worse defensive numbers than Jansen. He's basically the Gary Sanchez of the equation, he has flashier plate moments, but at what cost?

2022 Prediction: Cut by July.

I still think Alejandro Kirk has the best chance of starter ship behind the plate in Toronto. Now that Rowdy Tellez is gone, the Jays can use a big beefy guy in the lineup, and Kirk has continued to have big-game moments for them. He was injured for a bit in 2021, but hit .242 in 60 games, with 8 homers and 24 RBIs. Will be interesting to see how he does in a fuller year.

2022 Prediction: He gets the job, and hits 30 homers. 

After being too meh for the Dodgers rotation in 2020, Ross Stripling came too close to being too meh for this one this year. In 24 games, Stripling sported a 4.80 ERA with a 5-7 record. Once other options came onboard, he was moved to the bullpen.

2022 Prediction: Fewer starts, but about midway through the season he's gonna be a very successful option as a starter as several others start tanking.

Now to the midseason deals. The first one happened in June, and it was an eye-opener. Adam Cimber, standout submariner from Miami, was the big get. He rewarded the Jays with even better numbers than he had for the Marlins, with a 1.69 ERA and an 0.964 WHIP in 39 appearances. 

2022 Prediction: A bit more human of a season, but Cimber will be their top non-closing reliever.

The other piece of the deal was Corey Dickerson, whose bat has had much less of an exclamation point since leaving Pittsburgh. In 46 games in Toronto he hit .282 with 37 hits and 15 RBIs, improvements on his Marlins numbers, and a slight statistical boost even in a later-career phase for Dickerson.

2022 Prediction: Signs a cheap deal somewhere. Maybe back to Pittsburgh. And has a quiet, sort of alright year.

As for the bigger ones, we have to mention Jose Berrios, as he's gonna be a Blue Jay for a while now. The former Twins ace arrived in Toronto at the deadline and got right back to business, with a 3.58 ERA and 78 Ks in 12 starts. 

2022 Prediction: Top 3 Cy Young voting. Robbie who?

And finally, for a waiver deal, the Jays snuck Jarrod Dyson out of Kansas City as a backup outfielder. Dyson didn't do a great deal in Toronto, with a .077 average and only 1 hit in 17 at-bats, but he was still a cool veteran presence that I wanted to make a card of.

2022 Prediction: Either nobody signs him or he doesn't make the team he spends the spring with.

Coming Tomorrow- A few last stragglers from the World Champion Braves

Hall of Fame Veterans' Committee Vote: What are the Odds?

 In an offseason that has been momentarily expunged of actual offseason activity, the eyes of baseball fandom must shift to the BBWAA, a rare baseball organization that can still talk about individual players right now, and their upcoming Veterans Committee vote. Unlike previous ones, where they'll put up maybe 10 contemporary figures that deserve to get in and the boring executive is the one that does [Bud Selig! Yeah! That's the ticket!], this is a Veterans vote from the Golden Days committee, a committee that seems most familiar with Panic! at the Disco bangers, but also with 50s and 60s-era heroes. 

Seeing as I'm not quite sure what the hell's gonna happen with the actual HOF vote, as we may have another year of nobody getting in, or even someone infuriating getting in, I figured I'd weigh the cases of the 10 Golden Days HOF candidates, and present odds of them getting in this year. 

Dick Allen: A few years ago I may not have said yes to this one, but the HOF case has become clearer over time for Dick Allen. First of all, he's a Philadelphia sports legend, and a black trailblazer in a city that has never responded particularly well to black sports heroes. His material in the 60s, and even in the early 70s, is worthy of some of the best hard-hitting seasons in the sport's history. And his sort of traveling era of his career marked the beginnings of the conversation of free agency, as he and Curt Flood represented the sort of stubbornness and player-friendly ideology that would completely alter the game as it went on. I do think that, like Ron Santo, Allen's HOF case has been cemented by his recent passing, but part of me thinks he'd be getting in either way.

Odds of 2022 Induction: 2 to 1

Odds of Eventual Induction: Even

Team of Induction: Philadelphia Phillies

Ken Boyer: So, on one hand...career 62 WAR, an MVP in 1964, 5 seasons with a 6 WAR and over, 11 time All Star thanks to the early 60's biannual ASGs, and legendary status in St. Louis. But what's gonna hold Ken Boyer back is his lack of household name status, and how he sort of falls into Hall of Very Good status, especially by Baseball Reference's statistical terminology. In all four HOF-measuring stats, he comes short. While he was a great player, and a 60s star, I don't know if he's a Hall of Famer, cause I don't know if he means much to the story of baseball. Then again, neither does Harold Baines, so what do I know.

Odds of 2022 Induction: 10 to 1

Odds of Eventual Induction: 8 to 1

Team of Induction: St. Louis Cardinals

Gil Hodges: My usual reaction to reading Gil Hodges' stats is 'he wasn't in already?'. 370 career homers, 7 straight 100+ RBI seasons, 2 rings, 8 ASG appearances, and he got up to 63% on his last HOF ballot. He also won the Mets' first World Series ring as their manager, and is one of the most well-loved hitters in Brooklyn Dodgers history. So far, the Hall of Fame's coverage of the Brooklyn Dodgers, especially the bums teams, is a little slim, with only the highlights, like Jackie Robinson, Duke Snider, Pee Wee Reese and Roy Campanella. Hodges should be in, Johnny Podres should be in, maybe even someone else like Carl Erskine or Carl Furillo. But Hodges should be a no-brainer for this one.

Odds of 2022 Induction: 3 to 1

Odds of Eventual Induction: Even

Team of Induction: Brooklyn Dodgers

Jim Kaat: No. Forget the controversy he got tied up in earlier this year with his Japanese accent. He's just never really statistically wowed me, other than being a solid hitting pitcher. 

Odds of 2022 Induction: 25 to 1

Odds of Eventual Induction: 20 to 1

Team of Induction: Minnesota Twins

Roger Maris: Here I am conflicted. On one hand, you cannot tell the story of baseball without Roger Maris and his 1961 season. On the other hand, Roger Maris' career output comes down to maybe four seasons. 1959 to 1962, where he's healthy, he's hitting, and he's an integral part of these A's and Yankees teams. Other than that he's either not a huge piece of teams, he's injured, or he's aging and ineffective. He played 12 seasons and maybe 5 of them were elite. That's not the kind of ratio that gets people into the Hall of Fame unless there are Negro League stats behind it. Simply put, Roger Maris is famous for one season, and the rest is fairly standard baseball stuff.

Odds of 2022 Induction: 16 to 1

Odds of Eventual Induction: 13 to 1

Team of Induction: New York Yankees

Minnie Miñoso: Other than Hodges, Miñoso may be the surest bet on here. First of all, using Negro Leagues stats actually helps Miñoso, as it gets him over the 2000 hit mark, and cements his prime early years. But also, Miñoso's HOF case has been around for years, and people just haven't been convinced until the full statistical revolution, where we can see how insane his hitting numbers were for years, and we can see just how many wins he was responsible for in Chicago. Miñoso is not only a Cuban trailblazer in the majors, but he was just an insane contact hitter for some great White Sox teams that have never really been respected by the HOF. I think he definitely gets in this year.

Odds of 2022 Induction: Even

Odds of Eventual Induction: Definite

Team of Induction: Chicago White Sox

Danny Murtaugh: The sole manager on here. I think Murtaugh's accomplishments speak for themselves, and I think his stuff in the 60s and 70s Pirates teams are one of the main reasons why they were so good for so long. Only thing is I count maybe 4 guys on this ballot that have more of a case than him, and I think he's gonna be the guy that gets lost in the shuffle. I'm not saying he has no case, he definitely has one, and on a sparser ballot maybe he'd get in. But I don't think it's gonna be this year. As far as 60's managers go, he's high up, but not the highest.

Odds of 2022 Induction: 11 to 1

Odds of Eventual Induction: 7 to 1

Team of Induction: Pittsburgh Pirates

Tony Oliva: My dad thinks that of everybody, Tony Oliva has the best case here. Even Hodges. I don't think he's wrong per se about Oliva having a case: A rookie of the year, an ASG appearance every year from '64 to '71, 5 years leading the league in hits with 2 years over 200, 7 years with a .300+ average with 3 league-leading finishes, and statistical markings that align him with several Hall of Fame contact hitters of his class. Oliva should be in, he and Carew made for some insane contact-hitting energy in the late 60s and early 70s, and even though he had the shorter career, he had some truly insane hitting numbers that really should be commemorated. The only thing is I'm hearing his name less than Hodges's, Miñoso's and Allen's in these conversations, and I'm worried he may get overlooked. I do think he's gonna get a lot of support, but will it be a majority? Perhaps barely.

Odds of 2022 Induction: 4 to 1

Odds of Eventual Induction: Even

Team of Induction: Minnesota Twins

Billy Pierce: Aside from Boyer, maybe the most obscure name on here. I learned about him through the Baseball Hall of Shame books, in there for being traded for one-dimensional catcher Aaron Robinson, giving the Tigers the soggier end of the deal while the White Sox got 13 seasons of solid mound work, with a 186-152 overall record, a 3.19 ERA and 1796 Ks as a White Sock. Pierce seems like the type of pitcher similar to Bert Blyleven or Jack Morris, who's just a workhorse for 15 years and doesn't get the credit others do because he doesn't have as many big seasons or moments. Pierce was a perfectly strong and consistent pitcher, he just doesn't have the exclamation point. Also, with Miñoso probably getting in this year, do we need another year where the Veterans committee inducts two White Sox? And this time I don't think we even have Tony LaRussa to meddle with things. Pierce was a great player but I don't think he fits into this HOF schematic.

Odds of 2022 Induction: 10 to 1

Odds of Eventual Induction: 9 to 1

Team of Induction: Chicago White Sox

Maury Wills: Like Roger Maris, Maury Wills comes down to a few strong years in the early 60s and not much else. It's very clear how impressive of a base stealer Wills was with the Dodgers, but looking over his batting stats from that period, we've got a lot of negative totals. We're really electing Wills just for his base-stealing, even when other career base-stealers like Rickey Henderson and Lou Brock are in with much better batting numbers. Wills doesn't really have enough dimensions to be a Hall of Famer, at least to me. Great player, had some great seasons with LA and Pittsburgh, but I don't think he's got a shot this year.

Odds of 2022 Induction: 15 to 1

Odds of Eventual Induction: 19 to 1

Team of Induction: Los Angeles Dodgers

I could be wrong on a lot of these, I could have the entire thing backwards. Maybe nobody gets in, and we have another year with 8 or 9 new Negro League inductees [which...isn't a BAD thing, it's just a little anticlimactic for the modern baseball fan]. I didn't write about the Early Days candidates because I don't know enough about them. Maybe the inductees come from there. But...I do have a feeling that 3 or 4 people from this ballot will get in, and I'm thinking it'll be Miñoso, Hodges, Allen and possibly Oliva. Maybe somebody else. I just think there's a lot of missed opportunities in this ballot, and they a lot of them are gonna be mended.

Now, stay tuned for a very confused, frustrated 2022 HOF ballot in January. 

Uncustomed Heroes of 2021: Athletics

 

Okay, so I've been sort of angry at Rob Manfred a lot on this blog, and considering what we're in the process of I have every right to be, but there's definitely a point to him expanding the playoffs to fourteen, especially if so many great competitors get left out. 

For instance, the Oakland Athletics. What a great season, so much momentum throughout, a lot of time at 1st place, great pitching staff especially starting, and a great haul at the deadline...all lost in a down September. In an expanded postseason format, a season like that would not be lost in the shuffle, and a down September would still allow someone like the A's a second chance. And while it does look like the A's might be letting some big players go this offseason, it would have been great to see them outdo the odds in this past playoff schematic. 

Again, the starting pitching was impressive. 2021 saw the rise of former Yankee farmhand James Kaprielian, who finally got a full shot at the bigs this year, and fit right into the rotation. Kaprielian had an 8-5 record, a 4.07 ERA and 123 Ks in 24 games. Looks to be a strong option for the next few years.

2022 Prediction: Top WAR of the rotation. Even more than Bassitt. 

That also left some room for former Phillies farmhand Cole Irvin to slide in and start some games, and he did a decent enough job, with a 4.24 ERA, 125 Ks and a surprisingly negative w/l percentage despite 10 wins. Irvin did start all 32 games, but he does seem to me like a filler pick in between stronger options.

2022 Prediction: Either Irvin loses his place in the rotation due to an injury, or he becomes an unlikely backbone once Manaea and Bassitt get traded. 

The top WAR of anyone in this post was Sean Murphy, which is odd, as Oakland seemed to really need Yan Gomes. Murphy was a gold glove catcher this year, with some exceptional defensive numbers despite only hitting .216. On one hand, Murph is a durable option behind the plate, but on the other, he still hasn't figured out the plate itself.

2022 Prediction: A slightly fuller offensive year, and perhaps an injury.

The other in that duo of relied-upon-but-still-flawed younger A's is Seth Brown, who was an OF-DH piece for them this year, as he's always been, and hit 20 homers and 48 RBIs while still hitting .214. Yes, Brown can hit, but he's not a multi-tool guy.

2022 Prediction: Mostly bench work, but the occasional clutch moment. 

Mitch Moreland, after a strong 2020, was hired as the DH in Oakland, and was expected to just be a steady everyday bat with some power. He was that. He only played 81 games, but hit .227 with 10 homers and 30 RBIs. Nothing to his peak, but exactly what it says on the tin.

2022 Prediction: If anyone picks him up, it'll be a limited role.

Chad Pinder is still a good utility member of the A's, and while he also missed some time to injuries, hitting .243 with 52 hits and 27 RBIs in 75 games. He'll be turning 30 next season, and may have passed his window to become a truly reliable starter, but he's cemented his place in these A's teams, and seems to have a place in future incarnations of it.

2022 Prediction: That said, either an injury or a slump will require Pinder to start some games, and he will impress in a way that will build his free agency case in 2023.

Now onto the deadline acquisitions. The first big one for the A's was Cubs reliever and old-school-looking hurler Andrew Chafin, who quickly became a fan favorite in Oakland. Chafin continued his strong relief numbers, with a 1.53 ERA and 27 Ks in 29 innings. He may not have reached the postseason, but he boosted his free agency case and continued to be one of the more fun middle relievers in the game.

2022 Prediction: I don't think he'll be signed by a contender, but I do think he will make the playoffs. Perhaps not as strong a year as 2022, but one you won't exactly stay mad at.

Yan Gomes was one of two Nationals that came to the team in July, and his acquisition was used as an inkling that Murphy needed help behind the backstop. Gomes did aid the team as a better offensive catcher, hitting .221 with 17 RBIs and 5 homers, but eventually became a backup to Murphy.

2022 Prediction: If Willson Contreras is, in fact, traded, Gomes could be back to starting in Chicago, and he'll be a serviceable option.

The other Nat to make it to Oakland was former Pirates infield hero Josh Harrison, finally back to peak form. Harrison's tenure in Oakland was a little more memorable than Gomes's, as he hit .254 with 47 hits and 28 RBIs in 28 games. Harrison provided an upgrade from the aging Jed Lowrie at 2nd, and provided the infield with a great boost, similar to Tommy La Stella last year.

2022 Prediction: A cheap signing that pays off in a smaller market. My guess is that the White Sox take him.

And finally, after parting ways with them to gain Elvis Andrus, the A's got to have their cake AND eat it too by signing Khris Davis midseason. Davis, on his return to his stomping, and pounding, grounds, hit .255 with 5 RBIs and only 1 of his trademark homers in 20 games. Davis' current career average is at .242, and Davis needs one or two more contact-friendly years to get himself back to that .247 number being a career stat, as I kinda want it to be.

Tomorrow, just about as many from the Toronto Blue Jays

Uncustomed Heroes of 2021: Astros

 

So. The Astros tried to win another World Series.

I'm...still kinda pissed that this team hasn't been reprimanded enough to not compete, and even if Correa and a portion of the dynasty leaves this year, they'll still probably compete, and it'll probably be tricky for the Mariners or Rangers to take 1st. 2021 was another testament to the rollout of the youth movement, as there are still great prospects coming out, and repopulating the team. Also a testament to Dusty Baker, who will probably win a World Series one day, but not today.

Jose Urquidy spent another year as a lower-tier but still strong rotation option, and had an 8-3 record, a 3.60 ERA and 90 Ks in 107 innings. He gave up a crucial run in an ALCS game, but came up with 2 of the Astros' WS wins thanks to some quick work there.

2022 Prediction: With a crowded-looking rotation picture, expect some relief appearances over the first half and some very strong starts in September. 

Aledmys Diaz has embraced his role as the Astros' requisite utility infielder, and had another decent bench season, hitting .259 with 45 RBIs in 84 games. He's not quite the contact killer he was in 2016, but he's certainly a valuable roster piece. 

2022 Prediction: One of two things happens. Either the Astros lay low this offseason and Diaz has a strong but unassuming year as starting SS. Or, and this is more likely, the Astros pick up a free agent SS and Diaz does more bench work adequately.

Before Chas McCormack took the position indefinitely, Jake Meyers made a very nice run at center field. In 25 games, Meyers hit .260 with 28 RBIs and 6 homers in 49 games. It looked like Meyers would become a starting choice for the postseason, but an injury shortened his year and opened the door for McCormack and Siri.

2022 Prediction: Is there a place for Meyers in the Astros' 2022 outfield? Brantley and Tucker will be around, and McCormack seems to have notched startership. Unless Meyers can outdo Siri and McCormack in Spring Training, you're looking at a trade piece at some point.

As Martin Maldonado stunk it up as starting catcher, Jason Castro's return to Houston, as backup, was unassuming but an improvement, with a .235 average and 8 homers in 66 games, plus a crucial playoff RBI that kept the Astros alive in the World Series. 

2022 Prediction: The Stros will cut Machete, and Castro will get to start in Houston again, and it will go well.

A smaller-key signing the Astros made in the offseason was Jake Odorizzi, off of some nice Minnesota seasons. While injuries limited him a bit, Odo still had some decent moments in Houston, with a 4.21 ERA and 91 Ks in 104 innings. He had limited postseason action but only allowed 1 hit in 2.1 World Series innings.

2022 Prediction: A proper comeback marred by a later injury.

And for the trade deadline deal that no one thought would be as huge as it was, Phil Maton was filched from Cleveland at the deadline for Myles Straw, which was an odd deal on multiple counts. Maton, who was doing decently for Cleveland before the trade, hit a 4.97 ERA in 25 innings of regular season play. During the postseason, Maton improved mightily, with 15 Ks and only 1 earned run in 12.1 innings, becoming one of the most reliable relief pieces they had.

2022 Prediction: A fuller, more impressive season that culminates in maybe some more playoff magic.

Coming Tomorrow- A TON of leftover Athletics.

Uncustomed Heroes of 2021: Angels

 

As the inaugural post of Uncustomed Heroes, our yearly venture into all the guys I didn't get to make customs of, we remember the Angels team that was supposed to be great, and yet continued to be edged out of third by the Mariners. 

It's never for lack of trying with the Angels. They have so many great players, and stacked the team with so many more, and it just didn't come together. Again. Now, with Thor, and potentially another big contract, people are thinking it'll be 2022 for them. No. Not with the Mariners and Astros looking like they do.

Anyway, Shohei Ohtani won an MVP this year. I obviously made one of him as a hitter. So here's a new card representing his pitching prowess, where he also did pretty well, with 23 starts, the most of ANY LA starter, a 3.18 ERA, a 9-2 record and 156 Ks. For a guy who has a day job as DH, that's pretty phenomenal, and clearly his best pitching numbers yet.

2022 Prediction: A 4 ERA, but still 35 homers. 

Speaking of MVPs, around May, sportswriters were claiming that Mike Trout was off to his best start yet, and had some numbers that were looking very MVP-esque. As it tends to be with Trout lately, he got injured shortly after those articles came out, and didn't play the rest of the year. Over 36 games, Trout hit .333 with 18 RBIs and 8 homers, which is still some sharp stuff, even if it was limited. 

2022 Prediction: I hope the Angels get the full year of Trout next year, they deserve one. He won't win an MVP, but he'll reestablish dominance over the league. 

Like Trout, Anthony Rendon was limited in 2021 with injuries. Unlike Trout, Rendon still hasn't really found himself since leaving the Nats, only hitting .240 in 58 games with 34 RBIs and less hits than he had in the shortened 2020. You have to worry that Rendon's leaving his peak and becoming as alright as Upton and Pujols had. 

2022 Prediction: Oh he'll have a better season, but not anywhere close to his Nats numbers. Like, .280 with 75 RBIs. This is the new normal.

The man lovingly referred by me as Joey Church tried his third team in three years, as the starting SS for the Angels. He was perfectly serviceable in 114 games, hitting .259 with 110 hits. Of course, he's released in August and joins up with his old team for the playoffs. We'll wrap up his 2021 season in that post.

Justin Upton still hasn't had a great season since his first full year in Anaheim back in 2019. The Angels should be aware of this, and I think they're getting the idea finally, but the once-mighty power hitter just doesn't have much left at all, and has now taken the Pujols role of taking up roster and payroll space. Upton has one more year on his contract, which is nice, but his penultimate year in LA was met with a .211 average, with 41 RBIs and 17 homers. 

2022 Prediction: Does not finish the season in an Angels uniform. Might be the end of the road for him, too.

Pretty much every great pitching season for the Angels was cut short by injury. The best one came from Alex Cobb, pinched from Baltimore, who was doing really well with a 3.76 ERA and an 8-3 record before the injuries hit. Looks like a great asset for a contender, though likely not LA.

2022 Prediction: Will be a surprise standout in San Francisco once a major rotation piece [Disco or Webb] goes down.

Aside from Jo Adell, the big rookie call-up this year for the Angels was Brandon Marsh, a bearded outfield bat who had a decent enough time in the bigs, hitting .254 with 60 hits and 19 RBIs in 70 games. He's looking to be a starting OF piece next year, hopefully by then he comes into his own some more.

2022 Prediction: More offensive heft, and a full year of starts, but the defensive numbers might be an issue. 

And the true unsung hero of this team was former Phillies DH Phil Gosselin, who played a similar bench bat role with the Angels this year. While he didn't become as much of a fan favorite as he did in Philly, he still had his moments, hitting .261 with 47 RBIs and 7 homers in 104 games. Like in Philly, he was used as an offensive substitution and clutch bat, which seems to work well for him.

2022 Prediction: More clutch hitting and perhaps a surprising amount of starts. Just not for the Angels evidently.

Coming Tomorrow- An Astros team that, once again, nearly won a World Series.