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How come the most interesting, tight, cutthroat shit always happens in the AL Central?

The polarity even in  this Indians rotation is insane. You have the force of good that is Carlos Carrasco,  cancer survivor and hero of Cleveland, off to an alright start and keeping down opposing teams, as well as Shane Bieber  having  his best season and making Cy Young talks fly around.

...and then you have Mike Clevinger and Zach Plesac. Who violated protocols and went out partying in  Chicago and nearly endangered the whole team, despite their solid numbers on the season. Their smirky, arrogant, 'you would have  done it too' mentality is in complete opposition of this Indians' feel-good mentality for this season. This  team built itself from a youth movement that we worried had already dissolved. People like Bieber, Adam Plutko, Aaron Civale, and even Plesac, represent the hope that  this Indians team can stay relevant despite the fact that it's no longer 2016.

In the next few days, Clevinger and Plesac could be traded. And they probably will be. The real question is, does this rotation still work without those two?

Yes. Triston McKenzie stood up the other night and nullified both of them. With his 10 Ks in a debut, and his absolute dominance at just 22 years old, he made it clear that a Bieber-Carrasco-Civale-Plutko-McKenzie rotation would be perfectly fine, and could power this team into October without a doubt.

Plutko is currently the weakest ERA man of the  5, but even he has some good stuff ready to go. The other four are golden. And with  Jose Ramirez, Carlos Santana, Francisco Lindor, Cesar Hernandez and Franmil Reyes all hitting, and Oliver Perez, James Karinchak and Nick Wittgren doing stellar in relief...this team could be huge heading into the last month of the season.

The Twins are in first, the White Sox are coming off a no-no, and this division is tight...but the Indians have a rotation that can withstand even human selfishness. And that says a lot.

Coming Tonight: His team was sick for a week or so, and once they came back, he was one of the best  outfielders available.

Childish Bambino Keeps the Reign

It took a few weeks without him to make it clear, but the Washington Nationals aren't the same without Juan Soto.

It's odd enough that the Nats have been doing 2020 without Bryce Harper, Anthony Rendon, Ryan  Zimmerman and Stephen Strasburg, but the first few weeks were waiting for Soto to get back from the IL. Luckily, the second he got in there, he returned to dominance, and he's been hitting .400 with 17 RBIs, which leads the team, including Trea Turner and Victor Robles and people who've been  active from the start. This is the essence of Juan Soto. He can do things in less time than people given a head start.

Having a guy like Soto helps, because he's the flagship star of a lineup that has ultimately settled on older pieces like Asdrubal Cabrera, Max Scherzer, Starlin Castro and Howie Kendrick. There has been younger talent coming into this team, like  Carter Kieboom and Victor Robles, but so far neither has done a great deal, even as Kieboom comes into his own. Erick Fedde and Austin Voth are being peppered into the rotation, but both are 28, and not necessarily the most youthful presences.

I'm worried that the lack of a real youth movement, other than  Soto and Kieboom, is gonna doom this  team in the long run. Arguably it  already has, as the Nationals are in 4th and grappling with the Phils and Mets in the bottom of the division.

Is Soto enough to keep this team in the conversation? I guess we'll find out.

Coming Tomorrow- Not even leukemia can stop this guy.

A Return to the Online Dime Box

It was bound to happen eventually.

The lack of retail wax showing up, the continued slow card season, the general murkiness of it all. Eventually it was all going to lead me back to baseballcardstore.ca.

This time, I truly scoured its baseball card catalog and grabbed corners that hadn't really been  covered in my  collection, just as a way of upping the ante both for the site and for me. I finished with an expansive, and inexpensive, haul of several cool cards over several card eras.

Vintage Legends:

If I wanted to, I could have scoured entire sets that were being uploaded for numerous cards that I needed from each. I really  didn't feel like doing  that. Other than, like, Update sets that were added, I'd normally just search player specific stuff. Still, it got some nice picks from 1989 Donruss Update, 88 Topps Update, and a late-career Ted Simmons from 89UD.

There was a small amount from 2004 All Time Fan Favorites [proof  that even  in 2004 they couldn't recreate the 88 Topps font], of guys I collect.

They also had some selects from 2000s-era retired sets, like this Fleer trifecta of legends you don't see very often anymore.

The  big winner, though, was 2005 Sweet Spot Classic, who made up for its black-and-white photos with some rare, not-seen-often photography for the legends. 

2000s Semi-Premium Sets

Because I got into the hobby in 07, and got my packs mostly from retail suppliers, I didn't get a lot of Finest, SP Authentic, Sweet Spot sort of sets when they were around. This site had a BUNCH. Like...this might  be the biggest part of the post. This 2008 Finest Josh Beckett [forgot how much I liked this design] is the tip.

Granted, most of these would be earlier, Upper Deck products, so let's run through 'em:

2002 SP Authentic, a set I barely have anything of. I love the vested Marlins uniform on  Beckett's, and Delgado's very 2002 UD-esque jacket shot.

 2003 SP Authentic, another one I have barely anything from. 2003-era Aramis Ramirez looks off in a Bucs jersey. This is like, immediately pre-trade, too.

2004 SP Authentic. This one I have a good bit of, which is funny cause it's one of my least favorites design-wise. 

2005 SP Authentic- I have next-to-nothing from this one, not  even a J-Rol. I always confuse this design with the 2006 set. 

 2007 SP Authentic: This one I actually have a ton of, and  yet I was missing all of these. The Beltran and Hamels feel shameful.

2008 and 2009 SP Authentic: These I collected some of from retail, and was still missing the Konerko throwback and fleeting instance of Nick Swisher in Chicago.

 2003 Sweet Spot- yeah, this one surprised me, and this is a cool base set. Lots of the same commons-type subjects, but a rookie-era Teixeira is nice.

They also had some from Ovation, ranging from 2006 to 2002 to 2001. Nice to get a cheap Expos Vlad.

 2000 Topps Finest! Yeah, I wasn't expecting this one either. Dunn's is near a rookie.

They also had some assorted 90s Topps Finest. Most were from 1998, but  the Blue Chip Colon was from 1997. Lofton looks awesome there.

And some odds and ends from that, including a 2007 Co-Signers Liriano, a 2005 Sweet Spot Oliver Perez, and 2005 UD Reflections' depiction of Carlos Delgado's year in Miami.

Player Collection Stuff:

This bit is brief, but I went for some glimpses of players in  odd uniforms. Wagner and K-Rod in  Queens work for this. 

I figured I needed more from Robin Ventura's NY era, and all 3 of these more unusual released complied. 

And...of course...more Bartolo Colon. Y'all shouldn't be surprised at this point.

Current Needs:

Because of course there were some. I find I'm still getting Big League Caricatures that are  new to me, even after I kept pulling dupe inserts. 

I actually needed a lot from  the Update sets of recent history, but these four are the only ones I'll show.

Somehow I still needed these Big League base cards. The Anderson and Osuna are the best photos, and I love pulling Todd Frazier cards.

Heck, somehow these Stadium Club ones passed me by. Could have sworn I had that V-Mart

Some recent reprint inserts. I actually  do like these a lot, especially 2017T's 87 ones. That Mazara just works.

I have a soft spot for these Legends in the Making inserts from 2018. They're not much, but  they're cool. 

Assorted cool inserts from the early 2010s. I don't see why Tex had to be in  a Rangers uniform for his LoMo comparison.

I never pulled enough of these 2013 Calling Card inserts. They're cool.

They even had some of these...very odd 2010 Vintage Legends inserts. Campy on 2001 Topps works the best.

To my  delight, this site had a TON of 2018 National Baseball Card Day singles. CardBarrel has last year's for like a buck each, this site had 'em for 10 cents. And like...so many of them. All of these look great, and it's great to finally have some in my collection.

The star cards, at least  for me. How crazy is it that  only Arrieta  and Cabrera are still in their depicted uniforms only 2 years later?

Prospect Cards:

Like normal card shows, I try to find early, rookie-ish cards of people doing  well right now, and this site had a bunch. Richie Martin hasn't done much this  season, but he's still a young O's star, and this card is a zero-year of him in Oakland, which is cool.

These 2 were from 2013 Bowman Platinum. Nice to see young Almora, and pre-career Hansel Robles as a Met.

2014 was the big year for these, though. They had 2014 Bowman Trevor Williams and Andrew Knapp XRCs, and a 2014 Pro Debut Zach Eflin XRCs. Two unsung Phils rookies.

2014 Draft I got a TON  of XRCs from. It ranged from guys  coming up now in these uniforms, like recent rookies Tejay Antone and Ryan Castellani, and surefire heroes like Brian Anderson, Spencer Turnbull and Kyle Freeland...

Even cooler...all seven of these are zero-year XRCs. None of these guys  played for these teams. A lot of these are genuinely odd sites- Dylan Cease as a Cub? Monte Harrison as a Brewer? Pirates reliever Nick Burdi on the Twins? It also just gives context for well-traveled guys like Isan Diaz, Justus Sheffield and Ryan Yarbrough.

Overall, this was a very eclectic and interesting haul, and a lot of these fit into cool places in my  collection. I'll keep an eye out to see what else they're adding  these days.

Stop Breaking Down

It is happening, again.

For the second year in a row, a majority of the New York Yankees have wound up on the IL and have thrown the season in jeopardy. Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, D.J. LeMahieu, Kyle Higashioka and Zack Britton  are all injured, and those are some very big pieces. It's not the quantity of 2019's purge, but the quality scares me. Judge, Stanton, LeMahieu and Britton  are the Yankees' most crucial pieces, and without them the team has dropped to 2nd.

Like last year, the team has responded admirably. Luke Voit, Gio Urshela and Clint Frazier are now leading the lineup with fantastic numbers, Thairo Estrada and Mike Tauchman have great bench numbers, and Gleyber Torres' bat is finally heating up. The mostly-untouched rotation is also fine, with Tanaka and Gumby  doing alright, James Paxton regaining his control, and Gerrit Cole chasing Shane Bieber for the Cy Young. You also have Chad Green having his best season in a while, and Jonathan Holder and Adam Ottavino in good form.

This is still a good team, capable of great things, but the losses to Tampa followed by a four-day break due to the Mets having a COVID scare has definitely slowed them down, and could be a factor into a further decline, especially with the Braves coming  up today.

I love this team, I love this team's depth, but I still worry about how this team will do in  the thick of competition. If this can happen to them now, who's to say it won't hold them back...again?

Coming Tonight: One of the strongest, most genuine talents in the majors, and he's not even 22.

.400 in 2020?

...well, it'd be nice, wouldn't it?

With everything being halted and truncated, it still allows for more of a chance of higher averages, giving an asterisk to a .400 season but still allowing it to happen. Right now, Charlie Blackmon is batting .405, with FORTY-FIVE hits and 24 RBIs, easily off to a career-defining start that'd be easier to mark if this were a normal season.

Only problem is he's been slightly colder over  the last week or so, and he's been slipping from the .450s for a bit. With more coldness, he could slip further, and this feel good statistical story could be lost. But...he seems to be doing alright, and being that he's Charlie Blackmon, there's a good chance that  he'll stay  hot.

Also slipping a bit: the Colorado Rockies, who are now in 4th place, and have had a TORRID stretch since August 9th, sort of soiling their epic winning streak to start the season. The Diamondbacks, Rangers, Astros and Dodgers have all got the better of them, and have chased Jon Gray and German Marquez. Nolan Arenado is having his most pedestrian season yet. Tony Wolters and David Dahl aren't hitting.

At the very least, it's let Antonio Senzatela and Kyle Freeland surprise people by pitching really well again, with help from rookie  Ryan Castellani. Trevor Story and Daniel Murphy are playing well. But this team is a far cry from  where it was in  July, and needs to recuperate before they  give a strong divisional lead to the Giants.

Wish  things looked better for this team, but...something just fell apart.

Coming Tomorrow- One of the many injured Yankees, yet again.

The Importance of Being in First

The Oakland Athletics have a 3.5-game lead over the Houston Astros for first place in the AL West.

First of all, say that phrase in 2010 and freak out some sports fans.

Second of all...for a team that has  spent the last few years taking in April and playing like hell in August for the Wild Card, this is a fantastic continuation of the arc. They've finally made it to the top. And it's a lot of the same guys, Matt Chapman and Matt Olson and Marcus Semien, who've made this team work in the past. This didn't take a complete overhaul.

Honestly, it's the unsung members of the 2019 team that are making this one work. Robbie Grossman's having his best season yet, hitting .290 with 13 RBIs. Mark Canha and Ramon Laureano are similarly surging right now, giving the whole outfield basically some major powers, defensively and offensively. Which is a good deal to have.

Even  the rotation is centered around different talent, not just Frankie Montas and Liam Hendriks, but starters like Chris Bassitt and Jesus Luzardo who are really impressing people so far. Both of those guys have 2 wins and low ERAs. Hell, pretty much the entire bullpen has ERAs lower than four. You've got guys like Joakim Soria, Yusmeiro Petit, Jake Diekman and T.J. McFarland just killing it in relief, and just shutting down offenses.

This A's team might be better than the Wild Card ones. And they might be good enough to really give the rest of the league a run for his money.

Coming Tonight: He's hitting .400 in one of the best hitter's ballparks in  America.

Trouble Brewing

...the Brewers just dropped a three-game series to the Pittsburgh Pirates, who previously were 4-12.

Little concerning, don't you think?

It's concerning enough that Yelich isn't hitting. It's concerning enough that next to no one in this damned lineup is hitting over .250, including Eric Sogard. It's concerning enough that Brock Holt, Logan Morrison and Ryon Healy couldn't help this team. But to not only drop 3 games to Pittsburgh, but be outhit by people like Jarrod Dyson, Adam Frazier and Bryan Reynolds, all contact guys? Something is wrong.

Omar Narvaez, after a strong 2019, is back  to refusing to hit for average, so Manny Pina has been getting more reps and is getting a surprising amount done. Luis Urias is hitting well off the bench, but so is Orlando Arcia, the guy he was supposed to replace. Jedd Gyorko is doing well for a team that really doesn't have a place for him. Josh Lindblom may be the only pitcher in  recent history who came back from an Asian-ball residency and didn't improve his stats.

And while the pitching is marginally better, and Woodruff, Houser and Brett Anderson are all solid starters [and Josh Hader has yet to allow a run], it doesn't amount to anything if the lineup remains petrified. I mean, it HELPS to have a good bullpen, which they do, but it doesn't mean anything if they can't score any runs.

It's frustrating, because the Brewers were so close the last few years, and are now slowly being edged further and further from competition. This team has talent, and deserves better...but  this week isn't cutting  it for them.

Coming  Tomorrow- Steady pitcher for, that's right, the top team in the AL West.