| Cardboard Fenway - #81. 2008 Topps Heritage Dustin Pedroia |
Showing posts with label 2008. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 2008. Show all posts
April 20, 2012
Cardboard Fenway: 2008 Topps Heritage Dustin Pedroia
Cardboard Fenway: 2008 Topps Heritage Clay Buchholz Baseball Thrills
| Cardboard Fenway - #55. 2008 Topps Heritage Clay Buchholz Baseball Thrills |
November 18, 2010
The Two-Loss Season: Why No-Decisions Matter
Thinking about this again, with Felix Hernandez winning the AL Cy Young today.
I've recently become obsessed with the idea that the greatest non-strike-shortened, single-season achievement in baseball is for a pitcher to win over 20 games and lose two or fewer. It's never been done. Never.
Two pitchers came very close in 2008: Cliff Lee, then of the Cleveland Indians, and Daisuke Matsuzaka of the Boston Red Sox. Lee finished 22-3, and Matsuzaka 18-3. Lee didn't get his third loss until a late-September matchup with the Red Sox, and Dice-K didn't have a realistic shot at 20 wins, as other nuances of his game left him with eight no-decisions for the season (he didn't get loss #3 until September 28, just for the record).
Let's examine Cliff Lee's season for a second. His ERA is telling: in his 22 wins, it was 2.06. In his three losses, it was 6.56. OK, everybody has a bad day now and then. But in his no-decisions, it was 2.57. There was a game when he pitched nine innings of shutout ball, only to get yanked at the end of nine, tied 0-0, with the Indians losing it in the 10th. That's Harvey Haddix territory.
Now let's compare him to Matsuzaka. Dice-K's ERA was as follows: in his 18 wins, it was 1.60. His three losses? An ERA of 14.40. And in his no-decisions... 3.57.
So what does any of this mean? To me, it means that Dice-K got shellacked in his losses, but probably should have won one or two more games, as he was decent in his no-decisions and so was actually a lot better than his already great record. It also means that Cliff Lee was excellent in 28 of his 31 starts, which means he could have hypothetically gone 28-3, eclipsing Ron Guidry's insane 1978 season.
So let's take a look at Ron Guidry's completely unbelievable 1978. Guidry went 25-3, receiving loss #3 smack in the middle of a five-start stint in September where he either threw a complete game or a complete-game shutout. Win 25 came in the one-game play-off with the Red Sox, and I can tell you that as a Red Sox fan, it hurts more to believe that Bucky F. Dent won the game for the Yankees rather than Ron Guidry In The Midst of His Cy-Young-Award-Winning Season.
Guidry's season ERA was a paltry 1.74: his ERA in wins was 1.11; 4.99 in losses; and 3.47 in no-decisions. He made 35 starts, which is four more than Lee, and six more than Dice-K. Two things are interesting to me here: 1) he wasn't lights-out in his no-decisions (unlike Lee); and 2) the probability of a Yankee loss during a Guidry no-decision was probably minuscule, as Hall of Famer Goose Gossage was in the bullpen in 1978, in the midst of his own lights-out season.
Let's address point 2) first. Gossage participated in six of Guidry's seven no-decisions. Goose won three, lost two, and had at least one blown save. I'm not very good with figuring out percentages, but Gossage got three of his ten wins during Guidry no-decisions, which should mean something in terms of scaring the opposition.
Now, back to Guidry's ERA. Why am I so hung up on a pitcher's ERA? Because it's the average run total the pitcher staked his opponent. The 1978 Yankees gave Guidry 4.85 runs in support in his starts. So it makes sense, then, that his high ERA matched his losses: 4.99 ERA to 4.85 run-support. Also that he gave up less in his wins: 1.11 ERA to 4.85 run-support. But his ERA in no-decisions: 3.47. The Yankees were still averaging more than a run more than this (4.85). So based purely on averages, Guidry should have won a few more games.
This same treatment yields Cliff Lee a few more wins as well. The 2008 Cleveland Indians averaged 5.58 runs in support of his starts, while his no-decision ERA was 2.57.
The final thing I can say about Cliff Lee's 2008 campaign is that he accomplished it for a completely mediocre team: the 2008 Indians went 81-81. He didn't have Guidry's luxury of pitching for a team on its way to the World Series, nor was he surrounded with a great rotation like Daisuke Matsuzaka was on the Red Sox (a lot of people thought Dice-K wasn't even the best pitcher on his team that season, that Jon Lester, Josh Beckett, or Jonathan Papelbon was, take your pick).
But this idea of only two losses ... it's the loss-column total that's so hard to master and leaves "only 3 losses" somehow a consolation prize to immortality.
I'm not including the magical 1995 season when Randy Johnson of the Seattle Mariners finished 18-2 and Greg Maddux of the Atlanta Braves finished 19-2 in this simply because it wasn't a full, 162-game season (it was 144 games).
I've recently become obsessed with the idea that the greatest non-strike-shortened, single-season achievement in baseball is for a pitcher to win over 20 games and lose two or fewer. It's never been done. Never.
Two pitchers came very close in 2008: Cliff Lee, then of the Cleveland Indians, and Daisuke Matsuzaka of the Boston Red Sox. Lee finished 22-3, and Matsuzaka 18-3. Lee didn't get his third loss until a late-September matchup with the Red Sox, and Dice-K didn't have a realistic shot at 20 wins, as other nuances of his game left him with eight no-decisions for the season (he didn't get loss #3 until September 28, just for the record).
Let's examine Cliff Lee's season for a second. His ERA is telling: in his 22 wins, it was 2.06. In his three losses, it was 6.56. OK, everybody has a bad day now and then. But in his no-decisions, it was 2.57. There was a game when he pitched nine innings of shutout ball, only to get yanked at the end of nine, tied 0-0, with the Indians losing it in the 10th. That's Harvey Haddix territory.
Now let's compare him to Matsuzaka. Dice-K's ERA was as follows: in his 18 wins, it was 1.60. His three losses? An ERA of 14.40. And in his no-decisions... 3.57.
So what does any of this mean? To me, it means that Dice-K got shellacked in his losses, but probably should have won one or two more games, as he was decent in his no-decisions and so was actually a lot better than his already great record. It also means that Cliff Lee was excellent in 28 of his 31 starts, which means he could have hypothetically gone 28-3, eclipsing Ron Guidry's insane 1978 season.
So let's take a look at Ron Guidry's completely unbelievable 1978. Guidry went 25-3, receiving loss #3 smack in the middle of a five-start stint in September where he either threw a complete game or a complete-game shutout. Win 25 came in the one-game play-off with the Red Sox, and I can tell you that as a Red Sox fan, it hurts more to believe that Bucky F. Dent won the game for the Yankees rather than Ron Guidry In The Midst of His Cy-Young-Award-Winning Season.
Guidry's season ERA was a paltry 1.74: his ERA in wins was 1.11; 4.99 in losses; and 3.47 in no-decisions. He made 35 starts, which is four more than Lee, and six more than Dice-K. Two things are interesting to me here: 1) he wasn't lights-out in his no-decisions (unlike Lee); and 2) the probability of a Yankee loss during a Guidry no-decision was probably minuscule, as Hall of Famer Goose Gossage was in the bullpen in 1978, in the midst of his own lights-out season.
Let's address point 2) first. Gossage participated in six of Guidry's seven no-decisions. Goose won three, lost two, and had at least one blown save. I'm not very good with figuring out percentages, but Gossage got three of his ten wins during Guidry no-decisions, which should mean something in terms of scaring the opposition.
Now, back to Guidry's ERA. Why am I so hung up on a pitcher's ERA? Because it's the average run total the pitcher staked his opponent. The 1978 Yankees gave Guidry 4.85 runs in support in his starts. So it makes sense, then, that his high ERA matched his losses: 4.99 ERA to 4.85 run-support. Also that he gave up less in his wins: 1.11 ERA to 4.85 run-support. But his ERA in no-decisions: 3.47. The Yankees were still averaging more than a run more than this (4.85). So based purely on averages, Guidry should have won a few more games.
This same treatment yields Cliff Lee a few more wins as well. The 2008 Cleveland Indians averaged 5.58 runs in support of his starts, while his no-decision ERA was 2.57.
The final thing I can say about Cliff Lee's 2008 campaign is that he accomplished it for a completely mediocre team: the 2008 Indians went 81-81. He didn't have Guidry's luxury of pitching for a team on its way to the World Series, nor was he surrounded with a great rotation like Daisuke Matsuzaka was on the Red Sox (a lot of people thought Dice-K wasn't even the best pitcher on his team that season, that Jon Lester, Josh Beckett, or Jonathan Papelbon was, take your pick).
But this idea of only two losses ... it's the loss-column total that's so hard to master and leaves "only 3 losses" somehow a consolation prize to immortality.
I'm not including the magical 1995 season when Randy Johnson of the Seattle Mariners finished 18-2 and Greg Maddux of the Atlanta Braves finished 19-2 in this simply because it wasn't a full, 162-game season (it was 144 games).
August 31, 2008
Football Sidebar
Like everything else, I could be weeks, months, or possibly even years late on this. Well, probably not years, because as far as I can tell, this is something new for 2008. I'm referring to a new promotion Topps is going to roll out for their football products in 2008, called Topps Player Collection.
The gist of it is that the 30 best players will be found on the same checklist numbers in every Topps NFL set for 2008. It's an interesting idea, and you have to think that if it tests positive with dealers and collectors, something like this will end up as the practice for other sports.
The problem I see with it carrying over to other sports is that it throws off the meritocratic checklisting system Topps baseball really just put back into circulation. Let's say Albert Pujols is #500 in 2009 Topps. Does this mean that every Topps baseball set will have at least 500 cards? Or is it much more likely that cards #1 through #30 are super stars?
Also, here's a great piece by Tyler Kepner in today's New York Times about major leaguers and their fantasy football teams. [NY Times.com]
The gist of it is that the 30 best players will be found on the same checklist numbers in every Topps NFL set for 2008. It's an interesting idea, and you have to think that if it tests positive with dealers and collectors, something like this will end up as the practice for other sports.
The problem I see with it carrying over to other sports is that it throws off the meritocratic checklisting system Topps baseball really just put back into circulation. Let's say Albert Pujols is #500 in 2009 Topps. Does this mean that every Topps baseball set will have at least 500 cards? Or is it much more likely that cards #1 through #30 are super stars?
Also, here's a great piece by Tyler Kepner in today's New York Times about major leaguers and their fantasy football teams. [NY Times.com]
July 30, 2008
6-Pack Analysis: Or, How I Suddenly Yearn for a Allen & Ginter Silk Shirt
And of course, as I noted at the top of this exercise, the idea of the Perfect Pack has changed. With so few cards per pack and a bevy of relatively easy-to-find chase cards numbering into the thousands, it's increasingly difficult to rate base cards. Therefore, for the purposes of this 6-Pack Analysis, all cards were treated as base cards. When a David Wright relic card appeared in Pack 1, it was rated as one singular card in a pack of eight cards, not weighted to the value of two or three cards.
Based on the overall strength of Pack 1, it came as a surprise to me that Packs 2 through 5 didn't pass muster. Some other things that surprised me:
• I got 4 relic cards in the box that I opened
• I didn't get any doubles
• I got a smattering of inserts, including a Fukudome card with no number and a baby Team Orange card that I kind of like (even if the team is fictional)
One more thing: I've started calling mini cards Baby [Player Name], so watch out.
Pack 6
Khalil Greene The funkiest name of any white boy--wasted on a mediocre shortstop.
Troy Tulowitzki Troy looks bored out of his mind. I guess that's what happens when you're injured for the whole year.
Mark Buehrle Buehrle has the same eyes as Rich Gossage. And if you squint hard enough, you can almost see Goose's fu manchu facial hair on Mark's face, can't you? Someone ought to start a letter-writing campaign to Buerhle...
A.J. Pierzynski Who would win in a lunchroom free-for-all: Shawn Chacon or A.J. Pierzynski?
Baby John Lackey The man got within two outs of tossing the first visitor's no-hitter at Fenway in fifty years.
Carlos Zambrano Framed Silk (#1/10) This is the dumbest-looking card I've seen come out of one of these packs. And yet... wouldn't it be kind of cool to sew all the silk cards into a shirt?
Bram Stoker Just out of curiosity, who were the 40 or so players that were left out of this set to make room for the World's Champions subset? Had I been bumped for James Fenimore Cooper, I would probably would've been pissed. Bram Stoker? Not so much.
Luke Scott Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Irrelevant!
•••
Pack 6 Success Rate: 62.5% (5/8)
Good: Baby Lackey, Stoker, Pierzynski, Buerhle, Zambrano
Bad: Greene, Scott, Pierzynski
Ah hell, move Pierzynski up to the 'Good' side of life and give this one a 75% Success Rate.
So, what to do now? Well, for one thing the Code thing intrigues me, but I'm not good with ciphers, so I won't seriously entertain cracking it.
Do I like the set? Yes. I wish a few things had been done differently, like alternate artwork used on the baby, er, mini cards. But the base card is nice, and I enjoyed opening a box and not finding a single double. It encourages building a set.
July 29, 2008
6-Pack Analysis: Todd Benzinger Edition
Lately i've been thinking of old Red Sox alums. Guys like Jody Reed (he always appeared abnormally sweaty on his cards), Ellis Burks, Glenn Hoffman, and Todd Benzinger. Burks was always my favorite, and it deeply saddened me the day he left as a free agent. But I can see why he left.
Boston's a funny place to watch sports. Maybe I should rephrase that. The dynamic of sport in Boston is funny to follow. Baseball has always been a soap opera here, from Ted Williams feuding with the writers, to Buddy LeRoux failing to send Carlton Fisk his contract, to the seven-year Manny Ramirez trade rumor, every game is analyzed as if it were part of postseason play, every players scrutinized for every at-bat, every throw, and every bullpen session thrown.
And I'm not just talking about the writers or talk radio. I'm talking about every fan. Even those who are not fans knows someone who lives and dies with the fate of the Red Sox. And if it's not the Red Sox, then it's the Bruins. Or the Celtics. Or the Patriots. And don't forget the Revolution. And we haven't even gotten to college sports yet.
Watching games in a pressure-cooker atmosphere is not for the faint of heart, and I can only imagine how the players feel. Every game is the biggest game of the year. At least players can keep an outsider's perspective. They can call their families in other cities around the country (and the world) and share a laugh over the crazed attitudes of rabid New Englanders.
It's not surprising when a player like Manny Ramirez decides he wants out. Especially a player who's lambasted daily by one Dan Shaughnessy (as a side note, Shaughnessy is the only one of his generation of name sportswriters at The Boston Globe not to land a job on a major television network. Jackie MacMullan, Bob Ryan, Will McDonough, and Peter Gammons have all gained (or did gain, in McDonough's case) national prominence as a national network television sports analyst. And yes, I'm counting ESPN as a national network.), he of Curse of the Bambino fame (I believe Shaughnessy also helped coin the now ubiquitous term 'Red Sox Nation').
So it's funny that I've been thinking of those old Red Sox, because as I opened Pack 5, I got a card of Todd Benzinger Incarnate.
Pack 5
Jeremy Bonderman That's a six-syllable name, for those of you counting at home, and the first of two white guys with long last names to start the pack.
Chad Billingsley I hope Chad's first name is really Chaddington. That would make my day.
Carlos Lee So much for the streak of white guys with long names. We'll have to start a new streak, this one of All-Stars named Carlos.
Carlos Guillen Current streak alive at two, which in itself is impressive. I had a 2 in 399 chance of getting an All-Star Carlos. It's too bad I already got Beltran in another pack; I could've pulled the trifecta.
Mini World Leaders: Mirek Topolanek, Czech Republic What kind of card back is this? I don't even get Topolanek's career highlights? Boo!
Matt Holliday/Oklahoma How many more years before the Mantle comparisons come out? I mean, the fact that Matt Holliday is from Oklahoma pretty much cements that it will happen eventually, right?
Nyjer Morgan The name 'Njer' comes from the Latin 'Nyjerious' or 'to languish on a team that itself belongs in Triple AAA.'
Clayton Kershaw Todd Benzinger is Alive and Well and Pitching in Los Angeles.
•••
Pack 5 Success Rate: 50% (4/8)
Good: Holliday, Guillen, Lee, Topolanek
Bad: Billingsley, Morgan, Bonderman
Ugly: Kershaw
Look for Pack 6 tomorrow!
July 28, 2008
Andrew Miller Is A Gigantic Person
Not the best photo for Andrew's self-confidence. For one thing, he probably should've been photographed in a portrait. As it is, this photo makes him look like could probably be the starting pitcher for the Jurassic Park team, and that he could reach down and eat the tops of the trees in the background--if he doesn't get electrocuted by the fence first.
The back is much better. I can just see a forlorn Jim Leyland, standing at a payphone in the rain, talking to Miller's answering machine.
Jeter & Mantle Reunite in Topps 2008
I am not, nor have I ever been a Yankees fan, but what Topps did with Derek Jeter's card in its 2008 Series 2 is intriguing. First of all, Jeter is checklisted on card #455. (You'd think that the captain of the most famous team in American sports would at least garner a 2nd Tier number.)
The second thing is that the spirit of Mickey Mantle makes an appearance in the photograph. In the upper-left of the photo, a fan is wearing a #7 t-shirt. Nothing really bad about it, but does it have to be there? Presumably, the Topps photography team had more than one shot of Jeter from which to choose. So why go with this one? If they had wanted to include the essence of Mantle, why not go all-out and show Jeter in the Yankees Clubhouse store, purchasing a Mantle jersey? That might be kind of fun, in an US Weekly way: Baseball Players Are Just Like Us!
6-Pack Analysis: What the Kids Want
I was approached by a band of 10-year-olds as I tried to convince myself to buy a $20 blaster box of Topps Opening Day. I felt silly enough standing there by myself in Target, right up next to the cash registers; an open target for the silent judgment of the other shoppers. But to be given advice by a pack of 4th graders really took me down a few notches.
That said, what they told me was very interesting. They said that there was no reason to buy Opening Day, that it was crap because it didn't have memorabilia cards. They said what I really should've bought was Topps Chrome. When I mentioned that you only got 4 cards per pack and the pack cost $3.50, they said it didn't matter. Chrome was what I should be buying. And here I was getting psyched about mascot cards aimed at the very audience who rejected them.
•••
Here's something I just noticed about the Allen & Ginter checklist. The Hero Numbered cards are all of players who are currently Topps spokesmen: Alex Rodriguez (#1); David Wright (#100); David Ortiz (#200); Ryan Howard (#300, #400). I wonder if this has been a common practice for Topps; I've never noticed it before. Then again, maybe it's never been this obvious.
•••
Pack 4...
Jose Valverde I'm not quite sure who or what Jose's looking at in his photo, but it sure ain't the camera.
Troy Glaus How did Glaus get out of the Mitchell Report stranglehold with nary a scratch?
Gil Meche Every time I get a card of Meche, I can't help but think of Philip Roth's Great American Novel, and now that Topps has included a card of Gilgamesh in its 'Ancient Icons' insert set, well...
Howie Kendrick Here's another photo taken from the ground up. Kendrick is 5'10". Why couldn't the photographer just stand up and take the shot at eye level? I understand the fundamental reasoning behind shooting someone from the ground up: you want to give the subject a larger-than-life persona. But it gets tiresome, especially when the guy you're trying to immortalize platoons at second base.
Jason Giambi Watching the Yankees/Red Sox series, it's interesting to note how different Giambi's arms look from his steroid days.
Mini Ryan Braun Nice-looking card. These mini cards would've been even cooler had Topps used photography not on the players' regular cards. It would've been twice the amount of work, sure, but collectors are not exactly shelling out chump change for these cards.
Shane Victorino/Hawaii state flag This is the first time I've ever seen the Hawaii state flag, and I have to say it's already my favorite.
Empire State Building What a great card! You know what the best part is about the 'World's Champions' subset? It's a subset, not an insert set. Also, the WCs for 2008 are a much better class than in previous years, if you ask me (though still no Sir Garry Sobers).
•••
Pack 4 Success Rate: 75% (6/8)
I was psyched for this to be a great pack, but the inclusion of Kendrick and Valverde makes it only above average. And by the way, I know I should be pleased to get Jose Valverde in a pack, but I'm not. It's a bad photo, and really I don't care very much about relievers or the Astros in general.
Pack 5 coming soon!
That said, what they told me was very interesting. They said that there was no reason to buy Opening Day, that it was crap because it didn't have memorabilia cards. They said what I really should've bought was Topps Chrome. When I mentioned that you only got 4 cards per pack and the pack cost $3.50, they said it didn't matter. Chrome was what I should be buying. And here I was getting psyched about mascot cards aimed at the very audience who rejected them.
•••
Here's something I just noticed about the Allen & Ginter checklist. The Hero Numbered cards are all of players who are currently Topps spokesmen: Alex Rodriguez (#1); David Wright (#100); David Ortiz (#200); Ryan Howard (#300, #400). I wonder if this has been a common practice for Topps; I've never noticed it before. Then again, maybe it's never been this obvious.
•••
Pack 4...
Jose Valverde I'm not quite sure who or what Jose's looking at in his photo, but it sure ain't the camera.
Troy Glaus How did Glaus get out of the Mitchell Report stranglehold with nary a scratch?
Gil Meche Every time I get a card of Meche, I can't help but think of Philip Roth's Great American Novel, and now that Topps has included a card of Gilgamesh in its 'Ancient Icons' insert set, well...
Howie Kendrick Here's another photo taken from the ground up. Kendrick is 5'10". Why couldn't the photographer just stand up and take the shot at eye level? I understand the fundamental reasoning behind shooting someone from the ground up: you want to give the subject a larger-than-life persona. But it gets tiresome, especially when the guy you're trying to immortalize platoons at second base.
Jason Giambi Watching the Yankees/Red Sox series, it's interesting to note how different Giambi's arms look from his steroid days.
Mini Ryan Braun Nice-looking card. These mini cards would've been even cooler had Topps used photography not on the players' regular cards. It would've been twice the amount of work, sure, but collectors are not exactly shelling out chump change for these cards.
Shane Victorino/Hawaii state flag This is the first time I've ever seen the Hawaii state flag, and I have to say it's already my favorite.
Empire State Building What a great card! You know what the best part is about the 'World's Champions' subset? It's a subset, not an insert set. Also, the WCs for 2008 are a much better class than in previous years, if you ask me (though still no Sir Garry Sobers).
•••
Pack 4 Success Rate: 75% (6/8)
I was psyched for this to be a great pack, but the inclusion of Kendrick and Valverde makes it only above average. And by the way, I know I should be pleased to get Jose Valverde in a pack, but I'm not. It's a bad photo, and really I don't care very much about relievers or the Astros in general.
Pack 5 coming soon!
July 26, 2008
6-Pack Analysis: Color Distribution
Abstract color used to be a staple of Topps baseball card design. 1952, 1954, 1955, 1958, 1959, and 1960 all feature color prominently either as a photo backdrop or design flourish. Heck, even 1951's two sets are known by their color distinction (Red and Blue). Color made a brief comeback in the 1970s (1971's black border, team-color-coded frames in 1972 and 1975), and then seemed to disappear.
Nowadays the only place you'll find as liberal a use of abstract color is in Heritage and other retro sets. For a fan of abstract design, that's kind of depressing, but then again, retro sets seem to crowd the marketplace these days.
The reason I bring this up is that abstract color makes a small but memorable appearance on A & G cards. I'm wondering how the designers decided which color to use for which player, and if some colors are used more often than others. Yellow, blue, green, pink, greenish-grey--five colors total. And while I don't have a complete set to figure accurate percentages, I'd say from the cards that I do have, color distribution is pretty even.
Color distribution probably is not something you think about too much, I know I don't. But I also know that in those sets where color plays a starring role, it really bugs me when so many cards of the same color end up next to each other on the checklist. If we were discussing the color distribution patterns of early Nineties Score, I wouldn't have a problem; a card's color was based on the series it appeared in. But the meritocratic checklisting system Topps employed for so many years gave each set the illusion of being a random jumble of cards. By extension, shouldn't the color assignment for each card also have been random? I'm not entirely convinced the color of backdrop was part of the meritocratic system, but it's worth investigating.
And now...
Pack 3
Adrian Beltre If Carlos Beltran is the Generic Superstar, Adrian Beltre is a Generic Star.
Jorge Posada With Posada's career winding down, here's a question: Does he deserve to get into the Hall of Fame? Gut instinct says probably not.
Nick Markakis You know what I like? I like that some of the most exciting young players in the game play in the AL East division, and none of them play for the Red Sox or Yankees. Nick Markakis, Carl Crawford, BJ Upton, Evan Longoria, Scott Kazmir... actually, Markakis is the only one of those guys not with Tampa Bay. This means he's on the first bus outta Baltimore when his contract expires, he's gunning for a one-year wonder with the Orioles in a stacked division, or Nick has resigned himself to a career of personal achievement, not team success.
Fausto Carmona I find it interesting (and bad business for teams) that pitchers can put together one or two great years and then cash in for a gigantic contract. Now, Fausto Carmona is a good pitcher. But before he won 19 games last year, he was 1-10 in 2006. Is that kind of consistency worth upwards of $48 million for the next four to seven years? Even if he wins 15-19 games a year for all seven of those years, you're not looking at a Hall of Famer, and you may not even be looking at the next Rick Wise. I think the idea of the contract year is very short-sighted. And don't even get me started on Barry Zito. Fausto sure does look happy on this card though.
Francisco Liriano Gotta feel bad for Liriano. He goes from boy genius to being on the shelf for a year to wowing triple AAA crowds and yet the big league team doesn't have room for him. (By the way, if you have the video game MLB: The Show 2006, Liriano's slider is almost unhittable.)
Mini Austin Kearns I think it's really too bad the team in Washington isn't called The Senators. Did the franchise want to dissociate itself from that hapless moniker? Because really all they're doing is muddying up their current name.
Roy Halladay/Colorado State Flag The Colorado flag is cool. I wonder what the symbolism means. It kind of looks like a belt buckle.
Jesse Carlson Says he was born in December 1980, so that makes him a 27 year-old rookie. And so far he's doing fairly well in a middle-relief role for the Jays. Him and Scott Downs, man. Those Blue Jay middle relievers have been lights out so far this year. (By the way, Downs is another guy who has a 3-year hole in his career, 2001-2003.) And as a final aside, I find it interesting when rookie cards of middle relievers make big splashes in the hobby. Last year it was Joba Chamberlain and Hideki Okajima. Carlson's cards aren't attracting much interest on eBay, so was last year's flurry of interest a one-year thing?
•••
Pack 4 Success Rate: 75% (6/8)
Markakis, Beltre, Posada, Halladay, Carmona, and Liriano lead the way for a relatively good pack.
Look for more A&G dissection tomorrow, with Pack 4.
July 25, 2008
6-Pack Analysis: My Readers Are a Tough Crowd to Please
Pack 2
Pack 2
Matt Kemp I got nothing to say about Kemp except that he looks bored. The next time I make the big leagues and get to be photographed for my own baseball card, remind me not to look like I'd rather be asleep. This photo of Kemp gives hope to my new theory that some cards feature photos intended for a different use, like say a media guide or a side of a milk carton.
Chris Young In 1960, Leaf (or Sports Novelties, as the brand was known at the time) included a card titled "Baseball's Two Hal Smiths." You'd think that Topps would want to copy that for one of its brands, with "Baseball's Two Chris Youngs." I'm not a National League guy, so I don't know if this is the good Chris Young or the bad one, or if they're both good, or what. I do know that this guy's glove is absolutely gigantic.
Adam Wainwright Actually, I'm beginning to notice that all the gloves on these cards look huge, so I guess I can't hold it against Chris Young if he wants to use a comically-oversized mitt. I'm digging Wainwright's card, and if you remove the glove from his left hand, he could be at the blackboard in front of a lecture hall full of high schoolers.
Tom Gorzelanny Tom's lucky: you almost can't tell he's on the Pirates. That way, if he shows this card to a non-baseball friend, he can pretend he's on any team he wants. Which brings up a question that's been nagging me: If you had a choice, wouldn't you want to play for the hometown team? Says here that Tom lives in Orland Park, Illinois (a suburb of Chicago and home to R. Kelly and Buddy Guy). Wouldn't he want to play for the Sox or the Cubs? Were it me, I'd want to play for the Red Sox and that's it.
Mini Jason Varitek Boy, remember those dark years when Varitek wasn't in a Topps set? Wonder what that was all about. Anyway, now it seems like Topps is making up for lost time. They got him everywhere, and not just rehashing the same photo over and over again. Seems like they've shown him in ten different poses, at home eating lunch, throwing change out the window at the toll booth, and singing karaoke with his Japanese friends.
State Flags: Joe Mauer/Minnesota Mauer's great, isn't he? One of my favorites. Also gotta love the old-school Twins batting helmet. Makes you think Gary Ward's lurking around somewhere. By the way, the State Flags insert is okay, but have you noticed how boring most of the flags are? I'd like to think that if these cards have any value, it's based on the beauty (or overall craziness) of the state flag depicted. Were this the case, the Maryland card would be worth the most.
Brian Schneider The highlight of this card is the Shea Stadium patch on Schneider's right arm. Also what looks like either a leech or a massive shaving cut on his right cheek. I'm really hoping it's a leech.
Marie Curie Proof once again that you don't have to comb your hair to make a difference in this world.
***
Pack 2 Success Rate: 62.5% (5/8) Not a great pack. Besides the mini Varitek, the Mauer/Minnesota, and the Marie Curie cards, only two others make the cut (Matt Kemp and Chris Young). The rest of the pack is filled out by guys who were born to be mediocre (Gorzelanny, Schneider, Wainwright). Perfect Packs have no time for mediocrity.
Matt Kemp I got nothing to say about Kemp except that he looks bored. The next time I make the big leagues and get to be photographed for my own baseball card, remind me not to look like I'd rather be asleep. This photo of Kemp gives hope to my new theory that some cards feature photos intended for a different use, like say a media guide or a side of a milk carton.
Chris Young In 1960, Leaf (or Sports Novelties, as the brand was known at the time) included a card titled "Baseball's Two Hal Smiths." You'd think that Topps would want to copy that for one of its brands, with "Baseball's Two Chris Youngs." I'm not a National League guy, so I don't know if this is the good Chris Young or the bad one, or if they're both good, or what. I do know that this guy's glove is absolutely gigantic.
Tom Gorzelanny Tom's lucky: you almost can't tell he's on the Pirates. That way, if he shows this card to a non-baseball friend, he can pretend he's on any team he wants. Which brings up a question that's been nagging me: If you had a choice, wouldn't you want to play for the hometown team? Says here that Tom lives in Orland Park, Illinois (a suburb of Chicago and home to R. Kelly and Buddy Guy). Wouldn't he want to play for the Sox or the Cubs? Were it me, I'd want to play for the Red Sox and that's it.
Mini Jason Varitek Boy, remember those dark years when Varitek wasn't in a Topps set? Wonder what that was all about. Anyway, now it seems like Topps is making up for lost time. They got him everywhere, and not just rehashing the same photo over and over again. Seems like they've shown him in ten different poses, at home eating lunch, throwing change out the window at the toll booth, and singing karaoke with his Japanese friends.
State Flags: Joe Mauer/Minnesota Mauer's great, isn't he? One of my favorites. Also gotta love the old-school Twins batting helmet. Makes you think Gary Ward's lurking around somewhere. By the way, the State Flags insert is okay, but have you noticed how boring most of the flags are? I'd like to think that if these cards have any value, it's based on the beauty (or overall craziness) of the state flag depicted. Were this the case, the Maryland card would be worth the most.
Brian Schneider The highlight of this card is the Shea Stadium patch on Schneider's right arm. Also what looks like either a leech or a massive shaving cut on his right cheek. I'm really hoping it's a leech.
Marie Curie Proof once again that you don't have to comb your hair to make a difference in this world.
***
Pack 2 Success Rate: 62.5% (5/8) Not a great pack. Besides the mini Varitek, the Mauer/Minnesota, and the Marie Curie cards, only two others make the cut (Matt Kemp and Chris Young). The rest of the pack is filled out by guys who were born to be mediocre (Gorzelanny, Schneider, Wainwright). Perfect Packs have no time for mediocrity.
July 24, 2008
6-Pack Analysis: Allen & Ginter Style
Back Without Popular Demand! That's right, after at least a two-year absence, it's time for another 6-Pack Analysis. In this installment, I'll be searching out the elusive Perfect Pack from a box of 2008 Topps Allen & Ginter.
While I painstakingly remove six packs from the box for analysis, let's review the ground rules for this adventure. As I stated back in March 2006, analysis of a pack must be based on the merits of each card and how they complement each other, and a Perfect Pack is one that contains a perfect storm of the best cards of the set.
In the case of Allen & Ginter, many of the "best" cards in the set aren't really a part of the set at all, but one-off chase cards. So then, can there be a Perfect Pack that does not include one of the best chase cards? My answer is yes, and not just because it is the most convenient answer. In fact, I would go so far as to say that the answer has to be an emphatic yes. Otherwise, technically there would be only one or two Perfect Packs in the known Allen & Ginter universe. And what if one of those packs with a once-in-a-lifetime card has seven others that are really terrible? Just the chance of that occurring makes the whole system feel a little cheap.
So! A Perfect Pack does not have to contain a well-publicized, you're-never-going-to-find-one chase card. To go back to the first point, each card in the pack factors into the overall success of the pack (the pack's Success Rate, shown as a percentage).
Right. I've got the six packs lined up and ready for dissection and analysis, I've donned my safety goggles and white lab coat, turned off my cell phone, and have hidden the tv remote.
Pack 1
Mark Teixeira Sometimes I wonder who the photographer is on some of these cards, Teixeira's included. Billy Barty? Warwick Davis? Peter Dinklage? Barty's deceased, so I'm guessing that gives more work to Davis and Dinklage. Also, is it just me or does Teixeira's left arm look disturbingly big, like it extends way past his knees?
Carlos Beltran There are a few generic poses for sidelines baseball cards: standing, bat raised, glove raised, ball shown in faux-pitch, smiling, not smiling, glaring, indifference. Carlos Beltran chose "bat raised." Here's a question: Are there Generic Superstars? You'd think that would be an oxymoronic statement, but I'd argue that right now in his career, Beltran is as generic a superstar as you can get. Don't misinterpret that statement: he's a great player. But he's also one of those guys you forget about (and really only remember when they're busy clobbering your favorite team senseless).
Matt Cain Here's another photo shot from the ground up. Why not just give the player a digital camera and tell him to hold the camera in one hand and take a self-portrait? Seriously, it wouldn't be any worse. Also, Matt's from Germantown, Tennessee, the boyhood home of former SNL-er Chris Parnell. Parnell is the only former cast member to be fired from the show twice.
Mickey Mantle This is just a great photo of Mantle, in my opinion one of the best Topps has used in the past few years. The artistic stylings leave a little to be desired, as this card almost could be confused for a rejected image from the 2005-06 Topps 1952 Style basketball set.
Mini A.J. Burnett It's nice to get a mini card in every pack, and it's even better to get one featuring landscape orientation. You know, I just noticed that Topps is still claiming Brooklyn as its home. Last time I checked, One Whitehall was in Lower Manhattan. Why don't they just write "New York, New York" on their cards? I'm surprised the Ghost of Brooklyn Present hasn't rattled its chains around Eisner's bed lately.
David Wright Jersey Relic Neat looking card, even though the actual swatch has to be less than 1 centimeter square. I'd like to see a jersey swatch card that is 80% swatch and 20% card border.
Andrew "William Ocean" Litz For a minute there I thought he was Soy Bomb. Nope, he's the American air guitar champion. Oh well, maybe 2009 for Soy Bomb. You know, that could make a great campaign: "Vote Soy Bomb for A&G 2009" Seeing as how he's not really the champion of anything (except maybe confusing the hell out of people), probably the only way he'll get into next year's set would be if the person who cracks the A&G code would donate their place...
Lisa Leslie What's great about this card is that Leslie apparently plays for the Purple Team.
***
Pack 1 Success Rate: 87.5% (7/8)
Pretty good pack. Bona fides in Mantle, Teixeira, Leslie, and the Wright Relic, plus Generic Superstar Beltran, Pseudo-Soy Bomb, and a mini Blue Jay. If only Matt Cain could bring down his ERA, then we'd really have something to talk about. Perfect Pack? Hard to say, so soon into the 6PA. It should be noted that there will have to be higher standards set for a Perfect Pack Success Rate in this product, simply because there are only 8 cards to a pack.
Pack 2 coming soon!
While I painstakingly remove six packs from the box for analysis, let's review the ground rules for this adventure. As I stated back in March 2006, analysis of a pack must be based on the merits of each card and how they complement each other, and a Perfect Pack is one that contains a perfect storm of the best cards of the set.
In the case of Allen & Ginter, many of the "best" cards in the set aren't really a part of the set at all, but one-off chase cards. So then, can there be a Perfect Pack that does not include one of the best chase cards? My answer is yes, and not just because it is the most convenient answer. In fact, I would go so far as to say that the answer has to be an emphatic yes. Otherwise, technically there would be only one or two Perfect Packs in the known Allen & Ginter universe. And what if one of those packs with a once-in-a-lifetime card has seven others that are really terrible? Just the chance of that occurring makes the whole system feel a little cheap.
So! A Perfect Pack does not have to contain a well-publicized, you're-never-going-to-find-one chase card. To go back to the first point, each card in the pack factors into the overall success of the pack (the pack's Success Rate, shown as a percentage).
Right. I've got the six packs lined up and ready for dissection and analysis, I've donned my safety goggles and white lab coat, turned off my cell phone, and have hidden the tv remote.
Pack 1
Carlos Beltran There are a few generic poses for sidelines baseball cards: standing, bat raised, glove raised, ball shown in faux-pitch, smiling, not smiling, glaring, indifference. Carlos Beltran chose "bat raised." Here's a question: Are there Generic Superstars? You'd think that would be an oxymoronic statement, but I'd argue that right now in his career, Beltran is as generic a superstar as you can get. Don't misinterpret that statement: he's a great player. But he's also one of those guys you forget about (and really only remember when they're busy clobbering your favorite team senseless).
Matt Cain Here's another photo shot from the ground up. Why not just give the player a digital camera and tell him to hold the camera in one hand and take a self-portrait? Seriously, it wouldn't be any worse. Also, Matt's from Germantown, Tennessee, the boyhood home of former SNL-er Chris Parnell. Parnell is the only former cast member to be fired from the show twice.
Mickey Mantle This is just a great photo of Mantle, in my opinion one of the best Topps has used in the past few years. The artistic stylings leave a little to be desired, as this card almost could be confused for a rejected image from the 2005-06 Topps 1952 Style basketball set.
Mini A.J. Burnett It's nice to get a mini card in every pack, and it's even better to get one featuring landscape orientation. You know, I just noticed that Topps is still claiming Brooklyn as its home. Last time I checked, One Whitehall was in Lower Manhattan. Why don't they just write "New York, New York" on their cards? I'm surprised the Ghost of Brooklyn Present hasn't rattled its chains around Eisner's bed lately.
Andrew "William Ocean" Litz For a minute there I thought he was Soy Bomb. Nope, he's the American air guitar champion. Oh well, maybe 2009 for Soy Bomb. You know, that could make a great campaign: "Vote Soy Bomb for A&G 2009" Seeing as how he's not really the champion of anything (except maybe confusing the hell out of people), probably the only way he'll get into next year's set would be if the person who cracks the A&G code would donate their place...
Lisa Leslie What's great about this card is that Leslie apparently plays for the Purple Team.
***
Pack 1 Success Rate: 87.5% (7/8)
Pretty good pack. Bona fides in Mantle, Teixeira, Leslie, and the Wright Relic, plus Generic Superstar Beltran, Pseudo-Soy Bomb, and a mini Blue Jay. If only Matt Cain could bring down his ERA, then we'd really have something to talk about. Perfect Pack? Hard to say, so soon into the 6PA. It should be noted that there will have to be higher standards set for a Perfect Pack Success Rate in this product, simply because there are only 8 cards to a pack.
Pack 2 coming soon!
A Team of World's Champions
I'd want to have smarts on the bench, thus Friedrich Nietzsche, Manager.
Batting leadoff and playing Second Base, Harriet Tubman. Don't let her get on base! No one saw the Underground Railroad, and you won't see her til she's crossing home on a sacrifice fly.
Batting second and playing Third Base, Pluto. Everybody forgets about Pluto... then BAM!, it's standing on third with a triple.
Batting third and playing Shortstop, The Golden Gate Bridge. I figure no hits will get by this mess o' cables, and the Bridge is pretty powerful--all that steel--that it would be a crime not to put it in the heart of the order.
Batting clean up and playing Center Field, Bigfoot Monster Truck. Monster trucks can cover a lot of ground, make impressive flying leaps, stunning crashes, and perhaps best of all, tear up the base paths and do celebratory donuts on the way back to the dugout after a home run.
Batting fifth and playing First Base, Allen Fisher. The 25-time arm wrestling champion should be able to make snap tags on runners, and carry an intimidating bat in the number five hole.
Batting sixth and playing Left Field, Davy Crockett. Left field, in my estimation, is the baseball equivalent to the wild frontier. Crockett should feel right at home.
Batting seventh and catching, Frederick Douglass. Douglass is a great on-field leader, sending signs to the pitcher and other players. He stinks at the plate.
Batting eighth and playing Right Field, The Gateway Arch. Gateway's father owns the team. Team would do better defensively to not have a right fielder. Terrible at the plate.
Batting ninth and pitching, James Fenimore Cooper. Coop brings the heat on five pitches: fastball, spitball, curve, change-up, and the Chingachgook (sort of like an old-fashioned Gyro-ball pitch).
Pinch Hitter, Kosuke Fukudome. You know, just in case.
Batting leadoff and playing Second Base, Harriet Tubman. Don't let her get on base! No one saw the Underground Railroad, and you won't see her til she's crossing home on a sacrifice fly.
Batting second and playing Third Base, Pluto. Everybody forgets about Pluto... then BAM!, it's standing on third with a triple.
Batting third and playing Shortstop, The Golden Gate Bridge. I figure no hits will get by this mess o' cables, and the Bridge is pretty powerful--all that steel--that it would be a crime not to put it in the heart of the order.
Batting clean up and playing Center Field, Bigfoot Monster Truck. Monster trucks can cover a lot of ground, make impressive flying leaps, stunning crashes, and perhaps best of all, tear up the base paths and do celebratory donuts on the way back to the dugout after a home run.
Batting fifth and playing First Base, Allen Fisher. The 25-time arm wrestling champion should be able to make snap tags on runners, and carry an intimidating bat in the number five hole.
Batting sixth and playing Left Field, Davy Crockett. Left field, in my estimation, is the baseball equivalent to the wild frontier. Crockett should feel right at home.
Batting seventh and catching, Frederick Douglass. Douglass is a great on-field leader, sending signs to the pitcher and other players. He stinks at the plate.
Batting eighth and playing Right Field, The Gateway Arch. Gateway's father owns the team. Team would do better defensively to not have a right fielder. Terrible at the plate.
Batting ninth and pitching, James Fenimore Cooper. Coop brings the heat on five pitches: fastball, spitball, curve, change-up, and the Chingachgook (sort of like an old-fashioned Gyro-ball pitch).
Pinch Hitter, Kosuke Fukudome. You know, just in case.
A Woolly Mammoth Walks into Topps
This is on the bottom of every box of 2008 Topps Allen & Ginter. But did you notice who makes up Relics: Group B?
That's right. Woolly Mammoth. If we just suspend disbelief for a second, why does Mr. Woolly Mammoth get his own Group?
[phone rings]
Topps HQ: Hello?
W.M.'s Agent: Hi Jack, it's Herb. Look, Woolly's not feeling so good. He's not gonna be able to make it. He's tellin' me it's food poisoning or something.
Topps HQ: Herb, tell me you're kidding. Don't pull a Pete Rose on me now, buddy. Not now. Look, we got Megalodon to reschedule for this. And Abe Lincoln's people have been on my ass all week. Just give Mammoth an Alka Seltzer or something and tell him to be a man.
W.M.'s Agent: Jack, I'm telling you. He's in a foul mood. For one thing, the Four Seasons has already told me they're gonna charge us extra for the housekeeping. This New York weather is absolutely killing Woolly's fur. It's just coming off all over everything... Look, can't we just do it another day? How about Saturday?
Topps HQ: Herb, no. First of all, Eisner wants to be there, and he doesn't come in on the weekends. Second, do you want to take Mammoth down Broadway on a Saturday? Don't kid me, Herb. Let's not even go there. Third, Mammoth's gonna get out of bed and be down here tomorrow with the rest of Group A, so there's no point in discussing it further... Herb? You still with me?
[muffled talking on the other end. Woolly Mammoth takes the phone]
Woolly Mammoth: Now you listen to me, you little shit! You ever eat sushi on a Monday? No? Let me tell you something––don't do it! Herbie's been in here laying down newspaper all afternoon, God bless him. I'm not going down there tomorrow, I don't care who you got to reschedule. I ain't even getting out of bed. Megalodon can kiss my big furry ass! Herbie! You talk to him.
W.M.'s Agent: Look, Jack. You see what I mean? You don't want him in there tomorrow.
Topps HQ: Fine Herb, fine! We gotta make it Monday then. I'll book a sketch artist. Make sure Mammoth's there 10AM sharp. No bullshit on this Herb. We got a waiting list on this one that we'll tap if there's another screwup like this.
W.M.'s Agent: Great Jack. No problems. 10AM Monday it is.
Topps HQ: [sigh] OK... I guess we'll just have to call it 'Group B...'
[another phone rings in Topps HQ office]
Topps HQ: Herb, I gotta take this... Now Lincoln wants to bring his own makeup artist... Goddamn it...
***
(2 years ago I did a 6-Pack Analysis of 1989 Donruss. I think it's high time we brought that idea back. Starting later tonight: 2008 Topps Allen & Ginter 6-Pack Analysis.)
That's right. Woolly Mammoth. If we just suspend disbelief for a second, why does Mr. Woolly Mammoth get his own Group?
[phone rings]
Topps HQ: Hello?
W.M.'s Agent: Hi Jack, it's Herb. Look, Woolly's not feeling so good. He's not gonna be able to make it. He's tellin' me it's food poisoning or something.
Topps HQ: Herb, tell me you're kidding. Don't pull a Pete Rose on me now, buddy. Not now. Look, we got Megalodon to reschedule for this. And Abe Lincoln's people have been on my ass all week. Just give Mammoth an Alka Seltzer or something and tell him to be a man.
W.M.'s Agent: Jack, I'm telling you. He's in a foul mood. For one thing, the Four Seasons has already told me they're gonna charge us extra for the housekeeping. This New York weather is absolutely killing Woolly's fur. It's just coming off all over everything... Look, can't we just do it another day? How about Saturday?
Topps HQ: Herb, no. First of all, Eisner wants to be there, and he doesn't come in on the weekends. Second, do you want to take Mammoth down Broadway on a Saturday? Don't kid me, Herb. Let's not even go there. Third, Mammoth's gonna get out of bed and be down here tomorrow with the rest of Group A, so there's no point in discussing it further... Herb? You still with me?
[muffled talking on the other end. Woolly Mammoth takes the phone]
Woolly Mammoth: Now you listen to me, you little shit! You ever eat sushi on a Monday? No? Let me tell you something––don't do it! Herbie's been in here laying down newspaper all afternoon, God bless him. I'm not going down there tomorrow, I don't care who you got to reschedule. I ain't even getting out of bed. Megalodon can kiss my big furry ass! Herbie! You talk to him.
W.M.'s Agent: Look, Jack. You see what I mean? You don't want him in there tomorrow.
Topps HQ: Fine Herb, fine! We gotta make it Monday then. I'll book a sketch artist. Make sure Mammoth's there 10AM sharp. No bullshit on this Herb. We got a waiting list on this one that we'll tap if there's another screwup like this.
W.M.'s Agent: Great Jack. No problems. 10AM Monday it is.
Topps HQ: [sigh] OK... I guess we'll just have to call it 'Group B...'
[another phone rings in Topps HQ office]
Topps HQ: Herb, I gotta take this... Now Lincoln wants to bring his own makeup artist... Goddamn it...
***
(2 years ago I did a 6-Pack Analysis of 1989 Donruss. I think it's high time we brought that idea back. Starting later tonight: 2008 Topps Allen & Ginter 6-Pack Analysis.)
June 05, 2008
The Year is 3 MGCE (Modern Gimmick Card Era)
I've been thinking about gimmick cards the last few days and about a comment left on a previous post. The comment asked how I could label something both 'tiresome and predictable' and 'fun.' Here's what I meant.
Gimmick cards, when handled individually, are fun. Whether a dopey parody, a card written in Japanese or an obviously doctored photo, it's fun to get a card that's different from the rest of the set.
But then step back and look at the Gimmick Card Era our hobby has fallen into. It's an idea that's now central to the livelihood of the hobby. Every year there's a new handful of cards that don't really have anything to do with the rest of their sets. Their presence feels a little cheap to me. Like maybe the hobby's hit hard times.
It makes me think that maybe companies have lost their focus and are a little too in love with generating publicity. That maybe instead of (or most likely in addition to) resorting to gimmicks a company should invest more in making their product(s) better. By 'better' I really mean 'less sloppy': cutting out unintentional errors, using higher quality photography and greenlighting a more cohesive card design.
By elevating the overall strength of the set, gimmick cards don't have to do too much of the heavy lifting and collectors don't feel as disappointed if/when they don't find one in their pack or box.
To summarize: Gimmick cards: Fun (individually). The Gimmick Era: a tiresome and predictable skein of publicity stunts that hides the true sloppiness of the products involved.
The title of this post refers to the current year in the Gimmick Card Era. I'm torn as to when the era starts, so I've slapped 'Modern' on the front and had it start in 2006.
Gimmick cards, when handled individually, are fun. Whether a dopey parody, a card written in Japanese or an obviously doctored photo, it's fun to get a card that's different from the rest of the set.
But then step back and look at the Gimmick Card Era our hobby has fallen into. It's an idea that's now central to the livelihood of the hobby. Every year there's a new handful of cards that don't really have anything to do with the rest of their sets. Their presence feels a little cheap to me. Like maybe the hobby's hit hard times.
It makes me think that maybe companies have lost their focus and are a little too in love with generating publicity. That maybe instead of (or most likely in addition to) resorting to gimmicks a company should invest more in making their product(s) better. By 'better' I really mean 'less sloppy': cutting out unintentional errors, using higher quality photography and greenlighting a more cohesive card design.
By elevating the overall strength of the set, gimmick cards don't have to do too much of the heavy lifting and collectors don't feel as disappointed if/when they don't find one in their pack or box.
To summarize: Gimmick cards: Fun (individually). The Gimmick Era: a tiresome and predictable skein of publicity stunts that hides the true sloppiness of the products involved.
The title of this post refers to the current year in the Gimmick Card Era. I'm torn as to when the era starts, so I've slapped 'Modern' on the front and had it start in 2006.
June 02, 2008
Here's a Gimmick: Make Your Base Set Better
I'm on the road this week in the Pacific Northwest. So without complete and steady access to a computer, the first thing I did in my brief Internet session today was check out Stale Gum to see what's been on Chris Harris' mind about cards lately. After reading his complete rundown on Topps gimmick cards, I agreed with his assessment: these cards are bullshit.
Sometime last year after Topps rolled out their Derek Jeter "error" card, I warned that Topps should watch out or people would start to wonder about their motive surrounding the sudden appearance of other high-profile "error" cards. Well, patterns have developed. In 2006 we had Alex Gordon. 2007 brought us Jeter. And now for 2008 we're awash in a veritable tidal wave of errors, variations and gimmicks. It's that last word (gimmicks) that's really a slap in the face of the collector.
Maybe the card companies see the gimmick cards as public relations efforts within the base set, or loss leaders (like relic and autographed cards) to help sell packs. I don't know. What I do know is that their presence is tiresome, relentless and completely predictable. But are they fun? Sure, they're fun, but shouldn't the fun be in the base set? Shouldn't every card be fun?
I'm going to re-issue my warning: Card companies Topps and Upper Deck should know better, by now, of falling into the gimmick trap. You need to sell more cards? Make the core of your base set better.
Sometime last year after Topps rolled out their Derek Jeter "error" card, I warned that Topps should watch out or people would start to wonder about their motive surrounding the sudden appearance of other high-profile "error" cards. Well, patterns have developed. In 2006 we had Alex Gordon. 2007 brought us Jeter. And now for 2008 we're awash in a veritable tidal wave of errors, variations and gimmicks. It's that last word (gimmicks) that's really a slap in the face of the collector.
Maybe the card companies see the gimmick cards as public relations efforts within the base set, or loss leaders (like relic and autographed cards) to help sell packs. I don't know. What I do know is that their presence is tiresome, relentless and completely predictable. But are they fun? Sure, they're fun, but shouldn't the fun be in the base set? Shouldn't every card be fun?
I'm going to re-issue my warning: Card companies Topps and Upper Deck should know better, by now, of falling into the gimmick trap. You need to sell more cards? Make the core of your base set better.
May 28, 2008
Taking Bullshit to New Heights
Some heavy stuff 'round here lately, eh? Seems the hobby might not be as rosy-tinted as I'd like to believe. Lucky for me, the card companies are in an arms race for who can make the craziest bullshit cards. This has been going on for decades, but only now does it seem to be really out of control.
A few years ago I did an interview for Midweek's Take One where I said that I was waiting for a card of Johnny Damon's beard shavings from when he left the Red Sox to join the facial hair-less Yankees. And if not that, then a sweat-drenched card of anyone in particular, as that was the way things were going circa early 2006. So don't you love it when life answers your prayers?
First Topps included a strand of George Washington's favorite powdered wig. And now Upper Deck is taking it a step further: The Hair Cut Signatures series, to be released over at least two products (SP Legendary Baseball and Piece of History Baseball). You got your Babe Ruth, your George Washington, an Andrew Jackson, Abe Lincoln and Alexander Hamilton. What, no Chester A. Arthur?
Each card will include a strand of hair and a cut signature. See, I'd be more impressed if Upper Deck had built a time machine and sent a sunglasses-clad Richard McWilliam with Sharpie in hand back to get Hamilton et al to sign on the card. Also, it would be interesting to see if McWilliam's actions in the past changed the present enough to make Upper Deck disappear.
March 23, 2008
Errors in My Heritage
It's funny really. For all their bluster about special Smoltz and Santana variations, 2008 Topps Heritage has its share of actual errors. Take Edwin Encarnacion and his identical twin, Juan Encarnacion.
Or the two Jerry Owenses. To quote the newest inane Bud Lite ad: Dude. I mean, c'mon Topps, this is pathetic. You want give me two different cards of a player? Then give me two completely different Jacoby Ellsburys or Pedro Martinezes. Not two Jerry Owenses. (And yes, the Owens backs are almost entirely different.)
Or the two Jerry Owenses. To quote the newest inane Bud Lite ad: Dude. I mean, c'mon Topps, this is pathetic. You want give me two different cards of a player? Then give me two completely different Jacoby Ellsburys or Pedro Martinezes. Not two Jerry Owenses. (And yes, the Owens backs are almost entirely different.)
March 10, 2008
Card Critic Review: 2008 Topps Heritage
I have a few reasons. First, what does the word heritage mean? My cheap-ass dictionary has its meaning as valued objects and qualities such as cultural traditions, unspoiled countryside, and historic buildings that have been passed down from previous generations. So then by this definition, when exactly does the ‘unspoiled countryside’ era for Topps end? I think it has to end with 1959 (that’s when Fleer came on the market and stole Ted Williams). You could make a case that Fleer showing up in ’59 meant the same thing to Topps as the Bowman competition from 1951 to the buyout in 1955, but Topps/Fleer didn’t end the way Topps/Bowman ended and besides, Fleer is now owned by Upper Deck. You could also make the case that Fleer showing up really didn’t (and shouldn’t) mean very much when we’re talking about Topps Heritage, but I think that simply because there was competition (and that Topps doesn’t now own that competitor), no matter how hard Topps tried, their countryside was no longer unspoiled.
Second reason: If Heritage doesn’t end with the Fifties, it’ll end up being a runaway train. I’m a big fan of Topps design from the Sixties all the way up to 1978, but will collectors really want to go for Heritage ’78 in 2027? Maybe I’m in the minority, but I want Topps to be more original than Heritage by then. As a rejoinder to this point, there was an oft-maligned brand a few years ago called Upper Deck Vintage. These sets came out right when Heritage debuted, with Upper Deck pilfering the Topps design vault for three years worth of sets: 1963, 1965 and 1971 (and there was a fourth set, in 2004, but now I can’t remember what that set was supposed to emulate). The point of adding this is that you’ll get no argument from me that Heritage sets featuring these three designs wouldn’t be gorgeous, but Upper Deck’s beaten them to the punch. If anything, Topps should retire the name ‘Topps Heritage’ and call the remaining sets ‘Topps Classic.’
Third reason: A set like Heritage has to toe the line like other sets in today's variation-crazed environment. The intentional misprint and variation are enjoying renewed popularity these days at One Whitehall Street. No brand or set is safe, and Heritage is no exception. Black backs, misspelled names, alternate team uniforms—it’s a lot to pay attention to, especially in addition to the requisite Chrome, Refractors and black-bordered Chrome parallels, plus all the other inserts. And the short-printed cards, mustn’t forget about those… In the end it’s all so tiresome, you know? It almost feels like you have to peel away all these layers just to get to the set.
And that’s the rub: Heritage should first and foremost be about the set, but because it’s Topps (which is almost approaching a mid-Nineties-Fleer level in terms of number of different inserts competing for attention), and because it’s been created and released in the company’s current bells-and-whistles-and-hidden-shit environment, it’s not about the set.
Out of the four shrink-wrapped boxes sent over from Dave and Adam’s Card World (part of the D & A agreement with The Blog), I’ve opened three. Do I have a set? No. Should I? You’re goddamned right I should. 72 packs in and I’m missing at least 50 cards, plus God knows how many untold variations. And that’s just the base set. What’s the deal with that? For set builders, getting an insert in a pack means getting one less card towards completing the set. Add in a healthy amount of doubles and triples—anybody need a Russell Martin?—and very soon you’re in my position. In any case, even if this isn’t the last set we see out of Topps Heritage, it’s definitely the last new set I’ll collect.
It’s good to end on a high note, you know? For all the crap I just spewed about the inserts, the base Heritage ’59 set holds high notes in spades: The classic design; the checklist homage; the team card checklists; the titles of the combo cards; the color spectrum on the fronts; the return of the facsimile autograph; the stealth airbrushing; the rookie parade; the modern green on red (and even black on red) of the backs; the cartoons; the curves and e.e. cummings sans serif Helveltica typography in the spotlight on the front; the squares and straight lines dominating the backs. Even the photographs (usually a Heritage low point) are consistently sharp. The only noticeable drawback for me is the Heritage logo on the front. It seems larger within this design than it has in years past. It’s too bad they couldn’t have relegated it to the back or done it as a watermark.
I also like that the Topps photo editors didn’t shy away from going with photos that show just how pissed off, high or completely out of it a given player is, which rings true to the original photo choices made in 1959. A large number of players squinted their eyes and contemplated the universe in the original, while today's players all seem to be thinking You want me to stand look/stand where? It's great.
Tonight I re-read my review of 2006 Heritage, and while I had high hopes going in for that set and came away disappointed, it thrills me all the more that this year’s set is a winner. It’s a perfect way to retire a brand.
February 18, 2008
2008 Topps Series 1: Collation Continued
Pack 19
158. Jose Bautista
40. Miguel Tejada
264. Byung-Hyun Kim
142. Chris Duncan
242. Manny Acta
INSERT: Year in Review Bartolo Colon
TOPPS OF THE CLASS FILLER
250. Jonathan Papelbon
210. Mark Teahen
184. Tadahito Iguchi
Only nine cards in the pack.
Pack 20
17. Cristian Guzman
254. David Murphy
61. AL Leaders: Home Runs
155. Carlos Zambrano
272. Anthony Reyes
127. Steve Pearce
INSERT: Mickey Mantle Story #50
INSERT: Trading Card History Teixeira/Francoeur
67. Wes Helms
237. Eric Wedge
Pack 21
134. Matt Stairs
105. Roger Clemens
330. Curtis Granderson
106. Josh Bard
149. Luke Hochevar
195. Todd Helton
INSERT: Gold Foil Zach Duke
TOPPS OF THE CLASS FILLER
176. Troy Patton
230. Roy Halladay
125. Tim Hudson
Pack 22
145. Magglio Ordonez
223. Odalis Perez
181. AL Leaders: Saves
197. Melky Cabrera
48. Zach Duke
INSERT: Year in Review Randy Johnson
INSERT: Gold Foil Melky Cabrera
Checklist 2/3
293. Gavin Floyd
102. Ross Ohlendorf
132. Ramon Vasquez
Pack 23
110. Justin Morneau
249. Chris Sampson
15. AL Leaders: Batting Average
265. Fredi Gonzalez
44. Jonathan Broxton
INSERT: Year in Review Jeff Kent
INSERT: Gold Foil Carlos Zambrano
TOPPS OF THE CLASS FILLER
277. Aubrey Huff
151. Adam Loewen
156. Brandon McCarthy
Pack 24
218. Clint Hurdle
101. NL ROY Ryan Braun
311. Jeremy Guthrie
186. Lastings Milledge
255. Brandon Phillips
INSERT: Own the Game Matt Holliday
INSERT: Gold Foil Steve Pearce
TOPPS OF THE CLASS FILLER
1. Alex Rodriguez
253. Bronson Sardinha
68. Kevin Millar
Pack 25
103. Jonathan Albaladejo
113. Kevin Frandsen
73. Mike Napoli
177. Josh Anderson
192. Jim Edmonds
69. Bobby Cox
INSERT: All-Rookie Team Darryl Strawberry
INSERT: Gold Foil Lastings Milledge
TOPPS OF THE CLASS FILLER
163. Doug Davis
318. Ned Yost
Pack 26
187. Dustin McGowan
120. Andruw Jones
160. Ben Sheets
282. Jon Lester
305. Carlos Delgado
47. Orlando Cabrera
INSERT: All-Rookie Team Brad Wilkerson
INSERT: Trading Card History 1983 Topps Tim Lincecum
TOPPS ROOKIE VOTE FILLER
96. Sam Fuld
221. Ian Snell
Pack 27
261. Josh Barfield
107. Shawn Green
98. Classic Combos: Howard & Utley
87. Maicer Izturis
274. Jermaine Dye
246. Jason Isringhausen
INSERT: All-Rookie Team Ichiro
INSERT: Trading Card History 1895 Mayo Cut Plug Roger Clemens
150. Alfonso Soriano
263. Nook Logan
Pack 28
190. Russell Martin
10. Miguel Cabrera
247. Edgar Gonzalez
216. Ryan Garko
20. Daisuke Matsuzaka
300. Chien-Ming Wang
INSERT: Fred Thompson Candidate
TOPPS ROOKIE VOTE FILLER
38. Preston Wilson
121. Mike Cameron
308. Felipe Lopez
Pack 29
94. Bud Black
4. Rick Ankiel
131. Norris Hopper
266. Ryan Doumit
214. C.J. Wilson
INSERT: World Champions Auto Relic Manny Ramirez (#40/50)
INSERT: Gold Foil Lenny DiNardo
Checklist 1/3
297. Jorge Posada
Pack contains eight cards.
Pack 30
209. Andy Phillips
251. Dan Johnson
12. Jason Bartlett
285. Tony LaRussa
91. Marcus Giles
INSERT: Year in Review Fred Lewis
INSERT: Gold Foil Brian McCann
Checklist 2/3
111. Ubaldo Jimenez
95. John Lackey
290. Edgar Renteria
Pack 31
108. B.J. Ryan
130. Justin Upton
287. Classic Combos: Morneau, Santana, Mauer
199. Adrian Beltre
30. Jimmy Rollins
89. Josh Willingham
INSERT: Mickey Mantle HR History #524
TOPPS ROOKIE VOTE FILLER
245. Dan Haren
329. Lou Piniella
212. Moises Alou
Pack 32
227. Alfredo Amezaga
35. Cole Hamels
58. NL Leaders: RBIs
14. Lenny DiNardo
173. Jamie Moyer
294. Brian McCann
INSERT: Mickey Mantle HR History #525
TOPPS ROOKIE VOTE FILLER
51. Erik Bedard
11. Yorvit Torrealba
36. Brendan Harris
Pack 33
153. Luis Mendoza
140. Brandon Webb
180. Jose Valverde
232. Clay Buchholz
191. Orlando Hudson
154. David Ross
INSERT: World Series Champions Red Sox Gold Bordered (#1450/2008)
13. Kendry Morales
193. J.J. Hardy
171. John Maine
Pack 34
208. David DeJesus
215. Bobby Jenks
63. Jason Michaels
203. Jason Tyner
133. Mike Bacsir
85. Jason Bay
INSERT: Lance Broadway Gold Bordered (#1953/2008)
138. Dan Wheeler
248. Jose Contreras
278. Xavier Nady
Pack 35
243. Akinori Iwamura
152. Bronson Arroyo
24. AL Leaders - RBIs
146. Aaron Hill
79. Omar Vizquel
165. Tim Lincecum
INSERT: Hillary Clinton Candidate
271. Chad Tracy
70. Dan Uggla
157. Tim Redding
Pack 36
100. Ryan Howard
295. Tim Wakefield
54. Victor Martinez
22. Ron Washington
84. Brian Fuentes
279. Damion Easley
INSERT: All-Rookie Team Francisco Liriano
INSERT: Gold Foil Anthony Reyes
Checklist 1/3
37. Jason Marquis
205. Gil Meche
I got 8 checklists, 9 Topps Rookie Vote cards and 10 Topps of the Class. So your chance of getting one of these three cards in a pack, per box, is
Checklist: 22%
Vote card: 25%
Class card: 28%
As far as overall box collation goes, I got 294/330 (89%) of the base set, with only 10 doubles. I didn't really expect to be able to learn very much about the actual order of card distribution, as one box is probably not the best population to work with. If I had opened two boxes, then this experiment would work (with at least a little bit more success).
The idea of collation has always intrigued me. As part of my old job I got to attend press checks at various printers around the New York City area, so I've become more familiar with the print process. Inevitably, on these visits I thought about card printing, cutting, collation and distribution. I've decided that Actual Card Distribution is not random. In fact, I'd hypothesize that it's very ordered. Cards are printed in large sheets, then cut down, so those cards printed next to each other are probably going to be found in packs together. If you get Card A, then you'll get Card B, Card C, and so forth. I know this is true for 1989-90 NBA Hoops Series I: if you got Larry Bird's regular card, there was a very good likelihood you'd also get David Robinson's supposedly short-printed rookie. Two summers ago I ripped a box of that set and pulled four Birds and four Robinsons. It's a little harder to pinpoint what inserts you'll get, but judging from the amount of supposed 'hot packs' for sale on eBay, someone thinks they've found a way. I don't condone feeling up packs for big ticket inserts, buying 'hot packs' on eBay or the dealers who sell them, but I've always found those who think they've found a way to beat the system interesting.
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