Return of the Bullpen Cart

OK this is ancient news since it happened back in 2018. For some baseball fans it isn't anything special to write about, but to some old-timers like myself it reaches back to our childhoods. I'm talking about the bullpen carts, modified golf carts designed to look like a motorized batting helmet. Back in the late 1960s and early 1970s the MLB had bullpen carts to escort relief pitchers onto the field. Actually now-days they drive around the warning track. They probably did that back then as well, my recollection of them are more vivid because of the plastic toys of the time. More so the NFL helmet carts which were the carts they drive onto the field to take severely injured players off the field. The football carts of course had that full football helmet design. Back in the day the baseball carts were more shaped like a baseball cap and the carts for both sports looked a bit bulky.

So for the 2018 baseball season the bullpen cart returned. The design uses a batting helmet for the main body and the support bars are shaped like bats. The Arizona Diamondbacks were the team to debut the new wave of bullpen carts. If memory serves it was the Washington Nationals then closer Sean Doolittle who was the first pitcher to use it. Maybe he was the first visiting pitcher.

Long story short Topps made a Topps Now card to celebrate the event (there is even an Allen & Ginter card that I plan on getting) I eventually got it. I waited way too long to get it at the original under ten dollars prices. I even went through a period of it not being available on Ebay for a few months. When it finally did come back the prices were super high, higher than I like to pay. Anyway I eventually paid $15 for a copy. I almost had to go up to $20 or more. Also of interest with this card is the seller sent the Topps Now packet "case" the cards come in when you get them directly from Topps and not from some dealer who has already opened the pack to scan the card for their listings.

So here is the card:
Front:

Back:

and the packet/envelope front:

Mascot Monday: D. Baxter Bobcat

D. Baxter The Bobcat 

 Arizona Diamondbacks 2000 - Present

This Monday we feature the mascot of the Arizona Diamondbacks D. Baxter The Bobcat. Baxter became the mascot on 23 June, 2000. The explanation of his name is a bit corny but it is a fun story. Besides having a bobcat as a mascot is more fun than having a snake as a mascot. There is a minor league team that has a mascot named "fangs" which is a typical mascot with a funny head his funny head happens to be a snake head. Anyway the story goes something like this. Baxter got his name from Brantley Bell the son of original D-Backs player Jay Bell who played on the Diamondbacks from their inaugural season 1998 to 2002. The team's nickname is the "D-Backs" (D. Baxter) and before the team's stadium was called "Chase Field" it was "Bank One Ballpark" nicknamed "Bob" (Bob as in Bobcat). OK a ballpark nicknamed Bob lets just show Baxter's card.

 2010 Topps Opening Day Baseball Mascots M1 Baxter The Bobcat Diamondbacks

(Front and Back)

I am always on the lookout for Mascot cards. I also accept Mascot Postcards and team issued promo cards/photos of mascots.

To see previous Mascot Monday posts click here. 

2004 MLB Showdown Card Game 11 pack

A while Back  (WOW back on 20 May) I had gotten some packs of cards from Target that I mentioned in this post Target Fairfield Value Pack Box This package consisted of 4 packs of baseball cards, 100 random baseball cards and a bonus of an additional pack of cards. I already mentioned the cards I got, but I decided I would show some of them. The few from the packs anyway, the 100 card deck I might only show a few choice ones. I haven't decided on that yet. I like getting these boxes/packages from time to time but I had forgotten that they "super" glue (it's not really the super-glue brand but the glue is really tough) the packs on the box supporting cardboard, making it nearly impossible to pull the packs off totally intact for those collectors who like to keep the pack wrappers.

BONUS PACK!

2004 MLB Showdown Card Game -
Trading Deadline Edition

(11 card pack)

I first became aware of this series/game when I got a Nick Johnson card (I've got to check that one out to see what his card says you are to do in the game, and to scan it someday). Anyway this is a CCG (Collectible Card Game) or TCG (Trading Card Game). I"m not sure how you play this game, or how long it takes, but I sure like these cards for some reason. I think I'll try to get the base set (how many hundreds of cards that is. I just researched and found they started making cards for this game in 2000 and ran the production each year until 2005 so six years worth. OK so make that 1,000s of cards). Anyway the set mixes in some game Legends and Vintage Hall of Fame players as well. It wasn't until I had scanned the pack wrapper and tried finding some of these cards on sportlots that I noticed I had the "Trading Deadline" Edition. Uh-oh that means it's more and more like Magic The Gathering as I feared. Maybe I won't go for a complete set, maybe just my fave teams, super stars and hall of famers.

There are two card backs since these cards are intended to be used for a game.  The base players backs are plain silver/gray while the "strategy" cards (The ones with the plays on them) are still silver/gray but with a red border.

2004 MLB Showdown Card Game - Player Card Back

 

2004 MLB Showdown Card Game - Play Strategy Card Back

010 Khalil Greene Padres

014 Brian Schneider Expos (Kool)

065 Randy Johnson D'Backs

066 John Burkett Red Sox

097 Jay Payton Padres

115 Roger Clemens Blue Jays
Chromy thing +5 Control card '97 Super Season

117 Luis Aparicio White Sox

(Cooperstown Collection)

118 Lou Brock Cards

(Cooperstown Collection)

S1 Dialed-in Offense Padres

S15 Great Reactions Defense Mets

S21 Feast Or Famine Utility Giants

Player Checklist 5/8

2004 MLB Showdown Game Instructions
(Back of Checklist Card)

2007 Upper Deck Baseball Series Two pack

A while Back  (WOW back on 20 May) I had gotten some packs of cards from Target that I mentioned in this post Target Fairfield Value Pack Box This package consisted of 4 packs of baseball cards, 100 random baseball cards and a bonus of an additional pack of cards. I already mentioned the cards I got, but I decided I would show some of them. The few from the packs anyway, the 100 card deck I might only show a few choice ones. I haven't decided on that yet. I like getting these boxes/packages from time to time but I had forgotten that they "super" glue (it's not really the super-glue brand but the glue is really tough) the packs on the box supporting cardboard, making it nearly impossible to pull the packs off totally intact for those collectors who like to keep the pack wrappers.

2007 Upper Deck Baseball Series Two (8 count pack)

I am mixed about this series like I am about many of Upper Deck's standard issues. Part of it is the shiny silver almost invisible print/font they use for the players name on the front. Also the design with the thin piping on the sides with the barely legible writing of the team and the player's position I'm no fan of. The backs are fairly standard and I think are OK with the stats and the mono-colored head shot of the player. I'm still not sure if I'll try to chase the base set or not (I first noticed this design with the football cards of the same year, not impressed the first time I saw it). I will probably only pursue the Washington Nationals and the Baltimore Orioles that I need from this set.

2007 Upper Deck Series 2 Baseball - Sample Back

Here are the Eight cards I pulled from this pack (in number order not pulled order I forget what that was) with some silly little captions I made up for the images:

528 Stephen Drew D'Backs

"Ouch Charlie Horse, Charlie Horse"

586 J.D. Drew Red Sox

(a second player with surname Drew)

Looks like he's holding some sort of batting seminar.

779 Olmedo Saenz Dodgers

"See the ball, see the ball, no wait watch the ball watch it go."

822 Tom Glavine Mets

"Gotta run home, gotta run home. UhOH I'm tipping over."

845 Alex Rodriguez Yankees

"Huh? What's under there?"

895 Brad Eldred Pirates

"Welcome home Brad, On behalf of your teammates..."

904 Jake Peavy Padres

"1-800-Dial-A-Pitch"

948 Kelvin Jimenez Cards

"Now follow through..."

 Plus this Expired contest/game code