Monday, July 11, 2011

How to Fit 84 MLB All-Stars into the 2011 Topps Update Series Set.

So I'm looking over the preliminary checklist for the 2011 Topps Update Series, and unless I counted incorrectly, the checklist makes room for 60 TBD All-Stars.  For kicks, here are the card numbers the Topps Company reserved for the All-Stars:
 

US4 TBD All-Star

US10 TBD All-Star

US14 TBD All-Star

US18 TBD All-Star

US20 TBD All-Star

US21 TBD All-Star

US31 TBD All-Star

US38 TBD All-Star

US42 TBD All-Star

US43 TBD All-Star

US49 TBD All-Star

US50 TBD All-Star

US52 TBD All-Star

US58 TBD All-Star

US59 TBD All-Star

US60 TBD All-Star

US68 TBD All-Star

US75 TBD All-Star

US84 TBD All-Star

US85 TBD All-Star

US91 TBD All-Star

US98 TBD All-Star

US105 TBD All-Star

US109 TBD All-Star

US113 TBD All-Star

US118 TBD All-Star

US130 TBD All-Star

US138 TBD All-Star

US140 TBD All-Star

US143 TBD All-Star

US144 TBD All-Star

US146 TBD All-Star

US147 TBD All-Star

US154 TBD All-Star

US162 TBD All-Star

US163 TBD All-Star

US172 TBD All-Star

US195 TBD All-Star

US204 TBD All-Star

US207 TBD All-Star

US229 TBD All-Star

US230 TBD All-Star

US238 TBD All-Star

US249 TBD All-Star

US258 TBD All-Star

US260 TBD All-Star

US268 TBD All-Star

US273 TBD All-Star

US275 TBD All-Star

US278 TBD All-Star

US287 TBD All-Star

US291 TBD All-Star

US293 TBD All-Star

US304 TBD All-Star

US306 TBD All-Star

US309 TBD All-Star

US310 TBD All-Star

US316 TBD All-Star

US321 TBD All-Star

US323 TBD All-Star

 
I also noticed that Topps has 8 cards slotted for the participants in the 2011 Home Run Derby.  Here are the eight card numbers reserved for the following players:  Prince Fielder, Rickie Weeks, Matt Holliday, Matt Kemp, David Ortiz, Adrian Gonzalez, Jose Bautista, and Robinson Cano.
 

US6 TBD HR Derby

US78 TBD HR Derby

US80 TBD HR Derby

US126 TBD HR Derby

US127 TBD HR Derby

US218 TBD HR Derby

US242 TBD HR Derby

US299 TBD HR Derby

 
I know in the past few years that the Update & Highlights/Update Series set includes the players who made the All-Star teams.  But there's a slight problem.
 
See, there are 68 players on the active rosters.  And there were 16 other players who were named and then replaced because of injury, Sunday ineligibility, or decision to stay home.  That's 84 players total.  And there are only 60 cards reserved for the All-Stars.
 
I know that there are players who Topps has not signed that will participate in Tuesday's game (cough...Wieters...cough).  My concern is that somehow, Topps is going to include some of the 16 players who ARE no longer on the active rosters, even if they are going to be in Phoenix to take in the atmosphere, thus keeping someone who might actually get in the game from getting an All-Star Game card.  Meaning a guy like Justin Verlander may get a card, even if he's off the active roster, and his replacement Michael Pineda of the Mariners won't (if you're a Verlander collector, please don't send me a nasty e-mail about this...I'm not picking on the guy...this is just an example...replace Verlander with any of the other 15 guys taken off the squads...and you get the idea).
 
The ideal solution here is that Topps keep the 8 All-Stars who are participating in the Home Run Derby and leave the remaining 60 spots for all the other players on the active All-Star teams.  You don't need to have both a Rickie Weeks Home Run Derby card AND an All-Star card (if you're a Weeks collector, please see the note about Verlander).  You can put both the All-Star logo AND the Home Run Derby logo on their cards.  Throw in an extra logo because all 8 are in the starting lineup for the actual game. 
 
I just don't want to see an All-Star card of CC Sabathia (who was named as a replacement, but was also deemed ineligible because of the Sunday rule) and find out that Aaron Crow of the Royals (who was actually named to the original roster) won't be included in the subset.  And no offense to Shane Victorino, but I'm not going to be too thrilled if I see you AND Andre Ethier with the All-Star Logo on your card, even if you won the Final Man roster spot. 

Get the idea?  Let's save these subset cards for the players who are actually on the official rosters.
 
Now I know that the heads of Topps don't really read this blog.  But in the off-chance that they do...
 
Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

1 comment:

John Bateman said...

Why does each all star get an individual card. Give up group shots of players around the batting cage. For teams with more than one player on the team give us some floating heads cards.

Better yet, forget all-star cards in the update. Get rid of them. Slap an all-star banner on the players regular 2012 Topps Baseball card. I like that the best