Wednesday, March 25, 2015

2015 Topps Team Set Preliminary Checklists

As the 2015 MLB season is almost upon us, it is time for the writer of this humble, little blog, to do a bit of Internet searching. What for, you may ask?

For any information regarding the 2015 Topps Retail Sets.

In fact, last night I received a Twitter message from a guy named Edgar (@eg9413) asking:

@eg9413: @bdj610 Any info on whether Topps is making the retail team sets for baseball this year?

My response:

@bdj610: @eg9413 I've been looking, info normally comes out just about now. As soon as I find anything, I'll post online.

Well, guess what I found this morning??!

Images (if you want to call them that) and checklists of 30 of the 32 team sets for 2015 (for some reason, my source did not have any information for the Athletics nor the Padres).


Yes, this is what the blister pack should look like for the team sets (which should match the color border of your team...most are blue, and there are some reds, some oranges, a purple for the Rockies and I'm thinking one green for the Athletics. No cards yet, but the checklists are worth a look.

Please note that these are always subject to change:

Arizona Diamondbacks
  • AD-1 Paul Goldschmidt
  • AD-2 Trevor Cahill
  • AD-3 Chris Owings
  • AD-4 Aaron Hill
  • AD-5 Jake Lamb
  • AD-6 Tuffy Gosewisch
  • AD-7 Patrick Corbin
  • AD-8 David Peralta
  • AD-9 Addison Reed
  • AD-10 Cody Ross
  • AD-11 A.J. Pollock
  • AD-12 Mark Trumbo
  • AD-13 Bronson Arroyo
  • AD-14 Jeremy Hellickson
  • AD-15 Daniel Hudson
  • AD-16 Josh Collmenter
  • AD-17 Brad Ziegler
Atlanta Braves
  • AB-1 Freddie Freeman
  • AB-2 Shelby Miller
  • AB-3 Chris Johnson
  • AB-4 Alberto Callaspo
  • AB-5 Mike Minor
  • AB-6 James Russell
  • AB-7 Julio Teheran
  • AB-8 B.J. Upton
  • AB-9 Arodys Vizcaino
  • AB-10 Christian Bethancourt
  • AB-11 Zoilo Almonte
  • AB-12 Andrelton Simmons
  • AB-13 Nick Markakis
  • AB-14 Alex Wood
  • AB-15 Craig Kimbrel
  • AB-16 A.J. Pierzynski
  • AB-17 Jason Grilli
Baltimore Orioles
  • BO-1 Adam Jones
  • BO-2 Alejandro De Aza
  • BO-3 Miguel Gonzalez
  • BO-4 Ubaldo Jimenez
  • BO-5 Zach Britton
  • BO-6 Darren O'Day
  • BO-7 Manny Machado
  • BO-8 Bud Norris
  • BO-9 Jonathan Schoop
  • BO-10 Steve Pearce
  • BO-11 J.J. Hardy
  • BO-12 Chris Davis
  • BO-13 Delmon Young
  • BO-14 Chris Tillman
  • BO-15 Wei-Yin Chen
  • BO-16 Tommy Hunter
  • BO-17 Caleb Joseph
Boston Red Sox
  • BRS-1 Pablo Sandoval
  • BRS-2 David Ortiz
  • BRS-3 Christian Vazquez
  • BRS-4 Mike Napoli
  • BRS-5 Dustin Pedroia
  • BRS-6 Xander Bogaerts
  • BRS-7 Hanley Ramirez
  • BRS-8 Rusney Castillo
  • BRS-9 Mookie Betts
  • BRS-10 Wade Miley
  • BRS-11 Rick Porcello
  • BRS-12 Clay Buchholz
  • BRS-13 Joe Kelly
  • BRS-14 Justin Masterson
  • BRS-15 Koji Uehara
  • BRS-16 Junichi Tazawa
  • BRS-17 Matt Barnes
Chicago Cubs
  • CHC-1 Anthony Rizzo
  • CHC-2 Junior Lake
  • CHC-3 Starlin Castro
  • CHC-4 Brian Schlitter
  • CHC-5 Travis Wood
  • CHC-6 Javier Baez
  • CHC-7 Jorge Soler
  • CHC-8 Miguel Montero
  • CHC-9 Mike Olt
  • CHC-10 Chris Coghlan
  • CHC-11 Dexter Fowler
  • CHC-12 Jon Lester
  • CHC-13 Jake Arrieta
  • CHC-14 Jason Hammel
  • CHC-15 Hector Rondon
  • CHC-16 Tsuyoshi Wada
  • CHC-17 Kyle Hendricks
Chicago White Sox
  • CWS-1 Jose Abreu
  • CWS-2 Tyler Flowers
  • CWS-3 Conor Gillaspie
  • CWS-4 Alexei Ramirez
  • CWS-5 Adam Eaton
  • CWS-6 Zach Duke
  • CWS-7 Avisail Garcia
  • CWS-8 Melky Cabrera
  • CWS-9 Adam LaRoche
  • CWS-10 Chris Sale
  • CWS-11 Jeff Samardzija
  • CWS-12 David Robertson
  • CWS-13 Jose Quintana
  • CWS-14 John Danks
  • CWS-15 Gordon Beckham
  • CWS-16 Emilio Bonifacio
  • CWS-17 Javy Guerra
Cincinnati Reds
  • CR-1 Joey Votto
  • CR-2 Tony Cingrani
  • CR-3 Daniel Corcino
  • CR-4 Zack Cozart
  • CR-5 Todd Frazier
  • CR-6 Devin Mesoraco
  • CR-7 Manny Parra
  • CR-8 Brandon Phillips
  • CR-9 Aroldis Chapman
  • CR-10 Marlon Byrd
  • CR-11 Billy Hamilton
  • CR-12 Jay Bruce
  • CR-13 Johnny Cueto
  • CR-14 Homer Bailey
  • CR-15 Skip Schumaker
  • CR-16 Mike Leake
  • CR-17 Anthony DeSclafani
Cleveland Indians
  • CI-1 Corey Kluber
  • CI-2 Trevor Bauer
  • CI-3 Michael Bourn
  • CI-4 Lonnie Chisenhall
  • CI-5 Cody Allen
  • CI-6 David Murphy
  • CI-7 Carlos Santana
  • CI-8 Jason Kipnis
  • CI-9 Yan Gomes
  • CI-10 Jose Ramirez
  • CI-11 Michael Brantley
  • CI-12 Brandon Moss
  • CI-13 Nick Swisher
  • CI-14 Ryan Raburn
  • CI-15 Carlos Carrasco
  • CI-16 Danny Salazar
  • CI-17 Mike Aviles
Colorado Rockies
  • COR-1 Troy Tulowitzki
  • COR-2 Charlie Blackmon
  • COR-3 Rex Brothers
  • COR-4 Corey Dickerson
  • COR-5 Tommy Kahnle
  • COR-6 Jordan Lyles
  • COR-7 Wilin Rosario
  • COR-8 Nolan Arenado
  • COR-9 Justin Morneau
  • COR-10 DJ LeMahieu
  • COR-11 Drew Stubbs
  • COR-12 Carlos Gonzalez
  • COR-13 Jorge De La Rosa
  • COR-14 Christian Bergman
  • COR-15 Tyler Matzek
  • COR-16 LaTroy Hawkins
  • COR-17 Jhoulys Chacin
Detroit Tigers
  • DT-1 Miguel Cabrera
  • DT-2 Alex Avila
  • DT-3 Al Alburquerque
  • DT-4 Ian Kinsler
  • DT-5 J.D. Martinez
  • DT-6 Anibal Sanchez
  • DT-7 Jose Iglesias
  • DT-8 Yoenis Cespedes
  • DT-9 Joe Nathan
  • DT-10 Anthony Gose
  • DT-11 Nick Castellanos
  • DT-12 James McCann
  • DT-13 Steven Moya
  • DT-14 Joakim Soria
  • DT-15 Victor Martinez
  • DT-16 David Price
  • DT-17 Justin Verlander
Houston Astros
  • HA-1 Jose Altuve
  • HA-2 Jason Castro
  • HA-3 Matt Dominguez
  • HA-4 Brett Oberholtzer
  • HA-5 Evan Gattis
  • HA-6 Jon Singleton
  • HA-7 Colby Rasmus
  • HA-8 Marwin Gonzalez
  • HA-9 Chris Carter
  • HA-10 Jed Lowrie
  • HA-11 Jake Marisnick
  • HA-12 George Springer
  • HA-13 Luke Gregerson
  • HA-14 L.J. Hoes
  • HA-15 Scott Feldman
  • HA-16 Dallas Keuchel
  • HA-17 Collin McHugh
Kansas City Royals
  • KCR-1 Eric Hosmer
  • KCR-2 Jeremy Guthrie
  • KCR-3 Greg Holland
  • KCR-4 Alcides Escobar
  • KCR-5 Salvador Perez
  • KCR-6 Jason Vargas
  • KCR-7 Yordano Ventura
  • KCR-8 Brandon Finnegan
  • KCR-9 Omar Infante
  • KCR-10 Mike Moustakas
  • KCR-11 Alex Gordon
  • KCR-12 Lorenzo Cain
  • KCR-13 Kris Medlen
  • KCR-14 Kendrys Morales
  • KCR-15 Luke Hochevar
  • KCR-16 Wade Davis
  • KCR-17 Alex Rios
Los Angeles Angels Of Anaheim
  • A-1 Mike Trout
  • A-2 Josh Rutledge
  • A-3 Josh Hamilton
  • A-4 Chris Iannetta
  • A-5 Garrett Richards
  • A-6 Matt Shoemaker
  • A-7 Erick Aybar
  • A-8 Jered Weaver
  • A-9 C.J. Wilson
  • A-10 Albert Pujols
  • A-11 Kole Calhoun
  • A-12 David Freese
  • A-13 Matt Joyce
  • A-14 Hector Santiago
  • A-15 Huston Street
  • A-16 C.J. Cron
  • A-17 Andrew Heaney
Los Angeles Dodgers
  • LAD-1 Clayton Kershaw
  • LAD-2 Andre Ethier
  • LAD-3 Yimi Garcia
  • LAD-4 Adrian Gonzalez
  • LAD-5 Zack Greinke
  • LAD-6 A.J. Ellis
  • LAD-7 Carl Crawford
  • LAD-8 Brandon League
  • LAD-9 Joc Pederson
  • LAD-10 Yasiel Puig
  • LAD-11 Hyun-Jin Ryu
  • LAD-12 Yasmani Grandal
  • LAD-13 Jimmy Rollins
  • LAD-14 Howie Kendrick
  • LAD-15 Juan Uribe
  • LAD-16 Kenley Jansen
  • LAD-17 Brandon McCarthy
Miami Marlins
  • MM-1 Giancarlo Stanton
  • MM-2 Steve Cishek
  • MM-3 Justin Bour
  • MM-4 Martin Prado
  • MM-5 Tom Koehler
  • MM-6 Bryan Morris
  • MM-7 Jarrod Saltalamacchia
  • MM-8 Carter Capps
  • MM-9 Christian Yelich
  • MM-10 Henderson Alvarez
  • MM-11 Adeiny Hechavarria
  • MM-12 Marcell Ozuna
  • MM-13 Jose Fernandez
  • MM-14 Dee Gordon
  • MM-15 Donovan Solano
  • MM-16 Michael Morse
  • MM-17 Mat Latos
Milwaukee Brewers
  • MB-1 Ryan Braun
  • MB-2 Carlos Gomez
  • MB-3 Matt Garza
  • MB-4 Jean Segura
  • MB-5 Khris Davis
  • MB-6 Gerardo Parra
  • MB-7 Adam Lind
  • MB-8 Kyle Lohse
  • MB-9 Scooter Gennett
  • MB-10 Jonathan Lucroy
  • MB-11 Aramis Ramirez
  • MB-12 Jimmy Nelson
  • MB-13 Jonathan Broxton
  • MB-14 Wily Peralta
  • MB-15 Martin Maldonado
  • MB-16 Will Smith
  • MB-17 Mike Fiers
Minnesota Twins
  • MT-1 Torii Hunter
  • MT-2 Brian Dozier
  • MT-3 Brian Duensing
  • MT-4 Eduardo Escobar
  • MT-5 Phil Hughes
  • MT-6 Ricky Nolasco
  • MT-7 Joe Mauer
  • MT-8 Glen Perkins
  • MT-9 Kurt Suzuki
  • MT-10 Trevor May
  • MT-11 Kennys Vargas
  • MT-12 Danny Santana
  • MT-13 Trevor Plouffe
  • MT-14 Josmil Pinto
  • MT-15 Aaron Hicks
  • MT-16 Oswaldo Arcia
  • MT-17 Ervin Santana
New York Mets
  • NYM-1 David Wright
  • NYM-2 Lucas Duda
  • NYM-3 Dillon Gee
  • NYM-4 Curtis Granderson
  • NYM-5 Jenrry Mejia
  • NYM-6 Daniel Murphy
  • NYM-7 Matt Harvey
  • NYM-8 Zack Wheeler
  • NYM-9 Bartolo Colon
  • NYM-10 Juan Lagares
  • NYM-11 Dilson Herrera
  • NYM-12 Jon Niese
  • NYM-13 Wilmer Flores
  • NYM-14 Bobby Parnell
  • NYM-15 Travis d'Arnaud
  • NYM-16 Michael Cuddyer
  • NYM-17 Jacob deGrom
New York Yankees
  • NYY-1 Masahiro Tanaka
  • NYY-2 Jacoby Ellsbury
  • NYY-3 Brett Gardner
  • NYY-4 Dellin Betances
  • NYY-5 Carlos Beltran
  • NYY-6 Stephen Drew
  • NYY-7 Brian McCann
  • NYY-8 Garrett Jones
  • NYY-9 Michael Pineda
  • NYY-10 Jose Pirela
  • NYY-11 Mark Teixeira
  • NYY-12 Bryan Mitchell
  • NYY-13 CC Sabathia
  • NYY-14 Nathan Eovaldi
  • NYY-15 Alex Rodriguez
  • NYY-16 Didi Gregorius
  • NYY-17 Chase Headley
Oakland Athletics - Checklist posted on April 10, 2015.
  • OA-1 Sonny Gray
  • OA-2 Coco Crisp
  • OA-3 Brett Lawrie
  • OA-4 Sean Doolittle
  • OA-5 Sam Fuld
  • OA-6 Jesse Chavez
  • OA-7 Ben Zobrist
  • OA-8 Scott Kazmir
  • OA-9 Stephen Vogt
  • OA-10 Drew Pomeranz
  • OA-11 Josh Reddick
  • OA-12 Eric Sogard
  • OA-13 Marcus Semien
  • OA-14 Ike Davis
  • OA-15 Dan Otero
  • OA-16 Tyler Clippard
  • OA-17 Billy Butler
Philadelphia Phillies
  • PHP-1 Chase Utley
  • PHP-2 Domonic Brown
  • PHP-3 David Buchanan
  • PHP-4 Darin Ruf
  • PHP-5 Cole Hamels
  • PHP-6 Ryan Howard
  • PHP-7 Freddy Galvis
  • PHP-8 Jonathan Papelbon
  • PHP-9 Ben Revere
  • PHP-10 Carlos Ruiz
  • PHP-11 Cliff Lee
  • PHP-12 Maikel Franco
  • PHP-13 Cody Asche
  • PHP-14 Jerome Williams
  • PHP-15 Ken Giles
  • PHP-16 Grady Sizemore
  • PHP-17 Jake Diekman
Pittsburgh Pirates
  • PIP-1 Andrew McCutchen
  • PIP-2 A.J. Burnett
  • PIP-3 Gregory Polanco
  • PIP-4 Josh Harrison
  • PIP-5 Starling Marte
  • PIP-6 Mark Melancon
  • PIP-7 Jordy Mercer
  • PIP-8 Charlie Morton
  • PIP-9 Neil Walker
  • PIP-10 Tony Watson
  • PIP-11 Vance Worley
  • PIP-12 Jeff Locke
  • PIP-13 Antonio Bastardo
  • PIP-14 Pedro Alvarez
  • PIP-15 Gerrit Cole
  • PIP-16 Francisco Cervelli
  • PIP-17 Francisco Liriano
St. Louis Cardinals
  • SLC-1 Adam Wainwright
  • SLC-2 Jon Jay
  • SLC-3 Lance Lynn
  • SLC-4 Jason Heyward
  • SLC-5 Jhonny Peralta
  • SLC-6 Trevor Rosenthal
  • SLC-7 Michael Wacha
  • SLC-8 Matt Carpenter
  • SLC-9 Carlos Martinez
  • SLC-10 Matt Holliday
  • SLC-11 Yadier Molina
  • SLC-12 Matt Adams
  • SLC-13 Peter Bourjos
  • SLC-14 John Lackey
  • SLC-15 Kolten Wong
  • SLC-16 Jaime Garcia
  • SLC-17 Sam Freeman
San Diego Padres - Checklist posted on April 10, 2015.
  • SDP-1 Matt Kemp
  • SDP-2 Alexi Amarista
  • SDP-3 Andrew Cashner
  • SDP-4 Will Middlebrooks
  • SDP-5 Jedd Gyorko
  • SDP-6 Justin Upton
  • SDP-7 Ian Kennedy
  • SDP-8 Tommy Medica
  • SDP-9 Carlos Quentin
  • SDP-10 Wil Myers
  • SDP-11 Rymer Liriano
  • SDP-12 Cory Spangenberg
  • SDP-13 Yonder Alonso
  • SDP-14 Yangervis Solarte
  • SDP-15 Tyson Ross
  • SDP-16 Derek Norris
  • SDP-17 Joaquin Benoit
San Francisco Giants
  • SFG-1 Madison Bumgarner
  • SFG-2 Brandon Belt
  • SFG-3 Joaquin Arias
  • SFG-4 Matt Cain
  • SFG-5 Santiago Casilla
  • SFG-6 Travis Ishikawa
  • SFG-7 Brandon Crawford
  • SFG-8 Joe Panik
  • SFG-9 Tim Hudson
  • SFG-10 Tim Lincecum
  • SFG-11 Hunter Pence
  • SFG-12 Buster Posey
  • SFG-13 Casey McGehee
  • SFG-14 Yusmeiro Petit
  • SFG-15 Andrew Susac
  • SFG-16 Angel Pagan
  • SFG-17 Gregor Blanco
Seattle Mariners
  • SM-1 Robinson Cano
  • SM-2 Charlie Furbush
  • SM-3 Felix Hernandez
  • SM-4 Austin Jackson
  • SM-5 Dominic Leone
  • SM-6 Logan Morrison
  • SM-7 Fernando Rodney
  • SM-8 Kyle Seager
  • SM-9 Chris Young
  • SM-10 Mike Zunino
  • SM-11 Hisashi Iwakuma
  • SM-12 Dustin Ackley
  • SM-13 Roenis Elias
  • SM-14 Chris Taylor
  • SM-15 Justin Ruggiano
  • SM-16 Seth Smith
  • SM-17 Nelson Cruz
Tampa Bay Rays
  • TBR-1 Evan Longoria
  • TBR-2 Alex Cobb
  • TBR-3 David DeJesus
  • TBR-4 Nick Franklin
  • TBR-5 Asdrubal Cabrera
  • TBR-6 James Loney
  • TBR-7 Chris Archer
  • TBR-8 John Jaso
  • TBR-9 Desmond Jennings
  • TBR-10 Rene Rivera
  • TBR-11 Jake McGee
  • TBR-12 Drew Smyly
  • TBR-13 Steven Souza Jr.
  • TBR-14 Kevin Kiermaier
  • TBR-15 Brandon Guyer
  • TBR-16 Matt Moore
  • TBR-17 Kevin Cash
Texas Rangers
  • TR-1 Yu Darvish
  • TR-2 Adrian Beltre
  • TR-3 Michael Choice
  • TR-4 Shin-Soo Choo
  • TR-5 Elvis Andrus
  • TR-6 Prince Fielder
  • TR-7 Anthony Ranaudo
  • TR-8 Robinson Chirinos
  • TR-9 Rougned Odor
  • TR-10 Jurickson Profar
  • TR-11 Jake Smolinski
  • TR-12 Leonys Martin
  • TR-13 Mitch Moreland
  • TR-14 Neftali Feliz
  • TR-15 Yovani Gallardo
  • TR-16 Ross Detwiler
  • TR-17 Nick Martinez
Toronto Blue Jays
  • TBJ-1 Jose Bautista
  • TBJ-2 R.A. Dickey
  • TBJ-3 Edwin Encarnacion
  • TBJ-4 Russell Martin
  • TBJ-5 Dioner Navarro
  • TBJ-6 Jose Reyes
  • TBJ-7 Marco Estrada
  • TBJ-8 Justin Smoak
  • TBJ-9 Aaron Loup
  • TBJ-10 Dalton Pompey
  • TBJ-11 Drew Hutchison
  • TBJ-12 Josh Donaldson
  • TBJ-13 Michael Saunders
  • TBJ-14 Mark Buehrle
  • TBJ-15 Brett Cecil
  • TBJ-16 Marcus Stroman
  • TBJ-17 Aaron Sanchez
Washington Nationals
  • WN-1 Bryce Harper
  • WN-2 Doug Fister
  • WN-3 Gio Gonzalez
  • WN-4 Stephen Strasburg
  • WN-5 Wilson Ramos
  • WN-6 Anthony Rendon
  • WN-7 Jayson Werth
  • WN-8 Ryan Zimmerman
  • WN-9 Jordan Zimmermann
  • WN-10 Michael Taylor
  • WN-11 Danny Espinosa
  • WN-12 Ian Desmond
  • WN-13 Denard Span
  • WN-14 Max Scherzer
  • WN-15 Drew Storen
  • WN-16 Tanner Roark
  • WN-17 Jose Lobaton
AL All-Star Team
  • AL-1 Mike Trout, OF, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
  • AL-2 Jose Abreu, 1B, Chicago White Sox
  • AL-3 Miguel Cabrera, 1B, Detroit Tigers
  • AL-4 Robinson Cano, 2B, Seattle Mariners
  • AL-5 Jose Altuve, 2B, Houston Astros
  • AL-6 Adrian Beltre, 3B, Texas Rangers
  • AL-7 Alexei Ramirez, SS, Chicago White Sox
  • AL-8 Michael Brantley, OF, Cleveland Indians
  • AL-9 Salvador Perez, C, Kansas City Royals
  • AL-10 Adam Jones, OF, Baltimore Orioles
  • AL-11 Jose Bautista, OF, Toronto Blue Jays
  • AL-12 Yoenis Cespedes, OF, Detroit Tigers
  • AL-13 David Ortiz, DH, Boston Red Sox
  • AL-14 Felix Hernandez, SP, Seattle Mariners
  • AL-15 David Price, SP, Detroit Tigers
  • AL-16 Greg Holland, RP, Kansas City Royals
  • AL-17 Corey Kluber, SP, Cleveland Indians
NL All-Star Team
  • NL-1 Clayton Kershaw, SP, Los Angeles Dodgers
  • NL-2 Paul Goldschmidt, 1B, Arizona Diamondbacks
  • NL-3 Anthony Rizzo, 1B, Chicago Cubs
  • NL-4 Freddie Freeman, 1B, Atlanta Braves
  • NL-5 Javier Baez, 2B, Chicago Cubs
  • NL-6 Anthony Rendon, 3B, Washington Nationals
  • NL-7 Troy Tulowitzki, SS, Colorado Rockies
  • NL-8 Christian Yelich, OF, Miami Marlins
  • NL-9 Bryce Harper, OF, Washington Nationals
  • NL-10 Andrew McCutchen, OF, Pittsburgh Pirates
  • NL-11 Billy Hamilton, OF, Cincinnati Reds
  • NL-12 Yasiel Puig, OF, Los Angeles Dodgers
  • NL-13 Giancarlo Stanton, OF Miami Marlins
  • NL-14 Buster Posey, C, San Francisco Giants
  • NL-15 Madison Bumgarner, SP, San Francisco Giants
  • NL-16 Johnny Cueto, SP, Cincinnati Reds
  • NL-17 Craig Kimbrel, RP, Atlanta Braves
Some quick notes:
  • Nice to see that the All-Star Teams on both leagues consist of actual teams, with each position represented. Nice to see Chicago represented well on both sides of town.
  • I don't like many of the letters used for the card numbers (really, Pittsburgh has to be PIP instead of PIT???)
  • Every player listed above showed up with links in Baseball-Reference, which means there shouldn't be any typos.
  • You will see lots of first cards of players with their new teams before you will see them in Series 2 or Update Series later this year, so get ready for tons of variations.
  • Even though Ichiro Suzuki is no longer with the Yankees, I'm still seeing that he hasn't signed a deal with Topps. Shame. Matt "I'm-Still-Too-Good-for-Topps" Wieters doesn't appear in the checklist for the O's.
When I find info on both the Athletics and Padres (had the same issue with the Padres' team set in 2011), I'll make sure to add their checklists here.

Remember, all of these are preliminary and subject to change.

I can't wait until these sets go live. If I get all 32 of these sets, I will have ten full years of team sets in my collection. I know I'm crazy to collect EVERY SINGLE SET, but I love seeing them all grouped together in a binder.

The season couldn't start fast enough. Bring on April.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Saturday, March 21, 2015

Enjoying the Hobby...One Tweet at a Time. #BlogtheHobby #Collect #TheHobby


If you follow a lot of the Hobby Bloggers on Twitter (like me @bdj610 for example), you will notice that many of us are very passionate about the Hobby we all enjoy. Opinions about collecting cards, regardless of the topic, are positively or negatively expressed 140 characters at a time.

Many times I agree with what's written, other times, not so much. Nothing wrong with opinions, both good or otherwise. It's great that there is a forum out there that everyone can share their points of view without repercussions. But sometimes, the negative statements bug me. And here's why.

I love collecting Topps cards. Always have since I first learned about them in 1987 and then after seeing some of the neighborhood kids playing with them the following year. Collecting baseball cards exposed me to the game of baseball, and I've been a fan ever since. Before the interwebs, baseball cards were the best source of information about players and the teams. And let's face it, some of the designs were fantastic too. Now I'm sure if the neighborhood kids were trading Donruss or Fleer cards that I'd have become a loyal Donruss or Fleer fan. But they collected Topps. So to me, Topps was it.

Back to my point.

So on Thursday, March 19, one of the Hobby Bloggers (I think you know where I'm going with this and who I am talking about) went on his usual rant about his problems with the Topps Company. He's done it before, always finding something to nitpick about Topps and their recent lines of baseball cards. From "added value" (or the "lack thereof") to his increased hatred of short-prints (gimmicks), to the surprises (he wants full disclosure of everything for some reason) that Topps puts out there. He just finds something to complain about.

Yet he doesn't even collect them. And has happily said so.

And I've always wondered...

"If you hate what Topps puts out to market, and say you don't even buy their new stuff, WHY ARE YOU STILL IN THIS HOBBY IN THE FIRST PLACE??!"

Now I've said it before, but no Hobby is perfect. Whether it's stamps, coins, Beanie Babies, dolls, cow figurines, or even baseball cards, there are always things people can find that are good and bad about them. I would be totally naïve to say that everything Topps is great as well. I've had my questions about what they're thinking from time to time. But I still enjoy collecting the cards. I don't let the extreme SSP's, the variations, the Lincoln sightings, the sparkle cards (this guy likes to call them twinks...and I'll get to that another time) get to me because, with some exceptions, I'm not really on the hunt for them. For me, and I think many casual collectors, finding one of these cards in a pack is a bonus and makes for a pleasant surprise (or a quick buck if I'm desperate).

However, this guy, and his defenders, continually whine and cry about Topps' latest efforts while at the same time wonder why they aren't coming up with new ideas to add to their products. It's as if nothing satisfies them, or at this point, nothing will satisfy them.

Okay, so on with the tweets. This is the one that got me involved. I could easily add their names to what they wrote. I mean none of them read my blog and I'm very sure that the main guy un-followed me because of my LOVE of the Topps Company anyway. But because I did not go out of my way to get their approval to post their tweets on this humble little blog, I am going to change their names on the tweets.

guyno1: Does anyone at @toppscards even give a "expletive" that their products are (literally) uncollectable? (Don't answer that, we know the answer)

Okay, so who's "we" kemosabe? You and your fanboys who agree with every word you type? How can a company that focuses on collectibles make products that "are (literally) uncollectable?" And what makes you think that these people don't care?

My response (and what got me involved in the conversation in the first place:

@bdj610: guyno1 @toppscards Funny, but many people believe otherwise. They're still collectable. Maybe not to you. Maybe not your game anymore.

And then I piled on:

@bdj610: guyno1 @toppscards Maybe find a new #Hobby? I hear stamps are making a comeback. Coins too. Or you could start a button collection.

guyno1 @toppscards Not the pins, but actual buttons that would be used for clothing.

guyno1 @toppscards Plus, you don't even need to have them mounted on cardboard.


That got his attention, and the attention of the people who share his views.

Here was another tweet, again started by our favorite curmudgeon:

guyno1: In a nutshell, everything collectors hate about @toppscards: RT guyno3 New post: Deep Heritage

One of his fans decided to chime in with this statement:

guyno2: guyno1 @toppscards guyno3 I would spend so much more on Topps cards if they would eliminate SPs from sets like H, GQ, Archives, TANG

Here was my response:

@bdj610: guyno2 guyno1 @toppscards guyno3 Thanks to the WWW, it's much easier to get the SP's you want/need because it's available online.

@bdj610: guyno2 guyno1 @toppscards guyno3 And who even says you need them for your set? If you don't want to collect them, don't get them.

@bdj610: guyno2 guyno1 @toppscards guyno3 and then don't whine about how and why they make them. Or be patient...


And that drew the ire of the second guy:

guyno2: @bdj610 guyno1 @toppscards guyno3 that's an ignorant statement. There were no SP before the Internet.

What? Really? Card companies did not make short-printed cards before the internet? Now who made the ignorant statement? My response:

@bdj610: guyno2 guyno1 @toppscards guyno3 but can you imagine if there were way back then? And yes, there were always SP's/variations.

The main guy chimed in:

guyno1: guyno2 @bdj610 @toppscards guyno3 Ignorant statement, but not for that reason


Really? What part of my statement was ignorant? Thanks to the Internet, not only is it easier to find and even acquire these "hard-to-find" cards for your collection, but the information can be easily accessed that they even exist! What's wrong there? And if you don't want to collect them, then don't collect them. But unlike the eponymous set, SP's in products like Heritage, Gypsy Queen, Archives, and Allen & Ginter's are relatively easy to find. And the hunt for them became a lot easier again, thanks to the web. He never really gave "that reason."

@bdj610: guyno1 guyno2 @toppscards guyno3 Ignorant why? Because you refuse to accept the Hobby as it is now? Sorry you feel that way.

Second guy:

guyno2: @bdj610 guyno1 @toppscards guyno3 hunting down 50-60 SPs one or two at a time is not my definition of easy either.

Who said it was ever easy? If it were that easy to get everything at once, how is it fun? I'd love to be able to do that, but I know where I stand financially and accept that it's not realistic.

@bdj610: guyno2 guyno1 @toppscards guyno3 I never said it was. But it's that thrill of finding the one or two that keeps me going.


And isn't that the point? It's the thrill of the hunt. Whether you buy tons of packs, visit stores or shops, or even scour the Bay (or COMC, or Sportlots, or Beckett, or any other place online), when you find a card or two that you need and are able to get it at the price you want, doesn't that excite you to no end (a 1992 Topps Jose Tolentino card comes to mind for me, and this was pre-Internet).

guyno2: @bdj610 guyno1 @toppscards guyno3 glad it works for you. It's the reason why I and plenty others no longer spend on those products.

Okay, and here was the line that got him:

@bdj610: guyno2 guyno1 @toppscards guyno3 Then I have to ask, if you no longer spend on these products, why are you complaining about it.

If he (and others) are no longer spend on those products (and they are well within their rights to do so), why complain? What is the point? You've just stated you're not buying what they're making. So focus your energies on something else other than whining and moaning about a product you yourself just said you're not going to get.

guyno2: @bdj610 guyno1 @toppscards guyno3 shame on me for wanting a more enjoyable collecting experience

So you enjoy crying about how you don't like how the Hobby has evolved? You "want" a more enjoyable collecting experience?

Time to go all-religious.

I remember hearing a story long ago, and then somehow while flipping through channels, I came through the religion-based channels block and heard Joel Osteen (my parents watch his show from time to time so I recognized the guy) start repeating the story (in his own way of course):

A guy is praying to God. "Please God, let me win the lottery."

The next day, he doesn't win.

The following day, he prays again. "Please God, let me win the lottery."

The next day, once again, he doesn't win.

A few days later, same prayer. "Dear God, please let me win the lottery."

This time, the guy gets a response from God.

"Son, meet me half-way here. BUY A TICKET!!!"

See, the guy just wanted to win, but he didn't make an effort to do so. If he had done so by going to his nearby lottery agent, and bought a ticket, then at least he had a shot. But he didn't. So praying to the high heavens wasn't going to work.

My point?

If this guy wants "a more enjoyable collecting experience," he's going to have to find it.

@bdj610: guyno2 guyno1 @toppscards guyno3 Wanting and Finding a more enjoyable collecting experience are two different things.

@bdj610: guyno2 guyno1 @toppscards guyno3 You can "want" all you want, but what's the point if you don't go out there and find it?


Make an effort. If something isn't to your satisfaction, wouldn't it be better to find another solution than to complain about how what's in front of you isn't good enough? This can be applied in lots of situations, not just the Hobby (please use discretion because this solution doesn't work in EVERY SITUATION).

And no I'm not saying that finding something else is easy. It never is. But if you really want to find enjoyment in this Hobby, you have to go out there and find what actually makes you happy.

guyno1: guyno2 Geez, I wish I had the unlimited bankroll and patience @bdj610 seems to have.

‏@bdj610: guyno1 guyno2 Patience I have. Bankroll, not so much. That's why I have to maintain patience. Otherwise...reality sucks.


That should be self explanatory. I have patience, to a point. I try to practice this when it comes to whittling down my want lists. But sometimes, when it's there in front of me, I have this fear that I might not find something better and then when I come back, the card I want is gone. So my wallet has taken heavy hits from time to time. I wish I had the money to buy everything I wanted, but I know where I stand. Should I buy the cards in front of me that I might not see again for a very long time? Or should I go to the grocery store and stock up for the week? Decisions, decisions, decisions.

@bdj610: guyno1 guyno2 You need to have patience. When you find yourself stressed about this or any Hobby, it's time to find a new one.

The word Hobby is defined as: an activity or interest pursued for pleasure or relaxation and not as a main occupation.

When the Hobby stresses you out, and you no longer feel relaxed, then why continue it? This goes back to finding another Hobby. Hobbies are supposed to be a release, a distraction, something to take your mind of the struggles of the real world and bring you back to a place that made you feel that all was right with the world.

And if this one isn't doing right by you, then find something else that will. The Hobby of card collecting has so many other avenues to take, so when you find that one road hasn't been good to you, there is another to explore. Try again.

guyno2: @bdj610 guyno1 @toppscards guyno3 again though as long as it works for you that's really all that matters right?

guyno2: @bdj610 guyno1 @toppscards guyno3 THE HOBBY: Love it or leave it (expletive)!!!!! Great advice.


I don't know. Maybe both of these guys should leave the Hobby. They sure aren't positive influences in it. And again, for every one person who leaves, another one might come in for the first time looking forward to what may be one of the greatest things he or she has ever come across and becomes a collector for life. Who knows.

I mentioned patience earlier. A while back, the main antagonist of the story went to a card show and found some 2010 Topps legends SP's in a bargain box. He took a picture of them (2010 Topps SP's of Dizzy Dean and Honus Wagner...both I have by the way), and said something to the effects of "Fifty cent gimcracks. Explain how these "add value" again?"

@bdj610: guyno2 guyno1 @toppscards guyno3 ...I'll give guyno1 props for...

@bdj610: guyno2 guyno1 @toppscards guyno3 getting those SP's from 2010 at 2015 prices (which was a lot cheaper compared to) when I was getting them.


Well, they were added value...back in 2010. And you're buying them now, six card-years later, so yeah, the "added vaue" is gone. But you have them now for your collection. Be happy. Not cynical. They added value when the demand was high for them. Now? Probably not as the people who wanted them already have them. (I'm still looking for some by the way. Please see the sidebar).

After this exchange, all went silent. Both men probably had to go back to work and was spending their lunch breaks on the twitterverse. I did, however, make a new friend on Twitter.

@Icampintense: @bdj610 wow. Straight roasting people in that little post about Topps. Very nice!

‏@bdj610: @Icampintense Thank you. guyno1's act of (mild expletive) about Topps and the state of the Hobby here on Twitter is getting as old as my love of it.

@Icampintense: @bdj610 I've had that dude muted for well over a year. Can't stand him honestly. I prob spend too much time defending Topps.

@bdj610: @Icampintense I do too, but I love pushing his buttons, especially when he goes on his rants. Probably why he un-followed me.


Yeah, so I am a bit of a trouble-maker, aren't I??!

And finally, the poor guy that got caught in the crossfire because his blog post was linked by our friendly neighborhood grump, chimed in:

guyno3: @bdj610 guyno2 guyno1 The point of this is that SPs featuring franchise players is a cheap ploy to make people buy more.

Congratulations. You win the prize for finally figuring out why Topps has been doing this in the first place!!!

@bdj610: guyno3 guyno2 guyno1 If you're actively looking for them, then of course you'll be spending the money.

@bdj610: guyno3 guyno2 guyno1 But for those who are not actively looking out for these, then getting one is a bonus and exciting.


Of course, Topps would create short-printed variation cards of Clayton Kershaw, David Ortiz, Bryce Harper, Mike Trout, etc. Because they know collectors will want them for their collections, no matter what, even if they wind up whining all the way to their goals. Do you think collectors (with the possible exception of team collectors) would show the same clamor around SP'd cards of the mop-up reliever or third-string catcher? Not so much.

guyno3: @bdj610 guyno2 guyno1 ...saying "don't want, don't get" is just silly. SPs are fine if they're EXTRA, but not when they should be base

Which brings me back to my point about the Internet, and the easier access to these cards online.

@bdj610: guyno3 guyno2 guyno1 I'll give you that for the non-eponymous items...but even in those sets, the SP's aren't that hard to find.

Let's face it. The idea of the proliferation of short-printed cards would not work in a pre-internet age. Because the options of notifying people about having or wanting them would be limited to Hobby Magazines and classified ads. It would be an even more frustrating endeavor. But we are now 16 years into the 21st century. We have the technology and the information at our fingertips. Make use of them.

Make an effort to find happiness within this Hobby. It's out there. You have to go out there and look. Believe me, it's a lot more fun to find what makes you happy than it is to sit down and mope about the things that don't.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Tuesday, March 17, 2015

Éirinn go brách! Celebrating at Home.

Today is St. Patrick's Day. It is the day that honors St. Patrick, who is the patron saint of Ireland. It also commemorates the arrival of Christianity to the Emerald Isle. In fact, it is said (thanks Wikipedia) that he used shamrocks to explain the Holy Trinity.

My family will be enjoying boiled corned beef brisket with all the veggies (potatoes, carrots, cabbage) tonight. I would like to apologize to my sister for once again we will not be able to join her for dinner (it's a school night, there are still dance classes happening). Meanwhile, I've been playing Irish music on the computer all afternoon, just to get into the mood.


If anybody says, "Top of the morning to you," to you today, make sure to respond in kind, "And the rest of the day to yourself."

Public Service Announcement (as my wife just said that she found the Bailey's): As you celebrate St. Patrick's Day, please remember to celebrate responsibly.



Now for the baseball portion of the program. If you're wondering, while there are many baseball players of Irish descent, 47 native-born Irish men made at least one appearance in the majors.
The last native born Irish player was Joe Cleary. Born in County Cork, Cleary only appeared in one game (08/04/1945) in 0.1 inning of work for the Washington Senators. But in that eventful inning, he struck out one batter (the good news), but allowed five hits, three walks, and seven earned runs to score. Saving time for the math, but seven runs in 1/3 innings equals an ERA of 189.

SBS Baseball created a team of All-Irish baseball players as part of their Foreign League. Imagine the World Baseball Classic without the US. Teams included as part of this league include teams from Asia/Australia/Africa, Canada, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Eastern Europe, England, Germany, Latin America, Mexico, Panama, Puerto Rico, Venezuela, and Western Europe (14 total teams). I'll try and run a season during my lunch break and will post results later to see how the Irish do against the rest of the world.

So now, a quick toast to everyone, Irish or just-for-the-day:

May the road rise up to meet you. May the wind be at your back.
May your cards collections grow to unmeasurable heights in both volume and value.
May the quest for new cards be swift.
May the journey of life treat you well today and always.
And may a certain North Side baseball team win it all this year (just have a decent season...please).
If you catch my drift.

Sláinte!

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Thursday, March 12, 2015

39 at 39...Plus One


In many of his radio (and subsequently his TV show), Jack Benny, when asked how old he was, would say that he was 39 years old. This would always get big laughs from the audience, and the laughter would continue after the person he was talking to would crack a joke about his answer.

That was his character. Although he portrayed himself as vain and cheap on the program, he most certainly was the opposite in real life. Unlike many of the comedians of his time, he always made sure that the rest of his cast got the majority of the laughs, while he played straight man to the craziness around him.



Jack Benny will always be 39 years old to fans of his program, and I count myself as one of them. Last month was "Jack Benny Month" on Those Were the Days, a radio program that re-plays many of the old time radio shows. It seems that before music and talk radio ruled the airwaves, and before many people sat in front of their televisions and computers, radio was the main form of entertainment. And there was no better show on the air on Sunday nights than the Jack Benny program. When I first discovered Chuck Schaden's radio show so many years ago, I was hooked. And while I enjoyed listening to (when I had the time) shows like Fibber McGee and Molly, Burns and Allen, Suspense, The Great Gildersleeves, The Whistler, and even looked forward to The Cinnamon Bear in December, I loved it when they would put on a Benny program.

What is the point of me talking about old-time radio?

Well, I was going to write about Jack Benny last month on Valentine's Day (his birthday). So that's all I have to say...

No...

Wait.

That's not all I have to say today.

You see, as of today, Mr. Benny and I have something else in common.

Today is March 12. And I turn 39 today.

Forgive me, I have to take a minute to breathe as I even fathom to think about that.

I am 39 years old...TODAY!!!

Where have the years gone??! I am now officially what I thought was the definition of old when I was 7. I had pangs when I turned 30, and now I am a year away from 40. I always thought of myself as young, and in many ways I feel young.

This is a day for me and my family to celebrate. And we will. There will be a bacon-wrapped deep dish pizza coming tonight. There will be a day to celebrate with my parents and sibs tomorrow. There will also be another dance competition for my daughter that will be happening then too...but that's another story.

I look back at my life, and yes, there have been ups and downs. I have experienced a lot of joy (from growing up in Manila and coming to America to meeting and marrying the girl that would become my wife and becoming the father of two amazing kids) and sorrow (the Brown's Chicken massacre, my grandmother dying). There have been good times (achievements in high school, working in theatre, and now spending time with my family) and bad ones (losing a job and the uncertainty of the future when the company closed). I have learned a lot and still feel I have a lot to learn.

I am truly blessed to have the life I am living. Even with all of the struggles (and there have been many), I am grateful to have the experiences I have had.

So I want to take this opportunity to thank my family, my parents, my siblings, my friends, acquaintances, co-workers, and those I recently connected with last October at my 20th HS reunion for being a part of my life. Good or otherwise, you have all shaped me into the person I am today. Every opportunity to interact with you is something I cherish.

Now that we have all that out of the way, let's talk about baseball cards (this is a Topps baseball card blog, isn't it??!)

I'm 39 years old today.

A few years ago, someone contacted me about a project he was doing as a birthday present for his friend. I wrote about it here and it got the attention of a Sports Collector's Daily.

The gist of it? A guy gave his friend, turning 40, every #40 card from Topps' history (1951-2011 at the time).

So why not do the same thing...to a point.

In a previous birthday post, I named an all-star team of players born on March 12. Heading in to the 2015 season, 63 players out of the 18,408 who debuted in MLB at one point were born on March 12. The youngest (heading into the 2015 campaign) is Taylor Hill, born on this date in 1989 (wow, I'm old). But in honor of my 39th birthday, why not display all the cards from my birth year (1976) to now that were assigned card #39 by the Topps Company. Now granted, many of the names who share this card number do not have the name recognition that the guys with #40 have, but hey, they're on cardboard, they're immortalized.

So here you go, from 1976 through 2015, cards #39 (images from the Joe McAnally and the Baseball Card Cyber Museum):







So happy 39th to me. And, before I forget...

Happy Birthday Bryan Hebson!!!

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Tuesday, March 10, 2015

Well, That Was Quick...

One minute I was ready to write a post about Presidents cards in honor of President's Day, and the next it's the middle of March.

Where did the time go?

Better question: Where did I go??!

If there are any readers of this humble, little blog left, waiting until I actually make an appearance, I apologize. Lots of things happening personally that has had me put the blog on the back burner, including:

My Wallet Card hanging out with my daughter's First Place Trophy!!!

If it hasn't been mentioned before here, my daughter is a competitive dancer, and this is her first year competing as a soloist (she's previously performed in trios, small groups, and large groups). She has been in two competitions, and so far, she's taken home two 1st place trophies in her category. This is one of the trophies she won, and Wallet Card (who has been spending time with a lot of hardware - will show that in a minute), wanted to hang out with it.

Wallet Card hanging out with Award Winning Crackers...yes, I work for a food company.

There was also another trip to Aurora and the haunted Paramount Theatre that involved overnight stays because my daughter was performing on both days and it would be too much to drive back and forth, so there were overnight hotel stays involved. This will be the closest my family gets for a vacation, so we made the most of it (the hotels were great).

Well, she's competing again this weekend, and this is going to be a real test as the people in charge aren't really that familiar with her dance company and the competition should be more balanced. So she'll really have to "work it" to continue her winning streak.

Back to something Hobby related.

When last I wrote, I was depressed because 2015 Topps Series 1 had not arrived in stores yet, and even if they did, I didn't have a lot of money. So I drowned my sorrows at the Dollar Tree and scored some penny packs.

Well since then, I now am the proud owner of the 2015 base set and six of the basic insert sets. This week, I'll try and get in on the action on the more challenging insert sets (the four retail-exclusives, the Gallery of Greats, and the Spring Fever set). I will have to get a couple of five-inch binders and sheets though...I'm out of everything.

The first card I opened from my packs of 2015 Topps was Troy Tulowitzki:

2015 Topps #125 Troy Tulowitzki. Did you know Topps is selling poster prints of the 2015 Topps cards?

The one great thing about Heritage coming out this month is that the prices of Topps Series 1 should be going down (hopefully). This is the best time to strike for those sets.

Meanwhile, the card census has been slow and steady. I'm not necessarily cataloging the cards...although maybe I should. I just wanted a total count. I have at least the first two binders done (1976 and 1977) and will be working on the rest throughout the year...while making sure to include the 2015 totals too.

On an unrelated note, I do owe a couple of people some cards. I still have to mail out the Hobby pack of 2014 Topps Update Series to the gentleman who won the All-Star Rookie Team contest last year, and someone emailed me about the 2004 Topps Traded checklist cards, looking for a specific one, with Kenny Lofton on it. The good news is that the Lofton card is not split between multiple cards, and I actually had an extra one (the red Hobby version). So I have to get to the post office soon.

Some things I'm waiting for before Opening Day (and we're at T-27 days and counting):
  • The Cubs actually winning a Spring Training game (they haven't won one yet)
  • The staff at SBS Baseball to download the 2014 statistics (and then eventually, I'll revive the All-Star Team Tournament)
  • News on the Retail Sets (if Topps is making them this year). It would be the 10th year Topps has produced these exclusive team sets, and I look forward to what 2015 holds.
That's it for now. I've watched a few games on MLB Network, and I have the cards in hand. I'm excited for the upcoming season. And although my visits here have been infrequent, I do plan on making time to post more often as the season gets underway.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama