Friday, February 27, 2009

Let's Try This for Fun...Who Should Be Included in 2011 Topps Archives?

Should these cards be included in a new product called 2011 Topps Archives?

Barring an unforeseeable catastrophe, Topps will be celebrating 60 Years in the baseball card business. Now as we all know, 2001 saw the return of Topps Archives, creating a 450 card set featuring the reprinted first and last cards of 200 players, along with 10 managers, and forty all-star, league leaders, and postseason highlights cards.

Let's imagine that MLB Properties decided to allow Topps to make a set or two featuring retired players again. And let's also pretend that we all work for the product development department for the Topps Company (akin to the gentleman who runs the Sports Card File). It has now been agreed to bring back Topps Archives to coincide with Topps' 60th anniversary. So now it's time to pick players to go into the set. We're not going to consider autographs, relics, patch cards, or whatever right now. We have to decide who in the last 60 years should be included in this base set.

There is just one requirement though...we need to find 200 NEW players to be a part of this set. Meaning that any player who was included in the 2001 Topps Archives set can not be included in this set. Meaning, HOF's like Hank Aaron, Roberto Clemente, Nolan Ryan, Willie Mays, Willie McCovey, Dave Winfield, Ozzie Smith, Ryne Sandberg, etc, as well as Fan Favorites like Bill Freehan, Mark Fydrich, Joe Garagiola, Andy Pafko, Andre Dawson, and so on, can't be in this set.

So now who can we include??? That's what this new blog segment is all about.

During the 2009 baseball season, I'm going to scan the first and last cards of players I think should be a part of this set. But I can't be doing all the thinking, nor should I be. Remember, I said "Let's (let US) pretend..." This is where you come in. Start putting in the comments during any future "Archives" posts who YOU think should be included in this new set. The requirements are that the player MUST be retired (or have stopped playing going into the 2009 season...2010 cards have not come out yet!!!), and that the player did not appear in the 2001 Topps Archives set (the Future Archives, as talked about here and here and pictured below as well, do not count).

I'll even add this handy 2011 Topps Archives logo onto the cards:


How about it. I don't think we're going to have a hard time picking names from the last 60 years. I mean, yeah, we can't use the obvious names mentioned earlier, but there have to be 200 guys in the last 60 years that we could use. Should we give this segment a chance??? If so, let me know who you'd like to see going into this set.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

9 comments:

TDLindgren said...

Since he wasn't in the 2001 or 2002 set my first nominee is Mickey Mantle. Also, Cal Ripken Jr. and Barry Bonds weren't in either set since they were playing at the time and have since retired.

Unknown said...

Being the "homer" as I am . . . may I suggest Mark Grace and Greg Maddux.

TDLindgren said...

Here's a few more to add:

New HOF inductees Jim Rice (he wasn't in 2001 Archives) and Rickey Henderson.

Mark McGwire
Sammy Sosa
Roger Clemens
Tony Gwynn

And maybe he'll be reinstated by Baseball before 2011 (there's always hope)Pete Rose.

TDLindgren said...

OK. Here's 10 more.

HOFers not in the 2001 Archives set:

Billy Williams
Eddie Murray
Paul Molitor

Recently retired and potential future HOFers:

Jeff Bagwell
Craig Biggio
Barry Larkin
Roberto Alomar
Fred McGriff
Curt Schilling
Mike Piazza

So now we need just 178 more names. :)

Anonymous said...

I dont know the original checklist, but I'll throw out some names from my favorite team:

Granny Hamner
Darren Daulton
John Kruk
Len Dykstra
Andy Seminick
Del Ennis
Larry Bowa

Other teams

Wade Boggs
Cal Ripken
Edgar Martinez
Mike Mussina
Albert Belle
George Foster
Cecil Fielder
Jeff Kent
Johnny Sain
Mike Marshall

TDLindgren said...

Here's some more. I went through the checklist and couldn't find them listed. They MVP winners since 1952.

Elston Howard
Ken Boyer
Zoilo Versalles
Denny McLain
Jeff Burroughs
Don Baylor
George Bell
Jose Canseco
Kevin Mitchell
Terry Pendleton
Ken Caminiti
Larry Walker

sam r said...

i think kirby puckett would be good

Jeremya1um said...

How about

doug drabek
craig biggio
jeff bagwell
brady anderson
johnny podres
mike timlin
eric karros
mike piazza
jeff kent
eric davis
rickey henderson
chuck finley
greg maddux
curt schilling
jack mckeon
tommy lasorda
matt williams
tim salmon
kenny lofton
devon white
bobby bonilla
roger clemens
andy benes
roger craig
dave dravecky
mike hargrove
albert belle
mookie wilson
johnny oates
tom kelly
art howe
buck showalter
howard johnson
don baylor
moises alou
shawn green
andy van slyke
rafael belliard
steve avery
tom glavine
bret boone
bob boone
bobby doerr
billy williams
dave stieb
jt snow
steve trachsel
andres gallaraga
juan gonzalez
kelly gruber
jack clark
jose canseco
ivan rodriguez
will clark
ron gant
tom herr
dan gladden
dave stewart
jose rijo
jim rice
dwight evans
brian downing
cecil fielder
travis fryman
jeff blauser

Not all of them were stars, but they were decent players.

unclemoe said...

Wally Joyner!
Mo Vaughn!
Luis Gonzalez!
Steve Sax!
Javy Lopez!
Darryl Strawberry!

moe.