Random Topps Team Set of the Week: 2009 Topps Detroit Tigers

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Team Set of the Week:

• Team: 2009 Detroit Tigers
• Record: 86-77, second place, AL Central Division.
• Manager: Jim Leyland
• Card on the Top: Miguel Cabrera

The checklist consists of the following players:

• DET1 Miguel Cabrera
• DET2 Armando Galarraga
• DET3 Curtis Granderson
• DET4 Justin Verlander
• DET5 Magglio Ordonez
• DET6 Jeremy Bonderman
• DET7 Marcus Thames
• DET8 Dontrelle Willis
• DET9 Placido Polanco
• DET10 Fernando Rodney
• DET11 Gary Sheffield
• DET12 Gerald Laird
• DET13 Carlos Guillen
• DET14 Brandon Inge
• DET15 Paws

The cards in order from the set (the checklist at the end was cut from the back of the package. What, you don't do that?):

Key differences between the team set and 2009 Topps eponymous set:

• Armando Galarraga became a household name because of a near-perfect game. Topps gets a bit more up close and personal with his shot on the base set:
  
  

• And here is Curtis Granderson running the bases on his base card.:
  
  

• Jeremy Bonderman's base card has a different action shot as well:
  
  

• And here is Dontrelle Willis, who was, at the time, the key person in the deal that sent him and young slugger Miguel Cabrera to Detroit in the first place:
  
  

• Jumping high and flashing the leather on his base card is Placido Polanco:
  
  

• Great horizontal shot of Fernando Rodney on his base card:
  
  

• Another awesome shot by Topps can be found on Gary Sheffield's base card as he is trying to avoid getting hit:
  
  

• Gerald Laird, in full catcher's regalia, throwing to second on his base card:
  
  

• To conclude the variations, here is Carlos Guillen ready to run on his base card:
  
  

So of the 14 players included in this set, nine have picture variations that can only be found on the retail sets. Surprisingly, none of the other 5 players' cards features a different cropping of the same picture, which is often the case found in some of these team sets. This would be an excellent example of why you should invest in the team sets. With nine unique cards...do I have to even explain further here??!

Next week's featured set will be the 2007 Toronto Blue Jays. Hope you'll be here when we compare the cards from the retail set to their counterparts found in Topps and Topps Updates and Highlights sets.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama