Random Topps Team Set of the Week: 2009 Florida Marlins

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

• Team: 2009 Florida Marlins
• Record: 87-75, second place, NL East Division.
• Managers: Fredi Gonzalez
• Card on the Top: Hanley Ramirez

The checklist consists of the following players:

• FLA1 Hanley Ramirez
• FLA2 Josh Johnson
• FLA3 Dan Uggla
• FLA4 Ricky Nolasco
• FLA5 Jorge Cantu
• FLA6 Matt Lindstrom
• FLA7 Chris Volstad
• FLA8 Alfredo Amezaga
• FLA9 Gaby Sanchez
• FLA10 Jeremy Hermida
• FLA11 Andrew Miller
• FLA12 Cody Ross
• FLA13 Cameron Maybin
• FLA14 John Baker
• FLA15 Billy The Marlin

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:

• I like the shots used on both the regular and retail sets for Hanley Ramirez. He wasn't much known for his defense, but he committed 32 errors in 1239 chances, including 750 assists combined in 2008 and 2009. Here is his regular card:
  
  

• Matt Lindstrom was on the Marlins in 2008 and 2009. He made it onto the retail set. But why Topps waited until the Update Series to give him a card is beyond me.:
  
  

• Chris Volstad's regular card shows him on the mound. Is it just me, or is the cap he's wearing on his regular card a different shade of blue?:
  
  

• On Alfredo Amezaga's regular card, he's showing the proper sliding technique in the outfield.:
  
  

• Jeremy Hermida's retail card was horizontally oriented. His regular card, as seen below, was not:
  
  

• Cameron Maybin had a cup-of-coffee with the Marlins in 2008. Including him in the retail set shows that Topps had high hopes for him. He only appeared in 54 games with the Fish in 2009:
  
  

• John Baker was the Marlins' regular catcher in 2009. So Topps did well by including him in the retail set too. He's seen fielding in his retail card. He's at bat below:
  
  

For Marlins fans, this was an excellent set to purchase if you like variations. Of the 14 players included in this set, 7 players have different pictures on the retail set compared to the base set, and none were of the same-photo-different-cropping variety. And of course, any product with Billy the Marlin had to be a bonus, right?

Next week's featured set will be the 2008 Chicago Cubs. 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