Gong Hey Fat Choy

(恭禧發財) Gong Hey Fat Choy

Today this humble, little blog celebrates Chinese New Year. It is the year of the Horse!

Yes, we actually have this Beanie Baby. We have all 12 of the animals from the Chinese Zodiac subset. This image graciously taken from Amazon.

Believe it or not, there is one player who appeared in the majors that was born in China. His name...

Henry Lees Kingman, born in Tientsin, on April 3, 1892.

While there are no Topps cards (or any cards that I could find for that matter), and although his career only lasted four games in 1914, the SABR BioProject has an article on Kingman, who led an incredible life long after his playing days ended.

So tonight, my family and I will be celebrating the New Year by having a nice dinner out. Or maybe we'll have it brought in. Or maybe I'll find some inspiration and cook something nice...

I think we'll go out.

Gong Hey Fat Choy. Happy New Year!!!

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

If You're Wondering...I Did Get Some 2014 Topps Series 1.

The bad news is that my local card shop is not getting their shipment of cards until today (at 3 in the afternoon). I'll probably drive over there some time next week as I probably won't be able to get to that area until then.

The good news is that my local Target did have packs of the new 2014 Topps Series 1 on the shelves. My haul? Fifteen 12-card packs and two 36-card jumbo packs.

Now a little story involving pack searchers.

I'm not a big fan of them. And unless you're doing this with Lego MiniFigures (or any other kind of collectible mini figures), it's kind of discouraged within the Hobby. It is no secret that there are those who go into the stores with the intent of feeling for relic, autograph, or any other kind of special kinds of cards in the pack, normally on the day new product arrives. At Target, the cards are right by the registers, and they take boxes, put them on empty conveyor belts, and start feeling away. I have seen this in the past, and yeah, watching them do this was disgusting.

Now, there was a Target employee watching these guys, but for those who say that they should stop them...there really is nothing they can do about them other than watch to make sure they don't try and pocket the products.

Fortunately for me, I got there first, and grabbed my packs before going around the store (needed to buy other items too). When I finished and went back to the registers, that's when I saw the pack searchers. There were two of them. I don't know if they were partners, or what. But one guy had the cardboard box of 12 packs on the conveyor belt while the other guy was feeling around the jumbo packs while they were still on the racks.

Now, I am not one for confrontation. As much as many forum "superheroes" would say that they would actually go up to these kinds of people and say what they're doing is wrong, I'm not one of them. But I had to say something. Here is the conversation.

Me:  Any luck?
Pack Searcher: Not yet. Looking for anything?
Me:  No thanks. (flashing packs) Already have what I came for.
Pack Searcher: (disgustingly puts packs back in box, puts box back on shelf, and looks for something else).

The other guy wasn't in on the conversation, but he stopped as well.

Now I was watching them while waiting at the check out. I had to. I was worried that they would try to follow me out of the store and mug me. Yes, I worried about that. But it was weird to watch them having to look for something else to search after I said I got what I came for.

I have opened the packs, and while I did get some interesting cards, (and I still have to open the jumbos), I did not "score" any autos or relic cards. Now I know I didn't give them the "lecture" about the Hobby morals of "pack searching," but it was nice feeling to walk out of the store knowing that the packs left behind may still have autos and relics that these guys gave up on. Now, who's to say that another guy isn't going to come into the store today and repeat the process, but I feel good about yesterday.

Now, on to the cards.

The first card of 2014 for me was:

2014 Topps #261 Michael Brantley

Not a bad start to the new year. The card does look great up front. I never noticed in the previews that the foil and the bottom of the red border (in the example above) actually cross each other. It gives that 3-D effect. But what I wanted to see was the card back. The team name on the right corner reminds me of 2005 Topps, while the bottom curve reminds me of 2002, but less empty space at the bottom of the card (the oval that holds the position of the player is a nice touch and a good complement to the curve.

But what I really wanted to see was the back.

Now I actually like the card back this year. The card is whiter than the scan provided, but the card number is easy to read, depending on how many years the player's been in the majors, there is ample room for text. Now last year, Topps included a little line about the subject's "Chase" to being the all-time leader in a statistic. As this year is all about youth and the rookies, every player's card has a line that includes a quick "Rookie Fact."

Also new this year, for both hitters and pitchers, is another statistic that was added to the stat box. In 2004, Topps added a 14th stat to the party, OPS for batters, WHIP for pitchers, in honor of those who use the stats for their rotisserie leagues. With sabermetrics being a major part of the game today, WAR, the confusing yet influential number that means "Wins Above Replacement" has been added to all players' stat lines. However, I guess Topps couldn't add a 15th statistic to the stat box because based on looking at the card above, SO (for strikeouts) has been removed from the batters' cards. For pitchers, CG (for complete games) was the sacrificial statistic that was taken off for WAR. (Thanks PhilM for the tip in the comments. I guess I should learn how to COUNT!!!).

Now I keep hearing on the MLB Network that this number is the best one to use to determine how good a player is when comparing players from different eras. Batting Averages, W-L records, ERA, all numbers that fans have grown up with and have been historically the indicators as to how good a player was during his time have been deemed irrelevant by many now.

But what is WAR? Baseball-Reference explains it this way:

The basic currency of WAR is runs. We start with runs added or lost versus an average player and then compare the average player to a replacement player. I just got done saying we don't want to use averages, but an equation should explain what we are doing here.

Players Runs over Replacement = Player_runs - ReplPlayer_runs = (Player_runs - AvgPlayer_runs) + (AvgPlayer_runs - ReplPlayer_runs)

This gives us two components, player runs above average (RAA) and then the average player's runs above replacement.

Ultimately, baseball teams are interested in wins and losses, and so is WAR. RAA is converted to wins above average by running the results through a PythagenPat win-loss estimator (a rundown of PythagenPat. This allows us to more accurately model the interaction between the player and league and the effect on wins. Generally, ten runs will give you one win, but that does not always hold.

Adding up all of the WAR on a team (adding in replacement level (48 wins for a full season)), should get you very, very close to the team's actual wins and losses, and should match up even more closely with their Pythagorean win-loss records.

Unfortunately, the statistics at our disposal to compare Tris Speaker and Ken Griffey Jr. have changed over time. We now have exact data regarding types and location of batted balls, and this has led to improvements in various measurements (defensive measurements most notably). When we compute our metrics for the various components of WAR, we always use as much data as possible. For example, with baserunning this means that we'll use stolen bases alone when that is all we have, stolen bases and caught stealings when that is all we have, and full play-by-play accounts of steals by base, pickoffs, and advancements on passed balls, wild pitches, sac flies, doubles, singles, etc when we have that.

WAR is calculated separately for pitchers and for position players, so we'll deal with each of them separately.

You can read the rest of it here. If there is no set way to calculate this stat, and there are tons of calculations involved to get this final number, why is this number so influential? I can stare at this explanation all day long, and still have no clue as to what any of this means. But experts are starting to swear by this number.

Overall, there have been some good hits in the 15 packs that I've opened, including:

• A camo Hisashi Iwakuma parallel card #'d to 99
• A red Bryce Harper parallel card
• Four Power Player code cards
• Derek Jeter Super Veteran (retail exclusive)

and I still have the two jumbos to open.

I do plan on buying a master set on the Bay, but probably after auction prices settle down a bit. Anything over $200 for all six sets is too pricey at this point in time. I want the cards, but I'm in no rush. I'll probably feel the pressure to commit to impulse buy if I don't have a master set by the end of February.

So that's all for now. The cards look great up close. I haven't compared any cards to see if I have any of the elusive SP's (doubt I'll get one), but I'm having fun regardless.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

It's January 29...Topps Series 1 (Officially) is Live!!!

Hey you...Yes...I'm pointing at you!!!

It's Opening Day...kind of.

The first sign of spring and baseball is in the air now that Topps 2014 is to go live (officially) today. Even though some lucky collectors were able to get their hands on them earlier because their local retail/big box store decided to place them on the shelves earlier than scheduled (mine, unfortunately, wasn't one of them).

I will find you. Trust me.

I have seen the previews, cards on eBay, and according to brentandbecca, there are probably 25 SP's again being scattered among the packs and boxes of Series 1. A full checklist, when one is found, will be up soon.

Master sets are already up on the Bay (mostly pre-sells), and for some reason, those that are including the 50-card 1989 minis set are going for the low-to-mid $200's, while those without are at the reasonable $100-150 range. Why is that? Is it that hard to get the set completed?

I will be running to the card shop today as I have to go on the road. If there is anything out there, I'll post it on my travels.

If it's not too cold out where you are, make the trip and get some cards. It's about time.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

The 2014 Topps Series 1 Checklist is Now Live! We Think...

Collectors on Twitter have been begging and pleading for Topps to present the final checklist for the most highly anticipated product of the baseball card season, 2014 Topps Series 1. Topps has been peppering followers with images of some of the cards we'll all be looking for when we get our hands on packs, boxes, and complete sets. Today, the checklist made it's first appearance on Topps' website.

You can either feel free to go to their site and download the 35 page checklist, or feel free to peruse the checklist below. Now, since I don't collect auto or relic or manufactured relic or parallel cards, I am not posting them here. But if you like your base and regular insert sets, and want a checklist, here you go:

BASE:

1 Mike Trout Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
2 Jhonny Peralta Detroit Tigers
3 Jarrod Dyson Kansas City Royals
4 Cody Asche Philadelphia Phillies
5 Lance Lynn St. Louis Cardinals
6 Josh Beckett Los Angeles Dodgers
8 Coco Crisp Oakland Athletics
9 Dustin Ackley Seattle Mariners
10 Junior Lake Chicago Cubs
11 Mike Carp Boston Red Sox
12 Aaron Hicks Minnesota Twins
13 Juan Nicasio Colorado Rockies
14 Yoenis Cespedes Oakland Athletics
15 Paul Goldschmidt Arizona Diamondbacks
16 Johnny Cueto Cincinnati Reds
17 Todd Helton Colorado Rockies
18 Jurickson Profar Texas Rangers FUTURE STARS
19 Joey Votto Cincinnati Reds
20 Charlie Blackmon Colorado Rockies
21 Alfredo Simon Cincinnati Reds
22 Mike Napoli Boston Red Sox WORLD SERIES
23 Chris Heisey Cincinnati Reds
24 Manny Machado Baltimore Orioles FUTURE STARS
25 Troy Tulowitzki Colorado Rockies
26 Josh Phegley Chicago White Sox
27 Michael Choice Oakland Athletics ROOKIE
28 Brayan Pena Detroit Tigers
29 Chris Davis/Miguel Cabrera/Edwin Encarnacion LEAGUE LEADERS
30 Mark Buehrle Toronto Blue Jays
31 Victor Martinez Detroit Tigers
32 Reymond Fuentes San Diego Padres ROOKIE
33 Matt Harvey New York Mets
34 Buddy Boshers Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim ROOKIE
35 Trevor Cahill Arizona Diamondbacks
36 Billy Hamilton Cincinnati Reds ROOKIE
37 Nick Hundley San Diego Padres
38 Pedro Alvarez/Paul Goldschmidt/Jay Bruce LEAGUE LEADERS
39 David Murphy Texas Rangers
40 Hyun-Jin Ryu Los Angeles Dodgers
41 Adeiny Hechavarria Miami Marlins
42 Mariano Rivera New York Yankees
43 Mark Trumbo Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
44 Matt Carpenter St. Louis Cardinals
45 Jake Marisnick Miami Marlins ROOKIE
46 Kolten Wong St. Louis Cardinals ROOKIE
47 Chris Davis Baltimore Orioles BASEBALL HIGHLIGHTS
48 Jarrod Saltalamacchia Boston Red Sox
49 Enny Romero Tampa Bay Rays ROOKIE
50 Buster Posey San Francisco Giants
51 Kyle Lohse Milwaukee Brewers
52 Jim Adduci Texas Rangers ROOKIE
53 Clay Buchholz Boston Red Sox
54 Andrew Lambo Pittsburgh Pirates ROOKIE
55 Chia-Jen Lo Houston Astros ROOKIE
56 Taijuan Walker Seattle Mariners ROOKIE
57 Yadier Molina St. Louis Cardinals
58 Dan Straily Oakland Athletics
59 Nate Schierholtz Chicago Cubs
60 Jon Niese New York Mets
61 Nick Markakis Baltimore Orioles
62 Joe Kelly St. Louis Cardinals
63 Tyler Skaggs Arizona Diamondbacks FUTURE STARS
64 Will Venable San Diego Padres
65 Hisashi Iwakuma Seattle Mariners
66 Kris Medlen Atlanta Braves
67 Yasmani Grandal San Diego Padres
68 Sean Burnett Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
69 Jhoulys Chacin Colorado Rockies
70 Marcell Ozuna Miami Marlins
71 Anthony Rizzo Chicago Cubs
72 Michael Young Los Angeles Dodgers
73 Kyle Seager Seattle Mariners
74 John Mayberry Philadelphia Phillies
75 Brandon Barnes Houston Astros
76 Mike Aviles Cleveland Indians
77 Aroldis Chapman Cincinnati Reds
78 Bronson Arroyo Cincinnati Reds
79 Garrett Jones Pittsburgh Pirates
80 Jack Hannahan Cincinnati Reds
81 Anibal Sanchez Detroit Tigers
82 Leonys Martin Texas Rangers
83 Jonathan Schoop Baltimore Orioles ROOKIE
84 Todd Redmond Toronto Blue Jays
85 Matt Joyce Tampa Bay Rays
86 Wilmer Flores New York Mets ROOKIE
87 Tyson Ross San Diego Padres
88 Oswaldo Arcia Minnesota Twins
89 Jarred Cosart Houston Astros FUTURE STARS
90 Ethan Martin Philadelphia Phillies ROOKIE
91 Starling Marte Pittsburgh Pirates FUTURE STARS
92 Martin Perez Texas Rangers FUTURE STARS
93 Ryan Sweeney Chicago Cubs
94 Mitch Moreland Texas Rangers
95 Brandon Morrow Toronto Blue Jays
96 Wily Peralta Milwaukee Brewers
97 Alex Gordon Kansas City Royals
98 Edwin Encarnacion Toronto Blue Jays
99 Melky Cabrera Toronto Blue Jays
100 Bryce Harper Washington Nationals
101 Chris Nelson Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
102 Matt Lindstrom Chicago White Sox
103 Miguel Cabrera/Joe Mauer/Mike Trout LEAGUE LEADERS
104 Kurt Suzuki Oakland Athletics
105 Ryan Howard Philadelphia Phillies
106 Shin-Soo Choo Cincinnati Reds
107 Jordan Zimmermann Washington Nationals
108 J.D. Martinez Houston Astros
109 David Freese St. Louis Cardinals
110 Wil Myers Tampa Bay Rays
111 Mark Ellis Los Angeles Dodgers
112 Torii Hunter Detroit Tigers
113 Clayton Kershaw/Jose Fernandez/Matt Harvey LEAGUE LEADERS
114 Francisco Liriano Pittsburgh Pirates
115 Brett Oberholtzer Houston Astros
116 Hiroki Kuroda New York Yankees
117 Anibal Sanchez/Bartolo Colon/Hisashi Iwakuma LEAGUE LEADERS
118 Ian Desmond Washington Nationals
119 Brandon Crawford San Francisco Giants
120 Kevin Correia Minnesota Twins
121 Franklin Gutierrez Seattle Mariners
122 Jonathan Papelbon Philadelphia Phillies
123 James Paxton Seattle Mariners ROOKIE
124 Jay Bruce Cincinnati Reds
125 Joe Mauer Minnesota Twins
126 David DeJesus Tampa Bay Rays
127 Yusmeiro Petit San Francisco Giants
128 Erasmo Ramirez Seattle Mariners
129 Yonder Alonso San Diego Padres
130 Scooter Gennett Milwaukee Brewers
131 Junichi Tazawa Boston Red Sox
132 Henderson Alvarez Miami Marlins BASEBALL HIGHLIGHTS
133 Xander Bogaerts Boston Red Sox ROOKIE
134 Josh Donaldson Oakland Athletics
135 Eric Sogard Oakland Athletics
136 Will Middlebrooks Boston Red Sox FUTURE STARS
137 Boone Logan New York Yankees
138 Wei-Yin Chen Baltimore Orioles
139 Rafael Betancourt Colorado Rockies
140 Jonathan Broxton Cincinnati Reds
141 Chris Tillman Baltimore Orioles
142 Zack Greinke Los Angeles Dodgers
143 Paul Goldschmidt/Jay Bruce/Freddie Freeman LEAGUE LEADERS
144 Joakim Soria Texas Rangers
145 Jason Castro Houston Astros
146 Jonny Gomes Boston Red Sox WORLD SERIES
147 Jason Frasor Texas Rangers
148 Chris Sale Chicago White Sox
149 Miguel Cabrera Detroit Tigers BASEBALL HIGHLIGHTS
150 Andrew McCutchen Pittsburgh Pirates
151 Bruce Chen Kansas City Royals
152 Jonathan Herrera Colorado Rockies
153 Chris Davis/Miguel Cabrera/Adam Jones LEAGUE LEADERS
154 Chris Iannetta Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
155 Daniel Murphy New York Mets
156 Kendrys Morales Seattle Mariners
157 Matt Adams St. Louis Cardinals
158 Nate McLouth Baltimore Orioles
159 Jason Grilli Pittsburgh Pirates
160 Bruce Rondon Detroit Tigers
161 Adrian Beltre Texas Rangers
162 Josmil Pinto Minnesota Twins ROOKIE
163 Matt Shoemaker Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim ROOKIE
164 Jaime Garcia St. Louis Cardinals
165 Rajai Davis Toronto Blue Jays
166 Dustin Pedroia Boston Red Sox
167 Jeremy Guthrie Kansas City Royals
168 Alex Rodriguez New York Yankees
169 Nick Franklin Seattle Mariners FUTURE STARS
170 Wade Miley Arizona Diamondbacks
171 Trevor Rosenthal St. Louis Cardinals
172 Rickie Weeks Milwaukee Brewers
173 Brandon League Los Angeles Dodgers
174 Bobby Parnell New York Mets
175 Casey Janssen Toronto Blue Jays
176 Alex Cobb Tampa Bay Rays
177 Esmil Rogers Toronto Blue Jays
178 Erik Johnson Chicago White Sox ROOKIE
179 Gerrit Cole Pittsburgh Pirates FUTURE STARS
180 Ben Revere Philadelphia Phillies
181 Jim Henderson Milwaukee Brewers
182 Carlos Ruiz Philadelphia Phillies
183 Darwin Barney Chicago Cubs
184 Yunel Escobar Tampa Bay Rays
185 Howie Kendrick Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
186 Clayton Richard San Diego Padres
187 Justin Turner New York Mets
188 Mark Melancon Pittsburgh Pirates
189 Adam LaRoche Washington Nationals
190 Kevin Gausman Baltimore Orioles FUTURE STARS
191 Chris Perez Cleveland Indians
192 Pedro Alvarez Pittsburgh Pirates
193 Ricky Nolasco Los Angeles Dodgers
194 Joel Hanrahan Boston Red Sox
195 Nick Castellanos Detroit Tigers ROOKIE
196 Cole Hamels Philadelphia Phillies
197 Onelki Garcia Los Angeles Dodgers ROOKIE
198 Nick Swisher Cleveland Indians
199 Matt Davidson Arizona Diamondbacks ROOKIE
200 Derek Jeter New York Yankees
201 Alex Rios Texas Rangers
202 Jeremy Hellickson Tampa Bay Rays
203 Cliff Pennington Arizona Diamondbacks
204 Adrian Gonzalez Los Angeles Dodgers
205 Seth Smith Oakland Athletics
206 Jon Lester Boston Red Sox WORLD SERIES
207 Jonathan Villar Houston Astros
208 Dayan Viciedo Chicago White Sox
209 Carlos Quentin San Diego Padres
210 Jose Altuve Houston Astros
211 Dioner Navarro Chicago Cubs
212 Jason Heyward Atlanta Braves
213 Justin Smoak Seattle Mariners
214 James Shields Kansas City Royals
215 Jean Segura Milwaukee Brewers FUTURE STARS
216 Ubaldo Jimenez Cleveland Indians
217 Giancarlo Stanton Miami Marlins
218 Matt Dominguez Houston Astros
219 Charlie Morton Pittsburgh Pirates
220 Ryan Doumit Minnesota Twins
221 Brian Dozier Minnesota Twins
222 Vernon Wells New York Yankees
223 Joaquin Benoit Detroit Tigers
224 Michael Saunders Seattle Mariners
225 Brian McCann Atlanta Braves
226 Sean Doolittle Oakland Athletics
227 Andrew Cashner San Diego Padres
228 Jayson Werth Washington Nationals
229 Justin Upton Atlanta Braves
230 Andre Rienzo Chicago White Sox ROOKIE
231 J.R. Murphy New York Yankees ROOKIE
232 Chris Owings Arizona Diamondbacks ROOKIE
233 Rafael Soriano Washington Nationals
234 Eric Stults San Diego Padres
235 Jason Kipnis Cleveland Indians
236 Joel Peralta Tampa Bay Rays
237 Mike Cuddyer/Chris Johnson/Freddie Freeman LEAGUE LEADERS
238 Alberto Callaspo Oakland Athletics
239 Jeff Samardzija Chicago Cubs
240 Ernesto Frieri Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
241 Henderson Alvarez Miami Marlins
242 David Holmberg Arizona Diamondbacks ROOKIE
243 Ryan Cook Oakland Athletics
244 Danny Farquhar Seattle Mariners
245 Ross Detwiler Washington Nationals
246 Eduardo Nunez New York Yankees
247 Anthony Gose Toronto Blue Jays
248 Travis d'Arnaud New York Mets ROOKIE
249 Heath Hembree San Francisco Giants ROOKIE
250 Miguel Cabrera Detroit Tigers
251 Sergio Romo San Francisco Giants
252 Kevin Pillar Toronto Blue Jays ROOKIE
253 Todd Helton Colorado Rockies BASEBALL HIGHLIGHTS
254 Brett Gardner New York Yankees
255 Billy Butler Kansas City Royals
256 Abraham Almonte Seattle Mariners ROOKIE
257 C.J. Wilson Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
258 Jon Lester Boston Red Sox
259 David Ortiz Boston Red Sox WORLD SERIES
260 Zoilo Almonte New York Yankees
261 Michael Brantley Cleveland Indians
262 Jeff Keppinger Chicago White Sox
263 Doug Fister Detroit Tigers
264 Huston Street San Diego Padres
265 Yordano Ventura Kansas City Royals ROOKIE
266 Zack Wheeler New York Mets FUTURE STARS
267 Ryan Vogelsong San Francisco Giants
268 Don Kelly Detroit Tigers
269 Joe Blanton Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
270 Gregor Blanco San Francisco Giants
271 Justin Ruggiano Miami Marlins
272 Carlos Villanueva Chicago Cubs
273 Mark DeRosa Toronto Blue Jays
274 Jonny Gomes Boston Red Sox
275 Nolan Arenado Colorado Rockies
276 Alfonso Soriano New York Yankees
277 Mike Leake Cincinnati Reds
278 Tommy Medica San Diego Padres ROOKIE
279 Corey Kluber Cleveland Indians
280 Everth Cabrera San Diego Padres
281 Robbie Erlin San Diego Padres ROOKIE
282 Rex Brothers Colorado Rockies
283 Andrelton Simmons Atlanta Braves FUTURE STARS
284 Brandon Belt San Francisco Giants
285 Jonathan Lucroy Milwaukee Brewers
286 Josh Fields Houston Astros
287 Miguel Montero Arizona Diamondbacks
288 Julio Teheran Atlanta Braves FUTURE STARS
289 Matt Thornton Boston Red Sox
290 Chad Bettis Colorado Rockies ROOKIE
291 Brandon McCarthy Arizona Diamondbacks
292 Aaron Hill Arizona Diamondbacks
293 Mike Zunino Seattle Mariners FUTURE STARS
294 Adam Wainwright/Jordan Zimmermann/Clayton Kershaw LEAGUE LEADERS
295 Matt Tuiasosopo Detroit Tigers
296 Domonic Brown Philadelphia Phillies
297 Max Scherzer Detroit Tigers
298 Chris Getz Kansas City Royals
299 Max Scherzer/Bartolo Colon/Matt Moore LEAGUE LEADERS
300 Yu Darvish Texas Rangers
301 Shane Victorino Boston Red Sox
302 Carlos Gomez Milwaukee Brewers
303 Andres Torres San Francisco Giants
304 Juan Lagares New York Mets
305 Steve Cishek Miami Marlins
306 Garrett Richards Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
307 Jake Peavy Boston Red Sox
308 Alexei Ramirez Chicago White Sox
309 Drew Stubbs Cleveland Indians
310 Neftali Feliz Texas Rangers
311 Chris Young Oakland Athletics
312 Jimmy Rollins Philadelphia Phillies
313 Brad Peacock Houston Astros
314 Hanley Ramirez Los Angeles Dodgers
315 Jose Quintana Chicago White Sox
316 Mike Minor Atlanta Braves
317 Lonnie Chisenhall Cleveland Indians
318 Luis Valbuena Chicago Cubs
319 Ryan Goins Toronto Blue Jays ROOKIE
320 Hector Santiago Chicago White Sox
321 Mariano Rivera New York Yankees BASEBALL HIGHLIGHTS
322 Emilio Bonifacio Kansas City Royals
323 Jose Bautista Toronto Blue Jays
324 Elvis Andrus Texas Rangers
325 Trevor Plouffe Minnesota Twins
326 Khris Davis Milwaukee Brewers
327 Pablo Sandoval San Francisco Giants
328 James Loney Tampa Bay Rays
329 Matt Holliday St. Louis Cardinals
330 Evan Longoria Tampa Bay Rays
331 Yasiel Puig Los Angeles Dodgers

Quick notes:

• Once again, in lieu of not having a number7 card, card #331 is in play for series 1, and just like last year, it's not a short print (unless there is a variation for Puig...and you know there will be).
• Believe it or not, the only "variation" announced on the checklist was a "Walmart Photo Variation" card for Mike Trout...AND THAT WAS IT. Now, does this mean that there aren't going to be any other variations in series 1? As much as it would make a certain ex-blogger's dream come true, I doubt it. Nothing has been announced. Doesn't mean there won't be any. Stay tuned to your local eBay feed.
• I know the theme for 2014 is "The Future is Now" and that there will be emphasis on the players Topps will be calling "Future Stars." There are 15 of them (all underlined for quick reference). Yasiel Puig (whose card Topps mocked up on a sell sheet with "Future Star" in foil) is not listed as one of them.
  
  
  
  From 1987 through 1991, when Topps last featured "Future Star" cards there were 25 players featured with the tag. There are 15 in Series 1 alone, and more to come in Series 2. Overkill??!
• There are also 35 players(all in italics) making their MLB Rookie Card debut, all getting that fantastic MLB-sanctioned Rookie Card logo. Included among the 35 is Robbie Erlin, who made his MLB debut on April 30, and could have gotten a card in either last year's Series 2 or Update Series sets. Three other players made their debuts towards the end of July, while the other 31 players made their debuts after the August 1 cut-off for being eligible for Rookie Card recognition in 2014.

There are nine basic insert sets I'll be going after as well. Some are Hobby exclusive, some are Retail Exclusive, and one is a Hobby Shop promotion set. They are:

UPPER CLASS - Inserted 1:4 packs
UC-1 Bryce Harper Washington Nationals
UC-2 Mike Trout Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
UC-3 Yu Darvish Texas Rangers
UC-4 Yoenis Cespedes Oakland Athletics
UC-5 Matt Harvey New York Mets
UC-6 Craig Kimbrel Atlanta Braves
UC-7 Freddie Freeman Atlanta Braves
UC-8 Sandy Koufax Brooklyn Dodgers
UC-9 Roberto Clemente Pittsburgh Pirates
UC-10 Buster Posey San Francisco Giants
UC-11 David Freese St. Louis Cardinals
UC-12 Giancarlo Stanton Florida Marlins
UC-13 Stephen Strasburg Washington Nationals
UC-14 Madison Bumgarner San Francisco Giants
UC-15 Evan Longoria Tampa Bay Rays
UC-16 Joey Votto Cincinnati Reds
UC-17 Jay Bruce Cincinnati Reds
UC-18 Ryan Braun Milwaukee Brewers
UC-19 Troy Tulowitzki Colorado Rockies
UC-20 Dustin Pedroia Boston Red Sox
UC-21 Hanley Ramirez Florida Marlins
UC-22 Matt Cain San Francisco Giants
UC-23 Prince Fielder Milwaukee Brewers
UC-24 Justin Verlander Detroit Tigers
UC-25 Jered Weaver Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
UC-26 Ryan Howard Philadelphia Phillies
UC-27 Robinson Cano New York Yankees
UC-28 Brian McCann Atlanta Braves
UC-29 Felix Hernandez Seattle Mariners
UC-30 Matt Holliday Colorado Rockies
UC-31 David Wright New York Mets
UC-32 Yadier Molina St. Louis Cardinals
UC-33 Randy Johnson Montreal Expos
UC-34 Gary Sheffield Milwaukee Brewers
UC-35 Ken Griffey Jr. Seattle Mariners
UC-36 Albert Belle Cleveland Indians
UC-37 Jim Abbott California Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
UC-38 Tom Glavine Atlanta Braves
UC-39 Greg Maddux Chicago Cubs
UC-40 Bo Jackson Kansas City Royals
UC-41 Jacoby Ellsbury Boston Red Sox
UC-42 Jim Rice Boston Red Sox
UC-43 Fred Lynn Boston Red Sox
UC-44 Gary Carter Montreal Expos
UC-45 Ryne Sandberg Chicago Cubs
UC-46 Wade Boggs Boston Red Sox
UC-47 Cal Ripken Jr. Baltimore Orioles
UC-48 Hank Aaron Milwaukee Braves
UC-49 Al Kaline Detroit Tigers
UC-50 Ernie Banks Chicago Cubs

THE FUTURE IS NOW - Inserted 1:4 packs
FN-1 Shelby Miller St. Louis Cardinals
FN-2 Shelby Miller St. Louis Cardinals
FN-3 Shelby Miller St. Louis Cardinals
FN-4 Jurickson Profar Texas Rangers
FN-5 Jurickson Profar Texas Rangers
FN-6 Jurickson Profar Texas Rangers
FN-7 Jean Segura Milwaukee Brewers
FN-8 Jean Segura Milwaukee Brewers
FN-9 Jean Segura Milwaukee Brewers
FN-10 Zack Wheeler New York Mets
FN-11 Zack Wheeler New York Mets
FN-12 Zack Wheeler New York Mets
FN-13 Yoenis Cespedes Oakland Athletics
FN-14 Yoenis Cespedes Oakland Athletics
FN-15 Hyun-Jin Ryu Los Angeles Dodgers
FN-16 Hyun-Jin Ryu Los Angeles Dodgers
FN-17 Wil Myers Tampa Bay Rays
FN-18 Wil Myers Tampa Bay Rays
FN-19 Mike Trout Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
FN-20 Mike Trout Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
FN-21 Jose Fernandez Miami Marlins
FN-22 Jose Fernandez Miami Marlins
FN-23 Manny Machado Baltimore Orioles
FN-24 Manny Machado Baltimore Orioles
FN-25 Yasiel Puig Los Angeles Dodgers
FN-26 Yasiel Puig Los Angeles Dodgers
FN-27 Yu Darvish Texas Rangers
FN-28 Yu Darvish Texas Rangers
FN-29 Bryce Harper Washington Nationals
FN-30 Bryce Harper Washington Nationals

TOPPS ALL ROOKIE CUP TEAM - Inseted 1:18 packs
RCT-1 Tom Seaver New York Mets
RCT-2 Willie McCovey San Francisco Giants
RCT-3 Joe Morgan Houston Astros
RCT-4 Albert Pujols St. Louis Cardinals
RCT-5 Derek Jeter New York Yankees
RCT-6 Jim Rice Boston Red Sox
RCT-7 Mike Trout Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
RCT-8 Ken Griffey Jr. Seattle Mariners
RCT-9 Johnny Bench Cincinnati Reds
RCT-10 CC Sabathia Cleveland Indians

1989 TOPPS MINIS DIE CUTS - Inserted 1:18 packs
TM-1 Yasiel Puig Los Angeles Dodgers
TM-2 Clayton Kershaw Los Angeles Dodgers
TM-3 Fred Lynn Boston Red Sox
TM-4 Tony Gwynn San Diego Padres
TM-5 Tim Raines Montreal Expos
TM-6 Bo Jackson Kansas City Royals
TM-7 Sandy Koufax Los Angeles Dodgers
TM-8 Babe Ruth New York Yankees
TM-9 Nolan Ryan Texas Rangers
TM-10 Rickey Henderson Oakland Athletics
TM-11 Fred McGriff Atlanta Braves
TM-12 Lee Smith St. Louis Cardinals
TM-13 Don Mattingly New York Yankees
TM-14 Wade Boggs Boston Red Sox
TM-15 Andre Dawson Chicago Cubs
TM-16 Mike Schmidt Philadelphia Phillies
TM-17 Tom Glavine Atlanta Braves
TM-18 George Brett Kansas City Royals
TM-19 Lou Gehrig New York Yankees
TM-20 Yogi Berra New York Yankees
TM-21 Ted Williams Boston Red Sox
TM-22 Jimmie Foxx Boston Red Sox
TM-23 Roberto Clemente Pittsburgh Pirates
TM-24 Ozzie Smith St. Louis Cardinals
TM-25 Greg Maddux Atlanta Braves
TM-26 Jim Rice Boston Red Sox
TM-27 Cal Ripken Jr. Baltimore Orioles
TM-28 Mike Trout Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
TM-29 Josh Hamilton Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
TM-30 Paul Goldschmidt Arizona Diamondbacks
TM-31 Manny Machado Baltimore Orioles
TM-32 Chris Davis Baltimore Orioles
TM-33 Dustin Pedroia Boston Red Sox
TM-34 David Ortiz Boston Red Sox
TM-35 Ernie Banks Chicago Cubs
TM-36 Randy Johnson Seattle Mariners
TM-37 Joey Votto Cincinnati Reds
TM-38 Johnny Bench Cincinnati Reds
TM-39 Joe Morgan Cincinnati Reds
TM-40 Miguel Cabrera Detroit Tigers
TM-41 Justin Verlander Detroit Tigers
TM-42 Buster Posey San Francisco Giants
TM-43 Joe Mauer Minnesota Twins
TM-44 Matt Harvey New York Mets
TM-45 Felix Hernandez Seattle Mariners
TM-46 Andrew McCutchen Pittsburgh Pirates
TM-47 Adam Wainwright St. Louis Cardinals
TM-48 Yu Darvish Texas Rangers
TM-49 Bryce Harper Washington Nationals
TM-50 Robinson Cano New York Yankees

50 YEARS OF THE DRAFT - Inserted 1:18 packs
50YD-1 Joe Mauer Minnesota Twins
50YD-2 Gerrit Cole Pittsburgh Pirates
50YD-3 David Price Tampa Bay Rays
50YD-4 Don Mattingly New York Yankees
50YD-5 Adrian Gonzalez Florida Marlins
50YD-6 Josh Hamilton Tampa Bay Devil Rays
50YD-7 Derek Jeter New York Yankees
50YD-8 Ken Griffey Jr. Seattle Mariners
50YD-9 Darryl Strawberry New York Mets
50YD-10 Johnny Bench Cincinnati Reds

BEFORE THEY WERE GREAT - Inseted 1:18 packs HOBBY and HOBBY JUMBO PACK EXCLUSIVE
BG-1 Johnny Bench Cincinnati Reds
BG-2 George Brett Kansas City Royals
BG-3 Nomar Garciaparra Boston Red Sox
BG-4 Bob Gibson St. Louis Cardinals
BG-5 Tom Glavine Atlanta Braves
BG-6 Ken Griffey Jr. Seattle Mariners
BG-7 Tony Gwynn San Diego Padres
BG-8 Rickey Henderson Oakland Athletics
BG-9 Reggie Jackson Oakland Athletics
BG-10 Randy Johnson Seattle Mariners
BG-11 Sandy Koufax Brooklyn Dodgers
BG-12 Greg Maddux Chicago Cubs
BG-13 Pedro Martinez Los Angeles Dodgers
BG-14 Don Mattingly New York Yankees
BG-15 Willie Mays New York Giants
BG-16 Mike Mussina Baltimore Orioles
BG-17 Jim Rice Boston Red Sox
BG-18 Cal Ripken Jr. Baltimore Orioles
BG-19 Nolan Ryan New York Mets
BG-20 Mike Schmidt Philadelphia Phillies
BG-21 Steve Carlton St. Louis Cardinals
BG-22 Ted Williams Boston Red Sox
BG-23 Jimmie Foxx Philadelphia Athletics
BG-24 Roberto Clemente Pittsburgh Pirates
BG-25 Ty Cobb Detroit Tigers
BG-26 Joe DiMaggio New York Yankees
BG-27 Tom Seaver New York Mets
BG-28 Derek Jeter New York Yankees
BG-29 Miguel Cabrera Florida Marlins
BG-30 Joe Morgan Houston Astros

SUPER VETERANS - RETAIL (WALMART / TARGET) EXCLUSIVE ONLY
SV-1 Albert Pujols Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
SV-2 Miguel Cabrera Detroit Tigers
SV-3 Derek Jeter New York Yankees
SV-4 Adrian Beltre Texas Rangers
SV-5 Torii Hunter Detroit Tigers
SV-6 David Ortiz Boston Red Sox
SV-7 Carlos Beltran St. Louis Cardinals
SV-8 Jimmy Rollins Philadelphia Phillies
SV-9 Barry Zito San Francisco Giants
SV-10 Andy Pettitte New York Yankees
SV-11 Matt Holliday St. Louis Cardinals
SV-12 Adam Wainwright St. Louis Cardinals
SV-13 CC Sabathia New York Yankees
SV-14 Roy Halladay Philadelphia Phillies
SV-15 Mariano Rivera New York Yankees

TOP 25 ROOKIE CARD REPRINTS - Retail Exclusive? Hobby Exclusive? Who Knows??!
RCF-1 Willie Mays New York Giants
RCF-2 Ernie Banks Chicago Cubs
RCF-3 Sandy Koufax Brooklyn Dodgers
RCF-4 Roberto Clemente Pittsburgh Pirates
RCF-5 Brooks Robinson Baltimore Orioles
RCF-6 Frank Robinson Cincinnati Reds
RCF-7 Bob Gibson St. Louis Cardinals
RCF-8 Willie McCovey San Francisco Giants
RCF-9 Reggie Jackson Oakland Athletics
RCF-10 Robin Yount Milwaukee Brewers
RCF-11 George Brett Kansas City Royals
RCF-12 Eddie Murray Baltimore Orioles
RCF-13 Ozzie Smith San Diego Padres
RCF-14 Rickey Henderson Oakland Athletics
RCF-15 Cal Ripken Jr. Baltimore Orioles
RCF-16 Tony Gwynn San Diego Padres
RCF-17 Wade Boggs Boston Red Sox
RCF-18 Don Mattingly New York Yankees
RCF-19 Ken Griffey Jr. Seattle Mariners
RCF-20 Derek Jeter New York Yankees
RCF-21 Miguel Cabrera Florida Marlins
RCF-22 Justin Verlander Detroit Tigers
RCF-23 Buster Posey San Francisco Giants
RCF-24 Mike Trout Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
RCF-25 Bryce Harper Washington Nationals

SPRING FEVER BASE CARDS - Hobby Shop Promotion
SF-1 Evan Longoria Tampa Bay Rays
SF-2 Mike Trout Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
SF-3 Robinson Cano Seattle Mariners
SF-4 Miguel Cabrera Detroit Tigers
SF-5 Carlos Gonzalez Colorado Rockies
SF-6 Chris Davis Baltimore Orioles
SF-7 Adam Jones Baltimore Orioles
SF-8 Adrian Beltre Texas Rangers
SF-9 Jose Bautista Toronto Blue Jays
SF-10 Clayton Kershaw Los Angeles Dodgers
SF-11 Hanley Ramirez Los Angeles Dodgers
SF-12 Prince Fielder Texas Rangers
SF-13 Adam Wainwright St. Louis Cardinals
SF-14 Felix Hernandez Seattle Mariners
SF-15 Ryan Braun Milwaukee Brewers
SF-16 Freddie Freeman Atlanta Braves
SF-17 Billy Hamilton Cincinnati Reds
SF-18 Giancarlo Stanton Miami Marlins
SF-19 Mariano Rivera New York Yankees
SF-20 Jose Fernandez Miami Marlins
SF-21 Chris Sale Chicago White Sox
SF-22 Buster Posey San Francisco Giants
SF-23 Joe Mauer Minnesota Twins
SF-24 Justin Verlander Detroit Tigers
SF-25 Yasiel Puig Los Angeles Dodgers
SF-26 Albert Pujols Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
SF-27 Jose Reyes Toronto Blue Jays
SF-28 Justin Upton Atlanta Braves
SF-29 David Ortiz Boston Red Sox
SF-30 Yoenis Cespedes Oakland Athletics
SF-31 Michael Wacha St. Louis Cardinals
SF-32 Xander Bogaerts Boston Red Sox
SF-33 Max Scherzer Detroit Tigers
SF-34 Bryce Harper Washington Nationals
SF-35 Yu Darvish Texas Rangers
SF-36 Andrew McCutchen Pittsburgh Pirates
SF-37 Josh Hamilton Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
SF-38 Wil Myers Tampa Bay Rays
SF-39 Paul Goldschmidt Arizona Diamondbacks
SF-40 Jason Heyward Atlanta Braves
SF-41 Craig Kimbrel Atlanta Braves
SF-42 Dustin Pedroia Boston Red Sox
SF-43 CC Sabathia New York Yankees
SF-44 Edwin Encarnacion Toronto Blue Jays
SF-45 Joey Votto Cincinnati Reds
SF-46 Jason Kipnis Cleveland Indians
SF-47 Troy Tulowitzki Colorado Rockies
SF-48 Stephen Strasburg Washington Nationals
SF-49 Adrian Gonzalez Los Angeles Dodgers
SF-50 Derek Jeter New York Yankees

Quick notes:

• At least the numbers for the insert sets us actual numbers instead of letters. I'm not saying it was hard, but to sort the cards in alphabetical order takes a bit longer.
• Nine basic insert sets. The retail sets will be harder of course as not too many appear cards or sets of these appear on the Bay. And when they do, they're expensive as all get out.
• Ten years ago, this guy would appear in EVERY insert set for other companies. In 2014, Alex Rodriguez's name appears twice, as a base card and on a relic card...AND THAT'S ALL!

There are 110 players that will have the "Power Players" logo as a parallel. There's a whole contest involved with them for 2014. I don't think I'll be participating in them. if you want to know who's on the list in series 1:

PP-1 Bryce Harper Washington Nationals
PP-2 Cole Hamels Philadelphia Phillies
PP-3 Wade Miley Arizona Diamondbacks
PP-4 Troy Tulowitzki Colorado Rockies
PP-5 Andrew McCutchen Pittsburgh Pirates
PP-6 Nick Swisher Cleveland Indians
PP-7 Aaron Hill Arizona Diamondbacks
PP-8 Alex Rios Texas Rangers
PP-9 Ernesto Frieri Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
PP-10 Ben Revere Philadelphia Phillies
PP-11 Chris Tillman Baltimore Orioles
PP-12 Clay Buchholz Boston Red Sox
PP-13 Charlie Blackmon Colorado Rockies
PP-14 Garrett Jones Pittsburgh Pirates
PP-15 Garrett Richards Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
PP-16 Lonnie Chisenhall Cleveland Indians
PP-17 Kolten Wong St. Louis Cardinals Rookie
PP-18 Chris Perez Cleveland Indians
PP-19 Matt Adams St. Louis Cardinals
PP-20 Jason Heyward Atlanta Braves
PP-21 Doug Fister Detroit Tigers
PP-22 Jose Quintana Chicago White Sox
PP-23 Mike Minor Atlanta Braves
PP-24 Matt Holliday St. Louis Cardinals
PP-25 Lance Lynn St. Louis Cardinals
PP-26 Jon Lester Boston Red Sox
PP-27 Onelki Garcia Los Angeles Dodgers Rookie
PP-28 Giancarlo Stanton Miami Marlins
PP-29 Kevin Pillar Toronto Blue Jays Rookie
PP-30 Chad Bettis Colorado Rockies Rookie
PP-31 Joe Blanton Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
PP-32 Jason Kipnis Cleveland Indians
PP-33 Ian Desmond Washington Nationals
PP-34 Adam LaRoche Washington Nationals
PP-35 David Freese St. Louis Cardinals
PP-36 Martin Perez Texas Rangers
PP-37 Chris Iannetta Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
PP-38 Sean Burnett Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
PP-39 Adrian Gonzalez Los Angeles Dodgers
PP-40 Manny Machado Baltimore Orioles
PP-41 Matt Lindstrom Chicago White Sox
PP-42 Matt Thornton Boston Red Sox
PP-43 Trevor Cahill Arizona Diamondbacks
PP-44 Junior Lake Chicago Cubs
PP-45 Johnny Cueto Cincinnati Reds
PP-46 Wei-Yin Chen Baltimore Orioles
PP-47 Carlos Villanueva Chicago Cubs
PP-48 Max Scherzer Detroit Tigers
PP-49 C.J. Wilson Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
PP-50 Chris Owings Arizona Diamondbacks Rookie
PP-51 Shin-Soo Choo Cincinnati Reds
PP-52 Yadier Molina St. Louis Cardinals
PP-53 Yonder Alonso San Diego Padres
PP-54 Ryan Howard Philadelphia Phillies
PP-55 Jason Grilli Pittsburgh Pirates
PP-56 Zack Greinke Los Angeles Dodgers
PP-57 Justin Upton Atlanta Braves
PP-58 Chris Sale Chicago White Sox
PP-59 Yu Darvish Texas Rangers
PP-60 Carlos Gomez Milwaukee Brewers
PP-61 Joey Votto Cincinnati Reds
PP-62 Pablo Sandoval San Francisco Giants
PP-63 Matt Davidson Arizona Diamondbacks Rookie
PP-64 Jordan Zimmermann Washington Nationals
PP-65 Ethan Martin Philadelphia Phillies Rookie
PP-66 Brandon McCarthy Arizona Diamondbacks
PP-67 Cliff Pennington Arizona Diamondbacks
PP-68 Torii Hunter Detroit Tigers
PP-69 Dustin Pedroia Boston Red Sox
PP-70 Mark Trumbo Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
PP-71 Mike Zunino Seattle Mariners
PP-72 Michael Brantley Cleveland Indians
PP-73 Paul Goldschmidt Arizona Diamondbacks
PP-74 Erik Johnson Chicago White Sox Rookie
PP-75 Marcell Ozuna Miami Marlins
PP-76 Mike Leake Cincinnati Reds
PP-77 Derek Jeter New York Yankees
PP-78 Jake Peavy Boston Red Sox
PP-79 Shane Victorino Boston Red Sox
PP-80 Aroldis Chapman Cincinnati Reds
PP-81 Miguel Montero Arizona Diamondbacks
PP-82 Julio Teheran Atlanta Braves
PP-83 Wilmer Flores New York Mets Rookie
PP-84 Alexei Ramirez Chicago White Sox
PP-85 Melky Cabrera Toronto Blue Jays
PP-86 Jhonny Peralta Detroit Tigers
PP-87 Dayan Viciedo Chicago White Sox
PP-88 Hiroki Kuroda New York Yankees
PP-89 Brandon Belt San Francisco Giants
PP-90 Brandon Crawford San Francisco Giants
PP-91 Hector Santiago Chicago White Sox
PP-92 Elvis Andrus Texas Rangers
PP-93 Jeff Samardzija Chicago Cubs
PP-94 Kyle Lohse Milwaukee Brewers
PP-95 James Shields Kansas City Royals
PP-96 Darwin Barney Chicago Cubs
PP-97 Nate McLouth Baltimore Orioles
PP-98 Tyler Skaggs Arizona Diamondbacks
PP-99 Jay Bruce Cincinnati Reds
PP-100 Hanley Ramirez Los Angeles Dodgers
PP-101 Brian McCann Atlanta Braves
PP-102 Jurickson Profar Texas Rangers
PP-103 Jose Altuve Houston Astros
PP-104 Joe Mauer Minnesota Twins
PP-105 Carlos Ruiz Philadelphia Phillies
PP-106 Edwin Encarnacion Toronto Blue Jays
PP-107 Sergio Romo San Francisco Giants
PP-108 Buster Posey San Francisco Giants
PP-109 James Paxton Seattle Mariners Rookie
PP-110 Chris Nelson Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

So there you have it, a quick cheat sheet of cards we'll all be getting our hands on in less than six days (I hope).

Let the hunt begin!!!

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

2014 Topps Series 2 Sell Sheets Have Been Live...for Quite Some Time Now!!!

With one week to go before 2014 Topps Series 1 becomes live (you're counting down the days...I know you are...), why not post this now since it's been a couple of months since they were first announced.

Back in December, Topps released images and basic information for the second series of their eponymous Topps release. As promised, here are the images of the sell sheets for 2014 Topps Series 2:

Topps has been posting pictures on their Twitter account (@toppscards) and have set up a brand spanking new Instagram account (toppssports) to show off pictures. On one hand, it's great to see what cards are going to look like. On the other hand, it takes a bit of the joy out of seeing cards for the first time from a pack. I like previews as much as the next guy, don't get me wrong. The sell sheets are enough for me. But last year, after seeing 30 base cards (one from each team), when I was opening packs of cards, I wasn't really paying too much attention because it seemed like I saw all of these cards already, even though I was holding them for the very first time.

The 1989 Mini Die-Cut insert set continues in Series 2, and that seems to be (if you follow the sell sheet) the only insert set that carries over from Series 1. The other insert sets are new to the second series, and the themes are very unique:

• The Future is Now (30 cards), this year's slogan, featuring 30 young stars and their greatest moments to date,
• Saber Stars (25 cards). Topps finally gets around to recognizing more sabermetric statistics (where RC means Runs Created instead of Rookie Card, and WAR is actually a good thing, depending on how high the number is) and the players who excel in these new-fangled statistics.
• Future Stars that Never Were (25 cards). With Topps bringing back the "Future Stars" subset, they are also going to be including cards of "older players" and what their "FS" cards would have looked like (although, if you believe the sell sheet, it looks like they're just going to re-print the rookie card and add the words "Future Star" to the card. I could be wrong, and maybe the set will include a 2007 Topps Evan Longoria card instead of the 2008 mock-up.

In seven days, Series 1 will be upon us.

Are you ready???

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Things I Have Not Yet Done in 2014

We are already half way through the month of January, and I am sitting at the mechanic's lounge again (I seem to do my best writing when I'm here for some reason), and I realize that other than trying to catch up to the Random Cards of the Day segments (I'm almost there...I think), I haven't written a darn thing here other than the Hall of Fame announcements.

Which reminds me, there are other things I have yet to have written about since I took on the new job, including:

• a preview/review of the 2014 Topps Series II sell sheets (which should have been done in December)

2014 Topps Series 2 Sell Sheet Page 1. Coming soon to the blog.

• updating the Sports Card Blogroll
• adding to the All-Time All-Star team blog now that the Cyber Museum has images of 2013 Topps Update Series cards
• waiting ever so patiently for 2014 Topps to show up at the store
• Announce the winners of the All-Star Rookie Team contest back in November

With the whirlwind of things happening in my personal life (oh yeah, including getting sick last week...couldn't even move), I really have left this place to the wolves. And I'll have to fix that.

I received the first email request to add a new blog to the Sports Card Blogroll. So the first order of business will be to update the site to 2014 standards. Let's do that now.

We ended 2013 with 334 active blogs on the SCBR. The following blogs will now be removed due to 6-9 months of inactivity (yes, it's been that long):

• Uncle Doc's Card Closet
• The Card Hobbyist
• SPOKE BAIT AND THE GAME
• First Ballot
• csd's Custom Cards
• waxcaptain's Dugout
• Building a Better Collection
• The Card Investor
• COLLECTING FOR KICKS
• Got it. Got it. Need it.
• supportingtheminnow
• Classon Ave
• The Underdog Card Collector
• Donruss 1982
• Pursuit of Red Sox
• Maddux, Glavine and Smoltz
• Thoughts and Sox
• Tony...the Killer and Carew >> Minnesota Twins
• Friars on Cardboard

With the above nineteen blogs off the active roster, that brings the total of active blogs in the SCBR down to 315 blogs. Last year at this time, I was hoping that the big blogroll would be host to 400 blogs about the Hobby of Sports Card Collecting. But with everyone now taking to twitter and other social sites, that might now be a dream. It's a good thing that many are able to find a balance and are continuing to maintain their sites with fresh content and new insights. It is my hope that 2013 was just a hiccup and that 2014 will see more blogs about the Hobby, especially with baseball in the horizon.

As always, if you or someone you know has a site about collecting sports cards, please send me an email at bdj610@hotmail.com and let me know about it. If you had a blog that hasn't been updated in a while and was removed previously from the active roll and you plan on bringing it back to the masses, let me know as well. 

I am going to go through the emails now and see who won the contest now. Check back and I'll make the announcement eventually,

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 1974 Topps #478 1973 World Series Game #7

It's Retro Sunday!!! Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Sunday, January 12, 2014:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1974 Topps #463.
• Player Name, position, team: Bert Campaneris, shortstop, Oakland A's.
• Special: World Series Game 7, Oakland 5, New York 2.
• Any special information about this specific card: Bert Campanaris' third inning home run in the (his third in the World Series, and which I am hoping Topps was smart enough to depict here based on his swing) set the tone for the game, helping the franchise to their third consecutive World Series title. As with the other six cards in the subset, the backs included the batting lines for both teams that day and the box score. No pitching totals, no game summary. That was all Topps could fit in the back that year. What it doesn't say is that Ken Holtzman earned the victory, going 2-1 in the WS, holding the Mets to one run in 5.1 innings. The MVP of the World Series was Reggie Jackson, who although hit just one home run (also in the 7th game) during the series, hit .310, drove in 6, and had an OPS of .941.
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $0.40-$1.00.

In case you're actually wondering, I don't own this card, but was able to get a crystal clean copy of the image from the from the Baseball Card Cyber Museum. So thank you Joe McAnally and the folks at the BCCM.

Well, it's back to normal on Monday. Tomorrow's card will be: 2003 Topps Traded #T71. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Come on back then to see what the Topps Card Randomizer gets us to look at then.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Team Set of the Week: 2007 Houston Astros

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

• Team: 2007 Houston Astros
• Record: 73-89, fourth place, NL Central Division.
• Managers: Phil Garner & Cecil Cooper
• Card on the Top: Lance Berkman

The checklist consists of the following players:

• HOU1 Lance Berkman
• HOU2 Brad Ausmus
• HOU3 Brad Lidge
• HOU4 Dan Wheeler
• HOU5 Roy Oswalt
• HOU6 Chris Burke
• HOU7 Craig Biggio
• HOU8 Woody Williams
• HOU9 Carlos Lee
• HOU10 Luke Scott
• HOU11 Morgan Ensberg
• HOU12 Jason Jennings
• HOU13 Adam Everett
• HOU14 Roger Clemens

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 2007 Topps eponymous set:

• While Brad Ausmus' retail card looks like he is making the catch, his base card shows what may have happened afterwards:
  
  

• Luke Scott's base card is horizontally-oriented to showcase that swing on his base card:
  
  

Of the 14 players included in this set, 2 players have different pictures on the retail set compared to the base set. Not too much to write home about, but you can make an argument that both retail cards look better than the base cards.

Next week's featured set will be the 2009 Cincinnati Reds. 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

Random Topps Card of the Day: 2013 Topps #395 Alexei Ramirez

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Saturday, January 11, 2014:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 2013 Topps #395.
• Player Name, position, team: Alexei Ramirez, shortstop, Chicago White Sox.
• Major League Debut: March 31, 2008.
• Last Line of Statistics: 2012 stats (White Sox): 158 G, 593 AB, 59 R, 157 H, 24 2B, 4 3B, 9 HR, 73 RBI, 20 SB, 16 BB, 77 SO, .364 SLG, .651 OPS, .265 AVG.
• Any special information about player: Signed with the White Sox as a Free Agent 01/22/2008. Bats: right. Throws: right.
• Number of regular Topps Cards (includes regular and traded cards only): 5. This is his fifth Topps card.
• Blurb on the back: "Alexei has been more consistent than spectacular in all phases of the game in his five seasons, almost to his own detriment. Though he's rarely hailed as a star, the numbers beg to differ. In that period, Ramirez ranks sixth in RBI, seventh in homers, and eighth in hits as a shortstop. His 20 stolen bases and .982 FLD% in 2012 were both career highs."
• Commentary: Some people believe that the 2013 Topps Baseball design element looks like a turtle. Personally, I think it looks like a ship you'd find on either Star Wars or Star Trek. But either way, it's a very interesting design. Alexei Fernando (Rodriguez) Ramirez was one of the few bright spots on an admittedly bad White Sox team in 2013. While he didn't supply the power in 2013 (6 home runs, 48 rbi's...a far cry from his 21 home run/77 rbi rookie season), he led the team in hits (181) and batting average (.284) and achieved a career high (up to this point) in stolen bases (30). Now heading into his seventh season on the South Side, the former Silver Slugger award winner is now fourth in seniority, and is being looked upon to mentor the Sox' newest export, first baseman Jose Abreu.
• Beckett value: $0.07-$0.20.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 28 cards.

Tomorrow is Retro Sunday, the one day of the week that we feature a card from 1951-1975. The card we will feature tomorrow is: 1974 Topps #478. Come back at 1:00 PM CST to see who (or what) it is.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 2006 Topps #529 Kris Benson

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Friday, January 10, 2014:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 2006 Topps #529.
• Player Name, position, team: Kris Benson, pitcher, Baltimore Orioles.
• Major League Debut: April 9, 1999.
• Last Line of Statistics: 2005 stats (Mets): 28 G, 10-8, 174.1 IP, 171 H, 86 R, 80 ER, 49 BB, 85 SO, 0 CG. 0 SHO, 0 SV, 1.26 WHIP, 4.13 ERA.
• Any special information about player: Drafted by the Pirates #1st, June 1986. Traded by the Mets to the Orioles 01/21/2006. Bats: right. Throws: right.
• Number of regular Topps Cards (includes regular and traded cards only): 10. This is his tenth and card.
• Blurb on the back: "Kris proved critical to the Mets in some "hidden" areas in 2005. They went 10-6 in his starts after a loss, and he is now 17-10 against NL East foes."
• Commentary: After five active seasons with the Pirates (was injured for all of 2001), and two "interesting seasons" in New York, Kristen James Benson was traded off to the Orioles in exchange for Jorge Julio and John Maine. In his lone season in Baltimore, Benson appeared in 30 games, all starts, went 11-12 in his decisions, with an ERA of 4.82 and 88 strikeouts in 183 innings of work. Shoulder injuries kept him from playing in 2007 and after the O's allowed him to walk into Free Agency, the Phillies took a chance on him, but released him after struggling in Lehigh Valley. The Rangers signed him to a minor league deal for 2009, but after a stint on the DL, the Rangers used him in long relief, a role in which he struggled. In 2010, he signed with the Diamondbacks. However, after three starts, he re-injured his shoulder and was out for the rest of the year (he did pitch in Reno, but the shoulder definitely affected his performance). He retired on January 10, 2011.
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $0.07-$0.20.
• How many cards of each player do I own?: 10 cards.

Tomorrow's card will be: 2013 Topps #395. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Flash back with the blog tomorrow.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 1997 Topps #283 Jamie Moyer

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Thursday, January 9, 2014:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1997 Topps #283.
• Player Name, position, team: Jamie Moyer, pitcher, Seattle Mariners.
• Major League Debut: June 16, 1986.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1996 stats (Mariners): 11 G, 70.2 IP, 6-2, 36 R, 26 ER, 29 SO, 19 BB, 11 GS, 0 CG, 0 SHO, 0 SV, 3.31 ERA.
• Any special information about player: Drafted by the Cubs #4th, June 1984. Traded by the Red Sox to the Mariners 07/30/1996. Bats: left. Throws: left.
• Number of regular Topps Cards (includes regular and traded cards only): 25. This is his ninth Topps card.
• Blurb on the back: "Jamie led the ML's in WIN% last year - not bad for a guy who, four years earlier, had one foot in civilian life. Cut by the Cubs in '92 spring training, he was offered a job as a pitching coach in their farm system, but persevered and worked his way back through the minors."
• Commentary: A couple of quick notes about the back of the card. Topps normally shows an "Acquired" line, to show how he arrived with his "current team." The problem is that it shows that he signed as a free agent on 12/19/1992. Well, Jamie Moyer did sign with a team on that date (if you believe baseball-reference, it says it was five days earlier), but that team was the Baltimore Orioles. Funny, I didn't realize that after the Cardinals released him in 1991 that he went back to the Cubs only to be released. Notice that 1992 is missing from the stat box? That's because he spent the entire season with the Toledo Mud Hens, the Detroit Tigers' AAA team, earning a 10-8 record to go with a 2.86 ERA and 80 strikeouts. After bouncing around from team to team, it would be with the Mariners that he would find not only success, but a home as well. In 1997, Moyer proved everybody that he still belonged in the majors. In 30 starts, Moyer earned a 17-5 record, an ERA of 3.86, struck out 113 batters, and achieved had a WHIP of 1.219. In his 11 seasons with the M's, he would earn his first All-Star gig (in 2003), finish in the top 10 voting for the AL Cy Young Award three times, start 323 of the 324 games he appeared in, achieve a cumulative record of 145-87, an ERA of 3.97, and strikeout 1239 batters. In 2006, at the age of 43, Moyer was traded to the Phillies for two minor leaguers. He would stay with the team for another 4 seasons. After a year off to recover from Tommy John surgery, he attempted a comeback with the Colorado Rockies, becoming the oldest player in MLB history to earn a win, record an RBI (2 of them on May 16), and pitch in his 50th Major League stadium. Upon finally hanging up his cleats for good, Moyer has spent time focusing on his philanthropic work. The Moyer Foundation (which you can follow on twitter @moyerfoundation), whose mission statement is, "Provide comfort, hope and healing to children affected by loss and family addiction."
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $0.07-$0.20.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 36.

Tomorrow's card will be: 2006 Topps #529. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Until tomorrow everybody.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Hallbound...2014!!!

The votes are in...

• Greg Maddux 555 (97.2%);
• Tom Glavine 525 (91.9%);
• Frank Thomas 478 (83.7%);
• Craig Biggio 427 (74.8%);
• Mike Piazza 355 (62.2%);
• Jack Morris 351 (67.7%);
• Jeff Bagwell 310 (54.3%);
• Tim Raines 263 (46.1%);
• Roger Clemens 202 (35.4%);
• Barry Bonds 198 (34.7%);
• Lee Smith 171 (29.9%);
• Curt Schilling 167 (29.2%);
• Edgar Martinez 144 (25.2%);
• Alan Trammell 119 (20.8%);
• Mike Mussina 116 (20.3%);
• Jeff Kent 87 (15.2%);
• Fred McGriff 67 (11.7%);
• Mark McGwire 63 (11.0%);
• Larry Walker 58 (10.2%);
• Don Mattingly 47 (8.2%);
• Sammy Sosa 41 (7.2%);
• Rafael Palmeiro 25 (4.4%);
• Moises Alou 6 (1.1%);
• Hideo Nomo 6 (1.1%);
• Luis Gonzalez 5 (0.9%);
• Eric Gagne 2 (0.4%);
• J. T. Snow 2 (0.4%);
• Armando Benitez 1 (0.2%);
• Jacque Jones 1 (0.2%);
• Kenny Rogers 1 (0.2%);
• Sean Casey 0;
• Ray Durham 0;
• Todd Jones 0;
• Paul Lo Duca 0;
• Richie Sexson 0;
• Mike Timlin 0;

For the first time since 1999, three players have been elected by the BBWAA into the Baseball Hall of Fame. On this year's ballot, a player needed to receive 429 votes to reach or exceed the 75% needed for induction.

The players whose names are italicized will appear on next year's ballot, having surpassed the five percent rule to stay on (29 votes). Jack Morris was on his fifteenth and final ballot, and will now wait for the Veteran's Committee to decide his fate in the future.

According to the Baseball Hall of Fame website, 569 ballots were cast. One of the ballots returned were left BLANK!!!

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 1979 Topps #16 Fred Stanley

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Wednesday, January 8, 2014:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1979 Topps #16.
• Player Name, position, team: Fred Stanley, shortstop-third baseman, New York Yankees.
• Major League Debut: September 11, 1969.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1978 stats (Yankees): 130 G, 480 AB, 96 R, 138 H, 26 2B, 1 3B, 36 HR, 100 RBI, 7 SB, 66 BB, 80 SO, .571 SLG, .965 OPS, .320 AVG.
• Any special information about player: Drafted by the Astros #8th, June 1966. Traded by the Padres to the Yankees 10/24/1972. Bats: right. Throws: right.
• Number of regular Topps Cards (includes regular and traded cards only): 12. This is his seventh Topps card.
• Blurb on the back: "Went 5-for-15 with 2 Doubles in 1976 American League Championship Series."
• Commentary: Fredrick Blair Stanley made his MLB debut with the Seattle Pilots in 1969 and when he retired from the game in 1982, he became the last active player from the Pilots to do so. But even after playing for the Pilots/Brewers, Indians, and Padres, he made the most of his time playing for the Bronx Bombers during a time in which the Yankees were in the midst of another run of postseason/World Series appearances. Primarily a back up his first two seasons in pinstripes, Stanley was given the chance to be an everyday player from 1975-76. During that stretch (in which he appeared in more than 100 games in both seasons, the only time he'd make that many appearances while in New York), Stanley hit for a .230 average, one home run, 35 rbi's, and achieve an OPS of .568 in 227 games and 590 plate appearances. Once the Yankees acquired Bucky Dent from the White Sox for the 1977 season, Stanley returned to back-up duty (and then the Yankees would go on to win the World Series...but that's another story). In 1979, Stanley appeared in 57 games, hit .200 with 2 home runs and 14 rbi's, hit for percentages of .236/.270/.506. After one more season in New York, he signed on with the Oakland Athletics, finishing his career in 1972. He would go on to work within the Giants organization, first as a minor league manager, then named as the team's Director of Player Development in 2007. The back of Stanley's card, like many from 1979, has a section on the side of the statistics box asking "What Happened" on a certain date. On the back of the card, it asks "What Happened on July 29, 1908?" Answer: "Browns' Rube Waddell fanned 16 A's in winning 5-4."
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $0.10-$0.25.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 9.

Tomorrow's card will be 1997 Topps #283. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Hope you will be too.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

This is It! The Hall of Fame Announcement is Today.

When the announcement is made today at 11:00 CST to let the world know who has been inducted into Baseball's Hall of Fame, I will be at the orthodontist because my daughter has an appointment.

But that doesn't mean I'll be out of the loop. I will have my laptop with me, and I'll be keeping tabs that way. Today, someone from this list of 36 players will be rewarded with the ultimate honor...enshrinement into the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY.  For the final time, here is the list of players (with years on ballot and % of ballots in the 2013 election) being considered:

Moises Alou
Jeff Bagwell, 4th, 59.6%
Armando Benitez
Craig Biggio, 2nd, 68.2%
Barry Bonds, 2nd, 36.2%
Sean Casey
Roger Clemens, 2nd, 37.6%
Ray Durham
Eric Gagne
Tom Glavine
Luis Gonzalez
Jacque Jones
Todd Jones
Jeff Kent
Paul Lo Duca
Greg Maddux
Edgar Martinez, 5th, 35.9%
Don Mattingly, 14th, 13.2%
Fred McGriff, 5th, 20.7%
Mark McGwire, 8th, 16.9%
Jack Morris, 15th, 67.7%
Mike Mussina
Hideo Nomo
Rafael Palmeiro, 4th, 8.8%
Mike Piazza, 2nd, 57.8%
Tim Raines, 7th, 52.2%
Kenny Rogers
Curt Schilling, 2nd, 38.8%
Richie Sexson
Lee Smith, 12th, 47.8%
J.T. Snow
Sammy Sosa, 2nd, 12.5%
Frank Thomas
Mike Timlin
Alan Trammell, 13th, 33.6%
Larry Walker, 4th, 21.6%

After the ballots were counted last night, only two or three people know the results of the election.  Someone will be joining the managerial triumvirate of Bobby Cox, Tony LaRussa, and Joe Torre as part of the HOF Class of 2014. Stay tuned. This should be an interesting day to say the least.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama