bdj610's Topps Baseball Card Blog: March 2015

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