Adventures in Trading: All Rise! Judge is Going to California

2025 Topps Update 1990 Chrome Aaron Judge #U90C-44

It's been a week and it's been a quiet one in my Hobby journey. But just because I'm done with the Series 1 set doesn't mean that trading has ceased. 

Even though it's been years Topps produced team-specific factory sets (the Yankees and Red Sox always seemed to be on the short-list), there are still a number of bonus cards that were included in these sets that I am still searching for. When these first came out in 2004 (I believe), nobody was opening factory sets. Auctions and BIN's for the 5-card bonus cards were rare occurrences on the Bay in the early years. So I made the costly...shuddering...mistake of buying full factory sets JUST so that I could get the bonus cards. I still have factory sets from 2004 and 2005. By now the cards are bricked to the point where it would be impossible (unless I want to experiment with a humidifier or steamer) to separate the cards within. Looking back, that was a very costly lesson in how my patience could betray me. 

Now that everybody has no fear in opening full factory sets, bonus cards are a bit more prevalent on auction sites and elsewhere. And while those certainly have been helpful to me to acquire all of the bonus rookie cards over the years, I've managed to put many of the team-specific bonus cards from 2006 through 2010 lower on my priority wantlist. It's not for lack of trying, but it's just focus has been shifted towards the current year's cards and sets. But when an opportunity arises, like one did earlier this week, I thought why not chance it.

With my 2026 Topps wantlist currently at zero on the TCDB, my notifications for new cards appearing in my Recent Matches have been few and far-between. But a gentleman in California added two bonus cards from the 2006 Topps New York Yankees factory set, Wil Nieves and Alex Rodriguez, on his trade/sell list. What he did with the other three cards, I do not know. Funny enough, I did get the Derek Jeter card from this set ages ago, so at least I have something to start with here. The man had 10 cards on his wantlist that I could offer to trade. So I reached out to him, offering a 2025 Topps Update 1990 Chrome Aaron Judge card for both the Nieves and A-Rod bonus cards. He accepted yesterday. The Judge card is now on its way to Cali.

2006 Topps New York Yankees Bonus Wil Nieves #1 of 5 and Alex Rodriguez #2 of 5

With the Jeter card in my possession, I only need the card #'s 4 Mariano Rivera and 5 Randy Johnson and I can add them to the 2006 Topps binder.

It's only been 20 years. I can wait.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Viewer Mail: 2006 Topps Florida Marlins Josh Willingham FLA14

Now that I'm back in the Hobby Blogging Community, I've been getting emails from fellow collectors asking about certain cards...

Okay, that's not really true. But jqs94 on the Trading Card Database sent me a message wanting to know...

Hi there, I see that you have the 2006 Topps Florida Marlins #FLA 14 Josh Willingham card in your collection. 

Would you be able to tell me if it has the Topps gold "Rookie Card" logo on it? I know some of his '06 cards have it, but others don't. 

Part of my collection includes "Rookie Card" logo cards from 2006 to now and I wasn't able to find an image of this card anywhere else. 

Appreciate any insights you could give me. 

According to the TCDB, I am only one of three members of the site that has this card. I dug out the binder and pulled the card out of the page. The results are below.

2006 Topps Florida Marlins Josh Willingham #FLA14

The answer is no, this card does not include the Rookie Card Logo. This is what he was looking for:

Willingham's 2006 cards should have had this logo on it as this was the first year of the new RC rules that MLB Properties required Topps and that other card company to include for players who qualified under the new rookie card rules. Basically, no more "First-Year" cards, which Willingham had in the 2003 Topps Traded and Rookies set. Maybe that's why Topps didn't add the rookie card to his actual 2006 card (I'm not going to bother to include an image of the card...it's the same exact image). 

But Willingham's other cards from 2006 (Topps 52, Allen & Ginter, Bowman, Bowman Heritage, Fleer, Upper Deck) all have the logo. How and why Topps missed including it on the flagship card is beyond my paygrade.

If you have any questions about cards, you can email me at bdj610@hotmail.com, leave a comment, reach out on any of the social medias (Twitter/X, Facebook), or send me a message on the TCDB. I'll try my best to answer to the best of my abilities.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

My Wallet Card for 2015 #WalletCard @breakdowncards

On January 2, defgav, the guy who runs the Baseball Card Breakdown blog brought up a, well, not so necessarily new concept for collectors to do in 2015, but it's something that has gotten many of the Hobby Blogging Community together on their sites and on Twitter (I'm at @bdj610 if you want to follow) abuzz.

The concept: Wallet Cards.

This isn't something new. Bob Costas has been known for carrying a Mickey Mantle card in his wallet wherever he goes. By now, unless he's replaced it over the years (and I've heard people have been giving him copies of that card) it has to be damaged to smithereens.

For the life of me, I can't remember for the life of me who did this, but somebody took a stack of cards, and carried them with him in his pocket for a full year, and then compared what they looked like at the beginning of the experiment to the end (the results weren't pretty).

UPDATE: Thank you to J. Meeks, the guy who runs My Cardboard Habit. It looks like Mark Aubrey, the guy who ran Mark's Ephemera (he's on a break right now...) was the one who pondered,

"What if I took 20 sports cards and treated them like I might have when I was in elementary school for the summer?"

The results are here. Viewer's discretion is advised (if looking at this stuff will make you wince).

Now, this is what the guy at BCB proposed:

"The idea is to pick a junk dupe of a card you like (but are willing to "sacrifice") and carry it around in your wallet for a full year, occasionally taking pictures of it on your travels or wherever, and share them on your blog. Sort of like the Cards in Odd Places feature I've done a couple times.

"It should be a card that makes you smile every time you see it, since you'll probably be seeing a lot of it. If size/weight is a concern, consider choosing a mini."

Now when I worked for my previous employers, I was given a badge and a lanyard with one of those electronic key things to hang around my neck. Now, because the badge would always twirl, I thought it would be a good idea to put a baseball card behind my badge. Just for fun. I learned that I couldn't fit a regular 2½ by 3½ card in the plastic pocket that held the badge and key, so I picked a mini card from Allen & Ginter's...specifically:



Okay, imagine the mini version of this card in a mini card penny sleeve and top-loader, and you get the idea.

After one year or so of that, I had this card behind my badge until they closed the place:

Now, while both cards were protected from being folded, wear, or Dinged Corners (I miss Patricia and Lucy), the holder did collect a lot of dust, crumbs (I worked for a food company), and other foreign objects. The cards did get hit and if one were to look closely at the cards themselves (not the pictures above), you could see tiny divots where the some of these things stuck. Eww.

So back to the point. What card can I put in my wallet for an entire year, and then occasionally take a picture of it to share on this humble, little blog?

It is supposed to make me smile when I see it (because supposedly, I'd be seeing it a lot). Should I use an older card from the junk wax era? Should it be a more modern card with the new card stock? Decisions, decisions.

If I could, I'd try and find that Sparky Anderson card from 1988 Topps that's so worn out it looks like it was placed in a wallet for decades.

Sorry Sparky. (Note that this is not the actual card...the real card is buried...I think, in a box in the basement).

Should it be a mini card like the Lincoln or the Philippines flag? I don't know, unless I have the top loader, I'd rather not.

Should I even use, gasp, a card from another company?

I know that the card I'm going to stick in my wallet will have to be of a Cub. But which one? Should I go with "childhood" (Sandberg, Grace, Dawson), or "adult" (Lee, Ramirez, Wood), or current (Castro, Rizzo)?

I got it. Let me find it.

Perfect.

While I didn't find the card of the player I wanted, I did find a good one here.

I'll have the "Hawk" hang out in my wallet in 2015. The 1992 Topps Andre Dawson #460 card will do just fine. This is the actual card.

So what I'll do is at least once a month, I will take a scan of the card, and compare it to the image above and see how it survives being carried around in my wallet. Hey, it looks nice. Now. At the end of the year? We'll see.

Count me in for the Wallet Card game in 2015.

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: 2006 Topps #544 Mark Bellhorn

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Thursday, December 19, 2013:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1978 Topps #670.
• Player Name, position, team: Mark Bellhorn, second baseman, San Diego Padres.
• Major League Debut: June 10, 1997.
• Last Line of Statistics: 2005 stats (Yankees): 9 G, 17 AB, 2 R, 2 H, 0 2B, 0 3B, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 0 SB, 3 BB, 3 SO, .294 SLG, .544 OPS, .118 AVG.
• Any special information about player: Drafted by the Athletics #2nd, June 1995. Signed with the Padres as a Free Agent 12/22/2005. Bats: both. Throws: right.
• Number of regular Topps Cards (includes regular and traded cards only): 8. This is his eighth and final Topps card.
• Blurb on the back: "In 2004 ALCS (Game 6), Mark hit a shot that was ruled a ground-rule double, but the call was changed to a three-run homer that ended up a game-winner."
• Commentary: After a very brief stint with the Yankees in 2005 (this after helping the Red Sox win the World Series the year before), Mark Christian Bellhorn, a former second round draft pick by the Athletics all the way back in 1995, signed with the San Diego Padres to provide veteran leadership to the young ballclub. Bellhorn, versatile in many positions, would play at the bags (third, first, and second) as well as a game in right field for the Friars. But a low .190 average (.285/.344/.629 percentages), with 8 home runs and 27 rbi's were a far cry from how he contributed to the 2004 champs, and did not sit well with the Padres fans and upper management. He was released at the end of the season and signed on with the Reds to a minor league deal. His 13-game stint with the Reds would be his last action in the majors. He signed minor league deals with both the Dodgers and Rockies (in 2008 and 2009 respectively) before deciding to call it a career. In 731 career games, he finished with a cumulative .230 average, with 69 homers, 246 rbi's, and an OPS of .735. One of the elements Topps brought back with the 2006 set was the cartoon, something that had not been seen on the back of Topps baseball cards since 1980. The player is wearing a crown and cape and the caption reads "Mark set the Cubs record for HR's by a switch-hitter (27 in 2002). He also would become the first player EVER to hit home runs from both sides of the plate in an inning, with the feat occurring on August 29, 2002.
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $0.07-$0.20.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 58.

Tomorrow's card will be: 1997 Topps #353. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Until tomorrow everybody.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 2006 Topps #285 Oakland Athletics Team Card

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Monday, December 9, 2013:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 2006 Topps #285.
• Team: 2005 Oakland Athletics.
• Last Line of Statistics: 2005 stats: Manager: Ken Macha, 88-74, .543 PCT., 26 GB, Second Place American League West Division.
• Commentary: If your favorite player somehow didn't get a regular card (and with only less than 600 slots available in a 660-card set, it's very possible), at least he showed up in the team card. I've been on the fence with team cards since they came back in 2001. At first I thought it was a waste of a card slot as some player could have easily taken the spot. But then I look back to the team leader cards of the 80's and 90's and think, at least now everybody is in the shot instead of maybe a couple of random players or "team leaders." The back of the card of the 2005 Oakland Athletics team card will tel you that the A's were all but left for dead by the end of May, thanks in part to a 17-32 record. But they somehow rallied and "transformed a 12 1/2-game deficit in the AL West to a two-game lead on August 30. They did finish 2nd that year, but it definitely an improvement over their record the year before (last place). Team leaders for key stats are listed on the bottom right corner of the card (you'd have to look carefully or you'll miss it. What's even funnier about the back of the card is that the words that are supposed to be inside the gray boxes are missing. So if you're wondering why "8 Games" is listed not once, but twice, it's because the team's longest winning streak and longest losing streak were both 8 games (evens things out a bit, huh). In the hitting categories, Mark Kotsay was the A's batting champ at .280, with Eric Chavez providing the power and leading the team in both home runs and rbi's (27, 101 respectively). Danny Haren (or is it Dan Haren...what was he going by back then?) led the team in wins with 14 while the ERA champ was Joe Blanton at 3.53. The 2006 Athletics actually improved by five games, and won the AL West division. After sweeping the Twins 3-0 in the Divisional playoffs, they were swept by the Tigers in the ALCS.
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $0.07-$0.20.

Tomorrow's card will be: 1999 Topps #206. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Flash back with the blog tomorrow.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 2006 Topps #630 Ronny Paulino

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Wednesday, October 30, 2013:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 2006 Topps #630.
• Player Name, position, team: Ronny Paulino, catcher, Pittsburgh Pirates.
• Major League Debut: September 25, 2005.
• Last Line of Statistics: 2005 stats (Combined Altoona-AA Eastern; Indianapolis-AAA International) 120 G, 441 AB, 73 R, 135 H, 24 2B, 2 3B, 19 HR, 62 RBI, 6 SB, 41 BB, 78 SO, .499 SLG, .863 OPS, .306 AVG.
• Any special information about player: Signed with the Pirates as a Free Agent 12/29/1997. Returned to the Pirates by the Royals after the 2002 Rule 5 Draft 03/13/2003. Bats: right. Throws: right.
• Number of regular Topps Cards (includes regular and traded cards only): 7. This is his first Topps card.
• Blurb on the back: "Ronny has been considered by many the best defensive catcher in the Pirates system in recent seasons. He registered Minor League career highs in several offensive categories in 2005: a .306 AVG with 24 doubles, 19 home runs and 62 RBI. That merited his first opportunity in the Big Leagues, and he made his debut on September 25 in Los Angeles."
• Commentary: When longtime catcher Jason Kendall was allowed to leave via free agency, they pegged Ronny Leonel Paulino as their new everyday catcher. He certainly didn't disappoint. During his rookie season, Paulino hit .310 with 6 home runs and 55 rbi's in 129 games. In 2007, although his average dropped, his power numbers went up, hitting 11 dingers in 133 games. However, with Ryan Doumit seeing more playing time in 2008, Paulino wound up demoted, sent back to Indianapolis to get in some playing time. But the pitching staff still enjoyed throwing to Paulino, with their ERA's noticeably lower with him behind the plate. It would be a busy off-season for Paulino as he wound up being traded from the Pirates to the Phillies in December, then before the end of spring training, he would be traded off to San Francisco, and finally two hours later, he was traded again to the Marlins. It's been an up-and-down ride for Paulino since then. He would see himself playing for Marlins for two seasons (during which time he was suspended for 50 games), then the Mets in 2011 and Orioles the following season. In 2013, he signed a minor league deal with the Orioles, playing sparingly for the O's squads in Bowie and Norfolk before having his contract bought by the Tigers (who then promptly sent him to Toledo). He is hoping to make a return to the majors in 2014.
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $0.20-$0.50.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 10 cards.

Tomorrow's card will be 1987 Topps #233. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Hope you will be too.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 2006 Topps #332 Orlando Cabrera

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Saturday, July 6, 2013:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 2006 Topps #332.
• Player Name, position, team: Orlando Cabrera, shortstop, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.
• Major League Debut: September 3, 1997.
• Last Line of Statistics: 2005 stats (Angels): 141 G, 540 AB, 70 R, 139 H, 28 2B, 3 3B, 8 HR, 57 RBI, 21 SB, 38 BB, 50 SO, .365 SLG, .674 OPS, .257 AVG.
• Any special information about player: Signed with the Expos as a Free Agent 06/01/1993. Signed with the Angels as a Free Agent 12/20/2004. Bats: right. Throws: right.
• Number of regular Topps Cards (includes regular and traded cards only): 16. This is his ninth Topps card.
• Blurb on the back: "Orlando has caught the broadcasting 'bug.' After hosting a 2005 edition of This Week in Baseball, the sociable shortstop said he would like to do more."
• Commentary: There is only so much you can say about the 2006 Topps design, the first Topps came out with after the hammer was struck down by MLB Properties and the MLB Players Association. Yes, it was a draw to bring the kids back (by bringing back cartoon sketches), and the colors used by Topps for the design were meant to attract kids. But the blue doesn't seem to fit with the Angels. Not with their present color scheme anyway. By 2006, Orlando Cabrera was a Gold Glove Award winner (with the Expos in 2001) and because he was traded to the Red Sox just in time for their remarkable postseason run, a World Series Champion. He signed with the Angels to shore up their infield, and for three seasons, did just that. In 2006, Cabrera appeared in 153 games for the Halos, hit .282 with 9 home runs, 72 rbi's, and had an OPS of .738. Quick on the basepaths, he also stole 27 bases while only being caught thrice. Defensively, he committed 16 errors in 645 chances for a .975 fielding percentage and was part of 100 double plays. After one final season in Anaheim in which he hit a career high .301 and won his second Gold Glove award, it was off to Chicago for the 2008 campaign. The journeyman phase of his career followed with Cabrera travelling to Oakland, Minnesota, Cincinnati, Cleveland and San Francisco between 2009 and 2011. He announced his retirement in January, 2012, on a radio program in Colombia. He did become a naturalized US citizen in May, 2011.
• Beckett value: $0.07-$0.20.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 38 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: 1962 Topps #277. 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 #100 Barry Bonds

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Monday, May 20, 2013:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 2006 Topps #100.
• Player Name, position, team: Barry Bonds, outfielder, San Francisco Giants.
• Major League Debut: April 20, 1986.
• Last Line of Statistics: 2005 stats (Giants): 14 G, 42 AB, 8 R, 12 H, 1 2B, 0 3B, 5 HR, 10 RBI, 0 SB, 9 BB, 6 SO, .667 SLG, 1.071 OPS, .286 AVG.
• Any special information about player: Drafted by the Giants #1st, June 1985. Signed with the Giants as a Free Agent 12/08/1992. Bats: left. Throws: left.
• Number of regular Topps Cards (includes regular and traded cards only): 23. This is his twenty-second Topps card.
• Blurb on the back: n/a.
• Commentary: As with the time his 2003 All-Star card was featured as a Card of the Day, I am not going to discuss the controversies, the scandals, the court trials for this reason: I am no expert on any of those things and so much has been written already about them, there is no need for me to repeat them or add anything that hasn't already been speculated on about the career of Barry Bonds. Instead, today's post will just be a brief review about his 2005 and 2006 seasons. After winning his fourth consecutive NL MVP award (and his seventh total...this would be his final one), his 2005 season was marred by a knee injury, multiple surgeries, and lenghty rehab. He did return in September, and the numbers you see in the "Last Line of Statistics" were his totals for the month. While it did put a dent in his quest to break the home run record, his 2006 season would make up for lost time. Even at 41 years of age heading into the 2006 season, Bonds still showed that he could hit...and hit well. Yes, he hit .270 with 26 home runs and 77 rbi's, the first time since his arrival in the Bay Area that he hit lows in both categories (not counting the 2005 season), but he still was a feared hitter, so much so that he led the league again in walks with 115, which contributed to a league leading .454 OBP. In 2006, he would pass Babe Ruth for second on the All-Time HR list, and Hank Aaron for the NL record for homers. It wouldn't be until August 7, 2007 that he would finally break the MLB record, hitting his 756th home run against the Washington Nationals. Barry Bonds would retire from the game after the 2007 season. He finishes as MLB's all-time leader in homers (762), walks (2558), and intentional passes (688).
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $0.40-$1.00.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 167 cards.

Tomorrow's card will be: 1989 Topps Traded #108T. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Flash back with the blog tomorrow.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Team Set of the Week: 2006 Topps Arizona Diamondbacks

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

• Team: 2006 Arizona Diamondbacks
• Record: 76-86, fourth place, NL West Division.
• Manager: Bob Melvin
• Card on the Top: Luis Gonzalez

The checklist consists of the following players:

• ARZ1 Luis Gonzalez
• ARZ2 Shawn Green
• ARZ3 Brandon Webb
• ARZ4 Orlando Hudson
• ARZ5 Tony Clark
• ARZ6 Chad Tracy
• ARZ7 Conor Jackson
• ARZ8 Russ Ortiz
• ARZ9 Claudio Vargas
• ARZ10 Brad Halsey
• ARZ11 Miguel Batista
• ARZ12 Craig Counsell
• ARZ13 Orlando Hernandez
• ARZ14 Johnny Estrada

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 2006 Topps eponymous set:

• On Conor Jackson's base card in the 2006 Topps set, the newly established Rookie Card Logo appears on the bottom left of the card. Not so on the team set:
  
  

• Brad Halsey was traded by the Dbacks to the Athletics on March 26, 2006. I guess we now know how Topps was able to get a picture of him in an A's jersey:
  
  

• I don't know about you, but I think I like the retail card of "El Duque" better than the card used in the base set, even if it looks like another photoshop job:
  
  

• Same opinion goes for Johnny Estrada's card...the team set would have been better used as well:
  
  

So of the 14 players included in this set, there are two cards that features a different picture in the retail set that was used in 2006 Topps set, one that was eventually used in the base set (but under a different jersey), and one slight variation to the card found in the base set.

Next week's featured set will be the 2012 Chicago Cubs. Hope you'll be here when we compare the cards from the retail set to their counterparts found in Topps and Topps Update Series.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 2006 Topps Updates and Highlights #UH100 Bobby Abreu

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Monday, April 15, 2013:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 2006 Topps Updates and Highlights #UH100.
• Player Name, position, team: Bobby Abreu, outfielder, New York Yankees.
• Major League Debut: September 1, 1996.
• Last Line of Statistics: 2005 stats (Phillies): 162 G, 588 AB, 104 R, 168 H, 37 2B, 1 3B, 24 HR, 102 RBI, 31 SB, 117 BB, 134 SO, .474 SLG, .879 OPS, .286 AVG.
• Any special information about player: Signed with the Astros as a Free Agent 08/21/1990. Traded by the Phillies to the Yankees 07/30/2006. Bats: left. Throws: right.
• Number of regular Topps Cards (includes regular and traded cards only): 19. This is his twelfth Topps card.
• Blurb on the back: "Bobby's ninth walk in a Yankees uniform, on 08/16/06, gave him 100 for an MLB record-tying eighth straight season. He matched Max Bishop and Frank Thomas."
• Commentary: The record that the blurb on the back talks about remains tied as Abreu saw ball four only 84 times in 2007. Back to the point. Bob Kelly Abreu finally established himself as one of the games superstars during the 2004 and 2005 campaigns. With two All-Star Game appearances, a Silver Slugger (in 2004), and a Gold Glove (in 2005), not to mention winning the 2005 ASG Home Run Derby, he was on top of the baseball world. But because he was going to be a free agent heading into the 2007 campaign, the Phillies knew that he was going to command a lot of money if he was to be signed. So when the Yankees went looking for help for their annual push to the postseason, the Phillies were more than happy to send him and Cory Lidle to the Bronx for four minor league prospects. In his 58 games with the Yankees, Abreu went 69-209 (.330) with 7 home runs and 42 rbi's to go with an outstanding OPS of .926. In the postseason, he hit .333 with four runs driven in and two runs scored. But the Yankees lost to the eventual AL Champion Tigers in four games. Playing a full season with the Bombers the next year, Abreu hit .283 with 16 home runs and 101 rbi's while playing spectacularly in right field (.988 fielding percentage with 4 errors in 323 chances). With the Yankees returning to the postseason, Abreu went 4-15 (.267) with a home run and two runs driven in. But that wasn't enough as the Yankees were swept by the Indians in the ALDS. After one final season with the Yankees in 2008, he signed on with the Angels for the 2009 campaign.
• Beckett value: $0.07-$0.20.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 66 cards.

Tomorrow's card will be: 2011 Topps #256. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Flash back with the blog tomorrow.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Team Set of the Week: 2006 Topps Oakland Athletics

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

• Team: 2006 Oakland Athletics
• Record: 93-69, first place, AL West Division.
• Manager: Ken Macha
• Card on the Top: Eric Chavez

The checklist consists of the following players:

• OAK1 Eric Chavez
• OAK2 Bobby Crosby
• OAK3 Mark Kotsay
• OAK4 Jay Payton
• OAK5 Rich Harden
• OAK6 Barry Zito
• OAK7 Huston Street
• OAK8 Joe Blanton
• OAK9 Jason Kendall
• OAK10 Mark Ellis
• OAK11 Nick Swisher
• OAK12 Dan Johnson
• OAK13 Esteban Loaiza
• OAK14 Dan Haren

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 2006 Topps eponymous set:

• Catcher Jason Kendall was traded to the Athletics from the Pirates in 2004. He spent the 2005 season with the Athletics, appearing in 150 games, hitting for a .271 average with 53 rbi's and 8 stolen bases. He appeared in 143 games for the A's, hitting .295, one home run, and 50 rbi's. He even stole 11 bases, not bad for a catcher. But he does not have a 2006 regular Topps card, nor does he appear in the Updates and Highlights set. So if you want a 2006 card of the A's regular catcher that season? You'll only find it in the retail set.

• Yes, the retail card of Huston Street is the same as the base card, but while the retail card has the All-Star Rookie Team trophy on the left, look where it appears on the base card:
  
  

• Joe Blanton has a different picture used on his base card:
  
  

So of the 14 players included in this set, there is one card that features a different picture in the retail set that was used in 2006 Topps set, and one the same picture from the base set, but technically is different thanks to the trophy placement, and one card of a player that is unique only to this retail set.

Next week's featured set will be the 2012 Washington Nationals. Hope you'll be here when we compare the cards from the retail set to their counterparts found in Topps and Topps Update Series.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Team Set of the Week: 2006 Topps Minnesota Twins

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

• Team: 2006 Minnesota Twins
• Record: 96-66, first place, AL Central Division.
• Manager: Ron Gardenhire
• Card on the Top: Torii Hunter

The checklist consists of the following players:

• MIN1 Torii Hunter
• MIN2 Michael Cuddyer
• MIN3 Joe Mauer
• MIN4 Lew Ford
• MIN5 Shannon Stewart
• MIN6 Justin Morneau
• MIN7 Jesse Crain
• MIN8 Juan Rincon
• MIN9 Brad Radke
• MIN10 Joe Nathan
• MIN11 Johan Santana
• MIN12 Jason Bartlett
• MIN13 Rondell White
• MIN14 Luis Castillo

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 2006 Topps eponymous set:

• Rondell White's regular card has him taking fielding practice:
  
  

• And here is Luis Castillo's regular card in the regular 2006 Topps set, also taking fielding practice:
  
  

So of the 14 players included in this set, there are two cards that feature different pictures in the retail set that was used in 2006 Topps set. The other 12 cards use the same pictures.

Next week's featured set will be the 2009 St. Louis Cardinals. 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.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Team Set of the Week: 2006 Topps San Francisco Giants

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

• Team: 2006 Topps San Francisco Giants
• Record: 76-85, third place, NL West Division.
• Manager: Felipe Alou
• Card on the Top: Barry Bonds

The checklist consists of the following players:

• SFG1 Barry Bonds
• SFG2 Moises Alou
• SFG3 Steve Finley
• SFG4 Jason Schmidt
• SFG5 Mike Matheny
• SFG6 Lance Niekro
• SFG7 Ray Durham
• SFG8 Omar Vizquel
• SFG9 Pedro Feliz
• SFG10 Randy Winn
• SFG11 Matt Morris
• SFG12 Armando Benitez
• SFG13 Matt Cain
• SFG14 Noah Lowry

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 2006 Topps eponymous set:

• Steve Finley played for the Angels in 2005, and was traded to the Giants in December of that year. So his eponymous 2006 card shows him wearing the red of the Angels, and the retail set uses the same picture.  Finley was not included in the 2006 Topps Updates and Highlights set.  So if you want a Giants card with the 2006 Topps design of Steve Finley, the retail set is the only place you can get it.:
  
  

• Matt Morris plied his trade with the Cardinals in 2005, and signed with the Giants as a Free Agent. As with Finley, his 2006 Topps card properly depicts him in the red of the Cardinals, and the retail set...uses the same shot. And as with Finley, Morris does not appear in the 2006 Topps U&H set.  Want a Giants card of Matt Morris from 2006 Topps?  You'll only find it here:
  
  

• Matt Cain's card uses the same picture, but the retail set does not have the "rookie card" logo that the MLB Properties insisted that they use:
  
  

• Noah Lowry appears in the regular set too, but the picture used is different than what we see in the retail set:
  
  

So of the 14 players included in this set, two cards feature players photoshopped from the base set, and only one card feature a picture of a player that you will only find in the retail set.

Next week's featured set will be the 2010 Toronto Blue Jays. Hope you'll be here when we compare the cards from the retail set to their counterparts found in Topps and Topps Update Series.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 2006 Topps #274 Clint Hurdle

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Thursday, January 03, 2013:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 2006 Topps #274.
• Name, position, team: Clint Hurdle, manager, Colorado Rockies.
• Major League Debut: September 18, 1977. Managerial Debut: April 26, 2002.
• Last Line of Statistics: 2005 stats (Rockies): 67-95 5th (NL West).
• Any special information about manager: Promoted to Manager 04/26/2002.
• Any special information about this specific card: Hurdle's eleventh regular Topps card, fourth as a manager (total includes both Topps and Topps Traded cards).
• Commentary: Hey, the Randomizer picked another Clint Hurdle Manager card. By the end of the 2005 season, Hurdle had a 209-255 career managerial record, and was slowly climbing the ranks in all-time wins as a manager for the Colorado Rockies (behind Don Baylor, the team's first skipper). He would eventually get there, finishing with 534 wins as the Rox' leader.  It is said that it always gets worse before it gets better. And in 2005, it surely got worse. The team finished 67-95, one game worse than the year before. But the improvement was going to come soon. In 2006, the team finished in fourth place, and improved by nine games from the year before. Then of course, we know what happened in 2007: He led the 2007 Rockies through an incredible 14-1 run to win the NL Wild Card, a 3-0 sweep over the Phillies in the NLDS, and a 4-0 sweep over the Diamondbacks in the NLCS. So until the World Series, the Rockies were on an incredible 21-1 swing.  He was let go by the Rockies in 2009, and returned to the managerial ranks in 2011 with the Pittsburgh Pirates.  Under his guidance, the Bucs have found themselves in fourth place in two consecutive seasons, and very close to having a winning season for the first time since 1992.  
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $0.07-$0.20.
• How many cards of this person do I own?: 14 cards.

Tomorrow's card will be: 1994 Topps #675. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Until tomorrow everybody.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 2006 Topps #23 Jonny Gomes

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Monday, November 12, 2012:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 2006 Topps #23.
• Player Name, position, team: Jonny Gomes, outfielder, Tampa Bay Devil Rays.
• Major League Debut: September 12, 2003.
• Last Line of Statistics: 2005 stats (Devil Rays): 101 G, 348 AB, 61 R, 98 H, 13 2B, 6 3B, 21 HR, 54 RBI, 9 SB, 39 BB, 113 SO, .534 SLG, .906 OPS, .282 AVG.
• Any special information about player: Drafted by the Devil Rays, #18th, June 2001. Bats: right. Throws: right.
• Number of regular Topps Cards (includes regular and traded cards only): 9. This is his third Topps card.
• Blurb on the back: "Jonny's swagger aided Tampa Bay hugely in 2005.  The team, in turn, kept him modest - as when Travis Lee served him a shaving cream-pie in the kisser while Jonny did an interview after his three-dinger day on 07/30/2005."
• Commentary: How awkward was it to find "reprints" of 2006 Topps cards in a 2005 calendar product?  2005 Topps Rookie Cup came out some time before the end of 2005 to capitalize on the fact that people actually collect players who made their All-Star Rookie Team.  Thanks to the new MLB Properties/MLB Players Association rules, a set that featured a majority of retired players was no longer to be allowed.  So what better way to celebrate the 47th Anniversary of the ASRT (and to get this product out of the way before the new rules hit) than with Rookie Cup (although, ironically enough, none of the players from the 1959 ASRT found their way onto this set)?  Well, their set also included six players who made the 2005 team, including Jonny Gomes.  The catch?  It would mean that their 2006 cards would be included in the retrospective reprint set.  Problem?  The 2006 Topps cards had not yet officially been put out to market (thanks to the new rules, the cards were not allowed to be distributed until February).  So the "reprint" cards came out before the actual cards.  Not knowing who's job it was and how the card numbering was supposed to be done, but Gomes' card was #6 in the set.  Which put him amongst the players who's cards were adorned with the Rookie Cup in the 1960's while the other five players on the squad were placed together at the end of the set.  Okay, enough about Rookie Cup.  Gomes was technically still a rookie coming into the 2005 campaign, and what a year it was.  On the strength of 21 home runs and a .282 average, Gomes finished third in the AL Rookie of the Year voting.  A three-home run game (which was mentioned in the blurb AND in the cartoon on the back of the card) marked his reputation as a power hitter.  In six year with the Devil Rays/Rays (yes, he was still with the team after the name change), Jonny hit 66 home runs, drove in 184 rbi's, and had a batting average of .235.  He has since played for the Reds (2009-2011), Nationals (2011), and Athletics (2012).  Of his nine regular/traded Topps cards, five of them appear in the Traded/U&H/Update Series category.
• Beckett value: $0.07-$0.20.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 22 cards.

Tomorrow's card will be: 1993 Topps Traded #80T. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Flash back with the blog tomorrow.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Team Set of the Week: 2006 Pittsburgh Pirates

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

• Team: 2006 Pittsburgh Pirates
• Record: 67-94, fifth place, NL Central Division.
• Manager: Jim Tracy
• Card on the Top: Jason Bay

The checklist consists of the following players:

• PIT1 Jason Bay
• PIT2 Zach Duke
• PIT3 Oliver Perez
• PIT4 Kip Wells
• PIT5 Jack Wilson
• PIT6 Jose Castillo
• PIT7 Freddie Sanchez
• PIT8 Jody Gerut
• PIT9 Chris Duffy
• PIT10 Joe Randa
• PIT11 Daryle Ward
• PIT12 Sean Casey
• PIT13 Jeromy Burnitz
• PIT14 Ryan Doumit

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 2006 Topps eponymous set:

• While Topps spelled his name as "Freddie" in the team set, third baseman Sanchez' first name in the base set is "Freddy":
  
  

• Joe Randa strikes a spring training pose in the base set:
  
  

• Daryle Ward played for the Pirates in 2005. But if you're going to look for a 2006 Topps card of Ward celebrating with his Buc's teammates, forget it.  He isn't in the base set at all.  He does make an appearance in the Updates & Highlights set...as a member of the Braves:
  
  

• Sean Casey also gets his picture taken by a chain-link fence in the base set:
  
  

• As does Jeromy Burnitz:
  
  

The other 9 cards in this 14-card set use the same pictures as in the base set, and as you can see, three cards in the base set were taken along the same fence.

I have to disclose that Daryle Ward signed with the Nationals as a Free Agent in January 2006 and was traded to the Braves at the end of August. So why is it that Topps managed to get a picture of him in a Braves jersey, but nothing with the Nationals??! And shouldn't this have meant that Ward should have been included in the Nationals' team set?  They certainly had enough time to get him in there.  The funny thing is that it looks like the same picture that was used in the 2006 Topps U&H set was also used for the 2007 Topps set...but this time he's in a Cubs jersey.

Next week's featured set will be the 2012 St. Louis Cardinals. Hope you'll be here when we compare the cards from the retail set to their counterparts found in Topps and Topps Update Series.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama