Adventures in Selling: Wait...Not a Trade??!

Last week, I was perusing Facebook, as you do, and came across a post on one of the "Topps Facebook Trade/Buy/Sell" group page (not the actual name of the page...please don't look for it) saying that he was looking for singles from 2009, 2010, and 2013 Topps. Not necessarily expensive rookies, or key players from these sets, but, in his words:

My PC is Topps base cards from flagship and update (any card with stats on the back - no AS, LL, etc) for Hall of Famers, Stars, or Hall of Very Good. Focusing on all guys 1980-present first, then wil collect more vintage guys.

Hey, I'm always in the "collect whatever you like" camp. He has his categories, and he's out to collect them specifically. Some of the players on the list are some of the big names of that era, and a couple of Mantle cards to boot. I told him to give me a few days as it would take some time to dig out the boxes, and this was around the time of the National and my wedding anniversary, so it would take a few days. He said not to hurry. Below is the list.

It did take a few days and two separate messages letting him know what I found. On the first message, I reported that I found 24 cards:

• 2009 Topps: 355, 367, 490, 575
• 2010 Topps: 15, 48, 50, 56, 60, 70, 242, 243, 300, 320
• 2013 Topps: 15, 19, 27, 33, 36, 37, 105, 122, 206, 227

In my "organization" it appears that I had separated series 1 and 2 from all of these years. And in my initial hunt, I found boxes that contained 2009 Series 2, 2010 Topps Series 1, and 2013 Topps Series 1. It would be a bit more before I could find more (and I really need to write the years on the boxes so I'd have an easier time to find everything).

After more digging, I found more boxes and 24 more cards:

• 2009 Topps: 7, 24, 41, 135, 185, 224
• 2009 Topps Update: 1, 50 ,93, 174, 200
• 2010 Topps: 354, 403, 650
• 2010 Topps Update: 13, 100, 114, 266, 300
• 2013 Topps: 52, 454, 506, 519

After responding with the cards I found, I asked him how much he was willing to pay for everything, instead of me giving a price for how much I wanted.

Let me explain why.

In the past, I've had collectors ask me if I had cards from a certain set, or year (for inserts). For example, when I was uploading a list of 2013 Topps inserts into my trade/sell list, a collector asked if I was interested to sell some cards to him. He gave me a list, I responded with what I had (at least 30 cards) and a price that I thought would be fair for everything, I think I had quoted $65.00. His response was that the price I was asking for was too high and where I got the prices from? I responded a combination of sources: eBay, Beckett, Sportlots. I thought it was reasonable considering. I also asked him how much he would have offered to buy the cards for. In many cases, I would have agreed to whatever price he would have thrown at me (within reason...if he had said $1.00, forget it). 

But he never responded. I was ghosted.

A similar situation happened again earlier this year. A member at the TCDB sent a request asking if I could "be kind enough to quote a price" on 36 cards that I had on my trade/sell list. Beckett pricing alone for the 36 cards ranged from a low $40.05 to a high of $102.25. I believe I quoted him at least $60.00. 

His response? "Sorry, but I'll have to pass because I believe that to be way over-priced."

I answered him back, "I'm curious as to how much you were willing to spend for these cards plus shipping? If you had led off with an amount that you were willing to pay, I would have been more than happy to work with you for a price that would work well for both of us."

He didn't answer the question, just asked another one "Where did you obtain your prices from?" After saying the combination of sources...he withdrew the transaction. He didn't even counter-offer. Just ended the conversation. Well, his loss.

So I'm miffed. I decided from that point on, if someone is going to offer to buy cards, I'm going to let them dictate the price first. In this instance, for 48 base cards, I asked him how much he was willing to spend. He said $45. I said, "Sold!" PayPal information was given, the money was sent, and the cards were mailed the following day.

With the money burning a hole in my PayPal account, I started to think about what I should do with it.

If you recall, after the National, I was down to 17 cards left for my Series 2 insert want list. After sending trade requests to people on the TCDB, I was fortunate enough to get 9 cards from the want list, completing the Glove Works set and needing 4 cards each from the 1991 and Crooked Numbers set.

It was off to eBay. I found sellers who had all the cards I needed, which is good, because buying cards from different sellers will jack up the shipping charges. And for good measure, while I did not find an auction or BIN for the series 2 version of the 2026 Topps Bulk Order (the exclusive insert set from Costco Flagship Super Boxes), I found two 5-card lots that somehow managed to include all 10 cards. 

At the end of my eBay haze, I was left with $1.80 in my PayPal balance. 

Mission accomplished.

I found another collector on Facebook looking to complete his 2017 Topps set. All series 2. All just base cards. I have an idea of how much I'd be willing to sell...

But maybe I'll let him give me a price again first. This approach seems to work.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

The Philippines...in Topps A & G Mini Cards

Long time readers of the blog know that I am from The Philippines. I've written about the Philippines trying to get to the World Baseball Classic back in 2012. As of 2026, they still haven't done it, but it doesn't mean the country can't represent on the diamond. While they haven't competed in the WBC, the baseball team has won the Southeast Asian Games three years straight, and five titles overall. 

So, let's crank out some celebratory music...

Okay, back to the point...

One of the goals of this blog is to show off my collection. Today, I thought I'd show off my collection of mini Allen & Ginter cards that feature the The Pearl of the Orient Seas. 

Starting with my favorite A&G Mini Card of All-Time, from the 2007 Flag of All Nations set...

2007 Topps A&G Philippines Flag #39

The card isn't actually numbered per se, but the card is #39 alphabetically (Algeria-United States). Love this design. The sun in the background, the volcano (there's smoke coming from the top), coconut trees along the coast. It really is reminiscent of the original 1887 N9 Allen & Ginter's Flag of All Nations set. I just love the colors of this card, and how the flag is presented.

2008 Topps A&G Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo #WL35

The following year, Topps included a mini insert set featuring 50 of the (at the time) current world leaders. The Philippines was represented with President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, who became the 14th President of the country. Sworn to the post after the previous president was impeached, she was the leader of the country from 2001 through 2010. She did get into her own issues, but I'm not going to get into that...I am no expert in the story. She is currently a member of the House of Representatives, serving the constituents of the 2nd district of Pampanga. The card itself features a headshot of GMA and an outline of the islands. At least Topps used the right photo for her card, compared to the little mistake done for the card representing Ireland.

2009 Topps A&G Jose Rizal #NH26

The year after that saw Topps honoring National Heroes. This time, Topps selected our national hero, Jose Rizal, as a subject for it's 2009 insert set. The reverse of his card gives a really brief summary of who he was and what he did while the Philippines was under Spanish rule in the late 1800's. He was a writer and member of the Philippine Propaganda Movement, which advocated political reforms while the Philippines was a colony of Spain. He was executed during the Philippine Revolution, and the day of his death (December 30) is a National Holiday. He is considered one of the most influential figures in Filipino history. The card features Rizal along with the Philippines Coat of Arms.

On to lighter fare...

2010 Topps A&G Carabao #NA42

National Animals was one of the mini insert sets that appeared in the 2010 Topps Allen & Ginter product. And our national animal, the Carabao, was among the 50 subjects. The carabao is a water buffalo species that is commonly used by farmers for plowing. There were also used to pull carts, whether those contained people or valuable supplies. (There's a picture somewhere of yours truly on one...can't remember where it is. I think the name of the one I was on was Gigolo...or was it Macho...) 

2011 Topps A&G Philippine Eagle #AP15

Carrying the animal theme over into 2011, Topps featured endangered species in a set called Animals in Peril. The Philippine Eagle, or what is more commonly known as the Monkey Eating Eagle, was among the 30 subjects in this set. It has a six-foot wingspan, and is the largest of all eagles. It's the national bird of the country, with logging taking much of it's territory away. Current estimates say that there are maybe 400 pairs left in the wild.

2012 Topps A&G Balut #CC9

And then...there's the Culinary Curiosities set from 2012. This set featured 10 local delicacies that...let's say are unique. Between the Rocky Mountain Oysters and Haggis is this Filipino delight...Balut!!! Yes, balut. You may have seen the videos of people trying to eat it. And what is it exactly? Fertilized duck embryos boiled or steamed, and eaten in the shell. It's a street food that's sold in many countries in Southeast Asia, but it's more commonly connected to the Philippines. Now, I am more of a Penoy person myself (incubated duck egg that didn't fully develop an embryo), but I've eaten this once. And for a Filipino, once was enough.

It would be a few years before an exclusively-Filipino related card would appear in Allen & Ginter. Sure, the 2021 Mini World Leaders didn't include the President of the time, and the 2022 Mini Bearing Fruit cards had a handful of fruits that are found throughout the region, but there was nothing specifically tying the Philippines to any of them. 

2024 Topps A&G The Philippines #FOTW-16

While the 2024 Topps Allen & Ginter set featured a Manila/Dubai Sister Cities full-sized card (and I have that one), the Flags of the World mini set returned after 17 years. This time, as a horizontally-oriented set, with a picture of Manila to the right of the flag. The card is nice, and again, as an extremely amateur vexillologist (definitely not Sheldon Cooper level), I like the set, I like the card. 

But nothing compares to the 2007 version. 

On a related note, my mom is flying to Manila to visit friends and family back home this week. I wish her safe travels. Maybe bring back the Philippines baseball team cap if you can find one. A jersey would be nice too, but that may be asking for too much. It looks like this...I think...

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Almost Got 'Im: 2003 Topps Record Breakers Nolan Ryan No-Hitter #4

I've been pretty fortunate over the last few years, not only because my financial situation has improved leaps-and-bounds (still a lot of work to do, but after so many years, I can breathe a bit easier), but also because cards that I've had on my wantlists since the 2010's started showing up on the Bay, and I've been fortunate to get them.

To wit, after many years of searching in vain, both 2011 Topps Adrian Gonzalez and Carl Crawfod SP cards showed up on eBay. Both BIN's, prices were reasonable, and both were purchased.

2011 Topps Carl Crawford #25B and Adrian Gonzalez #350B

Another card that was haunting me whenever I'd open to the page was the 2010 Topps 1951 Blue Back Reggie Jackson #36, which could only be found opening packs of Update and Highlights cards purchased at Wal-Mart.. Just about a year ago, after years of seeing the more common Red Back and Blue Back cards, this specific card appeared. It is now mine!!!

2010 Topps Update Series 1951 Blue Back Reggie Jackson #36

Last night, as I was scrolling the World's Largest Marketplace, a group of 2003 Topps Series 2 Record Breakers cards appeared in my feed. Among the cards listed were 3 of the 7 the Nolan Ryan No-Hitters cards that rarely, if EVER, show up. Of the four Nolan Ryan cards, one I've been looking for FOREVER!!!

2003 Topps Record Breakers Nolan Ryan #RB-NR4 

When I clicked on the auction to check the details, the highest bid was $6.50. Which was reasonable for this card, or so I thought. I bid $15.00, and found that I was still outbid. The shipping charge on the auction was $1.32, so I increased my bid to $18.68, which brought the high bid to $15.50. 

Earlier this evening, I received the notification that I was now being outbid for the card. I couldn't do anything about it until I came home from the pharmacy. When I finally arrived home, after eating a quick dinner, I went on the Bay and increased my bid to $23.68 only to find that my new bid not high enough, as the winning bid was now at $24.18. I then increased my bid to $28.68, and still I was out bid, with the new high price at $29.68. It was at this point, I decided to pass. According to the 2024 Beckett Baseball Card Price Guide (yes, I still carry one with me everywhere), these Nolan Ryan cards sell for $10.00 each. I was not about to pay 3x the book price, regardless of how rare these appear online.

After one sniper tried and failed to secure the highest bid, the auction ended about 30 minutes ago, with a final price of $32.53.

I congratulate the person who won the auction. I'm sure the seller is in shock to see that this particular card sold for $32+. The other two cards wound up selling for $6.50 each. Then I noticed that this same seller had the other four cards from this set listed the week before, with the auctions ending on January 10. One of those cards was the OTHER No-Hitter I needed, card #RB-NR7. That one sold, with one bid, at $5.99.

I'm going to go cry now.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

A Review of the Chicago Spring Spectacular. Éirinn go brách! Celebrating on the Road This Time!

After three years of spending St. Patrick's Day at home, enjoying corned beef with all of the fixings, and a nice glass of Irish Cream (or two...or more...), we're hitting the road, celebrating with family. But first, it's off to work I go, slinging prescriptions at the pharmacy.

Speaking of...

Yesterday, I went to the Chicago Sports Spectacular (that's what they're calling what used to be the Chicago Sun-Times Spring Sports Card Show). It's the first time ever that I would go on a Friday. If you followed me on Twitter (and if you aren't, feel free to do so, I am @bdj610), you may have read some of my experiences at the show.

If you haven't, here is the summary:

Fridays are a bit quieter, it seems. The place was not extremely crowded, but there were a lot of people (and kids...KIDS...for those who don't believe KIDS don't collect anymore). Most of the vendors were there, greeting customers and each other. For some, this is the first time they've seen each other since the National (or at least the Fall Chicago Sports Spectacular...or whatever it was called).

Lots of vintage, as always, at this show. The big names were there selling modern stuff. And, of course, the same guy that sold me a Gypsy Queen set a couple of years back had what I was mainly looking for, a 2018 Topps Series 1 Master Set. After asking to see if he could knock the price down on the set (which he did), I bought the main set plus 5 Hobby inserts. I offered one of the four 2017 Hank Aaron Award Winner cards I had in my possession to thank him for the discount, and he picked one (Mike Trout...I still have the Harper, Bryant, and Cabrera cards).

I also bought myself a box of plastic sheets (need to put the cards in a binder somehow).

But the highlight of the night, and what got most people's attention on Twitter was this:

A 1989 Topps Hobby Box. 36 packs of cards and gum.

They were offering $5.00 for this box...or were they offering to give me $5.00 for the box...I don't know exactly what the guy said. And after mulling it over (I had to sit down to think about it), I decided to pass. As much as I would have loved to do it (and many people on Twitter said I should buy it), I couldn't think of a single thing to do with the cards once I opened them. I might regret this decision later, but you know what? I'm okay with it, and maybe at another show I'll bite.

After paying for my ticket, the seller handed me an envelope, containing a ticket for a free autograph from one of the signers at this evening's show. Based on the schedule, choices included Tom Browning (he of the perfect game in 1988), Ron Jaworski (QB from the Eagles/ESPN analyst), or someone else who had nothing to do on a Friday night. Now, I'm not an autograph guy, but I thought, why not? My ticket was for:

My first thought was, "Who's this guy??!

So Stan Bahnsen was a pitcher, played in the majors from 1966 through 1982, played for six teams, including the White Sox for four seasons, and was named to the Topps All-Star Rookie Team in 1968. Now, I had nothing for him to sign, so I thought, "Should I buy a baseball or look for a card? Maybe I should just have him sign the ticket."

But I never heard his name called the entire night I was at the show. I wondered why?

Oh, that's why. He rescheduled. But the policy was no returns, no exchanges. So now I have a dead ticket. So I have one request

Mr. Bahnsen (or someone who can pass this along to him), I'm sorry you couldn't make it out last night to the show. Have a great time today. I'll be at the Walgreens up the road from where you're going to be this today. After you're done signing, would you be able to make the trip north to my store? I'd like to meet you, and possibly redeem that autograph ticket.

On to other topics:

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.


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.



Finally, 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 the Maury Show always be on your television (sorry, saw that this morning).
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.
If you catch my drift.

Sláinte!

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Éirinn go brách! Celebrating at Home...Again.

For those wondering what happened to me, I'm still here. Work has been extremely busy, and that's a good thing.

Some quick Hobby Notes:

I have completed my 2016 Topps Master set. With all of the Heritage hub bub lately, I take comfort knowing that the Gypsy Queen (the 2016 edition anyway) will set sail soon.

There is a big card show this weekend down the street from my house. Do I plan on buying stuff? Maybe. I'm hoping to get a lot of free stuff. But more importantly, I'm there to feel the environment. I love these big card shows. I love watching the people. I might not go for the autographs, but to see fathers (and mothers) with their sons (and daughters) sharing the Hobby we all love, makes me appreciate all that is good about it.

But I digress.

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...AGAIN...because we will not be able to join her and the rest of the family 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.

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

The Philippines in the World Baseball Classic...2016 Edition!!!

In 2012, the Philippines, that hotbed of baseball in Asia, was invited to participate in a four-team qualifying round where the country that wins this six-game round-robin schedule, would go on to the 16-team World Baseball Classic tournament.

Okay, so hotbed isn't really the word. But listen, after the Americans introduced the Filipinos to the game during the Spanish-American War, the Philippines won the first Asian Baseball Championships in 1954. The game, however, faded in popularity, with basketball the number one team sport on the islands. But baseball is making a comeback, thanks in part to Filpino teams winning gold medals in the 2005 and 2011 Southeast Asian Games.

The WBC Philippines team shocked the world by beating Johnny Damon (yes, THAT Johnny Damon) and team Thailand in their first game (proudly recalled in this post back after it happened). And although they did eventually lose to squads from Chinese Taipei and New Zealand, a third place showing did in fact give the powers that be to give the Philippines another shot at getting to the games.

This week, the Philippines, along with Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa, are competing amongst themselves for one spot in the tournament that takes place in 2017. Team Aussie will be their first opponents, which should be a challenge for the Filipino team. Australia has participated in EVERY WBC since 2006 and doesn't plan on taking next year off.

So who is on Team Philippines? Any major leaguers with ties to "The Pearl of the Orient?" The answer...is YES!!!

Tim Hulett, a MLB player from 1983-1995 and has been a minor league manager (presently with the Rangers Short-A team in Spokane) after his playing days, was tabbed to manage Team Philippines.

Clay Rapada, a journeyman left-hander who last appeared in the majors in 2013, leads a pitching staff of 13. In seven seasons, Rapada has a cumulative record of 8-0, with a 4.06 ERA, 82 strikeouts, and a WHIP of 1.366 in seven MLB seasons.

Chris Aguila, one of six outfielders on the team, played for both the Marlins and the Mets in parts of four seasons. He hit 4 home runs, drove in 16 rbi's, to go with a .230 batting average and slash statistics (OBP/SLG/OPS) of .280/.343/.624.

Eric Fariss, who was in the majors from 2011-2012 and was recently in the minor league system of the Twins, is on the team as well.

There are presently two players on the team with MLB affiliations, one is Marlins farmhand Brad Haynal, a catcher, and the other is outfielder Angelo Songco, who has a Pro Debut card from 2010.

By the time this post comes out, the game would be long over (they lost 11-1 by the way).

Good luck to Team Philippines the rest of the way.

Mabuhay!!!

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

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

Random Topps Pro Debut Card of the Week: 2010 Topps Pro Debut #340 Casey Coleman

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Pro Debut Card of the Week:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 2010 Topps Pro Debut #340.
• Player Name, position, team: Casey Coleman, pitcher, Iowa Cubs.
• Level-League, Team Affiliation: AAA-Pacific Coast League, Chicago Cubs.
• Minor League Stats (stats with team depicted only): 20 G, 117.1 IP, 10-7, 63 R, 61 ER, 59 SO, 35BB, 20 GS, 2 CG, 0 SHO, 0 SV, 1.202 WHIP, 4.07 ERA.
• Any special information about player: Drafted by the Chicago Cubs #15th, June 2008. Bats: left. Throws: right.
• Major League Debut: August 2, 2010.
• Baseball America Organizational Ranking After Season with Team: n/a
• Blurb on the back: "Coleman's grandfather and father (both Joe) were selected to the AL All-Star team during their careers, and now Casey is one step away from the Majors at Triple-A Iowa. The youngest Coleman, who was the Cubs 2009 Minor League Pitcher of the Year, is a change-up specialist with polish and poise."
• Official Topps Rookie Card: 2011 Topps Update #US307.
• Commentary: Thanks to Joseph Casey Coleman (yes, his name is also Joe) making it to the major leagues in 2010, the Colemans are now the 4th third-generation major league family, joining the likes of the Bells, the Boones, and the Hairstons. His debut was rather unauspicious, as he was sent into his debut in mop-up duty during what was then a 10-1 shellacking of the Cubs by the Brewers. In his 2.1 innings of work, he allowed 6 runs (giving him a disastrous 23.14 ERA), but did strike out a batter. Casey would make the short trip from Des Moines to Chicago for parts of three seasons, compiling a 22-16 record with the I-Cubs while earning a 7-13 record with the C-Cubs. He was released by the Cubs organization on April 14, 2014, signing with the Kansas City Royals the following day. After a three-game trial in Omaha, the now 26-year-old Coleman was called up to Kansas City on July 2.

Next week's featured card will be: 2011 Topps Pro Debut #26. Post will arrive at 9:00 AM CST. Hope you enjoyed this week's installment of Minor League Monday.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Team Set of the Week: 2010 Florida Marlins

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

• Team: 2010 Florida Marlins
• Record: 80-82, third place, NL East Division.
• Managers: Fredi Gonzalez & Edwin Rodriguez
• Card on the Top: Hanley Ramirez

The checklist consists of the following players:

• FLA1 Hanley Ramirez
• FLA2 Gaby Sanchez
• FLA3 Josh Johnson
• FLA4 Chris Coghlan
• FLA5 Ricky Nolasco
• FLA6 Leo Nunez (now known as Juan Carlos Oviedo)
• FLA7 John Baker
• FLA8 Emilio Bonifacio
• FLA9 Cameron Maybin
• FLA10 Jorge Cantu
• FLA11 Andrew Miller
• FLA12 Anibal Sanchez
• FLA13 Chris Volstad
• FLA14 Cody Ross
• FLA15 Dan Uggla
• FLA16 Sean West
• FLA17 Ronny Paulino

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 2010 Topps eponymous set:

• Hanley Ramirez was the Marlins' star at the plate and on the field, as displayed here:
  
  

• Gaby Sanchez did not make it onto the base set, but he does make an appearance in the traded set:
  
  

• Catcher John Baker also did not make it onto the base set, so here is his Update Series card:
  
  

• It's the same picture, but you can see more of Cameron Maybin on his retail card than you can on his 2010 Topps card:
  
  

• Ditto for Jorge Cantu:
  
  

• And Andrew Miller:
  
  

• Anibal Sanchez warms up in the bullpen on his regular card:
  
  

• Now where did Chris Volstad's hand go?:
  
  

• Dan Uggla's 2010 Topps card shows him swinging for the fences:
  
  

• Is it just me, or was Sean West pitching in the same game as Chris Volstad?:
  
  

• On his 2010 Topps card, Ronny Paulino and the Fish took on the Rays at Tampa:
  
  

Of the 17 players included in this set, 7 players have different pictures on the retail set compared to the base set, four more shows a different cropping of the same picture, and none are a retail exclusive. Fans of the Reds should have loved all of the variations that can only be found in the retail set.

Next week's featured set will be the 2011 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 sets.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

A Quick St. Patrick's Day Toast

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 a slow-cooked corned beef brisket with all the veggies (potatoes, carrots, cabbage) tonight. I would like to apologize publicly to my sister because she is hosting St. Patrick's night dinner as well and I only found out about it three hours after I put the meat in the slow cooker. I have already sent a text saying that we will not make it tonight. 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 players of Irish descent in both the Major Leagues and the Minor Leagues, 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.

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

Random Topps Pro Debut Card of the Week: 2010 Topps Pro Debut #225 Arodys Vizcaino

It's the first Minor League Monday of 2014!!! Let's start it off with a bang. Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Pro Debut Card of the Week:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 2010 Topps Pro Debut #225.
• Player Name, position, team: Arodys Vizcaino, pitcher, Rome Braves.
• Level-League, Team Affiliation: A-Southern Atlantic League, Atlanta Braves.
  
• Minor League Stats (stats with team depicted only): 14 G, 71.2 IP, 9-4, 25 R, 19 ER, 68 SO, 9 BB, 14 GS, 0 CG, 0 SHO, 0 SV, 1.005 WHIP, 2.39 ERA.
• Any special information about player: Signed with the Twins as a Free Agent before the 2006 season. Bats: right. Throws: right.
• Major League Debut: August 10, 2011.
• Baseball America Organizational Ranking After Season with Team: Atlanta Braves #7 prospect after the 2010 season .
• Blurb on the back: "Vizcaino wasted no time paying dividends for Atlanta, who acquired him from the Yankees in the Javier Vazquez deal after the 2009 campaign. Assigned to Rome to begin '10, he went 9-3 with a 2.34 ERA and a 7.5-1 SO/BB ratio and just one HRA in 12 starts. That earned him a June promotion to Myrtle Beach."
• Official Topps Rookie Card: n/a.
• Commentary: I'm confused. Yes, I know that this is a 2010 Topps set, and that usually tries to depict the player in the uniform of his most recent organization (Arodys Vizcaino was with the Yankees in 2009). But the blurb talks about his 2010 campaign in Rome, and it even mentions that Vizcaino was promoted to Myrtle Beach of the Carolina League before the end of the season. So now the question is, should Vizcaino have been pictured as a member of the Staten Island Yankees (the Short Season A-team of the NY-Penn League? Or was there not enough time to photoshop a Pelicans jersey onto Vizcaino? I mean two weeks ago, the subject of Minor League Mondays had spent most of his season in Altoona before a 2 game run in Indianapolis. But he (Matt Curry)is pictured in the jersey of the Indians instead of the Curve. I don't get it. What I do get is that Vizcaino did make his MLB debut in 2011, appearing in 17 games for the Braves with a 1-1 record, a 4.67 ERA, and 17 strikeouts in 17.1 innings of work. It was funny though because he had no MLB time after that, and the minor league numbers stopped in 2011 as well. It turns out that Vizcaino underwent Tommy John surgery in March of 2012, which caused him to miss the whole year. He was then traded to the Cubs in a deadline deal, with the hopes that he'd be ready for the 2013 season. But he required arthroscopic surgery on his elbow in May and needed to rehab the rest of the campaign. Despite all of this, Vizcaino was named the Cubs #4 prospect after the 2012 season, and it is hoped that he, and many of the other young prospects that the Cubs have been able to draft/sign/trade for/whatever, will lead the Cubs to the "promised land."

Next week's featured card will be: 2011 Topps Pro Debut #325. Post will arrive at 9:00 AM CST. Hope you enjoyed this week's installment of Minor League Monday.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama