2011 Topps Archives: Roberto Alomar

It's been almost two years since I last did a post for the 2011 Topps Archives Project, and what better time to bring it back again than the day of the 2011 Baseball Hall of Fame Induction ceremony.

For those unfamiliar with the project, let me provide a bit of background.

In 2009, knowing that Topps would celebrate their 60th Anniversary, I proposed that one of the sets they should bring back is the Archives set, similar to their successful 2001-02 product. If you remember, the '01 set consisted of reprint cards from Topps' 50 years of the first (rookie) and final cards of 200 HOF players, fan favorites, and managers, record breakers and playoff highlights. Now the original set consisted of "first" cards ranged from 1952 to 1985 (players last cards reached all the way to 2000 Topps...and there were no cards from 1999 included as either a first or last card). This new project would now include rookie cards of players in 1990's (the cutoff being 1995...give or take a couple of years.  And the kicker is that the player should not have been featured in the 2001 set (so no Aaron, Mays, Clemente, Ryan, Blyleven...et. al). 

Now, in reality, we know that Topps isn't going to make this kind of set (MLB Properties decreed no full-retired player sets could be produced).  That's why Topps has lovingly mixed them in with current baseball players in almost all of their products, even as SP's in the eponymous Topps set.  But if they could...

Well, to dream.

So today was the day that Bert Blyleven and Roberto Alomar (along with Pat Gillick) were formally inducted into Baseball's Hall of Fame.  But Mr. Gillick doesn't have a Topps card (as far as I know anyway), and Blyleven was already in the 2001 Topps Archives set.  So that leaves us with today's subject, Roberto Alomar.

And I'm kinda torn about it. 

No, not because of the player himself, nor do I want to go into a debate about who should or should not be a Hall of Famer (face it, different eras and times call for different ideals of what a HOF should be...and the time of Ruth, Cobb, Mathewson, Wagner, and Johnson is most certainly different than Alomar and Blyleven). 

No.

I'm torn about which design to use as a "first" card.

Now, I know two years ago, when I added Mark Grace to the series, I put on a vote to determine which card should be the end-all "first" card:  his 1988 Topps Traded or his 1989 Topps card (with the Rookie Cup).  And the majority ruled that the Traded card be considered his first card (31 of 48 votes).

So the same situation applies with Alomar's first card.  He did appear in the 1988 Topps Traded set, and his first regular card is the 1989 Topps set (which is my favorite set design EVER...and I'm biased this way anyway).  If I were to follow the ruling of my readers from two years ago, I'd use the card below as part of my virtual 2011 Topps Archives project:

First card:  1988 Topps Traded #4T.  Final card:  2005 Topps #626.

If I went with the four voters who said for me to make the decision, you'd see the cards below:

First card:  1989 Topps #206.  Final card:  2005 Topps #626.

Even though his final card (from 2005 Topps) shows he was a member of the Devil Ray, he never did play for them.  He retired as a player with the D-Rays when he didn't make it on the squad out of Spring Training.

From his beginnings with the Padres, to his rise to super stardom with the Blue Jays (he won two World Series titles), Alomar was truly destined for greatness.  He was an offensive and defensive star with both the Orioles and Indians, before finishing his career with stints with the White Sox, Mets, and Diamondbacks.  He was a 12-time All-Star (from 1990 to 2001...twelve straight years), a 10-time Gold Glove winner (2,320 games played at second base presently ranks third on the All-Time list), a 4-time Silver Slugger, a 2-time WS winner (including a 1992 ALCS MVP), and finally, a 2011 Hall of Famer. 

So now it is time for this humble, little blog, to add Roberto Alomar into the 2011 Topps Archives project.

This should mark the return of the series.  I do hope to have it finished by the end of the year. I still have the list of people who were suggested by the readers, and I do encourage you to throw your suggestions in as well in the comments. Maybe 200 players (the total I originally suggested) was a bit too much.  I think if I can get this series to 100 players, I'd be happy.

So, once again, congratulations to Roberto Alomar, Bert Blyleven, and Pat Gillick on entering Cooperstown.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

2011 Topps Archives: Larry Walker

There is a saying that good things come in three's. In the course of major league history, one player definitely took that mantra to heart. In fact, it became an obsession with him. This guy:

• sets his alarm for 33 minutes past the hour
• took practice swings in multiples of three,
• wore No. 33,
• was married Nov. 3 at 3:33 p.m. (he has a very understanding wife, let me tell you, to allow this)
• showers from the third nozzle (okay, that was way too much information)

Okay, it was a good thing that today's subject for the 2011 Topps Archives project was such an incredible player that he was able to get away with a lot regarding his number "3," otherwise I'm pretty sure his managers would have asked to put a top to it. If you haven't guessed by now, today's subject is a six-time all-star, seven-time Gold Glove winning outfielder, three-time Silver Slugger, and even an MVP winner (1997), who traded in his hockey stick for a baseball bat. Yes, today's subject is Larry Walker.

Larry signed with the Montréal Expos in 1984 and made his debut with the big club late in the 1989 season. In his first full year in the bigs, he hit 19 home runs, and drove in 51 runs batted in. Good enough for seventh in the NL Rookie of the Year. From there, he became one of the keys to the Expos success in the early 1990's, leading the team to a 74-40 record, a first place finish in the NL East, all this before the strike that shut down baseball and cancelled the World Series. That 1994 Expos team became one of baseball's greatest "What If's?" because who knows, maybe the Expos would still be in Montréal if it weren't for the strike. Regardless, in his six years with les Expos, Walker had a decent .281 batting average, to go with 99 homers and 384 rbi's. But his best was yet to come.

At the end of the 1994 season, Walker signed with the Colorado Rockies. And in the crisp Rocky Mountain air, Walker became an offensive powerhouse. In his decade of service with the Rockies, he led the majors three times in batting average, hitting well over .300 in seven of those seasons. He made it to four All-Star teams, and was in the running for the MVP award six times. In 1997, he hit career highs in home runs with 49 (this led the NL), drove home 130 RBI's, and had a batting average of .366, and on base, and slugging percentages of .452, and .720 respectively (giving him an OPS of 1.172). Those numbers, awarded Walker the NL MVP award in 1997.

Wanting to be play for a contender in 2004, Walker was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals and even though the Redbirds lost the World Series that year, Walker still performed well, hitting .357 in four games, along with two home runs and five runs driven in. After the 2005 campaign, Walker, a veteran of 17 major league seasons, finally called it a career. His final numbers are worth of Hall of Fame consideration, with a final .313 average, not to mention 383 home runs, 1,311 runs batted in, 230 stolen bases, and an OPS of .965.

Currently, Walker helps the Cardinals out during spring training. Although he was offered a full-time position on the coaching staff, Walker decided it was best to be at home and spend time with his family.

Now, back to that "three" obsession. A couple of things I didn't mention earlier was that during his days with the Expos, Walker would buy tickets for 33 disadvantaged kids when he played in Montreal, to be seated in Section 333 at Olympic Stadium. And the final contract he signed with the Rockies called for a joint donation of $3,333,333 to children's organizations in both Colorado and his native British Columbia.

The 2011 Topps Archives set will officially have two cards of Larry Walker. But who's to say I can't include a bonus third card just for kicks. Here are Larry's cards going into the 2011 Topps Archives project:

First card: 1990 Topps #757. Last card: 2006 Topps #154.
And for a bonus, if we ever decide to do a "Best Year's Edition" (as someone had mentioned should be done), here is Walker's Archives card:

1997 Topps Larry Walker #461.
Three really is a magic number after all.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

2011 Topps Archives: Bill Russell

(Because I missed doing this on Friday, I'm running the 2011 Topps Archives article tonight. I will have another one for next Friday at 9:00 AM CST.)

No MLB team in the seventies, eighties, and nineties defined the words consistency and loyalty than the Los Angeles Dodgers. Even in the advent of free agency, the Dodgers seemed to be able to hold onto their players and managers for long periods of time. Think of it this way. Before today's subject became manager of the Dodgers in the middle of the 1996 season, the Dodgers had only two managers from 1954 to 1995 (Hall of Famers Walter Alston for 23 seasons and Tommy Lasorda for about 20). And from 1973 to 1981, the both Dodgers skippers penciled into their lineup cards the same four guys to play in their infield. There is a well-written baseball card blog named after the four of them, but Dodgers fans everywhere who grew up during the 70's can probably recite their names in their sleep: first baseman Steve Garvey, second baseman Davey Lopes, third baseman Ron Cey, and the shortstop, our featured player today, Bill Russell.

Russell was a lifelong Dodger, who played in parts of 18 seasons for the team. During that time, he became a three-time all-star, named the starting SS for the 1980 team. He hit 46 career home runs in his 18 seasons, but power was not expected from the shortstop position in the seventies. He actually wasn't an outfielder when he first joined LA. He was an outfielder at first, but Alston found better use for Russell's arm at shortstop than in any of the outfield positions. He became the full time shortstop in 1972, and two years later, was part of an infield tandem that lasted eight seasons. There have been double play combinations that have lasted more than ten years (Trammell and Whitaker of the Tigers comes to mind), and here and there, you find teams with three guys in an infield that play two to five seasons at a time (Dunston to Sandberg to Grace was a mantra in Chicago during the late 80's and early 90's), but to find a full infield, four players, to stay together for even eight years is unprecedented, even under today's standards. And if you add the years that Steve Yeager was the Dodgers primary catcher (1974 to 1980), and you have the same five guys covering the infield AND home plate for an eight year stretch. That just doesn't happen anymore.

Russell finished his career with a good .263 batting average, 46 home runs, 627 rbi's, and 167 stolen bases. His Dodgers teams made it to the post season five times, winning the World Series in a strike shortened 1981 season. In the postseason, he drove home 19 runs and hit .294 in 209 plate appearances. As 1746 games as the shortstop, he was part of 909 double plays, had 5546 assists, and was responsible for 2536 putouts.

After his long career, he became one of Tommy Lasorda's coaches. He spent a couple of seasons as a manager in the Dodgers minor league system, and was seen as the heir apparent to Lasorda when the time came for Tommy to retire. When Lasorda had a mild heart attack in 1996, Russell was named the interim manager. He was named the permanent manager before the end of July that year. When News Corporation (under Rupert Murdoch) decided to clean house, Russell was one of the casualties, ending a thirty year association with the Dodgers. After working as a coach for the Devil Rays and even managing a couple of minor league teams, he now works for MLB's umpiring division.

Of the four long time infielders, only Bill Russell was not included in cards for any of the Archives or Fan Favorites sets that came out in 2001-2005. So now it is time to add the shortstop that held the infield together for all those years to our Archives set.

First card: 1970 Topps #304. Last card: 1987 Topps #116.
So here's to Bill Russell. A most welcome addition to the 2011 Topps Archives project.

2011 Topps Archives: Rusty Staub

Our next subject for the 2011 Topps Archives Project began his 23 year career as a member of the Houston Colt .45's in 1963. After six years with the .45's/Astros, he went north of the border to play with Les Expos de Montréal, the New York Mets, the Detroit Tigers, the Expos again for a season, the Texas Rangers, and finished with the Mets for a second go around in 1985. Along the way, he became a six time all-star, a seven time candidate for the MVP award, and endeared himself to French-Canadians everywhere by learning French. He was the first player in Expos history to have his number retired. His given name was Daniel Joseph. But everyone knows him better as Rusty Staub.

Known as Rusty because of his red hair, was only nineteen years old when he made his debut with the Colt .45's as their first baseman. He was the cleanup hitter on the day that the team trotted out the youngest starting lineup in the history of baseball. In 15o games that year, he hit 6 home runs, drove home 45 more runs, and batted a paltry .224. But the Astros were a young team, and growing pains were to be expected. Fortunately for Staub, as he got older, he got better. In six years with Houston, he became a two-time All-Star and saw his career batting average go up to .273 before being traded to Montréal in time for the 1969 season.

As a charter member of the Montréal Expos in 1969, Staub took over right field duties and was the team's leading slugger (.302, 29 HR, 79 RBI's). He also decided that if he was going to play and live in Montréal, he might as well pick up the lingo. So he learned how to speak French, which gained him the respect of the French-Canadians. It was here where he earned the nickname "Le Grande Orange," again because of his red hair.

He was traded to the Mets in 1972 and led the Amazin's to the 1973 World Series against the Oakland A's. And before he left, he became the first Mets player to surpass 100 RBI's.

He became an All-Star with the Tigers in 1976. And in 1978, became the first player ever to be a DH in all 162 games, which helped him reach his career high in RBI's with 121 driven in. He was traded back to the Expos in June, 1979, played with the Rangers for a season, and then signed with the Mets as a player/coach. He finished his career with 292 home runs, 1466 runs batted in, a batting average of .279 and an OPS of .793.

Since his retirement, he was a restaurant owner, a Mets broadcaster, and more importantly, established the New York Police and Fire Widows' and Children's Benefit Fund in 1986, which raises and distributes money to the families of firefighters and police officers killed in the line of duty.

Rusty Staub can make the claim of being the last player to have a baseball card during his career to include his career as a Houston Colt .45's with his 1986 Topps card. No card since then in Topps baseball card sets have had a player for the .45's. He was overlooked when the 2001 Topps Archives set came out, so it is only fitting that we add Mr. Staub to the 2011 Topps Archives Project.

First card: 1963 Topps #544. Last card: 1986 Topps #570.
Le Grande Orange makes a colorful addition to the 2011 Topps Archives set, don't you think?

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

The Readers Have Spoken Again...

This past week, I put another poll up on this humble little blog. The question? Which Topps Andy Seminick Card Should Be Used in the 2011 Topps Archives Project?

Well, 37 readers cast their votes, and 18 answered, "Who's Andy Seminick?"

That can only mean I didn't do a good job in last week's Archives Project post about Mr. Seminick.

Eleven people, however voted to have his 1951 card used for the project, while eight selected the 1952 card.

So thank you for the votes. Here are the Andy Seminick cards that will be used in the 2011 Topps Archives project:

First card: 1951 Topps Red Back #45. Last card: 1956 Topps #296.
Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

2011 Topps Archives: Andy Seminick

So when I first started getting names to use for the 2011 Topps Archives Project, a reader threw out Andy Seminick. And my first thought was, "Andy Seminick? Who's Andy Seminick?" And probably right now, unless you're a baseball historian, or a fan of 1940's and 50's baseball, your asking yourself right now, "Andy Seminick? Who's Andy Seminick?" A better question probably would be, "Why Andy Seminick?" Well, it seems that there is a pretty good reason why a player like Mr. Seminick should be in a set like this.

First off all, I need players with cards from the 1950's to balance the number of players from the 80's and 90's that are going to make up the majority of this set.

Secondly, using a player like Andy Seminick forces me to do some actual RESEARCH instead of just going by memory about what kind of player he was.

Andy Seminick was a catcher for the Philadelphia Phillies and Cincinnati Reds in the 1940's and 50's. He made his major league debut in 1943 and had a very productive 15-year career. He was an All-Star in 1949, and was a member of the Whiz Kids, the collective name given to the 1950 Phillies. This team, whose players averaged an age of 26 years old, won the National League pennant and faced the mighty New York Yankees in the World Series. This team included outfielders Richie Ashburn (a 22-year old), Del Ennis (25), infielders Granny Hamner (23), Willie "Puddin' Head" Jones (24), pitchers Robin Roberts (23), Curt Simmons (21) et. al. Seminick was one of the "older players" on this team at 29 years of age in 1950.

During that magical year in 1950, Seminick hit a decent .288 with 24 home runs and 68 rbi's. He finished 14th in the MVP balloting that year. The year before, his all-star year, he also hit 24 home runs and drove home 68 runs. Talk about consistent.

At the end of the 1951 season, Seminick was involved in a seven player trade with the Cincinnati Reds. He played for four seasons with the Reds before being traded BACK to the Phillies in a six player trade.

Now Smoky Burgess was involved in both of these multi-player trades as well, going from the Reds to the Phils and then back to the Reds. And Burgess was included in the 2001 Topps Archives set. So why shouldn't Seminick? Well, that slight is over now as I am going to add Andy Seminick to the 2011 Topps Archives set.

But I have a problem.

You see, the first card of a handful of players in the 2001 Topps Archives set was actually a 1951 Topps Red or Blue Back. However, the Archives set did not utilize the 1951 Topps design, making the player's 1952 card the "first" card of these players. Well, Andy Seminick has a 1951 Topps Red Backs card, as well as a 1952 Topps card. So should I use the 1951 card or the 1952 card?

I will put this up to a vote. Here are pictures of Andy Seminick's Topps cards. The first pair has his 1951 Topps Red Backs card paired with his final Topps card from 1956:

First card: 1951 Topps Red Back #45. Last card: 1956 Topps #296.
Now here is his 1952 card, paired with the 1956 final card:

First card: 1952 Topps #297. Last card: 1956 Topps #296.
So which card should be used as the first card, the 1951 Topps Red Back or the 1952 Topps card?. A poll will come up shortly and by next week, I will add the cards that you the readers choose to the Archives set.

Mr. Seminick passed away in 2004. We pay our respects to one of the original Whiz Kids by adding his cards to the 2011 Topps Archives Project.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

2011 Topps Archives: Jim Abbott

(It is the hope of this humble little blog that we run this feature on a regular and more consistent basis on Fridays at 9:00 A.M. CST or so help me...jba)

It was disappointing not to see baseball being played at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. It's sad that even if Chicago gets the bid for the 2016 games that baseball may not even be on the schedule (I blame it on the trampoline and contact bridge athletes, but that's just me). But did you know that at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles and the 1988 Olympics in Seoul that baseball was an exhibition sport?

Back then, Topps had the rights to produce cards of the players who represented the USA Baseball Team. The 1985 Topps set featured Coach Rod Dedeaux and the "1984 United States Baseball Team" led by soon-to-be-major-leaguers Mark McGwire, Cory Snyder, Bill Swift, Shane Mack, etc. The 1988 Topps Traded set honored the Gold Medal winning Team USA. Even Coach Mark Marquess couldn't have possibly envisioned that so many players that fought for gold in South Korea would have had successful careers in the big leagues. All-stars Andy Benes, Tino Martinez, Mickey Morandini, Charles Nagy, Robin Ventura were on this team, so were players the likes of Bret Barberie, Jeff Branson, Ed Sprague, and Ted Wood.

But we're not talking about any of those guys. Today's featured player, and one who will be subsequently added to the 2011 Topps Archives Project, was the ace of that medal-winning pitching staff. A man who pitched in two games at Seoul, striking out seven of Canada's finest in a three-inning stint; and then four days later pitched a complete game victory against the mighty Japanese team. In three seasons at the University of Michigan (thanks to Grand Cards for the correction), he compiled a 26-8 record, striking 186 and posting an ERA of 3.03, earning him a spot on both the Big 10 All-Tournament and All-Conference First Teams, as well as the Big-10 Player of the Year honor in 1988. He won the Golden Spikes Award in 1987 (nation's top amateur baseball player), and then the Sullivan Award in 1988 (nation's top amateur athlete...in ANY SPORT). All this, before being drafted in the first round, eighth overall, by the California Angels. Today, we honor Flint, Michigan's own...Jim Abbott!!!

Jim Abbott made the 1989 California Angels roster out of spring training without having to play in the minor leagues. In his rookie year, he started 29 games, completing 4 of them, two of them shutouts. His rookie W-L record was a respectable 12-12, striking out 115 hitters, and an ERA of 3.92. While he didn't win the AL Rookie of the Year award, he did earn a spot as the LHP on Topps 1989 All-Star Rookie team. His best year was in 1991, which saw him win 18 games (against 11 losses) in 34 starts, five of them being complete games, with a dazzling ERA of 2.89 and 158 K's. At the end of the 1992 season, he was traded to the New York Yankees.

With the Bronx Bombers in 1993, he went 11-14 and his ERA ballooned to 4.37. But the highlight of the year came on September 4, 1993, when he pitched a no-hitter against the Cleveland Indians in a 4-0 Yankees win. After two seasons in the Bronx, he signed on with the Chicago White Sox, only to be traded BACK to the California Angels in a pennant-drive deadline deal. He struggled in 1996, losing a league leading 18 games with the Angels. At that point, he decided to retire. But in 1998, he staged a comeback, first with the Chicago White Sox, and then in 1999 with the Milwaukee Brewers, who were now in the National League...meaning that Abbott would have to step up to the plate and bat for the very first time (for the record, he went 2-21 at the plate, both hits against the Cubs...)

For those who weren't following baseball at this time, you're probably wondering why I even wrote the words "meaning that Abbott would have to step up to the plate and bat for the very first time..." It's because after all of this, I forgot to mention something sort of important regarding Mr. Abbott. He earned all of his awards, played all of his games, pitched his no-hitter, did all of this despite the fact that he was born without a right hand.

Whoa!!!

How could he play with only one hand??? How could he bat with only one hand??? How could he field his position with only one hand???

Regarding the hitting:

Mariano Rivera once said that he "recalled Abbott taking batting practice for the Yankees, swatting home runs into the bleachers." (thanks to Tyler Kepner, New York Times, Talkin’ Baseball With the Yankees, June 6, 2007). So apparently, hitting was not an issue (if you've ever seen his...it pains me to even say it...1991 Upper Deck card..., you can see him batting).

About the fielding, according to Jim Abbott's official website:

"Abbott wore a right-hander's fielder's glove at the end of his right arm. While completing his follow-through after delivering a pitch, he rapidly switched the glove to his left hand so he could handle any balls hit back to him."

If you've never seen the above in action, how he did this looked so fluid, you wouldn't even know that he only had one hand. It was incredible, and many in baseball said that he was an excellent fielder.

He retired in 1999, and is now a motivational speaker. He was inducted into both the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame (2004) and the College Baseball Hall of Fame (2007). According to his website, Jim "also works with The Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) on several initiatives encouraging businesses to hire people with disabilities."

Now, on to the business of showing off his 2011 Topps Archives cards.

His first Topps card came as a member of Team USA in the 1988 Topps Traded set. However, I don't think we can use this as the rights to Team USA belong to...Upper Deck. His rookie card appears in the 1989 Topps set as a first round draft pick from the...University of Michigan (that right Grand Cards???). However, as we all know, UD now has the exclusive license to all college sports thanks to its deal with the College Licensing Company. As he is wearing his Michigan uniform, we can't use that either. So, we are now left with probably a better option with our first card. Since he made it straight to the majors without minor league seasoning, we are going to use his 1989 Topps Traded card as an official member of the Angels:

First card: 1989 Topps Traded #2T. Last card: 1996 Topps #372.
What an inspirational story, and what an inspirational player indeed.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

2011 Topps Archives: Harold Baines

He defined the role of designated hitter in the American League in the 80's and 90's. He was a hitter that knew what was necessary to succeed in every at-bat. He was also one of the few players in big league history to have his number retired by one team while still active with another. He was one of the classiest players on and off the field. And this past Saturday, the Baltimore Orioles thanked him for his seven years of service by inducting him to their Hall of Fame. A native Marylander, and by all accounts, an all around good guy, there is no doubt that he should be added to the 2011 Topps Archives project. He is Harold Baines.

Baines played 22 seasons in the big leagues, all in the American League. He started his career as an outfielder for the Chicago White Sox, and after seven productive seasons manning Comiskey Parks right field, he became their designated hitter. After being traded to the Texas Rangers (a trade that would introduce a young Sammy Sosa to Chicago), the White Sox retired his #3, becoming the third player to have this honor while still an active player (Frank Robinson and Phil Niekro, both Hall of Famers are the other two).

He was then traded to Oakland, helping the Athletics get to the World Series in 1990. In 1993, he began his first stint with the Orioles. In 1996, he came back to the White Sox (who let him wear his #3 jersey), only to go back to the Orioles a season and a half later. He was traded to the Indians during the 1999 season, only to return to the O's to begin the next. On July 29, 2000, he was traded back to the White Sox to finish his career. He is now the Pale Hoses' first base coach.

After 22 seasons, Baines ended his career with a .289 lifetime batting average, 384 home runs, 1628 runs batted in, stole 34 bases, and an OPS of .820. He was a six-time all-star, won the Silver Slugger award in 1989 as the AL's best DH, and was in the running for the MVP four times during the "Winning Ugly" era in the early 80's. With numbers like these, along with being honored by O's over the weekend, we tip our collective caps and add Harold Baines to the 2011 Topps Archives Project.

First card: 1981 Topps #347. Last card: 2001 Topps #78.
Here's to you Harold. With a career like yours, we look forward to seeing you in Cooperstown one day.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

2011 Topps Archives: Jim Rice

(The quote below is courtesy of Ian Browne and mlb.com. For the article, please click here.)

I must really be inspired. Two of these posts in one day??? Must be some kind of record...

It no longer became a question of IF our next subject is a Hall of Famer, it was a question of WHEN. Thank goodness that more than 5% of the voters kept this guy on the ballot for the maximum 15 years, otherwise he would have had to wait for the Veterans Committee to decide (and until the recent adjustments how the VC votes, may have been never). But after 15 years of "thanks for the honor of just being nominated," the Susan Lucci of the Hall of Fame vote finally got his due. Today's subject was supposedly a man of few words and many actions. And his actions brought joy to many of the Boston Red Sox' rabid fan base. Today, as Cooperstown had done the day before, we honor Jim Rice.

Jim Rice was a lifetime member of the Boston Red Sox. In sixteen seasons, he compiled numbers that, compared to others enshrined in the Hall, might not necessarily be up to par. Yes, he had a lifetime batting average of .299, hit 382 home runs, drove in 1,451, and have an OPS of .854. Those numbers could be the reasons why voters waffled about him going into the Hall or not. But it wasn't the numbers that got him inducted. It was his reputation of being a feared hitter that got him there. Reading the many interviews from other HOF's about Jim Rice, regarding memories of the guy, Frank Robinson summed it up for everyone who had to play in the American League against him. When asked about his best memories of Jim Rice, Robinson replied,:

"I don't have any good memories of Jim; I played against him -- he killed us. When the game was on the line, he stepped to the front."

Rice, an eight-time All-Star, won the American League MVP award in 1978, hitting 46 home runs and driving in 139 more. His averages were on the high side: .315 batting average, .600 slugging average, an OPS of .970, almost all career highs.

Jim Rice retired after the 1989 season. Then, the waiting began.

• In 1995, 137 writers added Rice to their HOF ballots. That was only good enough for 8th on the list, at 29.8% of the vote. Mike Schmidt was the only person inducted that year.
• In 1996, 166 voted for Rice. That was 35.3% of the vote in a year nobody was voted in by the BBWAA. (The rest of the numbers you will see are his vote totals and the percentages only, and who was inducted that year, if any)
• 1997, 178, 37.6%, Phil Niekro.
• 1998, 203, 42.9%, Don Sutton.
• 1999, 146, 29.4%, Nolan Ryan, George Brett, Robin Yount.
• 2000, 257, 51.5%, Carlton Fisk, Tony Perez.
• 2001, 298, 57.9%, Dave Winfield, Kirby Puckett.
• 2002, 260, 55.1%, Ozzie Smith.
• 2003, 259, 52.2%, Eddie Murray, Gary Carter.
• 2004, 276, 54.5%, Paul Molitor, Dennis Eckersley.
• 2005, 307, 59.5%, Wade Boggs, Ryne Sandberg.
• 2006, 337, 64.8%, Bruce Sutter.
• 2007, 346, 63.5%, Cal Ripken Jr., Tony Gwynn.
• 2008, 392, 72.2%, Goose Gossage.

In 2009, his fifteenth and final year on the HOF ballot, 412 out of 539 voters included Rice on their ballots. That was good enough for 76.4% of all votes, and 1.4% above the 75% threshold that eluded him for so long.

Years from now, people are not going to remember that it took fifteen tries to get Rice enshrined. People are only going to remember that he was elected for induction into Baseball's Hall of Fame. His plaque will hang in the same gallery as his Red Sox LF predecessors, Carl Yaztrzemski, and Ted Williams before him. The three men together totaled 50 years of manning the seventh defensive position on the scorecard for Boston.

Jim Rice did not make the Archives set in 2001. So it is fitting that the wait be over and we add his cards to the 2011 Topps Archives Project.

First card: 1975 Topps #616. Last card: 1990 Topps #785.
Congratulations to Jim Rice, 2009 Hall of Famer. It's about time.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

2011 Topps Archives: Rickey Henderson

What better way to resuscitate this long dormant feature of the blog (which I will try to put back on a weekly basis...) than to feature the newest members of baseball's Hall of Fame. And who better to lead it off than the greatest leadoff hitter of all time.

Rickey Henderson is the greatest of all time. Rickey Henderson would tell you that, and then Rickey Henderson would go onto the baseball field and prove it. Rickey redefined the role of the leadoff hitter. Not only was Rickey able to get on base (either by drawing a walk or getting a hit), and not only was he able to steal bases (will get to this later), but Rickey could change the course of the game in the game's first at bat by sending a pitch into the stands. And before many fans can settle into their seats to enjoy the game, their hometown heroes are already behind 1-0.

The lifetime numbers Rickey compiled in his long, four-decade career, are staggering. In 3,081 games and 13,346 lifetime plate appearances, Rickey:

• Got on base 3055 times via a hit and 2190 times by drawing a walk.
• In 1,741 attempts, stole a record shattering 1,406 bases.
• He has scored 2,295 runs in his career, which is also a record.
• Hit 297 home runs, a record 81 of them leading off the game.
• He drove in 1,115 runs as well...not bad for a guy who bats in the LEADOFF position.

Rickey Henderson also was a 10-time All-Star, a Gold Glove winning outfielder (in 1981), won the Silver Slugger three times, and the 1990 American League MVP. He is a member of two World Series winning teams (1989 Athletics, 1993 Blue Jays), and in 60 playoff games, hit four home runs and stole 33 bases, seven in the World Series.

A player like Rickey Henderson deserved to be in the original 2001 Topps Archives set. But Rickey Henderson wasn't done with baseball yet. He did have a card in the 2001 Topps Future Archives set, so now that he is now in Cooperstown, why not add Rickey to the 2011 Topps Archives project.

First card: 1980 Topps #482. Last card: 2003 Topps Traded #T73.
A total of 511 BBWAA voters agreed that Rickey Henderson was worthy of induction into the Hall of Fame. And he definitely is deserving of the honor. Congratulations to Rickey Henderson, 2009 Hall of Famer.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

2011 Topps Archives: Fred McGriff

If you're the guy who set the record for hitting at least one home run in the most stadiums, you deserve to be added to the 2011 Topps Archives set.

If you hit 493 home runs (good for 26th all-time) and drove in 1550 more in a 19-year career, you deserve to be added to the 2011 Topps Archives set.

If you were a five-time all-star, and won the MVP award in one of those games (1994), you deserve to be added to the 2011 Topps Archives set.

If you've achieved all of the above, and your name is Fred McGriff, then you most definitely deserve to be added to the 2011 Topps Archives set.

The Crime Dog played for 20 years for the Toronto Blue Jays, San Diego Padres, Atlanta Braves, Tampa Bay Devil Rays, and the Los Angeles Dodgers. In every stop, he brought a powerful bat, a decent glove, and an All-Star reputation as one of the games' feared sluggers in the late 80's-mid 90's.

After establishing himself as a star-in-the-making with the Blue Jays, he was part of the big blockbuster trade that sent him and Tony Fernandez to the Padres in exchange for Roberto Alomar and Joe Carter. This transaction made the biggest splash at the 1990 winter meetings.

He was a member of the "Padres' Four Tops" along with Fernandez, Tony Gwynn, and Gary Sheffield in 1992 (McGriff batted fourth, with these three in front of him). He led the league that year with 35 home runs, his second home run title (winning his first in 1989 with 36 in Toronto).

He was a member of the 1995 Braves that beat the Yankees in the World Series, the Braves only WS title in their era of dominance in the 1990's.

His desire to play closer to home made him one of the first key acquisitions in the history of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. Although the record of the D-Rays were not much to cheer about, McGriff hit 99 home runs and 359 RBI's for his hometown team.

A need for a first baseman for the playoff push by the Chicago Cubs sent McGriff to the northside, providing another powerful bat in a lineup that included Sammy Sosa. After Chicago, he spent one season with the Dodgers, before coming back home to Tampa for good in 2004.

He was only seven home runs shy of the fabled 500, but that does not make him any less of a great player. He will be up for consideration for Baseball's Hall of Fame when the BBWAA make their votes before the end of the year.

So today we add Fred McGriff as the tenth player to the 2011 Topps Archives Project.

First card: 1987 Topps Traded #74T. Last card: 2004 Topps #28.
This should take a bite out of our checklist!

(sound of groans by the audience after realizing the bad reference used in the last sentence)

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

2011 Topps Archives: Harold Reynolds

He has spent the last 14 years as an analyst on ESPN and mlb.com. Before all of this, he was an All-Star second baseman for the Seattle Mariners and was the brightest star. This next subject is now known for the insight he brings to the new MLB Network. It is appropriate with the upcoming baseball season fast approaching, that we add Harold Reynolds to the checklist for the 2011 Topps Archives project.

Here is another player who was cut off the 2001 Topps Archives set because his first Topps card appeared in 1986 (last year used for the first cards was 1985 if you recall). In 1987, I didn't even know where Seattle was, but I knew that they had a baseball team. It was during the 1987 All-Star game that I first heard the name Harold Reynolds. He was introduced as a reserve for the American League All-Star team. In 1989, he was one of three American League second basemen to appear on the backs of the 1989 Topps stickers. At this time, (I was only 13, still learning about the game), I thought that the 66 players in this set were the best players in the world. And sure enough, Harold Reynolds was among them.

And rightfully so. During his decade in Seattle, he provided the Mariners with a steady glove at second base, along with a good eye at the plate (391 walks vs. 352 strikeouts), and decent speed on the basepaths (228 stolen bases). And in the 80's, he was the only player to take the stolen base title from speed demon Rickey Henderson, leading the AL with 60 in 1987 compared to Rickey's 41. He didn't have the power numbers, but then again, it wasn't a necessity for second basemen to hit for power. The Mariners, during his playing days, were not a great team. Up to this point, they never finished with a winning record. But Harold gave the Mariners' faithful someone to cheer for. And he was the face of the franchise, until a 19 year old wonder kid named Ken Griffey, Jr. arrived in 1989.

After the 1992 season, Reynolds was granted free agency, and signed with the Baltimore Orioles. As an Oriole, he became the double play partner of Hall of Famer Cal Ripken. In his one season with the O's, he provided that same steady glove, and decent bat that carried the O's to an 85-77 record in 1993. He signed with the San Diego Padres for the 1994 season, but was traded to the California Angels before the season started. He got into 74 games with the Halos before calling it a career at the end of the season.

Since then, Reynolds became the lead baseball analyst for ESPN. He worked for many years on their baseball flagship show Baseball Tonight, and would work as a commentator for the College and Little League World Series for the network. In 2007, he joined MLB.com as their baseball analyst, and with the launch of the MLB Network, is now the most recognized personality on the fledgling network.

First card: 1986 Topps #769. Last card: 1995 Topps #69.
So here's to Harold. The ninth player to be added to the 2011 Topps Archives Project. I really have to get a move on here. There are 191 players to go.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

2011 Topps Archives: Paul Molitor

This will be my first attempt at trying to manipulate a multi-player card into a one player card. In 2001 Topps Archives, many players' "first" card was actually shared with other players, most often players who didn't pan out in the majors. For example, quickly...name the three other guys on the card with Willie Stargell???

Tick...tick...tick...

If you guessed Brock Davis, Jim Gosger, and John Herrnstein, either you have the card in front of you right this very minute, or you truly are a Topps expert. My point? It made sense that in 2001 edition of the Archives set that they took the other three guys out of the picture and enlarged the red circle that contained the headshot of Stargell. Yes, it looked weird, but at least you knew who was being featured.

So I'm going to try it here and now. And if it works, it will lead to many more cards being "cropped and enlarged" to feature that one player who, out of the three or four players pictured, became the star that we want to use for our Archives project. And who better to start this with than a man who played for more than twenty years, played any position asked of him (and rather well too), won a World Series title, and came back home to get his 3000th hit? I'm talking about none other than Hall of Famer Paul Molitor.

Paul Molitor signed with the Milwaukee Brewers in 1977, and made it to the majors the following season. For fifteen seasons, Molitor was the sparkplug to the Brewers' offense. He could hit for power (234 home runs), he could steal bases (504 lifetime), he was a patient hitter (walked 1094 times), and hit for average (lifetime .306 hitter with 3,319 total hits). No wonder he was called the Ignitor.

During his time with Milwaukee, Molitor was a five-time All-Star, a two-time Silver Slugger winner, and managed to appear on a number of MVP ballots. He played in any position that he was asked. Primarily an infielder, he appeared at all four positions during his career, mostly playing third and second base. He was sent to the outfield for one year (1981) to take advantage of his speed, but was then returned to the infield the following year. He led the 1982 team, affectionately known as "Harvey's Wallbangers" to the World Series against St. Louis. And although the Brewers eventually were defeated in seven games, Molitor kept them in the games with 11 hits and thre runs batted in during the series.

After the 1992 season, the veteran was granted free agency. He landed with the Toronto Blue Jays in 1993 and was used primarily as the team's designated hitter. No longer having to worry about playing the field on a regular basis (although he did play at first base on occasions) did wonders for his hitting. As part of the high powered Blue Jays offense, Molitor hit 22 home runs (his career high) and drove home 111 runs batted in. As Toronto made it back to the World Series that year, Molitor led the way, with a .500 batting average, 2 doubles, 2 triples, 2 home runs, and eight RBI's.

After three years with the Jays, and his career starting to wind down, he signed with his hometown team, the Minnesota Twins, to play out the rest of his career. He again was used as a designated hitter, and on September 16, 1996, got his 3000th hit, a triple against the Kansas City Royals.


First card: 1978 Topps #707. Last card: 1998 Topps #291.
During the 80's, many kids growing up as Brewers fans either cheered for Paul or Robin. Both were star players in their own rights. In fact, there is a blog named solely because of this reason. But Robin was included in the 2001 Topps Archives set. Molitor was not. That, along with all the other numbers above, gives us more than enough reason to add Paul Molitor to the 2011 Topps Archives Project.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

2011 Topps Archives: Bo Jackson

Because Topps decided to cut off first-year cards on their 2001 Archives set at 1985, they did not include our next subject. And that my friends, is a shame. But since we're working on the set for 10 years later, I think we should make up for that atrocity by including this player in our 2011 Topps Archives set.

There was no athlete in the world more popular than this man in the mid 80's and early 90's. He seemed to be playing everywhere. He played in Major League Baseball and in the National Football League. He was on TV, appearing in commercials that showed that he indeed knew how to play any sport. He even showed up in a cartoon series (okay, don't even think about asking me to bring up a picture of the ProStars). He was truly a sensational athlete, and had it not been for the injuries he sustained and the subsequent surgeries, this man's numbers, in both leagues, would have been astronomical. Today, we honor Vincent Edward Jackson. Or as he is known the world over as, "Bo" Jackson.

Between 1987 and 1990, Bo Jackson was a player in both MLB and the NFL. He was drafted by both the Royals and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from Auburn University, where he was a three-sport athlete (also a sprinter on the Track and Field team). With the Auburn Tigers, he won the 1985 Heisman Trophy as the nation's best college football player. He was also to the All-District and All-Region College Teams by the College Baseball Coaches Association that year. Although Jackson made his intentions known that he wanted to play both sports, the Buccaneers insisted that he pick one sport. Not liking the ultimatum demanded by the Buccaneers, he signed with the Royals and played for them in 1986. Because Tampa Bay couldn't sign Jackson, his rights were forfeited, and his name was thrown back into the NFL draft, where he was picked by the LA Raiders. Al Davis, owner of the Raiders, liked the idea of Bo playing both sports, thus beginning his life as a professional two-sport athlete.

With the Royals, every at-bat was an event. Because with Bo, it was all or nothing. Meaning every plate appearance meant a booming home run, or a strikeout where he would break the bat with a high knee. Now this doesn't mean he was a terrible hitter. On the contrary. He was a very productive hitter with the Royals, 109 HR's and driving home 313 runs with KC. He was an All-Star in 1989, hitting both a towering home run and an infield single, driving in the winning run and help lead the AL to victory. He was named All-Star Game MVP for his performance.

When the Royals were done, off he went to LA to begin his football season.

As a Raider, he played in 38 games, ran 2782 yards (5.4 yards per carry), gained 352 receiving yards (8.8 yards per reception) and scored 18 touchdowns total. Unfortunately, he was severely injured his hip in a playoff game in 1991 that would end his NFL career and threaten his baseball career. The story goes that he was able to pop the hip back in himself. Following surgery and rehabilitation, it was discovered that he had avascular necrosis, which would require hip replacement surgery. He had it done, and promised to be back in baseball soon.

He signed with the White Sox in 1991, playing with the pain before having the surgery. He took the year off, and returned in 1993, hitting a home run in his first at-bat. He may have shown the power, but the speed was gone. One more year with the California Angels, and he decided to call it a career in both sports.

He went on to play guest roles on television and movies, and is currently the part owner and CEO of the Bo Jackson Elite Sports Complex in Lockport. (Cool, he lives in the Chicago suburbs).

First card: 1986 Topps Traded #50T. Last card: 1995 Topps #592.
Whether playing baseball with the Kansas City Royals, or tearing up the field as a Los Angeles Raider, Bo Jackson was someone you just had to watch and be mesmerized by. He hit towering home runs, and bowled over every tackler he faced on his way to the endzone. Face it, you know, and I know, and heck, even "Bo Knows," that he should be in this set. So let's add him to the 2011 Topps Archives Set.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

The Readers Have Spoken

This past week, I put my first poll up on this humble little blog. The question? Should I use a player's Topps Traded or Updates card as their "first" card for the 2011 Topps Archives Project?

Well, 48 readers cast their votes, and 31 answered, "Yes." So, from here on out, any time a player has a traded card as their first Topps card, that's what I'll use.

The rest of the results?

• Seven wanted to do a vote whenever this situation would arrive.
• Four stated that I should be the one to make the decision.
• Three said, "No," meaning that I should just stick to the regular Topps cards (I hope that's what they meant...that's what I implied when I put that choice up).
• And three resounded with "Who Cares???"

For those who wanted the traded cards, here are the Mark Grace cards that will be used in the 2011 Topps Archives project:

First card: 1988 Topps Traded #42T. Last card: 2003 Topps #581.
Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

2011 Topps Archives: John Montefusco

Here is another name that will probably make you scratch your head wondering, "Huh???" or "Who is this guy???"

The first time I ever heard the name John Montefusco, it was in a book I read when I was a lot younger called A Century of Baseball Lore by John Thorn. It was a book that was amongst the many that happened to show up one day when my family was trading hand-me-down clothing with another family. Anyway, back to the point. The story goes like this:

Cloudy Crystal Ball

"San Francisco pitcher John "Count" Montefusco enjoyed a most productive freshman season: 15 wins, a 2.88 ERA, and 215 strikeouts, second in the league to Tom Seaver. Montefusco's exploits resulted in his being selected 1975 National Rookie-of-the-Year.

"But the cocky "Count of Monte Frisco," as he has been dubbed by his fans, took some lumps on the way to his laurels. After beating the Cubs in mid-July to lift his record to 10-4, the Count said he "couldn't wait till we play the Reds next week....I'm going to shut them out....I'm going to strike out Johnny Bench four times." Shades of Dizzy Dean.

"On July 31, Cincinnati's Riverfront Stadium was packed with Red rooters who wanted to see the Count make good or eat his words. The latter proved the case, as the Reds tallied in the first inning, and exploded for six runs in the second. The Count was driven into exile in the showers.

"The Reds rally was highlighted by a 460-foot, three-run homer of the bat of....Johnny Bench."

The last time I heard the name John Montefusco, he was one of the 21 players on the 2003 Topps All-Time Fan Favorites set that had an autograph card but no base card in the 150 card set (I have 20 of the 21 cards. The 21st has never surfaced because Tug McGraw was having health problems and there were only redemptions for his autos. I redeemed mine, and got a replacement card. If anyone has an actual Tug McGraw 2003 Topps ATFF autograph card, please let me know).


Other than those two times in my 22 years in the hobby/learning about baseball, I never really thought much about the "Count." But trying to come up with players for this 2011 Topps Archives project made me think about him again. So what did happen to Mr. Montefusco???

He played for 13 seasons in the majors for the aforementioned Giants, then was traded to the Braves at the end of the 1980 season. He played for Atlanta in 1981, then joined the Padres for a two year stint. He finished his career with the New York Yankees for a three-plus injury riddled years. He finished with a career record of 90-83, a respectable 3.54 ERA, and 1,081 strikeouts.

He was named to the All-Star team in 1976, and tossed a no-hitter against the Atlanta Braves in 1976. No Giants pitcher since then has thrown one. (Maybe this year's series 2 gimmick will feature Randy Johnson pulling it off...who knows???)

Since then, he's found himself in a bit of legal trouble, but has always proclaimed his innocence. He is now retired, and his name only comes up when a Giants pitcher comes close to a no-hitter (article courtesy of the San Francisco Chronicle).

If Bob Uecker can have an Archives card (and he did in the 2001 Topps set), why not the "Count?" While I can think of many players from the 80's and 90's (and even into the 2000's) who will join this set, I need to find players from years prior (and Andy Seminick will come up soon...I haven't forgotten). So to the "Count of Monte Frisco," you are now going to be remembered, thanks to the 2011 Topps Archives set:

First card: 1976 Topps #30. Last card: 1985 Topps #301.
We have six. We need more. We have more names, and a lot of time to get the 2011 Topps Archives checklist done.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

2011 Topps Archives: Bob Cerv

Unless you were grew up in the 1950's and 60's, or unless you are a die hard Yankees fan, you're probably looking at that name and going..."Huh???" Well, that's exactly what I thought when I opened a pack of 2002 Topps Archives: The Best Years. You remember that set? Of course you do. It was the product that was supposed to have carried on the success of the Archives product of the year before, but instead of reprinting the first and last cards of players, it reprinted the Topps card of that individual's "best year" in the majors. Oh come on, we talked about that set right here on this blog. Go ahead and read this post, then come back. Please come back.

Well, in amongst the Mays, the Dawsons, the Jacksons, the Ryans, and other stars that I did recognize, was a reprint card from 1958 featuring Kansas City A's Bob Cerv. Now the 1958 Topps set consisted of a player's cropped likeness in front of a colored background. Cerv's card featured him in a batting pose (which eerily looked like the one from 1957), in front of a lime green background. It looked like whoever cropped the picture took too much off the top as his cap looked flat on the player's right side. But that wasn't what I noticed. I just saw the name, and then asked (out loud), "Who is Bob Cerv???"

Well, Robert Henry Cerv was an outfielder on the New York Yankees who found himself on the Yankees-A's express. Let me explain.

You see, the guy who owned the Kansas City A's, Arnold Johnson, was the real estate partner of Del Webb, who owned the Yankees. Before buying and moving the A's from Philadelphia to KC, Johnson also owned Yankees Stadium and Blue's Stadium (it was home to the Yankee's minor league team at the time). Now according to Bruce Nash and Allan Zullo, co-writers of the popular books Baseball Hall of Shame, Webb held a second mortgage on Johnson totalling 2.9 million dollars. And, to make it more interesting, Webb owned the construction company that remodeled the Kansas City's Blue's Stadium to meet Major League Standards.

Because of Johnson's former business ties to the Yankees (plus the fact that the Yankees' owners pretty much owned Johnson as well due to the mortgage), many of the good players on the A's team were sent to the Yankees for guys who either needed a couple of seasons away from the spotlight, or players who were struggling in the Bronx in trades. From 1955 to 1960, "a whopping 59 players were exchanged in a series of 16 trades lasting six years" between the A's and the Yankees. And the Yankees almost always got the better end of the deal, basically making the A's look like the Yankees'minor league team. One of the players involved in these deals was Bob Cerv.

(Thanks to the Scout.com, The Hardball Times, and Bruce Nash and Allan Zullo of the Baseball Hall of Shame for the information).

Bob Cerv was a Yankee originally, but his rights were sold to the A's in 1956. In Kansas City, Cerv was the A's primary left fielder. And in 1958, which was truly his best season, Cerv hit an astounding .305 with 38 home runs and 104 runs batted in. It was also the year he made the All-Star team, and was fourth in the MVP balloting. Because of his power numbers (he did hit .285, 20 HR's, and 87 RBI's in 1959), the Yankees traded Andy Carey for Cerv in 1960. However, he did not produce in NY the way he did in KC, so he was exposed to the expansion draft at the end of the '60 season, being chosen by the LA Angels.

He didn't stay with the Angels for long, because one month into the 1961 season, he was traded BACK to the Yankees for Ryne Duren in a five player deal. The expansion Houston Colt .45's bought his rights in 1962, but released him soon after that. He never played in the big leagues again.

So why Bob Cerv? I don't really know. Does he really belong in a set like this? Maybe...maybe not. But he was a part of a very bizarre time in baseball history. If what happened in the late 50's between the A's and the Yankees happened now, rest assured there would be a lot of backlash. But there was not any back then. The Yankees dominated the 50's, while the A's dominated the bottom of the AL standings. But Bob Cerv was one of the few bright spots on a few horrible A's teams.

He'll turn 85 when his cards appear in the 2011 Topps Archives set. And I noticed in our list of recommendations that we do have a real lack of players from the 50's and 60's (barely any from the 60's and 70's). So I say, "Why not???" Let's add Bob Cerv to the 2011 Topps Archives set.

First card: 1953 Topps #210. Last card: 1962 Topps #169.
Five in, 195 to go. Keep those names coming.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

2011 Topps Archives: Mark Grace

Before I begin, I'd like to thank those who've left me suggestions as to who to include in this set. I can assure you that I can use many of them. Some of the suggestions though will have to be tossed because the players did appear in the 2001 Topps Archives set. So, players like Larry Bowa, Wade Boggs, and George Foster won't be seen here.

I now have suggestions for Managers to include. And while guys like Joe Torre and Bobby Cox were suggested, I think I'll keep the 10 spots restricted to retired managers. Bob Brenly, although not currently managing, would be a good person to use. But he's still quite young (for manager material anyway), and was last seen interviewing for the Brewers job. Maybe Cox and Torre will be in the 2021 set. Until then, I can't use them. I've been doing some research, and think I have a few names (bit of a preview, recently inducted HOF manager Dick Williams is one of them).

On to today's subject. When I first started watching baseball games, the Cubs had veteran Leon "Bull" Durham manning first base. In fact, the Bull had been the teams first baseman since 1981. But in 1988, he struggled at the plate with a .219 average, 3 HR's, and 6 RBI's. General Manager Jim Frey, ironically, Durham's manager during that magical 1984 season, thought that Durham needed a change of scenery to get back his hitting stroke. So, he traded "the Bull" to the Cincinnati Reds, and brought up from the AAA team in Iowa a 24-year-old kid named Mark Grace. And from 1988-2000, the Cubs didn't have to find another person to play first base.

Mark Grace was not your typical first baseman. He didn't hit for power, and even though he batted either third or fourth in the lineup, never drove in more than 100 runs in any season (98 was his high water mark). But what he did well was hit. And in his thirteen years with the Boys in Blue, he hit above the .300 mark nine times, with a .331 in 1996 his highest.

During the 1989 playoffs, Gracie was one of the bright spots in what otherwise was another disappointing post-season for the Cubs. He hit an astounding .647 (11 for 17) hit a home run, drove in eight runs during the five game series against the Giants. He reached the postseason only one other time with the Cubs in 1998. At the end of the 2000 season, after many years of signing one-year contracts, he was granted free agency, and signed with the Arizona Diamondbacks. And what did the D-backs do in 2001??? Win the World Series!!! Gracie finally became a champion. In the seventh game against the Yankees, Grace went 3 for 4, and kept the Snakes in the game with a ninth inning hit to leading off against Mariano Rivera. Amazing indeed.

Grace ended his career in 2003 with a career batting average of .303, 173 home runs, and 1176 runs batted in. He was a patient hitter, walking over 1,075 times while being struck out 645. He placed second in the Rookie of the Year voting (behind Chris Sabo), was an All-Star three times, and was even in the running for MVP four times. This is why I am adding him to the 2011 Topps Archives checklist.

But now I have a problem...

Since the 80's, many players have rookie cards (or XRC's) within Topps' traded sets. Grace is one of them. Do I use his 1988 Topps Traded card or do I use his 1989 Topps card for the "first" card? I'm pretty sure I'll be coming up to this same problem later on with a lot of other players, especially since a majority of them will be coming from the 80's and 90's. So what do I do???

I guess I'll use this question as my first poll question ever on this blog. Should I use the Traded or Updates & Highlights cards of players to be used for this set as their "first" card? I know that in the 2001 Topps set, the reprinted "last" card of Ron Cey was his traded card, so I think I can get away with that? But how about the "first" card?

In the mean time, I'll put both his 1988 Topps Traded card and his 1989 Topps card along with his 2003 final card on display. Let me know which looks better, and for the rest of this series I will use whatever you suggest after the results of the poll are in.

So, in the meantime, here are the cards for Mark Grace. Option number 1:

First card: 1988 Topps Traded #42T. Last card: 2003 Topps #581.
And here is option number 2:

First card: 1989 Topps #465. Last card: 2003 Topps #581.
The choice is yours. The poll to vote is above. And there are 196 players to go.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

UPDATE: Monday, March 16, 2009.

The readers have spoken!!! jba

2011 Topps Archives: Barry Larkin

Inspired by the request of the Bay Rat North West, the next player chosen for the 2011 Topps Archives Project became the face of the Cincinnati Reds going into the 21st Century. Our subject, born and raised in the Queen City, had the privilege of playing for his hometown team for an amazing 19 years. He is a World Series Champion, playing shortstop for the 1990 Reds. He represented the team twelve times in the All-Star Game, and was named NL MVP in 1995. This man is none other than Barry Larkin.

While players like Eric Davis, Chris Sabo, "The Nasty Boys," and others got all the headlines, Barry Larkin was a key player for the 1990 Reds team that shocked the world by beating a powerful Oakland Athletics team in four games. In that series, he hit .353 (6 for 17), scored three times, and stole four bases.

During his 1995 MVP season, where he led the Reds to the NLCS, he hit .319, 15 HR's, 66 RBI's, won both the Gold Glove and the Silver Slugger for the SS position. What a year indeed.

As another player who spent his entire career with one team, he has a very good shot at Cooperstown when he is among the candidates for next year's HOF ballot. For this, and more, we are going to add this future Hall-of-Famer to the 2011 Topps Archives set.

First card: 1987 Topps #648. Last card: 2004 Topps #636.
And because the Bay Rat commented that "You gotta go with Mr. Reds in the 90's - Barry Larkin. 1989 Topps Big design of course." This one special request goes out to you:

1989 Topps Big #199.
We need 197 more players to complete this set, and we have not yet even considered highlights, record breakers, managers, league leaders, and other essentials to tie this set together. We have all year, I'm sure we can pull this off.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

2011 Topps Archives: Craig Biggio

Many names have been flying into my comments bin in the last few days for the 2001 Topps Archives project. And it looks like I should have no problems using most of them. Thanks to all who've suggested players for this ambitious task.

Anyway, I was thinking about what year to cut off the "first" cards for the players, further limiting the pool a bit. In 2001 Topps Archives, the last year of any of the "first year" cards reprinted was 1985. So guys like Kirby Puckett were able to make the set. Should we do the same? Should we have a cut off as well, say 1995? Can we go a couple of years further?

Back to the point.

Today's subject was chosen not only because of a reader suggestion, but because thanks to the MLB Network, I was inspired to use him as a subject. The Network had recently shown a segment about the day Craig Biggio got his 3000th hit. On June 28, 2007, Craig Biggio went 5 for 6, all singles. His 3000th hit came in the bottom of the seventh inning. Yes, he drove in a run, but he was tagged out at second trying to stretch his single into a double. Although the Astros won the game in the 11th inning thanks to a Carlos Lee grand slam, the day certainly belonged to "B-G-O".

I realized that we are now in an era where we are not going to see many players stay with their original team for their entire career. I am pretty sure you can count on your hand the number of active 10-5 players (ten year veterans with five years on the same team...guys who have a say on trade proposals) who've been with their first team for more than ten years. Biggio was one of them, playing in an astounding 20 seasons with the Astros.

A seven-time All-Star, he played wherever the Astros manager wanted him to play. From catcher, to second base, to center field, to left field, back to second base, he will always be remembered for his unselfishness, and the way he played on the field. For this, and other reasons, we are going to add this future Hall-of-Famer to the 2011 Topps Archives set.

First card: 1989 Topps #49. Last card: 2007 Topps #517.
Only 198 players to go. This should be fun. Keep those names coming.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama