I Guess I Can No Longer Say This...

After seven years, an exclusive with another card company, and no Topps cards other than an eTopps card from 2009 or random cameos on other player's cards (like the 2012 Topps Padres Carlos Quentin card...retail team set only)...

Yes, ladies, and gentlemen, Matt Wieters of the Baltimore Orioles now has an official, regular, eponymous, Topps card. Okay, it's part of the Update Series.

But isn't it about time??! Orioles fans can finally get a complete team set of their team.

On an unrelated note, I do have a few packs of 2016 Topps Update Series. I haven't opened them yet, but as soon as I do, pack break results will be forthcoming.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

RIP Jose Fernandez 1992-2016

This was just pointed out by TradingCardDB on twitter. Please check the blurb on the back.

It has been reported that Marlins superstar pitcher Jose Fernandez was killed in a boating accident this morning. THIS MORNING! While the bit of information has only appeared on a trade rumors website, nothing has come up yet on MLB.com or the Marlins website.

Regardless of whatever facts may come out about what happened this morning, MLB as a whole has lost another young star in his prime.

My condolences go out to the Fernandez family, the Marlins organization, Major League Baseball, and the fans. Not just Marlins fans, but all baseball fans.

UPDATE: WSVN, the ABC affiliate in Miami, is reporting that Fernandez was one of three people killed in a boat crash off Miami beach.

The Marlins have officially released this statement:

The Miami Marlins organization is devastated by the tragic loss of José Fernandez. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family at this very difficult time. Today's game against the Atlanta Braves has been cancelled.

So this humble, little blog, will also send prayers and condolences to the families and friends of the other two victims in this tragic accident.

A Marketside Pizza Party...That Somebody Had Earlier This Year

Right as the 2016 MLB Baseball Season started, some collectors who rely on one of the big box stores (that would be Walmart or Target) made an unusual discovery upon wandering the frozen food section of their local Walmart.

Pizza Courtesy of Dean aka The Cardboard Examiner

That's right...Walmart was including Topps cards as a "prize" in their house-brand pizzas. Each pizza would include 3 cards and a Topps bunt code card, along with some coupons for some early season baseball card products (think Series 1, Gypsy Queen, Heritage, and Bowman).

I don't get to go to Walmart often, and by the time I was able to (around middle of April, I think), either the store I went to didn't have them yet, or they were all gone. I'll go with the former as there would be no way the store could have run out of this stuff...

But I digress.

Now this wouldn't be the first time Topps would include cards in a food product (not counting their gum). For many years, Topps has included cards in various food products, from cookies to pizza. However, in almost all cases, because these were only approved by the MLB Players' Association, the player's cards mostly featured a headshot and an airbrushed (and in many cases, really badly) cap. With Topps holding the exclusive rights with MLB Properties, now Topps can add logos and such to these kinds of cards.

There are 50 cards in this set, so if you were to try to collect the full set by doing nothing but buy the pizzas, you'd be in for a very expensive shopping trip. Walmart sells their Marketside Pizzas from anywhere between 7-10 bucks, depending on the type of pizza you prefer (plain cheese goes for around $7, pepperoni is about $9, and the ultimate meat for $10). So if we were going on the hope that one could get all 50 cards in the set without hitting a double, we'd be spending at least anywhere from $119 to $170 for seventeen pizzas. And for those who buy pack after pack of regular cards, you know that the odds of completing the set is near impossible.

I love pizza as much as the next person, but I don't think my family would have approved of me buying a ton of pizzas for the sole purpose of getting these cards, so my best option would be to see if anyone was able to pull of completing a set and then see if they were willing to trade or sell their cards online.

As news of the discovery of these cards started to come out, people were, indeed, putting these cards on the Bay. And cards of the usual suspects (Trout, Harper, Bryant) were going for big dollars ($10-$20), while cards of superstar players (think Sale, Perez, Machado) were going for anywhere between $5-$10. But no sets to speak of. Of course a 50-card set that could only be collected 3 cards at a time, of course nobody would have been able to get a full set right away.

It's now August. The season is now in pennant chase mode. We're getting a clear idea of which teams will add games in October. By now, somebody has to have been able to complete this set. I'm sure they went through the usual channels, whether it was on the Bay, trading, or other online means (ain't the Internet grand??!) And sure enough, sets have been popping up on the big auction site. As of today, August 10, 2016, the furthest record of a complete sale of a set of 50 cards comes from a BIN in May for $65.00. Someone was able to sell a couple of sets for almost $75.00 BIN. Auctions ended anywhere between $30-40.

Last week, one sold for $25.00 BIN.

That one, was bought by me. Today the cards came in the mail.

2016 Topps Marketside Pizza Set of 50 cards.

So I am adding this 50-card set to my 2016 Topps set binder. In the coming days, I will also be getting the 9-card Lids set.

2016 Topps New Era Lids Exclusive 9-card set. Coming soon.

So while I may not have been busy on this humble, little blog, rest assured that I have been very busy on the Hobby front.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

And Now, Your Starting Lineups...

As announced at All-Star Media Day:

For the National League:

1. Ben Zobrist, CHC, 2b
2. Bryce Harper, WAS, rf
3. Kris Bryant, CHC, 3b
4. Wil Myers, SDP, dh
5. Buster Posey, SFG, c
6. Anthony Rizzo, CHC, dh
7. Marcell Ozuna, MIA, cf
8. Carlos Gonzalez, COL, lf
9. Addison Russell, CHC, ss

And the American League:

1. Jose Altuve, HOU, 2b
2. Mike Trout, LAA, cf
3. Manny Machado, BAL, 3b
4. David Ortiz, BOS, dh
5. Xander Bogaerts, BOS, ss
6. Eric Hosmer, KCR, 1b
7. Mookie Betts, BOS, rf
8. Salvador Perez, KCR, c
9. Jackie Bradley, Jr., BOS, rf

The starting pitchers for the 87th ASG are Johnny Cueto of the Giants and Chris Sale of the White Sox.

Enjoy the game everyone.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Quintana Replaces Salazar on AL ASG Roster

On Sunday, it was announced that Indians All-Star pitcher Danny Salazar is dealing with mild elbow discomfort. While it's not bad enough that he has to be placed on the disabled list, it was decided that he should rest instead of participate in the All-Star Game. So while he will still most likely make the trip to San Diego, someone will have to take Salazar's spot on the roster.

It was announced today, as Chris Sale was getting his All-Star jersey, and Todd Frazier was getting one as well because he's heading to SD to defend his Home Run Derby title, that pitcher Jose Quintana of the White Sox will be taking Salazar's place on the All-Star Team roster.

Quintana is having a great year for the Pale Hose, although his 7-8 record doesn't show it. He has a 3.21 ERA, 105 strikeouts and a 1.11 WHIP (good for sixth place on the leaderboard) in 117.2 innings pitched. This will mark his first trip to the All-Star Game.

So add Quintana's #582 card or his CWS-10 retail team card to your binder. Will there be more players added? Who knows at this point. Stranger things have happened. Stay tuned.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

2016 Topps Pro Debut at the Futures Game

The All-Star festivities are now in full swing and the highlight of this first day's events is the annual Futures Game.

Since the first Futures Game in 1999, more than 120 players who were named to either the US or World rosters have become MLB All-Stars, with many of them are participating in this year's All-Star Game. Twenty-seven players on last year's roster have already played in the majors.

Back to the point.

Today, the best minor leaguers from the United States take on the best prospects from around the world (Dominican Republic, Canada, Cuba, Venezuela, Colombia, Lithuania, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Taiwan, Virgin Islands...and there was one player from South Africa who was originally selected, but is now injured). Of the 54 players (50 on active rosters, plus 4 selected players who were replaced due to injury, a MLB call-up, or suspension) who were named to either team, 26 of them appear in the 2016 Topps Pro Debut set. Who made the cut?

From Team USA:

• Andrew Benintendi, OF, Red Sox (#152)
• Phil Bickford, P, Giants (#69)
• Alex Bregman, IF, Astros (#142)
• Willie Calhoun, IF, Dodgers (#192)
• David Dahl, OF, Rockies (#60)
• Clint Frazier, OF, Indians (#123)
• Carson Fulmer, P, White Sox (#147)
• Amir Garrett, P, Reds (#107)
• Jeff Hoffman, P, Rockies (#29)
• Austin Meadows, OF, Pirates (#49, injured)
• Hunter Renfroe, OF, Padres (#159)
• Dominic Smith, IF, Mets (#148)
• Christin Stewart, OF, Tigers (#61)
• Dansby Swanson, IF, Braves (#1)

From Team World:

• Willy Adames, IF, Rays (#22)
• Jharel Cotton, P, Dodgers (#118)
• Yandy Diaz, IF, Indians (#31)
• Eloy Jimenez, OF, Cubs (#44)
• Reynaldo Lopez, P, Nationals (#112)
• Manuel Margot, OF, Padres (#63)
• Jorge Mateo, IF, Yankees (#39, suspended)
• Josh Naylor, IF, Marlins (#172)
• Tyler O'Neill, OF, Mariners (#189)
• Alex Reyes, P, Cardinals (#151)
• Amed Rosario, IF, Mets (#96)
  
• Raimel Tapia, OF, Rockies (#136)

This is a prospector's dream with many ready to sell if their guy has a breakout game. Team USA has won the last five Futures Games, and own a 11-6 record over their World counterparts. With many of these players ranked in their respective team's top 30 prospect list, this won't be the last we hear from any of them.

Let the games begin.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Sanchez Replaces Kimbrel on AL ASG Roster

With Craig Kimbrel of the Boston Red Sox placed on the DL with a "left knee medial meniscus tear," he will be out of commission for about 3-6 weeks. While he's gone, the Red Sox made a deal with the Diamondbacks, getting closer Brad Ziegler in exchange for some prospects.

But while the Red Sox has taken care of their needs, who Ned Yost, with the help of MLB, name to take care of Kimbrel's spot on the roster?

Blue Jays pitcher Aaron Sanchez will take Kimbrel's spot on the American League All-Star team. Sanchez, in his first year as a starting pitcher and another first-time All-Star under the age of 26 (he's 24 folks, feel old yet?), heads into the break with a 9-1 record, a 2.97 ERA, 103 strikeouts, and a WHIP of 1.19 in 118.1 innings of work.

With Sanchez going to San Diego, the Blue Jays contingency grows to five. He joins Josh Donaldson, Edwin Encarnacion, Final-Man Michael Saunders, and pitcher Marco Estrada on the AL team.

Take out your binder and add Sanchez' #113 card from the main set, or his TBJ-12 card from the 17-card retail set to it.

Wow, I've posted more today than I have in the past three months. Maybe I'll make it a habit.

Stay tuned for more All-Star team roster updates as they happen.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Syndergaard, Cespedes, and Fowler are out of the ASG. Pomeranz, Marte, and Bruce are Named Replacements

Last night was not a good one for the Mets. Both of the players who were announced as All-Stars on Tuesday were taken out of the game against the Nationals. Noah Syndergaard (arm fatigue) and Yoenis Cespedes (right quad strain) will not be able to participate in the game on Tuesday.

In the meantime, Dexter Fowler of the Cubs has been on the DL since late June (right around the time of the Cubs' recent struggles). He had been hoping to be re-activated in time for the ASG, but it looks like it was decided that he take the break off as well. All three players will probably participate in the festivities, lining up alongside their fellow All-Stars.

Both Cespedes and Fowler were voted onto the All-Star team as starting outfielders. Now that both aren't able to play, Marcell Ozuna of the Marlins and Carlos Gonzalez of the Rockies will take their places in the starting lineup. But who takes their places, along with Thor's, on the active roster?

With the help of MLB, Terry Collins has tabbed Starling Marte of the Pirates, a Final Man candidate, and Jay Bruce of the Reds as replacements for Cespedes and Fowler respectively, while Padres pitcher Drew Pomeranz will take Syndergaard's spot on the roster.

Marte, who finished an extremely close second in the Final Man voting, heads to San Diego with a (as of this writing) .316 average, with 6 home runs, 32 rbi's, 27 stolen bases, and a slash line of .360/.463/.822. A first-time All-Star, he joins closer Marc Melancon as the Buc's representatives on the NL squad.

Bruce, now a third-time All-Star, heads into today's action with a .265 average, 18 homers, 62 rbi's (third in the NL), 46 runs scored and OBP/SLG/OPS numbers .313/.539/.852. He joins fellow Reds outfielder Adam Duvall on the team.

Pomeranz will take the field as the host team's second All-Star, joining first baseman Wil Myers in welcoming the best in the game to "America's Greatest City." He comes into the break with a career high in wins (8-7 record), along with a 2.47 ERA, 115 strikeouts, and a WHIP of 1.01.

If you've been following along with me and adding cards to your All-Star binder, you should already have Marte's #83 or PPI-7 cards already out. Get Bruce's #199 or CR-8 cards and add them to the binder. If you're looking for cards of Drew Pomeranz? He's now the ninth player named to either All-Star team without a card either in the eponymous set or any retail team set. (He does have a Topps Heritage card - #336 - so it's up to you if you want to use it).

Now Craig Kimbrel of the Red Sox has been placed on the DL and will be out of action for about 3-6 weeks. While the Red Sox found a replacement for him by trading for D-Backs closer Brad Ziegler, the AL All-Star team has yet to announce who'll take his place on the roster. So stay tuned for more details to come.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Saunders and Belt win the Final Man Vote!!!

On Tuesday night, after the All-Star rosters were announced, fans were given the opportunity to add two more players to each of the league's All-Star Teams via the Final Man Vote. Seventy-two hours later, millions of votes were tallied. MLB Network even had an actual political analyst discussing up-to-the-minute vote totals and trends. While I have yet to find the complete number of votes tallied this time around, in the end, Michael Saunders of the Blue Jays and Brandon Belt of the Giants were added to their respective All-Star teams after winning the Final Man Vote.

Michael Saunders, aka "Captain Canada", had the support of almost the entire country (guess which one), and by the end of the day, earned an astounding 17.7 million votes, earning more votes than outfielder George Springer of the Astros, second baseman Ian Kinsler of the Tigers, second baseman Dustin Pedroia of the Red Sox, and third baseman Evan Longoria of the Rays.

Going into Friday morning, Brandon Belt was still in second place in the five-man NL ballot. But when the final votes were counted, his 10.4 million votes were more than enough to hold off the rest of the field, including Pirates outfielder Starling Marte, rookie sensation Trevor Story of the Rockies, the Diamondbacks' Jake Lamb, and perennial All-Star Ryan Braun of the Brewers.

Saunders, a first-time All-Star, is the fourth Blue Jay player named to this year's AL All-Star Team and the second in four years to win the Final Man Ballot (Steve Delabar-2013). He makes the trip to San Diego with fellow Jays Josh Donaldson, Edwin Encarnacion, and Marco Estrada.

Belt, also a first-time All-Star, is the first Giants player to win the Final Man Ballot and the fourth Giant making the trip south to Petco Park along with Buster Posey, Johnny Cueto, and Madison Bumgarner.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Strasburg and Bumgarner out of the ASG, Scherzer and Colon Named Replacements.

Another round of player replacements were named yesterday as both Stephen Strasburg of the Nationals and Madison Bumgarner of the Giants will not be participating in next Tuesday's All-Star Game. Both pitchers are fine.

Strasburg pitched last night, becoming the first NL pitcher to notch a 12-0 record to start a season since 1912. And even though Strasburg made the NL All-Star Team, he and general manager Mike Rizzo "mutually agreed that Strasburg would not pitch in the Midsummer Classic after going through an upper back strain a few weeks ago."

While Strasburg will still take in the festivities (he is a San Diego native and attended San Diego State University), teammate Max Scherzer will take his spot on the roster.

Scherzer is also having a fine season for the Nationals, with a 9-6 record, a 3.21 ERA in 18 starts this year. He also has 155 strikeouts, a 0.97 WHIP, and a BAA of .195. He joins a growing Nationals contingent that includes second baseman Daniel Murphy, outfielder Bryce Harper, and catcher Wilson Ramos.

On the other hand, Madison Bumgarner is scheduled to pitch on Sunday. Because of that Sunday starter rule, he could either be replaced on the roster by another pitcher, or he could choose to participate, but possibly be put on an extremely strict pitch count. Bumgarner decided against pitching in the game on short rest, so Terry Collins tabbed Bartolo Colon, the elder statesman of his starting rotation, as his replacement.

The 43-year old Colon, now a 4-time all-star, sports a 7-4 record, a 3.28 ERA. and 65 strikeouts in 17 starts. He has been a steady presence on a Mets rotation that, while full of young arms, have had a bit of growing pains. It will be his first All-Star Game trip since 2013. He joins (? - I'll get to this in a minute) fellow pitchers Noah Syndergaard, Jeurys Familia, outfielder Yoenis Cespedes, his manager, and the rest of the Mets coaching staff to San Diego.

So add Scherzer's card #'s 209 or WN-9 and Colon's card #'s 381 or NYM-16 to your binders (I'm trying to help here...)

To the (?) part of the program. In last night's ballgame against the Nationals (you know, that 12th win for Strasburg), both Syndergaard and Cespedes were taken out because of possible injuries (arm fatigue, right quad strain respectively). Get ready for more All-Stars making the trip to San Diego before Tuesday.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Diaz Replaces Carpenter on NL ASG Roster

2015 Springfield Cardinals Grandstand #3 Aledmys Diaz

In last night's game against the Pirates, Cardinals third baseman Matt Carpenter strained an oblique muscle as he was trying to check his swing during his at-bat in the third inning. He suffered a similar injury back in 2012, and the MRI results indicated that he would have to be placed on the DL to recover. He is the fourth Cardinal to be placed on the DL this week alone.

Even though Carpenter was the only Cardinal named onto the NL All-Star team, Terry Collins could pick anyone from any other team to take his place. But he made sure that a player from the St. Louis team would have some representation on the active roster.

Aledmys Diaz, the Cardinals' rookie shortstop, was named as Carpenter's replacement. His credentials include a .319 average, 12 home runs, 44 runs batted in, 54 runs scored and a slash line of .382/.534/.916 (that would be OBP/SLG/OPS). He is among the league leaders in batting average, runs scored, and doubles.

The 25-year-old now joins the swelling ranks of first-time All-Stars, and players aged 26-younger attending with full All-Star honors.

If you're looking for any Aledmys Diaz cards to add to your roster, you're out of luck. He presently has three minor league cards, all regional releases. No Topps cards to speak of, not even on the retail end. So attached is his 2015 minor league card.

Stay tuned for more All-Star team roster updates as they happen.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Kluber Replaces Estrada on AL ASG Roster

One night after being named to the American League All-Star Team, Marco Estrada of the Toronto Blue Jays was placed on the 15-day DL due to continuing soreness issues in his lower back. While he has been taking cortisone shots for the pain, the team decided that it would be best for him to take the time off and use the All-Star break to rest. He still will make the trip to "America's Finest City," with fellow Blue Jays Josh Donaldson, and Edwin Encarnacion. But now that he was placed on the DL, a replacement for him needed to be named.

That replacement will be the 2014 AL Cy Young winner, Corey Kluber of the Cleveland Indians. As of this writing, Kluber has a record of 8-8 with an ERA of 3.79 in 17 starts. While that initially doesn't look all that great, he has 114 strikeouts in 114.0 innings pitched, a WHIP of 1.04, and three complete games, two of them shutouts.

Now a first-time All-Star, Kluber joins fellow Tribesmen Francisco Lindor and Danny Salazar for the festivities in San Diego.

So add Kluber's #64 card from the 2016 Topps set or the CI-2 card from the retail set if you have it to your All-Star Binder. Please tell me someone else is doing this too. I can't possibly be the only one.

Stay tuned for more All-Star team roster updates as they happen.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

The 2016 All-Star Rosters Have Been Announced...What Do You Think???

Yesterday, ESPN hosted the MLB All-Star Team Selection Show. Starters that were voted by the fans, the reserves selected via the player ballot and by the respective managers, were announced officially.

I love this time of year, if only because it allows for a break in what is a long season and celebrates the game's best players. And what I do, as I have done every year since I really stated following the game, is take out the cards of the players who made each roster and put them in a special binder (my All-Star binder...if you will). I do this because it helps me not only recognize the players who became all-stars that particular year, but during the game, I use it to keep track of who's in the game as it progresses. Yes, I'm a geek.

So without further ado, here are the 2016 MLB All-Star Game rosters as announced on Tuesday night (with 2016 Topps Card # and retail team set # if applicable, for those of you playing along and putting them into your All-Star Binders):

American League Starters

1B-Eric Hosmer, Royals (#9, KCR-2)
2B-Jose Altuve, Astros(#317, HA-7)
3B-Manny Machado, Orioles(#175, BO-1)
SS-Xander Bogaerts, Red Sox (#368, BRS-54)
OF-Mookie Betts, Red Sox (#84, BRS-5)
OF-Jackie Bradley, Jr., Red Sox (#425, BRS-7)
OF-Mike Trout, Angels (#1, A-11)
C-Salvador Perez, Royals (#50, KCR-1)
DH-David Ortiz, Red Sox (#126, BRS-1)

American League Pitchers

P-Marco Estrada, Blue Jays (#466, TBJ-17)
P-Cole Hamels, Rangers (#588, TRA-11)
P-Danny Salazar, Indians (#460, CI-12)
P-Chris Sale, White Sox (#160, CWS-1)
P-Steven Wright, Red Sox
RP-Zach Britton, Orioles (#63, BO-13)
RP-Wade Davis, Royalsº (#307, KCR-13)
RP-Andrew Miller, Yankees (#218, NYY-14)
RP-Dellin Betances, Yankees (#369, NYY-15, selected by MGR)
RP-Brad Brach, Orioles (selected by MGR)
RP-Alex Colome, Rays (selected by MGR)
RP-Will Harris, Astrosª (#331 selected by MGR, replaces Davis)
RP-Kelvin Herrera, Royals (#393, selected by MGR)
RP-Craig Kimbrel, Red Sox (#13 with the Padres, BRS-12, selected by MGR)

American League Reserves

1B-Miguel Cabrera, Tigers(#250, DT-1)
2B-Robinson Cano, Mariners (#268, SM-4)
3B-Josh Donaldson, Blue Jays (#200, TBJ-1)
SS-Francisco Lindor, Indians (#439, CI-1)
OF-Carlos Beltran, Yankees (#567, NYY-10)
OF-Ian Desmond, Rangers
OF-Mark Trumbo, Orioles (#39 with the Mariners, BO-8)
C-Matt Wieters, Orioles
DH-Edwin Encarnacion, Blue Jays (#89, TBJ-7)
SS-Eduardo Nunez, Twins (#534, MT-12, selected by MGR)
C-Stephen Vogt, Athletics (#506, OA-8, selected by MGR)


American League Final Man Candidates

2B-Ian Kinsler, Tigers (#275, DT-3)
3B-Evan Longoria, Rays (#388, TB-6)
2B-Dustin Pedroia, Red Sox (#246, BRS-4)
OF-Michael Saunders, Blue Jays (#630)
3B-George Springer, Astros (#53, KCR-10)

National League Starters

1B-Anthony Rizzo, Cubs (#327, CC-6)
2B-Ben Zobrist, Cubs(#447, CC-5)
3B-Kris Bryant, Cubs (#350, CC-1)
SS-Addison Russell, Cubs (#562, CC-4)
OF-Yoenis Cespedes, Mets (#407, NYM-17)
OF-Dexter Fowler, Cubs
OF-Bryce Harper, Nationals (#100, WN-1)
C-Buster Posey, Giants (#300, SFG-1)

National League Pitchers

P-Jake Arrieta, Cubs (#264, CC-9)
P-Madison Bumgarner, Giants (#600, SFG-9)
P-Johnny Cueto, Giants (#416, SFG-15)
P-Clayton Kershaw, Dodgersº (#24, LAD-1)
P-Noah Syndergaard, Mets (#43, NYM-11)
RP-Jeurys Familia, Mets (#190, NYM-14)
RP-Kenley Jansen, Dodgers (#458, LAD-13)
RP-Fernando Rodney, Marlins
P-Jose Fernandez, Marlins (#118, MM-10, selected by MGR))
P-Jon Lester, Cubsª (#151, CC-8, selected by MGR, replaces Kershaw)
P-Stephen Strasburg, Nationals (#637, WN-8, selected by MGR)
P-Julio Teheran, Braves (#52, AB-7, selected by MGR))
RP-Marc Melancon, Pirates (#336, PPI-12, selected by MGR)
RP-A. J. Ramos, Marlins (#42, MM-12, selected by MGR)

National League Reserves

1B-Paul Goldschmidt, Diamondbacks (#259, AD-1)
2B-Daniel Murphy, Nationals (#554, WN-5)
3B-Nolan Arenado, Rockies (#12, CRO-1)
SS-Corey Seager, Dodgers (#85, LAD-8)
OF-Adam Duvall, Reds (#584, CR-6)
OF-Carlos Gonzalez, Rockies (#683, CRO-2)
OF-Marcell Ozuna, Marlins (#572, MM-8)
C-Wilson Ramos, Nationals (#658, WN-2)
1B-Wil Myers, Padres (#625, SDP-4, selected by MGR)
3B-Matt Carpenter, Cardinals (#616, SLC-5, selected by MGR)
OF-Odubel Herrera, Phillies (#68, PP-8, selected by MGR)
C-Jonathan Lucroy, Brewers (#344, MB-1, selected by MGR)

National League Final Man Candidates

1B-Brandon Belt, Giants (#424, SFG-2)
OF-Ryan Braun, Brewers (#298, MB-2)
SP-Jake Lamb, Diamondbacks (#288, AD-5)
OF-Starling Marte, Pirates (#83, PPI-7)
SS-Trevor Story, Rockies

º Injured, will not participate
ª Named as replacement

The rosters once again will consist of 34 active players. Each team is already at 34 players and we haven't even gotten the final man voting in yet. Why is that?

Wade Davis of the Royals is on the DL. So manager Ned Yost added Astros closer Will Harris to the AL bullpen. That was announced off the bat (pun intended).

On the National League side, Clayton Kershaw was just placed on the DL, meaning a replacement needed to be named. After finding this article on ESPN's website, I think it's safe to say that Lester was named as his replacement.

Without clicking the article, Terry Collins initially had nine "manager choices," including finding representatives for six teams (Braves, Brewers, Cardinals Padres, Phillies, Pirates). After naming players from each of those teams (Teheran, Lucroy, Carpenter, Myers - would have been Rodney had he not been traded last week -, Herrera, and Melancon), the other three players he picked were Strasburg, Fernandez, and Ramos. This leaves Lester as the only possible choice as the replacement.

Including the players on the Final Man balloting, eight players do not have cards in the eponymous Topps set or any of the retail sets. Those players include pitchers Brad Brach, Alex Colome, Steven Wright, infielder Ian Desmond, and catcher Matt "No-Topps-Cards...Yet" Wieters on the AL side, and pitcher Fernando Rodney, outfielder Dexter Fowler, and shortstop Trevor Story from the NL. Each should have cards in the expanded Update series. In the meantime, every other player has a card that at least features them on their current team as long as you count the retail sets.

As it seems to be the case these past few years, there is a lot of youth on both rosters, as well as a ton of first-time All-Stars to boot (about 26 at last count, 13 on each side). Of the 17 elected starters, twelve of them are 26 years old...or YOUNGER!!! If you look at the Final Man Nominees, all ten candidates are hitters.

Chicago is extremely well represented this year with eight players between both teams, including the entire infield for the Cubs (Rizzo, Zobrist, Bryant, Russell). Look, I know the Cubs have been (up until these last two weeks) very dominant. And while this doesn't top the eight Cubs that represented the team in 2008, the fact that more than half of the starting lineup are Cubs makes me happy. I voted...once. That was it. I know you could vote more than that, but how is that fair? Boston has six players punching their tickets to San Diego, and a possible 7th if Pedroia wins the Final Man.

Rumors have it that Bumgarner is scheduled to start on Sunday. The rule is in effect that if any of them are in line to pitch that day, they will have to be replaced. And today, Marco Estrada of the Blue Jays landed on the DL. This is just the beginning. If history is an indicator, expect both active rosters to dramatically change by the time July 12 comes. As always, I'll make sure to help you add cards to your All-Star binders by providing card numbers for the players added onto the All-Star teams.

Let's hear the answers to these questions:

Who do you think should have been chosen that wasn't (not even for the Final Man ballot)?

Of the players selected, who shouldn't be going to the game?

Were the guys you wanted from your team chosen?

If not, then who should have represented your team?

Let the debates begin.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

It's Opening Day!!! Really!!! 2016 Topps is Live!!!

It's Opening Day ladies and gentlemen.

No, pitchers and catchers don't report to their spring training sites until later this month. But that doesn't mean that baseball season is not upon us.

The official street date for 2016 Topps Baseball cards is today. And guess what my big box store had on their shelves this morning?

That's right, a five pack of Harpers!!!

Series 1's cover boy is Bryce Harper (golf clap). And the store near me had 12 packs, 36 packs, 72 card boxes, etc. They also had 2015 Topps Team sets of the White Sox and Dodgers (Dodgers...really??!), so there's that.

But that doesn't matter. The new stuff is out now, and the Bay has already been inundated with auctions and BIN's for every card imaginable. I'm going to wait until next week to see if any master sets are around to avoid temptation of hitting the "Buy it Now" button.

For now, though, I'm going to start ripping a couple of packs of this stuff, and save a pack or two for my nephew, who, if you haven't heard by now, had asked me about collecting baseball cards. To answer a couple of questions:

Jeff, his dad is a White Sox fan (eh, what do you expect from in-laws). He seems to be pulling for them, although his mom, my sister, has been trying to get him to the light side of the force (the Cubs). I plan on getting him some packs of 2016 and a few packs of 2015 that I can find. He's a pretty bright kid, but I don't want to overwhelm him with everything about the Hobby. I figure start with the basics, teaching him the joys of reading card backs and how to calculate statistics (that's how I learned). And then go from there. I also have a couple of Kris Bryant and Carlos Correa cards for him, you know, for investment...(ha).

So, what is my first card of the 2016 campaign going to be???

Drumroll please...

My first card from 2016...Nick Ahmed #211

Okay, that was a bit anti-climactic.

The borderless look is something I'm going to have to get used to. The only sense of a border could be the "smoke" filter on the corners of the card. Upon first glance, it looks like smudges on a picture. You can make out certain shapes in the smoke (a rectangle, a letter A). It's like a "find-it" page in the Highlights for Kids magazines (first time I've used that reference...EVER). While the "smoke" effect is a bit distracting, taking away focus on the really crisp pictures, it does give the pictures a bit of a painted look as well. It's like an unfinished Bob Ross painting, just needing to put a few more crisscross strokes of pthalo green to complete the lower half of the picture. Like other designs that I wasn't to fond of in the beginning, this is going to grow on me, and I'll come around. While it's a groundbreaking design for Topps, here's hoping that they go back to borders in 2017.

For those who want to know what the back of the card looks like, here you go:

It looks very similar to last year's card back, down to the Series One line on top of the card number. So, while that's not necessarily unprecedented, because other than a change in font above and below the stat box, it was pretty much the same thing in the late 80's - early 90's, it's kind of a downer.

So what else did I get in this first official pack of 2016?

• #18 Francisco Rodriguez, Brewers
• #99 Taijuan Walker, Mariners
• #108 Ben Paulsen, Rockies
• #332 Toronto Blue Jays team card
• #P-21 Perspectives Cal Ripken Jr
• #B2B-13 Back 2 Back Ted Williams / Bobby Doerr
• #20 Andrew McCutchen, Pirates
• #73 Ketel Marte, Mariners
• #296 Yordano Ventura, Royals
• #258 Devon Travis, Blue Jays Future Star
• #145 Jon Niese, Mets

No Cubs cards, darn. But this McCutchen card looks pretty nice:

I will get to the official 2016 Topps Series 1 post in the next few days, complete with sell sheets that I didn't have time to post last year.

So get out there. Buy those cards (just no pack searching...save some for the rest of us). Show off those pictures. Get your want lists going. It's Baseball Card Season...and it's going to be a great year.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Are You Ready??! I SAID...

ARE YOU READY??!

The 66th edition of Topps Baseball (okay, 65th if you're not counting 1951 Topps Red and Blue Backs), is officially due to arrive on Wednesday, February 3. But it looks like some lucky markets (I will check my local box stores tomorrow) got theirs early (lucky).

Regardless, it's coming, I can't wait to open some packs to see this design up close.

Sorry pack break week seemed to have ended earlier than I'd like. But hey, work calls. But I still have the packs unopened, so I'll get to it soon.

Also, let me apologize to everyone who's sent me emails asking me to add their sites to the Sports Card Blogroll. I have not forgotten you, and I still have your emails, links, twitter DM's, etc. Your site will be added as soon as I can get a moment to catch my breath.

Okay. Got to run. Have to get back at it and get some sleep. Here's hoping 2016 Topps will be on the shelves tomorrow, and here's hoping I get to them faster than the pack searchers.

And maybe, if I'm lucky, I'll find something to get my nephew started on his collecting journey.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

He's Number 1!!! He's Number 1!!!

After all of the voting, and the weeks of waiting, today, Topps announced the player who will now grace card #1 for the eponymous 2016 Topps Baseball product...

Mike Trout, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

According to the Topps Blog, the image that is used for the above card, "depicts an amazing highlight from the 2015 season. On Sept. 26, he scaled the outfield wall, extended his body over it and robbed Seattle’s Jesus Montero of a home run in a tremendous catch."

Topps Series 1 is coming soon, and I can't wait.

Also heard that my little nephew wants to get into card collecting. I can't wait to get him started. I'll be kind, I promise.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

This Was the Whole Idea for the Topps 300 (and then some...): Debate!!!

(Before I begin, I'd like to express my condolences to the family and fans of David Bowie, who passed away last night after a long and private battle with cancer. He was one of the most iconic rockers over the last 40 years. I may have missed the formative years (Ziggy Stardust in particular), but was introduced to the man thanks to an album of his narration of Peter and the Wolf. I must have played that record...THAT'S RIGHT...RECORD...so many times. Must try and find that cd on eBay...maybe get the album even though I don't have a record player.)

The response to my last post was pretty good (considering that I haven't been posting on a regular basis for quite some time). I could have used a bit more, so if you could, please visit the original Topps 300 site, check out the original 60 years worth of cards, then come back to see my top 5 from each of the last five years.

Today, Topps posted their full checklist for Series 1 on their site. With the exception of the base set (which they're holding off on giving full details until they announce who's number 1), they have posted every card, retail exclusives too, that should be making their appearance in next month's eponymous product. The checklist for "Berger's Best" this year's reprint retrospective consists of the following subjects:

BB-1 Willie Mays New York Giants
BB-2 Satchel Paige St. Louis Browns
BB-3 Henry Aaron Milwaukee Braves
BB-4 Sandy Koufax Brooklyn Dodgers
BB-5 Jackie Robinson Brooklyn Dodgers
BB-6 Ted Williams Boston Red Sox
BB-7 Roger Maris Cleveland Indians
BB-8 Roberto Clemente Pittsburgh Pirates
BB-9 Willie McCovey San Francisco Giants
BB-10 Bill Mazeroski Pittsburgh Pirates
BB-11 Roger Maris New York Yankees
BB-12 Brooks Robinson Baltimore Orioles
BB-13 Whitey Ford New York Yankees
BB-14 Hank Aaron Milwaukee Braves
BB-15 Jim Palmer Baltimore Orioles
BB-16 Steve Carlton St. Louis Cardinals
BB-17 Rod Carew Minnesota Twins
BB-18 Reggie Jackson Oakland Athletics
BB-19 Johnny Bench Cincinnati Reds
BB-20 Nolan Ryan New York Mets
BB-21 Tom Seaver New York Mets
BB-22 Joe Morgan Cincinnati Reds
BB-23 Dave Winfield San Diego Padres
BB-24 George Brett Kansas City Royals
BB-25 Dennis Eckersley Cleveland Indians
BB-26 Robin Yount Milwaukee Brewers
BB-27 Eddie Murray Baltimore Orioles
BB-28 Ozzie Smith San Diego Padres
BB-29 Rickey Henderson Oakland Athletics
BB-30 Harold Baines Chicago White Sox
BB-31 Cal Ripken Jr. Baltimore Orioles
BB-32 Tony Gwynn San Diego Padres
BB-33 Don Mattingly New York Yankees
BB-34 Dwight Gooden New York Mets
BB-35 Roger Clemens Boston Red Sox
BB-36 Bo Jackson Kansas City Royals
BB-37 Wade Boggs Boston Red Sox
BB-38 Ken Griffey Jr. Seattle Mariners
BB-39 George Brett Kansas City Royals
BB-40 Frank Thomas Chicago White Sox
BB-41 Cal Ripken Jr. Baltimore Orioles
BB-42 Randy Johnson Seattle Mariners
BB-43 Mike Piazza Los Angeles Dodgers
BB-44 Barry Larkin Cincinnati Reds
BB-45 John Smoltz Atlanta Braves
BB-46 Livan Hernandez Florida Marlins
BB-47 Alex Rodriguez Seattle Mariners
BB-48 Josh Hamilton Tampa Bay Devil Rays
BB-49 Miguel Cabrera Florida Marlins
BB-50 Albert Pujols St. Louis Cardinals
BB-51 Joe Mauer Minnesota Twins
BB-52 Robinson Cano New York Yankees
BB-53 Yadier Molina St. Louis Cardinals
BB-54 Justin Verlander Detroit Tigers
BB-55 Hanley Ramirez Florida Marlins
BB-56 Daisuke Matsuzaka Boston Red Sox
BB-57 Clayton Kershaw Los Angeles Dodgers
BB-58 David Price Tampa Bay Rays
BB-59 Stephen Strasburg Washington Nationals
BB-60 Mike Trout Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
BB-61 Bryce Harper Washington Nationals
BB-62 Mike Trout Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
BB-63 Masahiro Tanaka New York Yankees
BB-64 Kris Bryant Chicago Cubs
BB-65 Buster Posey San Francisco Giants

This means that their reprint retrospective could consist of a card from...wait for it...2016!!! How about that? A reprint card from the same year and same product!!!

WHAT??!

So no card from 1951, and did you notice Topps' biggest name is missing? I guess since they couldn't re-sign with the estate, we will be without the presence of Mickey Mantle for the fourth straight year (and that means no #7).

But take a look at the list. Of the 65 cards on the list, 33 (possibly a 34th one) were featured on the Topps 300 (and then some...). Most of the cards above are indeed rookie cards/first year. I also do wish they picked 65 different players for this set. Mike Trout appears here twice. So do Hank Aaron, George Brett, Roger Maris, and Cal Ripken. Maybe Series 2 will have more of my picks. I mean, I now have 325 cards they can choose from...well more like 290 (or 291...depends).

Now back to the point of the title. A comment from Matt Stupienski read,

"I must say that I'm quite partial to the 2015 Andrelton Simmons picture. Then again, I am a Braves fan, so perhaps I'm a bit biased. You must agree that this is a beauty though."

His comment regarding Simmons' card was seconded by none other than Fuji. (If you don't read The Chronicles of Fuji, you're missing out on a really positive voice in the Hobby. Then again, he's got a ton of readers already, so if you're reading this dog-and-pony-show of a blog, you already a fan of his).

"I second Mr. Stupienski's selection of Simmons. That's an awesome action shot."

Now for those of you who haven't seen it, here is the card in question:

Now it's a great action shot. He's literally parallel to the ground. And what better way to represent the two-time Gold Glove winner with this amazing picture. I'm sure Braves' fans were sad to hear that he was traded off to the Angels.

The whole idea of the Topps 300 (and then some...) was to create debate. My choices were mine, they certainly aren't perfect. While many people agreed with my picks, there are obviously people who would disagree and could probably choose cards that I wouldn't have considered. And this is an perfect example.

Now I didn't pick the Simmons card because in recent years, there have been so many similar shots of these kinds of plays that it's no longer unique. Put this picture in the 1991 Topps set, for example, then you have something groundbreaking. But in 2015, there's a shot of Jackie Bradley, Jr (#314), Lorenzo Cain (#516), and closest example, Aaron Hill (#247). Okay, so the first two guys are outfielders, but Hill is a second baseman. Different angle, but same idea.

But that's the point. You disagree with my picks? Show me a better one and talk about it. Why did you pick this card? You a fan of the team (like Mr. Stupienski?) You a fan of the player? You just love the picture? Would you have been able to place yourself at the stadium or at home watching when this picture was taken?

It's just another way to share the Hobby we all have in common.

How about you? What do you think?

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

The Final Five #1 Candidates for 2016 Topps: Bryant, Donaldson, Harper, Posey, Trout

Thousands of votes were cast on a ballot that included 34 players (and one write-in space). After all was said and done, the players below were the top five vote-getters from that first round ballot. In no particular order, these are the contenders for card #1 for the 2016 Topps Baseball product:

Kris Bryant, Chicago Cubs

Mike Trout, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

Buster Posey, San Francisco Giants

Josh Donaldson, Toronto Blue Jays

Bryce Harper, Washington Nationals

Okay boys and girls, you have from now until 11:59 PM EST on Monday, October 12, to cast your votes. May the best card win.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Who's Number 1??! You Decide!!!

We interrupt the lull on this humble little blog to mention that yesterday, Topps announced that collectors can get to choose who will be the subject of card number 1 in the 2016 Topps set.

Let me explain for those who missed the news.

According to the Topps Blog (bless you Sooz), Topps is giving collectors the opportunity to select the player who will grace the first card in the new set. Starting on Wednesday, September 23, fans can select players from an initial list of 34 players (representing all 30 teams) in a "first round" of voting. When this round of voting ends on October 4, 2015, the top five vote-getters will then be announced and then be put on a final ballot. The "winner" of this vote will then get the honor of card number one in the 2016 Topps set.

So who made the ballot for this first round of voting?

• Paul Goldschmidt, Arizona Diamondbacks
• Freddie Freeman, Atlanta Braves
• Adam Jones, Baltimore Orioles
• David Ortiz, Boston Red Sox
• Kris Bryant, Chicago Cubs
• Chris Sale, Chicago White Sox
• Todd Frazier, Cincinnati Reds
• Francisco Lindor, Cleveland Indians
• Nolan Arenado, Colorado Rockies
• Miguel Cabrera, Detroit Tigers
• Carlos Correa, Houston Astros
• Alex Gordon, Kansas City Royals
• Albert Pujols, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
• Mike Trout, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
• Clayton Kershaw, Los Angeles Dodgers

• Giancarlo Stanton, Miami Marlins
• Ichiro Suzuki, Miami Marlins
• Ryan Braun, Milwaukee Brewers
• Miguel Sano, Minnesota Twins
• Yoenis Cespedes, New York Mets
• Jacob deGrom, New York Mets
• Alex Rodriguez, New York  Yankees
• Masahiro Tanaka, New York Yankees
• Stephen Vogt, Oakland Athletics
• Ryan Howard, Philadelphia Phillies
• Andrew McCutchen, Pittsburgh Pirates
• Yadier Molina, St. Louis Cardinals
• Matt Kemp, San Diego Padres
• Buster Posey, San Francisco Giants

• Felix Hernandez, Seattle Mariners

• Evan Longoria, Tampa Bay Rays
• Adrian Beltre, Texas Rangers
• Josh Donaldson, Toronto Blue Jays
• Bryce Harper, Washington Nationals

A few things come to mind looking at this initial ballot:

• Ichiro? You mean he's going to be in the eponymous set again? After a four-year absence? Fantastic!!!
• Mike Trout (2014), Alex Rodriguez (2003, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009), Bryce Harper (2013), and Ryan Braun (2011, 2012) have already been the subject of card number one.
• Four teams get two representatives in this ballot: the Angels (Pujols/Trout), Marlins (Stanton/Suzuki), Mets (Cespedes/deGrom), Yankees (Rodriguez/Tanaka).
• If you the reader (and I still have readers, right??!) still feel that none of these guys are worthy of card #1, there is an "Other" option where you can "write-in" your selection.

So for those collectors (and I know you're out there) who feel that Topps should engage their audience when it comes to their products, does this work for you? Who would you have wanted to see on this ballot? Someone on here that shouldn't have been? What do you think?

The first round of voting, again, ends on Sunday, October 4. Topps encourages social media (using the hashtag #ToppsVoteNo1 to stump for your player. I've made my vote (take a guess who I'm pulling for).

Let the fun begin.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Ladies and Gentlemen, Introducing 2016 Topps Baseball

It seems that around the time these come out, I am busy with one thing or another. Work has been busy, kids are getting ready to go back to school, and I'm still trying to get funds together to buy this year's edition of the Topps Allen & Ginter's Master set!

I have a couple of articles in draft mode and I'll get to them in time.

But for right now, Topps just revealed what the 2016 Topps cards are going to look like.

I know you're excited.

I know I'm excited.

So what are we waiting for?

Ladies and Gentlemen, here is the design for 2016 Topps Baseball:

First thing you're going to notice...NO BORDERS!!!

Why?

According to the Topps Blog (with former Beckett editor and SCBR Hall of Famer Susan Lulgjuraj now running the ship, this blog should be way more relevant now):

This year’s design was a change of pace from previous years, and 2016 takes another huge step away from what had been the norm. The 2016 design features nearly full-bleed photography, which will showcase a wide range of action photography.

“We have had a white border for so many years and it was sort of a staple of the Topps design,” said Topps senior art director John Doldan. “I think we are trying to move forward and make the cards a little more modern and current. I think gradually we have been going in that direction and break from the past a little bit.”

Logo will be on the bottom right corner, player name, team name, and position juts out on a bar in the middle. Because it looks like it's going to be a full-bleed design, it has a "Stadium Club" look to it, something I thought I'd never ever see in an eponymous base design.

So after years of looking to the Hobby's past for inspiration, it looks like the Company is finally going to focus on its future in 2016. Details have not been released yet, but according to Topps' twitter feed (@toppscards), "We will have more next week for the Topps Art Director discussing the process and the new design on the blog!"

I'm feeling mixed emotions so far, especially with the detail of the design itself. It might be one of those, "I'll need to have the cards in my hand" kind of thing before I can make a complete decision if I like the design or not. Maybe I'll have a better idea when more details come out or when the sell sheets are posted.

But what do you think? Do you like the design? Hate it? Thoughts?

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama