Random Topps Team Set of the Week: 2011 St. Louis Cardinals

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

• Team: 2011 St. Louis Cardinals
• Record: 90-72, MLB World Series Champions.
• Managers: Tony LaRussa
• Card on the Top: Albert Pujols

The checklist consists of the following players:

• STL1 Albert Pujols
• STL2 Chris Carpenter
• STL3 Allen Craig
• STL4 Ryan Franklin
• STL5 David Freese
• STL6 Jaime Garcia
• STL7 Matt Holliday
• STL8 Jon Jay
• STL9 Yadier Molina
• STL10 Colby Rasmus
• STL11 Skip Schumaker
• STL12 Adam Wainwright
• STL13 Jake Westbrook
• STL14 Pedro Feliz
• STL15 Lance Berkman
• STL16 Ryan Theriot
• STL17 Busch Stadium

The cards in order from the set (the checklist at the end was cut from the back of the package. What, you don't do that?):

Key differences between the team set and 2011 Topps eponymous set:

• Allen Craig earned a cup-of-coffee in 2010, but did not make it onto the base set in 2011. He did, however, show up in Update Series:
  
  

• Ryan Franklin was the closer for the team that year. His regular Topps card used a different picture:
  
  

• It's almost the same picture of David Freese, but his regular Topps card looks to show what happened a second or so later in the same at bat:
  
  

• As with all of the 2010 Topps All-Star Rookie Team selections, Jamie Garcia had two cards in the Topps set. One with, and one without the trophy. Now the card in the retail set used the same picture of the regular card that did NOT have the trophy on it. Here are both examples of Garcia's Topps' cards:
  
  

• Skip Schumaker's card showed him on the field after making a great defensive play:
  
  

• Lance Berkman was a rent-a-player for the Yankees in 2010, but found himself out of the Bronx and west of the Mississippi in 2011. While his base card shows him in the Yankees' gray uniform, his traded card depicts him in Cardinal red:
  
  

• Ryan Theriot's base card does NOT depict him on the mound...although it does look like it though, doesn't it?:
  
  

Of the 17 players included in this set, 6 players have different pictures on the retail set compared to the base set, and then there is the Garcia situation (I don't know if you can call it a different picture issue or not).

Next week's featured set will be the 2006 Toronto Blue Jays. Hope you'll be here when we compare the cards from the retail set to their counterparts found in Topps and Topps Updates and Highlights sets.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Team Set of the Week: 2010 Florida Marlins

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

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

The checklist consists of the following players:

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

The cards in order from the set (the checklist at the end was cut from the back of the package. What, you don't do that?):

Key differences between the team set and 2010 Topps eponymous set:

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

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

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

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

• Ditto for Jorge Cantu:
  
  

• And Andrew Miller:
  
  

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

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

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

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

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

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

Next week's featured set will be the 2011 St. Louis Cardinals. Hope you'll be here when we compare the cards from the retail set to their counterparts found in Topps and Topps Update Series sets.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Team Set of the Week: 2009 Cincinnati Reds

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

• Team: 2009 Cincinnati Reds
• Record: 78-84, fourth place, NL Central Division.
• Managers: Dusty Baker
• Card on the Top: Jay Bruce

The checklist consists of the following players:

• CIN1 Jay Bruce
• CIN2 Edinson Volquez
• CIN3 Joey Votto
• CIN4 Bronson Arroyo
• CIN5 Brandon Phillips
• CIN6 Aaron Harang
• CIN7 Edwin Encarnacion
• CIN8 Johnny Cueto
• CIN9 Chris Dickerson
• CIN10 Francisco Cordero
• CIN11 Willy Taveras
• CIN12 Ramon Hernandez
• CIN13 Jeff Keppinger
• CIN14 Micah Owings
• CIN15 Mr. Redlegs

The cards in order from the set (the checklist at the end was cut from the back of the package. What, you don't do that?):

Key differences between the team set and 2009 Topps eponymous set:

• Jeff Keppinger appeared in 121 games for the Reds last year at second, short, third, and even in left field. In 2009, he was traded to the Astros just before the season started, and then moved on to San Francisco after the All-Star break. You won't find a regular Topps card of Jeff in either the base or traded sets. The only place you can get a Jeff Keppinger card with the 2009 Topps design...is in the retail set.

• While you get to see all of Edison Volquez on the retail card, his base card cuts him off at the top:
  
  

• Joey Votto...with ASRT Trophy, vertically-oriented base card...bunting???:
  
  

• Bronson Arroyo's base card shows him in spring training action:
  
  

• Brandon Phillips, having fun on his base card...:
  
  

• The picture is the same, but Aaron Harang's base card gets the same treatment as Volquez...:
  
  

• The picture is different for Francisco Cordero, but once again...you get the idea:
  
  

• Not only did they use a different picture on the base card for Willy Taveras, but it seems that the retail card spells his name T-E-V-A-R-A-S. Whoops!!!:
  
  

• Retail set owners can see Ramon Hernandez from head to toe. His base card...not so much:
  
  

• While his eponymous 2009 Topps card shows Micah Owings pitching, isn't it refreshing to see baseball cards of pitchers batting, as he was on his retail card?:
  
  

Of the 14 players included in this set, 8 players have different pictures on the retail set compared to the base set, one more shows a different cropping of the same picture, and one player is a retail exclusive. Fans of the Reds should have loved all of the variations that can only be found in the retail set.

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

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Team Set of the Week: 2007 Houston Astros

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

• Team: 2007 Houston Astros
• Record: 73-89, fourth place, NL Central Division.
• Managers: Phil Garner & Cecil Cooper
• Card on the Top: Lance Berkman

The checklist consists of the following players:

• HOU1 Lance Berkman
• HOU2 Brad Ausmus
• HOU3 Brad Lidge
• HOU4 Dan Wheeler
• HOU5 Roy Oswalt
• HOU6 Chris Burke
• HOU7 Craig Biggio
• HOU8 Woody Williams
• HOU9 Carlos Lee
• HOU10 Luke Scott
• HOU11 Morgan Ensberg
• HOU12 Jason Jennings
• HOU13 Adam Everett
• HOU14 Roger Clemens

The cards in order from the set (the checklist at the end was cut from the back of the package. What, you don't do that?):

Key differences between the team set and 2007 Topps eponymous set:

• While Brad Ausmus' retail card looks like he is making the catch, his base card shows what may have happened afterwards:
  
  

• Luke Scott's base card is horizontally-oriented to showcase that swing on his base card:
  
  

Of the 14 players included in this set, 2 players have different pictures on the retail set compared to the base set. Not too much to write home about, but you can make an argument that both retail cards look better than the base cards.

Next week's featured set will be the 2009 Cincinnati Reds. Hope you'll be here when we compare the cards from the retail set to their counterparts found in Topps and Topps Updates and Highlights sets.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Team Set of the Week: 2010 Detroit Tigers

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

• Team: 2010 Detroit Tigers
• Record: 81-81, third place, AL Central Division.
• Manager: Jim Leyland
• Card on the Top: Miguel Cabrera

The checklist consists of the following players:

• DET1 Miguel Cabrera
• DET2 Jarrod Washburn
• DET3 Clete Thomas
• DET4 Rick Porcello
• DET5 Brandon Inge
• DET6 Nate Robertson
• DET7 Magglio Ordonez
• DET8 Jeremy Bonderman
• DET9 Marcus Thames
• DET10 Wilkin Ramirez
• DET11 Phil Coke
• DET12 Justin Verlander
• DET13 Joel Zumaya
• DET14 Robinzon Diaz
• DET15 Carlos Guillen
• DET16 Max Scherzer
• DET17 Daniel Schlereth

The cards in order from the set (the checklist at the end was cut from the back of the package. What, you don't do that?):

Key differences between the team set and 2010 Topps eponymous set:

• Marcus Thames did play for the Tigers in 2009, but was released by the team at the end of the season. He did sign with, and play for, the Yankees in 2010. Robinzon Diaz (that's right, with a Z, not an S as it is spelled on the front - the back of the card has the correct spelling), did not get to play with the Tigers in 2010, spending the entire season with the AAA Toledo Mud Hens. Daniel Schlereth was a mid-season callup for the Detroit. The thing these three guys have in common is that none of them have cards in either the Topps or the Update Series. You'll only find their cards, using the 2010 Topps design, in the retail set:
  

• While his retail card shows him at full stride, Miguel Cabrera's regular Topps card features an up-close shot of the future Triple Crown winner at bat:
  
  

• You can barely see Clete Thomas' face on his base card::
  
  

• You get an up-close and personal look at Jeremy Bonderman as he makes his pitch:
  
  

• The picture used for both of Phil Coke's regular and retail cards are the same, but the regular card is cropped a bit to make the image appear larger than it was on the retail card:
  
  

• A better shot of the Cy Young Award winner Justin Verlander was used here on the base card (in my opinion):
  
  

• And here was the Tigers' lights-out reliever, Joel Zumaya, and a different image entirely on his base card:
  
  

• Carlos Guillen's regular card is vertically-oriented...compared to his retail card:
  
  

• Max Scherzer pitched for the Diamondbacks in 2009, joining the Tigers the following season. While his series 1 card features him as a D-Back, his Update Series card showcases him with Detroit:
  
  

Of the 17 players included in this set, 8 players have different pictures on the retail set compared to the base set, with one being of the same-photo-different-cropping variety, and three players whose cards can only be found in the retail set. This set was definitely a must for the die-hard Tigers' fan.

Next week's featured set will be the 2007 Houston Astros. Hope you'll be here when we compare the cards from the retail set to their counterparts found in Topps and Topps Updates and Highlights sets.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama