I swear this will be the last "Deans" post I do this season. But as July 31 is the non-waiver trading deadline, there have been a lot of trading between teams all over the place. One that might have flown under the radar sent Nick Johnson of the Washington Nationals to the Florida Marlins for pitcher Aaron Thompson.
What makes this significant is that Nick Johnson was the Nationals' last link to the Montréal Expos, as he was with the organization in 2004, the teams final year in Canada. This makes pitcher Jason Bergmann the longest tenured Washington National on the team, making his MLB debut on 08/28/2005 (Ryan Zimmerman, the teams 1st round draft pick in 2005 is next, debuting 09/01/2005). Jason, also known as Jay, also becomes the Dean with the least amount of tenure of any of the 30 teams, now behind Jeremy Hermida of the Florida Marlins.
Bergmann, who was drafted into the Expos organization, never played in Montréal. So technically, he will always be a National (unless, of course, he gets traded). And he does have Topps cards, although not in the 2009 Topps base set, nor is he scheduled to appear in the U & H set.
Maybe he'll return in 2010.
Sincerely,
JayBee Anama
Friday, July 31, 2009
The Monthly Comment Mailbag - July 2009 Edition
Since we missed doing this last month, this edition of the Monthly Comment Mailbag will include comments from both June and July. But before I begin, Indians Victor Martinez was traded today to the Boston Red Sox for pitchers Justin Masterson, Nick Hagadone and Bryan Price. With Cliff Lee traded earlier in the week, Travis Hafner is the new Dean of the Cleveland Indians, making his Indians debut on 03/31/2003 (beating out Jhonny Peralta by two-and-a-half months).
On with the comments...
Chris Harris, who I didn't realize actually reads my humble little blog, commented that I "most famous (or infamous) Topps Gold-Exclusive card of them all: the Brien Taylor autograph from 1992 Topps Gold (#793)." Well, I did only because the regular set had 792 cards and his card was #793. His card obviously did not replace the checklist, so writing about his card was never an option for me. You have to give me credit on getting Kerry Woodson mentioned at least.
To gritz76, I don't know how or why Wakefield got snubbed in this year's base set. You'd think because he plays for the BoSox that he'd get a card (isn't it a rule that every Red Sox player get a card???) For the record though, Wakefield did not get a card in both the 1995 Topps (although he did appear in the 1995 Traded set, his first Topps Red Sox card) and the 2000 Topps sets (in this case, he did not even show up in that year's Traded set either).
To 2009 A & G Codebreaker JD's Daddy, hope you found that Wally card. If not, you'll find it as the bonus card from this year's 15-card Red Sox team set. And no, shorthanding the base set isn't the reason to create an update set, but because of the limit that Topps puts on THEMSELVES, they have to cut players and then team collectors have to hope that the update set will include them. This can all be avoided if Topps went back to the 792 card set. But I digress.
To bailorg and Sharpe, I knew I'd get heat for saying Ankiel was the Cardinals' Dean over Albert Pujols, and I did look to see if Ankiel was ever DFA'd (designated for assignment), but I couldn't find any information on that at all. Does being removed from the 40 man roster (which I did find) constitue being removed from MLB service time??? I don't know the logistics on that. Hey, if the Cards could get rid of Ankiel, then there would be no doubt, right???
To dayf the Cardboard Junkie, you must have missed my post about regarding the first ten bonus cards appearing in 2009 Topps Hobby Factory sets. Here is the original post. And to save time, the players who make up card numbers 1-10 are:
And finally, to friend of the blog TDLindgren, while the sell sheets do show that the Legends of the Game inserts will include Ruth as a Red Sock, and other legends in the unis of other teams, I did not see anything regarding more SP's, especially of said players pictured on different teams. I am hoping that there are no SP's in the U & H set. I'm still short five of the MLB SP's right now (still crying about seeing that the girls from Dinged Corners gave a Mike Schmidt SP card to a Phillies fan, but hey, I snooze, I lose).
So that's it for this month's edition of the Monthly Comment Mailbag. Keep on leaving those comments. That way I know that people are still reading my blog. If all goes well, this should be the first month (July 2009) where I reach 4,500 unique visits in a month (according to SiteMeter), which would be a record high for me. But then again, who's really counting right???
Sincerely,
JayBee Anama
On with the comments...
Chris Harris, who I didn't realize actually reads my humble little blog, commented that I "most famous (or infamous) Topps Gold-Exclusive card of them all: the Brien Taylor autograph from 1992 Topps Gold (#793)." Well, I did only because the regular set had 792 cards and his card was #793. His card obviously did not replace the checklist, so writing about his card was never an option for me. You have to give me credit on getting Kerry Woodson mentioned at least.
To gritz76, I don't know how or why Wakefield got snubbed in this year's base set. You'd think because he plays for the BoSox that he'd get a card (isn't it a rule that every Red Sox player get a card???) For the record though, Wakefield did not get a card in both the 1995 Topps (although he did appear in the 1995 Traded set, his first Topps Red Sox card) and the 2000 Topps sets (in this case, he did not even show up in that year's Traded set either).
To 2009 A & G Codebreaker JD's Daddy, hope you found that Wally card. If not, you'll find it as the bonus card from this year's 15-card Red Sox team set. And no, shorthanding the base set isn't the reason to create an update set, but because of the limit that Topps puts on THEMSELVES, they have to cut players and then team collectors have to hope that the update set will include them. This can all be avoided if Topps went back to the 792 card set. But I digress.
To bailorg and Sharpe, I knew I'd get heat for saying Ankiel was the Cardinals' Dean over Albert Pujols, and I did look to see if Ankiel was ever DFA'd (designated for assignment), but I couldn't find any information on that at all. Does being removed from the 40 man roster (which I did find) constitue being removed from MLB service time??? I don't know the logistics on that. Hey, if the Cards could get rid of Ankiel, then there would be no doubt, right???
To dayf the Cardboard Junkie, you must have missed my post about regarding the first ten bonus cards appearing in 2009 Topps Hobby Factory sets. Here is the original post. And to save time, the players who make up card numbers 1-10 are:
- 1 David Price, Rays
- 2 Rick Porcello, Tigers
- 3 Ryan Perry, Tigers
- 4 Brett Anderson, Athletics
- 5 David Freese, Cardinals
- 6 Koji Uehara, Orioles
- 7 Elvis Andrus, Rangers
- 8 Trevor Cahill, Athletics
- 9 Andrew Bailey, Athletics
- 10 Jordan Schafer, Braves
And finally, to friend of the blog TDLindgren, while the sell sheets do show that the Legends of the Game inserts will include Ruth as a Red Sock, and other legends in the unis of other teams, I did not see anything regarding more SP's, especially of said players pictured on different teams. I am hoping that there are no SP's in the U & H set. I'm still short five of the MLB SP's right now (still crying about seeing that the girls from Dinged Corners gave a Mike Schmidt SP card to a Phillies fan, but hey, I snooze, I lose).
So that's it for this month's edition of the Monthly Comment Mailbag. Keep on leaving those comments. That way I know that people are still reading my blog. If all goes well, this should be the first month (July 2009) where I reach 4,500 unique visits in a month (according to SiteMeter), which would be a record high for me. But then again, who's really counting right???
Sincerely,
JayBee Anama
Thursday, July 30, 2009
And in a Shocking Development...
John Grabow's term as Dean of the Pittsburgh Pirates lasted less than 24 hours. Not long after I wrote about him and his lack of a Topps card, he and Tom Gorzelanny were traded to the Chicago Cubs for Kevin Hart (who was the pitcher on the winning side today vs. the Astros), and two other players.
The new Dean is Ryan Doumit, and unless he gets traded, he gets the title (beating out Zach Duke by less than a month).
At least Doumit has Topps cards (which I will scan and post this evening).
Sincerely,
JayBee Anama
The new Dean is Ryan Doumit, and unless he gets traded, he gets the title (beating out Zach Duke by less than a month).
At least Doumit has Topps cards (which I will scan and post this evening).
Sincerely,
JayBee Anama
Updating the Dean's List...What Do You Mean He Doesn't Have a Topps Card???
Roy Halladay is still a Blue Jay. Cliff Lee left for the Phillies (V-Mart is still the dean though). And in beautiful Pittsburgh, PA, the Pirates are in sell-off mode again. And boy have they been dealing.
Jack Wilson, the Pirates previous "Dean," is now in Seattle along with pitcher Ian Snell, in exchange for Jeff Clement (who should be able to get more playing time with the Bucs than he would have with the M's), Ronny Cedeño (Cub fans, he's still around...), and three minor leaguers.
Freddy Sanchez (who would have been next after Snell), is now with San Francisco, who the Pirates were playing this week. In effect, Sanchez packed his stuff from the PNC Park home locker room and joined his new teammates in the visitors' locker room. Not only did the Giants sweep the Pirates this week, they took their best player with them.
So who does that leave as the current "Dean" of the Pirates? The answer might surprise everyone but the most die-hard Pirates fan. It's relief pitcher John Grabow, who made his MLB debut on September 14, 2003. He beats out Ryan Doumit (06/05/2005).
Now, if you're looking for a Topps John Grabow card to add to your Dean's list...
You're not going to find one. According to the number one source of the hobby, Grabow has 75 cards TOTAL (this number includes parallels, minor league cards and other random inserts. This does not include the team cards that has everyone squeezed together onto one card)!!! Guys like Jeter, Pujols, et. al, get more than 75 cards in a year from both Topps and UD each, and this guy has only 75 total??? And of which, his only Topps cards were from the Topps Total sets (2002 and 2005) where EVERYBODY had a card. His 2005 card was shared with Mike Gonzalez. What??! Then again, I don't feel so bad, because even in all their efforts to include everyone in their base and update sets, even UD has missed him a couple of years (he shows up in 2006, 2007, and 2009, but not in 2008 for some reason).
I know he plays for the Pirates. I know that he's only a middle relief pitcher. But Topps, could you at least make an effort to get this guy on a card??? At least give him a spot as one of the TBD's on the 2009 Topps Updates and Highlights set. There are 19 TBD's on the intial checklist, three of which you have reserved for "TBD Veterans." Don't you think it'd be a good idea to include him, since he's been with the Pirates the longest???
Then again, there has been interest in him as well...from the Yankees. I'm sure that if he gets traded there, he'll get a card (isn't the rule that EVERY Yankee gets a card???). But it's a travesty to Pirates fans everywhere that he doesn't have a regular Topps card to call his own. Make an effort, Topps. Add Grabow to the set.
This is why I want Topps to bring back the 792 card sets again.
Sincerely,
JayBee Anama
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
The Night Owl Comes Through...Not with Cards, but New Blogrolls to Read!!!
I guess my requests to add more blogs to the big Blogroll did not fall on deaf ears (or blind eyes as the case may be) as the Night Owl recommended twelve sites to be included. Some sites have been around for a while (since January of this year), others are relatively new to the Hobby Blogging Community.
The new dozen recommended are:
So thanks Night Owl for the sites. They've all been added to the Blogroll and notified of this (and you've been credited for it). Which only goes to show that I need to do a better job of looking out for these blogs. That, or hope that new bloggers know to send me an e-mail so they can be added to the Sports Card Blogroll.
Sincerely,
JayBee Anama
The new dozen recommended are:
- Baseball State of Mind
- Card Cluster
- Project Phillies
- Core Contrarian
- 1980 Topps Baseball
- A Giant Blog
- No One's Going to Read This Blog
- Cobb and Halladay
- Baseball Card Recollections (fixed the link)
- Enough Already
- The Collectiholic
- The Pursuit of Baseball Card Wisdom (previously known as Going, Going, Gone)
So thanks Night Owl for the sites. They've all been added to the Blogroll and notified of this (and you've been credited for it). Which only goes to show that I need to do a better job of looking out for these blogs. That, or hope that new bloggers know to send me an e-mail so they can be added to the Sports Card Blogroll.
Sincerely,
JayBee Anama
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
The Sports Card Blogroll Moves on Without...
I don't think I've added any new blogs to the Sports Card Blogroll in the last couple of weeks. Or if I have, it's been few and far between. That's not a good thing as I'd like to add more links to the big blogroll than I have to remove due to inactivity. If you, or someone you know, has a blog that's not on the roll, please send me an e-mail at bdj610@hotmail.com. I'd love to add them.
Anyway, it's that time of the month again where I have to remove a few more blogs due to six months of inactivity. By now, you know how this works. I'll link them on here so that you can all see what they were about, and at least give them one last shot at recognition. The Sports Card Blogroll sadly says goodbye to:
Sincerely,
JayBee Anama
Anyway, it's that time of the month again where I have to remove a few more blogs due to six months of inactivity. By now, you know how this works. I'll link them on here so that you can all see what they were about, and at least give them one last shot at recognition. The Sports Card Blogroll sadly says goodbye to:
- The Topps Card Blog (no, not mine, but a guy who was going to talk about Heritage cards)
- MLB Collector
- Get High on Hockey
- 1978 Topps Baseball - 78 Topps Cards (from the writer of the HOF 88 Topps Cards)
- Boston Red Sox - Green Monster
- Adrian Peterson - SCU Presents: The All Day Highlight Reel (Gellman's attempt at a player blog seems to have been shelved)
Sincerely,
JayBee Anama
Monday, July 27, 2009
2009 Topps Updates and Highlights Sell Sheets are Live!!!
The highly anticipated sell sheets for 2009 Topps Updates and Highlights are out. See scans below for more information.
The official breakdown of the 330 card set includes:
The official breakdown of the 330 card set includes:
- 180 veterans
- 55 rookies (checklist seems to match what I had previously posted)
- 67 All-Stars
- 8 Home Run Derby participants (Fielder, Howard, Pujols, Gonzalez, Inge, Mauer, Cruz, and Peña)
- 10 Season Highlights
- 10 Classic Combos/Checklists
It looks like all five all-stars who didn't have base cards within series 1 and 2 are included in U & H (Heath Bell, Ryan Franklin, Edwin Jackson, Tim Wakefield, and Ben Zobrist). However, this set is including 67 All-Stars cards, all but Wakefield is getting the All-Star treatment (along with four other players who made the teams one way or another).
Product information is here. Product checklist is here, but remember, it is always subject to change.
Bring on November!!!
Sincerely,
JayBee Anama
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)