Hey Cub Fans!!! Topps Has Card Giveaways in 2013!!!

For the first time since 2004, Topps and the Chicago Cubs are reuniting to giveaway cards during select home games.  According to Topps' Twitter account, an 82-card set of what looks like exclusive Topps Archives cards that will be given out over 4 home games in 2013.

Here is a scan of the cards (in sheet form):

Looks like there will be a variety of years (I see 1996, 1990, 1987, 1984, 1982, 1979, 1972, 1971, 1965, 1964, 1963, and 1962) here.

According to the Cubs' website, the first 10,000 fans in attendance will get these sets.  The dates:

• Friday, May 3, 2013 vs. Cincinnati Reds
• Friday, July 5, 2013 vs. Pittsburgh Pirates
• Friday, August 2, 2013 vs. Los Angeles Dodgers
• Friday, August 30, 2013 vs. Philadelphia Phillies

As much as I'd prefer to have the reprint card program return (similar to the giveaways from 2001-2004), this is a nice alternative.  At 82 cards, it's going to be a fun set to go after.  No word yet as to how the cards will be distributed.  

Now I'm off to see if the other 29 teams are going to have similar giveaways.  Or at least that Topps will be involved in somehow.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

P.S.:  Tim, sorry, I get my 66's and 65's mixed up sometimes.  It is now fixed.

Random Topps Card of the Day: 1999 Topps #386 Jose Cruz, Jr.

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Friday, January 18, 2013:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1999 Topps #386.
• Player Name, position, team: Jose Cruz, Jr., outfielder, Toronto Blue Jays.
• Major League Debut: May 31, 1997.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1998 stats (Syracuse, AAA-International): 40 G, 174 AB, 29 R, 42 H, 14 2B, 1 3B, 7 HR, 23 RBI, 8 SB, .560 SLG, 32 BB, 32 SO, .298 AVG.
• Any special information about player: Drafted by the Mariners #1st, June 1995. Traded by the Mariners to the Blue Jays 07/31/1997. Bats: both. Throws: right.
• Number of regular Topps Cards (includes regular and traded cards only): 11. This is his second Topps card.
• Blurb on the back: "Batting .214 with 3 HRs on June 13, 1998, Jose recovered to hit .285 with 8 HRs after a minor league stint."
• Commentary: While the 1999 Topps design utilized gold colored borders and design elements, I am so glad that they limited the gold foil to the name of the player and the Topps logo.  The large pictures really makes the action shots pop, thus making the 1999 set one of my favorites.  Because Jose was sent to the minors, the last line of stats were from his 40 games at Syracuse.  In the majors, his stats were:  105 G, 352 AB, 55 R, 89 H, 14 2B, 3 3B, 11 HR, 42 RBI, 11 SB, .403 SLG, 57 BB, 99 SO, .253 AVG.  The son of longtime Astros' shortstop Jose Cruz, Jose, Jr. did eventually proved he belonged as a bonafide major leaguer.  In 1999, the Blue Jays' centerfielder hit a decent .241 with 14 home runs and 45 rbi's.  In six seasons in Toronto, he hit 122 home runs and 355 rbi's to go with OBP/SLG/OPS percentages of .331/.462/.793.  He signed with the Giants in 2003 and won Gold Glove for his play in rightfield (2 errors in 360 chances, 7 double plays, 18 assists).  His journeyman career began in 2004 with stints with the Devil Rays, then followed an injury-riddled 2005 with the Diamondbacks, Red Sox (for four games in 2005), and Dodgers.  In 2007, he joined the Padres, after being designated for assignment by LA.  After 91 games, however, the team released him.  One final run with the Astros in 1998 in which he hit .122 in 38 games resulted in him DFA'd.  He hasn't played in the majors since.  He has since worked as an analyst for MLB.com.
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $0.07-$0.20.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 21.

Tomorrow's card will be: 1980 Topps #579. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Flash back with the blog tomorrow.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 2008 Topps #300 Chien-Ming Wang

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Thursday, January 17, 2013:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 2008 Topps #300.
• Player Name, position, team: Chien-Ming Wang, pitcher, New York Yankees.
• Major League Debut: April 30, 2005.
• Last Line of Statistics: 2007 stats (Yankees): 30 G, 199.1 IP, 19-7, 84 R, 82 H, 104 S0, 59 BB, 30 GS, 1 CG, 0 SHO, 0 SV, 1.29 WHIP, 3.70 ERA.
• Any special information about player: Signed with the Yankees as a Free Agent 05/05/2000. Bats: right. Throws: right.
• Number of regular Topps Cards (includes regular and traded cards only): 8. This is his fifth Topps card.
• Blurb on the back: "Wang is remarkable," Joe Torre says of the sinkerballing '06-07 MLB wins leader (38).  "He's sort of like a knuckleball pitcher   You know what's coming and there's really nothing you can do about it."
• Commentary: Although the design of the 2008 Topps set has given it the moniker "The Circus Set," you have to admit that after the all-black bordered set the year before, the colorful circles that hold the team name was a welcome sight for those who collect by team.  The design was so good that even eponymous football and basketball cards Topps made that year utilized the same design element.  The only thing I didn't really like about the design was the fact that the Topps logo is in a dip, taking away space from the picture.  I guess that makes it unique.  Chien-Ming Wang is one of 8 MLB players who were born in Taiwan.  While not the first Taiwanese-born player to play in the majors (that would have been Chin-Feng Chen, Wang was the most successful pitcher to come out of the country.  By the time this card came out, Wang was on his way to being one of the best pitchers in baseball.  Between 2006-2007, the man went 38-13, with an ERA of 3.67, 180 strikeouts, and a WHIP of 1.301.  He even took second in the 2006 Cy Young voting and was an MVP candidate.  He was well on his way in 2008, starting the season 5-0.  It was a couple of injury that occurred in Wang's right foot during an interleague game (as he was running the bases no less) that derailed the rest of his season.  He finished the year with an 8-2 record, an ERA of 4.07, and struck out 54 batters.  The injuries seemed to cause him to alter his pitching delivery, which caused him to struggle.  Taken off the rotation in 2009, he was shut down for the year on July 30, missing out on participating in the Yankee's World Series run.  He signed on with the Washington Nationals in 2010, spending most of his season in the minors rehabbing.  He finally debuted with the team in 2011, but injuries have limited his playing time since. He is presently a free agent coming into the 2013 season, and he was recently named to the Taiwan (Chinese Taipei) team that will compete in the World Baseball Classic.
• Beckett value: $0.30-$0.75.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 57 cards.

Tomorrow's card will be: 1999 Topps #386. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Until tomorrow everybody.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Team Set of the Week: 2012 Topps Los Angeles Dodgers

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

• Team: 2012 Los Angeles Dodgers
• Record: 86-76, second place, NL West Division.
• Manager: Don Mattingly
• Card on the Top: Matt Kemp

The checklist consists of the following players:

• LAD1 Matt Kemp
• LAD2 Jerry Sands
• LAD3 Mark Ellis
• LAD4 Juan Uribe
• LAD5 Juan Rivera
• LAD6 Ted Lilly
• LAD7 Andre Ethier
• LAD8 Clayton Kershaw
• LAD9 James Loney
• LAD10 Kenley Jansen
• LAD11 Aaron Harang
• LAD12 Tony Gwynn, Jr.
• LAD13 Dee Gordon
• LAD14 Chad Billingsley
• LAD15 Javy Guerra
• LAD16 Nathan Eovaldi
• LAD17 Dodger 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 2012 Topps eponymous set:

• Matt Kemp's regular card is the same in retail, but he showed up in Beast Mode on an SP'd card #330 in Series 2:
  
  

• Here's Jerry Sands getting congratulations on his base card:
  
  

• The base card of Mark Ellis tells us that the retail card uses the same picture, but as a close up:
  
  

• Ditto for Juan Uribe:
  
  

• And Andre Ethier:
  
  

• Clayton Kershaw has a short-printed card as well, and he's in a retro jersey:
  
  

• You know how Ellis, Uribe, and Ethier's retail cards use closeup shots of their base cards? Well, it applies to Kenley Jansen's card:
  
  

• And as well as Aaron Harang's card:
  
  

• Here is Tony Gwynn, Jr. sliding into the next base on his eponymous Topps card:
  
  

• Dee Gordon, along with most of the 2011 All-Star Rookie Team members had two cards. The card used in the retail set is the same as the one card that didn't have the Rookie Cup. So, here is the card WITH the Cup:
  
  

So of the 16 players included in this set, two feature pictures of players that you will only find in the retail set.  The rest are either close ups of their base cards (not counting the SP cards of Kemp and Kershaw, and the second card of Gordon).

Next week's featured set will be the 2008 Washington Nationals. 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.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

So the 2013 Topps Series 1 Checklist is Out and Final (or is it???)

The buzz going today around the Hobby is the announcement of the FINAL checklist for 2013 Topps Series 1. For those of us who are ready for "The Chase," this is welcome news. Thanks to Topps, player collectors can see if their guy is in the set and how many cards he will have (those pesky parallels). Thanks to Topps, team collectors will know how many players from their team are in the set. Thanks to Topps, set collectors (like me) now know what we're going to be after.

Because I don't really collect (or care for) the relics and autos, I'm only going to list the base cards and regular insert checklists below. Get your pencils ready:

BASE

1 Bryce Harper Washington Nationals
2 Derek Jeter New York Yankees
3 Hunter Pence San Francisco Giants
4 Yadier Molina St. Louis Cardinals
5 Carlos Gonzalez Colorado Rockies
6 Ryan Howard Philadelphia Phillies
8 Ryan Braun Milwaukee Brewers
9 Dee Gordon Los Angeles Dodgers
10 Adam Jones Baltimore Orioles
11 Yu Darvish Texas Rangers
12 A.J. Pierzynski Chicago White Sox
13 Brett Lawrie Toronto Blue Jays
14 Paul Konerko Chicago White Sox
15 Dustin Pedroia Boston Red Sox
16 Andre Ethier Los Angeles Dodgers
17 Shin-Soo Choo Cleveland Indians
18 Mitch Moreland Texas Rangers
19 Joey Votto Cincinnati Reds
20 Kevin Youkilis Chicago White Sox
21 Lucas Duda New York Mets
22 Clayton Kershaw Los Angeles Dodgers
23 Jemile Weeks Oakland Athletics
24 Dan Haren Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
25 Mark Teixeira New York Yankees
26 Chase Utley Philadelphia Phillies
27 Mike Trout Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
28 Prince Fielder Detroit Tigers
29 Adrian Beltre Texas Rangers
30 Neftali Feliz Texas Rangers
31 Jose Tabata Pittsburgh Pirates
32 Craig Breslow Boston Red Sox
33 Cliff Lee Philadelphia Phillies
34 Felix Hernandez Seattle Mariners
35 Justin Verlander Detroit Tigers
36 Jered Weaver Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
37 Max Scherzer Detroit Tigers
38 Brian Wilson San Francisco Giants
39 Scott Feldman Texas Rangers
40 Chien-Ming Wang Washington Nationals
41 Daniel Hudson Arizona Diamondbacks
42 Detroit Tigers POSTSEASON HIGHLIGHTS
43 R.A. Dickey New York Mets
44 Anthony Rizzo Chicago Cubs
45 Travis Ishikawa Milwaukee Brewers
46 Craig Kimbrel Atlanta Braves
47 Howie Kendrick Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
48 Ryan Cook Oakland Athletics
49 Chris Sale Chicago White Sox
50 Adam Wainwright St. Louis Cardinals
51 Jonathan Broxton Cincinnati Reds
52 CC Sabathia New York Yankees
53 Alex Cobb Tampa Bay Rays
54 Jaime Garcia St. Louis Cardinals
55 Tim Lincecum San Francisco Giants
56 Joe Blanton Los Angeles Dodgers
57 Mark Lowe Texas Rangers
58 Jeremy Hellickson Tampa Bay Rays
59 John Axford Milwaukee Brewers
60 Jon Rauch New York Mets
61 Trevor Bauer Arizona Diamondbacks
62 Tommy Hunter Baltimore Orioles
63 Justin Masterson Cleveland Indians
64 Will Middlebrooks Boston Red Sox
65 J.P. Howell Tampa Bay Rays
66 Daniel Nava Boston Red Sox
67 San Francisco Giants WORLD SERIES HIGHLIGHTS
68 Colby Rasmus Toronto Blue Jays
69 Marco Scutaro San Francisco Giants POSTSEASON HIGHLIGHTS
70 Todd Frazier Cincinnati Reds
71 Kyle Kendrick Philadelphia Phillies
72 Gerardo Parra Arizona Diamondbacks
73 Brandon Crawford San Francisco Giants
74 Kenley Jansen Los Angeles Dodgers
75 Barry Zito San Francisco Giants
76 Brandon Inge Oakland Athletics
77 Dustin Moseley San Diego Padres
78 Dylan Bundy Baltimore Orioles Rookie
79 Adam Eaton Arizona Diamondbacks Rookie
80 Ryan Zimmerman Washington Nationals
81 Clayton Kershaw/Johnny Cueto/R.A. Dickey LEAGUE LEADERS
82 Jason Vargas Seattle Mariners
83 Darin Ruf Philadelphia Phillies Rookie
84 Adeiny Hechavarria Toronto Blue Jays Rookie
85 Sean Doolittle Oakland Athletics Rookie
86 Henry Rodriguez Cincinnati Reds Rookie
87 Mike Olt Texas Rangers Rookie
88 Jamey Carroll Minnesota Twins
89 Johan Santana New York Mets RECORD CHASERS
90 Andy Pettitte New York Yankees RECORD CHASERS
91 Alfredo Aceves Boston Red Sox
92 Clint Barmes Pittsburgh Pirates
93 Austin Kearns Miami Marlins
94 Justin Verlander/David Price/Jered Weaver LEAGUE LEADERS
95 Matt Harrison/David Price/Jered Weaver LEAGUE LEADERS
96 Edward Mujica St. Louis Cardinals
97 Danny Espinosa Washington Nationals
98 Gaby Sanchez Pittsburgh Pirates
99 Paco Rodriguez Los Angeles Dodgers Rookie
100 Mike Moustakas Kansas City Royals
101 Bryan Shaw Arizona Diamondbacks
102 Denard Span Minnesota Twins
103 Evan Longoria Tampa Bay Rays
104 Jed Lowrie Houston Astros
105 Freddie Freeman Atlanta Braves
106 Drew Stubbs Cincinnati Reds
107 Joe Mauer Minnesota Twins
108 Kendrys Morales Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
109 Kirk Nieuwenhuis New York Mets
110 Justin Upton Arizona Diamondbacks
111 Casey Kelly San Diego Padres Rookie
112 Mark Reynolds Baltimore Orioles
113 Starlin Castro Chicago Cubs
114 Casey McGehee New York Yankees
115 Tim Hudson Atlanta Braves
116 Brian McCann Atlanta Braves
117 Aubrey Huff San Francisco Giants
118 Daisuke Matsuzaka Boston Red Sox
119 Chris Davis Baltimore Orioles
120 Ian Desmond Washington Nationals
121 Delmon Young Detroit Tigers
122 Andrew McCutchen Pittsburgh Pirates
123 Rickie Weeks Milwaukee Brewers
124 Ricky Romero Toronto Blue Jays
125 Matt Holliday St. Louis Cardinals
126 Dan Uggla Atlanta Braves
127 Giancarlo Stanton Miami Marlins
128 Buster Posey San Francisco Giants POSTSEASON HIGHLIGHTS
129 Ike Davis New York Mets
130 Jason Motte St. Louis Cardinals
131 Ian Kennedy Arizona Diamondbacks
132 Ryan Vogelsong San Francisco Giants
133 James Shields Tampa Bay Rays
134 Jake Arrieta Baltimore Orioles
135 Eric Hosmer Kansas City Royals
136 Tyler Clippard Washington Nationals
137 Edinson Volquez San Diego Padres
138 Michael Morse Washington Nationals
139 Bobby Parnell New York Mets
140 Wade Davis Tampa Bay Rays
141 Carlos Santana Cleveland Indians
142 Tony Cingrani Cincinnati Reds Rookie
143 Jim Johnson Baltimore Orioles
144 Jason Bay New York Mets
145 Anthony Bass San Diego Padres
146 Kyle McClellan St. Louis Cardinals
147 Ivan Nova New York Yankees
148 L.J. Hoes Baltimore Orioles Rookie
149 Yovani Gallardo Milwaukee Brewers
150 John Danks Chicago White Sox
151 Alex Rios Chicago White Sox
152 Jose Contreras Philadelphia Phillies
153 Miguel Cabrera/Josh Hamilton/Curtis Granderson LEAGUE LEADERS
154 Sergio Romo San Francisco Giants
155 Mat Latos Cincinnati Reds
156 Dillon Gee New York Mets
157 Carter Capps Seattle Mariners Rookie
158 Chad Billingsley Los Angeles Dodgers
159 Felipe Paulino Kansas City Royals
160 Stephen Drew Oakland Athletics
161 Bronson Arroyo Cincinnati Reds
162 Kyle Seager Seattle Mariners
163 J.A. Happ Toronto Blue Jays
164 Lucas Harrell Houston Astros
165 Ramon Hernandez Colorado Rockies
166 Logan Ondrusek Cincinnati Reds
167 Luke Hochevar Kansas City Royals
168 Kyle Farnsworth Tampa Bay Rays
169 Brad Ziegler Arizona Diamondbacks
170 Eury Perez Washington Nationals Rookie
171 Brock Holt Pittsburgh Pirates Rookie
172 Nyjer Morgan Milwaukee Brewers
173 Tyler Skaggs Arizona Diamondbacks Rookie
174 Jason Grilli Pittsburgh Pirates
175 A.J. Ramos Miami Marlins Rookie
176 Robert Andino Baltimore Orioles
177 Elliot Johnson Tampa Bay Rays
178 Justin Maxwell Houston Astros
179 Detroit Tigers POSTSEASON HIGHLIGHTS
180 Casey Kotchman Cleveland Indians
181 Jeff Keppinger Tampa Bay Rays
182 Randy Choate Los Angeles Dodgers
183 Drew Hutchison Toronto Blue Jays
184 Geovany Soto Texas Rangers
185 Rob Scahill Colorado Rockies Rookie
186 Jordan Pacheco Colorado Rockies
187 Nick Maronde Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim Rookie
188 Brian Fuentes St. Louis Cardinals
189 Buster Posey/Andrew McCutchen/Ryan Braun LEAGUE LEADERS
190 Daniel Descalso St. Louis Cardinals
191 Chris Capuano Los Angeles Dodgers
192 Javier Lopez San Francisco Giants
193 Matt Carpenter St. Louis Cardinals
194 Edwin Encarnacion/Miguel Cabrera/Josh Hamilton LEAGUE LEADERS
195 Chris Heisey Cincinnati Reds
196 Ryan Vogelsong San Francisco Giants WORLD SERIES HIGHLIGHTS
197 Tyler Cloyd Philadelphia Phillies Rookie
198 Chris Coghlan Miami Marlins
199 Avisail Garcia Detroit Tigers Rookie
200 Scott Downs Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
201 Jonny Venters Atlanta Braves
202 Zack Cozart Cincinnati Reds
203 Wilson Ramos Washington Nationals
204 Alex Gordon Kansas City Royals
205 Ryan Theriot San Francisco Giants
206 Jimmy Rollins Philadelphia Phillies
207 Matt Holliday St. Louis Cardinals
208 Kurt Suzuki Washington Nationals
209 David DeJesus Chicago Cubs
210 Vernon Wells Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
211 Jarrod Parker Oakland Athletics
212 Eric Chavez New York Yankees
213 Alex Rodriguez New York Yankees
214 Curtis Granderson New York Yankees
215 Gordon Beckham Chicago White Sox
216 Josh Willingham Minnesota Twins
217 Brian Matusz Baltimore Orioles
218 Ben Zobrist Tampa Bay Rays
219 Josh Beckett Los Angeles Dodgers
220 Octavio Dotel Detroit Tigers
221 Heath Bell Arizona Diamondbacks
222 Jason Heyward Atlanta Braves
223 Yonder Alonso San Diego Padres
224 Jon Jay St. Louis Cardinals
225 Will Venable San Diego Padres
226 Derek Lowe New York Yankees
227 Jose Altuve Houston Astros
228 Adrian Gonzalez Los Angeles Dodgers
229 Jeff Samardzija Chicago Cubs
230 David Robertson New York Yankees
231 Melky Mesa New York Yankees Rookie
232 Jake Odorizzi Kansas City Royals Rookie
233 Edwin Jackson Washington Nationals
234 A.J. Burnett Pittsburgh Pirates
235 Jake Westbrook St. Louis Cardinals
236 Joe Nathan Texas Rangers
237 Brandon Lyon Toronto Blue Jays
238 Carlos Zambrano Miami Marlins
239 Ramon Santiago Detroit Tigers
240 J.J. Putz Arizona Diamondbacks
241 Jacoby Ellsbury Boston Red Sox
242 Matt Kemp Los Angeles Dodgers
243 Aaron Crow Kansas City Royals
244 Lucas Luetge Seattle Mariners
245 Jason Isringhausen Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
246 Ryan Braun/Giancarlo Stanton/Jay Bruce LEAGUE LEADERS
247 Luis Perez Toronto Blue Jays
248 Colby Lewis Texas Rangers
249 Vance Worley Philadelphia Phillies
250 Jonathon Niese New York Mets
251 Sean Marshall Cincinnati Reds
252 Dustin Ackley Seattle Mariners
253 Adam Greenberg Miami Marlins Rookie
254 Sean Burnett Washington Nationals
255 Josh Johnson Miami Marlins
256 Madison Bumgarner San Francisco Giants WORLD SERIES HIGHLIGHTS
257 Mike Minor Atlanta Braves
258 Doug Fister Detroit Tigers
259 Bartolo Colon Oakland Athletics
260 San Francisco Giants POSTSEASON HIGHLIGHTS
261 Trevor Rosenthal St. Louis Cardinals Rookie
262 Kevin Correia Pittsburgh Pirates
263 Ted Lilly Los Angeles Dodgers
264 Roy Halladay Philadelphia Phillies RECORD CHASERS
265 Tyler Colvin Colorado Rockies
266 Albert Pujols Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim RECORD CHASERS
267 Jason Kipnis Cleveland Indians
268 David Lough Kansas City Royals Rookie
269 St. Louis Cardinals POSTSEASON HIGHLIGHTS
270 Manny Machado Baltimore Orioles Rookie
271 Jeurys Familia New York Mets Rookie
272 Ryan Braun/Alfonso Soriano/Chase Headley LEAGUE LEADERS
273 Dexter Fowler Colorado Rockies
274 Miguel Montero Arizona Diamondbacks
275 Johnny Cueto Cincinnati Reds
276 Luis Ayala Baltimore Orioles
277 Brendan Ryan Seattle Mariners
278 Christian Garcia Washington Nationals Rookie
279 Vicente Padilla Boston Red Sox
280 Rafael Dolis Chicago Cubs
281 David Hernandez Arizona Diamondbacks
282 Russell Martin New York Yankees
283 CC Sabathia New York Yankees
284 Angel Pagan San Francisco Giants POSTSEASON HIGHLIGHTS
285 Addison Reed Chicago White Sox
286 Jurickson Profar Texas Rangers Rookie
287 Johnny Cueto/Gio Gonzalez/R.A. Dickey LEAGUE LEADERS
288 Starling Marte Pittsburgh Pirates
289 Jeremy Guthrie Kansas City Royals
290 Tom Layne San Diego Padres Rookie
291 Ryan Sweeney Boston Red Sox
292 Matt Thornton Chicago White Sox
293 Jeff Karstens Pittsburgh Pirates
294 Mike Trout/Adrian Beltre/Miguel Cabrera LEAGUE LEADERS
295 Brandon League Los Angeles Dodgers
296 Didi Gregorius Cincinnati Reds Rookie
297 Michael Saunders Seattle Mariners
298 Pablo Sandoval San Francisco Giants WORLD SERIES HIGHLIGHTS
299 Darwin Barney Chicago Cubs
300 Daniel Murphy New York Mets
301 Jarrod Saltalamacchia Boston Red Sox
302 Aaron Hill Arizona Diamondbacks
303 Alex Rodriguez New York Yankees RECORD CHASERS
304 Kyle Drabek Toronto Blue Jays
305 Shelby Miller St. Louis Cardinals Rookie
306 Jerry Hairston Los Angeles Dodgers
307 Norichika Aoki Milwaukee Brewers
308 Desmond Jennings Tampa Bay Rays
309 Endy Chavez Baltimore Orioles
310 Edwin Encarnacion Toronto Blue Jays
311 Rajai Davis Toronto Blue Jays
312 Scott Hairston New York Mets
313 Maicer Izturis Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
314 A.J. Ellis Los Angeles Dodgers
315 Rafael Furcal St. Louis Cardinals
316 Josh Reddick Oakland Athletics
317 Baltimore Orioles POSTSEASON HIGHLIGHTS
318 Hiroki Kuroda New York Yankees
319 Brian Bogusevic Houston Astros
320 Michael Young Texas Rangers
321 Allen Craig St. Louis Cardinals
322 Alex Gonzalez Milwaukee Brewers
323 Michael Brantley Cleveland Indians
324 Cameron Maybin San Diego Padres
325 Kevin Millwood Seattle Mariners
326 Andruw Jones New York Yankees
327 Jhonny Peralta Detroit Tigers
328 Jayson Werth Washington Nationals
329 Rafael Soriano New York Yankees
330 Ryan Raburn Detroit Tigers
331 Jose Reyes Toronto Blue Jays

OUT OF BOUNDS - BASE SHORTPRINT
1 Bryce Harper Washington Nationals
13 Brett Lawrie Toronto Blue Jays
14 Paul Konerko Chicago White Sox
16 Andre Ethier Los Angeles Dodgers
20 Kevin Youkilis Chicago White Sox
27 Mike Trout Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
44 Anthony Rizzo Chicago Cubs
70 Todd Frazier Cincinnati Reds
100 Mike Moustakas Kansas City Royals
105 Freddie Freeman Atlanta Braves
107 Joe Mauer Minnesota Twins
112 Mark Reynolds Baltimore Orioles
122 Andrew McCutchen Pittsburgh Pirates
128 Buster Posey San Francisco Giants
135 Eric Hosmer Kansas City Royals
204 Alex Gordon Kansas City Royals
213 Alex Rodriguez New York Yankees
216 Josh Willingham Minnesota Twins
242 Matt Kemp Los Angeles Dodgers
282 Russell Martin New York Yankees
311 Rajai Davis Toronto Blue Jays
324 Cameron Maybin San Diego Padres
350 Albert Pujols Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
400 David Wright New York Mets
450 Jay Bruce Cincinnati Reds

A few notes:

• Isn't it great??? Topps actually included the list of cards that will be inserted as Short Prints!!! And there will be 25 of them. None of which I'll necessarily need for my collection (although if I somehow manage to get one, I won't complain...honest).
• Did you notice that there is a card #331 of Jose Reyes as a Toronto Blue Jay. Based on reports, this will not be one of those super-short-printed cards like last year (which coincidentally, also featured Jose Reyes). It will be a regular base card. Well, if there are 330 cards in the set, and there is a card #331, what's missing? Did you happen to notice that there between card #6 of Ryan Howard and #8 or Ryan Braun that there IS NO NUMBER 7 CARD LISTED??! Not even a Mickey Mantle sighting. I pointed this out earlier, asking if the number was retired, only to get a response from Chris Olds (that guy from the Number One Source in the Hobby) stating that the number was retired in 1996. While I already knew that I stated that the number was un-retired in 2006, only to be told that it was, "in a way" always retired, but Topps saved the number for Mantle. But there is no Mantle listed on the checklist this year, hence no number 7? Did Topps lose the rights? I mean, I know I always said that the Mantle thing was an overkill, but for them not to put a #7 again, you'd think Topps would have said something...
• There are 32 cards (all players in italics) that will have the Rookie Card logo, including Adam Greenberg.  Carter Capps, who made his MLB Debut on August 03, 2012, wasn't on the list of 53 players deemed by the MLBPA as Rookie Card Eligible heading into the 2013 season.  Why is that?

Here are the insert sets that I'll be after.

CHASING HISTORY

CH-1 Roy Halladay Philadelphia Phillies
CH-2 Roberto Clemente Pittsburgh Pirates
CH-3 Ian Kinsler Texas Rangers
CH-4 Cal Ripken Jr. Baltimore Orioles
CH-5 Yogi Berra New York Yankees
CH-6 Rod Carew Minnesota Twins
CH-7 Carlos Santana Cleveland Indians
CH-8 Rickey Henderson Oakland Athletics
CH-9 Mariano Rivera New York Yankees
CH-10 Lou Gehrig New York Yankees
CH-11 Babe Ruth New York Yankees
CH-12 Evan Longoria Tampa Bay Rays
CH-13 Don Mattingly New York Yankees
CH-14 Lou Brock St. Louis Cardinals
CH-15 Willie McCovey San Francisco Giants
CH-16 Lance Berkman St. Louis Cardinals
CH-17 R.A. Dickey New York Mets
CH-18 Ken Griffey Jr. Seattle Mariners
CH-19 Harmon Killebrew Minnesota Twins
CH-20 Reggie Jackson New York Yankees
CH-21 Frank Robinson Baltimore Orioles
CH-22 Matt Kemp Los Angeles Dodgers
CH-23 George Brett Kansas City Royals
CH-24 David Wright New York Mets
CH-25 Frank Thomas Chicago White Sox
CH-26 Chipper Jones Atlanta Braves
CH-27 Nolan Ryan Texas Rangers
CH-28 Tony Gwynn San Diego Padres
CH-29 Stan Musial St. Louis Cardinals
CH-30 Adam Dunn Chicago White Sox
CH-31 Warren Spahn Milwaukee Braves
CH-32 Brian Wilson San Francisco Giants
CH-33 Ted Williams Boston Red Sox
CH-34 Robin Yount Milwaukee Brewers
CH-35 Hank Aaron Atlanta Braves
CH-36 Kerry Wood Chicago Cubs
CH-37 Derek Jeter New York Yankees
CH-38 Tom Seaver New York Mets
CH-39 Jim Thome Philadelphia Phillies
CH-40 Mike Schmidt Philadelphia Phillies
CH-41 Johan Santana New York Mets
CH-42 Alex Rodriguez New York Yankees
CH-43 CC Sabathia New York Yankees
CH-44 Mark Buehrle Toronto Blue Jays
CH-45 Bob Feller Cleveland Indians
CH-46 Hanley Ramirez Los Angeles Dodgers
CH-47 Willie Mays San Francisco Giants
CH-48 Paul Konerko Chicago White Sox
CH-49 Jackie Robinson Brooklyn Dodgers
CH-50 Sandy Koufax Los Angeles Dodgers

CHASING THE DREAM

CD-1 Bryce Harper Washington Nationals
CD-2 Mike Trout Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
CD-3 Will Middlebrooks Boston Red Sox
CD-4 Trevor Bauer Arizona Diamondbacks
CD-5 Matt Moore Tampa Bay Rays
CD-6 Anthony Rizzo Chicago Cubs
CD-7 Jesus Montero Seattle Mariners
CD-8 Josh Reddick Oakland Athletics
CD-9 Devin Mesoraco Cincinnati Reds
CD-10 Giancarlo Stanton Miami Marlins
CD-11 Jacob Turner Miami Marlins
CD-12 Casey Kelly San Diego Padres
CD-13 Drew Hutchison Toronto Blue Jays
CD-14 Drew Pomeranz Colorado Rockies
CD-15 Jonathon Niese New York Mets
CD-16 Yonder Alonso San Diego Padres
CD-17 Addison Reed Chicago White Sox
CD-18 Chris Sale Chicago White Sox
CD-19 Yu Darvish Texas Rangers
CD-20 Tommy Milone Oakland Athletics
CD-21 Jarrod Parker Oakland Athletics
CD-22 Drew Smyly Detroit Tigers
CD-23 Jose Altuve Houston Astros
CD-24 Brett Lawrie Toronto Blue Jays
CD-25 Mike Moustakas Kansas City Royals

CUT TO THE CHASE

CTC-2 Ken Griffey Jr. Seattle Mariners
CTC-3 Derek Jeter New York Yankees
CTC-4 Babe Ruth New York Yankees
CTC-5 Paul Molitor Milwaukee Brewers
CTC-6 Carlos Gonzalez Colorado Rockies
CTC-7 Stan Musial St. Louis Cardinals
CTC-8 Ryan Braun Milwaukee Brewers
CTC-9 Ted Williams Boston Red Sox
CTC-10 Adam Jones Baltimore Orioles
CTC-11 Yu Darvish Texas Rangers
CTC-12 Lance Berkman St. Louis Cardinals
CTC-13 Brett Lawrie Toronto Blue Jays
CTC-14 David Price Tampa Bay Rays
CTC-15 Dustin Pedroia Boston Red Sox
CTC-16 Nelson Cruz Texas Rangers
CTC-17 Matt Cain San Francisco Giants
CTC-18 Tony Gwynn San Diego Padres
CTC-19 Mike Schmidt Philadelphia Phillies
CTC-20 Roberto Clemente Pittsburgh Pirates
CTC-21 Andrew McCutchen Pittsburgh Pirates
CTC-22 Ryne Sandberg Chicago Cubs
CTC-23 Willie Mays San Francisco Giants
CTC-25 Josh Hamilton Texas Rangers

THE GREATS

TG-1 Roberto Clemente Pittsburgh Pirates
TG-2 Willie Mays San Francisco Giants
TG-3 Babe Ruth New York Yankees
TG-4 Ernie Banks Chicago Cubs
TG-5 Ted Williams Boston Red Sox
TG-6 Jimmie Foxx Boston Red Sox
TG-7 Ken Griffey Jr. Seattle Mariners
TG-8 Mike Schmidt Philadelphia Phillies
TG-9 Rickey Henderson Oakland Athletics
TG-10 Nolan Ryan Texas Rangers
TG-11 John Smoltz Atlanta Braves
TG-12 Johnny Bench Cincinnati Reds
TG-13 Reggie Jackson Oakland Athletics
TG-14 Stan Musial St. Louis Cardinals
TG-15 Bob Gibson St. Louis Cardinals
TG-16 Tom Seaver New York Mets
TG-17 Chipper Jones Atlanta Braves
TG-18 Tony Gwynn San Diego Padres
TG-19 Willie McCovey San Francisco Giants
TG-20 Tom Glavine Atlanta Braves
TG-21 Joe Morgan Cincinnati Reds
TG-22 Hank Aaron Atlanta Braves
TG-23 Yogi Berra New York Yankees
TG-24 Sandy Koufax Los Angeles Dodgers
TG-25 Albert Pujols Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
TG-26 Derek Jeter New York Yankees
TG-27 Alex Rodriguez New York Yankees
TG-28 Roy Halladay Philadelphia Phillies
TG-29 Mariano Rivera New York Yankees
TG-30 Cal Ripken Jr. Baltimore Orioles

CALLING CARDS

CC-1 Prince Fielder Detroit Tigers
CC-2 Brandon Phillips Cincinnati Reds
CC-3 Felix Hernandez Seattle Mariners
CC-4 David Ortiz Boston Red Sox
CC-5 Jonathan Papelbon Philadelphia Phillies
CC-6 Willie Stargell Pittsburgh Pirates
CC-7 Mark Teixeira New York Yankees
CC-8 CC Sabathia New York Yankees
CC-9 R.A. Dickey New York Mets
CC-10 Tim Lincecum San Francisco Giants
CC-11 Reggie Jackson New York Yankees
CC-12 Kevin Youkilis Chicago White Sox
CC-13 Aroldis Chapman Cincinnati Reds
CC-14 Pablo Sandoval San Francisco Giants
CC-15 Albert Pujols Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

1972 TOPPS MINIS

TM-1 Buster Posey San Francisco Giants
TM-2 Dan Haren Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
TM-3 Jered Weaver Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
TM-4 Mike Trout Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
TM-5 Ian Kennedy Arizona Diamondbacks
TM-6 Trevor Bauer Arizona Diamondbacks
TM-7 Craig Kimbrel Atlanta Braves
TM-8 Dan Uggla Atlanta Braves
TM-9 Adam Jones Baltimore Orioles
TM-10 Adrian Gonzalez Los Angeles Dodgers
TM-11 Dustin Pedroia Boston Red Sox
TM-12 Anthony Rizzo Chicago Cubs
TM-13 Starlin Castro Chicago Cubs
TM-14 Chris Sale Chicago White Sox
TM-15 Paul Konerko Chicago White Sox
TM-16 Joey Votto Cincinnati Reds
TM-17 Johnny Cueto Cincinnati Reds
TM-18 Carlos Santana Cleveland Indians
TM-19 Carlos Gonzalez Colorado Rockies
TM-20 Justin Verlander Detroit Tigers
TM-21 Prince Fielder Detroit Tigers
TM-22 Andre Ethier Los Angeles Dodgers
TM-23 Clayton Kershaw Los Angeles Dodgers
TM-24 Giancarlo Stanton Miami Marlins
TM-25 Jose Reyes Miami Marlins
TM-26 Ryan Braun Milwaukee Brewers
TM-27 R.A. Dickey New York Mets
TM-28 Alex Rodriguez New York Yankees
TM-29 CC Sabathia New York Yankees
TM-30 Curtis Granderson New York Yankees
TM-31 Mark Teixeira New York Yankees
TM-32 Josh Reddick Oakland Athletics
TM-33 Cliff Lee Philadelphia Phillies
TM-34 Andrew McCutchen Pittsburgh Pirates
TM-35 Felix Hernandez Seattle Mariners
TM-36 Matt Holliday St. Louis Cardinals
TM-37 Evan Longoria Tampa Bay Rays
TM-38 Adrian Beltre Texas Rangers
TM-39 Yu Darvish Texas Rangers
TM-40 Colby Rasmus Toronto Blue Jays
TM-41 Bryce Harper Washington Nationals
TM-42 Willie Mays San Francisco Giants
TM-43 Tony Gwynn San Diego Padres
TM-44 Nolan Ryan Texas Rangers
TM-45 Cal Ripken Jr. Baltimore Orioles
TM-46 Jim Rice Boston Red Sox
TM-47 Roberto Clemente Pittsburgh Pirates
TM-48 Lou Gehrig New York Yankees
TM-49 Matt Kemp Los Angeles Dodgers
TM-50 Ted Williams Boston Red Sox

PENNANT CHASE CODE CARDS

PC-1 Arizona Diamondbacks
PC-2 Atlanta Braves
PC-3 Baltimore Orioles
PC-4 Boston Red Sox
PC-5 Chicago Cubs
PC-6 Chicago White Sox
PC-7 Cleveland Indians
PC-8 Cincinnati Reds
PC-9 Colorado Rockies
PC-10 Detroit Tigers
PC-11 Houston Astros
PC-12 Kansas City Royals
PC-13 Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
PC-14 Los Angeles Dodgers
PC-15 Miami Marlins
PC-16 Milwaukee Brewers
PC-17 Minnesota Twins
PC-18 New York Mets
PC-19 New York Yankees
PC-20 Oakland Athletics
PC-21 Philadelphia Phillies
PC-22 Pittsburgh Pirates
PC-23 St. Louis Cardinals
PC-24 San Diego Padres
PC-25 San Francisco Giants
PC-26 Seattle Mariners
PC-27 Tampa Bay Rays
PC-28 Texas Rangers
PC-29 Toronto Blue Jays
PC-30 Washington Nationals

More notes:

• I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that the Pennant Chase Code cards are going to be different from the CYMTO, Diamond, and Golden Giveaway code cards from the last three years (certainly different from ToppsTown...which looks like Topps has shuttered).
• The final checklist does not include two cards from the Cut to the Chase insert set (CTC-1 and CTC-24).
• Again, no Mickey Mantle on any of the insert sets.

The product comes out in two weeks (give or take).  Are you excited yet?  

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 1988 Topps #275 Kevin Seitzer

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Wednesday, January 16, 2013:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1988 Topps #275.
• Player Name, position, team: Kevin Seitzer, first baseman/third baseman, Kansas City Royals.
• Major League Debut: September 03, 1986.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1987 stats (Royals): 161 G, 641 AB, 105 R, 207 H, 33 2B, 8 3B, 15 HR, 83 RBI, 12 SB, .470 SLG, 80 BB, 85 SO, .323 AVG.
• Any special information about player: Drafted by the Royals, #11th, June 1983.  Bats: right. Throws: right.
• Number of regular Topps Cards (includes regular and traded cards only): 12. This is his second Topps card.
• Blurb on the back: "His 1st major league Grand Slam:  08/30/1987."
• Commentary: Kevin Seitzer had a long career in the major leagues.  Twelve seasons to be in fact.  But his best, it seems, was his rookie year in 1987.  He was an All-Star that year, he finished second in the Rookie of the Year voting, and was a candidate for MVP (he finished 20th, but still).  He was even named to the 1987 Topps All-Star Rookie Team (hence the Cup). As the Royals third baseman in 1988, he did not let up. He finished with a .304 average, hit 5 homers, and drove in 60 rbi's.  In his six years with the Royals, he appeared in 741 games, hit 33 homers, drove in 265, and a .294 average.  His  OBP/SLG/OPS percentages were .375/.404/.780.  He signed with the Brewers in 1992 after being released towards the end of Spring Training. Besides a half year with the Athletics, he remained a Brewer until a September trade with the Indians, that brought Jeromy Burnitz to Milwaukee.  He was the hitting coach for both the Diamondbacks, and recently with the Royals.  He owns a baseball and softball training facility in Kansas City with former teammate Mike Macfarlane.  The back of his card, like many of the player cards in 1988, features a This Way to the Clubhouse segment which explains how he joined the team.  In Seitzer's case, it says that he "was signed as an 11th round Draft selection with the Royals, June 10, 1983 by Scout Art Stewart."  In 2003, when Topps produced the first of three All-Time Fan Favorites sets, Seitzer's 1988 Topps card was included with a new picture, with the Rookie Cup.  However, you will not find this card in the base set.  It was included as an autograph card only.  
• Beckett value: $0.01-$0.05.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 21 cards.

Tomorrow's card will be 2008 Topps #300. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Hope you will be too.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 1998 Topps #162 Mark Wohlers

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Tuesday, January 15, 2013:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1998 Topps #162.
• Player Name, position, team: Mark Wohlers, pitcher, Atlanta Braves.
• Major League Debut: August 17, 1991.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1997 stats (Braves): 66 G, 49 AB, 6 R, 14 H, 2 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 7 RBI, 1 SB, .327 SLG, 2 BB, 9 SO, .286 AVG.
• Any special information about player: Signed with the Brewers as a Free Agent 10/24/1970. Contract purchased by the Reds from the Cubs 07/04/1979. Bats: right. Throws: right.
• Number of regular Topps Cards (includes regular and traded cards only): 9. This is his seventh Topps card.
• Blurb on the back: "It is said that behind every great starter is a great closer, so the heralded Atlanta rotation owes Mark a significant debt of gratitude for those gaudy won-loss records.  Wohlers, who throws as hard as any righthander in baseball, is the only Brave ever to record consecutive 30-save seasons.  His 1996 and '97 totals are the franchise's two highest ever."
• Commentary: I think that the player's name would have been a lot easier to read if it weren't for the colored background with the team logo behind it.  It makes the appearance way too busy and in many instances (for players on the Twins for example), it is hard to read the name of the player unless you're in a room with really good lighting.  Mark Wohlers was one of the best relievers in the National League in 1996 and 1997.  It certainly helped that his starting pitchers were among the best in the game, if not THE BEST (when you have guys like Maddux, Glavine, and Smoltz, all in their prime, wins are the norm) ever.  He saved Game 6, which clinched the Braves' 1995 World Series Championship and was even an All-Star in 1996.  But pitching in 213 games the previous three seasons (plus 23 postseason games) took its toll on the Braves' closer, because he was shelved three times during the 1998 campaign due to wildness and ineffectiveness (some people believed that he had psychological issues that caused him to over-think the act of throwing the ball).  When on the field, he wasn't doing very well.  In 27 games, he went 0-1 with an ERA of 10.18, eight saves, and 22 strikeouts.  After two games with the Braves in 1999, he was traded to the Reds that year.  But while undergoing treatment for anxiety, he went in for Tommy John surgery, which ended his year.  He returned in 2000 to the Reds, setting up for closer Danny Graves.  He spent the next two seasons with Reds, Yankees and Indians, improving his walk ratio.  After having to endure operations to remove bone chips in his right elbow and a second Tommy John surgery, he chose not to return to baseball.   
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $0.07-$0.20.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 12.

Tomorrow's card will be: 1988 Topps #275. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. We're looking back at a card from 1988 here on the blog tomorrow.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama