Still catching up on deciding just what to do with my loot from the a little less than a buck box down at the LCS; this batch is largely still from last winter I expect. I enjoy creating the scans for these and I hope you do too. Here we go
Why I selected it: When I assemble my little 1-page, 9-card homages to the Topps designs of the past, I do like to include some mega-star power, and you can't get more mega than a 2020s Ohtani card. I'm starting to like his no-bat-flip style; I recently discovered a great just-after-another-devastating-swing-of-the-bat image on one of his 2024 cards that includes an even more hypnotic image of his bat than this one. To be seen here soon.
Why I selected it: I collect Salvador Perez cards. Although I am not particularly a fan of the 62/87 woodgrain style cards, unlike so many collectors, I occasionally am able to skip right past my frown about the paneling. And these are the way All-Star cards should be, with red, white & blue stars PLUS the authentic old-time original League logo up there. Tight.
Why I selected it: I don't collect prospect cards. I only sometimes collect Minor League cards, as created by Topps, not Bowman (which I think only makes Fake MLB cards of Minor Leaguers anyway). With those efforts I am very picky about design as I want the funky Minor League team names and graphics to have space to be enjoyable, and I want the almost always totally unknown player's Position to be included. So this card doesn't quite meet the criteria, but I bought it anyway. It is an insert from 2022 Topps Heritage Minor League - a 1973 Topps Pin-Ups recreation. I am a little surprised that product, whatever it was, has not been done in an Archives or Heritage product already, as far as I can remember. Perhaps I missed a go at it if 'twas a "Hobby" only insert in one of those products.
I scrolled through the 20 card checklist just now, and only 6 of the 20 players have made it to The Show as of 2 full seasons later 2024, which is a good reason not to collect stuff this obscure. Roberto Campos is not one of the 6. He is a Tigers "International" signing who was given a great deal (7 figs) of money at only 16 years old back in 2019, much like Jasson Dominguez was for the Yankees, who is also a player on this checklist. That roll-of-the-dice by the Tigers GM Al Avila Sr., with his long successful background in finding talent from Caribbean Baseball, hasn't worked out so far. It is remotely still possible that Campos might "figure it out" in 2025 and make the Majors, but that looks increasingly unlikely now.
I did like the flamboyant signature and the way the card looks way off-center, 1970s style, but I think that is actually intentional from the looks of its checklist mates. I also like the old-timey, t206-like background. So, a nice memento of an Almost Was for the Tigers binder, if.
Why I selected it: I collect Jackie Robinson cards but so far only via ones that have arrived in packs, which happens from time to time. I do quite like Baseball Cards that include a player's uniform #, and this is one of the most famous of them all.
When I first saw these 2020 Topps Baseball inserts I didn't like them quite as much as I do now. "A Numbers Game" implies that the back of the card will be about the stats, not the uni #. Despite that small disconnect deficit, I can see myself tracking down a few more of these perhaps. This one will be a perfect addition to a page of Jackie cards.
Why I selected it: Here I am again picking up one of the Silver Pack Chrome "Mojo" cards I keep remembering I don't rank as a fave. This will be nice to have as an option for a 1986 style Miggy card but I think, without discount double checking right now, that there are plentiful 86s to pick from for him.
What I like about this card are a couple other things. A Memorial Patch for an All-Timer, in this case #6 for Al Kaline, looks best on another All-Timer. I also like that it is a basically rare example of Miggy on the basepaths. This 2021 card does reveal that he stole a base in 2020, after all.
Why I selected it: I'm not completely sure. The Angels have one of the best Team Sets in 1972 Topps of course, so that might have played into it. Maybe I was thinking I should do an Angels Team Set in 2021 Heritage. Maybe I need it for a study of late-career Mike Trout cards.
Or, maybe this will be the most famous player yet in my HICKORY bat collection, and all 3 of these concepts can be true, simultaneously. At least, Mike Trout cards are no longer so automatically expensive as collecting mojo has moved on to more recent MVPs, who are skipped/ignored/waited-too-long to obtain for some small checklist at your financial peril, in the short run.
Why I selected it: I do keep Scherzer cards in the "Players" box so this will be just a small step towards completing a page of his cards. I believe this is his second Topps card and an easier way to include the Diamondbacks part of his career than using the One True Rookie Card card everyone else wants. The text on the back functions as a great Rookie Debut write-up, without printing a special card for the concept.
Why I selected it: As a "Legends" Photo Variation Short Print, this card is certainly worth more than 88¢. But that's not why I bought it. I just like Willie McCovey cards.
I think the 2020 design works better as a horizontal than a vertical; the superfluous little polygons trailing off the the parallelograms (the birth of the triplicate Parallelogram Era, there in 2020) are less annoying on a horizontal. The morose grey border plane seems less voluminous and feels a touch less overcast this way. And, maybe, it works much better with any "Road Grey" uniform, particularly the more warm and flat colored, real organic fabric unis from back in McCovey's day.
I think it might be a challenge to find 8 more horizontal McCovey cards to pair/octet with this one, but I'm up for it.
Why I selected it: These are no-brainer pick-ups now. I no longer know why I discounted them upon first sight in some Opening Day packs a few years back. Truly a Legend here. This little collection is coming along nicely now and a first page of the 25 card checklist is almost done. It looks wonderful.
Why I selected it: I needed it. Again. Naturally I owned this card in my youth, but youth leaves you. I always like road uniform cards that don't repeat the city name in the design. Detroit. Tigers.
This is not some 21st century re-issue, which can actually be seen easily at any quick glance, in-hand. This is another card that would look very nice if it were re-built at the factory - i.e. printing it again from the original photo, with modern equipment. I don't know how feasible that is but when I see Archives cards essentially produced like that, I can't see any reason that would be impossible, barring lost original photo negatives.
As I have been wonderfully catching up with Baseball Cards the last few weeks, I have been working through a box of Tigers cards occasionally. Along the way I noticed I have many more Alan Trammell cards than Lou Whitaker cards. That problem in search of a solution has an easy route forward - simply obtain the Sweet Lou card from whatever checklist I have a Trammell card from. That will be fun.
Bonus Round
Why I selected it: That's a good question. This is not up to the usual standards for a good Jazz card. The only item of much interest is the orange batting gloves. Nevertheless I took it home with me as a possible contender for the 9 88s that will result from this issue. Or to serve as an interesting counterweight to a fantastic 88 Topps card for Jazz that was issued in Japan; they will look nice together, methinks.
can't-count Double Bonus Round
Why I selected it: Another good question, and one I kinda forgot the answer to. Maybe I was thinking if I push deeper into collecting 23/74 Heritage (could happen), I would need all the Topps All-Star Rookie cup cards. Or maybe I just liked the solemn approach to having your picture taken on a true portrait Baseball Card, something I wonder how much we will see in the future, given Topps sudden, near complete abandonment of Photo Day images in 2024 Heritage.
Why do I collect any single Baseball Card? That's why I write a Baseball Card blog.
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