A new year, a new collection, as in one all nicely charged up with random new Baseball Cards assembled ... not randomly. The incoming stream, though, is random, when I start out by looking through the 100¢ box down at the Friendly Local Card Store, though the actual out-the-door price is something like 9 to 19 pennies less than that. I don't keep track; I just enjoy "the Loot" -
Why I selected it: I collect Honus Wagner cards - previously not-deliberately, but rather as they randomly appear in packs. Lately though I have started picking up a card here or there. I am definitely past 9 Wagner cards now, but I haven't started picking out favorites.
I am always glad to find a Wagner card, but I think this is going to be a slow project, ultimately, because to binder up his first page of cards, I want to find photos assuredly from his playing days, and that is not easy to do. That seems to be because he worked for the Pirates as a Hitting Coach for a few decades after his retirement from the field of play, and that seems to supply a lot of the images used for cards created for him today. That makes complete sense in terms of basic availability of photographs of him.
Which is fine, to a point. I am at a point in my little on-the-cheap Wagner collecting that I think I have more cards showing him post-retirement than while still playing. Some day (the day of oh so many card collecting projects) I will finally start deliberately shopping for cards with specifically still-playing images - if such exist.
Why I selected it: I can't say I am enthralled with the name of these 2024 Topps Baseball inserts. I do like the image frame quite a bit though.
But I bought this card because I collect Christy Mathewson cards, and despite my reservations about the grandGAMERS, I really bought this card because I expect this image will help supply 1 of 9 cards using it, eventually. Which is an amusing, sometimes sad, but also somewhat understandable Baseball Card deal, most particularly for "Pre-War" players.
Why I selected it: Some further "collecting" of 2023 Topps Heritage seems likely in my future. So I figgered it would be best to just add this card when I could. I don't expect to build out the Complete Set, but I would like to find a couple discounted blasters or something, rather than just shopping for singles, digitally. Here's to hoping I can still scrounge a few up while traveling some the next several months.
Why I selected it: I quite like Randy Arozarena, probably mostly due to pleasant memories of seeing him suddenly enter national Baseball consciousness one fine October day when I had a few hours to kill in a fine little crossroads in far northern Wisconsin. I can't really follow his career much aside from Baseball Cards, which will only become more true as he plays in Seattle, which might as well be Siberia in terms of my usual Baseball experience with West Coast teams.
But you can probably guess I bought this card for the Powder Blue collection, which looks like it will need 9 unlicensed cards just, because. I don't know why, I just collect Baseball Cards.
I think I am sub-consciously working through / buying one each of all the old Donruss designs that Panini now re-uses. Why ask why? Try Panini? Randy seems a little dubious on this.
Why I selected it: What's the deal with this blogger, he says he's uncertain about liking some card and then he turns around and buys another one just like it?
Maybe these will grow on me more quickly than other cards. The yellow-on-Powder-Blue does come off well here, nom sayn' ?
Why I selected it: I am still disappointed that I did not watch the 2023 World Baseball Classic, which these inserts celebrate. It would have been the perfect thing to do in the middle of Spring Training - watch some Baseball games, that count. I am looking forward to the next one and anticipate owning a brand new mega sized TV to watch it on by that (Coming Soon) point.
This card, though - has there ever been a set of Catcher's gear more colorful than this one? I collect Salvador Perez cards in my usual casual style, but I would snag this card if it featured some young gun from Venezuela serving as his back-up and not otherwise part of Pro Baseball and never heard from again.
Also - is this the most colors ever, on a card? Try and count them all. Good luck.
Why I selected it: Although I definitely like this 1989 Topps card design a bunch, I don't think I really want page(s) of it; neither this brand new 2024 version nor a bunch of the originals. It will, however, eventually somehow look nice all by itself, with some other Miggy cards for company.
Why I selected it: Although this is another one with a, kinda-what? as in, ever, name to the run of inserts, I like these goofy colored Baseballs for some goofy reason. And the perfect player to have on a goofy Baseball Card has to be Jazz Chisholm, Jr. Though of course no one will ever understand why it's Jazz Chisholm on some cards, but Jazz Chisholm Jr. on other cards.
Why I selected it: I do like a good Oneil Cruz card, particularly those with the Pirates' great Home Alternate uni and a clear view of the Pirate Patch.
Recently I learned a couple things that pertain to this card. One is that a pretty high % of successful Major Leaguers were Shortstops at one time in their career. As it is the most physically challenging position requiring the most athleticism, it not uncommonly reveals an actually great Baseball player who however may not be quite the best available Shortstop in the mix of players around him. This could be becoming the case with Oneil Cruz as the Pirates are moving him to the Outfield now; when I read that I also read that he is unhappy about that. This also sorta happened in Jazz Chisholm's career; so-far, so-good there. Another long year near the 3 Rivers? I hope not, for Bob Walk's sake.
This is a Rookie Card card of course but I have plenty of Rookie Card cards - who doesn't? I never have any idea what year a Bowman card comes from and I would have purchased this card automatically because of the player, anyway.
I have long figured that I should check out Bowman cards of actual MLB players more often, and would find enjoyable cards if I did, but so many Baseball Cards, so little time. Thanks, $ Box.
Why I selected it: I definitely bought this card for one of my usual one page looks at some various permutations of the Braves tomahawk uniform.
However this card is sneaky good in that it is the first All-Star card for a sneaky good player. Contreras is such a good hitter he routinely serves as Milwaukee's Designated Hitter on his days off from Catching. That's a bit unusual, but then Contreras is a bit unusually better than many people realize, I think, aside from the All-Star voters, whoever they may be these days (I forget).
The complex trade that brought Contreras to my 2nd-most closely followed team, the Brewers, disappointed me as more evidence of "tear-down" in Oakland, and just yet more goodies being fed to the richer teams by the poorer teams. But I bet Atlanta misses Contreras now, and Esteury Ruiz has had a few moments (just, a few) for the A's, who I expect will surprise even more teams in 2026.
Upshot of all these Baseball thoughts? This card may not end up on a Braves collection page. After all, it would also look sweet on a Chavez Ravine page.
Bonus Round
Why I selected it: Hey look, another excellent young Braves Catcher.
It is far too easy to forget Joe Torre's achievements on the field of play, after his long equally successful career in the dugout and then the League offices. So it is always nice to see new 21st Century Baseball Cards address this.
I can never remember which set these Topps-celebrates-Topps cards come from, but I don't care. I just buy cheap Rookie Cup cards when I see them.
There was a whole product of Topps braggin' on the Rookie Cup again just recently; it was one of those online-only deals where you essentially pay $50 or so for a randomly selected on-card autograph (2/box, maybe?) of some famous player and then a bunch of base cards no one really wants. Except me, it often seems. So I hope to see some of those cards in LCS or dealer boxes in my future.
Overtime Bonus Round
Why I selected it: I instantly added this one to the pile as soon as I saw it. I had that same reaction when I first saw a Tigers card from this set (2022 Finest), and a Dodgers card. That's because these cards use a stone cold simple design choice that always works on a Baseball Card: Team Color. So when I finally found one from this set for a Powder Blue card, well, if I had had only $1 with me that day, this is the card I would have purchased.
And this is another Rookie Card card so I guess I should make a quick discount double-check-in on Josh Lowe's career; I haven't seen his most recent base card.
Or, maybe not. It is impossible to ever remember the players named Lowe in Tampa Bay. They come, they go, not even Baseball Cards can help me here.
The Wrong Way to Baseball Card Bonus Round
Why I selected it: Uhhh, well, I always like Satchel Paige cards. But, it seems, I like them so much, I already bought this one. Even Satchel seems to be sayn' tuh tighten up, man. I, uhh, might have bought this one twice before, even, actually.
So, uhhh, got any extra Satchel Paige cards but might need this one?