2025 Topps

2023 COMC BINGE - PART 23: BIG SCHMIDDTY

THE WRITER'S BLOCK IS REAL YO

THIS IS WHY I DUG IN THE DRAFT FOLDERS INSTEAD OF DOING SOME CHRISTMAS POSTS. I STILL DON'T WANNA WRITE ANYTHING SO HERE IS A POST WITH A MINIMAL OF WRITING AND A MAXIMAL OF CARDS

1983 DONRUSS ACTION ALL-STARS MIKE SCHMIDT

THIS IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE PLAYERS FROM ONE OF MY FAVORITE SETS SO OF COURSE IT WAS THE LAST CARD I NEEDED TO COMPLETE THE SET. I BOUGHT A BUNCH OF THESE PACKS BACK IN 83 AND THEY WERE WELL LOVED AS YOU CAN NOW SEE BY THE CORNERS. I ALMOST GAVE THEM ALL AWAY TO A COUSIN BUT AT THE LAST SECOND I COULDN'T DO IT, LEADING TO MY LIFE AS A CARD HOARDER. I PICKED UP A BUNCH LATER ON BUT NEVER QUITE TRACKED DOWN THE SCHMIDT. I EVEN HAD A CHANCE TO BUY A COMPLETE SET FOR FIVE BUCKS BUT I DIDN'T DO IT BECAUSE I REALLY WANTED TO FIND THAT DAMN SCHMIDT. YOU CAN FIND EVERYTHING ONLINE THOUGH SO WHEN IT WAS TIME FOR THE COMC BINGE I WENT FOR IT

AND THEN I BOUGHT OVER TWENTY PACKS OF THE STUFF AT A LOCAL CARD SHOP THIS SUMMER LOOKING TO BUILD A SECOND MORE MINTY SET. I STILL HAVEN'T PULLED ANOTHER SCHMIDT

EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS DESIGN IS ATTRACTIVE. THE BORDERS THAT GO VERY WELL WITH THE PHILLIES UNI AND THE GRAY BACKGROUND WITH THE TEAM NAME LOOK GREAT TOGETHER. I LOVE THE HUGE PORTRAIT AND THE ACTION SHOT THAT LOOKS LIKE IT WAS PASTED IN A SCRAPBOOK. EVEN THE BACKS ARE FANTASTIC, HAVE YOU EVER SEEN THAT MANY STATS ON THE BACK OF A BASEBALL CARD? HIT BY PITCH! TOTAL BASES! FIELDING PERCENTAGE! YOU'D HAVE TO BUY AN ALMANAC TO GET ALL THOSE STATS IN 1983

I DIDN'T COMPLETE ALL THAT MANY SETS IN 2024 BUT I COMPLETED THIS ONE. ENJOY THE CARDS AS YOU RING OUT THE OLD YEAR OR RING IN THE NEW OR STUMBLE UPON THIS POST IN JULY

1953 Topps Smoky Burgess

I BLEW IT YESTERDAY AND I'M ABOUT TO FALL ASLEEP TODAY SO HERE'S A 1953 TOPPS CARD OF SMOKY BURGESS

FIREMAN! DAMN I LOVE THIS SET

2023 COMC BINGE - PART 22: OBLIGATORY RONALD & TRAE ROUND 2: T-MINUS TAROT

 MOAR COMC PICKUPS BECAUSE LONGER DRAFT POSTS ARE INTIMIDATING ME TODAY. HAVE SOME RONALD AND TRAE. THESE ARE TWO WEIRD ONES THAT REFLECT THINGS I LIKE

2021 TOPPS QYSPY GUEEN - TAROT OF THE DIAMOND RONALD ACUÑA JR

QYPSY GUEEN TRADED FORTUNE TELLER CARDS FOR TAROT CARDS IN SOME OF THEIR LATER SETS (HECK, THEY MIGHT'VE DONE BOTH, THAT BRAND IS ALMOST COMPLETELY OFF MY RADAR) AND WHILE I THINK THEY ARE PRETTY COOL, I DID NOT THINK THEM COOL ENOUGH TO MAKE AN EFFORT TO COLLECT THEM. UNTIL I FOUND A RONALD CARD FOR SIXTY-SIX CENTS, THAT IS. THE DESIGN IS... OK. IT FITS WELL WITH THE NEWER STYLE OF ART DECO GQ AND LOOKS GOOD ENOUGH. MOST OF THE CARDS ARE ONES THAT CAN BE FOUND IN AN ACTUAL TAROT DECK. THE THREE OF CUPS MEANS CELEBRATION, WHICH THE BRAVES CERTAINLY DID SOME OF IN 2021 

I LIKE THE BACK. INSERT BACKS ARE USUALLY GARBAGE ANYWAY SO JUST MAKE IT LOOK SOMEWHAT LIKE A FANCY PLAYING CARD AND CALL IT A DAY. TAROT CARDS HAVE HAD SOMEWHAT OF A RESURGENCE RECENTLY AND CAN BE FOUND IN A TON OF POPULAR CULTURE, INCLUDING ONE OF MY FAVORITE COMIC BOOKS AND VIDEO GAMES. EVERY BOOKSTORE NOWADAYS HAS A DISPLAY OF DECKS FOR TWENTY BUCKS A POP WHICH MAY PARTIALLY ACCOUNT FOR THEIR RENAISSANCE. HOORAY FOR MERCHANDIZING! TEN YEARS AGO I WOULD BE HOARDING THESE THINGS TRYING TO BUILD MY OWN TAROT DECK OUT OF THEM BUT I'M TOO OLD AND TOO BROKE TO BE TRACKING THEM DOWN ANYMORE

2022-23 PANINI DONRUSS OPTIC - T-MINUS 3, 2, 1 TRAE YOUNG

A T-MINUS INSERT WAS ONE OF THE TRAE CARDS IN A PREVIOUS RONALD AND TRAE POST. WHILE I PREFER THE OTHER ONE DUE TO THE ACTUAL SPACE SHUTTLE ON IT, THIS ONE IS REALLY NICE AS WELL. ALTHOUGH I'M A LITTLE CONCERNED ABOUT THAT TRAIL OF SMOKE THERE, THAT LAUNCH LOOKS LIKE IT MAY HAVE GONEA LITTLE WONKY. NEVERTHELESS, SPACE TRAE RULES AND THE CARD WAS SUPER CHEAP

THE BACK EVEN HAS A BUNCH OF LIGHTS AND SWITCHES LIKE THE LAST ONE! THAT'S BOTH TRAES FROM THIS INSERT SERIES AS HE WASN'T IN THE 2019-20 AND 2020-21 SETS. IT'S A SHAME BECAUSE THE 2019-20 BACKS ARE CRAZY, IT'S ALMOST LIKE A WHOLE 50S SPACESHIP COCKPIT ON THERE. PANINI DIDN'T MAKE A T-MINUS 3, 2, 1 SET IN 23-24 SO I WILL HAVE TO BE CONTENT WITH THESE TWO EXAMPLES OF SPACE SHUTTLE THEMED TRAE YOUNG CARDS. I GOT ANOTHER PAIR OF TRAE AND RONALD IN THIS YEAR'S COMC BINGE SO YOU'VE GOT AT LEAST TWO MORE OF THESE POSTS COMING ASSUMING I EVER GET CAUGHT UP

BIGGUNS #4

I NEED ANOTHER EASY ONE FOR DRAFTSMAS SO HERE'S A LONG ABANDONED BUT NOT FORGOTTEN SERIES FOR 'BIGGUNS' AKA LARGE UNWEILDY SIZED CARDS THAT ARE COOL. I HAVE A FOLDER WITH LIKE A HUNDRED SCANS IN THERE OF THESE KIND OF CARDS BUT NEVER GOT AROUND TO POSTING THEM. HERE'S A NICE ONE

2018 GYPSY QUEEN GLASSWORKS JOSE ALTUVE

SOMEONE SENT ME THIS YEARS AGO AND I HAVE COMPLETELY FORGOTTEN WHO IT WAS. I THANK THEE, UNKNOWN CARD SENDER, BECAUSE THIS CARD RULES. THE CORNERS ARE A LITTLE MOOSHED BUT WHO CARES BECAUSE THIS CARD IS SHINY AS HECK. IT REALLY DOES LOOKS KIND OF LIKE GLASS, IT'S SUPER THICK AND HAS A VERY SHINY, GLOSSY COATING OVER SOME EXTREMELY BRIGHT HOLOGRAPHIC FOIL. IT'S COMPLETELY DAZZLING AND THE SCAN CANNOT DO JUSTICE. THIS IS ONE OF THE FIRST REALLY NICE JOSE ALTUVE CARDS I EVER GOT AND I THINK IT KICKED OFF ME ACTIVELY COLLECTING HIS CARDS. NORMALLY THESE KIND OF DESIGNS WHERE A THIRD OF THE CARD IS JUST WIDE OPEN SPACE FOR A LOGO OR A RELIC PIECE COMPLETELY TURN ME OFF BUT IN THIS CASE IT REALLY WORKS GREAT 

THE BACK IS LESS FANTASTIC. CAN'T COMPLAIN THOUGH, THE FRONT MAKES UP FOR IT AND INSERT BACKS USUALLY GET SHORT SHRIFT ANYWAY. IT'S A JUMBO SIZED BOX TOPPER, NO ONE PAYS ATTENTION TOTHE BACK ON THOSE. THESE AREN'T SUPER CHEAP BUT IF YOU CAN GET YOUR HANDS ON ONE I HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT. EVEN IF YOU CAN'T FIND A TEAM OR PLAYER YOU LIKE IN YOUR PRICE RANGE, GO FOR A CHEAP JABRONI. YOU MIGHT FIND A NEW FAVORITE PLAYER

BOUNTIFUL TRIP TO THE LCS

TODAY'S TWEVE DAYS OF DRAFTSMAS RECOUNTS A TRIP TO THE LCS MANY MONTHS AGO. I CHOSE THIS POST BECAUSE I MIGHT END UP AT A CARD SHOW TODAY IF THE UNIVERSE COOPERATES. I DIDN'T GET MUCH BUT WHAT I GOT IS QUALITY. FOR CERTAIN DEFINITIONS OF QUALITY AT LEAST. THE BEST QUALITY IS THE QUALITY YOU FIND IN THE BARGAIN BOX BECAUSE THAT QUALITY IS CHEAP

I'VE BEEN A BIT OBSESSED WITH UPPER DECK SPX RECENTLY AND I LOVE FINDING SOME OUT IN THE WILD. EVEN IF IT IS A SCRATCHES UP CARD OF ONE OF MY NOT-SO-FAVORITE PLAYERS. THIS ONE'S A GOLD CARD AND NOT A BASE CARD AS WELL BUT I DOUBT IF MANY PEOPLE DIFFERENTIATE BETWEEN THE TWO ANYMORE. THIS PICTURE IS UGLY, I CAN DO BETTER

THAT'S MUCH BETTER. REAL HOLOGRAPHIC SHINY RIGHT THERE

DID YOU KNOW MICKEY MANTLE HAD A BASEBALL HEROES INSERT SET? IT WAS IN THE 1994 SET AND HAD A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT DESIGN FROM ALL THE OTHER BASEBALL HEROES BUT HE DID. EARLY UPPER DECK INSERTS ARE ANOTHER OF THOSE THINGS THAT HOLDS MY ATTENTION IN THESE DAYS OF CARDBOARD EXCESS AND I WAS THRILLED TO FIND ONE IN THE BARGAIN BOX

I AM NOT AS OBSESSED WITH LEAF LIMITED AS I AM WITH SOME OTHER HIGH-END 90S CARDS BUT IT REALLY IS A DAMN GOOD LOOKING CARD. FOILBOARD WITH SHINY HOLOFOIL IS VERY LEAF RIGHT DOWN TO THE FOIL LOGO, BUT WAIT THERE'S MORE

SERIAL NUMBERS! HELL YEAH. JEFFREY HAMMONDS DIDN'T QUITE  REACH BONDS LEVELS OF STARDOM BUT HE DID PLAY UNTIL 2005. THIS INSERT MISSED ME FOR YEARS BUT ENDED UP IN THE BARGAIN BOX FOR FIFTY CENTS

THE LAST CARD FROM THE BARGAIN BIN WAS THIS 1986 FLEER ALL STAR OF DAN QUISENBERRY. OLD INSERTS JUST HIT DIFFERENT. IT'S GETTING HARD TO FIND THESE THINGS AND EVEN HARDER TO FIND ONE I ACTUALLY NEED. THIS ONE WAS LOOSE IN THE BOX SO I ENDED UP GETTING IT FOUR FOR A BUCK WITH THE NEXT THREE CARDS

THERE'S A COUPLE BOXES FILLED WITH RANDOM BRAVES, FALCONS, HAWKS AND A DEW OTHER ASSORTED ODDS AND ENDS THAT I LIKE TO GO THROUGH WHEN I VISIT THIS SHOP. I KNEW I HAD THIS HEYWARD ALREADY WHEN I SAW IT BECAUSE I BOUGHT THE TARGET EXCLUSIVE BOX OF TOPPS CHROME IN 2010 WITH THIS SET JUST SO I COULD GET MY HANDS ON THE HEYWARD. IT'S SHINY AND PRETTY THOUGH, WHY WOULDN'T I GET A SECOND ONE

SPEAKING OF CHROMEY STUFF I COULDN'T PASS ON THIS 1993 FINEST CARD OF OTIS NIXON. I DON'T HAVE A TON OF FINEST FROM 93 WHICH IS A SHAME SINCE ITS ONE OF THOSE ICONIC FIRST YEAR DESIGNS THAT ARE SO POPULAR TO REPRINT NOWADAYS. EARLY FINEST DESIGNS ARE SO WONDERFULLY STRANGE, IT'S HARD TO PASS THEM UP. THERE WAS ANOTHER FINEST CARD THAT CAUGHT MY EYE IN THE BOX

WHY YES THAT IS A REFRACTOR. I WAS AS SURPRISED AS YOU ARE. THESE THINGS ARE PRETTY SOUGHT AFTER AND THERE'S SUPPOSEDLY ONLY 241 COPIES OF EACH CARD SO IT WAS A BIT OF A SHOCK TO SEE ONE LOOSE IN A BOX OF RANDOM STUFF. MIKE STANTON (AT LEAST NOT THIS ONE) ISN'T REALLY THE KIND OF STAR PLAYER THAT WOULD CAUSE A LOT OF COMMOTION AMONG COLLECTORS BUT A 1993 REFRACTOR IS A 1993 REFRACTOR. I WAS HOPING I COULD GET IT FOR LIKE FIVE BUCKS BUT NAH, 4 FOR A BUCK. IT'S GOOD WHEN THE OWNER OF A SHOP RECOGNIZES YOU AS A REAL COLLECTOR SICKO

SPEAKING OF SICKOS, I LOOKED THROUGH A BINDER OF FALCONS CARDS AND FOUND SEVERAL PAGES OF JESSIE TUGGLE CARDS. WHY, *I* COLLECT JESSIE TUGGLE! I WAS THE #1 JESSIE TUGGLE COLLECTOR ON TCDB FOR A WHILE BUT I GOT PASSED. THIS IS HELPING ME REGAIN MY FOOTING AT LEAST. I WASN'T SURE WHICH ONES I NEEDED AS I FORGOT MY TCDB PASSWORD AND COULDN'T ACCESS IT ON MY PHONE SO I NABBED EVERY ODDBALL I COULD. NO-DISCLAIMER ROOKIES, ACTION PACKED, TOPPS HOLOPARALLEL, SCORE GOLD RUSH, COLOR FOIL IMPACT, FOUR DIFFERENT FLEER GAMEDAYS, A PLAYOFF UNSUNG HEROES INSERT AND ACTUAL FRIDGE MAGNETS. MAN I LOVE OLD ODDBALLS, ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY'RE OF A PLAYER I COLLECT

MY LAST PICKUP WAS 15 PACKS OF 1983 DONRUSS ACTION ALL-STARS. THIS WAS ONE OF MY FAVORITE SETS WHEN I WAS A KID AND I COMPLETED IT WITH A COMC PICKUP I STILL NEED TO SHOW OFF. BUT I COULDN'T PASS UP THESE PACKS FOR A BUCK A POP! WHY SHOULDN'T I HAVE TWO SETS? I WENT THROUGH AND TRIED TO PICK AS MANY DIFFERENT PLAYERS ON THE FRONT AND BACK AS I COULD (EXCEPT FOR TWO RICKEYS, I LIKE RICKEY) AND PLANNED TO SEE IF I COULD BUILD A SET ONLY OUT OF PACKS. I DIDN'T EVEN COME CLOSE, BUT THAT'S OK BECAUSE I REALLY WANTED TO RIP THESE CARDS FOR THE EXCLUSIVE MICKEY MANTLE PUZZLE CARDS SO I COULD TRY TO COMPLET THAT SET. I ALSO DIDN'T COME CLOSE. I HAD FUN THOUGH!

All Star Ballot part 4b - More Outfielders

FOR TODAY'S TWELVE DAYS OF DRAFTSMAS HERE'S MY OLDEST DRAFT POST WITH PICS FROM ALL THE WAY BACK IN 2007. THIS WAS WAS ALREADY HALF WRITTEN AND I HAVE NO IDEA WHY I DROPPED THIS ONE SO HARD OTHER THAN THE FACT THAT I DROP LOTS OF POST SERIES. THE CARDS ARE GREAT THO SO LET'S FINISH IT UP

Ok, ok. I know it's been weeks since the All Star Game, I just couldn't bring myself to continue on after that travesty of a game. Luckily I've been able to work through my pain using scientific statistical analysis. You see, if you take both Aaron Rowand and Albert Pujols' lifetime stats, and filter out all at bats to only focus on OPS with RISP in games at home on a Tuesday in the 7th inning or later with an annoying color analyst and at least 3 Fox stars in the crowd who don't want to be there, add that to expected win shares minus LOB% adjusted for the Ballpark Factor, then divide the whole shebang by the square root of VORP divided by PECOTA (no not Bill), you get conclusive mathematical proof that Tony LaRussa is a goddamn stupid idiot moron. See, it's always best to work through your emotions in a logical, rational fashion.

I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED IN 2007 TO PISS ME OFF SO MUCH. TONY LARUSSA IS STILL A GODDAMN STUPID IDIOT MORON THOUGH SO I HAD THAT RIGHT AT LEAST. I WAS WORRIED THAT LINK THERE WAS DEAD BUT BASEBALL-REFERENCE MIGHT BE THE LAST WEBISE ON THE INTERNET TO SURVIVE LINK ROT SO CLICK WITH CONFIDENCE

Here's the other three outfielders on my All Star Baseball Card ballot. They are well worth the wait.

NL Right Fielder: Roberto Clemente


If you know of a better Right Fielder, I'd like to know about it.

OK, HANK AARON. THIS CARD RULES THOUGH AND I CHEATED AND PUT HANK AT CENTER FIELD

AL Center Fielder: Rickey Henderson

I FRIGGIN LOVE 1983 TOPPS ALL STAR CARDS. THIS IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE CARDS PERIOD, WHY THE HELL DIDN'T I POST THIS BACK IN THE DAY

NL Left Fielder: Dave Winfield

I REALLY LIKE CARDS WITH MASSIVE PORTRAITS TAKING UP THE WHOLE CARD AND WINFIELD IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE PLAYERS SO I GET WHY THIS CARD MADE THE CUT

Honorable Mentions:
1979 George Foster
1975 Jeff Burroughs
1982 Andre Dawson

I DIDN'T UPLOAD THE HONORABLE MENTIONS BUT I'MMA GANK THE PICS OFF THE INTERNETS AND PUT EM IN HERE ANYWAY

I DUNNO MAN, I LOVE WINFIELD BUT I THINK I MIGHTA FUCKED UP ON LEAVING ANDRE OUT

Up next: Starters, Closers and the DH. Hopefully up before the season's over, but don't hold your breath...

YEAH THESE AIN'T HAPPENING. I DON'T EVEN HAVE A CLUE WHAT CARDS I HAD PLANNED OUT FOR THOSE POSITIONS. FEEL FREE TO STEAL THIS IDEA FOR YOUR OWN BLOG AND SHOW OFF BETTER CARDS. MAYBE ONE OR TWO FROM THIS CENTURY EVEN

If you want to see the rest of my ballot, click on the links:
Managers & Catchers
Second Base & Shortstops
First and Third Base
Outfield part 1