Baseball Card Thread, Relaunched

[Guest metsguyinmichigan]

Got some good old fashioned rack packs at Target today.

I must say that the El Duque card, with him in his 1986 throwback uniform, is a beautiful thing.

[Guest Edgy DC]

I dislike this stuff, and it's part of what turns me off of cards.

Brown: First look at Soriano isn’t so real

Ron Gardenhire pitching batting practice.

Not the first image you want to find when opening your first pack of baseball cards of the season.

Roger Clemens delivering a fastball like a 24-year-old might. That would be splendid.

Albert Pujols following through on his swing after crushing a hanging curveball. Awesome.

That’s how you open a pack of cards.

Ron Gardenhire throwing to Nick Punto, for all we know – that’s just not right.

Upon closer examination of the Gardenhire card and the rest of this particular pack of 2007 Topps cards, though, Gardy nearly was the only genuine article in there.

That, and the gum – which now is hermetically sealed in plastic to protect the cards, is soft to the chew, sugarless and more tasteless than ever.

Almost everything else was an illusion.

Alfonso Soriano’s first Cubs card, also, was in this pack. A nice shot, possibly in San Francisco, of Soriano in the batter’s box.

Wearing a Cubs uniform.

Except, he didn’t play for the Cubs a season ago. He played for Washington.

It’s not from spring training. No baseball card company is that quick.

It’s not from the future. DeLorean stopped making cars that go 88 mph.

It’s clearly a photo from 2006, meticulously doctored to look like 2007.

Baseball card companies, especially Topps, have a long history of monkeying with photos. In the old airbrush days, when players Dave Kingman and Bobby Bonds modeled new uniforms sometimes on the hour, their baseball cards would look like fuzzy dreams. The photo of Kingman in his 1978 Topps card looks like the person it depicts – who started with the New York Mets, went cross-country to the San Diego Padres, headed north to the California Angels and sprinted back east to the New York Yankees, before doing a bizarre U-turn and landing with the Cubs in the off-season.

The Kingman card and others like it were obviously fake. It was an earnest attempt by Topps to stay current. Technology wouldn’t allow them to also look good doing it.

Technology has almost caught up.

The No. 270 Soriano card is a remarkable forgery – Topps might prefer “photo illustration�

[seawolf17]

In my quest to complete the Mets Topps team sets going back to 1962, I got this Bobby Klaus card along with five other 1966s in the mail today.

What's up with Bobby's brother? I'd think "ex-major leaguer" isn't the most interesting thing about... um, him?

[Guest Kid Carsey]

I can probably help you out, if you want to post or email me a 60's wish list.

[Guest Edgy DC]

It should say, "Bobby's brother looked hot in her tennis whites."

I'd say it's a poor likeness:

[Guest Johnny Dickshot]

There was a dyslexic imbecile giving the cartoonist the caption. It should have read: Bobby's ex-brother is a big teaser.

[Guest Edgy DC]

I was thinking: "Bobby's mother is sexy, big, and eager."

[seawolf17]

Another chapter from the curious baseball card photo department... this one of Dinger, the Rockies' mascot, from the 2007 Topps Opening Day set:



You're telling me the most recent photo Topps could get of the Rockies' mascot was from 1997? From R to L: Bruce Benedict (1997-1999) in the Mets dugout, the Jackie Robinson 50th anniversary sleeve patch, and what might be Rey Ordonez on the left.

I love the idea behind these mascot cards, but some of the photos are just bizarre.

[Benjamin Grimm]

I'd never seen (or heard of) Dinger before.

He looks too much like he's from the cast of Barney for my liking. I think he's Baby Bop's cousin. Iccch.

The team should have been named the Bears. They could at least have a bear as the mascot.

[Benjamin Grimm]

And while I'm at it I also think the Rockies' ballpark should look like a pagoda.

So there!

[stevejrogers]

Here is Mr. Met's card, not his Rookie Card interestingly enough


In 2006 Upper Deck had a three card promotion set featuring Mr. Met, The Phillie Phanatic and the Red Sox's Wally

[stevejrogers]

Actually, that does look like an old shot in the UD card. Has to be mid 90's, after we ditched the tail of the S and before the Black

[Guest metsguyinmichigan]

Another chapter from the curious baseball card photo department... this one of Dinger, the Rockies' mascot, from the 2007 Topps Opening Day set:



You're telling me the most recent photo Topps could get of the Rockies' mascot was from 1997? From R to L: Bruce Benedict (1997-1999) in the Mets dugout, the Jackie Robinson 50th anniversary sleeve patch, and what might be Rey Ordonez on the left.

I love the idea behind these mascot cards, but some of the photos are just bizarre.

[seawolf17]

Just got the complete 1983 and 1984 Topps sets on uncut factory sheets, six poster-sized sheets from each year. I'm very excited; I've wanted some uncut sheets for years. Don't quite know what to do with them now that I have them -- my original intent was to frame and hang them, but they're really enormous! I need to buy a bigger house with more walls.

[stevejrogers]

Okay, that is clearly Jerry Koosman on this fine Topps 1974 card spotlighting the 1973 NLCS.

The site where this is being sold on, Beckett.com (well the person selling the card anyway) lists it as 1974 Topps #471 Jon Matlack NLCS

Eh, see this every so often, but it's just funny seeing the wrong player credited on a lot. My guess is the seller is getting his images confused, because this is Jon's 1974 Topps card:


BTW, I wonder why Rose v. Harrelson wasn't spotlighted.

[seawolf17]

Retro sets are all the rage. Topps is doing another Allen & Ginter set, and Upper Deck is doing a new 1933 Goudey set. In keeping with the A&G tradition of adding non-baseball notable figures to their set (the '06 set featured people like Jennie Finch, Hulk Hogan, and the Japanese hot-dog eating guy), the '07 set features Ken Jennings, among others.

And in other news, Topps Series 2 is out, featuring a Dice-K card variation with the front entirely in Japanese:



edit: Oh, and this might be my new favorite baseball card ever. The 2007 Bowman Jose Reyes:

[DocTee]

That Reyes card is beautiful.

Did Topps-- or any other maker-- get one of Endy's NLCS catch, a la our own Zvon? I'd love to see that

[seawolf17]

That's the back of the 2007 Topps Co-Signers Matsuzaka card. And yes, that says "Drafted: Mets #1 - June 2000".

Suck it, Billy Traber.

[DocTee]

why an asterik for 2005 and 2006 to note the same thing? wouldn't one suffice?

[seawolf17]

Yep. #193 in last year's Update set.



If the Mets win that game, then it probably gets its own card, but...

[Willets Point]

Ooh an error card. They spelled Fuckingmolina's name wrong.

[DocTee]

It's a shame the Endy image isn't on it's own card-- that pic hardly does the catch justice.

[Benjamin Grimm]

[Guest metsguyinmichigan]

[/quote:3iw8dg99]

Absolutley amazing!

That 1972 set is my favorite!

[Zvon]

ahhhh--the '72 set brings back memories.

[stevejrogers]

Any sighting of a Pedro Feliciano card in a 2007 set so far? And I guess that shot of Tucker in the NLCS highlights set is as close as a Michael Tucker in a Met uni set that I'm going to get for the 2006 NL East Champs Postseason Roster Team Set

[Guest cleonjones11]

Game used swatches and Autographs of just about any Mets are available on Ebay..The cheapest place to buy...Just picked up a Gote 2005 Topps Chrome Fan favorite Auto for 5 bucks..

[Guest Johnny Dickshot]

This is interesting, somewhat

TOPPS IS SUED By ZACHERY KOUWE June 7, 2007 -- Topps and some of its directors have been slapped with a lawsuit by rival Upper Deck, which wants to launch a hostile offer for the iconic baseball card maker that could derail a $385 million takeover by former Disney boss Michael Eisner. Upper Deck, which is joined in the suit by shareholder Northwood Investors, claims Topps breached a confidentiality agreement that was signed when the companies started merger negotiations. Upper Deck is seeking to get out of the agreement, which prevents it from launching a tender offer. Upper Deck has also sought an injunction to block shareholders from voting June 28 on the company's deal with Michael Eisner. Topps agreed on March 6 to be bought for $384.5 million, or $9.75 a share, by Eisner's Tornante Co. and buyout firm Madison Dearborn Partners. In late May, Upper Deck topped Eisner's bid by $1.00 a share, but the company claims Topps has shut Upper Deck out from negotiations and has refused to turn over sensitive financial information. The deal with Eisner has caused several large Topps shareholders, who also have representatives on the company's board, to launch a proxy contest against the other directors, who they have dubbed "the seven dwarfs." "This lawsuit shows that Upper Deck is serious about acquiring Topps but is being blocked by Eisner and the company's management team," said one angry shareholder. Topps claims it has negotiated in good faith with Upper Deck and there is significant antitrust risk in selling the company to a rival. "This action challenges a type of unlawful conduct which is occurring with greater frequency" in which "private equity funds have 'persuaded' management to take public companies private based on promises of continued employment and increased equity participation," Upper Deck said in the complaint. A hearing on the suit is scheduled for June 11 in Delaware Chancery. Shares of Topps rose 5 cents to close at $10.26 as investors bet Upper Deck will eventually win the deal or Eisner will raise his offer.

[Guest cleonjones11]

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[Farmer Ted]

Apparently George Mitchell is using the Barry Bonds rookie card as evidence/proof that Barry did, in fact, use steroids.

http://www.funny.com/_fc/0/2/fn.5120.jpg