Picked this card up for a couple of bucks. I told you I was dabbling in prospects! Michael Choice is another player I have picked up for my dynasty fantasy baseball team. His power potential intrigued me as he worked hard in the A's organization last year. The A's made another great run in the fall and Michael had an effective impact while he was called up for coffee towards the end of the season.
Choice was traded to the Rangers this winter and is competing hard for a starting slot on the roster under the careful eyes of Ron Washington -in fact, Mr. Washington has even noted that he expects Choice to have an impact on a daily basis. Which is great but from a fantasy perspective......we'll have to see. With Choo and Rios' arrival in Texas, it looks like Michael will have to compete with Leonys Martin for that final spot.
Hopefully, he'll get his shot. He comes with a record of both power and patience, a rare combination. According to his card below, he went deep seven times in thirty games during his debut. That's pretty stellar.
It will be exciting to watch and while this card might not last in my collection forever, I'm enjoying it for now.
I collect Yankees and Braves, both teams of which I am a fan....but I also love baseball in general and have become intimately familiar with the vast sea of talent in the sport's minor league system. This has occurred for many reasons:
- I read other blogs
- I read hobby articles
- I see the insanely priced baseball cards of players who have never played in the majors and assume that somebody thinks they're REALLY good
- I also participate in a dynasty fantasy baseball league that deals with prospects and minor leaguers
Yes, prospects have become QUITE the beast to deal with in today's fast-moving and highly speculative collecting world. I don't dabble all that much in it but, here and there, I will pick up some cards or memorabilia for a young talent I take an interest in.
One such talent is the electrical young OF outfielder in the Twins organization, Byron Buxton. I believe he was recently the cover boy for Beckett? Anyways, I managed to draft Buxton onto my dynasty team last season. Did I know a lot about him? Nope. His name is cool. It sounds like a baseball name. He posts funny stuff on Twitter (@ryanspitch !) and he was a consensus "you have to draft this guy if you can" kind of guy for baseball prospect experts.
I'll go with that. So, here's my first Byron Buxton card:
Sparkly. What is this variation called? No, it isn't his most coveted card and it isn't graded and it isn't even a RC (I think?) and it isn't autographed or have a piece of his uniform...it's just a baseball card. I think it's pretty sharp looking, though and the fact that he's caught in a "duck face" pose makes me chuckle.
Here's the back:
There you go! "#1......no weakness......blazing speed......"
Again, this particular card isn't special to many folks, but I really like it and for a couple of "bucks", I am glad to have a card of "Buck" in my collection. As a fantasy manager - GO BUCK, GO!
I always get a kick out of instances where baseball cards (or sports cards, or hobbies in general) help relate to other aspects in my life.
For instance, last fall I was able to work on some basic math and critical thinking skills with my daughter by using some Upper Deck soccer cards I had picked up for her. I would consider this to be high (if not THE highest) on the list of extra benefits from my cardboard addiction.....anything that brings us closer with our loved ones is a GOOD thing.
My example for today is not so righteous, but it is pretty cool to see how a fantasy game version of my favorite sport has added to my enjoyment of our hobby.
I played fantasy baseball for the first time last season and I really enjoyed myself. It is interesting, statistic-centric (nerd sound) and creates incredible moments of crisis as a fan when one or more of your fantasy players face off against your real life favorite team or player. Good stuff, despite the quizzical "I love you, idiot" looks from Mrs. Ryan's Pitch.
This season has been no exception. I'm playing in two fantasy leagues again and having a grand time. There's been an added focus for younger stars in my new league as it is a "dynasty" league where you can keep some of your players from year to year and build with prospects and minor leaguers. Exhausting sometimes but.....it's baseball. So it's awesome, naturally.
This year, there's been a couple of young chaps in the game who have caught my eye. I don't own either of them but I've given considerable thought to "claiming" them for my team off of the waiver wires.
Matt Adams for the Cardinals and Patrick Corbin for the D-Backs.
A bat and an arm - good mix.
Matt Adams is a hoss! He comes with a lot of power potential, which we received a sneak peek at last season, but the Cardinals have a pretty well stocked cupboard right now. He is getting some playing time but I haven't been able to justify picking him up just yet. Still, it's been a lot of fun doing the research and monitoring his performance.
While going through my 2012 Topps flagship extras the other night, I came across this card:
Who doesn't love an RC?
It didn't really have much meaning for me when I shuffled through the packs last year but now this "Gold" parallel (#'d out of 2012 - MOJO!!!!! :) means a little bit more and was a lot of fun to check revisit a second time. Taking a look at Mr. Adams' physique provides a quick visual explanation for the power potential, too. And because this is Ryan's Pitch - here's the CARD BACK:
Not considered a "HIT" by millions of collectors
Patrick Corbin is a young fellow who, so far, is making D-Back Manager Kirk Gibson look like a genius for selecting Patrick as their #5 at the end of spring training. Corbin has a 1.72 ERA, sub-1 WHIP and a respectable 2.9 K/BB ratio. Not too shabby. He's 2-0 on the season and his 21 IP have come against the Yankees, Dodgers, Giants and Brewers. He's also only 24 years old. Great job, kid.
Now, corrections happen and great starts happen......the Yankees aren't the usual Yankees right now and the Dodgers have been a bit anemic as of late (though Kemp is heating up!) but still. This kid could be legit. Maybe I should drop Wade Davis for him? What do you think?
That being said, I also stumbled across this card during the same 'hobby break' that I found the Adams:
Not an SP and I couldn't care less
Actually, I found two of them! Immediately, they were penny-sleeved. Yeah, in the opinion of some hobbyists they're worthless base cards......but to me, they represent rookie cards of a great young pitcher. And all because I'm following the sport a little bit closer through fantasy baseball.
I've always loved this George Jorge Bell card. It was one of the first "old" cards (pre-'87......received in '87 or later!) I ever obtained and it fit nicely into my "star players" binder.
It's a little off-center, but I care about as much about that now as I did then. No - it's the simple picture of Bell that I love so much on this card. I like to think that this was taken towards the end of the game or practice that was towards the end of the day that was towards the end of the season/pre-season.
The end of something.
The look of exhaustion with a sly grin is exactly how I feel this week. The baseball season has come to an exciting end. It was a great ride for 162 games and tonight we get to start enjoying our first dose of play-in wild card games and then, soon thereafter the rest of the postseason. I can't wait! After 6 months of daily roster adjustments across two fantasy baseball leagues.....I'm ready for some baseball-watching that is singular in impact :)
A singularity event? Fellow nerds UNITE!
My Yanks have snagged the AL East title again and it was with some particularly delicious salt in the wound that was the Bobby Valentine experiment in Boston. I will definitely MISS that guy. What a disaster.
Some underdogs have risen to the top and while my affinity for their success will stop at some point, it has been great to see the A's and the O's fight their way into the picture! Perfect games, and a FREAKING TRIPLE CROWN!!!!! Congratulations, Miggy!
The hobby year is winding down, too. This may be the final year where I truly put forth so much effort and capital into new releases. It's time-consuming, expensive and, it seems, ever expanding. Tough to keep up with but always enjoyable. Update hit the streets this week and I will definitely try some out as I wrap up the final "hand-collated" sets for my son's future collection. But still - I feel like this is the end of something in a lot of ways. Things change.
I need to leave this one short (and, rather incomplete as I gaze up at the three or so paragraphs....) but there will be more to come. In the meantime, enjoy the changes in your own kingdom. The regular season is complete. Fall is here. The champions trudge on towards immortality. Let's grab a cold one, Jorge!
I've mentioned several times on this blog how I yearn for the collecting days of old when we were all excited to pull plain old cards - the cards we now refer to in our after thoughts as "base cards" - of the best players of the day, rookies or our favorite teams.
Granted, what you feel is completely within your own control so I feel somewhat silly saying that I miss feeling a certain way...but you guys probably know what I mean. As expensive as cards are nowadays and as exciting as the 'hits' and inserts can be to pull, it's tough not to feel a tad bit shorted when you manage to avoid pulling anything beyond what's promised to you on the wrapper.
Forget that - check out this sweet card I pulled from an Allen & Ginter blaster!
Well-Balanced
I'm not even a Cubs fan but I am really excited to add my first card of Anthony Rizzo to my son's collection. I'm building the base set for him (please see NEEDS & FOR TRADE list in the side bars) so I would have come across this card anyways - but we all know there's something special about pulling a card you were hoping for from a pack. There's no signature. There's no swatch of jersey. But I still dig this card.
I had been following Rizzo, his minor league offensive numbers and his potential call-up to the parent club all season. You already know I'm a Yankees and Braves fan. Am I a prospector? Nah, but I AM playing fantasy baseball for the first time ever. And loving it! It has caused me to have some strange feelings:
"Okay. Soriano just gave up a run. That's okay......now he's eligible for the Save."
Twisted, right? Yeah, it's weird but I'm enjoying the depth to which I've taken a dive back into the sport as a fan. I haven't had a knowledge of current MLB players and their skills this comprehensive since I had recess five days a week. And it feels great. Mike & Mike in the morning on the drive to work? Not anymore......my new friends are Scott, Adam and Cory - every morning on XM 87. They fuel the statistical and fantasy sports fire. The Roto Experts they're called. I'm pretty sure Mrs. Ryan's Pitch thinks my brain has gone a little "roto"....but such are the tests of champions (wink).
WHOA - I've gone off course. Let's bring 'er back.......
So I managed to pick up Rizzo in one of my two leagues as the moment approached for his call-up. He came up and has really been a much-needed source of joy for Cubbies fans everywhere. He represents the future and potential greatness: key ingredients as north-siders and Cubs fans everywhere await redemption. For me, he's helped out my fantasy roster when I've dropped him into the line-up, so the guy's become a favorite for me as well (as long as it's not against my Braves!).
So I knew about him, followed him in the news and was aware that he had cards in this year's sets. I hadn't seen one yet......but then, there it was! Seriously, an actual "SWEET! A Rizzo!" escaped me as I thumbed through the freshly busted pack. AH, sweet cardboard time machine. Again - no ink, piece of clothing or fractorization required.
This Rizzo base card will probably not put my kid through college (cause it will be HIS after all, big daddy - duh). There will be millions of them in gem mint condition in 40 years.......but for now, I am really stoked to have this card of a great ball player who may become an enduring star for the Chicago Cubs. Oh yeah - here's the back!
Card #270: "Batting One Hundred Forty One" - Not Anymore.
Asking for nothing in return, these two great fellow collector kept me in mind as they came across random Yanks and some sets NEEDS that I had listed on my blog.
Darren sent over a couple of base cards from '11 Lineage and 1991 Fleer that I had needed towards my set completion quests:
Cy and Andujar - brought together for the 1st time by Ryan's Pitch.
And who could go wrong with a blue Yankee parallel from 2012? Particularly this one of Mr. Chavez. Anybody have a translation for those tats on Eric's arm?
Finally, here are a couple of recreations of a card that was and a card that wasn't. These 60 YOT's from last year's offering are a great way to pick up copies of legendary cardboard for next to nothing. I am actually very fortunate and have this actual Rizzuto card in my Yankees collection. This reprint is a great addition and will be a nice comparison opportunity in a future post. The Mantle never existed, but it sure is a sharp card now! When it comes to card designs, '54 through '56 are often at the top of the list. I hadn't noticed before but the write-ups on the backs are kind of interesting. In these cases, a couple of tidbits describing the Topps and Bowman relationship from the 50's is provided and make for some interesting suppositions. Enough chatter - here's Mick and Scooter:
"Watch as I slide FOR you whilst making the out."
1956 - When Topps Ate Bowman for Dinner
Jeff sent over a lot of help for my 2011 Heritage set quest. I think he had been chasing this one himself, so I really appreciate him sorting out a few to send my way! Here's what we had along with a couple of my favorites:
The surreal blue sky behind David Price makes the blue in his Rays uniform pop really nicely. Plus......he's a stud hurler. The Manager's Dream card was a great capture of the cards from '62. Pujols and Braun were awesome last year. Albert has been anything BUT a dream for me as a fantasy manager this year.
I know......we're 7 21 days in. I'm just jaded.
Great cards. Great collector friends. Great surprises. Thank you, Darren and Jeff!
