Johnny Bench 2014 Topps Archives – FAIL

Johnny Bench 2014 Topps Archives

Jeez, talk about cropping a shot closely, huh?!?!

 

I am all for the heroes of prior baseball generations being included in modern sets – hell, that is one of the main reasons that I enjoy collecting today’s products.

But, I have to assume that by now Topps has hundreds of images of Johnny Bench at its disposal.  Choosing this one was simply a bad choice.

I’m happy to have another card of Mr. Bench in my collection.  But, I would certainly pick another one over this one if I could…

1975 Topps Set Card 183/660 – #522 – Gary Sutherland, Tigers

1975 Topps Set Card 183/660 – #522 – Gary Sutherland, Tigers

Progress: 183/660

Player Name:  Gary Sutherland

Team:  Detroit Tigers

Position:   2nd Base

Image Style:  Posed Batting

Years In The Major Leagues:  13 seasons, 1966-78

Notes From His 1975 Season:   Gary Sutherland appeared in 129 games for the Tigers in 1975.  He hit .258 with 130 hits in 503 at-bats.  Of his 130 hits, Sutherland connected for 12 doubles, 3 triples, 6 home runs, and 109 singles.  He also scored 51 runs for the club while driving in 39.

Notes From Career:  Gary Sutherland played for 7 different teams during his 13-season career.  He has a lifetime batting average of .243 with 754 hits.  Sutherland played in 1,031 games during his playing days – he drove in 239 runs during that span while scoring 308 times.  Sutherland never appeared in the postseason.

Did You Know…

The first player in Kansas City Royals history to hit for the cycle was shortstop Freddie Patek.  Patek accomplished the amazing feat on July 9, 1971.

Happy Birthday Jerome Walton!!!

Happy Birthday Jerome Walton!!!

Jerome Walton turns 49 years old today.

Jerome Walton was a text-book leadoff hitter – A player that was able to hit for average, get on base consistently, and steal bases. During Walton’s rookie year, he hit .293 and had 24 stolen bases. In addition to that, he also set the major league record for consecutive games with a hit by a rookie with 30 games. Walton became a fan favorite and wound up winning the Rookie of the Year award in ’89. The kid with the ‘unusual batting stance’ looked like he was headed for stardom and was going to help make the Cubs winners.

Unfortunately, the exact opposite happened. Walton’s best year was his rookie season and his star quickly faded as he became more and more inconsistent at the plate. In less than 3 seasons with the Cubs, Walton lost his starting job and was not granted a contract extension. Walton then went on to play for 5 different teams in 6 seasons and never was able to get consistent playing time. He still showed that he had better than average offensive skills, but he was never able to earn a full-time job. Jerome Walton retired from baseball after the 1998 season.

Happy Birthday Mr. Walton!!!

Andre Dawson 2013 Panini “America’s Pastime” Dual-Game-Used Relic Card

Andre Dawson 2013 Panini “America’s Pastime” Dual-Game-Used Relic Card

I’m not a huge fan of many of the Panini recent products.  Sure, the loss of the ability to include the MLB logos and team names hurts, but I also don’t think that they’ve really brought us anything ‘super special’ either.

Of the releases, Hometown Heroes is by far my favorite.  I like the theme and the colors, and the checklists offered up a nice assortment of older and current players.

I really did not care for this year’s ‘America’s Pastime’ release from Panini.  I found it to be very bland with no life.

But, the name of my favorite player was included in the checklist so I had to give it a little attention.

S0, I bought this:

 

This card is from the ‘Combo Swatches’ set and it is serial numbered as 30/49.  And while I really like the large pieces of jersey used on the card, I am more than a little bored with the rest as Panini did very little to add something fun to look at with this one…

Next time?  I’m not so sure…