Isn't this what the Traded set is for?

Apparently, there are a couple of variations in this year's Topps baseball factory set. (All credit is due to the Almighty Beckett for exposing this.)

Just a couple of questions though. Was it absolutely imperative that John Koronka's card be airbrushed now? Couldn't it have waited for Topps Traded? Updates and Highlights? whatever they're calling it this year? Isn't that the whole purpose of a Traded set? Also, is it logical to assume that -- with this action -- Topps may not be planning on issuing a Traded set at all this year?

Shareholder revolt at Topps?

Is the Shorin dynasty over at Topps? Could be.

Props to espn.com's Page 2.

An open letter to the MLBPA regarding "ROOKIE CARD" logo guidelines.

Date: 7/19/2006
To: Evan Kaplan, Director of Trading Cards and Collectibles, Major League Baseball Players Association
From: Chris Harris, Stalegum.com
RE: Clarification of MLBPA's "ROOKIE CARD" logo guidelines.

Dear Mr. Kaplan:

This message is in regards to the MLBPA's new program that identifies rookie baseball cards with a standardized cross-brand "ROOKIE CARD" logo. I think I speak for most collectors in applauding the PA's efforts in this arena. However questions have arisen among some regarding the use of the logo on certain player's cards. Specifically, two players: Milwaukee's Jose Capellan and the Red Sox's Jonathan Papelbon.

In the 2006 Bowman baseball card set, both Papelbon (card #76) and Capellan's (#190) cards are grouped among the veterans -- the subset commonly known in collector circles as the "red cards." Neither Bowman card sports the "ROOKIE CARD" logo. Yet in the recently released Topps series 2, both of these player's cards are designated as "rookies." (Papelbon card #355 and Capellan #496)

Capellan pitched in his first Major League game in 2004. Papelbon made his debut on July 31, 2005. The MLBPA's definition of a "rookie card," as it is currently understood by most collectors, is if a player makes his Major League debut during the current season, or during the previous season after the September 1 "call-up" date; then all of his base-set cards may feature the "RC" logo. Because both Capellan and Papelbon made their Major League debuts before September 1, 2005, (using the aforementioned MLBPA guidelines) neither player should have the logo on any of their 2006 cards.

My question to you is: Has the MLBPA changed the "RC" criteria? And if so, why? And are there any more players like Capellan and Papelbon that are now eligible for the "ROOKIE CARD" logo, that weren't before? I, and most baseball card collectors, look forward to hearing to your response in a prompt manner.

Thank You,
Chris Harris
www.stalegum.com

What I got at the Card Show: 7/16/05

Site: Plymouth Meeting Mall, Plymouth Meeting, PA

A bunch of 2006 Bowman, Topps, and Ultra commons and set fillers. (paid $22)

I really haven't been in a card buying mood these past couple of weeks -- hence the lack of updates to this site. There really haven't been many new products lately, and other than current year base sets, there really isn't anything out there I'm particularly chasing after.

However with this $22 stack, I'm just about done with my '06 Topps, Bowman, and Ultra base sets. The only "money" cards in the stack were a Bowman Johjima RC ($4), and six various Ultra Lucky 13s (buck each).

Other observations:

Alex Gordon's '06 Bowman is now down to $7. The Chromes continue to sell in the $20-$25 range.

Ryan Howard RC's are on fire. His '03 BowChro DP is selling for $50-$60, and his '03 Diamond King is $30.

Behold: The amazing power of Google.

So just for shits and giggles, I decided to Google the phrase "Olbermann Gordon". Take a guess which website came up at the top?

Box Break and Review: 2006 Topps series 2 HTA

With the US out of the World Cup, the rest of you can now go back to ignoring soccer for the next three years and eleven months. Until then, here's a break of the new Topps.

One HTA box of 2006 Topps series 2 baseball (paid $59)
12 packs per box, 35 cards per pack (MSRP $4.99/pack)

The Details

Chiptoppers: One "Box Sticker."

Base Set: 330 cards

Parallels:
Gold: 330 cards (1:4/packs, numbered to 2005 copies)
Black: 330 cards (1:14, numbered to 55, HTA exclusive)
Platinum: 330 cards (1:14,000, one-of-one)
Printing Plates: 330 cards (1:193, four of each card)

Inserts:
Hit Parade: 30 cards (1:6)
Topps Stars: 15 cards (1:4)
Opening Day: 15 cards (1:3)
Trading Places: 20 cards (1:4)
U.S. constitution Signers: 39 cards (1:2)
Mickey Mantle Home Run History: 100 cards (one-per-pack)
Home Run Derby Contest: (1:14,000)

Autogamers*:
Trading Places Autograph: seven cards
Topps Autographs: 23 cards
Team Topps Legends: ???
Mantle Home Run History Relic: 100 cards (1:16,000)
Opening Day Relic: 15 cards
Trading Places Relic: 27 cards
Trading Places Autographed Relic: seven cards (1:8000)
U.S. constitution Cut Signature: (1:80,000)

*Stated odds of finding an autogamer: 1:33/packs

The Pulls.

Base Set: 315 of 330 (95.45%)
67 doubles
1 triple

Parallels:
3 Golds: Hawpe, Ru. Hernandez, B. Thompson
1 Black: Dotel

Inserts:
2 Hit Parade: R. Sierra, A. Rodriguez
3 Topps Stars: V. Guerrero, Jeter, Pujols
4 Opening Day: KAN-DET, SEA-ANA, HOU-FLA, SDG-SFO
3 Trading Places: Furcal, Ra. Hernandez, Glaus
6 U.S. constitution Signers: B. Franklin, R. Sherman, R. Dobbs Spaight, G. Washington, H. Williamson, J. Wilson
12 Mickey Mantle Home Run History: #s 7, 10, 17, 52, 54, 61, 64, 70, 74, 79, 81, & 93

Autogamers:
1 Trading Places Relic: M. Bradley

The Review.

For all the crap Topps has pulled off this year, they have done one thing right. They haven't screwed up their flagship brand. No short-prints. No autographed base cards. No gimmicks. No BS. With Topps you know exactly what you're going to get, and this second series HTA box delivered -- kind of.

The 330 card second series is a little smaller than last year. In fact, at only 660 cards the full 2006 Topps set is the smallest in six years. There's everything you'd come to expect with Topps: 255 regular player cards, 14 AL managers, 16 NL team cards, 30 rookies (complete with the MLBPA's "ROOKIE CARD" icon), and 15 multi-player cards.

It is these multi-player cards that really "make" the set, I think. They remind me a lot of those "Superstar Specials" Fleer did back in the day. Unfortunately, the star selection is, well, not so "super." For example, card #650 -- titled "Philly Phanatics" -- has Pat Burrell and Mike Lieberthal. Now if I were in charge of selecting the two best Philadelphia Phillies to put on a multi-player card, don't you think that I would have chosen the previous year's Rookie of the Year and Home Run Derby champion? (Ryan Howard and Bob "A-Booey" Abreu, respectively) Or how about card #654: "Power Rays?" Travis Lee and Rocco Baldelli? instead of Carl Crawford and Jorge Cantu? Come on now Topps!

Yes, there is a rookie card of a certain catcher for the Mariners, as well as a couple of dozen other players; however, as we've seen in other 2006 products, most of them are Parenth-RCs -- i.e. Ryan Zimmerman and the rest of the gang.

The inserts aren't really anything to write home about. Again, it's what you'd expect from Topps, with themes recycled from recent Topps offerings: All-Stars, Hit Parade, etc. The Mantle Home Run History set is based on the same concept as Barry Bonds' set -- one card for each of his career home runs. Only this time, they didn't print just overprint the shit out of just one card. There's 100 different Mantle cards (for career homers 2 through 101), and with the multi-year deal between Topps and the Mantle estate, you can expect the remaining 435 to be spread out over the next couple of years' worth of Topps sets. Enjoy Mantle-istas!

The U.S. Constitution Signer's mimic the Declaration of Independence cards from series one, in both concept and design. Each card looks virtually identical to each other, with the photo of the individual represented relegated to a teeny-tiny corner of the card. Is it just me, but has the "historical figure insert set" an idea that has just run its course? I mean, how many more of these could Topps possibly come up with anyway? Signers of the Articles of Confederation? Great American Vice Presidents? Heroes of the Confederacy?

The Bottom Line:

Unlike the series one HTA box I ripped in March, the series two HTA box came up short of a complete base set by fifteen cards. The main reason why I spent the extra ten bucks on an HTA, was to get a complete set. Needless to say, I was pretty disappointed to be 15 cards short with a stack a 68 extras. All the inserts came as advertised, with three Golds and an HTA exclusive Black parallel. In the first series box I got a Roger Clemens numbered to 55; but with this box I pulled Octavio Dotel. Oh well.

The most interesting card I did pull was a Ruben Sierra "Hit Parade" card. I say interesting because, just how in the hell is Ruben Sierra still playing in the Majors anyway? I also got Constitution Signer cards of Ben Franklin and George Washington. Pretty cool, but I would have given my left nut to pull Alexander Hamilton. Hamilton was "The Man," and you know it. Oh, and I got a bat card of Milton Bradley. Big whoop.

All and all, I decent box, but I busted better HTA boxes. I still can't get over that fact that Topps actually put Travis Lee and Mike Lieberthal on multi-player superstar cards.

Product Rating: 3 Gumsticks (out of five)

...and another thing

For some reason, card #496 of Brewers pitcher Jose Capellan has an MLBPA "Rookie Card" logo foil-stamped on it. This despite the fact that: a) Capellan's card is not grouped in with the other "MLBPA Rookies," and b) Capellan pitched three games in 2004 for Atlanta.

I wonder if this is another one of those wacky Topps "error cards" that (wink, wink, nudge, nudge, knowhatImean, knowhatImean) mysteriously made its way into the packs? More importantly, I wonder if I could get Keith Olbermann to buy this "super-scarce variation card" from me. $5000 Keith, and it's yours! Call me!

Don West: Still "The Man"

To mourn the death of Shop at Home, here he is in his greatest performance. The man, the myth, the legend: Don West!



There's more of "The Don-ster" on donwest.org and on YouTube

9200 Pujols Rookie Diamond Kings? I don't think so.

So Beckett says that there are 9200 copies of Albert Pujols' 2001 Donruss Rookie Diamond King, and 46,000 copies of his 2001 Donruss The Rookies card. It says so right there on page 33 of the July 2006 issue. And if Beckett says it, it must be true. Right?

Not so fast. I have documented on this site my eternal quest to complete a 2001 Donruss master set and only added the Pujols RDK last month. With all due respect to Beckett, I find it hard to believe that there are 9200 copies of the RDK out there. In fact, let me prove it to you.


The only way to get a Donruss The Rookies set was through a redemption card that was inserted into packs of '01 Donruss at the rate of 1:72/packs. Each The Rookies factory set came with one of five Rookie Diamond Kings -- Pujols being one.

In addition to The Rookies, Donruss also inserted into packs (at the rate of 1:720), a card good for a Baseball's Best factory set. Baseball's Best was a "Tiffany" style set that featured the complete 220-card Donruss set, the complete 105-card Donruss The Rookies set, as well as all five Rookie Diamond Kings. At the time of the product's release in May 2001, Donruss said that only 1000 Baseball's Best redemption cards were inserted into '01 Donruss packs. Granted, Donruss wound up making more that 1000 Baseball's Best sets, but let's take them at their word that they inserted only 1000 Baseball's Best redemption cards into packs.

Now, if there were only 1000 Baseball's Best cards that were inserted into packs of 2001 Donruss, and they were inserted at the rate of 1:720, and if the insertion ratio for The Rookies card was 1:72, that must mean that Donruss inserted 10,000 The Rookies redemption cards.

1000 X (720/72) = 10,000

This means that Donruss produced a maximum of 10,000 Donruss The Rookies factory sets. 36,000 less than what Beckett says.

But, Donruss would up producing more than 1000 Baseball's Best sets -- they made 1597. Unbeknownst to collector's, Donruss produced three different versions of the Baseball's Best set: 999 "Bronze," 499 "Silver," and 99 "Gold." Now, let's assume that Donruss issued 1597 redemption cards, instead of the 1000 they initially said they would. This would also increase the number of Donruss The Rookies redemption cards, but still not anywhere near the 46,000 level Beckett claims.

1597 X (720/72) = 15,970

So that settles it. There are anywhere between 10,000 and 15,970 Donruss The Rookies factory sets, and 2000 to 3194 Albert Pujols Rookie Diamond Kings (15,970/5 = 3194). BUT... Remember, as we've seen with the Donruss Albert Pujols RC, NOT ALL REDEMPTION CARDS GO FULFILLED! Especially for a set that, unlike the base set Pujols, cost $24.95 for shipping and handling to redeem.


46,000 The Rookies factory sets and 9200 Pujols RDKs? Sorry Beckett, not buying it. Unless Donruss did with The Rookies what they did with Baseball's Best -- that is, dumping additional factory sets directly to Hobby dealers without the coupon -- the production figures don't add up. On the other hand, 4600 Donruss The Rookies sets and 920 Pujols RDKs, those are figures this collector can accept.

What I Got at the Card Show: 6/17/06

Man, was Earl Hebner secretly referreing that U.S.-Italy World Cup match, or what? How the hell could you send Mastroeni off for that kind of foul? Pope? OK, I might be able to buy that second yellow card. But Pablo? Come on now.

Anyway, Ghana bailed us out and the Stars-and-Stripes played their collective asses off for a well-deserved draw. Our boys are still in it folks. We're still in it.

So to celebrate, I, naturally, decided to blow a significant portion of my paycheck on baseball cards!

Site: Granite Run Mall; Media, PA

A second box of 2006 Ultra (Paid $59)
One HTA box of 2006 Topps series 2 (Paid $59)

I just posted the Ultra break, and the Topps 2 break will be forthcoming.

Total Spent on Cards: $118
One South Park "Don't Forget to Bring a Towel!" T-Shirt: $17 (impulse buy)
One US Soccer baseball cap: $20 (Father's Day present)
Commodore Barry Bridge Tolls: $3
Grand Total: $158

Trey and Matt need to give Towelie his own spin-off series. I am so serial about this.

2006 Topps Allen & Ginter: 1st Impressions

Next month, Topps will release their latest pre-War influenced "retro" product: Topps Allen & Ginter (TA&G). The product is notable for for the return of a Hobby legend, and for the return of one of the dumbest gimmicks in Hobby history.

For those unfamiliar, in 1887 the Allen & Ginter tobacco company of Richmond released what is generally recognized as the first "trading card" set (ACC designation: N43). The "Allen & Ginter's World's Champions" only featured 10 actual baseball players, but they were the first actual "baseball cards."

TA&G is Topps' latest entry in a continuous line of retro-themed products: last year's Turkey Red, 2004-05's Cracker Jack, and the 20X sets of 2002 and 2003. While those sets featured only baseball players, TA&G will have Major Leaguers with a few stars from other sports interspersed -- just like in the original. So along with A-Rod, Pujols, Ichiro, and the rest of the gang, you'll be able to pull cards of Mike Tyson, Hulk Hogan, Brandi Chastain (I'd tap that), Danica Patrick (that too), and hot dog eating champion Takeru Kobayashi. What, no El Wingador?

The structure of TA&G is similar to the other Topps pre-War sets, with one original-sized parallel per pack, framed relics, buy backs, and whatnot. What makes TA&G significant from a Hobby perspective, is the return of a name The Hobby hasn't heard from in quite a while.

That would be Dick Perez. Yes, Dick Perez. The original artist of the Donruss Diamond Kings will contribute the "Dick Perez Sketches" insert to TA&G -- an insert that looks more in place in a 1980s retro set than a 1880s set. But hey, it's Dick Perez. Welcome back Dick!

And now the bad news. The single worst gimmick in Hobby history rears its ugly head in TA&G: "Dare-to-Tear." Yes, what made 1998 Zenith the second worst baseball card product ever, is making a most unfortunate come back. Granted, the "Rip Cards" (as Topps calls them) are only one-per-case (1:288). But still, Dare-to-Tear was a lousy idea that no one in The Hobby took seriously, and should have died the same death as the company they came up with it.

Other than the Rip Cards, this looks like another pretty good nostalgia product from Topps. I for one, will be looking forward to its release in July.