Red Sox Playing Smart with JD Martinez; Yanks Team To Beat, but Sox Will Contend

Random thoughts as the Red Sox settle into spring training …

  • Kudos to the Red Sox for not bidding against themselves to sign J.D. Martinez.  With the Red Sox being the only viable bidder, Martinez seems to need the Red Sox more than the Red Sox need Martinez, whose opposite-field swing may not play well in Fenway Park.  The Red Sox finished in the bottom of the league in homers and slugging last season, but nearly every position player underperformed for one reason or another.  A fresh, more upbeat approach from Alex Cora and his staff will benefit young core players such as Mookie Betts, Xander Bogaerts, Jackie Bradley, and Andrew Benintendi.  I’m not saying Cora alone will turn the Red Sox line up into Murderer’s Row, but a fresh approach, good health, and a less-expensive bat (a Logan Morrison type) could bolster the Red Sox to the middle of the pack in terms of slugging.  Remember they scored the sixth most runs in the league last year despite the power drout.  Increased slugging combined with continued upper echelon pitching, strong defensive play, and aggressive but more careful base running make the Red Sox contenders.
  • The road to the AL East Division Title clearly goes through Yankee Stadium, but the Bronx Bombers are far from unbeatable.  Yes, the combination of of Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, and Gary Sanchez poses baseball’s most dangerous power threat.  Yes, the deep, fire-breathing bullpen will shorten games and limit exposure of the not-so-deep Yankees starting rotation.  And yes, the roster in comprised to take full advantage of the cozy confines of Yankee Stadium.  But the Yankees — like every other major league team — are not without their share of problems.  The holes are not gaping, but reason for concern.  As of today, the the Yanks are relying on a pair  untested 22-year-olds second (Gleyber Torres) and third (Miguel Andujar)  basemen — a tall task for a team with World Series aspirations.  The pitching rotation lacks depth.  Luis Servino is electric, but has not proved to be a legitimate ace — at least not yet.  With decrepit knees supporting his bulky frame, 37-year-old C.C. Sabathia cannot be expected to match last year’s performance and Masahiro Tanaka has experienced elbow issues.  The line-up, despite its explosiveness, features a ton of strikeouts and sluggers are prone to long slumps.  The Red Sox have the pitching staff to expose the Yankees flaws and stay competitive.
  • If Chris Sale, David Price, and Rick Porcello perform up to expectations, the Red Sox will have one of the game’s more formidable pitching staffs, making the AL East a two-team race. Chris Sale is an annual Cy Young candidate, but, the success of the 2018 Red Sox may hinge on the condition of Price’s left elbow and ability to stay focused between the lines.  Cora will have his hands full managing Price’s innings and limiting his distractions.  When healthy and in the proper frame of mind, Price eats innings, wins games, and saves bullpens.  Porcello’s 2016 Cy Young campaign poses evidence that he can be an elite pitcher, but his 2017 season indicates that he may be just a bottom of the rotation starter.  I suspect the real Porcello lies somewhere in between, which would be a major boast behind Sale and Price.  Drew Pomeranz, who seems to have found the proper balance between his big-breaking curveball and deceiving fastball, would be a No. 2 starter on most teams.  Eduardo Rodriguez enters the season as the team’s fifth starter, but has the potential to be much more.  With two healthy knees, the 24 year-old Rodriguez is ready to emerge.
  • Rafael Devers is talented and powerful, but extremely raw.  Don’t be surprised if the 21-year-old third baseman hits the “second-year” wall as pitchers find holes in his swing.  How he adjusts will determine his success.  In the meantime, Eduardo Nunez provides depth and insurance.
  • Cora has not etched the starting line up in stone, but has discussed Betts batting first.  At first glance, Betts’ swing and approach seems more suited for the middle of the batting order, but the All-Star right fielder seems most comfortable and productive leading off.  After watching George Springer set the tone for the Astros, Cora likes the idea of aggression and power setting the tone.
  • One of the top priorities for new hitting coach Tim Hyers is restoring Xander Bogaerts’ confidence.  After hurting his hand last year, Bogaerts lost confidence and fell into many bad habits.  Hyers will be charged with finding a way for Bogaerts to drive the ball consistently rather than being content as a contact hitter.  Nunez will also play a role in keeping Bogaerts fresh throughout the season.  

Dwight Evans Belongs in Hall of Fame Alongside Roberto Clemente

Baseball’s greatest right fielders have the most powerful and accurate arms.  They play shallow and charge the ball with aggression, preventing runners from taking an extra base.  A great right fielder is an intimidator, able to change the complexion of a game with aggressive play.  Offensively, the great ones typically anchor a lineup with power and production.  The all-time greatest was Hall of Famer Roberto Clemente.  The unquestionable best Red Sox right fielder is Dwight Evans, who should have a plaque in Cooperstown.

roberto_clemente_rc

In addition to winning four batting titles, an MVP award and two World Series championships with the Pittsburgh Pirates, Clemente established the modern day standard for right fielders, earning Gold Glove awards every year from 1961-1971 while patrolling Pittsburgh’s spacious Forbes Field.  His 12 career Gold Glove awards ties Willie Mays for the most in baseball history.  

Clemente led outfielders in assists five times thanks to one of the best arms baseball has ever seen. Just months before perishing in a plane crash while leading humanitarian efforts for earthquake ravage Nicaragua, Clemente became the 11th player to record 3,000 career hits. If not for his tragic death at the young age of 38, the Clemente name would figure even more prominently in the baseball record book.

You can make a strong case for Evans being considered the best outfielder in Red Sox history. He was the top right fielder of his era, earning eight Gold Gloves.  He played with outstanding instincts, carefully navigating the spacious, tight-cornered, wide-angled Fenway right field while displaying a canon of an arm.  

Evans made one of the greatest catches in World Series history in Game Six of the 1975 World Series.  In the 11th inning of a 6-6 ball game with one out and fleet-footed Ken Griffey Sr. on first, Cincinnati All-Star second baseman Joe Morgan slashed a sinking liner toward the right  field field pole. The  ball seemed destined to drop into the corner for an extra base hit that would have scored Griffey.  With an instinctive over-the-head stab of the  glove, Evans plucked the ball out of the Boston night.  He stumbled backward, regained his balance and threw to the infield to double up Griffey at first base.  Carlton Fisk secured arguably the most memorable game in Red Sox and World Series history with a dramatic 12th inning home run.

Somehow, Evans lasted only three years on the Hall of Fame ballot, never getting more than 10.4 percent of the vote.  Perhaps Evans was overshadowed by Hall of Fame teammates Fisk, Carl Yastrzemski, and Jim Rice.  Evans may have been prematurely labeled “a good hitter,” but not a “great hitter ”because his offensive prowess occurred in the latter half of his career,   Perhaps his steady production and contributions were just overlooked.  There was little fanfare to his game — he consistently produced offensively and defensively, but often in the shadows of more popular teammates.

Defensively, Evans compared favorably to Clemente, winning eight gold gloves while leading the league in assists three times.  The assist totals were kept down over the years as few runners dared to test the Evans’s powerful and accurate arm.  The only outfielders to earn more Gold Gloves are Clemente, Willie Mays, Al Kaline, and Ken Griffey Jr. — all Hall of Famers.

Offensively, Evans is not as far from elite as non-believers might think.  In fact, looking at his numbers over an extended period of time, Evans is indeed elite.  He was one of the best offensive players of his era.  During the decade of the ‘80s (1980-1989), Evans had more home runs and extra base hits than any other player in the American League.  At one time or another, he led the league in on-base percentage, OPS, runs, runs created, total bases, home runs, extra base hits, base on balls, and times reaching base.  

Ironically, his best season may be what’s keeping him out of the Hall of Fame.  During the strike-shortened 1981 season, Evans slashed .296/.415.522 while playing every game and leading the league in homers, total bases, walks, and OPS.  This was also one of his Gold Glove seasons.  The Dwight Evans legacy may have been different had Major League Baseball completed the season and Evans continued his MVP ways.  If Evans had hit 15 more homers in the 54 games missed, he would have finished his career with 400 home runs — and unofficial benchmark for HOF enshrinement.

By definition — at least my definition — the best players of any era are considered baseball’s elite and therefore belong in the Hall of Fame.  Evans was inexplicably kept off the HOF’s Modern Era final list earlier this month.  The committee will convene again over the next few years, hopefully with an open-minded look at forgotten players from the ‘70s and ‘80s such as Evans.

The Evans rookie card, also featuring Baltimore Orioles and Cleveland Indians fan-favorites Al Bumbry and Charlie Spikes, can be found in the 1973 Topps set.  In 1955, Topps issued the first Clemente baseball card, which features spectacular portrait and action photos across a horizontal design.

 

Shohei Ohtani Signs with Angels; Aims To Become Next Babe Ruth

Any comparisons to Babe Ruth are subject to hyperbole, but the exploits of 23-year-old Shohei Ohtani give us reason to believe the Japanese — and soon-to-be Los Angeles Angels —  star could be the next great two-way ball player.

The 2016 Most Valuable Player of the Pacific League of Nippon Professional Baseball was the first Japanese professional baseball player to hit 10 or more homers and win 10 or more games as a pitcher in the same season.  The only player in major league history  to score a double-double was Ruth, who stroked 11 home runs and won 13 games for the 1918 World Series Champion Boston Red Sox.

Ohtani’s 2016 season was one of the best in Japanese history when he boasted a 10-4 record with a 1.86 ERA.  The right-handed flamethrower posted a 0.95 WHIP while averaging 11.2 strikeouts and 2.9 walks per nine innings.  Moonlighting as a left-handed-hitting DH, the 6-foot-4 Ohtani slugged 22 home runs while hitting .322 with a whopping 1.004 OPS in 104 games.  With five professional seasons under his belt, Ohtani had a 42-15 record  with a 2.52 ERA in Japan.  He hit .286 with 48 homers and 163 RBI in 403 games, not to mention a.859 OPS.

Japanese baseball isn’t quite the  Major League Baseball, but  it’s step ahead of AAA-ball.  There is no question that Ohtani’s overall skills are off the charts.  Major League Pacific Rim scouts have long marveled at Ohtani’s skills, referring to him as the “modern-day Babe Ruth”.  A top-of-the rotation pitcher and a potentially middle-of-the-order slugger all in one, Ohtani throws a high-90s fastball that has reportedly topped out at 103 mph — the fastest ever thrown by a Japanese player. He uses a  low-90s forkball to keep hitters off balance with a changeup still a work in progress and is viewed as a major-league-ready top of the rotation pitcher.

Ohtani still has some holes to fill in his swing, but has natural power and a keen eye at the plate.  Showing off a powerful uppercut swing, the potential Angels clean up hitter has been compared to . Otani played 62 games as a corner outfielder his first two years as a professional.  A sprained ankle early in the 2014 season quickly put an end to Otani’s outfield duties.  With additional ankle woes that limited his time on the field last season last season, Ohtani was used exclusively as a DH when not pitching over the last three years.

 

Ohtani yearned to pitch and hit in the majors, to compete against the best in the world as a pitcher and a hitter since he was started

 playing.  The questions ahead for Ohtani, Mike Scioscia and the Angels brain trust are complicated:  How will he deal with the pressures associated with becoming the “modern day Babe Ruth”?  How will the  Angels schedule his workload between and during pitching assignments?  What happens when he hits a wall? It w

ill happen.  Afterall, Ohtani is human … we think.  When his pitching suffers due to the daily grind at the plate, do the Angels put his hitting duties on  the back burner?

otaniScioscia, a former catcher, has proven adept at running a pitching staff and the Angels have never hesitated to thinkout of the box. Based on Ohtani’s past success, the Angels will likely simulate his Japanese work routine as much as possible. This means the Angels will implement a six-man rotation for an entire season. He will likely DH when he’s not pitching and sit the day before pitching.  The chronic ankle injuries will keep Ohtani from playing first base or right field on a regular basis.  Although Ohtani insists on being a two-way player, pitching will be the priority for the Angels.  Ohtani has yet to reach his prime, which means great things are ahead.  The question is: How long will his body allow him to be a two-way player?  Ruth was only able to do it for four and one half years.

 

What the Angels and Ohtani are doing is ground breaking.  Their success — or lack of success — will have significant implications on the  future of baseball.  The mystery surrounding Ohtani’s skills and how they are implemented by the Angels will be the biggest storyline of the 2018 season. You can count Ohtani baseball cards to be the most coveted cards from now through the 2018 season. Ohtani’s first baseball card was an insert in Japan’s Sports Card Magazine #97 released in January 2013. It was a promo card for the 2013 BBM Rookie Edition set and is selling for $30.  His 2017 Bowman Chrome Refractor World Baseball Classic is selling for $160 and is on the rise.  He and teammate Mike Trout will be among the most collectible players of the year.

Celebrating Joe DiMaggio and “The Hit Streak”

During the summer of 1941, Joe DiMaggio established the benchmark for hitting streaks when he achieved the most treasured – and, arguably, unreachable – record in baseball history.  The same year that Ted Williams hit .406 for the Red Sox, DiMaggio compiled a 56-game hitting streak for the Yankees, shattering Wee Willie Keeler’s record of 44 games in 1897.  DiMaggio became a national hero, the successor to Babe Ruth in  the minds of Yankee fans.

From May 15 – July 17, DiMaggio batted .408, blasted 15 homers and drove in 55 runs.  On July 19, the day after Indians pitchers Al Smith and Jim Bagby Jr. held DiMaggio hitless, the Yankee Clipper started a 16-game hitting streak.  All told, DiMaggio hit safely in an unfathomable 72 of 73 games.

How remarkable was DiMaggio’s hitting prowess? In the past 70 years, only three players – Pete Rose (44 games), Paul Molitor (39) and Jimmy Rollins (38) – have come within 20 games of DiMaggio’s seemingly untouchable record.  There isn’t an active player in baseball whose two longest streaks, over an entire career, add up to 56 games

DiMaggio’s reputation and hitting exploits were established well before the magical 1941 season.   In 1933, the 19-year-old DiMaggio, in his first season with the San Francisco Seals of the Pacific League, established the minor league record with a 61-game hitting streak, shattering the previous mark of 49 set by Jack Ness in 1914.  DiMaggio  finished his first professional season with the  Seals batting .340 with 28 homers and a staggering 169 RBI.  DiMaggio’s older brother Vice and younger brother Dominic also played for the Seals.

Like his hitting streaks, DiMaggio’s baseball cards are in a class of their own.  The first set to feature DiMaggio as a professional was the 1933-36 Zeenut Baseball Series.  Short on fact checkers and editors, the candy manufactures spelled the DiMaggio brothers surname as “De Maggio”  as did most West Coast newspapers chronicling Joe’s teenage exploits.

JD

The Zeenut Series sports two DiMaggio action photos, one batting and the other throwing.  The originals measure just 1 ¾” x 3 ½” with perforated coupons at the bottom.  The expiration dated on the coupons help determine the approximate year the series was released since no information was included on the cards.  Cards with the coupon are extremely rare.  A fully intact Dimaggio 1933-1936 Zeenut Baseball card graded PSA EX-5 has sold in excess of $33,000.

Another rare and highly coveted DiMaggio card is the 1937 V300 O-Pee-Chee, the key card from an extremely limited Canadian set distributed only in Canada. With our neighbors north of the border focused on hockey, few collectors or sports fans bothered to preserve the DiMaggio card and other cards from the series.  The black and white photo card is one of a few featuring DiMaggio’s early seasons with the Yankees.

High-graded cards from this set are extremely difficult to find.  Only three examples have been graded EX-MT 6 by PSA, the last one selling for over $5,200.  PSA NM-MT 8 versions have sold for as much as $15,000.  The O-Pee-Chee card is designed with a die-cut background that can be punched out and folded back, allowing each card to stand up.  Because of this unique design, most V300 cards are found in poor condition, often with the die-cut backgrounds entirely missing.

Printed in both English and French, the card back – boasting sharp, bold legible text – informs baseball fans that DiMaggio “will make up for some of the color lost when Babe Ruth retired.”

Rookie Phenom Devers Powers Sox

Three weeks into his major league career, Rafael Devers has risen from Red Sox savior to rookie phenom.  National attention has made his early baseball cards must haves for rookie card collectors.  

In desperate need for a power hitting third baseman, the Red Sox turned to Devers instead of acquiring a veteran slugger.  The 20-year-old Dominican Republic native responded by slugging eight home runs and 16 RBI while batting .364 in his first 20 games.  His major league debut came too late in the season to be included in any 2017 baseball card sets, so Devers cards bearing the official “RC” logo will be issued in 2018 base sets.  In the meantime, prospect collectors can choose from over 700 Devers insert, subset, and parallel cards.  

The 2014 Bowman Chrome Draft series is the first to include Devers. As part of the “Top Prospects” subset, he is featured in  full MLB gear — three  years before his debut.  The shiney chrome versions are among the hobby’s most popular cards, selling for $8 with more limited Refractor versions getting $18.  Also featuring early cards of Mookie Betts, Kris Bryant, Aaron Judge, Jose Abreu, and Jacob deGrom among others, 2014 Bowman Chrome is a must for prospect collectors.

 

Devers’ national spotlight grew brighter in mid August when the rising star slugged a game-tying ninth inning home run off Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman before a national television audience.  Devers followed his Yankee Stadium heroics by becoming just the 35th player since 1913 to record a two-homer game before turning 21, joining the likes of Ted Williams, Willie Mays, Mel Ott, Mike Trout, and Carlos Correa.  The light shined even brighter the following night when Devers triggered an around-the-horn triple play before the Fenway crowd, the 31st triple play in Red Sox history.

Increased national attention means increased interest in Devers certified autographed cards.  Although the Devers 2015 Bowman Chrome “Prospects Autograph” isn’t his first autographed card, it is the most coveted.  Complete with MLB markings and logos, the on-card autograph is selling for $200 with Refractor versions commanding as much as $400.  Known as “Home of the Rookie Card”, the Bowman name enhances early autographed cards of baseball’s rising stars.

Devers initially caught the eye of Red Sox scouts at the age of 14.  Considered the top left-handed hitter among international free agents two years later, Devers signed a $1.5 million contract with the Red Sox.  After dominating the Dominican Summer League and making the Gulf Coast League All-Star team, Devers sports his Greenville Drive Red Sox uniform in the 2015 Topps Heritage series.  For minor league and oddball card collectors, this is a great  buy for $3. His 2015 Choice minor league card takes the traditional approach of local distribution.  The card is rather simple in design, but a limited print run makes it highly coveted for $15.  Because of the minimal gloss on the card fronts, minor league cards are ideal for in-person autographs.

Devers has already made a significant impact in Red Sox history.  Earlier in the month major league baseball’s youngest player joined Babe Ruth, Williams, Dalton Jones, and Tony Conigliaro as the only Red Sox in the last 100 years with four or more hits in a single game by age 20.  Linked to Red Sox greats from the last 100 years, Devers has become a favorite of memorabilia collectors.  The 2015 Elite Extra Edition “Future Threads” Silhouette Signatures is a rare memorabilia card issued by Panini.  The unique “Future Threads” card is serial numbered to just 125 and has a jersey swatch layered underneath the player image.  The lower portion of the card displays Devers’ signature.  The card value has doubled in the past month, currently selling for $100.  

If the Red Sox continue winning and advance to the postseason with Devers still slugging his way through the league, his cards will heat up the postseason and offseason.  

Baseball Rights A Wrong: Tim Raines Enters Hall of Fame

With two outs in the bottom of the ninth and the side of righteousness trailing by a run, the Baseball Writers Association of America undid one of the biggest wrongs in the Hall of Fame by electing Tim Raines in his final year of eligibility.  Today  baseball celebrates the Rock as the  former Expos great becomes just the fourth  player to be elected in his final year of eligibility, joining Red Ruffing (1967), Joe Medwick (1968), Ralph Kiner (1975), and Jim Rice (2009).

Placed in a historical context, Raines’s resume is more than HOF worthy.  He was one of the game’s great lead off hitters, top base stealers, and — believe it or not — an extra-base-hitting-machine during his 23-year major league career.  Raines was often lost in the shadow cast by Rickey Henderson, arguably the greatest leadoff hitter ever. But digging deeper into the numbers, Raines was every bit the player as Henderson and even rivaled the great Ty Cobb, arguably the best hitter in baseball history.  

We all know Raines was one of the game’s great base stealers, but his consistency on the base paths was unparalleled.  He ranks fifth on the career stolen base list with 808 and is the career leader in stolen base percentage (84.7) among players with 400 attempts. Raines is the only player in baseball history to steal at least 70 bases in seven consecutive  seasons (1981-1986).  He stole 40 consecutive bases between July 1993 – August 1995, a major league record later broken by Ichiro Suzuki with 45 consecutive swipes.

Like Cobb, Raines will never be considered a home run hitter, but the former speedy outfielder combined extra base hits with stolen bases at an historic rate.  He was the only player in baseball history with at least 100, triples, 150 homers and 600 stolen bases.  Raines finished his career with 113 triples and 170 homers.  

Raines also tallied with 2,605 hits over his career — well below the imaginary 3,000-hit Hall of Fame threshold. But looking deeper, only nine of the 27 players with 3,000 hits can match Raines’s .385 career on-base percentage.  Raines reached base more times than three no-doubt HOFers with 3,000 hits: Tony Gwynn, Lou Brock and Roberto Clemente as well as the ageless and  still playing Ichiro Suzuki.

Need more convincing?  Raines was the only player ever with four seasons of 50-plus extra base hits and 70-plus stolen bases.  Henderson and Cobb combined for four such seasons; every other HOFer combined for an additional four.

Raines is seldom mentioned with the all-time greats such as Cobb, but he should be and the evidence is in the numbers:  He is the only player in MLB history with five consecutive seasons with at least 30 doubles and 70 stolen bases, which he did from 1982-1986.  Before 1982, the last player to record 30 doubles and 70 stolen bases in a season was Cobb in 1915.  

For more head-spinning stats, be sure to check out the Ace of MLB Stats Twitter account.  Its creator, Ryan Spaeder, seems to be on a personal crusade to get Raines into the Hall of Fame.  Raines did the work and Spaeder has aligned the numbers in convincing fashion.

Raines becomes the third player to go into the Hall of Fame as a Montreal Expo, joining Gary Carter and Andre Dawson.  Raines won two World Series rings (1996 and 1998) in New York as a role player with the Yankees.  It’s a great day when one of baseball’s great injustices is rectified.

The Raines Topps rookie card is one of the top rookies from the 1981 series.  Issued just before the mass-produced sets of the ‘80s, the Expos “Future Prospect” card also includes Roberto Ramos and, two “future stars” that never panned out.  Be careful if you’re buying:  The “Future Prospect” cards are notorious for having gum-stained backs.  

1981 Donruss: From Hall of Famer Tim Raines to “Dwayne Kuiper”

Don’t be confused by its drab, almost amateur appearance.  Simplicity, quirkiness, and historic value make 1981 Donruss Baseball one of the most significant and fascinating sports card sets ever produced.

 The 1981 Donruss Baseball Card set was the first complete set since the early 1950s not to bear the name Topps.  For the first time since 1955, more than one company was producing extensive sets representing major league players.  A legal decision in the fall of 1980 gave both Fleer and Donruss the legal right to produce cards. The verdict cleared the path for Upper Deck to enter the fray and revolutionize the hobby with its premiere baseball card set in 1989.

Fleer and Donruss finalized their deals with the Major League Baseball Players Association in September 1980, leaving just five months to produce and deliver cards to stores by the last week of January 1981 to compete directly with Topps.  Gathering

photos, matching players with photos, writing informational blurbs, and proofreading statistics, proved to be a daunting task for companies producing baseball cards on a grand scale for the first time.

There were more than 30 error cards in the 1981 Donruss Set.  Houston Astros pitcher Vern Ruhle’s card actually pictures teammate Frank Lacorte.  Cleveland Indians infielder Duane Kuiper was listed as “Dwayne” Kuiper.  In a strange but true tale, Donruss listed Cardinals’ outfielder Bobby Bonds – father of current “Home Run King” Barry Bonds – with 986 homers, 231 more than Hank Aaron, the all-time home run leader at the time.  

There has been interest in both the error and corrected versions for nearly three decades because both versions are more limited than the other cards in the set.  The 1981 Donruss series has also kept the growing number of baseball historians and “oddball” card collectors entertained over the years.

Tim Raines’ induction into the Hall of Fame has given the 1981 Donruss Set a recent spark.  Although Donruss somehow skipped over National League Rookie of the Year Fernando Valenzuela that year, it was the only company to picture Raines by himself on a rookie baseball card. Topps featured Raines with two other rookies on a prospect subset card, while Fleer swung and missed altogether.  The series also includes rookie cards of Jeff Reardon, Mookie Wilson, and Toronto Blue Jays infielder Danny Ainge before he became a three-time championship winning guard and executive with the Boston Celtics.

Rushing into the production of the 605-card 1981 Donruss Set also caused collation and printing issues.  Factory sets were not produced.  Instead, hobby dealers had to buy wholesale from TCMA, Donruss’ exclusive hobby distributor.  Cards of each player were shipped to dealers in 100-card lots secured by rubber bands. The cards then needed to be hand collated. The collation of wax packs caused further problems for collectors.  Several of the same card were often found in a single wax pack, which was great news if the card featured Hall of Famers Carl Yastrzemski or Johnny Bench.  Not such good news if the Leo Sutherland card was the featured player.  

The cards bend easily and show tremendous wear over time due to flimsy paper stock.  The lackluster design consists of predominantly blurry portrait or posed photos against mostly empty stadium backdrops.  Time constraints prevented Donruss from airbrushing uniforms or caps. Players changing teams during the offseason appeared in their former uniforms with the name of their current team displayed across the bottom of the card.

Donruss also had considerable trouble securing player photographs. Ray Burris was traded by the Cubs to the Yankees who later sold him to the Mets during the 1979 season.  Although he hadn’t played for the Cubs in nearly two years, Burris sports a Cubs uniform on his 1981 Donruss card. Many of the pictures were taken in Wrigley Stadium or Comiskey Park by amateur photographers as Donruss scrambled to put together a set.  A handful of photos were taken by political and sports commentator Keith Olbermann, then a 21-year-old photographer with a passion for baseball.

Although limited in value, the 1981 Donruss Set has its own charm with an array of hard-to-believe mishaps and a unique history.

Aaron Judge and Cody Bellinger Heat Up

Nothing stimulates the hobby faster than two rookies from storied franchises slugging home runs at a record pace.  Aaron Judge and Cody Bellinger have arrived as baseball’s top sluggers and hobby treasures.  Both have a chance to join Fred Lynn (1975) and Ichiro Suzuki (2001) as the only players to be named MVP and Rookie of the Year in the same season.

On pace to become the first Yankee to win the Triple Crown since Mickey Mantle in 1956, Judge led the American League in homers (27), RBI (62), and hitting (.327) at the midpoint of the season.  The 25-year-old behemoth outfielder has given Yankees fans hope for the future and collectors excitement for the present.  The first Judge cards of consequence were released shortly after the Yankees selected him in the first round of the 2013 MLB Draft.  Because these cards were issued before Judge was on a major league roster, they are considered prospect cards or inserts. In today’s hobby, a star’s earliest cards outdo the rookie cards in significance and value.

The most sought-after card of the summer is the Judge 2013 Bowman Draft Pick, selling for $17 with the more limited chrome version selling for $50 and the even more limited Chrome Refractor version approaching $200.  The simple posed design against a white background is easily preserved and holds its value exceptionally well.  From the card back we learn that Judge was a First Team All-Western Athletic Conference selection all three seasons at Fresno State.  Not surprisingly, Judge was also the College Home Run Derby Champion in 2012 and played wide out on the prep football team.

Judge’s official rookie cards are found in 2017 packs.  His 2017 Topps card is the first to carry the official MLB “RC” logo.  Although the Topps set does not feature the glitz and glitter of the latest printing technologies, rookie cards from the Topps flagship are must haves for rookie card collectors.  The Judge rookie is selling  for $10 with limited Gold Parallel versions selling for $70.

Judge will likely destroy the Yankees record for home runs by a rookie (29) established by Joe DiMaggio in 1936.  As Judge’s name becomes synonymous with Yankees legends, interest  in his autographed cards will increase.  His 2013 Bowman Chrome Certified Autograph cards have sold for $850 in recent weeks with Refractor versions selling for $1,400.  His 2015 Bowman Inception can be had for a more affordable $125.

Twenty-one-year-old Cody Bellinger was called to the majors in late April due to a rash of injuries to the Dodgers outfield.  What appeared to be a short-term promotion became one of the best starts to a career in baseball history.  Bellinger’s league-leading 24 homers in 62 games are the most by an NL rookie in the first half of the season since 1933.  

On Opening Day, most Bellinger baseball cards could be had for mere pocket change, today they are among the most coveted in the hobby.  Bellinger’s cards date back to 2013 when the Dodgers drafted him in the fourth round of the MLB Draft. One of the earliest Bellinger cards is the  2013 Panini Elite , which sells for nearly $100 with autographed versions valued at $325.  

Because Bellinger was not considered a top prospect at the time, his major prospect and insert cards were slow to roll out.  Topps got into the act with 2015 Bowman Chrome Autographed cards. One of the more sought-after Bellinger cards to date, the Chrome Autograph  is selling for $400, while rare Blue Refractor versions — limited to a print run of 50 — sell for $1,200.  His 2016 Bowman Chrome Scout’s Prospect card is popular among first card/rookie collectors, selling for a much more affordable $10.

Bellinger has already hit two home runs in a single game six times, breaking Mike Piazza’s Dodgers rookie record for most multi-homer games in a season.  As the records mount, expect interest in Bellinger cards to increase.  His first official rookie card has yet to be released, but expect a wide-range of Bellinger RCs to be issued in the coming weeks.

1967 Topps Celebrates Carl Yastrzemski, Rod Carew and Tom Seaver

The 1967 Topps set is celebrated for its simple, yet eye-pleasing design, a Hall of Fame checklist, rookie cards of two baseball greats and card No. 355 featuring Carl Yastrzemski.

In 1967, the man they called Yaz had one of the greatest seasons in baseball history, winning the Triple Crown and leading a fading franchise to the World Series.  Yastrzemski hit .326 for his second consecutive batting title, tied Harmon Killebrew with 44 homers and and led the American League with 121 RBI.  He also led the league in on-base percentage, slugging percentage, runs scored, hits, and total bases to earn American League MVP honors. Thriving in the clutch, Yaz hit .417 and slugged .760 with nine home runs and 26 RBI in the month of September while leading the “Impossible Dream” Red Sox to the AL Pennant.

The ‘67 Topps Yaz card is a must for any long-time Red Sox fan or Triple Crown memorabilia collector.  Excellent to near mint versions are readily available on eBay for $30-$45.  Crisp, highly-graded samples sell for as much as $950.

The 1967 Topps set is arguably the most popular set of the decade.  Advances in photo and printing technologies produced the most vibrant-looking cards to date.  The clutter free, borderless design is ideal for both head-and-shoulders and close-up “posed action” shots featured throughout the series.  Unlike other Topps issues from the ‘60s, the emphasis is clearly on the player, not the team name or card design.

The card backs lend a hand in grading the 50-year-old cards. The solid lime green backs help identify wear and damaged corners almost as well as the black borders of the 1971 Topps issue.  With flaws easily identified, mint conditioned 1967 Topps cards are a true rarity.

The card backs also display a vertical design, allowing more length for season-by-season statistics, while leaving room for the Topps cartoon and player notes.  Did you know that Yaz won two batting titles and finished second twice in his first eight seasons of professional ball?  The card back also tells us that Yaz signed a $100,000 signing bonus while attending Notre Dame and worked at a Boston printing firm during the winter months early in his career.  Amazing how much we learned about our favorite players on  2 ½ x 3 ½ in. baseball cards in the days before the internet.

The 1967 Topps Set also includes the first Topps card of Maury Wills and the last Topps card of Whitey Ford.  Wills is pictured in a Pirates uniform (he played with the Pirates and Expos in the middle of a standout career with the Dodgers), while Ford is pictured completing his famed Hall of Fame pitching motion. At this stage of his career, Ford — still one of the game’s most popular players — battled injuries, while serving as an unofficial pitching coach for the Yankees.  You will find classic cards of baseball greats Hank Aaron, Willie Mays, Ernie Banks and the last card to list Mickey Mantle as an outfielder.

The “Rookie Stars” checklist is headlined by Rod Carew and Tom Seaver.  In 19 major league seasons with the Minnesota Twins and California Angels, Carew compiled 3,053 hits while winning seven batting titles and hitting .300 or better for 15 consecutive seasons. Topps didn’t include Carew in its original release, but after a hot start at the plate, the 22-year-old second baseman was added to the more limited high-number series. His ‘67 Topps rookie sells for $175 in excellent to near mint condition, while highly graded versions are valued over $1,000.  This card is a double print, making it a bit more common than most cards from the high-numbered series.

Seaver achieved 311 wins, 3,640 strikeouts, and 61 shutouts over a 20-year career.  His arrival in New York began to change the fortunes of the Mets, a perennial doormat since joining the league in 1962.  The Mets all-time leader in wins, Seaver was the 1967 National League Rookie of the Year and a three-time Cy Young Award winner.  His highly coveted ‘67 Topps rookie — an extremely limited high-series card — commands $700 or more in decent condition, while highly graded versions are valued over $2,000.

Red Sox Celebrate David Ortiz; Collectors Celebrate Unique Big Papi Baseball Cards

During his 14 years with the Boston Red Sox, David Ortiz became the face of the franchise, leading the team to three World Series championships while becoming just the 27th member of baseball’s exclusive 500 home run club.  As one of baseball’s top sluggers, Ortiz became quite popular with baseball card and memorabilia collectors as well.  A wide-range of Ortiz variation, rookie, game-used-memorabilia, and autographed baseball cards remain popular even with Ortiz six months into retirement.

Some of the most memorable and coveted baseball cards are the ones that capture a unique moment in baseball or a city’s history.  The rare variation of Ortiz’s 2013 second series Topps card captures one of the more emotional moments in Boston sports history.  A defiant Ortiz took the field just five days after the tragic Boston Marathon bombing, making an impassioned, heartfelt speech declaring  the city’s resolve.

Known in collectible circles as the “Boston Strong” card, Ortiz is pictured with a microphone in one hand and a clenched fist raised to the heavens with the other.  In the background is a giant American flag draped over Fenway’s left field wall, creating a uniquely patriotic scene.  Upon release, the short-printed “Boston Strong” card sold in the $50-$75 range.  Following the Red Sox third World Series title in 10 years in October of the 2013 season, the card was selling in excess of $150.  During the height of the Big Papi Farewell Tour last summer , the card sold for as much as $199.  Today the card value has settled in the $35-$65 range.

Ortiz played a huge role in the Red Sox six-game 2013 World Series victory over the St. Louis Cardinals, hitting .688 with two homers and six RBI en route to being named World Series MVP.  The popular Topps World Champion autograph insert set features top postseason sluggers. The 2014 edition captures Ortiz’s famed home run stroke along with his certified signature.  Limited to a production run of 50, the Ortiz World Series autographed card sells for $59.

When Ortiz joined the Red Sox in 2003, there was considerable confusion surrounding his rookie baseball cards.  Prior to signing with the Red Sox, Ortiz played several seasons in the Seattle and Minnesota systems.  Signed out of the Dominican Republic by the Mariners in 1994 just days after his 17th birthday, Ortiz, who gradually established himself as a power-hitting prospect, was traded to the Twins as the player to be named later for Dave Hollins prior to the 1997 season.  

After joining the Twins system, Ortiz decided to change his baseball name.  His legal name had always been David Americo Ortiz Arias. While playing with the Mariners, he went by his maternal family name (Arias) rather than his paternal family name (Ortiz).  As a result, his earliest baseball cards are listed as David Arias.  With the Twins, he requested to be called Ortiz, which has stuck ever since.  

Ortiz joined the Red Sox as a platoon player in 2003, so many collectors didn’t connect the dots between David Arias and David Ortiz, meaning the Arias rookie cards were readily available for under $1 during the first half of the season.  With more playing time came more home runs and a knack for late-inning heroics.  By season’s end Ortiz slugged 30 homers in just 128 games, boasting the David Arias cards to $10-$15.

One of only two Ortiz rookie cards, the 1997 Fleer “David Arias” card could be found in 1997 Fleer Series 2 packs.  The base version of the card, sporting a throwback matte finish during an era of high-gloss cards, currently sells for $30.  The far more limited “Tiffany” parallel version — one of the  more valuable Oriz cards in the market — features a high-gloss look and feel while selling for $400 .

The other Ortiz (Arias) rookie is from the 1997 Fleer Ultra series, a slightly more upscale version of the Fleer set, sells for $35.  The full-bleed, glossy look was a popular alternative to the  high-priced Tiffany parallel set.  Gold Medallion parallel versions display  a different picture and gold-foil lettering. Limited to just 200 copies, the popular parallel version sells for $49.

The Topps Bowman brand, known as the  “Home of the Rookie Card”, somehow bypassed Ortiz in its 1997 set.  Sometimes wrongly advertised as a rookie, the 1998 Bowman Ortiz is readily   available for under $4.  Far more limited chrome and International refractor parallel versions sell for $18 and $15 respectively.  

For oddball baseball card collectors, there is a handful of Ortiz pre-rookie cards that have become quite popular in the slugger’s final season.  The Ortiz (Arias) 1996 Wisconsin Timber Rattlers Midwest League All-Star card,is an overlooked gem selling for $48.  His 1998 New Britain Red Cats Best minor league card is selling for $15.  Both cards feature a relatively elementary design with simple white borders — a far cry from the  the glitzy, full-bleed photos popular with major league sets in the late ‘90s.  The more mainstream Upper Deck 1998 SP minor league Ortiz card — featuring a portrait of a svelte, smiling Ortiz inside a silver foil border — sells for $5.  

Ortiz made his Topps debut in the 1998 edition where he was featured in a prospect card with future All-Star slugger Richie Sexson.  Ortiz made his first appearance in a Red Sox jersey in the more obscure 2003 Fleer Update Series and the 2003 Upper Deck 40-Man set.  All three cards can be had for $3.

The hobby’s most sought after and costly cards are serial numbered autographs of baseball’s top players.  Ortiz autographs have been extremely active in the secondary market since the start of the season. His 1997 Donruss Signature Series Autograph is his first card to carry the name “David Ortiz” instead of “David Arias”.  The base version (red background) has 3,900 copies and is selling for $122, while the Millennium parallel Version (green background) is limited to 1,000 copies and is selling for $225.  Perhaps the most valuable Ortiz autographed card is the Signature Series Century Autograph (blue background) is numbered to just 100 and is selling for $600.

A common gripe among autograph collectors is Ortiz’s failure to sign within the designated area of the Donruss Signature Series.  Most signatures in all three versions appear towards the side of the card rather than the bottom.  Ortiz’s signing gaffe may have held down the card values before he established himself as one of the game’s top sluggers.  There is no such issue today.  The 2005 SkyBox Autographics signature card is available for under $60, providing a nice alternative to the high priced Signature Series autographs.

As the Red Sox prepare to retire Ortiz’s number, expect his baseball cards to sell at elevated prices.  No. 34 placed among Red Sox immortals along Fenway Parks right field roof facade means increased attention for their charismatic slugger, which means inflated values for his cards.  You can anticipate card values to decline and level off later this summer.  The next boost for Ortiz cards will come in five years when one of the Red Sox all-time sluggers is Hall of Fame eligible.  

The Hall of Fame electorate and many old school baseball fans have shunned the DH position since its inception in 1973.  Edgar Martinez, one of the best pure hitters of his time, has yet to receive more than 36.5 percent of the HOF vote in six tries.  Quality hitters such as Don Baylor and Harold Baines have barely registered a blip on the HOF ballot.  

However, the anti-DH faction has been weakening in recent years.  Enshrined in 2004, Paul Molitor served as his team’s DH for nearly half of the games he started.  Last year, Frank Thomas became the first HOFer to DH in the majority of his games played.  

Ortiz is looking to become the first full-time DH to receive baseball’s highest honor.  He has established the standard for designated hitters, collecting more hits, home runs, and RBI than any other DH. His endless late-inning production — including 11 walk-off homers — have made Ortiz one of baseball’s most feared hitters throughout his Red Sox career.  

Ortiz’s Mantle-esque playoff production (a slash line of .295/.409/.553 with 17 homers and 60 RBI) have made him one of the game’s most recognized players.  His postseason success and affable persona has made Big Papi the ultimate fan favorite among Red Sox fans, which reflected by his many memorabilia cards.  His 2013 Topps Tier One Game Used Jersey and 2014 Panini Classics Game Used bat cards, each selling for $15, are great additions to any Red Sox baseball card collections.