That's the way the (C)rookie crumbles.

Yesterday I posted a hobby box break of 2011 Topps Pro Debut baseball cards and it got me thinking (read:made me want to go on a rant) more about the whole rookie card logo. This is the second product release containing minor league players, and it looks like it would be the second release of 4 or 5 total products with such players.

Later in the year we are scheduled to see a likely Pro Debut Series 2, as well as Topps Heritage Minor League and Bowman Platinum which are all slated to contain minor league autographs of top prospects. While I think it is great to include top prospects in products, I don't think it's great to have them sign 500 "First Year" cards, Pro Debut cards, Bowman Chrome, Topps Chrome, Bowman Drafts Picks & Prospects, Topps Heritage, Platinum, etc.

Doesn't that seem like a bit much? Now compound that with the fact that we will have 3 Bowman sets that look IDENTICAL, and Topps Series 1, 2, and Update look IDENTICAL to Pro Debut. They must really think we are suckers. I don't care to have 40 different color base prospect
Gary Sanchez cards. Don't forget about the printing plates for each of those 40 different cards that look the same from every set. Oh and the autograph versions.


With all those autographs you then have those same cards as base cards, then parallel versions of each of those cards, 4 printing plates of each, and on and on. But as if that wasn't enough of an issue, now what happens when you have 50 cards from all these sets of a player in a given year such as 2011 and he then gets called up to the majors. Well, back in the day you would be holding his rookie cards. Now, you are holding what will inevitably be his least desirable cards simply because they are not the "RC" logo cards. There is one exception- Bowman Chrome.

The only card collectors seem to chase regardless of what year are the Bowman Chrome autographs. They have become the be all end all rookie/prospect cards. If you ask me, Topps should see this as an opportunity to right the ship now and eliminate some of these other minor league releases and make these prospects and prospect autos from Bowman and Bowman Chrome worth the price of the product.

Collectors know that most of these minor league guys don't make it so why push products of "could be's" when you can integrate new ideas into fresh sets of the veterans and include a subset of Top Prospects in each one?

There was a reason that Fleer, Donruss, Score, and Upper Deck lost the rights to producing major league baseball cards. It was because the market was flooded and the cards were worth nothing. Example being look at the Sammy Sosa and Ken Griffey Jr RC's, there are a bazillion of those floating around, and while no one wants a Sosa one now, Griffey Jr is still a desirable rookie card.

So now, we as collectors are left with a bazillion minor league sets or cards that pretty much look like everything else, they might be prospects or they might be rookies. But the bottom line is it's not a rookie without that logo, so pick what you buy wisely.

Topps needs to slow down these minor league cards because I have a feeling I am not the only one that is not interested and would rather see another major league set put out.

Hey Mister, sign my ball?!

It’s not often that we get to hear from the ballplayers about autographs. We all know that players sign items and when they don’t, we are quick to write these people off and think of them as jerks.

A colleague of mine stumbled upon this blog post written by Phillies prospect Michael Schwimer. He currently pitches for the Triple-A Lehigh Valley IronPigs. Schwimer writes about reasons he may not sign autographs.

The four reasons he gives are valid reasons.

Do I agree with everything he says? No.

Schwimer says he will not sign items in perfect condition because of the fear they may end up on eBay or something of the sort. He talks about ‘sharks’ the people who seek autographs to turn a profit on eBay or in similar ways.

What's funny is that there isn't much of his stuff on eBay (auctions).

I pose this question. Why shouldn’t people be allowed to go online to do this? Maybe they are providing a service for someone who can’t get to a ballpark where the minor league player competes. To me, that attitude is much like our government. If they aren’t seeing a piece of the money, they don’t want anyone else to reap the benefits.

I know many players are like this and if I get an autograph will ask to get items personalized just to show that I am not going to sell. But why do I want an item signed by a player that isn’t going to be in the place I want it so I can display it with the rest of my memorabilia.

Someone who needs a little press

We all hear about THE minor leaguers, the ones who are going to make it big one day. The ones who will be the next Albert Pujols or Nolan Ryan.

But what happens to the guys who play well, they put up good numbers, but you know why aren't going to get a shot with the big club?

Here we have Brandon Laird, a third baseman for the Yankees Double-A affiliate Trenton Thunder. Laird was drafted in the 27th round in 2005 and 2007, first by the Indians and then by the Yankees. He's 22 years old and has a guy ahead of him in New York that may not be going anywhere anytime soon.

Alex Rodriguez has dealt with injuries as of late, but he is signed through 2017. ARod will be 40 by then.

Laird is hitting the ball well in double-A. Through Thursday, he has a .293 batting average, but 18 home runs and 76 RBIs through 71 RBIs.

Laird doesn't have much out there when it comes to baseball cards. He appeared in 2008 Bowman Chrome. That's it.

What do you do with a guy like this?

Photos from Trenton Thunder

I went to a Trenton Thunder game last night for Joba Chamberlain bobblehead night. Because I was asked several times yesterday when I said I was going to the game, yes, I went by myself. I enjoy baseball and have no problem sitting there, keeping score and just enjoying the night.

I also wanted the bobblehead.

These were the only people writing down the lineup.

I'm a sucker for this kind of stuff

I love seeing high school athletes succeed in college and beyond. The first taste of that was when I worked in New York and I got to see Ray Rice (I didn't cover his games often) go to Rutgers and now with Baltimore Ravens.

There aren't many that make it to that level, but I still enjoy the success stories. When it comes to baseball, there are very few who have made it to the big leagues from where I work now in southern New Jersey. However, I did two stories this year on South Jersey guys making it to the show and being successful. The first was San Diego Padres' Greg Burke, who also had a stint with the Atlantic City Surf, an independent minor league team that doesn't exist anymore.

The second was on AL Rookie of the Year Andrew Bailey. Both fun to talk to, but it's hard to be in a bad mood when enjoying the success they had this year.

Next up on the radar of guys from this area is Anaheim Angels prospect Mike Trout. I've seen him play, and he's a heck of an athlete. I covered a few of his basketball games last year and he's a beast. I also saw him on Thanksgiving as he was at his high school's Thanskgiving rivalry game.

I did a little search on eBay and found prospect cards for him already.



Why all our local kids end up with California teams, I'll never know (there's another in the Giants organization), but if he makes it to the big club, I am sure MLB Extra Innings will have get even more subscribers from here.