Archive for Jose Reyes

Facepalm: 2012 Topps Jose Reyes & Albert Pujols

Posted in Newspaperman with tags , , , , on June 9, 2012 by Cardboard Icons

Back in March when Topps released Series One of its annual card set, the card manufacturer introduced us to the first Albert Pujols card featuring him in an Angels uniform, and the first Jose Reyes card showing him as a Miami Marlin.  The cards were extremely short printed and each was fetching upward of $100.

2012 Topps Series Two Jose Reyes and Albert Pujols

Within the last two weeks, Topps’ Series Two hit shelves.  Naturally I bought a few packs.  And within the first five packs I bought I pulled both a Pujols and a Reyes.

Are they the same as the Series One cards?  No.  But they do have the same card numbers (Pujols 331/Reyes 332).  The only real differences are that Topps used different photos on the short printed versions in Series One and limited their quantities, and because of that, obtaining the Series One cards will still cost you close to $100 each, where as the Series Two cards might … might … cost you 100 pennies.

There are a lot of ways to view the whole business of “super” short prints. Personally, I see them as hidden lottery tickets — they’re kind of senseless to me, especially in this case because we knew that Topps was going to release more common versions of Reyes and Pujols.  However, I don’t mind the super short prints too much because I’m more than willing to cash in on the payday if I pull one.

Pujols was card No. 331 and Reyes was 332.

Topps’s Series Two set was released within the last week and in this pr

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Rethinking my stance on Manufactured Patch cards

Posted in Newspaperman with tags , , , , , , , , on December 26, 2009 by Cardboard Icons

The other day I received in the mail two 2009 Upper Deck Icons baseball manufactured patches that I purchased on eBay for like $2.50 each. They were definitely an impulse buy on my behalf; I do no collect manu-patches, and neither Jose Reyes or Jay Bruce are really guys I collect. I bought them because the price seemed right and the cards looked somewhat appealing; or maybe the price made them appealing?

Nonetheless, they arrived on Christmas Eve and when I held the cards, something felt different — I kind of enjoyed the purchase. For more than a year I have been bitching (via comments on other blogs) about my hatred for manufactured patches. I’ve owned a few in recent years and each one I have dealt for almost next to nothing because they are not typically the type of card I chase.

But when the Reyes and Bruce arrived this week, I started thinking about what I really dislike about the Lettermen-style cards, and here’s what I came up with:

1) Signatures: Topps and Upper Deck have been guilty of producing signed Lettermen-style patches. This crap needs to stop. There is nothing appealing about seeing a signature cramped into a small fake patch. I have yet to see a signed manu-patch that actually looks good. And that’s not even counting Topps pathetic attempt last year with a certain football product that used a freakin’ sticker on the manu-patch card. Bleh.

2) Serial Numbering: I am convinced that the serial number on these type of cards are created with the sole purpose of tricking collectors into thinking what they have obtained is super rare. Most people know by now that these cards are not game-used, but someone coming back into the hobby after a year or two off is going to get duped because they just pulled from a pack or bought off eBay a card that is serial numbered to a low print run. Bottom line, ditch the numbering; either get rid of the cards or make a ton of them.

3) What they spell: I’m fine if the letters on the cards are used to spell out the name of the player; it just seems right. But don’t do what UD did with this Jay Bruce Lettermen. What’s the “G” supposed to be from? Oh yeah, Bruce Almighty. Lame.

I’m not saying that I love these cards, but what I am saying is that I can see how they can be collected and accepted. If the companies followed all of the points I brought up above, I may actually considering buying a few more. Just don’t expect me to pay “Hit” prices for these cards, after all, they are cards containing manu-patches, not actual pieces of a jersey.

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2009 Upper Deck baseball photos gone wrong

Posted in Newspaperman with tags , , , , , , , on September 25, 2009 by Cardboard Icons

2009UDJoseReyesWhen 2009 Upper Deck hit the market earlier this year, collectors across the country lauded the company’s great design and spectacular photography. Well, last night I came across two really poor photo choices for two HUGE baseball stars. The first is Jose Reyes. Look at this picture. Unless I am mistaken — or Jose Reyes is a magician — this speedster with a cannon for arm is about to drop this infield pop-up. Is that really the image you want plastered on your baseball card?

UPDATE: Using my sleuthing skills, I was able to discern that the Reyes image MUST have been shot on May 11, 2008, Mother’s Day — the day Major League Baseball allowed players to use pink bats and wear the same color wristbands in an effort to bring awareness to breast cancer. The box score from that game indicates that no errors were committed. We all knew Reyes was a thief, but I guess also must be a magician.

2009UDChipper

The second image depicts Braves stud and future hall of famer Chipper Jones. Upon first glance, this card seems all good — Chipper swinging one-handed, probably jerking a pitch into right field for a base hit. But if that is the case, then what the hell is going on in the bottom right corner. See that cloud of dirt? Unless someone can persuade me otherwise, I’m going to insist that the cloud of dirt is being created by a ball in the dirt at which Chipper is swinging and missing. I looked at Chipper’s face for evidence of what might be happening here, but Chipper must be a hell of a poker player because I really can’t tell.

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Card of the Day: 2001 Bowman Chrome Miguel Cabrera

Posted in Card of the Day with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , on July 25, 2008 by Cardboard Icons

The increasing popularity in Bowman Chrome products has created a stir among some collectors who are now not only looking for a player’s rookie card, but also their first Bowman Chrome card. It’s really an interesting phenomenon. The emphasis in recent years has been greatly on rookie cards, but as is the case with some budding stars, their first Bowman Chrome card — even if it was released a year later — has caught fire, the most recent example being Chase Utley. His 2002 Bowman Chrome card has hit double digits, and in some cases has surpassed or matched the going rate of his actual rookie cards that were produced a full year earlier. But while this trend has become even more popular with chrome cards produced in recent years, there is one first Bowman Chrome card that likely will not ride this wave: 2001 Bowman Chrome Miguel Cabrera.

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