My Annual Late Hall of Fame Post

I have been without a laptop at home for a few months now.  Unfortunately, that is where I do a majority of my posts.  I am typing this right now, likely over the course of a few days, at the office.  We will see if I get this done before the results are announced.

First, I want to look at the Eras Committee election.  Congratulations to Dick Allen and Dave Parker for gaining election.  But I am extremely disappointed that Luis Tiant was once again kept out.  Even after his death a few months ago, he cannot seem to gain any traction.  It is fair to wonder if he will ever get in now.  Certainly possible, but I just do not see what is keeping him out.  His numbers are good enough (he compares favorably to Don Drysdale, Jim Kaat and Catfish Hunter, among others), he was certainly a big personality at the time, and he could even be considered something of an ambassador to Cuban baseball.  I don't get it.  Dave Parker's election could signal the election of Dwight Evans next year, hopefully.  

Anyway, here is the ballot this year:

BOBBY ABREU

TEAMS: Astros, Phillies, Yankees, Dodgers, Mets
ACCOMPLISHMENTS: 2x All Star, Gold Glove, Silver Slugger
IF ELECTED, CAP WOULD BE: Phillies
WILL HE BE ELECTED?: Maybe by an Eras Committee?

Abreu continues to surprise me with his support.  I am not necessarily opposed to his election, but he is a player that I definitely never considered a Hall of Famer when he was playing.  But, it is not as if his election is imminent.  He is now in his sixth year on the ballot and received just 14.8% of the vote last year.  He has gained a handful of votes, so I think his percentage will improve, but he has a long way to go if he is to ever get in.

CARLOS BELTRAN

TEAMS: Royals, Astros, Mets, Giants, Cardinals, Yankees, Rangers
ACCOMPLISHMENTS: Rookie of the Year (1999), 9x All Star, 3x Gold Glove, 2x Silver Slugger
IF ELECTED, CAP WOULD BE: Mets
WILL HE BE ELECTED?: Maybe next year.

Beltran is the litmus test for how the Astros players of 2017 will be treated.  He is now in his third year on the ballot and, after receiving 57.1% last year, he looks like he could just miss this year.  I do think he will probably get in next year with a largely underwhelming first-year class headed by Cole Hamels.

MARK BUEHRLE

TEAMS: White Sox, Marlins, Blue Jays
ACCOMPLISHMENTS: 5x All Star, 4x Gold Glove
IF ELECTED, CAP WOULD BE: White Sox
WILL HE BE ELECTED?: Unlikely

Buerhle is now in his fifth year on the ballot and seems to be gaining a few votes, but he only received 8.3% last year.  He was a very good, steady pitcher for a long time, but that does not really scream Hall of Fame to me, and voters mostly seem to see it the same way.  I don't think it is out of the realm of possibility for him to get him, but it seems unlikely.

CARLOS GONZALEZ

TEAMS:  Athletics, Rockies, Indians, Cubs
ACCOMPLISHMENTS:  3x All Star, 3x Gold Glove, 2x Silver Slugger, Batting Title
IF ELECTED, CAP WOULD BE: Rockies
WILL HE BE ELECTED?:  No.

Gonzalez was an elite player for several seasons, but a career on the short side and lots of injuries leave him lacking some of the accolades needed to gain election based solely on peak.  For his career, he hit .285/.343/.500 with 234 home runs, 785 RBIs and 118 stolen bases.  He finished third in the MVP vote in 2010 when he won the batting title and led the league in hits while hitting 34 home runs, driving in 117 and stealing 26 bases.  At his best, he was a five-tool player.  He just wasn't great long enough.  He will drop off the ballot.

CURTIS GRANDERSON

TEAMS:  Tigers, Yankees, Mets, Dodgers, Blue Jays, Brewers, Marlins
ACCOMPLISHMENTS: 3x All Star, Silver Slugger
IF ELECTED, CAP WOULD BE: Tigers or Yankees
WILL HE BE ELECTED?:  No.

Granderson was a really fun player for awhile.  I didn't even hate the guy when he played for the Yankees, which is one of the highest honors I can think of.  But there were really only a couple of seasons where he was one of the best in the game.  He finished fourth in the MVP vote in 2011 when he shocked everyone with 41 home runs and led the league in RBIs and runs scored.  But his biggest issue was a real low batting average (.249) and a ton of strikeouts.  He was a nice player, but not a Hall of Famer and will drop off the ballot.

FELIX HERNANDEZ

TEAMS: Mariners
ACCOMPLISHMENTS: Cy Young (2010), 6x All Star
IF ELECTED, CAP WOULD BE: Mariners
WILL HE BE ELECTED?: Eventually maybe.

King Felix did not have a long career, but he was absolutely dominant for about a seven-year period.  In this day and age, that might be enough for a starting pitcher to get in.  He won't get in this year, but he could easily build up support over the next several years.  This is his first year on the ballot, so he has time and early returns have been decent.  Hernandez only won 169 games in his career, but he mostly pitched for bad Mariners teams and he struck out 2,524 career batters, an average of over 200 per season during his 15-year career.  Unfortunately, he flamed out early and was done by the age of 33, but he was a great pitcher when he was healthy.

TORII HUNTER

TEAMS: Twins, Angels, Tigers
ACCOMPLISHMENTS: 5x All Star, 9x Gold Glove, 2x Silver Slugger
IF ELECTED, CAP WOULD BE: Twins
WILL HE BE ELECTED?: No.

Hunter garnered just 7.3% of the vote last season and is now in his fifth year on the ballot.  And unfortunately, he seems to be going backwards.  It is entirely possible he drops off the ballot completely this year as he has lost several votes from last year.  I am not sure of the reason behind the drop in support, but it does appear to be a reality.  He was not a real strong candidate to begin with, with a lot of other center fielders needing election before a good case can be made for him.

ADAM JONES

TEAMS: Mariners, Orioles, Diamondbacks
ACCOMPLISHMENTS: 5x All Star, 4x Gold Glove, Silver Slugger
IF ELECTED, CAP WOULD BE: Orioles
WILL HE BE ELECTED?: No.

Jones is a similar candidate to Torii Hunter.  He was a very good player for several seasons, but just does not have the numbers to garner serious Hall of Fame discussion.  There is nothing wrong with that.  For his career, he hit .277/.317/.454 with 282 home runs and 945 RBIs.  There is no shame in those numbers, but they are not going to get him in the Hall of Fame.  I can't see him lasting beyond this year.

ANDRUW JONES

TEAMS: Braves, Dodgers, Rangers, White Sox, Yankees
ACCOMPLISHMENTS: 5x All Star, 10x Gold Glove, Silver Slugger
IF ELECTED, CAP WOULD BE: Braves
WILL HE BE ELECTED?: Yes, probably next year.

Time is running out for Jones.  He is in his eighth year on the ballot, but he did receive 61.6% of the vote last year and he has gained some votes so far from the publicly-revealed ballots this year.  With a very weak class next year, he has a very good shot at election next year.  If not, he will have one more chance.

 IAN KINSLER

TEAMS: Rangers, Tigers, Angels, Red Sox, Padres
ACCOMPLISHMENTS: 4x All Star, 2x Gold Glove
IF ELECTED, CAP WOULD BE: Rangers
WILL HE BE ELECTED?: No.

There was a time that Kinsler was one of the best second-basemen in the game.  Unfortunately for his Hall chances, he had a lot of mostly ordinary seasons.  He still put up decent numbers, a line of .269/.337/.440 with 1,999 hits, 257 home runs, 909 RBIs and 243 stolen bases.  He was a very good all-around player, that just did not stand out enough that he will be able to get any real support.  He should be a player that sticks around for a little while, but I don't think he will.  Chase Utley is getting a lot of support, and I just do not see much of a difference between him and Kinsler, which is why it is so odd that I think he will drop off the ballot.

RUSSELL MARTIN

TEAMS: Dodgers, Yankees, Pirates, Blue Jays
ACCOMPLISHMENTS: 4x All Star, Gold Glove, Silver Slugger
IF ELECTED, CAP WOULD BE: Dodgers
WILL HE BE ELECTED?: No.

There were a couple of articles written before this Hall of Fame election cycle that have really highlighted the defensive prowess of Martin and McCann.  A few voters have taken that to heart and both catchers have received more votes than I thought they would.  But, you really have to accept metrics that have not been in use for more than a decade and that cannot be used to look at past catchers to make that Hall of Fame argument, because I don't think any other statistics get there.  Martin hit .248/.349/.397 (101 OPS+) with 191 home runs.  He would really have to be a great defensive catcher to get in, and without the ability to compare him to past catchers (is he really better than Jason Varitek for example?), I just cannot see the argument and I think he will drop off this year.

BRIAN MCCANN

TEAMS: Braves, Yankees, Astros
ACCOMPLISHMENTS: 7x All Star, 6x Silver Slugger
IF ELECTED, CAP WOULD BE: Braves
WILL HE BE ELECTED?: No.

See above for the discussion on Russell Martin.  McCann was quite a bit better of a hitter though, as he hit .262/.337/.452 with 282 home runs and 1,018 RBIs.  He was one of the better-hitting catchers in the game for several seasons.  That same article highlighted his framing as well and argued for his Hall of Fame chances.  I think he has a better chance than Martin, because he was a very good hitter for a catcher, but I still do not think he gets in and probably won't survive this ballot.

DUSTIN PEDROIA

TEAMS: Red Sox
ACCOMPLISHMENTS: MVP (2008), Rookie of the Year (2007), 4x All Star, 4x Gold Glove, Silver Slugger
IF ELECTED, CAP WOULD BE: Red Sox
WILL HE BE ELECTED?: Possibly

Pedroia is a lot like Nomar Garciaparra, a Red Sox middle infielder with a high peak, but whose career was shortened by injuries.  But I think there is a chance that Pedroia could stick around on the ballot and possibly build towards an election over a ten-year period.  He certainly had the accolades, winning a Rookie of the Year and MVP in back-to-back seasons, and he was considered one of the best defensive second-basemen of his time.  He hit .299/.365/.439 (113 OPS+) for his career, which are great numbers for a second-baseman.  If he hadn't suffered an ultimately career-ending injury at 33 and been able to put up a few more seasons, he would have had over 2,000 career hits and better final numbers.  He is a peak candidate, and his peak may be enough to get him at some point.  

ANDY PETTITTE

TEAMS: Yankees, Astros
ACCOMPLISHMENTS: 3x All Star
IF ELECTED, CAP WOULD BE: Yankees
WILL HE BE ELECTED?: Maybe by an Eras Committee

Pettitte is now in his seventh year on the ballot and received 13.5% of the vote last year.  He has picked up a lot of votes this year so far, but he still has a long way to go.  It is certainly possible that an election of CC Sabathia could help boost Pettitte's chances in the near future, but he has a lot of ground to make up.  I think his best chance would be to build up his vote total and get in on an Eras Committee ballot.  

HANLEY RAMIREZ

TEAMS: Red Sox, Marlins, Dodgers, Indians
ACCOMPLISHMENTS: Rookie of the Year (2006), 3x All Star, 2x Silver Slugger, Batting Title
IF ELECTED, CAP WOULD BE: Marlins
WILL HE BE ELECTED?: No.

It is kind of a shame that Ramirez was not able to keep up the form he had in his first several years in the Majors when he was an absolute beast.  He had 30-homer power, hit for averages above .300, and was stealing 50 bases a season.  He was a monster.  But the speed left him quickly and the average started to tumble, he had to move off of shortstop and only the power remained.  For his career, he hit .289/.360/.486 with 271 home runs, 917 RBIs and 281 stolen bases.  He was one of the best prospects I remember coming up with the Red Sox, but was traded in the Josh Beckett/Mike Lowell trade.  He returned to Boston and had one last really good season in 2016.  He was great for a few years, but not nearly long enough.  He will struggle to get any votes.

MANNY RAMIREZ

TEAMS: Indians, Red Sox, Dodgers, White Sox, Rays
ACCOMPLISHMENTS: 12x All Star, 9x Silver Slugger
IF ELECTED, CAP WOULD BE: Red Sox
WILL HE BE ELECTED?: Maybe by an Eras Committee

Ramirez is on his 9th year on the ballot and received just 32.5% of the vote last year.  He is almost out of time and he is actually losing more votes than he is gaining in early returns.  His best chance would be on an Eras Committee ballot.  It really sucks, because he was one of the game's greatest hitters, but the PED evidence is too much for him to overcome.

FERNANDO RODNEY

TEAMS: Tigers, Angels, Rays, Mariners, Cubs, Padres, Marlins, Diamondbacks, Twins, Athletics, Nationals
ACCOMPLISHMENTS: 3x All Star
IF ELECTED, CAP WOULD BE: Really tough to say, maybe Rays
WILL HE BE ELECTED?: No.

Rodney is the most likely player on this ballot to fail to receive a vote.  He was a good closer, and even occasionally great.  He was dominant in 2012 when he finished fifth in the Cy Young race and had some MVP votes.  He saved 48 games and had a 0.60 ERA that season.  For his career, he saved 327 games, leading the league once (48 in 2014), but his 3.80 ERA is definitely high for a closer.  He had a long career, but it was not a Hall of Fame career.

ALEX RODRIGUEZ

TEAMS: Mariners, Rangers, Yankees
ACCOMPLISHMENTS: 3x MVP (2003, 2005, 2007), 14x All Star, 2x Gold Glove, 10x Silver Slugger
IF ELECTED, CAP WOULD BE: Yankees
WILL HE BE ELECTED?: Not soon.

Rodriguez seems to be doing better generally than Manny Ramirez on the balloting, it certainly helps that he has a bit more hardware and played a more demanding position, but those PED allegations have kept him out.  That being said, Rodriguez has more time.  He is on the ballot for fourth time this year and received 34.8% of the vote last year.  He has lost more votes than he has gained in the early returns though, so unless he starts to really jump, he will likely stagnate just like Ramirez.

FRANCISCO RODRIGUEZ

TEAMS: Angels, Mets, Brewers, Orioles, Tigers
ACCOMPLISHMENTS: 4x All Star
IF ELECTED, CAP WOULD BE: Angels
WILL HE BE ELECTED?: Maybe?

If Billy Wagner gets in this year, which seems likely at this point, I could see a case building for Rodriguez over the next few years.  He has a long way to go as he was at just 7.8% of the vote last year, but he is only in his third year this year.  Rodriguez has more career saves and more innings pitched than Wagner, and also has the all-time single season saves record.  But he was not as dominant as Wagner. 

JIMMY ROLLINS

TEAMS: Phillies, Dodgers, White Sox
ACCOMPLISHMENTS: MVP (2007), 3x All Star, 4x Gold Glove, Silver Slugger
IF ELECTED, CAP WOULD BE: Phillies
WILL HE BE ELECTED?: Probably not.

Rollins is on his fourth year on the ballot and received 14.8% of the vote last year.  He has picked up several votes this year and could start to build a better case, but it is not looking terribly likely.  The real test will be next year when there is a fairly weak first-year class, led by his 2008 Phillies teammate Cole Hamels.

CC SABATHIA

TEAMS: Indians, Brewers, Yankees
ACCOMPLISHMENTS: Cy Young (2007), 6x All Star
IF ELECTED, CAP WOULD BE: He has reportedly said he prefers Yankees
WILL HE BE ELECTED?: Yes.

The benefit of doing this post late is that I have already seen how well Sabathia in particular is doing on the ballot.  Had I posted this earlier, I would have said he would put up a very strong first year showing and possibly get in next year.  Based on early returns, he is getting more than 90% of the vote making his election this year almost guaranteed.  I am a little shocked by that, but I don't think it is unwarranted.  Sabathia was a great pitcher for a long time, but this does get back to my frustration about Luis Tiant not getting in, because the numbers are really close between these two.  Sabathia has more wins, strikeouts and a Cy Young Award, but most of their other numbers are extremely close.

ICHIRO SUZUKI

TEAMS: Mariners, Yankees, Marlins
ACCOMPLISHMENTS: MVP (2001), Rookie of the Year (2001), 10x All Star, 10x Gold Glove, 3x Silver Slugger, 2x Batting Title
IF ELECTED, CAP WOULD BE: Mariners 
WILL HE BE ELECTED?: Possibly unanimously

Ichiro is a lock to get in the Hall of Fame.  He could be the second player ever to be elected unanimously, especially if voters take into account his numbers in Japan.  For his career, he hit .311/.355/.402 and had 3,089 hits.  Not bad for someone who started in the Majors at 27.  The only real knock against him is that his numbers look a little more ordinary after his first ten seasons in the Majors.

TROY TULOWITZKI

TEAMS: Rockies, Blue Jays, Yankees
ACCOMPLISHMENTS: 5x All Star, 2x Gold Glove, 2x Silver Slugger
IF ELECTED, CAP WOULD BE: Rockies
WILL HE BE ELECTED?: No.

Tulowitzki is another middle infielder who started off very strong and had some amazing seasons before injuries started taking their toll.  He had some big power numbers early in his career in Colorado.  He finished with a line of .290/.361/.495 with 225 home runs and 780 RBIs.  At one point he looked headed for the Hall, but he was finished at 31.  He will likely not last past this year on the ballot.

CHASE UTLEY

TEAMS: Phillies, Dodgers
ACCOMPLISHMENTS: 6x All Star, 4x Silver Slugger
IF ELECTED, CAP WOULD BE: Phillies
WILL HE BE ELECTED?: Eventually.

Utley had a strong showing in his first year on the ballot last year, but not one that ensures his election is imminent.  He received 28.8% of the vote and has picked up quite a few votes, but also lost several.  It will be interesting to see what happens with his candidacy over the next several years.  I think he will get in, but it may be awhile.  He is the lynchpin of the analytics versus traditional stats argument currently on the ballot.

OMAR VIZQUEL

TEAMS: Mariners, Indians, Giants, Rangers, White Sox, Blue Jays
ACCOMPLISHMENTS: 3x All Star, 11x Gold Glove
IF ELECTED, CAP WOULD BE: Indians
WILL HE BE ELECTED?: Probably not.

Yep, we are still doing this.  Vizquel is now in his eighth year on the ballot with one of the weirdest voting history I have ever seen.  Last year, he received 17.7%.  He topped out at 52.6% in just his third year on the ballot and looked like an easy bet to make it.  He has actually gained a few votes this year, but he is still well off the pace to make it in.  I could see him get in via an Eras Committee, but I really do not think he deserves to be.

BILLY WAGNER

TEAMS: Astros, Phillies, Mets, Red Sox, Braves
ACCOMPLISHMENTS: 7x All Star
IF ELECTED, CAP WOULD BE: Astros
WILL HE BE ELECTED?: Most likely this year.

Wagner fell just five votes short last year of election.  I was very disappointed.  Early returns this year are very promising as he has gained eight votes so far and has appeared on all of the new voters' ballots.  That doesn't guarantee his election, but certainly seems to be a strong indicator.  Wagner was one of the most dominant closers of all time.  I think we will finally see him in this year, but this is his last year on the ballot either way.

DAVID WRIGHT

TEAMS: Mets
ACCOMPLISHMENTS: 7x All Star, 2x Gold Glove, 2x Silver Slugger
IF ELECTED, CAP WOULD BE: Mets
WILL HE BE ELECTED?: Tough to say.

Wright received enough support in his first year to stay on the ballot, receiving 6.2% of the vote.  He has gained a few votes so far this year, so he could be a player that builds support over time and may get in.  He has a similar case to Dustin Pedroia in that he was a one-team player who had a very high peak, but a career shortened by injury so the career numbers are not quite there.  But Pedroia played a more demanding position, had more hits and won a couple of major awards.  So Wright is maybe a little bit of a weaker candidate than Pedroia.

BEN ZOBRIST

TEAMS: Rays, Athletics, Royals, Cubs
ACCOMPLISHMENTS: 3x All Star
IF ELECTED, CAP WOULD BE: Rays
WILL HE BE ELECTED?: No.

Zobrist was a good player and even a great one for a few seasons.  He had a terrific 2009 season when he hit .297/.405/.543 with 27 home runs and 91 RBIs and he won the World Series MVP for the Cubs first championship in over 100 years.  He was an incredibly versatile player who put in time at every position except catcher.  Ultimately though, he hit just .266/.357/.426 with 167 home runs and 768 RBIs.  He won't last beyond this ballot cycle.

PREDICTIONS:

1.  Ichiro, Sabathia and Wagner are all elected.

2.  Beltran and Andruw Jones position themselves for election next year.

3.  Dustin Pedroia stays on the ballot.   

Topps Now: April Random Cards

There have not been a ton of good Topps Now cards issued this year, but I've grabbed a few.

I already talked about the game that this card represents because it was the Road to Opening Day bonus.  Tanner Houck started off the season great and threw a complete-game shutout over Cleveland on April 17.  He struck out nine and gave up just three hits.  

My favorite Topps Now cards to grab are the ones with obscure players who have very few cards or are on their first Red Sox card.  Cam Booser made his Major League debut on April 19 after a whirlwind professional career.  He was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Twins in 2013, pitched for a few years then retired from baseball in 2017.  He then returned, signing with the Diamondbacks in 2022.  Boston signed him as a minor league free agent in 2023 and he made it to the Majors as a 32-year-old rookie this season.  And he has had some good moments too.  He is the oldest Red Sox player to make his Major League debut since Tommy Fine in 1947.

And finally, Ceddanne Rafaela exploded with a seven-RBI performance on April 27 in a 17-0 win over the Cubs.  Rafaela had four hits in four at-bats with three runs scored.  He hit two doubles and a two-run home run and also stole a base.  Rafaela has been a very good player this season, but has some room to grow.  Boston signed him to a big extension, so it is clear he is in the future plans of the team.

A Bunch of Wongs and More

Yes, it's another random pickup post, with a number of Connor Wong cards.  Not much else to say about this.  Let's get going:

2022 Panini Capstone Artist Proof.  I had been looking for this one for awhile actually.  This is one of my favorite photos on a Panini card of Wong because it does not matter that Panini doesn't have an MLB license.  It is serial-numbered to 35.

1.  Reggie Smith.  It's always nice to add some vintage to the collection, even better when it is a guy like Reggie Smith.  I still believe it is time to re-evaluate Smith for the Hall of Fame.  His 64.5 WAR and 137 OPS+ show that he is one of the most underrated players in Red Sox history.  

2.  Trevor Story.  It finally looks like Story might start to make an impact.  He just had a three-hit game today and homered yesterday.  

3.  Nomar Garciaparra.  Story is not in any danger of making the impact Nomar Garciaparra did as a Red Sox shortstop.  Nomar was an amazing hitter for a shortstop and I would like to see his Hall of Fame case re-examined as well.

4.  Chris Sale.  Sale is finally healthy this season and looks like he might finally win that Cy Young Award that has eluded him to this point in his career, particularly in 2017.  Unfortunately, it is happening in Atlanta instead of Boston.

5.  Pedro Martinez.  Martinez was denied a few awards in his career himself.  He should have won the MVP in 1999 and the Cy Young Award in 2002 and possibly 2003.

6.  Carl Yastrzemski.  1967 was Yaz's best season, but what was his second-best?  It looks like 1970 when he hit .329/.452/.592 with 40 home runs and 102 RBIs.  He led the league in OBP, SLG, OPS, total bases and runs.  He played more games as a first-baseman that season.

7.  Xander Bogaerts.  Bogaerts is having a rough second season in San Diego.  I imagine that contract is going to look brutal in a few more seasons.

8.  Bobby Doerr.  Doerr had one of his best seasons in 1950, the year before back trouble forced him to retire early.  It's a shame because if he had played another five seasons or so, his numbers would have been terrific.  He still made it to the Hall of Fame, but he could have gotten in a lot sooner.

9.  Enrique Hernandez.  One player who there is no chance of a Hall of Fame conversation for is Hernandez.  He was a decent player some years, and his 2021 postseason will be what I remember him for.

10.  J.D. Martinez.  Martinez has an outside shot at 400 home runs.  If he makes that, he has a stronger case for Hall of Fame consideration, but being a DH for most of his career and being a late-bloomer hurt his chances.  Ultimately, I don't think he gets in.

11.  Rafael Devers.  Devers already has 200 career home runs and is just 27.  We are witnessing a special player here.

12.  Wade Boggs.  Of course Boggs is still the all-time best third-baseman in franchise history.  Among his accomplishments are five batting titles and seven straight 200-hit seasons.

13.  Xander Bogaerts.

14.  Chris Sale.

15.  Jackie Bradley Jr.  JBJ's best season ended up being 2016 when he hit .267/.349/.486 with 26 home runs, 87 RBIs and nine stolen bases.  He looked like a future star at that point, but never really came close to that again.

16.  Rick Ferrell.  There are some who speculate that voters got the wrong Ferrell when they voted Rick in.  His brother Wes was a terrific pitcher and should be in the Hall of Fame himself.  

17.  Trevor Story.

2022 Panini Diamond Kings DK Signatures Purple.  This is the parallel serial-numbered to 10.  I always like the Diamond Kings sets.

2024 Topps Silver Crackle Foil.  Non-serial-numbered parallel.

2022 Panini Mosaic Green Swirl.  This is serial-numbered to 12.  I paid way more than I should have on this.  For some reason my mind didn't register it was out of 12.  I thought it was a lot rarer.  Still, I had to add it.

2024 Topps Yellow Crackle Foil.  Serial-numbered to 50.  I am a little annoyed that Topps Series 1 is the only set Wong has appeared in so far this year.

2022 Panini Mosaic Gold.  I have been adding a lot of parallels from this set lately.  This one is serial-numbered to 10.

1.  Dustin Richardson.  Richardson was a fifth-round pick by Boston in 2006 and made it to the Majors for three games in 2009.  He made it into 26 games in 2010 with a 4.15 ERA in 13 innings, striking out 12, but walking 14.  He was traded in the offseason to the Marlins for Andrew Miller and never played in the Majors again.  Miller, of course, took a few years to become established but became one of the best relievers in the game in 2013 and continued for several years.

2.  Enmanuel Valdez.  I suspect Valdez is running out of time.  I thought initially he would be the better of the prospects Boston got from the Astros in the Christian Vazquez trade.  Wilyer Abreu has proven me wrong.

2023 Topps Chrome Update Aqua/Blue Lava Lamp.  Closing things out for today is this parallel numbered to 175 that took me a weirdly long time to pick up.  Probably because it is so similar to the Blue/Green Lava Lamp parallel.

Topp Now Road to Opening Day Bonus

The cool thing about getting the Road to Opening Day team set is the bonus cards if an individual player or team meets a certain accomplishment.  So far, there has only been one such case for the Red Sox and here it is:

Tanner Houck started off the season on fire and looked like a Cy Young contender for the first couple months of the season.  One of his best games was on April 17 when he tossed a complete game shutout against Cleveland.  Houck gave up just three hits and no walks while striking out nine and throwing just 94 pitches the entire game.  Houck has broken through this season and looks like a solid number two starter at the least going forward.  It has been unexpected because I thought he would probably best be served by becoming the team's closer.  This season has proven me wrong.

Another Random Pickup Post

Let's just dive into this.  No introduction is really necessary, these are just some more random additions to the collection.

This is the Magenta Refractor from 2023 Topps Chrome Update.  This is one of those cards that just kind of slipped my mind for a long time.  But, being the world's foremost Connor Wong collector, I had to circle back and grab it.

1.  Jason Bay.  One of these days I should do a post of the best deadline pickups.  Jason Bay would be very high on that list.  He did a fantastic job of making up for the lost offensive production of Manny Ramirez, who he was traded for.  Bay hit .293/.370/.527 with nine homers and 37 RBIs.  He was an All Star and won the Silver Slugger the next season.

2.  Jackie Bradley Jr.  JBJ was probably the greatest defensive center fielder the Red Sox have had during my fandom.  He really should have won more than one Gold Glove.  I still love looking at video compilations of his defense.  Too bad he wasn't a better hitter.

3.  Brandon Workman.  Workman had a strange career.  He made his Major League debut in 2013 and was decent enough to pitch seven games in the postseason, including three in the World Series in which he was 0-1 with a 0.00 ERA (hard to do).  He even had three at-bats.  The next season, he was 1-10 with a 5.17 ERA.  Then, injuries and ineffectiveness kept him out of the Majors until 2017 when he re-emerged as a quality bullpen arm.  Then, in 2019 he put together one of the greatest relief seasons in Red Sox history, going 10-1 with a 1.88 ERA and 104 strikeouts in 71.2 innings pitched with 16 saves.  That didn't last though and he was traded to the Phillies in 2020 for Nick Pivetta before returning in 2021.

4.  Mookie Betts.  I still think Mookie's best seasons have come with Boston.  It seems unlikely he will surpass those great seasons in LA, but at the end of his career he will have likely played more with the Dodgers.

5.  Triston Casas.  We will have to wait until 2025 for that Casas breakout season.  He will still be just 25.  Injuries have taken their toll on him this season.

6.  Andrew Benintendi.  Benintendi has gotten some power back this season (16 home runs), but is hitting just .222 right now.  His decline is mystifying.

7.  Wade Boggs.  Boggs was the second player I saw with the Red Sox to make the Hall of Fame (Dennis Eckersley was first), and the first to wear a Red Sox cap n his plaque.  He was an absolutely amazing hitter, and even though he did not have much home run power (other than 1987), he hit more than 40 doubles eight times which gave him decent slugging percentage rates.

8.  Pedro Martinez.  Martinez was the fourth Red Sox player to make it to the Hall of Fame (and second to wear a Red Sox cap on his plaque) that I got to watch.  Rickey Henderson was the third.

9.  Alex Verdugo.  Nice to see a lesser player shown in a City Connect jersey on a card.  The players Boston got in the Verdugo trade have shown some promise.  Greg Weissert has been a reasonably reliable bullpen arm and Richard Fitts made his ML debut on Sunday with 5.1 innings.

10.  Matt Strahm.  Speaking of lesser players shown in City Connect jerseys.  I wanted Strahm to re-sign with Boston after his impressive 2022 season.  He was an All Star this year with the Phillies.  Boston could have used him.  

This is the regular Bowman Chrome Rookie Autograph card.  Oddly, this was a redemption only card.  I bought the redemption card a year ago and it took a LONG time to get this in.  

That's it for today.  More to come.

Topps Now: Mar. 28, 2024

 

Opening Day 2024.  Tyler O'Neill, who had been acquired over the offseason in a trade with the Cardinals (who are really bad at trading players), homered for the fifth consecutive Opening Day.  That ties a Major League record.  O'Neill started the season blazing hot before cooling down for a bit.  He has a shot at 30 home runs this season, which would be the second time in his career.  Boston won the game 6-4 over the Mariners.  Brayan Bello got the win and Kenley Jansen the save.  Rafael Devers also homered.

2024 Topps Now Road to Opening Day Team Set

I buy this set every year, although it has been shrinking.  For the second year in a row, there are just ten cards in this set, along with a parallel.  Here is the set this year:

1.  Rafael Devers.  Of course Devers is in the set, as the biggest star on the team.  Devers has been hurt a bit, but has continued to put up big-time hitting numbers.  He has even improved defensively.  

2.  Masataka Yoshida.  This was my parallel and it is serial-numbered to 99, so that was not terribly exciting for me.  It is the most common parallel.  

3.  Triston Casas.  Unfortunately Casas has been dealing with a rib injury for most of the season.  He has been a decent, if not particularly great, hitter when he's been healthy.  Hopefully he bounces back next season.  There is still time for him to go on a hot streak this season though.

4.  Ceddanne Rafaela.  One of my favorite rookies, Rafaela signed an extension earlier this season.  Hopefully he can cut down on his strikeouts, but he is already an extremely valuable player.

5.  Masataka Yoshida.  It will be interesting to see if Boston hangs on to Yoshida next season.  He can hit, but doesn't add much else.  He does not seem to be a favorite of manager Alex Cora, who won't give him a chance in the outfield and benched him for several games at one point without any real explanation.  I really like Yoshida, but he doesn't offer much flexibility for the roster.

6.  Vaughn Grissom.  The biggest disappointment on the team is Grissom, who was acquired in a trade with Atlanta for Chris Sale, who looks like he will win the Cy Young this season.  Grissom has played in just 23 games with Boston and hit .148 with no power.  Hopefully he can turn it around next season, but David Hamilton turned in a nice season and probably deserves the second base job until Kristian Campbell is ready.

7.  Tyler O'Neill.  2021 was Hunter Renfroe.  2023 was Adam Duvall.  This year Tyler O'Neill could be a right-handed power-hitting outfielder that turns in just one season.  O'Neill has hit 27 home runs so far this season, but has been on the IL several times.  With Roman Anthony knocking at the door and an already crowded outfield with Wilyer Abreu, Jarren Duran and Ceddanne Rafaela, it doesn't make a lot of sense to bring O'Neill back next season.

8.  Trevor Story.  Story played just a handful of games, then went on the IL.  It was thought his season was over, but he made it back with about 20 games to spare.  Hopefully he can show enough to justify his spot next season.  He has had a lot of difficulty staying on the field in his three seasons in Boston.

9.  Brayan Bello.  Bello has been inconsistent this season.  At times he has looked like a future ace.  At others he has been maddening.  Bello signed a big extension, so he will be around for awhile, but he needs to work on his command and on not getting too worked up after a mistake.  He seems to get upset when something bad happens and fall apart.

10.  Wilyer Abreu.  Abreu should be one of the leaders in the Rookie of the Year vote, but he seems to be getting completely ignored.  He has been very good this season on both sides of the ball.  

11.  Jarren Duran.  More than anything, this has been the year of Duran.  He has become the best overall player on the team and currently leads the league in doubles and triples while putting up a 20/20 season.  He has an outside shot at 200 hits and a 10.0 WAR season.  He could also win a Gold Glove.  On top of everything, he won the All Star Game MVP.  He has had a simply incredible season.