Mail Day!

The other day I received a bubble mailer with contents that were short but sweet--the last two cards that I needed to complete my Tigers team set from Walmart's Topps "Black" cards. I put together a trade with Nachos Grande in which I sent him a dozen or so of my Topps "Black" cards for the two remaining Tigers that I needed. Now, before you all go and start sending me cards expecting me to send 6x or more in return, I suggest you read my trading philosophy. He had something that I needed + I had something he needed=trade. This offer is on the table for anybody else who is interested.

Anyway, Justin Verlander and Miguel Cabrera's League Leaders card are now a part of my collection. Since Topps has wonderfully decided to produce the Tigers in the "Golden Ratio", I can fit all of Series 1 onto one page. For your viewing pleasure, here's a quick shot of the whole team on these fun blacked-out cards.


I've got to say, I'm a little disappointed in Topps for their Series 1 selection. I realize that the Tigers were a last place team last year, but out of the 9 cards, 2 are league leaders, 2 aren't on the team anymore and one is an unheralded rookie who won't make the 25-man roster. We're left with the Ace Verlander (oh, for the love of God please be an ace again), super-beast Cabrera, loveable bench player Thames and fan-favorite position chameleon Inge. Maybe I'm just Bitter with no Granderson, or am just cognizant of how sad it is that Upper Deck has 19 cards compared to Topps' 9. I hope that Series 2 has a little more pop.

I do apologize for the slow posting this last week. I'm hoping that as work settles down, March Madness gets under control (Congratulations Michigan, on a respectable showing), and life gets back into order that I'm free to post some more. It doesn't help that I feel as though we're in a baseball "dead period", where everybody has drafted their fantasy teams, but the season is still a few weeks away and we're all just chomping at the bit for things to start. Oh well, Opening Day for the O's on the 6th, and I'll be back in Michigan for Tigers Opening Day that Friday (which reminds me, I need to book my flight).

2009 Upper Deck: Tiger Edition

Of the many things that have trickled in through the mail over the last few days, one was a 2009 Team Set of my beloved Detroit Tigers. While, as I've said before, I'm a Topps Collector at heart, the fine photographic track record that Upper Deck has compiled over the years has persuaded me to pursue the Tigers base cards from those issues. This has proven to be a relatively low-cost, high reward situation and this year has been no different.

While many people, myself included, are big fans of the 2009 Topps Design, Upper Deck's praise has been comparatively muted. Well, I'm here to set the record straight. Upper Deck did two things very, very right this year that Topps did very, very wrong.

1. Curtis Granderson

Topps does not have a Curtis Granderson base card in Series 1. That is an absolute travesty that I recommend that the rectify in the future. In Granderson's history in Topps (2006-2009) he has only made Series 1 once--in 2008 when he was the very last card in the deck, #330. Meanwhile, Upper Deck not only includes a Granderson base card, but rightfully recognizes his accomplishments on last year's team.

2009 Upper Deck #131 Curtis Granderson

2009 Upper Deck #437 Team Leaders

To Topps' credit, they do have a Turkey Red insert of Granderson to go along with his relic and jersey cards, but come on! No Base Card? Who do they think he is--Derek Jeter?

2. Tigers

Topps continued to employ the Golden Ratio for Tigers, giving us fans 9 whole cards of the team, two of which (Renteria & Joyce) are no longer with us. Sure, there are 10 when you count the Cobb SP, but I like talking about things like Golden Ratios, so let's ignore that for the time being. Meanwhile, Upper Deck has chosen to give us 19 delightful Tigers cards. Sure, that is like death to a collector, giving you one lone card on a new page, but it's no worse than Topps, when you add in the Cobb (the Time-Being is now over, it seems) and there are twice as many! While Topps has done a fantastic job with their photography and design this year, a few shots from Upper Deck really jumped off the card to me:

The much maligned Dontrelle Willis in one of the more entertaining pictures you'll see. Here he is, in the midst of dialogue with Barney Stinson

Barney: Dontrelle, Dontrelle, right here. You keep pitching it in the same place. You're in a rut. And I am a rut buster. I'm going to bust your rut. Throw strikes.
Dontrelle: It's not a rut, its a routine, and I like it.
Barney: And what's the first part of rut-tine?

2009 Upper Deck Dontrelle Seeks the Strike Zone

In one of Upper Deck's bizarre future predictors cards, they accidentally turned Gary Sheffield's 500th Home Run into a base card. Here he is, looking the way we wish he had looked for all of the last two years. You heard it here first (maybe?), I'm calling a BIG year for Sheff in 2009, starting with Home Run #500 on Opening Day (or, in the first week. Relax.)

2009 Upper DeckSheff Hits a Ball that will Never Come Down

In one of the truly great shots in this set, Placido Polanco displays his Gold Glove talent. Perhaps one of the most under-appreciated players in the game, Polanco's excellent defense and consistently consistent offense will make him an invaluable piece of the puzzle in '09.

2009 Upper Deck Polanco's Head Gives Him Perfect Balance

In all, I really do like the 2009 Upper Deck set, from a Tiger perspective. Sure, maybe 19 cards is overkill for a last place team, but 9 cards from Topps is a bit insulting. Here's to making it up in Series 2, and continued excellence from Upper Deck. By the end of 2009 I'm hoping that both sets fully showcase the Tigers' World Series Run! I'll leave you now, with a wonderfully bittersweet ending.

"The Rollercoaster" Todd Jones makes what should be his final baseball card appearance, and it couldn't be more fitting. While not the most beloved player in Detroit (My brother and I once stood up and tore our Todd Jones posters in half after he blew a save on Todd Jones poster day), his pleasant demeanor, great usage of self-deprecating humor, and remarkable ability to actually get saves (how, I'll never know) has allowed him to end his career on Tigers Fans' good side. Here he is, giving one last salute goodbye.

2009 Upper Deck Farewell Todd Jones

Ultimate Checklist: 2008 Topps (Part II)

From Curtis Granderson Collection

In this, the second installment of my Ultimate Checklist for 2008 Topps, I will be looking at the full release for the Detroit Tigers. As I have said in the past this site will have space devoted to my Detroit Tigers collection as well. Primarily, that includes good ol' regular Topps, and all of the inserts associated with it, and boy, did 2008 have plenty of inserts. I will be creating a Detroit Tigers "Ultimate Checklist" shortly, which can be found in the sidebar. Unlike the Granderson collection, this will not have links to scans of all the pictures, as I don't have the time or energy to take pictures of each card from the set right now. Anyway, onto the fun:

God was smiling on the Detroit Tigers in 2008--not actually, as he smote the team ever so vengefully to a painful last place finish, but from a Card perspective. There was feast, not famine for the Tigers in this release. More importantly--a sure sign of divine intervention--the Tigers base set exhibited the "Golden Ratio" of card trading. Sure, this term has an "actual meaning", but I am now re-coining the phrase for card collectors. The Tigers base set is 27 cards--evenly divisible by 9--and fits perfectly onto three binder pages. The Carlos Guillen card from Updates and Highlights may be my favorite from the set. Crazy circumstances allowed me to go this game (a story for another time if anybody is interested) and I'm pretty sure that Guillen is ripping the double off the left field wall that I was POSITIVE was going to be the game winning HR.

From Grand Cards

That particular card also happens to be a "Gold Foil Parallel" version.

In 2008 Topps rehashed something that they did in 2007. They released unnumbered parallel versions of all the cards. In 2007, the text on the back of the cards was red, not white. In 2008, the foil on the front was gold, not silver. Of course, the standard parallel versions of Gold (#/2008), Black (#/57) and Platinum (1/1) are also present. While I don't chase the Black or Platinum cards for the Tigers, I have started to track down the Gold ones that I come across. Placido Polanco shows off this year's model:

From Grand Cards

So, there is a 27 card base set with all the parallels. There also happens to be a handful (dumptruck?) of inserts. From the top!

Year In Review
These cards chronicle the 2007 season in newspaper style format. "Part I" showed Granderson's version of the card. The whole set reads:
YR11 Craig Monroe
YR16 Ivan Rodriguez
YR48 Andrew Miller
YR50 Justin Verlander
YR73 Justin Verlander
YR108 Magglio Ordonez
YR115 Ryan Raburn
YR132 Magglio Ordonez
YR133 Placido Polanco
YR158 Cameron Maybin
YR159 Curtis Granderson

Trading Card History
The Trading Card History Set shows current players in old-style cards. The checklist reads:
TCH16 Cameron Maybin
TCH32 Justin Verlander
TCH35 Ivan Rodriguez
TCH40 Gary Sheffield
TCH47 Magglio Ordonez
TCH49 Curtis Granderson

Although not the best looking of the bunch, my favorite of these is Magglio Ordonez's, modeled after a 1951 Topps Red Back. The picture below shows Maggs next to a rookie card of one of the friendliest, most interesting players that I have met--Hall of Famer Monte Irvin, but that too is a story for another time.

From Grand Cards

A series of other typical inserts also make an appearance, All Star Rookie 50th Anniverary Cards, Own the Game, and Topps Stars:
AR17 Justin Verlander
AR95 Ramon Santiago
OTG12 Magglio Ordonez
TS2 Magglio Ordonez
TS17 Miguel Cabrera

There were also a ton of "Hits" in this set. There are Highlights Autographs (HA) and Highlights Relics (HR) that commemorate 2007's achievements. Here's Nasty Nate, sporting a beard very similar to one that I had in early 2007.

From Grand Cards

All of these cards have this design, setting them apart from the main set.
HR-JV Justin Verlander
HR-CM Cameron Maybin
HR-IR Ivan Rodriguez
HR-CM Cameron Maybin
HR-JB Jeremy Bonderman
HA-ED Eulogio De La Cruz
HA-GS Gary Sheffield
HA-MT Marcus Thames
HA-JZ Joel Zumaya
HA-JB Jeremy Bonderman
HA-AG Armando Galarraga
HA-CM Craig Monroe
HA-NR Nate Robertson

Series 1 also had a "Commemorative Patch" relic (CPR-JV, #/539) for Justin Verlander that was shaped like a little jersey and recognized his 2007 All Star selection.

Series 2 featured "Home Run Derby Contest" cards, #/999 for Ordonez, Cabrera and Sheffield. Maggs:

From Grand Cards

In the updates and highlights set, the requisite "All Star Stitches" made an appearance. Carlos Guillen, as the only All Star, was the only Tiger.

From Grand Cards

I love that card, by the way. It really captures the Yankee Stadium game into a classy card. Gold (#/50) Platinum (1/1) and Patch Parallel versions also exist. There is also a "Jumbo Patch Autograph" (ASJP-CAG) that I have not seen, due to it's very limited print run (other jumbo patches from the set have been numbered to as few as 6)

Also featured in the UH Set:
WBC13 Miguel Cabrera (World Baseball Classic insert seen here)
CHR5 Matt Joyce (Chrome Box Loader)
CHR10 Armando Calarraga (Chrome Box Loader)

Three 1/1 sketch cards of Verlander (SKC67), Ordonez (SKC69) and Cabrera (SKC73) close out the set. Or do they?

No, I'm not done yet. The retail outlets (Wal Mart, Kmart, Target) and Factory Sets offered up many more little goodies.

Two "Retail Relics" of Pudge Rodriguez (S2) and Armando Galarraga (UH)that came in $20 blasters at Target and Kmart were relatively difficult finds.

From Grand Cards

Walmart had Dick Perez inserts of Cameron Maybin (WMDP2) and Miguel Cabrera (WMDP13)
Kmart had a VERY HARD TO FIND Gold Rookie of Clete Thomas (RV26)
Target had the NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE Miguel Cabrera card (TB1) brought to my attention by Jaybee earlier this year.

As for factory sets, there is the wonderful 55 card gift set that includes the beautiful card at the top of this post. There is also the Detroit Tigers team set, which really looks similar to the normal cards (same pictures) but is numbered differently. I haven't pulled the trigger on that yet, because in my eyes, those cards look exactly the same as the normal cards do).

Clete Thomas has another hard to get rookie that is only available if you buy the 2008 Factory Set Holiday Edition. It is number 18 of 20.

There is also a special edition Tigers set that features five bonus Tigers cards. Jaybee has the scoop again and it yields Galarraga, Inge, Denny Bautista, Ramon Santiago and Ryan Raburn. (Galarraga and Raburn were substituted for Jason Grilli and Zach Miner according to preliminary checklists).

That, my friends, closes the book on an exhausting and difficult 2008 Topps set for Tigers collectors. There is a lot out there, and it is a wonderful trial trying to complete it, but if you can't quite get there, just take solace in the fact that all of the base cards you need, fit neatly on three standard pages.

A full checklist of this set (in easy to read checklist format) will be in the sidebar shortly.

UPDATE
Two of the autograph highlight cards, HA-CM and HA-NR were egregiously left off of this initial post. The list and cheklist has been updated.