2006 SP Legendary Cuts #62 – Sloppy Thurston

When I first got back into collecting cards in 2007, I tried to make up for thirteen years of absence by sampling every product I could get my hands on. The second hobby box I purchased from the local card shop was 2006 SP Legendary Cuts.

I instantly fell in love with the product. If I was thinking clearly back then, I probably would have finished the set. Instead, I showed great restraint and only collected the White Sox cards in the set. I sold the rest through eBay.

Back then, I solely focused on the White Sox cards in each set. Since then, I have expanded that original criteria into chasing one complete set and a few players that I admire. Mainly, I have stuck to my guns.

I’m a sucker for cards that feel retro without actually “borrowing” from a classic design. If a company fills a set with retired players that normally don’t get a lot of “card love” nowadays, I will usually gravitate towards that set. If I ever get into a lull in my card collecting, I may decide to chase this set.

The design is sharp and it looks even better in person. The scan does not do the card proper justice. It even feels different. It’s printed on very solid stock and at first glance reminded me of porcelain.

Last year, the unexpected happened. SP Legendary Cuts turned into some type of hybrid product which featured mostly current players. It was not one of my favorite releases of 2008. 2009 continued that trend. If you are intrigued by baseball history and love collecting retired players, you can’t go wrong with this set from 2007 or earlier. It’s a shame that card companies tinker with a winning formula. I can still concentrate on the earlier sets. So I got that going for me.

1992 Pinnacle #227 – Dan Pasqua

Once upon a time, there were a plethora of baseball card companies in existence. Each had many different releases. Sometimes the sets were so diverse, that one could not distinguish which cards came from which company without looking at the tiny print.

2009 is a much simpler time, in that respect. There are only so many places where cards come from today. By 2010, there will only be one card company that will be fully licensed to produce cards. That company would be Topps. As of next year, only Topps will be able to produce images of players with logos. Any other company will need to get creative.

Back in 1992, only card sets that came with baked goods and cereal had to airbrush logos out. Pinnacle has long since ceased production of baseball cards. Still, the memories of this age are fresh in my mind. It may have been the overproduction era, but there were so many choices.

Innovations in how cards were presented were born out of healthy competition between card companies. Where will the Dan Pasquas of today find a home? Today’s Dan Pasqua is someone like a Nick Swisher, with one difference. Dan Pasqua would not showboat or complain about where he ended up on the field. Dan Pasqua would play wherever the manager assigned him.

He did not fuss or cry foul if he wasn’t in the lineup. He came to the park ready to play and did his job to the best of his ability. There was no flash, yet Dan occasionally had a flair for the dramatic, when he would hit a mammoth home run. His numbers may not show it, but I felt confident every time that Dan came up against a right handed pitcher.

I, along with many other collectors, miss Pinnacle. I miss all of the other fallen brands too. There was a feeling I would get when I went to the card shop and had a smorgasbord of packs to choose from. Pinnacle always stood out when I was in a pinch. Dan Pasqua stood out to me when the Sox were in a pinch. Whenever I run across a Pinnacle card in my collection, I always think about this card of Pasqua and collecting as a teenager. Looking back, I wouldn’t trade either memory for the world.

1991 Score Traded #81T – Brian Drahman

Sometimes it’s the most common cards that elude you. Even in the overproduced era of baseball cards, I still have commons that I have never seen.

A year ago, I lacked a Barry Jones card to complete a 1991 Donruss Sox set. Finally, I got that card in a trade and was able to finally put ’91 Donruss to rest.

Today, I finally completed the 1991 Score Traded set. I had a few cards left to pick up but I was never able to find the cards as singles. I broke down and just bought the whole set. It was simpler than tracking down singles that were only available in a set.

I found an unopened set online with free shipping. I was the only bidder so I ended up paying $3.50 for the set. When it arrived in the mail, the postage was $3.89. It literally cost more to ship the set than I shelled out. That’s the way it works, when dealing with cards from the overproduced era. That’s why you don’t see a lot of commons up for sale.

The sad thing is that I now own rookie cards of Ivan Rodriguez, Jeff Bagwell and many others in this set that I picked up for a song. I am happy about that aspect, but something still saddens me about having to obtain cards this way. If I were a set collector, I would be thrilled. I only collect the White Sox and a few select players.

The only thing I really remember about Brian Drahman is the palmball. I can remember Ken Harrelson and Tom Paciorek making a huge deal about Brian throwing one. The pitch was a mild success in the hands of Drahman. He stuck around the majors for four years, mainly because of that one pitch. It must have impressed other people as well. He is currently the pitching coach for the minor league Great Falls, Montana team.

The Voyagers, which are an Advanced Rookie class team, have been an affiliate of the White Sox since 2003. Ex White Sox players never fade away. They just become White Sox employees. I can respect that. It’s nice to have continuity. It’s also nice to complete a pesky traded set with a common reliever.

1960 Leaf #66 – Earl Battey

This is my first foray into 1960 Leaf. It arrived on Thursday. I had never actually seen any of these cards in person, so I was in for a little culture shock when it arrived. The card is ever so slightly under the standard size.

Whenever I would see a picture of 1960 Leaf cards, the design always made me think of the fifties and sixties team promos that were 5×7 or 4×6. Something in my brain made me think that the 1960 Leaf cards were exactly the same. I can see how foolish I actually was, now that I have my first card in hand.

This was around a time where cards came in all sorts of shapes and sizes. My thinking wasn’t out of line. It was just flawed without seeing an example in hand.

This is one of my first cards of Earl Battey too. Earl was a great catcher that was blocked by Sherm Lollar in the Sox organization. His sporadic starts did nothing for his average. He was a lifetime .209 hitter with the White Sox. When he was shipped off to the Senators, he blossomed into a great overall player, winning three gold gloves. By the time that the Senators moved to Minnesota and dubbed the Twins, Earl was a star.

1960 Leaf is strange for many reasons. This was the first Leaf baseball set since the forties and the last until the eighties. There are variations that zoom in on just the face, if you didn’t think the mugshot bust shots weren’t creepy enough. The set was packaged in a wrapper with marbles. Yes, those round little objects that kids used to play with in a circle (before they played video games) were packaged with these cards.

This is also one of the last cards of Earl Battey in a White Sox uniform. By the time this card came out, he had already went to Washington.

1988 Donruss Baseball’s Best #249 – Ken Williams

This is my favorite time of year. Maybe it’s because I was born in autumn. It could be that I love to watch the leaves change color. It probably is some hidden childhood memory involving trick or treat candy. It also has to do with the World Series.

What does a dayglo colored baseball card from 1988 have to do with autumn, Halloween or the World Series? Other than a Count Floyd inspired posting about this card on my White Sox card blog, not much.

What I do know is that some year, for Halloween, I will buy a few sets of these, bundle them up in team bags, and hand them out to unsuspecting trick or treaters. Will this cause toilet paper to hang from my tree and egg yolk to freeze to the side of my house? Maybe. If I can give one kid a smile from receiving baseball cards in their bag, it will all be worth it.

Ever since 2005, when Kenny Williams orchestrated a series of moves that brought the Chicago White Sox a World Series championship, I can’t help but turn my thoughts to him this time of year. I wonder what moves he has up his sleeves for the offseason. I know he’s itching to get back to the postseason. So am I! I know that each year, the White Sox have a legitimate shot at making the playoffs.

It doesn’t happen every year. Things happen during the course of a season. Players look better on paper sometimes. Injuries occur. Players on other teams have career years. Other teams get lucky. It’s the unpredictability that makes the game exciting to watch. Any team on any day is capable of beating another team.

One Halloween, I will pass out orange, black and red cards of a .218 lifetime hitter, mixed in with other questionable players deemed “Baseball’s Best”. Maybe the next time the White Sox make the World Series.  At least I won’t be like the lady who gave out toothbrushes, pencils and pennies when I was a kid. OK, maybe it’s similar to giving out pennies, but definitely not toothbrushes. That’s where I draw the line.

2009 Topps Heritage #306 – Scott Linebrink

I know what most of you are thinking. Why a Scott Linebrink card? You are not alone. I’ve been wondering the very same thing.

For the last decade, Scott has been one of the most dominant set-up men in the sport. I can understand why Kenny Williams targeted him. I can understand why the Sox wanted to lock him into a longer contract. The results just aren’t there.

Sure, Scott has shown flashes of the same brilliance that got him the contract with the White Sox. More times than not, he’s faltered. When he is on top of his game, he is lights out. When he’s not, he can change the momentum of a game with a single pitch. Unfortunately, the latter has shown up with Chicago more than the former.

I really want to like the guy. He’s a musician. He seems like a great guy. If nothing else, he may have helped sway Jake Peavy into landing with the White Sox. I can almost forgive Linebrink if that turns out to be the case. He even wears the number 71, in honor of a bullpen coach who had battled a brain tumor, I’m told. There are so many reasons to like him, until he trots out from the pen.

The card he is featured on is from the 2009 Topps Heritage set. It pays homage to the 1960 Topps set, or as I like to call it, the modern day birth place of the horizontal card. The retro sets are some of my favorite releases throughout the year. An update set of 2009 Topps Heritage is expected to be released in the near future. Chalk this set up to being one of my favorites from 2009. Not my absolute favorite (I’m still debating on that one), but it certainly is near the top.

Halfway through a four year contract, I’m hoping that Scott Linebrink steps it up and finds whatever inspiration he found with the Padres. It would be a shame to see such a talented setup man continue his downward spiral.

1983 Donruss #571 – Tony LaRussa

We’re smack dab in the middle of the playoffs. When I think of the MLB postseason in the past few decades, I immediately think of Tony LaRussa. He has led each of the three Major League teams that he has managed to the postseason.

The last two teams he won World Series rings with and he has been named Manager of the Year at least once with each team he managed. Those are all great accomplishments, but as regular readers of my White Sox Cards blog may know, I just know him as my grandparents drinking buddy.

Somewhere, probably with one of my aunts, exists a picture of Tony LaRussa and my grandparents from the seventies. I’m not exactly sure of the timeline, but I do know it was in California and it was in between his MLB playing career and his MLB managing career. My grandfather, Wayne, passed in 1985 and my grandmother, Vivian, passed in 1993, but I will always remember hearing Tony’s name come up.

The only opportunity that I had to attend a White Sox game with my grandmother happened in 1990. It was well past LaRussa’s time in Chicago, but he was in the middle of three straight World Series appearances with the Athletics. I always wondered what would have happened if LaRussa hadn’t been fired from the Sox in 1986. I may have ended up meeting the man in 1990. The White Sox may have eluded the embarrassment of the late eighties.

Tony’s managerial career may be ending in St. Louis, where he has enjoyed much success, but an early playoff exit this year. His contract is up and I have heard rumors that he may not return. If that’s the case, I’m hoping he lands somewhere else and turns their fortunes around. If LaRussa stays, maybe I’ll make the trip down to St. Louis next year and take in a game.

Whatever happens, Tony is in control of his own destiny. I’ll always have the memories of his time with the White Sox and that magical 1983 season. Wherever he goes, I’m sure that team will reach the postseason in 2010.

2007 Topps #481 – Jim Thome

It may be impossible to find a Major League player that no one dislikes, but if there is one, my vote would go with Jim Thome.

Even when Jim was pounding balls against the White Sox with the Indians, I found it hard not to like the guy. Thome is one of those rare players that cannot seem to do wrong. Even the other team’s fans root for Jim to do good. That’s almost unheard of in any sport.

Before Jim took a detour in Chicago for three and a half years, I never found a White Sox fan who had a bad word to say about him. No one ever suspected him of doing anything but play baseball.

When Will Stewart caught Thome’s 500th home run (on Jim Thome bobblehead day no less), he could have turned out to be a greedy fan who only wanted money for his luck. Will just wanted to shake Thome’s hand and present the ball to him.

Being the nice guy that Jim is, he had already devised a prize package for the occasion. The fan, being from Austin, Texas, had no use for the gem of the prize package, which was White Sox season tickets. I imagine that would be quite a commute! Instead, Will Stewart donated the tickets to a charity of Thome’s choice. Generous feeling all around, the White Sox agreed to fly Will and a few friends to Chicago to attend a Cubs vs. White Sox game in Jim Thome’s box.

Stories like this seem to follow Jim Thome from destination to destination. I can only root for the guy, which is why I’m picking the Dodgers to win it all. In reality, the only accomplishment left to achieve for Thome is a World Series ring. I, for one, hope he gets it. The 2009 Dodgers look to be his shot.

1958 Topps #129 – Jim Derrington

I know what you’re thinking. Who is this guy? He’s what’s known as a bonus baby.

From 1947 until 1965, any player signed to a contract in excess of $4,000 or more had to be assigned to the 40 man roster for a period of two years. The stipulation being that the player could not be assigned to a farm team. He had to be on the Major League roster.

On September 12, 1956, Jim Derrington was signed to a contract by the Chicago White Sox. On September 30, 1956, he made his Major League debut, at the age of sixteen. Jim also happens to be the youngest starting Major League player in the twentieth century.

Jim appeared in one game in the 1956 season. He appeared in 20 games in 1957. His last game was on September 29, 1957. So, Jim’s Major League career spanned exactly one year. His MLB career was washed up at the age of seventeen.

After the 1957 season, Jim spent the rest of his career in the minors trying to get called up, in the White Sox organization. In 1961, he wound up in the New York Mets system before retiring at the end of that season.

Since Jim spent all of 1958 in the minors, I would assume that the White Sox violated the contract and exposed him to the waiver wires, where he went unclaimed.

Topps must have thought enough of him as a bonus baby to include Jim in the 1958 set. It wound up being his only baseball card until 2007, when Jim had two cards issued in the Topps Heritage set, which borrowed its design from the 1958 Topps set.

If you ever run across Jim Derrington’s 1958 Topps card, take a moment to reflect. It is the only regular issue Major League card of Jim. There’s something both beautiful and sad in that thought.

* Due to a server issue last week, I was unable to post a White Sox Card of the Week.

In the fifties, Bowman was a threat to Topps’ way of life. Today, Bowman is owned by Topps and is the place where some low level prospects get their only Major League card. When Bowman was rebooted as a set, it wasn’t the home of the rookie card. That would come later.

Topps bought out Bowman after their 1955 set. Even though there were prototypes ready to go for the 1956 season, Topps shut down Bowman. If it weren’t for budding competition in the late eighties, Bowman may have never been resurrected.

Already reeling from a court decision that opened the door for Fleer and Donruss to sell trading cards in the MLB market, the late eighties saw new companies spring up and grab more of the spotlight away from Topps. Score debuted in 1988, with color backs and a slight upgrade in card stock. Upper Deck would debut in 1989 with even better card stock, hologram anti-theft technology and gigantic photos on both sides of the card. How could Topps compete?

Bowman to the rescue! Collectors were abuzz with excitement about the prospect of another issue of Bowman. The initial buzz died down quickly, when collectors realized that the new set was a little lacking. Still, it was a nice homage to the original sets.

Unfortunately, a lot had changed in the more than thirty years between Bowman releases. Topps decided to release the set in its original dimensions, which were slightly bigger than the standard size that took effect in 1957. Most people who were not hardcore collectors had no use for a card larger than the standard size. In the late eighties, size mattered. If it couldn’t fit into a nine pocket page, most people wanted nothing to do with the set.

I can still remember reading an article, in one of the baseball card magazines, about a collector who found a pack of 1989 Bowman cards for sale a month early. They took the cards to the post office and had a postal employee stamp each card with the date. I always thought that was a cool and unique way to celebrate the early find.

Card collectors can appreciate a release like 1989 Bowman today. The set hearkened back to a simpler time in collecting. This came before Bowman turned into a haven for prospects that will never sniff the show. This set was about capturing a long lost feeling. A feeling of happiness. As Carlton Fisk’s card shows, I think he 1989 Bowman set captured that perfectly.

2001 Bowman’s Best #77 – Paul Konerko

Eight years ago, Paul Konerko looked out of his hotel room and saw an amazing sight. Unfathomable to the eyes, it looked like the city was under attack. The eyes, being the window to the soul, do not lie.

Paul was in New York on September 11, 2001, along with the rest of his White Sox teammates. They were getting ready to play the Yankees in a pivotal series in Yankee Stadium. They wouldn’t play that day. In fact, the three game series, wouldn’t be played until October 1, 2001. It was meaningless to the playoff situation by them. The series was more symbolic, than anything.

The Yankees had already clinched and were headed to the playoffs. The White Sox had been eliminated and were playing out the schedule. Nothing could make up for the images that everyone saw on the morning of September 11, 2001. I can imagine it would be ingrained in the brains of everyone who was in New York that morning.

Out of all the players on the White Sox roster, only two remain playing with the team today. Paul Konerko and Mark Buehrle. The events in our lives shape us into who we are today. Konerko has been transformed into the captain of the White Sox and the current dean of the team. The latter requires only longevity. The former requires a lot more.

1991 Upper Deck #744 – Bo Jackson

This card may not look like much, but it was the card to have when the High Numbers set was released by Upper Deck in 1991. It was perceived to be the first easily obtainable Bo Jackson card in a White Sox uniform.

Score and Topps would put him in their year end sets, but those were typically bought by the set. Little did we realize that a cheaper card stock version of the Topps Traded set would be available by packs that year. Nonetheless, this was the mecca for many collectors that year.

Upper Deck was generally thought of as having a low print run, so the fever for a superstar of this magnitude to be shown in his new uniform first was huge! Many companies had Darryl Strawberry in a Dodgers uniform already. No major trading card company had Bo in a White Sox uniform. No other card in the high number series caused this much excitement, back in 1991.

Card shops and table dealers immediately priced the card at the unheard of price of one dollar. Even with the card being widely available, this Bo Jackson card would fly off the shelves. I know many people who bought multiple copies of this card, priced at a dollar or more, thinking that they would be sitting on a goldmine. It never came to be.

Time has been very cruel to 1991 Upper Deck. This Bo Jackson card, which commanded a top line price in 1991, can be had for under a quarter now. Sometimes, I’ll receive a few copies in a trade as an extra, just because the card is taking up space. Unloved and unwanted, the 1991 Upper Deck High Numbers Bo Jackson card is now tossed aside. The excitement has long vanished and the roar of the crowd has died. I’ll always remember this card for what is used to be and what it stood for; the first major set release with Bo Jackson in a White Sox uniform.

1963 Topps #66 – Mike Joyce

On my White Sox blog, a reader left a story about uniform numbers and little league teams. While discussing that, he mentioned that his number was 23 and at the time Mike Joyce was the player who corresponded with that number on the White Sox.

Unfortunately, I was never on any little league teams in my youth. Other activities, like cub scouts, occupied my time away from school. This hasn’t stopped me from wondering what number I would have had and if that number would have resulted in a collection of an additional player.

When we are kids, strong bonds are formed through association. Let’s say, for the sake of argument, I was given the number 26, if I had played little league. Would I have followed the career of Mark Ryal? He wore the number for the Sox in 1985. Maybe I would have followed Bobby Bonilla or Jose DeLeon. They both wore 26 in 1986.

Mike Joyce only appeared in 31 games over two consecutive seasons for the White Sox before having his contract purchased by the Mets. He never played in the majors after his two seasons in Chicago. That doesn’t usually translate into many people remembering you, let alone remembering the uniform number you wore. Somewhere, for whatever reason, someone will always remember the little details like that, due to something connected with their own life. That’s just another Major League perk.

A.J. is in the middle of the best overall season in his MLB career. In most major categories, his stats are career highs or just shy of that mark. Most catchers (on the wrong side of thirty) slow down and become less productive. A.J. has put the work in and is experiencing a renaissance in his career.

This card reminds me of A.J.’s work ethic. He is ready to play at any given moment during a game. If you need him to catch 15 innings, he play it (and want to play in the next game). If you need him to smack a double, he’ll send one screaming past an outfielder. I love the way Topps captured the intensity in Pierzynski’s eyes.

This 2006 release celebrates the classic 1949 Bowman set. It may not be the prettiest to look at, but there is beauty hidden in the muted hues and undertones. There is a grace that lies in the artwork. Simplicity incarnate, as A.J. grabs his mitt and bat, ready for anything.

The longer I have this card in my collection, the more I appreciate it. The card may go back to a simpler time in collecting, but sometimes it’s OK to go back. Those of us who were old enough to collect the original set are flooded with memories. Those of us who are being introduced to the set are getting a great lesson in history. Unlike the 1952 Topps design, the original Bowman designs have yet to become cliche. Let’s appreciate them before they do.

1963 Topps #537 Rookie Stars

I may never complete the 1963 Topps White Sox team set. I’m OK with that. There’s one card that will always be just out of my reach, unless I come into a good chunk of disposable cash.

When I’m reminded of 1963 in regards to baseball, I think of this card. It is one of the most coveted cards in the 1963 Topps set. It is worth $1,000. I will probably never own it, unless it is gifted to me. I wouldn’t want to own it for the player on the bottom left. Not that I have anything against the hit king, Pete Rose. I don’t. I’m crazy enough to want to own it for the player on the bottom right, Al Weis.

Al took over in a platoon role at second base when Nellie Fox was traded in 1964. That year the Sox came in second, one game behind the Yankees. This was a time before divisions, so it was literally all or nothing. He was nothing more than a utility infielder, but they sometimes play the most important roles on a team.

During the middle of the 1967 season, Al broke his leg in a nasty collision with Frank Robinson at second base. An injured utility player during the sixties was something that usually spelled trade or release. Al got traded, along with Tommie Agee (the 1966 AL Rookie of the Year), to the Mets after the 1967 season.

Fate stepped in for Al Weis in New York. He was part of the 1969 Miracle Mets who won the World Series that year. He was instrumental in both of Jerry Koosman’s (a future Sox pitcher) wins in game 2 and game 5. In game 2, he singled to score the winning run off of Dave McNally. In game 5, he homered (off of McNally) in the seventh to tie the game. Al’s place in history was cemented.

Fame is fleeting though and Al was released by the Mets on July 1, 1971. He batted an abysmal .218 for his career with 7 home runs. It is said that Al remembers each one. As well he should, it’s 7 more than I’ve ever hit in a major league game.

I suppose that if I really want to compete my master team set, I’ll have to break down and purchase on of the counterfeit cards that flooded the market around the time that Pete Rose broke Ty Cobb’s hit record. I should be able to find one for under $20, but wouldn’t that be cheating? I suppose so, but I’ll consider it a placeholder until I can afford the real thing.

1989  Upper Deck #183 – Ron Karkovice

Upper Deck finds itself in the same place that Donruss found themselves a few years ago. I figure that Upper Deck is slightly better off. Upper Deck seems crafty enough to pull off an upset in its baseball line in 2010.

Let’s focus on the beginnings of the company. Specifically, their first mass offering in 1989.

When Upper Deck came out, it revitalized the industry. It didn’t come onto the marketplace like Donruss and Fleer did in 1981. Score made a tiny impact in 1988, but nothing compared to the media frenzy that would surround Upper Deck on its entry into the hobby.

Upper Deck came down from the heavens and instantly forced the other companies to up the level. I can still remember news reports on hologram technology to prevent counterfeiting and footage of employees destroying plates of cards, so they could not be reproduced again. Another in a line of very public anti-counterfeiting displays.

The public ate it up. Many were burned on the counterfeit Pete Rose rookies, so this was an extra comfort to hobbyists. Full color and in focus photographs adorned the front and back of each card. It was a wet dream to the industry.

The design was simplistic and elegant. It conveyed a message and didn’t stray from that formula in twenty years. This is the first wide release that I can think of that incorporated baseball imagery into a card design without looking cartoonish.

In 2010, Upper Deck will release its first cards without team logos. It’s not my idea of a perfect card, but if any company can pull it off, I would wager that Upper Deck will be the company to do it. Just take a look for yourself at what a 1989 Upper Deck Ron Karkovice would look like without team logos.

2006 Topps Chrome Refractor

2006 Topps Chrome Refractor #306 – Brian Anderson /549

Brian Anderson is lucky. The MLB draft is littered with promise unfulfilled. Many players in the first round of the draft never make it past AAA. Some don’t even make it that far.

Given Brian’s numbers at the plate, most teams would have given up on him a long time ago. The few teams that would show interest wouldn’t care about his bat. They’d be looking at his glove. As he aged and his defensive skills declined, less and less teams would be interested. He would retire much earlier than expected or take a tour with a team like the Newark Bears, just to hang on for dear life to that once promising dream.

Do I think that Brian Anderson will make an impact on the Boston roster. Not really. I think he will become that very frustrating AAAA player. The type that’s too good for AAA and not good enough for the big show. His defense skills might keep him on a roster as the 25th man. The forgotten soul at the end of the dugout, alone and broken.

Brian went through a lot of growing pains since being drafted by the White Sox. He was invited to be a part of the postseason atmosphere in 2005, so he could become accustomed to the whole process. He was given a World Series ring in 2005, for his involvement in that season.

2006 saw Brian taking over in center field for the departing Aaron Rowand. He had to think that he was on top of the world. Then it came crashing down. A full season in the outfield produced a .225 batting average and above average defense. Brian was frustrated and he lashed out by demanding to be traded, when he was demoted in 2007.

2008 was the year of the blackout catch in the final game of the season. That was the highlight of Brian Anderson’s career. He brought along a .238 batting average in 109 games, mostly as a defensive replacement. Alexei Ramirez took Brian’s job out of Spring Training, but was moved to the infield, as the season went on. When a 38 year old Ken Griffey Jr. took over in center field that year, one could sense the White Sox growing impatient with Anderson. If it was meant to motivate Brian into working harder, it may have.

2009 saw a brand new attitude from Brian. One of a team player who was willing to make sacrifices and drop the “me” attitude. Still, the bat didn’t come around and a 31 year old DeWayne Wise was anointed the center field position. Brian Anderson was set up to take the keys to the city of Chicago, but his ego was writing checks that his batting average couldn’t cash.

If you buy rookie cards for the possible investment value, 95% of the time you will lose. Very few rookies pan out the way the hype suggests. It’s rare that the prospect that everyone goes gaga over, turns out to be worth the outrageous prices when the rookie cards first hit the shelves.

A little patience can be the difference between someone else getting rich and you getting your cards at a reasonable price. This Brian Anderson refractor was selling, at one point, over twenty dollars. I’ll bet that you can pick one up today for around one dollar. Remember, if a rookie seems to good to live up to the hype, they usually can’t.

2002 Diamond Kings #81 – Mark Buehrle

Anyone that watched the White Sox game on Thursday was lucky enough to catch a rare event. Anyone that saw the game in person has a story to tell their grandchildren. Some people have only heard about these games. Others have only seen the replays on television. It is a special treat to witness a perfect game. Mark Buehrle made this wish come true.

I wasn’t at the game, but I saw it live through the magic of television. I was lucky enough to be at Monday’s game. The White Sox were still winners in a thrilling fashion, but it didn’t come close to Thursday’s spectacular win.

There are a few facts that I have picked up throughout the broadcast and aftermath of Buehrle’s perfect gem.

- Steve Stone had never witnessed a no-hitter in all his years in baseball.

- There have only been 18 perfect games in Major League history.

- 17 of those were during the regular season.

- Buehrle became the sixth player to throw a perfect game and a no-hitter.

- Those other five? Cy Young, Addie Joss, Jim Bunning, Sandy Koufax, and Randy Johnson.

- Of those five, only Randy Johnson is not in the Hall of Fame.

- Why? Because Randy Johnson is still playing.

- Only Mark Buehrle, Cy Young and Sandy Koufax faced a minimum 27 batters in their perfect game and again in another no-hitter.

- This was Ramon Castro’s first time catching Buehrle. Ever.

- Before the game, regular catcher, A.J. Pierzynski, told Mark to throw a no-hitter during the game. Mark replied that he’d already done that. A.J. told him to throw a perfect game instead. Mark told A.J. that he just might.

- No, I’m not making that up.

- Umpire Eric Cooper was behind home plate for Buehrle’s perfect game in 2009 and his no-hitter in 2007.

- Eric’s umpire number is 56, the same as Buehrle’s uniform number.

I’m sure there are many more weird facts and statistics to pour through, but those are the ones that immediately jump out. This marks the first time since 1922 that a White Sox pitcher threw a perfect game. Considering that there are only eighteen perfect games, I’d say that’s a pretty decent ratio.

Mark Buehrle has always been one of my favorites on the White Sox. It helps that he is usually Mr. Consistency. You know exactly what you’re getting when he steps onto the mound. Even so, Mark has surprised me time and time again. Just when I think Buehrle has reached his plateau, he finds a way to climb higher.

Mark is one of the rare pitchers that I don’t have to worry about. I don’t spend my time praying that he will pitch a good game. I know he will give it his all without looking like he’s giving it his all. I did a mid-season report on the state of the White Sox in 2009. I went through each position and picked out the positives and negatives of most players. I tried to predict how each would fare in the second half. For Mark Buehrle I simply wrote, “Buehrle is Buehrle”.

Mark’s name may fade from the spotlight as the season goes on. It usually does. As other players accomplish other fantastic feats, Mark will become just another name in the book of 2009. The sad truth is that the White Sox don’t get a lot of glory from the media. They don’t get the respect from the fans and even some players. Mark Buehrle is the best pitcher that most people have never heard of before. If Buehrle keeps on pitching at his own pace, in his own way, people will eventually stand up and notice.

This perfect game is another step in that direction. Chicago’s best secret is about to explode onto the scene, but not in a way you’d expect. Players like Gordon Beckham will get the hype and deservedly so. Mark Buehrle will get quiet admiration and respect. In a way, that’s the perfect compliment for a man like Mark Buehrle. He does his job without complaint or incident. He parades himself on the mound with little fanfare and the coolness of Clint Eastwood’s “Man with No Name”. Buehrle truly is a Diamond King.

2009 SPx Winning Materials #WM2-GE – Ken Griffey Jr./Jim Edmonds

Can you spot what’s wrong with this card? One of my biggest pet peeves about collecting modern cards is the lack of effort in design and execution. Earlier in the week, I received my share of some box breaks, in which I was the recipient of all the cards belonging to the White Sox.

Due to unforeseen circumstances, one of the products was changed. I’m fine with that. It actually increased my chances of landing White Sox cards. Unfortunately, the replacement product that was busted was one that I already completed the base set for. Fortunately, there were inserts and parallels that were floating around. I found two gold cards in my stash, one of which I needed. I also found the last Ring of Honor card that I was seeking to complete the team set. I also had lots of base cards. I have a White Sox card redistribution program, so I’m not worried.

I was also the lucky random winner of a double team swatch card that was pulled from SPx. I’m very happy to have it. It’s one less White Sox related card off of my list. In my joy of receiving something that I never would have pulled myself, I am also reminded of why I dislike some decisions of the card companies.

The card in question features swatches of Ken Griffey Jr. and Jim Edmonds. I’m certain I wouldn’t be able to get this card for a steal, mainly because of the popularity of Ken Griffey Jr. I’ve liked Griffey since the beginning of his career. Same with Edmonds. I can remember cheering him on during his days with the Angels. Except for the times that each player was playing against the White Sox, I was rooting for both.

My pet peeve is an obvious one. One glance at the card and there is no mistaking what my pet peeve is. The card uses the logos of the last team that each player played for in 2008. Griffey with the White Sox and Edmonds with the Cubs. Both being Chicago teams, this card had great potential.

I understand the swatches of uniform can come from any time in their career. I’m perfectly fine with that. The whole point of a uniform swatch is that the player actually wore it during some type of MLB activity, whether it be a game or batting practice or some sanctioned event. My problem comes with how the team affiliation is listed and how that corresponds to the picture.

Griffey’s swatch obviously comes from a Cincinnati home uniform. The striping of red completely gives that away. There were no throwback games with the White Sox involving the red uniforms of the early seventies while Griffey was on the team. The Mariners never wore anything of that nature to my knowledge. So, why is the swatch from the Reds, his picture from the Reds and his team affiliation listed as being on the White Sox? This is especially confusing in a mid-2009 product considering he now plays for the Mariners. It’s enough to make your head spin!

Edmonds is a completely different animal. He is listed as being on the Cubs, which is his last team in 2008. Edmonds has not played in 2009, so it may be his last MLB team as a player. His picture is from his Cardinals days, which ended in 2007. Between the ending of his Cardinals career and the beginning of his short Cubs career, he was on the Padres for a very brief stint. I can understand why he is listed on the Cubs, as that was his last team, but why is he pictured in a uniform from two teams ago. So is the swatch from the Angels, the Cardinals, the Padres or the Cubs? It’s a plain white swatch so it’s a shot in the dark as to where it actually came from. Does it really matter?

There are literally thousands of pictures taken of each player on each team today, no matter how brief his appearance actually is. There is absolutely no excuse for this laziness put out by the card companies. Even if, for some odd reason, there isn’t a photo available for the player on the team that he’s listed, people are doing amazing work through newfangled computer programs designed to manipulate photographs. It’s no secret that when done properly, this work looks more accomplished than the airbrushing done by earlier Topps releases.

I am hoping that there will be less of these hybrid monstrosities in the future. While it’s fine by a player collector’s standpoint (although, still not excusable), it makes it extremely difficult for the team collector. If the companies want their product to sell, why don’t they put out a less confusing product? The simple solution would have been just to slap on the Reds and Cardinals logo and be done with it. Even swapping out the pictures to correctly correspond with the chosen logos would have been a decent solution. This mismatch looks like it was designed by someone who failed the matching assignment in kindergarten.

In the future, the card companies should choose a path and stick with it. This does not create a greater demand for your product. This turns away more collectors from purchasing future products. Most people who buy baseball cards want the quality and attention to detail. They are not vocal about it, if they are disappointed with a product. They just don’t buy it anymore. This is why sales are skyrocketing downward. Do a little quality control and the customers will find their way back.

Still, I’m happy for having this card. I’m just glad that I didn’t have to buy a hobby box to pull it.

1934-1936 Diamond Stars #65 – Zeke Bonura

Retro is all the rage today. New baseball cards are going out of their way to look like the baseball cards of yesteryear. Today we have Allen & Ginter, Goudey and Goodwin reminding us of times before most of us were born.

In fact, one of the recent Goudey sets included Diamond Stars-like cards. A few years ago, we were treated with Old Judge cards and Turkey Red. Each year, there seems to be a new retro themed card set. That’s fine by me. I really enjoy seeing older cards in a new light. That’s why I create vintage cards of current players in my spare time.

I’ve never been daring enough to try the Diamond Stars cards, but I have created Allen & Ginter, Goodwin, and early Topps cards of current players or cards of players who were cheated out of a card in a long ago set. While I enjoy the current trend of retro cards, there is absolutely nothing like the real thing.

When I can, I seek out vintage cards. Vintage is technically anything that is 1980 or earlier. I have my own gauge when it comes to older cards. Anything older than me is old. Older than my dad is true vintage. Older than my grandfather is ancient. I would venture that could be a floating measurement for anyone. My numbers line up as 1976, 1945, and 1920. My oldest card falls into the true vintage range; a 1933 World Wide Gum card.

One card that I’ve had my eye on for awhile is the Zeke Bonura Diamond Stars card. When it comes up for bids, I always seem to fall just short of the final price. That still doesn’t stop my from trying, when I have the funds.

The Diamond Stars card set was issued by the National Chicle company between 1934 and 1936. The entire set is only 108 cards, but variations push the master set to 170. The Zeke Bonura card is one of the few that doesn’t have a variation. That’s part of the appeal of this particular card for me. I only have to hunt one card down. Multiple parallels in many recent releases have me a bit gun shy, when it comes to variations.

The card itself is a gorgeous example of a mid-thirties card. There is still an element of Art Deco, which was amazingly popular during this period. Normally, that wouldn’t work for a card set. It works beautifully here.

These cards usually get lumped in with Goudey, but they were a separate set from a different company. Both sets of cards are the premier examples of mid-thirties baseball cards. Many sets from that era are strictly black and white. These are in glorious color and really stand out from the other releases during that time period. One day, the Zeke Bonura will be in my collection. Until then, I’m glad I have the picture to tide me over.