Topps Sell Sheet

The standard sized cards all have a metallic chrome effect on the card fronts. They are border-less save a graphic on the card bottom. The graphic contains the player’s name and position, set name and logo, and team name. The graphic is also trimmed in the team’s primary color. The card backs are photo-less and are all vertical in format. The black and white backs list moderate biographical information , moderate career highlights and last season and career statistics.

What I Pulled:
5 cards
2 base
2 relic cards
1 autographed card

Base card front and back:
Mike Pouncey, Rahim Moore

Relic cards:
Deangelo Williams, Stevan Ridley RC

Autograph card:
Adrian Clayborn RC

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2011 Bowman Sterling is a super high-end product. The shot-selection is good and designs are great. The designs are very modern looking but not too busy. Four out of the five cards being rookies is a nice draw for prospectors. You can expect the usual “chrome curl.” The auto is a sticker auto but it does not detract form the card design. This particular lottery turned out to be a bust if you were looking to flip cards and make money on your investment. It is always fun to open high-end product though!

The Bottom Line:
I give 2011 Bowman Sterling a buy rating. As with all high-end products, you do not buy a box to pull a complete base set. You buy a box for the hits! This lottery ticket product can produce huge hits or misses and make it a challenge to flip your cards. Buy a box and trade your Tebow cards to me!

The Final Score:
Final Ratings (Out of 5):
Base set collect-ability: NA
Big-hit Hunter: 3/5
Prospector Hunter: 5/5
Overall Design: 5/5
Fun: 5/5
Value: 4/5
Re-buy: 4/5
Overall Quality: 4/5

Overall: 31/35 (89% = B)

Thanks to Topps for making this review possible!

Until next time, keep collecting, collect for the joy of the hobby and collect for the fan in all of us.

The official baseball card resource for Baseball Digest.com - Beckett Media

Off the field, Major League Baseball continues to push their product in innovative ways. Their At Bat application allows fans to access any regular season game while also having the ability to watch highlights. MLB TV gives fans the chance to watch most games–subject to local blackout–each day. MLB Network gives every kind of Baseball fan programming. It’s introduction of Brian Kenny’s Clubhouse Confidential show has ushered sabermetrics into prime time for the first time. Their studio shows and insiders give information on the daily transactions as well as offer some harsh criticisms when necessary. The sport is accessible to the fans.

But, Baseball is still failing to truly connect in the modern era. Today’s fan, or more importantly prospective fan, lives online. Highlights are not longer consumed on television. A young fan will go to YouTube and watch highlight packages and movies, both homemade and professional. The National Basketball Association has embraced this with their own YouTube channel. Seemingly each hour, the NBA will have a new highlight package from its games. Fans can go to the channel and watch Blake Griffin dunk over Kendrick Perkins. There is no waiting for a highlight show or need to go to NBA.com and watching a reel. The NBA gets it right.

They also get it right by allowing fans to share the videos and embed them on their blogs or other social media platforms. The NBA realizes that this type of sharing is essential in today’s world of social media. The more a highlight is shared, the more eyes that see it. There is a great chance to gain more fans. With teenagers faced with more and more choices, the idea that they’ll go to a television to watch highlights is unrealistic. YouTube is their medium. According to their YouTube channel, the NBA has received over 699 million views.

Searching for Major League Baseball on YouTube leads to video game highlights and other fan uploaded videos. There are no highlight packages, other than segments recorded right off of the television. Major League Baseball does not have a YouTube channel. They do not have their highlights there. While their own website does have highlights, fans cannot share the clips. Fans cannot embed them on their blogs. There is no global sharing.

It actually gets worse. Major League Baseball has a YouTube policy. They have employees whose job description is to find their copyrighted material and force the user to delete it. MLB is essentially preventing potential consumers the access to actually consume their product. They do have Facebook and Twitter accounts, but those accounts function more to deliver news and direct fans to MLB.com. When a fan goes to MLB’s Facebook page, he is faced with an advertisement to head to MLB.com for highlights. Does that speak to this generation of fans? Policies like this and a lack of innovative social media usage is likely the primary reason why Baseball is lagging behind both the NFL and NBA in the 18-49 demographic. It is why there is concern about the growth of its fan base.

Some individual teams have used social media quite well. Many teams, such as the Indians, have tweet-up events. Many teams are interactive on Twitter, holding question and answer sessions with fans. MLB Network utilizes both Facebook and Twitter within its programming. Baseball celebrated Social Media Day last season. MLB does seem aware of the importance of social media. Those uses of social media are innovative, but not enough. They may connect with existing fans, but they are failing to connect them like the NBA is. Fans, especially young fans, connect because of the highlight reel. They connect because of the product on the field. Right now, Major League Baseball isn’t marketing that product to potential fans or even their current fans. Instead, it is holding on to its archaic usage policy. That policy was applicable in the 1970′s and 1980′s when television was really the only thing that existed. But, with so many options, Major League Baseball must get be more progressive if it wishes to continue to grow. At some point, losing out on young fans will hurt the bottom line. It may not be felt today or in the immediate future, but it will eventually hurt.

Baseball also misses with its much maligned blackout policy. Basically, Baseball will blackout games on its MLB TV package within a home team’s market, and in some cases, the surrounding area of the market. While the other major sports do have similar policies, it is another sign that Major League Baseball simply doesn’t get it yet. It is important to protect the home market’s television broadcast. It’s understandable. But, the lack of vision is taking away from the one product that the modern fan can truly embrace. The ability to watch a game on a computer, IPad, or phone is what modern fans want. Blacking out games doesn’t allow that. As consumers are moving towards internet based television or at least consuming products more online, Baseball continues to lag. Like the highlights, black out policies made sense when there was only television. Time has moved on; technology has advanced. Baseball has not.

Major League Baseball, as an entity, must begin to show a basic understanding of the internet and how they can reach potential consumers. They can still control their product like the NBA does, but allowing fans more access and the ability to share it will grow its popularity. Selig has been quite innovated with his product on the field. The game is better. It is more exciting. There is so much to talk about. It is a shame that many are missing it because of a lack of modern access. Until Major League Baseball actually learn the purpose of the internet, they will be behind the NBA and NFL in terms of popularity. If Baseball wants to grow, it must learn how to use the internet.

Topps Sell Sheet

The standard sized cards are thicker than regular cards. The card fronts have a full color action shot of the player. The cards are border-less and have a matte finish. The card fronts have the set name and logo in foil in the upper left corner and a graphic at the bottom with the player name, position and team logo. The card backs are photo-less and vertical design. The backs have a black field and graphic text box. The text box contains basic biographical information, moderate career highlights, last season’s and career statistics.

What I Pulled:
10 base set cards all serial numbered (one dupe)
2 relic cards
2 autograph relic cards

Base card front and back:
#/999 – Austin, Lewis, Peterson, Ryan, Maclin
#/300 – Johnson, Mendenhall
#/250 – Cassel, Bradshaw

The Hits:
Kyle Rudolph Auto/Triple relic #/99
Dustin Keller Relic #/27
Tony Dorsett auto relic #/90
Ryan Mallett triple relic #/18

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2011 Topps Triple Threads is a big hit hunters dream and a base set collector’s nightmare. I am not even going to rate a box on base set collect-ability. The photography is great. While I do like the base set design and generally like simple cards, I would have like the card backs to have been a little more flashy and high-end looking. The autos are sticker autos but do not detract from the card design. I was disappointed that I got a duplicate card between the two mini-boxes. If they were serial numbered out of different print runs and one was a parallel I would be more OK with it. I pulled two base cards, both numbered out of /999 though. One huge plus for me is that EVERY card is serial numbered. While they are not HUGE hits, they look very cool with the different window cut-outs and the low serial numbering help to add a little more excitement.

The Bottom Line:
I give 2011 Topps Triple Threads a buy rating. To be honest, TTT has successfully established itself as the product to buy for awesome pulls. Some lotto tickets win and some do not. Buy a box and trade your Tebow cards to me!

The Final Score:
Final Ratings (Out of 5):
Base set collect-ability: NA
Big-hit Hunter: 3/5
Prospector Hunter: 3/5
Overall Design: 5/5
Fun: 5/5
Value: 4/5
Re-buy: 4/5
Overall Quality: 4/5

Overall: 31/35 (80% = B)

Thanks to Topps for making this review possible!

Until next time, keep collecting, collect for the joy of the hobby and collect for the fan in all of us.

The official baseball card resource for Baseball Digest.com - Beckett Media

Topps Sell Sheet

The standard sized base set cards feature a full color action picture of the named player. Bordered in white, the card fronts have the USA baseball logo centered along the bottom and the Topps logo, player name, team in silver foil. The card backs are photo-less. The backs have a gray background with a white text box. The backs list moderate biographical information, and extensive career highlights.

What I pulled:
The complete 61 card base set with no dupes. It is a box set.
6 autograph cards
2 autographed relic cards
3 relic cards

Base card front and back:

The Hits:
Triple relics #/240 Erich Wiess, Riley Unroe, Corey Knebel
Autographed triple relics #/214 Cole Irvin, Josh Elander
Autographs Dominic Ficociello, Nolan Fontana, Austin Meadows, Walker Weickel
Gold Ink Auto #/25 Brian Johnson
Green Ink Auto #1/1 Alex Bregman

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2011 Topps USA Baseball is a great product for both prospectors and set collectors. The box set is nothing but prospects. Being above the stated odds was a nice surprise. The #/25 and 1/1 are super sweet! Unless you are really good at prospecting, you probably have not heard of many of these players before. The on-card autos look real sharp, but the sticker autos on the relic cards do not take away from the card. Being a box set you do know for the most part what you are going to get and lose out on the pack busting thrill. The only other drawback I see with 2011 Topps USA Baseball is the lack of variety in the shots.  Do to the few number of games played and limited availability of the players, many of the shots on the white background can look the same, especially the posed shots.

The Bottom Line:
I give 2011 Topps USA Baseball a buy rating. Box sets are nice in that you know you are going to get the base set of cards. The hits are just gravy!

Final Ratings (Out of 5):
Base set collect-ability: 5/5
Big-hit Hunter: 5/5
Prospector Hunter: 5/5
Overall Design: 4/5
Fun: 4/5
Value: 4/5
Re-buy: 4/5
Overall Quality: 5/5

Overall: 36/40 (90% = A)

Thanks to Topps for making this review possible!

Until next time, keep collecting, collect for the joy of the hobby and collect for the fan in all of us.

The official baseball card resource for Baseball Digest.com - Beckett Media

Topps Sell Sheet

The Standard sized cards have either a color or black and white picture of a person or event from the 1940′s to today. The cards are border-less and have a graphic along the bottom that contains the decade and the name of the person or event.  The graphic is designed to be reminiscent of an image or theme from the decade. The card backs are photo-less and vertical in layout. The backs contain biographical information when applicable and extensive information about the person or event.

What I Pulled:
182 cards
154 base set cards, 154/200, = 77% of the base set
1 base dulicate
18 inserts
5 foil parallels
1 puzzle card
3 memorabilia cards

Base card front and back:

The Inserts: (not all scanned)
Hirsute History: 2, 12, 16, 19
Fads & Fashions: 5, 6, 11, 14, 22, 28
Hollywood Walk of Fame: 7, 16, 24, 32, 33, 41, 45, 47
Foil Parallels: 58, 69, 88, 109, 188
Puzzle card

The Hits:
A.J. Hammer relic
Joe Gannascoli relic
Don McLean relic

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2011 Topps American Pie hails itself as a celebration of American pop culture. From the end of World War II to the stars of today, Topps American Pie chronicles the people, events, fads, and fashions that have captured America’s imagination for over six decades. the cards all have catchy designs and themed form the different decades. The inserts are entertaining and clever. 2011 American Pie had near perfect collation with only one duplicate and right on with the stated hits. I think it is pretty cool that I pulled a Don McLean relic from a set called “American Pie!”

The Bottom Line:
A very fun rip for nostalgia and history buffs! It will be easy to complete the base set with one box and some light trading. Go buy a box and enjoy your slice of American Pie!

The Final Score:
Final Ratings (Out of 5):
Base set collect-ability: 4/5
Big-hit Hunter: 3/5
Prospector Hunter: NA
Overall Design: 4/5
Fun: 5/5
Value: 4/5
Re-buy: 4/5
Overall Quality: 5/5

Overall: 29/35 (83% = B)

Thanks to Topps for making this review possible!

Until next time, keep collecting, collect for the joy of the hobby and collect for the fan in all of us.

The official baseball card resource for Baseball Digest.com - Beckett Media

It is amazing how one life could drastically change with hard work, a passion, and dedication. Three years ago, Bob Salomon was just a regular family man with a wife, two kids, and a full-time job as an officer for the state of New Jersey. While Salomon enters his 24^th year on the job, these days you can also find him at the center of a unique movement with the commitment to making a difference. As the co-creator and driving force behind the children’s book, “A Glove of Their Own,” Bob has watched numerous organizations and foundations use his book as a platform to spread the message of giving and helping children.

“A Glove of Their Own” is a story about paying it forward and children who play baseball simply for the love of the game. You’ll find no coaches, no concession stands, and sometimes just an old bat and ball. This is the way baseball was meant to be. It has the power to touch both the old and young, with the underlining theme of both kindness and “paying it forward”.

Salomon now collaborates with some of the biggest names in sports, as he has gained the trust of the hundreds that support him. Since its publication in 2008, “A Glove of Their Own” has received recognition and attention on a national level, with numerous accolades and supporters that include both former and current players alike. The endless list features names such as Yogi Berra, Joe Torre, Tommy John, Phil Niekro, Bud Harrelson, Roy White, Bernie Williams, Eric Chavez, and Nelson Cruz, among many others. Even companies such as Louisville Slugger, Modell’s, Rawlings, and Upper Deck have joined the cause.

Bob’s latest addition to the list of superstars is former New York Yankees great and current Los Angeles Dodgers manager Don Mattingly. Like the many others behind his movement, Bob and Don share many of the same values, beliefs, and overall determination that have helped form the basis for their success. With their respected efforts, these men have only one mindset towards the future, and that is to help children.

Mattingly currently orchestrates “Mattingly Charities,” which is a nonprofit fundraising organization that launched in January of 2011. Its main purpose is to serve under privileged children by supporting programs that promote baseball and softball participation. The former Yankee is also an avid supporter and contributor to the Boys’ Club of New York. When ordering “A Glove of Their Own,” $3 will be donated to Mattingly Charities when using the code “DON23” at AGloveOfTheirOwn.com.

“It is an honor to have Don Mattingly on board,” Salomon said. “He is an icon and a role model for many in professional sports. He is also a class act, whose off the field work is second to none. I grew up rooting for Don as a kid, so I am truly grateful to have him support me today.”

“A Glove of Their Own,’ captures the spirit and true meaning of giving back and sharing with kids less fortunate,” said Mattingly. “It is another reminder of why the game of baseball is so special.”

After the success of the first book, Bob hopes to reach even greater heights as he produces a second children’s book, while this time, using the sport of football. The story will portray the true gift of athletes, which is the impact they have on children. It will unite all sports and also showcase the message of never giving up.

The story promises to take you on a roller coaster of emotions as the game of football helps a father and son overcome and obstacle that simply defines the will to keep fighting. Salomon’s own love for the sport is beneficial, and with many big names sharing his beliefs, the sky is the limit for what this new project can achieve.

“The goal of the football book is to make all athletes come together to help kids,” Salomon said. “We want to tour throughout hospitals around the country with various sports figures and send the message out about not giving up. My dream is that the NFL and United Way will use the book to help promote this message and place a positive impact on children and the game of football.”

With the baseball book, the vision is almost parallel. Bob continues to reach out to all 30 Major League Baseball teams and hopes that one day, each team will use his story as a platform for the various outreach programs in the sport. His latest efforts have led him to an advisory board position with the Dave Clark Foundation, which helps children with disabilities.

“Bob Salomon is one of those people who you can just tell is extremely motivated to promote a great cause,” said Rich Lampmann, director of promotions and public relations at Modell’s Sporting Goods. “Bob shares the same feeling as countless Americans when it comes to the game of baseball. The memories of pick-up games in the yard, lot, or at the field stick with us for a lifetime. Bob and his team have taken this a step further and are not only promoting the game in and of itself, but also using the game as a means of spreading sportsmanship and teamwork for the greater good.”

It is amazing to step back and see the relationships that Salomon has made since the inception of “A Glove of Their Own.” Today, one of his valued friendships is the one he holds with former MLB player and current ESPN analyst Doug Glanville, who has served as a sounding board for Bob’s endeavors.

“I connected with Bob Salomon through a mutual passion and cause,” Glanville said. “We both shared the desire to help youth through sport. After one phone call that could have lasted 24 hours, we knew right away that we spoke the same language. His drive and passion through the phone was tangible. I was drawn to his selfless will to step aside and let the purpose lead the way. There was no ego, there was no filter. It was real and it was about children.”

All in all, it is clear that Bob Salomon, Don Mattingly, and the rest of Bob’s supporters, are all truly blessed and want to do right by the children.

“I hope you will join him,” Glanville added. “Because it is a runaway train and it will one day bring the humanity back to all of the sports we hold dear by employing our greatest resource – people.”

To join the movement and to learn more, please visit AGloveOfTheirOwn.com.

To contact Bob Salomon, feel free to e-mail him directly at AGloveOfTheirOwn@aol.com.

The Winter Issue and Convention Guide is available for FREE download here:

http://gothambaseball.com/GB006_WINTER2011.pdf

Gotham Baseball covers the past, present and future of New York baseball, and in this latest issue, which features a pair of aces; New York Yankees left-hander CC Sabathia and New York Mets southpaw Johan Santana. Gary Armida profiles Sabathia’s return in “The Big Man is Back”, while Healey opines that for the Mets, “The Ace is The Whole”.

Also in the issue:

The Catcher Says Bye – Yankees catcher Jorge Posada is retiring. Armida takes a look at his great career.

The Magic is Back? – Joseph M. Lara tries to make some sense of the current Mets by looking at the past Mets.

Reading By The Hot Stove – Jerry Milani reviews some of his top choices for offseason reading.

The issue also includes a comprehensive guide to the three-day event, which will once again feature some of the world’s top baseball instructors in a range of settings, including new Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine, New York Yankees hitting coach Kevin Long, pitching guru Rick Peterson and softball star Jennie Finch.

Baseball Digest’s online editor Mark Healey, who is the founder of Gotham Baseball, will also be in attendance, manning BD affiliate Gotham Baseball’s booth with GB Co-Publisher Joseph M. Lara.

The Winter Issue and Convention Guide is available for FREE download here:

http://gothambaseball.com/GB006_WINTER2011.pdf

For more info visit the official site for the event or call 860.674.1500

Topps Sell Sheet

The base cards are thicker than regular base set cards. Fading to a white border, the card fronts feature a full color action shot of the player. The cards are serial numbered in the upper right corner and have the set logo and player name in gold foil along the card bottom. The backs are photo-less. Trimmed in red and black, the backs list moderate biographical information, complete career statistics, and “Career Tiers,” highlights. Both the card fronts and backs are very glossy.

What I pulled:
7 unique cards
3 base #/799
1 parallel #/199
2 serial numbered autographs
1 serial numbered relic

Base card front and back:
Kershaw, Pineda, Gonzalez all #/799

The parallel:
Bert Blyleven #/199

The Hits:
Gio Gonzalez auto #/699
Jordan Zimmermann Auto #/999
Rogers Hornsby dual relic #/99

************************************************************************************************************************

As a replacement for the missing annual Topps Sterling, Topps Tier One falls short. An ultra premium, high-end box with only seven cards per pack/box certainly sounds like Sterling but there are some key differences. Not wanting to compare the two products though as this is a review of Tier One. For the price point, I expected a higher caliber talent checklist, bigger hits and no redemption cards. I personally did not pull a redemption, but they are plentiful in Tier One. The overall quality and design of the base cards and hits is good. Just like any lottery ticket you could strike it rich or strike out. If you strike out, you will have a hard time trying to flip/trade cards for your money back.

The Bottom Line:
I give 2011 Topps Tier One a shop around rating. You will be further ahead to buy singles of cards. Light on rookies, the potential for a redemption and the hit or miss of the hits means you should shop around for your lotto ticket. If you pick up any, trade your Tigers cards to me!

The Final Score:
Final Ratings (Out of 5):
Base set collect-ability: 1/5
Big-hit Hunter: 2/5
Prospector Hunter: 2/5
Overall Design: 5/5
Fun: 5/5
Value: 3/5
Re-buy: 5/5
Overall Quality: 5/5

Overall: 28/40 (70% = C)

Thanks to Topps for making this review possible!

Until next time, keep collecting, collect for the joy of the hobby and collect for the fan in all of us.

The official baseball card resource for Baseball Digest.com - Beckett Media

I was the first player drug-tested in baseball, and I am the one who asked for it.” – Babe Dahlgren

The recent news that 2011 MVP Ryan Braun is appealing a failed “banned substance” test wasn’t expected, but after hundreds of failed tests for recreatiional or performance-enhancing drugs for baseball players, even the fact that a reigning MVP not thought to be the strerotypical behemnoth wasn’t all that’s shocking.

Let’s face it, we live in an era where its hard to imagine people choosing integrity over the millions that can be made with the popping og a pill or the injecting of a needle. Ryan Braun may indeed be innocent, and if he is, he will have the power, resources and platform to defend himself.

Some other players never got that opportunity.

There was another player who once took a drug test, the first one in known baseball history. It was paid for by then-MLB Commisioner Judge Kenesaw Moutian Landis, and it came back clean. For some reason, Landis and several of the commisioners that followed him, refused to make the results public, or provide ther player with some level of justice.

Instead, Babe Dahlgren, once considered the best fielding first baseman in baseball, was sentenced to a life as a baseball vagabond,  and even after his playing days, plagued with the inaction of a baseball industry that turned it back on him a long time ago.

The whole story is chronicled in the book, Rumor In Town: A Grandson’s Promise to Right a Wrong, written by Dahlgren’s grandson, Matt Dahlgren.

Sadly, two of the most respected figures in baseball history played a large role in Dahglren’s misery, and it is perhaps that reality which is responsible for the lack of coverage and discussion of these events.

From Gotham Baseball’s Spring 2011 Issue, “Going Nine: The Other Babe”

“The guy can do everything, and I have a hunch that he invents plays as he goes along. If an old-timer were to swear to me on a stack of testaments that there was every a greater defensive first baseman than Ellsworth ‘Babe’ Dahlgren of the Yankees I wouldn’t believe him.” John Lardner, The New Yorker, June 13, 1940

According to Matt Dahlgren, Babe was also the victim of a vicious rumor, that he was a marijuana smoker. Mike Lynch of Seamheads.com summarized it best, stating that the rumor was “started by a Hall Of Fame manager, perpetuated by a Hall of Fame executive, and buried by a Hall Of Fame Commissioner.”

Dahlgren started his career in the Boston Red Sox system and was poised to become the team’s first baseman until the Bosox got Philadelphia A’s slugger Jimmie Foxx. Babe hoped for a trade and got one, to the Yankees, where Lou Gehrig was entrenched. Determined to prove that he belonged, Dahlgren took his game to the Yankees’ top farm team in Newark in 1937, where he hit. 340 for the Bears, one of the greatest minor league champions in baseball history.

He would make the Yankees in 1938 as a utilityman, but played in just 27 games, mostly as a pinch-hitter. In 1939, he would make the most of an opportunity he desperately wanted, he just hated the way it happened.

Replacing Gehrig, Dahlgren hit a home run, a double off the top of the fence and two drives that were caught against the fence in a 22-2 rout over Detroit. “I especially admired Gehrig because he was a first baseman like me,” Dahlgren told Newsday’s Joe Gergen in 1988. “I never dreamed one day I’d be in New York to take the man’s place.”

He would hit only .235 that year for the Yanks, but he would hit 15 home runs and drive in 89 runs batting seventh or eighth in a powerful lineup. In the World Series that year, Dahlgren would hit his only World Series home run, helping the Yankees sweep the Reds. The future looked bright for the 27-year old Dahlgren. Then he went home to San Francisco, and his life would never be the same.

Local legend Lefty O’Doul hated the fact the Joe McCarthy, and not he was the manager of the New York Yankees, telling anyone who would listen that “Ol’ Marse Joe” was a bush-button manager and that anyone could manage the Yankees. An Associated Press photographer took a picture of Dahlgren receiving batting tips from O’Doul at a off-season (the reality was that they barely talked that day). Combine the cracks that O’Doul made that day, “The Yankees have to send me their players to learn how to it.” a thin-skinned heavy drinker in McCarthy, and a now-veteran first baseman who was well-liked by his teammates and the local press, and you had the makings of a very bad situation.

Dahlgren had another solid year in 1940, hitting .263 / 12/ 73, and played a brilliant first base, but when the Yankees did not win the pennant. McCarthy seemed to blame Dahlgren, citing a key error down the stretch that cost the Yankees a ball game.

He was sent to the Boston Braves in 1941, and was dealt midway in the season to the Cubs, where he really played well, hitting .263 / 23/ 89 for the season. While he was having the best year of his career to date, McCarthy was telling the New York sportswriters – who all liked Dahlgren, thought he was a superb first baseman, and were watching Johnny Sturm hit just .235 with no power and nowhere near the glove – that Dahlgren’s arms were too short to play first base.

Really.

The longer the season wore on, the longer it looked like McCarthy had had a personal beef with Dahlgren, and the writers pressed McCarthy on the trade. Now, remember, it was the 1941 season, and Joe DiMaggio was setting his magical streak and Ted Williams was hitting .406 for the Red Sox. Dahlgren was happy in Chicago, playing well and finally getting the accolades he deserved.

Then, almost instantly, Dahlgren would spent the rest of his career, from 1942, getting traded from Chicago to St. Louis to Brooklyn (where Branch Rickey would accuse him of smoking marijuana, the first time Dahlgren would hear of the rumor) to Philadelphia (where he became an All-Star) to Pittsburgh (where he would drive in 101 runs and hit .289 in 1944) and finally back to St. Louis, where he would finally be discarded.

In the midst of the incredulous rumor, Dahlgren informed then-Commissioner Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis of the rumor, and the Judge, according to the book, paid all the expenses for what would prove to be a “clean” drug test for Dahlgren. But Landis and every subsequent Commissioner – up until his death in 1996 – failed to address Babe’s cause.

Dahlgren also died not going who had started the rumor. He had always assumed that it was Rickey, because of the way the situation had played out. It wasn’t until his grandson Matt, who wanted to write the manuscript that would become “Rumor in Town” (Babe’s original manuscript, as well as a letter from Landis proving the rumor existed, were lost in a fire at Babe’s home in 1980), that the origin of the rumor surfaced.

Dahlgren was doing research for his book when someone suggested the aforementioned Marty Appel, arguably the preeminent Yankees historian, for stories about his father.

Appel told him about a conversation he had with New York Times sportswriter John Drebinger in 1973, recalling McCarthy talking to a small group of baseball insiders at the end of the 1940 season. McCarthy, Appel remembered Drebinger telling him, noted that the Yankees would have won the pennant in 1940 had it not been for an error that Dahlgren made in a late-season game against Cleveland. “Dahlgren doesn’t screw up that play if he wasn’t a marijuana smoker.”

Tired of being made a fool for suggesting that the obviously proportionally-limbed Dahlgren’s arms were more than long enough, McCarthy decided to spread a rumor so incredible, so scandalous that few would ever repeat it. But the ones that did cost a good man his career.

“Rumor in Town” might be a promise by a grandson to his grandfather to right a terrible wrong, but one would hope that it also motivate Major League Baseball to right a terrible injustice. To date, the case is one that MLB doesn’t feel needs to be reopened.. And that is a big a tragedy as was the rumor that cost Babe Dahlgren his career.

Topps Sell Sheet

The Update Series set is identical in design to Series One and Two. The standard sized cards have a full color action shot of the player on the card fronts. Bordered in white, the card fronts also show the player name, position and team name and logo. A simple colored strip matching the team color and silver foil trim the fronts. The card backs are all horizontal in layout. A small, cropped head sot of the player is the only photo on the back. Moderate biographical information, modest career highlights and complete career statistics highlight the backs. The card backs are also trimmed with a the team’s primary color.

What I pulled:
360 unique cards, no duplicates
255 base set cards. 255/300 = 77.27% of the base set
44 Diamond Cognac
10 Diamond Anniversary
15 Gold #/2011
1 Hope Diamond Blue #/60
5 Diamond Duos
4 Topps Town
6 Diamond Giveaway
9 Topps 60
1 relic
1 silk

Base card front and back:

The Inserts: (not all scanned)
Gold #/2011: 14, 18, 31, 47, 63, 109, 162, 163, 192, 193, 230, 242, 247, 278, 293
Hope Diamond #/60 Tim Hudson
minis: 44, 103, 110, 119, 125, 126, 136, 147, 148

The Hits:
Howie Kendrick AS relic
Adrian Beltre Silk #/50

************************************************************************************************************************

Identical in design to Series 1 and 2, I absolutely love this year’s base card design. It is simple and clean. I also really like the horizontal backs and the occasional horizontal fronts. The shot selection is great with some good actions shots and some candid moments. Another plus for me is the tri-picture league leader cards, the team cards and All-Star cards. This is a perfect example of what collectors have come to expect from a Topps base set. In my opinion I feel that there are way too may inserts. A couple of insert sets to chase is fine, but there are over 70 cards that could be regular base set cards. The gold parallel cards look good, and I really like the Hope Diamond blue parallel. The Silk card is really cool as well. This was the first Silk card that I have ever pulled. Also being above the stated odds on hits does not hurt either

The Bottom Line:
I give 2011 Topps Update Series a buy rating. It will be very easy to complete a base set with a box, a few extra packs and some light trading. There are lots of inserts and parallels to chase. Buy a box and trade your Rickey Henderson and Tigers cards to me!

The Final Score:
Final Ratings (Out of 5):
Base set collect-ability: 4/5
Big-hit Hunter: 4/5
Prospector Hunter:3/5
Overall Design: 5/5
Fun: 5/5
Value: 5/5
Re-buy: 5/5
Overall Quality: 5/5

Overall: 36/40 (90% = A)

Thanks to Topps for making this review possible!

Until next time, keep collecting, collect for the joy of the hobby and collect for the fan in all of us.

The official baseball card resource for Baseball Digest.com - Beckett Media

3 mini-boxes per master box
6 packs per mini-box
5 cards per pack
1 auto per mini-box
1 memorabilia card per mini-box

Press Pass Sell Sheet

Most of the standard sized base cards feature a color or black and white head shot of the driver. The driver cards have a checkered flag graphic at the card bottom. Other cards include different decorations and text depending of what sub-set the cards is from. All of the card fronts are adorned with some bronze foil.Most of the card backs have a picture of the drivers car. The cards in the sub-sets will either have a different black and white picture of the driver or event depicted. The card backs will contain moderate career highlights of the driver, career statistics and or description of the event depicted.

What I pulled:
93 unique cards
70 base set cards, 70/80 87.5% of the base set
7 non-serial numbered inserts
10 serial numbered parallels
3 memorabilia cards
3 autographed cards

Base card front and back:

The inserts and parallels: (not all scanned)
Muldowney #/50
Red #/99: Patrick, Childress, Childress,
Gold #/250: Kahne, Cook, Elliott, Harvick, Pearson
Motorsports Masters: 4, 7, 8, 13, 12
Pacing the Field:
3, 10
Pacing the Field #/199 Elliott

The Hits:
Tim Richmond relic #/199
Richard Childress relic #/50
Trevor Bayne triple relic #/25
Marvin Pance auto #/99
Richard Childress auto #/60
John Force Auto #/75

************************************************************************************************************************

2011 Press Pass Legends is another is another Press Pass product that delivers! You will pull almost a complete set with one box. The cards are well designed and the inserts look sharp. Both the retired and current drivers are listed alphabetically by last name. The set itself is broken down into four sub-sets. The hits are absolutely outstanding! The on-card autos are awesome. I will recommend that you buy a master or sealed mini-box as opposed to individual packs. Even with dummy filler cards it is pretty easy to tell which packs have the relic cards.

The Bottom Line:
I give 2011 Press Pass Legends a strong buy rating. You should be able to complete the base set with just one box and some light trading The hits, inserts and parallels to chase are all pluses. Go buy a box and trade your Jr. cards to me!

The Final Score:
Final Ratings (Out of 5):
Base set collect-ability: 4/5
Big-hit Hunter: 5/5
Prospector Hunter: NA
Overall Design: 5/5
Fun: 5/5
Value: 4/5
Re-buy: 5/5
Overall Quality: 5/5

Overall: 33/35 (94% = A)

Thanks to Press Pass for making this review possible!

Until next time, keep collecting, collect for the joy of the hobby and collect for the fan in all of us.

The official baseball card resource for Baseball Digest.com - Beckett Media

Topps Sell Sheet

The Series Two set is identical in design to Series One. The standard sized cards have a full color action shot of the player on the card fronts. Bordered in white, the card fronts also show the player name, position and team name and logo. A simple colored strip matching the team color and silver foil trim the fronts. The card backs are all horizontal in layout. A small, cropped head sot of the player is the only photo on the back. Moderate biographical information, modest career highlights and complete career statistics highlight the backs. The card backs are also trimmed with a the team’s primary color.

What I pulled:
362 unique cards, no duplicates
286 base set cards, 286/330 = 86.7% of the base set
67 total inserts
6 Diamond give away cards
6 Topps Town
9 Topps 60
9 minis
4 gold #/2011
6 Diamond Stars
9 Diamond Duos
13 60 Years of Topps (one original back)
9 diamond parallels
2 Before there was Topps
2 Prime 9 Redemption
1 relic

Base card front and back:

The Inserts: (not all scanned)
Diamond Stars: Posey, Howard, Votto, Halladay. Heyward
Gold #/2011: Drew, Heisey
Diamond Anniversary: 417, 456, 459, 514, 538, 590, 601, 625, 627
60 Years of Topps Original Back Killebrew
minis 58, 63, 67, 73, 74, 77, 81, 90, 93

The Hit:
Topps 60 Carlos Marmol relic

************************************************************************************************************************

Identical in design to Series 1, I absolutely love this year’s base card design. It is simple and clean. I also really like the horizontal backs and the occasional horizontal fronts. The shot selection is great with some good actions shots and some candid moments. Another plus for me is the tri-picture league leader cards and the team cards. This is a perfect example of what collectors have come to expect from a Topps base set. In my opinion I feel that there are way too may inserts. A couple of insert sets to chase is fine, but there are over 60 cards that could be regular base set cards. The gold parallel cards look good, and I really like the Diamond Stars cards.

The Bottom Line:
I give 2011 Topps a buy rating. It will be very easy to complete a base set with a box, a few extra packs and some light trading. There are lots of inserts and parallels to chase. Buy a box and trade your Tigers cards to me!

The Final Score:
Final Ratings (Out of 5):
Base set collect-ability: 4/5
Big-hit Hunter: 2/5
Prospector Hunter:3/5
Overall Design: 5/5
Fun: 5/5
Value: 5/5
Re-buy: 5/5
Overall Quality: 5/5

Overall: 34/40 (85% = B)

Thanks to Topps for making this review possible!

Until next time, keep collecting, collect for the joy of the hobby and collect for the fan in all of us.

The official baseball card resource for Baseball Digest.com - Beckett Media

Filled with great writing and amazing photography, the SI Baseball book is everything that a book that celebrates the American Pastime should be (and rarely is), featuring essays by respected baseball writers including Rick Reilly, Peter Gammons, Richard Hoffer, George Plimpton and Frank Deford.

Stories like “How Tiny Tim became a Pitching Giant,” in which Tom Verducci marvels at the powerful pitching mechanics of the Giants’ diminutive Tim Lincecum, a wonder of modern science; “War of the Words” by S.L. Price looks at the relentless honesty of White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen; and in “Pure Hitters,” Verducci points to the exciting future of baseball, with a new generation of hitters and a tougher drug policy. Verducci commends the memorable grace and sportsmanship demonstrated by Detroit’s Armando Galarraga in “A Different Kind of Perfect,” and recalls baseball and beyond within the treasured walls of the great Yankee Stadium in “It’s Gone! Goodbye!”

As Baseball Digest gets ready to celebrate its 70th year as the longest-running baseball magazine ever, we’ll keep doing what we’ve always done, bring the best of baseball to the millions of fans that love this great game. That’s why it’s easy to call The Sports Illustrated BASEBALL Book the perfect holiday gift for your favorite baseball fan.

Topps Sell Sheet

The standard sized base set cards feature a full color action shot of the player. Bordered in black, veteran cards have red highlights and RC cards have green highlights. The team logo, player name and position are in silver foil along the card bottom. The set name is also centered near the bottom of the card front. There is the occasional horizontal layout design. The card backs are photo-less and all in a horizontal layout.. the backs also have the same red and green trim for veterans and RC. The backs list moderate biographical information, moderate career highlights and last year’s and career statistics.

What I pulled:
240 unique cards
95 base set cards 95/220 = 43% of the base set
24 gold parallels
48 Bowman Pick RC cards
42 Bowman Chrome Pick RC cards
23 other inserts
1 chrome refractor
1 blue serial numbered parallel
1 orange serial numbered parallel
4 Bowman’s Best inserts
1 autograph

Base card front and back:

The inserts: (not all scanned)
Gold: Ordonez, Hamilton, Johnson, Mauer, Wilson, Wainwright, Gonzalez, Lester, Posada, Myers, Kershaw, Konerko, Hanson, Pence, Drew, Ludwick, Cano, Johnson, Davis, Abreu, Duda, Sale
Topps 100: Harper, Singleton, Miller, Betances, Torres, Chambers, Robles, Cosart
Finest Futures: Beckham, Chapman, Freeman, Latos, Gonzalez, Heyward
Topps of the Class: Poythress, Robinson, Franklin
Bowman’s Brightest: Heathcott, Beltre, Trout
Blue #/500 Garcia
Orange #/250 Morel
Chrome refractor Martinez
Bowman’s Best: Pujols, Cano, Tallion, Mesoraco

The Hit:
Chrome Blue refractor autograph #/250 Eric Thames

************************************************************************************************************************

The “home of the rookie card” certainly lives up to it’s name. 2011 Bowman is loaded with RCs. There are RC in the base set, both the Bowman first year and Chrome first year sets and 4 insert set devoted to rookies. The photograph and shot selection is good. The quality control is tight with no duplicates and no off-centering or printing errors of note. The autograph is on the card and look super sharp. The only drawback I found with 2011 Bowman is the same complaint I have about a lot of Topps products, way to many inserts. I would have like to have had half as many inserts and first year white border Bowman Pick cards and that many more base set cards.

The Bottom Line:
I give 2011 Bowman a buy rating. You will need t boxes and some heavy trading to complete the base set. Prospectors will love 2011 Bowman. Buy a box and trade your Tigers cards to me!

The Final Score:
Final Ratings (Out of 5):
Base set collect-ability: 2/5
Big-hit Hunter: 3/5
Prospector Hunter: 5/5
Overall Design: 5/5
Fun: 5/5
Value: 4/5
Re-buy: 5/5
Overall Quality: 5/5

Overall: 34/40 (85% = B)

Thanks to Topps for making this review possible!

Until next time, keep collecting, collect for the joy of the hobby and collect for the fan in all of us.

The official baseball card resource for Baseball Digest.com - Beckett Media

Topps Sell Sheet

2011 Topps Chrome Baseball is very similar to the 2011 Topps base baseball set. The standard sized cards are bordered in white and have a full color action shot of the player. Very similar to all 2011 Topps base set designs, the card fronts have a splash of the team color, team logo, and team name at the card bottom and the Topps Chrome logo in a top corner, all in the chrome finish. There are some horizontal player photos. The card backs are all horizontal in design and have a small cropped head shot of the player. Outlined with team colors the backs list moderate biographical information, moderate career highlights, and complete career statistics. The card backs are very glossy.

What I pulled:
96 unique cards, no duplicates
74 base set cards 74/220 = 34% of the base set
8 refractors
4 vintage cards
4 Topps Chrome Heritage 1962 cards #/1962
1 Topps Chrome Heritage 1962 refractor #/562
1 red refractor #/25
1 sepia refractor #/99
1 X-factor #/225
2 autographs

Base card front and back:

The inserts: (not all scanned)
Refractors: Hosmer, Pestano, Ogando, Wells, Posey, Conger, Ichiro, Sanchez
Topps Chrome 1962 Heritage #/1962: Price, Sogard, Tulowitzki, Gonzalez
Refractor #/562 Trumbo
Vintage Cards: Tulowtzki, Hamilton
X-Factor Colvin
Sepia refractor Figgins
Red refractor #/25 Bumgarner

The Hits:
Carlos Peguero autograph
Brandon Belt autograph

************************************************************************************************************************

The annual chrome treatment of Topps’ base sets are always popular releases. 2011 Topps Chrome MLB is sure to scratch the chrome itch. Similar to the regular base set, the shot selection is good and many of the cards seem to be really sharp and high in clarity. The refractors are always a popular chase and unlike the regular base set there are not too many inserts to water the box down. The autographs are on card and Topps seems to have corrected the quality control issues that was present in the regular MLB release where several cards were off-center. You can expect the usual “chrome curl.”

The Bottom Line:
I give 2011 Topps Chrome MLB a buy rating. Plan on three boxes for a chance at the complete set. the refractors, parallels and inserts will be fun to chase. Buy a box and trade your Tigers cards to me!

The Final Score:
Final Ratings (Out of 5):
Base set collect-ability: 2/5
Big-hit Hunter: 2/5
Prospector Hunter: 5/5
Overall Design: 5/5
Fun: 5/5
Value: 4/5
Re-buy: 5/5
Overall Quality: 4/5

Overall: 32/40 (80% = B)

Thanks to Topps for making this review possible!

Until next time, keep collecting, collect for the joy of the hobby and collect for the fan in all of us.

The official baseball card resource for Baseball Digest.com - Beckett Media

Topps Sell Sheet

2011 Bowman Chrome Baseball is very similar to the 2011 Bowman base set. The standard sized base set cards feature a full color action shot of the player. Bordered in black, veteran cards have red highlights and RC cards have green highlights. The team logo, player name and position are along the card bottom, all in the chrome finish. The set name is also centered near the bottom of the card front. There is the occasional horizontal layout design. The card backs are photo-less and all in a horizontal layout. the backs also have the same red and green trim for veterans and RC. The backs list moderate biographical information, moderate career highlights and last year’s and career statistics. The card backs are very glossy.

What I pulled:
72 unique cards, no duplicates
23 base set cards 23/220 = 10% of the base set
5 base refractors
34 Bowman Chrome Prospects
1 Bowman Chrome Prospects refractor
2 Bowman’s Best
3 Bowman Chrome Throwback
2 Die-cut
1 Die-cut refractor
1 autograph

Base card front and back:

The Inserts: (not all scanned)
Base refractors: Youkilis, Wood, Longoria, Sale, Arencibia
Prospect refractor Watts
Bowman’s Best: Benson, Allie
Bowman Chrome Throwback: Sanchez, Gordon, Rizzo
Die-Cut: Allie, Turner
Die-Cut refractor Tago

The Hit:
Bowman Chrome Prospect Kendrick Perkins autograph

**********************************************************************************************************************

The “home of the rookie card” certainly lives up to it’s name. 2011 Bowman Chrome is loaded with RCs. There are RC in the base set and of course the Prospect set. The photograph and shot selection is good. The quality control is tight with no duplicates and no off-centering or printing errors of note. The autograph is on the card and look super sharp. The only drawback I found with 2011 Bowman is the same complaint I have about a lot of Topps products, way to many inserts. I would have like to have had half as many inserts and first year white border Bowman Prospect cards and that many more base set cards.

The Bottom Line:
I give 2011 Bowman Chrome a buy rating. If you want to complete the base set you will need to open several boxes. You might be further ahead to buy singles in lots. 2011 Bowman Chrome is made for prospectors. Buy a box and trade your Tigers cards to me!

The Final Score:
Final Ratings (Out of 5):
Base set collect-ability: 1/5
Big-hit Hunter: 2/5
Prospector Hunter: 5/5
Overall Design: 5/5
Fun: 5/5
Value: 4/5
Re-buy: 5/5
Overall Quality: 5/5

Overall: 32/40 (80% = B)

Thanks to Topps for making this review possible!

Until next time, keep collecting, collect for the joy of the hobby and collect for the fan in all of us.

The official baseball card resource for Baseball Digest.com - Beckett Media

Topps Sell Sheet

2011 Topps Chrome Football is very similar to the 2011 Topps base football set. The standard sized cards are bordered in silver/chrome and have a full color action shot of the player. Very similar to all 2011 Topps base set designs, the card fronts have a splash of the team color, team logo, and team name at the card bottom and the Topps Chrome logo in a top corner, all in the chrome finish. There are some horizontal player photos. The card backs are all horizontal in design and are photo-less. Outlined with team colors and featuring the team logo, the backs list moderate biographical information, moderate career highlights, and complete career statistics. The card backs are very glossy.

What I pulled:
96 unique cards, no duplicates
75 base set cards – 75/220 = 34% of the base set
8 refractors
9 inserts
3 serial numbered refractor parallels
1 autograph

Base card front and back:

The Inserts: (not all scanned)
Refractors: Enderle, Carimi, Williams, Watt, Vereen, Brady, Cutler
Finest Freshman: Miller, Carter, Dareus
RC Recognition: Harper, Ridley
Bowman Chrome RC: Dalton, Williams
Superlative RC Harper
Blue refractor #/199 Smith
X-factor #/139 Wallace
Sepia refractor #/99 Cameron

The Hit:
DeMarco Murry auto

*************************************************************************************************************************

The annual chrome treatment of Topps’ base sets are always popular releases. 2011 Topps Chrome NFL is sure to scratch the chrome itch. Similar to the regular base set, the shot selection is good and many of the cards seem to be really sharp and high in clarity. The refractors are always a popular chase and unlike the regular base set there are not too many inserts to water the box down. The autograph is on card and Topps seems to have corrected the quality control issues that was present in the regular NFL release where several cards were off-center. You can expect the usual “chrome curl.” The only other thing that stood out was that a few of the cards photography seemed really dark and not as bright as some of the other shots.

The Bottom Line:
I give 2011 Topps Chrome NFL a buy rating. Plan on three boxes for a chance at the complete set. the refractors, parallels and inserts will be fun to chase. Buy a box and trade your Tim Tebow cards to me!

The Final Score:
Final Ratings (Out of 5):
Base set collect-ability: 2/5
Big-hit Hunter: 4/5
Prospector Hunter: 5/5
Overall Design: 5/5
Fun: 5/5
Value: 4/5
Re-buy: 5/5
Overall Quality: 4/5

Overall: 34/40 (85% = B)

Thanks to Topps for making this review possible!

Until next time, keep collecting, collect for the joy of the hobby and collect for the fan in all of us.

The official baseball card resource for Baseball Digest.com - Beckett Media

Topps Sell Sheet

The Standard sized cards feature a color action shot of the player. The picture is super-imposed over a washed out background that fades form solid chrome bottom to a “sun-burst” effect at the top of the card. Framed in red with a stripe of the team’s primary color at the bottom, only the set logo, player name, and team name adorn the front. The card backs are photo-less. Trimmed with the team’s primary color, the card backs offer moderate biographical information, moderate career highlights and career statistics.

What I pulled:
60 unique cards
52/100 base set cards = 52% of the base set
6 serial numbered refractors
1 autograph
1 dual relic autograph

Base card front and back:

The Inserts:
Green Refractor #/199 Barney
X-Factor #/299 Ortix, Beachy
Refractor #/549 Hernandez, Strasburg, Beachy

The Hits:
Eric Sogard Gold Refractor RC autograph #/75
Freddie Freeman dual relic autograph Refractor #/499

**********************************************************************************************************************

I love Topps Finest products. I always have and always will. I love the designs, the refractors and inserts. Any year, any sport, I will find myself gravitating toward a box of Finest over titles. One autograph is a sticker and the other is on card. The high gloss fronts will take finger prints and smudges very easily and all of the cards have the “chrome curl,” even in the individual packs some of the cards were warping. Some of the corners and edges were flaking and peeling, especially on the badly curled cards. For every collector though, I find that we all have that one special set that we always like and will always buy. Topps Finest products are that product for me!

The Bottom Line:
I give 2011 Topps Finest MLB a buy rating. Plan on two master boxes (four mini-boxes) for a chance at the complete set. Several tiers of cards to chase will be fun. There are lots of RCs for the prospectors. Go buy a master box and trade your Tigers cards to me!

The Final Score:
Final Ratings (Out of 5):
Base set collect-ability: 3/5
Big-hit Hunter: 3/5
Prospector Hunter: 5/5
Overall Design: 5/5
Fun: 5/5
Value: 4/5
Re-buy: 4/5
Overall Quality: 3/5

Overall: 32/40 (80% = B)

Thanks to Topps for making this review possible!

Until next time, keep collecting, collect for the joy of the hobby and collect for the fan in all of us.

The official baseball card resource for Baseball Digest.com - Beckett Media

Topps sell sheet

The standard sized base cards feature a color action shot of the player superimposed on a silver background. Bordered on the top and bottom, the base card fronts have a refractor-like sheen to them. The set name, player name, position and team logo adorn the card fronts. The card backs are photo-less. With just a hint of team color, the card backs offer brief biographical information, and last season and career statistics. Most of the card back is used for “Going Platinum” career highlights.

What I pulled:
97 unique cards – no duplicates
69 base set cards 69/150 = 46% of the base set
19 gold parallel (veterans, non serial numbered)
2 green parallels (veterans, non-serial numbered)
1 red parallel (veteran, non serial numbered)
1 green parallel RC #/499
1 purple parallel RC #/99
1 die-cut
2 autographs #/99, & #/1000
1 autograph patch #/125

Base card front and back:

The Inserts: (not all scanned)
Vincent Jackson red
Marques Colston Green
Vincent Brown #/499
JJ Watt Purple #/99
Arian Foster Die-cut

The Hits:
Leonard Hankerson Autograph #/99
Vincent Brown Autograph #/1000
Edmond Gates patch autograph #/125

*********************************************************************************************************************

2011 Topps Platinum NFL is a solid and entertaining rip. The card design is awesome and I like it almost as much as Finest. All of the base cards have a refractor-like finish to them. The Gold parallels are much thicker then the regular cards. I thought all of the RC cards were a parallels at first. All of the RC cards have a different background effect. Some look like x-factor design and others look like a “billet” style. I do not know if both background styles are available for all RCs. I found several of the edges were prone to chipping. The patch autograph is a sticker while the other two are on-card.

The Bottom Line:
I give 2011 Topps Platinum NFL a buy rating. You will need two boxes and some trading to complete the base set. The cards are really sharp looking and Platinum is loaded with RC. Buy a box and trade your Tebow cards to me!

The Final Score:
Final Ratings (Out of 5):
Base set collect-ability: 2/5
Big-hit Hunter: 3/5
Prospector Hunter: 5/5
Overall Design: 5/5
Fun: 5/5
Value: 4/5
Re-buy: 5/5
Overall Quality: 4/5

Overall: 33/40 (83% = B)

Thanks to Topps for making this review possible!

Until next time, keep collecting, collect for the joy of the hobby and collect for the fan in all of us.

The official baseball card resource for Baseball Digest.com - Beckett Media

Topps Sell Sheet

The base set cards are a little thicker than standard sized cards. The fronts feature full-color action shots. The border-less cards have the set and player name centered on the bottom. The card backs are photo-less. The backs do have a border or frame graphic on them. The backs feature basic biographical information, moderate career highlights, and career statistics. Both the front and back are highly glossy.

What I Pulled:
19 unique cards, no duplicates
12 base set cards, 12/10 = 12% of the base set
4 serially numbered parallel cards
1 autograph
2 memorabilia cards
1 redemption card

Base Card Front and Back:

The Parallels:
Phillips and Upton #/199
Sandberg and Mize #/299

The Hits:
Ogando Auto #/570
Heath Bell quad relic #/199
O’neill Titanic Threads #/75
Buddy Bell dual relic auto redemption

*********************************************************************************************************************

The first thing I noticed was the sharp, and I mean awesome shot selection and quality. Some of the photographs have a high-definition look to them. It was also nice to see new photographs of players, not just recycled shots that Topps has been guilty of re-using over and over. The auto is on-card. The quad swatch is super thick and the Titanic Swatch is sweet. The ‘star-power’ of the subjects for the hits is a little less than I have seen from some other boxes.  The biggest drawback of 2011 Topps Marquee is the redemption. I have said it before and I will say it again.  Topps, no one in the collecting world likes redemption cards. Even for a ‘mid-range price point’ product, no one wants to wait for months to get all of the cards they should have gotten in the box.

The Bottom Line:
Guaranteed hits, cool card designs, parallels to chase and outstanding quality and photography are all pros. Base set collectors will need to pick up singles elsewhere.  Buy a box and trade your Rickey Henderson cards to me!

The Final Score:
Final Ratings (Out of 5):
Base set collect-ability: 1/5
Big-hit Hunter: 4/5
Prospector Hunter: NA
Overall Design: 5/5
Fun: 5/5
Value: 4/5
Re-buy: 5/5
Overall Quality: 5/5

Overall: 29/35 (83% = B)

Thanks to Topps for making this review possible!

Until next time, keep collecting, collect for the joy of the hobby and collect for the fan in all of us.

The official baseball card resource for Baseball Digest.com - Beckett Media