tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23277983466444582452024-02-19T06:34:46.444-05:0088 Topps CardsWe're celebrating the 20th anniversary of one of the great classic baseball card sets, 1988 Topps. We're going through all 792 cards one by one, posting bits about what makes the card awesome and cool stats about the player or team featured on the card. We're also posting the 1988 Topps Traded set!Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05644396308532248413noreply@blogger.comBlogger1089125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2327798346644458245.post-84919211178774682332009-05-22T10:28:00.002-04:002009-06-08T14:12:18.372-04:00Traded sets<b><span style="font-size:85%;">My current card blog is <a href="http://tradedsets.blogspot.com/">Traded Sets</a>.<br /><br />Click on "older posts" or the archive on the right to see posts from this blog.<br /></span></b>Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05644396308532248413noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2327798346644458245.post-74091960110292908632008-11-14T08:30:00.001-05:002008-11-14T08:30:02.207-05:00Farewell from 88 Topps Cards<span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">That's all, folks!</span></span><br /><br />We've reached the end of the line with this blog. Having gone through all 792 cards in the regular-issue set as well as all 132 cards in the traded set, <span style="font-style: italic;">we're done</span>. We hit 1,090 posts starting with the Vince Coleman RB back on January 9th. I expect this to be my last post ever for this blog.<br /><br />This has been an immensely fun experience for me, mostly because of all the support and great comments this blog has received. Among many others, I want to thank dayf from Cardboard Junkie, Ben Henry from The Baseball Card Blog, Steve from White Sox Cards, Kevin at Orioles Card "O" the Day, Scott from the 83 Fleer Project (from whom I got the idea for this blog), Blake at TwinsCards.com, and numerous other bloggers out there who supported the site. I also want to thank some of the great readers and bloggers who commented here often, including Luke, --David, thewritersjourney, indefenseofabsurdity, Johngy, Cliff (capewood), night owl, fogus, Matt S, Mike S, Jason C, Jamin, Chris D, Spike, Jeffrey W, Timberhill, Extra Innings, Splint, MMayes, Toronto Mike, ESchmut, Bo R, Uglee Card, jacobmrley, and of course <a href="http://88topps.blogspot.com/2008/01/89-gary-thurman.html">Gary Thurman's entire family</a>. If I haven't mentioned you specifically, it's not because I don't appreciate you.<br /><br />Two notes going forward:<br /><ul><li>The fun continues over at <a href="http://78topps.blogspot.com/">78 Topps Cards</a>, so please bookmark or track the new blog.</li></ul><ul><li>I will continue to see any new comments made on this blog, and will respond if appropriate, so feel free to peruse all the back posts. This blog will stand for (hopefully) a long time as a testament to the 1988 Topps set.</li></ul>One last big <span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">THANK YOU</span></span> from me.<br /><br />And just like that...<br /><br />..it's over.Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05644396308532248413noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2327798346644458245.post-51350332749697006892008-11-14T07:45:00.000-05:002008-11-14T10:13:03.907-05:00#750 Bo Jackson: The best card of 1988 Topps#750 Bo Jackson is the best card of 1988 Topps, as voted on by you, the readers.<br /><br />The card won every poll quite easily. Nothing more to say about it, except thanks for all the voting!<br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0zKU1p9TmH06SuuFhnIUgJvYEAPsa_yWj1qNOkKwbcR2P3wQWrYnNZicDO-ShgTHMadsFqOME-geYf0J3K30MGOHtDQpQoG5kiupFcs0lL1uQIYnQqz71JEVz0LGlc7_mB0gWGx6Ytmg/s1600-h/750A.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 396px; height: 557px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0zKU1p9TmH06SuuFhnIUgJvYEAPsa_yWj1qNOkKwbcR2P3wQWrYnNZicDO-ShgTHMadsFqOME-geYf0J3K30MGOHtDQpQoG5kiupFcs0lL1uQIYnQqz71JEVz0LGlc7_mB0gWGx6Ytmg/s400/750A.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5268531286988802658" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhiCC4l7Hbn5C9QikhRRi3BQp3GOmdsRQqlPLv4E6-kOykI_zM0640A3CNsebn8qwXLtBzoCAPyi2ZKFU3eVynW0De3jCRxHiiFE8cp9kmO7VFJYMa5CHQM4_yZS8_8-ySTAUW6QEWen4/s1600-h/750B.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 284px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhiCC4l7Hbn5C9QikhRRi3BQp3GOmdsRQqlPLv4E6-kOykI_zM0640A3CNsebn8qwXLtBzoCAPyi2ZKFU3eVynW0De3jCRxHiiFE8cp9kmO7VFJYMa5CHQM4_yZS8_8-ySTAUW6QEWen4/s400/750B.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5268531287578646322" border="0" /></a>Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05644396308532248413noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2327798346644458245.post-7348187556316685752008-11-14T07:30:00.000-05:002008-11-14T07:30:00.490-05:00#132T: Checklist 1T-132T<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK2F6OszXZiInAz7QTUC4Pnbgd2fw1oExNuWtc4ZPyFaY-YkyNirnMJsAn7cAjTzph0y_Ze_ZogMDNbDpxMMywHsyNL6UTnk8bMrBy6XqCC6kgjOOHyGII2bpn1kaF2AdPtvdkfCJTRfI/s1600-h/132TA.jpg"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK2F6OszXZiInAz7QTUC4Pnbgd2fw1oExNuWtc4ZPyFaY-YkyNirnMJsAn7cAjTzph0y_Ze_ZogMDNbDpxMMywHsyNL6UTnk8bMrBy6XqCC6kgjOOHyGII2bpn1kaF2AdPtvdkfCJTRfI/s400/132TA.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><b><span style="font-size:85%;">IMPACT FACTOR N/A</span></b>: It's a bit anti-climactic, but the very last card of this blog is...a checklist. However, I'll note one interesting thing. This is the only card I can think of (although there are probably more examples) which mentions itself in its own title. The checklist cards from the regular 1988 set (as well as <a href="http://1965topps.blogspot.com/2008/10/189-checklist-3.html">this one</a> from Kevin's Great 1965 Topps Project) mention themselves somewhere on the card, but this one actually mentions card #132T right in the title.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOUViiyBn0ejDO5qjOdZzUciZwdzd15TmRtPZcKn01WD1O0Op-3G-JNWsPCnWgZ9JxN4WwZgrChyxiX0sEMAGEo1jdKCyY0E7aSYj7T_9voVBYuJZ1D7gw6Fm4PujdIJotHb-TVRl_dec/s1600-h/132TB.jpg"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOUViiyBn0ejDO5qjOdZzUciZwdzd15TmRtPZcKn01WD1O0Op-3G-JNWsPCnWgZ9JxN4WwZgrChyxiX0sEMAGEo1jdKCyY0E7aSYj7T_9voVBYuJZ1D7gw6Fm4PujdIJotHb-TVRl_dec/s400/132TB.jpg" border="0" /></a>Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05644396308532248413noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2327798346644458245.post-63055055141815069152008-11-13T16:45:00.001-05:002008-11-13T19:31:38.290-05:00#131T Don Zimmer<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikN4I6rzdVb1SXIkkN1vZH6sOmZqgsMVALbBBv6KzZgGOkNW-V2-QHU5WD5vPHar5cb6IjnLc18OnCNFDkXeGIEq9HehvtIFh6Pkg_qNLmVDPruqPjoK3WuAdrWsnzGViE2_Wm2yfw06M/s1600-h/131TA.jpg"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikN4I6rzdVb1SXIkkN1vZH6sOmZqgsMVALbBBv6KzZgGOkNW-V2-QHU5WD5vPHar5cb6IjnLc18OnCNFDkXeGIEq9HehvtIFh6Pkg_qNLmVDPruqPjoK3WuAdrWsnzGViE2_Wm2yfw06M/s400/131TA.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><b><span style="font-size:85%;">IMPACT FACTOR 4/10:</span></b> <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/managers/zimmedo01.shtml">Zimmer</a> led the Cubs to a rare post-season appearance in 1989, although they got beaten in the NLCS by the Giants. Before then, they made the NLCS in 1984, which was their first post-season appearance since 1945. By comparison, they've made the playoffs 3 out of the last 6 seasons, including the last 2.<br /><br />Zimmer has been involved in baseball for a long time and has been involved in many memorable moments, not the least of which was getting tackled by Pedro Martinez during a brawl between the Red Sox and the Yankees.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikEQ63SdTH7GnNOqW5T7yqgSFXtU_g0C4k9AEcW9vknkwOF4jeGKxd4KD0Z0Q_UEVHFPXy11hEDNCSlvru0PqtxMS_1t1LVHI9LZF5K7vqnS1WRnkmHghCma8CEzp9J29BCVKoUXLliJE/s1600-h/131TB.jpg"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikEQ63SdTH7GnNOqW5T7yqgSFXtU_g0C4k9AEcW9vknkwOF4jeGKxd4KD0Z0Q_UEVHFPXy11hEDNCSlvru0PqtxMS_1t1LVHI9LZF5K7vqnS1WRnkmHghCma8CEzp9J29BCVKoUXLliJE/s400/131TB.jpg" border="0" /></a>Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05644396308532248413noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2327798346644458245.post-12756528105327023492008-11-13T14:45:00.000-05:002008-11-13T14:45:01.136-05:00#130T Ted Wood<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJWa5PECIgUdKi9Ok_m5y9ob60vutShwr7H5gD6bu6B3uJaXj9mO74hmBGn7Awgornoedi8upT8_JCLOibyBnqaZ2mPhuPWry_VtMkuLTRitIbAUMakeByVlE3S9KWLtyGBNVKlDjbXu4/s1600-h/130TA.jpg"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJWa5PECIgUdKi9Ok_m5y9ob60vutShwr7H5gD6bu6B3uJaXj9mO74hmBGn7Awgornoedi8upT8_JCLOibyBnqaZ2mPhuPWry_VtMkuLTRitIbAUMakeByVlE3S9KWLtyGBNVKlDjbXu4/s400/130TA.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><b><span style="font-size:85%;">IMPACT FACTOR 1/10</span></b>: <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/w/woodte01.shtml">Wood</a> had just a couple cups of coffee with the Giants in the majors.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3feMYqVNM7yhxE4VBXFoFUcetZfISsRq9o8aV_7ca7NlsIyPjAO_ExqNmvxJRWea7T8y7uEqcuyAKIU4q4di32x_IBis2XAB6kQi2EJMLsFj_qO3e0Rg5Wj53MdrZQOYXVwMtX5tzyrw/s1600-h/130TB.jpg"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3feMYqVNM7yhxE4VBXFoFUcetZfISsRq9o8aV_7ca7NlsIyPjAO_ExqNmvxJRWea7T8y7uEqcuyAKIU4q4di32x_IBis2XAB6kQi2EJMLsFj_qO3e0Rg5Wj53MdrZQOYXVwMtX5tzyrw/s400/130TB.jpg" border="0" /></a>Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05644396308532248413noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2327798346644458245.post-56315503903166641632008-11-13T13:30:00.000-05:002008-11-13T13:30:15.217-05:00#129T Glenn Wilson<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-_gGmVzcYHTcabKv62sazvkcRGacZ0JXkICTNrTDJeJuOFwSuUphMbVN-TwKRDggPG8KAMZ0CFrpz0VX6SM3CHXQIWytiGI6t95LPZt6xbLIqjthh42woT9G59sGiNZeKAZFN1SWd5NA/s1600-h/129TA.jpg"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-_gGmVzcYHTcabKv62sazvkcRGacZ0JXkICTNrTDJeJuOFwSuUphMbVN-TwKRDggPG8KAMZ0CFrpz0VX6SM3CHXQIWytiGI6t95LPZt6xbLIqjthh42woT9G59sGiNZeKAZFN1SWd5NA/s400/129TA.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><b><span style="font-size:85%;">IMPACT FACTOR 3/10:</span></b> <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/w/wilsogl01.shtml">Wilson</a>, picked up in the trade mention on the back of the card, was unproductive for half a season in Seattle, but they then traded him to Pittsburgh for <a href="http://88topps.blogspot.com/2008/01/46-darnell-coles.html">Darnell Coles</a>, who was a little better. Coles himself was eventually traded for <a href="http://88topps.blogspot.com/2008/07/553-tracy-jones.html">Tracey Jones</a>, who was decent for parts of 2 seasons.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_5tUKy-i7dr6CU3dqFeUicRIYecHTMfKdHrgtpH3_ojLyOH5aDIsfVHJyaNqdyG3C1_iutMpvd_74c3x7WSKJZZg_4-azgHPQSGGj0MEB4JO1h4UVvoIgy7xzgI6GsoKNyY2mliERRRQ/s1600-h/129TB.jpg"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_5tUKy-i7dr6CU3dqFeUicRIYecHTMfKdHrgtpH3_ojLyOH5aDIsfVHJyaNqdyG3C1_iutMpvd_74c3x7WSKJZZg_4-azgHPQSGGj0MEB4JO1h4UVvoIgy7xzgI6GsoKNyY2mliERRRQ/s400/129TB.jpg" border="0" /></a>Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05644396308532248413noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2327798346644458245.post-68490433771974563232008-11-13T11:25:00.003-05:002008-11-13T12:45:13.125-05:00Still trying to trade...I didn't find any decent trades out there for parts of the Tiffany 1988 Topps Traded set. At this point, I'd settle for a batch of 1971 Topps cards if anybody is interested in that. Email me at 88topps at gmail dot com to discuss that or any other trade propositions you might have.<br /><br />Otherwise I'm packing it up and putting it away!Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05644396308532248413noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2327798346644458245.post-11697590417686969772008-11-13T11:02:00.000-05:002008-11-13T11:02:00.793-05:00#128T David Wells<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihY5tc03E_om8te_zbQG_Coai0hxJ0iJ8yD_1dIi9tsQIA2hRmfOq25dwbaFYzg7C0_lyi0ceZJ3TV06prkHvwcmc6FK1U9pSq00pI6dadXiP6AkKPZabUC_YrFdrqYI8ZLCLA6hg4j1s/s1600-h/128TA.jpg"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihY5tc03E_om8te_zbQG_Coai0hxJ0iJ8yD_1dIi9tsQIA2hRmfOq25dwbaFYzg7C0_lyi0ceZJ3TV06prkHvwcmc6FK1U9pSq00pI6dadXiP6AkKPZabUC_YrFdrqYI8ZLCLA6hg4j1s/s400/128TA.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Here's the irony of this card:<br /><br />Those of you who aren't familiar with David Wells will look at the above photo and think, "Gee, that guy is a little chubby," while those of us who <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">are</span> familiar with Wells look at the same photo and think, "Gee, I can't believe he was ever that skinny!"<br /><br />This is another fantastic rookie card from the 88 Topps Traded set.<br /><br /><b><span style="font-size:85%;">IMPACT FACTOR 4/10:</span></b> <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/w/wellsda01.shtml">Wells</a>, along with Duane Ward, were the two unheralded members of the Blue Jays bullpen that led them to success in 1992 (and in Ward's case also in 1993.) Wells was a great reliever for the team and pitched wonderfully in the 1992 post-season.<br /><br />Wells went on to have a very good career, winning more than 60% of his decisions, including a 20-win season in 2000 with Toronto during his second stint with the team. He appeared in a whopping 17 post-season series with the Blue Jays, Reds, Orioles, Yankees, Red Sox, and Padres. Sure, he was in the right place at the right time quite often, but in many cases, it was <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">his own presence</span> that made it the right place.<br /><br />Wells was a colorful and often obnoxious player, but he was a damn tough competitor and made the most of his talent.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl5bvHBtLSak11eOMQObYeOHAsr6O0KKKsehZkpyjsWssq3SDmtzHlM6XAPxxdj6ngrUj5UGgw_Kh6kagRKOCKssRMLccBnQzt1jWIqhjuXynV-PKWnhWSomIjV-WQFL3GTqk_vNXEa5c/s1600-h/128TB.jpg"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl5bvHBtLSak11eOMQObYeOHAsr6O0KKKsehZkpyjsWssq3SDmtzHlM6XAPxxdj6ngrUj5UGgw_Kh6kagRKOCKssRMLccBnQzt1jWIqhjuXynV-PKWnhWSomIjV-WQFL3GTqk_vNXEa5c/s400/128TB.jpg" border="0" /></a>Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05644396308532248413noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2327798346644458245.post-70332968520419788652008-11-13T07:30:00.001-05:002008-11-13T11:53:26.729-05:00#127T Bob Welch<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJDnHUh5_4zEhP_BvBUYPrqc11bXVTFzRREzfd7mKcuqq57X1sPmrEFJV_FJ2Bmod29BpolXL4OaVyVQPSzeXKq4l_nFKO1chI4x5Lcwphauj5aolpb-ogKxj63EJxMysMTzde31AItb0/s1600-h/127TA.jpg"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJDnHUh5_4zEhP_BvBUYPrqc11bXVTFzRREzfd7mKcuqq57X1sPmrEFJV_FJ2Bmod29BpolXL4OaVyVQPSzeXKq4l_nFKO1chI4x5Lcwphauj5aolpb-ogKxj63EJxMysMTzde31AItb0/s400/127TA.jpg" border="0"></a><br /><br /><b><font size="2">IMPACT FACTOR 7/10:</font></b> <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/w/welchbo01.shtml">Welch</a> came to the Athletics after many years with the Dodgers and did not disappoint. Although his W-L stats were inflated beyond what he deserved thanks to a great Oakland offense, he nevertheless pitched mostly very well in 7 seasons with Oakland, including his Cy Young winning season of 1990 with a 27-6 record. He also pitched quite well in numerous post-season starts for the A's, with the lone exception of a 1988 start against Boston.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh60pwdrHSh5WoxvES-TB6T5Z6fYX6p87_LFBsADnGo-qQC0kyTKR3jGA_z4iT5fdK0ghEn-5vZtottbiBUnFeiDxhvnHxDk2sElnyufTzh-2vcIb3AwaRO88S1bIFDgFYrJi8zCModwx8/s1600-h/127TB.jpg"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh60pwdrHSh5WoxvES-TB6T5Z6fYX6p87_LFBsADnGo-qQC0kyTKR3jGA_z4iT5fdK0ghEn-5vZtottbiBUnFeiDxhvnHxDk2sElnyufTzh-2vcIb3AwaRO88S1bIFDgFYrJi8zCModwx8/s400/127TB.jpg" border="0"></a>Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05644396308532248413noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2327798346644458245.post-83285127383437428262008-11-12T15:07:00.000-05:002008-11-12T15:07:00.662-05:00#126T Walt Weiss<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOQiLGnauqI3Z-rU4XhfLb4Iqn1Na-v5dHFhmq6imEq1FwCWPfWWUWqyImR0Ebp5JTgutsnjkTz3cWCBlqHwR8zE74LipWZMetrUouT6a9SQ58JqsFKkSYrSUoo1L_dMHljS2T3Pxlj_w/s1600-h/126TA.jpg"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOQiLGnauqI3Z-rU4XhfLb4Iqn1Na-v5dHFhmq6imEq1FwCWPfWWUWqyImR0Ebp5JTgutsnjkTz3cWCBlqHwR8zE74LipWZMetrUouT6a9SQ58JqsFKkSYrSUoo1L_dMHljS2T3Pxlj_w/s400/126TA.jpg" border="0"></a><br /><br /><b><font size="2">IMPACT FACTOR 3/10:</font></b> <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/w/weisswa01.shtml">Weiss</a> won the 1988 AL Rookie of the Year award, but was the best of a <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/awards/awards_1988.shtml#ALroy">pretty weak pool of candidates</a>. Although he was a capable shortstop, he was pretty poor on the offensive side of the ball and hit terribly in 5 out of 6 post-season series he appeared in with Oakland. In his entire career, Weiss ended up playing in 13 post-season series with Oakland, Colorado, and Atlanta and hit .190 with a .270 OBP. Oops.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi85tgs2nBly3AxFn1jwkcAJf-JxfmxSQvh5h3gIXoGlSgWwM4pNQjBRAh9wJgpq0CYnjHkftYU4iT0z_0P9Fdu_EPUmw78N31OG1Bim93n22xfKSQLC8H-5EfsloPFTl81iCQ6zRHzzlk/s1600-h/126TB.jpg"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi85tgs2nBly3AxFn1jwkcAJf-JxfmxSQvh5h3gIXoGlSgWwM4pNQjBRAh9wJgpq0CYnjHkftYU4iT0z_0P9Fdu_EPUmw78N31OG1Bim93n22xfKSQLC8H-5EfsloPFTl81iCQ6zRHzzlk/s400/126TB.jpg" border="0"></a>Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05644396308532248413noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2327798346644458245.post-86968524882696761012008-11-12T13:01:00.000-05:002008-11-12T13:01:00.127-05:00#125T Ron Washington<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxKNT5qAKyeiSA_gAJC9xkFcSH4hD6c8M-w-Kb7hqzO7Z97kZzkVyFCmrLWPIG3LSfaJ02h_84R3MVsmEDuTWWC3GZ3X6MzPZPrKKwmZ0HTnfFfjOino5p11Jm0h8gA2XzOuXdswvbOQQ/s1600-h/125TA.jpg"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxKNT5qAKyeiSA_gAJC9xkFcSH4hD6c8M-w-Kb7hqzO7Z97kZzkVyFCmrLWPIG3LSfaJ02h_84R3MVsmEDuTWWC3GZ3X6MzPZPrKKwmZ0HTnfFfjOino5p11Jm0h8gA2XzOuXdswvbOQQ/s400/125TA.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Wow, Wash has some serious bed-head in this photo.<br /><br /><b><span style="font-size:85%;">IMPACT FACTOR 1/10:</span></b> <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/w/washiro01.shtml">Washington</a> played one partial season with the Indians toward the end of his playing career before beginning a successful coaching career in the majors. He's now the manager of the Texas Rangers.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrm9yDmMFSIQIuYks2YOn82KFH_tbMhLG93GqvDHH6FkVkOFF7JxOtlHiNgQVMxSN3Y-WP0ldwmWEmT71i5sjg-ap_H9Vw2mj9lj25b8e7yGb4grqxXdzHai4VFWHsxet9qCyO0E-abHk/s1600-h/125TB.jpg"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrm9yDmMFSIQIuYks2YOn82KFH_tbMhLG93GqvDHH6FkVkOFF7JxOtlHiNgQVMxSN3Y-WP0ldwmWEmT71i5sjg-ap_H9Vw2mj9lj25b8e7yGb4grqxXdzHai4VFWHsxet9qCyO0E-abHk/s400/125TB.jpg" border="0" /></a>Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05644396308532248413noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2327798346644458245.post-89742292688638857322008-11-12T11:02:00.000-05:002008-11-12T11:02:00.952-05:00#124T Robin Ventura<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8hJDHtfCnjGEUa2ftxyFRYRqVmOvH9Tti967VALKgUVuXTj4D2zNczS-r-t956J0WwbGw2Tv3jztX72IdFzauHhwAlR9MXxpMjCt57L5P7Nuy-ffmv4R0fP80cfNblrBQv7znh_Wy4eM/s1600-h/124TA.jpg"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8hJDHtfCnjGEUa2ftxyFRYRqVmOvH9Tti967VALKgUVuXTj4D2zNczS-r-t956J0WwbGw2Tv3jztX72IdFzauHhwAlR9MXxpMjCt57L5P7Nuy-ffmv4R0fP80cfNblrBQv7znh_Wy4eM/s400/124TA.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Here's one of the other top rookie cards in this traded set. Overall, the <a href="http://88topps.blogspot.com/search/label/olympics">Olympic</a> players in this set did quite well for themselves.<br /><br /><b><span style="font-size:85%;">IMPACT FACTOR 7/10:</span></b> <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/v/venturo01.shtml">Ventura</a> played 9 full seasons with the White Sox (plus a cup of coffee in 1989) and was one of the most important players in that franchise's return to excellence. Thanks to Wade Boggs, Ventura didn't make many all-star games, but Robin was one of the top power-hitting 3Bs in the game for a long stretch.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJicZIvnGhQa7HUz_3Gwh2BWM0v-NuhJOZ61LdeeJNGT3FYZI-wPs4AHTHqmKz0KV5aAfUSfjaK13VVEJkATJYGxtJ7Fg0W9Oel0yWjxvNOT7QGxkdqIM1Z5IiuXLACYgA7WN9mwa5hYQ/s1600-h/124TB.jpg"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJicZIvnGhQa7HUz_3Gwh2BWM0v-NuhJOZ61LdeeJNGT3FYZI-wPs4AHTHqmKz0KV5aAfUSfjaK13VVEJkATJYGxtJ7Fg0W9Oel0yWjxvNOT7QGxkdqIM1Z5IiuXLACYgA7WN9mwa5hYQ/s400/124TB.jpg" border="0" /></a>Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05644396308532248413noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2327798346644458245.post-39616245419649973932008-11-12T09:23:00.002-05:002008-11-12T09:32:38.062-05:00FINAL POLL: The best card of 1988 ToppsWell, folks, it's been a long journey to get here.<br /><br />We had 33 cards nominated by the readers. From our initial round of polls, we narrowed that down to 16 entrants into the tournament. After regionals, quarterfinals, and semifinals, we're down to just two cards.<br /><br />Would you believe that to get to this point, the polls have had a total of 1,423 votes? That's not too shabby.<br /><br />Personally, I'm sad that #300 Don Mattingly didn't make it here, but I can't argue with the readers.<br /><br />Without further adieu, I present to you the final poll of the 88 Topps Cards blog. This one will find the best card of the 1988 Topps set, as determined by the readers of this blog.<br /><br /><!-- Altering or removing this link is a breach of the Vizu Terms and Conditions --><div style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size:9px;height:20px;text-align:center;width:320px;margin:0;padding:0;letter-spacing:-.5px"><a href="http://www.vizu.com" target="_blank"><span style="color:#999;text-decoration:underline;font-size:9px;">Online Surveys</span></a><span style="color:#999;"> & </span><a href="http://answers.vizu.com/market-research.htm" target="_blank"><span style="color:#999;text-decoration:underline;font-size:9px;">Market Research</span></a></div><embed src="http://wp.vizu.com/vizu_poll.swf" quality="high" scale="noscale" wmode="transparent" bgcolor="#ffffff" width="320" height="568" name="vizu_poll" align="middle" allowScriptAccess="always" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" FlashVars="js=false&pid=129750&ad=false&vizu=true&links=true&mainBG=000000&questionText=FFFFFF&answerZoneBG=EEEEEE&answerItemBG=EEEECC&answerText=000000&voteBG=335577&voteText=FFFFFF"></embed><br /><br />This vote stays open only through Friday morning. During the day on Friday, I will post the final results along with the very last post for this blog.Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05644396308532248413noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2327798346644458245.post-49570606030018242082008-11-12T09:05:00.000-05:002008-11-12T09:05:01.105-05:00#123T Willie Upshaw<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhigs7LgUDdR7Hj3fcaXA1eRSzYkLmATZmvqo9LiiUfh3cVhDbV8gTRJOmcCvJh70HFGyhqyL0KHqtTQjYx1CxmG-0gDNKkLqQwT1WNhjN40uAKNeQaUaV9JKizQDLib5Dc3ltybFVjlYA/s1600-h/123TA.jpg"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhigs7LgUDdR7Hj3fcaXA1eRSzYkLmATZmvqo9LiiUfh3cVhDbV8gTRJOmcCvJh70HFGyhqyL0KHqtTQjYx1CxmG-0gDNKkLqQwT1WNhjN40uAKNeQaUaV9JKizQDLib5Dc3ltybFVjlYA/s400/123TA.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><b><span style="font-size:85%;">IMPACT FACTOR 1/10:</span></b> <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/u/upshawi01.shtml">Upshaw</a> played one year, the last of his career and only not with Toronto, with the Cleveland Indians.<br /><br />Upshaw is the cousin of the late Gene Upshaw, Hall of Fame NFL player and head of the NFL Players Association until his sudden death earlier this year.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj45fNZGyfj8bCmrUybsBKf1yuMYBCImtCUctshLYTqt11OavX18Cd9VKmJRpL8GNDX1JU-wk-PRSUp32bbJkFsanKmnRlEiOMNMcH0nevJcf7pxoY2RJtxqD279zfa-7ivL_lPVvVYVJQ/s1600-h/123TB.jpg"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj45fNZGyfj8bCmrUybsBKf1yuMYBCImtCUctshLYTqt11OavX18Cd9VKmJRpL8GNDX1JU-wk-PRSUp32bbJkFsanKmnRlEiOMNMcH0nevJcf7pxoY2RJtxqD279zfa-7ivL_lPVvVYVJQ/s400/123TB.jpg" border="0" /></a>Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05644396308532248413noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2327798346644458245.post-62534713438176636862008-11-12T07:20:00.000-05:002008-11-12T07:20:01.599-05:00#122T Jeff Treadway<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghx0ZIsWbDNpJcHKZjFgUB0Y2koyPfUpRRo1Hv_SSKJUdhptwiIh1UVmslrb-wwIvjFYKM95jDe96lhNpVpReTa0Ep-gfcQb5xMtWxix9ea5lqFxlwyIB9ZYxy80tcwwo0lmkNFAOaYqk/s1600-h/122TA.jpg"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghx0ZIsWbDNpJcHKZjFgUB0Y2koyPfUpRRo1Hv_SSKJUdhptwiIh1UVmslrb-wwIvjFYKM95jDe96lhNpVpReTa0Ep-gfcQb5xMtWxix9ea5lqFxlwyIB9ZYxy80tcwwo0lmkNFAOaYqk/s400/122TA.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><b><span style="font-size:85%;">IMPACT FACTOR 2/10:</span></b> <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/t/treadje01.shtml">Treadway</a> was a league-average 2B for the Reds for one season in 1988 plus his cup of coffee in 1987.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZqpi9HOuaYEehSAUk68983KDtp9c9PmkFzXf0TndU9y8pFneWaje59icDWY7H4a3eTgp-j7sc6CjC5ptNmUV8M7vxZeK3gk2KPnXW2rPqW3zLUQMP2J46G0_v10fhJekeBFqxeQB8xVo/s1600-h/122TB.jpg"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZqpi9HOuaYEehSAUk68983KDtp9c9PmkFzXf0TndU9y8pFneWaje59icDWY7H4a3eTgp-j7sc6CjC5ptNmUV8M7vxZeK3gk2KPnXW2rPqW3zLUQMP2J46G0_v10fhJekeBFqxeQB8xVo/s400/122TB.jpg" border="0" /></a>Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05644396308532248413noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2327798346644458245.post-57132059360325966902008-11-11T16:44:00.000-05:002008-11-11T16:44:00.632-05:00#121T Dickie Thon<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi02lhSCdE_G4k8C2dpcjPvR_99BCtxK-mCjzoQihVXYY1AI_6X_wipQf5DiyAaStOLZTKdpmmqQojwjbr-1iFR76QBtfknITCAtMXBixA6du1gLx6CpUgHvcWIiUg0D0XTX-rQIAJO9wj_/s1600-h/121TA.jpg"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi02lhSCdE_G4k8C2dpcjPvR_99BCtxK-mCjzoQihVXYY1AI_6X_wipQf5DiyAaStOLZTKdpmmqQojwjbr-1iFR76QBtfknITCAtMXBixA6du1gLx6CpUgHvcWIiUg0D0XTX-rQIAJO9wj_/s400/121TA.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><b><span style="font-size:85%;">IMPACT FACTOR 3/10:</span></b> <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/t/thondi01.shtml">Thon</a> played just one year with the Padres, but he was about league average, which was pretty impressive considering that he was still recovering from the horrible beaning he suffered in 1984. Thon's return to productivity was an inspiration for many people.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAUMP0zH7PQ-8NijBXjOjJC02bPMUBfGHJCZ9jWEpkVJ5vPv7U-03_GWZRozc8FQZWp6YOl3fXt0FPD9dTZOgZx4AuHx5Z-2-Lld-3R0JWz2gEm3QpS2bOrQOzx4QzFHdrrNVHl7HHcvY/s1600-h/121TB.jpg"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAUMP0zH7PQ-8NijBXjOjJC02bPMUBfGHJCZ9jWEpkVJ5vPv7U-03_GWZRozc8FQZWp6YOl3fXt0FPD9dTZOgZx4AuHx5Z-2-Lld-3R0JWz2gEm3QpS2bOrQOzx4QzFHdrrNVHl7HHcvY/s400/121TB.jpg" border="0" /></a>Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05644396308532248413noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2327798346644458245.post-32244893808292331112008-11-11T15:33:00.001-05:002008-11-12T09:18:48.478-05:00#120T Mickey Tettleton<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh0cMUswsskpCY2tyaJhcW47pYL1pEhm866jbG2FZtLVwMTDi_2dAzIHxCok8tjhSSXNQGAawrqojw9Lbiak9NKNem1EI2gLzjwg8ZChIvPLDh9KRoGqlhacGDgUL_poQbK7jjsHndN7mZ/s1600-h/120TA.jpg"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh0cMUswsskpCY2tyaJhcW47pYL1pEhm866jbG2FZtLVwMTDi_2dAzIHxCok8tjhSSXNQGAawrqojw9Lbiak9NKNem1EI2gLzjwg8ZChIvPLDh9KRoGqlhacGDgUL_poQbK7jjsHndN7mZ/s400/120TA.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><b><span style="font-size:85%;">IMPACT FACTOR 4/10:</span></b> <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/t/tettlmi01.shtml">Tettleton</a> was good in three years with the Orioles. In his last year in Baltimore, 1990, he batted only .223 but managed an OPS+ of 116, damned impressive for a guy with such a low batting average. For his entire career, he stuck out a ton, but also walked a lot, and hit for a lot of power. In fact, check this out. For players with a career BA of no more than .250 (minimum 3000 PA) <a href="http://www.bb-ref.com/pi/shareit/3mqz">Tettleton has the 6th highest OPS+ of all time</a>.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJGz8AR6sDrZjzKlLhPiaXUVBWKiqYpePqCBs0PUJE6GJtppclodTtnj0DrNt_woQcdqv5S9M8UbIhQs4caBbGtOH6TVgC60m2mhYTucYlVM1RxlfXpZMg_KokJflbc9p-59C60u-0YGAn/s1600-h/120TB.jpg"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJGz8AR6sDrZjzKlLhPiaXUVBWKiqYpePqCBs0PUJE6GJtppclodTtnj0DrNt_woQcdqv5S9M8UbIhQs4caBbGtOH6TVgC60m2mhYTucYlVM1RxlfXpZMg_KokJflbc9p-59C60u-0YGAn/s400/120TB.jpg" border="0" /></a>Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05644396308532248413noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2327798346644458245.post-63702539120643681722008-11-11T13:15:00.000-05:002008-11-11T13:15:00.680-05:00#119T Scott Terry<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbqu48IlJnjWOH6YlAsQhsR2V2Gay-dC8JwQtq8eQklMDWCZoNDqLtgvr7dON_wGUZoaxDY16peFi36aS8wT_aZ2bOh8o94N50JwNpeBF9FXT3nfCM0qAZ0qiGp5Nb0qzniGJDbOtZSmS2/s1600-h/119TA.jpg"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbqu48IlJnjWOH6YlAsQhsR2V2Gay-dC8JwQtq8eQklMDWCZoNDqLtgvr7dON_wGUZoaxDY16peFi36aS8wT_aZ2bOh8o94N50JwNpeBF9FXT3nfCM0qAZ0qiGp5Nb0qzniGJDbOtZSmS2/s400/119TA.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Terry's just about in Jay Baller territory with that chest hair. I like cards like this that show handwritten name and number, though, as on his glove with "TERRY 37."<br /><br /><b><span style="font-size:85%;">IMPACT FACTOR 4/10:</span></b> <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/t/terrysc01.shtml">Terry</a> pitched 5 mostly very good seasons with the Cardinals. I'm not sure why he didn't pitch again after 1991 but I can only assume it was due to injury. He was also well-known for two booming home runs he hit in 1989.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ41j-9xEXlOMnbYA9pQaCvilnKGMwknnmJCJmd7x-C-3RYxcXGNcwNkyZMLsEbHLa-ScjPUP_nNgglzgSsCgUJlhN-0D-voHprPYc99jd15eb3RUTj8SndZRMNZ6lHrV6Vscui-1V7f_c/s1600-h/119TB.jpg"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ41j-9xEXlOMnbYA9pQaCvilnKGMwknnmJCJmd7x-C-3RYxcXGNcwNkyZMLsEbHLa-ScjPUP_nNgglzgSsCgUJlhN-0D-voHprPYc99jd15eb3RUTj8SndZRMNZ6lHrV6Vscui-1V7f_c/s400/119TB.jpg" border="0" /></a>Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05644396308532248413noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2327798346644458245.post-38293637287539790882008-11-11T11:11:00.000-05:002008-11-11T11:11:00.772-05:00#118T Pat Tabler<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHtna7_gYxNYkl9HhP3_lv51HvTUu0KdVms6iA_6XU3tlg0RozDfzTfOJanaVkiEZIFMvJIFPCO3jVP1mguV3lYogj0KxWXIatUejiSTLpYO6DnS7fvCieUMx7WSIGEzchExVCcXotCzBU/s1600-h/118TA.jpg"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHtna7_gYxNYkl9HhP3_lv51HvTUu0KdVms6iA_6XU3tlg0RozDfzTfOJanaVkiEZIFMvJIFPCO3jVP1mguV3lYogj0KxWXIatUejiSTLpYO6DnS7fvCieUMx7WSIGEzchExVCcXotCzBU/s400/118TA.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Tabler's got his lunch under his cap.<br /><br /><b><span style="font-size:85%;">IMPACT FACTOR 4/10:</span></b> <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/t/tablepa01.shtml">Tabler</a> was decent in parts of 3 years with Kansas City. They didn't get great value in trading away Bud Black, but when they traded Tabler, they got <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/c/corbiar01.shtml">Archie Corbin</a>. Corbin appeared in just 2 games for the Royals, and was traded with Sean Berry for Bill Sampen and Chris Haney. Berry ended up being a stud for the Expos, while Sampen didn't do much for Kansas City. But Chris Haney was a starter for the Royals for parts of 7 years, and although he missed a lot of time with injury, he pitched pretty well. Haney was eventually sold to the Cubs.<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzLBFoVl0wWNsoRNF_YwxqO5naZPVHh-ATQiuGljQZwpl_pP2zUyt1CkGvGVJqFSHFgiTpAH38c1UV00b4E2EcyO-tqNFvOZpuc8Ap9s5jRsMthhZAml4E6RZPDSkV9kpyZqp8uM_Fo4jF/s1600-h/118TB.jpg"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzLBFoVl0wWNsoRNF_YwxqO5naZPVHh-ATQiuGljQZwpl_pP2zUyt1CkGvGVJqFSHFgiTpAH38c1UV00b4E2EcyO-tqNFvOZpuc8Ap9s5jRsMthhZAml4E6RZPDSkV9kpyZqp8uM_Fo4jF/s400/118TB.jpg" border="0" /></a>Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05644396308532248413noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2327798346644458245.post-68649989635935553852008-11-11T09:03:00.000-05:002008-11-11T09:03:00.323-05:00#117T Bill Swift<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIUPigjHffdgKJEkqTcm6YhZ9hg7hvSpM-mkODkOfpzgvvjrWkwHBqjqCwzstQdIpU9fKoqLv_BWzyOjbFbjryumwVJb7Ctl3pjpHBTPY-wAInG_I-5brsM40F852XKF2-hFqrJmpGXluB/s1600-h/117TA.jpg"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIUPigjHffdgKJEkqTcm6YhZ9hg7hvSpM-mkODkOfpzgvvjrWkwHBqjqCwzstQdIpU9fKoqLv_BWzyOjbFbjryumwVJb7Ctl3pjpHBTPY-wAInG_I-5brsM40F852XKF2-hFqrJmpGXluB/s400/117TA.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />I can't understand why Topps produced this card. They gave Swift a regular-issue 1986 card, as well as a regular-issue 1987 card. On both cards, he was with the Mariners. Then, despite not appearing in the big leagues in 1987 or changing teams, they produced this 1988 traded card. Hmm. Odd.<br /><br /><b><span style="font-size:85%;">IMPACT FACTOR 5/10</span></b> <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/s/swiftbi02.shtml">Swift</a> was a below average pitcher for the Mariners over his first four seasons until blossoming as a reliever in 1990 and 1991. Then, they traded him with Dave Burba and <a href="http://88topps.blogspot.com/2008/08/651-mike-jackson.html">Mike Jackson</a> for <a href="http://88topps.blogspot.com/2008/06/497-kevin-mitchell.html">Kevin Mitchell</a> and Mike Remlinger. That was a lot to give up: Swift, Burba, and Jackson all had productive careers after the trade. Remlinger never appeared in the majors for Seattle, leaving as a free agent and being productive elsewhere. Mitchell had one pretty poor year in Seattle, but they traded him straight up to Cincinnati for Norm Charlton, who gave them one great year before leaving as a free agent. (Charlton came back to Seattle later and was effective for a number of years afterward.)<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi54GqypDBRRQKQAIdWUf1JQx9u91pN8CgQxK_bCee3fxYO4XIxx8bxqgqEUD4yBGyOrV0IV79_zi30sJiGoy9v0nmXZfGhpXx08WT0RvIQS0fNQZND8zGQkphZ0aXQqodD_45Noglm7EeR/s1600-h/117TB.jpg"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi54GqypDBRRQKQAIdWUf1JQx9u91pN8CgQxK_bCee3fxYO4XIxx8bxqgqEUD4yBGyOrV0IV79_zi30sJiGoy9v0nmXZfGhpXx08WT0RvIQS0fNQZND8zGQkphZ0aXQqodD_45Noglm7EeR/s400/117TB.jpg" border="0" /></a>Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05644396308532248413noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2327798346644458245.post-77454337613422946372008-11-11T08:15:00.005-05:002008-11-11T08:18:47.164-05:0078 Topps is up and running!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://78topps.blogspot.com/"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 401px; height: 74px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNb4KfCnGKKxUzSLcZfAK4ZQzOtqHSGgHMTo0fSf6VJhZ-GslwmtSzqUeBBF69YoPwj9_YJFphIc-i0B_zxiBDPr-rqj7sBT6V5cZYOUZqL-qIs5PNKOUpM-Yf_LpOnNL-AUACQjEi3fIu/s730/78bg.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://78topps.blogspot.com/">78 Topps Cards</a> is officially online with the first few posts already up.<br /><br />Read the welcome message <a href="http://78topps.blogspot.com/2008/11/welcome-to-78-topps-cards.html">here</a>.<br /><br />Read about how to win cards <a href="http://78topps.blogspot.com/2008/11/how-to-win-cards-on-78-topps.html">here</a>.<br /><br />And start reading the first post with cards <a href="http://78topps.blogspot.com/2008/11/test-post.html">here</a>.<br /><br />Starting next week, you can expect about 1 post per day. Please load 78topps.blogspot.com in your RSS feeders now!Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05644396308532248413noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2327798346644458245.post-27495458444313446762008-11-11T07:45:00.000-05:002008-11-11T07:45:00.948-05:00#116T Todd Stottlemyre<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVmwQjsRDHVdOYQSycPbCzATFcP4X79kWtuHNBQPRqUqust1v43ys4AJ5jhLY7zB8I0R6dxW1SgVirrBT8g-_jRNmifE4mr8p1bGksDUiia1hml5vHDRtCPID44mzRo5RszRn1xw93tpwx/s1600-h/116TA.jpg"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVmwQjsRDHVdOYQSycPbCzATFcP4X79kWtuHNBQPRqUqust1v43ys4AJ5jhLY7zB8I0R6dxW1SgVirrBT8g-_jRNmifE4mr8p1bGksDUiia1hml5vHDRtCPID44mzRo5RszRn1xw93tpwx/s400/116TA.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><b><span style="font-size:85%;">IMPACT FACTOR 5/10:</span></b> <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/s/stottto01.shtml">Stottlemyre</a>, son of <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/s/stottme01.shtml">Mel</a> and brother of <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/s/stottme02.shtml">Mel</a>, was a fairly average pitcher over his 7 years with Toronto, pitching well in the 1992 playoffs and poorly in the 1993 playoffs. He ended up being significantly better in the second half of his career, although he had a lot of injury problems.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgbgxfiq8L3ott6XpL4qKLjdvpdTCNkSGqfARNTffn1BLQN96uUTRaaT0MtdMbn_NS01iYMlmRc6Mi7TnNLjDjTRGvhoX3kYdv2Ua0KLqOzggb3MgVhVSCP9EU-mKrwdqJkDrzaiqYmGng/s1600-h/116TB.jpg"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgbgxfiq8L3ott6XpL4qKLjdvpdTCNkSGqfARNTffn1BLQN96uUTRaaT0MtdMbn_NS01iYMlmRc6Mi7TnNLjDjTRGvhoX3kYdv2Ua0KLqOzggb3MgVhVSCP9EU-mKrwdqJkDrzaiqYmGng/s400/116TB.jpg" border="0" /></a>Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05644396308532248413noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2327798346644458245.post-86134977132383361982008-11-10T19:23:00.004-05:002008-11-10T19:46:53.377-05:00Semifinals: Best card of 1988 ToppsWe're down to the final four!<br /><br />Vote on <span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">BOTH</span></span> of the semifinal matchups in this post below. Voting lasts only until 9AM EST on Wednesday, so vote now.<br /><br />First off, we have #1 seed Bo Jackson (card #750) taking on #7 seed Nolan Ryan (card #250.)<br /><br /><!-- Altering or removing this link is a breach of the Vizu Terms and Conditions --><div style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size:9px;height:20px;text-align:center;width:160px;margin:0;padding:0;letter-spacing:-.5px"><a href="http://www.vizu.com" target="_blank"><span style="color:#999;text-decoration:underline;font-size:9px;">Online Surveys</span></a><span style="color:#999;"> & </span><a href="http://answers.vizu.com/market-research.htm" target="_blank"><span style="color:#999;text-decoration:underline;font-size:9px;">Market Research</span></a></div><embed src="http://wp.vizu.com/vizu_poll.swf" quality="high" scale="noscale" wmode="transparent" bgcolor="#ffffff" width="160" height="384" name="vizu_poll" align="middle" allowScriptAccess="always" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" FlashVars="js=false&pid=129442&ad=false&vizu=true&links=true&mainBG=000000&questionText=FFFFFF&answerZoneBG=EEEEEE&answerItemBG=EEEECC&answerText=000000&voteBG=335577&voteText=FFFFFF"></embed><br /><br />And in the other semifinal, we have #2 seed Wade Boggs (card #200) taking on #6 seed Don Mattingly (#300.)<br /><br /><!-- Altering or removing this link is a breach of the Vizu Terms and Conditions --><div style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size:9px;height:20px;text-align:center;width:160px;margin:0;padding:0;letter-spacing:-.5px"><a href="http://www.vizu.com" target="_blank"><span style="color:#999;text-decoration:underline;font-size:9px;">Online Surveys</span></a><span style="color:#999;"> & </span><a href="http://answers.vizu.com/market-research.htm" target="_blank"><span style="color:#999;text-decoration:underline;font-size:9px;">Market Research</span></a></div><embed src="http://wp.vizu.com/vizu_poll.swf" quality="high" scale="noscale" wmode="transparent" bgcolor="#ffffff" width="160" height="400" name="vizu_poll" align="middle" allowScriptAccess="always" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" FlashVars="js=false&pid=129443&ad=false&vizu=true&links=true&mainBG=000000&questionText=FFFFFF&answerZoneBG=EEEEEE&answerItemBG=EEEECC&answerText=000000&voteBG=335577&voteText=FFFFFF"></embed><br /><br />All four of these cards are fantastic and a great case can be made for any one of them to win. But first, let's decide which two will make it to the finals.Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05644396308532248413noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2327798346644458245.post-38932517848857997382008-11-10T16:30:00.000-05:002008-11-10T16:30:00.885-05:00#115T Kurt Stillwell<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ6oMCvAViGa8Y8E-xx3T5Bchin_dzbcf-UnfrPk8s4zyyd6f7cNC3Wr0XO-_4E3sEIb-oI9tJ0oUglS5IycMliEEZEQZ8ZTD9RMmJ2Wpazb_4KYO_l6IskcNEWKAqi7mqHAIoz-WeeTSr/s1600-h/115TA.jpg"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ6oMCvAViGa8Y8E-xx3T5Bchin_dzbcf-UnfrPk8s4zyyd6f7cNC3Wr0XO-_4E3sEIb-oI9tJ0oUglS5IycMliEEZEQZ8ZTD9RMmJ2Wpazb_4KYO_l6IskcNEWKAqi7mqHAIoz-WeeTSr/s400/115TA.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Even after being traded to the Royals, Kurt still, well, sucked. <span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">(HA HA, SEE WHAT I DID THERE? '<span style="font-style: italic;">still well</span> sucked'?)</span></span><br /><br /><b><span style="font-size:85%;">IMPACT FACTOR 3/10:</span></b> <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/s/stillku01.shtml">Stillwell</a> was a decent shortstop for the Royals for 4 years although he came over in that expensive trade.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5ZQNO-hTwQk5ziLTdHu3teVvDvm5YAwKKYTAr40sXcjftx_pZYO0B56OiS3SdEq-ttA2WSL36M5EmfFxn9jXxxYVRry53PPmoDV3u-18hB1XztSnXA-3Z_xG5xFLtyiw3Mx1IN1LBaEpz/s1600-h/115TB.jpg"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5ZQNO-hTwQk5ziLTdHu3teVvDvm5YAwKKYTAr40sXcjftx_pZYO0B56OiS3SdEq-ttA2WSL36M5EmfFxn9jXxxYVRry53PPmoDV3u-18hB1XztSnXA-3Z_xG5xFLtyiw3Mx1IN1LBaEpz/s400/115TB.jpg" border="0" /></a>Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05644396308532248413noreply@blogger.com3