We’re inching closer to the final teams taking the field this year in MLB and, at this point, we have just a single question for collectors after a crazy year of rookie home runs and plenty of other drama.
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The Cleveland Indians’ historic winning streak is up to 19 games and the defending American League champs have shown themselves to be overwhelming their competition.
Per ESPN, it’s the fourth-longest win streak since 1900 and they’ve hit more home runs than runs allowed, outscoring their competition by more than 100 runs.
But who on the team is making waves from a collecting standpoint?
We’ll let you pick three players from the list below to help simplify things in case you simply can’t pick just one … I can’t.
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Follow Buzz on Twitter @BlowoutBuzz or send email to BlowoutBuzz@blowoutcards.com.
It’s almost like Aaron Judge all over again.
The New York Yankees’ newest rookie outfielder, Clint Frazier, made his big-league debut on Saturday night in big fashion with a home run and a double as part of a 2-for-4 day in Houston.
And just like Judge, who homered in his first game but had the night off save for a pinch-hitting appearance late in the Yanks’ 7-6 loss last night, it’s back in 2013 where you’ll find the start of his certified autograph résumé.
A new baseball season is nearly here with the first spring training games set to air later this month and that’s when we’ll see the newest players on their new teams.
And many of them will be wearing new uniforms — well, at least new caps.
You see this card? My copy of it cost me $15.
It was the summer of 1990 when a new premium set arrived upon the scene with seemingly red-hot wax that was only to be found in one hobby shop far from where I lived. I bought two packs of 1990 Leaf — and oddly I landed two Ken Griffey Jr. cards, selling one of them for $7 to an adult while standing in line to enter a small card show the following day. That money was used to get a lame vinyl logo baseball for several members of a Rookie League team to sign — one of them made The Show for some coffee as a Florida Marlin. It might have been the first time I sold a card for “real cash” and it definitely was my first time getting autographs at a show.
I never bought another pack — and still might not have to this day. That was the sum of my 1990 Leaf experience.
Update: The autograph set sold 2,581 copies and the unsigned set sold 6,636.
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Cubs. Win.
The Chicago Cubs ended more than a century of futility on Thursday morning in Cleveland, winning the seventh game of the World Series in a rain-delayed extra-inning affair.
Minutes later, Topps announced the cardboard to go with it — the 2016 Topps Chicago Cubs World Series Championship set. There will be a standard version for $49.99 along with an autographed version that will include one randomly inserted signature card from top names on the team for $149.99.
They are presently available for pre-order on Topps.com.
We’re just a few hours away from Game 7 of the World Series where the Chicago Cubs will end more than a century of futility — or the Cleveland Indians will make them once again wait for next year.
On cardboard and in the hobby, there’s no comparison between the two teams as the Cubs are largely stocked with young players (several homegrown) who are well-established and readily available on cardboard — for now — compared to the Indians, who have a few young notables but nobody who’ll truly break the bank. Among the Cubbies’ notables are Kris Bryant, Kyle Schwarber, Addison Russell, Javier Baez, Jake Arrieta, Willson Contreras, Anthony Rizzo … and that’s not all on a list that’s meaty and the cardboard is boldly available for nearly all of them.
That got Buzz wondering … if the Cubs win it all, is their victory bigger than the Boston Red Sox’ 2004 World Series win when it comes to the hobby and collecting? Is it bigger than Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa, Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens — you know, all those historic super-human performances that ultimately turned out to be, well, a bit questionable? They all sold plenty of cardboard in the past — plenty — but that team and those players were mostly established veterans. The Cubs are largely kids with plenty of potential for future successes — dare we say dynasty — for years to come being a real possibility.
And that would all start with a ring tonight and pay off for collectors for years to come.
I’d argue that demand for the Cubs’ key players autographs and key players could be the biggest thing seen in years once it’s all said and done. Once The Curse of the Billy Goat is dead and buried alongside that of The Bambino there’s all kinds of potential for now in the short-term, later in the weeks and months to come and, ultimately, for future seasons.
It could be like nothing we’ve ever seen before.
Agree? Disagree? Tell Buzz what you think in the poll below …
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Follow Buzz on Twitter @BlowoutBuzz or send email to BlowoutBuzz@blowoutcards.com.
We’ve seen autos. We’ve seen Relics. We’ve seen auto Relics. We’ve seen double autos. But today’s lineup of Topps Now cards spotlighting Game 6 of the World Series is something we have not seen before.
There are double auto Relics — and they are cards of the Chicago Cubs’ biggest bats from last night, Kris Bryant and Addison Russell.
The Cleveland Indians‘ decisive win in Game 4 of the World Series Saturday night has prompted 11 more Topps Now baseball cards and there’s something that’s never been done before for the company’s online real-time card platform this time.
Dual autographs.
Five of the 11 cards feature autographs from arguably the top two most-collectable players on the team, shortstop Francisco Lindor and pitching ace Corey Kluber.
Game 1 of the World Series is in the books and now we have the Topps Now cardboard to reflect all that happened in the Cleveland Indians’ 6-0 win over the Chicago Cubs.
In fact, we have a dozen cards to show for the game highlighted by a dominating performance from Corey Kluber.
The former Cy Young winner has autographs and autographed Relics up for grabs for just 24 hours — or until they sell out.
For all the hobby firepower on the field for Game 1 of the World Series last night, leave it to the light-hitting catcher with just one anonymous Rookie Card to grab the spotlight.
The catcher is Cleveland’s Roberto Perez and the only place to find his cards is in packs of 2015 Topps Update.
He doesn’t have an RC logo on his lone Rookie Card. He doesn’t have a single prospect card from the Bowman realm (or any other of the countless brands from other companies) and all he has is a base card and parallels in Update save for a few team-issued minor league team sets here and there.
Game 1 of the World Series is set for 8 p.m tonight on FOX and it pits two long-losing franchises against each other with one of them ready to claim their first championship in decades.
Here are a few basic questions about the Chicago Cubs and Cleveland Indians for collectors to chew on …
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Follow Buzz on Twitter @BlowoutBuzz or send email to BlowoutBuzz@blowoutcards.com.
A Party at Napoli’s and Big Papi’s farewell are among today’s Topps Now baseball cards.
The lineup includes 18 cards available for only 24 hours via Topps’ online card program. David Ortiz‘s autographs along with Mike Napoli‘s marks the first time there are two autographs available on the same day — and they aren’t the only cards.
MLB’s postseason begins tonight … and we simply want to know who you think wins it all.
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Follow Buzz on Twitter @BlowoutBuzz or send email to BlowoutBuzz@blowoutcards.com.
It’s another Topps Now first.
Cleveland Indians star Francisco Lindor is the first player to sign a Relic card for the real-time platform with an American League Central clincher the highlight moment for the year.
There’s also a standard Relic of the card among the seven cards for the day.
The newest Topps Now team set is all about The Tribe.
With the Cleveland Indians clinching the American League Central title last night, Topps has unveiled a new take on its real-time baseball card program with another team set.
The Indians are the fifth postseason-bound team to get a set released as an extended part of the program with the sets costing $49.99.
One of the more-impressive feats of the summer in baseball ended on Sunday night — and you may not have even known it was happening.
Cleveland Indians catching prospect Francisco Mejia had his 50-game hitting streak snapped. It’s a streak that began for the 20-year-old High-A Lynchburg Hillcats standout on May 25 and is apparently tied for the fourth-longest streak in MiLB history.
For the year, he’s hitting .345 with nine homers and 73 RBI in 351 at-bats.
This mystery is solved.
Topps revealed the player for the 2015 Topps Tribute Mystery Redemption on Tuesday and it’s Francisco Lindor.
Topps Authentics is clearly hoarding top young shortstops.
Cleveland Indians star Francisco Lindor is the latest player to sign on exclusively with Topps’ autographed memorabilia line after a rookie season that included a .313 average, 12 homers and 51 RBI in just 99 games last year. He finished second in the American League Rookie of the Year race to fellow shortstop and Topps Authentics player Carlos Correa.
His autographs will be found on oversized Chrome cards, jerseys, balls and bats as part of the deal and he joins a group that also includes Yankees pitcher Luis Severino, Red Sox pitcher Henry Owens and Braves third baseman Hector Olivera.
John Heckert
Website: None
Email: None
Location: Ohio
Work away from cards: None
Collecting since: 2008
Main focuses: I collect mainly baseball and football cards, but I collect a bit of basketball and hockey. Also autographs.
Favorite players/teams: My favorite player is Grady Sizemore and my favorite baseball team is the Cleveland Indians. Although he’s a free agent, I decided to start a collection of him a few months ago. For football, my favorite player is Golden Tate and my favorite team is the Detroit Lions. I also like the Browns.
Current collecting projects: I am collecting Grady Sizemore cards and I have decided to try to get the complete 1967 Philadelphia football set because I like the look of the design. My goal is to add 10 cards a year and make it a project that won’t cost a ton but take a while.
Countless collectors call themselves prospectors, and that particular focus is one that can lead to a lot of pack-ripping or a lot of secondary market purchases with future flips in mind.
One brand that’s got many of those coveted newcomer names year after year is Elite Extra Edition, which is Panini America‘s foilboard-focused prospecting brand that typically packs one of the deepest checklists and, with Hot Boxes, some of the highest autograph totals in the hobby.
While the dust isn’t yet settling on the recently released newest edition of the brand, Buzz decided to take a look back at nine names who you should know from the previous two editions (2013 and 2014) and see how they did last season. Why? There are inevitably some bargains to be had if you consider this brand and these guys (along with countless other players that may not yet be on the radars of too many prospectors) given box prices these days. After all, old wax can still be good wax if the price is right.
Awards week is here as the Baseball Writers’ Association of America begins its postseason honors this evening with the Rookie of the Year winners revealed.
Among the candidates for tonight’s awards are Kris Bryant, Matt Duffy and Jung Ho Kang in the National League and Carlos Correa, Miguel Sano and Francisco Lindor in the American League.
Who’s Buzz picking? Find out and get a rundown of each player’s basic stats after the jump.
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