The changing of the MLB guard is a marathon that is not yet complete. While on the backstretch, it still has a few miles to go. What began with farewells to icons like Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, Chipper Jones and Ivan Rodriguez between 2012 and 2014 has culminated in the meteoric rise of fresh faces that have reinvigorated a game that trudged along after the steroid … [Read more...]
Ramblings: Draft, Prospecting Always a Crapshoot
I recently went to the high school graduation party for the son of a former Beckett colleague. The young man finished in the top 10 of his graduation class of more than 1,400 students and is on his way to a great collegiate program next year. Thinking about his future brought back memories of a different sort for me. Those memories are of those 1950's seasons in which many … [Read more...]
Heritage Minor League Baseball 2014 Box Break/Review
In some ways, Topps has some interesting dilemmas with their exclusive Minor League Baseball license. Among them are to work on creating innovative ideas to feature players which many fans may have barely heard of, if at all. While people who follow their favorite team’s organization or read Baseball America may keep up with prospects, many fans just do not have the time or … [Read more...]
Baseball Cards of the 2014 MLB Draft Picks
Most won’t sign a contract for at least a day or two but baseball cards of the 2014 MLB draft picks—some of them at least—are already in the marketplace. The top ten picks Thursday night included a mix of high school and college players with a strong emphasis on pitching. It may seem odd to talk about baseball cards of high school and college kids, but if and when some … [Read more...]
The Five Biggest Rookie Card Flops of the 1990s
by Chris Harris In this latest installment of my 1990s flashback, I’ll take a look at those hot “can’t miss” prospects whose rookie cards were burning up the price guides in the 1990s, but wound up missing and can now be found in commons boxes everywhere. Beginning with the reconfiguration of the Bowman brand – the 90s put rookie cards of minor league prospects in the … [Read more...]