I believe I will sit and write a spell while the most recent baker’s dozen autographs I’ve gotten on Topps 52s cards cool on the windowsill. Only time will tell whether these will represent the final harvest of the summer since the Albuquerque Isotopes season wraps up at home this month. The Isotopes will be facing teams that have already visited the Duke City this year, so if nothing else, I will be able to target players with cards in this series to use as potential trade material.

Eliezer Alfonzo (2006 – no. 59)

After slugging a game winning two-run bomb off Orlando Hernandez (New York Mets) in his first major league at bat, Eliezer Alfonzo finished the 2006 season as the San Francisco Giants primary catcher. Alfonzo is currently one of the catchers employed by the Fresno Grizzlies. A proven clutch hitter, Eliezer is prepared to join and contribute to the parent club at the drop of a hat. Alfonzo will happily sign two autographs per fan prior to the first pitch, so please… no shoving!

Travis Buck (2007 – no. 11)

Travis Buck seldom signs autographs for fans before a baseball game. He doesn’t sign that frequently after games either, but when he does, it is one autograph per person. It is worth noting that Buck employs a sort of Mike Scioscia strategy to his autographing. That means that if you want his signature, be prepared to walk alongside Travis as he makes his way to the team van, and hope the distance is great enough that he gets to you before he reaches the van. Do not expect him to smile like he is on his card! Buck is presently an outfielder with the Sacramento RiverCats (Oakland A’s) who lead the Pacific Coast League Pacific South division by 5 games.

Chris Denorfia (2006 – no. 9)

No longer in the Cincinnati Reds organization, Denorfia has packed his bats and his knack for stringing together interesting hitting streaks and moved to Sacramento where he helps patrol the RiverCats outfield. Denorfia is a nice guy, but I don’t think this will be the last you hear of him.

Travis Ishikawa (2006 – no. 141)

Ishikawa doesn’t appear to be immune from the streak either; hitting seven homers in his past eight games. I realize that it is early in August, but this dude is hitting .615 with nine RBI for the month! Honestly, I’m surprised Travis even had the time to sign for me given all the base running he’s been doing.

Justin Knoedler (2006 – no. 181)

Originally drafted as a pitcher, Knoedler was converted to catcher by the San Francisco Giants. Now with the Sacramento RiverCats, it doesn’t appear that the Oakland As have any intention of converting him back to pitcher in spite of the fact that he still hits like one. Justin is a very friendly player, and would be a welcome addition to my Razzball fantasy team.

Jay Marshall (2007 – no. 112)

If you are looking to get a Jay Marshall autograph these days, don’t strain your eyes looking for the dude depicted on the front of his card at Sacramento RiverCats’ games. Instead, be on the watch for Serpico. He’s your man! Catch Jay at the right time after a game, and he’ll sign anything you hand him.

Patrick Misch (2007 – no. 156)

A pitcher for the Fresno Grizzlies, Misch will sign before any game that he isn’t starting. Of course I’m talking about Triple A baseball here, and not at major league ballparks. Still, I’d bet that Pat remains as fan-friendly whenever he gets his call back up with the Giants.

Dan Ortmeier (2006 – no. 188)

Back to the fascinating topic of Razzball… I think Dan was drafted pretty early in our fantasy league- not long after I picked up Rich Aurilia. Battling back from a broken finger at the beginning of the season, Ortmeier has amassed a .128 batting average in 86 plate appearances in the minor leagues, scoring six times and driving in four runs (including himself twice via the long ball). I’d say he’s ready for the call up! Even Dan’s autograph is Razztastic!

Eric Patterson (2007 – no. 155)

I didn’t get this card autographed when the Iowa Cubs were in town the first time because Eric had just been called up to Chicago. I also was not able to get it signed the second time the Cubs passed through as they had just traded Eric to Oakland. Luckily, the A’s don’t seem to have a better idea of how to handle Patterson than did the Cubs, so they shipped him off to Sacramento in time for their trip to Albuquerque. Eric made no attempt to disguise the fact that he didn’t care much for the Cubs while signing his cards. He even went as far to suggest that we might as well throw them away.

Eric Patterson and Felix Pie (2007 – no. DD8)

Similar to the case of Eric Patterson, I missed the chance to get Pie the first time the Cubs visited Isotopes Park this summer because he hurt his hand swinging during the first game. Felix was shipped off to Arizona where they iced it down for several days, but he was back with the Cubs in time for their last visit.

Multiple player cards are frustrating to keep organized in a meaningful way that allows you to avoid missing guys when they come to town. However, the feeling you get as you complete these cards makes it worth the while. Luckily I was able to complete this card when I got Patterson’s signature one week after Pie’s- so I really didn’t have time to misplace the card.

Danny Putnam (2007 – no. 42)

This is one of numerous reasons I’m not a professional baseball manager. Putnam is a great kid, and I would be tempted to have the Sacramento RiverCats lineup cards preprinted with his name on them. What I don’t understand is how the left-handed hitting Putnam’s .324 batting average against lefties is a full 80 points higher than his average against righties. Clearly I’m missing something.

Guillermo Rodriguez (2007 – no. 77)

Rodriguez is a solid catcher for the Fresno Grizzlies. He tends to hit better in California than on the road, and even the thin air of Albuquerque failed to awaken his bat as he went 2 for 12 with no runs, zero RBI, and handsful of cards signed. Guillermo is definitely no slouch with the Sharpie!

Rick Vandenhurk (2007 – no. 123)

Rick was recently sent to Albuquerque from Florida after Marlins officials realized I needed to get his Topps 52 rookie card autographed for my collection. I didn’t get a chance to speak directly to Rick though as he was busy talking on his phone while he signed a couple of cards for me after a game. I don’t speak Dutch, so I can’t tell you what he was talking about. Possibly he was ordering tulip bulbs to plant across the warning track at Isotopes Park. Another fantastic signer- Rick will autograph cards until your Sharpie runs dry!

Perhaps you are a new reader to this blog and are just discovering that there is another person who is trying to pull together as nearly complete of an autographed set of these Topps 52s rookie cards as possible… and are finding it difficult to believe that this person also enjoys trading? Well, it is absolutely true! You should not hesitate to check out my trade list posted on the Aardvark Trading Co. website. As they say in certain reruns on the Game Channel, “Let’s Make a Deal!”

- Kris

Around the middle of July, I was happy to announce that Aardvark Trading Co. was going to be in the position to sell hobby boxes of Topps Allen & Ginter baseball cards after preordering an entire case from some eBayer. We were very excited to be able to touch an unopened case, bust it, and then hopefully keep track of the “hits” (as the kids call them) as reported by people purchasing boxes. I thought it would provide an excellent opportunity for interested parties to study a case of cards and over analyze it… to death.

I was on edge waiting for the UPS truck for the initial days that followed Topps’ official release. Nothing. Then I finally got the eBayer on the horn and was informed that his supplier had declared bankruptcy. Long excuse short…. there would be no case coming.
Bummer. We got our money refunded without a problem, but already the price of cases (now in hand) had increased to the point that we didn’t think it would be a wise investment given that the market was immediately saturated with product.

Jay Marshall (2007 Topps A&G no. 244 and black-bordered mini)

I managed to get these Jay Marshall cards autographed in person the same day. It was then that I realized that I was going to have to rethink my plan for dealing with the 2008 set. Would I find myself trolling for blaster boxes at Target, paying way more for a box than I cared to from a local dealer, or trying to find a three hobby box deal online?

Walking out of the third different Target store in a 36-hour period on Saturday afternoon, I decided to purchase a hand-collated set online, and invest the difference (both time and money) in the pursuit of the sets I’ve been neglecting- 2006 A&G and 1975 Topps.

Mike Caldwell (1975 Topps no. 347) and a 1975 Dodge Dart Sport

I’ve seen quite a bit of the 2008 Allen & Ginter set via the interweb. I have to say that experiencing cards like these is probably best done with the actual cards in hand rather than seeing them online. So I will save my thoughts on the set until I have one in front of me.

By the way, I’ve also wasted a good couple of days trying to crack the damn Allen & Ginter code, but I believe the code has cracked me. I wonder if that’ll win me a prize off the lower shelf.

- Kris

2008 Inland Empire 66ers team set
Official Score – 3-UNASSISTED (“hidden ball trick”)
Manufacturer: Grandstand
Retail price: $6.00

Participants in the California League, the Inland Empire 66ers are the Class A Advanced affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers. The sixty-sixers’ highway sign-inspired logo will make even the most sensible fan nostalgic for bygone days either experienced or imagined.

I recently reviewed another team set that used the same Grandstand template as the one chosen by the sixty-sixers. Do you recall what team that was for? I liked them then, and I like them still. How could you not?

These minor league-thin cards exhibit a semi gloss surface ready for immediate autographing. The backs consist of four-color printing of typical player stats in black and short bios in blue over a light image of a glove and some tattered baseballs. There is no printed checklist for this team set, so please allow me…

1 – [51] James Adkins (p)
2 – [26] Alberto Bastardo (p)
3 – [29] Josh Bell (inf)
4 – [11] Matt Berezay (of)
5 – [36] Henry Cruz (hitting coach)
6 – [50] Francisco Felix (p)
7 – [12] Justin Fuller (inf)
8 – [8] Tommy Giles (of)
9 – [9] Javy Guerra (p)
10 – [40] Gabriel Gutierrez (c)
11 – [49] Charlie Hough (pitching coach)
12 – [5] Bridger Hunt (utility)
13 – [38] Joe Jones (p)
14 – [62] Brent Leach (p)
15 – [7] Francisco Lizarraga (inf)
16 – [27] Drew Locke (of)
17 – [34] Paul Koss (p)
18 – [6] Jaime Pedroza (inf)
19 – [14] Eduardo Perez (inf)
20 – [54] David Pfeiffer (p)
21 – [22] Jordan Pratt (p)
22 – [21] Trayvon Robinson (of)
23 – [45] Ryan Rogowski (of)
24 – [59] Jesus Rodriguez (p)
25 – [41] Carlos Santana (c)
26 – [46] Tim Sexton (p)
27 – [13] John Valentin (manager)
28 – [15] Josh Wall (p)
29 – [35] Cody White (p)
30 – [61] Garrett White (p)
31 – [‘08] Steven Downey (strength coach)
32 – [‘08] “Possum” Nakajima (athletic trainer)
33 – [66] Bernie (mascot)

The sixty-sixers field staff includes three men with a wide range of big league experience. Were you aware that manager John Valentin is the only player in major league history to both hit for a cycle AND turn an unassisted triple play? I wasn’t… until I read it as part of his bio on the back of his card. As interesting as that is, Charlie Hough gets the nod to have his card featured here as he ponders blogger/collectors who are interested in bullpen telephones.

Fifteen of the cards in the 2008 Inland Empire 66ers team set depict pitchers. Only one in the bunch is a posed headshot, the remainder being mound action photos. Two of the cards are horizontal in orientation. Amazingly, the photos include a considerably wide variety of angles, backgrounds, jersey variations and day/night situations that serve to prevent these cards from appearing to be repetitive. I would tip my lens cap to the photographer(s), but no photo credits were included. Well, you know who you are…

I’m presenting this Tim Sexton card as an example of one of the pitchers. Not because it is the best photo- it isn’t. Instead, I’ve chosen this card due to the presence of the mountains in the background. I’ve never been to Inland Empire, but it would appear to be a fabulous venue to take in 9 to 12 innings while enjoying a dog and a couple of beers, and possibly even pulling in a foul ball.

Catchers? There are two. Half of them feature a horizontal orientation, which brings the count to three (so far) in this set. I was going to just describe them in general terms, then post a scan of the Carlos Santana card- but as I looked at the cards side by side I began wondering just what in the heck was going on.

At first glance, these photos would appear to have been shot during different days. Well sure, it isn’t impossible to expect to see two catchers in the same game. For example, one of the two may have pinch hit for another player at some point in the game. But wait… how many (non-All-Star) games have you seen where players from the same team wear different uniforms? So they must have been taken during different games. But wait again… wouldn’t you also agree that the faces in the crowd look somehow familiar?

Perhaps these shots were captured during a double header? Should I consult the 66ers schedule to see how many twin bills they’ve played at home this season? I don’t think so, and here’s the “why.” Some of these people are doing exactly the same thing in both photos. Granted, the guy screwing around with the cap (who is already wearing one) does seem like he would be the kind of person who would screw around with a new hat for two games straight. But how long do you expect that the kid in front of him, or the couple sitting behind him would maintain their exact same positions- especially in the presence of such a fidgety person?

Then I’m left wondering where all those other people to the right side came from, and why they aren’t in the other photo. I’m beginning to suspect that some kinky Photoshopping has been going on in Inland Empire. I’m not complaining, mind you… just curious.

You’ll get eleven cards of position players when you obtain your own 2008 Inland Empires 66ers team set. Six are variations of the classic batting stance. If you enjoyed the background people-looking aspect of the catcher subset, then you will also find these entertaining. Personally, I believe you can look to the remainder of the position player cards to find three worthy candidates for best overall card in the set.

Okay, so this card of Justin Fuller is a bit dark and unfocused, but the use of the wall ad as the background helps elevate this card above the majority.

I also really like this action photo of utility player Bridger Hunt hustling down the first base line.

Finally, this card of Josh Bell has absolutely nothing wrong with it other than that fact that it got a corner dinged during shipping. I should point out that a reader, and not the Inland Empire team shop submitted this set for review.

The 2008 Inland Empire 66ers team set is a bargain at only six bucks. In fact, the deal is so sweet; you may expect to hear the Dragnet theme playing immediately after placing your online order. I’m here to tell you that that probably will not happen. I’m kind of surprised that they don’t charge at least $6.60 for them to help stay with the theme.

The Inland Empire 66ers online team shop also has team sets from 2003 thru 2006 available. Possibly if you order more than one you will save a small amount of coin in shipping charges. Fans of the Mother Road would have a tough time if they could only order a single item from the sixty-sixers’ team shop. Fortunately, the only limit is between them and their credit card issuer.

If you are planning on just purchasing this team set on the secondary market, be sure to budget approximately double the price offered by the team.

- Kris

2002 Iowa Cubs team set
Official Score – BULLSEYE
Manufacturer: MultiAd Sports
Retail price: $9.99

Today I wanted to introduce you to one of the nicer Iowa Cubs team sets from the recent past. The card fronts exhibit classy, well-designed graphics that help highlight the Iowa Cubs logo. Player names are easily read, while the sometimes-lengthy position doesn’t take away from the overall look. The photography is very strong throughout due to the keen eyes of Chris Donahue and Larry Woolis. Thanks guys!

This card of pitching coach Jerry Reuss is a nice example of the half-dozen headshots included in the 2002 Iowa Cubs team set.

The set begins with a 30-card checklist. This one features a photo of top prospect Mark Prior mid-pitch on the front. I always smile when I notice that a checklist has itself “checked off.” Nice touch!

1 – checklist (Mark Prior)
2 – Kimera Bartee (of)
3 – Jayson Bass (of)
4 – Alan Benes (p)
5 – Scott Chiasson (p)
6 – Hee Sop Choi (1b)
7 – Ivanon Coffie (inf)
8 – Will Cunnane (p)
9 – Courtney Duncan (p)
10 – Angel Echevarria (of)
11 – Mario Encarnacion (of)
12 – Ben Ford (p)
13 – Chris Gissell (p)
14 – Bobby Hill (inf)
15 – Mickey Lopez (inf)
16 – Pat Mahomes (p)
17 – Mike Mahoney (c)
18 – Adam Melhuse (c)
19 – Luis Ordaz (inf)
20 – Kevin Orie (inf)
21 – Mark Prior (p)
22 – Jesus Sanchez (p)
23 – Steve Sinclair (p)
24 – Mark Watson (p)
25 – Mike Wuertz (p)
26 – Julio Zuleta (of)
27 – Bruce Kimm (manager)
28 – Pat Listach (hitting coach)
29 – Jerry Reuss (pitching coach)
30 – Bob Grimes (trainer)

As you may have guessed, these MultiAd cards are minor league thin. However, the awesome matte finish on both surfaces makes the cards in the 2002 Iowa Cubs team set ideal for autograph seekers. The card backs exhibit two-color (black and blue) printing over a grayscale image of a baseball surrounded by grass. These cards will not disappoint collectors interested in player bios and stats.

You will find thirteen cards of pitchers in this set, ranging from Benes to Wuertz- and including the Mark Prior checklist in the count. An overwhelming majority of these cards feature pitchers on the mound. However, the backgrounds vary greatly from one card to the next, and they are cropped differently leaving you with a pleasing misperception that the sets contains more variability than it actually does. How about a couple of examples?

Jesus Sanchez was selected for inclusion in this post because I enjoy pictures of pitchers in the act of bunting. Call me easily entertained.

Another sure fire way for players to have their card featured on Cards in the Attic is to always have their tongue sticking out when someone snaps their photo. Just ask Pat Mahomes.

The 2002 Iowa Cubs team set contains two cards of catchers- Adam Melhuse and Mike Mahoney. In spite of the fact that world-renown photographer Anne Geddes wasn’t credited for this photo of Mike Mahoney and his daughter Aubrey, I’m relatively confident that she must have had something to do with the shot.

You will receive cards of 11 position players when you order your own 2002 Iowa Cubs team set. These can be further characterized as five cards of players in the field, two players running bases and only four hitters captured while swinging lumber. I’d say that is a nice mix.

Julio Zuletta collected his first major league hit off current Albuquerque Isotopes pitcher Steve Woodard on May 11, 2000.

This is a very nice card of infielder Bobby Hill. The light background makes it well suited for autographing, and the lighting utilized resulted in an image that can be employed by graphers to help identify Hill even in his street clothes.

Similar to Hill’s card, this shot of infielder Mickey Lopez is superb.

I haven’t found this particular team set to be readily available on the secondary market. If available, I would expect one to sell in the $12 to $15 range. The Iowa Cubs are on the ball by including this team set on their e-commerce site for only ten bucks.

- Kris

Well okay, they are actually postage stamps, but they will make you feel like you’re somebody now. That is especially true for all of you baseball-crazed philatelists lurking out there in the interweb. I wouldn’t be at all surprised to discover that the person who has been reading this blog from NASA also collects stamps.

Possibly you are already aware of the fact that the US Post Office is celebrating the 100th birthday of the song “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” by featuring it on a first-class postage stamp. That’s pretty kool! My house is 100 years old, but something tells me the only way it will be featured on a stamp is if I create it myself using something like Zazzle.

I didn’t realize these things were coming out until I stopped into the post office yesterday to review the latest FBI wanted posters. I think the artwork (on the stamps) is first rate. The only things non-old-timey about this stamp are the self-adhesiveness and the rate. I suspect that in 1908 you could ship a piano from Joplin, Missouri to San Francisco for not much more that 42 cents. I’ve decided to not tempt fate with the USPS by including a scan of an entire stamp on my blog. After all, unlike Topps or Upper Deck, they know where I live!

Speaking of knowing where someone lives, you do realize that you can order these nifty baseball stamps online from the USPS, and they will deliver them to your doorstep- or at least to the next door neighbor’s house.

I tell you one thing friends, if Topps, MLB and the USPS ever pooled resources and came up with the concept of issuing a HUGE set of deceased baseball players on stamps designed to look like one of their baseball cards, I would start paying a lot more of my bills the old-fashioned way instead of online. Who knows, I might even begin to embrace those terrible Hallmark holidays.

- Kris

Who doesn’t remember their first pack of Topps Allen & Ginter baseball cards? Mine appeared in the form of a retail pack from Target during the onset of fall 2006. Intrigued by the wrapper, I knew I was hooked the moment I ripped the thing open (at home, not in the store!). As much as I liked the look and feel of those cards, I thought they were too expensive. The cards also went against one of my personal rules for collecting- namely investing in cards that I feel provide me with even the slightest chance of getting them autographed in person. As you recall, this product isn’t exactly loaded with minor leaguers. In fact, they probably have close to the same number of dead writers as minor league ballplayers. But I also like those, so there you go.

I got a hobby box of the ‘06 Allen and Ginter cards that year for Krismas, and I think I later picked up a blaster box. Still, I never attacked the set seriously. As a result, that set remains on my “To Collect” list.

Billy Butler (2007 - no. 147)

My approach to collecting the ‘07 set, however, was a fish of a completely different color. After suspending my self-imposed rule of collecting cards only to get them autographed, I assembled the entire set of the “regular-sized” cards, and have come within a half dozen or so of an entire set of the minis. I wouldn’t have been able to even complete the base set without having made a number of trades online with other baseball card bloggers and collectors utilizing a couple of baseball card trading message boards. I am of the opinion that the Allen & Ginter cards are the koolest issue since the 1975 Topps series!

Gustavo Molina (2007 - no. 334)

Every now and again, I will luck into getting one of these cards signed in person. As I’m sure you already determined for yourself, these cards look fantastic autographed! Sure, the certified autographed minis are a fun pull, but for my money you cannot beat the experience of meeting a player and watching him ink your card in person. You simply cannot pull that sort of thing from a pack, or a box, or a case.

Rich Hill (2007 - no. 193)

And now you find yourself in 2008, with more than half the pages missing from your calendar. How will YOU approach collecting the 2008 Allen & Ginter baseball cards? If you haven’t already formulated a plan in your head, I suggest you do so in the near future.

Chris Duncan (2007 - no. 301)

Several weeks ago, the masterminds behind Aardvark Trading Company invested in an entire case of the product. Don’t worry; we aren’t in a position to bust the entire thing ourselves. Instead, we will be selling sealed boxes to interested readers of this blog, and customers who navigate the internet to our website without ever having stumbled across our babblings here. With the cards scheduled for release at the beginning of next week, we hope to receive our case by Saturday, July 26th. We anticipate being able to begin shipping out boxes immediately after that. We are hoping that the people who purchase a box from us will let us and the other readers know of any interesting discoveries, and together through the power of the internet, we can study the anatomy of a case of baseball cards. Tell me you’ve never wondered…

Ryan Shealy (2007 - no. 67)

NOTICE (8/4/08): Our case never arrived! Please click HERE for an update…

Mike Rabelo (2007 - no. 69)

Whether you purchase your 2008 Topps Allen & Ginter cards from your local dealer, elsewhere online, or with the AMAZINGLY nice and creative folks at Aardvark Trading Company, you will be encouraged to trade cards with us as we build our personal sets and you work towards whatever goal you set for yourself. I will post a needs list on the TRADE portion of our website soon after I bust my first box- or possibly my second.

- Kris

2007 Omaha Royals team set
Official Score – bases loaded WALK
Manufacturer: MultiAd Sports
Retail price: $10.00ish

The Omaha Royals used MultiAd’s black bat and baseball (Style M) template for their 2007 team set. If you wish to read a review of the same style used by a different team, be sure to check out my previous review of the 2007 Albuquerque Isotopes team set. I’m not a fan of the dark baseball bat image used to display the player name, number, position and team name. Still, the Royals cards aren’t as dark as the ones issued by the Isotopes.

Decidedly thin with a glossy surface, these cards will accept a nice Sharpie signature with minimal surface preparation. My preferred treatment is to scatter a small amount of baby powder on the front of the card, lightly rub it across the surface, dump any excess on the next card that needs preparation, and finally wipe the card clean with a soft acid-free cloth… okay, the front of my t-shirt. The backs consist of two-color (black and red) printing over white matte, typical player stats and short bios. A small grayscale headshot of each player on the back of each card is useful in player identification, and would be even more so if they had been taken without baseball caps on.

Well, what do you know? A 35-card checklist! Nice start.

1 – checklist (Flags at Rosenblatt Stadium)
2 – Justin Annin (trainer)
3 – Mike Aviles (3b)
4 – Brian Bannister (p)
5 – Angel Berroa (ss)
6 – Andres Blanco (ss)
7 – Terry Bradshaw (hitting coach)
8 – Ryan Braun (p)
9 – Craig Brazell (dh)
10 – Jace Brewer (ss)
11 – Billy Buckner (p)
12 – Tom Burgmeier (pitching coach)
13 – Fernando Cortez (inf)
14 – Shane Costa (of)
15 – Gabriel DeHoyos (p)
16 – Joey Gathright (of)
17 – Roberto Giron (p)
18 – Ben Hendrickson (p)
19 – Justin Huber (1b/of)
20 – Mike Jirschele (manager)
21 – Richard Lewis (2b)
22 – Tyler Lumsden (p)
23 – Mitch Maier (of)
24 – Thad Markray (p)
25 – Neil Musser (p)
26 – Jorge Padilla (of)
27 – Paul Phillips (c)
28 – Ken Ray (p)
29 – Jason Shiell (p)
30 – Jeff Stevenson (trainer)
31 – Matt Tupman (c)
32 – Matt Wright (p)
33 – Spike, Herman, Casey (mascots)
34 – Rosenblatt Stadium
35 – Billy Butler (p)

Obviously these are a must have for even your average fan in Kansas City. I can’t think of a single reason that every house in Omaha doesn’t own this particular set of baseball cards. But truth be known, only a few thousand were printed, and I imagine that more than one set failed to survive the evening they were handed out to fans before a game at Rosenblatt Stadium.

Photo credits are assigned to Dennis Hubbard, Christopher Szagola and “Omaha Royals Staff.” The photos used for these cards range in quality from very good (Buckner, Costa, Gathright and Wright) to not so hot (Bannister, Berroa, Butler and Markray). The majority of the remaining cards in the set fall in between. That is to say they are okay, just don’t expect to see any Pulitzer Prize winning photography in the set.

This card of outfielder Shane Costa is a stellar example of one of the nicer cards in this set.

There is quite a bit going on in this Mike Aviles baseball card, including belt adjusting in the dugout, a fan keeping score, and some kid playing with his seat instead of sitting on it. Notice, if you will, that the child’s guardian appears oblivious to the possibility that the tyke might be annoying the krap out of the people in front of him. There is also a fan drinking a beverage from a can. I can’t even remember the last time I saw cans served at a ballpark, so I am assuming this shot was taken during one of those retro evenings. Or perhaps it was the hugely popular “BYOB to the Ballpark” promotion. All I know for sure is that the background activity in this card alone seems to justify the Aardvark’s share of the set’s price tag.

The 2007 Omaha Royals team set contains cards of 13 position players. I would like to see players in the act of fielding more often in the mix, as the hitting shots get pretty redundant. Exceptions to this rule are the cards of Andres Blanco and Mitch Maier. Give me a true action shot like this one of Andres Blanco over a stale photo of a hitter holding a bat any day of the week. I suspect I’m not the only fan who would like to see the Omaha Royals include more cards like this in future releases.

The card of Mitch Maier is the only player card in the set that exhibits a horizontal orientation. The focus is a tad soft, but I like the card anyway.

Although the Craig Brazell card is out of focus and lacks creativity, it still doesn’t qualify as the worst card in the set. That diSTINKtion belongs to the Angel Berroa offering. I will spare you from even having to look at that one.

The 2007 Omaha Royals team set contains a dozen cards of pitchers, including photos of twirlers on the mound, players warming up on the sidelines and even a headshot thrown in. The variety of backgrounds visible on these cards really helps improve the overall set. This Billy Buckner card is perhaps the strongest card overall. The yellow seat covering at Rosenblatt Stadium combined with the bright white uniform results in a card perfect for autographing.

This Roberto Giron card is representative of the lesser quality cards of pitchers included in the set. While not “terrible,” the photo used for this card really isn’t much more than a snapshot that could have been vastly improved simply by the photographer moving around to the sunny side of Giron. Roberto has a nice sideways signature, so I will assume he prefers horizontal orientation to cards just like me.

This 2007 Omaha Royals team set contains a pair of catchers. The images of Phillips and Tupman are completely different, and both are of good quality. I enjoy it when players work their jersey number into their autograph like Matt has in this instance.

The team set contains two cards that would be good for getting signatures of players who didn’t make the set. These include a nice overview shot of Rosenblatt Stadium looking in from the outfield, and a shot of the flags at the stadium set against a light blue sky with puffy white clouds. The stadium card includes a short historical blurb on the back, while the “flags” card is used for the checklist. Both are welcome additions to this set.

If you are shy, and only want to purchase this team set online without having to speak to another human, expect to pay between eleven and thirteen bucks on the secondary market. In spite of the fact that you can’t currently find the 2007 Omaha Royals team set for sale on their website, I got confirmation from Jason Kinney (Royals Merchandising Manager) that they do in fact still have some in stock. I recommend you contact them yourself and order a set before they are sold out. Jason may be reached at (four-zero-two) 738.5104. Tell him I sent you!

On an interesting side note, Kinney also pointed out that outfielder Brian Buchanan pulled one over several people at the beginning of this season by posing as a pitcher for his 2008 baseball card.

I totally overlooked that as part of my review of the 2008 Omaha Royals team set, so I was left with no option but to score that as an “E Kris.” Amused, I pulled up Buchanan’s lifetime baseball stats and was pleasantly surprised to learn that he has pitched before- just not for the Omaha Royals (yet). Buchanan has spent 12 seasons in the minor leagues since breaking into professional baseball at the age of 20 in 1994. Brian pitched one complete inning for the Colorado Springs Sky Sox in 2006 and gave up only a single hit. Buchanan didn’t fare nearly as well in 2007 when he pitched one inning for the Louisville Bats. In that outing, Brian coughed up a solo homer, walked a batter and watched as his career ERA shot up to 4.50. Buchanan did not pitch in any of the 115 major league games he has appeared in since 2000. So now you know!

- Kris

2000 Charleston RiverDogs team set
Official Score – two out DOUBLE
Manufacturer: MultiAd Sports
Sponsor: Pepsi
Retail price: $6.00

Believe it or don’t, I was actually writing up a review for a different team set review prior to the beginning of the MLB All-Star home run derby. In light of what went down in the “House that Josh Demolished,” I shifted gears and leagues to bring you this review of the 2000 Charleston RiverDogs team set. Yes, only the font remains the same.

So why this set? I offer…

This isn’t exactly one of Josh Hamilton’s first baseball cards since he appeared in several issues in 1999. Still, this remains highly collectible given the relatively low press run of most minor league team sets.

I find it intriguing that Beckett lists this card as no. 11 since there is no checklist. They must have organized the cards alphabetically by last name, including the mascots, to place Josh 11th. Although I don’t mind the concept of their alphabetical system, I do refuse to recognize mascot cards before players or coaches. Thus, I have created my own master checklist based on the system I have used with other Grandstand team sets- by player jersey number order with the nonessential cards dropped to the bottom.

Go ahead and read the list of players included in the 2000 Charleston RiverDogs team set. You may (or may not) be surprised by some of the names you recognize.

1 – [5] Frank Moore (2b)
2 – [8] Jorge Cantu (ss)
3 – [11] Castulo Valdez (c)
4 – [13] Josh Pressley (1b)
5 – [14] Derek Anderson (p)
6 – [15] Neal Frendling (p)
7 – [16] Chris Schrock (if)
8 – [17] Joe Kenney (p)
9 – [19] Brian Stokes (p)
10 – [20] Travis Minix (p)
11 – [21] Brian Martin (of)
12 – [22] Josh Hamilton (of)
13 – [23] Jose Ortiz (p)
14 – [24] Carl Crawford (of)
15 – [26] Brian Chwan (c)
16 – [27] Radhames Peguero (p)
17 – [30] Jose Rodriguez (p)
18 – [31] Jim Magrane (p) – ODD BACK PHOTO
19 – [32] Angel Batista (of)
20 – [33] Patrick Hertzel (p)
21 – [34] Jason Pruett (p)
22 – [35] Chairon Isenia (c)
23 – [37] Dan Grummitt (1b)
24 – [38] Jesse Cornejo (p)
25 – [45] Juan Salas (3b)
26 – [na] Milt Hill (pitching coach)
27 – [na] Charlie Montoyo (manager)
28 – [na] Dwight Smith (hitting coach)
29 – [na] Charlie (mascot)
30 – [na] Chelsea (mascot)

The 2000 Charleston RiverDogs team set is a MultiAd product. No credits are given for the player photos that have been isolated and placed over an interesting background that includes a pocket watch displaying high noon, a baseball, fragments of a couple of 1940s–era photos, a ticket to a baseball game and a few stray kernels of popped corn. A strip of solid purple that covers the left-most fifth of the cards contains player names and jersey numbers. That strip takes up to much real estate in my opinion, but what has been done is done.

While the card fronts contain a color RiverDogs logo, the backs include a small Tampa Bay Devil Rays logo. The backs are printed in greyscale and include a nice player headshot along with player stats and short bios. The cards have a semi-gloss finish that requires no preautographing preparation.

You may have been wondering what the Carl Crawford card looked like, so here it is. As you can see, not a whole bunch of variation from the Josh Hamilton pose. The set contains seven players in the act of hitting, wearing a couple of different uniforms, and facing pretty much every direction imaginable (within a batter’s box).

Frank “Frankie” Moore is one of three cards in the set that contains an image of a position player in the field. The front of Moore’s card would prove completely useless in trying to identify him in his street clothes. However, the small headshot on the back of the card would prove extremely useful in that undertaking. Frank Moore would go on to spend the 2007 season with the Triple-A Albuquerque Isotopes (Florida Marlins).

The Jorge Cantu card offers another look at position players in non-hitting poses included in this team set. This is also an example of one of the better photographs used in this set.

Here is the front of pitcher Jim Magrane’s card. Nothing to get riled about, but it works.

If you would then, please check out the headshot on the back (right). Is Magrane holding an arrow in front of his face, or is something messed up with the photo? After staring at is so long that I was beginning to develop my own magrane, I did a little Photoshopping to see if I could figure out what that straight line of seemingly foreign pixels was all about. My results (highlighted in red) were inconclusive.

Radhames Peguero provides a different look to the classic pitching pose. Once you’ve seen these two variations, you’ve more or less had a taste of all thirteen.

Well, I may as well also include Brian Stokes while I’m at it. Stokes is currently pitching for the Triple-A New Orleans Zephyrs (New York Mets). If I am lucky, I will be able to get this card autographed in person when the Zephyrs return to Albuquerque to close out the Isotopes season at the end of August.

The remainder of the 2000 Charleston RiverDogs team set includes a pair of catchers, the manger, two coaches and two mascots. If I overlooked anyone in this set I assure you it was inadvertent as I was busy hashing out a clever title for this post.

One thing is certain. Whether you pick up the 2000 Charleston RiverDogs team set in person at their team shop, or directly from the RiverDogs online, you will have to keep an eye peeled for police lights in your rearview mirror after STEALING this set for only six bucks! I hadn’t seen this set available on eBay since mine arrived a couple of weeks ago- that is, until soon after the MLB All-Star home run derby had ended. It should be interesting to see how much that set goes for, and whether more people start posting auctions of the set or individual cards from the set.

- Kris

2006 Iowa Cubs team set
Official Score – DINGER
Manufacturer: MultiAd Sports
Sponsor: Post
Retail price: $9.99

I liked the design of 2006 Iowa Cubs team set cards the first moment I saw them. From the perspective of someone who collects baseball cards with the goal of getting them autographed by players, I always have an eye out for cards with backgrounds that won’t compete with or overpower a signature. Not only does the background in this instance not compete, but also the variable light blue colors actually help make autographs stand out. I should add that I pretty much stick to blue Sharpie for my autographs.

Since I began writing these team set reviews, I’ve come to appreciate a checklist. A plain stadium overview photo or a team logo is fine. However, a photo of the sponsor leaves you with a feeling that you bought a gumball and it spilled out from the machine before you were ready to catch it, and landed on the floor. Sure, you can still use it- no damage done, but the overall experience could have been better. At any rate, the checklist that comes with this set is pretty sweet. The front features a photo of outfielder Felix Pie, placing him on both ends of the set. Felix’s regular card depicts him in the process of batting. The addition of the Iowa Cubs logo in the background helps make the checklist issue the better of the two (unless you require stats).

Checklist: 30 cards
1 – Felix Pie (of)
2 – David Aardsma (p)
3 – Bobby Brownlie (p)
4 – Buck Coats (of)
5 – Jeff Deardorff (inf)
6 – Alan Dunn (pitching coach)
7 – Brandon Emanuel (p)
8 – Mike Fontenot (inf)
9 – Bob Grimes (trainer)
10 – Angel Guzman (p)
11 – Rich Hill (p)
12 – Von Joshua (hitting coach)
13 – Casey Kopitzke (c)
14 – Kerry Lightenberg (p)
15 – Casey McGehee (inf)
16 – Ryan O’Malley (p)
17 – Augie Ojeda (p)
18 – Matt Padgett (of)
19 – Mike Quade (manager)
20 – Michael Restovich (of)
21 – Jae-Kuk Ryu (p)
22 – Andy Shipman (p)
23 – Brandon Sing (inf)
24 – Geovany Soto (c)
25 – Ryan Theriot (inf)
26 – Raul Valdes (p)
27 – Les Walrond (p)
28 – Mark Watson (p)
29 – Michael Wuertz (p)
30 – checklist (Felix Pie photo)

These (thin) cards feature a glossy front surface. I recommend using your preferred method of surface preparation prior to getting them signed. Card backs consist of two-color (black and blue) printing over white matte, typical player stats and short bios. Cropped grayscale photos on the back hint to the original backgrounds that were removed from the photos during the creation of these cards. I like that! No photo credits were given.

I’m afraid that I was unable to determine the template information, as this particular style doesn’t appear on the current version MultiAd online catalogue. Interestingly, Geovany Soto is used by MultiAd in all examples of card styles currently available. While not the clearest photo in the set, it manages to get the point across. No self-respecting Geovany Soto super collector should be without one.

The 2006 Iowa Cubs team set provides a decent mixture of position players either hitting or fielding, and wearing several variations of uniforms to keep things pretty interesting. The card of Casey McGehee is a fair representation of the over all composition of the position players.

The Andy Shipman card serves as an average example of the majority of the 13 pitchers in the set. To be sure, a person could point out flaws here and there among some of the images, but that would too much work to bother.

No, the cards in this team set do not come autographed. You have to get them yourself, but that’s where the real fun is. This unsigned Matt Padgett card is one of my favorites, but I admit that it has a lot to do with the fact that he once played for the Albuquerque Isotopes and is a great guy.

Imagine if they allowed fans to vote for an award given to the nicest player in professional baseball each year… The 2006 Iowa Cubs would have had a staggering two worthy candidates in hitting coach Von Joshua and pitcher Les Walrond. I don’t know how you would resolve the issue short of putting them both in a ring and letting them fight for the title.

I haven’t been able to find the 2006 Iowa Cubs team set available for purchase on the secondary market, but would expect one to fetch between $12.00 and $18.00. I guess what I’m trying to say is that if you want to add one of these kool team sets to your baseball card collection, you should purchase them directly from the Iowa Cubs for let’s just say ten bucks. You won’t find the set on the Iowa Cubs online shop for some unknown reason, so you should contact them directly to place your order.

After you buy your set, please let me know who you think the players are on the cards with manager Mike Quade and trainer Bob Grimes. I’m pretty sure the Grimes card also includes Casey Kopitzke but would appreciate any input!

- Kris

A full month has passed since I last included an update of the Topps 52s cards I’ve gotten autographed in person this season. I had planned on either listing these alphabetically or by player height, but since Mario has been patiently waiting to see what Mike Rabelo’s “in-person” signature looks like, I will begin with this his card.

Mike Rabelo (2007 - no. 133)

The conversation amongst graphers is always interesting when a new player gets added to the roster. This is especially true when discussing new players with big league experience. Has anyone gotten him before? Does he sign? Is he nice? What cards do you have for him? Is he actually in town, or is this one of those “paper moves?” There was a considerable level of concern among the Albuquerque Autographing Society that Mike Rabelo may not be a great signer after being sent down to Triple-A from the Florida Marlins. Although I’m sure he’d prefer to be playing for the Marlins, Mike proved to be extremely pleasant to talk to. Mike didn’t even balk when asked to sign a few autographs after a game.

Brayan Pena (2006 - no. 213)

Brayan Pena is currently a catcher with the Omaha Royals. “The Cuban Ichiro” has 14 at bats with the Kansas City Royals so far in 2008.

Gustavo Molina (2007 - no. 118)

Gustavo Molina is currently catching for the New Orleans Zephyrs. He does have a total of seven at bats in the major leagues this season. Molina was very accommodating. After I thanked him for his autograph, Gustavo thanked me for “coming out to the game.”

Ruddy Lugo (2006 - no. 62)

A starting pitcher for the New Orleans Zephyrs, Lugo has amassed a record of 6-8 with an ERA of 5.21 over 17 starts so far this season. As pictured on this interesting card, Julio’s brother prepares to deliver his mysterious “fog ball.”

Rich Hill (2006 - no. 71)

As of this posting, Rich Hill is pitching for the Arizona League Cubs. I got this card autographed a couple of weeks ago when he passed through the Duke City with Triple-A Iowa. It’s really more of a rehearsed scribble than a signature, but I understand that Rich has been preoccupied trying to figure out what was happening on the mound.

Eude Brito (2006 - no. 215)

Eude Brito is currently pitching in relief for the Double-A Binghamton Mets. I was able to get Eude’s signature on the Fourth when he came to Albuquerque with the Triple-A New Orleans Zephyrs (New York Mets). Brito didn’t have much to say, but took no offence when asked to sign his card.

Ryan Shealy (2006 - no. 129)

Six-foot-five Ryan Shealy provides an excellent target for Omaha Royals infielders. A single error in 62 games played thus far this season has undoubtedly resulted in his teammates feeling confident that Shealy will scoop up anything they toss over in his general vicinity. Shealy also leads the O-Royals as they head into the Triple-A All-Star break with a dozen homers.

Luis Figueroa (2006 - no. 237)

Luis Figueroa is currently the everyday shortstop for the Triple-A Iowa Cubs. Figueroa is a swell guy and inks a nice signature. However, it would be nice Luis would take it easier on Isotopes pitching when the Cubs return for a four-game set this weekend.

Anderson Hernandez (2006 - no. 160)

Anderson Hernandez is currently the everyday shortstop for the Triple-A New Orleans Zephyrs. I believe he spent a couple of weeks on “fidrych experience,” my 2006 fantasy baseball team, while up for brunch with the New York Mets. This is a great card, and Anderson stepped to plate and lined a shot up the middle with this signature!

Billy Butler (2007 - no. 55)

Butler was recalled to the Kansas City Royals soon after I got his autograph while he was playing for Triple-A Omaha. Thanks to Topps for finding an excuse to soil the back of Butler’s card by adding a reference to aRod.

Billy Butler (2007 - no. DD11)

Hmmm… this image of Billy Butler seems oddly familiar. It appears that Topps blew their “creativity budget” looking at aRod’s stats- leaving little for Butler’s Dynamic Duo card with Alex Gordon beyond a quickie cut-and-paste Photoshop job. Thanks again Topps!

Tune in next month for another exciting adventure in the life of some lucky Topps 52 Rookies cards! Really the only new teams I will see during the remainder of this summer are the Sacramento RiverCats (Oakland A’s) and Fresno Grizzlies (San Francisco Giants)- but you never know who will get traded, and where they may end up.

Once again I would like to invite any reader who has duplicate autographed Topps 52s cards to trade to check out my trade list posted on the Aardvark Trading Co. website.

- Kris