2000 charleston riverdogs team set review

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

Tags: Charleston RiverDogs, Kris, minor league baseball, Single A baseball, South Atlantic League, team set review