Day 200: Cards # 499, # 755 & # 1048

hard to believe it's already been 200 days since I started this project.  Things had gotten slow there for quite a while, but the last couple of weeks have been good as far as getting some new cards in towards the magic number of 1500!

Here's three more for you to take a look at:

Card # 499:  Tim Lincecum, 2011 Topps Chrome Heritage C190, San Francisco Giants (499/1962)
Noteworthy:  Wondering if this guy all of a sudden forgot how to pitch...7 starts in he has an ERA near 6! and a WHIP over 1.5....I imagine there's some Dodger fans out there happy about that...

Card # 755:  Joel Hanrahan, 2011 Topps Update Gold US105, Pittsburgh Pirates (755/2011)
Noteworthy:  The free passes are what's killing this guy early this season...he had only 16 in 70 appearances last year, he already has 8 in 11 appearances this year...

Card # 1048:  Cole Hamels, 2008 Topps Heritage Chrome C85, Philadelphia Phillies (1048/1959)
Noteworthy:  His career K/BB ratio is near 4..pretty solid.  So far this year in 6 starts, it's 7.33!  One of the bright lights so far on a struggling Phillies squad. 

Like I mentioned earlier, the past couple of weeks have helped the cause along...

I'm at 533/1500 so far towards the set, or 35.53%

The Angels lead the way so far regarding cards for a specific team, I have 28 out of the 50 for them.
Lagging behind now are the Orioles and the Brewers, both of those teams I only have 11 apiece.

Day 185: Cards # 55, # 304 & # 818

It's been a while, 4 weeks to be exact, since I've posted on the blog.  Haven't pulled in a great deal of cards lately towards the insanity set, but I'm trying here and there to grab a couple of cards to whittle away at the set.

Let's take a look at 3 more ...

Card # 55:  Bobby Parnell, 2009 Topps Ticket to Stardom 216, New York Mets (55/199)
Noteworthy:  Has been a member of the Mets bullpen for the past 4 seasons, and while the ERA has been OK the past 2 years, his WHIP has been high for a reliever (1.4+)

Card # 311:  Carl Crawford, 2010 Topps Opening Day 45, Tampa Bay Rays (304/2010)
Noteworthy:  His nickname is the Perfect Storm, kind of appropriate for his career so far as a member of the Boston Red Sox.

Card # 818:  Ryan Church, 2009 Topps Gold 279, New York Mets (818/2009)
Noteworthy:  Played the final game of his career in Oct., 2010.  The final hit of his career was his 500th,  a single to drive in a run during a Dbacks 8-4 win.

Currently, the set sits at 34.53% complete.  518 out of 1500 have been completed, and the Yankees, Nationals and Angels are all at least 50% complete.

Day 157: Another Saturday Six pack

Six more cards for your perusal, still marching towards the magical 1500 total.

Card # 209:  Aaron Hill, 2011 Bowman Green 88, Toronto Blue Jays (209/450)
Noteworthy:  After having a career year in 2009 (36HR, 108 RBI, .286 avg), wasn't the same after that in Toronto.  Seemed to be invigorated by a change in scenery to Arizona where he hit .315 in 124 ABs.

Card # 382:  Yovani Gallardo, 2012 Topps Heritage Chrome HP70, Milwaukee Brewers (302/1963)
Noteworthy:  Won the silver slugger award in 2010 with a .254 avg, 4 HR and 10 RBI...not too shabby!!

Card # 816:  Tim Hudson, 2010 Topps Opening Day Blue 65, Atlanta Braves (816/2010)
Noteworthy:  Needs 19 wins to join the 200 club, I'll go out on a limb and say if he hits that magic number this year he wins the Cy Young.

Card # 915:  Matt Cain, 2009 Topps Gold 546, San Francisco Giants (915/2009)
Noteworthy:  In each of the past 3 seasons, the number of earned runs he's given up has been in the 70s, and yet his win totals are decreasing (14,13,12)

Card # 1159:  Andre Ethier, 2011 Topps Triple Threads 79, Los Angeles Dodgers (1159/1500)
Noteworthy:  The Dodgers can't afford to be paying $10M to him if he's only going to hit 11 HRs again.  Somebody has to help the Bison out...

Card # 1292:  Ervin Santana, 2012 Topps Heritage Chrome HP68, Los Angeles Angels (1292/1963)
Noteworthy:  If he pitches the way he did last year, with the way the Angels offense is clicking, he could win 20 this year.


Set completion:  511/1500 or 34.07%
Three teams halfway complete:  Angels, Nationals, Yankees

Day 150: A Saturday Six Pack

I decided to do a bunch of cards at once, six of them as a matter of fact. 

Card # 199:  Scott Downs, 2011 Topps Update Gold US 101, Los Angeles Angels (199/2011)
Noteworthy:  Had a helluva season for the Angels as a FA pickup, 1.34 ERA and 1.006 WHIP.  Pitched in an AL high 81 games in 2007.

Card # 641:  Matt Holliday, 2007 Topps Chrome refractor 113, Colorado Rockies (641/660)
Noteworthy:  Led the NL in hits, 2B, RBI and Batting average in 2007, and still wound up 2nd in MVP voting (Rollins).  Guess the 36 HRs wasn't enough?

Card #911:  Jordan Walden, 2011 Topps Update Gold US 146, Los Angeles Angels (911/2011)
Noteworthy:  Emerged as the Angels closer in 2011 with 32 saves, finished 7th in ROY voting.

Card # 1012:  Heath Bell, 2010 Topps Update Gold US-221, San Diego Padres (1012/2010)
Noteworthy:   Let's see, over the last 3 yrs, 132 SV, his worst WHIP was 1.200, and his worst ERA was 2.71.  I think the $27M over 3 years deal he got is a bargain....

Card # 1046:  Robb Nen, 2004 Topps Gold 422, San Francisco Giants (1042/2004)
Noteworthy:  Injuries derailed this guy from maybe being one of the best closers the game may have ever seen.  Save totals over a 7 yr period:  35,35,40,37,41,45,43

Card # 1094:  Chris Young, 2007 Topps Gold 332, Arizona Diamondbacks (1094/2004)
Noteworthy:  You wonder how long he'll last in the Dbacks OF...140 K's per yr and a career .240 average does not a career make (unless your name is Dave Kingman)

Set completion:  509/1500 or 33.93%
3 teams at 50% or better complete:  Angels, Nationals, Yankees

Day 146: Teams and lists have been updated

I took the time this evening to update the pages...

All the serial numbers are up to date along with the cards by team page. 

Need some help with these teams:

Baltimore
Colorado
Milwaukee

Have three teams now over halfway complete

Washington
New York Yankees
LA Angels

Total completion so far now stands at 509/1500 or 33.93%

Less than 1000 to go!!

- Robert

Day 141: Cards # 909, # 920 & # 1091

Three more for your viewing pleasure:

Card # 909:  Jeanmar Gomez, 2010 Topps Update Gold US-59, Cleveland Indians (909/2010)
Noteworthy:  Pitched in the same number of games in each of 2010 & 2011 (11), and both the ERA and WHIP numbers improved slightly, although they still will need to come down some more.

Card # 920:  Eric Chavez, 2011 Topps Update Gold US289, New York Yankees (920/2011)
Noteworthy:  Got to see a bit of playing time when A-Rod was hurt last year, didn't fare too badly, .263 average, but it seems that the power stroke that was prevalent in his time with the A's is gone.

Card # 1091:  Joba Chamberlain, 2008 Topps Heritage Chrome C96, New York Yankees (1091/1959)
Noteworthy:  Had a helluva start to his career in 2007, he struck out 34 of the 91 batters he faced, and had an ERA+ of 1221!!


Set completion  488/1500 or 32.53%
There are also two teams that are 50% complete (Yankees, Nationals)

Day 140: Cards # 577, # 669 & # 1338

Here are three more to mull over on our way to 1500:

Card # 577:  Fernando Rodney, 2009 Topps Gold 529, Detroit Tigers (577/2009)

Noteworthy:Time for this guy to get the ERA and WHIP down...each of the past 4 seasons the ERA is over 4 and the WHIP was at best 1.467

Card # 669:  Danny Valencia, 2011 Topps Gold 387, Minnesota Twins (669/2011)

Noteworthy:  Drafted in the 19th rd of the 2006 draft, he appears to have a good career ahead of him in Minnesota if he continues to improve the power numbers...

Card # 1338:  Nate McLouth, 2010 Topps Gold 477, Atlanta Braves (1338/2010)

Noteworthy:  The Pirates got this one right in 2009.  Sold when his value was high, and then his production just dropped off the face of the earth the next 2 years.

Set completion  488/1500 or 32.53%
There are also two teams that are 50% complete (Yankees, Nationals)