2003 Topps Red Backs #TRB37 Carlos Delgado

2003 Topps series 2:

1. #493 Craig Wilson
2. #525 Joe Mays
3. #710 Jeff Kent (Sporting News All-Star)
4. #638 Cleveland Indians (Team Card)
5. Red Backs #TRB37 Carlos Delgado
6. #469 Brett Tomko
7. #377 Denny Stark
8. #609 Tony Graffanino
9. #487 Rafael Palmeiro
10. #397 Esteban Loaiza

“Carlos is the only Toronto Blue Jay ever to post five consecutive 100-RBI seasons, done from 1998-2002”

2003 Topps has some of the most confusing numbering I’ve seen.  Many cards, such as the Record Breakers card I pulled on Sunday, use letters instead of numbers.  This Carlos Delgado card isn’t numbered (or lettered) at all.  I had to do some Google searching to find out what kind of card it was, then use a checklist to figure out the number.  Why?

2003 Topps #676 Hee Seop Choi/Nic Jackson (Prospects) (Rookie)

2003 Topps series 2:

1. #428 Ricky Ledee
2. #386 John Thomson
3. #600 Garret Anderson
4. #616 A.J. Pierzynski
5. #444 John Burkett
6. #688 Bret Boone (Gold Glove)
7. #442 Todd Ritchie
8. #584 Richard Hidalgo
9. #676 Hee Seop Choi/Nic Jackson (Prospects) (Rookie)
10. #650 Oakland Athletics (Team Card)

…and checklist 3 of 3

Hee Seop Choi played 4 seasons 2002-2005 in the Major Leagues with limited success.  He was a career .240 hitter.  Choi was demoted to AAA ball in 2006 and spent the entire season with Pawtucket.  In 2007, he returned to Korea and was subsequently demoted to the Korean minor leagues, where he is currently playing for the Kia Tigers.

Nic Jackson never made it to the Bigs.  He played at various levels of the minor leagues 2000-2007.

2003 Topps #705 Miguel Tejada (MVP)

2003 Topps series 2:

1. #530 Eric Chavez
2. #592 Dan Plesac
3. #601 Vinny Castilla
4. #376 Charles Nagy
5. #446 Tim Spooneybarger
6. #702 Miguel Tejada (MVP)
7. #426 Bill Mueller
8. #575 Chris Widger
9. #415 Milton Bradley
10. #606 Miguel Cairo

“Miguel’s string of clutch September hits during the 2002 pennant race, added to his final .308-34-131 numbers, clinched his selection as the AL Most Valuable Player.  The power-hitting shortstop followed George Bell and Sammy Sosa as the third Dominican to win the honor.  When told of his distinction, Manny said, “I don’t think there can be anyone on earth more happy than I am right now.”

My question is, who’s Manny?

2003 Topps Record Breakers #RB-TH Todd Helton

2003 Topps series 2:

1. #611 Chris Magruder
2. #458 Josh Fogg
3. #583 A.J. Burnett
4. #557 Willis Roberts
5. #717 Curt Schilling (Sporting News All-Star)
6. Record Breakers #RB-TH Todd Helton
7. #425 Mark McLemore
8. #518 Kerry Ligtenberg
9. #495 Daryle Ward
10. #453 Scott Stewart

“In his epic 2000 season, Helton led the NL in hits (216), total bases (405), RBI (147), doubles (59), batting (.372) and slugging (.698).  Despite all that bashing, he also walked 103 times, leading to an NL-high and Rockies-record .463 on-base percentage.  In August, Todd hit .476 with a .548 OBP.“

2003 Topps Series 2 Hobby Box

36 packs, 10 cards per pack.  Packs with a relic card contain 8 cards.  The complete set has 720 cards.  Series 1 has 366 cards.  Series 2 has 354 cards.

Promotion of the year is:  “LOOK FOR:  RELIC & AUTOGRAPHED RECORD BREAKERS CARDS!”

SERIES 2 TOPPS AUTOGRAPHS

Group A: Lance Berkman

Group B: Albert Pujols, Magglio Ordonez

Group C: Austin Kearns, Barry Zito, Cliff Floyd, Eric Hinske, Josh Beckett, Josh Phelps, Jose Vidro, Miguel Tejada, Paul Konerko, Paul LoDuca, Torii Hunter

Group D: Brad Hawpe, B.J. Upton, Clint Everts, Dontrelle Willis

SERIES 2 RECORD BREAKERS UNIFORM RELICS

2003 Topps series 2 pack

Group A: Darin Erstad

Group B: Jim Rice, Todd Helton, Dwight Gooden, Alex Rodriguez, Carlos Delgado

Group C: Nolan Ryan, Richie Sexson

SERIES 2 ODDS

Approximate odds per pack of finding (Green represents subsets that can be expected in every hobby box): Record Breaker 1:6; *Sequentially Numbered Gold Parallel 1:7; Topps Red Backs 1:12; Hit Parade 1:15; Topps All-Star 1:15; Record Breaker Bat Relic 1:191; Record Breaker Uniform Relic Group B 1:418; Topps Autographs Group D 1:790; Topps Autographs Group C 1:864; Record Breaker Uniform Relic Group C 1:1,151; Vintage Buy-Back Card 1:1,847; Record Breaker Autographs 1:2,218; *Sequentially Numbered Prime Cuts Bat Pine Tar Relic 1:4,288; Base Card Variation 1:4,487; Topps Autographs Group B 1:5,188; Record Breaker Uniform Relic Group A 1:5,235; Team Topps Legends Autographs 1:11,621; *Sequentially Numbered Prime Cuts Bat Trademark Relic 1:12,912; Topps Autographs Group A 1:31,408; *Sequentially Numbered Prime Cuts Bat Relic 1:116,208; *Sequentially Numbered Prime Cuts Autographed Bat Relic 1:232,416

2003 Topps cards, front and back

Overall Autographs/Relics/Vintage Buy-Backs 1:79

KEY CARDS

Key rookie cards include Chris Duncan, Andy Marte, Kevin Youkilis, and Jose Contreras.

Other key cards include Roger Clemens, Ichiro Suzuki, Albert Pujols, Barry Bonds, Derek Jeter, and Cole Hamels.

1989 Topps #764 Robin Ventura (Draft Pick) (Rookie)

1989 Topps:

1. #274 Mark Eichhorn
2. #31 Terry Francona
3. #764 Robin Ventura (Draft Pick) (Rookie)
4. #559 Juan Agosto
5. #555 Bert Blyleven
6. #109 Hipolito Pena
7. #657 Joe Magrane
8. #444 Moose Stubing (Manager)
9. #17 Brian Downing
10. #666 Randy St. Claire
11. #101 Les Straker
12. #621 Rick Mahler
13. #645 Jack Morris
14. #637 Carmen Castillo
15. #108 Fred Manrique

The Robin Ventura rookie is probably the best card I got this week.  At least I didn’t get any doubles.

“Robin was selected as College Baseball’s Player of the Year for 1987 at Oklahoma State after setting an NCAA record with 58-game hitting streak.  A member of the 1987 USA Intercontinental Cup Team, he fell below the .400 mark for the first time in his career by batting .391 in 1988.  Robin was selected to 1988 USA Olympic Team.  He went 3-for-5 with 2 Doubles and 3-run Triple in 12-2 win vs. Australia, September 21 at Seoul, Korea.”

Robin Ventura, the guy who got a famous beating from a 46-year-old Nolan Ryan in 1993.  This was when Robin Ventura was 26 years old and in his prime, while Nolan Ryan was making his final appearances before retiring.  After the incident, Ryan stated that he used the same maneuver on Ventura that he used for branding cattle on his Texas ranch.  Watch the video on Youtube.

Another interesting note, Nolan Ryan was playing in the major leagues before Robin Ventura was even born!

1989 Topps #570 Tony Gwynn

1989 Topps:

1. #408 Greg Walker
2. #486 Jack McDowell
3. #196 Denny Walling
4. #296 Ron Gant
5. #678 Dion James
6. #8 Dave Eiland (Rookie)
7. #584 Randy Velarde
8. #724 Jerry Don Gleaton
9. #705 Terry Kennedy
10. #529 Tom Foley
11. #655 Dave Magadan
12. #113 Lloyd Moseby
13. #570 Tony Gwynn
14. #482 Steve Peters
15. #520 Rick Sutcliffe

According to his Wikipedia entry, Tony Gwynn is one of the best and most consistent hitters in baseball history.  He played his entire 20-year career with the San Diego Padres and was selected to the All-Star team 15 times.  He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2007.

1989 Topps #150 Fernando Valenzuela

1989 Topps, perhaps I’ll get a special Christmas present today?:

1. #319 Greg Booker
2. #73 Pascual Perez
3. #60 Tom Brunansky
4. #667 Dwayne Murphy
5. #484 Steve Shields
6. #74 Nick Leyva (Manager)
7. #658 R.J. Reynolds
8. #139 Mike Flanagan
9. #312 Tom Lawless
10. #754 Bob Brower
11. #150 Fernando Valenzuela
12. #719 Danny Darwin
13. #714 Joe Morgan (Manager)
14. #614 Whitey Herzog (Manager)
15. #598 Ken Gerhart

Looks like my Christmas present today is Fernando Valenzuela.  Hmm.

“Fernando devotes much of his off-the-field time to his “Be Smart, Stay in School” program that rewards youngsters who have had a perfect school attendance.”

He set off a craze in the early 80′s dubbed “Fernandomania”.  However, his arm lost its heat by the end of the 80′s and his decline was so long and drawn-out that it pretty much killed his Hall of Fame chances.

Later on, Hideo Nomo would play a very similar career.  His craze in the mid-90′s was called “Nomomania” and his decline was equally slow and painful to watch.