“Card-collecting buffs can thank Beltran’s father for urging him to concentrate on baseball over volleyball, his once-favorite sport.  Carlos made his first of three straight All-Star Game appearances in 2004, when he played for the Royals and Astros, but his popularity peaked when he joined the Mets in ’05.  A year later, Carlos set career highs in most categories and won his first Rawlings Gold Glove Award ®.”

2007 Topps Series 1:

1. #252 John Gibbons (Manager)
2. #266 Joe Maddon (Manager)
3. #272 Jeff Salazar (Rookie Card)
4. #289 Brian Burres (Rookie Card)
5. #141 Rich Aurilia
6. Hobby Masters #HM18 Carlos Beltran
7. Red Back #306 Mike Cameron (Gold Glove)
8. Red Back #258 Mike Hargrove (Manager)
9. #329 Yadier Molina/Albert Pujols (Classic Combo)
10. #108 Wes Helms

“Barry’s 13th All-Star Game appearance (14 selections) in 2007 was the first he played in his home stadium at the time, and he was welcomed warmly by the San Francisco crowd.  In addition to his more than 750 regular-season HRs and nine in postseason play, he has clared the fences in All-Star Game competition in 1998 in Denver and in ’02 in Milwaukee.”

2007 Topps Updates & Highlights:

1. #UH95 Dmitri Young
2. #UH306 Paul Bako
3. #UH114 Pete Orr
4. #UH131 Marlon Byrd
5. #UH125 Joe Kennedy
6. Red Back #UH78 Tony Pena
7. Red Back #UH28 Olmedo Saenz
8. Generation Now #GN570 Josh Barfield
9. #UH90 Julian Tavarez
10. #UH229 Barry Bonds (All-Star)

Justin Morneau hit his 17th home run of 2006 on June 20 in Houston off of Trever Miller.  It was a solo shot in the 10th inning.

2007 Topps Series 1:

1. #114 John Koronka
2. #144 Jack Wilson
3. #233 Houston Astros (Team Card)
4. #137 Jay Gibbons
5. #214 Brian Schneider
6. Generation Now #GN133 Justin Morneau
7. Red Back #87 Alexis Gomez
8. Red Back #138 Adrian Gonzalez
9. #140 Freddy Sanchez
10. #197 Freddy Garcia

On June 19, 1941, Joe DiMaggio extended his hitting streak to 32 with a 1st inning single off of Eddie Smith of the Chicago White Sox at the old Yankee Stadium.

1. #644 Jared Burton (Rookie Card)
2. #624 Jeremy Brown
3. #531 Julio Franco
4. #554 Elizardo Ramirez
5. DiMaggio Streak #JD32 Joe DiMaggio
6. DiMaggio Streak Before the Streak #JDSF9 Joe DiMaggio
7. Red Back #611 Eric Wedge
8. Red Back #545 Miguel Cairo
9. #481 Jim Thome
10. #402 Matt Morris

Though not officially retired yet, Wagner has no intention of returning to the mound for 2011.  He is one of the greatest closers of all-time, having never started a game during his 16-season career, closing over 700 games, and accumulating over 400 saves.

2007 Topps Series 1:

1. #215 Craig Monroe
2. #163 Dave Roberts
3. #301 Derek Jeter (Gold Glove)
4. #189 Carl Crawford
5. #235 Reed Johnson
6. #169 Todd Jones
7. Red Back #109 Billy Wagner
8. Red Back #73 Moises Alou
9. #183 Jose Valentin
10. #11 Julio Lugo

“Arizona pitching coach Bryan Pryce says El Duque’s pitching “is like watching a guy throw a Whiffle ball in the backyard… every pitch has a speed variance, a shape variance and a different action.”

2007 Topps Series 1:

1. #207 Mark Mulder
2. #56 Mark Loretta
3. #120 Jason Giambi
4. #5 Bobby Abreu
5. #14 Eliezer Alfonzo
6. Gold #18 Orlando Hernandez (Serial#0673/2007)
7. Red Back #64 Bobby Kielty
8. Red Back #153 Bob Wickman
9. #190 J.J. Putz
10. #99 Joe Blanton

“Hideki was one of the most versatile relief pitchers in Japan’s Central League for almost a decade.  He used a hard overhand curve and sharp command to help the Yomiuri Giants to Japan Series titles in 2000 and ’02, and posted a 2.14 ERA for Hokkaido in ’06.  ”He’s going to be a valuable member of our bullpen,” Red Sox GM Theo Epstein predicts.”

Okajima has been in steady decline since his debut with the Boston Red Sox in 2007.  His 2007 ERA was 2.22, which dropped to 2.61 in 2008, 3.39 in 2009, and 4.50 in 2010.  He was nontendered by the Red Sox after the 2010 season, but signed a one-year contract with them in January for 2011.

2007 Topps Series 2:

1. #641 Hideki Okajima (Rookie Card)
2. #636 Mike Rabelo (Rookie Card)
3. #431 Luis Gonzalez
4. #442 Paul Maholm
5. #590 Lance Berkman
6. Mantle Home Run History #MHR343 Mickey Mantle
7. Red Back #530 Brandon Webb
8. Red Back #353 Kyle Lohse
9. #660 Yadier Molina
10. #536 Tom Gorzelanny

“The Phillies may have traded Gavin last December, but in doing so, GM Mike Arbuckle compared him to Chris Carpenter as a late-bloomer who still could star.”

2007 Topps Series 2:

1. #638 Cesar Jimenez (Rookie Card)
2. #635 Juan Lara (Rookie Card)
3. #508 Ryan Langerhans
4. #404 Corey Hart
5. #366 Rickie Weeks
6. Red Back #389 Gavin Floyd
7. Red Back #477 Brian Lawrence
8. #412 Gerald Laird
9. #384 Alex Gonzalez
10. #564 Nelson Cruz