2009 Topps Updates & Highlights:

“After a slow start to just his second full season in the Majors, Justin raced into his first MLB All-Star Game six weeks after winning National League Player of the Month honors for May.  That month, the multi-talented outfielder hit .373 with a .709 SLG, four triples, seven home runs and 21 RBI.”

1. #UH278 Gaby Sanchez (Rookie Card)
2. #UH238 Kevin Cash
3. #UH106 Jonny Gomes
4. #UH94 Jarrod Washburn
5. #UH87 Jake Peavy
6. #UH98 Hanley Ramirez (All-Star)
7. Black #UH38 Justin Upton (Serial#22/58) (All-Star)
8. Topps Town #TTT59 Justin Verlander
9. #UH309 Scott Podsednik
10. #UH246 Javier Vazquez

2009 Topps Series 1:

Pat Neshek has an interesting looking autograph.  If you haven’t seen it yet, check out Neshek Nation, Pat’s website that he personally maintains.

1. #126 Orlando Hudson
2. #115 Kevin Youkilis
3. #45 Aubrey Huff
4. #163 Ross Gload
5. Career Best Autographs #CBA-PN Pat Neshek (Autograph)
6. Topps Town #TTT21 Chipper Jones
7. #144 Matt Tuiasosopo (Rookie Card)
8. #91 Cody Ross
9. #7 Mickey Mantle
10. #200 Chase Utley

2009 Topps Updates & Highlights:

“Johnson most often played for weak teams, but his Senators beat the Giants to win the 1924 World Series.  As usual, he pitched in hard luck, winning only once (the decisive Game 7 in relief) despite a 2.25 ERA.”

1. #UH40 Carl Pavano
2. #UH125 Fernando Martinez (Rookie Card)
3. #UH30 J.A. Happ
4. #UH60 Brandon Inge (Home Run Derby)
5. #UH55 Ben Zobrist (All-Star)
6. Ring of Honor #RH84 Walter Johnson
7. Topps Town #TTT67 Carl Crawford
8. #UH224 Takashi Saito
9. #UH101 Nick Green
10. #UH112 Kyle Farnsworth

2009 Topps Series 2:

“If Alex Rodriguez maintains his pattern of reaching a major home run milestone in odd-numbered years, 2009 will see him become the youngest player to hit 600.  He starts the season at age 33, needing 47 longballs.  After being the youngest to 300 in ’03 and to 400 in ’05, he popped No. 500 on August 4, 2007 (eight days after his 32nd birthday), beating Jimmie Foxx by 330 days.”

Looks like the pattern is broken, as Alex hit number 600 in 2010, and he will not reach 700 in 2012 unless he cranks up his steroid regimen again and hits 71 homers.  He has not hit more than 30 home runs in a season since 2008.

1. #565 Jose Lopez
2. #641 Jesse Litsch
3. #545 Matt Garza
4. Ring of Honor #RH54 Darryl Strawberry
5. Legends of the Game #LG-AR Alex Rodriguez
6. Topps Town #TTT47 Carlos Beltran
7. #658 Rick Porcello (Rookie Card)
8. #486 J.J. Putz
9. #362 Luke Montz (Rookie Card)
10. #580 Scott Kazmir

2009 Topps Updates & Highlights:

“After 22 seasons and 3,900 hits in their uniform, Cobb resigned as player-manager of the Detroit Tigers following the 1926 season, apparently forced out amidst allegations of improprieties in a game seven years earlier.  He was soon cleared of all suspicions and, after an enthusiastic bidding war for his services, he was signed by Philadelphia and played two more seasons.”

1. #UH236 Kris Benson
2. #UH42 Eric Hinske
3. #UH163 Alejandro de Aza
4. #UH222 Ted Lilly (All-Star)
5. #UH308 Matt Cain (All-Star)
6. Gold Border #UH254 Cesar Izturis (Serial#1195/2009)
7. Legends of the Game #LGU4 Ty Cobb
8. Topps Town #TTT71 Troy Tulowitzki
9. #UH296 Casey McGehee
10. #UH280 Mark DeRosa

His power numbers are slipping… is it because of age or coming off steroids?

2009 Topps Series 1:

1. #47 Jose Valverde
2. #239 Brandon League
3. #235 Chad Billingsley
4. #246 B.J. Upton/Carl Crawford/Evan Longoria (Postseason Highlights)
5. Gold #1 Alex Rodriguez (Serial#1183/2009)
6. Topps Town #TTT14 CC Sabathia
7. #248 Scott Lewis
8. #232 Gabe Kapler
9. #32 Daric Barton
10. #219 Shin-soo Choo

“Ironically, it was losing that made Mauer a Twin; these days, it’s Mauer who’s making the Twins a winner.  Minnesota drafted him first overall in 2001 because of its 69-93 record, but they’ve averaged almost 90 victories a year since.  Joe has led the parade of “Ws’ with multiple batting titles, expert handling of pitchers and, in ’09, a dramatic power surge.”

2009 Topps Updates & Highlights:

1. #UH210 Jason Vargas
2. #UH226 Kevin Hart
3. #UH217 Craig Stammen (Rookie Card)
4. #UH292 Yuniesky Betancourt
5. #UH321 Hunter Pence (All-Star)
6. Propaganda #PP17 Joe Mauer
7. Topps Town #TTT51 Mariano Rivera
8. #UH322 Sean Marshall
9. #UH310 Scott Richmond
10. #UH88 Jim Leyland/Tony LaRussa (Classic Combos)

“In perhaps the greatest of all World Series championship performances, Mathewson shut out the Athletics in all three of his starts (over a period of just six days!) in 1905.  He fired two four-hitters and a six-hitter.”

2009 Topps Updates & Highlights:

1. #UH183 Guillermo Quiroz
2. #UH1 Ivan Rodriguez
3. #UH8 Lance Broadway
4. #UH256 Tim Wakefield (All-Star)
5. #UH260 Ryan Howard (All-Star)
6. Ring of Honor #RH79 Christy Mathewson
7. Topps Town #TTT75 Alexei Ramirez
8. #UH132 Joe Thurston
9. #UH105 Luis Valbuena
10. #UH97 Juan Castro