2002 Topps Series 2:

1. #548 Scott Elarton
2. #371 Chad Kreuter
3. #481 Kirk Rueter
4. #636 Benji Gil
5. All-World Team #AW-9 Alex Rodriguez
6. #698 Doug Mientkiewicz (Gold Glove)
7. #615 Javy Lopez
8. #661 Oakland Athletics (Team Card)
9. #487 Brandon Lyon
10. #656 Milwaukee Brewers (Team Card)

“In 1996, legendary Ernie Banks gushed over Rodriguez.  ”[He] is going to do things I never came close to doing,” said Banks — and he was right.  After a .359-36-123 season in ’96, A-Rod became the first player to log as many as 42 homers and 42 steals in one season ['98].  In ’01, he not only broke Ernie’s homer record for a SS with 52, but also enjoyed the first 50-homer, 200-hit season in 69 years.”

I guess A-Rod has been forgiven by New York fans.  He is having possibly the worst season of his career hitting .269 with only 14 home runs at the half, but he was still voted into the All-Star game this season.  A-Rod beat out Adrian Beltre (.330AVG/13HR) and Michael Young (.301AVG/12HR) in All-Star voting.

2006 Topps Updates & Highlights:

1. #UH62 Cory Sullivan
2. #UH50 Brandon Phillips
3. #UH70 Carlos Lee
4. #UH58 Adrian Gonzalez
5. #UH42 Kazuo Matsui
6. #UH173 Cory Sullivan (Season Highlights)
7. #UH171 Alex Rodriguez (Season Highlights)
8. Mantle Home Run History #MHR146 Mickey Mantle
9. #UH194 Craig Monroe (Postseason Highlights)
10. #UH209 Francisco Rodriguez/Bobby Jenks/B.J. Ryan (League Leaders)
11. #UH329 Stephen Drew/J.D. Drew (Classic Duos)
12. #UH214 Derek Lowe/Brandon Webb/Carlos Zambrano (League Leaders)

“Throughout his career, Alex Rodriguez has always seemed to be one step ahead of history, as he was on July 21, 2006, when he became the youngest player to reach the 450-home run milestone.  Six days shy of his 31st birthday, he connected in Toronto — his 450th bomb also being the 2,000th hit of his career.  A-Rod was also the youngest ever to hit his 300th and 400th homers.”

A-Rod is six home runs shy of 600, and he’s only 34.

2010 Topps Series 1:

1. #153 Justin Duchscherer
2. #63 Josh Bard
3. #310 Elvis Andrus (Topps All-Star Rookie)
4. #220 Randy Johnson
5. #269 Alex Rodriguez/Derek Jeter/Robinson Cano (Checklist)
6. Gold Border #252 Ronny Cedeno (Serial#0095/2010)
7. When They Were Young #WTWY-AP Aaron Poreda
8. Topps Town #TTT6 Ichiro
9. #146 Yunel Escobar
10. #151 Mat Gamel

The photography for 2010 Topps is still awesome.

2008 Topps Updates & Highlights:

1. #UH211 Brett Tomko
2. #UH235 Eddie Guardado
3. #UH260 Emil Brown
4. #UH45 Eric Hurley (Rookie)
5. #UH63 Eric Buntlett
6. #UH297 Cory Wade (Rookie)
7. #UH17 Russ Martin (All-Star)
8. #UH41 Joe Mauer (All-Star)
9. #UH53 Justin Duchscherer (All-Star)
10. Gold Foil #UH65 Alex Rodriguez (All-Star)

“In 2008, Rodriguez was picked to play in the All-Star Game for the 12th time in the past 13 summers.  The game at Yankee Stadium was his fifth representing New York, his fifth start at third base and the first time he’s “starred” in front of his home fans.”

Last year, for the first time in a decade, A-Rod was not selected to the All-Star Game.  The reason was probably the revelation that he took steroids.

2010 Topps Series 1:

1. #57 CC Sabathia
2. #18 Tim Stauffer
3. #160 Miguel Tejada
4. #284 Ross Ohlendorf
5. #119 Wilkin Ramirez
6. #259 Daniel Hudson (Rookie)
7. Million Card Giveaway #TMC-10 Carl Yastrzemski
8. Legendary Lineage #LL3 Babe Ruth/Alex Rodriguez
9. Topps Town #TTT21 Adam Dunn
10. #165 Brandon Phillips

“Just as Ruth exhibited unprecedented power in the early 20th Century, Rodriguez is tearing down barriers seemingly on an annual basis.  In 2008, a year after becoming the youngest to reach 500 home runs, Alex became the first player in Major League history to post 12 seasons with at least 35 homers and 100 RBI.  That broke a tie with none other than “The Bambino.””

Unlike A-Rod however, the source of The Bambino’s power was steak and eggs… for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

a Big Donkey:

I’m sure everyone’s wondering what card I got from the Million Card Giveaway.

Here we go:

…

2009 Topps #120 Mark Teixeira…

…a very surprised Mark Teixeira.

I was kinda hoping for something say, 30 years older, but I guess it could have been much worse.

2009 Topps Updates & Highlights:

1. #UH33 Daniel Bard (Rookie)
2. #UH37 Adam Kennedy
3. #UH58 Omar Quintanilla
4. #UH87 Jake Peavy
5. #UH98 Hanley Ramirez (All-Star)
6. Propaganda #PP15 Andrew Bailey
7. Topps Town #TTT70 Hunter Pence
8. #UH50 Gary Sheffield
9. #UH270 David Ortiz/Alex Rodriguez (Classic Combos)
10. #UH122 Kevin Youkilis/David Wright/Derek Jeter/Shane Victorino (Classic Combos)

Topps is really milking this Yankees/Red Sox rivalry thing.  They seem to be trying their best to catch Yankees mingling with Red Sox lately.

2008 Topps Series 1:

1. #253 Bronson Sardinha (Rookie)
2. #1 Alex Rodriguez
3. Trading Card History #TCH25 Grady Sizemore
4. 50th Anniversary All Rookie Team #AR53 Jeff Francoeur
5. #301 Chris Duffy
6. #211 Lyle Overbay
7. #312 Ramon Hernandez
8. #143 Willie Harris
9. #108 B.J. Ryan
10. #12 Jason Bartlett

Tribute to 1948 baseball cards:

“Grady possesses a blend of power and speed that scouts rarely see, becoming (in 2007) the Indians fourth 20-HR/25-SB man.  In ’06, he finished with 92 extra-base hits — most in the Majors.  Sizemore puts his speedy wheels to good use not only on the bases (tying for sixth in the AL in steals in ’07), but as a dynamic centerfielder.  His skills have earned him All-Star Team berths two straight years.”

And an A-Rod:

2008 Topps series 1:

1. #117 Boof Bonser
2. #45 Dontrelle Willis
3. #258 Manny Ramirez/Kevin Youkilis (Classic Combos)
4. #265 Fredi Gonzalez (Manager)
5. #44 Jonathan Broxton
6. Own the Game #OTG11 Alex Rodriguez
7. Gold Foil #329 Lou Piniella (Manager)
8. #119 Jeremy Hermida
9. #104 Kevin Youkilis
10. #41 Rich Aurilia

…and checklist 2 of 3.

Of note, the front of Boof Bonser’s card spells his name as “Boof Bosner”.  oops!

A-Rod’s Own the Game card commemorates him leading the Major Leagues in RBI in 2007 with 156.  Magglio Ordonez, Matt Holliday, and Ryan Howard were a distant 2nd, 3rd, and 4th.