The Comeback Season of the Year award goes out to the player who once dominated the league, then fell out of the leader boards, before rising back to dominance again this season.

National League Comeback Season of the Year:  J.J. Putz

Dominant years 2006-2007 average:  5-1 W-L, 1.86 ERA, 93 SO, 38 SV

Down years 2008-2010 average:  5-5 W-L, 3.75 ERA, 47 SO, 7 SV

Comeback year 2011:  2-2 W-L, 2.17 ERA, 61 SO, 45 SV

American League Comeback Season of the Year:  Dustin Pedroia

Dominant years 2007-2008 average:  .322 BA, 12 HR, 66 RBI, 14 SB

Down years 2009-2010 average:  .293 BA, 14 HR, 56 RBI, 14 SB

Comeback year 2011:  .307 BA, 21 HR, 91 RBI, 26 SB

2011 Topps Series 2:

1. #484 Gerardo Parra
2. #504 Jhonny Peralta
3. #640 Dan Uggla
4. #623 Leo Nunez
5. #526 Jason Donald
6. #630 Brandon Phillips
7. #591 John Axford
8. #548 Ryan Franklin
9. #555 Madison Bumgarner
10. #449 Austin Kearns
11. #487 Chris Snyder
12. #437 Jordan Schafer
13. #420 Ryan Howard
14. #615 Shaun Marcum
15. #567 Dallas Braden
16. #512 Octavio Dotel
17. #491 Fernando Abad (Rookie Card)
18. #488 Brayan Villarreal (Rookie Card)
19. #554 Cedric Hunter (Rookie Card)
20. #387 Danny Valencia (Topps All-Star Rookie)
21. #517 Fred Lewis
22. #523 Mike Nickeas (Rookie Card)
23. #343 Mason Tobin (Rookie Card)
24. Topps Town Series 2 #TT2-25 Pedro Alvarez
25. Diamond Giveaway #TDG-11 Tony Gwynn
26. Diamond Anniversary #573 Nyjer Morgan
27. Diamond Duos Series 2 #DD-6 Ryan Braun/Carlos Gonzalez
28. 60 #T60-86 Dustin Pedroia
29. 60 Years of Topps #60YOT-88 Ron Guidry
30. Gold #573 Nyjer Morgan (Serial#0283/2011)
31. Kimball Champions #KC-86 Whitey Ford
32. 60 Relics #T60R-JCH Joba Chamberlain (Jersey Relic)
33. #381 Michael Gonzalez
34. #509 Michael Bourn
35. #453 Joe Saunders
36. #331 Carlos Guillen
37. #626 Dan Haren
38. #647 Jeanmar Gomez
39. #435 Elvis Andrus
40. #462 Daric Barton
41. #371 Taylor Teagarden
42. #456 Ryan Doumit
43. #601 J.J. Putz
44. #431 Marcos Mateo (Rookie Card)
45. #614 Minnesota Twins (Team Card)
46. #631 Houston Astros (Team Card)
47. #360 Ivan Rodriguez
48. #638 Ryan Madson

Five packs of 2009 Topps Series 2 coming your way, and a sweet hit in the first pack too!

PACK 1

1. #473 Jered Weaver
2. #540 Russell Martin
3. #585 Alexei Ramirez
4. Career Best Relics Dual #CBDR-PK Dustin Pedroia/Ian Kinsler (Serial#83/99) (Dual Jersey Relics)
5. Topps Town #TTT37 Justin Upton
6. #528 Nick Swisher
7. #401 Tony LaRussa (Manager)
8. #484 Chris Carpenter

PACK 2

1. #609 Juan Rivera
2. #573 Adam Wainwright
3. #490 Joba Chamberlain
4. #433 Coco Crisp
5. Gold Border #400 Alfonso Soriano (Serial#1081/2009)
6. Topps Town #TTT35 Prince Fielder
7. #381 Shairon Martis (Rookie Card)
8. #560 Adrian Beltre
9. #612 Joel Pineiro
10. #500 Ryan Howard

PACK 3

1. #407 Dave Trembley (Manager)
2. #370 Victor Martinez
3. #511 Chad Qualls
4. Topps Town #TTT36 Ian Kinsler
5. #468 Derek Lowe
6. #633 David Patton (Rookie Card)
7. #623 Aaron Hill
8. #497 Clint Hurdle (Manager)
9. #459 Brian Bannister
10. #395 Magglio Ordonez

PACK 4

1. #568 Greg Reynolds
2. #522 Gio Gonzalez
3. #496 Charlie Manuel (Manager)
4. #430 Francisco Rodriguez
5. Topps Town Gold #TTT29 Derek Jeter
6. #452 Orlando Cabrera
7. #625 Jim Thome
8. #595 Vernon Wells
9. #557 Jayson Werth
10. #513 Bronson Arroyo

PACK 5

1. #569 Ted Lilly
2. #617 Shaun Marcum
3. #655 Bengie Molina
4. #427 Brian Duensing (Rookie Card)
5. Topps Town #TTT33 Carlos Lee
6. #479 Brad Nelson (Rookie Card)
7. #424 Jorge Campillo
8. #498 Kyle Davies
9. #556 Brendan Ryan
10. #413 Ruben Gotay

2007 Topps Series 2:

1. #535 Jon Lieber
2. #595 Cleveland Indians (Team Card)
3. #651 Jason Michaels/Travis Hafner (Classic Combo)
4. #578 Dustin Pedroia
5. #540 Chad Billingsley
6. Red Back #582 Scott Thorman
7. Red Back #623 Alejandro De Aza (Rookie Card)
8. #338 Juan Pierre
9. #339 Jonny Gomes
10. #538 Wily Mo Pena

“Dustin, says manager Terry Francona, “does everything he’s supposed to.  He understands situations on the field.  You don’t have to explain to him three times.”“

2009 Topps Series 2:

1. #578 Adam Kennedy
2. #618 Brandon Backe
3. Ring of Honor #RH56 Dustin Pedroia
4. Legends of the Game #LG-RJ Reggie Jackson
5. Topps Town #TTT47 Carlos Beltran
6. #377 Trevor Crowe (Rookie)
7. #494 Gary Matthews
8. #462 James Loney

“Pedroia was the American League Rookie of the Year when his Red Sox swept the Rockies to win the 2007 World Series.  In that event and the ALCS combined, he ripped 15 hits and drove in nine runs in 11 games.”

Since winning his first World Series ring and the AL Rookie of the Year award in 2007, Dustin has been racking up the awards.  He won AL MVP, All-Star, Gold Glove, and Silver Slugger honors in 2008.  He was also an All-Star in 2009.

2009 Topps Updates & Highlights:

1. #UH303 Luke French (Rookie)
2. #UH143 Matt Maloney (Rookie)
3. #UH214 Jason Grilli
4. #UH148 Jason Bay (All-Star)
5. #UH227 Edwin Jackson (All-Star)
6. Propaganda #PP9 Dustin Pedroia
7. Topps Town #TTT68 Michael Young
8. #UH326 Nate McLouth
9. #UH328 Matt Palmer
10. #UH96 Tony Gwynn Jr.

“Red Sox players rave about how Pedroia’s “dirt bag” approach to the game alone makes them a better team, but in his AL MVP season of 2008, he had the stats to back up the theory.  The scrappy second baseman played in 92 Red Sox victories and compiled these numbers in those contests:  a .359 AVG, 49 extra-base hits, 14 stolen bases and 87 runs scored.”

Pedroia led the American League in Runs Scored for the second consecutive season in 2009.

Another really nice 2009 Topps Series 2 pack.  I did get short-changed by a card again though.  This better not happen on all of the packs in the box, or I’ll have to complain to Topps.

#586 Nelson Cruz

2009 has featured more imaginative photography from Topps.  Here’s Nelson Cruz eating dirt.  Is he safe?

#626 Scott Hairston

Career Best Legends #LGCB-WJ Walter Johnson

Walter “The Big Train” Johnson was, according to my analysis, the most dominant pitcher in the history of baseball.  He finished his 21-year career in 1927 with a 417-279 record, 2.17 ERA, 3,508 Strikeouts, and an all-time record 110 Shutouts.

Six of the “Career Best” stats on the back of the card came from his 1913 season where he pitched 11 Shutouts, compiled a 1.14 ERA, went 36-7, averaged only one walk per 9 innings, had a 0.78 WHIP, and had a SO/BB ratio of 6.39.  He led the league in all of these stats in 1913, resulting in his first of two AL MVP awards.

Legends of the Game #LG-GM Greg Maddux

Legends of the Game inserts return in Series 2, but this time it features living legends and an arcane card lettering system instead of a logical and easy-to-understand numbering system.

“Greg Maddux went into 1993 having compiled a fine composite ERA of 3.24 in his previous four seasons, but no league leaderships.  From that point, however, he dominated the category.  His 2.36 mark started a run of three NL titles, two runner-up finishes and then a fourth crown.  In those six campaigns, Maddux’s ERA of 2.15 was a yawning 0.80 lower than any other pitcher’s.”

Topps Town #TTT34 Dustin Pedroia

Blue?  I guess that’s a refreshing change.

“Already the owner of an AL MVP Award, Dustin added some fresh hardware during Spring Trianing in 2009: The Golden Paddle, a ping-pong trophy he earned by winning a televised match against teammate Jed Lowrie.”

#604 Gregg Zaun

#442 Cliff Pennington

#533 Darin Erstad

#560 Adrian Beltre