Card Corner- Ranking the Detroit Tigers Project 70 Cards

It's a love, don't love relationship when it comes to Topps Project 70 Cards, just as it was with the Project 2020 cards last year.

0️⃣ In 2022, not one Detroit player was represented, even thought there was certainly plenty of "Iconic" cards of Tigers players to choose from.

🔵🟠 I humbly submit my rankings of the Tigers players featured so far in Project 70.

1) Tyrus Cobb, by Lauren Taylor.

🏆 This is the latest card released of the great Cobb, and as soon as I saw it, it vaulted to #1 for me.

Lauren has blended all that is great about the HOFer, including the most famous slide into 3rd Base of All-Time. 

The detail, that famous Cobb signature, is why Lauren is easily one of my favorite Project 70 artists.

2) Miguel Cabrera,  by Blake Jamieson. 

5️⃣0️⃣0️⃣  I couldn't wait for 3rd party via eBay, so this was a direct from Topps purchase. 

Using the 1973 Topps design for this card was a terrific choice... MIGGY, DETROIT TIGERS,  and using the 1st Baseman logo that was used on one of my favorite sets of baseball cards.

It's all things Miggy 500th HR! 

3) Akil Baddoo, by Tyson Beck.

What's NOT to like about a baseball card of the exciting Baddoo, and those colorful Tigers stripes make the card jump out at you.

4) Ty Cobb, by JK 5.

🐯⚾️This is a very cool card of the "Genius in Spikes."

🍑 Notice the nod to "The Georgia Peach." on Cobbs right uniform sleeve.

This card is wild, and I love it! 

 

5) Al Kaline, by POSE.

Mr. TIGER was the first of the Tigers to be featured in Project 70.

The art is a blend of three different Kaline cards, with the old Tigers logo from the early 1960s. 

6)  Ty Cobb,  by POSE.

This was the first art card of Cobb in the series, a colorful, complex look at a very complex player.

🐯 The old time Olde English D  ballcap  that Tyrus wore is terrific. 

🐯🏟  TIGER STADIUM, by EFDOT. 

*️⃣ This isn't part of Project 70, but it's a "Stadium Series" issue by EFDOT.

I wanted to include this card, as it's one of my favorite cards of 2021.

That awesome Tiger of my youth, with the great ballpark of my youth, all front and center, with retired Tigers numbers, makes this such an special card.

🗒  Well, that's it, that's my list.

Maybe we can get a Blog Bat Around going...what kind of list can you put together of the Project 70 cards of your favorite team, or player?

👉 Enjoy tonight's NLDS Game 5, Dodgers @ Giants, it should be a great baseball game.

Play BALL! ⚾️💙💜💚💗

Ray Fosse, 1947-2021

Former All-Star catcher Ray Fosse passed away on Thursday night, losing his 16 year battle with cancer. 

💚 Fosse was one of the catchers of my youth, first with the Cleveland Indians, and then with the Oakland Athletics, where he was a member of back to back World Series Championships, in 1973 & 1974. 

Fosse, the Indians first found draft pick in 1965, finished up his career in Milwaukee, in 1979, having caught 889 games, with a fielding percentage of 985.

Ray was a terrific broadcaster, doing Oakland games since 1986.

Rest in Peace, Ray Fosse, give Bill Freehan a big hug from all of us. 🙏

Tigers Card Tuesday- 2020 Topps Inception Tyler Alexander

The Detroit Tigers won 75 baseball games in 2021, far exceeding any projections by the know-it-all pundits.

One of the pitchers that helped the Tigers great improvement from the previous couple of seasons was LHP Tyler Alexander.

Alexander, 27, was drafted by Detroit in the 2nd Round in 2015, and the former TCU Horned Frog made his big league debut on July 3, 2019 vs the Chicago White Sox. 

Used primarily as a reliever who made spot starts, the Tigers leaned more heavily on Alexander after Matthew Boyd injured his elbow early on 2021.

Look at his final starts, and you'll see why we love Tyler and his future in the Motor. 

👉 Those last three starts for Alexander were pretty darn good, and, that August 20th start against the Blue Jays was really, really,  good.

👉 Hey, that's me, in Chicago, on October 3rd, watching Tyler start against the ChiSox.

It was so awesome to go to a Tigers game against the Southsiders and walk out a winner.

                   🌈 Rainbows are a beautiful sight.

🐯⚾️ Tyler pitched 6 innings, allowing just 4 hits, and 1 run, in a no-decision. 

2️⃣0️⃣2️⃣2️⃣ A 2022 starting Tigers rotation of Casey Mize, Tarik Skubal, Matt Manning, Wily Peralta, and Alexander seems pretty much set in stone, as  Spencer Turnbull had season ending Tommy John surgery and my guy Boyd had surgery on his elbow  and won't be back until June, at the earliest. 

💗💗 I ordered this card of Tyler so I could post it in October as part of Save Second Base, supporting our friend, Collecting Cutch, and his annual blogging event to bring awareness to Breast Cancer. 🎀 

*️⃣ Here's today's post.

Make sure to post those pink baseball cards! 

🎁🎂 Today's celebrity birthday is 1970s & '80s Sex Symbol Susan Anton.

Anton, 71, has had a terrific career in TV and movies, including 1984s Cannonball Run 2.

You can find Susan on Facebook. 

Here's hoping ya'll are enjoying your day, make it a good one, and, as always,  Play BALL! 

Monday Mopup, 10-11-21

Today is October 10th, and it's gonna be 80° here in the Portage/Kalamazoo area...where the normal high temperature at this time of year should get in the low, to mid, 60s.

🔥 Speaking of hot, Michigan, and Michigan State both won Big Ten football games on the road on Saturday, with my Wolverines coming out ahead in a crazy game, 32-29, over the Nebraska Cornhuskers.

7️⃣ Michigan is now ranked #7 in the coaches poll, with State at #9.

The Wolverines are off this weekend, and Sparty travels to play the Indiana Hoosiers. 

0️⃣- 4️⃣ My Detroit Lions, again, lost another gut wrenching game, 19-17, in Minnesota, on a 60+ yard FG as time expired.

If you're on Twitter, the very talented Annie Agar summed the loss up perfectly. 

🐦 Give her a follow, you'll be highly entertained. 

⚾️🎂🎁 Happy Baseball Birthday! wishes go out to Detroit Tigers catcher Grayson Greiner, who's turning 29 today.

Grayson, the former South Carolina Gamecock, spent the majority of the 2021 season injured.

💗💗 Remember to post those pink baseball cards each time you post in October, and please go check out our friend, Collecting Cutch, each day, as he continues to bring awareness to Breast Cancer. 

💗🎁🎂💗 In other Birthday newsthe beautiful, Claudia Black, most famous for a couple of Sci-Fi shows, is 49 today.

I'm not much for these TV shows, but, honestly, I'm gonna have to check a couple of episodes out.

Claudia was born in Sydney, Australia, and is most famously known for her roles in Stargate SG-1, Farscape, and in animation, as Cheetah, the arch- nemesis of Wonder Woman.

⚾️ The big league playoffs are well underway, with all teams having won at least one game.

The Red Sox are up 2-1 over the Rays after a walk off win last night.

The Kevin Kiermaier "ground rule" double was something that I hadn't seen in my 54 years of watching baseball, but that's what makes it so great, you just the never know what's gonna happen in October. 

👉 Here's the Rule that kept the Rays from taking the lead, courtesy of Jeff Passan, on Twitter. 

👀 There were four (4) games scheduled today, but the Astros/White Sox game had been postponed, due to inclement weather, and will be made up tomorrow afternoon at 1 pm.

That bad weather is headed right here in the Kazoo area, sometime after 6pm.

☠ Someone on Twitter asked baseball fans to post the Cy Young Award Winner(s) from the year we were born. 

In 1960 there was only ONE Cy Young Award Winner, and that pitcher was Vern Law of the Pittsburgh Pirates. 

Law, 91 years old, was a member of the World Champion Pirates in 1960, and played his entire career in the "Steel City." 

🏆 110 years ago today, in 1911,

 the ChalmersAward for MVP of the American and National Leagues was first awarded.

🐯⚾️ Ty Cobb of the Tigers was the A.L. winner, with Frank Schulte of the Chicago Cubs winning the award in the Senior Circuit. 

🤔 Who won the Cy Young Award the year you were born?

What do you think about that Kiermaier hit?

Do you watch Stargate, SG-1, Farscape,  or Cheetah? 

As always, thanks for stopping by and reading ye Olde baseball blog.

Have a great week. 

Play BALL! ⚾️

Card Corner- 2020 Sport Kings Gum- Jerry Grote

I love baseball catchers, and baseball cards of catchers. 

Since I was a little kid playing and watching the game, it's the catchers position that always drew my eye, starting with my hero, Bill Freehan. 

A year after Freehan and the Tigers won the World Series, a young group of New York Mets players came out of nowhere, winning their first N.L. Pennant and the teams first World Series Championship, in 1969.

Catchers are the teams leader, the player who's in on every pitch of the game.

6️⃣9️⃣ The 1969 Mets were led on the field by Jerry Grote, the 27 year old backstop from San Antonio, Texas.

        2020 Sport Kings Gum #84, Jerry Grote 

     ( I came across this card looking for a PINK Baseball card to post.)

Grote played 12 of his 16 years in the big leagues for the Mets, and is still 5th All-Time in games played in franchisehistory, with 1,235.

Grote retired with a marvelous fielding percentage of .991, still good enough for 86th All-Time, some 40 years after he retired. 

👉 Mr. Grote has a Facebook page.

💗💗 Make sure you head over to see today's Save Second post by the man himself,  Collecting Cutch. 

👉 This card was sent to me from a collector from a Sunday morning thread on Twitter, where cards are sent for FREE, and collectors can trade with each other. 

Absolutely NO selling happens, so, if your on tge tweets, cone by and have some fun.

🤔 Who's your favorite big league catcher? 

Many thanks to everyone who took time out of their busy day to stop by a check out ye Olde Baseball. 

Have a terrific weekend, and,always remember, PLAY BALL! ⚾️💗💗

Happy Baseball Birthday- Dennis "Oil Can" Boyd

Today we send out Happy Baseball Birthday! best wishes to Dennis  "Oil Can " Boyd, who's turning 62 years young.

👉Dennis Ray Boyd was born in Meridian, Mississippi, on October 6,1959, played college baseball at Jackson State University, and was drafted in the 16th round of the 1980 Big League player draft by the Boston Red Sox. 

🥫"Oil Can" made his debut for the BoSox on September 13, 1982, pitching 5 1/3 innings against the Pirates, allowing 7 hits, giving up 2 ER.

No Pink Baseball Cards for Mr. Boyd, however, the backs on his 1989 Topps cards are highlighted with pink.

⚾️My "Oil Can" Baseball Card count is currently at 27.

🇺🇲 I went to Meridian, MS, in 1985, for my Navy "Ships Serviceman" training, and that's when I learned that not only was Boyd from the small town, but it's also the birthplace of the beautiful Sela Ward.

🎬 Sela Ward first caught my eye in Nothing In Common, w/ Tom Hanks and Jackie Gleason.

 

👀 Make sure you visit our friend, Collecting Cutch, and his annual October posts to raise awareness to the deadly disease that is Breast Cancer.

🎁 Here's hoping that Dennis is having a terrific Birthday today. 

Hope ya'll are having a magnificent week,  thanks for stopping by ye Olde Baseball. 

Play BALL!  ⚾️

2022 Topps Fan Vote- Miggy is My #1

It's been an amazing baseball season, both as a fan, and as a collector of baseball cards.

My Detroit Tigers are struggling down the stretch, having lost 4 or their last 5 games, but they've won 75 baseball games, a total many fans, myself included, thought impossible, especially after a miserable first month. 

On the card front, Topps Series 1 got off to a bad start as well, and why it never recovered from fans disdain for a less than likable design, it did, for me, produce a terrific looking card.

🐯⚾️  Matthew Boyd started 2021 off pitching well, the season was cut short before the All-Star Game, and he ended up having surgeon his left elbow.

Another Tigers player, Miguel Cabrera, got off to a terrible start this year, but the last 3 1/2 months have been almost as good as the vintage Miggy, including watching him hit his 500th Career Home Run, as well as collecting his 1,800th RBI, and nearing 600 doubles (597 as of this post).

Topps started it's annual fan vote for Card #1 in 2022 Series One today, and I was very surprised that Miguel Cabrera was one of the choices, and,thusly, I did my duty as a Tigers fan of 54 years and voted for Miggy to be card #1.

2️⃣0️⃣2️⃣2️⃣ Topps design for 2022 is a very good looking, indeed. 

👉 Look, I know he won't get it, but heck, I actually think Miggy should get card #500.

You can go go topps.com , or any of Topps social media channels for the links to vote...you'll get three (3) votes each, for America League, and National League players.

In the A.L. I voted for Miggy, Vlad Guerrero, Jr., and, Jose Altuve.

In the N.L. I voted for Joey Votto, Bryce Harper, and, Juan Soto. 

I'm guessing Shoehi Ohtani will be Card #1, especially with the amazing season he had.

🗳 If you vote, let me know the players you voted for, and, who you want to be Card #1 in 2022 Topps Baseball. 

Thanks,again, for your time, I appreciate it.

Play BALL! ⚾️

Monday Mopup- 9/27/2021

Well, our weekend wasn't very good, both sports wise, and personal wise.

Our sports teams didn't perform very well, including the Detroit Lions, who lost to the Baltimore Ravens on a last second, NFL Record, 66 yard field goal by Ravens kicker Justin Tucker.

☹ Of course, I've seen this act before. 

On 1970, the first year I started following the Lions, they lost a game in New Orleans on a last second, THEN NFL Record 63 yard FG by Saints kicker Tom Dempey. 

🐯⚾️ The Tigers just lost to the White Sox, 8-7, in a makeup game at Comerica Park, a makeup game from last week.

👉 The Tigers ended up the home part of the schedule by losing 3 of 4, and now have 81 losses, meaning they'll have to win out this week against the Twins and ChiSox on the road to finish up at .500.

2️⃣9️⃣8️⃣6️⃣ Miguel Cabrera collected two hits today, including his 597th career double.

👉 Miggy is 18th All-Time in doubles, and can, hopefully, collect his 600th two bagger, a feat that's very underrated. 

✌ Maybe Miggy will hit double #600 on Sunday afternoon in Chicago, in front of yours truly...hit number 3,000 is probably out of reach for this year, but, heck, strange things happen in baseball.

👑 One good thing that happened on Sunday night was my favorite Wrestler, Charlotte Flair, winning her "Extreme Rules" match against Alexa Bliss.

💗💗 Alexa is a beautiful and talented young woman, a definite fan favorite, including our friend Collecting Cutch, who featured the WWE Superstar in his recap of 2020's Save Second Base. 

🎃👻 We only have a few days left in September, which means playoff baseball and conference football games in college football. 

〽️🏈 Michigan beat Rutgers on Saturday, however, after taking a 20-3 halftime lead, the Wolverines didn't score again, hanging on for a 20- 13 win over the Scarlett Knights. 

👉 Let's hope they perform better on Saturday in Madison,  where they haven't beaten the Badgers since 2004.

In Memoriam. 

😥 We lost a beloved member of our family on Saturday night.

😿 We found our male kitty, Mr. PAWS, on the kitchen floor, and, a few minutes later, he was gone. 

This came out of nowhere...just a couple days before he was jumping in my arms and wanting to play.

The above picture is of him as a baby, just a few months old.

Tracy and I are devastated, and it's been a very emotional couple of days.

Thanks, again, for taking time out of your day to stop by and read this post, it's much appreciated. 

Have a great week.

RIP Mr. PAWS 

😥💔

Tigers Card Tuesday- 2021 Project 70 Akil Baddoo

Today's leadoff hitter for the Detroit Tigers against the Chicago White Sox, speedy outfielder Akil Baddoo, is the subject of today's Tigers Card Tuesday! 

        

2021 Topps Project 70 #384 Akil Baddoo ( 1990 Topps by Tyson Beck)

7️⃣0️⃣  The Project 70 cards are interesting, and they're not for everyone, but some of the cards are well done, including this Tyson Beck 1990 Topps version. 

👉 The Tigers are woefully under represented in the Project 70 Series, with just 5 cards. ( Al Kaline, Ty Cobb (2), Baddoo, and Miguel Cabrera).

👉 In last years Project 2020 Series, there were no Tigers players represented.

🐯 I'm hoping to own all the Tigers cards in the Project 70 Series, mostly, I guess, because there's so few of them, and they are, to an extent, a poor man's way of collecting art, as the cards are paintings done by each individual artist.

5️⃣ The Tigers selected the speedy outfielder in the Rule 5 Draft in December 2020, from the Minnesota Twins, and from his first appearance wearing the Olde English D, Baddoo has been special to watch.

🤔 Do you have any Project 70 Cards?

     Any Project 2020 Cards? 

Have a terrific Tuesday, and, hey, Play BALL! ⚾️

Monday Mopup, September 20, 2021

What a weekend it was for sports teams from the Great State of Michigan! 

🐯⚾️ First, our Detroit Tigers went to the dungeon know as Tropicana Field and survived a meltdown on Friday night to come back with wins on Saturday and Sunday, splitting the 4 game series, and winning the season series.

The Tigers shut out Tampa Sunday afternoon, with starting pitcher Wily Peralta tossing 7 scoreless innings.

❌ One of my favorite Twitter follows is Umpire Scorecards, a page that shows each Home Plate Umpire's performance from the previous days games.

😎 The human element is such a huge part of sports, and, as bad as some umps are, most are really good at a job that's far from easy.

Give them a follow if you are on Twitter. 

🏈 Michigan, Western Michigan, and Michigan State all won their games on Saturday, which doesn't always happen.

👉 Michigan beat Northern Illinois at The BIG House, the Broncos upset Pittsburgh, at Heinz Field, and underdog Sparty went down to South Florida and beat the Hurricanes.

 

🦁🏈 What a fine end to a great football weekend it'll be if our Detroit Lions could beat the Packers at Lambeau Field tonight. 

The Lions have only won once in Green Bay since 1991, and tonight the Lions will try and beat a Packers team that was humiliated by the Saints in Week One.

1️⃣2️⃣ One more thing that made the weekend awesome was 45 year old Tom Brady throwing 5 TD passes against the Falcons, giving the former Michigan QB 9 TD passes in the two games so far in 2021.

3️⃣ Our friend Fugi posted a cool collecting idea that I hadn't ever though about.

So, here's a trifecta to show....I'll start with Matthew Boyd, my current PC.

RC)                                2015 Topps Update GOLD

Relic)                         2020 Topps Triple Threads, #1/3

Autograph)                          2021 Topps 1986 Anniversary 

This is a cool idea, and I hope to see more posts using the trifecta of cards.

1️⃣9️⃣7️⃣0️⃣ Over at The Shlabotnik Report, 1970s, A-Z, one of the players in the post is former slugging 3rd Baseman of the White Sox, Bill Melton, my favorite ChiSox player of All-Time.

4️⃣6️⃣ This afternoon in Cleveland, baseball history was made as Kansas City Royals catcher Salvador Perez hit his 46th home run, a big league record for catchers in a single season.

🅱️  Johnny Bench, considered the greatest of all baseball catchers, hit 45 HRs in 1970, the year he was the National League MVP, at age 23.

1️⃣ Perez won't win the A.L. MVP Award this year, as Shohei Ohtani and Vladimir Guerrero,  Jr. will finish 1/2, but he'll no doubt finish 3rd, and he'll definitely win the Silver Slugger Award for catchers.

Well, that's it for today, as the Tigers game has already started against Chicago.

Thanks, again, for stopping by the blog, it's much appreciated. 

Have an awesome week, Play BALL! ⚾️