Progress Made!

Have you ever had a to-do list that has been there for awhile, and then out of the blue you get this burst of motivation to make some progress on it? I reached that point with my card collection earlier this summer, and the result was a Sportlots order that shook things up for me:

 

Progress Made - A Set Completed! 

 

Back in 8th Grade, I bought a box of 1988 Leaf. (Side note: I miss the days when kids could buy a box of cards, go home, rip all the packs and come out with a near complete set of cards...)  Anyway, this set has been lingering on my So Close! page pretty much since I created it, with an occasional card being acquired here and there. I finally picked up the remaining cards I needed to finish this set!

 

Progress Made - An Inset Set Completed!

 

I also picked up the lone card remaining from one of my favorite insert sets, the artistically brilliant Pro-Visions series from Fleer. Bo has been the lone hold-out for a long time.

 

Progress Made - Another Insert Set Completed!

 

If there's a set dedicated to a player on your favorite team, all from his time with that team, it's pretty much a given you'll attempt to finish that set. For me, it's the Mookie Betts Star Player Highlights set from 2019 Topps - an uninspiring set dedicated to a Red Sox legend in his last year before terrible things happened (unless you're a Dodgers fan that is). I'll enjoy this set and wonder when the Red Sox will start trading for mega-star players instead of trading them away...sigh...

 

Progress Made - Team Sets Completed!

 

I also knocked out some Topps base set cards that allowed me to complete all of the Red Sox from those years. I now have all of the Red Sox cards from the 1983, 1995, 2001, 2005, and 2010 Topps base sets!

 

Progress Made - Team Sets Closer To Completion!

I bought a lot of base set cards. Although these ones don't finish out any particular year for me, they get me much closer to that goal. With these purchases, I'm getting to a point where my Missing Sox page is going to need to expand beyond just the Topps base sets from 1975 onward! Hopefully I'll have a nice revision before the year ends.

 

Progress Made - Golden Sox!

After the Red Sox won the World Series in 2018, I decided I would commemorate the victory by picking up the gold parallel of every Red Sox card in the 2018 Topps base and update sets. Over the past few years, I've stagnated on completing it. (It may never get complete due to that Rafael Devers rookie card!) Still, I decided to at least make a little progress by adding these two cards of J.D. Martinez.

 

Progress Made - Collecting Someone I'm Not Related To!

 

There's only one person in MLB history with the same last name as me. Bob Keppel pitched for 3 teams between 2006-2009, and according to the TCDB, he has a total of exactly 100 cards. I made it a goal of mine to be the #1 collector of his cards on the TCDB. Before this order was entered in, I was in a multiple-person tie for 48th place with 2 cards. I'm now in 3rd place with 9, just 5 cards back from the #1 spot. 

 

  

Progress Not Made - Just For Fun!

 

These cards don't knock out any particular wants other than their Red Sox cards I found pleasing to the eye. The Spring Training card was one of my top Red Sox cards from 2020. The Bogaerts is from the 2019 150th Anniversary parallel, an insert set I've considered chasing. Loretta is one of those random players you often forget were All-Stars. The rest just caught my attention!

 

I'm going to have to redo/update my other blog pages after this one! 

Red Sox Frankenset: Choosing Cards #25-27

It's time to take a look at a few more cards and see which ones deserve inclusion in my Red Sox Frankenset. Just a refresher, I'm going through my Red Sox doubles and picking the best at each number for the Frankenset. Let's roll! 

 

#25

Favorite Card: 1994 Collector's Choice #25 Trot Nixon (FRDP, RC)

My Choice: same

I'll admit, this one was a tough one. Although Raffy and Nomar are solid choices, I kept going back and forth between Mo and Trot. Ultimately, I felt the simplistic shot of Nixon with the cloud background was the best choice.

 

#26

 

Favorite Card: 2015 Topps #26 Bryce Brentz (RC)

My Choice: same

I'm not a huge fan of either of these cards to be honest. Clemens is a better player, and the card notes one of the many highlights from his amazing MVP season. However, this card design is ugly! Brentz is the opposite - He only played in 34 MLB games, but I really like the design on the 2015 Topps set. Since a Clemens card from this set has already made the Frankenset, I went with the lesser known Bryce Brentz.

 

#27

Favorite Card: 2016 Topps Gypsy Queen #27 Craig Kimbrel

My Choice: same

No other options but to go with Kimbrel for the final spot! At least it's a good looking card from the All-Star's time with Boston! 

 

With these selections, I have completed the third page of my Frankenset! 

Not bad, there's a nice mix of Hall of Famers, very good players, and some lesser knowns. I couldn't help but notice the first column is mainly poses, minor action in the middle column, and cards with the most movement in the rightmost column. 

What say you, good readers? Did I make the right choices with the bottom row? Now that the full page is before you, any changes you would make? (Feel free to review choices #19 -21 and #22-24!) Let me know in the comments!  

 

In case you're interested...

 

Page 1 (#1 - 9)

Page 2 (#10 - 18) 

The Red Sox Free Agent All-Stars! (2025 Update)

On Sunday, MLB announced the full AL and NL squads for this year's All-Star game. Three Red Sox players made this year's team: starting pitcher Garrett Crochet, third baseman Alex Bregman, and closer Ardolis Chapman. What I found interesting was that all three of these players were former All-Stars playing in their first season in Boston. I guess that made their off-season an official success!

 

It reminded me of a post I did 2 years ago when closer Kenley Jansen made the All-Star team. His selection led me to wonder how often a free agent signed by the Red Sox made the All-Star team in his first year with Boston. You can't make a better first impression than that! 

This seems like a good opportunity to update my list. According to my research, Bregman and Chapman are the 11th and 12th times that has happened! (Crochet was acquired in a blockbuster trade, so not included here.) It's an unusual group of guys, from a future first ballot Hall of Famer to a couple of guys even hardcore Red Sox fans might not remember. 

Bill Campbell, RP, 1977

 

1977 Topps #166 Bill Campbell

 

The first big free agent signing by the Red Sox turned out well. After winning the very first Rolaids Relief Award in 1976 for the Twins, Campbell signed a 5 year contract with Boston. He made his only All-Star team in 1977, and finished the year leading the league in saves and winning the Rolaids Award again.

Erik Hanson, SP, 1995

 

1995 Upper Deck #483 Erik Hanson (TR)

 

Probably the oddest entry in this list, Hanson signed a one-year contract prior to the 1995 season. He made his only All-Star squad en route to a 15-5 season, parlayed that into a multi-year contract with Toronto, and ended up as one of the worst free agent signings in franchise history. 

 

Jose Offerman, 2B, 1999

 

2000 Upper Deck
#61 Jose Offerman (AS)

 

The Red Sox badly needed a second baseman and lead-off hitter. They thought they were getting both when they signed Jose Offerman to a 4-year deal. His first season was actually pretty solid, and he made the All-Star team as a reserve. Wheels completely fell off after that, and he became Jose "Awful-man" to the Boston fandom.

 

Manny Ramirez, OF, 2001

 

2002 Ultra
#206 Manny Ramirez (AS)

 

Arguably the greatest free agent signing in Red Sox history. Not only did Manny make the All-Star team during his first year in Boston, he made the All-Star team every single season of his 8-year contract. Outside of his personality shortcomings and PED usage, he was (statistically) worth every penny.

 

Johnny Damon, OF, 2002

 

2002 Fleer Tradition Update
#U327 Johnny Damon (AS)

 

Lightning struck twice as for the second straight year, Boston signed an outfielder who became an All-Star. Damon was actually the very first AL player to earn an All-Star nod by the now-defunct "All-Star Final Vote" gimmick  (beating out Jim Thome, Eric Chavez, Magglio Ordonez, and Darin Erstad).

 

Matt Clement, SP, 2005

 

2005 Topps Updates & Highlights
- All-Star Stitches #ASR-MCL
Matt Clement (MEM)

 

Clement was one of a handful of starters the World Champion Red Sox signed in an attempt to replace the departing Pedro Martinez and Derek Lowe. He had a great first half of the 2005 season, going 10-2 and being named as a replacement for the injured Roy Halladay. Shortly after the All-Star break, he was struck in the head by a line drive and was never effective again.

 

Hideki Okajima, RP, 2007

 

2007 Topps Updates & Highlights
#UH247 Hideki Okajima (AS)

 

Prior to the 207 season, Boston made international news by signing a star pitcher from Japan. Who would have thought their second, less herald Japanese import would be the one to make the All-Star team? Okajima was fantastic out of the bullpen, and like Damon before him was named the winner of that year's "Final Vote", although he didn't get in the game. Later that year, he became the first Japanese pitcher to pitch in the World Series.

 

Adrian Beltre, 3B, 2010

 

2010 Topps Update
#US-328 Adrian Beltre (AS)

 

There was a time when no one, and I mean no one, thought of Adrian Beltre as a Hall of Fame player. I'm not saying that the one-year pillow contract he signed with the Red Sox in 2010 jump-started his Hall of Fame candidacy, but without that one amazing season in Boston, the Rangers would never have known what he was capable of. Why the Red Sox let him go after that I'll never understand...

 

J.D. Martinez, DH, 2018

 

2019 Topps Heritage
#359 J.D. Martinez (AS)

 

J.D. Martinez was one of the most impactful signings in franchise history. The professional hitter at the heart of one of the greatest Red Sox teams ever, Martinez made the All-Star team every single year of his 5-year contract aside from the 2020 season (when the All-Star Game was cancelled).

 

Kenley Jansen, RP, 2023

 

2024 Topps Pristine
#297 Kenley Jansen

There were many raised eyebrows at his nomination. Stat-wise, he was solid but unspectacular. One could even argue that he was not the most deserving reliever on the team. Yet, his inclusion was merited as the Red Sox lone representative that year. The Red Sox hadn't had a true closer since Craig Kimbrel, and the future Hall of Famer helped turn the Boston bullpen into a strength. 

 

Alex Bregman, 3B, 2025

 

2025 Topps Now
#71 Alex Bregman (PR510)

 

Bregman was an interesting selection, mainly because he hasn't played since May 23rd! Although he's close to returning, it's unusual to have someone who has missed the past 6 weeks be considered an All-Star. Yet, he was so incredible at the start of the season that even with all that time missed, he's still 2nd among AL 3rd basemen in WAR, and top-6 in HR and RBI. 

 

Aroldis Chapman, RP, 2025

 

2025 Topps Heritage
#24 Aroldis Chapman

Like Jansen before him, Chapman's 1 year contract this past off-season was one of those minor transactions that wasn't shaking the landscape. Since his last All-Star selection in 2021, he's been on journeyman's path with stops with 5 different teams. All he has done this year is turn back the clock with his best season since his days in Cincinati!

Red Sox Frankenset: Choosing Cards #19-21

It's been a long time since I completed page 2 of my Red Sox Frankenset! Seems like a good time to start the 3rd page. Just a refresher, I'm going through my Red Sox doubles and picking the best at each number for the Frankenset. Let's roll! 

 

#19

Favorite Card: 1992 Post #19 Wade Boggs

My Choice: same

A happy Boggs wins by default! At least it's a relatively nice food issue card, despite the lack of an MLB-licensed logo and a bat that strangely disappears behind his neck.

#20

 

Favorite Card: 2008 Topps #20 Daisuke Matsuzaka

My Choice: same

As much as I liked Gator as a player, this is not his best card (that one already made it to the Frankenset!). He looks like he smelled something unpleasant. Dice-K gets the win!

#21

Favorite Card: 1987 Topps - 1986 All-Star Game Commemorative Set (Glossy) #21 Roger Clemens

My Choice: 1992 Ultra #21 Jody Reed

Finally, some real choices! I love me some All-Star Glossy cards, especially if it features the Rocket and some cars in the background. However, this spot goes to Jody and the great action shot of him hurdling an Athletics runner.

 

With these selections, Here's how the top line of Page 3 looks:

Not bad, given the lack of choices for the first two spots. No standout amazing cards, but solid all-around. 

What say you, good readers? Did I make the right choices?

The Greatest Red Sox Cards Of 2024

As the end of 2024 approaches, it's time to once again list the 10 greatest Red Sox cards of the past year. According to the TCDB, there have been 11, 225 Red Sox cards produced this year. Now, I'm not going to tell you I looked at every one, but I did manage to weed through thousands and thousands of useless parallels to bring you the cream of the crop. Enjoy!

10. 2024 Stadium Club

#9 Jarren Duran

 

'Murica!

9. 2024 Choice Salem Red Sox

#02 Juan Montero

 

I try to stick with Major League cards on this list, but every now and then a minor league issue just looks so artistically pleasing it beats out the "player on a computer generated background" inserts of the world. I couldn't tell you anything about the player, but this shot of a happy ballplayer behind a fence  just represents everything innocent and good with the game.

8. 2024 Topps Update 

- Legendary Homefield Advantage

#LHA-11 Babe Ruth

 

I don't own this card yet, but I can tell it would look sweet in person. Well done collage of black and white photography, with a shiny overlay.

7. 2024 Topps Now

#438 Jarren Duran

I'm not a fan of the All-Star Game jerseys, and the more I look at Duran's arm tattoos the more they look like a toddler scribbled on him, but there's a lot to like about this card. Bat-shaped trophies are cool, you get a double shot of Duran thanks to the Jumbotron, a great view of the Globe life park field, and as a bonus, a Ted Williams name-drop.

6. 2024 Topps

#187 Joe Jacques (RC)

I was all set to comment how his name appropriately sounds like a term for an athlete, but according to Baseball Reference, it's pronounced like "jakes" and not "jocks". Oh well, he still wins the best Red Sox card in the base set award thanks to some rather pretty but probably cold weather.

5. 2024 Topps Now

#59 Boston Red Sox

Hard to believe that the team that broke the curse was 20 years ago already. Red Sox fans were treated to a great look back this year with an on the field reunion plus a great Netflix documentary (highly recommended). I'm pretty sure those are Tim Wakefield's kids on the right (R.I.P. Wake).

4. 2024 Topps Heritage 

- Baseball Flashbacks

#BF-15 Fred Lynn

These two cool cats took the baseball world by storm in 1975, and the "Gold Dust Twins" have never looked better in their dapper tuxes!

3. 2024 Topps Now

#194 Romy Gonzalez

All the recent talk about the idea of a Golden Batter rule being discussed makes me appreciate this card even more. Romy is a bench/utility guy who stepped up when the team needed him and delivered. No one could have expected him to be the hero that day, but for his efforts he got one amazing card.

2. 2024 Choice Portland Sea Dogs

#11 Tyler McDonough

I became aware of this one-of-a-kind card thanks to a post from The Best Bubble. The only thing preventing it from being the #1 card of the year is that it's a minor league card. I'd love to see a shot like this in a Topps base set though...

1. 2024 Stadium Club

#69 Jason Varitek

Varitek, in full catcher's gear, stares intently as an orbital streak of light and motion hits his glove. I bet he didn't even blink. Throw something that fast at me and I'll flinch every time. I am not the statuesque warrior that Varitek and the men who play that position can claim to be.

So there you have it! Do you agree with my rankings? Any cards that I might have missed?

Relive The Greatest Red Sox Cards Of:

2019 *** 2020 *** 2021 *** 2022 *** 2023