Climbing The Ranks With JD Martinez

In February 2018, J.D. Martinez signed a 5-year, $110 million contract with the Boston Red Sox.  A month later, I was able to get his autograph at a Spring Training game in Sarasota, Florida:

 

He became a personal favorite of mine that day, and that contract became one of the best free agent signings in Red Sox history. That first season alone, Martinez hit 43 home runs with a league leading 130 RBI. He was the starting Designated Hitter for the AL All-Star team, won Player of the Month for the month of August, finished 4th in MVP voting, and became the first player in history to win 2 Silver Slugger Awards in one year (OF and DH). Oh, and the Red Sox won the World Series that year too. Needless to say, he was awesome.

 

I'm not a player collector, but I do enjoy the cardboard of some more than others. J.D. Martinez is one of those players. So of course, I was over the moon thrilled to receive a bunch of cards from Johnny (Johnny's Trading Spot) that contained an incredible amount of J.D. Martinez cards.

 

I thought it would be fun to look at my J.D. Martinez collection before/after. According to the TCDB, I had exactly 70 J.D. Martinez cards prior to this gift. 

 

 

Actually, I'm in a 8-way tie for 130th place. (Johnny, if anyone is curious, is listed in 10th place!) I'm only 7 cards away from cracking the Top 100, which I'll do easily enough, but with what Johnny sent I'll be making quite a leap! I decided to show these off in groups of 15.

 

 Group 1

 

Favorite card from this group: 2021 Topps - 1952 Topps Redux 

New cards to my collection: 10

Total J.D. Martinez cards: 80 

 

Just like that, I've moved into a 6-way tie for 87th place with 80 cards. If the other groups have a 2/3 success rate as new cards to my collection, I'll be making some impressive gains!

 

Group 2

 

Favorite card from this group: 2020 Stadium Club

New cards to my collection: 12

Total J.D. Martinez cards: 92

 

 

I'm not even half way through the cards Johnny sent, and I've already leaped 70 spots from 130th to a 3-way tie for 60th. You will notice some of the cards are the same within each group. I didn't bother sorting the cards prior to entering them in. I just took the first 15, put them into the database and moved to the next group. It led to quite a few deja vu moments!

 

Group 3

Favorite card from this group: 2019 Topps High Tek

New cards to my collection: 8

Total J.D. Martinez cards: 100

 

A couple of Diamondback cards, but that's perfectly OK with me! Martinez started out in Houston before famously getting released and being picked up by the Tigers, where he made his first All-Star team. He was a trade deadline deal to Arizona in 2017 before signing with Red Sox that off season.

 

Group 4

Favorite card from this group: 2021 Bowman's Best - Heatwave Die Cut

New cards to my collection: 8

Total J.D. Martinez cards: 108

 

All it took was 8 new cards to find myself firmly within the Top 40! One more group to go:

 

Group 5

Favorite card from this group: 2019 Panini Leather & Lumber - Lumberjacks

New cards to my collection: 15

Total J.D. Martinez cards: 123

 

  

81 J.D. Martinez cards were sent my way, and 53 of them were new to my collection. (That's 65% if you wanted to know the math). Thanks to Johnny, my collection of this player jumped 101 places into a tie for 29th all-time on the TCDB. Not bad, not bad at all! Will I ever get higher up the ladder? Who knows! For now I'm just thankful for the journey! 

 

Thanks again Johnny! You're awesome!

 

Oh, he sent me more than just Martinez! That, however, will be a post for later! 

 

***EDIT: A Blog Revived With An Awesome Contest!***

After a big hiatus (a dozen years!) the blog Red Cardboard is back! To celebrate, he's looking for 100 shares of his post. If he reaches that goal, he'll do a drawing for a 1963 Topps AL batting leaders card! (Red Sox Pete Runnels is of course in the center, but some guy named Mantle also makes an appearance...) So check out the revived blog, give it a follow, and share that contest!

 

 

Santa Oren Strikes Again!

I don't know what I did to end up on Santa Oren's "nice list", but once again I was surprised by an unexpected mailing from the long time blog reader and collector extraordinaire. As is his M.O., he sent a nice full padded envelope full of goodies. Rather than show off everything, I'm going to highlight my 10 favorites:

10. 2021 Topps Gold Label - Class 2 Black

#93 David Ortiz

We'll start things off with this shiny Ortiz, which initially confused me as being a color parallel of a "class" parallel...Gold Label is just so weird. Pretty though!

 

9. 2021 Topps Chrome Platinum Anniversary lot

 

Speaking of shiny, I'm always appreciative of these Chrome Platinum Anniversary cards, especially when they include cards of Luis Tiant and Roger Clemens. Danny Santana looks so out of place in this group!

 

8. 2011 Topps Allen & Ginter - Relics 

#AGR-JLO Jed Lowrie (MEM)

 

Oren often sends me some fun "hits" and this time is no different. This relic is from Red Sox fan favorite and Athletics' All-Star Jed Lowrie.

 

7. 1996 Leaf Signature Series - Autographs Bronze

#NNO Dwayne Hosey

 

The Leaf Signature Series always looks nice, even if it is of a player who only played 52 games in the Majors! Fun fact: After his MLB career ended, he played in Japan and won the 1997 Central League home run title, beating out Japanese legend Hideki Matsui!

 

6. 1999 SP Signature Edition - Autographs

#ShH Shea Hillenbrand (AU)

 

You have my respect if you remembered that Shea Hillenbrand was the starting 3rd baseman for the AL in the 2002 All-Star Game!

 

5. 2023 Topps Archives

#77 Tris Speaker   

 

This card was declared the Greatest Red Sox Card of 2023 by yours truly. Why? Because how many cards out there show a Hall of Famer getting kneed in the groin?

 

4. 2019 Topps Update - Major League Material

#MLM-MC Michael Chavis (MEM)

 The "Ice Horse" was a 1st round draft pick for the Red Sox in 2014. I really like the design of this card with the color fade to black and white. A tipping the cap pose if always a bonus too.

 

 3. 2023 Stadium Club - Autographs

#SCBA-NC Narciso Crook (AU)

 

This is a fun autograph, for no other reason that Crook never played a single game as a member of the Red Sox. Also, he has this card in the Stadium Club set, but not a normal base card.

 

2. 2023 Stadium Club - Blue Foil

#284 David Ortiz (SN50)

 

Beloved Hall of Famer? check. Celebration from a World Series victory? check. Serial numbered to 50 copies? check!

 

1. 2024 Topps Allen & Ginter - Framed Mini Relics

#MFR-DO David Ortiz

 

Safe to say my collection of David Ortiz cards received a nice boost thanks to Oren! This is my 3rd David Ortiz relic, which is surprising since I don't actively hunt down relics. I'm pretty sure each one has been gifted to me somehow.

Thanks again for all the great cards Oren! May 2025 be filled with lots of wonderful cards for your collection!

 

 

6 Degrees of Raffy: The Russ Nixon Connection

It's time for another installment ("aka filler post") of 6 Degrees Of Raffy, where I connect a beloved card from my collection and connect the player depicted on it to current Red Sox superstar Rafael Devers. 

 

We start with a randomly generated card from my collection:

Random TCDB Card: 

1990 Topps  #171 Russ Nixon (MGR, TL)

  

Poor Russ Nixon. He was fired as manager of the Braves midway through the 1990 season. The General Manager who fired him (booby Cox) took over manager duties himself and relinquished GM duties to someone else after the season. In 1991, the Braves went "worst to first" and started a run of 14 NL East Championships in 15 years (the strike shortened 1994 season being the only miss).

Teammates in the 1990 Topps set
#171 Russ Nixon (MGR, TL)	#535 John Smoltz

OK, technically not teammates, but Nixon managed a young starting pitcher who would go on to spend 21 seasons with the Braves as both a Cy Young winning starter and an All-Star closer.

Teammates in the 2009 Topps Boston Red Sox set
#BOS11 John Smoltz	#BOS3 Dustin Pedroia

Smoltz played one final season outside Atlanta. In 2009, the 42-year old Smoltz signed a free agent contract with the Red Sox. (It did not go well - he was eventually released during the season and finished his career in with the Cardinals). Still, that short stint in Boston allowed him to have the reigning AL MVP behind him on the field.

Teammates in the 2019 Topps Gypsy Queen set
#75 Dustin Pedroia	#147 Rafael Devers

 

Pedroia is on the Hall of Fame ballot this year, although his chances of being inducted are slim. I hope he at least stays on the ballot for awhile. 2019 represented his final year in Boston, but Dever's career was just starting to blossom, as he led the league in doubles and topped 100 RBI for the first time.

Degrees of Raffy: 3

Blog Bat-Around: 5 Best Pack Pulled Hits

My recent Tony Gwynn pull made me wonder if that was the best card hit I ever pulled from a pack. I've pulled some great cards in my time, but could anything top a relic card of a Hall of Famer, especially if it was limited to only 25 copies? I decided to look through my collection and find out. Then I decided, why not try and make this a blog bat-around? I'd love to see what other bloggers have pulled!

Fortunately for me, the TCDB has a feature that lets me see lists of all my autographs, relics, and serial numbered cards. I just had to go through each one and try to remember which ones came from pack pulls! 

 

 

After much contemplation and re-ordering. I present to you the 5 best hits I have ever pulled from a pack of cards:

#5

2019 Topps Gypsy Queen - Red
#288 Jose Abreu (SN10)

  

The lowest serial numbered card I have ever pulled, this one is serial number 10/10 - not too shabby for a former MVP and ROY winner!

 

#4

2019 Topps Holiday - Relics
#WHR-FT Fernando Tatis Jr. (MEM)

  

If Tatis continues to play the game the right way, he has a chance to earn redemption for the poor choices he made early in his career. With his talent, that redemption could place him among the all-time greats. A relic of his from his "RC" designation year could be a big score 10-15 years from now.

 

#3

1991 Score - Mickey Mantle #5
Speed and Grace (PR5500)

 

I consider this the first real "hit" I ever pulled. According to Baseballcardpedia, the chances of pulling one of these in a pack was 1 in 1,942. Until I pulled this card, I wasn't even aware the insert set existed.
 

#2

2018 Topps Update - Memorial Day Camo
#US153 Japan's Finest (VC, SN25)

 

I was tempted to make this my top choice based purely on speculation. Ichiro will be a first ballot Hall of Famer. Ohtani will someday join him if he can stay out of trouble (I "bet" he will!). Best case scenario is a low serial numbered card of two Hall of Famers. Worse case scenario, it's arguably two of the greatest players to ever come from Japan. If only the picture was better and both players were facing forward. 

 

 #1

2024 Topps - 1989 Topps Baseball
35th Anniversary Relics Red
#89BR-TG Tony Gwynn (MEM, SN25)

Recency bias probably is a factor in my choice to make this the best card I ever pulled. However, it's such a great card! It has almost everything you can want out of a hit - big name, low serial number, history in the form of a relic, and that classic 1989 design. 

 

Alright, fellow bloggers, the challenge has been put forth: What are the best cards you ever pulled from a pack?

Valley League Alum In The Majors

Earlier this month, the Shenandoah Valley Baseball League kicked off the 2023 season. The SVBL is a summer collegiate baseball league that has been around since 1897. The SVBL is funded in part by a grant from Major League Baseball and is a member of the National Alliance of College Summer Baseball (NACSB), a national affiliation of 13 collegiate summer leagues. Hundreds of players who have played in this league have gone on to play in the Majors. I thought it would be fun to look at the dozen that have played so far this season.

Austin Adams, Diamondbacks

(2011 Staunton Braves)

2020 Topps Total #802 Austin Adams

 

Adams is in his 7th Major League season, having debuted in 2017 with the Washington Nationals. After stops in Seattle and San Diego, he signed with the Diamondbacks this past off-season.

 

Graham Ashcraft, Reds

(2018 Waynesboro Generals)

2023 Topps #214 Graham Ashcraft (RC)

 

Ashcraft is one of two current players who have played for my hometown team, the Waynesboro Generals. He debuted last year and is among the stable of exciting young players that have started coming up through the Reds' system.

 

Mike Brosseau, Brewers

(2015 Waynesboro Generals)

2022 Topps #223 Mike Brosseau

 

Brosseau just happens to be the other former General. He hit a pinch hit, tie-breaking home run off Aroldis Chapman to give the Rays the win in Game 5 of the 2020 ALDS.

 

Chris Devenski, Angels

(2011 Woodstock River Bandits)

2020 Topps Heritage #651 Chris Devenski

 

Devenski was once one of the top relievers in baseball, making the 2017 All-Star team as a member of  the eventual World Series Champion Houston Astros. Arm injuries limited him to just 25 games between 2020-2022. Healthy again, he has become a valuable member of the Angel's bullpen.

 

Brendan Donovan, Cardinals

(2016 New Market Rebels)

2023 Topps #584 Brendan Donovan (ASR)

 

Donovan's name is etched in history as the National League's first ever winner of the Gold Glove at the  Utility position. He continues his utility role this year, having already started at 6 different positions.

 

Austin Gomber, Rockies

(2012 Luray Wranglers)

2022 Topps Heritage
#446 Austin Gomber (SP)

 

Gomber has been a part of the Rockies' rotation for the past three years. He was one of the players the Rockies received from St. Louis in exchange for Nolan Arenado.

 

Romy Gonzalez, White Sox

(2016 Staunton Braves)

2022 Topps Gypsy Queen
#233 Romy Gonzalez (RC)

 

Gonzalez is currently a bench/utility player on the White Sox roster. He made his debut as a September call-up in 2021.

 

Chad Kuhl, Nationals

(2012 New Market Rebels)

2022 Topps Update #US71 Chad Kuhl

 

Kuhl is not having a great season, but when your wife is currently undergoing treatment for breast cancer, you can't fault him. Here's hoping Amanda Kuhl heals quickly, and that Chad can get back to concentrating on lesser important things like baseball.

 

Tommy La Stella, Mariners

(2009 Haymarket Senators)

2022 Topps Heritage
#439 Tommy La Stella (SP)

 

La Stella was another former All-Star, but I wouldn't blame you if you didn't know that.  He was having a terrific 2019 season for the Angels as their lead-off hitter and second baseman, but a week before the All-Star game, he fractured his tibia on a foul ball and never got to play. He has also won a World Series ring with the 2016 Chicago Cubs. The Mariners released him in May and he is currently a free agent.

 

Emilio Pagan, Twins

(2010 Harrisonburg Turks)

2023 Topps Heritage
#415 Emilio Pagan (SP)

 

Pagan is a successful reliever who has appeared in over 300 games since he reached the Majors in 2017. He has played for 5 teams, and each time he joined a new team it was via a trade.

 

Vinnie Pasquantino, Royals

(2017 Charlottesville Tom Sox)

2023 Topps
#302 Vinnie Pasquantino (ASR, RC)

 

Pasquantino's nickname is "The Italian Nightmare". He was a member of Team Italy during the 2023 World Baseball Classic.

 

Nate Pearson, Blue Jays

(2016 Staunton Braves)

2022 Topps - Oversized 1987 Topps
Future Stars Box Topper
#87FS-18 Nate Pearson

 

Pearson was a 1st Round draft pick for Toronto in 2017. His rookie debut came during the COVID-shortened 2020 season. His first game was a "home" game in Washington D.C. against Max Scherzer. (COVID restrictions forced the Blue Jays to play all of their games stateside, and their AAA Stadium in Buffalo wasn't ready yet, so they played the Nationals as the home team in D.C.)

 

Ryan Yarbrough, Royals

(2012 Luray Wranglers)

2022 Topps Update #US176 Ryan Yarborough

 

Yarbrough is currently on the 60-day injured list after suffering multiple fractures when a 106 mph line drive struck him in the head. Here's hoping he bounces back and can continue his playing career.

Prizes Dropped From The Third Floor

Brendan from The View From The Third Floor recently held a month long contest where each day contestants could guess which 9 players fills up his team page (or in the case of the Padres, Phillies and Yankees, more than 9). What kept it interesting is that it wasn't always the 9 best players, and there were a few times I was sure someone just had to be there and ended up not. Through dumb luck and the consistency of playing almost every day, I managed to take 2nd place. For my efforts, I was generously given a PWE of 15 cards:

 

So, let's talk about that Sparky Lyle card, shall we? Readers of my blog know that July had quite a few posts dedicated to Sparky, all because of a contest being held by Daniel at It's Like Having My Own Card Shop.  I didn't win that contest, but Brendan did. That's right, from Daniel to Brendan to me! It was completely unexpected, and brought a big smile to my face when I saw it.

Favorite Card: Sparky by default, but a Red Sox card from 1958 is awesome too!

Thanks for the cards Brendan!

Oh, just a heads up: This isn't the last you'll see of that Sparky rookie card. The saga continues...

First Impressions: 2022 Topps Gypsy Queen

This year's Gypsy Queen set has been out for awhile now. I've seen a few cards posted here and there, and to be honest, I love the design! It's possibly my favorite design since 2015 Topps came out. I was very happy to find a box in the wild, and would like to share my impression as I opened up 7 glorious packs:

 

Pack 1

#67 Lucas Giolito

 

The honor of the first card goes to Lucas Giolito. So let's get right to this design and what I enjoy about it. It has a steam-punk like quality to it. You get hints of intricate metal-work holding the picture in place. The name and position, while still small and hard to read, at least presented in a fun way. The team ticket reminds me of those little prize tickets you earn playing Skee-Ball. The overall design is fun, and I feel very creative.

 

#193 Austin Hays

#60 Lars Nootbaar (RC)

#18 Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

#59 Gio Urshela (green parallel)

#100 Michael Conforto

#51 Devin Williams

 

Pack 2

#205 Brandon Crawford

#101 Max Muncy

#191 Willy Adames

#GGM-9 Pete Alonso (Gypsy Gems Minis insert)

 

I'm not a fan of minis, nor am I fan of astrology, but this insert is shiny and downright pretty. The picture does not do it justice.

#44 Spencer Strider (green parallel)

#15 J.D. Martinez

 

The second pack hits me with the first of I hope many Red Sox cards. It's a basic shot of Martinez running (or dancing, you never know, he could be dancing), and his red jersey looks really good with the overall design.

#44 Spencer Strider

 

Pack #3

#122 Corey Seager

#294 Matt Carpenter

#199 Jorge Soler

#41 Dansby Swanson

#40 Didi Gregorius (green parallel)

#177 Corbin Burnes

#211 Pete Alonso

 

Pack #4

#173 Ryan Vilade (RC)

#160 Anthony Rizzo

#258 Colton Welker (RC)

 

Another noteworthy aspect of the set if the muted colors on the Rookie Card symbol. It never looked right when a set designed to look vintage had such a glaring modern graphic element to it, and the change here actually makes it feel like it's part of the set. I'll admit, there were a few times a missed that logo completely when thumbing through the cards!

#156 Andrew Benintendi

#259 Gavin Sheets (green parallel)

#128 Spencer Howard

#292 Luis Frias (RC)

 

Pack #5

#227 Gary Sanchez

#38 Trent Grisham

#219 Dallas Keuchel

#142 Brandon Nimmo

#177 Corbin Burnes (green parallel)

#234 Alex Krilloff

#32 Josh Bell

I haven't discussed the back yet. It's a pretty typical GQ back, and the small font issues that have plagued Topps sets continues here. I wish the backs had a more coordinated look with the front, with maybe some metal brackets or bolts. This back is too generic and could appear on any GQ set.

 

Pack #6

#192 Rhys Hoskins

#96 Mike Clevinger

#152 Edward Cabrera (RC)

#141 Sonny Gray

#248 Joey Gallo (green parallel)

#43 Brian Anderson

#286 Tim Anderson

 

Pack #7

#167 Starling Marte

#17 Vidal Brujan (RC)

#119 Franmil Reyes

#164 Josiah Gray (RC)

#77 Justin Upton (gren parallel)

 

 

The green parallels are plentiful, and fortunately they look really good with this set. Perhaps a different shade of green would have looked better for the vintage look, but this color pops and I don't mind it one bit.

#36 Ozzie Albies

#127 Anderson Tejeda

Design-wise, I adore this set. The only thing keeping me from considering a set build are those blasted short-prints. Otherwise, this is easily my favorite set of the year!