Cards with guest stars

One of my favorite baseball card photos are those which feature a guest star player who can be identified. The best ones are plays, generally at 2nd or home base. Here's a few of my favorites from 2013 and 2014.

2013 Topps # 302 Aaron Hill

Hill exclusively played 2nd base for the D-Backs in 2012. Here he is making an acrobatic play against guest star Yadier Molina of the Cardinals. Molina is clearly out but was Hill able to make the throw to 1st to complete the double play?

2013 Topps #570 Devin Mesoraco

This card could have easily been a Soriano card rather than a Mesoraco card. The catcher clearly has the ball in his glove. He also appears to be blocking the plate. If I understand the new rules this year, this is now illegal.

2013 Topps #179 Robert Andino

Assuming that Andino got a foot on the bag, guest star Victoriano is out. This is one of those cards which with some luck and some detection work it's possible to date the play. The Phillies only played the Orioles in Baltimore once in 2012. In the 3-game series, Victorino was on base a lot. He was forced at second and out in a double play in the game of June 9th and forced out in the game of June 10. Based on a close reading of the play-by play on baseball-reference.com, I believe this play was on the 9th.

2013 Topps #4 Yadier Molina

Molina was a guest star on card #302 and has a guest star on his own card, his battery mate Adam Wainwright.

2013 Topps Update #65 Ryan Roberts

I also like photos where the baseball is in flight, like leaving the pitcher's hand or coming off the bat, or like this card, coming out of a fielder's hand. The card combines two of my favorite elements, a flying ball and a recognizable guest star, Tyler Greene of the White Sox.

2014 Topps #210 Jose Altuve

Another two-fer card, featuring an Astro (I'm still collecting them even though they're terrible) and a player I collect, Mike Trout, as a guest star. Too bad the baseball is out of frame.

2014 Topps #360 Russell Martin

Guest star Chase Utley tied up weirdly with catcher Martin. I always wonder if I should include cards like this (cards with a recognizable Phillie on them, like this or the Victorino card above) in with my Phillies cards. I don't.

2014 Topps Blue Walmart #411 Topps Blue Walmart

B. J. or Justin? They both play for the Braves. Easy enough question to answer; B. J. wears #2. Justin wears #8.

2014 Topps #46 Kolten Wong

Guest star Daniel Murphy of the Mets. Wong only played in 23 games in 2013 so this is another card, if you were sufficiently motivated, which I am not, you could probably date the play.