The Green Grass of Baseball

I've probably told this story in the blog before. How I saw my first in-person baseball game when I was 8 or 9 years old at Philadelphia's old Connie Mack Stadium. My strongest memory of that game was coming through the tunnel and seeing how green the grass was. I'd only seen baseball on a black and white TV. The green was just stunning to me.

So, here in the dead of winter, are some randomly selected baseball cards with a lot of green grass.

1990 Upper Deck

1994 Leaf

1997 Topps

2001 Stadium Club

That's probably Astroturf, but it's the right color.

2007 Topps

2009 Topps Target

2008 Bowman

1994 Yoo-Hoo

2007 Upper Deck

2008 Upper Deck First Edition

Players I Collect 2016 - Part 3

Continuing on with the Players I Collect who had cards in 2016. Or at least the cards of them that I have.

Dwight Gooden
After a 6 year gap, there have been no lack of Dwight Gooden cards since 2012. Overall I have 106 Gooden cards, most of them from his 16 year career.

This is a reproduction of Gooden's 1985 card, which is the year I started collecting. I don't have the original of this but there was a Gooden "Record Breaker" card in 1985, which I do have.

Another insert in Topps. My first Gooden card is from the 1984 Topps Update set.

Goose Gossage
Although his best years were behind him, he still had some good years left in him when I started collecting in 1985. Oddly enough, however, I only have 23 Gossage cards, and 9 of them are post career.

Gossage retired in 1994 but there were no 1991 Topps cards for him.

Ken Griffey Jr.
As you might expect, there are plenty of Griffey post-career cards. He retired in 2010 and I already have 26 (out of the 459 total) post-season cards of his. Being inducted into the Hall of Fame this year, his first year of eligibility, certainly won't hurt his popularity with the hobby.

One of the few recent Panini sets I actually like.

1997 Topps is one of my favorite sets from the 1990s. My biggest beef with this Berger's Best set is that I would have liked it to be more about the card design than the player.

Power Alley indeed with 630 career home runs. I was in Toronto for a conference and saw the Mariners play the Blue Jays in June 1997, when Griffey and Mark McGwire were both on a pace to beat Roger Maris' single season home run record. I'd seen a Blue Jays-A's game a few days before and McGwire had hit a monster home run. At the Mariners game, I thought that if Griffey hit a homer, and one of them beat the Maris record, I'd be able to say that I saw one of the record breaking home runs in person. Griffey had a disappointing day but managed to just clear the outfield fence in his last at bat. Griffey ended up with 56 that year and McGwire hit 58. So close for both of them.

Who are the new guys on the HOF Ballet

The 2016 Hall of Fame ballot was just released. I will confess that, beyond being retired for 5 years, I don't know what criteria is used to determine who gets on the HOF ballet. Clearly these aren't the only guys who finished their careers in 2010. Just to name a few: Garret Atkins, Rocco Baldelli, Josh Banks, Brian Bannister, Danny Bautista, you get the idea.  So who's new?

Ken Griffey Jr. (1989 Topps Traded #41)

If there's anybody who has got to be a first ballot choice for the Hall, it has to be Junior. 630 career home runs alone has to make him a shoe-in.

Jim Edmonds (1993 Fleer Final Edition #181)

Jim certainly had a good career, 4-time All-Star, 393 homer runs and a .284 career average but, while I think he'll stay on the ballot a few years, I think he falls a little short of the Hall.

Jason Kendall (1993 Select #359)

He was 1st round draft pick, 3-time All-Star with a .288 career batting average but I think 75 home runs will not get him into the Hall.

Troy Glaus (1998 Bowman #134)

Another 1st year draft pick and a 4-time All-Star and a World Series ring, but the stats just aren't there.

Mike Hampton (1995 Topps #133)

I loved him as an Astro, especially in 1999 when he posted a 22-4 season. But a 148-115 career record isn't getting him into the Hall.

Luis Castillo (2001 Topps #244)

I don't know too much about Castillo but just looking at his stats suggests to me that he won't get enough votes to be on next year's ballot.

Randy Will (2004 Topps Cracker Jack #127)

He was good enough to have a 13-year career but longevity alone doesn't get you into the Hall.

Garret Anderson (1994 Topps #84)

17 years in the bigs, 3-time All-Star and a 2002 World Series ring. With a .293 average and 287 home runs I think he'll be on the ballot for a few years but ultimately, no plaque at Cooperstown.

Mike Lowell (1998 Bowman Prospect Previews #8)

Everyone of these guys were solid ball players who you'd want on your team. Lowell was a 4-time All-Star, and 2-time World Series winner, and the 2007 WS MVP with 223 career home runs. You've got to appear on 75% of the ballots (only 10 can be voted for) and I don't see Lowell as more than tenth considering the other players returning to the ballot this year.

Billy Wagner (1994 Classic Best Gold #18)

Billy the Kid has 422 career saves, making him #5 on the all-time list. That combined with a 2.31 ERA and 7 All-Star Games should be enough to get him to Cooperstown but perhaps not this year.

Trevor Hoffman (1995 Fleer #562)

With 601 career saves (#2 on the all-time list), Hoffman has a good shot at a first ballot nomination. Regardless, I think he has to go into the Hall ahead of Wagner.

Mark Grudzielanek (1997 Topps #260)

Another solid player but I think Mark drops off the ballot after this year.

Mike Sweeney (2001 Fleer Platinum #448)

5-time All-Star, a career .297 BA and 215 home runs will not keep Sweeney on the ballot for long.

David Eckstein (2003 Topps 205 #252)

Eckstein is another solid player with just not good enough stats.

Brad Ausmus (1997 Fleer #552)

Three former Astros (Hampton, Wagner and Ausmus) on the ballot this year who were all teammates on the great Astros teams of the late 1990s. Ausmus was a great catcher and really knew how to handle pitchers, but his offensive stats are not what you expect to get into the Hall. Does having a great ability to call pitches get you into the Hall? Probably not.