2011 Topps Kimball Champions Brooks Robinson

This great looking card came to me from a jumbo case break held by a cardboard problem. The other highlights I will show in coming posts. I normally don't build insert sets. They really have to catch my attention visually, not break the bank to build and I prefer them to be large sets. The Kimball Champions insert set in this year Topps issue fits this criteria and I have been slowly building the set since series one was released.

The case break helped me get a jump start on the second installment inserted in series two packs. besides this Brooks Robinson card, I also received Cal Ripken, Eddie Murray, Jim Palmer and Frank Robinson. The series two checklist for this set is great. I really like the inclusion of retired players. My only critique is a few players are included in both series, these players are, Ty Cobb, Pee Wee Reese and Mel Ott. I'm not really sure why these players were repeated, I expected Micky Mantle to be repeated, but he isn't, yet. I would have liked to have seen other legends such as Cy young, or even Satchell Piage, or maybe some retired stars like George Brett or Robin Yount fill these slots. 

The Brooks Robinson mini combines a nice batting pose of the third baseman combined with a action shot of him diving for a line drive. This card is my favorite from the set thus far and I'm very curious to see who Topps will include in the Topps Update series. Since they used current players in the first series, and retired players in the second, the logical progression would be rookies in Update. While I wouldn't mind a few rookies in the last fifty cards of the set, I hope its not dominated with players I have never heard of. A focus on young players such as Jason Heyward, Buster Posey and Nefatali Feliz would be a nice compliment and book end to this set.

Trade with Tomahawk Chopping



Early last week a large stack of cards arrived from Derek at, Tomahawk Chopping. He is currently working on the 2010 Topps Chrome Orange Refractor set, so I sent him the orange refractors I had left in my collection. I also sent him a nice stack of Chipper Jones and Braves cards from the mid to late nineties, this was time period was the pinnacle of my collecting as a teenager and I seemed to have been able to acquire a lot of Braves cards.

Derek's generous package included some Kimball Champions, which helps to shorten my want list.

He also sent a lot of Orioles I didn't have. The 2006 Topps set is not one I'm particularly fond of, it is another example of too much foil. I do like the Topps David Newhan card because he was a likeable player during his days with the O's. At 5'10'' and 180 lbs he was a blue collar player who made the most of his chance to play baseball. In 2005 he hit .311 with 116 hits and 54 RBI in  95 games. His most famous hit was an inside the park home run off Boston's Pedro Martinez on July 21st 2005 at Fenway Park.

Another former Oriole was Adam Loewen, a top pitching prospect for the O's until he suffered chronic stress fractures in his pitching elbow. He eventually gave up pitching, transitioning to the field and is a currently a right fielder for Toronto's Double A team.

Topps Total was discontinued when I returned to the Hobby, but I enjoy getting these cards in trades and can see why many bloggers would like the set to return. A low price point, no foil and a simple design make these cards a solid product. The Tony Batista card must be a silver parallel to the regular set, it also has no UV coating and is printed on cardboard stock.

When I receive any cards of Cal they are always my favorite cards in a trade. Here are a few he sent.

My personal collection of Cal is nearing one hundred cards. Though a milestone, this number is minuscule when talking about the gluttony of sets that were produced during the 90's and 2000's. A small article in the October 2010 issue of Beckett Baseball Monthly, states Cal has over 12,400 different cards. This number is astounding and is daunting for any player collector, and given the fact that Topps likes to produce new cards of past players this number is certain to grow.

One thing that a collector cannot complain about is the lack of choices and variety in collecting, so many different cards have been produced the last twenty years, that it keeps it fresh and exciting when you discover or find a new or rare issue of your favorite player.

Thanks for the great cards Derek!