2014 Playoff Cards: Orioles Adam Jones 2013 Topps Chase It Down #CD5 and Sloppy Topps?

Tonight the ALCS makes the move to Kansas City for Geme 3. To mark the occasion we will discuss a favorite card of Adam Jones from the 2013 Topps Chase it Down Insert set

2013 Topps Chase It Down #CD5 Adam Jones

Chase it Down is a 15 card insert set in 2013 Topps Series 2 that is dedicated to fielding excellence  or noteworthy fielding plays. The above card notes a play that Adam Jones Made versus the Rays on September 13 2012. The details are given on the b-side of the card. 

2013 Topps Chase It Down #CD5 Adam Jones (b-side)

The above text has a nice description of Jones' play, the trouble is the information doesn't correlate  with the related box score which is here.

Not sure what happened here. According to Baseball-ref Jeff Keppinger didn't bat in the first inning of the game referenced. Keppinger did record two F8 ABs. the first was in the 4th and appears to match the description on the card from B-R

"Lineout: CF/Sacrifice Fly (Short CF-RF); Zobrist Scores" 

I could see the card copy not bothering to mention the SF portion of the play, as it didn't fit the desired narrative. At the time the run gave the Rays a 1-0 lead, but the catch helped prevent a big inning.

Keppinger also had an F8 in the 9th but it is listed as Deep Center.

He did have an F8 in the first inning of the previous game, but once again it was listed a deep fly out. His only other first inning AB in the series resulted in a ground out.

Who is the Image on the B-Side?

I don't think that the photo on the flip side of the card is of Adam Jones.  The image is on all 15 of the Chase it Down cards. It is hard to tell, but it appears that the player is possibly wearing a Twins cap. That leads me to think it may be Denard Span from his Twins days. Any ideas out there?   

Narcissus

Part of the reason I went into so much detail about the card is pure narcissism. The game referenced is one that team Phungo attended.

Game Ticket 2013 09 13 Rays @ Orioles 

Yep Team Phungo was there for this one so the above Chasing it Down card is part of the very special Phungo in Attendance Binder. I am adding an Index for these cards and plan on trying to get to some of these during the off-season. 

Sources & Links
2014 Playoff Cards
Narcissus - Team Phungo Was There
Baseball-ref
Baseball Cardpedia

Snapshots 2012 06 10 - Phillies 4 @ Orioles 5

Team Phungo took a road trip to see the Phillies play at Camden Yards on Sunday.  Unfortunatley the good guys lost 5-4 in extra innings on a hot afternoon.

 

 

We got to see up close what we have been seeing out of the Phils much of the year.  Trouble hitting with men on base, letting  a struggling pitcher of the hook.  The loss guaranteed it will be mid-june at the earliest before Cliff Lee records a Victory. 

 

It was another series loss for the Phils, Their shortcomings as a team are showing up daily at this point.  Total lack of relief pitching to get to Papelbon, no power hitting, poor clutch hitting, and good 2nd tier players, however they clearly aren't the type of guys that should be starting 120 games for a championship caliber team.

 

Snapshots (click on any pix to enlarge) 

 

Carlos Ruiz Matt Weiters

Not a great shot, with both palyers turned away, but graphically I think the above photo shows the difference between the Phillies and the Orioles.  Both players play the same position, but Weiters looks like an absolute giant compared to Chooch. 

Weiters was the hero of the day for the O's picking up the game winning RBI double in the 10th. 

Steven Tolleson 
The Orioles other O's hitting hero - Tolleson had a 3 run game tying home Run in the 4th inning. 

Hunter Pence

I am no batting expert, but it certainly appears to me that there is a lot going on in that swing.  No surprise that Pence may experience some peaks and slumps at the plate.

Adam Jones 
Jones had a walk off Homer for the Orioles on Sunday.  Fine action shot here.   

Charlie Manuel and Jim Thome

 

Back together again.

 

Not a great day or weekend for the Phillies, but Camden Yards is always an enjoyable trip for team Phungo.  The O's are hosting the cross state Pirates this week - debating hitting one of those games.

 

 

Swag from O No!!!, Another Orioles Blog

I desperately need to get caught up on trade posts, and will try and knock out a bunch of them in the next couple o weeks.  This unfortunately means that I will likely not dedicate the time and effort to them that they deserve.

Today we are looking at some cards I received way back in April from Ryan over at O No!!! Another Orioles Blog

2008 Topps Update #UH241 Chase Utley

2011 Topps Heritage #77 Chase Utley

Chase took ground balls during BP today for the Phillies.  We are past the quarter pole in the 2012 season and the Phils haven't seen either Utley nor Ryan Howard.  Hope we hear from the soon. 

The two cards above are just a pair of the many cards that Ryan sent over.  He knocked out several cards off my Phillies checkers,  and another pile of cards from the 2011 Heritage set.    

2003 Topps 572 Todd Pratt

1996 Topps 128 Curt Schilling

  Big Old Stack of 2011 Topps Heritage 

The 2011 Topps Heritage is a set that I am buiding by default, partially in the name of journalistic research delving into potential hot-boxes in last years set.  FYI I did not get a hot box.

For a look at my 2011 Topps Heritage Want List Click Here

My Phils Topps 1980s Collection Want List is Here. 

For access to all my want lists click here 

2012 Topps Archives First Look

My first impressions on Topps Archives is a thumbs up.  The price tag on this rack for a single 14 card retail rack pack was $5.34 at my local big box store. 
Highlights

 2012 Topps Archives #88 Mike Schmidt

2012 Topps Archives #108 Cliff Lee
2012 Topps Archives #188 Vance Worley

2012 Topps Archives Sticker #67S-I Ichiro
2012 Topps Archives #138 Joe DiMaggio
2012 Topps Archives #32 Adam Jones

That's right the 14 card pack included 3 Phillies!!! which is probably a record for a small pack for myself.

I like this set better then what Topps did with Lineage last year.  The base cards in Lineage was just to drab for me.   It doesn't hurt that the four years that were chosen for Topps Archives 1954, 1971, 1980 and 1984 are among the better designs in the Topps arsenal.  

My 2 initial complaints are 1) The cards are on the newer posterboard rather then the classic cardboard upon which the original sets were produced. 2) The 5.30/pack retail price comes out to over 40 cents/card - kind of heavy for retail.

Regardless, my first impression is a good one.  I haven't looked at the cards much in detail, but I am thinking that a Hobby Box may be in my future. The 200 card set size appeals to me, there appears to be a fun array of inserts - although they may be a bit confusing.

There is one other thing I like about Archives - judging from my limited 13 card sample, I like the photography - the shots are cropped as tightly to the subjects.  I am a fan of trying to figure out what game in which the photos were taken.  The last few years Topps has delivered some great digital close ups, but they are often too close for my liking.

2012 Topps Opening Day Rack Jr

The always maligned Topps Opening Day release is live - 24 card Rack Packs Retail at Target for $3.19 (3.21 w/ combo of Target discount and PA sales Tax) - They are single packs and about 1/3 smaller then the Rack Packs for 2012 Topps, thus I have chosent to refer to them as Rack Juniors.  

The price point is slightly cheaper then 9.99 for a 72 card Hanger Pack of Topps Flagship.  The single packs are a dime more then a year ago at 1.09.  77 card blasters are $10.49 I believe.


Here is a glance of what you might find in your Rack Jr. 

Phillies

 
Wrapper

Copare with 2012 Topps

Serialed Blue Parallels

Rookie Cups

Inserts

Photo Shopping

Etc
Over the next couple weeks I plan on giving 2012 Topps Opening Day a little overanalysis by elaborating on some of the above cards - I am sure that is much more then TOD deserves. 

Topps Cover Jinx Continues - 2009 Topps U+H first pack break

This past spring we reported on the PED epidemic spreading throughout the Topps Cover Players.

Well the trend sort of continues as Topps latest cover boy Tim Lincecum finds himself in a totally different type of drug trouble.

I wonder which Topps 09 Cover Player will be? a PED or Marijuana User?

One other thing, I think it was Chris over at Stale Gum that noted that Topps chose to airbrush out Manny's Dreads for the 08 Topps wrappers.

The design of the current Topps U&H cover seems to accent Tim Lincecum's "rebellious" locks. Is Topps stating that they are more comfortable with Lincecum's long hair then Ramriez's Dreads?

Regardless, I really was just using this as an excuse to bust open some Target U&HIGH packs in honor of Mr Lincecum.

First 2009 Topps Series 3 Pack

first up the numbers are STILL UNREADABLE!!!

#UH53 Clete Thomas
#UH176 Diory Hernandez
#UH200 Randy Johnson
#UH157 Josh Hamilton All-Star
#UH239 George Sherill

#UH320 Classic Combo Mark & Daniel Schlereth

How great is this card, I often listen to Mike and Mike during drive time, and it really interesting to hear the elder Schlereth discuss his sons career.

#UH113 Francisco Rodriquez All-star

#UH62 Russell Branyan Gold (#d1179/2009)

#PP23 Propoganda Poster Nick Markakis

#TTT65 Topps Town Raul Ibanez

#UH119 Bud Noris
#UH76 Scott Rolen

Nice first pack a Great Propoganda Poster. A Gold Card and A Raul Ibanez insert.

I picked up two other packs while I was at Target. I wasn't nearly as happy with those packs - I didn't pull any Phils and I actually pulled a duplicate of the Konerko/Dye 300 Homer card - 36 stinkin cards and I got my first dupe - bleck.

#PP21 Mark Texiera (b-side)
#LGU24 Legends of the Game Update Paul Molitor
#TTT57 Topps Town Joey Votto
#TTT54 Topps Town Adam Jones

The Molitor and the Tex are nice inserts and I also pulled a Nolan Reimold RC but still bummed about not getting any Phils base cards out of the three packs.