Still waiting for 2016 Topps - but we found #27 Alec Asher

It was raining today so I didn't bother checking in at my local big box to see if they have any 2016 Topps.

My disappointment with several aspects of this years offering has not stopped me from scouring online sources to get a glimpse of some of the new cards.

2016 Topps #27 Alec Asher (image stolen from ebay gochicubs)

Alec Asher's Rookie Card caught my eye. Check out the young right-hander's pitching elbow - cool shot of Asher's Tommy John scar!

I have been babbling for the last month that the photos in 2016 Topps are too tight. This card is the exception. A shot from further away or less clear wouldn't display the evidence of the surgery and would just be another pitchers card. 

Getty Got It
I went to one of my recent obsessions and checked Getty Images to see what we could find out about this picture. My research has pointed me towards a photo taken by Mitchell Leff during a game on August 30 2015.

The game was Alec Asher's Major League Debut and according to the information associated with the photo on Getty's website the picture was taken in the first inning. This means on this 2016 Topps card we have a shot of Alec Asher throwing one of his first pitchers as a major leaguer.

I love it.

I won't even bother nitpicking about this not being one of those Major League Debut cards with date at the bottom of the photo.

Unfortunately my love of this card doesn't change the fact that Alec Asher took the Loss in his Debut. It was the seven starts the rookie had for the Phillies in 2015, only one of which went well - most were poor as Asher went 0-6 with a 9.31 ERA. Hopefully the 24 year old pitcher has a better go around when he returns to the big leagues. 

Sources and Links
2016 Topps Index
2016 Topps Phillies
ebay
Cardboard Connection
Getty Images
Baseball-ref

Phungo Readers Hall of Fame - Tommy John - REJECTED. How about David Cone?

1979 Topps #255 Tommy John

A few weeks back I ran a poll to see what my readers opinions were on Tommy John as a Hall of Famer. This was the 2nd Phungo HOF poll. In the first Jim Rice recieved a thumbs down. Once again the Phungo readers have spoken and Tommy John was also rejected, and by a larger margin. His 288 wins (294 including post season) were not enough to persuade Phungo readers of that John is Hall-worthy.

There were 4 "Yes" votes and 9 "No" votes for John. I had one other voting category not present for BBWAA writers, and that is to Defer a vote - one person chose this option. I based my Yes vote on a few things. 288 career wins, He pitched for 5 playoff teams in the pre-wild card era (note 1 NLDS in 1981 strike season), and in 3 World Series. He may have come up short in all 3 of those series but I think getting to them is also important. And lastly I believe that he deserves at least a minor bump for being the first athlete to successfully pitch after receiving the surgery that now bears his name.

This small Phungo vote (30.7% for) was remarkably close to the final Hall vote (31.7%). The Tommy John vote also generated less interest than the Rice vote (14 cumulative votes down from 26 for the Rice Vote). There were no reader comments regarding the Tommy John vote either.

If Phungo is still alive a year from now I will try and bring up the vote again. It will be interesting to see what happens to Tommy John in these limbo years between the writers ballot and the Veteran's ballot.

As far as card collecting goes, recent sales of Tommy John's 1964 Rookie Card (Topps #146) were in the $6 to $6.50 range for ungraded cards. Completed auctions for low-end Tommy John autograph cards are in the $5.50 to $6.00 range.

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Phungo HOF Poll - David Cone

I am going a totally different route with a new HOF poll. We are examining the career of David Cone. Cone has nearly 100 fewer regular season Win then Tommy John, but has a pretty solid post season resume 8 wins, 3 losses, 3.80 ERA. (2.12 in 6 World Series Games) and hist teams were 12-3 in 15 Post Season Series including 5-0 in the World Series.

Cone was flat out rejected on the writers ballot, receiving less than the 5% minimum to qualify for future votes. I am not sure that he is HOF material, but I think it is a pretty weak that he did not get the requisite 5% to keep him on the ballot.

Phungo Readers Hall of Fame - Jim Rice - REJECTED. How about Tommy John?

The Phungo readers have spoken.

with 11 votes out of 18 Jim Rice did not get the required 75% of the vote to get into the Phungo Hall of Fame.


I was a little disappointed as I thought I made some compelling arguments for Rice's candidacy. The only comment on the post was for Rice. But even if I counted my vote five times and gave Night Owl's comment a weight of five votes that would have given Rice only 19 Yea's to 7 Nay's still short of the requisite 75%.

11/18 votes(61%) is enough to keep Rice on the Phungo Ballot and perhaps we will bring him back next year for another vote.

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This was an interesting exercise and I would like to bring up another borderline HOF candidate up, Tommy John.

Tommy John, unlike Rice was rejected by the BBWAA on his final ballot. John posted 288 career wins, 294 if you count the post season. He was the part of three World Series teams, and played for three different teams in the playoffs (Dodgers, Yankees, and Angels).

And of course, Tommy John is the first player to successfully recover from the surgery, that bears his name, to pitch again - and pitch very effectively. Check out the list of names under that surgery link - pretty impressive.

To your right you will see a new Hall of Fame Poll on Tommy John - Team Phungo is interested in your opinion.