Archive for the ‘custom card’ Tag
1996 Topps was an interesting year. A nice simple card design with a standard white border but with a couple subtle twists. Topps had done the inset picture on the front of the card a couple times before but what they decided to do was strange in 1996. The echoed the exact same picture in the name bar. It was a colored picture and was in a box that had a gradient with the name. The inset picture was of course a face closeup but I don’t really know that it added much to the card design.
Other than than a really standard year. Square picture, no strange curves or lines other than the name/picture box. Just a team logo in the corner of the card, it isn’t spelled out and the players position isn’t even on the front of the card. It was a bit difficult to re-create. Getting the gradient over the inset picture proved challenging but no too bad. It really isn’t all that interesting of year for Topps. I remember buying an absolute crap-load of the packs though.
Once again I think Goose Joak did a better re-creation than me. He did a Brad Hawpe card for 1996 Topps that he nailed.
This is an original design I did to use exclusively on Royals minor league players. My plan is to familiarize myself with prospects in the Royals minor league system by posted one of these “Prospect Watch” cards of them and doing a quick blurb about them as well. To choose Tim Melville, I just looked at the Blue Rocks roster to decide and simply picked a name I had heard of.
The Wilmington Blue Rocks are a high single A affiliate for the Royals so the players they have still have a couple more steps before making it to the big leagues. Melville appears to have his hands full at that level this year though. He has posted a 4.56 ERA so far with a record of 8-8 in 24 games. He has tossed just over 100 innings and has struck out 83 with a WHIP of 1.56.
As I will always reccommend; if you want to know more about Royals prospects, head over to The Pine Tar Press. It is a great site featuring prospects from all levels and the amount of knowlege about them on that site is amazing.
The Chiefs put up a mighty 25-0 performance against the Buccaneers tonight. Only problem? They put up the 0 not the 25. Its only preseason but c’mon man, get on the board. Personally I would rather be beaten over the head with a plastic bat than watch preseason football; and I’m a huge football fan too. Preseason just sucks. Here is a Glenn Dorsey card.
Jeff Montgomery was a constant for the Royals through the 1990s. Whatever problems the team had offensively or with starting pitching Monty was always at the back of the bullpen. He was a 3 time all-star with the Royals during his major league career. His greatest accomplishment would have to be his 304 career saves, a really huge number. To put it in perspective, Joakim Soria has accumulated a ton of saves but is still only half way to Jeff Montgomery’s number. His top save season came in 1993 when he co-led the league (with Duane Ward) with a co-Royals record (with Dan Quisenberry) 45 saves.
You can justify Montgomery’s status as one of the greatest Royals players all you want but he is one of the very first players for the team I ever endeared. This is a big reason he is getting this card. He and Mike MacFarlane were two of my favorites when I first found my blind dedication to the team. No matter which way you cut it, I think it is a given that Monty belongs in the top 36 Royals of all-time.
Salvador Perez got a surprising call to the major leagues and made his debut on August 10, 2011 against the Tampa Bay Rays. The game might forever be known for what happened in the 9th inning but it really doesn’t matter all that much.
Perez collected his first major league hit in a 1-3 effort at the plate that included a sacrifice fly that resulted in his first career RBI. His biggest contribution came with the catcher’s gear on. He picked off two base runners wandering too far off base after pitches. One of which was the tying run on third base at the time. One was at first and one was at third base and it should also be mentioned that he narrowly missed a pick-off on second base as well.
Jim Thome is going to hit his 600th home run any day now. The guy epitimizeses what a power hitter should be, it is all or nothing with him. He hits balls a mile, he sends the crowd into a frenzy. He is limping to this feat as he should be. Barry Bonds didn’t limp to 600 but he had a little “help.”
The feat is going largely unrecognized to this point. I wish he would get a little more publicity for this. I made this 1980 Topps card of him to drub up some publicity. My favorite part of the card is actually the signature. I traced it from an autographed baseball for the card and couldn’t be happier with the result. I hate the colors of this card though, just plain ugly. Oh well, it was 1980 I guess.
It’s funny how baseball works sometimes. It appears that all in the same week Manny Pina will get demoted to AA Northwest Arkansas from the AAA Omaha Storm Chasers and now be called up to the Kansas City Royals. Matt Treanor got hammered in a collision at home plate in Cleveland and was almost immediately put on the 7 day disabled list meaning the Royals needed a second catcher.
Manny Pina reportedly left his AA game in Springfield minutes later indicating that he was trying to catch a plane to Cleveland for the series finale between the Royals and Indians. I’m excited to see him at the big league level even though it appears Salvador Perez has passed him in the chain of players ready for the Royals at the catcher position. Pina is already on the 40 man roster so it makes perfect sense that he will be joining the team.
Mike Aviles’ last stand.
So Mike Aviles recently commented about not liking his utility infielder role with the Royals. I think that was what stamped his ticket out of town. Aviles was traded to the Boston Red Sox for Yamaico Navarro and a single A pitcher today. A good move for the Royals I feel. Aviles wasn’t happy and really didn’t fit in the scheme for the future for Kansas City.
Aviles had a chance to be an everyday player for the Royals on Opening Day. He proceeded to bat around .200 and get sent to AAA Omaha. He also played horrible defense this year. That is the most important thing for a utility infielder so it makes sense that Aviles didn’t fit the role. I would like to see Johnny Giavotella fill the roster spot instead of the newcomer Navarro but I don’t see that happening unless Navarro is unable to play the middle infield (I don’t know if he can or not)
I just predicted this would be the only move the Royals would make before the deadline this morning on Pine Tar Press. I believe the Royals are done trading now.
I’ve already said that it would be a crime if Alcides Escobar doesn’t win the American League Gold Glove award. This card is a little more of a leap than Escobar’s was. Eric Hosmer is excellent defensively. He is good enough to at least be on the short list of Gold Glove candidates at first base. He is increasingly smooth for his age. It is very nice to have a solid defensive first baseman even if it means that Billy Butler is strictly a DH now. Eric Hosmer should also get some consideration for AL Rookie of the Year too. He and Royals reliever Aaron Crow are both having seasons worthy of being candidates.
I just posted a 1999 Topps card of Jair Jurrjens yesterday and now I’m posting the same year of the guy who is 2nd in ERA in the NL, Jeff Karstens. The Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher is under the radar because…well…he’s a Pittsburgh Pirate. The Pirates are contending! This guy must be helping a lot. In his last 9 starts he has given up 2 or more earned runs 2 times. 2 times in 9 games? That’s insane. He posted an ERA just under 5.00 last year and now he is currently locked in with a 2.28 ERA. He must have figured something out this offseason. This great for the Pittsburgh Pirates and players like this are great for major league baseball as well.
1996 Topps was an interesting year. A nice simple card design with a standard white border but with a couple subtle twists. Topps had done the inset picture on the front of the card a couple times before but what they decided to do was strange in 1996. The echoed the exact same picture in the name bar. It was a colored picture and was in a box that had a gradient with the name. The inset picture was of course a face closeup but I don’t really know that it added much to the card design.
A Hair Off Square 