#111 Mark Ellis

Continuing a string of connected cards, I’m going to pair up yesterday’s Lonnie Chisenhall card with Mark Ellis.

#111 Mark Ellis

First impression of what’s going on: Tying these two cards together are the cameos. Chisenhall had a guy on deck and an umpire. Ellis' card has the lead runner in what looks to be a double play. This card is going to hit a lot of niches but I don’t know how I feel about that. Could Topps really not squeeze in two or three more pixels to get Ellis’ throwing pinkie in the frame?

DENVER, CO - SEPTEMBER 02: Second baseman Mark Ellis #14 of the Los Angeles Dodgers turns a doube play on Josh Rutledge #14 of the Colorado Rockies as shortstop Hanley Ramirez #13 of the Los Angeles Dodgers watches in the sixth inning at Coors Field on September 2, 2013 in Denver, Colorado. The Dodgers defeated the Rockies 10-8. (Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)

The Reality of the Photo: This photo didn’t come up right away from me on Getty Images. The term “Mark Ellis 2013” brought up over 1000 results so I tried to narrow down. Next, I tried “Mark Ellis 2013 Double Play” but as you can see, Getty spelled “double” wrong in the caption so it didn’t come up. Luckily, Topps kept the Rockies Josh Rutledge in the picture as “Mark Ellis 2013 Rockies” finally brought up the picture with just a few options.

We also get to see Dodgers shortstop, Hanley Ramirez who was cropped out of the card and the caption credits him as “watching” the double play. That makes me wonder if this actually was a 4-3 double play that Ellis handled on his own or if Hanley is watching after feeding the ball to Ellis for a 6-4-3 twin killing. Guess we’ll have to check out the BOXSCORE.

Screenshot from Baseball-Reference.com

The Dodgers were winning 8-5 at this point in the game, so a double play was definitely crucial to stopping a potential rally. Let’s see how it went down.

Screenshot from Baseball-Reference.com

Wow. The Rockies had runners on first and third with no outs and the Dodgers managed to get out of it. Thanks in part to Mark Ellis and the double play. And as you can see, Ramirez did more than just “watch” the play.

I mentioned that this card qualifies for a couple of niches so let’s break those down. From the top down, we have sunglasses (even if not worn over his eyes) and a pair of logos for some Free Advertising.

There’s a Nike undershirt and a Rawlings logo on the glove. I believe there’s a second Nike logo on his wrist band but since the card is already getting Nike credit from his undershirt and you can’t really see it, I didn’t screenshot it.

I also thought it was worth noting that even though Ellis is not wearing an alternate or throwback jersey, Josh Rutledge is wearing one.

Screenshot from Chris Creamer's Sportslogos.net

On to the back:

Rookie Fact: Mark’s .368 AVG in the 2002 ALDS included a ninth-inning 3-run homer.

Unfortunately for the Athletics, it was a case of too little too late. In Game 5, the A’s were down 5-1 before Ellis’s homer and couldn't quite complete the comeback. They lost not only the game, but also the series. 

Screenshot from Baseball-Reference.com

Because of his veteran status and years of playing experience, there’s no blurb on the back of the card.

Information I’ll be tracking:

Card Number: #111

Player Name: Mark Ellis

Team: Los Angeles Dodgers

Position: Second Base

Game Date: September 2, 2013

Opponent: Colorado Rockies

Stadium: Coors Field

Division: National League West

Home/Away: Away

Outcome of the game: 10-8, Dodgers over the Rockies, Win for the player depicted

Alternate/Throwback Jersey: No, kinda. Cameo player has one.

Bats/Throws: Right/Right

Birthdate: 6/6/1977

Birthplace: South Dakota

Cameos by: Josh Rutledge

Photographer: Doug Pensinger

Niche collections this card could fit into: Free Advertising, Double Play, Sunglasses, Cameo

My Grade: I think I’m supposed to like this card as it hits a couple of the bigger mini collections but something about it doesn’t do it for me. I’m ok giving it an A, but again, this is not a “No Doubter” of an A+.