#86 Wilmer Flores

Today, I’m following up a rookie with another. This time we’re going all the way back to the the east coast.

#86 Wilmer Flores

First impression of what’s going on: This is kind of a generic shot of a swinging batter but I don’t know that you can expect more than that for a rookie card. Sure, you might get lucky like we did yesterday with Michael Choice, but I think he was an outlier. There are probably only a couple dozens shots to choose from for most rookies. The crop is too tight but Flores does have a few niches at first glance.

NEW YORK, NY - AUGUST 08: Wilmer Flores #4 of the New York Mets in action against the Colorado Rockies at Citi Field on August 8, 2013 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. The Mets defeated the Rockies 2-1. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)

 The Reality of the Photo: Definitely too tight of a crop. I can’t believe the Rockies are making another appearance, in spirit, if not on the actual card. The caption isn’t much help in identifying a particular pitch or even at-bat so let’s go to the BOXSCORE and see what we can find out.

A win is a win, whether you score two or twelve. Let’s see if the rookie had a hand in it.

No hits, but Flores did draw a walk and drive in a run. Fielder’s choice? Or maybe his walk was of the bases loaded variety?

He drew his walk in the bottom of the second, but nothing came of it.

In the fourth he did come up with the bases loaded but as I said, his walk already happened. This time, it sounds like he hit a dribbler to shortstop and the only play was for Flores at first, but allowing Daniel Murphy to score from third.

I wonder if, with no outs and the bases loaded, the infield was playing back for double play depth or in, for a play at the plate. My guess would be, that early in the game, play for the double play, sacrificing a run but putting a damper on an even bigger inning. If they were playing back, that could be the reason why the only play was at first on the dribbler.

This run tied the game at 1 apiece, which was followed by the game winning sacrifice fly by former Cub Anthony Recker. Had Flores grounded into a double play, the sac fly would have been an inning ending out.

The Mets were wearing their home alternates that day, as the regular home uniform involves pinstripes.

Looking a little closer, we can see the All-Star patch because the Mets hosted the game in 2013.

Better View 

And a little more subtle than that, we get a glimpse of an Under Armour logo from Flores’ undershirt on his elbow, for some Free Advertising.

On to the back:

Rookie Fact: Wilmer tied a Mets record with 9 RBI in his first six MLB games.

First, I want to go off on a tangent about the plurality of Runs Batted In. I think they are commonly referred to as RBIs even though that would translate to Runs Batted Ins. Maybe they should be RsBI, but that sounds ridiculous. So even though RBI, as used by Topps in the Rookie Fact, seems odd, it is technically correct. Weird.

Back to the fact at hand. Among Flores’ 9 RBI, he had a pair of 3 RBI games and one in at least five of the six games. Not to mention that the Mets as a team went 5-1 in that stretch. Good way to start a career.

Information I’ll be tracking:

Card Number: #86

Player Name: Wilmer Flores

Team: New York Mets

Position: Shortstop

Game Date: August 8, 2013

Opponent: Colorado Rockies

Stadium: Citi Field

Division: National League East

Home/Away: Home

Outcome of the game: 2-1, Mets over Rockies, Win for the player depicted

Alternate/Throwback Jersey: Yes, alternate

Bats/Throws: Right/Right

Birthdate: 8/6/1991

Birthplace: Venezuela

Cameos by: N/A

Photographer: Jim McIsaac

Niche collections this card could fit into: Alternate Jersey, Free Advertising, Patch, Rookie Card

My Grade: This one hits a lot of the same niches as yesterday’s A+ rookie, but somehow it still falls a little flat. Maybe if the crop wasn’t so tight or if Flores had a bigger day at the plate. I’m still going to give this card a B though.

Usually I save the “what could have been” photos for cards with failing grades, but when looking for the source photo, I saw two photos that would have put Flores into “no doubter” A+ status. Both are perfectly timed photos that shine a good light on Flores and they’re both from the same game on September 15, 2013. Maybe that was a little too late in the season to get these made on time.

Lesson learned for the Marlins. Don't try to get to third if Flores is guarding it!

#277 Mike Leake

This wraps up a sample for each of the 30 teams. After this, because of the difference in the cards per team ratio, they’re may be team repeats before others.

#277 Mike Leake

First impression of what’s going on: Standard swing follow through, slightly mis-cropped. Meh. I say this as a card collector, not as a fan of the rival Cubs. At first glance the only niche this might fill is Pitchers at the Plate. There's some pine tar on the helmet. Enough that I noticed, but not quite Manny Ramirez proportions (look here and here). Does anybody have a pine tar mini collection? If somebody cops to it, I’ll add it as a niche. I know somebody or two collects cards that show name plates and or numbers from jersey backs but this one doesn't quite get either in full.

CINCINNATI, OH - APRIL 17: Mike Leake #44 of the Cincinnati Reds bats during the game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Great American Ball Park on April 17, 2013 in Cincinnati, Ohio. The Reds won 11-2. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)

The Reality of the Photo: The photo itself is a nice shot, even if it wasn't a pitcher. If I collected signed photos and/or Reds stuff, I’d have it in my collection. With the tight crop, you miss the high socks. And the Free Advertising of Nike on his shoes. We know the Reds crushed the Phillies from the caption but maybe Leake had a great day at the plate and made this special. Let’s go to the BOXSCORE.

Screenshot from Baseball-Reference.com

There’s a five run second inning. Maybe he hit a grand slam!?

Screenshot from Baseball-Reference.com

Not quite. But he did go 3 for 4, including an RBI triple and scored three runs himself. Nothing like helping yourself out at the plate when when you’re not pitching a real gem.

Screenshot from Baseball-Reference.com

What’s that? Oh it was a gem? Seven innings of scoreless, three-hit baseball. Fine, Reds fans. He had a great game. Are you happy now? LOL

On to the back:

Rookie Fact: Mike was the 21^st player to reach the show while skipping the minors.

So I went looking for a list of the other twenty players to reach the Majors without playing in minor leagues and got confused along the way. The first link that popped up was courtesy of WIKIPEDIA but it had a list of 90+ players. It mentions that some of the players may have later played in the minors for rehab, demotions or other various reasons. And anyone who has been to college in the last decade knows, Wikipedia is a great source, but not one you can necessarily get away with citing.

Another LINK  from 2007 (pre-Leake) had a list of 19 players and stipulated that these were since the First Year Player Draft in 1965. Going back to the Wiki list, most of the players were from before that time. I’m guessing this was the criteria used by Topps when constructing the Rookie Fact. But if this list has 19, and Leake was the 21^st, who was number 20? Inquiring minds want to know.

Finally, I came across a link from BASEBALL-ALMANAC.COM that, in my opinion, gives a definitive answer as a trusted source. There wasn’t anybody between #19 Xavier Nady and #21 Mike Leake. According to this list, Nady is actually #20 as the previous link neglected Darren Dreifort of the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1994.

I’m trying to get better about citing my sources, but if you don’t want to click the links I provided, here’s the screenshotted chart from Baseball-Almanac.

Screenshot from Baseball-Almanac.com

Information I’ll be tracking:

Card Number: #277

Player Name: Mike Leake

Team: Cincinnati Reds

Position: Pitcher

Game Date: April 17, 2013

Opponent: Philadelphia Phillies

Stadium: Great American Ball Park

Division: National League Central

Home/Away: Home

Outcome of the game: 11-2, Reds over Phillies, Win for the player depicted

Alternate/Throwback Jersey: No

Bats/Throws: Right/Right

Birthdate: 11/12/1987

Birthplace: California

Cameos by: N/A

Photographer: Joe Robbins

Niche collections this card could fit into: Former First Round Draft Pick, Pitchers at the Plate

My Grade: This card didn’t wow me right off the bat. A standard batting pose, but wait! It’s a pitcher! Different, although not altogether unique. Leake did have a hell of a game, both from the mound and at the plate. That’s got to count for something, right? The Rookie fact provided some interesting information, and intrigued me enough to do some more research. Maybe if he was dropping down a bunt, I could justify an A, but it’s going to have to settle for a solid B.

If somebody can show me a Pine Tar mini collection, maybe I’ll bump it up to a B+.

#35 Trevor Cahill

#35 Trevor Cahill

First impression of what’s going on: Not a surprise? Another pitcher pitching. An actual surprise? Great cropping! No missing appendages. Well done, Topps! (How's that for positive reinforcement?) We even get a little perceived “oomph” with Cahill’s expression. After some mediocre cards, this one is off to a good start.

SAN DIEGO, CA - JUNE 14: Trevor Cahill #35 of the Arizona Diamondbacks pitches during the first inning of a baseball game against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park on June 14, 2013 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Denis Poroy/Getty Images)

The Reality of the Photo: There isn't much to go on with the full picture but the caption limits this photo to the first inning at least. This caption doesn't even give the outcome of the game so let's go to the BOXSCORE.

Wow, a pitcher’s duel. The sixth inning could go to the starter or the bullpen, let’s take a closer look.

Cahill ran into trouble in the sixth and got stuck with the loss. Usually only allowing two runs should get you the win.

As for the first inning, Cahill did allow a pair of base runners but struck out three to escaped unscathed.

You can blame your offense for lack of support (they only managed two hits) but when you start off an inning with a walk and a hit by pitch, it can come back to haunt you. On this day, Cahill paid the price with his 8^th loss of the season.

The good folks at Rawlings wanted to make sure in case you saw Cahill's glove, you knew they were the manufacturer. They have three separate logos in plain sight.

And speaking of logos, can I just say that the sleeve patch logo where the lower case “d” and “b” form a snake head is one of my favorites.  It’s simple yet clever!

It reminds me of the old Brewers logo with the “M” and the “B” that form a ball and glove.

On to the back:

Rookie Fact: Trevor was the 1^st Athletics rookie since 1983 to take a no-hitter to the 7^th.

Take that, Todd Van Poppel! Sorry, that’s the extent of my A’s rookie pitcher knowledge. I probably just dated myself too. Cahill's feat came in just his second career appearance on April 12, 2009 against the Seattle Mariners. Unfortunately, it was another case of lack of run support as Cahill took the 1-0 loss after allowing a single and double in the 7^th inning. Each team had three hits, but only the Mariners managed to convert.

I didn't go year by year so I can’t vouch that Cahill was the first to do it since 1983. But to rub a little salt in the wound for him, I did find a rookie pitcher for the Athletics that got into the7th inning with a no-hitter in 1983 and that guy finished it out. On September 29, 1983 (almost five years before Cahill was born), Mike Warren of the middle-of-the-AL West- pack Oakland A’s no-hit Tony La Russa’s first place Chicago White Sox.

Information I’ll be tracking:

Card Number: #35

Player Name: Trevor Cahill

Team: Arizona Diamondbacks

Position: Pitcher

Game Date: June 14, 2013

Opponent: San Diego Padres

Stadium: Petco Park

Division: National League West

Home/Away: Away

Outcome of the game: 2-1, Padres over the Diamondbacks, Loss for the player depicted

Alternate/Throwback Jersey: No

Bats/Throws: Right/Right

Birthdate: 3/1/1988

Birthplace: California

Cameos by: N/A

Photographer: Denis Poroy

Niche collections this card could fit into: Free Advertising,

My Grade: This card didn't fit a lot of niches and tells not one, but two stories of lousy run support. But I really, really, really want to reward this card for having one of the best crops to date. And since this is my blog, I shall. It gets a B.

#189 Adam LaRoche

Man, I really goofed up these last couple of days. Last night's Manny Machado card was supposed to post in the morning at 9 AM, not PM. And the cards from last evening and this morning don't even looked they posted. Whoops! Anyway, here's is the card that should have gone up last night.

#189 Adam LaRoche

First impression of what’s going on: Another kind of standard shot for a first baseman, mitt out, ready to receive the ball. I never really understood the upside down glasses thing. And I don’t know what the patch is for so I’ll have to look into it.

WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 01: Adam LaRoche #25 of the Washington Nationals catches the ball at first base against the Miami Marlins during Opening Day at Nationals Park on April 1, 2013 in Washington, DC. (Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images)

The Reality of the Photo: Again, the crop is a shame. Not that you see much of his arm anyway, but it still could have been framed better.Opening Day went to the Nationals acording to the BOXSCORE.

 According to his game log, LaRoche had 10 putouts in the game so I'm not going to even try to figure out the exact play with the lack of clues.

I will note that LaRoche is standing with a foot firmly on first base. When I played the position, I was always taught to put my foot up against the edge, giving me more of a reach towards the ball and also to prevent collisions with the base runner. There’s no runner in sight so maybe that wasn't an issue, but thought I’d point it out since I noticed.

From Opening Day of the 2013 season, this photo is now the earliest one used. Long time readers (and I use that term loosely as I've been active all of about two weeks) may recall the Michael Young photo from mid-September as the most recent.

As for the patch, it commemorates the victims of the Sandy Hook tragedy and was worn by all players, managers, coaches and on-field personnel from March 31-April 2, 2013. Here’s a preseason press release giving more details. And a better view of the patch if you don’t click the link:

On to the back:

Rookie Fact: Adam was the first NL rookie to get his 1^st 2 hits in the same inning.

That’s pretty cool. The hits came in his MLB debut on April 7, 2004 ( BOXSCORE). He grounded out to second in his first at bat but his first two hits and two RBIs came in the 11-run 4^th inning.

Way to not be a rally killer! 

Information I’ll be tracking:

Card Number: #189

Player Name: Adam LaRoche

Team: Washington Nationals

Position: First Base

Game Date: April 1, 2013

Opponent: Miami Marlins

Stadium: Nationals Park

Division: National League East

Home/Away: Home

Outcome of the game: 2-0, Nationals over the Marlins, Win for the player depicted

Alternate/Throwback Jersey: No

Bats/Throws: Left/Left

Birthdate: 11/6/1979

Birthplace: California

Cameos by: N/A

Photographer: G Fiume

Niche collections this card could fit into: Southpaw, Commemorative Patch, Sunglasses

My Grade: I am a Cubs fan through and through but the Washington Nationals are my local team so I get blasted with Nats news more often than I 'd like. With all the hype of Stephen Strasburg and Bryce Harper, you might gloss over the fact that Adam LaRoche got MVP consideration in 2012 (6th place), as well as winning the Silver Slugger and Gold Glove for his position. His numbers came back to normal in 2013 as the Nationals did as a whole.

My kids had the opportunity to get his autograph after a Nats game in 2012, so my grade will probably come off a little biased. Its not much better than average, but with a couple of niches covered and the fact that LaRoche seemed liked a pretty god guy, I'll give it a B.

And just for fun, here the cards he signed for us:

#96 Wily Peralta

#96 Wily Peralta

First impression of what’s going on: I can’t quite put my finger on it because there’s nothing real exciting about this photo, but I like it. Maybe the intimidation factor? There’s s light cropping issue on the right side, but nothing horrible like a missing limb. There isn’t much to go on so hopefully the caption can shed some light.

DENVER, CO - JULY 26: Starting pitcher Wily Peralta #60 of the Milwaukee Brewers works against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on July 26, 2013 in Denver, Colorado. Peralta collected the loss as the Rockies defeated the Brewers 8-3. (Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)

The Reality of the Photo: Well that was kind of a spoiler alert with the caption. Looks like the Rockies weren’t as intimidated by Peralta.  Let’s take a look at the BOXSCORE.

Most of the runs were scored early. Let’s see how many Peralta was on the hook for:

Ouch. I’ve seen a couple of cards already where the player depicted was n the losing end, but there hasn’t been one yet where the player was as directly responsible. Maybe Peralta wasn’t trying to be intimidating, but instead trying to hide.

We do get more than a glimpse of Peralta’s glove brand, TPX, for a little free advertising there.

On to the back:

Rookie Fact: Wily tossed eight innings of two-hit shutut ball, 9/16/12.

This is a pretty straight forward fact that, although a little on the boring side, are harder to get wrong.

This game definitely went more Peralta’s way than the one captured for the card.

Information I’ll be tracking:

Card Number: #96

Player Name: Wily Peralta

Team: Milwaukee Brewers

Position: Pitcher

Game Date: July 26, 2013

Opponent: Colorado Rockies

Stadium: Coors Field

Division: National League Central

Home/Away: Away

Outcome of the game: 8-3, Rockies over Brewers, Loss for the player depicted

Alternate/Throwback Jersey: No

Bats/Throws: Right/Right

Birthdate: 5/8/89

Birthplace: Dominican Republic

Cameos by: N/A

Photographer: Doug Pensinger

Niche collections this card could fit into: Free Advertising

My Grade: I really like the photo on this one. The story behind it isn't great and the rookie fact is average. Lots of minor league experience fills up the back of the card, so there isn't a blurb. Not a lot of niche value there though. They say a picture is worth a thousand words, and the photo here really carries this card. I’ll give it a B.