1992 Topps #955 Stump Merrill Manager

 Stump Merill never appeared in the Majors as a player, but he did get to manage the New York Yankees in the 1990 and 1991 seasons.  Those 2 seasons would be it as far as appearing in the Majors, although he served as a special assistant to the GM of the Yankees for a number of years. 

Stump recieved his first Topps card in the 1990 Topps Traded set, and he got a card in the 1991 regular Topps set. Topps had a habit of making a card of the new manager if one got fired the previous season, so since Merrill got fired in the 1991 season, they chose to put the manager for 1992, Buck Showalter, in the 1992 set as the Yankees skipper. This 1992 Topps custom is the last card needed to complete Merrill's career Topps run.

Thanks for checking out my latest post.

-Jeremy

1992 Topps #954 Jorge Pedre

 Jorge Pedre spent 2 seasons in MLB, 1991 and 1992. He played with the Kansas City Royals in 1991, and the Chicago Cubs in 1992. 

I have just finished making 2 of Pedre's cards recently, as he was in the last part of my 1993 Topps set, and the first part of my 1992 Topps Traded set. Since the 1991 Topps Traded card was the only one he was missing to complete his career Topps run, I created it to give you every Topps card of Pedre.

So there you have Jorge's 1991 Topps Traded, 1992 Topps (front), 1992 Topps (back), 1992 Topps Traded (front), 1992 Topps Traded (back), and 1993 Topps cards. 

Jorge didn't appear in very many mainstream issues. While appearing on a few minor league issues, Jorge only had a 1992 Topps Debut and 1992 Score card. These 4 Topps issues will add to that.

I'm slowly working away at the 1992 Topps Traded set, and have finished the Atlanta Braves and the Chicago Cubs team sets. Hopefully that will come along more quickly. 

Thanks for taking the time to check out my latest post.

-Jeremy

1992 Topps #953 Justin Thompson Draft Pick

Justin Thompson played in the Major Leagues from 1996 to 1999, and once more in the 2005 season. He was selected in the first round of the 1991 MLB Draft by the Detroit Tigers, and got called up by Detroit in 1996. He stayed with them through the end of the 1999 season, and was traded to the Texas Rangers with Gabe Kapler and Frank Catalanotto for Juan Gonzalez. He suffered a torn rotator cuff, and missed the '00 and '01 seasons, but returned to the Majors in 2005 with the Rangers. 

Justin Thompson's card resume is kind of funny. He didn't get into the 1992 Topps set (although he should have as a #1 Draft Pick), and he has a few cards made in seasons which he didn't play at all. Let's take a look.

Justin got his first Topps card in the 1994 set, in the Future Stars subset. His next Topps card was in the 1997 set. He got into the 1998 set, the 1999 set, and the 2000 set, which featured him pictured as a Ranger. Interestingly, like the 1994 set, when he got a card and didn't play in a game for the season before or during the year of the set, Justin got a 2001 Topps card. This would be Justin's final Topps card. 

Thompson is missing cards from the 1992, 1996 Traded, 2000 (picturing him as a Tiger), 2005 Update, and 2006 Topps sets. My '92 Topps card gets his rookie card finished, and leave Justin with only 4 cards needed to finish his career Topps run.

I am currently working on finishing the 1992 Topps Traded set (fronts and backs), and I will add those to the complete set page, and if I ever get this blog finished and run through the main set, I will start with the Traded set.

Thanks for checking out my latest post.

-Jeremy

1992 Topps #952 Jim Lewis

Jim Lewis played one season in the Majors, spending 12 games in the 1991 season with the San Diego Padres, going 0-0, with 10 Strikeouts and a 4.15 ERA. Nothing earth-shattering, but better than I could do. 

Jim didn't appear on many card at all, including minor league ones. His only major issues were found in the 1992 Fleer set, the 1992 Score set, and the 1992 Topps Debut set. Surprised he didn't appear on the Stadium Club set or on a Bowman set in either 1991 or 1992. 

Lewis is only missing 2 Topps cards, a 1991 Topps Traded one, and one from the 1992 Topps set. Since it is only 1 card, I whipped one up real quick, so here is Lewis's 2nd missing Topps card, completing his career Topps run.

Thanks for checking out my latest post.

-Jeremy

 

1992 Topps card #951 Jeff Shaw

Jeff Shaw pitched in the Majors from 1990 to 2001. He pitched his first 3 years with the Cleveland Indians. He spent 1993 and 1994 with the Montreal Expos. He split 1995 with the Expos and Chicago White Sox, before leaving for the Cincinnati Reds. He spent 1996 and 1997 with them, before being traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers during the 1998 season. He spent the rest of his career with them before retiring after the 2001 season. His baseball life doesn't end there, as his son Travis now plays for the Blue Jays.

Jeff got his first Topps card in the 1994 Topps set. He appeared in the 1998 through 2002 Topps sets, and that was it for him. Jeff is missing cards from the 1990 Topps Traded, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1993 Topps Traded, 1995, 1995 Topps Traded, 1996, 1996 Topps Traded, 1997, 1997 Topps Traded, and 1998 Topps Traded sets. Besides the 1992 Topps custom, I have also made Jeff's 1993 Topps card.

That about does it for today. Thanks for checking out my latest post.

-Jeremy

1992 Topps #950 Rick Dempsey

Been awhile since I've posted here, but I'm still plugging away. Here's the latest 1992 Topps custom.

Rick Dempsey was one of just a handful of people to play in the Majors in 4 different decades. He came up in 1969 with the Minnesota Twins. He played with them through the 1972 season. He played with the New York Yankees from 1973 to June 1976 when he was traded to the Baltimore Orioles, the team he is most famous for playing with. He was with them for a decade, staying with them through the 1986 season, and winning World Series MVP in 1983 during their World Championship season. He was with the Cleveland Indians for the 1987 season, spent 1988 through 1990 with the Los Angeles Dodgers, serving as the backup catcher in 1988, when they won the World Series. After spending the 1991 season with the Milwaukee Brewers, he returned to the Orioles for the 1992 season, his last. After playing, he got into coaching, serving with the Dodgers for the 1999 and 2000 seasons, and with the Baltimore Orioles from 2005 to 2006.

Rick got his first Topps card in the 1972 set. He was left off of the 1973 set, but then appeared in the 1974 through 1987 Topps sets. He got a 1987 Topps Traded card, was missing from the 1988 set, and then got into his last 3 Topps series in the 1989, 1990, and 1991 Topps sets. He is missing cards from the 1969, 1970, 1971, 1973, 1973 Traded, 1988, 1988 Traded, 1991 Traded, 1992 Traded, and 1993 Topps sets from his playing career, and the 1999 Traded, 2000, 2001, 2005 Traded, 2006, and 2007 Topps sets from his coaching career.
There are still a ton of Dempsey cards to be made, but I have finished his 1993 Topps playing sunset card, and his 2000 and 2001 Topps coach cards.

Thanks for checking out my latest post.
-Jeremy

1992 Topps #949 Bill Long

Bill Long pitched in the Majors from 1985 to 1991. He came up to the Big Leagues in 1985 with the Chicago White Sox. He spent 1986 in the minors. He spent 1987, 1988, and 1989 with the White Sox, and started 1990 with them, but was traded to the Chicago Cubs in April of that year. He finished the season with them and played the final season of his MLB career, 1991, with the Montreal Expos.

Bill got his first Topps card in the 1987 Topps Traded set. He got cards in the 1988, 1989, 1990, and 1991 Topps sets in his career. He is missing cards from the 1985 Topps Traded, 1986 Topps, 1990 Topps Traded, and 1991 Topps Traded set.

This 1992 Topps card is Bill's sunset card, and I would love to find a good picture of Bill with an Expos uniform on to try to remake this card with. Until then, this will do.

I have been trying to go hard-core on checklists, and have finished the 1951-2001 Topps checklists. Just 18 more to go and I will be caught up. Once they are done, I will probably work on the 1995 Topps checklist to add all of the replacement players to it, and then get back to working on customs, specifically the 1993 Topps set.

Thanks for checking out my latest post.
-Jeremy

1992 Topps #948 Rico Rossy

Rico Rossy spent 4 years in the Major Leagues. He came up to the Majors in 1991 with the Atlanta Braves, spent 1992 and 1993 with the Kansas City Royals, and stuck around to play his final season with the Seattle Mariners in 1998.

Rico never got a major Topps card, and is missing cards from the 1991 Topps Traded, 1992 Topps, 1992 Topps Traded, 1993 Topps, 1994 Topps, 1998 Topps Traded, and 1999 Topps sets.
I made his 1994 Topps card as part of that set, so along with that card and my 1992 Topps custom, it crosses 2 off of his career Topps run.

Just wanted to mention that at my other blog, Topps Cards that Never Were, I have finished the complete checklist of missing players for the 1979 Topps set. That set now gives me complete missing player checklists (yearbook style and traded) of all of the Topps sets from the decades of the '50's, '60's, and '70's. Just the '80's (which is close to halfway there with the '83, '84, '85, '86 and others being done), '90's, '00's, and '10's, and I will be finished (unless I don't get done by the time 2020 Topps Update comes out). If you like making customs, check out the site. There are pages for each years' Topps set (on the right sidebar of the desktop version of the site), and on each page is whatever I have done for the missing player checklist, any templates I have, and a picture with the correct fonts for the set (along with a link to download each font).
Thanks for checking out my latest post.

1992 Topps #947 Dmitri Young Draft Pick

Dmitri Young was a decent hitter, who I actually got to meet a few times.
He came up to the Majors in 1996 with the St. Louis Cardinals, and played with them through 1997. He was traded to the Reds, and spent 1998 through 2001 with them. He got his big break and was traded to the Detroit Tigers, and spent 2002-2006 with them, hitting 3 HRs on Opening Day in 2005 and making the All-Star team in 2003. He played 2007-2008 with the Washington Nationals, making the All-Star team and winning Comeback player of the Year in 2007.

He appeared on his first Topps card in 1997. He appeared in the 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, and 2002 Topps regular sets, and the 2002 Topps Traded set. He got into the 2003, 2004, 2005, and 2006 Topps sets, the 2007 Topps Update, and 2008 Topps sets.

He is missing cards from the 1996 Topps Traded, 1998 Topps Traded, 2001 Topps Traded, 2006 Topps Traded, and 2009 Topps sets.

I met him in Spring Training a few times, and he was quite the character. Didn't like to sign autographs, but he did one time for me and a few others. He kind of got on to us for not asking him how his day was and only wanting autographs. After one of us asked him how he was, he was a little happier. His brother Delmon also played in the Majors, and I got his autograph in Spring Training in about the same area as where I got Dmitri's.

Thanks for checking out my latest post.
-Jeremy