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 #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

1992 Topps #921 Doug Glanville Draft Pick

Doug Glanville spent a good deal of time in the Majors, and gained notoriety for his intelligence, and currently writes for the New York Times and ESPN. He made it to the Majors in 1996 with the Chicago Cubs, and played for them until the end of the 1997 season. He played for the Philadelphia Phillies from 1998 to 2002. He split 2003 with the Texas Rangers and Cubs, and finished his career in 2004 with Phillies. 

Doug got his first Topps card in the 1995 set, on an On Deck card that he shared with Darron Cox. He was left off of the 1997 set, but then got into the 1998 through 2005 Topps sets to finish his career Topps run. Doug is just missing a card in the 1997 Topps set to finish his career Topps run. I will probably make it and post it on my other blog to finish his career Topps run. 

Thanks for checking out my latest post.

-Jeremy

1992 Topps Tarrik Brock Draft Pick

Today's card marks the first draft pick card in my custom 1992 Topps set. The Detroit Tigers had a draft pick card of Trevor Miller, but missed out on draft pick cards of top prospects Justin Thompson and Brock. I added Thompson and Brock in my set so the first 3 picks in the '91 Draft for the Tigers now have a card in the '92 set. 

Tarrik never made it to the Bigs with the Tigers, but did make it to AAA with them. I actually saw Brock play in the Minors in 1996 while I was living in Lakeland, Florida and he was playing in low-A ball with the Lakeland Tigers. I probably went to 5 games that year and got his autograph on a pennant, which is hanging up in my man-cave. After the '96 season, Tarrik was selected in the Rule-5 Draft by the Mariners. He stayed with them until 1999, when he signed with the Rockies before the season started. In July that year, he was traded to the Cubs, and then in 2000, he reached the Majors, playing in 13 games with them, getting 2 hits and stealing 1 base. He spent 2001 with Elmira in the Independant League, and spent 2002-2003 in the Dodgers system before retiring. After his playing career, he started coaching in 2006 with Ogden. Then from 2007 to 2013, he was the Marlins outfield and baserunning coordinator. He was their interim 1st Base Coach in 2010. In 2014, he was back in the Majors again, this time as the Astros 1st Base Coach. 2015 was spent as a Padres Minor League Coordinator, and this year, he is the Padres 1st Base Coach. 

Brock's only major-issue cards include a '92 Bowman, '92 Stadium Club Dome, 2000 Fleer Mistique and 2000 Fleer Tradition Update card. He also has a '92 Upper Deck Minor League card.

I consider Tarrik part of my Favorite player collection, but only have 1 of his cards, a 1991 Classic/Best Minor League card. One of these days, I'll try to print out this card and make it card #2 in my Brock collection. I will also probably make his 2001 Topps card, finishing up Tarrik's career Topps run (although I may try to add him to a few prospect cards in the '93-'97 sets). 

Thanks for checking out the latest card in my set.

-Jeremy