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 #892 Steve Rosenberg

We are officially 100 cards into my custom 1992 Topps set!!  Steve Rosenberg played 4 seasons in the Majors. He came up to the Majors in 1988 with the White Sox, and played with them in 1989 and 1990. He spent his final season in the Bigs with the Padres in 1991.

Steve got cards in the 1989 and 1990 Topps sets, and was left off of the 1991 and 1992 sets. Now with this 1992 Topps customs, Steve just needs a 1991 Topps custom to complete his career Topps run.

Tonight, I finished the the last National League team in the 2016 Topps checklist. Now all that are left are 11 teams in the American League, and the checklist to the 2016 Topps set will be complete. I just want to say that Topps really screwed us over in 1998 (1993, if you want to get technical). In 1993, Topps decided to put cards of the Florida Marlins and Colorado Rockies in Series 2, even though the teams hadn't finished playing the 1993 season yet. It was a good idea, and I enjoyed it as a 10-year old, because it was cool to get cards of these new teams that hadn't played yet. This kind of opened the door for what they would do in 1998. This was the first year that Topps put pictures of players on their set in new uniforms that they would be wearing in the upcoming season. This would've been fine, but since Topps puts the previous years stats in their sets, it complicates things when looking through a roster and trying to figure out who was left off. Before '98, I can usually look through a roster and figure out who is missing from each team. In the '98 set and beyond, it can get tricky, because no matter what team I start with, I usually end up putting a player on the chcklist who already appeared in the set, usually because Topps had the player pictured on one team on the front, while the back has stats from another. While making the 2016 Topps checklist, I discovered many players who I put on the checklist who had cards in the set, but were pictured with a team that was different than the one they played for in 2015. I've just decided to be ok with it, because while looking through Topps checklists from the 2016 regular and Traded sets, I've discovered that the complany has made a card for player A in both the regular set and the Traded set many times. I don't get it. Why does someone need 2 base cards of a player. Most, if not all of them, aren't star players either. This keeps many deserving players out of the set. Currently with 11 teams left, the 2016 Topps regular set (not including Traded/Update) is at 1400 cards. My 1992 Topps set (which included 26 team combo cards, Award Winners, extra All-Stars, extra Draft Picks, extra Prospect cards, and extra Checklists, the set was only 1367 cards deep. 2016 has already passed it, and we still have 11 teams to add. Just another reason why us collectors need to band together and boycott Topps in favor of a custom set with better pictures, everyone in the league on a card (including coaches and managers), a better design, and no SPs. The only thing missing would be high-end cards, SPs, autographed cards, and relic cards, but isn't that the kind of cards that Topps is all about making?  Sorry to go off on a rant, but making this 2016 Topps checklist has shown me some things about Topps that makes me even more dissatisfied with the company.
Thanks for checking out my latest post.
-Jeremy

1992 Topps #875 Jim Presley

Jim Presley played in the Big Leagues for 8 seasons. He came up in 1984 with ten Seattle Mariners. He was one of their first superstars, hitting 28 Home Runs in 1985, and driving in 107 RBIs in 1986. He was named to the 1986 AL All-Star team. After the 1989 season, he signed with the Braves, and spent the 1990 season with them before playing his last season in 1991 with the Padres. After his career, he became a coach, spending 1998-2000 with the Arizona Diamondbacks, 2006-2010 with the Marlins, and 2012-now with the Orioles. I almost missed that he was with Arizona. I normally search Wikipedia for info, and his D-Backs tenure wasn't listed. When I looked on Trading Card Database, he had a 2001 Diamondbacks card, so I checked their roster, and sure enough, he was a coach. I would've figured it out soon enough, as I am working on completing the 2001 Topps set next, and he is on my checklist, but it's a little unsettling to think that some of the places where I get my info are incomplete.
Jim appeared in the 1985 Topps Traded set, and was in the regular set from 1986-1991. He also had a 1990 Topps Traded card. This 1992 Topps completes his Topps run as a player. He needs 1999-2001, 2007-2011, and 2013-2016 Topps cards for his coaching tenure.

My car finally gave up the ghost last night, so to add to all the stress of my life I now have to look for another car and deal with paying for that. I guess it is good because I really did need a new safe car for when baby comes, but it just sucks having to spend money I wasn't quite yet planning on spending. On the bright side, softball season is 2 days away. Can't wait. Thanks for checking out my latest card.
-Jeremy

1992 Topps Tim Scott

The next card in my custom 1992 Topps set is Tim Scott. Tim didn't appear in the 1992 Topps set, but did get a card in the '92 Topps Debut set since his debut came in 1991. Tim would go on to pitch up through 1997, but only appeared in the '93, '94, and '95 Topps editions. Relievers don't get any love in Topps sets today, and they didn't 20 year ago either. 

I need to edit this card, as part of his jersey stuck through the vertical lines on the right side of the card, but that shouldn't be too difficult to change. I actually have went through all the fronts of cards and put them in a file and made changes I needed to, so I don't know how I missed this one. 

I finished the back of card #1130 today. If my count is correct, I only need to finish backs to 205 more cards, which basically are coaches, a few managers, some draft picks, award winners, highlight cards, and a few random players. I work 5 days in a row, but I'm hoping to have energy on Thursday and Friday of next week to get on some backs, and at least get to some coach cards, and perhaps even get a team or two of coaches done. Thanks for checking out the latest card.

-Jeremy

1992 Topps Adam Peterson

Adam Peterson pitched in the Majors from 1987-1991 with the Chicago White Sox and the San Diego Padres. He only got cards from Topps in the 1990 and 1991 sets, and was left off of '92 sets other than for Upper Deck, which gave him a sunset card. 

He did pretty well in the minors, leading AAA Vancouver with 14 wins in both '88 and '89, while winning the AAA World Series in '89. He got cups of coffee in the Majors from '87-'89, finally getting decent playing time in 1990, when he notched his first Major League win. 

His wikipedia page doesn't say too much more about his baseball career than I've already written, but does mention that he has 5 sisters and 1 brother. I came from a pretty large family (I have 3 younger sisters), but I couldn't imagine having 6 siblings. Crazy.

Thanks for checking out the latest card in my custom 1992 Topps set. I hope I can shed some light on players that you might not have heard of and maybe generate more interest in finishing other Topps sets like I am trying to do.  If you like anything I am doing or have any suggestions, feel free to let m know.

-Jeremy

1992 Topps Atlee Hammaker

It seems fitting today that I would post Atlee Hammaker's card. On my other blog, I did a post on Dave Dravecky, Atlee's best friend when they were on the San Francisco Giants. Atlee came up with the Kansas City Royals in 1981, and won the NL ERA title in 1983. His last season came in 1995 with the Chicago White Sox. His last Topps card, though, came in the 1991 set. Here is his 1992 card, and I believe he is on my list of cards to make on my other blog, so eventually (probably in one of the later series) you will see his sunset card, a 1996 Topps version. Thanks for checking out this blog, and also my other one.

1992 Topps Jim Vatcher

Jim Vatcher played 3 seasons in the Major Leagues. Topps gave him a card in their 1991 set (card #196), and the 1991 Topps Debut set (card #159). He didn't get a card in the 1992 or 1993 sets. Jim was involved in the trade that sent Dale Murphy from the Atlanta Braves to the Philadelphia Phillies in 1990. The Braves got Jim, Jeff Parrett, and Victor Rosario , and the Phillies got Tommy Greene, Murphy. I don't know what the Braves were thinking with that trade. Parrett was near the end of his career, Greene was a promising pitcher, and then they put Vatcher, probably the best player they got in the trade, on waivers, and he got picked up by the San Diego Padres. This is another reason why the National League needs a Designated Hitter. Dale Murphy could've played DH, a spot would've opened up in the outfield for David Justice, and maybe, just maybe, the Braves would've won the 1991 World Series, and Murphy would've got a ring. Anyways, here is Jim Vatcher's 1992 Topps card.