If I have one major complaint with Topps sets over the last few years, it's that they seem to always miss the bench/middle relief/end of the rotation type players, while guys who don't even make the team somehow end up in the set.
In 2010, Ryan Church was supposed to be a veteran bench bat for the Bucs. Instead he largely looked absolutely lost at the place until a midseason trade to the Diamondbacks. He got overlooked during his time in Pittsburgh (aside from a Heritage card), yet somehow managed to get included in Update as a Diamondback, despite only picking up 55 plate appearances.
I remember those Sunday lineups featuring the likes of Ryan Church and Matt Diaz.
ReplyDeleteThe list of Pirates bench players through the 2000's has looked like a career grave yard. Or guys who are absolutely horrible here, and then suddenly start hitting again for their next team (McLouth, Hinske, etc). And every time I think those days are gone, we get a Brent Morel or Michael Martinez.
DeleteYeah, Topps's insistence on including a Quad-A pitcher or an alleged rookie star is annoying -- especially when it means that a 660 card set has 20 Pirates/Brewers and 35 Yankees/Mets.
ReplyDeleteThe Pirates have finally started getting some base set love from Topps. But there are still way too many times I've been sitting at my computer angrily shaking my first when I see how few Pirates get included in a new checklist. It's the small market curse, I guess.
DeleteIt still bugs the crap out of me that Topps missed Marlon Byrd and Justin Morneau for the 2013 traded set. And this time, they didn't have the bench/middle relief or meaningless team excuse.
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