Emily Waldon, Detroit Tigers and National Prospect writer for The Athletic joins the Baseball Happenings Podcast to discuss Major League Baseball's proposal to contract 42 teams from Minor League Baseball. She shares how the two Detroit Tigers affiliates that Rob Manfred has put on the chopping block have responded to the news.
Baseball Happenings Podcast
"They're very against it, and they're both fighting to make sure that they don't lose their places," Waldon said. "They're working with Congress to try and fight against it. Obviously wanting to defend their place in the organization's farm system, I'm working very hard to make sure that that can stay reality."
In the 11-minute interview, Waldon also shares her thoughts on Lou Whitaker missing out on the Hall of Fame, her grinding journey covering the minor leagues, and the top organizational farm systems to watch in 2020.
John Strohmayer "Missing 1974 Topps Card" / Giovanni Balistreri
The South Dakota native made his major league debut in 1970 with the Montreal Expos. He pitched parts of four seasons with the Canadian club, compiling an 11-9 record before the Mets signed him off waivers midway through the 1973 season. It was a move that delighted the entire household.
Unfortunately, Strohmayer could not recapture his Flushing magic in a Mets uniform. He pitched in only seven games with an 8.10 ERA and was left off the postseason roster. He spent most of the 1974 season in the minor leagues, making one final appearance as a September call-up with New York. Citing a sore shoulder, Strohmayer hung up his cleats and embarked on a 34-year career in education.
He returned to his alma mater, Central Valley High School, where he was once a standout multi-sport athlete. Working as a teacher and a coach, he led Central Valley’s boys’ basketball team to the CIF championship in 1989. The district dedicated the current basketball court in his honor.
Strohmayer eventually moved up the administration ladder, working as an assistant principal and principal before becoming the district’s superintendent in 2005. Current Central Valley principal Kyle Turner found Strohmayer’s athletic and coaching experience enhanced his ability to relate to students and staff.
"I firmly believe that some of the best coaches can make fantastic administrators, and I know that a lot of the things that he's learned in his athletic past obviously helped him relate to students and keep the connections with students,” Turner said to ABC-affiliate KRCR. “And that's something that is an integral part of any educator, and he was able to do that very, very well, from everything that I've experienced with John."
In 2009 luck found Strohmayer, when he was one of 15 Gateway Unified School District employees who shared a $76 million lottery jackpot. He retired at the end of the 2009 school year after 32 years in education.
Collectors have impatiently waited for 2019 Bowman Chrome Baseball's release the entire season. The chromium-based set casts a wider reach than 2019 Bowman Baseball, offering new rookies and prospects to enhance its desirability. The two autographs promised in each master box further increases Bowman Chrome's magnetism as fans turn their attention to next year's upstarts.
2019 Bowman Chrome Baseball / Bowman
2019 Bowman Chrome Baseball Base Set, Prospects, and Parallels
The 100-card base set features rookies from Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Keston Hiura, Fernando Tatis Jr., and the 2019 National League Rookie of the Year, Pete Alonso. To add further intrigue to the base set, 15 rookies contain rare image variations. The final three digits of the CMP code (#209) will indicate if you have one of these short-printed issues.
2019 Bowman Chrome Baseball / Bowman
The Chrome Prospects set is numbered from 151-250, hosting prospects that are likely to see the big leagues soon if they aren't already there. Collectors will find Royce Lewis, Nolan Gorman, Casey Mize, and Jo Adell among the group, as well as late-season call-ups Bo Bichette and Brendan McKay.
Both sets feature serial-numbered colored refractors that will keep player collectors on the hunt to corner the market on their favorite prospect. There are eight variations - Base Refractor #/499, Purple #/250, Blue #/150, Green #/99, Gold #/50, Orange #/25, Red #/5, SuperFractor 1/1.
Bowman Chrome continues with a consistent prospect theme by highlighting the Arizona Fall League stars with their own 30-card insert set. The Stat Tracker insert set also contains 30 players, each recognized for an impressive feat from the backs of their baseball cards. The 15-card Elite Farmhands spotlights a narrow group that could have a massive MLB impact in the coming years. The set includes Jarred Kelenic, Jordyn Adams, and Wander Franco.
2019 Bowman Chrome Baseball Inserts / Bowman
Just like the base set, each insert set also has serial-numbered refractor parallels - Atomic #/150, Orange #/25, SuperFractor 1/1.
2019 Bowman Chrome Baseball Autographs
Each master box guarantees two autographs. For collectors lucky enough to score a 1st Bowman Chrome autograph of a heralded prospect, the return could be massive in a relatively short amount of time. Alexander Canario, Noelvi Marte, and Orelvis Martinez are among those who are the most sought after from this set.
Bowman also provides collectors with the opportunity to catch one of 14 signed Chrome rookies, including the aforementioned group of Alonso, Guerrero Jr., and Hiura. Both the prospect and rookie autographs have the following serial-numbered parallels - Base Refractor #/499, Blue #/150, Green #/99, Gold #/50, Orange #/25 (Hobby), Red #/5, SuperFractor 1/1.
Buried deeper into the release is harder to find 2018 Arizona Fall League autographs, relics, and relic/autograph combinations. Bowman doubles down on the AFL theme, offering AFL alumni signatures, including Mike Trout, Ronald Acuña Jr., and the Hall of Fame member, Derek Jeter.
The box provided for this review drew two Bowman Chrome Prospect autographs. The first autograph was a 1st Bowman Chrome from Minnesota Twins pitching prospect Jhoan Duran. The second came from Texas Rangers infield prospect Jonathan Ornelas.
2019 Bowman Chrome Baseball Autographs / Bowman
2019 Bowman Chrome Box Break Video and Final Thoughts
Collectors were able to follow their favorite talents throughout an entire minor league season, noting which stars came to prominence. As the top tier breaks away from the pack, 2019 Bowman Chrome Baseball allows collectors to keep them in focus the entire offseason.
This year’s Clearly Authentic set is filled with over 20 rookie autographs including favorites Pete Alonso and Vladimir Guerrero Jr., as well as Washington Nationals second year phenom Juan Soto. The base version serial-numbered parallels include: Green #/99, Black #/75, Red #/50, Blue #/25, Purple #/10, Orange #/5, and Gold 1/1.
Collectors with a lucky touch will find a batch of Hall of Famers within its 150 Years of Professional Baseball subset, as well All-Stars Don Mattingly and Darryl Strawberry set in the iconic versions of their 1984 Topps cards. To further bridge Topps’ historical releases, superstars and Hall of Famers are abundant in the attractive 1952 Reimagining and mini T-206 sets.
2019 Topps Clearly Authentic Box Break and Final Thoughts
The box provided for this review drew a Justus Sheffield red base autograph #/50. The see-through back on the acetate cards gives his signed rookie a distinct display compared to other Topps issues.
2019 Topps Clearly Authentic Justus Sheffield Red Rookie Auto / Topps
With box prices currently hovering around $50, the opportunity to score a uniquely designed Hank Aaron, Derek Jeter, Mike Trout, or Pete Alonso signed card makes 2019 Topps Clearly Authentic Baseball tough to pass up.
During the interview, Moskowitz explains how during his research he caught the collecting bug through watching online breaks, and eventually found a community through their chat rooms that has substituted for a lack of local card shops.
The Cincinnati Reds started the 1977 baseball season fresh off a repeat World Series victory that included an entire postseason sweep. Despite this incredible feat, opposing lineups no longer viewed the Big Red Machine as invincible. The Reds traded Tony Perez to the Montreal Expos, and for the first time since 1964, their lineup was missing their RBI juggernaut.
George Foster and the 1977 Reds / McFarland Publishing
Author Mike Shannon dives into how the Reds tried to continue their dynasty with his new book, “George Foster and the 1977 Reds: The Rise of a Slugger and the End of an Era” (McFarland, 2019). As the Reds put Perez’s replacement on Dan Driessen’s shoulders, power-hitting outfielder George Foster swooped in with an MVP performance that took the baseball world by storm.
Shannon documents the Reds entire 1977 season from the first pitch to the final out. Each development is chronologically inspected by revisiting volumes of books and newspapers to recreate how manager Sparky Anderson navigated their run at a trifecta. With the Reds staring at a losing record at the end of May, Anderson faced the press questioning if his squad was still a contender.
The Reds made a play for the pennant when they acquired Tom Seaver from the New York Mets on June 15, 1977. Not even his 14-3 record and Foster’s legendary 52-home-run performance could put the Reds any closer than 6.5 games from the runaway Los Angeles Dodgers.
"George Foster and the 1977 Reds" highlights a pivotal time in Reds franchise history, as 1977 represented the crumbling of the Big Red Machine. It marked the start of a downward spiral that the Reds never recovered from until their 1990 World Series victory.
Readers may find his look at the season too academic at times, as it suffers from an overload of game recaps that clutter the story. With a majority of the 1977 team still alive, "George Foster and the 1977 Reds" would have benefited from surviving player anecdotes. These first-person narratives would have been a valuable color commentary supplement to Shannon's play-by-play. Nonetheless, die-hard Reds fans will enjoy Shannon giving Foster his due and illustrating how much the club missed Perez’s presence despite Driessen’s valiant .300 performance at the plate.
Topps adds a new school twist to a vintage tradition with 2019 Topps Archives Baseball. The retro-designed release frames both modern and classic players in three popular sets. The site of retired players in different poses on their original releases, as well as the current stars in past designs, makes opening 2019 Topps Archives an exciting trip down memory lane.
2019 Topps Archives Baseball Base Set and Designs
The 300-card base set is divided into three 100-card series. This year’s release highlights the 1958 Topps, 1975 Topps, and 1993 Topps sets, with the star being the 1975 Topps cards. Pulling a Nolan Ryan, Thurman Munson, or Tony Perez gives collectors the experience of opening a 1975 Topps pack, while current darlings Shohei Ohtani, Jacob deGrom, and Bryce Harper fit smoothly in the cherished 1975 design.
Cards 1-100
Cards 101-200
Cards 201-300
Collectors will also need to turn the base cards over, as parallels are stamped on the back with their serial numbers. These come in four variations: Purple #/175, Silver #/99, Blue #/25 (Hobby), and Gold 1/1.
The 30 short-prints in the set (301-330) contain three old school elements in their designs. Pete Alonso and Vladimir Guerrero's inclusion in the high numbered cards will keep collectors on the hunt throughout the offseason. Click here for the entire checklist.
2019 Topps Archives Baseball Inserts
Topps digs deeper into past releases for the 2019 Topps Archives Baseball inserts. An entire set is devoted to the Montreal Expos' 50th anniversary. Other inserts include a Topps Magazine insert set, a prospect filled 1994 Topps Future Stars set, and a 1975 Topps themed mini insert set. Additionally, Topps celebrates Ichiro’s final season with a 16-card insert set chronicling his storied career.
2019 Topps Archives Baseball Autographs
Fans will give a long look at two Topps Archives Baseball autographs sets. The classic Fan Favorites autographs are filled with surprises from oddities such as legendary surgeon Dr. James Andrews and New York Mets general manager Brodie Van Wagenen, to local favorites Cookie Rojas, Fred Stanley, and Kevin Tapani, as well as heroes Hank Aaron, Sandy Koufax, and Tony Oliva.
The Montreal Expos tribute features Andre Dawson, Bartolo Colon, Maury Willis, Tim Raines, and Vladimir Guerrero autographs as part of the 21 signers in the set. With a renewed interest to revive baseball in Montreal, collectors will get a strong nostalgia taste with these signers.
Other autograph sets include 1978 Topps Record Breakers, 1994 Topps Future Stars, Topps Magazine, and the Ichiro retrospectives.
The box Topps provided for this review yielded a Steve Sax Fan Favorites and a redemption card for an Ozzie Albies autograph.
2019 Topps Archives Box Break and Final Thoughts
Topps’ lighthearted approach to 2019 Topps Archives Baseball has done well in the hobby. The classic sets have a modern feel that gives 2019 Topps Archives Baseball a pleasant touch for both new and old collectors. At 330 cards, this set's size is just right for collectors to pursue as the postseason develops.
