MLB Showdown Obsession

  Aguilera had a...decent 2000 card from the Cubs. But he wasn't best known as a Cub. Just like with Beck previously, many people wouldn't otherwise know that there was a much better version of a reliever in the not too distant past. As part of the World Champion Twins, Rick offers a much better control and chart to close out your wins with. I couldn't decide between these two versions of Lance Johnson, so I decided to post both. On one hand you can select the Johnson with a very attractive chart that makes his official 2000 card blush, or you can opt for the previous version with a higher on-base and way higher speed for the exchange of natural homers and corner outfield eligibility. Either way, you get a rock solid defender with speed. Gary Gaetti had a homer heavy chart with a sad 5 on-base that no one feared. Put him back on the Royals during his last great season and see what happens when he has a slightly better on-base. He keeps his perfect +3 defense at 3rd and adds...

There have been 7 perfect games in the last 20 years. For contrast, from 1880 when the first couple perfect games were pitched until 1956 when Don Larsen pitched the most famous game of all time, only 6 perfect games happened. Mind you, that the "Dead-ball era" the predated the Ruth power surge only accounts for 4 of the perfect games. So despite the huge offensive advantage the game contains today, there have been way more 27-up, 27-down games than in the era when offense was "dead". Food for thought. The last of those dead-ball perfect games was thrown by one Addie Joss on October 2, 1908. His Cleveland Naps beat the Chicago White Sox 1-0. He needed only 74 pitches and struck out only 3 White Sox, both record lows for perfect games. Added to the thrill of the game was it was the home stretch of the season in which both teams were fighting with the Detroit Tigers for the pennant. Detroit would win in the end, and famously go on to lose to the Cubs in the World Seri...

 I had something I was working on...but then I noticed that before I knew it, the HoF vote for 2023 would happen...then I realized that the "Contemporary Committee" was happening RIGHT NOW, so everything went on hold so I could highlight the men up for the honor before the vote is revealed this weekend. Some of them are familiar with my previous HoF vote posts. Albert Belle Barry Bonds Roger Clemens Don Mattingly Fred McGriff Dale Murphy Rafael Palmeiro Curt Schilling If I had the vote to myself, Mattingly and McGriff would get the nod. I'll admit that Murphy was a bit before my time.

 I learned a thing while setting up todays update. 1) The Orioles feel like they should have more bad players in the 2000 set, but this was the early stages of their collapse into obscurity after a decent run in the previous seasons. Ripken retiring was the sign on the end with no heir ready to lead...and 2) Boston was on their way to the same fate it seemed, with various players on their roster at the end of their careers, but Boston would keep competitive with a-Martinez pitching, b-throwing millions and millions of dollars on free agents and c-embracing the steroids with Ortiz and Ramirez to prevent the same fate that Baltimore headed to. The late Rod Beck was a meh reliever if you only knew him from the Showdown days. Before that, way back in the day by todays standards, he was one of the most premier closers in baseball. If the Bot gave an option to give cards holographic status, Beck here would definitely qualify. Strikes out a ton and you better roll a natural 20 if you hope...

 Steroid users don't count. Roger Maris had remained the single season home run king for the last 61 years with his 61 home runs in 1961. This season, however, he was finally beat by a clean player, so he can legitimately step aside. It just so happens that the true home run record will be once again be held by a Yankee right fielder. From Babe Ruth, to Maris and now to Aaron Judge. So now that Maris will take his final bow from history, it seems just to acknowledge his career in showdown cards. Might as well start with the only card most people will care about. The '99 season McGwire card (65 homers in '99) featured the same homer roll of 16+ but with only a 10 on-base. And since Maris wasn't on steroids, the Maris card is more attractive. Additionally, let's compare this card to the '27 Babe Ruth card... A much, MUCH higher on-base but a more compromised 18+ homers. Both Ruth and Maris hit 60 homers in 154 games so either way you're getting power. Ruth did...

 Oh hey, a follow up to one of my many theme posts. Not a very common occurrence. Let's celebrate. So right away I decided that this series wasn't going to be 30 parts. The Angels had a lot of weak cards with superior alternates, but teams like the Braves weren't exactly lacking in the same way, and since it's been a long time since an update, I figured I'd combine a couple teams here and there to flesh out a post. Weiss in 99 had no power and no on-base. I wanted to use his Rookie of the Year season, but that card as well was awful. Walt just isn't a very offensive player. 1998 offers a more agreeable card. Solid defense, 9 on-base, barely any extra base hit potential, but his doubled defense and better on-base means he'll contribute way more. Andy Fox was the NL starter set shortstop. Like Gary Disarcina from the AL side, he was quickly replaced on your roster once you pulled better cards. 1998 offers a more reliable card. Better speed, better on-base, com...

 Denton True Young. Better known as Cy. You might've heard of him. There's only an award named after him for being the best pitcher in your league every year. Young built himself quite the Hall of Fame resume over his career, so it's natural to assume a perfect game would land among his qualifications. On May 5, 1904, Young hurled the 3rd ever perfect game. On that day, Young shut down the Philadelphia Athletics, and his Boston Americans took a 3-0 victory at the Huntington Avenue Grounds in Boston. The stadium not only holds the distinction of hosting the first ever American League and modern era perfect game, bit it was also host to the first ever World Series game a season prior between the Americans and the Pittsburg Pirates. The game had already drawn quite a crowd to witness the pitching rivalry of Young and Rube Waddell, the latter of which had been goading Young in the press before the game. 1904 was just another year for the 511 career game winner. a 26-16 record w...

 So today the New York Yankees retired the number 21 for Paul O'Neill. O'Neill was the right fielder for the legendary Yankees dynasty of the 1990's. He didn't have the loudest voice on the team, or the most runs, home runs or stolen bases, but he did everything with the consistency that you demand of the 3 hole hitter of 4 world championship teams. He hit over .300 every season, regularly drive in over 100 runs, hit doubles with the league leaders and played amazing defense that would save not only world series wins but perfect games as well. Water coolers were never safe from his intense temper, but neither were opposing pitchers. The man usually played hurt and never gave in or wanted to sit out a game. The Warrior was the heart and soul of the Yankees during their dynasty run, eliciting chants of his names from the Yankees faithful during his final home game in 2001 (the World Series at that). O'Neill came to New York in a trade from Cincinnati for Roberto Kelly...

 The Veteran's Committee this year went off with a bunch of 2nd look inductees for the 2022 class. In addition was the one BBWAA vote, who seemed to have avoided the stigma of obvious PED use that has kept other greats out of the hallowed halls. Here though he won't escape such scrutiny, thus his HoF card will only utilize seasons in which he wasn't on the juice. As usual for the rest, their best seasons have been selected to make the most worthy card possible of such immortals. Also inducted: Buck O'Neil (Executive) Early Baseball Era Committee selection Bud Fowler (Executive) Early Baseball Era Committee selection

 Perfect games are rare. I remember the 1998 and 1999 Yankees features a perfect game each year and thought that was a crazy short amount of time....that actually had nothing on the true record. A mere 5 days after Lee Richmond became the first man ever to pitch a perfecto, John Montgomery Ward made it happen for the 2nd time. It would be 76 years before the National League would be a part of another perfect game, and 84 years before an NL pitcher would pull it off themselves. On June 17, 1880, Ward was untouchable as his Providence Grays beat the Buffalo Bisons 5-0. Ward ultimately ended up in the Hall of Fame more for his union work, but nevertheless he has the first perfect game pitched by a future member of Cooperstown. He is also the youngest perfect game pitcher ever. Just like with Richmond, this game was subject to odd variations of the rules when compared to todays game. Ward was pitching in his home park, but Buffalo won the coin toss and were acting as the home team in t...