MLB Showdown Obsession

 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 bunch and you better roll high if you hope to ge...

 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 a better 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...

 A perfect game is when a pitcher retires all his opponents in order in a victory. Usually referred to as "27 up, 27 down" but if extra innings are required, then the perfect game isn't official until the win is achieved no matter how many innings it takes. 23 men have officially pitched perfect games in Major League Baseball and I plan to recognize each in time. Lee Richmond pitched off and on from 1879-1886 for the Boston Red Stockings (future Atlanta Braves), Providence Grays, Cincinnati Red Stockings and the Worcester Ruby Legs. It is with the Ruby Legs that he achieved his immortality as the first ever pitcher to pitch a perfect game on June 12, 1880. Otherwise he had a very unassuming 75-100 record. The rules weren't the same back then as they are today. Foul balls that are caught after a bounce count as outs, foul balls don't count as strikes, the strike zone didn't exist and the distance to home plate was 45 feet, with underhand pitching. But, a perfec...