Topps Total(ly On-Card)

I have very few card collections given my limited resources and space, but I did decide some time ago to begin collecting on-card Royals autographs. It’s been a blast so far trying to track these things down and this is the latest addition to my collection. To view the cards currently in the collection, take a look at the Gallery or the other posts in this series. I’m working on getting a legit want list together on my trade page but, in the meantime, if you have any on-card Royals autos that it looks like I don’t have, don’t hesitate to drop me a line!

We have the technology!

In the Year of Our Lord two thousand and five, there was a much-beloved set called Topps Total. This set was cheap. Cheap, 1980s-style cardstock. Relatively generic design and photography. But it gained a huge following because it featured cards of the entire 40-man roster for all 30 MLB teams with very little fluff. 720 different players were represented and, if I recall correctly, the packs were only a buck or so apiece. Itprobably cost Topps less to produce than any set since 1991.

Yet, somehow, they managed to get some signatures on an actual baseball card. What magic hast thou wrought, Topps?! Or, rather, what magic have they lost? I’ve ranted about on-card autographs a lot here (and I will a great deal more, especially given the recent releases of Topps Marquee and Triple Threads, which also contain some magic of their own), so I’ll spare this post by ranting about Zack Greinke. I’ve got a few of his autos now (don’t believe me? Click his name back there!), including his so-called rookie (which is actually an XRC I think… someone ask Chris Olds for me) (Oh, and it’s also not technically on-card, since it’s a window auto, but it’s still a pretty cool card so I’m keeping it). Greinke had a slow start in 2011 but ultimately ended up with one of his best seasons to-date for his new Brewers. 16-6, a 1.2 WHiP and a league-leader-tying 10.5 SO/9 helped him bring the Brewers to the postseason where I have to root against him because the Brewers are sworn enemies of my Cubbies.

But do I really have to root against him? He seems like an all right dude. And he’s a good pitcher who came up with my AL team. And he’s awesome. The Brewers themselves are an impressive team with a cool stadium that I’ve been to several times. They’ve got a fat vegetarian and the best nickname in baseball in The Hebrew Hammer. They’ve got a lot going for them. Way more than my Cubs, who may end up asking me to play 3B, 1B and be the bottom half of the rotation next year with the way things are going.

The point is, the Brewers are an easy team to like. And having a player I collect in their ranks really complicates things. The best case scenario for me at this point would be to end up with a Rays/Brewers series so I could root Rays with no hesitation (I love underdogs, obviously). The chances of that are ultimately slim, but any other matchup presents quite a crisis. I may have to settle for silently cheering for Greinke… except when he throws against the Cubs, of course.

3 comments to Topps Total(ly On-Card)

  • That’s a nice card from a set I dearly wish was still around.

  • Jon

    I’m sorry, do you still work here?

    Gotta disagree about the Brewers. I find it quite easy to hate them. I hate Fielder’s pompousness. I hate Braun’s fish head. I hate that mascot slide. It’s a team of cartoons.

    See? Easy.

    Oh, and I guess you can forget about the Rays in the World Series now….

    • Very funny. And I guess I’m just looking for a team to root for. Especially now that the Rays are hooked. (Tried to get a Steve Erwin joke in there somehow, but couldn’t manage it).

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