Tino > Bagwell

Take a look at this card from 1998 Pinnacle Plus:

That's Tino Martinez on the front. 

That's Jeff Bagwell on the back. 

According to Pinnacle, Tino was better than Jeff Bagwell in 1997. Why else would Tino be on the front, while Bagwell is stuff on the back with the legal language? Pinnacle wouldn't lie to you.

Let's see how they stacked up in 1997. Coincidentally, it was both of their age 29 seasons.

Tino had the edge in BA (.296 to .286), Hits (176 to 162), HRs (44 to 43), RBI (141 to 135), Less Ks (75 to 122),  TB (342 to 336)

Bagwell was better in Runs (109 to 96), Doubles (40 to 31), SB (31 to 3), BB (127 to 75), OBP (.425 to .371),  SLG (.592 to .577), OPS+ (168 to 143), WAR (7.7 to 5.1)

So I guess Bagwell was a bit better in 1997. But Tino pulls ahead with his 1997 HR Derby win, as well as a post-season homer. Sorry, Jeff.

Oh, and Tino won 4 World Series. Bagwell did not. Sure, Bags is in the HOF...but Tino's rings are shinier.

Anyways, they both had a a great 1997. For Tino, it was a career year. For Bagwell, it was a fairly standard year. Cool to see them on the same card.

But Tino will always be on the front. Just sayin...

Great to see two more wearing Yankees hats into the Hall

Two Yankees got the call to the Hall yesterday. I fully expect them to wear an interlocking NY on the HOF plaque.

Tim Raines played in the Bronx from 1996-98, winning two World Series in the process. I was surprised to look back and see he hit .299 with a .395 OBP for them...although I guess I shouldn't be. A bunch of seasons like that is what got him to Cooperstown.

I remember him well for homering on the first pitch following the Tino/Benitez brawl in 1998. I couldn't find the video of the homer, so instead, here's him scoring the go-ahead run in the '96 World Series after Wade Boggs drew a 10th inning walk.

Ivan Rodriguez had a memorable Yankees career as well. The Yankees acquired him in 2008 at the trade deadline to help with catching duties. He hit .219 with two homers and three RBIs.

Ok, ok. I know both will not being going in as Yankees, but it was cool to see them each wear the Pinstripes for a short time. They are both very deserving of the HOF.

Also a congrats to Jeff Bagwell. He was a hell of a hitter, and this card is cool. HOUSTON, WE'VE GOT A PROBLEM.

Luckily, I get to add three new cards to Joey's HOF collection:

Lastly, I like the trend of Mussina picking up votes. I'd say it's becoming more and more realistic that he finds his way in a few years down the line. I'm a big supporter of his, and think his overall body of work is a bit underrated despite never having certain accolades that one might expect from a HOFer.

I'm also bummed to see Jorge Posada fall of the ballot after one year. No, I don't think he belongs in, but I would have liked to see him stick around a bit longer to see if he gained any momentum. Catcher is a bit underserved as a position in the HOF, and he was certainly one of the best offensive catchers of his generation. It's become popular to knock his defense, and while I'm not a baseball scout, I can't say that watching him over the years, especially during his prime, did I ever think he was killing the team behind the plate. Oh well. He's got his plaque in Monument Park, and that will have to do.

Diamond Giveaway is cool, but not my favorite sweepstakes of all-time

Redeeming my Diamond Giveaway code last night made me fondly remember one of my favorite redemption programs of all time. Card companies have always held sweepstakes and redemption programs that make collecting a little more exciting. This was especially true when Upper Deck Collector's Choice hit the shelves in 1994.

Collector’s Choice was the Topps Opening Day of the ‘90s. It was Upper Deck’s $.99 pack that was the sister to their other higher-end sets. At a time when the prices of packs of cards really started to climb well above $1, this was a welcome brand for any kid who didn’t have a ton of money to spend on cards, like me. Packs were plentiful at the local CVS drug store. The base cards in the 1994 set were simple, and each pack also included a silver signature card, their version of the Topps Gold parallel set.

In 1994, Collector’s Choice had an instant win game called You Crash The Deck. It was a scratch-off card with a head-to-head game between players, and as a kid I remember being pretty amused by it. I don’t quite remember what the game itself entailed. However, there was also an instant win box with decent odds for a prize. Twice I won the same prize, an 8-card hologram insert set from the previous year’s Home Run Derby. The set was called Home Run All-Stars and featured some of the game’s biggest sluggers. I vividly remember sending in my two redemption cards and getting the sets back. I was a huge fan and it put the brand in good graces with me. In fact, I still have at least one of these sets.

In 1995, Collector’s Choice came out with two sets – SE and the regular base set. Unnecessary. But they morphed their sweepstakes game into the popular You Crash The Game insert series – in silver AND gold none the less. Not only were these insert cards pretty cool looking, but the rules changed from 1994. For example, if you pulled a Barry Bonds that said June 28 and he hit a home run that day, you could redeem the card for a prize. Remember, this was before the internet was mainstream, so if you pulled a card and the date had already passed, you had to do some serious legwork to see if you had won. I remember my local newspaper getting mad at me because I would keep calling and asking if Griffey or Bagwell hit a homer on a certain date. They legitimately told me to stop calling. 

They also had similar You Crash games for their other sports sets, and as a result, I ended up with quite a few redemption prizes from each of them. Usually it was a special card of the winning player, or even a 30-card set. In the coming years, they tweaked the rules from time to time, and one year their prize cards were even clear cuts (!!). I still have a Chipper Jones from that redemption.

Topps Diamond Giveaway is a fun sweepstakes, but for me, it hardly comes close to You Crash The Game. Although I could be singing a different tune if I unlock a 1952 Mantle. So I’d like to open it up to you. What’s your favorite all-time card redemption or sweepstakes?