Collecting Cleveland Indians Topps team sets from 1952-present, as well as post-war minor and major league autographs.
Starting pitcher Juan Hillman was drafted by the Indians in the 2nd round of the 2015 draft. He was rated one of the Indians top 15 prospects in both 2016 and 2017, but he he struggled at Low-A in both 2017 and 2018 and fell off the prospect map. This[…]
Second baseman Josh Allen was not drafted coming out of University of West Florida in 2013, and instead went the independent league route. Over the last eight seasons he has had quite a career in Indy ball: .301/.404/.500 with 76 HR. He has been selected to four All-Star teams. This[…]
Fausto Carmona–or Roberto Hernandez, however you want to remember him–did not have a particularly impressive career. Over 11 seasons he went 71-99 with a 4.60 ERA/89 OPS+. He was selected to one All-Star game, in 2010. But there will always be 2007. That season Carmona went 19-8 with a 3.06[…]
Years ago Omar Vizquel did a private signing, and I sent three of these 2007 Heritage cards in to get signed. They came out pretty well–this being the best of the three. Omar had a heck of a career: 24 seasons in the big league, three All-Star selections, and 11[…]
Shortstop Miguelangel Sierra was a former Astros top prospect who is now playing independent ball with the Sugar Land Skeeters. Why I like him From 2016-2018 Miguelangel was one of the Astro’s better middle-infield prospects, ranking as high as #11 following the 2016 season. So that is something! But Miguelangel’s[…]
Corey Jolks was one of the Top 500 players from the 2017 draft, and would be taken that season in the 8th round (241st overall). He is currently in AA-ball, hitting .272/.320/.412 with 2 HR. Why I like him He is not really a prospect anymore, but he does hit.[…]
2003 Grandstand Boise Hawks Rich Hill, his first minor league card. One of my favorite in-person autographs was getting Rich Hill while he was pitching with the Cleveland Indians back in 2013. During his brief stint with the Tribe, he went 1-2 with a 6.28 ERA/1.733 WHIP/ 61 ERA+[…]
JT Brubaker went to college at the Univerity of Akron–near my hometown–so I was very happy when he was drafted by the Pirates in the 6th round of the 2015 draft. I wrote to him in college but never got anything, but I was able to get him in 2015[…]
Ronny Rodriguez spent part of 2018 and all of 2019 on the Tiger’s major league roster as a super-utility player. Over those two seasons, he hit .221/.254/.396 with 19 HR, good for a 70 OPS+. He was granted free agency in November 2020 and is not playing baseball right now.[…]
Mike Blowers had a nice 11-season career. I remember him best for his 1998 season with Oakland when he hit .237/.302/.386 with 11 HR as the team’s primary third baseman as the team transitioned away from Scott Brosius and moved into the Eric Chavez-era at the hot corner. He would[…]