Collecting Cleveland Indians Topps team sets from 1952-present, as well as post-war minor and major league autographs.
Max Fried. We talked once–for a good 20 minutes–at the end of a low-A Lake County game. He was waiting for the fireworks to start. He was very nice. I was not aware at the time who he was until a couple of fellow graphers came over. He was very[…]
I will always have a soft spot for Jay Bruce. Bruce was the 12th overall pick of the Reds in 2005, and would quickly become one of the best prospects in baseball. From 2005-2007 he was one of the Reds Top 3 prospects In 2007 he has ranked the #1[…]
Very happy to add these two cards to my collection. Both Aaron Civale and Zach Plesac have played important roles on the Indians this season. The Indians rotation was a strength coming into the season, but the injury bug bit that squad hard. Corey Kluber, Carlos Carrasco, Danny Salazar, Mike[…]
Andrew Vaughn is a very good baseball player. This past June he was drafted 3rd overall by the Chicago White Sox out of Cal. This season at Cal he hit .374/.539/.704 with 60 walks compared to just 33 strikeouts. He also hit 15 home runs and has 50 career dingers,[…]
George Valera came into this season rated the Indians #5 prospect. The ranking was based heavily on his tools and a brief showing in the Arizona League in 2018, where he hit .333/.409/.556 with one home run before going down with an injury. This season he opened the year in[…]
Last season Roberto Perez was one of the worst regulars in all of baseball, hitting .168/.256/.263 with 2 HR. At the same time Yan Gomes, the Indians starting catcher, had a great year hitting .266/.313/.449 with 16 HR and getting his first All-Star selection. This past off-season the Indians[…]
CC Sabathia was the 20th overall pick of the 1998 draft, taken by the Cleveland Indians. In 1999 he opened the season in Low-A Mahoning Valley, but was only there for 19.2 innings, striking out 27, walking 12 and allowing 9 hits. He was quickly promoted to A-ball. 20 years[…]
Jason Castro is a former Hawaiian League player (2008 North Shore), so I like to follow his career. And he is having a very nice season, hitting .257/.331/.529 with 10 HR for the Twins. Good for an OPS+ of 125. Castro has one All-Star selection, back in 2013. That season[…]
Barret Barnes is having a nice season in AA, hitting .258/.381/.458 with 9 HR. The problem is that he is doing it as a 27-year-old. Barnes spent all of 2018 with the Sugar Land Skeeters, and Indy team. Barnes was originally a supplemental 1st round selection of the Pirates back[…]
Jose Berrios just made his second All-Star team, his second in a row. He deserves it. This season he is 8-5 with a 3.00 ERA/1.111 WHIP/151 ERA+ over 117 innings. He has only allowed 117 hits while striking out 104. Berrios has turned into one of the best pitchers in[…]