Your Turn (Beckett Baseball issue No. 76): Who has impressed you in 2012?
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By Chris Olds | Beckett Baseball Editor
From Ryan Braun and Rally Squirrel cards to Matt Kemp, Yu Darvish and the arrival of Bryce Harper, there’s been plenty to talk about with the beginning of the 2012 MLB season.
We want to know who or what stands out to you.
Maybe it’s a new Topps brand. Maybe it’s one of Panini America‘s baseball products. We simply want to know what has impressed you — tell us in the comments below.
Please include your name and location with your comment. We’ll run a selection of the best answers in the next issue of Beckett Baseball.
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Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Baseball magazine. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an email to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.
I would have to say that I still like the basic Topps series as its great for me and my kids to enjoy it togeather, now for my own personal choice I have been enjoying the Topps Museum set because of the design and quality.
ive been buying a lot of packs here lately. from 2012 topps baseball and heritage to press pass and leaf draft. but my best brand has to be gypsy topps. i bought a box of gypsy queen pulled a phil niekro game used jersey, the gypsy queen red back joe diamaggio, a matt cain green frame mini, a frank thomas moonshot as well as a reggie jackson moonshot card, a hallmark heroes dimaggio, an adron chambers straight cut back card just to name a few. i did buy a box of leaf draft pulled 2 autos of players i never heard of. with the leaf draft box there were doubles a plenty. 4 trent richardson. 4 robert griffin iii, 6 stephen hill, and so on. well those are the cards ive bought the last few months. again gypsy being my best box so far.
I’m not sure which is more amazing, Matt Kemp’s ferocious start, Derek Jeter batting over .400 for the month, or the AL East standings.
David Johnson – Ocala, FL
I like all the new inserts this year.
To say the least, this year’s line-up of brand new products has blown away even the best products of last year. Topps has been using their MLB license very well having put out some of the best products on the market compared to Panini. 2012 Topps Museum Collection, I’m sure, was a huge surprise to collectors having been equivalent to the shock that collectors received when they found out how truly amazing 2011 Topps Tribute was last year! To sum it all up, even though it’s only half way through the year, this season is one of the best!
Caleb Wilson
Gilbert, AZ
Just started collecting cards again after 20 years. My son and I really enjoy the Topps 2012. I bought my first pack of 2012 Tribute and then bought a second pack. Looking forward to buying a museum pack. The cards are incredible compared to the 1991 Upperdeck and topps Stadium club I left off with.
Collecting like a child again!
Thanks Topps
The washington nationals starting pitching and for the hobby JD Martinez autos are on hot
Topps is the best …… first made simple put. Panini America just does not intrest me it is boring.
I would have say albert pujols no home runs……. Matt Kemp Awesome. Bryce Harper good for the game.
id really like to buy a pack of museum but my card shop doesnt carry them. said they cost to much per pack and he didnt want to be stick with them. and im not paying what ebay wants to for a pack and i dont trust ebay when it comes to unopened packs. but im still looking, they look like really nice cards.
The bounce back by David Wright has impressed me. With injuries contributing to two down years in a row, his card prices were starting to take a hit. An April with a .500 OBP and near .400 average have sure helped spark his selling prices as well as the Mets this year.
Tom, Madison, NJ
For me the most surprising thing so far this year is everything about the Dodgers. Last year they were a .500, however this year they started the year off by amassing a 9-1 record. They have slowed down a little bit recently, but many players are still putting up monster numbers. Kemp is having one of the greatest starts in MLB history, Billingsley and Lilly are looking to bounce back from mediocre 2011 seasons, and Kershaw is pitching as well as he did last year. Not only are those guys doing well, but Ethier’s knee looks better, and Dee Gordon speed looks as good as ever. Also, their free agent acquisitions, such as Chris Capuano and Mark Ellis, are looking like great fits for Dodger stadium. Besides, what team wouldn’t play well if they had just been bought by one of the greatest athletes of all-time!
For me the most surprising thing so far this year is everything about the Dodgers. Last year they were a .500, however this year they started the year off by amassing a 9-1 record. They have slowed down a little bit recently, but many players are still putting up monster numbers. Kemp is having one of the greatest starts in MLB history, Billingsley and Lilly are looking to bounce back from mediocre 2011 seasons, and Kershaw is pitching as well as he did last year. Not only are those guys doing well, but Ethier’s knee looks better, and Dee Gordon speed looks as good as ever. Also, their free agent acquisitions, such as Chris Capuano and Mark Ellis, are looking like great fits for Dodger stadium. Besides, what team wouldn’t play well if they had just been bought by one of the greatest athletes of all-time!
-Thommy Selden, Los Angeles, CA
Comparing to last year, Matt Kemp has risen up to one of the best power hitters in the past decade, and in my opinion he is the best! Albert Pujols is slacking and having a hard time with the Aneheim Angels. So far he hasn’t hit a HR, AND he broke his record of consecutive at-bats without a hit. Now, I thing the young stars are dominating the MLB. Castro, Posey coming of his broken ankle, Heyward is slacking, but I think will pick up shortly, Freeman, Darvish, and Harper. As for the card perspective… this year has blown me away. With Museum, Bowman coming out shortly, Gypsy Queen looks nice this year, AND Tribute, it’s an All-Star line-up! It’s amazing and the year in baseball is not even half way over! -Alex Giles, Knoxville, TN
Jose altuve is showing everyone what the little guy can do. I’m sure that’s been a surprise to a lot of people. For cards- museum collection was a product that only a handful of people were excited about before it released, then caught fire and got everyone excited about how great-looking cards can be. Was good to see-
Stephen Strasburg. He’s blowing by hitters even after having Tommy John Surgery.
I’m really blown away by Lance Lynn. A man who was just tabbed as a short term substitute while Chris Carpenter recovers from shoulder problems was the first in the majors with 4 wins then blew us away for number 5. A quick fix has turned into a rock solid part of the rotation hopefully leading the Cardinals to 12 in 12.