The idea that collectors can obtain a sports card that commemorates an event they attended is a really cool concept and one of my goals is to collect as many Topps Now cards covering games I went to. So far out of the six games I've attended this season... only one card was created.
Back on July 16th, my friend and I went to the Oakland Coliseum to watch the Athletics play the Blue Jays and collect our Hello Kitty bobbleheads. In the bottom of the 2nd inning, Ryon Healy collected his first MLB hit which was a 3-run bomb to left field.
Here's the Topps Now card that Topps honored his feat with:
I was pretty excited when I saw this card on their site. Unfortunately I just couldn't justify spending $9.99 for a non-vintage, non-autographed, non-relic card of some twenty-four year old A's rookie. Free shipping and sentimental ties made it tempting, but I made the executive decision to wait and pick it up a few months later for half the price. Honestly... I'm still wondering if I should have held out a little longer to save a buck or two. I guess once you're cursed with bargain hunter blood, you're stuck with it.
Then on Monday night, I watched the replay of Dee Gordon's emotional home run and thought to myself... I don't care about the price. Nothing is going to keep me from owning a card that covered an event that literally touched my heart and made me tear up.
The next morning, I jumped online and checked Topps.com to see if they had posted it. Since I'm not really a Topps Now connoisseur, I don't know their release timetable. The day afterwards I noticed they made cards for the Chicago Cubs and Cleveland Indians, but nothing for Dee Gordon or his Miami Marlins teammates. By Thursday afternoon, I realized there wouldn't be a Topps Now card produced.
Anyone know why Topps chose to leave this event off of their Topps Now checklist?
According to Topps, the cards are suppose to capture "magical moments". I'm not sure how they define "magical", but Gordon's home run is about as "magical" as it gets.
Maybe they felt it was wrong to capitalize off of the tragic passing of Jose Fernandez. If that's the case, then kudos to them. A possible solution would be to give all proceeds from the card to the Fernandez family and his unborn child or possibly a non-profit organization that deals with boating safety. I don't know. I'm just thinking out loud.
Well that's all I have. I hope everyone is enjoying their weekend as we wrap up the MLB regular season. Happy Saturday and sayonara!
14 comments:
Seems like a terrible oversight on their part and that's one of the inherent flaws of this concept - it's never going to cover everything. Something's always going to be missed or left out; though, this particular moment seems awfully big to me. Perhaps Topps and their legal team thought it best not bring up or hint towards Jose's death in any way, shape or form?
I don't know if you follow Tony L from Off Hiatus on Twitter, but he has been taking Topps to task over what they decide is worthy of making a card one day and not the next and the overall market bias of their choices. I picked up two this year and I probably won't be buying anymore. I liked the idea just not the price.
Doh my wife was logged in.
I started out as a fan of the concept but as it went on it seemed to me that Topps stretched the idea of what a 'memorable moment' was. And I got tired of seeing the rookie Yankee catcher shoved down my throat. I know he is a phemon and it's 'THE YANKEES' but meh. Over the second half of the season I began just ignoring and deleting the daily email.
I would rather see a tribute card next year than profiteering on it this year. If the money was going to his estate or if they made the cards as a free remembrance for fans with only shipping costs then I might feel different.
Perhaps they didn't because no one collects Marlins?
It is likely a couple of factors. MLB and the MLBPA have to approve all so it may not have even been Topps. I also think they made a conscious choice not to sell anything so close. In Bunt, they removed him from packs in the app and made him not necessary for the reward runs.
If it's not some lame Cubs reference they can put on a card (rode to the game in his uniform - really?), then Topps doesn't give a sh*t.
I believe Topps made the call not to produce it out of respect for his family and the situation. They've had enough bad press over the years and I think if they would produce something like that it may have been seen or thought of as Topps trying to capitalize off of his death. It's just my opinion, nothing more. I feel it was the right call though they made not producing a card.
I kind of figured they would've made a Topps Now card of Steve Clevenger tweeting just to get money from every type of customer. I guess I can give them a little credit if they really did not produce the Gordon card out of respect of Fernandez.
That's a tough moment to capture but I agree that Topps made the right call and I respect them for not making it after his death. I think they should do a base card to commemorate him instead.
I said this on Twitter, but I was surprised Leaf who likes to capitalize on those things didn't make a card
tony burbs - i started thinking about that myself. it's nearly impossible to capture every single baseball moment in a year. photographers are bound to miss something.
christa... i mean cynnicalbuddha - not really active on twitter, but i'll check out tony's posts
cardboard jones - 100% agree
commishbob - i haven't really looked at this year's checklist... but i'm not surprised that it's flooded with sanchez cards. i just hope for everyone's sake he isn't the next kevin maas
angus - i like the idea of a free remembrance for fans.
b man - the idea that they target larger market teams wouldn't surprise me, but i'm not sure this is the case in this situation. that home run transcended baseball. non-baseball fans were talking about it at the lunch table.
ryan cracknell - thank you for the insight. it totally makes sense.
jedijeff - not sure the story you're referring to... but it sounds like i'd only be annoyed if i actually read about it.
the big kahuna - i agree... topps and any other company should never capitalize off the death of an athlete.
jeremy1um - a topps now card of clevenger would be way low on my wantlist.
sports card collectors - i'm sure they will. i hope they include a highlight card with gordon too.
Mine too. Glad Topps doesn't make cards of quick-tweeting insensitive backup catchers.
The Gordon homer seemed like a perfect Topps Now subject - but as has been said, it seems like they passed on it out of respect for Jose. I have to assume 2017 Topps will have a memorial card for Fernandez, and at least one card depicting the Gordon homer - his own card, or a highlight/checklist card, and maybe even a third card with the hats placed on the pitcher's mound. Sadly there's a lot to work with if Topps wants to capture the moment in other ways.
The Collector
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