There are a handful that I enjoy and have purchased, but a high percentage of the cards produce a feeling of "meh" in me. Today's post covers the last one I will be sharing unless I eventually pick up cheap copies of Blake Jamieson's Mark McGwire and Ichiro cards.
Sophia Chang is my second favorite Project 2020 artist, so I knew there was a good chance I'd be purchasing her interpretation of Tony Gwynn's rookie card:
2020 Topps Project 2020 #225
Although Ermsy is my overall favorite Project 2020 artist, I actually like Chang's version a lot more. Like Ermsy her style gives off a "street art" vibe, but she managed to keep Gwynn's head intact. I'm also a huge fan of her use of different fonts and the interesting "Easter Eggs" she includes on her cards.
Some of the facts are obvious like the inclusion of .394, 1983, and "outfield". But I had absolutely no idea how "Jack Rabbits" and Tony Gwynn fit together. Thanks to Google... I discovered they're the Long Beach Polytechnic High School mascot... where he lettered in baseball and basketball. Speaking of basketball, she includes Gwynn's SDSU single game record of 18 "dimes" against UNLV back in 1980.
2001 SP Game Bat Edition Piece of the Game #TGw
I'm surprised that I didn't know that Gwynn called his prized ash bat... "Seven Grains of Pain"... but I do now thanks to Ms. Chang. And her inclusion of "Chemistry Guy" is part of a quote by Mr. Padre himself... "I'm a chemistry guy. I believe you've got to play together to have a chance to win.". Although I wasn't familiar with that quote, I always knew he was a team player and loyal to the Padres.
"Play Hard, Have Fun" is part of another direct quote from Gwynn... which makes sense since Gwynn always seemed like he was having fun on the diamond. And if you're a fan of Gwynn, I'm sure you're familiar with how much effort he put into the game he loved.
1990 Classic #87
Well that's it for today. I wanted to leave you with this tidbit of Tony Gwynn trivia. Exactly thirty-one years ago, he went 3 for 4 at the plate against the San Francisco Giants pitchers to sneak past Will Clark for his 4th National League batting title. Good times.
Happy Thursday and sayonara!
14 comments:
If you really want these cards to be worth a lot, the artists need to die. Or be revealed as Banksy.
Terrific card of Mr. Padre.
I have a few Project 2020 cards, and I hope to add a few more.
Not all are desirable, but I think it's a fun thing to follow.b
I really appreciate the work that Sophia Chang put into this one - I bought the Rickey Henderson that she did - I think I might have to nab a copy of this Gwynn as well!
So Tony gave Will Clark the motivation to go 4-for-4 in his next game - the first game of the NLCS against the Cubs. Six RBIs too.
Nice card. The artists have really been living into the Padres brown.
Damn. Sophia Chang is MY favorite P2020 artist, too. And she earned that distinction even before I scrolled down to the card. ಠ_ಠ
Whats a project 2020?......Just kidding, I've stayed clear of any of those. My PC's are just too many to get caught up. Hopefully one day, I'll stumble across any Braves at a show.
"7 Grains Of Pain" - love it! I bet Topps could do a whole insert set devoted to the names players gave their bats!
That's one of the better Project 2020 Gwynns I'd have to say, nice pick-up Fuji!
elliptical man - since i don't really flip cards, it doesn't really matter if these cards rise in value. but i did buy the cards that were sold on the same day as the ones i purchased. if any of them shoot up in value, maybe i'll try to flip them
john sharp - only time will tell if i'll add anymore to my collection. i really do want the two i mentioned in this post, but i'm not willing to pay more than $10 each for them
brian - the rickey is nice too. i wrote about that card a few weeks ago
runforekelloggs - good trivia. forgot about that. just glad he wasn't that hot against the a's during the 1989 world series
the lost collector - as a padres fan, i'm loving the brown cards. wearing my brown and yellow gear today. go padres!
commishbob - she has some interviews on youtube. she seems like a very cool artist. i'm a big fan of her style
johnnys trading post - i totally hear ya. don't worry, i'm sure there'll be a day when you will find these sitting in one or two dollar bins. it's only a matter of time
matt - now that's an insert set i'd love to see. they could even take it one step further and make them out of wood
shoeboxlegends - thanks. i think chang did a fantastic job.
The Project 2020 cards aren't usually my thing but I absolutely love the colors on the Gwynn card.
I have a hard time seeing the appeal of the Topps 2020 project, but my brain doesn’t work in abstract ways either. I will comment on the Classic Game Cards and how much they were chased in my neck of the woods.
Love the Sophia Chang Gwynn card. I had thought about buying this one, but didn't pull the trigger. I might need to go back and find one later on.
chris - i agree. those early to mid 80's padres jerseys with the brown, gold, and orange colors are my favorite.
sumomenkoman - i understand where you're coming from. most of the topps project 2020 cards don't appeal to me either and the price tag doesn't help.
the snorting bull - the good news is i bet you can grab the chang gwynn card for under $10 on ebay. now that the hype has died off prices on these have definitely settled.
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