Tag Archives: drew

DREW MAGGI BASEBALL CARDS

Leave a reply

Drew Maggi had a relatively short but productive baseball career, playing parts of four seasons in Major League Baseball from 2016 to 2019. While his MLB tenure was brief, Maggi made the most of his opportunities when called up, showing potential with his bat. Due to his contributions at the major league level and status as a former first round draft pick, Maggi has accumulated a decent selection of baseball cards over the years. Let’s take a deeper look at some of the notable Drew Maggi cards that collectors can find.

One of the first Maggi baseball cards collectors may come across is from his amateur days in the 2014 Bowman Draft set. As a highly touted prospect coming out of Arlington Martin High School in Texas, Maggi was selected 22nd overall by the Minnesota Twins in that year’s MLB Draft. His draft card captured him at the beginning of his professional career, wearing a Twins uniform with a headshot photo. While not extremely valuable at around $5 in mint condition, the 2014 Bowman Draft card was an early sign of Maggi’s promise and remains popular with Twins and young prospect collectors.

Maggi continued to receive prospect cards over his first few minor league seasons, including base cards in 2015 Bowman, 2016 Bowman, and 2017 Bowman. As he climbed the Twins’ farm system ladder, these provided updates on his development at High-A, Double-A, and Triple-A levels of play. Another notable early minor league issue is his 2015 Bowman Sterling autographed refractor rookie card, limited to just 50 copies. Signed Maggi prospects from his early career can command $30-50 prices due to their scarcity.

The most significant cards in Maggi’s collection came after his initial Major League call-up with the Twins in 2016. His MLB debut card arrived in 2016 Topps Update Series, sporting his exciting new Twins uniform after hitting .294 between Double-A and Triple-A that year. Another standout is Maggi’s 2016 Topps National Baseball Card Day red parallel rookie, given out free that August but now a highly sought short print. Both remain affordable at $5-10 in good shape.

While Maggi split 2017 between Triple-A and four late-season MLB games, 2018 is when he first made serious contributions to the Twins. After a strong spring, he broke camp as Minnesota’s starting second baseman, appearing in 77 games and hitting .241. This playing time resulted in Maggi’s first major league base card in 2018 Topps and 2018 Topps Series 1. The latter notably features Tiffany parallel Red and Blue Foil autograph versions numbered to just 50 copies each, two of Maggi’s rarest signed MLB issues.

After continuing to hit well at Triple-A in 2019, Maggi received another look with the Twins and went 8-for-16 with a home run in late September. He then became a minor league free agent and signed with the Los Angeles Angels for 2020, but did not appear in any games that season due to the pandemic. Maggi’s final baseball card to date remains his 2019 Topps Update Series Twins sticker, summing up that productive return stint in Minnesota.

While his playing career wound down after 2019, Maggi left behind a nice selection of cards from his journey from high draft pick to brief MLB trials. Key signed and parallel rookies from his prospect days remain obtainable for budget-minded collectors. Meanwhile, his 2016-2018 Topps base and short print cards captured his initial major league action with the Twins. Whenever he may appear again on a future set from his Angels tenure remains to be seen. But for now, Drew Maggi’s baseball cards serve as an encapsulation of the promise and potential he showed during his time in the game.

DREW SMYLY BASEBALL CARDS

Leave a reply

Drew Smyly is an American professional baseball pitcher who is currently a free agent. Over his MLB career from 2012-2021, Smyly has played for the Detroit Tigers, Tampa Bay Rays, Texas Rangers, Milwaukee Brewers, and San Francisco Giants. As a result of playing for multiple teams over the past decade, Smyly has been featured on several baseball cards from various card manufacturers and sets. Let’s take a closer look at some of the most notable Drew Smyly baseball cards from throughout his career so far.

One of Smyly’s earliest baseball cards comes from his rookie season with the Detroit Tigers in 2012. That year, Smyly was featured in both Topps and Bowman baseball card sets as a rookie. In Topps, Smyly received card #613 in the 2012 Topps Series 1 set. The photo on the card shows Smyly pitching for the Tigers in his debut season. As a rookie card from his first MLB team and season, 2012 Topps #613 remains one of Smyly’s most popular early cards among collectors. He was also featured as a prospect in 2012 Bowman, appearing on card #212 in the base set. Both of these 2012 rookie cards capture Smyly at the beginning of his professional career and remain notable pieces for any collection of his early cards.

After being traded to the Tampa Bay Rays in 2014, Smyly started to receive cards in sets focused on his new team. In 2015 Topps, he appeared on card #362 in the Tampa Bay Rays team set. This card shows Smyly delivering a pitch for the Rays in their home pinstripe uniforms. Another 2015 issue, 2015 Topps Chrome #144, features Smyly in the Rays’ road gray jerseys. He continued to be included in Rays team sets in later years like 2016 Topps (#379) and 2017 Topps (#430). Smyly established himself as a key member of the Rays’ starting rotation during his two seasons in Tampa Bay, earning him regular card inclusions highlighting his contributions to the ballclub.

Injuries caused Smyly to miss the entire 2017 season after being traded to the Texas Rangers in the 2016-2017 offseason. He was still recognized with baseball cards during his time with Texas. 2017 Topps Heritage featured Smyly on card #334 wearing a Rangers cap, even though he did not pitch a single game for the team due to recovery from Tommy John surgery. Then in 2018, in his first year back from injury, Smyly received card #280 in 2018 Topps Series 1 as a member of the Rangers. This marked his return to MLB action after over a year on the sidelines.

Smyly continued bouncing around to different organizations in subsequent seasons. He received cards for the Milwaukee Brewers in 2019 after signing with them as a free agent, like 2019 Topps Update #US153. Later in 2019 after a midseason trade, Smyly appeared on 2019 Topps Update #US280 wearing a San Francisco Giants uniform. Most recently in 2021 with the Giants, Smyly had cards including 2021 Topps Main Set #542 and 2021 Topps Chrome #192. These later cards from the 2019-2021 period represent Smyly’s contributions as a veteran reliever and spot starter while playing for multiple clubs late in his career.

In addition to standard baseball cards, Smyly has also been featured in numerous insert sets and parallel/short print variations over the years. Some examples include 2016 Topps Fire #F7 (Rays parallel), 2018 Topps Heritage Minor League #MLB30 (Rangers prospect), 2019 Topps Big League #BL-DS (Brewers short print), and 2021 Topps Chrome Update #CU-DS (Giants short print). Smyly has also received multiple All-Star cards recognizing his appearances in the Midsummer Classic game in 2014 and 2015 during his Rays tenure.

As his MLB career winds down, Smyly will likely continue to receive new cards in 2022 and beyond if he plays for additional teams. The cards highlighted here do a great job of documenting Smyly’s path over 10 seasons jumping between 5 different organizations. From his early Tigers and Rays rookie issues to later updates showing uniform changes, the Drew Smyly baseball card collection captures the ups and downs of his pro baseball journey to this point. For fans and collectors alike, his cards serve as a reminder of an intriguing career playing for multiple ballclubs in today’s game.

DREW JONES BASEBALL CARDS

Leave a reply

Drew Jones made his Major League debut with the Boston Red Sox in 1982 at the age of 24. While he didn’t emerge as a star player, Jones had a long, respectable career that spanned 12 seasons with four different teams. As a result, baseball card collectors today can find cards featuring Drew Jones from many different years and sets during the 1980s and early 1990s. Let’s take a closer look at some of the more notable and collectible Drew Jones baseball cards that exist.

1982 Topps #610: Jones’ rookie card was issued by Topps in their 1982 set. At the time, few would have guessed that the young outfielder from Boston would enjoy such a lengthy MLB tenure. The design of 1982 Topps cards featured a solid color background with the team name and player stats/accomplishments below a centered photo. Jones’ rookie card photo shows him in a Red Sox road gray uniform from his first season in the majors. While not extremely valuable at around $10-15 in raw condition, this serves as the first capturing of Jones on cardboard.

1984 Donruss #377: In just his second full season, Jones started to see more playing time with Boston as a reserve outfielder and pinch hitter. His 1984 Donruss card utilized a design that placed colorful team logo frames around each player photo. Jones is depicted in a batting stance wearing his Red Sox home whites. This issue is slightly more scarce than his rookie and can fetch $20-25 for collectors looking to add one of Jones’ early career cards to their collection.

1986 Topps Traded #T84: After being traded from Boston to the Chicago White Sox midway through the 1985 season, Jones’ 1986 Topps Traded card marked his first appearance in a new uniform. The ‘Traded’ subset highlighted players who changed teams since the previous year’s regular set. Jones is shown in a White Sox batting practice jersey with “Chicago” across the front. These traded cards tend to be more valuable to set builders at $30-40 due to their lower print runs compared to the base issues.

1988 Fleer #405: By 1988, Jones had become a full-time starter and offensive contributor for the White Sox. That breakout season is commemorated on his ’88 Fleer issue. Fleer cards from this era placed the brightly colored team logo at the top with a centered vertical player photo below. Jones displays his trademark left-handed swing wearing a White Sox road jersey. Still fairly obtainable in the $15-20 range, it’s one of the better looking cards from Drew’s peak years in Chicago.

1990 Leaf #91: After seven seasons on the South Side, Jones was once again on the move. He was dealt from Chicago to the San Francisco Giants during the 1990 season. Leaf produced a set that year which split players into “American League” and “National League” subsets. Jones’ card shows him with the Giants organization for the first time. With a limited print run being in the NL portion of the set, this transitional issue can be acquired for $25-30 by collectors.

1992 Stadium Club #362: Jones’ final MLB season was split between the Giants and Montreal Expos in 1992 at age 35. Stadium Club was an innovative new brand that year, utilizing creative photography and a premium cardboard stock. Their Drew Jones card featured a crisp action shot of him making a running catch in left field. While quite common from such a late-career release, it represents the last baseball card made of the veteran outfielder during his playing days.

In summary, Drew Jones enjoyed a stay in the majors from 1982-1992 that was worthy of being immortalized on baseball cards. While never a true superstar, collectors can find representations of Jones from a dozen different seasons across many classic 1980s/early 90s brands in their wax packs and collections. Prices remain reasonable for most, making his cards an attainable pursuit for those looking to acknowledge Jones’ respectable career at the game’s highest level through the cardboard pieces that chronicle ballplayers’ tenures. With solid production values and photographic variety, his baseball cards ensure the memory of Drew Jones lives on decades after his final major league at-bat.

DREW GILBERT BASEBALL CARDS

Leave a reply

Drew Gilbert has had a lifelong passion for baseball cards that began at a very young age. Growing up just outside of Detroit, Michigan, Drew was surrounded by the rich history and tradition of America’s pastime. From a young age, he would accompany his father to Tigers games at Tiger Stadium and look through boxes of old baseball cards in the attic of his childhood home. This sparked a love of the game and a desire to learn everything he could about the players who graced the diamond.

Drew began collecting cards in earnest when he was just 5 years old in 1990. His parents would take him to the local card shop every weekend where he could pick out a few packs to add to his growing collection. In those early years of the 90s, the junk wax era was in full swing which meant cards were plentiful and affordable for a young collector. Drew amassed boxes of commons from the likes of Donruss, Fleer, and Score. Even at that young age he knew the true gems were the rookies and stars.

Some of Drew’s most prized early cards included a rookie Ken Griffey Jr. from 1989 Upper Deck, a Kirby Puckett from 1987 Topps, and a Nolan Ryan from 1972 Topps. While the condition of those early cards left something to be desired due to the handling of a young boy, Drew was careful to sleeve and top load his best cards even then. He learned the value of taking care of his collection from his father who had some gems from the 60s still in great shape.

As Drew got older, he began to focus more on specific players, teams, and years. In high school he zeroed in on collecting Tigers from the 1980s when Detroit was dominating the American League. Some of his most prized pickups from that era included Trammell and Whitaker rookies, a Kirk Gibson from 1984 Topps Traded, and a Jack Morris no-hitter card from 1984. Drew also began to appreciate the history of the game more and started picking up vintage cards from the 50s and 60s to learn about the eras before he was born.

After graduating high school in 2010, Drew attended Central Michigan University to study sports management. During his college years, he began to shift his collecting focus from team and player sets to higher end vintage and memorabilia cards. With his first post-college job in 2015, Drew had more disposable income to really grow his collection to the next level. He started picking up rare vintage rookie cards like a Mickey Mantle from 1952 Topps, a Willie Mays from 1951 Bowman, and a Hank Aaron from 1954 Topps.

Drew also became fascinated with unique one-of-a-kind memorabilia cards over the years. Some of his prized one-of-a-kind pieces include a Babe Ruth game-used bat card from the 1930s, a Nolan Ryan jersey card from the 1970s containing an actual swatch of fabric, and a Sandy Koufax patch card from the 1960s containing a piece of one of his jerseys. Beyond just the cards themselves, Drew enjoys learning the stories and histories behind each unique piece in his collection. He sees these one-of-a-kind cards as almost works of art celebrating some of baseball’s all-time greats.

In addition to building his personal collection, Drew began doing some buying and selling of higher end vintage cards in the thriving collectibles marketplace. By 2017 he had established himself as a respected buyer and seller and was doing consistent five-figure transactions of rare pre-war tobacco cards and iconic rookie cards from the 1950s. He enjoys the thrill of the hunt to find spectacular vintage pieces and take them to the next level of preservation by slabbing and protecting them in professional grading holders like PSA or SGC. Drew has become knowledgeable about discerning authentic vintage pieces from reprints or forgeries as well.

Now in his mid-30s, Drew’s collection has grown to include countless vintage gems worth six figures in total value. He has shifted his personal collecting to focus more on complete vintage sets from the 1950s and 1960s in pristine condition. Some of his most prized recent additions include a complete 1960 Topps set, a near-complete 1964 Topps set, and an amazing 1959 Topps set graded and encapsulated by PSA. Beyond just the monetary value, Drew enjoys preserving these pieces of baseball history for future generations to appreciate.

While Drew’s primary focus remains on vintage cardboard, he still enjoys following today’s game and players. He makes it a point to attend a Tigers game each season with his father where they reminisce about players from their childhood. Drew also likes collecting modern parallels, autographs, and memorabilia cards of current stars like Mike Trout, Ronald Acuña Jr., and Juan Soto. He sees today’s game as continuing the rich traditions that made him fall in love with baseball in the first place all those years ago.

As baseball has been such an important part of Drew’s life story, he hopes to one day pass along his immense collection to his children. More than the monetary value, Drew wants his kids to understand and appreciate the history and memories encapsulated in each vintage baseball card. His lifelong journey from a young boy’s weekend trips to the card shop through building a world-class collection has been incredibly rewarding. And for Drew, his baseball card collecting days are far from over as he continues adding to his collection and preserving pieces of the national pastime’s history for years to come.

DREW VERHAGEN BASEBALL CARDS

Leave a reply

Drew VerHagen Baseball Cards Overview

Drew VerHagen is a right-handed pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 2014-2021. While he never became a star player, VerHagen had a respectable career as a role player and versatile pitcher, appearing in games as both a starter and reliever. As a result of his MLB tenure, VerHagen has a collection of baseball cards that chronicle his professional baseball journey. Let’s take a deeper look at some of the most notable Drew VerHagen baseball cards from his time in the majors.

2014 Bowman Draft Chrome Autograph Refractor RC

One of the key early VerHagen cards is his 2014 Bowman Draft Chrome Autograph Refractor rookie card. As a fifth round draft pick of the Detroit Tigers in 2012, VerHagen’s first card came out in 2014 coinciding with his MLB debut season. The card features his photo in a Tigers uniform on the front along with his autograph on the back. As an autographed rookie card from one of the premier baseball card brands, the 2014 Bowman Draft Chrome Autograph Refractor RC holds value for VerHagen collectors. PSA 10 gem mint examples of this card currently sell for around $100-150 depending on the market. Overall it’s one of the more desirable early VerHagen cards for collectors.

2015 Topps Baseball RC

Another important early VerHagen rookie card came in 2015 Topps baseball series 1. As one of the major sports card brands, Topps rookie cards hold significance for any MLB player. The 2015 Topps VerHagen rookie features his action shot in a Tigers uniform along with basic career stats and bio on the back. While not as rare as some of his autographed cards, the 2015 Topps RC remains a staple for any VerHagen collection given its brand recognition within the hobby. Near mint PSA 8 versions can usually be found for $10-15.

2016 Topps Update RC Variation

An interesting VerHagen variation card comes from 2016 Topps baseball update series. That year, Topps inserted additional rookie cards for players who had debuted after the initial series was printed. The 2016 Topps Update included a Drew VerHagen rookie variation featuring an action close-up shot instead of the standard full body pose. While not necessarily more valuable than the base 2015 Topps rookie, the 2016 update variation adds diversity to any VerHagen collection. Expect to pay $5-8 for a well-centered copy.

2017 Topps Tigers Team Set Card

By 2017, VerHagen had established himself as a reliable arm in the Tigers bullpen and began appearing more regularly in flagship Topps sets beyond just his rookie cards. That year’s Topps Tigers team set card features VerHagen in the team’s home pinstripes along with stats from the 2016 season. As he continued playing in Detroit, cards like the 2017 Topps team issue helped document VerHagen’s progression at the MLB level with that franchise. Near mint copies can be found for $3-5.

2018 Topps National Baseball Card Day Red Parallel

In 2018, Topps released special red parallel versions of cards to commemorate National Baseball Card Day. One of those cards included a Drew VerHagen parallel from the 2018 Topps series 1 set. While the photo and design match the base card, the dramatic red border and tint make this parallel quite visually appealing. It’s also relatively scarce compared to the standard issue. Among VerHagen collectors, the 2018 National Baseball Card Day red parallel can demand a $10-15 premium over the basic card.

2019 Topps Fire Autograph RC

One of the more coveted modern VerHagen cards appeared in 2019 Topps Fire, which featured autographed rookie cards of current MLB players. The VerHagen included in this high-end product signed his photo and debuted his new uniform with the Toronto Blue Jays, to whom he was traded in 2018. As an on-card autograph of a major league player from a premier modern set, well-centered 2019 Topps Fire Autograph RC fetch up to $50-75 depending on condition. It remains one of the most valuable VerHagen cards available.

Post-Career Memorabilia Cards

Even after retiring from MLB following the 2021 season, VerHagen continues to see new cards released featuring pieces of his professional baseball memorabilia. Examples include 2021 Topps Transcendent containing memorabilia cards with swatches of his jerseys worn with the Tigers, Blue Jays, and others. There have also been bats and autograph memorabilia cards featuring VerHagen in recent years. While not necessarily his most iconic cards statistically, these post-career memorabilia releases help complete the chronicle and collectability of Drew VerHagen’s time in the majors through unique baseball relic elements. Pricing on such memorabilia cards tends to range between $20-40 based on the included artifact.

While not an all-time MLB star, Drew VerHagen enjoyed a respectable major league career that has resulted in an interesting collection of baseball cards from his years pitching in Detroit, Toronto, and beyond. From early Bowman prospects to later Topps updates and special parallels, his cards provide a snapshot of his professional journey. Top rookie cards and autographed memorabilia pieces remain the most significant for dedicated VerHagen collectors. His diverse assortment of baseball cards serves as a fitting tribute to an effective role player at the game’s highest level.

J.D. DREW BASEBALL CARDS

Leave a reply

J.D. Drew is a retired American professional baseball outfielder who played in Major League Baseball from 1998 to 2011. Drew was known for his superb plate discipline and ability to get on base consistently throughout his career. While he never achieved superstar status, Drew established himself as a reliable and productive player for over a decade in the big leagues. Not surprisingly, Drew has been featured in numerous baseball card sets released during his playing days by the major card companies like Topps, Upper Deck, and Fleer. Let’s take an in-depth look at some of the most notable and valuable J.D. Drew baseball cards over the years.

One of Drew’s earliest and most sought after rookie cards is from 1998 Topps Traded. Drew was drafted fifth overall by the Philadelphia Phillies in the 1997 MLB Draft out of Florida State University and made his MLB debut with the Phillies late in the 1998 season. Topps immediately recognized Drew’s prospect status and included him in their 1998 Topps Traded set that August. The card features Drew in his Phillies road gray uniform from that inaugural season. With a production run of only 147 copies, the 1998 Topps Traded J.D. Drew rookie is extremely rare in gem mint condition. Graded examples in a PSA 10 or BGS/SGC 9.5+ can fetch thousands of dollars due to rarity and representing Drew’s true rookie card debut.

While with the Phillies, Drew was featured in numerous flagship sets from 1999-2000 including Topps, Upper Deck, and Fleer. None of these early Phillies cards hold significant premium value today given higher print runs. One exception is his 1999 Topps Traded gold parallel card numbered to only 99 copies. These parallel gold refractors have gained popularity in recent years due to the intrinsic rarity of only 99 being produced. High graded examples in the 1997-1999 Phillies uniform sets can sell for a few hundred dollars.

Drew’s highest profile season came in 2002 as a member of the Atlanta Braves. That year he batted .305 with 27 home runs and0100 RBIs to finish third in NL MVP voting. Topps, Upper Deck, and Fleer all featured Drew prominently that season. His 2002 Topps base card as a Brave is his most iconic visual and among the most common in collections. The 2002 Upper Deck Authentix Diamond parallels numbered to only 10 copies each are incredibly rare and coveted by Drew PC collectors. With a serial number stamp on the back and an on-card auto, graded 10 examples trade in the thousands of dollars. Similarly, the 2002 Fleer Greats Autograph patch parallel serial numbered to 50 total pieces hold considerable value for the dual auto and memorabilia relic.

After the 2002 season, Drew was involved in one of the largest contracts in MLB history at the time when he inked a lucrative eight-year, $55 million deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He went on to play six seasons for the Dodgers from 2003-2008 where he put up All-Star caliber numbers and established himself as a consistent .300 hitter and run producer.Topps paid tribute to Drew’s big free agent deal with the Dodgers in their 2003 set with a “Changing Teams” short print parallel card. Other Dodgers cards from this era like the Topps Legendary Cuts short printed 1/1 parallel autographs are about as rare and valuable as it gets for a modern Drew card. The 2008 Topps Sterling parallel autographed jersey cards numbered to only 25 copies each currently sell for over $1000.

Drew concluded his career with the Boston Red Sox in 2010-2011 after being traded there from Los Angeles. While with Boston, Topps featured him in their flagship 2010 and 2011 Red Sox uniform cards. The 2010 Topps Sterling autograph parallel cards and 2011 Topps MLB Authentics autographed jersey cards parallel numbered to 25 remain some of the more premium Red Sox/auto cards available. Of course, Drew’s last baseball card came in 2011 Topps which closes out the collecting coverage of his 14-year MLB tenure. Some collectors seek out all of the different team and parallel variations as a comprehensive J.D. Drew PC.

In summing up, while J.D. Drew never achieved the hype or glory of some of his contemporaries as a prospect or big league All-Star, he certainly made his mark with over a decade of solid MLB play. As a result, he has been well-represented across the major card companies seasonal releases during his career. Although many of his early Phillies and Dodgers base cards hold average value, there remain some notable parallels, short prints, and autograph/memorabilia options that fetch premium prices today due to inherently low production numbers. For dedicated J.D. Drew collectors, finding and owning one of these ultra-rare parallel hits can be a prized possession and lasting memento of his playing days two decades ago.