Friday, October 9, 2020

Flashback Friday with Throwback Thursday

 


Topps releases a new set once a week online that they call Throwback Thursday. The set mimics designs from past Topps sets, and not just baseball. A recent set caught my eye, featuring some of the fastest players in MLB both today and yesterday. 


I liked the set so much, in fact, that I decided to grab a lot from eBay of the original design the set was based upon - the 1954 Topps "World of Wheels" set. I thought it might be fun to match up the baseball player with a car from the original set. I picked the "Durable 24-Hour Champion" for Mike Trout. Even though he hasn't had post season success yet, he is a perennial MVP candidate and has the kind of popularity that has critics gushing over his sustained excellence.


Luis Robert is a still unproven but exciting prospect that has made an impressive debut. The Belly Tanker is a re-purposed, modified hot rod made from leftover airplane parts. Robert certainly packs the power and speed of a small aircraft!


Byron Buxton is a rare talent, but sometimes can be hard to find in top condition. The Excalibur J is one of the more rare and sought after vehicles. Only 3 were made before new Excalibur models began production in the 1960s. But when you saw one in action, man, there's nothing quite like it!


When I think of Rickey Henderson, I think of an unparalleled all-time great. He's a record breaker of a variety of skills - stolen bases of course, but also walks, runs scored, lead-off home runs... Rickey, it has been argued, could be split in two and both of those players would have Hall of Fame careers. The 300 SL was named the "Sports Car of the Century" in 1999. When the car was put into production for the general public, it was the fastest production car of all time.


Few players combined speed and talent and style like Ichiro. There was something immediately identifiable about him- from his batting stance, to the meticulous care paid to his uniform and equipment, Ichiro was cool and collected at all times. Founded in 1910, Alpha Romeo survived both world wars, and when racing returned after WWII, the car maker began to dominate the field of a new kind of racing, formula one. And they did it with vehicles that performed beautifully with impeccable style. 


You need a centerfielder? A Second Baseman? A Shortstop? A guy that can hit for half a season with broken hand? Trea Turner is your guy. He'll take the extra base, he'll steal a base, he'll hit it over the fence. He's tough, durable, dependable. You know, like a Jeep! Similar to the belly tanker, the Jeep was a product of military engineering. A vehicle that could excel in almost any condition. 



As is often the case with these sets - I think Topps did a pretty good job with the big picture, but missed the mark on the little details. They churn out a new set like this every week, so it may be asking a bit much for some stats on the back or a little narrative blurb. How cool would it have been to have something like sprint speed, or 1st to third times? Or maybe going further into the past to include some speedsters from the 1950s? Like Richie Ashburn, or Luis Aparicio, or Willie Mays, or Minnie Miñoso? I get that they need to sell this thing, but that's just my opinion..

Have you picked up any Throwback Thursday sets? What do you like/dislike about them?

Thanks for reading!



11 comments:

  1. Hadn't seen these before, but they're pretty cool. Thanks for posting!

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  2. Is there a gun set for pitchers or guys with strong throwing arms?

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    1. 2016 had a TV Westerns set, called "flamethrowers" but there were no guns on the card. There's also an A-Team inspired design and a Rambo set, but no guns (I suspect that if guns were originally there, Topps would take them out for the re-do)

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  3. Yeah, Topps online offerings are generally terrible about card backs. It's ridiculous. You could hire someone to write the backs for 20 bucks, you know? In this case, you wouldn't even need that, just throw in some stats like SB% and XBT% (extra bases taken percentage). It's not rocket science.

    I do like the idea of matching up speedy runners with the "World Of Wheels" theme, but part of me wishes they could have worked Zach Wheeler in there.

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  4. Cool-looking cards. Not subjects I'm interested in, although I'm always a Rickey fan.

    The only Thursday Throwback cards I've bought have been discounted offerings from the secondary market. Topps needs to work on an actual card back if I'm going to pay those prices.

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  5. Those are beauties, I'll have to look at getting a set. After Baseball and Wrestling cards, I collect automobile cards as well.

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  6. I need to keep my eyes peeled for these sets more regularly, because I might have grabbed this one. Solid design and checklist. If I can find an affordable set on eBay or a Rickey or Ichiro in a dollar bin, I'll grab them. Although current eBay listings suggest I'll be waiting awhile.

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    1. Oh... as for your question... I've only bought one. I picked up the set based on their 1956 Flags of the World set design a few months ago.

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  7. I know nothing about cars and it's impressive that you were able to compare these classics to the players depicted on the card. I have a couple TBT cards bought from COMC, usually based on sports card sets I'm already familiar with (Anthony Rizzo '56 Topps, for example). There are others I've looked at but haven't purchased yet. I really want to get one with the 1984-85 hockey design. Those lazy card backs are a turn off though.

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  8. I really wish these were more affordable because there's so many I'd love to have. I've picked up a few cheap ones off COMC over the last couple years but that's it.

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  9. Really beautiful stuff!! I might have to find some of those. Love the Ichiro for some reason.

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