Topps NOW 2020 Post-Season Minnesota Twins Team Set

 

The Topps NOW post season set arrived today in the mail, let's catch up and see how the Twins did!

oh. oh no. They did not do well.

The bad news started before the games even began, with Josh Donaldson aggravating his calf injury during the final week, and not being named to the post season roster.

Byron Buxton played Game 1 despite lingering issues from a concussion suffered during the final weekend of games, then missed most of Game 2 save for a pinch running appearance where he looked visibly groggy. He was picked off first to end a possible scoring chance late.

The good news? Well, the Twins did have a much better starting rotation in 2020, allowing the 2nd fewest runs in the AL during the shortened season. The only problem? The starters don't pitch all nine innings, and they don't field every position either. Maeda and Berrios combined for 10 innings and just 1 run allowed. The bullpen, on the other hand, gave up 6 runs in 8 innings.

Game 1 was a very close contest until Jorge Polanco's error - he fielded a ground ball cleanly, but his throw to Luis Arraez at second pulled him off the bag, resulting in no outs. Houston took advantage and once they saw a small crack of daylight, they pounded down the door on the bullpen, some of the damage was self inflicted (a bases loaded walk by Sergio Romo). 

Luis Arraez was playing on a bad knee, just like 2019 nursing an injury that came late in the season at the worst possible time. He went 0-6 with a pair of walks. Sano, Kepler and Rosario went a combined 1-19, with the icing on the cake coming with Rosario getting himself ejected from Game 2 arguing balls and strikes with the home plate umpire.

The Twins set a record for futility by failing to win a game, extending their streak to 18 games lost, which is almost beyond comprehension. 

A "sign" that things were not to be this year? Topps did not offer an autograph version of the Twins team set, despite offering auto versions of most of the other 16 post season teams. That's fine, I saved a little money. 

Did your team make the playoffs this year? Would you like to see 16 teams again in 2021, or should it be returned to just the division winners and a pair of Wild Card teams? 

Buying Online Every NOW and Then

Well, it sounds like the MLB season might happen after all, with a scheduled start date at the end of July (Assuming they don't have to delay further due to COVID-19). In the meantime, Topps has been determined to get a few dollars more out of us in the form of Topps NOW "Turn Back the Clock."

What can I say, I am simple man - I see a great card of Ichiro on Opening Day and my home(opener)sickness is too great to resist. I mean come on, there's balloons and everything!

Once you get a person started on Topps NOW, it can be nearly impossible to stop them completely. How could I be expected to pass up a Jackie Robinson bat rack card? Of course it also is a commemoration of Jackie's first MLB game, so it's a no-brainer why I would want it. At this point, I'm invested! Twins cards will pretty much seal the deal. Francisco Liriano tosses one of the least efficient no hitters in MLB history. It was also one of the more exciting ones! 

Rod Carew was still hitting .432 by the end of May in 1970 - Dave Winfield passed him on the All-Time hit list a few days (and 24 years) later. 

Of course the online exclusives don't end there - Topps Total is back again and there is no shortage of new Twins this year (in theory). Rich Hill was expected to miss the first 2-3 months of the season recovering from surgery, but now everyone has, so he might be close to ready to go when games begin. 

Josh Donaldson was the big free agent splash, and it's fun to see the new guy in the "right" uniform. Jose Berrios is of course not a new Twin, and he's hopefully going to get 10-12 starts this season out of the team's 60 regular season games. Here's hoping he ends the year with even a few more than that, if you catch my meaning. 

Have you been checking in on the Topps NOW Turn Back The Clock offerings? There have been some fun ones in there!

How The Twins Maeda Lemonade Outta Lemons

Topps printed these out after all! I wasn't sure if they would, given that the "wild three-team deal" turned into a pair of two team trades. The wild part was certainly true. Kenta Maeda, Alex Verdugo, Brusdar Graterol, Mookie Betts, and David Price all ended up in new organizations after all, but it took some doing on the part of all parties combined.

Topps is playing the game of two truths and a lie here... 

Speaking of trading and the Red Sox . . . Matt of Diamond Jesters! Please send me your mailing address. I have your Free Stuff Friday cards just chillin in an envelope ready to go. 

I am going out of town this weekend, so the cards for tomorrow's Free Stuff Friday might take a little longer to find their way into the hands of you, loyal readers. But fear not! 

NOW showing: My First 2020 Topps Card

I'm curious to see what replaces the 150 years Online subset this year - maybe something already has? Anyway, I was happy that Rod Carew's 1977 MVP season made the cut for this checklist.

The post season awards did result in a few Twins getting recognition for a record setting season. Cruz won a Silver Slugger Award at DH, and was also named the 2019 ALL-MLB 1st Team DH.

The Silver Slugger Award also went to Twins Catcher Mitch Garver, thanks to a tremendous season that set team records for homers by a backstop.

I was hoping to find some 2020 Topps Series 1 at Target today, but I struck out again. I did finally add a 2020 Topps card to my collection, though. The Topps NOW design hasn't changed yet for the new year, but obviously from the date, this card came out in January.

There was another one for sale yesterday featuring Kenta Maeda as the newest Twin, but we'll have to wait and see if he really becomes one! Today's news was that the Red Sox were expressing concerns that Brusdar Graterol's injury history projected him as a reliever instead of a starter. The young pitcher frequently tops 100 mph on his fastball and has a wicked slider, but had Tommy John surgery a few years ago and a minor shoulder issue during the season last year. Personally, I was looking forward to Graterol being a regular in the Twins bullpen in 2020, but getting a pitcher like Maeda that can help the rotation this year is an opportunity that can't be missed.