1999 Topps All-Star Rookie Outfielder Carlos Beltrán

Ok cats and kittens, let's talk Carlos Beltrán. The folks at Topps love a good overnight sensation story, and Beltrán was ready to deliver it. He skipped AAA and jumped to the big leagues to stay in 1999, shocking many by winning the AL Rookie of the Year award. So of course he was also headlining the 1999 Topps All-Star Rookie Squad.

A 2nd Round pick in 1995 out of Puerto Rico, Beltrán was well-known in Kansas City circles, but not considered a major league prospect in his first few pro seasons. He had a great glove, and was even named KC's best defensive minor league player in 1997. In 1998, he forced his way into the Royals' future plans by making a meteoric rise through the system. Still just 21 years old, he was promoted mid season to AA Wichita, where he hit .352/.427/.687 in 47 games. He was also stealing bases and playing elite defense in Center field. The surprising totals earned him a September call-up. He had started the year as the 93rd ranked prospect in baseball and found himself as the 14th by the time spring training rolled around in 1999. He made the Opening Day roster and began making his mark in the big leagues from there.

The early 00s Royals were probably one of the most exciting cellar dwellers in baseball. The outfield alone consisted of Beltrán, Johnny Damon, and Jermaine Dye. Well, at least for a little while. The Royals weren't major players in free agency, and at the time really struggled to re-sign their talented youngsters. Damon was traded in 2001 before the season started, then by mid season Dye was off to Oakland to join him. Beltrán stuck around a bit longer, through some fairly lean years. His talent was enough to keep fans interested and invested in the Royals, where he could be counted on for 20+ homers, 30+ steals, and Gold Glove worthy defense for parts of 7 seasons. He was a legit 5-tool player, and coming up on his prime (and free agent) years, which meant it was only a matter of time before he was traded.

In 2004,  the Astros spent big in the offseason to add Roger Clemens and Andy Pettitte to their starting rotation. They already had future hall of famers Craig Biggio and Jeff Bagwell in their lineup, but there was one position that had been a glaring weakness for some time. The Astros needed a center fielder. When the team pulled off a three-team deal in June, they finally found the man they'd been missing. Houston execs gushed about Beltrán, and they got exactly the player they were hoping for. In 90 regular season games, he belted 23 homers, stole 28 bases, and had a 135 OPS+ to go with 4.5 WAR. That was just an appetizer for the post-season. In the NLDS against Atlanta, he went 10-22 with 4 homers and 9 RBI. He scored 9 runs and stole a pair of bases. He played equally well in the NLCS, hitting 4 more homers, scoring 12 times in the 7 game series and producing a WPA (win probability added) of .82 for the series, which trailed only the great Albert Pujols. The Astros were eliminated in that final game, but for that brief time, Beltrán made his value clear.  

Now a free agent and just entering his prime at age 28, Beltrán made his way to New York to try to make a legacy for himself and the Mets. Things didn't go quite as he planned, though hindsight shows that he was even better in New York (129 OPS+) than he was in Kansas City (111 OPS+). He was undone again by the Cardinals in the post season of 2006, losing in 7 games in the NLCS. Beltrán had the the final at bat in the series, and was locked up by an Adam Wainwright curve ball, which some Mets fans still hold against him. All told, he spent 7 seasons in Queens. Despite 5 All-Star Appearances and 3 Gold Gloves, Beltrán was often blasted by the New York media for the team's inability to win titles. He was well respected by his teammates and coaches, but just like his time in KC, as his contract came to a close, the writing was on the wall that a move would be made.

 

Just shy of the trading deadline in 2011, the Mets sent Beltrán to San Francisco in exchange for pitcher Zack Wheeler. Beltrán hit well for his new team down the stretch, slashing .323/.369/.551 with 7 homers, but the Giants finished 2nd in the NL West and missed the playoffs. A free agent again, Beltrán attempted the old fashioned "If you can't beat 'em, join 'em" strategy and signed with the St. Louis Cardinals. He had a pair of All-Star campaigns, as well as more post season glory. In the 2012 NLDS, he hit .444 with a pair of homers. He tormented the Dodgers the following year in the NLCS with 6 hits including the Game 1 walk off winner. 

He returned to New York in 2014, now as an elder statesman and reserve outfielder. He'd reach the post season in 2015 for a cameo appearance (1-4), then again with the Rangers in 2016 as a DH. The only thing left for Beltrán, with all his personal success in the post season and in his career, was to find a way to bring home a championship for his team.

In 2017, he'd get his chance. He was a well-loved and well-respected icon among his teammates, and they even jokingly held a funeral for his outfielder's glove in July, as Beltrán had become at that point more of a player/coach and pinch hitter. He was always a student of the game and like his coach Alex Cora, extremely adept at reading opponent's signs and tendencies.

R.I.P. Beltrán's legacy?

Now at this point, we have only the various accounts of other teammates, coaches and opposing players to guide what Beltrán did as part of the 2017 Astros' sign stealing scandal. What seems most damning is that his name was only one singled out among the players in the official report of the investigation. What his exact role and level of involvement was, we might never really know. Certainly he was working to help his team win by any means necessary and certainly crossed a line. His coach Alex Cora would say as much - but also wanted to make it crystal clear when he said that this wasn't a two man operation. Cora shared responsibility for the scandal with the whole team, didn't say he was any less guilty, but also didn't think what happened with Beltrán after the investigation was totally "fair."

Beltrán was hired to manage the Mets shortly before the news of the sign stealing scandal was released. he would resign his position before ever taking the field as manager, and hasn't returned to baseball since. He did just get hired by the Yankees of all teams to be an analyst for their broadcasts in 2022 (if MLB has any broadcasts is still up in the air at the moment). 

So, tally it all up - a Rookie of the Year, 2X Silver Slugger, 3X Gold Glove winner, 9X All-Star, and "World Series Champion" with some legit career numbers. His post-season career was quite impressive, earning him the nickname Señor Octubre. Out of all the people involved with the scandal, so far he seems to have been negatively impacted the most. It didn't hurt Marwin Gonzalez, George Springer, A.J. Hinch, or Alex Cora in the long term- it remains to be seen how Carlos Correa and Jose Altuve fare with their next contracts, but chances are they'll get paid well too.  

Maybe we'll get to hear more from Beltrán in the future about his role in all of this. He's scheduled to appear on the 2023 Hall of Fame Ballot, so one way or another we're bound to hear plenty of other people talk about it. 

1999 Topps All-Star Rookie Outfielder Preston Wilson

 

Preston Wilson arrived in the big leagues after a very long journey that took him from the first round of the 1992 MLB Draft, to 4 top-100 prospect listings, to a winter spent playing baseball in Australia. After a 5 year minor league sojourn, Wilson had arrived in Queens, only to be traded away after just 8 games for the Mets. Wilson was big time prospect coming to Florida in exchange for the Marlins' brand new catcher Mike Piazza. 

His first full season came in 1999, and he was able to show power and a little speed for an exciting and young rebuilding Marlins team. He'd finish 2nd in the NL Rookie of the Year voting and had a strong season, with a 119 OPS+ and hit 26 homers to go with 11 stolen bases. He was a great choice to join the 1999 Topps All-Star Rookie team.

Wilson was the 9th Overall selection in the 1992 MLB draft, picked by his adopted father Mookie's former team, the New York Mets. To get the potentially awkward subject out of the way, Mookie Wilson's brother Richard was Preston's biological father, but it was Mookie that became Preston's mother Rosa's husband and raised Preston as his own son. So Mookie is technically Preston's uncle, but was also his father as far as Preston was concerned, and officially adopted him. Families are complicated, but it is clear that Preston was well loved and well raised by his parents. Preston was just 17 when he was drafted, and started his pro career with the Kingsport Mets in 1993. Before joining the Mets, he was the 1992 High School player of the year, and hit well for the 1992 18U USA National team. 

Wilson had no trouble launching the ball out of the park, hitting 17 homers in his first pro season, then at least 20 a year after that. In 1996, he played in just 23 games because of injuries to his wrist and shoulder. This had little to no impact the following season, as he hit 30 homers across 2 levels in the Mets organization, and then traveled down under for the Australian Winter League. I couldn't find any stats for his time with the Newcastle Hunter Eagles, but by the Spring of 1998, Wilson was poised to make his long awaited big league debut. He played in just 18 games for AAA Norfolk Tides before being called up in May 1998. His debut consisted of a 3 for 4 game with a stolen base and a run batted in. Each base hit, he was able to briefly visit with his dad, Mookie, who was the Mets' first base coach at the time.

Wilson's trade to the Marlins included a demotion back to AAA, where he nearly hit 30 homers again, showing he was more than ready for a shot at the big leagues. Wilson would have an even better sophomore season, when he joined the 30-30 club in 2000. He was known for big power, but his swing also was conducive to strikeouts. In 2000, Wilson struck out 187 times, which was the most in the Majors, and nearly broke the long time record that Bobby Bonds held. Over his 4 full seasons with the Marlins, Wilson averaged 26 homers and 82 RBI per year. 

Wilson was traded to Colorado prior to the 2003 season, and the Rocky Mountain air was kind to Preston. 2003 would include career highs for Wilson across several offensive categories, and he led the National League with 141 RBI. 2003 was also Preston's lone all-star season. Wilson went 1 for 2 in the Midsummer Classic.

So, once a player has been a Topps All-Star Rookie, led the league in a few different offensive categories, made an All-Star team . . . what's left to check off? A World Series win, of course! Wilson started 2004 off slowly in Colorado, and was traded to the newly minted Nationals in Washington. He ended up playing what would amount to roughly one season with the Nats before being traded mid season to Houston, just in time to make a run at the post season. The Astros fell short, but the 2006 season would give Preston another chance to play the role of 2nd half star. Wilson was released at the deadline and picked up by the Cardinals, and he solidified the team's outfield rotation, providing a little power (9 homers in 33 games) and a little good old fashioned veteran leadership. Along with a strong cast of characters, the Cardinals would prevail in the World Series against the Detroit Tigers. Wilson appeared in all 5 games and picked up a pair of hits, scored a run, and drove in another. 

Following the 2006 championship, Wilson returned to St. Louis for an encore, but injuries limited his effectiveness and he played in just 25 games. Wilson worked hard to get back, and even played for the Independent League Long Island Ducks for 48 games in 2009 before deciding to retire. After his playing career, the charismatic and outspoken Wilson became a regular on Houston Astros and Florida Marlins broadcasts, and has dropped in as an MLB Network analyst from time to time as well. 

Wilson was recently interviewed for a Sports Illustrated article about declining participation of African-Americans in Major League Baseball, and his experiences and insights bring an important story into focus. You can read the article here -  and there's quite a bit to unpack inside. Wilson is also active on Twitter, his handle is @PrestonWilson44

1998 Topps All-Star Rookie Catcher A.J. Hinch

A.J. Hinch had all the trappings of a future star - he was a high school superstar, an Olympian, and a college standout. combine that with a quick run through the minors and you get a player ripe for Topps All-Star Rookie status. Of course, it didn't hurt that he was the only rookie catcher to play over 100 games in 1998.

The Oakland A's in 1998 were still looking for their next franchise catcher. Long-time catcher Terry Steinbach, a holdover from the great A's teams of the late 80s, left the team to play for his hometown Twins in 1997. Without him, the A's split their catching duties between 29 year old Brent Mayne, 28 year old switch hitter George Williams, and Izzy Molina (no relation). Williams actually had a pretty good season, with an OPS+ of 111 and an OBP of .397. Of course, Moneyball was still a few seasons away, so the A's were looking for power from the catching position. A.J. Hinch was poised to be the man for the job after a hot season in the minors, in which he hit 24 homers across two levels. 

For the big league club in 1998, Hinch struggled to adjust to major league stuff. He did have 9 homers and added 10 doubles, but slugged just .341 for the season. The big issue, which had not been hinted at in his amateur or minor league career, were the strikeouts. Hinch whiffed 89 times in that first year, good for a K rate of 22.8%. He displayed some decent skills behind the plate, throwing out 35 base stealers and committing just 9 errors in 120 games. 

 

Hinch came of age in Oklahoma, winning the 1992 Gatorade High School Player of the Year. He had starred on the Junior Team USA squad in 1991 and 1992, and he would join the big boys for Team USA in the 1996 Olympics, where he shared in a Bronze medal finish. He was drafted out of high school by the White Sox, but opted instead to retain amateur status with Team USA and his college of choice, Stanford. He stayed in school all 4 years, despite being drafted again following his Junior year, when was named the PAC-10 player of the Year. He would repeat the feat as a Senior, before being drafted a third time, now by the Oakland A's in the 3rd round of the June MLB draft. 
     

                                                            

His rookie season would be his best in terms of games played and several offensive categories. In 2000, Hinch was sent back to Triple-A to try to right the ship after a rough 1999. He was part of the 3 team deal in the 2001 off-season that sent Johnny Damon to Oakland and Ben Grieve to Tampa Bay. Hinch landed in Kansas City, where he would serve as Brent Mayne's backup - the same Brent Mayne he succeeded in Oakland back in 1998. Hinch would bounce around the league for a couple years as a backup in Detroit and Philadelphia, playing a majority of his games in Triple-A Scranton Wilkes-Barre. He retired following the 2005 season, but had already started making plans for his next steps as early as 2003 when he attended the Winter Meetings and met with several General Managers. 

After his retirement, he served with the Diamondbacks as a minor league director of operations, then as the team's director of player development. In 2009, he was given the opportunity to be the team's manager. This learning experience would lead to a scouting gig and assistant general Manager role with the Padres, before the now controversial tenure as manager of the Houston Astros. Taking over for Bo Porter in 2014, Hinch inherited a team that was expected to lose, but more importantly, expected to learn how to win. The team exceeded expectations and made it to the post season for the first time in a decade with a Wild Card berth. The Astros remained competitive in the next few years while gaining experience. The good news is that they did learn to win, the bad news is how they won. The Astros won the 2017 World Series, but later were discovered to have done so with the benefit of an elaborate system for intercepting and relaying the opponent's pitches. For his part, Hinch did express regret and was the first to publicly apologize for the scandal. He listed as his biggest regret that he did not do more to curb the sign stealing when he first became aware of it. 

Hinch has been given another chance to show his integrity - following the retirement of Ron Gardenhire, Hinch was hired to be the manager of the Detroit Tigers for the 2021 season. 

Do you have any A.J. Hinch memories? I'd love to read them in the comments below. Uh... please be civil!

Thanks for reading!

I Love The 80s - 1982 Houston Astros

This is a series of posts on a 1980's Frankenset. Each page features a different team, with 9 of my personal favorite cards from that year's team. You might find players repeated, you'll definitely see brands repeated, but hopefully you'll agree that there are some interesting selections from the 1980s!

In 1981, the Astros finished with their division's best record in the 2nd half, propelling them to the ALDS (ahem NLDS) against first half champs, the Dodgers. In September of that year, Nolan Ryan tossed his 5th No-hitter, passing Sandy Koufax for most career no-nos. The team took the Dodgers to a 5th and final game in the ALDS (CoughNLDScough) but would lose after Jerry Reuss pitched a shutout. It was the Astros' 2nd straight appearance in the playoffs.

1982 had the makings of an even bigger year for Houston, adding Ray Knight to help bolster the offense. Instead the team would flounder, and fall from 1st to 5th place in the NL West, with a 77-85 record. The offense was mostly to blame, but a slow start overall doomed the '82 squad from the beginning. They would be back in contention again soon, though it would not be until 1986 that they would win their division again. Following the 1982 season, the team made one of the most productive trades in their franchise history, acquiring Mike Scott from the Mets for Danny Heep. Scott would be become the team's ace, which is saying something with a rotation that featured Nolan Ryan and Joe Niekro.

The Cards:

Topps #483 Gary Woods - Woods made an impression in Houston in the playoffs more than the regular season. He was a September call-up in 1980, and his .377 average in the final month helped get the team into the NLCS against the Phillies. They had him in the lineup in Game 4 of that series, hitting cleanup and starting in Right Field. He was 0-2, but walked and stole a base. He was called out on the bases on appeal after leaving the bag early on a sac fly. The Astros would lost the game in extra innings. In 1981, he would struggle in limited time as a platoon/reserve outfielder, hitting just .209 for the season. This time, he would go hitless in 2 plate appearances in the ALDS. Woods would spend the rest of his career with the Cubs as a valuable bench option.

Fleer #230 Joe Sambito - Joe Sambito's injury early in 1982 may have been one of the team's bigger setbacks, leading to their 5th place finish. The lefty reliever was a key part of the Astros' pen, much like a Josh Hader or Andrew Miller in recent years. He was the team's closer in 1979 and was an All-Star. He notched 22 saves and had a 1.77 ERA in 91 innings pitched. He had just pitched in 9 games in 1982 before going on the shelf, having saved 4 games and a 0.71 ERA. The injury resulted in Tommy John surgery for Sambito, who would miss the 1982 season and the 1983 season. He would come back and found a role with the Red Sox in time for their 1986 World Series run as a crafty lefty specialist.

Topps #90 Nolan Ryan - On September 26th, 1981 Nolan Ryan made history against the Dodgers. He struggled early in the game with his control in the nationally televised contest, including a wild pitch, that could have led to a run before he had even allowed a hit. Ryan settled in and adjusted his mechanics mid-game. The shorter stride allowed Ryan to regain the accuracy of his deliveries and he finished the game with 11 strikeouts. This no-no came at a great time- the team was fighting for a playoff spot in the NL West, and the Dodgers were the team they needed to beat. 

Topps #306 Don Sutton - The Astros acquired Sutton after the 1980 season to join a rotation with Ryan and J.R. Richard. The trio seemed poised to take the National League by storm. Richard of course was in his prime when a blood clot caused a stroke in July of 1980, ending his career. Sutton was instead replacing Richard in the Rotation, and pitched well in '81, tying the team lead for victories. He also contributed 3 shutouts in 81. A line drive to his knee in final days of the season kept him out of the playoff series against his former team, the Dodgers. Sutton was vocal about the business side of baseball, which led to his request for a trade halfway through his 4 year deal with Houston. He clashed privately and publicly with Houston GM Al Rosen, ultimately being traded to the Brewers. The silver lining of course was that he would be instrumental down the stretch for another playoff run. The Brewers won the division on the final day of the season with Sutton pitching 8 strong innings. He would also be the Stopper in the ALCS against the Angels, winning game 3 with the Brewers' backs against the wall. 

Fleer #229 Nolan Ryan - Ryan's Astros Career included several milestones - He hit his first MLB home run and struck out his 3,000th batter in 1980. 1981 was the year of his 5th no-hitter. In 1983 he passed Walter Johnson to become #1 on the all-time strikeout list, He would get strikeout #4,000 in 1985, and both of his NL ERA titles came in an Astros uniform. Ryan remains the All-Time MLB strikeout leader and has the most no-hitters of any MLB pitcher. He was a nearly unanimous 1st ballot Hall of Famer (98.8%) in 1999. Hard to believe that he never won a Cy Young award. 

Donruss #344 Craig Reynolds - Reynolds was a Triples machine in 1981, leading the NL with 12 three baggers. He actually got 3 of those triples in one game in a May contest against the Cubs. He would lose his everyday shortstop gig to prospect Dickie Thon in 1982, but would be right back at it in 1984 - hitting 11 triples to finish 4th in the league. Reynolds was an original Seattle Mariner, coming to the team after the 1976 season from the Pirates. Reynolds was a 2 time All-Star; first as the Mariners' lone representative in 1978, then as an injury replacement for Garry Templeton. His son Kyle played several seasons in the Chicago Cubs' minor league system.

Fleer #214 Jose Cruz - You may have been expecting Nolan Ryan's Donruss card to be in this slot to keep the pattern going, but instead I opted to go with another player. Cruz was right in the midst of his peak playing days in 1981 and 82, playing as the everyday left fielder for the Astros. Though not really counted on as a power threat, he was the Astros' leader in homers in 1981. Oddly, he stole just 5 bases that year having been known as a expert base stealer. Cruz was an All-Star in 1980 and 1985 for the Astros. He led the NL in hits in 1983, and won the first of two Silver Slugger awards in his career. His son Jose Cruz, Jr. was a Topps All-Star Rookie! 

Donruss #544 Phil Garner -  This card was selected because there is a well-known reverse negative variation - Night Owl has a whole post on it - but Phil Garner was a worthy subject for discussion in his own right. Garner was a big piece of the 1979 "We Are Fam-A-Lee" Pirates World Series team, hitting .500 with 4 doubles and 5 RBI in the series, and a .417 average with a homer in the 79 NLCS. He was traded mid season to the Astros in 1981, which explains the Pirates uni on the card. His playoff prowess did not translate to Houston, going just 2-21 in the 1981 NLDS, and 2-9 in the 1986 NLCS. Garner came up with the Oakland A's narrowly missing their three-peat run, though he did play in the regular season in 73 and 74. Garner's Houston run lasted 7 seasons. He finished his career with nearly 1,600 hits. 

Donruss #191 Dave Smith - When Joe Sambito went down, it was up to Dave Smith to step in as the team's Closer. He did ok that first season in the role, with 11 saves in 14 opportunities, but overall he had an ERA+ of just 87, well below league average. He was successful in 1980 and 81 as a set up man for Sambito, and would return to that role in 1983 and 84. Eventually he would again assume the closer role for Houston, and hold on to it for several seasons in the mid to late 80s. In 1986 he was an All-Star, and even garnered a few down-ballot MVP votes to finish in 17th place. A second All-Star appearance came in 1990. He retired following the 1992 season with 216 career saves. His 13 year career included an Astros' franchise record of 563 pitching appearances.

1996 Topps All-Star Rookie Left handed Pitcher Billy Wagner

Billy the Kid is firing bullets for Houston here in 1996. Wagner had the reputation for wildness on his way to the big leagues, and was having trouble cracking the Astros' starting rotation. Houston Manager Terry Collins decided to try Wagner in the bullpen instead, and the rest is history!

Wagner's fastball was the stuff of legend. Despite measuring under 6' tall, he was able to generate impressive speed throwing with his less dominant hand. Wagner was born right handed, but broke his arm twice as a 7 year old, and started to throw left handed instead. He was clocked in the high 90s and averaged a little over 95 mph as a collegian. In 1996, his fastball was paired with a wicked slider. This led to 67 strikeouts in 51 innings. There was still concern about his control, as he walked 30 batters, but that would turn out to be his career high for free passes.

Wagner was the 12th Overall pick in the 1993, plucked out of Division III collegiate ball from Ferrum College in Virginia. Wagner probably could have been successful at any college, but was overlooked by the big name schools. In his Senior year of high school, he had eye-popping numbers at the plate and on the mound. He hit .451 and stole 23 bases, and pitched to a 7-1 record with a 1.52 ERA. He struck out 116 batters in just 46 innings pitched. The stat that mattered to scouts? His height, which was still just 5'5" as an 18 year old. At Ferrum, Wagner continued to blow away hitters, and set several NCAA records for strikeouts. He had a 19.1 K/9 his Sophomore season.  After his Junior year, he spent the summer in the Cape Cod League, finally attracting the attention of big league scouts.

Wagner was still a starter throughout his minor league career, though he never made a major league start. With the Quad Cities River Bandits, Wagner topped 200 strikeouts in just 153 innings pitched, but had just an 8-9 record. The one knock on his game was his control. This was ultimately solved in the big leagues, but for stretches of time the walks would haunt Wagner.

As a relief pitcher, Wagner was incredible. The fastball/slider combo was devastating, and throughout his career Wagner blew away the competition. With Houston, he had a 12.4 K/9, striking out 694 batters in 504 innings and a 2.53 ERA. 1999 was probably his most appreciated season, as he was named the NL Rolaids Relief Pitcher of the year. In 74 and 2/3 innings, Wagner had 124 strikeouts and just 24 walks. His 1.53 ERA and 1.65 FIP were both career bests, and he locked down 39 saves for Houston.

Well, this is hubris on my part, as I just assumed I had Wagner Phillies cards, but his two seasons in Philly line up perfectly with years in which very little cardboard made it into my collection. For Philly, Wagner added on 59 career saves and pitched to a 1.86 ERA. He moved on to the New York Mets, and continued his assault on the record books. Wagner saved 101 games and once again had more strikeouts than innings pitched.

After a rough year in Boston in which he appeared in just 15 games, Wagner had a great final season with Atlanta at the age of 38. He had a career high 7 wins and an impressive 1.43 ERA to go with another 37 saves.

Wagner was probably the best reliever not named Mariano Rivera in the late 90s and throughout the 2000s. He greatly improved his control issues from the minors, and was a dominant force throughout his career. It seems that because he wasn't Rivera or Trevor Hoffman, he's been overlooked by Hall of Fame voters. He didn't exactly light the world on fire in the post season, and that may have had some impact on his candidacy over the years, but his 11.9 career k/9 and 422 saves are worth more than voting results in the low double digits. This past year, his vote total jumped from 16% to nearly 32%, still well short of the needed 75%. His career 187 ERA+ would have been 3rd best all-time, but he only pitched 903 innings and the minimum for the leaderboard is 1,000 innings. He trails only Rivera and Craig Kimbrel (who also is short of the 1,000 inning minimum). For comparison, Trevor Hoffman's ERA+ was a still tremendous 141. Wagner also surpasses Hoffman in career WHIP.

What do you think? Is Wagner a Hall of Famer? Do you have any great Wagner memories?

1995 Topps All-Star Rookie Shortstop Orlando Miller

Orlando Miller of the Houston Astros became the Topps All-Star Rookie Shortstop thanks to 20 doubles and exceptional range in the field. Miller ranked 3rd in the National League in Range Factor / Game as a Shortstop. He formed a keystone combo with future Hall of Famer Craig Biggio, turning 52 double plays in his first full MLB season.

Miller arrived in Houston in 1994, appearing in just 16 games before the season was abruptly ended for the player's strike. He was repeating a year at AAA Tucson when he was called up, but the short stint in the big leagues left a big impression with the team. He crushed a pair of homers at Wrigley Field in his third game, both of which cleared the outfield wall and left the stadium. The 16 game audition featured a .325 batting average, and a 141 OPS+. It was enough to convince the Astros to include their everyday SS from 1994, Andujar Cedeno, to the Padres in the Derek Bell / Ken Caminiti deal. 

Miller was signed as a free agent out of Panama in 1987, making his pro debut for the Sarasota Yankees in 1988 as a 17 year old. He moved up a level each season in the Yankees' system until 1990 when the team traded him to the Houston organization in a 2 for 1 deal. The 2 prospects that came back in the deal did not make the big leagues.

With the Houston organization, he would continue his climb through the minors - in 1990 at High A Asheville had a .313 average and stole a career high 12 bases. He was known to have a strong throwing arm and was able to cover the hole well, so the offensive output was gravy. By 1992, Miller moved up to AA Jackson and topped 100 hits for the Generals. He was rewarded with a AAA stint to close the season, where he would spend all of 1993.

Miller would repeat AAA in 1994, but it was clear that his bat was just as major league ready as the players ahead of him on the depth chart. The season before he hit .304 with 16 homers and 89 RBI. He'd add 10 more for Tucson in 1994 and get that cup of coffee with the Astros.

By 1996, Miller had enjoyed 2 full seasons as the Astros' everyday shortstop, which was just about the shelf life for Houston infielders whose last name doesn't start with a "B." Miller did have a 2-game suspension for an altercation with some fans, but was still considered a steady glove and league average-ish bat. He also hit 15 homers for the Astros in 1995, but the team was looking to deal for starting pitching in the 1995 off-season. Miller would be dealt to Detroit in the deal that sent Todd Jones to the Tigers, and sent Jose Lima, Daryle Ward, and Brad Ausmus to the Astros.

Miller was part of a long list of potential successors to Alan Trammell's throne as the Tigers Shortstop, but ultimately it was not meant to be. Miller would appear in 50 games for the Tigers, the last MLB games he would play. His career would not end there however. He played in the minors for various teams until 2000 with the Dodgers. He then moved to the Mexican league for three seasons, and also spent time in the independent Atlantic league. His final games in pro ball were in 2008 with Edmonton of the Golden Baseball league, where he hit .319 in 37 games.

Blasting Off - The 1991 Topps All-Star Rookie Team

Here they are - the Topps All-Star Rookie Team, selected "by the Youth of America" following the 1991 season and featured in the 1992 Topps set. 

I have completed the run of these up through 2018, specifically all regular issue cards that bear the All-Star Rookie Trophy.

Outfield - Luis Gonzalez
Houston (N.L.) 1990 - '95, 1997; Chicago (N.L.) 1995 - '96; Detroit (A.L.) 1998; Arizona (N.L.) 1999 - 2006; Los Angeles (N.L.) 2007; Florida (N.L.) 2008

Luis Gonzalez was the first Arizona Diamondback to have his number retired, having been an integral part of the team´s 2001 championship team. Gonzalez famously hit the game 7, series clinching bloop single off of Mariano Rivera to propel the team to victory. He was known for slightly harder hit balls for much of his Diamondbacks tenure, hitting 224 of his 354 career homers. In his first full MLB season in 1991, Gonzalez had 120 hits, including 28 doubles, 9 triples, and 10 home runs. He was born in Tampa, Florida playing on the same high school team as Tino Martinez, and for an American Legion team (post 248) that had notable alumni such as Tony LaRussa, Gary Sheffield, and Lou Pinella. He would get a homecoming of sorts in his final MLB season, playing for the Marlins. His years in Arizona were by far his best, making all 5 All-Star appearances and his lone Silver Slugger award as a Diamondback. His 2001 season was one for the ages, hitting a whopping 57 homers and driving in 142 runs while scoring 128 runs of his own. His 57 homers still relegated him to 3rd place in the NL, behind Sammy Sosa and Barry Bonds, who had 73 that year. Sheesh. Gonzalez did win the HR Derby in 2001 during the All-Star festivities, and of course the World Series victory would more than make up for not winning the HR crown during the regular season. He was also a doubles machine - his 596 career doubles rank 18th All-Time. 

Luis´ Rookie Cards are in all the 1991 sets, including card #48T in the 1991 Topps Traded Set.

Second Base - Chuck Knoblauch
Minnesota (A.L.) 1991 - '97; New York (A.L.) 1998 - '01; Kansas City (A.L.) 2002


Knoblauch was the 1991 AL Rookie of the Year, and helped the Twins win their second World Series Title. He joined a veteran team filled with Hall of Fame talent as well as savvy role players that provided leadership and guidance that would show Chuck the ropes early on. As a rookie he hit .281 with 159 hits and 25 stolen bases. 

As Knoblauch gained confidence and experience, his game improved in all facets - by his final season in MN, he was hitting for power and average to go with blazing speed and solid defense. 1996 was probably his best season. He hit .341 with 140 runs scored, 35 doubles, a league leading 14 triples, 13 homers and 45 stolen bases. All 4 of his All-Star nods came as a member of the Twins, but the team had fallen on hard times after the retirements of Kent Hrbek and Kirby Puckett. Knoblauch was forced to be the team´s clubhouse leader, a role to which he was not well suited. Instead of teaching the young players how to win, he chastised them for losing, and was more than willing to heap the blame and point fingers everywhere else. Certainly, he had the numbers again in 1997, 62 stolen bases, 10 triples and his only Gold Glove. But it was clear that the losing was wearing on him. The Twins, for their part, were not going to pay him once he became a free agent, so they looked to trade him to New York, a situation that would work out (at least at first) for all parties involved. The Twins got Eric Milton and Cristian Guzman, the Yankees got a tremendous second baseman to pair with their young superstar Derek Jeter at Short. Knoblauch would win 3 more championships in New York, and hit well - notably hitting .375 in his first Series with the Yanks against the San Diego Padres. He went through a very tough case of the Yips in 2000, first moving him to DH, then to left field. For his career, he stole over 400 bases, drove in over 600, scored 1,132 runs, and amassed over 1,800 hits.

Chuck´s Rookie Card is in the 1990 Bowman set, Card # 415. 

Catcher - Iván Rodríguez
Texas (A.L.) 1991 - '02, 2009; Florida (N.L.) 2003; Detroit (A.L.) 2004 - '08; New York (A.L.) 2008; Houston (N.L.) 2009; Washington (N.L.) 2010 -'11
Elected to Hall of Fame by BBWAA in 2017


13 Gold Gloves, 14 All-Star Games, 1999 AL MVP, 2003 World Series Champion with the Marlins - Iván has seen it all. In the late 80s and early 90s, catching prospects were like rock stars. Benito Santiago, Sandy Alomar, Jr, heck, even Tom Pagnozzi were lauded as future stars. Iván surpassed them all, both with his rifle for an arm, and his bat, which developed over the course of his career into a middle of the lineup threat. As a Rookie in 1991, Rodríguez knew he had to wait to make his debut - playing 50 games in AA with Tulsa. He ended up skipping AAA entirely, however, and made his MLB debut on June 20th. He went 1-4 with a pair of RBI, but the hitting was just considered to be gravy. The Rangers were enamored with his defense behind the plate. In his rookie year, he threw out 34 baserunners in just 88 games. By his second season, Iván was the league´s best at throwing out runners. He would lead the league in caught stealing pct 9 times, to the point where teams just stopped trying to run on him. For his career, he threw out 661 runners for a 46% caught stealing rate. He was also incredibly durable, leading the league in games caught 5 times, and he is currently the All-Time leader in games caught with 2,427. His 1999 MVP season combined his stellar defense with a powerful bat. He had 35 homers and drove in 113 runs-- he also had a career high 25 stolen bases of his own. He rarely walked - in fact he had fewer walks (24) than steals in 1999! Despite the low walk rate, he was adept and making solid contact, with over 2,800 career hits. His years in Texas prepared him to become a leader in the clubhouse, and his demeanor and experience proved to be the missing piece for a piecemeal group of players in South Florida in 2003. In the NLDS, it was his dramatic play at the plate, holding on to the throw and the ball through a bone crunching collision with J.T. Snow (6´2¨ 200 lbs), to record the final out of that series. 

Iván´s rookie cards can be found throughout the 1991 sets, including card # 101T of the 1991 Topps Traded Set.

Third Base - Leo Gómez
Baltimore (A.L.) 1990 - '95; Chicago (N.L.) 1996 

As a minor leaguer, Leo Gómez had the look of a future slugging star. He hit for power all the way up the Orioles´ system, including 26 round-trippers in AAA in his final minor league campaign. He was an All-Star in AA and AAA heading in to his 1990 September call-up. His first full season in the big leagues he had decent slugging numbers, hitting 16 homers in 118 games. He struggled to hit for much contact at the big league level, hitting just .233 his rookie season. His career high? .274 in 1994 as a corner infield super sub. Gómez would go on to play in Japan following his MLB career, and over 6 years with the Chunichi Dragons he clubbed 153 homers, including a career best 36 in 1999 teaming with Kosuke Fukudome and Kenshin Kawakami. The team finished 1st in the NPB Central, but fell in the playoffs to the Pacific Champ, the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks, who featured Kenji Johjima as their catcher. Gómez hit a homer in Game 5, but the team would lose the Japan Series 4 games to 1.

Leo´s Rookie Card is in the 1990 Bowman set, Card #262

Shortstop - Andújar Cedeño
Houston (N.L.) 1990 - '94, 1996; San Diego (N.L.) 1995 - ´96; Detroit (A.L.) 1996

Cedeño was the number 2 overall prospect for the Astros in 1991, a decent hitter but a tremendous defensive talent. He showed power in AA in 1990, 19 homers over 132 games, but also had 11 Triples. He only hit .240, which should have been a cause for concern. Remarkably, he raised his average in AAA in 1991 to .303 over 90 games, and would get his first extended taste of the big leagues, getting 61 hits in 67 games. It was good enough to make him the Topps All-Star Rookie selection at shortstop. He would spend 1992 split again between AAA and the Astros- he hit for the cycle in August, and would return for his best MLB season in 1993. Playing 149 games, he recorded career highs in pretty much every offensive category. Like Gómez, Cedeño never really caught fire at the plate at the major league level, and the Astros opted to move on from Andújar to a platoon of Ricky Gutierrez and Orlando Miller. He was traded to the Padres in a mega deal that brought Ken Caminiti, Steve Finley, and Derek Bell to the Astros. Cedeño would continue to play in his home country of the Dominican Republic. In 2000, Andújar was killed in a car accident following a game in the capital city of Santo Domingo.

Andújar´s Rookie Card is in the 1990 Bowman set, card #77

Outfield - Ray Lankford
St. Louis (N.L.) 1990 - '01, 2004; San Diego (N.L.) 2001- ´02

Lankford is one of a long list of Cardinals outfielders to combine power and speed. He hit for the cycle in his rookie year, and was poised to become a great player for years to come. He excelled at both baseball and football in high school, and continued to play both sports while attending Modesto Junior College in Southern California. Lankford was inserted into the Cardinals´ lineup to take the place of Willie McGee in 1990, who had just been traded to Oakland in the Felix José deal. Lankford and José would pair together in the St. Louis outfield for several seasons. 1991 would be his first full season, and he would show the NL exactly how complete a player he would be. He led the NL in triples, stole 44 bases, and hit .293 with 9 homers. He would improve those power numbers as well, and in 5 different seasons he hit over 20 homers and stole over 20 bases. That combo would set a Cardinals' record. He would also set the record for most homers all-time at Busch Stadium (Busch Stadium II, replacing Sportsman´s Park), and retired in the top ten in Cardinals´ history in Homers, Runs Scored, Steals, RBI, and walks. He is, astonishingly, the only St. Louis Cardinal to have more than 200 Steals and 200 Homers. Injuries would derail his career in the early 2000s, capping him at just over 1500 career hits.

Ray´s Rookie Card is in the 1990 Bowman Set, Card # 192

First Base - Jeff Bagwell
Houston (N.L.) 1991 - '05; 
Elected to Hall of Fame by BBWAA in 2017.

The 1994 NL MVP probably could have had several more had he not played as a contemporary of Barry Bonds and Albert Pujols. Bagwell was also the 1991 NL Rookie of the Year, with a solid campaign hitting .294 with 15 homers and 82 RBI. His MVP season resulted in a league leading 104 runs scored, 39 Homers, 116 RBI, and a very impressive slash line of .368 / .451 / .750 . Remember that 1994 was a strike shortened year, he was projected (by Topps Cyberstats) to finish with 47 homers and 140 RBI had the season not ended prematurely. Who knows if he could have sustained that .750 Slugging percentage, but the season that we did see was tremendous. He would start a run of several seasons of punishing baseballs with regularity. He had 8 seasons of 100 or more RBI, 9 seasons scoring 100 or more runs, and 9 seasons of at least 30 home runs. In 1999 he included a career high in stolen bases to his resume, swiping 31 bags to go with 43 homers and 135 RBI. For his career, Bagwell scored over 1500 runs and drove in over 1500 RBI. He stole 202 bases and ripped 449 homers. There were rumors swirling around Bagwell (and Iván Rodríguez) with regards to steroids, which may have delayed Bagwell´s induction in to the Hall of Fame, but his stats over the course of his 15 year career could not be denied.

Jeff´s Rookie Card is in the 1991 Topps Traded Set, Card #4T

Outfield - Milt Cuyler
Detroit (A.L.) 1990 - '95; Boston (A.L.) 1996; Texas (A.L.) 1998

A second round pick in the 1986 draft, Milt Cuyler would make his way to the big leagues on the strength of his legs. Twice in the minors, he stole over 50 bases. As a rookie in 1991, Cuyler would steal 41 bags, finishing 3rd in the AL Rookie of the Year voting. 1991 would end up being a career year for Cuyler, and despite being a favorite prospect of Sparky Anderson, he would not get nearly the same amount of playing time since his rookie season. Cuyler would have to share time in the following seasons with Juan Samuel, Eric Davis, and Tony Phillips among others in Center Field, then had a couple attempts to get a regular gig in Boston and in Texas. Following his retirement, he´s gone on to provide coaching and personal training independently, and he worked with the Minnesota Twins as a hitting coach and outfield instructor with the Gulf Coast League Twins.

Milt´s Rookie Card is in the 1990 Bowman set, Card #358

Right Handed Pitcher -  Mark Leiter
New York (A.L.) 1990; Detroit (A.L.) 1991 - ´93; California (A.L.) 1994; San Francisco (N.L.) 1995 - ´96; Montréal (N.L.) 1996; Philadelphia (N.L.) 1997 - ´98; Seattle (A.L.) 1999; Milwaukee (N.L.) 2001 

Mark Leiter´s career is a story of perseverance and determination. Leiter was drafted in 1983 by the Baltimore Orioles, and was making steady progress through their system. In spring training 1986, Leiter suffered a serious shoulder injury which required multiple surgeries. He would miss the entire 1986, 1987, and 1988 seasons. In 1989, he would return to pitching with the New York Yankees A squad in Fort Lauderdale, FL. He would be promoted to AAA by May of ´89, and was again invited to Spring Training in 1990 for the Yankees. He would make his major league debut in July of 1990 at the age of 27. Leiter would be traded that off-season to the Tigers, and as a 28 year old rookie would make his way as a starter and a reliever. He had a 9-7 record for the Tigers in 1991, and struck out 103 batters in his 143 innings of work. He would go on to an 11 year MLB career, winning 65 games. Leiter would face adversity again in 1993- his son Ryan was born with Spinal Muscular Atrophy, and while Leiter was once again recovering from another shoulder surgery, his thoughts turned often to his infant son. Ryan Leiter would pass away on April 4, 1994, just weeks after Leiter had signed a deal to join the California Angels. Leiter would continue to pitch until 2001 for 8 different teams. His little brother Al and his son Mark, Jr have also pitched in the major leagues.

Mark´s Rookie Card is in the 1991 Bowman Set, Card #138

Left Handed Pitcher - Al Osuna
Houston (N.L.) 1990 - ´93; Los Angeles (N.L.) 1994; San Diego (N.L.) 1996

Lefty hurler Al Osuna pitched in 6 MLB seasons and finished with exactly 0 Wins Above Replacement. In his rookie season of 1991, Osuna had 12 Saves and a 3.42 ERA. He appeared in 71 games that season, 6th most among NL pitchers. He was a decent middle reliever over the rest of his MLB career, and was used as a lefty specialist, often facing just one batter to take advantage of lefty on lefty matchups. He also pitched as a reliever in college for Stanford, appearing in the 1987 College World Series. He actually came in with just one out in the first inning against Texas -- after the starter allowed 3 quick runs -- and proceeded to shut out the Longhorns for the remaining 8.2 innings.

Al´s Rookie Card is in the 1991 Topps Set, Card # 149

The 1974 Topps Rookie All-Star Team - Larry Milbourne

Here they are - the Topps All-Star Rookie Team, selected "by the Youth of America" by a vote of fellow MLB players following the 1974 season and featured in the 1975 Topps set. 

I have completed the run of these up through 2018 Series Two, at least all regular issue cards that bear the All-Star Rookie Trophy. 

Topps decided to skip the Trophies on the 1974 Topps Set, but they made a triumphant return in 1975. I wanted to show my appreciation for this expression of good judgement, so for the 1974 Lineup, I will do a separate post for each player. This was a pretty good crop of players, so let's dive in! 

Larry Milbourne is to Major League Baseball as Margo Martindale is to television and film. He's the quintessential supporting character on the diamond, playing for 6 different Major League teams over 11 seasons.

Milbourne was named the 2nd baseman for the Topps Rookie All-Star team, despite only starting 29 times for the Astros at 2nd. He did appear in 112 games, but had just 148 plate appearances. This was a tough year for rookie 2nd baseman - I tried to find a more deserving candidate, but the closest I came was the Red Sox Short Stop/2nd Baseman Rick Burleson. Burleson had a very good rookie campaign, but only had 31 games at 2nd and 88 at SS. So, Milbourne's intangibles as a defensive replacement for veteran Tommy Helms (who was the 1966 NL R.O.Y. and a Topps Rookie All-Star in his own right) made the difference.

He worked almost exclusively as a utility infielder throughout his career. By the time he made the Astros' roster, he'd already been in 4 other organizations- showing flashes of speed (21 steals for the Giants' Single A squad), average (.301 for rookie league Orioles, .305 for the Giants), and solid defense throughout. He would be drafted in the annual minor league draft 3 straight seasons before Houston selected him in the Rule V draft, securing a major league roster spot for him.

Following the 1976 season, Milbourne was dealt to Seattle for Roy Thomas. He would record the first walk off hit in Mariners' franchise history, an RBI double in the team's 2nd game ever. In 1978, he would get a much larger role, playing in 123 games for the Mariners. He responded with a respectable .278 average and a career high in runs batted in.

Milbourne was a Topps Traded darling in the early 80s, and this sequence doesn't even include his brief 29 game career in Minnesota. If you want to see proof, check out this post from a blogger that sought autographs from every Twins player. A custom card was made of Milbourne in a Twins uni.

The highlight of Milbourne's MLB career came in 1981 with the Yankees - he hit .462 in the ALCS and .327 for the playoffs overall.

His career coda came in the Senior League, playing for the short lived and poorly named St. Lucie Legends. The team lost 20 of its first 23 games, and finished dead least in the league, then went out of business in the off-season.