MLB Showdown Cards

Time Machine- Utility Player

Dave Hansen (00) – The only 10 utility player I know of from the original 2 sets. In 1999 he had 147 PA in 102 games. 1B/3B+0 really means pinch hitter if you play for the NL. With Beltre playing 152 games at third and Karros playing 151 games at 1B I think they were generous with both.  He played a total of 123.2 innings of defense (less than 14 games). His 2 home runs, 1 triple and 8 doubles that year yielded him 10, speed C, 20 HR, 18-19 2B. I do not see much use for him except that he is a cheap 290 points.

Ryan Klesko (00) – This is likely the best player or at least season to be represented by an original Showdown card. He played 1B for 75 games and LF for 53 games. He had 446 PA, so we are not talking about a pinch hitter. This is a full time starter at 2 positions. He had 21 homers, 2 triples and 28 doubles that season. His +0 fielding for both LF/RF and 1B makes him look like he should be a speed C or B- now. That is not the case he steal 23 bases each of the next 2 years. He was a 9, 18-20 HR, 15-17 2B speed B. His 410 point card was good. Hard to justify him though in years when LF/RF and 1B were so deep.

Denny Hocking (01) – Denny may have been one of the perfect pictures of the Twins of this era. He was not powerful, He was not fast but he was versatile and productive. Hocking had 4 homers, 4 triples and 24 doubles in 433 PA. He also played 10 games or more at 1B, 2B, 3B, SS, LF, RF and CF. He also found time to DH twice that year. The guy had a good enough bat to stay in the line-up but a humble enough attitude to play where he was told. He was a 9, 20 3B, 18-19 2B, 17 1B+ Speed B. CF/2B+2, LF/RF+1. Lots of uses for a guy like this for 260 points.

Phil Nevin (00) – Nevin was one of the great combo players in Showdown. He played 3B for +3 which is perfect and C+5 which is serviceable. Very few utility players play catcher as well. The new cards have a few more C/1B combos. The next 7 seasons after this was made Nevin would catch 4 more games. He was a power 8, 17-20 HR, 14-16 2B which put him right on par with Ripkin and Piazza as power 8’s at their position. He outfielded both for 350 points he was also cheaper than both.

Brant Brown (00P) – I do love freak low charts and this is as good of a position as any to spot light one. Brown is a 5, 15-20 HR, 14 3B, 10-13 2B for 160 points. Brown played 1B+0 and LF/RF+1. This isn’t even the best Brant Brown cards ever made but that is beside the point. He struck out near a third of the times he batted in 1999. He had 16 homers, 3 triples, 20 doubles. He played mostly OF while playing some 1B. It appears he played DH whenever the opportunity presented itself. One of the great bench intimidation players in the game.