MLB Showdown Cards

Time Machine Designated Hitters       

            Rafael Palmero (00) Alright time to guess how many career HR’s does Rafi have?... Anyone guess 569. In 1999 He put up 47 of those. He had 148 RBI that year and had not yet been caught using performance enhancing drugs… Oh and MLB hadn't caught him for steroids yet ether. I can never resist a good Viagra joke. For that reason alone he should not be considered for the Hall of Fame. I will let you guys guess whether I am talking about the steroids or the Viagra. The guy was a good hitter in a great ballpark with a good card that was nice for the price. His 520 point, 10 on base, 17-20 HR, 15-16 2B was a decent option for on-base and power. We never used a lot of DH’s but if we did we should have used him as he was the king of the hill.

                John Jaha (00) I can’t think of many players off the top of my head who their only Showdown card is a 10 (Hanley Frias, may be more). I don’t know much about Jaha’s career beyond the stats. That year he could play though with 35 HR, 23 doubles and 101 walks. A money ball player before the philosophy became popular. He was a 10 with 18-20 HR and 17 2B. His gross 5-13 BB is something to avoid like the plague. His 400 points make him almost unusable.

                Harold Baines (00,01) One of the great DH’s who shaped the way the many of us view the position. Good hitter who was always productive. His .312 batting average, 25 homers and 18 doubles was pretty good in 1999. In 2000 he had an unproductive year by his standards. He had an .254 average with 11 homers and 13 doubles. Both years produced the same card. Both cards are 9, 340 points,  18-20 HR, 17 2B. Not really a useable card by most peoples standard but a good representation of a good hitter.

                Jose Canseco (00) No card will ever encompass any bit of what Jose Canseco brought to the game of baseball. Good or bad is all for you the fans to decide. This is what is not up for debate, He is one of the greatest mixes of pure power and speed to ever play the game. This 40/40 member actually has a serviceable Showdown card which is tough for me to say about a DH. For 350 points a 16-20 HR, 15 2B, speed B. How he earned his stats is questionable at best but has them.

                Edgar Martinez (01) Had a great Showdown card. For 480 points you got a 10, speed B, 18-20 HR, 16-17 2B. He was a feared hitter who had average and power. In 2000 he would have 37 homers, 31 doubles and a .324 batting average. That would put him right at the top of MVP discussions today. In 2000 He would finish in 6^th. More importantly he opens the debate for players who primarily were the their team’s designated hitter trying to make the Hall of Fame. I had argued that there was no way he should make it before Jim Rice. Since Rice was inducted in 2009 I am still in search of a quality argument beyond “he did not play defense”. That is a question for the baseball writers I suppose now. I do think many of old timers will remember Edgar Martinez as the greatest DH of a generation.