MLB Showdown Cards

TIME MACHINE: First Base

Albert Pujols 2009: last year we spot lighted Mark McGwire 00/01. This year Albert Pujols 09 will be the head liner. Maybe next year we will slip in Will Clark 01. By the way the all-time Cardinal team is stacked at first base in case anyone was wondering. Back to the subject at hand 2009 was the last year Albert Pujols really was the best player in baseball without debate. He won his third MVP and lead the big leagues in HR’s with 47. Batting .327 and having 100 walks is a great way to lead the league in OBP as well with .443. Pujols has allowed others to join him in the discussion for best player in the world the past few years but in 2009 there debate was for the number 2 spot. Maybe the most shocking part of the season for me was his 16 stolen bases. That would be much more than I had anticipated. His Showdown card proved to be one of the best (if you take points out of the equation). His 11, speed B(16), 18-20 HR, 16-17 2B, 15 1B+ and 1-3 out for a meager 620 points.

Mark Grace 2001: The stat most commonly associated with Mark Grace? Try most hits for anyone in the 90’s with 1,754. 2000 was not a bad year for him ether earning him a 10, speed C, 20 HR, 17-19 2B, 12-16 1B, 5-11 1B. His 2000 stats which the 01 card was based off of were productive and likely underrated. He hit .280 with 95 walks to earn him that ever important OB. Those stats came with the Cubs. His most memorable moment came the following year with the Diamondbacks (who he is in uniform for in his 2001 card). In game 7 of the World Series the Yankees had a 2-1 lead going into the bottom of the 9^th inning. The man who lead off the inning? Mark Grace with a single to center against the greatest closer of all-time. What would follow is to many of us (even none Diamondback fans) one of the most exciting moments in baseball history. At the beginning of the AB the Diamondbacks had a 22%  chance of winning. After there were 36%. He is often forgotten for his role.

Nick Johnson 2009: Why does Nick Johnson deserve to be spotlighted? One very simple trait: He is the cheapest 10 in Showdown history at 250 points. The amazing thing about Nick Johnson is his ability to get on base with little to no power threat. In 2009 he split time between Nationals and the Marlins. He was traded from DC to South Beach. He had 8 homers, 2 triples, and 16 doubles. Most important for him was his 99 walks. He is a 10, speed C(11), 18-20 2B, 11-17 1B, 3-10 BB with 1-2 out. For 250 points that is a deal… unexciting but a deal.

Andres Galarraga 2000: Andres had three 40+ homer season from 1996-1998. 1999 he was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma and began his treatment. He thankfully was able to beat his cancer. This has served as a source of inspiration to many over the years. Others have served as inspiration to those facing daunting medical situations. Lance Armstrong and Jon Lester come to mind. The Big Cat was able to get back to the bigs and hit 28 homers and bat .300 in 2000. Not that how productive of a player he returned to being adds or takes away from his ability to inspire people. The Big Cat would finish with 399 homers. Galarraga is a long forgotten power hitting first basemen in an era of great power hitters. A 9, 16-20 HR, 15 2B, Speed B for 510 points is a nice power hitter with a nice story behind him.

Mo Vaughn 2000: There are so many great players from this era that picking them can be odd process. I have tried to pull myself back to those days and remember what I honestly felt at those moments. In 1999 the Red Sox (my home town team) had just let their big slugger, Mo Vaughn go to the Angels. The 4 previous seasons Vaughn had at least 35 homers each year while hitting at least .300 each of those years. It was tough to imagine a player having a brighter future for a player with both power and average. He would never make that last big jump to being an all-time great. He actually would get hurt and never maintain that level. His 2000 card was an 8, speed C, 17-20 HR, 16 2B, 10-15 1B, 4-9 BB, 1-3 K for 260 points. Oddly a very mediocre card for a guy who had the potential to be a perennial great.

Last year’s Time Machine: McGwire 00/01, Bagwell 00, Giambi 01, Delgado 01

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